Hello and welcome. Thank you for joining us here in Elim church in swanley you're listening to Simon Pinchbeck and myself Reverend Ben Cooper as we are gathering around the mics and as we're gonna have another great commerce a great conversation you are going to say that about you been big each other up to the top of the Golden scarf level
Simon Pinchbeck:it's great to be here Ben and thank you coffees great coffees good biscuits were good.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Not quite as not yet but biscuits have been robbed. Can you believe this is so typical? Yeah, we got the water pipe was frozen. And we got no no low buckets of water.
Simon Pinchbeck:This is what we reached we praying about that.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Moment. Our hands on the pipes Come on, hold on phrase the pipes in the name of Jesus or someone as Nick the copper.
Simon Pinchbeck:But that's more like
Reverend Ben Cooper:in the loft. strip the locked out of all the copper.
Simon Pinchbeck:This is Swanley, isn't it? Hey, come on,
Reverend Ben Cooper:come on wake up. Well, I was just what we got to die for.
Simon Pinchbeck:We might talk a bit about we've been talking and we talk a lot about encouragement and we talk about about but but what about comfort, and how do we give comfort? And what's it look like as a Christian? And we'll kick off with one scripture which really it's the comfort Come on it, Mark and it's two Corinthians one, three and four. And it says this it says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, who comforts us all in our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those that are any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's very spiritual.
Simon Pinchbeck:It is Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's very spiritual comfort. But the church gives us comfort by got a nice chair. nice cup of coffee. lights are on. Yeah, comfort. So there's two types of comfort. Come into the church and you'll be comfortable we got nice carpet. We got nice chairs. We got a nice soft music putting in a trauma songs. Lovely croissants. cakes will make you comfortable. Yeah. materially. Yeah. So there's two sides to this isn't the comfort of all this is nice and cozy is warm. The lights are on. It's all good. I'm warm. But don't do nothing to sweat. It has nothing to the spirit. So there's a there's a there's a heavy question hanging over us on this one. We got comfort in materialism. But our spiritual life can be agitated because we're not comfortable. Because we're not having things addressed internally.
Simon Pinchbeck:That's true. And you know something then, as men, ya know. And we're doing the power area men in faith and our faith. as men, we like to fix everything that we
Reverend Ben Cooper:love to fix everything.
Simon Pinchbeck:We like to be able to say. Yeah, but if you do this who do that that
Reverend Ben Cooper:we can do this?
Simon Pinchbeck:But sometimes, yeah. Do you think sometimes comfort is simply just listening and saying you're sorry about the situation? Most definitely.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. Because that brings peace doesn't it? So if we look at the word comfort wrapped up in that word, it's peace. When you get peace, you've got comfort. When you haven't got comfort, you haven't got peace, you've got agitations and you've got fears. So if we don't deal with the stuff that's within me and deal with the the root stuff, because the root stuff of the worldly stuff is bringing me discomfort. It really brings me discomfort because it's not spiritual. It has no eternal value. It has no implication of of me in eternity where I'm going to go heaven or hell, but I'm comfortable on the outside. We've got chairs we've got lights we've got Yeah, we've got all the material trappings of comfort Haven't we are fleshes is comfortable we look after ourselves, well, we got lights heating, hot water, you know, all that sort of stuff. We're comfortable on the outside but there are and it's the same with church we've got all the material trappings, but there's no spiritual tendering and nurturing because there's a lot of discomfort. in church, spiritually
Simon Pinchbeck:spiritual is a lot of people have thought We'll try to talk about it. People have got a lot of discomfort. But if you if you look, I mean, this is a scripture that I think is overlooked. I think it's Yeah, not many people, you, you know, you'd say if you said, Can you find comfort in the Bible, they wouldn't mentally lead you to the Scripture. But if you look at it, it says, we have to give people comfort, as we ourselves are given comfort by by the Lord. Yeah. So if we, you know, the Lord tells us very clearly, that come to me with all your troubles come to come to me, come come to me come to Jesus. Yeah. So if we're in that situation, where you know, we are in a bit of agitation, or whatever, we get on our knees in a private closet, and spill it all out, give it all to Jesus, you know, and, and then quite easily say, he says, In Matthew 1128, he says, you know, my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. So he will bear that burden with you. And that's what we got to do to others, we offer that combat to to others. And sometimes it's just a matter of listening. And is a thing if you're if you're married, or partnered, or whatever, something sometimes see, is all about knowing women really, because women don't really want you to fix anything. They want you to listen. Yeah, very true. And it's just a matter of going listening without appearing patronizing. And just because what blogs do so what's the madness without? Well, this is it and then we bought him? Yeah, but but but but yeah, but other than that, oh, man, that eternal?
