‘Jesus Is King’ Review: Inspiration From Scripture Shines

“God Is” is one of the most soulful tracks on the album. It really seems like West opens his heart and writes it down on this song so we can see where he is at with his walk in faith with God. Philippians 3:12-14, Psalm 150:6, Leviticus 22:21-22, Malachi 1:8, 1 Peter 1:18-19 and other passages seem to be the inspiration for this heartfelt song. The lyrics read in part:

I can’t keep it to myself
I can’t sit here and be still everybody
I will tell ’til the whole world is healed…
This ain’t ’bout a dead religion
Jesus brought a revolution
All the captives are forgiven
Time to break down all the prisons
Every man, every woman
There is freedom from addiction
Jesus, You have my soul Sunday Service on a roll
All my idols, let ’em go….
Thank You, Jesus, won the fight.

“Hands On” might be the best song the album and should be listened to by every Christian at least once. Why? Because it reflects on the convicting question: Do we pray for those that make decisions to follow Christ, or do we judge them because we know who they were before coming to Jesus?

Kanye makes this point so well and should make us all check our hearts…do we rejoice when people come to Jesus or are we always skeptical because of their past? The song says (emphasis added):

Told the devil that I’m going on a strike,
told the devil when I see him, on sight
I’ve been working for you my whole life,
told the devil that I’m going on a strike,
I’ve been working for you my whole life.

Nothing worse than a hypocrite.
‘Change, he ain’t really different’
He ain’t even try to get permission.
Ask for advice and they dissed him,
said I’m finna do a gospel album.
What have you been hearin’ from the Christians?
They’ll be the first one to judge me,
Make it feel like nobody love me.
They’ll be the first one to judge me,
Feelin’ like nobody love me.

Told people God was my mission.
What have you been hearin’ from the Christians?
They’ll be the first one to judge me.
Make it feel like nobody love me.
Make you feel alone in the dark
And you’ll never see the light from the love of religion.
What have you been hearin’ from the Christians?
Only if they knew what I knew,
I was never new ’til I knew
Of True and living God, Yeshua.
The true and living God (Somebody pray for me)

May we listen to the plea of a new brother in Christ and pray for him. Pray he continues to mature in our Lord Jesus and that the Lord uses Kanye to spreads his great name to the world with the platform he has been given.

“Use This Gospel” is another track that was supposed to be on “Yandhi” but was updated after West found Christ. It is centered around asking God for forgiveness and giving thanks for his many blessings. Themes of Ephesians 6:10-18, James 2:19, Psalm 91:11, Acts 9:3, 2 Corinthians 5:7-8 can be heard throughout the lyrics: “Use this gospel for protection / It’s a hard road to heaven. / We call on Your blessings / In the Father, we put our faith / King of the kingdom. / Our demons are tremblin’ / Holy angels defendin’ / In the Father, we put our faith.”

“Jesus Is Lord” is Philippians 2:10-11 sung as the closing track on the album: “Every knee shall bow / Every tongue confess / Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord / Every knee shall bow / Every tongue confess / Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord.” The song is a fitting end to a solid album from a brother who just found Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Praise God, West believes this now.

Let’s remember that Kanye West isn’t a pastor; he is an artist, made in the image of our God, who called him to himself. May we rejoice in that truth, and pray that West continues to mature in his faith. Pray he leads his wife and his children in Christ well and that he continues to influence his family, demonstrating the truth of Jesus. Pray that he never backs down form an opportunity to proclaim the name of Jesus to his friends and fans in his conversations and his music.