So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken. Is 28:16

ஏசாயா 28:16 

 

Vocation to serve God’s army, needs conviction, and courage, that needs to be similar to that of a stone, that is solid and rock, and rock, as that was the name, that was given to the man, who did not believe who would be chosen for the mission of which he had no training ever before, but the choice is His, and who He choses, He changes the name and converts into the rock: Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out." (Matthew 16:18 )

 

 

Convictions that are supposed to be rock and solid, are becoming convenience for people who, out of greed for power, position, that is out of proportion to their capability, are yielding so easily to the whims and fancies of the tyrants, who act like saints, can make anyone weak, if that person chooses to be fluctuating, out of selfish ambitions. The man, who escaped death at the toddlers age, and got trained in the enemy’s headquarters, yet out of fear of making one mistake, still, if, he is the one, chosen, and then, he is made to be rough, for the training, he has to be kind of abandoned in the wilderness, and then, he gets an audience, by the bush that did not spoil, yet, was full of flame, and with that confirmation, when he went to his past address, where God’s children were slaves, and this time, together with spokesperson Aron, Moses, who is now made sufficiently solid, rock, and stone, did not yield or compromise at all, to Pharaoh’s promising, seducing, almost convincing arguments, he had kept only one answer, that is a big “NO” to all bargain, the ruler of Egypt bid: 

Exodus 8: 24-32

24 And God did just that. Thick swarms of flies in Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his servants. All over Egypt, the country ruined by flies.

25 Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and said, “Go ahead. Sacrifice to your God—but do it here in this country.”

26-27 Moses said, “That would not be wise. What we sacrifice to our God would give great offense to Egyptians. If we openly sacrifice what is so deeply offensive to Egyptians, they’ll kill us. Let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to our God, just as he instructed us.”

28 Pharaoh said, “All right. I’ll release you to go and sacrifice to your God in the wilderness. Only don’t go too far. Now pray for me.”

29 Moses said, “As soon as I leave here, I will pray to God that tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh, his servants, and his people. But don’t play games with us and change your mind about releasing us to sacrifice to God.”

30-32 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to God. God did what Moses asked. He got rid of the flies from Pharaoh and his servants and his people. There wasn’t a fly left. But Pharaoh became stubborn once again and wouldn’t release the people.

 

 

And soldiers who serve His army, never ever get confused or yield, for the enemy who is the agent of evil, is not going to anything in favor of God; and so, he doesn’t have to even listen to the argument that he places, and all that he has to just say is “NO” and keep saying “NO,” “NO.” and the episode that is historic, narrates further: 

Exodus 9:13-35

Strike Seven: Hail

13-19 God said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘God, the God of the Hebrews, says: Release my people so they can worship me. This time I am going to strike you and your servants and your people with the full force of my power so you’ll get it into your head that there’s no one like me anywhere in all the Earth. You know that by now I could have struck you and your people with deadly disease and there would be nothing left of you, not a trace. But for one reason only I’ve kept you on your feet: To make you recognize my power so that my reputation spreads in all the Earth. You are still building yourself up at my people’s expense. You are not letting them go. So here’s what’s going to happen: At this time tomorrow I’m sending a terrific hailstorm—there’s never been a storm like this in Egypt from the day of its founding until now. So get your livestock under roof—everything exposed in the open fields, people and animals, will die when the hail comes down.’”

20-21 All of Pharaoh’s servants who had respect for God’s word got their workers and animals under cover as fast as they could, but those who didn’t take God’s word seriously left their workers and animals out in the field.

22 God said to Moses: “Stretch your hands to the skies. Signal the hail to fall all over Egypt on people and animals and crops exposed in the fields of Egypt.”

23-26 Moses lifted his staff to the skies and God sent peals of thunder and hail shot through with lightning strikes. God rained hail down on the land of Egypt. The hail came, hail and lightning—a fierce hailstorm. There had been nothing like it in Egypt in its entire history. The hail hit hard all over Egypt. Everything exposed out in the fields, people and animals and crops, was smashed. Even the trees in the fields were shattered. Except for Goshen where the Israelites lived; there was no hail in Goshen.

