Christmas Letter

December 23, 2006

Dear Family and Friends:

In the spirit of the season – God’s love for us – I’d like to share with you a few of his words; specifically those which pertain to the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, who lives within each one of us as Emmanuel [God with Us], and as our higher mental body, or superego as Carl Jung called it.

“Herein is love(9), not that we loved God, but that he loved us …” – 1 John 4:10.

This letter is in response to a promise I made to my beloved mother Halla, that I’d prove this to her using quotes from the bible, not the teachings of the Ascended Masters of the Great White Brotherhood which she, and my beloved Aunt Francis, are not convinced are from God.  Anything you'd like to know about the Ascended Masters, otherwise known as the Saints In Heaven, can be found at the Summit Lighthouse.  Please see The Chart of Your Divine Self delivered to us through God’s modern-day messengers, illustrating our relationship to God.

Where do I get off telling you (sharing with you), or anyone, what God says?  “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” – Thessalonians 5:11.  And also:  “… that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” – Romans 15:14.  I welcome your letters and comments, anything you’d like to share with me as well, as I endeavor to obey God’s command to “… Let every one that nameth [vt  To speak about.] the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” – Timothy 2:19.  Also, take no man’s word, “… but try the spirits whether they are of God:  Because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  …  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:  Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:  …  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them:  Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” – 1 John 4:1,2,4.  Who is this “… he that is in you …” who is greater than he that’s in the world?  That can only be our inner teacher, God’s son the Christ, our truest guru, Gee u r u!

As for me, I confess that Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh; and furthermore, it’s my belief that every point made herein takes away nothing from that.  Of course, the scripture quoted herein is trustworthy: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  …  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” – 2 Timothy 3:16,17.  Perfect?  That certainly isn’t the human self of which we are all familiar.  “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.  …  Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.  … we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.  …  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.  Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates [n  Those foreordained to damnation.]?” – 2 Corinthians 13:1,3,4,5.

Now, this is certainly plain speaking:  “… Christ is in you …”.  “The fear [n  To have a reverential awe of.] of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:  But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” – Proverbs 1:7.  “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go:  Keep her; for she is thy life.” – Proverbs 4:13.  “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser:  Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.” – Proverbs 9:9.

My passion, my raison d'être, is God’s word; sharing it and living it.  I really don't have any other reason for being here.  “We are of God:  He that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us.  Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.  …  Beloved, let us love one another:  For love(9) is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” – 1 John 4:6,7.

I’m very concerned about the many misunderstandings about life, God, and ourselves that are so very common, but so very deadly:  “It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.” – Jeremiah 36:3.  As in man’s law, in divine law ignorance is no excuse!  Reason being, each and every one of us has a conscience, our Christ Self, who speaks to us and informs us as to what is right and what is wrong.  This is the only standard of good (Good) and evil (energy veil) in the universe,
and we have direct access to it!  You knew that, but we also are to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – Timothy 2:15.

Saint John said to us:  “But as many as received him, to them gave he 'power to become the sons of God,' even to them that believe on his name:  …  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  …  And the Word (the Christ) was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory [n  Resplendence, Magnificence.], the glory as of 'the only begotten of the Father,' full of grace and truth.  …  John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me:  For he was before me.  …  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace [n  Mercy.] for grace.” – John 1:12,13,14,15,16.  “Thou therefore, 'my son,' be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” – Timothy 2:1.  What is this grace John the Beloved spoke of?  A state of sanctification [n  Consecrated, reserved for a sacred purpose, pure and free from sin.] enjoyed through divine grace.

You’re certainly familiar with the misuses of these scriptures spoken from many a pulpit; that Jesus is the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, and that he, and he alone is the only Son of God.  This is the same as our modern-day Pharisees saying that we’re all miserable sinners and can never hope for more – now grovel!  Absurd, isn’t it?  What part of “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God …” do these perverters(1) of the Word of God not understand?  Are they just passing along that which they themselves haven’t understood, or is it malicious?  “… because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  …  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie …” – 2 Thessalonians 2:10,11.  What part of But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God …, and what part of of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace don't we understand?  These statements aren't parables [n  A short fictitious story that illustrates a religious principle.].

