Reverend Ben Cooper and Simon Pinchbeck take to the Mics for the next Chapter of #Christian Straight Talk, straight out of the barrel of truth.
This weeks discussion has been taken from the Scripture in the New Testament from the book of Galatians chapter 6 verse 14.
Listen on Apple Music, Amazon Music, I Heart Radio, Buzzsprout, Spotify, and multiple other Podcast platforms - you will find us under the title Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast.
Reverend Ben Cooper and Simon Pinchbeck take to the Mics for the next Chapter of #Christian Straight Talk, straight out of the barrel of truth.
This weeks discussion has been taken from the Scripture in the New Testament from the book of Galatians chapter 6 verse 14.
Listen on Apple Music, Amazon Music, I Heart Radio, Buzzsprout, Spotify, and multiple other Podcast platforms - you will find us under the title Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast.
God bless. Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening wherever you are we got our brother Simon pinchbeck.# christian straight talk.
Simon Pinchbeck:thats a great st
Reverend Ben Cooper:man bag.
Simon Pinchbeck:Do you want to start again?
Reverend Ben Cooper:no let's carry on no, let's carry on. Let's carry on. This is raw.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, I'll throw my sixpence
Reverend Ben Cooper:a hash bag man bag. Christian straight talk, that don't sit well does it? Nevermind. Good morning world. Good morning. You know, this is this is we're not gonna we're not going to reject that. We're gonna keep that in there. That was straight out the barrel of truth. This morning. We got brother, my really good friend. We've got Simon with us this morning. It's # Christians Straight Talk wherever you are across the world today. May God bless you and strengthen you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. There's nothing finer than the Word of God. There is nothing more powerful than the cross the Calvary and Simon it's bringing a great title to the other side of the mics this morning. Why the cross? What a title.
Simon Pinchbeck:I wanted Ben, it's great to be able to Mic's again. And it's great to be with you. And we've shared some amazing stuff. We are off off air this morning. And we'll get to that I'm sure at some some point. But yeah, Ben, all our podcast mentioned one thing. One thing I mentioned obviously you mentioned Jesus who mentioned Godfather, but it all comes down to the cross Bender always to the cross of Calvary always comes down to the cross. And we we we're stoked about it. And if I think we'll move it forward where we take it, we do a little series on a cross and I think come on let's do it. We'll start with this week wide across. Why is the cross this universal symbol of Christianity really so easy because we see when don't we see the cross being used as Yeah, fashion symbol, don't we, we see
Reverend Ben Cooper:that a lot in the church, you know, jewelry hanging around people's necks. You know, the church religion uses it to hide behind, but when you think about the cross, what it symbolizes what it really really means, well, what's the cross
Simon Pinchbeck:you people do wear crosses in church, but also you see, people were in crosses in the world and the you know, outside a church, you know, they don't I have no idea but it's a malaba cross maybe tattooed on for some reason or whatever. It's, we see it all over the place but and we see been one thing we see in one major religion is don't call it a cross they call it the crucifix which is what it was but but the crucifix is still got Jesus on it bent on it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's the issue, isn't it? That's the issue. That's the biggest issue is not on the cross anymore. What did the angel say? To me, he's not here he has risen. So the cross I see the cross as a physical vehicle for human eyes. Just as the scripture says, and at the Cross Christ made a spectacle and it this armed the principalities and the authorities in the heavens because the cross represents so much visually, spiritually, everything was happening at the crossroads. And when you think the Old Testament starting to Genesis and finish that across the New Testament started at a cross, and he's still going through up to the return of Christ the cross is everything isn't
Simon Pinchbeck:it is been but and and if we look at the actual act of crucifixion, it was a bell bear barbarian act, it was one of the most horrendous ways for someone to die. In fact, it was so horrendous Ben that I've done some research and Roman citizens weren't allowed to be kosher crucified, because it was so bad and and what they do is angry one across the view there for all to see. And you know, then come and break your legs and make sure that you'd really got you've really gone in. And if you were a Jewish person, and you were crucified, it was a curse you was cursed. And that's, you know, you hear that many times only, you know, cursed on that tree sort of thing, Jesus. So we have the king of the world, the king of the King
Reverend Ben Cooper:of kings, the king of the Lord, the King above all kings, the King of the Jews. The as Pilate and Herod and the conversation, everything was going on, we got this crucifixion, we've got this barbaric way of leaving the earth. But I love the fact that, you know, as the scripture says, Not one of his bones will be broken. You know, he was in complete control of his breath of everything at the cross. And the scripture says that he made a spectacle to Lucifer to the authorities, you know, and what I love also is that the temple cut and was torn into an access to God was available, but it is through Jesus Christ.
