Knitting Hearts Gathering on January 12, 2019
International Bible Teacher Dr. Peter Wyns
Written by Sue Pellum Sanders
A large group gathered today at Bethesda Church of God for the January KHM monthly service. Individuals enjoyed a time of fellowship as they mingled and shared in a continental breakfast prepared by the hospitality team. After Bert Cousar blew the shofar, Joyce Sanders welcomed everyone and shared a dream that she had about being in a battle. The LORD assured her that He is fighting the battles, and His light dispels the darkness. The focus words that the LORD gave her for the ministry this year is arise, shine, and let your light shine. Pastor Sims encouraged us to kick off the 2019 year with excellence. He prayed that we would be one in the Spirit. The flag team, led by Dalana Barnett, worshipped to a song based on Revelation, “A Storm Around You.” The song drew our attention to the Lord God Omnipotent who reigns in His heavenly throne. Everyone in the temple cries holy, and we joined in extolling Him and praising Him. The grace of the LORD is covering us. The number for this year is 5779 and symbolizes that it will be the year of breakthrough. Liz Goerski and Ramell Coker made announcements. Taylor Smith led us in the Bible confession.
Joyce was excited to welcome her oldest daughter, Ann Marie McKoy, and her family. Ann Marie and Jason and their two children, Blake and Kaylee, form a worship team, each one singing and playing instruments. The lyrics of the first song encouraged us with the thought: “If you love the LORD, then you’ll sing hallelujahs to the King.” The second song acknowledged that Jesus came to set us free. He washed our sins away, gave us beauty for our guilty stains, and gave us real love. Everyone was excited to sing the old gospel song, “I’ll Fly Away.” The team ended with “10,000 Reasons,” by Matt Redman. We blessed the Lord and worshiped His holy name. Gail Timmons shared prophetic words that the LORD gave her in October. God sees and hears the voices and works of wickedness in our land. He is going to heal our school classrooms and allow Truth to go forth. He will breathe on us peace, joy, and love. He said, “Go forth and bring righteousness back to our nation.”
Dr. Peter Wyns declared to us that this would be a year of attacks. The enemy will come in like a flood. However, we must keep our eyes on Jesus because He will bring supernatural victories. This year will also be one of ministry. Angels are encamped in our homes. We need to cleanse our homes. The angels are on assignment to come help us. He encouraged us not to broadcast to others the attacks of the enemy.
Dr. Wyns highlighted two specific points for his message: incense burners and earthquake makers. He emphasized that we must change. We will not stay the same. He spoke of the four hundred silent years between the Old and New Testaments, a time when there was barrenness. He reminded us that many places today are barren. He admonished us with these words, “We need to get ready for the time that has fully come.” In Luke 1 we read that Zacharias was a chief priest. His wife was Elisabeth, and she was barren. Scripture says that they were “well stricken in years.” According to the lot, Zacharias went into the temple to burn incense; an angel of the LORD appeared to him telling him that his wife would bear a son. His name would be John. The angel said, “And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the LORD.” Dr. Wyns exclaimed: “Out of this proper couple came a wild man . . . a modern day Elijah . . . We need to train our children to pray and be earthquake shakers.”
Incense represents our prayers, and our prayers are sweet smelling aroma to the LORD. Dr. Wyns said, “Our houses should be on fire with the holy sounds of our prayers.” Dr. Wyns based his analogy with Scripture from Revelation 8: 3-5: “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar; and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.” Dr. Wyns declared that some of our prayers are answered immediately while others are in escrow. They are held in Heaven until the time has fully come.
The chief priests burned the incense three different times of the day. Scriptures says that the whole multitudes of the people were praying at the time of incense. In Isaiah we are told about John, 700 years before his father was born. His voice would go forth in the wilderness admonishing people, “Prepare you the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
When the angel of the LORD appeared to Zacharias standing on the right side of the altar of incense, Zacharias was afraid. The angel of the LORD declared that John would be great in the sight of the LORD and would prepare the way for Jesus. John would go before Jesus in the spirit and power of Elijah. This is the earthquake while the incense burners are the prayers. John the Baptist was the fulfillment of prophecy, the voice of one crying in the wilderness preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. John proclaimed that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
An exciting point is that the spot where Elijah was taken up is the same spot where John the Baptist was baptizing. Individuals were drawn to hear John the Baptist. They were flocking to the muddy Jordan River to be baptized. People were coming because he came from great people and he was preaching that the power of God had come.
His final thoughts encouraged us to surrender saying, “Here I am, LORD,” and to fight shooting like a sniper. Pray for the nations. . . your children. . .for the purposes of God. . .When we enter into the secret place to pray, it becomes a birthing place. Those who have been barren for many years will give birth. The Father sees when we enter the secret place, and He answers. We should remember to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. He will tell us what to speak into existence.
Carolyn Williams prayed for the offering. Winn Todd sang “You Say,” a song that admonished us to believe what He says about us–that we are loved, we are strong, we are held, and we are His.
Our time together ended with Dr. Wyns and his wife praying for each one in the prayer line.
So in 2019, the year of breakthrough, we will pray and become earthquake shakers. We will keep our eyes on Jesus and look for supernatural victories. We will do our work with excellence and strive to be one in the Spirit with the body of Christ.
Hearts United Women's Ministry 