Hello, and welcome to Elim church swanley, you're joining myself, Reverend Ben Cooper for today's podcast, yeah hello world wherever you are today, we thank you so much for joining us as we gather around the mics with Sandra. And we are back into the persecuted church, we've had a couple of weeks off, just to grab our breath and just to allow God to restore and to speak back into and, and God has brought us back to the mics. And he always will. And we've got Sandra with us in the studios as we just look very clearly. And we're just going to recap, we're just going to spend 3045 minutes as we normally do these podcasts, just recapping on what God has been saying, last time we was here. And we just want to encourage any one of you wherever you are, across the earth today, never give up in Christ Jesus keep pressing, it doesn't matter what the outside environment looks like, just remember that your Redeemer lives, we are living in very, very fierce and spiritual times, we can see what's happening around the world very clearly. And we we pray for all of our brothers and sisters around the globe, as there is a very big, heavy press to the believer. And we are looking obviously, into the world of the persecuted church. And I pray for all of us within the framework of the UK that as the press is coming in, but a very different press to what we see on our sisters and brothers maybe in Iran and Sudan and, and all over the world. You know, even in Libya, and Pakistan, and Iraq and all these different places, we we are being persecuted in the UK very subtly, very, very subtly, through policies, through changes through control and manipulation. So we have to be aware, not just focus on that prayer right over to the other side of the lens that we are looking at, but also be very aware of what is happening in our own Jerusalem, keep your eyes on what's happening within the UK, and pray for the church within the UK because we are certainly seeing a great falling away. We are seeing a great persecution very subtly and it's very it's coming very, very different to how we see it across the platform of those that are being imprisoned, those that are losing their life within the UK and and we see this very, very clearly and I pray that God will open your eyes so but welcome, wherever you are today. Thank you for joining us here at the persecuted church, Ealing church in Swanley, Sondra. Hello,
Sandra Robson:hello.
Reverend Ben Cooper:We are back.
Sandra Robson:Yes, it's been a bit of a break. It's been.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah,
Sandra Robson:yes.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It's good to see you. It's good to see you back in the studio. And if listeners are picking up a bit of an echo, it's just that we've moved studios just for a few months just while we're on some work down so we apologize for any bit of backfeed or it sounds a little bit echoey there but welcome Sondra, let's get straight in we're going to go recap in we might be in Iran and Libyan Transworld radio, we've got some things to look at. So I'm going to hand over to Sondra and Sandra is going to take us through the journey of this podcast.
Sandra Robson:Okay, so we were looking at Transworld radio, because you've asked me about that, because we have mentioned it in passing, hadn't we. So we looked at, you know how Transworld radio and are supporting the persecuted church and how they started in 1952. And it's just so encouraging to see how God sets these things up. So that when it's important to be a voice for the voiceless when it's important, and there aren't other different ways of people getting to hear the gospel or being encouraged or being ministered to, or being trained or taught, and it would be ready and it would be there. And it would be tried and tested and it would be developed. And because like we've talked about how they've given radios to different places, we talked about Rebecca Stan, where Christians have been so encouraged because they've heard on the radio, leave us giving their testimonies, and that's encouraged them. And then we looked at Algeria, which is an all this little booklet listening to the world. We were talking about how and Transworld radio bring out this booklet. And it so happened that when you asked me to do this, I found out that they were particularly focusing on the persecuted church. So prayers, anybody who is involved with Transworld radio, would have this and know that the prayers for July to September were all to do with the persecuted church and their ministry and the things that they are doing to support the persecuted church. So we we looked at that and we Look at how they're supporting pastors and believers in China. And that was very encouraging. And the fact that, you know, keeping people on track, and not letting them false fall into false areas of doctrine. Because if you don't have the Bible, how can you know what the truth is? Yes, people can speak it to one another. But that's why, you know, it needs to be written down, doesn't it? Amen. God inspired men, after, you know, after Jesus decided to write it all down. So there's it's set. But it's easy for doctrinal error to come in if, you know Bibles are taken away. So they're helping with that. And well, you know, there's just a lot of teachers around out there with this media, we knew in the end times, there