Why Messianic Judaism?

I am often asked, why I've changed my religion, and why I am now Jewish? Let me answer, by first saying this. I have not changed my religion, because I do not follow after a religion. I have a loving relationship with the living Creator of the universe. He is our Father in heaven. It is a personal relationship, with real interaction between our heavenly Father, and myself. He has touched my life in a personal way and proved Himself to be very real. There is constant communication between us. He hears us when we pray, or just give Him thanks and I hear Him when he speaks to my heart. Sometimes we don't hear Him as clearly as we should, just like we didn't always hear our earthly Father exactly as we should have. Yet, at other times, He speaks loud and clear.

 I try my best to please Him, but just as we cannot always please our earthly father, I often fall short of pleasing our heavenly Father. Just as I loved my natural earthly Father and tried to please him, I love my supernatural heavenly Father and try my best to please Him. Do we stumble and go off after our own ways at times? Of course we do. Were there consequences when we were disobedient to our earthly fathers? Certainly there were. Were they sometimes painful? They sure were. It's the same with our heavenly Father. Was there forgiveness with our earthly fathers? Certainly there was. There is even greater forgiveness with our heavenly Father. I guess what I am trying to say is that it's not about religion. It's all about a relationship.

I grew up in a Lutheran family and was confirmed in that faith as a teen. I've always had a sense that there was a Father in heaven, but I had always thought of Him, as some great unknowable G-d out there somewhere in the sky. I thought of Him as unreachable and ready to judge me and take me out of this world at any time, if I really made him angry. I prayed often, but I had always had a feeling that He was too busy to hear my pathetic little requests. When I prayed for my dying Grandparents and they passed away, in spite of my constant praying, I guess you could say, I got a bad feeling in my heart about the Almighty. I guess I gave up on Him. I believed in Him, but I quit going to church. I read the Bible and prayed often, but I still had the feeling that our Father was too busy for my problems.

I had often wondered why The Ten Commandments said; "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy." Everywhere I read the Old Testament, it told me the Sabbath was the seventh day of the week, but we went to church on Sunday which was the first day of the week. Nobody could really explain that to me, in a satisfactory manner, that really made any sense. I also had a problem with people having, what seemed to be a built in hatred for the Jewish people, but the Bible always called them "G-d's chosen people." I celebrated Christmas and Easter, but had a feeling deep down inside of me, that something was not right about it. Even the Jehovah's Witnesses knew it wasn't right, and I knew they were a cult.

While in Detox in 1978, for drug and alcohol abuse and a failed suicide attempt, I cried out to our heavenly Father to make Himself real to me. I was at rock bottom. I wanted to die, but I knew I was headed to hell if I did. I didn't want to live, but I was scared as hell to die. I cried out to Him like I never cried before. I surrendered. A magnificent peace came upon me and I fell asleep. I slept like I had never slept before. Something inside me went through a drastic change, but I had not yet understood what it was. Our Father was doing a work in me. I soon got out of Detox and into a Halfway House, and from there was able to return to society.

I soon returned to my old life, but something was different. I had a new sense about our Creator's presence, and that He was really there. He was close by, and I can't explain what was different, but it was real. I had a knowing that I didn't have before. Finally in 1980, The Lord sent to me a brother that led me to the feet of Yeshua (Jesus). My life changed in an awesome way and I started living my life for Messiah (Christ). I still stumbled around through life, and made a whole bunch of mistakes that hindered my growth, but my life was changed in ways I was powerless to do on my own. I had to leave the church where I confessed my faith in Yeshua, because the Ruach haKodesh (the Holy Spirit) opened my eyes to many errors.

 I felt the Ruach (Spirit) calling me to a church named, The Church of God, Teaching New Testament Judaism, or The Church of God NTJ. I finally had a sense of what was right. I know you can't go by feelings, but it just felt right. I had a peace within me by keeping our Father's Sabbaths, that I never had by worshiping on Sunday. I also learned about our heavenly Father's appointed times, or His appointed feasts. There seemed to be no looking back. I was discovering the Jewish roots of my beliefs and It was wonderful. Then turmoil within the congregation, and gossip led me away, and back into Sunday service. For several years, I felt like I was drifting away . In my spirit I considered myself a Messianic believer. My heart was hungry for the truth I knew I was missing out on, by not worshiping in the rich Jewish tradition. Some say I must have Jewish blood rushing through my veins, because my heart and soul seems to be constantly crying out for the Jewish ways, and the G-d of Avraham, Isaac and Jacob. I have always seemed to have a yearning in my heart for the Jewish ways, and a love for the Jewish people.


