THE MINISTRY OF THE CHRISTIAN AUTHOR: What It Ought To Be! By Pam Sheppard, author of “The Fake Jesus: Fallen Angels Among Us, Faces of the Religious Demon, Come Out of Her, God’s People,” “The New Idolaty” “Recovery in Christ, and To Curse the Root”
One reason why many professing Christians may not be able to survive endtime persecution in this country is a lack of understanding of and a lack of faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Yet, there is another reason that is outlined within the Lord’s warning to the Laodiceans. In my own vernacular, many professing Christians of today are puffed up and self seeking,—blind in their quest for self glorification and an ambitious desire for personal fame and fortune.
Let’s face it. They capitolize off of the name and the work of the Lord in order to “have a ministry of their own”. The point is well made by using the music industry as an example. Consider those who first attempted to “make it big” as a secular singer or rapper and failed, who then became famous by “switching over” to the Christian music industry. In order to clarify this point with another illustration, take a look at the subject matter of an “up and coming” conference: 501C3 application preparation, how to set up your ministry or non-profit organization–Getting your ministry license, Enrolling in Seminary School–Everything you need to know on how to publish your book—Records and gospel Entertainment—How to Handle God’s Money with Care, Making It in the Gospel Music Industry—Ministry FundrasingTips and Ideas For Promoting Your Ministry events—-How to Start a Radio Ministry—Howto Start a TV Ministry–Planning Your First Conference—Managing and applying for grants—How to Work in Full Time Ministry—How to Network Effectively—The Teenager in Ministry—The Men in Ministry AND MORE
I receive several marketing email ads of this kind on a daily basis. I chose this particular ad as an example because I have had personal contact by email and by telephone with the woman who is the founder of the organization that is promoting this conference. About 5 years ago,I promoted women in ministryon a website. This particular woman was just starting out in full time ministry,so she placed an AD that consisted of a photograph and her bio was included on a “women in ministry” page. I stopped offering this service completely about 3 years ago. I reference it now because I know for a fact that this particular woman’s own non-profit organization was established less than 5 years ago.–perhaps more like 3 years.
Even though she is a mega wannabee, my comments are not about her personally but about the subject matter of her conference and why I believe that those who are seeking this sort of ministerial “empowerment” are headed straight for disaster. To be quite honest with you, five years ago, I would have probably both promoted and even attended this conference. Even last year, realizing the dangers of a TV ministry, I was about to start a radio ministry . A date for the first show was set and radio time was about to be purchased when I sensed in my spirit that “it was not in the Lord’s timing and plan for me” so I cancelled it.
Where my 6 books are concerned, with each new revelation that I receive, I review the books that I have published. I actually set aside a portion of each day and I sit down and read each book, page by page, to make sure that they contain no blatant errors. My third book, “Faces of the Religious Demon,” is a good, solid book. Even though there is much that I know now that I didn’t know in 2006,I have found no damaging errors or blatant mistakes. Even so, I have just completed an edit of “Faces” a few weeks agol. Actually, “Faces” served as a prelude to or a springboard for what I have learned in the last year: namely, “THAT THERE IS A FAKE JESUS!”
Once I started writing newsletters that required some study, the names of several “religious demons” and there “faces” or “profiles” have now been uncovered—Maitreya, Sananda, Mother Mary, Germaine, Ashtar, and a host of others that I have not yet written about. In fact, Benjamin Creme, Maitreya’s human disciple, has indicated on his website that 14 ascended masters beside Maitreya are now manifesting on earth. So I have written about 5 of them, yet 10 more remain “noteworthy.” I am reviewing my first two books because I realize today that I had not yet been delivered from charismatic influences when I wrote them.
Nevertheless, as I continue the review process, I am surprised to find that in spite of my mixed doctrine, I didn’t really write about those particular subject areas and therefore I am not finding any outstanding errors. For example, when I wrote the first book “To Curse the Root,”in 1995, I certainly believed in a pre-tribulation rapture, tongues as a prayer language, obtaining salvation through the “I make a decision for Christ” method, the prayer of agreement, even falling slain in the spirit. I suspect that the Holy Ghost was guiding my author’s hand because I simply did not address these subjects in the first book.
As to the second book, it is autobiographical and “I told no lies.” I address this point in this particular article primarily because I noted the importance placed upon authorship in the conference ad copied above in red. It seems today that those who seek “a ministry” as a point of contact for personal success are assuming that one MUST be a published author. In truth, most of the errors that I myself picked up came from audio tapes and books published by various Christian authors.
