by Larry Siegle on August 23, 2010
CERTAIN aspects of pop culture are as unchanging as grains of sand along the seashore. So when a television network like Nickelodeon creates a fantasy-based reality series, it comes as no great surprise. The formula for successfully reaching into the tween demographic (ages 8 to 14 years old) has been demonstrated countless times with such offerings as iCarly and Disney’s Hanna Montana. This, combined with the “American dream” of growing up to be famous as a sports hero or “pop” star has long captivated the imagination of millions–all hoping against hope to become the next ‘big thing’ in Hollywood.
The unfortunate reality is that some parents whose lives have gone hopelessly in the wrong direction, down the road of living a lifestyle far below their youthful dreams and expectations, have landed in the sea of mediocrity, wishing for something better for their own children. The glitz and glitter offered under the allurement of fame and fortune never creates the level of happiness, joy or contentment offered. Hollywood, by definition is about illusion, an offering of “all the kingdoms of the world and all their glory” (Matt. 4:8; Luke 4:5) to the unsuspecting, but in the end leaving behind the saga of broken promises and shattered dreams. [click to continue…]
by Larry Siegle on April 12, 2010
One of the most abused and misapplied passages of Scripture is found within the teachings of Jesus, during what is commonly referred to as, The Sermon on the Mount, where he said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). This verse is often quoted by television evangelists to suggest that by donating to their particular ministry that God will bless our lives–that ‘giving money’ into their ministry will result in a ROI (Return on Investment), perhaps even to the degree of a “hundred-fold” (Matt. 19:29). Wow, give $10 and God will give you $100–interesting concept, bad theology.
There is, however, a Spiritual Law or Divine Principle involved in the words of Jesus and something that every person ought to understand because it actually works when applied correctly. The Divine Principle is that when we “sow” into the lives of other people, in a real and genuine and heartfelt way, that genuine blessings will indeed follow–perhaps in unexpected ways, not necessarily financial, not necessarily material. While it may be the case that one will reap financial benefits from the action of giving, the rewards extend far beyond the temporal blessings that most people associate with what Jesus was saying.
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