Ascension, the Christos Initiation

  To ascend is to move upwards; to mount; to go up; to rise, whether in air or water, or upon a material object. To rise, in a figurative sense; to proceed from an inferior to a superior degree, from mean to noble objects, from particulars to generals, etc. To proceed from modern to ancient times; to recur to former ages; as, our inquiries ascend to the remotest antiquity. In a corresponding sense, to proceed in a line towards ancestors; as, to ascend to our first progenitors. To rise as a star; to proceed or come above the horizon. In music, to rise in vocal utterance; to pass from any note to one more acute. Ascend also means to go or move upwards upon, as to ascend a hill or ladder; or to climb. Ascension is the act of ascending; a rising. It is frequently applied to the visible elevation of our Savior to heaven.–Webster’s American Dictionary
  To ascend is to rise from the inferior to the superior, advancement in thought or feeling, in station, dignity, or estimation; to go or come up by a gradual motion to a relatively higher position; to climb up, travel up, to soar, mount, to rise by process of growth or construction, to be raised or reared, to proceed from the inferior to the superior; to rise in thought, degree of characteristic quality.–Oxford English Dictionary

“Fit your daily life into your pattern of ascension, not your pattern of ascension into your daily life.”–Edna Lister

  To ascend, you walk the Way of the Christ, the Via Christa, which is the initiatory Path of Ascension of consciousness to become as perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. The Via Christa is the way of complete ascension of body, heart, mind, soul and spirit to attain the high tower fortress of Ascension in the Garden of Eden, where you live by the precepts of soul. You then live by pure illumination, and the final, complete soul conquering of self.
  Soul ascension is a continually growing consciousness and awareness, a continually increasing rate of vibration and a continually expanding aura, which you achieve by sacrificing the little self of the appetitive soul, surrendering all self to God, the Father of All. Ascension is an absolute principle: God’s entire Creation is ascending to become one with Him. Ascension is an abstract principle, a law of being, a law of doing, a degree, and the Christos initiation. All laws are laws of ascension.

Edna Lister on Ascension

The whole process of ascension is a travail of soul moving from self-confidence, which is egotism, to soul-confidence.–Edna Lister, Personality Plus, February 20, 1933

You must allow Christ to divinely tempt you into ascension of soul.–Edna Lister, Learning to Do Well, September 16, 1934

Mind your own business of ascension.–Edna Lister, Attainment, November 7, 1934

The road home is always ascending. All roads lead to Light, but some take a long time to get there. Anything making it too easy leads downward, taking you the long way around.–Edna Lister, The High Call, January 2, 1935

You ascend by assuming ever more responsibility for a greater kingdom of Light on earth, which you call your personal kingdom.–Edna Lister, Your Spiritual Identity, April 7, 1935

You must judge your self rigorously to ascend in consciousness from the depths of self to the heights of soul.–Edna Lister, Eternal Life, April 21, 1935

You must ascend to God, your Father and Mother, for the life everlasting.–Edna Lister, March 12, 1938

You must know about ascension, desire to ascend the self, and strive toward ascension of soul.–Edna Lister, Preparation for Ascension, April 24, 1938

Ascension demands many great and grave sacrifices of self; you cannot avoid this.–Edna Lister, August 21, 1938.

Your strong desire for God brings you through many lessons for experience before you find the true Path of Ascension.–Edna Lister, September 28, 1938.

Nothing but the false appetites and desires for more earth expression can move you from the Path of Ascension.–Edna Lister, September 28, 1938

The Way of the Soul’s Ascent is the sacrifice of the little of earth to gain the much of heaven.–Edna Lister, October 1, 1938

Ascension requires nothing impossible to you, only great sacrifice of small opinions and prejudices.–Edna Lister, January 13, 1939

Ascension must start from earth, not from heaven, and you must cross out all darkness by inducting Light and releasing Light before the Gates of Light open to you for full ascension.–Edna Lister, January 25, 1939

Many ascending souls are leaders, teachers, ensamples of life and law, and when such fail, they take many others to the bottom.–Edna Lister, April 5, 1939

The gates of the kingdom swing wide only when your choice of desire burns hot, not lukewarm. When you choose earth, the gates close. You cannot enter or ascend until you completely surrender self and choose again.–Edna Lister, October 26, 1939

Your best ascension is obedience to your vows. Continuously breaking your vows causes you to retrogress.–Edna Lister, October 26, 1939

Love is ascension.–Edna Lister, June 13, 1940

Soul ascension, which operates as an abstract law of being and as a relative law of doing, is a continually growing consciousness and awareness, a continually increasing rate of vibration and a continually expanding aura.
  Your ascension begins the moment you decide to return to the Source. So, your Christing begins as your Oversoul descends to enfold the outer physical sheath. The time it takes to ascend and complete the Christing, depends on your willingness to give up the petty little self in sacrifice, conquer old thinking, and master imagination and your emotions. Thus, ascension is sometimes a lengthy process.–Edna Lister, A Design for Ascension, 1941

