Hello and welcome to our podcast here at Elim church. You're joining myself, Reverend Benjamin Leonard Cooper and Leya for this afternoon wherever you may be in the world. We just pray that God is with you. And we are about to dive into the Old Testament. And we are looking at Ruth. Ruth Ruth not only for the roof of the house, Ruth
Leya:if you come across one roof, roof, but if you come from Northern Ireland, it's root,
Reverend Ben Cooper:root,
Leya:right? If you come from New North Yorkshire is rocks.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And if you come from all parts black Good afternoon,
Leya:hello.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Oh, good. We're all good. Yeah, we're all good. What's the timeline? It's quarter.
Leya:Busy coming up to Christmas in it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It's busy. It's busy. Isn't it interesting. The time that we sit biblically how the church Christianity spirituality is being attacked prime areas. lockdown a crypto when there's no room at the end. Yeah, lockdown started on Easter. Wow. Yeah,
Leya:I don't think it's any coincidence. I think we are. And I know that a lot of people people who are Christians feel like they're being attacked anyway at the moment. So it's heavy. It's really some weird stuff going
Reverend Ben Cooper:on some weird stuff going on. But biblical. There's like a lead ceiling sometimes feels like a let's say that you're waiting for the sunshine to pop through. Yeah, everything feels so heavy. Everything's heavy.
Leya:Everything feels so like, I've gotten so caught up I done something wrong. What is not receiving some sort of punishment?
Reverend Ben Cooper:No, it is biblically. How do we put this? We are living in the end. So spiritually, things get harsher. But because we haven't been prepared by the church quote, it's taken us by serious surprise. Yeah. So I've stayed have been shown and how and taught how to live in crisis time. We've been bouncing up and down for a long time. So when the snake in the garden is coming, TV can watch a match. This is great. Suddenly, bang,
Leya:my 50 P and and a bit more than 50. But now that I put my feet up and the tabs play everywhere, I'll be fine. And for every case, I've bought my place in heaven. That's not what it's all about
Reverend Ben Cooper:the church have been caught on the backfoot. Well,
Leya:I'm happy that we've come across this subject in a weird way because that is what Ruth is about. I feel you feel feel that the story
Reverend Ben Cooper:of courage. Yeah, boldness. Integrity. Ruth book is only four chapters. It's really short.
Leya:Very short, really, really short. But what I've found is that it the story of Ruth and the story of Naomi, who is a companion throughout it. Yeah. Everything at the beginning of the book of Ruth is wrong for them. Everything
Reverend Ben Cooper:Everything was wrong.
Leya:Everything is wrong for the beginning. I mean, even before, like no one or thought of it was because they are Yeah, the they are the consequences, their bloodline consequences, lots children's incestuous relationship much differently. So you had two strands of the family went off. Yeah, you had the mobile apps. And you had the Oh, Israelites.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Love that. The Israelites.
Leya:Yeah. So the Yeah, Israelites, they went off and they were okay. Well, they weren't okay. You know, things happened. Yeah, later. So we're not talking about them. Now. We're talking about the mobile apps. So they had it pretty bad. The maps they added pretty badly. And Ruth is a mobile app.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah.
Leya:And she married Naomi's son, whose name means sickly, did you know that? Yeah, well, gosh, you know that a little bit because you're the pastor don't know. The master pass. And I don't know if you heard that song by Stevie Wonder. No, Master pastor
Reverend Ben Cooper:never heard of that. Master pastor. You got to try out on
Leya:the master pastor. No. Yes, you have master bouncer. We'll be doing it to the break. Yes, good master class. Master pastor may be prising God to the song. Anyway. Anyway, so I love a bit of a dog rush. So, Ruth Yeah, she was a Moab man. She was married to sickly this summer. sickly otherwise we'll name was but it meant sickly. And and the other one was like puny. There was two brothers simply in q&a that's what their names actually meant. Yeah. And Naomi her name men happiness?
Reverend Ben Cooper:I think so
Leya:yeah. So she was all happy she was all good. And she had her sons and showed her husband and then they were involved in the wars there. Yeah, we're in but they were part of the battles that we saw in judgments about Deborah. Yeah. And Ruth and Naomi and Ruth, so I know his other daughter in law can't remember how she's inconsequential or whatever. She, they lost in the war, they lost their husbands and their sons. So Naomi lost her sons. And Ruth lost her husband. Okay, so they had nothing left. They were completely like, so literally Naomi's going. What is going on here, gentlemen, my son, as First of all, is my son has married this, Moab Moab who is the result of this disgusting relationship that happened and all the shame is on our family as a result of all the shame is on our people. And then my husband has also been killed as part of that war as well. Yeah. So she decides jerawat I know that revelation is happening back in my hometown of Bethlehem. I'm going to go back to Bethlehem.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm going back.
Leya:I'm going back already.
Reverend Ben Cooper:back.
Leya:I'm going back to life. Yeah, I'm back to reality.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah,
Leya:yeah. So what's the musical session today, you know, is free songs that have done so far. That's what Dana Sam does. Anyway. And so they just she decides I'm going to leave, I'm going to go to Bethlehem. So they get to a fork in the road. Is her interest in it gets to a fork in the road decisions. Exactly. So her proof and the other daughter in law is inconsequential. I'm just going to call her inconsequential, baby, baby and mention Mildred the inconsequential young male good. So roof No, me and Mildred, they get talking right? Yeah. And now I may their mother in law says good chap. I'm off to Bethlehem have you know I need to go back to my web
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, go back so
Leya:you need to go and find yourself other husbands consider if your life
Reverend Ben Cooper:controller
Leya:says don't don't let me go
Reverend Ben Cooper:I will stay with you your people and more people will land is my land your God is my God. Come on Jesus. I know
Leya:the whole line for me is like amazing piece of scripture in the whole thing. Yeah, dude. It's like don't forsake me that made me go that reject me My God to be your God where you go I'll go your land to be my land your people when you die I die
Reverend Ben Cooper:everything she's
Leya:pushing around her throat saying don't lady Please don't leave me Please
Reverend Ben Cooper:don't late Marie interest in the am that the folk spiritual as well as the practical that Mildred said
Leya:I'll go back tomorrow and I'll come back I'm going back to my with my with kin. And Ruth goes along with Naomi and yes. Now may has taught Ruth all about God. So she's taught me all about her God. Yeah. Who's anchored to Donna? yoga? I think he's yoga always Mm hmm.
