Category Archives: Listening

Protesters confront riot police amid fire and smoke; wall reads “NO JUSTICE NO PEACE.”
Bible, Hearing, Hebrews, Listening, Provoke, Scripture

WHO ARE THE AGITATORS?

HEBREWS 3:16

“For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?”

Recently, in part of Europe we have seen some civil unrest which resulted in riots. What may have begun as a peaceful march escalated into burning buildings, looting businesses and destroying property. The authorities have traced most of this back to a certain group of agitators who provoked others into these actions. It’s amazing how a small number can have such a huge impact on a crowd that is leaning a certain way.

That is exactly what the writer of Hebrews is referring to in today’s verse. He asks a question and then answers it. Who heard God and then provoked His wrath by their disobedience? It was the whole crowd. Murmur after murmur against Moses was heard. We want water. We want bread. We want meat. God had just rescued them from 400 years of slavery and they still complained.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

An Application to make is seen in our verse. We must avoid the trap of hearing but not listening. Did you catch that? It’s the difference between a cat and dog. You can call a dog by name and usually he will come to you. Cats, on the other hand, expect you to come to them. Lol. The Hebrews in the wilderness heard God when He spoke through Moses, but they refused to listen to what He said. Time and time again they bucked His commands. It’s no wonder God threatened to wipe them all away.

The Greek word translated “provoked” is only used here in the New Testament. It’s the Greek word parapikrainó from para (alongside) and pikraino (to embitter). It means to exasperate. Have you ever tried to teach someone something and they just couldn’t do it? You can easily get exasperated, can’t you? The Topical Lexicon says, “By choosing this rare verb the epistle deliberately reaches back to the Greek of Psalm 95:8 in the Septuagint, fusing Israel’s historical defiance with the present danger of Christian apostasy.” There’s our application!

Let me encourage you today to take the time to truly hear God and listen to what He is saying. As my wife and I start down this road of another physical trial in my health, we are straining to hear His voice. We only want to do what He wants us to do. It doesn’t do any good to pray to hear the Lord and then refuse the answer He gives. Accept His answer with humility. After all, the God of the universe loves you enough to talk to you. Isn’t that amazing in itself?

Speak, Lord, and help me to truly listen to Your guidance.

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Bulldogs fans cheering during a youth baseball game
Bible, Comfort, Encouragement, Family, Hebrews, Listening, Scripture

ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER

HEBREWS 3:13

“But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called ‘today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Everyone likes to be encouraged. Isn’t that true? Think of all the parents at the ballfields during football, soccer or baseball seasons. Why are they there? To encourage their child(ren) to do their best and to lift them up if their team falls short of the victory. It’s a proven fact that children whose parents regularly attend their games play harder and better. Just ask the coaches.

So, today we have the writer of Hebrews telling us through the Holy Spirit to do that very thing for each other. He writes, “encourage one another every day.” We’ll look at some other spots in the New Testament where this is also mentioned. But look closely at why he tells us to do this. He says, “so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” You see, living the Christian life isn’t meant to be a solo sport. You need teammates to come alongside you. In fact, the Greek word for “encourage” means exactly that. It means to come near or to comfort. That’s what encourages us, right?

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

We see here a clear Command to Obey since “encourage” is in the Imperative. That’s the Greek command voice. It’s also in the Present tense which means to continue doing it. We should do this every day. Don’t stop. Keep encouraging! In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul uses this same command. “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.” Earlier in the same book, Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:18, “Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” The word “comfort” is the same word translated as “encourage” in our text today and in 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

In Hebrews 10:24-25, the writer gives us the same admonition. “24 and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, 25 not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” I think you can see this is important for us to do for each other.

Is there someone you need to encourage today? Maybe someone is going through a hard, physical challenge right now and just needs to know you are praying for them. Recently, when I went through one of those, I had friends and family reach out to me to encourage and pray for me. What a blessing. And that makes me want to reach out to others also. Ask the Lord to show you who He would have you encourage. Then do it. Call them or text them. Let them know they are in your prayers. Encourage one another.

