And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new.
And he said to me: Write, for these words are most faithful and true.
Revelation 21:5 (Douay-Rheims, 1899)
Greetings! Joy and peace of Christ be with you! By way of introduction, I am Shannon. I was born in the Los Angeles area of California on Sunday, the 17th of the 7th month in the year 1977 at 5:47 PM. When I was 7, my family relocated to the city of Concord, located in the San Francisco East Bay area where the BART transit line used to end before it was extended further east. Most of my growing up years were in Concord, and I went to school in adjacent Walnut Creek near the north gate to the slopes of Mount Diablo.
These days home in my heart is nestled in the Adirondack Mountains at Lake Placid in New York because the village is known for its miracles. Although, over the years my heart did grow quite fond of New Jersey’s sandy shores, especially family trips to Wildwood; riding the Great Nor’easter and Sea Serpent roller coasters and stepping to the side on the boardwalk every time we heard, “Watch the tram car please.”
Pieces of my heart are no longer stranded in memories of California like they were in the summer of 2009 when my world shattered. This is important for you to know upfront to better understand that the person who I was then is not who I am today.
You are about to embark into the story direct from my journals of what led to the completion of this book and the announcement Christians have been waiting for nearly two millennia to hear, “Christ Jesus is returning to the world in a blaze of glory among the people!” Yet, from my heart in Christ, I know this is not the way anyone may have expected it to come, and because of that, there may be shaking and tribulation before all is said and done.
There is no sugarcoating the truth of our current situation. It is the year 2020 and the Earth is engulfed in flames. Humanity, and all living beings right along with us, are in the lake of fire. All of which is particularly evident here in America. Our nation is ablaze and if you are familiar with the book of Revelation in the Bible, you will know the moment of which has come (Revelation 20/21). Yes, it is here, and it is now.
Temperatures on Earth reflect the human-induced changes in our climate that are transforming our way of life. Wildfires blazed through Australia earlier in the year and more than 2.2 million acres burned across the western states in the United States in less than a month. A global virus pandemic is still flaring, and systemic racism continues to rear its unrighteous wicked head. If we turn to the scriptures for evidence of what was expected when Christ would return, we find additional indicators, including the terrible times prophesied in 2 Timothy 3:
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power… They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth (NIV).
Further, it was written in 1 John 2:18 they were already living in the last hour and many antichrists had come. Since scholars believe this epistle originated between 95 and 110 AD/CE this means our generation has lived nearly 2000 years in the end times waiting for Christ’s return. Whether looking to the scriptures, the science, or both, no one has to look far to see our world is breaking apart in chaos, division, fear, hate, sickness, corruption of systems and politics, and multiple cataclysmic losses.
The good news is the time has come to stop waiting for a savior. We are entering the hour of healing, miracles, and dreams coming true as love and peace begin their reign on Earth. As prophesied in Revelation 21, the City of the Holy One established from the heavenly Kingdom of God. But the temple is not made of stone, mortar, or wood, it is built within our hearts through the light of our souls where Christ shines like the sun (Revelation 21:22).
Yet, until more hearts are open to discern the light and the Good and receive the grace of wisdom and understanding through love, we the people—including the established churches of the Christian religion—will remain part of the colossal problem that is preventing Christ from reigning in full power and glory in our world. This goes especially for the Christians and churches who have been evangelizing the name of Jesus for nearly 2000 years without pure love and the faith that moves mountains in their hearts.
This may be difficult to hear, but please consider if the hearts and minds of Christians and the spirit/energy/life force within the churches were shining bright with the joy of Jesus and with the fruits of the Holy Spirit today, this world would already be a much better place. Imagine if all 2 billion professing Christians actually lived virtuous lives of love, nonjudgment, and peace just like Jesus did; not to mention more than 200 million Christians in the United States alone (data: Pew Research Center and census.gov). A world where joy and rejoicing reign instead of conflicts, sickness, and death. With the rivers clapping their hands as the mountains sing out together and all the Earth bursts into jubilant song for the power of Christ that will come forth into the world through the hearts of all God’s children.
Right now this vision does not seem likely to come to fruition even with our greatest intentions. “Thoughts and prayers” offered in times of crisis and suffering are not moving the needle enough. Unless we put more effort into truly living as saints in Christ we will continue to fall short. This in itself—even before we go any farther into the fray together—is where this gospel will go off the rails for some people. No one wants to hear they are part of the problem. It is certainly not the apocalyptic rapture or an all-powerful King and Lord dashing in like Prince Charming to sweep us all off our feet and carry us on his snowy white steed into Heaven. The truth of the matter is: suffering may get worse before it gets better. We must remember this is what perseverance of the saints was all about.
The entire world, and particularly here in America, is in dire need of the faith that rouses the waters of the deep and makes the mountains move. A worldwide remedy of goodness and peace from the Holy Spirit through the light of love that is pure. Faith the size of a mustard seed that is guaranteed to usher in Christ through the hearts of his true disciples. But here is the next hurdle and a spoiler of what is to come: it does not look like most of Christianity does in our world today.
This is also where some egos may get upset, and I understand, I honestly do. I used to stand in the very same beliefs that judge, divide, and destroy in puffed-up knowledge and pride instead of building up in charity and love (1 Corinthians 8:1). The truth, as you will see through this gospel, is the inner pilgrimage to restoring the light of the Holy Spirit and joy in the soul does not end in the “saving us all from our sins” moment in the crucifixion of the Son of God and man, Jesus.
The cross is only the halfway point in establishing what is Holy, Love, and Good; it is not the completion of the inner work of a Christian or the mark of a saint. It leaves the progressing—but not yet mature—disciple in a crossroads, battling the storms of good versus evil and right versus wrong. Freedom is ours; joy is ours, yes, even here on this Earth as it is already in Heaven. We are all children of the same One God/Source/Universe/Life force and are made of the same light as the stars. Joy is our birthright, and we were meant to experience life and the beauty of every single one of our heart’s dreams come true, within or outside of the doctrine of the Christian Churches.
