Reverend Ben Cooper:

Hello and welcome to Elim Church Swanley you're doing it myself, Reverend Ben Cooper for today's podcast. Afternoon. Good morning. Wakey wakey, rise and Sara shine.

Leya:

Good afternoon tea.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Good afternoon, everybody, wherever you are across Planet Earth on this little beautiful little chocolate of a Malteser that we live on. food we just kicked off talking about food

Leya:

Gluten and lactose,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

we're just having a little bit of fun. It's Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, wherever you may be listening to could be Monday. Maybe Tuesday, can be Wednesday,

Leya:

it could be

Reverend Ben Cooper:

any day. Whatever it is, this is the day

Leya:

that day that the Lord has made.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

This is the day that the Lord has made we shall rejoice and be glad we have live with us today we gather around a mic and we are gonna have a nice little chit chat. chit chat chit chat sun is out. It's not it's raining.

Leya:

It's been raining all week

Reverend Ben Cooper:

has been bad in the summer, British summertime. We're in the Lord's house. Wherever you are across the earth. We thank you so much for listening to us via the great media power of podcasting. And everyone on Spotify and Apple play and all them great places. buzzsprout We thank you so much for listening to this little ramble that we have for this 45 minutes and we are looking at a word and the word is

Leya:

singing,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

singing,

Leya:

singing,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

singing

Leya:

because this week. Well this last week on Sunday. The world was allowed to sing again in church,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

we was allowed to sing in the church.

Leya:

We had freedom the week before

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah, we did

Leya:

this week we had freedom in the church.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Weird I know. Always last. Church is always last

Leya:

strange

Reverend Ben Cooper:

church is wonder why that always happens. Interesting word in it singing. Make a joyful noise. The Scripture says make a joyful noise unto the Lord. You know

Leya:

everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Oh my goodness, Psalms, Psalms 100. I have here verse one to two

Leya:

150 calling you for everything that has breath.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yes. Yes. Make a joyful noise. Psalm 100. Praise the Lord. Psalm 100, verse one to two. And the Psalm says, and make a joyful noise unto the Lord. All the earth, serve the Lord with gladness come into His presence with singing.

Leya:

Oh, that's beautiful.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Psalm 100. That is, you know, singing is really, really powerful, isn't it?

Leya:

Yeah. Because usually, it's a bit googling and say, what's the Bible say about the subject. And this time, my feed is absolutely jam, Ram packed with stuff about singing, but is really important to our worship.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

It is it's important. There's a big word that's been buzzing around for such a long time, well being, well being well being I think he'll be careful with the word well being. Because I noticed that there's a lot of lot of mental health stuff, obviously chatting around and all going on. So we've got the mental health conversations, we've got the wellbeing conversations, and we've got the conversation of make sure I get yourself some exercise. Bound above everything we are missing is an interesting how, everything is being pushed of the natural, but the supernatural is being missed off the list. Hold your thought a minute. So I'm referring to spiritual. I know there's a big press for mental health as a big press for well being there's a big press for getting yourself out and getting self fit. But at the top of the tree, it has to be spiritual because spiritual covers your mental health. Spiritual covers your well being and spiritual covers your body. It does. It's interesting to me that through the education through the government for everything that's been happening through lockdown, the spiritual has been left for a long time off the peg.

Leya:

Yeah,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

it's all of the natural, you know, mind things

Leya:

to close down on the last thing to open.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah, so gonna

Leya:

just saying

Reverend Ben Cooper:

just saying, Are you listening out there?

Leya:

Yeah. Are you listening? you want our tithe, you want to tithe in taxes before but you dont want us to raise our voices in praise. Just saying just saying.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Just saying.Isn't it interesting though, that there's this great big push, physical, mental well being all tied together. But the driver of this is the spiritual if you get your spiritual you Right. You know, in line with God, there's a lot of people searching for lockdown all types of spiritual activity. You know, but if you want complete peace, because peace is to deal with well being, you know, the joy of the Lord shall be my strength, your mind that what does the scripture say? Do not conform to the pattern of this world. But how Your mind renewed, you know? So when we talk about singing on worship, it puts a joy in our heart, doesn't it? It does. Festival, singing

Leya:

there's something about it. That just raises you up.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Because it's a form of worship.

