Victims can be Victims of their own delustion

Individuals who habitually indulge in self-victimisation (also known as playing the victim) do so for various reasons: to control or influence other people’s thoughts, feelings and actions; to justify their abuse of others; to seek attention; or, as a way of coping with situations. Although they can actually change circumstances to avoid being victimised, they won’t seize the opportunity because they want to play the role and appear as victims to others and themselves. The main identifying traits of those who choose to play the victim role include:

 

• They tend to manipulate or abuse others verbally or physically, but then blame the other person (i.e. the real victim) for provoking the abuse.

• They influence or control other people’ sympathy to gain compassion or support.

• They form friendships or intimate relationships with those who disrespect, mistreat or abuse them to convince themselves and the world of their unfortunate status.

• They tend to avoid taking responsibility for their life, instead blaming others for their mistreatment or unfortunate circumstances.

• They think and talk a lot about how others take advantage of their kindness.

 

Negatives:

 

When in the company of the victim personality, be on the lookout for the following:

 

• Their crippling dependency on friends or co-workers for support and sympathy can be draining, and you cannot be sure if they actually appreciate your sympathetic responses and efforts.

• They can evoke anger and aggression in you, especially after you realise you have been duped into giving them sympathy when it should have gone to the real victim of their abuse.

• They instinctively draw out the caring, nurturing, and protective qualities in people, only to set them up for manipulation or abuse.

• Sometimes they will take extreme measures to get attention, like emptying a spouse’s bank account because they feel neglected or sending hate emails to themselves and then accusing others of sending them.

 

Positives:

 

There aren’t many positives to the victim personality, but two ways in which you might benefit from the victim are:

 

• They can make us feel important and valuable. Since they believe they are incapable of taking care of their own needs, they will always need your support with something.

• They long to be trustworthy and will make every effort to stick to their promises or complete any tasks you ask of them.

 

 

Do you Play the Victim?

 

You are playing the victim when you often:

 

• Justify your aggression against others by believing they deserve it.

• Refuse to take responsibility for your own happiness or misery – it’s the world that’s a bad place, and no one can truly be trusted.

• Find yourself in relationships where others mistreat you, so you can feel justified in your victim role.

• Nag, complain, harass, and beseech others until they give in to your demands.

• Commonly turn to the phrase, “You’re the only one who can help me.”

• Sometimes go to extremes to get revenge for perceived or actual abuse, like destroying your own property and falsely accusing someone else of being responsible.

• Provoking aggressive behaviour from others, but downplaying or ignoring your role in it.

• Feel anxious about the very idea that you can exert a positive influence over your own life without the support of others.

 

How do I Deal with a Victim?

 

Initially, it will feel good playing a part in their happiness and joy, but after a while, you will start to avoid their child-like dependency. When you do cut ties with them, they will feel victimised and the cycle will continue. Remember that self- victimisers play a role that has always worked for them. By empathically and consistently challenging them, as well as emphasising those non-victim aspects of them that you like, a victim can be helped to change. An example of empathically challenging a victim would be to ask a question that makes them reconsider their situation, such as, “You say he became aggressive. What happened just before he became aggressive?”  An example of valuing the non-victim traits of the individual include statements such as, “I like it when you show this positive attitude. It suits you.”

IF we were actually serious about recycling we would:

First, get over the idea that recycling is a zero sum game.  That you can make money on the end product of recycling.  It is a waste management issue and requires resources.  We pay to landfill and haul it away, if we are serious about recycling and we should be, land-filling that which should be recycled is not good waste management.

This isn't that hard if we are serious.. (of course we really aren't)

Metals, all metals are easy.  Aluminum, pot metal, steel and copper are easy to recycle.. you just have to capture, separate and melt down.

Glass  is easy.  Separate it by color.  Brown, Green, Blue, Clear and other (red and a few others).  Grind them to about 1" pieces.  Not fine grind, but small enough to be able later to load with a skid loader.  Pile the glass into stockpiles.  Let the piles "Rot". In two years or so this will happen.  As the glass sits under the sun, rain and heat any residue will disappear. Paper labels and such will rot awry.  At the end of this the glass is ready to be reused in creating new bottles.  No washing out is required.  The colored glass is the most valuable.  Recycled glass melt faster and at a lower temperature that making it from sand.  The cost of cleaning the glass is offset by stockpiling.

Rubber is useful in powering equipment that makes concrete.

Wood ground up is easy to process for many purposes.

 This leaves the big bugaboo.  What do we do with plastic waste?  Plastic melts without burning at a controlled temperature.  There is no need to separate the plastic.  I can be bulk melted.  Then the resultant clumps ground into large pieces.  Plastic can be pyrolized into oil products.  The reason to melt and grind it is to insure the automation of the pyrolosis process.  We have the natural gas in abundance to do the pyrolitic process.  The ground melted plastic can be stockpiled until moved to a pyrolosis plant.  There is also the use of the melted plastic to create products like plastic fence, plastic planks etc. 

None of this is impossible, it just won't cash flow.  Let's not pretend that it will.  Time to take action.

IF we were serious about Climate Change.. we would do what makes sense

I don't every take anyone seriously that believes that renewable resourses are an actual answer to our energy supply or climate change.

I don't actually believe that we have anything to do with the pace of intensity of change.  The climate always changes. 

However we are exploring alternative energy sources.  I'm for that.  Wind is a joke for electric power.  Germany has demonstrated that.  Solar panels are fine where the sun shines.  That leaves a LOT of people on the grid.  And it's not transportable.

You have to come up with a storage solution and it will never be as robust as your electrical entrance in your house.

There is only one single solution that stops the use of fossils, is reliable and if climate change is your thing, fully neutral. 

NUCLEAR POWER.  We should be building 500 large nuclear plants in the USA right now. 

Of course we won't.  Those who trumpet man made climate change aren't really serious about it.

How To Be Productive When Your Life Is In Chaos - Darius Foroux - Pocket

How To Be Productive When Your Life Is In Chaos - Darius Foroux - Pocket: In a perfect world, everything is steady. You can make plans that actually come true 100% of the time. You can anticipate things in advance. But as you and I both know, that’s not how life works.

Desperate to find a cancer cure Story

https://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/real-life/reader-stories/mum-who-travelled-to-peru-for-shamanic-cancer-treatment-has-died/news-story/ba2a50ac744def948feeddea155ca5cf

LOUIS FARRAKHAN Leads Chants of "Death to America!" in Tehran -- Refers to America as "Great Satan" (VIDEO)

LOUIS FARRAKHAN Leads Chants of "Death to America!" in Tehran -- Refers to America as "Great Satan" (VIDEO)

Another Kavanaugh accuser admits to fabricating rape story - Washington Times

Another Kavanaugh accuser admits to fabricating rape story - Washington Times

Members of new Black Panther Party seen holding guns, Stacey Abrams campaign sign | News | cbs46.com

Members of new Black Panther Party seen holding guns, Stacey Abrams campaign sign | News | cbs46.com

This Tuesday America Takes an IQ Test | Roger L. Simon

This Tuesday America Takes an IQ Test | Roger L. Simon

The Platform of a Conservative

I don't know everything about the platform of the republican party. I see memes pointing to it. Let me offer a common sense conservative platform in a few words and see if it resonates:

Culture - there is a common culture in America. Yes we are a melting pot, but when you come here to become part of that, you can still remember your roots, but you must melt in. The idea that a person comes here and rejects cultural norms is unacceptable. This has to do with law, not sharia. No independent legal system. We are a nation of laws and without reliance on those laws we have anarchy. We are close to that now.

