The Family Altar Audio Devotional - Day 157

And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not. One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew. (John 18:25-27) 327 Peter, after he was out there fishing, he was…his occupation was fishing. I kind of like his occupation. And so, he was out there fishing, all discouraged, know that he had denied Christ. Oh, my! Heard that Prophet stand there and tell him, “Peter, do you say you love Me?” 328 He said, “O Lord, You know I love You.” He said, “I love You. I’m ready to die for You.” 329 He said, “Peter, you think you mean that, but you’ll deny Me three times before…You’ll deny Me before the cock crows the third time. See, you’ll deny Me thrice before the cock crows.” 330 And then seeing that come to pass, when he stood there and said “I don’t know Him. No, I don’t know nothing about them there Pentecostals.” 331 It ain’t time to quit preaching, it’s just my watch having a spell. [The alarm on Brother Branham’s watch sounded—Ed.] See? Said that, “I—I know…” I—I’m supposed to stop now, but I—I can’t stop right at this time, see, so I got to finish this up here just a minute. 332 Said, “I—I—I—I know I denied Him. I denied Him in the presence of Pilate. I denied Him in the presence when that little woman come around to me, said, ‘Aren’t you one of them?’ ‘No!’ And even cursed!” Oh, he was in a terrible shape. Said, “I—I—I…” She denied…He had denied Him. And he had seen Jesus stand and look over, then is when the cock crowed, looked over at Peter. He went out. Oh, he was discouraged with himself, said, “Why do I live any longer?” 333 And then, besides that, he said, “I think I’ll go back and go fishing again. I can’t preach anymore, so I’ll just go back and start fishing.” He had throwed his nets in and cast all night long, didn’t have no fish. And he was at a weak spot, he didn’t have nothing, discouraged with himself, come to the end of his abilities. 334 Well, he thought he was a great man, chopped the high priest’s son’s ears off like that. Well, he thought he was a great fellow, you know, he had learned something. But he knowed nothing! He had to forget all about it. 335 And there he was out there, said, “Well, I know one thing, I’m a fisherman. I can still make a living, fishing.” He cast all night and didn’t get nothing. Oh, what a discourage! Every time he pulled it up, an empty net. And he was so discouraged! He was at the weakest point, said, “I just might as well feel like jumping off this boat. I ain’t worth nothing, anyhow.” He said, “Have you got any fish, children?” 336 Looked out on the bank, and there stood a Man. He said, “No, we’ve toiled all night and taken nothing. I thought I was a fisherman.” “Is that you, Simon?” 337 “Yeah. Well, I toiled all night and taken nothing. Oh, I—I…We ain’t got no fish out here.” He said, “Well, cast your net on the other side.” 338 “We’ve done…What?” Then he be-…Said, “On the other side? We’ve been doing that!” “Cast it on the other side.” 339 He throwed his nets out, and he pulled. He said…Then he become strong. Oh, my! He grabbed up his old fish coat and put it around him, said, “Brethren, that’s Who It is!” And he beat the rest of them to the bank, before they could oar them boats just as fast as they could, he outswam them, with a fish coat on, got to the bank. Why? When he was strong. When he was strong he couldn’t do nothing, but when he got weak then he got strong. Yes, sir. 61-1119 - "Perfect Strength By Perfect Weakness" Rev. William Marrion Branham