Hundredfold Return on Investment by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved. Chapter 1 If investors can double their money in the market, that’s considered pretty good. Quadruple is even better. But multiply it times a hundred? What’s your secret? Here is a passage of scripture from Matthew 19:23—30. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." 25 When his disciples heard it, they were quite amazed, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them, and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 27 Then Peter answered him, "See, we've forsaken all, and followed you, what shall we have therefore?" 28 And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, That you who have followed me, in the new creation when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, you shall also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone that has forsaken houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 30 But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first." First, Jesus is talking about how hard it is for a rich man to go to heaven. And if your wealth is likely to keep you out of heaven, I suggest start giving it away right now, because there is nothing in this world worth going to hell for, where there’s crying and gnashing of teeth, where their worms don’t die, and the fire is never quenched, says Jesus. In verse 29, Jesus talks about what you might have to give up for his name’s sake. Someone might think, “But I don’t have to give up anything if I’m not a Christian.” The problem with that is, you can’t go to heaven if you’re not a Christian. And if you don’t go to heaven, then you do go to hell. Some Christians have had to give up houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, real estate. But whatever the price, it’s worth it to go to heaven. But you don’t have to give up your wife if she will also serve the Lord with you. Norvel Hayes said he was married to a woman that looked like actress Elizabeth Taylor. Norvel said to his wife, “Well, I’m going to serve the Lord.” She said, “Well, I’m not.” The husband wants to serve the Lord. The wife doesn’t. So what are you going to do? The Bible says, “How can two walk together unless they’re agreed?” Well, they can’t, of course. Jesus said if you love father or mother or son or daughter more than him, you’re not worthy of him. Jesus said that a man’s enemies would be those of his own household. Some will serve the Lord. Some won’t. But if you can pray them into the Kingdom of God, that’s great. But don’t quit Jesus for anyone. Chapter 2 Probably most Christians have had to give up something for the Lord. The Lord knows what sacrifices you’ve made, and will reward accordingly. Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” The richest man in the world couldn’t ransom his own soul. He can only go to heaven like the rest of us, by becoming a Christian. I’m not going to hell for anyone. If I can persuade them to serve the Lord, fine. If not, I’ll serve the Lord, and they can go their separate ways. Jesus said, “He that finds his life shall lose it, but he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.” It’s nice to have some earthly possessions, but Jesus warned, “Beware of covetousness.” In fact, one of the Ten Commandments is, “Thou shalt not covet.” Jesus said, “A man’s life doesn’t consist of the things he possesses.” It’s good that Jesus said that, because much of the world thinks that the more you have, the more important you are. But God doesn’t look at it that way. God looks to see if you are 100% for Him. Do you love God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, like Jesus said? Do you help the poor? Do you love your neighbor like yourself? Do you do to others like you would have them do to you? Do you tell people about Jesus? The Bible says, “He that wins souls is wise.” In a vision that the Lord gave to Kenneth E. Hagin, the Lord showed Hagin a beautiful crown. The Lord said, “This is a soul-winner’s crown. People who win souls for Jesus will get a soul-winner’s crown.” The Lord looks to see whether you are overcoming the temptations of the world. In Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3, the Lord makes seven promises to those who are overcomers. I will certainly try to qualify for those benefits. Who’s who in the sight of God doesn’t depend on how much you have in the bank. And when you give to the Lord, the Lord looks at how much you have left. The widow woman who gave two pennies gave more than all the others, Jesus said, because the others gave out of their abundance, but she gave all that she had. Jesus told about workers who were paid a penny a day. So, two pennies would be about two days wages, and that was all that the widow woman had. If you’re a strong Christian, then you’re really someone with God. Are you walking in love, as in 1 Corinthians chapter 13? Do you put your faith to work, as in Mark 11:23,24? The Bible says without faith, it’s impossible to please God. (Hebrews chapter 11) Do you give back to God a portion of your earnings? Do you pray in your known language, and also in unknown tongues, as the Lord wants you to? But you pray in unknown tongues (languages) after you receive the Baptism with the Holy Ghost. Please see my book, “What the Bible Teaches About Grumbling, Divine Healing, Prayer, Baptism with the Holy Ghost.” (Amazon) Do you “Study to show yourself approved unto God,” as in 2 Timothy 2:15? The AUG degree (Approved Unto God) is more important than a Bachelor’s degree. (Of course, you can have both.) Some have that AUG degree, but some are not even seeking it. I met a man in Houston whose business partners had cheated him. I told him he had to forgive them because Jesus taught that if we don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive us. It might seem like a hard thing to do, but don’t let unforgiveness send you to hell. The Bible says, “Work for the night is coming when no man can work.” The Bible says we should redeem the time. Let’s use our time wisely, and let’s ask the Lord for more wisdom. Norvel Hayes said the Lord told him, “Son, my people don’t worship me enough, and you don’t either, son. You tell the people that if they’ll spend time worshiping me, they can have anything they want.” Anything you want. Does that interest you? If you need some words of worship, the Book of Psalms, about in the middle of the Bible, is loaded with them. And if you’ll pray in unknown tongues (after receiving the Baptism with the Holy Ghost), a portion of that will be worship to God. Brother Hayes has a website at www.nhm.cc ___James chapter 1 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings. 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away. 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man, 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God. 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror, 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. ___James chapter 2 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also, 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool," 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats? 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called? 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well, 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law. 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment. 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food, 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that? 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God." 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. ___James chapter 3 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies. 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants. 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind, 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be. 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace. ___James chapter 4 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members? 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask. 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?" 6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up. 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else? 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit," 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that." 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin. ___James chapter 5 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter. 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you. 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near. 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door. 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation. 13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven. 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good. 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him, 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.