Simon Pinchbeck:And so you ask yourself, why? Why did it have to be why? Why was it this the most ruthless? Why wasn't there any other way that the cross that Jesus could have come and died? And but No, there wasn't? Because this is the ultimate for a Jewish person, their ultimate disgrace of being killed like this and
Reverend Ben Cooper:outside the city? Yeah, out there on the hill.
Simon Pinchbeck:And, and what happened in order, as you quite rightly said, all the Old Testament was looking forward to the cross. Everything's right. Yeah, yeah. And the father, since the garden weren't wanted a way to bring
Reverend Ben Cooper:people back to him redemption.
Simon Pinchbeck:So that II chose a race, which was the Israelites and they were, they add to sack there's so much to do to come into the presence that the sacrifice, lamb was denied.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And so much, and so much, and the barbaric way of that, sacrifice, sacrificing animals, you know, that there was noise It was, it was blood, first day, it was crazy. So even when you look at the sacrifice before, across everything that went on, so blood is critical for redemption, so the cross, you know, Hollywood and all that they dramatize it, and they try and make it you know, as brutal as they can, but they can't. Because it wasn't just the physical death that Christ went through. It was the transgressions, it was my sin, it was your sin, it was the sins of the world. So so the greater pain, when we look at that, and we understand the physical act that went on, above all, that was the spiritual pressure and the transgressions as, as the book of Isaiah makes it very clear, everything was upon him. So not only was the cross the physical punishment as a human being and the death, and we know that he said, and with that, he gave up his spirit, and he breathed his last he was in full charge of everything, but not what we could just only see and read about, but what else is in the heavenly layers that you had to take care of?
Simon Pinchbeck:You know, you make a real good point, Ben, I'll be honest with you. And it's a point that I was thinking about the other day, yesterday. Yeah. And I was thinking, you know, these people being persecuted for their faith for the Christian faith all over the world, and you do a great series of podcasts on that. But those people who are being persecuted and you know, you know, they, they're suffering, they're suffering greatly. But they've got their hope they got, I've got that relationship with Jesus and the Father. They know where they'd go in. Here, here we have Jesus,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it all is on him, the whole world. And actually, you can't, you can't mentally and you can't cognitively work that pressure out
Simon Pinchbeck:now, because it is so big. And what happened to him Ben, when he took all that sin, that was he knew he was going to have to go through that he knew and we'll go into it deeper when we talk about Jesus story, but he knew he was going to have to go through that. But that sin separated him from the Father. And that's the thing if you're, if you're suffering for your faith, there isn't that separation from the Father, you've always got the Father with you. But here Jesus, on top of all the physical pain is got, like you said, the spiritual pain of being separated from his father at that time, and they've never been separated.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Now. Yeah. It's such a deep theological discussion, this this separation and attacks refers to all that. And so we've got that going on. We've got the physical death. And then also, we've got this spiritual way. This dark, oppressive, loose of fire. You've got the authorities looking up at him. You've got imagine what that was like, and what I find and I've been drawn to a lot lately. A is where Christ has had these conversations. And you hear all this stuff going on through Christ speaking, as the man Christ Jesus, and he says quite a few times in the New Testament, I haven't come to do My will. Now that has fascinated me because he knew what the world was. So when he says, I haven't come to do My will have come to do the Father's will, what was the will of Christ, not to go to the cross? You were bringing up very controversial issues because he says this a few times have not come to do My will. If it was the same well as the Father, he would have said, I've come to do our will. But he says not My will be done, your will be done. And he says in the audience in the arena, I haven't come to do My will I've come to do his
Simon Pinchbeck:say I don't I don't think is controversial at all, because it just proves that he was very true. It was He was totally human being
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, yeah.
Simon Pinchbeck:As as a you don't want
Reverend Ben Cooper:i dont want to go to the cross, I want to go to the cross but but so there we have surrender. obedience,
Simon Pinchbeck:obedience. And, and the father's. You know, if the truth be known, the father, you know, I'm only suggesting it but the Father probably didn't want to sacrifice his son, but he was the only way in impossible.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Redemption.
Simon Pinchbeck:He could redeem
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, what had been done, what have we done. So if what he had created, we
Simon Pinchbeck:want to create it, because He created us to worship Him. And then we fell, we fell, and it didn't matter how many prophets he sent,
Reverend Ben Cooper:doesn't matter.
