Good morning and welcome wherever you are this morning as we are gathering around the mics for#Christian straight talk we are in and we are ready about to dance around our handbags this morning. Because we are so excited. You know, the sun is out. The King is alive. And I'm not referring to I'm referring to Jesus. The King is alive. Yeah,
Simon Pinchbeck:the one the only king. He's got to be
Reverend Ben Cooper:the one and he has to come. Okay. Come on this you know the one you know the one.
Simon Pinchbeck:The one that this. This is the one that came to serve us.
Reverend Ben Cooper:The King is a serve. We're serving.
Simon Pinchbeck:Serving all the others, don't we? Yeah. Well, it's great to be cross them. Nice to have you again today. My friend. You know, you could sit in there and all you regalia.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I've got the full kit on full colour and everything. Yeah, I've got the old lipstick on. I've got the eyeshadow on. I've got the fall clergy kit
Simon Pinchbeck:down the hospice later and you'll be given them Jesus now, no doubt, no doubt.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Allah, Allah Jesus, we are in good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are across this beautiful earth that the King of kings and the Lord of Lord has created by the power of his spoken word. Whatever your life is, there is always hope. This is hashtag Christian straight talk. We're here for about 45 minutes. And Simon is an he has brought a good message or which has brought one word actually because there's nothing scripted nothing edited. This is straight out of our hearts. And he's brought the word peace. What an interesting word.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well is interesting, Ben and your eyes, right on a barrel parallel. The truth is, as we as we say, we're shooting from the hip, you know, and I was down in Plymouth, in in Devon, Alberta, weekend and surfing. 24 said no, just you know, doing a mission down there. And one little fella came up to me afterwards. And he said, he said, I'm a mess. And you know, got edgy. Now you got Jesus love him already out. You know, you got Jesus. I said, I said, Well, might you know, I'm with you on that journey. You know, my life's a mess, as well. But I said the only thing I think I can tell you, my friend is that there's a piece we got, yeah, where you got Jesus living with you in your heart, not your head. There is a piece. And it's somewhere where you can come back to because the world will take you all over the place. And you'll you know, your mind and your life will be here, there and everywhere. But if you got Jesus to come back to that, you've got peace, and you've been?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, it's an interesting. So how do we default? What is that piece? What what is it? How do we get it? Where does it come from? You know, when there's trouble really hitting the door? Yeah, your body does go into a tender tendency to worry, because that's human nature. But when you're when you're actually going through serious drama and troubles and issues you do when you really just breathe them in it because sometimes you just got to breathe with everything going on. You just breathe you you've got peace, you do have this peace. But what is it? What is it? It's the presence of God.
Simon Pinchbeck:So presence of God, it's the it's the
Reverend Ben Cooper:salvation is everything
Simon Pinchbeck:is known. You've got relationship with Jesus Christ, a relationship, Ben that
Reverend Ben Cooper:that is so powerful that is so unshakable and it can't be reversed. I
Simon Pinchbeck:overrides everything. Yeah. And it's somewhere. It's your default factor you come back to because you have a look at look at this. We dip into this scripture, Ben, Scripture
Reverend Ben Cooper:scripture, what you're not
Simon Pinchbeck:actually going to read the Bible, the
Reverend Ben Cooper:church abolished that. And it brought out the king's own version.
Simon Pinchbeck:What he says, Matthew 11, that will stop at 25. And it will just go through them. But it says at that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and I've revealed them to babes. Hallelujah, Jesus, right, he's got even so Father for so it seemed good in your sight. All things have been delivered to me by my father. And no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills will reveal him. And then he goes on to say and it's a famous scripture, Matthew 1128. He says, Come to me all you that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. He goes on to say, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, but my burden is light. So, Jesus is actually he's actually tying us there. And then yeah, whatever you've got, whatever you got whatever's going on, Bring it. Bring it to me. Bring it to me, put it at the foot of my cross, hand it to me, and I will give you rest. I will give you peace. There's no, there's no, there's no casting. casemate is there without Jesus?