My wife, Cecile, started asking me questions around Rosh Hashanah that I couldn't answer, so I started searching for a Messianic Congregation. Once I found one, we have not missed a service since. The more we learn of the truth about our heavenly Father, the more real He becomes in our life. I can never again return to the mainline churches that have their roots in Western / Greco-Roman / Hellenism.Do a search of the anti-semitism of the early church fathers and you may be shocked at what you find. The Apostle Paul was already dealing with it in his day. Paganism was common in the early days of the so called church. During the reign of Constantine and during the early councils, all things Jewish were banned. Keeping our Father's appointed times was declared illegal, and the Shabbat (Sabbath) kept by the early Messianic believers was outlawed. Sunday worship honoring the sun god was mandated. Our Father's feasts, or appointed times such as, The Feast of Tabernacles, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur were all made illegal and punishable by death, as was the blowing of the shofar at the appointed times along with celebrating the commanded New Moon. All of these were Mitzvots (Commandments) given by our heavenly Father, and were observed by the early Messianic communities, as well as the Apostles. 

Instead of Feasts, given by the Almighty, the church now celebrates Christmas, which is the pagan celebration right after the winter solstice. They offer up their children to a pot bellied fat guy in red garb while they scream in fear. Exactly as the pagans did when they offered their children as a sacrifice to the pagan god Molech. He was a furnace in the shape of a pot bellied man glowing red from the heat. We laugh at the figures of little monkeys beating drums, clashing cymbals and blowing horns, in a mirror image of what they did to drown out the children's screams when offered to the fires.

Then there is Easter instead of Passover. However, Easter is supposed to be a celebration of the resurrection of Messiah. The problem is that by design, it almost never falls on the actual dates of when our Passover lamb (Yeshua) was offered for our sins. Again it is really a celebration of the pagan god Ishtar (where the name Easter comes from). What do bunnies and eggs have to do with the resurrection of Messiah? Nothing! They have everything to do with the pagan fertility rituals of ancient Babylon. The exact same pagan practices our Father punished the Hebrew children for doing in ancient times, are being practiced today in the name of His beloved Son. Do we really think that our Creator is going to give you a pass for what He has already declared an abomination, and has condemned in the past? Do we really think that our Father is just going to sit back and say, "Oh, it's o'kay that they are doing these things. After all, they are under grace and not under the Torah (Instruction)." Do you really think our Father is that double minded and fickle? 

Most people today cannot even see that our Father gave Torah for a purpose. It is true that we are under grace for our salvation, but if we think that gives us license to spit in the face of the Torah, we may soon find out just how wrong we really are. Our Father gave the Torah to show us how to please Him. Isn't it strange that most people who call themselves Christians can't even see Yeshua from the Tanakh (Old Testament).  They blindly celebrate these pagan rituals and then expect Adonai to give them His stamp of approval. Oh, I know. I know. You're only doing it for the kids. WAKE UP PEOPLE! The Almighty is real, and He is not playing games.

Shalom Ahlaychem,

Barry W. Gaugler

Does The Church Replace Israel?

There has been a teaching circulated within the church since before the time of Constantine that says, the church has replaced Israel as our heavenly Father's chosen people. Some call it replacement theology, fulfillment theology, or supersessionism. The basic idea is that the church has replaced Israel, and the covenants the Almighty made with Israel, no longer apply to them, but they now apply to the church. They say that all of the scriptures in the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures, or Old Testament), which refer to Israel, are allegorical, and are actually referring to the church. Who decides what part of Scripture is allegorical, and what Scriptures are literal? Men, or the Eternal Father? In other words, according to this teaching, the church and Israel are two separate entities, and the Almighty Father is no longer dealing with Israel, as His chosen people. He has rejected the Jewish people, and is now showing His mercy to the Goyim (Gentiles), who are now the spiritual Israel. Can this be true? 

If the covenants which our heavenly Father made with the Hebrew people are now null and void, does that not put Him into the position of being a covenant breaker, and a liar? How can that be true? If our heavenly Father  has broken His covenant with the Hebrew people, what makes you think He will not break His covenant with the Gentile people? Will we soon need a New, New Testament, because our Father cannot keep His promises to His people?

 Some may say that our Father in heaven did not break the covenant, but rather the Hebrew people did, by not recognizing Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah. Can that be true? Many Hebrew people, did in fact recognize Yeshua as their Messiah, and have done so throughout history. As a matter of fact, it was the Hebrew people to whom the Good News was first given, and it was the Hebrew people who carried it to the rest of  the world. Because some did not believe, does that make the covenants the Almighty made with the Hebrew people null and void? If that were true, neither do many Gentiles recognize Yeshua as their Messiah. Does that mean a New, New Covenant will soon be needed, because the Gentiles rejected Yehsua, and our Father will have to find another people? I believe that idea to be absurd, but if that principle is applied to the Hebrew people, would not that same principle also apply to the Gentiles?

