C.J. Sinclair's Blog

What Is It About September?

There is something about September that I don't quite understand.

I used to think that the strange feeling of anxiety combined with excitement that I would get at the beginning of a new school year had something to do with it.

After all, a new school year meant a lot of uncertainty in the face of new faces, new courses and of course totally new challenges buried in the uncompromising newness of it all.

I cannot say that I was ever a fun of school. I would be lying otherwise--I always thought of it as legalised torture.

But those days are gone--so why the strange feeling?

Could this unshakable feeling also be partly blamed on the fact that the world remembers one of the most catastrophic tragedies to hit the northern hemisphere during the onset of this month?

I might be over thinking it, but I cannot help but wonder at the anxiety and I may as well venture to add, fear and terror that this month appears to dispel.

The fact that ten years down the road, there are once again rumours of war in the same region does not particularly help me with this most ungodly dislike for this month.

Obviously, this is beyond a taste thing and I even doubt it is bias on my part.

Whatever the reason, I find myself in the same spot where I started.


I Bid You Shalom,


Jacqueline


P.S. I find that in my self-absorbed analysis of this month, I forgot about one great reason for September this year--and that is Rosh Hashanah. As one focuses on God's dominion, all these other issues seem like dust in comparison. With that in mind, have a truly Happy Rosh Hashanah:)!.

And Jesus Increased In Wisdom...

An amazing thing happened to me today.

I have been asking God a lot of questions lately about a particular matter that is on my mind.

So as you can imagine, it came as a pleasant surprise to have received what I believe was my answer.

Today when having my breakfast, I felt the Spirit prompt me to leave my breakfast and open my Bible to Proverbs 4:5 (KJV)--"Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth".

While I was still pondering that amazing answer to my prayers, I turned on the TV and lo and behold Bishop T.D. Jakes was saying, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man"--Luke 2:52 (KJV).

I refuse to believe that these incidents just happened by chance.

I guess one can say that the age-old reference to Solomon's wealth (and might I add elevation in the eyes of man) were a direct result of God's favour and the divine wisdom he sought from God.

The verdict is in, promotion happens when we seek God's favour and godly wisdom.


I Bid You Shalom,


Jacqueline

Role vs. Purpose

I heard something yesterday that caught my attention.

Up until yesterday, I had never really thought of the inherent difference between a role in life versus one's purpose in life.

I guess when stated the way I have done above, it does not seem that complicated at all. It does appear to be rather obvious that there is indeed a difference between a role versus one's purpose.

I think like many (at least I believe), we often times assume that because someone is very good at a role that they play in life that that has to be a fulfillment of their purpose in life.

But from what I heard yesterday, it is quite possible for one to be very good at a role that has absolutely nothing to do with one's purpose.

We are apparently born with a purpose in us and it basically dies with us. That is why it is possible to move from one role to another without necessarily living out one's purpose.

If that was not life altering information already, the next point amazed me even more.

Given what this implies, we should not get too attached to the roles we play in life because the fulfillment we seek is not in the roles but rather in our purpose.

This might even explain why a top achiever can suddenly start to feel dissatisfied with a seemingly successful career.

The truth of the matter is one's identity lies in one's purpose.

Simply Amazing!


I Bid You Shalom,


Jacqueline

The Bible

Most of my life, I was what you would call a nominal christian and at times I even contemplated atheism.

After hearing an atheist admit that he had read the Bible before, I realised at that moment what a fraud I truly was.

Here I was walking around with this imaginary title above my head and yet I had never read the Bible.

It frightened and embarrassed me to think that my "foe" probably knew more about the Bible than I did.

I do seriously believe that you should take steps to learn more about your "foe" and the thought that mine was ahead of me left me restless.

I therefore took it upon myself to challenge myself to engage in a long-term personal Bible study.

Having listened to numerous sermons, I had an idea or two of what to expect plus I had the added adventure of having done a rather thorough study of some of the famous Bible stories such as Joseph's and Noah under a distinguished Jewish Professor of literature. Under this professor, I had learnt about certain hidden biblical codes in the stories and numbers employed in the Bible.

With that knowledge at hand, my inquisitive nature was on high alert.

None of that prepared me for what I have been exposed to in over a year now.

