Biblical View or World View (What Standard Should We Follow?)

I keep hearing the expression, "That's not the world view." as though the world view is the correct view. The thinking is that if you are not in agreement with the World view, you are some kind of freak or misfit. There can only be two views. There is the Biblical view which is founded upon God's standard for living, and based upon Scripture revealed by the Holy Spirit, or there is the World view which is secular and has its foundation built upon the fallen nature of man. As believers in Messiah, it is sometimes difficult to make a distinction between which is which. The accuser is very quick to send up his smoke screens to make us think we are following the Biblical view, when in fact we are not. How are we to know the difference?

I once heard a story that new bank tellers were put in a room for several days doing nothing but counting money by hand. This was all a part of their training. The idea was that they would become extremely sensitive to the feel, smell, look and texture of real money. They were to become so familiar with these characteristics that if a counterfeit bill would hit their hands they would know it immediately. It was all about being so familiar with their daily procedures that it would be extremely difficult to pass off something fake to them.

If we are truly one of God's children, we should be hungering and thirsting to know His ways and know His word with this type of familiarity.  How many believers in Yeshua (Jesus) are so familiar with the Scriptures by which we are to conduct our everyday lives that we can say, "It is written?" Sadly, most only know a few passages of Scripture. Often the few Scriptures they do know are taken out of context to defend themselves when they are confronted with truth. We've all heard the expression, "Who are you to judge me?" The sad part is that by saying those words, they themselves are passing judgment. By saying those words they are placing themselves on a higher plane because they believe themselves righteous in their own eyes and you are interfering with their notion of right and wrong.

One day while listening to Christian radio, I noticed that three radio pastors were talking about Scripture as though it was the world view. Something just did not sit right with me. Looking back over their messages, I noticed something very peculiar. One was speaking about the eminent return of Jesus to rapture his church out of here and take them to heaven. The second had the same theme, but coming from a different denominational angle. The third had the typical send me money and you will be blessed theme. Then it dawned on me. The reason they were talking so much about the world view was because that was exactly how they were approaching the Scriptures. They approached God's word from a world secular view instead of from a Holy Spirit revealed Biblical view.

If we claim to have a love for our God and His Messiah, how can we not have a desire burning within our hearts to know His words? In the early days of our relationship, my wife and I were separated for months. I knew I was in love with her and had a burning in my heart to hear from her as often as I possibly could. Every letter that came was met with excitement and joy. She tells me it was the same way with her. If there is not an excitement and joy every time you read the Bible, perhaps you should examine yourself to see if you really are in the faith. Pray that God would instill in you a love for Him and His word. He's ready to give you what you ask for. The world view isn't going to get you into His kingdom. 

Every aspect of our life should be performed as though Yeshua is right there with us. We are to capture every thought and submit it unto the Holy Spirit for His approval. We may live in a secular world, but we are not to be of this world. Contrary to the old saying that says, "We are not to be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good." We are to pray without ceasing. When we are heavenly minded, it is the only time that we can be earthly good. Otherwise we are only operating from our fallen nature and expressing the world view.

Shalom,

Barry W. Gaugler 

The Big Lie: Once Saved, Always Saved

Many churches today hold to the doctrine of "once saved , always saved," or the Calvinist version of "Perseverance of the saints."  Does the Bible actually teach this doctrine, or is this another case for Satan twisting the Scriptures to create a false sense of security among believers? It sounds good to the average person. I'm saved. So, now I am set for all eternity. I don't have to worry as long as I believe in Jesus. I'm all set. We don't have to observe all those things written about in the Bible. All we have to do is believe. Is that a fact?

You will often hear the argument: "There's nothing we could have done to become saved, or it would be salvation by works. Therefore, they say, there is nothing we can do to become unsaved. We can't gain or lose our salvation based on what we do." Many believe that if you do not believe this false doctrine, you are teaching "another gospel." Well to begin with, there is a great deal of error in these statements. Before we can be saved, we have to first be willing to hear the message of the Good News. Then we have to believe by faith that it is true. Thirdly, we have to believe that Messiah rose from the dead. Fourth, we need to repent of (turn away from) our sins and follow Yeshua. Fifth, we are to continue walking in our faith and mature by continuing to apply our Creators instructions to our lives.