What do the scriptures say concerning this matter? 

 First of all, the Goyim, or Gentiles were always included in our heavenly Father's plan from the beginning of Israel's becoming a nation. B'Resheet (Genesis) 12: 1-3 has this to say;

"1 Now ADONAI said to Avram, 'Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsman and away from your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. 3 I will bless  those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and (by you) [Literal = "in you"] all the families of the earth will be blessed.'" (CJB)

Notice in verse three exactly what Elohim is saying to Avram. He is saying that by him, or  in him, or in his seed, all the families, or nations of the earth will be blessed. Just prior to that, in verse two, Elohim just told Avram that he was going to make of him (speaking to him in a personal sense) a great nation. Notice that our Father is making a clear distinction between Avram (Later Avraham) and his seed (Israel) and the families, or nations of the world. The words spoken to Avram, "by you all the nations of the earth would be blessed" are pointing directly to Messiah, who would come into the world through the seed of Avraham, and be a blessing to the rest of the nations (families) of the world. One must remember that the Words of  the Almighty are eternal. There is no shadow of turning with Him.

When YHVH was bringing the Hebrew children out of the land of Egypt, there were many Egyptian people, and perhaps other of the Goyim, who chose to come out of Egypt with them.  YHVH made provision for them to also celebrate His feasts, which He was giving to the Hebrew people. The Goyim were not excluded from our Father's plan. The Goyim who chose to follow the Elohim of Israel, and His Torah were blessed right along with Israel.

B'Midbar (Numbers) 9:14 says;

"An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD'S Passover must do so in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for the alien and the native-born." [See EX. 19:19] (NIV)

Many churches today teach that the Jewish people were scattered among the nations of the world, because of their rejection of their Messiah. Is that the reason given in the Scriptures? Moshe (Moses) gave a warning to the Hebrew children as they were about to enter into the Promised land. In D'Varim (Deuteronomy) 4: 25-27, we read these words;

"25 After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time-if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God and provoking him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth as a witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land you are crossing Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. 27 The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you."

Moshe does not stop there though.  In verses 29 through 31, we read the following;

"29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. 31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath." (NIV)

Many, who teach the doctrine of replacement theology, try to  make the claim that the Israeli people have no rightful claim to the land of Israel. Many still call the land Palestine, and say it's rightful owners are the Palestinians. The truth to the matter is, there is no such race of people called the Palestinians. The name "Palestinians" did not even exist until Yassar Arafat started calling them by that name around 1966. They are Arabs. The land of Israel was renamed Palestine, or Palaestinia by the Roman Emperor Hadrian three years after the Romans defeated the Bar Kokhba rebellion in 132 C.E., and Jerusalem was plowed under with a yoke of oxen.

What does Scripture say about the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel?

Yechezk'El (Ezekiel) 36: 24-28 says this;

"24 For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;  I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God."

It should be quite evident by the passage above, that out heavenly Father is clearly speaking about the people and nation of Israel. He is clearly not speaking about a church that has replaced the Jewish people. The Almighty is not speaking allegorically. He is speaking in literal terms. When YHVH says, "You will live in the land I gave your forefathers," He is speaking of a literal Jewish people, living in a literal land of Israel. When has the church ever dwelt in the land that YHVH gave to its forefathers? When YHVH says, "I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land," He is speaking of a literal event that has happened in our lifetime. The Jewish people are living in their own literal nation of Israel, where their literal forefathers dwelt in a literal land that was given to them by a literal Elohim.  The whole idea of this being an allegory is preposterous. The teachings of replacement theology are the teachings of devils. Do not be deceived. ha Satan is a liar, and those who believe in replacement theology are deceived.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Shalom Ahlaychem,

 Barry W. Gaugler

An Open Letter to Friends And Family

Have you turned on the news lately and really watched it? Have you taken the time to really think about what is going on in this world, or are we too busy taking care of business? Perhaps we don't have time, because we are busy with our kids, or our job is a hassle. Maybe you're young, and you are convinced we have plenty of time left. Perhaps, you may think you are having too much fun right now. Could it be that we might think, there are too many other distractions, more important than watching the news? Right now, there are things going on in this world, that have been foretold from times in the ancient past. The Almighty, who knows the end from the beginning of creation, has given us His words, as a warning, and a comfort to those who will believe on Him.