Reverend Ben Cooper:You know what, you can't buy it either. There's no money. There's no, there's no educational stretch. There's no, I would actually say the more educated we can get in theological studies, and the more names and titles we put on ourselves, the more we get
Simon Pinchbeck:restless. Well, it's interesting, because we're wrestling. That what he said there, if you break that down, he said all your light and heavy laden? Well, the heavy laden means meant at that time, because he was talking who was talking to him. He meant religion. Religion, yeah, religion, why you shut down, then it rules, regulations, and you're struggling? And I've got to do this. I've got to do that. I've got to look like this. I've got to be like this. No, no, Jesus says, No, bring all that nonsense to me bring it to
Reverend Ben Cooper:me like the cross. So knowledge passes away. The Bible tells us that knowledge passes away. It's great to have an education, it's great to have to be studied a good steward in the Scripture, it's great to study the Word. But when I study the Word and knowledge overtakes my faith, I start to lose my pace. He says, Come to me, all of you that were in heaven later, but but there are so so much in religion and churches that we try to prove that science can prove that sorry that we're trying to use science through the world of Christianity, to say, look, science proves also that God exists. Rather than saying, I just believe
Simon Pinchbeck:that's a great point. It's a real good point. And you know, my ears have lifted out there because you've made a massive point. When we try and reason things out reason. We try and reason things out. Instead of just
Reverend Ben Cooper:just believe, just believe so when I just believe what does it do? It arises all the academic issues arises all every everything to do with trying to achieve for it because the church is the more bas you've got, the more doctorates you got, the more the more certificates you got hanging on the wall, the greater the closer to Jesus. But Jesus actually just says, Why don't you have a certificate that just says, just believe I'm gonna make one I'm going to print one, he's going
Simon Pinchbeck:to leave to debate this that never did. He just said, Believe in me. He said, Jackson, believe it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So what happens when I believe I get peace, when I get peace, everything else melt like wax.
Simon Pinchbeck:You start to reason this out. And you're complicated. You've lost a piece,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you've lost the piece because the human mind is trying to do it for a mathematics is trying to do it for reasoning, trying to do it for logic, trying to do it through eyesight. The Bible says the just shall live by faith. It's we don't live by sight. But we live by faith. Jesus has made this so clear. Just believe. And as I believe, that's another that's that's, that's not complicated. But religion can make that complicated, because it wants to put all these criterias in place. And even some churches, you have to form fill, you have to fill a form in to get into the congregation, when Jesus just goes, just believe.
Simon Pinchbeck:You've got to do a course to be baptised tenure, you've got some church and
Reverend Ben Cooper:it becomes a pressure. And it becomes a criteria. And it becomes a exercise and it becomes a process. When Jesus says just believe, what do I believe with? What do I believe we've gotten help me Jesus this morning. I need your what? How long because my mind is focused on worldly things on pressure with work. How do I do it, Jesus, your heart, it comes back to the heart again, the heart, your heart, because your heart is the vessel the instrument that the very depth of your innermost being that is your driver, where your treasure is,
Simon Pinchbeck:so is your heart and we just don't you know if you're listening out there, we just done two great podcasts. Work right when I say it myself,
Reverend Ben Cooper:that was super that was absolutely great. I think it was wonderful.
Simon Pinchbeck:But they were on the heart. It was on the heart that we did a massive dive into the heart and they're great to catch up on but but you're right Ben, that's where It's
Reverend Ben Cooper:so it starts from the innermost being. Because my head if it my head is a mess, my head is scrambled, my head is looking at all. So as I look across the platform of living and life in the wilderness of the UK, as I look out my eyes capture of things going on in my head becomes a mess. So I've got no peace in my thinking, but my heart, I do have peace.
Simon Pinchbeck:And you know, we live in a time when we're just seems that people want to escape. Yeah, I want
Reverend Ben Cooper:to get escapism, I just want to, I just want to jump in the car, I want to go I want to get away from it, or I want to get away because there is no pace. And I'll be honest with you, sometimes I just want to do the same thing, just want to literally go, go, just be gone.
Simon Pinchbeck:And, you know, there are young people out there, you know, from university, or colleges or whatever, they've got important decisions to make and serious decision serious decisions to make and to make them without Jesus. You trade in a very tight rope on Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:but you what you said there about the youth have got decisions to make, actually, they're not making decisions, because you will find the culture. certain cultures, make decisions for people, religion makes decisions for people, the world makes decisions for people and actually, a person can't really be the person. So there is no peace, because you can't be who you are called to be. You can't be that person. Because your wife wants to shape here, your husband wants to shape you, your children want to shape here, your family, your business, your culture, as you look at the world now, there is a lot of cultural, cultural pressure on youth, adults, families to perform to the cultural press, even to governments, look what's happened with the government recently, last eight days. What was driving the Boris agenda, suddenly, he's going to drop out the backside, and there's going to be another agenda. So there's no peace because there's no spiritual look at God.
Simon Pinchbeck:So what you're saying is, the majority of people are restless, because they don't know who they are.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. Because they can't be who they are. They can't be who they are. So they're fighting the culture. They're fighting their family, they're fighting husbands and wives, not you know what I'm talking about. Not that they're trying to be conforming, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but have your mind transformed someone, it has to start in my mind. But when you start to have your own mind, and what I mean by mind, your mind, when you add the mind of Christ, you think different, you think different to the world. So you might be the only believer in your house, you might be the only believer in your workspace. So you will think differently, you will look different, you will walk different, you will smell different because you are not of the cut of the same cloth.
