Rick Allen: “It is indeed a pleasure to rise here tonight with my friends and colleagues in recognition of National Bible Week, which…”

“It is indeed a pleasure to rise here tonight with my friends and colleagues in recognition of National Bible Week, which we celebrated last week during the Thanksgiving holiday. It is my privilege to stand in this chamber tonight, as God has led me to be here to tell you what the Bible means to me and the impact it has had on the history of this Nation. Throughout our country, we are seeing a distinct level of division that is evident in this very body and all across our land. In Exodus, God created the law, the Ten Commandments, and instituted a government to carry out the law, saying: ``Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly . . . Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.'' Right now, I am looking at the face of Moses over the entry to this House chamber. Government was instituted by God for one purpose: to restrain evil and promote good. We must ensure that in this body and throughout our government, that we are always working toward this purpose. Mark 3:24 says: ``If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.'' During trying times and always, we must turn to the word of our God and trust that He will lead us on a path to righteousness, as the truth can always be found in our faith in Him. And, my fellow Americans, the truth shall set you free.…”