would be different people who are trying to deceive elect. So they're working on all that. And I had some other little snippets about it that we didn't get on to. And so I didn't know whether you were aware that there's been a crackdown in Cuba. And in the last couple of months, yeah, there's been prayers for them. And there's been some very difficult things against pastors and there's been, you know, they've been really pressuring, and to come and communism and the leader and to stop an uprising that was happening. And so you know, they've been supporting with ministry through the airwaves. Prior to the pandemic, the team received one or two phone calls from listeners each day. In recent months, the team has received an average of 10 to 25 day roles from listeners asking for prayer and literature. The team also continues to receive calls from some inmates in the province of kamma, gooey and Santa Santa Agathe de Cuba, who here are tm programs on portable radios inside the prison. Right now, this is not this October, this is October 2021. They're talking about here. In October, the Facebook page messages of faith and hope was created. It was it has 1400 followers. There, the team posts, the radio programs, and a weekly written message. Here is a response from one of our bertos posts. This post is very special pastor, much needed during these times. Thank you, Pastor Roberto, for encouraging us to testify about Christ. So he's the guy who is doing the radio outreach. In January, Alberto was invited to post a weekly message via WhatsApp account that reaches about 1000 evangelical pastors in Cuba.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's amazing.
Sandra Robson:Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:That is amazing, fantastic. through WhatsApp.
Sandra Robson:All these new possibilities help us to feel useful and reach more people. At this time when we can barely move from home because of the measures to control the pandemic explained out by so please pray for the Cuban Cuban ministry, that team will be able to overcome challenges created by the pandemic, and pray for Alberto as he reaches and responds to calls and interacts with people on social media, just as we pray for more people would hear the Word of God in Cuba. And as I say, there has been a crackdown in Cuba and being terrible and brutal. things going on with the security forces the place, you know, with Christians, I mean, it's Yes, if you want to find out more about CES, I mean, they have been tortured, basically.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Sandra is the same pattern, isn't it that's used across every nation that is completely against Christ, our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the same format. This is the same spiritual drive this is that it's lotia for our work in doing the best that he possibly can. And he is destroying families. He's destroying homes, he's, he's moving in areas. And he is trying to destroy the Church of Jesus Christ, but that is impossible. So it is the same pattern that we see, isn't it across all these nations?
Sandra Robson:yes, it Is
Reverend Ben Cooper:how he works?
Sandra Robson:As I say, the reason it's happening is because there have been, I think, some domestic issues there. And I'm not completely sure of the background, but there has been people have been out on the streets, including Christians. And it has been about the communism about the press down, probably brought about by more pressure to do with the pandemic. And yeah, and so of course, they've come and crack crack down and said, If you aren't going to believe, you know, that we've said, Unless you believe in the system, that is that country or that area, then you are said to be an enemy of the state. Yeah, that's what is going on. in a lot of places you are classed so because you your that you say your leader is Jesus, and you follow Him and you don't follow the power of half the country, then you are classed as an enemy you are, you know, we're going to be imprisoned or you're going to be tortured, as I said.
Reverend Ben Cooper:But that pattern is a very distinctive pattern. That it doesn't matter what nation you are in, it doesn't matter where you're from. It is the same Dr. luciferase using this sign that Dr. Chow to bring you under control an enemy of the state under something that the beast of the system, the beast, literally the based
Sandra Robson:so again, another thing that's happening really encouraging is we've talked a lot about a ran and you know about the Farsi speakers and their particular group in Iran and they had there's been like, yeah, there has been an awakening a revolt and well gorgeous Holy Spirit is just moving and all those people are going to grow strangely. And of course that's panicked. The authorities as well definitely. And Transworld radio I've been part of this helping people to come to know the true Jesus not the Jesus that is betrayed by the you know the country the Muslim hierarchy or their families or whoever and they're not you know being given as I've heard so many times about from you know reading things about believe assisted I didn't realize this was who Jesus was. This wasn't the Jesus I was talking told about in school this wasn't the Jesus that you know, I thought
Reverend Ben Cooper:a very different Jesus Yeah, very different. Yeah.
