Every soul who arrives on planet Earth goes up for sale. Even Jesus went on the auction block when He was here, and the devil tried to buy Him in every way he could. He offered Jesus so many things and tried to tantalize Him into selling His soul. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:1-4).

The Lord never intended for souls to go on the auction block, but that was what happened after Adam and Eve had sold their souls to the devil. It may have taken many years for them to finally sell out, but the Lord told me one day that He absolutely did not look into the lives of Adam and Eve when He created them. He said that He wanted man and woman to trust Him, so He had to trust them.

When people go to the altar and cry for forgiveness, God doesn’t look into their lives to see if they are going to live for Him before He will save them. If people confess their sins, repent with godly sorrow and believe that God will forgive them, the Lord saves them on the spot. Then it is up to them how they go on to pray and to live their lives.

Two Bidders

Once you are saved, you must stay yielded to God or the devil will buy you back. You must pray, fast and live in the Word; and I can tell when people fail to do that because it shows up in their lives. They try to get by and make others think they are praying, fasting and living in the Word; but God knows the truth. The devil will never give up on you; and if you fail to stay yielded to God, you will sell your soul to the devil.

Jesus came and paid the price for you, and the Bible says you are not your own. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (I Corinthians 6:19,20). It took the very life blood of Jesus to pay such a price for each one of us, and we must never forget that.

Christ is our example, and He went on the auction block; but the Father put in His bid again and again, and Jesus heard that bid. The devil would bid, too, saying, “Just fall down and worship me, and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world.” The devil taketh him [Jesus] up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me (Matthew 4:8,9). At the same time, the Father was telling Jesus, “Son, all the kingdoms are yours; nothing belongs to the devil.” Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve (Matthew 4:10).

Jesus was the Word made flesh. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Jesus knew the Word, and He knew the devil. The devil had met more than his match in Jesus, and there was no sale.

Jesus even allowed the devil to take Him up on the pinnacle of the temple. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (Matthew 4:5-7).

We don’t have to prove anything to the devil; and when you start trying to, you are out of order, and your soul is in danger. The devil can deceive you and outtalk you, but he tells only lies. The best thing you can say about the devil is that he uses half-truths, but even half-truths are lies.

Adam and Eve Sold Out

Demons are always trying to get people to sell out. The devil kept after Eve by showing her how wonderful, good and beautiful everything was; but his claims were all false, and nothing was lasting. The Lord had bid happiness for Adam and Eve, and He had given them His rules and regulations. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2:16,17).

The devil knew what God had told them; but he said, “Come with me, and you will have more joy and happiness than ever before. God said you will die if you eat of this fruit, but He is just telling you that to keep you away from this tree because He wants you to do what He tells you to.”

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the gar- den: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:1-5).

Eve failed because she did not stay away from the one tree in the whole Garden that the Lord had told her not to go to. The tree of life, the most fascinating tree of all, was also in the Garden; but we have no record of her ever going around that tree.

The devil couldn’t deceive Adam; it took Eve to do that. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat (Genesis 3:6).

We don’t know how long it took the devil to deceive Eve, but she finally did pick a piece of the fruit from the tree and eat it; and she didn’t die. In fact, she began to feel wonderful! The fruit was intoxicating, like strong liquor; and the devil said, “See, I told you that you wouldn’t die. Now, go and show your husband that God lied and that you feel better than ever. God can never bother you again.”

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:7,8).

Suddenly, Adam and Eve felt condemnation for the first time, and they realized they were unclothed and naked in the eyes of God. All they had left was fig-leaf religion, and it has been in style here on Earth for almost 6000 years. People who are involved in fig-leaf religion are not born new and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Instead, they just use their religion to hide behind, but it won’t hide them. God sees their sins, and their sins will be before them for all eternity. No doubt, Adam and Eve blasphemed against God because they knew the truth; and when they sinned, they sold the whole human race.

Because of their sin, the Lord had to throw Adam and Eve out of the Garden because He said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24).

