I received a work email demanding 999 bitcoin today...

The email, with the sender having a Chinese name, claimed he/she was watching me through my webcam. Not so with my work webcam, which I must turn on with software. It was claimed as well that I was doing unethical things, which I shall not repeat, on camera. But, obviously, as I am not a 'complete idiot', I would not do such on the work laptop video, or anywhere. I deleted this fool's email.

I suppose I had better get to work on that televangelism racket, my Dad has suggested, to have that kind of 'coin'.

Lord, give me coffee to change the things I can...

That brings back memories. I remember the Joe Cool, 'Peanuts' character from when I was a child. Anyway, yes, I need to use that philosophy today as my attempts to find cheaper alternatives to replacing my Nissan SUV driver's seat have been thwarted. I am visiting Nissan today with a work order for not only repairs for a moving seat, but also repairs for a moving centre console. Not much I can do about it.. Overall, the vehicle is a 'solid rock'. The price to pay for buying quality used and avoiding the debt of new SUV payments!

Better...

Better to be restrained and humble, than aggressive in defending myself, and then risking the desire to apologize later.

Better that the critic might be in the position of considering an apology.

All gassed up?

A life reminder to always stay calm while driving.

Reaching the critic?

New Westminster sunset;trekearth

Prayers appreciated. Thank you.

I received some very good feedback from the mainline church I lectured (sort of a sermon) at this morning. Several people indicated that it was refreshing that I used the Canadian Bible Society platform to present reasonable premises for supporting the bible as the word of God.

More than one person suggested I dealt with issues, complex issues not often dealt with in sermons. I may, God-willing, reach some critics, some opined.

My lecture was a bit too short for their program so I offered to do a question and answer session to explain a couple of terms I used that the service leader thought the congregation might not understand; but I clarified and filled in the time.

Since starting in academia in 1991, I have always pushed to do the most difficult work in my fields, which culminated in the philosophy theology and philosophy of religion, British PhD, and it always been a struggle to present sermon like material when I do speak.

I attempted to only reference being Reformed in the context of my background, but it may have confused some with what I meant. I clarified when I was asked. My agenda is not Reformed while at work, it is bible. The Protestant tradition was my replacement term (s)! Live and learn.

But, God-willing, I will continue to progress in my verbal and audio presentations.

To friend attempting to earn BC driver's license: These are not driving tips

Many years of practice...

Snipping tool image

Bizarre images/Friendly discussion last Sunday

I am busy this week preparing a visiting lecture/sermon for a church on Sunday, for my ministry employment. Therefore, I am not going to spend much time this week on my more academic website, Dr. Russell Norman Murray, with citations and related. However, I was challenged theologically in regard to 'Calvinism' in contrast to Molinism, on Sunday at church and believe I refuted Molinism and middle knowledge, well. I also explained that I am more so Reformed than a Calvinist.

 Further thinking on this, prayerfully, here are four ontological entities that do exist and/or will exist that are or will be finite, perfectly holy without the definite and definative option or requirement to fall into any kind of transworld depravity (Plantinga), and or any sort of evil, while having significant freedom by which there could be reasonable judgement of thoughts, acts/actions. These ontological entities love and obey God with significant freedom, as secondary causes, secondary agents, while being determined by the first cause, God, to do so. I shared the first two last Sunday in our friendly discussion.

One, the incarnate Jesus Christ, has both the infinite divine mind of God (God is primary cause) and a finite human mind (Humanity is a secondary cause). This finite mind of Christ did not embrace the option to sin, being in perfect obedience to God the Father and guided by God, the Holy Spirit. He loved God. The person that discussed this with me stated that this is because Jesus Christ was/is God the Son. I agree, but my point still stands. Some may state, that Jesus Christ could have sinned, but I reason as incarnate God, he could not. God the Son, incarnate, could understand and live with temptation. Example, one.

