Child of God, no matter the price, no matter the cost in this life, to please God is worth the paying. Jesus said…No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). When we answer God’s call in our lives, the things we will suffer for His name’s sake are not apparent. But the Bible tells us that if we suffer for His name, we shall also reign with him (II Timothy 2:12).

Jesus gave the disciples a true picture of the road they were to walk for Him; He concealed nothing. Deny self, He taught them. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul (Mark 8:35,36)? His followers would suffer much, Jesus explained. From the beginning man sold out to the devil, soul, mind, body, and as a result brought a curse on the earth and on mankind and lost his close fellowship with God. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). Not just that which is lost did Jesus come to save, but all that was lost. Everything lost in the fall of man, Jesus came to buy back, to redeem not only souls, minds and bodies, but also the land. The Bible tells us that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now…waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body (Romans 8:22,23).

Can You Afford Eternity in Hell?

To be obedient to God, man must pay a great price, some greater than others; but the price due later for not serving God will be beyond all endurance.

Many on this journey are deceived and discouraged by the devil; consequently, they decide that the requirements of living for God are too steep. I won’t take any more, they vow. They fail God, giving little or no thought to whether or not they can afford to spend eternity in hell. No one, really, can afford to turn back; the path lies straight ahead. Walking with and obeying God is the only way to walk this path. How could you bear to be left behind when Jesus comes? The price of a future in hell is unthinkable; the prospect of experiencing the terrors of the Tribulation Period are more than the mind can take.

The Price Noah Paid Saved His Family

Noah paid a tremendous price, giving about one hundred twenty years of his life in building an ark. It was hard, discouraging work. At times it probably didn’t seem important to him, but he was faithful in obeying God’s instructions.

Perhaps on some days your journey with the Lord has not seemed as important as it should. Perhaps the sacrifices necessary appeared unreasonable, and you wondered why you had to pray so much, spend so many hours in His presence, why you had to fast and study the Word of God. Noah became discouraged, too—he was just as human as you—nevertheless, he paid the great price required to finish his task. Many thought he was foolish, but by paying the price he saved his family.

Some of you, too, will save your household by paying the price. Through your influence, determination and faithfulness to God, He will bring loved ones into the Ark of Safety Jesus Christ, save them in this your final hour. On that great day when you greet them in Heaven, you will rejoice that you paid the price.

Abraham Waited Years for the Promise

Think of Abraham and the price he paid to be the father of the faithful; the experiences he went through were certainly not easy. Abraham had waited years for the fulfillment of God’s promise of a son. Now he was approaching one hundred years old, and Sarah ninety. The sneers and unbelief of the people as they ridiculed him were difficult to handle. They thought he was deceived, a fanatic. How could Sarah have a child! they mocked. Then, long after her child-bearing years had passed, the miracle power of God moved upon her; she conceived and gave Abraham a son just as God had promised. What a price of mockery from scornful men Abraham had to bear all those years! He paid it, and at last he and Sarah had a son as the Lord had promised. Abraham delighted in Isaac as he watched him grow, heard his laughter, answered his questions. Isaac was Abraham’s most treasured possession—and God asked him to give him up.

A Chilling Task

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of (Genesis 22:1,2). Abraham faced the chilling task of offering Isaac as a burnt sacrifice. It seemed the price was too great, but Abraham set his mind to pay. On Mount Moriah Abraham erected an altar and made preparations. Isaac, full of life, was looking everywhere for the sacrifice, wondering where it could be. What a price Abraham paid when he heard that beloved son ask, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering (Genesis 22:7)? I can almost hear Abraham’s choked reply: My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering (verse 8).

Have you ever lived through that ordeal with Abraham? Imagine how he felt when he had to reveal that Isaac was the sacrifice! Not me, Father! You love me! But Abraham loved God more.

When we love God like Abraham did, we sacrifice everything—no matter how dear it is to us—that would hinder in any way our serving God. In order to make that sacrifice, a great price is required. Your whole heart and life, all of you, must be on that altar.

Abraham would have given the world to have been on that altar in place of his son, I’m sure. Remember, he had to tie up his son, lay him across the wood on the altar, see the hurt and bewilderment in his son’s eyes. Imagine the nightmare of agonizing thoughts flashing through Abraham’s mind. He gave all on that altar, for he had every intention of going through with the sacrifice.

