How Did You Spend The Last Day

Marriage As One Flesh And Priority

1 John 3 Read And Reflections

Faith Proven By Actions

Beyond Denominations: Brothers And Sisters

Medal Of Honor: James Blair

John Langdon’s 1786 Proclamation

SPEAKER_00 0:01

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. Sure do appreciate y'all joining me. Giving me a little piece of your day. I will try and use it wisely. Hopefully, y'all are getting to listen with a friend or family member, somebody. 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 very much. Very grateful 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 and your mercy, your grace, and your forgiveness of sins. Thank you for the ability to read your word without fear of persecution, just for owning one. Be with those around the world who don't have that privilege. Forgive us when we take it for granted. Forgive us our lack of gratitude. Forgive us our pride and our arrogance, our vanity. That we think so many of these blessings in our lives are due to our own efforts instead of your hand. Be with those around the world who are persecuted merely for following the name of your son Jesus Christ. Help us to comfort them in any way possible. Draw us close to you, Father. Help us to feel your presence each day. Give us comfort and peace. Strengthen our faith. Help us to follow the commands of your son Jesus Christ. Be with those listening to the podcast. Be with their families. Bless the marriages of those who are married. Guide those who have children in raising them to know you and your son Jesus Christ. Surround them with your angels. Surround us all with your angels. Father, protect us from evil of any kind. Help us to care for the widow and the orphan, the poor and the needy. Be with our leaders in the pulpit and in the state, in the military, law enforcement, firefighters. Give them wisdom and courage and strong faith. And guide my words here, Father, please. Your son's name we pray. Amen. How have you spent your last 24 hours? What have you done? If you looked at your last 24 hours, are you pleased with it? Have you given it to God? Have you given it to your spouse? Have you given it to social media sport? I know for me, folks, so often uh I'm I'm a little disappointed in how I spend my day. I'm doing a better job if I'm trying to be completely fair and honest with myself. I'm doing a better job of spending it with people. But I'm still doing a pretty poor job of using all the talents that God has given me to make me a better husband, better father, better son, better servant in general. So just a tough question, folks. We need to ask each other, ask ourselves each day. You know, at the end of the day, again and again, it's the old Marine Corps uh recruiting poster/slash question. If somebody accused us of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict us? If somebody accused us of being a good spouse, would there be enough evidence to convict us? There's so much, one of the reasons we go through, maybe the main reason we go through, well, no, the main reason we go through these marriage verses is to make ourselves better spouses for those of us that are married or those of us that are looking to be married. But the second reason, maybe, or one of the next few reasons, is there's so much bad information out there. So many people telling you, well, this is how to be a good spouse, or this is how to be a good spouse. And they have no clue what the Bible actually says, what God actually says about being a spouse. So today, verse comes from Genesis 2, verses 24 and 25. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. We don't make enough of cleaving, clinging. Every relationship we have in this world should be dwarfed by the relationship with our spouse, save God and Jesus Christ. And I know there's some people out there right now listening, going, well, that's that's kind of harsh. Cope, what about your children? There's no way to be a better father or mother other than following God and Jesus Christ, which which this falls into that category, than being a better husband or a better wife. If you want a strong family for your children, if you want to be a better parent for your children, the best thing you can do is follow God and Jesus Christ first. And within that, be a better husband, be a better wife. Bible verses for today. 1 John 3, verses 7 through 24, we'll start there. Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this. When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. This is the message you have heard from the beginning. We should love one another. We must not be like Cain who belongs to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. So don't be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. If we love our brothers and sisters, who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still death. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them. We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. We also know we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother and sister in need but shows no compassion, how can God's love be in that person? Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other, let's show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence, and we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. And this is his commandment. We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another. Just as he commanded us. Those who obey God's commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us, because the Spirit He gave us lives in us. Psalm one hundred twenty two verses one through nine. I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord, and now here we are, standing inside your gates. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem is a well built city, its seamless walls cannot be breached. All the tribes of Israel, the Lord's people, make their pilgrimage here. They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord, as the law requires of Israel. Here stand the thrones where judgment is given, the thrones of the dynasty of David. Pray for the peace, pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. For the sake of my family and friends I will say, May you have peace. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem. Whoever stubborn stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery. Folks, there's a lot in all three of these, uh, but I'm gonna stick with one John three for a little bit. Actions, folks. Actions show everything. Are we following Christ? Are we following the world? Do we really love each other? Right? Verse 18, let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions show whether we do or not. And what a comfort is verse 20. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. And 23, also, what's the commandment? We must believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ and love one another. Right? I believe in Jesus Christ as the only Son of God, who God raised from the dead. That's my job. And then to love each other, fellow believers. That gives us eternal life, right? There's just we we could read this again and probably should. One thing that I'll hit on real quick here and then we'll move on. I would highly recommend going back though and reading 1 John 3. You notice in here, folks, it talks about brothers and sisters constantly, fellow believers, but it doesn't say anything about a denomination. There's no Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant of any denomination, Methodist, Baptist, prop uh Presbyterian, Church of Christ, anything. It just says, fellow believers, brothers and sisters. You will not find a denomination mentioned in the Bible, folks. And anybody that tells you that you have to belong to their particular denomination in order to have eternal life, they're selling you a lie. And they're endangering your soul if you really buy into it, because you start to believe that, well, not only do I have to believe in Jesus Christ, I also have to belong to this denomination because Jesus Christ isn't enough. I've also got to have this box checked off. If you get to the gates of heaven, folks, and you're asking for entry and you say, Well, I'm Roman Catholic, I'm Greek Orthodox, I'm Baptist, I'm Methodist, I'm whatever. It's not going to get you in. And we need to take a pretty strong stand against people that say otherwise. If you love your denomination, great. If you love your denomination and it's doctrine more than scripture, more than God, more than Jesus Christ, you got problems. Big time, big time. And if you're if you're telling other believers and those who are lost and seeking, hey, I tell you what, yeah, Jesus Christ is great, but if you don't belong to our little club over here, you can't get in. Ah, man. Shame on you, at least, at the very least. And maybe think a little bit about Jesus' comment about a millstone. The Medal of Honor for today. Let's see where we go. James Blair Indian Campaigns. First Sergeant, India Company, first U.S. Cavalry, U.S. Army, 1872, 73, Apache Campaigns USA. Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with the Apaches. Accredited to Camp Winfield Scott, Humboldt County, Nevada, not awarded posthumously. Presented April 12th, 1875, born 1841, Schleer County, Pennsylvania. And that is it. James Blair. Man, don't you know there's more to that story. You know there's more to the story. All right. We're gonna read another one today from Mr. Langdon. If I can find it. There we go. So again, this is from John Langdon, signer of the Constitution, U.S. Senator, Governor of New Hampshire, quite a few other things. And this is as president, as president, as governor, folks, of the state of New Hampshire. John Langdon, a proclamation for a day of public fasting and prayer, February 21st, 1786. A proclamation for a day of public fasting and prayer throughout this state, 1786. Vain is the acknowledgement of a supreme ruler of the universe, unless such acknowledgments influence our practice and call forth those expressions of homage and adoration that are due to his character and providential government. Agreeable to the light of nature, enforced by revelation, and countenanced by the practice of civilized nations in humble and fervent application to the throne for needed mercies and gratitude for favors received. It having been the laudable practice of this state at the opening of the spring to set apart a day for such denomination, to assemble together on said day in their respective places of public worship, that the citizens of this state may with one heart and voice patiently confess, no penitently, sorry, confess their manifold sins and transgressions, and fervently implore the divine benediction, that a true spirit of repentance and humiliation may be poured out upon all orders and degrees of men, and a complete and universal reformation take place, that he who gave wisdom and fortitude in the scenes of battle would give prudence and discretion to extricate us from succeeding embarrassments, build up, support, and establish this rising empire, particularly that he would be pleased to bless the great council of the United States of America and direct their deliberations to the wise and best determinations, succeed our embassies at foreign courts, bless our allies and national benefactors, that he would always be pleased to keep this state under his most holy protection, that all in the legislature, executive, and judicial departments may be guided and supported by wisdom, integrity, and firmness, that all the people through this state and through the land may be animated by a true estimation of their privileges, and taught to secure by their patriotism and virtue what they have acquired by their valor, that a spirit of emulation, industry, economy, frugality may be diffused abroad, and that we may all be dispo disposed to lead quiet and peaceful lives in all godliness and honesty, that He would be graciously pleased to bless us in the seasons of the year, and cause the earth to yield her increase, prosper our husbandry, merchandise, navigation, and fishery, and all the labors of our hands, and give us to hear the voice of health in our habitations and enjoy plenty of our borders, that unanimity, peace, and harmony may be promoted and continue, and the spirit of universal philanthropy pervade the land, that he would be pleased to smile upon the means of education, and bless every institution of useful knowledge, and above all that he would rain down righteousness upon the earth, revive religion, and spread abroad the knowledge of the true God, the Savior of man throughout the world. And all servile labor and recreations are forbidden on said day, given at the Council Chamber in Portsmouth, this twenty first day of February in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, and in the tenth year of the sovereignty and independence of the United States of America. Oh Lord, folks. It's it's when you really read history, it's mind-boggling that we have allowed and gone along with the left and the lies that we were ever founded as a secular deist pagan nation. You go back, go back and read this, especially if you're doing it with I I wish that I had some materials to share with you all folks for homeschool or public school, private school, wherever you're using it with kids. But but go back and read through this proclamation again and really point out to those that you're teaching the fact that as a governor, as a public official, not as a private citizen alone, but as a public official, at the beginning of our nation, we were asking for God's guidance in our schools, in our courtrooms, in our congresses, our houses, just across the board, in our agriculture, just everywhere, that his guidance, his wisdom, that is not the attitude of a nation that wanted to kick God and Jesus Christ out of public life. If you are looking for a family-friendly middle grade read, I would humbly recommend Countryside if you get a chance. Check it out. There's a couple books in the series. I'm working on the third. And if you enjoy it, if you would leave a review somewhere, I would greatly appreciate that. It helps immensely. Also, if you feel like you have three or four or five dollars a month that you can donate to the podcast, there is a website on the or a webpage on the Buzz Sprout website for the podcast where you can do that. You can donate each month. And I would be very grateful for 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, and lead us not to temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen. God bless y'all, God bless your marriages, God bless your families, God bless America, God bless your nation, wherever you are around the world. Listen, folks. We'll talk to you all again real soon. Looking forward to it.