Pastor YC "Psalm 136: Lord of All"

v1-9 (The God of Creation)
PS 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.
PS 136:2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
PS 136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
PS 136:4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
PS 136:5 who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
PS 136:6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
PS 136:7 who made the great lights-- His love endures forever.
PS 136:8 the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
PS 136:9 the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.



v10-22 (The God of Nations)

PS 136:10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.
PS 136:11 and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever.
PS 136:12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.
PS 136:13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever.
PS 136:14 and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.
PS 136:15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.
PS 136:16 to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever.
PS 136:17 who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.
PS 136:18 and killed mighty kings--His love endures forever.
PS 136:19 Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.
PS 136:20 and Og king of Bashan-- His love endures forever.
PS 136:21 and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.
PS 136:22 an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever.



v23-26 (The God of You and Me)
PS 136:23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.
PS 136:24 and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever.
PS 136:25 and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.
PS 136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.



God is not just high and mighty, aloof and distant. He is also personal and caring.


The greatest God of all, choosing to dwell in us - what a privilege!

Pastor YC "Psalm 132: Pursuit of the God-Pursuer"

David the "God-Chaser"

PS 132:1 O LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured.
PS 132:2 He swore an oath to the LORD and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
PS 132:3 "I will not enter my house or go to my bed--
PS 132:4 I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids,
PS 132:5 till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."
PS 132:6 We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:
PS 132:7 "Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool--
PS 132:8 arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.
PS 132:9 May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy."
PS 132:10 For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed one.

God the "David-Chaser"

PS 132:11 The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: "One of your own descendants I will place on your throne--PS 132:12 if your sons keep my covenant
and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever."
PS 132:13 For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling:
PS 132:14 "This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it--
PS 132:15 I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food.
PS 132:16 I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy.
PS 132:17 "Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
PS 132:18 I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent."

Pastor YC "Psalm 131: The Warrior is a Child"

PS 131:1 My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.
PS 131:2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

PS 131:3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

On the outside: Wise and mighty men on great exploits.
On the inside: Calm in the eye of the storm - a child with his mum.

Dear Lord, whenever my soul frets, remind me again that I am but a little child taking on things that you have prepared for me long before, so that by walking the road, I may learn to put my hope in you.

Teach me that I will never get all excited over the great exploits and have eyes only for my achievements and talents. Instead let me look to the Giver of all gifts.

Warrior is a Child by Twila Paris

Lately I've been winning battles left and right
But even winners can get wounded in the fight
People say that I'm amazing
Strong beyond my years
But they don't see inside of me
I'm hiding all the tears

(Chorus)

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
'Cause deep inside this armour
The warrior is a child

Unafraid because his armour is the best
But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest
People say that I'm amazing
Never face retreat
But they don't see the enemies
That lay me at His feet

Chorus x2

I drop my sword and look up for His smile
Because deep inside this armour
Deep inside this armour
Deep inside this armour
The Warrior is a Child

Pastor YC "Psalm 130: Fear the Only One Who Can Forgive..."

PS 130:3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
PS 130:4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.

What an amazing thought! "Fear Him who forgives".

One would think that we fear those who do not forgive. But to fear "him who forgives"?

• "Fear him who does not forgive" - the understanding is that evil reigns. We live in fear. Don't offend the big & powerful bully who does not forgive.
• "Fear him who forgives" - a good God reigns in world of evil. Because of evil, we will all die. But God alone forgives and grants us life. Therefore we fear Him because we need his mercy and favour.

What a blessing! We do not live in a world where the Ultimate Authority is unforgiving, but we can have favour with the One who is merciful!

PS 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
PS 130:6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Pastor YC "Psalm 129: Prayer for Deliverance and Judgment"

PS 129:1 They have greatly oppressed me from my youth--let Israel say--
PS 129:2 they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.

Just how oppressed were the Israelites?

PS 129:3 Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long.

Imagine long furrows ploughed down our back!

Well honestly I have not come near to this kind of experience. People may have poked me here and there but nobody has ploughed long furrows down my back.

PS 129:4 But the LORD is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.

Lord, remove the work of the darkness far away from my life!

Pastor YC "Psalm 128: Man Who Fears God"

What happens when one fears God?

PS 128:1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.

PS 128:2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.
PS 128:3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.

The metaphor of the fruitfulness of the vine extends, not only to the bearing of children, but also to everything the wife contributes to the welfare of family

Olives are long-lived with a life expectancy of 500 years. The trees are also tenacious, easily sprouting back even when chopped to the ground.