Sandra Robson:So recently and that this is like so this is last July so it's been going on a year now and fast the speaking world almost two hours each day and we're reaching unreached people with our program on the radio is a three year plan to train people to be destiny makers is so needed because you know, they've brought in new laws and to and there's already people being arrested under this any subversive or a propaganda they're calling it propaganda against Islam. So the saying anything that you say, is different from yeah can be seen as is and
Reverend Ben Cooper:propaganda,
Sandra Robson:and so first of subversiveness showing that that what did we say there's a penal code isn't member they wants to bring in another bit Well, they have no arresting people under that.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So what we're saying is if we do not believe in the way that they believe and do not come under their religion, that we we are deserving of the punishment of the state. So that is we are spreading propaganda, against the state Yeah. against their look an understanding of what and however, whatever religion that they are pressing. So that will be the biggest press, I believe, that the government will use is propaganda. And that just blows open a whole massive conversation of control manipulation, you will be a terrorist of the state you are a terrorist if you do not believe in what we believe in it, switching it around to what the truth really is, is a flip around. It's it's a flip over
Sandra Robson:in the next couple of them, you know, when we do the next podcast, so I'm going to be looking at this again. You know, going back, because obviously, you know, we've talked about things now, time has gone on, and things that we said about that could happen and now being put into place so we need to look at it again, and bring people up to speed on things.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. So it's a circle religion itself. We talk about certain nation back In January, number of months, eight months have passed, certain things would have happened, we have to revisit that nation and see what's happened, where we stand and have they progressed in the press or what is happening. So to our listeners, you will be here hear us forevermore, always going back on references, because referencing because that's clearly needed. So we can see very clearly of what is happening in that nation and state. So yeah, we will be back. And we will be revisiting certain areas of the world. And that's the way it is because there are X amount on the world watch list, isn't there? Yeah. So we will always be going back watching, always be reevaluating recheck in, what is it statistically, like now is is it? Is there any change? Is there any? Is it a better for believers? Or is it getting worse? So you will, there's always a report to be brought back, always a report to be brought back.
Sandra Robson:And I'll be looking at the Barnabas because they have this week for the suffering church. And, you know, they've they've put together their reports. And so I'll be going through that. And I will show, you know, different countries, what the press is for each Excellent, excellent. group of countries. Sure. Yeah, sure. So. So this is what's happening on the other side, you see, and what I'm trying to why I mentioned that is because that's why the penal code is being made harder, because of things like this, because they're panicking about the number of people who are coming to Christ, who are not under their authority, or control. And so it's things that God like, is using these things. And of course, you know, they want to put a lid on it. So you're constantly trying to find ways
Reverend Ben Cooper:to hold the lid down, keep the lid down. But as
Sandra Robson:we know, that can't happen. So this is destiny makers. So that's a brilliant title, who will bring about a change in the country and engage in outreach and follow up. The Farsi ministry director, said, I am here because we want to bring radio programs to the Farsi speakers, and also organize the follow up with listeners. Our next step is to start Persian World Radio online and use social media to share the gospel.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Persian radio, yeah, great. And yeah, that's fantastic.
Sandra Robson:And it's amazing. I mean, I'm reading this is the other side of this what I listened to was the no, yes, there is hard. And yes, you know that the press but the pushback that because of what's going on is hot spot. But the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully through the Persian world, and the Arabian world at this time. Lots and lots of people coming to Christ.
Reverend Ben Cooper:We don't hear about history, as you said, sound, are they authorities and the Lucifer movement is trying to keep the lid on the good news of Jesus Christ. But the good news is breaking out of the coffee. The good news is breaking out of the Lazarus tomb. Christ is calling come forth. Yeah, Lazarus is all there is miracles. People are coming back from the dead, literally coming back. And what I mean from the gates of hell, God is calling God is delivering God is pulling people. So there is a Lazarus move at this moment. people's lives are being transformed when the world is trying to hold the stone over the term God is removing God's revealing. So this is a great time.
