I Might Be A Little More Ready To Help

I might be a little more ready to help

I am pleased to report that I have completed Steps to Knowledge for the second time. Steps to Knowledge is the book of spiritual practice of the New Message from God. By “completed,” I mean I practiced each of the 365 steps in order. By “practiced,” I mean I read the step, followed the practice instructions without expecting a particular result. I started in April of 2014, and finished in August of 2017.

I might be a little more ready to help

I feel that someone reading this is thinking “Are you supposed to do one step a day, and thus finish in a year?” That’s right. “But Douglas, you took three years and four months to do this.” I did indeed. I had two long periods of inactivity during this time which added up to almost a year. I was engaging with the material in a different way, just not practicing the steps as directed. Sometimes events interrupted my practice. Sometimes my own ambivalence interrupted my practice..

I might be a little more ready to help. Marshall Vian Summers, who received Steps to Knowledge in 1989, said “You cannot exhaust this.” I certainly didn’t exhaust Steps to Knowledge. I practiced Steps to Knowledge for the first time between April of 2010 and April of 2014. During this time, I felt I wasn’t really supposed to think very much about the references a step made to an earlier step. There were enough challenging things to consider in each step that I felt I needed to focus on the step right in front of me. But the second time through, it seemed to me as if Steps to Knowledge was presenting an idea to me multiple times. Each time it revisited an idea, offered the idea in a slightly stronger form. Steps to Knowledge took me through multiple stages and octaves of development. An idea wasn’t just an idea in itself, but the top of the stack of progressively stronger iterations of that idea.

I might be a little more ready to help. I wasn’t exactly sure how to consider myself when I began practicing Steps to Knowledge for the second time. Didn’t I have a certain degree of experience? After a little while I became reconciled with the idea of being a beginning student in a higher octave, and being content to be so. I am content to be a beginning student in the Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training and what else comes next.

I might be a little more ready to help. People have expected a lot from me in my life, and I have disappointed them a lot of the time. Steps to Knowledge removed a great deal of suffering from this disappointment in a number of ways. Steps to Knowledge encourages me being in the present moment instead of being in my judgments. Steps to Knowledge gives me an alternative, empowering frame in which to put the events of my life. Steps to Knowledge encourages me to work toward my greater purpose, the demonstration of the fragrance of Knowledge. This “fragrance” is happiness, completeness, cheerful participation, doing what is necessary, demonstrating essential relationships.

I might be a little more ready to help. I have great gratitude for many people who helped me in one way or another to get to this point. Sometimes they were kindly and encouraging, sometimes they were challenging. I couldn’t have done it without them. Any accomplishment is a group effort.

I might be a little more ready to help. Perhaps you’ve never heard of Steps to Knowledge. I wish it was better known in the world. I wrote this to briefly describe what it offers and requires. If you’re practicing Steps to Knowledge for the first time, and you’re wondering whether you should do Steps a second time, please receive my encouragement to do so. I believe it will be good for you, your world, and the world.

This song by Jon Anderson and Vangelis is ringing and singing inside me as I think of this.

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Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.

Volumes and Books and Chapters and Verses

Greek-New-Testament Volumes and books and chapters and versesIt is common for the source documents of many religions to be organized into smaller units to facilitate study and reference. The Dhammapada is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form. It has 26 chapters, with each chapter having both a number and a name. Early Christians created chapter divisions for the books of the Bible.  The ones used today were formulated in the 13th Century. The verse divisions used today were created in the 1500’s. Each of the surahs or chapters of the Quran have both names and numbers. The surahs are divided into ayahs or verses.

Volumes and books and chapters and verses

The New Message from God is following in this tradition. A major reorganization of the written works of the New Message from God is currently underway. This is part of the even larger project of compiling a final written version of the New Message from God in the lifetime of Marshall Vian Summers.

