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. I sure do appreciate you joining me and giving me a little bit of your time and attention, a little piece of your day. I will try and use it wisely. For those of y'all that continue to share the podcast with others, tell others about it. Thank you For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you so much, very, very grateful for that, for your prayers, father. Thank you for today. Thank you for you, father, and your Son, jesus Christ and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your love, mercy, grace and your forgiveness of sins, the ones we admit and the ones we don't, father, the ones we go back to time and time again. Give us the courage and the wisdom, the strength to flee from immorality, from iniquity of any kind. Remove it far from us. Father, please be with those who are hurting and alone heartache, injury, illness, sadness. Be with the children across the nation, here in America and around the world, who are alone and scared and abused. Comfort them, help us to defend them, to defend the widow and the orphan, the poor and the needy. Draw us close to you, father. Help us to follow the commands of your Son, jesus Christ, to love you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, to love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us to confess with our lips that your Son, jesus Christ, is our Lord and Savior, and to believe in our hearts, father, that you raised him from the dead. Forgive us our unbeliefs, help us to overcome it and help us to show those around us, those whose paths we cross, father, our faith and our actions. Be with our leaders. Help them to rule in fear of you. Be with our military, our law enforcement firefighters, ems. Comfort them, keep them safe, bring them home safe to their families. Be with our military, our law enforcement firefighters, ems. Comfort them, keep them safe, bring them home safe to their families and watch over all the people listening, father Again, here across the nation and America and around the world, wherever they are. Be with their families, bless their marriages and help us to do your will above all else and God, my word to you. Father, please your son's name be great Amen.

Have you made time for God today? Have you made time to read his word? Have you made time to pray, to be still before him, to talk to him, to listen to him. Is he really at the top of your priority list? Is he somewhere in the middle or is he at the bottom? Is he not even on it? And the same of your priority list. Is he somewhere in the middle or is he at the bottom? Is he not even on it? And the same for your spouse folks. Are they at the top of your priority list each day, second only to God and Jesus Christ?

Do you follow your roles and responsibilities as either a husband or a wife that we talk about each day? You know, if you have kids, even if you don't, the people around you, in your community, your church, are you setting an example of a great marriage? And it's not important just to be good enough, folks, it's to be great because our marriage is supposed to exemplify what relationship that relationship between Christ and the church. And so if we really want to draw others in, draw others to God, to Jesus Christ, for those of us that are married it's so important for us to exemplify a great marriage, a great relationship. You know, there's a couple things.

One I was recently at a sporting event with my children and I was watching the crowd and I got to thinking about how many of us know the rules of our particular favorite sport, down to the most infinitesimal detail. You know well, if they step this way, it's okay, but if they step this way, it's not. If they move here at this point, it's okay, but if they move to the same spot at a different time in the game or the play, then it's not okay. Well, we can throw the ball here at this time, but we can't throw it here this way. We know all of these rules and, man, we take it personal when people don't know the rules of our sport and we make sure that we point it out to them. How many of us know our rules, our roles and responsibilities as a husband or a wife, like at all, much less that well. And then the other thing there's a.

There's an article we might get to out of the epic times and it's talking about the rise in ai companions. You know these artificial intelligence pictures, memes, that you can talk to. I mean, there's a lady I think in this article it talks about that actually married her ai companion. But you can have conversations about whatever you want. You can work with them, talk to them, dress them the way you want to, right, and there's people more and more using these AI companions and this article is bemoaning that fact. Right, no problems there.

But the problem is, folks, we're treating this as if it's a new phenomenon, and it's not. We have been looking for distractions to get away from our spouse for decades and not just our spouse folks from our responsibilities, just in general. We've been using social media for the past couple decades more and more and more, but even before that sports movies, sitcoms we've been using things that aren't real people to distract us from those real people for a long time to take the place of those relationships. So, while this AI companion thing is concerning I'm not downplaying that it's not we want to point the finger, folks. We always want to point the finger at people that have sins that we're not susceptible to.

