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Day 278, or October the 5th. We all have our

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part to play. Our thoughts today come from Matthew

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chapter 16, verse 18. And I tell you that you

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are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,

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and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

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Now the big picture surrounding this verse. As

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well as around the Jewish western side of the

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Sea of Galilee, Jesus also ministers on the east

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side, where the population is predominantly Gentile.

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In addition, he spends some time further north,

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up towards what is today the Golan Heights, at

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the Israeli -Syrian border. It's probably in

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this region, at Mount Hermon, that the miracle

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of the Transfiguration takes place. it was thought

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in the past that the transfiguration took place

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at mount tabor which is not far from Nazareth

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however recent archaeological evidence indicates

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that there was a settlement on top of tabor and

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therefore an unlikely place to go for privacy

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and now today's action step Matthew mark and

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Luke all record the visit of Jesus and his disciples

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to Caesarea Philippi, which lies about thirty

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miles north of the Sea of Galilee, about two

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days walking each way. It seems much of the life

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of Jesus was spent walking, and probably talking

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and teaching at the same time, as he did on the

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road to Emmaus, when he explained things about

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the Messiah from the Scriptures. At their stop

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in Caesarea Philippi, which could have been on

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their way to Mount Hermon and the Transfiguration,

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Jesus asks his followers who people were saying

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he was. Then he asks the disciples, and Peter

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gives a correct answer, which was rather unusual

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for him. In Jesus' reply, the Greek word Peter

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is masculine, whilst rock is feminine, and could

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also mean small stone. This text reminds us that

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the church wasn't only built on the giant rocks

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of the faith, such as Peter, but on every person,

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male and female, important and anonymous. Play

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your part as a rock, or a stone, or even a pebble.

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We are all necessary, even if we are not as prominent

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as Peter or some of the leaders in your church.