Archive | October, 2010

God’s Will for my Life

by • on October 27, 2010 • in Quotes

I have been reading the book, “Forgotten God” about the Holy Spirit and came across such a great section that I have transcribed it here.
Here is what he says about God’s will for your life.
How many times have you heard someone say, “I just wish I knew God’s will for my life.”
I know I have longed for this as well, but now I see it as a misguided way of thinking and talking.  There are very few people in scripture that received their life-plan in advance, or even their 5 year plan, for that matter.
…..
I think a lot of us need to forget about “God’s will for my life.” God cares more about our response to his Spirit today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today’s decisions.
Its easy to use the phrase “God’s will for my life” as an excuse for inaction, or even disobedience. Its much less demanding to think about God’s will for your future, than it is to ask him what He wants you to do in the next 10 minutes.
It is safer to commit to follow him ‘someday’ instead of this day.
To be honest, I believe part of the desire to know God’s will for my life is birthed in fear, and results in paralysis.
We are scared to make mistakes, so we fret over figuring out God’s will. We wonder what living according to his will would actually look and feel like and we are scared to find out.
…..
My hope is that instead of searching for “God’s will for my life” each of us would learn to seek hard after the Spirit’s leading in my life today.
Buy the book here if you want to read more.

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Over $1100 Provided Already!

by • on October 18, 2010 • in Uncategorized

Here is an update of how the Lord has been blessing in the last few weeks.

We visited about 8 different churches while we were in TX from the Ft. Worth area, all the way down to Corpus Christi. He really blessed those meetings and we look forward to many new supporters from our meetings there.

In TX we were at:
- McPhearson Rd. Baptist Church in Ft. Worth
- Worth Baptist Church in Ft. Worth
- Scenic Hills Baptist Church in Austin
- Bay City Baptist Church in Bay City
- First Baptist Church of Clute, TX
- Grace Baptist in Alice (near Corpus)
- Gospel Light Baptist, in Mineral Wells
- Santa Fe Baptist in Weatherford

Then we just finished a wonderful conference with Tom Schreeder in LA. We were blown away by their hospitality and generosity to us. We had a great time getting to know them and having a chance to be a part of the meeting there.

Also, we want to praise the Lord for providing for needs! Already He has provided over $1125 toward our survey trip to Thailand! We will still have some in-country expenses during our survey trip there, but we have just $675 left to be able to purchase the ticket, which is the present need. We have just about 2 weeks left before we will need to buy the tickets, and are confident that the Lord will provide as He always does.

We drove away this morning on our way back to GA in silence for about an hour just thankful for all He has done recently in our lives, when we realized we were both stunned over the same thing, and we want to praise Him! He has been so good to us, and Lori nor I cannot get over how good He is. Tonight we will see our own bed for the first time in over a month! Tuesday we will be at Whitfield Baptist’s Missions conference, and then we go over to Maddox Chapel Baptist on Wednesday, and then to Vision for Thursday, which we are both very excited about.

Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and His wonderful works toward the children of men! Ps. 107


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A Buddhist’s Prayers

by • on October 14, 2010 • in Asia, Buddhism

No, this isn’t some fancy Photoshop trick, these are real human footprints ingrained in a hardwood floor.

70 year-old Buddhist monk Hua Chi has been praying in the same spot at his temple in Tongren, China for over 20 years. His footprints, which are up to 1.2 inches deep in some areas, are the result of performing his prayers up to 3000 times a day. Now that he is 70, he says that he has greatly reduced his quantity of prayers to 1,000 times each day.

The footprints have become a source of inspiration to younger monks at the temple. “Every day I come here and every day I look at the piece of wood, and it has inspired me to continue to make the footprints myself,” Genden Darji, a 29 year-old monk in the monastery, notes.

via: http://mytechnologyworld9.blogspot.com/2010/09/leaving-your-mark.html

read more on bcwe.org


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Radical

by • on October 13, 2010 • in Uncategorized

I just finished “Radical – Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream”, by David Platt and I would challenge you to read it as well.

It is shocking that the biblical idea of spending your life to see the gospel spread seems so foreign to the typical american church and christian, but it is true.

What I loved about this book is that it is not for a preacher. I think it is a tragedy that ministry, or doing something radical like visiting the mission field, is relegated to the ‘professionals’, while 90% of the church just lives ‘a Christian spin on the American dream.’

This book couldn’t be more clear or more biblical in its challenge to all of us, and I highly recommend it.

Its $5 at amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Taking-Faith-American-Dream/dp/1601422210#reade…

You can visit that link to watch a video about the book to get an idea of it.


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Status Updates this week

by • on October 11, 2010 • in Uncategorized


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6 Reasons for our Survey Trip to Thailand

by • on October 4, 2010 • in Asia, Give, Ministry Philosophy, Prayer Requests

Many have asked the plan for our survey trip to Thailand.  So, this is our plan.