God can compel no one to ascend, for compulsion to follow the Light into high places can come only from within.–Edna Lister, January 7, 1941

Your idea of truth must be an ever-ascending concept, or retrogression will set in when a bulwark of truth is your greatest need.–Edna Lister, January 29, 1941

Take each step to greater glory in ever-ascending trust and love, offering joyous praise.–Edna Lister, April 25, 1941

Pay no attention to ill health; much of it is part of the ascension process under certain conditions.–Edna Lister, June 30, 1941

You can ascend the physical body on laughter.–Edna Lister, July 3, 1941

Fit your daily life into your pattern of ascension, not the other way around.–Edna Lister, July 17, 1941

You came to earth with a twofold purpose—experience to round out your existence, and to return as a fully ascended one.–Edna Lister, April 29, 1943

You shall receive according to your ascension of mind and heart, your thoughts and emotions.–Edna Lister, April 14, 1944

To ascend the emotions, put them all on shelves in a room of Light, keep them high and leave them there until Light dissolves them. Never let them descend and draw you into a mud puddle.–Edna Lister, June 30, 1944

There are no shortcuts to ascension; all shortcuts are of the psychic, mediumistic way, not of the straight Path of the Masters, the long, hard climb, becoming law, which is the only safe way.–Edna Lister, November 1, 1944

A weak desire will bring weak results. A strong desire means a strongly entrenched soul in an ascended body, ready to stand and endure all things for the Master’s sake, asking nothing for the self.–Edna Lister, November 13, 1944

Surrender the self. Sell all that you have of self for the ascension pearl of great price.–Edna Lister, November 20, 1944

Life itself is your challenge to be constant in your effort to ascend daily, to be determined in your effort to live life fully every hour of every day.
  Once you have ascended, you can spiritually see everything below where you now stand. The higher your ascension, the more is open to your view.–Edna Lister, December 28, 1944

God rewards you for each struggle to ascend in consciousness from self.–Edna Lister, January 2, 1945

Every prayer, every declaration, every desire to ascend adds bricks to your stairway to comprehension direct from the Source.–Edna Lister, January 31, 1945

You gain the power of full soul ascension only by your complete surrender of self to be used and fully guided by God.–Edna Lister, February 5, 1945

Until you understand what law means, you cannot make your final ascension, or truly adjust to the world, people and to your affairs in full balance.–Edna Lister, February 22, 1945

Live in the high place of consciousness to lift the self still embedded in the world. Coax it to ascend higher, where it may aid in the soul’s reign over body and affairs.–Edna Lister, May 18, 1945

You attain ascension into Light and perfect soul expression by obedience to divine law until you become the law, which is the short Path of the Master, the Via Christa.–Edna Lister, June 4, 1945

You may ascend to the heights, yet need to return for a peasant incarnation with all the scrubbing and inconvenience imaginable for not paying attention to details.–Edna Lister, June 23, 1945

You must ascend in consciousness to speak the word "let," which is the only open sesame for Power: Surrender the self and let your soul be in charge.–Edna Lister, June 29, 1945

A great Power release causes self to cry, "Let be," so that it may settle back into slumber and self-pleasures at the expense of your soul’s ascension.–Edna Lister, July 12, 1945

When someone likes the bottom, attempting to force him to ascend is useless.
  Any adherence to outer schools of truth is only a detour on the Path of Ascension, the Via Christa, for it delays obedience to the full and supreme laws.–Edna Lister, July 19, 1945

Your greatest virtue can ascend you only step by step, but your smallest weakness can throw you to the bottom in an instant.
  That which is Light ascends; that which is dark descends.
  When you lift self without succumbing to its clamoring for power, the body ascends with the soul and you achieve the full Christed stature.
  You ascend only on fulfilled vows and duties well-performed in joy and delight.
  Vows and duties done only from a sense of duty cannot ascend you. Your delight in law ascends you.–Edna Lister, July 25, 1945

Be law and stop working toward it, surrender and let it move through you, ascend and let — major or minor, all answers are yours.–Edna Lister, September 22, 1945

Once you accept full personal responsibility, you start upward in ascension.–Edna Lister, April 1, 1946

This is your full ascension work: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.–Matthew 22:32-40.–Edna Lister, April 29, 1946

Ascension comes through surrender of self only.–Edna Lister, May 15, 1947

You cannot ascend without redeeming all your soul substance.–Edna Lister, July 2, 1947

To be alert, alive, to hear or ascend, kicking the self black and blue is necessary.–Edna Lister, August 20, 1947

