Matthew 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

Peter had just denied that he was a follower of Jesus three times. Immediately upon his third denial, the cock crowed and Peter remembered what Jesus had told him several hours before in the upper room. Peter had been so adamant that he would never deny Jesus yet when he was under pressure, he denied the One whom he had faithfully followed and served for the last three years.

Peter had been told that he was going to betray Jesus three times that night. Peter had a chance to pray with Jesus in the garden. However, because Peter allowed his physical desires for sleep to control his spiritual desire of communion with God, Peter was weakened spiritual and as a result when the real trial came, Peter was not prepared. As Jesus said in the garden, Peter’s spirit was ready but his flesh was weak.

Peter denied that he knew Jesus in front of a damsel, a maid and a relative of the servant of the high priest whose ear Peter had cut off. Peter was not exactly denying that he was a follower of God to fearsome individuals who had the power to immediately take his life. What is interesting is that Peter was so brave and willing to fight an entire multitude back in the garden, yet now in the courtyard of the High Priest, he was unwilling to stand up for who he really was. Peter was not just denying Jesus; he was denying his calling, his relationship with God, and what he had done over the last three years.

It is interesting that all four gospels tell the story of Peter’s denial. God wanted to be sure that you understand that it does not matter how long you serve HIM, Satan will still desire to cause you to yield to temptation. Peter was a faithful follower of Jesus, yet there came one day in which he yielded to sin and told a lie. Once Peter had told the first lie, the next two lies quickly followed.

Just because Peter sinned, it did not mean that his ministry was over. The reason Peter’s story of denying Jesus three times is in all the gospels is so that you understand that God can still use you even though you mess up. No one had to know that Peter denied Jesus three times, other than Jesus and the three people who heard him deny Jesus, no one else saw Peter’s failure. However, because Peter desired to encourage you to get up after you stumbled and continue to serve God, Peter must have shared his testimony with others.

Solomon tells us that “a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” It is important that you follow the words of Solomon and the example of Peter when you fall short of the glory of God. Peter’s relationship with God was so close that upon his third denial, his heart immediately broke at the sin that he had committed. Peter understood his sin and he was ashamed of it.

What affect does sin have upon your life? When you sin and fall short of the glory of God do you find yourself proud or ashamed of your misdeeds? If you have a close relationship with God and have taken the time to add virtue to your life, when you sin, then you will be quick to seek God’s forgiveness. Filling your mind with the things of God will give you the strength to rise again and to continue serving God.

Matthew 26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples agreed to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Judas was not entrapped into betraying Jesus by the deception of the chief priests but he willingly came to the chief priests and asked them what they would give him if he betrayed his Master. Judas had determined in his heart that money was more important to him than his relationship with Jesus.

Judas betrayed Jesus for a sack of silver yet Judas is not the only person who has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Since you have accepted Christ’s calling to follow HIM, how have betrayed your relationship with Christ? Have you allowed greed to get in the way of your relationship with Christ? Have you allowed bitterness to get in the way of your relationship with Christ? Have you allowed lust to get in the way of your relationship with Christ?

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Judas is a good example of how Satan loves to attack those who choose to follow Christ so as to cause them to stumble and cause great damage to the kingdom of God. Judas had a close relationship with God yet he allowed his eyes to be drawn away from God’s perfect will and as a result Satan was able to cause him to do something he later regretted.

Do not think that you are strong enough that you never have to worry about betraying Jesus? When the troops came to arrest Jesus the disciples fled. While Peter was brave enough to follow Jesus, he betrayed his relationship with Jesus three times. The disciples were actually able to see, touch and hear Jesus and they were not strong enough to overcome the temptations they faced, what makes you think that you will never yield to temptation when your relationship with Jesus is based completely upon faith?

Do not judge Judas for what he did; instead, use the example of Judas to remind yourself that you must be vigilant to ensure that you do not follow his example. You understand that the closer your relationship with God is the more Satan desires to see you stumble. What damage can Satan do to the kingdom of God if he causes you to stumble?

Judas was able to betray Jesus because he had filled his mind with thoughts of greed. The longer he allowed thoughts of greed to fill his life, the more he squeezed out of his mind the high calling of Jesus to follow HIM. As Judas allowed himself to dwell upon those things that were evil, his relationship with Jesus became such that he was willing to betray a friend for a sack of silver.

The battle over sin begins in your mind. If you allow sin to dwell in your mind, it will eventually wear down your defenses until your actions reveal what is in your heart and mind. You cannot afford to allow the enemy to dwell within your mind. Any time evil thoughts crop up within your mind, rather than cultivating those thoughts, you must add virtue to your life and flood your mind with the things of God. You will betray your relationship with Christ if you do not win the battle with your mind. By the grace of God, you can overcome temptation.

