A FORM OF FREEDOM

[Nancy]

Yes, I'm proud of you, friend! It is so nice to have friends that talk the same language!

♥

 

[farouk]

a born again Christian must also guard their heart and not be unequally yoked with too many temptations. That is when we ARE responsible to not grieve or quench the Spirit. But when totally abiding in Jesus, it is easy and FREE.

Proves also the personality of the Holy Spirit, which some deny...

 

[Phoneman777]

A FORM OF FREEDOM

One summer, on a warm and sunny day out, I heard some birds singing very loudly. They sounded very close at hand but I didn’t recognise their calls. I stood up from my place at an outdoor table and peered into the nearby trees but could see no sign of any birds. After puzzling about it for a few minutes I became aware of people pointing and on turning round in my chair I saw the unbelievable sight of two beautiful cockatiels sitting on their perches in a cage which was being transported in a small home-made trailer attached to the back of an old bicycle. The birds’ owner had parked them up outside the bank whilst he conducted his bit of business and they were drawing quite a bit of admiring attention. These birds were obviously happy to be out in the warm sunshine and obviously felt a sort of freedom; but they were not free. They were not being allowed to fulfil their true potential for flight in the element for which they were designed.

I believe that there are many Christians like that; they have seen the light and enjoy the warmth of God’s love and are quite happily sitting on their perches singing inside the cages they have built, or have allowed others to build, around them. We all have the potential to fly in the spiritual element for which we are designed; to soar like eagles; so why do we settle for anything less? So if you recognise this feeling that you are in a ‘cage’ let me strongly encourage you to remove all the restrictions in your lives that are being allowed to form those cages so that you might fulfil your true potential to soar in the spiritual realms. And we can only fully succeed in this with the help and infilling of the Holy Spirit.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:35-37

I heard a preacher on the radio talk about a book titled "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings". I never read it, but I think I might like to. Or at least get the Cliff's Notes.

 

[Jay Ross]

A FORM OF FREEDOM

One summer, on a warm and sunny day out, I heard some birds singing very loudly. They sounded very close at hand but I didn’t recognise their calls. I stood up from my place at an outdoor table and peered into the nearby trees but could see no sign of any birds. After puzzling about it for a few minutes I became aware of people pointing and on turning round in my chair I saw the unbelievable sight of two beautiful cockatiels sitting on their perches in a cage which was being transported in a small home-made trailer attached to the back of an old bicycle. The birds’ owner had parked them up outside the bank whilst he conducted his bit of business and they were drawing quite a bit of admiring attention. These birds were obviously happy to be out in the warm sunshine and obviously felt a sort of freedom; but they were not free. They were not being allowed to fulfil their true potential for flight in the element for which they were designed.

I believe that there are many Christians like that; they have seen the light and enjoy the warmth of God’s love and are quite happily sitting on their perches singing inside the cages they have built, or have allowed others to build, around them. We all have the potential to fly in the spiritual element for which we are designed; to soar like eagles; so why do we settle for anything less? So if you recognise this feeling that you are in a ‘cage’ let me strongly encourage you to remove all the restrictions in your lives that are being allowed to form those cages so that you might fulfil your true potential to soar in the spiritual realms. And we can only fully succeed in this with the help and infilling of the Holy Spirit.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:35-37

Pearl, I agree with you that many who have replied to this OP and thread have missed the point of the birds in the cage illustration because they have no knowledge about "freedom."

Let me illustrate this by asking the following question: -

Can I have as much freedom if I am held in a prison or am able to life outside of that prison?​

The only true answer is "Yes, I can.", but because I confuse liberty bestowed by society defines our "freedom," I miss the point of why defined liberties are so important. Liberties define the privileges bestowed upon us by the society that we live in, that have associated with any liberty the responsibilities that I have to exercise while enjoying that liberty and the consequences that will occur if I abuse that particular liberty. Sadly people confuse "rights" with liberties whereby we can exercise certain liberties, like driving a car, if we can show that we are able to do so responsibly, and when we do not drive a car responsibly that that "right"/liberty is revoked, until we can show that once more we can do so responsibly.

Now Jesus said that we should not worry about the provisions for our needs and that God feeds the birds of the air, so the birds in the cage still sing about the glory of God and are feed by the owner of the cage just as the birds in the sky are feed by God because they too sing of God's Glory.

Many of the responding posts saw a glass half empty in the OP and commented accordingly.

I define my "freedom" as "being in a righteous relationship with God, hemmed in by the boundary conditions of the freedom that He offers each and every one of us." The Boundary conditions of God's offered freedom is like the cage that God puts us in to keep sin from entering our lives. The cage however is not visible to us but if we are attentive of God's boundary conditions that we have to remain within then we know that we are secure within His love for us. When we move outside of those boundary conditions then we will often feel uncomfortable and return immediately back to where we are secure in God's love. With God's freedom we also experience God's peace within our daily lives even when people take away our ability to live in this present world, I still will retain God's freedom over my life.

