Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast
Reverend Ben Coopers podcast, offers an inviting space for listeners to explore Christianity and spiritual growth with wisdom, humor, and a deep commitment to biblical truth. Through Rev. Ben's engaging conversations with guests, the podcast not only explores the timeless wisdom of the Bible but also tackles the pressing issues of life, faith, and hope in a way that is accessible, thought-provoking, and enriching. Whether you’re seeking spiritual nourishment, answers to life’s big questions, or simply a place to reflect on your faith, the Rev Ben podcast is a valuable resource on your journey.
In each episode, Rev. Ben guides listeners through profound theological reflections, personal stories, and practical insights drawn from the Bible and the broader Christian tradition.
Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast
Faith, Prayer, and Transformation: Reclaiming Spiritual Territories (#691 - Elim)
What if faith could move mountains, and prayer could alter the course of your life? Join us as we explore the powerful stories from 1 Kings and the Book of Acts, uncovering the profound lessons of unwavering faith and persistent prayer. We promise you’ll leave with a renewed understanding of how faith acts as a catalyst for transformation, challenging societal limitations and empowering believers to reclaim spiritual territories.
Through captivating narratives such as Elijah’s persistent prayers during a drought and the miraculous tales from the early church, we discuss the essential role of faith in the journey of spiritual growth. We delve into how these stories not only highlight the power of prayer but also challenge the contemporary church to prioritize biblical teachings over mere motivational messages. By anchoring ourselves in Hebrews 11:1, we emphasize faith as the assurance of things hoped for, urging listeners to maintain steadfast communication with God, even when circumstances seem unchanged.
We also ponder the supremacy of Jesus Christ and the anticipation of His return, distinguishing genuine faith from religious tradition. Reflecting on the societal challenges Christianity faces today, we call for a return to true worship and personal relationship with Jesus, beyond the confines of traditional church structures. This episode is a call to action, encouraging you to embrace hope and assurance through faith, while continually looking towards God in prayer. Let’s reignite the flame of spiritual empowerment and visualize healing, transformation, and miracles together.
https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/
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Speaker 2:Good morning and welcome to everyone in the Lord's house and those that are online, and let's turn into the book of 1 Kings. We're turning into the book of 1 Kings. If you have a church Bible, I believe it's around about 361, page 361. As we come before the Lord and our God and our King this morning, as we rest in the Lord's house, let's turn to the book of 1 Kings, chapter 19. Yeah, we're going to. Actually, let's go to chapter 18. First, let me read a bit of yeah, let's go to 18. So we're in 1 Kings, 1 Kings, chapter 18, and we'll just progress further down in just a few moments. So we're going to go in 1 Kings, chapter 18. We'll pick it up from verse 41.
Speaker 2:Verse 41, for those that are going to follow us and those that need a title for taking notes and everything a title of this morning's message is keep looking, never give up. Never give up in prayer, never give up in looking, never give up. You keep. You keep praying, you keep looking. You keep focused, you keep pressing in, you keep going. You never give up in your prayers. You never give up, even when it looks like nothing is happening and the sun is still out and it's still shining. Keep looking. We're in the book of 1 kings, chapter 18.
Speaker 2:We'll read from verse 41 it's very interesting, as we are gathering and we are watching the world and there's been a certain leader in post and we understand who that is and he's the only leader that he's talking about Jesus Christ. He's the only leader that he's talking about Jesus Christ. He's the only leader that he's lifting up the name of Jesus Christ and the one that was in the arena with him that lady was in the arena won't mention no names because we want to keep online. You know, and we've watched it unfold she mocked God. Isn't it interesting how she disappeared off the peg of life? When you mock God, when you call God out and when you speak about God in a in a way that shouldn't be done, especially now, you're not going to get nowhere. But if you lift up the name of Jesus and it doesn't matter what our political understanding is, because there is no politics in the word of God God's going to use wherever God is going to use and he's not worried about our political thoughts. He's not worried about all that to use and he's not worried about our political thoughts. He's not worried about all that stuff that goes on. He's not worried about the weak and the wokeness of certain areas of the UK. He's not worried about anything that's going on.
Speaker 2:God will use any human being to get his work done, and God does that. And you've only got to look at King Saul. You've only got to look at crazy King Saul. God used him for a while. They wanted him, they got him. You know. You've only got to look at the craziness of King Saul. You know.
