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
Navigating Modern Challenges with Scripture (#1011 - Elim) 19-01-2025
Uncover the Secrets to Spiritual Resilience and Leadership Authenticity in Today’s Chaotic World
Have you ever questioned the true calling of leaders chosen by popular demand rather than divine purpose? In today’s fast-paced and often superficial society, it’s easy to get caught up in the noise and pressures of fame, status, and external validation. But what if authentic leadership, spiritual resilience, and faith-based guidance could offer a better path—one grounded in divine purpose and personal transformation?
In this episode, we dive deep into a powerful conversation about the importance of spiritual growth and authentic leadership in the modern world. We reflect on the impactful ministry of Reverend Ben Cooper, whose outreach has influenced 74 countries and over 1,010 cities globally. Reverend Cooper’s journey challenges conventional ideas of leadership—often driven by popularity or external success metrics—and instead, emphasizes the biblical principles of spiritual authenticity, calling, and divine purpose. His approach invites us to examine our own leadership styles and how we might better embrace God’s calling in an era dominated by social media and online influence.
We also explore the timeless biblical story of David and Saul, which serves as a powerful illustration of true leadership versus superficial success. This reflection highlights how societal labels and expectations frequently miss the mark when it comes to defining effective leadership. King Saul was chosen by the people for his outward appearance and charisma, yet it was David, despite being overlooked by many, who was chosen by God to lead. This lesson is essential as we navigate a world that often values the wrong qualities in leaders.
Spiritual Readiness and the Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit
The essence of spiritual resilience lies in being spiritually prepared for God’s purpose in our lives. We discuss how leaders, both in the church and in broader society, must be spiritually equipped to carry the responsibility of guiding others. It’s not about having all the worldly qualifications but about embracing one’s true identity in Christ and relying on the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Authentic leaders are those who allow God to shape their hearts and minds, equipping them to lead with grace, humility, and integrity.
We also discuss the mental health challenges leaders face today—particularly the pressures of social media and the demands of public scrutiny. With constant distractions and conflicting messages from digital platforms, it can be easy to lose sight of what truly matters. We talk about how scripture and faith serve as a grounding force amidst this chaos, providing a foundation that remains steady. By leaning on God’s word, leaders can find the strength to stand firm, even when the world around them is unstable.
The Dangers of ‘Celebrity Church’ Culture
In today’s world, the rise of celebrity pastors and “celebrity church” culture has made it increasingly difficult to discern true spiritual leadership from mere popularity. Churches are often led by figures who are more concerned with maintaining a public image than with fulfilling their divine mission. This phenomenon undermines the authentic power of the church and distracts people from genuine faith and community building. We critique this trend and encourage a return to leadership that prioritizes humility, selflessness, and spiritual service to others.
We explore how true spiritual leaders are not focused on their own fame or success but are committed to serving others, building genuine community, and walking humbly with God. As we challenge this m
https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/
Welcome to Reverend Ben Cooper's podcast. We are a radio and podcast ministry based here within the UK. Your support is vital through prayer and through sowing a seed of faith. We are so thankful to have so many people around the globe downloading and listening to our podcasts, whether you are on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google, Alexa, Amazon Music and so many other platforms. For more information about our ministry, please find us on pastorbencoopercouk. We would love to hear from you as you partner with us as we reach the world for Jesus Christ. Please send us an email through our contact form On PastorBenCoopercouk. Also, you can find our latest books on Amazon Under hashtag 1, hashtag 2 and hashtag 3.
Speaker 1:Under Christian Straight Talk, Hard hitting real life conversations Taken from our podcasts. Your financial gifts play a crucial role in supporting our radio ministry, helping us share the gospel through these podcasts and providing free copies of the Gospel of John and Bibles around the globe. Please pray for this ministry as we stretch out beyond the boundaries, as we walk by faith. If you'd like to support our mission, please consider clicking the support button on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Buzzsprout. You can give a one-time gift or set up a regular contribution of three pounds, five pounds, eight pounds or 10 pounds. You can also leave a legacy by clicking in the links within pastorbencoopercouk. Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry as we spread the message of hope far and wide through this radio ministry. So, whether you are on the daily commute or at home listening to our podcast, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, relax and enjoy.
Speaker 2:Let's get straight into the Word of God. Let's get straight in. Before we just press any further into the Word, just want to bring back some statistics that we got. Things are really climbing very, very rapidly around the world. What's happening from the online church? And just to give you a quick rundown, we're in 74 countries now and we're at the moment in 1,010 cities around the world. The largest one that we're in at this moment now, as we are here, is Singapore. It's Singapore. I'll just give you a few measures. Obviously, I can't read out over 1,000 cities. So you've got Singapore, you've got Los Angeles, you've got California, you've got Croydon, you've got Swanley. I don't know whoever these 500 people are in Swanley, but wherever you are, may God bless you in the name of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2:South Carolina, dulwich, alabama, dagenham, essex, birmingham, warsaw there's just Blackheath as we come down here. Erith, you know Islington, tokyo, lincolnshire, scarborough you know it's just too much to mention Lewisham as you go through here. Gravesend, eastbourne, you know Georgia, moscow Good morning, mr Putin. Ohio, you know it's quite interesting that we do get a lot. We do get kicked out of Russia quite a bit. So good morning to you.
