Cigars, Bourbon & Dialogue

04/15/2022

Happy Heilsgeschichte Day!

Heilsgeschichte - salvation history

This theological term encompasses the idea that God’s plan for salvation isn’t simply part of world-history, but that world-history is actually part of salvation history.
It is the story of salvation as viewed through the eyes of man, presenting the idea that the eternal God became historical by ”crashing in” upon the course of man - emptying Himself into Jesus in order to reconcile the whole world unto Himself.

No more striving...
No more hiding...
No more shame...
No more worry...

You ARE Reconciled!

The Gospel is only “good news” when it announces God’s grace i.e. what He HAS done to save the world!

02/20/2022

What If?

What if hope...
What if acceptance...
What if love…
What if inclusion...
What if faith…
What if freedom...

What if all we’ve been taught about God is too small?

What if the institution (religion) has hijacked the TRUTH and has actually been holding us captive?

What if God’s love really is UNCONDITIONAL (without conditions, limitations or reservations, total, absolute, complete - requiring absolutely NOTHING to be done by us in exchange...) and is filled with hope, acceptance, love, inclusion, faith and freedom?

What if the gospel message is about the total RECONCILIATION of ALL to God, not sin?
…about Heaven’s desire for us?
…about a unified effort of rescue and restoration?

What if? 🧐

11/21/2021

I’ve Got A Word For You…

Have you ever heard or been given a “word from God” that…
* scared you away from Him?
* made you feel ashamed?
* made you feel unwanted / unloved by Him?
* feels so foreign to the desire of your heart that you are left desperately confused?

If you answered yes to any of the above, PAPA HAS NOT SPOKEN TO YOU!

I can hear it now - “Adam, God will and does do what it takes to get our attention and if that means causing fear to get us to “repent” then so be it! After all, He is God…”

I ask you to consider 3 things:

* In your personal experience, does fear motivate you to enjoy God?

1John 4:16-18 And thus we have come to know and believe the love that God has unveiled within us. God is love. Love is who God is; to live in this place of conscious, constant love, is to live immersed in God and to feel perfectly at home in His indwelling.
So now, with us awakening to our full inclusion in this love union, everything is perfect! Its completeness is not compromised in contradiction. Our confident conversation echoes this fellowship even in the face of crisis; because, as He is, so are we in this world - our lives are mirrored in Him. We are as blameless in this life as Jesus is! This perfect love union is the source of our confidence whenever we face the scrutiny of contradiction. Fear cannot co-exist in this love realm. The perfect love union that we are talking about expels fear. Fear holds on to an expectation of crisis and judgment [which brings separation] and interprets it as due punishment [a form of karma!] It echoes torment and only registers in someone who does not yet realize the completeness of their love union. The Mirror Bible

* From a biblical perspective, does “repent” mean what you think it means?

Repent (metanoeō) - to think differently or afterwards, that is - to reconsider

Romans 2:4 Do not underestimate God’s kindness. The wealth of His benevolence and His resolute refusal to let go of us is because He continues to hear the echo of His likeness in us! Thus His patient passion is to shepherd everyone into a radical mind shift. The Mirror Bible

2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not delaying the promise of His coming, as some in their own minds reckon delay; rather, He is longsuffering toward us, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. A Faithful Version

* Is distance/separation between you and Him part of the plan?

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. —Jesus
Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

Conclusion:

If it’s from God, it’s always an invitation to rest comfortably IN His love -

If what you are hearing creates fear, shame, distance and/or confusion - don’t waste another second listening!

Any word from Papa should draw your heart toward Him and strengthen your trust IN Him; if not, it is NOT from Him!

You are LOVED - just as you are.
You are SAFE - just as you are.
You are ON HIS MIND - just as you are.
You are INVITED TO REST - just as you are.

11/18/2021

Obsessing over sin,
Taking extreme measures to manage sin,
Teaching that sin matters…
Will do nothing to produce a better self and/or others!

When we make “sin” our focus, “sin” is all we’ll see and greater “sin” will be the constant result.

The crippling struggle to “be better for God”, is the fuel of religion and will always leave us wanting - never satisfied!

You want to live a life “pleasing to the Lord”?

• Quit trying!
• Rest!
• Be!