I have come to see the Judeo-Christian God from a completely different perspective.

Some of the criticisms I have heard about the Judeo-Christian God are clearly coming from people (who like me in the past) have and/or had never read the Bible.

It is unbelievable what I have come across.

I mean the secular world might as well be accused of plagiarising God's ideas.

*I have come to see that He is a Financier, He is an Economist, He is a Relationship Expert, He is a Therapist, He is a Nutritionist, He is a Feminist, He is an Animal Activist, He is an Environmentalist, He is a defender of Social Justice such as Human Rights, Children's Rights, the causes related to the Oppressed, He even gives provision for Asylum for those falsely accused of murder, He cares about the plights of immigrants,widows and orphans, the blind, and victims of sexual abuse. He even dictates codes of conduct during war, and last but not least, we owe Him numerous Nobel Prizes in the Sciences, specifically those related to infectious diseases.

Did I even mention that He explains the best way to get rid of mold from a home?

That is just a tiny bit of my continued eye-opening experience as I try to get to know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for myself.

I spent too long listening to other people's opinions of Him and it is quite liberating to finally get to know the real Him through His own Love Letter to me.

I guess that is what I deserved for listening to people's opinions of Him as opposed to discovering Him for myself.

Simply put, He is Extraordinaire in all He does and that is that (even that word seems to be lacking when describing Him).


I Bid You Shalom,


Jacqueline


*P.S. Turn to Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy for clarification on the good stuff.

Bittersweet Experience

While going through my usual evening routine, I picked a seemingly radiant mango.

I bit into it and quickly spat it out.

The mango was rotten.

I rushed to the sink to rinse my mouth in the hopes of ridding it of the bitter aftertaste.

I honestly wanted to eat a mango that evening so when I looked at the fruit tray and saw that there was one more left, I seriously contemplated having another one.

But all of a sudden it did not look like a great idea because the two mangoes had been lying right next to each other and I was starting to get a little paranoid about the possibility that they were both equally rotten. .

A second glance in the direction of the mango and I was hooked.

I took the risk and I have to admit that it was well worth it.

If you think about this, the same could be said about life and some of the experiences we go through.

How many times have we erroneously judged people based on past experiences or worse still questioned our abilities as a result of negative reports that we have received in the past?

Life deals us blows, but we cannot let a few negative experiences destroy the beautiful experiences that are waiting on us.

The next time you feel challenged by negative thoughts, take courage and take a huge bite out of the numerous beautiful possibilities that await.


I Bid You Shalom,


Jacqueline

More Inspiration

I was watching the telly two days ago when I got some amazing words of wisdom from Pastor Rob Koke.

It just so happened that as the interview was coming to an end he addressed two devastating deaths that struck his family within a two-week period.

Up until then, he had beautifully been presenting the Gospel as it should be viewed and that is in the light of the Grace and Mercy that God affords us in spite of what we truly deserve.

When he addressed the sad devastation that struck his family, I honestly could understand the passion and drive he has for the message of Grace that is the Gospel. I certainly also got the impression that his personal tragedy had in a away invigorated him towards his purpose of winning over lost souls.

What struck me the most was his answer to--Where were you God and Why Me?

His answer to that question was very inspiring in that it had been passed down to him from someone who had also gone through a devastating death in his family.

If I could paraphrase his answer, it would be--when faced with such a tragedy, do not make the mistake of substituting what you do know for what you do not understand.

I doubt I have ever heard an answer to that question that is so simple and yet so true and strangely comforting.

I know for a fact that I will never forget his advice.



I Bid You Shalom,


Jacqueline

Old Inspiration

I have a daily devotional that was originally published by The Religious Tract Society in London, England in 1852.

It surprises me every time I read it because though the English is very King James-like, one cannot refute the fact that at the most fundamental level we are very much still the same.

You see, right under the verse of the day, the author made it a point to insert a sweet short prayer or sometimes commentary.

It is during one of my readings that I came across one of those mini commentaries that struck a code with me.

The verse of the day was from James 1:27.

If I can paraphrase that verse, it simply states that we are to visit (and take care of) orphans and widows, and to avoid getting contaminated by the ways of the world.

