howeenterprise.com
Monday, February 22, 2016
Faith by Debbie Wallis
“I am the vine, you are the branches. If you truly abide in Me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing,” John 15:5. When we first moved into our 96 year old home there was a pear tree that was about 2 feet in diameter and 35 feet tall. It was so old and dead looking that we almost cut it down….until it bloomed and produced the most pears we had ever seen on one tree! The value of a fruit tree is not measured by its age or height but the amount and quality of its fruit. The same is true for Christians. The Bible often uses the metaphor of fruit to describe what our lives produce. Fruit can be either good or bad as stated in Matthew 7:8 and Luke 6:43. A fruitful Christian will produce better results: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,” Proverbs 11:30. When you ask Jesus to be Lord of your life, He came to live and make a difference in you, through Him. That’s you abiding in Him and Him
in you. The harvest of that relationship is sure to be abundant. Separated from Him, you can’t produce a thing of value to the Kingdom of God. Anyone who separates from Jesus is like deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with God’s word and allow His words to change you, you can be sure that you will show yourself to be His child and produce good fruit. Fruit is a metaphor for God showing who He is through the changes in your actions as you mature as His disciples. The motives of your heart need to be continually renewed and transformed in to the heart of God. Your thinking will be more Christ like as your heart changes to want what God wants. This can only be done by abiding in God’s word. Spend time reading, studying, and prayerfully meditating on the teachings of Jesus and allow your heart to change…your actions will follow. As you step out in faith and believe the promises that Christ has given and obey His commands, you will begin to bear much fruit in your life and influence those that you spend time with to bear much fruit in their life.
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Norman speaks to council about future of old church
Jean Norman addresses the city council on Tuesday night. Longtime Howe community supporter Jean Norman addressed the city council on Tuesday night about the future of the old First Christian Church and the council's need for future approval of interior reconstruction of the building. The structure is owned by the City of Howe and was gifted as such by the Collins family in the early 1980s.
who has had professional wedding event planners, caterers and photographers look at the building to give ideas on what the final results should be. The events planners were told that the walls would be white and they concurred, but this was before the ceiling board tiles were removed and the 123-year-old original wood was fully exposed. The beauty of the original wood changed the "One day I'm going to drive out of minds of city officials who stated the post office and it is going to be they wanted to keep the natural just beautiful." said Norman. wood look and not paint it. This "That's my goal." will mean extra lighting in the building as the wood is obviously Norman told the council that her darker than the white walls. Plans and the Historical Society spent call for three chandeliers to hang in $12,000 on the building back in the the auditorium and for the wood to early 1990s with replacing be trimmed with elegant molding. windows and painting the One of the "yellow" amber structure. However, after windows will be removed for renovating it, it sat unattended to lighting purposes and will be rewith broken windows and improper purposed in the building. landscaping. Larry Vincent is providing a blue"It took a very short time for it to print at the request of Boyd Dunn, “You did not choose Me, but I go to nothing." said Norman. "I who is serving as project manager chose you and appointed you to go was old and my committee was of construction. and bear fruit…fruit that will last,” older." John 15:16. Norman also requested to bring the If you don’t have a Bible please Norman's vision of the building is bell back to the property from the to house weddings and other Community Center where it rests contact me at now. Plans for the bell are to be sfadebbie@yahoo.com and I will events, but asked the council to give input. She is the president of located in Mame Roberts Garden provide you one. the "Save the Church" committee area.
