Sons Arise! – Page 6 – Sons of Issachar

313. The Eternal Record of Our Identity

Mike Parsons –

The dance floor is where we begin to take on the image of sonship
by engaging with the character, nature and essence of God.

On the dance floor we get to know Father, Son and Spirit intimately,
experiencing their fragrance, frequency, and unique characteristics. They are indeed all God, but they also display distinct qualities that create a personal and intimate connection. Through engaging with each of them, we become intertwined with their light in a beautiful, transforming dance.

[This is an excerpt from my book, Into the Dark Cloud. If you are looking for transformation in an intimate relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit, this book is for you.]

On the dance floor of our hearts, we can engage with the eternal record of our identity, the song of all songs. This record describes who we are in God’s eyes.

I find great joy and delight as the light of God surrounds me and initiates transformation. I am being transfigured and transformed by the light, which effectively brings my two human strands of DNA into alignment with my third light strand, the one that carries my eternal record. I am being conformed to the image of who I truly am, my new creation self, aligning with the characteristics of God.

Through engaging with the nine characteristics of God I become aligned with His image, and this alignment profoundly impacts and changes me.

We can be immersed in the depths of the Father, Son and Spirit, taking us to a whole different level of connection. We can be clothed with Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with the armour of light, of righteousness, and the whole armour of God. Such experiences help us become who we truly are in Him.

The dance floor is not a one-size-fits-all formula that guarantees specific experiences at certain times. Rather, it is a journey that continually unfolds according to the seasons and circumstances of our lives. Sometimes we instantly connect with a revelation or experience, while at other times it may be released to us gradually.

We cannot impose a fixed timeline or try to rationalise everything cognitively. It is better simply to receive and allow the experiences to unfold in their proper season. Even if we do not fully comprehend what is happening in the moment, we can trust that deeper levels of revelation and transformation will be made available to us as we progress.

Experiencing God’s presence is not limited to a specific set of actions, reactions or sensations. Whether we see, feel, or sense anything, our spirits will receive what God imparts to us.

Key takeaway

We can begin to take on the image of sonship as we engage with the character, nature and essence of God.

Mike’s latest book, Into the Dark Cloud is now out in print, and can be ordered from all good booksellers worldwide, and amazon. Or you can get the ebook delivered instantly right now!

Thank you!

Note: This donation is securely handled through PayPal but you do not need to have a PayPal account yourself to make a one-time donation.
For repeating donations, if you do not have (or want) a PayPal account please support us through Patreon instead.

312. How We Are Wired To Restore Creation

Mike Parsons –

Our redemptive gift is the particular way we are wired that enables us to engage effectively in restoring creation. God intends us to be involved in that restoration as sons and co-creators with Jesus.

[I am reading from my book Into the Dark Cloud]

My redemptive gift is prophet/teacher. When I look at the world, I am looking to see how things work. In every situation I want to understand how it has come about and what has occurred. What can I learn? How can I explain that? What is behind that event?

As a child, I was always inquisitive and loved taking things apart to discover how they worked. Of course, at five or six years old, I couldn’t put most of them back together again. My mum was always pulling her hair out:

“You’ve broken it.”
“I wanted to see how it worked.”
“Well, now it doesn’t work at all!”

Later, when I discovered movies, I was always drawn to tales of quests and adventures of discovery, because that is how I am made.

Our redemptive gift shapes the way we see and interact with the world,
and therefore helps to determine the course of our lives. I may see things one way: someone else will experience the same situation or event and consider it through the lens of their own redemptive gift.

Jesus is the fullness of all the redemptive gifts, and we would all say we desire to become more Christ-like. In that case, we may sometimes feel limited or defined by our redemptive gift, but that is just our soul’s natural thinking.

As we become conformed to His image, we will demonstrate more of the gifts; but initially each of us has a primary and a secondary gift, shaping how we think, feel, and act by default. We did not have to learn it; it is just how we are. This gift is put into us at conception, into our soul. When Adam became a living being or a living soul, he was created with a redemptive gift.

