Thank you so much, wherever you are today around the world for joining us here in Elim church, you're joining myself, Reverend Ben Cooper for today's podcast this evening, whatever the time may be capture this back, but this is obviously our online streaming service as well as normally will be in the main church. Couple of weeks, we'll be back out there. But thank you so much for sharing all this stuff that we do here you can find us on Apple Music, you can find it on Amazon music, I Heart Radio, bus route on Spotify and other platforms that we are using for when we press these out services that we do online. I just want to say thank you so much wherever you are this evening. But my mind is going straight to John chapter 20 has been there today. You know, I can't believe it. Let's just jump straight in. Wherever you are today. And the simple message tonight is, is don't doubt just believe. Just believe whatever your circumstances are at this moment, you know, in verse 27, we'll go there in a few moments. Jesus made it very clear to Thomas. He said Stop doubting and belief. I really believe to mine. I really believe that all my innermost being that God is speaking directly to you. I really believe that I trust in the Word of God, I thank God for the time in which we live. I know we are living in very, very powerful times at this moment in time. I understand what is happening around the world. And what's happening for Russia and Ukraine. And all the other areas was rumors of wars, we got the food issue. We got the utility bills being backed up, we got all types of things happening. But everything is scripture. Everything is scripture based, there is nothing outside of God's hand there is nothing outside God's plan. So wherever you are tonight, we just want to say thank you so much. We lift them and we praise Him. And we just ask God that wherever you are tonight, whether you've captured this, this will be a week later. You obviously online with me at this moment, which is a live stream service Bible study this evening. But you can find us on many different podcasting platforms, Amazon music, just go in and type in Reverend Ben Cooper, his podcast and you'll find all his back stuff that we do, or just look on on social media. And you will find us there as well on a limb Swan and you can just trace this in, there's so much stuff that you can find. But I just want to welcome you tonight. I just want to let you know that wherever you are across the globe, do not worry, do not be fearful about what you hear what you see with your natural eyes. The perception as you see life, everything unfolding to do with Russia and certain areas and certain other nations, we are hearing so much about fuel bills, the cost of living is going up. Everything is rising. And we pray for you tonight, wherever you are, just hold on to God's word. And this is such a simple message. This is just a few verses. So we're enlightened 10 verses tonight. But it's about Thomas is about disciples. It's about family unit. It's about a body or the body of Christ. It's about being a disciple, it's about believing, it's about not believing. It's about being open. It's about being honest, it's about being true for I've got my glasses on tonight, my eyes are really, really tired. I gotta say, I am tired tonight. So I pray that God will just continue to feel me. We've got a lot going on in the church at this moment. There's a big press on the building work on the last stretch, and we're all working really ungodly hours, but God is moving. And God is with you. Wherever you are this evening. We're already three or four minutes in. And as we just capture this right now I thank God for your lives. And whatever you are, and wherever you are, whatever you may be doing at this moment in time, May God strengthen you and bless you, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Let's just get these texts up. Let's just see where we sit, give each other a couple of moments to grab it. God is good. He's a powerful God. And we thank God for what He's doing in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. I would just like to encourage you at this moment, never ever give up, never give up. There we go. I'm set I'm ready to roll. You know, as I said, I said that I find it very difficult sitting in this environment. I find it very difficult sitting in this chair. teaching and preaching and sermonizing. And and going through the word of God, it's okay when I'm podcasting and I'm facing someone now I feel a little bit more comfortable but I'm not you know that I'm more comfortable behind the pulpit you know, I've got a bit more space to roam about wonder about so this is really difficult for me sitting still. I feel I can't express myself enough so you'd have to forgive me for these moments I have so come on. Let's get straight into the Gospel of John I thank God for your life because I just want to let you know tonight do not worry do not worry about your finances. Do not worry about your life. Do not worry about your housing situation. Do not worry about Universal Credit. Do not worry what is happening to you do not worry about what is going on around you. Just focus on God. Just focus on the Word, keep in the Word of God, keep in the Scripture, trust him. Get directly into the Word of God and just let the word of God speak and open your hearts aren't you know, we all get tired, we all get weary. It doesn't matter if we were in ministry and the congregation's or what we may be doing, what our situations are human press, you know, we all get tired, we all get weary things happen to all of us. And once we realize that things happen to all of us wherever we are, because we can always look at someone else and think, Oh, I bet their bet the grass is greener on that side of the fence. Well, let me tell you, it isn't where you are. It's a perfect position because God has positioned you perfectly. But I've got this simple message. And I'm going to go to the back end of the text, verse 27, it says, Stop doubting and believe. Now, that might sound a little bit brutal. That might sound a little bit harsh tonight. But I just want to let you know the as the scriptures come out, do not doubt. Just believe that is such a simple line, whatever is happening in your life, whatever is breaking out around you, whatever is happening in your home, what's happening at work, what's happening in your finances, your home life, Universal Credit, whether you're married or unmarried, whether you're going through a divorce, whether you're whether you're getting married, whatever your situations are, whether you're employed, whether