Good evening. God bless you. God bless you see one jumping online, wherever you are, at this very hour, what is the time what is the time at about seven o'clock or seven Wednesday evening, we only probably have a couple of more services in this room and then we will be migrating down into the proper place where we should be. So if you could just bear with us, you know, may God bless you and strengthen you. Thank you for joining us tonight. We are live we are live streaming out of our little studio here this temporary studio if you could just see what was outside of this from the plumbers have been in today the bricklayer has been outside today, the roof is coming off, all sorts of things are happening directly above me. So last few recordings have been pretty noisy. But thanks be to God. I am the only one here at this moment. I hope you're well. God bless. God bless. It's good to see you all. Good to see you. Good to see you. Good to see you. Thank you, Jesus. Can you hear me? Yeah. Can you hear me? Oh, everybody. Can you hear me? Yeah, I can. You can hear me? Someone said they can't someone said they can. Thank you. God, it must be you. Yeah, someone says they can hear us. Yeah, thank you to everyone who's joining us on Spotify, and everybody else on the podcasting platforms, wherever you are. May God bless you this evening. We are just gathering we are just resting in God's Word. God is good. God is good. So as I was saying, there's lots of work going on around and been lots of noises and lots of crash bangs and wall ups. But we're just gonna dive straight into the book of Ephesians. We got Ephesians chapter two, and we've got Ephesians chapter one just wait for people to hop online. God bless. Good evening, good evening. There's a there's a lot of conversations coming out of the podcast, we're doing the preaching and the teachings which Steve and myself talking about salvation, predestination, justification, sanctification, all that sort of stuff. And also, we're hearing a lot from a lot of people that are questioning their own salvation. There's one thing that is really clear, you can cannot lose your salvation. And I am going to take my time I'm going to read for the scriptures tonight. And I pray that you will thank you for telling me that stevia Thank you loud and clear on YouTube. That's another area where we press it into our YouTube channel later on, as we go further on, it's just being fit for this live stream platform that we use at this moment. So there's lots of changes coming for us here at Elim, church and salvation, salvation is a beautiful word and, and all those that joined joined me online on Monday evening, you could see I was really struggling. And that's because I really believe God was just really speaking very clearly through through him, to me through just many different avenues. And we was in in a very powerful book, the book of Romans. And that's what brings me to this place, and I can't seem to move or can't seem to move forward, and progress in any other area, but salvation and predestined and you have been brought into adoption sonship. When you look at these texts, if you want to go ahead of me, we're in Ephesians chapter one Ephesians chapter one, verses one through to 13. And also, we are in Ephesians, chapter two verses three to 10. Now I'm just just starting to really rest, to be honest with you in my journey with Christ, because of the area that I've been brought up in the Pentecostal movement in the movement that I've been brought up in for 25 years, been ordained, and all that sort of stuff into that movement. I thank God for that movement, and every other movement that's out there, and I thank God, that God is moving through them, and what God is doing very, very powerfully, but there is a very clear lack of teachings a very clear lack of teaching about the blood of Jesus across the global church we'll say and let's just concentrate within the UK for a moment. So within the UK church, and all them areas there's there's a lack of teaching on predestination, salvation, sanctification justification, why am I saved? How did I get saved? What is the purpose of this world? Why am I here? You know, there's a lot of hype there's a lot of rah rah rah crashing the drums and and jumping up and down and all is well in the name of Jesus. But there are a lot of people in congregations in in many different denominations in many churches, in many settings even in pulpits been there myself really questioning God, what is all this about? What does this actually mean? Is it by works? No? Do I, the more harder I work for you? Do I get a better seat in heaven? No, that's impossible. You know, salvation is is about grace, you know it by grace you have been saved. So Ephesians chapter one verses, one through to 13. And we are in Ephesians, chapter two, verses three to 10. And I just have these the Scripture notes, we don't have anything else but just the pure, raw text. And we believe that God is speaking directly to us tonight. And when I say us, I'm bringing because we are in this together, we are here together, we are studying together, we are reading together, we are looking together. And as we just got presses us and draws us through. So I just want to emphasize this, and my good brother, Steve, and he will do the same for the podcast and everything that we're doing. You cannot lose your salvation. You cannot lose it, it is impossible to lose it. And I have just pulled a few scriptures just a tiny area of about predestination of how we're in the plan of God, we're in the will of God, the will of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. But we are not going to be looking at the word freewill. But we're going to be just we're just going to I'm just going to read this. So Ephesians chapter one, verses one through to 13, the apostle Paul, it says, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, to God's holy people in Ephesus, he says, the faithful in Christ Jesus Grace and peace to you from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, verse three of Ephesians chapter one, praise be to God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Now we start to go in a little bit deeper, he gives us a bit of an introduction, he opens up, but now suddenly, now we go into this beautiful place, for he chose us in him, before creation of the world, wow. I'm going to read that again. Verse four, he chose us in Him before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love He predestined us for adoption, to sonship, through Christ Jesus, in accordance with His pleasure. And will, verse six of Ephesians, chapter one, to the praise of His glorious grace, His gracious or his glorious grace, which was freely given us the one he loves, from the one he loves. In verse seven of Ephesians, chapter one, it says, In Him, we have redemption. In Him, we have