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| Freedom or Slavery? #92 By Joseph Prescia 7/29/03 Many United States citizens understand that the Pilgrims came to America in search of freedom. Their motivation was to escape the many laws and regulations than we have on the books today. When the British Parliament enacted the Tea Act of 1773 against America, Samuel Adams led a revolt that started the Boston Tea Party. A three percent tax was enough for them to fight back. Today the average American is taxed in excess of forty percent (including licenses and fees) by the government. The ballooning size of government is the result of personal fears, namely that societal needs can only be met if man does something himself, which automatically eliminates God from the equation. Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. (KJV) The government continues to erode personal freedoms while the people slowly let them. When the children of Israel left the slavery of Egypt they did so with the hope of freedom to worship their God. But soon after they left, they regretted their move. When adversity struck, they feared because they were not strongly rooted in the Scriptures. They murmured against God, complained to Moses and suggested that life was better where the government of Egypt took care of them. Fear and passivity always leads to slavery. They believed that someone else taking care of them at the expense of slavery was easier than trying to eliminate fear in their life by building a trusting relationship with God. Very few in our country are willing to die for freedom. When the United States invaded Iraq there was great joy and comfort when Iraqi people were finally set free. Those soldiers and Iraqi citizens experienced the dignity that freedom brings. A tyrannical dictator can suppress people, rob them of their right to choose and stifle their ability to produce and be rewarded. These types of countries produce second-rate citizens and are often called “third-world countries.” Lack of money is not the reason for their poverty. Their prosperity is in direct proportion to the freedom they have. If you give a person the freedom to make mistakes along with successes they will have the greatest parameters in which to grow to eventually do things right. Fear of making mistakes brings on a desire for excessive regulation and taxation. Building our relationship with God is no different. He insists on our freewill to choose Him or reject Him. But will we choose the truth and freedom from the Scriptures or the lies and slavery from man (politics) to guide our future? We can give it all to God or be enslaved to others. John 8:32,36 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (KJV) Accepting the accomplished freedom in Christ costs us nothing. It’s a lot easier than the cost of enslavement to man’s ways. |
| From Government to God Copyright 2003 |
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