#Christian Straight Talk - Courage - Forgiveness (#6 Courage)

Simon Pinchbeck and Reverend Ben Cooper take to the mics to talk about the 6th part in the series of Courage and this week they talk about the Courage for forgiveness.

Transcript

Reverend Ben Cooper: 0:17

Yeah. Hello and welcome wherever you are. May God bless you and strengthen you today you're joining us here at Simon Pinchbeck. And it's me Reverend Ben Cooper for#Christian straight talk. We just pray wherever you are on planet Earth today that you are really seeking Christ, pray for your salvation, I pray that you will be blessed that you will know God as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. There is nothing to fear. If you're following Jesus, he is a way maker, he is your God, He is your King. We are straight out of the barrel of truth.#Christian straight talk. We thank you so much for all the downloads and everything that's happening across this platform that we are using. But May God bless you. We are certainly living in very spiritual and very powerful times. But are you for Jesus? Are you for Jesus? Are you for what the world might be doing? Simon we're in. Good morning, my friend. Good morning.

Simon Pinchbeck: 1:06

It's great to be here. And it's great to be back on the mics been back on the mic. We are. We've#Christian straight talk, straight down the barrel, the truth and no mess. Not missing. We're straight in it's gone. We're going deep today, Ben, we're going to date. And it's our sixth podcast on courage. And this today is the title is the courage of forgiveness, we're going to look at the forgiveness in all sorts of angles. So whatever it is, indeed, and we'll see where we go with it. And we're just going to put it out there. See where the Lord leads today. Because, you know, forgiveness, Ben is very easy to say but very hard to do. For us in the flesh, isn't it?

Reverend Ben Cooper: 1:49

I find forgiveness is the biggest challenge that I have in my life, that I need to forgive the difference between forgiving, and forgetting that it's such a it's very difficult because you we always get reminded of past hurts. So even though I may say I've forgiven, but I haven't forgotten. And you know what, as long as you don't bear any excess bitterness, or malice in your heart, I don't Yeah, you know, this gets wrong is tough, isn't it? You know? Yeah. Experiences in general. Yeah. Yeah. And I think what we do sometimes, though, Ben, you know, do you agree with me that sometimes we take God's forgiveness for granted, don't we? I think I do more than that. I don't really realize how powerful it is. I'll go beyond that. And I just think, I don't sometimes think what I've been forgiven for what I've been set free from how he has given me a hope and a future. taking it for granted. Yeah, that's a nice way of putting that but I need to let him know more.

Simon Pinchbeck: 2:56

I hear it all the time. Especially young guys, millennial guys, they will they will, you know, when I speak to them, they'll go, yeah, I get the forgiveness bit. Yeah, blah, blah, blah. But you know, it's, it's, it's not, you can't say be blase about it. You can't be flippant about it in this is forgiveness for something that you've you've it's God's grace, which is undeserved favor. So you've forgiven through the grace of Almighty God.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 3:24

So when when what yeah, that's, that's 100%, right on the biblical arrow there. But when I talk about forgiveness, and when I forgive, because he forgave me, when I look and go deep into that, what also happens is, it turns it back on me. And sometimes when it's turned back on me, because when I'm not looking at me, all is okay. But when I got a look at me, sometimes I've got to forgive myself, for all almost all manner of things. So forgiveness is a massive balloon is a huge subject. And we're going to try and work through, I don't know how we can ever work through this in these 4550 minutes. We're going to see what we can do. And all we can do is just lay out, lay out what we lay out, isn't it. Just trust God that God will speak to life because when you come in out of a relationship, that's abusive, when you're in a workplace, that's abusive, when you're in a family home, that's abusive when you've got people coming at you. And you've got to put yourself in the posture of forgiving that person for the bullying that's coming towards you that the controlling over your life, you can't grow as a man or a woman, you can't. You can't live as you want to live. So it's all around us.

Simon Pinchbeck: 4:44

It's all around us, Ben and we'd say forgiveness, but soon as soon as you say that word then

Reverend Ben Cooper: 4:51

the church runs because with forgiveness comes repentance.

