Former Spiritual Advisor to Trump Talks Entering God’s Presence
GOD’S TABERNACLE
When Paula was 18, she became a Christian. One of the first things she wanted to experience was the presence of God. Her Bible study led her to the Old Testament tabernacle in when God said, “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you” (NIV).
She began a pathway to God’s presence, a journey she continues to pursue to this day. As she studied the Scriptures, she discovered that God had a divine purpose in how He designed the Old Testament tabernacle that wasn’t just relevant to Moses and the Children of Israel. In fact, the tabernacle revealed a pattern into the very presence of God.
“The symbolism and meaning of the tabernacle held tremendous importance to God, and if it’s important to God, it should be important to us as well,” reveals Paula. God spent sixty chapters of the Bible detailing the tabernacle.
TABERNACLE’S DESIGN
Many of the elements of the tabernacle echo that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we are beings of spirit with souls and bodies. There are three main parts to the tabernacle:
• We have a body, which is represented by the Outer Court. The pathway to the Holy of Holies begins in the Outer Court where a bronze altar was at the entrance of the tabernacle. This is where sacrificial animals were killed and offered to God. The altar represents Christ’s sacrificial death on our behalf. There are four provisions through Jesus’ death on the cross: (1) forgiveness of sins; (2) Jesus took away our sins; (3) He broke the evil that once enslaved us; and (4) He offered his whole body as the sacrifice. In order to progress towards His presence, we must give ourselves to Him completely each day as a living sacrifice.
• We have a soul, which is represented by the Inner Court/Holy Place. As we move from the Outer Court into the Holy Place the first piece of furniture is the Table of Showbread which represents the human will which is often in conflict with the will of God. Jesus had to obey and lay down His will; we have to do the same.
God needs to be able to trust us to submit our mind, will and emotions to Him. The Holy Place is about our response to God – our submitted will. The gateway to His presence begins with the showbread of our will. The showbread was made from the finest flour. It took a tremendous amount of hard work and energy to refine the flour. Just as we submit ourselves to God the refinement process can be difficult at times, but God is always with us.
Paula shares, “I went through 39 different and extremely challenging life events that affected finances, health, and family. These were big things that make me question whether I would love again, laugh again, or even live again.” Despite those difficult times, Paula trusted God, spent time with Him, and He comforted and sustained her.
• We have a spirit, which is represented by the Holy of Holies. In the Holy of Holies our spirit relates to God, which allows us to participate in the three activities of the Spirit – worship, fellowship, and revelation. One piece of furniture in the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant, the box in which God revealed His presence, and the lid or mercy seat on top of the Ark. Before Jesus came to live in our hearts, His presence dwelled or resided on the Ark, and the Ark was the centerpiece of a portable temple that the Children of Israel moved as they traveled. The mercy seat on top of the Ark represents Christ’s atonement - the mercy seat. The importance of this piece can be seen throughout scripture as it is referenced 185 times in the Old Testament.
THE PRESENCE OF GOD
God wants us to “clear a path” in our lives to make ready for His presence by removing sin and unforgiveness. He longs to tabernacle (to dwell, rest or live in) with us. In summary, the Outer Court is where we learn to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, the Holy Place is where we submit our will, intellect and emotions to God, and the Holy of Holies is where we discover His mercy. Ultimately, the pathway to His presence starts and ends with Jesus.
The world is a troubled place these days, but our answer to this chaos is the same as it’s always been – the presence of God. His presence, through the Holy Spirit, is our greatest resource. Paula shares, “In God’s presence, we are changed. Our minds are renewed. Our bodies are healed. Our spirits are refreshed. There’s no fear in His presence, no lack, no accusations. Nothing else matters when you’re in God’s presence. He heals us, sets us free, and connects with us.”
PAULA’S BIO
Paula’s world was thrown into a tailspin when her father committed suicide. The tragedy turned her family upside down, and her childhood was marred by sexual and physical abuse. But at the age of 18, Paula was introduced to the Bible, and gave her life to God. She received a vision that she was to preach the gospel of Christ around the world.
Paula began ministering in the inner cities of Washington, DC, in the late ’80s; by the early ’90s, she served in post-riot Los Angeles, sharing Jesus with children whose neighborhoods had been hardest hit by violence.
She went on to lead multiple mega-churches, including one of the largest churches in America, and she founded Paula White Ministries, a global media ministry that has touched the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Her ministries have provided hundreds-of-thousands of pounds of food to the needy in the United States and tens-of-millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance to the needy around the world.
She is a recipient of countless awards and honors including the Rosa Parks Award, the Trumpet Award, and the Florida Governor’s award for her service in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shootings in 2016.
Paula delivered the invocations of note for the ceremony commemorating 40th anniversary of the tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 2008. That same year, she was a presenter at Maya Angelou’s 80th birthday celebration.
Last year, she served as Spiritual Advisor to former President Trump.
