WATER OF LIFE

One reviewer of my book said I raised more questions than I answered. I suppose there is some truth to that even in this blog entry. One Christian told me when he first came to Christ he saw everything black and white and rejected anything worldly. He gave the example of being offended by a pastor listening to secular music but that now, years later, he doesn’t see that as a problem. On the other hand, it may be that as we mature as Christians we leave behind (for good) things of the world including man’s wisdom and deceptions. Its only been two years since I rededicated my life to Christ and my blog has been an attempt to show people how God is moving in my life and how He is transforming me week by week into His character and image. So what is God showing me? Im not sure. Am I just going to a necessary extreme and as I mature in Christ? Will I come into a greater balance with worldly things such as personality type? Or is it that God’s plan requires me to surrender that, but that maybe his plan for others doesn’t necessarily require that. 

I’m on my second reading of the Bible, and as I go deeper into His Word, He shows even more through the Holy Spirit and I begin wonder why personality type is needed at all. My stand a year ago was that God can use anything, including type, to glorify Himself and work in our lives. And I still believe that. I came to Christ through a mix of psychology and Christianity but maybe I’m finding out that as I mature I NATURALLY SHED THE WORLDLY PARTS AND JUST FOCUS ON His Word and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, counseling, and teaching. Since His wisdom is limitless at what point would I need to turn back to man’s wisdom? Life is so short, especially now that I am forty, so why would I WANT TO SPEND MY TIME ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN EXPLORING AND GROWING THROUGH His unlimited wisdom and teaching? So why study anything at all? No, I’m just talking about psychology, which cross-cultural communication also falls under because its a categorization of behaviors. I still have a strong longing to explore the richness of other cultures but somehow applying categories and Jungian theory doesn’t seem right anymore. I sense a great deception in psychology and its derivatives. 

Recently, my boss sent me to a training and it turned out to be for the mini-DISC (another personality type system popular for leadership training). Even yesterday I was in a meeting with my bosses and everybody was sharing their DISC type. Coincidentally, after that type training class, I negatively stereotyped someone at work based on what I thought was their type and it created a huge conflict. Not everyone is as stupid as me but it makes me wonder what sort of spirit (of God or of the enemy) personality type introduces. I used to think it was a spirit of appreciation (of differences) but now I think its more of one that clouds our eyes under the guise of opening them—and that is exactly how the enemy works!  I may have abused or misused personality type but am I IN THE MINORITY OR THE MAJORITY? If the majority, then thats a confirmation that its a tool of deception used by the enemy. And its not because of a lack of training or understanding. I took the MBTI qualified practitioner course and passed the test with a score in the upper ninety percent. And I’ve read a stack of books and academic research on personality type. 

My first book, Culture Shock! Hawaii, was a response to feeling I don’t belong in Hawaii. My second book, Where in the World Do I Belong?, was an attempt to answer the question: If I don’t belong any of the places I have been so far, where do I belong in the world? The answer according to my system of culture types was somewhere in northern India or Burma. Of course, I didn’t pack up and go. First, I couldn’t afford it (although that hasn’t stopped me in the past: In my twenties I had no money and went to Japan with a plane ticket and nine hundred dollars in travelers checks—all charged on my credit card). It probably had more to do with having a wife and two kids to support and schooling to consider. Later, I found out it was really about God’s plan to finally bring me back to Him. 

I published Where in the World Do I Belong? in December 2006. A year and a half later my marriage was in shambles. It was at that point, in summer of 2007, I finally found out where I belonged was in a relationship with the Lord. A job or culture that fit my personality type wouldn’t end my wandering or lead to satisfaction and fulfillment. What I had been seeking wasn’t in the world—it was in Him. This is a blog I wrote about my turning point:

http://www.wateroflife.me/?page_id=100
Also, a few comments from others:
http://www.wateroflife.me/?p=101

My third book, Discovering the Water of Life (published November 2008), answered the question posed in my first two books of ‘where do I belong?’ For the last two years, every week I have been going to church, minichurch, and meeting with an accountability partner. This year I am working through my second reading of the Bible. Through all of this I have written many blogs trying to explain God’s transformation of me and what He has shown me along the way. A few months ago, during consideration of a topic for my next book, I felt God had shown me that Jungian psychology was a deception for me. Here is my blog about that:

http://www.wateroflife.me/?p=191

Now I am at the point where I am wondering how to make a living. It may be that God is leading me away from publishing books, but to still continue writing through blogging. I am also a part-time computer teacher at an Army youth center and it may be that God is leading me somewhere in that direction. Recently, someone commented in our minichurch that the Bible doesn’t tell us specific things (like whether we should put our child in a private Christian school or not). Instead we are to take a step of faith—having faith that He will show us along the way whether it’s the right or wrong direction.

