“No pain no gain”… We all know this popular saying. It serves as motivation when we know that we need to go through temporary pain in order to achieve the results that we want. These words say it all. You cannot achieve anything without putting in the the time and the sacrifice to get where you want to get in life. You need to feel the burn and go past the point of exhaustion, despite the pains you feel, despite the mental strain, you need to push harder in order to reach success. You have to give it everything you’ve got and then some. In fact, when you reach the level of exhaustion, when you feel the pain, that’s when it counts the most, that is where the work you put in will make the most impact.

Sacrifice is not just about giving money, it’s about giving your life as a whole. How can you give your life without feeling pain? How can a woman become a mother without feeling pain? If you don’t want to carry the baby for nine months, if you don’t want to go through all the afflictions of being pregnant, if you don’t want to go through child bearing pain, then you cannot be a mother.

Nothing is conquered by chance. God doesn’t work with chance or coincidence. The same measure you use when you sacrifice is the same measure you will receive from God. Elijah knew that just the bull wasn’t enough.

After the bull was placed on the altar he told them, 

“Fill four water-pots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” 1Kings 18:33

Elijah told them to take what was most precious and put it on the altar too. There was no rain for over three years, people were thirsty. In those days a single drop of water was very precious, like gold. Many years ago I was in Israel with some bishops and we walked for 3 days and 3 nights just as Abraham did. As we walked we carried a bottle of water with us. We kept reminding each other not to drink all the water at once because we had a few days to go and if we drank it all at once we were going to go thirsty. If we tried to preserve the water for a three day walk, imagine the people who had no water for three years. 

But that’s what Elijah poured out. What was most valuable. What hurt the most. He did not want to take chances, he wanted to present the perfect sacrifice to God. Those willing to do the same, will see the power of God in their lives. 

Tomorrow we will be praying for you on Mount Carmel. Those of you who felt the pain of your sacrifice can be sure that the fire will come down in your life. 

May the God of the Bible bless all of you!

Bishop Bira Fonseca