Leya:

Yeah. There's something about singing in a group of people. I was talking at work today. And I said, I'm going to go and do a podcast and they went, oh what are you going to do a podcast on doing it on singing. And my mate Martin, who sits next to me is a good dude. He's good. I can't sing. I'm no good at singing. I said what he said, No, no, no, I don't I don't do it. I'd sound terrible. I said, but it's not about sound in it's about doing singing is about doing? And do you think you sound terrible when you're singing in a crowd at football? Because he loves his football? And he suddenly went, ah, and if you think about it when you're singing in Sunday,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

yeah.

Leya:

Or what? Whatever there you attend the church, when you're singing with the rest of the parishioners, the rest of the people that are your brothers and your sisters. It's not about your voice being heard. It's about the doing if the expression Yeah, being with other people. And release in that, yeah, that awesome lover of your heart, straight for your lungs, and out of your voice box. Comes hits the ceiling. Ciao, and God hears you, but nobody else needs to. It

Reverend Ben Cooper:

is, though, she explained that it is very true. So sing. And that is singing worship. It has to be doesn't it?

Leya:

It's Congress. In a congregation?

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah. So it's a form of worship. So you mentioned football and sport. Isn't it interesting that to lift your lift yourself? And I will say lift your spirit and at football? They do they lift their arms up lift their heart. form of worship

Leya:

you know that?

Reverend Ben Cooper:

I didn't know that I'll have to come to this church

Leya:

songs or clap. But I say Thank You, Jesus.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord,

Leya:

You stand at the back Go. Come on Jesus.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Sort it out today lord, i need sorting out today. Today, praise, his singing, singing his braids, pray to see and singing is worship. Whatever way you look at it, you are worshiping. So singing is the inner, the inner being crying and expressing singing is a very interesting music is a very interesting, you know, when you when we moved spoken about sound waves before and things like that. So music is very powerful, isn't it? Yeah. And there's different types of music. There's different types of singing, there's different types of worshiping. So when we come into the house and the Lord, it was it's really interesting. When was the when was the old watering holes allowed to, to open up fully was a before the church?

Leya:

Yeah, like two weeks ago.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

So you was able to go into the

Leya:

I did my first open mic gig inside on Thursday,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Thursday, so that was

Leya:

three days before.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Three days before we were allowed to sing

Leya:

in church

Reverend Ben Cooper:

in church, but I'll go I could go down the weatherspoons go down and sang gone down and sang, and a few little

Leya:

bit 10,000 reasons I would have played it for you

Reverend Ben Cooper:

could have could have had some stellar arttouries done some Kumbaya, my lord.

Leya:

I don't actually drink so you don't have to drink to go to the concert. Enjoy.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Now you don't even you can have a nice glass of water.

Leya:

I'd like to sort of like demonize the pups because for our friends to

Reverend Ben Cooper:

coast, and we're not doing it and nobody know. But when we, when we look at this,

Leya:

to talk about is not the same as singing as a doing. It's a doing thing and the way that it makes you feel

Reverend Ben Cooper:

and where does it come from?

Leya:

That feeling

Reverend Ben Cooper:

inside you

Leya:

inside you? It's an expression, isn't it a view

Reverend Ben Cooper:

of expression of

Leya:

nothing scientific about it, not emotion that it comes from it. It's all from faith and belief.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Now they have done some study on it. Now, they make a joyful noise. The Scripture says make a joyful noise. It's really, really important for me as a believer to express you know, because singing and worship changes me doesn't it, it changes the person

Leya:

can actually be a form of exercise as well

Reverend Ben Cooper:

can be Yeah, it can be

Leya:

very good for your body in terms of your lungs. If you've got asthma or something like that, you could take on any kind of lung problems. If you do sing in your you're going to exercise your body, you can exercise your diaphragm, you're going to have your back straight, your shoulders are gonna sit back up again a better posture, but also, you're going to release so much tension. There's many a time I've been in a foul foul mode, and I've gone to band practice and I've smashed a guitar about Old and I might have come out going out what I'm still a little bit angry. But exercise, exercise something extra when you come to church, I find that when I come to church and seeing I'm not exercising anything but my love

Reverend Ben Cooper:

for Christ,

Leya:

and sometimes I'll be coming in and think I'm tired, I'm in a bad mood or remember, but when I hear the first chords of a song, and I'm standing there, and I'm looking at the lyrics, and I'm thinking, I believe that,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

yeah,

Leya:

I believe that it touches my heart. And honestly, it can drive me to tears. And a lot of people feel that.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah,

Leya:

non believers and believers, I was talking to somebody again at work the other day, and she said that her dad had gone to her Nan's church,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

okay,

Leya:

nan is quite religious and Pentecostal church, and that the pair of them are not religious. But when they went to the church, the music started, the choir will go in, and they ended up quiet,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

really?

