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
The Church's Missed Opportunity After Lockdown Will Cost Us Dearly (#1039 - Elim)
https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/Have you ever found yourself returning to old patterns when faced with uncertainty? In this thought-provoking episode, Pastor Ben Cooper challenges believers to stop "going back fishing"—a powerful metaphor for reverting to familiar but unfruitful religious routines instead of pressing forward in faith. Drawing from John 21, Pastor Cooper explores how Jesus' instructions to the disciples offer a timeless message for today’s Christians navigating uncertainty.
Key Insights from the Episode:
- The Disciples’ Return to Fishing: A Mirror of Today’s Church: After witnessing Jesus' crucifixion, the disciples reverted to their old profession of fishing, even though they had witnessed countless miracles with Him. This reversion is mirrored in the way many churches responded post-pandemic. Instead of embracing spiritual transformation and growth during the disruption, many institutions returned to old ways of doing church, missing the opportunity for renewed faith. Pastor Cooper encourages believers to step out of the comfort zone of tradition and seek a deeper, more kingdom-focused faith journey.
- The Danger of Religious Routines: Pastor Cooper contrasts the disciples' fruitless night of fishing with Jesus' instruction to cast the net on the other side. Despite their expertise and experience, their efforts yielded nothing until they obeyed Christ's specific command. This moment serves as a powerful reminder that religious routines, if disconnected from God's guidance, will lead to spiritual fruitlessness. Are we just going through the motions, or are we listening to God's voice in our lives today?
- Conformity vs. Kingdom-Focused Living: Pastor Cooper draws a sharp distinction between conforming to worldly systems and embracing a kingdom-focused lifestyle. In a world filled with distractions and pressures to conform, believers are called to stand firm in their faith, obeying God’s directives rather than simply repeating past practices. The episode highlights how much of the modern church risks being caught in a cycle of tradition over transformation. The challenge is clear: Are we following the pattern of the world, or are we being transformed by God’s will?
- Preparing for Future Challenges: With an eschatological undertone, Pastor Cooper warns that the days ahead may bring further tests for the church. Will Christians continue to stand on biblical convictions, or will they bow to external pressures, including governmental authorities, when faced with challenges? In a world that increasingly challenges Christian values, this message calls believers to reflect on their commitment to biblical truth and spiritual preparedness. Christ’s return is imminent, and we must be spiritually ready to face whatever comes our way.
- Spiritual Abundance Through Obedience: Ultimately, Pastor Cooper challenges listeners to examine their faith. Are you fishing where Jesus directs, or are you simply repeating comfortable patterns that yield no fruit? Jesus’ invitation to cast the net on the other side resulted in an abundant catch—a powerful image of the spiritual abundance that follows obedient faith. The choice is clear: Follow Christ's instructions, and your faith will bear fruit that transforms lives.
Conclusion:
This message is for anyone questioning the effectiveness of institutional Christianity and seeking a more authentic, kingdom-focused faith journey. Pastor Cooper’s teaching challenges us to examine whether we are motivated by fear, tradition, or true transformation. Will you cast your ne
https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/
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Speaker 1:Your financial gifts play a crucial role in supporting our radio ministry. 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 ten 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.
Speaker 2: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 that are in the Lord's house, and we apologize for a bit of an echo that goes through the house, but for those that are listening on radio, we hope it's clear, and for those that are on social networks, god bless every one of you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. But let's just jump straight into the Word of God. Let's get straight in to the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John, chapter 21, and the title of this evening's sermon message. However you want to look at that, for those that are taking notes, it's pretty straightforward and it's don't go back fishing. Don't go back fishing, because this is really relevant to their culture, to their life and everything that was going on. Don't go back fishing. Let's pick it up. Let's get straight in the word of God. Jesus Christ is coming back, the King of Kings and the Lord of lords. The King is coming. Are we ready for the second coming of Jesus? Are we prepared for the second coming of Jesus? The world is ramping up and doing exactly what it wants to do, but are we prepared and are we ready for the second coming of the Lord? Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
Speaker 2:But I want to take us into the Gospel of John, chapter 21. And wherever you are tonight across the world, we welcome you live across the radio this evening, on the World of Podcasts and live streaming. So wherever you are capturing this audio, we pray that you will feel the love of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and you never give up. You never give up. But in this text that we are looking at, it's really, really interesting. Here we have one disciple. He shapes the narrative for everybody else and we've got to be careful We've got to be extremely careful the people that we listen to, that they don't shape the narrative of our life, that we won't be shaped by what they say, that we go back to what we used to do. So let's pick this up. You know it's a really interesting scripture and this is after.
Speaker 2:What we're going to remember is where we're sitting in the world at this moment, especially in the uk. You know, plastic lent religion is doing plastic lent. Don't get caught up in lent. Get caught in the word of god. Don't get caught up in following catholicism and the church of england and all those um politic activities that go along with that. You've got to follow the Lord, jesus Christ, because we know through, uh, what is happening through religion. There's two types of Lent. We get that, we understand that, but we've got to remember, um, there are two types of Lent at this moment in time, but there's only one, jesus. We got the one.