The lie that man is separate from God is the lie by which his true individuality is damned.  And so it was written in the Book of Life, They believed the lie, and their damnation was just!  That which man believes becomes the law of his life.  As long as man believes the lie of separation, he is self-condemned; he dwells not in the consciousness of Truth, but in the consciousness of the lie.  By denying his oneness with God, who is universal energy, man denies his own Christed individuality; therefore the Universal Christ has no alternative but to deny his identity before the throne of Life:  “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 10:33.
~  Excerpt from Climb the Highest Mountain, by Mark and Elizabeth Prophet

How could we become that which we are not, that which we do not have the potential to become?  “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” – Matthew 6:27.  The grace of the Lord Christ in Jesus is our example to emulate:  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” – John 14:12.  “Why callest thou me (the son of man) good?  There is none good but one, that is, God …” – Matthew 19:17.  Note that God is a multi-dimensional being of four personalities:  Father, Mother, Son, and Holy Spirit.  In the East these names are:  Bhrama, Kali, Vishnu, and Shiva.

The human can never become sacred, or free from sin, for he is the man of sin!  “… ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:  That ye put off concerning the former conversation [n  A nonverbal exchange that is perceived to have the qualities of conversation.] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts [n  Impure desires.]; … And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; … and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” – Ephesians 4:21,22,23,24.  God did not create a sinful man, but “… sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” – 1 John 4:9.  We are the ones who created the fantasy versions of ourselves we've become.  The only beings God created was that of his sons and daughters, his only begotten, which Jesus did fully embody.  “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” – Romans 12:5.  And “… there was a day when the sons (always speaks of God's daughters as well, as does the pronoun he, by inference, deference, and custom) of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.” – Job 2:1.  Didn’t we know that heaven (the etheric plane of earthly bodies) was populated by the saints, the many sons and daughters of God who came before us?

“Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; … Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest [n  A token of what is to come, a pledge.] of the Spirit in our hearts.” – 2 Corinthians 1:21,22.  “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.  …  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” – 2 Corinthians 4:10,11.  So, not only are we to possess the life of Christ that’s in Jesus, but also must bear the death of the synthetic self – our human ego – which is purely a creation of our own and not of God’s making.  In other words, we’re to shun and let perish the not-self we've created out of a fantasy in our imagination, and who we’ve lived our lives as, and exchange that phantom for that which was created perfect from the foundation of the world.  If that sounds like a good deal, exchanging your rags for gold, you’re right!

The Bible warns us:  “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”, and also:  “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.  …  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” – Matthew 24:5,23,24.

How many of you have been mislead by others, even those in spiritual authority, taking these fallible human beings’ words for the words of God?  It's understandable that, not having read the Bible to prove to ourselves what is spoken, we should believe a lie.  But beloved, you are responsible for your own salvation; it cannot be delegated to any other person, preacher, or prophet.  Jesus admonishes us:  “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that 'doeth' the will of my Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 7:21.  In order to live more useful lives, church attendance, confessions of the mouth, or even years of study in or of themselves will not get one into the kingdom – the consciousness – of God:  The Law of Life requires application!  No one said that attaining the goal of life was going to be easy:  “As many as I love(9), I rebuke and chasten:  Be zealous therefore, and repent.” – Revelation 3:19.  That goal is the mastery of free will in schoolroom earth, and ascending back to God from whence we were created, even as Jesus was our example, as he directed us to “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” – Matthew 5:48.

Nevertheless, “… Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” – Mark 10:15.  And what does that mean?  I think it says, as I perceive it, that whatever preconceptions we bring to the Word of God are reflected back to us:  Therefore, the only way to glean the intended meaning is to drop all of our worldly notions and allow the Holy Spirit that is within us to convey its true meanings.  In fact, you might notice that many phrases in the Bible – I think intentionally – are written in such a way so as to lend themselves to various mis-interpretations, depending on what one brings to the examination.  Therefore, true interpretation of Scripture can only be revealed through the Holy Spirit when we open our minds naively, like a child, dropping all our intellectual sophistication:  “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.” – Luke 18:17.  Here it’s said again – this must be important!

