Tag: Jesus

340. Don’t Live on the Trickle!

Mike Parsons

Don’t live on the trickle flowing under the threshold of the gate. Open it to go ankle-deep, knee-deep, waist-deep until it floods and fills us with abundant life.

Series information: You can only get the full-length videos of Mike’s new monthly series “Restoring First Love” when you sign up at eg.freedomarc.org/first-love.

Video Summary

There was a long lead-up to these experiences, and God had been preparing me my whole life. Hindsight is wonderful, and looking back, I see many signposts on my journey. At the time, I didn’t understand the experiences, but they were all part of God’s plan.

Questions

Questions worth asking include: Where is my first love gate? Where is the Garden of our heart? Are these literal places? They describe our soul and how God engages us. They are figurative, yet they are places of engagement within us that relate to spirit, soul and body. My experiences in revelation were progressive. The relationship deepened over time, and as I progressed, I understood more of who God is and who I am.

Jesus is knocking

Revelation 3:20, the first verse I ever spoke about publicly, says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with me.” Initially, I interpreted this as a salvation experience, but it’s more about an inside-out experience, where God, already within us, seeks to engage our soul and body. This is about God working inside us, filling us, and sharing life with us.

Paul’s experience of God revealing His Son within him illustrates this. Paul’s revelation was a shift from his religious path to a relationship with God. He preached about God ‘in’ the Gentiles, a message of inclusion and mystic union. Initially, I rejected this concept, but over the years, God showed me the finished work of Christ and the grace message, which I now fully embrace.

Open the gate

Opening the gate of first love daily is a choice. It’s about welcoming God into an intimate relationship, which for me was like a romance. To experience God’s first love, we need to open and accept the invitation. This is a mutual relationship, not one-sided.

How do we receive and experience His love? By choosing to open the gate for an intimate, interactive love relationship. Don’t live on the trickle, but open the gate to go deeper until it floods us with abundant life.

Expressing our love for God goes beyond praise and worship; it’s about making it a priority in our lives. God is always available and promises never to leave us. He’s speaking—are we listening?

Activation: Be Entwined In Love’s Embrace

Take a moment to close your eyes, breathe slowly and deeply, and meditate on opening the first love gate. Picture a door, whether your front door or another familiar one. By choice, open that door and welcome the presence of God. Embrace this intimate relationship, stay in that embrace, and listen to God’s words of love and calling.

God calls us to step out of independence and into His ocean of love, joy, and peace. He calls forth our true identity as His sons and co-heirs, to manifest His Kingdom on Earth. Rest in His unconditional love, joy, and peace. Let this place of rest be your abiding dwelling place. Stay there as long as you need, and let it be a constant in your life.

336. Get out of the boat… and SINK!

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.

330. Find Truth Within: Trust Your Own Connection with God

Mike Parsons –

[In this online conversation Mike was talking to a particular individual, but it has relevance for all of us.]

Stop Listening to Others’ Opinions

You need to stop listening to other people – that would be where I would start! People have different views based on where they are in their journey, so some of the things they are saying are from their own perspective. They may say “the Father said this,” when actually He didn’t. Not every time someone says “the Father showed me this” is it the truth. Jesus is The Truth, not everything people say.

I would not look for people to affirm what you are hearing from the Father yourself. That is what you need to focus on. Maybe you had a wonderful experience, and then it feels like you let that be robbed from you because other people were telling you different things about certain important matters. But there is nothing more important than having time with God and enjoying His presence.

Measuring Truth by God’s Love

How do I measure whether something has the frequency of God on it or not? I use love. Is this loving? Is this a reflection of a loving God? If not, I am not going to believe it. There’s an American prophet who recently said horrible things towards the US President. He is not a prophet that spoke from God (that time). Has he spoken from God before? I’m sure he probably has, but that was not from God – it was coming from his own political agenda on the inside. That doesn’t faze me – because I don’t accept it as God since it’s not love. You can’t be cursing someone and it be from God. Sometimes you have to use love as the measure and say “okay, is this aligned with love?” If not, just reject it. But I would stop looking to a lot of different people to talk to you about different things.