Speaker 2:I'm always mentioning this and I can't wait till Lent has gone because I'm getting bored of it in a minute. So we've got these two types of Lent. There's the Orthodox Lent and there is the one that the church in the UK is doing at this moment in time, and you've got to pick which one you want to do. One starts two days before the other and you know this is not scripture. We've got to get a grip. We've got to get a grip of the word of God. We've got to stop all this fluffing and faffing around that we do within church. Church is boring. Church is literally dying before our very eyes. But the kingdom of God, the kingdom of God and this scripture that we're in, it reflects. What does it reflect? It reflects lockdown.
Speaker 2:What happened to religion at church at lockdown? You know, through lockdown there was an opportunity to break free from the monotony and just the trashy way it was done through church and everything. There was a time to break, to break free. But what did church do? As soon as Boris said, go back to church, like little dogs we started jumping up and being all happy I'm talking about the leaders and we went back to exactly what we was doing before. But lockdown gave the church a great big window to break that chain and to get free. But it didn't. It went back to the old ways. God told Moses don't go back to the old stuff. Remember, it is finished, it is over. Let's get in the word of God. We've got to get right in. We've got to get right in. We're in chapter 21. Let's get on. There's so much to get in.
Speaker 2:So we're in John, chapter 21, verse 1. It says after this, jesus appeared to his disciples by the sea of Tiberias. It happened this way Simon Peter, thomas, also called Didymus, nathanael, from Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples were together. I'm going fishing. That is a strapline that we should not be using. Yeah, but you might say, well, I don't go fishing. It's got nothing to do with going fishing. It's got to do with going back to the old ways. We can't go back to the old ways. It says I'm going fishing. Simon Peter told them and they said we'll go with you.
Speaker 2:Don't follow the crowd of church, don't follow the crowd of ministry, don't follow the crowd. Now let's take ourselves back to lockdown. When Boris said turn the key, you know all the church leaders, the Church of ministry, don't follow the crowd. Now let's take ourselves back to lockdown. When Boris said turn the key, you know all the church leaders. The church of England and every denomination was jumping up and down. Let's listen to Boris. Let's listen to. We got to listen to Boris. They was not doing, they had no intention of doing, what they told us to do.
Speaker 2:But what happened? The church went into lockdown. We know the rest is history. And we danced around the tune of the church of england. We danced around the tune of boris at number 10 down in street. He held the key to the kingdom, what we call the church, but not kingdom of god, but the kingdom of religion. And we got to remember now religion dances to the sound of number 10 down in street. Whatever number 10 says, religion will dance around it, because it is controlled by number 10 down in street. But what we got to remind ourselves is that we are not controlled by politics. We are not controlled by the measures of the world, because the Bible says do not conform to the pattern of.
Speaker 2:So when you go back to COVID, this scripture is it may well be 2,400 years old, but it resonates with what happened in lockdown. They went back. I'm going back to the old ways. I'm going to go and do church how I used to, but God gave us a window. God gave us a window within that COVID period to consecrate ourselves, to focus on what God was calling us to and to actually get breakthrough and to break free. And the scripture says here it says I'm going to fish. Simon Peter told them. And when he says I'm going to fish, simon Peter told them. And when he said I'm going fishing, simon Peter put it out across the people that was around him and they followed him. It's very, very interesting who we follow. Now he said I'm going back. Now why was he going back? He was simply going back, simply because what he see happened at the cross. It distorted what he thought about Jesus. Covid distorted many churches.
Speaker 2:Now we've got to remind ourselves something that's really, really important, especially on the other side of the pond, we have mega ministries. I've got to be careful because we're on the radio. I've got to be careful. But you're going to pick this up. You know who I'm going to talk about. There is a gentleman that runs a ministry called Bill you know what I'm saying and there's a paint tin named after him, johnson. So when you think and you put these two together that ministry, you know that man, bill, and the paint company after that, johnson when you put the two together, you get the name.
Speaker 2:What happened in America as soon as lockdown come? Now, the reason I'm talking about this ministry is this ministry claims to have healings everywhere, happening everywhere. Everyone was being healed of cancer, heart disease, legs were growing, eyes were growing, everything was happening in that ministry. But as soon as the authoritarian said close the church, no one got healed. Of COVID, no one got healed. The church went into a shameful lockdown around the world. But weeks before, before hours before, it was healing cancer, sickness, disease, fear was breaking. Everything was supposed to have been happening in these mega ministries and then suddenly that the authorities say lockdown and the church went into lockdown and no healing took place.
Speaker 2:This is where we are at this moment in this text. See, it got distorted by the outside language. It allowed the outside language. Now we have to question those miracles we hear from the other side of the pond. We have to question everything. Because if God was healing cancers, sickness, heart disease, if God was bringing legs back, arms back, fingers back, if God was making people see lungs were being healed, lungs were being restored, kidneys were coming, if everything was happening, but then suddenly the government went lock your door. That tells me they're controlling Jesus. That tells me that in that area, that format, that the church and the ministers and the ministries are allowing politics to control the King of glory, well, I'm afraid to say that's not my Jesus, that's not my Jesus, that's not my Jesus found by any human being. My God can never, ever be locked down by any human being. But we danced around the drumbeat of number 10, downing Street and what is happening in this scripture here we see it in our very eyes.
