Content and Encounter

As 2025 draws to a close, I revisited a draft from earlier this year, marking my progress through studying the second half of the Book of Revelation.

I did the entire book study in 2015, when BSF first made the Chinese version of the study available. It was also a completely new experience for me to rely on the Chinese version of the Bible for my study. Many chapters are challenging due to their visions of conflict and apocalyptic themes, and I found them more challenging to read through both versions of the biblical texts.

After the book of John, the 2024-2025 BSF returned to the book of Revelation again. Early this year (2025), I was looking forward to resuming the second half of the book after the holiday break. As the study became more timely due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the situation in Gaza. Together with other global concerns, although I managed to complete my homework and contribute to group discussions in class, week after week, I know that I was distracted.

Encounters Along the Way

In March, our church launched the theme, ‘His Life For Mine’, to celebrate the Resurrection Sunday.  BSF class concluded the study on Revelation 19, dated Thursday, April 17 2025. Little did I know the word ‘Hallelujah’ appears four times in the entire New Testament, and all in this very chapter. I was moved to tears on Sunday, April 2025, when the worship team sang “Hallelujah” for several minutes, leading us in worship. On the same Sunday evening, our local time, Pope Francis delivered his final Easter Message from the Vatican, and was promoted to heaven the next day, according to CNN. His passing resonated deeply, reminiscent of Psalm 116:15, which states, ‘Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His Saints.’ I only found out that 2025 is a Jubilee, a Holy Year, marked by Pilgrimages as is Catholic tradition.

I felt a deep connection to his passing, having seen him twice in person from the legendary balcony at St. Peter’s  Square. The first was in 2013, when my husband and I travelled to Rome for Christmas. We couldn’t believe it – only by my dear God’s grace were we able to find seats in the Square for the midnight Mass.  Pope Francis was newly elected and, for the first time, leading the service earlier than planned due to illness. The next day, we saw him in person on that legendary balcony as the Swiss Guard paraded below. We heard the new Pope’s first Easter Message to the world as Pontiff. On our ride to Rome, the taxi driver said to us, ‘We finally have a people’s Pope.’

Ten years later, in 2023, we promised to visit our friend in Florence after spending Christmas Eve in Rome. It was a freezing night, no Jingle Bells, no Christmas carols, no flashing neon lights – only the solemn toll of church bells and stars shimmering in the deep, dark-blue sky. Perhaps that was the most authentic Christmas spirit I’ve ever experienced. Early the next morning,  we made our way to the Square. This time, we found seats closer to the Balcony. It was heart-wrenching to witness Pope Francis’ frailty, yet moving to feel the palpable presence of God’s sustaining power as it carried him through the blessing. Just before my first tear fell, reminding me of 2 Timothy 2:21, that God always equips those He calls to do the good work. I hadn’t realised how much Pope Francis’ pastoral presence meant in my spiritual life. I walked with a different heart and stirred emotions; I was still searching for the Word. Has anything changed? Or had I?

In August 2024, the BSF kicked off the book of Revelation. In September, the Pope visited Singapore for the first time, leading a Papal Mass for over 50,000 local people and participating in ‘interfaith dialogue’. I saw him on local news and felt that something special was happening. I was emotional, as if his journey were a part of my own life. In 2024, for Christmas, we didn’t travel, and it’s definitely not a coincidence that we watched the movie ‘Conclave ‘, a gripping film about the election of the new Pope.

Anchor in the Word

The 29-week, in-depth, verse-by-verse study concluded in May 2025. There are twenty-two chapters, and a little over 400 passages of scripture according to the King James Version. Homeletically, the content of the Revelation unveils  Jesus Christ, who entrusted John to testify  to what must take place  (Rev. 1:1-2) before HE proclaims His soon return (Rev. 22:20).

One heated discussion in class was on why Jesus’s robe was stained with Blood. Later, the lecture explained that the blood represents the sacrifice on the Cross for Jesus, the Son of  Man, and our redemption. It also symbolises God’s judgment, avenged upon her for the blood of His servants'(Rev. 19:2; 18:24 & 11:7). The footnote referenced Isaiah 63:1-6, which was added for scriptural understanding.