The fundamental principles underlying ascension are desire for the Father of Wisdom, devotion to the Mother of Love, and faith in the Son of all Energy.–Edna Lister, November 13, 1947

The key to the kingdom is to ascend into the Light, let Light go forth and make straight the way.
  Read one paragraph a day of what you do not think you know. Ascend into the Light first, and you will see all and understand.–Edna Lister, December 9, 1947

Love is the only ascension, now and evermore.–Edna Lister, January 26, 1948

The whole struggle of rebellion against ascension is responsible for all our difficulties and the basis of all human ills. Ascension includes sloughing the sticky, oily cells, which is the pearl of great price gained by sacrifice of self.–Edna Lister, The Twelve Tribes, June 22, 1948

As Light absorbs darkness, it leaves the soul naked and exposed. One who has lost his magnetic robe-of-self will always accuse the ascending one of stealing his virtue or position.
  You are responsible for everything that the Light does through you when you are ascending.
  An ascending one, whose Light is unbearable, becomes the target of much hate.–Edna Lister, January 31, 1949

To ascend is to accept all responsibility for lifting and declaring "it" good.–Edna Lister, February 4, 1949

Pure law is always hard, yet you can ascend only as you become that law.–Edna Lister, February 26, 1949

Ascend until no feud remains between the little self’s demands for recognition and your soul’s great responsibility.–Edna Lister, February 26, 1949

Ascend to where the Power can use you, and hangovers of soul debt will not knock you down.–Edna Lister, August 1, 1949

You cannot ascend without first becoming lighter, by paying your soul debts.–Edna Lister, March 27, 1950

Ascension is going up always.–Edna Lister, Five Steps in Ascension, April 16,1950

The first step in ascension is receptivity, which prepares you to fulfill the great law of Seek ye first the kingdom.–Matthew 6:33. Receptivity, which is open mindedness, deals with your spiritual gifts and relationship with God. The second step in ascending is flexibility, to Agree with thine adversary whiles thou art on the way with him.–Matthew 5:25. You agree with God that This is good! and adjust to others without arguing. The third step of ascension is balance in preparation, devotion and action. Balance is poise and equilibrium in your service. Holding your balance is easier when you always ask, What is that to thee? Follow thou me.–John 21:22.–Edna Lister, Pentecost, the Way of Ascension, May 7, 1950

You must recreate your body to suit your soul’s ascension, or leave earth.–Edna Lister, August 6, 1950

Going higher in ascension without awakening new brain cells is impossible.–Edna Lister, September 7, 1950

As you burn away the silver cord that binds soul to body, ascension requires that you enlarge the thymus gland, and you must pay your soul debts.–Edna Lister, September 25, 1950

The process of ascension is Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.–Matthew 6:33.–Edna Lister, I Remember, October 8, 1950

Add one step higher to your ascension daily.–Edna Lister, March 5, 1951

We all stand as equals under eternal law. You may ascend as far as you want to make self responsible, release Power, live in the high place and use your equipment to see and hear spiritually.
  You must seek the Light and ascend instantly when you slip. God cannot wait for you to become perfect, but uses you in the second, minute or hour you ascend to perfection.
  God justifies the one who steps up to ascend, and whom He justifies, He glorifies.–Edna Lister, To Seek the Light, June 10, 1951

You integrate and ascend from belief to comprehension in five stages: You hear about truth, talk about truth, think about truth, begin to do what truth requires, and from doing, you become truth.–Edna Lister, The First Days, June 17, 1951

Your compassion on earth for others determines your ascension.–Edna Lister, July 16, 1951

Only your perceived enemies can help you ascend. You do not learn from those who love you; you learn from those whom you believe to be enemies. You conquer through absorbing your imagined enemies in Mother Love.–Edna Lister, Secrets of the Hidden Mother, July 22, 1951

Ascension must occur on a rising vibration and expanding substance.
  If you live under the laws of expansion, you have no time to think about it. You hear, accept and ascend on it to gain comprehension.–Edna Lister, July 27, 1951

Past memory impressions can move into the vacancy you create when you ascend; lift them.–Edna Lister, November 17, 1951

You must choose between the world, which tears down your life plan and stops you, or God, who builds. You must be determined to ascend to God.–Edna Lister, The Challenge, March 15, 1952

To ascend, you must give more love, joy and understanding daily.–Edna Lister, March 30, 1952

No student is worthy to ascend until he has washed his feet in the blood of his heart.–Edna Lister, April 22, 1952

Apprehension means that you not only understand, but also recognize that what is coming toward you is light or darkness. If you live by the truth of appearances, you are apprehensive or fearful about the future. If you ascend in prayer to the truth of reality, you will apprehend that truth is your way up.
  The full Light of ascension is your goal.–Edna Lister, The Golden Chalice, September 21, 1952

The Via Christa Path of Ascension is self-healing, which pulls the soul from the quicksands of self.–Edna Lister, September 22, 1952

"Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."–Romans 8:30. We are predestined to ascend to God.–Edna Lister, The Magic in the Sky, October 5, 1952

You must continuously ascend into ever higher new ideas and ideals.
  Ascend to the golden silence for new ideas to apply to everything you do.–Edna Lister, The Mantle of Messiahship, October 12, 1952

If you do not care about outer credits to self, you can ascend more rapidly.–Edna Lister, The Great Challenge, November 23, 1952.