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm sorry.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's just I'm sorry. I'm so not apologize for you. But just apologizing for her situation. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah.
Simon Pinchbeck:I'm sorry. I'm sorry that that's happened to you. And slim speak giving them comfort?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah.
Simon Pinchbeck:I see this at work. In when I was in, in the States. I see this at work. I was staying with a with a couple and great couple. And we were driving around Fort Worth and Dallas and she was driving the lady was driving lovely lady. And, you know, she gets a blue. She was getting a little bit of road rage people cutting her up and dangerous. I would go to Ghana. Yeah. But russman was just going. Yeah, no, I'm sorry about that. You know, and that's all yeah, that's, you know, he was just given a comfortable manner that works. So well.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes. You know,
Simon Pinchbeck:what do we do in the car? You know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you can't drive What are you doing now? Yeah, so is this two way traffic.
Simon Pinchbeck:And I think sometimes, you know, when we got people in our lives and come to us with with, with problems, we're best not to fix it. Just give them give them comfort, maybe advice if they want it, but but on the first thing up, just listen and say, Oh, sorry, that happened. Just give them comfort. And I think we we have to be discerning
Reverend Ben Cooper:certainly very tricky and discerning. Because when you take on everybody's challenges and heaviness, it can press onto you and then you become agitated yourself because you're trying to fix everybody, when really the fixing starts at home, the fixing starts internally. And if if I can get comfort, if I and the only place I'll find that comfort is for the competent. So I need to find peace and comfort in Christ, I'm not gonna find comfort in in the sofas and I'm not gonna find an edge that's relaxed, that gives you comfort to a degree that is that is nurturing and lifting up making you comfortable bodily form, but not spiritually. So there's two sides of comfort. There's the external stuff that we got materialism, that has no eternal value, but then also there is comfort from the comfort of the Holy Spirit. So if I can find comfort in Christ, then I become a good listener. Now my biggest problem is, um, so trapping is a challenge for me, is a traffic.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's a challenge. But it's something to think about because here's the deal. There's nothing more refreshing to your spirit than having some comfort. you refresh
Reverend Ben Cooper:the Holy Spirit.
Simon Pinchbeck:If you sit there and just patiently listen to someone. I mean, yeah, there's there's discernment in this because you know, you don't want that. You know that. We all have it where we have people that want to dump on us all the time. We count foreign hours. So we have to be discerning. But there's certain people that we know. And then that will include our spouses and our partners, our children. And people, friends, certain friends that we that we know that save a lot of you got a minute.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And you got calls.