Focus on Your Own Relationship with God

Personally, I don’t listen to anybody. I’m not saying that arrogantly – I spend time listening to God. Yes, I hang out with some people sometimes and talk, but I don’t listen to other people’s sermons, messages, or read their books generally. I have too much invested in my time with God and enjoying life to spend all that time looking at what God said to somebody else. Now if God asked me to listen to something, I would. I did listen to something recently from Brad Jersak on understanding why God seems so different in the Old Testament versus the New, and it was very helpful – it affirmed what I already knew. But generally, I am not looking for other people to give me that. You can become double-minded because you’re trying to understand what others are thinking and come into agreement with it, but you have to accept that some people are not talking from God, although they say they are.

The less you hear from people, the less you have that problem. It is not a problem to question what someone is saying and measure it against love. I am not going to publicly criticise those people, but inside I’m not going to accept what they’re saying because I’m questioning it and measuring against love. I would absolutely doubt what those people are saying. That’s not a problem… but doubting what God is saying to you because others are saying something contradictory or trying to sway you – or tell you what god ‘must’ be saying – now that is a problem. Don’t be swayed by the fear of man. Don’t think you need someone to affirm what God is telling you, because maybe He’s not saying it to anybody else. You need the courage of your convictions to say “I’m going to trust You, that when I come to You, what You’re saying to me is true.”

Think on the pure, lovely and good

So don’t allow things to make you crazy by letting other people affect you, whereas I won’t allow other people to affect me. Maybe the cloud of witnesses speaking to someone has a different message for that person at that point on their journey than for somebody else. Or maybe that person is just interpreting what they thought they heard through their own filters, coming to their own conclusion – it may not be what was intended at all. I don’t believe it is for us to judge somebody else, so don’t let it make you crazy. Just say “Okay, I don’t know, it doesn’t sound loving to me so I’m not going to listen to it.” Leave it there – you don’t have to go through it, it’s not your responsibility.

If it’s making you crazy, it is because you are allowing it to. Don’t focus on it. As Paul said, think on things that are pure, lovely and good. Where there is conflict, confrontation and differences of opinion – those are not good things to think about. Just let it go. Focus on the good. Focus on being that bride, that person who Jesus just wanted to make feel special, because you are special and He wants you to feel that way. Other people may not want you to feel so special – some will always be negative. Don’t doubt your own experiences and thoughts with God just because someone else contradicts it. Don’t allow them to make you sad, or struggle thinking “this isn’t right.” You had that experience, you know it was right, you know how good it was. Don’t be robbed!

Conclusion

So I feel that for a time or season, it might be good to have a period where you shut off listening to other people, including me! You don’t need to listen to anybody – give all that time to just listening to the Lord, just listening to the Father, engaging Him. Set aside a day, week, month – whatever time you want – and just focus on that, excluding all the other voices from your head. Listen to the one voice – the Voice of Love, the Voice of Truth. Then I think a lot of these things will fall into place, and you’ll realise “Hey, I don’t need this. I don’t need other people’s opinions in my life. I’m just looking at God’s opinion – that’s all that counts.”

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329. Evangelising Non-Christians: A Fresh Perspective

Mike Parsons –

In the last post, I talked about evangelising Christians. Now I turn to those who do not consider themselves Christians at all.

Challenging Preconceptions for Non-Christians

When it comes to talking to people who are not yet Christians or not yet believing, or have not yet realised what Jesus has done for them, I would start at a different place. I would probably begin by challenging what they think they know about Jesus and God, because it is probably not the truth. I would likely challenge some of the preconceptions they think they know from whatever religious upbringing they have had. I would say, “You may have thought you needed to do this or this or this, but actually God has done it all – you just have to receive it.” I would use illustrations like: “When someone buys a gift for you, they wrap it nicely, present it well, put your name on it, and then hand it to you. You didn’t buy it, you didn’t deserve it – it was a gift they gave you. But it wasn’t yours until you received it, even though your name was on it. Only when you reached out, took it, opened it, and received it as a gift could you say ‘this is now mine.’ Until then, you haven’t received anything, even though the gift is there.”

