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The Naked Gospel

The Naked Gospel, presented by Andrew Farley

Part 1: Obsessive-Christianity Disorder


Part 2: Religion is a Headache


Part 3: Crossing the Line


Part 4: Burning Matryoshkas


Part 5: Cheating on Jesus


Part 6: We Don't Marry Dead People


Part 7: Ego Assault



http://www.TheNakedGospel.com/

Book: The Naked Gospel

Blessed In Jesus

“... whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” - 2 Corinthians 6:9 ESV

MOTIVATION

Let us for instance assume that the scripture above was not in the Bible. If that truly were the case, would we still give? If ‘getting back’ is the sole driving force behind our giving, we are then using God as a vending machine. “God, here is my money, now give me my stuff”. Christ did not go through the religious criticism (which I believe is far worse than the physical torture He endured) torture and crucifixion to be our delivery boy. We are not giving due credit for His love (which we cannot even comprehend with our natural minds) towards us when the motive is just about “meeting my needs” - be it spiritual, health-related or financial.

UNEARNED GIFT

In Romans 8:32 ESV, Paul says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

Financial abundance is not the product of our giving, just like salvation and healing are not products of our good works. Salvation is a gift from Christ Jesus. We are healed because Jesus bore our sicknesses. Our financial prosperity does not start with our giving. 2 Corinthians 8:9 is the foundation of our financial abundance. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” Some might think that this verse is just about "spiritual" riches. But if we study 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9, we can see that the subject is about money.

Financial abundance starts when we believe that ‘Christ became poor so that we might be rich’. Believing what Christ did for us in each area of our life (health, wealth, peace etc) is the key that will let us see the blessings in manifestation. 

But the belief is always accompanied by a corresponding action. James confirms it in James 2:26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Giving will be the fruit that naturally follows. But often times, we focus on the action part. We think our action is what initiates everything. Once we get a real revelation of his unconditional love for us, no one will have to force, encourage or entice us, to give. We will no longer debate if we should give 10% gross or net, or 90%. The debate goes out of the window and then the heart starts making the decisions. God loves a cheerful giver who gives from the heart.

We are not forcing God to bless us when we give, for we already are blessed in Christ Jesus. It is only by grace that we have access to the blessing of God, which includes salvation, healing and financial abundance. And gifts are not earned; we simply receive it. 

So I would have to be ignorant of the Gospel if I say, “I am giving to be blessed”. That will put the onus on my action, which stems from the Old Covenant mindset.

BIRDS

In Matthew 6:25-26 ESV, Jesus says, “... do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

If the birds do not have to sow or reap, why then we - the beloved children of the most High God, carriers of Jesus Christ, carriers of his power that is embedded within us, carriers of The Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead - must sow to meet our personal needs? Our Heavenly Father knows our needs even before we open our mouths to pray. The only requirement to meet our personal needs is in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

This is where the intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit becomes vital. Until it finally hits us that the King of the universes calls us friend, it would be hard with our natural minds to accept the truth that we do not have to even think about meeting our daily needs.

HAWAII? 

This does not, however, mean we should quit our jobs, or close our businesses and move to a beach resort in Hawaii and expect angels to feed us every day. We should be diligently working in whatever occupation we are involved with. God is our source of income, not the job or business. Our occupation is just a channel through which the fund flows to us. When, or if we lose our employment, we have nothing to worry about. That job wasn’t our source of income in the first place. First of all, we have to renew our mind to the truth that the One who created this universe lives within us. Secondly, losing a job simply means that the channel is changing, perhaps to a better one. When drought hit the land, God directed Elijah to move to a new place where he was supernaturally supplied. The Source was the same; it was only the channel that was different. God supplies our needs, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus; not according to a fluctuating economy.

BREAKFAST 

To the parents who are reading this, would you demand a portion of your child’s breakfast to feed them lunch, or dinner, or to enjoy all the provisions of your household? I would assume that you would not even give a consideration to that thought. Children are the heirs to everything that the parents own. So if we do not withhold good things from our children, why would we think that our Heavenly Father, who is Love, would do that? Are we presuming that we have more love than Love himself?

