How to become Christ-like

 

2 Peter 1:5-7

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

As Christians, we know that our calling is to become Christ-like. The problem many of us face is to know: How? How do I go about doing this - is it even possible for me as a frail human being to attain the level of purity and godliness that Jesus modelled for me?

Thankfully, we have the experience of the apostles (who wrestled with this same problem) written down for us! Peter gave us a pathway to follow to become “partakers of the divine nature”, in other words to become like Jesus.

It starts with exercising our faith to develop virtue, heeding that inner moral compass that God gave every human being and listening to the promptings of Holy Spirit, until acting in a godly fashion in every situation that we face becomes second nature. Daniel is a great example of this; he never compromised his faith on any issue even when death would have been the outcome of the choices that he made.

Growing in virtue leads to the development of knowledge, because we turn to Scripture to look for guidance for the circumstances we find ourselves in. Take Matthew 5:27-28 for example, where we read that although one of the ten commandments is that we shall not commit adultery, Jesus broadens our understanding of this by adding that even looking at a woman with evil desire for her is already adultery in our hearts.

As our knowledge of God’s ways increases, it leads to the development of self-control, for we are now increasingly applying the guidance given in the Word to our everyday situations, practising resisting our wrong impulses more and more.

This then leads to the development of perseverance because the result of all of the above has become notable in our lives – we are now experiencing God in our everyday lives to a greater extent! Paul is a good example of this, in that everything he endured (being attacked, imprisoned, shipwrecked, mocked and ridiculed) did not stop him from doing God’s will even for a second.

As we practise all of the facets mentioned so far, it leads to us living a more godly life. We become more like God (not gods ourselves of course) but our lives start showing His character and love in a greater measure.

And only then can we display brotherly kindness or affection, that kind of love that we saw between David and Jonathan. At the outset of this journey Peter writes about, we cannot yet love our fellow brothers and sisters in this way - it is a growing experience, something that does not come naturally, but develops as we grow in Jesus.

It is a sobering thought that the last to develop is agape love. This is not a fleeting emotional feeling or attraction, but a deliberate, conscious choice to seek the highest good of another person. This kind of love is described by Paul in 1 Cor 13.

Pearls to ponder:

Be encouraged by what Peter wrote in verses 3 and 4: By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him…..he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature……  He has already given you everything you need to become more like Jesus. And the starting point is believing His promises for you. Make a list of those promises, and believe them, and then the most exciting journey of your life can begin!

Walking by Faith alone

How do you know God?

 

John 17:3

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

If we read this verse superficially, just glancing over the words, we would have a very limited idea of what Jesus meant when He said, “…that they know You….”. It would then be easy to just understand it to mean that they would recognise God, perhaps because of religious instruction as a child; or even just to acknowledge that He exists.

Let us look more closely at what the word means in our everyday lives and then apply it to how we understand what knowing God and Jesus means. Firstly, we get to know someone, which suggests a process, an ongoing way of interacting with that person, as opposed to just casually meeting them and then not connecting again.

This implies spending time with them - choosing to interact on future occasions, even deliberately scheduling times to hang out together, being hospitable and opening your home to them.

There has to be a connection. We cannot befriend someone who does not respond to our reaching out to them, likewise we also have to respond to that person reaching out to us. A two-way conversation, in other words, a willingness to share our lives, even if it takes some effort on our part.

To have a meaningful relationship with someone, the initial acquaintanceship has to deepen into love for that person, a caring beyond what is usually the case when we interact with people that we share a social circle with. And this also mostly takes time to develop.

Pearls to ponder:

Apply all of the above to Abba Father, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. Start the process of getting to know Them by deliberately choosing times and places where you spend time with God, and with Him only – no cell phones, no social media, no work-related emails. Wait patiently for the connection to come, it may take many attempts, even many weeks! Just turn up faithfully and keep disciplining your mind to stay focussed on Him, use your imagination to help you. This relationship will deepen as you persevere because if you receive love, you will give love, and He loves you unconditionally – you do not have to be anxious because you do not feel up to standard! He has promised to make you what you ought to be: 1 Peter 5:10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. So don’t wait until you feel good enough or spiritual enough – just show up!

