Mystery Of The Supernatural Life

T i m D a n i e l s J i d e c h u k w u
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© 2020 The Glory Place - http://www.thegloryplaceblog.org
DEDICATION

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This mini-book is dedicated to every true believer
in Christ Jesus all around the world, striving daily
to walk in and follow after the footsteps of the
Master in character and in conduct, as pertaining to
all dealings and facets of life.

It is indeed a life-long pursuit, but thanks be to God

because like the Master said: "I will never leave you
nor forsake you"; We can find strength in knowing
that He has not only called us to live in a way and
manner worthy of His noble call, but He has also
made available the ultimate resource we need to
live as such.

Glory be to Jesus!

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 TABLE OF CONTENT
DEDICATION                                                                                                                 3
TABLE OF CONTENT                                                                                             5
INTRODUCTION                                                                                                       6

CHAPTER ONE:  INTRODUCING JESUS!                                                9

The Man Jesus 12
 The Spirit Upon 13
A Perfect Spirit                                                                                            14

CHAPTER TWO: A CALL TO A HIGHER LIFE   15

The Empowerment 19
Yet With A Measure 20
The Higher Life 21

CHAPTER THREE : THE MASTER'S FOOTPRINTS 22

Jesus & His Temptations 24
Jesus & His Miracles 25
Jesus & His Cost 26
Jesus & His Return 27

CHAPTER FOUR: BECOMING LIKE THE MASTER            28

Acknowledge Him 30
Pursue After Him 32
Become Like Him 34

THE GREAT CALL                                                                                                       38

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INTRODUCTION

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Over 2000 years ago, there lived a Jewish man by the name
Jesus of Nazareth; a man Who lived like no ordinary man.
A man who lived as God amongst men.

Everything about His life carried something supernatural;

from His birth by a virgin, to His life as a young man, to His
ministry on Earth which though spanned only a period of
three and a half years, yet became the  greatest ministry
ever embarked upon by any man who walked upon the
sands of time.

Talk more about the circumstances which surrounded His

betrayal by His own people, His sufferings and death by
crucifixion, His burial, His resurrection from the dead, and
His ascension into Heaven; absolutely every inch of His
sojourn on the Earth bore in its trail the marks of One Who
was more than just an unusual Human Being.

Even His own disciples and followers were constantly in

awe of this Man, hearing the depth of wisdom in His words,
and the weight of His authority upon all created things,
both animate and inanimate, living and nonliving things
alike.

In their amazement, they uttered words such as found in

the below verses of Scriptures:

Mark 6:2 (KJV)

"And when the sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the
synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying,
From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom
is this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty
works are wrought by His hands?"
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 Matthew 8:27 (KJV)
"But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this,
that even the winds and the sea obey him!"

Jesus Christ, till this day remains the admiration of all who
know Him, followers and foes alike. Many desired and
wished to be like Him, but that desire was far from the
reach of mere mortals, because indeed Jesus, The Christ was
nothing like mortals.

He was born of the seed of God, by the Holy Spirit of God,

which was the power responsible for His supernatural
nature and His superhuman abilities.

Today, as many who have made Him their Lord and Saviour
have one and only one ultimate aim in their walk on Earth:
To be as close as possible to His person and personality; A
life-long pursuit which for some is too laborious to bear, and
for others is a goal worth a life-time.

However, Jesus Himself desires that all who call upon His 
name become like Him and He proved this when He spoke
as written in the Book of John 14:12 (KJV):

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the

works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these
shall he do; because I go unto my Father. "

This may seem like a far-fetched attainment for many, but

the truth remains that it is the words of the Master, and it is
His utmost desire and expectation that the Believers
become like Him and even do beyond that which
He did, due to the limitations of His time and the
civilization of His days. 8
 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCING JESUS!

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 Matthew 1:18-23 (NKJV)
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His
mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came
together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then
Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to
make her a public example, was minded to put her away
secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an
angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph,
son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife,
for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. "And she
will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for
He will save His people from their sins."
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin
shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name
Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

The above verses of Scriptures tell of the beginning of the

life of Jesus Christ. He was not going to have an Earthly
father as we are told He was conceived of the Holy Spirit;
meaning He would be as much God as He is man.

