The American Soul
The American Soul
Heroes & Scripture: The Untold Story of Roy Benavidez
Jesse Cope examines how we allocate our time between spiritual devotion, relationships, and entertainment, challenging listeners to consider what their priorities reveal about their faith. Biblical passages from Titus, Philippians, and Psalms provide wisdom on godly living and Christ-like humility while the extraordinary story of Medal of Honor recipient Roy Perez Benavidez exemplifies selfless sacrifice.
• Time priorities as a spiritual ledger revealing our true values
• Marriage wisdom from Titus on living in ways that honor God
• Christ's example of humility and selflessness from Philippians
• Roy Benavidez's heroic rescue mission saving eight soldiers despite severe wounds
• Practical challenges to realign our time with our professed spiritual commitments
If you enjoy the podcast, please pick up a copy of my book "Countryside, the Book of the Wise," a middle-grade fantasy series available anywhere online. I'd appreciate if you'd leave a review after reading.
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. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast, tell others about it. Thank you so much, 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 that.
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 and your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness of our sins through the merit of your Son, Jesus Christ alone. Thank you for sending your Son and thank you, jesus, for being willing to come. Forgive us our sins. Forgive us our greed, slander, gossip, lust, immorality, idolatry, vanity, cowardice and unbelief. Help us to overcome them all. We do believe Father. Strengthen our faith. Help us to run them all. We do believe Father. Strengthen our faith. Help us to run the race all the way to the end. Help us to do your will each day, throughout the day, 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.
Speaker 1:Be with those who are listening to the podcast, father. Be with their families. Bless them, guide them, strengthen the marriages of those who are married. Help those who have children to raise them to know you and your son, jesus Christ. Be with our leaders, both in the pulpit and in the state, in the political arena. Give them wisdom and courage, strong faith, help them to rule in fear of you. Be with our military and our law enforcement, our firefighters, our EMS. Surround them with your angels to protect them. Bring them home safe to their families. Be with those who are heartbroken, father, those who are suffering pain, whether it's illness or injury, or broken relationships, broken marriages. Comfort them, draw near to them, help them to draw near to you, comfort them, draw near to them, help them to draw near to you and God, my word to you, father, please, in your son's name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 1:Have you? What have you made time for today? And if you're listening to this early in the morning, what did you make time for yesterday? How much of your time have you given in the last 24 hours, 48 hours, the last week, the last month, the last year, the last decade? If you had to add up and put it in an Excel spreadsheet. What would your time go about your priorities? How many hours over the last decade have you given to? Or last five years or last year have you given to God and Jesus Christ, whether it's reading the Bible or praying, or just being still before him, or caring for the widow and the orphan, the poor and the needy, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving water to the thirsty, visiting the sick and those in prison? How many hours could we honestly say that we've given to God? And, if we're married, how many hours can we honestly say that we've given to our spouse, specifically to them, doing what makes them feel loved, what makes them feel nourished and cherished and respected and needed Not what we wish, they felt or what we feel, but what they need. And then, how many hours have we given to Amazon, prime, hulu, netflix, youtube, tiktok, instagram, facebook, snapchat, twitter X? How many hours of basketball, football, volleyball, softball, baseball, golf, tennis have we watched, have we participated in? What does your ledger sheet look like, folks? I can tell you that mine it's a little dicey. It's a little dicey.
Speaker 1:Marriage verses for today, titus, chapter 2 verses. We'll start with 1. As for you, titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely, and you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Integrity and seriousness of your teaching. I wonder how many of us really acknowledge the fact that when we don't live the way that God has told us to, as a husband or a wife, that we're actually bringing shame on the word of God.
Speaker 1:Scripture for today, philippians, starting with chapter 1, verse 27. Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the good news about Christ, then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith which is the good news. Don't be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved even by God himself, for you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ, but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past and you know that I am still in the midst of it. Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ, any comfort from his love, any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another and working together with one mind and purpose.
Speaker 1:Don't be selfish. Don't try to impress others. Be humble. Thinking of others is better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on the cross. Therefore, god elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name, above all other names, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
Speaker 1:Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you, and now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear, for God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life. Then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless, but I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God, and I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice and I will share your joy.
Speaker 1:Psalm 72, verses 1 through 20. Give your love of justice to the king, o God, and righteousness to the king's son. Help him judge your people in the right way. Let the poor always be treated fairly. May the mountains yield prosperity for all and may the hills be fruitful. Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy and to crush their oppressors. May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever.
Speaker 1:May the king's rule be refreshing, like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth. May all the godly flourish during his reign. May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more. May he reign from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. Desert nomads will bow before him. His enemies will fall before him in the dust. The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands will bring him tribute. The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him gifts. All kings will bow before him and all nations will serve him. He will rescue the poor when they cry to him. He will help the oppressed who have no one to defend them. He fills pity for the weak and the needy and he will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.
