WARNING!! THIS BLOG WILL HAVE LINKS THAT CONTAIN EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
How many times do you hear Christians say that? Now I do not have a problem that in and of itself. If we look at the Psalms, we can see the various psalmists ‘keeping it real’ with their struggles, their pain, their frustration with the prosperity of the wicked and the many questions they have with God in their minds.
However what I do have a problem with is when people like Tonex (pictured below), write blogs like this and other blogs on his MySpace page WARNING!! THESE BLOGS CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE.
For those who dont know who Tonex is, he is a grammy nominated, multi awarded ‘gospel’ artist (even though he says he is not a gospel artist but just an artist). From what I understand, he has been through quite a lot like abuse, a divorce and having no money for example. Last year, he wrote a song called ‘The Naked truth’. You can view some of the unsavoury lyrics here. Now admittedly, he did apologise for his outburst after the Naked Truth but what happened between then and now is anybodys guess.
Now if I am honest, a lot of what he is saying is true but at the same time, a lot of it is not and very irresponsible. What I find even more disturbing is
1. This person was a Pastor
2. How many people including christians have written comments celebrating his ‘realness’.
Me, my friend and I am sure others have written a comment on his blog trying to make him see the error of his ways and I have asked him to examine himself to see if he in the faith (2 Cor 13:5) but he has chosen not to approve those comments for publication. I would be able to swallow this better, if he didnt insist that he and God are ‘tight’, if he didnt try to justify everything and if he didnt have a ‘I dont care what anybody thinks’ attitude.
I listened to a podcast interview that Tonex had with Tim Dillinger on his gay ‘christian’ radio station. He now says that Carlton Pearson is his mentor. Carlton is a heretic who preaches the gospel of inclusion which Tonex agrees with. His other mentor is Yvette Flunder who is a lesbian bishop.
Based on everything he has been saying lately and on the podcast as well and lining it up to scripture, I have every right to question his salvation and pray that he will have a correct understanding of the gospel as he has shown that he does not and is self-deceived.
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)
He previously released an album called Oak Park 92105 with a ‘parental advisory explicit lyrics’ sticker on it. As someone mentioned on another blog, there are ways of addressing important issues without using such vulgar language e.g Cross Movement - Catch 22
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Col 4:6)
Experience, good or bad should NEVER be our primary guide in life, as Tonex seems to be doing listening to various interviews, but it should be scripture and scripture alone. Scripture determines experience and not the other way around.
Lets pray for him, yes, but lets not celebrate his ‘honesty’ as many seem to be doing
Related post
“Keeping it real” is possible without cussing up a Force 5 storm. There are folks who may push the boundary [Mark Driscoll comes to mind at times...], but I’m sorry, Mr. Tonex went waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too far. He needs to repent and apologise to his readers
I caught a teaching recently from Tye Tribbett that was talking about the same thing as far as “keeping it real”.
It’s pretty sad, but the verse that comes to my mind is Matthew 7:14 —
“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord, ” is going to heaven!
Yep Justin. After listening to him doing more interviews, I have come to the conclusion that he is not saved and he needs to repent and be around people who know sound doctrine. Tonex seems to be making it up as he goes along and going with his feelings as a guide
I read Tonex’s blog “The Road Less Travelled” and I was put off by it at first mostly because of the vulgar language. As I kept reading, I remembered this time last year I rededicated my life to Christ.
Although I had been washed clean by the blood of Jesus and given complete forgiveness by God because I accepted Christ, I still had issues to deal with. I cursed so badly I would probably make you AND Tonex blush, I regularly drank alcohol, I lived in sin with a man who was not my husband, and I had a serious anger problem.
As I continued to read my Bible and fellowship with other believer’s, I was encouraged to ask the Lord to deliver me from that junk; I was encouraged to repent of my sins, to forgive me, to cleanse me, and to help me not to commit the sins again. I was encouraged to find scriptures that addressed the issues I was dealing with and stand on those scriptures by faith. I am not perfect, but I am striving toward perfection as the Apostle Paul stated (Phillipians 3:10-14).
I don’t condone Tonex’s use of vulgar, explicit language and strong sexual references at all. When I looked past the language and all the rest, I saw someone who needs to do the same thing I did. Accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord is a journey not a destination. It is also a process.
Sometimes it is the small decisions in life that promotes growth in our lives as Christians. I see Tonex as someone who is profoundly honest, although his method of expression is unsavory. I see him as someone who needs 1 Corinthians 13 shown to him by mature Christians, he needs spiritual mentorship, and he definitely needs prayer.
Tonex is a well-known recording artist and he should be much more responsible with how he conducts himself in every area of his life. Even so, we need to be careful as Christians to love people where they are and to help them grow in their walk with the Lord. Instead of bashing Tonex, (someone you nor I personally knows and has no personal interaction with on a regular basis), lets speak the truth in love so that we win people to Christ, not continually repel them from Christ.
Thanks telltheworld1 for your contribution on my blog. I agree totally with what you have said and as I stated, I have written to him and told him the truth in love as you stated. Not to push him further down than he is already as he obviously has issues. However the bible does state that we should know a person by their fruits and we do not always have to know a person personally because out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. You only have to listen to his interview with Tim Dillinger and his interview at http://www.thespiritofhiphop.com/index.php?spirit=interviews (not sure how long it will stay up there) and he is WAAAAAY off the mark. The fact is the truth will offend and for some it will repel them from Christ because they suppress the truth in unrighteousness
i remember getting really grieved and frustrated by tonex when i found out about him during the summer. seems like things are only getting worse.
The most unfortunate part of this matter is that the commenter’s are young and perishing because of “lack of knowledge”. And we all are partially accountable for this condition. With as many people in this nation alone, that profess christendom ( I can’t even say C********y) that take pride in the knowledge that they have the favor, giftings, and the spirit, of the LORD that they claim to love and that loves them unconditionally, there is no way that the devil should be winning the battles (we true believers know that he has lost the war) that are being handed to him in today’s society.
God is not pleased. Just think about it, His so-called followers are bringing shame to His name while we concern ourselves with all of the nonsensical issues that we find ourselves involved in. Who is there to teach the truth? Who is there to lead by example? Who is there that believes you should fear the Lord? Who are their role models? Who is raising them? Have we forgotten that they are our future?
The future looks extremely bleak. I speak in terms of this and future generations.
It is so spooky to me, my friend, I could cry, for real. I am serious we need to practice being intercessors, our children are targeted by an enemy that we have allowed to creep in while we were unaware (doing our thing). Is that not the “mantra of the day”?
We have got to pray, and let the Truth of God’s Word be told.
Peace
I was only able to listen to the first half of the interview (I couldn’t take any more of ersatz Tonéx’s after he talked about GOD and in the same breath used profane language). I understand that some things on the BET interview were taken out of context and that’s enough to anger anyone; no one wants to be played for a fool. Point is the producers of that interview did what they did and he’s making himself look worse. His “trying to be surreptitious and leave things to the imagination” made him appear corrupt and inappropriate. I completely agree with telltheworld1 (btw its crazy how much alike our spiritual struggles are!!!), he’s needs to be put back on the right track. I just hope he finds someone to help him do it before GOD decides to break him down and build him up all over again.
I am shocked that this is happening with Tonex. I feel we need to really pray for him. I was hurt by the church and know how he feels. I can see why he would start believing other doctrines because he’s hurt by the church.