Speaker 2:It's really important to understand that. Forget the political language that's out there. God is going to use whoever. God is going to use age, colour, whatever it may be, it's irrelevant. It is absolutely irrelevant. It doesn't matter where you put your cross, it doesn't matter who you vote for. It's going to change nothing. It will change absolutely nothing. God is going to put whoever he's going to put into position to do what God is going to do in the end times. And if there is someone lifting up the name of Jesus and if there is someone that has given out a clear message, we are going to give Bibles to every house in this nation. That's a massive thing to say.
Speaker 2:So when you turn your eyes to this dark number door number 10, you know, look at number 10. It's very dark, the color's black, it's all gloomy. When you look at that building, it's black, it's gloomy. They don't talk about Jesus, they worship foreign gods. There's black, it's gloomy. They don't talk about Jesus, they worship foreign gods. There's Masonic activity going on behind there. There's every activity under the sun happening at number 10.
Speaker 2:No wonder in the UK we're spiritually dry and we're in a famine period. It's very interesting just watching the world governance at the moment. It's very interesting watching what's happening Now that certain leaders in place. You're going to watch quite an amazing few things happen, not because of our great years, but God is going to use King Saul's and God is going to do whatever God is going to do for any human being. It doesn't matter what our political standpoint is, and we might rant and rave and all that sort of stuff. God is moving and God is moving across this world.
Speaker 2:And there's one thing that we need to be sure of this morning, and you know that John 3, 3, we've got to be born again. We've got to understand that being born again is completely and absolutely the most important thing in the world, that we are Bible-believing believers and to the world out there as they look into the world, that we are Bible believing believers. And to the world out there as they look into the UK we are a Christian nation and don't let anybody tell you anything different. Don't worry about the church. Don't look at the church because the church is gone, pink gone, rainbow gone, everything. Look at people around you. Gather people around you that are believers. Gather people around you that believe in the scripture. Don't understand it because we'll never understand it all. It's beyond our human comprehension, it's beyond the mind, it's beyond physics, it's beyond what the world can understand. Believe, that's what you got to do. Believe from genesis to revelation, all things are possible to those who believe.
Speaker 2:So we are not watching political action happening. We're watching the Word of God move. We're watching the Word of God move globally. There might be a few colours here, there and everywhere. You know the red and the blue and all that and different areas, and we might see all this language out there, but we are watching the word of God move very powerfully. Prophecies are coming into being, but we're so desensitized to Jesus.
Speaker 2:The government in the UK is so clever. The devil is so clever. In number 10 Downing Street. He desensitized and the church as well. Religion desensitized so much the name of Jesus. Who is the only leader around the world that is shouting the name of Jesus Christ? It's very interesting that he used the two names, because you can use the word Jesus, but when you put the two together, you're making a statement.
Speaker 2:When you stand with Israel, you're making a statement. When you stand with Israel, you're making another statement. When you say you're going to deliver Bibles to every household in the nation, you are making some serious statement. All this government is interested in is, if you're over a certain age, they're going to nick money out your bin. They just want to take your heating allowance. They're not interested in humanity. They're not interested in humanity. They're not interested. But the world is watching a certain person, a certain nation, a certain area. Eyes are on it. Eyes are on a certain nation, on a certain person. So what we've got to do is focus on Jesus. So we don't focus on the man, we don't focus on the political stuff, we focus on the cross and we focus on the word and we say Lord, it is raining, it seriously is raining. We're at the end of days.
Speaker 2:Let's read the scriptures. Let's get straight in this morning. But you remind yourself that you are not a church goer. Erase that language from your vocabulary. Erase that language from your vocabulary, take it out of the dictionary and you are a child of the living God. Because this is the time when we've got to be braggadocious, we've got to stand up, we've got to be radical, bible believing believers. This nation belongs to Jesus. We don't belong to the church. You don't belong to whatever denomination you you put the stamp on your back't belong to the church. You don't belong to whatever denomination you put the stamp on your back you belong to Jesus. Tell yourself I am an individual, I am blessed and highly favoured, I belong to Christ and my God shall supply all my needs according to thy riches in glory. God will make a way. But the title of this morning, these scriptures that we're in, is keep looking. Let's pick it up.
Speaker 2:In verse 41, elijah said to Ahab go eat and drink, for there is the sound of heavy rain. So Ahab went and off and he went to eat and drink. And Elijah climbed up the top of Mount Carmel, he bent down on the ground, put his face between his knees and he prayed and he said go and look towards the sea. He told his servant go towards the sea and have a look. He went up and he was looking and the servant called out there is nothing there. He said Seven times. Elijah said go back. That's critical that we don't take any notice of the outside environment, of what is happening, because there is something happening in the heavenly realms. He says go back. The seventh time the servant reported a cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea. So Elijah said go and tell Ahab hitch up your chariot, go down before the rain stops you. Meanwhile the sky grew black with clouds, the winds got stronger, heavy rain came down on Ahab and he rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and he tucked his cloak in into his belt and he ran ahead of Ahab to Jezreel. And when you look at the next part of that verse 1, it says Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed the prophets with the sword. I don't want to labour on this, but we know what's happening across the world and there was a certain person in a certain position that was running for a certain part of leadership and she had the Jezebelic spirit and she was going to get absolutely nowhere.