Reverend Ben Cooper:God
Leya:people oh god can I get hi Can I get an amen so over Yeah, yes, sir. That might be a little tangent man. So yeah, she's like she says this awesome thing to know me she says and it's in roof 116 17 in treat me not to leave you. Or to return from following you. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So chapter 116.
Leya:Yeah, for where you go, I will go and where you live? I will live Yeah, your people are my people. Your code is my god where you die. I will die and then I'm going to be buried. The Lord told me so.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes,
Leya:and Morrow so if all but death partly for me, so I've got that wrong. Then on the Lord do so to me. And more also if all but death Part D and may Yeah. Why? Okay. So she said, God kill me. If I leave you. Hmm. Because that's I'm going to be waiting forever. Yeah. So I go to Bethlehem together. little town of Bethlehem. Have you heard of it? It's
Reverend Ben Cooper:Stafford just passed off. Yeah, I passed. Yeah,
Leya:just just past the eighth
Reverend Ben Cooper:chakra right over Yeah.
Leya:I don't know if you know about that, but yeah, three pups. If we
Reverend Ben Cooper:walk there's a star in the sky. Now.
Leya:Let's move on
Reverend Ben Cooper:why watch this Sox at night? We are getting ready Christmas say sorry Come on.
Leya:So they go along to Bethlehem and when I get there everyone goes wow no it comes Naomi. She's coming back again and she's back. She's bought at the door and everybody says what a nice door she is because she's followed all this way. Well, good girl she is. And here's Naomi Did you know Nam is his name means happiness. And she said Don't call me now. Yeah, talk to toe you call me happiness called me bitterness from now on. Because God has given me short shrift is given me a really hard time. And I am bitter and twisted in me that
Reverend Ben Cooper:don't talk to me
Leya:that went away in it. I've had it bad. And I'm not happy. The only good thing I've got in my life is Oh, hang on a minute. Hang on mid sentence. Mid sentence. Oh, I've got something good in my life. I've got roof. roof. Yeah, I've got roof and I've got God. Yeah, that's right. And those are the things that's
Reverend Ben Cooper:most important thing.
Leya:That's what it's bought me. Yeah. So very nice. She obviously they've got nothing. They're poor. And Ruth says I'm gonna go and work in the
Reverend Ben Cooper:fields cleaning, field cleaning and cleaning in the field.
Leya:Claiming in the fields, I can think of the songs to sing to
Reverend Ben Cooper:say Nah,
Leya:she got played in in the fields and she walks from field to field to field because she's looking specifically for a gentleman by the name of Bowers boy. Yeah, boy, boy. Ah, Mr. T. Apparently he is. I doubt he is a real dude. Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:he got notoriety. He's got a little bit of folding this. Okay. He was extra going on. He drove a truck. He was
Leya:like, yeah, that was massive. It was a farmer. Yeah, one of those massive like tractors where the wheels are in size of house.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. I'd say no. I mean, he was a Tonka. He was a Tonka toy, man. He had money. Yeah, yeah. The law.
Leya:Oh, as that's what I call him.
Reverend Ben Cooper:He was good. So it's not big, bad. Big bearish. He's a good man. He's a good man. So she
Leya:goes along and she starts cleaning in the fields. She hasn't he hasn't seen it yet. And he turns around, he tends to come to the field to say to his workers have I got
Reverend Ben Cooper:to show that well being exactly how for that sort of stuff. Fill in your email.
Leya:Know what happens in some workplaces today. Again, a Bible showing us a good
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. To be a good line manager.
Leya:So true. I mean, I've got that in my life. Sorry, Poland. About his he goes on and checks on their welfare, but he also brings a bit of faith into it again. God bless you. Exactly. And then he is mid sentence. He goes Oh,
Reverend Ben Cooper:truck
Leya:is that I got a nice Ruth. She's claiming she's just come from Moab. Don't look at her. And he goes, Oh, okay. Tree. Okay. Okay. She's not doing the best job here. She's not doing the best job. She's She's going around the edges of the fields. Just she's picking up. She's not picking up the good stuff. She's picking up the stuff that even the seagulls that go down after that. Yeah. Thanks. spat out. Yeah. So he said, Now I'll tell you what, drop a few when when she goes along when she goes down and find all the stuff that they didn't know come find offices. They had those like plows and oxen, and all that for our purposes we're going to say combine off so yeah, so it says go beyond that combine harvester and drop a few shades of really good quality color. Good stuff for her. Yeah, just get out And don't you dare make her feel guilty or bad about the fact
Reverend Ben Cooper:that she's a girl when she picks it up.
Leya:Don't I mean, it's good to the poor people anyway,
Reverend Ben Cooper:as we see good
Leya:workers, it's good to the poor people let some blame but he does say let's get the Yeah, she wants about a
Reverend Ben Cooper:Garrett Garrett. Good. She's a good girl.
Leya:So he just treats her really nicely. And then the next day she goes home sorry, at night, she goes down to Naomi and Naomi says Oh, check out all this good corn from this is amazing. You can go out
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's john lewis. john lewis. That's why chose that's why charge in it. Yeah. Why choice? Yeah, do it right.