Two, the angels that did not fall and stayed loyal to God. This worked successfully in my friendly discussion on Sunday, throwing a wrench into the argument of my church friend. It is implied that if these angels, everlastingly, worship and serve God, it is with significant freedom, and after all 1/3 of the angels, based on many interpretations from scholarship, did become demons (Revelation 12: 4). If these fallen angels were forced or coerced to fall, it would be with hard determinism, making punishment within the lake of fire in Revelation 20, unjust, as they would not significantly embrace their nature, desires and choices as secondary causes. Angelic and demonic beings have significant limited free will connected via their ontological nature. Angelic love for God can be deduced as reasonable. Many will assume that all the angels had the option to fall. I do not assume that as fact. As the primary cause, it could be that God only created some that would fall, so the angels that did not fall understood evil, but it was not an option they considered. This would not be a definite and definitive option. Do angels have connected ontological natures?  If some rebelled it does not mean that they all realistically would do this by nature. Example, two.

Three, with humanity, the aborted and those that are never physically born. The theological reasoning is that these unborn persons do have not deeds of sin against God (Revelation 20) for which the can be judged. Humanity is judged for deeds via sinful nature, not simply sinful nature. They at physical death, prior to birth, in spirit go to paradise (Luke 23, 2 Corinthians 12: 4, Philippians 1), these persons in spirit seemingly have no option or requirement to reject God with free will. Eventually they are resurrected into full, finite perfection as requirement for Kingdom citizenship, as flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15). There inherited corrupted nature will be changed to incorruptible. There is no 'fall option'.  Example, three.

Young children and the mentally limited could be placed in a like group, but there would be significant theological debate on whether or not these can embrace their inherited sinful nature and sinful choices, so for simplicity and time in this article, I do not attempt to list this group.

Four, the group that will exist is via 1 Corinthians 15, which is all resurrected believers in Jesus Christ with implied compatibilist free will, limited free will, guided by the Holy Spirit to remain in obedience within the culminated Kingdom of God. With soft determinism/compatibilism, the commandments to love God and others will be followed by these persons via restored, perfected, human nature, and so there is no option or requirement to reject God, once again, for the sake of significant, true, freedom. It is logically possible that humanity could fall again, but compatibilism via God and God the Holy Spirit, will present this from occurring. Example, four.

The fall from Genesis 3, does not demonstrate incompatibilism, or libertarian free will, rather that as God the Son, was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1: 4, Revelation 13: 8), this was central in God's eternal plan to produce ontological, human beings that had experienced the problem of evil and then the applied atonement, resurrection of Jesus Christ, eventually leading to a restored body and physical universe. The unborn in the everlasting Kingdom of God, being the noted exception to this plan, although the fact they were unborn was in itself a problem of evil that effected them.

PLANTINGA, ALVIN C. (1977)(2002) God, Freedom, and Evil, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

PLANTINGA, ALVIN C. (1982) The Nature of Necessity, Oxford, Clarendon Press.

I have been told that once again I appear to be scaling down in weight. However, I shall not reach this point.

Facebook: The issue is less what the owner and or boss drives, but if the employees are treated and paid ethically.

Brief response to CSI

I am not a Roman Catholic, nor an apologist for the Roman Catholic Church.

CSI was and is a fine program, in reruns, which I enjoy watching at times. I viewed this episode featured yesterday.

How I would have replied to Grissom and the Priest from the above You Tube clip?

Paraphrased: Grissom

I believe in God, I do not believe in religion.

As humanity is finite, fallen (Genesis) and sinful (or at least corrupt and imperfect by secular standards), there is a fracture and separation between humanity and God. The human capacity for belief in God, stand alone is based on speculation (and often uses sentimental theology, see archives in Dr. Russell Norman Murray).

Humanity is not in the direct supernatural presence of God as are the finite angels that stayed in obedience to God and have certain access to God, that humanity does not. (Revelation). Even as humanity is made in the image and likeness of God, alone. (Genesis 1-26-27).

As much as I embrace philosophy of religion, and examining religious philosophy (my British PhD was in philosophical theology and philosophy of religion), as an academic discipline outside of Scripture which can be used to reason God's truth, it does not provide the information required to know about God personally. It does not provide the theology required for salvation.

Paraphrased: Priest

What if the Bible is handed down by God.

Grissom does not reply and ignoring revelation is a fatal intellectual mistake.

The response from the priest is key. It is Biblical revelation, biblical theology via Scripture which provides not only information about God, but information on who God is, so that God can actually be known, via the Holy Spirit, and through  the atoning and resurrection work of Christ, for salvation. This in contrast to speculating on God alone, with philosophy of religion, which would be Grissom's approach when he states that he believes in God and believes in science.

