The American Soul
The American Soul
What If Today Was Your Last Chance to Love?
What do your daily habits reveal about your true priorities? In this thought-provoking episode, Jesse Cope challenges listeners to examine how they allocate their most precious resource—time. While many claim God and family are their top priorities, our actions often tell a different story.
The discussion centers on Jesus's greatest commandments: loving God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Jesse shares a convicting perspective on marriage, suggesting that loving your spouse only occasionally is equivalent to a "failing grade" in what should be your most important earthly relationship. He asks listeners to consider whether they're truly making their spouses feel treasured as "one out of seven billion" or merely giving them leftover attention after work, entertainment, and personal pursuits.
Through powerful stories of Medal of Honor recipients—including Eugene Ashley Jr., who led five assaults against enemy forces to rescue his trapped comrades—Jesse contrasts true sacrifice with our culture's celebration of celebrities and athletes. These heroes, largely forgotten by society, exemplify commitment to something greater than self-interest or comfort.
The episode weaves together biblical parables, American history, and practical spiritual advice, making a compelling case that America's founding principles were deeply rooted in Christian faith. Quoting John Jay, America's first Supreme Court Chief Justice, Jesse argues it's illogical to believe the founders intended to create a nation divorced from the very principles that guided their lives.
As cultural and political challenges mount, Jesse encourages listeners not to despair but to strengthen local institutions, support constitutional values, and pray fervently for spiritual revival. "Where the Spirit of God is, that's where liberty is," he reminds us, suggesting that without a return to faith, family, and moral foundations, no political solution alone can restore what's been lost through spiritual neglect. Join this challenging conversation about prioritizing what truly matters before it's too late.
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. Sort of appreciate y'all joining me, giving me a little bit of your time and a little piece of your day. I will try and use it wisely. Now y'all have other things that are clamoring for your day. I will try and use it wisely. I know y'all have other things that are clamoring for your attention, so I sure do appreciate you spending some of it here. For those of y'all that continue to share the podcast and tell others about it, thank you. For those of y'all that continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you very much. I don't know if I've ever said this in the four years on this podcast, but if you are a praying individual and you are kind enough to pray for this podcast, I would just ask that you would pray that God's will be done, that it would draw individuals and our nation as a whole here in America and your nation wherever you are too closer to God and Jesus Christ. For those of y'all that have been around for a while, I'm sure I'm glad you're still here. And for those of y'all that are new, I'm glad you showed up. I hope you enjoy it, I hope you get something out of it and I hope you come back.
Speaker 1:Father, thank you for today. Thank you for you, father, and your Son, jesus Christ, and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your love, mercy, grace and forgiveness, for all your many blessings, the ones we admit and the ones we don't, from the big to the small. Thank you for the people that listen to the podcast, father, and pray for it. Be with them, be with their families, guide them, bless them, surround them with your angels, protect them from evil of any kind. Help us, father, to follow the commands of your Son, jesus Christ, to do your will above all else. Love you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Forgive us when we fail. Help us to trust in you, to be patient and wait on your timing and not ours. Be with those who are hurting on their place. Be with those who are listening. Comfort them. Strengthen their marriages. If they're married, bless their families. Help them to raise children to know you and your son, jesus Christ. If they're married, bless their families. Help them to raise children to know you and your son Jesus Christ, if they have him, and just whatever influence we can, father, in our sphere, help us to encourage virtue and integrity, honesty and love for you in that sphere. Be with our leaders. Help us to elect men who rule in fear of you, honest men who despise bribes and corruption, and help us to get rid of the ones that don't fall into that category. And God, my words here. Father, please, in your son's name, we 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, to talk to him, to tell him what's on your heart and mind? Have you made time for your spouse, if you're married, to make sure that they know that they are your second priority, behind only God and Jesus Christ? We talk a really good game, folks, but when it comes right down to it, far too often we don't act.
Speaker 1:There's really just no excuse other than laziness and selfishness on our part for not spending time with God each day and for not loving our spouse in whatever way makes them feel loved. Folks, the point isn't for them to feel loved the way that we feel loved. The point is not for them to feel loved the way we wish they felt loved. The point is to love them eagerly, the way that makes them feel loved, and at some point, if you don't do that, there is going to come a time where there's no more chances, just like folks, if you haven't put your faith in Jesus Christ. I can't encourage you enough to do that, because if you die today, if today is your last day and you haven't put your faith in Jesus Christ before you die, there's no more reduce. Before you die, there's no more reduce. It's not like a video game that you can start over and get a second chance, third life, fourth life. That's not the way it works. At that point it's too late, and in an earthly manner, just like so many other things. Our marriage, for example, right, it's supposed to reflect that relationship between Christ and the church, and if we treat that relationship poorly, indifferently, coldly, sadly, a lot of times, there's going to come a time where it just may simply be too late, and that may be because we lose our spouse that we should have been loving and caring, that may be because we die ourselves and miss that opportunity, or it may be because we're simply human and that spouse decides to move on.
