QUOTE OF THE DAY President Bush Discusses Global War on Terror in Las Vegas, Nevada Emerald at Queensridge Las Vegas, Nevada
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for the warm welcome. Thank you. So what Ranson didn't tell you is he believes in free speech, and that's what I'm here to give. (Laughter.) I appreciate the invitation. (Laughter.)
Sharon, thank you very much, as well. I'm honored to be here with the Governor. Governor -- the Governor has been a friend of mine for a long time. We served together in Washington. He came back to Nevada -- (laughter) -- to serve the great state. (Applause.) As my wife said, when you get over there don't mispronounce it again. (Laughter.) I learned my lesson. But Governor, thank you for being here. I appreciate all the state and local officials who are here, and I want to thank you for giving me a chance to come by and share some thoughts about the world in which we live.
The world in which we live is a dangerous world, but a world full of great opportunity. We're involved in an ideological struggle -- the likes of which we have seen before in our history. It's an ideological struggle between those of us who love freedom and human rights and human dignity, and those who want to impose their dark vision on how people should live their lives. This is a -- not a political conflict -- I mean, a religious conflict. And I'll tell you why: because one of the tactics, and the main tactic of those enemies of freedom, is to murder the innocent to achieve their objectives. Religious people do not murder the innocent. (Applause.)
And so we are facing this ideological struggle of people who use asymmetrical warfare. What distinguishes this ideological struggle from previous ideological struggles -- those with -- against fascism or communism, is that in this war, individuals use weapons to kill innocent people -- car bombs and suicide vests. And they do so to frighten the West. They do so to create chaos and confusion. They do so with the aim of creating vacuums into which their hateful ideology can flow. And that's why you see the September 11th attacks, in London, in Madrid, in Jordan -- attacks around the world. Some will say these are just isolated moments of -- where all we need is a good, strong law enforcement response. I think they're all part of an ideological struggle.
And the interesting development that is taking place in the beginnings here of the 21st century is, the freedom movement is on the march. I'm not surprised, and you shouldn't be either. I believe there is an Almighty. I believe the gift of that Almighty to every man, woman and child is freedom. I believe that people, if given a chance, will always go to freedom -- and that's what you're beginning to see. (Applause.)
And yet every time freedom tries to advance, these ideologues murder innocent people -- in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Lebanon, in Israel, in Palestine. People who can't stand the thought of free societies unleash their hatred by killing innocent people. And the great challenge facing America and the world is, one, will we recognize the challenge? Do we understand the consequences of success and failure? And will the United States be bold and stay in the lead? And my answer is, we have been, we will continue to be, and we must be engaged in making sure we lay the foundation of peace for the sake of our children and grandchildren. (Applause.)
We will prevail. We will prevail in this ideological struggle because liberty is powerful. Liberty is hopeful. The enemy we face can only convince people to join their cause is when they find hopelessness. And so our strategy is threefold: one, protect the homeland; two, stay on the offense against these folks; and three, provide an alternative -- a hopeful alternative to despair and doubt and hopelessness.
Psalms 109:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Do not keep silent, O God of my praise!
Psalms 109:2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful Have opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
Psalms 109:3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause.
Psalms 109:4 In return for my love they are my accusers, But I give myself to prayer.
Psalms 109:5 Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
Psalms 109:6 Set a wicked man over him, And let an accuser stand at his right hand.
Psalms 109:7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty, And let his prayer become sin.
Psalms 109:8 Let his days be few, And let another take his office.
Psalms 109:9 Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow.
Psalms 109:10 Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg; Let them seek their bread also from their desolate places.
Psalms 109:11 Let the creditor seize all that he has, And let strangers plunder his labor.
Psalms 109:12 Let there be none to extend mercy to him, Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.
Psalms 109:13 Let his posterity be cut off, And in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
Psalms 109:14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
Psalms 109:15 Let them be continually before the LORD, That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth;
Psalms 109:16 Because he did not remember to show mercy, But persecuted the poor and needy man, That he might even slay the broken in heart.
Psalms 109:17 As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.
Psalms 109:18 As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body like water, And like oil into his bones.
Psalms 109:19 Let it be to him like the garment which covers him, And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.
Psalms 109:20 Let this be the LORD'S reward to my accusers, And to those who speak evil against my person.
Psalms 109:21 But You, O GOD the Lord, Deal with me for Your name's sake; Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.
Psalms 109:22 For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me.
Psalms 109:23 I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like a locust.
Psalms 109:24 My knees are weak through fasting, And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.
Psalms 109:25 I also have become a reproach to them; When they look at me, they shake their heads.
Psalms 109:26 Help me, O LORD my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy,
Psalms 109:27 That they may know that this is Your hand-That You, LORD, have done it!
Psalms 109:28 Let them curse, but You bless; When they arise, let them be ashamed, But let Your servant rejoice.