redemption, through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace, that He lavished upon us with all wisdom and understanding he made known to us the mystery of his will, according to His good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put in effect, when taught when this times reached their fulfillment, to bring unity to all things on the heaven, and on earth on the Christ. Again, it says in verse 11, in Him, we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of his will, who works out everything in conformity with his purpose, and will, verse 12, visions, chapter one. And it says, in order that we, that we Whoa, we're the first to put our hope in Christ might be the praise of his glory. Then in verse 13, of Ephesians, chapter one got to keep referencing, we got to keep this loud and clear where we are and what we're reading from. And you also were included in Christ, when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of salvation, when you believed you were marked with the sale, the promise of the Holy Spirit, let's go straight into the book of Ephesians chapter two, staying in the New Testament stayed in the book of Ephesians. So that was Ephesians, chapter one, verses one through to 13. And now we're in Ephesians, chapter two, verses three through 10. And it says, all of us who live I used to live among that one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh, and following its desires and thoughts like the rest we were by nature deserving of rough, and it says, but because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in our current transgressions, it is by grace you have been saved, and God raises up with Christ and seated us with Him in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages, we might show or he might show his incomparable riches of grace expressed in his kindness To us, through Christ Jesus, again for it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this and that is not of yourself, I just want to reiterate you want to bring that back to the table through faith. And this is not from yourself, it is a gift from God or a gift of God depends what are you waiting from, not by works and no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Romans. I'm going to read Romans, chapter eight, verse 29. So we've got the scripture readings done. And it says, verse 29, of Romans chapter 28. For those God for knew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that we might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters, the book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul is making it very clear, he's talking about salvation, he's talking about redemption. And I need to make this very clear that we have no power within ourselves to reject or to say, I am not gonna be saved, I will resist it, I will hold it back. It is impossible for the fragile ness of a human being to say, I will not be a believer in Christ Jesus. And we will unpack a little bit as we as we go a little bit further, but verse, one of Ephesians, chapter one, now let's just tread carefully, let's just read back through this. It says, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, so already he's introducing the will of God, the will of the father of the will of God. It says, Paul and an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, everything is done by the will of the Father, everything has been created by him. And for him, everything was spoken into being by the Creator of heaven, earth, and in Genesis, we see creation, we see the formula, we see the process, we see the power of the spoken word, the power of God's word, everything is moving, everything is is is orchestrated, everything has been brought into being, everything is created by the power of God's voice. No human being can resist, no human being can resist the will of the Father. Now as we go further on, it says in verse one, just in the second part of that text, it says to God's holy people in Ephesus, he says, the faithfulness, the faithful in Christ Jesus, Grace and peace to you, from God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, he brings the deity. He brings that in there very clearly. But he makes a very clear statement, by the will of God this is by the will of God this is not by the will of man. This is about predestination. This is about redemption. This is about salvation. You have no power over your lips, you have no power over your heart. God has predestined, God has called goddess for new God has chosen it is by his goodwill, His good purpose, His good pleasure by his good plan. This is for him, that is not this is not about us, this planet is not for us. So when when we hear governments and certain departments saying save the planet, everything is for known, everything was for spoken, everything has come into being by His good purpose, His good world, His good pleasure. And if we want to know what's going to happen to the globe and the earth, we only have to read in the book of revelations that book Timothy, you don't have to see in the book of Isaiah, you only have to see what is going to happen to the globe. So as for Save the planet, one thing for sure about save the planet. What that drum skin is very clearly that is a one world order that is a one world straight line that is on one world religion that is coming together that is pagan, that is very pagan about worshiping the earth, worshiping the planet, save the planet, my gosh, cos I understand cause I'm respectful to the earth course I understand about recycling costs, I get what it means, you know what, how we have to be and I'm not, I'm not against that at all. But what I am against is when when I'm being told that almost in one sentence that we will worship the planet, the planet Earth, I will not worship the planet earth I will not be pressed in such as position of worshiping of getting frustrated about save the planet. If you want to know what's going to happen about the planet. Just read the Word of God so simple, and so clear. The reason I'm talking about Planet Earth is because the creator of Heaven on Earth is the one that we are speaking about. So everything is predestined. Everything is for, for known. Everything is has a there is a plan of God. Now it can be a deep mystery to the human being but the scripture that we're in, clearly tells us that it is a mystery The Gospel is a mystery if, if I could fathom if the great thinkers if the great articulators if the if those that are absolutely so full of knowledge that if the theologians could actually come to a point and saying, We completely understand God, he will be no God at all, because he's word is always expanding, His Word is always moving. His word is the same yesterday, today and forever more. God is the God that created the heavens and the earth. And I know that atheists watch, I know atheists dip into