This is an invoice from a gospel music minister.
The following are its stipulations before the said minister can be invited:
Flights will be booked for both the outbound and return journeys.
The artist will fly First Class (compulsory).
The team will fly Economy.
Hotel reservations will be covered by the church:
a. 1 Executive Suite for the minister
b. 3 Executive rooms for the 6 males
c. 1 Executive room for the 2 males
Honorarium: ₦5,000,000.
MODE OF PAYMENT:
a. A non-refundable 50% deposit must be made before the event can be scheduled.
b. The remaining 50% must be paid 2 days before the event (compulsory).
This invoice is years old, so it has most likely been revised upward.
This has become an accepted practice across many churches in the Nigerian church ecosystem today, especially among gospel music ministers.
Their ministrations, gifts, and talents are now placed behind a paywall.
No money, no ministration.
This raises several important questions about the current state of affairs.
What exactly is the minister charging for?
Everything that makes a ministration and ministry effective comes from God.
Firstly, the ministry itself is from God.
Paul said that it was Jesus who gave the ministries for the edification of the Church:
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.” (Ephesians 4:11)
Paul also said that it is God who makes us competent to minister the New Covenant:
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:5)
He further stated that it is God who causes His light to shine in the hearts of the unsaved:
“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts…” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
And again, Paul made it clear that it is God who gives the increase, while the minister is nothing:
“So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:7)
The question remains: what are we charging for?
It is God who gives the ministry.
It is God who makes ministers competent.
It is God who causes light to shine in dark hearts.
It is God who brings increase and edification.
If a minister charges money to minister, it suggests that they have control over the outcome of the ministration.
But Scripture says otherwise.
So again, what are we charging for? What do we truly have to offer that justifies a price?
Paul also said that it is God who counts ministers worthy and appoints them:
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” (1 Timothy 1:12)
We highlight these things to show that God is not pleased with what is happening within the Church in this nation.
This practice has become widespread. Ministers have taken what belongs to God and turned it into personal ambition.
They now believe they must be material beneficiaries simply because they are close to the altar.
Like Hophni and Phinehas, they are fattening themselves on the offerings of God’s people.
God is not pleased.
These money-mongers are ministers of Christ. They do not represent Jesus.
They have become celebrities, following the way of Cain.
Their consciences have been seared, and they no longer hold to the mystery of the faith with sincerity and a pure conscience.
God has rejected the service of such people.
This example is only a modest invoice.
There are others that are far more excessive, more troubling, and more driven by greed.
But the message has been passed.
More will be said.
Until then, remain blessed. Keep your garments white and your hands pure.
Amen.
Notice that now, nobody is creating and shilling new coins.
The moment Wiki Cat brings in global liqudiity into the SMC ecosystem, they will come out with, "Get your BNB ready", "God said" all while holding 10% of the project.
Show us power now that the market is down.
Peniwallet is officially live! 🚀
If you're looking for a wallet that lets you effortlessly send tokens to multiple wallets in one go, see why it’s a game-changer:
👉 https://t.co/GtSOzwEjE2
Japanese Parenting Secret for Raising a Genius Child!🇯🇵✨
Japanese parents use simple daily exercises to boost mental and physical development from an early age👦
Just 1 month of these exercises can make children more focused, thoughtful, and intelligent🧠💡
We're thrilled to announce @safepal as SSI (SoSoValue Indexes)'s official block trade partner! 🎉
Now you can easily buy large volumes of #SSI tokens (500K–3M USD) with smooth transactions.
Learn how to make block trades with #SafePal Swap here👇
https://t.co/b8tVI9GlqE
#Mag7ssi #SSI #SoSoValueIndexes
Make this Confession of faith:
In Jesus name, I am a child of God, I am born of God, washed by the blood of The Lamb.
In the name of Jesus, I live by The Word of God, my faith is built on the integrity of God’s Word.
In the name of Jesus, I am guided by The Holy Spirit, I enjoy His leadership.
In the name of Jesus, the promises of God, concerning my life are yea and amen! I receive them and I declare that they find full expression in every area of my life.
Therefore, I declare, that I am blessed, I declare that I am lifted, I declare that I am anointed. I declare that I am the head and not the tail.
I declare that the power of God is working in my life.
I declare that I am a possessor of the wisdom of God. I declare that the favour of God is working in my life.
I declare that people arise to honour the grace of God that is upon my life.
No limitation, no weakness, in the name of Jesus!
I declare that my confidence is anchored on The Word of God. God will not fail me, therefore I refuse to fear!
Nothing dies in my life, nothing dies in my hands!
I am a sign and a wonder! I am a testament of the victory of Christ Jesus! I walk in favour, ever-increasing glory, in Jesus name, Amen!
#PropheticConfessions
#ApostleJoshuaSelman
#TheFundamentalDoctrinesOfTheFaithPart1
#TheThingsMostSurelyBelieved
#KoinoniaAbuja
#KoinoniaZaria
#KoinoniaGlobal
The first time I made a lot of money, I thought the best thing to do was reinvest it in making more money. I invested it back into the things I was working on because I felt that being in control of my fate was better. I lost everything on stupid projects—youthful stupidity.
🗓 Seedizens, the Airdrop Countdown is on! — Here's all you need to know.
We’ve made it simple for you to get your share of the tokens.
✅ You're 𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 if you are not a bot farm, follow our channels, and have "𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗗 🌱" in your Telegram name.
The more engagement, the more rewards. The 𝗮𝗱���𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 will affect the number of tokens you’ll receive are:
💰 SEED Balance
👥 Invited Friends
🦉NFTs
🏅Achievement Badges
🌟 Star Store
📌 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮��𝘁: The in-app purchase store closes early next week before mining phase ends. We'll roll out the listing-related updates gradually! Everything is lined up.
That's all — simple, transparent, and fair. Keep going, and good things will come ‘cause we’re all chill #Seedizens.