Speaker 2:It's very interesting in what is going on through the word of God. The word of God is paramount. The word of God is always first, the Word of God is before and the physical is always catching up. This natural realm. God's Word has been spoken, the Word has been given. It is cast from Genesis to Revelation. It is going to happen through predestination, whether we like that, whether we believe that, whether we understand that God's plan is working out in our lives.
Speaker 2:So when you look across the governments across the world, suddenly there's a quietness starting to come. Isn't it interesting that suddenly, now, after a certain event has taken in a certain part of the world, you know, and a certain man has been put in a certain position in a certain nation, everything's gone quiet, everything is quieting off around the world. God is a God that will not be mocked and his name is around the globe. And the whole world is talking about your king. Do you realize? The whole world is talking about Jesus. The whole world is talking about the king of kings. They're not talking about church. Governments are not interested in church, they're not worried about church because they control the church. The government control the building. They control religion.
Speaker 2:It's in that satanic triangle. It's in the triangle, monarchy is in it, government is in it and religion is in it. It's in a dangerous triangle and it's run by the occult world. But there is a kingdom that we know that is outside of that, and Ahab was under the hand of someone extremely powerful, jezebel. And we are watching this happening in certain areas of certain parts of the world, the Jezebel spirit. And we understand what happened to Jezebel, what happened to her life when she started bleating out and started saying things against the prophet. If you read the story, and you read it all the way through, you will find out what happened to her life. God is going to put whoever we think that he may not. God's going to put certain people in certain posts and whoever comes against that person that God has put in that certain position, they won't be no more. Yes, that's fact, true, that's biblical fact. So we are living in a time when we look at these scriptures and it says there he went to the mountain Carmel and he prayed. Wherever you are in your life, you keep praying, you keep believing that it is about to rain, but once it starts to rain. You got to move.
Speaker 2:It's very interesting in the book of Acts the church says through the scripture that the church was praying earnestly and they was gathered in a holy huddle like we do. We're gathered in a holy place. They were praying, they were praying. They were praying and the miracle was at the door and the servant girl went to the door. The prison doors opened that great biblical writer. He got free. He came out. The chains fell off because the church was praying. But just because you're praying, don't be blind. Don't be blind, just don't keep saying the words and not looking at the miracle, because the miracle was at the door. So the church in the book of Acts was praying and that great man of God that was called got the shackles came out. He came out of prison. The angel got him out. The doors opened, everything happened and he walked to the door where the church was praying and he knocked on the door and the little servant girl went to the door and she recognized the voice. She went back to the church and the church went shut up. They kept in prayer. They didn't look up and see the rain that they prayed for. You've got to. Sometimes you've got to look up and stand up.
Speaker 2:Yes, the Bible says pray continuously. That's extremely important because that is our life. You can pray without moving your mouth. You can pray driving your car. You can pray walking. You can pray without being in the building. You can pray your whole life. Our whole life should be an area of prayer. Yes, lord, thank you Jesus.
Speaker 2:What is prayer? Prayer is communication. It isn't coming into a building. Yes, we understand that. We get that, but we've got to be extremely careful we don't get caught in religious activity. We thank God for the prayer groups in this ministry, in this church. We thank God for the prayer that goes on, because it's absolutely beyond my human understanding and, thank God, I have nothing to do with it. It's led by the body of Christ and our good brother and things that go on. Thank God that I can step back and I can do what I need to do. But prayer isn't about being in here, being in there.
Speaker 2:Prayer is everywhere. You can be up in the mountain, you can be at the base of the mountain. You can be in your van, you can be doing whatever you need to do. You can be on the scaffold, you can be at your desk. You can be doing whatever you need to do. You can be on the scaffold, you can be at your desk. You can be running the hoover around the house. You can be cutting the grass. You can be doing anything. You can be laying in the bed. You can have one leg out of the bed. You know praying Hallelujah Jesus. You can be watching Netflix. Oh, hallelujah Jesus, this is rubbish. You can be wherever you want to be and prayer is power. Prayer is communication, but you will have people around you in your communication time with God. That will go.