A few months ago I set up a website to start offering publisher services to authors. This week I did a revision of the first and only book I have published for someone else. I got to tell you the process did not feel blessed by His power. Yet, at work I was asked to make three marketing flyers using Microsoft Publisher. That process was anointed. I felt the end result was no less than God’s hand upon me, because the end product was more than the sum of my experience and abilities. I felt He led me to do and add things I hadn’t thought of myself. (Additionally, I have never used Microsoft Publisher before but I have been using Adobe InDesign to publish my books for the last three years.)

I guess God’s started to grow a sensitivity in me to know when I’m doing something solely on my self power versus something He has anointed with His power. His anointing is one way we can discover His will for our lives. Once you’ve discovered His will don’t make the mistake of projecting out or second guessing His ultimate plan for your life. Where you’re at may be a season in your life (e.g. a season of preparation) and where He’s got you headed might be a different direction.

Our pastor said he didn’t want to lose his travel benefits when he left an airline job to go into ministry but now he travels more than he would’ve with his airline benefits. When I first applied for jobs on the base I had applied for a driver job because I enjoyed being a pizza delivery driver when I was in college. Of course that’s not where God ended up opening the door, but in my current job I was given responsibility for maintaining our school vans which involves driving several hours a month.

So why do I need a personality type system to guide me when I have the Lord’s perfect plan and wisdom? Sure I don’t have the security of knowing God’s ultimate destination for me but I do have the security of knowing that He will lead me each day if I just trust in Him.

A few muslim children are being allowed to worship in a private room at the Army youth center where I teach. I talked to my bosses and they emailed their boss about my concern that muslim worship shouldn’t be allowed in our center. I even talked to one of parents (of a child attending the center) about it. But then I felt God was showing me that this wasn’t the battle he wanted me to undertake. Not every need is a calling and not every sin is a call to take action. Also, while listening to the sermon this weekend I realized that I’m on fire for God but I have to make sure my fire is expressed according to His will, otherwise I will end up like Aaron’s sons and be burned up for offering a kind of fire God didn’t call for (Lev 10:1-7). For example, God doesn’t want me to “point a condemning finger but instead to love the person while hating the sin”.

Additionally, what He has showed me is that it this a sin that goes all the way to the top of our government and culture. Americans think they can play the politically correct game of accommodating all religions just like the Babylonians (600 B.C.) in the Bible (who also accepted all Gods), and who were also used by God to conquer and punish Israel for its own worship of other Gods. (The Babylonians judgement was reserved for later when they were conquered by the Persians.)

Israel’s period of grace ended and they faced judgement. Some Christian leaders believe the U.S. is in a period of grace, which means we are sinning (just like the Israelites) but still have time to repent before God’s judgment falls on our country. We could also be like Babylon and God is, at this time, using us to punish Iraq (which is, ironically, the territory of ancient Babylon) and Afghanistan. And our judgement is being withheld—according to His timing—but certainly looming somewhere around the corner.

I’ve heard a lot of arguments from Christians about how Obama can’t be a Christian because he accommodates homosexuals and abortion (both of which are clearly stated in the Bible as sins) but why are no Christians concerned about our accommodating multiple religions—just like the Babylonians or even the Israelites did during several points in their history? How can American Christians be so focused on the sins of the President and small groups (like homosexuals and pro-choicers) and so blind to the sins of our country as a whole?

In the Bible there is the case of Sodom and Gormorrah, cities that God destroyed for their sexual immorality (which included homosexuality and is the origin of the word sodomy). God also had the Israelites destroy all the people living in Canaan because of sexual immorality and false God worship. I don’t recall any incidents of God destroying cities or countries because of mass murderers. But there are MANY, MANY more acts of God’s judgment on individuals, groups, and whole countries (including Israel) for worshipping other gods.

God makes it clear throughout the Bible—especially the Old Testament—that we shall have no other Gods besides HIM. It’s the first of the ten commandments so it must be the most important. Furthermore, it’s not only our accomodating other religions, it’s making our own idols (wealth, prestige, and power) and pseudo-religions (such as psychology). As we address the issues, such as abortion and homosexuals, let’s make sure that as Christians we also address the sins of worshipping and accommodating false gods in our country and in our lives.

My new book, Discovering the Water of Life, is available on Amazon — just in time for Christmas;)

Here is the book description:

One man steps into a victorious life in Christ and experiences a transformation and renewal through baptism of the Holy Spirit. He describes God’s inner work, Christian dream interpretation, and God’s refining fire.

This book includes his observations on spiritual gifts, and comparisons of Christianity, personality type (Myers-Briggs), and culture types. It also contains inspiring articles on faith and revival in Hawaii and other countries.

“The water of life is the Holy Spirit in our lives. One of the reasons I moved to Hawaii is that the ocean is a spiritual experience or spiritually renewing for me. The water of life is not a physical drink—it’s spiritual—something that fills our spirit; heals our soul and body; and flows out of our heart to those around us.”