From the days of his babyhood, to his childhood and

adolescent stages, we do not find as much written in the
Bible as regarding the events of Jesus' life within those ages.
However it was written that He both worked with Joseph
His supposed father in his carpentry shop, and that He
possessed both a teachable and inquisitive mind, while He
grew up favourably in the sight of God and men likewise; as
the below verses further state:

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 Luke 2:40-47 (NKJV)
"And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with
wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. His parents went
to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when
He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according
to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as
they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And
Joseph and His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to
have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and
sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when
they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.
Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the
temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to
them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were
astonished at His understanding and answers.

We can infer from the verses above that Jesus as a young

boy must have been a keen and likable lad, even-though His
divine attributes may not have been in full expression at
the time; as His intelligence and wisdom brought much
amazement to those who interacted with Him as a boy.

Until Jesus attained the adulthood age of 30, it was written

that His older cousin by name John the Baptist prepared the
way ahead of Him, while proclaiming to his followers and
listeners of the soon-coming Messiah, as foretold by the
Prophets of Old. And as expected, when the time came for
His revealing, the unusual happened as He stepped forward
to also be baptized by John:

Luke 3:22 (NKJV)

"And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a
dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which
said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am
well pleased." 11
 The Man Jesus

From His very first miracle of turning water to wine, to

many other miraculous works which He did, and the
uncommon wisdom which He exhibited in His teachings;
Jesus grew into a fine and admirable young man who not
only drew the attention of all wherever He was present, but
He also drew the jealousy of the then Scribes and Teachers
of the Law who were much older than He was.

And as much as many were in utter amazement as to how

such a young man coming from a somewhat insignificant
background could exude such an aura that could only be
akin to one possessing divine abilities, the crowds and
followers remained on the increase as was the signs and
wonders that were common place anywhere Jesus was
present.

Truly so! The Man Jesus was more than a man. As the
below Scripture says:

John 1:14 (NLT)

"...So the Word became human and lived here on earth among
us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have
seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father."

Colossians 2:9 (NLT)

"For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body..."

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 The Spirit Upon

Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit of God such that the
blood flowing in His veins were not of the fallen man, but of
a Holy God, which made Him the only sinless man that ever
walked upon the Earth; and which made Him the only man
qualified to atone for the sins of all humanity by shedding
His blood.
Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV)
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."

Indeed! The Holy Spirit of God made all the difference in the
life of Jesus Christ; and we see this from the events that
began to take place, especially after His baptism in water by
John.

Jesus being born completely by the seed of the Holy Spirit,

carried upon His life the full weight of the personality and
power of the Holy Spirit, which enabled Him to live like God
even-though He had flesh and blood.

The Scriptures describe the proportion of the Holy Spirit's

power upon Jesus as "without measure"; in other words,
unlimited, unrestrained, total, complete, and a full
immersion in the power of the Spirit of God.
No wonder the strength and perfectness of His character,
and the greatness of the power in which He walked, during
His brief but eternally impactful ministry on Earth.

John 3:34 (NLT)

"...For He is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God's
Spirit is upon him without measure or limit.

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 A Perfect Spirit

God is perfect, and so is His Holy Spirit, and so  perfect was
Jesus, for He had a full measure of the Spirit of God.

The Apostle Paul wrote of the fruit of the Spirit, and from
this we can attempt to paint a clearer picture of the nature
of the Man Jesus while He lived on the Earth.

Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP)

"But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence
within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an
even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence),
faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-
restraint, continence)..."

So, if we are to go by the above Scripture, we can say about

the traits which Jesus exhibited, having the Spirit of God
without measure, that:

Jesus, the Man was the most loving man who ever lived!
Jesus, the Man was the most joyous man who ever lived!
Jesus, the Man was the most peaceful man who ever lived!
Jesus, the Man was the most patient man who ever lived!
Jesus, the Man was the kindest man who ever lived!
Jesus, the Man was the best man who ever lived!
Jesus, the Man was the most faithful man who ever lived!
Jesus, the Man was the most gentle man who ever lived!
And Jesus, the Man was the most self-controlled man who
ever lived!

