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.

Psalm 104

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent

3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.

4 He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.

5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.

6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.

7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;

8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.

9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.

10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.

11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12 The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.

13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for man to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:

15 wine that gladdens the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine,
and bread that sustains his heart.

16 The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

17 There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the pine trees.

18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the coneys.

19 The moon marks off the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.

20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.

21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.

22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.

23 Then man goes out to his work,
to his labor until evening.

24 How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.

26 There the ships go to and fro,
and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

27 These all look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.

28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.

29 When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.

30 When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works-

32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.

35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Praise the LORD.

I honestly think that after reading Psalm 104, most Christians will be very impressed with the Lord. His works are evident, as described in the psalm. Everything, yes, everything, is created by Him and set in motion by Him.

The flooding of the earth during Noah's time, the water-cycle, the beautiful mountain streams, the food-chain (cattle eat grass), the invention of wine, oil and bread, the cedars of Lebanon, the moon, the sun, the concept of day & night, the creation of animals - ALL of these things are the works of our mighty God!

Man always like to classify things into natural or artificial stuff. However, our Christian response should be - they all come from God.


O Lord, help me to appreciate every single thing I have or see in my life. Help me not to take things for granted. Help me to remain always thankful to You.


Things to ponder
1. Make a prayer to God today for His wonderful works.
2. Sing a praise song to the Lord (v33).

Pastor YC "Psalm 103: Praise the LORD"

PS 103:2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--
PS 103:3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
PS 103:4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
PS 103:5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

It's thanksgiving time!
As I browsed through the pictures of my family in the since 2003, I was just overwhelmed by how much the Lord has done for us in the few short years.

Pastor YC "Psalm 102: Invest in Eternal Dwellings"

PS 102:25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
PS 102:26 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.

Canyonlands National Park is such an illustration of these scriptures. Vast, of a scale that makes all human beings look really small. Yet in this picture, it is apparent how over thousands of years, it has been eroded by the forces of nature and "worn out like a garment". (Remember it used to be relatively "flat")


Yet we continue to put our trust and security in structures that last "forever". Working and slogging to purchase property for us and for our descendents.

A single natural disaster and all such value will be be wiped out forever.

PS 102:27 But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

I've decided that the best inheritance I can ever leave for my children is a legacy of walking with God and learning to hide in His presence.

PS 102:28 The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you."

Lord, reserve a place for my children in your house. Mark them for life thatthey will never venture away from you and look for earthly dwellings.

Psalm 103

Of David.

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.

21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.

22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Today, I went for a choir concert which my sister, brother-in-law and cousin were involved. It was at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). As I don't know the place well, I checked out the street directory before leaving the house. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the exact location and parked at a place some streets away. My mum, girlfriend and I had to walk quite some distance.

I was so upset with the lack of directions (even the place wasn't clearly stated on the tickets) that I grumbled and grumbled. When I saw my cousin and sister and brother-in-law, I complained to them that the place was really inaccessible and the directions weren't clear, etc.

Even though they may deserved it (in a sense for not looking into details), upon reflection, I felt that my behavior was uncalled for. Unworthy of a Christian. I repented before the Lord. I should have given them feedback nicely at the end of the concert, NOT before and NOT in that kind of complaining tone.

Look at Psalm 103:10 "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities." All of us have sinned against the Lord before. Though we deserved every condemnation, God didn't treat us that way. Instead, He forgives us and has removed every transgressions from us (v11-12). Because of what Jesus had done.

Just the above truth alone, we should praise God all the days of our lives!



Lord, thank You for showing how ugly I am. I want to be more like You. Gracious, compassionate and forgiving. Help me Lord!


Things to ponder
1. Do you hold grudges against those who you think have done wrong against you?
2. Now it's the time to pray a prayer of forgiveness towards them.
3. Pray and ask God for a more forgiving heart. Learn to forgive those that may not deserved it, just like what Jesus did.

Psalm 102

A prayer of an afflicted man. When he is faint and pours out his lament before the LORD.

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD;
let my cry for help come to you.

2 Do not hide your face from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.

3 For my days vanish like smoke;
my bones burn like glowing embers.

4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;
I forget to eat my food.

5 Because of my loud groaning
I am reduced to skin and bones.

6 I am like a desert owl,
like an owl among the ruins.

7 I lie awake; I have become
like a bird alone on a roof.

8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who rail against me use my name as a curse.

9 For I eat ashes as my food
and mingle my drink with tears

10 because of your great wrath,
for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.

11 My days are like the evening shadow;
I wither away like grass.

12 But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever;
your renown endures through all generations.

13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her;
the appointed time has come.

14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.

