In this sermon, the speaker discusses the unfortunate reality of many people who start off strong in their faith but eventually fall away. He shares a personal story of a preacher who had a successful ministry but ended up working as an elevator operator. The speaker emphasizes the importance of prayer as a sacred place where God fills believers with His power and resurrection. He encourages listeners to let go and wait upon the Lord, reminding them that Jesus has already paid the price for their salvation. The sermon concludes with a call to be strong in the Lord and to abide in Him, as the day of His coming is approaching.

...and to be presented spotlessly before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. You want to be there when Jesus comes? Well, Moses did, and when all Israel backslid, he went up to the mountain to be alone with God, and he fell down forty days and forty nights, and he said, Oh, God, this people have sinned a great sin, and he prayed for them. He interceded for them until God forgave their iniquity. But then Moses wasn't through. He said, God, show me now thy glory. Oh, to him God was all and in all, and while the people had danced around the golden calf and given themselves to idolatry, Moses had but one aim, and you and I have but one aim, no matter what others do, no matter how people backslide, no matter what to do with prayer, what to do with church, no matter what to do, no matter how they give themselves to gossip, to criticizing, to pride, to ambition, to tending to things of earth, I've got but one program, to abide in the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses said, God, show me now your glory, and God says, you can't see my face, but there's a place by me, and I'm going to hide you in that place, and I'm going to make my glory pass by you. My presence, my presence shall go with thee, no matter what Israel does, no matter how backslidden they are, but Moses, my presence shall go with thee, and I will give you rest, and that's what Jesus Christ said. Without me, you can't do nothing. Now, abide in me, and I in you, and he tells us wonderful blessings that attend those that really pay the price. Do I know something about abiding in him? Listen, he that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, there is in the heart of Brooklyn, and in Tel Aviv too, and in Canarsie, a place like that, there is a secret place of the Most High prepared for us, for you, for me, for every child of God, and it's the only safe place in this God-forsaken world, filled with demon powers. Oh, how they swarm around, how a thousand fall at my sight, and ten thousand at my right hand. Don't you see it every day? How they start in the fire, and they end in the smoke. They start in the spirit, and they end in the flesh. And why is it? Because they come out from under that secret place of the Most High. Oh, thank God, there is a place. When the heart of Jesus was rent, God Almighty opened his heart, and he says, there's a place by me. Abide in me, and I in you. And here he says, and now, little children, abide in him until he shall appear. Oh, what a day for this coming year. Is Jesus coming this year? Yes, he's coming every day. He's revealing himself. We've heard it in the testimonies tonight. Every day, Jesus Christ comes to your heart to reveal himself more greatly to your soul, to draw you closer to himself, to make you more like unto himself. Every day, Jesus is working by the power of the Holy Ghost, not only every day, but every moment. My Jesus, his offer to come and make his abode with me, he says, I in them, and thou in me, and they in me. What a victory. But how few people attain to that place because we don't care. Jesus cares. He's given himself wholeheartedly. He went to the Father and received from the Father. A little while before this verse, he says, let that therefore abide in you which you've heard from the beginning. And this is his promise that he has promised us, even eternal life. The anointing which you have received of him abideth in you. Oh, how gracious is this anointing which we all feel just now. What is it? Why, it's his marvelous presence manifested because of the grace and because of the love that he has for his own people whom he purchased with his own. But who cares to abide in him? You know, the Apostle Paul, writing to the Philippians, says, I write of many who are enemies of this thing. They don't want to hear that. Why, that's too hard, too strong a doctrine. They mind earthly things. Well, who doesn't? Earthly things control their minds and their thinking and their actions and draw them out of God. But here's an unction. Here's an anointing. Here's the Spirit of God. Here's God himself, who like a mighty current comes down from heaven to fill my very body with himself. To fill it with life and with his power, the power of his resurrection. And that's what he means when he says that now, little children, oh beloved, is there a price to pay? Yes, Jesus pays the price. That's