Exploring the Depths of God's Love (#1020 - Elim) 13-02-2025

Explore God’s Boundless Love and Redemption: A Deep Dive into John 3:16 and Spiritual Transformation

Have you ever deeply considered the depth of God’s love and the transformative power of redemption as seen in the greatest story ever told? On Hashtag Christian Straight Talk, we invite you to join a spiritually enriching journey into the heart of the Gospel. In this episode, we explore the power of John 3:16 and the profound love God offers through the sacrificial gift of His Son. This is the ultimate message of Christian redemption, where God’s love not only forgives our sins but transforms lives. The cross becomes a symbol of both sacrifice and spiritual transformation, as we uncover how the love of Jesus leads us closer to the Father, turning despair into hope and death into eternal life.

We take a deeper look at the relationship between our minds and spiritual health, referencing Romans 12:2 as we emphasize the necessity of renewing your mind. True transformation begins with our thoughts, shifting from superficial actions to authentic spiritual renewal. We discuss the importance of addressing the root of sin in our thoughts and hearts, and how prayer, repentance, and aligning with God’s purpose are keys to spiritual growth and sanctification. This continual process leads us toward a deeper faith journey and a more intimate relationship with God.

In addition to personal transformation, we dive into the incredible biblical redemption story God has woven throughout both the Old and New Testaments. From the very beginning, God had a plan for our salvation, which culminated in the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. The redemptive power of God’s love is evident in His foresight, as He knew humanity would need a Savior. Every aspect of Scripture points to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, the ultimate act of divine love.

As we conclude, we celebrate God’s unconditional, unchanging love that surrounds us each day, reminding us of His constant presence in our lives. Regardless of the challenges we face, God’s love remains a solid foundation of hope, peace, and strength. In times of struggle or triumph, His love is always steadfast. In this episode, we share words of encouragement and blessings, urging you to stay resilient and continue deepening your connection with God’s love.

Join our community of listeners on this spiritual exploration and find encouragement, hope, and renewed purpose through the boundless love of the Father. Whether you’re seeking answers, struggling with your faith, or simply looking to strengthen your walk with God, this episode offers profound insights that can change your perspective and deepen your faith. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience God’s transformative love and spiritual renewal.

Tune in to Hashtag Christian Straight Talk for an uplifting, biblically grounded conversation that invites you to embrace God's love fully. Discover how to apply the power of redemption in your daily life, and allow His love to reshape your purpose and understanding. This episode is a call to all who seek a deeper relationship with God and desire to experience the life-c

Chapters

• 0:23 The Father's Love Story
• 16:36 The Father's Unfathomable Love
• 33:24 The Father's Greatest Love Story
• 50:37 The Father's Overflowing Love

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:23

Hello and welcome. Thank you for joining us here today, wherever you are across this beautiful earth. God created the heavens and the earth. The scientists, a big percentage of the scientific world, is trying to prove that God doesn't exist. Well, look outside your window. He's the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Stop looking at your little test tube. And that is not a strange euphemism. This is real. Real. God has created the heavens and the earth. He is the great king above all kings. He is the father. He is the great.

Speaker 1: 0:54

I am, and we have a subject that simon has brought to the table through hashtag, hashtag, hashtag. My lips are so tired. I've been doing so much talking lately. Hashtag Christian Straight Talk. We are in, we are here. There is no editing, there is no shaping and fashioning into a beautiful, sweet speaking podcast. This is just straight out the barrel of truth. This is it we're in. We've got Simon and we are blessed and highly favored and we are living in very powerful times. So if you live within the uk, you are starting to see something very interesting of the fall of the ivory towers, the fall of ministries that have been built by man, the fall of governments that have been built by themselves, full of structures and systems, but god is moving. Are you for jesus, are you for the father or you're living in luciferian way? Simon, we're in getting a bit strong in it yeah, already already been.

Speaker 2: 1:57

Uh. Good morning, uh to everyone who's listening out there. We're all good this end, uh and uh. We pray that you're all good and blessed, wherever you are. Listen to this Hashtag Christian Straight Talk and we're continuing our theme this morning on the cross.

Speaker 1: 2:15

Don't forget.

Speaker 2: 2:15

We've spoke about why the cross. We've spoke about the blood of Jesus. We've spoke and two weeks we've spent on Jesus' own story. They've all been really powerful. And today we're going to talk about something that's not really spoken about at all in church. It's the Father's story and it's part one of the Father's story and don't forget this. Once we complete this, this will be coming out in a book sometime soon and our second book on fear Hashtag Christian Straight Talk on Fear, taken from our podcast on fear will be coming out, hopefully by the end of this month.

Speaker 1: 2:53

Ben, praise the Lord, god willing, it'll all come together and everything. You know, we've lost a little bit of traction with one thing and another going on, but God is in it and God is with you wherever you are. The Father's story. Where do we start with this, ben? I'm just going to say this this is a choker.

Speaker 2: 3:09

It really is, but the father's story is the greatest love story, ben, that the world has ever known. Amen, don't? You know? You may have been with your wife or husband for years and years, but this is the greatest love story that the world has ever known, and there's only one place that we can start In Scripture is John 3.16, ben, and it says quite simply For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have had the last in life. What's what you know this?