Simon Pinchbeck:That none of them could match well worthy knots, none of them was sinless. None of them were this was completely seamless, pure sacrifice, had to be some, to reconcile as back to the Father, to as you quite rightly said, to be redeemed, which is a ransom Jesus Christ paid that ransom on the cross so that we could go back to the Father. So everyone in the world is redeemed, but not everyone in the world is saved.
Reverend Ben Cooper:It's interesting, isn't it. So if there's quite a bit of a stretch of a road, I want to just quickly bring in one Colossians chapter one, sorry, Colossians chapter one, verse 15, and 20. It says, The Sun is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, For in him all things were created, things in heaven and things in the earth, visible, invisible, whether thrones or powers, rulers or authorities, all things are created through Him and for Him. He is before all things and He holds all things together. I love this Simon, verse 18, of Colossians, chapter one, and he is the head of the body, the church, he is the beginning, the firstborn among the dead. And it goes on a little bit further, bear with me, it says so in everything that he may have supremacy, For God was pleased to have the fullness of Him dwell in him. And through reckon sorrow in himself to all things whether things are nothing's in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. It all comes to the cross. It all comes through creation, redemption, salvation, fullness, hope. The old starts in Genesis it finishes at across the new starts at the cross and finishes when Christ comes home. Healing is at the Cross redemption is at the cross. And what happened for a human being at the cross? was access to the Father, through Jesus Christ like never before
Simon Pinchbeck:hell, and isn't it amazing that before Jesus, and the cross The cross was a symbol of torture, death renders, but after, after, it's now a symbol of so God has turned this around again, around this cursed tree, this curse cross is now a symbol of salvation and freedom.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And I read out there very clear by marking peace at the cross through his blood. So what Simon is saying, Before blood was shed at the cross, it was this place of curse. And it stayed that curse place up until Christ said It is finished. And then after that, it became so when I look at that cross behind Simon, it draws me in the cross just draws me in because it's peaceful. The Scripture just says that I think it's hope
Simon Pinchbeck:a real I mean, you've you've done out this church. Fantastic. And at the front now you've got across this just lights up at night. Yeah, yeah, that As a symbol of hope, yeah. And peace and reconciliation and redemption. Yeah. Whereas before that would have been with DACA. That's, you know, this would have been a lock and evil thing, wouldn't it? Exactly now, so
Reverend Ben Cooper:now it's a hope. It's a place the crosses, hope, redemption, creation, birth, death, resurrection, everything is at the crisis
Simon Pinchbeck:across. And so the question wide across, there's the answer. Yeah. And Jesus summed it up so beautifully in, you know, the, the most famous scripture in the Bible, John 360. is Sunday. And in it, you know, for God, the Father so loved a world that He gave His only son. Yes. So this is, you know, when people talk about the Old Testament, God, being, you know, a real god of thunder. And yes, of course, he was because he's the same yesterday, today and forever. But man, you gotta love He so loved a world that he's prepared to give his only son as a one time, blood sacrifice the Scripture is to choose one. Yeah, the only substitution that could ever have been to form a bridge between us as a father.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, because, as Simon said, the bridge, and Simon is referring to the word access. But access can only be accessible through Jesus because Jesus says, I am the Way the Truth and the Life No one comes to the Father except through me. So until that crucifixion, the father was not accessible as the as he is accessible. Now. Now, we are living in a time where we've got so many false prophets, they're actually sitting at the right hand of the Father. And they think that they've got access, but the Bible says, no one has seen God and can live. And the Bible says, God is invisible. The only way that we can see Christ, see God is through the image. Because the Scripture says, One Colossians says, The Sun is the image of the invisible God. So God is invisible. So no one has seen God and no one can live. We understand Moses, we understand what Moses see, but he did not. And the prophets, they did not see God and his full power, and it's false strength. So no one can see him, but we have access to Him through Jesus Christ. But that's not the access what the false prophets are talking about, where you can go out there and you can talk to him and, and sit next to him and God asked your opinion, all that old rubbish is your best mate. No, no, no, it's not what he's referring to.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's a good point, you make a real good point there, Ben, you know,
