PREPARE!

1 Chronicles 22 vs 5 "And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death."

Many times we hear the word prepare when we study the Bible. We are told on Sunday mornings Prepare! For the Lord is at hand. Why should we prepare? Prepare what and how? These are simple questions, and even if we care not to admit it we were all once ignorant of the answers.

Firstly, why should we prepare? There are many reasons for why we must do so. The one that is most important is that the kingdom comes soon and with it the judgement. There are parables that tell us of preparing for the kingdom, the one I expect that has come to your mind just now is the one of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25 vs 1-14) who are waiting for the bridegroom (he bridegroom representing Christ) to arrive at the marriage (The Kingdom returning). Five of these virgins did not prepare and they found that "the door was shut." and that they could not enter as they had not been ready when the bridegroom had come. So we must prepare in order to be ready to enter the Kingdom when it comes.

Secondly, what should we prepare? You may scoff and say we must prepare ourselves, but what about ourselves must we prepare? We some may say the body. Yes, prepare the body show outwardly that you are prepared. If someone notices you are different to others in that you do not follow the world do not endeavor to change your ways so that you are less noticeable, but continue to "shine as lights in the world" (Phil 2 vs 15). By preparing the body we should not neglect the spirit. Remember that outwardly the leaders in the synagogues were perfects examples of how one should live your life, but their actions were empty, Jesus knew this and rebuked them on many occasion. The spirit should be clean as well as the body. Then and only then shall we be prepared.

Thirdly, how should we prepare? Simple you cry follow the Lord! Follow the Lord in what? Following him literally in his journey throughout Israel? No, you and I both know how we must follow him. Follow his commandments. What are they? "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with thy mind...And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." these are Jesus; two commandments these you must follow to be prepared, but the most important you must do to prepare is to be baptized as God has commanded we should be.

David sets us a good example he prepared for the Lord's House to be built many years before it was built, we should also prepare NOW as we do not know when the kingdom shall come.