Category: Reviews Page 2 of 4

Google Chrome – First Impressions

On September 2, 2008

As with most Google products, many of which I use, simplicity seems to be the overarching theme. This is good for many of their applications, such as Google Talk and Earth, which makes it easy for the average user to navigate and operate. However, I must admit, I was hoping for a bit more functionality with the release of this new browser. Because it lacks some of the “out-of-the-box” functionality of Firefox and even IE (such as a basic menu toolbar), it fell short of my expectations.

Now, I know you can add applications to it and so forth. In addition, it is still in Beta testing, so things could change with it. But I doubt much will be added, knowing Google’s simplistic mode of developing applications. Their web browser is no exception. And for that I think I will simply stick with Firefox, at least for now.

Also, I did some investigation on what “engine” (or the component that drives the browser) they are using to render web content to your computer screen and this is what I found in the log files after hitting my websites: “AppleWebKit/525.13 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/0.2.149.27 Safari/525.13.” So, they are essentially using Safari as the browser core? That’s disappointing, though I know it’s not for you Mac fans out there. However, that’s not me, nor is it a great majority of my colleagues.

I figured they would be developing their own engine and going from there. Maybe that was already outlined from the very beginning in the initial news release, but since I only heard about it the other day, I haven’t had much time to investigate that. Regardless, I’m disappointed. I guess I was hoping maybe they would create their own engine code that made browsing even more efficient. But it’s just (in the Democrats words) more of the same, it seems.

I will say though that if you just want a straight, vanilla browser with no complex parts to it and all you want to do is read news on the web, or whatever, this is the browser for you. But if you want more default functionality, stick with Firefox or IE. I’m not impressed so far.

Why We’re Not Emergent – A Review

By David Westerfield

On July 4, 2008

In Christian Culture, Culture, Reviews, Theology

This was a great read. The back and forth style between a writer for ESPN (Ted Kluck) and a pastor at a church in East Lansing, MI (Kevin DeYoung) has made for an excellent combination of perspectives on the emerging church movement. On the one hand, Kluck is coming at it from a very down-to-earth, journalistic, street level perspective, giving you a cultural view from all kinds of sources and personal interviews. And on the other hand, DeYoung is taking apart the movement from a theological point of view, affirming the things that are positive about it, and denying the things that are Scripturally contradictory.

Instead of just hearing one authors’ perspective and critiques, by having two authors with differing angles, it really gives you a more well-rounded understanding of what it’s all about. It is an easy read and really pulls you in. As D.A. Carson describes the book, it is “breezy.” It’s one of those books where you don’t get bogged down in a section because of its thickness. Points are explained with exceptional clarity and not made theologically overbearing.

By no means do they cover absolutely every single point of view in the movement (to do so would be next to impossible), but they cover the major teachers and forces driving the movement, both theological and cultural. The summed up thesis is that we have a lot to glean from the emerging church and their critiques of evangelicalism and where it’s gone, and yet they, like their liberal forebears 100 years ago, have swung the pendulum too far the other way. In many ways, the movement has the same taste as modernistic theological liberalism, and oddly enough, some of the almost exact quotes. Therefore the answer is not to “reimagine” Christianity under the shadow of postmodern (as the liberals attempted and failed at 100 years ago under the shadow of modernism), but to recapture historically faithful, evangelical (Gospel-centered), Reformational Christianity.

I don’t want to give too much more away because, well, you just need to read it yourself. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to know more or understand what this whole movement is about, why it’s appealing, what’s positive, but also show us all a better way. Get this book. You will not be let down by the content, nor the style.

Pierced For Our Transgressions – A Review

By David Westerfield

On June 26, 2008

In Apologetics, Reviews, Theology

A recent, thorough study of the American religious landscape conducted by the Pew Forum indicates that around 57% of self-labeled evangelicals now believe Jesus is not the only way to eternal life. This and other studies are showing the exact same thing: evangelicalism as a whole has lost, or is in the process of losing the Gospel as what makes it distinguishable from other “Christian” groups. This is saddening.

