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
At the Brook When Waters Run Dry (#1068 - Elim)
Miracles at the Brook — When God Provides in Unlikely Ways
Have you ever stood at the edge of your own personal drought, where survival felt uncertain and hope seemed impossible? In this powerful episode, we explore the story of Elijah at the brook Cherith and how God's miraculous provision arrives in the most unlikely ways.
Elijah had just delivered a bold prophecy of drought to King Ahab, yet God led him into the very wilderness affected by that same drought. Alone by the brook Cherith, Elijah faced starvation—but God intervened in an extraordinary way. He sent ravens—unclean animals by Jewish law—to deliver bread and meat twice daily. Water came from the brook, but the source of nourishment came from something Elijah would have never expected.
This message reveals something profound: God will use what religion calls unclean to show that His ways are not ours. He meets us not always through tradition or structure, but through raw, unconventional miracles. And sometimes, He lets the drought touch us—not to destroy us, but to deepen our dependency on Him.
We draw strong parallels between Elijah’s experience and the current spiritual drought across the UK and much of the Western world. While church services may continue, many believers are spiritually parched—longing for an authentic move of God rather than religious routine. The surge in Bible sales reveals a hunger for personal connection with God, not just polished performance.
The brook Cherith moment is when we realize that our strength, strategies, or systems cannot save us. It’s here, in isolation and vulnerability, that we encounter divine provision that defies logic. The three essentials Elijah received—water (refreshment), bread (Word), and meat (strength)—mirror what many believers need today. And God is still delivering these through surprising people, unexpected sources, and sovereign timing.
Are you in your brook season? Has the stream dried up, and now you’re watching for ravens? Take heart: this is where God shows off His glory most clearly. The drought didn’t end Elijah’s ministry—it prepared him for Mount Carmel. Likewise, your current wilderness isn’t the end; it’s your staging ground for breakthrough.
🎧 Listen now to discover how God is still in the business of miraculous provision—especially when nothing around you makes sense. The brook may be drying up, but the Provider never runs dry.
Elijah at the brook Cherith sermon, God’s provision in hard times, Christian podcast on spiritual drought, miracles in wilderness moments, how God uses unlikely sources, Bible teaching on trusting God’s timing, hearing from God in crisis, when God uses the unclean to bless, UK church revival hunger, spiritual refreshment through the Word, finding strength in isolation, lessons from Elijah’s drought experience
https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/
https://www.rbchristianradio.net/
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 one, hashtag two and hashtag three under Christian Straight Talk hard-hitting, real-life conversations taken from our podcasts.
Speaker 1: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:Good evening world. God bless you wherever you are on the other side of the planet. May God bless you and strengthen you. You know, the hand of the Lord is with each and every one of us. We are living in really, really powerful times and we pray for each and every one of you, wherever you are right now, that God will strengthen you and lead you into paths of righteousness. We thank you for everyone in the world of radio. God you into paths of righteousness. We thank you for everyone in the world of radio. God bless you on radio tonight. God bless you in the world of podcasts. We will capture this a bit of time later on. And for those that are on live stream, may God strengthen you.
Speaker 2:And for those that are in the house with us tonight we're going to turn to the book of 1 Kings, chapter 17. You know, this is a really beautiful, very interesting and unusual text, I would say, because what we're looking at, we're looking at elijah. So if you turn with me to one kings, if we go to one kings, chapter 17, one kings, chapter 17, this is where god uses unusual circumstances, unusual situations, unusual, against the law of everything, to get a blessing and get a miracle to you. You know, god uses always. God uses always. And this is a really fascinating text because, when you look at, he was fed with ravens and ravens brought him and looked after him. It's radically unconventional, really, is? It challenged the religious norm, it challenged everything here, you know, going against everything, but God is sovereign, god is over everything. I just want to let you know tonight that God will use unclean, god will use stuff that it doesn't seem right. God will use whatever he's got to use to keep you safe.
