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Newsletter In PDF Format (printable)
Rev.
Paul Ritchie
Study to Show Yourself Approved
The Bible commands us to:
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word
of truth."
2 Timothy 2:15
The word study is as follows; to increase speed, that is to
make effort, be prompt or earnest - do (give) diligence, be
diligent, endeavor, labor, study.
The Christian who will not study the Word of God, or who reads the
Word and does not really know what God is saying to them through
His Word, will have a hard time presenting himself a workman in
the Kingdom that is not ashamed and rightly dividing the word of
truth.
Therefore it is necessary to be able to study, not just
read the Word, as important as that is. You do not have to have a
large library to study the Bible. A good Bible with references and
paragraph headings, a Strong’s concordance and dictionary along
with a notebook will get you off to a good start. For those who
have a computer there are good Bible programs that have all kinds
of helps as well.
I find that many people read over the little words that can make
all the difference in the understanding of a passage of Scripture.
Also, the italics that are added to help make it easier to
understand which often help can, on occasion, give a wrong slant
on a passage of Scripture. When you come to them, read the passage
with and without the italics and see if it changes the meaning. If
it does; leave it out. Also, read it aloud. As you hear and look
at the Scripture it will help. After all, the Bible tells us that
faith comes by hearing. "So then faith comes
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Romans 10:17 Listen to what you are reading and ask yourself;
"Now what is that saying to me?" Look carefully at the descriptive
words that explain the subject and use your imagination to picture
in your mind what is taking place. Look in the dictionary at words
you do not fully understand and in the concordance so that you
know what the writer is trying to tell you. Remember, it was not
written in English to begin with.
Look for instructions, examples and
principles:
Instructions: What is the Bible telling you to do in
speech, relationships, or actions? How do you apply these
instructions in your situation or your lifestyle (walk)?
Examples: Again, put your imagination into play and
try to get a mental picture of the example in your mind. How does
this example apply to your life and relationships?
You may need to do more research in what the Bible has to say
about a certain area of your life as you seek to apply the truths
that are being revealed. IMPORTANT! When you study the Bible,
always pray for God to bring light to His Word and to show you how
His Word applies to you.
Ephesians 1:15-23 is a good prayer to use to ask God for
spiritual wisdom, especially
verses 17 & 18; "...that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give to you the spirit
of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the
hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints...".
Principles: Principles are often hidden if you do
not picture in your mind how they pertain far beyond the obvious.
The best way for you to understand is for me to give you an
example or two: Let's look at
Ephesians 5:15-21; "See then that you
walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time,
because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but
understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with
wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks
always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God."
Vs. 15 - 17 See then that you walk
circumspectly (carefully). That is clearly an instruction
as is redeeming (use wisely your time) the time and
understand the will of the Lord. This last instruction may
entail more study and prayer or other help. But, be careful who
you go to for help.
Vs. 18 Do not be drunk with wine but be
filled with the Spirit. This is a principle that goes
far beyond drinking. So, let us picture a person who is drunk
and compare that with a person who is filled with the Spirit.
Question: What is happening to both of these people that is the
same? The principle is that they are both controlled by a force
beyond themselves. One is controlled by alcohol. The other is
controlled by the Holy Spirit. This leads to the conclusion that
control is the principle. So, what is controlling
your life other than the Holy Spirit? The principle found in
verse 18 could pertain to any number of things that are contrary
to God's will for your life. Verses 19-21 are clearly an example
of a Spirit controlled man or woman.
Another example of a principle is found in
Romans 1:27; "Likewise also the men,
leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one
another, men with men committing what is shameful, and
receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due."
A principle is found in the last phrase of this passage;
receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
The principle is that there is a penalty when you make a
mistake and the day will come when it is due. Not all mistakes
are as serious as others, but when you go contrary to God's laws
it can become very costly.
Matthew 22:29 says; "Jesus answered and
said to them, ‘You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor
the power of God.'" The more we study to show ourselves
approved, the less we will be mistaken as we look to God for
wisdom and power to live above and not beneath. And, the
less we will have to pay. As you bring your life into conformity
with God's design, you will find that He does know best after all.
Our prayer for you is that you will indeed study His Word with
diligence and find for yourself the blessing that goes with it.
God bless,
Rev.Paul Ritchie
Executive Director,
Bethel Colony of Mercy, Inc.
Testimony of
Chris Kennedy
1996 Bethel graduate
I came to Bethel in early
1996 as a very stubborn, rebellious and wild 19 year old. I am now
32 years old and living a victorious Christian life filled with
hope! I have been clean 11 years and have been passionately
serving the Lord and walking in faith for the last 5 years.
