Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast

Truth in a Faithless World - (#1058 - Elim)

Reverend Ben Cooper

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Title: Reclaiming Truth – When Churches Compromise and Conviction Fades

In this uncompromising and urgent conversation, we confront one of the most sobering spiritual crises of our time: the erosion of biblical truth within the Church. Across the UK and beyond, many congregations are replacing scriptural conviction with cultural conformity, leaving believers spiritually underfed while surrounded by performance-driven, emotionally stimulating services.

The episode begins by addressing what 2 Thessalonians 2 describes as the "great falling away"—a prophetic warning now playing out in real time. Churches once rooted in the Word are now softening their message, avoiding uncomfortable truths, and offering palatable sermons that mimic motivational talks rather than proclaim the Gospel. The result? Spiritually hollow believers and leaders who, as we boldly declare, risk having “blood on their hands.”

We explore how Jesus Himself confronted this kind of religious deception. He exposed the whitewashed tombs of His time—leaders who appeared holy on the outside but were disconnected from God on the inside. Today, we ask: Are some modern churches following the same dangerous path?

But the episode doesn’t stop at critique. We present a clear call to action: recommit to the authority of Scripture. We must stop chasing temporary blessings and start pursuing the God who blesses. This shift from self-focused faith to God-centered surrender is essential for real transformation.

We also outline three key places where spiritual formation happens:

  • At the cross – where our identity is secured
  • In Gethsemane – where our will yields to God’s
  • On the potter’s wheel – where we’re shaped by truth

Just as experts learn to spot counterfeit currency by studying the real thing, believers must immerse themselves in Scripture to recognize and reject false teachings. In an era of theological drift and spiritual confusion, knowing the Word intimately is not optional—it’s vital.

This episode speaks to:

  • Those who feel uneasy about their church’s direction
  • Believers wrestling with conviction in a compromise-heavy culture
  • Anyone desperate for authentic spiritual nourishment

🎧 Listen now and join a growing movement of disciples who won’t settle for watered-down truth. This isn’t about perfection—it’s about passionate pursuit of Christ, the Word made flesh, and the only foundation worth building on.

great falling away explained, 2 Thessalonians 2 end times, modern church compromise, biblical truth in the UK, counterfeit Christianity warning, seeker-sensitive church critique, motivational preaching vs gospel, why churches are losing truth, how to reclaim biblical truth, spiritual hunger in the church, dangers of soft preaching, Jesus and religious hypocrisy

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Speaker 1:

mosh. We're back, we're back in, we're back in, we're back in.

Speaker 2:

We're back in. This is for the David platform, exclusively for the David platform. We're going to continue what we're talking about in our first video, which is about truth. Ben, we're going to talk about truth and we're going to discuss a little bit more and a little bit of different, a bit more edgy, yeah, a little bit edgy on this one. So, welcome again, uh, patreon family and um, you know we love you, we, uh, we want to support you as well as you supporting us. So, uh, we thank you again for being with us and uh, yeah, we're going to talk about truth, ben and um, we talked about a lot about truth in and we centred around one scripture John 8.42, which is… we can't come away from that.

Speaker 1:

You can't get away from that, can you?

Speaker 2:

But tell us Ben about the truth in the church. Oh Lord.

Speaker 1:

I'm sorry, Patreon family.

Speaker 2:

The church has come away from the truth, hasn't it Ben?

Speaker 1:

So even if you look at these denominations, we're obviously in England. We're in England. So if you look at the denominations that we've got in England the big churches, the smaller churches if you look at these denominations, they have come away from the word of God. So much is quite frightening. Now I'm not saying that I've got this right, because I haven't got it right at all, but I realize when I come away from the word of God because I come under conviction I don't know if there's anybody else out there Of course you are Patreon family, but when you find that the Holy Spirit is bringing you conviction, you have to change the errors of your ways. But when you are teaching the word of God, if you don't deliver that truth what happened in the arena with the Pharisees, the Sadducees and our good old friend Judas Iscariot you got blood on your hands. This is so serious. So the church in the UK has, in a massive percentage of the church in the UK, has got blood on its hands because it's not delivering the truth.