Psalms 109:29 Let my accusers be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.
Psalms 109:30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.
Psalms 109:31 For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who condemn him. (NKJV)
DEAR LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY, THIS HOUR AND THIS SECOND.
LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME YOUR SAINTS CAN GATHER BEFORE YOUR THRONE OF GRACE WITH PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
LORD, WE PRAY FOR ALL OF YOUR SAINTS NO MATTER WHERE THEY MAY BE OR WHATEVER THEIR NEED.
LORD, WE PRAY ESPECIALLY FOR GEORGE WALKER BUSH, LAURA BUSH, BARBARA AND JENNA BUSH, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND ALL MEMMBERS OF GOVERNMENT WHO HOLD YOUR TRUTHS CLOSE TO THEIR HEARTS.
LORD, WE PRAY FOR YOUR CONTINUED HAND OF GUIDANCE AND PROTECTION IN EACH ONES LIFE.
LORD, WE PRAY EACH BELIEVER LOCKS INTO THEIR HEART THE FACT THAT YOU ARE GOD AND TOTALLY SOVEREIGN, WE PRAY THEY JUST LET YOU BE YOU AND STOP BOXING IN YOUR EMINENCE.
LORD, WE PRAY ALL CHRISTIAN PATRIOTS CHOOSE THE RIGHTER WRONG AND HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW YOU WOULD LIKE THE BETTER GOOD IN AUTHORITY, NOT VOTE BASED ON SINGLE ISSUES, THOUGH TEMPER THEIR THOUGHTS THROUGH THE FILTER OF YOUR WHOLE WORD.
LORD, WE PRAY FOR THIS COUNTRY, A LAND FORMED ON THE PRINCIPALS YOU GAVE US. WE PRAY FOR A RETURN TO A TIME WHEN THIS LAND WAS BASED ON GOD, DUTY AND HONOR.
LORD, WE PRAY FOR YOUR SOVEREIGN HAND OF PROTECTION AGAINST ALL WHO THREATEN OUR LAND.
WE PRAY THAT THE DECEPTIVE LIES OF POLITICAL DESPOTS AND THE MEDIA WILL FALL ON DEAF EARS AND ONLY YOUR TRUTH WILL BE HEARD.
LORD, WE PRAY FOR ALL OF THE DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM, WHETHER HOME OR IN FOREIGN LANDS.
WE PRAY FOR THEIR SAFETY AND WE PRAY FOR COMFORT FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND WE THANK YOU FOR THEIR STRENGTH AND COURAGE IN STAYING THE COURSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
LORD, WE PRAY FOR THE COMFORT OF THE FAMILIES OF ALL OF YOUR DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM WHICH WHERE LOST IN BATTLE.
LORD, WE PRAY YOUR VENGENCE IS SWIFT AND HARSH AGAINST THOSE WHO COMMITTED THESE MURDERS AND ALSO AGAINST THOSE WHO HATE THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE OF ITS CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES.
LORD, WE PRAY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ISRAEL FROM MUSLIM TERRORISTS.
LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE SKILL AND FORTITUDE YOU HAVE GIVEN OUR MILITARY WHICH ENABLES THEM TO TURN EVIL MEN OVER TO YOU FOR ETERNAL JUDGMENT.
Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
Jude 1:25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
"But I give myself unto prayer." - Psalm 109:4
Lying tongues were busy against the reputation of David, but he did not defend himself; he moved the case into a higher court, and pleaded before the great King himself. Prayer is the safest method of replying to words of hatred. The Psalmist prayed in no cold-hearted manner, he gave himself to the exercise-threw his whole soul and heart into it-straining every sinew and muscle, as Jacob did when wrestling with the angel. Thus, and thus only, shall any of us speed at the throne of grace. As a shadow has no power because there is no substance in it, even so that supplication, in which a man's proper self is not thoroughly present in agonizing earnestness and vehement desire, is utterly ineffectual, for it lacks that which would give it force. "Fervent prayer," says an old divine, "like a cannon planted at the gates of heaven, makes them fly open." The common fault with the most of us is our readiness to yield to distractions. Our thoughts go roving hither and thither, and we make little progress towards our desired end. Like quicksilver our mind will not hold together, but rolls off this way and that. How great an evil this is! It injures us, and what is worse, it insults our God. What should we think of a petitioner, if, while having an audience with a prince, he should be playing with a feather or catching a fly?
Continuance and perseverance are intended in the expression of our text. David did not cry once, and then relapse into silence; his holy clamour was continued till it brought down the blessing. Prayer must not be our chance work, but our daily business, our habit and vocation. As artists give themselves to their models, and poets to their classical pursuits, so must we addict ourselves to prayer. We must be immersed in prayer as in our element, and so pray without ceasing. Lord, teach us so to pray that we may be more and more prevalent in supplication.
C.H.SPURGEON
SOLI DEO GLORIA!
