The beliefs which distinguish the I AM groups from other occult groups is that the latter half of the nineteenth century progressive revelation has been coming forth from the spiritual realm with the distinct purpose of preparing the world for the coming of the Aquarian Age, an age where Christ Consciousness will reign in all people, not just a few. In the Piscean age Christ was the light bearer but now the major portion of our population will be light bearers. The beginning of this "revelation" is commonly traced to the emergence of Theosophy under Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. E.R.-McNeile, a Theosophist who was converted to Christ in the late nineteenth century, provides a good background to the Theosophical movement and its relationship to the "Ascended Masters" doctrine:

“It is claimed that there exists, and has existed for untold ages, a body of supermen(Helena Blavatsky “the secret Doctrine”), adepts, initiates, the Brotherhood of the Great White Lodge and light (they are known by various names), who possess all knowledge on every subject. Such knowledge includes cosmology, ethnology, - the physical sciences, and all that range of subjects commonly associated with the term religion. From time to time, some parts of this knowledge have been revealed to such men as were found developed enough to receive it....“Some forty years ago, the Great Brotherhood decided that the time had come for a fresh and fuller revelation, and certain of their members were entrusted with this task. These members selected Madam Blavatsky for their first disciple, and through her and Col. Olcott they founded the Theosophical Society. They are known to Theosophists as 'the Masters.' The teaching of Theosophy, therefore, consists of information either directly imparted by them, or acquired with their help, or by the methods indicated by them. A belief in the Masters is fundamental to Theosophy.”(E.R.Mcneil Theosophy to Christian faith pp.1-2)

Their claims are that it is the ascended masters that are leading our society into the techno-spiritual age of enlightenment. Those who follow the masters teachings (mostly channeled or by occult manifestation) admit they are enlightened deceased persons who communicate to us from another realm after death.

In each I AM group they can have the same master but different teachings or different masters and the same teaching. So there is no consistency in this. What we do find consistent are these ascended (dead) masters communication of rejecting Jesus’ teachings found in the bible. They always reject Biblical Christian theology and give another interpretation in its place.

The early Theosophists saw Jesus as one of many "Masters" he was not whom the bible described. That none of the masters were concerned with individuals' problems or concerns. According to Blavatsky:... “the Masters would not stoop for one moment to give a thought to individual, private matters relating to one or even ten persons, their welfare, woes and blisses in this world of Maya to nothing except questions of really universal importance. . You who have unconsciously and with the best of intention and full sincerity of good purpose, desecrated Them, by thinking for one moment, and believing that They would trouble Themselves with your business matters, sons to be born, daughters to be married, houses to be built, etc. etc. (The Early Teachings of the Masters, theosophical press 1881,1923)

Like other gnostic cults, the I AM Movement believes that Christ is an impersonal force or principle: "They had real inner understanding, and acknowledged the fullness of the power from this Great Central Sun which today we call the 'Christ,' for it is the Heart of the Christ Activity in the Universe."" Typical of occultic beliefs, Guy Ballard (under the pen name of Godfrey Ray, King) identified the Holy Ghost as a feminine gender, "the Mother Expression of Deity.

“Christ is called the cosmic Christ with a legion of light to accompany him." (I Am healing decrees Saint Germaine press 1976 p.30-31). The Bible also mentions a legion of darkness that could transform themselves into light.

The belief that the servants of God and the servants of Lucifer (they call Lucifer the ranking evil one and Satan a different individual, a lieutenant of Lucifer" (Kuthumi p.11,116)

Consider that it was Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Henry Olcott who founded the Theosophical society. In Blavatsky’s book The Secret doctrine she praised Satan as the teacher of humanity. This helps us understand David Spangler, a new age writer who teaches that Christ is the same force as Lucifer.

They, Satan and Lucifer “draw their power from the same source, one using it for good and the other misusing it. This is also akin to Eastern philosophy, which sees the entire cosmos as a unified whole, with good and bad as different sides of the same coin. (Climb every Mountain Mark and E.C. Prophet p.34)

This is the basis of the energy of Taoism, yin and yang. We have the same type of concept found in Bahai that deny they have opposite natures

Charles Fillmore of Unity also had this in common: The "devil" signifies the mass of thoughts that have been built up in consciousness through many generations of earthly experiences and crystallized into what may be termed human personality, or carnal mind. … all the thoughts in one that fight against and are adverse to Truth belong to the state of mind that is known to metaphysicians as the Devil.

