The American Soul
The American Soul
Distractions and Devotion: Reclaiming Time for What Matters Most
Do you rush through your prayers without waiting for God's response? Jesse Cope challenges listeners to create space for divine guidance by actually listening after asking for direction. This powerful episode examines how our spiritual impatience mirrors broader cultural patterns where thoughtful silence feels almost impossible.
The honeymoon phase of relationships doesn't have to end. Drawing from pastoral wisdom, Jesse presents a transformative approach to marriage—treating each day as a competition to "out-love" your spouse rather than keeping score. This refreshing perspective contrasts with the complacency that often creeps into long-term relationships, offering practical wisdom for rekindling that initial enthusiasm.
Through an exploration of 1 Corinthians 9, the podcast addresses our responsibility toward spiritual leaders, emphasizing the importance of compensating pastors fairly so they can focus fully on ministry. Jesse shares a touching story about how a simple kind word brightened someone's entire day, demonstrating how our everyday interactions become our most powerful witness.
Historical reflections highlight George H.W. Bush's powerful inaugural prayer that "there is but one just use of power and it is to serve people." This principle applies not just to national leadership but to everyone with any measure of authority—parents, managers, teachers, and community leaders. The founders' emphasis on looking to God while practicing "industry, frugality, and sobriety" offers timeless guidance for contemporary challenges.
Whether you're struggling with spiritual discipline, seeking to strengthen your marriage, or wondering how to live out your faith authentically, this episode delivers practical wisdom for drawing closer to God and serving others more effectively. Listen now and discover how small shifts in perspective can transform your relationships and deepen your faith journey.
The American Soul Podcast
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe
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 and whatever part of the day. You're. In here to appreciate y'all joining me, giving me a little bit of your time, 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, and hopefully it will draw us all a little bit closer to God and Jesus Christ, both as individuals and as a nation.
Speaker 1:For those of y'all who continue to share and support the podcast with others, tell others about it. Thank you so much. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you very much. I'm very, very grateful for your prayers. I need them and I appreciate them. 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 through your Son Jesus Christ and his merit, not our own. Thank you for the time to record this podcast. Thank you for the people that listen to it and share it. Please be with them, be with their families, guide them, surround them with your angels, protect them from evil of any kind. Help us to do your will, father, in all things, to love your son Jesus Christ, to follow his commands, to love you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Forgive us when we fall short, father. Forgive us our sins, the ones we admit and the ones we try and hide, for whatever reason. Guide our steps. Guide our thoughts, our words, our actions. Help us to remember that our actions show the world, our priorities. Help us to show the world just a little bit of you, father, and your Son Jesus Christ, and please bring us home to you in your timing. Be with those who are hurting and alone and scared, father. Be with those around the world who are abused and misused for whatever reason. Be with those, our brothers and sisters, who are persecuted because of the name of your son, jesus Christ. Please help us to give them whatever comfort we're able to. Father, be with our leaders, both in the pulpit and in the state. Give them wisdom, give them courage. Give them courage, give them strong faith. Help them to rule in fear of you, father, not in fear of man. And please guide my words here. Father, in your Son's name we pray, amen.
Speaker 1:Have you made time for God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit today? Have you made time to read your Bible? Have you made time for God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit today? Have you made time to read your Bible? Have you made time to pray? Have you made time to sit and listen?
Speaker 1:You know we get down this path so often and we get in these situations and we go God. You know what do you? If we've made a little progress at least in our walk and our pilgrimage, we go. You know what do you want me to do, god? And if we've made a little more, perhaps we even go God. Whatever you want me to do, just show me and I'll do it.
Speaker 1:But I think, at least for me and maybe for some of y'all but I think at least for me and maybe for some of y'all the hardest part of this equation is actually stopping to listen once we ask the question. You know there's a proverb that says something along the lines of a fool answers before he listens, or something like that. I'm paraphrasing that parable pretty poorly right now, but I go back. Those of y'all have been around the podcast for a while. You know the story. There was a girl that I went to college with that played on the tennis team, and one of her comments was think, speak. You know, just take just a few seconds even to think before you open your mouth. 10 seconds, somebody says something to you, Somebody's talking. How many problems would that solve in our lives? How many times in your relationships whether you're talking about friends or parents, children, your spouse, especially if you just kept your mouth shut for just ten seconds, even ten seconds, and really thought about what you were going to say? Right, and how often do we ask God but it's almost just in a passing, like all right, god, tell me what you want me to do. Okay, I got to go. You know it's like calling to ask your parents advice. You ask them on the phone and then immediately hang up the phone. Just some random thoughts there, folks.
