In part we know Liberty is the absence of bondage. How can we recognize BONDAGE so we can cut the bonds and be more free.

How many different forms of bondage can we see? An ancient Roman slave chained to a ship's oar is one example. Ancient Egyptian slaves chained together as they pulled huge slabs of granite building the pyramids.

But the scope of bondage goes further. Including vanquished people of Greece being used by victorious Romans to teach in Rome. Many household slaves in Rome were leaders in their homeland. Their bondage did not have the visible evidence of chains around their ankles and wrists.

Their bondage dictated where they might walk and what they might say. They had to please their master. As slaves go, these Grecians in Rome were pretty comfortable. Like a pet dog in a kennel, they were fed and housed so long as they pleased their master. Those who broke the rules got sent to the galley of ships or salt mines or copper mines.

In the name of setting people free, Lenin enslaved the Russian people. Making them accept his ideas or face execution or slave labor camps or re-education camps. Hitler applied similar tactics. Murder and prison- camps all in the false name of freedom and liberty for people.

So to you as an individual, freedom to choose where you will live, what you will do, and words you will say are great marks of liberty. When government dictates your choices you are subject to that government.

Victor Frankel learned during the Nazi regime he was free to make his own choices regardless of what the Nazis threatened. He only had to be willing to pay the price for his choice. They told him to renounce God or they would shoot him. He wrote a book to say he chose to proclaim God and he was willing to pay the price whatever it cost. That is liberty.

Where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is LIBERTY. When a man through faith towards God chooses to do what is right and good and helpful, that man is free.

Bondage takes many forms. It need not be so obvious as chains on his ankles. It can be through mis-guided beliefs and ignorance. It can result from slothfulness and failure to keep watch. On the wheat farms of Rome, people worked and the master reaped the benefits. Giving the workers only a place to sleep and some food to eat. So who owns the fruits of a man's labor? Does the farmer own it? Does the government own it? Or does the man who labored own his labor?

Clearly the idea of OWNERSHIP rises to our mind. Now the issue becomes who will define who owns? History's worst dictators acted as they (and their government) owned it all. The Bible teaches private ownership and private responsibility. So whose understanding will you seek, that of dictators of Egypt, Rome, and Lenin or Hitler or that of God Almighty our Creator who endowed us with unalienable rights; among those rights are the right to fair wages for our labor and the right to private ownership of property.

If we're going to historical stories as told by Moses and Abraham, and confirmed by the apostle Paul and Jesus, then let us look to the sons of Jacob as they came out of slavery in Egypt.

Magnificent lessons, helpful lessons can be learned from Joseph. His brothers discussed murdering him, he was instead just sold into slavery so they could get rid of him. As a young man waking up to find himself in chains enslaved he chose to keep his faith in God instead of angry rebellion. He applied himself to good and helpful thoughts according to faith teachings of his father and God the Creator and Supreme Judge. Consequently he traversed through several major life lessons and became responsible for feeding all of Egypt and his father's people. He was cast down from a high birth position in life, chained and imprisoned, and still grew to become the most significant and helpful man on earth.

After Joseph died, the people had become accustomed to looking towards the state for their welfare. The Egyptians turned against the foreigners who worshiped the different GOD. The descendants of Jacob were forced into Egyptian labor camps. The state mandated their labor and kept all the rewards of their labor, except for meager food and a roof.

Four hundred years later when the Israelites were led out of Egypt by God working through Moses, they spent forty years purifying their faith to trust and obey God, after which they were led into Canaan where they made a life for themselves.

Whether it was the British chaining Americans to the British navy ships unlawfully or the Romans chaining conquered people to their war ships, the situation is the same. Governments should not take what belongs to the individual, except by the consent of the people.

The hearts of kings and all rulers are in the hand of God and He turns them whichever way He wills. So Joseph rose to the top, like cream out of the milk, for his good and diligent working gave him favor with those in authority.

Scripture teaches a man who is faithful and diligent and skilled in his works shall be noticed and promoted by authorities. Whether in local business or government affairs.

Scripture also explains that people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge, and that nations who mock God shall be mocked by Him. Those who uphold the things of God and proclaim THE LORD IS OUR SALVATION shall be upheld by Him. That's why Joseph did during his afflictions; he held on to his faith towards God.

Through out history and in most peoples there has been slavery, and there have been examples of slaves who pleased their master well and were promoted in various degrees.

The root of slavery is man's inhumanity to man as described in Romans 1st and 2nd chapters. That root took ground when Adam willingly chose to live by the guidance of that serpent in the garden rather than holding fast to the counsel of his Creator who made the garden. Same choice is available today for all who will believe. We can serve Mammon or we can serve God. You cannot serve both.

