CST - 10 Commandments - 9th Commandment Part 2 (#CST36)

CST - 10 Commandments - 9th Commandment Part 2 (#CST36)

In this second part of the Ninth Commandment discussion, Reverend Ben Cooper and Simon Pinchbeck explore what it means to live truthfully in a world filled with confusion, compromise, and competing voices. Using Exodus 20:16, John 8:32, John 14:6, and Ezekiel 33, they discuss truth in relationships, church life, education, business, and personal faith. The conversation examines difficult questions surrounding honesty, repentance, forgiveness, and responsibility, while emphasizing that Jesus Christ is the ultimate truth. Listeners are encouraged to become watchmen for their generation, sharing the Gospel faithfully and offering hope, encouragement, and biblical truth to those around them.

Main Topic

The Ninth Commandment: Truth, False Witness, and the Responsibility of Every Believer to Share God’s Truth

What This Episode Is About

This episode continues the discussion on the Ninth Commandment, focusing on the importance of truth in every area of life. Ben and Simon examine how falsehood can appear in religion, education, business, relationships, and society. They discuss the challenges Christians face when navigating difficult situations and stress the importance of seeking God’s wisdom. The episode also highlights the biblical role of the watchman and the responsibility believers have to share the truth of Jesus Christ with a hurting world.

Key Themes

• The Ninth Commandment and false witness
• Jesus as the Truth
• Honesty and integrity in everyday life
• Religion versus relationship with Christ
• Communion and freedom through grace
• Raising children with biblical truth
• The responsibility of the watchman
• Encouraging and supporting fellow believers
• Hope in difficult circumstances
• Sharing the Gospel with courage and love

Main Scriptures

• Exodus 20:16
• John 8:32
• John 14:6
• John 10:10
• Ezekiel 33:1-9
• Luke 23:39-43
• Proverbs 22:6

Key Takeaway

Truth is not simply a principle to follow—it is found in Jesus Christ Himself. Believers are called to live truthfully, speak truthfully, and share the hope of the Gospel with others. No matter how difficult life becomes, there is always a way forward when we seek Christ and stand firmly upon His truth.

One-Sentence Promotional Summary

What does it mean to live truthfully in a world full of compromise? Join Reverend Ben Cooper and Simon Pinchbeck as they unpack the Ninth Commandment, the power of God’s truth, and the believer’s calling to be a faithful watchman for Christ.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Good morning, we are back. We are back for a second stretch. We carried on, even though the internet dropped off, we carried on recording that podcast. Uh, we record these podcasts. Welcome to hashtag Christian Straight Talk, even though we are streaming uh to the church sites. Also, you can find us on multiple platforms this morning, and we are really sorry if the internet drops off. But we have had issue after issue. Talk talk. That great internet provider, please help me. Just pay the bill, Ben. Just pay the bill. Oh no, you gotta pay for it? You gotta pay for it? I thought it was free. That's the problem. So, yeah, brothers and sisters, you know that we've had issues with the internet. There's something going on around here, and um, we really apologize, seriously, we do, but welcome to hashtag Christian Straight Talk. But you can capture that whole conversation back on hashtag Christian Straight Talk on Spotify and uh Amazon Music and other platforms in the world of podcasting, so you you can capture that back. So we're back and we're gonna carry on because this is an enormous subject, and we're gonna break bread. So um we're just gonna break bread together. If you have a moment uh to grab some bread and some uh grape juice or some wine wherever you are, we're gonna we're gonna do this together, but I pray that you are all well in the name of Jesus. We are living in very powerful times, we are living in very encouraging times, and I honestly believe that as believers we need to be encouraging one another, those in other denominations, those in leadership, those that are in business, those that are in areas of all shapes and platforms of work, in every uh platform of life. So that's what we that's what we try to do here at hashtag uh Christian Straight Talk is just to encourage and bring Simon and myself and all of us to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the cross, because there is something so powerful about the the cross of Calvary. And we're gonna pray for the bread and the wine, and we just want to welcome everyone that's jumping online. I can see you wherever you are across the world. Thank you so much for all this stuff. And again, I'm gonna apologize for the drop-off of the internet, and if the internet drops off, we will just carry on this podcast because that's primarily what we are doing. This is the podcasting uh time that we do, and and you can find that as the screen says, hashtag Christian Straight Talk on uh Amazon Music and so many other Spotify, you can find us quickly there, and you will find all the conversations again. I'm repeating myself, but if this drops off, visuals drop off, we won't uh be chasing and trying to connect ourselves back, we'll just carry on. But we're gonna break bread together now. So, do you want to join us? Please do because Simon's gonna pray for the bread as we start. But the scripture that we are gonna start with in a few moments is John 8 32. Continuing what we were talking about, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Simon, we're back, my friend.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Okay, it's great to be back, Ben. Um, and yeah, we're gonna um right jump into the communion this morning, and uh I'm just gonna pray for the for the bread and Father, let this um let this representation of your body build us up, let it uh uh edify us, let it um give us the power uh to follow Jesus and um let us um be encouraged as we as we take this bread and uh remember you and uh remember your cross and what happened at the cross. We just remember that the glorious uh time at the cross where you uh died but you rose again to conquer sin and conquer death. And uh we just want to take this bread and uh give it to you now in in your name and the name of your Son Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

