Why Paula White is Totally Wrong

On her website, charismatic evangelist Paula White writes, “Passover blessings have begun, don’t miss out on yours!”Paula’s ex-husband is also among the famed in charismatic TV, and both of them often make headlines in the news.  This is a consistent annoyance to me because her ex-husband has the same name as I do—Randy White.  When searching for Randy White on the web, make sure you read the orthodox, conservative, Biblical work of Randy White from Katy, TX, and not that of the charismatic, feel-good, divorcee who calls himself “Bishop” Randy White from Tampa, Florida.With that side note out of the way, let’s get back to Paula.  On her website, Paula White states that “When you honor God during Passover, He will:·         Assign an angel to you.·         Be an enemy to your enemies.·         Give you prosperity.·         Take sickness away from you.·         Give you a long life.·         Bring increase and inheritance.·         Give a special year of blessing.Supposedly, these seven blessings are taught in Exodus 23.  A thoughtful mind should ask, how does Paula get these blessings from Exodus 23?  The answer is shamefully clear–she uses the “Name it and claim it” system of Biblical interpretation that is often used in charismatic circles.  Here is how this system works—1.       Find a scripture that says something you like.2.       Assume that the instruction is for all people of all time.3.       Claim it as your own and act upon it.Back in Exodus 23, for example, Paula claims that God will assign an angel to you.   Here is the “Name it and claim it” system at work—1.       Exodus 23:20 says, “Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. “2.       Paula assumes that this is a universal instruction for all time.3.       Paula claims it on behalf of her followers.Sounds good, right?  Wrong!  The problem is that Exodus 23:20 was written to a specific people going to a specific place.  It is not available to all who think it sounds good and would like to claim it as their own.Paula then goes on to do what so many “Name it and claim it” preachers do—she interprets the means through which one may become a partaker of the blessing.  Not surprisingly, it turns out that she wants her followers to “honor God with a sacrificial Passover/Easter Offering.”  Disregard the fact that the Bible never teaches anything about a financial offering for Passover (let alone Easter), she has created a means of obedience to “Scripture” that will surely bring the obedient one into the seven blessings which she made up using proof texts in a name-it-claim-it fashion.Now, for my real feelings: this misuse and abuse of the Bible is the work of wolves preying on sheep.  Even an elementary Bible student would have a better means of Biblical interpretation.  Further, the consistent robbery of Jewish feasts for Christian purposes has an anti-semitic root.  Christians who feel the need to take from the Jews that which God has given to them are shameful.  The Passover is clearly a Jewish ordinance with deeply Jewish meaning.  I will not be instituting a Christian Passover, and my Jewish friends will probably not be instituting a Jewish Lord’s Supper.   Christians can certainly enjoy the blessing of seeing and understanding the significance of the Passover.   I was personally blessed by celebrating the Jewish Passover in a Jewish home in a Jewish manner this year.  The Feast of Tabernacles has an invitation to gentiles, and the gentile can be blessed by it.  The Feast of Passover can be a blessing for the gentile if it is a fellowship opportunity with Jewish friends.  Yet, the fact remains, Christians should not rob the Jews of Jewish feasts.THERE IS NO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAT A CHRISTIAN SHOULD DO TO GAIN PHYSICAL BLESSING.  Paul specifically condemns the keeping of certain festival days.   Christians should not adopt that which the Bible condemns, especially by robbing these festiva