Forget not your covenant BY DONNA JEAN BRAMAH

Forget not your covenant.

Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or join in with sinners, 

for they are like chaff that the wind blows away 

and they will not stand in the assembly of the righteous.

The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, 

but the way of the wicked will perish. 

Woe unto the man who once walked in covenant 

but soon forgets where his strength came from. 
 

The people in the bible are what makes the bible and if you took the characters out of the bible it would be a skeleton.  God intended for us to learn about him through these characters.  Just like the church, we need people, because we learn from each other.  Sometimes its good lessons and sometimes its lessons that teach us our boundaries with God.   Sampson is one of those people in the bible that we can learn much through. 
 

I'm going to teach you something about Sampson today.  He was strong.  He was a judge.  But all that he could have been never materialized.  He was the strongest man that ever lived.  He should have been referred to as the greatest judge of Israel but sin cut him short of that destiny. 

Sampson walked a perfect pattern of sin and God had blessed him. Judges 13:24.  What attracted him to sin?  The enticement of the world.  He went down into the town and he saw Delilah in Timmi.  He went back and told his parents of this beautiful woman.  His father said to him, "Is there not any other woman among our people that you have to go to these Philistines to get one?" 

Sampson was a strong man in God, but he forgot that and became bent on what was in the world.  He had been directly touched by God, yet it meant nothing to him after he met Delilah.  He said, "for she pleases me well," and he took her as his wife. 

Young people, you don't have to go to the devil's people to find a spouse.  But Sampson took Delilah, stepping out of God's will.  She represents the world.  Sampson wanted her even though she was promised to another. 

Sampson was smart and he should have become great.  He didn't think about what his acts were going to do to the nation of Israel.  Delilah was a pagan, morals were nothing to her.  Sampson was about to fall into the abyss.  There's nothing more important than who you marry. 

Sampson had forgotten where his strength came from and the devil was setting a trap for him.  Sampson's strength became his problem.  Sometimes it's not your weakness that gets you in trouble, but your strength. Especially when you come to believe it is through your own power that you can operate.  You watch your weaknesses all the time but the devil can move in on your strength and cause you to miss God. 

Preachers, don't ever get up in the pulpit and think that your gift is of your own self. You must humbly pray for anointing every time you step behind the pulpit and depend on Him for your delivery to the people. Because I can tell you now that without anointing you can only touch the people's minds but if you preach with anointing you can pierce their soul and heart.  Never glory in yourself, because you are what you are because of Him.  Once you lose position with the Lord you will fall. 

Look at Judges 15:15 and see Sampson's protection.  Sampson took a jaw bone of an ass and slew a man. Do you use all your protection?  Some are great preachers that don't prepare.  We have great singers but uncommitted.  We have great writers but choose to write of their own knowledge.  We need to use our gifts God has given us and be committed and prepare when we use those gifts to serve Him. Most serve themselves and that is why we see gifted people still in lack and can't see the blessing upon them.  It is a dangerous thing to be once enlightened by God and then turn from Him. 

Sampson fell because he didn't listen to his parents or God.  He went his own way.  He was anointed but he allowed the devil to cause him to fall.  He was moving in all the wrong directions led by his desire to partake of the world.  He went and slept with a harlot.  The people said, Oh here he comes the strong one, and they began to plan on how to kill him the next day as he lay in his sin with the harlot.  

Sampson frequented places that could only cause him to fall one day. He climbed a mountain top to show the enemy his strength, but sin has a downward spiral.  How could Sampson have this anointing and why?  Because God has a covenant with you.  But Satan is after that covenant you have with the Lord to get you to break it.  Sampson's covenant was marked through his long hair. 

If you're not living right, and have anointing, don't brag because you're on your way down.  Take some notes here because you'll see they won't stay in ministry long.  You see, the devil is a pusher.  You think a drug dealer is a pusher? They are nothing compared to the devil pushing on a called man by God that takes his eye off the Lord. 

What takes us into sin like that?  One step at a time.  It doesn't happen over night.  This is what happens to God's people.  They think they can get away with it because after all, they are so gifted and too important to fall.  Take a look back into recent history at the famous ministers that have fallen.  But, to be sure, your sins will find you out. 

Don't dance with the devil because soon you will lie down with him, and don't ever allow him a ride because if you do, he'll take over the driving.  You thinks Sampson would have learned.  The world represents the flesh sin and Delilah represented the devil, the tempter.  She was a clever woman.  He hung around her too long.  The enemy had hold of her. 

The enemy didn't know where Sampson's strength was.  That's the way the devil does us, he keeps on until he finds out where your strength comes from and he will attack that.  If you dabble with the devil he will get you.  Delilah was beautiful, voluptuous, and sensuous.  She starts to pick Sampson's mind, "If you really love me you would tell me where your strength comes from." 

She lied to him, and she duped him.  You would think Sampson had learned but he went back one more time.  She said again, "If you loved me, you would tell me all. Where does your strength come from?"  Each time he speaks to her she gets closer to his strength, his anointing, his hair and his covenant with God. 

Delilah represents three things: 

1.  World

2.  flesh

3.  devil -tempter 

Make no mistake about it, the devil wants to destroy you.  Finally, Sampson told Delilah all, "It's my hair," and he went on to say, "and if I shaved it I would lose my strength."  He told the devil all of his heart.  That night she bound him while he slept, in the enemy's camp.  She called for a man to come and shave his head. 

After she began to afflict him he lost his strength.  He cried out to God, "Oh God you are always with me."  But when you break your covenant God is no longer with you.  Sampson should have been a champion but he played.  He was a judge but the Philistine's reduced him to an animal.  They made him like a mule to grain their mill.  Around and around in a circle grinding and grinding.  He became a grinder at the devil's mills. 

Sampson was well dressed man, and they took his image and his strength to become a nobody.  He asked God for forgiveness, "Give me one more chance. Remember me Lord." 

God will forgive you.  Sampson said to God, "I don't ask for my eyesight back but just one more time to have my strength and anointing." 

The devil dismembers you but God puts you back together.  That's what the criminal asked Jesus beside him on Calvary, "Jesus, remember me."  This mighty man, Sampson cries out, "Oh god remember me." 

Sampson said to the lad that led him around and around, "lead me to the pillars in the city."  This event came fast and swift and destroyed the enemy's camp.  God's champion was blind now.  He calls upon God as he starts pushing the pillars.  There were 3,000 men that died that day when the pillars that Sampson pushed down collapsed the city.  

Sin's payday had come and Sampson died with them that day.  He will go to heaven but he stands before God with all his works burned up.  Is that the way you want to stand before God one day?  Sampson went down in history as the Strong Loser.