you're self employed, whether you're unemployed, whether you're retired, whatever scenario, your life looks like, God is very aware, God is very aware of your circumstances. God, he's very aware of you, because He created you and He loves you. And I just want to encourage you tonight, although it might sound a bit brutal, don't doubt a scripture says Do not doubt he says, Why do you doubt? He says and believe just believe, don't doubt he said, Stop doubting, and believe. That's the four words that he says. And I pray tonight, with all my innermost being, that you will not doubt that you will not worry, you know, the Scripture says, Why do you worry about your life? Look at the lilies of the field, Look at the birds of the air. Look how they see spin, look what happens to them. Do not worry, I really believe God is telling you tonight and telling me Do not worry about what we see what we perceive what our perception is picking up what our air gate is hearing in the world, whatever I gate is picking up what our senses are picking up. You know, there are a lot of people that feel very depressed at the moment, a lot of people who feel very down and very low, there seems to be quite a low and it seems to be quite an unusual feeling today. I don't know if it's me. But there seem to be quite an unusual feeling across the earth today. I don't have it because I'm tired. I don't know if it's because I'm weary. I actually don't know. But I feel that there is a press, I feel that there's a heavy press upon us. Maybe it's because of the news. And we've got to be careful what we hear. Because what we hear goes into our air gate, what we see goes in for our eye gate, and it feeds our innermost being. So how do I keep myself and when I got to be careful, I say this, how do I keep myself I think we got to look at David, where the Scripture says, And David strengthened himself in the Lord, there comes a time when pastors can't get to us there comes a point when family can't fuel us there comes a point when work isn't given us that fuel that energy anymore, family situation life, and you can almost feel a little bit empty. You we got to strengthen ourselves on the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. The Scripture said, when David had a clear conversation with the God of Israel, and it says, What do I do God? How do I overcome the enemy? What should I do? God said, pursue them and not just pursue them but overtake your enemy. And the scripture says, And David strengthened himself. In the Lord, there comes a point in our lives where church won't get us to that position, there comes a point where pastors won't get us to that position, and no one around us can get to that position. There comes a point when we got to leave to cry at crowd, we're gonna have a breakout moment. And we got a seat guard with the Scripture says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else shall be added unto thee whatever your circumstances are, whatever your your your life looks like at this moment, do not allow fear to grab hold of you do not allow what's happening for the political arena for the financial markets, for the housing sector, through the retail market, do not allow what is happening on the outside to affect the inside you because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. And I really believe in the word of God. I really believe from Genesis to Revelation, as we've had this conversation and the dialogue has come across before. Believing believing is very different to understanding. Understanding comes from the physical realm. Understanding is from the natural realm believing is completely different to believe. I believe in eternal God, I believe in the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. I believe in the power of God, I believe in the word. Do I understand it? No, I don't because it is a supernatural book, there are certain areas that I understand straight away that I can pick up. But there are areas of, of such theological depth that have you ever read a passage or you've read a part of the Word of God, and it's almost thrown you off kilter, and you don't even get there can't work that out. I got God God holds back and but God reveals as well. So there comes a time and maturity and our walk with him an hour long, long journey of Christianity where God reveals the word, God reveals His word to each and every one of us. And we find this very clearly. For the New Testament writer, Paul makes it very clear that gospel gospel is a mystery to the human being. But he says, As I write this, the revelation or knowledge of God is revealing as I write. And the Bible says, out of your belly shall flow rivers, of living water, but we got to remember that we are in a world, everything that we are in is visible, we see everything. So we believe everything we see, everything we hear, we believe it. Every scenario is before us. We believe it. That's how the media works. That's how branding works. It is pressed upon us, and it attracts us. And it draws us in. So everything of this natural world is very, obviously very physical. It's very material, very material. So we see it, and I see it, I perceive it, and then you might want it and then you might crave it. So everything is feeding the flesh of this world. But there is the kingdom of God that is of this world, but he's not of this world, but the kingdom of God is where we should be. And obviously the kingdom of God is within the kingdom of God is with him. But there is a kingdom, that kings domain, that the area that is unseen to the natural, I pray that wherever you are tonight, John, chapter 20. Let's get into the Scripture. John, chapter 20, verse 19, through 29, I can see people still coming online, God bless you. But we're going to start reading. And we're going to get in. I hope you can hear me loud and clear. I believe we're sat and we're ready to go. So let's go. And let's just start reading as we're 1213 minutes in already, verse 19, of John, chapter 20. On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. After he said this, he showed them his hands and he sighed. Then the disciples were overjoyed when they see the Lord. Verse 21, of John chapter 20. Again, Jesus said to them, Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them. And he said, received the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's, anyone, their sins, their sins are forgiven, if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven, very interesting passage, where how Christ just drops in verse 24. Now Thomas, also known as did a miss one of the 12, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I