Blessings to everyone this morning. Wherever you are across the earth, we got Simon it's#Christian Straight Talk. Welcome, wherever you are, you can find us on Buzzsprout. And you can find us on Amazon music and so many other social platforms. And we thank God for everyone that downloads all these podcasts across this earth in which we stretch. May God bless you today. Because this is a beautiful day because God is with you wherever you are. And can we just encourage you to lift up Jesus Christ? Can we encourage you today just to stand upon the rock to keep to keep where you are, in that position, that posture you are in because God has placed you there. He sees everything about your life, you are loved unconditionally. But Simon is bringing a beautiful message to the table today. Simon Good morning.
Simon Pinchbeck:Good morning, Ben. It's great to be back across the mics. And it's great to be with you. And thank you for that lovely intro might you know it really was something a little bit special. So thank you. Thank you for that. Because you're special.
Reverend Ben Cooper:You know, you come and pick me up.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah. shine out of you. Now. Listen, we, in previous podcast, everyone we've, we've we've spoken about Jesus, and we've spoken about the Father and we spoke about the cross. But we didn't speak about the Holy Spirit, Ben and what I thought this week, let's talk about the Holy Spirit. And when I started digging in, Ben, and I'm going to look at this is such a massive subject. This is enormous, huge. The Holy Spirit Man is absolutely. Well, it's vital is vital to our Christian walk. And I'll say right off the bat, Ben, we can't walk this Christian walk without the Spirit. We tried to do it in the flesh. We won't work, it won't work, it ain't gonna happen. It's not going to happen. It has to be just to be with the spirit with the power
Reverend Ben Cooper:of the Holy Spirit. And it's interesting what the Scripture says, Because the Scripture talks about the power of the Holy Spirit. So it is the power is what gives us power, isn't it when we're tired and weary? When we're exhausted, it's the power of the Holy Spirit. And we just sitting here and talking about it, you think to yourself, the Bible starts from the very beginning of Genesis and speaks about very clearly the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the deep. So all the way through the word of God, right up to the very last Holy Spirit is almost kept in the wings, isn't it? But it's the Holy Spirit is so I don't even like speaking like this, because I'm a bit. I feel like I'm, I'm not being godly. If you know what,
Simon Pinchbeck:yeah, we don't want to be disrespectful to you don't want to speak
Reverend Ben Cooper:in a blasphemous way. But it feels like the Holy Spirit is kept in the wings of everything. But actually, he's at the front of everything, because it's caused in spirit.
Simon Pinchbeck:Listen to some Ben, you know, weep can't do any preaching or teaching or talking or this podcast even without the Holy Spirit. Just no, no. There's times when I've been in situations where? In the flesh, yeah, yeah, it's impossible. It is impossible. And I can remember once doing this outreach, out in a place called Wickham somewhere and West Wickham, and, you know, people are churches, lovely people, but they try and cram too much into the morning, you know. So, there I am, due to given a bit of a talk. And this fellow is trying to cram everything in, you know. And so he said, In introduced us and I stepped up, picked up the microphone, and he said that the corner isn't obvious. You've got 10 minutes. Oh, no,
Reverend Ben Cooper:what an app.
