ADVERTISEMENT
Faithfully Magazine
  • News
    • All
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • World
    Salvador Ramos, identified as the gunman who killed 19 students and teachers Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas May 24, 2022

    ‘It’s Time to Die,’ Uvalde Shooter Salvador Ramos Told Schoolchildren Before Opening Fire

    Reverend Mark Hatcher

    Philadelphia Pastor Accused of Child Rape Deemed ‘Danger to the Community’

    Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, New York

    Overtly White Supremacist Ideology Is Being Sanitized and Mainstreamed

    David Wenwei Chou

    FBI Probes Attack on Taiwanese American Churchgoers in California as Hate Crime

  • Clippings
    Pastor John B. Lowe II

    Pastor Admits to ‘Adultery’ With 16-Year-Old Congregant During Church Confrontation

    Dr. John Cheng, 52, was fatally shot by David Chou

    Dr. John Cheng Hailed as Hero for Stopping Laguna Woods Church Gunman

    The May 13, 2022, funeral procession of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh in Jerusalem

    Israeli Police Attack Christian Journalist’s Funeral Procession, Beat Mourners

    cellphone

    Nigerian Student Beaten to Death, Set on Fire for Critical WhatsApp Post of Prophet Muhammad

  • Features
    Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, New York

    Overtly White Supremacist Ideology Is Being Sanitized and Mainstreamed

    children in a classroom getting education

    On Race and Schools, Here’s What Americans Agree and Disagree On

    Kelly Neidert UNT

    ‘The Most Hated Conservative College Student in the State’: How a Texas Student Embroiled Her Campus in a Culture War

    Stop Asian Hate sign

    ‘We Are Being Hunted’ — Asian Americans Say They Are More Scared Now Than Ever

  • Inspiration
    • All
    • Bible
    • First-Person Essay
    • Poetry
    Everything Everywhere All At Once. (A24 Films)

    ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ & the Absurdity of Love as Resistance

    God Speaks Through Wombs: Poems on God's Unexpected Coming

    The Gospels Give Birth to Poetry (‘God Speaks Through Wombs’ Excerpt)

    two women talk

    100 Proverbs That Teach Us How to Speak, Listen, and Respectfully Disagree

    Rapper J Cole and a hanging tree

    J. Cole’s ‘Javari,’ the Cross, and the Lynching Tree

  • Members
  • About Us
    • Staff and Advisors
    • Write for Us
    • Advertise With Us
SUBSCRIBE
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • All
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • World
    Salvador Ramos, identified as the gunman who killed 19 students and teachers Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas May 24, 2022

    ‘It’s Time to Die,’ Uvalde Shooter Salvador Ramos Told Schoolchildren Before Opening Fire

    Reverend Mark Hatcher

    Philadelphia Pastor Accused of Child Rape Deemed ‘Danger to the Community’

    Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, New York

    Overtly White Supremacist Ideology Is Being Sanitized and Mainstreamed

    David Wenwei Chou

    FBI Probes Attack on Taiwanese American Churchgoers in California as Hate Crime

  • Clippings
    Pastor John B. Lowe II

    Pastor Admits to ‘Adultery’ With 16-Year-Old Congregant During Church Confrontation

    Dr. John Cheng, 52, was fatally shot by David Chou

    Dr. John Cheng Hailed as Hero for Stopping Laguna Woods Church Gunman

    The May 13, 2022, funeral procession of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh in Jerusalem

    Israeli Police Attack Christian Journalist’s Funeral Procession, Beat Mourners

    cellphone

    Nigerian Student Beaten to Death, Set on Fire for Critical WhatsApp Post of Prophet Muhammad

  • Features
    Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, New York

    Overtly White Supremacist Ideology Is Being Sanitized and Mainstreamed

    children in a classroom getting education

    On Race and Schools, Here’s What Americans Agree and Disagree On

    Kelly Neidert UNT

    ‘The Most Hated Conservative College Student in the State’: How a Texas Student Embroiled Her Campus in a Culture War

    Stop Asian Hate sign

    ‘We Are Being Hunted’ — Asian Americans Say They Are More Scared Now Than Ever

  • Inspiration
    • All
    • Bible
    • First-Person Essay
    • Poetry
    Everything Everywhere All At Once. (A24 Films)

    ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ & the Absurdity of Love as Resistance