seen the now marks in his hands and put my finger where the nouns were, and put my hand on his side, I will not believe a week later, his disciples were together in that house again, and Thomas was with them, though doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here, see my hands, reach out your hand and puts it into my side, Stop doubting and believe. Thomas then said to him, My Lord, and my God, verse 29, I think this is a beautiful part of the text. I love the way this gospel writer John pushes this, and he announces this. And this is very clear that this should bring us a lot of peace. Verse 29, of John chapter 20 says, Then Jesus told him because you have seen me because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen me, and yet believe. Let's look at verse 2029. Before we go any further as we, as we jump back up to verse 19. So there we have Christ, addressing very clearly he's addressing the disciples, he's addressing Thomas, he's addressing the audience, and basically what he's saying through the understanding without going too deep from verse 29, without coming away from what we're looking at, Jesus said to them, because you have seen me, because your visual and your perception, and you have seen and you have heard my voice, because you have sinned, my physical being, that's why you are believing, but then he goes on and says, because you have seen me, you have believed Blessed are those who have not seen me yet have believed. So God Christ, the Holy Spirit, when we look at the deity, he requires us to live by faith, but we are living in a world that is, is everything that we see is obviously we can have it, it's touchable, it's tangible. We can get near it, we can see it, we can perceive it. We understand it with our senses, but Christ is is addressing an issue about faith. He says, He is saying I'm, let's just elongate this, let's just open this up a bit. Let's open the envelope. But what Christ is actually saying, he says, Jesus told them, because you have seen me. Now, Thomas made it very clear, unless I see, I will not believe. So Christ is addressing the issue of, of the visual Christ, he is saying, Thomas, you are only believing because I have stood in front of you. And I have pronounced myself and I have returned in the physical Christ, and put myself as the physical Christ into your presence. And I hear what you're saying, Thomas, you said that if you will not touch my side, if you will not see where I'm put your finger, where the now March was, if if you do not see me, you are telling me very clearly Thomas, you will not believe and that is clear cut. That is without any shadow of a doubt. We don't need a theological press and understanding that Thomas made it very clear, unless I see, I will not believe, but Christ addresses this area. And he speaks very clearly over it in verse 29. He says that Jesus told him because you have seen me, Thomas, because I came back and I stood in this room for you. You didn't even believe that I was here. Even though a week ago, when the disciples, your brothers and sisters in Christ told you that they had seen me. Now you could almost say that that was quite a selfish streak running for him is probably not the best way to present that to us tonight, say in a selfish streak. But I would look at it like that. And he's saying, look, it's alright for you lot. You've seen him. You X amount of seen him, but I haven't seen him. So if I do not see him this so there's jealousy. There's frustration. There's so much coming from this. He says unless I see I will not believe so Christ is dealing with two things. We understand that there is fear in the room. How do you know that fear is in the room? Well, first, the back up into verse 19. of John chapter 20 says on the first day, or sorry, on the first evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, there is something powerful about being together in the Lord's house. So you can be together, but you can still be in fear. And that will not detract that will not that there still will not stop the move of the Holy Spirit that will still not stop and will not allow God to move there. Fear does not stop God. But what is interesting in this text, to my mind is really going beyond what I can I can think of at the moment in Stax in verse 19. So in verse 19, of John chapter 20, it says, On the evening of the first day when the disciples were together, so we find that there is unity unity is very strong here, unity is upon us, we see that there is a family unit, there is a unit together of being united, and being together very interesting how this is looking. So we are seeing that this is referring to disciples, they were together, but fear was in the room. How do you know fear was in the room because it quite simply says in the next text of verse 19, with the door's locked for fear of the Jewish leaders. So they was in fear of the outside environment. They was fearful of what was around them, they was fearful that if they was going to get caught, and looking and praying and lifting up this, this this garden, this Jesus Christ, this Messiah, if they were seen to be found, discussing and speaking about the Messiah, they would be put to death because it was very clear what was happening. But it is very clear in the arena of what we are looking at at this moment. It's very clear to see that the fear was was among them because it says the doors were locked for fear. So fear it doesn't matter what your fear for love. Fear is fear. Fear is fear, whatever what you're looking at, fear does things to the body. Fear will drive you to think differently. Fear will will change your character. Fear will drive you to a place that we don't even want to talk about fear will make your decisions that you wouldn't normally make if you was just thinking within yourself, fear drives you and fear also can make people angry fear Can fear can distort vision. Fear can distort understanding. Fear can distort the speech and everything that runs along with that fear changes the person's body. It changes absolutely everything about a person. But what's really interesting here is, as you look at this text, Christ was not worried about their natural state what he wanted to do, where he wanted to address the fear. And I really believe the culture. The society was coming out of politics coming out number 10, was coming out in the business world was coming out across the seas through Russia, was coming out through Syria, what's coming out, through China was coming out through all these superpowers, what's what's coming out, fear can drive us to think very, very differently. faith