Location: Concord

As you assemble and worship corporately with other believers today, take notes from the sermon. How is God speaking to you? How is God using this Word to confirm things to you and guide you?

Tomorrow is a day of Worship and Rest in our 21 Days of Freedom series. This day is especially important to this journey – corporate worship has always been essential to the formation of God’s people. If you are looking for a church family to worship with tomorrow, we would love to welcome you at one of our locations in the Multiply Family. Visit https://multiply.church/ to find a location near you, or join us virtually!

What is the one scripture that stood out to me this past week?

What is the most powerful truth that God showed me?

Take a moment to write a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for how he has guided you in these beginning days. 

Bible

Read Exodus 9:13-35

Key Verse: Exodus 9:19

Now get your livestock and all you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.

Key Thought

Where we run to during storms will determine our future.

The Voice of the Enemy

Oh, I just love this one! We can be so tricky! The humans at this point are still weak emotionally and spiritually. Don’t you see the toll all of this has taken on them? Obtaining freedom is not easy, you know. We do not give up easily or let go quickly. What we will do now is get them to confuse battles with storms. We don’t want them to fight battles. They have too much power. With their Father on their side, whenever they decide to fight a battle, they win every single time. That’s why our greatest battle tactic is fear. We must get them to run from battles instead of running toward them. However, storms are different. If we can get them to think a storm is a battle, they’ll run out into it and get destroyed in the process. How does this work? Easy! Just get them focused on trying to fight the wrong things.

The Voice of the Father

My son/ my daughter, yes, there are still storms on the path to freedom. The thunder is loud, the lightning can be scary, and the hail and destruction are real. But don’t worry, I have created a shelter for you. Run to me. Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest. I will be your shelter from the storm. I will guard you, hide you, and protect you. There are times to be brave and run to battle. And there are times to hide yourself in my shelter and let the storm pass. Refuge is not retreat. I will give you the wisdom to know when something is a battle or a storm. This is the latter. Bury yourself in me today. Allow me to wrap my arms around you. You cannot fight the storm. You must let it run its course. Today is a day to hide yourself in me and allow me to shelter you.

Questions

When facing opposition, ask the Lord if it is a storm or a battle.

If it is a battle, will you have the faith to fight?

If it is a storm, will you have the faith to run to the Father and find shelter?

 

Bible

Read Exodus 9:8-12

Key Verse: Exodus 9:11

And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.

Key Thought

God is exposing and defeating the counterfeit.

The Voice of the Enemy

Our counterfeit tactics have not only been exposed, but their Father is also demonstrating His infinite power over what we’ve counterfeited. I know it’s looking bleak for us, so this is what you must do, and you must do it quickly; use the humans’ God-given gift of sympathy. Get them to feel badly for the magicians! Get them to pity the person or thing that has held them in captivity and use that to draw them back to the very thing that had them in chains. Don’t you see? If you get, for example, a woman to feel pity for the man who emotionally abused her for years, she will go back and she isn’t strong enough yet to withstand. She’ll fall right back into the trap! While their Father is trying to cause separation, find the ‘soft spot’ in their heart for what they have just left. We can still draw them back.

The Voice of the Father

My son, my daughter, do not fear and do not mourn. I have not only exposed the counterfeit provision in your life but I am demonstrating my power over the counterfeit and removing it from your life. I am not exposing you, I am exposing the weakness and the limitations of the power of the enemy. He can copy, but he can only copy to an extent. Today, I am leading you to places that the enemy cannot copy; a higher place. Again, I tell you, don’t look back. The ‘magicians’ are in my hands. You are not strong enough to minister to the person who held you in captivity. You have to trust me and leave that to me. You must allow me to remove the counterfeit in you life so that you won’t be tempted to return. Remember that Satan can only copy. I have what is real. I know that you are feeling a void even now in your heart, but trust me and I will fill it.

Questions

Are you dealing with any sympathy or mourning for “magicians” in your life?

How has the counterfeit provision been exposed in your life?

What can you do today to trust that God will replace the counterfeit with something real?