PS 128:4 Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.
PS 128:5 May the LORD bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,
PS 128:6 and may you live to see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel.

I've never actually imagined how it would be like to "see my children's children" until today. Sure it tells of one's longetivity. But also I guess, as a parent, I can understand it to be the ultimate indicator and milestone of one's parenting journey - to see my children becoming established and mature till the point that they begin to raise their own children.


In a sense, that must be the indicator that "I've made it!"


:) How will Elsie's and Anna's kids look like? :p

Pastor YC "Psalm 127: 觉悟 and Sleep Well Again"

PS 127:2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat--for he grants sleep to those he loves.

I fell asleep and missed an appointment late last night. As I lay awake after the incident, physically tired but mentally (very) alert, I realised that I've operated in this mode for probably the past 15-20 years.

Late nights (studying or working) and perpetually lacking in sleep. Always ready to fall asleep in the day (yet I don't) and very active at night. In short, 20 years of body-abuse since BMT & OCS days.

Of course it's gotten worse over these years because of children and intense work. My ex-pastor once told me that "all the great men of God" slept very little but spent a lot of time praying. I think I somehow took that and felt it was ok to sleep less and do work.

• OCS - I learned mind over body when we averaged 4 hrs of sleep over 9 months
• My ex-Pastor - I distinctly made a change to accept sacrifice of sleep as "good". Today I no longer demand for my sleep time.
• HP & lay-ministry days - I effectively did 2 jobs and cut my sleep to 5hrs/day
• Project CRuSH startup days - I went to 4hrs/day trawling the internet

But I know God spoke very clearly yesterday in those moments awake - crystal clear. I've got to stop this pattern. Sleeping enough has to become the norm rather than exception or the occasional relief.

OK this is quite weird, to come to such a decision after 20 years. But I guess I've found my energy waning and just know that my body is tired. I think I can press on for many years, but I do not know how much energy I will have in my body to journey with my kids in their grown-up years and to be my wife's companion.

This will have to be the psalm I cling on to, as I make the adjustments to my living pattern. Somethings will have to go and I'll have to depend more on God to build the house :)

Darren's Reflection on Psalm 127

Thoughts: I noticed that in Psalm 127, the Psalmist mentioned alot of in vain we do this and that. From this, I can deduce that He's highlighting something important here. The consequences of doing things when we go by our own effort. We can succeed sometimes on our own, but as what Ps Khong shared, God's presence is not with us. Soon emptiness will settle in even when we succeed and we'll realise that no matter how hard we try, there are no fruits beared and all are in vain.

Application: The fact is God has to be placed in the centre of our lives as he is the source of all blessing. We find it difficult to accept this fact sometimes as we doubt he can prepare us well for the next attack of the devil. But we must recognise, as we welcome God in every situation, He will always birth forth in us fruits be it in successes or failures. Fruits that will prepare us for coming tests and temptations.

Pastor YC "Psalm 119: God Spoke"

(I read all of it! 22 x 8 = 176 verses)

PS 119:98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.
PS 119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
PS 119:100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.

I remember the times when I stood in front of crowds (many of whom are more accomplished in the marketplace compared to me), speaking about my conviction regarding pornography and cyber wellness. I just spoke the TRUTH regarding "lust of the eyes". You could hear the hush - everybody was listening...

• Standards so high compared to norms of the world (I must have sounded like John the Baptist).
• I am not highlighting my speech, I am highlighting the powerful word of God.

It was exactly because these principles and values for living are already clearly outlined in the Bible that I could just say it out with conviction. We do not need to test/prove everything in order to ascertain that it is true. God's word is truth and we will take all our lifetimes to find out the scientific/psychological/sociological explanations for all these patterns and values.

The eternal wisdom contained in God's word!

PS 119:89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
PS 119:90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.
PS 119:91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.

We may not agree or be convinced, but it's true anyway.

PS 119:18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

Pastor YC "Psalm 118: It is BETTER"

PS 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
PS 118:9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

PS 118:10 All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
PS 118:11 They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
PS 118:12 They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

PS 118:13 I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me.

Today I reflected upon this segment of the psalm to trust in the name of the Lord. In good times, the disciplines of prayer & tithing are so important to the develop dependence upon God. It is so important to have that daily devotion regardless of schedule. We must make it FUNDAMENTAL to our lives. Else in troubled times, all our "true life buoys" will kick in.

