WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

By Keith Bellamy

We are starting our twentieth year of work here in Woodville. It has been a good work, but not because of anything we have done. Whatever has been accomplished is because of the Lord. No one individual can take credit for any baptisms, etc. It is all to the praise of His glory. God’s love has a lot to do with it.

There have been good times and there have been difficult times. So many have gone on to their reward. And many are still waiting to make that glorious journey.

A few years ago, someone asked me where I was going to be in five years. I asked that person where she was going to be! We both commented that we didn’t know. But we knew that both of us want to go to heaven because of God’s love.

And that is true for all of us, isn’t it? God’s love has everything to do with that longing for a home not made with hands.

In Philippians 1:21-24, Paul said he was ready to meet the Lord. But he knew there were more lost souls to teach. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” (NIV).

And I believe those are my sentiments, too.

I think love is what caused people to be attracted to Jesus. Something about Him caused people to leave everything to follow Him. And it is true today for those who wish to follow Him. People will not follow a sourpuss. But they will follow One Who promises Hope! They will follow One Who promises eternal life. They will follow Jesus! They will…because the love of God made this possible.

God’s love has everything to do with it!

History of Keith Bellamy’s ministry

History of Keith Bellamy’s ministry

Warning: If you are dead set against ministering to those in jails and prisons, stop reading NOW! If you continue, you will more than likely be converted into an instructor, chaplain, trainer, visitor or recruiter of volunteers to fulfill Matthew 25:36.

Here is the story of a couple who were working with troubled adults and children long before using the Christians Against Substance Abuse (CASA) and NewLife Behavior (NLB) lessons. They were doing this in West Virginia forty years ago in a small mission church. Keith Bellamy was exposed to many missionaries in his youth and adulthood also. It was second nature for Keith to naturally share the gospel all the time and to all who would listen. The late Winston Atkinson had a big influence on Keith and his wife, Diane, as far as evangelism is concerned. Winston would ask Keith to make visits and the preaching/teaching bug grabbed him.

Keith first started using the CASA curriculum in 1988, when Buck Griffith introduced him to his drug and alcohol abuse course. In 1999, at the recommendation of Famous Byers, of Beaumont, Keith also began using the NLB courses. From that time on, Keith has given his heart and soul to helping prisoners learn about freedom….in Christ. Keith also used the courses to help people with troubled marriages/families in the free world.

Keith and Diane, at the time he started ministering to inmates, lived in Bishop, Texas where he ministered to a small congregation. Then in 1999, they took a preaching position in Woodville, Texas. Woodville is a rural area 55 miles north of Beaumont. There, he applied to work as a volunteer chaplain in the Gib Lewis prison. One of these reasons for applying to be a chaplain was to get greater access, with less red tape, to not only a couple of inmates, but access to all the prisoners in that unit. Since that beginning nineteen years ago, Keith and his co-workers have ministered to hundreds of inmates, through the use of the NLB lessons.

Keith has many inspiring stories, three he shares here. One is about a free world student; an ex-offender, who attended one of his CASA classes. The student was so impressed with the materials that he asked if he could take the lessons to use in his congregation in Kingsville, Texas.

His class in his church went well. Later, he offered a class in the Kleberg County Jail, using the CASA lessons. As you well know success leads to more success, this man ended up becoming the chaplain for the jail. This brother passed away, but his younger brother became active by becoming the contact person for involvement in the jail.

As Keith looks back on his involvement, he feels that he and his helpers were of value to the inmates. They offered encouragement and training, which as you probably know there is definitely a shortage of the element of encouragement in the typical prison. Due to their efforts many of the substance abusers have become ex-offenders and have done quite well, when they left their life behind the big fence. The gratitude shown to the volunteers and for the use of the NLB lessons, no longer surprises Keith and his team.

