Digital Cowboy

I’m a smart guy. I’m smarter than most. Usually, I’m the smartest person in the room. It’s awkward and difficult most of the time. For the most part I’ve gotten used to it and learned to live with it.

This blog attracts people that are smarter than average. I love that. At Vox’s blog and here too, I’m not usually the smartest guy in the room. That’s what I like about this place and his. It’s a relief from the pressure I get pretty much everywhere else I go.

I’ve struggled with this - and prayed about it - for much of my life. It’s not arrogance. It’s a gift that has often seemed like a burden to me. I’ve humbly tried to get God’s help in dealing with it. I spent much of my life in a quandary trying to figure out how to manage it and just fit in.

Here’s what He’s shown me in answer to those prayers:

Wisdom is the principle thing. In all your getting, get Wisdom. Intelligence as the world measures it is only one kind and, taken alone, it’s worthless. There are different kinds of intelligence. There are people with IQs much, much lower than mine that are far more successful than I am at the moment because they have other forms of intelligence that aren’t measured by an IQ test. Many of them also have Wisdom.

I’m not going to get into all of the different kinds of intelligence here. That’s not what this is about.

When I was in High School, I made money winning bets before and after class by doing long division in my head while reading aloud from a book. Sometimes I even provided the answer before the jock betting against me had gotten it from his calculator.

I was arrogant then because I could do things like that.

What profit is that without Wisdom?

None. Wisdom is the principle thing.

I have two points here. The first is that government schooling set me up to fail by making me cocky about my gifts. They lead me to believe that I was “gifted.” (I was. I am. They corrupted it.) They led me to believe that the world was my oyster. I thought I was gonna be the next Steve Jobs. Being smarter than your “guidance counselors” is not a great way to plan a career or a life. (And if your kids are average, they’re smarter than their “guidance counselors” in the government schools, Corporate Dad. If you love them, get ‘em out.)

The second point is that Wisdom is far more important than raw intelligence. It’s a funny thing about intelligence relating to Wisdom - Intelligence often gets in the way of Wisdom. That probably explains why I was raised right - taught Wisdom - and it still took me way too long to even start pursuing Wisdom. I was too busy making money with my circus side shows, like doing long division in my head while reading aloud.

But I’m coming around and it’s working for me.

Proverbs 3:17 reads (speaking of Wisdom), “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”

Go read the whole chapter. I had a hard time choosing an excerpt. So here’s a couple more:

“Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour”

“She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her”

Seriously, there’s context that you need. Go read Proverbs 3.

Bottom line: I find myself now very happily and voluntarily following people that almost certainly don’t have IQs in the same category as mine. But they have Wisdom that I want.

I respect that far more than the eggheads that think college degrees make them smart.

Proverbs 3 (AMP) ends with “The wise shall inherit glory (all honor and good) but shame is the highest rank conferred on [self-confident] fools.”

I know a lot of wise people with low IQs and even more very intelligent, self-confident fools. I used to be one myself.

I’ve said nothing here recently and probably won’t soon.  There’s too much to say. Respect for the privacy of others prevents me from saying most of what I would like to.

I’ll tell you quickly that the legal conflict is over and I picked up my daughters last Tuesday morning. We’ve been home since Wednesday night. We had a hearing in court last Monday afternoon in Augusta, GA and it went exactly as I had declared in prayer that it would.  No surprises there. (I wanted to make that public because so many have expressed concern and I appreciate that more than you know.)

That’s good news, but it was expected - at least by me.  There’s far, far better news that was surprising to me.  I’ve expected it all along but I wasn’t expecting it now.  I knew that I knew that I knew…  I didn’t know when.  So it was a pleasant surprise Tuesday morning.  It’s also the part I can’t write about here yet.

In January of 2003, an atheist issued a challenge to me: “When [things go the way I predict] and you don’t get what you are praying for will you admit that your God doesn’t exist and prayer is a foolish waste of time?”