But it is no wonder when you have leaders, pastors and theologians in evangelicalism itself outright denying something that lies at the heart of the Gospel: the penal substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross in behalf of sinners. Yes, evangelicals are beginning to deny this now! This excellent book, written by Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey, and Andrew Sach is a very welcomed, thoughtful, timely and Biblically engaging response to those very people in showing them they are defying the Scriptures as well as historically what the church, its fathers and its doctors, have believed concerning this.

Just to give a short synopsis of the book, the first three chapters give a good thorough definition of what the doctrine is saying, the Biblical background of it from both the Old and New Testaments with a plethora of citations and explanations of the texts, and finally bringing all of this together into a theological framework in defense of the doctrine, respectively. All of this helps us understand the depths of how far God had to go in Christ in taking our sin upon Himself, taking the wrath in Himself that was due to us for that sin, and how we gain His righteousness through that work, by faith. Essentially, through faith and trust in Him, Christ takes our eternal punishment, in our place, and in return we get His reward for His work and toil! Unfathomable!

The fourth chapter then deals with the pastoral implications which I won’t go into as much here. In helping gain a better grasp of what Christians have believed historically concerning penal substitution, the fifth chapter outlines from church history, chronologically, what those who have gone before us said pertaining to this wonderful truth.

And that’s all just Part I.

All of Part 2 deals with answering the modern day critics who state that penal substitution is unbiblical, defies good modern-day common sense, and defies logic/reason. Many critics are making the old theologically liberal argument that penal substitution makes God the Father out to be a child abuser of His Son if He willingly sent Him to the cross to bear the wrath that was due to us. Unbelievable. How do we answer these people and the many other awful accusations of this wonderful truth? This book is a great place to start to know exactly how to do that.

This is was a wonderful read and a great resource to keep going back to in the future. The clear thinking, counter-arguments and Scriptural citations on the matter are so plentiful that it is really hard to negate the reality of this truth. In addition, though I initially thought this was going to be a high-level argumentation for penal substitution, I found it to be quite an easy read and not that difficult to keep up with at all. It’s one of those books that the authors are so smart, they can not only comprehend the most difficult theology, but can then take that theology and make it easily understandable for the average lay person.

In the future, unless God in His mercy and intervenes, turning evangelicals hearts’ back to Him again, this doctrine will continue to be lambasted as outdated, primitive, and downright offensive. We must be ready for the attacks on the heart of the Gospel, unfortunately, within many of our churches now. Believe me, it is coming. If theologians, pastors, and teachers are beginning to say these things now, it is only a matter of time before their cunning and deceitful arguments filter down into the thinking of the average person.

We must stand up for the Gospel now, in all of its difficult and soul-cutting truths, for the sake of the glory of God. Penal substitution is just one of these truths. In fact, it is a linchpin doctrine upon which our salvation rests, because how is it we can be saved unless God’s justice against our wrong-doing was satisfied by Christ bearing our burden in Himself on the tree?

This book is a great place to start really understanding this timeless, Biblical truth and re-examining your own personal understanding of it even. In addition, if you really want to understand the apologetic defense against many of these arguments, this book is a must read. Regardless of where you are coming from, it will be well worth your time and help focus and concentrate you on the center-piece of our faith: Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The Courage to be Protestant – A Review

By David Westerfield

On April 28, 2008

In Audio, Christian Culture, Culture, Reviews, Theology

In The Courage to be Protestant, David Wells notes there are three major groups splintering within the evangelical church now that threaten the entire movement’s original cause (though one of them is remaining faithful and seeks to preserve it). There are smaller groups that are splintering of course, but the focus is on the three major movements. The word “evangelicalism” is rooted in the word “evangel” which means Gospel. This was the fundamental basis upon which the phrase “evangelical” came into existence, starting either during or right before the times of the Puritans (based upon the fact that John Owen and Jonathan Edwards used the term themselves in their writings). Now though, things are taking a drastic turn; a turn, in fact, that has not been witnessed in its entire history since the Reformation.

