Daily Bible Reading Show

Pai Tee Kong is a celebration of the Jade Emperor’s birthday. Significantly, this falls on the ninth day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, a date so momentous for the Hokkien Chinese that they claim it as the “proper” start to their New Year. Offerings of food and incense are laid out on a makeshift altar made up of two tiers of red benches - the lower for roasted meats, while the upper level, symbolising the elevated status of heaven, consists of vegetarian dishes to be consumed by the deity also known as the God of Heaven (Pai Tee Kong is Hokkien for “Worshipping the God of Heaven”). Additionally, two stalks of sugar cane are tied to each end of the altar.

Hokkien Chinese believe this was the day that the Jade Emperor saved their descendants from death in the Fujian province of China. Located along the coast of the South China Sea, their villages were subject to regular attacks by pirates back in the 16th Century. In one particularly vicious raid, the villagers were forced to flee into the sugarcane forests, where they waited and prayed for God’s help to save them. When it was finally safe to leave, the villagers realised it coincided with the birthday of the Jade Emperor. And so the legend goes.

Live talk at SPTC

For Advent talk at SPTC

Like when Park Seo-Joon arrived in Malaysia last year, he came to KLIA, and thousands and thousands of people were waiting at the airport for the Advent, not of Jesus Christ, but of Park Seo-Joon.

But imagine, what if one month before Park Seo-Joon arrived, you were at the airport? He’s not there yet, but you are waiting for him. That’s crazy, right.

But that’s Advent for us as Christians. 

Because one month before December 25th, we are waiting for Oppa Jesus. It’s a whole season of waiting.

And the question is: Why? Why start so early?

19 min on Judges 19

Part 1

Practice run for chapel talk at Bible college

Practice run for CF Talk

Lydia becomes a double agent. Calvin disagrees with everything. And Fern doesn't feel called to plant a church.

So I asked my lecturer for permission to write an essay on the closing chapters of Judges for two reasons - 1) I don't think I've ever heard a sermon series on these chapters and 2) they are really really strange and maybe quite depressing and even quite violent!