and fear, run very close together fear, an invisible emotion. But faith is completely different to what fear is, fear is strong fear. Fear drives us but faith is stronger than fear. But we are living in a culture and a society. We are living in a world where fear is upon us. So how do I get faith? Where does faith come from? The scripture says faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of God. We find that in the book of Romans, and also I've got to remind us this is really important that I just remind us very quickly of this, Romans chapter eight, verse one, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ for what the law was powerless to do. God did by sending His one and only Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. So there we have Romans eight chapter, Romans, chapter eight, verse one, and also we have John 316. Four, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. So there are many people that are why you mentioned that Pastor Ben are mentioning, there is now no condemnation, because there are many worrying about their past, you know, many worrying about their historical events, what will people say? And then I've got to remind you of John 316, For God so loved the world, that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. How can I believe when I don't know this eternal God, we do not decide to follow an eternal God, the Eternal God presents Himself to us, the Holy Spirit presents itself to us, the Holy Ghost comes to us the power of the Holy Spirit comes to us, the living Christ comes to us, God comes to us, the human being doesn't wake up some Sunday morning and suddenly decide I am going to go to church, there is a move of the Holy Spirit in someone's life that draws us maybe people are put in our pathway, that are Christians that we find that there is a drawing to that person, or to them people around us that we find that there is something very different about them. Maybe we've never seen that before. But God uses people God uses us and God uses you as instruments for his work, but there also is upon us faith, faith is a is a very interesting and very powerful. belief system. Belief can change everything belief can, can switch your mind from from faith to fit, but running very close together the to run very, very close together. And we got to be really, really careful of how we operate our life. You've only got to look at the disciple that said, the cold across the waters to Christ, if that is you, he says, if that is you call me and I will come to you. Now we might look at that story, we might think to ourselves, where did that really happen did a human being actually walk on the water? It is not for us to understand it is not for us to try and work it out. What it is for us to do is to just believe, just believe because all things are possible to those who believe. So belief is a very powerful, I would present it like this for a quick succession. Belief is a weapon. belief comes very powerfully belief. I believe the scripture says Jesus says, just believe so Christ uses belief. Christ's uses faith. Christ uses the word. So then we look we are now we're talking and we're entering into the spiritual realm. Now when we look at the spiritual realm, the spiritual realm is a realm that cannot be saved and cannot be picked up by natural eyes. But the spiritual realm is a very real world. We understand what the Scriptures talks about it. It talks about principalities, it talks about heavenly places, it talks about our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities. In in of in the host of the of the severes of life. The Scripture is very clear where the battlefield lies, and but the battle belongs to the Lord. So there is a world out there that the human being hasn't even seen. There is a world out While the human being cannot perceive there is a world out there that no human being can go into and come back. Yes, I know what you're saying, Yes, I understand what the scripture says. And it says very clearly, the gospel writer makes it very clear. He says, on the Lord's day, I was taken up, I was taken up but but it was God that took him up, God will take you to that place, God will give you visions and dreams, God will present you to Himself because that's how God works. That is the safety net, that is the safeguard of the Word of God. And I find that we are living in very spiritual times. But because we are living in very spiritual and very biblical times, we are finding ourselves that we are exhausted physically, because the physical world can't keep up with the spiritual world, we understand that there's two sides of the cross, there's this cross a Christ, the side of Christ, and there's the side of Lucifer, where you will find black magic, white magic, you will find witchcraft, you will find all the Masonic activity you will find paganism you will find so much on the other side of the cross. So we are living in a very spiritual place though the world you can hear the world groaning with groans and pains, where the earth is preparing for the return of Christ, eschatology, the rapture of the church, the Bible tells us that Christ is coming back for for a bride that is perfect, that is unblemished in any way, shape and form. But when you look at the church at this moment in time, and you look at the church within the UK, it is tainted, it is marked, it is it is bruised, there are things happening within that church, but within I've got to make a clear distinction, that there is a difference between the Church of Jesus Christ and the church of what this world is. So you just look at the latest see in church, you look at the seven churches, you look at what what Revelation talks about the churches, you just see what happens in the last days. So it's very, very clear that we are living in in very powerful times, we look at the horses that have been released, the for the horses, that have left the Book of Revelation, and understand what their what their what they represent and on what they mean. So where do we sit, we sit in a very spiritual place, but we are physical. And And Christ is supernatural. So we live in a physical world. Now I've got to believe because everything I see is coming through my eyesight. Of course it is. So everything that I see affects my being so because I don't see this living God, I've got to make sure that fear doesn't overtake my faith. Now Christ was addressing two things. He was addressing Thomas's belief system, and also he was addressing the crowd that was around him. He said, You're living by sight. But what are those? What about those that haven't even come