Why go on a survey trip anyway?


1.  Because my eye affecteth mine heart. 
I know the Gospel, and I have read the stats, talked to people that have been there, and I know Thailand’s fate without the Gospel, but to see the land, I expect, will break my heart for Thailand in an entirely different way.  But I want that.  I want it to become more personal to me than it already is, and that God would use visual and auditory cues in Thailand to awaken deep affections to motivate me to work, pray, and try harder than I ever have in the past.

2.  Because it is wise to spy out the land. 
There is something about being there with the sounds, and smells, and sights that clarifies a vision and plan.  I need a lot of wisdom to make concrete strategy for what will actually happen when I land.

3.  Because I need to sit down and count the cost, literally. 
Costs vary greatly in a foreign country.  Some things are very cheap, and other things are very costly.  So, we plan on finding a location in the city that seems like a good place to start ministry and find prices, in that area, for a place to live and a place to rent for the church so that we know better what we need to raise financially.

4.  Because I need to provide for my family, and that takes preparation. 
I want to consider and provide for Lori and the family the Lord may give us as best as possible in a foreign land.

5.  Because there is safety in a multitude of counsellors. 
Other very wise men, including my pastor, have volunteered to go on this trip with me and will provide invaluable insight.  I don’t take that lightly.

6.  Because the Great Commission is given to the church, not to me individually. 
And my home church understands that. So, leaders of the church are making plans, as we speak, to accompany me.  The pastor, the youth pastor, the treasurer, members of the world evangelism committee, another missionary, are planning and others are considering.

The plan:

1.  Leave from Atlanta February 1st.

2.  Fly into New Delhi, India because it is actually cheaper to stop there first.

3.  While in India, we will visit the birthplace of Buddhism.  Buddha preached his first ‘sermon’ here underneath a giant tree and most Buddhists will make a pilgrimage here sometime during their life.

4.  Fly over to Bangkok, the 12th largest city in the world.  Obviously a city of that magnitude has a ton to explore, so we will spend days here talking to other missionaries that have been in the city, visit their churches and see what unique challenges Thailand will present to ministry and living.

5.  Look at rental and purchase prices for a place to meet so that we know what to plan for.

6.  Gather some photos and video so that we will be able to communicate the need and situation in Thailand effectively to others that are interested in partnering with us financially or physically.

7.  Fly back to Atlanta on February 10th.

The cost for this trip will be about $2800.  If you want to help you can send support to:

Vision Baptist Missions
Project Thailand
P.O. Box 442
Alpharetta, GA 30009

Or give online at Vision Baptist Missions, and mark it for our survey trip.
Would you please pray for the Lord to provide the funds in the next few weeks, and see if the Lord would lay it on your heart to give?
Read more at bcwe.org

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-10-04

by • on October 4, 2010 • in Uncategorized


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Prayer request from Texas

by • on October 3, 2010 • in Uncategorized


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September Update

by • on October 2, 2010 • in Prayer Letters

Dear Pastors and Praying Friends,

Deputation Update

So far on our first month of deputation, we have driven 4,637 miles and are coming close to 10% of our support!  But over 40,000 have died without the Gospel since we started.

Georgia – For the first 3 weeks of September traveled in Georgia for 8 meetings including the missions conference at our home church, Vision Baptist Church, where among other things, we saw the Lord raise our Faith Promise 47% up to $118,000 for this coming year, as well as seeing a couple surrender their lives for missions during the conference.

Texas – Immediately after our missions conference ended on the 19th, we drove out to Texas to start a stint away from our home, that wont end until November. We started in Ft. Worth, then to Weatherford, down to Austin, back up to Weatherford, and we are writing this letter from down south in the Houston area.

From here we have a few more meetings in TX, and then we will be going to LA, AL, GA, and FL before we make it back home in November.

Already we see the Lord providing for us in specific areas, like tires for the car, protecting us, using us as we go to churches, and adding new supporters.

Survey Trip to Thailand

Please pray about an urgent need that we have coming up very soon.  We just found out that we have only a few weeks to buy our ticket for our survey trip to Thailand before the ticket price goes up dramatically.  

$1800 is needed for a single ticket, and I will be going with my Pastor, youth Pastor, and a few other men from our home church in February. I am thankful to have a church that is so involved in our ministry and look forward to what He is going to do through this trip.

This will be my first trip to Thailand so that we can get a more accurate idea about opportunities for ministry, as well as living conditions and ministry expenses so that we will know better what kind of support we need to raise before we leave.

Please pray that we will be able to raise this money in the next couple of weeks.  If you would like to give you can send a special gift to:

Philip Bassham
Vision Baptist Missions
P.O. Box 442
Alpharetta, GA 30009

I am extremely grateful to you for your support and prayers and count it an honor to be your missionary to Thailand.

Yours for the Gospel in Thailand, 
Philip and Lori Bassham


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