These three distinct groups that are “emerging” (no pun intended) are the Truth-lovers, those who hold a historic protestant understanding of the Gospel as recovered in the Reformation (though all of these people are not necessarily Reformed); the Marketers, that is those who hold to using corporate marketing techniques to, in a sense, manipulate people into the church (marketing primarily to an aging baby-boomer generation); and the Emergents, those who believe it is necessary to adapt and morph Biblical, theological and historical understanding to our postmodern culture in an effort to win them for Christ (marketing themselves primarily to my generation).

While not doubting the good intentions and desires of the Marketers and Emergents, Wells brings stinging indictments that reveals their shift on crucial doctrines of the Gospel itself, which Satan has historically used to tear the church apart from within and eclipse the Gospel itself, all in the name of Christianity. I have not been able to put this book down it is so good. It has really made me consider the need to be even more courageous (yet loving) to hold fast to historic Protestantism (that is the Gospel) in the face of those, even within our churches unfortunately, who employ worldly means to bring people in and in some cases attempt to save themselves through their own doing and “Jesus’ help”.

Within the Marketing and Emergent movements, everything under the sun (including substitutionary atonement even! Check out Al Mohler in this sermon) is being redefined outside of historic, Biblical definitions, but is instead defined upon what our culture thinks, says and wants. However though, in a lot of cases, historic doctrines are held, yet pastors and teachers seem to be ashamed of them and lighten them up significantly, or just never speak about them in the pulpit at all. Are you ashamed of the doctrines of hell, wrath, sin, justice, predestination even? Jesus Himself spoke more about hell than anyone, yet some teachers would make Jesus out to be this guy who spoke some hippie love language.

Shouldn’t we possibly be willing to talk about that which is uncomfortable (sin and wrath in particular) because it is a prerequisite for getting the Gospel right? Isn’t that why people hate us Christians to begin with, precisely because the Gospel is an offensive message to sinful man? And if our message is not met with a good level of opposition, could there possibly be something wrong with our message? It’s the truth, is it not? The Marketers sure do seem to be ashamed of these hard truths though. Are you ashamed of the Bible speaking in terms of absolute truth? The Emergents clearly are, because a majority of people in our culture now are not sure there is any absolute truth, and the Emergents are folding to the pressure to be culturally relevant. They therefore shape their message to fit what the culture wants.

This book is a clear wakeup call for the evangelical church to recover it’s Gospel-roots as its primary focus and not shift on Biblical language, so that we may preserve the movements’ initial cause: the glory of God and the Gospel through which people may be reconciled to God. Either we recover our roots and threads that hold us together, or the historic evangelical cause will be lost. Unfortunately, David Wells believes the movement may already be lost and so it may be time to just move on and start a new movement of Gospel-centrality in the church, for both salvation and progressive sanctification (for growth in our faith). To me, it seems that a new movement is already under way with the advent of the “truth-lovers”. David Wells, summed up, puts it like this in the book:

“It would be quite unrealistic to think that evangelicalism today could look exactly as it did fifty years ago, or a hundred, or five-hundred. At the same time, the truth by which it is constituted never changes because God, whose truth it is, never changes. There should therefore be threads of continuity that bind real Christian believing in all ages. It is some of those threads, I believe, that are now being lost….I do not know what the evangelical future will be, but I am certain evangelicalism has no good future unless it finds this kind of direction again.”