Simon Pinchbeck:And they go, what's up? Yo, what's up, like, Oh, this happened, and that happened. And, and just give them a bit of comfort, because there's nothing more refreshing than having someone standing with you.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's right. And listening. Yeah, it's very important to listen, there's a gift, I believe that's a gift. And I need more, more of that gift
Simon Pinchbeck:that is a gift. And it's, it's not only listening, but it's hearing. We can all listen, but do we actually hear what the
Reverend Ben Cooper:second that we do we do we let that sit within us and think about that quietly. It's easy. It's so easy to react, isn't it and just come back. And sometimes people just want that, that person in front of them. But not to say nothing, not to say nothing, just just to be that just that just to be there. And just let them speak and just nod your head and just smile and just and just let them talk
Simon Pinchbeck:and talk and if you have a chat with with the spirit join that and just go opposite, is anything you want to say here. And that silence is discerning, you know, because there's right, this spirit of speak through you on it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. But to get to that place, because we're living in a world that's very noisy and very vocal. The Bible says, Be still and know that I'm God. I find that very difficult. That is probably one of the biggest failings I've got trappings, whatever label you want to put on that. Just to be quiet, even though I'm a chaplain and a chaplain here, you know, I can practice that in that area. But because I speak for preaching and teaching and that, and I'm very loud, generally. It doesn't go well in some situations. Well,
Simon Pinchbeck:I've known you for what couple of hours now. That's the truth. When we first started doing these podcasts out of my mind, he said, I'll listen to that podcast. But that bent don't let you get a word in.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm holding my tongue. We thank God for that.
Simon Pinchbeck:But I've known you, you know, there's so much going on. Yeah, yeah, there's so much you so much. And Brett to sort of
Reverend Ben Cooper:this, this is challenging. It's a challenge is a challenge. Still,
Simon Pinchbeck:but you know, what they you know, the old saying is the cleveo. The cleverest one in the room is the one I don't speak at all, you know, sits there listening and discerning and finding out what's, you know, what, what's the spirit saying?
Reverend Ben Cooper:That all joking aside, that is very serious, isn't it? That's very important for, for believers to be still want to listen. But, but we are living in a world where we're so used to hearing a response from a voice verbally when actually God will speak to you internally. So you're listening from inside, you're listening from the very depth for your spirit, you're listening from your heart, you're not listening for your ears, but to listen internally on waiting on the Lord. He will bring comfort in turmoil.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yes, definitely. I would say as well, you know, we have to be careful what we listen to as well. So So I think there's no arm in if you know someone's is hurt, but we should not be led down the route of gossip. But that's the that's the deal. We don't want to be listening to stuff that's gossiping and pulling down of a ministry several churches that we shouldn't go down.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Anyway for that case, yeah.
Simon Pinchbeck:But yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Pride.
Simon Pinchbeck:You're very humble man. But you've got a lot to be humble about. But you know, I'm saying if someone starts spouting out about these, you know, this person, that person, blah, blah, blah, we I think we the Spirit had so I don't really want to listen to that. And you can put a stop there. But if someone is genuinely hurt about a situation that's
Reverend Ben Cooper:different. Yeah. Because amongst all that, we get jealousy and we get frustration and we get anger and we get all or every everyone's gets to that position somewhere in their life because we are human. At the end of the day, even though some people think they're super spiritual and they're above everybody else, and all It comes a point when you do really have to deal with yourself. Yeah. And I think the only time that we can actually say that we got comfort. We might be crazily busy that you can be busy and frantic and you can be busy and at peace within. Oh, yeah, that's, that's really important. So there's two sides of comfort. Firstly, I've got to see because the Bible says Blessed are the peacemakers. Yeah. That's, that is very, I find that very difficult to find these days, do you? peacemakers there's a lot of snare layers.
Simon Pinchbeck:There's a lot of snare layers. There's a lot of snipers, snipers, snare players normally find the people who are sniping. Yeah. And not the men in the arena. No. Nobody on the outside.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes. Yeah. It's such a try and find peace and comfort. In a world that is firing bullets at each other all day long. It's really difficult, isn't it? Because you can become you can always put a hard shell on Konya. Yeah. Yes. Even though nobody can put this rigid suit on. And that's not coming from Ephesians. No, it's coming from this. This you start hard and it get a hard hearted. And it's very, it's a fine line, isn't there between becoming a peacemaker, as the scripture says, listening and reacting to the opposite? Oh, they said this, they said that and he pried it there's so much there's a fine line of being a believer.