This is the big picture approach, to understanding God's "freedom" for each and every one of us. I am sure that people will want to argue the nuts and bolts of how this is possible, but that is not as important for me to enter into.

If we are given "freedom from the consequences of experiencing the second death in the future", then we should respect the gift that we have received and press further into God's loving embrace for us to enjoy.

Shalom

 

[Pearl]

I heard a preacher on the radio talk about a book titled "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings". I never read it, but I think I might like to. Or at least get the Cliff's Notes.

It's an autobiographical book by Maya Angelou, the first of a series of seven and covers her childhood.

 

[Nancy]

It's an autobiographical book by Maya Angelou, the first of a series of seven and covers her childhood.

Now THAT woman was a mover and a shaker. Wow did she excel or what? I recognized her name but, did not know all this stuff about her (I looked her up ♥).

 

[Pearl]

Now THAT woman was a mover and a shaker. Wow did she excel or what? I recognized her name but, did not know all this stuff about her (I looked her up ♥).

She had a horrible early life. I'm in the middle of the second book.

 

[Jay Ross]

Hello

When considering freedom, we have to consider its spiritual aspects. Freedom is something that cannot be forcibly taken from you, but another person or demonic entity can encourage you to relinquish the freedom that you have, to them.

The two birds singing in the cage still had their freedom and sang to show their freedom even though they were not able to fly freely outside of the cage.

Having understanding of what freedom is, how we obtain that freedom, and how, when we have that freedom, we retain/maintain that freedom, is important.

The understanding of "Freedom" in the wider community, outside of what the Saints understand, is that "Freedom" means that I can do whatever I want to do without any constraints or responsibility of the outcome for what I chose to do. Sadly this understanding is not about "freedom" but has everything to do with our "Free Choice" to do whatever I want to do without any consequences.

When we make our choices outside of the constraints of God's statutes, we replace God and put ourselves in the place that He should have in our lives. This was King David's recorded sin on three occasions during King David's life and although he repented of the sin of turning away from God, the consequence of his actions when he was acting God like remained and caused him many issues afterwards even though he was then in fellowship with God.

Have a relationship with God is not a strictly prescriptive thing, but many people try and make it so as that is the only way they know how to measure the effectiveness of their personal relationship with God.

Are we content to live within the confines of God's love for us or do we want to be in control, even just for a little bit, of our life's outcome?

Shalom

 

[Nancy]

She had a horrible early life. I'm in the middle of the second book.

Yes, I noticed there are seven! I am a reader and this sounds right up my alley. I will have to get it. I will see if one of our libraries have it, or just read it online...then we can discuss! Hey, maybe @"ByGrace" and @Butterfly would read it as well, time permitting and we can have a little book club convo on the side
...or not :)
♥

 

[Pearl]

Hello

When considering freedom, we have to consider its spiritual aspects. Freedom is something that cannot be forcibly taken from you, but another person or demonic entity can encourage you to relinquish the freedom that you have, to them.

The two birds singing in the cage still had their freedom and sang to show their freedom even though they were not able to fly freely outside of the cage.

Having understanding of what freedom is, how we obtain that freedom, and how, when we have that freedom, we retain/maintain that freedom, is important.

The understanding of "Freedom" in the wider community, outside of what the Saints understand, is that "Freedom" means that I can do whatever I want to do without any constraints or responsibility of the outcome for what I chose to do. Sadly this understanding is not about "freedom" but has everything to do with our "Free Choice" to do whatever I want to do without any consequences.

When we make our choices outside of the constraints of God's statutes, we replace God and put ourselves in the place that He should have in our lives. This was King David's recorded sin on three occasions during King David's life and although he repented of the sin of turning away from God, the consequence of his actions when he was acting God like remained and caused him many issues afterwards even though he was then in fellowship with God.

Have a relationship with God is not a strictly prescriptive thing, but many people try and make it so as that is the only way they know how to measure the effectiveness of their personal relationship with God.

Are we content to live within the confines of God's love for us or do we want to be in control, even just for a little bit, of our life's outcome?

Shalom

'Freedom' in the context of my post is about not allowing ourselves to be restricted by outward influences placed on us by other people or by believing ourselves to be unworthy or undeserving or weak etc. But in seeing our own worth through God's eyes not the eyes of other people.

 

[farouk]

'Freedom' in the context of my post is about not allowing ourselves to be restricted by outward influences placed on us by other people or by believing ourselves to be unworthy or undeserving or weak etc. But in seeing our own worth through God's eyes not the eyes of other people.

