Good morning we are in it is #Christian, straight talk straight out the barrel of truth. There's no bends in it, there's no bananas and it is just pure straight or no rain bag rainbows. I'm gonna say there is a pain in it, there is a band and there is a bend in it, there is a bend in it. Yeah, # Christian Straight Talk. Wherever you are across this beautiful earth, it is Thursday. And we are in the 10 commandments. And you know what, Simon, when God spoke to Simon about bringing these to the table, you know what it has transformed my thinking and my understanding over the last few weeks, and I never realized that I was clueless to a lot of them. Because when you start looking at them, they are so deep. And they there's so much in their opinion, and what we said right from the beginning and allow everybody will love you, wherever you are across the world, wherever you're listening to us. It's another day in paradise when we're living the dream.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Now, it's all for
Simon Pinchbeck:you. But but make the these 10 commandments say that they are very, very deep. There's so much in there. And like we said, Ben, I think, you know, if the world or the schools were taught these 10 commandments, we would have a better place to live my own way. If even if you Yeah, if you took the core of school, and you put these into schools and universities, what a different place we would live in. Unbelievable when you think about the power, the teaching that How long could you literally spend, you know, we're just almost I feel like we're skimming over it. But every time we speak about it, and even through the week, I'm thinking about it, and I'm preaching on it, it keeps coming in at different things that I'm involved in. And I never realized how much it was missing out my life. And it's big. It's very big commandments, though commandments from the Lord. They're not. As we said, we're not New Year's resolutions. And you know, they,
Reverend Ben Cooper:they're not on the first of January. Thou shall join a gym. Thou shall give up smoking.
Simon Pinchbeck:But none of us been can keep these commandments. And we can that's what I love about it. And we certainly can't keep them without the Holy Spirit. Can we know and
Reverend Ben Cooper:what does it do? It sharpens us to realize a wretched man and my I fall on almost every one of these
Simon Pinchbeck:shoe daily. Yeah, and we've we've, I think,
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'd like to share to say that you know, because the scriptures have made me Allah, Allah and they've sharpened me to say, Lord, you got to strip me back more.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, that's a dangerous prayer, isn't it? It's a powerful prayer and and, you know, the thing has been, keep me close. You know, we've none of us have kept all of these commandments of we we've, we've all fallen short. In every single one of them really. And you know, if we were if we were truthful, and being truthful, because of what condemnation from religious people, from family from world, but the Bible says in Romans chapter eight, verse one, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. Oh, that's a big one. Yes. Huge and those who are in Christ in Christ, there's no there's no guilt for that was but yeah, we've all we've all fallen short of, maybe every single
Reverend Ben Cooper:one of these areas I'm looking at I'm just looking at him alone.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, and the Bible tells us that if we if if we break one we brought a lot. So
Reverend Ben Cooper:join a club. Well, in a club, the broken
Simon Pinchbeck:hope is there. Well, of course, there is hope in Jesus Christ and and we're going to today, we're gonna go on to Exodus chapter 20, verse eight, which is Remember the Sabbath day, but before that, was thinking, Ben, about the one that we did last week, which was verse seven, you know, not taking the Lord's name in vain and, and I was thinking during the week after we've done that, we were very strong on that we was very strong on casually taking the Lord's name in vain. We were strong on if you're in the church, you know, standing on the Lord's name to to boost your ministry. But so then what I was thinking, Ben, is that do you think But in our actions, we can take the Lord's name in vain.
Reverend Ben Cooper:100%? Because, yeah, it comes back there's so it's so easy to answer my actions. misuse the name of the Lord without a shadow of a doubt. And you can almost use it for an insurance policy can't use well. I'm going to get away of it. So my actions, I'm going to go into a situation or I'm in ministry, or I'm manipulating something for my fleshly gain. So I'm using the insurance policy of Jesus, once saved, always saved, washed in the blood of Jesus. So there is a battle I believe, a true believer will look at these 10 commandments and verse seven and think you know what I misused the name of the Lord more times and I've realized in my actions might place at work my home life.
Simon Pinchbeck:So really as a Christian, right, as a, as a non believer, I think the verbal,
Reverend Ben Cooper:the verbal, one, the verbal verbal one, as a believer, believer your
Simon Pinchbeck:actions if someone knows or you tell someone, people know that you're a Christian, and your actions don't marry up,
Reverend Ben Cooper:so you're bending the truth, your lips are not really telling the truth, you're manipulating it, your actions don't marry and don't marry up and you're especially I think this is that's really important. Verse seven, for those that are in ministry, and in some form of church leadership. Am I misusing the name of the Lord and putting his name above the door but literally, I'm building me up inside you. So action is really in
Simon Pinchbeck:our everyday actions as well in everyday life if we're if we're grumpy, or abusive to someone who we meet. Yeah, are our actions
Reverend Ben Cooper:from the point of just little things even opening our eyes to closing our eyes? From morning till whenever we go to sleep? I honestly believe there is a big percentage of believers that we miss use his name in my life in my thinking, my attitude, my understanding, and don't even realize I'm doing it.