the wonderful thing. You and I cannot pay the price to keep this unction upon our lives. He pays the price. What a simple thing just to let go and wait upon the Lord. Have you discovered the secret? That even the youth shall faint and be weary and young men shall utterly fall. We don't like to think of it, but thousands have fallen by the wayside. Thousands of people that seem so strong. They seem so spiritual. Joseph Wondermacher was telling me about a man whom we both know. He said, my, what a preacher he was. A mighty preacher. When I visited him 40 years ago, we had a marvelous revival in his church. He had a new church and a fine congregation of people. And Joseph said, my, what a preacher. I said, what is he doing? He's running an elevator in the department store. And how many thousands like that there may be. They had the opportunity to be sons of God without rebuke. They had a chance to be soldiers of Jesus Christ. To win the fight, to follow the lamb where the slavery goes. There is a place, a sacred place of the most high. And you give yourself to Jesus Christ who's always waiting. And you give yourself to the Father. No matter how faint hearted you are. No matter how weak you are. No matter how the devil will overcome you. He give us power to the faith. Oh, thank God. Little children. Little children. I like that description. Little children. All of us are little children. But what foolish little children we are. If the Father doesn't find us in the place of prayer every day. If the best part of my day is not spent seeking his face, waiting upon him. How simple a job just of prayer. I mean praying in the Holy Ghost. I mean praying in faith without faith. It is impossible to please him. But maybe I'm able to give you a pair of shoes. But if I'm a miser, I won't do it. You can come and knock at my door and say. God may be able, but the question is. He was willing to be naked on the cross for you. Willing to be smitten. Willing to bear the punishment more than that. Willing to have your sin imputed to him and more than that. Willing to take your sickness upon you. He's willing, but listen. His ability is also. And when they crucify the Son of God. The very best, the only one of whom God was able to save. He became a curse. And when he became a curse, the whole world was cursed. But when he was raised from the dead. A door was opened into eternity. A new life was created. A new Adam rose from the dust. To become the life giving spirit. And now all that are dead. Is he willing? I tell you he is willing for you. He died for you. He paid the price. 100% for you. Sin shall not have dominion over you. It cannot. Flesh cannot reign in you anymore. Unless you give it room. Is he able? Oh he's able right. Right at this very moment. Praise God he's interceding for you and for me. And why don't I avail myself. Why don't I avail myself of this sanctuary. Abide in me. Abide in me. Oh thank God. Abide in me. Is the promise of my Lord. Is the offer of God's grace to me. They that wait upon the Lord. He God Almighty. Give us power to the faint. And it doesn't come the way people think. Doesn't come by outward observation. It comes within. It grows within your soul. Silently. Quietly. In the silent hours of the midnight. Watch. The bright groom comes. And he offers you gold fried in the fire. Listen. Abide in him. That when he shall appear. Oh Jesus. Not abiding in some organization or some religion. But you. You Jesus to know thee. And the power of. Oh that old flesh of ours. That old heart of ours is deceitful above all things. And desperately wicked. But there are two things by which you can tell. Number one. He that abides in him sinners not. Oh. Oh that's the result of a life of prayer like that. Prayer in faith. Waiting upon my God. Day by day. For that strength. I found that out when I was a kid. I was an apprentice. And I had nobody to show me. My preacher said you're getting fanatical. Don't pray so much. I knew that if I didn't spend an hour early in the morning. I would be defeated during the day. But oh how wonderfully God came to me in that early morning. What. And I was as faithful to it as a soldier that has to stand guard in war time. Nobody could stop me from getting up. And waiting upon my God. So it was cold. Our home was not heated. And in winter time. I had to pray. I had to abide in him. I had to work in a shop where everybody was down on my neck. Don't be afraid to go into the world. They're scared of you. Hell is afraid of you. Sons of God. Without rebuke in the midst of a crooked. They like to see these soldier boys come. From camp. When they come. For furlough. And oh how they love the sport there. You can buy them you know. If you haven't got any buttons you can buy them. I how they love the sport. But. Listen who wants to be a soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thou therefore my son be strong. Be strong and that means you girls too. Oh children. Abide in him. He is coming. And when the angel. Blows his trumpet. The