Write a Book!

 Truth Be Told!

Write Me a Book!
Mary Ann Wray


People tell me from time to time to write another book. I've written three. I took one down after realizing it contained a lot of regurgitated 'prophetic' rhetoric based on what I learned in certain charismatic circles. Honestly, some of the content in that book reflected much of what I heard from other people over the years. Now I see most of what I thought I “knew" was taken out of context and not Biblically accurate.
Trust me when I tell you I’m still learning, but I’m learning at the feet of Jesus through the Holy Spirit and the word of God where I should’ve been all along even when attending Bible School and numerous Bible classes over the years. I wasn't a good Berean.
The first Book that really was an 'original', I wrote in 2014 and revised four times since. It has not done well in terms of sales. Even after sinking thousands of dollars into Christian Publishers promising to market the book with no success, I've given away more copies than I have ever sold. That's perfectly okay with me since the motivation and intent was to bring glory to God and share a testimony of faith under fire.
I wrote it after our son passed away from a car accident. It chronicles how God brought us through that horrendous time of grief and I share a bit about our family testimony...real life stuff-no hype or hyperbole.
The other book was a collaborative work I did with a Pastor friend from Virginia Beach, VA entitled "Foundations". It's basically an instructive teaching manual about the first principles of Christian faith. I taught it at a church I was an associate pastor at for four years.
It is not in circulation, but I'm seriously praying about making it available on Amazon for a very nominal price or just an e-book I can pass along to others myself. Amazon won't let you mark the prices of books too low due to the cost of printing. Also, anything you market as 'free' tends not to hold any value in the eyes of others from a distribution point of view. That's human nature. A lot of work went into this manual and trust me when I say, it holds great value.
Anyway, I do believe the Body of Christ desperately needs these first principle teachings. It is based out of Hebrews 5: 11-14 & Hebrews 6: 1-3...
"About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."
"Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3And this we will do if God permits."
Someone once 'prophesied' over me that I was going to write a fictional book and God would use that to fund our retirement. He knew Bob and I were preparing for retirement. That "word" did not witness with my spirit at all. I believe personal prophetic utterances will confirm what God has already shown you. (See Acts 20 and 21 with Paul and Agabus).
Otherwise, how do you test personal prophecies? There was no witness in my spirit and I told the brother gently so. He did not like it at all. Not only was it off about me writing fiction, which I do not even read, we live comfortably off my husband's pension and our social security. Nothing I do or ever have done in ministry yields a dime to my income. Love gifts are received with gratitude, bur our income comes from years of working while serving in local churches in various capacities for no remuneration at all.
So much for that prophetic word from a young man who meant well but didn't like to hear from an elder saint that his word was way off....that's the problem with so much of the prophetic today...ZERO accountability.
Having said all this, I have NO desire to write another book and feel no calling to do so. Additionally, without a huge following, name, mega church or large social media platform, publishers won't touch you with a ten foot pole. You are not marketable to them. Am I against books? No. Just the flaky kind that are in circulation and have been for decades.
You know, the ones that lack Biblical substance and go on about extra biblical revelations, dreams, visions, angels, grave soaking and the like. They talk about visitations, special anointings and all kinds of trips...trips to heaven, trips to foreign places, speaking to dead people that have no basis scripture but mirror divination and pagan practices not Biblical Orthodox Christianity. No, I'm not an Eastern or Greek Orthodox. I just believe in orthodoxy in terms of Christian orthodoxy. This refers to the core beliefs that have been historically affirmed as essential to the Christian faith—the “right teaching” (from the Greek orthos = right, doxa = belief or glory). At its heart, Christian orthodoxy is about faithfulness to the apostolic gospel as preserved in Scripture and summarized by the early church.
What has happened to orthodoxy? I tell you what. People are making tons of money off these gnostic extra biblical revelations all because Christians for the most part are not reading their Bibles and calling 'foul'. They are not testing teachings against the scripture because some clever con artists called prophets and apostles know enough scripture to fool the unlearned like I was twenty plus years ago.
I have written over 300 articles and some are on my blog, Facebook and YouTube channel for FREE. If you stop and think about it, the Apostle Paul wrote letters, not books. In my humble opinion, he was the greatest of all the Apostles although he himself said he was the least of all the saints. You don't hear these modern Apostles teaching out of his letters. They basically just cherry pick and bring out points that are not in context.
But as far as writing another book, there are thousands in circulation now and I feel like the last thing the Body of Christ needs is another topical book about prophecy, deliverance, prosperity, leadership, how to live your best life and the like.
I believe the HOLY SPIRIT longs for and rejoices when and if His people get INTO HIS BOOK and hunger for it like hidden manna. Jesus longs for His Bride to have her lamps filled with oil (readiness) and preparedness for His return, occupying until He returns. But reading someone else's revelation in NOT the same as reading HIS. It's like borrowed oil.
When we begin to long for Jesus' truth, its depth, its revelation and its practical but life changing principles, He rejoices. He desires to see His children awaken after reading the milk of the Word and realize the cost of following Christ. Better yet, He rejoices when we choose to do so, forsaking the things of this world. It is about self denial and pursuing righteousness! People talk about the meat of the Word, but don't even drink the milk.
By drinking the Milk of the Word, and getting into the meat (studying it for yourself), God's people will realize how much of man's knowledge is weak and foolish. They will begin to understand that the hidden knowledge of Christ is ENOUGH. They will realize so much of the books being pumped out today are based on the wisdom of man rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's return to HIM and HIS Everlasting word: the more sure word of prophecy!
"...that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ." Colossians 2: 2-5
"For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21So let no one boast in men." 1 Corinthians 3: 19-21
"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1: 16-21
Selah....

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