Lift your cross of crucifixion and make it a ladder of ascension.–Edna Lister, The Great Challenge, November 23, 1952

Make sacrifice of self on attention to details, for therein lies the only true way of ascension.–Edna Lister, April 5, 1953

Those who declare all things good live by the Christ Light, and ascend because they have no inner conflicts.–Edna Lister, Surrender and Transfiguration, July 12, 1953

The Path of Ascension, the Via Christa, is the way to surrender, the way to service, to live peaceably one with the other, to be filled with only one substance, love, to use only love, and to become love.–Edna Lister, September 3, 1953

Ascension immolates self-will.–Edna Lister, The Gospel of the Cross, October 18, 1953

Obedience to law sublimates and ascends the creative fire.–Edna Lister, October 20, 1953

To ascend to unquenchable love and unconquerable faith, we must have a plan. Self always plans for its own advancement and exaltation. Soul plans to Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.–Matthew 6:33.–Edna Lister, Unquenchable Love and Unconquerable Faith, April 4, 1954

When you ascend self-desires and self-will to become one with soul desires and the free will of God, they fuse as Love and Wisdom in balance, which we call the I AM consciousness.–Edna Lister, Your Life’s Plan, May 16, 1954

Ascension is to take up your cross, take all blame, and agree in love.–Edna Lister, May 27, 1954

Ascension is moving inward and upward to the world of miracles.
  You must take ascension one step at a time, to move up in consciousness slowly, gradually filled with the full Power of God.
  Self-confidence splits and cracks when needed most, but soul confidence is immutable and unchangeable because you have ascended to God.–Edna Lister, I Ascend, July 11, 1954

When you ascend into comprehension, compassion descends and you express tolerance and humility.–Edna Lister, July 12, 1954

The road of ascension is not hard, it is the giving up of self that plants self-obstacles in the path. You must recognize, accept, lift and ascend the self.
  The glory of redeeming what you left for conquering later is the true point of ascension; self, when conquered, becomes buoyant.–Edna Lister, October 5, 1954

Creation’s whole purpose is to ascend from the creature stage to become a creator with God.
  Soul ascension requires that you be receptive and hold an open mind. Soul ascension also requires that you be balanced and flexible, which is your ability to agree and adjust.–Edna Lister, Jesus, the Son of God, November 21, 1954

If you make a mistake, ascend and declare it is in the Light.–Edna Lister, December 13, 1954

Ascension is the secret of all success, inner or outer.–Edna Lister, The Well of Living Waters, July 31, 1955

You must grow from seeing to believe through ascension into believing to see. It’s a slow growth as you take one step at a time to move up in consciousness safely.
  Unless an ascension method will work for the whole world, then it is not founded in principle, the Master’s teachings, or divine law.–Edna Lister, I Ascend, April 8, 1956

In ascension, you move from selfishness to a state of soul-ish-ness. You cannot ascend into the kingdom with a guilt complex, or wearing a hair shirt over past failures to obey law.
  The first step in ascension is the Golden Rule, Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
  Father, forgive them is the first true ascension of soul, the first overcoming of the gravitational pull of the world mind that draws you into mental and emotional negativity.–Edna Lister, An Ambassador of Love, July 5, 1956.

God modifies absolute laws into lesser, relative nuggets to suit the ascending soul’s intelligence.–Edna Lister, Go Preach the Gospel, July 22, 1956

Ascension of consciousness requires you to refine your desires, thinking and imagination.–Edna Lister, Prove Thy Works, September 16, 1956

Your ascension is to move from a static condition into a higher position, not climbing stairs or mountains, but moving up in consciousness.–Edna Lister, The Glory, Your Ascension, November 11, 1956

Your ascension practice must equal the vows you have made.–Edna Lister, November 18, 1956

Every Power release displaces an equivalent force to be ascended and melded with its original substance. The force must move through the body of the one who visions and asks for the Power to be released.–Edna Lister, January 9, 1957

You fail in your ascension when you let go, or rest on your point in self-satisfaction and self-indulgence of achievement.–Edna Lister, June 17, 1957