 

Bible

Read Exodus 9:1-7

Key Verse: Exodus 9:4

But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.

Key Thought

There are great blessings that come with holiness.

The Voice of the Enemy

Here’s something you should know about these little humans: when they say they want to be free, sometimes they mean they only want to be free from the consequences of their actions. We can take full advantage of this. Have we “lost them” at this point? I suppose it’s hard to tell. Will they make it to heaven? It would seem so. However, we need to work hard to minimize our losses. If we can keep them “stalled” at this stage, then we limit the impact they can have on others. This will be our strategy—we’ll use the word “holiness” against them! We’ll make them think that holiness means that they won’t have any fun and that a holy life is dull and boring. (Oh, curses upon us if the humans discover how much favor and blessing come with living a holy life). But no matter… few make it past this stage! Oh, one more thing; make sure you use phrases like “fanatical” and “over-zealous” “You don’t want to become one of those ‘fanatical’ Christians do you?”

The Voice of the Father

My son/ my daughter, I am at work reforming your identity. The first steps are, in many ways, a breaking of old habits and thought patterns. However, I am interested in far more than just your actions and thoughts. I am interested in you and I want you to find your identity in me. When I speak to you of things like holiness and consecration, it means that I am not only removing you from the sin and bondage of your past. I am also pulling you into my arms and separating you to me. When I spoke of “consecrating” items in the Temple, it meant that the items were set apart for service unto me. That is what I am doing in you. I am consecrating you, separating you. I am making a distinction between you and the rest of the world. Keep your eyes looking forward and keep your gaze upon Me. Don’t look at what you are “losing”. Look at what you are gaining. If you come to me I will use you in ways you have never imagined!

Questions

Do I want to be free from the consequences or free from the bondage?

Do you see the benefits of consecration/holiness?

In what ways is God calling you to live separately from the world?

 

Bible

Read Exodus 8:20-32

Key Verse: Exodus 8:28

“All right, go ahead,” Pharaoh replied. “I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God. But don’t go too far…”

Key Thought

Freedom requires physical distance.

The Voice of the Enemy

I know it seems like we are losing ground and, I hate to admit it, but I suppose we are. But don’t be discouraged. Here is what you now must do: begin to bargain with the humans and offer compromise. Don’t you remember how we did this with the Israelites? We told them, “go worship, but don’t go far.” Oh, say that line again. Isn’t it beautiful? It will ring like a song in the ears of the humans. “Go, but don’t go too far.” In this way, if we “lose” them, we still keep them as close to the line as possible. Tell them to serve God, but to still remain as close as possible to bondage. Here’s what this looks like; tell them, you can serve God AND…. “You can serve God AND stay close to the line of compromise. You can serve God AND still be in the toxic relationship. You can serve God AND still have their number in your phone. You can serve God AND still keep a few pills around just in case.” You get the idea. Yes, they’ll worship God for awhile, but as long as we keep them physically close to the source of their captivity, they will return every time!

The Voice of the Father

My son/ my daughter, when I created you, I created you for an “all-in” relationship with me. I don’t want you to just live separated from sin; I want you to live separated unto Me. I don’t want you just to be free from chains and bondages of the past, I want you to enjoy freedom in Me. I know the enemy is saying “don’t go far,” but I am calling you all the way out and all the way in. There is freedom in me. There is joy in me. There is life in me. Often, that requires a physical distance between you and what I am freeing you from. I told the Israelites they needed a three-day’s journey into the wilderness to worship me. I know that the temptation to return to your chains can be strong, so I want you to put “a three-day’s journey” in between you and your greatest temptation.

Questions

Am I trying to live for God but also staying too close to the line?

Am I trying to serve God AND…?

In what ways am I staying close to the line of compromise?

How can I put physical distance between myself and what I want freedom from?

What would it look like for you to put “a three-days journey” in between you and your greatest temptation?

 

Bible

Read Exodus 8:16-19

Key Verse: Exodus 8:17

All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.

Key Thought

Often, it’s the little things.

