Good morning, and welcome. Thank you so much for joining us for coffee and prayer. And now we're 20 minutes late. It's been my fault this morning, everybody well, I pray Good morning world, wherever you are today across this beautiful globe, we are just so blessed to be around the word of God for these moments as we gather for prayer. So wherever you are today, we just pray that God will continue to lead you into paths of righteousness for his namesake. So we thank you so much for joining us across the globe, you can find us on iHeartRadio you can find us on Spotify, you can find us on Buzzsprout you can find us on Apple play. And also Amazon music and all the places that Podcasts can be activated from you will find us so wherever you are today, we thank you so much for joining us for coffee and prayer, as we just gather around for this morning service, as we always do, as we just look into the scripture, and we see what God is leading us to and where God is leading us from. So let's dive straight in this morning. And yes, welcome. I can see everybody coming online. And we're gonna go to Matthew, Matthew chapter 11. Matthew chapter 11. And I'm got a little snicker going on. Because I think this first line is for me this point in Matthew chapter 11, verse 28, come to me all of you the weird. Yes, come to me, all of you that are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest, you know, the scripture has been, I won't say wrestling around my heart, this scripture has been resting on my heart for quite a number of days. And we've explored it through Sunday and through some of the other services we've been doing, just looking at it. And I just feel that, really I need to read this again for everybody that's on line with us this morning. So we're in Matthew chapter 11, verse 28. And it reads, just as simple as this come to me, all of you that are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Jesus is the way it's that simple. Christ is the way he is the truth. And the life No one comes to the Father except through me. So wherever you are today, we just pray that you will just rest in Christ that you will rest in the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And you will just feel His love and His presence and His goodness, because his love, and His presence will never leave us because the scripture says I will never leave you nor forsake you. But wherever you are today, I just want to encourage you us around the table, everybody in the house of the Lord this morning, working behind the scenes, and every one of you that's watching this at this moment in time, this live stream service, everyone that will capture it through the power of the podcast route that we go through and everybody online at this moment, online church, you know, this hybrid church that seems to be around at this moment, and it will continue where we got people in the building and we got people online. So we just want to welcome everybody but I'm going to read that again. Just a very simple, very powerful a scripture that really will give us a place of unconditional rest and that and that is only found in Christ Jesus come to me Christ is calling Christ is drawing Christ is is is speaking through that sweet still voice. Come to me all I love the fact that this word all is dropped onto the fabric of the page, all who are weary and burdened. Does anybody wear it? It's morning. Is anybody burdened this morning? Is anybody troubled? Is anybody tired and weary? Wherever you are, if you're at work this morning just kept doing this live stream service if you're a week down the line when this comes out in the in the podcasting world or you're with us at this moment on, on the socials across the social networks, I just pray that, that you will find rest in Christ and you will just come to Jesus. You know, it's a very interesting line. Isn't it come to Jesus, or the power is not within me to come. He's already presented. He has already saved me. He's already with me. He's already guided me. He's already redeemed us. He's already set us free. But there comes a point in the physical press of a human being when you know, I need Jesus more today. You know that when you're when your voice actually has that communication. Your heart is connected to Christ, you are saved, I am saved. We are washed in the blood of Jesus but I just feel this. This I don't even like to use the line but I will just further For the English language that we're very familiar with. And it feels very simple, doesn't it? Come to me? But how do we do that? How do we actually do that I've got my brothers around the table. And if I need anything, I'll go, I will walk to them. But when, when Christ is added, we put this when Christ is with us, but not in the realms of what we see, naturally, I can go to any of my brothers or anyone in my life, and we can go and we can walk up to each other. And that is an identification for