Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast
Join Reverend Ben Cooper from Elim Swanley on a spiritual journey through life's profound questions, offering wisdom, insight, and a touch of humour in every episode. "Embarking on a soul-enriching voyage through the Bible's timeless wisdom and the Christian journey, with a diverse array of inspiring guests, Join us as we explore faith, life, and hope.
Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast
#Christian Straight Talk - (#10 - Courage) to make Wise Decisions
Reverend Ben Cooper & Simon Pinchbeck, #Christian Straight Talk about the next episode in the series of Courage - The Courage to make wise decisions.
Good morning. Good afternoon, wherever you are today across this earth you are joining myself, Reverend Ben Cooper and Simon pinchbeck today it is Christmas week we are leading up to the birth of Messiah, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Thank you so much for joining us here at # Christian Straight Talk, Simon. Good morning. Good morning, were in.
Simon Pinchbeck:Good morning, Ben. It's great to be back again. And there's a lot of work going on in the churches to the army. It's crazy, because we've got all the traits all at once or doing their own thing
Reverend Ben Cooper:Oh, lord
Simon Pinchbeck:you know, what was great been to chat with one of the plasters today. You know, the guys it's Dana pebbledash in and he actually said he picked up on the book that we've done on the #Christian Straight Talk men's talk. He said he couldn't put it down. He said that the lettering was great if he had it is the
Reverend Ben Cooper:simple easy to read
Simon Pinchbeck:really impacted him and as a proper fellow on the job, you know
Reverend Ben Cooper:exactly.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, yeah.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Proper fella on the job. He's a very good complement. That was really good. That was really good to have that great bit of feedback in as another one coming out soon. It's on the press. Two is Yes. On the press.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's going to be in the new year is # two Christian straight talk. And it's all fair. Ben in
Reverend Ben Cooper:some fear. Wow. When you look across the world of everything that's going on at the moment, fear is driving so much, isn't it? And Hawk Gosh, it's
Simon Pinchbeck:it's amazing. It spreads like wildfire. Fear. And that book really puts into perspective to be Oh, it does. It really does. So you know, you've only got to drop a name of another variant and all of a sudden,
Reverend Ben Cooper:oh, there's another one. Trouble, we're in trouble fear. It's very, very
Simon Pinchbeck:got a lot in your life. Yeah, it must be very difficult. It must,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it must be really difficult year for someone that hasn't got Christ and someone that is going completely in the way of the world walking with that, and just hearing all of stuff. But you know, God is working in everybody's lives. I really believe that planet Earth is really feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit. I really believe God is speaking into all families, all cultures, I really see that and I really feel for the first time in my Christian walk with him that I'm seeing things I never thought I'd ever see across the platform or in church at church. And quite interestingly, I'm seeing more happening outside the framework of the structure of church, because it's become so rigid, isn't it?
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, you know, the great thing is about coming here. If you walk through this is like a battlefield and stuff everywhere. This shakes out all over the front of the church. But you know, the bricklayer who's Clive is not a man of God is He but now you know what he brought a flag Denny and a
Reverend Ben Cooper:flag up the front is put the boat the two flags on the front of this church
Simon Pinchbeck:on his Jesus king and one of these Jesus's love in it Jesus's Yeah, yeah, his messages came through
Reverend Ben Cooper:messages getting thrown. Yeah. And it's really interesting that I am. And I do believe there are a lot of others out there that are seeing God working in their lives. You know, and the church is quite tired and quite stagnant, isn't it across the UK, and especially, the news that's coming out a lot of churches are, are just closing their doors voluntarily at this moment, not with any government press. They just think, you know, where are we in the UK spiritually, we're really tired and very thin, and we were in a bit of trouble. We're in that fear position.
Simon Pinchbeck:We're in the fear position.
Reverend Ben Cooper:We're in within Ecclesia within within that church, but we thank God that the power of the Holy Spirit is is really dealing with all this stuff going on. We're in a great position really, across this world.
