Deny Christ

Deny and Confess are complete opposite in meaning. The common Greek word deny in the New Testament is the word meaning to contradict. Deny Christ does not mean merely to say that you don't believe that Jesus was Christ. It does not mean to say or think that Jesus did not exist. Deny Christ means to contradict his word. You can deny Christ while saying that you believe in the inerrant God. You can deny Christ while you are saying that Jesus is God and that he was born of a virgin, that he was raised from the dead. Denying Christ is simply "to contradict" the words that he spoke which would be more than just his actual words in the four gospels. Since Jesus is God and the Bible is inspired by God, all one has to do to deny Christ is to contradict the words written in the Bible by saying that "God doesn't mean what he says in the verses of scripture." Deny means "to contradict" and confess the same word) means "to agree with." Preachers in the world today are denying (contradicting) Christ. Most of the so called conservatives (meaning "to preserve established traditions or to oppose change") are not what they say they are. They claim to believe in the inerrant God. true believer begins to confront these "conservatives" with certain verses, they begin to speak contrary to the word of God, contradicting what the Bible says. When you bring up the verse Romans 8:29 FOR WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW HE ALSO DID PREDESTINATE TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRST BORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN. The first comments are, "Well that don't mean what is says" or "That doesn't mean what it sounds like it says. I have had conservatives after I have quoted this verse look disdainfully at me and with disgust in their voice say to me, "You mean to tell me that you believe in predestination." I have had others say to me upon simply reading a predestination verse, comment to me on the reading (without my expanding on the verse), "That's your opinion." This is what it means to deny or contradict Christ. Deny Christ does not mean to say Jesus, as the Christ, doesn't exist. Deny means to contradict his words, even if at the same time, you are proclaiming the inerrancy of scripture calling yourself a conservative. Romans 8:29 means exactly what it says.

Has God planned for certain ones to go to heaven and others to be damned eternally with no hope of salvation? The Bible says so in Eph 1:4. 5. 11: Rom 9:22-24: Peter 2:12 (made to be taken and destroyed) (certain men - ordained to this condemnation), Prov 16:4: Job 21:30 (the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction). These verses are true. One may not fully understand them, but in order to be a believer we must confess with them.) I have spent 40 years studying these verses defining all the words in these verses. They mean what they say. To say otherwise is to deny Christ. Preachers in America do not like to believe that we have to suffer for the cause of righteousness and truth. Jesus, Paul, Peter and other Biblical writers tell us that this is a requirement to every believer. Jesus said, "If the world persecutes and hates me, they will persecute and hate you. John 15:18-20." Did they hate Jesus? They (the Pharisees) certainly did. They killed him because of his words If we confess (agree with) Christ, we will agree with (confess) these words. We will speak the truth with such plainness (II Cor that men will hate us and desire to kill us (John 16:2). It was not the heathen unbelievers that hated Jesus. It was the "conservative Bible believing" Pharisees who killed Jesus. I have heard preachers make such comments as, "We can't suffer in the 20th Century America because this is a Christian nation". They contradict Christ. (John 16:33). God said I change not. FOR I AM THE LORD, I CHANGE NOT or duplicate) God does not mutate his word or have two meanings. America or it's preachers are not Christians. Christians are like Christ; they tell truth and are persecuted for it. Preachers in America use all the right terminology, but they do not define the words, read their Bible and explain exactly what it means (from the original Greek words and culture of the 1st Century). If preachers told people that they must deny self, take up a cross daily, die to the flesh and live for then they will begin to suffer. But how are people going to take up their cross and deny self when they don't know what it means. Let me expand on this word deny, which means "to contradict." The Greek word Arneomai (contradict) has a particular Greek construction. Deny comes from the word ereo meaning "a pouring forth to speak or say." Placing the a- (alpha) (the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet) in front of a word as a negative particle (called the alpha primative) negates the word giving an opposite meaning. Placing the alpha as a prefix before the word ereo negates the meaning. It translates in the Greek mai or deny. deny means no pouring forth or no speaking or saying words of our own. To deny self means to spare or crucify ones own words, by speaking the words of another. Solomon put it this way: Proverbs 17:27 HE THAT HATH KNOWLEDGE SPARETH HIS WORDS. (This word is the word meaning to restrain, refrain, refuse, or hold back.) To deny self is to refuse ones own words. It is to cease agreeing with ones self by speaking and agreeing with God.

Remember that confess is the word homologeo, meaning to be of the same word or "to agree with." To deny self is to cease speaking one's own opinion. Confess and deny are complete opposites. If we confess Christ as we find in Rom ,we will confess or agree with our mouths and say the words (from scripture) that Jesus said. We will deny self and cease to say our own words or opinion. To confess with our mouth and believe in our heart means to say the words of God that he has written in our hearts. Matt 12:34 FOR OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKETH. Paul says that God has written his word on the fleshy tables of our hearts. (II Cor 3:3). The Bible says, as the Jews believed, that the mouth had to match the heart. When we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts, we cease our own words, denying self (contradicting self). We agree (confess) with Jesus, with our mouths and say the words he said. John says that whoever denies (contradicts) Christ is antichrist. HE IS ANTICHRIST THAT DENIETH THE FATHER AND THE SON. If a man does not agree (confess) with Christ saying the things he said to others, then he is antichrist contradicting (denying) the word of God. The word in the Greek is the same word as in English. Anti- means "in opposition to or in place of." When preachers contradict (deny) God's words by saying that certain verses do not mean what they say, then they are antichrist opposing God and they place themselves in Jesus' position. They are in opposition to and "in the stead Christ. All a man has to do to be antichrist is merely to say "we don't have to deny self, take our cross daily, suffer for righteousness sake, and go through persecution - that was 2000 years ago. He doesn't mean that today in America." A man who says words such as these, denies Christ and he is antichrist regardless of who he is and how righteous he may appear outwardly. When Paul said, Romans 10:9.10 IF THOU SHALT CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS AND BELIEVE IN THINE HEART THAT GOD HATH RAISED HIM FORM THE DEAD THOU SHALT BE SAVED. He was saying, "You have to say with your mouth the same words that Jesus said with his mouth. You must say the truth that God has written in our hearts. The mouth speaks from the heart. His word is written in fleshy tables of the heart of all his elect family. One who is unwilling to say the words that Christ said is unwilling to say truth and suffer for it. That person is antichrist and denies Christ. In order to confess (agree with) God must put a hunger for the word of God in the heart of all believers. A true believer will have some amount of desire to read word. A man with no hunger for truth is no believer. 6 BLESSED ARE THEY WHICH DO HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS: FOR THEY SHALL BE FILLED. Physical beings hunger for food. If one is a spiritual being, there must be a hunger for spiritual food (the word of God). Without confessing (agreeing with) the words of Jesus, with your mouth (by saying truth and suffering for it), there is no salvation. Confess Christ does not mean what men have imagined with their opinion. They have constructed a new doctrine when they say that confess Christ means to say with the mouth, "I believe in Jesus." That is called lip service. Matt 15:7-9 YE HYPOCRITES, WELL DID ESAIAS (Isaiah) PROPHESY OF SAYING (Isaiah 29:13) THIS PEOPLE DRAWETH NIGH UNTO ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND HONOURETH ME WITH THEIR LIPS: BUT THEIR HEART (understanding) IS FAR FROM ME. BUT IN THEY DO WORSHIP ME, TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES learning) THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN. Man has made up his own instruction when he reinvents a doctrine (instruction) that is not found in the Bible. Confess does not mean to call up a TV "religious" hotline and say, "I want to confess