I grew up in a great family with awesome Christian parents and was
saved around 12 years old. I started using and selling
drugs during my last two years of high school and dropped out
during my senior year with only two credits lacking to graduate.
At the time I thought I was living the dream life for a 17 year
old; no job, plenty of money, friends, girls, drugs, my own place
and partying all the time.
The process began when I started drinking after work around the
age of 15. Then it progressed to drugs soon after. My parents
were very disappointed after finding drugs in my bedroom and in
their wisdom clearly warned me; “This will lead you into harder
stuff.” Knowing my “take it to the limit” personality, they were
correct. But, at the time, I thought they were just foolish. The
older I got, the wiser my parents got! You know, it was just fun,
good times. It’s just a little sin and I can handle it. But, I
have learned that our desires follow what we give our attention
to, and the wages of sin is death and it wants to destroy us.
It did progress very quickly. I was using and selling much harder
drugs and was caught at age 18 with drug paraphernalia and had
accrued several charges for unpaid tickets and warrants for not
showing up to court. Soon after, a friend of my parents brought
over a brochure from Bethel Colony and my parents really wanted me
to go. I wasn’t quite beaten just yet and didn’t think I
really needed to go. The reason I agreed was to appease my
parents. And, my attorney said it would look better when we went
to court if I completed some sort of drug treatment program.
My time at Bethel was amazing! I won’t say I enjoyed every
minute of it, but it was good for me. I was almost kicked out of
the program a couple of times for being rebellious and not
following the rules. But, God’s Word does not return void, and
some great seeds were planted during my time there. The
powerful preaching really impacted me. The message and emphasis
were different than the church I grew up in. This was Full
Gospel. This was Truth.
Because I wasn’t truly ready to change, I quickly fell right
back into the same lifestyle upon leaving Bethel. Around a
year later I was caught again with drugs. This time it was a more
severe charge and I spent some time in jail. During my time in
jail, I resolved in my mind I was never going to drink or use
drugs again. But, I was still very attracted to the quick money
and adventurous lifestyle of selling drugs and planned on
continuing my “career” when I was released. I was so convinced of
it that no one could have talked me out of it. I was determined.
Many people at our church, my family and parents were constantly
praying for me and God answers prayers.
I had only a few more months of jail time remaining and I can
almost remember the exact tile I was standing on in the jail when
it happened. In an instant, a strong voice spoke up inside of
me that said; “You do not have to sell drugs to be happy and
fulfilled. There is something much more out there for you.”
And, the confidence and determination I had to continue a
lifestyle of selling drugs left. An even greater confidence and
conviction came upon me to do the right thing when I was released.
I have never looked back. Sure, I have had some ups and downs and
being a convicted felon hasn’t made it easy to get certain jobs.
But, the Lord has always provided and the best is yet to come.
I have a great relationship with my family, great Christian
friends, and a genuine love and concern in my heart towards
others. I belong to a great church family and look forward to
growing in my relationship with Christ and continuing in a life of
faith and expectation for the awesome things God will do.
If you know someone who is still struggling with overcoming an
addiction or is currently at Bethel, I encourage you to never give
up on them. Keep praying and believing God for complete
restoration in their life. Thank Him in advance for what He has
already done and what He is in the process of manifesting in the
their lives.
Recently while in my attic, I opened a box filled with all my
Bethel notes and stuff. I spent quite some time going through
the notes and was amazed at the amount of Word that was
deposited into me. Although I probably only paid attention a
small percentage of the time, it doesn’t take much Word seed to
eventually grow and manifest in our lives. I had received many
greeting cards and support from my home church and a ton of
prayers from many people while at Bethel.
I loved the praise and singing at Bethel and the variety of
activities and churches we visited. My time at Bethel was the
start and seed for a new life for me and I am eternally grateful
for their program. You can tell a tree by its fruit and I
am excited for the growth and expansion of Bethel Colony and the
increased number of men’s lives that are going to be changed for
eternity as a result of that expansion.
I pray God’s hand of blessing be upon every member of the
staff, the students and you, the donors, that give so generously
to what God is doing at Bethel.
Chris Kennedy
New dormitory going up!
Watch the progress:
It is very exciting to see the
interior walls going up. These rooms will house men while God is
at work in their lives rescuing them and redeeming them from a
lifestyle of bondage and addiction.
The block walls are finished. The first
floor trusses are next! You are a part of what God is doing at
Bethel Colony. Thank you for your prayers and your faithful
support.