Speaker 1:So make sure you have your priorities in line, folks, more than sitting in front of a screen or watching sports or whatever else. If you gave multiple hours yesterday to watching tennis or baseball or softball or whatever's in season, or scrolling Instagram or YouTube or TikTok, and then you claim that you don't have time for your spouse, you don't have time for God. Even more importantly, the only person that you're fooling maybe is yourself. You're definitely not fooling God and you're not fooling your spouse either. Matthew 22,. I think I hope, yeah, the parable of the marriage feast.
Speaker 1:Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son and he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast and they were unwilling to come. Again, he sent out other slaves saying Tell those who have been invited Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and my fat livestock are all come to the wedding feast. But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. But the king was enraged and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. Then he said to his slaves the wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go, therefore, to the main highways and as many as you find there invite to the wedding feast.
Speaker 1:Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together. All they found both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes and he said to him Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes? And the man was speechless. Then the king said to his servants Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are called but few are chosen. How many of us folks ignore God's calls? That's the first part of this that jumps out today. The second part is at the end this man who didn't have wedding clothes.
Speaker 1:I don't understand this part of the story and I'm sure there's some people out there that are really bright that could explain it to me. I've had it explained to me before, I'm pretty sure, but it just doesn't stick, for whatever reason. And that's okay. As our pastor says, if you understood everything about God with your little human brain, he wouldn't be much of a God. And so when you get confused or you don't understand something in scripture right, you don't understand something God's saying, kind of like the Syrophoenician woman or whoever the one talking about crumbs under the table, that's just something I don't understand. That's okay. That's actually, in a way, you can look at that as proof of God, because, again, if you understood everything, he wouldn't be much of a God. And so when people try and undermine your faith, don't let them. It's okay to not understand every single thing going on in this life or in scripture. And then the last thing, though, folks, is kind of what we were talking about earlier. There will come a day when it's just simply too late, and all that will be left for those of you that haven't chosen Jesus Christ will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Everybody is called, every person is called, but you see down here, fewer chosen. But how much of that rests on us, because God's calling, right, and if we don't listen, that's on us. Thank God for Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:Tribute to Caesar. Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap him in what he said, and they sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians, saying Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God and truth, and defer to no one, for you are not partial to any. Tell us then, what do you think? Is it lawful to give a poll tax to Caesar or not? But Jesus perceived their malice and said why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the poll tax. And they brought him a denarius and he said to them whose likeness and inscription is this? They said to him Caesar's. Then he said to them then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. And hearing this, they were amazed and leaving him, they went away.
Speaker 1:You ever have those people in your life that come up and they're like man, you're so good at this, you do such a great job, and deep down you really know that they're lying. They're just trying to get something out of you, right? I kind of feel like Jesus felt that way when these guys come. Hey, we know, you're so great, jesus, and you're not worried about what men say. You're going to teach us the truth, no matter what right he had to maybe be smiling just to have a smile going. Guys, come on, y'all can do better than that right.
Speaker 1:And then money. I get so frustrated about taxes folks, the taxing system in America today. We have taxation without, or representation without taxation. So many of us carry the tax load and so many others that don't carry it still get to vote equally with us, even though they're not helping carry the load right. It's like two people with a huge weight on their shoulders, right, but only one is really carrying the load, but the other one gets to decide what direction, what route they take. Right is really carrying the load, but the other one gets to decide what direction, what route they take. Right. It's just, it's not logical and it's not fair at all. But I think too often I get confused that all of this belongs to God. To begin with right, and then money. It's just earthly treasure, folks, and we need to focus on eternal treasure, on spiritual treasure and storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven, not here on earth. I need to remind myself of that more often.
Speaker 1:Jesus answers the Sadducees. On that day, some Sadducees who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned him, asking Teacher Moses said If a man dies having no children, his brother is next of kin, shall marry his wife and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers with us, and the first married and died and, having no children, left his wife to his brother. So also the second and the third down to the seventh. Last of all, the woman died In the resurrection. Therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her, but Jesus answered and said to them you are mistaken, not understanding Scripture nor the power of God, for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God? I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead but of the living. When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, let me come back to that.