Amen. Thank you, Lord. Father, I thank you that we're able to break the bread as Simon has said, but Lord, we come to the cup now, and Lord, as we take of this cup together, Lord, wherever we are across this earth, whether we're at work, whether we're at home, whether we're at university, Lord, whether we may be live uh with us now as we broadcast, Father, we just want to thank you, Lord, that we don't need anyone from the religious order in any way, shape, or form dictating and telling us when to take of the bread and the wine. Because Father, the word of God tells us, as often as you come together, Lord, and we're together, Lord, where two or three are gathered, and our sisters and our brothers and the world that is is streaming with us at this moment, Father, we do this in remembrance of our our Lord and our Saviour. So Lord, I ask you, and I come to the cross this morning and I say, Lord, I repent of my sins. Uh, everything is in my head and my heart that is not of you, I bring to you, and Lord, help me to lay it at the cross, help me to be obedient, help me to be obedient to your word. But Father, I thank you that I am covered in the blood of Jesus, along with my sisters and my brothers online, Lord, as we come before you, cleanse us and wash us from the crown of our head, Lord, to the sole of our feet in the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. You know we're talking about the truth, and we're coming out of um Exodus 20, aren't we? We're talking about not not telling the truth, not delivering the truth, not uh talking about the way that we present things, the way that we do things. Now we've just taken of the bread and the wine, and straight away my little brain has gone straight to the priest telling us that if we do not do A, B, and C and D, we are not worthy of taking of that cup. When Jesus says, as often as you come together, do this in remembrance of me. So when you look at religion and what religion has made up, yeah, it it's holding the truth back, it is manipulating and it is trying to shape the scripture. So if you take Holy Communion on its own, the Passover, because that's what the scripture says, the Passover, as often as you come together, do this in remembrance of me. What am I remembering, Jesus? What what is the fact? What is the biblical fact? I'm remembering that Christ's body was broken for me. I'm remembering that blood was shed for me. So when we talk about holding truth back and not revealing the truth, all of a sudden, that what we have just partaken with and been involved in, there are many people, because I've experienced this that have not taken of the bread and the wine purely because the certain movement out there that has said you can't, you can't take that until you get your life right. You can't take that because I'm the priest and I will tell you when and how. How many times on Sundays have we heard that people have been rejected at the altar by the priest, by a man? It goes further.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

I mean the the whole the the whole denomination of uh Catholicism will tell you that um that is actually the bread and the body and and the and the blood that you're drinking. It turns and it actually turns during the communion thing. And before you can take communion, you've got to do your first holy communion. So then you've got so that means you've got to have your first confession kneeling down and confessing to a priest. Now Jesus at the cross cut all that religion, didn't he? He broke it. And we can go straight to Jesus. Yeah, he's made axle. That's the deal.

SPEAKER_00 8:18

So there you have a religious falsehood, a religious spin, a religious hold on scripture that is stopping a lot of people in congregations, and as affected people, I've had a couple of experiences of people coming to me, and one person told me that they hadn't taken communion for 30 years, and they felt really bad because of what the priest said, and he said, No, you're not worthy, and that affected their walk with the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. So the church is accountable, holding the truth.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Same with baptism. So here's the deal, Ben. So on the cross with the two thieves, yeah, did Jesus turn around and go, sorry, mate, you ain't ready.

SPEAKER_00 9:11

Sorry, you haven't taken communion and you're not baptized. No, no, what did he say? Within a twinkling of an eye. You'll be with me in paradise, he said. How fast is that, Simon? When you look at that and you would study that within within a blink of an eye, within within a moment, we have crossed over.

SPEAKER_01 9:29

We have crossed over mate this from this world much. I hear I've heard it. I've heard it. Do you speak in tongues? No, well, you're not truly saved. I've heard all this nonsense. Yeah, and it's nonsense. So Jesus on the cross was hanging there, and and remember me. Can you speak in tongues?

SPEAKER_00 9:51

Have you tithed?

