Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Longing for Him...













How I long for your presence
that place where we become one

How I long for your wisdom
every time I lack a response

How I long for your compassion
every time I act with indifference

How I long for your guidance
every time I am too busy to listen...

Father God, Jesus my Savior, Holy and con-substantial Spirit of Truth
My dear Creator how I long for you.

When I have failed in my endeavor of living a Holy life
How I long for your forgiveness and restoring power

When I failed to do my best
How I long for a second chance

When my humanity betrays me
How I long to walk in the spirit

When too many words invade my mind
How I long for your still small voice

When I do not know my way out
How I long to follow your way

When everything around me is spinning out of control
How I long for your steadfastness

When I think I can not go on
How I long to know that I can do all things through you because you strengthen me

When I do not know what to do
How I long to know that you order my steps

When I am uncertain about my future
How I long for your prophetic insight

When I feel inadequate
How I long for your empowerment

When I sigh and no one hears me
How I enjoy knowing you are with me

When no one calls or writes an email
How I value that you are near

When I am tempted to give up and stop believing
How I thank you for your mercy

When I am trembling out of fear
How amazing is to know your ever faithful

When the world lies to my face
How valuable is your total truth

When people try to use me and abuse me
How awesome is to feel you near me

When I try to get my way
How comforting it is to know that you won't let me

When I have tried to bury my self on my own failures
How good it is to know that you won't let me

When I wonder the things I wonder
How precious to know that you truly love me

When I call and they do not respond
How magnificent it is to know that you are listening

When life tries to suffocate me
How healthy it is to feel the Ruach of your Spirit

When I think about the end
How beautiful to know that then is when we will start to enjoy eternity...

Father

Thank you for being who you are.
Than you for having found me when I was dead and lost.
Thank you for giving me life beyond my own comprehension.
Thank you for caring.
Thank you for loving me.
Thank you for calling me.
Thank you for guiding me.
Thank you for leading me.
Thank you for putting up with me.
Thank you for not giving up on me.
Thank you for revealing yourself to me.
Thank you for speaking to me.
Thank you for speaking through me.
Thank you for delivering me.
Thank you for transforming me.
Thank you for still be at work in me.
Thank you for the Mind of Christ.
Thank you for the cross of Christ.
Thank you for the blood of Christ.
Thank you for the promise of your Spirit.
Thank you for the power of your Spirit.
Thank for the knowledge of your Spirit.
Thank you for the wisdom of your Spirit.
Thank you for the chrism's of your Spirit.
Thank you for the gifts of your Spirit.
Thank you for the fruit of your Spirit.
Thank you for the presence of your Spirit.
Thank you for the kindness of you Spirit.
Thank you for the guidance of your Spirit.
Thank you for the life of the Spirit.
Thank you for the realm of the Spirit.
Thank you for inviting me to join in.
Thank you for receiving me in your family.
Thank you for empowering me to love my enemies.
Thank you for empowering me to forgive and forget.
Thank you for forgiving me first.
Thank you for loving me first.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Still Today

Still today my heart burns with desire of soon beholding the Bride of Christ dressed in and with His splendor, adorned with the aroma of His (sophia) Wisdom while She walks, while She talks, as She is loved by Him and as She loves the world.

It is with the voice of wisdom tamed by love - within us - His bride, His Church that the overcome the limited spheres of understanding and knowledge experienced by humanity - those that do not know Him are expanded toward the knowledge of Him and no longer is He regarded as a mere historical character but the Son of the Living God. With wisdom tamed by love our voices resound and request repentance emoting His message, His gospel and as we are heard humanity ia able to differentiate our tone from that of mere legalistic fools.

Still today the voice of God's wisdom that resounds within, is used by His Spirit to bring us closer to All Truth (Aletheia) while All Truth is brought closer to us.

It was the voice of (sophia) wisdom - that resounded before the foundation of the earth and declared Truth (Aletheia) with the distinctive vocal overtones of a Paschal Lamb selected by Perfection to pay the price established for our imperfection - that all the worlds were spoken into existence.

