Good morning. Good morning we are in Delaware random. We're in good morning. It's Thursday morning is Monday, Thursday, in the world of the church. And we welcome you wherever you are. It is Thursday, the sixth of April 1030. Here at # Christian straight talk, we are broadcasting this live stream service, and rather known as our podcast. And as we record this, we want to say thank you to everybody in the world of Buzzsprout. And all those platforms that people are downloading these podcasts. But there is another little bit of news we got, we have so much more content on Patreon, you can just download the app, download the app in the App Store, and you can find it very, very easy. Patreon is a fantastic platform. And we're on that we've just launched on Saturday, we're just catching our feet and getting up to speed with everything that's going on there. But download the app, type in the search engine in Patreon #Christian straight talk. And you can subscribe either to Jonathan or David and there is so much content on there that is not available anywhere else. It is exclusive. And we do appreciate your support. So wherever you are today, and we just want to encourage all those that listen and download these 1000s of podcasts that are going out across the world. It's just absolutely mind blowing. But Good morning, and welcome to everybody jumping online, wherever you are this morning. My God bless you and strengthen you, Simon we're in today what we talking about where I've
Simon Pinchbeck:been. And I've just add to that Patreon, Ben is that come on,
Reverend Ben Cooper:let's have it turn off,
Simon Pinchbeck:get a lot of you for your subscription fee. I mean, we've gotten a debut subscription for Uber fiber, and you get a month. And we'll we'll we'll give you so much to more podcasts, videos, other stuff each week are coming through then there's a lot of content. We've got under done ourselves a little bit. But we just want to we just want to get the stuff out and want to give it to you. And hopefully, you'll just become part of the Patreon crashing, # Christian Straight Talk family, and we'll move forward from there. But today, Ben, as you said, it's more the first isn't it? We're approaching We're in. We're approaching? Well, the world causes the world. And it's the greatest celebration for Christians, and it's been hijacked in it. But
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's been absolutely hijacked by the bunny, the Easter Bunny or the chicken by the chocolate by everything the cross ban has arrested it, you know, and when we think where we sit Monday, Thursday, everything that's happening over this bank holiday and what we need to make sure that we're understanding is that this has not been put in place by governments this has not been put in place by anybody else. You know, this is in place because of the Scripture. So we are at the Passover time, where a really important part you know, what other religious faith group let's put it like this, this what other religious group actually stops almost everything happening? Because of the cross of count. There is not nothing else out there. There is no religious group. There is no other faith out there that will stop a nation the way Christianity stops the whole world there are certain pockets that might have a few hours but it's all about the cross.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's it is all about across is all about across for us. But I'm afraid the world just sees it as a couple of bank holidays and a long week or, you know, that's that's what I sadly what they said about and we need to talk about across the day. We need to talk about this race ago, Ben, you know, this is the greatest love story it's ever been told you won't find a better love story than this where our Heavenly Father as for the love of us has given his own son as it says in John 316 What
Reverend Ben Cooper:a beautiful scripture that is in John 316. And wherever you are joining us today let's just remind ourselves that we are saved that we are blood washed. We are sanctified not because of the Easter Bunny, not because of the bank holiday weekend, but we are here and we are heaven bound because of the cross of Calvary and there is power and There is life in the blood of Jesus. And this is what we are celebrating the Passover, the cross of Calvary resurrection day, Friday, obviously tomorrow and as the church pulls out, its its toolkit, you know, just once a year, walks up and down the town and does whatever it's going to do, but it the crush should be every day. It should be an everyday conversation as a believer, you should have