Papa is very found of you and you lack nothing and you can’t do anything to impress Him, please Him or make Him like you more!

08/09/2021

If you have to be persuaded, reminded, incentivized, pressured, lied to, coerced, bullied, socially shamed, guilt tripped, threatened, punished or criminalized - if all this is considered necessary to gain your compliance…
You can be ABSOLUTELY certain that what is being promoted IS NOT in your best interest!

08/08/2021

Reconciliation!

2Corinthians 5:18-19 AFV
And all things are from God, Who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; Which is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them; and He has entrusted to us this message of reconciliation.

What is Paul telling us? What is the revelation?

When you think of reconciliation, what comes to mind?

For most of us, reconciliation is the idea of a breach between two or more parties, as the result of hostility, being repaired.

The problem with this view (though it’s close) is that we leave room for “irreconcilable differences” and if we’re being honest, unreconciled is more common than reconciled…

To be reconciled means to be restored in friendship. To harmoniously coexist.

The Latin origin of reconcile is -
“Re” - back
“Conciliare” - bring together

Francois Du Toit says this transaction was not to buy us back from “the Devil”; a thief never becomes an owner; it was God redeeming our minds from the lies that we believed about ourselves - reconciliation is the bold unveiling of the value of the hidden treasure in everyone!

So reconciliation (within the context of Paul’s teaching) is the act of God, born of His relentless love, where He purposefully brought the family back together.

Paul’s “revelation” is that God literally intervened into man’s confused state of mind (believing that mankind was/is separated from God) revealing the truth that there never was and will never be ANY separation between us!

Paul also understood the “mission” of believers is to not only embrace this wonderful truth of oneness with Papa but to share this great news with the world!

The idea of mankind’s co-inclusion in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is entirely God’s doing! To now realize that God has indeed brought final closure to the old and for us to see everything and everyone in this new light is to simply see what God has always known to be true about us in Christ; we are not debating human experience, opinion, or their contribution; this is exactly what God believes. In Jesus Christ, God exchanged equivalent value to redeem us to Himself. He went to the highest extreme in this act of reconciliation to persuade us of our original worth! This, God has given us as the mandate of our ministry. Our ministry declares that Jesus did not act independently of His Father. God was present in Christ when He reconciled the total cosmos to Himself. Deity and humanity embraced in Him; the fallen state of mankind was deleted; their trespasses would no longer count against them! He now announces His friendship with every individual from within us!
The voice God has in Christ He now has in us; we are God’s ambassadors. Our lives exhibit the urgency of God to persuade everyone to realize the reconciliation of their redeemed identity. This is the divine exchange: He who knew no sin embraced our distortion; He appeared to be without form; this was the mystery of God’s prophetic poetry. He was disguised in our distorted image and marred with our iniquities; He took our sorrows, our pain and our shame to His grave and birthed His righteousness in us. He took our sins and we became His innocence. 2Corinthians 5:18-21 The Mirror Bible

Go ahead. You’re good. Embrace your true identity!

Cheers!

07/28/2021

07/25/2021

Just a heads up…

If what you hear this morning creates fear, worry and/or desperation - don’t waste another second listening. Get up and get out!

If it’s from God, it’s always an invitation to rest comfortably in His love - Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. —Jesus
Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

You are LOVED - just as you are.
You are SAFE - just as you are.
You are ON HIS MIND - just as you are.
You are INVITED TO REST - just as you are.

07/23/2021

07/09/2021

Religion is not the answer. Church is not the answer. Morality is not the answer. Some of the most mean-spirited people you'll ever meet live inside those places. Jesus called them, "hypocrites" and "white painted tombs." He told them the answer. The answer is Love. The answer is Oneness with God and with each other. The answer can get you crucified by the religious, self-righteous but it's true. Love, not empty religion. That is the grace walk experience. —Steve McVey

06/28/2021

Remember that time when the apostle Paul came forward at an alter call and chose to accept Jesus as his savior? Oh wait….

Acts 9:2-6 ERV …Saul wanted the high priest to give him the authority to find people in Damascus who were followers of the Way. If he found any believers there, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem.
So Saul went to Damascus. When he came near the city, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shined around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” Saul said, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice answered, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Get up now and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do.”

So much for free will! 🤷🏼‍♂️