Speaker 1:So this has been hard for me as a young man and into my adulthood, because I'm kind of a hopeless romantic. Into my adulthood because I'm kind of a hopeless romantic and so the idea that I'm not going to get to spend eternity bonded especially to the love of my life has always been kind of sad to me and and it's it just really has there's. I mean, it's really been really sad to me. If you'll forgive me for using really so many times in the same sentence, but I read something. If you'll forgive me for using really so many times in the same sentence, but I read something CS Lewis said this year and I hadn't read it before, or if I had, it's been so long ago that I forgot and it was encouraging. He was actually talking about sex and trying to explain that to a little boy, right? And if you were trying to tell this little boy how great sex was, but all the boy knew was that how much he loved chocolate, and he would say, well, are they eating chocolate at the same time? And of course he wouldn't be able to comprehend because he had never experienced that. He wouldn't be able to comprehend how much better sex was than chocolate, right?
Speaker 1:And CS Lewis, that argument, folks, I think fits here for those of us that are hopeless romantics about marriage and just fits in general, we can't know how great heaven is going to be, what all God has in store for us. He specifically tells us no eye has seen, no ear has heard, door for us. He specifically tells us no eye has seen, no ear has heard. And so, whatever it's going to be, though, folks, it's going to be wonderful beyond anything that our little earthly brain at this point can imagine. And there's the one thing you know, that, and the other thing that you know is there's not going to be any more tears or sorrow or heartache or broken bodies or illness, sickness, injury, right, and that's a great hope because we have Christ to get there. And so if you're struggling today, whatever it is heartache, pain, loss of job, sickness, illness, loss of loved ones try and take a little bit of encouragement. Loss of loved ones, try and take a little bit of encouragement. Someday, because you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, there is going to be a reward that is so awesome that it makes everything, everything on this earthly life, hell in comparison, and you're going to get that for all eternity.
Speaker 1:But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him, teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And he said to him you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. With all your soul, with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it you shall love your neighbors yourself. On these two commandments depends the whole law and the prophets.
Speaker 1:Now, while the Pharisees were gathered together, jesus asked them a question what do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he? They said to him the son of David. He said to them then how does David in the spirit, call him Lord? Saying the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies beneath your feet. If David then calls him Lord, how is he his son? No one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare, from that day on, to ask him another question.
Speaker 1:You know, one of the things that kind of strikes me in this conversation at the end is, if they figured out that they were afraid to ask him any more questions because he was so wise and answered their questions so thoroughly, why didn't it translate to hey, maybe this guy is somebody we really ought to listen to and follow and serve. Right, if you have this person that's so much smarter than you, so much wiser than you, truly wise not in an arrogant, cocky way, but like they really know the truth kind of way, humbly but forcefully, without any apologizing, why wouldn't you want to serve somebody like that? And I think often the answer is just simply pride. I know for me, pride has reared its ugly head far too many times in my life when I should have been humble and acknowledged that somebody else was better than me at something and I didn't, in my detriment. Well, I'm not going to go along with them, I don't need to listen to them, and that struck me reading that.
Speaker 1:But the really important part of this obviously is the two great commands Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbors yourself. Do we focus each day? Do we roll out of the rack, as we called it in the Marine Corps and, I'm sure, every other military branch? Do we roll out of the rack each morning and hit our knees? First thing? Is that the very first thing we do? I guarantee you 100% it has not been for most of my life. So if it's not for you, I'm in the same boat, I'm working on it, but is that the first thing Is? I'm in the same boat, I'm working on it, but is that the first thing? Is it the last thing we do at the very end of the day? Is God our primary goal each day?
Speaker 1:And then the second part love your neighbors yourself, right? Do we care about those around us Parents, sibling, our church, our community, our schools, our police, our firefighters, our EMS, our pastors and priests and their families? Right? I think that one is a huge gaping hole in the American church family today is are we really caring for the wives and children of our priests and pastors? They need it, folks. They need friends, they need people who love them and are honest with them and are there for them because they have a big fat target on their back, because those men have agreed to step up and spread the gospel and part of our job is to support them and encourage them, right? I don't know if we really do that well enough. Let me rephrase I know we don't. And then the last thing, and we'll move on, is love your neighbor as yourself. That's the second greatest commandment.
Speaker 1:If you're married, your closest neighbor is your spouse. That's the person, theoretically, that you climb into bed with each night, that you wake up next to each morning, that you do life with. Are you treating them as a one out of seven billion kind of treasure each day? It is every effort that you have, first and foremost after only God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit first and foremost focused on that spouse of yours, with a positive attitude and actions throughout the day. Right, I hear so many people talk about you know, loving your spouse only on special occasions like Valentine's or anniversaries.