Simon Pinchbeck:He said, You've got 10 minutes, not 10 minutes. So we've had the worship, we've had the presentations, we've added videos, we've had everything else. And now they're gonna we're you know, about the Lord
Reverend Ben Cooper:being given less time than all the hype
Simon Pinchbeck:for the best one that will pass this speaker in the world, you know, my brain and my mouth, sometimes a little bit disconnected. So. So that went over my mouth, bang, bang, bang, goes like a machine gun, bang, bang, bang, bang. The Spirit just sat back after it and on the drive and before we had come, where did that come from? Well, we know where it comes from. We
Reverend Ben Cooper:know where it comes from. And it's very interesting, isn't it that that the gift of the Holy Spirit you find in in in the book of, of acts as well? that when Christ comes, it says that what what fascinates me is this bit this scripture, and I'll find it in a minute to give us the reference. It says, the doors were locked for fear of the Jewish leaders. But Christ came and stood among them. Actually, it's in John, it's in the Gospel of John, because it's about Thomas as well. So you'll have to forgive me that wrong reference. So it's in the Gospel of John. I think it's chapter 20. When Christ comes in, and he steps into the room, where they're all locked, they're in a lockdown position. But what's interesting is that they're in fear. But Christ doesn't hold back the gift of the Holy Spirit, it says that he, he says, Peace be with you, and he breathes on them the gift of the Holy Spirit. So it has to come from Jesus. It's just given,
Simon Pinchbeck:though. It's funny, we've all got three scriptures, bang, bang, bang, or from X Men. And the first 1x 148 says, this is I'm being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father which he said, This is Jesus is saying, You have heard from me, for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days now. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him saying, Lord, will You at this time restore the Kingdom of to Israel, and he said to them, it is not for you to know the times the seasons, which the fibers put in his own authority, but you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and into all Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth. And then if you turn over the page and go to two, it says, The coming of the Holy Spirit, so when the day of Pentecost are fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as a Russian mighty wind, wow. And it filled the whole house where they were sitting, then there appeared to them to be divided tongues of fire, as all fire and one sat on each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit. And I began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. And, and so here we are, right here we have a we have here we have the group of disciples. Yeah. Now, we said earlier, you know, if you've got anyone leading something, you take that person out who's leading normally it goes into disarray. Yeah, yeah. But there we have cheeses going, because it couldn't be everywhere at all times, because he was in, in case in that human shell. But when he left on the power of the Holy Spirit, it gave him the power. And if you got spirit, turn over to page 2x 413, this is listen this, he says. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, they perceived that they were uneducated, untrained, Belaz, mine, exactly like, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been here was standing with them, they could say nothing against it. So they knew suddenly saw the power, they realize these guys were just ordinary fellas, but the power on now, the Holy Spirit,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you can only get the Holy Spirit, when Christ is at the center. When Christ isn't at the center, you've got no gift, because He is Christ that gives and when you've been with Jesus Christ breathes, and Christ gives the Holy Spirit. It comes obviously from God. So we understand the Godhead and how all that works. But you cannot operate like Saddam Hussein, you can, you can get behind the pulpit and deliver an educated message. But if you are called from God, and if you are anointed, you will be carrying the gift for the Holy Spirit. I'm not not saying you've got to be very careful our presenting this. We have in the UK, a lot of people in pulpits that are are educated people that are business owners, that are semi retired. And also we have Mark moses basket preachers. So we got two ends of the spectrum. What we are missing in the UK is holy, spirit filled, preachers not talking about evangelists. I'm not talking about healers. Because when the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, you don't need the label of an evangelist or a healer, or a theologian because when the when Christ is preached, everything happens. So revival will only come when it is filled with the Holy Spirit. So what we have had basically is Simon the sorcerer, as magicians, in pulpits, or he said something. We have many magicians. Whoa, hold
Simon Pinchbeck:on a minute. What do you mean by that then? So talk us through. Tell us talk us through the Scripture that tells us about Simon the sorcerer and what he was after.
Reverend Ben Cooper:In the book of Acts, chapter eight. It tells us about two godly men very clearly mentioned to godly men. And Simon the sorcerer Acts chapter eight. And it says in verse nine, sometime later on a man named Simon has, was a magician. And he was in in the city of Samaria, he boasted that he was someone great. Now, a lot of people in ministry, please, please, please forgive me for this. They boast that they are someone great. If you look at ministers, are they lifting up Jesus? Or are they lifting up themselves? Simon, the sorcerer was not lifting up anyone but himself. If you look and follow ministries, if they are lifting up themselves, they are a magician. They are not of God. Now, in the beginning, as Simon has brought a massive subject, and I don't even like use the word subject, it makes me cringe. It says sometimes, if you read that through it says he was he boasted that he was someone great. We have many people in pulpits that boast, they're great. And then it says, and the people of high and low gave him their attention. There are a lot of people in the world of Christianity, church religion that are giving men time, because they look, and they have the perception of coming from Christ, when actually, they are magicians in ministry.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, I can say this on the back of what you said, there, Ben, because you brought a real deep word that didn't you cannot say this on the back of that, that the Holy Spirit will never point to himself is that unlike a Holy Spirit will never point to a person No, will never raise up a person's right in his own yet in his own lunch, you will never be a legend in your own lunchtime, but the Holy Spirit see the Holy Spirit points towards Jesus. Is that all the time, it points you towards Jesus. So when you come to Christ, yeah. You know, you might it might be it's always through the