I replied, “Certainly.  But only on the condition that when [things go the way I predict], you’ll bow before my God and admit that He answers prayer.”

He accepted.

I’m currently holding my breath while waiting for that admission. Resuscitate me when it comes.

I don’t bring this up to boast about winning a bet.  I point it out to brag on my God.  He answers prayer and He does so every single time.  I had pastors tell me that I was nuts and should give up.  The more time that went by, the less I told “new” people in my life about what I was believing for.  ”It’s been HOW LONG?!?!”  ”Oh, Honey, you need to move on.”

Patience is hard.  It can also be lonely - almost everyone thinks you’re crazy.  I speak from experience.  But don’t you ever let anyone move you off your dream.  If you have a Word from God and even if you’re the only one that believes it, anything is possible. When you serve at the feet of Love.

You’ll never find anyone remembered as great in the Bible that took a poll or allowed themselves to be influenced by popular opinion and general consensus. What you find over and over and over are courageous people that refused to be moved, acted alone in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and we now consider them great because of their faith. (Recommended reading starts in Hebrews 11 and the part about Abraham in Romans 4 is a next step.) Whenever you find yourself in agreement with the majority in any situation, it’s time to re-examine your premises.

“Never” rarely lives up to its hype. It’s not over ’til it’s written in stone. On a grave.

I’m not even completely convinced that it’s always over then.

I’m currently fighting yet another legal battle. This time it’s in two states, a thousand miles apart, to get my children back from a kidnapper.  I offered visitation to which my children’s mother was not entitled and then gave her gas money to get home because she “didn’t budget for the horrible gas mileage” she got on her trip to get them.  (I’ve had custody for nearly four years and she’s never paid a dime in child support, by the way.)

My reward was that I was served with papers 8 hours before I was to leave to drive 1000 miles to get my children.  The papers informed me that I no longer had custody of my daughters.  A Georgia judge that has never met me, my children or their mother gave her the benefit of the doubt when her newest attorney alleged a whole slew of things she has tried - and failed twice - to convince a Texas court that I’m doing… or not doing.  She has no evidence and thus presented no evidence.

What she’s done is a violation of Federal law - forum shopping across state lines.  She could do time for it.  I pray that doesn’t happen.  I wish her well, to say the least.

But, it’s not just me.  I have a friend that has been attacked over the legal custody of his daughter.  In his case, he was never married to her mother and she surrendered custody - in writing - in the hospital at the child’s birth.  The child is now seven years old and her “mother” has never been anything but an occasional visitor in her life.  The child has been raised by her father who places her above every other priority in his life.

Yet another acquaintance - a single father in my church - has recently been accused of horrible things by his recently teenaged daughter.  The girl has been a rebellious child for the last year or so to the point of being violent towards him.  The child’s mother is a known prostitute and drug dealer. She lives with drug dealers.  With one call to Child Protective Services, she temporarily over-rode court orders and terminated his parental rights (temporarily).  When CPS started investigating, they discovered multiple warrants for arrest for the mother and others living in her house.  With the children.  There is also great natural evidence that the teenage daughter’s story is fabricated.

But he is still fighting to exonerate himself and get his children back.  He’s considered guilty until proven innocent.  Because it’s all for THE CHILDREN!

A caring friend recently asked me if she and the rest of The Body of Christ had been, and were, letting “you” down.  By “you” she meant single fathers.

I responded, “I don’t think so, but I’ve never thought about it in those terms.  I can tell you this:  Being a single father is a far, far more difficult experience than being a single mother.  I never whine about it and I’m only talking about it now because you asked me.  But the fact is that everyone respects and admires the struggle of a single mother.  Everyone feels sorry for her and has sympathy.  Single fathers are looked upon by most of our society as freaks at best and perverts at worst.  We’re always suspects and we’re always vulnerable to wild allegations from any source.”

