Welcome, Prayer, And Intent

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. Sure to appreciate you 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 a friend or family member. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast and tell others about it, thank you. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you. Definitely need those prayers and one. Father, thank you for today, this day that you have made. Thank you for the troubles that we have to deal with that strengthen our faith and give us endurance and perseverance, even though we don't like them very much when we're going through them. Or at all. Forgive us our doubts and fears, our unbelief. Help us to overcome it. We do believe, Father. Thank you for the people that listen to the podcast. And share it with others. Please be with them. Be with their families. Guide them, bless them. Surround them with your angels, protect them from evil of any kind. Forgive us our sins, Father, the ones we admit, the ones we don't, the ones we think we can hide from you. Forgive us our lust, our covetousness, our evil thoughts. Help us to truly love your Son Jesus Christ and to follow his commands. To love you with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us to care for the least of these, to care for the widow and the orphan, the poor and the needy. Watch over our military and our law enforcement, our veterans. Help us to comfort them, to comfort their families. Protect them, Father, thank you for them. Be with our leaders, both in the pulpit and in the state. Help them to lead and rule in fear of you, Father, not in fear of man or woman. Bless our marriages across the nation. And around the world where people are listening, Father, we ask the same things for those countries there. Guide our steps, be a light unto our path. Guide my words here, Father, please. Your son's name we pray. Amen. Well, how have you spent the last 24 hours? What have you done with your time that God gave you that day? I wonder sometimes if we had to clock in face to face with God and Jesus Christ each day. And if the only way we got one more day was based on how we spent the last day, you know, the for those of y'all that are familiar with the story of talents, right? He gives a certain amount of money, the king or the master, to each of these servants. And then he comes back and he wants to settle accounts with them. And of course, that's what we have to look forward to at the end of our earthly lives, and thank God for Jesus Christ yet again. There's no way we can stand before God without him. But but if on a day-to-day basis, if we had to check in with God each evening, and that decided if we got one more day, or what kind of day we got, maybe even, I wonder how that would adjust our actions and thoughts, etc. I have a feeling, at least for me, it would probably adjust it more than I like to admit. At any rate, folks, did you give God your best? Did you give your spouse your best second only to God? Speaking of, marriage verse for today is Hebrews 13, 4. Give honor to marriage and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. I can't help but think when I read that, folks, that if we really got up each day, and our top priority was God, obviously, but but our second priority was our spouse, meaning that you know that that word cleave, we just don't make enough of that. That we were really consumed with pleasing our spouse each day. Jesus Christ tells us that the greatest two commandments are to love God with everything we have and that to love our neighbor as ourselves. Who's your closest neighbor if you're married? Your spouse. How much easier it would be if instead of chasing money or career or jobs or accolades or sports or athletics or whatever else it is, you know, followers on social media or the trophy hunt in the fall or whatever your poison is, folks, if what we were chasing each day second only to God was our spouse, how would that, how much easier it would be to keep some of these commandments. Scripture readings for today, we're going to start with 2 Peter chapter 3, verses 1 through 18. This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. I want you to remember what the Holy Prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles. Most importantly I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created. They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood, and by the same word the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment when ungodly people will be destroyed. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends. A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him, speaking of these things in all his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. You already know these things, dear friends, so be on guard, then you will not be carried away by the errors of the wicked people, and lose your own secure footing. Rather you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him both now and forever. Amen. Psalm one hundred nineteen, one twenty nine through one fifty two. Your laws are wonderful, no wonder I obey them. The teaching of your word gives light so even the simple can understand. I pant with expectation, longing for your commands. Come and show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name. Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil. Ransom me from the oppression of evil people, then I can obey your commandments. Look upon me with love, teach me your decrees. Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions. O Lord, you are righteous and your regulations are fair, your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. I am overwhelmed with indignation, for my enemies have disregarded your words. Your promises have been thoroughly tested. That is why I love them so much. I am insignificant and despised, but I don't forget your commandments. Your justice is eternal, and your instructions are perfectly true. As pressure and stress bear down upon me, I find joy in your commands. Your laws are always right. Help me to understand them so I may live. I pray with all my heart, answer me, Lord, I will obey your decrees. I cry out to you, rescue me, that I may obey your laws. I rise early before the sun is up. I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. I stay awake through the night thinking about your promise. In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry. Let me be revived by following your regulations. Lawless people are coming to attack me. They live far from your instructions. But you are ne you are near, O Lord, and your command, all your commands are true. I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever. Proverbs twenty-eight, verse twenty-one through twenty-two. Showing partiality is never good, yet some will do wrong for a mere piece of bread. Greedy people try to get rich quick, but don't realize they're headed for poverty. Two things, folks. One, you go back to verse sixteen. Some of these comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different. I couldn't think, help but think about Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptist preacher, talking about the wall of separation between church and state and how it's been twisted today to mean separation of God and state, something never intended by our founders. And then the other verse 8, a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn't really being slow about his promises. Some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. That's obviously true for us as individuals, folks, but also if if we survive in America, if we manage to carry on, I think we have to remember that there's a pretty good chance that the main reason America is given a reprieve by God is for us to save more lost souls. And I think we need to remember that as we go forward. Medal of Honor for today. Robert Lester Blackwell, private World War ILO Company, 119th Infantry, 30th Division, U.S. Army, October 11th, 1918, near Saint Supplet, Souplet, France. When his platoon was almost surrounded by the enemy, and his platoon commander asked for volunteers to carry a message calling for reinforcements. Private Blackwell volunteered for this mission, well knowing the extreme danger connected with it. In attempting to get through the heavy shell and machine gun fire, this gallant soldier was killed. Hurdle Mills, Pearson County, North Carolina, not or yes, awarded posthumously. Born October 4th, 1895, Pearson County, North Carolina, died October 11th, 1918, France. Buried some cemetery. Yeah, I'm not even going to try to pronounce that. I should know it, but I don't. D Tac 20 Tac II, Bonnie A I S E N France. Location of Metal North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, North Carolina. Robert Lester Blackwell. This just real short, folks, gives you a pretty good clue about how confused, I'm being generous there, our priorities are today. When you look at the fact that he was willing to risk death to try and get a message for reinforcements in that kind of desperate situation, and how we don't know these kinds of stories and quote statistics, if you will, about someone like Robert Lester Blackwell, but we know so many song lyrics or movie lines or athletic statistics from college and professional athletes, so many of whom despise God and our nation. 1782, by the United States in Congress assembled a proclamation. It being the indispensable duty of all nations not only to offer up their supplications to Almighty God, the giver of all good, for his gracious assistance in times of public distress, but also in a solemn and public manner to give him praise for his goodness in general, and especially for great and signal interpositions of his providence in their behalf. Therefore, the United States and Congress assembled, taking into their consideration the many instances of divine goodness to these states, in the course of the important conflict in which they have been so long engaged, and the present happy and promising state of public affairs, and the events of the war in the course of the last year now drawing to a close, particularly the harmony of the public councils, which is so necessary to the success of the public cause, the perfect union and good understanding which has hitherto subsided between them and their allies, notwithstanding the artful and unwearied attempts of the common enemy to sow dissension between them, divide them, the success of the arms of the United States and those of their allies, and the acknowledgement of their independence by another European power, whose friendship and commerce must be of great and lasting advantage to these states, and the success of their arms and those of their allies in different parts do hereby recommend it to the inhabitants of these states in general, to observe and recommend it to the executives of request request the several states to interpose their authority and appointing and requiring, commanding the observation of the last Thursday and the twenty eighth day of November next as a day of solemn thanksgiving to God for all his mercies, and they do further recommend to all ranks to testify their gratitude to God for his goodness by a cheerful obedience to his laws, and by promoting each and his station and by his influence, the practice of true and undefiled religion, which is the great foundation of public prosperity and national happiness, given, etc. So the big deal here, folks, again, each time we're reading these, is to really pay attention and focus on the fact, especially if you're using this as a teaching tool, whether it's reading it or listening to the podcast for your class or your students, or whether you're just talking about them, about this proclamation with them, that this was the Congress in a very public act. This wasn't private citizens, this wasn't even politicians in a private station, this was politicians in a public position at the beginning of our nation, in that role as a public servant, talking specifically about the need to acknowledge God as a nation. And folks, they're talking about anytime, if one of the arguments that people come up with is, well, this was a deist nation, they're just talking about some random God. No. They're talking specifically about God the Father of Jesus Christ, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the triune God. And there, you know, you see at the end here again this obeying God and doing all that we can to spread the influence of Christianity. I saw a comment on social media within the last few days talking about how sad it was that some of the immigrants here were actually assimilating into the founding faith and principles and leaving behind their faith and their religion for Christianity. Why would you come to a Christian nation if you didn't want to, if it was so great that you were willing to move here if you didn't want to assimilate? And that's a question we really ought to be asking ourselves, not only about immigrants coming in, but citizens that are here. If America's so horrible, why do you stay? And if it's not horrible enough to leave, if it's really this great nation, why wouldn't you assimilate into the founding faith and principles? But I'm getting off track. The point is when you read these proclamations, folks, realize how much they're talking about God and Jesus Christ and how important that was to our nation. Giving him thanksgiving, obeying his laws, spreading the gospel. If you're looking for a family-friendly middle-grade read, I would humbly recommend Countryside. And if you enjoy it, books one or two or both, if you would leave a review somewhere, I would greatly appreciate that. And if you have three or four or five dollars a month that you can spare for the podcast, if you're getting something out of it, there's a donation website on the Buzz Sprout website, podcast website, where you can do that. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, 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. Lead us not to temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. God bless y'all. God bless your families. God bless your marriages if you're married. God bless America. God bless your nation, wherever you are around the world, listen. We'll talk to y'all again real soon, folks. Looking forward to it.