into existence yet, that are just going to go purely on the strength of my word. Now, who would that be? That is us. So we are 1000s of years up from the point of Thomas, we are 1000s of years up from the crucifixion. And Christ makes this very clear. He says, Thomas, you are only believing because I've stepped back into your environment. And I have made myself back into this physical Christ. And I have stood into Your presence, you are only believing because I am answering what you asked. I find this very interesting. The Christ stepped back into the room. After a week later. Let's see what the scripture says. Let's pick it up in verse 19. It says on the first day of the week, when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jew, Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them, and said, Peace be with you. So there's a few things that are being addressed in these believers life. Firstly, they are in a fair, a fair, full position, the doors are locked, the windows are bolted. They are in lockdown. And that sounds a little bit familiar to me that we are still in lockdown. But we might say, well, restrictions are coming off. The restrictions are only coming off because it's a political agenda, a political agenda, a earthly agenda won't deal with a spiritual crisis. So whatever the politicians decide to do, that's why we have made no progress spiritually, because the church is very political. Within the UK, you cannot have politics in the kingdom of God, politics, our rules, and regulations and criteria and politics fits in certain criteria of life. We get that the scripture talks about governance. The Scripture talks about leadership that the Scripture tells us that politicians while the Scripture calls them, calls them ministers. So the politicians are ministers and there is a responsibility To the politicians, as the scripture says ministers to govern us in a godly way. So that is a different sermon on its own. So we are living in a world that the world of politics is driving us physically. But now we have reached a place in spiritually, where politics and decisions and pie charts and graphs and data can or cannot get us out of a spiritual crisis. So spiritual decisions can only be made through the power of the living God. What do you mean if he was to look in the Garden of Gethsemane? We find ourselves looking at the Christ, we find ourselves looking at the Messiah. And every time there was a decision to be made, What did Christ say? He saw the word of the Father. So the Scripture makes it very clear. It says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and everything else shall be added unto thee. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, what is the kingdom of God without going into the theological depth of that the kingdom of God is what I seek. The kingdom of God is where the king's domain, he is sovereign, he is sovereign, He is God, He is the King of kings, and he is the Lord of lords. When we look at the doctrines of grace, when did we hear the church talk about the doctrines of grace, what we are finding is the big percentage of the church within the UK is very spiritually weak, because what we are finding it is making political decisions, and it is going along with political decisions, rather than going along with spiritual word. What is a spiritual word, a spiritual word is from the Word of God. So when I follow God's word, I am following what the spiritual God, the God of Israel is telling me and showing me how to live. So I cannot live in these two worlds. If I try to live between the two worlds, I will find myself in conflict between one and the other, I have to make a decision, am I going to follow the living Christ? Or am I going to allow my life to be dictated to by political decisions and decisions from the business world and from the organization's don't we find it interesting that two, three years ago, however long it was now, when this crisis came in COVID-19, I find it fascinating that money, and business and life, everything shut down, even the church shut down, the church shut down, simply because the church is not the church of Jesus Christ, because you cannot close the kingdom of God. You can close the fabric, you can close the building, you can lock the physical door, you can lock the door that you see with your natural life. And that is before you the handle on the lock, and all the process that goes along with the physical world, but you cannot close the kingdom of God. I was privileged to work in a certain environment where I was able to travel backwards and forwards. And I was being able to see culture and society in a complete lockdown. There was no freedom. So lockdown is a very interesting word. Now we have locked down before our very eyes. Now, what does lockdown do as soon as you start talking about lockdown, it brings fear to the body because we are procure we are we move around our bodies move we have to move when we become fixed. And when we come locked down, it becomes a prison and the prison becomes a place of fear the prison the home can become a prison. And then also, when we have political agendas being made over spiritual environments, the spiritual environment cannot be controlled by the political agenda. But what we have to do is to seek the Word of God, because a political answer cannot find and cannot make away in a spiritual crisis. So what do I need to do? I need to seek the Word of God. Very interesting. They were the doors were locked. The windows were barred. It says because fear of the Jewish leaders Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. As I said, at the very beginning of this very simple press tonight, in the Word of God, just believe. The more I believe the more peaceable I become, the more I trust, the more I become free. And then suddenly I don't worry about the word lockdown. I don't worry about the word wars and rumors of wars. The more I get into God's word and understand and study eschatology and the rapture of the church and days and everything there, I do not become fearful of what is going to happen to the globe. We are hearing very, very powerfully through a lot of the political engine that is around the world that is driving so much, the forerunner of the Antichrist and everything that's going on. We are hearing about one world governments we've seen about one world order. We are looking at military forces that are so big and so big, so strong, we are looking at one healthcare system, we are looking at one pharmaceutical, we are looking at one, everything is ramping up for one and there will be one AntiChrist, but there has to be