Speaker 2:At that point of lockdown, the church had an opportunity. The leaders I'm referring to, and we are reading about leaders the leaders had an opportunity to cut, to cut the chains, to break the satanic attachment to religion. It had a choice, but through lockdown, the church went on to Netflix, the church went on to just doing and the church was furloughed. Think about that. How embarrassing. How embarrassing is this? That the church of Jesus Christ was being taken care of by thieves and cut votes by the dogs at number 10, by the foxes, so the church was being controlled. Because suddenly we have lockdown. People were being furloughed in ministry. That's not scripture. It's absolutely crazy when you think about it.
Speaker 2:So why am I talking about lockdown? That happened all those years ago, because we've just been reminded that it was X amount of years back, because of the dates, but also the scriptures that we are in. And when did we get locked down? I don't hear Ramadan getting locked down, but what I heard that got locked down was Easter, the church's festival. Because they won't dare lock down any other religious activity. They will endorse it. So the world was in lockdown. The UK was in lockdown and when the world needed a safe space, they locked the church down. The key was turned. People became isolated. We had to go over to what we went over to, to all this live stream stuff that we got now, but, thanks be to God, we got this hybrid system that we are using online and in the house of the Lord. But what we're going to look at is this scripture Don't go back fishing. And this is what happened in lockdown.
Speaker 2:I'm going to carry on this reading. Let me take it from the top and I'm going to read it all the way through to the end of verse 14. Let's get straight into the word. John 21, verse 1.
Speaker 2:After Jesus appeared again to the disciples by the sea of Tiberias, it happened this way Simon Peter, thomas, didymus, nathanael, from Cana in Galilee, the two sons of Zebedee and the other two disciples were together. I'm going fishing, simon Peter told them, and they said we'll go with you. So they went out and they got into their boats. That night they caught nothing.
Speaker 2:Early in the morning Jesus stood on the shoreline, but the disciples did not realize it was Jesus. Many things going on here. He called out to them friends, haven't you any fish? No, they answered. He said throw your nets on the right side of the boat and you will find some. When they did this, they was unable to haul the nets in because of the large number of fish.
Speaker 2:Then the disciples whom Jesus the disciples, sorry, jesus loved, said to Simon Peter it is the Lord. As soon as Simon Peter heard this it is the Lord. He wrapped his outer garment around him because he had taken it off, and he jumped into the water. The other disciples followed him in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from the shoreline, about a hundred yards. When they landed. They saw a fire burning, coals and fish upon that, and some bread. Jesus said bring some of the fish that you have caught here. Simon Peter climbed aboard, dragged the net to the shore, full of large fish around about 153. There were so many that the net wasn't even torn. Jesus said to them come have some breakfast. None of the disciples dared ask him who are you? They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took bread and gave it to them, and he did the same with the fish.
Speaker 2:This is how, the third time, jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. Now this is a really powerful text actually. When you look at this, see what happened. They see the cross, they see the crucifixion, they see that their Lord and their Savior. They thought that he wasn't who he said he was. So what happens is, when they look at Jesus, they see him now to the tree, they see him now to the cross. Suddenly, the outside environment is still pressing around. Jesus is dead, jesus has been buried. Suddenly, I'm back. I'm left on my own. What do I do? I go back to my old ways.
Speaker 2:This is what the church does. History tells us that the church is better and it is good at going backwards rather than going forwards, because to go backwards, we know what we used to do. To go forwards, we we have to go by faith, and this is what happened in lockdown. As soon as Boris said it's over, it's finished, I've made you do what I wanted you to do. I've been testing things. And he gave the authority over to the church. The church went hallelujah, praiseelujah, praise Jesus. We got a miracle. And then, all of a sudden, the doors are wide open.
Speaker 2:But what did the church do? It went back fishing. It went back to the old ways, when that period was a time to cut the umbilical cord, cut the chains to the old way of church and to realize that this is a Jesus time, that this lockdown is a time to seek him, to find rest in him, to see favor in God and in Christ. It was a time to truly get in the word of God. But the church. I'm talking about the leadership system. What did it do? It went back to its old ways. We can't keep going back to our old ways. I'm going back fishing.
Speaker 2:The title of this evening is I'm going back. We can't afford to go back fishing. We can't afford to go back. We can't afford to go backwards. We have to go forward, and the only way that we can go forward is completely by faith. The just shall live by faith. The just shall live by faith.
Speaker 2:It is critical that we live by faith, that we trust God in all things that we do, wherever you are across the world. It is critical. It is so important that we live by faith because I can always live in my yesterday and we are so robotic in the way that we do things. We live in yesterday because we are always creating a yesterday. We are always creating a yesterday and then we live back in yesterday rather than living in what God has for us. And wherever you are across the world, it's so important to understand that I've got to live for Jesus. I've got to live for the King of Kings. I can't go back fishing. The church and religion is going back fishing. The church and religion goes back. It goes back fishing, and we can't go back fishing. We can't afford to go back. It is critical. Jesus Christ is coming. The King is coming. The Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, the great I am, he is worthy of all praise. Jesus Christ is coming back. The King is coming.
