COMMANDING GOD! REALLY?
by Daniel P. Trombley
Isaiah 45:11 says "Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me." As an Apostolic believer I believe and practice daily Spiritual warfare. However, I remain deeply concerned over some of the methods deployed while warring in the Spirit. This particular passage of Scripture has been used by many within the Charismatic community for years as a 'Spiritual warfare' verse and is now being used similarly within the Apostolic community. So the question must be asked, 'does this verse give us permission to tell God what to do'?
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? (from the perspective of holiness)
by Daniel P. Trombley
“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18) These passages from the Torah are critical in forming the foundation of our understanding of ‘who is my neighbor’ as the parable of the Good Samaritan by itself does not completely answer the question. Indeed you cannot adequately answer the question without the Torah.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan answers the question of how I act when someone is brought near to me that is in need. Will I act with compassion? Or perhaps the better question is do I have the compassion to act? Have I experienced God acting in His compassion toward me by virtue of Him drawing near to me in my need? And if I have been the beneficiary of His drawing near and yet refuse those who He brings near to me how can I expect God to balance that out? Indeed, Jesus’ final words to this lawyer of the law lend credence: “And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.” (Luke 10:37)