Speaker 2:Tunbridge Wells, royal Tunbridge Wells, may I say we're in Royal Tunbridge Wells, bristol, hong Kong, that's fascinating. Brighton, brent, it just goes on. The list just goes on and on and on and on. New York, abbey Wood, underneath that Grey Sturrock, oi, york Abbeywood. Underneath that Grey's Sturrock, oi, oi, grey's Lakeside. And we go down a little bit further, let's have another look Washington, oh hello, we've got some names here. I can't even pronounce them, don't even know where they are. Across the world Camden, dallas, we're in Dallas, you know. Good morning to everybody.
Speaker 2:Tennessee, across the world, gillingham, cranbrook, georgia, texas, just scrolling through Phoenix, ashford, luxembourg, chelsea, we're in the posh area. Come on, weymouth. It just goes on, it goes on, it goes on, and then if I click back out and just come back up here, so that's just a few cities that I can't even mention. But then if I mention the top countries, the top countries are the UK, united States, singapore, germany, spain, france, japan, canada, ireland and Hong Kong, and then we just scroll through a little bit more and then, just as you come down, let's just click that one, I'll give you a bit more. Israel, russia, new zealand, brazil, nigeria, indonesia, philippines, ukraine, romania, turkey, jamaica, greece, mortar, poland, taiwan, hond, myanmar, very, very interesting Myanmar, costa Rica, hungary, south Korea, zimbabwe, and it goes on and it goes on and it goes on. You know, just just to give you some stats. You know, never give up. The Lord is is with you wherever you are and we welcome wherever you are across the world with us today. May God bless you.
Speaker 2:So let's get straight into the Word of God, today's scriptures. We're coming from 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel, and we're going to go to 1 Samuel, chapter 17, verse 32 that we're going to start in, and the title. For those that are online taking notes, the title of this morning's sermon is Dress Right, you Can't Lose. Dress right and you can't lose. Dress right and you can't lose. You know, the power of the Holy Spirit is with you, the King of Kings is with you, the power of God is with you. But it's about dressing right, it's about getting right, it's about dressing right. We will never, ever get ourselves 100% right because we're sinners saved by grace, believe it or believe it not. And as you look at these scriptures, so the title is dress right and you can't lose.
Speaker 2:So in verse 32, as we start, in verse 32 of 1 Samuel, chapter 17, it's a very interesting text. We're all very, very familiar with this text. We're very, very familiar with what's going on in the text there. You know David and Goliath, crazy King Saul. When you look at that, be careful who you ask for to lead your country. You know God basically was saying you want Saul, you want Saul. Do you really want him? Do you really want him? Do you really want him? Do you really want Keir Starmer? Do you really want him? Do you really want Keir Starmer? Do you really want him? Do you really want Sadiq Khan? You want these evil men to lead you. You want these men of other world religions. You want Islam to lead you in the UK. You want atheists to lead you. You really want it? If that's what you want, god is unbelievable, isn't he? We're going to go to a text later on, if the time tarries that we have enough time to get to. That could startle you a little bit.
Speaker 2:Verse 32, and it says David said to Saul let no one lose heart on account of these Philistines. And it says every footstep, every breath, every area of life is a battlefield. And when you study this battle that we have here before our very eyes, you know you've got David and the Philistine. He came out morning and evening shouting and making a noise. It sounds like certain geographical things that we have in the UK. It sounds like a certain religion that is making such a noise.
Speaker 2:You know this government is really scared of world religions. It's really scared. You know it won't support Israel. You know America, as we know today, has clicked the electric on TikTok and I pray that the UK government follows suit as well, because it's controlled and it's run by China.
Speaker 2:You know China has got the test tube of all the biological warfare. It's releasing all this stuff out COVID-19, all this other stuff. China is the one to watch. It's not Islam. You ain't got to be worried about Islam. You've got to watch the Chinese government, what they're up to, what they're about to release, what they're about to do.
Speaker 2:America has taken that stance. They've clicked the button. Tiktok is non-existent. I think is it 170 million or something like that. Uh, social users and I pray that the uk takes that that press. But we've got such a weak government they don't even know what day of the week it is, so they won't even. They don't even know it's tuesday or wednesday, do. They're just having caviar and just enjoying themselves. So it doesn't really matter. But what we've got to make sure is that we've got to be aware of all these nations around the world, what they believe in, who they're following. So China, the Chinese government, are extremely dangerous, extremely dangerous, you know, far away from Israel. You know America has pressed the button today. That's it Gone, finished.
Speaker 2:President Trump will come in and he'll probably do something. You know, at least we need to understand. And then, when you look at the biological warfare that's out there COVID-19, you look at the flu, you know, then labeling it, all types of things, the amount of pressure that we're under in the UK, the many, many people that are very, very unwell at this moment with viruses and all this sort of stuff, you know. So you've got to be so, so alert with what's happening around the world. We can't like, we can't be like the politicians, just burying your head in it and just. We got to stand up, we've got to, we've got to understand what's happening around the world.
Speaker 2:We are at serious days and if, if, the if, the US has flicked the button, there's something more beyond it. There's something so far beyond that and we need to pray that this government will do something very, very serious in many, many areas, but it's frightened of atheism. It's frightened of Hinduism. It's especially frightened of terrorism. It's especially frightened of Israel. Even though it doesn't really talk about Israel, the UK government is frightened of Israel. It's especially frightened of Israel, even though it doesn't really talk about Israel.
Speaker 2:The UK government is frightened of Israel. It's frightened of strong Christians. It's not worried about the Church of England because it owns the Church of England. It owns Catholicism. It owns it.