Counseling
Corner
Reverend Don Loss
 Repentance Unto Salvation
Over the years I have seen many make professions of faith, but not
all of these that professed sorrow over their sins had a heart to
forsake their sins. It’s quite a task to discern whether a person
really is born-again in many cases. Are we not reminded of the
Scriptural text; “This people honors Me with their lips, but their
heart is far from Me.”?
Mark 7:6 When a person’s heart is far from
Christ, “the enemy comes in like a flood” (Isaiah 59:19) taking
that person captive to do the devil’s will.
When issues are not dealt with at the cross, we find those who
have hurts, loneliness, rejection, anger, anxiety, depression,
bondages, etc., floundering around trying to find relief for these
legitimate issues. And, thankfully, some do find relief and are
rescued by God’s common grace that He supplies to the world. But
many soon fall back into their former condition and the cycle
continues. Meanwhile, disappointments, heartaches, resentment,
helplessness, etc., invade the whole family atmosphere. But, it is
not hopeless!
At Bethel Colony, we help men examine their lives to discover
whether or not they have a clear understanding of repentance. Many
have made professions of faith at some point in their lives but
they have built their lives on the sand. In the Sermon on the
Mount, Jesus says; “But everyone who hears these sayings of mine,
and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his
house on the sand.”
Matthew 7:26 He also says;
“But why do you
call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say?”
Luke 6:46
These sayings are exactly what Jesus wants every professing
believer to consider, whether or not he really is a true believer.
Has he truly repented of his sins? If he is backslidden he has
given evidence of living in his sins instead of forsaking them.
There are many professing believers living in sin for one reason
or another - to get their needs met, loss of conviction of sin,
carelessness, ignorance and lust to name a few. And, we have all
seen heartache as a result.
Now what about repentance unto salvation? A repentance unto
salvation must be made at the foot of the cross. This is where the
power of saving grace comes in. A person must truly examine
himself to see if he has been fooling himself. As was noted in the
last newsletter; “true repentance will be after a godly manner.
For a man repents when he turns to God, sees his conduct as God
sees it (sin), submits to God’s judgment and asks God to forgive
him.”
I have led many to Christ who have had some sort of church
background but never were truly saved. I take them to various
Scriptures showing the way of salvation. An acknowledgment of
their sins and their offense against God comes to light. They see
that Christ died for their sins in a new and fresh way. They
repent of their sins, and behold, there is a sense of a weight
lifted off of them, a burden removed, and the peace of God floods
in. They then enter into the Kingdom of God as
“a new creation;
old things have passed away and all things have become new.”
II
Corinthians 5:17 Their countenance is lifted, salvation has come,
and they rejoice! Truly a supernatural repentance unto salvation
has taken place. New help has arrived from above for their issues.
And God , in His love, will help them. For we know who this God
is, He is the God of the Scriptures. He is Jesus Christ. Look what
He says; “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and
I will give you REST!” That, my friends, is the power of the
gospel. Oh, what a Savior!
Do you have repentance unto salvation? Have you been living a lie?
Surrender now and come to Jesus at the cross. Ask forgiveness for
your sins for He will surely save you!
Until next time, the Lord bless you,
Rev. Don Loss
Director of Counseling
* If the
Counseling Corner has spoken to you we are now archiving by topic
title for your future reference. To get to the archived
counseling corners click on the Archived Counseling
Corner link at the top of page.
We are very grateful for your support that
has come through the services of Pay Pal. While I realize that for
some this is a very convenient way to send your support, I thought
you would like to know how much Pay Pal charges Bethel Colony
for these transactions.
If we receive less than $3000.01 in
donations through Pay Pal per month, the fee per transaction is
2.9% plus $0.30. In other words, if you sent Bethel a $50 donation
through Pay Pal, Bethel would only receive $48.25 of that
donation. Once Bethel receives $3000.01, the rate becomes 2.5%
plus $0.30 per transaction. The lower rate does not apply to
Bethel donations except possibly during the month of December.
The following is a chart for your
information:
|
Amount of Gift |
Pay Pal Fee |
Bethel Receives |
|
|
2.9% +$.30 |
|
|
$25.00 |
$1.03 |
$23.98 |
|
$50.00 |
$1.75 |
$48.25 |
|
$75.00 |
$2.48 |
$72.53 |
|
$100.00 |
$3.20 |
$96.80 |
|
$150.00 |
$4.65 |
$145.35 |
|
$200.00 |
$6.10 |
$193.90 |
|
$300.00 |
$9.00 |
$291.00 |
|
$400.00 |
$11.90 |
$388.10 |
|
$500.00 |
$14.80 |
$485.20 |
|
$1,000.00 |
$29.30 |
$970.70 |
|
And so on. |
|
|
If you decide to continue to use Pay Pal we certainly
understand and will always be grateful for all that you do.