118 days into reading a psalm a day, I've learnt that it is a discipline that must be:
1) Committed (incidental delight will not work)
2) Persistent (150 days is excellent - I used to read that 40 days is guaranteed to break a habit)

32 days more - I certainly hope it will not be my last. I think we have to aim to go further, not just to finish 150. :)

Pastor YC "Psalm 115: Trust the Creator, not the Created Things"

The Created Things

PS 115:8 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

Idols which are placed at will by the worshippers, insurance policies that are created by men, jobs, houses, relationships, titles, successes.


The Creator

PS 115:9 O house of Israel, trust in the LORD-- he is their help and shield.
PS 115:10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD-- he is their help and shield.
PS 115:11 You who fear him, trust in the LORD-- he is their help and shield.

Tomorrow I am preaching at a baptism service - this will be the second time I am doing it. By my own standards, the first time was quite disastrous. I actually feel quite nervous about it.

I can trust in my ability, preparation, charisma and whatever else. But I know it will be ultimately God who alone will see me through it.

God ALONE is TOTALLY sufficient.

Pastor YC "Psalm 114: What Happens When God's Presence Comes?"

PS 114:3-4 The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.

PS 114:7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob

It's hard enough to imagine the sea rolling back (except in a tsumani), it's even harder to imagine a mountain being lifted up and jumping like lambs!

But that is what happens when God's presence visits!

EX 33:15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

Everything is Him-possible.

Lord teach me how to be hungry for your presence.

Pastor YC "Psalm 113: 恩惠"

Ps 113:9 He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.

In the biblical times, motherhood is the crowning achievement for any woman. Thus barrenness is a condition of shame (unlike today when so many choose not to have children).

And I recall that in our early years of marriage, we had such difficult conceiving. (Of course with advance medical knowledge, we know it's not just the woman's fault)

Which explains our joy when Elsie was born. She's named 铭惠 - it means "remember God's grace".

So was Anna. She's 欣惠- which means "delight in God's grace".

Surely it was God's abundant grace that we have children. They are such a delight and blessing to our family.

Today I join with believers all over the world and declare Ps 113:1-3

PS 113:1 Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
PS 113:2 Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore.
PS 113:3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Pastor YC "Psalm 112: Fear God Shun Evil"

PS 112:1 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.

PS 112:2 His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
PS 112:3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
PS 112:4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. PS 112:5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.
PS 112:6 Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.
PS 112:7 He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
PS 112:8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
PS 112:9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.

PS 112:10 The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

A contrast of fortunes for the man "who fears God and delights in His commands" vs the "wicked" man. Not a lot written to define the "wicked" but a lot more written to define the other.
i.e. Teach (more) what is RIGHT as opposed to focusing (less) on what is WRONG.

1. Fear the Lord
2. Delight in His commands (don't complain about doing right)
3. Be gracious, compassionate and upright
4. Be generous and lend freely
5. Conduct affairs with justice

Darren's Reflection on Psalm 112

6 Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7 He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

Thoughts:
How do we define a righteous man? Morally justifiable as the dictionary defines, but I feel God has an easier explaination to that. As I pondered after reading the verses, God explain that a righteous man in his sight is one who obeys his every commands and keeps himself far from sins all the days of his life. But to know what God's command is for us, we need to have that close intimacy with him.

Application:
When we have established the close intimacy with God, he can easily comfort us even when we are constantly bombarded by bad news in our lives. Ensuring that our heart is still steadfast without fear and not being rash, but knowing what to do as God gives us the word.


The application for me is to start speaking to God in the high and even the low points of my life. To seek rufuge in him even when I'm not in the mood because as God sees the heart, he can miraculously turn our perspective towards any situation around and keep us strong and going.

Pastor YC "Psalm 108: Morning Worship"

PS 108:1 My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
PS 108:2 Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

For me, morning worship is surely something I have to learn to do better.

I'm a night person - which means that I yearn to extend my time on the bed by just another minute. Again. In fact, when I went to University, I continued my sleep usually for the 1st 2 hours of lecture from 0900hrs to 1100hrs.

1. Make music with "ALL MY SOUL" - that's hard in the morning.


2. "AWAKE", harp and lyre - Bring out the instruments and jam the morning blues away.


3. "AWAKEN THE DAWN" - that seems to mean that the psalmist "wakes up" the dawn - to do that you have to get up before dawn.