27-28 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. He said, “I’ve sinned for sure this time—God is in the right and I and my people are in the wrong. Pray to God. We’ve had enough of God’s thunder and hail. I’ll let you go. The sooner you’re out of here the better.”

29-30 Moses said, “As soon as I’m out of the city, I’ll stretch out my arms to God. The thunder will stop and the hail end so you’ll know that the land is God’s land. Still, I know that you and your servants have no respect for God.”

31-32 (The flax and the barley were ruined, for they were just ripening, but the wheat and spelt weren’t hurt—they ripen later.)

33 Moses left Pharaoh and the city and stretched out his arms to God. The thunder and hail stopped; the storm cleared.

34-35 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he kept right on sinning, stubborn as ever, both he and his servants. Pharaoh’s heart turned rock-hard. He refused to release the Israelites, as God had ordered through Moses.

 

 

 

And now, the enemy may be trying a few more tricks, for which the answer is already crystal clear, a big “NO,” and stay solid rock and stone. 

Exodus 10:8-11 

8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. He said to them, “Go ahead then. Go worship your God. But just who exactly is going with you?”

9 Moses said, “We’re taking young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds—this is our worship-celebration of God.”

10-11 He said, “I’d sooner send you off with God’s blessings than let you go with your children. Look, you’re up to no good—it’s written all over your faces. Nothing doing. Just the men are going—go ahead and worship God. That’s what you want so badly.” And they were thrown out of Pharaoh’s presence.

 

Exodus 10:18-29

18-19 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to God. God reversed the wind—a powerful west wind took the locusts and dumped them into the Red Sea. There wasn’t a single locust left in the whole country of Egypt.

20 But God made Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He still didn’t release the Israelites.

Strike Nine: Darkness

21 God said to Moses: “Stretch your hand to the skies. Let darkness descend on the land of Egypt—a darkness so dark you can touch it.”

22-23 Moses stretched out his hand to the skies. Thick darkness descended on the land of Egypt for three days. Nobody could see anybody. For three days no one could so much as move. Except for the Israelites: they had light where they were living.

24 Pharaoh called in Moses: “Go and worship God. Leave your flocks and herds behind. But go ahead and take your children.”

25-26 But Moses said, “You have to let us take our sacrificial animals and offerings with us so we can sacrifice them in worship to our God. Our livestock has to go with us with not a hoof left behind; they are part of the worship of our God. And we don’t know just what will be needed until we get there.”

27 But God kept Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He wouldn’t agree to release them.

28 Pharaoh said to Moses: “Get out of my sight! And watch your step. I don’t want to ever see you again. If I lay eyes on you again, you’re dead.”

29 Moses said, “Have it your way. You won’t see my face again.”

 

 

And now, the message is clear: you and your boss, who is wearing fancy cap, and wearing his superstitious colorful stone on his ring, who thinks who has authority, even to condemn His anointed, pronouncing "ipso facto” and who knows, sometimes, this man, your company threw out as useless and waste, a simple stone, may be the stone, the rejected stone, that He always pleasures to use and to shame the so-called who hold full-authority over His flock, that they not care and all they care is decorating themselves with many more caps, and attires: "Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, Have you never heard in the Kitvei Hakodesh (Holy Scriptures), EVEN MAASU HABONIM HAYTAH LEROSH PINAH; MEIES HASHEM HAYTAH ZOT HI NIFLAT BEINEINU (The Stone which the Builders rejected, this one has become Head of the Corner; this came about from the L-rd, and it is marvelous in our eyes, TEHILLIM 118:22-23)?" (Mattityahu 21:42 )

May we never choose to compromise to anyone and everyone, even if they have power over you to throw and condemn, stay solid like rock and stone, and let them throw you out, but that stone, that is thrown away, and declared useless, God will use sometime in His own time, and let’s believe God cares for the thrown-away stone, for His Son always goes and searches for the sheep that is lost.

 

Abba, Thank You for asking us to stand by conviction, even if it costs our life, and future. Let Your Spirit give us fortitude to withstand all dubious arguments of the enemy and his agents, who may sentence “ipso facto,” for all our sins and failures that do not permit us to be in their convenient company, and console us with the faith that would still open gates for new mission for Him, tending His flock, In Jesus, the Good Shepherd’s Name, Amen.