our eyes to know Don's in front of me and is to this side and Glen's to this side. And there's people around me, for my perception, I see or smell I touch. But I love the fact when Christ said to the disciples, listen, you lot. You're struggling to believe me, when you got the signs and wonders standing in front of you in the physical Christ. What about those that are going to be up the generational line, up that line, 2000 years up, and more than I've got to go by faith alone. I would love for Christ. I don't know how many times I've prayed this prayer, Lord, come and step through the wall. Lord, I want to see what Thomas Lord, I want to say your physical book Christ is bigger than the physical. And what do I mean by that? Well, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was we've got in John, we understand that. So God has always been in existence there is that word existence is just not in the vocabulary of Christ's language. He was before before before there was never he was before that you can't even get to the fabric of the end of that, or the beginning of all that. So he has always he has all always been in existence that is clear. But the physical Christ, so we understand through Colossians, it says, And Christ is the image of the invisible God. And Christ presented himself physically to this world. And they had the privilege of seeing him physically. But now we have the Father, Son, the Holy Spirit. So for anyone this morning that may feel like me that that's I can see Glenn, I can touch Glen into my site, I can sign with everyone before me. Materialism, I can touch that. But I haven't got the physical Christ, but what I have is greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. So if anyone is struggling with faith this morning, St. God, where are you? He's inside each and every one of us. He's around you. He is touchable. But not in the way that we touch our loved ones and our friends and life and the fabric of life. God is with you. God, God is with you wherever you are today. God is with you. And I'll see you on the socials someone just put up there just believe it we believe that is correct. We just believe. So this morning, if you feel like me, this scripture is so real come to me. He was speaking to the audience that was in in their sight and in their vision and in their stretch and in their touch their their natural capabilities that was before him physically like my brothers are. And everything is around you know it, we can see it. So Don is here. So I know he's here because I can see him. You know, it's really interesting, isn't it walking with Christ, The just shall live by faith. So Lord, I, I need more faith. Will you increase this faith because Lord, life is hard at the moment, Lord, and Will you step through the wall? It's not the Christ doesn't answer prayers. It's not that Christ doesn't. Is not around. It's the fact that we will see him when he comes back. That is when we will see him next. Yes, I'm not denying visions and dreams, but I'm referring to the physical. So this scripture that were in, come to me, it was easy for them because they could walk to the physical Christ. But for any one of us now that is going through the valley, anyone that is going through a hardship and say, Lord, where are you please show up, Lord? Have you ever prayed prayers where you want to see angelic activity? Just to confirm? Have you ever prayed them prayers when you've been in bed or you've been somewhere and you've been saying, God, please, Lord, show me a sign give me a sign? Well, the greatest sign that we got is look out through the window. God is in what God is before each and every one of us. When you look at the fabric, when you look at creation, when you look at the table we're at this morning, he's these paper cups. He created these cups he's in, he's in everything he he created the atoms he created the air, he is the oxygen he is. He is everything. We are wrapped up in Christ wherever we go. We didn't have could I use the word privilege. We didn't have the privilege to see the physical Christ but we got the presence. We got the presence of the living God. So I pray this morning, this simple prayer Father, for anyone, Lord that may be struggling Lord, anyone that is just bouncing in and out of church and all that So it's tough. Lord, I believe you're calling each and every one of us come to me all of you that are weary. Lord. So when you say Come, Lord, we present ourselves to you, Lord, I bring everything to the cross. I lay everything that your footstool, I lay it at the cross, I thank you for the cross of Calvary, Lord, with all my burdens, with all my worries with all my fears, Lord, I thank you that I will find rest in Jesus. Because you're with us this morning, Lord, you're with everybody online, your with those in the world of podcast. You're with everybody, look, because you are the Way the Truth and the Life. And