A Gideon Stood Up in Texas - DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT

A Gideon Stood Up in Texas

 3/14/2017 DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT

The Texas Legislature heard debate last week on Senate Bill 6, a so-called "bathroom bill" requiring people to use the bathroom or shower facility that corresponds to their biological sex at birth. Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is leading this charge in the state capitol of Austin.

Dan Forest, Lt. Governor of North Carolina, traveled to Austin to testify before the legislature in support of the Texas bill, which is fashioned after North Carolina's House Bill 2 (HB2). You may recall that last July the National Basketball Association pulled its All-Star Game out of Charlotte to aid a growing boycott of North Carolina that began in opposition to HB2.

The secular left has been on a roll for much of the last decade. As a result, they seem to have developed an exaggerated opinion of their clout, which does not correspond with social and electoral reality.

A popular and cool Barack Obama lied at the Saddleback presidential debate in 2008. Pastor Rick Warren: "Define marriage." Obama: "I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian—for me—for me as a Christian, it is also a sacred union. God's in the mix."

A democratic republic, where ultimate authority and power is derived from its citizens, remains viable only as long as people can, on the whole, rely on candidates and elected officials to tell the truth.

Once Obama was elected president, in flat-out contradiction to his word, he led the U.S. gay rights revolution globally, even using American embassies around the world to promote same-sex intercourse and marriage. This was all in defiance of U.S. citizens who had voted in state-after-state, supporting traditional marriage with overwhelming majorities. Consider:

• Mississippi—86 percent
• Tennessee—81 percent
• Louisiana—78 percent
• South Carolina—78 percent
• Georgia—76 percent
• Oklahoma—76 percent
• Texas—76 percent
• Arkansas—75 percent
• Kentucky—75 percent
• North Dakota—73 percent
• Missouri—72 percent
• Alabama—71 percent
• Kansas—70 percent
• Nebraska—70 percent
• Montana—67 percent
• Nevada—67 percent
• Utah—66 percent
• Idaho—63 percent
• Florida—62 percent
• Ohio—62 percent
• North Carolina—61 percent
• Michigan—59 percent
• Wisconsin—59 percent
• Oregon—57 percent
• Virginia—57 percent
• Arizona—56 percent
• Colorado—56 percent
• California—52 percent
• South Dakota—52 percent

(Source)

With President Obama's encouragement of gay pride parades in major cities around the nation, diplomats taking part in parades around the world, embassies flying the rainbow flag beside the Stars and Stripes, and six openly homosexual ambassadors—Obama and the left were large and in charge. It must have seemed like a small matter to bulldoze over the 61 percent of North Carolinians who voted in 2012 to ban same-sex marriage in their state.

Then a Gideon appeared on the public stage. Dan Forest, although up for reelection in November 2016, stood for the unseen against the seen.

First, the seen: "More than 100 top executives from major companies, including major Charlotte employers like Bank of America, have signed a letter opposing the "anti-LGBT" legislation."

But refusing to be cowed, Forest stated:

What is happening here [in North Carolina] is so much bigger than a basketball game. A sovereign state is being blackmailed by a private business (NBA) who is being threatened by a national LGBT lobbying effort, all to force North Carolina to open female restrooms, showers and locker rooms up to men. All of this was done under the guise of "inclusiveness'" and other politically correct buzzwords. But the reality is that had we not blocked the Charlotte Bathroom Ordinance from going into effect, sex offenders and pedophiles would have had full access to our women and children in bathrooms around the state. I enjoy the NBA and wanted them to hold the All-Star game in Charlotte, but if that game comes with strings attached, strings that would expose women and children to danger, molestation, assault and voyeurism, then no thank you. Take your business elsewhere, and I have no apologies about saying that and never will. The NBA knows the economic hit North Carolina will take from this decision. I wish the NBA would likewise acknowledge the pain, sorrow and devastation a child or woman feels when they are exploited. We will never value a dollar over a woman's or child's safety and security.

It's worth noting that Pat McCrory, the Republican Governor of North Carolina, vacillated on HB2–and that voters did not re-elect him to office in November. In contrast, Lt. Governor Forest "went on to win his re-election by more votes than any other elected candidate in the state, including President Trump."