Simon Pinchbeck:in front of you. I mean, Jesus tells us that in the end, merganser cross and Jesus was telling us pick up your cross daily and follow Me across if you know, Ben, it's just an amazing thing. 28 prophecies in the Old Testament, yeah, prophesy about the cross and salvation and you got a Matthew 120 21 is and talking about Mary, and she will bring forth a son, and you shall call Him Jesus is what the angel was. For, He shall save His people from their sins. straightaway, right before he's even born. This is his mission. This is his destiny, the destinies across is to save the people from the sins and bring them back. So the father now we, I think a lot of Christian believers will take it so far. But you know, there's there's a whole real old depth and a breadth to the cross it sometimes we don't get preached Ben.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Now, the preaching of the cross, it shouldn't be a message just barista, you know, the crushing look at Billy Graham. What was the what was most of his preaching mark, the big percentage of Billy Graham's preaching was sin, and coming to the cross and salvation always sends it on that always ending on that. And when you look at the preaching across this nation, and everything that's going on, is is the churches are the churches? Are we as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are we actually ministering the cross? Every service? Do we talk about the blood? Do we talk about the power of redemption justification? You know, when you look in Matthew chapter 27, verse one, it says, early in the morning, the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans, how to have Jesus executed to the chief priests, the law givers, they wanted to bound him, they wanted to crucify him, this is not this is not Pilate that is in stealing this than putting this in first. This what we have here, we have the religious order, wanting to take into the cross of Calvary, and remove Jesus Christ, because they know if Jesus would get in our synagogues, if Jesus will get into our lifestyle, it's going to change us. He's going to change us.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's it's very interesting. And they didn't want him just take it out. Because they probably could have just taken him out, couldn't they, you know, just send a few soldiers in there just off just take him out without any problems. They wanted to make a spectacle of this. And so what they did, they crucified and now across Ben, at that time was the most horrific, it's also his death because you'd be hanging on that cross. You know, the Roman Romans used to put people on crosses, a mile wrote down and upside down any which way they can, but it took them days to die. It took them absolute Days to Die, sometimes a week to die and Barrick the most barbaric way to go. And it's so barbaric that the Roman Emperor Constantine, who they say became a Christian is very sort of wishy washy. Yeah. But he banned a ban the crucifixion. Yeah. Because the brutality because of the brutality of it, but the Jewish leaders, yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:this is what they want to do. This is the gibberish leaders. But what is really interesting when you look at all this, that this is the way that God chose his son to go. So when we were talking about like, could have taken him out any other way. The scriptures had to be fulfilled, you know, he was the escaped goat, He is the Lamb of God, he had to go to the cross of Calvary. And it is written about this, what you're saying is that all the prophecies, the 28 prophecies, talking and speaking about the cross and salvation, but when you think about this, in verse one, it says, early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plan so they're making a plan, a clear plan to have Jesus executed. This is the law give
Simon Pinchbeck:us and they would be quite pleased with themselves. Yeah, but the Father knows all the time. Yeah, you're gonna do your thing. But I'm going to turn this into the greatest symbol of salvation, the greatest symbol that the world has ever, ever known because right now, Ben You know, we got a cross, we got a cross, you've got a cross I've got a cross on long cross. But this this cross is more than that. And back in the dark back in the, you know, the, what they called the Middle Ages and put and things like that. They used to actually kill some Jews because they call them Christ killers and I've been here but but it wasn't that it wasn't just the Jews it was all of us because he died for all of our sin Didn't he die
Reverend Ben Cooper:for all of our sins? You know, John 316, you know, For God so loved the world, that He gave His one line begotten son that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish, perish but I've ever lost in life when you think about the crucifixion and what this nation and what this world is going to at this moment. It's more paganistic Easter than actually, the Christian understanding. When you think that what we are celebrating and we are celebrating the Passover, we're celebrating the resurrection day and everything that runs along with these free days. It's the Passover, it's the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. It's an extremely powerful time. We're not when I think of this event, as as a believer and I, I really dig deep in my spirit and think about what Christ done. I actually can't go there. I can't get myself to that point, that this Lord Jesus Christ, this Savior of the world, was born to die.
