LOT’S WIFE
by Tony Alamo
Do you suppose that GOD would allow Sodomites in Heaven? If so, I wonder why HE smashed the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim to pieces, burnt them, and leveled them to the ground. I also wonder why GOD turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:24-26). It was because she looked back, and because Sodom was still embedded in her depraved heart. She was instructed by the angels to not look back (Genesis 19:17).
She was told not to even look back at that sinful city because GOD hates sin. The angels said, “For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it” (Genesis 19:13).
Ezekiel 16:49-50 states that the sin of Sodom was “pride [‘Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.’ (Proverbs 16:18)], fulness of bread [gluttony: there was a multitude of fancy eating places in that resort town of pleasure], and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters [idleness is the devil’s workshop], neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy [she never even thought to do one shred of the LORD’S work]. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before ME [GOD said].”1
Although Sodom was a notoriously wicked city, when Lot separated himself and his herdsmen from Abraham, he chose to pitch his tent toward Sodom (Genesis 13:5-13). This was because the fertile plain that surrounded the city “was well watered everywhere” (Genesis 13:10), with many palm trees and much grass. It was an oasis. Sodom was like Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Bel Air, or Beverly Hills. The people there lived sumptuously in their lifetime, but oh, how miserable they, the Sodomites, are today in Hell and the Lake of Fire. There are no pleasurable eating places or resorts in Hell or in the Lake of Fire, no fancy meals, no dainties. “Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats” (Proverbs 23:6).
GOD was delivering Lot’s wife from destruction, but she still had Sodom in her heart. The Palm Springs/Las Vegas atmosphere was too much for her to give up. Matthew 6:24 states, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve GOD and mammon,” or GOD and anyone or anything else. In Lot’s wife’s case, she loved Sodom and hated GOD. That was why “she looked back” (Genesis 19:26). Are you looking at something? Say, like pornography? If you are, that’s what’s embedded in your heart.
The first and most important commandment in the Bible is stated in Mark 12:28-31: “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that HE [JESUS] had answered them well, asked HIM, Which is the first commandment of all? And JESUS answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The LORD our GOD is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy mind, and with ALL thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”2 This is because if you love GOD with everything that’s in you and love your neighbor as yourself, you will not murder him. You will not covet anything that he has; you will not steal anything from him. You will not bring false accusations or lie about him, and you will not commit adultery with his wife. You will honor your father and mother in the LORD; you will keep the Sabbath day seven days a week (that is, walk in the SPIRIT always3). You will not commit idolatry, and you will not take the LORD’S name in vain.4 If you’ve broken any of these commandments, it will send your soul to Hell, so you might as well have broken them all (James 2:10).
Now let’s deal with the heart. We are to “love the LORD thy GOD with ALL [our] heart” (Mark 12:30). Now, the heart is the real altar before GOD. Did Lot’s wife love GOD with ALL her heart? No! Her heart was still in Sodom when GOD was trying to deliver her from the forthcoming destruction. Her heart was an altar before Sodom, not GOD. This is the same with the majority of people today on earth, this world! The heart is the inner-self that thinks, feels, and decides. Lot’s wife decided to look back at Sodom because her thoughts were there. She decided to keep them there.
In the Bible, the word “heart” has a much broader meaning than it does to the modern mind. The heart is that which is central to a person. Nearly all the references to the heart in the Bible refer to some aspect of the human personality. In the Bible, all emotions are experienced by the heart: love and hate (Psalms 105:25, 1 Peter 1:22); joy and sorrow (Ecclesiastes 2:10, John 16:6); peace and bitterness (Ezekiel 27:31, Colossians 3:15); courage and fear (Genesis 42:28, Amos 2:16). The thinking processes are said to be carried out by the heart. This intellectual activity corresponds to what would be called “mind” in English. Thus, the heart may think (Esther 6:6), understand (Job 38:36), imagine (Jeremiah 9:14), remember (Deuteronomy 4:9), be wise (Proverbs 2:10), and speak to itself (Deuteronomy 7:17).
Decision-making is also carried out by the heart. Lot’s wife decided to look back when she was told not to look back, just like married women today decide to commit adultery on their husbands. Their hearts are also in Sodom with Lot’s wife. They are, so to speak, “sisters.” They decided in their hearts to bring false accusations against men, saying they were raped by them when they were not raped by them. This is an epidemic, a tsunami of lies that has covered the earth.