Thank You, Lord, for sending others into my life to encourage me. Help me do the same.

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Two women having a quiet conversation in a busy café
Bible, Hearing, Hebrews, Listening, Obedience, Scripture, Voice

IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE

HEBREWS 3:7

“Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, ‘TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,’”

Many good intentioned Christians will tell you that God does not speak the same way He used to. May I beg to differ? God is speaking. The problem is we aren’t listening. There’s a great book by Henry and Richard Blackaby entitled “Hearing God’s Voice.” Let me encourage you to order it and read it. They take us through Scripture showing us how God spoke then and how He continues to speak to us today. You just have to have your ears tuned to the right frequency.

Today starts a long Old Testament quotation from Psalm 95:7-11. It may not be an exact quote, depending on our translation, but the message is clear. Listen to the Lord. Barnes says, “the admonition was as pertinent and important under the Christian dispensation, as it was under the Jewish. The danger of hardening the heart by neglecting to hear his voice was as great, and the consequences would be as fearful and alarming.” I agree wholeheartedly.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

Boy, if this isn’t a Command to Obey, I have never seen one. As I said in the opening, you have to be listening to hear His voice. As is often the case, our English doesn’t fully convey the original Hebrew text which could read “Today, oh that you would hearken to (obey) His voice” or “Today, if you hearken to His voice.” The Psalmist then goes on to deliver the words of the Lord directly.

So, the question begs to be asked – are you listening? Well, Carl, how do I hear God’s voice? So glad you asked. The first and best way is to get into His Word and let Him speak through the text. God inspired every writer to pen every word. Read it as if listening directly to the voice of God. Secondly, pray. Spend voluminous amounts of time in prayer. I have never known anyone who was in tune with the Lord who didn’t do that. Prayer is the gateway to the throne of God. And thirdly, shut up and listen. Just get in a quiet spot, turn off all distractions and listen. Don’t talk. Allow the Spirit of God to speak to you about things you need to hear.

Let me close this blog by saying, if you listen He will speak. So many times He has tried to speak to me, but I was too busy. As we go through these next verses from Psalm 95, take a minute and go read the entire psalm. It’s only eleven verses. I love what verse 6 says just before we enter into our quotation in Hebrews. It says, “Come, let’s worship and bow down, Let’s kneel before the LORD our Maker.” That’s where it begins. Are you worshipping? Are you kneeling?

Speak, O Lord, I am listening. I want to hear Your voice and obey Your commands.

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Older woman holding a brass listening horn while reading an open book
Attention, Bible, Hearer, Hearing, Hebrews, Listening, Scripture

PAY ATTENTION

HEBREWS 2:1

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”

When I was in school, my teachers were quite regularly saying to me, “Mr. Willis, please pay attention!” My mind wandered a lot. I didn’t have ADHD (that was pretty much unheard of back then), but I did get bored easily in class. When I became a Christian in 1977, my attention changed dramatically. The teachers were shocked at the difference in my attitude and my grades. The word in today’s verse for “pay much closer attention” fit me perfectly back then.

The Greek word is prosechó which means “to pay attention, to give heed, to be cautious, to devote oneself.” (Lexical Summary). It comes from two Greek words, pros (toward) and echo (to hold). Figuratively it means to hold your mind towards something. The writer of Hebrews makes the transition from discussing Jesus with “for this reason” and then tells us what to do. He basically says, “Listen closely so you won’t slip away.”

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

Well, this is a no brainer! There is certainly a clear Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid and an Application to make. We are told exactly what we should do. There is another little word here that is interesting. The Greek word dei is there before prosechó. It means behoove, ought to, should. In other words, we are told it behooves us to pay very close attention to what we have heard. Don’t fake your attention. Press the mute button on all the distractions.

