Bible verses about "preparation" | Mace

¹³ but he that shall persevere unto the end, shall be preserved.

⁴² watch therefore, for ye know not at what hour your Lord shall come.

⁴⁷ but the servant, who knows his master's will, and prepares not himself, nor executes his orders, shall receive many stripes.

²⁸ for who of you would resolve to build a tower, without taking the trouble first of all to compute the expence, and whether he is able to finish it?

⁹ And when ye shall hear of wars, and seditions, be not alarm'd. for these must first happen: but the end will not be so soon. ¹⁰ then nation, said he, shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ great earthquakes, and famines, and pestilences shall happen in divers places: terrible appearances and surprizing prodigies shall be in the heavens. ¹² but before all these events, they will seize upon you and persecute you, drag you to the synagogues and to prisons, being accused before kings and governours, for professing my name. ¹³ and that shall be one proof of the truth of your profession. ¹⁴ fix it therefore in your mind, not to think beforehand about your defence. ¹⁵ for I will make you speak with such strength of argument, as all your adversaries shall not be able to contradict or withstand. ¹⁶ you will be betrayed even by your very parents, and brethren, and kindred, and friends. nay, some of you they will prosecute even to death. ¹⁷ you will be hated by all mankind for professing my name, ¹⁸ however a single hair of your head shall not be lost. ¹⁹ by your perseverance you will save your souls. ²⁰ Now when you shall see Jerusalem invested by an army, then be assured that the desolation of it is nigh. ²¹ then let those, who are in Judea, fly to the mountains: let those, who are in the city, march out, and those, who are without not venture in. ²² for this is the time of vengeance, when all that is writ, shall be accomplished. ²³ wo to them that are with child, or to them that give suck in those days: for this will be a region of great distress, and wrath will pour down upon this people. ²⁴ by the destructive sword shall they fall, and be led into captivity among all nations: and Jerusalem shall be kept waste by the nations, as long as those nations shall subsist. ²⁵ there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars: and upon the earth distress of nations under confusion, the sea and the waves roaring. ²⁶ men dying with fear under the apprehension of those calamities, which are coming upon the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. ²⁷ and then shall they see the son of man come on a cloud, with power and great glory. ²⁸ now when these things begin to appear, then lift up your heads, and behold your redemption drawing nigh. ²⁹ Then by way of similitude, consider, said he, the fig-tree, and all the other trees; ³⁰ when they shoot out their buds, you know for certain that summer is coming on: ³¹ in like manner, when you shall see these events, be assur'd that the kingdom of God is nigh. ³² I tell it you for certain, this generation shall not pass away, till all these things are accomplished. ³³ heaven and earth shall fail sooner than my predictions shall fail. ³⁴ set a guard upon yourselves, that ye be not stupified by surfeiting and drunkenness, or by the disquietudes of this life, and so that day come upon you with a surprize. ³⁵ for like a snare, it shall surprize all the inhabitants of the earth. ³⁶ be therefore upon your guard, be constant in prayer, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all those future ills, and be able to stand in the presence of the son of God.

³³ these things I have appriz'd you of, that ye might repose your confidence in me. the world shall give you trouble: but take courage, I have overcome the world.

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to you, that you present your bodies a living victim, holy, acceptable unto God, as the service of a rational being. ² and be not conformed to the present age: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may perceive what God requires of you is good, and acceptable, and perfect.

¹¹ Consider likewise the present season, that now it is high time to rouse out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.

¹ The kingdom of the Messiah will then be such, as when ten virgins took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ they that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: ⁴ but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ while the bridegroom tarried, they were drowsy and slept. ⁶ and at midnight there was a sudden cry, see the bridegroom comes; go and meet him. ⁷ then the virgins all arose, and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ and the foolish said to the wise, give us of your oil, for our lamps are going out. ⁹ but the wise answered, for fear there should not be enough for us and you, go rather to those that sell; and buy for your selves. ¹⁰ and while they were gone to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready, entred with him into the hall, and the door was shut. ¹¹ afterwards came the other virgins likewise, and cry'd, ¹² Lord, Lord, pray let us in. but he answered, I assure you, I know you not. ¹³ watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. ¹⁴ So it was when a man was going to travel into a foreign country, he called his servants, and delivered to them his stock: ¹⁵ to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to every man according to his respective ability, and then set out on his journey. ¹⁶ now he that had received five talents, immediately employed them in trade, and gain'd five talents more. ¹⁷ so he that had received two, gained likewise other two. ¹⁸ but he that had received one, went to dig a hole in the ground, and hid his lord's money. ¹⁹ after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them. ²⁰ accordingly he that had received five talents, came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents: besides those, there's five talents more, which I have gain'd. ²¹ his lord said to him, well done, thou art an honest faithful servant; thou hast been faithful in a small trust, I will give thee a much larger trust; go in and partake of thy master's diversions. ²² he also that had received two talents, came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents: here are two other talents which I have gain'd besides them. ²³ his lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful in a small trust, I will give thee a much larger trust: go in and partake of your master's joy. ²⁴ then came he who had received the one talent, and said, Lord, I knew that you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered: ²⁵ fear made me hide the talent under ground: but there you have what is your own. ²⁶ his lord answered and said unto him, thou vile slothful wretch, you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not scatter'd: ²⁷ should not you then have lodged my money at the banker's, and so at my return I should have received my own with interest. ²⁸ here, take the talent from him, and give it to him that has the ten. ²⁹ for he that makes use of what he has, shall have more; but if he makes no improvement thereof, it shall be taken from him. ³⁰ take then that worthless fellow, turn him out in the dark, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ³¹ When the son of man shall come in his majesty, accompanied with all his holy angels, he shall sit upon the throne of his glory. ³² then all nations shall be assembled before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. ³³ and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ the king shall say to those on his right hand, come, ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ for I was prest with hunger, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ³⁶ naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye took care of me: I was in prison, and ye visited me. ³⁷ then will the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see thee in hunger, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? ³⁸ when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? ³⁹ or when did we see thee sick, or in prison, and visited thee? ⁴⁰ and the king will reply, I declare unto you, your having done this for one of the least of these my brethren, is the same thing as doing it for me. ⁴¹ then will he say to those on the left, depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² for I was prest with hunger, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: ⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. ⁴⁴ then will they answer, Lord, when did we see thee in hunger, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? ⁴⁵ to this he will reply, I declare unto you, your not doing this for one of the least of these, is the same thing as not doing it for me. ⁴⁶ and these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

⁴⁴ therefore be ye also prepar'd: for the son of man may come at an hour you least expect.

³⁶ be therefore upon your guard, be constant in prayer, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all those future ills, and be able to stand in the presence of the son of God.

¹⁵ adore the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready to show with modesty and respect to every one that asks it, what ground there is for the expectations you have: