Hello and welcome to our podcast here elim church. You're joining myself, Reverend Ben Cooper and Leah Jane Moore. We are so glad to have you with us today as we listen to the beautiful word of God.
Leya:Yeah, you've gotten my name wrong.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Did I?
Leya:Yeah, you know what my name is Vijay, Mo, daughter of God.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Sorry,
Leya:daughter of Christ.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Hello and welcome to Elim church. You're listening to myself, Bishop, Reverend, apostolic pastor, evangelist, Reverend Ben Cooper and daughter of the living God, Leia, J. Mo. You can find us on buzzsprout Spotify, Apple Music iHeartRadio Google Play Alexa, Facebook and YouTube and Insta Easter Insta. Oh, Instagram, Insta. finest Easter. Wish we I wish I was overweight. You had
Leya:an exhausting week. The whole
Reverend Ben Cooper:world is tired.
Leya:Everyone I speak to is saying the same thing. So tired.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Everybody is just so tired. This lockdown is getting absolutely Baresi draining.
Leya:It's been aborsi it's been barsi harder than the last barrus in one. Let me tell you that.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Boris. This is tough, my friend. It's been really hard prime for you because we would not want your job.
Leya:I wouldn't want his job. I will manage to now I wouldn't want his hair.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I like his hair.
Leya:Your hair is much better.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I got locked down here too. I
Leya:got a cap on dyeing. My fridge is lifted a bit.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It could work. But IKEA done a Swedish IKEA. Well,
Leya:yeah. Actually descends back to the Royals of King Louie the full Tax Court. Did you know that?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. So if you're a little bit a roadblock,
Leya:he goes in his record collection, and he loves that too. Oh, there's a band. Did you know that caught or blood? Yeah, the good. Is there. Yeah. Really good. Yeah. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So we're tired. On a bob was open.
Leya:So when I came in today, and he said, How are you doing? And I said, a
Reverend Ben Cooper:bit wary.
Leya:And we were gonna do something really complicated. But it seemed really pertinent that we do. The idea of perseverance, not the idea. The theme, the running theme of perseverance in the Bible, we
Reverend Ben Cooper:got to persevere.
Leya:And part of persevering is
Reverend Ben Cooper:to be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46, verse 10, it says, he said, Be still and know that I'm God, I will exalt you among the nations and I will exalt you in all the earth. This is a really good time just to really lean into Jesus. Yeah, to be still is tiring. It's very exhausting. You know, there will be a way out, there will be a way forward. But I don't know if it's going to be anything to do with what we're hearing the system do? Well, this
Leya:is the thing where we're, we're, we're in a situation where we're being told you can't do anything. You can't go anywhere, you can't do anything. But inside our souls were rattling against the cages, cabin fever,
Reverend Ben Cooper:I mean, it's very draining.
Leya:If I don't get out of my house, and see something other than the same things that I've been seeing since November, I am going to go insane. That's how it feels. I feel like I'm exhausted myself with that nervous tension of needing to escape.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Definitely.
Leya:And I feel like this scripture, based in unknown territory of pinged out, pinged out us because it's so important to have those moments of stillness and know that you can be calm within them. Because there's something else that is guiding things and it's not up to us. It's not up to you. It's not up to me. It's up to us to have faith that we will come through it
Reverend Ben Cooper:and that we will come for it. Perseverance
Leya:is not easy, but we will be rewarded.
Reverend Ben Cooper:One James, go on. James May chapter two. Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters when you face trials of many kinds,
Leya:you love this one. You're always smacking this one out of the
Reverend Ben Cooper:park. You got it? Yeah. Because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Leya:Can I do James 112 off the back there. God bless it is the man who remains steadfast under trial. For when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Gosh, when you look at them texts, so firstly, garbage still, how do I be still in times of turbulence? Well,
Leya:that voice is a very chilled and tired out today. I feel like people are going to be like,
Reverend Ben Cooper:so still. So still, and I'm
Leya:just eating Cadbury's Melba in a bath in the bath of milk. The old adverts chill out when you're in a bath and half of milk. I've
Reverend Ben Cooper:never had anyone ever to pass a bill.