Speaker 2:Now, what I've got to remind myself of at this moment in time is Elijah is the one that that caused this, this drought and this famine period, because the bible says that he prayed that the heavens would stop, and the heavens stop rain. And uh, this is at this particular time when there was a drought, and I actually believe that there are many of us, many of us in in the context of church, many of us in the context of church, many of us in the context of ministry, in an area where we are in a drought period, not because God has forgotten us, not because God has left us, not because God has turned his back on us, but that is just the way that it is. I actually believe that a massive percentage of church within the understanding of the UK we're in a drought period, spiritual dryness. We're in a time of dryness and I really believe God is feeding us. God is feeding the Christians, god is looking after the Christians, even in this nation, in this time when everything looks bad and looks bleak. I believe God is sustaining us and God is using certain things around us and we never thought that God would even touch a thing like that or even get near a thing like that. But it's really, really interesting what happens here. And it says in verse one, now Elijah the Tishbite. And it says, as you go on a little bit further, it says Elijah the Tishbite as the Lord, the God of Israel lives, whom I serve. There will be neither Jew not Jew, as in, but Jew. You know, when we're talking about rain, jew, it says Jew. Nor rain for the next few years, except at my word, now that man has really got some shut front to say that when you think about it, he has got some faith to say that when you think about it, he has got some faith to say that when I pray.
Speaker 2:And really interesting, in the book of James. We read really clearly and it tells us that Elijah was a man just like us. Elijah was a man just like us and he prayed that the heavens would stop. And it stopped. You know, prayer is key. Wherever you are across this world, we want to encourage you tonight just to remind yourself what the scripture says about Elijah. Elijah was a man just like us.
Speaker 2:If you go up to the book of James, you will find it in the book of James. I will turn there in a short while. We'll get it put up on there. It says Elijah was a man just like us and he prayed earnestly. You know prayer is so critical. You know prayer is so important. But we can find it frustrating. We can find it. You know what's the point of praying. What am I going to keep praying for? Nothing's happening. But you've got to keep praying, you've got to keep believing.
Speaker 2:Now, in 1 Kings, chapter 17, it said tells us about elijah and it says the god of israel that I serve. And it says there will neither be dew nor rain for the next few years, except at my word. That is faith. That is faith. Now, what I find really fascinating about this is that he knew by praying this prayer, it could cause him some problems regarding the shortage of water, regarding the shortage of food, and this could have and it had serious implications by stopping the heavens drop rain. Of course it's clear.
Speaker 2:The bible tells us that there was a famine.
Speaker 2:It it was a dry period. Nothing happened. And I actually believe that this nation is in such a dry period and the church is very plastic at the moment. It's trying to revive something, it's trying to make it look good. We've got party balloons in certain churches, a party atmosphere, when actually it's the complete opposite. You know, god is moving through this famine period, but it's not through the way of party balloons and celebrating all that. It's the way that God is bringing judgment to this nation. God is bringing judgment to this world and we've got to understand that we are in a time of famine in this nation.
Speaker 2:Spiritually, we are spiritually thin, we are in a very precarious place and that's not for us as Bible-believing believers. Simply because Elijah was in a very precarious place. He was in a very odd situation and it's what's interesting that he almost well, he did not, almost, he put himself into that situation. He prayed and the situation turned around and it became dry and there was a famine experience. The heavens held back and this was a very strong implication on his practical life. And prayer is powerful. Prayer is so powerful. Now let's just move forward.
Speaker 2:And it says the word of the Lord came to Elijah. He said leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerin. Now, why does that? That doesn't sound too bad, does it? But by Jewish tradition, by the law and everything through Leviticus 11, 13 and 15, it tells us extremely clear that they were unclean birds. They was radically unconventional. I love the fact that God will use unconventional means according to religion and the law, and he will do this. All things work together for good. God will use the enemy to get you watered. God will use the enemy to get you through. God will use what the world says you can't. God will use it. What religion says no, god will use it.
Speaker 2:So when you look at these ravens, they are instrumental in telling us that God can use anything in any situations. These birds kept him alive for an X amount of time. Let's read on a little bit further. It says you will drink from the brook and I will order ravens to feed you. I will order, I will tell the birds, I will tell these unclean animals to go against everything that is written in the Jewish law, everything that is written even in the word. These birds are going to react and act out of culture. They're going to act outside.
Speaker 2:Now, if you study what a raven is, a raven is an animal that is a scavenger, a raven. It holds food. It doesn't even give food to its own. You know it is a scavenger, it will eat anything, it does anything. So, when you look at this situation, god was using a very unusual situation to keep his servant alive. God has got you. You are in unusual situations. Now it doesn't and it can't line up. Now. I think this is really, really important for me to get to.
