Good morning , good morning in the world of Twitter and all the social platforms that we are on at this moment in time . Good morning , good afternoon wherever you are , for this broadcast , as we just gather around the mics for Hashtag Christian Straight Talk , and to everybody in the world of Spotify , iheartradio , amazon Music and so many other platforms that we are pushing these podcasts out on . The book is out . The second one is on its way . It's got stuck in transit somewhere , but it's on its way . May God bless you and strengthen you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ . God is with you , and this is our first time that we are putting this live out on Twitter this morning and every week . So we're going to be not having just the audible podcast , but literally the visual as well . So good morning to all those that will watch this for 45 minutes . Simon , we're in . Good morning , ben .
Speaker 2It's great to be back in sunny Swanley . The sun is out , yeah , it always is in Swanley . The palm trees greet us as we drive into the town you get offered a little gram as you drive down the road . Yeah , well , that reminds us , ben , doesn't it , of what we're , oh Lord , what we've been straight talking on for the last few weeks , oh gosh .
Speaker 1It's the Ten .
Speaker 2Commandments . We've been really giving the Ten Commandments some serious attention and some deep dive and a lot of conversation . Very much so . What we've realised , I think , Ben , is that you know we break one . We break them all , don't we ? So there's no one living a perfect life . There's only one person who ever did . None of us can we break them most days , don't we these Ten Commandments .
Speaker 2Every morning , eyes open , socks on busted the lock and in the flesh , as you nicely put it . In this earth suit , we can't do it . We can't do it . We have to have the Holy Spirit , don't we , to help us , give us the strength , give us the strength To turn our back on whatever Ben . Last week we was talking about honour your father and mother , weren't we ?
Speaker 1That was another deep one , wasn't it ? It's a big one , wasn't it , ben ? Actually , they're all enormous lines , aren't they ? All ten are absolutely enormous and you can say them so quickly , you can read them , and we thought that we were just going to crack it all out in one crack . It's like each one is taking more than one podcast , really , because we're backtracking a little bit interwoven and moving through all the others , but you can't actually separate them , can you really , when you look at them , because they all actually go together .
Speaker 2They all go together and in perfect order . And what we have said and we said that just before we came on air Ben was that the world's problems are not , you know , are not the planet or anything . The world's problem is sin , sin , it's sin . If people tried and kept to some of these , to the Ten Commandments , ben , that were given to us by God himself , we'd have a better place to live . See what we're doing in this world ? We're treating the symptoms and not the root . So , you know , people commit sin , but we deal with the aftermath instead of going and trying to deal with the actual root of it all .
Speaker 1It's like having a load of trees in the back of your garden . You can't see over the fence . You call a guy in to cut the trees down , or a guy or a girl , because you've got to be political correct this day .
Speaker 2We did well there , ben , you did really well . You caught that , didn't you , before you went down .
Speaker 1So you can be male or female or non-binary . You can be whatever you want . Come in , cut your trees down . Cut your trees down , but don't take the root out . Put the grass over the top , but the real root is still deep down , isn't it ?
Speaker 2It's going to come through again , isn't it ?
Speaker 1It's going to come through . The root has to be extracted . You know it's the same with the good old dentist . You know you've got root canal .
Speaker 2You've got to take the route out . You've got to sort out the route and especially if you've got something in your life that's reoccurring , do you know ? If you keep going back to you know , the bible tells us , doesn't it ? You know the dog will return to its vomit . So if you keep going back to the same thing , go back to the same thing . Keep doing it and doing it . There's a reason why you're doing it .
Speaker 1Help me jesus yeah , there's a reason why you're doing it .
Speaker 2Help me , jesus . Yeah , there's a reason why you're doing it and the Holy Spirit can convict you Definitely yeah , you know I was on .
Speaker 2Just an example I was on something with a group of guys and one guy he's in his 50s he was very fearful , very fearful . He was frightened about everything . So that meant he didn't believe or trust in the Lord really . So he was fearful . And when we broke it down and went back in his life , it happened when he was about eight years old . When the bus driver broke down . He was coming home from school and the bus driver went off to get help and he started to get scared that he wasn't going to be able to go back .
Speaker 1I think just something like that , just a little thing like that , come all these years up his life , all the way through his complete life .
Speaker 2So that's what we're saying , you know , and before we go on to this week's , which is , oh crikey .
Speaker 2I'm resisting a little bit to go into this week's , ben , I tell you . But before we do , as you said , said just nipping back into last week's honor , your father and mother I just want to say I don't think we brought it out , but we brought out . You brought out the point about forgiveness and I think it's a real key point , ben , I think you know um there is , if you're hanging on to bitterness and resentment , it has to be forgiveness , doesn't it ?
Speaker 1It has to be . And where does that take us to ? To Jesus and to the cross . We can only get to that position in our lives . Honour your father and mother , your neighbour , your friend and all that . It starts with the root , again that word root . What is the root ? The root needs to be dealt with . It needs to be dealt with . It needs to be dealt with . It needs to be dealt with . In every area of our life . There is a root that continues to push up through the garden , even if the tree is cut down and it looks good on the face of the surface , but deep down in the earth the root is still alive and very well , and we have to ask Christ , lord , remove the root .
Speaker 2Yeah , definitely . I mean that's… Comes back to the cross in Jesus , yeah , you put it really really well there , ben , and what I would say as well , what I thought about this week as I was just pondering on where we went with that . I was just pondering on that , ben , I just thought . You know you may be out there and you may have something against one of your parents , but they may have died yeah . They may have died .
Speaker 1So how ? So you can still forgive them ? Yeah , you can still forgive them .
