This book talks about how people in [...]]]> Welcome to my world. I accepted the assignment to review this book because I thought it was about what I have lived as the husband of a pastor who has been in pain, bad pain, ever since she was in the seventh grade or so. I was right.

This book talks about how people in unrelenting chronic pain relate to the world and how they are treated by the church. The problem is abysmal and shameful in many cases. I remember once when my wife was told that if our daughter died from her cancer it would be my wife’s fault because our daughter was young in the faith and any healing would be the result of my wife’s faith. So she was responsible for the healing. What a stupid, insensitive, hateful, heathen, ignorant, … I could go on forever.

The church does not deal well with pain

Todd’s book is an excellent exposition of this problem and it is a severe problem. The Bible never promises that we will all be beautiful, strong, sexy, powerful, rich, comfortable, healthy, and anything else like that which would salve our flesh. We all have trials and tribulations. Jesus promised us that we would. Our call is to hang onto Him and take the peace and rest provided by His presence.

Todd covers these events and circumstances throughly and honestly. Chronic pain is a reality. The same is true of cancer, poverty, servitude, and all the rest of the horrible things found in our fallen world of sin. He gives me hope. It was an amazing blessing to discover that he, too, in the midst of all his pain can count on no pain when he preaches. My wife discovered the same in her life.

If you know nothing of this part of the normal Christian life, you need to read this book for your education. If you are in the midst of attempting to maintain your faith in an often overwhelming world of constant pain, this book will encourage you.

This book earns my highest compliment:

You will find truth here!

As always, you will discover that Jesus is the answer. You will also discover [if you do not know this already], that some problems are not fixable—yet your life can still be transformed for the better. It is an excellent book.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Book Crash book review program. I was not compensated, expected to, or required to write a positive review. I was expected to write the truth as I see it.  The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Related articles

• Life’s A Pain by Todd Rettberg (create-with-joy.com)
• Chronic Unfixable Pain (lastingvictory.com)

And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, [...]]]> The saddest verses, that’s probably overstating it for such a little incident, but not by much. You know the story.

And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine.” And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood. [Matthew 8: 28-34]

I suppose you think I’m upset about the dead pigs

Nope! Jesus was a Jew. Pigs are disgusting to them. What were pigs doing in a Jewish community anyway? Maybe it wasn’t a Jewish community. But that has little to with my sadness.

They were so attached to the pigs, they rejected Jesus

They should have repented and turned to him. But no! They were so attached to their way of life, that they begged Jesus to leave. They are as bad as the despicable Esau, who sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. They didn’t even notice the healed demoniacs. “Just don’t you dare mess with my life!”

What do you have in your life that is not kosher, yet you are attached to the custom, act, practice, food, entertainment, or whatever? Most modern movies and many TV shows and series fall into this category. Even shows like Planet Earth by Discovery or NatGeo [whatever it was called and whoever did it] denigrate God, deny the truth, teach lies, and promote unbelief. Certainly you’re not being asked to give up your notion that the universe is billions and billions of year old—are you? Is the violence of football really edifying? Will that fancy car really get you in bed with all those women [who do not belong to you anyway]? There’s the whole concept of Victoria’s Secrets. Why would you even consider looking at what they offer?

Please don’t get to the place where you beg Jesus to leave…

Jesus is the only hope you have

This is one of the best articles I have ever read about the differences and places of men and women—coupled with how that should work in a Godly marriage. As most of you know, I have a wife who is called to preach and pastor whereas [...]]]> It’s time to put equality in its place…

This is one of the best articles I have ever read about the differences and places of men and women—coupled with how that should work in a Godly marriage. As most of you know, I have a wife who is called to preach and pastor whereas I am not. It’s an interesting life, and it has been great joy. This article shares the truth as I have experienced it. You should read it.

Matthew 7 tells us that these horrible words will be heard by many in the church. If it doesn’t concern you, [...]]]> I’ve come to believe this is my best Christian book so far—or maybe it’s just the concern closest to my heart when I look at the modern, largely apostate, church.

I never knew you!

Matthew 7 tells us that these horrible words will be heard by many in the church. If it doesn’t concern you, you should take a closer look at your life. This is eternal life as Jesus told us in John 17:3, that we know him intimately.

Buy the DRM-free archive containing a PDF, an ePUB, and a KF8 versions, all with embedded fonts all for the normal ebook price.

The Narrow Gate 

It’s also available at Kindle, and in print [$7.77], Nook, the iBookstore, Kobo, and Scribd. The current price is $2.99. Buy now before it increases.