Simon Pinchbeck:That was his destiny. And he chose that destiny didn't and they
Reverend Ben Cooper:chose that they chose that at the very beginning of time. Yeah. Because as you said, and as the scripture says, There is a plan so when even Adam fouled in the garden of of Eden, when they found there was already a redemption plan. We're told that the redemption is the number one thing that that is it, God will redeem us. And you think to yourself, God, why? Why couldn't you have chosen a different route wide across? Why what is it about this cross? What what is it that is so powerful? It is mesmerizing, it takes you into a world
Simon Pinchbeck:but I think we've just said it there earlier, Ben, he's taken the most horrific form of, of torture and turned it on its head. And if you look throughout the Bible, when when evil men have plans, yeah, God turns it around any round and and I think if there's anything in your life that that really ain't going right right now just hang in there really well. And believe me, he will turn it around and you know, just on that, but and we've got some great stuff on Patreon just to make it Yeah, for stuff that that really goes deep does a deep dive into a deep Straight Talk into that and we've got some stuff going on that day called a storm and it's all about that sort of stuff. But But across then, you know, it says in two Corinthians 521 It says, God made him that had no sin to be or to be sin for us, Ben. Yeah, so Jesus never done a foot wrong, never turn no Laikipia, completely pure all of a sudden is got every rendus evil orrible down horrible thing, just
Reverend Ben Cooper:find the words, you can't find a word.
Simon Pinchbeck:And on that cross, that's what separates him from from his father, because
Reverend Ben Cooper:your father can't look at his own son. But, but when you look at this as well, you find that Christ is the image of the invisible God. So God is in Christ, Christ is in God. And when you when you think about that God gave himself for the image of Christ Jesus through the living word. So God has given himself for Christ Jesus as Christ being the instrument, and has been the scapegoat. He says that they stripped him high and they hung him wide. And on a hill, on the hill of Calvary. And when you think about the cross of Calvary, the power, the power of the cross, you've only got a look at the cross. You've only got to come to the cross. There's Redemption at the cross, there's hope at the cross. But it's the most barbaric way that any human could be and could ever go out. But when you look at the crucifixion of Christ, yeah, it brings peace. It's it's different.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's one thing one way and another thing the other way otherwise. So look at the arms across spin the breadth of it. Everybody is there for everybody. It ain't just for him over there. And you if you've done that course, or no, it's there for everybody. Yeah, and bomb the deepest jangle to the to the richest man, wherever, wherever you are, whatever comes to you is for your
Reverend Ben Cooper:redemption is for you. And that is really clear in the book of Exodus chapter 12. When God gives clear instruction about how to take the Passover, in that clear instruction, he says Get yourself Have a land, get yourself a Go get yourself a sheet, get yourself a goat. And what he is saying there he is open up opening up salvation to everybody, because everybody so when he saw that he hasn't just dropped the lamb on a go into that scripture for just for no reason there is a meaning. So that was a, that was for the Egyptians. That was for the Israelites that was for everybody. So he opened up the Passover for everybody by just mentioning the few words. So it's really interesting that the cross is wide and open to everybody, everybody, every culture, everyone, wherever you are across the world, and God sent His one and only Son in the likeness of sin to be sin. He, you know, he bought our transgressions, Isaiah, when you look at Isaiah 5353, about, you know, when that great prophet was prophesying about what is gonna happen, you know, and the power of the cross, there is nothing more powerful than the cross the Calvary. And when we look at the scriptures here in Matthew 27, verse one, it says early in the morning, all the chief priests, the law givers, they wanted to take into the cross wasn't the soldiers wasn't Pilate? Yeah, they was involved after they was drawn into this story. They religion, they were
Simon Pinchbeck:the ones who gave the orders, but they only gave the orders because of the directions of the and the chief priests that that whipped up the crowd, but you know, you've got, you've got that whip for the cross, bend that that encompasses everybody. But you've also got the depth of it across bend. And this is what I hear a lot. And sometimes when I go into prisons, I hear this. I'm not good enough.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm not worthy.
