Luke 22:35-38 KJV — And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. [36] Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
[37] For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. [38] And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.
If you are holding this message in your hands and have read up to this point; it means you really want to live a life that has meaning. One of the key truths I am sharing today is the fact that you can’t be poor. Your poverty will hinder the gospel. Your poverty will slow the work of missions down. I pray for you tonight that any power projected against you to keep you poor is rebuked now! In Jesus’ name!
Inasmuch as the gospel is free, the preaching of the gospel is not free; it costs a lot of money. The Lord exhorted the early church to go get a purse, a scrip, and a sword. The pathetic reality is that the church that means business must get a purse, a scrip, and a sword; we are rather acquiring what we should have been selling. Many of us have wardrobes and boxes full of clothes and jewelry; but no savings and scrips. The Lord rather exhorts that we should sell our garments and buy a sword.
- A Purse is a money bag in which the Hebrews, when on a journey, carried their money, and sometimes provisions.
- A scrip is a certificate which shows that an investor owns part of a share or stock.
- A sword in my opinion is the metaphorical advice to prepare for the perils of ministry after thr Lord’s crucifixion and ascension;
I believe the Lord was calling the early church to be prepared for hardship that ministry will bring. Jesus pointed out to our fathers, and His followers to be ready for self-sacrifice and the challenging times ahead.
It’s important to note that out of the four things the Lord exhorted his disciples to acquire, two of them speak about money. The church needs a purse and a scrip, as well as a sword and the enduement with power from on high. If the work of missions and world evangelism can go on and continue unabated, we need:
- A purse: a money bag, representing a solid cash flow. It does not matter how rich you are, a solid cash flow is important for the successful running of the business of the gospel.
- A scrip: a certificate of winning stocks and bonds and businesses.
- A sword: a willing readiness to endure and sacrifice oneself.
- The anointing of the Holy Ghost and power. The only guarantee, that you can produce eternal rewards.
This church needs a purse, a scrip, a sword and anointing. We must spend some time praying for the financial turnaround. I pray that the year 2025 shall bring us great relief. May God give us some supernatural financial turnaround! May the Lord open financial doors in the name of Jesus Christ!
You cannot be poor, you must not be poor, you cannot play games with money. God is turning things around to favour you in the name of Jesus Christ!
Stay blessed