Which brings us back around to Texas SB 6.

In a stunning turn of events, the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce president Chris Wallace, the most influential business lobby in Texas, testified before the legislature last week and argued for transgender bathrooms in Texas. Wallace filled his testimony with fear and misinformation, stating that SB 2 "could cost the state up to $8.5 billion and more than 100,000 jobs, according to a Texas Association of Business report."

But then a Gideon appeared on the public stage, in the form of Texas state Senator Kelly Hancock. Watch the 11-minute video above.

We must reestablish prayer in America's churches, led by the senior pastor, if America is to survive. But that said, prayer is not all that is necessary. We have relinquished public education, higher learning, media, big business, federal courts, the Supreme Court and Hollywood to the godless, secular left. Men and women of Issachar must run for local office and bring biblical values to the public square in 2017-2018.

But there is good news, as Gideons and Rahabs are beginning to stand. 

David Lane is the founder of American Renewal Project.

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Opportunity is Tapping Christians on the Shoulder - DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT CHARISMA NEWS

(Reuters photo)

Opportunity is Tapping Christians on the Shoulder

11/15/2016 DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT   CHARISMA NEWS

Over the last 60 days, the American Renewal Project hosted "Pastors and Pews" events in six key battleground states: Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa, Missouri, and Virginia.

Additionally, one million doors were knocked on and phones were called, targeting low-propensity, Evangelical voters—those who had voted only once in the last four political cycles.

We hired seventy bi-vocational pastors to help orchestrate and accomplish this massive task. Although the ARP does not endorse or oppose candidates or tell people who to vote for—what was demonstrated Tuesday night is that when Christians turn out and vote they impact elections. For example, take the effectiveness of the American Renewal Project's bi-vocational pastor effort in North Carolina:

• In 2012: 35% of the vote came from Evangelicals, and Romney received 79% of those votes.
• In 2016: 38% of the vote came from Evangelicals, and Trump received 81% of those votes.

Politically, a 3% higher Evangelical turnout in 2016, with 2% additional votes for the Republican candidate, is a massive number. It's the difference between winning and losing an election. This is what bringing Christian values to the public square looks like. Small steps are often the beginning of great enterprise.

Other components of our plan in the last 60 days included:

• 1 million contacts
• 500,000 personal interviews
• 1,500 participating churches in four states
• $35 million in social media ads targeted at Evangelical and Pro-Life Catholic Christians online

THIS ELECTION IS OVER, BUT PASTORS MUST CONTINUE TO FIGHT IF AMERICA IS TO BE SAVED.

Scott Walker was elected Wisconsin Governor in November 2010 and sworn-in on January 6, 2011. He immediately began to fulfill his campaign commitment to return power to the people of Wisconsin. And, once the unions and power brokers recognized that the Governor intended to keep his word, the Left manufactured a hundred thousand protestors on the streets of the Wisconsin Capitol.

Then, he and his wife received death threats. But Walker took courage and persisted in doing what he told voters he would do if they elected him.

As we begin to dismantle godless Secularism from the warp and woof of America and remove the different parasites dependent upon the government (those gaming the system over the last 2-3 generations), all hell is going to break loose. There's going to be a hair-raising brawl in the public square, and someone's values are going to reign supreme. Pastors and Pews must stay engaged.

"ABC is reporting the largest turnout of the Evangelical vote in history" blared the headlines on Tuesday night.

There is no worse arrow in the quiver of hell than the falsehood that God cannot deliver His people. The old lie resurfaces in each generation— "God has forsaken them" (Psalm 71:11).

That said, anyone who thinks that Christians won anything other than an election last Tuesday is confused. This stunning "miracle" offers us an opportunity to restore America to her Judeo-Christian heritage and re-establish a Biblical-based culture—IF we will stay engaged. This opportunity likely will not come around again in our lifetime. Like a neon sign flashing high in the sky, the Obama Administration serves to remind us that departing from God's fixed boundaries consistent with His moral character will bring judgment on a nation.