Word of God speak

The upside down ways of the Kingdom

 

Isaiah 55:9

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

God’s wisdom often runs against the world’s way of thinking. Indeed, to non-believers certain principles of the Kingdom of God seem to be upside down! Here are a few:

1.      To live, you must die. Gal 2:20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Our baptism is a picture of this truth - abundant spiritual life begins when we identify with Christ’s death (by being immersed under water) and His resurrection (rising up as a new person). We have received a new life in Jesus, and sin no longer rules over us.

2.      The last will be first. Matt 20:16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” God does not take signs of success in the eyes of the world into account to determine heavenly rewards. Instead, He looks at the attitudes of our hearts.

3.      He who is great shall be your servant. Matt 23:11 The greatest among you will be your servant. The world equates greatness with authority over others, but Jesus associated greatness with service to others. In this Jesus is our perfect example, as He left His place of honour in heaven to come and die for us, His creation.

4.      When I am weak then I am strong. 2 Cor 12:10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. To the degree that we recognize and acknowledge that our own abilities are insufficient, to that degree we will discover that we can rely and call upon the One whose strength never fails.

5.      To save your life, you must lose it. Matt 16:25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. If we make our earthly life our ultimate priority, it results in the loss of something so much greater. Following Jesus requires sacrifice, rejection, persecution or even martyrdom, but those who belong to Christ possess a future that physical death cannot destroy.

6.      The victory of Jesus Christ through His perceived defeat at Calvary. The devil’s plans to destroy Jesus failed spectacularly at the cross. What should have been the ultimate assassination of his arch enemy, resulted instead in Jesus’ glorious resurrection as the Saviour of mankind!

Pearls to ponder:

Let us be bold enough to change the way we approach life from following the world’s perspective on things, to following godly principles, even if it means a 180-degree turnaround!

A humble heart

The end times

 

Luke 21:28

So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

Nearly all previous generations believed that they were living in what is called “The End Times.” When Jesus’ disciples asked Him in Matthew 24 what the signs would be that would show them that the end has come, He listed things to look out for, and his listeners would have found many of them impossible to believe.

But in our generation, all the prophecies given throughout history about the End Times are converging before our very eyes. Technologies that would have seemed improbable and even impossible just ten years ago, are now not only already operating in our society, but evolving at break-neck speed, so much so that even scientists and IT experts have difficulty keeping track of it all. Let us look at just a few of these signs that we see happening in our generation:

Is 11:12 He will raise a flag among the nations and assemble the exiles of Israel. He will gather the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth. We have seen the restored state of Israel come into being, a real miracle in the making.

Matt 24:14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. The spreading of the Gospel throughout the whole world has actively been pursued for many years by now and is increasingly happening around the globe.

Rev 13:16-17 He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. The technologies to bring this about are emerging all around us - previous generations would not have been able to foresee any of it, indeed it is astounding even all of us living in our present generation!

Rev 11:9 And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. We now have the ability to view global events in real-time like never before through satellite systems connecting the whole earth.

Ez 37:10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Israel has proved itself as being an exceedingly great army, victorious in battles that seemed hopeless at the time they happened.

Rev 13:7 And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. We clearly see the trend toward the forming of a global government happening from every direction and across all boundaries.

2 Peter 3:3-4 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” Peter warned us that many will deny all the signs, not believing what is clearly happening before their very eyes.

Pearls to ponder:

Our beautiful Saviour is coming soon, much sooner than we think! He has graciously provided us with signs of when to expect Him – are we showing our gratitude towards Him by taking these seriously, and warning others to do the same?

The Spirit and the Bride say: "Come!"

Our Intercessor

 

Rom 8:34

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

When a crisis looms, we tend to run to friends and intercessors at church to pray for us. Which is not wrong, we are meant to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in their need, and we love doing so.

