Hello and welcome. Thanks for joining us here this afternoon at Elim church you're joining myself, Reverend Benjamin Leonard Cooper with Simon Pinchbeck come all the way from sunny Essex, to join us on this podcast and we're live I believe on social media. May God bless you wherever you are around the world. We thank you so much for joining us today. And whenever you catch up with these podcasts and the social media feeds, we thank God for technology. And we welcome Simon Simon has a great story, a great testimony how God has used him and been with him all the way through his career and the men's ministry that he's involved in. And if anyone wants to catch us, or to catch some as well please just send an email in a text or ever form it maybe even write a letter. Wow, I can still do that
Simon Pinchbeck:novel idea in
Reverend Ben Cooper:your comfort zone, take your pen and paper. Can't believe it. But you're joining us here and the Power Hour Elan church, you will catch us on buzzsprout Spotify, Apple Music iHeartRadio Google Play Alexa, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. But God bless every one of you that's listening today. Wherever you are around the world.
Simon Pinchbeck:Can you close in prayer now? Amen.
Reverend Ben Cooper:He's always really given that he's a good friend of mine.
Simon Pinchbeck:We love spirit, and we've got a caffeine as well. So we're good to go.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And we've just put the cigars out.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, praise the Lord and break out the ammunition.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Come on, what is the subject? Today?
Simon Pinchbeck:We're gonna what we thought I thought would be great, too. Because a few things that happened this week, Ben and I thought would be great. Just to revisit the the Evernote guy for Jesus have an echo for Jesus.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm gonna go for the church, I'm gonna go for Jesus happened to go for yourself.
Simon Pinchbeck:No having to go for Jesus, you know, where we've spoken about before. And, you know, there's a, there's a few scriptures that talk about it is a great scripture in Colossians 323 yet it's talking about the Christian home. And he says And whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So Praise be to God.
Simon Pinchbeck:What, what we what we, what we do. Go for Jesus, we're doing it for the Lord and Amen. And not for men. And and why why we want to do that is to see it's that ripple effect when you know it. Yeah, it goes out. And so what, you know, as we've spoken about before, we're not talking about being the alpha, the Omega, the beginning the end, we're talking about small. Yeah. I remember a couple of years ago that the the Anglican Church Church of England came out with this thing we've got to do acts of kindness.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Oh, yeah. Right. Yeah, remember that? Yeah.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, two things on that, really is that if we're doing an act of kindness, yeah. Then you gotta let people know that Jesus loves them you got to get Jesus or God into the conversation somehow. Otherwise you just another nice blow
Reverend Ben Cooper:otherwise it's just a nice it's an act of kindness isn't.
Simon Pinchbeck:The other thing is if you are born again, spiritual believer, this is the way you should be living your life anyway. living your life.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's the really interesting point, isn't it? Live it live in your life for Jesus and I you know, I've said this so much, I'm starting to realize how difficult it is to live as a man, forget all the titles that everybody gives us. Wherever ministers were in, just live in being a follower of Jesus and having a go for Jesus. When we can get so caught up in activities and acts of kindness then I've got a read I'll get myself right with Jesus. Totally
Simon Pinchbeck:you've got every second got to get yourself right with with Jesus, we've got a look at the motivation for why you do stuff. And and every day, really, as a born again, believer in Jesus Christ. Yeah, it's a matter of really getting up every day and being intentional. And saying to the Lord, and this way, this is when it becomes exciting, Ben because if you say the Lord, Lord, use me a day, God becomes a little bit can become a little bit daunting, can it you know, leave me somewhere where you want to use me at age you know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:because if you use if you go down the Bible route, and you go Lord, use me today. You're surrendering to the will of the Father. Yeah, to surrender to the will of the Father. And when we say ever go for Jesus, that having a go surrendering the will into the will of the Father is not going to be The intention that I might have for my day?