... “the erroneous doctrine concerning the blood sacrifice of Jesus-which he himself never taught-has been perpetuated to the present hour, a remnant of pagan rite long refuted by the word of the Lord. God the Father did not require the sacrifice of His son Christ Jesus, or of any other incarnation of the Christ, as an atonement for the sins of the world .... (Climb the highest Mountain p.279, 280)

This outright denial of Gods sacrifice for sin is most apparent. What is taught on Jesus can be put side by side with the Urantia book:

“unnecessarily encumbered Christianity with teachings about blood and sacrifice. . .” (p. 984). Many still depend upon blood for salvation, but it has at least become figurative, symbolic, and mystic” (Paper 89  SIN, SACRIFICE, AND ATONEMENT)

Baird T. Spalding was another key influence of the "I AM" Ascended Masters movement. His series of books five volumes, entitled Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East, Published between the years 1924 and 1955 contain many of the beliefs found in I AM groups. In the volumes he tells of amazing events experienced by Spalding and ten others while the group was on a research trip in the Far East in 1894. Spalding claimed that he and his fellow researchers confirmed everything they saw, but made "no attempt to authenticate these experiences. . . "(Life and teachings of the Masters of the far east vol.1 p.9). He purposely omitted names and places which does not help authenticate his supernatural stories.

Spalding was also instrumental in asserting the concept of the "I AM presence" God is within each man, and the one who realizes this can experience divinity in their life. He promoted to look within for the God who is already there.

“The failure of outer things to satisfy, leads the soul to seek the power Within. Then the individual may discover that I AM, he may know that within him lies all power to satisfy the soul, to fulfill its every need and desire. This knowledge may not come until the individual is driven by the buffetings of the world, to seek this inner plane of peace and calm. When he knows I AM is the fulfillment of his desire the desire is filled. To look outside the God self for the fulfillment of his desire is folly. To unfold, the self must do the unfolding"(Life and teachings of the Masters of the far east vol.1 p.143)

The I AM Movement claims to be the only perfect representative of the ascended masters on the earth today. Mrs. Ballard criticized all other religious systems, including other similar movements, by saying:

“There have been many channels throughout the centuries which have had some phase of the Great Law of Life-the Law of the Truth of the Universe; but they certainly have not had enough of the understanding-or the complete understanding-required to free themselves from the discord of this earth, or humanity would not be in almost total destruction today. Something has been missing in every channel which has tried to help mankind in the past."

(I Am decrees for ascended Masters supply of all good things-including money p.18)

No one else in the movement was allowed to claim that they received any communications from those who had passed on and "ascended." So the mantle of prophecy was passed after Mrs. Ballard's death to Jerry and Ann Craig, who rule the movement along with Frederick Landwehr, who was formerly Mrs. Ballard's organist and is now the president of the cult. The Craig’s are the only authorized lecturers in the group, whose membership has been dwindling steadily over the last two decades. Today there is very little youth recruitment, and even the children of members rarely join the group anymore.

The main headquarters is in Chicago, with additional facilities, in Mount Shasta and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Today Mt. Shasta has become known for the UFO followers meetings.

The MIGHTY I AM PRESENCE

THE COMING REVOLUTION IN HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS

Elizabeth Clare Prophet's Church Universal and Triumphant has become one of the more famous outlets in recent years to promote St. Germain’s teachings, and the I am presence. She claimed her and her husband were designated Messengers of the Ascended Masters, the teachings of the Church diverged with those held by the Saint Germain Foundation.

In 1958 Mark Prophet was appointed as a Messenger by the Master, El Morya, who wished to initiate a new thrust of ascended master activity. In the early 1960s he was joined by Elizabeth Clare Wulf. They married, and she was also appointed a Messenger. The Keepers of the Flame Fraternity was formed to provide their students with the lessons in the teachings of the Masters. The work became known as the Summit Lighthouse. And in 1966 headquarters were moved from Washington, D.C. to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Mark Prophet died in 1973 and Elizabeth assumed full responsibility for the work.