Simon Pinchbeck: 4:57

Well, you got to put two other letters in front of that. Forgiveness and then when you build on forgiveness in there, then that will spark something in a lot of our listeners, because there'll be something in your past or maybe in your present a lot of times in the past where, you know, there's stuff that's happened, that maybe you buried deep down inside, I haven't really dealt with it, but we're gonna work through a day and between me and do Ben, we're gonna see what our two brain cells come up with.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 5:30

Yeah, got you got the two I've just got the guy and got

Simon Pinchbeck: 5:34

the spies. No, No, no, no, not really been way I looked at it. When the Lord sort of thought gave me four levels. And we'll see where we go on the first level. Ben was what what is the benchmark for forgiveness? Well, we, if we just dip into the Bible, oh, wait, hang on a minute.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 5:57

Bible, the Bible in church. I'm not quite sure if we're allowed to have that. I thought it was all about pastor the foot is all about going live and God is love and you can, you can switch and change and you can have bits and pieces cut off and bits added and you can build your like a Bible, a Bible. Yeah.

Simon Pinchbeck: 6:16

A shocking revelation.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 6:17

The only one in Kent is

Simon Pinchbeck: 6:20

the only church from the Bible.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 6:23

What you brought in, though? You know what, before we go any further, you know, I might be a little bit flippant, sometimes, and please, please apologize. But we are living in serious times within the UK, we seriously, you know, you are believers, if you're seeking if you're looking. And please, we urge you right now, to get yourself a Bible. There's nothing finer than a Bible because that's the greatest investment that you will ever buy and you will invest in is a fiver or a tenner. Or actually, we go further than that, because we believe on this #Christian straight talk that when you look at the book that we've got come out and all the other stuff, we will get you a Bible, wherever you are across the world, we will get you a free Bible. That is what we are about. Because we believe in what we've sold our life into the Word of God. That's true. You contact us. Yeah, it's important if you buy our book, which is buy a copy. If you

Simon Pinchbeck: 7:21

know, but if you know without going through any, any form of media will get a new brand new New Testament, yeah, give us new testament to you. Absolutely free of charge. You want to have to pay for the postage. Now we'll do all that for you. This is what we believe in. We believe in the word of God, we believe in sovereign Word of God. And he's, you know, moving on, then you saying what is the benchmark? Well, if we just if you just dip into the Bible of Matthew 818 21, the parable of the unforgiving servant, what goes on from that? But Peter came to him to Jesus and said, Lord, how often shall my brothers sinned against me, and I forgive him up to seven times. Now, Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to 70 times seven.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 8:11

That is, that is a great

Simon Pinchbeck: 8:14

it's a great place to start

Reverend Ben Cooper: 8:15

is a great place because that is that is a continuum. What Christ is saying, there is no full stop. There's no full stop. You just keep going. Just keep you Forgive, and you forgive. And But Lord, did he really say what text message they sent me, Father, I ain't got the cut, forgive, forgive. But Lord, forgive. It takes courage. It takes courage to forgive.

Simon Pinchbeck: 8:41

And Jesus said it so many times. So then he goes on to say the parable about the unforgiving servant, which, yeah, which is, you know, if you've, if you look in Matthew 18, it's a great bit of Scripture because it shows that servant goes to the king and the Odium a few quit, and King was going to throw him into prison. But then the servant appealed to him and the king had mercy on him, for gave him canceled his dead. But then what the servant do, he went straight, went straight and throttled another servant. A few shekels and and so it really shows us that God has forgiven us. And I guess, I guess we optimise

Reverend Ben Cooper: 9:24

the way that we're where we're made, isn't it? The language we use, I guess, is a real word, isn't it? I guess I've got to. I've got to forgive beyond the natural understanding of what forgiveness is. And it's critical for me as a believer that I put myself into the position of saying, Lord, I've hurt people in my life. I've hurt I've made situations bad and I've done this and I've done that. And to recognize that and also to sit down and say, Lord, I pray that that person will forgive me for the way that I am. have messed up their life. I've heard them I've split this up. I've done that. I've dabbled. See, that's a massive alone, isn't it? It's a minefield. And we'll come on, you know, Ben. So, so tough. We'll come on to that because,

Simon Pinchbeck: 10:14

you know, with his absolute minefield out there, so very simply, very slowly, which is what is the benchmark?

Reverend Ben Cooper: 10:25

Lord? Show me for the word? Okay, Ben, this is the benchmark. So the Lord's Prayer being let's take the Lord's church and on which I thought he was teaching in schools, I've got no idea but long prayer.

