Tough love part 2; Empty Words

Heyloooo little people! (:

Today wasn't exactly the best of days. Just a long long train of bad bad stuff that happened and just... Urgh. Whatever. I'm over moping and whining. Was quite happy when Chin Hooi (my long time best guy friend) said he noticed how mature I've become bcos usually by now I'd be bawling my eyes out for all the crap that happened today... But nope! I'm new and improved now! Hehe!

I'm back for a short (correction after writing the post: FREAKING LONGGGGG) entry on some insight I gained over the weekend and just a few hours ago.

Here are a few tweets I tweeted during Pastor Kim's sermon. (I know I shouldn't be using my phone during sermon but I guess sharing "sermon notes" is a legit enough reason? LOL)

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

- James 2:18

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

- Matthew 5:46-47

Not the most popular verses in the Bible. You almost NEVER hear them in mighty huge evangelical meetings and rallies. I THINK the last time I heard a sermon revolving around themes like these that struck me so hard was in one of my favorite sermon by Pastor Ng back in SSMC on Tough Love a couple of years back. (Checked my blog history and realised I did actually blog about it. Click here to read that old entry. Gosh! Keeping a regularly updated blog DOES have its pros! It's like I'm stalking "me" in the past!)

I think The Good Samaritan is probably one of the most famous parable ever and thanks to Children Church and taking Bible Knowledge in SPM, I know it pretty well and I thought I knew what the story really meant. Haha! But it wasn't till Pastor Kim explained that the point of the parable was to set an example for us to give and give and GIVE until we have nothing. Give until we're stripped off of what we have. What a tough message to receive! My heart was literally pounding in my chest... I know what you're thinking... "So kua zhang meh?" I'm not kidding. It certainly wasn't the easiest message to listen to.

Pastor Kim further stressed his point by quoting this passage in the Bible.

And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

- Matthew 5:40-42

The first thought that came to my mind when I saw this verse flash onto the screen at church yesterday was, "So now we're supposed to give till we've got nothing and not mind being taken advantage of?" which was pretty weird cos this certainly wasn't the first time I read that verse in the Bible but I guess I needed that sort of resistance in my heart in order for it to get right with God again.

I remember that my daddy used to tell me from time to time that we shouldn't be afraid of being taken advantage of as long as we fear God and are doing the right thing in God's sight! Sometimes I find the things my daddy let SOME people do to him or say about him really unacceptable but he never retaliated. Don't get me wrong. My dad isn't one to be pushed around. I found what he said rather silly (though being the good little daughter, I didn't say anything against it. HAHAHA!) but I just accepted it as it is though I hardly put it to practice. I'm just not the type of person who likes being taken advantage of... But Matthew 5:40-42 just slapped me in the face... Twice. Good tight slap too. Totally needed it. Haha!

It is without a doubt a blessing and a privilege to be a child of God. But unlike privileges on earth that make our life "easier", this privilege of being a believer is not AT ALL easy. It's practically humanly impossible to alter our selfish nature (e.g. in letting people take advantage of us) without intervention from God. It's just impossible!

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

- 2 Corinthians 12:9

Thank God for that ever-comforting promise that His grace is always sufficient!

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John posted up a link to 2 sermons by John F. McArthur in our sf group page. Thank you, both Johns! Hehe! I listened to "Empty Words" and it really pushed me into deep deep thought. Pastor Kim's sermon in church yesterday was a tough enough message to hear. Totally on a "roll" here!

We had a short discussion on Thursday about this part of the parable of the sower.

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

- Matthew 13:20-21

Once saved, forever saved. Definitely! But what do we consider "saved"? Totally stumped me there. -_-

There was one part in that sermon that really stood out!

"And who is going to live under the delusion that because you sign a line on a survey that says you're a born again Christian you really are a born again Christian. Certainly Jesus is saying many of those who think they're in aren't in and only a few are. This is the ultimate delusion people. You could be deluded about a lot of things but to be deceived about whether you're a Christian that's really getting at your eternal destiny. And so Jesus says you better check it very carefully."

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [says Jesus]

- Matthew 7:21

Nobody likes to be beaten up. Everyone loves to be encouraged and be told that "Everything's going to be alright" or "Don't you worry about that!" or "I don't think that's going to happen!" but how many of us TRULY know that for sure?

During communication skills tutorials to prepare us for patient interviews in our hospital visits, we were taught again and again by the tutor never to say things like that to patients. The tutor calls it "false reassurance" and I think there isn't a more apt way of putting it! To be frank, if the consultant doctors aren't even sure whether the patient is going to respond well to treatments today then fall terribly ill the next day, WHAT MORE do we first year medics know? The tutor did also mention how awfully TEMPTING it can be to offer words of reassurance to the patient or the patient's family BUT it ultimately doesn't do any good because it puts the patients' families in a state of shock when their supposedly recuperating family member suddenly falls really ill or even dies. The patients' family might even accuse you of (again) falsely reassuring them!

I remember an episode in season 1 of House where Dr. Allison Cameron offered false reassurance to a lesbian couple about their newborn baby's illness. She refused to be up front with the couple and reassured them their baby was going to be fine (I don't remember her exact words and cba to find that episode in my removable disk). But when the baby dies, she couldn't tell them about it and had to have another doctor step in to break the bad news.

This is EXACTLY what the medical school is aiming to avoid with all these communication skills tutorials telling us not to say supposedly NICE things.

WikiAnswers explains "false reassurance" in the simplest way:

"A pleasant lie. It most often means telling sick people that they're doing good when they're not. That is almost always a bad idea."

Lie. Harsh word innit! But isn't that exactly what it is? John F. McArthur puts it very nicely into the Christian context for us.

So what are you waiting for? Click HERE to listen to "Empty Words". It is rather long but I guarantee you will not regret it! So click click click! (:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

- Matthew 7:13-14

GP visit tmr and I don't wanna look like a zombie in front of the patient and GP... So goodnight all! x