Speaker 1:That didn't kind of cut it and that's, that's nice, that's true. And then I hear some more that get a little closer to the mark and say, well, loving your spouse, you know, once every month or so, that's, that's not really going to cut it, that's true, that's better. And then some more get a little closer. Some of these marriage counselors get a little closer and they say, well, you know, loving your spouse once or twice a week, that's just, that's not going to cut it, and that's a little better. And then I saw a lady recently this year that got even closer to the mark and said well, if you take the number of days that you love your spouse, you know, and you do some math and you come up like if, if you love your spouse however many days, 15 days out of the month, and some people would be like, hey, man, that's great.
Speaker 1:And she said, actually, she said that's a failing grade, folks, that's a 50 percent, you would fail that class in school, you would have a failing grade for your marriage. And if our goal is 100 in classes, right, and our goal is you want to get A's, you don't want to fail, and so eventually we have to get to the point where God talks about praying continuously to him. Right, and our relationship and our marriage is supposed to reflect the relationship between Christ and the church. So, your real goal each day, folks ought to be thinking about your spouse, serving them, loving them as your closest neighbor, throughout the day, each day. Are you going to hit that goal? No, you're not A hundred percent. Should that be what you're striving for every day? Getting closer to that, becoming more Christ-like each day, yeah, yeah. And if it's not, you really need to look in the mirror for a while and figure out what your priorities actually are.
Speaker 1:And as we used to say in the Marine Corps, fix yourself All right. Medal of Honor. Let's see what we got today. I think we stopped with Matthew Arthur. Yeah, civil War, all right. So Eugene Ashley Jr. They have a picture of this kid folks, and he is a kid. I'll tell you what he looks a kid, his rank says he's not, but man he does.
Speaker 1:Eugene Ashley Jr. Vietnam War. Sergeant First Class Vietnam War. Detachment A-101, charlie Company Fifth Special Forces Group Airborne, first Special Forces US Army. February 6-7, 1968 is the action date and the place near Lang V or Vi, republic of Vietnam. Citation as follows Sergeant First Class SFC Ashley distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving with Detachment A-101, alpha 101, company Charlie.
Speaker 1:Sergeant First Class Ashley was the senior special forces advisor of a hastily organized assault force whose mission was to rescue and trap US special forces advisors at Camp Lang V. Us Special Forces advisors at Camp Lang V. During the initial attack on the Special Forces camp by North Vietnamese Army forces, sfc Ashley supported the camp with high explosive and illumination mortar rounds. When communications were lost with the main camp, he assumed the additional responsibility of directing airstrikes and artillery support. Sfc Ashley organized and equipped a small assault force composed of local friendly personnel.
Speaker 1:During the ensuing battle, sergeant First Class Ashley led a total of five vigorous assaults against the enemy, continuously exposing himself to a voluminous hail of enemy grenades, machine gun and automatic weapons fire. Throughout these assaults he was plagued by numerous booby-trapped satchel charges and all bunkers on his avenue of approach. During his fifth and final assault, he adjusted airstrikes nearly on top of his assault element. He adjusted airstrikes nearly on top of his assault element, forcing the enemy to withdraw and resulting in friendly control of the summit of the hill. While exposing himself to intense enemy fire, he was seriously wounded by machine gun fire but continued his mission without regard for his personal safety. After the fifth assault he lost consciousness and was carried from the summit by his comrades, only to suffer a fatal wound when an enemy artillery round landed in the area.
Speaker 1:Sergeant First Class Ashley displayed extraordinary heroism in risking his life in an attempt to save the lives of his entrapped comrades and commanding officer. Comrades and commanding officer, his total disregard for his personal safety while exposed to enemy observation and automatic weapons fire was an inspiration to all men committed to the assault. The resolute valor with which he led five gallant charges placed critical diversionary pressure on the attacking enemy and his valiant efforts carved a channel in the overpowering enemy forces and weapons positions through which the survivors of Camp Lang V eventually escaped to freedom. Sergeant First Class Ashley's bravery, at the cost of his life, was in the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit and the US Army upon himself, his unit and the US Army. Accredited to New York. New York awarded posthumously presented December 2, 1969, at the White House. Presented by Vice President Spiro T Agnew to his family. Born October 12, 1931, wilmington, new Hanover County, north Carolina. Died February 7, 1968, Republic of Vietnam. Buried Rockfish Memorial Park Cemetery, mh-2-tac-6, fayetteville, north Carolina, united States. Eugene Ashley Ashley Jr.