Simon Pinchbeck:I'm not worthy. I can't have done You don't know my life. I've done so much bad that God won't accept me. But that sort of cross covers.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That is that is the power of the cross of Calvary. It doesn't matter what we've done, what we think, how we acted, how we are who we are, because through the power of predestination, and through the power of justification, and sanctification, that Christ went to the cross, and the cross is open for everyone. And what I love about the cross, it's empty. It hasn't got a figure on it, the grave is empty. The manger is empty, the cross is empty, the grave is empty, but the throne in heaven has been fulfilled. Because the Scripture says from the cross to the grave from the grave, after he appeared to over 500 of them around and everything that's going on, it says on Ascension Day, he went and he sat and he was seated at the right hand of the Father, but what is he doing at the right end of the Father, the Scripture says that is interceding for all the saints. So we have Christ, the risen Savior, off the cross of Calvary, defeated sickness and disease is
Simon Pinchbeck:massive. And he's off. He's off the cross. And there's a there's a certain religion that that as your mana cross, still
Reverend Ben Cooper:Catholicism, Catholics, we've got a he's on. He's on the cross. They're worshipping Mary, everything we have to talk about this stuff. He's off the cross, not in the grave. He's not on the cross. He's a risen Savior. He's seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for all the saints. So now we have the King above all kings. Now there's a coronation coming up. This is going to be really interesting
Simon Pinchbeck:down. We don't want to I don't want to go down. I don't want to go down that road. Now. When I was in the prison the other day, and obviously, there's a chapel in the prison and the guys there and I said, I was talking. I said, Bring all your stuff that across and I looked up and there was one cross with Jesus still on our so don't bring that one. It's an empty cross brings that one over there where there's nothing there. Because yeah, because we're, we're not still crucifying him. But he's off that is off that crosses. Yeah. Is there a living breathing thing with us? You know, he's the living word. And no deal is don't ever think you're not good enough. Because that's what the cross is all about bringing your rubbish to it and dumping it at the cross. And Jesus will set you free through them with forgiveness if you're truly sorry for that stuff. But it becomes I mean, you must hear it quite a bit sometimes in the hospice, where people even on my on my dying, deathbed are going I'm not good enough for I'm not good enough for God. Do you know
Reverend Ben Cooper:that? That's what that's what stops a lot of people coming to church because they don't We don't really understand the power of sanctification of favor, and God's goodness and His unconditional love. It's not about coming into the church is coming to the cross of Calvary. And if the churches were to preach the cross and the resurrection of Christ and the power of the living word, suddenly we will find ourselves in a different position because we understand, it's not about church. It's not about the building. It's about what happened at the cross of Calvary. at that place where he gave his life he didn't give his life and the building. He didn't give his life for the structure and the mechanics of church, he gave his life for humanity.
Simon Pinchbeck:When there was no built in Bend, there was no reason that Jesus's church is meeting you just talking.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Because that's what the Scripture says, we are the body of Christ or the church, and we are the church. And what we got to remember is that he is the high priest, the high priests went to the cross of Calvary, you won't get no priest, Bishop leader, given that given their life for anybody else. There was only one sacrifice, one sacrifice on once and for all, and his name is Jesus, and He is the King above all kings. And it's really interesting, what the mechanics of this world and what this nation is doing over Easter, you know, people will eat lamb on a Sunday. And they have no reason why they're eating lamb they don't understand. But that is scripture to do with the Passover, the shank bone, the herbs, the bitter herbs, the water, the four cups that was at the table. And I love the fact that Christ when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he said, take this cup from me. And he was referring to the third cup of redemption, not the first nor the second or the fourth, the third cup, if it is possible, take this cup because he knew that that cup was symbolizing redemption and across the Calvary, with blood washed.