Speaker 1: 3:50

I don't know where we go ben 316.

Speaker 2: 3:55

Uh, people use it, yeah, they do, don't they? And use it pretty, you know, sort of take it for granted really. But if we dig into that, we dig into that. This is the greatest love story that the Lord loved the world. The Father loved the world so much that he gave his only son and through that Ben, through that, just through that Ben, you know, you can make a poor man, man, rich, a sick man, well, a bad man good and an educated man, wise and a dead man come alive in.

Speaker 2: 4:37

Jesus Christ. This is such a powerful message that you know, we've said it before and we'll continue to say it here If you simply accept Jesus, that's amazing and that will save you. But the real key to it is following Jesus to the Father and knowing how much the Father loved you, because this is how much the Father loved you. And we've seen and I've been in churches recently where you know lovely churches but there's no cross.

Speaker 1: 5:13

The cross has taken out the cross has been taken out. Ben. So it scrubs everything out to do with the Word of God, because the cross is the centre point, isn't it? And that is John 3, 16. What did God give his son for? For redemption?

Speaker 1: 5:27

to the cross, so that, if the cross has been removed, you're removing the father's story. You're removing everything by removing the cross. I I don't. When I when I look, or even when I lift the cross off the wall in the churches here and we have to do something, I get quite fearful of touching the cross. Do you know what I mean? Like the cross to me, it's not that I worship the cross as a symbol and I lift it up as an idol, but I understand what happened at that cross and if I remove that cross, I'm removing the father's story. I'm removing the Father's story. I'm removing everything under the umbrella of the Bible. The cross is where the Father went.

Speaker 2: 6:14

You're exactly on the point, ben, and the thing is with the cross. Whenever we feel not worthy alone, whenever we feel the world wants to tell us we're rubbish, the world, you know, people around us, are pulling us down. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we need the cross to look to. We've only got to look to the cross and see what the Father done. He loved the world so much that he gave his only son, and the cross really is the statement from John 3.16.

Speaker 1: 6:46

It makes me really emotional. Lately, over the last number of months, I look at the cross, and the reason that is is because I really realise that God loves me unconditionally.

Speaker 2: 6:58

Out of all the billions of people in the world, Ben.

Speaker 1: 7:04

Each and every one of us falls into john 3, 16, the sacrifice the father made. We, the church, don't talk about that, does it and like even now, just like it's almost you're getting lost. I'm getting lost for a conversation because it is so powerful, because the human mind can't comprehend. I think we can say john 3, 16 so quickly and so blasé, yeah for god.

Speaker 1: 7:29

So loved the world because he's god, he just done it and he didn't have no feelings and he wasn't hang on a minute. No, no, this is the father. If we, if we take the scripture as it is, literally the literal teachings it says god, christ says our father, who art in heaven. So a father has feelings Just because he's God. We see the feelings because of how he created and how this is a really enormous subject that when you actually start opening and unpacking that scripture, and because also also john 3, 16 is used as the gospel, you know almost it's been preached out of context, when really you look at it it's the story of the father it's the story of the father.

Speaker 2: 8:16

Yeah, and yeah, you're right, ben, so in is you. It's a scripture that points to for your own salvation, yeah.

Speaker 1: 8:26

But, without really realising, but before our salvation, before we ever could be saved and the Bible says that God saved us while we were enemies and ungodly God had to give a gift. God had to give. There had to be a giving before we came into receiving you made a.

Speaker 2: 8:47

You made a really brilliant point, ben. You know I don't say this too often, but you made a brilliant point once every two years you've made a brilliant point, ben, because before you, before you can before you can.

Speaker 1: 9:03

Yeah, you gotta give and yeah you gotta give. You've got to give, haven't you? You've got to give and you give unconditionally.

Speaker 2: 9:08

Otherwise, if I'm giving you something because I know I'm going to get something back, that ain't really love, is it?

Speaker 1: 9:14

That's the love of the world. It's a business deal. That's the love of the world. It's a transaction. It's a transaction. It's a transaction If.

Speaker 2: 9:19

I give you this and I don't want nothing back from it. Just take it, that's love.

Speaker 1: 9:26

Unconditional love.

Speaker 2: 9:28

Agape love. Look what's happened here. So the father gives his son. So I put it to you like this Ben, so you have got a beautiful, beautiful daughter. Now you would not want to see your daughter suffer.

Speaker 1: 9:47

Can't go there, can't go there, can you?

Speaker 2: 9:49

My brain, no, can't do it For the good of mankind.

Speaker 1: 9:52

Can't do it, can't even talk about it, can't go there, can you?

Speaker 2: 9:55

So as a father you know, we won't get it.

Speaker 1: 9:59

We won't get it because what also we don't get is the spiritual entities that was at work above the physical man, christ Jesus. So when you look at the scripture that says when he went to the cross of Calvary and the book of Isaiah, he took our transgressions, our iniquities Again, the church is so blasé about them scriptures. Because he is God, because he is god, because he is christ, we expect it. But actually, no, I shouldn't expect it because I am unworthy, I am ungodly, I was a sinner, so we, I was an enemy. The scripture says I was an enemy in my sin to god, but god in his love reconciled us back to God through his son, jesus Christ, reconciled.