Speaker 2:It's in this triangle of monarchy, the King of England. What does the King of England do for us? He's supposed to be the defender of the faith. Is he defending? Is he defending the rainforest? It's serious stuff. We're at the end of days. The king is coming, jesus christ is coming.
Speaker 2:So when you look at the satanic triangle and it switches around religion, the monarchy, it's all interwoven. But we don't belong to that. We belong to what the kingdom of God has been mentioned. We belong to the kingdom. So, as David was telling crazy King Saul, we tell the governments don't be fear, don't be fearful, don't lose heart, because the king is coming. And what we've got to understand is there's many battles for each and every one of us. So in that scripture that I've just read in verse 32,. It says David said to Saul let no one lose heart on account of the Philistines, don't lose heart on the account of this weak government and everything. Don't lose heart on what you see on the outside. Jesus Christ is our redeemer and Jesus Christ is redeeming each and every one of us. And if you would take your eyes over to verse 38, this is really important. These scriptures that were in verse 38 says then Saul dressed David in his own tunic.
Speaker 2:He put a coat on him of armor on him and bronze helmet on his head. David fastened it with his sword over the tunic and tried to walk around Because he was not used to this. He said I cannot go in this. He said, saul, because I'm not used to this. So he took it off. We've got to take off tunics.
Speaker 2:There are many people in your life that have dressed you for too many years. There are too many people in our lives. The authority tries to dress us, government tries to dress us, the world tries to dress us. Your mum dresses you, your dad dresses you, your brother dresses you. Everyone tries to dress you. And I'm not talking about earthly attire clothes. I'm not talking about the cotton that we wear. I'm not talking about the clothes I'm talking, talking about the cotton that we wear. I'm not talking about the clothes I'm talking about with labels. They try to label us. They try to get us to wear what they think and what was fit for them at that particular point.
Speaker 2:But when you look at Saul, saul had no right and no rhythm to dress David. Why was that? Because he was chosen by the people. See, there are many pastors chosen by the people and not chosen by God. There are many leaders across the platform of business, of education, many leaders that are chosen by the crowd. See, saul was chosen by the crowd. When you're chosen by the crowd, you're not fit for purpose. It might last for a little while. That's why we've got so many issues with church at this moment in time, because there are too many leaders in pulpits that have been chosen by the crowd and Jesus has gone. You really want that leader, you really? You really, you're choosing him through the church system. The church has voted, let's say the world is voting, religion has voted and you've got a leader that's not really called and not fit for purpose.
Speaker 2:So what we are finding is that the church is not fit for purpose. It's like King Saul at this moment in time, it doesn't know how to fight the battle that is before it because the leaders have been chosen and also the leaders that have been chosen are dressing other leaders with the wrong type of attire. See, when you get a leader in a position that shouldn't even be in that position of leadership, when you get someone leading a movement, when you get someone leading a church, when you get someone preaching from pulpits and we've got so many preachers that shouldn't be preaching I wonder some days if I should be here some days. You know, it's the question, lord, do you really want me? If you don't want me here, lord, do you really want me? If you don't want me here, lord, get me out. In the name of Jesus. Lord, if I'm not meant to be here, lord, remove me.
Speaker 2:But what we need are leaders that are not like Saul, because Saul looked all right for a while. There were a few things happening, but when it comes down, when it comes down to the real battle, when it comes down to the battle in the arena with the enemy, we've got too many leaders that have been chosen by congregations and the system of church and by cultural choice and by CV choice, educational choice, because they come from Oxford, they're great, they'll be great leaders. We need leaders that have gone through hell and fire. We need leaders across the pulpits that know that I've been trained in the field of life, I've gone through so much. That's what we need leaders that we see, that are being drawn out of the field of experience, that have fought the bear and the lion of life. But when you've got Saul, see what happens. You have a domino effect and Saul tried to to dress David in what he thought was fit for purpose, because he was chosen by the people and the people didn't really know what they was choosing. So suddenly you get this mixed bag of everything and when it really comes down to the battle, when it comes down to the battle, the church can't fight. Now the church has got its hands tied. The church has just got pink ribbons around its hands. It can't move. It can't move in a certain direction because it's become kin to.
Speaker 2:And we've got many evil leaders, believe it or believe it not, within church. We've got many, many leaders, even tribal leaders we've got. We've got cultural leaders. We've got leaders, many leaders, even tribal leaders we've got. We've got cultural leaders. We've got leaders that are atheists. What do you mean that? Leaders that are atheists? I could tell you right now I know leaders that don't believe in hell. So if you don't believe in that, you don't believe in the word of God. There are leaders that don't even believe in the word of God. There are leaders that are not even teaching the scripture.
Speaker 2:And what happens? What happens? Jealousy comes in. We experience this through the scripture. So we know that we are all saved, that we're Bible-believing believers. God has called us to salvation. God has called us to salvation. That is the number one calling in our lives, that God has saved us through the word of God. And we have been chosen. We have been chosen to be alive on this earth at this end time harvest. We may have a few aches and a few pains, we may have a few things rattling in our lives, but we are here and God is moving in your life and there is a bigger purpose than what you could ever imagine or ask.
Speaker 2:But don't get caught with the king's souls, and not only with the king's souls, but with the fake army. The fake army, because that army of Israel was too frightened to go down and face the Philistines. They didn't want it says that they ran back. The church is running back at this moment in time. The church is running. It's frightened of Islam, it's frightened of atheism, it's frightened of speaking out the truth. The church is frightened and I'm not talking about congregations, I am talking about the leadership, the mechanisms of religion. It's really, really frightened, and this is what we have all these.
