R. Frederick Riddle's Blog, page 48

Authors Website

Monday through Friday I deal with different subjects in this blog. I also post my blog to my Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. Today I am writing about the Authors Website.

Perhaps you are a new author and have decided to build a website or you have one up and running. There is much advice floating around about website design. Some is very good and some not so much. After seventeen years of working my own website, I have identified five critical website design issues.

You may have additional ideas and I welcome your comments. But here are mine.

The Home Page

This is regarded as the most critical page because this is where your visitors will most likely land. And this is true whether you have one or more home pages.

More than one?

Yes. As an Independent author I am also an independent publisher. Therefore, I have designed my website as a publisher’s site, and every author (all two of us) have their own Home page, plus more.

The Home page is where you want your usual visitors to come to. Therefore, you will have most or all of your marketing linked to that page. If the visitor Google’s your name (author’s name) it should bring the potential customer to your (the author’s) Home page.

Now, as I mentioned our website is actually tied to T&R Independent Books – the publisher of our books. Like other publishers we then have “home” pages for the authors. For this to work the authors need to be:

Identified on the Main Landing page
Be accessible from the Main Landing page
Have their own pages where their books are featured
Author’s Home page should be accessible directly from Internet

On this page (whether site’s home page or author’s) it is always wise to employ good SEO practices. As you build your site you may want to see how well you are doing. I recommend Website Grader, which you can use for free.

The Url

The Url is critical. Put a lot of thought into this. Among the things to consider is whether you are a one book author or you have or will write more books. If you write multiple books, you will want to use your author’s name in your url. The exception would be like a publisher’s site. But even then you want a url that goes to the author page, such as r.-frederick-riddle-books.html. If you are doing your own publishing don’t forget the primary site. Click on the link above to see the full url. You can also give out a bit.ly shortcut.

Most of you will have your own personal site. You might wonder why it has to be your name and not the name of a book. Simple. As you write more books you want people to know your name. People may seek a particular book title, but as your name recognition grows they will seek your name.

The About Page

The About page is very important because you want the visitor to know as much about you as you can reveal. How much you reveal is up to you, but a variety of experts say we should include our bio (of writing career), education, awards (if any), and a peak into your personal life.

Only reveal that which you want people to know. And please don’t include your Social Security Number or other potentially vital information.

The Store Page and/or Book Page

A Store page is very important if you sell on site. I would recommend that you also have a Book page where visitors can learn about your books. If not selling on site, it is important to have links from each book to the site(s) where it is sold.

A Book page should include a Cover photo, a description of the book, important stats (such as publisher, author, title, ISBN, and ASIN) and, of course, the links.

Media Page

Aside from potential buyers, you also want the media (newspapers, radio, television, etc.) to also visit your site. This page is designed to provide them as much information as possible without their having to search the site. Some of the things included is a listing with links of every book you’ve written, a photo of you (a professional photo is recommended), links to any blogs you may have written, links to such things as Press Releases and other marketing sites where you are active.

Contact Page

Even if not selling directly, you need this page. It provides an opportunity for your visitors to talk to you. Perhaps they have questions about you, your books, or even an opportunity for your book to be marketed or turned into a movie.

These are only five ideas, but you might want to also include a Blog page (assuming you write a blog). But the five listed above are absolutes. You need these. Seek expert advice and don’t be afraid to visit other authors websites for ideas. This will combine a visual with the technical advice available all over the web.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship to the Stars I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Rules or No Rules

Monday through Friday I deal with different subjects in this blog. I also post my blog to my Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. Today I am writing about Rules or No Rules.

You’ve heard all: Rules are made to be broken; You must never do this or that; and Absolutely not! Rules tend to govern our lives, some being good, some not so good. But the rules of writing, must we follow them? Or can we just do whatever?

One thought before digging in here, the purpose of rules are to provide a guide for you, the writer, to follow. Rules are meant for your good.

What are the Rules of Writing?

Actually there are a ton of rules, but I’m only going to look at a few. It’s not so much the rule that is at stake here but a point that I’m trying to make. In doing research on this subject I came across a book in my library that had a section on Kurt Vonnegut, who was a giant in the industry. He had some opinions about rules worthy of taking a look at.

Here are a couple of quotes: “Can I get away with this? No. The trick is getting the reader to buy it.” Another quote is, “whatever works, works.”

