ABOUT

​

FROM GLORY TO GLORY AND NOT MERCY TO MERCY

​

The Lord gave me a word a few years ago, "My people are going from mercy to mercy and not from glory to glory."

​

We serve a GREAT and MERCIFUL God, but His mercy was never meant to be a place or a condition to reside in.

​

THE GLORY

​

Jesus said in John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they (meaning the born-again believer), may know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." Jesus immediately continues His prayer by speaking of the glory. "I have glorified You on the earth, I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now O' Father, glorify Me together with Yourself with the glory I had with You before the world was." The Father's heart and the Son's heart is to reside in the GLORY! This absolute fullness of life eternal, which belongs to God and through Him, both to the "Logos" who put on human nature and the born-again believer. This life eternal, real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God and blessed in the beloved of those who put their love, faith, trust, hope and obedience in Him as their dwelling place.

​

THE TRUTH

 

The Truth seems so powerless in the lives of many born-again believers today. Could it be that the followers of the Truth have so dramatically "lowered the bar" and have accepted such a watered-down version of Truth that the original cannot be seen today? If this is true, then what is the remedy? Let us begin by looking at Jesus' educational roots and training.

                                                           

BET SEFER

​

For Jews living in Jesus' day, there were three separate educational venues. The first was called Bet Sefer. At the ages of six through twelve, Jewish children began their formal education. Both boys and girls attended synagogue school and learned to read and write. The textbook was the Torah, and the goal was not just to read, but to memorize and meditate the sacred text.

​

As a child of six years of age, you would go to the synagogue and the most respected man in the city would greet you with a slate and he would put a dollop of honey on the slate and then he would remove the ancient scroll of the Torah. As you sat speechless and in awe, the rabbi would have you taste the honey on your slate and tell you that the Torah is sweeter than the honeycomb, (Psalm 119:103).

 

BAR MITZVAH

​

Can you imagine the impact this would have on a young child? You can bet that whenever that child tasted honey he or she was always reminded of the Word of God! Now at the conclusion of this, a bar mitzvah for the boy welcomed him into the community as a full-fledged male member. Following this sacred milestone, usually the boy then began to learn the family trade. Only the best of the best continued on in their education.

​

BET MIDRASH

​

For those who through diligence, patience and perseverance make it through Bet Sefer, the next educational opportunity was called Bet Midrash. Boys from age 13 to 15, who were deemed worthy to continue their educational pursuits, went on to study and memorize the entire Tanach, as well as learning the family trade. (It is noteworthy that of all the disciples Jesus had, few made it this far in their training). Very few were selected for this pursuit.

​

BET TALMUD

​

Those who finished Bet Midrash, were able to pursue the final educational leg, which was called Bet Talmud. This was the longest in duration; it went from the age of 15 to 30. To participate, he must be invited by a rabbi and, if selected, he would begin a process of grooming that would lead to the potential of becoming a rabbi at age 30. Those who were chosen were referred to as "Talmidim". They would literally follow in the dust of their rabbi, desiring to emulate him in all of his ways. They would eat the same food in exactly the same way as their rabbi. They would go to sleep and awake the same way as their rabbi and, more importantly, they would learn to study Torah and understand God the exact same way as their rabbi.

 

JESUS FOLLOWS THE PATH

​

It appears that Jesus Himself followed this model. At twelve years of age, we know that He attended His first Passover in Jerusalem and He began His formal ministry at 30. The Bible is silent as far as His mentors, but we do know that He selected His disciples and, just like those young fifteen-year-olds when invited to Bet Talmud, they left everything to follow after this Rabbi from Galilee. The qualifications were obedience and faith. No doubt they walked in His dust, wanting to be just like their Rabbi! They were His Talmidim! History and the Word reveal to us that Jesus trained His Talmidim in three years and His training was so powerful that they, His Talmidim, literally changed the world!

​

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE CHURCH?

​

How are we, as the Church, doing in raising up Talmidim? We believe the time has come to reclaim discipleship and to again raise the bar. We all need to follow in the dust of our Rabboni, our Master! But where do we start? We start in the same place as those six-year-old Jewish children, we start with the Word of God that is sweeter than honey!

 

The call and mission at Talmidim Christian Center is to provide a blueprint for growth to born-again believers to know their identity in Christ, be imitators of Jesus as His Talmidim, then GO into all the world and make more Talmidim for the GLORY of God!

​

 TALMIDIM CHRISTIAN CENTER

​

And this is the "heartbeat" of Talmidim Christian Center, to equip, train and teach Talmidim how to live from glory to glory! John 17:3 is the heartbeat of this ministry. It is far better to be in the perfect will of God. We are to receive the will of God "ACCORDING TO OUR FAITH".  This is what Jesus taught throughout His ministry, "according to your faith, be it unto you." The Church needs to get back to doing things how the Master did it. We not only want to prepare each disciple for the work of the ministry, but we want to teach them how to know God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. We are called to "fight the good fight of faith" and lay hold of everything God has planned for their lives, 1 Timothy 6:12.

​

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

​

We serve a God of increase and glory. As we continue to grow and partner with our surrounding communities, our goal is to do Matthew 6:19-21 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

 

This is where YOU come in. Is your treasure Jesus? Is heaven your treasure? The knowledge of the Word of God is FREE. In order to walk in the liberty that we have in Jesus Christ, the Bible states in Romans 12:2 that we must not be conformed to this world, but we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds. For what purpose? So that we can prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. We are to be conformed to His image, the image of Jesus. JOIN US, LEARN YOUR IDENTITY IN JESUS CHRIST AND WALK AS HE DID!