Reverend Ben Cooper:so the cross is also a safeguard, isn't it? That everything has to go through the cross, if the cross is not involved in Christ isn't involved. You haven't got the real father,
Simon Pinchbeck:you ain't got the real father. So you know, when you listen to people on on YouTube, and whatever, you know, they'll say, Oh, I just snipped up to speak to the Father blah, blah, but no, no, hang on a minute. No, the access is through Jesus Christ. And, and
Reverend Ben Cooper:because the false prophets don't talk about Jesus. It's the respect
Simon Pinchbeck:isn't the total respect. But you see, Ben, because here's the deal, like, you know, what does Paul say in one Corinthians, the apostle Paul said, the mypod, a message of the cross is foolishness, foolishness to those who are paramount, but to us who are being saved, is the power of God. So, and probably is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudence. So you know, you're taking this this most amazing thing that the world has ever seen. It's just It blows your mind completely. Our our father brought all this about for us to have salvation and access to him. But if you're just taking them for granted and taken, you know, the father sitting there as a friendly old grandpa, and you've
Reverend Ben Cooper:got access, access up and you're sitting next to the right hand of the Father, and you're, and you're having a wait and a forbearance on what happens to life and everything is a load of rubbish. You can't No one has seen the Father. The Scripture is so clear.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's interesting. You bring that up and because you do hear people go, Yeah, well, yeah, the God asked me my opinion on this thing,
Reverend Ben Cooper:Jesse Duplantis, is that the guy in America Jesse Duplantis said that famous line, what do you think I should do? Jessa What a load of trash. And if
Simon Pinchbeck:you hear anything like that, my friends, you know, check, check.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That is disrespectful. That is blasphemous. And there are many false preachers and teachers out there if Christ is not spoken about. Because when you talk about Christ, you talk about the Father, when you talk about the Father, and you talk about God, you can be talking about any God. Because there's there's a sequence of biblical language that has to be biblical for it to actually be the correct Christianity language that that we have today.
Simon Pinchbeck:Oh, a new mic. That's another good point. You might, you might in a few good points.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I've had some steroids, biblical steroids today, as a kind of Red Bull, Red Bull, and sugar. What's happened to me a day Jesus?
Simon Pinchbeck:Because these days, I'm afraid you can throw Christian in front of anything, anything and all of a sudden, people have got to listen to you also, you know, you could be the Christian juggler. You could be the Christian in the comment. You could be this
Reverend Ben Cooper:Christian nation. Yeah, you look at the state of the UK is more hell ban hell bound than we've ever been before. We have a god less government. We have a godless leaders that are just please in the flesh.
Simon Pinchbeck:Sadly, Ben, you're right. You know, we have a great opportunity to come out after we've come out of this. golden opportunity. And we've really set the stall out. But it's, I'm afraid it's gone
Reverend Ben Cooper:the other way and it's gone the other way. And another interesting thing song away from the Crossman. Yes, that's right. And another really interesting scripture is in Luke chapter nine, verse 23. Pick up your cross daily and follow Me. Well, that that is an ask.
Simon Pinchbeck:And so I would people help people explain that, then.
Reverend Ben Cooper:How would you explain I don't need to pick up my cross because Jesus done it at the cross. And I can do what I want. And I can. Now
Simon Pinchbeck:there's a popular saying I suppose. But but it's every, every day is our struggles in every day, every day. And so we need to be bringing this stuff before the cross as as laying it out. And the cross Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm remembering the cross is empty. The cross is empty it, it was a vehicle for human eyes to see and the understanding of the Jewish text and for the Israelites, and through that culture, and that time that the cross was the most barbaric and the most shameful way to go out. And God chose that most barbaric and inhumane way for who
Simon Pinchbeck:his son, and your right is no longer on the cross. So you we have a whole massive religion called Roman Catholic religion, which will have a crucifix and it'll still have Jesus on a cross. But he's not on a cross. Because that's the missing the point. The cross is empty the power across his in the empty cross.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's right. Yeah. Cuz he's has risen. The angels must have been smiling. And Jesus said in the Book of Revelation, He spoke very clearly, to John, I was dead. But behold, I am alive.