Simon Pinchbeck:So when he said that, then it was his flesh speaking. Because, yeah, because he knew he had to go through it. But in Georgia cross, yeah, he knew then the next day that you know, he was he was up there. But so so he was saying forever, you know, no, I will but your will be done and, and all the way down the line. He knew what his destiny was. But even knowing it, he didn't want to go through it in the human is human is human flesh. But so you're right, the blood was shed is redeemed us, rescheduling ministers from that sin ban and
Reverend Ben Cooper:all sin, not just one or two. But when you look at the free now's when you look at that I now demand across the Calvary I always say this and it just gives me hope so much hope that when I look at the three now's the first now historical sin now to the cross, the second now our present day now living in this, this this visual world. So everything that I do the actions or what I do that is not pleasing in the sight of Christ still now to the cross. And then the third now my hist might my future whatever is ahead of me, has already been nailed to the cross cultural word. Yeah. Why the three nouns of hope the free nouns of love, and by the precious blood of Jesus, we are redeemed, we are blood washed, we are sanctified. It's too big for the human mind and concept to take all this stuff in, that we are saved.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, that's why I say Ben, it's the greatest love story that's ever because, you know, you've got a heavenly father, who's his own son, he's, he's he's, and there's separation from Him. They've never been separated. That was that was that really? Father, what have you forsaken me? You know, he says it on the cross and he says things on that cross. But the father loved us that he's called even look at his son who has never been separated from because of all the the sin of the world and and that that's the the redemption thing where the sins are forgiven. But fruit across Ben, we go fruit across, not just come to it go fruit across. We have now got reconciliation with the Father.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, it's access because the Scripture is really clear, isn't it? Is Jesus says, I am the Way the Truth and the Life. You know, and he says, I am the way I am the way to the Father and the only way to get to the Father and and that is really symbolic that the action of that temple curtain being torn. So it was making access what to the Holy of Holies. And who is in the Holy of Holies. It is God so we have access through Christ Jesus through the crisis
Simon Pinchbeck:of the Father and that was his right in. That was the one that was the one going back
Reverend Ben Cooper:because when the failing in the Garden of Eden, when humanity failed in the garden, I love the fact that that that it found in the garden but that was in the Garden of Eden but in the Garden of Gethsemane, it was it was coming back. So God uses to gardens he uses the Garden of Eden, to show that that's where humanity lost it and all the way through through the Scripture then we find that Christ is in the garden, asking that the cup of redemption will be taken, but it comes back to him at the garden because That is where they've had the Passover. It goes to pray from the garden, he goes to Judas Iscariot, the kiss, that changed everything, the arrest and everything. So the two gardens are extremely important humanity lost it in the garden. And Christ redeemed it and was bringing it back in and from the garden to the cross, there is so much power in the scriptures of what God has given us. The cross there is something powerful. So the cross is evident all the way through his chute
Simon Pinchbeck:and you can't crawl up, you have to just bring everything to the cross that and that. And the thing is bent up a lot of there's a lot of Christians out there a lot of believers that will just stop at Jesus. Right? Yeah, I'll accept Jesus. And they don't let Jesus lead them to the Father. Don't let the reconciliation take nice because if that if you follow Jesus to the Father, you'll find an amazing love and you can only get to Jesus to the Father through Jesus.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It's amazing. And the journey, the journey of a believer, my journey.
Simon Pinchbeck:I think I mentioned it before, but I'll say it again on this pocket. You know, my son was in a trade show and someone read his name, Tom Pinchbeck, and I said, Oh, you do know Simon Pinchbeck. And they said, he said yeah, he's my dad. He's not been trying to get old him for ages on the phone. You just can't get ahold of him. And Tom went out on debt. This fella wants to. And Frou Frou the son? Yeah, I got to the Father, which is a simple, real simple way of, of showing just what, what but Jesus had to be that easy access to sacrifice. Yeah, he's done. He had to be that Secretary before how did they get to God before they killed a sheep that killed a bull they
Reverend Ben Cooper:that blood had to be spilt in it. And when you think precious innocent blood, that's this is innocent blood. And that's what Judas Iscariot says in this Scripture. He says, this, this man is innocent. I've got blood on my hands because of what your religious order wanted me to do. So when you talk about and you look at that, that humanity lost it in the garden, and you're talking about reconciliation, Christ brings that reconciliation back from the to the Garden of Gethsemane, and what is doing, as you so rightly saying, so the scripture says it is making a path where humanity lost it. Christ is bringing it back. And from Christ to the cross, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the throne. Suddenly, we as John three, three believers have access to the God that created Heaven enough. It's too big for the mind.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, I mean, the thing is that the original plan would have gone and Eden was everybody to live. Yeah, together forever. One of those things,
Reverend Ben Cooper:perfect, perfect, perfect. But that that that was a separation. When they failed. In the garden, there was a separation between humanity and God. But the Garden of Gethsemane was bringing back humanity to God, there was that that separation, and as you said, in the scriptures, when you think about the sacrifices that took place, and in the Holy of Holies, and all round, it was a bloodbath. And it didn't matter how many sacrifices they had, it was all fall, it was terrible. All them sacrifices, all them animals, they was not good enough. It was not good enough. So that's where we come to where we are today, the past over
Simon Pinchbeck:the passing over separating himself from God in the Garden of Eden. Yeah. But he was brought back to God through the sacrifice of the the sun and the blood that was shed in Calvary, and the cross may vary, which, which I find that a lot of places a little bit lacking in their preaching on all talking on the cross, because this, there is so much to it. And what really blows your mind, Ben is this is that if you were the only person that were living, Jesus would still have died for
Reverend Ben Cooper:you. 100%.