Leya:Other supermarkets are available just doesn't make money. Okay? So she says, Oh, I was working in this guy's fields. Yeah, his name is Boaz. And no missus Hang on a minute. Oh man is one of our kinsmen a smart King's memory is the king's Matt King kinsmen with a man not kings, man. That's okay. Oh, man,
Reverend Ben Cooper:that man
Leya:is my kinsman redeemer. And just so you know, roof obviously, no one knows knew what that was. But just people who don't know what that is. It means that if you're Could you explain it? Gosh, was
Reverend Ben Cooper:that the guy? She's kin.
Leya:So if someone from your family dies, somebody else can marry that woman. Well claim there for as long as my children long. Yes. And then they can say you're that first child will be your with your previous husband book that they'll they'll get everything.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. Basically. Redeemer thanks redeeming. It's complicated. By Yeah, exactly. complicated. Saudis I got a lot and I know some keeping it like, okay, like
Leya:trying to think about it in soap terms. So, right, you've got fillers.You've got Phil, and you've got grant Mitchell. I say, Phil hadn't had his nasty child Ben. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Not you know, yeah. Got Ben grind,
Leya:but Phil died. grandkids mammy Sharon. Yeah. And then have a child with her and everything feels exactly. Simple. That was putting it into a stitch.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, for sure. Anyway, right.
Leya:There we go. That Hear that? She's got those anyway. So basically, then the next day when she when she goes out to go and do a walk to the field, there's power standing outside the door, and he's that
Reverend Ben Cooper:goes best on walks with a bit of straw.
Leya:Yeah, yeah, that's exactly. He walks wherever he prepares and that he lets her have lunch with the work people. Yeah, he treats her not like a pauper. But like a somebody that is deserving and, and honored.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Because that's the whole point. When you talk about if that's Christ, isn't it? Your Christ did not ostracize. Mm hmm. So Boaz when you look at the bow as is a is a man with power with authority kind heart good heart looking after community looking after people seeing seeing seen on the highways and the byways in in the gutter of life. Let's look after the poor
Leya:let's look after the poor let's.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Let's be a good person. Let's bring them up to our table. I like her. She's
Leya:bad. I think it's just because obviously she's got to work in the fields. She's coming. She's gonna be nice.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. Got the minds show.
Leya:Gonna be looking like she's on Grey's Chatfield.
Reverend Ben Cooper:You know, I mean, no, no, put it in a Wi Fi so she couldn't have got the picture down.
Leya:I think God so what Wi Fi back then he's Wi Fi
Reverend Ben Cooper:is what God is Wi Fi. I love that Omni prism. Yeah. Only the change to Jesus WiFi.
Leya:She didn't use Google Maps to get to his field choose Gabriel maps was Gabriel was up that guy. That guy that got his field. Anyway, Baba is walks up to work every morning and treats her really nicely and all is good. And then the end of harvest comes. And now um, he says, You know, I think it's time I've tried to sort of set you up. I'm not gonna put you on any blind date program on the telly. I'm gonna try and set you up with bows, because I don't know if you realize but he's your kinsman. Oh, no. So she says I tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm going to make sure that you get yourself a nice bath. yeah, she's so nice perfume, anoint yourself with oils. Yeah. And then, and this is the practice for the Redeemer kinsman redeemer situation. At night. It's gonna be a big party, because it's the end of harvest. And they're going to do like threshing and all that kind of thing. They got fresh out, fresh out. Yeah. At the end of that workout where we sleep in and then go and lay down next to him and just uncover his fate and pull his bank over a year and then say, redeem me. And that is what happens. And then it leaves them for a little while because he says to you while I go to speak to her for kinsman. See what happens. See what they say and then we'll get back to Yeah, and They do they end up getting married? Exactly. Yeah, he redeems her. He redeems her entire story. He redeems her entire historical storyline. Now what you don't know is that the line that they come for, you know it, obviously, but people at home, he just gave me that look. And people may not realize that that line, the line of roof and boas is the land that Jesus comes from Jesus. Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:yes. Yeah. When you think about how beautiful Jesus knows about this is so powerful. This story is so good is practical
Leya:rituals and stuff as
Reverend Ben Cooper:well, which is a force reliving Swanley,
Leya:metaphor, metaphor. Yeah, it's full of metaphors, which I really like and similes. The kinsman redeemer. Yeah. Well, I did. This is a theory that I really liked about it. Okay. Right. Now, yeah, I may represents the Holy Spirit. Hmm. Ruth is the church. Boaz is Jesus. Oh,
Reverend Ben Cooper:yeah. Good. Good.
Leya:Yeah. Okay. So when Boaz, Boaz redeems the church when he gets married to it. And the Holy Spirit fills the church when Naomi teaches Ruth about God,
Reverend Ben Cooper:Revelation, rapture, come back for the bride. And it when you look at it, you know, without going too deep, you know, keep it on.
Leya:Oh, I love that we have a little bit of proper detail, but we have
Reverend Ben Cooper:stuff here. Yeah, Kings, man, he's redeemed. He's redeemed and who's redeemed us? Christ
Leya:Jesus,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you know, come out to the season, the cart to the season. It is the reason for this is the reason for the season. You know, we have been redeemed. Yeah.