Pat Buchanan observed:

"Few anticipated Tuesday morning what we would have today: a decapitated Democratic Party, with the Obamas and Clintons gone or going, Joe Biden with them, no national leader rising, and only the power of obstruction, of which the nation has had enough."

The last time the Republicans controlled the House, Senate and presidency (Bush 43) —they frittered it away. In 2015, Mark Steyn wrote about that missed opportunity: "I describe Republicans as a party of seat-warmers-until the pendulum swings and the Dems come roaring back. When the left wins, they're in power; when the right wins, they're in office, and that's all."

With MoveOn.org and Black Lives Matter now fomenting anarchy in the streets, an opportunity is tapping Christians on the shoulder. We must not blow this one. We must stay engaged.

We need a Gideon or Rahab to stand.

David Lane is the founder of American Renewal Project.

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CBN News Exclusive: New Cash Infusion Will Lead to Massive Evangelical Vote Effort - David Brody

CBN News Exclusive: New Cash Infusion Will Lead to Massive Evangelical Vote Effort

08-22-2016

David Brody

+1

The Brody File has learned that organizers with the influential American Renewal Project will meet this week in Dallas to plan a massive, "Get Out the Vote" effort aimed at mobilizing pastors and their evangelical congregations.

In just the last week, the conservative Christian group, headed up by influential evangelical leader David Lane, has raised nearly $10 million. GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump recently spoke at their most recent Pastors and Pews event in Orlando, Florida, and will be invited to speak at these upcoming events along Mike Pence, his vice-presidential running mate.

Trump's ability to connect with evangelicals at occasions like this throughout the fall will go a long way in determining whether or not he becomes president of the United States.

Right now, the six states the American Renewal Project will target are Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, and Iowa. They plan to hold at least six Pastors and Pews events in the next 40 days leading up to the election with the first event to start sometime in mid-late September.

These conferences will be attended by hundreds of pastors and their wives. When all is said and done, organizers are hoping thousands of pastors will get their congregations fired up and engaged about voting this fall. Additionally, the group plans to follow up with a substantial ground game, equipping pastors with all the necessary material to make sure their parishioners flock to the polls in November. That includes making voter registration cards readily available as well as information about the closest polling station.

Getting evangelicals registered to vote is critical. Estimates put the number of "self-identified evangelicals" at roughly 90 million in America but only half of them are actually registered to vote. Of those that are registered to vote, only half of them show up on Election Day.

A dozen or so evangelical organizers tasked with implementing the strategy will attend the meeting this week in Dallas. With early voting scheduled to begin in states like Ohio in the next few weeks, time is of the essence.

Besides David Lane, the attendees will include Wayne Hamilton, who works closely with Texas Gov. Greg Abbot and Dave Carney, who's been one of the top political operatives in the country. He was the former political director at the White House for George H.W. Bush and has also been a longtime top aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. He's very well-known in GOP national political circles.

"This infusion of resources will allow the American Renewal Project to expand into six top target states with an aggressive ground game to engage voters through their pastors to register and turn out this fall," Carney tells The Brody File. "With all the confusion and lack of success that the so-called Super PACS have enjoyed this cycle, this is the alternative approach to reach voters who would not otherwise become engaged."

There's no doubt that the latest $10 million cash infusion has been a game changer but the group may be close to raising even more cash for this effort.

"When additional resources become available, additional states will be added," Carney says.

The central theme behind this effort is a need for spiritual revival in America. Lane recognizes that a president, whether they are Republican or Democrat isn’t going to save America. This is spiritual warfare playing out in an arena where somebody's values are going to rule the day. Lane says it's time for pastors to step up and lead from the pulpit.

"Christians founded America, not secularists, agnostics, atheists or multicultural proponents like the current president," Lane tells The Brody File. "Evangelical and pro-life Catholic Christians have to engage in 2016 if America is to be saved."

The other main component of these events coming up this fall will be what organizers call, "Issachar Training" events. It's a hands-on workshop for pastors interested in running for political office.

