Here we find ourselves in this last day watching and praying, watching and praying.  I said all of that to say this, we pray with the understanding that God’s not willing that any would perish.  We pray with an understanding that just as important as evangelism and adding souls into the kingdom is the need to retain and to see purified the church as it’s being prepared as a bride without spot or wrinkle for the soon coming of Jesus; amen?  This great falling away, beloved, is spoken of those who are in the narrow path of that perceived broad way, this highway of holiness that the Scripture speaks of.

Watch and pray.  The many voices, the most voices in these years to come, weeks to come, days to come, maybe hours before His coming, however long it is that He decides to tarry, the majority of voices are going to bring the doctrine of the broad way in His name, even to the point, as we’ve read in the Scriptures, “If the days were not shortened.”  People are going to be saved during the tribulation, not backslidden people, not apostates, but there are a lot of Gentiles and Jews that are going to get saved during the tribulation.  They’re going to be beheaded.  They’re going to become martyrs.  If the days were not shortened, even the very elect would not be able to stand.  “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation.”  We find in this passage of Matthew.  Let’s look over here for just one second because I believe this is so important for us in the light of watching and praying.  In Matthew, Chapter 26, Jesus has set Himself apart to pray.  “And when they had sung an hymn”, verse 30 says, “they went out into the mount of Olives.”  “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.  But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.  Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.  Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.  Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.”  Peter gets all the flack.  “Likewise also said all the disciples” (Matthew 26:31-36).

Now, what’s the point that I’m making?  That’s how we see ourselves.  That’s Peter’s declaration and would probably be the majority of all our declarations, or it should be; amen?  We’re believing that the Holy Spirit is sufficient in us, and that we believe that what we’ve committed unto Him, He will keep against that day.  We can put all of our theology together and understand our sonship, the abiding factor of the vine, the acknowledging of ourselves that without Him we can do nothing, praise God.  We understand all of that, but, beloved, let me tell you something tonight.  It has to be proven.  Those days of proving are ahead for all of us.  Every one of us in here is not walking through this life unscathed.  We’ve had our trials, our tragedies, our doubts, our fears; amen?  Yet, here we stand.  Hallelujah.  Our failures and here we stand.  We arise in the mornings and we put on the armor of God, and here we stand, and having done all, we stand; amen?  He’ll never leave us or forsake us.  The next trial won’t defeat you either.  He will not tempt us past that we are able to stand.  With every trial, He makes a way of escape that we might endure it.  Hallelujah.  Watch and pray.