mystery of God shall be fulfilled. And the land shall overcome them. For he's king of kings. And Lord of lords. And they that are with him are the call. We're all called. But they're chosen. Many are called but few are chosen. But they're all so faithful. Oh son of God. That's why you're telling me to abide in you. And they will abide in him. Soon as not he. Oh beloved how many of us are fooling ourselves. Gradually fooling ourselves. He that sins. And you say well who sinneth not. The Bible says he that abideth in him sinneth not. Beloved there's a secret place of the most high God. For you and for me. Jesus Christ had to shed his precious blood. And all heaven bends. To ride you in both an eagle and bull. Child of God. You may be ever so weak. You may be ever so backslidden. There's a place ready for you. The faint. Them that have no mind. There's a place in the heart of the father for you. And if you would but avail yourself of it. If you would but pay the price. And oh what a price to pay. An hour in the morning. No it's more than that. If you will practice prayer like that. In real faith. Because you want God. We heard it tonight in the testimonies. Thank God he's working. And he's accomplishing his will. But if you stay true to your purpose. To find God first. To seek first. The kingdom of God. First. It'll become your habit. It'll become your portion. God almighty will come and make his abode with you. And there will be life. And he that abides in him. Sinners not. Why they say that's presumptuous. I told before how on my first trip to Europe we had. Prayer meeting in the bowels of the steamship Europa. And all the Christians were drunk together. And one day I was talking about this thing. And the man in charge threw up his hands and said. Now don't preach any false doctrine here. Call that a false doctrine. That he that abides in him. Sinners not. His doctrine was that you've got to sin. That Jesus Christ isn't strong enough to keep you. Well you remember my other story. I've got all kinds of stories. I've got rabbit stories. And horse stories. And fish stories. And bird stories. And this is a lion story. It happened in Berlin Zoo. A man went into the zoo with his dog. And he took his cane and he beat that dog. And that dog took one leap into the cage of a lion. And the lion. Took that dog under his mane and put his arm around him. And this man said. And the dog just shook his head. He was safe in the keeping of that lion. For the first time in his life that poor pooch. Didn't have to be afraid. And when that man hollered at him like that. The lion just. Just growled. And the man didn't know what to do. He called the waiter. He says here get my dog. That's my dog. So the waiter gave him a key. He says here's the key. You get him yourself. You know there's a wonderfully safe place for you and for me. But only one. Abiding in him. Oh Jesus. We say in German. That's how we abide in him. You keep your heart. And your mind. And your attention. On the Lord Jesus Christ. And he keeps you. In the holiest place. In the secret place of the most. That's what he said. Oh the wonderful keeping power. Of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's another wonderful result. He says. You can't help it. I know you've got this. They said to me. If you believe in foot washing. I said sure. I wash mine. At least once a week. Whether I need it or not. No you have to do that. But you know the Bible says. Do all things in the name of the Lord. And you're doing it in him. And the spirit of God. Bring forth much fruit. You know that a life. That's it with Christ in God. I found that out in the last war. I found out that some of our boys. Went into the army. With the purpose of abiding in the Lord. I'm thinking of one particularly. I visited him. And he was the weakest of all. But when I met him. I found that glory of God surrounding him. I found that he had abode in prayer. The first thing he did. Was to go to the chaplain. And ask permission. To use the chapel. For prayer meetings. And then he went out after the boys. And heralded them together. And got a number of them saved. And had a little congregation. You know God says. He'll be a little sanctuary for you. And the life that is so united to Jesus. Will be fruitful. A church that abides in Christ. Will be fruitful. We make a lot of fuss today. To get a lot of success. As I said. We print pictures. And make a great big show. And there's nothing. Not much behind it. Beloved. It takes the Lord. To add to the church daily. That we should be daily. And when he does it. And when he uses you. And that's the purpose of abiding in him. Oh Father. I thank you for this wonderful thing. I want to pray over this everyday. And now little children. Little children. You're little. You have no strength. No power in yourself. But you're my children. Jesus says. And I'll give you strength. And I'll give you power. As you wait upon me. I will renew your strength. Day by day. My strength is made perfect. In weakness.