The Call of the Watchman

I have posted watchmen on your walls, Yerushalayim; they will never fall silent, neither by day nor by night. You who call on Adonai, give yourselves no rest; (Isaiah 62:6 [CJB])

I appointed sentinels to direct them: ‘Listen for the sound of the shofar.’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ ¹⁸ So hear you nations; know, you assembly, what there is against them. ¹⁹ Hear, oh earth! I am going to bring disaster on this people; it is the consequence of their own way of thinking; or they pay no attention to my words; and as for my Torah, they reject it. (Jeremiah 6:17-19 [CJB])

 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.              (Ezekiel 3:17 [ESV])

“Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, ³ and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, ⁴ then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. ⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. ⁶ But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand. ⁷ “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. ⁸ If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. ⁹ But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 33: 2-9 [ESV])

The calling of a watchman, like that of a prophet, is not a pleasant calling. It involves knowing the words of the Almighty in a way that most believers do not care to search. A watchman, like a prophet is permitted to see things from God's word by the Spirit of revelation that the world cannot see. If one has a real understanding of a watchman, or a prophet, it is not a calling that one would seek after. It is a calling of rejection by family, friends and even communities. It is a calling of heartache, bitterness, persecution, and often brutal death.

One does not choose to become a watchman anymore than one chooses to become a prophet. Watchmen, and prophets are not appointed by man. The Almighty may call upon men to anoint a person to be a watchman or prophet, but the ultimate calling can only come from the Almighty Himself. Notice the wording in each of these passages as to who is doing the calling. Each time, it is the words of the Almighty speaking. "I have posted watchman on your walls." "I appointed sentinels" "I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel."

There are many out there who claim the calling of a watchman or prophet. By the same token, there are many out there who are watchmen, but are not sounding the alarm about things to come. Their shofar (trumpet) is silent to the impending dangers ahead. The blood of God's Israel will be upon their hands.

 I have often wondered why I can never seem to rest. My watch is to continue, and I am not to fall silent either by day or by night. It is a lonely calling to stand on the wall and be rejected time and time again by family, friends, and community. I have never asked for this calling, but just like during the draft era, many never asked to go and fight for their country. But fight they did. It was a matter of life and death.

So when a watchman is trying to warn you about errors in your lifestyle, do not be so quick to accuse them of judging you. Do not hurl statements like, "Who are you to judge me?" or "Who do you think you are condemning my actions?" It is not the watchman, or the prophet who is condemning you, it is your own conscience knowing that you are in conflict with the words of the Almighty.

The promise of the Almighty is this: I am going to bring disaster on this people; it is the consequence of their own way of thinking; or they pay no attention to my words; and as for my Torah, they reject it. It goes back to the saying, "Pretty words are not always the truth, and the truth is not always pretty." All the watchman can do is what the Almighty has commanded them to do. If you reject the warnings, your blood will be upon your own hands, and our soul will be delivered. However, if the watchman sees the danger and does not sound the warning, your blood will be upon our hands. This is the way the Almighty has ordained it to be. I pray for your understanding.



Shalom,
Barry W. Gaugler   

They have eyes, but they cannot see

¹⁶ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.” ¹⁷ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? ¹⁸ Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?  (Mark 8:16-18 [NKJV])

²³ Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; ²⁴ for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.” (Luke 10:23-24 [NKJV])

³⁰ Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. ³² And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” ³³ So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,   (Luke 24:30-33 [NKJV])

Notice what is common concerning these three passages of Scripture. Yeshua/Jesus is concerned that they have eyes, but they cannot see. They have ears, but they cannot hear. Add to that the fact that they cannot remember. Remember what? He tells them that blessed are the eyes that see the things that you see, for the prophets and kings have desired to see the things that you see. Why could they not see in the beginning? It was because their hearts were hardened. Why could the prophets and kings not see, or hear,  yet they had the desire? It is because these things had not yet been revealed. But notice, the travelers on the road had their eyes opened when He took the bread and gave it to them. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

Yeshua imparted to them the Spirit of revelation in this matter even though Weeks/ Pentecost had not yet occurred. The Ruach HaKodesh was even then subject to Yeshua. We have this same Spirit which raised Yeshua from the dead, and which opened the eyes of the disciples of old. We are able to see Yeshua from the same Scriptures as the apostles, because Yeshua returned to the Father. Did He not promise this in John  14:26 where He says:


²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

This is where it gets sticky for some people. Not only is He bringing to their remembrance those things which He said to them while He was walking with them person to person, but He would also bring to their remembrance those things which were spoken of him in the Torah and the Prophets. He is bringing to their remembrance those things written in the Word of God through the prophets. The prophets were speaking the Word of God. Is not Yeshua the Word made flesh?