The list is endless. As I burned occult books in 1981, I realize now that I also need to begin burning from my collection of so called Christian books written by several charismatic, pentecostal and word of faith authors. The flames will rise high once I start the fire! On April 24th and 25th, I watched Judge Lynn Toler of Divorce Court interview well known Christian author Juanita Bynum who no longer uses the title “Prophetess” but who now uses the title of “Dr.” Here is a word for word excerpt of the interview: Judge Lynn: Dr. Bynum, there are those who say that as a person in the ministry, as a person of God, to have the personal wealth that you have obtained is not consistent with your walk with God and your service to the people.
Dr. Bynum: What the people don’t know is that one of my biggest problems is that I give too much. I am in the predicament that I am in now for that reason. I gave too much. (What a contradictory statement!!! As one of the most well-known, prolific preachers of the prosperity gospel, Bynum has consistently preached that NO ONE CAN GIVE TOO MUCH!) Judge Lynn: Do you see how people look at the wealth that you have, what you drive, the house that you live in and that you are accepting tithes and offerings from people who may be making $20,000, $30,000 a year and how they find that troubling, as quite frankly, I do?”
Dr. Bynum: What I have accumulated I didn’t accumulate through tithes and offerings. My books have sold very well. I never wanted to live off of the people in the church. I wanted to OWN MY OWN! (This is probably a true statement, considering the huge royalties that Bynum has received from her best selling Christian books. However,the point here is that if it were not for the tithes and offerings that she DID “live on” over the years, she would not have been in a position to be a best selling author of Christian books, or to even be invited to DIVORCE COURT to function in the capacity of a professional counselor without having been trained in any counseling profession.)
Out of the abundance of the heart, Jesus declared “the mouth speaks.” Bynum never said more truer words. SHE WANTED TO OWN HER OWN. This is the case of all mega wannabees, both famous and unknown. They perceive “ministry” as a career steppingstone and not as a calling. I don’t know about Dr. Bynum’s books , but most high profile ministers are too busy travelling to write books and so they are staffed with ghost writers who are the actual, “behind the scene” authors of their bestsellers.
Since I am an author of 6 books, before I receive accusatory commentaries, let me share a few personal facts. I have had a professional secular career all of my adult life which began BEFORE I entered ministry. All publication fees for my books are paid for by funds accumulated and derived from my secular career. Since I do NOT pursue tithes and offerings, any royalties that I receive from Christian books are applied to ministerial costs and rarely for my own personal needs. Since I have not applied for tax exempt status, I pay taxes on all income derived from royalties. In truth, the reason why I am able to function and survive in full time ministry is due to long years of secular employment. I am “beholden” to NO ONE!
Consequently , a conference with subject matter such as “everything you need to know on how to publish your book”, literally turns my stomach. I kid you not. I could actually VOMIT! Perhaps it is the Lord’s distaste that I feel when He insulted the lukewarm Laodiceans with, “I could spit you out of my mouth.” With their eyes and hearts filled with ambition for personal success, countless mega wannabees are writing books, going on radio and TV and promoting themselves in sickening marketing ads that are “full of self.” Most of these people are simply too ill informed, yet they are misrepresenting themselves with unearned academic credentials and most importantly, they have not been seasoned Christians for any length of time.
Therefore, they do not read the signs of the times and they have no discernment. They don’t perceive that the Christian church in this country may be headed for persecution. They are making of themselves “sitting ducks.” Actually, the wise approach in times of peace is to limit self promotion and attention seeking. For a day may be coming when we may ALL have to assemble in secret. As for me–while I have the opportunity, I am preparing myself for widescale persecution of Christians in my lifetime. Taking every conceivable precaution, my local assembly has changed our ministerial name primarily because “Healing Waters” is associated with the ascended master known as Maitreya.
Consequently, as I continue in ministry until my own “end,” unless the Lord chooses to bring me into a public arena, I myself plan to maintain “a very low profile.” Believe me. I have no fear of dying for what I believe. However, I do not plan to be foolish and be the primary provider of specific information about myself to potential enemies. I believe that to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove, it is best not to place too much personal information into the hands of enemies who will strategize and use it as weapons to plot, pursue and persecute you. Almost equally as important, I perceive the major problem in the Christian world today is an exagerated emphasis on self promotion to Christian celebrity status. There are just too many Jesus Christ Superstars whom the enemy has successfully used to defile the work of Jesus Christ. So our assembly operates very much like AA, with an emphasis on “the anonymous.”
In a nutshell, a Christian author has an apostolic and a prophetic calling to send forth nuggets of truth that provide connection and correlation to the world of God. For example, the world of God tells us to “try the spirits” but it does not lay out the process line by line or step by step. Jessie Penn Lewis’s book “War on the Saints,” written more than a century ago, was used by God to teach me how to try the spirits. Her authorship has inspired my own, pariticularly my third book “Faces of the Religious Demon.” So a Christian author is not just an apostle and a prophet, but also a teacher and a counselor.
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