Simon Pinchbeck:Just a small thing yesterday, you know, sort of my car went in for its service. And you know, I haven't got the privilege or the luxury of me someone pick it up until I get so I've got to take it to the Gary just wait around. Well, unfortunately, they're going to be a little long car but but when I was sort of waiting for it to come back, I sort of popped into a shop and I was waiting for a phone call for him to tell me it was ready. And one of them I don't know, for me what a pet aid is when someone is buying something or interacting with with someone giving them or selling them something. The phone rings and they're on the phone. So the phone my phone rang just as it was about to go to the counter. I had to say to the lady I've got to say this because I'm really sorry, you know, and apologize because otherwise you just ignorance only in your phone.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Isn't that frustrating?
Simon Pinchbeck:Do you think that
Reverend Ben Cooper:I think that's very true. I think that's really true. So yeah, the complete action of a believer from waking up to gonna sleep. We actually misused the name of the Lord in many ways, if we're not careful in the actions could the Bible says five and actions go together? So faith and and spiritual? The just shall live by faith. So how much of the percentage of our life do I misuse the name of the Lord and I don't even know that I'm doing it. It's not that I'm blaspheming because I don't that's one thing I'm sure and I well I know that I don't do that. But there are other areas in replaces our work just literally live in taking the name of the Lord in vain misusing it my actions
Simon Pinchbeck:by our x bar actions yet and you said something earlier you know, we're we have connection with those great guys from the from the Indians, don't we? And what is one of them say about about how you how you treat the Bible, Ben?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Oh, my goodness, how you treat the Bible. Yeah, we were just having a general conversation and I learned something yesterday. Now we got these little gospel of John's these little tracks.
Simon Pinchbeck:Don't forget about them. They're they're out there. You want to get in touch with? We've already get him to Yeah, we must have got rid of about 500 already
Reverend Ben Cooper:gone within a week. Yeah. how the Lord works in mysterious ways is Marvel's to perform. So I had a couple of days and I put one on the back pocket. And I was chatting that he went pamper in your back pocket when you're talking about and then we've talked, he said, I learned something from it. And you know what he said from another religion. They don't treat their holy book as we treat the Bible. And as that story I I told you earlier about the Bible as well. We said Never put your Bible on the floor. I thought, yeah. And so it's quite interesting what come on that conversation. And then then I was speaking to someone this morning, and then an incident happened in church and someone got hold of their Bible and slammed it on the floor. You know, so that is a big action. It is a big urge that that and I was in the pulpit preaching and I've watched it happen and our fault, you're doing it in temper your action is, it was quite harrowing to watch. So even by putting a scripture in your back pocket, it shouldn't happen. So even by putting your Bible on the floor, it shouldn't happen. But literally to Close your Bible in anger and frustration and literally funder it to the floor and it bounced off the floor. That is, that is what we're going on about here. You've got to respect the word you got. That is that is God, that is God.
Simon Pinchbeck:I think it's a really important point and respect in the Word, the Bible, this is you know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's God.
Simon Pinchbeck:And then that will you've got just you, you know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it doesn't matter what version does it really because God speaks through anything doesn't say what version if you are comfortable in that one? Whatever one it might be. God will speak through that.
Simon Pinchbeck:What version do you use normally?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Can't tell you? Because I'm not talking about that.
Simon Pinchbeck:I use the one that Paul used.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I use. Yeah, I live on Joe Jones, the NIV. Because nobody know what someone said. Yeah, every tendon version. Do you know what someone said to me funny should say that, talking about this, they went, do you know what you're not saved? And I went, why is that? And this was in the church, they when you're not saved, because you don't read and you don't preach from the New King James? And I said, I'm dyslexic. I can't really? Do you know what their answer was? Well, you need to pull your socks and so itself. This is a Christian person talking to me and telling me I'm not saved because I am not coming out the new the King James. So I come out the NIV. I like that I look for others, but literally, so carrying on from your verse seven. It's all very relevant, misusing the note. And so when I hold that Bible, I'm holding God's word. Who is the word Christ when a whole day? So misuse, misuse of it is like throwing it across the table, leaving it on the shelf, disregarding it and disrespectful to it.
Simon Pinchbeck:I think even I'm enough. And now we don't want to get sidetracked here. But I think even put amongst
Reverend Ben Cooper:other books, secular books, yes, secular books.
Simon Pinchbeck:I think you've got to be very, very careful, really. Because we will be able to account for all our actions. I know there's no condemnation, but we we don't want to be. We don't want to be moving in that direction. Because as soon as you started getting sloppy and disrespectful, yeah, that,
Reverend Ben Cooper:that shows where your heart actually sits. So respect.
Simon Pinchbeck:So this verse seven, really is very relevant and it keeps burning.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It keeps us burning. So how can I miss you miss us the name of the Lord to come on. One is obviously we the blasphemous way that it's used across the world. Secondly, the misuse of the Bible. Putting it down, misusing it, you know, slamming it on the floor, my actions, I think are the one of the biggest ones for me, really, that that I don't realize I'm misusing the name of the Lord, bending manipulate in blah, blah, blah. And dashing and dive in wavy and bobbin.
