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.

Psalm 130

A song of ascents.

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;

2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?

4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.

8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

"Waiting" is not a word commonly associated with modern-day man. Most of us dislike waiting. We want results out fast, especially when it seems that time is a precious commodity these days.

However, in Psalm 130:5-6, it is described that the psalmist actually waited for the Lord. Maybe he is waiting for the Lord to fill him with His love yet again. Maybe he is waiting for the Lord to assure him that all of his sins have been forgiven. Maybe he is waiting for the Lord to deliver him from the hands of his enemies. Maybe...

Actually, it perhaps doesn't matter what situation it is. We, Christians need to know that God is our heavenly Father, and He dotes on us. Hence, in every situation, if we seek Him sincerely as we wait upon Him, He will answer us.

Let's put our hope in His word. His word that says in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."


I had to trust God and waited almost two full days before the church venue of my wedding was confirmed. Dawn and I prayed and He answered. He is really faithful. And through this waiting phase, I learned to put my trust in God and leave Him to pave the way for me. God is really good!!


Things to ponder
1. When was the last time you waited for God to answer a prayer of yours? Did you try to over-do things using your own strength? What was the result?
2. Spend some time before the Lord during QT and wait for His presence to fill you. You can do some worship first.

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!

Psalm 129

A song of ascents.

1 They have greatly oppressed me from my youth—
let Israel say-

2 they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory over me.

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

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

5 May all who hate Zion
be turned back in shame.

6 May they be like grass on the roof,
which withers before it can grow;

7 with it the reaper cannot fill his hands,
nor the one who gathers fill his arms.

8 May those who pass by not say,
"The blessing of the LORD be upon you;
we bless you in the name of the LORD."

Ever since the time of Jesus, the church has always been under constant persecution. Almost all of the 12 disciples of Jesus died a martyr's death. They were beheaded, crucified, crucified upside down and speared. This webpage shows quite a complete listing.


Even in recent times, the persecution of the church goes on in some parts of the world. Brother Yun, who was from China, suffered intense persecution because of his faith in Jesus. In his book "The Heavenly Man", he wrote

In my home area of Nanyang, believers were crucified on the walls of their churches for not denying Christ. ... One pastor was bound and attached to a long rope. The authorities, enraged that the man of God would not deny his faith, used a makeshift crane to lift him high into the air. Before hundreds of witnesses who had come to accuse him solely of being a "counter revolutionary," [Public interrogation and punishment built the public fear needed for government control] the pastor was asked on last time if he would recant. He shouted back, "No! I will never deny the Lord who saved me!" The rope was released and the pastor crashed to the ground below. (Page 21)

Despite all the things that the devil has done against the church, the church continues to grow and was never eliminated. Just like what the psalmist wfrote in Psalm 129:1-4. There's no way the church will be destroyed.

It is because we have a great and mighty God!


I really have to be more outward-looking. I have never been on a mission trip. I have not seen what it's like to believe in Jesus in other nations. Lord, give me a chance to go and serve another nation. Then I would be able to appreciate what I have in Singapore way much better.


Things to ponder
1. Do you feel persecuted in school or in your family because of you faith? If so, in what ways?
2. Pray and ask God to help Christians who are currently persecuted. You can search the internet to find out more.
3. Pray and ask God to give you a heart to serve the nations. Ask for an opportunity to go on a mission trip.

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

Psalm 128

A song of ascents.

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

2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.

3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your sons will be like olive shoots
around your table.

4 Thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.

5 May the LORD bless you from Zion
all the days of your life;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,

6 and may you live to see your children's children.
Peace be upon Israel.

If there's a title to Psalm 128, I think it would be something like "Blessings Of Christians Who Fear The Lord & Walk In His Ways". The reasons are listed down plainly.

Firstly, we will enjoy the fruit of our labour. We will be financially sound. Generally, Christians are more well-to-do than non-Christians. God is the provider of wealth.

Secondly, the Lord will bless us with stable homes. Our spouses will be fruitful and faithful (just like vines), and our children will be strong and firm in the Lord (just like olive shoots).


Since I'm getting married soon, I really pray that I will enjoy the blessings described in v3. But the pre-requiste is to fear the Lord and walk in His ways. Lord, teach me!


Things to ponder
1. What does fear of the Lord mean to u personally?
2. What does walking in God's ways mean to u?
3. Pray for yourself to become a man who fears the Lord and walks in His ways.

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.

Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

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

3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

My cell leader challenged us to memorize this wonderful psalm (one of my favourites!). And yes, I will do it after memorizing Psalm 1.

Psalm 127 reminds us to enthrone Jesus in all that we do. Verse 1 and 2 reminds us the futile efforts of man when we do not involve God in our lives. How often we try to do things with our own strength? I'm definitely guilty as charged.

The second part of the psalm reminds us of the importance of the next generation. If brought up properly, they can be used mightily for God's kingdom!


In Wai Mun's cell, we already have about 20 youths. Lord, please teach the leaders (including myself) how to bring up the youths so that they will be able to contend with the kingdom of darkness!


Things to ponder
1. Name two areas of your life that you often rely on your own strength, and not on God.
2. Do you have the heart to be a disciple-maker, and bring up other youths to serve God?
3. Pray and commit yourself to the Lord. Ask Him to give you a heart to be a disciple-maker so that you can live out v3-5.