Speaker 2:We're at a point of drought. We're at a point when the prayer of Elijah was heard. God stopped the Jew, he stopped the rain. The heavens held back. It says and it says so. He did what the Lord said and he told him. He went down to the ravine east of the river Jordan and he stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you this the situation doesn't look right, but God is sustaining you. God will sustain you in a situation that doesn't look healthy. God will sustain you in a workplace that is not good. God will sustain you in an environment that could be almost unusual to the human being. God will sustain you in certain areas, and sometimes we have to go to the brook in instruction. You know the brook. What was the brook? The brook was a place where we got refreshment in the middle of nowhere.
Speaker 2:Now let's remind ourselves. This was a famine period. This was a time when nothing was happening, but God looks after us even in a famine. We are in a spiritual famine and God is looking after you. God has got you born again, spirit filled, blessed and highly favoured. It's got nothing to do with the church, because the church is in a famine period itself.
Speaker 2:The church is in unfamiliar territory. The church doesn't have a clear understanding in what is happening in society and culture. The church has got the party balloons out and doing all what it wants to do, and religion is doing some crazy things, as we are watching in certain areas of religion burying a certain person in the week gone by and everything gone. Let religion do what it's going to do. We are living in unclean times. We are living in as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the end days. We are living in very powerful, very powerful days, but there is a famine period across this nation.
Speaker 2:It feels dry. Do you feel spiritually dry? Do you feel that you're not getting out of what God, what you thought you'd get out of God? Do you feel that you're not getting out of church what you thought you'd get out of church, you know? Do you feel that you're not getting out of church what you thought you'd get out of church, you know? Do you feel that you're not getting out what you thought you'd get out of work and the being sustained by life and everything? Do you feel that you are absolutely feeling, completely and absolutely odd, like never before now?
Speaker 2:This situation, it humbled Elijah because what he prayed for came into existence, what he prayed for came into execution. And when it came into execution, the prayer that he prayed affected his life, not in a way of blessings, of blessings of blessings. What I find really fascinating with this text that when he prayed, the heaven stopped. So it looked like it went on reverse on him. It went on reverse and so often when we pray, it looks like the world has reversed on us and the situation has become dry. It's a famine experience. Nothing is working, nothing is lining up. But we're praying, lord, lord, please God, because what God does, when he answers and he looks and he listens to and he moves through what we pray this is what happens as we speak and as we pray.
Speaker 2:God does unusual things in unusual times and as we pray it's not as we think it's going to play out. You know, you got to look at Elijah as he prayed. He didn't realize that there will be a consequence on his life for what he was about to pray. When you look, he was living in the times of Ahab and Jezebel. Very powerful dark spirits at that particular point. You know, the Jezebelic spirit, the spirit of Jezebel, was strong at that particular point.
Speaker 2:We are living in days when we are watching Nephilim Now we don't hear this word much nephilim on the earth. You know we are watching these spiritual entities. We are watching things happen what we never thought possible. We are watching, you know, agents of Satan at work. We are watching the dark side almost progressing and the more we pray sometimes it feels like we go backwards and the more we pray, sometimes it feels like we go backwards that the famine begets stronger. It is a dryness and this unfamiliar feeling that life doesn't feel the same.
Speaker 2:See what God does he takes us to the brook and he sustains us by unusual situations that are not conventional, situations that don't line up with humanity, that don't line up with church, that don't line up with religion, that don't line up with many, many things in life. But, according to God, god will use whatever he's going to use to sustain you at the brook. See, elijah had to listen to instruction and I, us, we, as Bible-believing believers, really have got to sink into the word now and really listen to instruction, because there is about we're hacking up we. I've got to be careful. I don't want to take us down a rabbit hole tonight and not be able to retrieve us. The UK at this moment in time is succumbing and it is going further down, going further down that slippery slope.
Speaker 2:We are watching the church Now. What's important, what's really important at the moment? We know what we're hearing and what we are seeing that Bibles are on the uptake. Bibles are on the uptake. We know that Bible sales are up. We know that's up Now.