Paraphrased: Priest

There is a difference between fanaticism and religion.

Paraphrased: Grissom

That is semantics.

No, not true.

Jesus Christ in John 18: New American Standard Bible

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."

There is a significant, distinct difference between following the New Testament in reasonable, accurate obedience through grace through faith (Romans, Ephesians, Galatians) and in contrast, instead following a politicized church-state model in disobedience to God the Son, Jesus Christ.

Church-state connections meant the politicization of the church in many contexts starting with favour for the church from Constantine (ca. 274-337) and eventually the development of the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Greek Orthodox Church in the East, and the Schism of 1054. Cairns (1981: 205).

In this context of church-state, the crusades existed.

Politicization of the church may have protected it from persecution but there was the danger of State influence in church matters with a church-state union and this often effects the integrity of the Biblical and New Testament message and theology. Cairns states between 313 and 590 the Old Catholic church became the Roman Catholic Church in which the bishop of Rome won primacy over other bishops. Cairns (1981: 157). At the same time church ritual also became more elaborate. Cairns (1981: 157).

CAIRNS, EARLE E. (1981) Christianity Through The Centuries, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.

Snipping Tool image, not You Tube link

Job 2: 7-10: I should have quoted this in my British theses work

LinkedIn

English Standard Version: While away on my recent British Columbia tour, for work, I read through Job in the ESV and viewed this section which I should have cited on my doctoral thesis. But, my tutors did downplay the use of the Bible, in a Theology/Philosophy of Religion, PhD thesis. Even so, I did read through Job, but if this section would have connected with me then, it would be in my PhD or maybe even my MPhil work. Footnotes: Job 2:10 Or disaster; also verse 11

The King James Version: These verses support my thesis concept that God causes  (primary cause) and wills all things, including evil for the greater good, without God being sinful. God's always has good and holy motives. (Romans 8-9, Ephesians 1-2). An excellent support for compatibilism.

New American Standard Bible: But a serious problem for humanity is that when human beings as secondary causes, will evil, it is with sinful motives. At least somewhat tainted motives. Angels in obedience with God could only will evil under the command of God, for the greater good, therefore remaining holy in a finite sense. Therefore human beings are worthy of divine judgement as would be demonic beings for evil caused and willed.

And I thought I was 'macho'

From my Facebook business page. Thank you friends!

Did I work with an Albino?

Classic comments from my friend and former co-worker and trainer at HSBC corporate security, Sandy (Quote: 'Those guy'). HSBC was a former employer,  before my present ministry days. I gained some corporate knowledge working at the HSBC office, headquarters for western Canada (not a bank location).

Poly-drug drivers?

Washington State: Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc

Cited

I just caught the end of similar statistics on KOMO Seattle news.

I have opined that the way some people drive in the Lower Mainland, that there are various impairments. Regardless of one's views for or against legalization with various substances, it should not be too much of a surprise that there is a significant cost to increased legal access to (potentially, at least) mind-altering substances within the context of driving motor vehicles. If it is legal to use...well, one still needs to drive afterwards. (Is the unwise thinking in many cases).

Amusement park ride

Sky Tower Denmark

Canada Post ruins near mint value of forty-year-old book

When I was away on business for two weeks, I left a note in my mailbox asking if Canada Post could leave my books (some are personal, some are for work) at my door as opposed to leaving me with a notice to pick them up at a Post Office. There was no reply. This time they did neither, Canada Post ruined the near mint value of a thin book by jamming it into my condominium mail box.

What were they thinking? Well, another task for tomorrow, to visit Canada Post with my bill. A forty-four year old book.

Quote: You look like a killa

Last night

Please remember, this is a satire website...I am not a mean person, personally or in private.

I am just back from driving out to Langley, and soon I will be driving out to Vancouver.

Sort of strange things said to me recently:

Ed (Middle-aged Asian at church this Sunday): 'You look like a 'killa'.

This in the context of the social time after church where I came up to him from behind and said hello. I am no 'killa' of any person, but I am a 'killa', with God's help of unreasonable theology, philosophy of religion and biblical interpretation.

I also have done significant martial arts training, including with weapons and have taken two online courses from a MMA trainer.

But again, I am no 'killa'...

Miss CIA: (Paraphrased text): Are you sure your PhD was not in psychology?

