The Stars & The Candles

 Stars are luminous celestial creations, candles are earthly luminaries too when lit.

Stars are heavenly lights while candles are earthly lights.

There are different glories, there is a glory of the heavens and a glory of the earth.

Stars light up and beautify the heavens while candles light up and beautify the earth in homes and spaces where they are lit.

We put candles on lampstands to hold the candle firmly which provides safety and dignity to the presence of the candle.

The creator is the God of heaven and earth.

Stars and candles are used as symbols in the scripture, both have been used to represent people of faith, who are the children of Abraham and followers of Christ.

Stars are also associated with angels, as angels are called stars.

The head of a church is also called a star according to the scripture.

There is a link between Jesus Christ, His holy angels, his church assembly/body as lights.

Jesus is described as walking in between seven lampstands.

These lampstands are later revealed as the seven churches (not individuals) but church body/assembly that Jesus sent letters to.

These were the churches of Asia Minor.

There are erroneous beliefs and doctrines out there that we have to be careful about regarding what the church assembly or body is and it's place in our present world.

 There are is a belief that the individuals are the church once we have given our lives to the Lord.

Which is true because we are the temple of God's Spirit.

Some misuse and misapply this revelation.

While there is truth to this belief, the downside of it is that the enemy has used misguided people who are not well schooled in scriptures to run off on a tangent by discrediting the role and place of the local church assembly, they undermine the gathering of God's people.

They tell us church attendance is not necessary anymore and we can pray in our homes individually because each Christian is the church!

They downplay the role of Pastors, the role of coming together as a church body or assembly, they forget that was the example our Lord showed us by going to the temple to share fellowship regularly which we know the Savior was doing from the age of twelve at the least.

They forget the scriptures encourage us to meet and not forsake sharing fellowship as a church, more so as the day of the Lord is fast approaching, the coming of Jesus Christ to rapture His saints.

They forget the church as an assembly and body was important to Jesus Christ, they forget that He arranged leadership and structure for His church through the Holy Spirit by giving the local church her church fathers or early leaders.

Such people forget Jesus Christ Himself handpicked the Apostle Paul on the Damascus road, and used him to establish churches.

Under the guidance of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul penned letters to the churches, often times in discomfort and chains while he was in prison.

 Many of those letters are part of the New testament in the Bible today.

The writing of letters to the churches by Paul the Apostle was very much like what God got John the Revelator to do on the island of Patmos.

So God cares about the local church assembly!

The assembly, fellowship, and coming together of God's people is part of His plan, will and purpose and it always will be.

Jesus walks among the seven golden lampstands, signifying to us the presence of Jesus is always in His church, His presence is among His people when they come together to call upon His Name!

There were seven stars in the hands of Jesus Christ as we are informed from the book of Revelation.

Seven is the number of Jesus and it represents perfection.

Jesus Christ perfects everything that concerns His church, as individuals and as an assembly.

Seven symbolically, informs us the church is not meant to stay down but will be resurrected, the church will not be defeated but will rise in victory, the church will not be overcome by sin or enemies but will rise in triumph.

The number seven has very important and powerful meanings to us.

Seven is the number associated with the church of Jesus Christ.

We are told from the scriptures the stars are the angels or messengers of the seven churches in Asia Minor.

Why were they in the hands of Jesus and not anywhere else or any other part of His body?

It is with the hand we deliver messages, it is with the hand we write letters, messages or teachings the Lord inspires us to scribe or document.

Our hand(s) play a crucial role in guiding, directing and pointing people in the way they should go.

The stars being in the hands of Jesus, represents those sent by the hand of Jesus, sent with a message of Jesus, sent with the Spirit of Jesus.

They are Pastors for Jesus, they are stars in Jesus's hand, helping to shepherd God's people as inspired by the Lord.

As the star of Bethlehem guided the wise men to the location of Jesus and they worshipped Him, God's human stars today guide people today to the feet of Jesus!

The are the messengers of Jesus leading a church assembly work for the Lord.

They are human angels of God, messengers of God, over a church or assembly for God.

Some will manifest as Prophets, some as Apostles, some as Teachers and some as Evangelists.

Paul the Apostle was a star in the hand of Jesus Christ!

He was called by Jesus, chosen by Jesus, commissioned by Jesus, to be an Apostle who also turned out to be one of the greatest evangelists in church history.

There is a link between the stars and the candles, just as we have similarities.

Both must shine.

Both of them must have the presence of Jesus Christ.

Both have regions they operate in.

Stars are above and are of the heaven, lampstands provide light on the earth.

Stars operate in the heaven and lampstands function on earth holding up fire, light, candles.

The stars are in the hands of the Lord.

Power is also demonstrated through the hand by lifting, carrying, executing, pushing or hitting.

The star (the messenger of Jesus Christ) must be under the hand of Jesus- His authority, covering and power.

With the star the Lord makes known and executes.

We are inscribed into the palm of His hand.

The seven stars or messengers of Asia Minor were in the hands of Jesus!

That is where I am in Christ Jesus!

The stars musts shine and the candles must shine.

The star lights up the candle with celestial knowledge- teachings, messages and communication from heaven.

It is the message of the kingdom of heaven.

While the candle remains lit by the star and continues to shine as the star continues to minister to the candle.

The star (Pastor/messenger) benefits the candle (the church assembly) while the the candle also benefits the star.

Both glorify God, both honor Jesus Christ.

The star shines through Jesus Christ.

If the star doesn't shine it is no use to the candle.

If the candle is not shinning something is wrong with the star.

The star prays for the candle and the candle prays for the star.

The Apostle Paul prayed for the churches, visited them, wrote to them and he expected the churches to pray for him

It is a heaven and earth relationship in a sense.

"Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"

The star takes what is of heaven and enlightens the candle, in so doing; the candle is lit.

The star follows the leading of the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit.

In doing so, the star remains in the hands of Jesus!

The Holy Spirit takes what is of God (heaven) and reveals it to us (people of God on the earth)

There are things the Holy Spirit will tell you personally, there are things He will tell you through the scriptures, and there are things He will tell you through His servants (His stars) or any other human being.

The stars brightness is through the hands of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is also referred to as the hand of God.

We shine by the Holy Spirit, the hand of God.

The candles remains on its lamp stand and shines all over the earth.

The body of Christ must shine, the local church must shine, the sons of God (individuals) must shine.

The seven lampstands are symbolic of redemption.

The church assembly is rooted in redemption, a product of redemption.

Redemption is precious and golden in the sight of God.

Our redemption was purchased by the blood of His Son.

The church as an individual and assembly is powered in redemption.

The local church should manifest redemptive dignity.

The Lord had made a promise to Abraham that his descendants will be like the stars of heaven.

As the heavenly and earthly body and family of Jesus Christ, we shine in heaven and on earth!

"Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches"

“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands"