TESTIMONIES OF GOD'S GRACE
The following testimonies are of men who have been
blessed of the Lord as a result of coming under the authority of the Lord Jesus
Christ and His Word while at Bethel Colony of Mercy.
These pictures and testimonies will change from time to time, so be sure to
check
often to see how God is working at Bethel to deliver men from
the bondage of sin.
Testimony
of Bethel Graduate
Delbert "Pete"
Austrew
I came to Bethel colony of Mercy in
November, 1998. At this time in my life I found myself at a
loss of family, friends and everything else I loved or cared
about. I had been drinking and drugging very heavily just to
deal with the emotional pain I was feeling.
On arriving at Bethel, I had a desire to
turn my life around simply because I knew it was a miracle of God
that I made it there. You see, I knew "about" God but had no
relationship with Him. Everything I had attempted in life had
become a failure. Relationships, employment and then my health! In
1987, I was involved in an industrial accident that resulted in
six major surgeries in seven years! Two major back surgeries that
left me relying on a wheel-chair, a total left hip replacement,
and two shoulder replacements. A tumor was found in my neck
resulting in surgery that has left one side of my face numb. On my
back in Shands Hospital at the University of Florida, I cried out
to Jesus Christ. Soon after that a nurse came into my room and
asked; "Where are the roses? I smell roses." No one had brought
roses to my room.
I continued in my difficulties for some
years as I was in and out of physical rehabs. At one point I
was prescribed over ten different pain medicines and had become
addicted to them all. I was also addicted to street drugs and
alcohol. This continued to the point I lost my family and all that
mattered to me. Then, a family member told me about Bethel Colony.
I came to Bethel as soon as I could get in. My experience at
Bethel was one that I will walk with for the rest of my life. I
wish I could say that when I left Bethel everything went well for
me. Sadly, my life continued to spiral downward. But, at the most
precious time in my life, what was instilled in me while at Bethel
came forth! I had "NOT" surrendered everything to Jesus! I had
held on to anger, resentment, and deep emotional pains. My most
precious time was the point of surrender of everything to Jesus!
Feeding on the Word, I began to discover how
much He loves me. John 3:16 says;
"For God so loved the world (me), that He gave His only Son." I
discovered His identity within the Bible and began to see my own
identity through His eyes. This experience changed my life
forever! You see, as I discovered these truths through the Holy
Spirit, I discovered who was the author of my failures...Satan! I
learned I have authority over my enemy in the name of Jesus!
Because of this discovery, my life has purpose and meaning today.
Yes, I lost everything, but God has restored my health, both
mental and physical. Today I am as healthy as I have ever been
in my life. God is blessing me in so many ways.
On June 8, 2007, I graduated from Fruitland
Baptist Bible Institute in Hendersonville, NC. I am a licensed
Baptist minister. I will be attending Florida Baptist College to
pursue a Master of Ministry degree. In the meantime, I have
traveled from Kentucky to Florida preaching the Word of God and
giving my testimony. I feel the Lord has placed a burden on my
life to write a book concerning the role of the "Spiritual Priest
of the Home". God is doing things for me that I would not have
thought possible! My testimony is simply this; He is still in the
business of raising the "dead"! He is no respecter of persons and
He will do the same for "whosoever".
The roses no one could find in my hospital
room? One day I read in the Bible that He is the
Rose of Sharon! Praise God! The tomb is empty! Revelation 12:11;
"And they overcame the evil one by the blood of the Lamb and
the word of their testimony." Praise God, we win! And as the
old song says..."It is well with my soul!"
Michael Pruitt
Half-way House & Housekeeping Manager
Raised in a little fishing
community on the Chesapeake Bay of Virginia, I attended church
regularly as a youth. From the beginning my father and I always
clashed and often he would go beyond acceptable disciplinary
actions. When I was about 14, I was asked to leave the house
frequently by my dad. Being exposed to an older group of boys who
drank, ran the roads all night and dabbled in whatever came their
way - fighting, stealing, destroying property and such - I stopped
going to church. At 17, I began smoking marijuana which led to
stronger stuff and by the age of 37 I had tried all the popular
drugs such as cocaine, heroin, speed, LSD and was drinking alcohol
as well. I had two failed marriages under my belt and was
generally a basket-case, unmanageable, drunk or high all of the
time. I even beat a woman I was in a relationship with within an
inch of her life. I had never thought I was capable of such
things. She forgave me and on June 8, 1987, we had a little girl
and named her Julie. I thought she was my turning point, but years
of a life filled with sin will take you farther than you want to
go, leave you longer than you to stay and cost you more than you
want to pay.
When I was 50 and my little
girl was 13, she led me to the Lord on October 24, 2000. The
Christian life is everything my godly grandmother told me it was.
I had joy, was at peace with myself and enjoyed a rewarding
relationship with my daughter.
It was not long before I was
again struggling with things like my temperament. My moods were
lousy and I fell away from the Word of God at the most needful
times of my life. I struggled to find peace on my own with no
success. Soon I was back drinking and doing drugs, but I felt
awful for turning my back on the Lord. I tried to get back in
right standing with Him and could not figure out what was wrong.
Then I remembered something my grandmother had told me when I was
young; "Whenever you are in trouble, say; ‘Lord, please have mercy
on me.’" He did.
My sister knew of my
struggles and found information on Bethel Colony from pamphlets
and testimonies. The Lord revealed that I was to go to Bethel for
the help I desperately needed.
For years I had harbored
unforgiveness towards my dad. I also had hatred in my heart for
being sexually abused as a child. Bethel brought out these
problems and showed me exactly where to take them - the cross.
Thank you, Lord.
I am now free from the guilt
of the past and free from unforgiveness and hatred. I have my
confidence back and, "I am confident of this very thing, that He
who began a good work in me will perform it until the day of Jesus
Christ." Thank you, Lord, for setting me free without charge or
remembering my sin.
I also thank everybody who gives to the Lord
at Bethel.
Below is a
letter written to Bethel on June 19, 2007 from a Former Bethel
Student:
Dear Bethel:
I was a student there from mid August 2004 through mid October
of the same year. I want to thank you for your ministry.
I tried to conquer my addiction to alcohol on my own. It was
only through my complete and total submission to Jesus Christ
while at Bethel that I was healed from that addiction - not only
alcohol but tobacco as well.
I use the word "healed" because - from the perspective of
dependency - I am just as I was before I ever encountered alcohol
or tobacco. They are truly a non-issue in my life today with
Jesus. He has truly worked miracles in other areas of my
life that I never would have thought possible. I can not
emphasize enough the importance of faith.
I and my family are doing well and are very active in our
church. Although we still experience all of life's struggles
from day to day, we take care of what we can, and leave to Christ
those things we can not.
You will always stay in my prayers. I'll make a point to
visit the next time I'm in the area.
Sincerely yours,
Former Bethel Student

Bill Howington
1953 graduate of Bethel, shares a testimony
of God’s grace in his life. Bill has been faithful to the LORD and
to Bethel since his graduation. What a testimony to the power of
God!
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