http://www.benpasley.com sort of the town square in a town called ben Thu, 17 May 2012 14:55:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 sort of the town square in a town called ben benpasley.com no sort of the town square in a town called ben http://www.benpasley.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://www.benpasley.com http://www.benpasley.com/2012/05/some-personal-notes/ http://www.benpasley.com/2012/05/some-personal-notes/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 14:54:46 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1914 http://www.benpasley.com/2012/05/some-personal-notes/feed/ 0 I have been enjoying this year so much I have not even bothered to stop and consider it retrospectively. I think I would like to here in a few short notes. Enjoy. - First, my heart is so full. God has blessed me with so many beautiful friends and fami... I have been enjoying this year so much I have not even bothered to stop and consider it retrospectively. I think I would like to here in a few short notes. Enjoy. First, my heart is so full. God has blessed me with so many beautiful friends and family. I count them. I have been naming them in my prayers. My only trouble is that I need more hours and more money to spend on each of them. I am literally asking Dad for both of them. My boys are growing up. This is a year to focus intently on their journey into manhood, especially my oldest, Zane, who is now 12. This year I have stood beside them in the stream teaching them the art of fly fishing for the very first time. (You have to be big enough to not be swept downstream.) I am passing on something my father gave to me when I was a boy. My wife is  more interesting to me than anyone else. After 18 years of marriage I still find Robin to be a deep mystery and a constant thrill. She is also a great problem for me because of the continuous challenge she poses to my instincts that are not toward intimacy and trust. I am still learning how to be a better friend. I am aware that I need more help than every before. I love people now too much to continue to work in projects, web endeavors, music, events, etc. that do not directly promote my closeness with those God has given me to love. I don't want the masses anymore like I did when I was younger. Now I just want who is mine, and I want to be a treasured friend. I have come into an even deeper appreciation of having pastoral care, of having oversight, of having spiritual parents. We really do treasure Doug and Rita Roberts, and we are looking forward with excitement to our trip to Mongolia and Chengdu, China with them (and our boys) this summer for three weeks. My appreciation, however, stems from a negative--in this way: I have met dozens this year who lack only one thing in their journey as leaders, and have been gracious and free to admit it, that this is the need for personal oversight and care. For me this has been a wonderful conversation with many to simply help them move toward building good relationships with overseers, and it has not been a negative in the sense that I see so much progress in each one just from the simple steps we have all taken together. I see measurable increases in maturity in everyone that I am presently coaching on simply how to find healthy appropriate soul care, and how to stay connected with pastoral influence. Continuing this thought about oversight I will say this, and I am now old enough to do so, I think: just about every friend, comrade, or partner I have had over the last 20 years, or more, who still suffers from ailments in their marriage, impediments in their ability to minister, troubles with financial health, difficulties in making true friends, or just general wellness issues still have deep troubles in connecting with personal pastoral care. This goes for people in full time ministry and people who are working in the marketplace, young and old, men and women. To say it a different way, now that I look back, I can see that whatever issue keeps a person from being able to receive personal spiritual parenting, and having the heart of a learning son, is directly correlated to their difficulty in maturing in  Christ. I might have said that 15 years ago, but I would  not have been able to say it with two decades of relational evidence. I am not saying that every difficulty stems directly from not having a pastor, I think that would be perverse in some way, but I am saying that they are very closely correlated and I don't think they can be viewed as separate issues, but they are deeply intertwined. Maybe God will give us all wisdom on this issue, but for now I remain sincerely thankful to my overseers and I wish you all the same blessing. I really love to rest. I love the gift of the Sabbath, and I intend to receive it even better this year. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2012/04/not-dead/ http://www.benpasley.com/2012/04/not-dead/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:34:20 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1893 http://www.benpasley.com/2012/04/not-dead/feed/ 7 Contrary to popular opinion, I am not dead. It is true that I fell into a hole of silence since the first of February at this website. The fall wouldn't have been so noticeable if it had not been for a fairly prolific season of writing and posts in the... Contrary to popular opinion, I am not dead. It is true that I fell into a hole of silence since the first of February at this website. The fall wouldn't have been so noticeable if it had not been for a fairly prolific season of writing and posts in the months prior. My apologies. My problem is people. I like them. They come to my home, I see them in pubs, I speak to them on the Skype machine and it is so much fun that ... poof ... months go by and I realize I haven't written anything for my public space on the web. I can hear you crying, "Foul!" Yes, I realize you are people, too, and it is unfair that you get relegated to the cyberstatus persona non grata. True, and you have my sympathies. The silence, you have now understood, was just a web myth. I was actually very vocal and present with so many amazing folks but, for me, present in one space often means quiet in another. Hmm. I guess I write to let you know that I remember you. I don't lack interest in serving you in some small way on this site. I love writing and communicating kingdom ideas, but when it all comes down I am just better at it in person. Say, isn't this a spring board to a paragraph about the relational ills of the Facebook generation? Yes, I think so. Oh, but isn't it also a gratuitous lead in for promoting our Village Gatherings this year? Yes, that, too. First, quickly about Facebook. They are not people. They are tiny portals into whatever part of their lives they want you to see. That's not a friend, its a tiny public relations campaign. If you really want to have a friend you are going to have to show up and look at and into a person from every angle you can, have dinner, go fishing, and learn the quirks of the way they laugh. Shut up already about how you can breadcrumb an almost infinite number of web people portals along with tiny crumbs from your life as you tell yourself and others that you are "staying connected." Let's talk about the death of the idea of connection, much less friendship. Connection used to be a reasonable definable quantity of relational value. Now it has been stretched out so far that is fast becoming meaningless. This distance between the Facebook feeling of being connected and actually being intimate with a close comrade or even a spouse has grown so wide now that it is blowing the curve on our entire relationship landscape. That is to say that the distance between an acquaintance and a comrade used to be, say, 10 miles. In between on this 10 mile stretch we had casual friends, relatives, work partners, closer friends, professional partners, best friends, and more all the way up to life-mate. The distances between these folks could we walked in a short time. People had the opportunity to move a bit on this scale of relational understanding over time and it was a normal part of a healthy life. Many other faces appeared on the perimeters but they were given no "status" and were free to stay off the road of relationship with you. Now, enter Facebook and the idea of staying connected by posting a note about what you liked at dinner. Now, because of this expansion of the definition, the 10 mile stretch between your acquaintances and your spouse is about 1,000 miles. The first 10 miles of reasonable relationship was stretched out to about 100 miles of relational distance. This has made it so hard to travel the personal distance to meet with and engage those folks on a regular basis, It has brought confusion because we don't focus on them like we used to. The remaining 900 miles of relationships is some invented blend of used-to-knows, keeping-in-touches, and potential customers. Yes, that last one was supposed to sting a little. Look, I am a both/and guy. I ripped into the Facebook thing a minute to shake the table, but I am not advocating a cyberfree lifestyle for you. I don't endorse the horse and buggy to get around town. I do endorse one very simple thing: decide to prioritize. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2012/02/our-father-is-not-custodial/ http://www.benpasley.com/2012/02/our-father-is-not-custodial/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:20:24 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1869 http://www.benpasley.com/2012/02/our-father-is-not-custodial/feed/ 8 I was speaking with some friends over a Skype conference last night. It was the last of 4 meetings some great men and I had over Robin’s book “The Healing Path.” I have many thoughts brewing from that extended conversation but for now I just want to me... I was speaking with some friends over a Skype conference last night. It was the last of 4 meetings some great men and I had over Robin’s book “The Healing Path.” I have many thoughts brewing from that extended conversation but for now I just want to mention a word. It was a word a wrote on my notes pages a couple weeks ago in a previous group chat appointment. The word is custodial. The word was mentioned in the context, I believe, of learning to receive the Father’s love and understand his affection for us as something greater and deeper than simply custodial. Webster’s says about custodial: relating to, providing, or being protective care or services for basic needs. In another online dictionary one of the first definitions for custodial reads: Marked by care and supervision rather than efforts to cure. This is not the love of the Father. This takes us back into our conversations about orphanhood. The orphan spirit has settled for a view of the Father that is simply custodial. He loves us (the orphan heart says) probably, but is primarily concerned with our basic needs, our protection from harm, and in our supervision. When we receive this kind of fathering, then what we relay to others is, in that same order, statements of love like: I am concerned with your basic needs, not your dreams or your wants. Let’s not trouble each other or God with anything other than survival level provision. If you complain you are being selfish. I want to keep you from getting hurt so let’s be clear on what you are doing wrong, and how you can avoid sin. Let’s also make sure you stay inside the fence in our group so we can keep you safe. I want to bring order into your life since life before Christ for you must have been chaos. Let me help you understand how we will live, think, act, and behave so that can all maintain order and peace in our community of relationships and in our meetings. This reminds me of the parable in Matthew 25 where the landowner leaves three servants in charge of his property. (Matt. 25:14) Jumping to the last servant we find someone who believed that his master was custodial. In keeping with this identity he was custodial with his master’s property. He made sure it didn’t lack basic safe storage and he made sure it was in a proper place. The parable says about him, “But the man who had received the one talent [amount of money] went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.” When the master came back to get a report the servant replied, “‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’” The master was abhorent. He was shocked that the servant would do something so terrible. He called him a wicked lazy servant and in disgust he took all of his property back from this useless servant and gave it to a servant who was going to be responsible with it. What is the key lesson? Our heavenly Father is not custodial with us, and we, in turn as his sons, are not ever to consider being custodial with those in our care. God’s valuable property is always people. So go back and read the parable in Matthew 25:14-30 and insert the word people for the word talents and see what happens to the insights! No wonder the master was fuming mad! We don’t take care of God’s people by hiding them in the ground, in a safe, in an organization, in a club, and teaching them to stay put and keep their heads down. We don’t honor God’s heart when we express to them that we are interested only in keeping them safe, keeping them in order, and keeping them in their place. First of all these people are not ours to own. They belong to the master. He has asked to steward their growth and maturity. He has asked us, according to Ephesians 4, to build up the saints so they will be fit for service and can grow mature into Christ. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2012/02/missionaries-are-not-second-class/ http://www.benpasley.com/2012/02/missionaries-are-not-second-class/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:01:19 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1830 http://www.benpasley.com/2012/02/missionaries-are-not-second-class/feed/ 2 In Nehemiah 13:10 we see that the tithe was distributed by leadership to everyone who was doing work as a Levite. Nehemiah says, “I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, In Nehemiah 13:10 we see that the tithe was distributed by leadership to everyone who was doing work as a Levite. Nehemiah says, “I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.” This was a very sad note, actually. This was Nehemiah realizing that both the Levites and the rest of the tribes had broken their contract. The Levites no longer claimed the tithe, but went back and worked at the banana stand to earn a living. The people had quite giving the tithe (I am sure this was justified by a dozen cynical judgements) and no longer had any sense of needing to honor their leaders and receive equipping. I could say the same thing today about so many people who are set apart to do the work of the ministry both in our fellowships and in other places around the world. Here is an excerpt from a previous post: “On some occasions these full-time workers may serve in a place so poor or so devoid of spiritual life that almost no provision is available to them in their own “fields” and so we may share with them the tithe, not just random offerings, so that they may continue their work. This enters into what we refer to today as missional giving, or fund raising for those who do mission work of some kind, and it is our sincere desire that each one understand how to claim and receive the tithe as their portion for their work. The tithe would support their salary to live, and many other kinds of offerings could support the special projects they are involved in. This keeps everything personal and accountable, and we can always give strategically when presented with giving options in this way.” Missionaries, classically defined, were never meant to have to come home an beg for scraps from local fellowships tables. They are to receive the tithe, in full measure, to do the work of the ministry, and therefore are to be fully accountable to the leadership of the greater Church to function effectively and to steward their provisions with integrity. Just as we should require of any local minister. The only difference here is that they are equipping the family in other places, and not directly equipping me. I realize this opens up a much broader discussion about who we send where to do what. It begs for a lot of structural and relational rethink about missionary organizations and Christian service that goes on around the world. That being said I still think it is clearly time as local elders and as believers in general to make sure we are sharing the tithe, and distributing it to those we oversee and partner with in the work of the ministry. I will include in this post the final bullet-point from that unfortunately overloaded post on kingdom finance, “Now, To Put It On the Stove” since it is very closely related and works together in this conversation: “There is a lot of wiggle room when believers are presented with choices from people who are doing special ministry works as well as working in ministry as well. If a person is going to do mission work for 6 months with an organization then you might give a tithe for them as a very person oriented gift, or you might, as the Holy Spirit leads you to, give an offering as you see it as a short term project in which they are involved. Some in ministry are prone to promote their special projects, some just come and say, “Can you help me with my salary needs?” In either case, we are free to hear God on how we are to give to them. Even at the local fellowship level we don’t require any changes on a giving envelop before we can change our hearts and give as the Lord directs knowing the “what” and the “why” even better than those who might be receiving it. In any case, it is important to choose to enjoy honoring our leaders and being generous to God’s unique works around us, and it will be up to each believer to do as his conscience allows.” benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/four-fundamentals-for-understanding-the-tithe/ http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/four-fundamentals-for-understanding-the-tithe/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:56:41 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1828 http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/four-fundamentals-for-understanding-the-tithe/feed/ 0 This next excerpt from the previous post “Now, To Put It On the Stove” really needs some clarification: - “People who have been set apart to do the work of the ministry full-time are going to need some provision from the people they serve. This next excerpt from the previous post “Now, To Put It On the Stove” really needs some clarification: “People who have been set apart to do the work of the ministry full-time are going to need some provision from the people they serve. If we receive tithe gifts through an organization for them then we might consider their account in that budget the “storehouse” for them. If we give them our tithe directly then their own savings account might be the storehouse for them. In either case, trustworthy men are supposed to oversee this storehouse and make sure that they are provided for properly and living in integrity with their provision.” I see four major points in this short point, and I think I should apologize for cramming that much stuff in such a short space. The first point concerns the idea of being “set apart” for the work of the ministry. Of course I believe, in agreement with 1 Peter 2:9 that we are a nation of priests, of royalty, that we all have access to the Father and responsibilities in the kingdom. That is easy. What I can’t deny, however, is that the pattern offered us in the whole of God’s history with us is that he sets some apart to serve and lead in unique capacities. An entire tribe was set apart from the 12 tribes as an example of this way that God works. In Ephesians 4 we here it echoed when it says, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service...” He did not give all to be in the same measure. The second is that those whose work is to serve us full-time and equip us toward maturity will need some kind of income in order to live. This is how the tithe, our joy of giving and sharing with them, is supposed to fill a very practical need. It is not to fill the need of building gyms and parking lots, but rather the supply the fundamental salary needs of our leadership team whether local, translocal, pastoral or prophetic, apostolic or other. The third point is that people do give their gifts toward leadership in both personal and organizational ways. I see no reason to invent any serious prejudice toward either way of giving since both might serve the heart of the giver well. In either case we are giving not just to meet a specific salary requirement. We are giving to obey the Lord. If the provision we supply is more than our leadership needs in season, then it should obviously be placed in a safe place so it might be used later. This safe place is called the storehouse. The final point is that if there is a storehouse then there is going to need to be accountability and oversight. This is clear when Nehemiah was establishing the safe function of the storehouse he said, “I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because these men were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their brothers.” Every single minister of any shape or size should have someone watching over his provision, overseeing his salary, making sure that the financial supply for his or her life is being administered with great integrity. Most find that this accountability should be of leadership capacity, and true oversight grace. So we summed up the basic process of tithing and receiving the tithe in these four arenas: We must know who is set apart to serve us all Those in Ephesians 4 ministry must receive the tithe sharing in order to be healthy Tithing can be given personally or organizationally toward our leadership The storehouse must be overseen by trustworthy people Each of these topics deserve at least one big chapter in a much larger book. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/respect-their-kingdom-iq/ http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/respect-their-kingdom-iq/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:54:11 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1824 http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/respect-their-kingdom-iq/feed/ 0 Here is some ridiculously practical advice for the elders of local fellowships, that will cost almost no money and will require no major rewrite of your constitution or purpose white-papers. Excerpted from a previous post: “Some have chosen, Here is some ridiculously practical advice for the elders of local fellowships, that will cost almost no money and will require no major rewrite of your constitution or purpose white-papers. Excerpted from a previous post: “Some have chosen, as a very simple experiment on the above encouragements, to reprint their giving envelopes and reconstruct their online giving options to reflect this better imagination. Some have added the giving line of “Tithes for People In Ministry” and have directed that more specifically to salary accounts. Some have added “Offerings for the Building and Grounds” so that folks may give freewill offerings in a way that inspires that contribution. Some have even added pastors’ and teachers’ names to these giving choices to further emphasize the options, while others have simply separated the words “tithes” and “offerings” to let givers know if their gift is for “people” or if it is for “projects” All of these things show respect to the giver, and inspire more strategic generosity.” This is a very simple way to respect the kingdom IQ of those who participate in our fellowships. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/don%e2%80%99t-confuse-the-two/ http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/don%e2%80%99t-confuse-the-two/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:52:16 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1822 http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/don%e2%80%99t-confuse-the-two/feed/ 0 So here is the second bullet point, from our previous post, that touches our need to overcome cynicism: “Confusing the nature of the tithe and the nature of offerings is dangerous and has led to all kinds of confusion. So here is the second bullet point, from our previous post, that touches our need to overcome cynicism: “Confusing the nature of the tithe and the nature of offerings is dangerous and has led to all kinds of confusion. Giving to honor people is such a rewarding enterprise that to diffuse it with any other kind of giving is to do a deep disservice to everyone involved. We should not homogenize all giving under one label and demand that it all be put into one slot on a box at the front of the building we meet in. Putting everything into one big pot at the local fellowship under the banner “tithes and offerings” just robs each believer from the joy of a more informed and strategic kind of financial stewardship. I think believers are smart and have good instincts on wise investment. As leaders we must consider meeting their wisdom with better imaginations and applications so that cynicism will not grow around us as a result of our ignorance.” Cynicism grows from the soil of offense. This is easy to see. A man, who was rejected by his lover, finds it easy to be cynical toward the nature in women. A woman, whose wedding day was spoiled by rain, can become cynical toward the god of rain. A person who is told his whole life that the “tithe belongs in the storehouse” and is then taught that the storehouse is exclusively synonymous with the bank account of the local fellowship leader and his desires for new curtains and carpet becomes cynical toward the financial teachings of the Church. We can overcome. It is the son’s joy to overcome small-minded views of his Father’s business, not to do warfare with the small-minded. Consider doing this very simple thing: Begin to meditate on the difference between tithing to honor those who sow spiritual maturity into you as leaders and equippers, and giving gifts for special projects, ministries, and purposes that help others. The first is the tithe, and the second is offerings. Write down the different things that excite you in these two very distinct categories. Now, practice saying to these two categories, “I will call you by your true name and not confuse you any longer. I will repent from blending my language and the old way of thinking, and I will be clear when I speak of my joyful giving so others can learn from my own practice.” You will, simply by your commitment to see and speak clearly, do a tremendous amount of warfare in your own heart that will help you defeat cynicism. It will also sow the seeds of the kingdom in the hearts of all those around you. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/cynicism-may-not-help/ http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/cynicism-may-not-help/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:44:41 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1817 http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/cynicism-may-not-help/feed/ 1 A bullet point excerpt from a previous post: “Believers will naturally need buildings for a variety of things and this is natural. Asking for offerings for such building is easily Biblical, and we should enjoy the opportunity to give into whatever we n... A bullet point excerpt from a previous post: “Believers will naturally need buildings for a variety of things and this is natural. Asking for offerings for such building is easily Biblical, and we should enjoy the opportunity to give into whatever we need for ourselves as a community of faith for our own meeting places, or for what we believe for others to use as their meeting places like a building in another country or a building downtown for the homeless. Burning down buildings is not a good way to reform the broken money systems of the Church, rather teaching one another about the joy of tithing and the focused responsibility of giving offerings most certainly is.” Cynicism may not be the best way to do warfare against the shortfalls and troubles of the institutions we occupy. I learned this in college during a period in the 80’s before the invention of the internet we read words on, gasp, paper. There was a newsletterish publication out at that time claimed the spirit of Martin Luther posting the 95 Theses on the Wittenburg Door as it mocked, beratted, and belittled most everything that was broken in the traditional, institutionalized Church at that time. Many of my friends in the religion department embraced it and it’s attitude. After all, the stuff was broken, and what were our intellectual options? We took on the biting, cynical wit of David Letterman toward other believers, leaders, organizations, and traditions that smelled to us of something less than our own ideals. Funny thing is our own ideals were mostly just improved or modified versions of everything we had known. We drew our best ideas from the opposite of what we mocked. I am pretty sure this means we did not have a single kingdom idea birthed by the spirit on which to operate. You see, the cynic tends to obsess over what he believes is wrong, but has very little interest in what is true and worthy. I think this is partl y because the amount of energy required to be a good cynic reveals that the heart has no serious competing interest to take up the important heart-space. This is the heart-space where Jesus loves his Church so much that we are compelled from our inner-connection with him to take part in the same humble spirit to serve, honor, and love her at all times. If this has been a struggle for you, like it was for me, then I dare you to take up a couple very simple self-challenges: Tell the Father you are ready to receive his gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit. Expect a kind of internal washing that will fill you with love for the bride of Jesus, and make personal this love into every believer in the whole world, not just the ones you agree with. Take up the challenge to tithe directly to your pastoral oversight. One way to quite harvesting such a huge crop of discontent is to stop sowing into the wrong field. If you have been growing a lot of anti-institutionalism in your heart, and it is robbing your heart of joy, then stop sowing into it. Sow into the people that God has given you. Whatever has created distrust in your heart toward others, find the path to forgiveness. This is not the path of justification or repression, but the path of head-on, crushing compassion toward your offender that leads you to release them from their debt. Cynicism is born in offense. Release the offender, and be on your way to health. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/you-are-invited-to-join-us/ http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/you-are-invited-to-join-us/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:44:36 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1813 http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/you-are-invited-to-join-us/feed/ 0 Dear readers and subscribers, - In the spirit of the Churchthink gatherings we hosted for several years, combined with the desire for wild worship adventures and encounters with God as family and friends ala Enter The Worship Circle, Dear readers and subscribers, In the spirit of the Churchthink gatherings we hosted for several years, combined with the desire for wild worship adventures and encounters with God as family and friends ala Enter The Worship Circle, we invite each of you to join as at any and all of our Village Gatherings this year! We are hosting 4 gatherings, 4 different times, in 4 different places throughout the year. Go here to find out more and register. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/maybe-you-should-stop-tithing/ http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/maybe-you-should-stop-tithing/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:15:55 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1783 http://www.benpasley.com/2012/01/maybe-you-should-stop-tithing/feed/ 2 Still working out our post containing bullet pointed notes on giving and tithing and kingdom finance, the third point read... "People who don’t tithe from their heart to their leaders and care-givers are more likely to do one of two things: rage again... Still working out our post containing bullet pointed notes on giving and tithing and kingdom finance, the third point read... "People who don’t tithe from their heart to their leaders and care-givers are more likely to do one of two things: rage against the tithe as a tyrannical Old Testament tax or give a tenth like a tax to their local fellowship with no joyful understanding of it. If you have been doing either of the latter it could be a great time to repent, stop paying taxes, and start honoring your leaders more personally. Instead of arguing over the tithe like it is a tax, the better questions for all of us are, “Who is pastoring you? Who is helping you in your spiritual growth? Are you honoring them with your money? Are you thanking them in tangible ways?” This is our path to maturity." I just enjoyed a wonderful evening with some friends and sons in the Lord in the Fort Worth area. One of the men leaned over toward me and whispered, “Ben, I can’t tell you how I have been blessed since I stopped tithing.” It was like a Mission Impossible moment where we might have exchanged an exploding briefcase, or something like that. Covert ops. Shhh, don't let the tithing police hear you!  Let me explain why I was so glad to hear him tell me that... His whole life in Christ he had been taught to tithe because it was a formula for blessing. Very simply: if you tithe, God will bless you. If you don’t tithe, God won’t bless you. You see, his contract had little to do with the spirit of honor, and the joy of giving. It was actually a teaching that appealed to his soul. Hey, it appeals to my soul! If getting blessing, or getting a financial reward, simply hinges on tithing then I’ll do it ... but it is all just for me. God becomes the CFO of a Heavenly Miles Program and if I earn miles by giving 10% then I’m on it. Ha. Too bad that is just flat wrong. He didn’t really quit tithing in the best sense of the word, and I knew that, because his heart if full of honor and generosity. He is a great man. I had no reason to correct or admonish him at all. He had quit the false contract of tithing out of the soulish teaching he had agreed with. Good for him, and good for all of you who would follow in his footsteps. Maybe you should quit tithing as well. Want to know what the next thing was he told me? He said, “This has been my most prosperous year in business, ever. Even in the business downturn around housing I have done more business this year in the buying and selling of real estate than anyone ever imagined possible. I believe it all began when I quit tithing” He marked on the calendar when he cancelled the old slave-minded contract. He credited his season of blessing to releasing the old contract and enjoying walking with God in his sonship, in freedom, and in the joy of his work. What happens next? Well, that’s easy. He is so full of a heart of honor and giving that he will now begin to be taught by the spirit on how to give generously to leaders, how to honor his pastors and overseers, and how to give without any contract of guaranteed return. He told me a couple stories of how he had given spontaneously to honor a key leader in his life that I new well was sowing into his journey. The season of prosperity in the kingdom will continue. It will be the same for you as well! benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/12/the-kingdom-is-both-the-map-and-the-destination/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/12/the-kingdom-is-both-the-map-and-the-destination/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:07:07 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1607 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/12/the-kingdom-is-both-the-map-and-the-destination/feed/ 0 E. Stanley Jones book on the kingdom of God reminds me of the book of Romans and some other of Paul’s epistles where he sets up a massive insight for the people of God click-click-clicking up the ascending side of the roller coaster and then about midw... E. Stanley Jones book on the kingdom of God reminds me of the book of Romans and some other of Paul’s epistles where he sets up a massive insight for the people of God click-click-clicking up the ascending side of the roller coaster and then about midway he dives headlong into practical encouragements and talk of basic living in the kingdom.  By the time you hit the beginning the third section of Jones’ book you have absorbed all you need to know to take and apply the big idea to a conversation. I recommend you read it. Here are some illustrations, word pictures, that might help us see the difference between Church and kingdom and how they, from some perspectives, inseparable. The kingdom represents the DNA code of eternal life.  It is for those of us in an imperfect world where broken chromosome chains and strange cross-breeding of anti-God genetics have tainted our very being, the way of Christ to give us new life.  At our rebirth we have a new DNA implanted in us--it is the life of the kingdom--the perfection dream of God.  We must supernaturally receive it to see it live out in us.  The Church is the petri dish, the ecosystem, in which this new DNA is born and matured. The kingdom is like leaven coming a bit at a time to change the whole loaf of bread.  The kingdom will come at once in a final way, but for now it is in us and it is changing us as we look into Jesus-the kingdom in human form, but we are also changing the world around us because we carry the leaven.  The kingdom is the power of God in us to set  ourselves free and the world around us free from death which is selfish life lived without surrender to God.  The leaven of God is the kingdom--the fuel of true living.  The Church is the warm place the leaven can grow and become an overwhelming force. The kingdom is the highest vision in the Church’s mission statement. The mountain we are all climbing.  The Church is the people of God.  I refuse to stoop to that poor view that she is anything less than His beloved people.  The people are all to travel together to one place, not to many places, and that one place is the kingdom of God.  So the kingdom, for those of us who understand mission statements and goals, becomes our highest goal--our longest and final vision--to which all our activities are attached.  To remove the kingdom from its place at the top of our action flow chart is to render the Church impotent to the purpose for which She is called. The kingdom is a blueprint.  The divine architecture.  It is meant for present building, not just future planning.  All of the way we learn to live in Christ, and Christ through us, is acting out the life of the kingdom.  This is how the Beatitudes, the Golden Rule, and kingdom parables are all meant to weave together:  they all guide us to see the blueprints and to act on them immediately.  The Church, the people of God, are not the blueprint, but they are to hold it, follow it, embody it, and work to lay its foundations and structure in every person and in every place.??In all these ways the kingdom is both transcendent and immediate.  It must be both so that it can remain both real and functional, and strong and undiluted by the brokenness of our world. In all these ways the kingdom is both transcendent and immediate.  It must be both so that it can remain both real and functional, and strong and undiluted by the brokenness of our world. It is at one moment all it is, yet planted in us it seems a lowly seed that has not yet become much at all. We must place great faith on God's purpose in our lives, friends, and not lose heart when the kingdom in us seems only a seed. The kingdom is much more than we have imagined, and it has the power to transform all that we see in both this life and in the life to come. This is the gospel of the kingdom of God and it is what Jesus commanded us to proclaim. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/12/from-all-directions/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/12/from-all-directions/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:22:02 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1744 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/12/from-all-directions/feed/ 1 Continuing our series of expanding the bullet points from “Now To Put it On The Stove” the second point read: - “Anyone who is bringing bread to your spiritual journey is worthy of some honor. They are worthy of some thanks. Continuing our series of expanding the bullet points from “Now To Put it On The Stove” the second point read: “Anyone who is bringing bread to your spiritual journey is worthy of some honor. They are worthy of some thanks. They are worthy of the tithe. This might include your personal pastor, a key teacher that you receive from every week, those who administrate the fellowship that is the garden in which you grow, those who prophecy over you, lead your best worship times, teach your children the ways of God in Sunday School, and on, and on. How you choose to do this is up to you and the means by which you deliver your tithe is not as important as the heart with which you give it.” This is supposed to encourage couple things: First, learn to notice who is a gift to you. Yes, people are always the real gifts. Coming up to Christmas we are thinking a lot about giving, a lot about receiving, and a lot about saying thank you with style and grace. What’s the first thing we do, even before opening a gift? We ask who it is from. This is because we want to make our thankfulness personal, it is the only courteous thing to do. Identify the gifts and be sure to thank the giver. Secondly, we should learn to celebrate the fact that we don’t pay people to love us. That’s gross. We don’t say to our family, “Thanks for the love, here is your salary provision for the month as long as you keep up the good work.” That is bazarre. So, why don’t we stop thinking that we pay our pastor to serve us, or pay our worship leader to lead us? We could, if we could just get it in our