Tell me, has someone been working a bit of embroidery on you lately?

You are going to be tempted to become angry with the people that are helping to get you ready for the Lord. If you allow yourself to become angry at the tools God uses to stir up the evil and spiritual death in your personality you will end up being bitter and you will not be delivered.

When someone says or does something that wounds you, go straight to the Lord. Ask Him why you are so wounded, why someone was able to get past your armor. Do not, do not, do not spend your time getting angry with people. Go to Jesus and let Him remove the flaming arrow.

If you only knew it, that individual who did such a terrible thing to you was helping remove your bondages. Be thankful and praise the Lord with all your might that He has counted you worthy of His Kingdom.

Quit hanging on to your sins, your pride, your self-will. It is all death. It is all interfering with your progress toward the Glory of God. The Bride must become without spot, wrinkle, or any other blemish. Let the fine needlework continue. Be as cheerful as you can. Look to Jesus alone.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, (Philippians 3:13—NIV)

As you walk in the light of God's perfect will, the blood of Jesus continues to keep you without condemnation, and you have fellowship with God.

As the Spirit brings your sins to light, confess them as sin. Turn away from them. God will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

If we live according to our fleshly desires we will die spiritually. We will destroy our inner spiritual life, that which is the prerequisite for the redemption of our body.

If we through the Holy Spirit put to death the appetites of our flesh, we will continue to live and grow spiritually. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God to put their sins to death, these are the sons of God. They will be revealed as such at the return of the Lord. It is their unveiling that is the marriage of the Lamb and an occasion for the greatest rejoicing throughout the creation of God.

But if we continue to live in the flesh, counting on "grace" to "bring us to Heaven," we are going to be cruelly disappointed when we see how we have injured our resurrection. We have destroyed our greatest hope—that of being like Jesus when He appears.

When Paul spoke of attaining the resurrection that is out from among the dead he was speaking of attaining the fullness of inward resurrection life. It is only as we attain inward resurrection life that we are eligible for the redemption of our physical body.

Paul was seeking to live by the resurrection Life of Jesus and to share the sufferings of Jesus. Paul realized this is the only way we can live if we hope to attain the earlier resurrection from the dead.

How many Christians do you know who are seeking to live by the resurrection Life of Jesus and to share His sufferings? These are the true Christians, those who are attaining the glory of the priesthood.

To be continued.