Already, through this mechanism, more than 200 pastors gave committed to run in this election cycle and a few hundred more have committed to take the plunge in the next election cycle.

Christians Must Stand With Courage and Conviction - DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT CHARISMA NEWS

(Artwork by Jean-Leon Gerome)

Christians Must Stand With Courage and Conviction

 1/6/2016 DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT  charisma news

Lutheran Pastor Wolfgang Schuch was one of the giants of the 16th century. According to Charles Spurgeon's The Treasury of David, Schuch was imprisoned for denying "the Church and the sacrifice of the mass" and was sentenced to be burnt at the stake. Upon hearing his sentence, he began singing the 122nd Psalm, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'"

In fact, it was in the 19th-century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon's aforementioned commentary on the Psalms that I read about Schuch. But Spurgeon read about Schuch from within the pages of Foxe's Book of Martyrs. When Christians stand with courage and conviction—even in the face of death—their testimony inspires others for generations to come.

Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis faced her own trial and dilemma in 2015. She would either knuckle under to secular judicial elites and compromise her beliefs as a Christ follower, or she would go to jail. Confrontation with evil is nothing new; John N. Oswalt says believers throughout history have been "flayed alive, impaled, mutilated and killed" (Isaiah Commentary). Theology can make for splendid Bible study discussion in the safety and comfort of a yet-free society, but the real question is this: Will you bet your life on it?

Secularism is a pagan ideology, a religion. According to Harold J. Berman's Law and Revolution, secularism divorced itself from Christianity, and yet still retained "from traditional Christianity both its sense of the sacred and some of its major values." But a rival now challenges secularists in the form of revolutionary totalitarianism.

For instance, homosexual militants once lobbied for a libertarian acceptance of its lifestyle with this mantra: "Allow us to live our lives in the privacy of our homes." But then, the homosexual movement shifted to a totalitarian posture: "Bakers, photographers and Christian retreat centers will take part in our weddings or be bankrupted." Finally, the situation Kim Davis faced introduced us to the next chapter: Fascism, with its declaration, "You will ceremonialize and pay homage to our weddings, or you'll spend time in jail."

Pro-life evangelical and Catholic Christians have favored an esoteric, academic approach over the last two to three generations. But in the battle with secularists for ideological supremacy in the public square, the cancer of secularism has now run its course. The decay to this once-great Christian nation is nauseating.

In plain English, Peter J. Leithart spelled out his diagnosis and corrective to the gathering storm when he wrote in Between Babel and Beast:

"Until American churches actually function as outposts of Jesus' heavenly empire rather than as cheerleaders for America—until the churches produce martyrs rather than patriots—the political witness of Christians will continue to be diluted and co-opted."

Edmund Burke observed that those who refuse to look backward to their ancestry would not look forward to their posterity. Jewish talk show host Michael Medved observes, "The Founders weren't atheists, agnostics or secularists; they were, almost without exception, deeply serious Christians."

I predict that a future American leader will conclude that America's greatest need is a spiritual awakening. Once inaugurated, repentance will be the first order of business; first confessing his own sins, and then admitting his and the nation's folly for replacing Jehovah and traditional Christianity with a "religion of secularism." (This is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's prophetic language in his lone dissent in the 1963 SCOTUS ruling to remove the Bible from public schools in America: "It led not to true neutrality with respect to religion, but to the establishment of a religion of secularism.")

According to Eric Metaxes, this historic figure, "something like what a Moses was to Israel" will have set in motion a movement to oust the false religion of secularism from the political, legal, economic, religious and cultural institutions of America. And analogous to Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, a "cataclysmic" explosion of faith will rock the world for generations.

But this movement likely won't come into view until the church returns to the priority of prayer, establishing righteousness above sacrifice and the priority of ethics over ritual. God's name has been brought into contempt, but like the prideful Philistines in 1 Samuel 5, secularists have misinterpreted their victory:

"The only reason that they had defeated Israel was because Yahweh was using the Philistines to discipline His people. How much better it would have been for His glory to be revealed on the battlefield, but He couldn't give victory to a disobedient people. The living God cannot be used, manipulated or managed. God allows Himself to be humiliated and exalted. But through it all, He will not compromise His holiness or integrity. In the church God often appears to be losing because Christians refuse to submit to His lordship. The Lord longs to show up in a powerful way, but He is waiting for us to be holy as he is holy (1 Pet 1:16). So instead of blaming the church for being anemic, lethargic and irrelevant, perhaps we should blame ourselves" (Dr. Keith Krell,1 Samuel).

