I am the wick...

Welcome to my blog! As you can see this is my first post and I will begin by talking about where my username "Lampstand By The Fire" came from and talk a little bit about the picture I have at the side of my blog titled "Stirring the Waters".

The link I have provided is the website where I got my information; it is from
All Nations Bible Study Resource Center.


They have done an in depth study about the Lampstand and its representation of Christ in the Bible. The lampstand was more than just a way to give light to a room.

They state, "Ex. 25:38 "Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold." Why the wick trimmers? God must have anticipated trouble with the wicks. The lampstand is Christ the oil and the fire are symbolic of the Holy Spirit, but the wick is representative of us the believers. We as the wicks were to be submerged, literally baptized, in the Holy Spirit and set ablaze by His fire. The fire does not go to the oil but to the wick. Unfortunately the wick is always the cause of the problem. As it burns, it chars and no longer allow the oil to flow to the flame. This introduces impurities. It no longer matters that the lampstand is pure gold, that the oil is pure olive oil, and that the fire is God's fire, for the wick is now impure because it is charred, and instead of light, it gives off smoke and odor. That is why we have the golden tongs to cut off the charred portion and to lift the wick up to a fresh relationship between the oil and the fire. As on the day of Pentecost the Spirit comes to them, the fire comes upon them, and the oil flows through them. But unless the wick of the humanity is kept clean and held in right relationship to the oil and the fire, there will be far more smell and smoke than light. If pride elevates the wick too high, the flame will not burn correctly; too much smoke. If self-depreciation causes the wick to lower itself too low, it will either extinguish the flame or cause it to burn so impurely that more odor than light is produced. It is the untrimmed individual who is causing all the smoke and smell. If the goal is to burn, then it doesn't matter whether we get trimmed or not. But if the goal is to radiate His light, it does matter. Remember that the instructions for the lampstand was to "shed its light before the Lord" (Ex. 40:25).  "

(I have added the emphasis on the certain areas of the paragraph. To see the full message please go to the link provided.)

So, my username I have chosen, Lampstand by the Fire, is talking about a continual burning of Christ and His Holy Spirit annointing in us Christians. I heard preached in a sermon years back that the Lampstand in the temple was not allowed to go out 24/7. It had to be continually, around the clock, trimmed and properly tended to in order for it to never die out. I think about how God is continually working in us and 'perfecting' us Christians throughout our walk before Him. He is continually watching over us, helping us, trimming off the old just right so that we radiate His glory! WOW!

Now, about the picture I have up at the side of my blog, the painting I have titled, "Stirring the Waters". There is more inspiration to the painting I have done than just the Scriptures but for certain reasons, I will share the other half of the inspiration. Now, if you read John 5:3-4 it talks about the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. The Scripture states, "In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had." (KJV) I believe God is wanting to move in a powerful way through His church and he is preparing us. He is going to stir the waters and we have to be watching. You think about these precious people gathered around this pool...they weren't just standing or laying around chatting; they had to keep their constant focus upon the water, watching with expectation for the moving of God to come. If they took their focus away for even a minute, they could miss it. We need to be continually focused upon the Lord and what He is doing and when He begins to move we will be ready and the moving of the waters will come upon us.

These two things lead into the next Scriptures I will talk about in Matthew 25 talking about the 10 virgins.