Jesus as my personal savior." That is no where in scripture. To confess Christ is to say the words of scripture that Jesus said and that is inspired by God. The world will crucify us daily when we do this. I will expand on this subject in further studies. Jim Grace and Truth Ministries How To Study The Bible Idioms and Metaphors Mountains - Fig Tree with Leaves - Time of Figs Jesus leaves Jerusalem to go to Bethany with his twelve apostles. He was hungry AND SEEING A FIG TREE AFAR OFF HAVING LEAVES, HE CAME IF HAPLY HE MIGHT FIND ANYTHING THEREON: AND WHEN HE CAME TO IT, HE FOUND NOTHING BUT LEAVES; FOR THE TIME OF FIGS WAS NOT YET. (Mark In order to understand scripture we must comprehend the meaning through study of the culture of the 1st century. Just as in our 21st century, they had sayings (metaphors and idioms) that were directly related to the environment and lifestyles in which they lived. In and around Jerusalem in the first century, life was simple. It was a time of farmers, shepherds, tent makers and the like bringing their wares to market when they were not in the fields or keeping their sheep. They had terminologies regarding all that one must know about growing crops, marketing, keeping sheep, etc. In verse 13 there is a terminology that we would not understand concerning figs unless we lived in the first century. Figs were a daily staple of the Hebrew diet. The term "Time of Figs" does not mean that the time for figs to be on the tree was not yet. Why would Jesus come seeking figs if the time for figs to be on the tree was not yet. "Time of figs" was a term that meant the "fig harvest." The figs had not been harvested. That is one of the reasons Jesus came seeking figs. The second reason he came looking for figs is that he could see the leaves on the tree from afar. When studying fig trees we find that fig trees had preseason figs that come on the tree before the leaves. The tree should have had figs, unless it was barren. That is exactly what was wrong. How do we know that the tree was barren? The law concerning fig trees is found Lev 19:23-25. AND WHEN YE SHALL COME INTO THE LAND, AND SHALL HAVE PLANTED ALL MANNER OF TREES FOR (fruit, fig, olive, etc) THEN YE SHALL COUNT THE FRUIT THEREFORE AS UNCIRCUMCISED: Grace and Truth Ministries THREE YEARS SHALL IT BE AS UNCIRCUMCISED UNTO YOU: SHALL NOT BE EATEN OF trees could not be eaten of for its first three years. Jesus would not have ventured to eat of a fig tree that he did not know its lest he break the law that he gave to Moses.) BUT IN THE FORTH YEAR ALL THE FRUIT THEREOF SHALL BE HOLY TO PRAISE THE LORD WITHAL (the forth year the crop was sanctified by giving the crop as first fruits for the servants of the Tabernacle.) AND IN THE FIFTH YEAR SHALL YE EAT OF THE FRUIT THEREOF, THAT IT MAY YIELD UNTO YOU THE INCREASE THEREOF: I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD. (Jesus would not have eaten of a fig tree that was under five years old.) The Bible tells us that if the tree does not bear fruit by the fifth year then the tree must be cut down. Matthew AND NOW ALSO THE AXE IS LAID UNTO THE ROOT OF THE TREES: THEREFORE EVERY TREE WHICH BRINGETH NOT FORTH GOOD FRUIT IS HEWN DOWN, AND CAST INTO THE FIRE. Luke 13:6 HE SPAKE ALSO THIS PARABLE; A CERTAIN MAN HAD A TREE PLANTED IN HIS VINEYARD; AND HE CAME AND FRUIT THERON AND FOUND NONE. THEN SAID HE UNTO THE DRESSERS OF HIS VINEYARD, BEHOLD, THESE THREE YEARS (not to be eaten) I COME SEEKING FRUIT ON THIS FIG AND FIND NONE; CUT IT DOWN; WHY CUMBERETH (render idle) IT THE GROUND? (Remember, the fig tree according to Jewish law is to be considered uncircumcised the first three years). AND HE ANSWERING SAID UNTO HIM, LORD, LET IT ALONE THIS YEAR (the forth year, that belongs to God) ALSO, TILL I DIG ABOUT IT, AND DUNG IT: AND IF IT BEAR FRUIT (by the fifth year), WELL: AND IF NOT, THEN AFTER THAT THOU SHALT CUT IT DOWN.

