Winter is Over!

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Picture by Katie Mullen

Or perhaps I should say, “hopefully winter is over.” It has been a long winter here in Colorado and just when you think it’s spring-it snows. The older I get the more I long for spring and the promise it brings of warmer days and the breaking forth of new life in a multitude of hues.

Our Good Father knew that spring was the perfect time to unwrap the gift of salvation in the death and resurrection of His beloved Son. Creation shouts of winter’s death-giving way to the abundant resurrection of life. The French biblical scholar Pierre Benoit prayed over the passion and death narratives found in the gospel of Luke for 35 years. After all those years of study He concluded that as God, the Father saw His Son’s torn and bloody body surrendered in perfect obedience for His lost children, He spoke these words to Jesus from Song of Songs 2:10-13, NIV:

Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with Me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come my darling; my beautiful one, come with Me.

Of course no one knows for sure if our Abba Father spoke these words, but this song undoubtedly declares the Father’s love, a glorious new season has broken forth. As I write this blog I hear birds singing joyfully as the sun chases away the darkness, the tree in my backyard is bursting with white flowering buds. All of creation is shouting out that a new season is dawning.

Right now we are in between the Jewish feast of Passover and Pentecost and I sense in my spirit that the Father is singing to us these words from Song of Songs. He is calling us to live into the resurrection season and await with glorious hope the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

A new day is breaking forth for the Father’s children. Winter is coming to an end. We are invited to receive the gift of His love through Jesus. Don’t expect to hear this song from the news or social media, but do take a few moment to quiet your spirit and focus on the resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead! The Apostle Paul reminds us that this same power also lives in us (Ephesians 1:19-20). Claim this truth, hear this love Song of the Father and believe these words are intended for you!

I believe a fresh Revival of His Love is about to break forth over our world. I felt this hope last month in South Africa and this past weekend here in Colorado as a pastor called his flock to prayer and repentance to prepare hearts for what God is soon bringing. As we hear His song over us (Zephaniah 3:17), and are awakened by His life transforming love we will begin to sing to our world “The winter is past; the rains are over and gone…” The Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is covering the earth with the Father’s glory.

During this spring season take some time to be in creation and reflect on the glory of the resurrected Jesus, how He longs for you to have His resurrected life transform you. Hear your Father sing these words over you.

Your winter is over-I’m bringing you into a new season of Heaven’s love that will revive you and those around you for My Kingdom glory and your good!

Picture by Katie Mullen

Hand It Over

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Drawn by Maleteka Joy Haakonsen

Both my older brother and sister are often mistaken as my younger siblings. Curt has a full head of hair with no gray and Cindy, well not sure if she does something to her hair or not but it sure looks good. Maybe I got the wrong genes or maybe it is a reflection of the war with worry in my head that literally reveals itself in the gray invasion and thinning scalp.

Whether my gray hear is the result of decades of shepherding or shear worry-a few more hairs have turned again- as we start planning for what we believe is the path set before Oceans. The heavenly Father continues to be loving and gracious and gently calls me to hand-it-over. (Whatever the “it” may be.) During the last trip to Africa we met with African Leadership, a ministry we plan to partner with to train and disciple leaders in the nearby townships.

Carlisle & Sharon from African Leadership

As we were sipping our coffee a lady came up out of no where and started to whisper in my ear, “the Lord bless you and shine His face upon you and He will establish the work of your hands as you wait on Him, He will do it…” This was not an everyday occurrence and as I turned to see if I knew her and ask why she was doing this she quickly walked away.

I knew God was trying to help me in the worry war but not sure what it all meant until we arrived at Ray Haakonsen’s house later that day. Ray’s daughter Maleteka, one of the first children Ray & Sue took in when they started Beautiful Gate in Lesotho, is an incredible artist. I asked her to show me her latest work and she brought me this picture of the hands.

Over the last several years God has spoken to me about resting in His hands. Trusting in Him by waiting on Him through prayer as He continues to remind me that He will accomplish His purposes. His Sovereign hands control the world. This certainly comes out in Maleteka’s magnificent drawing. Her work brought to mind one of my favorite text’s about the Father’s hand:

“So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” (Isa. 41:10).

This is the Word from the LORD that helps me in my worry war. The Word that calls me to look away from the impossible and look to the one who not only created the world but covers and controls it all with His loving hands. In fact, I was just reading Isa. 40:12 this morning which also emphasis the work of His all powerful hands:

“Who else has held the oceans in His hand? Who has measured off the heavens with His finger…”

This amazing Father God continues to ask me to give up the worry war and hand it all over to His mighty, loving, forever holding hands. He keeps saying to me, “just rest in the palm of My hands and I will establish the work that I have called you to do despite your weakness and worries!”