When you give all, there is nothing left to sacrifice. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure (Hebrews 11:17-19). God had the power to resurrect Isaac after death, Abraham knew that, but he paid the price of putting Isaac on the altar and lifting the knife over his beloved son. As he lifted that knife, he paid all he could pay.

God takes you to the limit, and if you blame Him or pull away from Him or look back, He will never, never use you in perfection. He will never be able to use you as He had wanted, as the molded vessel He had planned.

At times it takes years for God to perfect a vessel for some special mission He wants done. He must test that vessel, taking it over the brink into complete surrender.

A Visitation in Time of Desperation

I would like to share with you an experience I had with the Lord some years ago. At the time I was under a great load, going through a deep valley. As I cried out to the Lord again and again, He would come to me, talk with me, encourage, strengthen and lift me up. I was under a load too heavy for anyone to carry without the help of the Holy Spirit, the power and anointing of God. The pressure of the load was so very intense it seemed carrying that load was completely beyond me. I had paid a great price, had obeyed God to the best of my capability in doing His will. The Lord visited me in that hour of great need, and at the end of His visitation while still under the anointing of the Spirit, I wrote down what the Lord had said to me. The impact of His presence in such an experience is fantastic! Seldom has the Lord told me so much in one session.

What It Means to Carry the Cross

In the Spirit I saw Jesus going up the hill of Calvary, carrying His cross. He said that the Cross was His until I claimed a part of it. “You asked to carry the Cross; you volunteered.” I did not know I had asked for so much. Not until that time did I realize I had actually volunteered to carry His Cross with all its sorrow and heartache.

“When you asked for the Cross,” Jesus told me, “you asked for all the persecutions, all the shame that go with it. You asked for Gethsemane, nights of agony and prayer; you asked for the Judases and the Barabbases, the Nicodemuses who would not understand your teaching of me and my power, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the hypocrites.”

Surely those Pharisees and Sadducees were gone by now I had thought, but not so.

“You asked for those who seek the loaves and the fishes, casting you aside when they are filled. You asked for the stormy seas that toss your little boat to and fro so your faith might be purified in me. You asked for nights of prayer and days of fasting—as long as forty days at a time.”

I hadn’t realized I had asked for all that, but the Lord said I had, and I knew it was true. Sometimes we shed many tears because we do not understand.

“You asked for sick and suffering humanity, the demon possessed and oppressed. You asked for the halt, the lame and the blind. You asked for false accusers, false witnesses at your trial by man. You asked for your words to be taken and twisted into meanings you never intended. You asked to be despised by the world—but loved by God. You asked for the favor of Heaven at the price of being considered the scum of the earth.”

Oh, there was much I had asked for!

“You asked to deny self and to hold up my holy name. You asked for those whom you would lead to doubt you at times and wonder whether or not you really were of God. You asked for tongue-lashings and for your heart to be trampled and tortured by man.”

I had asked for so much and did not even know I had asked.

“You asked to give your life and not to seek to save it.”

Completely I had turned my life over to Him, promising Him anything, telling Him I would go any way He wanted me to go. When I gave my heart to God, I gave everything to Him.

“You asked to walk the dark valleys of turmoil and to tunnel through mountains of opposition; you asked for the doubters and unbelievers to scoff and mock you to scorn. You asked for all the Crucifixion with its agony. You asked for those to whom you have stretched forth a hand to help find salvation and healing to turn their backs on you, to turn away from you. You asked for all their problems, to cry and pray over them for days, weeks and months at a time; and after you got the answers for them, they forgot what you had suffered. The enemy made them believe you played no part in their deliverance.

“You asked to fight against the doubt and fear of those you would lead. You asked no matter how close to God you lived to be accused of wrongdoing. You asked to stand dumb as a sheep before the slaughter.”

Oh, I had asked for much; now it was payday—and so hard to pay up. The flesh was weak, but thank God, the spirit within me was willing.

“You asked to love those who hate you.” How did I do that? By asking to be like Jesus. He loved His enemies.

“To pray for those who despitefully use you, to be tenderhearted, to forgive whatever evil that man might do unto you—you asked for these things. You asked for the honey and for the water from the rock, promising to pay any price for them.”

I had; I had promised to pay any price that He wanted for His greatness.

“You asked for the bread and the water of life; you asked for a healthy body, and promised God it would be His without reservation.”