Simon Pinchbeck:So the Apostle Paul says, Ben in Philippians, four, six, he says, and seven, he said, Be anxious for nothing but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. It's not complicated when I say
Reverend Ben Cooper:everything is through,
Simon Pinchbeck:everything is through Jesus.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So when we say I've got to have a relationship with Jesus, Jesus, the Scripture is very clear. In the Gospel of Luke ran about chapter 23, you left that you'd have to check it for yourself. Christ mentions a few times to the world, his disciples, those on the Emmaus Road, those was gathering to it. And it was about when Christ started to appear to people, you know, all over the place after His crucifixion. And what I'm saying is, is this, it is Christ that opens up the Scripture. It says, Christ opens up the Scripture, Christ opened their mind, and Christ opened their heart. So Christ is always opening. So when I get that invitation when when I get that move, and then I say, Thank you, God stripped me back, because Christ is always to Christ is always with us. We've got nothing to worry about. So what I've got to do is stop doing what I'm doing at this moment. Everything and just stand still for one second and go, Jesus, you save me, you set me free. I don't have peace, but keep opening my heart. Keep taking this stuff out. Take the root out, take it all out, Lord, because my mind is fast and I need peace. It's Jesus.
Simon Pinchbeck:See, I'm gonna ask if you listen out there to this podcast and we know this one or two people listen to this podcast, which is we thank you and we pray that you will share it out. I'm gonna ask you this question. Where do you look for people? Because if you've not got Jesus then then my script my Bible tells me this in one John 216 We've got it says the world looks for peace through the lust of the eyes spend which is an appetite for possessions in the flesh. Treasure of the hunger
Reverend Ben Cooper:I want it I want it I want it I want it you'll never get You're right. The scripture says each man is drawn away by his own law so there will always be a tendency to keep your eyes on what the world is doing. The world wants your the world wants you to take to take what he's offering it wants you to take take it because that started in the garden that started in the garden. He said Come on, he said come on. Did God really say so? There's you're always been tempted.
Simon Pinchbeck:I mean, I mean, I would have peace about a Range Rover like your spin
Reverend Ben Cooper:normal but that is the driver tiny
Simon Pinchbeck:but that is that the lust of the eyes have been Yeah. And the thing is, you know we've gone down I've gotten I've gotten but what happens is it doesn't give you peace don't fill this hole here that's there because you only Jesus can fill it so I'll need that so get out the Amazon shopping get someone number but I love this I love the need that we need that that's gonna
Reverend Ben Cooper:because the flesh has always got a vacuum
Simon Pinchbeck:two weeks like that. Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'll get in a no car. I've got the car fantastic. Look at this. We're driving around this first tank of fuel. I'm fed up with this really? I want another one. I want another one. I want another TV.
Simon Pinchbeck:They got a neighbor's
Reverend Ben Cooper:this have electric electric kids are being killed by digging
Simon Pinchbeck:neighbours got hot tub.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Can't afford this just sit in a bath.
Simon Pinchbeck:Just on that point I read a read somewhere it says that the hundreds of hot tubs are just lying there because people can't afford to zactly yes, we're at Yeah. All my life is above. And I've also read in California, they're saying don't charge your electric cars between certain hours. Because
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's rubbish. But that's
Simon Pinchbeck:the lust. And the lust of the flesh Benny says done it. So one John two six in Leicester the I was listening to as pleasure. We were chasing after pleasure. People think there's peace in pleasure there might
Reverend Ben Cooper:be we can't get away from the fact that whoever you are, doesn't matter how many titles you got afternoon Dharma are great. You think you're pastoring skills or if that matter how many times you've been told your spiritual director with the greatest respect. We are human beings. We are human beings. And there is a mass percentage of us that is attracted to the what the world is showing. Because Adam and Eve showed that from day one. I want what I can't have a want what I've been told not to touch. Yeah, there is an itch upon everyone that likes to be scratched in certain layers of life. You know, certain people are drawn, the Bible makes it clear. Each man is drawn away. He's not talking about the world. He's talking about believers,
Simon Pinchbeck:you will never find peace in the flesh in the fleshly pleasure. So you're chasing after there's
Reverend Ben Cooper:always work Korea, we've all got to work. We've all got to do this. We've walked there are certain areas of life that are scriptural that we have to engage, and we have to walk very close to what the world is doing. But Samsung now if you look at Samsung, Samsung was cold. Samsung was chosen he was highly lifted up and he was highly favoured, but his flesh was always craving and he did his mum and dad when he sank Come on, give it a rest a little while
Simon Pinchbeck:Listen, but how many times have we said on this podcast you will never be the flesh in the flesh you can't even Billy Graham said I can't be a Christian in the flesh you because you can't I can't do it. You can't do
Reverend Ben Cooper:it. So there is a there is a surrender is massive. So when surrender is on your lips and in your heart and the surrender is this. Help me Help me
Simon Pinchbeck:God Lord, knowledge will but you're but yeah, Help me
Reverend Ben Cooper:Help me. Lord. I'm troubled. I've got to go to work. I'm worried about the bills. I'm worried about marriage. I'm worried about the family. I'm worried about life. I look at the monarchy I'm worried about the state of the world. Lord, can you help me?