Speaker 2:We got to prepare ourselves, you know. Are you ready for another lockdown? Are you ready for more turbulence? Are you ready for this crazy government to suddenly bring more needles out and try and jab us everywhere? Are you going to have another jab for number 10? Are you going to allow the world to control? Are you going to allow yourself to be controlled by political agendas, or are you going to be so faithful to the word when lockdown comes again, when the lock comes, when the next tidal wave comes in, that has been birthed and has been already created in a lab? The next plague is on its way. What will the church do when the next plague hits the shore of the UK? Will the church stay fishing and bury itself?
Speaker 2:Now, when I talk about the church, I am always talking about the leadership. I am always talking about that area of church. I am not referring to the congregations, because we move by what the eldership and what the leaders say within the church. We cannot listen to certain leaders in church. You've got to listen to Jesus. You've got to listen to Jesus. Are you going to have another jab or are you going to get into the word of God? Lockdown will hit these shores. We are being prepared for the next phase of manipulation and control.
Speaker 2:The one world government, the one monetary system, the one world health authoritarians are coming. You've only got to look at certain parts across the world. It's really, really interesting. Do you find it interesting that everything we do when we buy homes, you buy cars, everything is on tick, everything is borrowed. It's because we don't own it. It is owned by the finances, it is owned by the companies. If you've got a mortgage, it isn't your house, I'm sorry to say. If you've got a mortgage, it isn't your house, it is owned by the mortgage company. They open up a line of credit. You don't actually borrow the money. This is the craziest thing about this world that we conform to the pattern of the world and we just dip our toe in the scripture and the leaders hold more into what the world is saying. Scripture and the leaders hold more into what the world is saying, to what Jesus is saying. It is breakout time. It is time to say no to the jab. It is time to say no to politics. It is time to say yes to Jesus.
Speaker 2:I am a Jesus follower and I'm going to follow the word and, no matter what happens, I am not going to go back fishing. There's going to be many church leaders that are going to go back to the fishing. There's going to be many church leaders that will go back and getting the nets out. And the Bible says what does the Bible say? That they fished all night and they caught nothing. See, when you fish with religion, you catch nothing. You catch a cold, you catch COVID. When you fish with religion, your nets will never be overrunning with prosperity, and I'm not referring to money. When you fish with religion and you fish on the wrong side of the boat, I find this interesting as well. So you've got to imagine. There's a good handful of people on this boat.
Speaker 2:The disciples are on the boat and it says that they cast their nets. See, religion does exactly the same as what it's always done it casts its nets, it throws its nets. It says that they threw their nets outside on the boat, but they caught nothing. See, religion cannot catch anything. Religion cannot catch anything because it doesn't know how to fish. And Jesus said to them throw your nets on the right side of the boat. Now, as I look at everyone in the church tonight, my right side is the left side to you because we are opposite each other, so my right side is not your right side tonight. So when you look at these characters on the boat, jesus said throw your nets on the right side. He wasn't referring to the right side, as in the left and the right. He's using that as an analogy. He's using that as an area of criteria, of the language, of speech, of faith.
Speaker 2:When you fish the direction I tell you to fish and you throw your nets in, what you will catch is beyond human understanding. But they said we've been fishing all night. We've been fishing all night and we haven't caught anything. We've been fishing all night and nothing has come into these nets. Nothing whatsoever has come into these nets at all. It's really, really important to make sure that we fish on the right side with Jesus, because these disciples were fishermen. They knew how to fish. Religion knows how to be religious. Plastic.
Speaker 2:Lent happening at this moment. What has Lent done for you? What is Lent doing for you? How does Lent affect your life? Religion puts more effect and more strength on Lent than it does on Jesus. Prayer should be a lifestyle, not for 40 days and 40 nights. Fasting should be a lifestyle, not 40 days and 40 nights. Scripture reading should be a lifestyle, not 40 days and 40 nights. And then go back to the conformity of religion. See, jesus is telling every one of us fish on the right side. You might be at a mega church, you might be under healing, you might be under this, you might be under that, but is it telling you about Jesus? Is it telling you about the second coming of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? Is it telling you about the second coming of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? Sisters and brothers, are you ready for the next plague that is coming in? Are you ready for the next plague, the next famine that's going to hit the shoreline? Are you ready?
Speaker 2:The government is already telling us by what they are doing that they are cutting back everything, every area. They are stripping it back, right back to the bare bone, because they've got to get more control. They've got to get more control. The government have to get control. But you've got to realize the government did not control Jesus through lockdown. The government was not controlling Jesus. They could not control the kingdom.
Speaker 2:Pilate and Herod cannot control Jesus Christ. We look at the scripture and that Pilate and Herod, when they was being faced by Jesus and he said to them. He said to Jesus do you know that I can take you to the cross or free you from the cross? And Jesus said you're only doing what you're able to do because it's come from above. Jesus looked him in the eye and said you're only doing what you think you are doing and thinking that you've called the shots. But you haven't called the shots because the scriptures have got to be fulfilled. When Jesus was on the cross, it wasn't religion and it wasn't the soldiers that took his life, it was the scriptures. The scriptures had to be fulfilled.