Why? How can I (or you) celebrate in the morning? :)

I believe the following verse tells us why we can be so alive in the morning:

PS 108:4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

The greatness of God's love towards me and all, the extent of His faithfulness - that's reason why we celebrate with ALL OUR SOULS in the morning. Praise waiting to burst forth from the moment we open our eyes, driven by anticipation of the wonderful new day ahead.

Tomorrow morning I put this into practice. I'm leading worship for our group meeting. :)

May dream about his love and overflow with gratefulness for his faithfulness towards us.

Pastor YC "Psalm 107: Give Thanks to the Lord"

"Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men"

This is the repeated verse from Ps 107 as the author considers what God has done for the nation of Israel.

Today I meditated on the "unfailing love" of God in my life.

1. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to reach out to me even when I cursed Him in my young days (as a small boy). He reached me before I became too proud to acknowledge Him.
2. God touched my heart even when I made up my mind not to yield to Him (My conversion is a a miracle).
3. God gave me a wonderful wife and marriage even though I've sinned so many times against Him.
4. God healed and restored my marriage even when I was so insensitive and hurtful (though unintentional) towards my wife especially in the earlier years of marriage.
5. God preserved Elsie's life even though she was born with a hole in her bile duct (she survived 2 operations in the 1st year of her life)
6. God grant us grace to bring up our children even though we were so hard pressed in serving Him when our children were growing up (today I know that even if I spent all my time, I would not be able to produce what is in Elsie and Anna now).
7. God redeemed my life from the pit when I was so depressed and hopeless after some setbacks and disappointments in my army days (I regained a hope for life).
8. God grant me the grace to forgive and move on from self pity when I felt hurt and let down by many people.
9. God gave me an influence that I never bargained for in my work and put me in places where I can be the best "for the world".
10. God always sent the right people to give me a hand in the darkest moments of my life.

Thank you Lord!

Pastor YC "Psalm 106: Save Us & Set Us Apart"

From where I got this picture, it said that this represents "repeated sin".

PS 106:6 We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
PS 106:7 When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.
PS 106:13 But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel.
PS 106:14 In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test.
PS 106:16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
PS 106:19 At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
PS 106:20 They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
PS 106:21-22 They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
PS 106:24 Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise.
PS 106:25 They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD.
PS 106:28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
PS 106:32-33 By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses' lips.
PS 106:35 but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.
PS 106:36 They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
PS 106:37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
PS 106:38 They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood.
PS 106:39 They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves.

It's a pretty long list of sins! In particular the bold ones sounded really terrible.
(Now of course we are not so concerned better/worse sins, there is none righteous amongst us)

The response of the Psalmist summarises it all:

PS 106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.

It's a cry first to "save", then to "set apart" - exactly what the Lord wants of us.

I was first saved in 1981 and ever since then, the process of sanctification has never stopped. Praise God, He is still working that in me today. :)

Darren's Reflection on Psalm 106

Thoughts:
Psalm 106 is another long Psalm which requires lots of focus to be able to grasp what is it about. After reading a couple of long Psalms this season, I realised that we do not need to understand everything it says, though u may research by referring to commentaries on the internet, but as long we know 1 thing about God's character, we have grown to understand him better.

Verse 36-45 reminds us again of how forgiving God is by nature. As the verses mentioned of how God's people sinned against him terribly time after time, despite the punishments he placed upon them, he was still willing to fogive them when they cried out to him. This showed how everlasting his love for his children were and still is.

Application:
Knowing more about God's character is 1 thing, but not sufficient in helping us grow as a Christian. When we learn to inculcate his character in ourselves, that's where we will see growth in our character and spiritual maturity and learn to appreciate him as our God.

From Psalm 106: 36-45, I want to take after God's character, to be a more forgiving person to others even when they have hurt me and be a blessing to them!

Pastor YC "Psalm 104: Master-Creator, Ecologist, Environmentalist"

In Psalm 104, God is the Master Creator, the maker of heaven and earth. He is the Ultimate Ecologist and Environmentalist.

He made everything tick perfectly - it's just amazing how beautiful all of creation is.

It's even more beautiful when we contrast that with the best of human creation. I thought the city of Dubai represents the best that mankind can muster. Towering buildings, impressive skyline, concrete and metal.

But the same hands and minds that create this humanly-impressive city fail miserably at even maintaining the creation of the Almighty God.

Rough hands handling a fine piece of creation. We just have so much more to develop and learn.

PS 104:31-32 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works--he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.