Speaker 2Ben , even though they're past their one , that's right . You might be holding something , some resentment . You can still forgive them . And then the big thing is , you forgive yourself .
Speaker 1Yeah , don't you Ben ? Yeah , definitely of yourself . Yeah , don't you think ?
Speaker 2yeah , definitely yeah . If you , you start to think what an awful person I am , or whatever you , the big thing is forgiving and then forgiving yourself the root , the power of the mind .
Speaker 1The power of the mind starts the , the toxic thought pattern , doesn't it ? And then suddenly , you get in this thought pattern . Then fear comes in , anger comes in , frustration comes in , and this this is this applies to what we're actually talking about today as well really fits , really , really well . Everything has a root , it comes from somewhere . It just doesn't . It's not above the table . There's always something under the table with it .
Speaker 2There's something there ?
Speaker 1yeah , there's something growing under the table . The table's clean , it's tidy , but underneath we're chucking all the rubbish . And under the table ? The table's clean , it's tidy , but underneath we're chucking all the rubbish . And under the table is your heart . Your heart has to be dealt with . Your heart has to be swept through . You have to bring it before christ . I'm bringing my heart all the time before god . Lord , cleanse me , sweep me through , lord , remove the root , remove the fears , remove blood .
Speaker 2It's deep within well , I think , I think that is a real God-given statement there , because it is the heart , but the church ain't dealt with it , is it ?
Speaker 1It is the heart . Come on , look at the fluff . It's the heart all the way through the Bible , isn't it ? You can't survive in your mind , your mind makes it worse , your thinking makes it worse , it's the heart . It's the heart .
Speaker 2And what does the Bible say about the heart Ben In ? It's the heart . And what does the Bible say about the heart Ben In Jeremiah it says the heart is deceitful . Above all things , it's corrupt .
Speaker 1It's wicked .
And then David . They talk about David . We mention this a lot but it's really relevant . David had a heart after God . But you look at his lifestyle and you think , hang on , he had a heart after God , but he was up to everything going on earth . He'd done everything , he experienced everything . He had a heart after God .
Speaker 2Well , if you like , we'd done a podcast on a heart , didn't we ? And we really sort of went deep on that . And the thing is , people go and I've been in meetings where people have gone , yeah , but we're in the New Testament now . All that's no hold on a minute . Look what the gospel , look what Jesus said about the heart . You know , out of the heart comes nonsense .
Speaker 1You're right , simon . How many times do we hear that we're on the other side of the cross ? Well , actually no . The old goes with the new , the new goes with you . You cannot separate . The only time you can separate is is the time is . From the old to the new . They say there's three or four hundred years time gap where god was quiet , that's all it was , but they , they run . Christ was speaking the the old testament . Every time he delivered something , he spoke his word that was thousands of years old . So the Old Testament is really relevant , because if I remove creation , as we said earlier , I have no standpoint . How many times have I mentioned that ? I know pastors that actually are more Darwinistic in their belief than they are . They don't believe in creation . So without creation , you've lost the Ten Commandments .
Speaker 2Everything's gone . You're in real danger when you start to mess about with the word of God on you you start to move in oh , it's not relevant for this day , so what we'll do we'll make it fit our own dirty lifestyle that's what it is , because you said something earlier , not dealing with sin .
Speaker 1the root , what religion and a lot of ministries and a lot of leaders are doing is that they're turfing over the root . They're cutting the root down . They're cutting the tree down . The view , the vision's good . We can see daylight again . They've cut the tree down , they've turfed over it .
Speaker 2But they don't even preach about sin .
Speaker 1No .
Speaker 2I'm a sinner saved by grace .
Speaker 1I'm blood-washed , sanctified . I've got more failings than anybody else , but Jesus Christ loves me and he went to the cross for me , and I'm work in progress .
Speaker 2Ben Paul says so much about sin , Jesus says so much about sin . All have fallen short .
Speaker 1Yeah , all have fallen short of their glory . That's a beautiful scripture , isn't it ? Yeah ? And then , when you look at the 10 commandments , again that we're in , all of us have have hit everyone and done a good job of everyone . Everyone , yeah , but someone will go . Well , I'm not a murderer . Well , we're gonna throw some scriptures up . It's not about the physical taking of life as much . It's about the power of the mind and the anger and the frustration .
Speaker 2I'm going to look at what Jesus said about that Jesus . Oh yeah , oh , dear , dear , dear .
Speaker 1What did ?
Speaker 2Jesus say You're right , you know , if you just smoothed over them , well , I don't steal . You know I don't commit adultery . What about that ? You know . So we're going to come on to all that . But today's one , ben , is .
Speaker 1Verse 13 of Exodus , chapter 20 . I'll read it .
Speaker 2You read it .
Speaker 1You talk about it , you um it . I'll play it . This is probably the violent and the violent . And the violent , isn't it ? Because when you look at that word , automatically you think , oh , the murders are behind bars . There are probably more murderers that are outside of Her Majesty's pleasure , as in the thought . So let's read it . It says you shall not murder . I think that is the shortest one in the Ten Commandments , as in words it's one , two , three , four , four words you shall not murder .
Speaker 2What did Moses do ? Well , he did murder someone , didn't he ? He buried them in the sand , this see . So it's easy to say look well , I would never or would never kill anybody ?
Speaker 1Yeah , you never kill anybody .
Speaker 2That's not in my nature .
Speaker 1So we're talking about not the physical , but the mind and the hatred and the thought pattern . Deuteronomy 5.17 says exactly the same thing you shall not murder . You know romans 14 , verse 8 . It says for if we live , we live uh to the lord , and we do not die , and we do not die to the lord . So then , whoever and wherever we live , whether we live or we die , it is for the lord . So death is a very interesting word because , obviously , if you murder , you are taking a life , but you don't need to physically , you don't need to physically do that , that act of that removing someone through through an act of violence , because the bible talks about the power of the mind and the hatred of a human being well , we said something earlier .
