Renovation of Christian Hosoi's heart: #HISstory

My nephews are getting my son amped on skateboarding.  Why not stoke this fire with one of my childhood heroes - Christsian Hosoi!  I love this story of the Fall, Redemption, and Restoration of a living legend.

Root Causes of Porn Addiction

Many of us have delved into pornography. For some of us, curiosity turned into bondage that led to many other fruits. What is the root cause of pornography use/abuse? It's deception and a type of idolatry that must be exposed.

Got Secrets?

Bottom Line Up Front:  Believers, if you have secrets, you are not free.  I can't think of a single secret that is worth keeping in exchange for the freedom that comes when secrets are exposed.

So, think of something that is true of you, but NOBODY knows.  Then ask yourself, "Why haven't I told anybody about this?"

Chances are you are AFRAID people will think differently of you.  You live in fear.

Question: What's the problem with having secrets?

First off, secrets are an illusion because God knows all things so the truth is we simply fear men more than God.  We fear created things over the creator.  The first problem is deception.

Secondly, keeping secrets makes it impossible to be loved by God.  Because we begin to rationalize, "If anybody really knew me they wouldn't love me." That is equivalent to saying God cannot love me through these people.  Therefore, you keep yourself from being loved by controlling the information about you.  You are afraid of rejection so you live a lie - as if that was a better option.  The second problem is still deception.

Lastly, secrets keep us in bondage to fear.  Every day we live in secret, we keep on the shackles of Fear, which dominates our minds and actions.  When your spouse says, "can we talk?" you begin to shudder.  "Does she know!?" "Why does she want to talk?!"  These are just a few collateral effects of a secret life.  Again, self-deception keeps us preoccupied with events that haven't even occurred.

Take a second to think of how many people actually know you?  And to be 99.99% known is NOT to be known.  The people that know you know 100% of the things you were keeping, not necessarily what you ate for breakfast 2 weeks ago.  If we're giving away most of us, but holding back a part of our broken past or shameful hurts and regrets, we remain unknown.  Does  your spouse know  you?  If not, put all other types of pleasure on hold, because you will NEVER experience the physical/emotional benefits of marriage as it was intended to be experienced if you bring secrets into the equation. 

Here's another collateral effect of the secret life?  The ENEMY is all over you and in your mind.  He uses your secrets to keep you down and perpetuate the guilt and shame that already binds you.  It constantly plays over and over: "Don't let anybody know what you did.  They won't love you.  Your job will be on the line.  Your spouse will NOT forgive you.  They can't handle the truth."  And on and on the garbage repeats in your head.  That's bad news!

Here's the Good News!  Jesus Christ died, was buried, rose on the third day conquering sin and death so we wouldn't have to live in FEAR, guilt, shame or keep secrets.  He rose again so we could walk in Freedom.  He conquered sin and death so we could go bravely in to Battle knowing he has won the War!

Personally, I didn't know how to live until I was set free from the bondage of Fear that was keeping me in a secret world.  When God shed light on that darkness, I saw my  need for a Savior, went bravely into battle and exposed all my secrets in one night to my wife.  Past and present.  Everything was put on the table and it was the most liberating experience in my 20+ years of being a Christian.  I had never experienced that freedom before and it was addicting.

Freedom is as addictive as bondage.  Free people can't help but start telling the world of the freedom they experienced.  Sadly, people who have been set free can be viewed and treated in one of three ways: 
1) A Savior
2) A Traitor
3) A Lunatic

I gained and lost a lot of friends when I chose to live free.  Some people see it as a threat and they stray because they want to remain in secret.  Others were drawn towards my transparency and vulnerability because they were sick and tired of living a life deception.

All in all, we don't pursue freedom from secrets, per se.  We pursue Christ. Freedom is the byproduct of that endeavor.

Make no mistake about it.  God wants you and I to walk in freedom.  This freedom is made possible by grace through Faith in Jesus Christ. 

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1)

"The Struggle" by Tenth Avenue North

Tenth avenue is a band that knows Spiritual Warfare.  I struggled for years and kept telling myself, "I gotta try harder!  Why do I keep doing what I don't want to do and why am I not doing what I want to do!?"  Does that sound familiar?  If not in your own head, it was exactly the thoughts of the Apostle Paul in Romans 7.  After a closer reading of that passage, I learned that the sin struggle was directly linked to SIN, who was in my FLESH and committing the sin.  Now that I know the source of the sin struggle, it can be targeted at the root.  Enjoy.

"The Struggle" Lyrics

There's a wreckage, there's a fire 

There's a weakness in my love 

There's a hunger I can't control Lord, 

I falter and I fall down 

Then I hold on to chains You broke 

When You came and saved my soul. 

Save my soul

Hallelujah We are free to struggle 

We're not struggling to be free 

Your blood bought 

and makes us children Children, 

drop your chains and sing

So, why, Lord, do I still fail, 

Do I wear thin? 

Why do I still give in to temptation? 

On my own, I am bankrupt, 

I don't trust You or take 

You at Your word 

What You've promised, yeah.

Hallelujah We are free to struggle 

We're not struggling to be free 

Your blood bought and makes us children 

Children, drop your chains and sing

Hallelujah, Death is overcome 

and we are breathing Hallelujah, 

Our stone hearts become flesh that's beating 

Hallelujah, Chains have been undone and we are singing 

Hallelujah, The fire has begun. Can you feel it?

Hallelujah, Death is overcome and we are breathing 

Hallelujah, Our stone hearts become flesh that's beating 

Hallelujah, Chains have been undone and we are singing 

Hallelujah, The fire has begun. Oh, can you feel it?

Hallelujah We are free to struggle 

We're not struggling to be free 

Your blood bought and makes us children 

Children, drop your chains and sing (Ooh's)

"Mediator" by Ghost Ship

I had a chance to sit down today with my friend and fellow Gospelizer, Andrew. We talked about songs/bands that have recently inspired us. We both agreed that "Mediator" by Ghost Ship was definitely towards the top of our list. First off, this song is based off Scripture- 1 Timothy 2:5:

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,

What stood out to me first was the phrase "He found the captives - Broke the bondage of our chains."  This reminded me of how gracious and patient was/is with me.  Of how many years I willingly chose bondage to Fear, which was rooted in deception and idolatry.  When I think of Jesus setting me free and breaking the bondage of my chains (in Sanctification/Phase 2), I think of the men that God brought in my life to "do life with" and how a Gospel community of transparency and vulnerability became a conduit of God's love, grace, mercy and peace towards me, which led me to repentance.  Whenever I hear a lyrics dealing with chains falling off, it sends me into gratitude for HIS love, HIS grace and HIS mercy that was shown to me through others who were submitted to a life of pleasing the Father...  enjoy and be blessed!

"Mediator" (Lyrics)

He takes our place and stands in front of God on high
He speaks on our behalf since we don't have the right
He pleads before the God who judges hearts of men
Our mediator served the sentence for our sin

There is only one God
There is only one mediator
Standing between God and man
He's the only way to salvation
He found the captives
Broke the bondage of our chains

We have redemption through the price that He has paid
He gave his life to purchase freedom from the fall
Our mediator was the ransom for us all

The man Jesus Christ
Who gave us His life
The man Jesus Christ
The last sacrifice
The eternal Son
He was, He is, He is to come
Messiah has come
He was, He is, He is to come

The true Son of Man
He was, He is now on His throne
The atonement Lamb