SPEAKER_01 9:52

Have you confessed your sins? No, because he looked at his heart.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

He looked at his heart. So you look at the th you look at that thief that was on that cross, the thief, the murderer, however we want to unpack all that stuff with text. Jesus doesn't reject anybody. Jesus told him the truth within a twinkling of an eye. You will be with me. And we need to encourage brothers and sisters across the globe that Christ loves you, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. We do not need the priesthood because the Bible tells us we there is only one priest, the high priest.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

You're missing out on vital scriptures if that's what you go, the route you go down. Because Jesus says in John 14, 16, he said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. I am the way, the truth, and the life. He didn't say I'm going to pass it on to someone. He didn't say, I may be the way. I didn't say I think I'm the way. He said, I am the way, the truth and the life. He said, No one comes to the Father. A very clear statement. That's what he said. So for the for some human being to go, Sorry, you've got to come through me. Jesus gone, no, you believe in me. So again, we come to the thief on the cross. He didn't say, Are you right? Have you spoken to the Pharisee about it? Have you caught out to the Sagittarius about it?

SPEAKER_00 11:17

So everything comes back to the didn't say that at all. It points it back to Jesus. Who is Jesus? He is the living word. That last second.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

And you see it, Ben, in the in the hospice, don't you?

SPEAKER_00 11:29

I see I see that a lot. I see that a lot. And I I experience some miracle moments. Moments that can't be documented, moments that can't be explained, moments that can't be revisited. How many people will talk about Jesus, even if you've never spoken about Jesus, you've never had the conversation. There is something about the end of life when the heartbeat is limited to X amount of beats. When suddenly from people from different religions as well, not just I've seen it many times from different religions, different backgrounds, different upbringings, different positions, there is something at the end of life that brings you where to, brings you to the God of Israel. There is something that has been placed in the human being that will bring you to the cross of Calvary. You can journey your life with all the sweetshop of religion around, but when when your time is about to depart from this earth, you need to know what.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

The last moment. If you've committed your life to Jesus, you know where you're going. That's right. You go in the you're going you're going to glory.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

You're going to glory. To a better world than we're in now. And that's where that's where the thief went. That's when everyone else. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Who is the truth? He's Jesus. Who is Jesus? He's the image of the invisible God. So there is a place. Jesus said, I've prepared a place for you. If it was not so, I would have told you. So even that scripture alone says, I've gone ahead of you and I have prepared a place for you. Who are you talking to, Jesus? You, because you are a believer.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

My friends, look, if you listen to this out there, then here's the deal none of this is complicated. Jesus did not make this complicated. The Father did not make this complicated. Man has made this complicated. Religion has made this complicated, put in control and and barriers. So religion is a system of manipulation and control, but the relationship with Jesus Christ is freedom, forgiveness, love.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 13:42

We've got a choice.

SPEAKER_00 13:44

We've got a choice. It's quite interesting because when you look at the church and religion within the UK and the westernized church, the way that it is, you can take the prosperity gospel, you can look at that and really, really go, Lord, did did I really get caught in that at some point? And then you've got the the the name it and the claim it and the healing stuff, but also I've experienced this a lot as well. But it might be in within the Church of England context, you know, I am not allowed in part a certain past a certain part of the gate. I'm not allowed in because I don't belong to the holy order. So it's quite interesting what religion actually does.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

Oh mate.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

It's really interesting. So when you when you look at when you look at the life of Christ, the biggest battle that I won't say the battle, the biggest confrontation that Christ had was against religion. Because they was always trying to manipulate and shape what he said.

SPEAKER_01 14:47

Yeah, you you're right, that was the the biggest battle, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_00 14:51

That was the biggest battle. Yeah. So when we take education, what we were talking about earlier, are our children at school and university being taught the truth? Because it changes like the wind. All different theories, all different understandings. You take Darwinism. Now, as soon as you say that word, you've got people's ears flapping all over the place, you know, because I believe in creation. I believe that God said, let there be light, and there was. But then you've got those that that believe in Darwinism and believe in in the string theory and the big bang theory and all these other theories. And then when that is taught to our children and there's no firm evidence, no firm evidence that is just man's understanding, because you can make science add up to whatever you want it to be. You can make an equation come to almost whatever you want it to be.

SPEAKER_01 15:43

Ben, Jesus, many people think John 10.10 is about um is about uh the devil, because he says in John 10 10, he says, the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I've come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Amen. But what he's talking about, Ben, because if you read it in context and you read it from John 9 all the way through, he's he's talking about the religious leaders. Yeah. He's talking about the religious leaders. So nothing has changed. They're exactly the same today. The thief. So we have religious leaders and they're coming to steal.

unknown 16:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:21

Steal your steal your soul, saving your soul.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Hold the truth back from you. So when it comes to education, so if there is a church school, what should it be teaching in the curriculum? It should be teaching Genesis to Revelation. It it shouldn't even be given a waiver, it shouldn't even be given a doorway to anything else.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

That's why we have the issue with Christmas. Now you'll you'll find an awful lot of uh of church schools. My grand uh children go to a church school, um, and yet they had uh drag queen story time. Do you know? So you'll you'll find a lot of church schools, even though they they're under the banner of a church school, even though they would they will teach Jesus, they have compromised to the world by going down this this route. Now, Ben, we're still in Exodus 2016, ain't we? That's a big text. It's enormous text. And we're talking about lying, ain't we, Ben? We're talking about falsehood. And we we've examined all sorts of different avenues, haven't we? But you know, around about this time of year, people are putting their tax returns in, ain't they, Ben? Oh dear.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

I'm just gonna press the button, gone offline, gone offline. So when you look at form filling, if you take the general drum of filling a form in, there's quietness across the earth. Because when I fill a form in, I have to put the truth on the form of whether I'm I'm well, whether I I am working, whether I'm not working, whether I am in the UK, whether I'm outside, whether I have a savings account, whether I don't have a savings account, whether I have X, A, B, C, and D. But what do you do when you've got a government that is standing up and bringing out line after line after line, literally draining, draining the life out of you, out of you?

