Toys for Christmas - Worldview Answers

World Views Toys

• Capitalism - He who dies with the most toys, wins.

• Hari Krishna - He who plays with the most toys, wins.

• Catholicism - He who denies himself the most toys, wins.

• Anglican - They were our toys first.

• Greek Orthodox - No, they were OURS first.

• Branch Davidians - He who dies playing with the biggest toys, wins.

• Atheism - There is no toy maker.

• Polytheism - There are many toy makers.

• Evolutionism - The toys made themselves.

• Church of Christ, Scientist - We are the toys.

• Communism - Everyone gets the same number of toys, and you go straight to jail if we catch you selling yours.

• B'Hai - All toys are just fine with us.

• Amish - Toys with batteries are surely a sin.

• Taoism - The doll is as important as the dump truck.

• Mormonism - Every boy can have as many toys as he wants.

• Voodoo - Let me borrow that doll for a second.

• Hedonism - To heck with the rule book!? Let's play!

• Hinduism - He who plays with bags of plastic farm animals, loses.

• 7th Day Adventist - He who plays with his toys on Saturday, loses.

• Church of Christ - He whose toys make music, loses.

• Baptist - Once played, always played.

• Jehovah's Witnesses - He who sells the most toys door-to-door, wins.

• Pentecostalism - He whose toys can talk, wins.

• Existentialism - Toys are a figment of your imagination.

• Confucianism - Once a toy is dipped in the water, it is no longer dry.

• Non-denominationalism - We don't care where the toys came from, let's just play with them.

• Agnosticism - It is not possible to know whether toys make a bit of difference.

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Quine: Proverbs of Jesus-Part 7 "Happy is the Pure"

The Transfiguration: Pure Jesus!Happy is the one who is pure in heart (Matthew 5:8)
There are two ways to understand this proverb. The first is to take it as moral purity—that is, to see God you must be morally pure. The other is to take it as pureness of thought, like a single mindedness. To be pure is to be focused. Which is it—moral purity or single mind purity? The answer is “yes,” for the two are not in conflict.

God Himself is both. First, He is described as pure. He is morally clean; He has never sinned; He is perfectly righteous. John describes God as light; in Him is no darkness whatsoever. He is absolutely pure light. Yet also, all His focus boils down to one thing. Jesus Himself said it—to glorify the Father, and the Son be glorified by the Father. He prayed in John 17:1, “Father, the hour has come, glorify the Son so that the Son may glorify thee.”

You may wonder if it is worth it to be pure. Whether being moral has any real value. But here is the question: Will God reveal Himself, I mean really reveal Himself and the depth of His character to a dirty vessel? Will he come down and visit someone who is unfocused? What is the first commandment? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind.” If you do, God will reveal Himself to you so you can love Him all the more. He will not disappoint you. And, if you do, the things that pollute you, the things which drag you down, and the things which destroy your life will lose their attraction. Isn’t it time you became morally pure, and isn‘t it time you focused your life to serve Him? Jesus challenged thee disciples through this proverb—do you really want to see God? Then be pure.

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Quine: The Proverbs of Jesus -Part 3 "Happy is the poor in spirit"

Read it! post by QuineA Sampling of the Seven Beattitudes
Happy is one who is poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3)
This first proverb is puzzling. Why would one poor or downcast in spirit be characterized as happy or content? Why is this seemingly discouraging attitude the characteristic of the disciple living in eager expectation of the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven? The solution to this quixotic riddle is found by examining the context of his day and the words Jesus used.

The disciples received their previous religious education from the Pharisees. These teachers clearly taught that through demonstrable righteous deeds entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven could be gained. Naturally, no one was more righteous than the Pharisees. Jesus will shock them and the slowly arriving multitudes when he boldly declares, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” (5:20).

The word translated “poor” () was used for the economically destitute. This is significant, for according to the theology of the Pharisees, He whom the Lord loved, He blessed with material wealth. In sharp contrast to their teaching, Jesus affirmed that the Kingdom of heaven was not for the rich, but in some sense, for the poor.

Although Luke’s account does not include the qualifying phrase “in spirit”, Matthew cannot be explained as spiritualizing Christ’s intent. Economic position, whether rich or poor, has no advantage per se for entrance into the kingdom. After noting that this word “poor” is used to translate several Hebrew words in the LXX, Carson suggests that the “poor” are,

Those who because of sustained economic privation and social distress have confidence only in God (e.g., Pss 37:14; 40:17; 69:28-29; 32-33; Prov 16:19 [NIV, “the oppressed”; NASB, “the lowly”]; 29:23; Isa 61:1; cf. Pss Sol 5:2,11; 10:7). Thus it joins with passages affirming God’s favor on the lowly and contrite in spirit (e.g., Isa 57:15; 66:2).

Only since there is no other place to turn that the impoverished have an advantage before God. The poor more easily recognize their total dependence upon Him. Christ’s focus is on this attitude of dependence. Carson concludes,

To be poor in spirit is not to lack courage but to acknowledge spiritual bankruptcy. It confesses one’s unworthiness before God and utter dependence on him.

The attitude recognizing one’s dependence upon God is the significant difference Jesus is identifying. The one who is “poor in spirit” is the one who knows he has nothing to offer God, for he stands before the Lord without anything in his spiritual account. Paul describes our spiritual bankruptcy in Romans 3:10-12 with these words, “There is none righteous, no not one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” With a simple credit check, God quickly discovers that we have nothing to offer Him.

Those who are “poor in spirit” are “blessed” because “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It is only those who recognize their spiritual need who have a place in the kingdom. These who recognize that their account is lacking find that God’s account is abundant. The poor in spirit have turned to God, become dependent upon Him, and therefore find happiness. This implies that the opposite is also true—those who do not recognize that their spiritual pockets are empty have no place in His kingdom. The first step in salvation is the recognition of spiritual impoverishment. Not until we see our purses empty, and that we are completely dependent upon God for eternal life, is there opportunity for contentment.

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Jay A. Quine: Meditate on the Word for blessing

Psalm 1; Proverbs 16:20
The daily news rushes at us at a speed never before imagined. Tsunami in Japan; fighting in north Africa; disruptions in Burma. We hear about world events almost before they happen. If we let ourselves, we would stay fixed on monitors streaming the news. But the Bible tells us to stay focused on the Lord. If we do, we remain calm, controlled, and content. We are to be blessed. Proverbs 16 says, “He who gives attention to the word shall find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” This is Dr. Jay Quine. Remember this word, “blessed,” and be content amidst the chaos of the modern world, like a tree planted by streams of water. Meditating on the word, and not the news, day and night.

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