Sunday, November 15, 2015

Triumphant Ted Cruz Rally for Religious Liberty

Officially blown away by a presidential candidate. I attended the Ted Cruz Rally for Religious Liberty yesterday. From the moment he strode onto stage, a few things were apparent. No teleprompter guided him,  and if there were any notes, he never used them. Nonetheless, he spoke for nearly an hour with enthusiasm, a clear love of God and country, passion, and conviction.

Much of the rally centered about everyday heroes who suffered religious persecution here in the land of the free, and refused to give up their right to live their faith. Coach Joe Kennedy, a football coach who is suspended from his job for silently praying on the 50-yard line. Pastor David Welch, whose sermons pertaining to homosexuality were subpoenaed by the Mayor of Houston, which he refused to provide. Angela Hildenbrand, a valedictorian of a Texas high school who was told she could not pray as part of her speech or she would go to jail. Dick and Betty Odgaard who declined to host a same-sex wedding ceremony in a small chapel they owned. (It was later revealed, the couple was already married.) They were forced to close the chapel to pay the thousands of dollars in fines.

Since plenty of position papers are out there regarding specifics on Cruz's excellent, conservative program to save our country, I won't mention those. The rally was not about his platform and policies,  but about what motivates him at the core to champion the cause of  religious freedom.

Three strong core values and beliefs resonated in his speech:
#1 God is supreme, and central in his life.
#2 All natural human rights are inalienable, given to us by our Creator.
#3 The constitution should be the guide for all United States governmental action.
#4 The United States of America is the world's greatest hope on earth for freedom.

With those core convictions guiding him, there is nothing wishy-washy about Ted Cruz. He knows who and what the enemy is. He is clear on how it should be fought. He is also clear that it must be fought, and when we fight, we win. He has a resounding optimism and hope, that we are an exceptional nation, and a people that can be empowered when we follow what is right, noble, and pure; the principles on which our country was founded. While listening enraptured to his speech, I jotted down several quotes.


On Faith:
"The greatest act of love is to share the Bible."
"What kind of country have we become when kneeling in prayer is treated as an act of civil disobedience?"

To the media:
"You'll spend three weeks talking about Cecil the bloody lion killed on safari, but Planned Parenthood selling baby body parts is not news?"
"To my friends in the media, why won't you air the Planned Parenthood Videos?"

Regarding Public Acclaim, to Pastors primarily, but also to all of us:
"If you're preaching the word and no one is dismayed, you might want to go back and see what you are preaching."
"If the world celebrates you -- why would they do unto you what they didn't do unto Jesus?"
"The day the NY Times sings my praises is the day I retire from politics."
"No wonder we have the government we have, when believers stay home and unbelievers are electing our leaders."

On Religious Liberty:
"Destroying a belief in God is fundamental to destroying liberty."
"If we lose our freedom here, in America, where do we go?"

Standing in Faith for Truth:
"When we stand together, the truth is mightier than the lie."
"The greatest trick the devil plays is to convince the world he doesn't exist. The greatest trick the liberals play is to convince us America doesn't share our Judeo- Christian values."

On Marriage:
[When Cruz went on the Stephen Colbert show, he pointed out that he believed marriage is between a man and a woman, and the Supreme Court had no right to change that.]
"Stephen Colbert said, 'But Ted, marriage is found nowhere in the constitution.' To which I said, EXACTLY. Thus it should be left to the states. And forty states, even California, voted that marriage is the union of one man and one woman."
"This is not settled law. It is not legit, and we will fight." 

On Life of the Unborn:
"Life is not a government creation, but a  precious gift of God. Without life there is no liberty, without liberty, there is no pursuit of happiness."
"Since Roe v Wade, 55 million unborn children have lost their lives. Think of all the scientists...poets, doctors...who never got to breathe, who never got to see the sunlight, because of a nation that has created an industry that traffics in the death of little babies and the sale for profit of their body parts."
"Everyone should watch those Planned Parenthood videos, and ask themselves, Are these my values?"
"If I become president, on the first day of office I will instruct the US Department of Justice to conduct an investigation of Planned Parenthood."
 "The government that has the power to take away life has the power to take away anything at all."


Ted Cruz began the three hour rally with a lengthy prayer for the victims of the terrorist rampage in Paris. He concluded the rally with a lengthy prayer for the everyday heroes of faith and liberty, who stand against the tyranny and injustice of a government that seems determined to squelch public expression of faith, or the conviction to follow biblical principles.

Ted Cruz has an audiographic memory. If he hears something once, he can recall it verbatim. He was a prodigy that used to wow audiences reciting the entire constitution by heart. He is also a Harvard Law graduate, and was a national champion debater.

Those skills will serve him well as President who must have a facile grasp of a huge array of facts. A champion debater, he knows how to argue both sides of the coin. Ted Cruz's greatest gift is ultimately, he knows which side of the coin to choose: the one that says In God We Trust.

I left the rally energized, inspired, and hopeful. Maybe America's best days are not behind us. Maybe we can stand firm against a moral decay, and fight not only the evil that threatens from outside our country, but even more importantly, the evil within.

2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.


7 comments:

  1. Thank you so much. Its s settled in my mind. Cruz it is.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Matthew has a $1000 check written out to Ted Cruz - just in case Matthew violates his own self-imposed restriction about cruising the internet before work is finished. It is enough of an incentive to keep him highly focused....

    ReplyDelete
  3. I had my Cruz hoodie on at the grocery store yesterday and this little elderly lady came up and said, "Are you supporting Ted Cruz?" I said, "Yes mam, I most certainly am." She asked me, "Why?" I told her, "Because he is the only one that has proven he can be trusted. He is brilliant, has character and is Conservative and so am I."

    She responded, "I liked him on the debate but I'm afraid he is too Conservative to get the nomination." I told her, "That is because you have been told that so many times you believe it. It is a lie."

    She told me, "I'm 87 and I'm just glad I'm not going to be around for the future." I asked her, "Don't you have grandchildren?" She said, "I have great grandchildren but they don't know there is a better way so they won't know any better."

    What an attitude! The political class has done their job well. They have turned people into dumb sheep that cannot even think about the legacy they are leaving for the future. "Just glad I'm not going to be around for it." What rubbish. I am mad about this attitude and if you have it, slap yourself in the face and get off your lazy butt and do something for your grandchildren!

    I did not let her know it upset me. I told her to take heart and vote. She said she would.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. we get the government we deserve. i pray evangelicals come out in 2016 and vote!

      Delete
  4. I truly appreciate the truth. Lord, help us bring all Christians out to support this believer.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.