Paula White Talks God Raising Up Trump, Christian Remnant on Jim Bakker Show
President Donald Trump's spiritual adviser, Florida televangelist Paula White, said she believes that Trump was raised up by God. She also urged Christians to stop hiding in fear even though the world hates them.
The 51-year-old White, who is senior pastor at New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, Florida, and her rockstar husband, Jonathan Cain of Journey, appeared on an episode of "The Jim Bakker Show" Monday.
White, who has maintained a ministerial relationship with Trump for over 16 years and serves as Trump's closest religious adviser, stated during the nearly hour-long segment that America is in "days of transition."
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White seemingly tried to compare Trump's election to the Oval Office with that of the Old Testament's story of Esther, a Jewish orphan who eventually became the queen of Persia and saved the Jews from a plot of genocide.
White said that much like how Esther was not a likely choice to be picked to be the next queen for King Ahasuerus after his queen Vishanti disobeyed his wishes, Trump was not favored by many Americans when he was running for president last year. White stated that many Americans wanted a more experienced politician to take over the nation's highest office.
"[W]e are more impressed with a Saul anointing than a David anointing because we are more impressed with what looks right than what is right. Therefore, we choose things that we think should sound right, should act right. They say about our president, 'Well, he is not presidential.' Thank goodness. Thank goodness. Thank goodness," White said, thankful that Trump does not act like most politicians. "And I mean that will all due respect. Because in other words, he is not a polished politician. In other words, he is authentically — whether people like it or not — has been raised up by God."
"Because God says that He raises up and places all people in places of authority," she continued. "It is God who raises up a king. It is God that sets one down. When you fight against the plan of God, you are fighting against the hand of God."
White continued by explaining that there are "many different reasons" why God might put certain people in places of authority.
"God is doing transition. So He is raising up Esthers who understand that you have been raised up for such a time as this, which means you have the power for such a time as this," she added. "For such a time literally means that you have the ability to strike, to punish, to defeat every demonic foe because you are serving purpose the intention of God."
White later brought out the pen that Trump gave her after he signed an executive order promoting religious liberty and free speech at the White House Rose Garden earlier this year.
Speaking about the right guaranteed by the First Amendment, White contended that Americans were dangerously close to losing their religious freedom before Trump was elected.
"Pastor Jim, people to recognize, they don't realize how much we were on the verge of of losing what we call religious liberties," she said. "But the reality is and I believe — I am going to make bold statement that I have never made publicly — I believe that had God not divinely intervened through the church, through the church praying and through our obedience through an awakening, giving us this moment, this window and if we miss this, I believe the church in America would have been an underground church in five years."
Bakker agreed emphatically.
"Paula, that is what God told me and why I couldn't give it up! How many believe that? We can't give up now, we have come too far!" Bakker said.
White continued by stating even though some people might think she is "crazy" for making such a claim, she went on to state that there is an "enemy" like Haman from the Book of Esther that is out to "abolish and annihilate" God's will and purpose for America.
"You have to understand what was the purpose of America. What was the purpose? Not for us to slaughter babies. ... When our forefathers came over, the purpose was for us not to have a state religion. They took their crosses when they landed at Plymouth and when they walked that beach area and put their white crosses down and dedicated this land and said that it would be a lighthouse for God and send missionaries around the world so that the Gospel will be preached," White explained. "That was the original intention for this particular nation. We must take back our school systems, take back our families, take back our homes, take back our nation."
Considering that a majority of Americans today identify as some form of believer in God, White criticized the American church for "hiding" in fear while an era of secularization has taken control of the public sector.
"We have let five percent dictate to the 95 percent," she stated. "We are so predominantly a nation that loves God. ... We are like the disciples that after Jesus was crucified, we have been beat up on so much in the church that we are hiding behind the doors right now in fear, afraid."
However, White explained that there is a remnant that is rising up.
"We are not afraid. We are coming out bold and declaring that 'I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I am not here to be culturally relevant, I am not here to be politically correct. I am not here for everybody to like me. I am here to the tell the truth. And you want to know the truth?" she asked the crowd. "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is offensive to the world. We are going to offend the world. Jesus offended every system of the world, every system of religion. The only persons we can't offend is each other. .... We are never to expect the world to like us because the world is going to hate you just like they hated Jesus Christ."
According to White, American Christians do not have a "world problem," they have a "church problem." She explained that church is not "peripheral to the world."
"We are not peripheral to the world, the world is peripheral to us. So we are not a victim," she asserted. "We have been letting the world dictate to us and dictate to us and dictate to us. So we have watered the Gospel down so far."
