Restoring First Love

Mike Parsons

We are in a love awakening, a grace awakening, a joy awakening, a peace awakening, a true God awakening. The world is beginning to awaken, not necessarily the church, but the world – and those within the church who are open to pursuing something deep inside that’s calling them. I encourage everyone to embrace these awakenings and not hold back.

Video summary:

In this new series, I’ll share the journey that led to my restoration of my first love relationship with the Father, enabling me to discover my identity as a Son of God. Some struggle with being called a son or a bride, but in God’s eyes, we’re all sons. Gender doesn’t matter here; it’s about our identity and relationship with God. Our identity is rooted in our origin in God, discovered through first love. Sonship is about identity, relationship, and authority as co-heirs with Jesus.

Quotes

I’ve found some quotes to share. Don Keathley of the Grace Awakening Network says, “Not one single person on the planet is in Adam. If you’re in Adam, then Jesus was not the last Adam. We are new creations in Jesus.” We need to renew our minds to this truth. Jesus came to give us the doorway into full union with the Father now, in this world.

Luke Agee says, “Revelations are actually memories from your spirit that you forgot you knew, entering from your heart into your soul and mind.” Discovering our origin in first love can restore these memories, revealing who we were before and our full identity.

A Glorious Entanglement

Titus 1:2 in the Mirror Bible says, “This is the life of the ages, anticipated for generations.” All prophetic expectation was looking forward to our original design, which was in God’s heart before time and space existed. God’s desire for union and relationship with us inspired creation.

Galatians 2:20 in the Mirror Bible says, “Here I am, dead and alive at the same time. I’m dead to the old me I was trying to be, and alive to the real me, which is Christ in me.” This signifies our union with God. We’re co-crucified and now co-alive, in a glorious entanglement with Him. This union allows us to live freely, being our true selves immersed in His faith.

Living from Union

Our new nature is now a divine union. Jesus is resetting us from unbelief to knowing with certainty, so we can believe and experience everything He says. Let’s realign our internal world to this truth, trusting in Jesus’ every word spoken to us and living from the strength of our union with Him.

Activation: Be Entwined in Love’s Embrace

God wants us to experience rest, to abandon our soul into His unconditional love. Close your eyes and think about living loved. Breathe deeply, feeling His love flow through you.

Picture the door of first love within your spirit and open it. Welcome the presence of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Embrace the union and intimacy with them, and let their love surround you.

God calls us to step out of the boat of independence and sink into the ocean of love, joy, and peace. He calls forth our true identity as sons and co-heirs, inviting us to rest in His love, joy, and peace.

Stay in this place of rest and let it be a constant in your life.

Mike Parsons

Video Summary

Restoring First Love

In this new series, as the world awakens to love, grace, joy, peace, and the truth of God’s nature, I will be sharing my journey of rediscovering my identity as God’s child and breaking free from self-imposed limitations. It is time to discover who we truly are and embrace the depth of unconditional love to find genuine connection with God. Are you defined by others or by your past? In the ocean of unconditional love, we discover our true identity and realise that as His beloved children, God is drawing us back into intimate communion with Him.

First love, whether with God or another person, is a captivating experience that consumes our thoughts, leaving us eagerly anticipating the next encounter. First love signifies a prioritisation, placing it above all else in our lives – before family, work, or possessions. If our relationship with God is our top priority, everything else falls into place. First love is our eternal identity, originating in Perichoresis.

God’s pursuit of intimacy with us is like a marriage, symbolising the deep union He desires. This journey is personal, inspiring each of us to embark on our own. Our union with God is not just spiritual; it involves a profound connection of spirit, soul and body, becoming one flesh. Jesus’ promise of preparing a place for us speaks of dwelling with Him presently, not just in the future. This intimacy transcends physical union and gender, restoring our true identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. The process leading to this consummation is like a betrothal.

Intimacy with the Father

As individuals and humanity, we’ve strayed from God’s path, seeking independence, yet He relentlessly pursues us like a good shepherd. His love remains constant and unwavering, demonstrated in Christ. Through the Spirit, we’re adopted as God’s children, heirs with Christ, experiencing profound intimacy with the Father. First love isn’t merely an emotional state; it’s our eternal identity, essential for our destiny. Like the Ephesian church mentioned in Revelation, we may have prioritised duty over intimacy, but God invites us back into that deep, intimate relationship with Him.

Sacrificial love

In Greek, eros represents erotic love, absent in the New Testament; phileo denotes deep liking or friendship, affection and camaraderie; storge reflects natural affection within families and spouses in a healthy marriage; agape, God’s love, is characterised by deliberate action, choosing to love even our enemies, mirroring God’s selflessness. This sacrificial love, evident throughout Scripture, calls us to restore first love for God, ourselves, and others.

My friend Lindy shared that God had been asking her how much she loved herself. That is an important question for us all to ponder.

More than a fleeting emotion

Love is more than a fleeting emotion; it embodies the essence of God and is the most potent force in existence. As Jesus instructed us to love one another as he loved us, we see that true love originates from God and manifests in our actions. This agape love cannot be manufactured independently but springs from our connection to God. It is practical, selfless and unwavering, seeking others’ highest good without expecting anything in return. Love confronts challenges with truth and humility, inspiring kindness and reconciliation, even amidst opposition.

Resting in His love

Ultimately, God’s love encompasses every aspect of our being, forming the bedrock of His kingdom and leading us to experience His presence and purpose fully. Love is described in the Song of Songs as unquenchable flames of fire, stronger than death. It is the ultimate force for good, offering acceptance, affirmation, and worth. God has sung an eternal song of love to us since the dawn of time. To embrace this love, we must surrender completely, casting aside our fears and insecurities to trust in God’s unconditional love. Resting in His love is key.