Speaker 2: 10:49

He reconciled us.

Speaker 1: 10:51

That word reconciliation, that is a massive word.

Speaker 2: 10:56

And here's the deal with that, ben, everyone in the world has been reconciled by John 3.16. Everybody, everybody, everyone is saved. We know that. But everybody Reconciled, everybody is reconciled to the Father. I would say this, ben, look, you know, I've wrote this down. You know it's a bit like Winston Churchill, but I'd say, never has so much been said in so few words to so many, that meant so much Wow.

Speaker 1: 11:21

Yeah, yeah, it's true, just that small scripture. God so loved the world that he gave his only Wow. Yeah, yeah, it's true, just that small scripture, yeah.

Speaker 2: 11:26

God so loved the world that he gave his only son. Anyone who believes in him shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life.

Speaker 1: 11:35

There's a way back. There's a way back the father's arms, the prodigal son scenarios and all that sort of stuff.

Speaker 2: 11:42

We've spoke about that across. This is the way back, john.

Speaker 1: 11:44

3.16 is the way back to the father so when you look at what someone was saying, for god so loved the world, the church is going well. God is love, god is love, god is love. The bible says in in zachariah. I think we are prisoners of hope, so we are slaves to righteousness. We are children of the living God.

Speaker 1: 12:04

God is with us, but before we were saved, while we were enemies, there was a sacrifice of a father handing over his son, and the John 3.16 text is probably the most used text and taken out of context text, because as soon as we go for god so loved, we forget god because we go. He's love, so we dwell on love. I know god is love, but we the english church, the westernized church, dwells on god is love and he loves everybody, but god is a god of wrath and we will never know what god went through and the pain and the suffering and the thinking and the understanding. Just because he's God doesn't mean to say I can't even get there, I don't have the vocabulary, how my heart is feeling that the sacrifice was his one and only son.

Speaker 2: 13:03

Well, that beautiful hymn In Christ Alone to me sums it up, because in Christ Alone it says this, it says my hope is found. Yeah, but it also says the wrath of God was satisfied, that's it.

Speaker 1: 13:20

Yeah, I'm getting it now.

Speaker 2: 13:21

Yeah, the wrath of God Was satisfied on his son.

Speaker 1: 13:26

God, Imagine I mean that is what happened. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The wrath of God. The anger the father of the world was poured out onto his own son.

Speaker 1: 13:43

So not only do we have a separation, not only do we also have a sacrifice, because when we take the Bible as it actually says, that's the son and that's the father, that's the dad and that's the son. So the son is always saying I've come here to do my father's will. And the father's will is always the intention and the understanding, is the redemption plan, and there is no way out because Christ mentions it twice If it is possible, take this cup from me, but not my will. So the Father's will was always the intention of redemption. There was no other way, there is no other way, there was no other way, there is, there is no other way.

Speaker 1: 14:30

And he, he's chosen and he's, he's spoken into being the most brutal execution to human beings possible on the earth. But the bible says, doesn't it that, that christ came down 14 generations and he humbled himself and he came into this world to seek and to save that which was lost. While I was lost and I was sinner and I was anti-God, god gave a sacrifice. It's so deep, isn't it? The more you think about it, you're actually getting lost, for the….

Speaker 2: 15:02

Well, here's the deal with this one, ben. We've said it before on this platform, people jump on Scripture like John 3.6 and like Jeremiah 29.11, where they go? I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you. People go, I wouldn't know.

Speaker 2: 15:21

Praise the Lord, hallelujah, yeah. But you know, jeremiah 29.13 says you will find me if you seek me with all your heart. Now, what we're doing now is digging a bit deeper and we're seeking the Father and trying to find, trying to look at his heart and if we go to uh, 2, peter, 3, 9 and 3, 8, it says but beloved, do not forget this one thing that with the lord, one day is a thousand years and a thousand years is one day. So time is time, yeah. Then he goes on to say the lord is not slow concerning his promise at some, as some count slowness, but he, he is long-suffering towards us, not willing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance. So he doesn't want anyone to perish, so that, as you quite rightly said, the cross is redemption for everyone.

Speaker 2: 16:13

He wants no one to perish he wants no one to perish, but he wants you to come to repentance. So that's you know. This is the God of love, who loves you so much, who's saying to each and every one of you out there there's stuff in your life that you shouldn't have, stuff in life you need to turn away from before you accept my son, Jesus.

Speaker 1: 16:33

Yeah, yeah, there's things in all of us. The Bible talks about the power of the mind as well. You know, you murder us and adulterous generation, but hang on, I ain't done anything physically. It's not the physical, it's the thinking. So there are many people that won't do a physical act of sin, but the mind. So all have sinned and fallen short of thy glory. So it's easy, isn't it? We're living in a world, almost a Christian world, where because you've committed a physical action of whatever that may be, you are a sinner, when actually the mind takes all of us to places where we should be left by God.

