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Thursday, July 25, 2013

intimacy or deception

Art Katz introduced me to the concept of penultimate and ultimate things.  It would seem we are in need of great grace when discussing end times  things, because the penultimate 'peace' of Jerusalem is actually the setting for the launching of the anti-Christ.  The ultimate peace of Jerusalem CANNOT  be accomplished by man.  It occurs when the Prince of Peace enters through the Eastern Gate.  So praying for the peace of Jerusalem is praying for the "Day of the Lord."
It seems most everything goes back to intimacy with God.  "Those days" will be filled with a deep deception.
Only as the prayer of Jesus in John 17 is answered in our lives are we able to be a light.  Only as we are intimate with God can we spot deception, that will pull in all those not fully relying on God.  

Bring us to a place of intimacy with You, Lord, in Jesus' name.

That is my prayer for us.

Matthew 16:22 ESV  
And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord!* This shall never happen to you."              Footnote:* Or “[May God be] merciful to you, Lord!”

Peter here displays a penultimate concern for Jesus, even cloaking it in spiritual language, "May God be merciful to you, Lord!"
We need to learn from this, without intimacy with God, we are prime candidates for deception, and could end up speaking the words of Satan, not the Word of the Lord.