The American Soul
The American Soul
God and Liberty: Why America Can't Survive Without Jesus Christ
Have you taken a hard look at where your time goes? In this challenging episode, Jesse Cope asks tough questions about our priorities, beginning with a simple but profound observation: time is our most precious commodity, and how we spend it reveals what we truly value.
The heart of this episode explores the biblical understanding of marriage from Matthew 19, where Jesus teaches that divorce was never God's original plan. Cope uses a vivid metaphor of mixing two colors of Play-Doh to illustrate the concept of "cleaving" in marriage—becoming so fundamentally joined that separation becomes impossible. This stands in stark contrast to our culture's casual approach to marriage and no-fault divorce, which has normalized what God considers sacred.
Moving from personal relationships to national identity, Cope shares the remarkable stories of Medal of Honor recipients Sylvester Antilak and Richard Antrim, whose extraordinary courage under fire exemplifies the highest American values. These accounts serve as both inspiration and rebuke to our cultural obsession with celebrities while forgetting genuine heroes who sacrificed everything.
Drawing from Fox's Book of Martyrs, the podcast connects ancient Christian witnesses who refused to worship idols with our modern struggle to resist cultural pressures. Are we willing to be seen as different because we refuse to sacrifice our time to entertainment, sports, and other contemporary idols? Our perseverance through trials may be the very witness that brings others to faith.
The episode concludes with powerful historical evidence of America's Christian foundations, including writings from early colonists who sought religious freedom to worship according to Scripture. Cope makes the sobering assertion that without a return to these principles, America cannot survive—no political solution alone can preserve liberty without a spiritual foundation.
What would change if you realigned your priorities today? Listen, reflect, and consider what your use of time says about what you truly value.
The American Soul Podcast
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Hey folks, this is Jesse Cope, back with another episode of the American Soul Podcast. Hope y'all are doing well, wherever y'all are, whatever part of the day you're in. I sure do appreciate y'all joining me, giving me a little bit of your time and attention, a little piece of your day. I will try and use it wisely. Hopefully it'll give us some extra tools for our toolbox, as we used to say in the Marine Corps. Hopefully it'll give us all tools for our toolbox, as we used to say in the Marine Corps. Hopefully it'll give you all, us all help, draw us all a little closer to God and Jesus Christ, and both as individuals and as a nation. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast and tell others about it, thank you so much. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me in the podcast, very, very grateful for your prayers. I need them and want them. Thank you For those of y'all who continue to come back year after year. I'm glad you're here. And for those of y'all who are new, wherever you are across the nation or around the world, I'm glad you're here. I hope you enjoy it.
Speaker 1:Father, thank you for today. Thank you for you, father. Thank you for today. Thank you for you, father, and your Son, jesus Christ and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your love, your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness, for all the many blessings you bestow upon us, the ones we admit and the ones we ignore for whatever reason. Thank you for clean water to drink and food to eat, clothes to wear, cars that run AC, electricity, healthy spouse, healthy children, healthy parents, friends, family. Be with those who don't have those things, father. Be with those who are hurting, alone, abused, mistreated, abandoned. Help us to care for them, to care for the widow and the orphan, to care for the least of these.
Speaker 1:Father, forgive our nation here in America of our sins and heal our land. Forgive us of our support of abortion. Forgive us of our support of feminism. Forgive us of our support of LGBTQ relationships, sexual immorality, no-fault divorce. Forgive us our rejection of you, particularly from our schools and culture and education and upbringing of our children. Forgive us for thinking, in the vanity of our own hearts, that we don't need you, that we did all this on our own somehow, of our own hearts, that we don't need you, that we did all this on our own somehow, that this was our doing and our blessings that we bestowed upon ourselves instead of your grace and your mercy and kindness. Be with our leaders. Help us to elect men, father, who rule in fear of you, not in fear of men who turn to you for guidance and for wisdom and for courage. Be with our educators across the nation, our teachers, coaches, counselors, principals, staff. Be with the mothers at home, at homeschool. Be with these people both in public and private school school. Be with these people both in public and private school. Help us, regardless of where the education takes place, father, to turn our children toward you, to teach them your word, your scripture, the foundation of our nation. Be with those who are listening today, wherever they are, across the nation or around the world. Bless them, bless their families, bless their marriages. Guide us in all we do. Father, help us to do your will above all else, and God, my word's here, please. In the name of your son, jesus Christ, we ask and pray Amen.