A review from Mary C. Findley

by Michael Findley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mary gave me a copy of this book to review. It is the most exhaustive resource I have found for the history of our state religion. The quotes and footnotes are stunning. I had no idea Patrick Henry was such a cad. There [...]]]>

Antidisestablishmentarianism

by Michael Findley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mary gave me a copy of this book to review. It is the most exhaustive resource I have found for the history of our state religion. The quotes and footnotes are stunning. I had no idea Patrick Henry was such a cad. There is much more.

This book is not an easy read. That has nothing to do with the writing or layout. It’s a simple fact because there is so much information. This has the best referenced history of the secular humanist rebellion I have read.
The problem, of course, is that this is our official state religion in the United States of the new millennium. I was surprised to find that the courts have actually ruled that to be the truth.
I didn’t find it a particularly hopeful book, because it simply deals with the fact of our anti-God religion. As one who was duped by the public schools of the 1950s, this book hits me hard. The lies of society were the main reason I dropped out in the late 1960s. The results of those lies are seen in our modern self-centered, sin-driven culture of rebellion.
This book will give you all the ammunition you need to get yourself straightened out and those you know and love. I recommend you get it and read it–all 900+ pages of it. Just the footnotes are worth the price of the book. They worked hard and gave us their research. You need to read this book.

View all my reviews

Do you realize how seldom this is done in this modern online world? I was just writing a normal guide for self publishers when I realized that i really had nothing to [...]]]>

The first guide for Christian Self Publishers focusing on our specific issues

Now I’ve gone and done it!

Talking only to believers?

Do you realize how seldom this is done in this modern online world? I was just writing a normal guide for self publishers when I realized that i really had nothing to say to them. The book is written in reaction to the constant requests to lie about who I like (when I don’t even know the person), or the advice to set up six different accounts on amazon solely for the purpose of writing my own reviews—how immoral is that, on so many levels. I’m constantly told that if I don’t brag on myself, no one else will. What ever happened to:

Do you suppose it is in vain that the scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit which he has made to dwell in us”?  But he gives more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. [James 4:5-10 RSV]

So this is a guide to seeking the Lord’s face and following Him as you release and market your book. If He has called you, He will bless your work. This is practical Christian information on the process of selling your book online.

Available at:

• Amazon: Print $9.95 Kindle $2.99
• Kobo: $2.99
• Lulu: $2.99 ePUB version iBookstore is coming
• Nook: $2.99 loading now
• Scribd: Downloadable PDF $2.99

Direct from me: Email in any ebook format you need $2.99

Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord… a wife [...]]]> Now that we have established that we are indeed the wife of the Messiah, we need to look at how the wife is to behave. Let’s paraphrase that also to see what is actually said, and see how it applies to us as believers.

Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord… a wife should submit to her husband in everything…the wife must respect her husband. [Ephesians 5:22–33]

Let’s define submit:

The English definition seems a little negative.

• To yield oneself to the power or authority of another: to submit to a conqueror.
• To allow oneself to be subjected to some kind of treatment: to submit to chemotherapy.
• To defer to another’s judgment, opinion, decision, etc.: I submit to your superior judgment.

In the Greek the word definition becomes a little more clear. It’s more like voluntary subordination than forced groveling. The word is hupotasso, and the lexicon gives us the following:

• to arrange under, to subordinate
• to subject, put in subjection
• to subject one’s self, obey
• to submit to one’s control
• to yield to one’s admonition or advice
• to obey, be subject
• A Greek military term meaning “to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader”. In non-military use,it was “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden”.

In the world, it’s no wonder wives have so much trouble with this. How can you submit unless you trust your husband completely? We know that no human is trustworthy except for Jesus. Just as it is difficult and rare for a man to truly love, it is also difficult and rare for a woman to truly submit to a man.

It’s a waste of time here to even get into the inadequacies of man. Someday the Lord might ask me to write a book on marriage and the responsibilities of the man and the woman. But true marriage is only possible in the Lord. It is an institution that He ordained. Anything less than a covenant between God, a man, and a woman is not really a marriage in the Christian sense.

Basically, these things are only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God. They are so contrary to our flesh, that even under the power of the Holy Spirit they are extremely difficult. Of course, Christianity itself is totally impossible without the power of God.

But here we are talking about building a marriage relationship with Jesus himself. Try to imagine how deeply the Holy Spirit is invested in this process. He will do anything He can—and obviously that is a great deal—to enable us to submit to our Lord.

He wrote a whole book on the subject that we call the Bible.

How much of the Bible is about submission?