I’m not interested here in pointing fingers or going on a rant.  But I want to say that the tables have been turned by feminism (defined properly here as:  anyone with a uterus shall be permitted anything her emotions or hormones dictate but shall never have responsibility for anything) and it’s not a good thing for THE CHILDREN!!!!!  I only appeal to that because it’s true and nobody gives a damn about men.

When I was growing up in the 70’s it seemed that most divorces were because selfish men left their families. That was probably true - then - and certainly awful.  But now feminism has turned the tables completely.

Women have become selfish.  (I think they call it “empowered.”)  ”No fault” divorces are now initiated by women more often than men, by a large margin.  (There’s no such thing as a “no-fault divorce.”  If you’re initiating it without a reason, YOU are at fault.)  Both the society and the courts generally justify the childishness of these women while at the same time both of the former are still stuck in the prejudice of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.  As a result, we have an entire generation of men that are doing their best to raise children alone.  Yet they are viewed as undeserving victors when they get custody and then they are under constant scrutiny, always vulnerable to as little as a phone call or a court filing to upset their lives and the lives of the children for which they are working so hard to provide stability.

I’m not optimistic that government will ever fix this.  It’s never done anything else worth while.  So maybe my friend was on to something.

Maybe The Body of Christ needs to be more aware and attentive to this.

There’s definitely a need.

Outer space has a smell! Not only that but it’s “a rather pleasant sweet metallic sensation.” (I didn’t read the article or even check where the link went - that would violate The Slashdot Way - but I’ll bet you an authentic Lincoln Three Dollar Bill that the article was written by a Brit.)

(UPDATE: I was wrong. This particular idiot was born in Oregon. He must have picked up the brain-rot in college. It’s common there. I suspect it’s even infectious judging by the way it spreads on every campus.)

Thank Holy St. Darwin of the Galapagos for Science! This is such a relief to me. For years I’ve feared that outer space had no scent and that the hippies might get there first. Too much of the earth already reeks of that wretched Patchouli.

I seem to recall that a few years ago some fellers went out there. Come to think of it, I believe a lot of people have been out there. Of course, now that I’m being forced to think about it, none of them would have known how nice “outer space” smelled because they were all wearin’ them durn space helmets so they could breathe and what not.

That’s an unfortunate complication.

I’m the one using the “blind faith” to understand the world, right?

Just doing a “sound” check, so to speak. I just want to make sure I still have my bearings after “science” has discovered that outer space smells pleasant. And metallic. (What does metal smell like again? Oh. Nevermind. I remember now. I just found it on a website selling candles, thankfully.)

As a parting thought I need to reveal to you that one does not equal one. It’s just really, really close. A very highly educated mathematician I know told me that he once proved that. So it must be true.

I started to reply in comments and realized this was a follow-up post. I’m sorry, Eaglewood. I truly do love you like a brother and I’m not picking on you. Just the opposite. You challenge me and give me an opportunity to address the issues that I started this blog to deal with. I know I’ve done this to you before, but it’s not personal and I’m not attacking you. You simply give me great opportunities to make my point.

I’m grateful for that. Seriously. I truly say that in love.

Eaglewood said:

Cowboy,

I am glad to see you posting again. I know we have had our differences in the past and we will probably have some here as well, but I want to agree with you first. Kirk and friends are doing things the wrong way. Scaring people does nothing but scare them away. I will even agree with you and the third commandment. But where we part company here is on whether or not the ten commandments are now two. I know what you are referencing here and it comes from the Pharisees attempting to trip up Yeshua in asking him what the greatest commandment was. He summed up the ten commandments into two. He did not say that they replaced the ten or that what he said negated them in any was as part of the Law. Yeshua himself said that He came to fulfil the Law not to destroy it. Also by saying the ten are now the two you are in danger of making the claim that He has changed when he has specifically said he is the same past, present, or future.

