Freedom from bondage

I was just thinking tonight, about some of my friends/family that are truly in bondage and they don't even know it. They believe they have total freedom. But they are always saying that something isn't going right in their lives. Something is always out of whack in regards to love life, home, work, or school. While I was thinking about them and praying for them, a thought occurred to me, that while they think they are free, they are really tied up in the worst form of bondage; no direction. That to me, is the worst; to have no direction, no plan, no way of understanding that "this" button when pushed makes "this" thing happen. They keep "pushing" the same button over and over again, expecting it to give off different results, but it doesn't. It can't.

The only way something can be "free"is to be set apart from the things that are binding it.  Just like a dog on a leash, may seem "binding", but truthfully, he is totally free on his leash. This way he "knows" he is protected,  what his boundaries are, and that he is safe. If he is not on his leash but roams freely, he can get hurt, in trouble, and ultimately get hit by a car or attacked by a mountain lion, ending in death.  Bondage can be freedom, if looked at it in with the right mindset.

The whole thought of this, comes as we say goodbye to another Sabbath, and begin a new week.  Yom Teruah (Day of shouting) and Rosh Hashanah,(Head of the new year(Jewish calendar) and in 10 days, Yom Kippur(Day of Atonement)(Jewish calendar). All four of these days have some very interesting things in common.  Shabbat is the end of the week, when we rest from work and all the things that come with "bondage" in the world. Mortgages, bills, work, etc...we take time to acknowledge God's day of rest. We think back over our week and just as He rested after 6 days of work, creating the earth, we stop creating also, in  many ways. Yom Teruah, is the "day of shouting", when trumpets, or Shofarim (rams horns) are blown all over the world by Messianic and some Christian believers. Saying, God, "please take us from this bondage"  God will come from Heaven to judge those here and in the earth, (graves).  He will come with a "shout" of trumpets...so this holiday is to get ready for if you will, for that Great Day of the Lord.  Which we believe to be getting ready for the wedding of us as the Bride and our Messiah as the Groom. And Rosh Hashanah; Rosh is head in Hebrew, the head(or mind)  is what makes us think, what helps us make decisions, and makes all our body parts work, ears, eyes, mouth, feet, hands, etc...and Hashanah, means "year", so its a "new beginning" to a new period. All of this time, including Yom Kippur in 10 days, is a time of repentance, reflection, deep thought and prayer. A time to make anew of the things of old, and maybe use bondage(keeping the Torah or laws) to our advantage.

After these Holy days, we begin reading the Torah all over again. The Torah, which means Law/ Instruction, is the first five books of Moses in the front of most Bibles that are in print today. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. They let us know our freedoms. Rules to follow and how to do things and ways to treat others, and what things can get us into trouble, and the punishments and curses, if we don't obey them.  Most people would say, "well, since they are laws and commandments, how can they be freedoms?  Aren't they considered bondage, tied into a certain perspective of living?". Well, yes and no. It is just like a mother and child; the mother says to the child " do these things and you will be safe", but the child thinks otherwise, why? because to the child, things beyond the boundaries, are exciting, dangerous even.  You do have to have the right perspective to see the Torah as "freedom and not bondage". The 10 Commandments are in these 5 books.(Exodus 20 matter of fact). They describe, in pretty understandable terms what we are supposed to do and not supposed to do. Lots of modern day Christians, don't teach these principles in their Sunday schools anymore, or from the pulpit either...Most are doing the "feel good" principles to bring more bodies in. I think if you build it , they will come. Preach the right stuff, and the right souls will show up, when they are done "being free". By doing it backwards, getting the people before the principle, you have people that aren't necessarily interested in the "message", as much as the "massage" they get with the social time and coffee hour afterward, and the band and swaying back and forth of the singers with hands in the air....I have been to both types, so I think I can say with fair certainty that this is going on all over our country. As things in the world get more out of control, and more and more "freedom" is bondage, and "bondage" is freedom....

Following the laws of the Torah or the 10 commandments and other statutes and guidelines set up for us by our Creator, is not bondage at all, in fact it is true freedom. Just like in the analogy with the dog, if you know where you are supposed to go, how you are supposed to go, and with whom you are to worship, and how you are to worship, you have freedom, from not going in  the wrong direction, not thinking do I go here or there, not desiring something you aren't meant to have, not thinking thoughts that are harmful, that is freedom. Bondage, is when you are tied to the things that sometimes bring you the most pain, and you can't break free, because you are addicted to it/them. And everytime you try to break free, you don't succeed, because you are locked into the system and the worldly way of thinking. That everything is good for you, and that you can always check it out and check out of something you don't like anytime... Its like if there is a fire, you are safer on the non fire side of the door, rather than opening the door to "see".  Just because something looks good or advantageous, doesn't mean it is. So many people, myself included, think "hey, I know my life, and what I want out of it, how I want to do it is MY LIFE, as in I can handle it! Thanks God, I have the rule book, but I don't need to really read and use it, just having it in my glove box is good enough, and then IF I get into trouble, I will call upon You to help, but in the meantime, let me be ME.  The problem, I have found, is that if you had not led your life the way you insisted was best for you in the first place, you wouldn't have to open that glove box and go looking for " the answer". You would after reading the whole book, know the answers in which you would have utilized in your life not having to search for the answers as they have been there from the beginning. I feel that by listening to that still small voice in me, that God has told me, you are mine, and I am yours, I want to lead you to a place of safety, love and good blessings. I have been where I thought I had it handled, and I can tell you , I did not. Although it looked like I had it together, that was certainly far from the truth.  As the "angel of all lies" had me looking pretty good, in my eyes anyway, but I was leading a very untruthful, unGodly, life without freedom, as far as I could go. He kept saying, "When you are ready", and I would respond, "I've got it under control God!, thanks anyway". As the God has me on a "leash" if you will, but all solely by  my willing commitment to him and Him to me. Sort of like a wedding ring, I know what the guidelines are, I know who my enemy is, I understand the trials and tribulations life can bring, but He knows that I know , what he wants me to do in my life to stay free of bad bondage(addictions and depression), and keep close to him for good bondage,(blessings and commandments) which in my world, is total and real freedom.

As you cannot have both, as freedom and bondage are a vertical duality (i.e., spirit and ego), not a horizontal ego polarity. They are both choices we make, which one will you make?  Curses, which come with problems and punishments or blessings, which are received by following the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with all of your mind, heart, soul and strength? I have chosen each of them at different times of my life,  but now freely choose the freedom of following the rules and commandments, not for redemption, but because I am redeemed,  I will follow them, with pleasure.