The Gift of God’s Grace

That is essentially what God has done. Jesus has reconciled everybody. He has taken away ‘the sin’ – the lost identity, their amnesia from who they really are. He has revealed the Father (as Jesus is the express image of the Father). He has shown people that it is all about love: He has called people to love one another, forgive one another. I would challenge them to see what Jesus said in light of our religious thinking – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, vengeance, God being angry and needing appeasing. To say, “It’s already been done! God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. He’s already made a relationship, already given you the Spirit and made you alive so you can know Him. He’s already done all these amazing things – why don’t you just let Him give you that experience?”

Receiving the Gift

So give them the opportunity of having that experience as well. Probably having knocked down some religious ideas like “you have to go to church, pray, read the Bible” and so on. You can say, “Who said you have to do any of those things?”  and open up a whole different vista of who God really is. It’s like the book “The Jesus I Never Knew” by Philip Yancey – he was probably brought up in the Bible Belt but never knew Jesus for who He really was. I would try to present Jesus as someone they may have thought they knew, but there’s more – a truth that probably challenges what they thought they knew.

Then I would stress the need for experience – that it is a relationship, God with us. God is in them already, wanting to reveal Himself to them. Ask them to give Him a chance. Then you can use something like “Behold I stand at the door and knock,” and say, “God is in you, within your spirit. He wants you to let Him into the rest of your life – to bless you, heal you, make you whole, remove all guilt, shame, condemnation, give you your true identity as His son, empower you to succeed and prosper.” Then get them to close their eyes, picture a door, open it, and see what happens.

Conclusion

So ultimately it all comes down to the same point – encouraging both Christians and non-Christians to experience things. But in both groups you may need to remove some preconceived ideas about what they think it is all  about and what they think might be the truth. Then help them find The Truth as a person – Jesus – through that experiential encounter with the reality of who God is and what He has already done.

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328. Experiencing God’s Love: A New Approach to Evangelising Christians

Mike Parsons –

If you are starting with people who are already professing to be Christians, you will begin in a different place than if you are engaging those who don’t.
I will get on to evangelising non-Christians in my next post. Ultimately though, both need to know the love of God and experience that love themselves, through a revelation of who He is, to fully come into the knowledge of who they are. 

Beyond Religious Conditioning

I would always start in an experiential way. If they are Christians, I will quote scriptures that point to the fact that Jesus and the Father very clearly desire an intimacy that is not religious and not based on works, performance or the old covenant. I would definitely look at the New Covenant wineskin for believers who may be conditioned or programmed by various religious beliefs. What did Jesus say we should expect? We should expect to be where He was, in the “I AM” relationship with the Father. He came and breathed on them to receive the Holy Spirit on the day of resurrection, affirming them as the new representatives of humanity: just as Adam was the first representative through whom all died, now they were the new representatives where all are made alive.

Experiential Encounters

I would emphasise that Jesus wanted them to experience His presence. Even when He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem, it was so they would be clothed with power from on high – an experiential encounter affirming what they had already experienced in being indwelt by the Holy Spirit and received new life when He breathed on them, just as the Father breathed life into Adam. This challenges the idea of a certain number of people being “born again” at some future point, when the reality is that all were born again at that resurrection moment, affirmed when He breathed on them. As He said in John 14, “On that [resurrection] day you will know I am in you and you are in me, and we are in the Father.”

Challenge the conventional

I think always stressing the experiential side is key – that we have been called to hear His voice, come boldly to the throne of grace, and enter the realms of heaven experientially because they are open. Expressing this in a practical way removes the spiritualisation of the concept and sets the expectation for what our relationship with God should be. We can challenge the conventional vaguely hopeful expectations of ‘going to heaven when we die’ with affirmations of what Jesus said we should expect in this life – being in union with each other, our love relationship allowing the world to see what it means to be in relationship with God.

Summary

In conclusion, I would definitely give people an opportunity to have their own experience of God. Make it simple, easy and accessible – don’t complicate it. Give them the opportunity of encountering God through experience, and from that point, you can open the door for them to understand so much more.

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327. Reflections on my Journey with God

Mike Parsons

My own journey and the experiences I have described to you over many years are just one example of what can happen, not something that everyone has to go through in the same way. Walk in relationship with the Father, and let Him set the agenda.