Speaker 1:And if you're married, god, do you act like it? Are they your top priority each day? Do you get up throughout the day being willing to do whatever your spouse wants to do, wherever, whenever, however often eagerly? You know when we were so many of us when we went through that dating phase and we're so excited to be around each other, right. Part of that excitement is knowing that we're around somebody else that's just as excited to be around us, that wants to do what we want to do. You know, it doesn't matter when you're dating and when you're early married. Whatever your spouse wants to do, you're like man. That sounds great. You want to go to McDonald's Great. You want to go for a run Great. You want to have sex Great. You want to watch a movie Great. You want to take the dogs for a walk Great. You want to go for a drive and just drive Great.
Speaker 1:And so often I hear people, especially on social media, when I get into these conversations and I say stuff like whatever, whenever, wherever, however, often eagerly oh my gosh, you're ridiculous, you have no idea what you're talking about. That's so oppressive, that's such a burden. Let's not folks. We give so much time to trash and I'm guilty of it too. I've made this comment. You know sports is one of my weaknesses and I've gotten better I have over the years. I don't watch college football at all hardly anymore.
Speaker 1:But man, I could. I could sit there for hours. I could sit there on a Saturday in the fall and I could 12 hours of college football and it would not bother me at all. I would be perfectly happy. How long does it take me to spend 12 hours with God and Jesus Christ? How long does it take me to spend 12 hours with my spouse? And that's my point, folks, we give so much time to phone, social media, tv workouts and I'm not talking about, like, working out to stay in shape. That's a great thing, but it's the workout, it's the extra, right, it's the extra. Do you really need to go run 12 miles three days a week? 15 miles and you're laughing, but some people do. I'm not one of those people and I don't understand those people, but I know they're out there. You need to go to the gym for two hours every day. Really, I mean, unless your job is the military or the law enforcement, firefighting, you need to be in that kind of physical shape. No, you know, pick your poison, whatever it is for you.
Speaker 1:We have time, folks, when we're dating and we're early married, everything's great because we're both super eager to be together. It's like a competition, you know, and I'll say this and then we'll move on to our Bible for today. But I've talked about this a few times on the podcast over the years. We had an executive pastor that's what his title was. I remember that he was a retired Air Force captain, I think, and or whatever colonel level that was, and he was the basically the XO. He was the executive pastor for this church, worked under the head pastor and he gave a sermon one time and he was talking and part of the sermon at least specifically about the relationship between husbands and wives and he said how much better would our marriages be if every day we got up in a competition to see which one of us could outlove the other that day. And he used this great little hand. He liked to talk with his hands. He was great, super loud, boisterous, barrel-chested man and he was saying if you were sitting there and he was moving his hands one on top of the other, like that game that you used to play with a broomstick or something, and you would start, you would grab it and then everybody would race their hands on top of each other to see who got to the top, because that was whoever ended up at the top one. We used to be like that, folks.
Speaker 1:People call it the honeymoon period. A lot of people do. But the problem isn't that there's some requirement that the honeymoon period end and it's not logical that it should end, but it does, because we lose interest and we quit putting our spouse first each day, Like a lot of times, like we quit putting God first each day. You know we get super excited when we first become a Christian and you know we're convinced we're going to set the world on fire and then something happens and we kind of go away because we don't think about it often, we don't read the Bible, we don't pray, we don't realize that it's eternity that's on the line, and souls and forever, and we kind of let that go and we let the world confuse us and distract us. Distractions, distractions they're so huge folks. Distractions. Limit your distractions. That's one of the greatest things you can do for your faith, your marriage, your kids, your parents, your job, everything, your nation. Limit distractions, get rid of the distractions, get rid of the fluff.
Speaker 1:1 Corinthians 9, paul's use of liberty Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus, our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense of those who examine me is this Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas, or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working?
Speaker 1:Who, at any time, serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the law also say these things? For it is written in the law of Moses you shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing. God is not concerned about oxen, is he? Or is he speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake. It was written because the plowman ought to plow in hope and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing crops.
Speaker 1:If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple? Not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.