Speaker 2:Are you ready for the next plague? Are you ready for the next plague from China? Are you ready for the next test you play? Are you ready for another world lockdown? Are you ready for more manipulation and control? Are you ready for another world lockdown? Are you ready for more manipulation and control? Are you ready for more cameras intruding in your privacy, in your life? Are you ready for more cameras on the road? Are you ready for more taxation? Are you ready? I'm going back fishing. That's what the church done after lockdown. Boris said open your churches. We went, thank you Boris. You are the King Boris. Oh, how, boris, he's opened the church. All Boris was doing was dancing the devil's tune and the religious leaders allowed themselves to be controlled again and again and again. And Jesus says are you for me or are you against me? Who are you following? Are you following the criteria of religion and the world? What does Jesus say? Do not conform to the pattern of the world. What happened to the church in lockdown? It conformed to the atrocities of the occult. Yes, it is satanic. It is satanic. It is not of God. Are you ready? Are you ready for another lock? Are you ready for more cameras? Are you ready for another lock? Are you ready for more cameras? Are you ready for more control? Are you ready for more taxation? Are you ready for, as they say, big brother is watching you? Do you realize? We've all got phones in our pockets. We got phones. I've got the phone in front of me. It's the monitor. They're watching us right now. Every pound you spend, they know every hole in the wall you go to, where you put your fuel in. Have you noticed that cash is getting tighter and tighter and tighter? Have you noticed that they're hiding cameras up on lampposts behind the trees, here, there and everywhere? Do you realize in the UK how much you are watched every second of your day? Do you realize when you walk down your street, I'm going to get a ring doorbell. Let's get a ring doorbell. Yeah, I can watch what's going on. What happens is, when we get a ring doorbell, the footage, and every camera footage, sits in the cloud. Who's got access to the cloud? Hello, my name is Boris. I'm number 10 down in street. We've got access to your life, but I've got a ring doorbell. I'm watching my driveway. So is number 10 down in street, so are the authorities. As soon as you come in your door, out your door, bing, bing, bing. As soon as you got the man dropping the stuff off oh, hang on, it might be a woman, because I've got to be careful nowadays the Amazon person dropping parcels off every day. Now we're telling the world we got no money. We got no money, I ain't got no money. But the Amazon man. He's dropping more times than we can count and the authorities are watching through the ring doorbell. They're watching on the cameras on every corner. Amazon is in every house. How many deliveries do we have a week? How many deliveries to the houses have a week, when you look at what is going on in this nation? But the, the religious leaders, have. I'm going back fishing because they didn't know what Jesus was about to do and the church doesn't know what Jesus is about to do. We only know what Jesus is about to do and the church doesn't know what Jesus is about to do. We only know what Jesus is about to do when we're in the word and we understand the prophecies of the end time. He says watch out for the wars and the rumors of wars now, the wars that are happening at this moment in time. You can bet your bottom dollar that Putin and the comedian from the Ukraine have shaken hands many times over the telephone, but we watch with eyes and they are dictators. We have to go, we have to go to the manual to understand what is going to happen in the end time. So the church has gone back fishing. The Ukraine and Russia are in this deal together, america, china but they're using the human being as traffic to get what they want. They're not worried how many people are taken out. They're not worried about what is happening because they're not worried how many people are taken out. They're not worried about what is happening because they're creating. They all have the power to go. Do you know what? Let's call it off, but they can't call it off because there's got to be one world army. There's got to be one monetary system, one health authority. Look at the health organization, the WHO. There's got to be one monetary system, one health authority. Look at the health organization, the WHO. Look at the power that they've got. If we get this pandemic treaty pushed through, we are in serious trouble Because we think the government of the UK controls us. Well, if this goes through and it happens, which it will happen in time the world health authority will take over the power of the governments and they will do whatever they need to do to get one world order, one world. We are heading for the second coming of Jesus Christ when you look at what's happening around the world. But the church and when I talk about the church, the religious leaders have gone back fishing. I'm going fishing and when you fish your old ways, you catch nothing. You catch nothing. But when you listen to instruction through Christ, when you listen through instruction through the Lord Jesus Christ, what happens? You get miracles. When you fish the way Jesus tells you to fish, when you walk the way Jesus tells you to walk, when you come under the instruction and you throw your nets on the right side of the boat, now Jesus said throw everything you got on the right side. What's he referring to? He's referring to the kingdom side. When you fish and you live on the kingdom side and you seek first the kingdom of God, everything else shall be added unto thee. When you fish and you live and you walk according to the kingdom, you will find the blessings are so much you can't haul the net in. But when we fish the way the government way is and the way religion is, we catch nothing. That's why church is so boring, that's why religion is so boring on Sundays. And church has just become this gathering, this gathering. We just gather on Sundays and we just gather this gathering. We just gather on Sundays and we just gather. We're not meant to gather like we are gathering, but we've gone back. We've gone back to the depths and we've gone back so many years. The church has gone back so far because of lockdown. But at that point the leaders had the opportunity to say we are going to keep the doors open. And I'm the first one to say I made the mistake by conforming to the pattern of the world. I should have kept the doors open. I