Leya:

And I was like, well,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

music moves the body

Leya:

as it resonates within your body and doesn't become the instrument.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yes, yeah.

Leya:

You know, you become the flute, you become more you become the corona.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

That was too big for Swanley. That was to

Leya:

say, you become the flute, you become the instrument, you become your drummer, when your song is for God.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah.

Leya:

And you're breathing in God's oxygen that he created. And then you're resonating and you're exaling, a note meant for God. Yeah. Is there anything Pura and the fact that God's not going to judge what notes you hear? Because mostly when you speak about singing to people, they say, who can't sing, or sounds terrible. I'm tone deaf on dog rough, but no one cares. No one cares. I don't really care and in church. I'm not concentrating on the person next to me singing or the person that is

Reverend Ben Cooper:

an expression of worship.

Leya:

Exactly. All I'm caring about is, I feel this, I feel this, I feel

Reverend Ben Cooper:

for my innermost being. It's really interesting. Leya just brought to the table that how singing changes, your mindset changes your being changes your understanding. And there's a crazy old king. In the Old Testament, we know as Saul looked after David and the father of Jonathan and Jonathan, and David, were good chums. And Saul was the crazy king of Israel. He was only put in place. He was a Nutter. He was a barking man. But he was the king of Israel.

Leya:

Yeah,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

he was the king before David was anointed and put into place and King was a jealous out, gentlemen. And he was crazy. And he was only put into place because the people wanted the king and cry. And God said, The Origin The King for and then there was a long discussion about. So God said, All right, I'll give you what you want. He puts soul in place. And then they go, Oh, we got a nut case here. What I'm just trying to get to is that God gave the soul an evil spirit. But what would calm him down was David. David would would be called by soul to calm him down would be to play music. So David, so we know Sir David was David was the shepherd David was the anointed shepherd boy. He was the one that took Goliath straight out and he was the king of Israel top of the pop. He was top of he was a top diddly diddly doo doo. He was a top chap, King David and but he had a heart after God. So it's really interesting that David was the next king in line from soul and soul would call David to come in and to play because David was a musician. David was a poet. So David could fight. He wrestled a bear on a lion. He fought, you know, Goliath, he killed. So David he was he was a dude. My kidney was a rock and roll Rock

Leya:

and Roll Hall of Fame. But the Pops,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

but he was a fantastic musician. He was a brilliant musician. So he was called in to bring calmness to crazy soul. So what we're saying and what the scripture says and what we know. And also for science and for everything, the study of music, we understand that music is a powerful, a powerful way to control and and when I say control, it does control doesn't it? Does because it can put an audience it can put people into different

Leya:

Yeah, definitely the way

Reverend Ben Cooper:

the different vibes

Leya:

with a little bit of advice from your lovely wife, Kris

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah.

Leya:

I've been doing the playlist as she advised to start off slow and then go into sort of a more fast way and then get it back down again. So praise and worship.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah.

Leya:

And you can feel the difference in the room. Yeah, people are ready for praise and worship starts whereas before I was ending on a crescendo. It was a Yeah, a pop gig.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Crash bang wallop. Scripture mentions a about singing, some 95 verse one outcome he says, and he says, Let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful noise, the rock of our salvation. Yeah, really important. Singing is very, very powerful. And then we have one Corinthians into the New Testament. One Corinthians chapter 14, verse 15, and it says, I will pray with my spirit. But I will also pray with my mind also, and I will sing I will sing praise with my spirit bottle also will sing with also with my mind, isn't that interesting that you can sing without moving your lips?

Leya:

Because it's a meditative meditative.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

meditative

Leya:

singing can be a meditative thing, because you're not thinking about anything. You're just doing.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

So you hear inside you hear inside your being,

Leya:

you're literally just be in. Some people say when they go fishing, all they're doing is concentrating on that float.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah, yeah.