The Promise to Claim is if we do that, we won’t slip away. Allowing distractions in your life can only lead to backsliding or passivity. Your salvation was expensive. It cost Jesus His physical life. Don’t cheapen His grace by getting busy with temporal things. Pay attention to the eternal. That’s the Application to Make.

Finally, the Sin to avoid is clearly implied. If we don’t pay attention, we will drift away. HELPS Word-studies has a great definition of the Greek word here. “Pararrhyéō (drift away from) only occurs in Heb 2:1 where it refers to going spiritually adrift – ‘sinning by slipping away’ (from God’s anchor). Pararrhyéō (gradually drift away) means to ‘lapse’ into spiritual defeat, describing how we slowly move away from our moorings in Christ.” Don’t let that happen to you! Pay attention to what you hear?

Help me, Lord, to pay close attention to Your Word and live by it.

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Woman with camera standing beside red car near detour and Scout's Overlook signs
Appointed, Bible, Detours, Listening, Romans, Scripture

PASSING THROUGH

ROMANS 15:24

“whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while—”

Sometimes when you take a trip you plan to go through towns, cities or maybe even parks that are not your final destination. On my Google Maps app, I can add stops along the way between my departure location and where I am planning to go. Sometimes those stops may be random. You see a billboard or attraction sign that spurs your interest, so you make a detour. Unless you are in a hurry to get where you are going, allow some time on your next trip to explore those “in between” places.

Paul, as I mentioned yesterday, had been eager to visit Rome for some time. So, as he was planning his next trip to Spain or Spania as it was called in Paul’s day, he writes he would pass through Rome and visit. Little did he know his “detour” to Rome would be as a prisoner awaiting his appeal. There is actually no biblical evidence which states he made it to Spain. After his first imprisonment in Rome, we do not know exactly where he went. Tradition states he went on the undocumented fourth missionary journey which may have included Spain. I guess we will have to ask him when we see in heaven.

APPLICATION

The Greek word translated “passing” is diaporeuomai which means “to travel through, go through, journey in, pass by.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). It’s only used five times in the New Testament. I love what the Topical Lexicon says about it. Diaporeuomai “expresses more than physical locomotion; each instance frames a purposeful passage that advances redemptive history. Whether describing the Messiah moving toward the cross, the apostles circulating conciliar decrees, or Paul charting a route to unreached frontiers, the verb constantly links travel with divine appointment.”

Did you catch that last thing? Divine appointment! I believe we miss out on some divine appointments because we are always too busy to get where we are going. I am guilty of that. I watch the map on my phone as I drive. I gauge the success of my trip on how fast I can get from point A to point B. I don’t think Jesus was too concerned about that, do you? He wasn’t in a hurry as He walked the dusty roads of Galilee.

Let me encourage you to slow down and smell the roses. On your next trip, allow for some divine appointments. It might be a lingering conversation with a waitress at a restaurant. God may have already mapped out your “detours” to see if you are willing to listen to His rerouting your trip.

I want to go only where You want me to go. Show me the path You have for me today.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Comfort, Encouragement, Fellowship, Listening, Scripture

ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER

ROMANS 1:12

“that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

We all need encouragement. I get that from my friends and family. I get that from my wife. But most of all, I get that from the Lord. He is always seeking to build me up and make me more like Jesus. If I would only listen more closely, that could happen more easily. But I allow my own self-interest and self-indulgences to get in the way. Those can also block the encouragement from others. Listen to Paul’s words in today’s verse.

He uses a Greek word for “may be encouraged” that is only used once (right here) in the New Testament. It comes from three Greek words. The word is sumparakaleó (sum+para+kaleo). The Topical Lexicon says this about this word. “The term emphasizes reciprocity: encouragement is not delivered from a superior to an inferior but shared among believers who stand shoulder to shoulder. The prefixed prepositions συν- (with) and παρά- (alongside) intensify the core verb καλέω (to call), yielding a picture of believers summoning one another to persevere in faith, hope, and love.” That is a great breakdown of this once-used word.