should have allowed people to come in and find places of rest, because I could go to the supermarket but I can't go to Jesus. But I could go to Jesus because Jesus isn't in lockdown, but it's the religious building that's in lockdown. So I've got to realize that I don't need a building because the government owns the buildings. Because as soon as we got a charitable status, suddenly we lose control. We lose complete control of everything. But as soon as you realize I'm the John 3, free, I'm born again, I'm spirit filled, I'm blessed and highly favored, I'm wonderfully, I'm fearfully made, as soon as I realize I'm a kingdom man or woman, I've got to break that fear. I've got to break that in me. I've got to that fear. I've got to break that that in me. I've got to God. You've got to break it in the name of Jesus, because when you go back to lockdown, we had that lovely politician that got a huge amount of money that went into the Australian thing. I can't say it, but I want to say it. Shall I say it? Or what should we say? I'm a celebrity. Get me out of here. When you look at that, the went into that and what did he do? Through lockdown? I heard, and I think it's true he suddenly started taking up cleaning and he found himself always in the cleaning cupboard. But actually there was another human being in the cleaning cupboard so he actually wasn't doing cleaning. He wasn't looking for Henry Hoover, he was with Hetty. So when you look at all this stuff, they did not conform to what they was telling us, because it's a lie. So Mr Matt suddenly wants to become a cleaner and suddenly he's got a partner in the business and they're rummaging through the cupboard looking for the cleaning equipment. And they're rummaging through the cupboard looking for the cleaning equipment. That's what he's doing. Mr Hancock, yes, you're looking for the cleaning equipment. Why? I am in complete lockdown, working as a chaplain on the front line watching families lose their loved ones and their families and their friends, and not allowed to have anyone with them. But you can carry on your cleaning. That's fine up there. You can carry on with your wine and your caviar in the garden. But, as for us, are we going to conform? Are we going to conform to the pattern? What is about to come? We can't say that we learn from what happened. We can't learn from what happened. We are not built like that. We have to look forward and say I've got to live by faith. I will not allow myself to be controlled and manipulated by what the world says. I've got to do what Jesus says. It will bring trouble to the door of life. It's really, really important that we realize that there is a wave coming. There is another plague on its way. The scripture is telling us loud and clear Wars, rumors of wars, pestilence, that stalks. Watch out for everything that goes on. Look at the main flag raisers at this moment in time is what is happening around the world. Brothers and sisters, are you ready for what is about to happen, and this is so critical, what we're in today? I'm going back fishing. I'm going back to the old ways. I'm going to go back to what I used to do, because what I used to do. I can remember what I used to do, but to go forward in faith. You don't know what God has for you because he says I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. So you don't, and I don't really know completely what God has for us in the future, what is in front of us. So I got to go by faith. I believe what God has for me is better than what was sitting in my yesterday. But the church loves to sit in yesterday and the church loves to talk about the old revival days. Oh, let's have a revival like it was back in Smith Wigglesworth. Let's have a revival back in them days. Do you remember those days? Why do we think? What is the purpose that God took the body of Moses? Why did God get that body to be disappeared? The Bible says that God buried Moses. No one else buried him. God took him and God hid him from the eyes of the Israelites. Sorry, because if they had buried Moses it would have been like what happens at Elvis's grave right now. Let's go back to Graceland. Let's go back and look at what was. I know where Moses is. Moses is buried over there by the river. Let's go back and worship. Let's go back to Graceland and worship the dead. Let's go back and worship what was. So God took the body of Moses and it says that God buried him and no one knows where he has been laid to rest. Because God knew that the Israelites would go back to Graceland and dance around and shout hallelujah, what a great man he was. So when you go back and you worship what was, you take your eyes on what it of, what is and what is it saying? Who? Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 1 keep your eyes on jesus, keep your eyes on jesus. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 12, verse 1,. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author, the perfecter of your faith. But we want to go back to Graceland. We want to go back to the old revival days. We want to go back to the old pastor, that old pastor. He was a better one than that one up there. Now. We want to go back to the old leaders. They were much better up there. Now. We want to go back to the old leaders. They were much better. We want to go back. We want to go back. The disciple said I'm going back. And what did the crowd do around that one person. They all went back. Be careful, don't go back with someone that doesn't know who they are. This is really, really interesting. What we have here is we have this character. He lost his identity because what he perceived and he thought that happened at the cross changed his vision and his focus on the future. They didn't realize that Jesus was going to be raised from the dead. They didn't realize that Jesus was going to be raised from the dead. They didn't realize that the king was coming back. They didn't realize that he was going to be raised on the third day. They didn't realize what was around the corner. See, leaders, every leader in this world does not know what is around the corner. We don't know what is round the corner. So when we don't know what's round the corner, we like to keep the pattern of what was, because what was seems to bring comfort, but actually it doesn't bring comfort, it just fills a gap, because we're frightened of leaving what was and go to. We don't know what is. Are you prepared to go? Am I prepared to go to? I don't know what is going to be in front of me, but my God has got me and no weapon forged against me shall prosper and when I follow the king of kings and the lord