Simon Pinchbeck:Someone's reaching out, and what do they say to me? Oh, come online? Yeah. You know, being in fantasy and assumes great medium, I'm sure but zoom church ame churches
Reverend Ben Cooper:in Atlanta, you got we got a big gathering. Don't forget they're coming together. The scripture says the gathering of the saints is really, really important. And thanks be to God. We keep the doors open here. And we keep pushing in. And we keep pressing, keep pressing, you know, keep pressing, keep praying for the government, keep praying for all these people have got to make these decisions, you know, and thank God it ain't down to us. But God is in full charge, but it's about living by faith. Simon, what we start discussing today we've gone on
Simon Pinchbeck:and off the track a little bit, then we but we're all good stuff. So so we're still talking about courage, Ben, and we've been talking about courage for quite a few weeks. Quite a few weeks. We're getting on I guess for nearly two months we've been talking about courage because it's it's massive in people's lives, taking the courage to Do things and and today we're going to talk about making the courage to make wise decisions. Having the courage to make wise decisions, we get decisions, you have to make decisions every single day you don't realize it, but you're making the decision. You make a decision to listen to this podcast, you make a decision, you know, to do whatever you do you make a decision to get a bed in the morning, sometimes that's a tough one. But but we have to make the courage to make the right decisions.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And also, really interestingly, there are people making decisions for us that are not godly and not wise in certain areas of law shoot, and then we have to, within that make a decision of what do I do, because the decision that they bring to me may be and not possibly a godly move. So as a Christian in the framework of government, in the framework of this nation, even in denomination, isn't it? The decisions that have been made over the last number of months have not been godly decisions? So how does a believer stand in a denomination stay in a denomination when there's been an ungodly decision is quite difficult, isn't it as a believer because there are lots of arrows coming to us? There are a lot, there are lots that have made good decisions. And also on the other side of the fence, there are bad decisions, but for an individual trying to work out and to work through, we actually can't do that. What we need is the Holy Spirit to make sure he gives us Godly counsel. So this is a critical subject, isn't it? For a believer,
Simon Pinchbeck:it's huge Ben and the thing is, you're gonna get nowhere unless you're in the Word of God, no, you know, you're going to be tossed like the wind unless you've got exactly unless you've got the, the word of God hold hold to so stuff has to be tested. Exactly. And definitely, and we've said it many times on this podcast, Ben, you either believe that the Bible is a sovereign Word of God or you don't and you you know, where we stand you can't just pick and choose the bits that you like, is all or nothing. So if if you're in a church that's that's preaching something that you does not doesn't rest in your spirit makes
Reverend Ben Cooper:you feel a little bit gritty. Uncertain Yeah.
Simon Pinchbeck:Then test it with with the word you know, that's that's a good and I love the is a prayer been out there called the Serenity Prayer and it's used a lot in, in what they call you know, Alcoholics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous, the court the court the rooms, you know, but that's for another day those those areas, but the Serenity Prayer is this it says, Lord, give me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, courage to change the things that I can, but the wisdom to know the difference. And I think that's a big thing. Ben, it's the wisdom to know the difference, the difference? Some things, we can't change some things.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Now we can't. It's quite, it's quite a tricky one, isn't it? Some things we can't change. Now, Proverbs chapter three, verse five, through two, six, we've mentioned this before in our podcast, trusting the Lord will your heart and do not lean on your own understanding, but in all your ways, submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. So the only way that we're going to get get through is completely so a wise decision. What is a wise decision? Well, then how do we sum that? How do we box that up? Because I think it could be a wise decision. What you're saying about through that prayer is quite a quite a tricky thing, isn't it? When you start looking at the word wise,
Simon Pinchbeck:I mean, that bit of scripture you read out, I mean, if you didn't, if you just had on a desert island just had one bit of scripture in a bad bit of Scripture to visit,
Reverend Ben Cooper:trust in the Lord with all your heart. Yeah. So straight away. It takes away the network in straightaway, it takes away the enabling straightaway, it takes away human decisions straightaway. It is going by faith. But in faith, to go by faith, I've still got to be wise because the Holy Spirit is the counselor, the hope. So when I say it's tricky, it's not tricky, but it is tricky, from a human viewpoint, because we have been given so many decisions over the last number of years that have been bad counseling, in church, our church structure, business government decisions, denomination, so now we're like, trying to sift through, aren't we?
Simon Pinchbeck:So you may have a choice. But before you have to make a decision on that choice, where do you go to if it's if it's a huge thing about society then then obviously, you know, you've heard what the government have to say but does it is it in line with with what you believe as a As a believer as a Christian, where do people go? Do you go to your which is reached for? Pick up the Phone and speak to a friend? Do you found a friend? Do you find a relative? Do you found your pastor that church leader?