this. And we know because of the comments that what we get. So I would put it to any atheist, any agnostic, anyone that is sitting on the fence, or any believer, you did not decide to follow the God of Israel, the God of Israel, the god of this planet in which we live. And that's why I mentioned the planet, the God of all the universe, He created all things and it talks about creation, and He created and he brought you into being you was not brought in this world by by the decision of your parents, everything is predestined. Everything is pre planned. Everything is already been put into place. The Scripture says, For the steps of a good person are ordained by the Lord. But we might say Yeah, well, that's after salvation. For God knows the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD Jeremiah 29, it tells us very clear that there are plans and there is predestined destined situations, and predestinated areas of life that you will hit their marker points in your life, whether you swerve around the outside or what God will will God will bring me God will bring anyone to a point in our lives because there are certain things in our lives that are predestined, that are pre market, where we will find ourselves and lives cross paths, cross situations come together, things happen, and because things are predestined, now that can be very difficult to grasp and very difficult to understand, then we talk about year but if you are a believer, then so what is the power of free will the power of free will is the power of understanding do I decide to live completely for him? Now when I say completely foreign, I'm referring to the area of sin? Do I decide to sin? Or do I see side to follow him? The scripture that we are looking at is clearly about holiness, about predestination about justification. So as we progress a little bit further on in verse three of Ephesians, chapter one, he says, Praise be to God, the and the father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us, in heavenly realm. So Paul is talking about the spiritual layers, the spiritual areas of life, that we cannot grasp or understand all the time we're in this earth. So all the time I'm in the skin that I'm in, I will never grasp everything that God has for me, because everything is predestined. Everything is pre plan. But as a human being we try to plan our holidays plan our life, plan, our work situations, we plan what we're going to be doing, we are planning, we are planning, we are planning. And so what forgive my voice, you know, I got my voice a little bit weak this evening. So everything in our lives, we say I have the power to choose, I have the power of choice. There are certain things in our lives that we do not have the power of choice for. And the first one is the power of salvation. Salvation is a gift and salvation doesn't come from an altar call. Salvation doesn't come from the pastor's lips. Salvation doesn't come from a religious setting. There is no priest there is no Bishop, there is no pastor there is no preacher on planet earth that can actually say I hold the power of salvation. And when I call you down the front they you will come you will raise your hand. They are marker points. They are marker points. When the public around you when your family, your friends, your brothers, your sisters, actually it is just a diary entry in your life, but it has already been predestined for it might not even be that moment because God has already been working in your life. Have you ever been in a great auditorium or you've been in a crusade or you've been on a revival meeting? And how many people have run backwards and forwards over the years for salvation? Yeah, I've I can't stay in the seat. We've all been in this situation. We all know what we're what I'm talking about. There has been points in our lives probably where we've jumped up from the chair, run down the front and rear receive salvation for five times. Because we don't want to feel that we have been left out and our friends and around the church er went down to that meeting, I went to that revival. You know, salvation is nothing that a human being can deal with because it has already been predestined. It has already been given. You know, God has called you I'm gonna say it like this straight straight out of it. With no messing around. You cannot resist God. I cannot resist him. I cannot resist Him. There might be people laughing their little socks off tonight maybe thinking what is he going on about that vicar sitting in the corner with that Larry Oh, podcasting table speaking all this baloney. You cannot you cannot read fuse The power of a holy God, when you look at power or the power of creation. So let's get a little bit further, let's get a little bit further. It says in verse four of Ephesians, chapter one, four, he chose us in Him before creation that just blows my, my thinking that blows my logic that he says, For He chose us in Him before creation of the world, to be holy, and be blame less, we was chosen to live pure, we was chosen to live righteous we was chosen to live before we even came into existence. Now, now we're on this side of salvation. Now I understand what the power of free will is the power of, of choice, the power, I don't have the power to choose to be saved. But what I do have the capabilities of saying is, I am not going to sin, I am going to live for him, but then comes into the arena of the conversation, because of the lust of the flesh because of the earth suit because of the world. It says all have sinned and fallen short of His glory. So there is no one that the bishops, the leaders, the preachers, the teachers, none of us can get this life completely right. Because there are areas in our, in our lives, there are areas in our thought patterns, there are areas in our thinking there are areas around us that we will almost be in a in a position of failure before we even got out the front door. Now that is not because we are weak, it is simply because we are living in a fallen world. So there are certain areas, look at arrogance, look at Pride, look at the lust of the eyes, look at all that sort of stuff. It's almost like it's been set up for failure before it's even begun. But that is because of the fall of man. But I just want to emphasize tonight you cannot lose your salvation. You cannot lose what God has given you. And you have no choice, whether you decide to be saved or decide not to be saved. If there is no Pastor, there is no leader, there is no Bishop that has the power within himself. To give that authority Yes, there are marker points. And I'm not I'm not taking anything away from that moment that you went to that great revival meeting and you really met with God and you really felt God in your life that was just your physical you that was just your human you suddenly realizing that God is real, but the human you