Once we return to God, He will then attend to the honor of His name. Public education and universities will again focus on the principal component of education: incorporating the character of the Father into our children, thus creating an exceptional and virtuous people. Test scores in education will soar for, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7).

Once gospel righteousness is restored to the public square, virtue will suddenly come to the forefront at City Hall. America will again bring forth outstanding men and women of character, produced by a Christian culture, Christian thought and biblical wisdom. As Charles Spurgeon said, "He who is taught of God has a practical wisdom such as malice cannot supply to the crafty; while harmless as a dove he also exhibits more than a serpent's wisdom."

We simply need a Gideon or Rahab to stand.

David Lane is the founder of American Renewal Project.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW from CHARISMA: Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit and hear God speak to you? Increase your faith, discover freedom, and draw near to God! Click Here

Christians Must Stand With Courage and Conviction - DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT CHARISMA NEWS

(Artwork by Jean-Leon Gerome)

Christians Must Stand With Courage and Conviction

1/6/2016 DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT   charisma news

Lutheran Pastor Wolfgang Schuch was one of the giants of the 16th century. According to Charles Spurgeon's The Treasury of David, Schuch was imprisoned for denying "the Church and the sacrifice of the mass" and was sentenced to be burnt at the stake. Upon hearing his sentence, he began singing the 122nd Psalm, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'"

In fact, it was in the 19th-century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon's aforementioned commentary on the Psalms that I read about Schuch. But Spurgeon read about Schuch from within the pages of Foxe's Book of Martyrs. When Christians stand with courage and conviction—even in the face of death—their testimony inspires others for generations to come.

Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis faced her own trial and dilemma in 2015. She would either knuckle under to secular judicial elites and compromise her beliefs as a Christ follower, or she would go to jail. Confrontation with evil is nothing new; John N. Oswalt says believers throughout history have been "flayed alive, impaled, mutilated and killed" (Isaiah Commentary). Theology can make for splendid Bible study discussion in the safety and comfort of a yet-free society, but the real question is this: Will you bet your life on it?

Secularism is a pagan ideology, a religion. According to Harold J. Berman's Law and Revolution, secularism divorced itself from Christianity, and yet still retained "from traditional Christianity both its sense of the sacred and some of its major values." But a rival now challenges secularists in the form of revolutionary totalitarianism.

For instance, homosexual militants once lobbied for a libertarian acceptance of its lifestyle with this mantra: "Allow us to live our lives in the privacy of our homes." But then, the homosexual movement shifted to a totalitarian posture: "Bakers, photographers and Christian retreat centers will take part in our weddings or be bankrupted." Finally, the situation Kim Davis faced introduced us to the next chapter: Fascism, with its declaration, "You will ceremonialize and pay homage to our weddings, or you'll spend time in jail."

Pro-life evangelical and Catholic Christians have favored an esoteric, academic approach over the last two to three generations. But in the battle with secularists for ideological supremacy in the public square, the cancer of secularism has now run its course. The decay to this once-great Christian nation is nauseating.

In plain English, Peter J. Leithart spelled out his diagnosis and corrective to the gathering storm when he wrote in Between Babel and Beast:

"Until American churches actually function as outposts of Jesus' heavenly empire rather than as cheerleaders for America—until the churches produce martyrs rather than patriots—the political witness of Christians will continue to be diluted and co-opted."

Edmund Burke observed that those who refuse to look backward to their ancestry would not look forward to their posterity. Jewish talk show host Michael Medved observes, "The Founders weren't atheists, agnostics or secularists; they were, almost without exception, deeply serious Christians."