Sandra Robson:Absolutely. And, and what I have to remind myself is, although, you know, there are lots of brothers and sisters in prison, the number of people who are coming to Christ is phenomenal. That is, and that's what we have to remember. But
Reverend Ben Cooper:then we find this interesting saundra that the mainstream media never tells us these great powerful stories. Christianity is is trying to be held down, is watered down, we never hear of the great miracles and people are giving their lives to Jesus people are, are coming back to the father's arms,
Sandra Robson:harvest pandemic, through all the hardship, you know, those saying that in in the, you know, this area, there's a lot of depression. I mean, you know, around, obviously, they've been under all the sanctions and everything. And people are thinking, what is it all about, you know, they're, you know, through that pressure, yeah, they don't start to ask the questions. So this is a response from a new new Farsi listener. Hello, I was feeling so alone and everything was so meaning this for me, but in the program you talked about hope. It gave me courage again and hope. I know that we do not belong to this world, and that I'm not alone in this world. He's going to strengthen me. But sometimes we forget this very easily. It's good to have people who remind you of the truth. Thank you. Wow.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Encouraging stuff. Thank you. There's always hope. There is always hope. He is the God of hope. He is the God of miracles, He is the God of all things. And as we stretch out, our hearts and our prayer today is Lord continue to drive hope into them lives continued Lord to to drive hope into the prisons to continue to drive hope into the pastor's and and the families that are losing loved ones continue. There is hope God Yeah, there is hope.
Sandra Robson:I mean, it says please pray for this development so that I say this year on so might be able to find
Reverend Ben Cooper:some some bit more fresh information. Yeah,
Sandra Robson:how it's gone, how they've been able to set up this ministry of Persian World Radio, whether it's actually
Reverend Ben Cooper:so what we are finding and SandRidge through lockdown where authorities are locking believers and humanity down. Yeah, God is God is speaking through the airwaves. Oh, God is using radio. Yeah, God is using technology. Yeah, he's using apps. God is using the power of, of the phone. Yeah. Get the Word of God on the phone
Sandra Robson:on what'sapp Yeah. And, and the prayer and the prayer is going out. And people really they say, and they really sense it. They really sense the prayer. So this is about Addams Family. And this is an Indonesia, which again, there's been some attacks there. And yeah, that churches, you know, concerned about how things are going. But they have got a good governor there. And he is sympathetic. So that's encouraging. But adelines family in Southeast Asia recently experienced spirits of blessing through women of hope radio broadcasts, and programs provide spiritual, scriptural, biblically, a biblical teaching and medical information to help people gain both spiritual knowledge and practical information to enrich their lives. And follow up teams distributed many audio devices containing the programs to local churches, and pregnant can be accessed by large groups like congregations or small groups and individuals. And this really helped this this lady because they had a problem with one of their grandchildren with an eating disorder, and they believe that God just provided the right information for them, and they didn't have any other means of you know, so then that became, you know, a testimony that they could then share with their community. So God works in all sorts of different ways. So for that, and then in Sri Lanka, exciting to share radio home programs are expanding. And 320 groups to date with a total of
Reverend Ben Cooper:Tweleve ? 1400 listeners. And again, they give radio home groups and they designed special media player with and they've thought about it might sound you know, is this simple, but apparently they've really looked into it. And they've made sure that the solar panels to, you know, enable it to keep working. And so they really think about these devices that they're getting out and they've really prayed about it. And, and, yeah, it's doing x excellent work. The team is Srilanka also developing a radio home group app. Yeah, audio lessons will be available and listeners will be able to share their testimonies and photos of the group. And this is a testimony from one pastor. I'm a pastor of a rural church, we have been persecuted for more than eight years, we have faced many challenges in running the church in teaching the word because of persecution. So people don't want to come together because they're scared that you know, it'd be trouble. So he said that in running six small groups in the church, and we've never experienced so much growth. So since Transworld radio helped them and he's found that having a small groups people are more you know, yeah, interested in being together in those small groups. And I suppose also with what's happened with the pandemic, you can't have large groups either yes. He said, But after Transworld radio introduced us to the radio home group program, we experienced rapid growth in our church. In less than three months, we were able to start six new groups to study the program. We also found six new leaders to lead the study groups. Today we have 12 groups and 12. leaders.