I'm not being disrespectful in any way. But the fact of the matter is you did not I did not decide on that Billy Graham meeting on that tent revival, that that is going to be the night that I decided to follow Jesus. That was the night that God decided to give me a soul soul why do you persecute me moment? That was the realization when when I suddenly was dropped to my knees in my complete frailty. When you look at humanity. Life is very thin. Life is so thin. Our heartbeats our heartbeats are numbered life. Every heartbeat is numbered everything. Everything has been predestined. Now it says For he chose us in him. You was chosen, I was chosen in him. So it has nothing to do with a preacher. It has nothing to do with a cheat teacher. But what God does, he uses the preachers and the teachers to see the fulfillment on this earth by the power of the preaching and the teaching, not because of the power of the human preaching, but by the power of the Word of salvation that that preacher or teacher is delivering. Not because they are well educated not because they are well schooled, not because they sound nice, they look nice, not because their preaching is great. It is because it is the power of the gospel of salvation. It is the power of the gospel that got you saved. It is the power of the gospel that got me saved, not the preacher, not the teacher. It wasn't the power of the preacher or the teacher or the human that suddenly decided tonight is your night Ben, I have decided to preach this message of salvation. So everything is lined up and tonight you will receive salvation. No, it was predestined, but what it is, we come together in the structure of church we come together in this box that we live in church and it is that night, that the physical realm at suddenly understands that the supernatural realm is greater than the physical realm. How can a human being suddenly go I am going to follow Jesus. And that's it. I've decided it all sits with me. I am in control. We are not in control. He is in full control because everything has been predestined. So as you look at this text Ephesians chapter one, verse four, four, he chose us in him. You was chosen or I was chosen. This makes me smile. I've gone from Monday night to this night, Monday night was a night of absolutely breaking and stripping back. And this night is a night of smiling. Because you know the power of God, the power of this supernatural God, no one can feather him, no one can work him out. No one can roadmap him, no one can dictate to him, no one can pull him out of the church box on a Sunday morning, half past 10 And have a couple of hours and then put him back. God is in full charge. The more I study Church, the more I study religion, the more I look at the brushstroke of church, the more it makes me laugh to think to myself, Okay, these past me pastors, because leaders reverence, actually think that we have this power, that we have the authority. Now I know what the scripture talks about leadership. I know that and I get that. But what I'm referring to, there are a lot of preachers and teachers that actually get on their high horse, and think, and there are ministries out there that are driven on the salvation drum. And it is all about ticking the box of statistics, this ministry that ministry Yeah, we see 1000 Save 10,000 Yeah, yeah. When actually, is that really true? I would actually beg to differ on that one, I really would. So as I study the church in depth, I look at the ecclesia. And I see what God and how God works. It makes me realize that there is so much of a circus performance that is going on in religion, it is it is laughable, that if I think that I can stand behind a pulpit, and actually be the one that is in charge of someone's destination, that is impossible. I cannot think like that. Yes, God uses the preachers and the teachers, but it is the gospel of salvation. The Scripture says, It is the gospel of salvation. Yes, God uses the man God uses the preacher. God uses the human as the vehicle, but that person is not in charge of that other person's salvation, that salvation has come from God, it is by God, it is for God, you are saved not because you heard the gospel from a human voice you are saved before the very beginning of time. Let me remind ourselves of this text Ephesians chapter one, verse four. And it says, For He chose us, in him before creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in his sight. So before creation came an even abounded and came and was quickened by the speech of God's word. It says she was chosen in creation of the world, before creation of the world sorry, to be holy and blameless in his sight. Well hang on a moment, I've not even lived, and I have sinned, the mass percentage of my life, but he chose us to be holy, to be blameless in his sight. And then all of a sudden, he creates the Garden of Eden, he speaks this beautiful garden into being, and suddenly we find the fall of humanity. But but that is not. That is not when you look at the fall of man in the garden, God already for knew. So there had to be a predestination, there had to be a pre planning. And the scripture tells me because here we have, it speaks before creation, what is creation and God said, Let there be light. And there was, and God saw, and God spoke, and God brought into being the universe, the stars, absolutely everything. God spoke it into being. Now we know. And you may know, people that don't actually believe in creation, and I'm referring to those that are in the church. And there are many in the church that don't believe in hell. They don't believe in creation. They don't. They don't believe in the birth of Christ in the way the Scripture talks about. So So when I talk about the word church, when I look at the church, I suddenly see the church very, very different. Now, on this side of the pandemic, what what God has done through the pandemic, he has broke all the religious ties, all the rubbish, all the junk, all the circus escape, all the all the showmanship, he's broke it, it's been torn down, and then it has been pressed down and it will never be revived again. It will never be what it was before and thanks be to God it will never be because we are been we have been predestined. And We and everything has been for for told for for spoken about the Word of God. So when you look at this, verse four, I'm trying to progress a little bit further on, but I keep being drawn back to verse four of Ephesians chapter one four, he chose us in him. US chose And I was chosen in him before what before creation what was creation? Genesis chapter one. So before Genesis chapter one came into being, you was chosen in him before that even came into being that will blow your socks straight off your feet that will just absolute confusion for your noggin, your brain your thinking, your understanding, your