Justin Bieber is making news with his recent Billboard interview, but post-interview was notable as well. The pop star capped off the night at a church service in which his pastor, Judah Smith, preached, "Jesus is God.
The service was held in the ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire hotel. Bieber took a front row seat and with him was a Billboard magazine reporter. The entertainment publication went as far as sharing pieces of the sermon, quoting Smith as he said, "He's the relationship and the friendship you've been craving your whole life. If you believe that with all of your heart, every ounce of your being, I'm going to count to three, and then I'm going to ask you to lift up your hand."
As Bieber conducts a promotional tour for his upcoming album Purpose on November 13, he has been bringing mainstream media on his faith journey.
During his interview, the singer admitted that he did not always understand his faith and questioned his pastor a lot. "I'd come and listen to him and try to hear him out. I had all these questions and things were not adding up. 'Well, why is this, then? How did all those animals fit on Noah's Ark, then?'" he told Billboard, "That's what it's all about – not questioning it."
Bieber and Smith have now built a rapport in which they send each other messages daily. "We text almost daily, and it's not just me sending him Bible verses anymore," said Smith, "He'll send them to me, along with encouraging thoughts or an encouraging emoticon. I'm committed to helping him and protecting him, but it's fair to say we're there for each other."
Just this year during an interview with Complex Magazine, Bieber declared that Jesus is the greatest healer.
Read Bieber's full interview with Billboard here including the reporter's first hand experience.