Leya:And that's what we're talking about the upstart or this was that people keep saying what are them wrong? What is it often? What is that? How big were no misses. Now call me happiness anymore. Either. Call me bitterness? Because I'm so angry about me stripped me of my entire life. Yeah, yeah. But this story teaches us that she must have known because she suddenly goes away on a minute, hang on. All of these choices, all of these things that have happened to me not choices, not choices. But all of the circumstances that have occurred to now me and roof have led them to a position where roof picks that particular field, in that particular town at that particular time, and then meets the one person that can redeem her entire family line, and don't give birth to Jesus. His name, it sounds silly, but I do love him. So I have to say it's a you know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:the power of redemption. It's, it's so powerful, that we are redeemed, that we are covered in God's plan. And God, God is just so gracious and so powerful, that his plan is perfect for us as Ruth and Naomi and Boaz and that whole story comes together. You know, sometimes we have to go through stuff, stuff gets stripped away, stuff happens, things happen to us. You know, we go What is going on? What is all this about? But there's a bigger plan? What's that
Leya:bit in the Bible that says, For I know the plans.
Reverend Ben Cooper:For another pastor view, Jeremiah 29, verse 11, fruit to 13 is very important. You mentioned 13, because it says, find other plans will have for you, declares the Lord plans not to harm you, but to give you a future when you call and pray to me. So really important. It's really important that it says when you and you come with all your heart or your heart, you know, the Pentecostal church, evangelical movement, or bounce the drum of Jeremiah 29, verse 11, for another plans, our view declares the Lord, they don't they don't finish the rest of the text off when you follow me and call me with all your heart. Yeah, that's when the plans This is for another plans. I have for a Yeah, yeah. Next year, man. Yeah,
Leya:that's what that's why that thing. That's right. That's why that thing that roof says to no, man, that's why I wanted to read it specifically, is because that is her giving her heart to the Holy Spirit as an army would be the Holy Spirit. Yeah. With everything that she's got. Do not she says entreat me not to leave you. Tell me I don't want to leave. You can't. And that's the way that I feel about God. I can't. Yeah. And that is the pure love that we're talking about, isn't it? Yeah. Maha.
Reverend Ben Cooper:He says, won't leave you as orphans or send the comfort of the Holy Spirit. He said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I'll be with you to the very end of this age. God won't Rahman say nothing can separate us from the love of God. Yeah, he's in Christ Jesus. Yeah. Which Nothing can separate us.
Leya:So if you see this as a metaphor for This story is a metaphor, metaphor method. Oh, then yeah, that that it's it's again what we've said about the Bible before being cyclical and everything going in cycles. Yeah, and those messages repeating themselves. It's only as I'm speaking to you now that I'm going, Oh, we
Reverend Ben Cooper:all come together you can say kinda. The word is so powerful. Yes. Barrett moves for God's word are these, these biblical facts, historical facts that the poetic staff that the wars the everything is just so perfectly flawless from Genesis to Revelation that seamlessly just flows through and you can see Christ in it from from Genesis all the way through to revelations, you know, see the Holy Spirit as he got all over it. It's just every it's just so powerful. He kinsman redeemer, Christ is our Redeemer. He's redeemed us. Yeah. redeemed us. were redeemed. They say it makes a lot small dinner
Leya:today in the same way that Boaz redeems roof
Reverend Ben Cooper:of his toe everything. Yeah. redemption, power. redemption, power is so powerful, to have redemption
Leya:and to be able to forgive be
Reverend Ben Cooper:brought back redeemed pull back. The price has been paid, you are redeemed you are. But some he can't go through trouble take to understand what redemption is. Yeah, you can't. You can't just you can't to have a cup more life. You don't understand what it's like to go. You got a you got to go through stuff to realize the power of His glorious grace. And then we go, why God did happen. Why? You see God's power, His grace and His mercy. He see The goodness of God, the power of the Holy Spirit. His plans are not I but Scripture says His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts out where we're all we think that way when understand what but
Leya:although we can see Boaz has been parallel to Jesus in this
Reverend Ben Cooper:type of Christ. Yeah,
Leya:he is also just just a dude. It's just a dude with a tractor, which, in my mind that says that empowers people, to also be redeemers. So yeah, how lovely is it to forgive? Forgive, how hard is it to forgive someone? But our job
Reverend Ben Cooper:is to
Leya:be able to be the person to say, you know what, I'll take care of this.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah,
Leya:I'll take care of this. And also,
Reverend Ben Cooper:I forgive you for what you forget. Forgiveness is powerful. Yeah, forgiveness is key to peace, real forgiveness. Yeah, we're not. We're not talking about lip service. Just Just to let the friends hear it. We're talking about what Only Christ knows. You know, it's forgiveness is powerful. Forgiveness opens the door to joy, to freedom to peace, to understanding you redeemed you, you've done your freedom, freedom, but when you don't forgive when someone doesn't forgive, you're bound. You're bound and you're you eats away at you. It eats away. He
Leya:doesn't forgive. Yeah, there's a hatred just eats about everybody.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes. So, so deadly. People hope I've got my hope. Yes.
Leya:My hope is found. Forgiveness gives people hope. And I think that's what happens in in NES. Because when, when Naomi is saying that don't, don't call me happiness. And then she goes, Oh, hang on a minute. That's saying, hang on a minute. I'm gonna not only am I gonna forgive myself, but I'm gonna forgive. Yeah. not forgive God. But I'm going to take a second look at this and realize what I've got. And one of the things that are we not was that that brief? Bow now me talk. Now me to see the hand of God in all things, whether they are tragedies or possibilities. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, I mean, and
Reverend Ben Cooper:so, you know, we got Naomi and we got
Leya:Yeah, that's a hard thing to do.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. So that they're on their way. They're on their way to Tibet free in my little town. We got an idea of Oh, no. No Bethlehem roof. Chapter one. Verse 19. It says, but when Naomi reached which name is pleasant, Naomi's mean night night at night. omy name. That's a mouthful. And niomi which, which name means pleasant? Yeah. I heard heard that. She said Don't call me that. She told them call me Ma. Which means bitterness. Yeah,
Leya:exactly.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Call me Ma. Yeah.
Leya:Call me call me. bitterness.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Call me up.