articulating your philosophy, your thinking of life. You know, no wonder atheist common absolutely get Wilder Christians. How can you believe that you was chosen before the creation of the world? How can you believe that because I believe through faith, faith only comes around after salvation has been given. You can't have faith in God, before salvation enters and salvation comes upon that human being. So as you look at this, salvation comes first. Faith is a secondary that comes after because it is by grace we have been saved. So it is not by it is not by works. It is not by deeds, it is not by action, it is not what I do, salvation has been given. So when salvation comes, what is salvation, Salvation means to be redeemed, to be set free to be saved from the penalty from the pit from the gates of hell to be bought back with a price redemption. So you have been I have been bought back before we even went into that sinful area. It goes so deep, it goes so wide, it goes. So beyond the thinking, the understanding the workings of the mind, the cognitive process, and it goes so deep, so beyond, it can almost get to a point where you actually can't go any further. Because it is so deep. It is so vast, it is it is so wide. It goes beyond the human mind. That's why Paul writes, it is a mystery. The gospel is a mystery to the human being. And thanks be to God, it is a mystery because it will just shatter and just absolutely break. Because the human mind cannot cope with the spiritual side of the human of the God that we serve. So I'm just going to pray. I'm going to press I'm going to read this a little bit further. It says in love He predestined us for adoption, hang on a minute God in love, so we haven't even lived, so I haven't even lived I haven't even lived my threescore years and 10 on whatever that may be if the Lord Terry's however long longer be on this earth. But so let's say like this, we've already made it before we even lived it because He predestined it and he'd done all this in love. So before the creation and the foundation of the world you already was because he already is. So our Gosh, it just could just go so deep. And it says in verse five he predestined us for adoption so you've already adopted us already given us already blessed you is already in before the end and the physical you are may came into being this will just blow your mind and it just literally just just it it doesn't it make you look at the church and think Do you know what, what a circus I've been in for years? What an absolute crazy pot of all sorts of things I've been in for years when when I actually think that a human being can preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and actually think that that human being has the power to to lord it over the congregation's and taught and then we go into that area that I get quite a little bit gritty in, as you know, from what we've done, about communion about the church holds it back, the church has the right to hold it back, the priest, the priesthood that all that you know what I'm talking about there, certain denominations say, I will give you this when when I think you are right, when you have clicked and tick the box of ABC and D, no one is going to click the box of ABC and D. God says as often as you come together do this in remembrance of me. So we are doing communion in remembrance of Him, not the priest over there and not the bishop we're not whoever it may be, we are doing it in remembrance of God. This is about this is all about him and for him. So the more time progresses in my life and the more I look at church and the more I study Church, the more I come into a realization of cash, what a crazy circle what but the but the bubble of church has been popped, it has been popped. Now we are starting to see what God has for deigned and for new and unspoken because we are living in very powerful times. I haven't even got that a verse six. So let's read verse five of Ephesians chapter one I'm not even digging into it. I'm just just just just literally just skim reading over this really because I know God will take you in. Let's emphasize this again. So what do we know from the scriptures, that salvation is not left to the power of the preacher or the teacher, salvation, God uses the vehicle of the preacher or the teacher, to voice and to teach and to get his teaching through. But actually you are already predestined, you are already saved, you is already holy, you was already blamed less in his sight through the blood of Christ, before Christ even went to the cross, because everything is predestined. So, when you look at the world, and you look at the globe, so I think that we can actually say, it has already been done, it is already a given, it is already said and done, that we are literally just walking out what God has already told, and already said. So it is not down to the power of the religious church. It is not down to the prosperity gospel, that What a load of trash that is, and all the other stuff in the name it and claim he just suddenly blows the lid locked down as blown the lid off of so much. And you suddenly realize that sir, I am saved is by grace, I am saved, I am not saved by because the church that I could, I'm saved because of my God said before the very beginning of time you are saved. You cannot resist salvation. You I cannot resist that it is impossible to resist this. But then we come into the area well, actually, okay, well, I don't believe you might not believe. But there will come a time atheists in your life. When suddenly your earth suit your flesh suddenly, clicks, your puzzle will suddenly be fulfilled because God has quickened your spirit. God has dealt with you. So faith comes after salvation. Because before salvation, I am doing a soul soul I am living my life in accordance to what I think and what the world is asking me to do. So was not aware of salvation. So was not aware of sanctification, justification. So he he was not aware of eternity because he was not looking for God. So there was no faith. So before salvation, we have no faith. Faith gets planted after salvation. Where does salvation comes from? Salvation comes from God. So it is predestined. So faith comes along. It is like a package deal. I've said that really bad. And I've really put that bad. You know, it comes when salvation is given. So actually, when when we talk about salvation, salvation is given, but it has already been. So it has been given, but it was already there. Let's get let's get in the text. Let's get in the text. Come on. It says I'm just I'm just going to read verse four again of Ephesians chapter one, he says for you, for he chose us in Him before creation in the world, to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love He predestined us for adoption, to the Sonship through Christ Jesus, in accordance with His pleasure and his