Chamber Ribbon Cutting

February 18

Faith

One of the main characters in the Bible is David David is famous for many great things As a young boy he was a shepherd Later he was the courageous young man who killed the giant Goliath He was a worship leader for Saul, the King of Israel David was also a king, the second king of Israel He was a songwriter for many of the Psalms were written by David He was a great friend to Saul’s son Jonathan

David is also famous for some not so great things He messed up and messed up big What I’m calling messing up is what the Bible calls sin Yes, as great as David was, he was still a sinner just like you and I. Yet we find God using David over and over again in many wonderful ways What’s up with that?

Does God only use “mess-ups” in His work? Well, yes, in fact He does God specializes in taking a messed up life and using it in great ways Again I ask, what’s up with that?

It’s called forgiveness Do you want a huge blessing? Do a Bible search on God’s forgiveness You will discover some great treasures Such as when God forgives you, your sins says that “they shall be as white as snow and they shall become like wool ” (Isaiah 1:18) In Psalm 103: 12 we find “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us ” Isaiah 38:17 tells us that God has “cast all my sins behind his back ” Also in Isaiah God says “I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist ” One of my personal favorites is Micah 7:19 that says that because of the compassion of God that He will “cast all our sins into the depths of the sea ”

It’s great that God is such a great forgiver! But I want to remind us that we too are to be forgiver of others One of the best things you can do for yourself is to forgive those who have wronged you Don’t let bitterness and resentment set in because of your refusal for forgive someone

I’m reminded of the story of Corrie Ten Boom Corrie was a Jew who spent time in a Nazi concentration camp during World War 2. She watched as the Nazi’s killed her father and sister In spite of her hardships, Corrie remained faithful to the Lord One evening a few years after the war, she was speaking at a church in Munich bringing a message of God’s forgiveness

As the people filed out after her talk, a balding, heavyset man in a gray overcoat walked up to her Suddenly a scene flashed back in her mind: She saw this man before He wore a blue uniform and cap with skull and crossbones She saw a huge room with its harsh, overhead lights; the humiliation of walking naked past this man this man who was now standing before her

He said, “You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk. I was a guard there,” “But since that time I have become a Christian I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well ” He extended his hand toward Corrie and asked, “Will you forgive me?”

By her account, Corrie stared at the outstretched hand The moment seems like hours as she wrestled with the most difficult decision she had ever had to make Corrie knew Scripture well, but applying the passage she had just spoken on seemed almost too much: “‘For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you’” (Matthew 6:14)

Corrie recalled, “I tried to smile I struggled to raise my hand I could

Hall of Honor

not I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity And so again I breathed a silent prayer: ‘Jesus, I cannot forgive him Give me your forgiveness ’”

Then she said, “As I took his hand, the most incredible thing happened From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me ” As Corrie put it, “I found that it is not from our forgiveness any more than from our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but it is the Lord’s When he tells us to love our enemies, along with the command, he gives us the love as well ” Corrie ten Boom was living proof of Jesus’ love and forgiveness until her death in 1983 Her heart of forgiveness expresses God’s word to us today in Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you ” continued from page 1

Honor: Jabez Haning, WP Thompson, A M Ferguson, Mame Roberts, Charles Thompson, Arthur Boyle, Tony Brinkley, L B Kirby, Norma Wallace, Ray Bledsoe, Carrie Waller, Elmer Schenk, Norman Dickey, Jimmy Bearden, and Steve Simmons

Nominations for this year's class can be found on the chamber home page at http://howechambercom/

Please consider the following criteria as a guideline in recommending the nominee:

• Successful activities/endeavors while living or working in Howe

• Demonstrates qualities of character and leadership

• Attained achievement in at least one of the following areas: personal, professional life, church, community service

• Brought credit to or made significant contribution to Howe through personal endeavor and leadership