Author: admin

Installing Emacs on Ubuntu 10.04 from Source

Posted on by admin

Here is how you can compile the mother of all editors on Ubuntu 10.04 from source:

1. Obtain the source archive for Emacs from ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/emacs/

2. Open a Terminal in Ubuntu and type:

A. sudo apt-get install build-essential libxpm-dev libgif-dev libtiff4-dev

B. This will install the necessary packages to compile Emacs.

3. Extract the Emacs archive downloaded in step 1 by typing: tar xvzf emacs-major_version-minor_version.tar.gz.

4. Change to the Emacs source directory. a.k.a. cd emacs-major_version-minor_version

5. Type: ./configure

6. Type: make

7. Type: sudo make install

Enjoy.

Review of Always Ready

Posted on by admin

Always Ready: Directions for Defending the FaithAlways Ready: Directions for Defending the Faith by Greg L. Bahnsen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a most excellent book as to how the Christian should be ready to defend the faith and I think it’s the only way to expose the “intellectual schizophrenia” that is within every non-Christian and that is at the core of their world view, which is a network of their presuppositions. The whole problem with an evidence based apologetic is that there is always room for a probability that it may not be true, which God never grants us as an option in scripture.

View all my reviews

MacArthur on Driscoll

Posted on by admin

Dr. John MacArthur articulates the fundamental problem with the vulgarity of Mark Driscoll’s approach to preaching. I have listened to some of Driscoll’s sermons and everytime I do, I end up wanting to vomit his repugnant language to Mars.

ESV: Titus 2:8. “and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”

Focus on the Family Ditches the Gospel for Secular Morality

Posted on by admin

Just ran across this from the Crosstalk Blog and had to re-read the article a couple of times. You can also read it here. It’s great they want to promote abstinence, but what happened to the great commission as stated in Matthew 28:18-20:

“And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see anything in the text about promoting morality without first promoting the lawgiver of that morality. The priority in the time of Christ is the same it should be now; preach Christ crucified and then the Holy Spirits work of redemption will enable the redeemed to walk holy before the Lord and not just for population control.

My PGP Public Key

Posted on by admin

For those of you actually know what encryption is and how to use it, here’s my public key to send secure transmissions.

—–BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—–
Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (GNU/Linux)
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=FBLv
—–END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—–

Happy Meal Toys are Evil! – Well, according to the government at least

Posted on by admin

It seems that the latest attempt for the government to inject itself into the obesity wars has commenced. As one might expect and as parents have said already, that it is not the job of the government to override the parents competency to decide what is best for their children. Is the government really concerned about the health effects of fast-good on our children? No, I don’t think so and the reason is that if they can begin to regulate the contents of a happy meal, what is next? What about McDonald commercials? What about billboard signs? As you can see this is just part of the bigger plan, which I believe is to gain control over corporations, the media, and all of the other enterprises that America has attained, because of our constitutional freedoms upon which this nation was established. Do not be surprised if you will see more proposals for amendments to the constitution to make this possible.

Death of Google Wave?

Posted on by admin

Looks like the lifespan of Google Wave has a life expectancy of about another year and it will be dead as a standalone project according to Google. According to Google they have not seen the level of use adoption that they would have liked. What does not make sense is how they describe the use and initial acceptance that Wave received. I’m beginning to sense a pattern with Google as this is similar to what happened with the Nexus phone when they decided to stop manufacturing them less than year after they were released to the public. What gives? Google opens it up to the masses, offers open-source API’s and less than a year later they dump the project?

Personally I’m going to take all their additional products and services with a grain of salt as the new stuff they offer seems to be about as stable as an egg in a blender.

Thoughts on Van Til

Posted on by admin

I just finished reading an excellent book by John Muether on the life of Cornelius Van Til. it really was a really great read and a humbling one as well. From the recesses of the farm in Indiana that he grew up with and there was some entertaining parts as well. One that I found most comical was when Van Til was a child he decided it would be fun to shoot the neighbors chickens with a slingshot and there was the story of the his pastor wanting to rebuke him with a oven poker for causing mischief.

As he reached adulthood however his calling to the ministry of Christ became apparent with his sound intellectual gifts, talents, and zeal for the Lord. It is ironic how many similarities that are found between Van Til and Machen and the the vehemency with which his enemies attacked him. I got the impression it was almost an identical fight that Machen had with the liberals that were simply called neo-Reformed in which they were not really reformed, but attempted to pass themselves off as such. The attacks against his integrity were especially unfounded and there is case after case of his warm humility to all he was engaged with. His zeal never to compromise the “Christ of the Scriptures” is a lesson that the 21st century church needs to hear. Once you realize that any reinterpretation of Jesus is to deny the Christ of the Bible and thereby to shipwreck your faith. Van Til understood this and always remained consistent to this purpose. Those who were on the other side often judged him as intolerant and often attached more severe nouns to his name that I will expound on.

The final point to note is the synergy between Van Til the apologist and Van Til the churchman. He was always faithful to the church by means of pastoring the church that he was part of at every and any point that providence placed him. He was very faithful to the teaching of Sunday school and catechizing the children he was responsible for instructing. This is something that his critics never addressed and a good reason why he is so misunderstood.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to gain a greater understanding of the man, Cornelius Van Til.

The Mystery of Providence

Posted on by admin

I just finished reading an excellent book by John Flavel, entitled “The Mystery of Providence” and I think he offers some very relevant advice for Christians in the 21st century. One of the most profound maxims is how important and a great means of sanctification that Christians do go through afflictions and trials. One of the great examples he gives of Christians growing cold and in love in the world is that if they go any length of time without any trials whatsoever.

I would highly recommend this book as it causes the reader to reflect much on all the providences that a believer has been blessed with from the protection of your life in the womb of your mother to the employment that you are currently blessed with to the apex of graceful providence and that being salvation in the only begotten Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

He concludes with the importance for the Christian to make a written account oof all of the providences that you have provided. The reason is to give you a greater appreciation for the all of God’s providences that you been blessed with as well as to leave a record to others to bless them with the knowledge of God’s grace in your life.