But our quoted verse brings intercession to a next level. We have Someone right next to Abba Father in the throne room, interceding for us! If we could hear Jesus’ prayer for us in our moment of need, would it not change our whole perspective about our problem?

Robert Murray M’Cheyne once wrote “If I could hear Christ pray for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.”

Imagine sitting in a room, and through the wall you can hear your name on His lips. Would you still be as afraid? Would you still feel hopeless? Would the enemy’s lies still weigh so heavily on your heart and mind?

This truth is so important, that Heb 7:25 repeats it for us: Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Never again do you have to think that your prayers do not mean anything, that it just gets stuck against the ceiling. Even when you were not aware of it, Jesus was already praying for you. We have an example of this in Luke 22:3 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Too tired or stressed out to pray? He is ready and willing to pray on your behalf. Afraid that you do not have the right words to use? He knows exactly what to say. There is even more help available for us when we pray: Rom 8:26 ….We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Pearls to ponder:

Think about these truths until it becomes part of your mind and heart. Never again do you have to feel that you have been abandoned, or that your prayers do not mean anything. If Jesus and Holy Spirit are praying on your behalf, is there any chance that Abba will not hear them? Of course not!

Don't stop praying

Negative adjectives

 1 Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Did you know that the order of nouns and adjectives are different in the English and Hebrew languages? In English, the adjective comes before the noun, as seen in “The big house”, whereas in Hebrew, the order is turned around, reading “The house big”.

This means that whenever Jesus spoke to people, He never mentioned their sinful deeds before their actual birthright, namely as someone created in the image of God. He would see an adulterous woman as a woman caught in adultery, not only because He looks at hearts, but also because His language reference for her would have the words in that order – woman first, adultery second!

The possessed man becomes a man (who happens to be possessed); the crippled man becomes the man (who also is crippled); the sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet becomes the woman (who had many sins).

He looks at who they were created to be, knowing that He can redeem them from the hand of the enemy into that intended state, into being children of God – forgiven, delivered and healed!

What a difference it would make in our environments if we had the same mind-set as Jesus, if we would see everyone we meet as potentially belonging to God, without any negative adjectives attached? Especially as people normally arrive on our doorsteps with labels that others have ascribed to them, and it is so easy to simply believe the gossip and even elaborate.

But there is another important application here. What a difference it would make in our own lives if we saw ourselves without self-inflicted negative descriptions? As highly beloved children of God, without the labels of not good enough/not spiritual enough/not talented enough/sinful/ashamed/unloved – and I could go on and on.

Pearls to ponder:

Ignore the negative adjectives that jump to mind whenever you think of someone, and search for the real person underneath, the one that maybe desperately needs understanding and healing. Be that safe place where they eventually will be able to voice those needs and find healing and deliverance, peace and love!

Acknowledgement to Jonathan Cahn.

Change my heart, o God

The heavenly Tabernacle

 

2 Tim 3:16

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

Do you perhaps think that the Tabernacle belongs in the Old Testament, and has no bearing on us today? It may come as a surprise to you to learn that there is a real, functioning Tabernacle in heaven right now, at this moment. How do we know that? Because it is written in Revelation, a book dealing with times still in the future for us, and it shows that the heavenly Tabernacle will be in place until the final hours of human history arrive. God will show parts of it to humankind throughout the Tribulation period (the seven-year reign of the antichrist here on earth). Let me show you how God revealed it to John, and how the Old Testament Tabernacle foreshadowed it.

Rev 4:5 ….In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. These lamps burn brightly in God’s throne room, which the Menorah, or golden lampstand with seven candles that was the only source of light inside the Holy Place in the Tabernacle, was an example of.

Rev 4:6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the earthly Tabernacle, the Bronze Laver stood in the outer court where priests washed themselves before entering God’s presence. It serves as an example for us of the cleansing of sin. This basin was even called “the Sea”. But now in heaven, it is no longer necessary to be cleansed by water, therefore the solid foundation which the sea of glass forms before the throne, conveys the perfect purity and peace that already reigns there.

