Dear friend, 
I had a decent bio on the website. It made me seem normal and not even a hint extreme. I kind of pretended it was OK.
I mean, nobody really reads these things. Do they?
Well, you are reading it, so at least one person on planet Earth is going to know some things about me I was going to keep between me and God.
I have written two books in quick succession. Casting Out Demons for Fun and Profit and The Revival You Want. The Revival You Need! But those are the first books I have written in seven years.
I am the type of writer who must sense God’s timing and direction. Many people find this to be strange, but I can tell you it has worked out amazingly on my first five books. I could tell you stories; God’s timing and leading is real!
But seven years.
I have known Jesus as my Savior since I was forty-one and am presently sixty-eight. And without exaggeration, I can say there has never been a day I have not been passionate about God. Not one day.
Yeah, I have screwed up and sinned and had to cry out for mercy, but even on my worse day, God has meant everything to me. A portion of this comes because I have an enormous heart for the lost, instilled in me by my first pastor. And some of it comes from…I have no explanation. It must be Holy Spirit infused.
A passion for God, for me, means I have a passion to serve God. That has been an everyday desire too. And I have had so many opportunities, yet I never seem to get enough of that aspect of my life.
Certainly, writing five books and many other writing endeavors, was my ministry, my way of serving God.
But then the seven-year gap.
And I was doing no other writing. I was kind of off that backside of the desert. Sure, for a few years, I found other ways to serve God. Some very fulfilling manners, but for me, not nearly enough.
And there was a slippage factor—an erosion. Eventually I flatlined.
The covid-thing did not help. Still, I was heading to the ministry abyss, anyway.
I despised it, yet I could not seem to find my place.
I remember telling the love of my life, “I don’t want to be hanging kitchen cabinets when Jesus returns.” I was in construction. I told her this many times.
Then the crash and burn happened.
I am not going into details. I have written some about it in Casting Out Demons for Fun and Profit (page 29). Bottom line—early Friday evening, the love of my life and I had an amazing marriage and we both would have totally agreed. A few days later, it was Monday mid-morning; I get a text from my then wife, and in round-about terms; she told me our marriage is over. A few minutes later, I get a second text reiterating the fact that my wife of forty-two years was divorcing me.
Even at that point, our marriage was still amazing. Both of us, deep inside, still wanted to be married—I’m sure. Why wouldn’t we? It was a splendid marriage. My wife, who I still truly love and respect and who is an amazing person, let a lie from the father of all lies dig in.
She is still the love of my life. And we have all fallen short of the glory of God.
In my book Jesus at Walmart…a reed shaking in the wind, Malachi, the main character, divorced his wife Annie and then they re-married.
So, I decided after my wife divorced me (I didn’t divorce her) I would try to reel her back in. I started off by giving her $50,000 more than the divorce settlement called for. But now I am not sure if it is working very well. I pray for her every day.
Is this getting too long?
Oddly enough, in only a way God could do it, ministry doors started opening. God-things started happening, and I discovered I could still write books.
I have never been closer to God. And I have this sense that I am totally complete in Jesus. I have had the favor of God like never in my life. Nothing even close to what I am experiencing.
One factor that plays into this is that I had a demon cast out of me. Yes, it is real! And I will testify—this radically improved my life!
A key to the favor of God.
I could write a book on my favor of God experiences from the last few months, but that is likely not going to happen.
So far, this author Rick Leland looks at least semi-normal. Kind of…
It would be an interesting undertaking to survey a bunch of Christians and ask them what it means to them to have the favor of God. It would be a great icebreaker for a small group discussion.
Did the Apostle Paul have the favor of God in his life? Of course he did.
Is the favor of God a bigger house and a nicer car? Could be. Certainly, this is aiming extremely low in concerning the kingdom of God.
My favor of God might stink to you.
I wrote the entire book Casting Out Demons for Fun and Profit while living in a tent along Indian Creek on the north edge of the Red River Gorge outside of Slade, Kentucky.
Just hours after I completed the manuscript and other peripheral publishing tasks for the book, there was a flash flood. Indian Creek rose seven feet in one hour. I got everything out but my tent and a couple of other items. I praise God I was there when it started or I would have been devastated.
Was this the favor of God? Being flooded out?
Yes, it was.
The campsite was the most amazing place I have ever stayed in my life. I was getting really attached to it. Which there is nothing wrong with liking where you live. That is a good thing.
But that is not my thing. I want to be full-tilt in the mix regarding the things of God. All in!
For me, Mister Adventurous, I was like, “Cool. Nice flood! What’s next God?”
The tent was gone, and I had overstayed my limit anyway. But the rangers were kind and OK with it. Still, time to move on. Right God?
So I decided to live in my car.
Now that certainly must be the favor of God.
My living in my car included a microwave, coffeemaker, frig, super comfy mattress, my guitar, and an array of electronics. I have a Planet Fitness membership and I took up trail running (even before car-living) But since living in my car I have competed in three half-marathon trail races.
I think it is the favor of God to be in great physical shape (body), my soul (mind, will, and emotions) have never been better, and spirit—I have never been closer to God.
And I do not live in my car because of financial lack.