Malachi 3:10-11 happened under the old covenant. And yes, there is the account of Abraham tithing, once, before the Law. If we are using Abraham's tithing as the foundation for the modern day tithe teaching, let's not forget that Abraham went through circumcision before the Law as well. Why isn't the tithe teaching churches emphasizing circumcision?

My point is, why must we limit our giving with a fixed and a small percentage? Is not that too impersonal and formulaic. When we buy a gift for a close friend or family, don't we buy from our heart?

SOWING AND REAPING

So what about 'Sowing and Reaping'? With the solid foundation of 2 Corinthians 8:9; when we believe 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 and cheerfully (not reluctantly or under compulsion or manipulation) give as decide in our heart, God is able to make all grace abound towards us, so that we always will have all sufficiency in all things, we will have an abundance for every good work and we will be enriched in all things so that we can be generous, which in turn results in an heart-felt thanksgiving to God.

The Holy Spirit, Who inspired Paul to write that passage does not lie. But this giving must purely be directed by the guidance of the Holy Spirit who lives in our heart and not by the flesh or on the basis of a subtle or an overt legalistic requirement of a church organization. This act of faith is for Jesus' sake and for the sake of the gospel, that sets people free from every bondage.

Please do not give because I said so or a televangelist thinks it is a working principle. Instead of being led by preconceived notions or what some book/preacher says about this topic, allow the Holy Spirit, The Teacher, to make this truth alive in your heart. Giving is one of the most purest things that a person does from the heart. Love gives. It is tragic that teachings have made this into impersonal formulas and principles. But also on the other side of the spectrum, it is equally tragic to throw the baby along with the bathwater, because some have manipulated this freeing message. 

BUT WHY?
The end goal is not to hoard, but to BE a blessing. Money is merely a tool that will help many people from their bondage. Contrary to popular knowledge, money does not corrupt anyone. Robert Kiyosaki says it the best on this matter, "Money does not corrupt you. Money only reveals to you who you really are. If you are greedy at the core, more money will make you greedier. If you are cheap, more money will only make you cheaper. If you are a crook, more money will only make you more of a crook. If you are generous, more money will only make you more generous."

When we renew our mind with the truth that we are grafted in Jesus, we bear fruit as a result of His life flowing through us. The branch does not strive to bear fruit. When we are grafted in Him, we will no longer need a scripture to "encourage" us to give. Giving comes out as a fruit, because it is no longer we who live, but Him. And giving is God’s nature, for God gave us His best, His Son Jesus.

IN CONCLUSION

As you may have noticed, this is not an article on “15 Steps to become a billionaire”. At the same time, this is not an "anti-wealth" message either. Jesus came so that we may have his life more abundantly. Poverty is one of the curses that Christ has redeemed us from. The scripture is not against prosperity in every area of one's life. In Jesus' words, this is the will of God - "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that there is no poverty in Heaven.

Authentic prosperity is the Life of Christ Jesus in us. And lack (in every area of one's life) must not be accepted where the King of kings resides. But the fruits of his abundant life in us will manifest only to the point we believe Jesus' finished work on the cross. This is about a complete surrender to Jesus - literally making Him the Lord over each and every area of our lives. It is about resting in Him, instead of trusting in our works, regardless of our sincerity.

In Christ

If you have put your trust in Jesus Christ, the Bible says you are a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). But this new-creation reality happened in your spirit. Unless we renew (Romans 12:2) our minds to our new-creation reality, we will miss to experience the abundant life of Jesus Christ (John 10:10) in and through us. We renew our minds by believing these truths. These personalized scriptures shows who you already are in Christ Jesus, whether you "feel" it or not. Read and meditate on these scriptures as often as you can. Ask the Holy Spirit to make the scriptures alive to you. It is the knowledge, followed by the deeply rooted belief of who we are in Christ Jesus that sets us free from any bondage in our soul (mind, will and emotions) and will allow Jesus to live through us.