Simon Pinchbeck:This is very interesting, because I've got people that are in my life quite close to me. Who are always looking for that hot next holiday. They always want the next holiday. Yeah. And they want Christmas to come because of the presence and they want the next birthday that I want to have that I've got. I've got a and so within two days coming back from their beautiful holiday. We've got the holiday blues book in there. She's already got a book I'm looking forward to next year is already we've got a free for all of these a year because you chasing the peace in the pleasure and it don't work. So
Reverend Ben Cooper:there's no shame there's no peace in pleasure. This is what the Gospel of John says in 1427. This is what Jesus says,
Simon Pinchbeck:John 1420. Come up. Go on reverend. You do know the Bible. I've got
Reverend Ben Cooper:a little tiny bit. John 1427, it says, Peace. I leave with you very interesting. Then he says, My peace I give you. So there is a leaving and there is a given us a lumen. And I give in to things that Jesus does. I leave it and I give it so I can't buy it. I can't obtain it. I can't get this without him. No, no, it has to be Jesus is back in the arena again. This Carpenter, this creator of heaven and earth, this Holy God of Israel, this King above all kings this great I am this one that Joshua sat around the tea Tent of Meeting. And Moses says, Come on, son, let's go and get a cubby went No. He said, I just got to sit in the presence. Because when you really know, when you really know that Jesus has saved you, and you have no capabilities in your flesh or your strength to do anything. Jesus says in John 1427, Peace I leave you so that Jesus is always deposit depositing, and he say he leaves it, and he gives it but then he says, I do not give as the world gives. It doesn't talk about peace because there's no peace in the world.
Simon Pinchbeck:So that's that covers, we just talked about the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and a third one burning one John 260s, a pride of life, which is a
Reverend Ben Cooper:pride and arrogance, pride and arrogance. Pride is a very interesting word that has been around for a few generations but being used now very strongly. Pride. There is a certain movement that is using that very loud, the church is using it. And when I say the church is using it, the church has been using it without using the rainbow. It has been preaching pridefully for ego egotistical preachers and leaders that are not anointed that are that are prideful,
Simon Pinchbeck:and you can't get peace in that there's no peace in that in the building. There's no so how I what we were talking about ministers and church group, but how many people out there in the workplace? Yeah, I've been sold the lie that when you get to the top of the greasy pole, that's it your lovely you'll have P face only they climb over people they doubt
Reverend Ben Cooper:of Darwin. The survival of the fittest I will get to the top no matter what the cost is. And I'm afraid to say we see it in ministries, we see it in religion. So you see
Simon Pinchbeck:this under the table dodgy dealings going on, you're climbing to the top of that greasy pole, because I want
Reverend Ben Cooper:validation is there. What is it? What
Simon Pinchbeck:did Jesus say? Very few as empty as I did before?
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's right, Simon, because when I get to the top i will i i can. We live in an Ironman? We're living in an AI world.
Simon Pinchbeck:I was gonna say yeah, in so you've got the iPhone,
Reverend Ben Cooper:I've got the iPad, I've got, I've got, I've got everything.
Simon Pinchbeck:And I bought my missus and I run the
Reverend Ben Cooper:damn form. You might as
Simon Pinchbeck:well just go You're right. It's very much a soul centred society. And it's got worse since the lockdown spin.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Isn't it interesting when you look at that certain manufacture, when you look on their products. It's an apple, it's with a boy yet, but then you look a little bit further. And you think what's it called? I so in the garden was the fruit. And everything was about I, I've got the choice to make this decision and I'm gonna make the wrong choice. So the I, the I live, I can do, I can do all things through. It's been around for so so many 1000s of years. That's why we have no peace because I'm looking for peace in the eye. When I should be looking for peace in the I Am that I Am in the doors.