Her freestyle spirituality consisted of Hindu occultism with a heavy emphasis on spirit contacts for current information, even prophecy. A Smorgasbord of Psycho-spiritual deception was promoted by blending Buddhism, Gnosticism, Christian Science, Spiritism etc. She knew how to attract the seekers with a spiritual smorgasbord that no one could not walk away from the table without something on their plate to eat.

Prophet taught that Saint Germain comes to initiate us: he comes as the Lord of the Seventh Ray and Age. He comes to initiate us in the gift of prophecy and the gift of the working of miracles.

Part of his initiation, Saint Germain, is said to be sealing enlightened human beings in their foreheads “Don't miss this rare opportunity to experience a dictation from an Ascended Master and to receive Saint Germain's transfer of light-personally to each one present-by the emerald matrix, the "sealing of the servants of God in their foreheads." Rev. 7 (in the third eye). Be there! And enter the Aquarian Age.

Guru Ma (E.C.Prophet) spoke of "Father Mother God." Her headquarters (called Camelot), the "World Mother" (Mrs. Prophet) maintained regular mediumistic contact with a pantheon of Ascended Masters which included King Arthur, as she receives numerous "Pearls of Wisdom" about "the Buddha and the Christ in us all . . . God Self awareness ... knowing that I AM God . . . living as the All in the all ... God consciousness [and] Christ consciousness [as one's] own Real Self."

Serious students seeking initiation into the occult mysteries would attend "Summit University with Guru Ma and the Ascended Masters." Official literature of "Summit University is sponsored by Gautama Buddha and assisted by ... the World Teachers, Jesus and Kuthumi. The teachers at Summit University are the individual I AM 'Presence - the Christ Self the ascended masters, and the messengers. . . ." The curriculum includes: "'The Coming Revolution in Higher Consciousness Mother Mary's Scriptural Rosary for the New Age Meditations for the Conception of New-Age Children Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Ritual of Exorcism, Consciousness of the Cosmic Christ and Planetary Buddha An Expose of False Teachings Fundamentals of Ascended Master Law.

Ascension in the I am groups means one is on a journey of spiritual evolution to higher levels of spiritual mastery to become an ascended master.

The Ascended Masters make up the Great White Brotherhood, which is well known in occult/ new age circles. These attainers of spiritual wisdom who have finished their earthly pilgrimages released themselves from the cycles of reincarnation and karma and ascended to a higher state of existence. Now they are appointed responsible for the human races destiny. The Great White Brotherhood is the name given to the spiritual hierarchy headed by Sanat Kumara, Lord Gautama, and Lord Maitreya. The Brotherhood dwells in "Shamballa," a heavenly region said to be physically located in the mountains of Tibet. (the Encyclopedia of World religions)

This Brotherhood of fallen angels of whom Guru Ma claimed to be their Messenger, has communicated by numerous mediums throughout the centuries. The demons masquerade as various luminaries from the past, such as Saint Germain, Saint Francis of Assisi (now known as Kuthumi), El Morya ("guru of the messengers"), Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, John the Baptist, Micahel the arch angel and of course the spirit of Guru Ma's dead husband, Mark Prophet (now an Ascended Master known as Lanello). Many of these are supposedly travelling by inter-dimensional craft we know as UFO’s.

In Climb the Highest Mountain p. 318 we read of their panentheism beliefs: "The Creator dwells in his creation; His presence endows it with innate immortality.... “In addition to an impersonal God, the Church Universal and Triumphant (representative of the I AM movement) teaches that God has both male and female aspects, and refers to God as "Father-Mother.” (Climb the highest Mountain pp.321,322)

EC Prophets I AM movement calls the members of the Trinity Father, Mother, and Son.