Speaker 2:

The problem is, ben, is this is that if you're not delivering the truth and you continue not to deliver the truth, you don't get conviction because your heart is seared. That's very true. And so what happens is you just… your heart, like Pharaoh, becomes hardened, becomes hardened, and you just end up….

Speaker 1:

Delivering a TED Talk.

Speaker 2:

Delivering a….

Speaker 1:

Yeah, down down that narrative, down that route, ben and and and suddenly you believe that's the truth, rather than what the bible says is the truth, ben, it's very, it's very difficult, I think, as church leaders, if you're a preacher or a teacher, you're an encourager or you're an evangelist, you're doing whatever you're doing, you're calling and you've got to deliver the truth. Whatever part of the globe you are in, certain nations can accept it more, but within the wokeness of the uk and england, when you look how weak we are, as in strength, wise, spiritually, not because god has left us or passed us by, but because the church now the church has more responsibility than governments has come away, as simon said, from the truth. From the truth, ben, yeah, and we've got to get back to it.

Speaker 2:

We've got to get back to the word and have we gone too far for the majority? Or or because you know well, the enemy is having a field day and and don't never think the enemy's out there with horns and a pitchfork, he's in the church, he's been.

Speaker 1:

He's got a collar on. He's got a Bible under his arm.

Speaker 2:

And the thing is, it's okay, isn't it? The enemy will go. It's okay for you to go to church, you know an hour or two on a. Sunday, that's okay, you're not really disturbing me. You an hour or two on a Sunday, that's okay, you're not really disturbing me. You can sing all you like, that doesn't disturb me. You can go to your Bible study, you can do all that. It's only when you know who you are in Christ. Never let them know who they are in Christ, because then we're in trouble.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, as soon as you start talking Scripture and start being really bold for Jesus, suddenly you realise that this truth that is welling like fire within you, suddenly you become a target. You become like a dartboard for people around you. You become a punch bag.

Speaker 2:

Two words that are not really put together is a dangerous Christian, Ben, isn't it? Because you?

Speaker 1:

become like you become a I was going to use a word then. I've got to be careful because of what platform we're on. But when you are filled to the full measure of Christ, you are armed and you are dangerous with the living word of God and suddenly you become a dangerous component in the arena, in the boxing ring with the enemy, even in political, even in your workspace, even in university and college and school and just general family. Look what happened. Look what happened to our friend Joseph that has given me a beautiful garment. Look what I got. Brothers, you've got to be careful who you share your blessing with. Yeah, yeah, that's the truth.

Speaker 2:

You do, you, you got to be careful who you share your blessing with. Yeah, yeah, that's the truth, you do.

Speaker 1:

You do have to be careful if you've got blood, the same blood, in your vein. So you've got to be careful who you talk to, about what god is calling you to, because there's nothing finer than the enemy that snake on that branch speaking to eve going, are you sure? And what is he coming against? He's coming against against. He's coming against the truth, he's coming against the truth.

Speaker 2:

And you know, if you're out there and just thinking about putting your toe in the water or whatever, you know you will get this come to you. You know, in your thought pattern it'll be something like oh, that Jesus stuff. Oh, that's all true, but it's not for you just yet. You've got so much fun to enjoy.

Speaker 1:

No, it's all right, don't worry, it's okay, are you sure?

Speaker 2:

Are you sure? Yeah, just have fun. But so all what's happening in the world at the moment, Ben, is all predicted in this book called the Bible. Now, if you go to 2 Thessalonians 2, Ben, it talks about the lawless man, doesn't it, Ben?

Speaker 1:

Wow, and it talks about evil's undiluted power.

Speaker 2:

It does For a certain amount of people that refuse the truth.

Speaker 1:

Now very interesting, and it says the believers will be deceived, even the elect.

Speaker 1:

Even the elect. So what we have now, I believe, is the great falling away. I believe that we're in this great falling away because the truth hasn't been spoke from the pulpits, it's not the requirement and it's not from government departments. The church in this nation, in the UK, needs to stand up and get behind the pulpits, get on the straight corners and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, because if we don't, we will find that this vessel that we're sailing in will sink deeper and deeper, spiritually low.