Simon Pinchbeck:Benny says in Romans five. One it says Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Now let me just crack this across the table. Romans eight, Romans eight verse one, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. The reason I said that is because there are many people that are believers that are being condemned continually by their culture and their people around them and they can't find peace in that stretch of living, I would say this. Ask God to remove certain people from your life because certain people are trying to snatch your peace trying to take away but I just want to let you know this morning there is now no condemnation. The world is just reminding us of what I used to be, which means you don't have to be feel guilty because guilt is the opposite of feeling peaceful. So when I live in guilt, and when I live in all this, my peace is trying to be robbed so that I've got this, this like, this quick motion in me. I'm peaceful, but I'm restless. I'm happy. But I'm sad. Because Because that's
Simon Pinchbeck:interesting, because when we, we accept Jesus Christ. That means that we have repented. Yeah, us we accept that we're a sinner. Yeah. And we repent, which means we turn away and we asked for forgiveness. And God forgives us if we do it from our heart. And though you don't even remember them since.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Do you know what that is? That is so deep, trying to understand because the human mind always remembers the human mind. Well, that's why the scripture says love keeps no record of wrongs.
Simon Pinchbeck:The world will always remind you of your person, always
Reverend Ben Cooper:right up until you're grieving your loss. It will tell you how. You've heard
Simon Pinchbeck:I got to my one mistake, and you're in trouble with a well, but we've we've Jesus
Reverend Ben Cooper:is a raised, it's gone. It's gone. It's washed. It's washed the way it has no. God never brings everything anything up from the past.
Simon Pinchbeck:No, not if you've confessed it, and repented of it. Look what he says in Romans 860. He says, For to be carnally minded is depth. But to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Amen. And so, so Ben. So let's say we've, we've examined our world sees peace, but we know there's only one lasting peace, and that's Jesus Christ. So let's say we've accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. And we have the fruits of the Spirit, which is Galatians 522, which is joy, peace. So, but then, then things come in, and we've spoke about it many times to rob us of that piece. And the Bible calls them know what been The Little Foxes telling
Reverend Ben Cooper:people? Oh, no, so sorry, sorry. So foxes,
Simon Pinchbeck:foxes come to raid the venue, what are they? What are they
Reverend Ben Cooper:opinionated people that are trying to snatch your piece that are barking at you, wherever you are? It is coming to a point you know, he's coming to a point when people have got to make some serious decisions. The Bible says dust if people do not listen to you, when you are giving Godly counsel when you are being God fearing the Bible says dust your feet off and leave the house.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, we have a choice. I think we have got a clear choice. Yeah, when these little foxes come in, and they're coming in as Oh, no, all the time. They're, you know, and they're
Reverend Ben Cooper:getting stronger because of the end times in which we're living.
Simon Pinchbeck:So we have a choice. We either try and do it themselves, or combat or them or we turn to Jesus, we turn back the JSON to Jesus. And if we would go relationship with Jesus Christ, you know, then we should have a few scriptures under our belt, you know, like Psalm 62 One and Two my soul finds rest in you alone, you're alone on my rock, my salvation my foot that we turn to and go Jesus and how he
Reverend Ben Cooper:Jesus so that arises what that raises arises the pastors the leaders, the deacons, the bishops, the spiritual directors, the phone a friend you know everybody just needs Jesus you know pastors have their position biblical all these all these these biblical structures a church are beautiful and perfect. But we have more restless Christians churchgoers and we've ever had on we couldn't because we see the great falling away because there's been a lack of sound doctrine. So with sound doctrine comes peace comes repentance,
Simon Pinchbeck:adultery and murder has been you know, doctrine all the way through that I've just lately when people have gone Oh, yeah, I've gone my I'm fine. I'm ballin I can't do it about Jesus and they've gone return when they've been gone. I'm gonna say my I feel the same. This has happened in my life that's happened in my life. Everybody is who is being honest. Then we'll tell you about something that's going on in life. There's Robin there peace. but you can cope with that. If you've got that anchor, which is Jesus Christ, you can cope with all that stuff. Yeah. Because I've sometimes struggled to get out of bed, you know, in the morning, you know, gotta get up, got a dog out. Logic on be you got to help me, help me. I've got and, and we've been you can do all things that means that sort of that scripture means Philippians 413, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me who helps me. That's what that scripture means because without him, we're on the floor benaim
Reverend Ben Cooper:completely even with him, we're on the floor. Because he is first. So we we never get, edit, we can never be elevated, we can never lift ourselves up. Because what I'm finding really interesting everything's happening in the world, is that Jesus said, I've come to serve. Serving there is there is a presence of peace, serving humanity, serving the world. And we understand what that means we've done it one pack that to be a servant of Christ brings rest, because a servant has nothing. You are stripped of everything. And when you are stripped, you are free. When you are serving, and you are doing, what the Lord purpose and will is, you find that you get a rest in your innermost being, and suddenly your life looks very different. The more you serve, the more you do, as Christ says, I've come I've come to serve. I'm not here to be served. I'm here to serve. So
Simon Pinchbeck:Do do you think, Ben, that in people that are seeking Jesus right now, more than I've ever saw him before more than ever needed them before in this in the atmosphere that's going around? Do you think then Jesus says, Yeah, but we need to strip this away, take this away.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Definitely. We've got to strip it away. It can take years it can take God can do things immediately. People are carrying stuff, people are carrying guilt. People are carrying pressure to perform, perform at work performance on performance, apparent performance chart, whatever. We've got so much pressure on us to be to perform. And I reckon, and I don't record I believe there are a mass percentage of people that are living a complete life of an actor. And the actors and actresses are wearing now.