Speaker 2We said it was about the heart , didn't we the ?
Speaker 1heart yeah .
Speaker 2So look what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 , 21 to 26 . And the title in my Bible is Murder Begins in the Heart . Oh gosh , what scripture is that ? It's Matthew 25 , 21 to 26 . Wow , and he says this . He says you have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not murder , Right . Yeah , fair enough , and whoever murders will be in danger of judgment .
Speaker 2That's fair enough Fair enough , get that , but he's gone . He's fair enough . Fair enough , get that , but he's gone . He's taken it one step further . So all automatically , ben . The standard has gone now going from murder .
Speaker 1He's lifted the bar .
Speaker 2He's lifted the bar .
Speaker 1As he always does .
Speaker 2But he says . But I say to you , whoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of judgment . Is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of judgment . And whoever says to his brother Raka , shall be in danger of the council , but whoever says you fool , shall be in danger of hell . Fire . That's right , you've got to be careful .
Speaker 1You've got to be really careful . So , anger , never call anyone a fool . Anger could be the sword , anger could be the bullet , anger could be the weaponry . That not the physical act of murder , but the thought pattern and the understanding and the attitude and the frustration of you being angry to someone is as bad as the physical erase , erasure of life the anger towards someone .
Speaker 2Yeah , but look , he's taken it even further . He's gone further his anger . And then his calling your brother a fool . So that word , how often you living idiot or something , how often Very careful aren't we you donut .
Speaker 1Yeah , you twit , you fool .
Speaker 2Fool Woof .
Speaker 1That's an interesting word , so straight away , anyone could read the Ten Commandments and go okay , yeah , I might have failed on the first one . I haven't committed the physical adultery . I haven't really stolen . Now I'm not a murderer , but the attitude to another human being is as bad as getting in a full fight and having a physical death on your hands is your attitude and your heart .
Speaker 2It's completely , it's the attitude and your heart . It's completely , it's the attitude and your heart . So I honestly believe that , if these were understood , if these were preached , in the right way . If this was explained to people , then you know , sometimes we get them thoughts about people and we kind of like to sit in them thoughts , don't we ?
Speaker 1We kind of invite them in and we sit down and have a cup of tea with them .
Speaker 2We kind of like that because , you know , I don't know , our flesh loves that , doesn't it ? Our flesh loves to pick someone to pieces , doesn't it Our ?
Speaker 1flesh loves that . It really does . It really does , it really does .
Speaker 2But the Bible says be careful . Be careful . So even in conversation , when we're talking about another brother , when we're talking about .
Speaker 1You know , yeah , and you get really angry and you get so wound
up . Words are so , they are such a destroyer . So you don't need to have a gun with bullets , you don't need to have a knife , you don't need to wipe anyone off the earth physically because of the . James says very clearly the muscle , the smallest muscle in the body , the tongue , is the most damaging . You're either going to lift people or destroy people . So words kill people for the rest of their life .
Speaker 2The words do .
Speaker 1Words are bullets arrows .
Speaker 2I'd go even further than that . Ben Words can become roots in people's lives .
Speaker 1If you're no good , if you are all that stuff that comes out and all the way through your life , suddenly you can reach a point where you are all that stuff that comes out and all the way through your life . Suddenly you can reach a point where you are physically existing , but because you have been coming under gunfire all your life from certain people , you are dead , but you are just trying to survive .
Speaker 2Just trying to survive . And I'd say there's another aspect to it as well . While you personally are plotting and planning and talking and wrestling with thoughts about people that you believe have done you wrong or there's an injustice towards you , god can't move . God can't move and he says clearly . Paul says I think it's in Romans 12 somewhere , but I do believe he says revenge is mine , says the Lord , revenge is mine , saith the Lord , and I will repay . So if you're taking that out of the Lord's hands and saying I'm going to get my own , revenge , because then it comes down to forgiveness .
Speaker 1If you can't forgive , I can't forgive you , so that so it comes down to the root of the heart you can be . You can be the most calmest person , you can be the most against weaponry and fighting and wars , but you could literally destroy someone's life by what you've said to them and the attitude , and you've committed a bigger crime than actually erasing someone off off the earth yeah , because and and you can also do her harm to yourself yeah , because , then because you lock yourself in there , don't you ?
Speaker 1yeah , but I don't think that that we actually understand the power of words . They are bullets , they are bullets and they're arrows .
Speaker 2What happens is that they're like seeds that go in .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2And what happens is so someone is told , either by a parent or a school , that they're no good . Then every negative word after that waters that seed and it just grows and so in the end you end up with someone who's got no validation , no confidence , very insecure because of those words , and unless it's sorted they will carry on .
Speaker 1That's right . But murder is a big thing , isn't it ? You've got accidental death . You're trying to protect yourself in a violent situation . There's loads of ways of looking at that word .
Speaker 2Well , ecclesiastes 3.3 says there is a time to kill . I've been done it , yeah .
Speaker 1There's a time to kill .
Speaker 2And if you look in the Old Testament , the Old Testament is more bloodthirsty . It's a bloodthirsty religion Because you know God said go in and destroy those people , don't leave anyone standing .
Speaker 1That can be very difficult to grasp , can't it ?
