“But now hath He (Jesus) obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” Hebrews 8:6

Have you ever asked why God allows such violence and suffering in the world? Or, if God really loves us then why do children die? Or why would such a good person die such a horrible death? These questions reflect the completely misguided idea that God, being all powerful, can do anything He wants, any time He wants. With the emphasis on “POWER,” the idea that an all-powerful God would not stop such atrocities is a horrendous thought. But the fact is, God will not violate His Word, or HisCovenants with mankind.

There are answers to these questions but we’ll never know those answers until we stop trying to perceive God through a religious lens, and look at what the scriptures actually say.

For instance, Psalms 115:16 says, The heaven, even the heavens are the Lord‘s:but the earth hath he given to the children of men. When did God give the earth to the children of men? Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over… all the earth…”

Then, in Psalms 24:1 it states, The earth is the Lord‘s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

So, “Which is true? Is the earth the LORD’s? Or – has He given it to the children of men? 

The answer is, BOTH are true. A simple illustration would be the relationship between a property owner and his tenant. If I owned a house and rented it out to you, for all intents and purposes, you would have legal dominion of that house and property. If I were to enter that house and do anything I wanted to without your permission, even though I was the owner, it would constitute illegal entry and I could be arrested for trespassing. So, yes, the earth is the LORD’s. And yet, he has given dominion over the earth to mankind. 

For this reason, God established Covenants with mankind. They cannot be annulled, altered, revised, or broken. In Psalm 89:34 God said, My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” God’s Covenants are the vehicle by which man has legal grounds of approach to God. They also give God legal rights to intervene in our lives through our adherence to Covenant stipulations.

Those who are not walking in Covenant with God can never experience these realities, so they developphilosophies which assume that God is all powerful and can do anything He wants to. No, God will never force His will upon anyone, He needs our permission because He has given us dominion. The moment we leave this earth our lease is terminated. But while we are here, we have the opportunity to enjoy a life that only God can give, a life worth living! That is Covenant Reality!

With Love,

Pastor Tom