Let us go back to Mark after Jesus finds the tree with leaves (fruit comes before leaves) and the tree has not been harvested (time of What does he do? Mark 11:14 AND JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO IT, NO MAN EAT FRUIT OF THEE HEREAFTER FOREVER. AND HIS DISCIPLES HEARD IT. Why would Jesus kill the fig tree? Because he was God and he knew how old it was. He could not and would not break the law. Jesus and his apostles come by the tree the next Mark 11:20.21 AND THE MORNING, AS THEY PASSED BY, THEY SAW THE FIG TREE DRIED UP FROM THE ROOTS. AND PETER CALLING TO REMEMBRANCE UNTO HIM, (I recall verse 14, where the scripture says, "his disciples heard it" speaking of Jesus cursing the tree). MASTER, BEHOLD (an exclamation of surprise), THE FIG TREE WHICH THOU CURSEDST IS WITHERED AWAY. The apostles are showing a shock that Jesus would kill a fruit tree because it was against the law of Moses to kill a fruit tree (unless it was five years old not bearing fruit). Here is the verse the apostles had in mind when they showed their attitude of shock for Jesus having killed the fruit tree. Deut 20:19.20 WHEN THOU SHALT BESEIGE A CITY A LONG IN MAKING WAR AGAINST IT TAKE THOU NOT DESTROY THE TREES THEREOF BY FORCING AN AX AGAINST THEM: THOU MAYEST EAT OF THEM. AND THOU SHALT NOT CUT THEM DOWN (for the tree of the field is man's life) TO EMPLOY THEM IN THE SIEGE. ONLY THE TREES WHICH THOU KNOWEST THAT THEY NOT TREES FOR MEAT. THOU SHALT DESTROY AND CUT THEM DOWN; AND THOU SHALT BUILD BULKWARKS AGAINST THE CITY THAT MAKETH WAR WITH THEE, UNTIL IT BE SUBDUED. The apostles are recalling these verses when they exclaim in surprise that Jesus killed a fruit tree. It is against Jewish law to kill fruit trees unless it is five years old or older and not bearing fruit. The apostles cannot believe that he would kill a fruit tree since it is against God's law. The only way he could kill it is if it is at least five years old and not bearing fruit. They evidently thought he could not possibly know how old the tree was, since they were in Bethphage, which means house of figs. There were many fig trees in this area. Jesus would not have broken the law by killing this fruit tree unless it was five years old and not bearing fruit. The apostles are obviously correcting Jesus to some degree, because Jesus says to Peter and the apostles, "Have faith in God." He is saying have faith in me. I'm God and I know what I am doing. Then Jesus speaks words of correction and instruction to the apostles. WHOSOEVER SHALL SAY UNTO THIS BE THOU AND BE THOU CAST INTO THE SEA; AND SHALL NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART, BUT SHALL BELIEVE THAT THOSE THINGS WHICH HE SHALL COME TO PASS; HE SHALL HAVE WHATSOEVER HE SAITH. Here is what Jesus is saying in verse 23 of Mark 11. A mountain is a capital (ruling) city of a nation or empire. Babylon is called a mountain of pride (Jer 50:29-32). God says WILL MAKE BABYLON A BURNT MOUNTAIN" (Jer 51:25; Rev 18:9). Babylon is the Mother (an instructor) of Harlots (Rev harlot is the meaning idolatry) Babylon, the mountain (ruling city) that rules the world, was founded on the doctrine, "Let us make us a (Gen 11:4). Name (in Hebrew) is the word and it means "authority." God's authority (name) is his word, his commandments. When Peter and the Apostles began to be corrective of Jesus, they had made themselves a name (authority). They were correcting Jesus for killing a fruit tree with this Babylonian authority (name) of self ("Let us make us a name"). They remembered the verses from Deut 20:19,20) how it was against the law to kill fruit trees, but had conveniently forgotten the verses in Lev 19:23-25 (about the tree bearing fruit by the fifth year). Jesus said that the axe must be laid to the root of every tree that brings not forth fruit (by the fifth year) Luke Matt Jesus tells the apostles that the Babylonian mountain (the mother of harlotsidolatry) of self (pride or let us make us a name) must be cast into the sea. These are metaphors and idioms in this text. The sea is not some general term that man can interpret any way he wants. The sea is found in the 7th chapter of 1st Kings. I Kings 7:23.26 AND HE MADE A MOLTEN SEA; TEN CUBITS FROM THE ONE BRIM TO THE OTHER: IT WAS ROUND ALL ABOUT, AND HIS HEIGHT WAS FIVE CUBITS: AND A LINE OF THIRTY DID COMPASS IT ROUND ABOUT IT CONTAINED TWO THOUSAND BATHS. The brazen sea was called a "sea" because its size. When Israel came out of bondage in Egypt, God gave to Moses the Levitical law. In the law God gave to Moses specific instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle and all the facilities that were attached to it for the rituals that were performed by the Levites (priests). The Tabernacle was made a permanent structure in the form of Solomon's temple. (A Tabernacle is a mobile temple). When the children of Israel left Egypt, God gave Moses instructions to build a brazen (a washing bowl - Ex 30:18). The Tabernacle was always pitched to face east. In front East the Tabernacle was the brazen laver. Every morning the priests washed in the laver before they went to their duties to offer the various sacrifices throughout the day. As the population of Israel increased, so did the number and size of the lavers.