Speaker 2:It ain't raining, it ain't happening. You're still wobbling. You're still skint. You're still going to church. You still believe in Jesus. You are going to church and you are in.
Speaker 2:Elijah said get on with it, son. He said you keep watching because my God won't foul me. And when you realize who you are in God, I thank God that God is starting to speak to me about. Church is irrelevant. Church is boring. Church is dead. It's over, it's flatlined. I don't want the holy huddle on the club anymore. I want the fire of God.
Speaker 2:Is anybody across the world in the Lord's house hungry for Jesus? When we get hungry for Jesus, miracles start to happen. If I was just to stay in these four walls of this healing place. I wouldn't make it. I wouldn't make it. It'd be lonely, it'd be boring pushing the pen around the desk that's not me. Jumping around GDPR answering this, that's not me. I want to see miracles. Is there anybody hungry for miracles? Is there anybody hungry for prayer? You keep praying and you don't give up. Let's realize this morning that we are born again, spirit filled. It don't, and you don't give up. Let's realize this morning that we are born again, spirit filled. It don't matter where you're birthed, it doesn't matter your age, it doesn't matter your geographical place, it doesn't matter the color of your skin, it doesn't matter who you think you are. There is power in the kingdom of God.
Speaker 2:We've got to be extremely careful in the UK. We've got a situation for almost every month under the sun. We've got a rainbow month. We've got a colour month. We've got this month. We've got a game month. We've got a you can't have. What about this then? What about if you went to number 10, knocked on the door and went? Do you know what? Jesus, I'm going to deliver a message to number 10, downing Street. We've got every event to everything happening to every month.
Speaker 2:Imagine going to the door of number 10 Downing Street saying, okay, in the month of December, what I want is a born again month. I want a born again month. Even if you said something like this, it'd probably get me right in trouble I'm a heterosexual, I'm a Christian. That will cause drama all across the world. I believe in Jesus. That's my December month. We've got Movember shave your moustache off. We've got giving up cigarettes month. We've got colour month. We've got the gay rainbow month. We've got any month, but we haven't got a up cigarettes month. We got colour month. We got the gay rainbow month. We got any month, but we haven't got a month for Jesus. Isn't it interesting? The mayor of London spent uncountable money Ramadan, but when it comes to Jesus, he'd be having a fag worshipping, following foreign gods.
Speaker 2:They're not interested in Jesus. It's about time that we stand up for the gospel of Jesus Christ as Christians, because the leaderships are not standing up. They're not standing up for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It's time to break out now and to say I am a Bible-believing believer, I believe in the word of God, I am a Christian, I love Jesus. Is there anybody across the world that is brave enough to say I love Jesus. Because when you say I love Jesus, suddenly you're identified.
Speaker 2:But we don't need a month to tell the world that we're born again Every day, every second, every beat, every beat of your heart. We're not worried about this month, that month, whatever month it might be in the calendar. We're not. We don't bow the knee to human beings. We bow the knee to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Don't get entrapped, don't get trapped by what month it may be, what time it may be. Don't get caught, especially in the workplace. You've got to comply to everything.
Speaker 2:Brothers and sisters, it's time to keep praying. Elijah, when you look at Elijah, elijah prayed and he had his servant around him. We are in in 1 Kings, chapter 18. And it says Elijah went to the top of the mountain and he prayed and the sun was out and the sky was blue and everything was against his words at that time. But he never gave up in prayer. He never gave up in any way, shape or form.
Speaker 2:But there may be people in your environment, just like this great man had around him, and they said it's not raining. What are you doing? Praying for something that isn't going to happen and that is so common amongst the world that you might have people around you that don't believe in your destiny and in your dream and who God has called you to be. You keep praying, you keep believing that it's about to rain because, sister and brother, wherever you are at this moment, let me tell you, it's going to rain. So we got to recognize, when rain falls, not to stand still, but the church in the book of Acts, they just wanted to stay in the prayer meeting, very possibly because they loved the sound of their own voice. Oh, they loved the sound of their own voice. So they stayed in this huddle. They just loved the sound of their own voice. And the servant girl was at the door and she said the miracle that you prayed for, the miracle, is at the door. They went don't be silly, we're in prayer, it's not at the door. She said it is, he's at the door.
Speaker 2:It's very interesting that when they started praying, they could not see what God was doing. Started praying, they could not see what God was doing. Come on, when you start to pray, you can't see what God is doing. So when the church was in their little room in the book of Acts and they was praying. When Elijah was up, mount Carmel, and he was praying head down, focus, praying, praying, praying, he wasn't worried about the outside environment. The church was in their little prayer group. They was praying, they was praying, they was praying.