The Lord’s Healing Stripes

If Jesus had not been willing to give His life, He could have sold everyone into the slavery of the devil for eternity; and there would have been no hope for any of us. Jesus was our last hope; and He had to agree to leave His throne in Glory, lay aside His glorious crown and take off His beautiful robe of authority and power. I am sure the angels in Heaven cried when Jesus left to come to Earth.

Oh, how the angel must have felt who helped Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane on His last night of freedom here on Earth. Jesus took all of our sicknesses and diseases upon Himself, knowing that He would be taking them to the whipping post. Cruel men beat Him nearly to death; but with His blood stripes, we are healed. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

There is healing for everything in the blood stripes of Jesus. Cancer, diabetes and leprosy are nothing before God; and we have seen all of those diseases healed. I have seen people with cancer who have looked like the walking dead, and they were healed by the hand of Almighty God. In one place, five lepers were cleansed and made whole; and there is no cure through medical science for leprosy. There is no cure for AIDS either, and it is raging all over the world; but the Lord can heal it. Whole families have been healed of AIDS, and even those near death have been made whole. I use the blood in our overseas crusades, and thousands are healed in one service; and we receive wonderful testimonies from the people.

Somebody once said, “I don’t believe you can heal.” I don’t believe I can heal either; I just rep- resent the Healer, Jesus. I am His witness; and He gets all the praise, the honor and the glory. The Lord said, And these signs shall follow them that believe…they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:17,18). A believer shall lay hands on the sick, and I qualify as a believer.

My mama was a great believer, too. She laid hands on many people who wanted her to touch them because they recognized that she had great faith. Even complete strangers were subject to call for her at any hour, and she would go to them. We would get up in the morning, and Mama would be gone. She may have been starting breakfast when the call came, or she may have been called during the night and not returned to start breakfast; but either way, there was no need to wonder where Mama was—she was helping people, and she knew they needed somebody who knew how to pray. Later, she would return home lit up with the glory of God.

My mama lived so close to God, and great miracles took place in our home. She could lay a hand on us, and we would be healed again and again. Mama always taught us that God loved us and that He would heal us, and I knew it would happen. God was getting me ready for the healing ministry.

The Curse Was upon All People

After Adam and Eve had sinned and were cast out of the Garden, they became afflicted with different diseases; and they felt excruciating pain for the first time. God had never intended them to cry, but tears came with the curse. One of the greatest curses placed on women was that childbirth would be painful when God had planned for it to be painless.

The Lord had told Adam and Eve to go forth and populate the Earth; and it would have been Paradise for their children, their children’s children and right on into eternity. The devil and all of his demons would have been thrown into the lake of fire, and it would have been wonderful…but Adam and Eve sold out, and people are still doing that today. They are selling their lives, their souls and their children’s souls; and they are influencing many to go to hell to be tormented as the endless ages roll.

Adam and Eve’s son Cain rose up and murdered his brother, Abel. How that must have grieved God, and it surely had to have grieved Adam and Eve. They had never seen a dead body before, so I wonder how long they kept Abel’s body lying there thinking that he would surely come back to life.

When God came down that day, He said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground (Genesis 4:9,10). People will not get by with committing murder because the dead person’s blood cries out for the Day of Judgment to come. Murderers may think they will get away with it, but they are doomed; and if they don’t get right with God, hell will be their destiny.

Noah Found Grace

Things continued to get worse because the devil kept buying until he had bought nearly everybody on Earth, so God decided to destroy the whole human race. However, Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD (Genesis 6:8).

Noah’s family did not sell out to the devil, but have you ever thought about how hard the devil must have worked on them? He told them every lie he could think of and pointed them back to Adam and Eve again and again saying, “God lied to them, and He is lying to you. He is always telling you, ‘Thou shalt not’; but you can come with me and do whatever you want to without any condemnation, and you will be free.”

What the devil calls freedom is really total, eternal damnation, hell and the lake of fire. The devil is bound for that place, and he knows it; so he is trying to destroy everybody else he can, too. The devil worked so hard to do that in Noah’s day, mocking God the whole time; but when Noah went on the auction block, he would not give in.

Then the Lord stepped forth and said, “Noah, build an ark, and it will save your family.” God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood…behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee (Genesis 6:13,14,17-19).