Now let’s take a look at a few rules:

Always identify who is talking – Unless , of course, the context makes it obvious.
Use italics when a person is thinking – Unless , of course, you prefer using another method.
Separate speech from the action – Unless , of course, you decide to combine them.
Only have one primary character – Unless , of course, you can get away with having more.
Give readers as much information as soon as you can.
Weave historical data, if any, into fictional content.

Those last two weren’t really rules, but rather suggestions from Vonnegut. But you might consider them as rules you should follow.

Now look back at the rules, you’ll notice I followed the first four rules with an “Unless” which indicated you could break the rule. Now take a sheet of paper and make two columns. On the left side the column will list rules, and on the right side you’ll put the word “Unless” at the beginning of the column.

Now, using the left column, make a list of the writing rules you know about. Just the ones that might affect you. Now go back to the top and read the rule on the left and then consider whether there are times you break the rule and why. If it’s a valid why, place the why in the right column. Theoretically that will provide a scenario where you have possible points where you can violate the rule. I said theoretically because you might be wrong.

To find out whether you’re right or wrong you might try searching on Google or some other search engine. A lot of times you’ll find the answer. another resource is to look at what famous and successful authors have done.

Neither of those methods can be considered absolutely correct, but there’s a good chance they are. In the end, you must decided the right or wrong.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship to the Stars I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Upon This Rock

Monday through Friday I deal with different subjects in this blog. I also post my blog to my Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. Today I am writing about Upon This Rock.

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:16-18 (emphasis added)

This passage generates a lot of comments, even disagreements. Part of the reason is because we humans have a way of zooming in on only one verse or may one or two words in that verse. For example, if you only look at verse 18 you might get the impression that Peter, which means stone, is the foundation or Rock of the church. Religious doctrine has been built on that erroneous belief.

The Bible teaches us to use all of Scripture to understand Scripture. Part of this is reading, studying, and applying verses in context. Now admittedly I could have actually added a few more verses and covered 16:13-19. The first few verses has Jesus asking the disciples who they thought He was, while verse 19 deals with the keys of heaven which He gave Peter and were used in the Book of Acts. But the passage beginning in verse 16 and ending with verse 18 gives us the necessary context to understand what is happening.

Jesus was doing a play on words. Peter had just expressed his, and the other disciples, belief that Jesus “art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus then uses Peter’s name (Petros or stone, little rock)  to underline the importance of what Peter had just confessed.

You could paraphrase Jesus’ words thus, Thou art a (Petros) little rock or pebble and upon this (Petra) huge rock I will build my church. In other words, Peter had the distinct honor to declare the gospel upon which the church would be built. No other man had up to that time made that declaration. His Messianic connection had been hinted at by Anna (Luke 2:36-38) and John the Baptist (John 1:29,36), but nothing about the church.

So why is that important?

Unfortunately a false doctrine rose up teaching that Peter is the foundation of the church. Aside from the fact that any man being the foundation makes for a rather weak foundation, it also is contrary to the teaching of Christ and the Apostles that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Foundation of the church.

Because it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, namely His death, burial, and resurrection that the believer’s eternal life rests upon. Jesus Christ shed His blood that we might have life! Later on in Scripture Christ is the Groom and the church is the Bride. It is an eternal connection. Moreover the gospel is the foundation of our salvation. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6.

Notice He said “but by me.” We come to the Father by the blood of Jesus Christ and none other!

Nowhere are we told to worship mere man. Peter was a great man used of God, but he always was a man, while Jesus is the God/Man!

Is there anything else we can learn?

The last part of Jesus’ statement reads, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” We Christians all too often are defensive in our war with Satan. But Christ teaches that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the church. That’s an offensive, not defensive, statement. The Church Triumphant will eventually win the war, but right now it is pounding on the gates of Hell. Every time the gospel is heard by an unsaved person Hell trembles. Why? Because if that person turns to Christ for salvation, Hell has gotten a little less crowded. When the church is assailing the gates of Hell with the gospel it is doing its job, which is to win souls to Christ!

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship to the Stars I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Insights: World of Noah and the Ark

Insights: World of Noah and the Ark

“And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

“A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.” (Excerpt from World of Noah and the Ark)

God usually calls people to serve him one by one. The excerpt above concerns God’s call upon Noah to build an Ark (ship). God didn’t appear to Noah’s wife, his sons weren’t born yet, and his grandfather Methuselah wasn’t with him. The call came exclusively to Noah.

Yet all these people were impacted by God’s call on Noah. I think that Methuselah had some later involvement. The Bible is silent, yet it states that the Flood came in the same year Methuselah died (not in the flood, but before the flood).

