January 2024 – Sons of Issachar

305. Desire, Discipline, Delight

Mike Parsons reads from his latest book, ‘Into the Dark Cloud’. –

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Only the truth that you know will set you free. How are we going to know the truth? Not by reading someone else’s book or doing someone else’s course – not even mine! What that can do is stimulate us to find it for ourselves by engaging God, who will reveal the truth to each of us so that we can live in it.

Desire, discipline, delight

So when this book gets into some tough areas, please do not tune out, switch off or walk away. If it gets difficult, surrender to God. Again, I am not saying that you have to take my word for anything: be still and wait in rest, and see if He has something to say to you about it.

That was the process God took me through: learning to be still and wait in rest. For two years I had loved being still, waiting and resting; until He told me to, and then I could not do it anymore.

That sometimes happens because it challenges the whole dynamic of what works for us! Generally it is our soul becoming uncomfortable in facing what it needs to face.

I went through various stages and processes of transformation, such as dealing with trading floors in my own heart, its motivations, thoughts and intentions. It was not at all pleasant for my soul because I had to admit that I was not very nice in some ways, and that my motivation was often not entirely pure. It was not easy, but because I knew the love of God it enabled me to trust Him, so instead of becoming defensive, I learned to surrender.

It was horrible to think that I was really like that: that my motives really were driven by my soul’s need or desire. But I realised that God loved me anyway so I was able to let it go. If I had gone with my feelings I would have stopped right there and never made it through to transformation.

If you get to a crisis point, try not to back off. Personal desire and pursuit will take you through the discipline to the delight. Stick with it. It can require fortitude and discipline to press on through but when you come out on the other side, I can promise you it will have been worth it.

Key takeaway

Instead of becoming defensive, I learned to surrender.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

304. Wrath is not the solution | PSA [2]
303. The Nature of God’s Love
302. Practice, practice, practice…
301. Trauma Response | How memories can control our emotions
Into the Dark Cloud
300. Be Transformed Through Intimacy.
299. PSA Sounds Nothing Like Jesus! (Penal Substitutionary Atonement [1])

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304. Wrath is not the solution | Penal Substitutionary Atonement [2]

Mike Parsons

Problem two with penal substitutionary atonement theory is that it makes a wrathful violence the solution to everything. PSA claims that God’s justice will not allow Him to just forgive sin; instead, His wrath must be poured out – on an innocent, in this case, Jesus – and His justice be satisfied so He can forgive the guilty (us). And again, that concept presents God as a completely violent and wrathful Being, when He is love. He’s not anger. He’s not wrath. He’s not violence. He’s love.

That is the second real, big, giant problem with the theory of atonement – and the the word ‘atonement’ really just means ‘why Jesus died on the cross’ – ‘what He was doing on the cross’ – it makes wrathful violence the solution to all our problems: in short, violence is actually the answer. Well we know that can’t be true because of Jesus’ teaching, and Jesus’ life, and everything He represented. PSA claims that God must violently punish to satisfy His justice. Now, we can counter that by saying if God had to use violence to solve the problem, we elevate violence as a viable solution for people’s problems. “If God did it, then why can’t I do it?”

That actually is why people can justify the Crusades, and all sorts of persecution of people, and ‘salvation by the sword’, and all that type of thing that happened in the past because they were coming from an Old Testament perspective. And God wasn’t even that God in the Old Testament, because He’s the same, He never changes: He has always been love.

Their view of him was wrong and Jesus came to truly reveal what God was fully like. Even when Peter used a sword to cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear, what did Jesus do? He didn’t commend Peter for violently cutting off his ear, he put his ear back and healed him. Very clearly, the pictures and some of the illustrations that use the terminology of a sword coming to divide were examples of division, nothing to do with violence.

Another claim of PSA is that God punished Jesus on the cross as an expression of His wrath. Again I think we can counter that – the idea of God using violence directly contradicts the ethics taught and lived by Jesus, who is God. There is not one instance where Jesus who is God suggests this in His teaching, especially The Sermon on the Mount. Therefore it contradicts the core of Jesus’ teaching, which is to show mercy, to love our enemies and to never use violence to solve anything.