Speaker 1:Have you made time for God today? Have you made time to read his word? Have you made time to pray? Have you made time for your spouse? What are you doing with your life? What have you spent time on in the last 24 hours? If you look back at the last 24 hours, are you pleased with how you spent your time? Are you proud of it? Did it make you a better son or daughter, citizen, husband, wife, just man or woman in general? Are you giving time to things that make you more useful to God and a better servant to those around you? Or are you giving time to things, as I have done in the past couple days, that have no real redeeming value, except perhaps to show you that have no real redeeming value, except perhaps to show you that they have no redeeming value and that you're wasting your time and the talents God has given you? What are you doing with your time, folks? There is no greater commodity that you have than time. Who and what are you giving your time to? That tells you what your priorities are. Right there, a lot of people say money, and I get that, but money is really just time. It's just a different way to measure time. What are you giving your time to? You only have a certain number of units in your entire life certain number of seconds, minutes, hours. What are you giving it to? You really ought to think about that, folks, every single day. All right, matthew, matthew, matthew, chapter 19. Ah, yes, ooh, concerning divorce. That ought to be fun, huh. Right.
Speaker 1:When Jesus had finished these words, he departed from Galilee and came into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan, and large crowds followed him and he healed them there. Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing him and asking Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all? And he answered and said have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What, therefore? God has joined together? Let no man separate, they said to him.
Speaker 1:Why, then, did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away? He said to them Because of your hardness of heart, moses permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you Whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery. The disciples said to him If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry. But he said to them, for there are eunuchs who were born that way, from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.
Speaker 1:Jesus blesses little children. Then some children were brought to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray, and the disciples rebuked them. Children were brought to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray, and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said Let the children alone and do not hinder them from coming to me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
Speaker 1:After laying his hands on them, he departed from there, the rich, young ruler, and someone came to him and said Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life? And he said to them why are you asking me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments. Then he said to him which ones? And Jesus said you shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The young man said to him all these things I have kept. What am I still lacking? Jesus said to him if you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me. But when the young man heard that statement, he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.
Speaker 1:And Jesus said to his disciples Truly, I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I say to you, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said Then, who can be saved? And looking at them, jesus said to them With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. The disciples were awared. Then Peter said to him Behold, we have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us? And Jesus said to them Truly I say to you that you, who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man will sit on his glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters, or father or mother or children, children or farms, for my name's sake, will receive many times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last and the last. First Father, help us to leave houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, farms. For your name's sake, help us to store up our treasure in heaven with you and your Father, jesus, please, and not here on this earth. Amen. Verse 26,.
Speaker 1:With people this is impossible, with men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. I think that's the Ohio State motto. If I remember correctly, it's one of the states. With God, all things are possible. Just another little piece there, folks, of proof that our nation was born a Christian nation and not a pagan one or a secular one, like the left tries to tell you. Let me look real quick and make sure, just so you have it. I think it was. Just so you have it. I think it was Ohio, yeah, motto of the state of Ohio with God, all things are possible.
Speaker 1:But here's the deal, no-transcript. His disciples were like well then, who has any hope? And of course Jesus says well, with men it's impossible, you don't have any hope. But with God right, with me, jesus Christ, all things are possible. All of us have to have Jesus Christ in order to get into heaven. Folks Doesn't mean we're all equally good and bad people we're not. But none of us can get into heaven without Jesus Christ. In order to get into heaven, folks Doesn't mean we're all equally good and bad people we're not. But none of us can get into heaven without Jesus Christ. We don't need a denomination, we don't need a particular church or priest or pastor or Pope or Mary or Joseph or the apostles or anybody else. We just need Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:The rich young ruler right. Jesus said to him if you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor and you'll have treasure in heaven. And come follow me. But the, the young man, went away sad, right, cause he had so much property. How many of us myself, lord, I'm so guilty, god forgive me how many of us cling to the riches of this world instead of to Jesus Christ? How many of us hold on so tightly and we don't want to give anything up Land, property, money, cars, particular relationships, maybe even we want to hold on so tight, we don't want to give anything up for God and Jesus Christ that we don't choose to give up. Father, help me to give up everything for you and your son, jesus Christ, amen.
Speaker 1:Divorce. So we talk a lot about LGBTQ relationships and the immorality of them and they are, there's no doubt. You can go look at Romans for just one example. But divorce folks we need to look in the mirror, especially inside the church today. No-fault divorce that's a misnomer. There's no such thing. Somebody was at fault, maybe both people, probably Almost always both people, but definitely one person. There's no such thing as no-fault divorce, as no-fault divorce, and all we've done is to make a mockery of God and make a joke out of sin and adultery by going along with no-fault divorce when he talks up here, and then we'll move on. Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning, made them male and female and said for this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What, therefore? God has joined together? Let no man separate. There is no relationship, folks, on this earth that will ever compare to your marriage.