I do love the transition from bondage to the true freedom of being alive in Christ, seen in Ephesians 2. :)

 

[Nancy]

'Freedom' in the context of my post is about not allowing ourselves to be restricted by outward influences placed on us by other people or by believing ourselves to be unworthy or undeserving or weak etc. But in seeing our own worth through God's eyes not the eyes of other people.

Oh yeah! And as @bbyrd009 would say "BAM"...haha. Satan would have us be SELF-conscious, God would have us be Christ conscious.

 

[Pearl]

Oh yeah! And as @bbyrd009 would say "BAM"...haha. Satan would have us be SELF-conscious, God would have us be Christ conscious.

So true Nancy. Being self conscious is restricting us in our spiritual life.

 

[Jay Ross]

'Freedom' in the context of my post is about not allowing ourselves to be restricted by outward influences placed on us by other people or by believing ourselves to be unworthy or undeserving or weak etc. But in seeing our own worth through God's eyes not the eyes of other people.

Oh Pearl, you need to go back and read what I have written.

Freedom is a spiritual entity, but what you are describing seems to me be something else and all about "you/me."

Many of the posts that I read were about the cage being "sin," whereas what I wrote was about the "cage" being God's constraints to protect us from ourselves within our relationship with Him.

I also defined what Freedom means to me: -

I define my "freedom" as "being in a righteous relationship with God, hemmed in by the boundary conditions of the freedom that He offers each and every one of us." The Boundary conditions of God's offered freedom is like the cage that God puts us in to keep sin from entering our lives. The cage however is not visible to us but if we are attentive of God's boundary conditions that we have to remain within then we know that we are secure within His love for us.

What other people think, or believing that we are unworthy or undeserving or weak, plays no part in what I posted, because if I am in a righteous relationship with God, and this does not mean that I have to be perfection in that relationship, all of the outside influences have no place in my life. If they are an influence on my life, then I have lost my freedom to them, and turned away from God.

This then is what become important:-
​

Having understanding of what freedom is, how we obtain that freedom, and how, when we have that freedom, we retain/maintain that freedom, is important.

Shalom​

 

[Pearl]

Oh Pearl, you need to go back and read what I have written.

Freedom is a spiritual entity, but what you are describing seems to me be something else and all about "you/me."

Many of the posts that I read were about the cage being "sin," whereas what I wrote was about the "cage" being God's constraints to protect us from ourselves within our relationship with Him.

I also defined what Freedom means to me: -

What other people think, or believing that we are unworthy or undeserving or weak, plays no part in what I posted, because if I am in a righteous relationship with God, and this does not mean that I have to be perfection in that relationship, all of the outside influences have no place in my life. If they are an influence on my life, then I have lost my freedom to them, and turned away from God.

This then is what become important:-
​

Shalom​

I understand what you are saying BUT, that is not what my post is about. Perhaps as a man you just don't get it. Blessings.

 

[Jay Ross]

I understand what you are saying BUT, that is not what my post is about. Perhaps as a man you just don't get it. Blessings.

Perhaps I could reply with the same put down: -

I understand what you are saying BUT, that is not what my posts in the thread that you started are about. Perhaps as a woman you just don't get it. Blessings.

 

[Pearl]

Perhaps I could reply with the same put down: -

I understand what you are saying BUT, that is not what my posts in the thread that you started are about. Perhaps as a woman you just don't get it. Blessings.

I didn't mean to be facetious and if I came across like that I apologise. It's just that women seem to have more problems with self worth issues than men.

 

[Helen]

Perhaps I could reply with the same put down: -

I understand what you are saying BUT, that is not what my posts in the thread that you started are about. Perhaps as a woman you just don't get it. Blessings.

I have never thought of the Cage as sin!! ( Thought I know one poster did reference it as such) It can be sin, it can be the law, it can be our carnal flesh.
It can be fear. I do not believe that one size cage fits ALL!!!

As in the old slaves who stayed in their shacks and continued to work for nothing , fear of their masters bound them ...but they were free from the law of slavery, by a more superior law ..the signed testimony of freedom!.

Paul and Silas were free in the Spirit even though imprisoned in the flesh.
They knew they had 'wings' and even in the midnight hour, they sung...it brought deliverance on all levels.

 

[bbyrd009]

So true Nancy. Being self conscious is restricting us in our spiritual life.

forgiving oneself can be hard. If you are mad at God it should be admitted. Parents often must be forgiven first, etc. hence why the doctrine of 'I can't possibly sin now' arises prolly. Confession has become a dirty word.

 

[Jay Ross]

I didn't mean to be facetious and if I came across like that I apologise. It's just that women seem to have more problems with self worth issues than men.

That is an assumption on your part. All people suffer from self worth, it is not restricted to just one of the sexes.