Simon Pinchbeck:everyone we meet was an opportunity to show him Jesus in our actions in it. And the Bible says we are His ambassadors. Well, so if we're, we are His ambassadors, then everyone we meet should be looking to us and going.
Reverend Ben Cooper:There's Jesus. Exactly. Or what are challenged about that fella? What a challenge you speak a lot about challenges. Yeah. What a challenge that to take that mentor. When I meet people as of today, I'm gonna make sure that they know I represent the King. I'm now if you take the monarchy, look at the queen, you know, and the many people that represent her at functions and everything, you know, and, and that's the same for us, isn't it? We are His ambassadors. And do we stand out in the crowd as an ambassador of the king? Or do we just blend in to the robotic world,
Simon Pinchbeck:Lew said Ben said, Preach the gospel at all times and sometimes use words who said I mean, that's attributed to Sir Francis of Assisi but whether or not it was fun, I don't know. But it's very true, isn't it? Yeah. Preach the gospel at all times in season and out of season whose words Yeah, if you come to say it's important, isn't it? Yeah. So we are an ambassador, and we are a servant. So as a servant, you represent the word. You represent Jesus on earth, you are his instrument. So verse seven, there should be no misuse because my actions as a servant, as a servant, you are now a citizen of the kingdom. And as a citizen of the kingdom, you know, there was, there's a certain way that you act that has to be adhere to Matthew 516 says, It all says, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. So it doesn't say it's
Reverend Ben Cooper:you glorify your profile, or profile,
Simon Pinchbeck:lift your own profile, it says, glorify your Father in heaven. So when people see you, yeah, let him say this something different. And when I say what's different about you?
Reverend Ben Cooper:What Why are you Why do you stand out like they're really bright, man, what is that glow around you? Let your let your oats let your light shine, let your ready break in the morning glow down there are cold street. We all know that advert that really break boy used to come out you know, and he had a glow around him. You know, we need to be seen to be different, not religious, because religious people just blend in. If you want your warrior, you are a believer, you are a saint, you are a child of the living God. And more than that we are slaves to righteousness. And we are servants. And we are ambassadors.
Simon Pinchbeck:Are you imagine Ben if every morning, you know the believers in Jesus got up and said that, you know, said, right today, today, I'm off out and I'm just going to wherever I'm going wherever I'm going, and then your life starts to become a bit more exciting than it. Yeah, because
Reverend Ben Cooper:people will look at you. And it's not that you're attractive, in a way the physicality. But there is something that you are carrying that the world cannot offer
Simon Pinchbeck:me tell you my own. It doesn't matter what you look like when the Spirit shines out of you is something i Yeah, is something very, very, they're interactive about.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Isn't it interesting what the Bible says about Jesus, there was nothing in his physical that was attractive to his it's his persona. And there was nothing about him. But but because he was the living word. People flocked to him. Houses were filled. He didn't have to sell a ticket on Everbright. He didn't have to put out a social media call when you look at this when Jesus spoke. crowd came to here. Very, very
Simon Pinchbeck:interesting point. Very interesting point. Yeah. Because so what have we got now we've got people, we've got the opposite. And we've got the opposite. We got people driving, driving themselves. Yeah, we got the drive for self. And then they might drop a bit of Jesus in in the ministry. And what why have we got so many people crashing and burning is because we were never made to be worship. And we know, we were never made to be worshipped, we wish to worship the Creator. And so when we're putting ourselves in the place, we're just covered, you know, those particular commandments, you know what,
Reverend Ben Cooper:seven flows very easily into verse eight, because it talks about rest and when are important retinas and he's smiling, and I know what he's thinking. I know exactly what he's saying. But when you when you when you live in verse seven, and you keep the names, Lord, name of the Lord, and you do and you understand His servant, you can literally run on the word and not grow faint and weary. You can rise on wings as of eagles. Why have we got so much burnout in ministry is because I'm going on my CV. And if you if you if any human being thinks that they can deliver a God given ministry, in flesh, you are going to end up in a mental institution, you are going to be under the table, you're going to be completely burned and hit like a train. But if you know your colon, I'll tell you something, because I've experienced it and are and I stretch it and I take it to the limit.
Simon Pinchbeck:So we're talking about Isaiah you know, we are on Wait, wait those are wait on the Lord will renew their strength, they will rise on Wednesday like eagles run and not get weary. 100%. So we're in that. So? Let us know we've been readers. What on Jehovah join me to read it as you read it because it serves me. Well. This is from obviously, God's Bible. So a New King James
Reverend Ben Cooper:are not saved. That's why I can't do all these 10 Because I'm not saved.
Simon Pinchbeck:Could you speak in tongues as well? No, you don't.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Speaking I speak in CEV. His cheff is to have a form of Holy Spirit language. He said where
Simon Pinchbeck:are you where you come
Reverend Ben Cooper:from? That so I'm speaking in a language that's fine. Alright.