Leya:I mean, how, how much if you got to hate your life
Reverend Ben Cooper:each year why he
Leya:changed my entire nine?
Reverend Ben Cooper:She said because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. And when I fall away, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Yeah. Oh god. So she's not
Leya:everything has been taken away from her. She is she's never gonna have any more children.
Reverend Ben Cooper:There were two. Why call me Naomi. She said the Lord has afflicted me. Oh, my Oh my Lord.
Leya:I know a lot of people that feel that way. Yeah, I feel that way in this day
Reverend Ben Cooper:to one verse 20 or 21 that
Leya:their name should be ma ma,
Reverend Ben Cooper:ma, ma
Leya:ma. Then it should be bitterness. And I know when I say to them, what we were saying last week with Mary magdelena. Mary Magdalene. Yeah, layman, layman, layman. To the load when you're feeling all that hatred, give it back to him. Tell him ask him for help.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, you can't be bitter. You can't be angry. You got to not bring it to your door. You know when you when you you gotta think right I'm gonna make this a spiritual influence. This is the way the world is at the moment we are in very powerful spiritual times. The enemy is trying to do everything he can spiritually to where he manatee down. What grid members the enemy is spirit, we are flesh and blood. And if we are not charged supercharged with the Holy Ghost will feel weary. And you know, we will feel weary, we will press down the old enemy don't wake up in the morning, God just kind of a quick little our time and I'm going to clock in at nine and finish at five today. He is on the pedal.
Leya:All the things that happened to Naomi and Ruth were things that God had his hand in, because he he did all those things to them so that he get them to a place. Yeah, where the bloodline can be set up for Jesus. Sure,
Reverend Ben Cooper:there is a reason for the season, we have to understand things are upon us and things are around us the circle of life that just the way life is and whatever the situation is, we have to embrace the situation, and pray our way through the situation and not allow bitterness and anger. Why God why God, why me? Why us what's going on? So
Leya:that kind of anger and that kind of bitterness that comes from when you're let down by somebody you love. Yeah. And the thing is, you still would love God, not you, but whoever it is, anyway. They still love God. They just think that God doesn't love them.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Love them. All she does
Leya:is there's just been a situation where it's gone. I know my plans for you. And my ways are higher than your ways. So trust me,
Reverend Ben Cooper:this is not the road I would have chosen. The Garden of guess 70 Yeah. The prayer in the garden. Not more will your will be done. Yeah. Strength and that's what we got preferred strength, its top strength for me in the valley of strength for me in the Garden of Gethsemane, a strength for me so I can continue the journey. I can continue the journey.
Leya:I would imagine that what Satan would do in that situation where somebody swears somebody loves God, and they feel that God is letting him down. That's where Satan finds his foot out. Yeah, I think that's where he tries to fill that gap. That's what that's where the hatred and the anger comes from.
Reverend Ben Cooper:don't give a damn Ah, yeah, don't get don't get in that room. Once you give Satan that room. Yeah, he will take that and he will manipulate that it will stretch that and do so much with that.
Leya:But it blinds the blinds now. I mean to everything. I'm sorry, I'm I am going through my notes here. So I thought yeah, no, it blinds now. me. Yes. So she says I've been bought home empty. But that's not true because she bought home. Yeah. Ruth and Ruth. Her name means friendship. So she has bought home friendship, friendship. Not only friendship, but but love to love about their relationship is it is an example of how two women can offer that kind of love, friendship sisterly love to each other. maternal love but you're here. Yeah, yeah. And the the guidance that Naomi gives her the teaching that she gives her the fact that she teaches her to be patient and kind and go on a journey together.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So journey. Joe went on a little walk today.
Leya:I told you I told you a mile from the car to where you imagine walking from wit from Moab to Byfuglien. Everything was done on
Reverend Ben Cooper:foot, whatever, you
Leya:know, when I got to the car, happy to drink my feet. Can you imagine the pair of them to women walking along and they wouldn't have had an Ikea couch. They did. They would have had little bits of leather on their feet are worn out.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, Tommy tracks.
Leya:told it. Java stories as I went so Naomi would tell the stories of the Bible was they win yeah along so they they talk in the hallway and therefore stuff thing I like about Ruth as well one of her greatest qualities is that spirit of I am not going to change. I am going to stick to you I am loyal to you. And once I've made a decision I'm sticking to that decision Yeah, and once I'm gonna say that I'm going to come with you no major coming I'm coming with you sit I don't tell me go Don't tell me tell me before I change my Yeah, before I have to leave you before I have to leave you my friend. My mother in law mother in law's you don't usually greatest friends of your mother in law? I'm gonna lie. That's an older les Dawson let me know. In Yes, all kinds of literature, etc. The mother in law is never the greatest friend on Earth. But I think that this proves a stereotype that doesn't work because
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, actually, actually, when you look at this story, it's the mother in law and among that become close.
Leya:become such great friends. Yeah. Bought together through the journey together. The adversity of everything being stripped away from them. Yeah. And they love is pure. They don't ask anything of each other other than Please let me be with you.
Reverend Ben Cooper:What a beautiful thing to ask though. Yeah, just let me move a bit. Let's just journey together. Yeah, that's it. Let's just experience life together. Let's just walk together. Let's just be together. Let's just let's just do this together.
Leya:At first now is like both go back to my lab. Yeah. And then at the end, she's like, my daughter changes. Let me try and help you. Yeah, get a relationship with powers. Yeah. And and God's love in a way that a mom would as well. And she says so put on your on your she says, Raman put on your Raman she says which is actually a lot that noise that you made. It was always I don't know what it was but liked it. Which is like a wedding dress. Yeah, so that is that would pay? Yeah, the bride getting married to church. So we're going out north. I love it. But she makes that guy from all these really weird things. So
Reverend Ben Cooper:but oh god purpose. Yeah.