Simon Pinchbeck:Do you think Ben, let me ask you this question. Do you think that we're people are very flippant with the power Crossman? Yeah, I think people just take it for granted, you know, just Jesus's love and not really bothered too much what you did for us, but you know, you know, I know that. You know, I can do all things for you on the you know, you're just a vehicle for me sort of thing. Do you think that actually is
Reverend Ben Cooper:about very, very much. I believe, a mass percentage of the church don't even understand what the cross is about. Because if you understood what the cross was about, we wouldn't be teaching the rubbish that we're teaching. If you spoke and taught on the cross, Sunday after Sunday, sermon off the sun, you could you could preach and teach forever. From the cross of Calvary
Simon Pinchbeck:definitely you there's so much there isn't and
Reverend Ben Cooper:you spoke on it. Every time you spoke, you would bring the whole Bible would come alive. So if you spoke on the cross and the sin and the pain and the forgiveness, suddenly it brings what it brings conviction, the cross brings conviction, because that's what it's about redemption and freedom from sin and lifestyle.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, what he says been in Romans 323, is that scripture there are no you know, very well, it says, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That's all of us, you know, being justified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a was that word as a as a substitute by His blood through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because of his forbearance God has passed over the sins that were previously committed to demonstrate, at this present time, his righteousness, that he might just be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus, wow. So where we are, this is serious.
Reverend Ben Cooper:The cross is everything
Simon Pinchbeck:stuff,
Reverend Ben Cooper:you could talk all day, as Simon read out from that beautiful text there. Everything is he's at the Cross Hebrews chapter 12 verse to fix your eyes on Jesus. It talks about Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of your faith, for the joy set before him. This this is very, very powerful. This these texts that Simon is bringing, for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross score at scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God, there is no one other than Christ at the right hand of God, there is no one in the Holy of Holies, other than Christ access, when it talks about access, access is through Christ Jesus, because Christ is the intercessor, Christ is the one that is the one between us, the physical us, and God, no one can get into the presence of this holy God of Israel, and their bodies can contain the His Holiness is holiness is so strong, because of the cross of Calvary, no one no human being can stand the power
Simon Pinchbeck:of God. And this is a reverence that we have to remember, I reverence Simon, this is actually this is what we have to remember that when we when we approach the throne of grace, it has to be with reverence we have to be on on our face, you know, on our knees, however you want to do it. But the question you might ask is, How can a holy God there now we will not taking this this is a holy God, the Creator of the universe, that you know, and we've said it You mean, you had a trip down to Cornwall, the beautiful creation of beautiful, you know, world is Craig and His Holy God, forgive and justify sinners, which we all are, how can he do that? Well, how can he do that? The answer is been he had to have a substitute.
Reverend Ben Cooper:There had to be a switch that has to be a switch. It should have been me. It should have been you. Yeah. Should have been us.
Simon Pinchbeck:It should have been anyone listen to this, as we're speaking. There's a
Reverend Ben Cooper:scripture in Colossians chapter two, verse 14, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us. He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. There was a legal document drawn up, there was a legal indebtedness to humanity. That hill was for sure. Yeah, we will. That's that's fact that you can't skip around the garden of the church, looking at the roses and saying, as they say, God is love. There was a legal indebtedness that has only been canceled out. Because the King of Kings was now to the cross the Calvary, even he canceled the debt.
Simon Pinchbeck:You can see the Whitetip as soon that was cancelled by blood of Jesus Christ.
Reverend Ben Cooper:He took our place. There was a switch, we owe him everything we I'm everything. He took our placement and the church talks about rubbish. If the church in the UK would talk about the cross of Calvary, and preach on the blood of Christ, and redemption, we we would be a stronger and a greater nation, we wouldn't be led by puppets. We will be led by the power of God. Fact.
Simon Pinchbeck:But there's too much preaching been gentle Jesus Meek mode, or lecture Luke, can we go let's?
Reverend Ben Cooper:We can't call it preaching, can we because it's talking. It's It's It's beautiful TED Talk. It's comfortable conversation. And then Colossians chapter one verse 20. Says and through him to reconcile himself to all things whether things on earth or things in heaven by marking peace, through His blood shed on the cross I'm telling your church, if you are a real leader, you start talking about the blood of Jesus. If you are if you want to be a real pastor or leader, and as for me, I want to talk about the cross because at the cross, I've got freedom. At the cross, no one can touch any leader talking about a cross because you are speaking truth, and God will protect you. But if I engage in all the rubbish, I'm wide open to all trouble. But if you speak about the cross, God will protect you because you are sharing the gospel.