Speaker 2: 17:11

Ben, it's funny. I just posted a scripture this morning. It's funny. You should say that it's not a lead at all, it was just. This has come from the Spirit, Romans 12 too, you know.

Speaker 1: 17:25

Ben.

Speaker 2: 17:26

You know, we do not be conformed by this world, but have our minds renewed.

Speaker 1: 17:35

Do not conform.

Speaker 2: 17:36

Yeah, do not conform to this world world, but have renewing of your mind, which is so we can give our hearts to Jesus. But the mind is a constant thing we have to work on, isn't it?

Speaker 1: 17:49

and the mind is the place of endurance. You can have the heart after God, david, but you've got the mind of look at that hot tub over there because it's the mind, of look at that hot tub over there, because it's the mind, isn't it?

Speaker 2: 18:02

It's the mind.

Speaker 1: 18:03

You can have a heart after God, but you've got the body of a fallen sinner saved by grace. So God doesn't extract us off the earth and puts us in a holy huddle. As he said to the Israelites when you go into the promised land that I have given you, do not conform to the pattern of the Canaanites, the Hittites. When you go to that place I have given you, do not conform to the way that they live so you might be saved. You're in the purpose of the will of God. Yeah, so this is the thing we they live.

Speaker 2: 18:39

Well, so you might be saved, you're in the purpose of the will of God. Yeah, so this is the thing we're down. So in John 3, 1, 6 shows us that there is a one-time redemption, one sacrifice the sinless son Gone to the cross.

Speaker 2: 18:55

Spilled his blood, went to the cross. It's a one-time sacrifice, whereas you know for all, before the cross, yeah, it was like bulls, sheep and everything had to be killed, but it was time and time again, wasn't it continuous? And we've said that. You know this is a one-time, so one-time redemption, one-time salvation, should you choose to confess and repent and accept jesus. Yeah, but it's a daily sanctification, because what you've said there with the I'll go a bit further an hour well, it's a continuum, it's a continual, coming to the lord coming to the lord father.

Speaker 1: 19:31

Forgive me, lord. Help me not to be angry. Help me, lord, not to look out of the window and look at that. Help me not to get caught on that advertising. Help me not to want new trainers put again. What do you mean? New trainers, brands, certain stretches of the world? You know I mean new gadgets. We all have this and as we get go deeper yeah the spirit reveals more stuff, don't it?

Speaker 1: 19:56

and then, then, when he reveals it, it you can almost say I'm far from him. Well, actually, I'm not, because we are actually bringing up being brought under conviction, and the only way we can be brought under conviction is by the sacrifice and by the giving, the the father has to give before any of this can happen. The father. So if you can imagine when christ said it is finished, the father knew that all the way, from when he said let there be light, and there was. And when he spoke in the garden to to adam. So he knew that there had to be a redemption plan. And and even though he's god, he everything in existence was leading up to the cross, everything. So even the Father knows that that cross is coming. He knows that that day is coming when there has to be a handing over.

Speaker 2: 20:47

Well, you know, there's a key point, because many people these days completely disregard the Old Testament Madness they want us to unhitch the Old Testament, madness they want us to unhitch the Old Testament from the Bible. But the Old Testament is such a powerful foretelling of what's to come and everything in the Old Testament. Really, I'm just with the Bible in one year. I'm just going through Kings, you know. Yeah, this one did evil in the eyes of that. One did evil in the eyes of that. One did evil in the eyes of they're sacrificing children to moth. All that sort of stuff was going on and all that.

Speaker 1: 21:25

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 21:26

That made God angry is poured out on his son on the cross. The wrath of God.

Speaker 1: 21:32

And we will never understand, we'll never understand, we'll never understand it.

Speaker 2: 21:35

Because the love of the Father Ben is beyond comprehension. Yeah, he loves us all. Whoever you are, he loves you, and he loves you so much he doesn't want you to stay where you are and that's why he sent his son, jesus. And Jesus, you come as you are to Jesus.

Speaker 1: 21:57

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 21:58

And that's what you just can't. It's the depth of the Father's love, whatever you feel, a love for your children, your mum, your dad your wife, your husband, you cannot get there.

Speaker 1: 22:13

The giving of the Son and the sending of the Son. So even before the fall, god had a plan. Because the Bible says, before the heavens and the earth were created, I knew you, I formed you in your mother's womb Before the world began. And the scripture says he knows the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. He knows everything about everything.

Speaker 1: 22:38

So in the father's story, even though he is God, the God of heaven and earth, there was coming a time in his existence of when he had to reach the point of Calvary, and before that, and actually in the garden, and when you look at where this started to happen, that he had to hand him over as the sacrifice.

Speaker 1: 23:02

So even God, in all his godness and his deity and his power and his authority and his sovereignty, was moving up to the cross. Humanity was moving up to the cross. Everyone, even God, was moving up to the cross. Every, every, everyone, even god, was moving up to the cross. And the cross when, when we think about the spiritual atmosphere and, and the sun and the moon and all the activity, the world just stopped the, the demonic forces, the power. What do we put that down to? The scripture just gives us an outline, but you can imagine you can almost hear the father shouting and as he was shouting or something like that was happening that the earth just groaned and buckled and the graves opened. And when you really look at the power and the, the handing over of a son to the scum of the world, what a story story.