Reverend Ben Cooper:He's another day? Oh,
Simon Pinchbeck:you pick up the phone and and to someone who's going to tell you what you want to wear? You know? Yeah, that's quite a just on a on a lower level mate of mine just contact me last week and he said, Hi, I want to buy this bike. I'm desperate to buy this bike. I need some accountability. He said. I'm gonna say it sadly, this was the start of a week. Except I want to say it now. What? You got to have it? I've got to have it. Yeah. And he wanted, he wanted he want advice from me. But he could tell by the tongue that whatever advice I give him,
Reverend Ben Cooper:he won't go listen. So what he's saying is I've got a bike no matter what, no matter what, no matter what, I've got the bike no matter what
Simon Pinchbeck:it is that I only terminate sometimes you do get an app, you know? Yeah, but yeah, but and they'll people just go along with what they want. If even if you don't affirm it, yeah. So who do we call thing?
Reverend Ben Cooper:This guy was supposed to be that famous outline. You gotta go guys back. There's, there's only one place. We've spoken about quite a few times. I know. And sometimes I'm very flippant about things. So we got the pastors in the arena, the bishops, the leaders, the deacon. And then we have spiritual directors that have come out of nowhere. But even when I look at the council within the church, the church isn't like the early church, you know, when a prophet so we got all this stuff going on. So really, if I'm completely honest, there are there are costs there are very biblical, and very glorious and beautiful men and women out there, oh, God. But the first point of contact that I really have to go to has to be Christ. It's got to be and what God does with the pastors and the leaders, he uses them to bring confirmation. But they're not my first point of call.
Simon Pinchbeck:But you see, why wouldn't you go first of all, to the person that knows you the best the person that made you the person that knew you before you was even born? The person that I tell
Reverend Ben Cooper:you why? Because the church don't talk about Jesus. If the church would talk about Jesus, we will be in a very different spiritual position within the UK. Now, we can get in trouble walking, get in trouble for saying this, but the church is not healthy is spiritually not healthy. It's off kilter. It really needs to repent, it really needs to repent of certain decisions, it really needs to repent and come back to God. The church in the UK is a very business orientated
Simon Pinchbeck:animal, we were just talking about it earlier, Ben homey, you know, certainly is hungry for money. Put our posts there. Yeah, like network enabler, or give them a set of key performance indicators. And it is very businesslike. So really bend the church is not the goto? Well, it's certain ministries, they got to make decisions themselves. Yeah. Where do they go to listen to this man?
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'll go to the one that's got the checkbook. Yeah,
Simon Pinchbeck:the one who's got the most. He's got a few people listen to Him, we
Reverend Ben Cooper:will spend them alive. This is a serious conversation, because obviously, this is about making and being having the courage to make wisely and godly decisions. But this is talking within the framework of leaders as well. And myself and Simon, we're not just throwing this stuff out there and being flippant, this is critical. We are living right at the brink, right at the brink, the next five years in this nation are going to be absolutely critical for this nation, purely because we are spiritually thin and there is more plagues on the way. There is famines, there is desolations there are wars, rumors of wars we are living in n times we are in the book of Revelation, there is a lot of things happening spiritually. And the church I'm not I'm not talking about the body of Christ. I'm not talking about the bride. I'm talking about the business. The business model, we cannot put weight into business. It has to be in the hands of
Simon Pinchbeck:God. You know by now, I think now more than ever. You as an individual, yeah. Can't afford necessarily to listen to what your church denomination is saying as an individual. It rests on you, where you're going to put your foundation where you're going to really rests on you. Yeah. Is is a decision taken by a church or denomination or leaders it? Is it? Does it run with the with the spiritual Word of God or, or is it something that as you quite rightly said, Ben is a worldly decision as, as the church embrace the world, or, or is it running? Very close? And absolutely to the Word of God. I love the look. Listen This Isaiah 5811. Listen to the spin. Yeah, okay. It says this is the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your soul in drought and strengthen your bones. You shall be like a watered garden. Whoa, and a spring of water whose waters Do not fail now. You can't be any clearer now. If you put your trust and turn to the Lord.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's right. Yeah. It has to be
Simon Pinchbeck:he will guide you continually. That is your first call. Jeremiah. Yeah. So I have Jeremiah 30, free free. And you know, he says, Call me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you do not know. You know, scripturally it's amazing. The stuff in here
Reverend Ben Cooper:the staff in in the Bible is beyond human comprehension. Now, Romans chapter one, verse 17, for the fall, it is in the righteousness of God that is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, The righteous shall live by faith, the only way through this pandemic, and what Simon is bringing to the table is literally leaning in to Jesus. I thank God for pastors, I thank God for Simon I thank God for the people that I have around me, but they can only get me so far. People around us can only get so far, but it is Christ that will get you through any crisis of your life. Have we got the courage to make wise and godly decisions? Because here's another thing when we make wise and Godly counsel and godly decisions, what is it going to do? It will go against the the tide of life because there is a difference between God's counsel and the counsel of the world. And they collide but they don't stop God from moving it's like a train it's like a snow train. You know the avalanche has fallen the snows on the track and I just see this like just can just allow me to use this like God's word is like a snow train. It is unstoppable it will make a path when the avalanche of life has fallen on the track and there is no what you can't see the track. But God's word is so powerful. And it is just driven nothing can stop that snow train is going to is designed is equipped is built for for trouble.
Simon Pinchbeck:It will go forward. What happens and even if it's even if it's just a foot a day or hour it will just keep
Reverend Ben Cooper:going keep move forward. Yeah. And when you look at a snow train what it does at the front in front you can't see the tracks but when you look at the back, you see there's a clear path God clears the way for us. He is the one that will push through the avalanches may be falling around your life. There may be snow over your tracks you may be snowed under with worry and fear but if you might God your snow train please forgive me if you aren't you know what I'm saying? If you make God your first point of call he will cut through everything
Simon Pinchbeck:to the finger you're you're under percent right and the thing I think to note here guys, if you're listening when you're listening out there is this a famous sports coach Vince Lombardi said said it's not that it's it's not the big gains it's the inches and are the inches that if you keep moving forward inch by inch, then you'll you'll achieve the bigger so right isn't it? And so same here we keep moving forward Yeah. On a daily basis yeah the Word of God can be on it making wise decisions and having patience know our friend with a bike you have the patience to wait. Yeah. In our wanted now society. Do you have the patience to wait to the rear clearly from the Lord? Or do you want just go out and get it? You know, we've all been in that situation.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And I'm still in them situations. Say I'm very, I love Cago Be careful. I say this could be taken the wrong way. I love gadgets. I love I love nice things. I love being comfortable as in other ones saying. So. I have to be very careful because I'm compelled. You know, I understand what that guy is saying. Cool. Yeah, no, I love that bike. Yeah, let's grab it. Let's go. Yeah, yeah, and then suddenly going. I've just signed Not for and I didn't really want it
Simon Pinchbeck:and you get buyer's remorse done. Yeah, exactly. But, but listen to this, because there's a bit of equipment here because you've been putting these podcasts together. Doing it for a couple of years. And yeah, and you bought a bit of equipment. I know what, three or four years ago?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yes. Yeah. That little red box there that's gone up focus right box. That was I bought that. At the alien conference. Yeah. And I dunno why I bought it two years in advance. Yeah, I just felt was it? Was it the Holy Spirit? Was it compulsion? I just see. And I thought, You know what, I'll add that. I ain't got a clue what podcast you might go you did a church bank was dry? As always, you know? Yeah. And I thought, well, it's 220 quid, I cannot justify that. I couldn't. But I just felt this site purchased it. And I got it back here in the office. And I thought, yeah, great. As normal, we don't want it for what? Put it on the shelf. Pandemic breaks two years later down the line, podcast, bang. So yeah, it's interesting, isn't it? It's very interesting how you could look at that. Was it Ben being compulsive? Or was the Holy Spirit laying our way out that I'd have staying in the bag site would already be in the house that we could just drop off the shelf, plug it in literally with ours? We're recording and we're being out and push content out? It's a difficult one, isn't it?
Simon Pinchbeck:I mean, you bought it, for example, we're just using that for an example. But you you bought that? And you didn't rush to use it?
Reverend Ben Cooper:No, I didn't even I mean, wasn't right. Was it? The timing? The timing wasn't.