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 1Because we've been given the Ten Commandments and all of a sudden we've got this stuff in Genesis , in Exodus sorry that we're looking at in Exodus , chapter 20 . You've got all this stuff and then suddenly you're seeing Joshua and Caleb and the warriors going in there taking the cattle out , taking everything that breathes has been wiped out . So how do we handle that ? One as a believer ? Because when you read these cities and these places that were taken , no one was left standing . Look at Jericho . Look at Rayab . Rayab , done a deal with the two spies . We want to live , we will do anything . She lied to the king's men . She lied every way through . She got herself into a safe place , um , and everything that went on with her . But that city , jericho , was going to fall and no one came out there alive . But this is the god of love .
Speaker 1Yeah , the same with ai in it ai took ai and one after the other , so that that book in josh .
Speaker 2But God is love . God wouldn't .
Speaker 1God wouldn't .
Speaker 2The only way you put a caveat on that really is that these were cultures that were so anti God they had gone so far away from that they were sacrificing their own children to other gods .
Speaker 1Yeah , so you have to look into the depth of that to understand that . You have to look into the depth of that to understand that .
Speaker 2You have to look into the root of that and God says he's given them countless opportunities to turn away from that and they haven't . So he couldn't have his chosen people mixing in that area with those , because all that would happen and we know , and we saw what would happen is that they eventually turned to their gods didn't they ?
Speaker 1That's right , yeah .
Speaker 2Even the Solomon turned .
Speaker 1Yeah , there comes a point when we all turn to our other gods . Yeah , blue water lakeside credit cards .
Speaker 2TVs . In the case of Solomon , he had 700 wives , didn't he ? And thousands of concubines , so you can see where his mind was going .
Speaker 1Oh yeah , you can see what led him along . So when you look at murder , murder is all the way through the Bible , isn't it All ?
Speaker 2the way through the Bible , cain and Abel .
Speaker 1Right at the start . Right at the start , yeah , right at the start . There's fighting . At the start there's wars , rumours of wars , there's family feuds , one family member killing another family member . So this is not because , when you look at that word murder and God please be with those that have done that and we're not going into that , we're not judging anyone whatsoever , because the Bible says very clearly that we're all an adulterous generation and , through the scripture that we are reading out , the anger of a person is as bad as the physical act of taking a life . But then you look at wars . You've got these men and you've got these women that are out in war and we all know what happens in war and everything like that .
Speaker 1So , there's another area .
Speaker 2There's another aspect to it isn't there .
Speaker 1When you look at all this stuff and you look at the Ten Commandments , everyone on the earth , whether you're on the front line in the military or whether you've had an accidental situation that has just caused or whatever has happened , murder has many different meanings , doesn't it ? Through the thoughts , through the act self-defense .
Speaker 2What's murder In law ? It's the unlawful killing of another person . Homicidal murder it's the unlawful killing of another person . In the UK we have two layers . You have the deliberate murder , so the intentional murder is murder , and then we have something called manslaughter , which is the unintentional thing , where maybe someone has a fight , hits a guy once he falls to the floor , cracks his head on a curb and he dies .
Speaker 1So that's manslaughter .
Speaker 2In the States it's call murder one , murder two . So we've got all that going on . So you know you have to say that .
Speaker 1And there are some religions out there and certain areas of religion where you murder and what I would actually call sacrifice . Do you think that you are sacrificing to your God when you have sacrificed and you have done that because you think that you are honouring a foreign God ? So you find that in religion and I will say religion and I will say other faith , whatever way you look at that .
Speaker 2Whatever way you look at it , I was reading an article the other day that the Aztecs would literally you know on some they believe that by murdering and taking people's hearts out , Exactly they delayed the end of the earth . So 80,000 people would be killed on a stone in one day . Yeah , you're exactly right .
But in wars , modern day wars and whatever , I guess people say it's a lawful killing , don't they ? But there's so much stuff , there's so much stuff that goes on .
Speaker 1It's like even when you look at certain governments around the world , the way that they murder people through literally not feeding them and watering them . They have blood on their hands .
Speaker 1So , it's not so much to do with bullets and weaponry . You can take someone's life by restraining and controlling them through starvation and you're living in palaces and you're living . So murder it doesn't have to be by literal thing , it covers the whole thing . So when you open up the the can of the word , you can see this , that you can see it right . And then and then you , you look at moses . He scribbled this stuff down . But what was the first thing that we find out that he done ? He got caught in a scrap and he took someone's life and he's writing this down on the tablet . He must have like thought hang on don't give me this one a minute .
Speaker 2It's a real big one . It's a real tough one , joshua , and Caleb David .
Speaker 1What about David ? David had a bit of an eye for a certain young woman in a rock tub on the top of the other roof . And what did he do ? He gave a note to her husband and went roof . And what did he do ? He gave a note to her husband and went . He killed him . He didn't draw the knife on him , but he planned it in his head .
Speaker 2He gave the order .
Speaker 1So when you look at all this stuff and you look at religion and you look at just society , it's not some . David gave a letter over the letter didn't take the man out , it was a . So when you look at murder , it's .
Speaker 2The human nature is just wicked isn't it ?
Speaker 1It's crazy .
Speaker 2Right down to the bottom . I mean I've been watching a little bit . I like Westerns , you know , on the TV and the bloodshed that was caused by , you know , killing the Indians in North .
Speaker 1America .
Speaker 2That old American society was built on bloodshed . Most of the Western world , most societies , have been built or established on blood , on bloodshed .
Speaker 1On blood . Yeah , You've just got to look at Jesus . What did religion , what did the Jewish leaders want to do ? They murdered the king of the .
Speaker 2Jews . Well , they got him out of the way . Yeah , they murdered him .
Speaker 1Jesus was killed .
Speaker 2They thought , that was it yeah .
Speaker 1And they actually say that in the scriptures . We want to erase this Jesus .
