This week's Link of the Week is to a .pdf of A.W. Tozer's classic The Pursuit of God.
There are two books that I go back to several times a year. Sometimes I read them all the way through some times I read a few chapters. This is one of those books. It is a classic book that drives the heart to worship and the mind to deep thoughts about God.
Bookmark this link on your computer and on your phone. The chapters are short and can be read in just a few minutes. Visit this link often and enjoy this classic work.
Tuesday Link of the Week
This week's link of the week is one of my favorites. It is an interlinear bible. With this link you can type in any Bible verse or series of verses or even entire chapters and it will pull up the Greek or Hebrew version of the verses. Many of the words will have clickable links to the Greek words as well as links to verse that word appears elsewhere in scripture.
This is an extremely valuable tool and it is free.
I want to walk you through a practice of using the link. Romans 5:8 is my favorite verse. As you click on the reference, you will be linked to the page for Romans 5:8. When you are there, click on the word "demonstrates". It will pull up the Greek word Sunistao.
Along the left column you will see the transliterated word and phonetic spelling (you can click on the speaker there and it will pronounce the word for you) and the definition of the word.
Through middle is the Word Origin, you will see that Sunistao comes from two root words. You can click on each to examine definitions and uses of the the root words.
Along the right column is a list of the times in scripture where this word is used. You can see that Sunistao is used a total of 15 times throughout scripture. If you click on the particular book of the Bible, it will bring up each verse in that book where Sunistao appears.
This is a great tool, spend sometime with some of your favorite verses and key words.
Thanks for reading!
This is an extremely valuable tool and it is free.
I want to walk you through a practice of using the link. Romans 5:8 is my favorite verse. As you click on the reference, you will be linked to the page for Romans 5:8. When you are there, click on the word "demonstrates". It will pull up the Greek word Sunistao.
Along the left column you will see the transliterated word and phonetic spelling (you can click on the speaker there and it will pronounce the word for you) and the definition of the word.
Through middle is the Word Origin, you will see that Sunistao comes from two root words. You can click on each to examine definitions and uses of the the root words.
Along the right column is a list of the times in scripture where this word is used. You can see that Sunistao is used a total of 15 times throughout scripture. If you click on the particular book of the Bible, it will bring up each verse in that book where Sunistao appears.
This is a great tool, spend sometime with some of your favorite verses and key words.
Thanks for reading!
Be Transformed
A few times each year, my mind will center around a word or a phrase in scripture. Currently, I my mind is camping on the notion of being transformed.
Romans 12:2 calls us to be transformed. Transformed is the Greek word Metamorphoo. It is the same word that is used when scripture recounts the transfiguration in Matthew 17 when Jesus literally took on a different physical presence.
The definition of the word is to change into a different form. So to be transformed, as we are called to be, is to take on a different form. If we give more than a cursory look at this idea, we realize that it is not something that we are capable of on our own. It is a supernatural act.
To be transformed is the foremost prayer that I am praying for North Church people.
So what does this mean and how does it happen? Romans 12:2 is a natural response to the grace and mercy of God that appears in Romans 11. But to be changed is not something that starts in us, it is a response to the grace and mercy of God. In order to be transformed, we must press into grace, we must long to be transformed, we must engage God through prayer and scripture, we must think and meditate on grace and mercy.
On the other side of transformation lies the joy that motivated Jesus to endure the intensity of the pain of the cross and to condescend the shame of being alone, broken, naked, bleeding and on display for the world to mock.
I am praying for transformation in our husbands as they lead wives. Men, read scripture to your bride and pray with her. Be the catalyst for the transformation in you and in her.
I am praying this sort of transformation for the single population of North Church. "When Jesus was here on the earth, the crowds would follow Him because they saw He gave good things. But that’s not what He wanted. He wanted their hearts for Himself. So He would turn to them and say things like, “If you don’t love Me so much that every other relationship in your life looks like hate by comparison, you can’t follow Me.”(from gracefortheroad.com)
I am praying for transformation in our wives as they submit and fill the role of "Azur" in their marriages. Women, nurture and pray for your husbands and gently ask them to lead you.
I am praying for us all that God would give us a thirst that only He can satisfy. I am praying for that to be a tangible thirst that we feel deep in the back of our throats that makes us noticeably uncomfortable.
Will you join me in these prayers?
Romans 12:2 calls us to be transformed. Transformed is the Greek word Metamorphoo. It is the same word that is used when scripture recounts the transfiguration in Matthew 17 when Jesus literally took on a different physical presence.
The definition of the word is to change into a different form. So to be transformed, as we are called to be, is to take on a different form. If we give more than a cursory look at this idea, we realize that it is not something that we are capable of on our own. It is a supernatural act.
To be transformed is the foremost prayer that I am praying for North Church people.
So what does this mean and how does it happen? Romans 12:2 is a natural response to the grace and mercy of God that appears in Romans 11. But to be changed is not something that starts in us, it is a response to the grace and mercy of God. In order to be transformed, we must press into grace, we must long to be transformed, we must engage God through prayer and scripture, we must think and meditate on grace and mercy.
On the other side of transformation lies the joy that motivated Jesus to endure the intensity of the pain of the cross and to condescend the shame of being alone, broken, naked, bleeding and on display for the world to mock.
I am praying for transformation in our husbands as they lead wives. Men, read scripture to your bride and pray with her. Be the catalyst for the transformation in you and in her.
I am praying this sort of transformation for the single population of North Church. "When Jesus was here on the earth, the crowds would follow Him because they saw He gave good things. But that’s not what He wanted. He wanted their hearts for Himself. So He would turn to them and say things like, “If you don’t love Me so much that every other relationship in your life looks like hate by comparison, you can’t follow Me.”(from gracefortheroad.com)
I am praying for transformation in our wives as they submit and fill the role of "Azur" in their marriages. Women, nurture and pray for your husbands and gently ask them to lead you.
I am praying for us all that God would give us a thirst that only He can satisfy. I am praying for that to be a tangible thirst that we feel deep in the back of our throats that makes us noticeably uncomfortable.
Will you join me in these prayers?
Tuesday Link of the Week
We are bringing back a new feature. It is our Link of the Week. Each Tuesday we will post a link that we think will help, encourage and/or challenge our readers. Be sure to check back each Tuesday and spend sometime with our Link of the Week.
This week is a video of a conversation between John Piper and Tim Keller about sanctification. In the message on Sunday we talked about the process of being transformed and being sanctified. You can listen to the conversation between Keller and Piper here.
The video is 15 minutes long, but well worth it. Take sometime this week to check it out, you might want to have a pen and paper as you do. There are some very good practical helps that you will find in the video.
Thanks for reading.
This week is a video of a conversation between John Piper and Tim Keller about sanctification. In the message on Sunday we talked about the process of being transformed and being sanctified. You can listen to the conversation between Keller and Piper here.
The video is 15 minutes long, but well worth it. Take sometime this week to check it out, you might want to have a pen and paper as you do. There are some very good practical helps that you will find in the video.
Thanks for reading.