Simon Pinchbeck:No, no. And that's a great point. That's a great point. Because you, you might think, oh, I've got this plan and that plan. Yeah. And and is that saying isn't there, you know, as you make God laugh, tell him your plans. So you might say, Lord, I've got this plan that I've got that plan today. And he goes, Okay, well, that is, you know, and, and so, if it all comes back down to that relationship with Jesus Christ, so if your relationship with with Jesus Christ is is, is on a firm footing, is, is is based in on the Word of God and you you're in communication with him on a regular basis, then radical faith, which is what that is, because you're, and then what then happens is radical faith,
Reverend Ben Cooper:gives it a word, they're radical,
Simon Pinchbeck:radical faith becomes to lead to radical obedience. Because then you see, the miraculous
Reverend Ben Cooper:time that we hear the word radical is in other sides of the story. Yeah, their radical in extremism, and all that sort of stuff. And you see that in other religions, but literally, when I have thought about that word before being radical for Jesus is basically standing up for what I believe in, and not backing down in what I believe in. So what I believe in, is Genesis to Revelation. His Word is without error. Yeah, yeah. But now, if I'm saying that I am a true believer in Christ, living for Jesus, it's easy to say, I love Jesus and I follow Jesus. But then that's, that's got a transfer into my lifestyle. Yeah. Yeah. And that is so hard to do.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah. So it's, it's very easy to to say like, it's very easy to, to say to other people, you can do this, you can do that. But when it comes down to you, and all you saw in yourself out, yeah, yeah. So sort of radical faith thing is, is, is checking our motives, checking ourselves, checking our thinking, tricking our thinking, our understanding our understanding. And, you know, Jesus says, this is you know, he said, come to me with all your problems and burdens, and I will give you rest. And what did he say that he went on to say, after that, he said, because my yoke is easy, my burden is light. So if you're walking, you know, a yoke is over, it's over you, you know. So you're walking with that by yourself. It's, it's tough, and it's heavy, it's heavy. But if you've got Jesus Christ next to you, yeah, yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's an easy and it's easy, you know, so it becomes easy, but also, the more I want to be a disciple, and the more I want to be under his will, then I have a spiritual aspect, that the enemy will try to drive at me to try and take me away from Christ. So there is a spiritual battle as well isn't there that we don't say, there's a battle when the heaven is, as I decide to follow Jesus, I'm not talking about church, we're talking about following Jesus, then a radical believer, a radical man, for Christ standing up for what you believe in. So I lift the Word of God out here. It's what I believe in. Now I've got to now I've got to be able to live in what he says the judge shall live by faith, but to live by faith in a world that is all visual. It's hard,
Simon Pinchbeck:it's tough. And and if you haven't got that strong faith and belief in the Word of God, then the enemy is going to use a number of tools to try and pull you out of the hands, take you out of that yoke, leave that leave that you with that yoke by yourself. And one of the biggest ones is guilt, of course, guilt, you know, we slip up on a daily basis in thought word and deed and, and we just said, you know, outside that the, you know, the enemy is the the cue sort of reverence. So, he will be constantly accusing who to the Father of all the stuff you've done. So, if, if you're quick to jump on that stuff, and get rid of it, confess it. And the thing is, the more you walk with Christ and the war, you walk with the spirit. The more conviction you have, that stuff you're doing is wrong. stuff that you are looking at is wrong stuff that you are speaking out is wrong, and it's So it doesn't make it hard. It's not hard this thing. It's, it's, it's easy once you know, but what makes it hard is that we want to do things in our own flesh. That's what makes us flesh so that
Reverend Ben Cooper:so the battle is within the battles within, within your mind, the way you think the way the process life, the way you look at certain areas of life and, and you see the world, the world is going one way, and you know that you've got to go the other way. So you've got a draw going this way, and you've got a pole coming this way. So, to walk with Christ is very powerful. It's very challenging.
Simon Pinchbeck:and, especially, you know, with this, this is going out when we're when we're in the middle of a pandemic. And, you know, we are told we have to wear a mask, you know, everywhere so, to ever go for Jesus from beyond a mask isn't as easy but is the thing you know, you people are just desperate for someone to give them a kind word to give them our you know, to give them a god bless you, you know, I was I was talking to my to my mike who was a bus driver the other day is a great Christian fella and he will call me and he was saying he was telling them he said he said because we were talking about having a god for Jesus we presume we will talk about you know is that is is the small things really you know, that he was saying everyone he sees on his boss God bless you, God bless you. He said a lady got up on his bus and walked out to him when will God bless me? He said it was so so that's the accounting encounters and the conversations you have if we if we give ourself to the Lord you know I've said many times that you know I love a cup of coffee and I love going into places even even now this you know when I go into to get a takeaway or something the Lord will say is that as good as the girl as she is today and really sometimes you don't want to do that because all you want to do is grab your your your Americano and girly
Reverend Ben Cooper:Lata yeah
Simon Pinchbeck:and get out you know you're old enough like with decaf i was i was behind someone once who say can have a decaf espresso I mean what was the point was he was taking over a scotch and water but no Scott knows anyone can
Reverend Ben Cooper:come on but but
Simon Pinchbeck:but is the thing if you spend some time just all it takes is just a tiny bit yeah. And just say to how are you today because you know these conversation is important as what you what you see them pretty much just put your mask down or even from behind the mask because what you see these days is people ordering coffees or on the phone there's no eye contact or conversation and then God bless you you know if you get you know, we've been in situations where you know how's your day and a woman will just open up to start chatting just touching. Okay, can I pray for you then you know, and if there's a couple of you then that's fine. Amen. It's amazing where that leads. And my biggest one and also not my biggest fear but one thing I would hate is if you know I'm up there and and facing the Lord and he goes you know I would have liked to you to have spoken to that person you remember that person I would like you to spoken to them but you didn't use you went in to get busy That day you were busy and we got someone else to do it and a problem but couldn't done were you doing that is not a nice place to be is not a nice
Reverend Ben Cooper:place to be. So having a go for Jesus. Yeah, that is a challenge. Especially when we're in restriction.