Language - I love learning languages. I speak 2.5 now and learning another (Italian). YET when I do business, when I write, when I speak in the USA I speak the language of our nation, ENGLISH. Speaking it well is essential. Writing it with competence is critical. Reading it will protect you. So when we have dozens of alternative languages for normal communications we are polluting our nation. When I lived and worked in Germany, I did business in German, testified in German in courts, bought and sold in German, read German literature and watched German TV with understanding. There was no need to have anything else.

Life - There is more to this than Abortion. It's all life. Courtesy, care for the poor without enablement, not killing our elderly, keeping a vigorous competitive independent non governmental health care system, allowing innovation that creates a better life for all. To in fact offer all Americans the right to the PURSUIT (not the promise) Of Life, Liberty and Happiness. There are many who come against that idea. They must be defeated.

Freedom - This seems to be understood as do what you want to do by many. This is not that, this is the responsibility to not encroach on others by your need to be free. In other words allowing other people freedom over your need for it. This has to do with little things like parking in a lot properly so others are free to use the lot, by putting back in the proper place in a store something you have chosen not to buy so they have the freedom to buy what you took off the shelf, putting the shopping cart back where it is supposed to be so others are free to navigate the store parking lot without danger of hitting your cart and mostly by being fully able to live life looking in the mirror with a guilt free mind. I remember the British Press after open immigration saying that the Death of the CUE was the end of Great Britain. It was. You don't have the right to jump line...ever. The hardened heart is a dangerous infection in many.

Law and Property Rights - This is the core linchpin in our national fabric. When people openly violate laws, riot, kill, destroy and think they get away with it we have a breakdown. Our national goal must be the rule of law and respect for property.

Secure Borders - It is the duty of government to secure our borders against all invaders foreign and those who are here without permission domestically. We must require that those coming in and those who are here are here with permission. It's our house. Yes I live in it by birth, but we can't expect to pollute our nation's population with people who come for reasons not in line with those ideals above. It is a privilege to be an American. It should be treated as such. I want people from around the world to come here, it's a great place, just don't come and try to impose the image of where you came from. That happens best when we have serious border policy. No more chain migration. No more anchor babies. No more catch and release policy when someone asks for Asylum. it's out of hand. No more invasions because we don't have secure borders. We can do this. Many countries do. When I lived in Europe before the wall came down, there were borders between east and west Germany. The guard towers that lined that border were occupied with shoot to kill guards. If you decided to cross you would be shot. I don't want to go there, but we can't expect to allow invasion unchecked. It's were we are now.

IF these seem foreign to you, you need to thing what our constitutional republic really means.

Facebook declares itself

Since last Thursday I have been in Facebook jail.  Banned from the site.  They announced they were taking down many sites because of hate speech.  My page may have been one of them.

I can't say I miss it that much, but I do hate the fact that a forum I used is gone.

What did I get banned for.  Well there is a christian woman in Pakistan who may be hung for drinking from the same cup as some Muslims.  That is an actual court case in Pakistan.

Pakistan has not been our friend or ally.  They are a Muslim country and do horrid things all the time.

So I called them out and said we should not provide one dime of aid to this country.  That got me banned.

Here's the story:  https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/10861/daughter-of-asia-bibi-makes-emotional-appeal-for-mother-s-freedom-at-acn-event-

Advice a Good Black Father Might Give his SON

1. Life is hard my son.  Not everyone thinks as you do.  Not everyone sees things as you do.  Yet they are not your enemy.  They are just different.  If you think they are constantly ganging up on you, they aren’t, in fact they don’t even think about you that much.  You be concerned about you and let them think what they want.  BE YOU, and let them be who they are.

 2. Be careful to watch out for people who would put you down for your race, creed or color.  There are ignorant people everywhere.  Mark them well and avoid them. If you run into actual racism identify it as such and let people know. Use this carefully.  If you become one who sees racism under every rock you lose your influence like the boy who cries wolf.  There are a lot of bad people on the earth who may hate you for the wrong reasons.  There are also a lot of good people on the earth who love you because you are their brother in the human race.  Be careful to know the difference.  Don’t lump them into the same category.

3.  Just as there are good people and bad people in the general population, there are various people in authority who are judges, politicians and police, some who are good and some who are not.  It is always going to be this way.  It was in Jesus day. There have been evil and also good authority figures in all of history, even in the church.  If you find yourself believing all authority figures including police to be evil and against you, there will be a time when you need them and won’t be able to submit to their authority.  You will find yourself on the outside.  Allow justice to rule when it can, and when injustice rules be careful as you approach the injustice.  Use wisdom to deal with the injustice on an individual basis and not painting all authority figures with a single yellow brush. You don't want to be lumped into everything people who look like you do in society, don't do the same with authority figures.

4. Companies small and large are looking for good people to do work that needs to be done. They have invested blood and treasure to get where they are.  They are more than willing to share what they have with you. It comes in the form of Dividends when you have invested, in the form of wages and salaries when you work for them. IF you do, do your diligent best.  They are eager to reward people who make them money.  That could be you.  IF you are diligent, you can be the one hiring others some day, with investors in your business and paying wages to others.  Strive to become a wage payer, not a wage earner.  Reach higher than just being a hireling.

5. The dominant culture all around you sometimes seems like it is at odds with what you believe.  You might think patriotism is only for other people.  That honoring people and traditions that many seek to honor is not for you.  You don’t have to be over the top patriotic, but you need to be respectful of the country that you live, in even when you disagree with its leaders and policies.  This means when it’s time to stand up for your country you do.  If you are in a foreign country and someone badmouths your nation, defend it, don't pile on.  If you run across people who have served in military, express thanks and give honor where honor is due.  You might not want to stand when the flag waves or the anthem is played.  That your freedom of speech to do what you want to do.  No one can take that from you.  Think of those on your left, on your right.  What influence are you making on them as you decide the stand to take? Are your furthering the cause of tolerance? Do you represent those of your culture well by doing what you do? Some will use your action or lack of it as brick in the dividing wall.. and you don’t be the one placing it there.  Sometimes doing the right thing is right even against what you want to do.