But the Bible states – and I do believe through my own inner confirmation, the revelation of the holy spirit – that much of what is taught as gospel [n  Something accepted as infallible truth.] is wrong.  And so, don't trust me either, for there is only one who is worthy of trust, who says “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:  If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  …  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” – Revelation 3:20,21.  That door is your own blessed secret chamber of the heart, which lies within your heart chakra in the center of your chest, as you can see in The Chart of Your Divine Self.

The most deadly of misunderstandings foisted upon us is, I believe, this widely accepted notion that Jesus is the only Son of God.  This destroys the soul’s potential to attain what Jesus, in fact, came to give to us – what a wicked plot!  “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” – Luke 17:21.

Those who would steal our divine inheritance might quote you such:  “… Ye are from beneath; I am from above:  Ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” – John 8:23, quoting Jesus speaking to the synthetic selves, or human egos of the Pharisees.  But we are schizophrenic(2) beings – part human and part divine.  As the result of the misuse of the gift of free will – freedom that must, by its very definition, allow for disobedience – we are cut off from the other aspects of our-selves (plural) by sin and the sense of separation created by sin.  We are separated from our own gurus, the kingdom of God is within you, by a wall of negative karma, or misqualified energy, or discordantly qualified holy spirit, or sin, or human creation, etc., wherein we have blinded ourselves and can no longer perceive God directly.  We frequently doubt his existence and deny our true selves, but that God still  lives within us!  Just one more miracle – thank you God, for not abandoning us!

Another very deadly lie I hear spoken by clergy is all that we have to do to be saved from death and hell is to repent of our sins (an old archery term, meaning to miss the mark) and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  It isn’t nearly that simple!  “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” – Galatians 6:7.  As you’ve heard, the wages of sin is death; in our case, it's a living death:  “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked …” – Revelation 3:17.  But then, what do we have to compare our current-day selves to, as does a fly in a bottle of vinegar?  Even “… whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment …” – Matthew 5:22, and “As many as I love(9), I rebuke and chasten:  Be zealous therefore, and repent.” – Revelation 3:19.  Even though we be forgiven, “… for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 2:10, we are still responsible for every jot and tittle(3) of our karma.  And you thought the preacher was giving you carte blanche to go your merry way with just his excuse slip from class!

What about God saying:  “I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.  …  I will be his father, and 'he shall be my son.'  If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men …” – 2 Samuel 7:12,14.  Or Jesus saying:  “Take, eat:  This is my body, which is broken for you:  This do in remembrance of me.  …  This cup is the new testament in my blood:  This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” – 1 Corinthians 11:24,25.  In this proverb [n  Adage.(4)] we are given a ritual to remember that Jesus’ body is the consciousness, or bread(5) of Christ, broken (divided into many parts) at the Last Supper for each and every one of us.  The blood of Christ is the Holy Spirit, the wine of the Last Supper that is also our spiritual blood, and our bodies are consecrated as God’s temples(6) to contain it.  In so many ways, the Lord tells us that He abides in Us.

Please consider the following as well, adding your own arguments for the Christ who lives within us:  “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass [n  Looking glass, or mirror.] the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18.  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17.  “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the 'first begotten of the dead,' and the prince of the kings of the earth.” – Revelation 1:5.  “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” – Malachi 4:2.  “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils:  Freely ye have received, freely give.  …  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” – Matthew 10:8,40.  “All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.  …  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  …  Take my yoke [n  Restrictive burden.] upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek [adj  Enduring injury with patience and without resentment.] and lowly in heart:  And ye shall find rest unto your souls.  …  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:27, 28,29,30.  “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.”(7) – John 6:56.