Speaker 2:That doesn't mean to say that revival Now we've got to be careful here. It's not saying that revival is hitting the land. What it is saying is that the individual is being spoken to individually by God. We are not talking about mass groups ordering Bibles. We are talking about individuals dotted across the UK at a certain age bracket, a certain demographic, a certain area that God is speaking to. Now why is he speaking to that demographic and that age? It's purely this, simply this. Because it's been taken out of education, it's been taken out of schools, it's been taken out of so many. So we have a band. We have a band of certain criteria, a certain demographic, a certain age, of human beings that have been starved of Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2:So what we are finding and what we are seeing is God is not speaking to them in a mass revival moment. God is speaking to them individually, in their own private life, and God has taken them to the brook and God is feeding them at the brook and God is feeding them at the brook and God is taking you to the brook and you might feel that you're at the brook of your life and God is doing unusual things in unusual times, with unusual situations, god used ravens. Now, these ravens according to Leviticus is very clear. Leviticus, chapter 11, verses 13 and 15, completely against everything, completely against every law, completely against everything to do with the Jewish understanding and everything. So Elijah is being kept alive by a situation that is not lining up with religion and tradition and situation. See, I find this absolutely beautiful, that God will use everything and anything to sustain you in any situation. I find this also beautiful to know that Elijah wasn't in church. He wasn't in church and God still sustained him.
Speaker 2:Elijah was faithful in prayer. It just says Elijah was a man just like us, but he prayed earnestly that the heavens would hold back, and the Bible says the heavens held back. Sometimes we pray prayers and so often as we pray the prayer, it almost dissolves into thin air and we forget what we prayed and suddenly we find ourselves in a situation that is in unfamiliar territory, because God will take you to a brook experience. Now, elijah didn't have anyone around him, because the only place that we grow is when we're alone with Jesus. See, if Jesus would have and should have grown as in a group situation when he went into the garden of Gethsemane, he wouldn't have said to the three wait here. He would have said come with me. We've got to be careful of the group setting, we've got to be careful of the crowd because God and the Holy Spirit and Jesus, they refine us at the brook in an individual situation. Jesus was refined and Jesus was strengthened as an individual in the garden of Gethsemane.
Speaker 2:You know, when you look at these scriptures that we're in, elijah was chiseled and shaped and sustained on his own. There wasn't a crowd with him. When you look at these scriptures that we're in a true move of God is done in a dark experience. What do you mean? It says these birds were unclean. They were unclean according to the system, to the Jewish way, to the law. It was not conventional, they are not and they can't be used. Now God ordered these ravens from the dark side, so to speak, from the bleak side, from the black side, from the unclean side, to take care of his servant. I find that fascinating to think. Now.
Speaker 2:Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, jesus was in this place of let's bring it up to date, as in what terminology would we use? We would say Jesus was having a moment where he was being stretched in his mental health, being stretched in, his thought being stretched outside, the mind being stretched. At that moment in time he said, if it's possible, take it from me. The Bible says that he was at sorrow. He was at the point of death. He was so full of sorrow, he was so down on his feet. He was in a position where he was absolutely at the end of this road. He was at a point, he was on his own and there are many of us that get to that point, whether at the brook or whether we're in the garden of Gethsemane, where we're at a point and there is no one, heaven will sustain you. Heaven will sustain you at work. Heaven will sustain you at home. Heaven and when I mean heaven, I'm not talking about you know what I'm talking about the heavenly host.
Speaker 2:God will use, as he done for Elijah. At the brook, he used an unclean animal to look after his servant. And in the garden of Gethsemane we see that God commanded an angel to gun down and to strengthen and to minister to Jesus. When you look at Elijah's story again, when he fell underneath the juniper tree, it says he fell underneath the tree with stress and fear and he said that's enough, lord, I've had enough. So Elijah was sustained a couple of times at the brook by unclean ravens, when he was under the tree, when he prayed. I called a suicide prayer I want to die. He prayed I've had enough, take my life. And at that point he was sustained by a heavenly host. It says that the angel came down and strengthened him and ministered to him and got him ready for the next stage of his journey. So there are areas in our lives where we will be sustained by angelic hosts and we will be sustained and looked after and taken care of.