Speaker 1:Earl Aston, us Civil War, also known as Michael Aston. Also known as Michael Aston. Quarter Gunner, civil War. Uss Signal, us Navy. Action date 5 May 1864, action place Red River, louisiana, usa. Served on board the USS Signal, red River, 5 May 1864. Proceeding up the Red River, the USS Signal engaged a large force of enemy field batteries and sharpshooters, returning their fire until the Federal ship was totally disabled, at which time the white flag was raised. Although on the sick list, quarter Gunner Austin courageously carried out his duties during the entire engagement, engagement Accredited to Chicago, cook County, illinois, not awarded posthumously. Born 1834, halifax, canada, died 1885, september 14th, providence, rhode Island, united States. Buried St Francis Cemetery, pawtucket, rhode Island, united States. There's another one folks born in Canada.
Speaker 1:The immigrants that we used to have are a totally different caliber than a huge chunk of the immigrants that we have today, not only the illegals, but the mass migration immigrants Doesn't mean they were perfect, doesn't mean they were perfect, doesn't mean they were saints even, but they cared a heck of a lot more about God and country than the overwhelming majority that we get today. Don't ever feel bad for not being satisfied with just letting whoever, whenever, into our country. We have no responsibility to just flood the country with whoever wants to come here. And when people throw the Old Testament verses like out of Deuteronomy and Leviticus at you about loving the stranger, the sojourner, you go ahead and remind them, if you feel comfortable reminding them at that time, that those verses indicated at the same time that whatever immigrants, sojourners, aliens, strangers came into the land of Israel had an automatic responsibility to follow the laws of God and so, as a Christian-born republic, any immigrants if you want to use Old Testament versus any immigrants into the United States must first and foremost swear to uphold the principles of Jesus Christ. So if you want to go that route, if you have people that want to go that route, I'm more than fine with that. Absolutely Ought to be a requirement.
Speaker 1:Charles Aston Edgar R Aston Indian campaigns Rank private Conflict error India campaigns Lima Company 8th US Cavalry US Army Action. Date 30 May 1868. Place San Carlos, arizona, usa Citation. With two other men he volunteered to search for a wagon passage out of a 4,000-foot valley wherein an infantry column was immobile. This small group passed six miles through hostile Apache terrain, finding the salt passage. On the return trip down the canyon they were attacked by Apaches who were successfully held at bay.
Speaker 1:Accredited to Cincinnati, hamilton County, ohio, not awarded. Posthumously presented 28 July 1868, born 1864, claremont County, ohio, united States. Died 14 April 1932, buried Tate Township Cemetery. Pm 7, tech 40, bethel, ohio, united States. Guy was born prior to the Civil War and survived all the way through World War I and was starting to watch the world dissolve into World War II.
Speaker 1:Especially today because the lie has been sold so well by the left that all the native quote unquote native Americans out there live this utopic peaceful society which is utter Bravo Sierra and we don't really appreciate how truly savage the savages were. And if you go back and you read some of the old Westerns Louis L'Amour, zane Gray are a couple of good authors that write fiction books that are pretty, pretty entertaining but also give you a glimpse as all good fiction does into the real world, you get a taste for just how brutal not only the warriors but even the women were in these societies. And so these men volunteering to go six miles through Indian territory I think that's a lot bigger deal than we really give it credit for. So Edgar R Aston and Charles Aston and Eugene Ashley Jr Names that we need to remember a little bit more than we do, certainly more than all of the prima donna, athletes and actresses and actors, politicians, etc. All right, just a little bit of history today.
Speaker 1:Quote by Martin Luther King Jr. History Today quote by Martin Luther King Jr. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become reality. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word, whatever your opinions on Dr Martin Luther King Jr. I know there's a pretty wide array of them. The comment is still hopeful. And this phrase starless midnight of racism. Folks, that's about. All racism is worth is darkness and hatred. There's no benefit to looking at a person and judging them based on skin color. All it does is make less of you. Excuse me, john Jay. Make less of you. Excuse me, john Jay.
Speaker 1:We talk about John Jay quite a bit. Great quote, first Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. By conveying the Bible to people, we thereby enable them to learn that man was originally created and placed in a state of happiness but, becoming disobedient, was subjected to degradation and evils which he and his posterity have since experienced. The Bible will also inform them that our gracious Creator has provided for us a Redeemer who has made atonement for the sins of the whole world and has opened a way for our redemption and salvation, and that these inestimable benefits are of the free gift and grace of God, not of our deserving nor in our power to deserve. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. That John Jay, our first Supreme Court Chief Justice, is talking about here.