6. Become more discerning than ever.  There are a lot of conspiracies that someone cooks up every day.  We saw that recently as the Russians during the last election put all sorts of crazy ideas in people’s heads. Be careful not to believe everything you read, see in the news, hear on the radio or read on the internet.  Most of the most inflammatory things you run across are fiction and worse are designed to divide people into identity groups. Don’t fall for every strange imagination someone cooked up.  God gave you discernment, refine it, dig deep, don’t trust everyone or very many. If you are going to come down on the side of a conspiracy, ask yourself how this fits into the 1 Corinthians 13 framework.  Love Overlooks Much.  See Everything, overlook much, correct a little.  (Mother Theresa)

7.  Be careful not to embrace, endorse or condone behavior that destroys people's blood and treasure.  That’s the devil’s job to kill steal and destroy.  Don’t be part of his work.  There are some people who after a football game turn over cars, burn down buildings and loot stores while it happens.  This happened after the election, this happened after injustices in cities around the USA like Baltimore and Ferguson. We have seen much of this the last few years. As I drive around our city I see it in many parts still burned to the ground after the death of Martin Luther King in 1968.  There almost no recovery from those days.  So when you see these excesses, don’t be part of them and don’t find yourself on the side of those who justify these actions, even if you at your heart are angry about things, the next house or car they destroy might be yours.  Violence as an attack on injustice only propagates more violence, injustice and backlash.  Be wise and choose sides carefully.

8. My son, when you marry and I hope you marry for life.  Let your wife be your first.  Don’t turn a blind eye to TV and Movies and Music that promotes immorality common and normal.  Of course it has become normal, but you are better than that.  The culture that seems make this all acceptable should not be one you embrace without question. You will always be able to point to others and say, they did it too.  Pointing at the other kid when you were ten years old and saying "What About Him" should have stopped by the time you were 15.  Look for good, look for decency, look for those who are trying to do well for you and those you love.  Be careful about assuming good intentions from those who try hard to identify with you.  The surest con is the guy who is about to swindle you out of a lot of money that says, “I’m a Christian, just like you”.  Getting you to believe them because they identify with you in party, race, creed or even neighborhood is the gateway to deception.  Being deceived by those who think like, act like, look like you will take you places you won't want to end up.  Be careful and be discerning.  Not every white politician is corrupt and not every black politician is above reproach.  Don't judge on the outward appearance.

9. Who you become is the product of what you read, watch on TV, see on the movie screen and hear in music.  They are all fantasy.  There is a tendency for people to say of dystopian movies, "There's a lot of truth in that".  There isn't. Sometimes we are led to believe that the world is as horrible and violent as you see or hear about in media or in the news.  It’s not real.  The world is a beautiful place when you see it thru eyes that expect to see it so.  The song you learned as a child is still true, “Be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear, for the Father up above is looking down in love so be careful little eyes and ears what you see and hear”.

10. When it comes time train up your children in the way they should go.  Help them in every way possible.  Help them to be able to compete well in the world they will compete in.  Help them to learn to speak, read and write the language of commerce perfectly and with excellence - that would be ENGLISH. If they can learn a second language that is good too.  When they pick up the phone to apply for a job, help them to speak with such perfection that a potential employer, boss or customer is able to be persuaded to act in their behalf.  Don’t let them be put off by an urban dialect that reduces them in the eyes of those who could benefit them.  This goes for the name you give them as their father.  It is fine to use names that reflect the culture and the times, just be very cautious not to hang a moniker on your children that reduces them in the world where they must live, work and grow up in.  There are plenty of good names that people use that are acceptable.  A biblical name is good if it isn’t too far out there.  Shear-Jashub (Isaiah 7:3) probably isn’t a great name for a child even if it IS in the Bible.  Use wisdom and understanding.  Acceptance is the first step to greatness many times. Don't let the bar be too high because of a strange name you give your child.

11. There are people of every stripe who think differently from you.  Some who might be considered your kin by many if you stood side by side may not think like you at all.  You might end up developing conservative viewpoints on the world around you and identify with Clarence Thomas, Charles Payne, Dr Ben Carson, Herman Cain or Stacey Dash.  If you do you would do well not to consider all liberal people of color to be idiots and losers.  They are human beings who have made a choice base on their upbringing and understanding.  If on the other hand you find yourself on the more liberal side, disparaging those as noted above doesn’t do much if you call them names or consider them uncle Toms or sellouts.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion, even if it disagrees with yours.  Don’t be a blind follower of either side of the equation.  Use your brain, you heart and your discernment.  Too many people on the far extremes of the left or right follow blindly without using the brain in their head.  When Trump said he could shoot someone on Fifth Ave in New York and still be loved by most of his followers, that is tragic and more true than we can believe.  It happens on the left too.  Many would have excused Obama of grave crimes out of  loyalty.  Invest your loyalty careful and don’t be a sucker for either side.

12. Beware of old wives tales, myths and legends.  Most are wrong.  When you hear someone talk about the origins of Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, Easter or even Black Friday, be careful not to be sucked into such arguments.  Paul the Apostle warned his spiritual son Timothy to avoid people that spread such division and lies.    It must have been a big issue then as it is now, because both letters to Timothy at Ephesus are full of warnings like these about mis-leaders:

• Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.  1 Timothy 4:7
• They devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship of God’s work, which is by faith.   1 Timothy 1:4
• reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling.   2 Timothy 2:23
• So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions     1 Timothy 6:4

You can look these verses up for yourself. Some of the worst propagators and perpetrators spreading these fractured fairy tales are people who call themselves men of God.   They proudly wear the title Reverend, Pastor Teacher, Apostle and Prophet. They are leading people astray and will answer to Father for their misleading.  They spend too much time surfing the internet to find lies they will spread. Don’t be sucked in even if they come to you as an angel of light. So does the devil.  Every one of these lies and deceptions are meant to keep you in bondage.  You are destined to live in Freedom, not bondage.

13. Travel my son.  Get out of town. Learn to love all of this great country.  Become friends one on one with people who are very different from you.  The proverb says,if you would have a friend, be a friend.  You can learn much by interacting without judgment with people that are most unlike you.  You might find it hard at first.  Stop comparing; appreciate the “Other” for who they are.  Try to see things from their standpoint and try to understand. You will be enriched by learning to love people who are not like you at all for who they are.  Go NOW!  And as you go, make disciples.  That is great mandate, but you can’t do that staying inside your doors, community or city.

14. I know some of what I say seems hard but wherever you find offense, check your heart.  That’s where offense rises from. You know I want the best for you.  I want you to live life to your full God given destiny.  These instructions are meant to break you free from the things my generation saw as chains that held us down.  We operated in more ignorance than we should have.  You are better than that.  Become everything God ever said to you according to his word.  What would we do if we believed the Bible was true?  IT IS!  What great things would you do if you knew you could  not fail.  WHO SAID YOU WILL FAIL?