Lord, we come to Jesus. Lord, I come to you this morning to say, Lord, I thank you for the power of repentance and Lord, whatever I've done, said acted out of line of thy word, Lord, I pray, Lord, I thank you that you've washed me in the blood of Jesus that I'm saved, thank you for the power of repentance. So I come to you this morning, Lord as just a son, not Lord, not as a leader, not as a preacher, not as not as anybody in the world of the church. But I come to you. And I'm listening to the calling, because you're calling me as your son and you're calling other sons and you're calling the daughters and you're calling us. Lord, I thank you that titles are irrelevant in the kingdom of God because there is only one king, and God will not share His glory with no man. So Lord, when our titles are stripped back bear, when all the paperwork hanging on the office, walls are run out, and they faded away, Lord, Your love is unconditional, and wrap your arms and continue Lord, just to cover us in the goodness of God. We love you, Father, we thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit. And I'm with my brothers this morning, and my sisters online in the house out of the house. And I pray that wherever you are today, you will just feel the love of God. And I've just seen a text come up that said, Hi, we're in Disneyland Paris. God bless you. God bless you in Disneyland Your son is speaking to you Don is they safe there so God bless you feel when the name of Jesus so this is this is great because we're, you know, wherever people are across the world, we can connect your son says good morning. Yeah. And we thank God for the power of technology that we can connect wherever, however, whenever God bless everybody that's on holiday this morning, everybody that is traveling this morning, everybody at home this morning, everybody that is at their desk this morning, we know there are a few people that follow this coffee and prayer that actually are in universities and we say God bless you as well. And those are at work those that just capture the socials whenever it might be but wherever you are across this earth whether you are in Paris or you are in New Zealand and we had someone on with New Zealand yesterday, so bless everybody across the world today my brothers around us and Lord Our hearts cry this morning, Lord is we want more Jesus Christ we want more of you Lord, and father were the people are on holiday whether people at work or people are walking, listening to this as we join together as brothers and sisters around the world. Then we say hallelujah. bless everybody on holiday today, whether they're stepping into an art aircraft, a train, a bus, a car, however their means of transport is today wherever they are with their family. Lord, let the love of God protect them in the mighty name of Jesus, let them find rest with one another. But Lord, let let the power of God be the center of their rest in the name of Jesus bless everybody at work. Everybody in this house today. touch lives today, Lord and be with Phil when his family and everybody else that is traveling wherever people are today in airports, in bus stations, it on stuck on the M 25. Wherever it is the reality of life. Father, I thank you that we have the way we have the way in the way is Christ. And the way is with Jesus the way because you are the way and wherever we are, whether we're in a traffic jam, whether we're in church, whether we're here, whether we're in the air, 33,000 feet above the Earth, wherever we are, you are with us whether we're in Paris, whether we're in Australia, wherever we are at work, you are with us. And Lord, I just want to read this one more time as I hand over to my good brothers. For the rest of this service come to me, all of you that are weary and burdened. Wherever you are. Jesus is with you. God bless and good morning to everybody. There you got brothers all over to the holy ones.
Donny Stockburn:Yeah. Who's going first? Like yeah, yeah. Can I apply it in our life? Pray for all God's children, who are going through brokenness right now. Yes. Long on this journey through life and Lord has a lot of around and Paul always asset great evangelist. Perhaps the greatest evangelist at cold call. He always asked people to pray for him. Wherever he was going, whatever he was doing, we will call to do to sign now that's the purpose of prayer, to pray, honestly, and pray from our hearts. Things happen when we pray. Churches, churches called a house of prayer, the change, change comes in my own life. I could I could sit here for ages telling you about prayers, okay? Gnosis in the strength comes, and faith arises dangerous paths. The waters don't overcome us, the fires, don't consumers, even sick people. Jesus healed with a prayer, amen. You can mumble, you can shout, you can whisper, he can pray with joy, you can play in thanks, you can play in tears. And so you can pray. And when