Speaker 1:But I have used none of these things, and I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case, for it would be better for me to die than to have any man make my boast an empty one, for if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion. For woe is me if I do not preach the gospel, for if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward, but if, against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all so that I may win more.
Speaker 1:To the Jews. I became as a Jew so that I might win Jews To those who are under the law, as under the law, though not being myself under the law. So that I might win those who are under the law To those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God, but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law To the weak. I became weak that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that I might by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
Speaker 1:Do you not know that those who run in a race, all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. Therefore, I run in such a way as, not without aim, I box in such a way as not beating the air, but I discipline my body and make it my slave so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. Man, there's a lot here. Okay, we're not going to try and do everything. We'll try and do a little bit. How about that?
Speaker 1:The things I feel like a lot of us in the church who are not priests and pastors need to do a better job of is taking care of our shepherds, our priests and our pastors and their wives and their children. They have a right to be taken care of. They shepherd us, they care for us, they cry with us, they mourn with us, they weep with us, they share, they're excited with us, they're joyful with us, they share all the major moments. We just had a couple of weddings within the last little bit in our church where our pastor married these people. They share all of these experiences and times with us. We need to care for them, and not just spiritually and emotionally, although that's certainly important. We need to care for them materialistically. They work folks and they deserve to be paid for their work. We don't have to make them wealthy, but they need to be well compensated for the work that they do, and that's on us.
Speaker 1:It's hard, for a number of reasons, for a pastor to talk about that aspect. Talk about that aspect. We need to take it on our shoulders and talk amongst ourselves as a community, as a church, to care for our pastors. And wherever you are in your church, I hope that you will do that to one degree or another It'll take some of the burden off them. You know verse 11 there, that kind of if we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you, right? No, of course not. Of course not. And they should, they have a right to that. Verse 14, so also.
Speaker 1:The Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. They're going to stand there and preach the gospel to us. Especially these days, folks, when we need it so desperately. We need that gospel being preached from the pulpit. You look at the first great awakening that led to the Civil War or the Revolutionary War. You look at the second great awakening that led to the Revolutionary War. We need a great awakening today and we need to compensate those pastors so that they're not worried about their wife and their children, that they're taken care of, that they can focus on the gospel, focus on preaching the truth, focus on trying to reawaken us as a nation here in America and wherever you are around the world, folks, the same in your churches. We have a responsibility to take care of them so that they can spread the gospel Verse 16,.
Speaker 1:For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion, for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. I think some of us need to remember that, that we have a responsibility in our sphere of influence, even not as pastors and priests, to preach the gospel, and that doesn't necessarily often right. I can't remember who said it, it's some famous person back in the history of the church. But preach the gospel and, if necessary, use words. The best, best preaching is how we live our lives, the example that we set for others. This was true in the Marine Corps, it's true in any good sports team, any organization. Really, the best leading is done by example, the example that we set, and we need to preach the gospel that way. We need to make sure that others see in us a little bit of Jesus Christ, whether you're talking about the cashier at the grocery store or the convenience store, or the mechanic where you take your car, the service department I cannot remember where this was.
Speaker 1:It happened to me. I don't tell this. I'm going to, I guess lose a little bit of my reward in heaven. But maybe it'll make sense or kind of drive the point home. This was months ago. I was at a car wash place actually that's where it was and I drove up no, it doesn't matter, it's irrelevant. I was at some place of business. No, it doesn't matter, it's irrelevant. I was at some place in business and there was somebody, a young man, and he was helping me and he brought something out and did something and I told him thank you, you know sure to appreciate it, hope you have a good day and hope it goes well, something like that. And I didn't think much of it. I was just making conversation, kind of talking, and the young man stopped as he was turning to walk away and he turned around. He said you know what, sir, that's the kindest thing anybody's said to me all day and that just made my day a lot better.
Speaker 1:We have a huge influence, folks. You have a huge influence in your life and how you act in your life and how you act. And when you act that way and then later somebody that you act with on a regular basis they find out that you're a Christian, then they go man, man, that's a pretty good deal. I want some of that. Versus. If you act like a horse is ruined in the stands at a sporting event or anywhere else, you cut people off on the road on purpose, or you yell at the waitress at a restaurant because they didn't get your order exactly right, or the barista at the coffee shop, and then later they find out that you claim to be a Christian, then they go. Man, those people are arrogant. Those Christians, they think they're just better than everybody else. I don't want anything to do with that.