Simon Pinchbeck:Have some fun. So, Exodus 20, Verse eight says, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God. In it, you shall do no work. You know your son or your daughter, know your male servant, know your female servant, know your cattle know your stranger, who is working within your gates. For in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed it, and call it the Sabbath day and hallowed it
Reverend Ben Cooper:out there. This is my biggest this is interesting, because this
Simon Pinchbeck:bad Well, my my son is married to a Jewish girl now, they are they religious now? Not it but but they they like to live under the umbrella of the Jewish faith. So I spoke to her and I said, you know, tell us about the Sabbath, you know, and she said, Well,
Unknown:blue or
Simon Pinchbeck:she said, it was interesting what she said. She said, Because she went to a Jewish school. So she said we used to finish school at two o'clock on a Friday. Yes. And we used to get her back as she we used to get home. My mom yeah, would would we'd all gather around a table. Yes, big family. My mom would have the holler bread, the chicken soup and the oil stretch the full monty would we'd sit around a table, no phones, no, no, this is beautiful. And we just talk about a week. We talk about our car, we talk about stuff, you know, and she said, and then and then it goes into the Saturday. And obviously, if you were religious, you you would go into the synagogue but you know you would do nothing nothing. I think that was that. So it from the Jewish faith. That's a lovely big family meal.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And it's so powerful. And my friend Brian, that we've podcast with and you've probably seen him across the socials, males ministry, and also Chris Millan, Chris Millen got into this as well, where he stopped on a Friday afternoon. And he done that went, went back and done the full nine yards that we're talking about and everything. But for me, I tell you what, Simon, God helped me. They seem to some place God could strike me dead is this one.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's interesting. And but what I will say about I spoke to a will come on the your situation, I mean it but because it's not unusual. Now, of course, it's not. It's not unusual, Ben, what? Because we all we're all in there. But for the I said to you went to the Jewish school now. Did you learn about the 10 commandments? Did you learn because it was the Torah, it's the first five but first five? Yeah. She said, No, we didn't really go in, but we went into more of the traditions. So
Reverend Ben Cooper:they're very traditional, very tradition, it's really interesting as well. So if you can take that tradition, and have revelation in that, what the tradition does and are found this, what she's experienced, and others have experienced in that Jewish faith following that write line by line and everything through the old when God reveals that it brings it so much more alive. It really because it gives you an in picture form that you understand what you're doing it for, and not just a religious motion. So it's really interesting. So where you might be doing what they're doing, they're doing it, but it's not worth doing it because they're doing it at a tradition. So you're breaking it. Because you're just doing it mom and dad doing it. It's what we normally do. I don't really know what I'm doing it for.
Simon Pinchbeck:But they're still holding firm on a still holding firm so that Sabbath day and and watch something never night and they don't even Dantana lie on knows enough. Nothing really nothing. Don't go shopping don't
Reverend Ben Cooper:think they prepare for it.
Simon Pinchbeck:I prefer for it as a big, big, but the thing is, isn't it? If it's not right in my heart, don't bother doing it. It's like what Christ said about the Pharisees and the Sadducees. If it's just if it's just words in action, it's just hot out. It's a great idea and it but it's a great idea and it looks good. But when we dig in, you know, if we go in this one right away back to Genesis two, and he says, right at the start, he says this the heavens and the earth and all the host of them were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. And God bless the seventh day and sanctified it because he had rested from all His work which God had created and made now we error a lot that we've been, and we see a lot across social media we see a lot of blogs and podcasts about, about certain things that are troubling church leaders or ministry leaders, and a lot of it is to do with, with alcohol and all that sort of thing. But, you know, I've got a so gotta tell you, you know, I personally evolved from what I've seen, I think the one massive thing bigger than all of that is burnout of Christian ministers. Now, you're a Christian minister, you don't have, you know, hardly any time to rest do you
Reverend Ben Cooper:know, it's, it's very, very sad. And I've got myself into a cycle of if I stop, and what happens if I stop, and I take a day off, what happens is it affects my head. Right? It's, it's quite a serious thing to be in. So this stuff that we're talking about, if I stop, I think that I'm failing my community, and I'm failing. And I think that I've got to keep going like a train seven days a week, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, I pray to paid a serious price for that amongst my family. It's not a it's a serious issue of not stopping and acknowledging the Sabbath rest, I'm very conscious of it. I'm very aware of it. And it's my biggest downfall, I would say,
Simon Pinchbeck:I love it. You're alone, though, to be honest with you.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And it hurts me because there's a consequence to my actions, through family, through life through other people's lives. For me, thinking that God has called me to create another eight day did I mean and and take over God's job and do this and do that, and then you get in a cycle, you get in a cycle of a very robotic ministry. And I'm going to say this, thank God that I haven't, I haven't had burnout. And the reason and I'm not saying this in a blase or a prideful way, I'm saying that, I do think that I have found my calling now. So obviously, in your calling, there is a responsibility to rest. So I'm in a very dangerous position at this moment. And that's not sitting all day long, and partying and smoking drugs and sex, drugs and rock and roll. The danger that I'm in is that I could hit a wall and crash and burn. That's the danger. It's a big danger. And, and I've lost a lot of friends and people in ministry, that have done that. Now, the only area I can draw on, and try and find some reason in through this is that I believe God strengthens you and your colon, but you got to know what your calling is. And it's not because I am a verse from from burnout. I'm not saying that. But I do believe that there we have a big issue within ministry in church, that there are people that are fire starters, that start fires, because they're educated, they got a few quid behind them, they can talk a bit, they can start a business. And what happens is, if you don't know your calling, you will burn, you will crash, you will hit a wall. So there's two sides to what Simon is saying. It's that you can get blase in your colon, and think that you can run forever on a day. Because it's your colon, but then also there's another side to the colon. When it's they call in of a CV, that you've put yourself in that position, or mum and dad and the PA How many times have we heard in church where someone's gone? You know what Fred, and George and billion and Sharon, they're great. I think they could be pastors, they could be elders, they could be deacons, they could be could be could be your evangelists, when, when we put ourselves into ministerial positions when we haven't had a colon. So there we have a difference between Colin and anointing, and appointing so you've opened up a big lid on this