There are plenty of Scriptures that teach us that after receiving the knowledge of the truth, we can fall away from the faith and be damned as an unbeliever. The following are just a few of these verses, but it is not my intention to give them to you by shotgun theology. (Shotgun theology is bombarding you with so many Scriptures in hope that one of them hits you like pellets from a shotgun.)

³³ Adonai answered Moshe, “Those who have sinned against me are the ones I will blot out of my book. ( Exodus 32:33 [CJB])

¹⁸ Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, ¹⁹ one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. ²⁰ The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. (Deuteronomy 29:18-20 [ESV])

²⁷ Add iniquity to their iniquity, And let them not come into Your righteousness.
²⁸ Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous. (Psalm 69:27-28 [NKJV])

²⁴ “On the other hand, when the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness by acting in accordance with all the disgusting practices that the wicked person does, will he live? None of the righteous deeds he has done will be remembered; for the trespasses and sins he has committed, he will die. (Ezekiel 18:24 [CJB])

Notice that these people are either being blotted out of the book of life, or they will die [eternally]. They have turned away from righteousness. In order to be blotted out of the book, don't you first have to be written into the book? Many will say that these are so-called Old Testament verses and are referring to the Jews. They believe they are allegorical and do not apply to the church. All Scripture must agree with Scripture. So, what does the so-called New Covenant have to say in this matter.

⁵ He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:5 [NKJV])

Pay close attention to the words "he who overcomes." How do we overcome. We know how to overcome by that is written in Revelation 12:11.

¹¹ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Is "once saved always saved" an integral part of the Good News? Is this really what the Bible teaches, or is this perhaps the same lie that Satan, had used since he deceived Havah (Eve) in the Garden of Eden when he assured her, “You shall not surely die”? Can we really ignore God's commandments and expect to fall upon His grace in our purposeful rebellion?  Has God somehow changed in spite of the fact that Scripture plainly tells us that He is not like a man and does not change.

Did the Yeshua teach that in one brief moment of faith and a quick sinner's prayer would promise eternal salvation? I think not. By the way; Exactly where is the "sinner's prayer" located in Scripture?  Speaking to His disciples as He was sending them out to preach the gospel, He warns them in Matthew 10:22:

²² And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Then in John 8:31-32 we see Yeshua speaking to some of the Jews that had believed in Him. Yeshua tells these believers:

 “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Notice the tiny word "if" in this passage of Scripture. The word "if" applies a condition to their indeed being His disciples. That condition is that they must abide in His word. In other words, they must live His word if they are to be His disciples. The condition also strongly suggests that "if" they do not abide in His words, they are not His disciples.

In Col. 1:21-23 we read:

²¹ And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled ²² in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— ²³ if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Notice, in verse 21 Sha'ul (Paul) declares one of the results of believing in the gospel, reconciliation with God. Now also notice the first word in verse 23. Again, the little word "if" applies a condition to ones ultimate salvation. "If" indeed you continue in the faith. We are required to continue in our faith, be grounded and steadfast, and not be moved away from the hope of the Good News. It ought to become quite obvious that there is a condition involved here, and that condition is to remain faithful to the Good News. Also, please notice that Sha'ul makes no mention of God holding fast in our stead. He distinctly places the responsibility of holding fast to our faithfulness squarely upon our shoulders. Of course we do have the Ruach haKodesh to assist us in our endeavor. We are not without help.

Let's examine a few passages of Scripture which many who believe the doctrine of "once saved always saved" seem to miss, ignore, read, or interpret incorrectly.

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’                 (Matthew 7:21-23 [NKJV])

These people thought they were saved. Yeshua gives them a rude awakening when He tells them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who work lawlessness." They claimed to know Him but refused to walk according to what was written in the law (Torah). They thought they could continue in their lawlessness because of grace. It doesn't work out well for them.