Speaker 1:Again, folks, it's illogical to think that these people who had such a strong faith in God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit were so central to their beliefs, would then go and create a country that demanded the exclusion, the separation of God and Jesus Christ from those institutions of that country. It doesn't. I wish I had the analogy in my head that I used, however many podcasts ago. But if you had these beliefs in something Right and you created a company that you really wanted to be successful in, you had these really strong beliefs and then you created this company which excluded those beliefs right, like, not only you didn't put them in, you wanted to make sure that they were never part of this company that you were creating. That makes absolutely no sense. Oh, that was it there, thank you, father. It's like we said the other day If you were a health food promoter, if you really wanted people to eat healthy, be healthy, live healthier lives, it would be like you creating a company that sold Coke and Oreos and Cheetos and a meal plan made up of only those three ingredients. I mean it would be absolutely astounding. I'm going to say it for myself here, folks, if you're listening at home, you can say it with me, and if you don't say it, if you don't feel like saying it or you don't know to say it. I would highly encourage you to look into it some more.
Speaker 1:This Redeemer that John Jay, our first Supreme Court Chief Justice, is telling about us is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is currently meaning he's alive, is the Son of God. Meaning he's alive is the Son of God. He willingly died for my sins and yours. The Romans put him up on a cross, nailed him to it, killed him. He willingly gave his life for me and for you and then, after he had been dead In a tomb, god raised him Up back to life so that he had defeated death. He is my Lord and Savior, my master, and he is my only hope of salvation and eternal life, the only reason that I have that free gift and grace of God. As again John J, our first Supreme Court Chief Justice, says here, he's the only way of our redemption and salvation. I don't deserve it. I can't deserve it. I've screwed up too much in the past. I'm going to mess up too much today and I guarantee you, in the future of my life, however long that is, I will mess up again. And this John J, our first Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, is telling us. This is Jesus Christ is the only way and he is folks.
Speaker 1:There's no coexistence. You know, all religions are not equal. All faiths are not equal, however you want to say it. If they were, then Islam would have created a country like America where liberty was promoted Communism, socialism, nazism, fascism, leftism. They would have created a nation where liberty was promoted and spread throughout the world. And you can make even the same comment about the Roman Catholic Church, particularly that organization and Islam, because all of them, really they had total power In the case of the bucket of isms for decades, but total power and in the case of the other two centuries. And yet America was not created, liberty was not promoted above all else. Why is that? You have to at least ask the question. Maybe you don't agree with me, but you have to at least ask the question.
Speaker 1:Book of the Martyrs when, oh where, the Tenth Persecution Under Diosilician I know I murdered that, I'm sorry folks AD 303. Under the Roman emperors, commonly called the error of the martyrs, was occasioned partly by the increasing numbers and luxury of the Christians and the hatred of Galerius, the adopted son of Dioletian, who, being stimulated by his mother, a bigoted pagan, never ceased persuading the emperor to enter upon the persecution until he had accomplished his purpose. Again, the education of the children folks. Again, how important mothers educating their children. Our nation can survive just fine, has survived, has thrived without wives and mothers working outside the home. We're struggling without wives at home loving their husbands first and raising their children. That's one thing you see here. The other is the command of the New Testament not to be unequally yoked, whether it's husband or wife.
Speaker 1:Folks, if you put yourself in a marriage with somebody that does not truly have those commandments of God as their priority, it's going to be a long, hard, lonely life, because they're not going to be real interested in you and pleasing you because they don't care. They're going to be interested in themselves. They're going to be interested in sitting, lying in their bed, sitting on their butt on a couch, scrolling their phone for hours, watching hours and hours of sports, going to do their little workout off by themselves, going to watch sports, whatever it is. That's what they're going to be interested in. It's not you, their career, but you're not going to be it. And the reason is because they're not going to go back to those two base commandments of Jesus Christ, which is love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love a neighbor as yourself, which forces you folks to put the priority of your day on people and not things. I cannot, I'm telling you here, I cannot encourage you enough not to be unequally yoked. And if you already are, if you're married and it's too late to get out, pray, talk to God, ask him for perseverance, cry your heart out like David did. I've had situations in my life, folks, I guarantee you where I have just sat there and cried my heart out to God, emotionally, if not figuratively, if not literally. That's all you got left, and man. But what a great hope, though, to be able to talk to God. What a hope that you have with God and Jesus Christ, that those that don't have Christ don't have. You have a hope even if you're in one of those marriages, for example. You have a hope that your spouse is never going to understand, because their hope is in themselves, because their hope is in themselves.
