The American Soul

Guardrails For A Nation And A Soul

• Jesse • Season 5 • Episode 164

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Start with gratitude, end with courage, and ask the question most people avoid: what truly holds a nation together when belief splits it apart? We open with prayer and a difficult headline, then move through Scripture, memory, and history to test our assumptions about coexistence, liberty, and the cost of conviction.

The Song of Solomon brings the beauty of covenant love into focus—a reminder that delight and fidelity are not in tension but in harmony. From there we turn to Revelation’s trumpets, a bracing vision of judgment that restores moral weight to public choices. Psalm 136 answers with a cadence of gratitude, line after line proving that memory is fuel for hope. Proverbs asks for two rare gifts—truthful speech and enough—offering a counterculture ethic in an age of excess and spin.

We sit with the Medal of Honor story of Second Lieutenant John Paul Bobo, whose final stand under fire embodied duty without complaint. That witness reframes our own thresholds for sacrifice and service. Finally, James Madison’s Thanksgiving Proclamation calls the nation to fasting, confession, and wisdom in public councils, pressing the point that faith has always shaped American life. Along the way we share practical steps: start a lifelong gratitude list, teach courage with true stories, and seek sufficiency that strengthens integrity.

If these themes challenge and encourage you, tap follow, share this episode with a friend, and leave a rating or review so others can find the show. Tell us: what practice—gratitude, truth-telling, or remembrance—most steadies you right now?

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SPEAKER_01:

Hey folks, this is Jesse Cope, back with another episode of the American Stoler Podcast. Hope y'all are doing well wherever y'all are and whatever part of the day you're in. Sure do appreciate y'all joining me, giving me a little piece of your day, a little bit of your attention. Hope you're getting to listen to it with someone else. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast with others and tell others about it, thank you. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you very much. 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.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for your love and your mercy, your grace, and your forgiveness of sins through the merit of your son Jesus Christ alone. Thank you for the people that listen to the podcast, Father, and share it.

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Please be with them, be with their families, guide them, bless them, surround them with your angels, protect us from evil of any kind.

SPEAKER_00:

Be with our leaders, both in the state and in the pulpit. Give them wisdom and courage, help them to lead, to rule and fear of you, Father. Forgive us our support of evil, both as individuals and as a nation, Father. Abortion, feminism, greed, gluttony, drunkenness, hypocrisy, sexual deviancy of every single kind, for turning away from you. For our pride and our vanity, for assuming that all the blessings that we receive in our life are somehow our own doing, our own abilities, as opposed to your graciousness. Help us to humble ourselves before you. And be with our military and our law enforcement and our firefighters, please protect them. Please give them wisdom and courage. Bring them home safe to their families, protect their families. And God, my word to your father, please. In your son's name we pray. Amen. So two days ago. Four or five, maybe, we had a couple of National Guardsmen shot. And it ended up being both by an illegal, I believe, and by a Muslim.

SPEAKER_01:

It was a point that again illustrates the fact, a piece of evidence, if you will, to add to the mountain of overwhelming evidence that peaceful coexistence inside the United States with followers of either leftism, socialism, communism, Nazism, fascism, or Islam is impossible. And those ideologies work hand in glove, as we see throughout the entirety of the 20th century, on into this century. And there's a really hard fact buried in there that a lot of us don't want to even acknowledge. And that is that it's not simply the politicians, the cultural leaders, whether in sports or entertainment, the influencers, if you will. It's the everyday followers who have voted for, supported leftism, all those isms are Islam folks.

SPEAKER_00:

And at some point we're going to have to deal with that fact that the only way we can maintain liberty and security is either apart from those people or if those people change their hearts and minds.