Leya:Cleopatra. Did she? She didn't just come atcha Cleopatra. She had baths of acid milk. And it's supposed to be real nice for your skin. Yeah, so if you had a candlelit bath of acid milk, and a Cadbury's caramel bar, yeah. And we're listening to our podcast, you would be so chilled out right now because we've got our chilled out voices on
Reverend Ben Cooper:so we need 100 pints of milk to the bar.
Leya:Yeah, chocolate Exactly.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Come on, we got to be still without a piece of steel in the middle of a pandemic. Are we in the middle? Are we at the end? Are we at the beginning of something big? Who knows? Only got? Yeah, we got to pray for strength and stability in the turbulence that's going on?
Leya:We've got to be the eye of the storm.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, in every syllable. Yeah, you got to be pressing. Even though there's trouble and there's issues going on. We've got to be still and it's very difficult to be still. And James says Consider it pure joy. I don't know if I can I find it odd that really difficult Consider it pure joy and I but then you got to understand it's a spiritual thing that's going on. So the scripture says, Be still and know that I'm gone. So coming back to James Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters when you face trials of many kinds, because you know, the testing of your faith produces perseverance, I've got to persevere. I've got to press I've got to push like never before we are being tested and stretched to the limit. And to be still is a very difficult thing to do when you're busy at work, or home schooling, work
Leya:at home, try and try and try and try and try and
Reverend Ben Cooper:Stretch Stretch trying
Leya:to get that money to make things last at the moment because everyone's under so much stress and pressure with regards money trying to survive ducking and a dive in wheeling and dealing domain bobbing. Yeah. That's it bobbing and weaving. That's what we're doing. That's what we're doing in these days. That's what we've been doing. And now that we've been forced ducking and diving, now we're being forced, we're being forced to stay on stay test their perseverance by not doing any of those things is locked down gonna lift
Reverend Ben Cooper:in March the eighth floor? I don't think so.
Leya:I think we've got we've got just know that that's not our decision.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I think what we got to do for me, is to keep in Christ, try to forget about dates. I agree. Put in stone, so to speak by man, and just give God the glory for the day that we're in. One bite at a time.
Leya:This is the day the Lord has made. I shall rejoice and
Reverend Ben Cooper:be glad.
Leya:That's what we've got to do every single day. Yeah. And then one baby that's been still is that being still unknown. God, just accept that this is the day. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Jesus makes it very clear that he says don't focus on what's ahead. Don't think about what's behind don't go back to what was don't don't concentrate on what could be done and then paraphrase a little bit. But he says just
Leya:at the time, what does he word? It is transit van. He turned off his drill. And someone said, Well, how long is that? Is that bookcase that you've made making last? And he said, I think about today? No, don't think about tomorrow.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It's gonna last today. So so the Scripture is so onpoint when it when it when you think about just concentrate on today? Because today's got enough issues in today. Let alone worrying about what tomorrow? Yeah. Don't worry about the birds in the air. Don't worry about the way that don't worry about money. Don't worry, but we're always planning and we see it. That's what I've learned when it was raining. And it goes wrong. You get agitated. Yeah. So if you just concentrate on the day, God give me enough strength to get through today. Yeah, no, we got a plan for so many weeks.
Leya:Sometimes it's the minute
Reverend Ben Cooper:just the moment is the work the pressure at the moment. And then if we plan too far in front, you know, we are planning. Yeah. And that is that planning in the will of the Father now. So maybe that's why we're so restless is because we are planning things that are earthly things that are not in the Father's will.