Also, the world government, headquartered in Rome,5 has decided, at any cost, to take control of every country by getting rid of their original leaders and replacing them with their own men, who have been schooled in the New World Order, at the cost of hundreds of millions of lives. But GOD, who is everywhere at the same time, sees it all, as do HIS holy angels.6 GOD knows our hearts.7 He sees that there are no prayers, no incense of prayers, ascending from any of these wicked men’s and women’s hearts.
Other activities of the heart are purpose (Acts 11:23), intention (Hebrews 4:12), and will (Ephesians 6:6). It will be our purpose, our intention, or our will to follow the LORD or to not follow HIM. Finally, heart often means someone’s true character or personality. This includes the qualities of purity or evil (Jeremiah 3:17, Matthew 5:8); sincerity or hardness—as an example, Lot’s wife’s heart was sincere towards Sodom but hard towards GOD, the LORD, as is the case with the majority of the world’s population today (Exodus 4:21, Colossians 3:22)—and maturity or rebelliousness (Psalms 101:2, Jeremiah 5:23). All these describe the heart or true character of individuals. GOD knows the heart of each person.
First Samuel 16:7 states, “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
Since people speak and act from their hearts, they are to guard them well (Matthew 15:18-19). “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
The most important duty of anyone is to love GOD with the whole heart (Matthew 22:37). With the heart, a person believes in CHRIST, and so experiences both love from GOD and the presence of CHRIST in the heart (Jeremiah 29:13, Romans 5:5, 10:9-10, Ephesians 3:17-19).
The altar in the Old Testament is symbolic of our hearts. During the days of Moses, two priestly altars assumed important roles in the ritual of the tabernacle in the wilderness. These were the altar of burnt offerings (symbolic of CHRIST’S death for all who would repent of their sins8) and the altar of incense (which is symbolic of the prayers from our hearts of faith in GOD and CHRIST for our petitions unto HIM9). The altar of burnt offering (Exodus 27:1-8) was placed in front of the entrance to the tabernacle (Exodus 40:6). (The tabernacle is symbolic of us who believe, who actually are the Body of CHRIST, HIS temple or tabernacle.10)
Regarding the altar mentioned in Revelation 8:3 and our prayers from our hearts, we read, “Another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar [symbolic of our hearts] which was before the throne.”
Now let’s look at the soul. The soul-life is the self-life. The LORD commands that we should deny ourselves, which means that we are to deny our soul-life and live by our spirits.11 When we accept the LORD as our personal Savior, HIS SPIRIT enters into our spirit.12 Then we are to live by the HOLY SPIRIT and deny our soul-life, that is, our former sinful life. Our soul-life is automatically denied when we live by our spirit, which we do when the LORD’S SPIRIT is living and working in our spirit.13
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword [the sword is the WORD of GOD14]. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than ME is not worthy of ME: and he that loveth son or daughter more than ME is not worthy of ME. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after ME, is not worthy of ME. [It’s a rough road to take, but we’ve got to take it if we want to spend eternity in Heaven.] He that findeth his [soul or carnal] life shall lose it: and he that loseth his [soul or carnal] life for MY sake shall find it [his eternal life]” (Matthew 10:34-39).
The way that we lose our soul-life, or carnal life, is when we become so spiritual and live in the LORD’S SPIRIT so much that our soul or carnal life absorbs only the HOLY SPIRIT, so our soul or carnal life is totally GOD, swallowed up by GOD. This is what it means to love the LORD our GOD with all of our soul. This is when our soul or carnal life has been totally invaded or taken over by the SPIRIT of GOD. When this happens, we have allowed the LORD to fulfill the Scripture in Ephesians chapter 4, verses 11-13, which tells us, “And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of CHRIST: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the SON of GOD, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of CHRIST.” Again, this is loving the LORD thy GOD with all your heart and with all your soul.
Now, as for loving the LORD our GOD with all of our mind, 1 Corinthians 2:15-16 says, “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the LORD, that he may instruct HIM? But we have the mind of CHRIST.” Ephesians 4:3-7 says, “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the SPIRIT in the bond of peace [which in reality is having the mind of CHRIST]. There is one body, and one SPIRIT, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling [which is to live eternally in Heaven with the triune GOD, HIS angels, and all of the redeemed]; One LORD, one faith, one baptism, One GOD and FATHER of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of CHRIST.”