Simon Pinchbeck:It is a challenge.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And is it we are we are locked down we are. It's becoming heavy. I know the green light has gone up and you can almost feel like it's a racehorse waiting to go. And then what we're going to go into what
Simon Pinchbeck:we're going to go into But listen, there's still opportunities because you know, I don't care who you are. You have Amazon parcels delivered to your door down here. Now sometimes they're knock on the door when I run out or run away. But sometimes you can catch them before they they are the guy last night I am delivering cigars.
Reverend Ben Cooper:scotch.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, no, he was delivering pizza. Step at a swimming pool now. We're used to, you know, delivering the food from a card or ever been done before, and I was just having a chat with him, you know, find out that he was he was a taxi driver. And he there was no no work for me London. So he got into this and, you know, he, and he seemed a bit embarrassed about what he was doing. Yeah, you see, the bears who acid dump so might be encouraged as you, you're having a go here, you know, you're getting money for your family, you're doing what you want, you know, you're not sitting on your ass, you know. I said, Oh, my, God bless you, you know, God bless you for what you're doing. And God will be with you. And you know, and he went away. He encouraged encouraged and that so we have opportunities
Reverend Ben Cooper:we have, I think we're in a, in where we sit in a world today where we need to encourage one another is it totally, because we're behind the mask would be on a screen. It when you when you go in the banks, you go into coffee as is wherever you go, you're like, put your mask on, stand behind their stand on the red circle, I was in Barclays and, and the lady said to me, You got to stand on the on the blue spot. And I'm thinking if I can stand on the blue spot, I'm going to die, what's gonna go on. And I think what's going on what's going on, don't move forward until that person is like, very regimented, and very, very military style that when they move, I've got a move. And so there's, there's a lack of encouragement out there at the moment, there's a lack of, of communicating with frightened to communicate
Simon Pinchbeck:with trying to communicate, but but there's still massive opportunities. I mean,
Reverend Ben Cooper:every day,
Simon Pinchbeck:every moment, I went to a garden center, I was the only person in there I was buying a few bits and pieces. And it was lovely little girl on a checkout, you know, and Robert just grabbed me stuff. And I said, Listen to me, she said, Oh my god, this is this is your permanent job. She said, No, I do this three days a week, I've got my own business. And so really wow. And and, and before, you know, I said, Be encouraged, you got your own business. Oh, well, God bless you. Love ship, and you know, and she could see little eyes light out, but we can't be out there encouraged you know that. That go, you know, whatever, wherever is going whatever it might lead to your your deal. God will sort that out. But
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's the encouragement, encouragement, if we miss the conversation, we'll
Simon Pinchbeck:still be like, we're still commissioned, you know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's like, if we've been locked in pushed back. And we're lacking that, that, that communicating with people and we need to start encouraging and to talk about acts of kindness and all that sort of stuff. We've got to be careful that you don't go above and beyond, but you still got to live for Christ and living for Christ is is the greatest thing that anyone can ever doing. Just to give encouragement to give time to someone you know that that
Simon Pinchbeck:give time to time? is only a couple of minutes. Yeah, you could change that person's day. You know, who knows where it might lead? Let me let me tell you this before you know became a Christian used to live on my feelings very much and so if I did around with a wife, or something gone wrong at work someone else was gonna cop. Yeah, so you know, we leave the house doormat house angry, frustrated, frustrated, someone's only gonna get either verbally or physically someone was gonna copy it. Yeah. If I chat with my sons, and I knew then that was a ripple effect. Someone was gonna copy it from them. So the reverse is true. Yes. So we multiply the blessing. So we want to bless somebody and cheer them up. They're gonna be cheerful to other people. Right? You know, that's, that's it. That's what the way
Reverend Ben Cooper:that's the power of encouragement, therapy, the power of just encouraging someone but we talk about living for Jesus. That is, that is so hard to live for Christ to be a believer in a world that is so angry, angry and frustrated and in this washing machine of mess, and you're trying to smile at people and a new most smaller sample and they go what you're smiling at me for Yeah, dude, why are you looking at me like that? Because we're so tender. We're so on age of political correctness and saying the right thing without offending someone.
Simon Pinchbeck:Don't you think there's a bigger opportunity?
Reverend Ben Cooper:It's a massive opportunity.
Simon Pinchbeck:living for Jesus. It's so there's a bigger opportunity to to stand out in a bigger opportunity to dine out Yeah, radical, let the light shine and And then when you when you get up in the morning you go, Lord, leave me, you know. And even if you're, even if you're not going out in the house, as I said, there's, there's opportunities. If you're going out for a walk or exercise when you're when you're out when you're taking a dog out there's opportunities is always people wanting to stop and, and speak. There's some people that will avoid you will some people avoid me anyway. But I've got this, like, I've got I've got this six month old Rottweiler puppy now and he's, he's huge. He's got Yeah, and the thing is, people do afford you, but, but sometimes they don't. And sometimes you get an opportunity. When whenever the opportunity is just given up, you know, you'd have to read a Bible that's just live, because we need to be part of a process that bring someone along the journey part of the journey and and if someone knows you're a Christian, and you're miserable. What witnesses that? Total is just a witness like the rest of the world, rest of the world. Yeah. So we need to have that hope is,
Reverend Ben Cooper:yeah, the word it comes back to the word and
Simon Pinchbeck:back to the word because the promises of God coming
Reverend Ben Cooper:back to knowing Jesus to being in Christ or being on the word, so when the rains come, the storms hit against the house, we will stand. And it comes about building on Christ being radical. So being radical for Jesus, for living for Christ, being a man or woman for Christ and just, just just following him and just trusting him, you know, now is a time to live by faith, isn't it?