I had promised those things. I had promised that if He would heal me, every day of my life as long as I lived would be His. I had promised to be His twenty-four hours around the clock, all His. Only the God I served and nothing else in my life would I count dear. He could depend on me if He would just restore my health. And He did.

“In return,” the Lord continued, “I promised to lead you through the valley, through the night. I promised to be your sunshine and your delight. I promised to walk closer to you than a brother; I promised deliverance from sin, deliverance from sickness; I promised the power to trample demons underfoot. I promised you a Pentecostal power in your life, and the Comforter to guide you, lead you into all truths. I promised you the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit. I promised that you would have joy unspeakable and full of glory, and in the end, everlasting life. I promised you a home not made with hands, an eternal home in the heavens where you would look upon my face forever. I also promised you the Blessed Hope of my coming. I promised that I will close the lions’ mouths for you; I’ll quench the violence of fire, giving you strength for each need. I will tear down the walls of Jericho and bring you safely through the rivers and the seas into a land that truly flows with milk and honey.”

In talking about the land flowing with milk and honey, the Lord was not speaking of Heaven but of an earthly promise. We are entering that land now. When God made this promise to Israel, He was speaking of the earth, of a land flowing with the greatness of His power and the might of His Spirit.

“I will greatly multiply the blessings of those who help you carry the blood-stained banner against sin and sickness. They shall be my people and shall enter into the greatness of all Heaven at the end of their faithful journey. I will bless you with power to call down the Holy Ghost upon believers, giving even more power and victory than was witnessed in the fall of the early rain of my Spirit.”

Then in the Spirit, the Lord brought Abraham to my mind again. It seemed I was on Mount Moriah in the Spirit. Abraham was there. Through the darkness—oh, what darkness!—I saw that Moriah was not lit with God’s power. It was a dark day for Abraham. I seemed to see Abraham lifting the knife. As it started to come down, down, down, I heard a groan, a loud groan coming from my lips.

Then the Spirit carried me to Moses’ day and showed me his sorrows, the grumbling and complaining of the people, the distress, the fear and frustration of it all, the disobedience even after God had given them so much.

Moses Could Bear No More

Moses bore it all until he cried out that it was enough, that he could take no more. I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me (Numbers 11:14). God told Moses to choose men to help carry his load. And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone (Numbers 11:16,17). To equip those seventy with the anointing to do His work, God took from the anointing of Moses. Now Moses had people to help him, but he had less anointing.

I am fearful to tell God that my load is too heavy, that I can’t take any more, because I am afraid God will lift some of His anointing. Never do I tell God I can bear no more; rather, I tell Him I must have more of His anointing, and He gives it. I never tell the Lord my road is too rough to travel, or that I won’t do something He wants me to do. I tell Him I have to have more of Him, and that’s the reason He has given so much; that’s the reason He is going to give more and more and more in this final hour.

The Darkness Will Be Dense

Although my way was dark, in the Spirit I saw there always has been enough light to show me my path. The Lord said, “There will always be enough light for you to see the road you must travel for me. The darkness,” He said, “will become very dense, but fear not; it is just a trial of your faith. It will purify your faith.”

Certainly it has been used in that way. My faith has become so purified that the gift of miracles is now operating. In order to reach the mountaintop and enter into the greatness of His might, that faith had to be so very purified.

Before I started my ministry in Akron, God showed me in a vision of things to come, how people would be miraculously delivered, how deformities would leave, twisted limbs become as melted wax and return to normal before His great power. The things I was shown in that vision are now coming to pass. People enter the healing lines with helpless limbs; then suddenly it’s over. As I stand and look at the vision, suddenly it happens: I see the miracle power go into the part of the body that needs healing, and it is done. Others have the miracle power injected into their bodies and in a few days, or perhaps a few weeks, their healing is complete, but it comes.

Lucifer’s Strongholds Are Being Torn Down

That night when I was in the Spirit, in His holy presence, and the Lord was telling me the price I would have to pay for this healing ministry, as I wrote down everything I could of what the Lord had said, I never knew I would share it with others, and so I put it away for safekeeping. But I felt led of the Lord to bring it to those of you who also have asked much of the Lord. There is a great price to pay; you have asked for more than you think you have. You may feel the devil is defeating you when he is not. You believe you surely must have displeased God, and that is the reason your road is so rocky and the valleys so deep; but some of you have not displeased Him. You’re climbing to a higher mountain peak than you have climbed before. You are being taken to greater heights in the Lord than you have ever gone. Those who are completely yielded to Him are being made to sit with Him in the heavenly places of His miracle glory and power.