SPEAKER_01 18:28

How do I deal? You have energy companies that can just dip into your direct debit and bank account and take what they like. So uh so the tax return, we've got to be we've got to be.

SPEAKER_00 18:40

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

So so it's a it's a question out there, it's a real uh question the heart question, really, to people. If you're putting out your because this is the time of year that they've got to be in, um, you know, yeah. Uh where'd you go with that?

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Where'd you go with that? So you've got the tax form, you've got the universal credit form, you've got the housing form, you've got the mortgage form.

SPEAKER_01 19:03

You've got all of that spent, you've also got CVs, people trying to get jobs, you've got trying to get jobs, you've got you know, you all of a sudden you're this, you're that, you've got suddenly you become a CEO of a company that doesn't exist.

SPEAKER_00 19:16

And and do you know what it's really interesting, isn't it? How how the world can get you to a point of the basic form filling to actually make a mistake, but you made the mistake on purpose because who's gonna get penal? Who's gonna get who's gonna get so the question is is God, I have got to tell the truth in everything on the form. I've got to put that down. But if I tell the truth, am I gonna get what I'm gonna get? Isn't it interesting what the human being does? Look at look at come to the scripture. Come to the scripture and look at that great man that was called Simon Simon Peter. When you deny me, no Lord. No Lord.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

Uh yeah, you we're talking about the fire bin, aren't we, Ben?

SPEAKER_00 20:06

We're talking about the fire bin, that great word, that great subject, the firebin of life. Lord, when I sit round the boardroom table and I'm asked, Are you a believer at work? Will I tell them I am a believer? Lord, I will die for you. Lord, I will do anything for you. I will go the scripture says I'll go, I'll die and I'll go to prison for you. He says, when you come back. When you come back.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

And it it Ben, it's it's it's even it's even a notch, that's even a notch lower than that, because if you're sitting around a ballroom table and your manager says you got to turn on this, and you know that's not the truth.

SPEAKER_00 20:44

Yeah. Just just shape it like this. Just just change the facts and the figures. Just just say we've had another thousand bags of sand, but naturally we haven't had that. Just just shape this a little bit that way. Just turned a blind eye. Just just just that word, you know, did where did that come from? Where did that when you look at that word? He said, Um, did God really say? So when you've got all that going on, did God was that did I hear that right? Did I do that right?

SPEAKER_01 21:15

No, you can then you can lie to obtain an advantage. I mean when I had a little business and you've you had a business, yeah. And uh um I was uh touting for other business, pitching for other business. Uh it was several times, you know, it was laid on the table. Um, you know, if you cross my hand palm with silver, or maybe it was as obvious as many pieces of silver? It was as obvious as that once. And uh, you know, so what I did with that, I just uh called them um the guy and said, look, this is at the head of the whole thing and said that this is the this is the situation, and he dealt with it, and we still got the contract, you know. So you you know, you've got to be truthful. You've got to be really wise. Because once you take that bribe. You're on the hook forever and you're on you. You ain't gonna get out of that because you've taken it. You know, that's the thing. So you've got to think about that.

SPEAKER_00 22:08

But I want to ask you So life is like skating on thin ice, isn't it? All the time. I want to ask you this question, Ben.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

I want to ask you this question. Is it a time when it's okay to lie?

SPEAKER_00 22:23

Goodness. It can't be, can it? But when you go to the scripture, when you go to the scripture that I think I know that you're one you're gonna pull out, when you look at that scripture, you got Rahab, Rahab with the two spies that came into the in into Jericho. When you look at Rahab, Rahab lied to the king's men to get her family safe, which is a real interest. And then you've got Simon Simon Peter, he lied, he denied Christ three times. So you find all the way through that the answer that disciples and men and women of old of the scripture wouldn't you think that you they would have given, they actually didn't give the line that you think that they would have given because their back was against the wall. Isn't it interesting when a human being their back is against the wall and you've got to get yourself out of the arena? Oh Lord, what this this well look look at look at Abraham. Abraham.

SPEAKER_01 23:22

I mean, how many times did he lie about his missus?

SPEAKER_00 23:25

Yeah, that's my sister.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

Isaac did the same, didn't he, with Rebecca? He he lied. He said that's my sister.