Sandra Robson:Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:interesting number.
Sandra Robson:Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:12 deciples
Sandra Robson:Thanks to to Transworld radios program, this program is ideal for the growth of rural churches that face persecution.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, Wow. It's some really powerful stuff that's happening. The more I listen to this, and the more we get into this, and the more we look and the more Sandra brings to the table, because this is an area I am not what I'm bit more familiar with now, because of the number of months and the amount of airplay that we have done this, that the power of God in times of persecution is beyond human understanding, beyond thought process and beyond the capabilities of a human being that when, when God's children are truly persecuted, God strengthens God makes a way to get the gospel through God hills, God sets the captives free God, God also I, I've been thinking about this word forgiveness as well. How a Christian that is in the persecuted world that has something happened to them how they have the means through the supernatural God, and have the capabilities outside the framework of their physicality, and their mind computing and the normal process of how forgiveness is at the forefront of their life. The power of forgiveness, when when something is happening to someone. And it is purely happening because of the gospel of Jesus Christ, how God strengthens that individual. And when someone is isolated, and they need the word, they get the word, this word persecute the church and suffering Church has just blown the lid off of so much. It has really educated me it has really taken me to a place. It is a great subject to study because when you study the persecuted Christian, and we listen to what Sandra is bringing to the table, it makes you realize it makes you realize that God is working so powerfully supernatural things are happening.
Sandra Robson:Yes. And that's it, we need to get a balance because all we hear in the news is this happening, the other things happening. And that's what I keep saying to people, but God, but God, yes. But this, you know, and we are part of it. As we pray Our small prayers, where are we all part of it? And he wants us to be encouraged and say, you know, this is my kingdom? Yeah, Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. And I'm really asking him to really appreciate what that means. Yeah, seeking His kingdom.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Seeking Him, Seek ye first
Sandra Robson:Seek ye first
Reverend Ben Cooper:the kingdom of God, the Kings don't mind that the will of the Father. What do you want from me? His presence, his love his goodness, what is your purpose for me today? The King's domain, the plan of the Father, what is your plan for me? What is your plan for our house? What is the plan for our relationship? What is your plan, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. righteousness is is is a very powerful place to be is in the king's righteousness. That basically means it opens the door for blessing. It opens the doors for so much. But if I'm not seeking, I'm not looking for the promise. As I seek and I press for the will of the Father I've got to press into his domain, his area
Sandra Robson:and he knows we need to do that because I mean, you know, recent monsoon things going on and and it's so easy to sort of start getting all this is going into
Reverend Ben Cooper:the narrative that's going on. And then the devil is in the detail. The devil wants Christians to be distracted. He uses time he uses relationships, he uses work, he even uses Colin's he uses so many things, policies, he uses the world because that's his area of the kingdom. He is the father of the kingdom of light, the the he is the father of lies, and he he has that kingdom that that area and he he is trying to get believe To come away from what God wants, he wants to distract people. If he can distract me from what God has for me. He's done a good job. They've done a good job.