Speaker 1:And if you are going to get married, if you're younger, right, and you're thinking about marriage high school, college, 30s if you don't want to stick like glue to that person constantly, in every way, you need to have the decency and the honor of the integrity not to get married, not to trap that person in a relationship that you don't really want. If you don't want to be around that person constantly. Cleave to them. Folks. Cleaving doesn't mean like just kind of, when I feel like it, I want to be around you, or you're kind of a Accessory that I like taken to the mall with me to show people. Cleaving means that you, you, there's two of you and you smash each other together so much that you become one thing.
Speaker 1:Have you ever had you remember as a kid some of y'all used to have silly putty right or clay play-doh right, different colors. And if you had these two colors of play-doh right, for example, separately, like yellow and green or blue or whatever, it doesn't matter, and they were separate, they were the whole color right, but then if you mashed them all up, you you couldn't get them back. If you really mix them up, you couldn't get them back out anymore. Both of those colors were so tied together, so mixed together, that that was the play-doh from then on. Was that mixed color right?
Speaker 1:That's what your marriage needs to look like. That's what you need to be looking for and offering to your spouse when you go into marriage, leaving and we don't. We look at marriage today as a convenience, as something we're going to do when it suits us, and we're going to do the way we want to, not the way God wants to, and if it gets too rough, we're just going to bail. What we look at marriage as is if you took those two things of Plato and you just kind of barely kissed them together and as soon as it didn't work, man, you could rip them back apart and you might have little bits of color on each one, but not very much, right? That's not how this works, folks. That's not how this was meant to work. You need to smash those two things of Plato up so much that it's impossible to get them back separate again. And if that's not your mentality and you're already married, you need to fix yourself, as we used to say in the Marine Corps. As we used to say in the Marine Corps.
Speaker 1:One little thing today, a comment that I wrote down. I've said it on the podcast over the years, but I happened to be at a presentation recently and somebody made a comment that made me think they were talking about the quality of students at a particular school and they were talking about how great these students were and that if you needed any proof, all you had to do was look around at some of the other places. And the gentleman speaking I actually like quite a bit. I think he's got a pretty good bit of wisdom in different arenas, but in this particular case I kind of I take a lot of issue, actually not kind of and it's relativism.
Speaker 1:Folks, if we're as a married couple, right, or as an individual, if you're looking around as an individual and you're looking at somebody else and you're going well, at least I'm not as bad as that guy You're looking at the wrong place. You need to be looking at Jesus Christ and he's perfect, and so until you're perfect, you still got a lot of room to go, myself included. Folks, I'm talking to me here too, I don't. I too often I look at other people and I'm like well, at least I'm not like that guy, instead of looking at Christ going. Man, I got so long so far to go. Thank God for Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:If you're married, don't look at other people's marriages and go. Well, we could be worse. We could be like those people. We could be like that drunk over there or the adulteress, or we could be like this guy that beats his wife, right? No, you need to look at Jesus Christ and his relationship with the church and the church, their relationship with Jesus Christ, husband and wife right, that's your example In your church, in your community, in your school, in your state.
Speaker 1:As a nation, right, we're still the greatest thing going today as America. Folks, absolutely right. But it's not because we're doing such a bang-up job. It's because everybody else is screwing up so much. The reason we're still in front of China right now, it's not because we're doing that great a job. We're really screwing up pretty bad, in fact, worse than we have in a long time. It's just that China is so much more messed up than we are. Same thing with Africa, same thing with Europe, just Asia in general. Folks, it's not that we're so great. We're making all sorts of horrible decisions relative to our nation, horrible decisions. It's just that everybody else happens to be more screwed up right now, and that's the same thing with a lot of our states and our communities and our schools.
Speaker 1:Folks, don't look at your school where your kid goes and be like at least we're not like all these other schools. Look at Jesus Christ. Look at what you ought to be doing, folks, relativism. Relativism is a cancer and it kills whatever it's talking about. It may take a long time, it might be a slow cancer, but it's going to kill whatever you're talking about. Don't be relative. Don't buy into relativism. Don't look around and say, at least it's not like such and such, so and so. Look to Jesus Christ, figure out, strive for that perfection every single day. Tell kids they're doing good when they follow Christ. Strive for that perfection every single day. Tell kids they're doing good when they follow Christ. Tell your spouse, tell yourself, tell your community, your church, you're doing good when you follow Jesus Christ. But don't look at other people as an example, as an excuse to give yourself a way out.