of lords, I don't want to go back to what was I want to go back to, or I don't even want to go back. I want to go forward because I don't want to know. I want to follow because Jesus knows and I'm going to follow. He says come and follow me, come and follow me. What was that great line that one of the disciples said we don't know where you're going. And Jesus said yeah, that's right, you don't actually know where I am going. And that's religion. I know where religion is going it's going to hell. Religion won't make it across the river Jordan. We cannot conform to the pattern of the world, we cannot conform to the pattern of Lent. It's hard hitting tonight. It's strong. We want a bit of escapism and that's why we stay in our yesterday. We stay in our yesterday because, even though we're not comfortable in what happened yesterday, we are familiar with the surroundings and the situations. So we just put up with what we had, and what I had yesterday will be now and what I I'll have today I know it will be tomorrow because I will just put up with yesterday, because I'm back fishing all day long and Jesus says you can't go back fishing, you've got to drop your nets on the right side. But we are living in a pattern of what was. We are trying to bring what was and what happened and what it was back to our destiny. Now, when God says no, we've got to live by faith. If you're still with us online tonight, wherever you are across the world, we pray that you will find the love of Christ. We're going to come to the table We've just got about 14 minutes and we're going to be out of here, wherever you are across the world. We're coming to the table right now in the name of Jesus and as we come to the table, we can't go back fishing. We can't go back fishing. Don't go back fishing. Don't go back. Press on in the power of the word, press on in Christ. Don't go back. Go forward in the name of Jesus, push into the greater things, hold into the word of God, hold on to the word of God. Dear God and heavenly father, we come to you right now in the name of Jesus and Lord. We pray for such an outpouring of your spirit, lord. We pray for such an outpouring of your love and your mercy. Right now, in the name of Jesus Christ, we pray that the fire of God will descend on each and every one of us and the power of the Holy Spirit, lord, the power of the Holy Spirit, father. Come, lord in all your glory. Come, father, in your power and your authority. Right now, lord, we break bread together and we believe that this bread symbolizes the body of Christ. And Lord, I don't want to go back fishing. I don't want to go back fishing, jesus. I don't want to go back to the former ways. I don't want to go back, lord, former ways. I don't want to go back. Lord, be careful when someone walks back in life, they will take you back, they will take you backwards. Do not go back with the crowd of religion, do not go back with a crowd of church. Do not go back with the crowd. You've got to push in. Bless this bread right now, in the name of Jesus. Amen. Wherever you are across the world, I pray that the fire of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit will lift you tonight. I pray that you will find healing. Don't live in yesterday's conversation. Don't live in yesterday's work chat. Don't live in yesterday's cultural chat. Don't live in yesterday's church chat. Don't live in what the world is chatting about. Live in the word of God. Live in what God says. Find your identity. Find out who you are. Be a warrior, be filled to the full measure of his glory. Stand on the word of God and hold on to the scripture, even if you're holding on with your bare fingers and your hands are sore and you're losing all strength. Hold on to Jesus. There is a plague on its way. There are jabs lining up in every area of life. Don't be fooled. Don't conform to the pattern of the world, but have your mind renewed and transformed. Are you ready for the second coming of Jesus? Are you ready for the coming of the King? Are you ready for the Messiah? Are you prepared for what is about to happen to the UK? Are you prepared for what is about to happen over the next few years in the area of cash and finances? What is about to happen over the next few years in the area of cash and finances? Are you ready for what the government is about to do to cut so much stuff in life? Dear God and Heavenly Father, I thank you for this cup that symbolizes the blood of Jesus and as I take of this cup. Now, lord, I don't want to go back. I don't want to go back fishing Jesus. I want to live by faith. So, lord, as I take this now, cleanse me from the crown of my head to the sole of my feet, in Jesus' name. Amen. Don't go back. You can't afford to go back. I can't afford to go back. I can't afford to go back. I've got to go forward. I've got to take that step of faith. I've got to jump out of that boat. I've got to trust in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. God is calling you. God is calling you to a deeper walk, calling us to a deeper relationship with him. He's calling us into a deeper place. Are you ready to follow Jesus like never before? Are you ready to walk with the king like never before? It's not walking with the church, it's not walking with the ministry, it's not walking with the leadership team. It's walking with Jesus as an individual and realizing your identity, that you're grafted into the kingdom and through the power of the kingdom of God. Be that braggadocious, be that that radical, bible believing believer. Be that that one that stands up at work, at home, in culture, in life. Be that one that that says I'm going to stand for the truth, the gospel of truth. I'm going to believe in the word of God. I'm not going to get entangled with government criteria, I'm not going to get entangled with the policies around me. I'm not going to stay in yesterday's conversation. I'm going to live by faith. I'm going to believe that the king is coming and the coming king and the rapture of the church, eschatology, the rapture of the church. Oh lord, when you come back, do you think that we're going to be lifted or do you think we're going to stay? What do you think is going to happen? Rhetorical, internal question. Do you believe that when Jesus comes, the rapture will happen? Do you believe in the fundamental points of Christianity? Do we believe in the power of the blood of Jesus? Do we believe in miracles? Do we believe in miracles? Do we believe in miracles? Do we believe in the power of the work, in work of the Holy Spirit? Do we believe in the divine work of God? Do we believe that he is the king above