I know that it may seem like nothing special to some people, but this is what struck me:

" The poor are always with us here;
'Tis our great Father's plan,
That mutual wants and mutual care
Should bind us man to man' "

Is that an amazing insight or what?

To be honest with you, I have never regarded any type of devastation, whether poverty or otherwise in such a strangely beautiful way. I might have thought about it in that way deep down in my subconscious, but I cannot say that for sure.

I do know that whenever tragedy strikes, it amazes me how people try to consciously engage in unity and appreciation of each other.

Regardless of the reasoning, when I read that mini commentary, I could not help but think that it was definitely inspired by God. I honestly doubt that I have ever read anything like it.


I Bid You Shalom From My Dramatic Self,


Jacqueline

Doing Good As A Ticket To Heaven????

I cannot seem to come up with the right emotions to describe my thoughts towards a recent well-circulated utterance on the so-called apparent correlation between good works and earning salvation.

I quite frankly find myself both amused and troubled at the lack of regard for the obvious arguments presented against good works in relation to the subject of earning God's salvation.

I am not a theologian, but I find that the wording in Romans 3:20-28 is more than enough to clarify any possible misunderstanding on this subject matter. Also Romans 4:2-5 delves further into the matter.

To state that good works are in effect a ticket to salvation or as I understood a ticket to Heaven is to say the least, rather misguided, given the obvious mention to the contrary in the New Testament.

I think that this is both bizarre and interesting and in a way one could even say that it is a sign of the times and I guess the rise of a culture of misinformation and manipulation of the masses.

Regardless of what it may or may not imply, I think that above all, this is a reminder to all of us that when in doubt, seek your own information from a reliable source.

In this case, I would strongly suggest the Bible.


I Bid You Shalom,


Jacqueline

IDOLS

I don't know about you, but for the most part, when I think about idols, I find referencing them in terms of Bible times. So it was a eureka moment for me when I came across Leviticus 19:4 and Leviticus 26:1.

Up until I read those verses for myself, I did not realise just how well God defined to us just exactly what He meant by idols.

To be honest, I could not help but feel surprised at just how simple the definition of an idol is and by that I mean that even a child would understand exactly what God meant.

I also could not help but wonder at just how much compromising have I engaged in as far as this issue is concerned.

I am certain that many of us in the world today view the topic as something you find in history books.

Could it be that because of this nonsensical view of the matter we are actually worse off than the people who first received the warning from God?

It is no secret that ignorance can lead one down a destructive path and I think that by labelling the topic of idols as antiquated, we have gone down such a pathway.

Our obsession with our titles, money, fame at all costs and the rise of superficiality from a very early age seem to point to this fact.

Would those not equate to idols, given the passion with which they are sought after and the centrality that they play in the lives of those who seek them?

You might say that the two verses in Leviticus were a a real slap on my face.

They simply brought to light what I did not want to admit and that is that it is far more easier to fall into the trap of idols than I and many believe is possible.

The truth is idols don't even have to be the obvious examples I just presented, it could even be something as seemingly innocent like a relationship that means the world to you. The concept that you might die if it ended is not just melodramatic, it is a sign of "worshiping" that individual.

To put it simply, God should be at the centre of it all. Anytime something starts to usurp His authority in one's life, that is your warning sign.


I Bid You Shalom,


Jacqueline

Be Ye Transformed

Yesterday, following my sarcastic ramblings, I found myself confronted with Romans 12:2.

While it might have been a spiritual intervention to the manner with which I addressed the topic at hand, I found myself inspired down a completely different thought path.

Now this could have had something to do with what I was watching, but I cannot say that for a fact.

You see my mind seemed to be hovering around the "Be Ye Transformed" part of the verse. Before I knew it, I was starting to think about that part of the verse in reference to the discussion on the TV about the metamorphosis of a butterfly.

I like to think of certain circumstances we face in life as a sort of cocoon phase in which we get to be set apart from everyone else, and God gets to work His magic into our lives as He gently prods us on our way to a complete transformation.

Like the experience of drastic change, I imagine that the cocoon stage is at once exciting and scary, but once one makes it through that stage, the transformation breeds both strength and character.

It is key therefore to understand that the cocoon stage is only for a season. We should never assume that it marks the finale.

So be ye transformed and take it in good stride.


I Bid You Shalom,



Jacqueline