Rev 6:9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. The bronze altar in the outer courtyard was used for animal sacrifices, and the blood of the animals was poured out at the base of this earthly altar, exactly in the place where the martyrs are standing under the heavenly altar now. How appropriate, because their blood has been poured out on earth.

Rev 8:3-4 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. In the earthly Tabernacle, the altar of incense stood before the veil leading to the Holy of Holies. Only the high priest and the sons of Aaron could minister there, interceding for the people. This is exactly what Jesus is doing for us at the heavenly altar of incense, as described above.

Rev 11:19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. Nobody could see the ark of the covenant behind the veil in the Tabernacle on earth except the High Priest, and only once a year when he made atonement for the sins of the whole nation. But at the time in the future that our verse above describes, God will show the ark to everybody on earth, signifying one last time that Jesus has opened the way through the torn veil for all to approach Him.

Rev 15:5 After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law—and it was opened. Just before the first bowl of God’s final judgement of earth is thrown out, He shows the ark of the covenant. The earthly ark contained the covenant laws made with Israel. The mercy seat on top of the ark in heaven covers these laws one last time, because at the commencement of the bowl judgements, mercy time will finally end, and nobody can then be saved anymore.

It would seem that heaven functions like an open Tabernacle - God lets it connect and interact with this world, and it is meant to shape and influence the whole of our lives. Won’t it make sense then, to equip ourselves with knowledge of what the elements of the earthly Tabernacle represented, how they all point to Jesus, so that we can grow in appreciation, wonder and awe of what He did for us? Unfortunately, we human beings need constant reminders of how great the love of God is for us, and the role that Jesus plays in showing us this love tangibly. This is why knowledge of the Tabernacle is so meaningful – we can appreciate Jesus on an ever-deepening level and so carry His remembrance in our hearts forever!

The heavenly Tabernacle will cease to exist when the old heavens and earth are burnt up. God then creates all things new, also the capital city of the new heaven, the New Jerusalem. And then, something remarkable is seen by John:

Rev 21:22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. This is the ultimate fulfilment of what the journey through the Tabernacle is showing us – we will not need a progression, a path to holiness, anymore, we will at that time live in the Holy of Holies!

I enter the Holy of Holies

The Tent of Meeting

 

Ex 33:9-10

As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.

This tent was Moses’ personal tent, which he pitched far outside the camp, in the time before the Tabernacle was built. He called it the Tent of Meeting, and everyone who sought the Lord could visit this tent. However, Joshua his young minister, was not content with a visit every now and then, he never left the tent - he abided there.

The Hebrew word mishkan was the name of the tent or Tabernacle that came later and means dwelling. It was where God dwelt among His people throughout the Exodus and later in the Temple in Jerusalem. The mishkan was the place where people went to pray, and to ask the priests to intercede for them.

This is a picture of what prayer is. It means entering the place where God dwells, meeting Him there, and speaking to Him face to face because He considers us His friends. So, we ask the question: Is this possible? And we wonder to ourselves: but we are not like Moses, how can it happen for us?

Let’s find our answers in what Jesus did for us on the cross!

He became Immanuel – God with us (Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). This means God came to earth to dwell among us in the form of man, as Jesus.

He does not need a special temple anymore, instead our bodies become His temple and He lives within us through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? …..)

When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (where God dwelt in the Temple) was torn from top to bottom, giving believers direct access to God (Heb 10:20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.)

And we then became His friends (John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.)

So yes, it is possible!  The question we must consider is: Will we be paying Him a visit now and then? Or will we follow Joshua’s example and abide with Him?

Pearls to ponder:

Prayer is a meeting between us and God; it’s about dwelling where He dwells. This means that we must become aware of the fact that our spirit is a mishkan, a Tent of Meeting where He is eagerly awaiting our visits…. let’s keep running into that sanctuary, that place of peace, joy, and rest!