God Has Spoken Again is Volume 1, Book 1 (There are a number of other books to be released in the future which will be in Volume 1)
Greater Community Spirituality is Volume 2, Book 1.
Relationships and Higher Purpose is Volume 2, Book 2.
Steps to Knowledge is Volume 3, Book 1
Steps to Knowledge, Continuation Training is Volume 3, Book 2
Living the Way of Knowledge is Volume 3, Book 3
The Great Waves of Change is Volume 4, Book 1
Life in the Universe is Volume 4, Book 2
Wisdom from the Greater Community, Volume 1 is Volume 5, Book 1
Wisdom from the Greater Community, Volume 2 is Volume 5, Book 2
Secrets of Heaven is Volume 6, Book 1

Volumes and books and chapters and verses. One could consider the Bible as existing in two volumes (Old and New Testaments), with Volume 1 having 39 books (Genesis to Malachi) and Volume 2 having 27 books (Matthew to Revelation)

Volumes and books and chapters and verses. The book God Has Spoken Again is the first book to be released in verse form. The verses aren’t currently numbered, but they could be in the future. The existing books will be re-released in verse form in the future. Therefore, the larger vision is that each part of the New Message from God will be identifiable by volume, book, chapter and verse. For example, the portions of the revelation “The Proclamation” on which I have commented are Volume 1, Book 1, Chapter 1, Verses 1-12.

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Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.

Marshall Vian Summers Questions and Answers

Marshall Vian Summers answered a number of questions in an online chat session

Marshall Vian Summers conducted a live webcast on Sunday, December 15.  I viewed this webcast.  There were 190 people on the chat room at newmessage.org during the webcast, which is more than I’ve ever seen for a webcast by a significant margin.  I was unclear about the fact that there would be a question and answer session on the YouTube page where the webcast was also aired.

That session lasted roughly an hour.  There were some questions which were answered by Marshall, and those are the ones I’m putting in this post, with commentary.  There were some questions answered by members of the Society for the New Message from God.  There were some questions answered by other students of Steps to Knowledge.  I didn’t answer any questions.  Some questions weren’t answered, but I don’t believe it was due to the nature of the questions.  It was a highly active chat.

The New Message from God One viewer asks “How do you do it?”
The New Message from God Marshall responds: “Thank you for your honest question. I wish I could give a simple answer, except to say that I was born for this and that beyond my being a man in the world…my greater community is beyond” [There are many videos at the New Message from God YouTube page which would be worthy of consideration]

Question: What is your relationship to art?
Answer: Marshall responds: “Art is another vehicle of communication. I love art, if it can communicate something real and important.” [The questioner said “I know you play guitar.”]

Question: When is the great deception coming?
Answer: Marshall responds “The great deception is here, that is why God has spoken again and the New Message is here.” [The person who asked this question also trolled the chat, and eventually left after a number of rebukes. I consider it magnanimous of Marshall to answer his question.]

Question: Will you address where new people should begin taking in your message? Answer: Marshall responds: “begin listening to the voice of revelation which is available to you in abundance…find those revelations that strike you and that meet a deeper need. At some point it will be necessary for you to begin taking the Steps to Knowledge….Become a part of the School of the New Message. There are so many important relationships there.” [I believe Marshall is referring to this page, which contains many different New Message revelations. It’s the page I called “the appetizer sampler.”]

Question: I have completed the steps some time ago, when is the best time to start again? How many times through would be necessary for me?
Answer: Marshall responds: “Start when you are ready and do Steps twice and then you will be ready for the next level, which is Steps Continuation Training.” [I’ve been wondering when I was going to mention that the current protocol is to do Steps to Knowledge twice.  It looks like it’s now.  Steps Continuation Training has 84 steps, and the current protocol is to go through it four times.  Therefore, If a student intends to study Steps to Knowledge to the fullest extent, it could be done in less than three years (two years for two times through Steps to Knowledge, and 11 months for four times through the Steps Continuation Training.  It’s going to take me longer than that.]

Question: My daughter asks if we will be together when we left this world.
Answer: Marshall responds: “For a time.” [The daughter asking this question is 9 years old.  It showed a great awareness and curiosity on her part.]