Simon Pinchbeck: 10:39

But the Lord's Prayer says, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. forgive those who trespass against us.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 10:49

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

Simon Pinchbeck: 10:52

forgive our debts as we get out as we for so forgive us, forgive us as we've yet hang on a minute, Lord, forgive me, Lord, but but I've got

Reverend Ben Cooper: 11:03

a full stop, Lord, take the full stop off, Ben, take off. Anything on the end of that? forgive? Forgiveness, is probably the biggest challenge that any believer has in their life. It takes courage. It takes strength, it takes looking at yourself, but the benchmark has to be I start in Christ.

Simon Pinchbeck: 11:29

Because what is the I think, honestly, you may disagree me and people out there may disagree. But the ultimate act of forgiveness is Jesus Christ being nailed to the cross. And Luke, you had it been? Luke 2334. It's, it's tell us tell us what I say.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 11:50

It's a it makes me cry, to be honest, are not fright. Understand. I'm not fond of crying, that's for sure. Because this text is very deep. It presses and it touches hearts. Some get it and someone because it's not in their timeline of God giving you revelation or knowledge. But Luke 2334 says, Jesus said, Father forgive them for they know know what they are doing. And they divided up his clothes by cost in lots there's a lot happening in this but But Jesus said, Jesus had father. So he's, he's in unbelievable pain, that I will never understand the pain of crucifixion, I will never understand the pain and the the, the elements that he's going through where his his body is beaten, he has been punched out, he's been spit, spit spat at, sorry, he has been whipped. Everything has happened to the living Word of God, everything has happened to Christ, everything has happened to God, because the Scripture says, The Christ is the image of the invisible God. So this is the Redeemer. And he's, he's on. He's on the cross a Calvary. And he's got everyone around him. He's got everything breaking out, you've got the spiritual forces that humanity will never understand. Theologians can never undo that envelope that deep to understand this, the dark side was staring down over him. Lucifer thinking in the wings that I've got this, this, this is mine now. And Christ brings a line out a word out that says Father, so he is recognizing in his pain. He's recognizing in his pain, that he's still under the authority of the father, but he is the creator of heaven and earth. And for this day, I need to be careful that I don't come off of track with this. It says Jesus said, Father, forgive them. See, Ben, this is on across this is just before you separate from the Father. So this is almost his last word. This is the line get separate from the sentences before the separation. And he's still acknowledging that this is the father see, he could, he could have gone farther, sort of he's out farther get me off his cross saw these people out. In a moment you would have wanted to do that when in any moment. at any particular point. When them soldiers were driving in them free now's when they was beaten in and whipping him at any given point. From the Table of remembrance in the New Testament, when the Last Supper was being put through and Lucifer entered into Judas at any point he did not need to go even from the garden, he did not need to do this, but this is showing the clear love of the King of kings and the Lord of lords this this is pure love, that the world cannot understand religion is just non existent here. This this this is beyond the church. This is beyond Is the kidness

Simon Pinchbeck: 15:01

is to do Ben. So they they, they've crucified, they've beat him and saying, Father forgive them for they know know what and the Father, what's the father got to do? He's got to do he's got the word sense, is saying so he's got to forgive him. Because when you speak the word of God, God has that act on his word that is the safeguard of His Word. Whatever is spoken with your heart will come into being. You imagine when you know someone as attacked and hurt, defiled you, you're your daughter. Yeah, all son can't even go and you've full of revenge and anger. And your son or daughter turns around and says, forgiveness. Forgive him, Natalie, she's finished forgiven. So it's just,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 15:59

I'm actually lots of words and you will, you will never know what that actually means. Reverend Ben Cooper, look be lost, lost for words. Jesus said, Father, forgive them that just froze open the envelope to all humanity, because not only is he staring down to his mother, the disciples, the JIRAs the backstabbers religion. So I'm going to take this time.

Simon Pinchbeck: 16:30

I know we're a bit pushed on that, but I'm gonna say it's a little bit off track. So does that mean? Does that mean is that for today

Reverend Ben Cooper: 16:39

is for now you are forgiven. I am forgiven Simon. Three now's I think I might have said this before the three now's a Calvary. One was for my historical sin. One was for my present. Now sin and one is for my future sin. That's how I look at the three now as a Calvary. So when he said, Father, forgive them, it was for the audience that was before him. And beyond the audience is me and you and anyone

Simon Pinchbeck: 17:08

that when that is absolute, was promised,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 17:12

the promise of salvation, eternal life with the King of Glory, he's forgive me of my nasty horrible ways that I used to be this is on a cross, he's been nailed to the cross.