Nowadays, you have everyone from the Oneness Pentecostals to Joel Osteen being called evangelical, yet Osteen is clear that he never wants to speak on anything negative, even if it is true, because it would offend people. Osteen is a Pelagian in his teaching of how people are saved, heresy condemned by an ecumenical early church council, The Council of Orange, in 529 A.D. And then T.D. Jakes does not believe in the Trinity, he’s a Modalist/Sabellian, two heresies, both of which were condemned in the third and fourth centuries. These teachers not only deny historic ecumenical, early church doctrines on the nature of Christ, God, sin (doctrines that even the Roman Catholic Church holds, whom we Protestants have crucial disagreements with over the nature of salvation), but these guys also specifically deny the roots of evangelicalism in not preaching orthodox, Gospel truth. Yet they are called and labeled evangelical! And then if you criticize what they are teaching, that they are in error, in any fashion, you get labeled a bigot, most specifically within the church! There is something seriously wrong with that.

This is a totally unqualified quote with no backing or proof anyone actually said it, but it honestly would not surprise me with the way things are shifting in evangelicalism. Someone told me that a lady had left a Roman Catholic church to go to one of the nearby “evangelical” mega-churches (remaining anonymous) because, “They didn’t teach the Trinity there and I just can’t believe in that.” If this is true (which again, not sure it is), volumes can be said about the methodologies employed at the church, the messages being communicated, the lack of clear truth that isn’t being taught, and most of all, the fact that there is no Gospel whatsoever (the root of evangelicalism), amongst a host of other things.

As those who hold to the historic truths of Christianity as particularly recovered in the Reformation, we must be willing to take abuse for the sake of Gospel-truth and not shift on those doctrines clearly shown to us in the Scriptures. That does not mean we have to stand up and be jerks toward those who differ. In fact, if this just makes you angry and you know you’ll just be mean, please keep quiet. Rather, we should lovingly confront error with the timeless truth of the Scriptures that has been passed down throughout the ages. This book is a proclamation and warning call to hold fast to what is true, even though our times dictate for us to shift our positions. David Wells says, “It takes no courage to sign up as a Protestant.” However, to be a theologically historic Protestant is increasingly taking more guts. Lord, help us to hold fast to what is true by Your Spirit.

Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray – A Review

By David Westerfield

On February 18, 2008

In Reviews, Theology

This book is an excellent, concise theological work on Christ’s atoning work on the cross and how it is applied to the life of believers to save them, from its very inception until its final consummation. It is absolutely essential for believers to understand the depths of the value of the work of Christ on the cross and how that saves them, from the first granting of faith, to our glorification with Christ at His revelation when He returns to judge the world in righteousness. If we do not understand from the details given in the Scriptures of how we were saved, how we persevere in our faith (by Christ’s power in us), and what will become of us in the end, we will not appreciate how amazing the plan of God has been from all eternity to save His people.

The first part of the book, consisting of five chapters, deals with the atonement of Christ, particularly its necessity, its nature, its perfection, its extent, and finally concluding remarks on the subject. The second part then deals with the Ordo Salutis, that is, the order of salvation. Before you even go into the Ordo Salutis though, you must first grasp the presentation of the work of Christ on our behalf in the Word. A fundamental misunderstanding at this point affects ultimately how you view that work applied to the life of the believer. I will not go into this here; you will just have to read the book. 🙂

In the second part, Murray shows from Scripture the process from beginning to end of how Christ’s work is applied to us.

1) The believer to be saved by the atoning work of Christ is first effectually called by the Holy Spirit through the indiscriminate preaching of the Gospel.

2) Then, by the power of God alone in that call to salvation, the sinner to be saved is regenerated out of that state of sin we are all naturally born in, under the blindness and hardness of the wrath of God; that is by nature we were children of wrath like the rest of mankind (Ephesians 2:3).

3) Next, as a result of this regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, faith and repentance are produced in the soul (by Christ’s atoning work), where the sinner desires Christ more than their sin, seeing it as repulsive and Christ as a beautiful and merciful Savior. In this work of the Spirit, we are given eyes to see, ears to hear, our hearts of stone are effectually taken out and a heart of flesh is put in its place that is loving, obedient and responsive to God, fulfilling the word of the Spirit spoken in Ezekiel 36:26-27.