Simon Pinchbeck:And God's timing. This was perfect. absolutely on point. So if you're listening to your, your pastor, your next door neighbor, down the pub, or the other lady across the road at the school gate, and you're asking them for advice? That might be good advice. Who knows? But will it better to ask the person that knows you? You know, keep it simple, stupid, you know, just asked person, you know? Yes, Lord. And so to get into that situation, where we ask the Lord, what we got to do, we got clear the airways and we, we got to clear the air, I clean the house, we've got to get rid of the sin in our lives. Get rid of anything that's blocking the communication.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And we might have sisters and brothers men and women around world listen to this as we do 1000s of people listening to this and go, Where do I start? Or where would say or we would come to this simple understanding his Father, forgive me for our sin. I repent, Lord, can you can you help me Lord, can you help me to make godly decisions because I'm so used to making decisions from my head. And that scripture that I read out, and Simon was brought to the table, Proverbs three, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. You know, if I, if I bring everything to him, that is being wise, have I got the courage to make wise and Godly counsel have I got the courage to say God, I've got to make a decision in my life. And what I want is probably different to what you want. So you come back to the garden in a roundabout way, roundabout way farther, what is your will? What is your purpose? What is your plan? Because I've got I've got two roads to go here. And it's just like, Gideon, is it? Are you really calling me or what? I'm gonna throw the fleece out today? God? Can we just have a little check? Because I love that that character of Gideon, I'm just gonna throw the fleece out, he gets what he wants. And then he says, I'm still not quite sure. Can we can we just do it again? Can we just do it again? I think that is that is a very important text to remember that that Gideon was cold he was chosen just like everybody on the other side of this mic, but we are still living in a very carnal and a very material and a world that is driven by the prince of the air. So we have to be very wise and we have to be very, very quiet in a way of listening so that opens up another conversation and I've got a godly decision but be still know that I'm God is quiet Lord. It's quiet.
Simon Pinchbeck:It's quiet. It's not so quiet area then yeah, that's that's the thing to that's the big bang but it leads into all sorts of things because this was a massive decision for me didn't really want he didn't really want to do it. So he kept testing the Lord. So you know if you see something in front of you that you have to make a decision to I'd rather sit and in the comfort not my that this is right. About thought about, it's gonna be uncomfortable. It's gonna test me. Do you really want me to do that Lord?
Reverend Ben Cooper:And actually, Simon? I think we're in complete agreement and everyone will agree. Godly counsel goes completely against the flesh. Yeah, totally so. So a decision will make you feel uncomfortable. But you know, in your spirit, it is right, because you're being brought into a convictive position as well. I can't, I can't go down that road. Whereas before we may have done we may have made a decision and not even thought about it. It was just natural for the for the body to go that way. But now, God is calling us and we're getting deeper into a walk with Him. That road that would have may have not even had a decision to be made on we would have just continued to walk down that road. But now God is calling us to holiness and he is working in us. Then we come a bit more under conviction that when we turns up that dial inside our hearts,
Simon Pinchbeck:yeah. And and so he's knocking off. Yes, you know, the deepest stuff and you're exactly right. But what's the spin? If you're if you if you're in? Yeah, that communication with if you're moving forward. Then look what he says what Jesus said. Jesus said in Matthew seven, seven, he said, Ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be opened for everyone who asks receives and He who finds who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened? Or is what man is there among you. If you send us for bread? We'll give him a stamp or ask for a fish will he give him a serpent if you then been if you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more would your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him praise God therefore whatever you want men to do to do to you do also to them for this is the law and the prophets. So what is saying this is if it's in if you're in the will of God Yeah. When
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, it's if this wisely and godly decisions in it, it's that seek look at that scripture Matthew chapter seven verse seven, Ask and it will be given you seek and you will find knock on the door will be open for everyone who asks receives now that scripture we got to be careful that that scripture isn't taken out of context and it because the true Pentecostal, name it and claim it will go ask and God will give you anything. Yeah, financial reward materialism, all that sort of stuff when it's not talking about that is not referring to that so the scriptures can be manipulated into man's understanding. So we are in a text that has been taken out a context for for so many sermons are uncountable, uncountable, ask it says and it will be given to you. We are not talking about the name it and climate we are talking about someone that is hungry for God. That is, firstly for real answers that is in absolute need, not for financial gain, because everyone's in that sort of arena, no matter where we are and what we say. This is not a materialistic text that we can throw out and pray up and bring to God and expect to get a new car sitting on a drive or get your mortgage paid. It says Ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and the door will be open for everyone who asks receives that is the clincher verse eight of Matthew chapter seven. For anyone who asks receives, those who seek find and those who knock the door will be open. You know, I love this text because this is a really interesting text because God has already got us already moved on us. But now we're believers He expects us to live by faith. So we have certain certain areas where we've got a press in like, Lord I'm asking, Okay, Ben, what you asking Lord, I need peace. Okay, Lord, I've got a door in front of me, Lord, and I can't find a handle. Knock and I'll open the door father, I need your father right now. You're receiving. See, this is a Simon had bought really lovely text to the table this morning. Matthew chapter seven, verses seven through to 11. And God what God will give you the bread that you need, God will give you the sustenance that you need to get through God will give you the strength he will open the door. And we are not referring to the material door we're not returned we're not referring to the door of business and accolade and, and all the notoriety that goes with that this is a very personal walk with God. This is the individual and Christ this is the individual and Holy Spirit. This is the individual and the power of God. This is really really important to understand that this is not about material game this this this is about the power of God working in an individual's life. Moving very, very fast in the kingdom of God because God will open doors. God will open doors is a lot in assignment issues. Yeah.