Keith also tells a story about an experience that helped to solidify his worldview about taking Matt 25:36 seriously. He tells about a former prisoner who came to their church and preached for them one Sunday evening. Cecil Haffelfinger had invited the man to speak and had ministered to this man in a Huntsville, Texas prison back in the 1960’s. When the man finished his sermon and extended the invitation, 125 people came forward to respond to his invitation. In many congregations, 125 in attendance in the evening would be everyone present. In other words, the ex-con made believers out of the members and visitors. Keith, being the regular member, and his wife also responded.

Keith, told how that a few years later, he quit his successful insurance business so he could give more time to the ministry and ultimately to the prison ministry. That is a worldview that will certainly impact others.

Another story that Keith shared inspires many of us. Keith in his teaching had told his class about a man, John Henry Pruit, who had been in prison for many years. There was a man who had served in the same prison with John Henry. When that man heard Keith’s comments and was baptized, the man told him he knew John Henry. He told Keith that he knew John Henry as a Muslim. Keith shared how John Henry became a great worker for prisoners as a member of Buck Griffith’s team.

I, too, know John Henry. I had him in one of my classed for at least three years, some of that time was before he was baptized. I encourage you to read our profile of John Henry. I am glad I did not know he had been a Muslim. Please read and find out why.

Keith commented that he and his co-workers liked using the NLB lessons, especially, CASA. Many of the prisoners were addicted to drugs and alcohol, as well as having anger issues. Over a period of time, the students asked for help with both. So, the NLB courses were exactly what the inmates needed. Another need the inmates had was knowing that they needed not a reformation of behavior, but a transformation as described in Romans chapter 12. So, the course a “Sense of Self” was taught.

Keith, in closing wrote that, “If someone wants to make a difference, NewLife Behavior, is a very good tool to have. The lessons are down to earth and the resources available through NewLife are tremendous.”

We have made great strides with most of the wardens we have worked with and some of them became personal friends. Sometimes the prison guards listen to our lessons and some have expressed interest. We have had to work with the chaplains. For the most part they have been receptive of the NewLife Ministries.

This past year we have finally created a team from the church. Mike Miller preaches for the Oak Grove church in the Soda community out of Livingston. Mike Gipson is one of our members here in Woodville. Both these men have been certified to be NewLife volunteers. Norman Turner has been a volunteer chaplain and mentor at the Gib Lewis prison for about 18 years. All three use NewLife.

We were trying to relocate from south Texas back in 1999. My dad had passed away and we felt like we needed to get closer to my mother and Diane’s mother in Galveston County.

So, I guess you could say God sent us to Woodville, so I could serve at the Gib Lewis Prison. There have been opportunities to use NewLife/CASa with probationers. Our current county sheriff, when he was Justice of the Peace, insisted that a young man come to me over his anger. We took him through Managing My Anger. I had the honor to baptize this young man last year. And what a difference that has made in his family life. I had performed his wedding ceremony years before. His wife and little boys were really taken when he made this commitment.

Keith, Thank you so very much for an informative and inspiring story.

PART-TIME CHRISTIANS

PART-TIME CHRISTIANS

By Keith Bellamy

Part-time doesn’t cut it! When I was in the insurance business I did not care for part-time insurance agents. I even lobbied Austin to help get some education requirements by the State of Texas and that legislation passed. Part-time insurance agents usually gave the business a bad name.

And it’s the same with part-time Christians. They give the church and Christianity a bad name.

Years ago, I was in a young couples’ fellowship. I had been traveling and was trying to relocate and ultimately, we ended up in South Texas. During that visit with the young couples a lady said, “I didn’t know ‘so-and-so’ was a member of the Lord’s church.” In effect she was saying I didn’t know ‘so-and-so’ was a Christian.

What are you when you are away from the church building? What are you when you are not around other Christians?

Even in the early church there were those who apparently didn’t live up to the name Christian.

My point is... we are either on the Lord’s side or we are not.

Read 1 Peter 4:16, 17. “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”