Simon Pinchbeck: 17:29

I can imagine I'd be crying in pain or, you know, suffering, but he has the mindset of forgiven, because he's fully human, what is

Reverend Ben Cooper: 17:40

what is greater, what is greater than any human feeling is the love of God, love, over arches, everything, when you love, like Christ, you will give someone your coat, you will let them slap you on the other cheek. When you are in Christ, you are given such an anointing, such grace, such power and such authority over the dark. Now, this is looking at the physical in front of him. It doesn't mention the Lucifer that is standing in the wings. It doesn't mention the spiritual activity, what but we see that further in the text by by what happens the spiritual atmosphere Lucifer must have literally thinking to himself of God.

Simon Pinchbeck: 18:32

So what's Jesus doing here? He's making a spectacle. And he ain't thinking of himself was he? No, not like we would know.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 18:40

Not like father forgive them. So that them goes 2300 years up to now let's go back to the cross. So when he said, Father, forgive them, that was those that was before, those that are coming in, at that particular point, those that wasn't even brought into existence, so that that that line that he has spoken Father forgive them. It spreads down all time to his return. But it is not to be taken for granted. It's not to be taken flippantly. No,

Simon Pinchbeck: 19:15

it's to be taken very, very seriously because that brings us nicely on to the second part, which is forgiving others being Oh, so God forgave us through His grace is undeserved. Our undeserved favor is forgiven. So the command to us is forgive others through grace through undeserved faith, and then achievable when you're in Christ. When you're in Christ. You can't do it. In my physical, you can't have flesh or remember, earring about the lady, Corrie 10. Boom, that story, the story and the story of forgiveness and she was speaking about for Given a skirt, she was a lady that had been in the the Horan camps camps and seen a family die in second world. There wasn't as a sister, yes system. And as she was speaking of forgiveness, and then as she finished, she looked and the guy at the back who was there, she recognized him as a prison guard who would shoot family into the she had to shake his hand I believe was it? Yes, correct then but she said she couldn't, she could stretch out, do it in the spirit. See that, that that tears everything down. This is not of this natural world, not of my perception, my thinking, my understanding my, my articulation, my philosophy of life, because if it unboxed I have to go out out of I'm not talking about transcend or meditation. When I say I get out with myself, I'm not floating, we're not floating by extra protection.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 20:52

I'm actually in a moment in my

Simon Pinchbeck: 20:56

blue water shopping center.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 20:58

It's I have to get into Jesus, I have come out of myself, literally be self less, be completely selfless, as Christ was self less on the cross a Calvary. And the father was selfless. Because John 316, For God so loved the world. Because God so loved the world. He was able to send his son to the cross of Calvary, because love Arches over. So when I'm in Jesus, I have not the earthly ability, but I have the power of the Holy Spirit, to enable me to say those words. When normally, maybe I couldn't, because I'm in the love of God.

Simon Pinchbeck: 21:50

Let's try and work through them and that there were many scriptures that that tell us when we must forgive, as Christ has forgiven us. So praise God, if you if you look at Colossians 313 Then it says, well 312 So therefore as the elect of God, holy Amber love put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another. And here's the thing, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against you, even as Christ forgave you, so you must do so that's one scripture and if we go to Ephesians 432 That kind of says the same things that Let all bitterness wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice And be kind to one another tender hearted forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. So again, okay, forgive, as the Lord forgave you.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 22:54

Where did he Where did he forgive me? Father, forgive them for they know, the cross across? Yeah, the cross is the go to. Not that I'm lifting up the cross as an as, as some do in certain religions as a as a as an idol. But the cross, what does the cross do? It reminds me that my sin has been washed, I've been saved, because of the blood of the Lamb. I've been saved, because the unconditional love of the God of Israel, the God that put the heavens into being. So when he says, Forgive, as I forgave you, that go to point, that starter point is always and has to be Christ. It has to be Christ, go to Christ, this he says, Go to Christ, I go to God in Christ for God. So I go to Christ. And I try to bring my thinking and my understanding, to the cross, the Calvary, of the pain and the suffering and the, the the shame of, of everything, that the crucifixion was the worst, worst death to go out the pain, the the, the, the fall, even when you study what what crucifixion is, I can't even study that. I've looked at it so much. And I cannot go there because because when I when I think of what Christ done for me, that is beyond this is beyond human understanding. So I go to the cross, and I just look at the cross. But I look at the empty cross because he is a risen, a risen Messiah. But I've got to forgive as he cried out as he spoke out, Father, forgive them.