Speaker 2: 23:57

It's an amazing, amazing love story. I can't even get there.

Speaker 1: 24:00

The word's just like handing over this pure and even though, when you look at it theologically, it's God. God handed himself over but has taken the image of you can't get there that God has given his son, but his son is the image of the invisible God and in the deity and in the trinity God has given everything to save a bit of flesh, and he's done it for you and me, and for every single person in the world.

Speaker 2: 24:34

That's how much he loves.

Speaker 1: 24:35

And he didn't turn back, did he, simon? Because the son said to the dad, dad, if there's any way, if there's any way, Dad, dad, please Imagine that, couldn't you? Someone, probably going Jesus, didn't say please. Well, the way that I see him saying please, he begged, he begged and he sweated droplets of blood. Well, the, he begged and he sweated droplets of blood. Well, the agonizing feeling of my dad is handing me over. I've got to go through this. I've got to go through this. And it's interesting because Jesus says not my will Hang on a minute. So there we see a separation as in plans.

Speaker 2: 25:21

And you know we're coming on to something here, because Jesus knew the Father's will, but even in his, in the flesh, he was saying to him if you know, take this cup away from me. But here's the deal, see the Father. So the love between you know, take this cup away from me If, but here's the deal, see the father.

Speaker 1: 25:40

So the love between each other.

Speaker 2: 25:41

But the father cannot change, can he no? Because he was the same yesterday. He says in Hebrews today and forever. So the father's fixed, he can't change. This is what you've got to go through.

Speaker 1: 25:51

But dad, I'm your son. And then what does he say as he's coming out and as John? John says to him back in the scripture a bit further back, behold the Lamb of God. John baptizes him, he rises, Heaven opens. The Holy Ghost falls down as a dove onto Christ and God says that's my son. How often do you hear God's voice?

Speaker 2: 26:19

No, that's my son. How often do you hear God's voice?

Speaker 1: 26:21

No, that's my son, who I am well pleased. But, Dad, you're sending me to the cross.

Speaker 2: 26:29

But Dad, but, Dad, and this is the depth of the Father's love. You know, I heard a couple of things this week when I was looking at this, and one of them is see, the Father doesn't love us because we're valuable, but we are valuable because he loves us, because he loves us.

Speaker 1: 26:53

Yeah, we were enemies Subject to god's wrath. I, I, I can. I can only imagine in picture form because I do things what it would be like to be in the presence of god's wrath, when we know that we don't like to talk about this sort of thing, but it's just how my mind works. What it's like for a human being to be in the presence of an atomic bomb going. It's just a turn to dust.

Speaker 2: 27:24

But it is right. Here's the deal, ben. I'll keep saying that. But when we mess up and we go to the Father and we, through his son Jesus, we ask for forgiveness, what does he do? Forgives us, Forgives us, and he gives us that spirit, that energy to get through whatever we're going through. So here's the thing. So it's like we're going down the river on a canoe and it's a beautiful day, and we're leaning back in the old canoe, just paddling away there and all of a sudden it wasn't on the map.

Speaker 2: 28:05

There's rapids up ahead and they're pretty vicious and we know if we're going to hit those rapids we're going to die, you know, because the boat's going to smash up and everything. So we call out to God and we go Lord, lord, turn this boat around, take the rapids away. Please God, please God, we're heading for him and we're going like mad.

Speaker 2: 28:24

But right at the last minute. What does he do? He raises the level of the river and we float over the top. And that's called grace, isn't it? Our undeserved favour he gives us, but to his own son the wrath of God was poured out was poured out on him so we understand, don't we?

Speaker 1: 28:46

no, we don't understand no, it's difficult. I'm just thinking about the nails. It wasn't the strength and it wasn't the power of the iron ore that made the nails that kept him on the cross of Calvary.

Speaker 1: 29:02

You know, the love of the Father put him to the cross kept him the love of Jesus, the love for the world Of the Father, because Christ loved his Father and we see that clearly, because he was obedient to the Father's will, because he said not my will. Now what could be in that will of Jesus? I don't know if I want to do this for this lot. How many times have we heard in the Old Testament where God has actually said I'm going to wipe you lot off the face of the earth? Well, look what he did with Solomon and.

Speaker 1: 29:37

Gomorrah, my anger is burning against you, you know, abraham had to pray.

Speaker 2: 29:41

There's just 10 people, you know you know.

Speaker 1: 29:45

But so the will of the father and the will of Jesus Christ went to the cross because of the obedience to the father's will. The father's will was to sacrifice the Son. So when we look at salvation, we are saved because of the Lamb, because of Christ. But the Old Testament says he is our rock and our redeemer. So it is God that saves, because in Psalm 91. It's the Father that saves. It's the Father, yeah, it's the Father. It's the Father that saves, because in Psalm 91.

Speaker 2: 30:18

It's the Father that saves. It's the Father, yeah, it's the Father. It's the Father that saves. He says it in 3.16. It's the Father. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.

Speaker 1: 30:29

Whosoever shall believe in me he doesn't.