Leya:Yeah, we're like little dynamos constantly spinning, going, going, going, going, going, going Going, going going gotta pay for this car pay for that gotta get through this day go do it through that. Got to meet that expectation once a month
Reverend Ben Cooper:can't spend no more I got what should I get paid? Do can't do exactly, you know. So
Leya:what does that person expect to me? What does this person expect to me? What do I expected me? Yeah, what the expectations of the people that went before me after me Yeah, what if I prove to myself what have I got approved to this person? What have I got approved to that person? Well, all we actually have to prove is that we're in the moment. And in that moment, we've got faith in God.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Jesus just says, just believe that. Beautiful, yes. So he already requires a versus just believe. So what am I going to believe in? The foundational points, isn't it? The birth, resurrection, the death, eschatology the rapture of the church creation, the biblical foundations of my faith, just believe, and just concentrate on just today. If I can just concentrate on today. I'll make a good job today. But if I keep thinking about tomorrow, and a week later down the line, I'm concentrating too much on getting this done. And trying to meet everybody else's expectation when actually, I don't need to meet anyone's expectation. I've got to make sure I meet the will of the Father. Yeah. So maybe that's why we are so frantic and so frazzled and so exhausted, is because we're doing and we are living by the plans of the world and not by the plans with a father. Hey,
Leya:man,
Reverend Ben Cooper:give me a pulpit. Let's do an oral call.
Leya:Now we're not doing that subject. So one of the things that my mom always says to me when I worry and worry and worry and worry and worry about stuff is she says that her dad always used to say to her, don't worry, it will be great. It'd be it'd be very serious from North Yorkshire. Don't worry, Barry. You mean right. It'll be alright. It'll be alright. So one of the things I say to my friends quite a lot, especially during this time is don't worry about all right. It will be all right. Don't worry. And they say to me, how can you say, I think you keep saying that to me. I'm in the middle of this storm. Just say, yeah, it'll be all right. And I know it'll be all right. Because I've got faith that God is with me.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. Are you finding your friends? And the people that you mix with? Even though you're not mixing? You know, I mean, I'm mixing you know, I mean, I'm mixing the people that you speak to on the phone? Yeah. Zoom with zoom. people you work with a certain area? Yeah. Is there a lot of fear in areas? Are you noticing that people are quite fearful? Or people just like
Leya:anxious? anxious, very anxious? Yeah, very friendly. Everybody's supremely anxious. And I'm finding a lot that are meant by I am not. I am supplying a call a communist to people. Just by saying it'd be it'd be okay. It'd be because I have faith that God Yeah. Is gonna seal
Reverend Ben Cooper:is for
Leya:Yeah, I have faith in God. That it will be all right. Doesn't matter what you will he will supply all of my needs according to riches. God's riches in glory. Oh, top of my head. Because Because because of all the things that I've been through this last year, where God has proved to me that that is going to happen. Yeah. He has provided for me throughout the entirety of it, so I know that it will continue to do so. Why is he gonna Why is he going to invest all that in me? And then just let me drift.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Let me drop off.
Leya:I don't think that I think he has plans for me plans that I do not know. But
Reverend Ben Cooper:there's another question how do we know what the plans are? We don't you do? Follow his word. You get an idea? To a degree. Yeah. So what is the will of the Father?
Leya:Very good girl. And then when our chocolate
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah.
Leya:It's not that so much as Victoria sponge cake. So no, this is a conversation that I've had a lot with my friends. I don't believe that you should have custody of cake. Of course, you should know because that chef has gone through a lot of time and effort to make that
Reverend Ben Cooper:cake like the shape the folds, made the Ambrosia custard and put it in the tin. He's done. He's grafted.
Leya:God made God my boyfriend. They're separate entities Just saying. Imagine if imagine God made the world well don't imagine that because he did. God made the world it's beautiful, delicate, fragile, gorgeous. And then someone comes in dollops a load of custard on top of it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Well, yeah, yeah, the rainforests adjust. The cost
Leya:is for pudding and not for Cake.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Cake is put in no till
Leya:now put in a state And a cake is baked.
Reverend Ben Cooper:She's real Jamie Oliver stuff. This is real cooking.
Leya:I love sweet things. That's why I love Jesus. But ya know his word. And that's why I know the difference between a cake and a honey cake and he got me all flustered now. I forgot the story.
Reverend Ben Cooper:What were we talking about? We're talking about? We're nurses Be still and know that I love
Leya:that but we were in the middle of a proper conversation
Reverend Ben Cooper:was are your friends colleagues that you're zooming with working with on the phone to? fearful?