Reverend Ben Cooper:Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit is key is key is key. So
Simon Pinchbeck:don't let that when when you hear these nonsense where people go, I lead this person through a lot and how you didn't know you were just the cog that the Holy Spirit and move through. Yep, yep. Yep. To allow that got that person. Yeah. Man or woman to accept Jesus. Yeah. And when they accept Jesus, you're exactly right. See, that all works together, Ben,
Reverend Ben Cooper:because all things work together for good. Yeah. Because
Simon Pinchbeck:the Holy Spirit points you towards Jesus. When you accept Jesus, yeah. Then the Holy Spirit comes to live in, you've done it. Yes. So and then works. And then you've got Jesus, he follows you, leads you to the Father. So it all works together.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So could couldn't could we say is like a circle is a continuum, it goes round. So the Holy Spirit is the comforter, Christ is the living word. And our God in heaven, the God of Israel is the Father. So the father, no one has seen the Father, no one can see the father, no one can see God and live that that is scripture. No one can see the God of Israel and live, it makes very clear scripture. point there that no one can see the God of Israel and live, but you can receive him through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because when you what is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit
Simon Pinchbeck:of God, and is it's a person. So if anyone relates to it, or as as a thing, or it's not terrible, it's not right is the Holy Spirit is a person is the third part of the Trinity. Yeah, he's not a third, but his equal part. They're all equals, but he's a spirit of God. And look what Jesus said, this is Jesus, talking in John 1417. He says, If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will pray to the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him or knows him. But you know Him for He dwells with you, and will be in you. I will not leave your orphans, I will come to you so. So the world and a vast majority of the world is chasing, chasing, chasing and it turns to drugs, it turns to all sorts of things. It turns down to other stuff. But the answer is in Jesus. Exactly. So the Holy Spirit will convict us towards Jesus. When we accept Him, Jesus comes, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Wow. And that and that's really
Reverend Ben Cooper:deep. Yeah more you think about the more we talk about this, the more we look at the Scripture, it can, it can, we can only achieve what we achieve and accomplish what God calls us to is through the power of the Holy Spirit and the and the anointing. And the anointing that comes from that we have many. We have many pastors and leaders and please brothers and sisters who capture these podcasts. I'm, I'm not pointing the fingers at anyone but but in the times in which we live. We are seeing many false prophets rise in in pulpits and leadership's and ministries. And even we can use this this scripture that were in the book of Acts as well as Simon the sorcerer. He received the Holy Spirit The scripture says He believed and was baptized and even he asked Philip how much can when he see the line of hands and the gifting of healing, he wanted to buy it. If anyone is offering and it's all to do with money, it's not of God. It's not of God. The the disciples said this really clear. He said, may your money perish with you. If, if a ministry is fueled and is at the top, and it is it is money orientated, you're magicians. You're not of God, because God doesn't is not restricted by money. If you are sending money to ministries, you got to be very careful what you are sowing your seed into because what you sow into, you become part of and you become Kinto. And you become in an agreement with
Simon Pinchbeck:Wow, that's, that's that is a word this morning. Because you when you partner when you sow into somebody, you partner with something Yeah. So you have to be so
Reverend Ben Cooper:so who is at the top. So the business world always talks about triangles. Triangles are very satanic. The pyramid there are many sounds, I'm going to I'm not bashing up this just this is coming out of my heart this morning. There are many salesmen in pulpits and the Scripture talks very defining between a shepherd and a herdsman a herdsman wants his money. A shepherd is not interested a shepherd will lay down his life for his sheep, a shepherd will lay across the gate, the shepherd will stop the wolf and the bear the shepherd will fight with no money, a herdsman clocked in and clocked out a herdsman is holding his hand out, it got to the highest bidder might get exactly it was all about CV, and
Simon Pinchbeck:we have a situation I think we have a situation in the UK, but it's more defined in somewhere like America where there's a situation where churches sign up to this 501 C three for Yeah, where they are selling themselves really to the government for tax free. Right, yeah. But when you harness yourself to an ungodly government that we're going to take you through, they're going to tell you all over it by Sunday. Well, you're right, Ben, you got to be so careful what you sow into what you sow into, and what you what you dive into what you put your money and your time into as well.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And the reason we've been led to this today, Simon, and God has put this on your heart. It's because when you look at Simon the sorcerer, the people around him said he's, he's, he's a godly man. He he has got godly powers when actually he was a sorcerer. And he was a magician. And he, he exclaimed, when you look at the scripture, that they said that this man he is boasting to be someone gray and older people have both high and low, gave them his them their attention, and exclaimed, this man is rightly called the great power of God. You got to be careful. Who are you following over your following? Who are you following on social media? Are they of the Holy Spirit? Are they shepherds? Because a shepherd is of Christ, a shepherd is someone that is called and sits almost in the background of the darkness and you don't really know who they are, but a hired hand is lit up purely because it's all about me.
