It is the hot topic at the moment so I had to take a stab at it. What about Kanye West? I love the fact that he seems to have genuinely found salvation, truly given his life to Christ, truly resolved to become a follower of Christ, and truly committed His life to this cause which many of us have found to have completely altered the course of our lives.
I have watched videos, listened to music, and watched his actions over the last few weeks to see if this is real and I do think it is. I do think the man has discovered his purpose in life and I do think God waited to make him famous then alter the course of his life, through a long and winding road so as to bring glory back to his name. I do believe that God is using him to show the world that He is fully in control of all creation.
Having said that, there are two things to consider when it comes to celebrity salvations. One, God can save anyone He wants and two, celebrity salvation is not a ticket to celebrity pastoring.
God can save anyone. The same God who used the lives of Shardach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel to reveal Himself to king Nebuchadnezzar is the same God that is now revealing Himself to celebrities like Kanye West. The God who apprehended the Apostle Paul and turned his life around is this same God. The God who revealed Himself to Roman emperor Constantine, causing him to convert to Christianity and cause the religion to prosper is the same God that has now encountered and transformed the life of Kanye West.
While we get surprised when these things happen, it is no surprise to God. He knows how He ordains the steps of each man and woman and He defined and designed the course of our lives BEFORE we were formed in our mothers’ wombs. I am excited and elated whenever a celebrity gets saved since they have influence and influence drags a bunch of new souls into the Kingdom of God. It’s what I live for and therefore I am giving glory to God for it.
I actually prayed last week for Hollywood, LA, and celebrities in general. When God saves one of them, thousands more are yanked from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God. Kanye West has done that. With his Sunday Service, he’s drawing people that otherwise would never go to church into a place of engaging in worship and drawing near to God. I hope and pray that he succeeds. On the contrary…
Celebrity Salvation is not a Ticket to Celebrity Pastoring. Kanye West should not become an instant pastor. He is an influencer, not a pastor. He should not be driven by this tide to think that God has called him to pastor a church. It is one thing to be an influential voice in people’s lives and direct them to Christ and a whole other thing to pastor a church. One is every believer’s calling, the other is for a select few. Not special few, select few.
In the Old Testament, all Israelites were called to live a life that glorified God yet only the Levites were to serve as priests. I would recommend that Kanye stick to making music, giving money to building a church, raising his kids in the same light, influencing his celebrity friends to follow the same path, evangelizing whenever and wherever he can. I would discourage him from pastoring a church unless the Lord has called him to do so.
We want a bonafide move of God in Hollywood and we want it to come from the influential voices in Hollywood. At the same time, we want it to be a true, bonafide move of God that leads to true converts who can be built up in the faith through local churches and families. If Kanye can help build churches in Hollywood then I think his mission is accomplished. He has the money, the influence, and now the right conviction.
Let us ask God that more celebrities will follow the same path. Los Angeles means City of Angels. Let the angels of heaven reign again in LA!
Nelson Masinde 