The Ministry of Angels

June Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and greetings in Jesus’ precious name! Christ came into this world “in the fullness of time” to redeem mankind from sin and to reconcile us to the Heavenly Father (Galatians 4:4,5). And what a great salvation it was and is that God wrought for us in Christ (see Hebrews 2:3-18)! Denise and I and our family wish you a warm and wonderful Christmas season and the best new year of your life in 2022.

Today I want to talk to you about opportunities and adversaries, but first I want to say thank you for being such a faithful partner with our ministry. As I told you in my letter last month, our ministry is bursting at the seams, and I am so humbled that God would use Denise and me, our family, and our team to minister to the many people who are reaching out to us every day.

Every soul is precious, and it is our heartfelt desire to convey that truth to every person God brings to us — that they are precious to Him and to us. And your gifts are so vital to our ability to touch every one of these treasured souls! So today I want to say a special thank you for all you do with us to take the trusted teaching of the Word of God to people in Russia and all over the world. From the depths of our hearts, Denise and I THANK YOU!

This month is the last month of the year — and I know you are probably preparing for Christmas and many different kinds of gatherings. But in addition to Christmas, it’s also almost 2022. As we come to the end of this year and to the beginning of a brand-new year, the Holy Spirit keeps telling me to “stay on track” with the assignments He has given us. I hear Him saying that even if we hit bumps along the way, everything will be all right if we’ll just stay on track and maintain our God-assigned territory — the many opportunities and assignments He has given us to inspire, strengthen, and equip believers with the sound teaching of the Bible.

But I’ve learned over the years that opportunities and adversaries usually go together — and today I want to encourage you to undergird yourself so that you can stay on track with what God has asked you to do this month and in the coming year.

Over the course of our ministry, we’ve had many great, effectual doors open to us to do the work of the Gospel. I’ll never forget when I received an opportunity to minister on television in the former Soviet Union. It was as if a great door had suddenly swung open to an entire vast territory — a door that had never before been opened for anyone else — and I knew I was experiencing something miraculous. By faith, Denise and I stepped through that door and began to preach the Word of God on television in this spiritually starved corner of the world.

Given the former socialist-communist campaigns against the Gospel in this particular region, this opportunity was as miraculous as the Jordan River dividing for Joshua and the children of Israel. But with this great open door also came a slew of adversaries, specifically dispatched by Satan to instill fear and doubt into my heart. The devil desperately wanted to prevent me from touching the lives of spiritually oppressed people, so he positioned evil people with insidious plans to try to block my view of what God had in store for our ministry.

I’m telling you that it was like the children of Israel looking at the Promised Land from the far side of the Jordan River. From that perspective, they saw only the fruitful land of blessing that lay before them. But once they entered the Promised Land, they had to fight giants of every kind before they could possess that land and enjoy the blessing. In much the same way, if Denise and I had taken our eyes off the Lord during that tumultuous period — or if we had focused only on the problems and forgotten about the fruit we were pursuing for God’s Kingdom — I’m sure we would have backpedaled to get out of the situation!

But we knew this was a God-given opportunity and worth the fight, so we fixed our gaze squarely on the Lord. Girded with the armor of God and the power of the Spirit, we pushed through every obstacle and possessed the ground that God called us to take. As a result, millions of souls began to hear the Gospel for the first time. We knew that only God could have opened this door!

In First Corinthians 16:9, the apostle Paul wrote about the strategic doors of opportunity that open for the Gospel and the adversaries that usually accompany them. He said, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” Notice that Paul used the words “great,” “door,” “effectual,” and “is opened” to describe the opportunity that had been set before him.

The word “great” in this verse is translated from the Greek word megale, which means gigantic. The word “door” is the Greek word thura, which typically refers to a door, but in this context, denotes a rare opportunity. The word “effectual” is the Greek word energes, and it depicts something that is powerful and ready to be set into motion. Finally, the phrase “is opened” is the Greek word anoigo, which describes something standing wide open. In other words, the door in question couldn’t be any more open! Thus, an alternate translation of Paul’s words in First Corinthians 16:9 could be rendered, “A gigantic, powerful opportunity is already set in motion and standing wide open….”

Paul continued by saying, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me….” You see, Paul knew that the particular door he was referring to had never been opened to anyone else, and he stood in awe of the unprecedented opportunity. Walking through these kinds of doors is impossible without divine assistance, and Paul was fully aware of God’s role in the matter. That is why he specified that this door had been opened “unto me.”

Paul’s prayer request in First Corinthians 16:9 was not for a door to open because it had already opened. His prayer request was to receive God’s wisdom to deal with the numerous adversaries who were trying to come against him. Paul used the Greek word antikeimenoi to describe the vast number of “adversaries” that were sent to attack him. This Greek word describes something that was piled high and lying all around him. In other words, he was dealing with more than a few minor opponents. On the contrary, it felt like opposition was stacked high on every side!

I’ve learned that the enemy will try his best to keep you from stepping through the gigantic doors of opportunity God desires to open for you. Satan is afraid of what will happen when “his” territory is invaded by someone fully equipped with a full arsenal of spiritual weapons. So know this: God will open doors for you — but He needs you to make a determined decision that you will walk through them, no matter the opposition, with the help of His Spirit.

By opening the door, God has already done His part, which would have been impossible without His assistance. Now He beckons you to come, dressed in the whole armor of God and in the power of His Word — and proceed through that effectual door into new territory. It may look like enemies are everywhere, but it is simply a fact that the devil and his forces flee and collapse when they are subjected to a show of strong faith!