Speaker 2:Hundreds of years back, david said let no one lose heart, do not lose heart, it will be okay. One man was saying it will be okay, there won't be any issues, we will see victory. And this young man was talking to the king. He was talking to the king, and the army was dressed on the hillside and the swords were polished. Every part of their armory was shining in the sunlight, everything was ready, but when it came down to the battle, it wasn't fit for purpose.
Speaker 2:So, as the church now is not fit for purpose because it's been dressed by King Saul's, it's been dressed by leaders, that's, it's been dressed by leaders that have not been chosen to be leaders, we have this celebrity church. We have this strange rhythm of church that is so odd, and there are many people in these congregations that are so hungry for Jesus. They know that they're in the biggest battle of their life. And what the church is dressing them with, what the King Saul leaders are putting across the pulpits, pushing over down to the congregations, we know that it's not fit for purpose. I cannot get through this valley of the shadow of death. What you're dressing me, it's messy. This is messy armor, this is messy. This is not fit for purpose. And David had the boldness to say I'm sorry, I can't go in the way you expect me to go. Don't get dressed as the crowd looks. Don't get dressed in religion. Get dressed in the book of Ephesians. If you have a Bible, turn to the book of Ephesians and see what Ephesians, chapter 6, says, verses 10 through the 20. Get dressed in the full armor of God. Get dressed in the helmet of salvation. Get dressed ready, because we are in a battle and the battle is getting fierce and the church isn't fit for purpose.
Speaker 2:The church is on the touchline and as soon as the enemy starts to breathe and show its teeth in the morning, it does exactly what King Saul done. It ran for cover and the church is running for cover. The leaders are running for cover. It doesn't talk about Israel anymore. It's never really spoken about Israel. It's never really spoken and preached on the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is coming, but religion and the area of church is running back because it's frightened of what it sees. Don't be frightened of what you see. Do not be frightened by what you hear.
Speaker 2:There was two areas to this situation. David was in. He could see the enemy and he could hear the enemy. We see the enemy and we hear the enemy. And we've got to be careful because the enemy is extremely clever. Hear the enemy, we see the enemy and we hear the enemy. And we've got to be careful because the enemy is extremely clever at using the social networks to get to you and to get to me.
Speaker 2:The enemy is very, very good at using TikTok, social media, every chat under the sun. The enemy uses it and he tells you that you're someone you're not. It tells you that you're not capable. It tells you it's impossible. It tells you so many things. But, with the power of the word of God, we don't need social networks to see victory, we don't need. Look at America. It switched it off for whatever reason. It's to do with the security. We have to be extremely careful what we engage in, what goes on.
Speaker 2:Chinese, the Chinese government, is the most dangerous government across the world. It is preparing for stuff that we'd never imagine. It's not Islam we've got to be frightened of. That's just all noise and that's just all show. That's just making a noise and the social media medium is allowing it to portray what they want it to portray Islam across there. But behind the fabric of it is the Chinese government. We need to be extremely careful. We need to get ourselves in the word of God and hold onto the scripture like never before.
Speaker 2:The power of the word of God will get us through every battle, will get us through every river, get us across every sea. And David said let no one lose heart. Whatever you face, however big this Goliath is, do not lose heart. Do not worry about what you see, do not be worried about what you hear. Do not worry if you feel that you're on your own in the biggest battles of your life. And where are the biggest battles that we fight? They're in our mind. The biggest battle, the biggest area, the biggest area is in our mind.
Speaker 2:We allow our mind to control our heart when really our heart should control our mind. It's an upside down way, because what we see dictates to us. What we allow as eyes to see and our ears to hear is them, is the leader in what, what we are controlled and how our life rolls. If we allow ourselves to listen to the word, if we allow ourselves to see the, if we allow ourselves to see the word, if we allow ourselves to be moved by the word, the word will move our heart, it will move our mind and it will shift all the blocks. But if we allow social networks, if we allow the Goliaths out there, if we allow the Jerichos by what we see control us, we'll be governed by fear. The Bible says perfect love drives out all fear. So the church in the UK has never been in such a messy church. And I'm not referring to that movement, I'm referring to the mess that it's in because it's running back. It's running back, the leaders are running. They're not only running, they've gone quiet. It's gone so quiet it's scary. But we don't belong to that that run back. We stand on the word of God and we have to hold our place.
Speaker 2:When you build, when you look in the New Testament, are you building on sand or are you building on the rock. When you build on the rock, you can weather the rain. When you build on the rock, you can weather the storm. When you build on the rock, you will stand. The Bible says the rain fell on the just and the unjust and the streams rose. We are living in times when the streams are rising and religion and celebrity church is building on sand and a lot of the UK leaders are building on sand and the torrent is coming and, exactly as the scripture says, the streams are rising and as it rises, we understand that it will wash away the sand. And if you are building on sand, if you're building on false hope, if you're building on the social networks, if you're building on the fake church, if you're building on so much materialism, you will fall and the Bible says you will fall with a great crash. But if you build on the rock, it doesn't matter how big the Goliath is, it doesn't matter how wide the River Jordan is, it doesn't matter how wide the Red Sea is, it doesn't matter how loud Pharaoh is, it doesn't matter how mad King Saul was.