When I was fasting and engaging with God for the first time in 2010, I went through an exhaustive process of applying the blood of Jesus to the gateways of my soul, as I had heard Ian Clayton explain. It worked for me because of my disciplined nature, but I wouldn’t necessarily advise everyone to take that same approach. Instead, allow the Father to show you what He wants to deal with, and provide you with the right tools for that specific work. It’s about using the appropriate method for the job, rather than trying to force something that doesn’t fit.

Flexibility and responsiveness to the Holy Spirit are the key, not trying to impose a rigid, one-size-fits-all process. In something like Engaging God I can provide some resources, but nowadays I would advise letting the Father direct how they are applied in each person’s unique journey. Simply surrender as a living sacrifice, and allow Jesus, your High Priest, to prepare you. Keep walking in relationship with the Father, and let Him set the agenda. I have found that a formulaic, systematic approach is not the way God does things. Use the tools provided as the Spirit leads, not as a program to work through. Each person’s journey is unique, and the relational, responsive approach led by the Father is far more effective than trying to systematically fix ourselves. So be at rest and do not strive.

The finished work of the cross is indeed complete, but we may not always be fully aware of (or benefiting from) everything that Jesus accomplished. Transformation comes through the renewing of our minds, as we come to a deeper realisation of God’s amazing unconditional love, limitless grace, and triumphant mercy. That is what enables us to change, not because we have to in order to be acceptable to God, but because the revelation of what He has already done for us leads us into transformation.

The journey of restoration and wholeness is a relational one, and the pace at which it unfolds is relative to each person’s unique circumstances. Some may experience swift breakthroughs, while others who are deeply broken may need more time to fully trust God and allow Him access to the depths of their being. The key is to simply follow God’s lead, without setting your own agenda. Present yourself daily as a living sacrifice, and let Him guide you on the path He has for you. Resist the temptation to compare yourself to others or try to figure it all out through your own knowledge and strength. Trust Him, enjoy the journey, and allow Him to bring things to the surface when the time is right. This keeps the process relational and joyful, rather than heavy or burdensome.

Summary

I believe that God will lead you into the wholeness and restoration He has for you, at the pace that is perfect for your unique journey. The invitation is to rest in His love, walk closely with Him, and let Him do the work. When we do that, the transformation He desires to bring about in us can unfold in a positive and life-giving way.

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325. Embracing Compassion: Aligning to God’s Heart

Mike Parsons

Emotions are a powerful and important part of the human experience, and we do not have to be afraid to embrace them. In fact, the very word used to describe Jesus’ compassion means being “moved in the gut” – a deep, visceral reaction. The key is aligning our emotions with the Father’s heart. 

When we see injustice or suffering, it is right for us to feel anger or sorrow. But we have to be careful that we do not just let those emotions rule us and cause us to act rashly or unwisely. Instead, we can use those feelings to connect with what the Father is feeling about the situation. What does the Father’s heart desire in this moment? Allow that to be what moves us and guides our response. Sometimes that may mean taking practical action, whether through legislation, intercession, advocacy, practical aid or other means. At other times, it may simply be about weeping with those who weep, or expressing compassion in a way that reflects the Father’s love. Every situation and every individual prompts a unique response.

The danger is when we try to suppress our emotions altogether, out of a misplaced sense of stoicism or reserve which is prevalent in some cultures. That is not how Jesus lived – he expressed the full range of human feelings, from laughter to tears. His emotions were a key component of the connection he enjoyed to the Father’s heart that enabled him to respond every time with such wisdom and power.

So let us be open to what the Spirit is stirring within us. Sometimes those gut-level reactions will well up unexpectedly, going beyond just our intellectual understanding. When that happens, we need to lean into it, allowing those emotions to guide us towards the Father’s purposes, rather than trying to shut them down.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it’s about finding the right balance – not being controlled by our emotions, but allowing them to be a servant that connects us to the Father’s heart and empowers us to act in alignment with His will. That is where we will find the wisdom and compassion to truly make a difference in this world, bringing heaven to earth.

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324. Complete Salvation in Christ

Mike Parsons

The Finished Work of Christ

  • The finished work of Christ has accomplished everything necessary for our complete salvation. There is nothing else to be done.
  • All the promises and covenants of God are fully and completely fulfilled in Jesus. There is nothing and no one else who could complete or fulfil them.
  • We are all included in Jesus and have received life through him, just as all died in Adam.