Speaker 1:The fatal day fixed upon to commence the bloody work was the 23rd day of February AD 303. That being the day in which the Terminilia were celebrated and on which, as the cruel pagans boasted, they hoped to put a termination to Christianity On the appointed day. The persecution began in Nisomidea, on the morning of which the prefect of that city repaired, with a great number of officers and assistants, to the church of the Christians where, having forced open the doors, they seized upon all the sacred books and committed them to the flames. The whole of this transaction was in the presence of Diocletian and Galerius who, not contented with burning the books, had the church leveled to the ground. This was followed by a severe edict commanding the destruction of all other Christian churches and books, and an order soon succeeded to render Christians of all denominations outlaws. It's never good when people start burning or restricting the Bible. Folks Remember that, even if it's a church pretending to be good, when they start telling you that you can't read the Bible or that only priests or pastors can read the Bible, you know something's very, very wrong. Just like in America, the Christian Republic, when we banned the Bible, basically a hundred years ago, with a Supreme Court decision, you know that something has gone very, very wrong.
Speaker 1:The publication of this edict occasioned an immediate martyrdom, where a bold Christian not only tore it down from the place to which it was affixed, but execrated the name of the emperor for his injustice. Christian not only tore it down from the place to which it was affixed, but execrated the name of the Emperor for his injustice. A provocation like this was sufficient to call down pagan vengeance upon his head. He was accordingly seized, severely tortured and then burned alive. All the Christians were apprehended and imprisoned, and Galerius privately ordered the imperial palace to be set on fire that the Christians might be charged as the incendiaries and a plausible pretense given for carrying on persecution with the greatest severities. A general sacrifice was commenced which occasioned various martyrdoms. No distinction was made of age or sex. The name of Christian was so obnoxious to the pagans that all indiscriminately fell sacrifices to their opinions. Many houses were set on fire and whole Christian families perished in the flames, and others, had stones fastened about their necks and, being tied together, perished in the flames, and others, had stones fastened about their necks and, being tied together, were driven into the sea.
Speaker 1:Persecution became general in all the Roman provinces, but more particularly in the East, as it lasted ten years. It is impossible to ascertain the numbers martyred or to enumerate the various modes of martyrdom. Racks, scourges, sword, daggers, crosses, poison and famine were made use of in various parts to dispatch the Christians, and invention was exhausted to devise tortures against such as had no crime but thinking differently from the votaries of superstition, a city of Phrygia consisting entirely of Christians was burnt and all the inhabitants perished in the flames, tired with slaughter at length. Several governors of provinces represented to the imperial court the impropriety of such conduct. Hence many were respited from execution. But though they were not put to death, as much as possible was done to render their lives miserable, many of them having their ears cut off, their noses slit, their right eyes put out, their limbs rendered useless by dreadful dislocations and their flesh seared in conspicuous places with red-hot irons. Wait, red-hot, yeah, irons, yeah, irons. There we go. It is necessary now to particularize the most conspicuous person, who laid down their lives in martyrdom in this bloody persecution. I think, actually, we'll come back to that. Yeah, do we have the courage, folks? Do we have the courage to even stand up and defend our religions here in America, to defend the very foundation of our nation, not merely for the sake of our own lives, but for the lives of our children, our grandchildren and for the ability to spread the light of gospel for the souls of people, in order to buy more time to save more souls in order to buy more time to save more souls.
Speaker 1:The year 17, going back to Mercy Otis Warren, history of the Rise, progress and Termination of the American Revolution, the year 1766, had passed over without any other remarkable political event. All colonial measures agitated in England were regularly transmitted by the minister for the American department to the several plantation governors who, on every communication, endeavored to enforce the operation of parliamentary authority by the most sanguine injunctions of their own and a magnificent display of royal resentment on the smallest token of disobedience to ministerial requisitions. But it will appear that, through a long series of resolves and messages, letters and petitions which passed between the parties previous to the commencement of hostilities, the watchful guardians of American freedom never lost sight of the intrigues of their enemies or the mischievous designs of such as were under the influence of the crown, on either side of the Atlantic. It may be observed that the tranquility of the provinces had for some time been interrupted by the innovating spirit of the British ministry, instigated by a few prostitutes of power, ministry instigated by a few prostitutes of power nurtured in the lap of America and bound by every tie of honor and gratitude to be faithful to the interests of their country. The social enjoyments of life had long been disturbed, the mind fretted and the people rendered suspicious when they saw some of their fellow citizens who did not hesitate, at a junction with the accumulated swarms of hirelings sent from Great Britain, to ravish from the colonies the rights they claimed both by nature and by compact.
