The Lease
The landlord/tenant business has been interesting. We started 40 years ago in Lawton Oklahoma. We owned the duplex and the cottage in back, fixed them up real pretty, then made the lease & policy to fit our needs & desires. My Army boss had several units and only made hand-shake agreements. We wanted a written lease which people agree to and sign. We quickly learned that about 2/3 of them “cut corners” and violate the lease and property. This results in unfair wear & tear, serious property damage, unit down time, litigation, landlord heartburn, etc. Some landlords become DISTRAUGHT with the constant lies, sad stories, animal urinated carpets, false accusations, broken leases, ruined doors, holes in walls, late rent, hot checks, prostitution, blocked communication, and many other troublesome issues. Then with class struggle being what it is, some tenants would kill the landlord if they could – I have personally been hit, soon after beginning my property management career in 1979.
The connection is clear that God is the biggest landlord of this planet, owning the land and all the humans. Psalm 50:10 KJV “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” Ezekiel 18:4 “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins shall die.” He has revealed his lease policy to mankind for thousands of years now in the scripture – indeed the whole Bible can be seen as God’s written lease. Interesting enough, in the book of Genesis, maybe two thousand years were on a “handshake” basis, (which didn’t work especially well with the Divine destruction of the antediluvian world of Noah and of course Sodom & Gomorrah at the time of Abraham.) Then God presented a concise “written lease” thru Moses in the 10 commandments. Those “thou shalt nots” – idolatry, blasphemy, violating the Lord's Day, murder, adultery, lying, etc. And it would appear that God is the most premier DISTRAUGHT landlord these days, judging by the violation of those commandments, and the decline of decent values we see all over the world.
Jesus Christ offered a “lease” story that hits the spot. “A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants. . . When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him; and sent him away empty handed.” Mark 12:1-9 This story goes on to the killing of the son of the vineyard owner, which presents a clear picture of the Atonement of Christ. - “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal live.” John 3:16
Well, in the same sense that people neglect the lease and make a MESS of the landlord’s property & mind, people neglect God’s lease and make a MESS of their own lives. And God knows He has no perfect tenants. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 KJV This means we all need Christ’s Atonement above to make amends for violating His righteous lease policy. Why not step into a “new lease” today? Jesus paid the “rent” two thousand years ago on the bloody cross.
- Acts 4:12 KJV “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
- 2 Corinthians 6:2b KJV “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
- Hebrews 2:3 KJV “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.”
Choose Jesus, He is Alive. Find a legitimate Bible believing church & support it. God’s blessing will be released to you. See also “The Blessing & the Curse” link #66.
For other Gospel-notes go to: www.gospelnotes.org * * Fred J. Stone * *
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