many for runners in every area of life, many foreigners have what is being led up to be. So we are finding ourselves that we are being told to save the planet, save the planet is a very interesting terminology presented by political arrangement and leaders of the world. But I cannot save the planet because the scripture tells me that what is going to happen to the planet. So the word of God tells me very clear. So what I find is there is conflict in the political area against the word of God, you you cannot find a smooth path between politics and following the kingdom of God, because politics can't line up politics is all about, obviously, about what we what we know what politics stands for. And it's the same with the finance market. It's the same with organizations. It's the same with anything that is made up and it is built up of this natural world. But we are finding that humanity is in a spiritual crisis, because the church hasn't told us and it hasn't delivered and it hasn't pushed the gospel of Jesus Christ. We haven't had clean and sound doctrine. We haven't had teaching on faith we haven't had teaching on the rapture. In days, we haven't had teaching very clear when I say teachings, I'm referring across the board. Yes, there are great Bible teachers that yes, there are great scholars. Yes, there are great learners and great thinkers, yes, there are great theologians, but you understand what I'm saying maybe I should present it a little bit more in a little bit of a softer touch, a big percentage of the organization. The organization will always drive a political and an earthly agenda. But Jesus said, Stop doubting and believe. I have to believe what am i Believing? I am believing in the Word of God. I cannot believe as the scripture says, Do not trust in chariots and horses, the way it puts it is so clear. It puts it in such a very clear way. Yes, I trust my human or my fellow human being to a certain level, but it is not in charge of my eternal destination. What is your eternal destination? The scripture says your name is stamped in the land book of life. Did I stamped my name in the Lamb's book of life? Did you would can you remember stamping your name? Christ is the one and is written in the blood of the lamb in the book of life. It was already predestined predestination is something that is not of this physical realms preset predestination is of the spiritual realm. So everything is pre testing pre planned, you know, people will say the stars have aligned people will say the planets have lined up. This is line that has line I've read I've had my stars read, I've done this. I've had a tarot card reading. I've had all this Yes, I understand what you are saying. And yes, I get that, but that is on the wrong side of the cross prophecy has already been given. So what we have to understand is that we are living physically in a very strong spiritual crisis. So now we can maybe get an understanding on Life is Why are we so tired? Why are we so weary? Why are we so exhausted? Why are we finding burnout is such a common word? stress, fatigue, worry, Mum, Dad, working brother, sister, everybody working, working, working, working, working, children being exhausted to education, we are teaching them so much, but there are no jobs. Isn't that strange? There's not enough jobs, there is not enough to go around. There's all types of manner of things that are happening. So we are physical. And now we are living in a very spiritual crisis. So the physical can't deal with the supernatural. So what's going to happen is the supernatural God that you serve the night sir, he will give us strength to get through the physical crisis. The physical crisis is very real, if he was turned to turn to the Book of Psalm 23, Psalm 23. Even I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for your rod and your staff. They comfort me, You prepare a table in the presence of my enemies it talks about you leave me in paths of righteousness for your namesake, you leave me beside quiet waters is very very important that that we got our understand that we need to take time out to seek Him. We might have very very very busy diaries, but we need a moment just to speak to him and say, Father, I love you. I thank you Jesus that Your Word is true. Your Word is without error. So we are finding that we are we are physical, trying to say So how a spiritual crisis, but even the physical, even the Christian cannot saw out a spiritual crisis. But what happens is that the more we seek the Messiah, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Godhead and a deity, the more we seek our holy God, the God of Israel, the more that we will have one line that Christ spoke to the crowd. What did he say? He said, Peace be with you, because he knew the outside environment was affecting their inside. So what was happening on the inside, they was getting fearful. What was a fearful of there wasn't fearful of one another. They was fearful of the Jewish leaders on the outside. So the outside environment can control the inside. So I cannot allow the outside to control the inside. So how do I deal with this issue? That is a very physical and this realm is very real. But the Bible says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else shall be added unto thee, I seek the king. What Who is this King, you know who he is. His name is Jesus. He is the great I AM, he is the Messiah, He is the God above all things. He is the Creator of heaven enough, and the gospel writer right so beautifully. And he says, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. And the Word was God, in the beginning was, in the beginning was what in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God in the beginning. So in the beginning of every situation, what should be in the beginning should be the word of God, out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water, coming back to Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ did not seek his own world, even though you look theologically at that, and you see the Godhead, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, in Christ, because Christ says, I, and the Father are one. So he makes a clear statement to the to the synagogue leader leaders to the audience around him, and they thought he was speaking blasphemous. And when he had this conversation, this dialogue with them, they wanted to stone Him, they want him to take him out. He is saying that he is the God, the God of Israel. And what is interesting, Christ makes a clear understanding, he says, I and the Father are one. That that's clear. That's very, very powerful. And that's very, very