READ: Luke 9:23-26
“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word…” – Luke 1:38
The taking away of the sacrifice is described as the sin of desolation. Desolation means: destitute, barren, empty, forgotten, dark, rejected and dejected. The sin of desolation is what comes when sacrifice is taken away from the church.
Where there are no sacrificial people, the church is desolate. We cannot build more churches if people are not prepared to sacrifice.
Sometime ago, I had a phone conversation with one of my lay pastors. Immediately after speaking to him, I had a vision. I saw the same person walking in a hot desert. He was sweating profusely and struggling in the heat of the shining sun. I knew immediately that he was distressed by his secular job. The Lord showed me that this lay pastor was not where he was supposed to be. So I called him and told him, “Pastor, you are in the wrong place. It is time to give it all up for Jesus. You are called to serve in the house of the Lord. You are a priest.” He responded, “Bishop, it’s true, I struggle everyday at work. I know I am lost. I’m coming.” That was the end of his secular career. Today he is fruitful in full-time ministry.
It was not easy for me to talk to this lay pastor. I felt very intimidated because he had a good job that was giving him a lot of money. Both Satan and the Antichrist were against my talking to this young man about full-time ministry.
Your life will be desolate when you hold back the sacrifice that you must make for God! May desolation and barrenness be removed from your church and ministry!