you pray, things change. Amen. And artists want to take you back something. As usual, God interacts with us and in what we're what he's given to us and take you back to John 17, verse 20, and 21. And it's the quiet prayer that Jesus cried, Oh, my God. It's this, this prayer is in two parts. One, so his disciples that are sitting in that upper room with him that night, close to him hours from when Jesus was arrested, and he prayed for them. And then, in the second part, from verse 20, he prays fast living now, unbelievable, that Christ spoke for centuries, he prayed for us. Now, I just want to read you, this just a small part of that prayer. And Jesus's voice is, they would listen to have all witnesses, all the disciples are witnesses and what they heard, and saw come, those words come out of his mouth, they wrote them down. So we're listening to what Jesus said that night. He just said, I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may be one, as you father are in Me, and I am in you, that they also that's us, maybe one in us, that the world may believe that You sent Me, what a prayer for us, that we will be one with God and one with Jesus, and that he would be living in us. And we will be living in him. Thank you for what what a prayer to be pride. And as I look come true, when when Cross was finished the work on the cross, and Jesus had risen and gone back to heaven. That's when it all came true. That's when we began our life. That's when this prayer made us one with God. The LF sins were dealt with, swept away, and there was no barrier only more, and we live in him, and he lives in us. And that's the platform that we pray for him. So whatever our opinion is of ourselves, yes, sometimes I'll think, much more than, less than I ought to be, you know, don't say things that are wrong, and can stack up on us. And we can begin to believe that we're just no one and God won't listen to our prayer. Quite the opposite. This prayer of Jesus made sure that, that we are in God, and He is in us. And that's the platform we pay off. So far, God, I pray for all your children, as just as you did Jesus at night, I'll pray for all your children, throughout this view, world, Lord, those in the valleys, those on the mountaintops, those inner cities, those in the villages, those in war torn lands, those who are in it amongst the sick and the poor, and doing business, and those who are talking to the lonely, those who are nursing, the dying, your children all over this world, Father, God, wherever they are, wherever they're facing ups and downs, Lord, just pray, he will strip everything back and remind them that they are sons and daughters of the living God, no less, and is the platform we pay off so far. God, I pray for every single Christian born again, Christian all over this world. I pray for them as you did that night. Lord, I asked you know, you will be blessed this day, that you will bring relief to them, that you will bring new strength to them, you will bring your delight to them Father God, I don't know where that word comes from. But delight came on Lord and we just faithful, they will be delighted with your company, Lord, knowing that they're in you, and you owe in them and they're not alone, and that they will never ever be when they and apart from you. This is forever. This is a contract signed with the blood of Jesus. It's whoever. So norfund is platform, sons and daughters of the living God. We ask you Lord, all over the world, every single Born Again Christian Lord, to be blessed in whatever they're doing. Blessed as you blessed, told Moses to bless Father God, that your countenance would be upon Him Lord and your face shine upon them, Lord, lift them up in spirit. Lift them up, Father, God had powerful witnesses, make them light shining gems, fire god that you have created, and twinkle and shine and and show your glory in this world, and Lord and bring to life, all those who are sagging in spirit. I've had a bit of that lately myself. Five gets a little bit thin. We start thinking on things. Father, God, lift us, lift us in spirit. That's our prayer today. And we ask, in Jesus name, amen. Amen.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Thank you, Jesus,