We are all guilty of trying to put Him into a box that fits our comfort level. I know we have discussed this before and I know where you stand but others may not. There is a great danger when we simply approach Him from one angle and only discuss one aspect of Him. Love is only one aspect, He is Holy, Righteous, and The Great I AM. He has more facets then we as mere mortals could even begin to comprehend. You know there have been times that I needed Him to be Daddy, but I have never forgotten that he is the all-powerful creator of the universe and is more than worthy of my total worshipful adoration.

I get all that. I don’t think we differ all that much on theology. Where we differ (and where I have a problem with Ray and Kirk) is on focus.

We have been sent to seek the lost. Our Father, and His first begotten son (not only) have never done it by pointing out to people that they’re sinners and need a savior. They do it by simply being available when the sinner realizes that.

The law is flawed and never was intended to be anything more than a way to show us our need for a savior. But you can’t start there with the unsaved.

“It is the goodness of the Lord that brings a man to repentance.”

How many times do I have to quote that before people start believing The Bible and paying attention to what Jesus said? (Yes, I know Jesus didn’t literally say those words. That was written by Paul in Romans 2 and I’ve paraphrased it, too. I suggest you read it in context before you get back to me.)

They will know us by our love. Religion is a gigantic distraction from our Father’s love and the only thing our enemy has ever done well. Ray and Kirk are just two of many that missed the point and gotten caught in the trap. Some times you talk like one, too. That’s not an insult. I grew up in it. I understand.

It’s a lie.

He cares not a whit about rules. He really honestly doesn’t. Living a life with Him is never, ever about the house rules. He doesn’t care about that. He cares about people. That’s it. He’s about nothing but Love, people and connecting the two. All that stuff you say about His Holiness and Righteousness and all that - it’s all true because it’s describing who He IS. It doesn’t describe how He ACTS. First Corinthians 13 and First John 4 do that. (Pair those up and try to reconcile it with what religion has taught you. If you’re not convinced when you’re done with that, call me; I have more ammo.)

He’s not asking you to obey anything! He just doesn’t. Ever. Do. That. That’s religion that does that. He just wants you to get to know Him and spend some time with Him now and then. Everything else will grow out of that relationship. You can’t start at the end. That’s what religion does. You can’t keep any commandments without Him. With Him, you want to and He’ll teach you how.

You said:

Love is only one aspect, He is Holy, Righteous, and The Great I AM. He has more facets then we as mere mortals could even begin to comprehend. You know there have been times that I needed Him to be Daddy, but I have never forgotten that he is the all-powerful creator of the universe and is more than worthy of my total worshipful adoration.

You missed it in the first five words there. You cannot possibly say that “love is only one aspect” when He said that He IS Love! Can I make that little word anymore powerful in any way in this medium? How big, how bold do I need to make it before you give up your religion and realize that He’s not enforcing rules? He doesn’t need you to keep apologizing for His alleged contradictions. He simply needs for you to represent Him accurately to the lost.

I couldn’t help but think when I read what you wrote there, “You haven’t begun to touch worship because you’re still playing with the religious ideas that were designed to keep you from actually knowing Him.”

He doesn’t demand or require worship! He recommends it because it’s good for us and He IS Love. I don’t worship Him because He requires it. I worship Him because He’s worthy. When I got to know Him, it was a natural response. Do you see the difference?

Lemme put it another way - I thought I was worshiping Him for years because I grew up in church, I was “saved” when I was six years old and preaching at eight. It’s what I was taught. Much later in my life, I actually got to know Him on a personal level. When that happened, everything changed. I don’t worship Him because I feel like I have to or because He demands it. I worship Him because knowing Him inspires it. It’s the only natural response to His Love.

Getting back to the point: Knock it off with the religion and the rules. That’s not what He’s about. He just Loves you. He just Loves “them.” He is love and He’s patiently waiting for you to get past your religious contamination so that you can get to know Him.