The Universality of Salvation

  • As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. All have received life, though not everyone is aware of this reality yet.
  • The ministry of believers is to help people understand this amazing inclusion and reality that all have been given life in Christ.

The Universality of Sin

  • The Bible verse “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) is often used to tell people they are not good enough and need God.
  • The reality is that all have outworked their lost identity, which is short of the glory God intended for us.

Justification by Grace

  • The ‘all’ who have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (in Romans 3:23) are “justified as a gift by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).
  • This means that all who have sinned (which is everyone) have also been justified, not by their own merit, but as a free gift of God’s grace through Christ’s redemption.

The Universality of Justification

  • The “all” who have sinned are the same “all” who have been justified. There is a universality to both the problem of sin and the solution of justification.
  • Romans 5:18  states that just as condemnation came to all through one man’s transgression (Adam), so also justification of life has come to all through one act of righteousness (Christ).
  • The condemnation referred to here is not eternal punishment, but the state of living in lost identity apart from God, and the consequences that brings. 

Jesus’ Authority over All Mankind

  • According to John 17:2, Jesus is given authority over all mankind, so that he may give eternal life to all whom the Father has given him.

Eternal Life for All Mankind

  • In John 17:2-3, Jesus states that eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom God has sent.
  • God has given Jesus authority over all mankind: the same “all” who were condemned in their lost identity and the same “all” who would be made righteous and justified.
  • Some may try to separate the “all” to whom Jesus has authority over, and the “all” to whom he gives eternal life. That is illogical. The same “all” applies to both – Jesus has authority over all mankind, and he will give eternal life to all whom the Father has given him.

The Supremacy of Christ

  • Colossians 1:15-20 speaks of the supremacy of Christ, and that all things were created through him and for him.
  • Note again the inclusive nature of the “all” – nothing is left out, as all things have been created through Christ and hold together in him.
  • And it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Christ, and through him to reconcile ‘all things’ to himself, whether on earth or in heaven.

The Universality of Reconciliation

  • Christ has reconciled all things, not just people, but everything that he created.
  • This reinforces the universal scope of Christ’s work: he has reconciled all of creation to the Father through the blood of his cross.

The Universality of Christ’s Work

  • John 1:7 – Jesus came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.
  • John 1:16 – Of Christ’s fullness, we have all received grace upon grace.
  • John 3:35 – The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands.
  • John 5:28 – A time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice.

The Reconciliation of All Things

  • In John 12:32, Jesus says that when he is lifted up on the cross, he will draw all people to himself.
  • “All” does not leave anyone out, and there are many instances of the word “all” used throughout the teachings of Jesus and the Scriptures.

The Fulfillment of the Law

  • In Matthew 5:18, Jesus states that not the smallest letter or stroke of the law will pass away until all is accomplished.
  • The “heaven and earth” referred to in this verse represent the old covenant system, which was fulfilled; and it passed away when the temple was destroyed in AD 70.

Key Takeaway

All has been accomplished through the finished work of Christ; there is nothing left to be done for the full and complete salvation not only of mankind but of all creation.

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323. The Judgment Seat of Christ

Mike Parsons –

Video summary

Some people may not fully live out their intended destiny, but encounter purification at the Judgment Seat of Christ, where that which is of lasting value is distinguished from what is not. The Lake of Fire symbolises purification rather than eternal damnation, a place of refining in God’s presence, not the end of the world or the fate of the devil and fallen angels. In context, it relates to the persecution faced by early Christians, particularly at the hands of non-believing Jews in Jerusalem.

Entering the realms of heaven involves engaging with the Father, who comforts and purifies. Regrets are addressed, tears are wiped away, and the scroll of your life is cleansed. This leads to an ongoing relationship marked by unfolding knowledge, truth and engagement as part of the cloud of witnesses.

I do not subscribe to the concept of Purgatory, but I do believe in the Judgment Seat. I have experienced it personally, engaging with my scroll under the fire of God’s scrutiny. However, there was no guilt, shame, or condemnation – only love and a process of addressing missed opportunities and wrong motives. Our sins are forgiven through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and every accusation against us is nullified. From God’s perspective, He always sees us as innocent, justified and righteous.