Leya:Yes. Yeah. Yeah, they're all exhausted, and they're all frazzled. And they're all we are all looking for faith in each other. So maybe we should all be looking for faith in
Reverend Ben Cooper:God. That's a question. When we say faith in one another, I think we can have hope in one another. Faith in one another. So if I put faith in our friends at number 10 I'm relying it's a really tricky one, isn't it? Yeah.
Leya:When I say faith in each other, I mean, like, I believe in you, you're gonna believe in me. It's more like, Can you provide me with something?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Can you encourage me? Yeah, I encourage you, I think Can you
Leya:give me a solid base?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Spring off upon a rock? Don't build on sand. I think it's really really important that we become encourages. We need enclose don't wait we need encouraged because a lot of heavy stuff out there. There's a lot of that's what
Leya:we're doing on this Saturday afternoon. We're not heavy at all we know that's I'm saying we're encourages encourage encourages on a Saturday afternoon.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, it's really it's really important that be encouraged. So when when you look at the text, Psalm 4610 Be still and know that I'm God. Be still and know that I am God. It is a real critical time for believers. We're not talking about coming in the church. We're talking about people that believe Jesus just said just believe that is so important that we just believe
Leya:when he says Be still. Do you think he means? Relax? I've got Yeah, don't worry. It's gonna be okay. Just rest into my word. lean into me. And it'll be okay. You got the arm in control arm got. Oh, yeah, that's what it means to me.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, it's spiritual, isn't it spiritual stillness. Because you got spiritual agitation when someone is and is at the end of life and they're not dealing with certain things in their life people will stay on planet earth because there is spiritual agitation that is going on. So that's clinically proven very easily. So the spirit me has to find rest. But the flesh may is always going to be agitated because the flesh can never be satisfied. Because the flesh will go on from one thing to another is always looking for fulfillment and it can't get fulfilled because it is always it is a fallen part my flesh is a fallen soulmate. So what I've got to understand is the only way that I will find peace is not by getting a new car. That's moments isn't it? What Okay, if I get a new car if I get a new job if I get this I get that. More standard let's say we put in a bucket shittily if I get especially what we're talking about this is
Leya:because you will not forget and I was like if I get shish Li because it's Saturday,
Reverend Ben Cooper:Saturday, isn't it? Yeah, bring it back. I know but you think that give us a free one when it was time to keep talking about Yeah, come on. We can't miss
Leya:I am not at the end of my life. But I do say to myself quite a lot be still be still ongoing. I do I say it to myself a whisper under my breath. If I'm in an anxious I will often say just be still know that I'm God. God will take care of it. I don't need to do anything I can just relax it will happen if I continue to be faithful
Reverend Ben Cooper:you're changing you're changing habits of a lifetime. Because to be still know that I'm God means to be spiritually still. You could be busy, busy, busy work living your life, but be completely peaceful within yourself. It's not about being busy. Be still uncertain so far. Yeah. It's been still internally. Yeah, yeah, that's what I mean. Yeah. So I've been still internally really takes some doing because to get spiritually still internally is that you are living by faith. Yeah. So to live by faith, we have to close our eyes sight often at our gate and a guide to what the world is doing. And be focused on what God is doing that comes back to what is the will of the Father. And Jeremiah 29 verse 11, and all the way through. I love it. Many of the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans not to harm you, but to give you a hope and a future. But then it goes on to say if you follow me with all your heart, yeah. So it's really important that my hearts, God said that David, as a heart after God, David has a heart of God. So it's really important that my heart has to get right I have to get right there that that brings into the arena. repentance. Lord, help me to be more forgiving. Help, Lord, deal with pride that might be in law in my life, deal with anger issues, deal with drinking, deal with all that. Not that I've got all this stuff but it makes me sad. You know what I mean? But with all the pride of life, that's a big thing, isn't it the pride of life, and people are so proud. And looking one Corinthians chapter, one Corinthians chapter 13, verse four, it says, Love is patient Love is not proud is not self seeking does not keep no records of wrongs. Love does not delight but rejoices with the truth.