Leya:Clean and wash yourself. Repent. wash yourself.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, think about this
Leya:wash yourself. Go repent.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. Do you announce
Leya:perfume? I heard somebody said oh, I did a bit of research and this person said that's because we are God's fragrance. I don't know what your opinion is.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm not sure about anoint yourself
Leya:in
Reverend Ben Cooper:holy oil on my shelf in oil. Yeah, Holy Spirit
Leya:and then put the perfume on too because we are God's fragrance. And then put on you put on your marks. Put on your red dress baby. And then go and see ours.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Is it a kebab shop?
Leya:You love the Bab shop. Slam. And so she says that when she says to go and change your clothes, that's like saying I'm making a massive change to myself. I make new beginning new beginnings. Yeah, I like that change of clothes. And then she goes and speaks to the other guys come ask him. Please can you can you be my
Reverend Ben Cooper:my kin
Leya:Will you be my boyfriend she says and she listens to him. He gives her he she seeks his counsel and he's
Reverend Ben Cooper:very spiritual. Doesn't
Leya:want to talk about easy doesn't take advantage over it doesn't go and then they add babies. There is no slow fade, no fade and romantic music is no take my breath away by burnin playing
Reverend Ben Cooper:Oh no, you
Leya:have a conversation. Then they get married. Any chance to get in your tractor? We're gonna sell you know brand new covadonga stuff. So yeah, I just I'm I'd never heard this story before. And I was
Reverend Ben Cooper:cracking in it.
Leya:I really enjoyed it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So short but so powerful. So short for chapters, I believe. Chapter bang straight in there. Yes, right done. And then apparently this one they says so much.
Leya:They read it a part of this part at the end of harvest at the end of harvest every year. In Judaism. They read this story Yeah. In Bethlehem, and when they do, everybody in the congregation boos and hisses and always because There's so in wrapped in this story, because it's like the whole they say that it's like the book of Judges. This is the book of Judges. Yeah. And it's got all these stories in it that are massive. So it's kind of hard for the human mind to comprehend because the subject is so huge. So then it goes like let's do a little microscope in Yeah, on a little microcosm, family that's living within these times. And that's what the book of Ruth is, essentially, it's going in on that family. But it just so happens to be one of the most important fleshly families is talking about redemption in human
Reverend Ben Cooper:history. Yeah, it's talking about redemption redeemed. Yeah, man who doesn't need to pay back what Christ has done to us redeemed brought back. So so powerful for chapters, but speak. So
Leya:people say to me is, you know, it's really hard. It's really hard to you know, people keep talking about redemption. And people keep talking about turning back and people keep talking about asking for forgiveness, and people are saying, it's easy. And it's not nobody saying is easy. It's not easy, but it's not up to us to question it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Now, what we need to do is seek God in the valley. In the low times, oh, yeah. Seeking when when you're hearing stuff you don't hear when you're seeing stuff you don't see. You got to press in, you got to press in and you got to seek Him. You got to look for it. And you gotta just just trust him or walk with him even that it's like, even when it's all quiet. Yeah, he's just keep walking. Yeah, he's quiet. Yeah,
Leya:I did.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I just keep walking. Just keep walking. Just keep going. Okay, just keep going journey.
Leya:And it's okay to feel that sense of bitterness. And it's okay to feel
Reverend Ben Cooper:emotion
Leya:exactly like Naomi does, it's okay to say, I've had it with God. God, what are you doing wrong, but then to remember the things that God is doing? He's working in our life,
Reverend Ben Cooper:to shape him to mold
Leya:is part of something that has to bring,
Reverend Ben Cooper:because he's always bringing his glory out. Yes, always to glorify Him.
Leya:But I think some people get to that stage of God, and then they just turn their backs you because
Reverend Ben Cooper:the problem with the westernized church is because it preaches a different Gospel to what we what we read, I'm afraid to say,
Leya:some beautiful, beautiful people.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And beautiful believers.
Leya:So read the Word of God. No, no. Yeah. And then, and then I will get to that point and there but no, I'm at the end of my tether.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm at the car. Yeah, but you've got a press. If you press right, both press on. Keep walking. You're on a journey. Things will be stripped away. You won't like but keep walking. Yeah. Yeah, but there is victory. There's victory through pain. You keep walking through pain. Yeah. suffering. You keep walking. You never give up. You keep walking. You keep going. you're pressing. Because victory will come through. Yeah, glory will come for God's Christ.
Leya:And only we're sitting in this room saying, Oh, yeah, you can do it. But neither of us have had great times. No, you know, I mean, we're not sitting here as clean slates. We're not sitting here as white pieces of paper. Charts. I don't want to say white blank pieces of paper. Thank you. Yeah. I am. Hashtag Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:hashtag.
Leya:I do believe that's important. I'm not being I just want to say I'm not being jokey or whatever about that. I do believe it's important. Yeah, we're not blank pieces of paper. We we are people that have had things etched on us as well. A lot. Yeah, a lot. Sometimes some of us are gone for it. Now.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Some pay for it. Now. Go for a real hard Valley. Back are a long pilgrimage. Yeah.
Leya:But what I feel like we do in those circumstances. Certainly what I've done is I've gone right okay, I need to be closer to God at this time. Because he is my
Reverend Ben Cooper:Redeemer. Yeah,
Leya:but he's also my comfort, comfort ease.
Reverend Ben Cooper:He redeemed me he sent me free He's my my healer. He's my peace. He's my joy. He's the word he's the beginning is the end. He's everything.