Simon Pinchbeck: 24:34

And look what he says, Jesus, Jesus in Mark 1125. He says this, he says, Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, if you've got anything that goes on for anything, yeah, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you or your trespass.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 24:58

So there we go, we pull up line again, to Colossians 313. If you've got any grievances, you've got any grievances, grievances, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, it all comes in the balloon. It comes in this balloon, and it takes courage to pop the balloon, huge courage, I've got to pop this balloon, the command issue, if God can, if God can lead me to a place of popping the balloon, it will just all disappear. But I carry this balloon with me. You know, it floats with me wherever I go, this balloon floats with me. But if I can pop it is finished. And he says again, Jesus sits again in, in Matthew 614, which is after the Lord's Prayer. He says, For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. So I need to, so he will.

Simon Pinchbeck: 25:50

Totally

Reverend Ben Cooper: 25:51

but what's so powerful before we ever came into existence, we were saved through through the power of God, but there is a part that I need to play. I cannot I cannot sit on a couch of Christianity and go God is love. It's all given no, no work out your salvation with fear and trembling. And I've got to forgive. So he says, If this is Jesus, Jesus is saying these words he says, but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you. So I need to forgive those that have come against me. trespass against me. So yeah, let's have a look at Ben Ben because the pain of his causes is great. And it's yet yeah. And open the envelope and the friend

Simon Pinchbeck: 26:33

is if if you're living with that, Ben, what are you living with? You're you're living with bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness. Ben, it will destroy you. It will absolutely destroy Nelson Mandela said, he said, he said resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. That's that's bad. Because it's in you. And also you Yeah, it's eating away at you. It's nor in. It's there. And to some people, it defines them. Yeah.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 27:00

And ages, oh, ageism, it takes their life away, physically, grows into jealousy, it grows into anger, it spirals out of control. But then there also comes into the arena of that of not actually admitting what it really is. So you got to go right back to the root of what it was on where it was. And that could be years you've been carrying carrying a pillow. You've been carrying the balloon, and it hasn't been popped. Because part of surrender. Surrender is everything.

Simon Pinchbeck: 27:35

And my friends, if you're sitting there really wondering, well, why isn't God moved me on? Why am I stuck in this same place? Why Why? Why go? Well, the thing is, God cannot move on with you. He cannot take you to another level if you're and he can't work with you if you're still harboring unforgiveness against someone now your sister or your brother? Yeah, I did with my stepfather and I was prompted by somebody on the Gold Channel that it made to go and I went up and and I told Delt about it dealt with it the wrong way. Because I just confronted him and said, you know, you know, I forgive you. And when you do that with someone that you come across as a bit judgmental on you. Also, also you're laying yourself open. Really too, because it could all come out. You're laying yourself on the operating table. Yeah, of life. It could all come out and your your your own surgeon all of a sudden, all that past anger and hatred and unforgiveness could just pour out onto that person who didn't really and it could come out completely wrong or come out completely wrong. So you got to be wise. You got to be prayerful. Well, how do we walk it out? Because I'm going to tell you I was listened to Dr. Charles Stanley is someone that your mom used to amazing guy and, you know, his word is amazing. And it's forgiving hurts that we don't deserve it. That's the that was the title. And we can't do it in the flesh. We know that. unforgiveness is a poison. unforgiveness. It won't pass with time, Ben, you know, people will say oh, to accelerate as we go as we walk life. It stays with us. But what happens is, the bite gets tighter. It gets tighter. It grabs it grabs us more. We need to deal with it quick. Get it out. Get it out. Get it out for yourself up. unforgiveness, investors a root of pride. Yeah, there's a root of selfishness and there's a root of ignorance in there and it damages all our relationships.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 29:51

And also Simon I believe it leads to another word jealousy, jealousy it all it all it spiral it brings everything into this one balloon. And we, in the flesh, we try and work around this suite. And I deny it, justify it by making excuses or denying it or tolerating it or saying Time heals none of that work or talking it not over in your own head and going through it, and trying to justify justify my actions, or my ways why I came to that situation, and trying to make this make myself sit happy with Jesus, when actually I've got to do what Christ said, Father, forgive them. So what? Forgive me and this could be, as you said, it could go back years if we

