The Apparent Mystery of Answered Prayer

The Apparent Mystery of Answered Prayer by T.O.D. Johnston

The true explanation is so simple that the real mystery is why no one I have ever heard or read has so clearly stated it.

The certainty of answered prayer as Jesus taught it depended on being within God's will. He perfectly fulfilled God's will, and every request or prayer He asked was granted. Among men, many have attempted to explain God's will, studying the Bible, and much writing and preaching have been devoted to this theme. The rest of us, in praying, begin or end with, "If it be Thy will," as if we cannot be certain of the outcome. Knowing the will of God is the mystery, especially considering the new, difficult, and complicated circumstances we must deal with.

Here's the thing: with earthly parents, their children, as they grow and mature, learn about the values and goals of their parents. They come to know exactly what they can ask of their parents that will be granted. They also learn what not to ask for.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. The better we know Him, what He values and what His goals are - especially for us, individually, the more certain will our request and prayers be granted.

As Jesus taught His disciples to pray in His name, God also grants their requests in Jesus' Name. Jesus was and is the perfect example. Every single request and prayer Jesus asked of the Father was granted. This is because Jesus was continually within God's will. He and the Father are One. We therefore must continue to mature and grow in understanding God's will as shown to us in every Word and Deed that Jesus said and did. We must put on the mind of Christ. We must learn to ask or pray what Jesus would in that circumstance. It will always be what is best for all those involved. Best is always measured according to God's will.

The simplest way to say it would be: God wants all men to accept His offer of love and reconciliation through the forgiveness that the death of Christ accomplished. He then wants His children to grow and mature toward the perfect stature as seen in His Only-begotten Son. He wishes us to continually strive to become more and more like Jesus. He is The Way, the Truth, and the Life. He will always forgive us when we falter, encourage us to keep going, and to never give up, reaching toward the prize of being with Him and the Father.

He will always hear our requests and prayers - and the closer our relationship, the more certain the answers, in Jesus' Name.



The above lesson was excerpted from the author's online Online Bible Commentaries. He is also a contributing artist and editor for the Martial Arts Media Network.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

A Layman's Commentary on the Gospel of Luke - Lesson III Intro

A Layman's Commentary on the Gospel of Luke - Lesson III Intro by T.O.D. Johnston

Luke 3:21-4:1-13.
Jesus had become by this time, a mature man, well-prepared physically and spiritually. It is time for the beginning of His public ministry. First he goes to John to be baptized by him. The three other Gospels give more detail of this event. Luke only includes what God did and said after the baptism itself. He is concerned about what God revealed about Jesus at the beginning of his public appearance.

3:21. Those of the Jewish people who had turned to God are not numbered, but a great many had by this time come to John. It was then that Jesus went and was baptized by John. By His submitting to this rite, the Sinless One took the sin of mankind upon Himself. He offers Himself as the Substitute, to be identified with and represent the sinful race of man. This was the outward and public sign that He accepted His work of redemption which began here and which was not to be completed until His suffering and death.

Jesus was praying in communion with God, when the heaven opened - a brief window to the majesty and glory of the father and Jesus. Jesus and also John (read John 1:32) saw the Holy Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove - a symbol of purity, innocence, beauty, and peace. This means Jesus was henceforth completely equipped to fulfill the role of Messiah and Redeemer - openly shown in public as a further sign of His designation as the Christ of God. His eternal Son-ship is further confirmed by a voice from heaven saying, "Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Verse 22. "in Thee I am well pleased" - in reference to everything Jesus had done up to this time - all within God's will. Now He was especially in God's will by submitting to baptism - officially and publicly taking on the work of redemption, ultimately leading to the Cross. In Christ Jesus, heaven has been opened to us, and the way prepared. We have been redeemed and become God's children by that Redemption.

Verses 23-38 - The Genealogical Table of Jesus. Having shown the background of Jesus and beginning of His public ministry, Luke chose to place the genealogical table here.

Verse 23. He mentions the age of Jesus (the only one to do so) as about 30 years old. Genealogical tables had been compiled and updated for many centuries. Public registers were kept, and many families also did.

Luke obtained a copy of the genealogical table of Mary's father Heli. Since it was not customary to insert the name of a woman in such a list he added (as was supposed) the son of Joseph - in Luke 1 & 2 he has recorded that Jesus was solely the son of Mary. In Matthew we find the family tree of Joseph who was legally Jesus' father (though only stepfather, actually). This table is quite different from Luke's. Yet, it clearly establishes Davidic descent legally.

As Luke had been writing for Romans and Greeks, Jesus' Davidic descent was not essential. Luke wanted to show Jesus' actual human descent through David, Abraham, to Adam the son of God. That Mary was a descendant of David was never disputed during the early centuries.

Verses 24-38. By going all the way back to Adam, Luke shows Jesus' ancestry not only from the Jewish line to Abraham, but before the existence of that line. He shows the family tree of all mankind which began with Adam - the son of God in that he was created by God as a mature man. Jesus becomes the second Adam - born of woman but conceived by the Holy Spirit. Many books have been written that go into the details of these lists identifying as many of the unfamiliar names and their places on the lists.