SPEAKER_01:

So the marriage verse or verses for today come from Song of Solomon, chapter seven, the admiration of the bridegroom. How beautiful are your feet and sandals, O princess daughter. The curves of your hips are like jewels, the work of the hands of an artist. Your navel is like a round goblet which never lacks mixed wine. Your belly is like a heap of wheat fenced about with lilies. Your two breasts are like two fawns, twims of a gazelle. Your neck is like a tower of ivory, your eyes like the pools in Heshman by the gate of Bath Robin. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which faces toward Damascus. Your head crowns you like karma, and the flowing locks of your head are like purple threads. The king is captivated by your tresses. How beautiful and how delightful you are, my love with all your charms. Your stature is like a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters. I said I will climb the palm tree, I will take hold of its fruit stocks. Oh may your breaths be like clusters of the vine, and the fragrance of your breath like apples, and your mouth like the best wine. It goes down smoothly for my beloved, flowing gently through the lips of those who fall asleep. The Union of Love I am my beloved and his desires for me. Come, my beloved, let us go out into the country. Let us spend the night in the villages, let us rise early and go to the vineyards. Let us see whether the vine has budded and its blossoms have opened, and whether the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my love. The mandrakes have given forth fragrance, and over our doors are all choice fruits, both new and old, which I have saved up for you, my beloved. When the lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour. I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets. Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar, and a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God's people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense mixed with the prayers of God's holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth. And thunder crashed, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake. Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow their mighty blasts. The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One third of the earth was set on fire. One third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned. Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. One third of the water in the sea became blood. One third of all living things in the sea died, and one third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed. Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It fell on one third of the rivers, and on the springs of water. The name of the star was bitterness. It made one third of the water bitter, and many people died from drinking the bitter water. Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one third of the sun was struck, and one third of the moon, and one third of the stars, and they became dark. And one third of the day was dark, and also one third of the night. Then I looked and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air. Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world, because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, his faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of Lords, His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to Him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to Him who made the heavens so skillfully. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to Him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to Him who made the heavenly lights. His faithful love endures forever. The sun to rule the day, his faithful love endures forever. And the moon and stars to rule the night, his faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever. He brought Israel out of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever. He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever. He led Israel safely through. His faithful love endures forever. But he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings. His faithful love endures forever. He killed powerful kings, his faithful love endures forever. Gihon, King of the Amorites, his faithful love endures forever. And Og, King of Bashan, his faithful love endures forever. God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance. His faithful love endures forever. A special possession to his servant Israel. His faithful love endures forever. He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever. He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever. He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven.

SPEAKER_00:

His faithful love endures forever. Proverbs thirty verses seven through nine.

SPEAKER_01:

O God, I beg two favors from you. Let me have them before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches. Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say who is the Lord?

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And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name.

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For today is John Paul Bobo, Second Lieutenant, Vietnam War, India Company, 3rd Battalion, Ninth Marines, 3rd Marine Division Reinforced, Fleet Marine Force, US Marine Corps Reserve, March thirtieth, 1967, Quang Tribe Province, Republic of Vietnam. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, India Company was establishing night ambush sites when the command group was attacked by a reinforced North Vietnamese company, supported by heavy automatic weapons and mortar fire. Second Lieutenant Bobo immediately organized a hasty defense and moved from position to position, encouraging the outnumbered Marines despite the murderous enemy fire. Recovering a rocket launcher from among the friendly casualties, he organized a new launcher team and directed its fire into the enemy machine gun positions. When an exploding enemy mortar round severed Second Lieutenant Bobo's right leg below the knee, he refused to be evacuated and insisted upon being placed in a firing position to cover the movement of the command group to a better location. With a web belt around his leg serving as a tourniquet, and with his leg jammed into the dirt to contain the bleeding, he remained in this position and delivered devastating fire into the ranks of the enemy attempting to overrun the Marines. Second Lieutenant Bobo was mortally wounded while firing his weapon into the main point of the enemy attack. But his valiant spirit inspired his men to heroic efforts, and his tenacious stand enabled the command group to gain a protective position where it repulsed the enemy onslaught. Second Lieutenant Bobo's superb leadership, dauntless courage, and bold initiative reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest tradition of the Marine Corps in the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country. Accredited to Buffalo, Erie County, New York, awarded posthumously presented august twenty seventh, nineteen sixty eight, Marine Barracks, Washington, DC, presented by Secretary of the Navy Paul R. Ignatius to his family. Born february fourteenth, nineteen forty three, Niagara Falls, Niagara County, New York, died march thirtieth, nineteen sixty seven, Republic of Vietnam, buried Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Saint Mark's Section eighty two Tac one, Lewiston, New York, United States. From eighteen fourteen, Thanksgiving Day, by the President of the United States of America, a proclamation. The two houses of the national legislature having by joint resolution expressed their desire that in the present time of public calamity and war a day may be recommended to be observed by the people of the United States as a day of public humiliation and fasting and of prayer to Almighty God for the safety and welfare of these states, his blessing on their arms, and a speedy restoration of peace. I have deemed it proper by this proclamation to recommend that Thursday, the twelfth of January next, be set apart as a day on which all may have an opportunity of voluntarily offering at the same time in their respective religious assemblies their humble adoration to the great sovereign of the universe, of confessing their sins and transgressions, and of strengthening their vows of repentance and amendment. They will be invited by the same solemn occasion to call to mind the distinguishing the distinguished favors conferred on the American people in the general health which has been enjoyed, in the abundant fruits of the season, and the progress of the arts instrumental to their comfort, their prosperity, and their security, and the victories which have so powerfully contributed to the defense and protection of our country, a devout thankfulness for all which ought to be mingled with their supplications to the beneficent parrot of the human race, that he would be graciously pleased to pardon all their offenses against him, to support and animate them in the discharge of their respective duties, to continue to them the precious advantages flowing from the political institutions so auspicious to their safety against dangers from abroad, to their tranquility at home, and to their liberties civil and religious, and that he would in a special manner preside over the nation in its public councils and constituted authorities, giving wisdom to its measures and success to its arms, in maintaining its rights and the overcoming all hostile designs and attempts against it, and finally that by inspiring the enemy with dispositions favorable to a just and reasonable peace, its blessings may be speedily and happily restored. Given at the city of Washington the sixteenth day of November eighteen fourteen and of the independence of the United States, the thirty eight James Madison. One, I mean, Song of Solomon today is a great description of what that relationship of becoming one flesh ought to look like between a husband and a wife. If you go back and you look at some of the scripture that we read today, particularly Psalm 136, I probably should have read that on Thanksgiving Day. It's a great example of our need to give thanks to God. And you see that echoed again in Madison's Thanksgiving Day proclamation. And if you have a chance, folks, maybe this won't work for you, but maybe it'll give you an idea of something that will make a list of things that you're thankful for to God. And a list of things where He has answered your prayers. And it doesn't have to be huge, folks, just start with a small list, but make that list throughout your lifetime. It will strengthen your own faith, and it might be something you could pass on to your kids or your grandkids someday to strengthen theirs, to encourage others. You go and you look at the Medal of Honor citation again for John Paul Bobo, second lieutenant in Vietnam. If you get a chance, tell somebody about that. A man that knew that he was going to die, most likely, and was willing to stand there and try and defend his comrades and his nation.

SPEAKER_00:

Especially when we get to thinking about how hard our life is.

SPEAKER_01:

And then you go to James Madison's Thanksgiving Day proclamation, and the biggest line, for sure for me, is him talking about asking, and that he, God, the Father of Jesus Christ, right, that he would in a special manner preside over the nation in its public councils and constituted authorities, giving wisdom to its measures and success to its arms, in maintaining its rights and in overcoming all hostile designs and attempts against it. Again, folks, whenever somebody tells you that we weren't designed as a Christian republic, as a Christian nation, that's just one good example right there of how untrue that is.

SPEAKER_00:

They did not want God separated from the state.

SPEAKER_01:

And not any of the imposters, folks, not Islam or Buddhism or Hinduism, the only true God, God the Father of Jesus Christ, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If you would check out Countryside, it's along the lines of Narnia, The Hobbit, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, that kind of stuff, I would appreciate it. There's two books in the series so far. And if you enjoy them, if you would leave a review or two online, I would be very grateful for that. If you are getting something out of the podcast, if you feel like it's helpful, productive for you, if you have three or four or five dollars a month that you can donate, there's a web page on the Buzz Sprout website for the podcast where you can set up that donation.

SPEAKER_00:

I would be very grateful for that as well. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

SPEAKER_01:

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not to temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever.

unknown:

Amen.

SPEAKER_01:

God bless you all. God bless your families, God bless your marriages if you're married. God bless America. God bless your nations, wherever you are around the world. Listen, folks. We'll talk to you all again real soon. Looking forward to it.