Judges 16:28 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

Samson had lost his strength and was now a prisoner of those whom he was suppose to destroy. The Philistines for 20 years lived in fear of Samson but now they enjoyed mocking him. It was at one of there feast days when 3,000 men and women were in one building a feast that they called for Samson. The lad who led Samson helped him find the support pillars. Once Samson found the pillars, he asked God to give him strength one more time and he bowed himself bringing down the pillars and the entire house.

Samson had violated God’s commandment for his life and he lost his gift from God that enabled him to do the will of God. Samson saw and lusted after Philistine women and he destroyed the ministry God had for him. Samson not only lost his strength but God allowed the enemy to pluck out the eyes also. Samson no longer had his strength nor his eyesight and he was just betrayed by the person whom he loved.

Samson had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God punished Samson for this sin. However, by faith, Samson believed that God would show him mercy one last time and give him the gift of strength so that Samson could do that which he was given strength to do, destroy the enemies of the Lord. Samson understood God’s purpose for his life and while Samson knew that he could no longer fulfill the purpose of judging Israel, Samson had boldness and asked the Lord to return and give him the strength so that he could fulfill part of his purpose.

Samson was the strongest man in the Bible yet he sinned and fell short of God’s purpose for his life. Just because you are not the strongest person that ever lived, it does not mean that you are immune from Satan’s attempts to cause you to sin and violate God’s purpose for your life. The higher your purpose, the more Satan would like to make an example of you to destroy your ministry for God. When you sin and fall short of the glory of God, you must repent. God is just and there are consequences to your sin. This means that HE must punish you for your willful violations of HIS perfect law.

Nonetheless, just because God has punished you for your willful violations of HIS perfect law, do not hide and assume that God no longer has any use for you. Instead, demonstrate your faith like Samson who looked for a opportunity for God to use him again. Your sin may result in a diminishing of your ministry, but do not allow Satan to win the last battle by your giving up on God using you at all. God still has work for you to do.

Satan will try to remind you of your willful violations and try to convince you that God no longer desires to use you. However, you must remember that the blood of Christ completely washes away your sin. You have been forgiven and it is time for you to spend time seeking the Lord and find ways that you can use your present situation to do God’s will. If Samson had not sinned, he would not have been in the position to destroy 3,000 Philistines. Samson killed more Philistines after his sin then 20 years prior to his sin. God can still use you to do great things for HIM. You too can still be used of God no matter what your sin was. God will forgive, have faith and ask HIM to use you for HIS glory.

Judges 16:17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall be like any other man.

Delilah had been offered a lot of money if she could figure out the source of Samson’s faith and make him weak. Delilah on three other occasions had asked Samson’s the source of his strength and Samson told Delilah a lie. Finally, Delilah wore Samson down and he told her the source of his strength. Delilah knew that he had told her the source and she informed the Philistines to bring their money for she was going to deliver Samson to them. Delilah shaved Samson’s hair and then watched the Philistines take him away. The Philistines put out his eyes and put him in prison.

Samson made the mistake of telling the wrong person something God had shared with him. Samson told Delilah who had no desire to help and support Samson in his duty to God the source of his ability to do God’s work. Delilah used the inside information not to help Samson but to bring him down. Samson did not have to tell Delilah his secret, but he did because he loved his relationship with Delilah more then he desired to serve God.

Samson had already been betrayed once when he told his Philistine wife the answer to the riddle and she told her fellow countrymen. He should have been more careful when telling Delilah the source of his strength. He had a duty to serve God, and he should have realized that Delilah did not really care about Samson destroying the Philistines and delivering Israel. Since Delilah was not interested in a similar calling, Samson had no right sharing special truths that God had given him to someone who was not going to help him fulfill God’s purpose for his life.

Samson had a calling from God and if he was looking for a wife she should have had a similar calling so as to support him. Samson’s calling was to deliver Israel from the Philistines, by looking for love among the Philistine women; Samson was showing his lack of faith by putting himself in a compromising situation. Samson did compromise by telling things that God had shared with him to Delilah.

Not ever deep spiritual truth or word from the Lord needs to be shared with everyone. Jesus commanded you that you should not cast your pearls before swine. Just because God has shared something exciting and new with you, it does not mean that you can rush out and tell everyone what the Lord is doing. Instead, you must be judicious in whom you share deep spiritual truths with. You have an obligation to God to determine if the person you are sharing with has a similar heart for the Lord and whether they will rejoice with you and encourage you to do what the Lord has said. If you do cast great spiritual pearls before swine, then Satan may be able to bring you down as he brought Samson down.

You have an obligation to God to be careful about what you share. You do not have a duty to share everything with everyone. The world does not have a right to know everything about you. By faith you will be slow to answer when you start to share the deeper direction of God. You can share the things that God has done for you, but you must be careful when you start sharing the Lord’s direction and guidance to others. First discover whether the person you are sharing with desires to encourage or destroy you.