Leya:So there's this advert, right where I think it's for soap and someone drinks stay with me. Stay with me. Come on. Someone goes oh, I had a terrible walk home and my hair's gone crazy and the weather's weathers the bus has gone past. A splash me Yeah. My glasses are on sideways and gone. My skirt same my trousers and I've had the worst journey home. It's the middle of winter. I'm going to have a cup of soup. Not a cup of soup but a cup of soup because our souls are made up. Yeah. And when they Have that cup of soup two huge gray arms, cuddle them.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Oh,
Leya:that is what I feel like God is when I'm at that was broken.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I exhausted all in the kerfuffle
Leya:as well. That's the way I feel. I feel like when I when I lean into him, like, and I don't know, that doesn't always make me feel better now. None of that at least it gives me some sense of religious spiritual.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, yeah your spirit. Yeah gets fed first.
Leya:Sometimes it makes me cry My eyes are saying yeah other times. It makes me go okay I can get through this day. I'm Tom. I can keep walking through this day. Keep walking because I've got that as well. I've got that out in me.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I keep walking. Yeah, I keep walking. Psalm 23. Even I walk through the valley of the shadow of darkness. I will fear no evil. Yeah, why don't you stop there with me? Yeah. Come on, Lord. Keep me walking off. Keep walking. Keep walking for
Leya:what are you doing it? Wrong? I feel like maybe we're just a bit of a dark podcast. And I didn't mean it to be because it's actually our stories of romance. Ah, yeah. A fear. Like a lot of people have been approaching me recently saying that they're feeling that way that they're feeling like Naomi.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And because the reality of it is, is there is a lot of heaviness. There's a lot of spiritual darkness over
Leya:a national pandemic at the end of the day, and I mean, the world. The world is shot. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I got that McDonald's, right when I go for that.
Leya:You've seen the queues? Sometimes. Sometimes I wish it wasn't open. And it was just open for me.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, man, that will drive me back on.
Leya:Yeah. Oh, they just deliver by drone. Oh, man. What's gonna happen? God is gonna invent that now. Yeah, come I will say that God's gonna invent a lot when he already invented it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. If origin, Israelite manna from heaven. Big Mac, Big Mac God
Leya:has already invented everything. Yeah. And he's just waiting for us to pick up on it. Do you think that?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, he
Leya:says I'll be
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm not sure if I'll go in the garden night and see burgers rain from heaven. No, but it's raining. raining burgers
Leya:science. Surely science is like discovering things that God has already shown us.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. A coke. Yeah.
Leya:So. So therefore technology has got to be the same. Therefore we are just now I'm putting this out on this doghouse. Okay, I'm copyright in this idea. Because I know that photos from heaven. Yeah. Thanks for man. It's gonna happen show
Reverend Ben Cooper:choir Polka.
Leya:I've got a high cholesterol. I don't need to go on a walk with no me and roof
Reverend Ben Cooper:that journey?
Leya:Because I've got high cholesterol.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes, yes. But you know, it's, we serve a glorious God, the God of all God of creation, God of heaven enough. You know, and these these great, biblical stories that we pull out, we have a little chocolate around, but that date, you know, on the surface, but go a little bit deeper. You know, redemption, redemption redeemed, I say for A New Hope, new beginning.
Leya:I don't want people to think that all I do is sit and think of all you may do together sit and talk about the women in the Bible, because that's not what we're doing. We're
Reverend Ben Cooper:doing a little bit of embroidery but, but we might be on a bit of a series where we're talking about the Bible. It's good though. Yeah, just just looking at the women in the Bible, because women are in Poland. They are very much in Poland.
Leya:And I like the fact that there's different examples. One of the things about Black Lives Matter is that people are looking at positions of power. And saying I don't recognize myself from ethnic diversities. Yeah, I don't recognize myself in that. And I think that a lot of women when they go into the capital C church, your church, women are very much like you are an Eve or or now you ever attempt truss. Or you're a virgin? Jane, you either Eve Yeah, we the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene or Virgin Mary. And I feel like no, there are so many other aspects to women. Yeah, survival. Yeah. And, and, you know, I don't want to say that Black Lives Matter is the same as feminism, but in that I think people need to recognize themselves in the book. Yeah. And maybe they don't. Maybe they see this as a fourth chapter story. I'm not going to go into it that much.
Reverend Ben Cooper:But I think it's important to study women in the Bible because you look at judges you look at you look at Debra way, hang on a minute. Don't want to take up
Leya:the other day. She's got a sword in her hands. Yes, there's some you know, hot, powerful stuff. Come on Look at that.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I think spiritual yes important to study.
Leya:But what's the sword word?
Reverend Ben Cooper:The word is powerful. Women in the Bible are really interesting to study and to look at because you learn so much from him.
Leya:Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you learn so much from him.
Leya:Yeah. And I think if you just smacked her over the top of it you don't realize that
Reverend Ben Cooper:realize you've got to spend time on it you could spend hours and days and mums just studying all these characters got Do you know Mary, you know roof Deborah you know so all this Naomi spend hours and go back again Leia?
Leya:Did you know that but you know that? I can't say did you know that? Yeah. That
Reverend Ben Cooper:you know that you know even like i don't i don't i mentioned his chairs a bell or tell you or
Leya:I wouldn't mind looking into jazz a bell? Because I don't know. I don't want to look as an example. Just a bell spirit. Oh my god. Ha.
Reverend Ben Cooper:She's a bad cat. She's bad in the bad cat. She's bad. That's that's Yeah, that's that's a big thing. Just about spirit.