Simon Pinchbeck:And that cross, that cross is a symbol of protection of hope. And it's where we hang our old man. It's where we take our old self
Reverend Ben Cooper:is actually so as they put him on the cross, and let's remind ourselves friends who put him on the cross. Who was that? It wasn't Pilate. It wasn't them world leaders. Who was it that started shouting out in the courtyard Give us Barabbas. I believe if my memory serves me, right, it was the priests and the chiefs and the law givers, the Jewish leaders. It was what we call religion. Now hold Him to the cross. The soldiers were just back up. And actually, it was religion. It was the system. It was the high priest, the chief priests who was coming to get him and who gave him money. Sorry, who gave Judas the money for Jesus? It wasn't the soldiers. The soldiers if he was to study, what happened in in the courtyard in the high priest courtyard, who struck him first, who was that man that hit Christ in the face? I'm afraid to say it was the leaders of the system.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, that's why Jesus came down. So when he was alive came down so hard on the latest in exactly, and we've, you know, spoken about that, but it's, it's worth speaking about that again, you know, but then we've seen it again, and we've seen it again. But that's, that, that crosses where we take the old money, you know, possiple said in Galatians 220, Denise said, I've been crucified
Reverend Ben Cooper:with Christ, I've been crucified with Christ. It's not either live but Christ who lives in me it think about that song what you've just said, what the Scripture says, Great, that cancels out all the rubbish that's coming to us. I have died to self. Yeah, it's not I who live but Christ who lives in me in May, Christ lives in me. He, he is me. I am not this little God that the false prophets telling me that I can be and dictate to this Holy God that sent His one and only Son, His Holiness is so strong and so powerful. I would guarantee my life, if God showed up in the full physical being and in His holiness, you would not stand and wave another flag. Look at John on the island of Patmos. He said, our fellows if I was dead, in the presence of the one like the Son of Man, the golden sash, his robe, his eyes, his hair, his his power, and glory, put me to the floor. That's what's gonna happen
Simon Pinchbeck:when he comes, when it comes back in glory. And
Reverend Ben Cooper:is he bringing a duster or feather? is he bringing a revival flag? What is he carrying in his what's coming out of his mouth? The Scripture says, a double edged sword.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's not a little lamb is carrying these.
Reverend Ben Cooper:What does it say? He's going to be dripping in blood, what's going to be written on his foot on it five, King of kings, Lord of Lord, the word
Simon Pinchbeck:of God, and His name, every naval, this is
Reverend Ben Cooper:this is scaring me this podcast. Let me tell you what I want to finish this because I'm suddenly realizing that the wrath of God is is what we should be talking about.
Simon Pinchbeck:Jesus who was there's been these wide across because it was no other way for the father. No other way no other way that you know, he, you know, they've been through all the other ways, but there was no other way. And it says in two Timothy says, Ben, it says, For there is one God and one mediator between golden man, one the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, which which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and speaking the truth of Christ and don't know, a teacher, the Gentiles in the faith and true. So he's saying, Paul is saying, this is the mediator, Jesus Christ, one man, one man
Reverend Ben Cooper:one sacrifice for all time for all time. So from from the understanding of the first person that gravelled the word time until he comes back. Every ever every everyone that is born, everyone that is born. This is beyond human intelligence and beyond science, that everyone that is coming into the world, God knew them before their physical being comes into being. Because the Bible makes it very clear. I knew you and I knitted you together in your mother's womb, that is direct into anyone that is birthed. So he knows everybody. And he sent his son to the cross for everybody. So when you look at the magnitude of what the cross is representing, and how big now coming back to the spiritual atmosphere, the darkness, the satanic heaviness, the leaders, Satan, but the Scripture says, As Simon said, one sacrifice once and for all, everything happened at the cross of the cross cross,
Simon Pinchbeck:you can't, you can't get away with whatever, whatever you're talking about your faith as to come back to the cross. This is where the whole world was redeemed one time, one sacrifice one time. One moment blood sacrifice, for your sin debt is paid in full.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So we've seen the all the complete, sacrificial movement of animals, and if used to study what then priests done when they slaughtered their animals. That was horrific. So you've got everything. Starting from Genesis, the fall, right to the cross, every animal everything wasn't and could not get near Christ's sacrifice. Isn't it? Isn't it powerful as well that the church uses the word Easter? I'm not going off point you'll understand what I'm saying. When actually we should be changing our language to the Passover. Because the Passover, what we celebrate, at what we call Easter, actually isn't about hot cross buns. It's about salvation. It's about it's about redemption. So when I look at the word Easter, the church uses that word when actually I should be looking at the Passover because that's what was happening and what was the passing over the passing over of the angel of destruction who was the angel of destruction God He says when the angel when I when I see what what will I see when I see the blood? Yes, the blood so the blood is everything. It's massive
Simon Pinchbeck:and next week's podcast will be on the blood and totally on we're going to talk about that. But the cross wider cross wider. It had to be there's no other way. The cross been what do we find we find forgiveness then we find hope we find hope we find humorous for the past, we find peace in the present hope for the future. But we frood across Yeah, we can have a relationship with Jesus Christ, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Unbelievable.