Leya:Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:and the Bible says the truth will set you free. So the only place that I feel will find stillness, the psalmist is writing is Be still and know that I've got to I've got to know that he's got to be still. I've got to live by faith to know that he's got I've got to be hopeful. The crisis I'd never fought like a year 18 months ago, someone said to me, it can be locked down around the world. You'll all have little blue masks on I would laugh myself to laugh.
Leya:Remember someone wearing a mask into work and make me laughing again? Not wearing one of those
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, worn on for years when they up in lung click click click just pictures they've always had him on. And you look at and think you come on four hours a day a no no. Now look at us now the whole globe is under a mask. What sort of fabric come from comatose patient seamstress really cracking them out.
Leya:And no
Reverend Ben Cooper:fabric coming from as you can make a massive Dubai. Well, I wonder if the mass would stretch all around the world end to end?
Leya:I don't know. I don't mind I'm just seeing a massive slingshot made out of a mask now. I'm sorry. And inside is a bit of cake. And someone's just slingshot yeah me. So I like Romans five. an endurance produces character and character produces hope.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Insurance. Yeah, that's a very interesting word. Yeah, I've got an injury
Leya:so that's what I'm sort of going along with the be still thing it's about injury and it's about being spiritually still and patient and enjoy during this time that we're in at the moment in during the Charles
Reverend Ben Cooper:j bring it swing.
Leya:That's what I'm that's what I'm saying Baba.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Consider it pure joy. Brothers and sisters. Yeah. It's great that you mentioned both of us the left one of the software. The thing is,
Leya:what it does is it goes Romans 334. It's more than that we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance. And endurance produces character and character produces hope. So it's again, it's that repetition of that idea of Okay, journey
Reverend Ben Cooper:and trials, trials and temptations is highs and lows
Leya:rejoicing in it. That's the thing that I find a bit alien. I'm not going to lie
Reverend Ben Cooper:to my
Leya:choice and in trouble. And the things that James Consider it pure joy
Reverend Ben Cooper:Consider it pure joy
Leya:out of any stuff that you imagine if someone was just constantly poking you in it just constantly poking you in the eye? Yeah, exactly. Oh, yeah. That's great. Yeah, love it after a while you get annoyed
Reverend Ben Cooper:now that that is a falseness. Isn't it? Because we just Oh, yeah. Okay, thanks for this is talking about joy with the Lord pure
Leya:joy. Pure, true joy.
Reverend Ben Cooper:You can only find the joy that this speaks about in Christ. So it's a continuum, isn't it? Yeah. First I've got to start to believe. Yeah, now when I believe I've got to be careful that I don't over stretch myself and do too much theological study in in depth because theological study and I can tie my shoe laces up and get myself a little bit confused. But
Leya:this is my theological study this this hour that we
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, yeah. is. So I've gotta be careful. You know, it's important theological study. In, and actually Jesus and and pulling stuff from the word and expository working, it's really, really important that we do that. And we go deeper and we'll but we have to be careful that we don't lose the fundamental point of what Christ says is just belief. That's my, that's my core, I believe. So if I stand in the middle of this circle and look all the way around it 360 degree, and I put the base basis out for my belief system. So firstly, we'll go to, we'll go to creation, I believe in creation, then I will move up to the birth of Christ, I believe in the birth of Christ, then I move on a little bit more, a few years, and I believe on everything that happened at the cross, the death and the resurrection, then I believe on the ascension of Christ, then I also believe in eschatology, the rapture of the church. So there are a few points that I believe in so far, just get it. But believing doesn't mean to say that I can under understand. Yeah, it's a difference, isn't there? Because if I
Leya:say, kicks in it,
Reverend Ben Cooper:yeah. So I believe now. Hebrews 11 verse one says, Now faith, I'm sure you saw that didn't mean the Flo Jo.
Leya:Sorry, I'm sorry.
Reverend Ben Cooper:to interrupt.