Speaker 1:Medal of Honor. Sylvester Antilak. World War II, sergeant Bravo Company, 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division, us Army, 24 May 1944. Near Cisterna di Latoria. I'm sure I murdered that. For those of y'all that speak Italian, I'm sorry, italy. Citation as follows Near Cisterna di Latoria, italy, he charged 200 yards over flat, coverless terrain to destroy an enemy machine gun nest.
Speaker 1:During the second day of the offensive which broke through the German cordon of steel around the Anzio beachhead, he ran into withering enemy machine gun, machine pistol and rifle fire. Three times he was struck by bullets and knocked to the ground, but each time he struggled to his feet to continue his relentless advance. With one shoulder deeply gashed and his right arm shattered, he continued to rush directly into the enemy fire concentration with his submachine gun wedged under his uninjured arm, until within 15 yards of the enemy strongpoint where he opened fire at deadly close range, killing two Germans and forcing the remaining ten to surrender. He reorganized his men and, refusing to seek medical attention so badly needed, chose to lead the way toward another strongpoint, 100 yards distant, utterly disregarding the hell of bullets concentrated upon him. He had stormed ahead nearly three-fourths of the space between strong points when he was instantly killed by hostile enemy fire. Inspired by his example, his squad went on to overwhelm enemy troops by his supreme sacrifice, superb fighting courage and heroic devotion to the attack. Sergeant Antelock was directly responsible for eliminating 20 Germans capturing an enemy machine gun and clearing the path for his company to advance.
Speaker 1:Accredited to Claresville, belmont County, ohio. Awarded posthumously Belmont County, ohio. Awarded posthumously November 1, 1945,. Presented to his mother, mary Antilak, at St Clairsville, ohio, born September 10, 1916, clairsville, belmont County, 1944, near Cisterna di Latoria, italy, buried ABMC, sicily, rome Cemetery. Ctac-12, tac-13, natuno, italy.
Speaker 1:Sylvester Antelock, Richard Knott, antrim, commander. Rank at the time of action Lieutenant World War II, us Command. Uss Pope, us Navy, april 1942, macassar Celebs, netherlands, east Indies. Citation as follows Macassar Salub's, netherlands, east Indies. Citation as follows For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, while interned as a prisoner of war of the enemy Japanese in the city of Macassar Salub's, netherlands, netherlands, east Indies, in April 1942, acting instantly on behalf of a naval officer who was subjected to a vicious clubbing by a frenzied Japanese guard, venting his insane wrath upon the helpless prisoner, commander, then Lieutenant Antrim boldly intervened, attempting to quiet the guard and finally persuading him to discuss the charges against the officer.
Speaker 1:With the entire Japanese force assembled and making extraordinary preparations for the threatened beating, and with the tension heightened by 2,700 Allied prisoners rapidly closing in. 2,700 Allied prisoners rapidly closing in, commander Antrim courageously appealed to the fanatic enemy, risking his own life in a desperate effort to mitigate the punishment. When the other had been beaten unconscious by 15 blows of a hosser and was repeatedly kicked by three soldiers to a point beyond which he could not survive, commander Antrim gallantly stepped forward and indicated to the perplexed guards that he would take the remainder of the punishment, throwing the Japanese completely off balance in their amazement and eliciting a roar of acclaim from the suddenly inspired Allied prisoners. By his fearless leadership and valiant concern for the welfare of another, he not only saved the life of a fellow officer and stunned the Japanese in despairing his own life, but also brought about a new respect for American officers and men and a great improvement in the camp living conditions. His heroic conduct throughout reflects the highest credit upon Commander Antrim and the US Naval Service Accredited to Indiana, not awarded posthumously. Presented January 30, 1947 at the White House by President Harry S Truman.
Speaker 1:Born December 17, 1907, peru, miami County, indiana, united States. Died March 8, 1969, mountain Home, arkansas. Buried early Arlington National Cemetery. Mh35, tac 2613, arlington, virginia, united States.
Speaker 1:Just a couple names, folks to add to the list Sylvester Antelock, richard N Antrim. I wonder, wonder why, why, why, folks? Why do we know so many names of NFL and NBA and softball and volleyball teams and we know so few of these men who risked so much, or the women that gave them, like the mother, mrs Antelock? I, folks, I know some of y'all roll your eyes probably at this each day and probably the podcast kind of runs together for a lot of y'all. But we ought to be ashamed as a nation that we have allowed those who have given so much to be forgotten and given so much attention to those who care so little for our nation, as if we're somehow being noble. All right, I wanted to go back and read a little bit more.
