GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER

Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div

Turn with me in your Bibles to the Book of 2 Kings chapter 20:1-2- In those days Hezekiah became ill and was near death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.”

2 Then he turned his face toward the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying,3 “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with an undivided heart and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

I want to entitle this message, “GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER!”

This was the message from God through the Prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah who was sick unto death.

Oh, what a message to deliver to this country in the present state. I speak about St. Vincent and the Grenadines, my Homeland.

Hezekiah received a warning that said “get your house in order” because death is knocking at your door. This same warning is for this generation and I want to sound it loud and clear. “GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER!”

“Get your house in order!” What would be your response to this command? What are you doing in making preparation for one day to meet Jesus?

Having heard God speak to him through His Prophet Isaiah, King Hezekiah humbled himself, turned his face toward the wall, seek God and poured his heart out to God in prayer and bitter weeping.

In his prayer,  Hezekiah reminded God of how he had been faithful to Him and how he obeyed Him with all his heart and how he had done what the Lord had commanded of Him. How many of us can say the same thing to the Lord today? Are you living and walking upright before the Lord that your words will be true to Him?

In other words, Hezekiah was saying to God, “Lord, remember me, your servant.” I have walked upright before you and have kept Your word. I have lived in strict obedience to the laws before me.

Having heard Hezekiah prayer, God answered through the Prophet with a 2 fold promised blessing. God said “He had heard Hezekiah’s prayer and seen his tears, therefore, He will heal him and add fifteen (15) more years to his life.

God also promised that He would deliver His people from their enemies (king of Assyria) and will defend the city for His sake and the sake of David, His servant. Hear my plea St. Vincent and the Grenadines from 2 Chronicles chapter 7 and verse 14, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

God will do a work in the heart of the country, but we have to approach the Throne of Grace. The problem is we are not going before the Lord in sincerity and truth. This is your call from the Lord “GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER!”

A DOUBLE BLESSINGS FOR YOUR SINCERITY

Because King Hezekiah made God the Number 1 priority in his life, God showed him favor and mercy by adding 15 more years to his life. But, even after 15 additional years Hezekiah still died.

We too will one day die. When we do, will “our house be in order”? Will we have spent our lives in a way that not only pleased God, but one that was spent in a  personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ by faith? Or, will we have spent it serving self in a house that was out of order?

Getting “our house in order” MUST become a priority in all of our lives.

A personal relationship with God and finding time with Him in prayer and His Word must become the Number 1 priority in all of our lives. Why? Because when we transition from life to death, everything we see and know will one day be no more and only what we have done for Christ is what will last. Hallelujah. You may be able to quote the scriptures, dance, and shout but if you do not have a personal relationship with God you are lost.

Many people today are not thinking about the reality and surety of one day dying.   They are eating, drinking and being merry with no thought of life after this. For some, death will come sooner than for others.  We know for a fact that the older we get the closer we are to our death date.  No one is exempt from death. We all have an appointment that cannot be cancelled, rescheduled nor avoided.

Paul tells us in the Book of Hebrews 9:27-And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

The question to be answered today by all of us is when our time comes to die, “will our house be in order?”

Our birth date can be estimated almost down to the wire, but not our death date. The minute, day and hour of our death is unknown to man but known to God. Job 14:5 A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.

The Bible declares that there will be the second coming of Christ. When? We do not know, but His coming again, we do know. This time Christ will come as “Judge” and not as “Saviour”. When He does, will He find your “house in order?” Brethren the emphasis here id having your house in order. None of us will want to be left out on that day, but unfortunately, many are going to miss the call.

Because of this known truth that is found in God’s Bible concerning the death of all, it would seem imperative for us to “get our house in order”. Not our physical house, but our spiritual house. The spiritual part of all of us that will live forever.

Yes, it is time to return to the Lord. It is time to set your “your house in order” if you have not done so yet.

The day Christ returns will be a day of rejoicing for some and a day of sadness and sorrow for others. What kind of day will this be for you? Are you prepared to meet your Lord and Saviour, should He come today?

What determines if you will have a day of rejoicing or a day of sadness and sorrow? It all boils down to one thing and that is “FAITH.” If you have put your trust in the Lord and has made Him your Lord and Saviour, the day of Christ return will indeed be a day of celebration for you as a believer. If you haven’t done so as yet, this is your time to put your house in order. Awake brethren and rise to the light have come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee.

If you have not and is still waiting, thinking and believing that you have time to accept Christ by faith, then sadness and sorrow may be your lot for scripture declares that no man knows the day nor the hour when the Goodman of the house would return.

Today is the day of salvation. Now is the acceptable time. Now is the time to get ‘your house in order!” Yes, The time to seek the Lord for a personal relationship with Him is now.

The prophet Isaiah warned King Hezekiah and he turned his face away from everything and everyone that was familiar and set his heart, mind eyes and spirit on God’s face through prayer and bitter weeping.

The warning has come to you today. What are you going to do? What is your response? Do you have your house in order? If not, why not?

I can only hope and pray that today is the day that you put into action, the steps needed in getting your house in order for night is coming to all of us. Will you be ready? Will your house be in order?

God bless.