Knitting Hearts for Christ | January 9, 2020
Guest Speaker: Dr. Peter Wyns
Written by Sue Sanders
The focus Scripture for Peter Wyns’s message today was Matthew 6: 28- 33.
Pastor Wyns asked for grace to cover us as we move into this new year. He reminded us to take the Lord’s yoke upon us and to learn of Him, especially those of us who are weary. The Lord is here and speaking to us about getting closer to Him. It will be quite a ride this year. The year 2021 will be lots of fun for those clothed by the grace of Lord. We need the mind of Christ because if not, our minds will be the devil’s playground. It is time to fortify. We must look at our families and strengthen them. We must love one another extravagantly. Love your children and watch over them more diligently. It is not a year for carnality but a year to learn from our mistakes. The year 2020 gave us a glimpse into the great shaking that is on its way. Shakings are coming, but they are not something to fear. Proverbs tells us about the virtuous woman of God who watches out for her household and praises her husband in the gates. She is clothed in dignity and honor, and she is not afraid of the winter because all her children are closed in scarlet.
We must be clothed with grace. Grace should be a mantle around us. We need to be in the presence of the Lord. He is on our right and our left. Being in the bubble of God’s grace will make us powerful and fun. Matthew 6 reminds us that we do not need to worry about our clothing because if He clothes the lilies of the field, He will also clothe us. Peter Wyns applied this Scripture to the spiritual covering of the Lord. Clothe yourself with His grace. You must get the grace of the Lord from Him alone. It is His kindness and goodness that you do not deserve. There is a difference between mercy and grace. Mercy is given to everyone. Grace is an opportunity. It is not available to everyone because some will not receive. There is a garment of grace that you need to be covered in every day.
Peter recapped several true stories from Documentaries of Alaska.
The first story he shared was of a fifty-year-old man, an extraordinary carpenter and builder, who decided to move to Alaska. He was dropped off from a plane onto a lake and into a canoe. He had food for the four months of summer and tools, mostly primitive tools. He spent a large portion of his time chopping down trees with an axe. There was no cell phone and no human beings for a hundred miles. He cut down over two hundred pine trees. He gathered large rocks. He fished from the icy lake, ate wild fruits and plants, and killed deer. Four months later the plane came, and he returned home. Alaska has eight months of blistering, windy, freezing winter. The next spring he flew back. Now the trees were dried. He built his home using those stones, logs, pitch, and grass. He finished right before winter. Peter Wyns used this story as an example for how we must be prepared for the years that are ahead. We have a window of time to prepare. If this man had not prepared, he would have died.
A twenty-year-old man decided to go to Alaska, but he did not adequately prepare. He ran out of food. He ate berries that he saw the birds eating, but they were poisonous. He died. The explorer known as the Grizzly Man filmed the grizzly bears for over a year and started to get closer and closer to them. However, one day a bear killed him and ate him. These are stories, but they are true stories.
This is a year of preparation. Clothe yourself with grace. Galatians 3: 27 states: “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” There are different baptisms: Baptism of water, baptism of Holy Spirit, baptism of fire. If you dedicate yourself to God, if you are baptized into the life of Christ, you will be clothed with Christ. All through Scriptures, we read about being clothed. Are we being clothed with the grace of God? A lot of us Christians did not do well this past year. We gave into worry and took the battle into our own hands. We will be like those individuals who went into Alaska unprepared. If we are prepared, we can walk in the footsteps of Jesus; this will make us unbeatable. The Book of Revelation talks about clothing 12 different times. We will need the Lord’s clothing during the Great Tribulation. John mentioned white raiments, garments going down to their feet, white robes, the shekinah cloud of glory, sackcloth, sun, linen that is pure and white, vesture dipped in blood.
Peter Wyns asked his church six weeks ago to dress up weeks before Christmas. We must be dressed up with the grace of the Lord. We also can clothe others with the grace of God. There is an anointing that goes out because of the clothing that we wear. It becomes clothing for others. The Lord tells us to put on the whole armor of God. Let this clothing of Christ be on you. Even on the Mount of Transfiguration, the glory of the Lord came on Jesus and His clothes shown like light. Are our clothes shining? We need to be a little like Ironman wearing super clothes. His are bullet proof. His outfit will enable you to fly. We need to fly in the Spirit. They have missile launchers in them. The illustration is that we have clothes like that. Peter mentioned three points.
- The first is about your presentation. You need to have dignity about what you wear. Being clothed with the grace of the Lord is a testimony. We are emboldened and strengthened by the grace that is upon our brothers and sisters. We have a power that affects others by the grace clothes that we wear. It is a part of our mission and ministry.
- The second thing is that the clothes we wear have to do with comfort. We must shed victim clothes when we come to Christ and accept His peace and healing. Peter Wyns shared his testimony of being so radically changed when he got saved when he was fourteen. The Lord washed him and cleansed him, and he led so many teenagers to Christ at his school. The Lord brought young people to him for counseling. They called him Jesus Junior or Bible Boy.
- The third and last thing is armor. It will protect you from the arrow that flies by day and the plague that comes by night; it will give you the strength of the warrior and teach you how to fight with spiritual warfare.
If you wear this grace clothing, it grows and develops. Those who are baptized into Christ are clothed in Christ and are ambassadors; each one should be dressed in pure linen clean and white and in a robe that comes down to his or her feet. It should be dipped with the blood of the Lamb. It should allow you to be clothed with valor, honor, and dignity so that you can get off your high horse and humble yourself to help others.
As ambassadors for Christ, you walk in the footsteps of the great Rabbi. You walk with power and authority launching missiles and shooting darts at the enemy while deflecting all that come your way. You have no time to be offended, to be rejected, to think you are a failure, to wallow in self-pity; you have time to walk where He walks. If you clothe yourselves with Christ, you are unbeatable. The Church in America must prepare for winter. The only way is to clothe yourselves with Christ.
Peter Wyns asked us to hold our arms out and picture in our arms robes draped over each of our arms. There is a robe for every member of your family, our neighbors, our workmates, for those God has placed in our paths. We cannot give them out unless we are wearing one ourselves. They are the robes of God’s grace.
In closing, Dr. Wyns, prayed over us powerful prayers for healing, salvation, finances, ministry, blessings, and favor.
The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord make His face shine upon you
and be gracious to you.
The Lord turn His Face toward you
and give you peace. Amen
May His favor be upon you and a thousand generations, and your family, and your children, and their children, and their children.
May His presence go before you, and behind you, and beside you, all around you, and within you. He is with you. He is with you. In the morning, in the evening, in your coming and your going, in your weeping and rejoicing. He is for you. He is for you. He is for you.
Hearts United Women's Ministry 