Tag: true identity

472. The Cost of Shortcuts | Understanding Negative Trading

Mike Parsons

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The cost of shortcuts

If I look at my life personally and reflect on where I have exchanged one thing for another, often these ‘shortcuts’ are presented as opportunities, but there is always a cost involved.

[Questioner: “This question came from your book, Unconditional Love.”]

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Lucifer traded his heavenly position

Before the fall of the world, Lucifer fell from his position as an angel of light and music bearer of heaven. This fall arose from “I will” statements: “I will ascend,” “I will be like God.” His jealousy stemmed from his understanding of man’s role in creation, particularly as sons of God. He left his appointed role, which was to help mankind ascend. Having walked in the fire of God and the garden of God, he knew his purpose was to reflect God’s glory to mankind. Yet he chose a different path. In effect, he traded his heavenly position for a false aspiration of ascent—resulting in his fall into darkness and deception, losing his rightful role concerning mankind.

When considering trading or exchanging things, I focus on the positive side. Trading can happen in a covenant relationship, such as our covenant with God, where “what is His is ours, and what is ours is His.” If I give myself to God, I receive from Him. However, the negative side appears when we accept shortcuts that lead to harmful consequences. There is always a cost to taking a shortcut, in relationship with God.

One example is when Lucifer tempted Jesus in the wilderness: “You can be above all these things if you bow down to me.” That was a shortcut—a trade for a deceptive, false position that would have cost Jesus His true position and authority. Thankfully, Jesus resisted temptation in a way Eve did not, by quoting God, His Father.

The true cost is hidden

We all have weaknesses and needs in life where trades might function—these are not just spiritual but practical. For example, intimacy is a core human need. Pornography can become a substitute, a shortcut that results in addiction and loss of genuine intimacy. The same dynamic applies to finances, power, or position—“I will give you this if you pay this cost.” Often, the true cost is hidden beneath deception.

I recall early in my ministry when I helped plant a church. The main leader took advantage of my desire to serve full-time and got me to do all sorts of his dirty work. Looking back, I realise I traded my integrity and position for his approval and the prestige of that role. Though it was 30 years ago, I regret doing some of those things—not necessarily bad things, just things he didn’t want to do. I took on roles that weren’t mine, and it ultimately diminished my own value and worth.

There are many such trading floors that people fall into when they don’t know or aren’t secure in their true identity. The enemy exploits our insecurities and needs to trap us in behaviours that contradict who we really are. If you know who you are, you won’t fall for such traps.

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88. The Fall of Lucifer, the Light-Bearer

449. The Cloak of Mystery

Mike Parsons

The Cloak of Mystery

The cloak of mystery was something the Father described to me when I was engaging with fallen angelic beings, looking to help them find restoration. The Father essentially said, “You can bring them into a place”—like a cloud of darkness around Him—that He described as the cloak of mystery.

Now, a cloak is something you put on, and mystery is something you do not understand. So, in a sense, I do not fully understand it—but I did embrace what He said. What I felt, for me, was that when I engaged a fallen being, I could surround them with my spirit and bring them into a place—not within me, but within this cloak of mystery—which became a safe space for them to begin discovering where they fitted within God’s kingdom and all that entailed.

When I engaged with some of these beings, they were afraid of what might happen to them—especially from others still aligned with their previous order or hierarchy. They were genuinely fearful, so they needed a safe place in which to explore a restored relationship with God and begin rediscovering their true identity. This cloak of mystery provided that kind of sanctuary.

Just as I go into the realm of light in perfection, I entered that realm through a dark cloud of mystery. Within that, I found a place where I could engage with God—dwelling and abiding face to face, heart to heart with the Father. It was, in a way, a hidden place—a secret place. So, you could say that the cloak of mystery is a kind of secret place—hidden from the view of others—so that these beings could be safe as they found their place.

Creating a Safe Space

Is this something for others too? I believe so. If you are called to engage with fallen beings—if that is part of your journey—and you need to convince them that it is safe to pursue restoration, then you could use this as well.

I engaged with them in my spirit, allowing them to sense the genuineness of my love and to know that I was sincere in what I was offering. They could feel and recognise the truth in it.

The cloak of mystery was not just something I wore or carried. It was an actual place—a secret place—not just for my benefit, but for theirs. It became a space I could invite them into for their sake. It was somewhere they could go, be hidden, and begin the journey of restoration—safe and secure—before being released into God’s purposes. I cannot say exactly where it is, but I know it is within the realm of God’s kingdom. It is not beyond that—into the kingdom of heaven or beyond—but very much within the kingdom.

I engaged with it also in the atmosphere of the earth. It felt like a space of safety and security that God Himself called the cloak of mystery. They would be clothed in mystery—clothed, if you like, in darkness—which would hide them from the view of those who might wish them harm. That was key.

Restoration and Return

I believe that this place is available for all of us to use—to introduce beings to it, helping them come into a place where they can be safe and secure.

Some of them embraced the restoration of their destiny and then went on into the service of God. Others returned to the place of darkness to inform others of what was happening—to reveal what strategies were being employed and how things had changed. Different outcomes took place depending on the individual being’s journey through restoration.

Hopefully, that gives some insight. I do not claim to understand everything about it. But again, I encourage you to go back to God. Ask Him to show you how to use this, and what to do if you are engaging in that kind of work. As with anything in the kingdom, the more you use it, the more comfortable and familiar it becomes—and the easier it is to outwork.

361. Quantum Entanglement | Face to Face with God