All of us are creative in some way, whether we recognise it or not, since we are all made in God’s image. Some will express creativity in art, poetry or music, some in science, industry, commerce or other ways. That creativity within us derives from the image of God in us – but ultimately, He wants us to be doing the things that Jesus did (and greater ones).

Key takeaway

Jesus is the fullness of all the redemptive gifts; as we become increasingly conformed to His image, we will demonstrate more of the gifts.

Mike’s latest book, Into the Dark Cloud is now out in print, and can be ordered from all good booksellers worldwide, and amazon. Or you can get the ebook delivered instantly right now!

Thank you!

311. Death Has No Hold Over Me

Mike Parsons –

Through communion, death has no hold over me.
The wages of sin is death, and Jesus has already dealt with sin.
But if there are still remnants of death within me,
inherited through my generational lines and encoded in my DNA, they are still able to manifest.

I embrace the truth that Jesus is the living bread that came from heaven; by eating that bread, I will not die.

This is an excerpt from my latest book, Into the Dark Cloud. If you have ever wondered what Jesus meant when He said we could eat His flesh and not die, that is what I am writing about in this excerpt.

“I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” (John 6:48-51).

Jesus really did say “and not die.”

There are people who have not died and are still alive, hundreds and hundreds of years old. They are often called hermits, or ancient ones, and they are somewhat changed by the process of living that long with God.

I do not intend to die either; therefore I want everything in me removed that could cause me to do so. I take communion so that there is no death operating in me. The plan of God is not for us to die and go to heaven; it is for us to have age-enduring life, living from the Kingdom of God within us.

If we have unknowingly made a covenant with death,
believing that we can only truly experience heaven after we die, let us break those agreements and mindsets. We can encounter God face to face, now, and become transformed into His likeness. The death and resurrection of Jesus have already overcome death, so we do not need to die. Jesus died our death on the cross, so that we would not have to. Now, all of us who believe in Him have the life of God at work within us.

We have spiritualised it to avoid believing it.

Not dying does not simply refer to life after physical death, but to a life that transcends death in this age and for all ages to come.

The resurrection changed everything. Jesus made it possible for all of us to have a relationship with God and experience exactly the same quality of life that He has.

Key takeaways

Jesus really did say “and not die.”
His resurrection changed everything.

Into the Dark Cloud is now out in print, and can be ordered from all good booksellers worldwide. Or you can get the ebook delivered instantly right now!

310. Embrace Vulnerability, Find Affirmation

Mike Parsons reading an excerpt from his latest book, Into the Dark Cloud, which is out today! Get it in print or as an ebook.
More info https://eg.freedomarc.org/books

We need a process of restoration, and only God can restore us. We can meet God as our Father. We can have encounters with Him, and He wants to meet us in that way. But let’s go beyond just seeing it as an exercise.

I encourage you to think about it ahead of time and give God the opportunity to show you if there are any areas that need resolution.

Are there any unmet needs within you?
Are you still seeking affirmation from others, because you have not fully received it from the Father?

We will run into trouble if we keep seeking approval from others because they will inevitably let us down. Nobody is perfect. And then we might feel betrayed, wounded, and hurt, causing us to build walls around us.

There were times when I could be surrounded by people, even in a small group, and still feel alone; I would have my barriers up, protecting myself from getting hurt. Despite being in the presence of others, I felt isolated. But when those barriers finally came down and my wounds from my father and from betrayal were healed, suddenly I was free to be myself. I no longer had to compare myself to anyone else. I could embrace vulnerability, be open, and freely share.

Now I know that other people’s opinions and judgments do not define me: it is what God says about me that matters. I know how deeply He loves me. I know the beautiful things He has spoken over my life and the revelations He has given me. That is how I measure my worth and purpose.

So, let others say whatever they want, positive or negative, neither have any effect on me. I have learned to forgive and release people, especially when they are acting hurtfully. My identity and confidence come solely from God, my Heavenly Father, who has lovingly shaped me into who I am today.

So here is what I urge you to do: allow God to uncover any unresolved areas in your life. Maybe there are still some lingering scars that need healing and restoration. God cares for you more than you care about yourself, more than anyone else could possibly care about you.