To ascend anytime on any matter is true repentance. You repent as you climb, as you love enough, as you ascend through your sonic barrier.–Edna Lister, September 30, 1957

To the world, full ascension seems "impossible." To many, ascension is a matter of the soul only. To a very few, full ascension is possible, even of the body. You know that it must be so sometime, somewhere.–Edna Lister, Conquering Space, October 15, 1957

Ascend and be a creator god, or crawl like a man and weep.–Edna Lister, November 3, 1957

We all stand equal in that we each have the right to breathe twenty-four hours a day, and to ascend.
  Today’s paradise will eventually squeeze like tight shoes, because you are always ascending to a higher octave.–Edna Lister, The Point of No Return, December 15, 1957

When you practice selflessness and ascension to the point where you would surrender anything rather than to fail God, your silver cord begins to burn away.
  Ascension is to become Light: When suspended in space, you may use your brain and faculties; imagination is your modus operandi.–Edna Lister, December 18, 1957

Past a certain point, you cannot ascend on desire alone, but only on the love of God.–Edna Lister, December 25, 1957

The desire to ascend is a hallmark of both substance and consciousness.–Edna Lister, January 2, 1958

Ascension is the giving up and conquering of the self. You ascend according to your degree of faith and aspiration.
  Nothing can be withheld from an ascending soul who has earned the right to know. Moment by moment, you ascend according to your desire.–Edna Lister, January 9, 1958

As you aspire, Light seeps in, and the whole world ascends.
  Ascension is progress, and God sends you here with free choice to ascend or regress.–Edna Lister, May 12, 1958

Ascension is being fully inspired at your highest point in consciousness.–Edna Lister, As God Sees Me, June 8, 1958

The higher you ascend, the more powerful your words become.
  Every soul reaches the crossroad, which brings a choice of a cycle of ascending or living off your credits.–Edna Lister, September 8, 1958

If you use the outer world as an excuse for not ascending to God, you are lazy, lukewarm and indifferent.–Edna Lister, September 23, 1958

To ascend the body, you must love enough to return the life sparks of substance in the electrons, atoms, molecules, and cells to their original fundamental universal number and name vibration.–Edna Lister, September 25, 1958

All things can return to the Source and be enfolded only through man’s ascension.
  All improvement is ascension, whether it is selfish or godly.–Edna Lister, Constancy in Obedience, October 26, 1958

The sun is a star: Each ascending creator god must become a channel of Light, the same as a sun.–Edna Lister, The Solar Golden Age, October 28, 1958

The whole process of ascension is to know and live God’s laws as they are.–Edna Lister, November 10, 1958

Soul ascension is perfect balance, which Jesus the Christ accomplished.–Edna Lister, Realization, May 3, 1959

Feelings of aggrandizement affect the heart and limit ascension.–Edna Lister, May 4, 1959

"Good" calls God’s name on the atoms of any object or person, and they respond to that "good" call and ascend to Light.
  Mind, Substance and Power, the Emanations, are One. When you separate them through misuse, you must recombine and lift them to their original state before you may ascend, which is paying a spiritual debt to the law.
  If you are conscious of where you have climbed, you cut your ability to climb farther.
  Anyone desiring to ascend in consciousness under love and selflessness can climb on an ascending Mystic’s vibration, if he can give up the little self and become law.
  I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.–John 12:32. On an ascending vibration and sincere desire to lift, a Mystic can raise the vibration until everyone balances on the same high vibration, which is how you can soiritually see on another’s vibration.
  To fulfill the laws of ascension, you must live by the precepts of soul.–Edna Lister, The Pioneering Mystic, May 5, 1959.

How you use your freedom determines our ascension.–Edna Lister, All Substance Is Universal, May 12, 1959

From belief you ascend into conscious knowing.–Edna Lister, Manifestation, May 24, 1959

The laws are rigid for the ascending creator gods. The fact that you know a rigid law does not give you permission to use it on everybody.–Edna Lister, May 28, 1959

When you thirst enough for the law of God, you will ascend the Mount of Transfiguration.–Edna Lister, Jesus’ Seven Last Words, June 7, 1959

Giving up self is the basis of all laws of Ascension.–Edna Lister, June 18, 1959

You must always adjust to new lights shining from above: when you adjust, a new set of lights descends and you must ascend and fit yourself to them.
  Ascension is to find a high point in the morass. Ask yourself, What can I see in this as a high point to ascend on?–Edna Lister, June 28, 1959

Ascension stresses giving up the little me because if the slightest tendency to take credit remains in the soul, there you reach the point of comprehension. Any form I takes in expression is the soul giving self credit.–Edna Lister, October 8, 1959

An initiation consists of illumination, which sets a higher goal of ascension to achieve.–Edna Lister, October 24, 1959