Look at Maletka’s picture again. Notice the hand of God writing. He is writing your story and mine and the most important part of our story is trusting Him with our lives. To follow the example of His Son Jesus and say “into Your hands I commit my spirit.”

Today, join me in the war on worry by handing over your fears, worries, and cares in prayer to your Father. Rest in His creative, all powerful, loving hands and wait for Him to do more than you could ever hope for or imagine.

A New Season for Oceans

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Wellwood Lodge, Fishhoek S. Africa

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him,’ but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit,'” (1 Cor. 2:9-10).

On April 26, 2014 exactly 5 years ago, I said, “yes” in my heart to the Spirit’s leading to launch Oceans Ministries. Prior to the decision I spent 4 days praying and meeting with a spiritual director. During that time I listened over and over to the song Oceans. Yes, I knew it was time to respond.

I had no idea where God was going to take this encounter imprinted upon my heart, but I did know God placed the words from Habakkuk 2:14 upon me way back in 2002.

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the water cover the sea,”

I had a strong sense from the Spirit saying-one day you will be apart of a ministry called Oceans that will share the love of the Father all over the world.

The Father’s faithfulness has been displayed through His loving hand and provision-and we stand in awe of the doors opened and closed along the way. We praise Him for the many miracles displayed over these past five years!

This past December one of the doors that was shut was to a retreat center in the Colorado mountains. We thought this was the perfect place to make the Father’s love known to spiritual and physical orphans and be a place of prayer, discipleship, and healing rest for those in need.

Yet, as Abba closed one door He propped open another door. We had no idea what God’s plan and purpose was and we waited. As you may recall in January of this year Mike Verkaik and I traveled to Cape Town South Africa to make preparations for upcoming mission trips as well as visit with ministries interested in partnering with Oceans.

One of the many townships near Wellwood Lodge

That was a life changing trip. We were introduced to the needs in the townships for the gospel, discipleship, and the Father’s transforming love. We sensed the Spirit saying this is where I want Oceans, right between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. One of the results of that trip was Oceans Board extending an invitation to Ray & Sue Haakonsen to join Oceans concentrating on pastoral and leadership training in the townships.

During this time we also became aware that Azusa Pacific University was selling Wellwood Lodge where study aboard students had been housed for the last five years. (Which was the exact place where my daughter Sarah stayed while studying abroad.) Conversations with APU ensued and it was evident that a purchase and partnership was a possibility. The next step was to fly to Cape Town, so with good friend Steve Budnack we boarded a plane so we could meet face-to-face. The crazy thing is Wellwood is located about 1 mile from where Ray & Sue live AND a mere 15 minutes from the two townships we have been invited to work alongside.

Ocean View Care Center in the township of Ocean View where we have been invited to partner with.

A series of meetings and divine appointments left Steve, Ray and me in tears, after sharing all this with the board and much prayer, we all agree it was time to put in an offer. We sensed Wellwood was a place that the Father’s love be could be made known to spiritual and physical orphans. It could also be a house of prayer for all nations, discipleship for mission teams, a place to offer training to leaders in the townships, and a healing/ retreat for those in ministry.

On April 26, 2019 in a miraculous move by the almighty hand of God, a door was opened and the offer was accepted. Only God could have planned this out- and to think it was exactly five years ago! What an amazing Father!

One of the major spiritual lessons He has been teaching me over the last five years is that He IS a Good, Good, Father and I can trust Him with the impossible. I just need to keep stepping out of the boat, keeping my eyes on the face of His son Jesus, and He will lead the way.

I have also learned that the Father uses His children to carry out His purposes. Oceans would not be here today if it wasn’t for His incredible children who have also stepped out of the boat by praying, serving on the board, being part of mission teams, helping publish books and building websites, joining the ministry team, and by sacrificial giving. It is truly humbling to see the Father work through His amazing kids, a million thank you’s are not enough.

We know this next season will not be easy, in fact it will be impossible on our own. Yet the Father has proved Himself over and over again to be faithful and will move in His children’s hearts to use their gifts for His glory. So please join us in prayer as we take this faith step. I know Abba is up to something beyond understanding. In fact when Steve and I were out in January we heard over and over again that the battle in S. Africa is intense but God is about to bring the fire of His Holy Spirit and Waves of His life transforming love that will hit the southern tip of Africa a move up through Africa to the World with Revival.

We pray that Oceans could be a small part in the fulfillment of Hab. 2:14, and that you who are reading this blog my join us as we step out on to the water and see where the Spirit leads us.

“You call me out upon the waters…”

Finding Your Song – Becoming a Sanctuary

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I could have cried the entire service as the glory of Resurrection day filled the sanctuary. After a simple gospel message several stood up to surrender their lives to Jesus to shouts of joy from the body of Christ.

