The senior leader of popular charismatic church Bethel has once again come out in support of Donald Trump.
Pastor Bill Jonhson insists that, upon comparison with the voting record of his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, Trump remains the obvious choice because he has "undeniably accomplished — or attempted to accomplish — a majority of his main campaign promises" during his four years in office.
In an op-ed published at the Christian Post, Pastor Johnson argued that the media has thrown around "out-of-context sound bites" to try and smear Trump as a “racist, misogynist, and xenophobe", but insisted that "the facts show that the policies and actions of the President do not fit the characteristics of what those labels imply".
On the president's attitudes towards faith, Johnson insisted that he has "never seen a president who loved prayer as much as Donald Trump".
"His passion for godly counsel is also legendary," the pastor added, pointing to Trump's support for the state of Israel, which he says "should appeal to believers, as the biblical mandate to pray supportively for Jerusalem is a clear priority in scripture".
Johnson said that he accepted the reality that Christians will hold a range of beliefs crossing the political spectrum, but urged that all believers should "thoughtfully and prayerfully engage in the civic opportunity we are afforded as citizens of this country to use our voice for good".
"We can use our voice to vote for local school board members who serve as gatekeepers of the curriculum being taught to our children," he wrote. "We can vote for fair and honest public servants who uphold justice without partiality, whether it be a County Sheriff, District Attorney, or Judge. We can vote for principled legislators who represent our values when writing, debating, and voting on laws for our state and nation. We can vote for the president who advocates for the policies that most align with our vision for this country."
Johnson, who voted for Trump in 2016, said it was also the responsibility of Christians to pray for all those in high office.
"I will trust the Lord to work through the outcome," he concluded. "At the same time I realize that many people I care for don't see it that way at all. Regardless, my love for God and people remains the same. This is my number one priority. As I did for Clinton, Bush, and Obama, I pray for protection for President Trump and his family, that he would have great wisdom for his near impossible assignment, and that he would always listen to godly counsel.
"I pray that he would increase in favor with God and man. I pray for those who are in fear or uncertainty leading up to this election, that God Himself would give them peace and a hope filled promise. And finally I pray that each of us would have a life of realizing the fulfillment of dreams, with great health and blessing in every area of life."