From Serfs to Surplus

By JOHN GARFIELD

One of most exiting things about becoming a Seer and a Doer in heaven is that our Father not only shows us what’s in His heart, but He reveals what’s in our book and the resources we can bring back to earth to make it happen. As a disciple of the Kingdom, a son, you have the keys to unlock a personal storehouse overflowing with everything you need to accomplish your and your Father’s purpose from wisdom to healings to finances. Said another way, as sons we have access to an inheritance that belongs to us. We have a Father who expects us to use it.

Matt. 13:52 - And Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven (Has keys) is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old." [emphasis mine] NASU

Gal. 4:1-7 - What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. . . 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. NIV

Our history in serfdom – Israel spent 400 years in slavery in Egypt. When they got out of Egypt, it was no coincidence that they still had a propensity for falling back into bondage. Even in the Roman period slaves were considered property and had no legal personhood. At the end of Roman rule in 300-400 AD, landowners increasingly relied on serfs instead of slaves to provide labor. For over 1000 years until the reformation and the industrial revolution, 80-90% of Europeans were serfs without freedom to leave the landowner’s estate. The Middle Ages was a time of violence and hardship. Peasants and serfs were glad to have the protection of the manor lord. In a sense, they were happy to be serfs and volunteer for the deception and subjugation!

Jer. 5:31 - The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so. KJV

Serfdom is an unfortunate generational heritage for all of us. Serfdom is in our DNA and so is choosing the lifestyle! We’re very prone to relate to God as a serf (masking it as spirituality by calling ourselves servants and stewards). Entering the Father’s courts or council as a king and priest is something serfs, servants, and stewards naturally resist because of the ensnaring iniquity empowering serfdom.

From Serfs to Sons – This storehouse concept is too good to be true for most of us. The doubts have well-founded spiritual roots in both generational heritage and personal experience. A serf mentality is not just a poverty spirit; it’s much deeper than money. It’s a sense of being left out, overlooked, marginalized, excluded from opportunity, ruled by oppressive leaders, trapped in a meaningless job. It’s the paralyzing fear that we have no future leads to resignation (others view it as laziness). It’s especially wounding for believers because we believe we should have purpose, bear fruit and be living examples of God’s favor!

Life does have hard seasons. Serfs eventually translate their hard life to a belief that God must be “hard” too. “He is sovereignly in control of my difficult life, and He’s not fixing it.”

Matt 25:24-25 - "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' [emphasis mine] NIV

The belief that God is a hard man is a deception that we can only escape with repentance, but it is also a justification for our failure. It’s a welcome deception because it explains my surrender of responsibility for my own life (hiding my talent). Have you heard "formulas" from hirelings where they say just do this, like give or serve, and it will all be taken care of, God is appeased, "I" will take care of it for you? The list of serf symptoms includes several more things:

• Generationally and personally, serfs have agreed for their serfdom – and justify it
• Love of deception and subjugation (let others/God take responsibility for my life)
• A surrender to God’s sovereignty that translates to passivity, false contentment
• Hyper spirituality, I’m a spirit who doesn’t have to produce fruit or finances in this life
• Judgmental, prejudice, opinionated, self-righteous – fearful the success of others will unmask my serfdom (Serfs believe everyone should sign up for serfdom).

Sons look like this – Sons understand that God harvests where He has not sown because we have the privilege of partnering with Him – We’re the ones called to sow! God never intended to do everything! Sons view themselves as included and called for something much bigger than themselves (Kingdom). So, when life is hard, they interpret the resistance as warfare opposing their Father, not just them. They know their Father will work good out of it (Rom. 8:28). When they fall, they anticipate the power of His resurrection after the fellowship of his suffering (Phil. 3:10). Sons are not surprised by setbacks or rejection. They are glad to be counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. Their deaths are the source of the fragrance of Jesus in their life, the power of their words, and the favor on their deeds. Sons feel like they are winning, even when they are losing!

You received a spirit of sonship (Rom. 8:15) – Sons do carry a favor that sets them apart from serfs. Their faith, fruit, and finances are neither accidental nor coincidental.

• Sons walk in a spirit of repentance. Their path to the council goes through the courts of Heaven! My own example/experience in the courts of heaven stepping out of serfdom is here
• Sons share their Father’s heart and see themselves as having a piece of the action (metron). They know what’s in their book (Ps 139:15-16)
• Sons have favor because they go to heaven, hear the strategies, and get their inheritance
• Sons have a storehouse in heaven, and they boldly access their inheritance and manifest it on earth (Mt 13:52)
• Sons don’t take defeat personally, neither height (success) nor depth (failure) separate them from their Father’s council. “Every one of them appears before God in Zion” (Ps 84:5-7)
• Their cups overflow because they give value (spend themselves) for people and nations. They are not just fellowshipping with their Father; they are doing what He is doing (Jn 5:19)

Somewhere, deep in all of our DNA, is a highway to our Father and a yearning to be in His council. All creation is waiting for sons and daughters to appear before God in heaven’s council . . . So they can play their role in inheriting the nations (Ps 2:8). Their cups are running over like the river that flows from them – a surplus of favor and fruit and finances.

Ps. 84:5-7 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca (weeping) they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion. NASU

Suggestions:                                                                                                                                              

If you’re one of those young lions hungry to birth a reformation in the Netherlands, contact Marcel van den Berg http://opzoeknaarhetkoninkrijk.nl/

Podcast #5 with Tyler McCart

Podcast #3 and #4 Micro-church– The most recent interviews with Shae Bynes

Podcast #1 and Podcast #2 – fun interviews with Steve Reiter and John Ramstead

Books – Releasing Kings and Desire to Destiny

Heart Plan in Europe – HeartPlan.eu

For those of you who own a Business, join Larry Nault and myself at Building A Kingdom Company.

If you’re in education, please get acquainted with David Nycz at http://www.educationviaheart.com/

Releasing Kings is available in French “Libération des Rois pour le ministère dans le monde du travail” ISBN:  978-90-78643-08-1

 Releasing Kings is available in Dutch “Moderne Koningen”

Are you being marginalized? 14 ways to know for sure.

