Acts 16:23

that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.

Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.

Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake.

No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory.

He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.

strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom.

Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.

For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly,

I am coming quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown.

“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

They said to him, “We are able.” Jesus said to them, “You shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you shall be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with;

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.

I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

About that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way.

But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, so I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;

I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it.

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

However you did well that you shared in my affliction.

although I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God,

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,

seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue,

who testified to God’s word and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw.

“I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those who are with him are called chosen and faithful.”

I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless.

“Test your servants, I beg you, ten days; and let them give us vegetables to eat, and water to drink.

So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.

Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.

They laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was now evening.

But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem.

All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”

After they had spent some time there, they were sent back with greetings from the brothers to the apostles.

I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, “Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”

preaching God’s Kingdom, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.

I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,

having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace.

Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News,

that no one would be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task.

For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus,

Therefore I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed.

This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John,

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had.

They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.

Enoch walked with God, and he was not found, for God took him.

For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you,

For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.

Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan!”

He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Now he who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, “Whoever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him.”

Now he who betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I will kiss, that is he. Seize him, and lead him away safely.”

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake.

and laid hands on the apostles, then put them in public custody.

“We found the prison shut and locked, and the guards standing before the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”

But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house and dragged both men and women off to prison.

and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.

The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

He took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household.

The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out and go in peace.”

Even to this present hour we hunger, thirst, are naked, are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place.

For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained.

yet for love’s sake I rather beg, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

I John, your brother and partner with you in the oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God’s Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.