You are my hiding place

The stones cry out

 

Nehemia 3:15

The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallum son of Col-hozeh, the leader of the Mizpah district. He rebuilt it, roofed it, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. Then he repaired the wall of the pool of Siloam near the king’s garden, and he rebuilt the wall as far as the stairs that descend from the City of David.

For roughly 2000 years, many considered the pool of Siloam a mythical place, and the incident where Jesus famously healed a man born blind, only a parable, a story with a nice moral lesson. People who do believe that the Bible recounts factual history, identified another water source and claimed it to be the original pool of Siloam. The problem was that it was built hundreds of years after Jesus and was far too small for the function the Bible describes that it had.

In the summer of 2004, workers in Jerusalem were repairing a broken sewer line just outside the old city of David’s walls, when they uncovered two ancient stone steps. Just that, leading to nowhere that they could see. Archaeologists were called in, and they began to uncover step after step, descending to an area far larger than anyone expected – about 70 metres along one side, with steps on at least three sides so that crowds could enter the water from several directions. It has the appearance of a mikvah bath (where people bathed in running water for purification rituals), big enough for thousands of pilgrims to purify themselves before continuing their climb up to the temple to bring their offerings.

The water that flows into this pool comes from the Gihon spring, through a tunnel. This tunnel was built by Hezekiah about 700 years before the blind man washed his eyes in those waters, and its construction is another miracle among the many that is found in the history of Jerusalem. The archaeologists dated the tunnel to around 700 BC (therefore in Hezekiah’s era), silencing the sceptics who proclaimed that the tunnel was built much later. Coins and pottery from the time of Jesus were also found around the pool area.

This is only one of many archaeological discoveries made in recent times, all confirming the authenticity of biblical accounts, rooting them in real history with tangible artifacts proving the accuracy of the stories written in the Bible. These finds keep increasing today in our times, one discovery rapidly following upon another!

And this led me to consider the words of Jesus found in Luke 19:39-40 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Is this not exactly what is happening now before our very eyes?

Pearls to ponder:

Start searching and tracking modern archaeological finds in Israel and stand amazed to see the stones from antiquity crying out that God and the Bible is real, and not just stories!

The Stones Cry Out

Respect for all men

 

1 Peter 2:17

Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honour the emperor.

Everything mentioned in this verse does not come to us naturally but can only be cultivated in our lives after we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. And even then, it is no easy task to apply these godly principles without the supernatural help of Holy Spirit.

We are called to respect everyone, without exception. What about that boss that makes our lives miserable at work? Even that one, says Peter in verse 18 when he addresses household servants: Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. He was speaking to the fact that slaves who converted to Christianity were targeted by their masters because they did not participate in worshiping their idols anymore.

In verse 13 he exhorts us to Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, and this corresponds with his instruction to honour the emperor in our quoted verse. Did you know that the emperor he is referring to was Nero? The one who impaled Christians and set them alight to be human torches used as lamps in the streets; the one who let others be torn apart by dogs? Peter called on his readers to honour even this emperor. He pleads with us not to fall into lawless rebellion in verse 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.

Why?

We find the answer in two verses. Verse 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. It is God’s will that you should live in such a way that everybody who wants to slander and accuse you can find nothing in your conduct to use against you. And also verse 21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. Jesus was reviled; insulted; abused; and He suffered greatly, even though He was innocent of all charges. Yet He did not retaliate but left everything to God, Who will one day judge fairly.

To bear patiently with suffering that comes when you do right and which is undeserved, is behaviour acceptable and pleasing to God (verse 20).

Pearls to ponder:

We are confronted with dishonest and corrupt leaders all around us. How do we honour them? I think the answer lies in honouring the office of authority (president, magistrate, etc) and never letting our hearts develop a hatred towards the person occupying that office – we should instead stand in the gap for them and cry out for their salvation. We can identify wrongdoing and take steps to counteract these while still obeying the laws of the land, as long as these laws do not expect us to do something against God’s laws. Then civil disobedience (the nonviolent refusal to obey certain laws) is called for.

Vessel of honour