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 CHAPTER TWO
A CALL TO A HIGHER LIFE

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 John 1:10-13 (NIV)
"He was in the world, and though the world was made through
Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which
was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who
received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the
right to become children of God--children born not of natural
descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of
God."

When Jesus began His Earthly ministry, He started by

selecting a dozen men who were to become His first
Apostles; men who were not well renowned, but called
"common men". From fishermen, to a tax collector, to others
who were far from perfect Beings.

These ones He called and with no guarantee of what their

future would look like following a man Who all they
initially knew was that He was a Great Teacher and Miracle
Worker Who came from God to help the people of Israel.
But indeed the call was far more greater, and so was the
Man for Whom they left their daily business to follow.

I am quite certain that from the beginning, little did the

twelve know that Jesus' simple call: "Follow Me!..." was a call
that would turn out to alter completely the course of their
lives in the near future; when what most of them probably
thought was that this Great Man would conquer Israel
someday and they would have the privilege to be His right-
hand men when He ascends the throne.

Once more, little did they know that the Kingdom the Man
was building was not just not an earthly one, but a
Kingdom that would transverse many many
generations after them.
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Thankfully, they both received and believed Jesus, at least
to the extent to which they understood what He was about;
even-though Jesus' own people from His place of origin, did
not get to benefit as much from His ministry, probably
owing to their over-familiarity with Him, which birthed
unbelief in their hearts. Like the below Scripture says:

Matthew 13:54-58 (NIV)

"Coming to his hometown, He began teaching the people in
their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man
get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked.
Isn't this the carpenter's son?...And He did not do many
miracles there because of their lack of faith."

Be that as it may; Jesus not only continued to do many

mighty works but likewise the twelve whom He chose to
walk closely with Him and to later become the pillars upon
which His Church would be founded.

Though the Call was not one without cost to the Disciples,
but it surely proved to be a Call to a life higher than
anything they had ever known; as they found themselves
replicating the great works of the Master even before the
coming of the Holy Spirit upon them.

Luke 10:1,17 (NIV)

"After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent
them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where
He was about to go. The seventy-two returned with joy and
said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name."

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The Born-Again experience became a reality for many
today, all thanks to as many who had said 'Yes!' to the
Master's Great Call. A call that saw ordinary sons of men
becoming extraordinary sons of God; in words, in actions,
and in all its ramifications.

And truly so, like the Master said, greater works were done
by their hands, as some recorded in Scripture. Such as was
written of the Apostle Paul:

Act 19:11-12 (KJV)

"...And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So
that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs
or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil
spirits went out of them."

Even-though most of the Early Disciples ended up being

martyred, there was no denying that their lives carried an
unusual mark of a passion for the Master that marveled
their persecutors; to such degree that no amount of pain nor
misery would hold them back from carrying out His Great
Commission.

And they exuded such unusual joy even in their

persecutions, that it was written as such in the Scripture
below:
Act 5:40-41 (NKJV)
"...And when they had called for the apostles and beaten them,
they commanded that they should not speak in the name of
Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of
the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for His name."

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 The  Empowerment

Act 1:8-9 (NKJV)

"...But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Now
when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was
taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight."

The Scripture above tells of Jesus' last words to His then

followers before His ascension to Heaven; and the promise
of the coming of the Holy Spirit which brought about the
events of the Upper Room as we find in Acts Chapter 2.

There was no doubt that the same Holy Spirit made a

remarkable difference and brought about the massive
transformation in the lives of these Disciples who once
were fearful and doubtful people; who even earlier
abandoned their Master upon His arrest and subsequent
crucifixion and death.