While you’re arguing over the rules of your doctrine and having “theological” debates over scripture with people like me, people are going to Hell because they don’t know what He’s really like. They’ve been sold a lie about Him. I would reject the God most churches teach, too. That god is unreasonable, irrational, obnoxious and demanding.

Fortunately, that’s not who He is. He’s peace. He’s love. He’s joy. He’s my Daddy. And He’s looking to grow the family. Everyone is welcome.

UPDATE: Upon re-reading this, I realized that I was unfair to eaglewood. It was merely sloppiness but that doesn’t excuse it. Much of what I said was not directed at him personally but at the religious ideas he raised and I was addressing.

Brace yourself for a minute or thirty. I’m about to rant.

Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort have a weekly program. You know Kirk. He was Mike Seaver!

Those two just need to back it down and knock it off until they figure it out. It’s unfortunate.

So here’s an open letter to Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort:

Bring that stupidity at me and I’ll patiently tell you where you’re wrong. Yes, I know about First Corinthians 13. I love you. Right motivations don’t make right tactics.

You’re doing it wrong. Please stop. You’re making atheists as fast as you’re making Christians.

You’re interviewing people on the street and leading them into admitting that they’ve broken some of “The Big Fancy Ten Commandments.”

The ten are dead. There’s only two now. I’ve watched you explain where I’m wrong there and I’m not convinced. YOU are wrong. Pathetically so. You’re not arguing with me on that one, you’re arguing with Jesus.

Please stop beating people over the head with The Law. Read the book of Galatians a couple of more times before you quote Paul to try to tell me that EVEN Paul respected the law. (You should start at the beginning and make sure you get to Chapter 3, verse 1 where he said, “O, foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you?”)

Your intentions are good and pure. I have no problem believing that. But you’re leading people to believe that the Daddy I know personally is willing to send them to eternal punishment in an eternal Hell over a misunderstanding.

I understand that your religion teaches that, but you obviously don’t know Him. You’re also probably going to be quite surprised just about every day for the first couple thousand years when you get home. There’s a lot of people there you’re not expecting to see.

That’s not what He’s like at all.

Getting to the point: His name is not “God” so you don’t have to spell that word out when you ask someone a leading question about whether they have ever “taken” His Name “in vain.”

That’s what YOU are doing. It’s also what you’re doing wrong. He’s not a judge that decides. He’s not a tyrant that demands obedience. He’s not a narcissist that requires you to kiss His ass.

He’s a loving Father. He invented both of those concepts (loving and Father). Speaking of which, have you ever called any man “Father?” I ask because Jesus said (check it - these words are red in your Bible), “Call no man Father.”

Do you consider that breaking a commandment?

Have I ever taken His name in vain? Nope. Not one single time. I’ve said, “My God” many times. In the old days I even used to say “goddamn.” I don’t anymore but even that’s not taking His Name in vain. His Name is not “God.” (I’ve stopped saying “goddamn” because now I’m much more careful about using the word, “damn.”)

Let’s analyze the phrase. What does “in vain,” mean? The word “vain” means:

1) Not yielding the desired outcome; fruitless
2) Lacking substance or worth

How would you go about taking His Name in vain? I would suggest that you check those definitions when considering what it is you do. I think both definitions have application to what you’re doing if you actually believe that His Name is “God.”

It might also be interesting for you to note that He said that to Moses. It just so happens that at that time, Moses was also the only human that had ever lived that actually knew His Name. Re-reading the story of Moses’ life makes it clear that there’s certainly life giving power in That Name.

It’s unlikely that you know His Name. I’m not boasting. I couldn’t possibly boast about that. Many people know His Name. I’m not special. I rarely utter it and when I do I get chills. There’s power in That Name. It’s even more humbling when I realize that He’s my Daddy and He loves me with The Love that invented Love.

And He gave me His Name. I’m a blessed man just to know Him even if I was going to Hell. With Him, all the rest is gravy. The gravy is good. He adopted me and treats me like an only child. He is Love and Perfection and Peace and …. My Daddy.

