I think the greatest need within the “church” world is a “recapturing” of or awakening to the “fear of the Lord.” There are so many things I could point to that actually grieves my heart and I believe grieves the Holy Spirit and reveals our desperate need for this reality. For example, I just finished … More The Fear of the Lord
In 2008 Cyclone Nargis devastated a country (Myanmar/Burma) that up to that point I had never heard of before. It was the worst natural disaster in Myanmar’s history. When I heard about this cyclone my heart felt like it was being “slammed” and “overwhelmed” with a compassion I have rarely felt before. I began to … More Floods: A Cry from Myanmar
Today, I read a report from our national director in India where he outlined a strategic process to consider for the future in regard to our work with pastors and churches. Our network of churches has grown to 1,400 in India, Uganda, Ukraine and Nepal in just two years. The potential for working with more … More Why ServeNow?
One of the only benefits and joys of recently driving 1,645 miles from the East Coast back out West to our home in Colorado (with four kids seven and under), was worshiping and praying through the night. There is nothing sweeter than spending time with the Lord and seeing what he reveals of himself and … More A Night with the Lord
This last week we drove thirty hours straight (with some food, restroom and stretching breaks) back to the East Coast from Colorado. And this was with four kids seven and under! Needless to say I’m not particularly looking forward to the drive back! But it was well worth it in being able to spend quality … More 10 “Random” Lessons from this Week
I love how God as our Shepherd is faithful to lead us even when we don’t understand or know the way. I am not the “quickest” sheep in the pen to understand, so I am thankful for verses like Isaiah 42:16 which says: “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along … More Rest Part 2: “Sabbath.”
There have been many good articles, quotes and soul-searching that I have read, heard or seen over the past week in regard to the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize homosexual marriage in the US. I have actually been encouraged and blessed to read and hear what many Christians have been articulating. However, I have also … More Grace & Truth
Over the past few months God has continually been speaking to me about “rest” and how He is our (my) Shepherd who gives rest and in whom we find rest. In fact the relationship between a shepherd and sheep is probably the best and most intimate picture of rest. Sheep by nature are easily frightened … More Rest
The last couple of times I’ve been in airports, I’ve been fascinated to watch people being reunited with family and friends. Twice recently, I went to pick someone up at the airport and as I stood there waiting to catch a sight of those I was there for, I witnessed husbands being reconnected with their … More Airplanes & Airports
A few weeks ago I designed a trip that ended up nothing as I had planned. I had scheduled a trip based around a certain group of people I wanted to meet with, but not one that I wanted to meet with was able too or wanted too. I remember the weekend before I was … More Rerouted by God verse Thwarted By Satan
Proverbs 4:25-26: “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths of your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” A few weeks ago, I failed to heed the call, command … More Integrity
I have a vision for seeing what I am calling an “army of servants” or “volunteer ambassadors” raised up to partner with us at ServeNow to accomplish what we believe God has put on our hearts to accomplish. I realized not long after I started working with ServeNow that the passage Jesus stood up and … More An Army of Volunteer Servants!
I wrote a blog article not long ago (The Secret Privilege of a Servant) on Jesus’ first miracle (John 2) and mentioned it is one of my favorite stories. One reason is because of something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. In that story Jesus includes the servants who were “standing by” in the … More Behind the Scenes
Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 20:22 “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” These two Proverbs have been very meaningful and comforting to me lately in the midst of many changes, decisions and experiences (with … More Trusting God to Direct Our Steps
I used to have many misconceptions about the poor. I’ve also had prejudices against the “rich” for that matter. For example, I used to think it was wrong to be wealthy and that all poor people were miserable. I’ve since realized that there are rich people who are very generous and humble (and that it’s … More What I have Learned from the “Poor”
I just got back from my third trip to the beautiful Asian country of Myanmar (Burma) and wanted to take a moment to share a few highlights in this blog article. I was thankful to have with me a friend from NJ who is gifted musically and vocally and who the kids/people were so happy … More Myanmar (Burma) 2015 Mission Trip
“Passion” week is upon us, where many Christians will be thinking a little deeper on the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross (a very healthy practice) and then celebrating the fact that He has risen from the dead in power (a life-changing reality!). This time of the year was always my favorite as … More The Cross, the Burial & the Resurrection
“Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.” Luke 4:38-39 I love this very short “testimony” for several reasons. As others have pointed … More Saved to Serve
There are two separate stories in the gospel accounts of Jesus miraculously feeding a multiple of people. In Mark’s gospel account the first is found in chapter six and the second is found in chapter eight. The first time he fed five-thousand men (not including the women & children!), the second time four-thousand men. One … More How many Loaves do you Have?
As I write this it is a Sunday morning. Many people will on this day be “going” to a church service. But why? For what reasons? What is the greatest reason? Fellowship? Obligation? Routine? To hear an inspiring message from a pastor? Or is it because of a desire to be with and be in … More Desiring His Presence
One of my favorite stories in the bible is actually the first miracle Jesus performed. It’s found in John chapter 2 and it is the story of when Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding He and his disciples had been invited too. This is what happened: “On the third day a wedding took … More The Secret Privilege of a Servant
This year (2015), ServeNow is offering ten different opportunities (four of which I will be leading!) to go on a short-term missions trip to interesting and also very needy places in India, Nepal, Uganda or the Ukraine where there is tremendous opportunity to make a tangible difference in people’s lives. In this blog article I … More Why a Missions Trip?