The above lesson was excerpted from the author's online Holy Bible Commentaries. He enjoys spending his time at his art studio on 118 Sauls St., Lake City, South Carolina.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

A Layman's Commentary on the Gospel of Luke - Lesson II Intro

A Layman's Commentary on the Gospel of Luke - Lesson II Intro by T.O.D. Johnston

Luke 3:1-20 - Preaching of John the Baptist.
As Luke prepares to tell us about the public ministry of Jesus, he gives us a brief account of the public ministry of John, who served to prepare the way for Jesus. He therefore gives only a general outline of John's ministry as the forerunner of the Saviour.

Verses 1, 2. Luke gives us some historical indicators to record the time. Jesus began his ministry about 6 months later. John was told by God to begin in the 15th year of Tiberius - best reckoning that to be 27 A.D. He also mentions that Pilate was procurator of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, Herod's brother Philip the tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias of Abilene.

Approximate dates: Pilate ruled 26 A.D. - 36 A.D., Herod 4 B.C. - 39 A.D., Philip from 4 B.C. - 34 A.D. Lysanias is not known. Luke then mentions the high priesthood - listing 2 names. Annas had been high priest from 6 - 15 A.D. when he was fired by the Roman governor. His son-in-law Caiaphas became high priest but Annas kept a large amount of influence - thus listing these two together showed the actual state of affairs.

Besides the time setting as 27 A.D. - listing all these important people gives a rather dark picture of the situation politically as well as religiously when John and then Jesus began their respective ministries. Much cruelty and corruption was part of Roman rule throughout the empire. The Holy Land was arbitrarily divided up and rulers appointed - most of whom were unscrupulous and immoral. In the religious life Rome had major influence by appointing, then deposing the high priests, if they displeased Roman authority. It was then that God gave word to John to begin.

Verse 3. After over 400 years without a prophet in Israel, John was called. Because part of his mandate was baptism - he was to be near water and most likely was on the banks of the river Jordan in the vicinity of Jericho. He preached the baptism of repentance for remission of sins. He called the people to repent. Those who confessed and desired to change their life were assured that God granted a pardon to them. Baptism was the public sign and seal of that pardon. Baptism is the symbol of the washing away of guilt through forgiveness.

In the past, only the non-Jew was baptized when accepted into the Jewish faith. To baptize those born Jewish was new - thus John became known by this right as "The Baptist". This also suggested that just being born as one of the chosen people was not enough - this was part of John's message.

Verses 4-6. The ministry of John fulfilled prophecy of the Old Testament especially Isaiah. John is the voice calling the people to prepare for the coming of God's Savior. The focus and desires of the people need to change in order to be ready and able to accept the redemption that Jesus was to bring. The crooked selfish ways must be left behind and the straight path followed. The path of righteousness to God leads to salvation.

This was absolutely necessary because the people were spiritually and morally bankrupt. Also John had to reshape their beliefs about the Messiah. Most Jews of those times looked for a Messiah to be political, to deliver them from the oppression of the Roman Empire. John had to convince them that their greatest need was not a political solution, but a personal and spiritual deliverance from their own sinfulness. John had to show that this need would be met by God's true Messiah; this was His true mission. The people must be ready and expect Him. Everything prepared - He will surely come and all will see Him. All will make a decision. Not all will accept Him - but there is no middle ground. Those that are prepared He will redeem. Those that aren't are doomed.



The above lesson was excerpted from the author's online Holy Bible Commentaries. He now enjoys spending his time at his art studio on 118 Sauls St., Lake City, South Carolina.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

A Layman's Commentary on the Gospel of Luke - Lesson I Intro

A Layman's Commentary on the Gospel of Luke - Lesson I Intro by T.O.D. Johnston

Preface 1:1-4 - Luke's Preface.
Only Luke addresses his readers and relates his reason for writing. This is a style of classical Greek historians and medical writers. His purpose is to record the Gospel story.

Up to this time the spoken word of the Apostles and other eyewitnesses was the method of delivering the Gospel message to the Church. As the church reached further distances and as those original witnesses died there became an ever increasing need for the essential and complete Gospel record to be written and circulated. Luke perceived this need. He refers to the fact that others had already set forth such a record. He indicates, however, that he sees a need for a specific record of events that those already written did not fulfill.

It is generally accepted that Mark was one of these writers. Luke emphasized that all the writings were based upon accounts related by eyewitnesses, specifically the Apostles. Thus these records are not fables or ritualistic traditions, but the authoritative information of observed fact. Mark is credited as recording the message that Peter taught and preached. Luke, as a companion of Paul had ample opportunities to interview those that were eyewitnesses of the life and ministry of Jesus, both in Jerusalem and in other locations.

Verse 3. He states that he has gotten the information from the beginning of the life of Jesus, as well as the promise of the Forerunner, John the Baptist. Luke reports that he looked at all available information to be certain that what he recorded here would be as complete and detailed as necessary. We must assume that, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the most important and necessary data to record the words and events of the Gospel narrative.

He also set his task to relating these events in chronological order. Of the four Gospels, Luke's is the most comprehensive. It includes many things not mentioned in the others.

