In addition to all of the ads they even have a place where you can donate to them.
Ok...so what I am wondering is at what point are we not trusting in God for provision and at what point do we perform our human responsibility to make an avenue through which God can bless us with His provision. I am not against them doing what they feel comfortable in allowing on their own website.
The above website is an example of commercial endeavor coupled with the traditional 'donate' model. How much does it cost for a domain name and a web hosting service for a year? And how much time does it take a webmaster to maintain the entire package? Not very much at all. The monetization of all the ads and sponsored links should bring in more then enough to maintain the site.
I am seeing more sites caving into the monetization of their websites, good Christian websites.
Which makes it all the more rewarding to me personally when I click a link and there is nothing to be seen to draw in funding from any visible source.
I try hard to keep this site from any distracting attempts to put the touch on anyone's wallet.
Even though Technorati feels that this webblog is or currently could be worth around $1,129.00 us dollars as it stands, but for me it is never about the $$$.
I am not alone in this thinking about all of this. I recall sitting in the pew the day that Pastor Chuck Smith triumphantly declared that Calvary Chapel had just purchased the radio station KWVE. He told joyously all of us, "Now we won't have any more commercial interruptions, just worship and teaching of the Word of God. Everyone was cheerful and clapped about that because Calvary had to purchase air time on a nearby commercial station (KYMS).
If you listen to KWVE today...well you get the point. Somewhere along the line he must have sold out to the $$$ aspects. In fact I couldn't help but notice that the station comes in low quality until either Chuck Smith or Greg Laurie is on. Don't believe me, turn on KWVE a half hour before Greg Laurie comes on on Sunday mornings and amazingly Greg's program will come in crystal clear when just a half hour ago it was marginal. Don't get me wrong, Pastor Chuck Smith is a (VERY) giving man of God. But he also can be thrifty at the same time. I put his son Jeff in the very giving category also. Jeff has a heart of gold!
I wondered about this turning down of the transmit power until a radio tech guy told me that some stations turn down their transmit power and turn it up when the principal programing is on. Not allowed by the FCC but stations do it anyway to save on their annual electric power bill. (Update: I don't believe KWVE does this any longer.)
There is a big juggling act to perpetuate things that all of us do in the name of Christianity. One man that I have the deepest respect for in this area is Oden Fong. Never have I seen him put the touch on his congregation. He has an offering basket in the back table of his services and never even mentions it. The man is a man of God who I have seen give away $$$ to others after his own needs are barely being met. From my vantage point he has always truly trusted in God for his provision. His personal life is a testimony to Godly giving! As you can well imagine Oden has deeply effected me by his living example of giving, in fact it is humbling.
When I was Mustard Seed Faith's roadie I found out that the band played in places where big offerings were taken on their behalf and the pastor of the church would hand Oden an envelope for playing at his church. We all would go out to eat and Oden would open the sealed envelope, in it would be just a check for $15.00. It had to have cost around $300.00 in travel expenses for the band to play at that church and the pastor took full advantage of the band. He used them to promote his own ministry. This actually happened to all of the Maranatha bands, even some big names that you would be amazed to find out had taken full advantage of the early Jesus People bands.
Greed in ministry is never supported by Jesus Christ, never. But ample provision is.
Which brings us back to my question, at what point are we crossing the provision line?
I have worked next to Benny Hinn's home for around 15 years and I worked on that small industrial building on Dyer in Santa Ana where TBN got it's humble start. I have personally witnessed TBN going from barely having enough to having way to much $$$. Today Benny has to be guarded by Black Water because he is worth so much etc. And TBN has real estate and assets all over the place. Is this what Jesus desires in ministry?
I am more comfortable with just being a 'tent maker' like Paul and doing what I can out of my own resources and allowing the blessing of Google for providing this site and bandwidth to us. To seek for gain beyond this is not something that I am comfortable with.
To be fair, others have been called to amass $$$ to distribute as the Holy Spirit directs, I am not in that calling...nor would I want to be.
What I do here is not something that I desire to be taking $$$ from others for. There will be accountability in one sense.
Yours truly,
Surfer51
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