Glenn Walsh:Thank you Jesus also said, My desire is that they've been with me where I had my desire. You want to know what God's heart is for you? desires that you be with him, just like the prodigal son when he returned home and kind of had a picture of someone getting off a train, and their children went with them. Is that where are they? Where are they imagined the panic in their parents? Yeah, until they're reunited with their children. That's what God's like with us. I want to go into Psalm 116 bit of time in the Old Testament. I love the Lord. Three heard my voice. He heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned easier to me. I won't call on Him, as long as I live. And there Andy knows a wonderful testimony about this Sami might share that in a minute, but the codes of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me. I was overcome, by tribal and so on. Then I called on the name of the Lord, save me. The Lord is gracious and righteous. Thank you, Jay. God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simple hearted when I was in great need, He saved me. Here we go, Ben, be at rest once more. Yes. Yes, for the Lord's has been good to hear for you, oh, Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I might walk before the Lord in the land of the living God, and we love actually, the Bible also says, Being confident of this, that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land in the living prize, you know, he's with us always, I believe, therefore, I said, I am greatly affected. And in my display dismay, I said, All men are lawyers. And the psalmist goes on say, Hey, can I repay the Lord? Now? Flipping over to Isaiah 40. Were from verse 28. Do you not know Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting, God's the creator of the ends of the earth, He will not grow tired or weary. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope and we're talking about faith and hope, and then hope, those who hope it also says those who wait in the Lord, it depends what translation you've got. But the hope is waiting. So you're feeling dismayed. You're feeling distressed? You're crying out to God and sign up. I've fallen off your radar. Now you haven't. Hope is okay. I haven't seen breakthrough today. Thank you. I didn't see breakthrough yesterday. But he's coming back. He's here. It may be in the next five minutes. It may be tomorrow, it may be next year. But I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Amen. He loves you. He's for you. Just like the father who's continually looking out for the sun continually, continually, continually. That's God's heart over you. Again, his desire is that you be with him. So now flipping over to Daniel, Daniel 10. I've got to find where I am now. So verse 12, do not be afraid, Daniel, since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God. Your words, were heard. Amen. But then there was delay. We know Yeah, but delay. Yeah, delay. There was timing. There was delay. God knows you. He he is you're crying. He is for you. And again, some that it only tells that story, you're gonna be enthralled by this, you're gonna tell it and I can't. It is wonderful. Let me pray. And then Andy will tell us this story. Wherever you are. You are not beyond God's reach on the Lord. I want to thank you that you so loved us. You sent your one and only Son, you entered heaven for the sake of the last of the presence of Christ. He was with us. He walked with us. And he's with us today through the power of His Holy Spirit. Lord, I want to thank you that you haven't left us you know, as often as you are with us. Yes. And I pray today for a reigniting of your presence within our lives. As Lord Lord Your how you are with us always. We've seen it, we've experienced it when we've come to the end of ourselves. When all hope is gone and ebbs away, suddenly you show yourself and everything changes. Bless your people today we ask them jesus holy life.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Amen. Thank you, father. Thank you, Jesus.
Andy Hammond:Yeah. Glenn, referred us to Psalm 116. Actually, if you look at Psalm 18, as well, you get similar words, but he's asked me to recall testimony I heard many years ago now, it's quite a few years ago. And there was this deep sea diver, he was working on the North Sea oil rigs. And he, during his usual job, he was lowered down into the sea, he got to the seabed, you can picture the diver with the big round helmet and the airlines flowing out behind him and he was walking and checking the the oil rig on the seabed, when he suddenly realized the air wasn't getting through to his helmet. And he thought, what am I going to do, and he's felt that he was passed is going to pass out without any air. So he cried out to God, Lord help me. And the next that he heard was that pass he's gonna pass out without me. He then found himself on the ship. On the being rescued, he had been pulled up out of the sea. And he was in such a state that they decided to fly him by helicopter back to land, and he went into a hotel, to get some rest. He lay on the hotel bed, and he reached out his arm. And there he saw on the side, a Bible. He picked up the Bible, and it fell open in the middle. It fell open at Psalm 116. Then he read Psalm 116, as Glen has read, I love the Lord for he heard my voice, he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as as I live, the cause of death in Tangled me the anguish of the grave came upon me, Wow, I was overcome by trouble and sorrow, then are called on the name of the Lord. Our Lord saved me
Reverend Ben Cooper:praise God. Story.