In Doubt or In Debt

I admit that I am constantly weak in spirit and shallow in knowledge of God and His Word. Doubting, I wonder how I can be fit to meet my King on that day. My dear friend Ann sent me a link to an old hymn from 1883 – ‘I Know Whom I Have Believed’ sung in Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles. I must have listened to it more than ten times, weeping through it, raising a silent Hallelujah.

Then one quiet morning, Romans 1:14 came and stirred my spirit. ‘I am a debtor to the Greeks, and to …both to the wise and the unwise.’  In completing the study of the book of Revelation, I shared Paul’s indebtedness to Jesus, sharing the good news during his time, and I felt a sense of urgency and responsibility to live out my faith and share the love of Jesus with others, for we are in the beginning of the final time frame.

Valentin’s Day – “A Way Bake to Love”

Today, according to the lunar calendar, is the third day of the Chinese New Year Celebration, not only in all Chinese speaking countries but also in Korea and Vietnam. It corresponds with Valentin’s day, known as the St. Valentine’s Day, holiday (February 14) when lovers express their greetings love and gifts in the Western world. Now the whole world celebrate Valentine’s day. Because COVID pandemic, this is the year people have to either scale down or cancel all forms of celebration. 

Considered love and affection to fill a day or an occasion, and we have the number of deaths linked to COVID-19 accelerating and with the anticipated fresh outbreaks? The impeachment case against the former US President Donald Trump, together with repeated violent mob scene on January 6 on the US Capitol, monopolized all prime-time news globally. Thanks be to the Netflix search that I clicked to the Hugh Grant/Drew Barrymore movie – ‘Music and Lyrics.’

It is a 2007 romantic comedy, the two songs from the movie ‘To Find A Way Back to Love’ and ‘Don’t Write Me Off Yet’ enables me to see that we could have more people in the world to use the lyrics of these two secular love songs singing in ONE accord to our daddy God. HE would help us to Find A Way Back to Love and to get us through this pandemic. In His loving-kindness, we can bag Him ‘Not to Write Us Off Yet‘ and give us all a second chance to make it right in the end for His name sake.

I would say nothing further, please allow the Music of the movie fill your heart with joy and laughter for Valentin’s day, and please allow the Lyrics of the Music open your heart toward heaven and receive vision for 2021.

#Wa

yBackIntoLove #HughGrant

20/01/2021

No Word To Describe 2020 

2020 was an eventful year. The Washington Post asked the reader to use one word or phrase to describe it (www.washingtonpost.com/2020-in-one-word). I was toying with the idea to attempt to respond before the end of the year but in vain. COVID-19 Pandemic and the US Presidential Election must be the topmost events of 2020. Regrettably, I have found no right word or phrase could describe it.  Now, it’s the third week of January 2021. I wonder why not many people talk about their New Year resolutions?

If what says is true that future/current will always be part of today’s cause, I can freely talk about 2020 and its impact upon us when we are ushing into the New 2021 and thereon. Suddenly, I need to revisit the Epiphany Sunday worship service that I attended at the Tokyo Union Church the 06/01/2019 to talk about 2020. The sermon was with the title of ‘One Church‘, by its Senior Pastor Symington.  Briefly, he expanded the spiritual significance and the root of ‘Epiphany,’ and it’s ‘to see ‘or ‘get a new view.,’ or ‘to experience. 

‘Scriptures are reading of Matthew 2:1:12  spell out the Magi’s pilgrimage,  a none Jew to receive God’s Vision; Ephesians 3:1:12 elucidate how Apostle Paul, a ‘Jew of the Jews’ to be able to claim as ‘the prisoner of Christ for the Gentiles.’ The pastor further stated that if Christians had ‘limited views of our God; if churches have polycentric natures, then we have different  Christianity.’ ‘And God’s love is for all people; all Christians must be transmitters of God’s grace to the world,’ as the ‘One Church’ for Christ. 