Humans may have minds that are renewed (Romans 12:2) and pure (2 Peter 3:1). They may love GOD with all their minds (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27). (That is all they think about. They pray without ceasing, always.15) They have GOD’S laws implanted in their minds (Hebrews 8:10). Since we Christians have “the mind of CHRIST” (1 Cor. 2:16), we are instructed to be united in mind (Romans 12:16, 1 Peter 3:8).
To love the LORD our GOD with all of our strength is to redeem the time. Ephesians 5:1-16 says, “Be ye therefore followers of GOD, as dear children; And walk in love, as CHRIST also hath loved us, and hath given HIMSELF for us an offering and a sacrifice to GOD [from your heart, the altar, to GOD] for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of CHRIST and of GOD. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of GOD upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the LORD: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the SPIRIT is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the LORD. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore HE saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and CHRIST shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
This is a brief summary of how to serve our LORD with ALL of our heart, ALL of our soul, ALL of our mind, and ALL of our strength. Many churches today and many people outside of the churches today will tell you that you don’t have to love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. They are liars. They are false prophets which JESUS warned us of five times alone in Matthew chapter twenty-four. HIS warnings are for our sake.
Everything on earth is pretty much false. The earth is only 6,000 years old. Do you believe a carbon machine, or do you believe GOD? You may believe that Lot’s wife was not turned into a pillar of salt, but GOD said she was, and I truly believe this with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Do you want to come out of the world, or do you want to look back at it, as Lot’s wife did? The world and everything in it is condemned.16
If you desire to have eternal life and to not be condemned, say this prayer:
Prayer
My LORD and my GOD, have mercy upon my soul, a sinner. 1 I believe that JESUS CHRIST is the SON of the living GOD. 2 I believe that HE died on the cross and shed HIS precious blood for the forgiveness of all my former sins. 3 I believe that GOD raised JESUS from the dead by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT 4 and that HE sits on the right hand of GOD at this moment, hearing my confession of sin and this prayer. 5 I open up the door of my heart, and I invite YOU into my heart, LORD JESUS. 6 Wash all of my filthy sins away in the precious blood that YOU shed in my place on the cross at Calvary. 7 YOU will not turn me away, LORD JESUS; YOU will forgive my sins and save my soul. I know because YOUR WORD, the Bible, says so. 8 YOUR WORD says that YOU will turn no one away, and that includes me. 9 Therefore, I know that YOU have heard me, and I know that YOU have answered me, and I know that I am saved. 10 And I thank YOU, LORD JESUS, for saving my soul, and I will show my thankfulness by doing as YOU command and sin no more.11
After salvation, JESUS said to be baptized, fully submerged in water, in the name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY SPIRIT.12 Diligently study the KJV Bible, and do what it says until the day you die.13
The LORD wants you to tell others of your salvation (Mark 16:15). You can become a distributor of Pastor Tony Alamo’s Gospel literature. We’ll send you literature free of charge. Call or email us for more information. Share this message with someone else.
If you want the world saved, as JESUS commands, then don’t rob GOD of HIS tithes and offerings. GOD said, “Will a man rob GOD? Yet ye have robbed ME. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed THEE? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed ME, even this whole nation [and this whole world]. Bring ye all the tithes [a ‘tithe’ is 10% of your gross income] into the storehouse, that there may be meat [Spiritual food] in MINE house [souls saved], and prove ME now herewith, saith the LORD of HOSTS, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of HOSTS. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of HOSTS” (Malachi 3:8-12).
