- Well, Earl Simmons known as rapper DMX

passed away last Friday atthe age, the young age of 50,

following a drug overdose.

Many reported on hismusical accomplishments

and troubled life.

However, he's also a proudChristian who returned to God.

He led some Bible studies including one

with over 14,000 viewers.

He delivered sermons andalways stressed the need

to have wisdom in uncertain times.

One word of wisdom he shared was,

"At the end of the day, atthe beginning of the day,

it's going to be God's will.

If you try to understandwhy He does what He does,

you're just going toend up with a headache.

Just do the right thing."

So Gordon DM-

- It's a good summation ofthe book of Ecclesiastes.

(laughs)

- It is, so DMX, I mean, he openly spoke

about his addiction to crackcocaine, which actually started

at a really young age at the age of 14.

- He was 14.

- Yeah.

- That's when he got hisfirst taste of that drug

and at the age of 50, he went back to it.

- Yeah, so I mean, a lot of us,

I'm sure there are peoplewatching who have loved ones

who they recognize areaddicted to something

whether that's drugs or alcoholor something beyond that.

I mean, what can we doto help those people

in our lives, but not seemlike we're shoving things

down their throat, notto be super aggressive,

but I mean how do we do that in love?

- Well, I think thefirst thing for friends

and relatives is to recognizeco-dependency behaviors

that can go from enabling toyou develop your own problems

because you're around someone

with a serious psychological problem.

And addiction is a very serious disease.

It affects not just theperson who's addicted,

but it affects everyone around them.

- [Woman] Yeah.

- Because they're no longer trustworthy,

they are prone to erraticbehavior patterns.

And that affects everybody around them.

- [Woman] Yeah.

- So, I would say to friends and family,

protect yourself, get educatedon what codependency is.

What are the signs?

What are the behavior patternsof those who are codependent?

- [Woman] Yeah.

- And that's first and foremost,

because if unless you're ina healthy place yourself,

you're not gonna be of any help at all

to the addict.

And get educated on what it means

and what are theramifications of the disease.

- Yeah.

- The second step is the intervention.

And at what point, andthere are multiple points

of intervention where you go and talk

and this is what your disease is doing.

It's doing to you, butit's also doing to us.

And that can break relationships,

but it can also lead to amoment of clarity in the addict,

that, "well I'm harmingthe people that I love

"and I need to stop doing that."

Will it work?

Sometimes it does.

Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn't.

- [Woman] Yeah.

- And what is the moment ofclarity where an addict says,

"I'm really just destroying myself."

- Yeah.

And that that's, I thinkis the bigger question.

I mean, here is DMX,

He was a Christian and I knowseveral, you know, Christians.

- He was a Christian he got free.

- He got free, but then

went back to it- And then went back.

- So the question is I mean,

can you ever break free from addiction?

- Within the addiction community,

within the recovery community,

there needs to be a recognition that

once you've crossed acertain line where you're now

under compulsion to take drugs or alcohol

or whatever it is that you're addicted to,

when it's no longer your will,

but that will has beenovercome by a chemical.

These are things you don't go back from.

Can God heal you?

Yes.

Can he take away the desire?

Yes.

Can he completely rechangeyour body chemistry

and your thought processes?

Yes.

- [Woman] Yeah.

He can do all of that.

- [Woman] Yeah.

Can you go back?

Yes.

And it's one of those thingsyou have to recognize.

I need to stay away.

- Yeah.

- I need to be obedient towhat God is telling me to do.

Don't think, "Well, okay, Ican presume on the grace of God

"that I can go back andhe's going to protect me

"and I can get delivered again."

How many recoveries do youhave is an important question

for anybody in addiction and to realize,

well, run your string out,please, and make certain

that your decision to neverpick up again is your decision.

- Yeah.

- And that's a decision youneed to watch over every day.

- And I think that's awesomeadvice for all of us,

whether, I mean, we're facing addiction

to a substance or not.

I mean, I think of anxiety, you know.

That thought patternof worrying and stuff.

I think this similar advice could be taken

in that aspect as well.

- Well Jesus said that explicitly.

Anyone who sins is a slave to sin.

And so pick one, andwithin the legal community

there's this phrase,larceny got in his blood.

What is it that causes somebodyto be a career criminal,

a career burglar?

It's because they gotaddicted to the thrill of it.

It's no longer them anymore.

They're now under some kind of compulsion.

Anyone who's a serial liar,

they're trying to keepup with their last lie.

So they have to keep lying and keep lying

and it becomes reflexive behavior.

They've become a slave to the lie.

- [Woman] Yeah.

- As opposed to dedicated to the truth.

Anyone caught in sexual temptation.

That's one that canliterally be overwhelming.

- [Woman] Yeah.

- And once you get into a behavior pattern

that you give into that, it'svery difficult to break that.

- Yeah.

- So it applies to every area.

It's unfortunate addictionhas gotten sort of

a special category.

And in some ways it isbecause a chemical is now

invaded your thought process,

and a chemical now hastaken over your brain,

but it's the same for any sin.

And Jesus was quite explicit.

Whoever sins is a slave tosin, but it's wonderful.

He breaks the yoke.

He breaks the chain.

- [Woman] That's right, yeah.

- He breaks that compulsion.

And suddenly instead ofa compulsion for a drug,

instead of a compulsion for sin,

you now have a compulsionfor fellowship with him.

- [Woman] Yeah.

- That becomes your drivingmotivation and driving force.

You can be free.

- And walking in the spirit helps us,

- Absolutely.

- continue that intimacy with him.

- That's good, Romans doctrine.

- That's right.

- (laughs)

- You taught.

- Apostle Paul, straight from Romans.

You know, the law of the fleshis always with a Christian.

So don't, you know,think well he, you know

did he have an authenticconversion experience?

No.

The law of the flesh always with you.

If we say we do not simply lie.

Walk in the spirit, that'sthe way to true freedom.

- [Woman] Yeah.

Well, if you or someone,you know is struggling

with drug addiction, give us a call.

We are always here topray with you and for you.