SPEAKER_00 23:30

Yeah. So your back's against the wall. So what are you gonna say? What are you gonna say? How are you gonna deal with a situation? David Man, Batman.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

David lied through his teeth, didn't he?

SPEAKER_00 23:40

So it's a word. So I I actually cannot get a white. Go on. Go on.

SPEAKER_01 23:45

Is there a time when you can it's okay to withhold the truth? With holding the truth.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

It's the same thing. With holding the truth, holding the gospel of Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

Let me tell you, this actually You will know the truth. I was holding back one of these. I was on what this is actually happening. I obviously don't say the person's name, but this actually happened where where a guy was um uh on one of these events that we were doing was uh was sharing some of the stuff that uh that he wanted to unload that that uh that some of the sin he he he wanted to unload and he actually said you know um my wife um there's no physicality between me and my wife because physically she can't have a physical relationship. And uh she said it's wrong, but I I um I go and see prostitutes, and worse than that, he said, you know, um I I because I'm in control all the time, I go and see uh uh one of these dom matrixes who tie him up and all that sort of stuff. So he's actually confessed all that. He's confessed he's repented of it, right? He's gonna walk away from it, he's repented of it. He said his next question was I suppose I've got to go back and tell my wife now, haven't I? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:03

Truth. And uh what what can you do? What can you do?

SPEAKER_01 25:08

What's that gonna do to his wife?

SPEAKER_00 25:09

Oh goodness, truth, truth.

SPEAKER_01 25:11

That will destroy her, wouldn't it, completely? He's already been he's been forgiven. He's repented of that. He's been forgiven and he's repented of that. The conversation Why then has he got to go and create and create absolute mayhem in his marriage? So di so difficult because I know from personal experience you can forgive, or people can forgive you, but they don't forget. So if he's all of a sudden he's confessed all this, can you imagine going back to your Christian? Yeah, even and he's in a in a church, he's he's yeah, he's he's a leader in a church, he's preaching, he's he's having he's with his wife who's a beautiful woman, beautiful Christian woman. He's off doing all this sort of stuff, but he's confessed now, repented of it. Is he gonna lay that at her doorstep?

SPEAKER_00 26:10

Goodness gracious, what what a subject for them to deal with. What an absolute conversation that goes beyond.

SPEAKER_01 26:15

A lot of people are go would say, yeah, he's got a he's got he would say that. I'm not so sure because uh you know what it's gonna do to that lady, you know.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

Yeah, what's it what's it gonna do to and then you can go even further on that one, can't you? You can look at business deals on the same way, on the same level. You've got a contract, you've done something. So what you've said and what you've just said also, then you you take it to the workplace as well, that you've there's been a situation where you've done something, you've acted in it, and it has evolved and it has changed the whole landscape of everything, but you haven't given the truth how you've got there and what you've done. But if you suddenly someone goes, Yeah, I know, you no, don't don't say. So what what is truth and what when is right and when is wrong? When is right, when is wrong? Yeah, I know because it comes down to your heart.

SPEAKER_01 27:08

So yeah the conversation this is it's it's a real It's a mind fill. And and really, Ben, at the end of the day, uh where I see it, where I see it sits, it's between you and the Lord. Everything sits between you and the Lord. And if the Lord says go, tell her because I will prepare her, and you and and you know it won't be a problem. But if the Lord says no, difference, yeah. I think it's between you and the Lord. I I think we can only advise and say this might happen if if that happens. Yeah. It's like I know several people who made enormous amount of money in in um, shall we say, well, it's we'll put it bluntly, in in in criminal activities, and then come to the Lord, and they've built a lifestyle on their criminal activity. They've got an enormous big house, they've got you know an immense wealth on from criminal activity, and then they've decided to see the light. See the light.

SPEAKER_00 28:16

So what they do with with the money that you've obtained. What life life will throw you, life will throw you every scenario, every scenario, yeah. And you have to be very wise, you have to look at what does the Bible say, what does God say, what does God expect of me, what is the word expecting of me in business, in life, in relationships, in home life, with the children, with the tax forms, with the VAT forms, with the gift aid forms.

SPEAKER_01 28:49

I don't think it's I don't think it's a cop-out to say it's between you and the Lord, because it is between you and the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 28:55

Because what happens is there, very clear, isn't it? When you bring it to God, God gives you, and God moves in you, and and God gives you the right way to go through every scenario of life, of every situation of life, of every stretch of life. So when you bring everything to Christ, Christ will the first person that's got to be dealt with is me, is them, is you, this is everybody. Because we've got to bring everything to the cross of Calvary. And we have to seek him and say, God, what is your way forward for me as a human being? What is your way forward for me as a believer? But I I think where we sit as the UK, when we look at the governments and education, these are really critical things to us at this moment. When you see what is coming out of the lips, because that's what we're talking about, is the wording. When things come out of government comp things come out of education, and education, where is education taking our children? Where is it taking them? Well, I think you've got to, I think as a parent, you've really got to get involved, and I think you've got to so where do you stand up as a parent when you hear that falsehood coming out as a believer? So I believe in the gospel. You've got a child at school, they're being taught everything that is the opposite of Christianity. Am I gonna sit back?

