Set In Order

“Then the kingdom of Heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  And five of them were wise, and five foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,  but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all nodded and fell asleep.  And at midnight there was a cry: Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!  Then all those virgins arose and prepared their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.  But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us!  But he answered and said, Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man comes.”  Matthew 25:1-13

 

When king Hezekiah was going to die, the prophet Isaiah told him to set his house in order.

 

“In those days Hezekiah had become sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, Thus says Jehovah: Set your house in order, for you are dying, and shall not live.”  2nd Kings 20:1

 

Certainly when a man knows that his days are numbered, when he can see that the end of his life is in the near future, the time to ensure that all things are set in order come into play.  For each person who has this opportunity to foresee their end here on the earth, they have various things that they want to accomplish and set in order before their death. 

 

How much more should those who are Believers ensure that their lives are set in order before Jesus appears to take us to be with Him (1 Thes. 4:17)?  How much more should the church ensure that things are orderly and admonish those who are the bride of Christ (Rev. 21:9) to make sure things are set in order?

 

Are you watching and ready?

 

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord comes.”  Matthew 24:42

 

“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man comes at an hour you do not expect.”  Matthew 24:44

 

Have you warned your loved ones, friends, neighbors and coworkers?  Have you got these things set in order? 

 

Have you ever considered leaving behind the Gospel message and your personal testimony for those who will be Left Behind and go through your belongings after we depart from this world?  Is your Christianity set in order so that those who know you would know that you went to be with the Lord or is it such that they would file a missing persons report, not knowing what happened to you or where you went after you are Raptured?

 

For those who don’t know Christ as their Savior, for those who have not repented and by faith believed into Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, why are you putting off getting these things set in order?  Do you not realize that you are not guaranteed to live yet another day and if you do not have Salvation set in order, you will be Left Behind?!

 

The time will come when whatever order things are set in, that is it.  It is over, those who are Saved will go to be with the Lord, those who are unsaved will have been Left Behind.  At that moment, those who do not have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and pondered doing so, will have to deal with the consequences of not having done so. 

 

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”  Matthew 24:36-37

 

“And he said to me, Do not seal the Words of the Prophecy of this Book, for the time is at hand.  He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.  And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to what his work shall be.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last.  Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter through the gates into the city.  But outside are dogs and sorcerers and prostitutes and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and produces a lie.  I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify these things to you, to the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him who hears say, Come. And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take of the Water of Life freely.”  Revelation 22:10-17

 

Just as a dying man might not get things set in order, so too those who do not repent and believe into Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will have to deal with the consequences of that situation.  No one can tell you how long before Jesus comes (Matt. 24:36) to take those who are truly His to be with Him.  Just as no one can declare to you how long you shall live.

 

“There are many plans in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of Jehovah shall stand.”  Proverbs 19:21

 

If you take a look around you, is it not apparent that this world is going in the wrong direction.  Yet another school shooting, just one larger example of the violence seen throughout America on a daily basis. 

 

The other day I was reading a story to my child.  The book is an old one and in there a woman gets into the wrong color car, her families car is parked behind.  My son asked how she was able to get into the car, my response is simple, people used to not have to lock their car doors. 

 

While we fortunately have some small cities scattered here and there, where people can generally leave their car doors unlocked, in some cases even their homes, in most cities, even in Kalispell, Montana, one would have to assume the risk for not locking their car doors or homes.  On a regular basis, even here, we have people going through parking lots, looking for those who didn’t lock their car doors.  We also have people breaking into homes and stealing goods, often to purchase drugs.  This is the unfortunate reality, we live in a very broken world, a very broken society, one where safety is not guaranteed, even in the best of the neighborhoods.

 

Just as half of virgins were not prepared, how many people focus on setting in order things of this world, rather than storing up treasures in Heaven?

 

“Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.  What is the profit to a man in all his labor which he labors under the sun?  A generation passes away, and a generation comes; but the earth stands perpetually.”  Ecclesiastes 1:2-4

 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves dig through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not dig through and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:19-21

 

How many people make sure to set in order purchasing a home, a couple of cars, ensuring a solid retirement and great vacations from time to time?  How many people set in order trying to ensure that their children are able to participate in numerous extra curricular activities, in order to supposedly give them a well-rounded education, as well as more opportunities later in life, but do not have them set in order the things of God in their hearts, of which true prosperity would exist, the true riches that are found only in Christ?

 

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19

 

How much time do even Christians spend in trying to set in order the things of this world rather than having everything set in order in a biblical manner before their Creator?  Consider and consider carefully whether or not your heart is in order before your Creator?  Just how much time do we have? 

 

“If then you are raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on the things of the earth; for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.  Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: sexual perversion, uncleanness, passion, evil lusts, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience; in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.  But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his practices, and have put on the new man who is renewed in full true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all things and in all.  Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.  And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, even the Father, through Him.”  Colossians 3:1-17

 

Do not be like the five foolish virgins, be prepared, be ready, have things set in order before God.  Get those things done you know you should do, clean up what you know you should.  Go!  Get things set in order!

 

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also become holy in all conduct, because it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.”  1st Peter 1:13-16

 

Amen!