I think mercy triumphs over man’s desire and need for justice, for sacrifice for offering, and all the other things we have created in our own forms of religion.

Key takeaway

According to PSA, violence is actually the answer. Yet this directly contradicts the ethics lived and taught by Jesus.

This is part of an occasional series taken from ‘The Chariot of Ascension‘: in which Mike began to discuss 7 problems with PSA (as identified by Bryan Finley).

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

303. The Nature of God’s Love
302. Practice, practice, practice…
301. Trauma Response | How memories can control our emotions
Into the Dark Cloud
300. Be Transformed Through Intimacy.
299. PSA Sounds Nothing Like Jesus! (Penal Substitutionary Atonement [1])

303. The Nature of God’s Love

Mike Parsons

It is not that all religions lead to God, but that we can choose to accept and love people who hold different beliefs. God loves everyone, no matter what they believe. He loves Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs (and everyone else) just as much as He loves Christians. No more, no less – they just do not know that love in the same way. Telling others they are wrong or are leading people astray and that they will go to hell is counter-productive and falsely represents God’s nature.

God can reveal Himself to anyone. Taking a positive approach towards others makes them more likely to think of God as good, so that when they do meet Jesus, they are more likely to consider following Him than if they have experienced hostility from an unfriendly church. Rick Warren is someone who takes flak for engaging with other faith groups, yet all he is doing is reaching out and showing love – which is what the good news is all about. Whatever our doctrinal disagreements might be with him, he is reflecting God’s love in a way that others are not.

God is not looking at whether you have all your I’s dotted and your T’s crossed in doctrine: He is looking at love. He is looking at your heart. If we are loving, that is more a reflection of Him than if our belief system is in line. If you have great doctrine but you do not show love, what is the point of that? You are nothing but a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal (see 1 Cor 13:1). If you do not show love, your faith is empty and hollow and it has no power and no effect. It is about what you do with people, not what you say to them.

Key takeaway:

If you have great doctrine but you do not show love, what is the point of that? You are nothing but a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

302. Practice, practice, practice…
Into the Dark Cloud
301. Trauma Response | How memories can control our emotions
300. Be Transformed Through Intimacy.
299. PSA Sounds Nothing Like Jesus! (Penal Substitutionary Atonement [1])
298. Revealing the Function of the Earth Shield
297. Most people don’t want to know God – and I wouldn’t either!
290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation

302. Practice, practice, practice…

Mike Parsons

This is an excerpt from my latest book, Into the Dark Cloud.
[Amazon not offering it for pre-order or sale in your location? Try Barnes & Noble or buy and download the ebook instantly]

In my journey I had to practise to hear God’s voice (because I could not hear Him); then I had to practise to see in the spirit (because I could not do that either). Then after I engaged heaven the first time, involuntarily, I had to practise what God showed me to do because I did not know how to get back there.

I practised these things every day, over and over again. Nowadays I do not need to practise them anymore, and I no longer need to do ‘activations’ in my own life, because engaging with God and with the heavenly realms has become my lifestyle. I engage God every day and journal those encounters. I really love listening to Him and He shares His heart with me.

That is my testimony.

If you want a deeper relationship with God for yourself, and if you really desire sonship, you will have to pursue it. It will not just fall into your lap. At times God will give you something to inspire you or encourage you and sometimes they may be completely unexpected (like my involuntary engagement with heaven – I was sitting at my desk when a portal opened and suddenly I was in heaven). But God showed me that was possible in order to give me the option to pursue it. I could have settled for an occasional supernatural encounter every now and again but I really wanted to develop it into a lifestyle.

It was not easy, even to get started. The next day I sat at my desk again waiting for the portal to open. I tried for two years to get that portal to open, without success. Nothing worked, not one thing I tried. They might work for others; they did not work for me, because God had a different process for me to go through. Eventually I got to the point of saying “Okay, God, if You want this then it’s over to You now.”