Leya:

Well, all you're doing when you're singing, is concentrating on what's coming out of you. And I think the same, you can do that in your mind when you're singing. So I would imagine I have been probably guilty of doing that quite a lot in my life. Somebody is talking to me and I'm singing cheer up sleepy g in my head.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Oh,

Leya:

it was it was. I would never be disrespectful like that. No, I suppose you can sing in your head. It's just a form of meditation, isn't it?

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah, yeah. But the scriptures.

Leya:

Meditate on him day and night.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Oh, Joshua. Come on, girl. She's right on the old biblio tonight's tomorrow this morning.

Leya:

Psalms gonna Psalm 104 33 ESB will sing to the Lord as long as I live and I will sing praise to my god while I have been. And I think that's like, yeah, yeah, man. That's why you raise your hands up. Yeah, that's why you raise your hand. Yeah, yeah, cuz you you're resonating with that. I keep using that word. But it really is like your body is vibrating with the notes that you're singing format worshipping my beautiful God worshipping the God of Israel, and you're just moved to a

Reverend Ben Cooper:

place of worship, and stands backflips in the church.

Leya:

Oh, yeah.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah,

Leya:

raise your hands up because you're like this is an extension of praise and resignations is an extension

Reverend Ben Cooper:

hallelujah. Psalm 40

Leya:

with other people at the same time.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah. But that's the same as a stadium experience or a festival experience or you're

Leya:

in those things if replaced. Yeah. Really worshiping?

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah. But what you're worshiping,

Leya:

worshiping Jesus.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Jesus, Psalm 40, Psalm 40, verse three, he put a new song in my mouth today, a song of praise to God. So many will see and fear and put their trust in him. He put a new song in my mouth, praising you know, there's something really powerful about the Psalms. The psalms speaks a lot about singing and exalting the Lord and worshiping and praising him. Obviously, David, the psalmist, the great poet, the great musician, wrote a terrific amount of Psalms, Psalms 30, verse four says, sings practicing praises unto the Lord, oh, his saints, and give thanks to his holy name, worship and praise, worship and praise are really really powerful. They go together so beautifully. Come on.

Leya:

I will sing of your strength, I will sing out of your steadfast love in the morning. Morning was broken.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Morning is broken.

Leya:

angels as well. It just spend all of their time just singing,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

singing and praising singing. Yeah, right. Yeah. Yeah. You love the old angels. So music is powerful music and sing in an exaltation

Leya:

its joyful,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

Leya:

And it's also it can be so expressive, because it can be so joyful. It is an expression of your being lift you lift up in, yeah, but it can also be an expression of whatever pain you've got in your heart. One of the songs that captured me when I first came into this, too, is this is amazing grace.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah.

Leya:

Which is all about. Wow.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah, I'm seeing I'm actually seeing it in my head.

Leya:

And then the other one is Come as you are by Crowder.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Oh yeah.

Leya:

burden lay down your and that was the one that was just like, was powerful. As a human being, I got to feel that in my heart, and it was like somebody punched me in the heart. Yeah, it was like, Oh, yeah. Because who hasn't got burdens? Who hasn't got that? Who isn't going to sing that with truth because

Reverend Ben Cooper:

you can't hide? and you can see the real person when you're seeing an expression for singing And what's really, really important to mention that we don't want to give him too much airplay on this podcast or any but Lucifer nasty, nasty.

Leya:

He was a musician.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

He was a musician.

Leya:

Yeah, not all musicians are good

Reverend Ben Cooper:

silence

Leya:

ones at this table are though

Reverend Ben Cooper:

are the ones in front of me. But when you look when you think about Lucifer, and David Lucifer and David David was king, David was anointed. David was the psalmist. David is was a great leader even though he had his faults, but he was a great warrior. He was a great fighter, he was a great musician he was he really could worship he really could, could play that that lie or that that instrument, you know, that that's mentioned in the Old Testament and in Psalms. And it's really interesting that that, praise when you're praising God, you're exalting God, and you're you're praising him and you're, you're lifting him and you're worshiping not that he needs that from us whatsoever. He doesn't need us in any way, shape, or form. But it's Yes, yeah, yeah, of course. It's nice lifting the God and praising that God and worshiping God, because that's what the scripture says, as well. And the angelic beings are saying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord most worthy to be praised. So singing and worshiping, to the God of Israel is very powerful. And then then we have the other fella that I mentioned that got cast out of heaven. He wants to be worshipped. He wants to be praised, he wants to be lifted up. But isn't it interesting? There are certain types of music that he uses in certain areas of the world, that that does that exact thing.