But after their empowerment by the Holy Spirit, episodes

such as written in the verse below became a common
occurrence:
Act 4:31
"...And when they had prayed, the place where they were
assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with
the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

And no doubt, the same Holy Spirit remains the sole Agent
Who empowers Believers even today to live like the sons of
God which they have been called to be.

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 Yet With A Measure

Ephesians 4:4-7 (NKJV)

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one
hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God
and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you
all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the
measure of Christ's gift."

The Holy Spirit of God is one! Just as Paul the Apostle wrote
in the verses above; but the Spirit is given to every Believer
in a measure according to the assignment which each one is
meant to accomplish for the Master. This explains why we
talk about diverse gifts of the Spirit and diverse ministry
gifts and callings today in the Church.

Only Jesus had the privilege to carry the full unload of the
Spirit without measure, and we can agree to the necessity
for that, given the huge work of the redemption of all
mankind which He had to accomplish for God, once and for
all.

This however is not a paradox if considered side by side

with Jesus' promise of greater works which His Disciples
would do; because He meant that in a general or collective
sense. As when considered together as a whole entity, the
Church (the Body of Christ) has truly this day accomplished
greater works by the power of the Spirit, far and beyond
what Jesus alone did.

My primary emphasis in this piece however would be on

the empowerment of the Holy Spirit as it relates to the
Believer becoming like Jesus in nature and character, 
not really in the working of miracles nor in the
performance of signs and wonders. 20
 The Higher Life

Jesus Christ had an unmatched authority over all creation;

one which He applied in strict accordance with His Father's
will, even-though He had a will of His own and could
choose to do as He pleased. Like the Apostle Paul wrote of
Him:
Philippians 2:6-8 (NKJV)
"...Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to
be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking
the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself
and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of
the cross."

Jesus did posses great command over creation, which is seen

by the many signs and wonders performed by Him. From
multiplying bread and fishes, to speaking to a fig tree, to
commanding the winds; Jesus displayed the original nature
of the man who God created in the beginning, before the
Fall.

No doubt, this same higher life is what the Believers today

has been called to; but for the fallibility of flesh and blood,
the Believer may not attain to full capacity until that Great
Day, when the weak body of death is replaced with a more
glorious body at the coming event of the Rapture.

However, beyond the authority over creation, within the

reach of the Believer today is the possibility to live a life as
close to that of Jesus in character and conduct. Though not
without occasional faults and failures, but with
such nearness to the nature of the Master that
onlookers cannot deny the fact that the same
Spirit of Christ is at work in the life of the Believer. 21
 CHAPTER THREE
THE MASTER'S FOOTPRINTS

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The story of Jesus Christ is not a myth, nor a legend, nor a
fairy tale; but a true-life story made up of real life events
that changed the entire cause of humanity. He left
footprints in the sands of time which echoes beyond time to
Eternity; for indeed God Himself took on flesh and walked
amongst men for the ultimate aim of reconciling men back
to Himself.

The footprints of Jesus remains indelible, as each day many

souls are being saved, and every day countless lives are
becoming  transformed by their faith in His name, through
the grace of God which was made accessible to all in Christ
Jesus. As the Scriptures says:
1 Timothy 1:14 (NKJV)
"...And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with
faith and love which are in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV)

"Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the
name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on
earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father."
Though His ministry work on Earth lasted a period of only
three and a half years, the reach of His influence outlived
Him, such that He remains the greatest man that ever lived
on the Earth. And Scriptures acknowledges that not all the
events of His life were documented, as John wrote:
John 21:25 (NKJV)
"And there are also many other things that Jesus did,
which if they were written one by one, I suppose
that even the world itself could not contain the
books that would be written." 23
 Jesus  & His Temptations

The Bible recorded in the Gospels that Jesus right before He

began His ministry work, was tempted of the Devil; just as
Adam (the first man) was tempted. The verse below also
noted that Jesus' temptations were beyond just the three
initial temptations, as the temptations surfaced once and
again during the course of His ministry.

Hebrews 4:15 (AMP)

"For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand
and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our
weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of
temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as
we are, yet without sinning."