all kings? The great I am worthy of all praise is he. Wherever you are across this world, whatever life looks like, even though we've lost camera, we've got sound. We pray that you will hear the word of the Lord. And as we've been in the scriptures tonight, we've been in the gospel of John, chapter 21, and he says there I'm going back fishing. Simon Peter told them and they said we're going to go with you. Don't go with the crowd. Where is the crowd taking you? Where is your culture taking you? Where is your work taking you? Where are your family taking you? Where is life taking you? Are we conforming to the crowd of Simon Peter? I'm going back to what I used to do. I'm going back to what I did before. I'm going back and I'm going to cast my nets somewhere else. I'm going to cast my nets somewhere else Because that's what the disciples did. They fished differently. They didn't understand that. I've got to fish under the instruction of Jesus. I've got to fish under the instruction of the King. I've got to realize that I'm grafted in. I'm grafted into the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God is within you and you are healed in the name of Jesus and you are free. Are you being tortured at work, at home, in life, in relationships? Are you being dragged down down under the coals? Are you being pulled this way and that way because of yesterday's conversations. Let's pray as we come to the close of the service. We've just got literally a few minutes. Dear God and Heavenly Father, we thank you for the time and the word of God tonight, the timely word of God, and we pray, lord, that we won't go back to the former things, that we will go forward in the power of the word, that we will go forward in the scripture, that we will go by faith. We won't go by sight, but we will go by in the scripture, but we will go by faith. We won't go by sight, but we will go by the, the word of God, we will go by the scripture. Holy Spirit we need an outpouring Holy Spirit. We need a drawing. Holy God, the God of Israel. We need being drawn into the kingdom of God. And wherever we are across the world, everyone in the house tonight, all those dear God on the social networks, everybody listening through radio or however you're capturing this service I pray that you won't go back, that you won't go back, that you'll stand on the word of God and you'll fight the good fight of faith and you'll hold on to the rope of hope and you'll say, jesus, get me out of this pit, father, in the name of Jesus, get me out of this situation, get me out of this. We've just got a few minutes left of this service. We've got four minutes, less than that, maybe. I pray that, wherever you are, that the fire of God will strengthen you, that the power of the Holy Spirit will lead you in paths of righteousness. May God touch your heart tonight. Let's pray for healing, father. We pray for healing tonight, lord. We pray, lord, for miracles over our bodies. Bones will be strengthened, minds will be healed. Lungs, father. We pray for restoration of lungs. We pray for the mind, the human mind, tonight, lord that the human mind will be refreshed, that the glory of god will strengthen us, that the power of the holy spirit will come down and lord through the living word of god. Lord that we won't hang on to yesterday and we won't hang on to the crowd that is trying to hold us back in history. Because, lord, I don't want to stay in history. I want to be free from sickness. I want to be free from fear. I want to be free from doubt. I want to be free from pain. I want to be free from the historical stuff in my life. I want freedom tonight in the name of Jesus. Stuff in my life. I want freedom tonight in the name of Jesus. Come on, let's declare freedom in the close of this service. Let's speak freedom over our lives tonight, lord. The chains are broken. Chains are broken tonight, god. Chains are broken. Chains of adversity, chains of fear, chains of doubt, chains of pain and anguish and fear are broken. In the name of Jesus, I pray for anyone that had those injections through that time. I pray that you'll be healed, in the name of Jesus. I pray for those that are carrying cancers and heart diseases. That you will be healed tonight. In the name of Jesus. I pray for those that are weary tonight in the name of Jesus. I pray for those that are weary tonight in the name of Jesus. I pray that the love of God will be over each and every one of you. In Jesus' name. I pray that your mind will be healed. I pray that freedom will come down on your spirit tonight. I pray that the chains of fear are gone, chains of anxiety, lord, cut the umbilical cord to the system of the world. Cut the umbilical cord, god. We've just got a minute and just so left in this service. So, wherever you are across the world, we pray that the fire of God will touch your lives. The fire of God will touch you tonight in the name of Jesus. That the presence of God will lift you tonight in the name of Jesus. That the presence of God will lift you tonight in the name of Jesus. That the fire will rest over your shoulders, in your spirit, your mind. That the Holy Spirit will lead you like never before. Lead us, lead me, lead everyone tonight, lead us. God in the power of Jesus. Holy, holy fire of God. Stir us, lord, come Lord, draw us to the place, draw us to the place tonight, father, strengthen us, heal us, lead us in paths of righteousness for your namesake Father, in the name of Jesus, come Lord. We've just got a few moments and, as we duck out of this service, we thank you for joining us online this evening. We thank you for being with us across the world and we pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen you. In the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and God will carry you. God will carry you. The fire of God will carry you. The love of God will carry you. God will carry you. The fire of God will carry you. The love of God will carry you If you need a Bible, wherever you are across the world. If you need a Bible or a Gospel of John, we will get you a Bible wherever you are across the world. Just find us, hit us up on the socials, find us, send us an email and we will get a Bible to you free of charge. We just need your details, delivery address, where you are in the world, we will get you a Bible and also a Gospel of John. We are out of here. May God bless you and carry you in the mighty name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. May God carry you. God bless, good night.
Speaker 1: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 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.