Simon Pinchbeck:I think it comes back to what we've we've said it's about trying to walk in the Spirit. You know, Galatians if we can walk in, walk in, walk in the Spirit, then you become a very wise man on the air, you know, on the outside. Yeah. Yeah. Because you're not reacting. You're not
Reverend Ben Cooper:reacting to the flesh. Yeah, cuz the spirit has no flesh. But we know what the scripture says the Word became flesh. Yeah. But I'm not reacting to my natural reactions,
Simon Pinchbeck:while your natural feelings, reactions, direct feelings.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm reacting to what the Word says.
Simon Pinchbeck:Whatever you feel you're able to overcome that. Yes. Because of the spirit and the spirit is an overcomer. Yeah, but the flesh is so drivel, it wants its satisfaction. Yes. And we're so tempted to, to leap on it. Yeah. to chew say that. Did he say that? They
Reverend Ben Cooper:do that? Did they did is that what I did, and I've just come out of church. Oh, gosh, finding peace, finding peace in the storm, finding comfort in the storm finding. You can see that in the disciples kinda when the storm was raging Christ got a lovely comfy pillow. When I sleep in the boat is in the same boat in the same storm. He fell asleep. They was writing they was crying over the storm. But
Simon Pinchbeck:they had no peace. I heard a story of a man of God who was on a plane that was it was in a bit of trouble. And, you know, they knew he was a vicar or knew he was a clergyman or whatever. And they came up to him and they're gone. And we're going, can you pray for us? Can you pray for us? And he said, Yeah, pray and then he just prayed a prayer of safety for the plane and everything. And then he just relaxed and they said, Why on? He said, I've said the prep. I've handed it over. It's in the Lord's hands now, when we can be when we can reach that get
Reverend Ben Cooper:to that position at that position. So we have a journey in finding comfort, don't we? Yeah, because we haven't got comfort because we are disturbed. Obviously, we haven't got peace because we disturb but to find comfort comes down to what surrender. Now you're talking about something now? Yeah. Surrender. Surrender, surrendering to the Holy Spirit, and letting the computer do the competent. But because we are I'll fix it. Also, our roadmap, we'll get out of this. I'll get us out of this. This is the way we're gonna go.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's very interesting that because I'm going to make this week he posted something and he said, I'm just, I just feel is a gardener. So he was doing some pruning. So he's just filled with some pruning, and they do pray to God in my life at this time. And he said, You know, I'm waiting on the Lord to see not where it is. So I said, You know, I said, Yeah, I said, Look, you know, you'll never be the flesh in the flesh. But we've always said we should con you can't beat the devil in the flesh. I said, you know, we need to be listened to the Spirit of the Lord. And then we act, you know, and and he said, he said this, he said, Yeah, he said, but I want to take some steps on my own and then see.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So say we got a good intention, great intent. We've got a great intention, but I'm just going to help Jesus habit. Yeah, that's the thing I'm gonna want. So I'll start the process. Jesus can finish it.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, that's, that's, that's the attitude. That's the attitude. This is a guy that he's got his own business.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So business driven, business
Simon Pinchbeck:driven. So I'm working with you in control of your needs to be in control of stuff.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. consummate, a fixer
Simon Pinchbeck:can't submit. You have to submit it is it's
Reverend Ben Cooper:quite a frightening word, isn't it? Submit. Submit means simply to hand over to leave everything in the other person's hands, so to speak, and take your foot off the gas and go on with you
Simon Pinchbeck:get your driving seat. Yeah, I've got a, you know, been, I've got this dog, this rock varlet dog, and he submits to me. And he submits to me by lying on his back. pausing exposing is now that is completely and utterly exposing everything. So it's, it's vulnerable. And he's happy to be that way. Because he's putting trust his trust in me. We can't be that way with the Lord, we have
Reverend Ben Cooper:asked me to do that in the previous speaker. You know, we call it it's relaxing when you're most vulnerable.
Simon Pinchbeck:Because when you when you when you when you put when you when you put your life and your feet and your and everything in the hands of the Lord submission, and submit to him completely. It's a very, very hard thing to do for people that some men, especially the self made, you know, and I think I've mentioned before, on this platform was, you know, called good friend. I mean, in Ipswich, a good mate of mine. I was speaking to him this morning on the way down here. And he, he done so well taken on the feast father's for him so well. And he sort of sat back
Reverend Ben Cooper:and I've made it
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah. And the Lord said this to him. He quoted the Lord here with this scripture from john 15. Five. He said, Jesus is divine. So Jesus said, I am the vine. You are grafted into the vine. And the next words him like a hammer. You can do nothing apart from me.