Jesus' victory over the various temptations that came His

way was largely due to His personal resolve to only do the
will of His Father, alongside the perfect oneness of Spirit
which He shared with God the Father.

The above Scripture makes it clear that Jesus was tempted

in every aspect of mortal life as much as every Believer
today is tempted. And Jesus proved by His victory that a life
of total victory over the Enemy's devices through
distractions and temptations, was  a possibility that can be
attained, regardless of the nature or weight of the Enemy's
assault.

Jesus also proved that holding on to and responding to

temptations by the Word of God remains the most potent
means of putting the Enemy on the run; as He would
respond to each of Satan's temptations with the
starting phrase: "It is written..." (Matthew 4:1-11).
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 Jesus  & His Miracles

God validated the ministry of Jesus with many miracles,

signs and wonders, to further prove His divinity and His
authority over all creation.

We shall attempt to outline below some of Jesus' miraculous

works as recorded in the Gospel of Luke:

1. Jesus cleanses a Leper - Luke 5: 12-16

2. Jesus heals a paralytic - Luke 5: 17-26
3. Jesus heals the man with a withered hand - Luke 6:6-11
4. Jesus heals a Centurion's servant - Luke 7: 1-10
5. Jesus raises a widow's son from dead - Luke 7:11-17
6. Jesus calms a storm - Luke 8:22-25
7. Jesus heals a man with a Demon - Luke 8:26-39
8. Jesus heals a woman and Jairus' daughter - Luke 8:40-56
9. Jesus feeds the Five Thousand - Luke 9:10-17
10. Jesus' transfiguration - Luke 9:28-36
11. Jesus heals a boy with an unclean spirit - Luke 9:37-42
12. Jesus heals the woman bent over - Luke 13:10-17
13. Jesus heals the man with dropsy - Luke 14:1-6
14. Jesus cleanses ten lepers - Luke 17:11-19
15. Jesus heals a blind beggar - Luke 18:35-43

Though His miracles alone were not the ultimate proof of

His divine nature, but much more His perfect character and
perfect alignment to the will of God the Father.

Similar miracles as the above were equally performed

by the Early Disciples after the power of the Holy
Spirit descended upon them. The Book of Acts
narrates the events which followed the lives
of the Early Disciples after Jesus' ascension.
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 Jesus  & His Cost

Jesus taught a number of hard teachings to His followers;

some which even made some of the followers leave Him.
One of such was when He began to speak to them about the
cost of being a true Disciple of His. A teaching which even
the Twelve probably did not have a full grasp of, until they
began their own ministry work after Jesus left them.

He  said in no uncertain terms that there would surely be a

cost to  being a true follower of Christ. A cost which would
bear a greater reward in Eternity, even though it might
entail some pain in the present life.

Speaking of Jesus, Luke recorded:

Luke 14:25-28 (NKJV)
"Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said
to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father
and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and
his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. "And whoever does
not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit
down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish
it..."So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has
cannot be My disciple."

Those are hard sayings indeed! And Jesus was speaking

about the depth of passion, commitment and dedication
which would be required of the true Disciple; knowing that
the Believers live in a dark and fallen world that abhors
truth, and would therefore be met by many harsh realities
for standing for the truth in their Faith walk.

This surely holds true even till this day, as the

Believers and the Church of Jesus remains the most
persecuted corporate entity in human history.
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 Jesus  & His Return

Of the many great teachings Jesus gave during His  Earthly

ministry, the prophetic messages He gave about His return
to the Earth and the End Times was of key interest to His
followers.

They keenly asked of Him to detail them on what the signs

would be of His return; And these He spoke about as
recorded in the Gospels. The Gospel according to Matthew
gave a vivid narration of this.
Matthew 24:3 (NKJV)
"Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to
Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And
what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the
age?"
Jesus went ahead in the subsequent verses to speak to the
Disciples in specific terms what the signs would be, and
what His followers should look out for as they eagerly
await His return. And as much as the Disciples began
expecting His return  right from the moment He was taken
up to Heaven, till this day this promise remains utmost in
the hearts of all who believe in Him.