Speaker 1:We talked about John Winthrop briefly on the previous podcast, I think, and I wanted to go back and read one or two more quotes by him and then another by a gentleman I stumbled across looking at his. This is John Winthrop out of his own private journal. I will ever walk humbly before my God and meekly, mildly and gently, towards all men to give myself my life, my wits, my health, my wealth to the service of my God and Savior. Teach me, o Lord, to put my trust in thee. Then shall I be like Mount Zion that cannot be moved.
Speaker 1:Before the week was gone, I waxed exceeding discontent and impatient. Then I acknowledged my unfaithfulness and pride of heart and turned again to my God and humbled my soul before him. And he returned and accepted me, and so I renewed my covenant of walking with God. Encouragement, right, folks, encouragement that even these great men and women of our faith before have gone through moments where they turned away and then turned back to God and he accepts us because of his son, jesus Christ. How many of us seek each day to walk humbly before God, meekly, mildly, gently, towards all men, to give everything that we are to God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, our life, our wits, our health, our wealth, to put all of that in his control?
Speaker 1:May 19, 1643, he organized the New England Confederation among the colonists of New Plymouth, new Haven, massachusetts and Connecticut. They covenanted under the Constitution of the New England Confederation, whereas we all came to these parts of America with the same end and aim, namely to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and to enjoy the liberties of the gospel, thereof with purities and peace, and for preserving and propagating the truth and liberties of the gospel. Again and again, folks, when people tell you that a main goal of these folks that came over was not to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, they're either telling you something that they know isn't true or they're telling you something that they don't realize isn't true, but it's simply not true. Were there some bad ones? Again, yes. Were they all perfect? No, absolutely not. We just see Winthrop saying you know, in his own journal I turned away, things got tough and then I turned back to God and I realized that I had not been walking faithfully with him, but spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and having the ability to serve to worship God and Jesus Christ according to Scripture.
Speaker 1:To worship God and Jesus Christ according to scripture, according to the dictates of our own conscience, not according to the dictates of the Roman Catholic Church or the Greek Orthodox Church or the Anglican Church or anybody else. That's why they came, not to worship a false god like Allah or Buddhism or Hinduism or Mother Natureism or atheism or Satanism, but to worship the one true God, the Father of Jesus Christ, the Son and the Holy Spirit. That's why they came. That's the only way this works, folks. That's the only way we maintain liberty. There is no other way. There's no other path forward. There's no politician or policy that's going to get us there without God and Jesus Christ. There's no way to have people that don't follow the general principles of Jesus Christ, no matter how good they may pretend to be or seem to be, or how much they claim to love America. There's no way our country survives without people that actually follow the general principles of Christ, of leadership, that are women or that are Indians or Muslims or Buddhists or Hindus or whatever. It is right, that follow some other faith, ideology they are by default. They're weakening the nation. They're weakening liberty. It can't be any other way. Be any other way.
Speaker 1:Edward Winslow, one of the administrators of Plymouth Colony 1621, served as governor of the colony In 46, stayed in England to serve Oliver Cromwell. He kept detailed records of the Pilgrim's experiences and this is one of those little pieces. The prolonged drought and the like considerations moved not only every good man privately to enter into examination with his own estate between God and his conscience, and so to humiliation before him, but also to humble ourselves together before the Lord by fasting and prayer. How often do those times of pain cause us to really search our hearts and see if we're actually doing what God tells us to do. I can think of things in my own head right now while I'm talking. How often do those times of discomfort, whether it's physical or emotional, or financial, how often do they drive us to our knees, to humility before God as a nation? Right? You go back to Calvin Coolidge's President Coolidge's comment that if those general principles of Christ weren't nearly universal, our nation would cease to function. And so we have. And what's the solution? As a nation, as communities, as churches, as communities, as schools, as states, and humble ourselves before God and Jesus Christ. I hate to tell you, folks, but that's the only solution. And it may be too late, we may have pushed God too far, but if not, if he's going to give us some time to try and save more souls, that's the only solution.
Speaker 1:Fox's Book of the Martyrs the Eighth Persecution under Valerian, AD 257. The Eighth Persecution under Valerian AD 257 Began under Valerian in the month of April 257 and continued for three years and six months. The martyrs that fell in this persecution were innumerable, and their tortures and deaths as various and painful. The most eminent martyrs were the following, though neither rank, sex or age were regarded Rufina and Secunda, two beautiful and accomplished ladies, daughters of Asterius, a gentleman of eminence in Rome. Rufina the elder was designed in marriage for Armentarius, a young noble, was designed in marriage for Armentarius, a young noble, secunda the younger, for Varinus, a person of rank and opulence. The suitors, at the time of the persecutions commencing, were both Christians, but when danger appeared to save their fortunes, they renounced their faith. They took great pains to persuade the ladies to do the same, but, disappointed in their purpose, the lovers were base enough to inform against the ladies who, being apprehended as Christians, were brought before Junus Doncius, governor of Rome, where, ad 257, they sealed their martyrdom with their blood. Sealed their martyrdom with their blood. Stephan, bishop of Rome, was beheaded in the same year, and about that time, saturnius, the pious Orthodox bishop of Thaloise, refusing to sacrifice to idols, was treated with all the barbarous indignities imaginable and fastened by the feet to the tail of a bull. Upon a signal given, the enraged animal was driven down the steps of the temple by which the worthy martyr's brains were dashed out.