Simon Pinchbeck:a big Well, I haven't the Scripture as you know, yourself I
Reverend Ben Cooper:for one, so all seriousness, God in the scripture, God is speaking,
Simon Pinchbeck:it's it's the Sabbath day, which I don't think we in the Christian faith, really appreciate. So, so the Jewish faith looks on Saturday, Saturday, Sabbath day and so we are guessing the Christian world look on Sunday, you don't Yeah, which is the church day but it means nothing anymore, does it? It doesn't mean anything it and, and so church leaders don't give themselves any time to rest. In a lot of cases. You know, you do hear of people taking notes, just a word it's probably
Reverend Ben Cooper:down or you're gonna say it
Simon Pinchbeck:is smelling Oh, it's in your vocabulary. I
Reverend Ben Cooper:don't even think it's in the Bible Simon.
Simon Pinchbeck:I was chasing a church leader once and, and eventually caught out with him, you know, he said, I'm taking three months off just to see where God wants me to be. And I thought, Okay, so for Bible I thought I thought you know what might down a row is a bricky can't like
Reverend Ben Cooper:galley but, but I'm going trekking across the Himalayas, Simon to find myself to find myself get closer
Simon Pinchbeck:to God yeah well is that you know, it's all very well but God said just take one day a week.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Don't take the whole don't take your life, the whole your whole lifespan we grew up with lust and greed, that's what they're doing and guess what they get paid for it. But it's a paid holiday,
Simon Pinchbeck:the amount of just going on from that the amount of leaders I know that I've taken sabbaticals and fallen short, you know, in lots of ways. So you have to be careful. So the Lord has given us a cold day, a week, a day
Reverend Ben Cooper:a week, which is what i So I've started. So what I've started is taking 15 minutes and 30 minutes, people laugh and think I'm off my rocker. But I'm on it. This is a massive journey for me, and I'm not frightened. And I tell you, I fail. I fail all the time at this. I've let people down. I've missed my family, I've screwed my wife set up. I've messed my daughter up. Because I won't go on holidays. I won't take a day off. I have wrecked my family.
Simon Pinchbeck:And I can I can understand that. And I can stand with you on that. Because many times I've put ministry before my family,
Reverend Ben Cooper:and I still do it. How sad Am I really how bad is this, but I'm starting to take 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, taken a moment's quietness, thinking sitting back, being respectful, being respectful for people in my life and my, my situation and, and all that because I seriously I've done some damage, I seriously have done some damage. And I pray that God will bless
Simon Pinchbeck:you. But But there's no you can mean that you can make calls. And I think because you see it now. But it's it's a process on I've seen you know pastors and church leaders just go mentally,
Reverend Ben Cooper:as through mentally heal through because
Simon Pinchbeck:believe me running in a church. I haven't got a clue. But you must have so much thrown at you different personalities, different people, if you've not got if you've not got someone to filter that through to you got to deal with a whole show revenue. Do you know
Reverend Ben Cooper:very respectfully, very respectfully, completely respectfully. If you're not called to be a pastor or a leader, get out, stay out, stay down, literally stay out, you know that I'm full time here. We have no wages. And I say that. So I have two other places that are work as well as this ministry, this church that is full guns blazing on every level. Why not do this? I could not do this without knowing my calling. So I've learned I have learned a lot through what Simon God is bringing to the table. The Sabbath days rest, I have learned a lot what my calling is what my capabilities aren't what to say no to that. I tell you what this is num verse, verse I is an absolute mountain for those and that issue we have as well for those that are are in leadership, you can get in leadership and actually realize that I'm in so deep, that if I say this is not my bag, I fouled
Simon Pinchbeck:well, you Yeah, I mean if your pride and arrogance, if you're if you're living in tents if you're if you're if you've got your family tied up if you're living in a place that's given to you by the church and and all of a sudden you're thinking whoa, and but you know the deal is if you're not given time to design a job, this is not your job is not a job. And a lot of people are using it as a job now is it is a vocation it is a calling and the thing is if you're not given that time to the Lord, if you're not if you're not given that time to load, then you're not refreshing yourself you know not not so when you stand up on a Sunday to give a talk, where's it coming from? You ain't coming from
Reverend Ben Cooper:what you drawing from, you know, the,
Simon Pinchbeck:the overflow of the heart space. So so if you're exhausted if you like a mobile phone, my mobile phone is fully charged and it's great and I can find my wife who's in the States and I can you know, it was great. Yeah. But if it's not got any charge, if it's flat, it's useless. Now throw it on the side. It's a bit of metal in it. So well we can bring a look at this scripture here, not another script. Yeah, I mean, if you go through the whole of the Hebrews four, but I'm just going to pick out a little bit here he says, he talks about arrest of God in Hebrews, right? It's a, it's a great thing, you know, because it entering these rest entering God's rest it talks about, and from verse eight, it goes for if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterwards have spoken of another day. There remains therefore arrest for the people of God. For he who has entities rest, has himself also seized from his works as God did from his. So if God is seized from it works,
Reverend Ben Cooper:Hi, I have I have, I've got to step back.