Leya:

Certain legends,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

legends,

Leya:

specific guitar players and singers.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah, yeah,

Leya:

they met the devil at the crossroads. Yeah. So they sell to him. And that's how they got their skill and their talent.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah.

Leya:

And I find that quite like if I was one of those musicians.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

I think I'd be out of there.

Leya:

Feeling a little bit fed up but think Hang on a minute, I'll practice for ages with this God given skill that I've been given and you're selling me that I went and sold my soul to the devil, to get it.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

But it's just it just shows you that doesn't it that there's two sides to everything we talk about. There's the exalt on the praise of God and lifting him up and and worshiping God, through the Scripture and through your innermost being because as we said, worship and singing comes from your innermost being and your lift, you're even lifting up God or you're lifting up someone else. Someone else?

Leya:

Well, this is the thing when you sing in my mind when I sing, I can't lie. I can't be something that I'm not. And you're when you're singing with actual singing, not just singing along with radio, but proper. I'm going to express myself.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah, cuz your partner.

Leya:

That's a very tender place to be. Yeah, it's

Reverend Ben Cooper:

a partnership. Yeah. Yeah. It's you're an agreement. You're,

Leya:

you're revealing something about yourself. And that's, that's why there's so much trust amongst musicians when you're in a band. And that's why when you have closed rehearsals, because that's where you can make mistakes, and you can hear bam, no, yeah. in church, you can hit bam, no, no one's gonna judge you because the only person you're seeing it the only is you're seeing him for God's

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yes, that's right.

Leya:

You hear some people expressing themselves and you think, Oh, go for it. Go for it. Little tendrils and little harmonies and stuff. Nothing. That's lovely. Beautiful. Yeah, but it is a real fragile thing to do to sing. And you've got to be honest, completely honest. And I think if I were you gonna sing and express absolute honesty if you're singing to the liar.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah, because it's a lie. Yeah, let me let me let's get rid of him off the platform rich. Bank it out little fella. Psalm 101, verse one. I will sing of the steadfast love and justice to you. Oh, Lord, I will make music or come on long. David. David was a cat money. He was a he was a real

Leya:

he was a cat.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

He was a top cat. Not

Leya:

a real cat.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Not a real cat. You know the town that there?

Leya:

anyone sees cat, real cat.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Psalm nine set with his kit. We came in it really holy. We're sorry. We're sorry that we go to the other side sometimes. But God calls us back and protocols. Psalm nine, verse 11 says Sing praises to the Lord who sits enthroned in Zion. Tell among the peoples his deeds who sits in Zion who sits in that place sits in in that that mounted place, you know, we got up when you praise Him when. When you when you really, really just get into that position that that posture within yourself in your there's no one else in the church. There's no one else around. There's no one with you whatsoever. And your innermost being connects something so powerful is the connection. It's that inner most being. It's not your lips, it's not your lips, it's not your eyes. It's not your, your being. It's that inner being itself. It's not your physical me. It's the inside. It's that in a place that and that's where worship is so powerful. And that's where the Bible speaks a lot about using worship as a weapon of warfare. Yeah, come on, let's get down and dirty. Two, the Old Testament,

Leya:

i dont know any songs about war,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Come on,

Leya:

what is it good for

Reverend Ben Cooper:

war Come on it. Let's just have a little chat about our friend, King josephat. I love that.

Leya:

What's the Song of Solomon?

Reverend Ben Cooper:

songs of Solomon that that's all about us. That's just like, love stories and all that, put ourselves back up just as King josephat King Joseph. Now, the classic example of how music and worship was used as a weapon. Yeah, as a weapon. As a as an as a weapon to destroy the work for the enemy. Now, King josephat that we might be might be a bit familiar with. In the Old Testament, he had a word come in to him from a messenger to simply say there are three large enemies coming over the hill, not that song. Don't stop singing that, you know, don't stop singing that song cuz every time I think of that Texas singing in my head, so King josephat says salt the Lord he, he sought the Lord, He leads flat out on the floor, he seeked God and he, he looked for Godly counsel and on wisdom in this situation. And he was leading this nation. He was the king at this point. And he knew that this army that was coming towards him, the three large enemies were just too big, they could not cope with it. So they went in the prayer and fasting, and they really sought the Lord. And God told josephat he said in the morning, I want you to go down and face your enemies. Or this is where you start to get a little bit Oh, okay, Lord, how are we gonna? Do? I want you to send out the praises first before the army. Whoa, hang on. This is a bit mad lard. Do you know? Are you furlough Jesus? Are you? Are you there? We got the enemy out the door. And you're telling me to go out and have a little singsong. So very powerful story, really powerful story how this nation sought God. They went into prayer and too fast. And they they got they was ready, God prepared them. But God said, Don't send the army out first. Send out the praises and the worshipers. And as you go down to meet your enemy, start praising me. And as they started singing and praise in early in the morning and walk down to the valley, they didn't even get to see the enemy because the scripture says that the enemy turned in on themselves and destroyed themselves. So when they got actually to the battlefield, the enemy killed themselves. Here you go

