Today's Passage - Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13-20   When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied,"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.     The status of Jesus is very important. When He was on earth, people acknowledged Him differently. Some said that He was the reincarnation of John the Baptist. Or He was Elijah. Or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets that had been prophesied in the Old Testament. But those saying, feelings, and seeings can not be used to truly understand God. We need to receive God's revelation to truly understand the status of Jesus: the son of God.   As such, Jesus asked His disciples, "What do you say I am?" Thank God, His spirit touched Simon Peter. If not for the touch of holy spirit, no one would have acknowledged that Jesus is the Lord. No matter how smart men are, base on their own knowledge, no one can know Jesus in flesh, knowledge, or wisdom. Simon Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Christ means "the one that is anointed", the one who was prophesied in the Old Testament, and the coming Messiah. He is no only the saviour of Jews but also the saviour of all people. He is not only a man, but also son of God. This is the revelation from God. After Jesus heard this, He clearly told Peter, "Peter... on this rock I will build my church" "Rock" was not a reference to Peter, but a reference to the sentence that was spoken by Peter, who was touched by the Holy Spirit, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Indeed, from the beginning, the foundation of the church was not an organization of men, nor doctrines by men, but by Jesus Christ. When the church is built on this foundation, the Lord promised, "gates of Hades will not overcome it. ...whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Hallelujah! When we become His church in Christ, we will have the same authority. Let's praise God for this blessing!   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, we thank you, because you are the Christ, Son of the living God. Because churches are built on this foundation, we have the authority over Hades, death, and sins. Release us from all the authorities of darkness and wickedness so that we may experience your joy of freedom. I thank you and I pray in the glorious name of Jesus, amen!           Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!