Simon Pinchbeck:I think you're right, I think yeah, I think there's a performance going on in every
Reverend Ben Cooper:layer of life. Yeah, in every in the church is performing the world is performing. Every there, there is a performance. There's almost like a show going on all the time. And the actors and the actresses are weary. And actually, you can't be yourself. Because you can't wear that mask. You can't wear it because it will slip, it will slip it will slip. So Jesus just says Come to me all over the world have alone I will give you rest. I think there are many actors and actresses within every layer of life, culture, life, home life, business life, that jump into the office bounce around, you know, yeah, great, wonderful. But inside, they're walking around going on just acting on this is not really me. This is not me, I have I've been processed, I've been formed education is trying to shape children into people that they're not really marriages, trying the other side of the coin tries to turn you into someone you're not to a degree. You know, parenting, we try and shape the children into children that we want to be when actually children, we see this a lot now children can't actually be children. You know, men can't be men. Women can't be women. Everything's politically incorrect. You might have put a stereotype out of your mouth. Because everything you say is all always been challenged to that degree. You know, there's so much going on. You're almost frightened of looking at some people because
Simon Pinchbeck:well, you know, I mean, we without getting sidetracked, but it's all to do with pace in it without getting sidetracked. I was was a restaurant the other day with my grandkids and, and there's a little play area outside. And they're they're running about and I'm watching them on the swings, and there's another couple out with a little girl. She's probably two when she's trying to get into the swing, you know? So I've gone to my boy said to me now that had done that. So I've had to call her dad over I said, Your daughter wants to get in the swing and he came over and he put her in the swing. Yeah, and he was right years ago. We wouldn't even thought we would just put a little swing. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And kick him get moving in it. But nowadays you can't you can't move. You can't move you can't tolerate She can't move. You can't look he can't smile. He can't see you. Why are you smiling at me?
Simon Pinchbeck:I that so? So we're in a city look at look at the
Reverend Ben Cooper:commuter belt, the commute in London, my earphones on heads down phones that ended at rucksacks on stomping all you hear in London when it's running as it normally does as it does most of the time. It's footsteps, not a smile.
Simon Pinchbeck:No, it's the truth. My wife has to go up to London and I've been up into the city a few times, and people are just down looking at their phones in their ears. And they're just
Reverend Ben Cooper:No, no heads held high. So because there's no page, we've got no community anymore, no communication. So everything is political.
Simon Pinchbeck:You can't even smaller a young child anymore without having that guilt. Come on here that the weldless put on you Kenya,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you can't talk to you. You can't talk to the other sex without someone going cause he said Allah, we must be having an affair. You can't you can't even you, the world is forcing you into the world is boxing you into someone that you're not. You know, and Jesus says,
Simon Pinchbeck:very difficult to encourage people or or lift someone up for or unheard of. Yeah. Because Oh, you look really nice today or
Reverend Ben Cooper:Thank you.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, I didn't mean.
Reverend Ben Cooper:But I think the West what we're seeing a lot of is herding, herding, so interesting, like cattle in a moment, really, really strongly herded. And when you're herded, you're not really you. So when you're not really you. You've got no peace. You're herded into climbing, the power of career, you're herded into education, you're herded into living in a certain postcode, you're herded. Because of that, because the crowd is going to their kids are going to that school, you're herded, because you got to live a certain way. Culture at the moment, I'm really looking in a culture is not purposely but just seeing it. Cultures are herding men and women to keep the culture. There's so much heard him political agendas, everything, and the human being cannot be the real human being. Gender is hurting.
Simon Pinchbeck:And you know what, I think the pressure for that. It makes people uneasy. Yeah, there's no as you've quite rightly said, that there's there is no pace. And that will explode. So we're getting a more angry society. And so
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's the opposite to what Jesus is saying. Peace pace with Jesus, travelling the world frustration in the world, you know, look, when you get caught in a traffic jam, you get all frustrated, and
Simon Pinchbeck:he says in Colossians, man, 315, he says, and let the peace of God rule your hearts. At the peace of God, rule your heart.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So when peace rose, you win the peace of God, that that opens up so much more to talk about and to look at what else, the will of the Father, when you understand what the will of the Father is, and it can be very difficult. It's not enough just to go out It's the Lord's will know, what is your will and your purpose because the will and the purpose what God has for us. A big percentage of all of our lives is not where we are in the life at the moment. Because we can say there's no peace.
Simon Pinchbeck:See, Paul? Yeah. My Jesus made a massive thing about peace and Paul Maxim massive thing about peace, he said in, in this and there's loads of scriptures about peace loads of them. In the Proverbs, and in the psalms, he says into best Colonials. 316 Benny said now that the Lord of peace Himself give you peace, always in every way and the Lord will be so he knows he knows. We need this. This calmness, this peace in our life, and where does it sit in our heart sits in a heart so if you've got that piece, it doesn't matter what's going on around you, does it and it doesn't matter that the world is going crazy. You got that? That? Yeah. Peace
Reverend Ben Cooper:finding ceases. And that was really gnarly. In John 1427 It says, Peace I leave you peace I give you I do not give as the world gives. So the world gives you the opposite to what Jesus the world gives you trouble the world gives you measures the world gives you statistics, the world gives you the opposite. But then Jesus says on the back end of this text, do not let your heart be troubled. That's where it sits. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.
Simon Pinchbeck:But you know, before I entered into a relationship shipment guide my life to make Jesus the Lord in my life. I had peace when Arsenal went in and I had a few quid in my pocket. I was driving a nice car, but it's, it's a short term thing. It's instant gratification. It's instant. So you're always craving you need more you need one more why? Because the flesh
Reverend Ben Cooper:and what you got isn't enough is never enough because it's off the world it says I do not give you as the world gifts. So what does the world give a world gives you instant
Simon Pinchbeck:gratification cars,
Reverend Ben Cooper:relationships, recessions has treasures it gives you the treasurer
Simon Pinchbeck:says hi
Reverend Ben Cooper:owes. Yeah, I've got one time was not enough. I want another one. I'll have another one. I'll have another one. Dr. Albert superstar affirmation reformation leader,
Simon Pinchbeck:whether you're the vice president, yeah, of what I don't want to be the Vice President, I want to be the global director. Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:but I want to be the global director of the universe. We're always wanting more in the flesh out here. You always want more always want the flesh wants more, because Ecclesiastes it say everything
Simon Pinchbeck:is Meaningless,
Reverend Ben Cooper:meaningless, meaning less, nothing. When that day comes, and your body hits the deck. When your body gives its last breath over. And that's interesting, you say that can't put it in the box with you. Because we're all going to die, we are gonna die. And I work in palliative care. And
Simon Pinchbeck:centrist. I was going to mention that I was going to mention that. But tell us about Ben, tell us about
Reverend Ben Cooper:the spiritual agitation, people
Simon Pinchbeck:dying, you've seen with peace. And without it, tell us the difference? I've
Reverend Ben Cooper:seen it there is a big difference when someone now what is paste? Or what are we saying? Are we saying that if we just look at a lot of people will come to that a position in their lives when they realise that this is going to end in death basically, basically, they come to that realisation. And there is agitation because there is unforgiveness, unforgiveness, things that have not been settled things that haven't been dealt with. Because there's been grudges, there's been certain things holding on to materialism, putting so much weight and so much into work, ethics and work lifestyles, when suddenly you realise that was meaningless. So there becomes an agitation what's next? What's going on? So I've seen people pass with peace. And I've seen people die the other way? Absolutely, just completely, you know. So it comes from within. So, I would say to anyone, wherever you are across this earth, Jesus Christ will give you peace. It's not about how many times do we walk in a church is about knowing that there is hope, because God is hope, knowing that there is an eternal rest in Christ. So when you look at death in palliative care, you go out peacefully or you go out. We won't go down on that road. I don't think because it's quite a it's quite a deep, deep, deep press and it needs a lot of time to unravel all that stuff. But yeah, I see it, I see it and it leaves the mark on the physical person, the mark is left even when the breath has been exhausted and taken the mark is left
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, so it's a pain across the face is a pain across the body. Yeah. And yet if you've got a relationship with Jesus Christ and he's you there's a piece about you
Reverend Ben Cooper:feel it you can you know, that, you know that you know, so peace, real peace can only come from Jesus because Jesus says Peace I leave with you and peace I give. So there's a leaving in a given.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's very interesting because, you know, every human being that's ever lived as died and will die.
