“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results”, is a popular quote by the American Emmy-nominated screenwriter and author Rita Mae Brown (the quote is often misattributed to Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin). I do believe it is a wise quote especially if somebody punches 2 + 1 on the calculator to get the results of 3, it would be foolish to keep punching 2 + 1 on the same calculator but expecting different results. On the contrary to the intellectual quote above, the following offering is for peculiar people who are called to do the same thing again and again, expecting different results. This is for the consistent, persistent and of course, insane people.
Luke 5:4-5 NLT When He (Jesus) had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish." (5) "Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if You say so, I'll let the nets down again."
Consistent, persistent and insane!
I’m not trying to be silly to all the rational smart people but this message is for people like Simon Peter (whom we already know was a lunatic), who are willing to do it again one more time because they believe in The Lord’s Word.
If you the kind that decide to have tea but when you step into the kitchen you discover a cup of cold tea in that you made an hour earlier , this offering is for you. People like me, who misplace car keys and think of taking a cellular phone to buzz the keys to find them, you are nuts! Welcome, you qualify… especially if you later find those keys in the fridge, that’s a distinction in Maniatics! Hallelujah, you are the chosen one, come follow Christ!
Last year during some simultaneous attacks from all angles, my car broke down just after I used all my savings to deposit a house… and just few km after the car's extended warrant expired. A friend suggested that I check with my insurance if they don’t cover mechanical breakdown. The sweet insurance lady confirmed in the computer system that I should have applied and paid extra for the mechanical breakdown benefit in my insurance cover but I didn’t. I knew it because I wasn’t paying for it but I just thought, you know, it’s not that I am crazy or anything but I just thought… lets move on with the story.
The Spirit in me told me to dial the insurance number again. At least God saved me the embarrassment this time because it was a different person on the other side of the line. The guy told me the same story that I did not apply or pay for it so, the insurance company cant help with R20, 000 needed to fix my engine... I mean my car's engine. My car stayed in the dealer and whatever car I borrowed also got broken. For the first time since high school, I had even skipped tithing but things got worse and the Lord encouraged me to tithe. I did,regardless of my financial turmoil.
The day after my unreasonable attempts with the insurance company, the Lord spoke to me and … is there anybody mental enough to guess what He instructed me to do next? You got it right cracked head, “ call the same insurance company and ask them to cover your car!” . AGAAAAIN!. Guess what I did? Yes, the same stupid thing again and again but expecting different results… But the Lord who does the impossible encouraged me until they found,in their system,that I actually somehow pay and am covered. Surprised? Not like the lady at the GM dealer who asked me “ how did you get them to pay the full amount? They never do, here is another customer that they are paying 5 % for”. I couldn’t answer her because she was normal to understand:
The writer of Hebrews 11 lists a hall of fame of Old Testament lunatics and screw-heads who believed God for ridiculous things. The fame includes Noah, Moses, David, Rehab, Samuel, Samson … And Abraham, whom Paul describes as the father of all unbalanced people Romans 4:11-12… I agree with Paul but I think Joseph, Jesus’ father, should be the father of faith…. I mean, how much faith do you need to be told that your fiancé is pregnant… by a Ghost, a holy one though! You have to be the grandfather of faith to believe that! (and u have to be moonstruck if you are laughing alone like that.). Consistent, persistent and insane!
One of the classic wacky stories is when Israel had to invade Canaan and the Lord came up with a brilliant plan for Joshua and his men to bring down the walls of Jericho town. Here is the plan of The Almighty God:-
Joshua 6:2-5 NLT But the LORD said to Joshua, "I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. (3) You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. (4) Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. (5) When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams' horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town."
I wouldn’t mind joining the invasion if the plan included bulldozers, tanks or Godzilla to destroy the wall but Priests carrying and blowing vuvuzela’s ? come-on this is sick! And why six days, why please make sense why seven times? Why not once? …. Consistent, persistent and insane!
In fact, I believe that to be a Christian, you gotta sound mad to an intellectual heathen.
1 Corinthians 2:14 NLT But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
My bananas friends, we cannot be Christians and not be deranged to the world. If you explain Christianity to a carnal man, he’ll sound like, “ So, your God died and rose again, went to Heaven? Heaven is in KZN right? Oh you are right that’s Durban…? …It is spiritual? You are spiritual too,.. come again? You are seated in Heaven too? Right now? …As we speak? Wait a second, Ben come listen to this! Please continue… You are currently in Heaven with your God, Jesus, I mean the father? They are one? hold on… the father is the son as well. never mind my cell phone, I’m not recording this? Ok dude…How did the Holy Ghost die before He came to live inside you? Ok don’t answer that, I may not sleep at night. So, what are you in the family of God? Oooh.. you are a son too, I understand! …. Are you the Father as well? No? An uncle? There’s no uncle? Ok is there a mother in this whole thing somewhere by chance?..ok no mother, just as I expected …. Are there any women at all? You are all men? Even your wife is a man, she is a son too ? ….ok that’s enough, stay away from me, my family and my dog, you weird idiot!”
My batty family, If you receive the Word from our space God, don’t expect people to understand it or back you up because it is foolish to them that you, out of all people, can be healed, get married, be number one, pass with flying colors, get a finance for your studies or business! Even when there is no sign of any change, believe the Lord’s Word, Be Consistent, persistent and insane!
PS
If you read this over and over again, you might get/learn something new or achieve new results each time you read.
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