 Notice, I said they are a warning and a comfort. The warnings are for the believers to be watching and praying that they may be able to escape that which is about to come upon the whole earth (Luke 21:34-36). The warnings are also for the unbelievers to take notice that the Almighty is going to have His way in this earth, whether we choose to believe, or not. It is also a warning to those of us who call ourselves by the name of Messiah, to get serious, awaken out of our slumber, and prepare for the coming destruction.

What are we going to do, when our whole world comes crashing down upon us? It is going to happen, and it's going to happen sooner rather than later. Are we prepared for our money to become worthless overnight? Are we willing to receive the chip in our hand that contains all of our personal health, or financial records, and all of our pertinent personal information? Many believe the RFID chip is supposedly coming in March of 2013. My daughter was asked, when  one of her children was born, if she wanted her son to receive the chip at that time. It is happening right now.  You know it is true in your soul and spirit.  Burying our heads in the sand, and acting like it is still far off in the future, is going to catch us unprepared for the destruction that is about to come upon the whole earth (Luke, 21:26).

  The Almighty is calling His people out of this world, in a way I have never witnessed before.  I have been a believer in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ), for well over thirty years, and this past year has been different from all of my previous years as a believer. I have noticed an unprecedented number of people falling on their faces before the Almighty, and seeking to find Him. Many of us are forsaking the churches and doctrines of men, which we have been brought up with, and have believed all our lives. Many are awakening to what is going on in this world, and asking the Almighty to teach us His ways. We are asking the Almighty to teach us by His Spirit. At the same time, I see growing apathy among many, whom I once thought were powerful believers.

 I see a rapidly growing hatred for the Almighty, and the  people who are called by His name. I also see a growing worldwide hatred for Israel, and the Jewish people. Something serious is going on in this world, and in the kingdom of G-d. Something is happening that has never happened before, in all of  history. At the same time, people are seeking the face of the Almighty like never before, there seems to be a great falling away from sound Biblical doctrine.  Instead praying that the Ruach (Spirit) would open their eyes to His truth, people are seeking teachers with itching ears.  They want their ears tickled with teachings of counterfeit grace, prosperity teaching, once saved always saved, the rapture, and the idea that as long as I believe in G-d, I'm going to heaven. The demons also believe in the Almighty, but they are certainly not on their way to heaven. 

Some teach there is no heaven, and there is no hell. That is not what the Bible teaches. My Bible teaches, "The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Sheol gave up the dead that were in them. Then they were each judged, each one of them, according to their deeds. Then death and Sheol were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death - the lake of fire. And if anyone was not found written in the Book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."  (Revelation 20:13 - 15)

Some also teach that we are under grace, and we no longer need to keep the commandments, because they were done away with in Messiah's death. They were all nailed to the cross. Is that true? My Bible tells another story. "The Torah came through Moses, grace and truth came by Messiah Yeshua." (John 1:17) There is no "but" found in the Greek. Grace and truth are built upon the foundation of Torah. One does not nullify the other. You cannot have grace and truth without the foundation of Torah, upon which they are built.  

In the last few months, I have had people approach me, and ask Biblical questions, which they would have never asked me, as recently as one year ago. There is a hunger out there for the truth about the Almighty, and people are awakening to a need which has not been recognized in the recent past. People are in fear of what is happening in the world today, and they don't really have an understanding of it. People can't help wondering, about the senseless lawlessness that is in the news everyday. The mass killings of the innocents is often in our thoughts. The rapid rise of radical Islam is upon the minds of many. The collapse of our economy, and  worldwide disasters occuring more and more frequently are a constant reminder, that something is not right. People sense something is wrong, and those who are honest with themselves, are looking for answers beyond themselves. Unfortunately some are turning to the occult for their answers, instead of turning to the Creator of the Universe.

 People are wanting to know the truth about the Almighty. People are tired of being lied to. We have been lied to in our churches. We have been lied to by our government. We are constantly being lied to by the media. We are lied to by our employers. We have been lied to by our priests and pastors. People are wanting to know the truth. Sadly, there are people who think they really do not want to hear the truth. They are afraid to find out the truth, because they might have to change, and people seem to have a natural resistance to change.

The Almighty is starting to pour out His Spirit in these End Times, and many people are starting to recognize the pagan rituals handed down from generations past within our churches. There is an awakening going on in the body of Messiah, and the Almighty's chosen people are starting to reject these pagan rituals. There will always be those who will struggle with man made traditions, and nostalgia. Most will find it difficult to break away from the errors we have been taught growing up, and what we believe makes us feel good, for a time. People who break away from the traditions of men, and the doctrines of devils, by seeking the truth with their whole heart, will always find greater peace and joy serving the Almighty, as He intended. I fully understand, that many will have great difficulty believing the fact that we have inhereted the same lies our fathers have inherited from generations past.