Leya:when something like that happens, that makes me feel that God really is directing this conversation. It's guiding us on
Reverend Ben Cooper:notice that I mean, the God's guiding us God's with us. Yeah, no, he hasn't left us nor forsaken us. And we're not talking about us. Oh, yeah. I'm talking about everyone down there. Who I believe God's with us.
Leya:We're gonna say sheepishly then when.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So if you look at Hebrews, if you if used to look at that, it says Now faith. Depends what you're reading from Now faith is being sure of the evidence of things hoped for. Yeah. Which are not saying, yeah, that is quite a complicated text to grasp, isn't it? Now face? What What are you reading from the IV? Yes, he actually wrote, okay, read read that.
Leya:Now faith is he says Hebrews 11, one 240, I probably won't read the whole 40 though. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen. four by four by the people of old received their con, come in. Okay, let's start again, with a little rewind on the old podcast. Now, Faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen. And then I like this line as well. I wanted to get to it. By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God. So that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Now that's the big one. Yeah. So I'm gonna read from Hebrews. Charles, thank
Leya:you, thank you take home drones version.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Now faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. And that is just like, faith is evidence. Faith is evidence. Faith is evidence, things not see and stuff that's not come into being Yeah. And the scripture says, We serve a God the cause of things that are not as though they are. So where do we track that back, we can track that back to Genesis when God said, Let there be light, and there was less. So we serve a God that calls the things that are not as though they are. So the power of speech is critical to me as a human being. Now, James also talks about the power of speech and the power of the tongue and how the tongue is the smallest muscle, but it will cause the most damage to a person. Because what I say, will either lift you or it will destroy you. There's nothing worse than being around people or a person that is always putting you down Little Foxes, Little Foxes, the Bible talks about Little Foxes, the Bible talks about the dogs, you know, the ones that are coming out to Nepean to grab you. So coming back to the point where he's talking about Be still and know that I'm going to be still I've got to be in God, I've got to be in Christ. I've got to be in the word. And we know the word is Christ. So it's really critical. The Scripture says in Hebrews 11, first one Now faith is the substance, the strength, the everything, the concrete Now faith is the substance of things hoped for. Hope is very powerful. Now hope is different to expectation is an expectation. He won't find scripturally but hope, hoping Dewar's hoping just so I'll go To enjoy. Now, insurance is painful insurance. If you if you look at an athlete that has an endurance runner, they are running a mile after mile after mile pace.
Leya:They train themselves they Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:yeah diet,
Leya:and they have overall their faith that it will happen.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes. But they push themselves too much breaking point. Yeah, I try not such a hard level. So if you look at endurance runner, or endurance cyclists or you look at a triathlon people that do you know, the swimming, the running and the cycle and all that what they push themselves through, they push themselves through. And I think we need to understand insurance is not just, it's Hump Day. It's just as a win. enduring means to keep going and to go when no one else will go with you.
Leya:That's what I think that people have been doing since November during this lockdown. Especially Well, since March last last March. Yeah, in June without being able to be with their brothers and sisters in church. Yeah, that endurance of keeping Be still and know that I'm God, keeping that faith, keeping that assurance and substance of faith. Yeah, during that time. That's hard. That's hard work.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Hard work.
Leya:You got to be faithful.
Reverend Ben Cooper:honest, I honestly believe if if the church I'm talking about the whole church,
Leya:capital T capital, say, Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you got it. You got it. You got it preached the gospel of Jesus Christ without error and pressed and pushed. We might say we and I bring all of us into this would be stronger believers, because we've had the real word of God.
Leya:I believe so too, because I think a lot of people have turned away from the church because the capital T capital C church, yeah. Because it's not been. It's not dealt them with truth
Reverend Ben Cooper:has love. It hasn't told us
Leya:how to live we grow as human beings. By this insistence, we are the church, the church isn't a building. It's the people. But we're so separated with scattered amongst society, because people have lost faith in the capital T capital C church. Yeah. And yeah, as brothers and sisters of God, with God, under God are scattered.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. But that scripture, the Bible says that about a scattering.