Simon Pinchbeck:And and here's the thing, see if the Holy Spirit will convict you. Yeah. So if you spend some time and pray to the Holy Spirit, because he's living in you, and the Bible says, The A becomes our body's a temple for the Holy Spirit. He says in one Corinthians 619, but it says, or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God and you're not of your own? You were bought at a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God so, so we have to be so careful about what we do what we see what we hear. Because we don't want to grieve the Holy Spirit do we
Reverend Ben Cooper:agree with the Holy Spirit? It's, it's such a tender, tender subject that we are looking at. It's a subject that when you look at the baptism of Christ, when you look at John the Baptist, or I should say, actually, John, the Baptizer, I gotta be careful your word that when Christ was, was baptized when Christ, and it says, heaven opened, and the Spirit of God came down, as in the form of a dove, and God said, This is my son that unwell, please, Christ, what was Christ receiving? Christ was receiving the Holy Spirit. Yeah. So you so it is given, it is given on every level, it has to be given. And it's not given by man. So it is given firstly, by God God gives to Jesus, when you look at this, God give to Christ when he was being when he was going through the back to baptism, John, in the wilderness, here it comes the Lamb of God. And when you see when he when he, and then then is, if we look at that, that Scripture is when when Christ went into the testing, wasn't it when Christ went into the wilderness, but before he went into the wilderness, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. But then it says, The Holy Spirit led him. So isn't that interesting that the Holy Spirit won't lead you to revival The Holy Spirit will lead you to a place of surrender and fasting and prayer and the Holy Spirit will lead you to a place of relying on the scripture.
Simon Pinchbeck:But he won't lead you crying and screaming, Willie. And that's a real good point, Ben, because the thing is, when when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, yeah. And the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Yeah. What do we do then? Most of us, turn back to fleshly things exactly. And trying to act trying to get wisdom from man whereas we have the Holy Spirit that will convict us. The Holy Spirit will open doors for us. If we if we put our hands or our lives in his hands, it also shut doors
Reverend Ben Cooper:shut doors down. That is a critical shut doors,
Simon Pinchbeck:it will shut doors but guides us is a guide is a computer it will come alongside is a counselor, Ben, we don't need no motivational speakers, do we? We were not need.
Reverend Ben Cooper:We do not need that. No,
Simon Pinchbeck:no motivational now TED Talks. We don't need no motivational. We just need what's already inside of us, which is the greatest motivational, the Holy Spirit house that is our Holy Spirit and we spend time with Jesus. We spend time with the Spirit, we spend time with a father, then he will open doors He wants us to go down. Yeah. And shut the doors, off to relationships, to friendships to the avenues, where he don't want us to go down and you're right. He might take us to places that we don't want to go to, to, to knock to knock off to go through the refiners to go for the foreigners. Yes,
Reverend Ben Cooper:yes to gut because we're totally because we are grafted in, we are grafted into the we are grafted in. And what happens, God strips stuff away. And it's painful. And in Matthew chapter four verses one through 211. It talks about when Jesus was was in the wilderness. But what is really important for today's podcast in chapter four, verse one, it says, Jesus was led by the Spirit. So even Jesus was led. This is the living word. This is the image of the invisible God. But here we have Christ come to this earth, as the savior of the world, but also the Bible says the man Christ Jesus. Yeah, so the man Christ Jesus is being led by the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of God. So it couldn't have done that in the flesh. So if this is Jesus, how much more do I need the Holy Spirit, million times more? It's uncountable, isn't it? But it says, Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. You can only have the endurance and the strength to be tempted in many ways when you realize the Spirit of God is leading you.