Simon Pinchbeck:It's massive time and listen to this. I this morning. I was listening to a YouTube finger conversation. And he's a he's a man of faith disguise names. General, Lieutenant General Michael Flynn retired. He's, he's, he's been through the middle and back in the States. Please said this, he said 2% of the passionate people control 98% of the indifferent 100% of the time. Wow. So 2% of the passionate people control 98% of the indifferent people 100% of the time. So I know, I know you and I love you and your passion. You're You're such a passionate guy. So people feed into that, you know, when you're passionate about something. So Mike, this is as a as a Christian that made me think you know, as a Christian, really? So how are we going to switch on that? 98% we switched on how do I get 98%? What do we got? We've got some sleeping sheep that really Yep, you know, guys that and women that that are okay, where they are, they just don't want to be and that's fine. But you've got some Sleeping Giants and sleeping lions there
Reverend Ben Cooper:that need to be a woke up need to be at work. How do I how do I awake that we talk about Jesus, you get him involved? Because we can't find any other way to go. always comes back and thanks be to God, it comes back to the power in the name of Jesus. Because you know, when you live for this, this is always a real interesting thing for me. believing in Jesus is is as I said earlier on billet I believe from Genesis to Revelation, but I've got to live it.
Simon Pinchbeck:You can't live it. Look that
Reverend Ben Cooper:that is
Simon Pinchbeck:difficult faith in Jesus Christ. What is the greatest commandment Jesus said is love the Lord with all your heart? Yeah. But the second one is the harder one, isn't it? The second commandment is Love your neighbor as yourself. That is a tough one. I got I got I can love my God. I love the Godfather. You know, we've such a passion. But my next door neighbor, maybe not so much, you know, but that's what we're told to do. Treat others as we will be treated ourselves.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Treat others as you expect it to be treated as yourself. If you're treating people with anger, pride and arrogance, and you're just a wind up spring all day long, who's going to be in front of you the same audience as you are? The same audience you only get back what you put out what you put out. Yeah, you know, so if you've given them Jesus, you're going to get back Christ. So I find ministry can be a very lonely place. And we need it we need encourages brothers and sisters that are leading in areas of ministry need encouraging Congress Patients need encouraging because living in a pandemic living in a time, the church has told me how to tie up the church has told me what envelope to put the Gift Aid in, but the church hasn't told me how to live for Jesus, when it all hits the fan when all hell breaks loose. So we are in a washing machine of church where everything is going on on where we're trying to weigh out, we're trying to find a way out there. The world is trying to roadmap out of the pandemic we try and through statistics we try and through vaccinations, where we try and through this, and we try and through that, and it's very difficult to try and focus on God at this particular point. And and the reason I say that is because the world is so loud. And the church is so quiet, and the
Simon Pinchbeck:church is not quite aware of the men, where
Reverend Ben Cooper:are the spirit, leader leaders, there are leaders and there are leaders that are very fine spoken and and very well dressed, there are leaders that are that that can that can bring their business gift to the church, but I need to I need to hear someone that is full of the Spirit that will preach and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ through through the through the storm for everything,
Simon Pinchbeck:then there's plenty of people out there that will tell you Jesus's love, right. Yeah, plenty of people out there that would sort of tell you that a father's love and he loves you. You know, God cry warriors as well. Teach me to live for Jesus teach me and teach me to be a warrior for Jesus
Reverend Ben Cooper:teach me how to stand them to be still. When I've got the stones breaking out around me to teach me not to lean on my own understanding but to follow him. That is being radical for Jesus radical virgin, where there are these these Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones and Leonard Ravenhill, these these men that would preach the gospel with no compromise and not worry about political correctness, and saying, what they feel what God is leading them to, we have so much of the business world in church
Simon Pinchbeck:look at
Reverend Ben Cooper:business as collapsed in the pandemic,
Simon Pinchbeck:and big. And so we've seen a fallen away at time. So yeah, people from from jet because they haven't been scored, really. And in our to, a lot of guys haven't been scored in, in, like David in one Samuel 36. You know, he encouraged himself when the Lord is God. We haven't been told how to encourage ourselves in the Lord. Now, Oh, God, we haven't been told about some spiritual disciplines in our life. You know, my life is isn't is not be mirrored in many ways. But But what I do, I try and put some discipline, early place early morning, you know, and I've got you, you've been to my place, you're in the gym when I try. And I've got loads of scriptures written around the outside. And I say them, I say them every morning, keep
Reverend Ben Cooper:speaking, I was
Simon Pinchbeck:speaking at work, Sam, because of who I am. But I say it because of what Jesus has done for me, you know, so I say that I get them spiritual disciplines, and said, Get me mindset early in. One young man approached me and said, Would you be my spiritual father? Well, we've spoken about
Reverend Ben Cooper:our spiritual director, yes.