We need to look upon this world through the eyes of Scripture. Every nation surrounding Israel is in turmoil. I would suggest reading the Prophet Isaiah. Especially from Chapters 17 through 19 to see what was said almost three thousand years ago about Damascus and Egypt. It is happening right before our eyes today. The radical Islamists are taking control in every Arab nation, as well as many Western nations, and it's all being done in the name of "Democracy." The new Egyptian president (dictator) said that Jerusalem will be the capital of Egypt, and not Cairo. I know the Almighty has a different plan. The president of Iran says, they will wipe Israel off the face of the earth. The Almighty says, they will fail.

 It has been the desire of the Muslim/Arab people to push the Israeli people into the sea, ever since Israel became an independent state on May 14th, 1948. The United Nations is powerless to stop the slaughter going on in Syria, but is more concerned about the Israeli people building houses in Israel, for their own people. The liberal news media will tell us about every injury that a, so called Palestinian receives at the hands of an Israeli, but fails to report on the Hamas rockets fired upon Israel every day. Things that we take for granted in the West, like getting on a bus, could cost you your life in Israel because of Islamic terrorists.

 Islamic Sharia law is being promoted worldwide, and is even being applied here in the United States in some areas of the country. Meanwhile, we are being brain washed to hate the Jewish people, in the exact same way the Nazis did it during WWII, and we are too ignorant to recognize it. Antisemitism is rapidly on the rise worldwide, and people do not even understand why. Satan has always hated the Jewish people and has been trying to wipe them from the face of the earth from ancient times, but the Almighty has promised he will not succeed.  Most believe the myth that all Jews are rich, and they own all the banks. Many in the churches today, still call the Jewish people "Christ killers." Those who do not learn from History, are doomed to relive it. At the same time these things are happening, many churches are still claiming that the anti-christ will come out of Europe, we are seeing the fulfillment of these End Time propheys coming from the Middle East and the mark of the beast is clearly seen in the symbols of Islam.

It's time to wake up! It's time to get serious with the Almighty. It's time to commit ourselves to seeking Him, and His ways. Many may think there is plenty of time, but I am boldly telling you with all confidence, by Ruach haKodesh (The Holy Spirit); Time is running out! Are our lamps filled with oil, or are the cares of this life more important to us, than the things of the Almighty? The Almighty is looking for a people who are seeking Him with their whole heart. A half hearted seeking Him, is not going to cut it. It's time to start cracking open our Bibles. It's time to get on our faces before the Almighty, repent, and ask Him to forgive us of our sins. Ask Him to reveal to us the Yeshua of Scripture, and to show us exactly what is going on in this world. He will be faithful to open our spiritual eyes, if we will humble ourselves before Him, repent of our sins and walk after His instruction. He is either G-d of all, or He is not G-d, at all. It's our choice. Time is running out.

 Some may say that there is not very much love in what I am saying. Some may say that I am being judgmental, and quite harsh. Let me ask you this question. If we saw someone whom we love, heading into danger, would we just let them go their merry way to their own destruction, or would we try our best to warn them of the danger ahead? Of course we would. Why would we do that? Is it because we are being harsh and judgmental, or would we be doing it out of love? If we fail to try to save someone from harm, we are either a fool with no compassion, or we are filled with hatred for that person. Either way, their blood would be upon our hands. I sound the alarm about these things, not to be harsh, or judgmental. I sound the alarm, because of Yeshua's love for us. I can do nothing else. Yeshua gave His life, to keep us from destruction. He gave it all for us. It is not G-d's will that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance, and know Him and His Messiah.  Time is running out even as you read this. I pray that we would seek the Almighty, and His Messiah (Yeshua), while He may yet be found.

Shalom Ahlaychem, 
Barry W. Gaugler

The Importance of Being Right With G-d

I believe we are living in the very End Times, as spoken of in  Bible prophesy. I believe this, because of all that is happening in our present time. I could focus on  the wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6-8). There have been wars all throughout history, but not with the frequency as today. I could focus on the lawlessness and the disrespect of our present generation (Romans 1:18-32), but that also happened in times past, but not with the magnitude of which it is happening today. I could focus on the weather patterns, that seem to be changing right before our eyes, or the great fires and earthquakes that are occurring around the world. Perhaps I could point to the birds falling out of the sky dead by the millions, or dead fish being washed up on the shores worldwide. All of it is mentioned in the Bible as signs that will occur in the end of the age. This is not what I wish to focus upon at this time though. I want to focus upon not being deceived. haSatan (Satan the accuser) has one purpose, and one purpose only. That purpose, is to keep you from believing our Almighty heavenly Father and His truth.