Speaker 2But so there we have murder . That's what we all understand murder to be the crucifixion . But Jesus says you know , even calling your brother a fool , and he goes on to say , doesn't he ? He goes on to say that you know , why are you having a go at your brother who's got a speck in his eye , when you've got a plank in your own eye , Do you know ? So I think we should . You know , it's a retrospective thing by where we look at ourselves , don't we .
Speaker 1It always comes back to self In relation to these to the commandments .
Speaker 1It's a subject that is a very . It's enormous , and I think that you could talk about this , you could speak about this . When you look at it , as soon as you mention that word , you think of an act of violence . But there are other ways that this comes into through speech , through control , through manipulation , through many other ways , many other ways . So this is an enormous subject whatsoever , but when you come to the scripture and you look at what the high priest , the high priests , murdered , I know what the scripture says very clearly , that Jesus said it is finished . Yes , he was in control of that , but the crucifixion is what Is the most brutalist death on planet earth and christ , christ , went to the cross . They whipped him , they beat him .
Speaker 1Now we're not talking just about the roman soldiers . We're not talking about the world . We are talking about what we known , what we know as the jewish leaders . We are looking at what we see the , the synagogue rulers . We're talking about all this authority , the authorities . They stood for the authority and the authorities thought that they took the life of Jesus , but they didn't realize that he was in full charge of his own death . But they wanted . They said look at Judas , look at that man there . What will it cost ? What will it cost us to give you that we will see him erased ? So this is to me , this is the biggest area of almost murdering . In full blatant law , we have a right to take this man to the cross .
Speaker 2Yeah , they did it through their legal system .
Speaker 1So the legal system , you look across the legal system across the world , it's very different across the world , isn't it ?
Speaker 2Oh yeah .
Speaker 1Very , very different . Then you bring it into religion and that's what we got here religion- so they believed that they couldn't sneak up and kill Jesus .
Speaker 2They wanted to make a big spectacle of it , they wanted to make it out . So they did it through the legal rights , they did it through the Roman law . They did it .
Speaker 1Yeah , but what they didn't realise is that it was written in Genesis . They didn't realise that what they were doing was written by the word of God and they were only doing what was written . So this word is absolutely enormous and you think how can you bring it to a completion ? You can't , because even through , you might be at church , you might be living a real fruitful life , you might be just in ministry . You might be living a real fruitful life , you might be just in ministry . You might not have no intentions of fighting or or anything whatsoever . You might never have been caught in scraps anything in your life , but you can be brought to this this verse , verse 13 purely by your attitude well , it's something I ask , you know , sometimes when I start a talk wherever I'm going , I ask three questions .
Speaker 2And has anyone ever lied ? I'll say has anyone ever stole , has anyone ever murdered ? You see , so they put their hands up to the first two . But when you say murder , no . But then you go even calling your brother a fool , you're in danger . Have you ever hated anyone in your life ? Have you ever hated anybody in your life ? And the majority of us out there have hated someone at some point in our lives , and so that's akin to murder , and so we've all fallen short of this one particular thing .
Speaker 1All fallen short .
Speaker 2The bar is so high that we can't make it by ourselves , ben . So we can't make it by ourselves . Look what he goes on to say , and just a few words . He really ammers it up , doesn't he ? He says , therefore , if you bring your gift to the altar and there , remember that your brother has something against you . Leave your gift there before the altar and go away . First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift .
Speaker 2So how many people out there have got long term arguments and problems with people in their family they never talk to them or friends that have fallen by the wayside they've never talked to them . He says agree with your adversary quickly . While you're on your way with him , let your adversary deliver you to the judge and the judge will hand you over to the officer and you will be thrown into prison . And surely I say to you , you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny . He's given us a warning that if we , if we don't , if we don't sort out things , you know life is , you hear it all know , life is too short for all this . Life is too short , you know , for all this . It's so short .
Speaker 1I think most of us have got people that you know , maybe we don't talk to , or whatever . Don't like , don't talk to . We've got family grievances .
Speaker 2Family's a big thing , isn't it ?
Speaker 1We've had a massive argument in the family , we've slammed the door , we've closed the door in that face , but that is more damaging than we really realise . So attitude and heart condition is critical to a believer when you really look at it . Look , look , I've got a scripture here in romans , romans chapter 13 . It's a bit of a read , but it's romans 13 , verse 8 , and it says let no debt remain outstanding , except the continuation debt of love . Love one another , so important isn't it ? And then it goes on and says for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law . So love is really important . So love , god is love . Uh , god is hope and forgiveness , and everything is wrapped up in this word , love .
Speaker 1And it says the commandments in verse 9 of romans , chapter 13 . The commandments you shall not commit adultery , you know , you shall not murder , you shall not steal and you shall not commit adultery , you shall not murder , you shall not steal and you shall not cover and whoever . The other commandments there may be are summed up in this one commandment Love your neighbor as yourself . Love does no harm to your neighbor . Therefore , love is the fulfillment of the law . So if I am an aggressive person , if I am a person that does not love my neighbor . I have broke everything without getting out of bed in the morning .
Speaker 2Totally , and it's exactly what we said right at the beginning . The first four commandments are about your relationship with Jesus and about your relationship through the heavenly Father , through Jesus . The next six are love your neighbour as yourself . So you know before you go out of bed in the morning you're in trouble .
Speaker 1You're in trouble . So it has nothing to do with the physical adultery , it has nothing to do with the physical stealing , it has nothing to do with the physical murder . It is all done and acted within one's heart .
Speaker 2Yeah , it starts . That's where it starts .