I made it to thank Pastor Symington for his message the next day, in his office. I didn’t realise that he was about to retire from the church and return to South Africa soon. The same year we went back to Tokyo for 2019 Christmas. It was emotional; worship service no Pastor Symington preaching. We rejoiced to be home to attend our Vision Sunday to embrace the theme of 2020, ‘Time and Space.’ The whole of 2020 we were called to see HIS attributes, and know that HE transcended ‘Time and Space’ in whatever HE wills to accomplish.

It would be out of people’s minds to say that the same nature of transcended ‘Time and Space’ to the Coronavirusspread how a small bug could globally affect people’s lives, works and travels. It has been off-putting to see the frightening case reports that last for so long. I had my Epiphany in May 2020, to see the Fear of Fear the repercussion of the COVID-19, in people. I also saw humans’ contagious sinfulness as ramifications of all safety measures governments are trying to manage the pandemic, such as travel restrictions, social distancing and mask-wearing. 

I shared my thoughts in my piece of ‘The Invisible Epidemic.’ I switched my posting to draft when the book study on Genesis started in September. I did the book study before. But why BSF (www.bsfonline.org) scheduled Genesis for the calendar year of BSF-2020/2021 amazed me.  My Senior Pastor, Joseph Prince, has always cautioned us to pay extra attention to anything mentioned in the Bible for the First time. ‘God speaks nothing into existence.’ As I ponder God’s Creation, people would have no excuse for not knowing God (Romans 1:20 NIV).

After the fall in Genesis 3, the Oneness between man and God was fractured. It is for natural men to reckon the plague of ‘Fear/threat of death and Guilt for life.’ The Bible pronounces the First murder case; First bigamy. What God saw as written in Genesis 6:5b that  “every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil continually.” In chapter 7-8 was Noah’s Ark and the First Flood. In Genesis 9 was about God’s First Covenant with man, the Rainbow signal the promise the Salvation of humanity. 

Noah didn’t become sinless after the Flood. The entire Old Testament is the history of human sinfulness. When people killed all God’s Prophets, HE sends His Son to die, to bring peace to the world. Finally, I had the validation to put up my rewrite on 01/10/2020. We know nothing about Noah’s life inside the Ark for over a year. I know that God didn’t send us the COVID-19,

but HE hasn’t stopped the pandemic since the first report case of Coronavirus was January 2020 in Wuhan, China. 

And reports from The Strait Time, the Singapore local newspaper, “The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus is still accelerating at an alarming pace, with the world crossing the grim milestone of two million fatalities on Saturday.” (Jan 17 2021). If indeed, the spreading of Fear and Sinfulness of man is more harmful than the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to be still and to know that HE is God (psalm 46:10 nkjv). Top with the global Vaccine confusions, what is the correct remedy to fight the virus? Can our life be the same again after we are COVID free? 

As for the US Presidential Election saga, I have to go back to 2016 to comment about it. If running a country is for the government-run, it runs the business, and it is refreshing to have a businessman to run for the Office. With a tested, proven track record, Mr Trump certainly fit the bill. His first principles that he elaborated in his book ‘The Art Of The Deal (2004)‘ is to ‘Aim High.’ He managed to win prayer supports from various Christian groups. We do have a prayer answering God, and later many Christian leaders gain direct access to the Oval Office.

Trump  had a keen eyes upon the Jewish communities, especially in the city of New York. Although the Jews are minority in the US, but they had achieved a historic reversal of financial power and fortune in America and around the world. During the 2016 election, one of Trump’s campaign promises was to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which he pronounced as the “eternal capital city of the Jewish people.” It says God to Abraham that “I will bless those who bless you, and will curse those who curse you.”. 
genesis 12:3 kjv

All Christian leaders were on fire to believe that God will bless America, as long as the US President can give what the Jewish people want. Finally, the campaign was a history. On June 1, 2017, Trump, none like any former US Presidents in US History, boldly signed a waiver on the Jerusalem Embassy Act. Trump is not a practice Christian. It has become the deep obsession of Trump’s administration, and thereon that his supports to identify him with Cyrus, a heathen king and deliverer of the Jews, as God’s ‘Chosen One’ for the USA Today. 

