Save the Haddock

Oban: Visit Scotland from Facebook

That delicious 'Scottish' fish must be saved, because it is my favourite.

Bullet Sunday: Men's dress shoes are advancing so much these days...

Old on left, new on right. 

•With my new executive work, I bought a new pair of dress shoes and had my other three older pairs of dress shoes repaired to be like new. I can now alternate four pairs. The shop representative stated when I walked into the store with three pairs of dress shoes for repair that he could sell me a new pair of Rockports, just like my one pair. I think I now have three pairs of Rockport dress shoes, actually.

•I asked the shop representative if the Rockports were the best dress shoes he had. He said 'Yes'. I was thinking this is ten to fifteen years after I bought my other pairs of dress shoes and these new ones look almost identical to my one older pair? I am not a fashion expert, but I attempt to remain reasonably modern; it seems like it will not be difficult to remain up to date in regard to men's dress shoes.

•Our pastor spoke well, on repentance this morning. From my Reformed perspective, God causes regeneration in the chosen person (s), in Christ (Ephesians 1, 2, Romans 8-9). God causes this as primary cause and it is embraced by those in Christ as a secondary cause. The divine, primary cause alone actually saves a  person. Secondary cause here means a human being embraces the work of the primary cause as opposed to by force or coercion. This compatibilistic approach therefore features soft and not hard determinism.

Non-exhaustive examples of God regenerating:

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Titus 3:5-7

5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs [a]according to the hope of eternal life.

John 3

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these [a]signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born [b]again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Within my Reformed theology, in the salvation process, regeneration would include (non-exhaustively) God providing grace, faith, (legal) justification, sanctification and repentance to persons. Atonement is multifaceted with many aspects, but a key is that God the Son, Jesus Christ, within the triune Godhead, provides these to human beings by divine power alone.

God enlightening someone, now in Christ, to repent is as an aspect of human salvation by grace through faith alone.

The person in Christ, embracing repentance or any aspect of salvation, does not technically save that person, but this is the person embracing this aspect his/her salvation, which is the atoning and resurrection work of God the Son, Jesus Christ applied.

I acknowledge there other examples in the New Testament such as James that state:

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

James 2:24 24

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Ephesians 2: 8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [h]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

The justification discussed in James is a justification of works, as in a sign on true regeneration and faith is works. Someone that is not regenerated will not have the works mentioned in both James 2 and Ephesians 2: 10.

Barclay reasons that Paul and James are not in disagreement. (79). Faith and deeds are not opposites, they are inseparable. (79). Someone must be moved to faith by God, and that faith will demonstrate works for God.

BARCLAY, WILLIAM (1976) The Letters of James and Peter, Philadelphia, The Westminster Press.

Charles Norman Russell

Vancouver, yesterday

My friend Wei Wee has professional inventory experience and so he sent in his application to my employer to be a ministry volunteer.

WW played us some weird sermons and lectures online for fun, and then I suggested he listen to Searchlight and Jon Courson online for the first time. I think Pastor Courson is very solid biblically, and Wei Wee thought so as well, but being somewhat of an American, evangelical, fundamentalist, Pastor Courson would differ from John and I, in some areas of theology and  philosophy of religion.

When the sermon discussed how some evangelicals (paraphrased) were trying to be cool with drink, smoking, ink and then swearing, Wei Wee broke out in intense laughter. Pastor Courson then stated (paraphrased) that being cool will not work for biblical Christians that will be exposed, in the end, as being different from the world system.

I agree, as did Wei Wee, that true biblical Christians cannot fit into the world system.

Wei Wee went on and on and how ridiculous the assumed connections were. A problem from the sermon is assuming that typically drinking, smoking and ink, will lead to significant sin. As opposed to a significant reliance on reason, this sermon approach relies on significant fear.

I added my satirical angle which kept the laughter going:

Paraphrased:

Dr. Russ Murray (@ work in a new office, not yet open to the public)

Yes it starts with trying to be kool, drinking, smoking, ink, swearing and eventually a gay orgy...

Wei Wee 

Intense laughter.

Later after work..

Wei Wee 

After I told him that at the corporate, Toronto, office chapel, I was at first introduced as Dr. Murray Russell. He stated a new nickname for me was...

Charles Norman Russell

Not to be confused with Charles Taze Russell or Norman Vincent Peale.

Wei Wee 

His new teaching is called Reformed theology.

How to contact me as Shaw is dragging their cable

I recently switched back to Shaw Communications from Telus. My email address rnmwales@telus.net will soon be obliterated into ancient history. Shaw has overall better service but is dragging their cable in regard to setting up my Shaw email address (s). Technical support could not resolve the issue and passed it on to Accounts, which has not contacted me back.