Luke addressed himself to Theophilus, otherwise unknown, but a 'most excellent' person, most likely of high official rank, in the Roman Empire. Since 'Theophilus' means 'dear to God', some have suggested that this was a pseudonym given to a convert to Christianity. It was a not uncommon practice of the time to dedicate a writing to a specific person, and plan it for a wider circulation of readers.

Verse 4. Luke stresses the need for Theophilus (and other readers) to have a complete account of what they have already been taught in part to firmly ground their faith.

In the original Greek, these 4 verses are written in one sentence. In the rest of his writing he follows the pattern of Hebraizing style of the Greek translation of the Old Testament, both Aramaic idiom, and colloquial style of the time. His object was clear commmunication, not classical or ornate skillful language. He did not want to distract the reader from the message.

The uniqueness of Christianity is the recording over many centuries of how God has dealt with man both prophetically, and practically. In the Old Testament, this is shown through the whole sacrificial system, especially the Passover and the Day of Atonement. This was to prepare them for the coming of Jesus. This redemption was completed in and through the Incarnation and finished work of Jesus the Christ. In other words, it tells how God, through His mercy and grace, made a way to save the lost. Luke justly emphasizes the trustworthiness of his Gospel narrative.



The author taught from the Gospel of Luke at Paran Baptist Church on Highway 341 / Johnsonville Hwy in Lake City, South Carolina. Read more from the above lesson at T.O.D.'s Online Bible Commentaries.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

A Layman's Commentary on the Gospel of Luke - Introduction

A Layman's Commentary on the Gospel of Luke - Introduction by T.O.D. Johnston

The Writer of the Gospel
It is a generally accepted fact that Luke was the author of the 3rd Gospel, as well as the book of Acts. From the evidence in his epistles, Luke was a frequent companion of Paul - especially in Rome.

Very early in the Christian Church (160-180 A.D.), a straight-forward record of evidence recorded Luke is Paul's companion who wrote the Gospel and Acts. A prologue to the Gospel recorded:

"Luke was an Antiochian of Syria, a physician by profession. He was a disciple of the apostles and later accompanied Paul until the latter's martyrdom. He served the Lord without distraction, having neither wife nor children, and at the age of 84 fell asleep in Boeotia, full of the Holy Spirit. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark were already in existence. In his prologue Luke makes this clear but he felt moved to record an account specifically for the Gentile believers so that they would not be deceived by any mixture of Jewish distractions that could cloud the truth. At the beginning Luke relates the nativity of the Baptist - the Lord's forerunner in preparation by the baptism unto repentance. This ministry had been foretold by Malachi. After writing this Gospel, Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles."

About 300 A.D., Eusebuis wrote, "Luke who was by race an Antiochian, and a physician by profession, was a long companion of Paul, and had careful conversation with the other Apostles, and in two books left us examples of the medicine for souls which he had gained from them.

Luke's Sources
He was not an eye-witness of Jesus' life on earth, but he had the best opportunity to talk to and record the witnesses of those who had seen and heard Jesus. He was closely connected with Paul, who also in turn had come in contact with many eyewitnesses of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and ascension (Peter, James, and others).

While in Jerusalem from 57-59 A.D., Luke had ample opportunity to speak to James (Jesus' brother), the elders, and other members of the Palestinian congregations (especially at Caesarea and Jerusalem). As an educated man, he would carefully record all information valuable in getting a full and clear knowledge of everything he could find out from these eyewitnesses.

According to Acts, Luke stayed with Philip the evangelist, traveled with Silas of the Jerusalem church, and was closely associated with Mark. Mark authored the second Gospel and had most likely been eyewitness to some of the later events in Jesus' life. He was known as the close follower of Peter, whose preaching concerning Jesus is generally recognized as the main source of his Gospel.

Luke had been together with Mark during Paul's captivity in Rome (mentioned in Colossians 4:10,14 and Philemon 24).

Though without doubt many eyewitnesses would have written down their knowledge concerning Jesus, it was not until the eyewitnesses, especially the Apostles, began to die that the necessity of recording all that was known about Christ became essential. It is also likely that the Apostles and other early preachers recorded notes of their messages to aid their memory and delivery.

In his own preface, Luke remarks that he had traced the course of all things from the first. He wrote to make certain that Theophilus had the best record of those things concerning Jesus that he had been taught. It has become a precarious assumption of some modern critics, that the art of writing was not widely known and practiced in the time of Jesus. 2 Timothy 4:11,13 gives the careful reader the idea that Paul was then helping Luke in the composing of the third Gospel and/or the Book of Acts.

No certain date has been suggested that can be corroborated within the Gospel or the Acts. It is assumed that the Gospel was written first. Both are generally regarded as being written before 70 A.D.

Luke's writing shows a mastery of the Greek language. In his two books he records with a vocabulary of about 800 words which do not occur anywhere else in the New Testament.



The author taught from the Gospel of Luke at Paran Baptist Church on Highway 341 / Johnsonville Hwy in Lake City, South Carolina. Read more from the above lesson at T.O.D.'s Online Bible Commentaries.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com