Though the subject of the Rapture of the Church may be a

subject of debate to some; but the truth remains that truly,
Jesus Christ would return again to Earth as part of a series
of events which make up God's eternal agenda for His
children.
Act 1:10-11 (NKJV)
"...And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He
went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who
also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up
into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up
from you into heaven, will so come in like manner
as you saw Him go into heaven." 27
 CHAPTER FOUR
BECOMING LIKE THE MASTER

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The Call of the Disciple is first to be with Jesus and then to
be like Him. This was true of the Early Disciples who
exemplified the life of the Master so much so that the word
"Christian" was coined based on how closely their lives
resembled that of their Master Jesus Christ.

Of the Apostles Peter & John, it was written:

Act 4:13-14 (NKJV)
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and
perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they
marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them,
they could say nothing against it."

The visible and undeniable transformation that took place

in the lives of the Early Disciples were too marveling to go
unnoticed, as they not only displayed the same wisdom and
boldness of Jesus, but they also displayed the signs and
wonders which marked Jesus' ministry.

Truly! The coming of the Holy Spirit not only removed the
limits off of Jesus but also replicated Jesus in  many others.
And that was the primary ministry of the Holy Spirit; to
ensure the continuity of the ministry and works of Jesus
upon the Earth in His bodily absence.

The critical need of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit

cannot be overemphasized, as He alone can make sons of
men become and manifest as sons of God; bearing the traits
and character of Jesus.
Galatians 4:6 (AMP)
"...And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has
sent the [Holy] Spirit of His Son into our hearts,
crying, Abba (Father)! Father!" 29
 Acknowledge Him

The first step in becoming like Christ is not in wondering or

asking if it is possible, but acknowledging the truth that it is
indeed possible.

If the same Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus and the Early
Disciples is the same Holy Spirit Who the Believer received,
then it is of a surety that the Believer can live same
victorious life; bearing the same godly fruits of the Spirit
and walking in the same power and authority of the Spirit.

Though the  Believer cannot become Jesus in His entirety,

but surely the Believer can become so much like Him that
those around can see and testify that indeed Jesus is real.

And though the Believer being flesh and blood is faced with
a daily battle between living by the dictates of his flesh and
living by the dictates of his renewed spirit, the goal of
becoming as close as possible to Jesus in character
especially, is not an impossible task.

The Scriptures says:

Romans 8:11 (NKJV)
"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells
in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to
your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

The goal of becoming more and more like Jesus daily is

surely a life-long journey, but it begins with an
acknowledgement of the truth that by the enablement
of the same Spirit which empowered Christ, it is not
a mission impossible.

30
God uses diverse means to build into us the same strength of
character which Jesus had. Some ways He does this
includes: trials, temptations, and various life experiences He
takes us through with the aim of training us to depend on
His Holy Spirit for guidance and victory; Just as it was with
the Early Disciples, considering the many ordeals which
they passed through in their journey of The Faith.

The Scriptures also makes it clear that character can only be

built in the place of trials and testings.

Romans 5:1-4 (NKJV)

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we
have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we
also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces
perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character,
hope."

We must acknowledge that the same means by which God

by the Holy Spirit built character in Jesus and the Disciples
is the same means by which God will build character in us.
Even Jesus who had the Spirit without measure but bearing
flesh and blood, had to undergo some unpleasant situations
which gained Him His highest place of glory today.

Speaking of Jesus, Scriptures says:

Hebrews 5:8 (AMP)
"Although He was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience
through what He suffered And, [His completed experience]
making Him perfectly [equipped], He became the
Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those
who give heed and obey Him." 31
 Pursue After Him

Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me
with all your heart."

Matthew 10:37-39 (NKJV)

"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of
Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not
worthy of Me. "And he who does not take his cross and follow
after Me is not worthy of Me. "He who finds his life will lose it,
and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

The kind of loyalty and passion which the Call of the true
Disciple of Christ demands is not one which would come
natural to the mortal man; as we can deduce from the
words of Jesus in the verses of Scripture above.