APPLICATION

The writer of Hebrews expresses a similar idea in Hebrews 10:24-25. “24 and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, 25 not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Just going to church and seeing other believers can encourage you and encourage them. We are on this journey together.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul writes a similar thought.  “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.” Paul also shows this idea in 2 Corinthians 1:4 when he tells us to comfort each other. “who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

We have an obligation to encourage each other, to bring comfort to one another. How can you do that? By listening to a hurting friend? By praying for someone who is in need? By just fellowshipping with other believers? Find a way this weekend to live out Romans 1:12. I promise you will be encouraged, as well.

Lord, thank You for sending others into my life to encourage me. Help me do the same for others.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Listening, Obedience, Pressure, Scripture

HARD-PRESSED

PHILIPPIANS 1:23

“But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;”

No one likes to be pressured to do anything. At least I don’t. I have to admit that I am pretty stubborn sometimes. If I am told that I have to do something, I might just find a way not to do it. I also get a picture in my head of a full court press in basketball. That is when the team playing defense pressures the team with the ball all the way down the court, hoping to cause a turnover. Pressure isn’t comfortable.

Paul was being “hard-pressed” by the two choices before him. He had such a desire to go on to glory, but he also felt he was still needed on earth. Going to heaven would be more pleasurable and pain free. Staying on earth would not be. He knew that. But he also knew the choice really wasn’t his to make. God would make that choice according to what was best for Paul.

APPLICATION

The word used by Paul for “hard-pressed” is the same word used in Luke 8:45 when Jesus was crowded on the street right before He healed the woman with the issue of blood. People were all over Him. So, Paul is saying in today’s verse that these two possible choices were crowding his mind. He felt the pressure emotionally and spiritually. This can be draining.

Have you ever felt that way? What did you do? We all face decisions, some more than others. Fortunately, my wife and I have learned a few things over the almost four decades of living together. Minor decisions are not worth the effort to worry about. We have both begun to see decisions from an eternal perspective. Do we always choose correctly? Nope! But we sure listen more closely to the Lord when we do make that wrong choice.

God will use the pressures of this life to constrain us or “hard-press” us. All pressure is not bad. You must consider the source of the pressure. If you are feeling the pressure right now, ask the Lord about it. He will let you know if it’s from Him or not. 1 Peter 4:19 says, “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God are to entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

Lord, I trust You to pressure me in order to guide me and lead me in the way in which I need to go.

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Bible, Following, Listening, Scripture, Submission

THE RIGHT SUBMISSION

COLOSSIANS 2:20

“If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,”

Submission is hard sometimes, isn’t it? I used to complain about my bosses until I learned that every authority placed over me was from God for my good. I had one boss who would take the campus pool supplies for his own home. He even took some of the Christmas toys that arrived for the campus home for his grandkids before the children got theirs. But I still had to submit to his authority as long as I worked there.

Paul questions the Colossian believers in today’s verse about their submission practices. He says, “if you have died with Christ…” In other words, their salvation and decision to follow Jesus made them exempt from any other religious requirements or the world philosophies. He says, “Don’t live like the world. You are different.”

APPLICATION

The phrase “do you submit yourself to decrees” is one Greek verb, dogmatizó. It is only used right here in Colossians 2:20. It comes from the word dogma. You know what that is, right? It is an authoritative rule or ordinance. These early believers were being coerced to follow these dogmas by others who just wanted to control them.

Guess what? That is still happening today. There are people who tell you that you have to do certain things to be saved. I won’t make a list here. You know them. Listen closely – you have been set free from these man-made requirements. Jesus tells us to repent and believe, to follow Him. That is what He requires. When you and I do that, we will so far exceed any man-made rules. We are required to be holy. Top that!

So, today simply follow Jesus. Get into His Word. Spend time with Him in prayer. Listen closely to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. That is who you submit to. No one else. When we submit to Jesus, you are free to do only what He says to do. Happy submission!