Speaker 2:And be careful of the people in your life that have dressed you for many years and I'm not talking about clothing, dressed you in culture, dressed you in shape in you, dressed you as you as young, dressed you in family. However they dressed you, you've got to be careful that there will be people in your life that will react like King Saul. What do you mean? If you turn over to the next chapter, you will find very clearly in 1 Samuel, chapter 18, verse 1,. It talks about Jonathan and David. They linked together, they came together, they walked together. They were very powerful. But also we find very, very clearly that through that text that King Saul was a jealous king. There's nothing worse than a jealous person. So there we have Saul. He was chosen by the world and God went he's yours. And then we find ourselves watching this crazy situation play out.
Speaker 2:So King Saul was chosen by the people. He was put into an area of authority. We have leaders that have been chosen by the system of religion and by their CV and by what they've achieved through academics and the businesses that they've run. Jesus never run a business in his life. He was a carpenter that worked hard. He was the head of the house. When his earthly father, joseph, was taken home Around, about 24, 25 years old, jesus suddenly became the head of the house. He didn't have a diploma. He didn't go on this course, he didn't do that course, he didn't do any course whatsoever. He wasn't chosen by anybody. He was chosen by God. He was chosen for a set purpose, for a set rhythm.
Speaker 2:And when you look at King Saul, how King Saul was placed into this position, king Saul was okay all the time he was getting it from the audience. The time everything in people in his life were patting him on the back, bigging him up, he was all right. But as soon as the battle took place, that we've just left the battlefield, as soon as David done what he done and done and accomplished so much, suddenly they start to go back and suddenly they come out with tambourines and they start singing that Saul was taken out, a thousand, tens of thousands, and all that sort of stuff. And then suddenly, sorry, no, it says Saul was taken out his thousands. And it says that David, his tens of thousands, saul got very jealous, his tens of thousands, saul got very jealous.
Speaker 2:Be careful of the religious leaders that are really jealous of you, because there are leaders that are jealous of you because you're carrying something that they're not carrying. There are leaders behind pulpits this morning that are really jealous. There are angry leaders, there are evil leaders, there are leaders that don't know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They're just in it for money, they're in it for notoriety, they're in it for fame, they're in it for themselves. King Saul was in it for himself and all the time he was getting ramped up and he was getting lifted up. Everything was all right in King Saul's world. But as soon as he see a young shepherd boy, as soon as he started to see a real shepherd, a real king, started to flourish.
Speaker 2:The Bible says that Saul got really jealous and you'll find amongst that text really, really interesting. In verse 12 of chapter 18 of 1 Samuel. It says there Saul was afraid of David. There are leaders that are afraid of certain people, there are leaders that are afraid of you. And you might say to yourself well, it's just little me, I'm just in the field of life.
Speaker 2:But if you are a Bible believing believer, if you believe in the word of God, if you are a bible believing believer, if you believe in the word of god and you will not be shaped by religion and you will not be shaped by the world and you will not be shaped by society and culture. Certain areas of church and religion will see you as a loose cannon. They'll be worried about you because they can't control you and no one should be controlled by any pastor, any leader, because who the Son sets free is free. Indeed, we understand the fivefold areas of ministry. We understand the eldership, we understand what it means in the Scripture about that stuff. And age is irrelevant. We've got to understand. Age is irrelevant in the kingdom of God. Culture is irrelevant. Color is irrelevant, money is irrelevant. Everything is irrelevant in the kingdom of God. But it means everything in the, in the, in the worldly church.
Speaker 2:You've got to be of a certain uh, demographic. You've got to be of a certain age. You know, when you look at certain pastors and worship leaders, when you look at certain things, they've got to be of a certain area. They've got to be of a certain color. They've got to be a certain age. They've got to look a certain way. They've got to walk the same. When at it. It's very interesting across the thread of when you study worship leaders, they almost all look the same in certain ways. It's really important.
Speaker 2:Even the young pastors. When you look at certain young pastors, they shouldn't even be behind pulpits because they should still be like Moses. They should be in the Moses basket, but they've been brought out of the Moses basket too early. We've got too many leaders that haven't experienced life that have been brought out of the Moses basket that should still be in the Moses basket. I've got socks older than many, many leaders. We've got too many young leaders that don't know how to lead. And I'm not against age whatsoever, because you only got to look at King David, but this was just one. But he did not go back to the throne when he was anointed, he went back to the field. So we have area of celebrity church where the leaders are getting younger and younger and younger. They're eating more Farley's rusks than they're taking of the bread and the cup they're on milk, when we need leaders that are literally delivering words that will make us stand up and go.
Speaker 2:I'm going to survive this battle. I don't want any more leaders feeding me their Farley's rusks. I want leaders that are going to feed me real word, real power. I need leaders that are going to really shape me and show me how to get through the valley of the shadow of death. We are also lacking father figures.
Speaker 2:In pulpits we got weak, woke men that don't even know what a man really is, too frightened to mention masculinity. Oh, can't mention that. From the pulpit we have got so many leaders that are so weak and so woke and so scared that they don't even know their identity, that they're walking in and the world and culture has shaped them to be these weak, woke preachers. It doesn't matter what they look like on camera, it doesn't matter because we've all seen it. The majority of them are in the gym. The majority of them are spray tanned up, beautiful white teeth, hair combed to the right-hand side Perfect. They look great. But put them in the arena with the devil. They pick up their golf clubs and go oh, I don't work on a Monday, I'm on a golf course. We need leaders that will stand in the gap. We need leaders that will preach the word, because we got too many souls, too many souls that have been chosen by the mechanism. We got too many leaders that have been chosen by other leaders that are not really leaders themselves. So suddenly we find ourselves in a messy church and it says very clearly in these scriptures that we're in.