Simon Pinchbeck:issues but you're exactly right. To take it in a context of what you wish it was written. It's not a simple fingers. Lord, give me this Lord give me that. No, we have to be a you know you have to be one with the Lord and in the will of God. Yeah. And and if it's right for you, then that will happen and sometimes you know the door will open but not when you want it.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's right. That is that. So? Right. It's like being in a corridor with comfort through one door. And then we're in a foyer and you can't see the handle and anyone and you don't even know what doors gonna open. But you've got to say, Father, I'm knocking on heaven's door. What I'm asking you right now, Father help me because I can't find a handle on life. I can't, I can't get anywhere. I'm in a corridor. And I believe what we need to bring in to that part of our lives when we're in a corridor, and there are many people in a corridor, just waiting, Be still and know that I'm gone. Just find rest in the corridor, let Christ open the door. You know, there are many people that will want to open doors for you in your life, but but it's the wrong door. You got God, he's speaking directly to you today, God, God will open that door, but you've got to be patient. You've got to endure the quietness and the stillness. God isn't always speaking, like certain ministries keep telling us. God is very quiet. God is a God of order. And he will hold us in a wise position and he will hold us in our holding area. He will keep us almost in suspense. Like if you look from the Old Testament to the New Testament, there was a gap of complete quietness for about 350 years where nothing happened.
Simon Pinchbeck:Your heavens were brass when nothing was going on. And that might be the same in your life. And because we live in unwanted in our society, we haven't got testing our patience. Yeah. Do you trust me? Do you trust me? Like proverbs three, five and six trust? Do you really trust me? You say it. But do you really trust me? Just wait, just wait with me. And how do I know that? My decision is right. How do I know that I've made the right decision? Yeah, I believe you'll get in the piece that will tell you I believe without that your inner peace won't be there. You'll there'll be a sense of unrest, a sense of confusion. Yeah. But when you made a godly decision, because before we actually act that decision out we make in our headstone. So take our friend with a bike, he's made his decision to buy the bike. Yeah. As that but he hasn't actually bought it but he's made the decision is Hartley's going to buy as that? Does that piece with you? Are you in peace with that?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Have you got inner peace have now that is a word? Do you know what I'm so conscious lately, I'm so spiritually aware that I need to be very careful how we label things. When we talk about inner peace. We're not talking about a Hindu religion. We're not talking about an out of body experience. We're not talking about transcend or meditation. When when we talk about inner peace, we're talking about the peace that comes from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. We are talking about that peace that Christ stepped through the wall. When he stepped back into time when he came through that free dimensional place when he he came back for Thomas, what did he say to Thomas? Peace be with you? You know, when you look at that story of Thomas that was in lockdown, the windows were barred the doors were locked for fear of the Jews and the authorities on the outside. And Christ knew that Thomas was was feeling not very good about the situation because Christ had revealed himself to everybody else. But Thomas, you might be a Thomas today. And you're waiting. You're trying to find Godly counsel, you're trying to make wise and you're trying to have the courage to make a good decision, and a wise biblical decision. But you haven't got inner peace. You haven't got inner peace, that that peace. I believe God's Will Christ, the Holy Spirit will step through God can walk through the fabric of any wall. He doesn't. He's not restricted by territory. He's not restricted by masonry. He's not restricted by the world. Christ came through the wall and he said to Thomas, Peace be with you. We believe wherever you are today. You are hungry for peace. And we've been looking for peace in other areas of the world. But it is only the power of God that can give you that peace, that inner peace. Be careful how we use that, that terminology because there are a lot of religions that are taking words out of the Scripture and manipulating and using them for other for other areas of religion. But Simon has made something really really important made a very important brought st very important to the Table Are you lacking peace today? You will only find that peace in Christ.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah. And Ben you're exactly right. That's that that is that for me is a biggest indicator if you're if you're not if you're not sleeping at night on a decision and this these things happened and they've cost they don't if you're wrestling with it yet but and you make a decision and it's not you haven't got the peace of the Lord then then maybe you should go back and check your decision. I love we love the Psalms, we love why what you got what you got, I've got two songs for four, we quickly move on to another area within this that I want to touch on before we leave to Sam's been Psalm 32 eight says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, wow, I will guide you with my eye. Wow. And he says goes on to say, do not be like the whole sort of meal which I have no understanding. But I will instruct you and teach you in a way you should go. I will guide you with my eye.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Thank you, Jesus. Psalm 32, verse eight.