Speaker 1:Refusing to sacrifice to idols, folks, for whatever reason, it struck me as I was reading this how many of us refuse to sacrifice to idols in the modern sense. How many of us refuse to go along with what most of society tells us we ought to as far as worshiping, entertainment and sports, worshiping entertainment and sports. How many of us are willing to be looked upon strangely because we don't give hours and hours to sports, to screens, to our phones, to music that we shouldn't be listening to or books that we shouldn't be reading? How many of us are willing to really be kind of weird, right, oh, those guys, he's strange, she's strange, even folks, even by our own spouse at times. How many of you married, right, didn't really talk about God and Jesus Christ? Just got married because that's what Hollywood tells you, everybody that gets married. They fall in love, they get married and it's happily ever after. And then you wake up at some point in your marriage and you realize you're married to somebody that really doesn't care too much about what God says at all, certainly not for marriage.
Speaker 1:How many of us are willing to be looked upon strangely by our parents, by our kids, by our spouses, because we refuse to sacrifice our time to the idols of sports and entertainment? American Idol, right, if you've ever watched that show or those like it, and they're hugely entertaining. I'm entertained by them. I like them a lot Uh, not as much as I used to, but the clips are at least fun to watch. Right, and I've thrown myself under the bus a number of times with sports I could. I used to be able to sit for literally hours on a Saturday and watch college football. I mean I could sit there all day long and be perfectly happy. I mean I could sit there all day long and be perfectly happy, get up just to go to the bathroom and the refrigerator to get more food. Right, nobody judges you for that today in society. Right, I read a story recently about a concert that Lady Gaga gave down in South America. I think it was one of the most well-attended concerts in all of history, maybe Something like that. It was a huge concert. Not exactly promoting walking humbly with God or acting justly or loving mercy, right, how many of us are willing to be looked at strangely, even by those that are supposed to be our best friend, like you.
Speaker 1:Go back and you look at this previous example of these two women who were engaged to be married to these two men back in Rome and they were preeminent, right, they were Christian men, they were supposed to be these pillars. But then the new emperor came in and he said if you're a Christian, I'm going to crush you. And these men said oh, we're not Christian, we don't really want anything to do with God and Jesus Christ. And they started talking to these women and said hey, y'all, we can't do this, you're going to have to Jesus Christ. He's not that big a deal. We'll just move on for a while, or we're going to lose all this stuff that we have. And the women wouldn't. These were supposed to be their husbands. These were supposed to be the people that cared about them the very most in all the world, and not only did they abandon them, then they went and informed on them and told the authorities where they could find them and that they were Christians.
Speaker 1:Sextus succeeded Stephen as bishop of Rome. He is supposed to have been a Greek by birth or by extraction, and had for some time served in the capacity of a deacon under Stephen. His great fidelity, singular wisdom and uncommon courage distinguished him upon many occasions, and the happy conclusion of a controversy with some heretics is generally ascribed to his piety and prudence. To his piety and prudence. In the year 258, marcianus, who had management of the Roman government procured an order from the emperor Valerian to put to death all the Christian clergy in Rome, and hence the bishop, with six of his deacons, suffered martyrdom in 258. Laurentius, generally called Saint Lawrence, the principal of the deacons who taught and preached under Sextus, followed him to the place of execution when Sextus predicted that he should, three days after, meet him in heaven. Laurentius, looking upon this as a certain indication of his own approaching martyrdom, at his return gathered together all the Christian poor and distributed the treasures of the church which had been.
