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A few shipments arrived this week. If you log into your account at www.toywonders.com, before clicking on any of the links below, approved wholesale accounts will see wholesale pricing.
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DIECAST Collectible
Model Cars And More
| Item# |
Description |
Stock
Status |
| 78012 |
Revell - Lowrider Magazine Assortment (1:64, Asstd.) 78012 |
New |
| 88012 |
Revell - Lowrider Magazine Chevy Assortment (1:64, Asstd.) 88012 |
New |
| 98012 |
Revell - Lowrider Magazine Assortment (1:64, Asstd.) 98012 |
New |
| 24706/06 |
RC2 Johnny Lightning - Muscle Truck 4-Car Set (1:64, Asstd.) 24706/06 |
New |
| 24707/06 |
RC2 Johnny Lightning - Hot Rod Magazine 4-Car Set (1:64, Asstd.) 24707/06 |
New |
| TT1126 |
1320 The Fuelers Dragster - Jade Grenade (1:24, Green) TT1126 |
New |
| TT1306 |
1320 The Diggers Fuel Dragster - Art Malone U.S.1 (1:24, Blue & White) TT1306 |
New |
| 112006 |
Saturn Sky Roadster Convertible (1:24, Asstd.) 112006
This is a very rare model. Originally targeted for resale in Saturn dealerships. |
New |
| 31240 |
1 Badd Ride - Dodge Challenger & Plymouth Cuda (1970, 1:24, Asstd.) 31240 |
New |
Toys
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Thank you
Lu Su
Toy Wonders, Inc.
www.toywonders.com
201-229-1700
God and the Art of Toy and Diecast Marketing
Stop Stealing from God (part 4 of 4)
By Lu Su
This is the final installment of Stop Stealing From God, a four part series. This fourth part took me so long to deliver, I sort of feel like George Lucas. Yeah, I'm just like him but without the fame and fortune. The first three parts of this topic dealt mainly with theory. We looked at this very old tradition and odd concept of honoring the LORD with your wealth -the first fruits of your crops. For those of us who have a personal relationship with God, when you don't honor God with your wealth, it's not like stealing. It IS stealing from God.
So I'm here to tell you, if you are not honoring God with your wealth, please stop stealing from God. Your actions have very long term consequences. Does God really feel that strongly about this and actually calls it stealing? The answer is "Yes". We looked at passages in the Bible where God through His prophet Malachi rebukes His people:
“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
How we are robbing God isn't something cryptic or requires Tom Hanks to run down these dark foreign and sinister looking corridors to uncover a hidden secret. God tells us exactly how:
“In tithes and offerings. -Malachi 3:8
We then looked into what a tithe and a offering was. We also looked into this interesting case study, about a guy named Achan. He was right there in the center of the action when the walls of Jericho fell. But he made a single mistake that end up costing his and his family's lives. What is particularly ironic is that Achan had so many things going for him:
1. A sound mind and body.
2. Taught at a early age the ways of God.
3. The support of a family, friends, clan and tribe who would have provided social, economic, and spiritual support.
4. God's law in writing.
5. A supportive government for righteous living.
If you were to construct a man who would love and walk in the ways of the LORD, you'd think the above five benefits would give anyone a tremendous head start. But Achan still chose to steal from the hand that provides. Fortunately, we know better right? We're not like Achan. We don't have his same benefits he has. We haven't taken the same path Achan took right?
So here we are at the fourth essay, which is the application part. I dare say that this is the most important essay out of the four. We are always learning new thing. But the problem is if you are unable to apply your new found knowledge to your life, then there is no long term meaning. It's like watching the History Channel. Much of the content is very interesting, but very little has any direct application for our lives; thus, it has little to no effect on us and the people around us. It's just interesting. It's not life changing.
So the challenge is to convince the people who love the LORD that "Honoring the LORD with your wealth -the firstfruits of your crops" is the right thing to do. It's also a wise thing to do. Because when we stop stealing from God, it will have very long term benefits/consequences for us, our families, the community we live in, and even our government.
A captain in the US Army that I am acquainted with, has been training Iraqi military officers with the hope that they will be able to one day soon protect their own people and government. When he was back here in the States on leave, someone had asked him what was his most challenging aspect of serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. The captain's answer wasn't related to insurgency, suicide bombers, poverty, religious rival factions, or a country on the brink of civil war. His reply was something totally unexpected.
"It's the way they think," the Captain said.
"The way they think?" I thought to myself.
"Yeah, Iraqi men's think very different than most Americans," said the Captain.
"How so?" I asked.
The Captain replied, "Well, let me give you a simple example. After I finish a lecture, briefing, or just whenever we take a short break, most of the Iraqi officers will immediately leave the classroom to get their nicotine fix. Now all over the walls inside the compound are written in very large letters the words, 'NO SMOKING'. Furthermore it's written in three different languages. And incase anyone is illiterate, which is not the case with these men because most are fluent in at least two or three languages, there are no smoking symbols next to "no smoking" words. You know a big slash going through a picture of a cigarette. One day as I walked out of the classroom and into a smoke filled hallway, I approached one of the Iraqi officers; He was leaning against the wall, right next to the no smoking sign, just puffing away."