So it is possible that God’s call on Noah impacted:

Noah
Noah’s wife
Japheth
Japheth’s wife
Shem
Shem’s wife
Ham
Ham’s wife
Methuselah

But it is likely that many more were directly affected. Noah was a farmer not a shipbuilder. Although shipbuilding probably existed (Bible never says otherwise), there was nothing on the scale of the Ark before and it wasn’t until probably the 19th century that anything else was built. In other words, this was a big job requiring someone who could read and understand a blueprint (basically what God gave Noah) and men who would actually build it.

If I am correct then it is another tragic part of Noah’s story. Because none of these men got saved unless they died before the Flood (a possibility). But most died unsaved though they worked on the ship itself.

My point in all of this is that God’s call is often to one person but the impact is upon a lot of people. Has God called you to a ministry? If so it is likely the decisions you make in following that call will impact a great many others.

It’s not just you!

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship to the Stars I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Trump’s Diplomacy

Today’s Issue: Trump’s Diplomacy

Monday’s I try to focus on issues. This week I am taking a look at Trump’s Diplomacy.

You can hardly watch a newscast or read a newspaper without getting negative coverage of President Trump’s diplomatic endeavors. According to them there is no plan, that he simply shoots from the hip without thought. But let’s take a look at some of his diplomatic efforts during his presidency.

He berated, threatened the EU about the fact they weren’t carrying their fair cost of supporting NATO. He was roundly chastised by the media and by politicians, including members of his own party. Result: EU countries agreed to increase their support with the goal of 2% of their GDP.
He berated, threatened EU this year insisting they not only meet their 2% goal but seek to achieve a more equitable 4%. He was roundly criticized by the media and politicians, including some Republicans, for causing a break with our allies. Result: Some EU members have agreed to raise their goal to 4% of GDP while others are considering it.
He threatened and even instigated first moves toward a trade war because of the uneven playing field American businesses faced. He was roundly rebuked by media and politicians, some from his own party, for starting a trade war that would hurt Americans. Result: The President of EU came to America and essentially caved with a proposed agreement that extends Common Market (ancestor of EU) zero tariffs on everything except autos (and that may come soon).
He met with Putin in Helsinki amidst rancor and bitterness. The unproven charges of interference with the U.S. election was the media’s main focus. They rebuked Trump, along with politicians from both parties, for seeming to accept Putin’s denial. Whether the Russians did or not is irrelevant. They would have done so on behalf of Hillary not Trump. Result: Trump and Putin met and dialed back the teetering relations between the two countries. Possible more meetings in the future.
He met with and played hardball with the Chinese. Alarm spread throughout the media and was expressed by politicians, including Republicans, that he was starting a trade war with China. Result: This is ongoing, but consider that a trade war would hurt China more than the United States.

Donald Trump is a hardnosed negotiator with perhaps a streak of a gambler. He sizes up his opponent, attacks demanding more than he expects to achieve and then gets what he really wants. I’ve never read his book The Art of the Deal, but I wouldn’t be surprised if such a strategy was explained. Of course, sizing up your opponent requires information and the ability to process that information intuitively, an ability President Trump has shown.

His underlying theme during the campaign was “America First” and that still is his theme, to make America Great Again by putting America First! Which liberals don’t really want and they don’t really understand. They especially don’t understand his strategy to achieve his promises. In fact, they don’t understand the idea of a politician actually keeping his promises.

Which brings up a rather funny thing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read the Letters to the Editor claiming he broke another promise. And every time he either never made the promise he supposedly failed to keep or he tried to keep a promise that was blocked by Congress (think Democrats and a few recalcitrant Republicans). Of course Democrats have embarked on a suicide course because they don’t understand how Clinton lost the election. The truth is they backed a loser. (By the way, latest report is that Trump won both electoral and popular votes.)

I’m convinced that the liberal establishment so hates Trump, perhaps because he doesn’t play by their rules, that they purposely don’t even try to understand him. They don’t understand his populism and like I said are still upset over the election.

But one thing is clear: whether his methods and strategies are understood or not, President Trump’s diplomacy works!

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Revising a Published Work

Today I am writing about Revising a Published Work.

Before I became an Indie Publisher I had the frustration of finding mistakes in my books that got through the editing process. And to correct and republish the book would have cost me money.

One of the great benefits of being an Indie Publisher is the ability to edit and republish.

Yeah, but that probably is expensive.