Simon Pinchbeck:And the second one is Psalm 3723 24. Psalm 3723 24, it says this. And you know it Ben it says, The steps of a good man or woman are ordered by the Lord and He delights in His way. Though he folly shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord of housing with his WooCommerce hand. I love that that's so you may make a wrong decision. And the lowest not gonna leave in the mud is he's got Yeah, he's got you. He says Get up. And we'll go again.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, 100% that is just God has got you, wherever you wherever you are. The Psalmist also writes, he says, I was pushed back and about to fall. But God saved me. So even in a decision, you may be the most godless person around you may be the you may be really seeking God and really stretching in and really praying and really pressing and really looking for God and still made a flesh decision. Yeah, yeah, it's so easy to make a flesh decision. But as the psalmist says, I was pressed on every side. So you also when we are pressed when we are in the call, and when the Lord is bearing down on us, and when we can feel the handcuffs on us of life when we're in a position where you got to think quickly and act quickly. It is so easy to work and to go with your computing and with your your thinking rather than going God what you saying. So you might be the most holiest person on the earth. We're still going to make wrong decisions, we're still going to make decisions that are not correct. But he will catch us in a bad decision making. It's not the end of the world is it because the power of repentance, the power of His grace, the power of peace, the power of His Word, the Psalmist writes, I was about to fall. I was about to fall. I was pushed back, but God saved me. I love that. But that gives me peace to scripture alone gives me peace. That's it. As a pastor or a leader or a reverend vicar all these labels we got over us I'm gonna make bad decisions. I'm gonna make deadly dangerous decisions that are not lining up with God's word.
Simon Pinchbeck:But we are going to make them as soon as but we can but we can make them less and less
Reverend Ben Cooper:is actually Simon is actually the closer we get the closer we work the closer we walk the closer you know,
Simon Pinchbeck:God oh my God, the decisions can't be so you know, there's the old phrase you know good ideas aren't always good ideas are they you know that's exactly right God laugh What are you telling me a plan so we've got that that guy can we can we can make some bad decisions but we'll make the less and less yeah if we take the right course of action. Exactly. Now very quickly before we close on this I want to just mention something that another area where where I used to go to and I know many people do they dive into horoscopes to make decisions they go and see a spiritualist they go see a medium a fortune teller? Yeah. And I used to go and see a fortune teller I used to love going to see fortunately before I was a Christian, The Guardian I wanted to know the future I wanted to know know I want to know what where I was going. And this lady had a flat in in barking in the higher blocking parking in Essex, you know, I went once and there was a sign on the door saying canceled due to unforeseen circumstances now that business issue was great. But I used to go and see this like once every three months for some direction. And she would tell me that there were there was people that, that if their Kitty was ill, that shard was ill. Yeah, they would find her first before they found a doctor. Wow, this is a situation.
Reverend Ben Cooper:This is this is real. It's real. Yeah. And why do they do that?
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, because they think she can foretell the future that they've they think she can give them hope, and whatever. But if we look in our Bible and look in Leviticus 1931, it makes it quite clear. He says, Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits do not seek after them to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. So what causes I don't go down
Reverend Ben Cooper:that route, divination, it makes nice, it makes it very clear. BigQuery is very clear. It's of the occult, but the flesh is attracted to what's coming my way. Jess Liu, Lucifer uses the vehicle of witchcraft. He uses the vehicle of sorcery, he uses all these vehicles of tea bag reading, tarot cards, Ouija board, he uses all the other side of the cross, I can find out what my future is. If I ask Jesus, God will say in Jeremiah, For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. God will not reveal everything to me. But the more that I lean into him, the more I live by faith, faith will tell me what is in store for me,
Simon Pinchbeck:Ben. And really, as a born again, believer whose spirit fold and following the Word of God, yeah. I don't really worry about what's before me. Here. Oh, three, five and six. Yeah. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. He knows what's best Lord, if it's your will. If it's your will come back to that again, then
Reverend Ben Cooper:your Well, yes, your will.