I have got to that stage a number of times in my life – not giving up on the desire – just realising that I was coming to the end of what I could do. If I had come to that realisation earlier, perhaps it would not have taken two years before God took me back into that realm and then taught me how to stay in there or go in and out at will. What the Father wanted to show me was that everything with Him is relational, not formulaic. So if anyone offers you a formula, I suggest you treat it cautiously because it may be something from God which works for them but when they export it (or try to franchise it), it really does not work as regularly or effectively for other people.

That was part of my journey and my testimony of experiencing what I do now as a lifestyle of living in this state of being; but I went through the

process of practising, developing, growing and maturing so I could live in that realm.

Key takeaway

If you want a deeper relationship with God for yourself, and if you really desire sonship, you will have to pursue it. It will not just fall into your lap.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

301. Trauma Response | How memories can control our emotions
Into the Dark Cloud
300. Be Transformed Through Intimacy.
299. PSA Sounds Nothing Like Jesus! (Penal Substitutionary Atonement [1])
298. Revealing the Function of the Earth Shield
297. Most people don’t want to know God – and I wouldn’t either!
290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation

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301. Trauma Response | How memories can control our emotions

Mike Parsons

Emotions are a good servant and a bad master. The negative reactions we experience are often triggered by mindsets or neural pathways connected to memories. Predicting and controlling emotional responses can be difficult, but the restoration and healing of memories can lead to wholeness. Recognising our triggers and negative reactions is the first step, and in the Engaging God programme, I set out a process called Trauma to Transformation, exploring the roots of trauma with Jesus and the Father for healing.

When trauma surfaces, it provides an opportunity to explore its roots and understand why triggers occur for us. Walking through these memories with Jesus and the Father is a healing process, replacing neural pathways associated with trauma with pathways to the truth. This structured approach takes time but reduces the likelihood of repeated triggering. Meanwhile, in moments of overwhelming emotions, avoid condemnation or guilt. Turn to the Father, quickly re-centre yourself, and practise deep breathing to regain control until you can address the entire dynamic.

God wants to separate our soul and spirit, in order to properly reintegrate them. Our spirit does not need purifying as it has never been polluted; however, things we have done or had done to us can negatively impact our soul. When I go to sleep at night, I lie down in green pastures by quiet waters. I ask the Father to restore my soul, trusting Him as the Shepherd of my soul. I present myself as a living sacrifice, continually surrendered for Him to do whatever He wishes, and I respond when He reveals something. In this way, triggers can be dealt with, as the Father reveals their roots.

Several years ago, I faced an unexpectedly intense emotional response, which the Father revealed as stemming from childhood trauma from which I had completely dissociated. Rather than succumbing to the darkness, I chose to focus on finding peace and rest in the Father’s love. It took a few months, but over time He revealed and addressed the root cause and brought healing.

The sacrifice does not prepare itself; the high priest does. I offer myself to God daily, allowing Him to do as He pleases. I maintain my focus on Him, without pressuring Him to address my issues. I trust His guidance and surrender everything to Him, relying on His provision to renew my mind, heal my emotions, and restore me completely.

Key takeaway:

Focus on God, and allow Him to lead and guide the process. Trust in His love and provision for complete renewal in spirit, soul, and body.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

300. Be Transformed Through Intimacy.
299. PSA Sounds Nothing Like Jesus! (Penal Substitutionary Atonement [1])
298. Revealing the Function of the Earth Shield
297. Most people don’t want to know God – and I wouldn’t either!
290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation

Into the Dark Cloud

Mike Parsons

He made darkness His hiding place,
His canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
(Psalm 18:11).

The Dark Cloud was a process that I went into to engage God face to face. He hides himself within a dark cloud to protect us, so that we cannot access His actual Presence in a way which would completely overwhelm or obliterate us in our mind (and we would probably just not be able to cope).

So He prepares us for a level of relationship and face-to-face intimacy of which in the beginning I had no concept of at all. I was engaging with the presence of God, talking to Him and fellowshipping with Him – but I did not realise that there was a dimension to God that was beyond that. To bring me into the freedom of how I am now living, in multi-dimensional realms, my soul and spirit had to be separated and reintegrated.