When you pray or study with others, your rate of vibration ascends to the group’s common denominator, or you raise theirs.–Edna Lister, December 13, 1959

You must train self constantly until you master resurrection and ascension. The keynote to ascension is This is good! All else follows.–Edna Lister, March 21, 1960

Resurrection is knowing law, but ascension is becoming it.–Edna Lister, From Gethsemane to Ascension, May 15, 1960

When you celebrate under true ascension laws, you celebrate with all expressions of faith.–Edna Lister, June 5, 1960

You ascend under the great law of repulsion (centrifugal separation).
  Hearing, receiving, acceptance, application and ascension are relative laws of being and doing.–Edna Lister, How Can I Apply Law to My Life? June 7, 1960

When you praise, you expand and ascend into greater comprehension of law.–Edna Lister, How Can I Apply Law to My Life? June 7, 1960

Number 1, the creative principle, must forever multiply and increase. Number 2, the transmutative principle, must forever change its form. Number 3, the expressive principle, must forever pour forth and press forth. Number 4, the service principle, must forever serve (as the process of) creation, transmutation and expression. For example, Spirit expressing through form must forever evolve and ascend as higher perfected personal expression.–Edna Lister, Is it Right to Ask for Myself? June 14, 1960

To refuse to let people move you into false attitudes is a first step in Ascension. A false attitude is anything that causes you to forget your standing with God.–Edna Lister, June 27, 1960

The law of continuing sacrifice: When you ascend under a high sacrifice of self, you always face another choice of the way to go: The first choice is to hold that high point of contemplation, this full illumination, despite anything. The other choice is to want credit for saintly self-sacrifice, and so sink into the morass and quicksand of self-pity, frustration and that hopeless attitude of "What’s the use? It isn’t my fault. They can’t blame me." When you make a high sacrifice, they invite you to step onto the Via Christa, the Path of Destiny, to forget self. To deny your choice with even a tinge of self, you fall back into the abyss where the path of fate travels.–Edna Lister, January 29, 1961

That which had no weight after you pass an initiation, becomes a weight as you ascend.–Edna Lister, June 9, 1961

From the annunciation to his ascension, Jesus the Christ unfolds the true way for conquering self.–Edna Lister, The First Church of Revelation, October 3, 1961

Each plays the game of self alone; we all play the game of soul ascension as one.–Edna Lister, October 16, 1961

The capacity of your love and compassion determines your ascension.–Edna Lister, December 17, 1961

You cannot walk the Path of Ascension with a pin point’s worth of intolerance or blame.–Edna Lister, January 4, 1962

Ascension is so difficult because you must enfold personal will into wisdom, which means that you must first accept your accountability for all the divine Mind, Power and Substance you have used while on earth.–Edna Lister, Christ Shall Reign, March 12, 1962

To accept lovingly, without rancor or hurt, is the true attitude of the ascending soul. To stand and say, Father, I accept; I lift and cover the transgressions of others, is the way of all-mighty, all-powerful and all-glorious ascension.–Edna Lister, Heaven Is a State of Consciousness, April 3, 1962

Under ascension, you don’t pass a grade and graduate; you meet the temptations of the Seven Degrees from Neophyte to Christos daily.–Edna Lister, Heaven Is a Place to Fill, April 10, 1962

You must lift all taints of grief before the world may ascend.–Edna Lister, April 12, 1962

Ascend from existence to the Life of God, where you live, move and have your being.–Edna Lister, May 20, 1962

The only thing difficult in ascension is thinking about it. The doing is not hard. It is just an act of soul freedom to surrender self.–Edna Lister, June 7, 1962

Every vibration must either ascend or descend after three days (the time it takes to change a vibration from one rate to another) and getting understanding is a process involving both obedience and forgiveness.–Edna Lister, November 14, 1962

You cannot spiritually see or hear until you ascend the emotional life.–Edna Lister, December 17, 1962

When you fall from ascension, the Power that burns up the dross may turn and burn out the body.–Edna Lister, January 10, 1963

The voice is the final portion of the physical body to be ascended.–Edna Lister, January 29, 1963

You ascend just as far as your surrender, obedience and devotion take you; you ascend as high as you can, but never reach the ultimate because, as soon as you think you have surrendered, you form a block.–Edna Lister, February 27, 1963

Full consideration is one of the greatest ascension laws; it lifts you above the petty ways of inconsideration.–Edna Lister, April 4, 1963

Ascension is living one hundred percent by God’s possibilities.–Edna Lister, Earth’s Earliest Ages, June 11, 1963

The entire process of ascension is sacrificing sovereignty of self for sovereignty of soul.–Edna Lister, Earth’s Earliest Ages, June 11, 1963

Your stairway or ladder of ascension is solid only if your giving up of self is lavish and free.–Edna Lister, The Cross, June 23, 1963