Reverend Ben Cooper:You can't get random. It's impossible. It's no matter how much money you got. You are going to leave it to the cat sign or to the kids or to the government.
Simon Pinchbeck:I had I had an uncle recently. Last couple of years. He was just he went off his head a little bit and he left this year. This is astounding. You left 2 million pounds to no relatives, everything to charities. Wow. A man you should see him they were like sharks. They were they were they were want to know when they could grab all of it gin up so but that's the truth. So either MassDOT is well right wealth. He went out. He went out
Reverend Ben Cooper:he went out in a box. He went hand in the box at because that's the brutality of it we go out
Simon Pinchbeck:Tality of it is yeah, that's right. And the thing is, you know, when the Queen died, which she has done recently, when she goes, she went up to see the Lord and Saviour. He's gonna say, Well done good and faithful servant. Elizabeth is going to say we've got a queen coming in Elizabeth because your daughter
Reverend Ben Cooper:or your son, and
Simon Pinchbeck:that, that brings it home in Jesus parable about a rich man, it was the most foolish man in the Bible who thought he was going to build big barns. But at the same time he died. The beggar. Yep, died. Lazarus, didn't it? Yeah. And yeah, the Lazarus went 11 But the rich man didn't. And so that sort of brings it home to you no matter what you've what you're shamed or or masked in the earth.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Just hate a lot of people as well. agitates a lot of people that they know that what they've built up and what they work for. When they go they're going to leave it and what I'm what happened with businesses, the businesses collapse. So there's so much in this worldly stuff, your work away, you build your build your build empires, for what? For what? Yeah, for the flesh, you know, forever was set up for other people to
Simon Pinchbeck:that's very interesting use because I watched this programme on a Tony Benn called fake or fortune. Oh, yeah. I don't know if you've seen it, but it's where they have people bring a work of art. And they, and they want it validated, you know, and, and time and time again, they say, Well, this could have been by this great painter. It wasn't recognised in his lifetime. So he died poor but time and time and time again. But it's paint there's an artwork, millions. So while he was alive, it was many it was nothing. He didn't have bread on the table. It's in that bread on the table. Yeah. Yeah. So now, so we can all have the riches of Christ calling. Yeah. If we invite Him in. And he is one person, the only person in the world who didn't have to die. You didn't have to die Diddy. His name is Jesus. But he did for us given and what he was given. And John, when he says I'll leave you peace, John 14 Tanita that's what he meant. Yeah, because when he uncomfortable Yeah, he left that peace and the fruits of the Spirit Galatians five times to JOY Yes. Yeah. Yeah. steadfastness you know they're not alone no chosen to spirit but in the fruits of the Spirit on a Mercedes car or
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm listening to it wrong.
Simon Pinchbeck:Wrong. Wrong podcast. Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:one he told me he told me all the fruits of the world that I can have if I give to him you give to him? Yeah, because it's gonna come back cast your bread upon my ministry tenfold watch its return
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, we can all click on we've all gone down that route, which are gonna make it make me
Reverend Ben Cooper:leads to feed in the flesh
Simon Pinchbeck:and leads to unrest and leads to peace.
Reverend Ben Cooper:A head your head is mashed your thoughts are shot to pieces. You're tired to weary humanity at the moment across the world is tired. You can see the weariness in people. Oh my son now the word endurance is coming in. Endure. Now I know what it means to endure to endure Christianity is about enduring but endurance or find peace in peace have fun rest in rest and peace is Jesus. Where's my heart? Coming back to the same word again then it is my heart for him or is my heart for the world? So I'm gonna Let's wrap it up what's gonna happen now that we're gonna get out of this one?
Simon Pinchbeck:Well you got us going to shoot in the Land Rover Range Rover aren't you and you Yeah, I've got a patient that got a pop down a bank and you
Reverend Ben Cooper:count the pieces I get a 10 million when I get a 10 million life pace. Now maybe a few more maybe a few more and I want more I want more actually need a chauffeur
Simon Pinchbeck:now been? It's been very interesting today that we just know that the only lasting peace is Jesus. Hallelujah. And we'll leave you with that scripture. Matthew 1128 Come to me all you are heavy laden a burden. I will give you rest. I'll give you a rest is only true rest in Jesus Christ.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Hallelujah. Thank you. Thank you. Jesus, you know is only God isn't it? Right wherever you are. We are out of here. In the name of Jesus. We will catch you next week. May God bless you and strengthen you but listen to Simon and myself. You # Christian straight talk you can find us across the socials. You can find us on Amazon music and Buzzsprout and Spotify and all them other places God bless you and that you will only find that place of rest in Jesus Christ. Amen. God bless