Is that same Voice the Voice of the Almighty and Invisible, Invincible, Incomprehensible, Lover of the Soul of Man, Savior of the Universe that still speaks to us today. That same creative Voice, the Voice of the Spirit that overshadowed the womb of a blessed and full of grace young virgin and filled the virginal womb of a young woman and in an instant she became Theotokos, and within her the Logos was dressed with human flesh . While the Logos grew within her, she grew in the knowledge and experience of Him. He slowly grew and developed within her, while she slowly grew and developed in the knowledge of Him. While He as King of the universe subjected himself to human form, her womb became His throne and gave form to the Incarnate God that eternally and unequivocally I AM and with this the heavens and the earth were provided a new dimension of communion (koinonia), He then became man while still being God. He Jesus, the God/Man was born outside of the conventional, outside of the boundaries of the expected. And then for the first time - something new happened under the sun. This was the time for first times. For the first time God saw through human eyes. For the first time created eyes contained the total vision of heaven. For the very first time the earth felt the tiny footsteps of a corporeal body that contained the fullness of the LOGOS of God. For the first time the light proceeding from human flesh, coming out of human eyes illuminated the darkness of human kind and the destiny of the cosmos was eternally changed. For the first time the voice that was sounds like thunder was able to speak to the weak, to the poor, to the sick, to the lame, to the outcasts and forgotten as well as to the rich, the powerful and the lost. The Savior of the ages walked upon the earth dressed in human flesh. The awaited moment for heaven as well as earth, Emmanuel, God with us - and then without theophanic expressions - God walked among us, He came and established, called, and also responded, thaugh with love about love, was sacrificed, promised to raise from the dead, explained, proclaimed and reigned. God the Logos spoke and still speaks today.

Still today, His disciples are proclaiming the message He entrusted and commanded to tell and live and only through wisdom tamed by love we will be able to continue living, enjoying and sharing this incomparable and powerful message, His message. A message that is much greater and profound than any other message because it regulates the eternal destiny of men. Still today this message is capable of transcending time and space. So powerful that is capable of transforming the characteristic that personifies Khronos time and not limited but limited but able to be measured only by Kairos the right and opportune moment or time of God; this way publicly and entirely challenging and rendering powerless the order of the cosmos. Still today, making the blood shed at Calvary fresh and acceptable, accessible and real to men. Accessible as payment, still today -available as the only acceptable ransom. Still today we are to expect that through the proper application of the understanding provided by the wisdom of God our hearts will experience the ineffable lifelong responsibility of embracing the fear of the Lord and that publicly. Still today He and only He is God. Still today, He loves us, ALL of us.

Only with the assistance of ancient divine wisdom translated into understanding we will be able to slowly grasp the eternal love of the Father for us. Expressed in so many illogical ways, sending manna, establishing the law, giving His Son, sharing His Spirit, calling prophets, anointing kings, presenting theophanies, visitations from heaven, dreams, visions, angelic hosts interacting with humans, burning bushes, parting seas, mere men commanding the sun, calling back the dead, commanding droughts, commanding rain, human negotiations from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth, Moses for the Israelites, Abraham for Lot, Hezekiah for his life, Jesus for us... Incomprehensible and inaccessible to common human perception and limited wisdom but enjoyable bliss to the mind shaped and formed by the wisdom of God. Still today.

My dear brother the Apostle to the gentiles Paul formerly known as Saul expressed it this way (Eph 1:15-21 ALT) For this reason, _I_ also, having heard of the faith of each of you* in the Lord Jesus and your* love for all the holy ones, do not cease from giving thanks for you*, making mention of you* in my prayers, so that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory [or, splendor], shall give to you* a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full [or, true] knowledge of Him, the eyes of your* heart having been enlightened, for you* to know what is the hope [or, confident expectation] of His calling and what [are] the riches [or, abundance] of the glory [or, splendor] of His inheritance in the holy ones and what [is] the surpassing greatness of His power to us, the ones believing, according to the supernatural working of the might of His strength, which He supernaturally worked in Christ, having raised Him from the dead and set [Him] at His right hand in the heavenlies [or, heavenly [realms]], far above all rule and authority and power and lordship [or, dominion] and every name having been named, not only in this age, _but_ also in the one coming.

