FREEDOM...NOTHING BUT ANOTHER WORD?

Greetings and Salutations to all of you FREE people.

DISCLAIMER: I am writing this to myself. If at anytime you feel condemnation or finger pointing...then realize that I am writing this to myself. After all...you are FREE to believe...do...act anyway that you want to do. You are free to be bound by vices, habits, consequences of your actions because after all...you are an adult...and are FREE to live your life as you wish.

How does it feel to be FREE...assuming you are FREE. I guess depending on your definition of being FREE would determine if you realize that you are FREE or BOUND.

I love this picture of Harry Houdini. For some reason I keep hearing Aretha Franklin in my head...chain, chain, chain...chain of foooools. Harry ALLOWED himself to be chained...locked up...tied up...bound on purpose. That was his thang...so he could amaze us by getting out of the bondage.

Our problem is...we also ALLOW ourselves to be chained...locked up...tied up...bound...sometimes without even knowing it...and even worse than that... thinking that we are actually FREE. Some of us were once FREE...but we have returned to the state of not being FREE...still thinking...I am FREE.


Kris Kristofferson...penned the song...Me and Bobby McGee... made famous by Janis Joplin...where he stated that..."Freedom is another word...for nothing left to lose." How sad...but true... that FREEDOM..us usually our last option as opposed to our first option.

As a teenager...I remember eying the days of FREEDOM...with the thought that FREEDOM meant that I would be (1) FREE to do anything I wanted to do (2) I would not have to listen to anyone tell me what to do (3) I could say anything I wanted to say because I had FREEDOM of speech (4) There would be no consequences for my actions.


Wow...was I wrong about that. So many young people have the idea...that ADULTHOOD...would be when they would be FREE. They could be FREE to (1) smoke (2) drink/get drunk (3) have sex with whoever they could convince that they loved (4) live with whoever they want...and then leave whenever I want (5) no rules, no regulations, no consequences. (6) free to have sex...have a baby...etc.

NOTE: Refer back to the DISCLAIMER.

In this world filled with Drama kings and queens...we see FREEDOM played out on a daily basis. One thing we have tried to teach our son...is CAUSE AND EFFECT...that there are CONSEQUENCES to our ACTIONS. Why is it...that as adults...we think we can do anything we want...and NOT have to pay the piper? I love this book by Dave Berg...with the wounded and bandaged man...looking up to God for help. God's help...the HEALING WORD.

I have found that EVERY TIME...that I went out on my own... in my FREEDOM...I would end up looking like Roger Kaputnik on Berg's book...BOUND by the bandages of the CONSEQUENCES OF MY ACTIONS. I was FREE all right... FREE to make mistakes...and FREE to REAP...what I SOWED. The saying is..."SOW TO THE WIND...REAP THE WHIRLWIND."



Jesus proclaimed that we would know the TRUTH and the TRUTH would SET US FREE...INDEED. (John 8:32) NOTE: This is one of the most misquoted...out of contexts sayings of Jesus ever perpetrated.

People use this misquote as their rationale for "speaking their mind"... after all they were only speaking the truth...and the Good Book says that you will know the truth and the truth would set you FREE. They are only trying to set people FREE...with their truth.

Newspapers...print this verse on their masthead of their paper...because as we all know...if it is printed in the newspaper (or internet, on the radio, from the pulpit, on T.V)...that it must be TRUE...thus we will be FREE...if we know all the FACTS. Someone gives someone else a "piece of their mind" so the other person will know the TRUTH...after all...I am only speaking what is TRUE.

NOTE: Why is it that when someone is giving someone else a PIECE of their minds... they are never at PEACE in their mind? NOTE TO THE NOTE: Just because you have something to SAY...does not mean that you have to SAY IT.

The people who quote John 8:32...almost never quotes John 8:31..."Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him...IF (the condition) you ABIDE in MY WORD...you are my DISCIPLES indeed." Therein...lies the problem. We try to be FREE...without the IF CONDITION.

The previous picture...is how our FREEDOM was obtained. This last picture...drawn by my son Phillip... is how we keep FREE. The empty cross represents the fact that He died, He was buried...BUT...HE ROSE AGAIN. (Galatians 2:20)

Paul encourages us..."Stand Fast therefore in the LIBERTY/FREEDOM by which CHRIST HAS MADE US FREE...and do not be ENTANGLES again with a YOKE OF BONDAGE."
(Galatians 5:1). The potential for us to look like the first picture of Houdini...after we have been set free is highly possible...if...we don't follow the IF in John 8:31. If we don't CONTINUE...if we don't ABIDE in His Words.

"For you have been called to LIBERTY/FREEDOM...only do not USE LIBERTY/FREEDOM as an OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FLESH..but through LOVE...SERVE ONE ANOTHER." (Galatians 5:13)

When we FREE...we have choice...free will...and we can choose to open the door for the flesh with our FREEDOM...or use our FREEDOM to open the door to LOVE...and SERVE ONE ANOTHER...instead of serving our FLESH.

"I say then...WALK by the SPIRIT and you shall not fulfill the LUST OF THE FLESH. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit...and the Spirit against the flesh...and these are CONTRARY to one another...so that you do NOT DO THE THINGS YOU WISH." (Galatians 5:16,17)

Our concept of FREEDOM...is to DO THE THINGS YOU WISH. You wish to get drunk...you wish to have immoral sexual relationships...you wish to do this or do that...all in the name of FREEDOM...but the things that you do...thinking you are FREE...are really locking, chaining, binding you back again...as you think you are FREE.

Teenagers...and even adults...think they are FREE to have sex outside of marriage...and get pregnant...and act as if that is normal and O.K. We can abort as a matter of convenience. Married people think they are FREE to commit adultery. Males/Females think they can go outside the boundaries of God...and have sex with whoever, whatever, and whenever the please. After all they are ADULTS...and are FREE to do whatever they want. We think we can eat like hogs...and not gain weight...and then wonder why we are sick all of the time (my own personal vice).

NOTE: Check out the DISCLAIMER ONE MORE TIME.

Final Words Finally...and it's about time

What can I do?

"And those who are Christ's...HAVE CRUCIFIED the flesh (identified with the cross and Christ's death on the cross... ala Galatians 2:20)..with it's passions and desires. If we LIVE IN THE SPIRIT...let us WALK IN THE SPIRIT." (Galatians 5:24-25)

Love and FREE INDEED KISSES
Rodney "Check Out The Disclaimer" Boyd