Reverend Ben Cooper:We do so much in the flesh. That way.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, totally.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And we push bright. Okay. I've got problem, Lord. I'll get I'll get so far Jesus. And then I'll let you in.
Simon Pinchbeck:What we want to do is this, we want to go live download. Can you bless that?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Can you bless that? I've just done this. And he said, it's not what are in the wrong direction. You're in the wrong place. But load our fault. Ah, you fault you've done you didn't seek there's a difference a train. See when when I think and I put a thought into action. My thought is of this natural world and it's not of the spirit world. Seeking is different to thinking
Simon Pinchbeck:is an old is an old joke. And how do you make God laugh? Tell him your plans.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes. No, this is what we're doing. We're doing we're doing we're doing we are going to do this Jesus.
Simon Pinchbeck:I've got a good mate of mine. I do some talks with him. Random bakery was at a football league and everybody else and you know him as a copper and a musical. We've come together bofur fantastic story. And he went out to I think Tanzania and he's a bricklayer he went out and he was building some places over there. And he came back and says to his missus, Wendy, he said, Wendy, we're kind of out of Tanzania. We're going to build huts and schools and stuff like that and she went, I don't want to go to Tanzania. So Tanzania was attractive. Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:very,
Simon Pinchbeck:very lovely. But isn't when he was running before the Lord
Reverend Ben Cooper:running before the law he was running before we are gonna go and do
Simon Pinchbeck:what I'm gonna do, Lord. And we've all been in that situation. I've been in that situation.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I spend more times in that time. In that position of Lord, this is what we're going to do. This is how we're going to do it. And then there's silence and I go, you must be pleased with me cuz you're not giving me any combat, I'll get on with it. And then I get on and do it. And I go, I've made a mistake, Lord, come back, this is the way but that is that is very difficult to, to actually get to a position of surrender. Because when you talk about surrender in military style, your hand you you have given into the enemy, you know, and in the world of business in the world of living, when you surrender, it's almost a weakness. Yes, yeah. But when you're in the kingdom of God, you're surrendering the flesh.
Simon Pinchbeck:Because we're living in upside down
Reverend Ben Cooper:with that key, right? So I'm not surrendering because I am weak. It's a strength is a strength in the spirit world. And my friends, if you're listening out there, and you've you
Simon Pinchbeck:get Jesus Christ and you follow Jesus Christ, to the Father. Yeah. And just fall in the arms of the fall because that's
Reverend Ben Cooper:where we'll find the word that we're talking about. And it comfort and peace comes to me
Simon Pinchbeck:into the arms of the Father lay which is to hold you
Reverend Ben Cooper:but but to surrender in war to surrender in business to surrender is like your your give it if it's like you're giving up but I'm not giving up. I'm not giving up. I'm allowing God to work for me to put me on the potter's wheel. He's got shape.
Simon Pinchbeck:Look, Ben, people have to understand that. God, don't want your works.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It's meaningless. Sort of dirty rags. It's
Simon Pinchbeck:filthy rags. So what is
Reverend Ben Cooper:your money? He
Simon Pinchbeck:doesn't want anything is evil. Why? Because he's got everything.
Reverend Ben Cooper:He's got everything. He created the tree that makes the money. Why? What does he want? Why did what what can I give him? What can I give him? That he really requires? I think of one young man in the Scripture. David at a heart after God. That is, you can't buy that you can't buy heart after God.