I predict that a future American leader will conclude that America's greatest need is a spiritual awakening. Once inaugurated, repentance will be the first order of business; first confessing his own sins, and then admitting his and the nation's folly for replacing Jehovah and traditional Christianity with a "religion of secularism." (This is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's prophetic language in his lone dissent in the 1963 SCOTUS ruling to remove the Bible from public schools in America: "It led not to true neutrality with respect to religion, but to the establishment of a religion of secularism.")

According to Eric Metaxes, this historic figure, "something like what a Moses was to Israel" will have set in motion a movement to oust the false religion of secularism from the political, legal, economic, religious and cultural institutions of America. And analogous to Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, a "cataclysmic" explosion of faith will rock the world for generations.

But this movement likely won't come into view until the church returns to the priority of prayer, establishing righteousness above sacrifice and the priority of ethics over ritual. God's name has been brought into contempt, but like the prideful Philistines in 1 Samuel 5, secularists have misinterpreted their victory:

"The only reason that they had defeated Israel was because Yahweh was using the Philistines to discipline His people. How much better it would have been for His glory to be revealed on the battlefield, but He couldn't give victory to a disobedient people. The living God cannot be used, manipulated or managed. God allows Himself to be humiliated and exalted. But through it all, He will not compromise His holiness or integrity. In the church God often appears to be losing because Christians refuse to submit to His lordship. The Lord longs to show up in a powerful way, but He is waiting for us to be holy as he is holy (1 Pet 1:16). So instead of blaming the church for being anemic, lethargic and irrelevant, perhaps we should blame ourselves" (Dr. Keith Krell,1 Samuel).

Once we return to God, He will then attend to the honor of His name. Public education and universities will again focus on the principal component of education: incorporating the character of the Father into our children, thus creating an exceptional and virtuous people. Test scores in education will soar for, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7).

Once gospel righteousness is restored to the public square, virtue will suddenly come to the forefront at City Hall. America will again bring forth outstanding men and women of character, produced by a Christian culture, Christian thought and biblical wisdom. As Charles Spurgeon said, "He who is taught of God has a practical wisdom such as malice cannot supply to the crafty; while harmless as a dove he also exhibits more than a serpent's wisdom."

We simply need a Gideon or Rahab to stand.

David Lane is the founder of American Renewal Project.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW from CHARISMA: Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit and hear God speak to you? Increase your faith, discover freedom, and draw near to God! Click Here

Exclusive: Marco Rubio's Detailed Faith Confession to a Pastor's Group - DAVID BRODY/CBN NEWS CHARISMA NEWS

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican running for the 2016 GOP Presidential nomination, shared intimate details of his faith with a group of pastors in Iowa recently, CBN's David Brody reports. (Reuters file photo)

Exclusive: Marco Rubio's Detailed Faith Confession to a Pastor's Group

12/1/2015 DAVID BRODY/CBN NEWS  charisma news

In video obtained exclusively by The Brody File, Marco Rubio provided a stirring and moving explanation of the gospel along with illuminating the significance of Jesus Christ in his life in front of dozens of Iowa pastors during a closed-door meeting in Iowa last week.  It is a MUST WATCH video. 

Rubio is Roman Catholic but he and his family also attend (from time to time) Christ Fellowship, a non-denominational evangelical church in the Miami area. "I didn't learn about the Catholic Church until I went to a non-Catholic church (Christ Fellowship) and became infused in the Bible and became infused in the written word of God and then, and only then did the liturgy of the church start even making sense," Rubio told the pastors. "I am fully, theologically and doctrinally aligned with the Roman Catholic Church and we attend it. But we retain our relationship with Christ fellowship and I'll tell you why: because they preach from the same Bible."

As for presenting the gospel, he didn't hold back and thoroughly enjoyed talking about Jesus. "Imagine the fear of knowing you're about to be scourged, nailed to a cross, hung naked, humiliated, spit upon, rejected by your friends," Rubio told the pastors. "There is nothing that we will ever face that He did not face times infinite amount. To me, that is the personal relationship. It's a personal relationship with a God that knows anything we faced because He faced it more than we are able going to be able to face it." 