The issue is not people being marginalized, people are committing self marginalization. They interpret marginalization as racism. In fact these marginalized people have taken steps to make certain they STAY marginalized. There are implied reasons why it is beneficial to stay at the fringe of society (marginalized).
IF you want to remain marginalized and left out of the prosperity and growth society can provide. Here's how one becomes and Remains marginalized:

1. They Believe everyone who is not like them is against them. Trust me on this, we don't even think about you that much.
2. They Believe every act that they disapprove of should be interpreted as racism. Every accusation is less important as you cry wolf. It is almost NEVER racism, and there is almost never a wolf.
3. They Blame the police for every event where someone is shot running away from the cops or is holding a weapon. They are judge and jury and would hang them all. That's why you are marginalized. We can't have you in any level of authority. EVER
4. They Blame big business and wonder why they don't spread the money around. They do, it's called salary and wages. You don't get any if you don't show up. AND showing up on time and for real is how that works.
5. They Defy cultural norms like standing for the Anthem, hand over your heart because of some crazy theory about the Patriots of old. You might not be crazy about it, but when you rub our noses in it, you just marginalized yourself, no matter what tennis shoe you wear.
6. They Buy into every crackpot theory like hand signals at the confirmation hearings. Or the South African Genocide, you side with the Hitler in charge. Their judgement is terrible. Crackpot conspiracy theories are their stock in trade, except they are nearly ALWAYS WRONG.
7. They Excuse criminal and antisocial mob rule and action as "Freedom". They thought what went on in Ferguson and Baltimore as they burned the city to the ground was just exuberance and justified. It's never justified, not when white people do it and not when black people do it.
8. They ignore cultural decay in marriage, morality, decency and government. They think that as long as they are democrat and black they can do no wrong, except it's almost always the other way round. Of course they always have an example of "What About" pointing out some misdeed in another culture while excusing themselves and those who are part of the corrupt culture. So they continue in the sewer of life and wonder why life stinks.
9. They Embrace music and literature that glorifies the cultural decline. Take a look the movies you watch, the music lyrics, the books you read, none of them have much to do with making it in the real world and then when you don't make it you blame the real world.
10. They marginalize their kids by naming them unpronounceable Klingon names and then wonder why no one will hire them. They try to communicate on the phone in such a deep urban dialect that they can barely be understood and wonder why they don't get advancement. Learn english spoken and written and give your kids names that make some sense. If you are stuck with a goofy name, change it. The certain destination of a resume with the first name TS-owalkozsddty is the trash can. It's not racism, there's not enough room on the paycheck for such a name.
11. They are afraid to think for themselves so they vote and support people who gladly take advantage of them and leave them stuck. Then when these same politicians lie to you, you believe them and stay in the margins. You are a prisoner to their lies. The test is what you think of Dr. Ben Carson, Herman Cain, Alan Keyes, Stacey Dash, Starr Parker or Charles Payne. If all those people are uncle tom or tomettes in your eyes, political hacks and sellouts, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. You are already marginalized.
12. They believe in myths and legends about things like Thanksgiving, Christmas (add extra points if you celebrate Kwanzaa) Easter and Black Friday. The sucker quotient among the marginalized is astounding. They believe anything that comes their way. That's how they stay marginalized.
13.They don't get out much, they stay stuck in their little community and never see the real world from which they are excluded by their choice. They have few friends from outside their circle.
14. If you read all these and are offended, think I'm racist, want to block me and would say I can't and don't understand. You are already marginalized and may not make it out from the dark side.

I don't know how to appeal to you if you find yourself among some of these. Some of you that I know personally are wonderful people, but you put shackles on yourself by the lies you tell yourselves or the lies you believe. STOP marginalizing yourself and come into the greater commonwealth. We want to welcome you, but you can't bring all that baggage along and expect us to put up with it.

Ways to speed up baseball and make it more fun to watch

1. No play review ever, whatever the ump calls is law.   However each call is reviewed off line and all the ball strike calls to see if the ump is calling properly.   It after electronic review it is determined that the umpiring was bias toward one side or the other more than 30% an asterisk will be applied to the win.  It will matter in the calculation of the playoffs.  And it will put pressure on the Umpires to be more accurate and fair.

2. Change the walk count from 4 to 3 balls to walk a batter.  This will drive more strike throws.  Pitching will no longer rule the roost to cause defense to get involved. 

3. Eliminate the ground rule double except when the ball hits the wall below a 3’ line.  That is the only time a ground rule double is in effect.  We have electronics to call this at once.  Tennis does this all the time. If the ball hits above the line it’s a home run. 

4. If a batter hits more fouls at bat than three he is out on the fourth. 

5. Batter shot clock.  Pitcher shot clock.  Each has 20 seconds (or some such) to throw or be “Up”.  If a batter doesn’t beat the clock it counts as a strike.  If a pitcher doesn’t beat the clock it counts as an extra strike for the batter.  This is done from a timer.

6. No mound conferences EVER.  Add one minute to the inning interval for considering defense.  No in inning pitcher changes except for injury which must be reviewed. 

7. There can be no more than 5 pitchers per game and they must be changed between innings only.  No more pulling the pitcher until the inning ends.  Warm ups must be 5 pitches only.

When Culture is a problem

A person will only rise as high as the culture they celebrate. That culture can elevate you or drag you down. It can propel you or crush you. Those who celebrate Redneck, Nazi, Che Guevara or Chairman Mao will never rise above the limits of the culture they celebrate. That's why I am concerned by many who reject and dishonor the cultural fabric that is the USA. It's not perfect. Slavery was real, Native Americans were treated horribly, corporate corruption is an issue to this day. Yet the dominant culture (not the population) is not Hispanic, It's not Black, it's not islamic, not native Amercan, it is an anglo american christian culture. (Christian in name only). 

When people decide to go counter culture they put a cork in their potential. You can honor the culture you were raised in, but when you celebrate and hold it up as superior to develop identity ... you lose. That is why it is so important that those who come to this country assimilate in language, practice and understanding. This is true for those who's people have lived here for hundreds of years and yet remain unassimilated to the current culture.

I lived on the fringes of an Indian (Native American) reservation in SD. I knew many Native Americans. Had one living with Peggy and Me for a time after I got him out of prison.

Unfortunately, the celebration of Native American culture has trapped people on the reservation and in lack. I'm not against celebration of a culture as long as you assimilate into the culture. Put on your war bonnet on Saturday for a pow wow, but slip on your coveralls on Monday and get to work. Leave your feathers at home. It's not happening. People are in poverty because they won't mesh well with the dominant culture.

There was a time when counter culture meant doing things to "Show the MAN". I was alive and well during hippy days. Folks with long hair had to wear a hair net to wash dishes because that's the only job you could get. The folks that are covered head to toe with Tattoos aren't going to be filling the boardrooms of commerce any time soon. I was reminded by a friend how hard it is for folks who were given counterculture names to find a job. The application goes right in the reject pile when it has Achmed, Flying Brown Trout or Tuwanaka on it. Clever, but Mom and dad did them no favor naming their kids that. Assimilation is the key to finding your way.

Please don't take this as offense. I'm concerned out of personal experience with those who find themselves handicapped by a parent who tried to create significance but instead created obstacles.

Trump Derangement Syndrome has been restated

Do You Know Someone Suffering From Trump Unacceptance & Resistance Disorder (TURD)?

TURD is a pattern of pathologically dissociative and psychotic behavior, first observed in the late hours of November 8th 2016, and increasing in severity with passing time.

Sufferers of TURD often exhibit pronounced cognitive dissonance, sudden bouts of rage, rioting and uncontrollable crying.