He knew that I was not yet at that point. My soul was to a degree tethered to my spirit, on a short leash. We would go in to the heavenly realms and come back out – my spirit could not stay there. But God wanted me to live in that realm in a multi-dimensional way, so He had to start the process of my soul giving up and surrendering my rights to control or to choose my own way of doing it.

God showed me a dark cloud. I was in a dark cloud a number of times during worship: I was not frightened but I just could not find my way. It was so thick that I could not see anything. I thought “I must be in the dark cloud – I’m going to go and see God” but I did not know how to get there or do that; they were just experiences.

Then God gave me this challenge to spend four months with Him. And I think what God did during that process for me was to remove the power that my spirit had in bringing some sense of government into my life. He removed that to let the soul operate so that I could sense what it was really like.

I thought I trusted God implicitly; I realised I only trusted God when I knew what He was doing…

Key takeaway

God is looking to prepare us for a level of relationship and face-to-face intimacy beyond what we can think or even imagine.

Into the Dark Cloud (book and ebook)

Mike’s latest book, Into the Dark Cloud, is out in paperback on February 14th 2024. Pre-order it from amazon.com (if available), amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers – or you can get the ebook from our website today!

[Please help us: amazon.com is not currently offering the book for sale (though there is a page for it). The more people search for it there, and visit the page, the more likely that will change!]

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

300. Be Transformed Through Intimacy

Mike Parsons

Engaging with God intimately is a journey of transformation, as we spend time in the light of His love. It is not about rigid doctrines or rituals; it is about being in His presence, letting that love shape us into the very image He always intended. This transformation can even affect elements like our DNA and family history, as we align with the Father’s revelations. It is a journey of ‘becoming’, in which we are guided by His wisdom and respond practically to His leading.

This is a state of being in which we are constantly aware of His unconditional love, limitless grace, and triumphant mercy. Dwelling in Him allows for a richer relationship, yet our focus remains on being present in that love, not necessarily noticing, recalling or dissecting every detail. Shifting our perspective from a frantic pursuit of ‘doing’, we can embrace a life of ‘being’ – dwelling in love, intimacy, and rest. Any actions we take in the spiritual realm come from that place of rest, often without a cognitive understanding of what is happening.

Living multi-dimensionally involves being present in multiple realms simultaneously, led by the Spirit, and always from a place of rest. The mindset of what we should or should not do is replaced by a focus on enjoying life, rejoicing, and embracing love, joy, and peace – even amidst life’s storms and challenges.

Key takeaway

Shaped by love: Let God’s unconditional love shape us as we are guided by His wisdom and respond practically to His leading.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

299. PSA Sounds Nothing Like Jesus! (Penal Substitutionary Atonement [1])
298. Revealing the Function of the Earth Shield
297. Most people don’t want to know God – and I wouldn’t either!
296. A New Perspective on the Millennium (2)
295. A New Perspective on the Millennium (1)
290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation

299. PSA Sounds Nothing Like Jesus! (Penal Substitutionary Atonement [1])

Mike Parsons

Penal substitutionary atonement refers to the doctrine that Christ died on the cross as a substitute for sinners. God imputed the guilt of our sins to Christ, and he, in our place, bore the punishment that we deserve (Theopedia).

Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA) Theory faces a significant challenge when we consider it in the light of Jesus’ life and teachings. There is a stark disparity between PSA and the person of Jesus, who is the incarnation of God and the very image of the Father. PSA appears to align with the Old Testament perception of God from a Hebrew standpoint rather than embracing the New Testament revelation embodied by Jesus.

PSA’s assertion that God cannot be in the presence of sin (due to His holiness) may resonate with evangelical doctrine. But in that case, none of us could be in God’s presence and He would not be able to even look at us. The idea that God turns His back on the world is nonsensical. And if God could not be in the presence of sin, then surely Jesus could not be either? And yet He spent time around prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners!

PSA also says that God cannot forgive sin without some form of punishment, contradicting Jesus’ consistent demonstration of unconditional forgiveness. Even on the cross, when He was undergoing punishment (by men, not by God) Jesus forgave without demanding punishment for anyone: “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” PSA argues that God’s standard of justice is higher than ours and demands payment. In reality, it is we who demand payment, in the religious systems we have created.