Speaker 1:Long live the king. May the gold of Sheba be given to him. May the people always pray for him and bless him all day long. May there be abundant grain throughout the land, flourishing even on the hilltops. May the fruit trees flourish like the trees of Lebanon, and may the people thrive like grass in a field. May the King's name endure forever. May it continue as long as the sun shines. May all nations be blessed through him and bring him praise. Praise the Lord, god, the God of Israel, who alone does such wonderful things. Praise his glorious name forever. Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen. This ends the prayers of David, son of Jesse, proverbs 24, verses 11 and 12. Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die. Save them as they stagger to their death. Don't excuse yourself by saying look, we didn't know, for God understands all parts and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows, you knew he will repay all people as their actions deserve. That ought to keep us in line a little bit, huh. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
Speaker 1:Medal of Honor for today Roy Perez Benavidez, master Sergeant. Rank at the time of action Staff Sergeant Vietnam War Detachment B-56, 5th Special Forces Group, airborne. 1st Special Forces US Army, may 2nd 1968, west of Lhok Ninh, cambodia. No-transcript. To gather intelligence information about confirmed large-scale enemy activity. This area was controlled and routinely patrolled by the North Vietnamese Army.
Speaker 1:After a short period of time on the ground, the team met heavy enemy resistance and requested emergency extraction. Three helicopters attempted extraction but were unable to land due to intense small arms, enemy small arms and anti-aircraft fire. Sergeant Benavidez was at the forward operating base and locked in monitoring the operation by radio. When these helicopters returned, to offload wounded crew members and to assess aircraft damage, sergeant Benavidez voluntarily boarded a returning aircraft to assist in another extraction attempt. Realizing that all the team members were either dead or wounded and unable to move to the pickup zone, he directed the aircraft to a nearby clearing while he jumped from the hovering helicopter and ran approximately 75 meters under withering small arms fire to the crippled team Prior to reaching the team's position, he was wounded in his right leg, face and hand.
Speaker 1:Despite these painful injuries, he took charge repositioning the team members and directing their fire to facilitate the landing of the extraction aircraft and the loading of the wounded and dead team members. He then threw smoke canisters to direct the aircraft to the team's position. Despite his severe wounds and under intense enemy fire, he carried and dragged half of the wounded team members to the awaiting aircraft. He then provided protective fire by running alongside the aircraft as it moved to pick up the remaining team members. As the enemy's fire intensified, he hurried to recover the body and classified documents on the dead team leader. When he reached the leader's body, sergeant Benavidez was severely wounded by small arms fire and grenade fragments in his back. At nearly the same moment, the aircraft pilot was mortally wounded and his helicopter crashed.
Speaker 1:Although in extremely critical condition due to his multiple wounds, sergeant Benavidez secured the classified documents and made his way back to the wreckage, where he aided the wounded out of the overturned aircraft and gathered the stunned survivors into a defensive perimeter. Under increasing enemy automatic weapons and grenade fire, he moved around the perimeter distributing water and ammunition to his weary men, reinstilling in them a will to live and fight. Facing a buildup of enemy opposition with a beleaguered team, sergeant Benevides mustered his strength, began calling in tactical airstrikes and directed the fire from supporting gunships to suppress the enemy's fire and so permitted another extraction attempt. He was wounded again in his thigh by small arms fire while administering first aid to a wounded team member just before another extraction helicopter was able to land. His indomitable spirit kept him going as he began to ferry his comrades for the craft. On the second trip with the wounded, he was clubbed from additional wounds to his head and arms before killing his adversary, he then continued, under devastating fire, to carry the wounded to the helicopter. Upon reaching the aircraft, he spotted and killed two enemy soldiers who were rushing the craft from an angle that prevented the aircraft door gunner from firing upon them. With little strength remaining, he made one last trip to the perimeter to ensure that all classified material had been collected and destroyed and to bring in the remaining wounded. Only then, in extremely serious condition from numerous wounds and loss of blood, did he allow himself to be pulled into the extraction aircraft. Sergeant Benavidez's gallant choice to join voluntarily his comrades who were in critical straits, to expose himself constantly to withering enemy fire and his refusal to be stopped, despite numerous severe wounds, saved the lives of at least eight men. His fearless personal leadership, tenacious devotion to duty and extremely valorous actions in the face of overwhelming odds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect the utmost credit on him and the United States Army.
Speaker 1:Accredited to Houston, harris County, texas. Not awarded. Posthumously Presented February 24, 1981 at the Pentagon Courtyard. Presented by President Ronald Reagan. Born August 5, 1935, cuero, dewitt County, texas, united States. Died December 3, 1998, el Campo, texas. Buried Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, mha1, tac 553, san Antonio, texas. Location of metal Reagan Presidential Library, simi Valley, california. Wharton County Museum, wharton, texas. Roy Perez Benavidez. And that one took a while, so we will end with that for the day. If y'all get a chance, pick up a copy of Countryside, the Book of the Wise. It's a middle grade fantasy series I wrote a few years back. You can buy it pretty much anywhere online Amazon, barnes, noble hard copy paperback. There's ebooks out there too, and if you enjoy it, if you'd leave a review, I'd appreciate that as well. God bless y'all. God bless your family. God bless your marriage if you're married. God bless America. God bless your nation. Wherever you are around the world listening, we'll talk to y'all again real soon. Folks looking forward to it.