We have many beautiful churches, anointed and inspired  speakers, loving, caring  people.    Good fellowship,  wonderful ministries, great plans and intentions.  (so your church is growing daily,  right?)

If it is, praise God, quit reading and get back to work.  If not, maybe the Lord has shown me something worth praying about.

Sadly, what most  churches are missing is the power of God.   We can preach, teach and even show the love and care of God.

We feed the hungry, clothe the poor, give soup, soap and Salvation.  (thank you Salvation Army).

Oh, we see some prayers answered,  some folks comforted, even some of the sick healed.  Others we cannot seem to touch.  I’ve considered several reasons.

1.  Our  life is to blame
(we don’t walk in obedience).

2.  We need to fast and pray
(humble ourselves).

3.  We  don’t truly believe

After all Jesus said we would do even greater things then He did and he healed all that were afflicted,  raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, the lame walked. “If we would only believe,  we could move mountains”.

Lord Jesus,  if we were just walking in these truths the world would be won for you….but we have failed.

The Question is WHY?

Certainly we can blame the reasons listed above and not be wrong,  but I believe the answer is deeper still.  If we look at Mark 6 we find Jesus in His home town.

He heals a few sick (His words) and marvals at their unbelief. While they seem to think it is marvelous work.

When in Bible School (early 1980’s), Benny Hinn would come for a week at a time.

We would be amazed at the mighty works that Jesus preformed through him but he never healed them all.

Some left untouched,  hurting, discouraged, disappointed.

One answer:   501c 3s

When we started giving receipts, became tax exempt. …allowed ourselves to be muzzled about the problems in our country,  we gave the power to edit Gods word and will.

Think I’m way off, out of line, maybe out of my mind?

When the tax man came to Peter what happened?

What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?  Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.  Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Later in answer to Pharisees,  Jesus said:

Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.

We need to treat the church like the filling staition down the street.   Fix whats wrong, fill folks with the Holy Spirit and after expenses,  pay the tax man.

Give  control of His Church back to Him.  God did miracles so that:

Isaiah 41:20
That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

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.WE NEED TO BECOME FILLING STATIONS.

My father owned what was then called a Filling Station or a garage, a place you brought your car for fuel and repairs.

It was originally called Bob’s Fix-it Shop because when he started, he fixed lawn mowers, toasters, boat engines, cars, farm equipment even toys.  He did everything from changing tires and oil, windshield wipers and ball joints to welding broken parts.

He hoped and expected to see you regularly to fill your car with gas, (full service, ck oil, tires, wash windows, pump fuel).  When you broke down, he would tow your car to the shop and do the  repairs that were needed.

He built a very successful business, eventually changing the name to Cote’s Garage when my brother joined him in his work. I worked there through high school but unlike my brother I hated it and didn’t understand engines. I only pumped gas, fixed tires, did a few brake jobs….I was pretty much useless.

We often discribe church as a hospital. That implies sickness, broken bones, contagious desease. A long recovery time. That isn’t how our Lord operated.

He fixed you now…when you met him. You may have had to go wash, or present yourself somewhere but it was almost immediate recovery of sight, walking and leaping, you were clean, go and sin no more. Receive ye the Holy Spirit.

Today we allow ourselves to wallow in our sins and troubles. Jesus would have us repent, turn from our wicked ways, be filled with the Word and the Spirit and Walk in the Light. Lifting up Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith.

Then we would have success in drawing all men to Him. If we are always recovering it’s all about us…..We Need To Make It ALL ABOUT JESUS.

Believe by His stripes we are healed, go about praying for the sick, feeding the hungry, giving living water to those who thirst. …preaching the acceptable year of the Lord.

Forget the church/hospital idea……WE NEED TO BECOME FILLING STATIONS.

Help us Lord to be useful vessels.

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JESUS’ FIX-IT SHOP

As a piano technition, one of the first things I had to learn was how to hear and distinguish beats. All of the keys on a piano move a hammer to strike strings to produce sound.  At the bass end, the hammers just hit one string.

As you move up the keyboard,  left to right, the hammers then hit two and for the majority of the keyboard three strings per note.

When I tune I start by tuning the C above middle C to vibrate at 523.3 cps (cycles per second). Than middle C and the C below all beatless.

Beatless is a pure sound,  not jerky or wavy.  Then we set the Temperment of the piano.  The two octaves in the middle, by listening to the different beats of 3rds, 5ths, 4ths, minor 3rds, octaves ect.

Sounds complicated dosn’t it?  There are also many adjustments,  regulations and repairs that may need to be done.

You can learn the process quite quickly but it takes years of practice to do reliable, acceptable work.