Simon Pinchbeck:And that surrendering your heart every day,
Reverend Ben Cooper:every moment saying, Lord forgive me, could we are living in a fallen society? You know, so living as a believer for Christ, you will find challenges every second every moment of your life. But David had the right. does not say attitude is not an attitude. He had the right relationship with God. His heart was right. Now his heart was right. But he still made mistakes still messed
Simon Pinchbeck:up. Yeah. So he paid severely for Hades
Reverend Ben Cooper:severely. Yeah. So what I need to how do I get this comfort? How do I find this piece in this middle of this pandemic? Because I do believe there's still more coming. I still honestly believe in my spirit. That harder days ahead than we've actually seen at this moment. Yeah,
Simon Pinchbeck:this challenge is a big challenge. And so how do
Reverend Ben Cooper:I find comfort? Do I get a new sofa? Because I can go on Amazon and order anything comes to the door? That's not the comfort I need in the middle of a pandemic because I need spiritual comfort. I need that reassurance that all will be well. Would you You
Simon Pinchbeck:always say you can in these in a private place.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Praise God. I
Simon Pinchbeck:guess the you know, they call it Baba calls it a closet down in the pan the prayer closet, get on your knees and call out and submit and surrender to the Lord. And just Just tell him everything. That's not that's your concern with all your concerns or your troubles or you're worried Yeah. And just fall into the the arms of Jesus and let Jesus lead you to the Father and go with Jesus to the Father and the Father all put his loving arms around you and and he would just say, you know, come to me, come to me.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I love that. I so important. Just come to me, all of you who were very heavily laden because we're in s and bin laden with the troubles of the world. That is not comfort. No, we're laden with word problems with a lady laden We've relationship problems were laden with the burden that children were laden with the burden of just living. Jesus just says, Do you know what he was talking and saying that Simon, I just, I just felt, just felt comfort, competent, sorry, by its Christ. And we're not talking about we find God that the church is locked down and the building is closed, because it's all about Jesus. It's a relation ship with the Father, that I'm not going to find the comfort in the building. What I will find in the building is just a routine. But in God, I will find peace. I will find rest. But he says come to me, doesn't he? He said, to me, it's Jesus, Jesus.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Jesus, come to come to Jesus. So in the middle of the most hardest time of everything that's breaking out, yeah, we open the Bible, don't worry, we just look at the word and just go God, you got us. Speak to me for the scriptures, because I'm undisturbed. I'm heavy. I'm wiped down. But you know, what is so glorious? God already knows that. Yeah, he knows that. The Beginning from the end, the end from the beginning, when he died on that cross, and he given us life, he knows every emotion that will experience every trouble that we will experience. And because of the cross there is freedom, you should know the truth. And the truth will set you free. Where do I find truth? Jesus, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
Simon Pinchbeck:And the next bit of that is no one comes to the Father except
Reverend Ben Cooper:sent
Simon Pinchbeck:for me for me. So your first port of call is Jesus, and then let Jesus lead you to the Father
Reverend Ben Cooper:that has come up. And that's the only time that someone can speak about me. Because no one else because if I talk about me, it's about me the flesh. But when Christ talks about me, he's talking about the spiritual father, the comfort of the Creator of the heavens and earth. You're coming to him as the God of all the God of Israel,
Simon Pinchbeck:and is the is the thing, you know. We said, we try and fix things, don't we? Yeah, we don't in a cost. We don't. I had an example this week. My son is driving into work. He lives out in the other side of branchy. But he has to go into Walthamstow every day, and he's driving down the M 11. In his car, and the power cuts out and his car. Well, now it's snowing, it's it's his cars all over the place. It's it's, it's rendus. It's like seven o'clock on on Monday morning, and, or even earlier, and he pulls over to the side. And he picks up the phone. He's nervous. He's worried. He's,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you know, of course,
Simon Pinchbeck:he's getting it large on a phone, you know, yeah, though. What do I do? I can't fix that,
Reverend Ben Cooper:that. I can't get there. I can't get there. But what can I do with it? Simple, Simple. Pray,
Simon Pinchbeck:pray. Lord abisko. Open. You don't have to have a complicated prayer. Does it just have you handled him? Have you handled like car at the end on the engine, gets back in the car cost hours, who gets back into work gets into work and he gets back the font that night. So there's a comfort, there's a comfort, I can do that.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I can't reach him. I can't reach you. But more than your physicality of being in his presence more powerful than that is the power of prayer, massive, the power of communicating to the God of Israel, but there's a comfort, there's a comfort because you put your trust there,