By the time of Solomon the priesthood became so large that God gave Solomon instructions, when he built the temple, to build 10 lavers and the "Brazen Sea" for the exclusive use of the priesthood. Chron I Kings 7:23) It was a requirement that all priests washed at the sea before they went to their daily duties. Throughout the day, before new sacrifice, the priests only washed their hands and feet. This is what Jesus is referring to when he speaks of saying to the mountain of self to be cast into "the sea." Jesus just made the statement to the apostles, "Have faith in God". Mark 11:22. is telling his followers believe in me; I'm God. I know how old the tree is - quit correcting Jesus is saying, "If you are going to be a priest of mine, you need to washed of all your opinions" in the sea. He goes on to say in Mark WHEN YOU SAY TO THIS MOUNTAIN AND YOU NOT DOUBT IN YOUR HEART YOU WILL HAVE WHATSOEVER YOU "SAITH." The word doubt is the Greek word which means "to discriminate or to become the channel of judging." It comes from two Greek words meaning "through or a channel" and krino which is the common Greek word for "judge." Krino means to decide something is lawful or unlawful or to decide if a person is guilty or innocent. We are not to judge by deciding with our opinions what is right or wrong (Matt However, we are to judge righteous judgement (John 7:24) by declaring what God says concerning right or wrong (guilty or innocent). When we insert our opinion then we do the judging and become the channel of judging (diakrino). We start doubting Gods decisions or his work in our lives by correcting him like the apostles did Jesus, when he killed the fig tree. We are not unlike the apostles when we accept the work of God in our lives then the next day we want to correct what he is doing. We like to say, "Lord, I'm right today and you were right yesterday", When the fiery trials come in our lives we like to "Lord its time for the trials in my life to stop." Peter says the trial is a daily requirement that God brings, and it is not a strange thing (I Peter 4:12). James says, "Count it all joy and let patience have its perfect work," when the fire comes. Don't pray for it to leave because it is from God. This fiery trial is more precious than gold that perisheth (says Peter) I Peter 1:7. This is how we judge and discriminate (contradicting God). We try to tell God (Jesus) when he is doing right or wrong as in the case of killing the fig tree. How do we get what we is the word lego. Getting rid of Babylon, (the mountain) is getting rid of self. When we deny self we Grace and Truth Ministries cease speaking our opinion and we confess with) Christ. We must agree with Jesus when he curses the even when we don't understand. We crucify self and cast the mountain of "Let us make us a name" into the sea. is the word lego meaning to lay forth or relate in words usually of a "systematic or set discourse", to speak, tell, say or ask. Definition: Systematic - forming of constituting a system an orderly arranged plan, and orderly arrangement of facts or rules (The Bible or word of God). Discourse — Communication of ideas, information by talking or conversation; a long formal treatment of a subject in speech or writing, lecture, treatise or dissertation to talk or carry on conversation. To speak, or write on a subject formally or at length. (The living, spoken, and written word of God). If we are going to have what we we must cast the mountain (Babylon) of self into the sea and not discriminate (doubt) we must believe and confess Christ (agree with) saying the words he says in his systematic (orderly arrangement of his word) discourse (the spoken and written word of God) if we are to have what we "saith," we cannot make up our own ideas and words. The whole context of this section of Mark is that the mountain of this world (Babylon), which is self, must be drowned in the sea and we must agree (confess) Jesus' words that he has written in his word if we are to have what we say or desire. I have much more to say on this subject. We will continue at a later date. Jim Mary's Mailbox I would like to thank all of you for the letters, phone calls and e-mails. It thrills me when Jim and I go to the post office and I get a letter personally addressed to me. Its like getting a new toy or a present. I would like to remind all of you that I make the special order tapes. Please ask for no more than 3 at a time. We have several hundred people on our mailing list. It is very easy to get behind on the tapes. Jim is doing a series on the World Trade Center terrorism. You will find it very interesting, since most of the preachers and politicians do not understand Biblical Prophecy. Jim explains from the Old Testament that this is about the land of Israel.