The American Soul
The American Soul
When We Make Our Own Bed But Blame the Mattress
Our priorities are revealed through how we spend our time and energy, not through what we claim is important. The way we allocate our resources reveals what truly matters to us, especially in our relationship with God and our spouses.
• Making time for God through prayer and reading scripture should be our top priority
• Biblical guidance calls husbands to love sacrificially and wives to respect and honor
• We often create our own problems by placing other activities ahead of these foundational relationships
• Ephesians 4 challenges believers to be renewed in thoughts and attitudes
• Psalm 69 offers comfort to those feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges
• Staff Sergeant David Bellavia's Medal of Honor story demonstrates extraordinary courage and sacrifice
• Simon Greenleaf, former Harvard Law professor, became convinced of the Bible's authenticity through careful study
Check out my book series "Countryside" on Amazon, written primarily for middle school readers but enjoyed by all ages. If you read it and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review online.
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 and whatever part of the day you're in, Appreciate you joining me, giving me a little bit of your time and a little piece of your day. I hope you're getting to listen to it with somebody else. Spend some time with those around you. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast and tell others about it, thank you Very, very grateful for that. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you Very, very grateful for your prayers. Need them and want 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 and your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness of sins. Thank you for all the many blessings that you bestow upon us as a nation and as individuals. Forgive us, father, when we imagine in the vanity of our own hearts that we did all this, that we deserve all this, that it's through our own merit or strength or speed or beauty or intelligence that we've done these things and we fail to give you credit and you glory and you honor. Forgive us our cowardice and our unbelief. We do believe. Forgive us our cowardice and our unbelief. We do believe. Forgive us our lust and covetousness, our pride, our arrogance, our rash words and actions. Forgive us when we care for the poor and the needy only with words and not with action and deed. The widow and the orphan as well. Be with all those across the nation going back to school these days, father, please. Teachers, educators, staff coaches, counselors, administrators, be with the students, father. Help us to fill our schools with your word, fill our schools with your Holy Spirit. God, please, help us to turn back to you, to make you the primary focus of our institutions, our education, our constitutions, our nation. Help us to do your will, to love your son, jesus Christ, truly and to love you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love your son, jesus Christ truly and to love you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Be with those listening to the podcast, father. Bless them. Bless their families, their marriages, guide them, comfort them, heal whatever heartache and pain they may be going through. Draw them close to you and God, my words are your place In your son's name. We pray, amen.
Speaker 1:Have you made time for God today? Have you made time to pray? Have you made time to read his word? And if you're married, have you made time for your spouse? Priority, time and energy equals priority, folks. Doesn't matter what you say, it just matters what you do.
Speaker 1:And you know, christ tells us specifically that if we really love him, we'll follow his commands. And what are his two greatest commandments? To love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourself. Who's our closest neighbor? Our spouse.
Speaker 1:What does God say about our relationship with our spouse? Well, if you're a husband, he tells you to love and nourish and cherish your wife each day as your own body, as Christ laid down his life for the church, putting her first. If you're a wife, he tells you to respect, submit to and everything and physically satisfy your husband at all times, each day. It's not complicated, folks, it's not difficult and it's not a burden. It's a privilege that we get to do that. A burden, it's a privilege that we get to do that.
Speaker 1:The problem is when we try and put all these other things workouts, tv, social media, just our phone in general, sports in person or online or TV, like we try and put all these things in front of God most importantly and then our spouse second, but then we still want everything to work out. You know, there's a proverb I think it's not a proverb that said that we basically I'm going to paraphrase because I can't remember it even though I just read it earlier this morning Okay, we make our own bed, right, we make the own problems, the problems that we run into in our life, and then we rage against God like it's his fault, but we're not doing what he told us to in the beginning. We whine about not having a strong faith in this great marriage, but we're not doing what God told us to anyway. And you can't have it both ways, folks. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. Ephesians 4, verse 17-32.
Speaker 1:With the Lord's authority, I say this live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness. They wander far from the life God gives, because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame, they live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. But that isn't what you learned about Christ. Isn't what you learned about Christ.
Speaker 1:Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes, put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body, and don't sin by letting anger control you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you were a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work and then give generously to others in need.
Speaker 1:Don't use foul or abruse abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them, and do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember he has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God, through Christ, has forgiven you.
Speaker 1:Psalm 69, verses 1 through 18. Save me, o God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper, I sink into the mire. Me, o God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire. I can't find a foothold. I am in deep water and the floods overwhelm me. I am exhausted from crying for help. My throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me.
Speaker 1:Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me with lives, demanding that I give back what I didn't steal. O God, you know how foolish I am. My sins cannot be hidden from you. Don't let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me, o sovereign Lord of heaven's armies. Don't let me cause them to be humiliated, o God of Israel, for I endure insults for your sake. Humiliation is written all over my face. Even my own brothers pretend they don't know me. They treat me like a stranger. Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. When I weep and fast, they scoff at me. When I dress in burlap to show sorrow, they make fun of me. I am the favorite topic of the town gossip and all the drunks sing about me.
Speaker 1:But I keep praying to you, lord, hoping this time you will show me favor In your unfailing love. O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation. Rescue me from the mud. Don't let me sink any deeper. Save me from those who hate me and pull me from these deep waters. Don't let the floods overwhelm me or the deep waters swallow me or the pit of death devour me. Answer my prayers, o Lord, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful. Don't hide from your servant. Answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble. Come and redeem me. Free me from my enemies.