Jesus challenged prevailing Hebrew notions of justice rooted in violence and retribution. He urged a shift from an “eye for an eye” mentality to a radical perspective of love, turning the other cheek and extending kindness to enemies. Genuine forgiveness harbours no resentment against enemies; and God, in His mercy, holds nothing against mankind. Let us allow the discrepancy between PSA and Jesus’ person and teachings to prompt a critical re-evaluation of our theological perspectives, to ensure we are aligning with the profound love and forgiveness exemplified by Jesus, even if this challenges the preconceived notions deeply ingrained in our theological traditions.

To be continued…
This is intended to be an occasional series on PSA theory.
The video above is taken from a longer one already available on YouTube:
Discover the Chariot of Ascension | Unconditional Love (18)

H/T Bryan Finley

Key takeaway

Love and forgiveness: God, in His mercy, holds nothing against us – and never has. Let’s ensure we are aligning with His profound love and forgiveness as exemplified by Jesus, even if this challenges our preconceived religious notions.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

298. Revealing the Function of the Earth Shield
297. Most people don’t want to know God – and I wouldn’t either!
296. A New Perspective on the Millennium (2)
295. A New Perspective on the Millennium (1)
290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation

298. Revealing the Function of the Earth Shield

Mike Parsons

The Earth Shield, as I have encountered it during meetings with other leaders around the world, serves the primary function of shielding the Earth from external influences, including dimensional forces; it aims to safeguard God’s work on Earth. Participating in the Earth Shield involves collaboration with others, including Quantum Lumens and the angelic realm.

The Earth Shield may have existed in different forms over time. It could have initially been a shield of Glory around the Earth when the Everlasting doors opened. While its exact nature is uncertain, it seems to have always been present in some way.

I have had the opportunity to work with various groups within the Engaging God program participating in the Earth Shield. This involves both shielding the Earth from external influences and legislating the Father’s desires into the Earth. It is a collaborative effort, requiring union and oneness of heart.

A person’s involvement with the Earth Shield is based on what the Father assigns. Although it is not an elitist concept, spiritual maturity is a vital aspect. I advise anyone to seek permission to engage in the shield from the Father, based on their calling and leading.

Participation in the Earth Shield has expanded our reach, allowing engagement with the solar system and opening avenues to other realms. It has facilitated access to the Everlasting Doors and various gates. Whilst I am happy to share my experiences, I am not an expert, and there is much more to be experienced and learned about the Earth Shield.

Key takeaway

Any involvement with the Earth Shield is based on what the Father assigns, so seek permission to engage in it from Him.

Recent posts from Freedom ARC

297. Most people don’t want to know God – and I wouldn’t either!
296. A New Perspective on the Millennium (2)
295. A New Perspective on the Millennium (1)
290. Discovering the Reality of Salvation

297. Most people don’t want to know God – and I wouldn’t either!

Mike Parsons

God never does anything bad; that is the devil. Unfortunately, Christianity has often conveyed a distorted view of God, so that most people don’t want to know God – and I wouldn’t either, if that was what He is like!

The Old Testament introduced a system of sacrifices and offerings, which God never desired. Some Old Testament prophets even spoke against sacrifices and offerings, challenging the traditional belief that God mandated them. The confusion arises from perceiving God as angry in the Old Testament and happy in the New – and many contemporary prophecies still depict an angry God, which only perpetuates the confusion. The root of this misunderstanding is the pathway of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which presents a false representation of God. When Adam and Eve went their own way, God sought to meet and reconcile with them, not to destroy them.

The problem lies in our reliance on the Bible for understanding God, rather than personal experience. The authors of the New Testament wrote from their experiences with God, not theoretical perspectives. Our focus should be on hearing God’s voice today through personal, intimate relationship, rather than relying on interpreting a book written for a different time and another people. We have the promise of hearing His voice directly, so we can enjoy a current, dynamic, intimate connection with God.

Key takeaway

The authors of the New Testament wrote from their experiences with God, not theoretical perspectives. Our focus should be on hearing God’s voice today through personal, intimate relationship.