... Thus, in Spirit God the Father is the Wisdom-Power that plans the creation and God the Mother is the Power-Love that gives it birth. In Matter God the Father is the Power-Love that provides the energy for its manifestation, while God the Mother is the Wisdom-Power that executes the plan. In Spirit the Christos is the focal point for the Power Love-Wisdom of the Word that went forth giving Light to all creation. In Matter Christ, as the epitome of Wisdom, is the culmination of the Love-Power of the Father-Mother." (Climb the highest Mountain p.322)

The Prophets' concept of a trinity is clearly from an occultic interpretation, pantheistic, in that God is everything and everything is God,

This Hierarchy is the means whereby God in the Great Central Sun steps down the energies of his consciousness, that succeeding evolutions in time and space might come to know the wonder of his love, which is the basis of Gnosticism, the early enemy of Biblical Christianity. The various I am groups teaching that God communicates through successions of messengers, the ascended masters.

Gnosticism and pantheism are evident throughout the group's writings. (Gnosticism= truth about God and the spiritual world by direct communication to spirits and accessing ones own spirit. Pantheism = the belief that everything is united as God, (nature and everything seen and unseen is God). Animism, natural objects are inhabited including the belief that inanimate are inhabited by spirit beings.

An ascended Master is an individual who is said to have passed through several human incarnations by his own effort has risen above his human limitations to escape the necessity of continued re-embodiment and the affect of Karma. Ascended Masters radiate love and power which can be called upon to counter the destructive elements of humanity. They tell us they are assisting and guiding humanity (throughout our history), both individuals in their personal conditions as well as the human race in it process of evolving. As guardians of humanity they have stayed invisible to us as they worked through the centuries to make one aware of their own individualized "I AM Presence", within each person, which is their Christ Self.

Each master has a particular quality or talent which can be invoked for particular situations. They are assigned certain colors for attunement. They also have a government in which they decide what will take place at certain junctures of our history.

“They have all lived a certain time here in Visible form, then Passed on and taken their bodies with them, to a place in consciousness where they are not visible to mortal eyes; and we Must raise our consciousness to the Christ Consciousness to converse with them. But those that have so Perfected the body that they can take it to this Celestial Realm can return to us and go away at will. They are able to come and instruct all who are receptive to their teaching, and appear and disappear at will. It is these that come and teach us when we are ready to receive instruction, sometimes intuitively and at times by personal contact. (The purpose of ascended Masters “I AM activity” Mrs. G. and D. Ballard)

Today, thru the Teaching of Those Great, Wondrous God Beings, the Ascended Masters, Who are our Elder Brothers, we have come to know the Truth of our Being and how we may turn to the "Mighty I AM Presence" and thru our attention to It, again find our way back to Perfection and free ourselves from the maze of human beliefs, thoughts, feelings and discord.'(Ballard p.14)

The key figure and recipient of praise and adoration in the I AM Movement is not Jesus Christ but Saint Germain, the other Ascended Masters are less acknowledged, which includes Jesus.

Saint Germain’s central role is depicted as Jesus Christ is supposedly quoted in the Voice of the I AM magazine: ... “Never for one moment think or have such a feeling, as Saint Germain replacing Me or interfering with My Work. He is the Greatest Blessing that has ever come to mankind; because He operates under the Ray which is the purifying Power to the earth. Without this Purifying Power, nothing on, the earth would be accomplished and mankind would be destroyed in spite of My Ministry.” (Godfrey Ray King “Unveiled mysteries p.11)

Mrs. Ballard wrote: The Great Ascended Master, Saint Germain, is one of those Powerful Cosmic Beings from the Great Spiritual Hierarchy of Ascended Masters who govern this Planet. He is the same Great Masterful One who worked at the Court of France previous to and during the French Revolution and whose advice, if it had been heeded, would have prevented the Revolution and saved great suffering. It was because of His Transcendent Divine Power, that He was referred to at the time as "The Wonderman" of Europe.

... Saint Germain has brought This Light of the "Mighty I AM Presence" forth to the people of America since 1932-to again give the Instruction which it is imperative for the people of America to understand and apply if they are to avoid the perils which are destroying Europe at the present time."

Considering the occult revival that we see today we can understand the new movements like the Secret and the law of attraction as directly connected to the ascended masters teaching for the new age. We should be able top recognize its similarities in the word faith teachers and the latter rain.