4) Then as a result of this faith in Christ granted as a gift by the Father (Ephesians 2:8-9, John 6:44) that we may surely be saved, we are justified and counted righteous by Christ’s work on our behalf.

5) Next, because of our justification, we are received into the fellowship of the saved, as a child of God, adopted into His kingdom as fellow heirs with Christ.

6) Over the life of the believer, sanctification occurs and the redeemed in Christ are progressively (albeit imperfectly) made more into His image (though this process is never perfected in this life until we die, which always keeps us in a humble state of empty-handedness before Him knowing we can only receive that which is granted by His loving hand).

7) As a result of the supernatural faith-sustaining power of God over the believers’ life, never shall they turn back and abandon their Savior and thus be lost because they are born anew, adopted and can never lose that status. However it is not by their power but God’s sustaining them.

The flip side of this coin though, or the negative side, is that if you see no supernatural, progressive, effectual work in your life (though not perfect of course!) and yet claim Christ as your Lord, it may be you don’t have divine faith imparted by God, something the Scriptures tell us to confirm (Philippians 2:12, 2 Peter 1:5-11). A truly saved person will always be supernaturally changed by the work of God. To say otherwise is to call God’s work of giving people new birth (i.e. spiritual birth from among the dead) a lie. The new birth always creates a new person, redeemed in the image of Christ (though, again, not perfect). No saved person permanently slides into and continues in deadly, soul-destroying unbelief concerning the things of God, manifested in visible evidences of blatant, perpetual sinning (i.e. the Carnal Christian heresy, spoken against clearly in 1 John). God will always work to preserve the saved by His power, and though they may stumble in grave sin even, God will always work to bring them back to Himself.

– Before speaking on glorification in the final chapter, Murray discusses how in each of these points within the sinner that is being saved, they are all in relation to our being united to Christ. This is important to note because each of these can seem to be separate from Him in some fashion. But rather, each of these is directly as a result of our being united to Him, and this unity pervades every point of the life of the believer, from beginning to end.

8) Finally, Murray makes the important note that many view glorification as occurring simply at death. However, he makes very clear that final glorification occurs when our bodies are reunited with our souls and we are resurrected from the death in the same manner as Christ was raised from the dead. He notes that it is a grave error to simply think of glorification in terms of just being done with this life and going to be with Christ (though that is definitely part of it). Rather he shows how we need to always be looking forward to the final resurrection when everything will be made anew and all of His people will be without sin, and we can enjoy our Savior forever in His presence, our greatest joy in all things.

This is an excellent book and should be read by every believer as a part of basic Christian curriculum because of how the process of our salvation in Christ is laid out so eloquently and beautifully by Murray.

Here is a link to order the book now on MonergismBooks.com:
http://www.monergismbooks.com/Redemptio … 16909.html

NOOMA Review by Greg Gilbert @ 9Marks Ministry

By David Westerfield

On February 13, 2008

In Apologetics, Christian Culture, Culture, Philosophy of Ministry, Reviews, Theology

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

This video series is apparently sweeping the country in youth groups. And while I don’t doubt that there are a lot of good things that can be taken away from this series, we must pay very close attention to 1) how things are said (mainly the Gospel itself), and 2) what is not said (pertaining to the essential message of the Gospel). This series of reviews points out the high points of the series, but also the deficiencies when compared with the historic Christian faith message we have been entrusted with. Brothers and sisters, “We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” (Hebrews 2:1) Error always starts out small, like a ball slowly starting to roll from the top of a hill. Then the ball gains momentum, and by the time it reaches the bottom of the hill it is speeding so fast you can’t stop it, and the Gospel is lost and people are believing a lie craftily devised by Satan over time. One of the main ways Satan works to destroy the church is not so much persecution from without, but he comes and destroys the church from within by slowly (and sometimes rapidly) twisting the message just slightly. Church history proves this to be the case.