Obedience is better than sacrifice: 1 Samuel 15:22

Humble yourself under the Lord: James 4:7–10

Put others first: Philippians 2:3–4

Serve the Lord with gladness: Psalm 100:2

Make all your requests unto Him: Philippians 4:6

Repent and hang your old man on the cross: Romans 6: 3–11

Ask for the Holy Spirit: Luke 11:13

It’s impossible to please God without faith: Hebrews 11:6

The longer I live in the Kingdom the more I realize that putting myself under His lead and guidance is essential to my survival. Whenever I try to put myself forward I quickly realize the stupidity of that course of action. My only hope is to submit to His wisdom, knowledge, and love. Increasingly, all I want to do is please Jesus

Exactly, in that manner, I have come to see this as my wifely behavior to my husband. I love my place in the Kingdom as much as I love Him.

He is worth it all!

Roger lays it out—showing that it is scientific foolishness to ignore science and believe in an earth that is billions of years old. Science proves that the earth is much younger than that, and quite possibly the Biblical 6,000 years.

Amazon: [...]]]> His first and best seller

The Bible and Science Agree The Earth is Young

Roger lays it out—showing that it is scientific foolishness to ignore science and believe in an earth that is billions of years old. Science proves that the earth is much younger than that, and quite possibly the Biblical 6,000 years.

Amazon: Print: $14.99 Kindle $4.99

His newest book

The Triad: Our Bible, the Sciences, & Evolution

Here Roger presents the argument (and proves it) that evolution is the result of religious belief as opposed to true science—which uses facts and experimental evidence. We quickly discover that true science is backed up by the Bible.

Amazon: Print $17.99 Kindle $4.99

Last time we talked about how Jesus is the perfect husband. He loves us and gave up His life to make us pure and holy—to bring us [His Bride] to spiritual maturity. With this understanding of the character of our husband, let’s take a look [...]]]> This is taken from Knowing Jesus as His Bride

___________________________________________

Last time we talked about how Jesus is the perfect husband. He loves us and gave up His life to make us pure and holy—to bring us [His Bride] to spiritual maturity. With this understanding of the character of our husband, let’s take a look at the wifely responses to our husband’s lordship and love. The wife’s role is very different. We are the helpmate given by the father to help the groom. Let’s take a look at what is said in Genesis.

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make a helper that fits him.” [Genesis 2:18]

This throws a different light on things, doesn’t it? The wife comes out of this context—the need for a helper suitable to the man. I don’t want to put too much on this, but Jesus is the second Adam. It seems likely that we are the second Eve. Could we really be the helpmate suitable for Jesus? That is certainly what scripture seems to be saying.

Paul’s argument that Jesus is the second Adam is found in chapter 5 of Romans. His exposition states that Jesus undid all the damage from Adam’s sin. I fully realize that this is a little stretch, but let’s take it out a little further.

If Adam needed a helpmate, does Jesus need one as well? We are clearly called His bride. What did Adam say about his created helpmate? God had created Eve from Adam—specifically using a rib of his.

“At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame. [Genesis 2:23–25]

So, how does this compare with our relationship with Jesus? Very well, actually. Jesus was the first son born of God. He needed someone to relate to closely and to be His helpmate. Now, why God would need a helpmate is beyond me (we’ll find out in the new creation), but let’s take it where it goes here.

We are made out of Jesus in a very real way.

John tells us in the third chapter that our birth from above is like this:

Jesus replied, “It is absolutely true that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of both water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life (flesh reproducing flesh), but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born from above.’ [John 3:5–7]

Jesus was the first man born of both man and God. Mary and the Father were Jesus’ parents. So, He was the first in the Kingdom of God (appropriate that the King be first). But we also are born of the flesh and of God. Jesus makes it clear that we must be born of both. Don’t be confused by the fact that we have two fathers. So Jesus can say,

“Finally, one who is flesh of my flesh and spirit of my spirit.”

For this reason Jesus is pleased to leave the Father and cleave to his wife who is us. But this is far superior to the earthly version. Just like Passover is the symbolic image of what Jesus did on the cross, marriage is the symbolic image of who we become in the Kingdom of God.

The Bride is not spoken of much in scripture, but the image in Revelation 21 is stunning.

Then I, John, saw New Jerusalem, God’s holy city, coming down out of heaven, prepared as a bride dressed up for her husband. [Revelation 21:2]

And who is this bride but us? We are those born of flesh and the spirit. We are man reborn from God. No one else is in that city. And we are all one: Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus and us. Jesus prayed that we would all be one in His priestly prayer of John 17. We can certainly assume that His prayers are answered. New Jerusalem is a single organism of which we are part. There is no separation there. There is perfect communication there. Remember the words from Genesis:

Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.

Completely open and transparent, walking in the light with each other, we are working for and supporting the work of our husband. Is there any better calling than that?

Related articles

• Eternal Life is intimacy with the Lord