Ascension is a consciousness of radiance greater than anything on earth. Faithfulness to principle counts as ascension credits. Not all credits deal with ascension. A demerit is lost, not only as an ascension credit, but according to the demerit’s weight, it may subtract from the stored ascension credits. When you are climbing in ascension, each demerit is a weight on the soul pulling backward and downward.
  It takes flaming, burning desire to ascend to the heights. Waste no time in vain repetition that could be better spent in reaching the top. Too many reach this point only to slip back into self. Make every effort to pull your feet from the quicksand of self and run higher into the Light.–Edna Lister, July 5, 1963

Ascension is a level of spiritual consciousness, an established comprehension of principle, rising through the world mind to consciousness where nothing can shake you, the soul climbing to establish identity with God the Source.–Edna Lister, The Crown of Thorns, July 7, 1963

As you walk the Path of Ascension, you may not take in any personal disturbance, hate or anger toward another; you may not recognize anything that disturbs, for to you, it is not there.–Edna Lister, July 8, 1963

One of the first necessities of the ascending soul is to absolutely conquer arrogance and pride, yet to stand proudly, giving not an inch on principle.–Edna Lister, July 17, 1963

You ascend on the inner only as you ascend on the outer.–Edna Lister, July 21, 1963

Law of breath: Breath is our main instrument by which to ascend. You can breathe looking upward or looking down. The physical breath contains seven degrees of breath, but the structure is unconscious. Where you are in consciousness depends on which breath you are functioning.
  The Zodiacal Wheel becomes your ladder of ascension as you conquer on the virtues of the twelve signs.–Edna Lister, September 14, 1963

Complete ascension to God is the most important part of your work.–Edna Lister, November 17, 1963

You orient your ascension work toward God and heaven as a place; if you are disoriented with heaven, you are disoriented toward your daily life.–Edna Lister, You Are a Seer and a Prophet, December 17, 1963

Ascension is the unfoldment of your potentialities.–Edna Lister, The Sword, Your Flaming Scepter of Power, April 19, 1964

To ascend in consciousness requires effort and hard work — if you earn half a credit, you receive half an idea, a dream or a vision.–Edna Lister, June 28, 1964

It is the privilege of any who grows weary of ascension to linger where he stops; without desire to ascend, he must, by the law, regress and forget what he had. At transition, death of the body, Council will show him his neglected work, and the penalty of regression, which is to repeat, from the beginning, the initiation that he laid aside. This is universal law, and may not be set aside for any.–Edna Lister, July 26, 1964.

To accept keeps us alert to fulfill the details of life and law. Not to accept dulls all fine perceptive abilities, and closes sensitivity to law; no ascension is possible.–Edna Lister, July 28, 1964

You expand on the inner according to your ascension here in daily living. Every time you miss the mark here, you shrink there, thus delaying your inner ascension and physical perfection.–Edna Lister, September 20, 1964

The ascension of finite beings—all mankind—is possible because of the qualified and unqualified absolutes, which are perfectly and divinely unified by the universal absolute. The unqualified absolute is impersonal, extra-divine and undeified principle. The qualified absolute is relative in nature, manifesting various aspects of personality.
  The universal absolute perfectly equalizes the tensions between time and eternity, finitude and infinity, reality potential and reality actualization, and humanity and God. In final comprehension all three are one absolute. On finite levels they are functionally differentiated, but in infinity they are one.–Edna Lister, The Spirit and Mystery of God as Unity, Duality, Trinity, November 17, 1964

Ascension is a consciousness of radiance greater than anything on earth.–Edna Lister, December 11, 1964

The soul can only ascend or regress. Ascension is joy, a joy in assuming more life.–Edna Lister, January 27, 1965

Man must ascend through and overcome all stages of created evil to reach the Mount of Transfiguration.–Edna Lister, May 13, 1965

Immortality works under the laws of transmutation, transfiguration, and ascension: Under transmutation, you change from one state or form into another, under transfiguration, you become shining, in ascension, you climb higher.–Edna Lister, You Are Immortal Now, September 19, 1965

Soul ascension is your work, for the soul to direct and control the life of the body. Many teachers teach resurrection, but the world needs more teachers of ascension. Anyone who says to be good and to lift self, is teaching ascension.–Edna Lister, Number, the Spoken Word, November 23, 1965

You are in your own place, the place you have earned, and when you accept this, you are on the Path of Ascension.–Edna Lister, Truth as Practical Common Sense, November 28, 1965

When you expand your consciousness, you ascend; when you ascend, you see.–Edna Lister, March 13, 1966

You can experience dizzy spells in going from the mundane world to the inner because our ascension releases a lightning-like bolt of Power; you must climb by easy stages and consider outer events.–Edna Lister, April 25, 1966