Simon Pinchbeck:And when the Spirit of God is leading us, and we're in that situation, what does the Bible tells us it will give us a way out, and it's an escape route. Then, the Bible also says that the worst of all sins is the sin against the Holy Spirit. Return.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, I don't like talking about that. We do not talk about that.
Simon Pinchbeck:And I guess his last advice, it's like many times, it really comes down to unbelief. If you Yeah, if you don't believe, then your heart gets hardened. Yeah. And the elderly, no matter how many times Holy Spirit comes knocking, you'll refuse it. Yeah. And you've seen a hospital yet where people's hearts are hardened. When Jesus comes knocking, at the last moment,
Reverend Ben Cooper:is refused. It's dark, it's dark, it's a dark atmosphere yet,
Simon Pinchbeck:the ones that open our hearts,
Reverend Ben Cooper:calm peace.
Simon Pinchbeck:says it all. Because, you know, no matter where you are on this planet, you know who you are, you're not going to live forever, there's going to be
Reverend Ben Cooper:time no matter how rich how poor you are, yeah, we come in the same way we go out the same way. And Christ is exactly the same. He was, he came into the world. And we understand but in in John chapter one, what Simon is also saying in John, chapter one, verse 32, this is what John says, and John gave this testimony, I saw the Spirit come down from heaven, as a dove, and REM remained on him. Now, this is really powerful stuff, that Christ had the Holy Spirit rest on Him. And that is the point when he came out of the Jordan. And he went out and he was baptized. And God said, This is my son, I'm well pleased. And in formation of a dove came down and rested upon Christ. And then from that point on, we go into the Gospel of Matthew chapter four verses one through 211, where Christ was led by that the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. So the spirit comes from above, who is above the Father. So it is the Spirit of God. In Genesis chapter one, it says, The Spirit was hovering over the surface of the deep
Simon Pinchbeck:it bend is just more evidence to prove that Jesus was fully man as a god, and he needed the spirit. Now He's baptized in the in the Spirit. And he needed it to go 40 days, 40 Nights fasting, when you know, I don't know, I can't even fast
Reverend Ben Cooper:I can't, in fact, the half hour, I struggle Come on. And then also in the Gospel of John, so we understand that Christ received the Holy Spirit and the Spirit sat on him, and was him and the Spirit led him. This is Jesus. Yeah. And then in the same gospel of gospel of John, chapter 20. It says, when the doors were locked for fear of the Jews, now these disciples were in lockdown because of fear. And what I love about this, this tells us a lot, that Jesus doesn't hold back the gift in if you are a fearful person, he still gives you the gift. So the disciples were in lockdown because of fear of the Jewish leaders. are you fearful at this moment of the leaders that we have in the UK? I'm fearful, oh, not fearful
Simon Pinchbeck:that we've got across the world, Ben, because yes, decisions being made, which is rockin the very core of what we believe in,
Reverend Ben Cooper:and it's throwing humanity. So this scripture, they are in lockdown. The disciples are in lockdown, because of the fear of the Jewish because of leaders. But Jesus came and stood among them said, Peace be with you. After he said this, he showed his hands his side, and they were overjoyed. Then he said, again, Peace be with you. And then he said, As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. But then this is this is a real lovely part of this text for me, verse 22. And it says, And with that, he breathed on them and said, received the Holy Spirit. So it comes from Jesus, man cannot give you doesn't matter how much money you have given ministries, they will not and cannot give you, the Holy Spirit. Christ is the giver.
Simon Pinchbeck:And we'll come on to that in a moment. But when someone tries to impart the Spirit on you, we've seen it many times.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Forget it, it might be the Kundalini.
Simon Pinchbeck:Forget it, and we'll talk about it in a second. But that, you know, the spirit of the Holy Spirit fills us out. Ben Dunning fills us up. Yeah, because we
Reverend Ben Cooper:leaked on a daily basis. We are often vessel
Simon Pinchbeck:before we get a bed in the morning, you know, we're late. So all over the place. Yeah. We have to really believe Yeah, and you got this Spirit of God inside of you. Yeah. And we could do so much in the spirit God we if we, if we're walking in the spirit of we're talking in the spirit if we're being convicted of stuff that we shouldn't be involved with, because the Holy Spirit will convict us of stuff and I've seen it many times where, where men have spent and women have spent time with the Lord and that convicted of stuff that didn't even realize
Reverend Ben Cooper:now because the journey of, of a Christian is a journey and what is so powerful about the Spirit, the Holy Spirit is, it doesn't, he doesn't beat us with a stick, he strips us back. So in all my sin, an all my rubbish and all my filth, the Holy Spirit is still there, and Christ is there. And we are brought, as Simon says, To conviction but but it is the Godhead, that that is that enables us to do everything and to be more Christ like a human being can't do it.