And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. (Luke 8:13 [ESV])

Please note that they received the word of truth with joy, and believed it, but when the time of testing comes, they fall away.

⁵ But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶ who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: ⁷ eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; ⁸ but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath. (Romans 2:5-8 [NKJV]

Pay close attention to verse 7. The eternal life is for those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory. You cannot possibly be in patient continuance, if you had not begun in the first place. But then notice what is in store for those who are self seeking and do not obey the truth. I don't know about you, but indignation and wrath does not sound like they are still saved to me.

¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.     (Romans 8:15-17 [NKJV])

Pay close attention to what Ruach Elohim (the Spirit of God) is saying here. These people did not receive the spirit of bondage, but the Spirit of adoption. They are adopted into God's family, and are His children, and are joint heirs with Messiah. Then there is that darned little word "if" again. If we indeed suffer with Him, that we "may" be glorified together. Notice the word "may". The word "may" is an indefinite word. The word "if" carries with itself a condition. The condition is this. If we indeed suffer with Him, we "will" be glorified together with Him. However, "if" we are not willing to suffer with Him, we "may" not be gathered together. Words mean things.

¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. ²² Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.      (Romans 11:19-22  [NKJV])

The original Hebrew branches were broken off because of unbelief, so the Gentiles might be grafted in by faith. Most people want to focus on the goodness of God in these verses, but they shy away from the severity of God which is just as important for us to understand. The severity is upon those who fell, but toward you, there's that little word "if" again. If you continue in his goodness. Otherwise you will be cut off. Remember, this is speaking to congregations well after the resurrection of our Messiah. Yet, it is stated that if they don't meet the conditions following the word "if" they "will" be cut off. The word "will" is in the definite sense.  It cannot be any plainer, but people skip over that like it isn't there because of the way they have been taught to read Scripture according to the doctrines of their preferred denominations. We must continue in His goodness, or we "will" be cut off. Again, I say, you cannot continue doing anything if you had not begun doing it in the first place.

²⁴ Don’t you know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one wins the prize? So then, run to win! ²⁵ Now every athlete in training submits himself to strict discipline, and he does it just to win a laurel wreath that will soon wither away. But we do it to win a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Accordingly, I don’t run aimlessly but straight for the finish line; I don’t shadow-box but try to make every punch count. ²⁷ I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that, after proclaiming the Good News to others, I myself will not be disqualified. (1Corinthians 9:24-27 [CJB])

Sha'ul is clearly speaking of discipline in these verses. Anyone who has ever seriously trained for an athletic event understands the meaning and purpose of strict discipline. Those who are hard on themselves are determined to gain the prize. Those who do not discipline themselves will soon drop out or be defeated by their competitors. In this case we are striving for an imperishable crown. Even Sha'ul recognizes in these verses that he must bring his own body under submission or he will miss the mark and possibly be disqualified. If Sha'ul feared being disqualified, do you not think he understood that all could be lost through rebellion and disobedience? Think on that.

⁵ Examine yourselves to see whether you are living the life of trust. Test yourselves. Don’t you realize that Yeshua the Messiah is in you? — unless you fail to pass the test.  (2 Corinthians 13:5 [CJB])

Please take notice to the word "unless" and what follows it. Test yourselves to see whether you are living the life of trust. Many believe they are, but in fact are not.

One more although there are many more to choose from if one will take the time to ask the Ruach haKodesh to reveal them to you.


Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.

I have to ask a question that should be quite obvious to someone who is seeking after the truth. How can someone depart from the faith, if they have not been in the faith in the first place? They listened to deceiving spirits and doctrines of devils. Isn't that exactly what Adam and Havah did back there in the Garden of Eden? If it got them cast out of God's presence in the Garden, do you really think listening to the doctrines of devils will not matter in the kingdom to come? Who is it that get cast into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth?

Are We Protected From All Future Sins?

Some claim that is we are saved, we are protected from all future sins. Since we are saved by grace, we have certainty that all future sins will be forgiven. They even go as far to say that the sin of rebellion and disobedience are forgiven. Is that true? What do the Scriptures have to say in this matter?

⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.            (Galatians 6:8-9 [NKJV])

It figures. There's that pesky word "if" again.

These following verses seem to be the ultimate thorn in the side of the "once saved always saved doctrine." How do they ever get around these verses unless the word of Elohim is contradictory to itself?

Pay especially close attention to what the writer of Hebrews is saying here. These following verses are one of the reasons that some did not want to include the letter to the Hebrews into the canon of Scripture. The reason for the protest was that it was in conflict with their early beliefs. The Almighty had His way though and these passages were included in our Bibles whether men like it or not.

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

Notice that these people were once enlightened. The heard the word, and they had tasted the heavenly gift. What is the heavenly gift? The heavenly gift is the promise of salvation. It is a free gift. More than that, they become partakers of the Holy Spirit. They have tasted the good word of God and have even tasted of the powers of the age to come. Then there is that darned word "if" again. If they fall away, it is impossible to be renewed again since they crucify again the Son of God and put Him to open shame. Did not Balaam the son of Beor partake of the Holy Spirit? Did he not prophesy in the name of YHVH? However, it did not work out well for him in Numbers 31:8, where he was slain by the sword.

We must always formulate our doctrines according to the pattern which the Almighty has laid out in the context of all of Scripture. When we depart from that pattern, we are easily set up to learn false doctrines. When we read the proof texts of those who teach the doctrine of "once saved always saved,: their arguments soon are revealed by the light of the Ruach haKodesh. I will use one more scripture to end this teaching.

²⁶ For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

Shalom,
Barry W. Gaugler

Halloween. What Separates True Believers from False Believers in Messiah?

As October 31st approaches one can see the spirit of Halloween everywhere. The houses are decorated, some cities have parades, children, as well as adults,  are adorned in the most scary costumes they can buy, or create for themselves.  I would be remiss if I failed to mention the parties and the children going door to door in their costumes begging for candy. It is a splendid picture of un-holiness. Everything done at this time of year is in exact opposition to what the Scriptures teach, but what the heck. God doesn't really care if we totally disobey Him on this one day a year and celebrate the dark and evil deceptions of Satan celebrating death. Or does He?

Why would God give us one strict warning after another strict warning all throughout Scripture, if He thought it was not an extremely severe matter with Him? Yeshua (Jesus) came to give us life, and life more abundantly. Did He not? Yeshua is the Truth, the Way, and the LIFE. Is He not? In John 5:39-40 it says, "³⁹ You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal LIFE; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰ But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have LIFE." Everything about Yeshua deals with LIFE and LIFE everlasting. Nothing Yeshua does celebrates or glorifies death. NOTHING! When the serpent (the devil) tempted Eve in the Garden, he told her, "You shall NOT surely die." He lied! Everything about satan is a lie, and his lies only lead to one destination. DEATH! Yet, people foolishly believe that they can play games with their faith.  They have been convinced that they can do exactly the opposite of what Almighty God has continuously told us not to do. Still, in their thinking they will have a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Oh foolish Christians! When will you awaken out of your foolish stupor and see the truth.

Many point to the church of Rome in a silly attempt to justify their actions saying, this was a practice in the early churches. Since when is the pagan Roman church an accurate source for biblical righteousness? Many in their next breath will speak out against the paganism found in the Roman church, but at the same time embrace that same paganism. Do you not see your hypocrisy? The devil is laughing at you and you are too blind to see it. The early apostles dealt with this on a regular basis. Nothing has changed. The disobedient to God's commandments will continue to do so until they find themselves in the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Why would their death and darkness be considered a strange thing for these people who are already celebrating it here in this life. Why would they expect anything different on the day Yeshua comes to judge the whole earth. He will only give them what they wanted.

What was Paul's fear about the church in Galatians  4:8-11?

⁸ But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? ¹⁰ You observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹ I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

Notice, he is writing to Gentiles here who were formerly pagans and served those which by nature are not Gods. However, now they do know God and are known by God. He is asking them, "How is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? I know that the church rips these verses out of their context to mean that Paul is talking about the Law here, but one simply has to look at the context to prove that silliness wrong. These people, whom Paul is addressing, are former pagans. To assume he is talking about Torah to people who have never been taught Torah is a wild stretch of the imagination. The clear context simply does not support that foolishness. They were formerly in bondage to the weak and beggarly elements of their pagan religion back there when they did not know God. Since when is Torah (which is the perfect word of God) weak and beggarly?