There are two reasons. First, I have told God repeatedly that I will live in my car for the rest of my life if that is what it takes to stay in the game—to serve God abundantly. The second reason is that I have the Holy Spirit's gift of giving. So, for me, giving away money brings pure joy.
And tied into that, I have been praying for the Holy Spirit's gift of faith.
My thinking is, if you want more faith, wouldn’t it seem that you would need to be in a position where you really must employ faith?
Here is an example. First off, I can tell when God is leading me to give money and how much. I can. There is someone I am going to give money to the next time I see them. At the same time, I am kind of running out of money.
So can you pray, “God, give me the gift of faith.”? But then resist when God puts you in a position to need faith? Pretty obvious answer.
The favor of God. The idea for writing The Revival You Want. The Revival You Need! had never occurred to me. Zero. Absolutely nothing. Until on a Wednesday. Boom! The idea pops into my head. I knew it was time to roll. Game on. Time to serve God via writing.
P.S. I love to write!
I started on Wednesday, and by the next Thursday, the book was online and ready to be distributed. I did not work on Sunday, so that’s eight days of work.
Sure, it is not a long book and the words of Duncan Campbell are half of the manuscript. Still, I had to lightly edit his words; wrote, and carefully edited and proofread my words; laid out and designed a paperback and an eBook. And produced the cover from scratch. Then twelve days after I launched off on that Wednesday, I had the first paperbacks in hand to begin distributing.
So for someone passionate about writing, it would be difficult to experience a higher level of the favor of God.
It is close to 9 in the evening. I am in my car with a plastic thing I purchased on Amazon hanging from my steering wheel, which makes a handy-dandy desk. I am in Nashville, Tennessee at a Seven Eleven parking lot.
I will drive up the road about two miles and sleep in the Planet Fitness parking lot. I have been to at least ten different Planet Fitness parking lots and on an average night there are five other vehicles staying overnight. One night in Louisville, I counter twelve, so I was number thirteen. Yep, one Planet Fitness.
There is a bank with a nice porch and good lighting in the same parking lot. I make it a point every night (I rarely miss) to break out my guitar and play at least one worship song. I am thankful to find a pleasant venue like this bank.
And one night it was like God woke me up and a song was coming into my head. It was 3:30 AM and around 32 degrees outside. I had to force myself outside. Under the lights of this bank, in thirty minutes, most of the song, Worship Jesus Now came to me. That will make you cry when something like that happens. I finished the song here in Copan Ruinas, Honduras and then added a Spanish version. Now, the song appears on the back cover of my book Jesus Doesn't Have Facebook...what the crap is going on?.
There is so much more I could share. God has been so good to me! I have cried more in the last few months than my whole life. All the tears seem to flow from sensing the goodness of God.
In the words of Malachi Marble, the main character in the Jesus at Walmart series, “Here’s the deal.”
Here’s the deal: my last two books are a full-on call to be radical for the things of God. Each one is its own flavor. So, if I am going to write, challenging you to live radically, but do not do it myself; that will not work—it would be a laughable hoax.
Now, my radical is not your radical. There is only so much room at this Seven Eleven parking lot.
We each have our own race, according to Scriptures. Like I tell people, “You run your race. I’ll run my race.”
I have a fire to build and by the grace of God; I am going to build the hugest fire I can for the kingdom of God. An immense blaze. You d
I remember telling the love of my life, “I don’t want to be hanging kitchen cabinets when Jesus returns.” I was in construction. I told her this many times.
Then the crash and burn happened. I am not going into details. I have written some about it in Casting Out Demons for Fun and Profit (page 29). Bottom line—early Friday evening, the love of my life and I had an amazing marriage and we both would have totally agreed. A few days later, it was Monday mid-morning; I get a text from my then wife, and in round-about terms; she told me our marriage is over. A few minutes later, I get a second text reiterating the fact that my wife of forty-two years was divorcing me.
Even at that point, our marriage was still amazing. Both of us, deep inside, still wanted to be married—I’m sure. Why wouldn’t we? It was a splendid marriage. My wife, who I still truly love and respect and who is an amazing person, let a lie from the father of all lies dig in.
She is still the love of my life. And we have all fallen short of the glory of God.
In my book Jesus at Walmart…a reed shaking in the wind, Malachi, the main character, divorced his wife Annie and then they re-married.
So, I decided after my wife divorced me (I didn’t divorce her) I would try to reel her back in. I started off by giving her $50,000 more than the divorce settlement called for. But now I am not sure if it is working very well. I pray for her every day.
Is this getting too long?
Oddly enough, in only a way God could do it, ministry doors started opening. God-things started happening, and I discovered I could still write books.
I have never been closer to God. And I have this sense that I am totally complete in Jesus. I have had the favor of God like never in my life. Nothing even close to what I am experiencing.
One factor that plays into this is that I had a demon cast out of me. Yes, it is real! And I will testify—this radically improved my life!
A key to the favor of God.
I could write a book on my favor of God experiences from the last few months, but that is likely not going to happen.
So far, this author Rick Leland looks at least semi-normal. Kind of…
It would be an interesting undertaking to survey a bunch of Christians and ask them what it means to them to have the favor of God. It would be a great icebreaker for a small group discussion.