Andy Hammond:He thought, that's just happened to me. That's just happened that I called on on last name was a Lord, our Lord saved me. And he saved us as well. The end of the story, cutting it short is, is no longer a deep sea diver. But he's a pastor of a church, not surprised. He had that amazing, powerful encounter, we've gone that day, and really will have encounters with God. Yeah, yeah. Man. Yes. And it might not be as dramatic as that. In fact, I'm not sure that I would want to be in a situation like that. But God actually has an encounter for each one of us. And we we've spoken about hope this morning. And there are a couple of verses in Hebrews that talk about hope. And in chapter 11, of Hebrews it says, Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, uncertain of what we do not see. You know, we don't see do we? That's right. Some people have encountered a visual encounter with God, but in the main we don't see. And that's what hope and faith is all about is they're tied together on a faith and hope. We, we know that when we encounter Jesus.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes, Lord, Come Holy
Andy Hammond:promises that we read in Scripture, come to fruition, and we can rely upon them. And what we need to do is, there is a verse in Hebrews 619 It says, we have this hope, as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus who went before us has entered on our behalf. You know, in the Old Testament, there was only one person who could go behind the curtain. Yeah, yeah. And even then, the priest was the one person. And even then he could only do that once a year. And to make sure that he came out again, though, to tie a rope around his leg, in case he had an encounter with God, that caused him to faint or even die, because no one else could go behind the curtain to pull him out. But now that curtain has been torn, right from top to bottom, access brothers, and that happened, the crucifixion. And we know that cut could have only been done by torn by God, because it was over 60 feet high. Yeah, that could, and it was torn from top to bottom. How amazing is that, that we can now go behind and have access to God through Jesus. That is, that's why we have this hope, which is firm and secure. King James Version used to say sure, and steadfast. And I know that, but that's another story. But so what we have this morning is we have this hope. And Hebrews tells us that because that whole scripture tells us, let's persevere in this.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Thank you, Jesus, persevere, ongoing,
Andy Hammond:keep on going. We've had these last couple of years, how difficult has it been to keep on going? But God seems to have understood all that, because there is the Scripture written all those years ago, tells us to keep on going, keep going. Yeah, have unswerving me to the hope we profess, thank you, Jesus promised is faithful. Let us consider how we may spur one one another on towards love and good deeds. And we got to encourage one another. That's what Scripture tells us it does. Let us encourage one another. When we see a friend or brother, who is really at their wit's end, let's encourage them, put an arm around and say, Tell them that God loves him. But more than that tells him that you love them.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Thank you, Jesus.
Andy Hammond:And I suppose as a bit of an evangelist, I suppose I'm what Scripture also says that we need to be out there and to take the word of God. And Romans 1013 says, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved on beautiful skirt. Wow, what an amazing message. That is everyone who everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. If you don't know Jesus, give him a shout. It's there. All you got to do is sit down. Call on Him say, Look, Lord, I want you in my life. Everyone who calls on him will be saved. So Father, we just pray. We thank you for your slaughter.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Thank you, Jesus.
Andy Hammond:We thank you for scripture. And this is your infallible Word to us today. And I just say to everyone out there, don't let anyone fool you by saying that this isn't God's word. trust it. It's his infallible Word. Amen. And we thank you for it. Follow it. Help us to thank you, Jesus. Thank you. Time with you. I get the impression today that there are quite a few people running around like headless chickens. They need to slow down and just to spend time with God help me do that. And that might just be a couple of minutes of silence. That will do it. Just sit down and have a couple of minutes of silence. And just open your mind and your heart to Jesus and he or speak to you.
Reverend Ben Cooper:God is witness. He will speak to you. Amen. Thank you.
Andy Hammond:So that's my prayer for you today. Sit down with him.
Donny Stockburn:Thank you Today when you read nd about hope it says it also dates a sure and certain hope. It's not like I hope it's not raining Leia is is short and certain is infallible. I hope we build our light on. Yes, father, and thank you for that, Lord. Oh man. Yeah.
Glenn Walsh:Everyone who calls. The Lord's glad you said that because it's for all boys so called or the name of the Lord. And the turned up rescued us from all different. Amen. Thank you, Jesus, but also everyone. And I love that story, the deep sea diver because that deep sea diver did actually pass out on the surface of the Sun. He was unconscious when he came to he was sitting under diving. And it took half hour for the diving bell to get to the top. So who rescued him who took him who placed him back in the diving bell? May Psalm 139. David writes, where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go to the heavens, you're there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there, wherever you are, whatever circumstances you think you're unreachable, or that deep sea diver was unreachable. Nobody could turn up to help him not possible in the human realm. Not at all. He couldn't work out how he got from being unconscious land on the seabed, to sitting in a diving bell half an hour away from the ship.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Thank you, JJ.
Glenn Walsh:If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I've raised on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there, your hand will guide me. Your right hand will hold me fast. Father, we thank you that there's no way we can flee from your presence. What security we have in you? Yes, Lord, Lord from the deepest, darkest prison cell. You're there. Amen to the pulpit. You're there. Whatever circumstances, Lord that we are going through. You're with us. That is your promise, Jesus, you cannot lie. Amen. You said, I am with you. Always. Until we see you face to face. Thank you, Lord, for Your grace, your mercy and your steadfastness. You're the one who holds us you're the one who's strong right arm holds us further.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Thank you, Jesus.