The enjoy the presence of His Wisdom requires meditation, contemplation and for us to "think about this things" and eventually become a thinking people. It is within our mind, within our heart that all battles are waged, lost or won. Therefore to possess a skillful intellect in matters of the spirit and of the organic is not an option but a necessity. He enjoys our hearts. Sharing His thoughts with us is prophecy, marrying His most intimate desires with our human knowing even without instantly or entirely perceiving Him is miraculous. Possessing His mind, entering into His understanding by invitation, by blood, by relationship, through covenant, legally, accepted and not rejected is our inheritance. Existing within the limited parameters of the finite while experiencing eternity within and living with the knowledge that that same divine eternal experience of God, that is our destiny. No longer common but extraordinaire...

Within ourselves He speaks in the form of thoughts composed by deep and sometimes unutterable words and then He reveals, provokes, corrects, restores. "The Kingdom of God is within you" He said.

If ALL these is true and it is, then our responsibility is great, where do we start to life in accordance with the mind of Christ? Listen to St. Philotheos of Sinai from the Ascetic School of Thought from Mount Sinai from (6th - 10th century) from his 40 texts on watchfulness as recollected in The Philokalia (Love of the Beautiful)

It is by means of thoughts that the spirits of evil wage a secret war against the soul. For since the soul is invisible, these malicious powers naturally attack it invisibly. Both sides prepare their weapons, muster their forces, devise stratagems, clash in fearful battle, gain victories and suffer defeats. But the noetic* warfare lacks one feature possessed by the visible warfare: declarations of hostilities. Suddenly with no warning , the enemy attacks the inmost heart, sets an ambush there and kills the soul through sin. And for what purpose is this battle waged against us? To prevent us from doing God's will as we ask to do it when we pray "Thy will be done" This will is the commandments of God. If with the Lord's help through careful watchfulness* you guard your intellect from error and observe the attacks of the demons and their snares woven of fantasy, you will see from experience that this is the case. For this reason the Lord foreseeing the demons' intentions by His divine power, set Himself to defeat their purpose by laying down His commandments and by threatening those who break them
noetic, from the Greek νοῦς (nous) is usually translated as "mind", "understanding", "intellect", or "reason". Most dictionaries define the term noetic as a synonym of "mental" or "intellectual." From the nous emerges the world soul, which gives rise to the manifest realm.

Just as it is impossible to fight battles without weapons, or to swim a great sea with clothes on, or to live without breathing, so without humility and the constant prayer to Christ it is impossible to master the art of inward spiritual warfare or to set about it and pursue it skillfully.' - On Watchfulness and Holiness

Agape,
--
Min. Angeles Martinez-Casado
Founder, Director and Research Analyst
Aletheia Ministries "Serving God and Men with Gladness"

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Lord Forgive Us...


Lord Forgive Us...

Lord forgive us for not having learned from our past.

Lord forgive our lust for power.

Lord forgive the lust of our excessive ambition.

Lord forgive our lust for positions.

Lord forgive our lust for human acknowledgment.

Lord forgive our lust for money.

Lord forgive our lust for been always right.

Father:

§ Do not allow us to be prey of our own lust.

§ Deliver us from the socio-cultural maze that is currently conditioning
Your Church in the USA and abroad.

§ Deliver us from the cultural infiltration that is disfiguring the face of
the unadulterated seed of the Gospel in this nation and abroad.

§ Deliver the mind and heart of ALL Christian leaders around the world that
are trapped in performing instead of preaching, acquiring and possessing
instead of sharing and giving.

§ Open the eyes and the ears of ALL your prophets around the world, and that
proclamations of freedom and deliverance be pronounced regarding the
spiritual and mental state of Your Church in this nation and abroad.

§ Have mercy of all of us. Bring purity and illumination.

§ Deliver us from lethargy and complacency.

§ Raise up men and women of spiritual influence that are not afraid of
losing their ALL for winning and keeping the purity of your message.

§ Raise up men and women that love you obsessively
and that are not afraid demonstrate with their lives
what your Kingdom truly is.

Do not pass by this generation, Lord

§ Do not allow us to self-consume in our carnal desire,
prostituting ourselves in our own influx of ignorance.

§ Consummate Your plan in us.

§ Consummate Your love through us.

§ Consummate Your holiness in us.

§ Consummate Your freedom in us.

§ Consummate Your wisdom in us.

§ Consummate Your sovereignty over us.


For your mercy, do not allow the cup of your jealousy to be spilled over us

§ Do not allow us to continue lifting up our eyes to idols of flesh and blood.

§ Do not allow us to continue lifting up our eyes to the idol of materialism.