will. No mention of the church, no mention of the Pentecostal movement, no mention of the Evangelical Alliance, no mention of Elim, no mention of AOD the Baptist Baptist Church, no mention of no denomination, no mention of the Church of England. We're no mention of Catholicism, no mention of the church, the only time we hear the church being mentioned. And the clear Church of Jesus Christ when it says that Christ is the head of the church. He is the head of the body Christ is the head, who is Christ, Christ is the image of the invisible God. And John says In the beginning was the Word and Word was with God and the Word was God. And the Word was with God at the beginning, what was at the beginning nothing was at the beginning. Existence didn't even exist there was not you can't even get your mind to go back beyond even when you think about the garden the creation and garden before the garden existed God was the deity was your look at creation we science talks about you can't have you can't have any element of creation without three measures you got have space, time and matter. And you will find space time and matter right at the very beginning of time. God goodness gracious me. All my all my cut little concepts in the name of Jesus. Ephesians four verse four. Chapter one, four, he chose us in Him before creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight in love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Christ Jesus before this is before, this is before creation, in accordance with His pleasure, and will. Now I get a bit of a place of rest. In the garden, the Garden of Gethsemane when Christ The Word became flesh, John said and he made his dwelling among us, we are beheld and seen his glory, He is the Lamb of God, Christ Jesus Christ lived as a human being. And we know he lived as a human being, because he said, the Scripture says, the man Christ Jesus without going into the wills of that, without going into all that when you look very clearly, so church has no power over your salvation pastors have no power over your salvation bishops, preachers, teachers have no power over your salvation, what the church is, and I'm referring to the Church of Jesus Christ. The church is the vehicle that God uses for his preachers and teachers, to speak His word, and to reveal His word, but it is by a mystery of the Holy Spirit. It is not by the power of human intervention, that you are saved, you are saved before humanity even came into being we have it in front of our very eyes, it is according to His pleasure and his will. So before the garden came into being the Garden of Eden in all its glory in all its splendor, before the angels were put into being before Lucifer was created, who created Lucifer? Before Lucifer became Lucifer, he was created as a heavenly being an angel of God, he was created for God by God, but then we understands the fall, then we understand. So before the angels were placed into the heavenlies, before the stars were spoken by the power of God's word, before creation came into being, before the existence of land before any atoms were spoken from God's mouth, before any extra oxygen, and before any existence of any existence. I was you was already in the plan of redemption, bonkers bonkers to the human being crazy, but by the power of God's word, it is right before our very eyes, you will look at that I will look at that and think how can that be that is just be honest, thinking. The great thinkers, the great articulators, the greatest theologian will never get to the end, and the understanding of God, the greatest apologetics in the world, the greatest thinkers, deep understanding everything cannot get to the extreme and get to the depths of God. Because God only revealed to the theologian to the preacher, the teacher, those in congregation, he only reveals what he is going to reveal. And he it is almost like a drip feed of Scripture. God feeds us over the journey of our life. Let's get back to verse six, verse six visions, chapter one, to praise be the glory of His grace, which he has freely given us, the one who loves us. Now we come on to redemption. I'm just going to read this through because I've got, I've got to get into the book of Ephesians chapter two, I just want to read Ephesians two, and he says, In Him, we have redemption. So we don't see anything about the church. And you know what I'm talking about the church, it don't say anything about the church. He doesn't put any weight on church. Church did not exist. The only way you could say church existed is because Christ existed. And he is the head of the church. So we could get in a theological debate that the church was at the beginning of time, because it says Christ is the head of the church, so we could get to that position of understanding that that Christ is the church he is the head of the body, which is the church but I am referring to the brick building I'm referring religion has no power over salvation. Religion cannot give you salvation. No preacher and teacher can tell you when you are going to get saved because it has been predestined for His good pleasure and his goodwill and His purpose and His plan. Verse seven in Him, we have redemption. Oh my goodness gracious me. In Him we have redemption through his blood, what blood is this? Now I can see here already what we have before us. We have a very clear understanding that blood is scripture says there is life in the blood. What do we do every Monday evening? What do we do whenever we feel drawn to that we take communion, who tells us to take communion the church thinks that it has the power to tell us when to take it when not to take it. But actually through this, I see very clearly about the power of the blood of Christ. In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin in accordance with his riches of God's grace, that He lavished he lavish what a powerful word He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will, according to His good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be to be put into effect, when the times reached their fulfillment, to bring unity to all things in heaven. And on earth, under Christ, verse 11, this will rock your even more. In Him, we were also chosen, having pre destined predestine, predestination, so it says have improved, having been predestined according to the plan of him, who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will. I respect the church. I love the church of Jesus Christ, I get frustrated at religion, it makes my feathers ruffled up, to think that the church thinks that it has this power, to deliver and to speak, and to say we are the church. It within the framework of church and religion we hold all this watch has it holds on a fine art, he holds on to money, it holds on the notoriety, the church that we see. And whatever way you want to look at that. It has no