The Reason for God – Another Good Synopsis

By David Westerfield

On February 7, 2008

In Apologetics, Culture, Reviews, Theology

This was taken from the Penguin Books website from http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/Book … 93,00.html:

The End of Faith. The God Delusion. God Is Not Great. Letter to a Christian Nation. Bestseller lists are filled with doubters. But what happens when you actually doubt your doubts?

Although a vocal minority continues to attack the Christian faith, for most Americans, faith is a large part of their lives: 86 percent of Americans refer to themselves as religious, and 75 percent of all Americans consider themselves Christians. So how should they respond to these passionate, learned, and persuasive books that promote science and secularism over religion and faith? For years, Tim Keller has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced “doubts” skeptics bring to his Manhattan church. And in The Reason for God, he single-handedly dismantles each of them. Written with atheists, agnostics, and skeptics in mind, Keller also provides an intelligent platform on which true believers can stand their ground when bombarded by the backlash. The Reason for God challenges such ideology at its core and points to the true path and purpose of Christianity.

Why is there suffering in the world? How could a loving God send people to Hell? Why isn’t Christianity more inclusive? Shouldn’t the Christian God be a god of love? How can one religion be “right” and the rest “wrong”? Why have so many wars been fought in the name of God? These are just a few of the questions even ardent believers wrestle with today. In this book, Tim Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations and reasoning, and even pop culture to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth.

The Reason for God by Tim Keller – To Be Released on Feb 14

By David Westerfield

On February 6, 2008

In Apologetics, Christian Culture, Culture, Reviews, Theology

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/052595 … 0525950494

Table of Contents: http://theologica.blogspot.com/2007/08/ … eller.html

Finally, after months of anticipation, Tim Keller’s new book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, will be released next Thursday, the 14th. I can’t wait … here is how Keller describes it on Redeemer.com:

I’ve been working for some time on a book for the ordinary (which means very sharp) spiritually skeptical New Yorker. Ever since I got to New York nearly two decades ago I’ve wished I had a volume to give people that not only answered objections to Christianity (what has been called ‘apologetics’) but also positively presented the basics of the gospel in an accessible yet substantial way. I had some books that did the one and some that did the other, but only one did both—Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. As you know, I think Lewis’ book is peerless, and foolish would be the author who tried to replace him!

However, the issues in the public discourse around Christianity have become much more complex than they were in the mid and late 20th century. The questions are now not just philosophical (e.g. Is there evidence for God’s existence?) They are also now cultural (Doesn’t strong faith make a multicultural society impossible?), political (Doesn’t orthodox religion undermine freedom?) and personal. Also fifty years ago, when C.S. Lewis was writing, there was general agreement that rational argument and empirical method were the best ways to discover truth. That consensus has vanished. Today there are deep disagreements over how we know things and how certain we can be about anything. Most of the older books presenting Christianity now are only persuasive and even comprehensible to a very narrow range of people.

All this means that there is a great need for new literature that speaks to our time and says, “Christianity makes sense.” I know I’m only one of many who are trying to do this over the next few years. My contribution is slated to be released February 14, 2008, by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Books. Its title is The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. You can find a little more information about it on Amazon.com.

Even though the book is not addressing believers, I still hope it will be a help to the members and friends of Redeemer. It may make it easier to represent your heartfelt beliefs to people you love. That’s my prayer.

The Justification of God by John Piper – A Review

By David Westerfield

On January 31, 2008

In Reviews, Theology

In a day when men in the pulpit and in the study would take the verses of Romans nine totally out of context, infer unwarranted and unscriptural presuppositions (foreknown faith as the basis for election), thus pressing ideologies onto the text that are just not there, John Piper’s scholarly work on what Romans nine is all about is a great defense of Biblical election (unconditional election) that shines a light in the darkness of so much poor analysis and exegesis of this chapter. Romans nine is about the very definition of who God is: the sovereign Lord over ALL things whose name will be proclaimed in all the Earth, being that His glory is the highest good and that His promises never fail.

