Jesus Christ, The Mystery Of God

Paul makes it clear in his letter to the Colossians, that Jesus Christ is the mystery of God, in which all treasures are hidden in the form of wisdom and knowledge (see Colossians 2:2-3).
 
Colossians 2:2-3:
2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

The Entry Into The Deeper Understanding Of God's Truth

According to this, it is important to the Father in Heaven that we enter and live in a deeper understanding of His truth, which is Jesus Christ.
 
Therefore, God has instructed His servants to teach and support His people by unlocking the mysteries in Jesus Christ for this time, related to the hidden manna, so that the saints would achieve spiritual maturity which is needed for the coming time.

The Higher Measure Of Revelatory Knowledge

It is essential that we as the people of God move in a higher measure of revelation than we did in the past, according to the message to the church of Pergamon (note: means 'stronghold'). The higher measure of this revelatory knowledge is equal to the 'hidden manna' mentioned in Revelation 2:17b.
 
Revelation 2:17b:
… 17b To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. …

The gift of the hidden manna contains the spiritual nourishment of the 'undiscovered' Word of God, leading people to entering into a new facet of identity in Christ through revelatory knowledge, which has not been known up to the present time (see Revelation 2:17c).
 
Revelation 2:17c:
… 17c I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

This spiritual nourishment means taking up the Word of God in the spirit for this or the coming time, as the seat of the spirit is located in the area of the belly and stomach (see John 6:32-35; Matthew 4:4 i.c.w. John 7:38).
 
John 6:32-35:
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread (note: manna) from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread (note: manna) from heaven.
33 For the bread (note: manna) of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread (note: manna).”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread (note: manna) of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
 
Matthew 4:4:
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
 
John 7:38:
“ … 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

The Manna At The Time Of Moses

While the people of Israel were in the wilderness under the leadership of Moses, it was the manna (note: word => truth), which manifested itself overnight (note: undiscovered) together with the dew (note: revelation => knowledge) on the soil of the desert ground (see Exodus 16:13b-14).
 
Exodus 16:13b-14:
… 13b and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.
14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.

A part of the manna was commanded to be placed in the ark of the covenant by Aaron, which is a representation of Jesus Christ (see Exodus 16:32-33 i.c.w. Hebrews 9:4b).
 
Exodus 16:32-33:
32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’ ”
33 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.”
 
Hebrews 9:4b:
… 4b This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.

So, it becomes very clear that the manna that Jesus Christ gives according to Revelation 2:17b is concealed in Him. Jesus Christ gives His hidden manna to those who are aware of their position as a spiritual principality (note: Pergamon => stronghold) in Him. As a result, the Holy Spirit leads saints to a supernatural understanding of the depths of God through the Holy Spirit, as revealed in 1 Corinthians 2:10-16.
 
1 Corinthians 2:10-16:
… 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.
14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

In connection with that scripture the term 'hidden manna' can also be called 'manna of the Spirit'. It means the things that only the spirit can receive and which cannot be analyzed by the human mind or sense.

The Meaning Of Manna

The Hebrew word for 'manna' literally means => A) 'what' or ' the what' because of the question 'What is it?' of the people of Israel at their time of transition in the wilderness. B) The manna signifies the divine provisions of grace which are demonstrated in the miraculous. C) It also indicates the nourishment that can only come from God. That is why Christ described the manna in John 6:31-58 as nourishment in the Person of Himself. The Bible says that the Lord has fed the Israelites in the desert with manna. D) Manna was considered the food of heaven. As divine nourishment, the manna represented spiritual thoughts and ideals (see Psalm 78:25; Exodus 16; Joshua 5:12). From John 6 we can see that the manna is Jesus Christ. Revelation 2:17 adds that the manna is spiritual in its origin. <= (part excerpt of the 'Prophet's Dictionary' by Paula A. Price, Ph. D.; page 327)
 
The Concealed Manna – The Manna Of The Spirit

Furthermore, the hidden manna also contains the things you can't remember of a dream you had, for example, even though you might have prepared the dream field well. One of the reasons for God's encoding is because these hidden things are meant to make our spirits stronger, similar to what happens when we pray in tongues (see 1 Corinthians 14:2.4a).
 
1 Corinthians 14:2.4a:
2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. …
4a Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, …
 
The Manna Of The Mind

Finally, all other things that we can remember of any sequence of a God given dream serve to interpret them with the Holy Spirit. By this analyzing and interpreting, our mind is submitted to Him (note: Holy Spirit) in order to receive God's spiritual instruction for us in the earthly realm.