Sandra Robson:And it's when you say that, and you sit, like he's been saying to me, and be still and know that I am God, because I'm saying, Oh, this is going on. Oh, no, there's that going on. And there's this, I missed that. And I'm like, oh, which way do I which
Reverend Ben Cooper:Exodus, chapter 14, Sandra, God said, Tom, and he said this to Moses, tell the Israelites, the Egyptians, you see today, you will never see again, but stand still. Then the scripture goes on and says, See how the Lord thy God will fight for you. But I've got to stand still, because all the time I'm frantic. World hum, I'm running around. Yeah, the the enemy has got me where he wants me. Not that he's got me and I've come out of salvation. He's got me in an area of worries got me an area of fear. So when we bring this in a parallel with what we're looking for security church, not panicking.
Sandra Robson:No, they're, they're very peaceful. Yeah. And that's it. I mean,
Reverend Ben Cooper:there's such a contrast, isn't there between? Can I say, maybe us in the West, that our biggest enemy is the time? Yeah, I haven't done this. I haven't done that. I haven't been here. I've done that. And then it takes us time takes us away from him. But in the world of the persecuted church, they have no clock to worry about. God is working very clearly. And they are a very peaceful movement.
Sandra Robson:Yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I mean, yes, God has given space. Yeah, that yeah,
Sandra Robson:I mean, I know there's some people are asking for prayers, because they are, you know, concerned about meeting together because they've been attacked on several occasions in Nigeria, and places like that, and the schools and, you know, but yes, even so they do say we want to share the gospel. They always say, pray for us to stand, pray for us to be able to be a good witness. They never say take us out of this. They never say, give us the same. Give us the strength.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So when we pray that prayer, please, Lord, strengthen our sisters and brothers in the persecuted church. The joy of the Lord shall be my strength. When joy comes from the Lord peace enters into the gates of your heart. But when we are in the West, frantically worrying about school runs live in marriages, finances, mortgages, the very system of the world, the very animal of the system, it takes our focus away from what God is really calling us to do. But the persecuted church are complete their lives are reliant on the Word of God. So you will find a very different contrast between peace in that nation or wherever that may be to where we are. And when we look at these when we back really that that that lady on the front page of that there, Sandra, yes. There's a joy about her face. There's there's a presence of the Holy Spirit. Yes, that even though they're being chased down, yeah, their lives have threatened.
Sandra Robson:Yes. And I can tell you a story about a lady like this actually, just, you know, just seeing her just felt Lord just wanted to say that. I was looking at this, watching even the DVD, the new one from open doors, the prayer DVDs, and one of them was about a lady was about the trauma center they've set up because obviously these people are traumatized. I mean, oh, copes, lady had seen her husband, and her children killed in front of her eyes. And she was a worship leader in her church. And the day it happened, she tried to scream, and her voice just left her. And she wasn't, and this is like, five years. Apparently, it happened for three or five. Anyway, it's a quite, it was a quite a long time. And they've set up this trauma center with the donations of many brothers and sisters, for open doors. You've got the center and this guy was saying about this lady, and how she came to them and how she only sort of spoke in a whisper. And she said that she wasn't able to praise God, she couldn't sing. She'd always been able to sing. And when this happened, yeah, her voice was taken away. And so through a lot of different things that they did and you said about the power of forgiveness. And so they were saying about the things that they do. And they say that they do. One of the things is they say you need to forgive these people who did this thing. And you know, and they work on all the the trauma of what she saw, and all of these things. And they were doing some Bible things. And anyway, apparently, she, she went to bed, and then she got up. And she found this, this joy again, and she just started praising God. And they said that she, her voice was just, just something angelic from heaven, you know, and, and she said, The, the joy of the Lord was her strength, the joy of the Lord was her strength. And many of these women like
Reverend Ben Cooper:Nehemiah chapter II, the joy of the Lord,
Sandra Robson:and his astronauts get the transcript of that neck, the next time.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, please do so.