Not at all. For example, I published Death Ship earlier in the year but I had not done the proper title research. I discovered there are several books out there called Death Ship. So I pulled the book (unpublished it), retitled it, and republished it. At no cost to me!

Try doing that with a Traditional Publisher or Self Publisher.

How much work did it require?

That actually depends on the changes to be made. In the case of the retitled book I also made a few changes internally, but nothing extensive. The whole process was smooth and easy to do.

So, how do you do it?

If you’re like me you still think about your book after you’ve published it. It’s one of those ‘I wish I had done’ type of things. Or if you have someone reviewing your book they may point out a mistake or problem. I wouldn’t necessarily suggest you republish every time you have an error, but the thing is you can. What a powerful thing that is!

Another example could be you wanted to update your Front or Back Matter. Again, you can unpublish and then republished after you’ve updated the book.

What about Sales?

Good question. When you unpublish a book it is no longer available for sale. If you are unpublishing an eBook which is in the Kindle Select program, the older version stays in the program until the program time run out.

That is why I don’t recommend republishing often. I only republish if I feel it is necessary.

In Conclusion:

Republishing is a valuable tool that you as an Indie Publisher have at your disposal. Use it wisely.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship to the Stars I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Keeping Your Writing Fresh!

Today I am writing about Keeping Your Writing Fresh.

Have you ever run up against a wall? The words just won’t come. Or how about have you ever looked over your writing and felt it was stale, boring?

I think all writers run into it. Whether its Writer’s Block, staleness, or something else you find your writing a drag. It has suddenly become a chore, leaving you tired.

I would be less than honest if I said I never was frustrated with my writing, but I have kept it in the rare category.

How do you keep your book fresh?

It’s not as tough as you might think. Consider, if you will, your brain. God created your brain to function and accomplish much. The brain is able to multitask. Now, I’m not talking about your perceived abilities. You, or your mate, may laugh at the concept of you multitasking. But the brain has that potential.

What’s Multitasking got to do with it?

I’m not a scientist or a doctor but I believe the brain can get tired. I’ve heard it referred to as a muscle. And a muscle can get tired. In fact, if you don’t use your brain it can deteriorate. The brain needs exercise, so I invite you to consider multitasking as exercise.

I often work on multiple projects. For example, I am working on two unrelated novels (one is a World That Was novel and the other is a Christland novel) plus I’ve been working on a catalog and this blog. Does that make me better than you? No. What it does is it keeps my brain fresh. Just as physical exercise stimulates the flow of blood to the muscles of your body, so I believe multitasking (exercising the brain) stimulates the flow of blood to your brain.

So What Do I Need to Do?

I’ve already answered that in part. But consider these ideas:

Work on more than one book at a time
Start a blog
Read a book
Work a crossword puzzle
Take a nap

Wait a minute, I thought you said exercise!

I did. But your body needs rest, also. Besides, the brain is hardly inactive during sleep. It is still maintaining all your bodily functions and, if you dream, it activates and uses your imagination.

I might add I quite often take a nap. I had a heart attack in 2014 and while physically I am still able to do the things I used to do, mental work tires me out. So I’ll take a 15 minute nap and I’m refreshed.

It’s amazing how a short nap or multitasking can freshen the brain. The brain is designed by God to be able to do more than one thing at a time. In fact, whether you believe it or not your brain is multitasking right now. For example, right now I’m working on this blog, but I am also listening to a CD of music, and my head is moving back and forth in time with the music. Add to that the manipulation of my eyes, fingers, and ears enabling me to do the task before me.

So What Do You Suggest I do?

In my opinion I think you should try to do all the things that I have mentioned. And add to the list. Oh, and there is one other thing. Don’t be afraid to walk away from your work for a while. Sometimes that is just the right thing to do!

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship to the Stars I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Finding a Church

Today I am writing about Finding a Church.

Before I begin let me provide this snippet: Finding a good church involves a great many things but I am including only those I’m interested in.

Perhaps you just moved into a new area and need a church.
Perhaps you plan on moving into a new area and need a church.
Perhaps you just received Christ as your Savior (born again) and need a good church.
Perhaps you’re leaving your current church and need a good church.

There are myriads of reasons for leaving a church, but I am only looking at a few.

How Should I Look for a New Church?

Let’s look at the last item: leaving your church. There are a number of reasons for leaving a church, but the Biblical reason would be doctrine. And that requires soul searching. Why did you leave? What doctrinal issue was involved? If not a doctrinal issue then maybe you should reevaluate.