Speaker 1:Which example are you setting each day? Are your kids, do they want to be a Christian if you're a kid, for that matter when they see how you and your spouse interact? Do they want to be married? Does your marriage make your kids want to be married or want not to be married? And since it's supposed to reflect the relationship between Jesus Christ and the church, does your marriage make kids more interested in having a relationship with the church and with Jesus Christ or less? That one makes me shudder a little bit when I think about it too much.
Speaker 1:Folks. Yeah, there's a lot more here. Verses 20 through 23 are great, you know, be all things to all people in the hope that you win some. Work as hard as you can. We need to work as hard as we can, folks, for as long as we can to try and save as many as we can, to bring as many as we can to God and Jesus Christ. All right, where are we going? Oh, I know we got a little quote from President George HW Bush.
Speaker 1:This was 1989, his inaugural address. We meet on democracy's front porch a good place to talk as neighbors and as friends, for this is a day when our nation is made whole, when our differences, for a moment, are suspended. And my first act as president is a prayer. I ask you to bow your heads, heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank you for your love. Accept our thanks for the peace that yields this day and the shared faith that makes its continuance likely. Make us strong to do your work, willing to heed and hear your will, and write on our hearts these words Use power to help people, for we are given power not to advance our own purposes. Use power to help people, for we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power and it is to serve people. Help us to remember it. Lord Amen 1989, lord Amen 1989, george HW Bush inaugural address.
Speaker 1:Do we remember that, folks, in our own lives? You know it's not very popular today, but it doesn't make it any less true. Probably today, if it's not popular, that makes it more true. But everybody's under authority. We're all under authority. You know, it doesn't matter. In the household, parents are under the authority. Our children are under the authority of their parents. Wife is under the authority of her husband, husband's under the authority of Jesus Christ. In society, you know, you're under the authority of your boss. At work, you're under the authority of your professors at school, at college, as teachers at high school. Wherever you are, in the military, in law enforcement, we're under the authority of the officers placed over us. The flip side of that, folks, is those of us that are placed in authority. We have a responsibility to remember to use that power wisely.
Speaker 1:One of the things that the Marine Corps taught that really stuck with me over the years is they said you have a responsibility not to give your Marines a task that they cannot achieve. And now they're not talking about. You know, if you're in the middle of a war and there's something that's got to be done, it doesn't really matter whether you can or cannot achieve it, really matter whether you can or cannot achieve it. You have to do it, but to the best of your abilities. Within that, you have to try and give your Marines a task that's reasonable, right? You can't put a four-man fire team out and tell them to hold off a battalion. They wouldn't live, it wouldn't survive. It would be four men against a thousand and that's just not going to happen. You have to be reasonable and you have to be looking out for their best interests. Right? As a husband, you absolutely should expect your wife to submit to your authority and everything. You have a responsibility, just like Christ served, to make sure that you are serving her first, that you're putting her interests above your own. Right, you get the idea. You get the idea.
Speaker 1:There's a lot here in this little inaugural address, but I think we're going to move on for today, prayer. It reminds me of President Coolidge's comment that if those principles weren't pretty much universal from the Bible across our nation, that we wouldn't survive, and we're not. We have to have those general principles of Jesus Christ as the foundation of our nation, to unify our country across states, across political divides. And if we don't have those general principles, then we fall apart and we are. If we don't have those general principles, then we fall apart and we are. And I guess the other thing that struck me is this first sentence we meet on democracy's front porch a good place to talk as neighbors and as friends.
Speaker 1:I hope, when you all listen to this podcast folks, you get to talk to somebody about it. You're not going to agree with everything I say, probably not even on any particular podcast, and that's fine. But talk about it, discuss it, figure out where you are and where your neighbors and your friends are. We have abdicated our role in America so much in so many different ways as husbands, as wives, as voters, as parents, trying to get somebody else to take the responsibility because we don't want to take the time to do it ourselves the right way, because we don't want to take the time to do it ourselves the right way. Talk about these issues with your spouse, with your kids, with whoever you're listening, your friends, your coworkers, whether you come to the same conclusion that I come to or not, at least talk about it and know where you stand.