Speaker 1:At his return, gathered together all the Christian poor and distributed the treasures of the church which had been committed to his care among them. This liberality alarmed the persecutors, who commanded him to give an immediate account to the emperor of the church treasures. This he promised to do in three days, during which interval he collected together a great number of aged, helpless and impotent poor. He repaired to the magistrate and, presenting them to him, said these are the treasures, the true treasures of the church. Incensed at the disappointment and fancying the matter meant in ridicule, the governor ordered him to be immediately scourged. He was then beaten with iron rods, set upon a wooden horse and had his limbs dislocated. These tortures he endured with fortitude and perseverance when he was ordered to be fastened to a large gridiron with a slow fire under it, that his death might be the more lingering. His astonishing constancy during these trials and serenity of countenance while under such excruciating torments gave the spectators so exalted an idea of the dignity and truth of the Christian religion that many became converts. Upon the occasion of whom was Romanus a soldier, a soldier.
Speaker 1:How many folks, how many people are watching you today, what you're doing, the way you act? How many of you watching you be treated unfairly at work, work a boss who's cruel with no justification? How many people are watching you be married to a spouse who is indifferent, lukewarm, cruel, antagonistic? And it works both ways, folks, it's not just the purview of men to be cruel spouses. Women are equally capable of being cruel spouses. But how many people see you, see me, continuing to trudge ahead, to move forward, to cling to Christ, even in those cases of pain, and we leave an example that will encourage others in their own trials, encourage them to cling to Christ.
Speaker 1:Do you ever think about it that way? Do you ever think about the fact that, whatever pain you're going through and I'm not belittling your pain, folks. Lord, you listen to the tortures that some of these people dealt with. I just can't even imagine that today. You know, maybe we don't have those same tortures here in America or in most of Western civilization. But as a friend of mine that I used to have long ago said once, you know, everything's relative Just because something doesn't look that bad to someone else doesn't mean that it's not really bad in your life. You know, just because you're not going through that particular torture doesn't mean that you don't have something that's truly excruciating going on in your life, some heartache, some pain, right. But do you think about that from the point of view of who? You might be encouraging by continuing to act justly, love, mercy and walk humbly before God day, that you're going to get to be in heaven and see Jesus Christ and not have any more pain or any more tears or any more sorrow? And I can't remember the way CS Lewis described this particular thing. I wish I could, but have it be so much better than anything we can imagine in this earthly form. You can't even grasp it. What a wonderful hope. What a wonderful hope. What a wonderful encouragement.
Speaker 1:We're going to spend a little bit of time today. Oh, and I forgot to mark my spot, so if I read some of this again, forgive me. I know we read. All right, here we go. We're going to read note three. We didn't read that the other day. This is out of chapter two, again out of the history of the rise, progress and termination of the American Revolution by Mercy Otis Warren. So this is out of chapter two and this is Note 3.
Speaker 1:On October 21st, the Freeholders and other inhabitants of the town of Plymouth had a meeting and unanimously agreed on instructions to Thomas Foster Esquire, their representative in the General Assembly of Massachusetts Bay, in which, after expressing the highest esteem for the British Constitution, showing how far the people of America have exerted themselves in support thereof and detailing their grievances, they proceeded as follows you, sir, represent a people who are not only descended from the first settlers of this country, but inhibit the very spot they first possessed. Here was first laid the foundation of the British Empire in this part of America which, from a very small beginning, has increased in spread and manner. Very surprising and almost incredible, especially when we consider that all this has been affected without the aid of assistance of any power on earth that we have defended, protected and secured ourselves against the invasions and cruelty of savages and the subtlety and inhumanity of our inveterate and natural enemies, the French. And all this without the appropriation of any tax by stamps or stamp acts laid upon our fellow subjects in any part of the king's dominion, for defraying the expenses thereof. This place, sir, was at first the asylum of liberty, and we hope will ever be preserved. Sacred to it, and we hope will ever be preserved. Sacred to it, though it was no more than a forlorn wilderness inhabited only by savage men and beasts. To this place, our fathers, whose memories be revered, possessed of the principles of liberty and their purity, disdaining slavery, fled to enjoy the privileges which they had an undoubted right to but were deprived of by the hands of violence and oppression in their native country.