Make no mistake Satan is subtle. He knows the Words of the Almighty better than you do, and he knows how to add, or delete just the right word here, or there to make the words of Elohim appear false. He is expert at distorting the words of our heavenly Father. That is why, it is not only important to know the "Words" of Elohim, but it is even more important to know the "Elohim" of the words. Many Jewish rabbis and sages have studied the words of  Elohim every day without coming to know the Elohim of the words in a personal way. Therein lies the problem. They know all about Him and His words, but they don't know Him in a personal way.

 I have studied George Washington for many years. I have read many books about him. He has been, sort of a hero to me. Some may say I know a lot about George Washington. However, I have never met George Washington. I have never known him in a personal way. I have had no relationship with him, and since he is no longer among the living, I never will. Our heavenly Father is a gentleman. He will never force Himself upon us. He will allow us to make a total wreck of our lives if we want to, but He will only come to us by our invitation. It seems, that many people are not ready to surrender to the Almighty Father, until their life has hit rock bottom. 

Having religion, is not going to get you into knowing the truth about our heavenly Father. Religion is simply trying to be good enough to please Him, or depending on the wisdom and traditions of men, or women to lead you to Him. Neither John Calvin, Martin Luther, the Wesleys, Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russell, nor the Pope can lead you into a relationship with our heavenly Father.  If you were brought up in a loving family, do you need someone from a strange neighborhood to point you to your own father? How absurd is that? Our heavenly Father wants a relationship with you personally. Just as you may have a personal relationship with your natural father, our Father in heaven wants a personal relationship with you. Simply ask Him to make Himself real to you. Ask Him to be your heavenly Father. Ask Him to reveal to you the salvation that comes only through His unique son Yeshua Ha Maschiach (Jesus Christ), and His shed blood. Ask Him to fill you with Ruach Ha Kodesh (the Holy Spirit) to enable to repent of your sins and to lead you into all truth, that you may not be deceived.

In Matthew, Chapter 24:3, when the disciples of Yeshua (Jesus) asked Him, What would be the sign of His coming, and of the end of the age (or world)? Jesus answered and said to them,

"Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name saying, I am the Christ; and shall deceive many."

Notice that the very first thing Yeshua told them was "take heed that no man deceive you."  The emphasis was not upon the wars, or rumors of wars. It was not upon the earthquakes, nor the iniquity that would abound. It was not the fact that the love of many would wax cold in the end times. The first and foremost thing that Yeshua warns them about is, "Take heed that no man deceive you." Why did Yeshua say this first? He said it first, because He knew that in the end of the age, there would be many people, that would attach themselves to teachings that sound right, but are the doctrines of devils. Again in verse 11 Yeshua says;

"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."

If Yeshua says something twice, it is important that we pay attention and listen. However, Yeshua does not stop there. He mentions it again in verses 23-25 where He says;

"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.

It should be quite clear that Yeshua is trying to warn His people, that in the last days, there are going to be a lot of people who are going to think they are believing the truth, but in fact, they are believing a lie. Look at the Scriptures, and ask the Elohim of the words to make them come alive in your very being. It is only by the Ruach Ha Kodesh, that our Father's words can have any real meaning. Without Yeshua living in your very being, and imparting to you His nature, and His character, they are just ink words on paper pages. They are just ideas of men, that we do not know. They are dead. There is no life in them until we can humble ourselves before our heavenly Father, and ask Him to make Himself real to us. Ask Yeshua into your life today and ask Him to make His words come to life in you. Yeshua says in Matthew 5:6;

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

I suggest reading the whole seventh chapter of Matthew. I especially suggest verses seven through twenty nine. Only by trusting in Yeshua through the Ruach Elohim (the Spirit of Elohim) can we walk in the truth established in heaven and earth by the Father, through Yeshua the Messiah. I pray that we would walk in our heavenly Father's truth and be blessed.

Shalom, Ahlaychem

Barry W. Gaugler

The Fig Tree Representing Israel

Does the fig tree represent Israel in Scripture?


I will attempt to prove, using Scripture, that the fig tree indeed represents the nation of Israel, as does the olive tree, in both the thinking of  Biblical writers, in our Creator's symbolism, in Prophesy, and in Hebrew thinking. My focus is upon the fig tree, because there are some that argue that the fig tree does not represent Israel, but may be allegorically applied to the church.


Jeremiah 24: 3-7 (NIV) [I do not recommend the NIV, but in this case the translation is clear.]


Then the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “Figs,” I answered. “The good ones are very good, but the poor ones are so bad they cannot be eaten.”  Then the word of the Lord came to me. “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:  Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.” 