The Necessity Of Spiritual Hunger

In summary, it can be said that similar to the procedure of intake of food in the natural, human beings must first have a hunger or appetite for food as a desire in order to being able to willingly take up food. Therefore, it may occasionally be necessary to examine or reflect yourself to realize to what extent you have a spiritual hunger for more of Christ. Maybe you can reflect on the things which slow down such a desire to get more of Christ. As saints, we are called to comprehend the depths of Christ and receive His hidden manna in our spirit with gratitude.
 
Amen and Amen.
 
In His Wisdom,
 
Daniel Glimm

There are many books and written material relating to marriage, choice of spouse and the relationship between man and woman. For some, the large number of recommendations and tips available is confusing and the fact that in our society there is little reference to the Word of God in its current developments does not necessarily make it easier for disciples (note: men and women who follow God's will and the standards of His Word without restriction) to find orientation.

Five Things That Can Help

There are five things that the Word of God emphasizes in relation to men and can help women to focus in their choice and time of preparation for marriage.
This teaching is intended above all to give men the necessary clarity as to what makes them capable of an upcoming relationship, which means marriage with a woman.

The first marriage we find in history can be read in Genesis 2.

Genesis 2:23-25:
23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

First of all, it is important to acknowledge that the first man, the man Adam, was placed in the Garden of Eden, which God had planted. “Eden” is not connected with an idea of an area of trees and plants, but rather includes a framework of divine order. In the original Hebrew text, the word “garden” is translated as “gân” (Strong's H1588), a “garden (fenced)”, which is originally derived from “gânan” and also means “to secure, (generally) protect and defend” (Strong's H1598).
 
The First Step

And when God had put the man into the garden within Eden, he was in the presence of God. So, the first thing God gave the man was His presence – the presence of God, which should be the most important thing in a man's life.

The first thing a man needs is the presence of God and not a woman. And in this presence of God, a man should meet his wife. (note: Surprisingly, there are women who believe that they must first leave the presence of God to find a man in an area of absence of God's presence, whom they must pull out from there to bring them “back” into the presence of God. This approach is difficult and in many cases doomed to failure, which is why it is not recommended.)
 
The Second Step

After the man was placed in the presence of God in the garden, he was instructed to work in it. The man should cultivate and preserve the garden in which he was (see Genesis 2:15).

Genesis 2:15:
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

This clearly shows that God first assigned work to the man before God would entrust a woman to him. According to this, a man first needs a job before he should enter into marriage. This is based on God's priorities, which clearly emerge from the Word.

Next, the mission that God has assigned to the man will be clearly in the task of cultivating what is entrusted to him (note: also care, develop). So, to cultivate herein means to make the best out of something, to be fruitful and productive, to exploit existing potentials and to develop various matters in a positive way with one's own self-efficacy.

The man (note: first man) was created to create and to be creative in order to produce the result he desired or plans to. For this reason, God would not give the man a “finished” or “perfect” woman, because the man is destined by God to “cultivate” what is given to him (note: in this context a woman).

Basically, many men have the idea of a woman who does not yet exist in this structural form. According to this principle of God, the man would be assigned to marry a kind of “unfinished version” in order to cultivate it through his participation and to see this version transformed into the image of his imagination.

This statement implements that some men, who have been married for many years and are dissatisfied with the development of their wives, carry responsibility for this circumstance. At this point it should be noted that Jesus Christ, the Son of God and last Adam (see 1 Corinthians 15:45) is also a “man” in the sense of the word who has a woman. Her name is “ekklēsịa”. And he urges all husbands to love their wives, just as He loves His wife and gives Himself for Her (see Ephesians 5:25).
 
1 Corinthians 15:45:
45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
 
Ephesians 5:25:
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her …
 
The Third Step

The man, following the example and model of Jesus, would wash the woman in the water bath of the Word (see Ephesians 5:26-27) to remove existing blemishes and spots from her and to present her to himself what is connected with her identity.

Ephesians 5:26-27:
… 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
 
In this understanding, wives may lean on their husbands and allow themselves to be “cultivated” by them instead of having the liability of what characterizes them alone. Consequently, here is a practical example to illustrate in more detail what is meant when, for example, men who blame their wives of gaining weight would attract their wives out of bed in the morning before the usual time to go jogging with them. Another example is a woman's dress style, so if her husband doesn't like it (note: or not anymore), he would take her to an adequate selection of shops where she can choose something nice and he would pay for it; or if a woman doesn't have such good English skills, for example, her husband should make sure that she can attend or complete an appropriate course to improve her language skills. …

Men bear responsibility for the development of their women and should not criticize them but promote and support them.

The Fourth Step

Fourth, God instructed the man to guard/preserve the garden (see Genesis 2:15), which means that the man is assigned to protect or to be protector.