Glenn Walsh:We can't let you down because we don't hold you up. You hold us up. Thank you, Lord, for who you are. Amen.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Amen. We're going to come to the table we are going to come to the breaking of the bread and then take another cup and just before we do so, we got Joshua chapter one before my eyes in verse eight. Joshua chapter one verse eight through two runabout, verse nine. We've read this quite a few times through lockdown. We've explored it God has opened it up. And yeah, brother is whispering in the background over there. Joshua, chapter one, verse eight, keep this. Keep this book of the law always on your lips. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written and you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous, do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged for the Lord, your God will be with you wherever you go, wherever you are, at this moment. God is with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. But he gives us a clear message, a clear word, do not let this book of the Lord depart. So Father This morning, we thank you that out of our belly shall flow rivers of living water. And Lord as we come to the table this morning, Father we just pray that you will move in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. We thank you that you are moving We thank You that fear is gone because perfect love drives out all fear. We thank you that God is perfect love, and you are driving out all fear. So Lord, if our minds are entangled, Lord, in in the thoughts of the grave if our mind is entangled in the thoughts of the world, and we're worried and we're stressed about what the life may be ahead of us, Father, we thank You, Lord, that we walk by faith. We're not going by sight. So Lord is our brothers. bring us to the table. We ask You, Father, that You will just keep us keep us wrapped up so tight, Lord, so tight, Father, keep us wrapped up. Father, we thank You for Your Word. And verse eight of Joshua chapter one, keep this book of the law always on my lips, meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it, then you will be prosperous and successful. Thank you, Jesus. We're at the table. Our brothers are going to lead us
Andy Hammond:Yeah. I just continued with that Joshua one. As if to emphasize it. It's repeated four times in that child. Thank you strong and courageous. Come on. It's there. That verse six. Yes, again, the first seven. Again at to verse nine, and then right at the end in verse 18. So I think that's a bit like us really, when we need to have God's instruction repeated so often. And I think, wow, if you were Joshua at the time facing what he was facing, thought you would need, yes. So to say to him, not Joshua. This is gonna be okay. Be strong and courageous. And maybe you didn't hear it the first time. So if God says it, again, be strong and courageous structure. And I feel that's like, like us today. We need his message. Yes. Really. Building us up, building up our faith. And just to let us know that he's there. And just imagine what the disciples must have felt when Jesus sat around that table in and said that, you know, I'm gonna leave you. You've got to be on your own. Now, guys, you can't load. It's up to you. And as we come around this table today, we got the bread and the wine symbols of what Christ accomplished on the cross for each one of us. And I think simply taking the bread today, we can remember his body broken for us. And he tells us today, be strong and courageous. Because there's a world out there, and it's not going to be easy. There gonna be good times, but maybe not so good. But be strong and courageous for I'm with you. On never gonna leave you on never going to forsake you aren't going to be at your side. So we take this bread father, remembering that, yes, Father, Amen.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Thank you, Jesus. Thank You, Holy Spirit. Thank you, Father. What a great place to be.