Speaker 1It starts in the heart , so it starts , and it's finished and it's done , we understand that the physical act , obviously . But when it's finished and it's done , we understand that the that the physical act , obviously . But when you look at this scripture , it says if you do not love your neighbor as yourself , yeah , you are in serious trouble breaking every one of them . So where ? Where do I so right ? I'm an angry person . I'm a frustrated person . I'm full of pride , arrogance , I've broken everything . So where do I go ?
Speaker 2I go to the cross you have to go it all comes back to the cross . You have every one of us . It has to come back there and what it says there , do it quickly . Do it quickly , don't let it fester . No , because you let them things fester , believe me , you know I'm saying this and I've probably got all blizzard things festering around inside of me that you have to bring . We have to bring it , ben . Every day we're going to do a podcast on the little foxes at some stage , but these things destroy your peace , yeah yeah , yeah , and family is the worst .
Speaker 2I've got something going on right at the moment with my family on a couple of levels and if you let them fester… it becomes a drive and an anger and a pride area where I'm not backing down .
Speaker 1I'm right , you're wrong , but what does the Bible say ?
Speaker 2Out of the heart , of the mouth speak , so you know when you're in that situation , before you know where you are , you're rattling off and you've fired bullets . You've lost your witness .
Speaker 1What sort of Christian guy are you and there's no act of love .
Speaker 2There's no act of love no .
Speaker 1And then when you look , so how do I deal with
this ? The one that was murdered at the cross of Calvary , his life , how did he deal with it ? He said , father , forgive them , for they know no what they do .
Speaker 2So there's our example , jesus . We can't do this by ourselves . You know , we say this all the time . We cannot do this , but in the flesh , the flesh would love you to rock up , you know , and throw , have a fight throw a few chairs around , yeah yeah .
Speaker 1You know , you know , and throw a few chairs around . Yeah , yeah , you know anger and fighting . You know , even if someone isn't taken out physically , it is bad , as because it it's within , it's the aggression of the person , it's aggressive attitude .
Speaker 1So it starts from within . So how many people have not committed all this stuff ? As the the scripture says , I haven't stolen , I haven't committed adultery , I haven't murdered , but I'm an angry man , I'm an unforgiving man , so you've just busted , you've busted everything . I go to church , though , but you're not at the cross . There's a difference between going to a building and going to the cross . I don't need a church to go to the cross . The church is not the place that I have to go . I have to go to Jesus Christ . I have to be found at the cross of Calvary .
Speaker 2And there's the deal , ben . We're coming out of two years of being locked down . We're in a situation where the world is I don't know where it's going . It's worshipping the creation , not the creator . We're in a real bad situation . So there's a lot of anger out there . There's anger .
Speaker 1You see it on the road , don't you ? A lot of anger , road rage , that's right .
Speaker 2A lot of people even driving down here today on the M25 , you see them cutting in , cutting out , especially them in the white vans . Oh yeah , with Jesus on the M25 , you know , you see them cutting in , cutting out , especially them in the white vans .
Speaker 1Oh yeah , with Jesus on the side of it .
Speaker 2On the side of it . Yeah , but you know what I'm saying ? Exactly , yeah , so there's a lot of anger on the motorways . Yeah , because people haven't got the anchor of Jesus Christ , people haven't got the hope .
Speaker 1And why is that ? Because the Ten Commandments have been erased from where Education They've been erased from education , they've been erased from everything .
Speaker 2So you know , there's no preaching on conscience , there's no preaching on sin . Do you know this murder is you know ?
Speaker 1It's opened the door to a massive conversation , that straight away you read that and you think , well , I'm not a murderer , I've never taken no one's life . But actually the attitude of the heart is the weapon , is the most dangerous weapon , and then that is manifested through my speech and the power of the tongue and the way I deal with it . When you look at the prophets of old , even you look at um elijah . Elijah wiped out elijah prayed for rain . It rained , then he wiped out 450 people . He he killed them , but he prayed for a miracle . So you have to really look at this word , murder .
Speaker 2And there is you know , and so we've got God's law .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2And then you put it into the government that we live in the law that we . So there is lawful stuff . I mean , you know , in the police , when I was on a unit , you know I was often carrying a gun and you know , in the police , when I was on a unit , you know I was often carrying a gun and you know , thank the Lord , never used it but I would have used it and I would have you know if I was in that situation , I would have killed someone to stop them doing an unlawful act .
Speaker 2So there's lawful stuff and then . So that lawful thing is very clear when it's like that .
Speaker 1But then it slips into , but then it bounces back to you , though , doesn't it ? Then the law is erased from that , though , isn't it ? It's that if a police officer was to pull the trigger , it's them . That's coming under the you come under scrutiny .
Speaker 2Yeah , because is it a good shoot , Is it a lawful shoot or are you just firing ?
Speaker 1You're just firing .
Speaker 2But then that lawful killing drops into something that's really really got a grip on the world in certain parts of the world and it's called abortion Ben . Yeah .
Speaker 1Oh , that's an enormous .
Speaker 2So it's an enormous place . That is , you know , the unlawful killing of a child in a womb .
Speaker 1Yeah , when you look at that , the gift of life , the gift of life , from that point , that miracle point , that miracle point , that baby growing , oh gosh , even when you look . Oh yeah , it's even painful to talk about it , isn't it ? When you think about what the Bible says .
Speaker 2But here we understand , you know , you imagine if some young girl or whatever , is unfortunate to be gang raped , and then she's shot there's a child coming . There's horrendous deformities they've pulled out . You can understand from certain standpoints . You know the actual… .
Speaker 1Look at Herod . Look at Herod . When you look at that , we're going to wipe out every child . When you think of that , murder , physical murder , is all the way through the Bible .