The four years of Trump’s administration is about coming to an end after the 2020 election. It took months for him to concede the result. He probably failed to realize that only God can speak nothing into existence. He can’t say nothing was proven to be ‘an existing  fraud.’ God is sovereign.’ It was by God’s Grace, to allow him to be up in the US Capitol Hill for four years. Whether he likes it or not; it deems wise for him to take heed on the last principle that he lists in ‘The Art of The Deal’ and is to ‘Know When To Fold when his time is up.

When I was totally devasted to see the clips of US Capitol Hill riots on YouTube 6 January, 2021. Below, I saw the link, live from “St. Peter’s Basilica, Holy Mass presided by Pope Francis for the solemn feast of the Epiphany of the Lord.” I am not about to change my religion, but like to remember that we were still in the twelve days of Christmas celebration. It is perfect to allow the spirit of reverent to open my heart to worship my dear Lord of God, Jesus to welcome for the year of 202, in His love and safe keeping. 

Psalm27:8 njkv

When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

Reworked from posts 17/05/2020

He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. Job 5:9 (NIV)

I was not in the right frame of mind to put anything up for a while, and it is handy to blame it because of the disheartening Coronavirus pandemic that spread over more than 200 countries globally. Thankfully, before I sink into deeper procrastination, a short article of ‘ Being An Example of HIS Message’ was before me on the morning 10/03/2020.  A few days later, the ‘Feeding of the 5000 with 2-salted fishes and 5- loaves of bread,’ which was one of Jesus’ miracles that reported in all four Gospels (1) came to me. I thought a ‘miracle’ is what the world needs to end the pandemic, but how and when it ends, my thoughts would never be HIS thoughts. The key word of the story was ‘Feeding.’

Then Sunday came, Pastor Prince, in His usual 45-minute long sermon, I heard him mentioning of ‘the ‘feeding of the 5000’ (2). As it came from the pulpit so it must not be coincidental. And in the following two Sundays, I heard Pastor Prince talking the same story briefly again plus the miracle of turning water into fine wine at the wedding (John 2:1-12) in two of his sermons as well. God definitely wanted my attention through repetitions. Before I started taking the initiative to do anything, I had a nasty fall and injured myself severely. The evil one was predictably wicked. But my God shielded me from a concussion, except the ugly bruises on my face. 

Either for adult Bible studies or church Sunday school class for pre-schoolers, the ‘Feeding of the 5000’ is a familiar story for all Christians. People can find the narratives of this one-off miracle in four gospels in the New Testament of the Bible. It would help people what to expect from Jesus, the God of miracles. The event miracle unambiguously reported on how HE used 2-fishes and 5-loaves-of-bread to feed a multitude of 5000 people that they followed Him, on foot from cities into a remote place, where Jesus was at, and they stayed with Him till the time was late in the day and feeling hungry.

As Matthew  (matt 14:13-14), profiled Jesus’ emotional and physical need for a rest after healing many, and a place to pray alone in the time of mourning over the death of John the Baptist. So, that’s the ‘Why.’

Noted in Mark ( mk 6:32-33) that Jesus asked His disciples to take a boat ride with Him to a quiet place to get some rest; noted also, that some of the crowd outwent them and that’s the ‘How.‘

In (luke 9:10 kjv) , Luke gave the listed a solitary place near Bethsaida as the ‘Where.‘

In John (john 6:4 niv) reported the time that Passover, a feast of Jews was near’ that’s the ‘When.’

In (Luke 9:14), Luke, as a medical doctor, gave an account of ‘What’ Jesus said to HIS disciples, ‘‘Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each,” is it the distancing?

If one must pick one book on the event, to me that would be the book of John (john 6:1-14 summary). In open dialogues, John wrote how Jesus ingeniously asked Philip, one of His disciples, at first to verbalise a humanly impossible situation that’s to feed the 5000 with limited resources, in a remote place and was getting late during the day. Then, Jesus asked Andrew , Simon Peter’s brother, the other disciple to bring Him the two salted fish and five loaves of bread that belonged to a little boy to be His means to perform the miracle after HE looked up to Heaven, broke and distributed the bread, first to His disciples and to the crowd of 5000 people.