SPEAKER_01 30:14

Well, you know, listen. You've got it's it's what a mindful. I'm looking at it with my grandchildren, you've got grandchildren. Yeah, I think it's you know something. What are you gonna do? You're gonna homeschool your kids? You probably haven't got the time to do that. Where are you gonna go? Where are you gonna go? Where are you gonna go? What are you gonna do? I've I think this is the time, right? And it's a time, all these scenarios that we're saying. Every scenario under the sun has got to push you closer to the cross. It's got to, you've got to come before the Lord, and the Lord's got to direct you. What? You've got to seek and you've got to seek him first, right? And then you can speak to other people, get some counselling, get you've got to, but you've got to take this seriously because you've got to get involved in what your child is being taught, and if you're not happy, then you've got to make a decision.

SPEAKER_00 31:07

But how many families are trapped, trapped in in the position of their children are at a certain school, and the certain school is giving every other teaching under the sun, and and then you're going to church on a Sunday, and you're you we we're trying to live this Christian this way, and then and then if I don't say something, I'm holding the truth back from my children, and then I'm allowing education and the government to dictate to how my children are influenced through the teaching. So it's this is a massive subject for life, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 31:47

I mean the intro very interesting is that um you know uh my um my daughter-in-law, she's from a Jewish background, my boy's from um he's a got he's got a Christian background. And um it's interesting I've just before Christmas because uh and my my grandkids are in a as I said before in a church school. But my my daughter-in-law rang me and she said, Simon, can you um he George is my youngest grandson, he said he he loves stories of the Bible, he just loves stories of the Bible, and I'm reading him, but I've only got an old testament. We want a new testament. Can you get him a new testament? So we got him uh a New Testament for a five-year-old, you know, and uh and they're going going through it. So I think it's important that the the stuff at the home, you know, my son is reading it with him, going through it, he's getting all the stories of of the Bible, Old and New Testament, in a fun way as well, you know, as he's only five years old. So I think it's important that we we do that sort of stuff with our with our children. Yeah, they they've we always got to be the counterbalance, we've always got to be um showing them the way, haven't we, as parents and grandparents 100% because the Bible makes it clear, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_00 33:05

Bring a child up in the way that it should go. Yeah, so as a parent, grandparent, uh family member, whoever we are, believers in Christ Jesus, when we got children in our responsibility within the family context and everything that goes along, it's really important that we make sure that our children know Jesus and as they go to school, say, Lord, will you protect them as they go into that environment? Because there will be uncountable parents that are sending their children, godly children, godly families, sending their children to school that are being pressed with such a tide, such a tide of of untruths and and different different looks, different stretches, different religions, different ways.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

Benny, it's it's absolutely vital that that however we do it we make sure our children know the truth. Yeah. I I've spoken in many prisons, and um a lot of the time, obviously, you know, guys in prison, they're at a low point in the they've got nowhere else to turn, and and they're looking for something, hope, and and a lot of them do turn to to Jesus. And um it's interesting that a lot of them you speak to them and they've always had someone praying for them.

SPEAKER_02 34:23

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:25

And so they've always had a background knowledge, a little bit more than sometimes you realise, they've always got a background knowledge of the Bible and of who Jesus was. But so we're coming into an area now, a generation now, where they probably haven't got that, where they don't know who Jesus is, because if they're not being taught at school, then and he's not being taught at home, they're not getting it from anywhere, are they? No, they're not. Um so we got a we have to uh a responsibility, a massive responsibility, and we'll we'll come on to that in a minute because there is a scripture that really shows and really points out what responsibility we we've got. But here's the deal, I've been in a number of churches where they make it a real point to go into prisons and to witness to to prisoners. And that's great because it tells us in the Bible, you know, that's the sort of thing we can't do. But there hasn't been the same emphasis of giving comfort to the victims. Because it's victims of crime, victims of crime, yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_00 35:31

Yeah, yeah, we get that.

SPEAKER_01 35:33

And you know, I stand on platforms with people, uh myself is one of them, who've got testimonies of hurt and aggression towards people. And yeah, we've changed, but you may have by something you've done, you may have ruined someone's life. You don't know, do you? And some of these people, even just by being a burglar or or you know, thieving, it's ruined someone's life. Yeah, and it's okay, you know, you come to the Lord and that's brilliant, but the the other side of the mess that you've left on the other side, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:10

It's so much, isn't there? There's so much in the conversation of life. When you look at all the conversations and you look at everything, just the the when you when you really look at life itself and you look from a world view with eyes, with eyes of the world, but also look as a as a believer as well, it's really difficult to navigate yourself through this life without Jesus. It's it's it's impossible. You will get caught on so many traps, but even as a believer, you you can get get caught in a snare, you can get caught in a trap, you can get caught in a mistake, you can get caught in a a business deal, you can get caught in in workplace issues, you can get caught in a bullying situation, you can get caught in in not delivering the truth from the scripture. You can that you know, sometimes when you look at life, life can almost frighten you itself when you bring the Bible into your life and my life, and look at that and think, God, help me. I've got to get through. I need help in this world. I'm sitting under.