Until you figure out His Name, I would suggest that you resort to the description He used for Himself in First John: He is Love.

Please stop trying to threaten and scare people into serving Him. I appreciate and understand your zeal, but it’s damaging. I spend much of my time in ministry apologizing for people like you.

You’re misrepresenting him.

He’s not a terrorist. He’s Love.

Signed,

Another Undeserving Child of the King

I need to add a footnote because I know I have some very valuable friends that disagree with me on some of this. I respect you because I know you’re showing respect to Him. I’ll never have a problem with that. But when Ray Comfort is ambushing people on the street and asking them, “Have you ever said, “My gee-o-dee,” and then using that to convince them that it means they’ve broken a commandment so thus they need a savior, he’s not only not representing the God I serve, he’s giving me headaches.

Also, His Name is not a secret but it has been hidden. If you don’t know Hebrew, you don’t His Name. If you do know Hebrew, you still might not. It’s worth finding out. If you don’t understand why it matters, read the end of Psalm 91 again.

I foolishly taught my girls the stupid, redneck saying, “See ya! Wouldn’t wanna be ya!”

A few days ago, on a beautiful day, they were running out the door to play and Emily said, as she was closing the door, “See ya!” The door slammed and then opened again. She stuck (just) her head back in and said, “Wouldn’t wanna be ya!” Door slammed again. Opened again and she stuck just her head in again and, with a very different tone, said, “I really wouldn’t wanna be you, Daddy. Know why?”

“Why, Honey?” (I said in a patronizing tone. I was busy. I just wanted them to go play.)

“‘Cause you work too much. (pause) I’m going to play now. You should play more, Daddy. I hope I don’t have to work as much as you when I grow up.”

And then the door slammed again. And she was gone?

I wept when the door slammed and I can’t write this post without weeping.

“And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon….”

That child is precocious. Memories flooded back. I have vivid memories of often laying in my bed at night when I was supposed to have been asleep hours before. Watching my Dad in the kitchen when the Johnny Carson monologue was over. (My bedroom door was always open and my doorway faced the hall.) He was getting ready to go to bed and had to be up early. He worked as hard as any man I’ve ever known.

Even then, as a very small child, I saw how hard he worked for us. At least once I prayed, “God, please don’t make me grow up. I can’t do that.”

Then he died young. That’s another story.

As I got older, I swore I would never do it. I was going to be rich! I didn’t care what it took or how much it cost or what I had to do. But I eventually realized that the people that get rich the world’s way neglect their families worse than those who, like my Dad, just work so hard to provide that they don’t have time.

Now I’ve found a third way. The right way.

“The Blessing of the Lord makes me rich and He adds no sorrow with it.” - Prov. 10:22
“Seek ye first the Kingdom and His righteousness…” Matt. 6:33

I am working hard but it’s a short-term commitment. I’ve found a better way. My daughters will never have to work. They’ll always have a good reason to. So they will only work in freedom, when, where, how and at what they choose.

If you wonder where this came from…. I turned 37 yesterday. My Dad was dead at 37 (anniversary… a couple days, too close to my birthday). I’m not the slightest superstitious. If he knew then what I know now, he would still be here and I have no fear at all. It’s not about that.

But a kid that lost his Dad at 12 can’t possibly avoid remembering the greatest man he ever knew on this birthday, especially when the anniversary of his going home is coming up soon, too.

I can’t wait to see him again.

“… When ya coming home son?”

“I don’t know when, Dad. We’ll get together then.

“Ya know we’ll have a good time then.”

And I’ve got two beautiful little ladies that are looking forward to meeting their grandfather, too.

Here’s something I just wanna throw out as food for thought.

Moral relativists often like to claim that “Life is not black and white. It’s just various shades of gray.”

It’s an interesting argument that I’ve sometimes espoused in the past and it’s almost singularly used to denigrate the idea that there are absolutes in this world - absolute right and wrong, mainly.