15 The nations will fear the name of the LORD,
all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

16 For the LORD will rebuild Zion
and appear in his glory.

17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute;
he will not despise their plea.

18 Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the LORD :

19 "The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,

20 to hear the groans of the prisoners
and release those condemned to death."

21 So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem

22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship the LORD.

23 In the course of my life he broke my strength;
he cut short my days.

24 So I said:
"Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days;
your years go on through all generations.

25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.

26 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.

27 But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.

28 The children of your servants will live in your presence;
their descendants will be established before you."

Last Sunday, Pastor Khong preached about having a pilgrim's heart - which is the key to be able to grow from strength to strength in the Lord. Somehow as I read the last part of Psalm 102 (v23 - v28), I just felt reminded by God about our life as pilgrims on earth.

It is mentioned that even the heavens and the earth will not last forever. Only God is eternal. And the key blessing when we believe in God is spelt our clearly in v28 - that we can live in His presence forever.

Since we live in such a temporal world and we're just aliens on the earth (our true home is in God's presence when we die), we have to be mindful of what things we're investing our time, energy and money in.


Are we investing in things that please God? It's a really good reminder for myself.


Things to ponder
1. What stops you from spending time with God and pursue Him everyday?
2. Pray for victory in the above issue. Love God eternally.

Pastor YC "Psalm 101: The King and His Kingdom"

PS 101:2-3a I will be careful to lead a blameless life--when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing.

The highest authority among men. Above the laws of the land and accountable to no one. The King - indeed a powerful position to be in.

Yet King David is careful to walk in holiness even in his position, because he recognizes that God is above the King.

Out of that reverence for God flows the works of his hands - he discharges his kingly duties with justice.

PS 101:3b The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.
PS 101:4 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.
PS 101:5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.
PS 101:6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.
PS 101:7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.
PS 101:8 Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.

A timely reminder for me as a manager, coach and pastor, never to allow sin in my life and in teh lives of the spheres that I "rule".

God is my boss, even if no one is there to hold me accountable.

Darren's Reflection on Psalm 100

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Thoughts:
I have always wanted to find delight in God's presence since the start of the Sabbath season, but haven't been completely successful. Perhaps I have been doing it by my own effort and failed as there is still struggle with my old self. Yesterday, at the prayer meeting, Pastor Khong shared that it is not by human resolution, but by God's love and mercy that we are able to find the joy in our hearts for him. This really caught my heart.

Application:
As I spent devotion time with God this morning, I could feel what Pastor Khong meant. Before I started, i felt really "sian" and restless, but as i worshipped him with songs, God supernaturally provided the joy in my heart.. Realizing that worship is so important, I'm going to start worshipping God till I catch the joy then proceed to prayer during quiet time in future. This is also where verses 1-3 stand true. As I sing songs of praise and joy, I'll recognize that he is my God and my shepherd.

Psalm 101

Of David. A psalm.

1 I will sing of your love and justice;
to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.

2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life—
when will you come to me?
I will walk in my house
with blameless heart.

3 I will set before my eyes
no vile thing.
The deeds of faithless men I hate;
they will not cling to me.

4 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with evil.

5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,
him will I put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
him will I not endure.

6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he whose walk is blameless
will minister to me.

7 No one who practices deceit
will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely
will stand in my presence.

8 Every morning I will put to silence
all the wicked in the land;
I will cut off every evildoer
from the city of the LORD.

Psalm 101 reminds me of someone being in the presence of wicked people - those who lack faith in God (v3), those whose hearts are perverse (v4), those who gossip and look down on others (v5), those who betray others and lie (v7).

Honestly, I'm not a perfect person (only God is perfect). I have my fair share of weaknesses and even character flaws. Of course, I'm in the midst of changing some of them - with the help of God. And because I have a relationship with God, I'm quite aware of any wrongful behavior.

But I do know of people around me who fill their minds with bad (and sometimes lustful) thoughts, and out of their mouths come words that are demeaning - especially to ladies. Particularly, I really can't stand such talk and avoid to be in the company of such.

The company that you mix with regularly does have a bearing on you. If you always mix with people who are bad, you will be influenced negatively. If you always mix with godly people, you will be influenced positively.


Lord, help me discern the kind of people that are around me. Help me to constantly surround me with godly people who are of great encouragement. And help me to love those that are of negative influence around me.


Things to ponder
1. How good or godly is the company of friends you mix with in school? Rate 1 to 10.
2. If the company's not too positive, why are you mixing with them so much?
3. Pray for youreself to be like David, to be able to discern good and bad influence.

Pastor YC "Psalm 100: Created by God"

PS 100:3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

The Amplified Bible reads: "It is he who made us, not we ourselves!"

A self-made man. We often use this to describe a person who built his life from scratch, to arrive at a position of status without depending upon others. In the eyes of most people, definitely a compliment.