Simon Pinchbeck: 30:45

got history. First of all, we ask the Holy Spirit to convict what, who? And when and what yeah, it could be a parent, it could be a school teacher, it could be a school bully, like you say, These people may not be alive. They may live 1000s of miles away. They may live. It's massive. Its massive. So what Dr. Stanley suggest you do, and I'd be very interested to hear your take on this see, suggests you pull up to chase. Yeah. One sent to you, and you're sitting in the other one, and you have a conversation, you have a conversation and you get out all at all. Yeah. And if you've got to cry, you cry if you've got to hit the jail. You hit Yeah, yeah. But when you come out of him, you we need to forgiven that person. Yeah. For what has gone on inside us. What? How does that sound to you? Sounds 100%. Right. But I can only do it in the strength of Christ. So what are we doing the strength across. So when I sit down, I'm not sitting down in my physical may because may want never do me. But what I can do is to say, Lord, I'm going to jump into this arena of forgiveness, I'm going to spend this time and it might you might be in the chair for hours and weeks and years. And it might

Reverend Ben Cooper: 31:59

because the chair can be anywhere or anything to a degree you can be in your van, you can be on the scaffold, you can be at your computer, you're in a chair, and you're just taking time out and saying Father, that issue that I started that I fueled, or father what they done two way traffic, but it's about conversation. So obviously the person isn't there. But what you are doing is that you are confessing and you are speaking and God wants to hear your voice. He wants to hear your heart He knows your heart. Yeah. Because you're the devil tries to hide it. The devil will try and get you to hide it but but that person may be not in that arena of your life. As Simon said, there may be many different scenarios. But the person can I say this about? It's really irrelevant. The person, what is the critical thing is that my heart is saying, Father, help me. Help me forgive me forgive those Lord, because forgiveness. As soon as you start talking about forgiveness, it's about me forgiving them, and me forgiving me and me for understanding the power of forgiveness. So that person will never sit in front of me. Maybe the image of the person that may have but what is the power in this is that I am actually admitting to him, the King of glory. I need you Lord. It's the connection is the connection is it's not a freeway triangle. It is one connection between me and the Father as Jesus said, Father, forgive them. Forgive me Christ did not need to be forgiven. You will find that way across the textbook human humanity as a believer I've offended people. I've upset people I've hurt people have destroyed people. It that the list is endless. So what we need to say those words and mean it our hearts see this brings into the arena that I cannot be a Pharisee or a sajer see or a churchgoer or a religious leader. I need to just be me. Just be me be the son or be the daughter, whoever you are. And forget all the church stuff. Forget what the leaders are telling us forgiveness is not spoken about to that degree in the church because when you talk about forgiveness, it also is bringing an issue of how I am living right now. And when you talk about how I'm living right now, the word that comes straight into this courtyard is repentance. So repentance and forgiveness and love and the word of God. You can't win this this is this is too big. This is too big for for what we are doing this beyond. What else are we doing when we forgive someone? Right? We are releasing that person. Yeah. See, God can't deal with that person. If he wants to do and we can't do it because you're hanging on to unforgiveness.

Simon Pinchbeck: 35:00

Yeah. And, and, you know, the Lord says that, you know that, leave it to him, it will sort it out you we cannot do this on our own we and our OB say, Father forgive them. Yeah. And if we've got to do that several times, we've got to do it several times, if we've got to do that for each person that's on our heart we got to do but I would say, I'll suggest and go one step further, which I've, which I've learned to do, is not only forgive them, but Father bless him. For our blessing. Bless that. Yeah. And I released that person. Yeah. From any spiritual unforgiveness. But bless them and pray that wouldn't were their name. Bless that person. Yeah, be bold, maybe set a few names. And

Reverend Ben Cooper: 35:56

we'll be here for hours.

Simon Pinchbeck: 35:59

Bless them, because that release is that because we don't, yeah, does that do that takes that weight, b

Reverend Ben Cooper: 36:05

ecause we're going into the spiritual texts right then into the physical, because the battle belongs to the Lord. And when I release it to the Lord, it is wiped off the Blackboard is freedom, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free, not difficult. It's not difficult outline when you do when Yeah, when we were trying to outline this, we're trying to make this simple. But it's you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. See, when I know him, he says, I am the Way the Truth and the Life No one comes to the Father except through me. So my relation, ship with Christ is fundamental to forgiving to walk him right to live in right. So we may be saying or you may be thinking, this is impossible for me, the star in place that the harbor that the rock because of the scripture says He is the rock of all ages, he is your God, he is Jesus. So if you are out there listening, and you are thinking I can't do this, no, I agree view I can't and we can't, but he can. So I literally sink myself literally immerse myself into Jesus. And before I really realized that my character is on the potter's will. And when Christ has me on the pot, as well as it says in the Old Testament that that the Prophet went down to the potter's house and he see the master work in the clay. I am clay in his hands. I am clay in his hands, and he's working out all their imperfections in that clay, he has to beat the clay he has to work the clay he has to put water on the clay he has to reshape the clay. And our character needs to be reshaped, then yeah, it does. And, but I can't shake.