The Lord will help you use your faith in perfection for miracles. Many are so anointed, so blessed and so close to Him that they join with me in believing for miracles in perfect harmony with the anointing of God, His power and His Spirit. The strongholds of Lucifer are being torn down. How thrilling to be able to believe God for greater things, to be able to suffer for His sake!

I Will Pay until God Says It’s Enough

This was my answer to the Lord before He left me that night: “My Lord,” I cried, “I will pay, pay until you say, ‘Son, it’s enough.’ And then, oh, Lord, I will come into your presence bringing the sheaves with me.” This was my promise to God.

After He told me all the things I had asked for, I analyzed them. Some cut deeply, but still I promised God that no matter what, I would win the lost for Him.

I am on a divine mission, ordained by God. I came to my ministry through great opposition of man and Lucifer, but I came with the smile and the anointing of God upon my life. I came with the voice of God in my ear—and that voice is still there today, thank God! Nothing shall ever dim that voice to the point I can no longer hear it, for I shall walk with Him and hold His hand. He always holds mine. It is easy for Him to whisper, I am the Lord that walketh with thee. Always when He says that, no matter where I am, I receive an extra anointing.

God Will Give You Strength to Stand

Child, I say again, no matter the price, no matter the cost in this life, to please God is worth the pain. Regardless of what must be surrendered, it is worth it to please God. You may spare your life or the life of someone dear to you for a short while; you may bring joy to them by your not doing all God wants you to do, but eventually your failure will be the cause of sorrow to you and to those around you.

When sorrow comes because of obedience to God, the Lord will become closer to you than a brother. Although the whole world may be against you, the Lord will give you the strength to stand. By degrees the Lord takes you into valleys. Step by step of yielding He takes you until you are completely yielded to Him. Oh, there is a price to pay!

The Lord Took Angel

I remember many times Angel, my wife, tearfully saying “Honey, how much does the Lord expect out of you?” Usually at those times I would be on a forty day fast. It was hard for Angel to see those long fasts God called me on; they were some of her greatest burdens and deepest valleys. She loved me too much to see me suffer. I would answer her at those times: “Whatever the Lord asks, I will pay.”

Part of my paying was giving up Angel, a shattering preparation for the miracle realm of this last and final hour. I understand so much about her death now; things I may never speak about in this life. The Lord explained to me His reasons for taking her, and those reasons are clear to me. Before her death He tried to tell me He was going to take her, but such a thing was so unthinkable to me that I could not accept it. Of all the sacrificing, of all the deep valleys I had endured, I always had that human hand to cling to, the hand of one who adored Jesus with a deep love rarely found. She was possessed with a love for Him I have never witnessed in anyone else. Any price for the divine will of God she would pay. If God had said, “Angel, I want your life today for my sake; it will bring many into the Kingdom,” Angel would have answered, “Lord, here I am! I’m ready!”

When Angel’s hand left mine, it meant both of my hands had to go into the hands of God. It meant I would walk with God without the encouragement of another human hand. That encouragement would come from God; He would walk closer to me than He had ever walked before. The Lord would overshadow me with His cloak of love and miraculous power. No valley would ever look so deep to me again, no sea seem quite so rough, no persecution ever pierce my heart as did the torture of losing Angel. God knew when I survived that storm that there would be no storm that could stop me, no forces of evil strong enough to tear me down. God knew I would truly pay the full price of walking into God’s glory and into God’s power.

Don’t Seek a Life of Your Own

Child, you, too, have a price to pay, and you must not fail. Your price may be different from mine, but don’t let the enemy deceive you: Don’t seek a life of your own. Seek to lose your life that you may find it. Pay the price that God sets for you. The enemy will do all in his power to cause you to fail God. Don’t let him. He will show you the prospering of others, but what kind of prosperity will anyone have in the Tribulation Period? Soon the Rapture will take place, and no earthly pleasure could ever match the blessedness of that experience. Never let your attention dwell on the possessions of those who seem to be better off than you; never let material goods be the focus of your life. The important thing is for the anointing of God to be upon you as the love of God overshadows you and the presence of God dwells within. You are far richer, blessed more than those without Him, for you are favored by God.