Leya:

I thought we were going to say they were swept up in the love of the worship

Reverend Ben Cooper:

they done themselves. But the Old Testament is

Leya:

it's the bats.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

That but that's what God done for God said send the praises before the army

Leya:

i thought you will get to talk about

Reverend Ben Cooper:

I know you fought I was gonna say it was gonna I was going to get down started skipping around a maypole together. Praising Jesus, no the enemy.

Leya:

We're gonna have a Jesus rave

Reverend Ben Cooper:

draw it well. The enemy destroyed itself. It killed itself,

Leya:

because they couldn't find the praise

Reverend Ben Cooper:

It was bad guitarist and they fought. Isn't that interesting? How Yeah, it is interesting to a degree. It really makes you think how God uses worship. God uses worship, worship. That's a clear, clear story to tell me something very powerful. That if you are in trouble if you are in trouble, and you start praising the name of Jesus, demons flee at the name of Jesus. When you start exalt in the name of Jesus and you start worshiping. You start lifting your heart. If you're worried if you're fearful, and you need to get yourself into that posture of real freedom, and you need to get fear out your being start praying, start praying and start singing and acts start exalting the name of the Lord. So God uses music got used, David with music.

Leya:

If nothing else, you're going to feel you're going to feel like you've gone through some sort of catharsis. Yeah, as we've said before, Many times that God doesn't answer every single prayer because it's God's plan not ours. That's right that the action of singing will make you feel yes the action of singing to God. I have to say that make you feel better. You will, you will gain comfort.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah, you will get you will Yeah,

Leya:

gain comfort from it.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

And what what does that mean? It means it gives you peace. It gives you peace, it gives you joy, and that goes beyond human understanding. Singing gives you joy, saying gives you joy, you know. So it's really, really important. You know, some I keep saying that a lot, but I feel everything is important lately.

Leya:

Everything is important. But I

Reverend Ben Cooper:

keep saying an old little old Vicar with one tooth. It's important. It's really important. It's especially important,

Leya:

important

Reverend Ben Cooper:

is really important. Psalms 135 verse three, praise the Lord, for the Lord is good. Yeah, sing to his name. For it is pleasant, very important. That is, that's good. Lord. Remove that word out my brain.

Leya:

So Psalm 98. Oh, sing to the Lord a new song for he has done marvelous things.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Beautiful.

Leya:

See, that's it. It's all about saying I acknowledge you. I acknowledge what you've done. I may not give it But

Reverend Ben Cooper:

what have you done lord

Leya:

expression of love isn't is an expression of love,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

an expression of your innermost being? I'm going to come back to Psalm 135 verse three, it says, Praise the Lord. So it gives us clear instruction gives us 1234. It gives us four reasons. In Psalm 135, verse three says, praise the Lord, there is power in praising when I praise the Lord. What it does, it takes away any any issues with my mind with my logic, it deals with them three factors that were done it, it does everything we do at the beginning of service. It prepares you, it prepares you it enter, it gets you into the courts of praise, I will. This is the day that the Lord has made I shall rejoice and be glad because this is the day that the Lord has made. I will enter His courts with praise. It takes me from being me, worried, depressed, fearful, anxious, and it puts me into his courts. It puts me It puts me into His presence and and as I worship Him, it allows me to let go of me and to forget about me. And because as the psalmist says there in Psalm 135, verse three, praise the Lord because when I praise the Lord, it deals with my mental health. It deals in my physical pain. And it deals with my external pain. So it deals and it takes we're talking about the well being aspect as well.