Speaker 1:Proverbs 24, verses 5-6. The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger. So don't go to war without wise guidance. Victory depends on having many advisors. If you go back and look at Ephesians 4, and you look at verse 19, the last part of 18, their minds are full of darkness. They wonder far from the life God gives because they've closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. I wonder how often we do that, folks, in our individual lives. How often I do it? How often do I harden my heart against God because I don't want to do what he's telling me to do? And then 19,. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. You need to look around folks. We need to look around and make sure that we are paying attention and consuming things that are good and upright. Paying attention and consuming things that are good and upright Whether we're talking about music or books or TV or phones, social media or friends, those we associate with are we taking in what is good? Medal of honor today? David G Velavia, if I said that right.
Speaker 1:Staff Sergeant War on Terror, Iraq. 3rd Platoon Alpha Company. 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment. 3rd Brigade Combat Team. 1st Infantry Division, us Army. November 10, 2004, fallujah, iraq.
Speaker 1:Staff Sergeant David G Bolivia distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. On November 10, 2004, while serving as a squad leader in support of Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah, iraq, while clearing a house, a squad from Staff Sergeant Bolivia's platoon became trapped within a room by intense enemy fire, coming from a fortified position under the stairs leading to the second floor. Recognizing the immediate severity of the situation and with disregard for his own safety, staff Sergeant Bolivia retrieved an automatic weapon and entered the doorway of the house to engage the insurgents. With enemy rounds impacting around him, staff Sergeant Bolivia fired at the enemy position at a cyclic rate providing covering fire that allowed the squad to break contact and exit the house. A Bradley fighting vehicle was brought forward to suppress the enemy. However, due to high walls surrounding the house, it could not fire directly at the enemy position.
Speaker 1:Staff Sergeant Bolivia then re-entered the house and again came under intense enemy fire. He observed an enemy insurgent preparing to launch a rocket-propelled grenade at his platoon. Recognizing the grave danger the grenade posed to his fellow soldiers, staff Sergeant Bolivia assaulted the enemy position, killing one insurgent and wounding another, who ran to a different part of the house. Staff Sergeant Bolivia, realizing he had an uncleared darkened room to his back, moved to clear it. As he entered, an insurgent came down the stairs, firing at him. Simultaneously, the previously wounded insurgent reemerged and engaged Staff Sergeant Bolivia. Staff Sergeant Bolivia, entering further into the darkened room, returned fire and eliminated both insurgents. He then received enemy fire from another insurgent emerging from a closet in the darkened room. Exchanging gunfire, he pursued the enemy up the stairs and eliminated him.
Speaker 1:Now, on the second floor, staff Sergeant Bolivia moved to a door that opened onto the roof. At this point, a fifth insurgent leapt from the third floor roof onto the second floor. Staff Sergeant Bolivia moved to a door that opened onto the roof. At this point, a fifth insurgent leapt from the third floor roof onto the second floor roof. Staff Sergeant Bolivia engaged the insurgent through a window, wounding him in the back and legs and causing him to fall off the roof. Acting on instinct to save the members of his platoon from an imminent threat, staff Sergeant Bolivia ultimately cleared an entire enemy-filled house, destroyed four insurgents and badly wounded a fifth. His bravery, complete disregard for his own safety and unselfish and courageous actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States.
Speaker 1:Accredited to Lindenville, orleans County, new York. Not awarded. Posthumously. Presented 25 June 2019 at the White House by President Donald J Trump. Born November 10, 1975, buffalo, erie County, new York, united States. David G if it's Bolivia or Belavia, just another name to add to our list, folks.
Speaker 1:Simon Greenleaf we've talked about on the podcast before. He was a royal professor of law at Harvard had a lot to do with the school's development and he wrote this about the Bible Of the divine character of the Bible I think no man who deals honestly with his own mind and heart can entertain a reasonable doubt. For myself, I must say that, having for many years made the evidences of Christianity the subject of close study, the result has been a firm and increasing conviction of the authenticity and plenary inspiration of the Bible. It is indeed the Word of God. I've often said over the years this about really intelligent people, but I think it's probably true about any person. If you really dig into the Bible and your goal is truly to discover the truth, you can't help but become a Christian. If you give a kid the Bible and they really want to search out the truth, they can't help but become a Christian, because it is indeed the Word of God. And this gives you a little bit of an idea again of how far we've fallen away, when this is the opinion of some of our greatest educators at some of our once great schools.
Speaker 1:If you get a chance to check out Countryside again, folks, if you're looking for something for kids or grandkids, it was written mostly middle school, like junior high and early high school, but I've had a lot of people enjoy it down to elementary and all the way up into their 80s, kind of like Narnia and the Hobbit. You can get it on Amazon. There's a couple books in the series. So far it's called Countryside again, and I would greatly appreciate it if you check it out and if you enjoy it. If you'd leave a review somewhere online, I would appreciate that too. God bless y'all. God bless your families, god bless your marriages, god bless your nation, wherever you are around the world listening, and God bless America. We'll talk to y'all again real soon. Folks Looking forward to it.