power, because it cannot be the church of Jesus Christ. If it is saying, I will tell you when you will be saved. I will tell you when you will take communion because this is all about God. You don't see Church on the page. What the only way you could say you see church is when you see the word Jesus Christ because it says he is the head of the church, the body, he is the head of the church. So yes, I see the church but I see the church of the Church of Jesus Christ. And he says, as often as you come together, Do this in remembrance of me. Verse seven, Ephesians, chapter one in Him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with his riches of His grace, that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will. So, if his word if his sovereignty, his, if his power and anoint if, if God's sovereignty is a mystery, who is any man to be able to say I have worked it out, I have the power and this is a B, C and D. It is a mystery to the human being, but by faith by the power of the Word of God. God reveals it God reveals it through what he reveals it through revelation or knowledge, he is revealed this He is revealing all the time because it is a mystery. What is it a mystery to? It is a mystery to the angels. It is a mystery to the human beings. It is a mystery to the concept of life. It is the mystery to the human mind. It is a mystery to the science of life, it is a mystery to the knowledge of life. It is a mystery to the psychological thinking it is a mystery, because it is of God but he reveals that through revelation and knowledge and He reveals so salvation is given revelation or knowledge is given. Faith is given justification is given. Sanctification is given. Everything is given. It cannot be obtained by the works of human hand. It cannot be given by the voice of the preacher. But what the preacher and the teacher does, he or makes us He makes us aware of the gospel but he got does not need humanity to get his purpose and his will done. Humanity was created for His purpose and His good will because you will find before the very beginning of time You was created, you were thought of you were spoken about before creation came into being to be what? To be saved because it talks about blameless and pure in his site. It's all done. It's all the it's been sealed. And done. Verse 11, in him you were chosen, having breed been predestined according to the plan of his of him who works out everything in conformity with his purpose and will. Now let me just read this, verse 12, that I want to quickly just read as we finished, in the book of Ephesians. It says, verse 12, of Ephesians, chapter one, in order that we, who were the first put on our hope in Christ, might be to the praise of his glory, verse 13, of Ephesians, chapter one, and also sorry, and you also were included, you was included, you was you as in your you was included in Christ, when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of salvation. So the gospel is about salvation. The Gospel isn't about money. The Gospel isn't about what I can get. The gospel is about and for salvation, the gospel of salvation, when you believed there says, Then you believed you were marked in him with a seal the promise I can only believe when Salvation has come, I cannot believe until salvation has been given. Because when salvation is given, what happens the physical me suddenly realize that the Holy God, the God of Israel is real. So when salvation comes, not only does it bring salvation, but it brings everything else it brings everything, but salvation comes. So I don't have any faith until salvation is given. Now, let's have a quick read Ephesians chapter two, verse three, it says, all of us, all of us who used to live among them, at one point, gratifying the cravings of the flesh, and following its desires and thoughts, that still, that still can go on, because the battle, the battle, as I said, as we read out of Romans the other night, a wretched man of mine, why do I do the things I hate? Why do I do the things that I can't do? Why do I keep doing that is because there is a fight with the human and not with anyone else for the battle. The battle belongs to the law, but there is a battle within trying to live blameless and pure. But the scriptures already says you was chosen before that. He was already blameless, she was already pure. Gosh, this is really deep. And it says like the rest we were by nature, deserving rough, but he says, but because of his great love for us, because of His great love for us, who is rich in mercy made us alive. He made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in war, when I was dead in my transgressions, it is by grace, you have been saved. So while I was selling and being vile, and being mucky, and being naughty, and dirty, and rubbish, and all that sort of stuff, while I was living by the Cravens of this world, he saved me, he set me free. Suddenly, the soul moment comes into being when God gets me and arrest me. And actually salvation becomes real to the human being. It says, For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourself, it is a gift from God. It is not from yourself. So it is not from any human being. Verse nine of Ephesians chapter two, not by works, thank you God, it is not by works. It is not by the amount of works. It is not by works. It can never be by works, not by work so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork do we realize we are His handiwork? I can imagine there are many of us may 1 Go in. Well, He created me. He knows my character. He knows the enemy. He knows the crazy things I think than that he thinks I do the bananas things that I get up to the crazy things that go in my life but He created me he for me, he spoke me into being I was even saved before I even came the human being my sins. My transgressions. Were now at the cross a Calvary before I even came into existence. This This has already been predestined. This has already been pre planned. This is already had the purpose we are just fulfilling what God has already spoken. I am living what is already spoken, I am doing what he already knew. I am living how we already knew I would live but he still chose to save me because of predestination. He says he did not buy works and no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork created in Christ, created in Christ, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, Lord, this, this just rocked me to do good works, which God prepared in advance. So this froze, leadership, everything to do with leadership, everything to do with a call in everything to do with what the church is saying, How many times have we heard that the church as Chuck has chosen that leader, because of their CV, their CV matters, nothing. Their education matters, nothing. So what we find in the UK and in the global church, we have many people in areas