Simon Pinchbeck:So if it's just Ben Cooper,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it is the scripture that was very clear, very clear. He says, when people say, Well, why is all this going on? What's it all about? The scripture says something that's very powerful, and what it says, He who had no sin became sin. And why did he do that? Because of unconditional love? What do you mean? So why did He create a soul he created a soul, the Scripture says for His good purpose, and His good pleasure and his goodwill. We are here, not because of our parents, we are not here because of sudden biologically, we've come into this existence, we are here because God created us. And he loves us unconditionally, and when the filing started in the garden, and the separation of humanity to God, and that distance was that chasm, that great big chasm, from Genesis right up to the New Testament, suddenly we see in the power of the Holy Spirit, God loves us so much, he loves us so much that he would just if he created one of us, you know, it's beyond human understanding this, this salvation, plan
Simon Pinchbeck:the finger on knowledge, a lot of people, we've said it many times just disregard the Old Testament, the Old Testament is such a powerful piece all leading up to this and, and when you read the Old Testament, you understand the wrath of God, because he wanted to, you know, wanting to Wipe Wipe is off the face of it, especially the Israelites who were all over the place. You know, it was it was the Moses and the prayers that sort of saved them, people. But time and time again, he wanted to stir about enough. But it is it is a thing. And in that beautiful song in Christ alone, you know that song? There's several things that which are amazing. But he said along the cross that Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied. Yeah. So Barbra took out all his anger on his son. So
Reverend Ben Cooper:when you think that was bearing down, when you was bearing down on Jesus, not only did he have our iniquities, not only did we have the completion of Isaiah 53 with him, we've got the roof of God bearing down. And we will never understand what that really is that the power, the frustration, the separation, just that alone, no human being could can cope with the wrath of God, the anger, and the frustration. And when you think about that, just the power of that, no wonder that the temple curtain was torn into no wonder that the world stop the graves were open. darkness was over the over the earth, the things that happened at the cross, not just because of sin, but because of what the Father, he took
Simon Pinchbeck:out is all anger on mankind, for Jesus
Reverend Ben Cooper:Christ. It's a show stopper in it. When when you really think about this cross when you look at all the stuff that's going on. But when we think about the Garden of Gethsemane, he's come out the Garden of Gethsemane, he's just had the Passover. And how many 1000s of generations have actually had the Passover. So not only when Christ says, I've eagerly awaited this moment to take this Passover lamb with you, because he was talking about himself. But then he goes into the garden and says, hang on a minute, is there another way because he knew the power that was gonna be coming down on him from the Father, He knew the whole world, and not only the cultures that was around him at that time, he is taken everything that wasn't even conceived in sin yet. So it's not just the present. It wasn't just the historical stuff of the Israelites, and those at the foot of the cross. It was everything that is going to happen in front of the cross. It's too much to grasp, isn't it? When you think that this Lamb of God, no wonder John said, the Lamb of God.