Speaker 2:Right in a situation that doesn't line up and doesn't compute with church, god will protect you and feed you and water you. Church God will protect you and feed you and water you. God will order whoever he needs to order to make sure that you get to the next stage of your life. Whether that they're clean, unclean, whether it's heavenly, whether it's earthly, whatever it is, god will use whatever he's going to use. And so often we will find that there are ravens in our lives that don't line up with what we thought how it would be, because these ravens did not line up, they was unclean.
Speaker 2:He could have used anything, you know, and I find this absolutely fascinating. But what does it mean? What does this story, what does this biblical fact tell us? That God had him in every which way, that God had him in every which way. God sustained him in every way. He fed him from a jar of water and some bread and the heavenly host came down and looked after him. But then we find this same character, this same character that flipped and ran because of Jezebel and Ahab, because he was fearful. We find that he ran, he ran, and this is when God fed him and looked after him, when he fell underneath the tree and he was fed with bread and he was fed with a jar of water and God sustained him.
Speaker 2:It's very interesting how God sustains us, how God looks after us, how God equips us. So there was a drought. Where did this drought come from? This drought came from the mouth of Elijah. This drought was brought in by the man that was being taken care of in the drought. See, god will look after you in a drought experience. God will feed you, god will look after you in a drought experience. God will feed you, god will tender you.
Speaker 2:God will look after you, and it doesn't matter what the situation looks like to the human eye, because God looked after Elijah with a heavenly host beautiful, clean and pure and absolutely indescribable, I should say. You can't describe how this heavenly host would have looked, that came down and sustained Elijah when he was at his lowest. So we find that God will sustain us with these holy areas of time. But also God will use unclean situations and God will feed us in unusual times using whatever means he needs to use. So God tells us something very clear through this I will use whatever I decide to use at any particular moment in any given time. I'm not worried that the ravens run clean. I'm not worried how it looked in the Jewish eye. I'm not worried how it looked in the Jewish eye. I'm not worried how it looked in the religious context. I'm not worried how it looked in your situation.
Speaker 2:I will sustain you at the brook. So often God takes us to the brook and we are fed and we are led, and it doesn't line up with what we thought, because Elijah knew. How can I be fed? How can this be when God is looking after me, when there's a famine around, when there's a drought around and God is using unconventional means to get me to the next stage of my life. See, god will use the enemy for your blessing. God will use a bad situation for your acceleration. God will use a dark time to get you into the light, because God is not fazed by unclean birds, he's not fazed by drought. He's not fazed by drought. He's not fazed by what man says. He is not fazed by what the enemy says about you. God will get to you and God has got to you, and God will feed you even when there is no resource left.
Speaker 2:Elijah had nothing. There was nothing this world, there was nothing around him that could sustain him. So God uses unconventional means. But the church says God is only going to work through the church. Religion says he's only going to work through Catholicism. He's only going to work through the Church of England. God is only going to work through us because we are the church. It's not right. It's biblically not right.
Speaker 2:God will use a donkey, god will use ravens, god will use unclean animals to keep you and to get you to the next stage of your life. And the reason God uses these unconventional means is to show the world and to show the religion that I am God, I am all power. I will strengthen my sister or brother. When the situation is unusual and unconventional, when everything is breaking out, I will use the darker things, I will use the ravens, I will use the vultures, I will use the dogs. I will use these situations to accelerate my son and my daughter to the next stage of their life.
Speaker 2:Now I find this so beautiful to know that God is not relying on the church to get us to the next level, because God has got you to the next level. God has a level for you that the church can't get you to. God has a calling to you that the church doesn't understand. Has a calling to you that the church doesn't understand. God has a love for you that religion cannot work out. God has a plan for you that is outside of pastor's mind, thought and pattern. God will strengthen you in the dark side of your life, in the culture, in the bleak workspace, in education, whatever it may be.
Speaker 2:God is sustaining you. When it looks like there's no water, there's no meat, there's no bread, I can't survive. It's really interesting how God gets us to flourish when it looks so bleak, when God sustains us, when it's dark and weary and we've reached the edge of the brook. There's no way, god. There's nothing around me. At this brook, I am miles and miles and miles from bread. I am miles and miles and miles away from meat. I don't know how the shops are closed. I don't know what I'm going to do. Nothing is working. I am alone and in the middle of this famine period and, lord, I need sustaining.