What I find interesting is that now that we’re in a “digital world,” we seem to be finding out that our best attempts to mimic the natural world can only be done with binary math.

The music you listen to on your iPod, the digital cable broadcast or HD satellite image you watch on your widescreen TV, the operation of every digital medical device, the video you watch on YouTube, the very words you’re reading right now… ALL digital representations of sight and sound.

Modern computer monitors, graphics cards and HD TVs are capable of representing BILLIONS of colors - more than the human eye can differentiate. Modern audio codecs can encode compressed audio that still has a frequency range greater than the human ear can hear.

Mankind’s science, with all of it’s learning and all of it’s arrogance has managed to re-create and reproduce (just) two of our five natural senses with near perfection. I’m not a skeptic that they can figure out how to do a couple of the remaining three soon. There have been promising efforts.

But it’s all digital. It likely will all be digital. “Digital” has come to be used in this age as a marketing term that is intended to imply “superior.” With good reason - it is almost always true that digital is superior. In many ways, it is the height of mankind’s discovery of how to recreate the world around him.

For those of you who aren’t geeks, let me clarify what “digital” means. It means that it is done with binary math. That is, bits and bytes. That is, ones and zeroes. Each bit is either on or it’s off. That’s how the computer that you’re using to read this, works. It all comes down to ones and zeroes. The chip in your computer - and every other microchip (currently) - only “understands” binary math.

On or off.

Black or white.

In all of our learning, we’ve managed to synthesize sound and sight (with motion) well only with microchips and binary math.

Black and white.

Now, the truly ambitious are speculating about the power we could harness with “DNA-based computing” - computers that use DNA as their base instead of binary. Many are excited about the possibilities. I’m not ruling out anything, but I’m not holding my breath either. I doubt they’ll pull it off any time soon. But even if they do, they’re still only discovering and imitating.

We live in a black and white world. Despite what anyone stretches their faith in science to believe, we are created in God’s image. That’s very different from being God. I find it fascinating that many of the same people that spout the “shades of gray” argument for many things, only have expertise in a binary world and don’t even see how ridiculous that makes the argument.

In the digital world, even shades of gray come down to whether the bit is set or not.

I recently posted about boots and said, in part:

What’s even funnier - to me at least - is that I had a tough choice, when I bought them, between these and another pair. When I made the decision for these, I did it with the thought in mind that I would get the others soon anyway. Now I’m thinking about getting those too.

To be clear, I was using boots as an example of a Kingdom principle in operation. Apparently, Daddy decided it was a good example, too.

The second pair of boots I mentioned - that I was thinking about ordering - were delivered by UPS last Thursday. I didn’t order them and the person that bought them for me as a gift - my sister - didn’t know anything about my blog post, nor had we discussed those boots at any time recently. She knew about them only because I asked her opinion when I was trying to decide which pair to get before.

When I got them, I called her and asked if she had been reading my blog. She replied, “No. I don’t read your stupid blog. I just knew you wanted those boots and I got an email recently about a big boot sale where everything was discounted. I got such a good deal I couldn’t pass it up.” (I’ve slightly paraphrased our conversation for readability in this context but I’m sure she would agree I’ve not changed any meaning.)

What’s more, these boots are even more beautiful in person than they appeared in any pictures. I like them even better than the (more expensive) snip toe lizard boots I already have. They are goatskin with a lizard wing tip and I honestly have never seen western boots that are dressier looking than these. I may have to upgrade my wardrobe because I’m not sure I have any clothes that can do them justice. They’re just screaming for a band-collar, western tux shirt and a western sport coat.

He said, “WILL [not might] come on you and OVERTAKE you.” Kind of like when I was thinking about maybe ordering these boots sometime soon and they suddenly arrive at my door. Kind of like how until a few months ago I had dreamed that someday I would have a pair of hand-made Lucchese boots and now I have two pair.

