Tsiyon Messianic Radio Newsletter - Vol 20.24 - 04/07/6025
TAM - 07/02/2025 AD
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From Eliyahu
I always enjoy writing to you, knowing that
we are united by our love for Yeshua and our desire to see His
kingdom advance. Yet, I am sometimes saddened that some who once walked with us in His narrow Way have
slowed down or have even wandered away from the path. I have fond memories
of some of those folks who began with a surge of excitement upon learning the truth, only to be drawn
off by the world farther down the line. No doubt, you have been concerned
for some whom you have known that have had this happen. Do you wonder why? I
have a few thoughts to share on that here.
The same thing sometimes happens when launching a new chapter for our lives, our families, or our ministries only to watch that excitement fade away. I suspect most of us can think of at least one calling, one habit, one commitment that began with such
promise, and yet withered before it bore fruit. This is far too common.
Why does this happen? Why do so many start well but fail to finish strong? Yeshua’s Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13
deals with exactly that, not just as a story about seed and soil, but as a mirror for our own hearts. We’ll
explore four reasons kingdom seeds of good intention sometimes fail to
produce fruit, and we will uncover one important
root cause we can do something about.
Messiah laid out this complex problem in such a simple fashion,
characteristic of His brilliant grasp of all truth. Yet, He didn't say
everything. He left some things for us to discover. It turns out that
becoming good soil involves focus. We will call this
identity vs. outcome focus. Grasping this can help us
chart a path toward becoming “good soil” in whom
lasting fruitfulness can flourish. Let’s listen to Yeshua’s words:
"He spoke to
them many things in parables, saying, Behold, a farmer went out to sow.
As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and
devoured them. Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn't have much
soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of
earth. When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no
root, they withered away. Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up
and choked them. Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one
hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears to
hear, let him hear." (Matthew
13:3-9)
Now, here is how Yeshua explained this:
"Hear, then, the parable of the farmer. When anyone hears the word of
the Kingdom, and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches
away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the
roadside. What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the
word, and immediately with joy receives it; yet he has no root in
himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises
because of the word, immediately he stumbles. What was sown among the
thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the
deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. What
was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and
understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and brings forth, some
one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty."
So, Yeshua, turning to His disciples,
explains: the seed is the Word of the Kingdom;
the soils are the conditions of our hearts. Some hearts are hard
and thus easy targets for the devil. Some
hearts are shallow,
with very little depth of character or determination. These easily succumb
to any sort of opposition. The third type of soil focuses on worry over
problems of this life, and pursuit of riches and other worldly pursuits that
choke out the Word.
Here we have three out of four types of
soil - and all three ultimately fail. Let that sink in for a minute. Three
out of four who started out eventually fail. That tracks with the sad
reality. Fortunately, the fourth type of heart/soil "hears the word, and
understands it" so will go on to bring forth much fruit for the Kingdom! Be
that person!
This is a parable,
a story that helps us understand something. It is about the seed, the Word
of the Kingdom, but the principles it embodies can be applied to any
worthwhile pursuit within the Father's will - new habits,
fresh ministries, revived relationships. It teaches us that the condition of
our heart, the soil within us, determines whether what we plant will endure
or fail. Of course this applies to
your walk with Yeshua, but the principles here can be applied to your
marriage or other relationships, your ministry, or any other
commitment of faith.
1. The Pat h -
Distraction and Doubt
Imagine the seed that fell on the hard-packed road. Before it could
germinate, birds swooped down. In our lives, that bird might be the
cacophony of social media, the allure of trivial pastimes, or the
persistent voice of doubt: “I’m
not cut out for this.”
Even more likely, the birds here may be family and friends who
don't want to see us change. Odds may be, we never even give
the new shoot a chance to grow.
2. The Rocky Ground -
Shallow, Outcome-Driven Effort
On rocky soil the seed springs up fast -
like our initial enthusiasm. We sign up for the
Bible course, stay up all night enjoying all the truth
we didn't know, or start telling others about it.
But there ’s
no depth of commitment. The first trial -
an unexpected conflict, a missed commitment,
a taxing
relationship - scorches our resolve. Lacking deep
roots, we wither.
3. Among the Thorns
-
Choked by Competing Priorities
Some seed falls among thorns, and these choke the
plant. For us, thorns are the cares of this world: financial pressure,
career ambition, social status, or even busyness in
“good”
things that steal time
from His
things. We find ourselves saying 'yes'
to everything but the one commitment that would bear eternal fruit.
4. Good Soil
-
Deep
Roots of Identity
Finally, good soil welcomes the seed, nourishes it, and produces a
harvest. This is the heart that has been prepared
- where true
identity aligns with purpose. In such soil, trials deepen roots rather
than destroy them, and the harvest multiplies.
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Why do
so many of us find ourselves on the hard path or shallow ground, despite our
best intentions? It can
boil down to where we fix our focus: outcome or identity.