Simon Pinchbeck:You've got we've got to seriously, look at what time we're given. Because he goes on to say, and I think this is a beautiful scripture, he goes on to say, Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience because he says it's disobedient
Reverend Ben Cooper:and disobedient to God. For
Simon Pinchbeck:the word of God is what it's live in. It's powerful and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even division of soul and spirit. Listen to this, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. This is this, this will get you there is no creature hidden from His sight. But all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account,
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm in trouble. I'm in big trouble. It clearly says that. Yeah, clearly said it, that
Simon Pinchbeck:if we had not given ourselves raced on disobedient, and do you know what, Ben during the during the old lock downs, you know, that dark period of we didn't, we didn't it wasn't we weren't locked down where we were still we were still doing
Unknown:them. We was at fault.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Sorry, Boris.
Simon Pinchbeck:But there was a time when I thought I just looked and I thought you know what, Lola, you should be doing more? Yeah. And, and I got this for come into my head saying, just sit back and enjoy me. Just
Reverend Ben Cooper:now that join me now that that is the most powerful, less beautiful. He can't even express how that will be Be still and know that I'm God.
Simon Pinchbeck:Just enjoy me just get to know me. Yeah. And someone from the states rang me very early on in the lockdowns and said, Simon, he said, Simon, he said, just get to know the Lord more just get to know get closer to the Lord in this time.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So the lockdown was precious, the precious to probably so many people in the world of of Christianity, if you use the time correctly, how many leaders I have heard for eight minutes, we're already in it, you know what we're able to skimmed it. But it's also relevant in it. So through lockdown, I had a very interesting conversation with quite senior leader in the movement. And he said so many pastors have turned to alcohol through lockdown. As quite harrowing in it. When you think about that, a lot of turn to Netflix. Who actually turned to the Bible. When you really think about why would I? Now I'm probably going to get he probably caused a lot of eruptions. If I don't know, this is such a big thing, isn't it? How alcohol in ministry, you know, alcohol. You know, addictions, we're all addicted. We're all got certain traits, we all got certain failings.
Simon Pinchbeck:But why wouldn't you get into the byline? That's what
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm just trying to trying to get my head to understand why wouldn't I? I think now, please, pastors don't. Don't come and hunt me down. Leaders. I think that a lot of people turn to the worldly addictions in this because deep down in their heart, they know that they shouldn't have taken up the pulpit or the leadership. And they're trying to find fulfillment in something so it's easy to turn to alcohol. It's easy to crack a can or turn a bottle later off, pop the cork on all that. But if you really know your colon, if you really are in a colon. If you really are I know what it says about the prodigal son. But we are we are in a very dangerous place in the UK spiritually. Leadership wise, crossed the governments across church because we we have too many People that are trying to lead this nation that haven't got a clue. And we've got people trying to leave churches that don't have a clue. And I'm saying this really respectfully, but this is straight talk. And when you find, when you find a Christian leader, when you find a Christian leader, leading by the word of God, you will you will find that they get this, this drop this not a drive for themselves, but this calling overtakes the flesh the bones, and it's all Jesus.