Leya:Scott is in this conversation. But the thing is, what I'm saying is if we weren't scared, if we hadn't lost faith in the capital T capital C church, then we would be a stronger family unified family. And we wouldn't be feeling that loss of not going to a building on a Sunday on the next day. Yeah, exactly. Because we would be singing in the streets singing God's praises in the streets.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. Where? Where the church
Leya:is going a bit heavy, you know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:Sadie, yes. Come on, come on. Okay, let me find something important to get over. If the church had pressed the real gospel of Jesus Christ for generation after generation, when something happens, that is unforeseen. You have the faith. You have the word within you to survive. Yeah. But when you're going to a building, and you're given motivational stuff, it is only temporal. Yeah. has no eternal value. Yeah, it is a whipping up and licking up and kicking up and a happy up in a clappia. Yeah, but it doesn't fix my issues. Yeah. If my issues are fixed, time and time again, and I'm shown how to live through the Word of God, if I'm showing how to live through Psalm 23. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. That's a really interesting text for such a time as this. Psalm 23. Not really deeper
Leya:now. Let's go one Corinthians 13 seven are gone. Do you know this one? No, this one, I'm going to do a test with you one day.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Chapter Five. Verse seven. Love keeps no records of Rome.
Leya:Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things out. Here's our word of the day, endures all things, in juice, endures all things, Love bears all things. So yeah, there's this going back to what we were saying last week about being kind and doing good to each other. Because Because then that's the church as a people and be still know that I'm God. That's us expressing our faith. In US expressing our love to each other, doing the right thing, making it more about Saturday, feeling Saturday,
Reverend Ben Cooper:Saturday, and the Bible says that Christ is the head of the church.
Leya:Yeah, not just on Saturday,
Reverend Ben Cooper:not just not just on Saturdays, he's the head he's the King of glory. He's a Jehovah gyra he's at God, he's our king. He's the lord of Lord so I find peace I find stillness. Only in Jesus
Leya:two Thessalonians 313 as for you brothers, do not grow weary in doing good so that's what I'm saying. keep going keep going and show the love show love to each other because in two Timothy 212 Hi smacking is our partner if we enjoy We will also rain with him if we deny Him we will he will also deny us so we got to keep that faith keep that strong love keep that kindness keep it going on be still know that I'm god they still doesn't mean sit on your bum on your sofa doing nothing? did say bum but it's a Saturday so it's okay to say I'm in a church on a Saturday excellent. Yeah. And don't sit on your bum doing nothing. Look you know just be kind be loving be good show that that is how you can be still and be God and that's your spiritual endurance
Reverend Ben Cooper:be still set to be have faith in Jesus.
Leya:Yeah. What's Jesus his last? This our gift to you my last commandment?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Can you tell me
Leya:Oh no. Come on.
Reverend Ben Cooper:You actually got brain fog?
Leya:Yeah, if you know me. Enough. Oh, yeah. So I have loved you style chestnuts. Yeah. It's the old chestnut. God is Jesus. God is Jesus is all about the love.
Reverend Ben Cooper:God is love. God is love. God is love know
Leya:that I am God. And be still I'm just paraphrasing and
Reverend Ben Cooper:just chatting. Yeah,
Leya:I just checked in. What is it? Be still know that I am God. Psalm 40 still know that I'm love. God is love.
Reverend Ben Cooper:God is love. You know, that's so important. God is love. God loves us unconditionally.
Leya:Love is so so
Reverend Ben Cooper:important that we understand God's love. He's the king of kings and the Lord of lords. Now, you will find these references in the Bible.
Leya:He will all over there. They're all great. There's
Reverend Ben Cooper:a paperback one. Electronic? Sure, there is. You know, there's things called printing machines.
Leya:Now, there is revelations free 11 I'm coming soon. Hold fast. What you have? You know, what I'm saying is hold fast. steadfast is a really good word about being steadfast in your loved
Reverend Ben Cooper:one, john, chapter four, verse 16, says, and we know how much God loves us. And we have put our trust in His love, God, and all who live in love living God, and God lives in them. One john chapter four, verse 16. I'll repeat that.