I was talking with an extremely close friend of mine recently about this. We always like to look at things like if you're not given to theft, if that's just not one of the sins that you, you just don't have a problem. You know somebody says, hey, let's go steal this, and you're like, no, I'm not, I'm not interested in that Right. But somebody says, hey, let's go get drunk. And you're like, oh man, that sounds pretty good and you have to fight really hard against it not to do that right. It's easy to point fingers at people's sins that we don't, that we're not susceptible to.

And so this AI companion thing. It's really easy for some of us to look at that and go, that is so weird. Man, you're sitting there talking to a screen like they're a person. But how many of us have been doing the same things? How many of us sit in front of a sports screen and yell at the TV? I mean, come on, we're talking to a TV. I mean, at least the AI companion talks back to the person, the people playing sports. They don't even talk back to us. We're just yelling at a TV screen and nobody's on the other end. Nobody even cares. The TV certainly doesn't care. Or you know, you got this athlete that you cheer for and watch on that plays, or this pop star. You know, like how many people got so excited within the last couple months about this engagement between a pop singer and this NFL player? You think they care, that you're excited about their engagement, and so all I'm trying to get to and, as I said, we I spent too much time on this, but it's a big deal. Uh, we may go back to this article on another podcast, but we act like this AI companion thing is some new phenomenon, but it's not, folks. It's just easier for a lot of us to point fingers at that, but we don't want anybody pointing the fingers at the fact that we give all this time to social media, tv, sports entertainment, workouts right, it's the same thing.

Marriage verse for today is Hebrews 13.4. Marriage should be honored by all in the marriage bed, kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and the sexually immoral. It's pretty simple, folks. I don't think you need much commentary there. Scripture for today we're going to start with 1 Timothy 1-20.

This letter is from Paul, an apostle to Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God, our Savior, and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope. I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith. May God, the Father and Christ Jesus, our Lord, give you grace, mercy and peace when I left for Macedonia. I urge you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. Don't let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculation, which don't help people live a life of faith in God. The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience and a genuine faith.

But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don't know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently. We know that the law is good when used correctly, but the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. The law is for people who are sexually immoral, who practice homosexuality, who are slave traders, liars, promise breakers or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching that comes from the glorious good news entrusted to me by our blessed God.

I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has given me strength to do this work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people, but God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was. He filled me with faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying and everyone should accept it. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them all, but God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they too can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever. He is the eternal king, the unseen one, who never dies. He alone is God. Amen.

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord's battles, cling to your faith in Christ and keep your conscience clear, for some people have deliberately violated their consciences. As a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan, so they might learn not to blaspheme God. Psalm 86, verses 1 through 17.

Bend down, o Lord, and hear my prayer. Answer me, for I need your help. Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. Be merciful to me, o Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. Give me happiness, o Lord, for I give myself to you. O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. Listen closely to my prayer, o Lord. Hear my urgent cry. I will call to you whenever I'm in trouble and you will answer me.

No pagan god is like you, o Lord. None can do what you do. All the nations you made will come and bow before you, lord. They will praise your holy name, For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God. Teach me your ways, o Lord, that I may live according to your truth. Grant me purity of heart so that I may honor you With all my heart. I will praise you, o Lord, by God. I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death.

O God, insolent people rise up against me. A violent gang is trying to kill me. You mean nothing to them, but you, o Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Look down and have mercy on me. With unfailing love and faithfulness, look down and have mercy on me. Give your strength to your servant. Save me, the son of your servant, send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate me will be put to shame. For you, o Lord, help and comfort me. Proverbs 25, 17.

Don't visit your neighbors too often or you will wear out your welcome. We know that one don't we folks. You go over and visit somebody too often. Eventually they get tired of you. Psalm 86, verse 5. O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. And then you tie that back in with 1 Timothy 1, verses 15 and 16. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them all, but God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. I think these two tie in really well together.

Folks, no matter what you've done in your life, god can forgive you through Jesus Christ, if we will just turn to him, and also the psalm, so ready to forgive folks. None of us are going to live a perfect life. The point is to strive to follow after Christ, to do the best we can, to cling to Christ each day and when we fail to turn to him and repent and seek his forgiveness and pick ourselves back up and try and do better the next day. You're not going to be perfect, folks. From everything I've seen in this life, from the great men and women of faith that I've seen, it's just not going to happen. But we can strive for perfection every day and turn to God for forgiveness when we fail.