of leadership that should not even be in leadership, because they've not been called to that. Because what does it say here? He says, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. So. Am I in the position because God called me to be in the position? Or me? Am I here because someone opened the door. A human being will have him as a pastor will have them as an elder, will they are an evangelist. How many times have we heard? Come on church? Come on, brothers and sisters, how many times you can go online right now. And within five minutes you spent spent five grand, pushing the buttons, going, going to to a school of ministry, and we will teach you and we will give you the gift of healing? We will give you the gift of evangelism. Come on my noggin is blowing here this moment in time. What an absolute scam. What a scam there is out there no one, no human, no preacher, no teacher can actually say that within me, I have the gift of healing. And I'm going to transfer it to you. What a bizarre teaching that is. Everything is a gift from God. So within the framework of the UK, within the denomination structure, we see why we have such crazy things going on. Because there are people in positions of leadership and authority that should not be there. But they shouldn't be there because they are religious. And actually that is correct and right Believe it or not, you will only you will only be called because God has called you. So you find religious leaders religion wants to be and it will put whoever it wants to be in position. But they might not be predestined, but God knew there was gonna be there in the Pharisee setting, in the Sadducees saying, in the church setting of religion is meaningless. The Book of Ecclesiastes speaks about how much stuff is meaningless. So what we have been through and journeyed through religion and church, how much of that was absolutely pointless? It had no eternal value whatsoever. What is the percentage of my church walk my church life. But actually, when I think of that, God knew that it would walk like that, God knew it would be like that. But he allowed it to be like that, because he has to. And it has to be like that. So we can see that there is a separation between religion and the kingdom of God because it is about the Kingdom of God. And as always see that that big banner of church, it is a business model. And I actually heard the other day that someone was talking on one of the leading radio Christian radio stations, was saying we should take the business model of Wetherspoons and adapt it and put it into the church. God helped me because what did they say? They said, the business model works. It costs it works. Cost, the business model works. It will work to a certain degree and a certain layer because it's about socializing. It's up. It's about family unit. It's about all that stuff, cos it will work because we're all wanting a sense of longing. We're all one in a sense to be drawn into. Goodness gracious me. We've reached the point. We've reached the point where I'm going to say goodnight. Kebabs are calling chickens calling foods calling whatever is calling now You, I cannot refuse God, I cannot refuse him. But then I have the choice, the Free Will once salvation has given, once faith is given, once, justification has been revealed, once redemption is here and done one sacrifice once and for all. So what we find? Now I am a Christian Christ is in me, now I have the power of free will, to choose to choose whether I sin or not. We've reached the point, so much more we can get from this. But there are many cultures out there, there are many concepts of church and religion. And we find in culture, that there is a lot of tribal leadership, there is a lot of leadership driven by cultural drivers, rather than scripture. Fear is used. So much is used, but I'm going to present it to you and to me like this, you cannot lose your salvation. Will someone please show me the evidence that whatever you've heard that you can lose it, there is no evidence to support that a human being. When Christ you can't lose your salvation. If it was down to me to lose it, I would never have got it in the first place. I'd be in and out like luck, yo, yo, backwards and forward, I wouldn't even be in it because I can't. Because it's a gift. It is by grace you have been saved, not by works and no one can boast not by the will of the human being. So when you look at the the area of church, when you look at the area of religion, that has no power, that has no power, to do with salvation, is the kingdom of God. It is Christ. It is about Christ, it is for Christ. Redemption came into being simply because it was in the plan of Christ, the plan of God, the power, the plan, plan of redemption. We are here because of him. You are saved because of him. You are blessed because of him. You are blood washed because of him. You are chosen because of him. You are redeemed because of him. You are blessed and highly favored because of him because of him. And it says in love, in love, He predestined in love. I'm out of our way gone. Good night, may God bless you and God strengthen you, whoever, wherever you are, and everybody in the world of podcasting, we thank you so much for joining us this evening. And this could be the last one or two times that we could be in this room, depending on how quick we can move out and get down into that new area. What's been constructed. And we're getting there. I just thank you so much for joining us, partner with us. Being with us. You know God is with you, you are saved. Well, wherever you you think you have the power within your voice to hold that. You don't, you are saved. That is a given. That is before time. Before he created time you were saved. But is now your physical is just walking what has already been predestined because he was predestined to be saved. Because before your physical came into being. God loves you. God loves you. He loves you. We've sinned that the scripture supports it. May God bless you and strengthen you. Thank you to all those guys and gals brothers and sisters that listen to the podcasts around the world. We really really appreciate the downloads 1000s of downloads you can find. Find us on. I Heart Radio. You can find us on Apple Music. You can find us on Amazon music. Just go and look for Reverend Ben Cooper his podcast. You will see stuff from Steve Ballmer, Simon Pinchbeck. Saundra you will you'll find stuff on Israel, Brian Greenaway Chris Mullin, so much so much stuff that we've done over the time. But that will increase that will definitely increase when we get further down the tracks into the new studio that were that coming together by God's grace because it was already predestined for such a time as this. You were created for such a time as this. He owns you. He loves you. He's created you. Have a good evening God bless