**Daily Devotional** **May 24** *16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. - Matt 16:16-18 (KJV)* Jesus was truly the Christ (Anointed One, or Messiah), as He was God in the Flesh (John 1:14), and was announced by the Angels at His birth as “Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Jesus also said He was Christ (John 17:3), and those that deny the divinity of Jesus, just don’t understand, or believe, the bible. Peter knew who Jesus was in the flesh, but didn’t grasp who He was in the Spirit. Jesus said Peter was blessed to know this, as it had to be revealed to him by the Father. This shows that Peter was sensitive to God, and was able to hear from Him. All of us who can hear the Father speak to us (John 10:27), are surely blessed, just as Peter was. Jesus says that Peter is the rock that He will build the church upon, and even though Peter denied knowing Jesus (Matthew 26:70-74), he repented and was used mightily by the Lord to establish the church. On the day of Pentecost Peter preached so strong that 3,000 were saved (Acts 2:41), and he went on to be a central figure in the Jerusalem church. Notice that the “gates of hell” can not prevail against God’s church – Praise God. This shows that the born again believer has all power over the devil, and if we will give ourselves to God, and resist the devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7). Thank you Lord for giving us power over the devil. Devotional by Pastor Joe W. Green, www.infinite-faith.com