12月19日
注意什麼？
我來，並不是叫地上太平，乃是叫地上動刀兵。（太十34）
若有人的遭遇令你覺得神是冷酷無情的，不要對這人表示同情。神比想像中更柔和，他有時讓我們經歷艱難，是為我們的好處。人若不能通達主前，是由於他藏著不肯放下的東西－－“我承認有錯，但我不打算放棄它。”對這樣的人是不需要同情的：即使他們憎惡敵擋我們的信息，也要直斥其非。人都愛神的祝福，可是卻不肯接受那些命中要害的東西。
神若是使用你作他的僕人，你的信息就該不通融遷就，直指問題根源，否則人就得不著醫治。把信息清楚傳講，使人無可避諱。先從人的本相著手，直到他們發現自己的缺欠，然後舉出主耶穌的榜樣，“我們永遠也不能像耶穌一樣！”你就立即說：“耶穌基督說你必須如此。”“我們怎能如此？”“你不能，除非你有了更新的聖靈。”（路十一13）
先要喚起人的需要，你的信息才生果效。世上千萬人心中沒有神，生活依然快活。我在耶穌未來以先，原是快活的，道德也不差，他來到底做什麼？原來那種快樂平安是建築在錯誤的水平上；耶穌基督來，就是要用刀劍刺透一切不是建基於與他個人關係的平安。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，今天我來到你的面前，願你的美善、恩典和充滿安慰的平安臨到我。願沒有任何風暴、不適或焦慮，觸動你在我生命中和在此處的平安。
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.