People with TURD are characterized by a persistent unwillingness to accept that Donald Trump is going to Make America Great Again.
TURD Is caused by the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America. For many, both in America and worldwide, this was a shocking and unexpected outcome; their preferred news sources having failed to inform them that the alternative candidate was a criminal parasite in such ill health she got chucked into the back of a van like a kidnap victim.

Research is ongoing, but TURD appears to correlate closely with the following environmental and behavioral factors:
Membership in the Democratic Party

Identifying as a feminist

Currently enrolled in college, and/or possession of a Liberal Arts college degree

Living in a densely populated metropolitan area

Massive student debt rather than working to offset all or some

Spotty or non-existent work history


Patients with TURD are very resistant to treatment, and dangerous in large groups. Any possibility of treatment requires that they be separated from their hive-mind support apparatus; they cannot begin the process of accepting reality in the presence of encouragement towards delusion and irrationality. Separation may require the assistance of law enforcement.

If you have a friend or loved one suffering from TURD, urge them to seek treatment.


Together we can beat this scourge.

PEOPLE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO NEGOTIATE

It is tragic that people do not comprehend the art of negotiation. We have people who scream yell and march in the street and think they are making a difference, they aren't. Nothing gets done unless people work it out, negotiate. To school those who are puzzled by what Trump does as he moves thru international negotiations, to say he is artful is understatement, but to people ignorant of such strategies think Trump should have yelled at Putin, beat him with a baseball bat, threatened invasion or called him a nasty name. Puddi Putt or some such.  He didn’t and that’s a good thing.  Every President since Clinton has striven to get along well with Putin.  Some did, some fumbled the ball.  That would be just plain stupid to abuse or insult him on a platform before an international audience. If you destroy the relationship, you cannot negotiate. Even if it is painful, you have to know how far to go and no further. You have to be in a position that continued conversation is possible.  Once the discussion is cut off, no negotiation can take place. There negotiation methods that people who have never been in business will not comprehend.   Our current crop of “journalists, politicians and liberals” is lost.  They believe confrontation works.  It doesn’t. 1. Push hard for your position.  State what you want. Start high and be prepared to give some up. Make friends, be as collegial as you can, but stay steady. He did with Chairman Kim. And with Merkel and with May. Go in strong. High profile.  Say things like, we must have this or that to continue.  Make it hard but with a smile.  Say how much you hope everyone can get along. 2. Do your hardest negotiation in private. Never allow them to see how far back you might come from your position. Push hard for your position but stay friends.  Push for all you can get, but sometimes half a loaf is better than no loaf at all. 3. Build on a positive relationship. People do business with, buy from, and negotiate with people they like. Like them first. The Bible says, "If you would have a friend be a friend". Proverbs 18:24 (Gene Bible Translation, look it up) 4. You will catch far more flies with Honey then you will with vinegar. If you are bitter and mean spirited you will not be successful in negotiation. See former administration for example. He only knew how to demand or give in.  That’s not negotiation.  5. Brag about the other person, talk about what a good person they are. Build them up. Give him a fine reputation to live up to. He or she will make every effort to live up to that reputation rather than see you disillusioned. This is the most powerful way to influence the conduct of a person without arousing resentment or giving offense. Even a person in Jail for a heinous crime thinks in his or her heart that they are basically a good person. 6. Hold promise for the future and then ask for action. This is a critical phase. You don't get people to move if you try to bully them, only when you hold out a promise.   The video of Hotels in North Korea on the beaches for Chairman Kim were hokey, but helped. 7. Use the takeaway if you aren't getting anywhere. Start to walk away. Say something like, I guess we aren't going to be able to make a deal. Trump did this beautifully with Kim. It will restart the negotiation.  It did. 8. Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view. Talk in terms of their interests and not yours. Paint a word picture of how wonderful it will be when he makes a deal with you.  If you can frame what they want inside what you want you will win. 9. Honest sincere appreciation complementing personality will win the day every time. Be lavish in your praise and hearty in your approbation. If you do it right, people will respond. Don't be a fake. Even the ugliest cat has pretty eyes.  Find something to praise. 10. Use the other person's name frequently. If it is a title, use that. Remember that a person's name is to him or her the sweetest most important sound in any language.  Note how Trump does this all the time, even with reporters.  He has a mastery level name remembering.  Thoughtfulness is his trademark. 11. The best way to win an argument or negotiation is to avoid causing the other side to take a position they don't want to take.  Don’t put them in a situation where they have to lose.  Sometimes avoiding the issue is best. Trump did that with Putin. Of course to liberals they claim its weakness.  It’s not, you can come back to negotiated at a later date. You don’t lose an argument you didn’t engage in.  12. Let the other side win some small victories. Let them save face. Work on the big deals. If you humiliate him or her you will create a situation where no one wins.  Small victories count too. Politicians in these days have no idea of how to do these things. It's beyond them. The current crop in Washington has none of these skills.  The mainstream liberal media is beyond comprehending these basic truths.  We are in big trouble.   Everyone points to tip O’Neil and Pres Reagan.  They both knew these rules and used them.  When I worked in Japan I was involved in negotiations.  I asked one of my counterparts what happens if we DIDN’T come to agreement.  He smiled and said, we negotiate until we come to an agreement.  You never enter in to a negotiation where you walk away with nothing.  Even Reagan years ago knew how to do the takeaway.  He said to Gobachov, “You don’t want a deal do you”.  Gorby could not let that stand and came to the table in 8 months and the deal was done. I wish there were training for those who are in government.  When you get an amateur like Obama.. they get nothing.   Every deal he made was terrible Thank God for President Trump.

Devout Muslim migrant who brutally BEAT JEWISH NYU PROFESSOR TO DEATH WITH HAMMER, previously arrested for RAPE, but was FREED WITHOUT EXPLANATION - Geller Report

Devout Muslim migrant who brutally BEAT JEWISH NYU PROFESSOR TO DEATH WITH HAMMER, previously arrested for RAPE, but was FREED WITHOUT EXPLANATION - Geller Report

TEN THINGS I KNOW FOR SURE

1. You can earn $140,000 per year driving truck in the oil fields right now.  IF I were 23—

2. Comey, Lynch and Hillary Clinton will or should end up in Jail---- if there is any justice

3. Lebron James isn’t HALF the class act or BB player MJ was.  He’s a child.

4. Iran NEEDS a revolution to take back it’s country.  It will be bloody but revolutions always are.  DITTO Venezuela.

5. Charles Krauthammer who has only weeks to live shows the world how to die with dignity.

6. Stephan Curry is a good BB player.  The GSW deserved to win.  They are a better team.

7. Suicide is NOT an act of bravery, it is an act of desperation and confusion

8. Michigan killing the Job Destroying money wasting prevailing wage law unions love is great news… now if the rest of the country would get on board.  Unions are destroying us.

9. The far left ultra progressive Social Justice Warrior wing of what is left of the Democrat party is pulling the lever on the swirler flushing the whole thing down the toilet.  This is good news.  Of course speaking of news, the ultra left wing nutcases on MSNBC and CNN will get even worse.  They are Screaming Gibberish and will now increase volume. 