Speaker 1:Medal of Honor. David L Bass Seaman, us Civil War, uss Minnesota, us Navy. January 15, 1865, fort Fisher, north Carolina, usa. On board the USS Minnesota in action during the assault on Fort Fisher 15 January 1865. Landing on the beach with the assaulting party from his ship, seaman Bass advanced to the top of the sand hill and partly through the breach in the palisades, despite enemy fire which killed and wounded many officers and men. When more than two-thirds of the men became seized with panic and retreated on the run, he remained with the party until dark, when it came safely away, bringing its wounded, its arms and its colors.
Speaker 1:Accredited to New York, new York. Not awarded posthumously. Born February 3, 1842, in Ireland. Died October 14, 1886, little Falls, new York. Buried Wilcox Cemetery, little Falls, new York, united States. David L Bass, richard N Batchelor I'm pretty sure I didn't say that right, but Richard Napoleon Batchelor, bachelor, lieutenant Colonel and Chief Quartermaster, highest Rank Brigadier General, us Civil War, Commanded 2nd Corps, us Army.
Speaker 1:October 13-15, 1863, catlett and Fairfax Stations, virginia. Being. Ordered to move his trains by continuous day and night march and without the usual military escort, armed his teamsters and personally commanded them successfully, fighting against heavy odds and bringing his trains through without the loss of a wagon. Accredited to Manchester, hillsborough County, new Hampshire, not awarded. Posthumously. Presented May 20, 1895. Born July 27, 1832. Lake Village, now Lakeport, belknap County, new Hampshire. Died January 4, 1901. Washington DC. Buried. Arlington National Cemetery, two-tack, 998, arlington, virginia, united States. Richard Napoleon Batchelder, lieutenant Colonel and Chief Quartermaster that's unusual rank in the Medal of Honor. Richard Batchelder and David L Bass Just a couple names to add to our list that we need to remember. Jump back in briefly today to our sermon by Ezra Stiles.
Speaker 1:It gives me pleasure to find that public liberty is effectually secured in each and all the policies of the United States. They're somewhat differently modeled. Not only the polity or exterior system of government, but the laws and interior regulations of each state are already excellent, surpassing the institutions of Lycurgus or Plato. And by the annual appeals to the public, a power is reserved to the people to remedy any corruptions or errors in government. Reserve to the people to remedy any corruptions or errors in government. And if even the people should sometimes err? Yet each assembly of the states and the body of the people always embosom wisdom sufficient to correct themselves so that a political mischief cannot be durable. Herein we far surpass any states on earth. We can correct ourselves if in the wrong.
Speaker 1:The belgic states, in their federal capacity, are united by a perfect system constituted by that great prince william of nassau and the compatriots of that age. But they left the interior government of the jural tribunals, cities and provinces as despotic and arbitrary as they found them. So the elective monarchical republic of Poland is an excellent constitution for the nobles, but leaves despotism and tyranny, the portion and hard fate of the plebeians, beyond what is to be found in any part of Europe. Not so the American states. Their interior as well as exterior civil and jural polities are so nearly perfect that the rights of the individuals, even to numerous millions, are guarded and secured. The crown and glory of our Confederacy is the Amphicetonic Council of the General Congress, standing on the annual election of the United respective states and revocable at pleasure. This lays the foundation of a permanent union in the American Republic which may at length convince the world that of all the policies to be found on earth, not excepting the very excellent one of the Chinese Empire, the most perfect one has been invented and realized in America, if in the multitude of devices for improving and carrying our policy to greater perfection and a more permanent and officious government. If I say some, elevated geniuses should go into the ideas of monarchy, whether hereditary or elective, and others think of a partition of the United States into three or four separate independent confederacies. Perhaps, upon discussing the subject calmly and thoroughly and finding that the policy which will at last take place must stand on plebeian election, they may at length be satisfied that the die is already cast and the policy has taken its complexion for ages to come. Thus the nine bowls, engraved with the map of dominion, established the policy of the Chinese emperor for near twenty ages, do hold history of China.
Speaker 1:The ancient division of the empire subsisted by means of these symbols of dominion which passed in succession to the nine principal mandirons or supreme governors under the imperial sovereignty. And this forai Lai Vang, who was the contemporary with the great philosopher Menzies 300 years before Christ. So that symbol of union, the American flag with it increasing stripes and stars, may have an equally combining efficacy. For ages, the senatorial constitution and consulate of the Roman Empire lasted from Tarquin to Caesar. The pragmatic sanction has probably secured the imperial succession in the house of Austria for ages, the Medo-Persian and Alexandrian empires and that of Tumorbeg, who once reigned from Smyrna to the Indus, were, for obvious reasons, of short and transitory duration 300 years from Amiramus to Andanapolis. Nor was the policy of Egypt overthrown for a longer period, from the days of Mithramon till the time of Cambyses and Amasis.