important to understand that yes. And when I use this type, this word that I'm going to use, you can't separate Christ. But what you can separate is their distinctive ways that they operate as the deity, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, but we know Christ is the image of the invisible God, because the book of Colossians says, Christ is the image of the invisible God. And the Bible says, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And we understand that Christ is the living word. And the Word became flesh. In John chapter one, round about verse 14, don't hold me to what I'm quoting, check to see what the Scripture says, and I do not have the reference in front of me. He says, And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, The Word became the word wasn't born, the word wasn't birthed. Yes, you might use the terminology. Biologically, you might use it in a scientific phrase, you might use it as a way that we understand the birth in process. But the Bible says the Word became the word was already at the beginning the word, the word wasn't created by human form, the word was already because the word was at the very beginning of time, you've only got a look in the book of Genesis, it says, Let's make man in our image, you've only got to see God speaking about the Holy Spirit in Genesis chapter one, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the deep. And God said, Let's make man in our image. So you have to look at the image of Christ, the image of humanity, and how did God make Adam he brought him from the dust of the earth. So if you look at our physical being, our physical being, is obviously the same being the human being, as Christ is. So when you look at what God would look like in the physical realm, we see that very clearly when he steps back into the room. And we see that through the power of the cross, we see that very clearly in the process of humanity, in what we call the circle of life coming into being so we understand that Christ humbled Himself, came down 14 generations and presented himself to humanity as the living Christ he used The dressing room of Mary, and he came into this world, and he was birth. But when I say birth, what I'm referring to he came in as the same process, but you will find very clearly that the Word became flesh. It was already in existence. It didn't need to be birth. But he took that process of the birthing process. But Mary was carrying the living word. And let me just remind you tonight you are carrying the living word. Although Mary was carrying the physical Christ, you are carrying in the living word, you are carriers of the Word of God, because greater is He that is in me, then he that is in the world, oh, my God, you are blessed and highly favored. You are wonderfully and you are fearfully made. But Christ is the image of the invisible God. So when Christ steps through the war, we might say to ourselves in that scripture, that could be a little far fetched, we got to understand that Christ dimension is not of this dimension, it is of a different dimension, that we cannot understand or grasp as human human beings. I'm getting tired, my voice, my thinking is starting to slow down. I hear many say, Praise the Lord, thank goodness for a time to go in the name of Jesus. So we understand that Christ stepped through the walls, the doors were locked, the windows were bolted, and Christ presents himself to the crowd. That is what the crowd is in a fearful position. So as soon as Christ steps into the crowd, into their environment, now let's remind ourselves that Christ always reveals Himself to us. We do not take ourselves up to the Holy of Holies. And present us to him first, he presents himself to us first, he makes the way he is a way maker, he is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, he will make a way. So when I look and we try to wrap this up, and try and put a full stop, and try and grab our breath, until we gather again on Sunday morning, until God will continue to reveal His word here, in Ealing church, but God will continue to release word to you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, because He is always revealing he is always showing he was always presenting. So in the Scripture, you will find that even though Christ came in to Thomas's environment and into the crowd environment, what we do find that very, very important here, he says, Stop doubting and believe. But then if we take Christ back into the garden of Gethsemane, he was not doing his world, but he was doing the will of the Father. So all the time that I'm doing the will of the Father, I will find myself in the right posture in the right position, and the right place to be when I'm doing the will of the Father. When I'm doing the will of the Father, I will find that I will have peace. I will ever understand it. It might look a hard Jewess environment, but the Bible talks about insurance insurance is a key to a believers life insurer. I've got to endure. I've got to go through even though one of the writers of the New Testament he says the great writer Paul we want we don't need to hide that we know what I'm about to say says even though I've been shipwrecked even though I've been beaten and even I've been wept, even know that I've been sawn asunder even know that I've been stoned even know that I know I've been imprisoned. I know that my Redeemer lives I know because he gives me the strength. It's really interesting the way Paul speaks about his life, he's very open. He's very honest. He doesn't hide anything. He presents himself in such a way that we what we need our church leaders to present themselves as Paul presented himself to the audience around him. He was very authentic. He was he was real. He was very current for the environment. He wasn't he although there are certain church that churches that lift him up and put him up to this sainthood and this place and and we got to be careful that we don't worship the disciples more than we worship, the one that called the disciples on the shoreline of Galilee. And we got to understand that how Paul came into that position, Paul, when he came into that position, because Christ had to deal with Paul and Christ had to shape him and mold him into the character that God wanted him to be. God we got it, we got to put it, we got to pull it in just a few moments is really, really important that I just say these just for the last five minutes. I'll try and keep to five minutes. You know, when I talk about time, I like straight out of my back teeth because I can ramble, that's for sure. So this is this is important. So Christ presents himself to the audience that are in what in a fearful posture that are in a position of fear Christ presents himself to the audience that is around and together because the scripture says the doors were locked windows were bothered because of the fear of the Jewish leaders. So they were in lockdown. So there are many people still in lockdown, even though we've got a political movement now a political answer, let's just throw the doors open. But what it doesn't deal with it don't we're not worried we're not, we're not talking about the plague. We're not talking about that. Because what was really done the damage is the fear that is left the fear, the uncertainty, we can't see it, we hear about this thing, we get a bit of an understanding we we hear are strong, and how powerful and what a killer it was. And then suddenly, a political decision has been made over a spiritual crisis, and almost scrubbed it out, and almost discarding it in some way, shape, or form, and change in the understanding that you don't need to have the two, don't worry about that anymore. And then you've got another across the other side of the globe, where they're really pressing, and they're really still locking down. So the world is in confusion. And we have a very unusual sweep have a very different attitude and a very different understanding. So we are experiencing lockdown within the UK without being locked down. Because very interestingly, it doesn't take too long before any word starts to penetrate the mind and get into the psychological and into the process of the human being. And then suddenly, we lock ourselves down in what way we lock ourselves away in fear. Fear is the key fear is the controller, not the virus, not the not the different areas of what we might hear. But it is fear becomes the controlling area of our lives. But faith and fear run very close together. So that's why Christ steps into their environment. And he says those words very clearly, Peace be with you. He did not address the fear. He did not rebuke the fear. He did not shake the fear out of them. He spoke the word over their lies, that is critical for a believer. That's why it's important as the scripture says, The psalmist, I believe, says this, he says put the tap put the word of God, on the tablet of your heart, out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water, what I feed myself, and I'm referring to the Word of God, if I feed myself, how do I feed myself the Word of God, it goes in through my gate, it comes in through my air gate, I read it, as I speak the word as I read the Scripture, my ears and my perception are picking it up. And it comes in through my eye gate through my ear gate, and it rests onto the tablet of my heart. That is what is critical for a believer that I keep in the Word of God. Because we are in a spiritual spiritual crisis, with very earthly and very worldly leaders trying to make spiritual decisions in a very political way. You cannot get out of a spiritual crisis, making political and business decisions, because that does not face death is not fearful of political and, and death is not frightened of business decisions. We are living in a crisis. We are living in a spiritual crisis. And I just want to encourage you tonight, whatever and wherever you are, whether you capture this back through the world of podcasting, or the different platforms we're on, or you're capturing this right now, or you might capture this later, I pray that you will find peace through the word of God, I pray that you will find rest in His Word. The Scripture says, Come to me all of you that are weary, and I will give you rest he will give you rest. Keep that word in your innermost being. Keep that word on the tablet of your heart. As it says in the Old Testament, David strengthened himself in the Lord. I find strength in the Word of God, I find joy in the Word of God. I find it endurance in and through the word of God. Life will bring challenges to your door life has brought challenges to our door. And we are not just talking about one day you feel like that person that you see spinning all in place, and you're trying to balance life, you're trying to balance absolutely everything at once. God will give you the strength to continue. God is the God of hope. He is the God of all things. He is your father, he is your God and He is your King. Never ever give up. Always be hopeful. Never give up but I really believe tonight as we close this and as we put a full stop on this I find this very, very important that I let you go with this one word, or two words three words even piece B You may the God of all peace, may the God of all things, may the great I AM. He will lead you in paths of righteousness. He will strengthen you beyond your human understanding. He is with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Trust Him. And as the scripture says, just believe. And as Christ said to Thomas, stop doubting, and believe, good night, and God bless, may God be with you forevermore, in the mighty name of Jesus. Remember, we will not get a answer in the political realm to deal with the spiritual answers we are looking for. We will never find the answer in the business world that needs to give us a clear answer in the spiritual world. We need to go to God we need to go to his word for your help with your business, your marriage, your life, your relationship regarding your children, your your family, your friends, whether you're married or married, whatever your situation is, whether you're employed, unemployed, retired, whatever your life circumstances are, the answer that you need will not be found at number 10 Downing Street, it will not be found in Google. It will not be found in Ask Jeeves, it will not be found on the internet. What you will have to do is go to the Word of God, because that's where the answers to life lie in the treasure in the Word of God. May God bless you and strengthen you. We will see you in a few days. We will catch you Sunday morning back in the church. Thank you so much for joining us tonight. You've been joining myself Reverend Ben Cooper, as we've had this podcast or this live streaming service. Please share everything go on Spotify. Go onto Amazon Music go other Google have a look around, see what we got to offer. Come back with some some interesting stuff. And may God bless you in the mighty name of Jesus. We thank you so much for joining us. And wherever you are this evening, never give up. As always hope. There's always hope in a match you know Jesus Christ. Have a wonderful evening. Keeping the Word of God trusted. Because all is well in Jesus name. Amen.