Outcome-Focused Mindset
“I want a thriving ministry. I want to lose 20 pounds. I want a
strong marriage.” Outcomes are powerful motivators
- they give us a destination. Yet when the journey
becomes difficult, the destination alone is
seldom enough to keep us going.
Identity-Focused Mindset
“I am a disciple who abides in
Messiah.
Lord, that is my true identity in You. Please
help me to manifest that in all things, especially in this thing that is
a problem for me right now.”
When goals spring from a deep sense of who we already are, our actions
align more naturally. Our choices become expressions of our identity,
not a means to an
end.
As disciples of
Messiah we are in Him, and in Him we have everything we need to succeed.
Yeshua ’s call
is never merely, “Do good deeds.” He calls us to a new identity: “Follow Me;
become My disciple” (Matthew 16:24). Our transformation begins at the
identity layer, not merely at the layer of action or result.
Be careful. The
devil, the world, and even your own fallen inner man will scream at you that
you are a fraud, not a true disciple. The truth is, if you have trusted in
Him you are saved by grace through faith - not by your own righteousness.
The more you believe that truth and walk in it the more you will grow in
your true identity in Him.
"If then you were raised together with Messiah, seek the things that
are above, where Messiah is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your
mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the
earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Messiah in God. When
Messiah, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him
in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4)
How can you move from
being rocky soil to good soil
in Yeshua? Here are four steps to
help root your
identity in Yeshua and bear lasting fruit:
1. Decide Who You Are in Messiah
Write a concise identity statement drawn from Scripture. Examples:
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“I am a child of God, forgiven and empowered by the Spirit.”
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“I am a disciple of Yeshua who abides in Him daily.”
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“I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, honoring God with my body and mind.”
This statement isn’t a goal; it’s
your starting point. Claim it as truth, not aspiration.
2. Gather Tiny Proofs
Cognitive science and Scripture agree: evidence reinforces
belief. Start
with micro-commitments that are impossible to fail. For example:
-
Start each day by reading one verse
and praying, “Lord, show me how this applies to me.”
-
After your morning
coffee, give one genuine compliment to your spouse or coworker.
-
When stress
arises, pause 30 seconds to breathe and offer a silent “Thank
You,
Yeshua.”
Each time you act, you
are saying:
“I am the person I said I
am.”
3. Stack Your Wins
Build on those tiny proofs. Once you’re
consistent with one habit, add another on top:
-
From one verse to a
paragraph.
-
From a one-minute
prayer to a five-minute
contemplation on God’s
goodness.
-
From one act of
kindness to coordinating a small group to serve together.
This “habit stacking”
deepens your roots as every success bolsters your identity.
4. Reflect and Affirm Daily
Without reflection, victories slip by unnoticed. End each day by
journaling or speaking aloud two questions:
-
“How did I live
as a child of God today?”
-
“What tiny proof
confirms my identity in Messiah?”
- Speaking in first person, present tense
- for example,
“I am a faithful disciple” or “I
honored God with my choices”
-cements these truths in your soul.
In sharing this I am well
aware that some will see it as mechanistic. Let me tell you, if your heart
is in it then it is far more than that - it is you reaching out to be the
person you really are in His Spirit. When you reach out toward Him He will
reach back. He will send the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to empower your
efforts and your true identity will emerge more and more.
Let me share a simple story:
Sarah wanted to be a woman of
prayer but struggled to maintain her morning time with God. She chose the
identity statement, “I am a woman who breathes in prayer.” Her first tiny
proof: a single “Thank You, Father” the moment she woke up. Two weeks later,
she added one verse. A month in, her heart was so stirred that she journaled
daily, deepening her roots in unexpected ways. She not only became
powerful in prayer - she rose into higher realms of the Spirit than she had
ever experienced before.
Brothers and sisters, our
community in Messiah has
no lack of vision or purpose. Yet the risk is always real
that without deep roots, our enthusiasm runs out when trials come
- whether it’s
a disappointing result, a personal hardship, or competing priorities. Let’s
decide today: we will be a people of identity, not just outcomes. We will
declare, “We are disciples of Yeshua who bear lasting fruit.” Then we will
prove it through tiny acts of obedience, stack those wins, and daily reflect
on our identity in Him.
In the Parable of the Sower, only one in four seeds yielded abundant
harvest. Let
us resolve to be among that one -
in good soil - so that our lives,
our relationships,
and our covenant nation will produce fruit for the Kingdom "a
hundredfold.”
Will you join me in claiming your identity in Messiah? Will you commit to
one tiny proof this week
- a short moment of prayer, a small act of service, a
verse read with expectation - and
build on it? As we plant our identity deep in Messiah,
YHWH
will bring in the increase.
Come and join
us tonight at 8 Central at
Tsiyon.Net for more
amazing truth from Matthew 13. You will surely be blessed.
In His Name,
Eliyahu
Join our live stream Tonight - 8 PM Central -
Tsiyon.Net
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"Let them build Me a Sanctuary, that I may reside in their midst." Ex
25:8
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