What is Freedom?

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Ziggy

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2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

thinking...
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Ziggy

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what exactly are you alluding to?
How to disentagle oneself from ... slavery, mind control.. tyranny.

Sometimes I feel like Elijah on the mountain. I think it's Elijah..
And the soldiers come and tell him the King wants to see him, and he calls down fire from heaven to make them go away.
How can one be an Elijah in todays world?
I can revoke my "citizenship" my "birth certificate" my "Social Security Number" .
Life would be more difficult not being able to rely on the "state" for anything.
Just be free from all overbearing authority.. entrapment.

How does one seperate themselves from the world?
Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free.

Just thinking..
Thank You
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An Apologetic Sheepdog

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How does one seperate themselves from the world?
Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free.

Depends on how far the word "separate" goes.

Jesus made it clear we are "in" the world and not "of" it so we have to have a degree of tolerance just to function and survive (with the understanding that tolerance in no way means agreement or support)

So, we may be in situations where we may have to perform acts physically but not support them internally. (like the old saying you can force me to do something but you cant make me want to do it or agree with it)

That brings an immediate razor thin line that's virtually invisible where "living in the world' crosses over to sin. That's a case by case thing.

Then freedom needs to be defined in terms of personal freedom ( freedom of individual choice) versus "societal freedom" ( what society at large with all the laws will allow)

That's really 2 different scenarios with 2 different approaches and answers.
 
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Ziggy

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12 minutes:

Thoughts:

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

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farouk

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Thoughts:

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

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@Ziggy I love that chapter! such a lot of refreshing truth and doctrine in it for the believer! :)
 

Ziggy

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Depends on how far the word "separate" goes.

Jesus made it clear we are "in" the world and not "of" it so we have to have a degree of tolerance just to function and survive (with the understanding that tolerance in no way means agreement or support)

So, we may be in situations where we may have to perform acts physically but not support them internally. (like the old saying you can force me to do something but you cant make me want to do it or agree with it)

That brings an immediate razor thin line that's virtually invisible where "living in the world' crosses over to sin. That's a case by case thing.

Then freedom needs to be defined in terms of personal freedom ( freedom of individual choice) versus "societal freedom" ( what society at large with all the laws will allow)

That's really 2 different scenarios with 2 different approaches and answers.
Are you watching the videos?
They aren't very long.
And I am finding them very insightful.
These videos are what I'm drawing my "thinking" from.

Thank You
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amadeus

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How to disentagle oneself from ... slavery, mind control.. tyranny.

Sometimes I feel like Elijah on the mountain. I think it's Elijah..
And the soldiers come and tell him the King wants to see him, and he calls down fire from heaven to make them go away.
How can one be an Elijah in todays world?
I can revoke my "citizenship" my "birth certificate" my "Social Security Number" .
Life would be more difficult not being able to rely on the "state" for anything.
Just be free from all overbearing authority.. entrapment.

How does one seperate themselves from the world?
Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free.

Just thinking..
Thank You
Hugs
And there is this...

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matt 6:33-34
 

An Apologetic Sheepdog

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Are you watching the videos?
They aren't very long.
And I am finding them very insightful.
These videos are what I'm drawing my "thinking" from.

Most yes but from my perspective that's old news. Nothing more than a very basic tour of the Psy ops, mechanics of nation building and other subjects I did for years. I agree with the bulk of what's on them in terms of academic points relating to content but they are very basic and stating the obvious.
 
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Ziggy

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Most yes but from my perspective that's old news. Nothing more than a very basic tour of the Psy ops, mechanics of nation building and other subjects I did for years. I agree with the bulk of what's on them in terms of academic points relating to content but they are very basic and stating the obvious.
I'm trying to figure out how to apply it, reasonably.
I feel I have somewhat of an advantage. I live alone. I'm outside city limits. I don't belong to any groups or parties.
I am literally a hermit.
I can choose a lot of things to do or not to do than most people who are incorporated into daily life.
I don't live by a clock or a calendar.
I don't have to answer to a Boss. A teacher.
I don't have anyone judging me on what I wear, how I look, what I eat.. etc.
In a way, I am an Elijah.
I live outside the demands of daily society norms.
I obey the the laws, like speed limits, pay my bills, be respectful of others. Even when society tells me I should feel this way about this group or that way about that group. I don't follow the dictates of mass hysteria.

But it is hypnotizing and manipulative when you watch certain news or read certain articles. They have a way of convincing you to think or be a certain way.
When someone can manipulate you, whether it's innocently or deliberate, then your not truly free, if you give them that power over your own mind.

I draw on scripture because it is the ONLY truth we have.

Jesus grew up in a society of norms. You did it this way because the authority said, do it this way. And every one had been doing it this way for so long, that it became the norm.
And then comes Jesus....
Mar 3:4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

He tipped the scales and made people THINK for themselves.
He was relieving them of their "shepherd" duties.
They were sheep no more to be dragged to the slaughter for their own pleasure.
Jesus ended a reign of tyranny simply by being FREE.
Not free of God's law, but rather free of man's intepretation of God's law.

What is liberty? If others can take it from you, then does it really exist?
Only if you act on that liberty and not let them take it from you.
But fear is a great motivator for putting people under the yoke of authority.
And mankind uses fear as a tool for this very purpose.

I have no fear.
If I do what is right according to God's law.. the Spirit of the Law.. then I am living in liberty.
Not according to man's liberty, but the Lord's.

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Paul wrote letters over 2000 years ago. They still apply today. Except the laws have changed into todays civil society, and we live according to the rules man make. And as generations go by we come under the yoke of man's laws and forget that we have Liberty.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Preamble to the Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence states the principles on which our government, and our identity as Americans, are based.

Are we living the life of Liberty today, that our creator endowed us with?
Or are we living the life of Liberty that man says we can have?

Thinking..
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farouk

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And there is this...

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matt 6:33-34
Great verse there, @amadeus !
 
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Ziggy

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Gen 3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

So we're talking about freeing oneself from authoritarianism, totalitarianism..
man controlling rule over other men.

Adam and Eve were living in the garden, and they was naked (at liberty) at they were not ashamed.
Somebody told them they had to cover up themselves.
It was not good to be naked, and they became ashamed and tried to cover themselves.

God never said Liberty was something we had to hide from.
And yet today, no one wants to truly be responsible for themselves and their freedom.
They rather be told, what to eat, what to drink, what to wear, where to go to school, work, church.
How much money you should make, what kind of car to drive.. etc..
And if you do things your own way, or don't go along with the crowd, you are ridiculed, shamed, bullied..

Who told you that you was naked?
Who was judging you?

thinking..
 
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GaryAnderson

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Today, the States but we are rapidly catching up to them unless we turn around and get rid of the left.

Seriously? You’re comparing us and our values with regimes who have no respect for individual rights?
It’s your opinion but I think your perception slider is too skewed on one end. My slider is somewhat in the middle.
Despite all the bs, red tape, bureaucracy, stupidity I wouldn’t trade US for China, Afghanistan or North Korea.
Even when I lived in Europe I missed all the things that are easy in America which we take for granted. Like dealing with any office-related paperwork in Italy or Greece is a nightmare. Not to mention the abundance of everything that we have here starting from food all the way to space (our roads are bigger, our cars are bigger).