Speaker 2:So God is looking down over this nation and he is looking at the Bible, believing believers that are going through almost a living hell, worried about debt, worried about life, worried about work, worried about family, worried about relationships, worried about the world, worried about this, worried about that. You know God is with us in our worry. The Bible says be anxious for nothing, be anxious for nothing. We're going to come to the table in just a few moments. You know, and I want to let you know tonight. God has got you at the brook and what you see at the brook doesn't look like it's going to get you through, because you need more than water. You need bread and you need the meat. Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that perceives out of the mouth of God, when you look at what goes on through scripture, I want to tell you tonight that God is feeding you and sustaining you when it doesn't look like you're going to make it. God is sustaining you at the brook, at the river edge, at the brook edge, at a place of unfamiliar territory to your eye. It looks like it's not going to happen, it looks like it's impossible, it looks like there's no way out of this situation Unless God does something outside of unconventional means. I am not going to make it, because I've tried to make it work. I can't make it work.
Speaker 2:But Elijah was a man just like us and so often we pray and we pray, and we pray and we speak and we speak, and we speak and we say these prayers, and it's almost like we pray and we leave it and it disappears into the back of nowhere. And then suddenly we realize why am I in this situation? See, it just shows you, doesn't it? And then suddenly we realize why am I in this situation? See, it just shows you, doesn't it, that when you pray for certain things, it doesn't turn out how you think it's going to turn out. Elijah wasn't thinking of the consequence when he prayed stop the heavens. Because what he didn't realize? That it would also affect him and by affecting him, he would have found himself in a dry place.
Speaker 2:I pray that, wherever you are across the world as you join us on radio tonight, as we are in 1 Kings, chapter 17, verse 1, and a little bit way through. If you have a Bible, turn to James, chapter 5, verse 17, and there you'll find it talks about a severe famine, but God hid him by a brook. God is hiding you and God is sustaining you by unconventional means. God is using the devil's territory to get you through. God is using ravens to look after this prophet. So when you look at this prophet, here is the prophet, a prophet of God, a messenger of God, called and chosen and defined and shaped for such a time of this. He is highly spiritually alert. He has been called of God. You have been called of God, and the environment that you're in looks like it's going to wipe me out. I would say it like this God loves those situations.
Speaker 2:He loves those situations because the world is looking in, like Elijah at the brook, saying there's no bread and there's no meat. There's no way. Water is not enough to keep you alive. The world is looking in and thinking soon that what they have in front of them is going to run out and suddenly they're going to find that there is no means of any help. But God suddenly orders ravens against the cultural tide. God orders the enemy to come in to sustain. See, we've got nothing to worry about the enemy, because what the, what the devil meant for harm? God will turn for good and God will flip it around.
Speaker 2:When the enemy comes in and tries to destroy, kill and flatten and run over, god uses that situation for the John 3, 3, the Bible-believing, spirit-filled, born, born again believer, god uses the enemy territory to get you to grow. Right in face of the enemy's territory, right in the face of the devil, right in the face of the dryness of the UK, you are flourishing, you are growing, you are being lifted, and what I'm referring to for what God has for you, and it's not about pulpit ministry, it's about being that shining light in the darkness. It's about being that light, it's about being that beacon, it's about letting your light shine. God is with you at the brook, so let's come to the table, father, in the name of Jesus.
Speaker 2:At the moment, lord, I'm at the brook and what I see at the brook, lord, is no way out. There's a situation, god where there's no way out. The only way out, god is literally a God move, because the brook has held me. There's no meat and there's no bread. We're in a famine and we're in a crisis and out of nowhere. God ordered birds. God ordered ravens to look after his prophet.
Speaker 2:God has ordered certain things to make sure you get to the next level of your life. Now it might not look like how you thought it would look, because if it looked how you thought it would look and how I thought it would look, because if it looked how you thought it would look and how I thought it would look, it would be of I. God doesn't work by I, he works by him. So there are certain situations that God will take us to and God will lead us to the brook and God will get us to pray, a prayer that is so powerful that the heavens stop and suddenly it goes quiet and the sun is so hot and we feel that we are being scorched. And hang on a minute, the prayer that I was led to pray suddenly seems to be turning in on me. Have you ever had that? The prayer that he prayed stop rain. And he thought I'll show this world, god, stop it from raining. It stopped raining, but what he didn't realize? That the prayer that he prayed was going to have serious implications on him. So he finds himself in a crisis within the prayer that he prayed. Thank you, jesus.