Simon Pinchbeck:and you end it over to him.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So so we have a very interesting situation here. Your son rings up is in serious trouble. You can't get there that could that brings disturbance and emotions and everything to your being. So what do I do? In the name of Jesus, that will bring you comfort as it brought your comfort that will bring and it will bring everything to the boil. But the power of communicating that's why it's important for us as as as an individual and as fathers and as men to have that right relationship with Jesus because you knew where to go. You knew exactly what to do because you've been schooled in the word and you come to me
Simon Pinchbeck:only thing you can do I've gotta go I got to pray. There's no other option. You didn't
Reverend Ben Cooper:have to run to a pastor. You didn't have to run to the bishop. You didn't even have to go to all these these people around you will note All right. You didn't bog us he didn't chango yet, yo, Jesus
Simon Pinchbeck:helped me father end on this guy. I don't have to be it just has to be that Trust you put in and knowing that the next time he picks up the phone always well.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Thank you for so then we have. Thank you. So you can't get to your son. But you can get to your father. Yeah, yeah. So even though he's your son, you're not taking your eyes off of your son, you've put your trust in the spiritual father. Yeah. So you know, the power of surrender? Yeah, the power of communication, the power of prayer, the power of speech, the power of God, my son's in trouble. He's your son, and I'm your son. And you told me to come to you. Every time I worry, heavy laden burden. And I cannot, I cannot project myself. It's impossible to get there.
Simon Pinchbeck:But that wasn't even that process for it wasn't even, it was just an innocent thing.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Because you're walking with Jesus is the
Simon Pinchbeck:only thing you know.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So we're walking with Jesus enables us to go through turmoil, and to be able to communicate in in turmoil.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yes. And following that brings comfort
Reverend Ben Cooper:and peace.
Simon Pinchbeck:And in that conversation with Jesus, following Jesus, what does that mean? It means we stay on the Jesus. Gosh, which means we don't step out of that, to the left or to the right, we start with a shield of faith. We look to the Father says, seek my face, the face of the father is Jesus Christ. We follow Jesus Christ in everything we do. And it shows you you, you know, we you know, if you should be doing something,
Reverend Ben Cooper:that's right, yeah.
Simon Pinchbeck:You know, whether you should be buying a sofa, you send it back. It's, it's very, it's, it's but that, but there's a comfort, comfort, you know? So as he says, Here, yeah. The comfort is from the Father. It can only be, and that's the way that we give comfort.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. So it's a circle, isn't it? Yeah. So I get myself right. with Christ, yeah. That will bring peace. So when my child or my friend or my family calls me in a crisis, in a time of crisis, rather, not frantically working in the flesh. But without me, understanding how it happens, I switch to this spiritual way of fathering the name of Jesus, I call on your name, my friend, or my family, or my son, this is happening. God, we need healing, we need a miracle. But it's knowing who your father is. Yeah. That that's how we're able to deal with what we deal with when there's a crisis because we know the Father in heaven. Yes. Yes. That that that but imagine being in a situation like that when you've got no faith, or been in a situation like that when you've been delivered bad news by the consultant. Being in a situation like that when the church hasn't taught you the gospel of how to live in the valley of the shadow of death. When you when you when you're in a watered down music there's a
Simon Pinchbeck:difference as a great song by Ryan Stevenson it says in the eye of the storm, yeah. And you know, is totally you have to go where do I go? If you if you've not got if you're not a born again, believer, if you're not about faith in Jesus Christ, you're in trouble, because you can't deal with stuff. And the thing is, you have all people looking around you look into you,
Reverend Ben Cooper:look into you, eyes are on you, eyes are on you, eyes are on you, and that's okay to have eyes on you. As long as your eyes are on Jesus.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, but if you've not gotten
Reverend Ben Cooper:if you've not got Jesus in your you got his ministry, and all you got is religion. It ain't gonna happen. How'd you fix this? And he can't. There's no one can fix the troubles of life and God can heal and guide him.