Simon Pinchbeck:See, this has opened a can of worms, because I do think it. It was a it's a pride thing that we, that we, you know, hold on a minute, you know, I haven't got church, the church is not now.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm no one. I'm faceless. So why don't
Simon Pinchbeck:I reach out to that good Christian mate of mine? One minute, I got a good Chrystia mic. I've never had any good question. So it's that is you know, what kept me going for it. I was Thomas was our meeting me as meeting every week, every week, constant we met everywhere, the podcast and press, press, press. And, and, and the biggest thing that came to me out of that, personally, was knowing that I had to get into that, that place that our own garden of Gethsemane where we were, we have got on our on our faces and went, Lord, not my will, but Your will be done.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And then that that changes and gives you strength and energy to go. And it's like, it's like when that great profit. When he prayed for rain. He prayed for rain and it rained, he ran down Mount Carmel, we had a word from Jezebel, he fell underneath the duvet during the poetry. He said, Lord, I've had enough now I want to die. God sent an angel and what did the angel do? He ministered to that servant. And he gave him a bread and a little bit of bread and a jar of water. And it says he went for 40 days. When God feed you, when God feed you, and you are in his will, and his purpose, I tell you this from experience, you will go and go and go and go because it's not in your strength.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's not in your strength bend but here's the thing, he still wants you to have a rest
Reverend Ben Cooper:rest and you can rest in your in the air laws
Simon Pinchbeck:rise in the world just rest and enjoy the Lord just
Reverend Ben Cooper:be still know that um, God has kicked back and now he's there. So that's an interesting thing that's coming from this verse, verse eight is I have to rest but in the rest, I've got to know my colon. And to switch off from not from your colon as in to put it and hang it up in the cupboard, but to step back, but your calling is always on you because the Bible calls you to be still. So even though I'm not doing an action of my calling, I'm sitting and I'm still in my calling, because I'm being obedient,
Simon Pinchbeck:obedient, we just read that if you're not resting, then I'm not obedient, I'm not obedient. And so it's not all about productive action restaurant me and watching a boxset or whatever in a restaurant is resting in the Lord and I say, still knowing him, even just lying on the floor and just just emptying your head and just letting the Holy Spirit just
Unknown:just unaided Jesus fill
Simon Pinchbeck:you up and just refresh him. Because then you know you your your battery will be recharged. And on a Sunday morning you'll be speaking to Florida heart, your love the words and and it's the order of things. Seek first the kingdom of God everyone else. You know, the question is, do you know? You know how big is your faith? To say faith, because the Bible tells us been done it you've faked down after be very big mustard. So you don't have to be big desert, your faith just has to be a big as a mustard seed know
Reverend Ben Cooper:what Jesus says just believe, just believe, just believe. So there is so much in that. So as I'm obedient, as I become obedient, and that opens up the door to surrender. So this is very relevant verse eight of Exodus chapter 20. Because if I'm not taking the Sabbath day rest, I'm not obedient. I'm not listening correctly. You know, I'll get in a cycle of disobedience, or getting a cycle of I'm helping Jesus out. You know
Simon Pinchbeck:that this is a question is this, you know, I'm helping Jesus, I'm helping. I'm helping Jews presume what you want. Jesus is resting, and I'm doing his work. I'm finishing. I'm doing Jesus's work. I'm doing what I think you want me to do. And then I flicked myself back into verse seven. I've taken the Lord's name, and I'm misusing it. Because how many times have we said on this platform? You know, Jesus is looking at you going, what are you doing over there?
Reverend Ben Cooper:And that's exactly what happened to the prophet that I've talked about that we've got fell over there. Now that's a very interesting place to bake. And over here, what are you doing over there coming
Simon Pinchbeck:to my arms,
Reverend Ben Cooper:Lord? Now, that's a very interesting word, isn't it? Because the angel of the Lord fed him. He was strengthened from heaven. He went on 40 days, but he was in the wrong direction, if the wrong direction. So there's another area of ministry, you are called, you are chosen, you are filled, you know, the gifts are given without repenting the wrong direction. But you're anointed. And God said, What are you doing over there? But Lord, But Lord, no. And what did God do to him, he took him back the same way. Now, that is why maybe a lot of people have a, a moment of burnout, because they know, they're called, they're in a certain position, they've gone the wrong direction. And actually, they've got to go back, and they don't want to go back. Because if I go back and say, I made a mistake, My pride is here.
Simon Pinchbeck:I think you're exactly right. So so many people are going in their direction. And that going in, in the flesh, if you go in, in the flesh, you're always gonna get worn out, you're gonna get if you if you set out if you're jump on a plane that's going from Heathrow Airport to Paris, right? And the plane is one degree out, you're gonna end up in Timbuktu or somewhere and
Reverend Ben Cooper:you're gonna end up somewhere completely different. So you're on the plane, you're in a plane, you know what the planes about, but one degree or degree out, great cross, that great profit that was called and anointed, he stopped the rainfall. And then he prayed for rain to fall. But we find in a few pages on the text that he was in the wrong direction. But he was filled and he was in filled. He was encouraged. He was, his fire was on. He was at full pelt. He went for 40 days and 40 nights. And he got to his destination. And he went, yeah, go went, Oh, sir. You're in the wrong place. So there is wrong place. There's another word and there's another there's a Where do you want me to be? Yeah.
Simon Pinchbeck:And, and with that, there's, are we doing it in my well in my will, or we're doing it in the Lord's? Because if and when he how many times you hear these people come out with these these church leaders, these ministries come out with these. This slogan or this new set of spreadsheets, this new set of ideas, this new course that we've come up with this guy's we're doing we're doing the four hours or we're doing this, that and the other. It goes nowhere, because the Lord's not in it now. Now let's give an example of something that the Lord has been in, in in our lives in the last three weeks. We've got these little booklets OUT out there the Straight Talk booklets with the Gospel of John straight in it three weeks ago we had a conversation. Yeah. And now we had 1000 of them land last week in the pod room. Yeah, and we've given 500 out already me
Reverend Ben Cooper:and we're thinking to ourselves goodness we got adequate because we didn't
Simon Pinchbeck:because we didn't do exactly right because we didn't because it was in the Lord's will
Reverend Ben Cooper:it happened so fast so quick. We have no changing of wedge at the moment which is absolutely beyond human understanding. Yeah but how in the world beyond not all things are possible to those that manipulate oh sorry wrong scripture
Simon Pinchbeck:you know, but he's the trips are so this is powerful. Anyone who's listening out there you know don't don't run on empty don't just rest in the Lord and just enjoy you need the Lord wants you to enjoy your life he wants to enjoy your family.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Another thing there Simon it What does rest actually mean? Does it mean picking up the golf club? Does it mean going out to the gym to it means actually to shut completely down to close yourself down? So you gotta be careful there as well as your what you do what you call, what do I do on in the rest? Well, what does the Bible say about being in rest?