Donny Stockburn:He'll just want to take you to Hebrews 14. Now Hebrews 10. S it? It was 10. Yeah. Verse 14, and a little bit on, and this is leads on from that great prayer, Jesus pride. It's, it's how we become one, how Jesus prayer was answered, and the answer is right here in front of me now. And however we may feel about ourselves, whatever our opinion, is of ourselves, sometimes we're up, sometimes we're down. But this does not change. This word of God does not change. This is forever. And it says here, For by one offering, he has perfected forever, those who are being sanctified. I wasn't quite sure what sanctified mean. So I had a look up and it says, set apart for sacred purpose and made wholly legitimate and binding forever. That's us with a sanctified Amen. And it says, But For by one offering, he has perfected those who are being sanctified. That's us now, he has perfected us by one offering, but the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us. For after he has said before. I'm gonna just read on a bit first night and therefore breathe in heaven, boldness to enter the holiest of places. Hell, how can we do that? Yeah, Cynthia, thank you, blood of Jesus. Amen. By a new thank you and Olivia, my, which he has consecrated for us through the vowel that is his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised his faithful. It's all about Jesus. It's all about what God's done. And Father God, this is the blood that made it possible. This is the blood cleanser slide that covenant possible for us, that we could be one with you. And you would live in us and we would live in you. And this is forever. This is a legit binding contract signed in the blood of Jesus. So whatever we feel about ourselves right now. Up, down, sideways, going under coming up. It doesn't change a thing, that we are sanctified, that we are kept back, to be holy and righteous, and live with God forever. That's our situation. And nothing, absolutely nothing can change that. Because it's signed with this blood of Jesus. And Lord, we just thank you for Thank You, Lord, that we're safe and sound home and joy because of his blood in Jesus slimy. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
Glenn Walsh:Amen. Just stand in Hebrews. In chapter seven. It says, The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. Amen. Jesus has become a reality. Yeah, Jesus is the guarantee
Donny Stockburn:almost right? Yeah.
Andy Hammond:Yeah. Because of that. Just again, well, Donnie stopped. But I was reading on in chapter 10, verse 25, that is not give up meeting together and come up with some habit of doing Yes, Father, let us encourage one another. And all the more I should say
Reverend Ben Cooper:today. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus.
Andy Hammond:I think that's a word for us today. Really, let us encourage one another and do not give up meeting together. Hasn't happened over the last couple of years.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes. A little thing called COVID, I believe.
Andy Hammond:Yeah. And so we've got to get back in there. Come on.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Let's get back here. We've reached that point. We've broke bread together. We've taken a cup together. We've had scripted together, we've prayed together. We've been in that place together this morning. And our brother Andy is gonna just mention saying about a Bible. Bibles exist.
Andy Hammond:Well, I mean, this is what we've been talking about. And really prom today. The Bible, everything stands on God's word. I'm sort of belong to good news for everyone formerly Gideons, UK. And we put Bibles into the hands of everyone that we can, and powerful what we've done with the Scriptures that giveaway. So in a modern translation, NIV, and, but what's unique about our scriptures is that we put the Bible helps at the front. And there's pages of headings of what you need help for. If you're, you know, you're sleepless, even if you're suicidal, there is four readings that you could look at that, and we know, as, as an organization that people have gotten into hotels to really finish their life. Yeah, you've picked up God's word. And God has spoken to them through it, change their lives around, and they have not done that deed. And they've lived a good life. So, but if you just want a copy of God's word to put in your handbag, put it in your pocket. I've got one here for you. Just get in touch.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Amen. Done. Even put one in your man bag. Yeah, we are there. We have made it brothers and sisters. I have to confess the Lord is good. And I do have one. Now let's close this service down.
Donny Stockburn:Come on. Come on.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you that the joy of the Lord is our strength and where ever we are going this afternoon this morning, whatever our timezone may be across this world, Lord, Father, we just pray that your strength and every one of us Lord, whether we carry handbag or men bag, we pray, Lord, that You will just need every one of us. We love you, Jesus, Father, there is none like you. You are the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. So Lord, I thank you that Your word is alive, sharper than a double edged sword. Thank you for my brother Glen and Don and Andy, and everybody online this morning that's following this live stream service and everybody that will capture these podcasts. A week later. Father, we thank You that we're able to gather together and as the scripture says, Do not forsake the coming together as the brothers and sisters. So Lord, we are gathering and I just pray this morning Lord. I just pray Father that You will just strengthen us more and more and continue to wrap them loving arms around us. because we are redeemed, washed in the blood of Jesus man, thank you. God bless every one of you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, amen. God bless.
Close:Thank you for listening to Elim church Swanleys latest podcast. You can find us on buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Music, iheart radio, Alexa Mixcloud, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.