hearts that God has called us to exercise honor and thanks toward those we have received as gifts. If your fellowship has received someone as an employee, and you have not received them as a gift, then what is your obligation? If you have received someone as a gift, but no fellowship has employed or engaged them in any way, then what is your obligation? Bottom line: we don’t pay people to love us, but for those that do we realize great joy when we thank them in tangible ways. Lastly, God’s gift giving enterprise comes from all directions. Never put him in a box. He can love you from any direction he wants! Which means he can send people to bless you from any direction he wants. Stand up, look around. Say thanks. Surely, you wouldn’t want to get stuck like a dumb cow looking in one direction and never seeing anything or anyone else God has blessed you with. Remember, John 3:16, whenever God loves someone he sends someone to them. My encouragement today is to look around and recognize them, find ways to thank them tangibly, and always be on the lookout for God’s relational surprises! benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/who-is-your-pastor/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/who-is-your-pastor/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:00:49 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1728 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/who-is-your-pastor/feed/ 2 In a previous series related to finances in the kingdom I wrapped up with a post called “Now, To Put It All On the Stove” which was my way of creating a kind of wrap up post. After I finished and posted it I realized it was an avalanche of challenges a... In a previous series related to finances in the kingdom I wrapped up with a post called “Now, To Put It All On the Stove” which was my way of creating a kind of wrap up post. After I finished and posted it I realized it was an avalanche of challenges a... benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/reality-and-relevance-are-in-the-kingdom/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/reality-and-relevance-are-in-the-kingdom/#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1576 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/reality-and-relevance-are-in-the-kingdom/feed/ 0 The Church, as she often is encased in institutional systems and as Christian culture, has become a cul de sac which is able to receive forgiveness, revelation, knowledge, and the Presence of God...but she seems to have no idea to what end. The Church, as she often is encased in institutional systems and as Christian culture, has become a cul de sac which is able to receive forgiveness, revelation, knowledge, and the Presence of God...but she seems to have no idea to what end.  Being saved is less a release from and more a release into something:  the kingdom of God. It is time for us as the people of God to rise up and embrace our purpose to proclaim and provide a highway into the kingdom of God. As Christ is the agent of creation all that is created is “real” only to the extent that it is from him and for him. This is why we can say that to live in the kingdom of God is to live in the ultimate reality. It is not Christian idealism, no, it is quite the opposite. Idealism belongs to those who dream up utopias apart from the kingdom of God--unattainable and unnatural earthly orders.  Utopias are unnatural ideas from men who haven't seen the kingdom yet.  The true Natural is to be what was intended at creation:  agreement with God, submission to his authority, and a joyful life as sons and daughters. Perversion is anything that twists of from the way God made us naturally to exist, and in our story there is perversion in every chapter until Jesus. Jesus come and makes a way to become natural again in our relationship with God and the whole of the created world.  Sin, then,  is unnatural in this regard and righteous agreement with the kingdom of God is natural.  The new Adam, Christ, was to live for us in a way, perfect, so that we could see what agreement with God looked like since the first Adam failed.  And though sin entered through the first Adam it does not rule over our true natures when we submit to Christ and the power of our true, real nature in the kingdom.  In this is our perfection and it is attainable just as Christ said it was. To understand the kingdom of God as the natural, perfect order of creation is to understand that the kingdom judges the success and fall of all peoples, nations, religions, and even Christians. We can, individually and collectively, choose to agree or disagree with the kingdom of God, and in so doing we will be judged in this life as acting naturally in rhythm with God and walking in harmony and authority with him, or disagreeing with God and living in falsehood, weakness, and destruction regardless of how well we prop it up with money, intellect, and tradition. The Greek struggle for reality, as we can see, is only found in Christ and it was addressed so well by Paul in the Areopagus: A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”  (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-46/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-46/#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:47:09 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1043 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-46/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com. You can buy the audio book complete at iTunes: http://itunes.apple. A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com. You can buy the audio book complete at iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl/id393879082 benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-45/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-45/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:46:11 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1040 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-45/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/the-church-is-to-pursue-the-kingdom/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/the-church-is-to-pursue-the-kingdom/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:20:58 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1600 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/11/the-church-is-to-pursue-the-kingdom/feed/ 4 What follows, again, are notes generated from engaging E. Stanley Jones book, The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person. It is available at Amazon. These notes again are designed to increase our perspective on the kingdom of God. What follows, again, are notes generated from engaging E. Stanley Jones book, The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person. It is available at Amazon. These notes again are designed to increase our perspective on the kingdom of God. These notes have particular impact in understanding the differences in and the relationship of the Church and the kingdom of God. Jesus is the kingdom, and the kingdom is Jesus.  The Gospel of Jesus is the Good News of the kingdom, which is the Good News of the life and work of Jesus.  What we find in Jesus--birth, death and resurrection--is not just a chance to be personally exonerated from our heart crimes, but a chance to be brought near to God again and receive the kingdom. It is our deliverance into the kingdom, not just from our mistakes. It is our resurrection into kingdom life, not just from our fear of the finite. It is salvation into the culture and full citizenship in the kingdom, not just a ticket out of the Egypt of our compromise. It is all Jesus, and it is our destiny. The clock of the universe ticks in time with the kingdom of God and all earthly kingdoms that oppose it or even turn by degrees from it are destined to crumble.  The Church is a subjective institution in that after this earthly expression is over we will not see the gathering of the ecclesia “out from” the world, but we only see the absolute life of the kingdom of God.  Christ lives on forever, the kingdom lives on forever.  The the people of God are the bride, are the temple, are the body, are the Church, are the Family...they are only achieving their eternal destiny when they agree with the total authority of the kingdom.  We, the Church on this planet, might be strong, weak, in error, righteous in action, isolated, or publicly active and still have a deep heavenly longing in our hearts that says, “we are not quite right”.  It is the rhythm and absolute demand of the kingdom of God, the unchanging person of Christ, calling us into absolute surrender to His purpose. I am not comfortable preaching two kingdoms--the earthly Church as one, and the heavenly kingdom as the other--which exist in two parallel planes but in different worlds. I heard that line of thinking at university. I believe the kingdom is total over both heaven and earth simultaneously.  It is the center of all that we know, and the closer we come to it the more we walk in step with God. Jesus, by bringing us close to God through the cross, has brought us near to the kingdom. In this way we know that the sons of God are shining in the kingdom of their Father (Matt. 13:43) and at the same time the sons of God present in the history of this world are known as the Church. The Church is not the kingdom, but the kingdom is enjoyed and realized in the Church. This sense about an eternal, all encompassing kingdom blueprint, allows us a better understanding of the Church which, then, does not become an irrelevant stepping stone in history on the way to the future kingdom. We simply need to erase the idea of two timelines--one for the Church and one for the kingdom. There is only one timeline and it is the kingdom of God. We are the Church whether in this life or the life beyond in the sense that we are all his sons and we are called out and together to be his people. Our joy is to embrace, live in, and proclaim the kingdom regardless of what world we live in. We will not in the next life, I concede, be aware of or draw any GPS coordinates on our being from being “called out of” the world since the world as we now know it will not exist. This is why I fail to see the intellectual validity in separating the enjoyment of the kingdom from the present reality of the Church (and of course I am speaking of the people of God not institutions) even though I am fully aware that they are not the same thing because it is like trying to separate who I am as a son of the Father and who I am as a person who Jesus loves--it serves no practical purpose. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/now-to-put-it-on-the-stove/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/now-to-put-it-on-the-stove/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:01:55 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1695 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/now-to-put-it-on-the-stove/feed/ 6 I think it is a good idea, now, to take the ingredients from the previous post and put them together, pour in some chicken stock of common sense, and begin to bring it to simmer. These ideas of the tithe, offerings, honor, storehouse, I think it is a good idea, now, to take the ingredients from the previous post and put them together, pour in some chicken stock of common sense, and begin to bring it to simmer. These ideas of the tithe, offerings, honor, storehouse, and ministry care... benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-44/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-44/#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:45:19 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1038 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-44/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tithes-vs-offerings/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tithes-vs-offerings/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:31:35 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1685 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tithes-vs-offerings/feed/ 2 First, a simple review: tithes are for people. - “He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. As soon as the order went out, First, a simple review: tithes are for people. “He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generousl... benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-43/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-43/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:44:34 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1036 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-43/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/what-is-the-storehouse/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/what-is-the-storehouse/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:09:08 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1674 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/what-is-the-storehouse/feed/ 5 You have heard it said: “The tithe belongs in the storehouse.” Ok, so where is that from? It is from Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, You have heard it said: “The tithe belongs in the storehouse.” Ok, so where is that from? It is from Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Usually, we hear that sermon once or twice a year when offerings are low at our fellowship and the leadership, or key leader, feels it necessary to remind everyone to put the money in the bank on behalf of building and staff needs. We don’t want to be cynical, but this predictable sermon has become fodder for cynicism over time and the hardest part is that we are not sure why it makes us feel the way we do. It makes us feel manipulated, but why? It makes the presenter of the argument feel as those he is selling a used car, but why? If the storehouse is equivalent to the bank account of each local fellowship, then why does this sermon make our conscience wrinkle? I will reflect back on my previous post “What is the tithe?” to begin. Remember, in this post I tried to underline one basic point: the tithe is to provide for those in ministry. By underlining the New Testament teaching on honor, especially in 1 Corinthians 9, I emphasize that tithing was a regular discipline that was NOT a tax, but it was a love gift given to take care of people, especially those in ministry. Yes, I know that sometimes and in some seasons and years the tithe was also shared with others who were not Levites: “When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.” (Deut. 26:12) I also realize that the tithe was not specifically cash but was produce, wine, grain, oil, etc. from the work of each Israelite. All these things, I think, we can still sum up like this in a few basic points: The tithe belongs to God but was given to take care of people. The tithe was not used to build buildings or fund projects, ever. The tithe discipline was not a governmental tax, but a relational privilege to honor others. The tithe was only one part in a larger picture of generosity, honoring leaders, caring for the poor, and trusting God in our provision and finances. With all this in mind let’s turn now to the idea of the storehouse. If you were giving grain and oil to share so that the folks in ministry, the Levites, could eat, then what would happen if everyone gave a ton in the fall, but not much in spring? That was simple wasn’t it. The gifts of food and eatable provisions had to be stored in a safe dry place so that the Levites could eat year-round. Wow, that was hard. Well, how is it, then, that the idea of the “storehouse” because synonymous with the idea of the local fellowship’s bank account? I think the answer is best understood in this passage from Nehemiah when he was restoring the joy of tithing back to the people: "So I rebuked the officials and asked them, "Why is the house of God neglected?" Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts. All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and oil into the storerooms. I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because these men were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their brothers." (Neh. 13:11-13) In this passage we can easily see the obvious reason to have a storehouse just as I had outlined it above. They needed quality men who could put things in order and keep the offerings distributed to the Levites in need, and they needed clean storerooms to put the tithes in so they could portion them out as needed. These are the simple and obvious points. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-42/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-42/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:43:49 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1034 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-42/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/what-is-the-tithe/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/what-is-the-tithe/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:09:12 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1648 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/what-is-the-tithe/feed/ 3 Words really do mean something. The way we use them and the way we understand them when they are being used has great impact all around us. When someone tries to soften a disagreement by saying, “Oh, we are just using different words for the same thing, Words really do mean something. The way we use them and the way we understand them when they are being used has great impact all around us. When someone tries to soften a disagreement by saying, “Oh, we are just using different words for the same thing... benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-41/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-41/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:42:59 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1032 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-41/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/the-kingdom-is-the-center-2/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/the-kingdom-is-the-center-2/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:55:47 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1593 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/the-kingdom-is-the-center-2/feed/ 3 Recently, I read a great book on the kingdom of God: The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person, by E. Stanley Jones, first published in 1972. It is worth buying. It stirred many thoughts as I read and I took notes on what was three dimensional t... Recently, I read a great book on the kingdom of God: The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person, by E. Stanley Jones, first published in 1972. It is worth buying. It stirred many thoughts as I read and I took notes on what was three dimensional to me. Some of these words might be Jones, so I must give credit where credit is due, but most are probably my reflections and summaries of thoughts that were generated as I read. This introduction is a broad stroke intro for our imaginations about the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is the center of all things known.  It is the “master light," says Jones, that illuminates everything.  It is not the mystery of God between things that are known, like the holes in science, but rather the reason that all science and all mysteries come together to have meaning. Relevancy, then, is the measure of our agreement with the Kingdom of God.  All cultures, all causes, all politics, all understanding is relevant only as the light of the Kingdom of God shines on them and they agree with the Kingdom.  Naziism, fascism, communism, are pursuits of false master-lights, false kingdoms, while relativism and humanism are simply cultural experiments that eventually lead us to realize that no pursuit other than the pursuit of the Kingdom of God is worthwhile.  The Church is mostly irrelevant today because it takes up every cause but the Kingdom--inserting the message of Christ to legitimize its authority on a smorgasbord of subjects.  It has been reduced because when the Kingdom is not everything it becomes nothing.  The Kingdom is realized in the manifestation of Christ and Christ’s people who choose to be the Kingdom rather than to dream about it in the future.  People manifest the Kingdom, not teaching, revelation, or institutions.  The principles and measure of the Kingdom may be manifest--or available for us to see--in all of creation (Romans 1), but it is people, and only people, who are called to be the embodiment of the Kingdom.  People are the actionable items, the sport, the outworking of the Kingdom realized:  the Kingdom is near when Christ is near, the Kingdom is in believers who allow Christ to live through them.  It is the manifest Person and Purpose of Christ, therefore his Body in the earth, that embodies the Kingdom for us to see.  