Simon Pinchbeck:And that coming back to that scripture, and Ben, he had no sin. He had no sense he had he was made sin. This is the sacrifice that he'd done for us. Exactly. And you know what? It cost us nothing. It cost us nothing. It cost a fiver everything, then on that cross, it costs the farmer everything. When you do see some, with all that covered in that you will download demon node, a site that he couldn't even look at his is funny,
Reverend Ben Cooper:but imagine that the turning of the Father, and we must remind ourselves as well what the scripture says Philip and Christ are having a dialogue. They're having this narrative conversation in the New Testament very clearly. And Philip says to Jesus show us the Father and, and Christ clearly says to him, the father is before you. So what we got, what we got to also grasp here is that Christ and the Father are One, they are connected in the deity but also there is that that separation at that point where there has to be a tearing away of the Deity, so not only do you find that there is a separation between the father and then the Holy Spirit, and we don't talk about the Holy Spirit at this time, because it's the Spirit of God and the eyes of God and the power of God. There was that wretch there and I honestly believe that that was the second most devastating spiritual event in the atmosphere of all history. It happened at the garden when man separating himself and there was a spiritual tear across. And that's where we have the devastation of the planets and the stars, the spiritual devastation rip through the universe, and that spiritual devastation. And this again happens when God turns his face from Jesus Christ, the stretch across the heavens, that devastation in the spiritual world that we don't see. And we can't understand just,
Simon Pinchbeck:it was just and at the same time, you've got all that going on. They'd be cheering in our night, they'd be cheering because they think these they
Reverend Ben Cooper:think they've got it, they've got it, the demonic forces their
Simon Pinchbeck:leads, they're in a party, that'd be Debbie up there. They all be, you know, they think we've done it, we've cracked it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:But when you when you look at that, when you look at try and visual, Christ on the cross of Calvary. And when the Scripture says, and at the cross of Calvary, Christ made a spectacle of the authorities and the principalities, He disarmed order powers. So what else did the crust do the crust saved us, gave us hope, go for salvation gave us all that purification that we need to get into heaven. But not only that, He disarmed the enemy. So the enemy is impotent. The enemy has no
Simon Pinchbeck:power. Yeah, because he's overcome death.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It he's done it. He's done it at the cross.
Simon Pinchbeck:But interesting point he's been. To me, the interesting point is that through the cross, everyone in the whole world is redeemed, everyone, but not everyone is saved.
Reverend Ben Cooper:No, no, no, no, no, there's such a difference between saved and redemption. Now this, this can be quite a chilling part of the text, that not everyone is going to make it. Now, not everyone is going to make it. So when you really drill this opportunity for everyone, there's an opportunity for God so loved the world that He gave His Son for the whole of humanity, the entire human race. But then for the power of predestination, God, this can go really deep. God has chosen and God has drawn and then everyone has a chance. Everyone's got a choice. But there is a reject if moment there is a time in someone's life, when you can suddenly reject Christ. And that you can look at that as the prodigal son as well. Yeah, because the Father's arms are always open across his open. Their salvation is always open.
Simon Pinchbeck:And and here's the thing. The Father's heart is that none should perish that no one should pray. He wants everyone that comes across He wants everyone to to be safe to Peter free nine tells us that but but how many times have people go? Don't give me Don't give me a Jesus. Don't talk
Reverend Ben Cooper:to me about Jesus. This is what we have in this tech that we're looking at in Matthew is very clear. You know, the religious order, don't want Jesus and religion across the world don't want Jesus, the 26,000 denominations, we have all these other religious orders that are out there. They don't want Jesus. They don't want Jesus Christ. This is nothing new, what we are experienced within the westernized world at this moment. The world doesn't want Jesus and I'll say it quite boldly. And I'm not worried. What I say about this, that if, if the world doesn't want Jesus, I don't want the world. If the world rejects his deed rejects Jesus we, as John three three believers need to reject the world. That that's a
Simon Pinchbeck:strong statement, Ben, but I think and I think we have to be in the world. And we have to show the world are continually showing the world the light, so we can't shut them out. We've got to show the world the light bend so we can flesh we we don't want to do that. We don't
Reverend Ben Cooper:we can't we can't partner with it. The scripture says the Scripture is so clear do not conform to the pattern of the world. And what you're saying is 100% right because it's scripture go into all the world and let your light shine let your light shine we'll let it shine
Simon Pinchbeck:by accepting Jesus as a John free free Christian by by being born again men Yeah, we we now are citizens of the kingdom of God. We are separated. We're in WE'RE IN JESUS separates us from the world. So we're no longer in the mud. We are in the world, aren't we? And we have got to show people the love of Jesus. We got to direct him to the cross. Yeah, nothing else that we can do. We can't save anybody you're loving. You know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:no Pastor, no leader. No.