Simon Pinchbeck:Officers. I said, No, but you know, I'm happy to be someone you you know, you speak to him and we chat with him. We're talking about your life. I said, IV, you know, if you got a number of scriptures, which you you know, you read over your life. Yeah, no. I said, Well, you know, I can give you a set. I said, What What time do you get up? That sometimes nine sometimes maybe, you know, there was no disadvantage. There was no discipline and no will to be disciplined I have here we get we get nothing in our, in our life. Really, without we have some discipline lines, you know, even too much as you know, it's something that I need to do on a daily basis, write down, write down stuff we need to do. But number one, we should seek first the kingdom. So we're seeking first the kingdom and everything else will fall into place,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you know, has to be Jesus. And, and even at the beginning of the day, as morning breaks as afternoon comes in. As evening come, it has to be Jesus all the way through. It has to be the center, in essence and the end. So there's a radical faith. It starts with me
Simon Pinchbeck:Then in through the conversation that we have with Jesus Christ, who leads us to our father, then the radical obedience will come in because there might be someone at the petrol station The Lord wants you to gardens. Yeah. So there may be someone at the at the on the checkout when you go to the supermarket we have limited contact with people but then they still contact there.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I think we are living in a time now where the one to one conversation is so powerful that the stadium evangelizing The world is is is not cutting it off for you. So something they're not sad about stadiums. That's all done. The large churches are done. Because you become a number and you become a statistic. What happens
Simon Pinchbeck:is is been and you know, I've said I've said it, and I've spoken about it many times. we wander into these big auditoriums, we sit there. Yeah. And you're getting fed, fed fed. Some of it. Proper stuff, but you're getting spoon fed. Yes. And you're sitting and you're getting fat on discipleship. Now, unless you do something with that. You're just gonna, you'll explode. Yeah, you explode. So we need to, you know, we haven't been all of a sudden now. We're in a situation where we haven't gotten that lock on zoom. The real deal is it's not. So it's the one on one stuff was
Reverend Ben Cooper:dropping that word at the petrol station at the coffee house, or wherever you're working or just saying, hello, how are you working? Yeah, and just letting your light shine, just letting you know, just letting the word shine from you. And then and then the church has made it look like how many people in your congregation? How big is the church you go to? The more people in the church, the more Jesus is working? Well, actually, no, it's the opposite. Actually.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, where's your identity? Is it in the building is in the church? Is it in the numbers? Yeah. Or is it in Jesus Christ? And you certainly a good thing there been? Many people are after, you know, doing work at home? Yeah. And they're on the on the zoom or on the computer on the FaceTime or whatever you use. And if we're in big Well, no, we're Christians. And if we're down, I go on. Bad air die, bah, bah, bah, dybala. People are gonna go, what's the point of this? Jesus? Yeah, what's the point? But if we've got a light, you know, as long as we're shaking a tambourine every time we come on the screen now, but if you've got, if you're at peace, that's the thing. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:If you've got peace, and where do I find the peace you've found in Jesus's time, the center point of the same token, it's all about Christ is about being a disciple is about believing there is a difference between believing and the same thing that I said earlier, is about living that that that is that is complete that I can believe but then I've got to transfer my belief into this, this earth so and get this earth suit to live right to focus right to do the will of the Father, because the flesh the flesh, the flesh has a massive pole, to what the wall is doing. So there is a battle and, and, and I think there's a lot of Christians that are uncomfortable in the skin they're in, because the church hasn't showed us how to live in crisis in temptations and fears and doubts. And then suddenly, this wave has crashed across the world. And fear is everywhere. And so much has happened and the church has shot and we've made church an idol. We've worship the building, rather than worship the King of kings. And what how in the building the fabrics not going to get you to heaven.
Simon Pinchbeck:What are we what, what have we been taught about behaving in that building? We've been talking about putting your church face on,
Reverend Ben Cooper:put your church face everything's alright, everything's okay.
Simon Pinchbeck:cup of tea bit of cake. See you next week. Now, we had an experience this week, and we got a whatsapp group for the real man for Christ, which came on and we did a zoom meeting and and we had an amazing testimony from one of the fellows there when you came on, you told us what was going on in a limb and, you know, we something we talked about, and we discussed it, but one of the guys who was on that group suddenly came out on on the on the WhatsApp and said, You know, I'm not leading my life, right, my life's a mess. I want prayer. And I'd like a bit of, you know, anyone, you know, willing to win to give me a call. Suddenly, there was conviction of that guy wanting to start to live his life right now. I've done that guy for a number of years, and I've known there was stuff going on beneath the surface, but he was and is the thing I learned very early on in my Christian walk. Not to poke someone's hurt no, too much because yes to get an adverse reflex, so when they're ready, they'll, they'll come with you or someone else. So this fella at the time was right. The time was right for this guy to open up. And, and, and someone's been in touch with Bryce, because a lot, you know, he's got a bit of stuff out there. But I've known these guys for a very long time. And he's he's always, let's not talk about me too much. Let's just talk about the stuff I'm doing. You know, you know, we all know, we all know that and you sit back and think there's something going on. But you know, I'm not going to push it. It was the time when the time's right.