The Voice of the Enemy

There’s no doubt about it. We are losing ground. The human is making progress quicker than we imagined and has, thus far, avoided our traps and pitfalls. This is where we must move swiftly and where we must have patience. Drop in a little thing. A “gnat,” if you will. I know, it will seem insignificant at first, but that’s exactly the point. If you make a sin or temptation small, tiny, or seemingly insignificant, then the human will ignore it and move on. But here’s the secret: gnats swarm! I get excited just writing about it. The human will ignore a “small sin” (It’s just one glance, one conversation, one click, one text, one thought, one word of gossip) and, boom! before you know it we will swarm them with lust, greed, anger, and they won’t be able to swat the swarm! Got it? One gnat. Get them to allow just. one. gnat.

The Voice of the Father

My son/my daughter, I love you so much, all the way down to the smallest detail.  When I ask you for all of your heart, its because I love you so very much and it gives me great joy to have all of you. I know the “gnat” seems insignificant, especially because you’ve walked away from some of the “big things”, but now is the time to lean in. Seize the momentum you are feeling. Sense the Spirit working in your favor. Sense the exhilarating push into new life. See the Kingdom of Darkness moving backward, and watch the Kingdom of Light advance. You have great power on your side, my son, my daughter. Keep pressing on; every gnat defeated in My Name!

Questions

Are you ignoring the small things?

What annoying small things are you putting up with?

What annoys me about me?

 

Corporate worship has always been essential to the formation of God’s people.

• God prescribed corporate worship in the Tabernacle and Temple (Deuteronomy 12, 16).
• The revival that Josiah brought to Israel began with a return of the people to the house of God (2 Kings 22-23).
• God declared the Sabbath to be “a day of sacred assembly” (Leviticus 23:3).
• One of the definitions of the New Testament word for “church” ekklesia literally means “assembly”.
• The early church gathered regularly for corporate worship (Acts 2:42).
• The book of Hebrews reminds us, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, …not forsaking the assembling together of ourselves… (Hebrews 10:25).
• Jesus tells us, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Simply put, we cannot fully become who God has designed us to be apart from being a part of corporate worship in a local church.

Where will you go to join in corporate worship today with fellow believers?

 

Tomorrow is a day of Worship and Rest in our 21 Days of Freedom series. This day is especially important to this journey – corporate worship has always been essential to the formation of God’s people. If you are looking for a church family to worship with tomorrow, we would love to welcome you at one of our locations in the Multiply Family. Visit https://multiply.church/ to find a location near you, or join us virtually!

What is the one scripture that stood out to me this past week?

What is the most powerful truth that God showed me?

Take a moment to write a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for how he has guided you in these beginning days.

 

Bible

Read Exodus 8:1-15

Key verse: Exodus 8:9-10

“You set the time!” Moses replied. “Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile River.”

“Do it tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

Key Thought

You choose the time of your freedom.

The Voice of the Enemy

You’ll love this one. It’s so much fun and it’s so simple. We’ve been using it for millenia and the humans can’t stop falling for it. Here is is: Get them to say, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Don’t you see? It’s perfect. They think they are actually making progress, but here’s the secret—tomorrow never comes. One day turns into two, two to three, one year becomes five. I know what you’re thinking, “the human is too smart to fall for this. They can see freedom in front of them.” But it worked for Pharaoh and it will work for us now. Pharaoh could have been rid of the frogs instantly, but he said, “tomorrow.” If you can get the human into the wonderful trap of “tomorrow,” we can drag this out for eternity!

The Voice of the Father

My son/ my daughter, would you hear my gentle yet firm voice to you: “Today.” Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day this ends. Today is the day of the next step of your journey. Today is the day you leave it at the cross. Today is the day you ask for your sin to be covered by the blood of Jesus. Today is the day to ask forgiveness, to make the phone call, to have the conversation. Stop saying, “tomorrow,” for truly, “tomorrow” never comes. Today.

Questions

When do you want to be free? (Why not put it on your calendar?)

What would keep you from being free today?