Speaker 2So it's through the Bible . But it comes back , ben , to if we're leading a godly life , if we're obeying these ten commandments . So , rather than and again , rather than deal with the symptom , which would be the baby from , let's deal with the root , which is education , which is talking about . You know , if people out there listened and read and adhered to what the Bible said , then there'd be no sex before marriage , would there ? No , and so any babies who are born would be born into a loving biblical family and a biblical relationship .
Speaker 2And you know , if you suddenly ban abortions , which some states have done in the United States , well , you're just going to drive it underground , aren't you ?
Speaker 1Everything you drive it underground , it doesn't just because the law said no , it happens greater under the table and then it becomes a dangerous , really dangerous , really dangerous .
Speaker 2It's an enormous subject . It's an enormous subject . I mean you have the most sympathy with women out there that have been put into making horrendous choices . You know , and God loves them God loves them .
Speaker 1But when you look at that word murder and everyone you know , people will absolutely cringe at this podcast . People are literally going to go like you're out of order . I'm a godly person , but it's not the physical act that we're looking at , it is the attitude of the mind .
Speaker 1And beyond the attitude of the mind . It is where is your heart ? Where is your heart , you know ? Look , look at David . I've got to mention David again . He was in the field . He murdered bear and lion . Fair enough , he was anointed by that great prophet , that great , holy man . He went back to the field . Then he went and he slayed Goliath murder . He was chosen to be king . He was an adulterous man , he was a warrior , he was a fighter , he was God's man , he was the leader of the king of israel , but while he was the king , he gave a letter . He gave a letter so that the act wasn't done with david's physical strength or a knife . The act was done with his heart with his heart .
Speaker 2yeah , yeah with his heart . And you know I that's really important , it's massively important .
Speaker 1People will put themselves in well , I haven't got a knife , I haven't got a gun , I haven't done anything but what's in your heart . It comes down to what is in your heart .
Speaker 2See , and Jesus said in them few short words , even calling your brother a fool you're in danger .
Speaker 1Just by your language and your expression Language is very powerful .
Speaker 2There is one person in the Bible who God called a fool . Right , god called a fool , and that was a rich man . Because he said , didn't he ? He said , look , look , I'm so wealthy in his heart . He said , I'm so wealthy , I'm going to build bigger barns . And god said to you , fool , donut , yeah , you fool , tonight your life's going to be taken . So so you got you right . Ben , this hard thing we can't get away from it . You can , can't move from it .
Speaker 1You cannot get away from it . You might be a person that lives morally perfectly . The children are being brought up right . You might have this , you might have that , you might not even . You're pushing peace . You're doing all this on the outside , but your heart is rotten .
Speaker 2It's not outward , it's what's in , it's what's in , it's what's in , but so what will happen is eventually the fruits of that will come out , we'll come out , and we'll see it , you'll see it .
Speaker 1But when you look at the bible and you look at that word murder you , you go from the very beginning , when adam and eve had their children . Murder was in the family .
Speaker 2So right from the kick point , right to the end of of revelation , you've got bloodshed all the way through it's the most first blood thirstiest book on earth yeah , people say it's a blood , bloody religion and it's a bloody religion blood had to be spilt for life to begin , for life to begin , and , and , and . In those days before christ , oh , blood had to be spilt for the forgiveness of sins , didn't it ? But you know , one sacrifice once and for all .
Speaker 1When you look at Christianity , isn't it funny that the church in the UK makes it all fluffly and clouds and scones and cups of tea , when actually you really… . More tea , vicar , more tea , vicar , nice slice of cake .
Speaker 1Yes , please Thank you . More tea , vicar . More tea , vicar . Nice slice of cake yes , please Thank you . But when you look at Christianity , when you look at Christianity , it is the most bloodthirstiest religion . I don't even like it .
When you look at the Bible , right from the garden , from Genesis , it talks about Adam and Eve gave birth to their sons and jealousy came in . Fear , came in territorial position , came in . Listen , ben , it's a heart .
Speaker 2It's a heart thing , but religion has got a lot to answer for , hasn't it ? It has , because you know there's been those battles in most countries between Catholics and Protestants where they've been murdered , martyred , killed in the name of religion . So when you look at that… which is… .
Speaker 1Yeah , I'm justified doing what I'm doing , because I'm doing it in the holy way . I'm doing it because I'm right .
Speaker 2Burn them at the stake , you know , because you're a heretic . Well , I believe in Jesus .
Speaker 1I believe in Jesus .
Speaker 2But you don't believe in our Jesus .
Speaker 1Burn them , burn them . So when you look at generations , no wonder he says you adulterous and murderous generation .
Speaker 2Because that's the heart in it , because it's the heart you can't get away from .
Speaker 1The fact is what you are in that no one can see , and what I love in simon mentioned that I do talk about the earth suit . Now the reason I speak about that is because if you were to look in genesis , this makes me laugh . It says god made them a suit of skin , right ? So it's all within . It's all within the parameters . This , it's all within my skin . So you can't get away from the fact that if I am not loving , I am an adulterous generation , I'm a thief , I'm a murderer , I'm everything . Because I am not loving , I've broken the law .
Speaker 2Paul puts it , doesn't he in Corinthians 13 .
Speaker 1Who's he ?
Speaker 2Does the ?
Speaker 1church . Talk about him , paul . What did he do ? What ? Good was he , what did he ?
Speaker 2write . He's in my Bible .
Speaker 1Oh yeah , sorry I've got man's Bible .
Speaker 2But he said , don't he , you can do all this stuff , but without love you're like a clanking cymbal empty .