For the purposes of this blog I am making some assumptions. Namely, that you are a born again believer, that you either are or want to be a fundamentalist, that you want to grow.

What is a Fundamentalist?

A fundamentalist is a person who believes in the fundamentals or basics of Scripture. The following list covers most, if not all, of the fundamentals.

With those in mind here are some ideas: The Church should:

Believe the Bible to be the revealed Word of God, fully and verbally inspired of God .
Believe the Scriptures to be the inerrant, infallible Word of God , as found within the 66 books from Genesis to Revelation.
Believe God not only inspired every word, but also preserved them through the ages .
Believe the King James Version is the preserved Word of God for the English speaking people (Psalm 12:6-7; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:19-21).
Believe in one God, who is eternal, self-existent, infinite, and immutable .
Believe He has one nature, one essence, and one substance, yet manifests Himself to man in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:17; James 1:17; 1 John 4:4).
Believe Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to be the one and only Saviour of mankind.
Believe Jesus Christ to be eternally God and to possess all the attributes of Deity .
Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was virgin born, that He was God incarnate, and that the purposes of the incarnation were to reveal God, to redeem men, and to rule over God’s Kingdom.
Believe He lived a perfect, sinless life, at the end of which He was offered for all mankind as a substitutionary sacrifice for man’s sin . This sacrifice was a just payment to God for the forgiveness of sin. It was activated by His death through the shedding of His blood on the cross and was accepted by God upon His resurrection.
Believe He ascended into Heaven after His resurrection to be seated at the right hand of the Father, waiting for the time of receiving His church at the Rapture, and returning seven years later to earth to rule and reign as King for 1,000 years (Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 43:11; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 1:3, 14, 18, 29; Romans 3:19-25, 5:6-15; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Timothy 2:5, 3:16; Titus 2:10-15; Hebrews 7:26, 9:24-28; 1 Peter 1:19, 2:2; 1 John 1:3; Revelation 20:1-6).Believe the Holy Spirit of God is a person who has personality and all the attributes of Deity.
Believe all men were born with an inherited sin nature received from our common ancestor, Adam.
Believe that because of this nature, man is a sinner by choice, and he is totally incapable of reforming himself or ceasing from his sin by his own power .
Believe the only hope of deliverance for man is turning to Jesus Christ as the only Saviour.
Believe that only through the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on the cross can a man be delivered from his sin.
Believe that all those who reject Jesus Christ as their Saviour are already condemned to an eternity in the Lake of Fire (Genesis 5:1-5; Acts 4:19, 16:31; Romans 3:10-23, 5:6-12, 6:23, 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6; Revelation 20:11-14).
Believe the local church is composed of members who have been saved and baptized according to the command of Christ, and have voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship, fellowship, service, and the Lord’s Table.
Believe all true believers will be taken up at the Rapture, just prior to the Tribulation (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 1:15, 2:41-43, 11:15, 20:28; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; Ephesians 1:12-14, 5:25-30; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Timothy 3:4-15).
Believe in the literal interpretation of the Scriptures in their grammatical and historical context.
Believe in the pre-tribulation Rapture of the church saints, followed by the seven-year Tribulation.
Believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ to the earth and His literal rule for one thousand years. Following this one thousand years is a Great White Throne judgment and then the New Heaven and new earth (1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:1-9; Revelation 19-22).

This is by no means considered to be an exhaustive list, but it does cover the fundamentals. You may disagree with some of these, which is your right. I have included Scripture references to support the items.

You mention the KJV Bible. Why?

Contrary to a lot of intellectual nonsense the King James Version is the only Bible today that is based on the Texus Receptus. The argument against the KJV is that there are “older” versions that are better. Since there are no originals in existence anymore it is impossible to tell which is older. That said, the King James Version is based on copies that can be traced right back to New Testament times. This is not true of many modern versions which can only be traced back to when they were found (at least one in a trash can).

How do I find out what a church believes?

Here are some ideas for that:

Church website – many, if not most, churches have a website where you can see their Statement of Faith
Tract Rack – When I visit a church I look at their tract rack, it is very revealing
Mission Board – another revealing source I check on when visiting a church
Friends – if your friends have visited the church they might be able to help
Sunday School teaching – you’ll learn a lot about the church’s beliefs and practices
Sermons – the preaching of God’s Word will always be revealing.

How often should I attend a church before making a decision?