Speaker 2:We can't see what God does outside of the natural light and so often there's a knock at the door in our lives and we don't realize that what we prayed for is right before us. Why is that? Because we are blinded by religion. The church is blinded by tradition and by religion. And the church is praying.
Speaker 2:But what reasons is it praying for? What is the purpose of prayer? The purpose is not to move God, but to move me, because my prayers ain't going to move the great I am what my prayers are going to do. They're going to shape me. They're, but to move me, because my prayers ain't going to move the great I am what my prayers are going to do. They're going to shape me, they're going to mold me. They're going to strip me back. It's going to put me on the potter's wheel. It's going to put me on a place. Prayer doesn't change God. It strengthens me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord, take thisens me. Three times. I pleaded with the Lord take this from me. If God was listening to the greatest writer the world has ever seen, he would have erased the thorn. But he went. Guess what, my little friend, I'm going to give you something greater than you could ever imagine.
Speaker 2:Isn't it interesting that that great writer, new Testament writer, what he was asking for and what he was praying for didn't happen in his life? How often do we pray and what we pray for doesn't happen in our lives? But we might be in a holy huddle in the corner praying at the miracles at the door. We might be like Elijah, but Elijah was. He was very, very on point. He was there. He knew that something was going to happen. He was aware because he said go back, go back and wait, go back and watch, go back and watch, go back and watch, go back and watch. There might be significant areas of life that we see, no change, but we don't give up Because we don't give up, because we can't see what the king is doing behind closed doors.
Speaker 2:If you have a Bible, turn to Hebrews 11, verse 1. And it says Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So faith how does faith arise? The Bible says faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of God. It's interesting that many areas of church and there's a fine line of this have not delivered the word of God. It's interesting that many areas of church and there's a fine line of this have not delivered the word of God. It is delivering a motivational message and an educational message. The educational and the motivational message won't get you to where God wants you to be. The scriptures will get you to where God and where God wants me to be. So it's very interesting. Through generations and through times, the church and religion has come away from the word of God. So no wonder we're in a crisis in the UK in the understanding of church.
Speaker 2:But when you get older, the word of God, when you pray the scripture, god has to move, but he's going to move, not in the way that we think he's going to move. The move, but he's going to move, not in the way that we think he's going to move. Elijah I'm not this, this man that we're looking at. It says Elijah prayed, elijah prayed. And if you go, if you look at a certain area of that scripture when it says Elijah prayed, from chapter 19 and very clearly. And what you find in chapter 19? That Elijah was praying and he said, lord, take me out. He prayed the prayer. I've had enough, take me out. But God did not take him out, he strengthened him under the tree, under the tree of despair. But this is the man that prayed not long ago. Watch for rainfall.
Speaker 2:It's very interesting as human beings, as Bible believing believers, that when we pray, there are certain areas of our prayer life where we're really faithful and we really believe and we trust God and we say it's going to rain, it's going to rain, it's going to rain, it's going to happen. But there comes a time in our lives when suddenly we get a message. And where did he get a message from? He got a message from Jezebel and the message took him to a place of despair. Don't let the message of the world, of the outside, outside environment. We're understanding who Jezebel is and who she was, and the Jezebelic spirit is still about today if we listen to Jezebel. And Jezebel was in, is in the fabric of the church, because it is a different spirit. There are many spirits operating. Yes, there is. We got to be careful that we listen and we come in clear contact with the Holy Spirit. There are different messages out there. There are different spirits out there masquerading, trying to act like the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:So this, this great prophet, this great man, he prayed, and he prayed for rain. And the servant came back and he went there's something happening? And he said yeah. He said you get moving. It's important that when we pray, we move. Faith and actions work together according to the word. So whatever you're praying for, you might not be able to walk in that arena at that moment, but see yourself moving in a different way. What do you mean? That's why I mentioned Hebrews 11, verse 1.
Speaker 2:Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for. So when I pray in the spirit, I'm praying into destiny. My environment might change at the moment. It might be bleak, it might be dark, it might be terrible, but I'm seeing change coming. I'm watching rain about to fall through faith. I'm understanding that healing is coming my way. I understand that the tracks of life are going to change for me. I understand that God is going to supply all my needs according to thy riches in glory. So when I pray, I believe it's about to rain Because he said go back, go back, go back Seven times.
Speaker 2:It's interesting that seven was chosen. He said go back and the servant came back and forth. Nothing is happening. Your friends, your family, your children, your husband, your wife, your friends, people in your life will tell you there is no change. If they are telling you there's no change, tell them to pack their suitcase and get out in the name of Jesus, because there is change coming in my life. There are miracles happening because I am praying in the name of Jesus. I am praying in the word. It might be sunny, it might be a hundred degrees over there, but my God is going to send rain and when there is change, get ready to move.