To serve and seek God is to walk on the path way of life and light that leads unto righteousness and a more abundant life. (See John 10:10) If Joseph had given up his faith; if he had cursed God and turned bitter then the story would have been different. But Joseph gave us an example that we should learn and follow. Keeping our eyes on Christ Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith; walk towards the light while we have the light, as we are transformed from glory unto glory into His image. The LORD's mercies are new every morning, on the just and the unjust. On the wicked and the righteous, the makes the sun shine and the rains water; and those who seek Him shall be found by Him, and those who lay down their lives for the brethren shall see His salvation. Jesus said, The Father loves Me because I lay down my life for the brethren. How much more ought we do like-wise.

Shall we stand around saying, "Canaan land, give me fruit; for I was a slave in Egypt 400 years and I have not the skills to produce good fruit? Or shall we instead, be transformed by the renewing of our minds with faith towards God and repentance from dead works, and go forth diligently plowing, planting, watering that we may also enjoy the fruit of our labors.

Liberty is not only determined by whether we wear anklets, it is also determined by what we learn to think and believe and choose and act. True liberty is only by the TRUTH of GOD. Jesus the Christ told us clearly, ... He said "I AM, the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE."

The chains and tangled knots of the mind are much more to be cut asunder than just the anklets of the flesh; and this is true for us all. Because many who wear no anklets are still bound by wrong thinking in their mind. Let us be free of all chains, both mind and body, through the knowledge of Him and the understanding of His WORD. Do unto your neighbor as you would have Him do unto you. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Love one another and the God of peace will be with you.

Ultimately, we are either slaves to sin, or servants to God. There is no other choice. We either know the TRUTH of God and are set free, or we are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Something else Jesus gave us, You shall know the truth, and the TRUTH shall make you free. His truth cuts asunder all the chains of captivity.

Freedom to choose even in the bondage of Nazi camp with a threatening pistol pointed to his head, Victor Frankel made the choice to affirm God when the Nazi ordered him to deny God.

Joseph, son of Jacob, even after being nearly killed by his own brothers, sold into slavery, and carried off into the oblivion of Egypt, walked in the liberty of his heart, keeping his faith towards God.

Few have faced any worse circumstances than these two men, Joseph and Victor. We can all imitate their examples. Set before us is life and death, blessing and cursing; it is our choice whether we choose life that we may live, or choose death and be cursed.

CHOOSE for the choice is yours. The LIBERTY to make that choice is ALWAYS with you..

Is there a such thing as economic slavery? Government enforced "slavery".?

Just a few years ago, economists calculated the government directed how our money would be spent at the rate of 52 cents out of every dollar of the gross national product. That included directly and indirect expenses. For example the federal government only pays for some of the things it requires states and businesses and individuals to do. When those states and their people have to spend part of their income to fulfill what the federal government requires , such expenses add up the total of government directed spending.

So in round numbers, the government uses 52% of your money to do whatever the government wants (this was a few years ago, and its more now). That means you have less than half discretionary power over the fruit of your labor.

Now in the old days of total slavery, the "master" kept all wages and only gave some food to the worker. In modern times, when government dictates, you be the judge how free your money is, according to your choices.

Do you want the government to grow and spend more of your money for whatever the government wants, leaving you with less and less choice of what you want to buy with your money?

So we see the size of government and all it's many offices, heads, czars and other officials cuts directly into the size of your choices, liberties.

When a man who is free chooses to take too much entertainment, too much leisure, too much ignoring the farm,... sees his farm eaten away by the little foxes coming through the hedge...will he wake up and get back to work so he can save his farm, or will he just fall into the oblivion of his comfort and let the rest rot away?

Some people get things worth having by diligent application of work and study. Others lose what they had by excessive leisure.

The man who must be driven by the point of a bayonett to work is, or will usually become, a slave. The slave who learns to work, and then gains freedom will only keep it if he continues to discipline himself to "keeping the farm" instead of filling his life with leisure.

Has too much leisure and presumption cost America her liberty? We shall see.

If American's buckle up, and study and learn , and do what is right; then we will have the best that can be from this point forward. If America persists in idle leisure, fun, and entertainment, shallow thoughts, and sound-bite comprehension....then many will cry for their loss of liberty.

Where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is LIBERTY. If we fear man more than God, we will be overcome by man. If we desire pleasure more than righteousness, then we will be overcome by nearly anything. Ignorance and leisure and presumption grease the rails to bondage.

Stand up. Pay the price it takes to do your part, as one person keeping America free. For America is a sum of her parts. What is your part doing?

Liberty is your freedom to make a choice. A choice between more tv and games, entertainment and relaxation or buckling down to study what you need to know so you can better do what you need to do. Liberty is your choice to do your part in preserving liberty by fulfilling your duty.

Duty is that which you do even when its uncomfortable. Duty is what you do because it's right for you to do it.
Faithful fulfillment of duty is what preserves liberty. Else you fall into bondage from unforeseen events.
Duty preserves liberty. Liberty ordained duty.

Larry A. Rice, Oct 24, 2009

an after thought,
God does not excuse us when we point to others and say "They're not doing anything, so neither am I."
He did not call us to follow the failures of other people. He called us to follow HIM.

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