We must seek and live the Kingdom now. You are perfect for the job, you know. As a son you are the perfect choice to share the Father's love with those around you and to introduce them to the kingdom of God. I pray for you today to receive the Father's love and walk in his favor, and that you would shine like the sun in all the places you go. Your thoughts? benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-40/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-40/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:42:06 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1029 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-40/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com. You can buy the audio book complete at iTunes: http://itunes.apple. A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com. You can buy the audio book complete at iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl/id393879082 benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/introduction-to-financing-the-ministry/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/introduction-to-financing-the-ministry/#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:27:07 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1617 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/introduction-to-financing-the-ministry/feed/ 0 My last post on finances and God’s provision was a simple encouragement to be on the lookout for any and all ways that the Father might want to provide for you. Overcoming prejudice in the area of provision, that is, My last post on finances and God’s provision was a simple encouragement to be on the lookout for any and all ways that the Father might want to provide for you. Overcoming prejudice in the area of provision, that is, breaking judgments against any form of provision, seems an important first step for all of us. Now, I would like to dive right into finance for the work of the ministry... Many mistakes are made, by well intending people, around the issues of money and ministry because of the traditions of men leaking into our understanding. We will try to touch some of the most common deviations from Scriptural thought in this series of posts, but first, let's just underline out commitment to try and find our answers in Scripture. Where the Old Testament lays foundation ideas, the New Testament may unveil the higher purpose for each one. I do not ascribe to the idea, even in the midst of all the paradigm changing, modern Church-rethink, that we are released from the Scriptural directives for understanding the basic principle on which we are to build. Notice this passage from Hebrews 8:5-9 5 They [Hebrew priests] serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." 6 But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. 7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. This phrase: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain," really sticks out to me. We must due our work to discover the patterns. I think these patterns can be seen in the arena of finances and stewardship. Of course, we should look to the Holy Spirit to teach us in these things, and we should reflect on the previous Covenant for the basic pattern that he will certainly have something to teach us from. In other words, we shouldn't expect the “Old” instruction to be forgotten or discarded; as Jesus said, “I have not come to abolish them [Law and Prophets], but to fulfill them.” Sometimes we refer to these earliest foundational ideas as a “copy” or “shadow”--just like in the Hebrews passage--because it helps us understand that what we are really looking for is the kingdom. When we pray "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is heaven," we are praying, "Father, show us how you have already established giving, receiving, sowing, reaping, tithing and honor in the kingdom eternal so that we can apply that truth right here on the earth around us."  Let's work together to uncover and illuminate the patterns he has established in the kingdom so we can enjoy the adventure of receiving our provision and walking with the authority of sons in our finances! Here is a list of questions I would like to cover with you over the next season of posts here at www.benpasley.com: What is “Ministry”? What is the “Church”? What is God building? What is my “Calling”? How is my calling related to what God is building? What is the “Tithe”? Who is the “Tithe” for? How is the Church built on Christ? How is the Church built also on the Apostles and Prophets? What does the leadership of the family of God look like? How do we “Honor” our leaders? How do we finance the work of the ministry at home? How do we finance the work of the ministry to new places? What is the “Storehouse”? What ministry roles did the “Levites” fulfill? Who are modern-day Levites? What is the Apostolic ministry? What is the “Five-Fold” ministry and how do they connect? How do we know them? Get your notepads and Bibles out and get ready for some new engagement on this absolutely foundational topic. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-39/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-39/#comments Sat, 24 Sep 2011 22:41:07 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1027 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-39/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/podcast-finances-a-hundred-ways-to-do-it-right/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/podcast-finances-a-hundred-ways-to-do-it-right/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:32:50 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1313 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/podcast-finances-a-hundred-ways-to-do-it-right/feed/ 0 This podcast is a first in a series discussing some basics in understanding and receiving God's provision for us. This is especially pointed toward those who are working in ministry. Find the writings, posts, and essays of Ben Pasley at www.benpasley.com. This podcast is a first in a series discussing some basics in understanding and receiving God's provision for us. This is especially pointed toward those who are working in ministry. Find the writings, posts, and essays of Ben Pasley at www.benpasley.com. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/finances-a-hundred-ways-to-do-it-right/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/finances-a-hundred-ways-to-do-it-right/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:00:37 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1065 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/finances-a-hundred-ways-to-do-it-right/feed/ 3 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/churchthink-com-has-moved-to-benpasley-com/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/churchthink-com-has-moved-to-benpasley-com/#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:58:24 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1303 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/churchthink-com-has-moved-to-benpasley-com/feed/ 0 Hello friends, I wanted to announce an important change in my writing and podcasting online. In short, I have moved all the activity that used to emanate from Churchthink.com to BenPasley.com, and so to stay in touch these posts you will need to resubs... Hello friends, I wanted to announce an important change in my writing and podcasting online. In short, I have moved all the activity that used to emanate from Churchthink.com to BenPasley.com, and so to stay in touch these posts you will need to resubscribe to the new feeds. Here are the action points for you: 1. Please click this link to subscribe to my NEW total feed package (blogs, essays, podcasts)--from this page you can choose a feedreader or an email subscription. 2. If you subscribe to my podcast via iTunes you don't need to do anything as it will update automatically. 3. After resubscribing please forgive and ignore the duplicate emails or updates you might receive from Churchthink.com as they will disappear after 30 days. Churchthink.com will remain online in its present form till the end of the year and maybe longer, but it will not be updated after today. For all new updates and posts please visit and enjoy the new and improved www.benpasley.com. Here is my latest on trusting God for financial provision in my new "Short Posts" collection. Remember, when you subscribe to my feed you get the Short Posts, the Big Essays, and thePodcasts all in one feed! The next series of posts will be focused on the basics in understanding kingdom finance, ministry and money, you and your wallet, etc. Why the move? Thanks for asking. There are a few reasons and here are a couple of the most important to me. First, my  name is Ben Pasley, and I don't ever plan to change it so it makes a great internet home base. Secondly, I have grown weary of my own personal tendency to invent an identity for each of my functions or purposes in the public sphere, and in the coming years (till my death) I sense it would be much smarter to simply be myself and allow my functions to comfortably emanate from Ben Pasley (the one) rather than from different creative identities (the many.) Finally, I am kicking off a renewed commitment to writing and posting online and I believe this is the best time to reconfigure and move forward. Thanks so much for being a part of these conversations and don't hesitate to contact me anytime. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-38/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-38/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:40:36 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1025 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-38/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/05/new-book-coming-soon/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/05/new-book-coming-soon/#comments Fri, 06 May 2011 16:20:30 +0000 benpasley http://www.churchthink.com/?p=808 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/05/new-book-coming-soon/feed/ 2 That's right friends, my latest book entitled Orphan Slave Son will be on the proverbial shelf in just a few weeks. This is really just a warning shot as I have had you, my Churchthink readers and wrestlers, on my heart for several weeks. That's right friends, my latest book entitled Orphan Slave Son will be on the proverbial shelf in just a few weeks. This is really just a warning shot as I have had you, my Churchthink readers and wrestlers, on my heart for several weeks. I have so many new conversation rolling around in my head right now. I have some new voices in my ears being spoken by some great people, and I want to engage you in similar conversation. First, it seemed, before I could come back and enter into some work in writing here I needed to finish the new book. This book is so intrinsically tied to my book Tom and the Goldfish Bowl, and even more closely related to Robin's book The Healing Path, that I felt I had to put all my composition and work into seeing it through. If