Although Jesus needed rest and time to be alone with the Father in prayer and mourning; HE was genuinely compassionate toward the crowd and seeing them as sheep without a shepherd. HE healed their sick and taught them things concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. The silver lining of this miracle was two folds. The salted fishes and loaves of bread, which a little boy would naturally bring along for food, to travel to a remote location with the multitude. In the end, the common food items become the supernatural means for Jesus to feed the 5000 men and woman miraculously.. The way Jesus broke and distributed bread to the group after HE looked upwards, akin to the Last Supper in the Upper Room with His disciples.

The entire process of the event would make memory bred into people’s souls when HE went up to Heaven. Most importantly, Jesus was at all times One with His Father, either in grief, prayers or in thanksgiving. Jesus used this extraordinary event to give a grounding in teaching His disciples and us that HE would never be constrained by ‘Time and Space.‘ We also learn, in Matthew 14:20 – ‘after they all ate and were full, and the disciples took up 12 basketfuls of broken pieces that were leftovers‘ that HIS provision would always exceed what people need because HE is the God who provides. 

Let’s turn to look at our current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists, doctors and researchers still don’t have comprehensive scientific knowledge on this vicious virus, from the first quarter of 2020 till as of now. It has infected millions of people globally that need healing. People need strength and comfort to face and mourn for the passing of their loved ones who died of the virus. The public health system, almost in all jurisdictions, are desperately in need of protective gears, ventilators, hospital beds, medical professionals, and Testing kits, not to mention the timely arrival of the safe vaccines or antibodies. Are we in a humanly impossible situation that needs for God’s mercy? Or how can we be still and know that HE is God (Psalms 46:10) who would tell us what to do so that we can live out from His message?

Habakkuk 2:3a ….KJV

…..Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

1.(Matthew 14–Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6–Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9–Luke 9:12-17; John 6–John 6:1-14). 2.https://www.josephprince.com/ncc-sermons

31/12/2019

Once again, like many years in the past, we are in Tokyo during the year-end on holiday, and we have never missed out on the Tokyo Glee Club performance in the late afternoon of Christmas Eve in the Imperial Hotel.

It’s Japan’s Ivy League University students choir singing the Christmas Carols. Knowing that Christians are less than two per cent of the total population in Japan, I delighted that they are bringing out the spirit of Christmas, year after year.

The first time, I have moved into tears by Christmas music in front of a crowd and felt heavy on the fact that Christmas is all about baby Jesus who was born to die for the world, till I was off when they started to sing ‘The Santa Claus Coming to Town.’

This year, I have the other part of the family members were an entourage with me to Tokyo, like many pre-believers, after Glee Club, dinner, no one appeared keen to attend church with us.

Arthur and I are not catholic, but we both captivated by the reverence inside the Catholic church, and we wanted to make it to the midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The message was short and was about how to reach out to other people in love without relying on social media.

The most beautiful thing was that we sang a few of the Christmas Carol ss hymns in the mass. When the closing hymn, ‘Silent Night, ‘ was singing, the part of the lyrics ‘sleeping in heavenly, sleeping in heavenly peace, ‘ was actually singing into my soul.

I wonder is it too far fetched for people to conclude that spiritual root possible to have been the contributing factor for sleeping disorders? I need more wisdom and spirit of discernment to be able to expand on it further.

On Sunday, we went back to Tokyo Union Church for worship service. I was extremely emotional, first of all, I have missed the former senior pastor who has gone back to South Africa and the theme of the sermon was on how to love our God with all our whole beings, and I knew that I have failed flat on this.

The saving grace was the closing hymn of ‘This Is a Day of New Beginnings, that not only lifts me up again, also enables me with anticipation to usher into 2020, for I am deeply thankful.

The hymn reads :

‘With the spirit’s daring, step from the past, and leave behind our disappointment, guilt, and grieving, seeking new paths and sure to find Christ is alive and goes before us to show and share what love can do….