Speaker 1:I'm murdering these names, folks, I'm sorry, I apologize. Whatever mutations may arise in the United States, perhaps hereditary monarchy and a standing army will be the last Woof. Tell you what it's humbling, if nothing else, to read through this sermon and just wonder how deficient our education is today in America. All right, we will move on for today. So one more little quick note, though, talking about deficiency of America.
Speaker 1:Somebody recently, I guess somewhere, there was a statue of Columbus that people were trying to take down. I don't know, I just caught the briefest glimpse of the picture. Maybe it was an old picture, it doesn't really matter, but this quote-unquote influencer on social media posted a picture and I guess it went, whatever they call viral, and they were talking about how evil Columbus was, and one of the people that reposted it that had quite a following was talking about the fact that Columbus was so evil that he was even arrested by the king and queen. This is why we read history, folks, and this is why, in particular in this case, we talk about Columbus for about a week each year around Columbus Day.
Speaker 1:Condemning Columbus today based on what we claim our sensibilities and virtue is, despite the fact that we're on the left. They gleefully slaughter tens of millions of children, which Columbus never even approached that evil or atrocity. So they don't have any room to be talking about morality to begin with, not to even mention the sex trafficking that they support via illegal immigration or the mutilation of children's bodies via the LGBTQ lifestyles and that agenda. But this is a little excerpt out of William Thutter's America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations. When the king and queen saw Columbus, they immediately ordered his change removed, restored the property that Bobadilla, who was the governor, had confiscated, restored the one-tenth of the revenues which he had been promised and restored to him the title Admiral of the Ocean C, although they realized he could not continue to govern the Indies. Bobadilla, who had previously chained Columbus, was removed as governor, although his actions were not condemned. In an ironic turn of events, during his fourth voyage, columbus warned the governor of Hispaniola of an impending hurricane. His council was spurned and 24 ships were sunk, killing 500 people, among whom was Bobadilla, if I'm pronouncing that name right. But so they make this comment about Columbus being arrested and he was. But as soon as he got back to Spain, the king and queen recognized the injustice of it. And that's just one little example, folks. And that's just one little example, folks, all right.
Speaker 1:So we're going to get back, at least for a little bit, a few minutes, into Fox's Book of the Martyrs and we're going to talk about the account of the persecutions in the valleys of Piedmont. Many of the Waldenese, to avoid the persecutions to which they were continually subjected to in France and I'm probably pronouncing that wrong Waldenes, but I'm going to stick with Waldenese, even though that's not right, I apologize Went and settled in the valleys of Piedmont, where they increased exceedingly and flourished very much for a considerable time increased exceedingly and flourished very much for a considerable time, though they were harmless in their behavior, inoffensive in their conversation and paid tithes to the Roman clergy. Yet the latter could not be contented but wished to give them some disturbance. They accordingly complained to the Archbishop of Turin that the Waldens of the valleys of Piedmont were heretics. For these reasons One, that they did not believe in the doctrines of the Church of Rome. Two, that they made no offerings or prayers for the dead. Three, that they did not go to Mass. Four, that they did not confess and receive absolution. Five, that they did not believe in purgatory or pay money to get the souls of their friends out of it. That idea, wherever in the world you get, that paying money to the church to get their friends out of a make-believe place that isn't mentioned in the Bible and you're supposed to be a Christian you notice that none of these complaints. They don't have anything to do with following Christ or following scripture. Every single complaint has to do with not following the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and that's a huge red flag, folks. That's when you know you have a problem. It's when somebody is upset, not about a person not following Jesus Christ and his commands or not following scripture, but they're upset because they're not benefiting their particular denomination, regardless of whether it's Protestant or Orthodox or Roman Catholic.
Speaker 1:Upon these charges, the archbishop ordered a persecution to be commenced and many fell martyrs to the superstitious rage of the priests and monks. At Turin, one of the reformed had his bowels torn out and put in a basin before his face, where they remained in his view till he expired. At Revelle Catlin, gerard, being at the stake, desired the executioner to give him a stone, which he refused, thinking that he meant to throw it at somebody. But Gerard assuring him that he had no such design, the executioner complied. When Gerard, looking earnestly at the stone, said when it is in the power of a man to eat and digest this solid stone, the religion for which I am about to suffer shall have an end, and not before. He then threw the stone on the ground and submitted cheerfully to the flames.