Simon Pinchbeck:You can't do it. And that's what we've said in the flesh. You can't be a Christian you can't be you can't be a Christian in the flesh. And so you know the fruits of the Spirit and when you're walking in the Holy Spirit and you're praying so that the fruits are you know, Galatians 522 which are which are evident you know, love joy peace steadfastness money
Reverend Ben Cooper:gardens are different
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, that's next week. But and you know, the gifts of the Spirit gives us so so assignments massive in it,
Reverend Ben Cooper:so I can't buy it from any ministry can I? You doesn't matter how much money I've got, if I give it to the to the biggest ministry across the world, that is that is beating the drum have come to us, we will make you a healer. And we will you will be an evangelist, you we will make you into a pastor and we will give you you know, human being a note there's no price on the gift as there is no price on Christ.
Simon Pinchbeck:And we've said it time and time again. It's it's a hard thing. So it's if you're tithing to get back something, then you're wasting your time pyramid. Yeah, it is yeah, if you're if you're given because your feet you're gonna get our blessing don't bother you. You have to give out the goodness of our heart you know we have to give without wanting anything in return you give you give us you've seen it you've seen this in action where believe me make this this place this where we are this in this little place. The amount of stuff that goes out his place and bless His people is just phenomenal. It's madness. Yeah, it's just crazy. I can't believe he could we can't really we can't believe what's
Reverend Ben Cooper:going on actually. So the get the the Holy Spirit cannot be bolt because we see that in the book of Acts where Philip rebuked some the sorcerer and says May your money perish with you. So that that is a clear indicator tip. If any ministry is selling any gifts of God, the sorcerers, they're magicians. You can't buy you can't buy you can't buy a certificate that says you're an evangelist. You can't buy a certificate that says you are a pastor. So it comes back to The hired hand and the shepherd again, doesn't it?
Simon Pinchbeck:Totally, you can't listen this stuff. It's like you can't work your way to salvation. Now you can't you know you. And if it's a gift, it's a gift. Salvation is a gift. Grace is a gift, all that all that stuff on the Lord is a gift. You can't We can't work because if you could work, and if you could buy it, then you'd have everyone who got a few quid you know, yeah, buy more and more of it. And I don't know could have
Reverend Ben Cooper:been serious travel. I got a pound dinner. I mean, so.
Simon Pinchbeck:But we see across the world time and time again, the joy of the Lord on people that have got nothing because I've accepted the Lord there because it's free. Because it's it's the Lord. You know, it's not a commodity to Jesus, then then the Holy Spirit comes to live in you. And if you look at the book of Romans in Romans seven, it's a it's a bit of a defeatist book. You know, we're you know what I do? You live as a Roman sevens Christian, like most of us do what I do, don't want to do what I don't want to do I do and then But then we get to Romans eight, where we walk in victory bought a paradise Holy Spirit. So that's the power of the Holy Spirit.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, that's correct. And also the Scripture mentions, and I can't remember where it is because there's so much Scripture banging around this morning, is where it says they deny the power of denying the power of it. They seem to have a godly form, but they deny the power of yeah, that yeah, that comes that comes in in that as well. So what we find in the Gospel of John, when we read about John the Baptist of the Baptizer, depending on what one you're reading from, is he makes a clear note that he said As I see the Holy Ghost come down from above. So it's all given. There's a chain of event I have to use the word chain of events because that's how I understand it. So from the Godhead from the God, the God above all gods, God gives the Spirit Himself we is it quite, this is quite a stretch God gives the Holy Spirit to Christ. This the Spirit descends from above, comes down rests on Christ. And Christ receives and has the Holy Spirit. And then Christ goes off and ministers and does everything. But Christ never really referenced the Holy Spirit. He always referenced the father. It's not until his ascension time and a few other places that he says, As Simon said, as the scripture says, I will not leave you as orphans, but I will give you an there is so the Holy Spirit again, that in the book of Acts, it says, an out of nowhere a wind from heaven came and came into that place and separate a written tongues of fire so the Spirit of God is power and fire and fire refined and refined, knocked off everything Hey, straw and wood what comes out pure gold.