Question: How often should people do the Steps Continuation Training? Twice over then go back to Steps to Knowledge, or indefinitely until we fully reclaim our relationship with Knowledge?…
Answer: “I [Marshall] have done Continuation Training repeatedly but with large gaps in between. Beyond Steps to Knowledge are the Great Practices of the New Message which are to be practiced in all situations…to the extent that you can. This will build your unique studenthood which has other dimensions to it. However I want you to know, I just completed Steps recently. I always return to Steps…it is ever richer the farther you go.” [I took great comfort in this answer.  If Marshall is doing Steps to Knowledge, that says a great deal to me about its importance. I take great comfort that Marshall is taking the medicine he prescribes to the world.]

Question: “i would like to know if there is another person you are waiting for?”
Answer: Marshall responds…”Many.  Those who are to assist me in my time on Earth have not all arrived yet. They have not all made their rendezvous with me.”

Question: Are most of the students responding to the New Message in these early times ultimately from the same Spiritual Family? [The phrase “in these early times” suggests that the New Message from God is in a very early stage of its progress and impact in the world, just as, for example, Islam was in a very early stage during the lifetime of Mohammed.  Someone reading this is thinking “I say, you have high expectations, don’t you?”  We get that a lot.  Spiritual Families are mentioned in Steps to Knowledge, defined as “your small learning group that have been working together through many ages and circumstances in order to cultivate and advance their members so that your group may join with other groups, and so forth.” (Step 186, “I am born of an ancient heritage”) I hadn’t planned on a question requiring so much unpacking.]
Answer: Marshall responds: “No. This is for all the spiritual families represented here on Earth.” [No claim has been made that I know of as to how many spiritual families are represented here on Earth.]

Question: What is a rendezvous more exactly? Is it a physical meeting with the messenger?”
Answer:
Marshall responds: “These are people who have a destiny with me.”

Question: “What are we to do about those who crush us with their evil ways and suppress us from being the spiritual beings that we desire to be to follow the ways God wants us to?”
Answer: “If you allow Knowledge to reshape your life, you cannot be suppressed. In this your oppressors can make you strong and determined. But you must forgive them to have this understanding.”

Question:
“I’ve noticed from the timeline of the New Message video, that there are unreleased Steps books (level 3 to 5). Can you give some clarification on their content and nature?”
Answer: “They are specific trainings for more advanced students of the Revelation. They require an instructor.” [It’s taking us so long, because we’ve got so far to come.]

Question:
How to present the message in totalitarian states or in nations where there is political oppression?
Answer: “In the beginning, the New Message will most likely move in the freer states. However, for those living in oppressed societies, the New Message can still reach them, even through mysterious means.”

Question: Is there a specific order one should read all the NM books? I found the timeline video on youtube helpful.
Answer: “The core proclamation will be released in book form soon. That will be the key book to read first. Until then, read “The Proclamation” and the revelations that have been released to the world.”

Question: Will you say more about being held back? How do I maintain as I care for my elderly mother?
Answer: “Read, study and listen to the revelation while you take care of your elderly mother.”

Question: I am wondering about those of us who are new students – we need to take time to prepare and yet the hour already seems late. How to reconcile?
Answer: Marshall responds…”You have time, but not a lot of time. There is no time to waste in this regard. Necessity will make you strong. Welcome it.”

Question: please, i’d like to k-NOW more about the “3” GRAND ILL-us-i-ON’s (TIME + SPACE + SEPARATION) … can you tell me more about these ?? -)) [This questioner waited very patiently to be answered.  While this questioner was somewhat…unconventional, he or she was unfailingly cheerful and polite.]
Answer: “The grand illusion is that you are separated from God.”

Question: “Marshall, We are consciously here in a physical plane, are we not also existing in a spiritual realm? Are not all of God creations connected?”
Answer: “You are born with two minds. The deeper mind of Knowledge within you represents the part of you that never left God. This is your deeper nature…This is how God of the universe will speak to you if you are prepared. We are living in Creation, and we are also living in the world. This represents the separation that exists within people…which is the dilemma that everyone lives with every day.”

 

I realize these answers possibly generate more questions.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

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Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.