Speaker 2: 30:35

The Father doesn't love us because Jesus died for us. No, but Jesus died for us. No, but Jesus died for us because he loves us. It's just mind-blowing, isn't it?

Speaker 1: 30:45

It's mind-blowing yeah, and people go to you know Genesis, chapter 22, and go oh, that's a forerunner. But with Abraham and his son that might be a forerunner in the way that we look at that, but Abraham knew that he would get his son back. So Abraham was going by faith. With God there had to be a separation. Abraham's son went to the table and went to the lifting of the knife. Abraham's son went to the table and went to the lifting of the knife. Christ went beyond the knife and he went beyond.

Speaker 2: 31:24

I think that's a real and that's a point I've been thinking about, ben, recently is that you know plenty of people around the world and you do an excellent podcast on the persecuted church, but plenty of people around the world and you do an excellent podcast on the persecuted church, but plenty of people around the world are giving their lives for the Lord, yeah, and they render circumstances things you can't even talk about think about understand.

Speaker 2: 31:53

But with them they're going, with that hope and that light they see. Like Stephen, when he was being stoned, he just saw the Holy Spirit, the glory, the light, everything, everything, but here. But here Jesus was separated from the Father.

Speaker 1: 32:15

There's a separation.

Speaker 2: 32:16

So when martyrs are, sacrificed, there's no separation, there's a separation. So, when martyrs are sacrificed, there's no separation, there's no separation.

Speaker 1: 32:22

This is the only time.

Speaker 1: 32:24

This is the only place in history and in the world where no other god, no one would ever die to save the world. No one, no gods, no leaders, no, no one. No one on earth. Someone might die, as the scripture says, for a good person, but no one has sacrificed like what we are looking at at this moment. No one, no gods, no, all these other world religions when you look at that, there is not one of them that has gone to a cross where the Father has handed their Son over. So what we have today is a subject that if the church within the West would really preach and teach on, it would just remove this Billy Smart circus approach to what we've got, please please, wouldn't it?

Speaker 2: 33:23

You know completely. Just look, just take this one scripture. You know that John 3, 1, 6 is the Father's anthem for redemption, and you know so the Father's giving, he's giving.

Speaker 1: 33:38

So when did he come back then, simon? So he was given and the scripture says that jesus died.

Speaker 2: 33:46

He died, died. So it's a story of a horrible friday, a gloomy saturday, but a glorious sunday, because when he is, when he, yeah, rose again, but he died. He died in the, in the body. He rose again, but he died.

Speaker 1: 33:58

He died In the body In the physical sense that he died and the scripture tells us where and the depths of Shola and everything that went on, and we get that. But there was an experience of death, mortal death, physical death. So there was a separation. And isn't it interesting that he didn't go home, not like us. Within a twinkling of an eye you'll be with me in paradise. Yeah, so there is an area that humanity will never understand about death and separation. Because if martyrs, when martyrs are martyred, as Simon says, gone, gone where, gone to God, but Christ was given as a sacrifice, that sacrifice died, that sacrifice went as a sacrifice, that sacrifice died, that sacrifice went. The depth in this and the study in this is beyond human understanding, beyond the theologians and beyond the academic stretch, because there is a spiritual side to this that we'll never understand. We'll never understand it, the relationship that we'll never understand, the feelings that we'll never understand, the depth of a love that you'll never understand, the feelings that we'll never understand the depth of a love that you'll never understand.

Speaker 2: 35:10

You can't put God in a box.

Speaker 1: 35:13

There is no never compute it, never work it out, never grasp it, never understand the father's, the father's story, the father's story of complete separation.

Speaker 2: 35:24

But the father's story was always a story of giving always a story of giving, and it's a story that needs to be told over and over again. Old Testament is just fulfilling the father's plan, the father's plan for salvation and redemption, which was for ever since Adam. He was looking for a way to bring his creation the human race back to him.

Speaker 2: 35:51

And this is the only way that it could have happened, because, as we said before last week, if Jesus had committed one sin, he would have died for himself. Yeah, but he was sinless, sinless. He was sinless, andless. He was sinless. And what did it cost the father? It cost him his son. Jesus did it, and what's the condition of that salvation is that we believe in his son, and what the consequence has been is that we will not perish and we shall have everlasting life. That is a win-win thing, isn't it? Do you know, if you believe in jesus christ, just believe.

Speaker 1: 36:32

Yeah, but I don't understand it. That doesn't matter.

Speaker 2: 36:34

Just believe in your heart, just believe just believe the thief on the cross, two thieves, two thieves one who hadn't got any, didn't want anything to do with jesus, and the other one who turned to him.

Speaker 1: 36:49

and you'll be with me today in paradise, please remember me Within a twinkling of an eye, you'll be with me in paradise. So there is no separation, is there from a human being understanding from God, because the scripture says, as the psalmist writes, if I was to die and to go to the very depths of the earth, you'll be there. If I go to the heavens, you'll be there. The left, the right, wherever you are, you are there. But with christ and the father there is that separation and the spiritual powers of the atmosphere and the universes and the way the earth reacted to when Jesus said, because nothing happened until Jesus said it is finished. So when Christ said it is finished, not only was it the Old Testament being fulfilled and us stretching into a new covenant yeah, he's risen. But at that moment in time no human being will ever understand, except the understanding of God and Jesus that when Christ said it is finished and bowed his head, at that point you could almost hear a roar ripping through the universe of the Father.

