THE CHURCH IN THE CANDLESTICK 2
(week 04/10)
OLUBI JOHNSON
In our article last week, we saw that the church: individually and collectively can be represented symbolically by the candlestick in the Holy Place in the Tabernacle of Moses that provided light for the priests to ‘eat’ of the shew bread of the Word of God and offer the ‘incense’ of prayer by revelation.
This week, we will see how the candlesticks are to function optimally individually and collectively.
As of now, we have very few functioning individual and corporate candlesticks since many Christians do not have sufficient oil in their lamps (Mt. 25:3) and so are not praying effectively enough to produce a significant measure of the light of the 7 spirits of God in their lives.
Furthermore, on the corporate level there not enough developed or developing 5-fold ministry anointings in operation. So even though the ‘form’ of the candlestick may be in a region, the light of the candlesticks individually and collectively are either very dim or even totally out in some cases, like what the Lord Jesus warned the church at Ephesus (Rev. 2:5) about. For example many Christians do not have the spirit of wisdom and revelation, or of the fear of God operating in and through them to any significant degree.
2 Timothy 3:5 MKJV: having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it; even turn away from these.
Revelation 2:5 MKJV: Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and will remove your lampstand out of its place unless you repent.
Now in this year and decade of 2010 and beyond God is going to change this ‘dark’ situation, hence this teaching and others like that are currently being released into the church.
Individually we get our candlesticks operational by daily praying for humility and the fear of God and so the life of God in sufficient measure, the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, knowledge, understanding, might, counsel and the love of God.
As this is taking place individually, deacons and saints will begin to grow spiritually and develop the 5-fold ministry anointings: it is vital to see that your position in the body (the candlestick) is not static, but dynamic as you grow spiritually.
Overtime some of the 5-fold ministry gifts of the apostle and prophet will grow into maturity and then be sent (Rom.10:15, Acts.13:1-4) and used by God to supply ‘oil’ to other corporate candlesticks in new regions to get them functional.
It is vital to note that this sending and supplying is done primarily spiritually and can be accomplished without even going to a geographical region physically, like Paul did for the church in Rome, through his epistle to them and prayers for them even though he had never been there physically and did not go until at the end of his ministry when he went to testify before the emperor at Rome.
Romans 1:9-13 MKJV: For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you (10) always in my prayers, making request if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come to you. (11) For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to you for the establishing of you. (12) And this is to be comforted together with you by our mutual faith, both yours and mine. (13) But I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that oftentimes I purposed to come to you, and was kept back until the present; that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other nations.
Colossians 2:19 ESV: and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
Observe here in Rom.1:9-13 that Paul was serving with his spirit: his spirit became a conduit pipe through (not from: the power always only comes from God (Ps.62:11)) which the life, power and anointing of God was ministered to the body of Christ: in this instance the church at Rome.
Furthermore, we see from Col.2:19 above that nourishment from the Head (the Lord Jesus) is not given directly to the body but through joints and ligaments: representing our connections with those in positions of leadership and authority like Paul was spiritually connected to the churches at Rome and Corinth (1 Cor. 5:4).
Note that the ‘oil’ that comes to us individually through the ‘olive trees and branches’, supplements (not substitutes for) that which we get from God directly (Jn. 15:5) through our personal fellowship with God, so making the measure of ‘oil’ we have sufficient. Without it our measure of ‘oil’ will not be sufficient and this is the problem with many Christians today who consequently do not have their candlesticks individually (and so as local churches) functioning properly to give sufficient light.
So to receive the supply of ‘oil’ from the ‘olive trees or branches’ that are supplying the corporate candlestick in your region you must:
1. Recognize them by their fruit of the good treasure of the wisdom and knowledge (Lk. 6:45, Col. 2:3, Jer. 3:15) and so have an attitude of high esteem in love (1 Thess. 5:13) and reverence toward them.
2. Start practicing, to subsequently obey properly, the instructions of their teaching from the Word.
3. Give to them of your tithes and offerings so you can reap eternal life and get the revelation knowledge by the light of life you reap of what they are teaching:
Galatians 6:6-8 ESV: One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. (7) Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows that will he also reap. (8) For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
When we give of our tithes and offerings we do not only reap financial and material returns (Lk. 6:38, Mk. 10:30), but probably more importantly we reap spiritual returns: an increased measure of eternal life the light from which gives us revelation and wisdom (Eph. 1:17-18) of the Word we have heard taught causing it to profit us (Heb. 4:2) spiritually.
Proverbs 3:9-10 ESV: Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; (10) then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Proverbs 9:1-2 ESV: Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. (2) She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
Observe here that in this context wine is symbolic of the wisdom of God.
Many Christians do not have light of revelation of the Word of God because like the people at Nazareth did to the Lord Jesus they do not have an attitude of love and reverence for the apostolic and prophetic ministries supplying ‘oil’ to their region and do not give to them of their tithes and offerings.
So they are:
2 Timothy 3:7 MKJV: ever learning and never able to come to the full knowledge of the truth.
You cannot partake of the anointing or ‘oil’ of a developed apostolic and prophetic ministry if you think or speak evil of them:
Mark 6:3-5 MKJV: Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at Him. (4) But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, except in his native-place, and among his own kin, and in his own house. (5) And He could do no work of power there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick ones, He healed them.
Mark 9:39 ESV: But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.
So by receiving ‘oil’ in this manner from God through the ‘olive trees or branches’ supplying ‘oil’ to the corporate church in your region you can start functioning effectively as an individual candlestick and in the corporate candlestick.
As this is done, gradually new fully functional candlesticks will begin to arise in every region of the earth: in every tongue, tribe and kindred so that the earth will be filled the light of God’s Word, discipling every tribe, tongue and kindred and so close the age.
Habakkuk 2:14 ESV: For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
Matthew 24:14 MKJV: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And then the end shall come.