Lord, I yield to You today. Lead me and guide me in my words and in my actions.

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Bible, God's Will, Hearing, Learning, Listening, Scripture

HEARING AND LEARNING

EPHESIANS 4:21

“if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,” 

When I was in high school, I was a bit of a clown. I loved (still do) to make people laugh. The bad part of that was I did it during class, thus disrupting the classroom and irritating the teacher. I may have heard what the teacher said with my ears, but I sure didn’t learn anything. In order to learn anything, you must listen and be willing to be taught.

As a continuation of verse 20, Paul talks about what the Ephesians had been taught. The Greek word for “heard” is akouó. Interestingly, this word is most often used to hearing God’s voice in order to build faith. Don’t you just love that? And “taught” is the word didasko, which most often refers to the Scriptures. Paul is telling the Ephesians to listen to God and look at the Scriptures.

APPLICATION

So, the question has to be asked. What are you listening to and what are you being taught? Well Carl, I go to church every Sunday and listen to the preacher. That is NOT what I am talking about. Did you know that we only retain about 5% of the information we hear from a lecture or a sermon. I am talking about hearing God speak to your heart. I am talking about digging in and learning the Scriptures yourself.

In the ministry I am apart of (Every Man A Warrior), we teach men these two skills. I recently did a deep dive into hearing God’s voice. I read several books which pointed out in Scripture the ways in which God speaks to us. He speaks through prayer, through people, through circumstances and yes, through Scripture. But we have to be listening. We have to be tuned in.

EMAW also teaches men how to study God’s Word using the ABC method. A = Ask questions and record your thoughts and meditations. B = Find the best verse or word or phrase. Then record your best thoughts. C = Communicate your thoughts and insights back to God in prayer. Listening to the Word is good, but it is not enough.

Hearing and being taught! That is how we learn. Are you listening today? Are you willing to be taught today? God is our Master Teacher. He is speaking today. He wants you to hear and obey. Let’s do this together. Amen?

O Lord, I want to hear You today and obey whatever You tell me.

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Belief, Bible, Calling, Direction, God's Will, Hearing, Listening, Messages, Persuasion, Scripture

WHO’S CALLING?

GALATIANS 5:8

“This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.”

Have you ever been tricked by someone on a phone call? I used to occasionally call the office secretary when I was on a road trip and disguise my voice. I would pretend to be a donor who wanted to donate some wild and outlandish thing (which actually happened more times than you can imagine) just to make her squirm a little and figure out how to answer this person. Of course, towards the end of the call she would recognize it was me and threaten me bodily harm when I returned. Lol

Paul is warning the Galatians and us in today’s verse to be careful who you answer to, to make sure you know who is actually calling you. The Greek word for “persuasion” is only used here in Galatians 5:8. It refers to a self-produced persuasion. In other words, they decided themselves to believe this caller. It was not God who was calling them to keep the Mosaic law and deny their freedom in Christ.

APPLICATION

Matthew Poole’s Commentary says this about “Him who calls you,” “is not from God, who hath called you out of darkness into marvellous light, unto fellowship with himself, into a state of grace and favour with him, and to the hopes of eternal life; and who yet calleth you by his gospel: it must therefore be from the devil and his instruments, who go about to seduce and pervert you.”

Think about Poole’s words for a second. It is God who has called you out of darkness into marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9), into fellowship with Himself (1 John 1:3), into grace and favor (1 Peter 2:20, and to the hopes of eternal life (1 Peter 5:10). It seems Poole liked 1 Peter, didn’t he? It is God who calls us to these things. He isn’t adding on to His requirements.

The next time you hear a voice directing you to do something, make sure it is the voice of God and not His arch enemy attempting to disguise his voice and imitate God. Remember, the devil will never ask you to do anything that will glorify the Father or the Son. It will only be about you, what will make you happy. Listen closely. Learn to recognize His voice.

Father, it is sweet to hear Your voice and recognize that You love me beyond words or deeds.

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