Speaker 2:It's critical. And how do we know this? How do we do this? See, when you look at the early church, the birth of the early church, they were so locked in to the words they could not connect to what was happening. It's really important that we grasp, because they said something that was really damning to themselves. He's not there, but I'm praying for it. Don't ever say that. See yourself, if you are unwell, if you are financially stretched, if you are worried, if you've got things happening in your life. It's critical that you see yourself moving in that different place. Hebrews 11 is critical to the prayer warrior.
Speaker 2:Now, faith is the substance, because faith is the substance, faith is the ingredients. Where does my faith come from? Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of God. So all I've got to get to is the scripture. All I've got to be is in the word, because it's about to rain. See, we're programmed that it's never going to happen. I'm a robot. I'm going to work this way. I'm going to live this way. I'm going to pay the mortgage. I'm going to go to work. I'm going to be this. I'm going to be.
Speaker 2:Wasn't brought onto this earth for the government to abuse us and to use us. You are free, because who the son sets free is free. Indeed, all things are possible to those who believe. But we have been pressed into a mindset that you've got to work for number 10. Because everything leads to number 10. Everything goes to number 10 down the street, everything, control, finances, everything, the church, religion is trapped at number 10. But if you are, if you are a child of the living God, if you are born again, that is not your realm. Your realm is beyond what you can imagine and ask. Your destiny is not number 10 Downing Street. Your destiny is the kingdom of God. Every soul, every place where the sole of your foot shall tread upon is your territory.
Speaker 2:The church has had so many campaigns and crusades. We're taking back territory. You can't take back territory when you don't know who your God is. When you know who your God is. Look at Jonathan and his armor bearer. They poked their head above the parapet. They went oh, there's a lot of crazy people out there, but we're taking back that half acre that the devil has stolen. See, the church has never taken any territory back because it's in bed with the devil. And I'm not talking about the congregations, I'm referring to the majority of leaders. What do you mean? In bed with the devil? Because they're not teaching the word of God. The word of God has to come out the blood of Jesus, the cross of Calvary. We've got so many motivational speakers behind pulpits, educators, fine sounding men and women delivering a message of education. I don't want education, I want spirit. I want word and spirit. When you get word and spirit, when you get word and holy spirit, my goodness gracious me. Jonathan and his armor bearer went back. We're having it in the name of Jesus. We're taking everything back that the devil has stolen. We're taking back that territory.
Speaker 2:See, when you start speaking in the power of the Holy Spirit and you start speaking in faith, all things are possible to those who believe. Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of God, not through me, not through Elim, not through the church. The message is heard through the Word. The message is heard through the word, the word of God. So the word of God is the first place that I reference. The word of God is where I go to. The word of God is the go-to. The word of God is everything that I need in my life. The word of God is everything. And Elijah said go back. I believe God is telling every one of us to go back. Go back and look. Go back and don't look up, but see yourself walking, see yourself healed, see yourself outside of this natural realm of which we live in, see the miracles happening Actually, see it. Don't get caught in the transit way that they got caught in the book of acts, when the church was in prayer and it just stayed in prayer and it didn't look to the door. You've got to look to the door because it's knocking at the door. There are miracles at the door. There's promises at the door, there's revelation at the door. What do you mean? I've got to get up and I've got to walk. Faith and actions go together. I've got to see myself walking. I've got to see myself in a new territory. I've got to see myself taking back what the devil has stolen.
Speaker 2:The church is so good the campaigns that are out there. It blows in like a wild storm. Then it disappears. It's like fireworks night. Fireworks are firing everywhere. The church is good at making a noise and putting on a display, but what happens when the rocket is finished? What happens when the bonfire has gone out? It's all gone. It's moments. It's just moments of showmanship, it's just moments. But there's a fire burning. There's a fire burning inside of you and it's known as the Holy Spirit, the fire of God. The fire of God is burning inside of you. The fire of God is the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:And Elijah said go back and watch, go back and look, go back and wait, for I hear the sounds of heavy rainfall. See, I've got to hear it before I see it. That's difficult, that's impossible in the realm of humanity. That's impossible. How do I hear it? I hear it through the voice of God. I hear it through the word. I hear all things are possible to those who believe, because when you speak it, you hear it. When you speak it out, I'm healed. In the name of Jesus, I hear the sound of heavy rain Before the rain broke out. The prophet is telling them this is about to happen. He didn't see it first, he heard it. See, there is something about hearing it when you hear the voice of God, when you hear that.