Noah and his family had to be put on the auction block, and every one of them had to be tested and tried. While they were all building the ark, the Lord would not allow any of the women to give birth for 120 years because He knew that any child could have gone on the auction block at the age of accountability and sold out. God could not take a chance on having anyone sell out, so there were no children born until all the wicked had been destroyed in the Flood. Then the Lord was going to start over with just eight souls—four men and four women.

The Lord had rolled away the Noah family’s burden for their lost loved ones while they were building the ark. They had to put them into the hands of God and not think about them because they had become their archenemies through the spirit of the devil. Their own relatives wanted nothing to do with Noah and his family; but later, I’m sure they were pounding on the ark door crying, “Now, we believe; open the door. I am your brother…I am your uncle…I am your sister; open the door!” But the door did not open because God had closed it.

Seven Days of Grace

Once the people and the animals were on board the ark, the Bible tells us that the door stood open for seven days and nights of grace. And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in (Genesis 7:7-10,16).

God is a merciful God, and He gave the people a chance to walk through that door. God had given Noah orders that He would close the door and seal it up with divine blood; and after seven days, that was what He did.

The Noah family had worked hard; and although they were persecuted, tested and tried, the Lord had kept them well. There was no need for them to take any medicine with them on board the ark because there was nothing but life there. There was not one sick or hungry person or animal, and there was no death. There was nothing but peace and joy on that ark.

Critics have said that Noah’s family could not have possibly put enough food on the ark for all the days they were on board, but the Lord multiplied their food. They had miracle meal barrels, and they had the grace of God. The Lord said, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (II Corinthians 12:9). We are now in our seven days of grace; but they are about over, and where will you spend eternity? Many people today are dying without hope and without God. The devil has lied to them and given them false teaching, not truth. Jesus said, Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). Through the truth is the only way to be free.

God Supplied Elijah

Just as God had supplied the needs of Noah and his family, He supplied Elijah’s needs. My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). At the time, there was a great famine in the land because of the sins of Ahab and Jezebel. Ahab was one of the most evil men who had ever lived, and he had sold out to the devil. The Lord gave him a chance to get back to God, but he wouldn’t do it; so Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word (I Kings 17:1).

Then God sent Elijah to a widow woman’s house. And the word of the LORD came unto him [Elijah], saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her…and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah (I Kings 17:8-16).

When God speaks, what He says will come to pass because He is the Almighty God. For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass (Ezekiel 12:25).

God Knows Your Sins

King Belshazzar also accepted the devil’s bid and sold his soul to the devil. One night, he decided to throw a wild party. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone (Daniel 5:1,2,4). Belshazzar was so drunk; and he was declaring, “God is not the true and living God. We have many gods, and we don’t need Jehovah God.” But God was about to rise up; and when God rises up, He sobers people right away no matter how drunk they are. Alcohol can’t keep their minds away from God, and they have to face their sins.

Belshazzar knew better than to do what he had done because he knew what had happened to his father. Nebuchadnezzar had thought he was high and mighty, and the Lord had warned him about his ways. God had given him a whole year to repent, but he wouldn’t do it; so the Lord took out his heart of a man and gave him the heart of an animal.

For seven years, Nebuchadnezzar grazed like an animal while his hair grew long, and his nails became as birds’ claws. He was a hideous sight! After those seven years, God took out his heart of an animal and gave him back the heart of a man; and when Nebuchadnezzar lifted up his eyes, the first thing he did was glorify God. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlast- ing dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation (Daniel 4:34). Belshazzar knew all of this, but he did not care and sold out to the devil anyway.

Today, many sons and daughters are also selling out to the devil. Some have mothers and dads and even grandparents who have sold out to the devil, too; and they don’t want their children to go to a church that preaches repentance, salvation, the divine blood and the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues according to Acts 2:4. They think such teachings are fanaticism; but when they stand before God, they won’t even be able to look upon His face. The Bible says that without holiness, nobody will be able to look upon the face of God. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). The unholy will soon be in eternity without God.

Astrology Is of the Devil

In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof (Daniel 5:5-8).

