I Am Not I AM

When some supposedly new spiritual secret surfaces, younger people might not recognize the similarities to one or more trends from previous decades. Here’s a brief look at how writers/teachers through the years tried to capitalize on the mysterious I AM name of God (see Exodus 3:13-15) to make us think we can—“now at last!”—tap into a power that no one before has fathomed.

• 1930s—Guy and Edna Ballard broke from Theosophy (founded 1875) and began the I AM movement. A person can supposedly “attune to the I AM Presence by chanting I AM decrees.” (quoted in “The Christ of the New Age Movement,” part 1, by Ron Rhodes; the entire exposé is free to read)

• 1958—Mark Prophet founded another I AM movement (the Church Universal and Triumphant). His widow continues this (Elizabeth Clare Prophet, mentioned here). The idea is that all humans have the “I AM Presence,” but negative energy can interfere. Just get this fixed and all will be well. There’s no need for Jesus; his atonement for sin is an “erroneous doctrine.” (from the Prophets’ book Climb the Highest Mountain, noted by Rhodes, above)

• 1975—“Unification with the Christ consciousness may come with the initial crossing of the psychic barrier and contact with the Christ Self or I AM Self.” (Meyer, Being a Christ, noted in For Many Shall Come in My Name, Ray Yungen, p 156)

• 1977—The “Inner Self” is identified as “Christ Consciousness, I-AM, Buddha nature,” and more. (Baughman, The New Age, noted in Yungen, above, p 156)

• 1980—“Seek… the ‘I Am’ presence…. Remember that you are Gods in the Making.” (Yott, Man and Metaphysics, noted in Yungen, above, p 138)

• 1984—“This I AM is God… this I AM is You…. You knowing Yourself as God.” (Price, The Planetary Commission, noted in Yungen, above, p 156)

• 1995—Beatrice Bruteau says, “We have realized ourselves as the Self that says only I AM… not ‘I am a this’ or ‘I have that quality.’ Only unlimited, absolute I AM.” (shows up in her book What We Can Learn from the East, as well as in later interviews/articles. Pulled here from a report in Out of India, Caryl Matrisciana, p 200)

• 2004—Launching of I AM University (Integrated Ascended Masters University). Stated goal is for students to “unfold their divine potential.”

• 2008—The Moses Code (Twyman; there are also later editions; billed as a sequel to The Secret) emphasizes using I AM statements. The idea is to enter “frequencies” that ultimately bring us to the “Divine Energy.” (exposed in Matrisciana, above, p 175)

• 2024—The Code of Moses: Unlocking the Power of the “I Am” for Prosperity and Transformation (Goulart) will help you use the I AM name of God for “declaring your own divinity.”

Others could be mentioned, but you get the idea.

Warren Smith, a former dabbler in all things New Age who finally found the Lord, said that he had accepted the teaching that he was “the Christ,” just as Jesus was a/the Christ. Smith explains, “[I] had unwittingly become the very person the real Jesus warned me to watch out for” (Smith’s testimonial book The Light That Was Dark, p 154). Smith was referring to the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:4, 5: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”

Mercy! Let’s finish with a chuckle via this fun-but-serious “Are We All God?” post.

And I’ll recommend a legit “I AM” book, Diane Stortz’s I AM: Forty Reasons to Trust God.  [LP4]

It’s designed for kids. I see it as a family-devotions book or a coffee-table book; and some online reviews praise the use of it for kids’ classes. Look at a sample online; the book is a through-the-Bible of accounts, plus names/titles for God, questions, additional Scriptures.