Speaker 2:So we got to break out our religion, we got to break out of church, we got to break away from all those awkward areas of religion and we got to hear that there is change. We pray and we never give up. We pray and we never give up. You keep praying and you never give up. You keep pressing into that prayer space. You keep believing. You keep standing on the rock of all ages. You keep going back to the word of God and say Lord, I hear it is by your stripes I'm healed. Lord, it is by your word, I hear. All things are possible to those who believe. I hear it before I see it. Once I hear it, and through the word, it's about to happen.
Speaker 2:Then Elijah went. It's about to rain. You can imagine his servant 100 degrees in his swimming suit, in his boxers. It's hot man. You're joking. We're in the desert here. We're up, man, calm down, I've got my Speedos on. It ain't going to rain, god. What an image. Jesus. It's about to rain. Start hearing the sound, not just of a drizzle. But what did he say? Heavy rain is coming, heavy rain. And when it starts, get yourself moving.
Speaker 2:Faith and actions.
Speaker 2:Start hearing it through the word.
Speaker 2:Faith comes from hearing the message, and that is through the word of God. Faith comes from hearing through the word. How do I hear this message? I speak it, I speak the word of God over my life. I tell the world that I'm a born again, spirit filled, I'm blessed and highly favoured. I'm radical, I'm wild, I'm crazy. For Jesus Christ, no one can control me, number 10 can't touch me. The system is gone in my life because it's about to rain and my God is going to supply all my needs according to thy riches in glory. I don't need the church, I don't need Pastor Ben, I don't need any denomination, because who the son sets free is free. Indeed, and I'm a child of the living God and I'm healed and I'm saved by the grace of God. There is blood over my life and it is the blood of Jesus and I'm saved by grace. It's not by work so that no one can boast, it is by faith, it is by grace, it is by the power of the word of God. I am a new creation. I am born again. I am spirit filled because it comes from above. I believe in miracles.
Speaker 2:Tell the world that Jesus is alive. Tell the world that he is the coming king. He is the savior of the world. He is the great I am. Tell is the savior of the world. He is the great I am.
Speaker 2:Tell number 10, tell the world. Tell HR at work. Tell your culture. Tell your friends Jesus Christ changed my life. He saved me because of the cross. I love the fact that at the cross there was no church, because the church was on the cross. He said I am the cornerstone. I am that I am and I am the head of the church.
Speaker 2:No pope, no pastor, no leader is higher than Jesus Christ. No government is higher than the king of Kings and the Lord of Lords. As we know, the only King that walked this earth was Jesus Christ. That had no earthly palace, the only King that walked this earth that had no earthly throne but is seated in heavenly realms, at the right hand of the Father, interceding for all the saints, religious people, but the born again, spirit filled brother and sister that has got their face in the mud of life, that is screaming out Jesus Christ. Imagine that, that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the father interceding for all the saints and we're not talking about the saints who the Catholics lift up, because you can't lift up a man, and you certainly can't lift up Mary higher than Jesus Christ. You can only lift up Jesus. He makes that clear all the way through Do not pray, do not worship idols.
Speaker 2:Do I am a jealous God? I am a jealous God. He says Do not lift up idols, do not lift up foreign gods, do not worship human beings, do not lift up anything, symbolism, don't lift up anything but me, because it's me that is the king, it is me that is the savior of the world, it is I. And when he said to Moses we're coming to the table in a few moments up that other mountain. I am, that I am. Imagine that when someone says to you how are you going to get out of this trouble? I ain't got to worry, because the I am is with me. And Jesus confirms that, as we know in the gospel of John I am the bread. The seven I am's. He's the savior of the world, he's the king of kings and he is the Lord of lords. He is worthy of all praise. He is your savior. He is the savior of the world.
Speaker 2:The whole world is here in the name of Jesus Christ, because a certain leader, at a certain point and many times, has been put into this position. Now, when he gets in in January, he has already been talking about Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. The whole world is talking about Jesus. It's not talking about Islam, it's not lifting up Mohammed. It's not interested. That's just smoke, screen and mirrors. The atheists have got no choice. Those serving Buddha, those agnostics that are halfway loving Buddha, those agnostics that are halfway, those that sneer and laugh at Christianity. The whole world is talking about Jesus.