Simon Pinchbeck:We have to, we have to end it over to him because you know, there are times you know, there are times sometimes when you know your wife gets this distress because someone's a setter. Yeah. As a man, what do you want to do? You want to go and you want to go out and so whoever's distressed, you're missing
Reverend Ben Cooper:out what's going on here?
Simon Pinchbeck:What's the wrong thing to do in it? Yeah. You know, is this righteous anger, but there's Oh, yeah, yeah. There's also times when, you know, I've seen it. Yeah, I've seen it. You know, when I was a police officer, one punch can land you in prison for 10 years. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:One hit, one strike of the battle belongs to the Lord. But that comes back, he still can't get away from the fact that that will always bring it back to the fundamental truth of surrendering to Jesus,
Simon Pinchbeck:to the cross, come back to the cross time, every
Reverend Ben Cooper:time. It's the center point of everything is the cross the cross, I can't fix it. I'm going to come back to the cross. I can't work this out, I'm going to come back to the cross. It's
Simon Pinchbeck:seven, a seven, faith faith to do that.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And that understanding, actually, something we can't quite understand because His ways are higher than our ways his thoughts are greater than our thoughts. So we might not be able to understand while this is happening, but simply we come to Jesus. I need peace. What a big subject, peace and comfort, you know,
Simon Pinchbeck:and when it does happen, like it did praise God with with my son on Monday, we have to give thanks when that happened. Exactly. Otherwise, we're like the lepers who
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah,
Simon Pinchbeck:we have to give thanks for that. Definitely. Thank you, Lord for that. Thank you, Jesus, you had my back. And the thing is, we should never be worried that this is not this is too small for God, we should never be worried. Because everything smaller God in it,
Reverend Ben Cooper:everything. lives and there was a nice separated light from darkness. Everything is small,
Simon Pinchbeck:everything is small. So come to me with your burdens, and I will give you rest or give you a mob. Because my burden is easy. My yoke is light.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Peace. I think we're all looking for peace. I think we're all looking for comfort but we try and find it in materialism external stuff.
Simon Pinchbeck:My friends if you're listening, whoever's listening to their to the sound of my voice. Whoever can reach this
Reverend Ben Cooper:place go be with Jesus Christ. Amen.
Simon Pinchbeck:Do not be with anything else. Anyone else? No, or anything else? Do no. No, the yoke means means walking with do not walk with any anything else do not have anything else in your life. That's praise. God is gonna weigh you down.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, hallelujah. Simon, you know, that's a another press we pushed in a day a bit of a slight different angle. But that's that God is leading us. So as Simon said, you know that we're just going to leave it there. We're just going to leave it on that note. Come to Jesus. Come
Simon Pinchbeck:to Jesus. Yeah. Yeah. That's,
Reverend Ben Cooper:that's it. That's it. That's it. That is that simple. And it is simple. Yeah. Learn to walk with Jesus. Don't
Simon Pinchbeck:make it complicated. Don't
Reverend Ben Cooper:make it complicated. Don't go down a religious and the church he wrote and then the ministry road, just just open the Word of God. Look at the pages, look at the Scripture and go God, I don't quite get this. But you can you help me.
Simon Pinchbeck:Can you help me? Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And he'll go. Well, that's what he wants to hear. We begin in a journey. Simon, we thank you so much for coming down. To say thank you. We thank you to all the listeners around the world and may God bless you and strengthen you wherever you are. Thank you for listening in the world of podcasting on many different platforms. buzzsprout, Spotify, I heart, radio, and all the other ones Google Play Alexa, you can get us everywhere. May God bless you and strengthen you. Simon Pinchbeck, Reverend Benjamin Leonard Cooper who's trying to learn to be very quiet, but he's struggling. Pray for me, listeners. In Jesus name, amen. Amen.