However Ps 100 is a reminder that our successes will not happen if God wasn't in it in the 1st place.

When the accolades and high-fives come, it is so easy to just get carried away by self-admiration. "after all, what I did was not trivial..."

Yet the Psalmist reminds us instead to:

PS 100:2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

The fact of the matter is that God has always been good to us, even if we think that we were "self-made".

PS 100:5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Therefore we have every reason, everyday, to "enter his courts with thanksgiving".


Lord, teach me to worship you with reverence everytime I come into your house.

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving thanks.

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

The psalm reminds us to give thanks to the Lord and praise Him. And one thing that we can give thanks for is highlighted in v3.


Thank God for creating you and I and everyone else. And God didn't just create us and leave us to fend for ourselves. He made us, and then care for our needs - we are like the sheep of His pasture. Even when we're faithless, He is always faithful. His love endures forever.

And this is a beautiful psalm. I want to commit it to memory after I'm done with Psalm 84. Will you join me?


Thanksgiving of the day: I'm really amazed at how much God can speak to young Christians. It was a young Christian who shared with me the above perspective about the psalm this afternoon when I met him. God is really good. Thank You, Lord!


Things to ponder
1. Share one thanksgiving of the day in detail.
2. Share one thing God spoke to you as you read Psalm 100.
3. Pray for a heart of constant thanksgiving in you.

Pastor YC "Psalm 99: Justice & Equity"

PS 99:4 The King is mighty, he loves justice--you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right.
PS 99:5 Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.

"I don't need to be treated special or favourably, I just want to be treated fairly!"

A common statement from many people working under authority, especially bosses who determine our pay and such. I even found this neatly encapsulated in this theory:

While this may underline the basic motivation for human beings (because God's image of justice is created in us, though it has been defiled by sin), realistically it can never be achieved. Intrinsically, we are all selfish creatures. The most selfless and altruistic person still looks out for his own welfare. We will seldom agree on a reward system that is totally fair.

Yet this dissatisfaction is what will drive us toward God. Only God can assure complete equity. And on this side of heaven, there will not be perfect justice.

God gave us better than equity. He surrendered his rights to us so that we can learn to accept less than perfect situations, be at peace with people around us, and reflect His glory.

That should be more than ample reason for all to quit complaining. We cannot be standing on the platform of unmerited grace and demand that others give us our rights.

MT 18:32 "Then the master called the servant in. `You wicked servant,' he said, `I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Equity in workplace is not so far from the issue of forgiveness.

Psalm 99

1 The LORD reigns,
let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
let the earth shake.

2 Great is the LORD in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.

3 Let them praise your great and awesome name—
he is holy.

4 The King is mighty, he loves justice—
you have established equity;
in Jacob you have done
what is just and right.

5 Exalt the LORD our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel was among those who called on his name;
they called on the LORD
and he answered them.

7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

8 O LORD our God,
you answered them;
you were to Israel a forgiving God,
though you punished their misdeeds.

9 Exalt the LORD our God
and worship at his holy mountain,
for the LORD our God is holy.

Something that really struck me as I read this psalm was v8. It describes two of God's characterstics that appear to contradict each other.

1. Our God is a forgiving God.
2. Our God punishes us for our misdeeds.

Actually, the principle is very simple. When we commit sins against the Lord, He, being righteous and just (He loves justice - v4), has to allow us to go through certain bad consequences. Because we deserved it. Another reason is that God loves us, hence He disciplines us - Proverbs 3:11-12, Proverbs 13:24, Hebrews 12:5-7 and Revelations 3:19. This is to deter us from making the same mistake again and again.

But when we humble ourselves and come before the Lord in repentence, He will forgive us. That's His nature. Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus".


Today I was reflecting on some of my past sins - some of those committed way before I was a Christian. How I wished that I have never committed them. The consequences of those sins were very real - even till now. But I thank God that He has forgiven me and I can be free from those sins. Yes, I now have victory over them. Thanks be to God!


Things to ponder
1. Are there sins in your life that you have not made known to anyone yet? Confess to your cell leader as soon as possible. Don't let the sin have a foothold in your life.
2. Pray and ask God for forgiveness. He will forgive you.

Pastor YC "Psalm 98: Big Party"

Psalm 98 starts with the psalmist's call for all to SING, SHOUT and MAKE MUSIC to God.

98:1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
PS 98:2 The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
PS 98:3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
PS 98:4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
PS 98:5 make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,
PS 98:6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn--shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Yet that is not really sufficient to express what is in the psalmist's heart.
He calls on the nature to join in celebrating God.

PS 98:7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
PS 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;
PS 98:9 let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Why don't we join in the celebration?