Therefore, as John Wee states (paraphrased) I admire how you move on...

Excitingly, I now have my four Google accounts with three blogger accounts and more importantly for this email, four Gmail accounts.

thekingpin68@gmail.com

My ancient original, Gmail. In general please email me there.

rnmred@gmail.com

Now this is the email address associated with my red blog, Dr. Russell Norman Murray and the associated Google+ account. I can be emailed in regard to those blog articles on that account, but it is probably better to use the original, because I might become too busy to check four Gmail accounts.

rnmblue@gmail.com

Not surprisingly, the email address now associated with my blue blog, Satire Und Theology and the associated Google+ account. Again, I can be emailed at that address in regard to blog content, but I may not check too often. Better to use my original Gmail account.

rnmwales@gmail.com

Basically irrelevant. Associated with my blog I use to keep track of comic art.

Banal Bane

Last Sunday at the home of Garbage Guts.

After my weekend of ministry work, church socializing, good burgers and driving all over Metro Vancouver; Mr. Guts treated us to what he calls another banal online episode of Focus on The Family, Boundless.

I would never get away with that on my expense account

Simon Patten shared a link.

1 hr · 

Jeremy Hunt claimed 27p in expenses for a half-mile car journey

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt claimed 27p in expenses for a 900-metre car journey, it has been revealed.

INDEPENDENT.CO.UK

Comments

Russ Murray I would never get away with that for an expense account in my job...

Manage

Metro.co.uk

Bullet Friday: In Canada, red leafs are better than blue leafs/Goodbye evil Telus green screen

•Winnipeg is a bigger physical team than Toronto.

•Winnipeg has more grit than Toronto.

•Winnipeg is better defensively than Toronto.

•Winnipeg is going to the second round...

•Toronto has a much higher franchise value.

•I switched back to Shaw Cable from Telus.

•Shaw Cable kept jacking up the price and I was not provided with new channels. Telus called and offered a savings of double digits per month, plus Telus offered High Definition television, which Shaw Cable never did. It was not the top level of HD, but it was very noticeably more defined than the Shaw Cable picture had been.

•Telus did not honour our agreement and 'forgot' to provide all the movie channels I requested for the Boss, that lives downstairs.

•Telus did not provide me with all the sports channels we had agreed on.

•Telus added these channels, but slowly the monthly price basically equaled what I had paid Shaw Cable.

•Telus 'green screen' started showing up far too often on the television of the Boss. Several times daily.

•Shaw Cable called and can save me double digits a month.

•Shaw Cable has upgraded my HD and offered me all the channels requested.

•Now if Shaw Cable can just figure out how to set up my email accounts. (Hours later).

Reminds me of some post football match events

Something that has never tempted me post match...or ever.

Judit Balla: Manchester

Deserving entitlement

Canadian Pacific

While watching A&E and the Scientology series...I had no idea what would be stated.

For work, I attended a pastors' prayer meeting, this afternoon. The leader stated (paraphrased):

People in our society think they are good, therefore people reason they deserve this and that good thing. 

People have a sense of entitlement.

Deserving entitlement

This in contrast to Romans, Galatians, Hebrews and other texts in the New Testament, that teach the universal corrupt and fallen nature of humanity, human sinfulness and ethical and moral imperfection. The only remedy being the applied atoning and resurrection work of Christ to believers through regeneration by the Holy Spirit, by grace through faith. (Ephesians 1-2).

Bending metal sound from oven @ box standard 425 degrees Fahrenheit

The Boss's sister, Aunt Boss, visited  recently from Alberta and suggested (paraphrased for satirical purposes) that with my continued slimming down with less sleep apnea symptoms, and my super-villain, man in black, Kingpin frame, that I should consider baking fish and food in the oven as opposed to frying on the stove. Okay, I thought, the Boss is an excellent cook, but I disliked baked boxed fish before, she made, but I would try it again, my way. Sure enough, Aunt Boss is correct, it works very well and tastes very good. So, the standard fish box states @ 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, but I have been grilling for 15 minutes. It has worked fine so far. But, today after church and shopping, while grilling, I heard a bending metal sound from the oven and the tray was bent, as I was grilling a vegetable. See above. I have now switched grilling temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The tray has had enough @425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Same old Maple Laughs (Ripped off)

Well, I am glad I missed game two as I was doing Regional Director, ministry work. Same old Leafs, not championship caliber, year after year, after year, after year, after year, yet always in the running for the club value 'Stanley Cup'. The choke in Boston reminds me of the Canucks in the 2011, Stanley Cup Final. I mean come on, a thinking hockey person knows a team has to have grit and solid defence to play in Boston (Philadelphia etc...) at playoff time. The Leafs are in the same division as Boston with divisional playoffs. Being blown out shows little grit and poor defence and quite frankly, club negligence. At least the Jets have some grit and defence. Again it makes me think Canadian hockey fans are largely being ripped off. The 'young players' defence is largely an excuse. Get young players than can play in tough road buildings in combination with similar veterans.