Speaker 2: 38:04

Just Well, that's what happened, isn't it? And the temple curtain got ripped in two.

Speaker 1: 38:10

But, that is just a very slight thing when you think about it. And the universes must have shaken the sun, the moon, the stars, darkness fell.

Speaker 2: 38:21

And in the picture movie the Greatest Story Ever Told, john Wayne was a centurion and he turned and went. He truly was the son of God.

Speaker 1: 38:31

What a rubbish line.

Speaker 2: 38:35

When you look at the father's story, this is the greatest love story that the world has ever seen or ever will see. This is the greatest. There cannot be anything more, because on that cross, the human part of Jesus was fighting to stay alive, wasn't it the greatest. There cannot be anything more because on that cross, the human part of Jesus was fighting to stay alive, wasn't it?

Speaker 1: 38:53

He was fighting to stay alive on that cross. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 38:57

But the scriptures had to be fulfilled.

Speaker 1: 39:00

Fulfilled in what? The fulfilling of the Father's story. Because until Christ said it is finished, salvation didn't exist. No, no, no, Until that point. But up until that point there was still the connection of the father and the son, until Jesus said it's finished, Dad, and you make a good point.

Speaker 2: 39:25

Right now, in a place called CERN in Switzerland, they're trying to recreate the Big Bang that started off life Hadlon. Crazy, isn't it? What a… Crazy. Trying to explode, bounce atoms off each other, but it was the biggest… Power that ever… the world has seen, Ever seen.

Speaker 1: 39:47

I would say it's the biggest power that ever the world has seen. I would say it's the biggest power over creation, the whole lot, the whole understanding of Christianity. Of when Jesus said it is finished, that Pentecostal message would be yeah, he's risen. So while we're rejoicing, God has just I don't know, I don't know even how to put it. I can just see the universes and the worlds just out there buckling under the almost screaming of the God that just handed his son over to a world that is still still blaspheming his son.

Speaker 2: 40:30

He looks upon his sinless son. The graves were opened, covered in all the sin of the horrible world which had been, and the wrath, the anger he looks towards his son. Can you imagine that the anger he's looking towards his son and his anger is satisfied?

Speaker 1: 40:55

And the temple curtain was torn in two.

Speaker 2: 40:58

The grave shook when you open up this father's story. You said very early on to love you have to give. You said very early on to love you have to give. And this is the greatest love story because the Father is given as his son and he gave us his son as a shining example. And then he gave us his son as a pathway back to him for salvation, when he died on the cross and rose again. You know, if he'd just died on the cross then he'd just been another character, prophet in history. But he rose again, rose again.

Speaker 1: 41:47

And had he died Because his father breathed into him. So that place of separation. When you look at that and you study that and you try and bring all that together, what happened at the cross? The father's story finished and started at the cross as well.

Speaker 2: 42:08

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 42:08

It started and it's it stopped. Everything that he had prophesied through the prophets of old, all the commandments, all the sacrifices, everything was like an arrow coming to him going. This is the day, son, this is it this?

Speaker 2: 42:25

is it?

Speaker 1: 42:25

this is it, this, this is it where all we spoke about, all that we planned together as the Trinity, as everything that has been written about thousands of years of the prophets foretelling and forespeaking.

Speaker 2: 42:40

This is the moment it's huge where I've got to leave you. It's massive. It's massive for mankind. It's huge for when I've got to leave you. It's massive. It's massive for mankind. It's huge for mankind.

Speaker 1: 42:49

This is the moment where all the writings come to the moment, not when the soldiers are banging the nails in, but when Jesus says it's finished. So what do you mean, jesus? The relationship first between my father and me has finished for a moment, but it started because I had to be handed over, so there had to be a separation, a handing over. We won't never understand this story because it's so supernatural the more the more you try and work it, the more it gets confusing.

Speaker 1: 43:27

it goes deeper and you can't work it and talk about it. The more it gets confusing, the more the reason to peel off and you can't work it out.

Speaker 2: 43:31

Because Jesus is the salvation but also, as you said, is the reconciliation back to the Father. Because he said in John 14, 6, in the way of the life and the truth, no one comes to the Father except through me, and that was prophetic scripture. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus. And now he's made a way for us to be saved and he's made a way for us to go back to the Father. So, when you look at Jesus, we owe everything to Jesus, don't we? We owe everything to Jesus.

Speaker 1: 44:08

When you look at Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and he said, if it's possible, take this cup from me. I actually wonder if he was thinking I don't want to be separated from my father.

Speaker 2: 44:20

Well, that's got to come into play, hasn't it?

Speaker 1: 44:24

I don't want to be separated for this lot.

Speaker 2: 44:28

So the pain of being we've said it before the pain of being put on the cross, it just it goes into insignificance compared to the pain of being separated from his father, because he was never separated from his father. Me and the father are one. I don't do anything without the because he was never separated from his father. Me and the father are one. This is you know. I don't do anything without the father's will I do everything? You know everything, all of scripture in the gospel, that Jesus talks about his father, and now he knows that him and the father can't be separated.