Some may say, this is speaking of figs, and not the fig tree. However, notice what Elohim says, “I will plant them and not uproot them.”  He is speaking of the figs (people) being planted in their land (Israel) which is represented by the fig tree. The Almighty goes on in verses 8-10, to describe the bad figs, whom he curses, and they will be destroyed from the land he gave to them, and to their fathers. It is clear from this passage that figs represent the people of Israel.


From Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary under the word, "Fig Tree":

Note: A “fig tree” with leaves must have young fruits already, or it will be barren for the season. The first figs ripen in late May or early June. The tree in Mark 11:13 should have had fruit, unripe indeed, but existing. In some lands “fig trees” bear the early fruit under the leaves and the later fruit above the leaves. In that case the leaves were the sign that there should have been fruit, unseen from a distance, underneath the leaves. The condemnation of this fig tree lay in the absence of any sign of fruit.


When Yeshua cursed the fig tree, It was a prophesy, of what was going to happen to Jerusalem, and to the nation of Israel, in the not too distant future. The fig tree had beautiful leaves which represented righteousness, (just as the coverings of fig leaves represented the man made righteousness of Adam and Eve, when they made aprons of fig leaves, to hide their nakedness). Israel had a form of godliness, but denied it’s power. Many rejected their Messiah, because they wanted to hold on to their man made righteousness which came through the traditions of men. In doing so, they brought the curses, and wrath of Elohim upon themselves. In 70 AD, Israel withered and died for the lack of bearing fruit, exactly, as did the fig tree that Yeshua cursed. Israel has always had a remnant that did accept Yeshua as their Messiah though, and Romans, Chapter Eleven, makes this clear. Also, we read in Isaiah 45:17; 

“But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting.”


Fig trees bear fruit twice in the year. There is the early fruit after the former rains which appear around May, or June. Then there is the latter fruit which appear around the latter rains of August, and may remain until April.
In Genesis 12: 2 & 3, God says to Abram: (NIV)


“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”


In Proverbs 27:18 , the writer makes a curious statement concerning the fig tree: (CJB) 


“Whoever tends the fig tree will eat it’s fruit, and he who is attentive to his master will be honored.”


I believe our heavenly Father is telling us in these passages, to tend to Israel. We are to be attentive to our Master Yeshua, and what He is saying in these end times, that we may be blessed. In Matthew, Chapters 24 and 25, Mark 13, and Luke 21, Yeshua is telling us what to watch for, concerning the destruction of the temple and the city Jerusalem. However, He is also telling us what to watch for at the end of the age, and the signs of His return. He is the one who is giving us the time frame, in which to understand what is happening. He has given us the clues, as to what to watch for, that we may know the times and the seasons.


The fig tree, and the vine are used by Messiah in ways which are foreign to modern day western understanding, but were common knowledge to the Messianic believers, during, and immediately following the days Yeshua walked upon this earth. When He said, “I am the true vine,” they wanted to kill Him. Why? Because, He was telling them, that He was the true  Israel, and they believed they were the true sons of Abraham. By the same token, when Yeshua is saying in Luke 21: 29ff  -32; (KJV)


“Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of yourselves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”


Understand this about the fig tree. It bears fruit twice. There is the early fruit and the late fruit. There is a time span between the summer fruit and the later fruit. I believe the early fruit was the time period following Messiah’s walking upon this earth, and the fruit that was produced from His disciples going forth to all the known nations of the world, preaching the Gospel to every nation, kindred and tongue. It was the Jewish people who were called first to spread the Good News, to the Jew first and to the Goyim (Gentiles). It was the believing Jews, who recognized Yeshua as their Messiah that carried the early fruit from the fig tree (Israel).


 I also believe that we are living in the latter times, when the Jewish people are receiving and carrying the Good News to other Jews, and also to the Goyim (Gentiles). It is in this generation that the Jews are returning to their Messiah in great numbers. It is in this generation, more than any other generation since the passing of the original Apostles, that the Jews are once again in their homeland. The city of Jerusalem, is once again in the possession of the Jewish people, and where Hebrew is once again spoken as prophesied in Zephaniah 3:9. It is in this generation that the desert is once again blossoming as a rose, and rejoicing over the return of it’s people, after being desolate for two thousand years as prophesied in Isaiah 35:1.


  That is why Yeshua says “This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”  Then Yeshua gives a warning in verse 34. “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come upon you unawares.”  We are to be diligent in paying attention to the signs of the times. 