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

1 When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion,
we were like men who dreamed.

2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."

3 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negev.

5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.

6 He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.

Verse 5 and 6 are the verses that spoke to me clearly.

As you obey God's commands and serve Him with all your heart, there will surely be times when you have to make decisions that cost you something. But because of God's faithfulnesses, He will never short-change you.

He will give you good things beyond what you ask for.

I was once given the chance to represent Singapore in bridge (a card game). It was certainly something of prestige. However, I was also a new cell leader at that time. Honestly, I can't cope with both bridge training and being a good cell leader. One thing had to go.

I made the decision to drop out of the bridge team. It was a difficult decision, but I wanted to concentrate being a good cell leader. Upon looking back, I believe that it was a worthwhile sacrifice. Though I never represented Singapore, I saw the lives of my cell members changed. I think that's all that matters.


I hope that I will always make the decision that will honour God the most.


Things to ponder
1. Have you ever done something that costs you something, but honour God? Tell us more.
2. Make a conscious effort to say YES to God, and NO to the world. Pray and commit to it if you're willing.

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.

3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.

4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.

5 But those who turn to crooked ways
the LORD will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel.

I really like the first verse of this psalm: "Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. " The Chinese idiom that comes to my mind is
稳如泰山 - which means you're as stable as Mount Tai (a famous mountain in China).

When a person trusts God 100%, he will be extremely stable. He will still have bad times in life, but he will learn to see things in God's perspective. He won't be easily shaken by external circumstances. Even the people around him look up to him for strength and stability.

Are you such a person? I'm definitely not. I'm still quite far away. When things sometimes go wrong, I will be in a frenzy, not knowing what to do. But at least, I know that I want to become such a person.


O Lord, help me to become such a person. Help me to trust you with all the things in my life. Help me to turn to You when things go wrong. Help me become a pillar of strength in my family and in my school.


Things to ponder
1. Are you a stable person? Do your emotions run up and down frequently? Rate yourself 1 to 10(10 means most stable).
2. Recall an incident when you really lost your cool and was shakened because something went wrong.
3. With the same incident in mind, what would happen if a person who trusts God 100% went through the same thing as you? How would he have reacted differently?
4. Pray for a desire to become a person who trusts in the Lord 100%

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 If the LORD had not been on our side—
let Israel say-

2 if the LORD had not been on our side
when men attacked us,

3 when their anger flared against us,
they would have swallowed us alive;

4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,

5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.

6 Praise be to the LORD,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.

7 We have escaped like a bird
out of the fowler's snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.

8 Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

If the Lord had not been on my side when I was in NS, when my instructors were prejudiced against me, I would have being injured severly and not be able to pass my specialist course.

If the Lord had not been on my side when I was in NUS, when I was constantly busy doing things to fulfill my selfish desires, I would have become a totally self-centred person.

If the Lord had not been on my side when my grandpa was dying, he wouldn't have given his life to Jesus on his deathbed.


Praise be to God.


Things to ponder
1. Write something similar to the structure of the first half of Psalm 124. You can write one or two paragraphs.

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you whose throne is in heaven.

2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he shows us his mercy.

3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,
for we have endured much contempt.

4 We have endured much ridicule from the proud,
much contempt from the arrogant.

What do you do when your (unreasonable) boss or colleague make nasty/sarcastic remarks at you? Or if you're a student, what do you do when your friends or teacher make unfair/piercing remarks at you?

This is not a perfect world. We're bound to meet people who are not nice. For me, it was during National Service. I met an instructor who would always fault me and punish me. I have another instructor who would physically beat the trainees up.

I wished I had known Jesus then. Because I can do what the psalmist say: to lift my eyes to Jesus whose throne is in heaven. I can find comfort and refuge in Him.


But then again, upon looking back, Jesus was there all along too, even though I didn't know Him then. He protected me from any permanent harm or injury. I even managed to pass the course.


Things to ponder
1. Have you encountered situations when others make hurtful/unfair remarks at you? What happened?
2. How has God helped you in those situations?
3. Pray and forgive the person who have hurt you. Pray also that you will look to Jesus every time you meet not-so-nice people.

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD."

2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, O Jerusalem.

3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.

4 That is where the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
to praise the name of the LORD
according to the statute given to Israel.

5 There the thrones for judgment stand,
the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure.

7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels."

8 For the sake of my brothers and friends,
I will say, "Peace be within you."

9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity.

As we are now in the 2nd focus of the year: Rebuilding and Restoring Relationships, it's really divine that Psalm 122 really talks about doing things together.

For instance, let us go to the house of the Lord - v1; Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem - v2; That is were the tribes go up - v4.

The last two verses also remind us to do things for the sake of our brothers and friends.

The question that comes to my mind is "What can I do to make another brother succeed?"


Pastor YC has laid down 3 simple steps for us.
1. When someone slips, restore him gently.
2. When someone is overloaded, carry each other's burden.
3. Everyone has to do his part.


Things to ponder
1. How is your r/s with the rest of the members in the cell? Rate 1 to 10 (10 means very good).
2. Can you think of some things you can do to bless another brother/sister?
3. Pray and ask God for a heart to make your cell brother/sister succeed.