Speaker 1:A great many more of the reformed were oppressed or put to death by various means. Till the patience of the Waldenses being tired out, they flew to arms in their own defense and formed themselves into regular bodies. Exasperated at this, the Bishop of Turin procured a number of troops and sent against them. But in most of the skirmishes and engagements the Waldens were successful, which partly arose from their being better acquainted with the passes of the valleys of Piedmont than their adversaries and partly from the desperation with which they fought, for they well knew if they were taken, they should not be considered as prisoners of war but tortured to death as heretics At length.
Speaker 1:Philip VII, duke of Savoy and Supreme Lord of Piedmont, determined to interpose his authority and stop these bloody wars which so greatly disturbed his dominions. He was not willing to disoblige the Pope or affront the Archbishop of Turin. Nevertheless, he sent them both messages importing that he could not any longer tamely see his dominions overrun with troops who were directed by priests instead of officers and commanded by prelates instead of generals. Nor would he suffer his country to be depopulated while he himself had not been even consulted upon the occasion. Not been even consulted upon the occasion.
Speaker 1:The priests, finding the resolution of the duke, did all they could to prejudice his mind against the Waldenses. But the duke told them that though he was unacquainted with the religious tenets of these people, yet he had always found them quiet, faithful and obedient, and therefore he determined they should be no longer persecuted. The priests now had recourse to the most palpable and absurd falsehoods. They assured the duke that he was mistaken in the Waldenses, for they were a wicked set of people and highly addicted to intemperance, uncleanliness, blasphemy, adultery, incest and many other abominable crimes, and that they were even monsters in nature, for their children were born with black throats and four-rose teeth, and bodies all over hairy.
Speaker 1:The duke was not so devoid of common sense as to give credit to what the priests said, though they affirmed, in the most solemn manner, the truth of their assertions. He, however, sent twelve very learned and sensible gentlemen into the Piedmontese valleys to examine the real characters of the inhabitants. These gentlemen, after traveling through all their towns and villages and conversing with people of every rank among the Waldenses, returned to the duke and gave him the most favorable account of these people, affirming, before the faces of the priests who vilified them, that they were harmless, inoffensive, loyal, friendly, industrious and pious, that they abhorred the crimes of which they were accused and that should an individual, through his depravity, fall into any of those crimes, he would, by their laws, be punished in the most exemplary manner. With respect to the children, the gentleman said what the priest had told, the most gross and ridiculous falsities, for they were neither born with black throats, teeth in their mouths nor hair on their bodies, but were as fine children as could be seen. And to convince your highness of what we have said, continued one of the gentlemen we have brought twelve of the principal male inhabitants who are come to ask pardon, in the name of the rest, for having taken up arms without your leave, though, even in their own defense and to preserve their lives from their merciless enemies. And we have likewise brought several women with children of various ages that your Highness may have an opportunity of personally examining them as much as you please. The duke, after accepting the apology of the twelve delegates, conversing with the women and examining the children, graciously dismissed them. He then commanded the priests who had attempted to mislead him immediately to leave the court and gave strict orders that the persecution should cease throughout his dominions. See how much time we've got. Oh yeah, we definitely need to switch over. It's just if you are claiming to follow Christ and you're blatantly making up lies in order to attack others, you're not following Jesus Christ, and if any denomination is approving of that, they're not following Jesus Christ either. Pretty simple, all right. History of the Rise, progress and Termination of the American Revolution. Mercy Otis Warren, chapter 5.
Speaker 1:Energy and position, political ability and the genuine amour patrie marked the measures of the short session of this Congress. They concluded their proceedings with an address to the several American colonies, exhorting them to union and perseverance in the modes of opposition that they had pointed out. Among the most important of these was a strong recommendation to discontinue all commerce with Great Britain and encourage the improvement of arts and manufacturers among themselves. They exhorted all ranks and orders of men to a strict adherence to industry, frugality and sobriety of manners and to look primarily to the supreme ruler of the universe who is able to defeat the crafty designs of the most potent enemy. They agreed on a declaration of rights and entered into an association to which the signature of every member of Congress was affixed See note 10 at the bottom of this page In which they bound themselves to suspend all further intercourse with Great Britain, to import no merchandise from that hostile country, to abstain from the use of all India teas and that after a limited time, if a radical redress of grievances was not obtained, no American produce should be exported either to England or the West India Islands under the jurisdiction of Britain. We'll go see if we can find note 10.