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footnotes: Lot's Wife
1. Lev. 18:22, 20:13, Deut. 22:5, 23:17-18, 1 Kings 14:24, Jude 7 return
2. Deut. 4:29, 6:5, 10:12, 11:13, 13:3-4, 26:16, 30:6, Josh. 22:5, Matt. 22:37-40, Luke 10:27, James 2:8-9 return
3. Rom. 8:1-14, Gal. 5:14-25 return
4. Ex. 20:1-17, Deut. 5:1-22 return
5. Dan. 2:40, 7:19-25, Rev.13:2-8, 17:1-9, 18 return
6. 1 Sam. 16:7, 2 Chron. 16:9, Job 34:21, Psa. 44:21, 139:3-12, 147:4-5, Isa. 46:9-10, Jer. 1:4-5, 23:23-24, 32:18-19, Amos 9:1-4, Zech. 4:10, Matt. 6:8, 31-32, 10:26, 12:36, 25:31-46, Mark 4:22, Luke 8:17, 12:2, Acts 15:18, Heb. 4:13, 1 John 3:20, Jude 14-15 return
7. Gen. 6:5-7, 1 Chron. 28:9, 2 Chron. 19:2-3, 32:31, Psa. 44:20-21, 73:1, Eccl. 11:9-10, Isa. 14:9-17, Ezek. 11:17-21, 14:1-8, Matt. 5:8, 2 Cor. 9:7, Heb. 4:12-13, 1 Pet. 3:1-4, 1 John 3:18-21 return
8. Psa. 40:5-8, Matt. 20:28, 26:28, Luke 24:46-47, John 1:29, 3:14-17, 6:51, 10:11-18, 11:49-52, Acts 5:30-31, 20:28, 26:23, Rom. 3:22-26, 5:6-21, 1 Cor. 15:3-4, Gal. 1:3-4, 2:20, 4:4-5, Eph. 1:7, 2:13-18, 5:2, Col. 1:14, 20-23, 2:13-15, 1 Thes. 5:9-10, 1 Tim. 2:5-6, Titus 2:13-14, Heb. 2:9-10, 7:24-27, 9:6-7, 11-28, 10:4-14, 18-20, 26, 13:12, 1 Pet. 1:18-21, 3:18, Rev. 1:5-6 return
10. 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19-20, 2 Cor. 6:16, Eph. 2:19-22 return
11. Matt. 6:22-24, Luke 9:23-25, John 6:63, Rom. 6:1-13, 7:4-6, 8:1-14, 13:12, 1 Cor. 10:21, 2 Cor. 6:14-18, James 4:4, 7-8, 1 Pet. 2:9 return
12. John 3:3-8, 14:23-26, 15:26-27, Acts 1:1-8, 2:1-18, 38-39 return
13. Ezek. 36:27, John 14:15-21, 23, 26, 15:4-5, Rom. 8:10-11, 1 Cor. 3:9, 16, Gal. 2:20, Eph. 3:16-21, Phlp. 4:13, Col. 1:27-29, 2 Tim. 1:14, 1 John 4:4 return
14. Eph. 6:17, Heb. 4:12, Rev. 1:16, 2:12, 16, 19:13-15 return
15. Psa. 34:1, Matt. 26:41, Luke 18:1, 21:36, 22:40, 46, Acts 6:4, Rom. 12:12, Eph. 6:17-18, Phlp. 4:6, Col. 4:2, 1 Thes. 5:17, 1 Tim. 2:8, James 5:16, 1 Pet. 4:7 return
16. Isa. 24:19-23, Matt. 24:3-35, 2 Peter 3:10-12, Rev. 8:7-13, 9:1-19, 11:19, 16:2-4, 8-10, 12, 17-21, 21:1 return
Prayer footnotes:
1. Psa. 51:5, Rom. 3:10-12, 23 return
2. Matt. 26:63-64, 27:54, Luke 1:30-33, John 9:35-37, Rom. 1:3-4 return
3. Acts 4:12, 20:28, Rom. 3:25, I John 1:7, Rev. 5:9 return
4. Psa. 16:9-10, Matt. 28:5-7, Mark 16:9, 12, 14, John 2:19, 21, 10:17-18, 11:25, Acts 2:24, 3:15, Rom. 8:11, I Cor. 15:3-7 return
5. Luke 22:69, Acts 2:25-36, Heb. 10:12-13 return
6. I Cor. 3:16, Rev. 3:20 return
7. Eph. 2:13-22, Heb. 9:22, 13:12, 20-21, I John 1:7, Rev. 1:5, 7:14 return
8. Matt. 26:28, Acts 2:21, 4:12, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14 return
9. Matt. 21:22, John 6:35, 37-40, Rom. 10:13 return
10. Heb. 11:6 return
11. John 5:14, 8:11, Rom. 6:4, I Cor. 15:10, Rev. 7:14, 22:14 return
12. Matt. 28:18-20, John 3:5, Acts 2:38, 19:3-5, Rom. 6:3-5, Col. 2:10-12 return
13. Deut. 4:29, 13:4, 26:16, Josh. 1:8, 22:5, 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:14-17, James 1:22-25, Rev. 3:18 return