Many of the Early Disciples exemplified this when they

remained loyal even unto death for the sake of their love
for their Master. And becoming like Jesus today would
require no less a loyalty; for indeed He brings out the best of
Himself out of those who give Him the best of themselves.

This degree of passion for the Lord remained a daunting

task until the same Holy Spirit Who enabled Jesus to be
loyal to His Father's will even unto the point of death, the
same Holy Spirit is today poured out upon those who call on
the name of Jesus Christ in truth.

A Believer can by no means become like Jesus without a

passion for Jesus; Which goes beyond mere lip service or
even working for Him in mere activities that show no
true devotion. Like Martha, doing everything to serve
the Master, yet ignoring the more vital need of
sitting at His feet to learn to become like Him. 32
The Believer must possess a love for God and for Jesus
which makes Him and His will the top-most priority of life,
above anything and everything else.

Jesus Himself exemplified same deep intimacy and

fellowship with God the Father that it was written:

John 5:19 (NKJV)

"Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say
to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the
Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like
manner."
And He declared:
John 10:30 (NKJV)
 "I and My Father are one."

We grow progressively in becoming like Him as much as we

pursue and follow after His will daily. This daily alignment
is one which require both a surrendered self-will and a
disciplined body; As the contention between flesh and spirit
will always exist as long as the Believer lives on Earth.

Galatians 5:16-17 (AMP)

"But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit
[responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then
you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the
flesh (of human nature without God). For the desires of the
flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the]
Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these
are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in
conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are
prevented from doing what you desire to do."

33
 Become Like Him

2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMP)

"And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to
behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord,
are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in
ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to
another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit."

The key to becoming like Jesus remains to constantly and

consistently keep our eyes and thoughts fixed on Him,
learning of Him continually from the Scriptures and
striving to walk and live like Him by the power of the Spirit
of Christ (the Holy Spirit); which we have received when we
became Born Again.

The more we keep our eyes fixed on seeing Him, the more
His Being rubs off on us; And the more we keep our
thoughts focused on pleasing Him, the more we are
transformed to be like Him, in nature and in character;
Until that Great Day of His return, when we shall be fully
transfigured to be fully like Him, bearing the same
incorruptible body which He bears today in Heaven.

The most reliable and visible proof of a life becoming like

that of the Master, is that the fruit of the Holy Spirit (love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control) which Jesus displayed greatly,
are all being developed in a progressive manner, and their
physical manifestation in the life of the Believer are seen
and testified of by all who have dealings with the Believer.

More-so, we can learn from the life of Jesus, some key

pointers of the transformed life:
34
1. A God-Chaser: Jesus while He was on Earth, had but only
one ultimate pursuit: To do the will of God at all cost!
This He showed when even upon seeing the pains of the
cross ahead of Him while He prayed in the Garden, His flesh
desired for the cup of misery He was about to drink
from to be taken away; But He said "Nevertheless! Not
My will, but Yours be done!"

A heart that chases after God and the will of God in

complete and total obedience is one of the pointers of a life
becoming like that of Jesus.
Like the Psalmist wrote:
Psalms 42:1-2 (NIV)
"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for
you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When
can I go and meet with God?"

2. A Passionate Lover: Jesus displayed His unconditional

love for His Father by His submission to His will and
obedience to His Words. And the ultimate proof of our love
for God is our complete obedience to God, no more! no less!

This passionate love is one which puts the desires of God

above selfish desires or the desires of anyone else.
It places God first in all matters to be considered.
Paul the Apostle wrote about the depth of this love:
Romans 8:35,38-39 (NIV)
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or
hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or
sword?... For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor
any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from
the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 35
3. A Disciplined Mind:  The mind remains the battlefield
from where the war between the flesh and spirit emanates
daily. Jesus had a mind which He consciously developed by
studying and knowing the Scriptures during His early days;
A mind He consciously trained and disciplined not to
succumb to the temptations of the Enemy, but rather
submit to the dictates of the Holy Spirit; And this same
mind is what the Believer who is becoming like Him must
strive to develop.