They were celebrating (observing) days, months, seasons, and years, but they were not God's appointed feasts. They were Satan's times. They were celebrating the winter and summer solstice along with other times, usually found around God's feasts, to distract the people of this world from the true worship of the Almighty. Halloween is certainly one of those times as we have just come out of the Feast of Tabernacles. Paul's concern for them is mentioned in verse eleven.

God gave His specific instructions more than just a few times in His word. Here are two great examples:

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, ¹¹ or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. ¹² For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.

 Leviticus 20:6-7New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ ‘And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people. ⁷ Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

These are pretty stiff warnings. Those who are foolish enough to believe that the New Testament has somehow done away with these things, which God calls abominations, are simply playing with fire in the most literal sense.  Some blind guides, who are nothing less than wolves in sheep's clothing, say that children do not see these practices as evil, but they are just doing them for fun. What does God say in the Shema?

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

I can see nothing here where it tells us to love these pagan times, or teach them to our children. Since Yeshua said this was the first part of the greatest commandment, we can be pretty certain that He did not make it null and void. If you are teaching your children to follow after these pagan practices which are disgusting to Almighty God, there is no mistaking the fact that you will be held responsible for leading your children away from keeping God's commandments. Can you give a single passage of Scripture from its proper context which makes the above passages of Scripture null and void? Here is a hint. There are none. Many are quick to say, "Oh! That is all Old Testament and we are no longer under the Law. What does the apostle Paul say about that?

1 Corinthians 10:21 New King James Version (NKJV)

21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

It sounds pretty clear to me. We who serve the Living God serve a God who does not change.

Again in 3 John we read these words:

3 John 1:11New King James Version (NKJV)

¹¹ Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but^[a] he who does evil has not seen God.

You may look at it as only fun, but the word of God is perfectly clear. We are not to imitate what is evil. Has God condemned these practices as evil? Of course He has. Why are you imitating them, and for crying out loud, why are you teaching your children to follow after them? To continue following these pagan practices after coming to know the truth in nothing short of rebellion against God's word. What do the Scriptures have to say about rebellion?

1 Samuel 15:23New King James Version (NKJV)

²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”

This isn't a game folks. You are playing with your eternity here. The choice is yours. You can either live in the Kingdom of Heaven for all eternity, or you can stubbornly remain in your rebellion and be cast into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth awaiting your portion of the Lake of Fire.


Shalom,
Barry W. Gaugler

Strive For Holiness

Hebrews 12:14 English Standard Version (ESV)

14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

In this passage the writer of the book of Hebrews is telling us to strive for peace (shalom)  with everyone. Everyone includes not only our brothers and sisters "in Messiah," but everyone. That includes those who may not fit into our community as acceptable individuals. How do you find shalom with those who are loud, boisterous, or abusive drunkards? How do you find shalom with those whom our natural instincts desire to hate? What about that person who abuses the cutest and most innocent animals in the most disgusting manner? What about the pedophile whom we would probably like to see castrated and locked away for the rest of his, or her life, or even worse? What about the radical Islamist terrorist who is beheading Christian toddlers, raping their mothers, selling them as sex slaves for $12.00, and crucifying their husbands right before their eyes? Yet, we are instructed to strive for peace with everyone. We are to pursue it. We are to chase after it as a righteous goal. I find it impossible without the grace of God working this virtue within our being. It cannot be done with our natural instincts. Yet, we are to pursue it.

 Does that mean we are to condone their sin? Does it mean that we are not to fight against the evil? Of course not. However, Yeshua commanded us to love our enemies and to pray for those who would despitefully use us. Did David not love Saul, even though Saul tried many times to kill him?