Speaker 2:

Well, we are talking to individuals out there, Ben. And what we'd say is if you're in somewhere, if you're in a church where the gospel is not being preached in, you need to get into it. You seriously ask a few questions. You need to get into, seriously ask a few questions. We need to get into this word and I have the privilege of going around and speaking in many different platforms and what I see is not many Bibles out there Ben not many people getting into the word of God.

Speaker 1:

I think what we've fallen into is a dangerous trap of technology. Yes, it's great and we thank God that we can do what we do with our Patreon family and other places with technology. But we've got the Bible on the phone, we've got the Bible on the iPad and what we find is the distractions that come along.

Speaker 1:

You're sitting in church. You've got a text come through, you've got a message. Social media pings up. There's nothing finer than grabbing yourself the old-fashioned bit of paper and you know. It's nothing finer than getting yourself a word of god and marking the pages, you know and uh, and just getting yourself immersed in the scripture. There's nothing finer.

Speaker 2:

You've got to be careful of devices, but there's nothing finer than the, than the, the paperback version of the living god, there there's an old saying, Ben, if you find a person with a worn-out Bible, you don't find a worn-out person. I'm into that one. Your Bible's pretty new Ben, isn't it?

Speaker 1:

Too much brand new. Yeah, I've had it 14 years. I haven't taken the packing off the front of it. Do you know what? I've got a Bible somewhere here over there? Do you know what I've got a?

Speaker 2:

Bible somewhere here over there. There's no cover on it. There's no cover, there's no index in it.

Speaker 1:

It's literally torn and ripped. I've got one part of the Gospel of John missing and I have to write on the top of it what's coming next. You know because I've used it. You ain't got a book of Job in there, have you? Ben? Who's Job? I thought that was taken out. I thought the Catholics took that out. I didn't know nothing about that.

Speaker 2:

Listen, ben get in series Ben Romans 1,. It says he's been handed over, we've been handed over, and they know the truth but they believe the lie. They know the truth but they believe the lie.

Speaker 1:

The delusion.

Speaker 2:

For money, power sex with the delusion.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. So we are in a time of. If you are aware of end times and things that are happening like that, you will find that we are very clearly in the book of Daniel and we are seeing the ten nations, the ten horns rising and the forerunners of the Antichrist. You've only got to look at the World Economical Forum, you've only got to look at certain areas of Europe and certain parts of the Americas, and all that. We've had many antichrists, forerunners of antichrist. They won't give us the truth. So the truth has got to be found in the word of God. So all around us, there is spin, there is political agendas, there is hidden stuff going on, and we, as children of the living God, have got to get in the word, stay in the word, keep our feet on the rock. His word is a lamp unto our feet, a light for our path really critical.

Speaker 2:

It's interesting, ben, that jesus really came out strong against the religious leaders of the day, didn't he? And he did, yeah, you can find it in john 8, 9 and 10 he's so he just so gives it to him you know, know and he calls them hypocrites, ben, doesn't he?

Speaker 2:

Because they're saying one thing. He calls them whitewashed cups because they look nice and clean on the outside and nice and shiny, but they're filthy on the inside and, um, I would suggest that we have a lot of hypocrisy in the churches around us today, where they're purporting to follow Jesus, where they're purporting to be Christian, but there's no relationship with Jesus Christ, ben, there's no John 3 free Christians.

Speaker 1:

There's none of that going on. I think, when we look at what you're talking about, this has nothing to do with lifestyle, because the Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of your glory. But when I do a sin and make an action of a sin, the Holy Spirit convicts me of that sin and I know that I've made a mistake. But religion is blatant and it doesn't recognize the power of repentance because it has no truth within it. So religion, church, it's such a fine line of following the narrow path.

Speaker 2:

Ben, you say that there's no gospel being preached. But there is a gospel and it's a soft gospel Ben. It's a gospel where everything's love. It's a compromised gospel, why? Because they want to turn the scripture into monetary advantage. Ben.

