Kanye West shares compelling testimony at Lakewood, says 'I'm here in service to God'
Article By Genesis Fordham // EEW Magazine // Faith News
At Lakewood Church Sunday, newly saved rapper Kanye West made it clear that he is on a mission for Jesus Christ and is determined to evangelize the youth of today.
While ministering at the Houston, TX mega church led by popular preacher Joel Osteen, he said, “Every time I stand up, I feel that I’m standing up and drawing a line in the sand and saying, ‘I’m here in service to God, and no weapon formed against me shall prosper.’”
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17,000 people showed up at the 11 a.m. service where a converted West, 42, said he used to believe he had to compromise and serve Satan to experience success. “A lot of times, when you are in service to fame, money, manpower, you start to feel like Satan is the most powerful,” he explained. “And the only way to prosper is in service to fame. You know, it’s like the devil stole all the good producers, the devil stole all the good musicians, all the good artists, all the good designers, all the good business people and said you got to come over and work for me.”
But now, he told the audience, he sees the light, and he declared with a smile, “Jesus has won the victory, because now, now I told you about my arrogance and cockiness already, now the greatest artist that God has ever created is now working for Him.”
It is no secret that the chart-topping lyricist from Chicago once worshiped money, fame, status, women, sex, and power—but no more. After a 2016 mental breakdown, he said he sensed God drawing him, and he had been aware of this divine calling for a while.
“I know that God has been calling me for a long time,” he said. “The devil’s been distracting me for a long time. When I was in my lowest point, God was there with me and sent me visions and [was] inspiring me. I remember sitting in the hospital at UCLA after having a mental breakdown. There’s documentations of me drawing a church.”
These days, that drawing has come to life, as he is ministering inside churches across the nation and testifying of his radical transformation through Christ. While some no doubt come to Sunday Service events to see West because of his celebrity status, he told the Texas congregation Sunday, “The only superstar is Jesus."
West’s Sunday Service, which began in January 2019, includes prayer and live music and has exploded rapidly, just as his brand new gospel music has. His album Jesus Is King debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums charts and Billboard's Hot Christian Songs and Hot Gospel Songs charts, making history.
The entertainer and billionaire fashion mogul recently brought a gospel concert to Texas jails, drawing praise from the state’s Republican Gov. Greg Abbott who said West is “saving one soul at a time.”
Speaking about the experience, West said, he told prisoners that “Jesus can set you free and it’s true.”
He continued, “The more and more this entire country follows Christ and sets the example that we are a Christian country, they are attempting to take prayer out of schools. When you remove the fear and love of God, you create the fear and love of everything else.”
The audience erupted in applause.
“God is not the enemy. God is not the negative part. God is not just the perception of fire and brimstone,” he said. “Keep your eye on the beauty and love and grace of God that allows us to be here today [even] with all of our sins.”