Simon Pinchbeck:I don't want to know. You know, I know my futures.
Reverend Ben Cooper:In the lamp book of life. That that's that's very clear. What we do know is that we are heaven bound. We know that we are saved. We know that God loves us. We know these fundamental points of Christianity, we know this stuff. And that's all we need to know. And we don't really need to know the future because God will not reveal all that to us. But what he does, He reveals His Word, moment by moment. And then when we actually look back on No, we're not talking about looking back. But when I when I look back, I think you know what God God's plan was on my life. Now say that?
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah. Because you you'll be in a situation you think, Lord, why I'm in this situation? And then six months later, you think, well, if it wasn't in that situation, I wouldn't be here. And I don't want to leave this place now. Yeah, you know, that's, that's very true. So we have to be careful who we talk to and seek guidance with. And really, if it's very tempting to pop along and see a medium or a fortune teller, or read the horoscopes, we'll do that. Yeah. But you, you know, living your life by that is the Lord's it's not right. It's not, you know, he wants you to seek him. Yeah. And he doesn't, you know, don't look too far into the future. See, right now, right at this moment, in the timeframe of where we are in history. Yeah, there's many, many prophets out there is not spelt with PR o fit. Because these prophets are are given wrong prophecy never bow and you can you can jump on the internet, you can jump on YouTube, till you find something that fits. Yeah, what you want
Reverend Ben Cooper:to say? Yes, you know, we are we're in a world that is lifting up the planet more than lifting out coal we have maybe stepping over the line with it. We have a government that is very pagan, very Masonic, and very caught in a cultic as a humanist, yeah, humanism is laced in all this, because we are not seeing Godly counsel. You know,
Simon Pinchbeck:so people rather than jumping in to the book, rather than get on their knees and get a call the Lord and seek in the Lord with all their heart. They're seeking a profit who's going to tell them this is gonna happen, that's going to happen. No, no, I'm gonna make my decisions by this. Send me you know, 50 quid and I'll tell you what your future is. That's right. You know? No, no. Yes, you can speak to people but your first port of call is gotta be God. It's got to be in
Reverend Ben Cooper:the Father. Swear to God, Father, Christ, the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel of John, it says I forget the reference because it's just pinged in my head. It says you do not need man to teach you. The Holy Spirit is your teacher.
Simon Pinchbeck:There is I think it's John 16. Somewhere around about that. Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it makes it makes it very clear. Yeah. And also, in the Old Testament says, Don't trust in wine, women and chariots and horses, don't trust in humanity. Yeah. Don't trust in that lean into God. But we are living within a very business orientated church within the UK. A very, very dangerous place. If I put all my weight into a other denomination, and not into the arms of Christ, we are in a garden of Gethsemane where we got to be saying, what is the will of the Father? What is your Will God what is your purpose? What is your plan?
Simon Pinchbeck:If you don't get an answer, don't move.
Reverend Ben Cooper:They still know that.
Simon Pinchbeck:God, but the first port of call was pick up the phone dial Jesus. And
Reverend Ben Cooper:so I frozen it all the way through. It's all the way through, you know, it's, gosh, we're living in powerful times. Simon that time was just just ran again. Ran out, ran out, ran out, ran out. You know, you've been listening to Simon Pinchbeck. You listen to myself Reverend Ben Cooper, #Christian straight talk sometimes we we just stop these almost quite abruptly but because there is a continuum so this will continue this will carry on wherever you are across the world today. We thank you so much you can catch us you can catch us in so many places. May God bless you and strengthen you in the mighty name of Jesus. You know you are in the will of the Father Simon. We've reached that point again then we
Simon Pinchbeck:were Yeah. And then we just want to say to anyone out there you know if you're wrestling with we're struggling with small decisions or decisions. Listen, God wants to be in every single decision that you make. Yeah. Why? Because everything small to God in it. We have a huge God
Reverend Ben Cooper:God bless you. Thank you so much for sharing everything we do here#Christian Straight Talk. Simon pinchbeck myself, Ben Cooper. God bless bye bye.