Sandra Robson:But yeah, and it just reminded me, you know, just, yeah, the goodness of God, but it had been, it'd been a hard time she'd had this time of like, sort of traumatic morning and, and then God, you know, as you said, you know, how just brought this, this? Well, you know, what the word the center is, is just like, yes. Just somewhere to drink that living water again. And how it just saw brought her back to life. She felt she had died the day they died, she died inside. Yeah. And she's saying, and it was such a testimony to so many. I mean, it touched so many of other people's lives, because just Yeah, the way God, you know, brought. And this is another thing I want to say, on the back of that is a course I when I was here last we were talking about Afghanistan, and the concern that it might fall. And it did, it did. We were praying, and we thought that there were maybe some priests process or something we weren't expecting, expecting that. And of course, our brothers and sisters were put in terrible parents, terror man, and it became came to light that there's more of them that were first realizing realized. And I have this again, just to comfort and just to say, you know, again, God is in the midst of all this, all this pain, all the struggle, yes, many will lose their lives. Sadly, we can't shy away from that. Many have been hurt and tortured. But many gods will still use and many will come to Christ through this and many secret believers he you know him. Yeah, he is. Yeah, it's just like in North Korea, just like in you know, other places, Tria, just like those places. The player, you know, he, he has his hand on, and this is what happened the night that Kabul fell. On the evening that Afghans cobble fell in the hands of the enemy. Somewhere in the city, a baby girl was born to Christian parents, she entered the world, in a country that is in turmoil, where Christians and other religious minorities live in fear. And women in particular, are extremely vulnerable. That's important. Baby girl wasn't a baby boy, it was a baby girl.
Reverend Ben Cooper:very significant.
Sandra Robson:And so last time, the they were in power the Taliban that the women were banned from the workplace and girls from schools and besides a host of other restrictions, and now again, they feel very exposed. This vulnerability that come to belonging to a lower social class is exacerbated by the Christian faith. So what then, will the future hold for this little Christian baby girl and couple, a local source said the parents felt the birth of their daughter was a sign that God had not given up on their country, new beginnings. Yeah. In the midst of the crisis, God continues to work. So pray for Afghanistan, the whole region, and all those affected by the crisis, for a for the life of this little girl, and for the protection of all other girls. Pray for the boys that they won't be recruited into the Taliban. Yeah. Pray for our brothers and sisters who must be even more careful in hiding their faith. Pray for the safety and well being of the many refugees. Pray for the people who work on the front line are helping those great cost to themselves and finally prayed for the birth of hope for Afghanistan.
Reverend Ben Cooper:The Birth of hope, the birth of hope, there is always hope. There is always new beginnings. You know, God is working even in the darkest place of Afghanistan, Sudan, Nigeria, you know, North Korea, South Korea, China, Iran, Lebanon, you know, Turkey, all these hard areas God is working there. I believe what Sandra has brought to the table there that story of a new birth. That is very significant on the eve on the on the night of the fall, the night of the fall, a new beginning. Oh, it has another plan. God has a plan.
Sandra Robson:He wasn't surprised he was surprised when we woke up. He wasn't he wasn't surprised.
Reverend Ben Cooper:He was not surprised Sandra he was not surprised in any way, shape, or form. God is moving powerfully. And you know, the devil is only allowed to do what God allows him to do. We give the devil too much airplay and God is in full charge. And God is getting his glory through that through the fall of the enemy. Yeah, God will get his glory.
Sandra Robson:And he is I say he wasn't surprised by this but He is the God of surprises.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes, humans are surprised but God is the God of birthing surprises.
Sandra Robson:But good surprises
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. Oh my god. Yeah, God is moving very powerfully. sonder What do you know what that time has gone? Has it really The time has gone? Have you got something small? just ease us out of this podcast?
Sandra Robson:Yeah, I mean, it's just some things that have come to light Barnabas Fund because of what's happened with the pandemic, they're now launching this saverlife with food gifts. So if you're not in a place where you're giving to a food bank for this country, you might be interested in knowing that they are shipping food, and they're encouraging people to get involved. So if you want to know more about that, have a look on their website. So because it's saying that they noticed in the pandemic that although governments were helping the nation, people they didn't help very much were the Christians. Okay, and so they want to be ready. And so they've been helping in Pakistan, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, places where they know also they're looking you know, like we're saying there are famines coming up in certain places and so they want to be there so at least 155 million people are actually food insecure and need urgent assistance that was a global report on food crisis in 2021 major factors are conflict and COVID-19 economic shock weather extremes
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, I would I would add to that Sandra as well the greed of man there's plenty of food to go around this globe over and over no one no one should ever experienced starving but the pride and the arrogance of leaders that whole bat grain that whole bat water that whole back so much food to feed their population is greed manipulation and control you know so if anybody wants to support that you can find that on the website Yeah. Barnabas Fund is that correct?
