"I have my issues with Jesus," West began during the interview, which lasted for over an hour. "There's a lot of stuff I went through, and I prayed, and I ain't see Jesus show up."

https://www.christianpost.com/news/kanye-west-says-he-has-issues-with-jesus-im-god.html

Countless Christians worldwide think quietly like Kayne West recently said about Jesus, God, and himself. I can see the silent agreement and nods permeate the atmosphere. Issues with Jesus and Jesus don't come through.

I give people a lot of grace when it comes to communication. You have to say something repeatedly for me to assume you know what you are saying. And sometimes, once if you are articulate and brass. The quote above I give Mr. West room to explain. Maybe he is frustrated like many Christians get when they find out Jesus is Lord and they are not, which leads to the second quote from Mr. West that I don't give a pass.

'Cause I'm God," he said when asked about his success in the music industry and how he hasn't "disappeared." "And anyone who wants to disagree, I'm the God of me. You can't tell me who I am. I can't tell y'all. I could tell y'all. It's your job to listen. I'm the God of me. I don't know if I'm in heaven already." – Kayne West.

Mr. West seems to have revoked Jesus from being Lord in his life and has returned like a dog to his vomit, thinking he is god, at least thinking he is god over himself. And that is the quiet part out loud. I have no bone to pick with Mr. West; he has never been part of my world. But I hear and see what he said in the Christian world all the time, just not out loud. I do think Mr. West had an authentic encounter with Jesus. Mr. West has suffered a common Christian failure found in 1 Timothy 3. A new convert should not be given a place of leadership because of their wealth, place in society, talent, or communication skills. A time of discipleship in humility is required lest one falls into the same condemnation as the devil.

Another common Christian failure is not counting the cost, as Jesus told people before they could follow Him. But, of course, the cost of following Jesus has been reduced to repetitious prayer by the unfaithful managers behind the pulpits of the all-too-common casual Christian church. The unfaithful ask the sinners, instead of telling them how much they owe, and then say to pay a reduced price to get into heaven. The unfaithful do this to have someplace to go when Jesus takes away their candlestick. Read Luke 16.

The cost Jesus spoke of is the full surrender of one's life, which is the renunciation of sin and self-governing, handing our kingship and lordship to Jesus. We must lose our life to find it. And we must hate our life to follow Jesus to qualify for eternal life. There is no other way, life, or truth.

But full surrender doesn't bring the wealthy and the powerful to a church where money and status can be exchanged. A message of the benefits of fitting Jesus into your everyday schedule through a few minutes of wisdom each morning is what people are willing to buy into. However, blessed are the poor in spirit because we need an eternal Savior who will watch over us and direct us to bear good fruit for the kingdom to experience victory over every evil that comes to take our lives.

In John 6:26, it is written that Jesus said the masses don't follow Him because of the signs that show that He has eternal life but because he gave them food. I have a newsletter sometime this year, God willing, entitled The Capitalization on Jesus and the Socialization of the church.

It is a complete surrender to follow Jesus into eternal life. Adam and Eve were the first two people who decided they wanted to be their own Lord and God. They ate of the forbidden fruit; their eyes were open to decide for themselves what is evil and what is good. It has all been downhill from there.

We are not wise enough to decide what is good and evil. Even the most knowledgeable of humanity is not able to make that distinguishment. Only God knows what is best for society and each individual. We were created to need a God. We were created to need a Lord. We are not on our own, nor can we be our own. We were created as an open vessel to be filled with whatever we agreed—free will to choose between life and death. But we don't know the difference between life and death, so we need a God to tell us the difference. Choose life.

For Christians, Jesus is the true vine, and we are the branches. Jesus is the true vine for the lost, but the lost are separated unto death until an eternal decision is made to take up their cross and follow Jesus as Lord.

If we are Lord, Jesus is not. Jesus will not share His Lordship with anyone. No one is worthy enough to share in His Lordship. We have all fallen short of the glory of God and have nothing to give to make up for it.

The quiet part that many Christians don't say aloud but is loud to those who have chosen to give Jesus complete control of our life is, Jesus, manage my resurrection and eternal life, but I can't count on you for day-to-day decisions. When I die, you can be my God, but until then, I'm the god of me!

If you think this way and your life proves that you have not submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, then you are on your way to being lost unless you surrender your life in its entirety to Jesus as Lord.

To believe is to trust God knows best if, how, and when to answer a prayer request. Mr. West is right that prayers are not some magic formula where God answers with a woot; there it is! God often answers prayers by giving us the wisdom and courage to do what needs to be done according to His will. God will even answer more than we ask or think but it is according to the power in us. The power is in His spirit and our willingness to carry out His plan and will.

We do not summon the Holy Spirit as some familiar spirit or if He is our servant. God hears our cries and feels our pain but does not have to respond according to our demands. We have this backwards. When God calls us by name, we come running at once and say here I am, Lord, to do your will. Your kingdom come and not mine. Your will be done and not my will.

There are prayers that God has not answered with intentionality. Prayers that were the most important to me but were chaff to Him, broken limbs that need to be cast into the fire because they were destructive to me and my future service to Him. And God cuts off dead limbs and the sucker branches of a tree that weighs us down. He also trims back leafy branches that look good but offer no fruit. And He prunes the good branches with little fruit to prepare for greater fruit in the next season.

I hope you aren't thinking like Mr. West that you are your god and can create your little heaven on earth. Look at your track record; it isn't that great, even for the most decorated person in this world. For those who claim Jesus as their Savior, He is also our Lord. We were bought with a price and do not belong to ourselves. We were slaves to sin, but through the blood of Jesus, we are now slaves to righteousness if we agree to submit. Only Jesus gives His slaves the freedom to choose their will, but it will cost you. If not eternal life, then eternal rewards. Being a bondservant of Jesus is much better than being a free agent to do our own will as we please.

If Jesus hasn't shown up for you in your plight, sickness, or requests, seek God as to His will for your life. Maybe there is a resurrection of a dream, but you need to be dead for four days before it is realized. Perhaps you don't know what you are asking, like the disciples, because your request also has a cup of suffering you aren't ready to receive. Maybe you are new to the faith like Mr. West, and your requests are carnal, and if God answered them, it would be to your demise.

The last word, we can't crawl out on a limb and expect to pick the right fruit when we don't have the Spirit of God to discern between good and evil. Read the word of God; it can separate the soul and spirit, bone and marrow, and the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Mr. West said it out loud. But God hears the groanings of the heart.