Speaker 1:

Monetary fund to fuel and to do everything. There's a really interesting scripture in Ephesians 6, verse 14. Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place's something about standing firm in truth, as you were saying. The wokeness of the church, the wokeness of the uk, the soft, the liberal act, the, the, the very soft party, is being pushed now. Now we're finding, over many generations, gently, very gently and very Three times I said that has been pushed generation after generation after generation this wokeness has come into the church, the softness of a different gospel.

Speaker 2:

It's so exactly, ben, and it's so watered down the gospel, that anything goes now, doesn't it? Anything goes.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely anything goes. We have fallen and we are not referring to us as individuals or yourselves. What we are talking about is the capture of the bigger brush of church religion. We're in a great falling away. We are hungry. I'm hungry for truth. You're hungry for truth. You're hungry for truth. We need truth in our hearts.

Speaker 2:

Very interesting. You say that scripture Ben, scripture ben. Because you know if we don't stand for something, we'll fall for anything. And yeah, and the church is falling time and time again, or whatever narrative the society wants to push to, standing firm and going no, this is we're standing firm on on the scripture. We're standing firm on the bible. We're standing firm on the Scripture. We're standing firm on the Bible. We're standing firm on Jesus.

Speaker 1:

They're accepting everything Thinking about that, standing firm in this time in which we live, at this moment, this nation, this world that we live in. We need truth, and how do we get truth? We be encouragers of truth, you know. John 1, 17 says For the law was given through Moses, Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. So we've got to be encouragers in and through Jesus Christ. We must be worshippers in spirit and in truth. John 4, 24 says this God is spirit and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth. So there's a lot to be said about worshipping Jesus in spirit and in truth. And who is the truth then?

Speaker 2:

Jesus, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Come on, yeah, so the truth is. So. We don't get, we cannot get away. Jesus is the truth and the truth is Jesus. It's all tied together.

Speaker 1:

It's all tied up and we've got John 8, 8, 32. We've read this out. You know the truth and the truth will set you free. There is so much laced in the word of god about truth. And if, if we can do anything, if we can be remembered for anything, we want to be remembered for telling the world to be a jesus follower, not to follow the wokeness, not to follow religion and the church, but the ecclesia, then we have a different subject altogether. When, when we talk about the church, the ecclesi, uh church, the church of the new birth, the church in the new testament, that's different. But we are looking at religion and and the wokeness and everything there, but Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. John is very clear in the way that he tells us about the truth. It's a great gospel, isn't?

Speaker 2:

it, ben, I love the gospel of John and you know we've wandered down certain routes. We've wandered down drugs, sex, alcohol, all that sort of stuff, and that's okay for a season. The Bible says, yeah, you'll have fun for a season. Yeah, but, but, but, but, but. And Jesus, and Jesus says in John 8, 24. He says he's talking to those religious leaders, ben, and the point he comes on to the point I'm going to make. He says you are from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not of this world. Therefore, I said to you that you would die in your sins, For if you do not believe I am he, you will die in your sins.

Speaker 2:

And we know that the wages of sin is death Ben.

Speaker 1:

Simon, why did you bring that to my head? Oh Lord, do you know what I mean? Because we come under conviction every second of our day. The truth sets us free. We may have fallen. We may have fallen short of his glory and all have sinned and fallen short of thy glory.

Speaker 1:

But what is so fascinating about following Jesus Christ? When he puts us on the potter's will? He puts us on the potter's will, the will of truth. He shapes us, he molds us. You know, when you look at that great prophet, he said I went down to the potter's house and I watched the master work in the clay.

Speaker 1:

And Simon and myself and you, good brother and sister, we are clay in the master's hands. And what is he doing? He's getting all the imperfections out. He's taking all that stuff away from us. He'd done it at the cross, but now we're born again. We're spirit filled, sanctified, justified. We know the truth lives within us. But I've got to live in a world that is not for truth. So I've got to make sure that I either go to two places. I go to the garden of gethsemane, or I say, lord, take me to the potter's will, because the garden of gethsemane number one shaped me and molds me, and I actually ask what is your will? The master's hands I'm in the master's hands and he is shaping, so the shaping of the great potter as he works the clay, and also the individual seeking the will. I tell you what being a believer, seeking the truth.

Speaker 2:

Everything you've spoken about there can be summed up in two words, Ben.

