An Australian council gave an Irishman special permission to dig through a local garbage dump. The man is desperately trying to find a lottery ticket worth 1.5 million dollars ($700,000 US), that he says he accidentally threw out in an empty grocery bag. Newsagent Sue Virgin said the winning ticket was sold December 18 in a mining town in the state of Western Australia and the prize has not been claimed. Virgin said, "People aren't generally allowed just to go to the tip and dig, and we would certainly be discouraging people from doing that." She said the man had spent four days digging. Virgin added that with all the refuse dumped after Christmas, "It must have been disgusting."

Why would this man dig through refuse? Because he lost something that is of great value to him. And if he finds it, I'm sure he will rejoice. Just as heaven does when a lost soul, something of great value, is found.

Luke 15:8-10 NASB "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? [9] "And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!' [10] "In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

On-line auction houses are becoming more popular these days. While you can buy or sell almost anything with a computer, some items are still out of bounds.

In late February, the on-line auction company e-Bay removed a Canadian man's offer to sell his soul to the highest bidder. Sterling Jones, a self-described atheist, planned to send the successful bidder a paper stating that the person now owned his soul. Officials of e-Bay did not appreciate Jones' attempt to auction his soul, and removed the offer.

They sent Jones an e-mail explaining that if a soul does not exist, e-Bay could not allow the auction because there would be nothing to sell. If souls do exist, e-Bay said a soul would fall under the company's ban against auctioning human parts of remains.

The Riverside Press Enterprise, which first reported the story, says by the time the offer was pulled February 22nd, the site had recorded nine bids. The highest offer was $20.50.

Jesus asked, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" E-Bay could not say whether or not man had a soul. The bidders on the site had no idea what to offer for a man's soul. Jesus showed us the true value of a soul. It is the most valuable thing we have. The best use of the soul is not selling it, but surrendering it to the Lord.

"Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, but anyone who losses his life for me will find it." (Matt. 16:25)

The current financial crisis is impacting more than just the United States. In the European Union nation of Latvia, the monetary crisis is especially troublesome. Unemployment is soaring and banks have reduced lending, which has lead to the growth of small companies offering easy loans in small amounts. The problem in getting one of these loans is what the companies seek as collateral, your soul. The Kontora Loan company makes that offer. Clients sign a contract, with the words “Agreement” in bold letters at the top. In the document, the client agrees to the collateral, “that is, my immortal soul.”

Viktor Mirosiichenko, spokesman for Kontora, says his company would not employ debt collectors to get their money back if a person refused to repay, and he promised no physical violence. He says signatories only have to provide their first name, and do not need any other documents. Morisiichenko says over 200 people have taken out loans in the two months he has been in business. He claims he is basically trusting people to repay the small amounts they have borrowed between 1 and 90 days, at a high rate of interest. Morisiichenko added, “If they don’t give it back, what can you do? They won’t have a soul, that’s all.”

--Would you pledge your soul as loan collateral?; http://news. yahoo. com/s/nm/20090703/od_nm/us_soul_odd; July 3, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Your soul is so valuable that Jesus gave His life on the cross for you. Why would someone pledge their soul in exchange for a couple hundred bucks?

Mark 8:36-37 (NLT) And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul?

An online computer game retailer revealed that it now owns the souls of thousands of shoppers due to clause it inserted into an online agreement. On April 1, 2010, British retailer GameStation, inserted what they termed an “immortal soul clause” into a contract signed before shoppers finalized their online purchases. The clause said the shoppers agreed to grant the company “a non transferable option to claim, for now and forever more, your immortal soul.” The contract required the unknowing shopper to surrender their soul within five working days of receiving written notification from the company.

GameStation said they gave anyone who read the terms an opportunity to opt out, but no one selected that option. The company admitted the change to their online terms and conditions on April Fool’s Day was a joke, and they have no intention of following through. A spokesperson says the retailer made the changes to make a point. They said few people take time to read the online contracts they sign, and a company is free to insert any language they choose into their documents.

--7,500 Online Shoppers Unknowingly Sold Their Souls, http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/15/online-shoppers-unknowingly-sold-souls; April 15, 2010, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Matthew 16:25-26 (CEV) “If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it. (26) What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul?”