Robin's book, (which I could not recommend to you strongly enough) is a personal, inviting conversation about overcoming the wounds of slavery and orphanhood so we can walk with confidence in our sonship, then this new book Orphan Slave Son is a deep and wide exposition on what all these words and ideas really mean. The terms spiritual orphanhood or spiritual slavery, I felt, needed some deeper conversation to make sure we could all get on the same page in the conversation. The beauty of walking in our sonship, then, could really come to life in brighter ways and not be misconstrued to mean something like a spiritual merit badge, as is so often the case, rather it can be understood as our fundamental experience in our walk with God. I will keep you updated on its release in both physical and digital form. Looking ahead I have some thoughts swirling around in my head about these topics: Discovering God's promises for our city and our villages Laying hold of those promises as kingdom people to enact his heart for our peoples Getting away from the "devils under the bushes" tendencies of spiritual mapping/spiritual climate assessments so we can discover the kingdom destiny of a place How elders/leaders in a local fellowship can effectively cast vision and inspire people without falling into the trap of having to sell and mastermind what belongs only to Jesus to direct, the Church How to overcome the debilitating affects of judgment towards the moves of God in areas like the prophetic, healing ministry, intercession and worship, and speaking in tongues How the modern movement of prayer and the widespread epidemic of prayer rooms, gatherings, and prayer emphasis can be understood and embraced as potentially the most important move of God in our era How to be kingdom minded people in view of the polarized political climate in the west, and indeed the world, and how to avoid both shrinking back in isolation and launching out in the flesh to create division and more strife Let's see what God will allow us time to share this year! Oh, and don't forget to register for Worship@8500 this year and join us for a great kingdom focused weekend in the high country of Colorado at the end of June. benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2011/05/orphan-slave-son/ http://www.benpasley.com/2011/05/orphan-slave-son/#comments Sun, 01 May 2011 18:43:07 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=1491 http://www.benpasley.com/2011/05/orphan-slave-son/feed/ 0 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/12/merry-christmas/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/12/merry-christmas/#comments Sat, 11 Dec 2010 15:02:43 +0000 benpasley http://www.churchthink.com/?p=800 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/12/merry-christmas/feed/ 0 kingdom This blog/writing space is not normally the place for casual or personal comment, but I have decided to make an exception because it is Christmas. Merry Christmas. Every bit of it.  Here is a couple of things on my mind that might help us all keep it v... This blog/writing space is not normally the place for casual or personal comment, but I have decided to make an exception because it is Christmas. Merry Christmas. Every bit of it.  Here is a couple of things on my mind that might help us all keep it very, very Merry. First, I advocate a slow-motion button on your forehead. Give yourself or your spouse or your kids permission to push it. Watch a movie with the kids. Build a fire just for yourself. Make coffee and sit down with those you love and talk about the year. Make a "date" with your whole family. Listen to an entire Christmas album while lying on the floor. Write a few notes while sitting in your favorite chair. To me, the joy of the Christmas season is connected to the feeling of an annual Sabbath, not an annual Marathon. Take a load off, kids, life is short. Secondly, I advocate some kind of Advent calendar or daily meditation to share with your family or friends. Even if you are single you can create a way to journey through the Advent season. Why wait until Christmas Eve to start jamming in the Christmas story? You can read up on some basics of the traditional advent calendar here, but you should feel free to make up your own daily Advent ritual. It is not too late to start today. Here are a few ideas, choose one: 1. Christen the sacred bowl of Christmas chocolates and set a special time to sit with your whole family, savoring only one piece each, while you tell bits of the Christmas story to one another. 2. Set aside 15 minutes each evening right after dinner for you and your whole family to draw Christmas story pictures with crayons or markers. Keep it simple. Kids have lots of insights into the story of Christ's birth, the manger scene, the wise men, the shepherds, etc. and it is fun to engage them on their level. 3. Just before bed, lie down under the Christmas tree with your whole family, looking up at the lights, and recount stories of the Christmas seasons you remember. Remembering people, events, gifts, places, and moments with one another will connect your whole family with the personal richness of the season and keep it from just being a flash of shopping and glitz. I hope these simple notes are encouraging to you. I have encouraged myself writing them. I will take a break now here at Churchthink.com until next year, January, when we will kick off another year of writings, podcasts, interviews, and articles focused on the practical unfolding of the Kingdom of God in our lives. Please invite your friends to join us here next year. Here is a quick link to subscribe every which-a-way. Until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New year, friends. Love, Ben Pasley benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-37/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-37/#comments Sat, 23 Oct 2010 13:07:57 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=710 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-37/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-36/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-36/#comments Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:07:01 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=707 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-36/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-35/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-35/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:06:21 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=705 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-35/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com. You can buy the audio book complete at iTunes: http://itunes.apple. A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com. You can buy the audio book complete at iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl/id393879082 benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-34/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-34/#comments Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:05:27 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=703 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-34/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-33/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-33/#comments Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:04:46 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=700 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-33/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-32/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-32/#comments Sat, 09 Oct 2010 13:01:38 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=689 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-32/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-31/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-31/#comments Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:00:03 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=687 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-31/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/houses-made-of-doorknobs-part-2/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/houses-made-of-doorknobs-part-2/#comments Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:18:31 +0000 benpasley http://www.churchthink.com/?p=795 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/houses-made-of-doorknobs-part-2/feed/ 4 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-30/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-30/#comments Sun, 03 Oct 2010 12:59:09 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=685 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-30/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com. You can buy the audio book complete at iTunes: http://itunes.apple. A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com. You can buy the audio book complete at iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl/id393879082 benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-29/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-29/#comments Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:58:05 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=683 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/10/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-29/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-28/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-28/#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:54:47 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=680 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-28/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-27/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-27/#comments Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:54:03 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=678 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-27/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com benpasley.com no http://www.benpasley.com/2010/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-26/ http://www.benpasley.com/2010/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-26/#comments Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:52:43 +0000 benpasley http://www.benpasley.com/?p=676 http://www.benpasley.com/2010/09/tom-and-the-goldfish-bowl-26/feed/ 0 church,kingdom,traditions of men A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. Find out more about the author and about purchasing the book at http://www.benpasley.com A complete audiobook podcast of the book, TOM and the Goldfish Bowl, by Ben Pasley. 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