I know paying is hard, and my heart cries for you again and again. It’s hard for young people trying to find their way in this hour, but through the power of the Holy Spirit that way can be found. It is not easy to avoid being so busy with the things of the world that you shut out the things of God. This life is a short one. Much of your time in this final hour the Lord will call for, much of the time of those close to you who love Him.

Angel had to give me up often. Many times she stayed home because she did not want to go places without me. That was just one price she paid. Our journey had to be for God. Pleasing Him came before pleasing ourselves. Many times it would have been great to get away for a time from the burden of our work, but it could not be. The wolves would have come in. Night and day we fought to protect the lambs. This work has been tested and tried by everything the devil could hatch up, but God gave me a promise: “No devil,” He said, “no demon can destroy this work.” I carried that promise with me into the darkest valleys as I stood numb, mute before those who accused me, thinking nothing worse could happen to me. God used Paul’s persecutions to spread the Gospel further, and that is what God has done in my case. Paul wrote: But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel (Philippians 1:12).

The Lord Has a Blanket of Love for You

It will not be easy for you to give your life to the Lord so completely. You may be lied about. You may be falsely accused as people twist your words into whatever they want. You may be scorned and looked down upon. At work you may be given the lowest job. You will not have the favor of man, but you will have the favor of God in this hour as you serve Him. God will walk with you. There are times you will be treated like dirt because you bear His holy name and are His child. Those times may make you cry, but the Lord will be there to cover you with His blanket of love.

The Lord wanted me to bring this message to you because in this final hour those who are serving Him will have burdens both numerous and heavy. The devil will tempt you to turn back or at least to relax a little and not do the whole will of God as you become more and more caught up in making a place for yourself on this Earth. If you are not careful, you will hinder your companion from giving all the time and financial support to the work of God that your loved one wants to give. Depriving God of what He is calling for, you’ll be dead weight. What if Angel had held me back? What if I had hindered her? You must not be a stumbling block to your companion. You must allow others complete freedom to obey God in this final hour. In obeying Him, walking softly before Him, you will be ready to leave when Jesus comes.

A Message from the Holy Ghost

Feel the greatness of His power overshadowing you in this final hour. Let the Holy Spirit give you an extra anointing right now in the following message of the prophecy from the Holy Ghost: I have heard your cries, but there will be more tears and there will be more cries. The enemy will seek to destroy you, to destroy you physically. He will test your faith in me daily. He will seek to turn you away from my truths and from the understanding of my Word. Some of you will be tempted to give up in this final hour. You must reach to me daily; you must seek my face daily. You must depend upon me more than you depend upon physical food for the physical man. I will fill you with my Spirit. I will anoint you with my power. I will lead by the power of my greatness, and I will speak words of wisdom and knowledge into your heart. I will put my Word and establish it in your heart, and I will give you victory over the evil one.

You must rise up and declare that my coming is nigh at hand. You must arise and be a witness for me in this final hour. You must be bold in my Spirit and in the might of my power. You must not hesitate. You must go forward with mighty boldness to declare: This is my God and these miracles are performed in the name of His Son Jesus by the power of the Holy Ghost! You must declare unto man that your God is alive and that His promises are true.

I will walk with you in the valleys. I will help you up this mountain. I will be your strength daily. I will guide you into the greatness and the might of my power. You will behold my glory like you have never seen it before. You will be a witness of the greatness of my might in this hour, the final hour of the Gentiles.

You will arise with strength and courage and proclaim the greatness of your God and that His hand is mighty upon the inhabitants of the land, and for them to seek His face quickly because suddenly His hand will be lifted, saith the Spirit, and He will turn from the Gentiles.

Neighbor, it’s almost daybreak. Oh, God, the night has been so long! The night, oh, Lord, has been so long, and the only way we have been able to bear it has been through the light of your Spirit. The only way we have been able to face the fear of this long night, Lord, has been by hearing your voice and hiding your Word in our hearts, your Word seasoned with prayers and fastings. The Holy Spirit has used the Word to shed abroad the love of God in our hearts, and with your help, God, we will pay the price you ask. We will do all we must do to be ready for your soon coming, for we love you more than life itself. Like Joshua, we say, as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15).