Reverend Ben Cooper:But when you got to examine yourself that's painful
Simon Pinchbeck:when you got to examine yourself. Yeah, and I love you. I
Reverend Ben Cooper:love the text. We're in the Old Testament where it says and the Prophet went down to the potter's house and he watched the master shaping the clay. My prayer has been for a long time, Lord, keep me on the pot as well. Because I need to be shaped by you. When I'm in the Masters hands, I'm safe. And here's the thing that shaped me shaped me alone.
Simon Pinchbeck:And we've spoke about it before, but it's a great point that you bring out there is we're continually being shaped in the potter's hands. He could make an a magazine vase or something, or you just like that. Exactly. But he's not going to do that. Why? Because all of a sudden, you might be strolling around and go and look at me on these gray bars. You're still like no, because it is a continual process that we need to keep going back surrender is surrendering on a daily basis on a sometimes on an hourly basis we need to be surrendering because it's a great checkpoints a great checkpoint Lord help me Lord.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm struggling. Yeah, I've got issues deal with stuff because we, you know, we don't have time to talk about today but but deep rooted stuff, deep rooted, rooted stuff that needs to be extracted that only the power of garden and the journey of time can only release us from that, you know, yeah, soul ties, and all sorts of things that have gone on on issues that we've been addicted to and, and pressures and worries and fears that just sit upon us. You know, you can sit under the greatest counselor, you can listen to the greatest pastor and teacher across the world, but the only person that is going to get this process moving is me when I confess
Simon Pinchbeck:when you confess and and what do we need, we need that communication with Jesus Christ and an eternal Spirit of God,
Reverend Ben Cooper:confident to be an Aries, we need to understand that we can be confident in Christ to speak to him and know that he's not going to condemn us. Because the scripture makes it so clear. There is now romans eight, verse one, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus, but I cannot. And it seems to be over the years that we're too frightened to speak about our lives in the public arena of church, because church will point the religious finger at me and say, You can't have Jesus because you're living and looking and, and living like that when actually, the Bible says there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. And if you don't know that stuff, you don't know that text you
Simon Pinchbeck:you
Reverend Ben Cooper:will keep your guilty. But there is freedom in Christ. And there is freedom in speaking and being honest, and letting know letting the world know that I have found I stumble, I fall I slide on the ice of life. And don't follow me follow Jesus
Simon Pinchbeck:follow Jesus. And you know, if we if we were not check continually checking ourselves if we're not continually checking out our motivation very quickly. We can we can sort of build a wall or stronghold around that stuff. Yeah. And, and we want to put on a church face that the church wants to see I think great, great. And, and even if we do confess stuff, we're just dealing with the weed. We're not really dealing with the route I'll remember. And I've seen some amazing things where suddenly guys get convicted of what's going on and two occasions one occasion was a lovely young man at when I was out in Texas, lovely young man. And he had problems with word set over him when he was younger, which is massive,
Reverend Ben Cooper:very powerful, huge negativity and you can't achieve you won't do that. Or a bad vibe
Simon Pinchbeck:or a bad thought or you see that. I've seen men in the 70s what a dad said he might be a one off comment. a one off comment might be a one off comment, but it's bang Is it your locker.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Why? Because the James says very clearly that the tongue is that is the smallest muscle in Buddy, and is the most powerful and it will do the most damage. Why? Because speech is powerful. And especially if it comes from someone that you respect and respect in your family,
Simon Pinchbeck:there's an elder, it's it's a father of an older brother or, you know, someone in the old, it may be a teacher at school or or someone like that, and this young man would sit over him, which was negative, and he was believing that negativity. And the problem is that every negative comment after that just builds on top of that, doesn't it? consequently, you're living a life of insecure. I'm not worthy.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm insecure.
Simon Pinchbeck:I'm insecure.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm not educated enough. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Look, causing problems again. Yeah. It's them again.
Simon Pinchbeck:So you've got this young man. And he, we just said to him, what does God say about you? And he just sat there. Silence. Silence. As a spirit, what does God say about you? And the nominees mouth and there wasn't a dry eye in the place. Believe me when I'm a warrior. Wow. I'm a warrior. That's what he's saying. Yeah. And all of a sudden, man, this guy was 10 feet tall. He got rid of that route.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Table, they'll riff?