It is as if in a Divine dose of irony, God is directly answering the call of His Holiness Pope Francis as written in his Apostolic Exhortation from 2013, The Joy of the Gospel, in a prayer to the Virgin Mother Mary, “Obtain for us now a new ardor born of the resurrection, that we may bring to all the Gospel of life which triumphs over death. Give us a Holy courage to seek new paths, that the gift of unfading beauty may reach every man and woman… that the joy of the Gospel may reach to the ends of the earth, illuminating even the fringes of our world.”
Although the Pope made the call for a new ardor born of the resurrection, the announcement of Christ’s return is not coming through the leadership of the Catholic Church, nor through a leader of any one of the more than 33,000 denominations (World Christian Encyclopedia by Barrett, Kurian, Johnson; Oxford Univ Press, 2nd ed, 2001). For how could Jesus choose between some of God’s children and not others? When contemplated with a heart filled with wisdom, this truth becomes as clear as the sky on a sunny day for the fullness of God’s glory and love to prevail for all people.
Neither does the One church exist in 2020, so God’s apostle pronouncing the return of Christ could not return through the church. When Mary Magdalene announced the resurrection to the other disciples (John 20:18), telling them she had seen the Lord and relayed what he said to her as his messenger and the designated Apostle of the Apostles, they were one group of believers. But now the church body is broken into thousands of pieces with Christians scattered everywhere; many of them pointing fingers at each other.
In Biblical alignment of how Jesus’ resurrection from the crucifixion was reported, this gospel (“good news”) includes a personal testimony of Christ’s work in real life on earth through one who stands on the rock of Christ with the peace that surpasses understanding and love for all in her heart, with the light and power of the Holy Spirit, who traveled the path of Christianity through multiple denominations and was courageous enough to let go of the cross into the imageless Father God into the grace that is found in faith, beyond where images, symbols, creeds, and doctrines have a foothold in minds and hearts. Even beyond the edges of God’s promises and beliefs into the great unknown where light and darkness exist together in harmony within creation.
And thus, one who has compassion in her heart for the light of righteousness found in the faithful, both within and outside the church. This is the calling of the light of Christ, the way to the promised land of miracles and the American Dream come true for every one of us. Where joy reigns and the sun shines within the soul in service to Good in the world every single day. It is here for all who stand in the truth of the infinite glory of God, just like Jesus did before us.
This brings us to a timely moment for a cautionary note before I share my testimony of Christ and reveal the establishment of the Messianic Age as described in the New Testament (the living Christ within us), with a special message to my fellow Americans in the United States in this time of suffering and patriotic unrest.
Whether you are a professing Christian, ex-Christian, a believer in another spiritual/religious tradition, “spiritual but not religious,” agnostic, atheist, or “other,” wherever this gospel finds you, please may I forewarn unless you have a completely open mind and heart there is a great likelihood that at least one of these chapters will spark judgment or dissent within you. That is, of course, unless you are already living as a saint, sage, bodhisattva, and/or guru. (If this is you, namaste with love.)
For everyone else, when you recognize opposition within your mind, body, or heart, that is good. It means you are alive inside. (Whatever you do, don’t go back to sleep.) I implore you to explore the deeper meaning found beneath the surface of any inner discord and lean on the guidance and support of mental and emotional health and spiritual ministry professionals for the greatest good. Having said that, if you are inspired and encouraged by this gospel with hope for the future, even better. Your heart is already prepared to spread the good news of joy by being the Good you want to see in the world. (Let your inner light shine in all you do.)
This book is a roller coaster of inner transformation, and you are in the front row for the entire ride. Please prepare your heart and mind to be presented with the entire spectrum of beliefs about Jesus of Nazareth crucified on the cross, horizon to horizon, from my first-person narrative as a fundamentalist Christian, through the deconstruction of my beliefs, and to the idea that Jesus was a hoax and myth created for mass deception, power, and control, or simply a founding myth written as celestial metaphor to guide all of us into the next stage of humanity’s development on Earth into the Age of Aquarius. All of these beliefs existed inside me at one time or another, even if I only tried them on temporarily to receive understanding through wisdom in fullness from the Holy Spirit.
As we begin, it is important to establish the context of what my life was like when the first chapter commences. Desires of the world reigned within me. As a sinner, adulteress, and worse, I believed I was going to Heaven because I was baptized as a baby. I believed everything I’d learned at church growing up, Jesus loved me, and I was saved from my sins. I had no need for active participation with spirituality, no need for Jesus, or even God. My beliefs were static, and as a baptized Christian, in my mind, I could do no wrong. That was, until my world shattered into a multitude of pieces.
In my own words, and not embellished or exaggerated, these pages are as my life actually transpired, extracted from writings in my journals over 30 years, with a focus on the last 11 years, from the breaking open of my heart through renewal and transfiguration; shared so your joy can manifest, just like the joy within my soul, for Christ is in me.
In the moments when you may wonder if all of this was true, if it seems impossible that the events really happened, and if you start down a cynical path of skepticism of believing it was too fantastical, crazy, or amazing to be anything more than fiction—I get it. I understand, I really, truly do. If I had not lived every single moment of this, I may have had a difficult time believing it, too. That’s where faith will come in for you.
I am living proof of what Christ Jesus can do in the hearts and minds of his disciples who persevere in the work of the saints, all the way through healing to miracles and dreams come true, and this is my gospel of joy.
For more about The Gospel of Joy, click here, for more about Shannon, click here, to connect, click here, to return to the home page, click here.
❤️
www.ShannonofJoy.com