He also wants to help you and to fulfil every need you have. He put those needs for acceptance, approval, affirmation, and significance in you because He wants to meet them. So if you are trying to find fulfilment for them from your spouse, friends, children, or anyone else, they will never be able to give you what God can give you. If you are seeking fulfilment elsewhere, you are looking in the wrong place.

Let Him reveal who you truly are and show you where you came from. Let Him take you back to that wonderful place of security within His embrace, where you can truly shine and understand your purpose in life. But beware: do not rush into chasing your purpose without truly knowing who you are. Otherwise, you can easily fall into the trap of striving and trying to discover your purpose through endless activity.

These are deep questions we all face. Take some time to let these things sink in. Find somewhere quiet where you are or go for a walk if you prefer. Give yourself that space now to ask the important questions: is there anything still unresolved in my relationship with God as Father, or in my relationships with my earthly father or others?

Key Takeaway

Do not rush into chasing your purpose, without truly knowing who you are.

Into the Dark Cloud is out in print today, and can be ordered from all good booksellers worldwide. Or you can get the ebook delivered instantly right now!

309. Experience love – and be free!

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

Engaging in love, joy and peace within the eternal heart of God has transformed my entire life. God has challenged my understanding of who He is, my mindset and my beliefs about Him. He has shown me love, love, and more love in ways I could never have imagined.

At this point, all I desire is a deep relationship with Him.
The way I look at and engage with the world has changed as a result of that.

I am beginning to experience what it means to live loved. It changes everything. Life takes on a whole new perspective: I do not feel obliged or bound by anything, I am free to be myself within the context of a loving relationship with my Father.

God is love, and He wants me to experience that love and be free within it.
Because of that, I can live a life filled with love and demonstrate that love to others. After all, “God so loved the world that He gave…” and Jesus told us to love one another just as He loved us.

In order to do that, we must be able to receive love ourselves. How can we love, if we have not received His love? It would be superficial, limited to a mere physical or emotional affection. But God desires to take us deeper into a love that surpasses that between friends, romantic partners or spouses,
into agape love, unconditional love. To love in such a way, we must first receive it ourselves. That is why God wants us to receive and experience His love.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).

This Word, Jesus, came to reveal love to us. In His earthly life He fully expressed the image of the Father. He even said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.”

So, what do we think God is like?
Do we see Him as being like Jesus?
Or as a distant figure from the Old Testament?

It can be confusing to have a divided perception of God, as if He were somehow two-faced, so that we could never be sure which face we would encounter. My view of God used to be more aligned with an old covenant perspective; but Jesus was awesome, so I focused mostly on Him.

But there is no difference between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in their nature of love. They are all expressions of love, and they want us to experience that love.

Into the Dark Cloud is out in print on 14th February, but you can get the ebook – suitable for kindle – delivered instantly today!

Key Takeaway

God is love, and He wants you to experience that love and be free within it.

306. Reflecting on My Journey with God

Mike Parsons

Reflecting on my personal journey, I found immense joy in being led by God rather than following a rigid set of practices. It wasn’t about ticking off tasks but allowing my senses to be trained, within the relationship I shared with God. If I were to offer advice, I would suggest a less systematic and more relational approach, emphasising the importance of being led, enjoying the journey, and avoiding unnecessary stress.

Our journey with God isn’t a duty; it’s a dynamic relationship. Whilst the Engaging God programme can be a useful guide, it’s showcasing possibilities rather than dictating a routine. I wouldn’t change my journey, as it uniquely unfolded based on my relational connection with God. However, I’ve added basic meditation and rest at the beginning of each day to enhance the experience of simply being, not doing.

It’s about enjoying the journey, and I encourage others to be led by what resonates with them rather than adhering strictly to a predetermined order. Following God’s guidance is paramount, since every individual is at a different stage in their journey. I stress the importance of being led to what personally resonates, acknowledging that everyone’s path is unique. One size definitely does not fit all, and that’s perfectly fine.

Key takeaway

Approaching the journey from a place of rest, enjoying the process rather than fixating on the destination, leads to the unfolding of identity and the revelation of destiny through a deep and relational connection with God.

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])

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])

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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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.
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

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.