SPEAKER_01 37:19

Ben, this whole subject of of not telling the truth, of of of keeping un of not of having untruths, it's it's use, and one of the biggest areas in our lives is um is sexual sin and and withholding the truth. Yeah. And even when you confess it, it's the trust is a lot of times as you can't cope with that without Jesus. You seriously can't cope with that. So um where we said before there's there may be forgiveness, but it's still that sexual thing where you've actually put you know, maybe had an affair with another person and and you've you've confessed it, it it it is really raw with the person. And and I know I know men who are in their 80s that um have been through this earlier in their lives, Christian guys still carrying it. They've confessed it to their wives, but when something comes on the telly, you know, whether it's a young girl having an affair with an older guy or whatever, the wife will get up and walk out of the room to this day.

SPEAKER_00 38:34

And it might be four years down the line. Of course, it's a big, big thing. But then also, on top of that, you can look at the money side of what we're talking about as well. Miss Falsehood of holding money back from someone and not confessing what what money you've got as in. So you look at life, you look at being a human being as a man and a woman, and all man and a woman, all the trappings you can get there through uh that way of the falling of there, then you've got the falling of money, then you've got the falling of business, then you've got the falling of the children uh not being taught the truth. You you've got fallings and failings all around you.

SPEAKER_01 39:15

All over Benjamin. And trying to navigate what we've tried to say through this whole look at the Ten Commandments is that wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone everyone just kept to the K Ten Commandments. It would be an amazing place.

SPEAKER_00 39:35

It if yeah, but we know that from the fall of the garden, when you fall of the from from the from the fall in the garden, it is unbelievable how the world from that point the fall in the garden has affected absolutely everything through life. Then you know it's the corruption started.

SPEAKER_01 39:59

Corruption started. So if you if we look at every single aspect of life, that's right, it's been corrupted. Everything has been manipulated and shaped from the You can't even have a hundred metres race to see who's the fastest person in the world without someone who's taking drugs. You can't even have that. You know, you can't have everything has been everything is is on the wire. And I don't know about you, but it feels like as we said before, the veil's been lifted and we can now see corruption in government, in governments around the world. Every area, every area we can see it.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

And also what what we've got to encourage each other in is that there's always a way forward with Jesus. There is always a way forward. So if you are listening, if you're with us and you're a believer and and and life is bringing really difficult situations to your door, and you're trying to work out what way to go forward, it has to be with Jesus. Coming to Christ and saying, Father, forgive me, for I've sinned and fallen short of your glory. Lord help me. I can't see properly. That's your first port of cross. I need help, Jesus. I need help is on your face. It is the cross. That's why it's so important to take of the bread and the wine, to do this together. As often as you come together, do this in remembrance of me. What am I doing? I'm breaking bread and I'm taking of the cup. I'm coming to the King of Glory and I'm I'm resting in his presence. You know, there is so much to gather from the communion table, from the Passover table. We're in 41 minutes in. We're gonna have to.

SPEAKER_01 41:38

We'll jump off in a second, right? But I've just fallen on that scripture that we we we alluded to in the break, which was it's Ezekiel 33, and it starts right from the start. It says, Again, the word of the Lord came to me saying, Son of man, speak to the children of your people and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory to make them their watchmen. Oh, church leader. When he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning. So whoever hears the word of the Lord and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head.

SPEAKER_00 42:18

That the watchman on the wall. Yeah. Delivering the word of God, delivering the truth. And that that who does that sit to? It sits the church leaders, man. It sits to the church leaders, and then also the Bible very clear that we are all instruments and we're all called and we're all chosen of God. So everyone that will call themselves a believer of Christ Jesus has a responsibility of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_01 42:46

And whether that's that how do we however we do that, however we do that in our actions or in our words, however we do it. But then he goes on to say he heard the sound of the trumpet, but he did not take the warning, and his blood shall be on himself. Oh. Right. So but he who takes the warning will save his life. Wow. So if you listen, if you've heard the warning, if you know it's coming, yeah, and you accept that, you know that warning, and and you then you've saved your life if you accept that warning. But he said, but if the watchman sees a sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes away any person from among us, he is taken away in his iniquity. But his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.