Two of the main ways this text is gutted of its intended meaning is first, by the majority of interpretors proposing that Romans nine is not about individual, eternal election to salvation, but rather, corporate temporal election to historical roles, such as Israel being elected as God’s chosen people (as opposed to say David being individually elected to salvation). Secondly, there are those who do believe in individual election, but who will say God chose them because they first chose Him (conditional election, if they choose me I’ll choose them). Piper goes to pain-staking lengths to show how great of an error these propositions are by starting in Romans 9:1 and working his way forward in both the Greek and Hebrews texts. He goes into extensive arguments about how these will not stand in the face of the Berean test of Scripture. In addition, he shows the larger context of the previous chapter, Romans eight, displaying how sure the promises of God are to His people, that He will never fail in carrying them out, because, namely, they are rooted in His unconditional electing love.

However, if that’s true, that God’s promise will not fail, what do we make of these promises if the large majority of the Jews, at the official levels, rejected Christ? I mean, having rejected the Gospel, they remain under the wrath of God! Has God’s promises to Israel failed? And if His promises failed to His chosen people, what are we to make of His promises to us, the grafted in branches? Paul’s answer? “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.” (Romans 9:6) And thus Paul begins his argument as to why the promises of God did not fail Israel, just as they will never fail us who trust in Christ. Why haven’t God’s promises failed? It comes down to election. God’s promises are rooted precisely in His plan that was set into effect before the foundation of the world. And Piper shows that to be the case very forcefully.

I highly commend this book to all of you who want to delve into a really good study of these controversial passages in Romans. Piper is an excellent scholar and it is very hard to get around these arguments when confronted with them. Many esteem predestination as an unloving doctrine, that it paints God as a mean, old grandfather who randomly chooses some and not others for salvation. That is called Greek determinism, not Biblical election. However, as we see from the Scriptures, God is the most loving precisely in predestination to salvation through the work of Christ on our behalf (and in every instance where election is mentioned in Scripture, that is exactly how it is presented, the love of God electing us to eternal life through Christ). To see that truth opens up the doors of experiencing God’s grace in deeper ways, because you see just how rebellious from the heart you really are, and just how deep into your soul God had to go to first regenerate you and bring you to life from spiritual death, granting you the eyes to see and ears to hear the call of Christ to salvation, and thus moving in you to respond positively to the Gospel message, just as the Lord did to the Gentiles at Antioch in Acts 13:48 and in Lydia in Acts 16:14.

To hear some excellent messages on much of the same material in this book by John Piper himself on Romans 9 (without being too heady), go here:
http://www.westerfunk.net/theology/piper/romans/9/

To order this book now, go here:
http://www.monergismbooks.com/The-Justi … 16367.html

OpenVPN

By David Westerfield

On January 18, 2008

In Reviews, Technology

http://openvpn.net/

Man this is cool. I finally spent the time learning how to set this up, and it was quite some work, but appears to be well worth it. I have a PPTP VPN already setup, but I wanted to set something else up because the Microsoft encryption algorithm just isn’t that secure (when compared with the top level AES-256 encryption). OpenVPN is awesome, because for one, it’s free. And two, it is unbelievably secure (when set up properly). The one downside is its lack of user-friendliness. I had to read a lot of the manual to get various functions to finally work. Also, everything, both on the server and client sides, is text file based. I can handle that, but many people cannot and I can understand that. But before you even start with this, you need a good networking foundation of how VPN networking works because many of the concepts will be alien to you if you don’t. So for those who just want a quick and easy VPN to connect into their home network, just stick with Microsoft’s PPTP VPN. But for those who really want tight security between their network and a remote location and who don’t have any money :), this is the solution for you. Be ready to do some reading and banging your head against your keyboard at times though. It took me a couple of days to finally get it working. Keyword is patience …