The Bible teaches that astrology is of the devil and that all astrologers will go to hell. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord said, Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame (Isaiah 47:13,14). If you are involved in astrology, you have no God; and you are of the devil. Astrology is the same as witchcraft, voodoo or any other darknesses of the devil; and all of that is devil possession.

Don’t even listen to astrologers; and if somebody around you believes in them, get away from that person. The Bible says, Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you (II Corinthians 6:17).

Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied (Daniel 5:9). Then the queen said to Belshazzar, There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him…now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation (Daniel 5:11,12).

Belshazzar Sealed His Doom

While all of this was going on, Daniel was off praying and calling up Jehovah God because his heart was so heavy. He had not been invited to the party, and he did not want to be there; but suddenly, the king was calling for him. Belshazzar was scared to death, and he just had to know what the handwriting on the wall said. He was no longer drunk; he was as sober as could be, and I am sure cold chills were running up and down his spine.

When Daniel was brought in, the king said, I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation (Daniel 5:16,17). King Belshazzar tried to buy Daniel, but Daniel could not be bought. Instead, he said, The God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified (Daniel 5:23).

Then Daniel went on to interpret the message. And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom (Daniel 5:25-31).

Hell Is a Real Place

God does not want people who do not want Him; and when Jesus was here, He did not waste time with those who did not want God either. He took a whip and ran the hypocrites out of the temple. And when he [Jesus] had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise (John 2:15,16). Those people needed that, but it is going to be far worse when they have to face God at the judgment bar. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

Many people and even ministers, rabbis and priests do not believe there is fire in hell; but when Jesus told about the rich man who had died, He said, And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame (Luke 16:23,24).

Other preachers and teachers of the Gospel claim that hell is just a state of mind of being shut away from God. Well, a sinner doesn’t want to be with God anyway! I didn’t want to be with God before I got saved; did you? Oh, God, help those in the world who have to listen to such false preachers. They are not only damning their own souls but are also causing others to sell their souls to the devil. When people come to the end of the journey, false preachers tell them they are ready to go to Heaven; so they are deceived even in death.

Nothing on Earth can keep you out of hell. Jesus said you have to be born again through the blood of Jesus. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…Ye must be born again (John 3:3,7). The Bible also says, Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

This world is in an awful condition; but God is going to take care of His own, so children of God have nothing to fear and nothing to worry about. We have sold out to God, and we are not for sale. We have accepted the Lord’s price, and we know we are not our own. We know Jesus died for us.

God Sees All

When Jesus was here, He said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). But the devil deceives people, and many of them commit suicide rather than go to Jesus to find peace. Unless a person is insane, if he willfully takes his own life, he will go to hell. If you kill yourself on purpose, you are as guilty as if you had killed somebody else—that is the truth of the Bible.

You can’t hide from God. The Bible says that though you lift up your eyes in hell, He will be there. If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there (Psalm 139:8). He sees all that you do and wherever you go; you can never get away from His judgments. Hell will deliver up its dead, and they will be at the White Throne Judgment where there will be no forgiveness. Then they will be cast into the lake of fire. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-15).

People look out for their bodies, for their homes, for their lands and for their possessions; but they do not look out for their souls when the soul is the real person. Jesus said, For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul (Matthew 16:26)? If you knew you were going to die and go to hell today, what would you give in exchange for your soul?

The soul never dies; it will live an eternal death in hell or an eternal life with Jesus who said, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Sin Brings Death

The devil had bought many souls in Sodom and Gomorrah, two very wicked cities. Lot was a righteous man who lived there with his family, and it sickened his soul day after day just looking at the sins of the people in Sodom and Gomorrah. Just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (II Peter 2:7,8).

The Lord was going to destroy those wicked cities; so He sent two angels, representing the Word and the Holy Ghost, to bring Lot and his family out. But they were warned, “You cannot look back.” Then the angels hastened Lot, saying,  Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:15,17,24-26).

Lot’s wife was on her way to deliverance, and she had almost made it; but because her heart was still back in those wicked cities, she sold out to the devil in that final moment of time. Instantly, judgment fell upon her, and she turned into a worthless pillar of salt. Then in hell, she lifted up her eyes; and she will be there until it is time for the White Throne Judgment.