Pray that the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) would open your eyes and unstop our ears that we may see and hear the Good News. He wants us to see, He wants us to hear. It is His will that none should perish, but that all would come to repentance. Only when you are willing to surrender all that you think you know can the Ruach open your eyes. It is up to you. Simply ask. Until you are willing to surrender all of your man-made traditions, seek an intimate personal relationship with your Maker, and ask the Almighty to be your teacher, all you will have is religion. God hates religion.


Shalom,
Barry W. Gaugler

You Shall Be Hated

As believers in Messiah, who are trying to love Him with all of our heart, soul, and strength, we are going be hated by this world. It doesn't matter if they are unbelievers or those who are holding on tightly to the religious systems of this fallen world. There is a spirit of lawlessness in congregations today that is nothing new. Scripture is clear that there is nothing new under the sun. This spirit was there even there when Yeshua (Jesus) walked this earth. Yeshua warned us that it would be a prevalent spirit in our time, just as it was in His. Just as He was persecuted and put to death, because He spoke the words of our Father in heaven, it should come as no surprise that these things will also happen to us. It is not a matter of , "we might suffer this persecution." If we are living as He commanded us to live our lives, it is a matter of, "we will suffer these persecutions."

The following are just a few verses from the "Good News" from the words of Yeshua's mouth that should shake us into some semblance of reality.  If you are not suffering these things, perhaps you need to examine yourself to see if you really are in the faith. These words are presented in a way that indicates they can be viewed as a promise. If you are truly in the faith of Yeshua, these things will happen to you. Count on it. All verses are from the  English Standard Version (ESV).

Matthew 10:22

²² and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Matthew 24:9-13

⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. ¹⁰ And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ¹² And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Mark 13:12-13

¹² And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. ¹³ And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Luke 21:16-17

¹⁶ You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. ¹⁷ You will be hated by all for my name's sake.

John 15:18-23

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever hates me hates my Father also.

John 17:12-16

¹² While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³ But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

If we are truly in Messiah, we are going to be hated exactly as he was hated. If we truly love Him, we will also love His commandments. Once we are justified by faith in Yeshua, there is an ongoing process of sanctification. Justification is always spoken of as being in the past tense. Sanctification is an ongoing process.

What is sanctification? Sanctification is our process of walking toward holiness. It is what distinguishes us as being in our Messiah and separated from this world. We are in the world, but we are not of the world. One who is sanctified no longer has an attraction for the things of this world, but his heart has been set apart for God's use. Those who believe in hyper-grace think that the commandments given at Sinai are done away with and are no longer of any value to us. Is that true? Yeshua is the Word made flesh. How could the Word made flesh, who is the living Word, make null and void the written Word? Are they not His words to begin with? Did Yeshua not say, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."?

 The KJV uses the word "destroy" instead of the word "abolish" the word from the Greek is καταλυω or kataluo or Strong's # 2647. It means to demolish, to destroy, to dissolve, to overthrow, bring to naught, or to throw down. This is not what Yeshua came to do. He makes that perfectly clear. So if He did not come to destroy, demolish, dissolve, or bring to naught the law, how could He have come to fulfill the law in a manner that would do so?  He said He came to fulfill. What does the Greek word translated as "fulfill" really mean in the Greek? It doesn't mean to do away with, or destroy and bring to naught. It means to fully preach, complete, perfect. The context must give the proper meaning of the words in the passage.

We have been given a bill of goods from Bible translators who have translated our Bibles from their preconceived doctrines instead of from proper contextual understanding. Intellectualism has preempted the revelation of the Holy Spirit for too long in out congregations. It is time we humble ourselves before the Almighty, and ask Him to reveal the truth hidden in His word, and how they have been changed to promote false doctrines which hide the true understanding of what God is truly saying to His people. Do not trust men (not even me, for I am but a man) for the truth. The Holy Spirit is given to lead us into all truth. Trust Him and Him only. The time is short, and our heavenly Father wants us to know His truth. Trust Him.

Shalom,
Barry W. Gaugler