Leya:Well, that's the thing cuz that's a good that's an APR proportion. If they didn't have badly ladies and the Bible. Yeah. Then they wouldn't they? Because they've got body men. They got body men and they should have good men good even. Yeah. Both an example. tatsiana Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And even looking at most Sarah. Sarah, what we're looking at that we're done at that next time. Even if you look at Moses, his sister, Moses. Yeah, no words. Moses
Leya:didn't even know. Moses, atta sister. Ah, Rosie, was it roses and Moses.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Paul Rush's line was. Look, I know that Pharaoh's daughter will say that Pharaoh's daughter look at Pharaoh's daughter that brought Moses up and I thought that was my sister. Well, you ever look at it? I won't go no further. You go have a look. So Moses, his mother. Yeah, maybe we won't. We'll stop. We'll stop because we'll just go on keep
Leya:90 members of my family and all I knew about was Moses. This is why I think this is
Reverend Ben Cooper:very, very powerful on the old timber in
Leya:wash a very nice shirt. So next week, we're gonna do Moses is Moses is Moses family. My winters. Just look at them.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, just look at that. Yeah,
Leya:yeah. Okay, Christy.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It's great. It's good stuff. When
Leya:you look, we've done an hour
Reverend Ben Cooper:away. Yeah, we have. Yeah. When you look at the women in the Bible, it's very powerful. Yeah, really, really powerful. You know, it's, it's so powerful for women the way God used them, you know, and we thank God for the Word of God. It's so powerful. It's life changing. You know, it's, it's awesome. The Word of God.
Leya:I meant to just before we wrap it up, I meant to correct myself on in that women were allowed to be because in the 90s Oh, they weren't allowed to be bishops. And two years ago, or in the Church of England, because we had a woman is the head of the Church of England, obviously, quite a. Yeah, Queenie McQueen face. Yeah. But they weren't meant to be bishops that match to to vote. So that's why I feel like this is a an important thing to do, because there are representations of women of power and faith, who are self sufficient in ways I mean, Ruth fed her and Naomi, with the help of ours, but she went out and she earned that food. That's right. You know, and Mary Magdalene, of the of her own back, she went and followed Jesus. Yes. You know, she didn't have to she could have gone He saved me. sila. She didn't. What she did was said, Well, I'm I'm because you've done it to me. I'm going to make a choice now. That's right. Yeah. And and Eve was the mother of all people on earth.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes. You know,
Leya:and, and all the all of the instincts that humanity have the caring and all that motherly maternal instincts that women everybody has. But love that people have. That goes down through the mother and the father. come from her course. Yeah. And Adam Yeah. Hey, Eddie, as I like to call him, Eddie, Eddie na,
Reverend Ben Cooper:yeah, howdy an F. Yeah.
Leya:So
Reverend Ben Cooper:yeah,
Leya:just wanted to correct that there. And also to say I feel like us doing this is representing people in a good way. So
Reverend Ben Cooper:it really is it really is important. I do honestly believe all my hearts important to study the women of the Bible. We get this so much always talking about the men and the fishermen and all that. But you know, it's important to look at the women because the women are fantastic role models for the young women of the world today. Yeah, absolutely. Fantastic. You know, Miriam. Miriam, I think was the oldest, the oldest sister of Moses. Actually
Leya:not the one that we left at the
Reverend Ben Cooper:red with white does more. She was beaten the tambourine dance and up and down, when she see the Pharaoh and always I won't go into that we're finished.
Leya:I thought that was the name of the sister in law that we left that mirrored Naomi and Ruth left.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Marissa,
Leya:what did we call her? We gave her name, ma. No,
Reverend Ben Cooper:no. What are you talking about?
Leya:Today? When we were talking? We said there was a sister in law to Ruth. Yeah. And they left her and she went back to Moab. Ya know, and we called our city name, and I was
Reverend Ben Cooper:I can't remember I'm lost. I'm Oh, pull it out. One day put in. So last but yeah, Miriam
Leya:mines. Mines mines. You enjoy the most 75? Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, Miriam Yoda, sister of Moses, you know, very interesting. There's another woman we should look at very great musician. Who did the tree Marina. She loved the timber arena.
Leya:That's what I call your good lady wife. Yes. tambor. Tambor, Ella
Reverend Ben Cooper:tambourine she loves a tambourine. Miriam. She danced it's really really powerful stuff to
Leya:have ribbons on it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I wasn't there.
Leya:Because people seem to think that anybody that loves Jesus when they play tambourine so ribbons on
Reverend Ben Cooper:it, I wish there were more stars and that What are you talking about?
Leya:That is more of a Morris dancing thing. And we're not pagan. Thanks. No,
Reverend Ben Cooper:no, Bible believing believers spirit filled, blessed and if I would come on up come on. I gotta get free to drive for drive. Is there is there a drive thru kebab shop?
Leya:No, because what is what did you call that thing burgers? That drying burgers mouse man forever manna from heaven
Reverend Ben Cooper:because that's what that's what I said God fed the Israelites right
Leya:so do you want a burger thing to a kebab?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Right rain Let it rain on my side the flyover Man does not live by kebab alone but by every word of God come on Jesus has got a sense of humor let's let's let's just say thank you so much for joining us this afternoon you know we have a good chat in our skip around the Word of God I'm just going a little bit deep on the fringe everything happens here in all the bells and the whistles there is no software that will edit or anything from this this is just raw stuff. You've heard the chairs squeak Eva, the rules and the loft does and the size and the Christ liar thank you so much for joining us you listen to myself. Yeah, of course myself me it's me and myself and
Leya:myself and and also have some all the way through this one.
Reverend Ben Cooper:You did? Start to pick him up. start to realize thank you for joining us here alien church. Please share everything we say everything we do comments. We really would appreciate any comments. We love you so much. Stay safe. And remember the reason for the season is Jesus,
Leya:baby Jesus. I love you so much. Thank you so much for giving us technology have been able to do this. I enjoy every pair of ears that sitting there listening to it and every part that it's up to you. Amen.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Amen. Hallelujah. God bless. Stay safe. Stay in the world standard, the blood of Jesus, and we will catch you very very soon. God bless