For those that may be interested in an alternative to Pay Pal,
Bill Pay is available for regular monthly support and works well
for all involved.
Also, we can help you set up a monthly draft from your bank
account to Bethel’s bank account. However, we can not process
your receipt until we receive the next bank statement.
Always remember, as you partner with us in this ministry of
rescue, that however and whatever you do is deeply appreciated.
Anonymous Poem
Just a note to say I’m living, That I’m not among the dead.
Though I’m getting more forgetful and mixed up in the head. I got
used to my arthritis, to my dentures I’m resigned. I can manage my
bifocals but gosh I miss my mind! For sometimes I can’t remember
When I stand at the foot of the stair, If I must go up for
something or have I just come down from there? And before the
fridge so often, My poor mind’s filled with doubt, Have I put food
away or just taken it out? So if it’s my turn to write you There’s
no need for getting sore; I may think that I have written and I
don’t want to be a bore. Just remember that I love you and wish
that you were here. Now it’s nearly mail time so I must say
goodbye, my dear. Here I stand beside the mailbox with a face so
very red! Instead of mailing you my letter, I have opened it
instead! ~Anonymous
Testimony of Todd Keyes
My name is Todd Keyes and I was at Bethel in 2008. I
would recommend Bethel to any man in need. I know I was.
Bethel was a blessing to me in so many ways. I am still happily
married and most certainly did not think I would be married
anymore when I was at Bethel. I place my armor on daily
during my quiet time. Bethel taught me the need for that. The
thought of alcohol has not entered my mind except to pray for
those that abuse it. When I got home to Winston Salem, I
went back to my church, Calvary Chapel of the Triad, which I
love. I took on a temporary position with The Salvation Army as
the Director of the “Christmas Toy Center” where I oversaw the
entire program: volunteers, corporate contribution,” Angel tree”,
coordinated the truck drivers, “Give a Kid a Coat Day”, food
distribution for Christmas dinners, The “Bicycle Shop” where we
were able to give bikes to kids; some of which had never owned a
bike. The blessing far out-weighed the long hours. During that
time an opportunity came across to me where I became the owner of
a web based internet business that markets tier one companies .I
had started working out in the gym while at Bethel so I joined the
YMCA soon after I came home. In December I was invited to be on
the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Northwestern North Carolina
where I am on a program committee and was asked to chair a new
sub-committee that focuses on membership retention. WOW!
My old roommate at Bethel and I laugh when we talk on the phone
because our wives act as though they are living with different
men. Well, they are! I am a real man of God,
thanks to the mercy of my Heavenly Father and to my time at
Bethel Colony of Mercy. Oh yeah, one last thing. I’m taking my
wife and daughters on a cruise in a couple of weeks. No cell
phone, no emails. Only time with my Bible, my family and God’s
beautiful creation in the Western Caribbean.
Please keep saving lives at Bethel!
Blessed and Highly Favored,
Todd Keyes
Thank you
We want to thank those of you who, in spite of the current
economic conditions, have continued to support us. The need is
even greater now than before. Often, in time of crisis, people
turn to alcohol and other drugs to deal with their loss or
situation.
Galatians 6:7 admonishes us that; “God
is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
Some are taking God seriously and continuing to sow seeds of faith
into this ministry. The righteous walk by
faith and not by sight.
II Corinthians 5:7 And, it is for sure, God will not be
mocked. God does not meet needs. He meets faith.
The world is full of needs God is not meeting. However, He is
looking for those who will continue to trust Him especially in
the hard times. This is the kind of faith that Daniel, Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego stood on. God proved Himself faithful to
be their deliverer. Then there are those who, in hard times,
will turn back to the ways of the flesh and the world in an effort
to deal with their difficulties.
Each of us has a choice in how we will react under trials and
tribulation. The results then are no longer in our hands but
in the hands of the world’s ways or God’s ways. Thank you again
for your prayers and support.
Paul and Eldora Ritchie,
the Staff, & Students
Thanks for praying for us . . . Let us pray for you
Contact Us at
Bethelcolony@charter.net
With Prayer Requests and Praise Reports
Bethel Colony of
Mercy is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, gifts to which are
deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax
purposes. Financial information about this organization and a copy
of it’s license is available from the State Solicitation Licensing
Branch at (919) 733-4510. The license is not an endorsement by the
State.
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