A major issue confronting the gospel music industry is how to finance their activities. This issue has left a lot of gospel music artists in a dilemma and has led to poor ministry doctrines, carefully planned canal methods of taking fees for ministrations and too many divisions. It has led to breakups, breakaways and caused so many artists and singing groups to emerge. This has weakened Christian testimony in the community.
This issue of finance has led many gospel music practitioners to device many ways and gimmicks of raising funds for so-called ministry work. Some of these methods include pledges/vows, levies, seed faith, borrowings, launchings and the worst part of them all, sponsorship proposals.
YES!!! SPONSORSHIP PROPOSALS! I know by now you will be asking the question I am expecting you to ask: Is there a biblically correct way of raising money for the purpose of sponsoring Christian events and projects? The answer is YES!!!
This article seeks to show the biblical way of financing your singing ministry and events and can also set for us a pattern of provision for our personal living. I will start by first laying the biblical foundation for divine provisions for anyone God has called into His work. These biblical principles and practices as we will find out exemplified in the lives of those who went before us. I will treat this topic in a series of articles i will be posting every Tuesday.
The first truth we must embrace is that God is the owner of everything and everyone in heaven and earth. Angels, powers, men, women, kings, music, stage, lights, venue etc… (Psalm 24:1,Psalm 50:10-12, Haggai 2:8, Exodus 9:29, Deuteronomy 10:14, 1corinthians 10:26,28. We must understand that our God owns all things and He exercises His sovereign providence over everything.
Since He owns everything and everyone, he rules over everyone and administers everything after the counsel of His own will to fulfill His own purpose. (Daniel 4:17, 25, 32; Ephesians 1:11). He created all things for His pleasure(Rev 4:11).
The above scriptures make clear the divine ownership and authority over all creation.
PSALM 24:1 KJV-The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.
PSALM 50:10-12 KJV– For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the worldis mine, and the fulness thereof.
HAGGAI 2:8 KJV – The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts
It is important to know as a fundamental truth that God owns everything on earth and in heaven. All silver and Gold, Dollars, Pounds, Euro, Ghana cedis, Naira, CFA, all the money in a thousand bank vaults, in your wardrobe at home, your money safe in the office, just as the cattle on a thousand hills; all lands and mineral resources, every skill, competency and human aptitudes and geniuses are all His exclusively.
When we embrace and live in the light of this truth, we will know how to depend on His loving providence and submit to His authority in all things. Knowing that we owe our very life on earth to His kind disposition means that all His endowments in our lives must be employed to further His own purpose on earth.
With this premises, I believe you have understood who owns your very life and the gifts you have. It is my prayer that the Holy spirit will reveal the truth in this article to you. Please keep watching this space as i post a continuation of this article here next week. God bless us all!
By: NICK SOLOMON