Speaker 2:The whole world, in certain areas of the Middle East, want to erase Israel. Why do they want to erase Israel? Because God is about Israel. They want to erase Christianity. They want to take the king out of place. They won't talk about Jesus in certain areas of church schools. We'll have a man come in dressed in a skirt, into a church school, and that's all right, but we can't talk about Jesus. You can't talk about Jesus here. A skirt into a church school, and that's all right, but we can't talk about Jesus. You can't talk about Jesus here. But it's a church school and just because it's church doesn't mean to say it's Jesus just because. Just because doesn't mean to say just because we go to church on a Sunday doesn't mean to say that the denomination or the area that we're under doesn't mean to say that that denomination believes in Jesus. Many don't believe in Jesus. They're serving foreign gods. As we come to a close, I'll tell you this you don't need church, you need Jesus.
Speaker 2:Jesus clearly gives us the greatest sermon the world has ever heard in John 3.3. He didn't get paid for it, he didn't have a social media account, it was just between him and a religious leader. The greatest message, the greatest preach that was ever given out, was John 3.3. You must be born again. The greatest sermon the world has ever heard and the world is talking about the preacher that delivered it, and that was Jesus.
Speaker 2:Preachers come and go, denominations come and go, celebrity churches come and go. The celebrity preacher pops up on social media for a little while. He comes, she goes, they disappear. But the only preacher that is still being spoken about globally, the only one, the only man and I will call him the man, because the Bible says the man, christ Jesus, at this particular point, delivered the greatest sermon. He didn't have an auditorium, he wasn't in a revival, he wasn't in a denomination, it was just him and one human being, and he delivered one message that has shaken the world. He had no social media, there was no tinternet, there was no anything else. It was just Jesus and one human being. Nothing can stop the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2:Imagine go back 2,000 years ago and Nicodemus goes into a little room and it was at the dead of night and he's standing in front of the greatest preacher the world has ever seen. There was no Helium, there was no Catholicism, there was no religion as we know it today, there was no sound systems, there was no cameras. There was nothing. Sound systems, there was no cameras. There was nothing but two Jesus and Nicodemus.
Speaker 2:The greatest sermon was the shortest sermon ever given and I can hear you all well, I wish you'd take a leaf out of his book, just give it to us and get out in the name of Jesus. He said Nicodemus, you got to be born again. The shortest message that has ever come from a preacher. Because he was a preacher, he was a messenger, he was a deliverer of the word. He was a messenger, he was a deliverer of the word. And he said Nicodemus, it's the dark of night, you must be born again. No tent meeting, no ticket sales, no crib. All wait till Christmas. Everything's going to happen. We'll pull Jesus out, little baby Jesus. We'll get tinsel Christianity out. We'll pull the tree out of the loft. We'll do this, we'll do that. We pull Jesus out, little baby Jesus. We get tinsel Christianity out. We pull the tree out of the loft. We do this, we do that. We give Jesus a little bit of airplay. We sell a few tickets, all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2:The greatest message from the greatest preacher was in a dark room with no electricity, was in a dark room with no electricity, except the most powerfulest preacher the world has ever seen. All the other preachers. We still mention them in the world of Christianity, but outside of certain areas of church, the world don't know. Smith Wigglesworth, islam doesn't understand, probably never heard Billy Graham, leonard Ravenhill, all the generals of old, but there is a name that they always know and his name is Jesus. And he preached a message that was the shortest message in the world and he said you got to be born again.
Speaker 2:As we come to the table and that message, how did that message get across the world? How is the world talking about this king? How are governments speaking about him and against him? You carry a name that is the greatest name, you carry the authority that is so strong and so powerful, and his name is Jesus.
Speaker 2:And the king is coming back, the savior of the world. He's coming back for the bride of Christ. He's not coming back for the church. The church will still be having Christmas when he comes back. I'm not saying he's coming back this Christmas, don't hold me to that but the church will still be doing singing kumbaya, hallelujah, all that sort of stuff, and there'll be many left in religion. He's coming back, one will be taken, one will be left. There'll be many churches packed of what leaders? There'll be many churches packed.
Speaker 2:Imagine when he comes back. It doesn't matter. Imagine the biggest church that you've ever been to. There'll be many under the sound of church, one will be taken, preachers will be preaching and they'll still be preaching. Religion will still be working because they don't know Jesus. Jesus is only coming back for those that know Jesus and you can only know Jesus when Jesus calls you. And let me tell you you've been called. You're not here by chance. You're not online by chance. You're not flicking through it. Jesus Christ loves you and he saved you and he's with you and he will never leave you nor forsake you, and he's with you to the very end of time. Come to the cross with me, come to the table, the Passover table, and let's lay everything down at the cross. Let's lay everything down at the cross. The only symbol that all the world recognizes is the cross. All religions across the globe, the cross and the king Father. As we come to the table this morning, we thank you.