Lot’s wife did not want to be with God; but when you are holy, you will want to be with God. God said, Be ye holy; for I am holy (I Peter 1:16). He also said, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). In that verse, Jesus was letting the people know two things: First, He was sharing His Father with them, so His Father had also become their Father. Second, Jesus said that the people could be as perfect as God is perfect; yet people will still say no one can be perfect.

So many churches today teach that nobody can live free from sin, but there will be no sinners in Heaven. You have to go through the strait gate and follow the narrow road to get to Heaven. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (Matthew 7:13,14).

And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein (Isaiah 35:8). God said that no unclean person can walk that highway. He also said, The soul that sinneth, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:4). Everybody who sins will go to hell.

Don’t Accept the Devil’s Bid

All people will come to the place in their lives where they will have the choice to sell or not to sell out to the devil; and he will bid all kinds of seemingly tantalizing, tempting things to get them to sell. He will say, “If you go my way, you will know what joy really is. You don’t have to go to Heaven to have joy because you will find it down here. You will find happiness and love like you have never felt before, and you can do anything you want to. You can kill people as long as you don’t get caught, and you can even curse God. In fact, you will find out that the more you curse Him the better you will feel.”

The devil tells all kinds of lies; but remember what Cain said when God put the curse upon him: My punishment is greater than I can bear (Genesis 4:13). Nevertheless, Cain had to accept it; and since then, millions have cried, “The punishment is more than I can bear; I can’t take it.” But they have to take it. Jesus paid the price for all people, but so many have departed from the truth; and the Lord said that would be one of the great end-time signs. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron (I Timothy 4:1,2). In the last days, saith the Lord, people will depart from the truth.

The Bible says that another end-time sign will be that of a great falling away. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (II Thessalonians 2:3). Today is such a falling-away time. There are more dead churches, teachers and preachers than alive ones; but the Bible says, The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God (Psalm 9:17). God let people know thousands of years ago that He would cast whole nations into hell’s lake of fire, and He will do it.

Sinner, Backslider, you must believe what God says. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (I John 2:15). If you love the world, God is not in you; and if you die like that, you will go straight to hell and be surrounded by demons. When God taught me demonology through the power of the Holy Ghost, He brought all kinds of devils before me; and you don’t know what ugly is until you look into the eyes of devils—they look like Lucifer himself. When you are dying, they will claw at you and choke you; and many people die screaming because they can see the demons that have come to carry them into hell. After you’re dead, they will take out your dirty, sinful, lustful soul and usher it into the fire of hell. There are no second chances after death. Then after the White Throne Judgment, you will be cast into the lake of fire. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them (Revelation 20:11).

Riches Can Be a Curse

So many people sell out to the devil for the love of money and riches—not for money only but for the love of it. The Bible tells us, For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (I Timothy 6:10). When people worship money, that is their golden calf; and they will go to hell for it.

The rich, young ruler took time to go and see Jesus, but that was all he did. And when he [Jesus] was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions (Mark 10:17-22).

That ruler knew about Jesus and that He offered eternal life; but when Jesus told him to sell what he had and give it to the poor, he was too stingy to give anything away. I am sure he would not have had to sell everything; but he was like another rich man whom Jesus told about: The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21). When the man died, who got all his riches?

Some time ago, a certain wealthy man died; and someone asked, “How much money did he leave?” Another person spoke up and said, “He left it all.” You can’t take anything with you when you die. You came into the world with nothing, and you will leave it with nothing unless you have Jesus.

True children of God will sacrifice and give of themselves. We give money we could use for other things, and people think we are foolish for doing it; but we will make any sacrifice to win the lost at any cost. Jesus died for us; and because of His sacrifice, we are saved and on our way to Heaven. He put His “go ye” inside of us, and we are not contented to just stand by and do nothing to save the lost. We have the Gospel message and the power of it, and we are taking them to thousands and thousands of people at a time. Jesus said, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:15,16).

Are You Watching?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). God so loved you and everybody else on this Earth that He gave Jesus so we would not have to go to hell; but without Him, there is no other way. Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified; but He said, No man taketh it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again (John 10:18).