Sandra Robson:Right and thinking about harvest you might be things yeah, harvest and
Reverend Ben Cooper:we've got anything else just to just to round us out nice and smoothly otherwise we will. So Trans World Radio if anyone wants to support a great and a very powerful and a very biblical based radio that is spreading hope to the UK through radio and across the world. You know, Trans World Radio t w r is easy to find very slick, nice, smooth website they've got you can find them on all the socials. You can find them on all them socials, you know, the main three, you've got Facebook, you've got Twitter, and you've got YouTube. So you will find them very, very easy. That is a great ministry to support and obviously don't go on what we say but go on what God is leading you to support as well. And we need to be very careful what we support in the end times to make sure that we are supporting ministries that are of sound doctrine, yes, and not for the gain of those within the wills of that mechanical system. That without anyway that that's that's that's another podcast sander.
Sandra Robson:Just finished off with the prayer matters that that Transworld radio asked for us to pray through. Yeah. And so first one was Please pray for all strength, courage and protection for listeners around the world who face persecution from peers for their faith. And then another one was pray for the production of through the Bible, and women of hope programs that are delivered through radio websites and social media to the Berber people who we spoke about that in Algeria. And then, first day was pray for the 2000 active students on the education and church leaders program. Okay. And finally, they want press for how to go forward really pray for those involved in program content and production that they will act as God's servants to bring his word to the nation, and nations with rather than some power. Yeah, we do pray for that. We do
Reverend Ben Cooper:pray for them that they're there in 230 different languages, a very powerful ministry, Transworld radio, we applaud you. And we thank God for your ministry, and God will guide you in that era. Sandra, we thank you so much for bringing so much to the table today, the 45 minutes of God gone, the doors have been busted off the time, you know, the time is the enemy. And as we said in the podcast, our enemy is the time the restrictions on the clock. But wherever you are across the world, we would we would ask you to go deeper into God's word. We would ask you to pray for the persecuted church, the suffering church, our sisters and brothers that are around the world. But May God bless you and strengthen you. We will be back around the mics this time, roughly next week. And we thank God for the downloads. We thank God for all those around the world that are catching these podcasts. May God strength for you and bless you. And Sandra would you just like to close in prayer just before we bid everybody good day.
Sandra Robson:Father, we thank you for this opportunity just to share with our brothers and sisters, what's going on those things that you are involved with Lord, because you love your church, Lord, and you love to do love beautiful things, you love to do great things, and you want us to be part of that Father, Father, we know many difficult things are going on. And we we offer our prayers for brothers and sisters who are really struggling at these this time. But as we've said, Lord that we want and people want we want to pray alongside those who want to stand we want to stand for you, Lord, we want to lift up our voices and say you are the way the truth in their life and no one comes to the Father except by you Jesus. And so we we just stand with our brothers and sisters as they proclaim that Lord, and we will enable them to do that farther from where we are Lord. And just yeah, we just asked for your blessing. Lord, we thank you for this these radio programs and everybody who listens to them, and may they be blessed or may they be encouraged and take on the word and and say this is what our God is doing is mighty here strong in these days. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Amen. Once again, you've been listening to Sandra Robson. Here at Elim church in Swanley. Myself, Reverend Ben Cooper, as we and we've discussed over and over again, over the last number of months of the persecuted church. Have a great day stay under the Word of God and wherever you may be, keep in his will and his purpose and his plan. We will catch you this time next week in Jesus name. God bless. Amen.
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