Simon Pinchbeck: 37:55

You can't shame you. But you there what you said right, right in the middle of all this, there is something that we need to do. So when we have to forgive, we have to make that we have to. And when we do, there is a release, there was a freedom, there's a massive freedom and I've done it. You know, this is something that I've learned over the years I was very prideful person and, and I'll take out revenge on people. to, to, to forgive people was not really in my vocabulary. So I've had to learn all this stuff. And I remember someone done something to me but a member he he was very timid around me and I went I said my I'll release you from that. And all of a sudden there was a freedom for me and a freedom for him. Like like a like a breeze came just came over just freedom freedom, but that is because you went in Christ. So you was on the potter's wheel you was prepared to be shaped and changed. Can't do that. I couldn't do that. You couldn't do that. Because the old man wanted to, to rise out the Old Testament. Simon Lesh.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 39:07

Yeah, but see, it's hard. It's a hard movement. Because as I said, we didn't finish this off. It's the Pharisees the Sadducees. It's the paganism way of all lip service and not hard service because it comes down, not to the other person. It comes down to me internally, in me in you. I've got to do it in Maine. I can't do it in me, but I can do it through him in Mega Christ in either mode, but Christ lives in me.

Simon Pinchbeck: 39:35

What did Jesus say in Matthew 543 said love your enemies, he said. Third, it was said you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I said now because we're in an upside down kingdom, as I say, it says But I say to you, love your enemies. Bless those who curse you which is exactly what we're saying here. Do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. That foundational scripture covers every area of discord come into to a believer in Christ, he has covered everything.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 40:12

This is why he is the word of God. Because it it lights, the paper and the feeling of going and when Christ lights and cart Christ highlights it will come to fruition is the word of God. Because the Holy Spirit is the counselor, he will counsel you, He will give you wisdom. You don't need to go to that spiritual director to work this out. You don't need to go to pastor you don't need to come to me. You don't need to go Simon, in the Word of God, don't look to the bishops don't look to religion. Look to Jesus Christ, He is the Way maker, he is your God. He will guide you through every turmoil that you are going through whatever that may be, have you got the courage? Have you got the courage? Have I got the courage to sit at a place or even while I'm out walking, or wherever I may be? Have I got the courage to forgive?

Simon Pinchbeck: 41:05

See why he goes on to save and he says he makes the sun he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good. And the rain on the just and the unjust. Exactly. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you do not even the tax collectors do the same. And if you correct your brethren only what do you do more than others not even the tax lets us do so do not even the tech space do so therefore you shall be perfect. Just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 41:36

So it's easy to love your family. It's easy to love those that are being beautiful to you. And we can all have a little Christian hug and a little kiss and a cuddle and a cup of tea together. But Jesus is saying leave that IRENA laid that kissy happy club, leave that club, which is an easy club. Come on, follow me. Come down to this this time, come come back a minute. Come on across with me a minute. And look what I say Come come and say Father, forgive them those that that took you through an abusive relationship. Come, come and come and sit with me in the areas of unforgiveness because we can all cut on that Christmas. Take the courage take the courage to forgive and you will be free. Or remember as startling example was

Simon Pinchbeck: 42:29

a few years ago now and it's It was tragic, absolutely tragic. There was two beautiful little girls. And they were recklessly killed in a place called Salem which is in Suffolk by a caretaker of a school and the parents are remember seeing the parents and one of the fathers was a born again Christian. And the other one wasn't. And the difference in their in their countenance and wanted forgiven one or not. Yeah. The one that hadn't was all bitter as you cry. It's understandable man, you would we understand that. But the guy, the other guy had found the courage in his heart to forgive him move forward. And he was the he was set free. He was set free, because that bitterness will be fine you He will lock you in a cage and forgiveness will lock you in. Anger, righteous anger. Totally sorry. And the thing is the other person is, is moving about not even knowing what's going on within you, you know you, it will define you. I see people that you know, live for years. A lot of the Hillsborough disaster, things like the Steven Lawrence being where they live and defines them. And they can't move away from God cannot move away from you. They were big things upset but God cannot move you on. If you live in that prison on unforgiveness. We just said a few things. He's asked to lay the blanket hours later, we will go deeper. And I know you know we're coming. We haven't even gone we haven't even lifted, lifted the service again. Because there's there's people that you need to say sorry to as well. Yeah. And listen, I would be just before we finish, I would be very, very careful about people that that you need to say, sorry to use that chair, I would use that chair thing again, you know, because if you've, if they're past things that you've done, or you you know, you've got to think about that person, all of a sudden you're gonna dump all that stuff on that on that put on them and around them. And a lot of leaders would say well You know, you've got to be truthful with your wife or whatever from the summer stuff that maybe that you've done, but maybe you maybe that's between you and the Lord because I've seen it so many times where men have fallen Dave, Christian men of form, they've gone off with prostitutes, and if they would come and tell their wives, they would feel bad that was they just dumped it on their wife and I Yeah, yeah, that's, yeah, it's a tough one in this release of