As I pointed to the sign near his head, I asked him, "Do you know what this sign says?"
The Iraqi officer said, "Yes, " without even looking at it.
"So why are you smoking here?" asked the Captain. "Which part of 'No Smoking' don't you understand?"
After a brief pause the Iraqi officer said, "These instructions don't apply to me," as he took another drag. "This message is for other people. Not me."
"So you see the difficulty and how frustrating this can get?" said the Captain. "An effective army requires a chain of command structure where each person in that army follows orders. But in this Middle Eastern culture, we have men in positions of authority who have the ability to dismiss instructions by simply saying that instruction doesn't apply to me.
How many of us are like these Iraqi officers? What part of 'Honor the LORD with your wealth' don't we understand? We can read and comprehend the text "Honor the LORD with your wealth" just as clearly as the text "No Smoking", but we don't follow it. Perhaps without the think Middle Eastern accent, we too conclude that "This rule is not for me. It is for other people."
Another man that I am aquatinted with says that when he was in Saudi Arabia, this one town that he was working in had very high fatalities rates at particular intersections. What was occurring was that drivers would blow right through traffic lights. Same mentality was going on. This rule to stop at red lights applies to other people, but not to some men. So what the government started doing was putting speed bumps at the intersections -all four sides. He says when you hit a speed bump at 70 mph your head hits the ceiling of the car. My friend chuckled at this. Apparently in this Middle Eastern culture, the added incentive of not getting your head and neck injured is also required in getting people to obey traffic laws. So are we like these Saudi Arabian men? We need God to bring physical injury or calamity into our lives, before we consider obeying His ordinances?
Achan failed to heed God's ordinance when it came to giving God the first fruits. Achan and his family paid a steep price. Let's read on to see what happened. God revealed to Joshua, the leader of Israel at the time, why God was so angry.
They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.
Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the LORD.
Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today.”
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since. -Joshua 7:19-26
Many of you men are leading your family into this same valley where you will share in the same spiritual plight as Achan's family. I say this because when you fail to honor God with your wealth, it reflects that you don't have a relationship with God; this is deadly! If you are a little offended in what I just said, than what I just said doesn't apply to you; it just applies to other people, but not you.
Now what is the modern day equivalent to robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels? Well, if it's something tangible, then it's probably something made in China these days. If it's monetary, it's probably something digital. For me personally, I've come to understand that it's more in line with an improper IRS deduction, a pirated copy of a movie, music or software, going to a brick and mortar store to learn more about a product and then purchasing it online from another retailer, something breaking because of negligence and then is return for an exchange or refund, or even the simple act of misrepresenting something.
To the great displeasure of my boys, I took my family to see a Botanical Garden. Posted above the ticket window are the entrance fees. My daughter had just reached that age where they she is now qualifies for an adult ticket (just by a few months). My youngest had also just moved out of the age range from being free, to now requiring a child's ticket. The ticket agent would never know. She's not going to proof my kids. I was about to misrepresent my kids ages, but then I didn't. After I purchased the tickets, my daughter who was with me said, "Dad, you could have just gotten me a child's ticket, they wouldn't have known or cared." I thought about it and I realized how easy and natural stealing comes to us. And how you have to constantly work at it in order not to steal. I breathed a sigh of relief, because I though to myself, "Wow for the low cost of $8.00, I can with one swipe of my card steal from God AND show my child how to steal."
I think probably right now, a lot of people are rolling their eyes and thinking that I've gone a bit overboard. But for me, I've come to the realization that all those things listed above are the modern day equivalent of a robe, silver, and gold. I guess what would help is if you can first come to the understanding that God is the true owner of everything. God made this world and everything in it. He created man who in turn created products and services. But nevertheless, God is the true owner. He owns the Botanical Garden, the theater you attend, the shops your frequent, the businesses you purchase from, the restaurants you dine at, and every place you go to. Perhaps you don't agree. Again if you are offended by any of this, just dismiss all this by just saying, "It's theft for you, but not theft for me."
Once you can accept what I am saying is true, your thinking will change. And then following God's ordinances won't be so difficult because heeding God's direction will become more desirable to you. Look at it this way; God doesn't want his children to steal any more than you want your kids to steal in order to amass stuff. If you kid sneaks into a movie theater and "saves" $12 bucks, you don't say, "Good job." (At least I hope you don't).
As business owners, when you see an employee steal time, product, or both, you don't conclude that because they have been irresponsible with a little, I now can trust them with more. I bet God feels the same way. I bet God has a deep desire to bless you, but you haven't even been responsible with the small allocation that he's already given you.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. -Malachi 3:10
So in conclusion, Stop Stealing from God. If you can just do that, the honoring God part with your wealth will come naturally.