We then heard heart grabbing testimonies from some of those being baptized. Prison, battles with addiction, sickness, and times of deep brokenness helped usher those who shared into a life altering encounter with the mercy of Christ. Their hearts sang glorious songs of praise for what their Savior had done. As they came up out of the water more shouts of joy shook the room.

The goal of Finding Your Song is for your life to become a Sanctuary of Praise. If you look back on King David’s life God used it all to turn his life into a temple of worship. Loneliness, loss, rejection, betrayal, wilderness, waiting, compromise, lies, adultery, murder, family failures, pride, and a whole lot more prepared David to be a man who had a heart that hungered after One Thing- the glorious beauty of a loving and forgiving God who alone deserves to be radically worshipped (Ps. 27:4).

One of David’s greatest sins led to an outpouring of amazing grace and this ultimately birthed a physical sanctuary, the temple, where God’s glory reigned down for centuries on His people (1 Chronicles 21ff.) David’s son Solomon built the temple in location where David received grace for the sin of pride-counting his military men.

Our Good Father is in the business of building sanctuaries out of our failures, wounds, sins, weaknesses, and wilderness wonderings through an encounter from the Son of David, Jesus. When we are at our weakest He is at His best and reaches down from Heaven with His nail scared hands and offers to come into our lives and build a sanctuary of praise.

On Resurrection Sunday we witnessed the King reaching down to sinners with mercy and grace and transforming them into Sons and Daughters of the King. This encounter happens when we reach up to Jesus and He starts building a sanctuary in our hearts-for His glory. Yes! Heaven’s joy invaded hearts! Praise erupted! And the beauty of Jesus flooded the room!

Abba Father has created you and I for a song and He is scribing it at this very moment in your heart. Raise your hands, give Him all your sins, weaknesses, addictions, failures, loneliness, rejection, disappointments, etc. Receive from His glorified nail-scarred hands His forgiveness, love, and every good gift granted from your Father above! Let Him do the work in your heart and turn your life into a Sanctuary of Praise!

“Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving I will be a living sanctuary for you,” (Vineyard Worship).

Finding Your Song – A Savior’s Love

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I hate to admit it, but here goes my “man card,” I’m a sucker for love songs. When my high school friends rocked out to ACDC and Led Zeppelin I secretly preferred Lionel Richie and a few love songs from Journey. I believe in the depth of every human being is a quest to find a love song to heal the soul. We’ve been created for love-but a sinister serpent shouts out lies to distract us from the TRUE source of love.

King David’s life was a quest to fight through Goliath-like lies of the enemy so that he could encounter a love that goes beyond the natural into the heavenly realms. This love was revealed through a series of failures and sins rather than any heroic victory on the battlefield.

David, called “a man after God’s own heart,” has an unprecedented history of sin and compromise. A few examples are:

  • Out of fear David flees to the enemy, the Philistines and pretends to be insane rather than trusting God (1 Sam. 21:10ff).
  • Out of fear David flees to Moab for protection until confronted by a prophet to go back to Judah (1 Sam. 22:3-5).
  • David’s web of lies catch up with him in the ruble of Ziklag (1 Sam. 27,29,30).
  • David and Bathsheba, need I say more? (2 Sam. 11-12).
  • David’s pride overtakes him necessitates the need to count his fighting men, which leads to the blood of 70,000 people on David’s hands (1 Chron. 21).

Yet somehow in the midst of David’s great sin and failures he found the TRUE source of his love song. What a blessing to be singing them 3000 years later. David found a Savior. A Savior, he could continually run back to when his life was wrecked by willful sin. A Savior, who would not hold his sin against him but washed him white as snow for all eternity.

He sings about such a Savior in Psalm 32:

Blessed is the man whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

He ends the song with victorious verses of praise and TRUE love:

… the LORD’s unfailing love surround the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!t

Later, another notorious sinner would use these same verses to write one of the most powerful books in the Bible describing God’s Amazing Saving Grace. Take a look at what the apostle Paul had to say in Romans and particularly chapter 4:7-8.

Like David, each of our songs will only be sung when we encounter the unfathomable love of a saving Savior for pride-filled sinners like you and me.

This Friday and Sunday we celebrate that greatest act of TRUE love ever witnessed by mankind.  Jesus experienced a brutal and bloody death- only to be followed by a glorious breakthrough from the grave 3 days later! This amazing love declares the absolute manifestation of the Father’s love for His children.

Every sin, let me say it again, every sin has been paid for on the cross and buried for eternity in the grave.  THIS is the authentic love we have been grappled to find all our lives. This love heals our soul. This love makes us sons and daughters of the King, and with this love in our hearts we can’t stop singing His praise, just as our brother David found himself doing throughout the Psalms.

I pray this weekend that your heart can’t help but sing your own unique song, because the Loving Redeemer is ALIVE and has made His home in your heart!