Simon Pinchbeck:Do not if anyone tells you our lead this swans Lord, it's not true. It because it's the Holy Spirit and across, but at the Cross Ben the cross can make the cross can make a poor man rich make a sick man well, it can make a man good can make an uneducated man wise and it brings a dead man alive, done it the crosses is, is everything to it. And it has to be central to our faith. And if you're think you are and I see it all the time, I've got faith, but if you've not gotten across central to your five, and you don't keep going back to across, almost on a daily basis and and saying Lord, I've messed up again,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's the cross it Christianity. When you look at Christ in me, that's what it means and why you're talking about the cross and pick up your cross daily. There's that beautiful part in the text where I don't know if you can actually call it beautiful, but it is to me to that degree where Christ is carrying His cross. And He is so in his humanity, that he is so weak and so beaten and so exhausted and so bedraggled beyond human understanding, his flesh is hanging off, his back is ripped open, his rib cages is bare, the skin is hanging off him, he's completely covered in blood, I can't even find the words to describe what it looks like when he is coming out of that place. And just sim Pilate and Herod and they give him this cross to carry. And he takes a few steps. And he he starts to make his way but the cross crushes Jesus, but not in a way of as in takes his life. So when I say crush now that brings a parallel to Isaiah 53 He was crushed for our iniquities that point of that crushing starts when he was carrying the physical cross. And He collapsed and the cross fell on him. They had to give the cross to somebody else.
Simon Pinchbeck:Simon of Cyrene there was a black fellow on it. So that is a
Reverend Ben Cooper:really interesting text. Because when we say what the Scripture says, pick up your cross daily. That is what it is saying, pick up that cross.
Simon Pinchbeck:We're coming into lambda and we
Reverend Ben Cooper:are we've we've been rambling. But
Simon Pinchbeck:we've been the whole deal is that the love of the Father is completely beyond any comprehension. We can eyes it we just cannot bend we've got is the same yesterday, today and forever. That Come on. I'm failing Bennett then. And in that one, that John 316 when he's talking to Nicodemus, then it's so much has been said in so few words that it's just just amazing. Power, its authority. Can we go out on the weekend? Well, you say that what John 316 316 as we go out of court,
Reverend Ben Cooper:yeah. For God so loved the world, you know that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved, you know, and the love the fact that it says, For God so loved the world, that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved and he sent his one and only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life that we realize what eternity is,
Simon Pinchbeck:well, it's an attempt and we have a choice, and we're where we want to spend it. I'm not going to follow Jesus. But you brought up that quick point just before we can jump out of here, whoever, whoever whoever is
Reverend Ben Cooper:not froze the gate open, frozen guy and that comes back to the Passover. In Exodus chapter 12, the goat and the land Christ God free open to the Passover to everybody. And then the John 316 froze it open to everybody the cross froze it open to everybody, everybody
Simon Pinchbeck:and a look we're so we're going to jump out, we're out we're going but we say just have a real blessed time over this period of time and celebrate across celebrate Jesus, let him take you to the Father. And don't forget as on Patreon, we'll we'll be doing deeper dives into some some great content and support us because we just want to be part of our family. So bless you all. And we'll see you same time same place next week.
Reverend Ben Cooper:They normally unless he comes and raptures us, so if we're not here this week, next week, you're where am I still I might be actually yeah, Lord, don't leave me out the equation No, please take me home in the name of Jesus or you just see to mark your volunteering microphones and a pair of trainers. God bless every one of you. May God strengthen you and lead you in paths of righteousness. Remember, it's not about the Easter Bunny. It's not about chocolate egg. It is not about the hot cross bun it is about Jesus Christ. It is about salvation. God bless every one of you. You can find us on#Christian straight to Look, and thank God for every one out of you because you are blessed and highly favored. God bless you in Jesus name, amen