There are some pianos that can not be saved.  Sometimes people have played on and in the same keys for years, not tuning or adjusting for wear.

Suddenly,  the adjustments won’t adjust.  The instrument needs more work than it is worth, when it should of lasted years longer.

That is what dismays me….I can’t save them all.

Jesus can save us all.  If we are in His Word daily, the regular maintenance and regulations are updated as required.  We find His peace and comfort, guidance and direction are ever present.

If we don’t allow him access on a regular basis….we may find the repair we need takes longer, it may be painful, it may have to be repeated until we are running smoothly and have learned to listen.

Jesus dosn’t want us to spend years recovering from our trials and struggles.   He made new eyes out of clay, raised the dead, cleaned up lepers…..

I believe he can fix the most stubborn of us and our problems, if we just keep up the regular maintenance sessions with Him.

Ask Him to fill up your Spiritual  tank and keep on serving Him.  He healed all that were afflicted. …He will heal you too.

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Hospital or Fix-it Shop?

I heard it again today, the church is a hospital where the sick and hurting go to nurse their wounds and recover.

Horse feathers! !!

If we want the church (Christian people), to grow in the Lord we need to quit nursing and heal them.  Jesus wasn’t a nurse, He was a healer.    He said we would do even more than He.

The Fix-it Shop Church would be more like Jesus:  He repaired the lame, gave sight to the blind, cleansed the leaper, stopped the issue of blood, raised the dead.  We have the gifts of the Spirit,  if we would only learn to operate in them.

Most of the time He touched them and they were healed.   Some touched the hem of His garment and  were healed.  Others were touched by the shadow of an Apostle for their healing.  According to your measure of Faith.  He healed all that were afflicted.

” Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.”

It wasn’t often they had to do more than accept the gift of God.   It happened now….almost immediately,  no long recovery times.  When Jesus touched you, you were changed.  We need to know ourselves and be able to teach others how to touch the hem of His garment.

( but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.)

Now I know, you who are in the trenches, don’t really want my input but if you’ve read this far, please hear me out. I believe I have the mind of God in this. (Lord forgive me).

The Jewish people read through the Law and Prophets every year.  The word gets into their hearts and minds.  I believe that this is why the Apostles had such powerful ministries.  They understood the Old Testament as they lived the New.

Since Jesus did away with the Law of Sin and Death, we no longer teach the Law and Prophets. …we don’t consider it relevant to our walk, when it is the foundation of our truly knowing Jesus.

If I were to Pastor again, Sunday morning I’d preach up a storm.  Sunday night I would go through the New Testament chapter and verse.

I would study the Word and teach the  revelation I received.

I would do the same mid week with the Old Testament.   I would be careful to try not to relie on other books or studies.

Fresh Manna, gathered and prepared daily is the most fulfilling.

Enoch walked with God and was not, because God took him.   His name means:  dedicated; disciplined.

We need to be dedicated and disciplined so we can pass it on to others.  Then maybe we can have a Fix-it Shop Church.

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Your Church, Fix-it or Filling Station?

I have learned that at different times in my Walk with God I need different things.   When I was first saved I needed to be fixed.   My mind, body  and spirit were tuned to the worlds ways.  I needed a Spiritual tune up.

The Lord gave me a clean heart, a discerning Spirit,  the Peace that passes understanding,  the Comfort of the Holy Ghost.   A clean slate, I was forgiven.  Have you been forgiven?

Now we have decisions to make,  will we continue to fill ourselves with the things of God or let the world creep back and gain control of our  life once again.

If our only contact with the Lord is on Sundays,  then we need and probably attend a Fix-it  Church.    We are continually broken,  sick, depressed,  no joy, no victory,  certainly no peace.

We are not alone, most Church people fall into this category.   We love the Lord but never realized there is more available.

A Fix-it Shop Church preaches The Cross and Salvation, Love, obedience, fruit, feeding the hungry,  clothing the needy, loving the unlovable.   All excellent things, Godly things, just not filling things.

We need a Filling Station Church.  Now a Filling Station Church will challenge us to grow.  We find ourselves asking questions,  searching the scriptures.

Intellectually,  systematically, deliberately moving through the word, Old and New till we have studied to be approved,  workmen,  rightly dividing the word of truth.

We will not know this with just Sunday services.  It takes a real commitment to the Lord.  A desire that grows as a relationship matures.

Expecting a miracle, knowing God is.   Knowing that Jesus is truly alive in our hearts and minds.  Wanting to obey,  follow and embrace the Way of the Lord.

If you aren’t desiring a closer relationship with our Lord,  you need to set your face like flint towards the Lord and ask Him for that desire.

Ask Him to show you the way to a Filling Station Church.

I pray we would be filled.

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