Leya:That might be my favorite bit of Scripture. You like, I really like that
Reverend Ben Cooper:word, john, chapter four, verse 16. We know how much God loves us. And we have put our trust in His love. Yes, God is love. And all who live in love, live in God. And God lives in them as beautiful text is really, really a beautiful text, you know? And we know how much God loves us. So what how did we get what what is that john 316 For God so loved the world that He gave His one on.
Leya:One. I love that. I gotta tell everyone that I'm sitting there with a massive smile on my face you are because they can't hear it. And they didn't see me put my hands in the air when you said that. It's scripture as well.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So that so that that is the indicator where it says we know how much God loves us. Because He gave His one and only begotten Son. Then it goes on a little bit further in one john chapter four, verse 16. And we have put out trust in His love. Yeah, then it says God is love. So I put my trust in His love. What is his love? His love is God. God is love so trusting in God. Yeah. Jesus says I am the Father are one. So I am trusting in the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. And I'm just completely in him trusting in Him. And all who live in love, live in God lives in them. That is such a powerful Text
Leya:Yeah, love, love. I really love that.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I could pay love the love of biblical love for love of the Father. That's what we're lacking. I really believe we're lacking Father's love in the nation.
Leya:I know you think, no, no, you think this but I know I bang on about love a lot. And you're like, yeah, this is your favorite. She's gonna be talking about love. But I do believe that love permeates through everything in the Bible even then to have it. We were talking one day about the story of Jonah. And all that. Yeah, of course, it's about love. But yeah, it is I'm not gonna let you go. I love you. And I'm not going to let you go. I've got a job for you. And I'm not going to let you do it. not do it. Because I love you. And this is for you. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So when you're saying that you have to keep looking at that, that that text there when it says God is love. God is love. And whoever lives in love lives in God, and God lives in them. Can
Leya:you give the reading of the student the number of that again, one, john, I'm gonna write it down.
Reverend Ben Cooper:One john, chapter four, verse 16.
Leya:JOHN 461, john,
Reverend Ben Cooper:one john. One, john.
Leya:He said you weren't john,
Reverend Ben Cooper:chapter four, verse 16.
Leya:I really like that.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, I'm going to read it again. One, john, chapter four, verse 16. And we know how much God loves us. And we have put our trust in His love. God is love and all who live in love living God, and God lives in them. Amen. Amen.
Leya:ended the podcast and can't say more. You can't run spoke for about 20 minutes, didn't we?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Now we haven't gone right up to the full 14 ounces. So we're all good.
Leya:You have to feel that I don't think there's anything else that I possibly add to that.
Reverend Ben Cooper:We leave it on that because it's the word beautiful. The Word of God is power. And also we got one john chapter four, verse eight is worth referencing, but anyone who does not love does not know God. For God is love. Beautiful, you can't the Word of God is so, so powerful. Isn't it? So powerful the way it speaks to the Spirit?
Leya:How can you not be still when you're contemplating love? Do you not? I mean, how can you not be still when you're contemplating that kind of love?
Reverend Ben Cooper:I think yeah, we have to be careful of that word in your love. Because I think a lot of the time when you hear love and you see love, the word love in the world is lust. I'm not talking about romantic love. We're not talking this different.
Leya:Kind of love.
Reverend Ben Cooper:You have to understand that difference of the love. Yeah, the worldly love the Father's love. You know God's love
Leya:made the world God loves God's love, can carve through stone can make work and perform miracles can shine on your face and make your heartbeat again. God is love.
Reverend Ben Cooper:God is love. We're gonna finish it there. You've been listening to us haven listen to layout Jane more dolgeville for living god and you've been listening to myself, Reverend Benjamin Leonard Cooper, thank you so much for listening staying with us. Please share everything we do. We thank you have a great Saturday. You will find us on
Leya:Spotify. Apple Music iHeartRadio Google Play Alexa, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. Have a great weekend. Stay safe. And remember, God is love. All things are possible to those who believe. Have a great day. Bye bye.