I must confess that I often find it difficult to perform sufficiently well in these areas. At the same time I cannot escape from my own past sins, or even those daily shortcomings in my life. I find myself continually missing the mark of God's goals for my life, and even my own expectations. Yet we often look down on others who are less spiritual than ourselves. We seem to judge our sins, and the sins of others, on some kind of sliding scale. Perhaps a scale of from one to ten with one being minor sins and ten being the most despicable and unforgivable abominations. God does not see it that way. In His eyes, sin is sin. All sin separates us from God. We cannot stop sinning on our own. Often, our sins are not even obvious to us. That is where the Spirit of Grace must be allowed to work in our lives.

Notice the second part of this verse. Not only are we to strive for peace, but we are also to strive for holiness. The verse goes even further to tell us that without holiness no one will see the Lord. Nowhere does it say that holiness is automatically imparted to us because, in an emotional moment in time, we found ourselves in front of a church accepting Yeshua (Jesus) as our Lord and now we are set for an eternity spent with Him in Heaven? I cannot find where Scripture teaches that concept in any proper context. We are to strive for holiness. We are to pursue it with all our hearts, with all our soul, and with all our strength. Without holiness, no one will see God. It matters not what you may have been taught by various congregational leaders. If what your congregation teaches is in conflict with what the Scriptures teach, it may be time to pray about finding a congregation that does believe and practice what the Scriptures teach.

What does it mean to pursue holiness? Holiness means to be separated from being identified with the fallen ways of this world. It means to be identified with God and His ways. It means to be sanctified, or set apart from the customs, traditions, and ways of this world in such a way that people of this world would find you peculiar.

 How do we do that? We do that by actively pursuing God's ways of doing things. We are instructed to break away from the traditions of men, and the deceptive doctrines of devils, which have crept into the churches and synagogues since Messiah returned to His Father in Heaven. How do we find His ways? A good start is by reading our Bibles prayerfully from the beginning of Genesis all the way through to the end of Revelation. By prayerfully, I mean to ask God in the authority of the name of His Son Yeshua Ha-Mashiach (Jesus the Messiah) to send His Ruach Ha-Kodesh (the Holy Spirit) to teach you His ways without your denominational biases and heresies. Ask him to open your eyes to His truth and then strive to do the things He commanded us to do. He commands us to walk as our example Messiah  Yeshua walked. Nowhere does Scripture tell us to keep on doing things the same way we had always done them in the past. Scripture commands us to be new creatures in Messiah. Without holiness, no one will see God. It's that simple.

Shalom,

Barry W. Gaugler

Sirens In the Distance

As I was lying in bed last night I was thinking about God and His Word, as I often do. I was asking Him to reveal Himself to me in a mighty way. I want to know the truth from God's perspective and at the same time I want Him to correct me in areas where I may be in error. I was mentioning how I have a tendency to come on too strong and some people they take me for being arrogant. Many mistake my love for them and my concern for their eternal wellbeing as hatred for them and their ways. They just don't seem to grasp my concern.  I wish many more could see the things I see. Then maybe many more would understand. I have a passion for the truth which many do not share. I wish they did.

 Perhaps it is because I have an extreme sense, deep down in my spirit, that we are running out of time. Who knows? Maybe I am running out of time. It just seems like the end is closing in fast and many are in a state of denial. This sense has been building stronger and stronger over the past three or four years and it seems like lately there are alarms going off all over the place, but people aren't paying any attention to them. That concerns me. I fear for the lost and the complacent.

As I sit in my house, at my computer, there are sirens going off in close proximity to our house as I write. When I first moved back into the city I would usually jump up quickly to see what was going on. Last night there were also sirens going off while I was trying to sleep and I thought to myself, I wonder where they are going now? The point is that they are going off almost all the time, and unless they are right outside my window I no longer pay any attention to them. They are just something in the distance and it is not any of my business.