Speaker 1: 45:05

So everything is about their relationship first.

Speaker 2: 45:10

Everything he's trying to, he's setting the scene.

Speaker 1: 45:14

Yeah, he's setting the scene for this father-son, yeah, the father-son, father-son, father-son. Because before salvation can be recognised and given to anyone, there had to be an act. There had to be an act, there had to be a, a buying back. It's enormous, isn't it? And like, when you look, I even have to be careful. I use this word easter now, because I have to look at that now as the pass over, the passing over. I can't look at the word easter anymore, especially in the world of world of church, because all we, a lot of, a lot of what we see on the easter weekend is a lot of churches, because a lot of what we see on the Easter weekend is a lot of churches together and a lot of churches handing out hot cross buns. Is this what we've come to, ben?

Speaker 2: 45:55

you know, an hot cross bun. Easter should be every day, shouldn't it? It should be every day.

Speaker 1: 46:01

Because we should. It's the Passover, because it's the passing over of the angel of destruction God.

Speaker 2: 46:06

We should be thanking Jesus every day for what he's done for us.

Speaker 1: 46:11

Oh God, come to church and we'll give you a hot cross bun, Not just celebrating, you know, on some random Friday in April, every day is resurrection day for me, every day, every moment, because I'm being revived and restored and washed and saved.

Speaker 1: 46:28

How many times are you going to forgive me? Seven, no 77. What do you mean? It's forever, because there is no end to my forgiveness. But, god, I've just done this, but I love you. Why do you love me? Because of unconditional love, and my son was a sacrifice. The atonement so much in it isn't there. We've reached it.

Speaker 2: 46:51

We've reached today. Yeah, we've come to the end today and I think next week we're going to, we'll go into this. I don't think we're going to go into it much deeper, but we'll see what the consequences are for the world and the father and the son thing and stuff that how the father-son, father-child, father-daughter relationships need to be strengthened in today's society Unbelievable. So with that, ben, we uh want to say thank you for listening and, wherever you are, we pray that you're good at your end. We're we're very good at this end. But, uh, this stuff as we talk, you know this is just straight out of barrel of the troop, yeah, straight from our hearts. It's real, coming straight, downloaded straight straight from the Holy Spirit, and we go through stuff that we've never even thought of before and we discuss it. So it's coming straight to you raw, through hashtag Christian Straight Talk.

Speaker 1: 48:01

Living, living as believers, but also having all every temptation thrusted at your head and your heart, living in a world that is just so anti-God. There is nothing. I'm experiencing, things in my life that I never thought I'd experience, the thoughts I never thought I'd experience. But you know what?

Speaker 2: 48:27

The.

Speaker 1: 48:28

Father's story still goes on for me, yeah.

Speaker 2: 48:32

Well, he's dead because Jesus made a way for you to back to the Father. And the Father's arms are there and we'll talk about it next week. But when you're in those Father's arms and the love you receive from the Father, you don't want to be anywhere else.

Speaker 1: 48:41

I don't see how the church within the UK can talk about anything else but the love of the Father, because that is the preachers and the teachers out there. You would never come to an end of a sermon, Would you? You'd never be talking about all the crazy stuff that's going on in the churches. If you spoke about this, if you kept in John 3, 16, and if you just spoke about the love of the Father, you're going to see the greatest revival ever.

Speaker 2: 49:08

Just before we go. I was doing something very quickly, doing something on Saturday morning, a thing we do called Bold Encounter, and what we do. We get a number of guys and they write a letter to their earthly father and then they write a letter from God to you Now. So just point out one fellow they're an horrendous childhood you know no love at all from from his father. Um, it was his second marriage and, uh, this, this fellow in his 50s had no love from the father and he poured all that out in his letter to his father and then the letter from the father to him.

Speaker 1: 49:46

I can't do it, I can't go there, ben I won't father.

Speaker 2: 49:47

And then the letter from her father to him no, I can't do it, I can't go there, I won't go through it. But the letter, it said this. It said about ten times I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you. Get it home, I can't Because whatever's, and we'll talk about it more next week. But whatever gap there is in whoever you are, in your earthly father, your heavenly father will fill that gap with his love, with his trust, and we'll talk about it more next week. But, ben, it's been an absolute privilege again to be speaking with you over the mics and we pray a blessing on everyone who's listened to this and you know the Father's arms are waiting for you and you get to them through Jesus.

Speaker 1: 50:37

I'm actually lost for words.

Speaker 2: 50:40

The Father's love is just too much, isn't it? It's too much man.

Speaker 1: 50:43

It's too much. God bless everybody. Thank you so much for joining us today at Hashtag Christian Straight Talk. We're there, there. We are there. We've made it. Have a great day. Wherever you are today, god is with you. God really is with you. There's never give up. You can find us on Buzzsprout, spotify, iheartradio. There's somewhere that you will find us, and that is. Our names are stamped in the Lamb's Book of Life. Amen, amen, written in the blood. Have a great day. That's it, we're done. God bless In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you.