Genesis 2:15:
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

The root word of “caring/keeping” is “shâmar” (Strong's H8104), which means among other things “hedge, secure, guard, protect, watch, preserve, observe, protect, save, wait, awake”.

A man should protect and preserve everything that is assigned and belongs to him.
 
Therefore, in order to be able to do this in the will of God, the man was generally given a proportionate stronger bone structure and a larger muscle mass. This was not assigned to the man to use physical strength (note: in the sense of capacity) for any abuse and/or intimidation of women, but to protect the woman.
 
The Fifth Step
 
The last thing God gave the man, Adam, was His word. It was God who first spoke to Adam that he could eat from every tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
 
It is important to realize that God did not talk about this with Eve, the man's wife, but with Adam alone. It was Adam's mission, therefore, to teach his wife and to tell her what God had said.
 
Applied to the relationship between man and woman, this can also mean that there is hardly anything comparable that can cause frustration for women than the words that answer their question “What do you think?” or “What do you have in mind?” (note: in a problem situation or challenge) as “Well, what do you think?” or “What do you think I/we should do?”. Such an action of the man is not what corresponds to the principles of God, which are connected with the responsibility of the man, and therefore will not produce the blessing, which God holds ready for a married couple.
 
A woman wants to be guided – in the divine sense and understanding of God's principles – and support her husband in his project, which means that she is looking for his knowledge, wisdom and instruction. That is one reason why women want to know what men think or have in mind.
 
These principles of God embrace an understanding of authority, so that man is entrusted with much and is therefore in greater responsibility.
 
After God entrusted these things to the first man, he said that it would not be good for him if he were alone. In this, the reader should slow down and pay attention to the Word of God in order to correctly understand the context in the text of Genesis 2. It says that God watched this Adam, to whom He had previously entrusted and instructed much, walking in his life and finally decided that it was not good for this man (note: “such one”, in the sense of there was not another one) that he should live alone.
 
The Five Things To Keep In Mind
 
In summary, this procedure of God means that a man who
  1. is in the presence of God,
  2. works,
  3. has the ability to cultivate,
  4. has the ability to preserve/protect,
  5. has the ability to “teach” and apply the Word of God,
should NOT REMAIN ALONE.
 
On the other hand, it means that if men do not like God's presence (note: do not dwell in it), are unable to do decent work, and are financially unable to take care of the competencies of (note: to be able to promote, support oneself and others), as well as to give protection, cannot show and neither know nor successfully apply the Word of God, it may be better for them to remain alone (see Proverbs 18:22 i.c.w. Proverbs 12:4a).
 
Proverbs 18:22:
22 He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
 
Proverbs 12,4a:
4a A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, …
 
All in all, it is good for men to be guided by these principles before and within marriage and not to stop exercising their responsibilities, just as it is good for women to reflect on what belongs to their assigned responsibilities, to let go false responsibility and to generally recognize men in their God-given authority. (note: This message is based on a teaching of Dr. Myles Munroe†)
 
Amen and Amen.
 
In His Wisdom,
 
Daniel & Tina Glimm

Note:
The following message is the first part of a teaching that consists of four parts and we recommend to read the message chronologically.
 
The Transformation

The people of God find themselves in a new form of transformation at this time. Therefore, it might be helpful and necessary to understand this transformation within the body of Christ, because it is related to an inner renewal process and the quality of His new creation in divine order (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).
 
2 Corinthians 5:17:
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

This is also connected with the correct understanding of the respective ministers within the five-fold ministry (see Ephesians 4:11-14).
 
Ephesians 4:11-14:
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

When it comes to the five-fold ministry, it is wise to ask oneself the following questions first:
  1. How did God want His church to look like over time?
and
  1. How should it be structured to serve its goals (note: independent of current mind-sets and socio-cultural changes)?
Disorder Because Of A Lack Of Knowledge

In essence, this message is basically not about emphasizing and upholding what already works well within churches around the world. Rather, it should point out what is currently in need of substantial change in this phase of transformation.

It should also be underlined that this message is clearly not addressed to any position (note: group of people) but to the larger image of a functional and effectively working church acting as one body (note: organism) worldwide. This also means that this change includes all saints (note: followers of Christ).

Because of a lack of knowledge referring to the true purpose of the ministers of the five-fold ministry within the church of Christ, which has been going on for a long time, there is currently disorder. There are overburdened leaders who perform too many tasks that could be better assigned. There is still an insufficient understanding of the body of Christ as the “one new man” (see Ephesians 2:13-16) including a kingdom mindset and excluding worldly influences.
 