Medal of Honor for today Mervyn Sharp Binion, captain World War II, uss West Virginia, us Navy, december 7, 1941, pearl Harbor, hawaii Territory, usa. For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and complete disregard of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the fleet in Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. As commanding officer of the USS West Virginia, after being mortally wounded, captain Binion evidenced apparent concern only in fighting and saving his ship and strongly protested against being carried from the bridge. Accredited to Utah, awarded posthumously. Born May 5, 1887, vernon Toll County, utah, died December 7, 1941, 1887, vernon Toll County, utah. Died December 7, 1941, oahu, hawaii, buried City Cemetery MH3, tac 148, salt Lake City, utah, united States. Mervyn Sharp Binion Captain USS West Virginia.

I've been out there, folks. I'm assuming a number of y'all have too. I hope you have. I don't really know how else to say it besides that that one, that particular Medal of Honor, for some reason gave me some chills. There's a real good chance that we got a lot of hard times coming, folks. There's a real good chance that we got a lot of hard times coming, folks. And you know we need our faith in Jesus Christ Because those hard times they're going to make life hard and it may end in death, but that's okay because we have eternity, thanks to God and Jesus Christ. And we need to think about that and cling to that now and hope and pray that we have enough men of that kind of courage and fortitude left to see us through these dark days and pray that God would make us some of those. A couple quotes from history today. One is Martin Luther King.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Anytime we sit back, folks, and think that just because something's happening somewhere else it's not going to touch us, especially when you're looking inside the United States, from one state to another. You're making a mistake. You're looking inside the United States from one state to another. You're making a mistake. If there are problems going on like there are in New York, for example, california, places like that, it's just a matter of time before it spreads. That's why you have to squash it wherever you find it. And then there's a little excerpt in the again I mention these often the Founder's Bible, the Patriot's Bible and the American God and Country Encyclopedia quotations Excellent, excellent resources. I highly recommend a hard copy of each in your family If you have the money to do it. You can find copies on included.

A lot of us just assumed that it was given the name Liberty Bell because it was wrong when Declaration of Independence was read. But that's not really where it got its name. In the 1830s and 40s, when it was wrong, particularly for the New York, anti-slavery Society made a publication of some kind and it was wrong. And that's where the Liberty Bell, that's where the name came from, because the inscription right Again, when people tell you that we're a secular nation, just one more little piece of information for you. Leviticus 25.10 is on the Liberty Bell Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof. How many of us even know that that's a Bible verse, unless somebody tells us? And yet that founding generation and subsequent decades, subsequent generations, they would have.

This is from the Philadelphia Public Ledger for February 26, 1846. Talking about George Washington's 112th birthday, the old independence bell rang its last clear note on Monday last in honor of the birthday of Washington, and now hangs in the great city steeple, irreparably cracked and dumb. It had been cracked before but was set in order of that day by having the edges of the fracture filed so as not to vibrate against each other. It gave out clear notes and loud and appeared to be in excellent condition until noon when it received a sort of compound fracture in a zigzag direction through one of its sides which put it completely out of tune and left it a mere wreck of what it was. Really interesting story here. There's a lot more to it. If you have a copy of the Founder's Bible it's under the section Proclaim Liberty.

But again, just one more little piece of information. We're not even remotely a coexist, random, deist or secular nation. We're Christian Republic, folks. That's the only way we can function. That's the way we are intended to function. God bless you all. God bless your families. If you get a chance and you pick up Countryside, the Book of the Wise Tears of Adina those are the titles of the two books in the Countryside middle grade fantasy series, it's a hopefully family-friendly, wholesome middle grade series. If you're looking for something for your kids or grandkids to read, and if you enjoy it and you'd leave a review, I would greatly appreciate it. God bless you all. God bless your families. God bless your marriages. God bless America. God bless your families. God bless your marriages. God bless America. God bless your nation, wherever you are around the world. Listen, folks. We'll talk to y'all again real soon, looking forward to it.