All generations were to be diligent in watching for Messiah’s return, but if there was not a specific time for us to be watching and praying, why was Yeshua so careful to tell us to be watching, when these signs are evident. If there has ever been a time in the history of mankind to be watching and praying, I believe, that time is the present. I believe there has never been a time in the history of the world, that these signs were as evident as they are today. My mother was alive, and above the age of accountability to see Israel become a nation again, after two thousand years of being scattered among the nations. It’s language is restored. The desert is blossoming like a rose exactly as Scripture says it will. Our heavenly Father has preserved Israel from many attacks since becoming a nation. The Fig Tree has produced it’s first figs, and through the thousands of Messianic Jews living in Israel today, I believe the second fruit is about ready for picking. Yeshua is about to return. My mother is gone now, but there are still many from her generation alive today. That generation has not yet passed. However, they are getting quite up in years.

Yeshua said in Luke 21:35 & 36; (KJV)

“For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

  
I don’t know about you, but I do not plan on being among all them, who are dwelling upon the face of the whole earth, once Yeshua comes for His bride. I plan on being among the crowd which no man could number standing before the throne of the Almighty, and before the Lamb, as spoken of in Revelation 7: 9 - 17.  


Note in Luke 21: 36, It does not say, to pray that you would be worthy to escape, (because, none of us are worthy) but rather, it says, pray that you would be accounted worthy. We are only accounted worthy by accepting the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of our Messiah Yeshua. So many consider themselves to be dead in Messiah, but so few understand that they are also resurrected in Messiah.


 All of scripture must be interpreted from a Hebraic understanding. There are often scriptures that do not translate directly into Western understanding, because of cultural differences. It is then, that an understanding the Hebrew culture makes all the difference, between understanding, and not understanding. The Scriptures were written by Hebrew men, for Hebraic understanding, not the Hellenistic, Greek/ Roman/ Modern Western understanding. Without an understanding of the Hebrew mind, understanding of passages of scripture are difficult at best. The Hebrew culture and the Hellenistic cultures are form opposite ends of the spectrum of understanding.


 Unfortunately, most of the scriptural interpretation today comes from the Hellenistic perspective. Yeshua said in John 14:15-18 that He was returning to the Father and He would send another Comforter. The Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), and He would lead us into all truth. We are not to follow after the doctrines and traditions of men. We are to ask the Ruach HaKodesh to be our teacher. Only when we surrender our minds, and lives to the Ruach HaKodesh, will we know the hidden mysteries of our heavenly Father. That does not mean that we cannot listen to men. It means that we are to weigh what is said against what Scripture is saying to our spirits. Does it agree with the whole of scripture? We are to test everything.


Shalom Ahlaychem,
Barry W. Gaugler

Does the Torah Teach Abortion in Numbers Chapter Five?

This post was originally a Letter to the Editor of the Allentown Morning Call written in response to a letter by a Professor Emeritus from Muhlenberg College, claiming that the passages below support abortion. The paper never printed it. That does not surpirse me.

  Do Biblical Passages in Numbers, Chapter Five, Support Abortion?

Ever since the Bishops’ Bible appeared in 1568, and even long before that, men have desired to change expressions offensive to public taste. The results of these actions are a sanitized Bible that most readers would not find offensive, but it makes understanding some passages difficult. Numbers, Chapter Five is one such chapter. Does it support abortion? Absolutely not.

The chapter’s context begins with verse one. In verse 3, the Almighty makes it clear, He is dwelling among them. He is their judge, from the standpoint of omniscience. The text in verses 12 - 14 reveals the woman is accused of sexual misconduct by her husband, but there are no witnesses. Notice, the subject of pregnancy is never mentioned. It says she may be defiled, or unclean. Neither of these conditions apply to pregnancy. Since when, was a woman being pregnant considered to be defiled? Unless, it was through adultery. She is considered defiled, because she is being accused of having sexual relations, with a man other than her husband, not by being pregnant. She is to drink the potion given to her by the priest. If she is guilty, it says, she will be in great pain, her abdomen will swell and her thigh will fall away.

 Her thigh will fall away? What does her thigh have to do with sexual behavior? The word thigh, ירך or yaw-rake in Hebrew as it is used here, is a euphemism for the female regenerative parts. (Sanitizing the scriptures perhaps?) According to the Hebrew Sage Chizkuni, Your thigh to collapse. This refers to the womb, which will be destroyed in retribution for it’s sinful activity. They will shrivel up, and she will be barren. If she is innocent, she shall be able to bear children. It has everything to do with being able to have children in the future. If she is guilty, her womb will shrivel up, and she will be barren which was considered a curse among the Hebrew people, who put so much emphasis on having children.

This chapter has nothing to do with abortion.

Shalom,
Barry W. Gaugler