FREEDOM...JUST ANOTHER WORD?

Greeting FREE PEOPLE What are you doing with your FREEDOM? The word freedom evokes many images with each individual. You hear the word free... you thing of no cost...no attachments...no responsibilities...no nothing.

Kris Kristofferson penned the song ME AND BOBBY MCGEE...that was made popular by Janis Joplin...and declared that..."Freedom's just ANOTHER WORD for nothing less to lose...nothing don't mean nothing honey if it ain't free." Is it really JUST ANOTHER WORD...or is it a word that carries deep meaning that will have a deep impact on the way the we live our lives.

Harry Houdini...master of escape...would self inflict himself to shackles chains, imprisonments...and would always effect an escape based on illusion. Houdini would live a well calculated life of bondage and freedom...to leave the effect of one who could set himself free...but he was bound in the mind about the other side once someone died.

At the mythic 3 day festival...Woodstock...that started out as a capitalistic endeavour to cash in on the freedom mindset...and only turned into a free concert when people exercised their freedom to tear down the fences (don't fence me in)...turned in to three days of sex, drugs and rock and roll...Richie Havens opened up...with the song FREEDOM. It started out by Richie playing guitar with background of various drums...singing the word FREEDOM 8 times,
followed by..."sometimes I feel like a motherless child (sung 3 x)...a long way from home." In this quest for freedom...there is a loneliness. It is like being alone in a crowd. The theme/thoughts of freedom...is not a new thang...but an age old cry of the heart...of either people who were bound against their will in slavery...inflicted by either an oppressive nation...or sold into slavery by their own people...bound and brought to another land against their wills. There are those who are bound into mental slavery as their environment, family, experiences dictate how they act out their bondage by fear, anger, humor, intimidation...anything to act as if they are free. Some are bound by the tyranny of the urgent as we fill our time with whatever we want to fill it with...and push out the things that we need to fill it with...resulting in being bound by the clock. Stephen Stills sang a song that epitomized the carnal nature of what we call freedom..."If you can't be with the one you love...honey...love the one you're with...love the one your with." Of course that FREEDOM PHILOSOPHY ended up in a generation bound by self desire...manifested in alcoholism, drug dependency, social diseases and unwanted pregnancy that was easily dealt with with abortion. As Steve Taylor sang in his song...WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SIN..."If you can't support it...why don't you abort it instead." This leads us into the ultimate form of bondage...SIN....thus the need for a Saviour...Jesus... who hung on the cross in our place to redeem us from sin. There was a saying that I hung up on my door at Tennessee Temple Bible School...that got me into some trouble...because it was viewed as sacrilegious...JESUS HUNG UP FOR OUR HANG UPS. I still stand by that statement.

Freedom...the release from the pressure of stuff...feels REFRESHING. The misconception of freedom is...that I am free...not bound by anything...no responsibilities....no pressures...not nothing....just free to do anything I want to do...not answering to anybody.

Teenagers long for this freedom...away from parental guidance...free from rules and regulations...free to do what they want to do. Again...their ain't nuttin' new under the sun...this has been the age old struggle between kids and parents. The only problem is...they have idealistic views of how things ought to be in this world called freedom...but they can't afford to live in the lifestyle that they are accustomed to...without their parents. The sad thing for the parents...is to watch their children make mistakes...get bound into sin...and generally make a mess of their lives. The happy thing for the parents are to watch their children... make wise choices...leave the nest...and learn to fly.

The question is...how can we make FREEDOM...MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER WORD...FOR NOTHING ELSE TO LOSE?


"My son (daughters can also follow this advice)...do not forget my law, but let (or allow) you heart to keep my commands (it always starts in the heart before being manifested in actions)...for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you (cause and effect)...Let not (don't allow it to happen) mercy and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart (keep them near you) and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man (cause and effect in heaven and on earth)." (Pro-Verbs 3:1-4)

The above passage is the ideal for freedom. The next verses is the HOW.
"TRUST in the Lord with all your heart and LEAN NOT on your own understanding; In all your ways ACKNOWLEDGE Him...and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes...FEAR THE LORD and DEPART EVIL. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones."
(Pro-Verbs 3:5-8) The old hymn says..."trust and obey...for there's no other way...to be happy in Jesus...but to trust and obey." The flip side of that song is..
"Don't trust and don't obey...for there is no other way...to be miserable in life..but to not trust and not obey."

The heartbeat for humanity was...and still is FREEDOM. Galatians 5:1 says it all.

"Stand fast therefore in the LIBERTY by which Christ has made us free, and DO NOT BE ENTANGLED again with a YOKE OF BONDAGE."
(Galatians 5:1 New King James Version)

"It was for FREEDOM that Christ set us FREE; therefore KEEP STANDING FIRM and DO NOT BE SUBJECT AGAIN to a YOKE OF SLAVERY."
(Galatians 5:1 New American Standard Bible)

"In [this] FREEDOM Christ has made us FREE--completely LIBERATED us; STAND FAST then, and DO NOT BE HAMPERED and HELD ENSNARED and SUBMIT AGAIN to a YOKE OF SLAVERY--which you once put off."
(Galatians 5:1 The Amplified Bible)

This is the revealed WILL OF GOD...for your life. The thing is...there are a couple of aspects about God's will...one is His sovereign WILL...because He is God and He can do whatever He wants...and it does not matter if you get in line with His plan or not....HE IS KING...HE IS LORD...HE IS SOVEREIGN. The other aspect of His will...is His wish...His desire...BUT...His wish and His desired...IS HINGED ON YOUR RESPONSE.
His WILL IS FOR YOU TO BE FREE AND STAY FREE...but His will...is hinged on YOUR RESPONSE. You can choose NOT TO BE FREE.

"For you brethren...were [INDEED] called to FREEDOM; only [do not let your] FREEDOM be an incentive to your flesh and an OPPORTUNITY or excuse [for selfishness], but THROUGH LOVE you should SERVE ONE ANOTHER." (Galatians 5:13 The Amplified Bible)

The starting point of this thing called FREEDOM is to have a relationship with the one who sets you free. Become a follower of Jesus. If you are a follower of Jesus...and you are following Him to where He goes...He will lead you into the PRESENCE OF THE LORD...THE FATHER. No longer will SIN separate you from the Lord...but now...you are FREE.

For more information about this FREEDOM...you can contact me...Ruminatin' Rod...as 415-7577 or by email... ruminator12@comcast.net

Love and FREEDOM KISSES
Rodney "Free At Last...Free At Last...Thank God All Mighty I'm Free At Last" Boyd