Speaker 2:Saul became jealous. Let's read that scripture there, verse 8 of 1 Samuel, chapter 18. Saul was very angry and a refrain of gall hit him and it says there they have credited David with tens of thousands and he thought but with me, only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom? Verse 9 it says there, and from that time on, saul kept a jealous eye on David. Now, when was the last time you heard a message on verse 10 the next day?
Speaker 2:An evil spirit from God. But God is love, god is love. Come on, god is love. God is love. Come on, god is love, he loves us all. God sent something, god gave something. An evil spirit from God dropped on the shoulders of Saul and the Bible says have you ever heard of that? Saying someone's going to stab you in the back when you look at this scripture as you go on a little bit further, the next day, an evil spirit from God came forcefully oh Jesus, help me Forcefully upon Saul. This is what we have on many leaders within the church Evil spirits dropped on them because they're jealous.
Speaker 2:And when you look at the fabric of the makeup, why they're in these positions? They're not there because God has chosen them. They're not there because they're anointed. They're there because of their academic understanding. They're there because they have been chosen by the mechanism of other leaders that should not be in that leadership situation. So we've got leaders choosing leaders that shouldn't even be leaders and suddenly we have messy religion, messy church. We have messy religion, messy church.
Speaker 2:We need the power of the word of God but, as David said back in the very beginning of the text that we started off in, don't lose heart for what you see. Don't worry about when you see these leaders that are not really delivering. Don't worry about what you see about the politicians. Don't worry about the Jerichos of life, don't worry about the River Jordans. Don't lose heart over the Goliath that is before you, because when you realize there is power in a name, when you realize it says David just took up, he took up five stones. He took up five stones, he had a sling and he said you come at me. He said you come at me with spear, sword and javelin and a mobile phone, but I come at you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. When you look at the scripture, he said you're bringing everything to me, but you're going to die by the sword that you're bringing to me. I've got to be careful. I represent it because there's some little people in the house. You know, when you look across this text it is so powerful. But what Goliath brought to David to destroy him, david picked up and he done what he done.
Speaker 2:When you go further in the text, it looks like the enemy is going to wipe us out by what they're bringing us. What they're bringing us is going to be their end of their mortality. What the enemy is bringing to you, what the enemy is trying to force on you, what the enemy is trying to deliver on you, it will be for their death. The enemy will die in your footpath. The enemy will collapse over. What the enemy is bringing to you will not take you out.
Speaker 2:If you imagine the size of Goliath, the loudness of his voice, the stature of him alone, and you've got a king. The king of Israel ran out, ran back, ran away, because he wasn't chosen by the king. See, it's interesting that we have kings chosen, chosen by kings, we have leaders chosen by leaders, we have people chosen by evil leaders that are not fit for purpose, and suddenly we have this, this messy area of life. It takes a David to come into the crowd of the messiness of life, of home, of family, and say what the enemy is bringing to our door. What the enemy is bringing to my life, what the enemy is bringing around me, is not going to take us out. Do not lose heart. This sickness will not end unto death.
Speaker 2:But the disciples said Mary and Martha, what are you talking about? He's been gone for three days. Don't open, don't roll the stone. See, we serve a Jesus. When the world around Jesus was telling him don't roll the stone on Lazarus. If you roll that stone, jesus, it's going to smell. He's been in there, it's gone, it's finished. Don't roll the stone. He's been in there, it's gone, it's finished. Don't roll the stone. See, we serve a God and a King and the Holy Spirit. That does the complete opposite to what the crowd and the world and religion is saying. Jesus said roll it. Jesus called out the dead.
Speaker 2:When was the last time you see someone dead being raised out of church? You might have seen it on Peter Popoff across the transatlantic. Thank God they're not on TikTok anymore. I'll get a bit of a break for a while from the transatlantic preachers. When was the last time or when did you ever see a miracle that was of God, when did you actually see it? First-hand account? It's a miracle. See, the crowd is always making it up.
Speaker 2:But Jesus goes against the crowd and he said he goes against the sisters, he goes against the system, he goes against everything. Roll that stone. This sickness will not end unto death. But he's been in there for too long. It's finished, it's over. Our culture is telling us it's done, and that's the problem that we live by. Our culture tells us Every one of us is in a culture. Our culture tells us that I can't progress. Our culture tells us that I can't do. This culture that I'm in won't allow me. But Jesus goes against everything and he says roll the stone. What was he going against? He was going against the culture of Israel. He's dead, he's finished, it's gone. It's three days. It's kapiski. It's gone, it's finished.
Speaker 2:Jesus goes against culture, he goes against authority. He goes against everything in love and in power and in authority. See, when you realize who you are in Christ Jesus, it doesn't matter what the crowd says, it doesn't matter what death says. It doesn't matter if there's a Lazarus situation. It doesn't matter what the crowd says. It doesn't matter what death says. It doesn't matter if there's a Lazarus situation. It doesn't matter if there's a Goliath, it doesn't matter if you're facing Jericho, it doesn't matter about the River Jordan, the Red Sea crossing, it doesn't matter how big Nephilim is. It doesn't matter about the fallen sons of God. That's irrelevant when you realize who you are. In the battlefield of life, david went. I'm not wearing what you're giving me.
