Posted on 08/12/2015 4:48:46 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) – It was an unscripted moment like few others on the presidential campaign trail Monday in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Ted Cruz paused for a moment and looked into the audience at a community center for a man who changed his family’s life.
“I was told Pastor Gaylon Wiley was here,” he told the crowd. “I haven’t seen Brother Wiley since I was a kid.”
Then as the room with a thousand people fell silent, Cruz said “Brother Wiley led my dad to the Lord.”
Out in the audience that day was Gaylon Wiley, who now lives in nearby Lebanon, Tennessee.
At most gatherings, Cruz tells the story of his wayward father Rafael who had left the family in Canada in the late 1970s.
“When I was three years old, my father left my mom. We were up in Calgary in the oil business and he came down to Houston and he decided he didn’t want to be married anymore or be a father to his three year-old-son,” said Cruz
But this time as the Texas Senator told the story, it was very personal.
In a slightly halting tone and brushing his eyes, Senator Cruz said “Brother Wiley baptized me at eight years old when I was a Christian, so I am really glad to be here in Tennessee.”
The pastor who helped change the Cruz family nearly four decades ago in Houston, Texas, by baptizing not only the youngster, but the parents as well, was later embraced by the Republican candidate outside the Tennessee community center.
“I had the privilege of talking to Rafeal Cruz in the 1970s in a home just like Ted told it today,” Pastor Wiley later told News 2. “And the Holy Spirit touched him so much he fell out of that chair on his knees and prayed the sinner’s prayer and changed his life and flew back to Canada and got his family back together again.”
And for a few minutes on Monday, the man who baptized the Cruz family caught up with that little kid from all those years ago who is now running for president.
Huh, never hear obama talk about the day he became saved.
Do Muslims say it that way?
And had thirteen bushels of chitlins left over when he was done.
Let me say this to everyone. In an imperfect world and with imperfect candidates, this kind of thing is why as much as I’ll allow myself to, I stand with Ted Cruz.
There are a lot of people, I think including people right here, who are looking for that perfect candidate to turn this country around.
The thing is, I don’t think that candidate exists. And truth be told, as a Christian who believes we’re close to the end, I don’t think ANYONE is going to turn this country around truly. I especially don’t think any man or any human being is going to.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t get behind and stand behind a man who is going to speak the truth, a man who is going to encourage people to look to God for their help, and a man who I believe has a relationship with and a profound faith in Jesus Christ.
That man isn’t Donald Trump. That man could be Mike Huckabee, but I don’t think he’s conservative or constitutional enough. It could be Rick Santorum, but this year he’s not relevant enough.
It’s Ted Cruz.
Everyone saying Donald Trump fights... well there’s more than one way to fight. There’s being wiser than the serpent but as gentle as doves. And there’s fighting with your brain rather than just running head long with full vigor. That has its place and its effectiveness I guess. But if you’re not careful, it might also get your head lopped off, figuratively speaking.
Cruz has been fighting. He’s fought as solicitor general of Texas. He’s fought as a Senator from Texas.
Trump fights when someone fights with him. And he’s fought with Barack Obama over his birth certificate. And yeah, in this cycle, he’s said some good things. Maybe he even sincerely believes them. And I’m not trying to disparage the man. But I just HATE to see people chasing after rhetoric pinning all their hopes on this one man, when I KNOW you’ll be disappointed in doing that. It doesn’t matter if Trump wins the nomination. It doesn’t matter if he wins the presidency. You put too much hope in him, and he WILL let you down.
And you know what? You put TOO much hope in Cruz and he’ll let you down too. He’s only human. But he has a record, he has some wisdom from God, and he has faith in Christ. And he just happens to be the most constitutionally conservative candidate in the field. That’s the bonus- with the record to back it up and not just the newfound rhetoric.
For me, it comes down to this.
Exodus 18:21 “Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the People able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:”
Now that actually spoke of choosing out secondary rulers,leaders and judges over the people of Israel. But that’s what I what- able (competent and ready to go) men, reverers of God, men who tell and respect truth, men who hate those who rob others in this country- Trump has some of that and so do the others. But to me the body of that is in Cruz.
He’s the most constitutional, the most God loving and God revering candidate who has any realistic shot of winning- and any realistic chance of at least restoring some of what TRULY counts in this country- which starts with a respect and a return to God and Godly principles.
Amazing Grace.
Standing ovation for your concise endorsement of Ted Cruz.
For me, something is amiss here.
Cruz is Spanish for Cross — which means he is probably Catholic, even though not practicing at the present time.
When will he talk to Catholics?
As far as I know, Cruz has never been Catholic. I think he was raised Southern Baptist.
Since his father emigrated from Cuba there’s a strong chance of a Catholic background for the family. That doesn’t make Ted Cruz a Catholic, though.
That’s fair, and very true on God elevating and removing leaders.
But at the same time, we can judge one’s fruits, and it’s hard for me PERSONALLY to judge a man with the outward arrogance and the admitted reluctance to come to God through Jesus Christ for forgiveness as the kind of man I spoke of.
But God certainly works on every heart that is in any way open to listening to Him.
What you wrote closely matches my thoughts on the coming national election. Thank you for talking the time to express your thoughts so well.
as a Christian who believes we’re close to the end, I don’t think ANYONE is going to turn this country around truly. I especially don’t think any man or any human being is going to.
Very true. My grandchildren won't have great-grandchildren.
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