10. Despite all protestations from the left wingers… President Trump is doing a terrific job, mostly because he believes form follows function.  What is most important is getting things done, form and pattern are unimportant.  He believes that desired results are more important than desirable methods.  Liberals believe that desirable methods are preferred over desired results.  See Barack Obama.

Stopping Crime

I read this comment in relation to this story:  http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2018/05/22/kill-for-phone-and-gaming-device/

"We need MANDATORY executions for everyone CONVICTED (regardless of age, mental condition or nationality) of murder, rape, selling illegal drugs or being a MS-13 gang member. The executions should be PROMPT and PUBLIC for all to witness the consequences of the crime! Dead examples are great deterrents for others considering the act and there are no incarceration costs or recidivism!"

Seems a bit excessive 

Murphy Brown revival to take on Fox & Friends | EW.com

Murphy Brown revival to take on Fox & Friends | EW.com

Restoring the Fallen Pulpits in our Land.

The pulpits of our land have fallen into disrepair.   We have so much inferior preaching it's time to provide some instruction.  Some of it is for people who are loud and fast thinking they are anointed.  They aren’t. They need to be taught some platform skills.  Some is for those who think they are entertaining, but they aren’t.  Some is for the boring preachers and some is for the preacher who basically reads you his prepared text. Of course they will reject this instructions because they re foolish.  According to the word of God, a fool disregards instruction. The word of God has the answer: "Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored." Proverbs 13:18 Stop being foolish and learn answer your calling better.

Too many stuck churches with disgruntled leaders wonder why they are stuck. The envy factor by them of the more successful is palpable. They see others with churches that started the same time they did now with thriving growing churches expanding exponentially. It's not the building, it's not the programs, good teaching and preaching is the glue that holds it together. Certainly a manifestation of the Spirit of God and the awe of the supernatural presence will draw them, but in the end there must be a word of the Lord from the platform.  Preaching and the Prophetic both bring the word, but not all prophetic is preaching and not all preaching is prophetic.  It is the lack of skill from both that results in stagnation. Of course there must be good community, enough relevant programs and relationships that can hold people for a while, but it won't grow.  

You know where this comes from, I taught public speaking for a decade. Trained hundreds of people in better communication skills. I hear and see too much bad preaching today.  Poor platform skill is not serving the people of God with what they need.

The Pastor on Sunday said, "I've been preaching to you for over an hour". I looked at my watch and I was surprised he was right. You know its good preaching when it goes an hour and you don't even notice it. Excellence in the Pulpit is developed and is attainable as a skill, but not by accident.
A surgeon goes back for continuing education to learn to do it better, only in ministry do people get in a rut and never develop the platform skills that matter. It's not a show, but you gotta capture and hold your listener's attention if you are going to make it as a preacher.  Let's do a better job of communicating the word of God.

People remain unsaved not because they have never heard it preached, but that it is preached so badly they can't comprehend it.  Some will stand before the King and give an answer, but Lord, no one ever told me.  So they stay asleep in the light headed for perdition.

Here are Four Keys to bringing the word of the Lord to people better.

1.   LEARN TO USE NOTES PROPERLY

There are two camps in preaching.  Those who wing it and say they depending on the anointing and the spirit of God to lead them as they mount the pulpit.   They usually preach fast and loud. Occasionally a blind sow does find an acorn and good preaching results.  But the bulk of the time it’s weak, aimless and shallow.  If you prepare, you will have notes.  But that is a two edged sword.  If you have lots of notes you will overuse them.  In many churches when the preaching begins you might as well have the preacher say, “Now I will read you my sermon”.  Over rehearsing is the same thing.  I know a young preacher who memorizes his sermon verbatim.  He’s not using his notes but he’s also a parrot of his own making.  Flat as a pancake.  Amateur hour.

So what to do?

Preachers need to learn to use notes properly. Understand deeply what you are about to deliver and you won't have to try to memorize your talk. Don't let the notes get you down. Have a structure and follow it.. but don't be enslaved by referring to your notes. Proper notes should look like this:

1. Main Points Header (A track to run on)
2. To get a quote right (Read the quote)
3. To get a scripture reference right. Or a passage from an alternate translation.

Don't try to preach directly from your notes. You should only refer to them a few times in your whole talk. This is particularly true with a tablet computer.

Earn the right to preach what you say. Avoid trying to preach from a book. That should be resource, it can't be your sermon. Even if you preached from Billy Graham's books, you will be a second class Billy Graham. Be a first class you. More important, trust the Holy Ghost to fill your mouth from what you prepare. Sometimes HE has something he wants you to say.  Go ahead and say it, but prepare without memorizing or reading the whole thing.

2.  HOW TO USE HUMOR IN PREACHING
Or how to be funny even if you aren’t

Humor is dangerous. Humor badly delivered is deadly. But if you are in front of others and you say something you think is witty and people laugh, you just might be receiving the “COURTESY LAUGH”.   You know it happens, there is a titter that flows when say something you thought was funny.  You are the preacher; the folks love you and want to respond to you. So they give you a giggle and secretly wish you hadn’t gone there.  It’s the courtesy laugh.

I know some preachers who are genuinely hilarious. John Eckhardt is one. I nearly roll on the floor sometimes. He’s quick. Jesse Duplantis was so funny I sometimes lost the drift. Joel Osteen always tells a joke at the beginning of his talk, and he does it well. Let’s learn from them.

The trick is, if you have comic instincts and can deliver at that level of stand up, then go for it. You will be the one in ten thousand. That level of platform skill is rare.  If you don’t have it naturally, then do what the very best speakers do including Joel Osteen does, READ IT, practice reading it for timing. Don’t rush.  Don’t ad lib.  Stay with the script.

I encourage weaning from notes as an essential. Yet a good joke is carved carefully with timing, twist, surprise and punch line. If you read it you will get it right. If you try to ad lib from memory .. YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF "SPLAT" FALLING FLAT. One liners are OK.. but dangerous. Lots of room for misunderstanding. It's where most speakers get in trouble. I once had the man that trained me to train others say, "Your asides are killing you"

So use humor, relax, but don’t overuse it. Funny isn’t always funny. However it is essential. It is needed, comic relief. Just do it well. Read it.

The best humor off the cuff are personal experiences and stories that you found amusing.  Speak from your heart and go for that kind of humor or expect to be greeted by a hearty COURTESY LAUGH. You have them, you have their attention, don’t abuse it. Don't make them be banal in their appreciation.  Read the joke and move on if you must be funny.

3. MACHINE GUN PREACHERS MISS THE MARK

I have sat under a dozen great preachers and hundreds of really bad ones.  With a trained ear I hear what you say or don’t say and how you say it; that's why I want to help you.  You can do better.