When we engage with God relationally, we begin to understand our true identity and undergo transformation through the renewal of our minds. I encourage you to spend time with the Father, seeking to discover the truth about Him and yourself. This understanding frees us from negative thoughts about our imperfections: perfection, to God, is simply being who He made us to be. It’s not about striving or achieving but about resting in our identity as His children.

Unconditional love and forgiveness are in God’s nature, freely given without the need for works or religious practices. As children of God, we already enjoy His love; and our Dad delights in us. Drawing nearer to God’s heart unveils the depth of His boundless love, liberating us from guilt and performance-driven mindsets. This freedom allows us to rest in our identity and embrace life fully.

Jesus promised complete joy, and left us His transcendent peace. He loves us without conditions, empowering us to love Him and others in return. The key is to allow Him to shower His love upon you, revealing it in ever-deeper ways, leading you into true freedom. The truth that you know will set you free: not mere intellectual knowledge but personal experience. Encountering the Truth embodied in Jesus renews our minds, enabling us to embrace our true selves, live abundantly, and flourish in every aspect of our being.

Key Takeaway

Perfection, from God’s perspective, is simply being who He made us to be.

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322. Spiritual Listening: Beyond Biblical Meditation

I find joy in spending time in God’s presence. I have moved beyond the need to only meditate on the Bible, because interpreting it can be complex and subjective. Instead, I allow God room to speak to me in various ways. I  relax, clearing my mind and focusing solely on the Father or on Jesus. I open my heart and mind, ready to receive communication from Him.

This can take various forms, whether it’s a thought, a picture, a vision, or simply a knowing. I have had visions that were vivid encounters, although they weren’t visual in the traditional sense. When we perceive spiritually, it’s not about light bouncing off objects into our eyes; it’s about tuning into a different wavelength and interpreting the impressions received by our spiritual senses. Just as different tastes or smells can be unfamiliar until we learn to recognise them, spiritual experiences require us to train our spiritual senses to filter out distractions and focus on what the Father is communicating. Whether it’s ascending into heavenly realms or standing before the Arc of the Presence or whatever else it may be, I am not seeing any of it with my physical eyes because I always journal these experiences with my eyes open. Yet, I am there. I am an active participant, but I am also translating my spiritual perceptions into descriptions of my experiences.

I have found that it’s more about enjoying being in the presence of God. Instead of focusing on visualising or hearing something in a specific way, simply relax and see what unfolds. Talk to God and listen for His response, asking Him to reveal something to you in His own way. For me, understanding doesn’t always come through visual or auditory experiences.

Even the word ‘see’ can refer to more than just visual perception: it can also mean to perceive or understand. The main idea is to grasp the concept, regardless of the method. In the early days, there was often a strong emphasis on ‘seeing’ as a prerequisite for spiritual experiences. Ian Clayton, for one, was quite insistent about this. But no-one else knows what exactly he sees or how he sees it. He shares what he has seen, just as I too share my own experiences! For me, it is about a deep knowing – an intuitive perception that comes from engaging with God repeatedly over time. I sense and feel His presence, and my emotions are often deeply intertwined with these experiences, with moments of intense emotion when I feel the waves of His love rolling over me.

Analysing or dissecting spiritual experiences can make it more challenging to receive them. If you rely heavily on logical, analytical thinking, you may struggle with this. It’s understandable to want to understand and control the process by seeking a set protocol or method to follow. However, spiritual connection is inherently relational, and it’s best to allow the relationship with God to unfold naturally.

I made a conscious decision to let go of my own agenda and simply ‘be’ in God’s presence, with no particular expectation of seeing or hearing anything specific. Every night before I go to sleep, I intentionally connect with God in the garden of my heart; surrounded by green pastures, beside quiet waters, with the Shepherd by my side. As I drift off to sleep, my spirit remains open and receptive to experiences in the heavenly realms, while my soul is restored as I rest securely in the Father’s embrace. When I wake, I may sometimes retain memories from my time in God’s presence. But if there are mornings when nothing comes to mind, that too is perfectly okay.

Key Takeaway

Find joy in spending time in God’s presence, and allow your relationship with Him to unfold naturally.

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