Speaker 1It's meaningless . It's meaningless . Love is the greatest thing Because Ben , you know .
Speaker 2Come back to that , jeremiah 17 , 9, . Depravity which is , you know , the heart is more deceitful than all else , is desperately sick . Who can understand it ? You can't understand the heart can you ?
Speaker 1So it's fallen from the garden and that's what we have to understand is that we have fallen from the taking of the tree .
Speaker 2These Ten Commandments are God's . They ain't resolutions . No no . These are commandments , these are commandments , these are commandments not .
Speaker 1Can you possibly , could you give it a little go , because he loved this world so much .
Speaker 2Not only did he give us Jesus , but he gave us these commandments . And when you look at them and we've gone into them and if you sort of start to bring them into play and go look at into play and go look at your heart and go hang on a minute , what did Billy ?
Speaker 1Graham say I broke all of them . I broke all of them . But when you look at Billy Graham , I would say one of the greatest God's anointed preachers that brought a message for that particular generation and that was fitting and that was right and he was happy to stand up there and go . I busted them all . He's never drawn a knife , he never pulled a gun . But the attitude of the mind and the heart he says I can't keep these in the flesh , he said , and there's no one .
Speaker 2He talked to thousands . He said no one here could keep these in the flesh .
Speaker 1It's impossible because of the heart , because possible because of the heart , because of your heart , it comes all the way back through . Then it strips everybody else away from you , it strips all the weaponry , it strips everything away and it leaves you in a room with you and the cross and jesus going . I can see your heart , I can see your heart . Your heart , lip service . You haven't physically hit anybody , you haven't , you haven't had an accident in a vehicle , but your heart is as more dangerous than a gun .
Speaker 2So then , maybe you're a bang on mate , so maybe there'll be people listening to this who are living a faith or trying to understand the Bible in their heads , but the deal is , let that just drop , I don't know 12 or so inches to your heart , goodness gracious , and the number one commandment is love the Lord , your God , with all your heart , your mind , your soul . Then love with all your heart .
Speaker 1If you're not , if you've not started there , if you haven't got that , then you haven't got relationship with Jesus have you no , and then I think , as Simon was saying , you've got to look at when the potter's house , you know the master working the clay . We're clay in the master's hands and he has to be brutal with that clay . He has to shape that and it can take hours , it can take weeks , it can take years .
Speaker 1It can take years Ben Of this stuff , this anger festering inside this unforgiving heart of mine , Time and time again , you've got to hand them .
Speaker 2That's why Paul says , doesn't he ? I think it's Corinthians , isn't it ? I don't know where ? He says take every thought captive .
Speaker 1Oh , that scripture alone . Take every thought . Now , what thoughts are they ? The thoughts that break the Ten Commandments ? Yeah , Take every thought captive , nail it to the cross of Calvary , give it to Jesus Christ .
Speaker 2Give it to Jesus . Yeah , take them so . And that's not just a . I'm telling you out there , ben , that's not just a one-time deal , that is you've got to do that . If you've got something , do that . If you've got something in your life that's coming at you , you've got to do that every minute of every day until you get victory . It's the cross , it's the cross you've got to bring it to the cross , bring it to the foot of the cross , bring it to the cross , bring it to Christ Jesus take this away from me take this away from me that scriptures .
Speaker 2That's why we got the scriptures .
Speaker 1We're out of here , we're 55 minutes in whoa . That's like it's a math , it's a word , isn't it ? That word murder , you think ? Well , it don't apply to me , um , but it's not the physical , because that word opens up the envelope of the spiritual , the language , the attitude , the pride , the arrogance , the way that I , the way that I treat people . It's a big word .
Speaker 2I mean , as we come to a close , you've said it , and all of these commandments deal with the heart , and when we go somewhere to get that right , then all our outward actions will be right . Yeah , that's right .
Speaker 1Seek ye first the kingdom of God , wherever you are . You know it's a big subject , a very difficult word to tackle . It honestly really is . I'm literally thrown on this one because it's you almost . Remove yourself from that one and go . Nah , not me .
Speaker 2When actually .
Speaker 1It is you .
Speaker 2It is me , me , you're right up to your neck in it . You're up to your neck in all of it and something next week , ben , where you're going to be over your neck in it .
Speaker 1I don't know . Praise Jesus , I'm on holiday next week .
Speaker 2I was going to say you're going to be with us next week . No , I'm away next week . You can deal with that on your own we're talking about adultery .
Speaker 1Yeah , you're talking about done stuff on the telly , stuff on Coronation Street .
Speaker 2We'll get into it next week , but again , you're all broke .
Speaker 1It's where your heart is , where your heart is God bless you can find us on Buzzsprout , spotify , iheartradio
.
Speaker 1You can find us . This was live on Twitter , wasn't it live on Twitter today ? Grab the book , you can grab the book , you know . Grab that book . Hashtag Christian Straight Talk it . You know , grab that book . Hashtag christian straight talk . It is floating around the table somewhere here . Um , you can grab that on amazon . And um , we really would urge you to follow jesus , follow jesus . But , yeah , please , grab the book . Hashtag christian straight talk . Find that on amazon , have a look , you can find it on kindle as well . And , uh , it can be delivered to your door by that beautiful , smiling , you know , happy person that drops all those parcels in our door , santa claus . Oh , yeah , I'm sorry , I mean amazon . Yeah , sorry , yeah , I'm not santa claus . Anyway , god bless , have a great day wherever you are . And just , it's all to do with the heart condition . Yeah , you know , god is with you wherever you are . Never give up . Keep pushing and pushing , and pushing . God's love is with us and he loves every one of us , and the power of redemption is beyond everything . God bless , god bless you .