Reverend Ben Cooper: 45:34

this word forgiveness. Have you got the courage to forgive you will have conversations with God that maybe we have put back to the backburner and it will never go away. It will never go away I think some of this stuff it has to be dealt with it has to be dealt with and I think we need Holy Spirit to convict as counsel when we speak and when we don't speak who we who we talk to who we share our life with share with because just because they got shiny church teeth that means say that for you it's very very very important that that we understand that are you for me or against me Can Can I can I tell this person this hurt I'm carrying Can I can I lay this out across the table because there are some things that just are not meant to be laid out on the table but it is it is meant to be presented to God and only God 100% rights some things some things can be escalated out of control by sharing it with the wrong person and then that that pushes another another button. So the first thing I must do is is just come before the Father because this is what Christ done he didn't need he wasn't calling on anybody else his father Father so every every time that this is happening it's father My God My Father in Heaven thank driving I'm working on walking I'm at home at the kettle making a cup of tea um I'm hoping I love hoovering by the way it's very therapeutic. Yeah bit Freddie Mercury, I am sorry allowed to talk we should we want this or another route Listen, please Come on

Simon Pinchbeck: 47:19

Listen to Ben because that this is this some very wise words there and, and we will just finished this set of set of forgiveness off with saying, don't forget, we need to forgive ourselves because we will be carrying guilt shame of some of this stuff. And again, Ben, you're under percent right? We come before the Father and we forgive ourselves for this stuff. Because you cannot carry even if you've you can't carry it you can't get will crush it. It will crush you but the Father's arms are open. And he wants to carry your pain. He wants to carry your your your guilt. He is longing to take the rucksack off you he's longing to take the suitcase. He's longing to take the baggage. He's longing to pop that balloon.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 48:06

But the first point is Luke 2334 that men Simon spoke about we looked at Jesus said, Father forgive them. So let's just rephrase that I know what it says don't add or take away. Fen said, Father, forgive them. Put your name in that in that text. You know, just look at that text that is that is that that is the starting point of growth of new beginnings of freedom. You will know the truth and the truth set you free. The truth will set you free. Not you,

Simon Pinchbeck: 48:40

Ben,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 48:41

the father,

Simon Pinchbeck: 48:41

Ben you summed it up with in a great way. And you know, my friends, you don't need counseling, you don't need that psychological stuff. You don't need farmisuticles. You don't need anything. You just need a Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. And the thing is, when you get released from this stuff, the father goes right now I can use you now I can move you forward. Now you've you've you've gone through that test. You release that person into my hands and you bless them. And we'll move we can move on with you. Because we have got great things planned for you. So my friends, if you're sitting there with me if anything that we've said has really hit a chord note and you're sitting there with unforgiveness, please go to the Father let's get it out of the foot of the cross. Let's use those chairs that we spoke about get rid of this stuff get this white be released and release those people so that a father can really use you for some proper stuff that he's got planned for you. Ben It's been a another morning where 15 minutes has seemed like five minutes to be honest with you. And it's something that we will we will revisit and Christian # Christian straight talk and maybe really get some depth there this stuff but Just wanted to give our listeners maybe a something to work with a tool to work with. So yeah, yeah, I couldn't bring this stuff before the Father.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 50:09

Amen Simon it's been great as you've said and may God bless you and strengthen you wherever you are. This is Simon pinchbeck and Reverend Ben Cooper here at#Christian straight talk straight out, straight out of the barrel straight out the Bible straight out of the truth and you will know the truth for the truth will set you free. Have a great day as le Lavista baby. See, God bless bye bye