Speaker 1:

Total surrender. Help me Jesus, Help me Jesus. Yeah, that's true, Help me Lord, Total surrender. So both areas, the New Testament, the Garden, the Old Testament, the Will, both are places of surrender what we're saying to anyone out there who's part of our family out there, part of the Straight Talk Patreon family.

Speaker 2:

What we're saying to you now is, if you're in a place where you're down, you're on the floor, you're in a pit, you don't think you can get out of that, then hang on to us. Hang on to us and come back to the cross. We will lead you back to the cross. We will lead you back to the cross. We will point you back to the cross.

Speaker 1:

We're always at the cross.

Speaker 2:

And through the cross we can get into the garden. Through the cross we can get onto the pot as well. Come on, lord, but it's got to be the cross, isn't it?

Speaker 1:

It has to be the cross. The cross is centre. When you think about the cross, you know god spoke, let there be light, and there was, and we see all the way through the prophecies leading up to the cross, and and the cross is critical. You know, pick up your cross daily and follow me. But also, what you will see and you will find at the cross, you will find those that realize that we are sinners, because I'm always looking for the cross every day.

Speaker 2:

And Ben. I want to stay on track here.

Speaker 1:

It's difficult to stay on track, isn't it it?

Speaker 2:

is yeah, yeah, but a lot of places and a lot of churches want to tell you that you're the little God. Don't they, do they or don't they.

Speaker 1:

They certainly do. There are certain denominations out there, there are certain global preachers and if you're in america you're probably awash with certain ones without, uh, putting the name out across the platforms but there are preachers out there that are that are saying that we are little gods, that we are and we can achieve that status, but we can't. God says this. He says I'm a jealous god and I will share my glory with no one. He won't share the glory.

Speaker 2:

Here we have another lie being being spoken.

Speaker 1:

You can be but it's a supernatural warrior. You can be this, you can be that, I mean that's speaking straight to the flesh, isn't it?

Speaker 2:

because it's speaking straight to the flesh, isn't it? Because it's speaking straight to the flesh and I'm thinking, yeah, I can be this, but what does? The Bible say the Bible says it's not what you can be. It's what God says about you.

Speaker 1:

We are broken vessels saved by grace. Very interesting how the Scripture talks about us as humanity, the fallen, the fallen. But when Christ comes into our lives and the truth sets us free, then I've got to be careful of the power of free will which the flesh is, is craving the free will. And you've got to be careful so much if you are a believer living within the west, because you will be challenged on every area temptation, gambling, everything is thrusted in your face. So you've got to know the truth, because the devil will try and spin you the lie, because he's the father of lies. And it's critical, it's critical now to stand on the living word of God the truth, the truth and the truth. Nothing but the truth.

Speaker 2:

It has to be that Totally, because when you start to believe that nonsense, you know. And the thing is, if you're down there and you're not thinking good about yourself, it's very easy to look on maybe a YouTube clip or maybe even be in a church. Yeah, but it's not what they say. You're not chasing after the blessings of the God. We're chasing after the God of the blessings.

Speaker 1:

Amen.

Speaker 2:

And so it's more important to know what God thinks about you, more important to know what your heavenly father thinks of you. And, believe me, wherever you are, your heavenly father made you so. You're perfect in his eyes and he doesn't make rubbish. So, whatever you think of yourself, yeah. Look at Gideon, look at all these imperfect people in the.

Speaker 1:

Bible. Look at all these imperfect preachers and teachers. I will call them that from the Word of God.

Speaker 2:

I don't know how long you've been subscribing to us, but in our back library we have two great videos.

Speaker 1:

I'll say great, but they were great because yeah because we've done it yeah, but we just put two videos on 21 people in the bible that were all imperfect and that's what I love about jesus he chooses, you know, he goes and calls the lowly, he causes the despised to, to nullify those that are of good stature. You know, look at Nicodemus, our old good brother Nicodemus. He really got it from Jesus, didn't he? Jesus said do you know what, nicodemus? You're Israel's teacher and you haven't got a clue? Son, you've got to be born again. You've got to be born again. You've got to come as the child. You've got to drop your academics.