Speaker 1:But there's pretty good commentary, pretty good example for us right. Primarily, we need to look to the supreme ruler of the universe God, the Father, jesus Christ, the Son as people in different places around the United States, and we need to do all we can to adhere to industry, frugality and sobriety in our manners to encourage the improvement of arts and manufacturers among ourselves, wherever you are, whatever part of the world you're in, and to not support companies that support leftism, socialism, communism or Islam. Support those people and those companies that love America and the only way you can love America is to love her founding values, to support those companies that do that the general principles of Jesus Christ, and be industrious, be frugal, be sober in your manner and turn to God and look to God and do all you can to encourage the education of youth in your area. Those are huge, huge points that we can affect folks. Whatever level you're at, you can affect that. You can affect the education of children in your area. You can donate your time. You can give time at church, time in the community with different organizations, huge potential Sports teams, boy Scout or Girl Scout or Trailblazers or whatever groups that you have in your area. Let's see if we can find note 10. Note 10. Oh yeah, this is good Names of the members of the American Congress in 1774.
Speaker 1:Peyton Randolph, president, new Hampshire. John Sullivan. Nathaniel Folsom, massachusetts Bay. Thomas Cushing. Samuel Adams, john Adams. Robert Treat, annie, rhode Island. Stephen Hopkins. Samuel Ward, connecticut. Eliphat Dyer, roger Sermon. Phyllis Dean, new York.
Speaker 1:Isaac Lowe, john A Elsep, john Jay, james Duane, william Ford, henry Windsor, samuel Bokrum, new Jersey, james Kinsey, william Livingston, stephen Crane, richard Smith, pennsylvania. Joseph Galloway, charles Humphreys, john Dickinson Smith, pennsylvania. Joseph Galloway, charles Humphreys, john Dickinson, thomas Mifflin, edward Biddle, john Morton, george Ross, newcastle, etc. Cesar Rodney, thomas McKean, george Reed, maryland, matthew Tilghman, thomas Johnson, william Packa, samuel Chase, virginia, richard Henry Lee, george Washington, patrick Henry Jr, richard Bland, benjamin Harrison, edmund Pendleton, north Carolina, william Hooper, joseph Hughes, r Caswell, south Carolina, henry Middleton, thomas Lynch, christopher Gadsden, john Rutledge, edward Rutledge, definitely again, just like the Medal of Honor.
Speaker 1:Folks, so many names, so many names that we could do better remembering and teaching our children than entertainers. Politicians today, most politicians today and professional or college athletes. I saw a little back and forth today and I won't tell you the names, but I was listening to people argue about two basketball players today and the WNBA. It depends on which sport you're talking about, but a lot of them are either actively trying to tear our nation down or they don't stand in the way of those people that are. They kind of go along to get along and we give so much of our time and energy and effort to these people and they deserve none of it.
Speaker 1:To these recommendations were added several sumptuary resolves, after which they advised their constituents to a new choice of delegates to meet in Congress on May 10, 1775. They judged it probable that by that time they should hear the success of their petitions to the throne their petitions to the throne. They then prudently dissolve themselves and return to their private occupations in their several provinces, there to wait the operation of their resolutions and addresses. What do you think? The odds are? That our senators and representatives today would dissolve themselves, would come in to do some work and then dissolve themselves to allow the citizens to vote on new senators and representatives. That kind of tells you something about the quality of character that we have today.
Speaker 1:The answer to that question, the issue of the fact that we have become we've kind of created a political class of people which wasn't intended, that don't have a skill outside of being a politician. It's kind of like what we're creating in our children, the article that we read out of the Epic Times talking about the shortage of workers Because we've created this generation of children that what are they really good at? They're good at scrolling social media. They're good at playing sports a lot of them, or watching sports, lot of them or watching sports. But they've got zero inclination to work a full day's labor and zero appreciation for that ability to earn an income for their wives, their children, their family. We've got some problems, folks. All right, god bless you all. God bless your families. God bless America. God bless your nation. Wherever you are around the world listening, we'll talk to you all again real soon. Folks Looking forward to it.