Did the Apostle Paul have the favor of God in his life? Of course he did.
Is the favor of God a bigger house and a nicer car? Could be.
Certainly, this is aiming lower than low from a kingdom of God vantage point. Please get this!
My favor of God might stink to you.
I wrote the entire book Casting Out Demons for Fun and Profit while living in a tent along Indian Creek on the north edge of the Red River Gorge outside of Slade, Kentucky.
Just hours after I completed the manuscript and other peripheral publishing tasks for the book, there was a flash flood. Indian Creek rose seven feet in one hour. I got everything out but my tent and a couple of other items. I praise God I was there when it started or I would have been devastated.
Was this the favor of God? Being flooded out?
Yes, it was.
The campsite was the most amazing place I have ever stayed in my life. I was getting really attached to it. Which there is nothing wrong with liking where you live. That is a good thing.
But that is not my thing. I want to be full-tilt in the mix regarding the things of God. All in!
For me, Mister Adventurous, I was like, “Cool. Nice flood! What’s next God?”
The tent was gone, and I had overstayed my limit anyway. But the rangers were kind and OK with it. Still, time to move on. Right God?
So I decided to live in my car.
Now that certainly must be the favor of God.
My living in my car included a microwave, coffeemaker, frig, super comfy mattress, my guitar, and an array of electronics. I have a Planet Fitness membership and I took up trail running (even before car-living) But since living in my car I have competed in three half-marathon trail races.
I think it is the favor of God to be in great physical shape (body), my soul (mind, will, and emotions) have never been better, and spirit—I have never been closer to God.
And I do not live in my car because of financial lack.
There are two reasons. First, I have told God repeatedly that I will live in my car for the rest of my life if that is what it takes to stay in the game—to serve God abundantly. The second reason is that I have the Holy Spirit's gift of giving. So, for me, giving away money brings pure joy.
And tied into that, I have been praying for the Holy Spirit's gift of faith.
My thinking is, if you want more faith, wouldn’t it seem that you would need to be in a position where you really must employ faith?
Here is an example. First off, I can tell when God is leading me to give money and how much. I can. There is someone I am going to give money to the next time I see them. At the same time, I am kind of running out of money.
So can you pray, “God, give me the gift of faith.”? But then resist when God puts you in a position to need faith? Pretty obvious answer.
The favor of God. The idea for writing The Revival You Want. The Revival You Need! had never occurred to me. Zero. Absolutely nothing. Until on a Wednesday. Boom! The idea pops into my head. I knew it was time to roll. Game on. Time to serve God via writing.
P.S. I love to write!
I started on Wednesday, and by the next Thursday, the book was online and ready to be distributed. I did not work on Sunday, so that’s eight days of work.
Sure, it is not a long book and the words of Duncan Campbell are half of the manuscript. Still, I had to lightly edit his words; wrote, and carefully edited and proofread my words; laid out and designed a paperback and an eBook. And produced the cover from scratch. Then twelve days after I had launched off on that Wednesday, I had the first paperbacks in hand to begin distributing.
And yeah, I did work until 2AM or later on some days. Empowered by the Holy Spirit.
So for someone passionate about writing, it would be difficult to experience a higher level of the favor of God.
It is close to 9 in the evening. I am in my car with a plastic thing I purchased on Amazon hanging from my steering wheel, which makes a handy-dandy desk. I am in Nashville, Tennessee at a Seven Eleven parking lot.
I will drive up the road about two miles and sleep in the Planet Fitness parking lot. I have been to at least ten different Planet Fitness parking lots and on an average night there are five other vehicles staying overnight. One night in Louisville, I counter twelve, so I was number thirteen. Yep, one Planet Fitness.
There is a bank with a nice porch and good lighting in the same parking lot. I make it a point every night (I rarely miss) to break out my guitar and play at least one worship song. I am thankful to find a pleasant venue like this bank.
And one night it was like God woke me up and a song was coming into my head. It was 3:30 AM and around 32 degrees outside. I had to force myself outside. Under the lights of this bank, in thirty minutes, most of the song, Worship Jesus Now came to me. That will make you cry when something like that happens. I finished the song here in Copan Ruinas, Honduras and then added a Spanish version. Now, the song appears on the back cover of my book Jesus Doesn't Have Facebook...what the crap is going on?.
There is so much more I could share. God has been so good to me! I have cried more in the last few months than my whole life. All the tears seem to flow from sensing the goodness of God.
In the words of Malachi Marble, the main character in the Jesus at Walmart series, “Here’s the deal.”
Here’s the deal: my last two books are a full-on call to be radical for the things of God. Each one is its own flavor. So, if I am going to write, challenging you to live radically, but do not do it myself; that will not work—it would be a laughable hoax.
Now, my radical is not your radical. There is only so much room at this Seven Eleven parking lot.
We each have our own race, according to Scriptures.
Like I tell people, “You run your race. I’ll run my race.”
I have a fire to build and by the grace of God; I am going to build the hugest fire I can for the kingdom of God. An immense blaze. You do likewise.
Build a fire!
Rick Leland