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah. You've been dealt with. Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:sank powerful, and about God's word. And I do come back to that text, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus, but you
Simon Pinchbeck:see the enemy, he won't use what you use
Reverend Ben Cooper:people to fire the arrow of the word,
Simon Pinchbeck:and they'll come at you when you're young. When you're young, there was another guy in his 50s. And he said, I've always been fearful of fear about everything of fear. You know, and it's a common thing. Yeah. And fear is a root of unbelief. So is rooted in unbelief. So, you know, you're not believe in the word of the Lord because you're fearful. And when he was asked, you know, where did that start. And the Spirit convicted him that when he was a young boy of eight years old, he was on the school bus. And the bus broke down, and the driver left and he started in a fear come over him, that the driver was not going to come back and they were going to be abandoned. And then that's when the first starts the roots die. So the roots started there. So that it was fair mountain and loose, and really got deeper and they got deep. So that Yeah, brought that out. And you in Jesus name, got rid of that stuff. And this guy isn't now living a life of no fear of freedom, freedom, you should know the truth. and the truth shall set you free. Freedom, and
Reverend Ben Cooper:he's living in freedom, and he's gonna give us this freedom. Jesus comes back is Christ is the hubby's the center. Everything that comes back to him comes to the cross comes from the blood freedom, it's not to say that we will get free of whatever it may be, and then not not be, won't be a tendency to draw back to that. But we got to be able to understand that we got to put the shield of faith up and we got to trust them. We got to walk in the Spirit. And we got a walk in the power of the Word of God and trust them. You know, the Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of His glory. So fear will drive us to do things that we never would normally do. Faithful drivers to do things. Yeah. So there's an opposite. There's an opposite. There's an opposite. So I've got to be in the word. If I'm in faith, it's going to keep me radical for Jesus.
Simon Pinchbeck:We got to be fear less. Yes. For for our Christian value. Yeah, yeah, we've got to stand up and be fearless for our Christian values. And it's not easy. You said you know we we have a lot of people that a lot of people out there running towards one direction, and then to stand up and go, No, my wife does not yet say that my faith is telling me this is the right way in Jesus Christ.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It has to be Jesus coming back to Christ,
Simon Pinchbeck:then you said then we are truly free. We're truly free.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, it's so it's a journey isn't as a process. It's a it's a we know God can do it as quick as a blink. We know it might take us 10 years to get free but we are on the journey of freedom. As soon as we start to recognize this stuff, it's a process. It's a journey, even our walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil, you're running your stuff. They come For me, we are on a journey. It's it. We're on a, we're on a race believe in
Simon Pinchbeck:the word of the Lord.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I believe I will be set free from addictions. I believe I'll be set free from worries, I believe I'll be set free from workplace issues, I believe, I believe Yes, I believe I mean,
Simon Pinchbeck:many people quote, Psalm 91, which is a great song, you know, but if you read that, and if you look at it, if I brought in the Sheldon in the shadow of the Almighty arrest in the most I, if you do this, if you do that,
Reverend Ben Cooper:if you do that,
Simon Pinchbeck:you make the loads your most high if you make him your most, if you do it, you can't just say yes, it's you got to believe them and act them out.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So that's transferring my faith into action into action. People go
Simon Pinchbeck:Matthew 633, seek first the kingdom and everything else will fall into place. Seek first that means put the kingdom first at the top at the top.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I seek I seek I keep seeking
Simon Pinchbeck:before your family before you for
Reverend Ben Cooper:any for any in life. Seek seek God's kingdom.
Simon Pinchbeck:I was on a men's whatsapp group the other day and someone threw out Jeremiah 2911. What a scratch back back to Scripture. And they'll Yeah, great scripture, blah, blah, blah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:What about verse 14? And is
Simon Pinchbeck:right slung back at him? I said, fellas, it's a great scripture. But look a little further.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Go down a few more words. If you follow me with all your heart, say if I can't follow him with lip service. I can't follow him with Yeah, I'll do that. I'll do that. I'll do that. Yeah, I'll start tomorrow. It's got to start within. It's got to start start within. It's in. You know, I
Simon Pinchbeck:said, I speak to many men and their Christian men and they go, well, life's a train wreck, you know, but still, I do the zoom staff. I know I do this now. I said what time he given to the Lord, you know, and they go, I really got too much time to get through Lord You know, I've got homeschooler kids, I've got to do this and well, of course your life's a train wreck because you're not seeking first the Kingdom believe Ben unbelief is the biggest it's the worst sin that's out there on belief. And and if you're not into the Scripture, if you're not talking to Jesus Christ, God What do you expect? What do you expect you can't send that suddenly go Jesus come in under the plow and then oh, I'm okay I'll do that myself is it's a constant thing you've got to live your life
Reverend Ben Cooper:but the prosperity church the prosperity gospel has pushed that he and the fakeness that that you can have it all now when you come you've got to go on the journey. You've got to step out in faith you got to trust in you got to walk with him. You gotta lean not not on your own understanding but just to fall it fall into Christ's arms it's a process you've got to start somewhere
Simon Pinchbeck:so you've been you know if you're not careful you've been led down this route by by a shepherd who's who's who's got everything you know, materially you know when the material
Reverend Ben Cooper:shepherd
Simon Pinchbeck:and it's very easy for them to call out this down the hammer down you know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:go says give me the pastor