I am called in Christ Jesus - Romans 1:6
I have redemption in Christ Jesus - Romans 3:24
I reign in life by Christ Jesus - Romans 5:17
I am alive unto God through Christ Jesus - Romans 6:11
I have eternal life through Christ Jesus- Romans 6:23
I am a joint heir with Christ Jesus - Romans 8:17
I am sanctified in Christ Jesus - 1 Corinthians 1:2
My body is a member of Christ Jesus - 1 Corinthians 6:15
I have victory through Christ Jesus - 1 Corinthians 15:57
I triumph in Christ Jesus - 2 Corinthians 2:14
I am a new creature in Christ Jesus - 2 Corinthians 5:17
I have liberty in Christ Jesus - Galatians 2:4
I am crucified with Christ Jesus - Galatians 2:20
I am justified by the faith of Christ Jesus - Galatians 2:16
I live by the faith of Christ Jesus - Galatians 2:20
I have put on Christ Jesus - Galatians 3:27
I am a heir of God through Christ Jesus - Galatians 4:7
I have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus - Ephesians1:3
I have been chosen in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world, that I should be holy and without blame before Him - Ephesians 1:4
I have obtained an inheritance in Christ Jesus - Ephesians 1:11
I have been quickened (made alive) with Christ Jesus - Ephesians 2:5
I am sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus - Ephesians 2:6
I have been created in Christ Jesus unto good works - Ephesians 2:10
I have boldness and access in Christ Jesus - Ephesians 3:12
I rejoice in Christ Jesus - Philippians 3:3
I press toward the mark of high calling of God in Christ Jesus - Philippians 3:14
I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me - Philippians 4:13
God supplies all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus - Philippians 4:19
Christ Jesus in me is the hope of glory - Colossians 1:27
I am complete in Christ Jesus - Colossians 2:10
I am dead with Christ Jesus - Colossians 2:20
I am risen with Christ Jesus - Colossians 3:1
My life is hidden with Christ Jesus in God - Colossians 3:3
Christ Jesus is my life - Colossians 3:4
Jesus Christ became wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption for me - 1 Corinthians 1:30
I have the mind of Christ Jesus - 1 Corinthians 2:16
I am one with Him (Jesus Christ) in spirit because I am joined to the Lord - 1 Corinthians 6:17
I am rich because Jesus Christ became poor for me - 2 Corinthians 8:9
I am healed by His (Jesus Christ) stripes - 1 Peter 2:24
When I abide in Christ Jesus and when His words abide in me, I can ask whatever I desire and it will be done for me. - John 15:7
I am a partaker of Christ Jesus - Hebrews 3:14

Unlimited FAITH

Faith is a GIFT from God, not something we can manufacture with our effort. It is no longer about "MY" high and mighty faith, but His.

Listen to this heart opening and liberating message.

Unlimited FAITH by Peter Youngren
Disc 1 - Faith or Mental Believing
Disc 2 - The Only Faith that Works
Disc 3 - Your Faith is Closer Than You Think
Disc 4 - Two with Great Faith

Searching for grace

Searching for grace is a comic strip created by Mick Mooney that revolves around the conversations of a Christian named John and his Pastor.

John attends a small 200 member Pentecostal church. He loves the good news of God’s grace. He also loves and respects his Pastor, but unfortunately never hears the gospel from him. He continually tries, with little success, to convince his pastor to bring the finished work of Jesus back to the centre of his messages. His greatest challenge is trying to help his Pastor see the importance of not mixing the Old Covenant mentality of Law with the New Covenant reality of Grace.

John’s Pastor is Pastor Moses, who is consumed with his own religious ideas and driven by the possibility of being a mega-church Pastor one day! He loves reading ‘church growth’ and ‘Christian leadership’ books, and is convinced if he can just follow these keys, laws and principles he can fulfill his dream of building a big church one day.

John is searching for grace. Pastor Moses is searching for people to help him build his church service. It’s a recipe for disaster – but millions of fellow Christians around the world are cheering John on!