Speaker 2:

You've academics, you've got to drop this facade and you just got to come to jesus and say, lord, please. So I need you, I need the truth, I need the truth, and and so red flags in churches ben are if they're, if they're putting you at the center. But also another red flag, really and it's a difficult one to to get your head around is if is it they're preaching social justice? Right, it's a fine line with that. It's a fine line.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, because we need to look after the poor, and we do or you do a great job.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, through what we do.

Speaker 2:

And you'll see some videos. Yeah, we've got all that coming up, that's on. Coming up of our Of love and action. 3,000 boxes of food go out for this place.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, thousands of people, 3,000 boxes of food, go out for this place every single week. It's amazing what goes on. But yeah, there is that social justice. It's okay if you're a megachurch and you've got an open checkbook. At Christmas, you can go and buy 5,000 turkeys, and it's not. You're using that as an evangelical press and it's the wrong way. But feed is what the scripture says about.

Speaker 2:

do it quietly without making a song and dance about it. No, because you've got to be very careful. You know William Booth, who founded the. Salvation Army said you can take a man out of the gutter, you can feed him, clothe him, give him a job and send him to hell, because if you're not giving him the gospel, so the two go together.

Speaker 1:

The two go together. The scripture says man doesn't live on bread alone, but by every word. So there's a point where we need to feed people within the physical process the responsibility of the church for the hungry, for those that are in need, but also there's a greater responsibility for the church to feed. What does Christ say to that great one that he called upon you, I will use and I will build this church upon you. What does he say to Peter? What did he say? Really clearly, he said when you come back, feed my sheep. What was he talking about? Word, spiritual word, word, truth, truth, truth. And this is not scripted, this is not scripted Patreon family. This is straight out.

Speaker 2:

The more we know the truth, the more we take on spiritual food, the more hungry we become.

Speaker 1:

That's it. That's so true, isn't it? There's a revelation there. So we become almost so hungry for Jesus the more spiritual food we have. It sustains us and it fulfills us, but then it gives us a hunger for more, and what will that do, Ben?

Speaker 2:

We will know the truth and we'll be able to see a lie.

Speaker 1:

You'll be able to see it. You'll be able to see the wolves dressed in sheep's clothing. You'll see the grape falling away. You'll see what's happening across the world at this moment the ten horns in the book of Daniel, now the ten nations rising, the one world government, the one global system, monetary. Your eyes will be open to it all. You'll be opened. But what happens, son, when your eyes are opened? You've got to be careful that fear don't get hold of you.

Speaker 2:

So there's a fine line, isn't there? Well, Ben, the FBI in the United States have got a counterfeit currency department and you say, well, I bet they're studying counterfeit currency all day long. Well, they're not. They're studying the original all day long.

Speaker 1:

So they're studying the original, the perfect note. So what do we do? We study the perfect one. We study the perfect one.

Speaker 2:

We study the perfect one, jesus Christ, so that you will know the deception when it comes.

Speaker 1:

And the Bible says don't believe the delusion. There is smoke and mirrors in church, there are showmanships, there is high theatrical performances happening every Sunday in the majority of churches.

Speaker 2:

That's a great point. There's more about the performance than the message.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the message is key because the Bible says it's very clear Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of God. Simon, we're there, we're there, we're there. Patreon family.

Speaker 2:

It's been a great 30 minutes to share with you. It's been a great time to be with you. You know we've got some great content coming down the tubes and we've also got some additional little videos for this particular platform, this particular tier Ben, we've got some great little videos about what we're doing with the food and other stuff like that, some backdrops and behind the scenes and all that Behind the scenes, stuff, it's all going to come.

Speaker 2:

We're building up the library. You know, just spread the word, that's what we say. Spread the truth, hashtag, christian Straight, talk Word. And you know we'll see you all Really soon. Well, next week.

Speaker 1:

Next week.

Speaker 2:

And don't forget these books.

Speaker 1:

Next, really soon. Well, next week, next week, and don't forget these books next week. We're here every week. You know the truth, and the truth will set you free. We love you very much.

Speaker 2:

God bless you. Thank you so much, brother and sister never give up, never give up.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much. God bless you. Thank you.

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