Year End/New Year Ponderings - by Ron Bekkering

Pastor Rod talked about it on Sunday.  Mary did it when it involved her son, Jesus, and I’ve been pondering what I would be blogging about on this last week of the year.  I thought let’s do something fun…maybe a year end list, maybe a bullet pointed 4 step program for us to grow closer to Christ?  I really was searching

So that leads me to what I’ve been reading in the book of Acts; wouldn’t you know it, all the pondering came to a rest, as it hit me like a ton of bricks last night after some painful and joyful week 16 NFL football.

Starting next week at Redeemer, yes the first week In January, Pastor Rod will be giving us a two week sermon series revolving around the topic of the “One Thing”. 

One thing, One anything.  

In Acts, Paul is talking to the people of Athens in Chapter 17 (vs. 16-34).  He is feeling, as he looks around, that they have a lot of gods that they follow, but they are missing the One thing or simply the One!  Paul introduces them to God so that they might be able to “worship intelligently”, and know who they are dealing with.

As we jump into 2015 with both feet I hope that we can recall the words of Paul and be refreshed by who our God is…

“The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him!” (v.24-29).

As we the people of Redeemer United Methodist Church celebrate the passing of 2014 and rush head long into 2015, I hope we can take a few minutes and think about the One who means the most to us.  And just maybe we can feel the peace that passes all understanding and make a plan that involves more of Him and less of us.  Happy New Year friends!

Know Jesus, Know Peace!