Simon Pinchbeck:but materially but I'm not taking care of your spiritual needs your spiritual needs are huge. We any any any better to be at peace. Yeah, that's the piece
Reverend Ben Cooper:it comes back to this doesn't have to where are the spiritual leaders? I've lost honor emailing and texting to go You know what, look at this, because I can't see it. I can't see across this platform of the UK where we've got the Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones just preaching the Royal root word you know those theologians out there I'm not disrespecting anyone but I'm, I'm referring to the Joshua and Caleb's that are really, really pushing in really pushing it
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, we I don't see any any strong. I don't see any even across the pond, which are which I keep abreast of. I don't see any powerful there are odds with each other over their vision.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, there's the exodus within Exodus within Yeah, what we said about earlier on Yeah, the golden calf makers in the Old Testament won the world they was within the children of Israel
Simon Pinchbeck:and the sad thing is people are looking on YouTube every every Tom dick and whatever it is. It's got a YouTube channel where now whatever Oh, got a word of God got you know, got word. worth it, and people are bouncing around till they get a word that suits them. That's right. Instead of getting into the word,
Reverend Ben Cooper:the word I follow somebody out right there.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, this is really good that Yeah, really only, you know, looking at it. You know, john MacArthur is a good straight word for you. And maybe a couple of others and even you know, john McAfee has, he's globally he doesn't believe in certain things meant His Word is true. And a gospel is currently preaches his tribe of people. We, we but we haven't the only tell you what they only because funny thing the other day, I watched a YouTube clip of a of a, of a Catholic bishop, who called out who called out actually called out a COVID thing, you know, in the states and another one called out President Biden that says, you know, you ain't fit to be call yourself a Catholic. That's, that's now I've seen a few is a few. But there's, there's no real one standing up and going. Jesus get together under the cross and let's pray together and let's just get out there and still be
Reverend Ben Cooper:able to go, come on with, come on. He comes back to Jesus. Come back to Jesus the conversations across and what we're talking about. I've got a follow up, I got a walk. I got a and that opens up so much more about living, right. That's another subject on his own, but I got to believe I stopped believing and walk in and start dealing. I don't actually need to deal with it. I just got a follow. You've got to just follow
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, follow me and we've said it before. Put your hands to the plow. Don't look back. Just follow the shields five, which is Jesus Christ.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Praise be to God. Come on Lord. Simon. You know, it's been so good to have you with us this morning this afternoon. Whenever people listen to us around the world, you've been listening to someone Pinchbeck, and you've listened to myself, Reverend Benjamin and it could be here in Ealing church and you can find us on buzzsprout on all the other platforms we are live on social media so if you need Simon he is accessible and you're going to go to go and crime watch and you will find him there quite easily. You can catch him for real men for Christ and I must say when he referenced one direction he wasn't talking about Harry Styles. He's talking about Jesus is Jesus is that one direction we thank God for Simon's life his family his the ministry that God is leading him in and wherever you are around the world is so simple it's so easy to say as we always do, you got to follow Jesus got
Simon Pinchbeck:to follow Jesus got to follow Jesus I thank you for your fellowship and thank you for your friendship and really we need a couple of guys like not the relationship that we do and I would employ implore anyone out there you know man woman or you know just get a couple of people around you don't need an army of people that used to be okay with people and honestly can
Reverend Ben Cooper:be awkward and relax know that you haven't got a soul in your eyesight yet Jeff got a Jonathan you got an A David
Simon Pinchbeck:and you can have a bit of banter with Yeah. But But through it all. You both they both know you both know
Reverend Ben Cooper:that it's all about Jesus but Jesus Christ is the center point of your life and we need encourages so we encourage everyone the listeners out there to be around and to find encourages and check your friends. Check your friends,
Simon Pinchbeck:there's a there's a great guy on the social media says you know Show me your friends and I'll show you your future and we you if you've got someone who only wants you to listen to them and their problems and then when you say look, I need to be out there they you know they're upstairs collecting fares. Perhaps you should think about wherever you'll be take up too much of your time, that's for sure. But we implore everyone out there Ben today to go out advocate for Jesus Let's live for Jesus never go for G press in to Christ and even from beyond a mask we know my opportunities there's opportunities out there the word to encourage people to change someone's world for just 30 seconds but do it in Jesus name do it Tell him as a God that loves him otherwise he just did another nice thing which is great. But but we need to be able to go for Jesus that's the thing
Reverend Ben Cooper:tiny show. Time is very short where I live so very powerful. Yeah, amen. Donna show you're right time is show we love you. God bless you. May God keep you and can always guide you in every area of your life. But as we've been saying, you know, we keep saying this all the time. Follow Jesus. Follow Jesus for I love Jesus. And if seriously, if you don't know that day, just a simple thing is to invite Him into your heart. You had to be your Lord and Savior. And you don't need no great big
Simon Pinchbeck:prayer or whatever. You don't need an altar company in order to call. You just need to sit there and just say, Jesus, help me help me come into my life and turn away from the stuff that you thank you that you've saved me,
Reverend Ben Cooper:set me free. You've sent me went to the Calvary cross you give me a hope and a future and blood washed. It doesn't matter what the world says about me. You send your son for me. Amen. Hallelujah. Stay safe. Keep safe, but more than anything in the five stay under the blood of Jesus keeping the word. And you've been listening to us here at Elim church. God bless you and we'll catch you very very soon. Amen.