TSIYON NEWS

From Eliyahu

 

The Master told us:

 

“Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."  Matt 18:2-4

 

One way of seeing this verse is to understand that the innocence and humility of a little child is vital to the child of God - at any age. This is one of the great things about having little children around. They make us re-focus on the fundamentals. My kids are all grown up now, but I still like to remember those special days with them that were gone way too fast. One of the things I loved to do for my kids, that they were relentlessly after me for, was to make up stories that included them! Whether I was telling a story about The Adventures of Abbydoo Sheriff, enacting a silly attack by the dreaded Face-eating Spider from Outer Space, or just making up something new, I could always count on the full attention of my kids hanging on every word, and breaking out in uproarious laughter at the yarns I had spun just for them.

 

It was always great fun! What the kids probably never knew, is that many of those stories were also parables especially designed for them, to instill some of the fundamentals they needed to guide them through life. Perhaps the best loved stories I used to tell, along those lines, were about Tom the Dinosaur and His Little Friend. Indeed, while we all knew Tom was just make believe, yet his story persona took on a sense of reality as if he were a real, uh, ...person. By that I mean, the imaginary Tom projected a positive force of character that had a moral weight to it.

 

I invented Tom for my youngest son, Solomon. Sol was always a well-adjusted kid, but he still was inevitably challenged with the sorts of things that always befall the youngest child. It can be difficult when you are only three, and all of your siblings are bigger that you, know more than you do, and play together doing things you can't do yet. This, though not intended to be mean, leads to the youngest being left out a lot. An aware parent notices this sort of thing of course, and tries to mitigate the effects, which often comes off to the other kids as making the youngest the "favorite." Really, they are all the "favorite" in their own way.

 

I saw the need to lift up Sol, being the youngest, to make Sol feel included, and empowered. Sol needed to learn the benefits of having a special friend who was always there when needed, who was big and strong enough to always make the difference, who was always good, who always knew what to do, and who was always on Sol's side. So I took my best Friend, turned Him into a dinosaur, named Him Tom, and hooked Him up with my son, by way of a parable, a children's story. Sol always loved Tom, and I do too.

The Tom stories made Sol feel special, because he felt in a visceral way what it was like to have that amazing Friend who is always looking out for you, and is always there for you - who is the most worthy friend anyone could possibly ever have. I like to think that what Sol experienced in those Tom stories may somehow have helped enable Sol's older self to form the powerful bond of love and trust that he enjoys with Messiah today, and that he so readily pours out so lavishly upon all of those around him. I hope just reading about Tom the Dinosaur and His Little Friend will renew in you today that simple and powerful love of God that can only live in the heart of a child - even a grown up child like you and me!

 

So much of who we are is imparted to us through our family experiences as a child. This is certainly true for me. As a child, my mom especially personified so much of what I still admire and hold dear today, including an abiding love for our Creator, and His precious Word. No doubt, much of the experience I was seeking to impart to my children through Tom the Dinosaur, and other stories, was much earlier imparted to me through the good graces of my mom. Sadly, my mom passed on some six decades ago, when I was still a child. Yet, I can't help but feel that the best of what I have had to pass on to others first came to me, as a child, through her.

 

I have encountered many trials since her passing. By His grace, I had been endowed early with the most important fundamentals to meet the challenges of life, which have stood me in good stead these many years. In 1966 I chose to dedicate my life to the Master, and was immersed, which set my feet on the path of discipleship. In 2016, I celebrated 50 years of service. At that time in 2016 I shared my testimony of some of the highlights of my life as a disciple through those years. In tonight's meeting, I am sharing that again with you. Why?

 

All my Bible heroes, all the patriarchs, all the prophets, all the apostles, even our Lord, Yeshua - all of them have taught me this important truth. The man, molded by a life of walking with his Creator, IS the message. There is no getting around it. For you to see the Tsiyon message for what it really is you need to know the man whom it is coming through. That's why, in this Fast Track program, we are giving you the Tsiyon history first, and now my own testimony, so that you can rightly judge the true source of the Tsiyon message that is coming forth in the Fast Track program hereafter.

 

Yes, it is a bit embarrassing sharing all this personal stuff, but it is necessary for you to get the big picture, so here it is. "Sunrise Man From Sunrise Land" is the theme of our presentation tonight. Join us at Tsiyon.Net at 8:00 PM CST. I trust that you will be encouraged and uplifted, by this lifetime testimony of the greatness of our God.

 

Blessings and good health to you!

 

Eliyahu
Tsiyon.Org

 

Join us tonight!