Simon Pinchbeck:The father says
Reverend Ben Cooper:access to the father for the first time humanity stepped into the arena, but not the arena as the big percentage of the of this prophetic ministries that are out there not access, like they say access through Jesus Christ, not for a sit down a cup of tea with God, but an access for the forgiveness of sin.
Simon Pinchbeck:So when the when the father when the when the enemy because the Bible says the scripture says the enemy's going backwards and forwards day and night is the killer of brethren for someone to devour when he when he goes up and goes, Did you see what Ben did? When do you see what Ben
Reverend Ben Cooper:love what he's doing? But look at his thoughts. Look at that dirty little scam
Simon Pinchbeck:back and and the father will go to Jesus go Yeah. What No, Ben has already confessed and the father Assad just see Jesus. I just see Jesus.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I just see Jesus. And why is that because Christ is in us
Simon Pinchbeck:because Christ is in us and that's what happened at the cross if, because all are redeemed, but not all are saved. So if we accept Jesus Christ, become Lord and Savior. That's right,
Reverend Ben Cooper:because what we've got to remember is salvation did not exist until Christ said it It's finished. It's finished. Yeah. So when we talk about the new covenant and the Old Covenant, that was such a collision, and I'll use the word collision at the cross, when you think what came together at the cross, the Old and the New Testament, one finished one started explosion.
Simon Pinchbeck:And is is a thing, right? As you know, it's the cross. If we look at labor, if we look at it, right, it's it's the cross just keeps on giving. Because coming from the cross, have we now have access to the Holy Spirit?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes. For the first time, first time, the first time if we
Simon Pinchbeck:if we look at them, if we look at it, look at x right there. You've got Peter. And I think the Peter and John are going out together. Now these if you look at them before the cross, they were just always looking to Jesus that Peter was a bit of a rebel, a bit of a rogue a bit of a flew off the handle. Yeah. After the cross in x, it says, he says, people were amazed at what these people what these men were saying they were just ordinary men, but they knew they'd been with Jesus. That was think more power and authority. Yeah, and this is what we have for the cross, that we have access to the Holy Spirit if we surrender our lives, Ben.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So the cross is safeguard as well, to the false gospel. Because nothing, it's everything. It's like God has put this in position for so many things. But it's a safeguard, isn't it against the false prophets and teachers because without, because if you keep talking and preaching about the cross, it is going to convert you because of the power of the empty cross. So you won't talk about the junk. But if you talk about everything outside and the rubbishy language, the hashtag language we got the moment, you're not talking about the cross, so you're making your own gospels up. But if you were to talk about the cross all the time, as Simon said, you've got a lifetime of conversation of teaching and preaching and sermonizing and conversation. But it is an anchor point to keep you in sound doctrine
Simon Pinchbeck:and sound doctrine and doctrine, management and doctrine matters. It really does absolutely matters. And it brings us because if you have the cross front and center, and then you will realize that Jesus Christ is everything and you owe him everything. One Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:exactly. And I need to remind myself this morning, I will always be in that position of owing because a wretched man and my why do I do the things I hate and why I cannot do the things that I know I shouldn't ever I'm
Simon Pinchbeck:in seventh your Romans seven world Romans seven as Christians, the
Reverend Ben Cooper:cross The cross, every time I pick up the cross, Father, forgive me for I've sinned and fallen short of your glory. When you look at the Church of England, Catholicism and the evangelical movement and everything I'm in. How often do we seriously hear these leaders talk about the cross of Calvary? They've been given more platforms through lockdown to talk about the blood of Jesus, and the hope of redemption. And all we've had
Simon Pinchbeck:is rubbish. It's it's motivational talks with
Reverend Ben Cooper:don't even think it's motivational. It's quite, it's quite degrading. What
Simon Pinchbeck:I was going to say is that there are better people out there to do motivational talks and seminars but it is a day open if you truly embrace everything. Right? If you truly embrace when you want to tell somebody what a what a testimony one, you want to tell somebody about a cross what Jesus has done for you, you imagine, you imagine been, you know, on your on your deathbed, and you and suddenly the faces of everyone that you've told about Jesus, but if you haven't told anybody you there will be a blankness Yeah. And you go you still if you believed you still got 11 But you go empty handed one Yeah. You wouldn't go Yeah, the five recover at detail. So
Reverend Ben Cooper:did you tell? Well, not quite sure. There's a
Simon Pinchbeck:mechanic I tell
Reverend Ben Cooper:ya exactly.