Leya:

I've noticed as well, they've started to up but when we're when you're doing sermons, sometimes on a Sunday, and this has happened ever since I joined the church people will spontaneously sing.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah, I know.

Leya:

people sit and hum along with you. Yeah. underneath. Yeah. Underneath in quite a quiet way. Just hum

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah.

Leya:

And then other people will just suddenly start to sing a full song. Everybody will join in. Yeah, some will end And you'll carry on

Reverend Ben Cooper:

I just carry on a

Leya:

spontaneous thing because it's so completely honest. And

Reverend Ben Cooper:

I think what that is, let me put this on the table. I believe what that is, is God is stirring the Spirit. God is stirring what I'm in the spirit I'm not talking about our spirit. I've got a store in us to to exalt Him and to lift him up and and as you lift him as you praise the Lord, see, fear disappears if you if you're got mental health issues. If you've got fears and doubts, just praise the name of Jesus, just just lift up the King of kings and the Lord of Lord You know, he's Worthy of all praise Psalm 135, Praise the Lord. For the Lord is good sing to his name. So his name is everything. Jehovah gyra, Jehovah nissi, Jehovah Shalom, he is the great I am he is he is all I need his all that I require. His name his Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace. He says that God gave him the highest name. And at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow. So when I exalt Jesus, my natural physical being comes into line. And that that fuels me. Yeah, there's so it's so important. So singing is a very powerful, powerful way to express your love for Christ.

Leya:

And also, just notice enough of a lot of the things that you were saying there. A lot of people will create songs out of Scripture, which is great because it allows you to remember the Scripture. Yeah, because that's how I do it.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yes, yeah.

Leya:

But also it makes that scripture real when you're singing that scripture. It makes it real. It's not just words on a page

Reverend Ben Cooper:

No, because the word is the word of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. So we understand and the Word became. So the Word of God who

Leya:

I mean with that word when you're singing, Yeah,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

because it is the word of God. Psalm 150, verse six, lead everything that has breath, Praise the Lord. There is something powerful about praising, lift in the name of the King of glory, Psalm 149, verse five. It's, it says, Let them sing. Let them sing Psalm 149 verse five, there's so much text I'm looking at the minute my eyes, Okay, and we can finish that little one. Psalm 146 146 verse two, the ESV I will praise the Lord as long as I live

Leya:

no ha ha ha,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

that's a big one. That's a big one David, I will praise the Lord as long as I live I shall sing praises to my God. Why I have my being

Leya:

he has become my song as well that's the one that's really not that I remember that one hitting me like a ton of I don't know what's the saying, hit me like a dog with it. I rang with it is the Lord has become our song. Mr. Salvation, he has become myself and my salvation. I was like, Whoa,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

hang on a minute.

Leya:

Whoa.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah.

Leya:

It was like I was the bell when he was the thing hitting me and making me ring with that for at least three days.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Really?

Leya:

Like Yeah, I was like, Whoa,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

this is powerful. Yeah. Psalm, 98 verse four, we're coming to land in the moment we will be at Ibiza. Thank you for flying with us today. This is easy, Lord jet. Easy, Lord jet. Easy lord jet Landing in Psalm 100, Psalm 98, verse force that verb first for ESV My lips are getting wobbly. Make it a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth, break forth into joy, a song and sing praises there is something so glorious, so powerful, about praising the name, the greatest name in heaven and earth. Because at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow on the earth, under the earth through the earth, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

Leya:

I got two come on in Psalm 7123 ESV, my lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to my soul also, which you have redeemed so much about. Thanks, giving thanks. And my last one, come on. Psalm 4344,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

three, verse three

Leya:

ESV. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God, many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Come on, let's read that one more time on, he put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to God. Many will say in fear, but put their trust in the Lord.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Amen. If anyone is out there today, that has got hurt, there's got pain that is frustrated with life that is worried about the lockdown issues of what may be rising, and you're tiptoeing on the edge of such a nervous disposition, I would urge you and Leo would stand with me on this is just to praise the name of Jesus. Praise the Lord. You know, there is something that is beyond the human understanding is when you are tired and when you are exhausted, just to praise him just to lift him just to worship him. You don't need the church band you don't need because you are the instrument. God is speaking right now to us. So if you are in depression, just give him a praise. If you are in fearful flight at this moment, just give him a praise. If you feel that you're just gonna you feel so nervous and so worried about life. If you're having dreams that are tormenting, you just praise the name of Jesus, if you can't sleep, praise the name of Jesus there is there is something that is beyond the physicality and from the understanding and the logic of life. That goes beyond all understanding and conception of thought. Praise is powerful. As I mentioned earlier, King josephat. He he had he was not equipped. They was not equipped to fight the enemy with their hands. But what they did they they did not focus on the enemy. They did not focus on the darkness that was coming to the door. They did not focus on the size of the issue. They did not focus on what they couldn't do, but what they did they focused on what their God could do. Whether you are a believer or a non believer, I really believed that this is your time, wherever you are at this very moment that listening to this podcast. Just lift up the name of Jesus because God loves you beyond your human understanding. I know we've jumped in and out we've laughed and we've batted around this morning, and we thank you for joining us but there is something so important that we need to push this over today. Is to praise him to praise him to praise him, you know, we got to be careful in, in the, in the church world of what music we listen to. That is really, really critical. So what do I do? I find worship songs that have Christ in them

Leya:

in them so that you're not singthem. If you're singing the song, you are not a you're not making an icon or an idol. Yeah, that's really important song to God. And it has been proven, yeah, that singing can take away. They send out counselors, psychologists, etc actually recommend that people sing. Yeah, if they're feeling fearful, hum. Harman it takes it away. You know, when people go into war now, they've always sung war songs, they've always done it to get them so metal, always throughout their entire history, that's always happened.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

That's right.

Leya:

And it's about boosting yourself with that. It's about making yourself echo with the Word of God. Yeah, and that's what it is, because because those words will comfort you, but the actual act of singing will comfort you, it will and and if you're not sad, if you're happy, it will make you feel even happier.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Yeah, of course, it will lead you up. What it will do, it will just add it will add more fuel to your armory, it will just it will just it will just lift you even more. You know, singing is powerful, but praise his name wherever you are on planet earth today. Whatever you may be doing at this moment, singing, you know, it is really important as late as said that the songs that we sing in church are not always lifting up Christ, then they're lifting up the Christian organization that we bought the music from. It's really important that what I sing is scripture based, is scripture based. Because when you look at the psalmist, he wasn't lifting up anything but God he was praising the God of Israel. So there comes victory, praising the God of Israel, King josephat, he praised the God of Israel, the worshipers, they worship the God of Israel, we need to be very careful, just because they might have millions of followers on all the social platforms, just because then the latest trend and the culture in church and religion doesn't mean to say that you're singing for Jesus Christ.

Leya:

Now the song should speak to you and speak to your faith of God. Yeah, that's the thing that I find is that if I'm singing a song that relates to how I feel, yeah, and I'm gonna feel that I'm gonna feel that song. And my prayers will be honest and true. And integrity

Reverend Ben Cooper:

That's right. Leya, you've landed us. Where there, wherever you are across the world. Our little podcast is done and dusted. We're wrapped up. We're done, you know? And yeah, we got a little bit spiritual at the end now. And we thank God for all the brothers and sisters and whether you're in church or out or church or whatever your your position may be in the world. May God bless you, whoever you are, and thank you for sharing these podcasts. You've been listening to Leya,

Leya:

Jane,

Reverend Ben Cooper:

moore. Reverend Ben Cooper. In elim church, we thank you so much for sharing everything that we do here. And we do really, really appreciate you and we hope our ramble has give you a bit of a lift, but don't follow us follow Jesus. He is the way the truth and the life and he is the Great I Am. Have a great day. Thank you so much from the very bottom of our heart. Once again, it has been layer, GA we will catch you soon. Stay safe. And when I mean stay safe. I'm not talking about wash your hands, wash your face, wash your knees. Now what did the government ask you to do? Stay safe, wash your hands.

Leya:

They do what they do. They say not what they do. That's what they ask you today. Yeah, that's true. Hands, face space. Shoulders, Knees and toes. Can I give you one more very quickly? I saw 100 verse two ESV serve the Lord with gladness come into His presence with singing

Reverend Ben Cooper:

done. We're out there. Yeah, we've just landed

Leya:

You lift me up.

Reverend Ben Cooper:

Wow. Good night. God bless. We will catch you very, very soon. Thank you very much. God bless.

Unknown:

Thank you for listening to Elim church swanleys latest podcast. You can find us on buzzsprout Spotify Apple Music iHeartRadio Google Play Alexa mixcloud, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.