Pastor Taiwo Durosaro, cleric in charge, Gethsemane Prayer Ministries, Mosafejo, Ibadan, has advised Christians to purpose in their hearts to learn and adapt the values of the new normal so as to remain relevant.
Durosaro made the call on Sunday while delivering a sermon on the reality of the ‘New Normal.’
The new normal, according to the man of God, is a wind of change being blown in the global community at a fast pace by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cleric, who made reference to the book of Jeremiah 31, 22, said, “It is interesting that many people are unaware that the Lord had created a new thing on the earth.”
Those that are unaware or that simply refuse to learn the new strategies or new ways of doing things, he said, would gnash their teeth when they eventually realise that they have been pushed to the backstage of life.
He stressed, “The book of Jeremiah 31, 22, says, How long wilt thou go about o thou backsliding daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.
“Isiah 43,19, Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth shall he not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the dessert.
“There are normal things and there are abnormal. What is normal in a place may be abnormal in a place. What is normal is relative from place to place and person to person.
“Something may be normal but not needful at a particular point in time. There are times you need to act abnormally to get result. Some behave abnormally in public places. For instance, in the banking hall people behave abnormally and, in the end, get quicker result.
“All over the world now, God is changing the phase of things. As we move into new normal, it shall be a season for you to excel and be lifted.
*Change is the only permanent thing on earth. If you are not ready to change, get ready to be changed. This pandemic is changing the way things are done in the world. If somebody had told me a year ago that face masks would be part of my dressing, I would say that person must be joking.
“The change has affected the church and the way we worship, it has changed the face of our education and our way of relating with one another.”
He warned that as Christians, our journey in life and relationships with God are personal issues, hence, “Don’t compare yourself with another person.
“There was a man who said he never went to church since the pandemic broke out. I asked him if he had ever gone to market and he said yes. He was deceiving himself.
“This pandemic will be the beginning of the fall for many. They will become isolated. It will enable the devil to overcome them in order to afflict their souls.
“This season, any pastor that is crowd-oriented would be finished. If I am at a place now and I see two people there, I shall preach.
“After this storm comes the rain. God has not yet finished his works. As soon as God finishes His works, the new dawn would come. After the storm comes the rain and then comes fruitfulness. May your portion not be given to another person. Your house should be church unto God. Forget about the person that is not in church.”