    God Speaks Through Wombs: Poems on God's Unexpected Coming

    The Gospels Give Birth to Poetry (‘God Speaks Through Wombs’ Excerpt)

    two women talk

    100 Proverbs That Teach Us How to Speak, Listen, and Respectfully Disagree

    Rapper J Cole and a hanging tree

    J. Cole’s ‘Javari,’ the Cross, and the Lynching Tree

  • Members
  • About Us
    • Staff and Advisors
    • Write for Us
    • Advertise With Us
No Result
View All Result
Faithfully Magazine
No Result
View All Result

DMX Reveals Pleading With God to Change His Life in ‘First-Ever’ Sermon

Nicola A. Menzie by Nicola A. Menzie
April 13, 2021
in Features, Music, Spotlight, Unwind
Reading Time: 5 mins read
0
DMX Earl Simmons

DMX in a 2001 file photo. (Photo: Mika-photography, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on RedditShare on LinkedInEmail This
572
SHARES
ShareTweetPin It

The late rapper DMX, born Earl Simmons, preached his first sermon after being ordained as a deacon and told his audience that he pleaded with God to end his struggle with drugs, a previously unreleased video published online reveals.

In the video of his 40-minute sermon from the lectern of an unidentified church, DMX informs his audience that God gives second chances. He then recounts pleading with God at a low point in his life.

Mosaic Coffee

“I can remember times…sitting in the dope spot,” the rapper begins, his trademark raspy voice sounding on the verge of tears. “And in the middle of getting high…it felt like, ‘God, I don’t want this. I don’t want this! Please, please, Lord. Please, take this out of my life!”

RELATED STORIES

SiriusXM Broadens Christian Appeal With Addition of Holy Culture Radio and KevOnStage Show

‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ & the Absurdity of Love as Resistance

“I didn’t have the physical strength to get up and do it right there, but He heard me. He heard me! He heard me, because each time it got less and less… Each time I enjoyed it less. Each time I was able to build up enough strength to recognize [that I was being my own enemy],” the rapper added.

He admitted that he would sometimes intentionally place himself in situations that could lead to drug use. “The first thing I had to do was stop lying to myself,” he said from the pulpit.

DMX (whose stage name stands for “Dark Man X”) went on to say that he didn’t enjoy getting high, as it would lead to paranoia and harmful behavior.

“When you think about it with a sane mind you see [there] ain’t no joy in that,” he said. “That’s my dumb self, doing the same dumb things I did [and] expecting a different result. That don’t even make sense.”

People have to reprogram themselves to get out of these harmful patterns, the rapper added. “Being born-again, that’s the first step,” he said. “The second step is to stay in that Word.”

It’s not fully clear what the theme of DMX’s sermon was. The video published April 5 to YouTube by popular website Vlad TV is labeled “DMX” Power of Resurrection, The First Sermon.

The description of this newly released video reads:

“Recently, the news was reported that DMX was in the ICU, in critical condition following a heart attack he had. Many have been sending love and prayers X’s way, due to the spiritual nature that the legendary emcee possesses, which mirrors that of a pastor. Naturally, it made sense for DMX to delve into the space delivering the word, and now his first sermon has been unveiled.

“The footage, which was recorded in 2015, was provided by DMX’s spiritual advisor Big Prophet and finds the emcee going to church where he was called to the stage to speak. This was the rapper’s first time ever delivering a sermon to a room full of people. DMX and Big Prophet planned on releasing the video Easter Sunday, before X’s heart attack went down. It was noted that on the day of X’s heart attack, the rapper said he was turning 50, and that it was time to make a change….”

Hulu

The rapper, reportedly ordained as a deacon by Morning Star church in Arizona, would go on to preach again from another pulpit. He expressed over the years that he desired to be a pastor.

DMX, whose debut album was 1998’s “It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot,” sold more than 74 million albums throughout his career. He also became “the first artist to release two chart-topping albums in the same year.” His albums routinely featured prayers, or conversations with God, and gospel songs.

A Complicated Faith

Though he never achieved pastoral ordination, DMX’s fans embraced his spiritual counsel, as well as his authenticity and transparency about his life and struggles.

From an early age, DMX was in and out of jail numerous times. In his song “Slippin,'” the rapper reveals that he was neglected by his mother, abandoned by his father, abused, and walked through much of his life with a huge chip on his shoulder—which often led to reckless and illegal behavior.

DMX revealed in November 2020 that his addiction—which he called a “curse”—started when he was deceived into smoking crack at the age of 14 by someone he admired. As an adult, he entered rehab on several occasions in an attempt to achieve sobriety.

At some point in his journey, the rapper had a spiritual conversion that led him to believe in Jesus Christ.