To lift self is resurrection, but to go up is ascension. Stay there.–Edna Lister, July 31, 1966

The Via Christa is the way of complete ascension to become as perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.
  To ascend, you discard the husks of self, opinions, prejudices and old forms.–Edna Lister, Eight Great Powers of Being, October 18, 1966

This final ascension over life and death is your own power over desire and imagination.–Edna Lister, Eight Great Powers of Being, October 25, 1966

The attainment of Light and perfect expression comes through obedience, surrender and ascension.–Edna Lister, The First Seven Magnitudes, November 8, 1966

All ascension (future growth) depends on the maturity that comes from bringing the past cleared, purged experiences up to now, thus freeing the soul to penetrate deeper into the unknown or veiled future. You cannot drag the past with you, only the strength gained.–Edna Lister, The Future of the Ascending Supreme, October 31, 1967

Our Bible textbook basis for ascension is found in the Gospel of Luke: He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.–Luke 24:50-51. For us, ascension becomes a simple art of moving up in consciousness by the practice of letting go of the old ways, and by obeying the following five important laws found in the Master’s teachings.
  Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and all else shall be added unto thee.–Matthew 6:33
Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him.–Matthew 5:25
What is that to thee? Follow thou me.–John 21:22
Abstain from all appearance of evil.–1 Thessalonians 5:22
I, if I be lifted up from the earth, shall draw all men unto me.–John 12:32
–Edna Lister, Five Important Steps in Ascension, 1968

Ascension is not moving away from life, but moving into life eternal and immortal.–Edna Lister, June 28, 1968

The attitude of an ascending soul should always be that of acceptance and surrender.–Edna Lister, August 1, 1968

You ascend every time you have high thoughts or do good deeds. Ascension means accepting responsibility and letting others see something of the Father in you.–Edna Lister, Five Important Mysteries, October 27, 1968

The whole purpose of life is to ascend. Ascension is earth’s final high initiation.–Edna Lister, Your Mount of Transfiguration, December 2, 1968

If you refuse to choose ascension, you doom yourself to the physical world laws of emergence, maturity and decline.–Edna Lister, Seven in the Zodiacal Wheel of Life, July 8, 1969

Ascension pushes you into lesson-experiences that expose your vulnerability so you can send Light to strengthen and be sure you stand on your Path of Destiny.–Edna Lister, November 14, 1969

There is always a higher Source of Light to which to ascend.–Edna Lister, January 12, 1970

Good manners form the first protocol of ascension, and the first initiation.–Edna Lister, Hold High Your Scepter of Power, May 31, 1970

Ascension initiations always involve growth and expansion.–Edna Lister, Perfect and Glorious Ascension, June 14, 1970

You become each law as you ascend, and this is the greatest law of ascension.–Edna Lister, June 18, 1970

Ascension is returning to our original Source, so our goal is even greater than our message.–Edna Lister, September 10, 1970

The Sermon on the Mount covers every law, every sacrifice, everything you need from your outer beginning to ascension.–Edna Lister, The Miracle of the Centurion’s Servant Healed, November 8, 1970

Your devotion to God is the way to ascension. Your love of and for God determines the height of your ascension.–Edna Lister, November 24, 1970

You cannot erase your weaknesses unless you ascend.–Edna Lister, Undated Papers, 1933-1971

Treatments for Ascension

How to ascend for tests: 1. Remember that all Light comes from above. 2. Information is drawn overhead like a cloud, so the answers you need are drawn ahead of you. 3. Make your mind a mirror to see the answer in divine Mind with your mind’s eye. 4. Receive it under illumination and intuition. You cannot think the answer.–Edna Lister, June 7, 1950

Some try to ascend while pushing fourteen pounds per square inch of pressure ahead of them. You build inner pressure when you are hurt or resentful. If grief weighs fourteen pounds per square inch, how many pounds will you breed in hatred and resentment? Take a deep breath — the pressure separates and you walk through.–Edna Lister, To Seek the Light, June 10, 1951

Stories That Illustrate Ascension

  The Ascension of Jesus the Christ: Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: to whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
  And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.–Acts 1:2-11

  The Ascension of Enoch: And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.–Genesis 5:21-24

  Elijah’s Ascent in the Fiery Chariot: Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.–2 Kings 2:8-12

New Testament on Ascension

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.–Matthew 5:25-26. {You will by no means get out of the prison of self till you have lifted the last soul taint.}

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.–Matthew 5:48

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.–Matthew 6:33

Do not conflate the world’s nature with heaven’s: they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.–Mark 12:25-27

And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.–Luke 24:50-51

No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.–John 3:13-16

I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.–John 12:32

Christ said: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.–John 14:6

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)–Romans 10:4-7

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)–Ephesians 4:7-10

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