Speaker 2:So often we pray prayers and rather than god doing what certain areas of church does and blows balloons up for us and says welcome to church, hallelujah, everything's going to be all right, he pops the balloons, he turns the lights off and he takes us to the bleakness and the darkness of the brook and he says wait here a minute. And then we're looking in the heavens and we're saying God, if I don't get something to eat in a moment, if I don't find something to sustain me in this situation, I am going to die on my feet. Nothing for miles. Do you feel like you're in a situation and there is nothing for miles? There's no way out? It's impossible. I believe it's like this the greater and the worse it looks, the better it is, the bleaker it seems to the human eye. In a situation, you are going to watch God move ravens and do an amazing work in your life. Father, as we come to you tonight, we thank you for the bread at the Passover table and as we break bread together right now, father, we ask you that you will sustain us in the worst time we've ever been in in the UK. We are at a crisis point, god, and we are at the brook and the church is blowing up balloons. The church is blowing the party poppers, there's fireworks going off, but, lord, actually I'm in a bad way. I'm at the brook and I don't know how, in the name of Jesus, this is going to turn around. So, father, at the name of Jesus, as I break this bread, sustain us, because we know you are at the brook. Amen.
Speaker 2:See, at the brook, there's a blessing. See, the brook gave him a bit of refreshment for a moment, but he needed more. So, when you think about what he had, he had water. Out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water. When you think about the bread, man does not live by bread alone. So there we have two key major points God gave him water. God gave him the bread. God gave him meat. What was the meat representing? The meat was representing stability and strength. God will keep you strong when you think it's over. God will feed you. The bread, the word, the bread of life. God will give you living water at the brook. Three major keys were at the brook. First keys were at the brook. First, elijah, see the refreshing water. Water is important in the scripture, bread is important in the scripture, the meat is important.
Speaker 2:So, father, as we take this cup, we've got four minutes and we're out. Three minutes and we're out. Father, will you just cover us in the blood of Jesus? Cleanse us from the crown of our head to the sole of our feet. Lord, I want to tell you now, world, I'm at the brook and I need a miracle. Is there anybody out there tonight that is willing to shout out I'm at the brook, I need a miracle. Cleanse me from the crown of my head to the sole of my feet. Wash us in the blood of Jesus, amen.
Speaker 2:See, the brook experience is to showcase God's power and glory. See, at the brook is where sustainment comes. At the brook it looks bleak to the human being. At the brook it is a famine experience. So you may have, I may have prayed prayers that have had the reverse effect on us.
Speaker 2:Because what happened when we prayed the prayers? God turned it around to strengthen us. Because if we was to pray and to see these evangelical prayers answered. It would be ridiculous. But what God does? He takes the prayer and he turns it and he brings it to a place where we get fulfillment, where there is no way forward. Elijah said stop and it stopped. So so often we pray these prayers and we don't realize the implications of what is going to happen. When we prayed the prayers because what God had for him was different to what he thought that God had for him.
Speaker 2:Sister and brother, wherever you are across the world as we come to a close, if you are at the brook tonight and the brook represents something very important I'm at the brink. There is no other way to go. If God doesn't reveal himself, the curtains are going to close and it's over. Let me remind you the curtains are not going to close on you. God is doing great work at the brook.
Speaker 2:Father, we pray that you will keep us strong at the brook, even when there is no one else at the brook and we are at the brook on our own. Cover us in the blood, wash us in the crimson tide, feed us of the word. Let rivers of living water come out of us. In Jesus' name. Thank you for joining us on radio tonight. Thank you for joining us on live stream and for those that will capture this service back. We will see you very, very soon and remind yourself I'm at the brook. It's a great place to be is at the brook. God will sustain you. You take care of you, look after you. May the Holy Spirit lead you in Jesus name. Good night and God bless. Take care, we love you all. God bless.
Speaker 3:I invite you to say the Lord's prayer with me, our father who art in heaven. Hello be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us of our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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, thank you.