By the way, if you’re keeping score (I only do so I can brag on my God), these two pair of boots total nearly $800 at retail. I’ve spent a grand total of $150 on them and the total amount spent by everyone involved in this blessing is less than $450 including sales tax and shipping.

That’s how The Blessing works. Abundantly above all you can ask or think.

I was just recently looking for something else when I ran across an old comment I made right here on my own blog about how I would someday like to have a custom-made pair of Lucchese boots.

It’s funny to me now. The comment in question is less than two years old and at the time I made it, it was little more than a dream. A minor dream to be sure - I didn’t sit around fantasizing about boots. But I had wanted a pair of Lucchese’s for many years and always felt they were way out of my reach. In that comment I mentioned them because it sorta kinda came up in conversation.

I’ve had a pair for months now and had no recollection of that thought when I was ordering them or at any time since I’ve had them. They’re snip-toe, lizard boots, hand-made, special order. They are the most comfortable boots I’ve ever owned, also the most beautiful and most definitely the most expensive. I can now say that the Lucchese name is definitely worth the money. (As opposed to say, Justin, which is now just overpriced, second-rate garbage. I’ve had about 5 pairs of Justins because I’m a slow learner - they suck and I had to buy another pair every year until I wised up.)

What’s even funnier - to me at least - is that I had a tough choice, when I bought them, between these and another pair. When I made the decision for these, I did it with the thought in mind that I would get the others soon anyway. Now I’m thinking about getting those too.

This, friends, is what He meant when He said The Blessing would come on you and overtake you. For those who rail at this as “Prosperity Gospel,” I would like to point out a few things:

1) the Lucchese boots I wear today cost me less than a third of their list price. At the price point I bought them, they were only slightly more expensive than the “everyday” boots (made by Justin) that I was wearing before. (Ditto for my new truck. I got a real bargain.)

See, now I’m a Jew. I buy everything at a discount and sell just a little below retail. So everybody wins. That’s what The Blessing does. For natural Jews as well as us adopted ones.

2) I’m walking in this blessing not because I’m seeking out expensive boots and new trucks. I started seeking the Kingdom and all of this gets added. (Matt. 6:33) I honestly forgot until tonight that I had always wanted Lucchese boots in spite of the fact that I’ve been wearing them for months. “…will come on you and overtake you…” (I wasn’t seeking boots.)

3) Reaching back to number two, you should know that the Kingdom works on sowing and reaping. I’ve given into ministry and charity when I “couldn’t afford it.” Then, as God has prospered me, I’ve looked first to sowing seed and giving back. Prior to getting the boots for a third of retail, I gave offerings (not tithe - that’s different and separate) that were extravagant, into ministries that I trust and where I’ve seen God’s anointing. On one occasion, I wrote a single check for an offering that was more than the retail cost of those boots, “spontaneously” just because the Spirit spoke to me and I was willing. I wasn’t even sure I could “afford” it. I just knew that I should be obedient.

As a result, I have a harvest. A harvest that has pulled me from homeless just over a year ago to a life now where I have money in abundance and luxuries come to me at great discounts.

This is Kingdom living. It’s available to everyone. It’s not a perversion of the Gospel. It is the Gospel. When I was destitute, the only people that cared to help were the government Mafia and prosperity-believing Christians. They rescued me. In less than a year, I went from needing help to providing it.

Without people that believe God’s abundance, the “salvation” Gospel couldn’t be preached. It takes money. The “prosperity gospel” is the only Gospel because it’s a message of adoption and He’s not lacking anything. If you are, you’ve missed something. Review.

Daddy’s rich. Learn how things are done here in His family and you’ll never want!*

Wait. Does that sound like a TV preacher and you shrink back because… I forgot. I’m supposed to beg you for your money.

I’m sorry. I can’t accommodate you. I don’t need your money. I’m rich and looking for opportunities to give. I’m talking about biblical principles and a better way to live.

*Psalm 23:1