So the Apostle Paul once again wrote:

Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV)
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who,
being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal
with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form
of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being
found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and
became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the
cross."

4. A Bridled Tongue: From Scriptures, we know that Jesus

was not a man of too many words; because He was careful
to speak only that which He hears the Father speak
especially in His dealings with men. His wittiness of speech
was not only a by-product of the empowerment of the Holy
Spirit, but also a product of a disciplined tongue.

This also is one of the marks of a life becoming transformed

to be like the Master. Careless use of words or empty words
which neither glorifies God nor edifies men, is never a trait
found in such a life.
Colossians 4:6 (NKJV) 
"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned
with salt, that you may know how you ought to 36
answer each one."
5. A Shining Light:  No doubt! Jesus was the Light of His
days and He remains to this day the Light of the World.
And one of the marks of one who is becoming like Him is
that an unquenchable light is emitted by such a one even in
the thickest of the darkness of life.

This Light does not fraternize with the prevalent darkness

all around, but rather stands as a beam of life and truth, in a
dark and fallen world full of all manner of evil and
wickedness; in an unashamed and unhindered brightness,
regardless of what men may think or say of such a one.

Jesus Himself faced all kinds of criticisms in His days, but

that never deterred Him from shinning as the Light which
He was and still is.
He declared to His own:
Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV)
"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot
be hidden. "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket,
but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the
house. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

And as I close this piece...

2 Peter 1:2-8 (NKJV)
"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our
Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and
godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by
which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that
through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving
all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-
control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness
brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ." 37
Amen!
THE GREAT CALL

38
 John 6:37 (NIV)
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever
comes to Me I will never drive away."

And I am using this opportunity to ask someone reading this

to please re-commit their lives to the Master, Jesus Christ,
Whose arms are always open to receive as many as come to
Him in truth.

I may not be able to promise you an all-pleasant journey

with Him, but I can promise you that you would have no
regrets whatsoever at the end of the day.

You can make a decision today from your heart to faithfully

follow His footsteps every day, and all the way; just like
many are doing.

And to as many who may have never made such a

commitment; what a great opportunity you have today to
do so right now!

Please say the below prayer sincerely from your mouth and
believe it in your heart; To make Jesus Christ the Saviour
and Lord of your life:

"Dear God, I thank you for giving me life. I thank you for giving
Your Son Jesus to die for my sins. I thank you for paying the
ultimate price for me to be saved and reconciled back to You.
I believe in You and I believe in Your Son Jesus Christ.
And today, I give Jesus my life and my heart, and I ask You
Jesus Christ to come be the Lord and Saviour of my life.
Forgive my sins. I commit to follow You all the days of my life.
And I ask Your Holy Spirit to help me in this decision today.
Thank you because I know You have heard me,
for in Jesus name I pray. Amen!"
39
And you have just become Born Again!

Yes! It's that simple, and you do not need to feel like it!

For the Bible tells us in Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) 

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are
saved." 

You only need to believe it and go ahead to tell others about

your new decision. And also join a group of Believers to help
you as you grow further in your Faith. And I am confident
that soon enough, you will begin to see the difference in
your life.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or

need any help regarding your Faith. I would be more than
willing to help.

Thank you very much for staying through with me to the

end of this piece. God bless you!

Jesus is LORD!

40
NOTES

41
 About the Author

Tim Daniels Jidechukwu is a Nigerian Online Evangelist,

Christian Blogger, Writer, Life Coach and an IT Person by
profession. He is the founder of an Online Ministry called 'THE
GLORY PLACE', a Vision primarily targeting the Continent of
Africa, and currently having online members from over 20
African Nations represented on the various platforms. He is
passionate about God, His ways, and seeing Believers live daily
as true Ambassadors of Jesus Christ in all facets of their lives.

Tim Daniels Jidechukwu

@timdanielskachi
+234 806 707 6770

www.thegloryplaceblog.org