‘

12/12/2019

A Story of Sleeplessness

Recently, many friends shared with me on their struggle with their chronic sleeping disorder (at least for two weeks). Week after week, most of my patients come to me for treatment for their various physical pain, and I only found out that most of them also have problems with either falling or staying asleep at night. Many clinical conditions such as ‘the post Menopause syndrome,’ or the ‘Endocrine disorder,’ and so forth would affect our sleep. No one would be able to rest well if they suffered from any form of physical pain. 

Empirically, a TCM physician, can treat clinical pain condition along with the sleeping order. So, before I start the acupuncture, I would ask patients that ‘there is anything that bothering you?’. People seem to have tongue tight to answer my question for my Insomniac diagnosis, but they knew what is bothering them emotionally. Before scientific finding confirms the root cause of the Insomnia, people would accept emotional disorder could be one of the reasons for Insomnia. I would share a story as below to help people to evaluate their emotional state and also let’s see what ‘THE GREAT BOOK’ has to say about it. 

The Story

There is an old blacksmith who lives in an old part of town. As no one wouldn’t come to his shop for custom ironware, so he sold iron axes, iron pots and a few other iron products in his old blacksmith shop. He sits near the doorway, and he put all of his iron goods outside the door. He didn’t bother to close the door at night. Business was not good or bad; he earned enough to get by. Most importantly, he led on an undisturbed life. 

When people walk by the old blacksmiths’ door, they will see the old blacksmiths lying vivaciously on his bamboo chair with a radio in his hand and a purple teapot on a small wooden table next to him. One day, an antique dealer passed by the old street and spotted the purple sand kettle next to the blacksmith. He carefully examined it and decided that a famous maker made it in the Qing Dynasty. The dealer immediately made an offer of 100,000 yuan wanted to buy the sand teapot. 

The old blacksmith was stunned and then turned down the offer, for his grandfather had left the pot. The three-generation of their grandfather drank from this pot, but after the dealer left, the old blacksmith lost sleep for the first time in his life. He had used the teapot for sixty years and had considered it was an ordinary teapot, and now someone wanted to buy it with a hundred thousand dollars. 

He used to lie in his chair, and drink his tea, and put the pot on the table with his eyes closed and now he would sit up and see if the pot is still there. It makes him very scratchy and restless. What is more intolerable is that when the town know that he had an expensive antique teapot, they asked if there were other treasures in the shop. Some people even wanted to borrow money from him. Soon, then  the antique dealer paid him another visit and offered 200,000 and more on open negotiation, for his teapot.

Immediately, the poor old blacksmith’s life turned upside down, and not only he couldn’t sit still during the day, but also had a problem to sleep at night. He finally called in a crowd neighbour, took the hammer and smashed the purple teapot to pieces in front of the crowd. Finally, the old blacksmith’s day gradually calmed down, and gone back to sell his iron wares, lying down in his bamboo chair listening to the radio and drinking his tea. No more sleepless nights, the End

I have to admit it  honestly, that I admired the old blacksmith’s courageous move to smash the teapot. Can we conclude from the story than what falls on the ground was not all the broken pieces of the antique teapot, but the endless contemplation of greed, desires and infatuation? We easily allow situations or people in the world to rob off our joy and peace that usually results in sleep deprivation, knowing that not sleeping well and not sleeping enough whatever the reason, will affect our health and a general sense of well-being.

This year, I had a chance to study the life of King David in the Old Testament of the Bible. I concurrently study the book of Psalms that gives evidence of him as the man who after God’s own  heart. When he fled from his son Absalom, he openly articulates how his anxiety that affects his sleep while full confidence in the Lord for untroubled rest, even during his trying period;

Psalm 6: 7-8 JPS

I am weary with groaning; every night I drench my bed, I melt my couch with tears. My eyes are wasted by vexation, worn out because of all my foes.

Psalm 3: 6

I lie down and sleep and wake again, for the LORD sustains me.

Psalm 4:9

Safe and sound, I lie down and sleep, for YOU alone, O LORD, keep me secure.