A fool uttereth all his mind—Proverbs 29:11   Nothing gets us into more trouble than the tongue! It can be used for something terrible or terrific. Sadly most folks use it for the former way. They just can’t seem to keep their mouth shut. How we use it depends on what is in the heart. That’s why some have called it “The barometer of the soul”.   If there is an ounce of honesty in us we have to admit that we’ve said things we shouldn’t–things we’ve regretted. Right? But some folks just keep doing it again and again. They never seem to learn.   It’s common to hear people say,”I’m thinking it. I might as well say it”, or “I’m the kind of person who says what he thinks”. Well, maybe you need to change what you’re thinking or maybe you’re not the kind of person you ought to be. I don’t doubt that these people are telling the truth, but why would they admit it? The only good reason I know of is if they are confessing their sin. It’s sure not something they ought to brag about.   If this is a problem area in your life, here’s some verses you need to consider: Proverbs 10:19 “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Proverbs 17:27-28 ” He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise; and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. THINK ABOUT IT!

But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.–Job 23:10

It’s a well-known fact that many people have become successful by compensating for personality or physical flaws. Winston Churchill, for example, stuttered as a youth yet became a great orator. Glenn Cunningham was so badly burned as a boy it was thought he would never walk again. He became, however, one of the world’s great milers. George Bernard Shaw was so painfully shy that he found it difficult to talk with anyone. But Shaw forced himself to join organizations where he would have to speak before audiences. In each of these situations, it was the fiery trials that brought out the best in the person.

As Job looked at the tests that God allowed in his life, he did not despair. Instead, he saw them as the instruments that would be used to bring about good. He knew that as the heat of a fiery furnace was needed to remove the dross from precious metal, so it took the cleansing flames of affliction to remove thoroughly the impurities from his life. He was confident that he would come forth not as a burned-up cinder but as a nugget of purest gold.

God is not in the demolition business, but He does run a refinery. His purpose is not to destroy but to purify. The burning difficulties that test us are designed to remove the dregs that hinder us from serving Him with clean hands and a pure heart. He seeks not to ruin us but to increase our value. His desire is to separate from us anything that would detract from our worth and make us ever more useful in service to Him.

If you are in the fiery furnace of affliction, take heart. God’s hand is on the thermostat. He will allow the heat to do no more than remove the impurities. As you go in mixed with the dregs of this world, you will come forth pure and refined.——By Woodrow Kroll

……Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.–Luke 12:1   Many professing Christians fail to practice what they preach. They say one thing and do another. They talk one way and walk another. That grieves our Lord deeply.   A.W. Tozer addressed this issue more than 50 years ago–it would do us good to think about it. He wrote:

Many Christians love foreign missions who cannot bring themselves to love foreigners. They pray tenderly for the colored man in Africa but they cannot stand him in America. They love the Chinese in Hong Kong and are willing to give generously to send someone to convert him, but they never try to convert him when he is in a laundry on Main Street. They wear a flower to honor mother on her day, but she is too much of an inconvenience to be welcome in the home, so she is shunted from place to place till she is so sick and weary that she can be sent at last to a nursing home to await the end.

I am well aware that this kind of thinking is branded as “negative” or “cynical” and that most Christians are not willing to face up to it. It was so also in the time of Christ’s earthly ministry. Israel wallowed in unreality. The lives of the priests and people did not support their words. They talked a good life and lived a bad one. Our Lord could not abide the artificial and the unreal. Pretense was offensive to Him wherever He found it and He said so plainly. The consequence of His plain talk is known to the ages.

I believe that there are a few Christians even in these degenerate days who want reality more than they want consolation and who would rather hear disturbing truth than comforting error. They want to know exactly where they stand now while they can do something about it. They are willing to believe the worst about themselves and the best about the saving power of Christ. These do not need to take refuge in fancy. They will soon find reality.

I once read the story of a little boy who was diagnosed with lung cancer. He
struggled with doctors appointments, testing, and treatments. He didn’t
understand what was happening, but his mother assured him everything would be
okay. After the doctors exhausted all options, they informed his mother there
was nothing more they could do for the boy; he was headed downhill quickly.
The doctors then explained that with lung cancer, the boy’s lungs would fill
with fluid, and would drown him. They explained that the boy would be
frightened, feel pain, and feel a loss of oxygen. Not wanting to scare the
boy anymore than he already was, the mother did not pass on this news to the
little boy, but instead gave him some advice, “When you feel like you can’t
breathe, I want you to listen very closely for the bells of Heaven.”

The boy’s condition worsened and one morning the mother knew the end was
near. A nurse was beside the boy’s bed, checking his vital signs, when the
boy said, “I hear bells. I hear them, Mom.” The nurse then commented, “In the
last stages of cancer, it’s not uncommon for him to begin hearing things that
aren’t really there.” “Oh no,” replied the mother, “he really hears the
bells. I told him that whenever he felt the worst, to listen for the bells of
Heaven calling him home.”

This mother knew that her son would face adversity beyond what she had ever
experienced. She understood the pain and discomfort associated with his
condition. Yet rather than giving into the gloom, she focused her son’s eyes
on Heaven and reminded him of his soon-to-be new home.

Pain hits all of us at some point in life. Perhaps it’s the painful loss of a
family member. Or maybe it’s a trial of momentous proportions. Or perhaps
it’s even a health trial that hits us personally. Whatever the pain and
heartache, God has made one thing clear: we have a home in Heaven waiting for
those of us who are saved.

This world is not our home; we are just passing through. God commands us not
to store our treasure on this earth, not to become too attached to the things
of earth, and not to live for the present; because our real home comes after
this life is over, after the pain ends, and after we enter the presence of
our Saviour.—

The devil would like you to focus on the problems, trials, pains, and
difficulties of this world. But God promises in John 14 that a better world
is waiting for you-a world of no pain, suffering, tears, heartache, and sin.
Everything is perfect.

Where is your focus today? Is it on the problems of this world? Don’t become
so consumed with this world that you forget about the joys of the next. God
tells us that this world will pass away, but we will enjoy Heaven for all
eternity.

Take a few moments right now to think about Heaven. What will it be like to
walk down streets of gold? Who will you see there? What stories will be told
by the saints who have gone on before? What will your mansions look like?
Even the wildest dreams of Heaven cannot match the glory God has waiting for
those who are saved. Thank God that this world isn’t home! Thank Him today
that even when things get bad, you still have the hope of living with Him for
all eternity. By Paul Chappell

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”–1 Thess.5:18   Someone said,” The foundation of gratitude is the expectation of nothing.” I believe there is a better way to look at it. As a child of God I do expect some things–the Bible teaches us to do so.As we yield ourselves to God’s will we can expect that He will supply all our needs (Matt.6:33).We should expect that, and we should be thankful for it. There’s nothing wrong with expecting God to keep His promise—there is something wrong if we don’t. God is honored when we trust Him.   The best way to develop a grateful heart is to realize that we don’t deserve anything–we really don’t! Think about it this way—Those who don’t deserve anything should be thankful for everything. That way our gratitude is rooted and grounded in grace. How can we not be grateful when we realize that everything we have is the result of God’s grace? No one is earning their way with God–nobody! “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father–“(James 1:17).   As long as we think we deserve more, bigger, and better we will fail to be grateful. When we understand that we are just sinners saved by grace, deserving of hell, it is much easier to accept what God allows and to appreciate what God provides. Although we are totally undeserving, we are joint-heirs with Christ.Be thankful! If God never did anything but save us from hell we would have no reason to complain.