Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio has been capturing the hearts of the evangelicals and other voters as pundits marvelled at the poise and intellect he showed during his recent campaign speeches in Iowa, CBN News reported.

No wonder in the latest poll released on Wednesday, Rubio has overtaken Ben Carson at second place, but still 10 points behind frontrunner Donald Trump, Fox News said.

The Quinnipiac University National Poll shows Trump leading with 27 percent of Republican voters. Rubio is at second place with 17 percent while Carson—who was in a virtual tie with Trump in a Quinnipiac poll taken last month—finds his support dropping to 16 percent and is now tied with Texas Senator Ted Cruz at third place.

Rubio's star has been steadily rising since September when he registered a 9 percent support. This jumped to 14 percent last month.

Some pundits believe that among the Republican candidates, only Rubio could beat the expected Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in next November's presidential election.

"I think if I we're the [Republican] nominee, we're going to beat her," Rubio told CBN News. "That's one of the reasons I chose to run for president. I believe, with all due respect, that I give our party the best chance to win this election."

To be able to secure the Republican nomination, Rubio would have to get the crucial vote of the evangelicals in Iowa when the state holds its primary on Feb. 1 next year.

His efforts appear to be paying off. During Thanksgiving week, Rubio met with about 100 pastors in both Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa, where he was able to impress his audience with his intellect and thorough knowledge of the bible.

In a video obtained exclusively by The Brody File, Rubio provided a stirring explanation of the Gospel and the significance of Jesus Christ in his life during a closed-door meeting with the pastors.

Rubio told the pastors that he's "fully, theologically and doctrinally aligned with the Roman Catholic Church ... but we retain our relationship with Christ Fellowship and I'll tell you why: because they preach from the same Bible."

On his personal relationship with Jesus, Rubio said: "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."

He added: "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."

He also brought up the topic of radical Islam. "If you want me to bring it to home, they believe one day the state of Iowa will be governed, or what today is known as the state of Iowa, will be governed by Islamic law as they interpret it," he said.

Rubio also explained what radical Islam really is. "In the case of radical Islam, they are motivated by their interpretation of their faith, which they believe obligates them to kill anyone who does not accept their teachings," he said.

Rubio also talked about the mounting security concerns and the threat to religious liberty in America.

"Religious liberty is not just the right to believe anything you want. Religious liberty is the right to live and exercise your faith in every aspect of your life," he told pastors.