Revelation 6:9-11: “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth … More No Compromise
John 11:32: “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Luke 7:20: “When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one … More Overcoming Disappointment
Mark 8:22-26: “They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked … More Restored “Vision”
I just posted an audio message on my new podcast website (www.benfoley.podbean.com) based on Matthew 5:6 where Jesus said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled.” In that podcast I talked about how I have been sensing God “stirring” a lot of people to more…or to step out … More Changes
Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” For this blog post, I just want to give personal testimony of the reality of this verse, to perhaps encourage someone that might read this (as this is a testimony not of my goodness but God’s goodness and … More Desires of the Heart
I have found the enemy of our souls (Satan) will seek to attack us in some of the following ways: temptation, distraction, discouragement, doubts, fear, oppression & opposition. In this article I want to address oppression and opposition; but then also times when it may not be the enemy hindering God’s will, but God actually … More Combating Oppression & Opposition
In this blog article I want to follow-up with the previous post, by sharing three personal and real life stories (from myself, my dad and my wife’s grandfather). The first story I’d like to share is about a time when I was newly married and we just had our first child. My wife was working … More Giving Part 2: Stories
“But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” -2 Corinthians 8:7 In a few more days, I will officially be joining with a mission organization called ServeNow, which exists to … More Giving Part 1: Scriptures
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” -Galatians 1:3-5 Most of us (those who have trusted … More Rescued From This Present Evil Age
I just got back from a missions trip to Uganda…and actually my first trip to Africa! I went with ServeNow, the mission organization I will be joining with in January 2015. I wanted to write a brief summary of the trip, along with some of the needs that we saw and what ServeNow is doing … More Africa: Mission Trip Report
I just have to give a recent testimony of God’s faithfulness and goodness. Our fourth child was due on December 15th, but my wife was measuring for December 12th. December 12th was the day I was to return from a mission’s trip to Uganda, Africa, with a mission organization called ServeNow. It was a risk … More A Testimony of God’s Goodness
1 John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not … More Be a Lover of God…not the World
Unfortunately, there is no denying that not only are many people in general lukewarm in regard to the things of God…so is much of the “church” in America. We are obsessed with comfort and convenience and blinded by our pride to our true spiritual condition before the only one whose judgment matters: the Lord Jesus … More A Cure for Being Lukewarm
While working on a message out of John chapter 14, I’ve been thinking about the things that ought to not trouble our hearts verse the things that should trouble our hearts. It struck me how often we allow our hearts to be troubled by things it ought not to be troubled by but we are … More Things that Ought to Trouble verse Not Trouble our Hearts
I wanted to write a brief follow-up to the recent and prior post on “Is This not what it Means to Know Me?” The focus of the first one was on a recent experience where a homeless man showed up on our doorsteps. (By the way he came to our church on Sunday, two of … More “Is This Not What it Means to Know Me?”…part 2
Jeremiah 22:15-16: “Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means … More “Is This Not What it Means to Know Me?”
This afternoon, after listening to two men of God who have now died, but who truly knew God and sought God, I got down on my face and just prayed and cried out to God to know Him more and better. How we need to seek His face! No matter how long ago we may … More Seeking & Knowing Christ
Ebola. ISIS. Terrorist attacks. Disasters. Wars. Rumors of wars. Economic problems. What do all these things (and more) have in common? They all have the ability to instill fear in the hearts of people. The times we live in, especially as we turn on the news or see videos’ and pictures from around the world, … More Overcoming Fear
I have been thinking a lot lately about a phrase the Bible uses several times (sometimes in a positive sense, other times in a negative sense). That phrase is this (or similar to it): “The hand of the Lord…” or we could (and I will) also include this phrase: “The Spirit of the Lord came … More The Need of the Hour & Key to Fruitfulness.
John 20:19-20: “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they … More The Difference the Risen and Living Jesus Makes!
The title of this blog says it all. But let’s unpack it little by little. First of all, even though I use the phrase “God wants” don’t get the idea that I am suggesting God is dependent on us to do great things through or among. God is Sovereign and God is great and He … More God Wants to Do Great Things Through You!
“Woe is me!” “Everything and everyone is against me!” “Why me?” We all have had moments or seasons where we can relate to the above. It is easy to look at our circumstances (especially in light of what we consider “ideal” or what our hopes/expectations are) and feel sorry for ourselves. It is easy to … More Overcoming Victim Mentalities
Without getting into all the statistics on depression (and linked with depression: suicide) this is an area that is receiving more attention lately, especially with the recent suicide of Robin Williams. It shocked people because his depression was masked to many because of his humor and ability to make others laugh. But Proverbs 14:13 says: … More Overcoming Depression
One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Genesis chapter 5. At first glance it may be one of those chapters that you might just skip over, especially as it seems to become monotonous in just saying basically the same thing again and again about each successive generation in the genealogy of Adam given … More Walking with God
Recently, Franklin Graham wrote a needed and convicting article with a sobering title: “Heaven is not for Cowards!” Here is a link to read it: http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/44645-franklin-graham-heaven-is-not-for-cowards This comes from a passage in Revelation 21:7-8 where Jesus says: “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my … More A False Love Coming From Cowardly Fear
I’ve been thinking a lot recently on Acts chapter 27. I believe it contains some very relevant realities to what different people are going through or dealing with in their lives right now (or will be). I also want to share this to give hope to two specific kinds of people: those who through no … More When All Hope Seems Lost
Luke 21:34-36: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you … More Anxiety & Peace
There is a movement underway, especially (but not exclusively) within the “Word of Faith” circles where there is a “yoking” together with the Pope and Roman Catholicism. Truth is being sacrificed for the sake of unity. Although, truth has already been sacrificed especially by those within the Word of Faith movement long before this. We … More Sacrificing Truth for the Sake of Unity
