Paul Luckraft interviews author Steve Maltz, whose books have been reviewed recently in Prophecy Today UK.

"I was born to write, that is my gift" says Steve Maltz. Or rather, that is what he writes in one of his many books (The Bishop's New Clothes). He would not claim to be a preacher or teacher, he just writes what God puts on his heart, and that for him makes life interesting and ultimately rewarding.

I had heard of Steve many years ago through his 'Saltshakers' website and a handful of his books, but once I discovered the extent of his ever-expanding output and the subject matter of his writings, my desire grew to learn more of how God had shaped his life and was using his remarkable gift. So when we met for coffee in London I knew I was in for a fascinating time.

From Secular Judaism to Christianity

Steve's background is one of secular Judaism. His family expected him to go through his Bar Mitzvah, which he dutifully did but without any real religious convictions. Instead, he entered the Gentile world still seeking reality and truth but always with the fear that this would separate him from his Jewish roots and community.

Going to university enabled him to continue his search alongside others on similar paths. It also meant he met Christians who began to have an influence on his life. After several more years of searching, a heart change eventually took place and he began his Christian life in 1987.

Trying to Bless God

Steve would describe himself as a bit of a maverick. In effect he is a freelance writer, designer and innovator. He is an ideas man, not afraid to try out anything that he thinks could be successful, and if one thing doesn't work out he moves on to something else. But he has always been a writer or creator of one kind or another, whether writing secular screenplays and dramas, video and computer games, or inventing board games and designing websites, all of which he would sum up as being 'nearly successful'. His early professional life was a frustrating time. Looking back, he realised that God was saying "you are not ready yet". He was about to find out why.

Steve's early professional life was frustrating – looking back, he realised that God was saying "you are not ready yet".

Steve always knew he had a creative writing gift and on becoming a Christian assumed automatically that God would use him in his Kingdom in this way. He believed he had to devote his skills to ministry. God surely needed him. "Here am I. Send me!" he cried out, before God had even asked "Whom shall I send?"

So Steve drew up a strategy of how he was going to bless God, and set about implementing it, thinking how glad God must be that he was now on his side. For many years he plodded away, writing and devising, but most of what he attempted soon fizzled out. Undaunted, he simply moved on to the next project. There was always something new up his sleeve, another idea to take out the drawer, dust down and put before God, whether he wanted it or not.

On God's Terms

But when his initial attempts at Christian ministry failed to produce much fruit he turned again to the secular world, writing screenplays and designing websites. Eventually God got through to him: if you stop your vain efforts trying to 'make it' and write what I want, I will find you an audience. With this fresh revelation in mind, his latest carefully-researched TV drama was ditched and instead he wrote a short article entitled 'The Idiot's Guide to the Middle East conflict.' From this point he testifies that "God's favour came my way."

This short guide was published in 2002 by CFI as a booklet, re-titled (perhaps not surprisingly!) as The Plain Man's Guide to the Middle East, and something new had begun. A ministry was birthed on God's terms. Steve had learnt that his ministry should serve God - rather than the other way round!

Eventually God got through to Steve and persuaded him to stop his own efforts to 'make it', and instead write what the Lord wanted.

When a fuller book version of the original article was produced, under the title The Land of Many Names: towards a Christian understanding of the Middle East conflict, two publishers wanted it. It not only sold well but led to another book, The People of Many Names, about the Jewish people and God's plans for them. But Steve was to find that the publishing world wasn't always a straightforward one to deal with. However, now that he was writing the books God wanted he wasn't going to stop! Steve isn't the sort of person to be put off that easily – he simply set up his own outlet, Saffron Planet Publishing.

Recent Projects

The last few years have been the most interesting for Steve as God opened his eyes to the dynamics that have driven the Church for 2,000 years, in particular the battle between the original Hebraic way of thinking and the pagan Greek mindset that had infiltrated the Church from the first century onwards. Once he realised the importance of this he committed to exploring it thoroughly and this has been the theme of many of his recent books.

Meanwhile, he is also busy in many other areas. One of his earlier successes, the Saltshakers website, is still going strong and now also contains a radio page featuring recorded audio material running on a 24/7 loop, but which also allows for live chats, discussions and talks at regular intervals. The overall vision for Saltshakers is that it should be a biblical Messianic community, providing a portal for teaching, news, articles and videos.

Clearly Steve's web skills come to the fore in projects like this but despite being capable of doing so much himself he also recognises he needs others around him. Every new venture needs partners and support, and God has always provided Steve with the right people at the right time, whether in the realm of technical support, practical help or spiritual guidance.

God has always provided Steve with the right people at the right time, whether in terms of technical support, practical help or spiritual guidance.

Chris Hill has been his spiritual mentor over many years and is a key figure in another aspect of Steve's ministry – the Foundations conferences. The initial conference was in January 2012 on the theme of what has gone wrong with the Church. The aim was not only to provide teaching from the front but also for people to come and share, and to find out what God is saying today. The conferences have developed over time and this year sees the seventh one, the theme being Hebraic Church - also the title of Steve's latest book.

These conferences are an amazing venture for a man who initially feared speaking in front of any kind of large group, something he avoided until he realised he could do so no longer. Once it had become a necessary part of what God wanted him to do, then he found that God gave him the courage to fulfil this part of his calling.

Doing What God Wants

Steve can say that he has become more aware of 'God moments', times when God takes charge and controls what he is doing, making sure it grows without becoming burdensome or unmanageable. Steve knows he is part of something big but that he doesn't need to carry it all. He believes that "Everything is a matter of God's timing". In the right time people come to him, he doesn't need to find them, and the snowball rolls on, growing as it goes.

Steve is a visionary, an enterprising chap with a lively creative mind, bursting with ideas. But he knows that effort and ideas are not enough. Many false starts have taught him that what God wants is what really matters.

Steve has become more aware of 'God moments', times when God takes charge and things grow without becoming burdensome or unmanageable.

Words pour out of him, whether spoken or written, but always with wit, warmth and wisdom. His words make so much sense both to the mind and the heart. He modestly says that his books were written largely for his own benefit, to explain to himself what he was learning, but by inviting you to share his journey he hopes you will benefit too. Everything he does serves to help others grow in understanding, love and Christian service. And that is the best gift of all.

Find out more about Steve Maltz's ministry by visiting the Saltshakers website. You can read our reviews of three of his books by clicking these links: How the Church Lost The WayThe Way, How the Church Lost The Truth and To Life.