9 Ways to Know the Gospel of Christ Is True

From John Piper:

1. Jesus Christ, as he is presented to us in the New Testament, and as he stands forth from all its writings, is too single and too great to have been invented so uniformly by all these writers.
2. Nobody has ever explained the empty tomb of Jesus in the hostile environment of Jerusalem where the enemies of Jesus would have given anything to produce the corpse, but could not.
3. Cynical opponents of Christianity abounded where claims were made that many eyewitnesses were available to consult concerning the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
4. The early church was an indomitable force of faith and love and sacrifice on the basis of the reality of Jesus Christ.
5. The prophesies of the Old Testament find stunning fulfillment in the history of Jesus Christ.
6. The witnesses to Jesus Christ who wrote the New Testament gospels and letters are not gullible or deceitful or demented.
7. The worldview that emerges from the writings of the New Testament makes more sense out of more reality than any other worldview.
8. When one sees Christ as he is portrayed truly in the gospel, there shines forth a spiritual light that is a self-authenticating.
9. When we see and believe the glory of God in the gospel, the Holy Spirit is given to us so that the love of God might be "poured out in our hearts" (Romans 5:5).

Terry on the temple

Quote taken from this post:

His own personal presence fulfilled its purpose. His unique, atoning sacrifice would make its sacrificial system obsolete, and the coming of the Holy Spirit to the living stones of the Church would consign the Temple to history. At his death, the curtain of the inner sanctuary was torn from top to bottom. God had no further need of this particular building! Never again would it matter whether He was worshipped on this mountain or that (John 4:21). Geography was irrelevant. He now wants to be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth. Temples made with human hands are outdated and irrelevant.

Carson's poem about the incarnation

Published by Justin Taylor

Before there was a universe,

Before a star or planet,

When time had still not yet begun --

I scarcely understand it --

Th' eternal Word was with his God,

God's very Self-Expression;

Th' eternal Word was God himself --

And God had planned redemption.

The Word became our flesh and blood --

The stuff of his creation --

The Word was God, the Word was flesh,

Astounding incarnation!

But when he came to visit us,

We did not recognize him.

Although we owed him everything

We haughtily despised him.

In days gone by God showed himself

In grace and truth to Moses;

But in the Word of God made flesh

Their climax he discloses.

For grace and truth in fullness came

And showed the Father's glory

When Jesus donned our flesh and died:

This is the gospel story.

All who delighted in his name,

All those who did receive him,

All who by grace were born of God,

All who in truth believed him --

To them he gave a stunning right:

Becoming God's dear children!

Here will I stay in grateful trust;

Here will I fix my vision.

Before there was a universe,

Before a star or planet,

When time had still not yet begun --

I scarcely understand it --

Th' eternal Word was with his God,

God's very Self-Expression;

Th' eternal Word was God himself --

And God had planned redemption.

Loneliness and Jesus

What must have been like to be sinless yet surround by sinners? Cf. Hebrews 4:15

Evangelism is a gift

Mark Driscoll on evangelism as a delight, not a duty:
- Love overflows into evangelism
- Jesus the evangelist
- Evangelism and reformed theology
- Paul the evangelist
- Evangelism fits with God's sovereignty
- Jesus saves people