§ Do not allow us to continue lifting up our eyes to our secret idols.

§ Open the womb of Your Church in the USA and cause the miscarriage of every
wicked "movement" centered and impregnated of self.

§ Bring death to everything that is germinating in the spiritual uterus of
Your Church whose seed is impure.

§ Cause nausea in the stomach of your Church in the USA when facing those
things that have been planned in darkness, in secret, behind closed doors,
and later introduced to Your Church as revelation.

§ Expose everything that has been offered to Your Church as truth disguised
behind the mantle of deception.


Clean us...

Purify us...

Process us...



And then Send us into the world.

Show us Your characteristic mercy and do it for your Namesake.

Your Daughter,

Angeles

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Above Everything


At the end of the universe if there is such a thing

Right there you are Being of eternal power.

At the end of the horizon, if there is an end to the what we humanly call horizon

Right there you are full of Glory and Majesty.

All the galaxies are grandiose, the moon, the stars, the sun

Nevertheless, they are all beneath you, they were all created by you.

Sovereign of the universe,

You give a new definition to the word King,

You give a new definition to the word Lord.

You give a new definition to the word Love.

What else can I do but love you?

What else can I do but adore you?

To worship you,

To honor you,

To present myself as one created in your image and likeness

Created to serve you, created to know you, created to be in you.

How can I express to you what I experience when I feel you?

Where do I get the appropriate words to exalt you?

What can I do to demonstrate my gratitude?

For all you have done for us.

Logos, Rhema, Son of God, Lamb of God,

Rose of Sharon, Son of Man,

Almighty, All-knowing, Con substantial with the Father

My hope, my perfect and complete answer before I ask the question.

God’s response to our fall,

God’s price for my redemption,

God’s expression upon the earth,

God’s image,

God’s living Word,

God’s perfect plan executed,

Glory to the holy name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost

Three in One perfect unity.

Let this mind be in me that was in Christ Jesus,

Let serving you through the service to others consume my every fiber.

May your name alone be glorified now and always.

May the aroma of your splendor permeate my life, my thoughts, all I am.

May your name be glorified upon the earth as it is in heaven

May the glorious knowledge of who you are wake the Church from the slumber

Talita Cumi, Bride of Christ, Talita Cumi, Church of God

May your incomparable power be revealed upon the earth, upon our lives

May you Kingdom come

May your will be done upon this vessel of clay as it is in all living beings in heaven

May the consuming fire of your glory visit our impurities and cleanse us

May the glory that Ezekiel beheld, the one that engulfed Elijah,

The one Isaiah spoke about,

May your glory Oh Lord of the universe

Transform our lives, our minds and everything we wish to be.

Father come and wash our eyes with our own tears and

May we see what you desire our eyes to behold.

Father listen the cry of my heart,

Allow us a new demonstration of the power of your love

May the daily spiritual exercise of carrying our cross be done in the spirit of obedience

May our voices – external and internal, always glorify your name

May all we do glorify you alone.

Use us, send us, teach us, manifest yourself to us.

Lover of my soul, my companion while I am alone

The one that answers my every cry, always with new and divine hope

To you oh precious Master of all created beings

I lift my voice

I summons the created world - seeing and unseeing

To in harmony glorify and honor the one and only God

There is no contest; there is no hope for a contender.

Only you are God.

All man, all divinity.

Powerful enough to fill all in all,

Sensible enough to live within me.

Amazing enough to be eternally positioned in the central throne of everything

Approachable enough to make something with my nothingness

Your voice oh God is like the sound of the thunder

While your ear oh God is attentive to hear the cry of the birds

Marvelous, grandiose, I can hear the Bravos from heaven

The cloud of witnesses, the angelic hosts

All creation lift up your voice with me and honor the one that gave us life

The one that gave us purpose

Humanity, bow down and honor the one that left his place in heaven to redeem our sin.

He paid such a high price, guaranteeing our eternal union and longing for it.

Is in times like this that I can honestly confess,

Father if there is nothing else for me

If the promises and hopes, the desires and longings of my heart

Are nothing else but dreams, let me dream, it is OK

I have you and with that my soul is satisfied.

May this mind be in me that was in Christ Jesus

Make of me a living sacrifice to the glory of your name.

Glorify your name whether in life or death.

Go ahead my loving Master,

Glorify your name above everything.