Further, please consider:  “Is it not written in your law, I said, 'Ye are gods?'  …  If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; … Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest because I said 'I am the Son of God?'  …  If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.  …  But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works:  That ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.” – John 10:34,35,36,37,38.  “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; … Even the 'Spirit of Truth;' whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:  But ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.  …  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.  …  If a man love(9) me, he will keep my words:  And my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” – John 14:16,17,20,23.  “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:  And every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  …  Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  …  I am the vine, ye are the branches:  He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:  For without me ye can do nothing.” – John 15:2,4,5.  There are many, many more instances that Christ dwells in us that are not listed here.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” – John 14:26.  Know that your destiny – your own individual deity-established-in-you matrix – is held secure in the Heart of God; and that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

I take my leave of you with the two commandments that are the fulfillment of the entire law of God:  “Thou shalt love(9) the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”; and “Thou shalt love(9) thy neighbour as thyself.” – Matthew 22:37,39.  Because “… much study is a weariness of the flesh.  …  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God, and 'keep his commandments;' for this is the whole duty of man.” – Ecclesiastes 12:12,13.

I pray that the indwelling Lord opens your ears, your minds, and your hearts, and enters into your heart chakra to dwell with you(8) forevermore this joyous Christmas Season.  That’s my Christmas wish to you!


Steven D. Johann

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1)  Pervert:  vt  To twist the meaning or sense of, misinterpret.
2)  Schizophrenic:  adj  As in "schizo," meaning split, and "phrenic," meaning mind.
3)  “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot [n  The least bit, or iota.] or one tittle [n  A very small part.] shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” – Matthew 5:18.
4)  Adage:  n  A saying embodying a common observation:  In this instance, remembering that our need for spiritual nourishment is as great as for food and drink, every time we eat or drink:  Often in metaphorical [adj  Figurative speech(i) that uses a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.] form.
i)  Figure of Speech:  n  A form of expression used to convey meaning, or heighten effect, often by comparing or identifying one thing with another that has a meaning or connotation familiar to the reader.
5)  “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4.  Not physical bread, but the Bread of Life, the Christ, the Word of God, which is the Will of God, which is the Consciousness of God.  Because the will and desire of man’s ego oppose the will and desire of his soul, his soul cannot realize its native God-identity; but the God-awareness that the soul desires is still available by making his consciousness one with God’s, and thereby making his will one with God’s.  By pursuing this God Consciousness that is withheld from none, man discovers his true identity and becomes the author and finisher of his eternal destiny.  And just how can you make your consciousness one with God’s?  When you request the information freely available from The Summit Lighthouse you’ll be well on your way!
6)  “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” – 1 Corinthians 3:16.  We live in material bodies that God himself created:  “... as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” – 2 Corinthians 6:16.
7)  Once again we have a proverb [n  A brief popular epigram (a concise, witty, and often paradoxical(i) remark or saying), or adage.] as described above.  This is why it’s so important to understand the meaning of words in the context they’re used:  Not only do they have different meanings depending on their usage, but I hope you’re not thinking about eating someone's flesh or drinking someone’s blood, because this is obviously a metaphor (an implicit comparison) that the Universal Christ (the only begotten of God, individualized as many fractal(ii) parts) dwells in us, and we in him, when we imbibe [vb  To receive into the mind and retain.] in the Consciousness (flesh), and Spirit (blood) of the Lord.
i)  Paradox:  n  A statement, proposition, or situation that seems to be absurd or contradictory, but in fact is or may be true.
ii)  Fractal: n  An irregular or fragmented geometric shape that can be repeatedly subdivided into parts, each of which is a smaller copy of the whole.  Fractals are used in computer modeling of natural structures that do not have simple geometric shapes such as clouds, mountainous landscapes, and coastlines.  The divine monad [n  An indivisible indestructible unit that is the basic element of reality and a microcosm of it.] of self is a snowflake of unique individuality, a smaller copy of the whole, the very figure of The Chart Of Your Divine Self.
8)  “And we have known and believed the love(9) that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” - 1 John 4:16.
9)  What Is Love?  It's an intense feeling of deep affection and delight, like that of a doting father for his beloved child.  Their love for their country.  Compassion, care, caring, regard, solicitude, concern, friendliness, friendship, kindness, charity, goodwill, sympathy, kindliness, altruism, unselfishness, philanthropy, benevolence, fellow feeling, humanity.  Their love for their fellow human beings.  Babies fill parents with intense feelings of love.  Antonym:  Hatred.