Simon Pinchbeck:But if we know
Reverend Ben Cooper:if we know
Simon Pinchbeck:that this is the greatest thing in the history of the world, we have got so across the father dampers, and we worship we we worship Jesus because and we told her father how much we love Jesus and the Father looks at us and goes, Yeah, because he's my son. And thank you for that. You know you Baba loves it when we pick up Jesus done.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Exactly. And you know what really is interesting as well. There's no other religion on the earth that has sacrificed or died for them when you look and study other religions and all other I'll also use the word occult. It's always lifting up. The one isn't it? Yeah, yeah, the leader. But when you look at Christianity, the real root, the real, the real center point, the King above all kings, the King, the head of the church died. He had to go to the cross, there is no one else on planet Earth in any other religion or cult or sect that has actually sacrificed themselves. So that they're, they're the ones under him, and then would have eternal life. And you won't find it.
Simon Pinchbeck:No. And the way he lived his life. Yes. was completely as a servant. Yeah. So he can't serve. Yeah, not be served. So
Reverend Ben Cooper:he's a servant. There's a big one and that one, yeah.
Simon Pinchbeck:And there. And therefore, when he when he went to the cross, it was the ultimate, actually ultimate act. Yeah. And, and so as we come into land, then we say wide across. And quite frankly, the answer is, there's no there was no other way.
Reverend Ben Cooper:There's no other way had to be the cross was everything. And you know what, also, this is going to be a conversation starter. But this is the last text I'm going to read Colossians chapter 215. We hear a lot, especially in the times in which we are living about deliverance ministries. People are being delivered every day of the week. You know, I mean, did you there, you know, we got these ministries growing on the back end of all this stuff, but actually, this is what the this is what the Bible says happened at the cross. Colossians chapter 215. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle to them triumphing over them by the cross. So he's completely flattens everything flattened. So
Simon Pinchbeck:it flips it on its head completely. So he's disarmed it. We have the they all fought. And even so we have the enemy even he fought. Yes, we've done it. We've done it. We've taken it
Reverend Ben Cooper:disarmed and disarmed it. That's an interesting word is it disarmed,
Simon Pinchbeck:so the cross
Reverend Ben Cooper:is the cross if victory is a victory, so there's something else come from the cross something
Simon Pinchbeck:else. So is massive in it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So all these ministries that are chatting around, you need deliverance. I don't need deliverance from you. Because actually, if I'm a real born again, believer, I'm already delivered not by human hands, but by the blood of Jesus. So by him, going into the cross, it has made a spectacle and actually, I am free from a satanic Inwood. oppression. So the cross has given me liberty and freedom from anything that Lucifer wants to do, let's say inwardly. It's been disarmed. So that's a massive, massive area of conversation of where we've got the church again, a minister is expanding on you've got to be delivered, you've got to be delivered and that you know, time and time and time and time again, that ministry doesn't really need to exist because of the cross is what's done it so what do I need to do is just be a believer
Simon Pinchbeck:or be a believer except that work in you and no other spirit come exactly live in you can because if you've got a Holy Spirit living in you, if you believe
Reverend Ben Cooper:in the cross and what happened at the cross, you believe that the darkness is will disarm that the cross. So you can't have any darkness. It's massive, isn't it? The cross
Simon Pinchbeck:huge. And we're gonna be looking at say, next week we'll talk about a blood. We'll talk about Jesus story The week after making the fiber story the week after that, and we'll talk about stuff going through the cross and all this other stuff. So we'll bring out as much as we can, but you know, we could be talking here for forever, forever. You could, but every podcast we do. It always comes back to the cross of Jesus and, and my friends it is a symbol of redemption is a symbol of reconciliation, is a symbol of justification. Hamblen is a symbol of sanctification, which we'll explain more as we go along. But Ben it has been great and it's been amazing morning. Yeah, We're
Reverend Ben Cooper:talking about Jesus Christ the cross.
Simon Pinchbeck:And one thing you know, we're done.
Reverend Ben Cooper:We're done. We're out of here. Thank you so much. You've been listening to Simon and myself. Christian straight talk. You can find us across the socials, I Heart Radio, Spotify and all the other podcasting platforms. And we must say thank you so much to everybody across the world, literally across the world that is downloading all these podcasts and all this stuff that we're doing. Thank you so much. Have a great day and remember, Christ went to the cross for you. God bless