Over the past year, the term I have come to loath is “It is the new normal”. Truth be told, every time we wake up, it is a new normal. The only thing that is consistent according to normal is the setting on the dryer but even that is determined by the make, model and type of dryer. What was once considered normal for the day in 1908 when Henry Ford rolled out the first Model T soon changed the second they added options. I can assure you the world is ever changing and every moment we are alive is a new normal. So why is there always change? Why does “normal” never really become, well, normal? We talk of ethics and morality as being a point of view dependent on our own perspective and “normal” also belongs in this category. The only thing that is normal in our daily lives is that change is normal. To expect anything else or be surprised by the stray ball out of left field is rather naïve.
Now, with all that said, there is a sense of normalcy that
is unchanging for it does not need tweaking to be perfect for He is perfect.
One thing that is perfect and constant is Agape. I know, there are some out
there who do not know the term Agape so let me throw this out there. Agape is a
love that is so perfect it is indescribable, in fact there is no definition
that fully describes it or translation that does justice to the perfection of
what it is intended to describe. At the beginning of John 3:16, scripture
states “God so loved the world”. The word loved in this case was ἠγάπησεν,
egapesen, which is in the agape family of words. God so loved us that He sent
His Son into the world to die for our sins. This is not just for a time but for
all times and, for God, this is the perfect normal. There is only one perfect
norm and that is the love of Christ, Agape. It is a love that does not change
because it is perfect and in Glory, there will be nothing but this perfection.
How can I say this in confidence? The message in Hebrews 13:8-9 states “Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be
attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from
rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.” There is a truth
to this in light of today’s circumstances. In all things governed by the will
of mankind, normal is in the eye of the beholder but when we focus our gaze
upon the Saviour, we find an anchor point to set our course. When we focus on
the Master there is a newness in the term normal and, while life may throw up
all sorts of bumps and detours, we can rest assure in His promise, His Agape.
This coming Sunday is a bit different a service. We will be
holding our AGM while we sing praises to our Lord and Saviour and there will
also be a short devotional at the end. We invite you to join us either in
person (we are limited to numbers inside the building) or online. Should you
wish to join us online, click on either link below to join us live:
Facebook Live - https://www.facebook.com/main.ave.31
YouTube Live – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9LIkN_QTdVM6eVXEgy9QA
Blessings,
Pastor Todd
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