He continues: "It (your faith) has to be infused by the Holy Spirit because the gift of the Holy Spirit is transformative... it's not just about having a relationship with Jesus, it's about allowing the Spirit to infuse you, to completely control you and guide you."

Rubio uses Peter's life as an example of being infused with the Holy Spirit. "Peter was s deeply flawed man, impulsive, angry, given to judgment. God turned his weakness into his strength. Peter saw Jesus walk around and he dove at Him. Lunged at Him because that's how impulsive he was. They came to arrest Jesus in the garden, first thing he  (Peter) did, pulls out the knife and cuts Malchus' ear off. Impulsive. 

But once he was infused in the Spirit, that impulsiveness was used as a tool for God's plan. All the gifts that God had given him that at one time were a liability God turned into strength. And so that's where the Spirit comes to play in our life. We are all gifted with different things, and they could very well be a weakness today, but God can turn that into strength."

The Brody File had exclusive access inside this meeting with pastors in Iowa. He held two private closed sessions, one in Cedar Rapids and one in Des Moines. Between the two meetings, he probably spoke to about one hundred pastors or so. The meeting was arranged by the influential American Renewal Project. Their purpose is to return America to its Judeo-Christian principles and is currently in the process of recruiting hundreds of pastors to run for political office around the country. Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee and Bobby Jindal are some of the presidential candidates that have spoken at their events.

You can watch the video below along with a partial transcription.

Rubio's explanation of the gospel is a thing of beauty and after he was finished, he left pastors in the room thoroughly impressed with not just his head knowledge about the Bible but his heart as well.  He changed some minds after those sessions with pastors. He showed an authentic faith walk and these pastors liked what they saw. Watching this below will not disappoint. This man knows his Bible and theology for sure.

I'll have a complete report on our inside access with Rubio and the pastors this Wednesday on The 700 Club. My story will air nationwide and will also include clips from my one-on-one interview as well. Rubio is really starting to make a concerted outreach to evangelicals and evangelicals are definitely intrigued the more they hear him speak.

There are two versions below. The longer version is first and includes his faith upbringing. The second version is Rubio's gospel presentation only. 

Watch here: Marco Rubio speaking to Iowa Pastors

Mandatory courtesy: CBN News/The Brody File

Longer version complete with Rubio's faith background and the issue of doubting God (You'll need to watch the entire clip to get the full transcription and impact)

Partial Transcription:

Question from evangelical pastor: "You're in a room full of Christians and you mentioned God and you mentioned the King of Kings but tell us about your experience with the Lord Jesus Christ using that name...and also tell us what you'll do to ensure our right to use that name in public."

Marco Rubio: "I've always been interested in theology, even as a child. One of the reasons we left the Mormon Church and went back to Catholicism was at my instigation. I became interested in the theology of the Catholic Church, learned about it as well as a 13 year old can before the Internet, and decided I wanted to go back to it for a lot of different reasons. And yet I still didn't fully understand my faith and I've said this publicly, I think too many Catholics don't fully understand their faith. The result is I didn't learn about the Catholic Church until I went to a non-Catholic church and became infused in the Bible and became infused in the written word of God and then, and only then did the liturgy of the church start even making sense. 

I started to begin to understand the richness of the church and so today I am fully, theologically and doctrinally aligned with the Roman Catholic Church and we attend it. But we retain our relationship with Christ fellowship and I'll tell you why: because they preach from the same Bible."

Marco Rubio: "As far my relationship with Jesus Christ the best way I've been able to describe it to people that are not believers is God became a man, came down to earth and died for our sins. He provided the ultimate sacrifice because up to that point we lived under the law and the law meant that we had to sacrifice an unblemished lamb to cover our sins, not erase them. God was the ultimate sacrifice. It was His own son. In essence, He was willing to do what He didn't ask Abraham to do, almost asked Abraham to do but at the last second spared Abraham that pain. 