When I was a kid...

This type of issue came up at a church group bible study in 2017. (Paraphrased) An older man from the early baby boomer generation stated that Western society has declined and is declining. This is a similar view of many traditionalists (born before World War Two) and especially biblical Christian traditionalists. The hosts, that are early Generation Y, millennials, countered this view somewhat and pointed out some of the benefits of progressive thought. My views as a Generation X, baby buster born between the boomers and millennials, and more importantly with my formal and informal education in Christ, is that there is historically no 'golden era' of Christianity. There has always been since the fall (Genesis 3) a very tainted world and each and every secular and religious society is tainted. I can grant that there has been some progression, such as for example with women's rights to work and vote as equals (Genesis 1:27-28: God made male and female made in the image and likeness of God). Medical advancements are a strong premise for progression of a sort. But, I agree somewhat with the older gentleman, the baby boomer, there has been an ethical decline, post World War Two. I reason this relates to a decline in Western society in biblical scripture reading and study, the study of theology, philosophy and philosophy of religion, and the rejection of Christian faith and philosophy by many in Western society. It has also been argued within scholarship that the decline of Christianity began with the age of reason, or the Enlightenment (18th Century). As well, and this is related, there is a perceived  general, greater, lack of common sense. Many people lack common sense because he/she does not have a reasonable worldview to draw from. The lack of common sense relates to the image...

Facebook: I have just viewed this on Facebook and simultaneously embraced!

Oban: Visit Scotland on Facebook. I was there when I was eight years old. Impressive.

Bodybuilders use cow and horse steroids (Three bizarre videos)

South Africa: Facebook

Interesting treatment for blood clots

Daily Mail

Daily Mail cited

Doctors hope this revolutionary technology will help save millions of lives

This looks promising. If I had any clot like the first one shown, I would certainty consider such a procedure with professional medical approval. I personally favour these kind of physical removals of medical issues/problems, over the use of drugs, when reasonable. My vitrectomy (eye) being a good example, as the floaters were physically removed. Funny how the blood clot looks a bit ground beef like...

Cited

Medicinenet.com

A blood clot, or thrombus, is stationary within a vessel or the heart. If it moves from that location through the bloodstream, it is referred to as an embolus.

Involved in brawl???

Returning home

As I noted, previous entry:

Excellent event and long walks for me today after work. BMO Field can be a very cold stadium with the rain and wind. Only Elland Road in Leeds was comparable from what I remember and that stadium in Leeds had metal seats, compared to mostly plastic seats at BMO. After the match, I walked a fair distance in the storm, until I could find a street where a taxicab could pick me up. Once back to the North York hotel, the sports news reported the teams were in a fighting incident after the game with Toronto police involved with Club America.

Further

At the office the next day, the very kind executive receptionists that had called my taxi cab, in order to head downtown for the match; stated (paraphrased) that they had wondered if I had been involved in the brawl?

???

I was far too chilled and simply trying to stay on my feet inside the icy stadium (a man slipped fell down the stairs, that I then helped up off his behind). I would have zero interest in battling with either Club America or especially the Toronto police. Perhaps these kind executive receptionists wondered if someone had assaulted me?

Funny comments, regardless...

See archives re me apparently looking like a Kingpin.

BMO Field is cold like Elland Road

Excellent event and long walks for me today after work. BMO Field can be a very cold stadium with the rain and wind. Only Elland Road in Leeds was comparable from what I remember and that stadium in Leeds had metal seats, compared to mostly plastic seats at BMO. After the match, I walked a fair distance in the storm, until I could find a street where a taxicab could pick me up. Once back to the North York hotel, the sports news reported the teams were in a fighting incident after the game with Toronto police involved with Club America.

Long walk before match

And back and inside

Pregame

Pregame

Pregame

Cold rain and wind storm

Times Colonist: April 3, 2018: TFC 3 Club America 1...CCL

USA Today:CONCACAF Champions League,April 3, 2018

North York concrete jungle view

First time ever called Norma (And I had to half empty the toothpaste)

First work trip

CONCACAF Champions League

Toronto FC

TUE, APR 3

5:00 PM PT

Official Timekeeper of MLS

Club América

Off to Southern Ontario and Toronto for a few days of work, today. God willing, I will see the match above live, or I will be busy elsewhere. I will try and post from the trip on my Facebook Page:
@drrnm

Toronto: trekearth