Day 140 "The battle I can't see is the most important one I fight."

Day 140 Matthew 16:18-20 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. A number of years ago when I was managing the Lumber Supply Company, I had a habit, of course, of sharing the Lord and the gospel of Jesus with anyone who would lend an ear. I can remember a particular conversation with one of my department managers (who professed to be Catholic) when he told me that the problem with us Christians was that all we wanted to talk about was Jesus. I think my response was something like, "And what else would we talk about?" As is spoken in this passage, the very rock, the very foundation upon which we stand, is Jesus the Christ–His life, His sacrifice, and His resurrection and the fact that He is the Son of God sent for our redemption by His blood–and truly nothing else. After all, without Him, we have no hope. The Jewish people would be the ones who have it right, and the gentiles would have no right to have fellowship with God, for that door would never have been opened. I can't speak for anyone else, but as for me, Jesus is my hope for glory, my redeemer, and my salvation so, yes, I will speak of Him often and passionately. Therefore, when Jesus is speaking of building the Church upon the rock, I am one who assumes that He is referring to Himself as that rock, not Peter. First of all, I can't understand why God would build His Church upon a man, and secondly, I refer back to chapter 16 where Peter describes Jesus as "…Christ, the Son of the living God." Next, Jesus tells Peter that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." What did Jesus do when He descended to Hades after His death? He opened its gates for all who believe in order that we would not be bound by death. So, while the writing may seem a little confusing, I truly believe the point is being made that Jesus is the foundation of the Christian Church. Later on in the passage we see where Jesus says that He gives us the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." I believe it is helpful for all of us to be reminded daily that we are at war, that there are principalities, powers, and rulers in dark places who seek to destroy us, our families, and our ministries (Ephesians 6:10-20). Far too many believers are like the ostrich who sticks his head in the sand: if they don't see it, they need not to react to it. However, by not reacting and acknowledging that there is a battle taking place, are we not submitting to our enemies influence on our lives? I'm not a devil chaser; however, I do not like him, and I do not want him influencing my life in any way (even though he sometimes does). Therefore, I will take every opportunity to expose him for who he is and what he is up to and ask that the Lord of my life thwart those plans. Is your head in the sand? have you ignored the battle? and on what rock are your feet planted? Sometimes it's good to be reminded, is it not? Daily Prayer: Father, I thank You for reminding me often of who I am in You, and that without Jesus I have no hope. Bless You, Lord, for Your faithfulness, and lead me, Lord, in the way of understanding. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "The battle I can't see is the most important one I fight." Pastor Gene Burroughs