God was willing to sacrifice His own son and just imagine how painful that was and He became a man and the reason that He had to become a man was not just the element of becoming a man and dying for our sins as the ultimate Pascal lamb that as a result didn't cover our sins but completely erased them, but also because He's a God that understands us. He has felt everything we've ever felt. He has wept. He wept in pain because a friend that He loved died. He felt compassion for people. He probably had the flu or the cold. He felt pain in his flesh not just on his crucifixion but multiple times throughout His life. He was a human being in every way and yet He was free of sin. 

So, there is nothing that we're going to be asked to do in life that He didn't do himself. One thing is to be a distant God that sits on a throne removed from the everyday suffering of man; another is to be a God-Man who actually lived as we lived, who felt all the pain and all the hurt and all the emotions and everything we've ever felt. Jesus had fear, not fear in an unbiblical way but He knew what was about to happen to him and He prayed that if it was possible could this cup pass? How many times have we made that prayer? And obviously it wasn't facing crucifixion. 

It could be like, 'God, if I could get out of this ticket. I just got pulled over. If you can get me out of this ticket this one time, I won't speed again.' Well, imagine the fear of knowing you're about to be scourged, nailed to a cross, hung naked, humiliated, spit upon, rejected by your friends. There is nothing that we will ever face that He did not face times infinite amount. To me, that is the personal relationship. It's a personal relationship with a God that knows anything we faced because He faced it more than we are able going to be able to face it. 

There is no fear, no emotion, no worry, no anxiety, no obstacle, no adversity that He didn't face before we did, and in fact, much more so. And so that's how you have a personal faith and then it has to be infused by the Holy Spirit because the gift of the Holy Spirit is transformative. Peter was s deeply flawed man, impulsive, angry, given to judgment. God turned his weakness into his strength. Peter saw Jesus walk around and he dove at Him. Lunged at Him because that's how impulsive he was. 

They came to arrest Jesus in the garden, first thing he  (Peter) did, pulls out the knife and cuts Malchus' ear off. Impulsive. But once he was infused in the Spirit, that impulsiveness was used as a tool for God's plan. All the gifts that God had given him that at one time were a liability God turned into strength. And so that's where the Spirit comes to play in our life. We are all gifted with different things, and they could very well be a weakness today, but God can turn that into strength. And so it's not just about having a relationship with Jesus, it's about allowing the Spirit to infuse you, to completely control you and guide you and the end result of all this is what in Catholicism, we have this thing in our liturgy 'peace be with you.'

 A lot of people think 'peace' means like, 'peace' (Rubio throws up the peace sign), like the hippie peace, or peace like no one's shooting at each other, or peace like everything's happy.  That's not peace. True peace is it doesn't matter what's happening. The winds could be swirling and Jesus is asleep on the boat, not worried about a thing, that's peace. The peace is in knowing that two things are going to happen anytime you face adversity: One is God is going to shield you from the adversity; he's going to protect you from it. And the other is God's going to make you go through the adversity, but He's going to give you what you need to get through it. 

And if you honestly believe that, and that's hard to believe. You can't force yourself to believe it. You have to pray for that. That is a gift. That is a fruit of the Spirit. If you honestly believe, if you truly become to have that, then you have this supernatural peace that can only come from the Spirit. I know I've gone too long, now I sound like the preacher so let me close with this, I apologize, but I rarely get to talk about this at campaign events. 

The thing about that peace that's so important is, I honestly believe, it was a major contributor to the growth of the early church. The early church grew in a pagan world, and despite the fact that everyone knew if you become a Christian, they feed you to lions; you know Nero set them on fire like torches. Terrible suffering. And yet people kept joining. 

And I am convinced, this is not necessarily deeply biblical, but I am convinced, you may disagree with me, but I am convinced that one of the things that got so many pagans to become Christians is they looked at the Christians and said: 'What is up with these people? They're being fed to lions and they're singing for joy. They're being led to their death, and they're happy. There's something wrong with these people. I need to find out what's going on with them. 

Why is that they have so much peace because we keep praying to our Gods, and we never have peace. What is it about these people?' And when that peace is true in you, people want to know about you. They're curious what is it about you? What does that person have because I want some of that, and that's how you bring so many people to the faith. It really is."

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Watch here: Marco Rubio - Pastors Gathering in Iowa