Simon Pinchbeck:You know, rest in the Lord, rest in the Lord just to be still in his rest. You know, is it nothing wrong with enjoying it? With a family there's nothing wrong sort of stuff but If, and and do you take it too far if you don't go shopping, you know, where do you got to do what do you call on on you know, we have a lot of athletes that that are very religious now say that religious Yeah. Don't Don't enter their sport on a Sunday they because they say it's the Sabbath day you, you know you you've got to be careful but you know it's resting and get to know the Lord I think anyone who's who's got any faith at all it's got to spend time in the Word and this guy has spent time in prayer has got to spend time with the Lord because if you don't and there are many church leaders who've done believe me
Reverend Ben Cooper:Oh, yes. What is what is that is a Christian what is this all about? What's it all about? So there's a lot in this and we haven't we've only just like, got off remember this that? Verse eight it says Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy? There's Janelle what isn't that word when I've informed that keep it holy idea. That's that's I was I don't take golf course. And Netflix
Simon Pinchbeck:doesn't even play golf. No,
Reverend Ben Cooper:no, actually. But to keep it holy. There's a there's a massive conversation in just that one. Keep it holy. So that means that certain places I can't go to certain places and things I can't watch on telly, certain conversations or can't indulge in certain clubs or can't go to the pole club has to be finished that day. I gotta be can't spend the day there. I can't say that on its own. On its own, the Sabbath day
Simon Pinchbeck:rest, because the Lord blessed. Holy hell. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So that is a this is a serious.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's a it's a balancing act between religion, religion, and, and the relationship.
Reverend Ben Cooper:What this is, this is a very that's like 12345 that seven words in on verse that is just verse eight. Keeping it holy. We're 15 minutes in, we're
Simon Pinchbeck:done. We better get out of it, aren't we? Yeah, maybe come back to this. I tell you what, do you want to come back to it too scared, scaring?
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'll come back to it. I'm happy to come back to it. But to be honest,
Simon Pinchbeck:I've been really, really important. The rest
Reverend Ben Cooper:is, but then suddenly, my eyes, my heart and my spirit have just clocked out as we're closing down here. Keep it holy. Have you just read that on? Have you just put that on the text? Or has that always been there?
Simon Pinchbeck:That's in God's Bible, and I've never read it before? Oh, holy? No, no, there's
Reverend Ben Cooper:something what the church doesn't do? Keep it holy. I'm in trouble. But through the power of redemption, and the power of the insurance policy of the cross of Calvary. God, I thank you for you, Jesus. Because you are. You're loving God forever. Yeah, but
Simon Pinchbeck:repentance. Repentance is turn away in it. If you keep going back to it. And you ain't really repented me,
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm troubled. I mean, bad. We're all in trouble. We're all in trouble. Let's sing Kumbaya and just try and push our way through.
Simon Pinchbeck:Pray that Lord comes back soon. But we love You, Jesus. And we just, you know, we want to follow you and yeah, in our hearts are with you. And that's nothing. That's the main female whipped a lot. You know, that's the
Reverend Ben Cooper:thing. And we are aware. I think when you're aware of issues, and you're open to speak about it, and you're really not, when I say not worried. I like telling people how I really am because I know that it will encourage others to go to know more if those two will talk about it. It's all right. Let's be open because we need straight talk, don't we? And that's the key. That's the key. It's just
Simon Pinchbeck:and we haven't come on to it. Maybe we'll come on to it next week. But you know, remember what Jesus said if you ever if your donkey fell down or where would you pull it? Would you would you leave it down on the Sabbath or you know, or so? So when you've got people on the Sunday knocking at the door for food here is Elim Swanley. It's very, you're not going to put the door up and say sorry, it's, it's Sunday. You know, you're going to invite me and I want you Yeah, and feed
Reverend Ben Cooper:them. So there's a lot in it.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, but it's all about as we've said, for many times on this platform, it's not about the head. It's about the heart.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Praise the Lord. It's about Yeah, we're thankful for it. Just follow Jesus. God bless. Have a great day. You can find us all over the place. I'm going to go and try and rest and there's no chance of me being holy but for the power of the potter's wheel, he's got a shake. That's another thing nor in the flesh and not in the flesh. Tara one anyway, come on. God bless every one of you know the mighty name of Jesus. We'll see you soon. You can find us on all the social platforms hashtag grow. Straight Talk, Simon and myself just speaking out the barrel of truth and I thank God that I can speak truthfully and be honest, because there's freedom in that.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, we love you all and we'll see you next week. God bless