12月19日 注意什么？

我来，并不是叫地上太平，乃是叫地上动刀兵。（太十34）

若有人的遭遇令你觉得神是冷酷无情的，不要对这人表示同情。神比想像中更柔和，他有时让我们经历艰难，是为我们的好处。人若不能通达主前，是由于他藏着不肯放下的东西－－“我承认有错，但我不打算放弃它。”对这样的人是不需要同情的：即使他们憎恶敌挡我们的信息，也要直斥其非。人都爱神的祝福，可是却不肯接受那些命中要害的东西。

神若是使用你作他的仆人，你的信息就该不通融迁就，直指问题根源，否则人就得不着医治。把信息清楚传讲，使人无可避讳。先从人的本相着手，直到他们发现自己的缺欠，然后举出主耶稣的榜样，“我们永远也不能像耶稣一样！”你就立即说：“耶稣基督说你必须如此。”“我们怎能如此？”“你不能，除非你有了更新的圣灵。”（路十一13）

先要唤起人的需要，你的信息才生果效。世上千万人心中没有神，生活依然快活。我在耶稣未来以先，原是快活的，道德也不差，他来到底做什么？原来那种快乐平安是建筑在错误的水平上；耶稣基督来，就是要用刀剑刺透一切不是建基于与他个人关系的平安。

祈祷◆噢，主啊，今天我来到你的面前，愿你的美善、恩典和充满安慰的平安临到我。愿没有任何风暴、不适或焦虑，触动你在我生命中和在此处的平安。

December 19 What To Concentrate On

“I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34

Never be sympathetic with the soul whose case makes you come to the conclusion that God is hard. God is more tender than we can conceive, and every now and again He gives us the chance of being the rugged one that He may be the tender One. If a man cannot get through to God it is because there is a secret thing he does not intend to give up – I will admit I have done wrong, but I no more intend to give up that thing than fly. It is impossible to deal sympathetically with a case like that: we have to get right deep down to the root until there is antagonism and resentment against the message. People want the blessing of God, but they will not stand the thing that goes straight to the quick.

If God has had His way with you, your message as His servant is merciless insistence on the one line, cut down to the very root, otherwise there will be no healing. Drive home the message until there is no possible refuge from its application. Begin to get at people where they are until you get them to realize what they lack, and then erect the standard of Jesus Christ for their lives – “We never can be that.” Then drive it home – “Jesus Christ says you must.” “But how can we be?” “You cannot, unless you have a new Spirit.” (Luke 11:13.)

There must be a sense of need before your message is of any use. Thousands of people are happy without God in this world. If I was happy and moral till Jesus came, why did He come? Because that kind of happiness and peace is on a wrong level; Jesus Christ came to send a sword through every peace that is not based on a personal relationship to Himself.