Speaker 1:That the hard-hearted judges of admiralty and the crowd of revenue officers that hovered about the custom houses should seldom be actuated by the principles of justice is not strange. Percolation was generally the prime object of this class, and the oaths they administered and the habits they encouraged were favorable to every species of bribery and corruption. The rapacity which instigated these descriptions of men had little check. While they saw themselves upheld even by some governors of provinces In this grade, which ought ever to be the protectors of the rights of the people, there were some who were total strangers to all ideas of equality or equity, freedom and or urbanity. It was observed at this time in a speech before the House of Commons by Colonel Barr that, to his certain knowledge, some were promoted to the highest seats of honor in America, who were glad to fly to a foreign country to escape being brought to the bar of justice in their own parliamentary debates for 1776. It's hard not to see a little bit of that, at least today. And the increase, the weight that we have bared. Taxation, particularly when you include the number of people that don't pay taxes, whether you're talking about state level for something like schools, or the federal level that don't pay in and the others that carry so much of that burden, you see, maybe a different shade of the lack of justice, but it's still lack of justice.
Speaker 1:However injudicious the appointments to American departments might be, the darling point of an American revenue was an object too consequential to be relinquished either by the court at St James's, the plantation governors or their mercenary adherents dispersed throughout the continent. Besides these, there were several classes in America who were at first exceedingly opposed to measures that militated with the designs of administration. Some, impressed by long connection, were intimidated by her power and attached by affection to Britain. Others, the true disciples of passive obedience, had real scruples of conscience with regard to any resistance to the power that be. These, whether actuated by affection or fear, by principle or interested, formed a close combination with the colonial governors, custom house officers and all insubordinate departments who hung on the court for subsistence. By the tenor of the writings of some of these and the insolent behavior of others, they became equally obnoxious in the eyes of the people, with the officers of the importance on the spoils of America were continually whispering malicious insinuations into the ears of the financiers and ministers of colonial departments.
Speaker 1:Something back here in this last paragraph, folks talking about the some that were true disciples of passive obedience and had real scruples of conscience with regard to any resistance to a power that be. You know, each year at some point we go through that sermon by Mayhew from 1750 or so that goes through Romans, the idea that Christians have some responsibility to absolutely unlimited submission to civil power, regardless of if that power is doing God's will or going against God's will. And that's just not true and we will go back into it this year at some point and we will go back into it this year at some point. But we don't have a responsibility to follow along with a government that absolutely goes against God's commands. In fact, we have a responsibility to press against it in whatever manner we can and it just it all goes together again, folks, we have to have a great awakening in this country and turn back to God and Jesus Christ. We have to educate our children in the principles of Jesus Christ as laid out in Scripture, both the Old and the New Testament, and we have got to be willing to look at our leaders and say, no, we're not going to do that.
Speaker 1:Abortion has to be abolished, just like slavery, feminism, way outlived, any of the idiotic fantasies and fairy tales that were promoted through it. Sexual deviancy of every kind, lgbtq, whatever, ia plus equals, minus lifestyles. Folks, we cannot go along with a government that encourages and promotes destruction, chaos, dissolving the family, marriage. So what do you do? Real quick, and this is going to be real quick, folks. I've talked about this in the past, but wherever your community is, you ought to be doing absolutely everything you can do to strengthen your local law enforcement, your local firefighters, your local EMS, your military and making them the very best they can be and adding more to them, including your state militias in conservative areas.
Speaker 1:Because this little downtime like we've talked about in Mercy Otis Warren's book here, when they repealed the Stamp Act, a lot of people in America were like, oh, we're saved, this is going to be great, we're going to be able to reconcile with Great Britain and everything's going to be the way it should be, but there were people there that knew that that wasn't true, that this was just a respite. It was just a break in the storm, and that's pretty much what we have today. Folks, we've just got a little break in the storm this last election cycle. The chances of the previous presidential election in America being like a midway type event are slim to none. It's much more likely that we had a little do, a little raid, and we just made a little bit of ground. We got a long way to go.
Speaker 1:Talk to God, pray to God. 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 listening, don't ever forget that these principles that we talk about regarding America apply to any nation. If you really want liberty, you got to draw closer to God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, because where the Spirit of God is, that's where liberty is. We'll talk to y'all again real soon, folks, looking forward to it.