On the third day, He did take His life back; and then He walked out of the tomb. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once (I Corinthians 15:3-6).

Five hundred people saw Jesus alive after they had seen Him crucified; yet only about 120 followed Him to the top of the mountain to see Him ascend back to Heaven—to take His seat by the Father’s throne, to put His crown back on His blessed head and to put on His beautiful robe of righteousness and holiness that matched the robe of God.

When Jesus was still here, He told the disciples, Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49). However, only about 120 went to the Upper Room. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And…(the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) (Acts 1:12-15). Where were all of the other people?

People are the same today; they will not go on with God. They are not getting ready for the Rapture, and the Lord said He is coming only for those who are looking for Him. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching (Luke 12:35-37).

You are not really watching for Jesus to come unless you have power from On High, and the Bible tells us again and again that we have to have that power. We will only be changed according to the power that worketh within us. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you (Romans 8:11). Then we will be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (I Corinthians 15:51,52).

I Gave My Whole Heart

I believe God, and my soul is not for sale. It used to be, and I had gone the devil’s way. I knew I would go to hell, but thank God I didn’t. When I was eighteen, Jesus made a big bid for my soul. He let me know that He had died for me and that it was time for me to come to Him. He held me right over hell, and I will never forget how the smoke from it came up around me.

Everywhere I would go, God was there; and then He would say, “What if the Lord would come when you were in a place like this?” If I would get home at a late hour and start to turn out the bed- room light, the Lord would speak again and say, “What if you don’t wake up tomorrow; what if this darkness is forever?” That scared me to death!

Finally one Sunday night, I fell into God’s altar; and the Lord took me over and gave me old-time salvation. He caught me up in arms of love, and I had never felt love like that before. I had never known happiness like that before. I had loved the dance floor and the swing bands, and that kind of music gets in your bones; but every bit of it left me. I thought I would have a hard time giving that up, but I had no trouble at all; it was like it had never existed. The holiness of God took over, and I sold out to God forevermore. I belong completely to Him, and many of you belong to Him, too.

Take God’s Bid

Sinner, Backslider, it is time for you to sell out to God. Will you do it? If so, say this prayer with me right now. Oh, God, I will sell out to you today. I know the deceit of Lucifer, and I know in my heart that he has been deceiving me; but, Lord, I have come home. I have come out of the night into your light, and I promise you, Lord, I will never go back into sin again.  I believe your Word. I know you died for me, and I believe your shed blood will wash away all of my sins.  Come into my heart, Jesus! Come on in! Now, you have sold out to God; and prayer, fasting and living in the Word will keep you in the will of God. You are on the straight and narrow, but you have to stay there. There is no Heaven for you if you die in sin because no sin will ever get through one of those pearly gates. He that committeth sin is of the devil (I John 3:8).

Accept God’s Healing Power

Now, you can be healed; the Lord wants you to be well. He declares in His Word that it is His will for you to be healthy physically just as it is His will for you to be well in your soul. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth (III John 1:2). When we were in Bombay, India, a man who had not been able to sit down for eighteen years was instantly healed. Another man who had been blind for ten years cried, “I can see!” Then he fell at my feet and kissed my shoes while I declared, “Jesus is the Healer; Jesus is the One!”

Are you ready for your miracle? Lord, I come with your holy power that you brought 2000 years ago for the healing of the people. I curse the AIDS, leprosy, cancer, heart trouble and all kinds of deadly diseases. No case is too hard for you, Lord. Re-create the brains of little ones who were born with just part of a brain as you have done again and again. You have taken little crippled ones who never would have walked, and you healed them. Heal them all today! Heal! in the blood name of Jesus! Heal! The healing power is flowing. Feel it covering you and your little ones and watch them get well! But remember, you have to live for the Lord. When Jesus healed people, He said, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee (John 5:14). He has to have all the honor, the praise and the glory.

God be with you and keep you. If I never meet you on Earth, I hope to meet you in Heaven one day. Stay sold out to Jesus and say, “I am not my own; I belong to Jesus.” The greatest life today is the Jesus life. Be a soul winner like He was when He was on Earth and know you are ready for the one flight out. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown (Revelation 3:11).