This in the context of Miss CIA's lame Christian dating life in the Vancouver area, and  the same goes for many of us in our group. When Garbage Guts, Chucky (James Lee laughs) and I coin one singles group 'Skid Row' and the other 'The Planet of the Apes', that states a lot. Neither name has anything to with racism, rather hygiene and common sense.

My psychological analysis is with God's guidance providing reasonable premises and conclusions on why sin and stupidity in the Church (and Evangelical church) is often producing such unreasonable, unbiblical views on dating and marriage and consequentially such unreasonable, unbiblical results. The same can be stated for the Western world, although Metropolitan Vancouver is particularly horrid. I am by no means claiming moral and ethical perfection in regards to.

Repentance in Christ, required on many fronts in the Western world and I reason many involved are fairly clueless they need to repent. Many equate things going his/her way as equaling being within God's will obediently. Not always the case...

Proverbs 15: 16: Maintaining stuff (books)

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Proverbs 15:16 English Standard Version (ESV)

16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.

Proverbs 15:16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

16 Better is a little with the [a]fear of the Lord Than great treasure and turmoil with it.

Footnotes: Proverbs 15:16 Or reverence

Proverbs 15:16 King James Version (KJV)

16 Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.

Interestingly, in student mode, I photocopied thousands pages of text, now still taking up residence in my condominium, upstairs in binders. Frankly, they are a nuisance now. Should I keep them? Buying academic books was reserved for the essentials to complete British academic work.

Purchasing fiction books for pleasure was indeed fiction.

However, now with a decent executive salary, I buy the odd academic book and will review some of them on my academic website here.

I also can afford to purchase a few collectible fiction books. But how do I store them to remain at the same level of value as collectibles? Should I wear gloves when I read them? There are various opinions online and offline in regard to storage of collectibles. I now need to further clean out my upstairs storage unit to make proper room for my hardcover collectibles that might increase in size over the years.

That is, if I get enough good deals. I hate paying full price...

Travelling to Europe to study Christian and related history, watch football and of course be with friends (and to see the world) is also a priority to me and this cost will limit the size of my book collection. I am not an exhaustive collector in regard to books, just selective, keeping Proverbs in mind.

A modern spin on burning books

By the way, I do not burn books. But I am selective in what I buy and read.

Dodging thrown McDonald's advertising boards while driving

Heading south west, this morning I was driving to a local pastoral prayer meeting, for work. I was driving down Dewdney Trunk Road in Maple Ridge past the McDonald's when an apparently enraged man was outside the restaurant and grabbed an advertising board, similar to in the photo and threw it (impressively for distance as enraged and two-handed) the width of the road from sidewalk to sidewalk. The first board was well in front of my SUV. I then dodged, by speeding up, the second thrown board which landed just behind my vehicle and then dodged the third thrown advertising board that hit the sidewalk to my right with a large bang, as I slowed down my SUV to just avoid being hit. The man then quickly disappeared, running away, to what I reason would soon be a target of the RCMP. I was amazed that no other vehicle, it appeared, was attempting to avoid these advertising boards! Vehicles just drove by as usual...

Good theology, bad (poor) spelling

Kelowna, on the way to eastern British Columbia, last week. I actually had a professor like that in seminary that was good with theology, but a poor speller.

Quote: Alcohol is poison

Some of the reasons why I do not drink alcohol, or do so moderately.

KFC???

Trip day 8: Tomorrow never knows...

Tomorrow features 150 km to Revelstoke and the end of my British Columbia tour. With Mom having dementia the work at home will be abundant. Tour lessons: Heatstroke can hit me at bedtime. Pain killers and ice block on the head, works (prayer included) as treatment. A classic old Texas pastor can be useful for support and common sense. A supposedly serious Texas pastor can have stand up comedian potential. People that openly support me and when needed offer constructive critique are a significant blessing. Nagging and yelling Mother types with the beat down are more to the useless side, although I do consider comments for truthfulness. The silent treatment is basically useless and should be replaced by the willingness to repent and prayer and hope of repentance for the other party.

Trip day 7: The Lord has you here for a reason

On this work trip I am doing some work that is radically different than my academic and related
ministry work. A wise former Baptist pastor, originally from Texas stated (paraphrased) 'Well, the Lord has you here for a reason'. True enough, Jim. True enough...Photo from today while waiting.