Speaker 2:There are many leaders trying to dress people in congregations with attire that they think will work. Be very careful if you have been called to ministry. Be very careful. If you have a calling on your life and the leadership of that church is dressing, you Don't let the leadership of that church dress. You Don't let the pastor dress. You Don't allow the worship band to dress. You Don't allow anyone in that movement to dress. You. Find out what God wants you to wear. Find out the armor that God has for you. Don't allow anyone to say A, b, c and D off, you go there, you go, go in what God is calling you, because there will be many times and there is many times when people of congregations have come up to the leadership and the leaderships have done a soul on them.
Speaker 2:No, I'm jealous. No, no, you're not God. No, no, be careful who you take your dream to. Be careful who you give your vision to Joseph. He ran out and he said to his brothers guess what? From that moment on, they wanted to destroy his dream. And there'll be many people in your life that will want to backstab you, like Saul, because you are anointed. There'll be many people in your life that will want to see your dream fall, because that dream that you're carrying is greater and more powerful than the dream that they could ever dream. And where does the dream come from? It comes from God. Where does the an dream come from? It comes from God. Where does the anointing come? It comes from God.
Speaker 2:But we have too many leaders. We have too many situations in church and across church where we got souls. Bring that up to biblical interpretation. We have wolves dressed in sheep's clothing and they will not let you. They will not let you pass that area because it's my church, it's my ministry. I'm telling you what I'm doing. If you're in a large church, how difficult is it to get to the leader of that church? He's probably got a bodyguard around him. He's probably got a perfect car park space. He probably comes in on a red carpet. He probably gets clapped every time he comes in the church.
Speaker 2:It's really important that we ask God, wake me up, god, because there's too many souls in pulpits. The other day we was on that scripture when we was looking at the horses of revelation, that white horse religious deception that's what we've got. The book of Revelation talks about the horses, the four horses, and it speaks very clearly about the rider. It speaks very clearly about the color of the horse Religious deception that's what we got Again. Not only have we got souls in pulpits, we got jockeys that are riding. Religious deception that's what we got Again. Not only have we got souls in pulpits, we got jockeys that are riding religious horses. We got jockeys of the Grand National. They're dressed, they look like it, they can ride that horse, because it's religious deception. That's what that horse is all about. We've got religious deception.
Speaker 2:It doesn't matter how big the church is, it doesn't matter how many people are crammed into it, it doesn't matter how big the smoke machines are, it doesn't matter. It's Jesus in here. Are they preaching Jesus? Without any fluffiness around the edge, we need to be ready for the coming of Jesus. Jesus is coming. We got many jockeys in pulpits riding that horse Religious deceptive. We got many souls in pulpits that are jealous because God is anointing and God is drawing out. We've got wolves in sheep's clothing in ministry.
Speaker 2:You've only got to look at the leaders of every denomination. Make that, maybe this year, a challenge for ourselves. Who are leading these denominations? Are they jockeys, are they souls, or are they weak and woke? Are they real leaders? Are they real leaders that will stand when it comes to facing Goliath?
Speaker 2:And the Bible says David ran down to the battlefield. That's who I want to walk with in life, someone that will run to the problem and say this problem's going to go in the name of Jesus. And he picked out that stone and he put it in his sling and he done what he done. And it's like God guiding the stone Hit him, struck him down to the floor. He runs over to him, he draws the sword. I won't go no further because we've got little people. When you read that text, what the enemy brought to him, the enemy died on. Enemy brought to him, the enemy died on.
Speaker 2:Separate yourself from the crowd of church and religion, separate yourself from the crowd of culture, separate yourself from the crowd of everything and seek ye first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness. There are Davids out there, there are Esthers out there, there are Jonathans out there, there are Marys, there are Marthas, there are. There are brothers and sisters that have anointings and have callings, but also there are jealous people around you. Be careful of the jealous people and remind yourself age is irrelevant in the kingdom of God. Let's pray, father, in the name of Jesus. We pray for those jealous King Saul's in our lives. We pray for the jealous community. We pray for the jealous culture. We pray for the jealous family members. We pray for the jealous church out there.
Speaker 2:We pray, lord, for the jealousy that's out there. Lord, we pray that you will remove the jealous people from our lives and you will, lord God, make our paths straight. We pray to God that we won't get entangled with the fake church that are dressed ready for battle. Their armor is sharp, is polished, everything is shining in the sunlight. But, lord, I don't want to be found with that fake church that when the rubber hits the road. Lord God, I don't want to be running with King Saul and Lord God, with the army of Israel. Lord, I want to be standing with the Jonathan. I want to be standing with the David, the Joshua, the Caleb, and went. Don't listen to the bad report, don't listen to what the others are bringing. Our God is able. So, father, I pray that we will realize who we are in Christ.
Speaker 2:So, lord, we also pray for the ones that are trying to address us in their character reference the ones that are addressing us culturally, those that are addressing us through church pastors, that are addressing us, leaders that are addressing us. Family that are addressing us. Society that's addressing us, and also even one of the biggest ones that we don't realise, that is addressing us. Society that's dressing us, and also even one of the biggest ones that we don't realize, that is dressing us social media. Social media is putting layers on you like an onion, and suddenly we find that our hands are tired, our feet are tired because it's trying to dress you in a situation that's not real.
Speaker 2:Ask God to lift off all the cloaks, all the tunics. Lift it all off, lord. Get me to the raw me. Get me to the raw me, lord. Get me to the raw me, lord. So when I go down into the arena of life, it's the raw me, but God is with me. Lord, let me be vocal like David was.