Speaker 1:We, sir, their posterity, the freeholders and other inhabitants of this town legally assembled for that purpose, possessed of the same sentiments and retaining the same ardor for liberty, think it our indispensable duty, on this occasion, to express to you these are sentiments of the Stamp Act and its fatal consequences to this country, to enjoin upon you, as you regard not only the welfare but the very being of this people, that you consistent with our allegiance to the King in relation to the government of Great Britain, disregarding all proposals for that purpose. Exert all your power and influence in relation to the Stamp Act, at least until we hear the success of our petitions for relief, least until we hear the success of our petitions for relief. We likewise, to avoid disgracing the memories of our ancestors as well as the reproaches of our own consciousness and the curses of posterity, recommend it to you to obtain, if possible, in the honorable house of representatives of this province, a full and explicit assertion of our rights and to have the same entered on the public records that all generations yet to come may be convinced that we have not only a just sense of our rights and liberties, but that we never, with submission to divine providence, will be slaves to any power on earth. And as we have at all times an abhorrence of tumults and disorders, we think ourselves happy in being at present under no apprehensions of any and in having good and wholesome laws sufficient to preserve the peace of the province in all future times, unless provoked by some imprudent measure. Future times, unless provoked by some imprudent measure. So we think it by no means advisable for you to interest yourself in the protection of stamp papers and stamp officers. The only thing we have further to recommend to you at this time is to observe on all occasions a suitable frugality and economy in the public expenses, and that you consent to no unnecessary or unusual grant at this time of distress, when the people are groaning under the burden of heavy taxes, and that you use your endeavors to inquire and to bear testimony against any past and prevent any future unconstitutional drops of the public treasury. Unconstitutional drops of the public treasury. You see in this note right and it's associated. You go back to the chapter.
Speaker 1:Similar measures were adopted in most other provinces, in consequence of which petitions from the respective assemblies replete with the strongest expressions of loyalty and affection, of the kind and regard to the British nation were presented to his majesty through the hands of colonial agents. So this was one example of that. They wanted reconciliation with Great Britain, they didn't want to separate from Great Britain, but they refused, outside of submission to God, the divine providence to be slaves to any power on earth and folks. That's really still our choice today. There's just simply not going to be peaceful coexistence with citizens who support leftism, socialism, communism, nazism, fashion. It just doesn't work.
Speaker 1:History showed. There's not one single example or with Islam that goes hand in glove. When those ideologies, any of them, are given complete power, the only expectation of those under them who refuse to abide by, even those you look at Saddam Hussein in Iraq, even those that are under them, that go along with them, it's basically just slavery. But certainly any of those who insist on following God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and clinging to liberty, the only thing you can expect is pain and suffering and slavery. That's the only expectation you can hope, folks, if you go along with the left and that basket of isms or Islam, you're deluding yourself if you have any other expectation in the long term for you or your children or your grandchildren. And you can ask you wonder when we get into the Book of Martyrs? Well, we'll cover that a different day.
Speaker 1:The ferment was, however, too general. We're going back into chapter 2 and going to continue reading there and the spirits of the people too much agitated to wait patiently the result of their own applications. So universal was the resentment and discontent of the people that the more judicious and discreet characters were exceedingly apprehensive that the general clamor might terminate in extremes of anarchy. Heavy duties had been laid on all goods imported from such of the West India Islands as did not belong to Great Britain. These duties were to be paid into the exchequer and all penalties incurred were to be recovered in the courts of vice-admiralty, by the determination of a single judge, without trial by jury, and the judge's salary was to be paid out of the fruits of the forfeiture. When you have judges that are getting paid based on the decision they make, folks, it's never good. You can also talk about the fact. When you have judges that have absolutely no fear of being impeached, like our Supreme Court, that it's also not good. No real fear anyway.
Speaker 1:All remonstrances against this innovating system had hitherto been without effect. And in this period of suspense, apprehension and anxiety, a general congress of delegates from the several provinces was proposed by the Honorable James Otis of Barnstable, massachusetts. He was a gentleman of great probiety, experience and parliamentary abilities, whose religious adherence to the rights of his country had distinguished him through a long course of years in which he had sustained some of the first offices in government. This proposal from a man of his acknowledged judgment, discretion and firmness was universally pleasing. The measure was communicated to some of the principal members of the two houses of assembly and immediately adopted not only by Massachusetts but very soon after by most of the other colonies. Thus originated the first Congress ever convened in America by the united voice of the people in order to justify their claims to the rights of Englishmen and the privileges of the British Constitution measures.
Speaker 1:On different grounds, the Virginians and their resolves came forward conscious of their own independence and at once asserted their rights as men. The Massachusetts generally founded their claims on the rights of British subjects and the privileges of their English ancestors. But the era was not far distant when the United Colonies took the same ground the claim of Native independence, regardless of charters, of foreign restrictions. At a period when the tastes and opinions of Americans were comparatively pure and simple, while they possessed that independence and dignity of mind which is lost only by a multiplicity of wants and interests, new scenes were opening beyond the reach of human calculation. At this important crisis, the delegates appointed from several of the colonies to deliberate on the lowering aspect of political affairs met at New York on the first Tuesday of October 1765. I think we'll stop there for today. Folks, god bless y'all, god bless your families, God bless your marriages, god bless America, god bless your nation, wherever you are around the world. Listen, we'll talk to you all again real soon. Looking forward to it.