Ephesians 2:13-16:
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups (note: Jews and Gentiles) one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

It is also evident in many communities that believers do not face up to their responsibilities to the extent the Word of God teaches and therefore many do not reflect the full potential of wielding authority in society. The fact that there are movements around the world that are striving for unity at all costs, which clearly ignores biblical standards, is regrettable. Due to the justified expressions of reservations about current developments of this kind within the body of Christ, which increasingly corrupt the purity of the word and deliberately alter God's standards – with a humanistic approach – true unity is hardly recognizable by people outside.

In the past, there have also been repeated situations and developments in which saints with lack of understanding of the spiritual gifts have practiced themselves and numerous expulsions have resulted in numerous damages to persons. In some cases of helplessness or lack of knowledge, church leaders have “excluded” the spiritual gifts (note: also anointings/mantles) by not tolerating them or finally trying to direct them to “controllable” levels in meetings. Movements of spiritual revival were strongly criticized and some men and women of God were denounced, unnecessarily causing much confusion among people who were to be reached by revivals.

In short, as the worldwide body of Christ, we are still in a change related to the new wine and the new wine skin that is needed (see Mark 2:22). The continual aversion of many people concerning traditional and ecclesiastical religion as such, especially in Europe, is a phenomenon of our time. Millions of believers consider this time in history the last days and ask for the “archetypal form” of church described in the Bible, which according to the New Testament moves in power.

It is astonishing to see that the structure of traditional procedures prevails to this day, which is largely based on councils and ecclesiastical organization, not on the Holy Scriptures. Finally, we are invited to “conquer” wrong foundations and to bring a stop to religiosity (note: self-righteousness).

The body of Christ may turn with great steps to its root, Israel as the precious olive tree, and thus regain the purity that some have lost in lacking knowledge and spiritual arrogance (see Romans 11:17-24).
 
Romans 11:17-24:
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble.
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
 
This turning would result in giving back the perfect guidance of His body to the head (note: Jesus Christ as the only Redeemer and Lamb of God). Accordingly, there may not be perfect churches as such, but most of the people can agree that the head of the church, Jesus Christ, wants to lead in perfection and exert authority. So, this present disorder can be counteracted by understanding of the five-fold ministry according to Ephesians 4:11-14, so that there is a proper order according to the will of God within the body of Christ.

It can be clearly seen that up to now the body of Christ had an established understanding of the ministry of the evangelist, shepherd (note: pastor) and teacher. At present, there is still a growing hunger for a deeper understanding of the offices of the apostle and the prophet. This understanding will lead to the body of Christ experiencing an increase in being sent with a prophetic perspective.

The Face Of The Lion And The Eagle

This perspective to be expected is connected with the face of God in the form of the lion and the flying eagle (see Revelation 4:6-7). It also includes that the Spirit of God intensifies the Fear of the Lord within His people and leads to an increasing of wisdom and knowledge of the depths of God.
 
Revelation 4:6-7:
6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.
7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.

The character traits of the lion and the eagle are related to the royalty of God in the spirit realm as well as to the one in the earthly realm, because the lion corresponds to the “king of the land animals” and the eagle to the “king of the air”.

The Rediscovery Of The Office Of The Apostle And Prophet

It is therefore important at this time that we, as the body of Christ, rediscover the ministry of the apostle and the prophet in the way that Jesus Christ as head has the greatest understanding of how His church is supposed to function as a body.

According to the Word of God, the ministry of the shepherd (note: pastor) is placed in fourth place in God's order of the church. The church was built for several centuries on the error that apostles and prophets no longer existed. Due to this misconception, shepherds (note: pastors) were put in their position and bishops were continued to be appointed to the leadership of churches instead of apostles. One consequence of this is that the church has lost supernatural power over the centuries.

The Order Of God In Relation To The Office Of The Apostle And Prophet

The apostle Paul makes clear in 1 Corinthians 12:28-29 what God's order should look like in relation to the position of the ministry of the apostle and prophet in the church.
 
1 Corinthians 12:28-29:
28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?

God induced Paul through His Spirit to mention the apostle and prophet several times as the first minister of God in His letters. This naming is significant and a sure sign for it, that Paul expressly meant what he wrote and could be convinced that the order came from the Lord Himself (see 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11).

One of the reasons why Paul had chosen this order is simply because the apostle and the prophet are to be comprehended as founding ministers (see Ephesians 2:19-21).
 
Ephesians 2:19-21:
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

Their ministry begins with a message that is received directly from the mouth of the Lord and would succeed in drawing the followers of Christ to establish them as church (note: a community of saints in the region) in the respective region. (note: This message is based on a teaching by Paula A. Price, Ph. D. from the book “Divine Order for Spiritual Dominance”; pages 5-12)
 
Amen and Amen.
 
In His Wisdom,
 
Daniel Glimm
 
For part II of the message please click here.