Simon Pinchbeck:I think you know it's not it's not complicated. It is not complicated simple but it's it's something we have to get our heads around because given isn't so simple is given because the holy simply the way we've we've dug into it and done a dive on this this morning. The Holy Spirit convicts us it points us towards Jesus. Yeah. You we need Jesus and Jesus takes us where and we accept Jesus. So what by by confessing, repenting and accepting Jesus, yeah, we then have the Holy Spirit come to live in us. Which then Fujis points is again towards us, but points us to the Father. That's right, sort of the free work perfectly in conjunction with each other. So the spirit comes from the Father convicts us towards Jesus. We accept
Reverend Ben Cooper:Jesus Christ takes us to the cross account of cross salvation and redemption and justification comes to live in us. And then Jesus says, Jesus said that this is my father. Now you got access to the Father access, not to see the father, as many prophetic ministries are going on. Upstairs all
Simon Pinchbeck:day long. I've heard from God, I've heard from God no, yeah, no, no, no, no. Isn't that interesting?
Reverend Ben Cooper:If you look at Christ, he doesn't actually say I've heard from God does he? Know it's quite, it's quite interesting, what's happening. So the Holy Spirit is given. So there's no money transaction involved. Now, I can't just can I just talk about Judas Iscariot, a second, Judas Iscariot, sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Philip was asked by Simon the sorcerer, will you sell the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit cannot be sold and Christ was not sold. So there is no money in Jesus and there is no money, money in the Holy Spirit. So two areas of money have been brought into the arena, about Christ and about the Holy Spirit. You cannot buy the gifts you cannot buy God with financial gain, you cannot do that. Philip says, My your money perish with you. You know, Judas Iscariot, we know that story. There are 30 pieces of silver didn't do it. Simon the sorcerer comes by the gift of the Holy Spirit. It's free.
Simon Pinchbeck:And based on Well, it's free. You don't have to go on a course you don't have to follow different steps, you know, to simply got to accept Jesus. But when we say
Reverend Ben Cooper:free, it's there has been a price that has been paid surprisement
Simon Pinchbeck:and paid and there's a cost to us is the cost is laying down our old life and accepting Jesus in a new light and letting the Holy Spirit come to live in us.
Reverend Ben Cooper:But I can only do that with the power of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus says in the Gospel of John Chapter 20, he breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit. So everywhere we say the Holy Spirit is given to Jesus Jesus gives it to the disciples. It is not given by the preacher. Oh, we're getting into it anyway. It's not it cannot be given by exchange of cash. It cannot be given by a human being. It is given by an anointed.
Simon Pinchbeck:The can't be given by
Unknown:humans because it can't be.
Simon Pinchbeck:If you're if you're a pope, you're the archbishop the Archdeacon. It doesn't matter you can't be given because it's, it comes from it comes from Jesus and comes from the Father, to the friend, the Father, the Spirit, the Jesus all working together. Yeah, to save your soul, my friend, I think Jesus direct you to Heaven.