I recommend at least three times. Sometimes it may take weeks to get a true picture.
A safe answer would be to attend as long as necessary to form a correct opinion.

What about Music?

Music can make or break a church. There are different views on the subject. One rule I would follow would be to stay away from churches which try to please everyone. These usually have Traditional and Contemporary music or services. A good question to ask is does the music honor God and lift up the name of Jesus. Does the music prepare the heart for the preaching?

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship to the Stars I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Insights: Death Ship to the Stars

Insights: Death Ship to the Stars

“Why do the heathen rage, and people imagine a vain thing? The kings of earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed.” Psalm 2:1-2

In Death Ship to the Stars we see scientific knowledge advancing that we in the 21st century are just beginning to see. When doing research for this novel I started out with a look at Star Wars. But I quickly discovered that mankind is already advancing to the point that some Star War imaginings are actually coming true.

WHAT ARE THEY?

The scientific community is already exploring possible avenues for Warp Drives. Once considered a pipe dream there are now serious studies aimed at that very thing. In fact, for the purposes of the novel I had more than one method to choose from. I ended up using the ION Rings. In this situation there are two rings that provide a method to move through space at speeds measured in Speed of Light.

Another Star Wars fantasy was replicators. When I looked them up I discovered that various types of replicators already exist, albeit on a smaller and less grandiose scale.

BUT ONE THING NEVER CHANGES!

That one thing is human nature. No matter what science tries they are never able to change human nature. They learn how to manipulate it, but not change it. The greatest example of this is man’s resistance to God.

You’d think that all the discoveries being made would point man to God, but it’s completely different. Man’s pride is so great that to admit there is a God that holds them responsible for their actions is simply unbelievable. This is where Psalm 2:1-2 comes in to play. The educated people of our day worship themselves and there is no room for a Holy God. They go to great lengths to deny His existence but when all is said and done their arguments collapse.

The day is coming when “he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship to the Stars I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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Judge Jeanine Pirro Thrown Off The View

Today’s Issue: Thrown off The View

Monday’s I try to focus on issues. This week I am taking a look at Judge Jeanine Pirro being thrown off The View.

One thing that will never happen to me is being thrown off The View.

How can I say that?

Simple, I’ll never go on it. The show is shallow, mean spirited, intolerant, and without merit. I have only watched segments and that was too much. People talk about hate speech and, in my opinion, that is all that is on the show. What has drawn me to watch in times past was someone whom I respected was a guest, so I tuned in to watch. And the ignorance and hate of these women was enough to convince me not to watch them.

Recently Judge Jeanine Pirro was a guest on the show. If you know anything about the judge, she is not afraid to speak her mind. And she did so on the show and apparently this was enough to anger Whoopi.

WHAT DID WHOOPI DO?

She kicked the judge off the show. Technically she has the right. But it is also apparent that both Whoopi and Pirro used profanity laced shouts at one another. So that colors the water a little bit. Still, one thing that comes across loud and clear is that the left so hates Donald Trump that they can’t have a civil conversation with someone who is pro-Trump. It is a sad commentary on the times.

WHAT MESSAGE DOES THIS SEND?

The same message that The View consistently sends out: Hate! There’s no honest debate, at least I’ve never seen any. Sometimes the interviews seem to be civil, but lurking in the background is hatred for anything that is not only Trump, but to their right.

WHY DO WE HAVE SO MUCH HATE?

Part of the reason goes back to November 2016 when Trump beat Clinton. It shocked them and they show no signs of getting over it. Some have said that the Left is acting like a little child who doesn’t get her way. The child stomps, cries, and rebels.

But the real cause goes back much further to the time when God was kicked out of our schools. Predictions were made at the time as to the results and we have seen those predictions come true. In fact, I would say things are worse than predicted. We are now a nation divided into two camps, the Conservatives and the Liberals with no real discussion taking place between the two views.

IS THIS JUST POLITICS?

And it isn’t just two political views. We have the Left hating the Right, the Atheist hating the Christian, the Poor hating the Rich, the Rich hating the Poor, the Black hating the White, and the White hating the Black.

And then we have shows like The View (there are others) that purposely stir up feelings of hatred and jealousy. I don’t know the rationale behind it, but it’s ripping us apart.

Lack of civil discourse is more than bad manners.

It is a reflection on our times and of our departure from the Christian way of life. You could almost call it an attack on all things Christian or perceived Christian. And if our nation isn’t careful it may just call for God’s judgment!

PRAY!

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

– – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

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