Unfortunately, that is how many believers in Messiah view the current events in this world today. The Scriptures have given us clear signs of what to be watching for, and these things are happening right before our eyes. However, they have been so regular in their occurrences that we have been tuning them out. Many have become weary from hearing about them and have learned to just shut them out. Sure ISIS is beheading Christians in Iraq, Syria, and other places. Sure Islamic terrorist groups are kidnapping schoolgirls in Nigeria, but that's not in my neighborhood. Sure there is an Ebola epidemic in northwest Africa and a few cases here in America, but that does not concern me. Sure anti-Semitism is spreading rapidly throughout Europe, but those sirens are over on the other side of the world and not in my neighborhood. I hate to tell you this, but those sirens are right outside our windows. It's time to awaken out of our sleep. It's too late when the trucks pull up in front of our house. Make yourself ready. Watch and pray that you may be found worthy to escape the destruction that is about to come upon the whole earth. Don't be one of those who are spoken about in 2 Peter 3:4 where it says, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”


Shalom,
Barry W. Gaugler

Like Noach's Flood

 Matthew 24:36-44

³⁶ “But when that day and hour will come, no one knows — not the angels in heaven, not the Son, only the Father. ³⁷ For the Son of Man’s coming will be just as it was in the days of Noach. ³⁸ Back then, before the Flood, people went on eating and drinking, taking wives and becoming wives, right up till the day Noach entered the ark; ³⁹ and they didn’t know what was happening until the Flood came and swept them all away. It will be just like that when the Son of Man comes. ⁴⁰ Then there will be two men in a field — one will be taken and the other left behind. ⁴¹ There will be two women grinding flour at the mill — one will be taken and the other left behind. ⁴² So stay alert, because you don’t know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But you do know this: had the owner of the house known when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you too must always be ready, for the Son of Man will come when you are not expecting him.

Most of us are probably very familiar with these verses of Scripture. More than likely we've heard these verses mentioned by people in various churches attempting to show that no one knows the day, or the hour, in which the so-called church will be caught up into the clouds and raptured off to heaven to ever be with the Lord. In fact, they use these verses as a proof text in an attempt to prove that Yeshua's return is eminent.  They attempt to take the words, of verses 40 and 41 to show that the righteous will be taken, and the evil ones will be left behind here

on earth to go through the Tribulation and then the Great Tribulation. This belief is the source for the Left Behind movie presently in theaters across America. But, does that agree with Scripture? In Proverbs 10:28-30 we find these words from the NKJV.

²⁸ The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish. ²⁹ The way of the Lord is strength for the upright,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.³⁰ The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth.

Does this pre-tribulation rapture teaching even agree with what Yeshua said earlier in this same book of Matthew? Let's back up to Matthew 13:36-42, Where Yeshua is speaking about this same point in time.

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His talmidim approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; ³⁸ the field is the world. As for the good seed, these are the people who belong to the Kingdom; and the weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One. ³⁹ The enemy who sows them is the Adversary, the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. ⁴⁰ Just as the weeds are collected and burned up in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all the things that cause people to sin and all the people who are far from Torah; ⁴² and they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where people will wail and grind their teeth.

Notice what it says here. The good seed are the people who belong to the Kingdom; and the weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One. Also remember that the field is the world, and the harvest is the End of the Age. It is important that you see these facts. The angels gather the weeds together out of the Kingdom and all that cause people to sin and they will throw them into the fiery furnace. It says nothing about removing the righteous from the earth. Only the weeds.

The pre-millennial dispensationalists say that the return of Yeshua is eminent and is hanging over our head like a pizza stuck to the ceiling. Nobody knows the exact moment it will fall to the floor. I have to ask. Is that really what these verses are saying?

Let's back up a bit and try to put these verses into their proper context. Without the proper context, these words can certainly appear to support their rapture theory, but does it really?  Without the confines of dispensationalist thinking we can attempt to find a more realistic approach to exactly what Yeshua is saying in these verses. Lets back up to verse 30 and attempt to put these verses together properly.

Matthew 24:30-31 says:

³⁰ “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, all the tribes of the Land will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with tremendous power and glory. ³¹ He will send out his angels with a great shofar;^[c] and they will gather together his chosen people from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Verse 30 here is referring back to Zechariah 12:10.

and I will pour out on the house of David and on those living in Yerushalayim a spirit of grace and prayer; and they will look to me, whom they pierced.”They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son; they will be in bitterness on his behalf like the bitterness for a firstborn son.