Your anointing might be amazing but your lack of skill is so obvious you fail to connect.  No one has any idea of what you are saying so they yell, shout, stomp, jump up and holler.  It’s not about you.. They’re bored with you.  You think its approbation, it’s not.  It’s masking the fact that you have nothing to say but you say it fast and loud and people respond.  Some think this is strong preaching, no it’s wrong preaching.  The form is confused and the function of what you are supposed to be doing up there is lost.

So what?

Learn to pace yourself.  You do that by having a track to run on.  Don’t overrun your preaching headlights. It’s OK to get loud occasionally as is needed but loud all the time for emphasis means there is no emphasis at all.  Screamers who preach are painful to sit under; Even for one day.  I seldom return to hear a screamer preach. 

This does not mean there isn’t a time to get loud and scream if you need to.. but do it in small spoonfuls.  A little sugar makes the medicine go down, but don’t overdo it.  Find a point you are going to develop.  Underscore your point, give scriptural evidence for your point and then with enthusiasm offer experience, testimony and Biblical under-girding of the point.  Build to a climax and then close … ON THAT POINT. 

Start slow and low and accelerate to a peak at the moment you make your point.

Then repeat the process.  Dial the volume back to 3 from 11 and dial the speed back from 120 mph to about 40.  Leave some breathing room.  Quietly and firmly make your next point.  Build and do the above.

Each of these points could be a stand alone sermon and an altar call could be given on them.  They are connected only in that they support the same general thesis. 

The reason we end up with machine gun preaching, is the desire on the part of the preacher to get all his or her points in.  The classic case is the preacher who has a well crafted sermon and at 40 minutes into it looks down and has only hit 3 of the 7 points.  The temptation is to preach faster (read that worse). 

The worst thing is to tell your listeners that you have 4 more points you can’t get to and tick them off.  BAD PLAN.  They don’t know you have 4 more.  That’s good material for another day.  Find the best of the three you have preached and close on them.  Don’t title your sermon “17 ways to find more of God” or something something.  That’s your book title you should write.  Preach “How to find more of God in your life” you can have 17,  if you get to 5 that’s a miracle.  I can’t tell you how often I have been embarrassed for the preacher who tries to hurry thru the talk and I know if fleshed out would have been GREAT. I feel cheated. Don’t cheat your listeners.

If you are any good (and I hope you are) you should be able to close on any two pages in the Bible and from the text before you, give an altar call, take an offering or open a communion service.  I have asked people to test me on this. I’m not even an apostle or been to Bible School, but I can do this.  If you claim the pulpit you should be skilled enough to do it or sit down. 

An old black Preacher friend in Georgia long ago told me and I never forgot, “Gene Preach Less Better”.  He’s gone now but his words to me in that little church 40 years ago lives on in my head. 

So let me encourage you to “preach less better and slow down”.  Use a preaching rifle to hit your preaching target, ready aim shoot.  Your machine gun preaching is missing the mark. Speed and timing are critical and knowing the difference makes all the difference.   Learning to develop your point without machine gun speed and understanding the meaning of the word SELAH is critical.

4.  PUTTING PEOPLE TO SLEEP SHOULD NOT BE YOUR ANOINTING GIFT

I’m at an age where sometimes if a preacher drones on I go away.  It’s not an insult, I’m not bored or ungodly.  I’m tired.  Please Preacher, hold my attention.  I need you to help me stay awake.  I don’t want to drift off.  I will retreat however if you don’t find the energy button in your preaching. 
Sometimes in some churches I have been in, I got what I really needed that day from the preacher,
A NAP.

The classic dry droning preacher we think of in some mainline churches today only serves to drive people away.  Unfortunately some are in good evangelical churches.  Platform skills are lacking and because of that people close their eyes.  The preacher might notice and think they are praying. Nope, they're sleeping.

Of course you may have some in your congregation who fall asleep while you are preaching well because, they are tired.  Had a long day at work, Night Shift or sickness.  Don’t take it as insult. 
Here are some words of wisdom to the preacher who has too many snoozers in your congregation.

1.  Make sure your sound system isn’t putting them to sleep.  Why attend a church where I hear and understand half of what is said.  Yes my hearing isn’t great, but I attend some great churches where it's not an issue.  Same hearing, different sound systems.  It’s not volume, it’s directionality.  You can be a little boring if you are at least heard.  The worst cases are those churches who place their speakers way above people’s heads.  Even aimed down the sound is lost.  When we speak to each other one on one in real life we do best when we stand in front of someone and speak eye to eye with them.  Many set up sound systems like you are speaking to someone from an upper floor and your hearer is 30 feet below you.  No matter how loud you speak, you will never be heard well for a lack of proximity.   The opposite is true when one has a poor sound system badly positioned and to compensate for the situation turns up the volume to 11 thinking that will solve the problem.  Nope.  For that reason I carry earplugs to protect my hearing in such a situation.  If you preach without a sound system, get close and look them in the eye.  Even if you are a bit of a droner, you can make it work if folks can hear you.  Get sound right.

2. Modulate some.  Rise, fall, louder quieter. Pause from time to time.  Put a little color in what you are doing.  Gin up some level of enthusiasm, even if you have to fake it, for what you are saying.  Imagine that the next year of your hearers lives will be impacted by what you are saying if you do it well.  Be fired up, not a machine gun preacher, but above the dull roar. Preach as if you actually believed what you are saying and people are asking you to prove it.  They are.

3.  Don’t over-rely on gimmicks.  If you are trying to compensate for your lack of platform skill by using lots of video support, do less better.  I enjoy a good video example from time to time, but (and this is true) I once sat under a preacher who showed 5 in a single sermon. I had no idea what he was trying to accomplish.  I never figured out what any of that had to do with anything.  One or maybe two is more than enough.

Same with powerpoint.  Nothing wrong with it, but most of the greatest preachers I know don’t use it much except for putting up Bible Passages for those who didn’t bring a Bible.  Some of the truly great don’t use it at all.  Little cartoons and such are sometimes like bad humor.  Be sparing in your employment.  Bring the word of the Lord, we can watch TV at home.

4.  If you are a droner and you find yourself running out of things to say.. STOP.  This is actually true of any preacher.  When you have reached the end, you will only create confusion by rambling on.  You would be best to have 7 times more prepared than what you can successfully deliver in the time allotted, however sometimes you know you are done.  It’s time to close. 

You can minister healing or bring a prophetic word. You can call on a testimony you know.  You can allow someone to bring encouragement.  You can pray.. but pray with meaning not with many words.  In the end, bless the folks and let them go home.  I have found that less is more most of the time.  They will say to each other, “That was really good”.   I needed that.  You will be questioning yourself.  

Keith Green sang a song where the refrain was, “Just keep doing your best and let God take care of the Rest”.  It’s still true and for the droner, that’s what you have to do.  You can’t preach like everyone else, don’t try.  Just do your best, but don’t make the rookie mistakes that so many do. 

Let God take care of the rest.