Klaus Von Chuckles stirs it up on Christian singles

UBC: Tuesday

Comments off of a local Christian Singles, Facebook page, where I have had some debates with some attempting to lead over the years... 

Klaus Von Chuckles

Desire and ability to have children is a significant factor for a lot of guys, who were unable to marry young.

Russ Murray 

Nailed it sir, generally, in the Church, in my circles, I have found often men over 35 that had a younger wife and children, if they had to do it again, state they would date and marry someone their age.

Some of us over 35, are fine with dating/marriage within our age and some would like to have dating and marriage options with someone younger...

But this is generally not how it is done in Western society, so for some, such as myself with a PhD in Theology and Philosophy,(very philosophical) that is not six pack, this makes the pool in the Christian community tiny. IMHO, this explains why some men do not 'man up'. Sure, some are not showing initiative, but I reason others are just discouraged and therefore being more pragmatically disinterested. It is not worth it, they deduce.

I do agree, in Christ, men should also seek to be better...

On my blogs, I have expressed my concern with the attitude of some in the Church that overly embrace market value dating (MVD), as in one should date someone of same age, same level of looks etc...This is more so, people in the Church embracing worldly standards. When I look at the Bible, it seems that mutual spiritual, intellectual and physical attraction should be what is embraced theologically. When those in the Church attempt to push to an extreme MVD on us (John Wee Howard James Bartel and myself)  have found it offensive and discouraging.

Aged men (mentally and physically unable) would seem to be men disqualified from marriage and having children, based on a biblical worldview, not simply hitting a certain number.

Russ Murray 

Gina Leanne Cia yes some people need to grow into it. Perhaps some men are slow at this and this is why many men can procreate at later ages. God knows.

Russ Murray 

Kattia FG One has to be fit and youthful. As I noted...not aged.

Russ Murray 

Yes, winning is being within the close to perfect will of God, single or not. Thanks James Clarke 

Russ Murray

Gina Leanne Cia yes, I have seen such studies, Age is a factor, and another reason why a youthful older man alone is a good prospect. Youthful in many ways. 'Experts said that the finding was hardly reason to forgo fatherhood later in life, though it might have some influence on reproductive decisions.' Did I mention I walked outside for a couple of hours in the heat today in Vancouver? My head says it is (hot), but the kingpin stood tall..

Russ Murray

Chucky!!! Look what you caused!

Russ Murray

If I could just find that female PhD in Theology/Philosophy with the kingpin bod, I could play by the Market Value Dating (MVD) rules. Of course, this is a major unsupported assumption that we would have mutual attraction. (John Wee Howard James Bartel) Possible, but not supported. 

Russ Murray 

Kattia FG: I have studied this topic since 1999 online...

Gina Leanne Cia

Remember Russ Murray! I'm a huge theology nerd despite having a mere 1yr certificate. Today, I was thinking of how St. Athanasius would dismantle Oneness Pentecostalism.

Russ Murray

Gina Leanne Cia: Boyd did....

Klaus Von Chuckles

Russ Murray: lol

Klaus Von Chuckles

Gina Leanne Cia: I was laughing about Russ’ reference to his MVD female match.

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.