Reverend Ben Cooper:You're right, you're right directly to heaven. I think John is the one that really puts us in a nice, nice way. I see the Spirit come from above. So it comes down, it comes down it is given down, it is a gift it is everything is given. Everything is given from above, everything is given and there is a process. And there is a clear biblical structure that is the safeguard to know, these ministers of God, or are they Simon, the sorceress are they acting in in magic and witchcraft? And we've got a lot of this happening in the UK, which craft but it looks godly, because of the wonderful things and the marvelous. They seem to have an appearance of God. But the scripture says, Well,
Simon Pinchbeck:it's interesting, and I think, obviously, crikey. I'm just looking at the time by now we're 40 and 40 odd minutes in So Caitlyn, before we before we I think we we've got to say this, that that you know, we have an enemy who will imitate Yeah, imitates all the time. Everything from from the Lord and one Timothy four one tells us that in a lot of times, there will be people that fall to deceiving spirits. And one of them deceiving spirits, is something that now has come out in this new age sort of Hinduism type thing and it's called a Kundalini spirit, which which many people are embracing as the Holy Spirit and you get that through yoga and all that feelgood factor, the Divine Feminine it rises boaster, rise up through your chakras, chakras all the way through your spine and come out your reading and, and it will be shaking, jerking spasms, laughter, love all that sort of thing going on, which is, and people are saying now it's from the Holy Spirit. People are saying that that was not.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Okay. So the question I've got for the world, whoever these these guys and gals are, is Did Jesus shake and convert when he received the Holy Spirit? No. Did he dance around waving the flag in the air? No. Did he vomit up sick? No. When you look at what's happening in
Simon Pinchbeck:like a dog or go into extremes I left it No, not neither did neither did the disciples when they received it. They spoke in other tongues in other languages, but it didn't call around on the floor.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Now they didn't a Sony Oh, did they call
Simon Pinchbeck:these hyper charismatic churches which are embracing this, and then people are going out and they're putting hands on people and saying they're in part in this spirit knows that, you know, this is dangerous sorcerer. It's dangerous.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It's witchcraft. It's Masonic. It's it's Ashleigh Powell stuff. It's it's very dark. It's demonic. It's the worship of Baal. It's all it is everything in a sweatshop all in one jar now. And the lid has been unscrewed. And it is out there. And it is it is as the book of axes. They seem to have a form of godliness. But isn't it interesting that humanity is attracted to that because the people from high and low were attracted to Simon the sorcerer, they thought he was godly because of the magic. He was doing the magic the the amazing things he was doing. Be careful what you watch. Be careful
Simon Pinchbeck:what you watch. Be careful what you're keen to. Yeah. And, and look around you and be man, if your spirit is not comfortable somewhere that if you've accepted Christ, and the Holy Spirit is living with him with you, in you, and you're somewhere and that spirit is telling you get out, get out, get out. Don't hang around. Now if that spirit is telling you move, get out because that with all of that stuff, all of a sudden, where we're going over the line into control and manipulation, right rather than right love and forgiveness and conviction and the Holy Spirit is gentle, the Holy Spirit the fruits of the Spirit, we've spoken about the gifts of the Spirit we've spoken about if if that you're crossing that line into into the Jezebel control Type area where there's other spirits that are the spirit won't be comfortable there. It can't thrive there strange noises, it's, it's controlled there. And he's telling you,
Reverend Ben Cooper:get out, get out. Get out
Simon Pinchbeck:there. Listen to you know, wherever you are. If you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and site as your Lord and Savior, you have the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit living within you, then I would really embrace and encourage you to really, really get to know the Holy Spirit and get to know definitely because the Holy Spirit will tell you not to watch that on the telly, because you're using over
Reverend Ben Cooper:time, isn't it? It's over time, over time. So we can't beat ourselves up Simon is so right 100% right in what he's saying. And that is the journey of a believer, we are on a long journey. And we will not be completely right until this or so reach reaches its destination of death. And then my life really begins.
Simon Pinchbeck:You know, Ben, it's happened to me a few times where something happens in might be driving, you might be watching something, and all of a sudden, you, you react to it, and all of a sudden you feel a big thump in the chest. Now, the trouble is, if we carry on watching that stuff, we get hardened to it. Yeah. But if we suddenly go, Yeah, you know, you the spirit, don't want me here. Don't want me to watch this. Doesn't want me to go there, then you've got to really listen to it. And if you've, you know, if you've reacted to something, then you've got you know, you've got forgiveness. So we've got bring it before Jesus. But, but, but really encourage being encouraged to, to get to know the other speakers get to know the Holy Spirit. You'll get to know Jesus more. You get out a father more, and you'll start to live a really enlightened Christian and I don't like to use that word, but you're a Christian live. Yeah. Which will bring you closer to the Father.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Amazing. The Holy Spirit. What a 46 minutes and 50 seconds. That was. Thank you so much for everybody around the world. Thank you, Simon for bringing that. And when I say thank you, Simon, you know what we're saying? We're saying thank you, Lord, that you've prompted our brother to bring the scripture to the table today. This is unscripted. This is unrehearsed This is not edited. This is just straight out the barrel of truth. You've been listening to Simon myself. Just beacon, just listening, just trying to navigate our way through life as believers. Never give up. The Spirit of God is on you. You are blessed and highly favored. You can find that # Christian straight talk new books out on its way very, very soon. God bless every one of you. Thank you so much. In Jesus name, amen. Amen.