Speaker 2:You come at me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come in the name, the name of the almighty God. I come in the name of Jesus Christ. I come in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. I come in the name of Emmanuel. And when we come and stand in the name of Jesus Christ, the Bible says the demons flee, demonic forces flee. Everything has to flee at the name of Jesus. There is nothing that can withstand the name that you carry. You carry a name that governments are scared of. You carry a name that Islam is fearful of. Hinduism is scared of. Atheists can't stand the name of Jesus. Kings can't stand the name of Jesus. Herod couldn't stand the name of Jesus Christ. You carry a name and you carry authority and you carry power and you carry the word of God, and God is with you.
Speaker 2:It's not about church. Church is boring, church is finished, church is over. It's now time to say I belong to a kingdom, I belong to the glory of God, I've been chosen, he's anointed me, he's blessed me, he's calling me. Jesus Christ is coming. The second coming of Jesus and all the world and religion is interested in, and the jockeys in pulpits Christmas. The first coming of Jesus. He's coming.
Speaker 2:Let's get to the table, father, in the name of Jesus, we gather around the table. And, lord, will you remove the souls, the riders of the white horse? Will you remove people around us that are jealous of us? Will you remove, lord, society that is trying to trap us? Lord, are we in the right workplace? Am I in the right house? Am I at the right school? Am I in the right house? Am I at the right school? Am I in the right church? Should I be listening to Pastor Ben or should I find somebody else? Should I be in Elim or should I be somewhere else? Who am I? Where should I be? Should I be in this college? Should I be at this school? Should I be in this college? Should I be at this school? Should I be in this environment? Should I be in this organization? Should I be in this denomination? Should I be walking with these people in my life?
Speaker 2:Father, in the name of Jesus, you are coming, jesus, the second coming of Christ. And as we take the bread and the cup, we thank you, lord, for this bread that symbolizes the body of Christ, as we take it, as we dip it in the cup, as we take it symbolically, lord. We thank you, lord, that this bread symbolizes the body of Christ. So, father, bless this in the name of Jesus, amen. Do you realize who you are in Jesus?
Speaker 2:There are many preachers across the world will tell you realize your self-worth, be the best of you. I don't want to be the best of me, because that's flesh. Certain areas of church will tell you to love yourself. That's not correct. I've got to love Jesus first. I love the Father first. The kingdom is first, and then I find peace for the rest of my life. Bless this cup that's symbolic to the blood of Jesus. Cover me from the rest of my life. Bless this cup that's symbolic to the blood of Jesus. Cover me from the crown of my head. Wash me, cleanse me in the blood of Jesus, amen.
Speaker 2:You carry a name Yahweh, jehovah Jireh, jehovah Nissi. You don't need sword, you don't need spear. You don't need spear, you don't need javelin, you don't need boxing gloves. You don't need to jump in the arena with anybody, because when you realize who you are, people will get out your way. When you realize who you are in Christ, when you realize who you are in Jesus and you tell the world about Jesus. He puts a fiery hedge around you. When you tell the world I'm a braggadocious, I'm full of the word, I'm healed, I'm a miracle, I'm a son, I'm a daughter of the most high, I can do all things through Christ. That strengthens me. When you realize all things are possible to those who believe. Goliath becomes an ant, but all the time we're listening to the jockey riding the white horse. Goliath gets bigger. Religion gets bigger. Jericho gets bigger, bigger. Jericho gets bigger. It seems impossible, but you don't need anyone around you in your life because David showed us that when you realize the power of the name that you carry, god will guide the stone, god will drop the enemy.
Speaker 2:You've only got to look at that powerful text in the Old Testament King Josaphat. He fell flat on the floor, he tore his clothes, he seeked God, he fasted, and then God said don't send out the army when you go around the corner. Send out the worshipers. And he's not talking about sending out the Hillsong worshippers. He's not talking about sending out Bethel. He's not talking about sending out Elevation Worship. He's not talking about sending out secular Christian music. He's saying go out and worship in spirit. And in truth they didn't have Matt Redmond knocking a tune out on a guitar when they went around the corner, it was just them and they was not fit for purpose, because King Josaphat said we cannot win this battle.
Speaker 2:But when you're fast and you pray and you listen to God and you go out in spirit and in truth and you go out in worship and you're worshiping God and you lift up God and you go around the corner of the arena of life, and the Bible says that God confused the enemy and they turned in on themselves.
Speaker 2:Your enemy will turn in on themselves if you worship in spirit and in truth, if you worship in true scripture, if you worship in hope, if you stand on the word, goliath will fall. Everything will be well and as we come to the close, as David said, don't lose heart. God bless you in the name of Jesus. We'll catch you soon. We'll just have one more and we're out of here. You can stand, you can sit, you can be still. Whatever you need to do in these closing moments, god bless you. Wherever you are across the world, we'll see you tomorrow evening, online, tomorrow, live stream only. We pray that, wherever you are across the world, that you will realize who you are, not realize your self-worth, not realizing standing in front of the mirror and say I love myself today, what?
Speaker 1:I'm saying is get in that place and say God, shape me in Jesus' name. Thank you for listening to us today on Reverend Ben Cooper's podcast. We hope you found inspiration and guidance in today's audio. Remember, the journey of faith is a continuous one and your questions and thoughts are important. You can send us a text or an and your questions and thoughts are important. You can send us a text or an email and we will get back to you. So, wherever you are around the world, thank you for listening to our podcasts and radio ministry. For more information about our ministry, please find us on pastorbencoopercouk. Please support us with prayer. Also, you can sow a financial seed into this ministry. You can also leave us a legacy to support and continue the work of this radio ministry. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with others who might benefit. Until next time, stay blessed, Thank you.