After his release from jail for tax fraud in 2019, one of his first public appearances involved him preaching to fans. As was a common theme for him, the rapper suggested to the audience that he was being hounded by the devil. He said the adversary only bothers those who are threats because they are special to God. He went on to quote Philippians 4:13—”I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

DMX, who often called himself “a child of God,” never recovered from his April 2 heart attack.

On April 9, after being in a vegetative state for several days, the Yonkers, New York artist and actor known for his trademark bark was declared dead. There were reports that the “Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood” rapper’s condition had been preceded by drug use. However, his manager and family members have not confirmed those reports.

“Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him. Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever,” DMX’s family said in a statement.

In addition to his iconic legacy as a rap artist, DMX will also be remembered for the ways in which he expressed his faith in God.

It was almost a year ago that he invited his 3.1 million Instagram followers to a virtual Bible study.

“God is giving you the time,” he told the thousands who tuned in. He referenced how the pandemic put a halt to business as usual. “He’s giving you the time to get closer to Him, to become familiar with Him. At the end of the day, at the beginning of the day, it’s going to be God’s will. If you try to understand why He does what He does, you’re just going to end up with a headache. Just do the right thing.”

During the Bible study, DMX read from the Book of Ecclesiastes and invited viewers to commit their lives to Jesus Christ.

“God had his hand on me since before the womb. I didn’t know what that meant until I read the Bible… Like, this [expletive] is going to do this. He’s going to make this happen; he’s going to touch this person. I am God’s child,” he reportedly told a fan in 2019.

As God’s child, DMX believed his work as a recording artist was about more than material success.

“I don’t want sales, I want souls,” he reportedly told music journalist Smokey Fontaine decades ago in their first meeting. Fontaine co-authored DMX’s 2002 memoir, E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX.

Related articles on the rapper’s career and complicated life:

  • “DMX was a rap juggernaut who preached faith and resilience”
  • “DMX, a Profound Vessel for Pain.”
  • “The Telling of DMX’s Story” (audio)
  • “More 2 A Song: The Legacy of DMX”

Leave your vote

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

Browse and manage your votes from your Member Profile Page

What's Your Reaction?

  • AngryAngry
    0
    Angry
  • CuteCute
    0
    Cute
  • CryCry
    0
    Cry
  • LOLLOL
    0
    LOL
  • LoveLove
    0
    Love
  • OMGOMG
    0
    OMG

REPRINT REQUESTS | MEMBERSHIPS | GIVE



Share This Post

Share via

Share This Post

  • Digg
  • Tumblr
  • Flipboard
  • SMS
More
  • Report
572
SHARES
ShareTweetPin It
Nicola A. Menzie

Nicola A. Menzie

Nicola A. Menzie is Managing Editor of Faithfully Magazine. Nicola is a religion reporter in NYC whose bylines have appeared on the websites of the Religion News Service, The Christian Post, CBS News and Vibe magazine. You can find her on Twitter @namenzie. Email: nicola.menzie (at) faithfullymagazine.com.

Related Posts

Kirk Franklin and KevOnStage

SiriusXM Broadens Christian Appeal With Addition of Holy Culture Radio and KevOnStage Show

Everything Everywhere All At Once. (A24 Films)

‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ & the Absurdity of Love as Resistance

‘Lent With the African Saints’ Author on Deeper Roots of Christianity for Black Americans

Lecrae’s Label Drops Gawvi Amid Allegations He Sent Women Explicit Photos

Upcoming Live Events

There are no upcoming Events at this time.

Recently Published

  • Pastor Admits to ‘Adultery’ With 16-Year-Old Congregant During Church Confrontation
  • ‘It’s Time to Die,’ Uvalde Shooter Salvador Ramos Told Schoolchildren Before Opening Fire
  • Philadelphia Pastor Accused of Child Rape Deemed ‘Danger to the Community’
  • Overtly White Supremacist Ideology Is Being Sanitized and Mainstreamed
  • Dr. John Cheng Hailed as Hero for Stopping Laguna Woods Church Gunman
Mosaic Coffee
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Newsletter

© 2022 Faithfully Media LLC, owner and operator. All rights reserved. This site participates in the Amazon Associates program, and other affiliate programs, and may earn a commission from your purchases.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Clippings
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Inspiration
  • Log In
    • Your Profile
Share via

Share This Post

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Copy Link
  • Tumblr
  • Digg
  • Flipboard
  • SMS
close

Log In

Sign In

Login with Facebook
Login with Twitter
Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Back to Login

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Accept

Add to Collection

  • Public collection title

  • Private collection title

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Send this to a friend