Take notice to something that most dispensationalists miss. At this time, Yeshua is returning on the clouds of heaven with tremendous power and glory. It should be certain here that Yeshua is not returning to remove the faithful from earth, but that he is coming on, or with clouds. Clouds mentioned in Scripture are not always to be interpreted as literal vapors seen in the sky. The use of the word "Clouds" are often meant to be interpreted as metaphors. Clouds can mean people such as, so great a cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12:1, or clouds without water as in 2nd Peter 2:17, or again clouds without water as in Jude 12. Clouds can even represent judgment as in Jeremiah 4:13, Do you think Yeshua might possibly be returning in judgment of those who reject His ways? Clouds can also represent redemption as in Isaiah 44:22, or even a shield, or garment as in Lamentations 3:44. Do you think Yeshua might be returning to redeem what is His? To assume that Yeshua is returning in the literal clouds that we look upon in the sky is grasping at straws.

In the same way, people read the word "heaven," or its plural "heavens" and right away assume it always means the dwelling place of the Almighty. Again the context must interpret what is being said. In verse 31 we see that Yeshua is sending out His angels to gather His chosen from the four winds. In other words, from the four corners of the earth. He also says from one end of heaven to the other. He is not speaking of the dwelling place of the Almighty here, but rather from one end of the horizon to the other. The word heaven used here is speaking of the sky and it's horizons.

In Genesis 1:8 we read that God called the dome Sky, so there was evening and morning the second day. If you travel to what you can see as the horizon, when you get there, you will have a new horizon. You can continue doing this until you have circled the whole globe. Are there 4 winds in heaven? I don't know. I've never been there. Yeshua is tying the 4 winds to the horizons to give us a clear picture that His chosen people are being gathered up from the whole earth to where He is. Tell me something. Where is He at this time? He is probably in Jerusalem where Scripture continuously puts Him at the time of His return. If the weeds have been removed from the Kingdom, and Yeshua is setting up His Kingdom right here on earth. Wouldn't it make perfect sense that He is right here among His people in His holy city? In the Tanakh from the book of Zechariah 2:14-16, we read these words:

^14 (10) “Sing, daughter of Tziyon; rejoice! For, here, I am coming; and I will live among you,” says Adonai. ^15 (11) When that time comes, many nations will join themselves to Adonai. “They will be my people, and I will live among you.” Then you will know that it was Adonai-Tzva’ot who sent me to you. ^16 (12) Adonai will take possession of Y’hudah as his portion in the holy land, and he will again make Yerushalayim his choice.

In the Apostolic writings from Revelation 21:1-3 we read:

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,  for the old heaven and the old earth had passed away, and the sea was no longer there. ² Also I saw the holy city, New Yerushalayim, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “See! God’s Sh’khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God.

Verse 1 points back directly to the Tanakh where God promises in Isaiah 65:17-19:

¹⁷ “For, look! I create new heavens and a new earth; past things will not be remembered, they will no more come to mind. ¹⁸ So be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for look! I am making Yerushalayim a joy, and her people a delight. ¹⁹ I will rejoice in Yerushalayim and take joy in my people. The sound of weeping will no longer be heard in it, no longer the sound of crying.

Verse 3 points directly back to Torah where in Leviticus 26:11-12, God promises the children of Israel:

¹¹ I will put my tabernacle among you, and I will not reject you, ¹² but I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.

Back then, before the Flood, people went on eating and drinking, taking wives and becoming wives, right up till the day Noach entered the ark;  and they didn’t know what was happening until the Flood came and swept them all away. It will be just like that when the Son of Man comes. In that day the wicked will be swept away. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Unless I sleep with my fathers' in the dust before that day gets here, I desire to be accounted worthy to be left behind. That will be the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. It will be a great day for those chosen to reign with our King. It will be a terrible day for those who had been deceived and reject our Messiah. Even so, Bo Yeshua. Bo!

Shalom,

Barry W. Gaugler.