SPEAKER_00 43:35

So the church, the church, the leaders, the preaching, the teaching, the worship leaders, the singing, the worshippers, everything comes into that scripture because you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. So if I've been given truth as a believer, and if we've all been given truth as a believer, we have a responsibility. In the area of church leadership, in the area of worship leaders, in the area of administration, in the area of congregations, we have a responsibility of telling the world the truth about Jesus Christ. We are living in times within the UK where we need to stand up for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to stand up. We need to stand up and say, Lord, come, Holy Spirit. I need you, Lord. Lord, I need you in the name of Jesus. Lord, I need to share with my colleagues at work the truth. Lord, I need to share with my my friends. Lord, I need to share with my family. I want the world to know the truth about Jesus Christ. And when you start sharing the gospel, and even when you just say, God love you, God loves you. Well what do you mean what do you mean by that? You're telling someone the truth, because God does love you.

SPEAKER_01 44:53

So we went on to say, Ben, it says, So you son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Therefore you shall hear a word from my mouth and warn them from me. When I say to the wicked, Oh wicked man, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked of his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I'll require at your hand. Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked to turn away from his way, and he does not turn away, he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul. So the warning's clearly there, isn't it? We all have a responsibility.

SPEAKER_00 45:31

There is a responsibility on anyone that is a believer to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. But how do we do that? We need to encourage one another.

SPEAKER_01 45:40

We've got to encourage them. Encourage one another. And like we just said, Ben, you know, in the previous podcast, we just go out and we we we say with a with a with a Jesus heart, we say, How are you today? How are you? As simple as that. And be encouragers of the faith. And we we call it having a go for Jesus. Just have a go for Jesus. Just say, look, you know, and at the end, if you can get a God blessing or Jesus loves you, then and it's not it don't come out as a as a nutty thing, you know, you do but just just encourage see see the smile on someone's face, see the the look on someone's face, yeah, and it will open up a conversation. You can I go to a a drive-thru Starbucks quite often, it's new already close to me, and just by saying to them, How are you doing, mate? It just opens up a whole small conversation. You've got a a time of like a three-minute slot where they're gonna give you your coffee, you're gonna pay for it, you've got a three-minute slot there to encourage that person.

SPEAKER_00 46:43

Yeah, and where do where do so that that is the important thing that where we sit and when we finish this now is that as brothers and sisters, we need to walk with one another from all denominations. And what I mean by that is to leave the teachings of the denominations and say, what does Jesus, what is God calling me to be at this moment? And we need to encourage the body of Christ, we need to pray for one another, lift one another up, encourage one another in the scripture, almost put your arm around your brother and sister and say, Come on, let's support each other. You know, let's lift each other up, let's support each other as we walk in the gospel, as we walk in the word, as we walk in the presence, as we walk in the love of God. We need to encourage one another and we need to let each other know the truth that your name is stamped in the Lamb's book of life. God loves you, you are blessed and highly favoured. Jesus Christ loves you, and he went to the cross for you, and everything will be okay because you've got Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 47:41

The truth we need to be givers will be okay. We need to be encouragers and hope givers and hope givers in the in the name of Jesus. And it has to be a heart thing, my friends, it cannot be a head thing.

SPEAKER_00 47:52

No, yeah, you're so right, Simon. We've got to be hope givers, we've got to give each other hope that you you can break through the wall of trouble, you can get over the hurdle of life, you can see the blessing of the Lord every morning. You you will see that recovery period. You know, humanity is trying to recover from so much. Every one of us is trying to recover, and every one of us is trying to move forward and to leave uh just the area of certain stuff that's coming from the world and go, Lord, I need you today. This is the day that the Lord has made. I shall rejoice and be glad.

SPEAKER_01 48:27

This is the day of your salvation, Ben. That's yeah, that's the thing. And we just want to uh encourage uh anyone out there who's really feeling up against it, whose back's against the wall. We know what it's like. You're on the carpet, you know, you don't know where to turn. We want to encourage you that um that with Jesus your breakthrough is just around the corner. Hang on in there. Do not give up. You will hear Ben say it time and time again, do not never give up. Never give up. Never give up.

SPEAKER_00 48:55

Press into the Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 48:56

Press into Jesus. I remember that uh quote from Winston Churchill. He he he went to Oxford University and they said to him, give us a word. He just got up and he said, never give up six times, and he sat down. Never give up. I didn't know it. I never never knew that. Never knew that. Never give up. This hope with Jesus Christ and uh hang on, hang on, hang on. Some days we feel like we're just hanging on with our fingernails, but yeah, but never give up. He's he's reaching out to you, he's reaching out to you, he's he's his his hand is there ready to pull you out or whatever, mess you're in. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Put you on your own. You're so right. Follow me.

SPEAKER_00 49:36

And on that note, I just quickly must say this send a text, send a phone call, send an email to someone that you know that needs real encouragement in your life. Let's encourage one another through text through the social networks. Let's encourage each other in the body of Christ and let's say to one another, we can do it. We are breaking through. Jericho is falling because we all walk together. God bless you. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 50:02

Amen.