As I mentioned earlier, many great and effectual doors have been opened to us over the years to do the work of the Gospel. In each case, we knew these doors were unique to us and had never before been opened for anyone else. And just as Paul experienced opposition, there were plenty of enemies that came against us with each opportunity. But because we obeyed God, the devil was forced to move out of the way, and we walked right into the virgin territory that God had opened for our ministry.

Even if you think your situation looks threatening right now, I want to tell you that God is with you. He wants to supernaturally open new doors for you — doors that have never before been opened for you. He is not beckoning you to walk through these doors so you can fail. He is with you every step of the way, and He will empower you to defeat every foe and bring Him glory in that new territory that is yours to possess in Jesus’ name!

Your open door may be an opportunity to shine the light of God’s Word and God’s love to your family or friends during this holiday season. It may be a door that will open to you in the new year. Regardless of when it is or what it is, the same God who opens doors will empower you to walk through them — and then He’ll be right with you to give you the wisdom and strength needed to overcome any giant that tries to meet you on the other side.

I know this is not a typical December, “Christmas-style” letter, but this is what was on my heart to share with you today. I want you to always know that if we can join you in prayer, we would be delighted to do so. To be honest, we are praying for you anyway, but when we are alerted to know exactly “how” to pray, it increases our effectiveness as we pray for you. So if you have a special need, please either call or write to let us know how we can get in agreement with you for God to show Himself mighty to you according to Jeremiah 33:3, which says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

And please pray for us as we continue marching forward by faith to push back darkness, to shine the light of God’s Word, and to take territory for the Kingdom of God. Together — as partners — we can make a difference in the lives of throngs of people who are crying out to God for help. They are waiting for God to respond to their prayers, and God wants to use us — you and us together — to bring them the answers they desperately need.

But before I close, I want to say we are specifically asking God to do something special for you this month and before the end of the year. I don’t know what it is, but that is what we are praying. We are asking God to do something special that will bless your life! And please, please pray for us as we continue pushing ahead to build our studio in Moscow, to finalize the purchase of our new headquarters in Tulsa, and to continue to minister effectually to every precious soul Jesus brings to us!

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

We are your brother and sister, friends, and partners in Jesus Christ,

Rick and Denise Renner
along with Paul, Philip, and Joel and their families|Dear Friends,

This month, I want to talk to you about the ministry of angels! Angels are messengers of God sent to minister to those who are the heirs of salvation — and that includes you and me. So it’s important that we know about angels and how they are available to help us.

But first, I want to say THANK YOU for your partnership with our ministry. This week, I’ve been looking at all the projects and outreaches that RENNER Ministries is leading to touch souls — and the manpower and money it takes to do it all — we are able to do it because of God’s grace and the partners He has assigned to this ministry. In fact, our partners are an integral part of God’s grace working with us to reach people who so desperately need to be reached. And for this, I say thank you — to you and all our precious partners!

Today I am going to write to you about the ministry of angels that is available to you. In the New Testament, angels are entrusted with the care of those who are saved — the heirs of salvation (see Hebrews 1:14). The primary assignments of Heaven-sent angels are in respect to God’s elect. God is sending angels to meet His people’s needs; to strengthen the weary; to give believers supernatural guidance (which, in the New Testament frequently occurs in dreams and visions); to provide protection and deliverance from harm; and to carry out supernatural feats. The Bible doesn’t say how many angels there are, but Hebrews 12:22 says they are “innumerable.” That means there are more than enough angels to fulfill these assignments for each of us — and that includes you!
Angels Meet Physical Needs
In Matthew 4:11 and Mark 1:13, we read that when Jesus concluded His 40 days in the wilderness, angels appeared to Him and ministered to Him and met His physical needs.

In both of these verses, the word “ministered” comes from the Greek word diakonos, which depicts a servant whose chief occupation is to meet some kind of physical or tangible need. This word is most notably used in Acts 6:2 where it is translated “serve” and refers to the role of deacons who were chosen to meet the physical and tangible needs of widows in Jerusalem. So when Matthew 4:11 and Mark 1:13 say angels “ministered” to Jesus, it means they took on the role of servants and ministered to Jesus’ physical and tangible needs after His 40 days of fasting and being tempted by the devil in the wilderness.

Over the years, I have heard of and experienced in my own life moments when angels came to minister to physical or tangible needs. In the same way angels aided and attended to Jesus, there are moments when God may use an angel to meet your physical or tangible needs too. Can you think of a time when you experienced this type of angelic ministry?
Angels Give Strength
The Bible provides many examples of angels strengthening the weary, but the best New Testament example is found in Luke 22:43, where an angel strengthened Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane during one of the most difficult moments of His earthly life. This verse says, “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”

When Jesus could find no one else to stand with Him in His hour of need, God provided supernatural assistance in the form of an angel to strengthen Him. This word “strengthen” comes from a Greek word that means to empower someone; to fill a person with physical vigor; or to give someone renewed vitality. In essence, it describes a person who may have been exhausted and depleted but then suddenly receives a robust blast of energy that recharges him. This means that when Jesus’ disciples and friends couldn’t be depended on in His hour of need, God provided an angel who empowered, recharged, and imparted strength to Jesus, thus renewing His vitality so He could victoriously overcome His difficult hour.

Over the years, I have heard of and experienced in my own life moments when an angel strengthened others and even me. In the same way an angel strengthened Jesus, angels are sent to give strength to you too! Can you think of a time when you experienced this type of angelic ministry?
Angels Give Supernatural Guidance
Examples of how angels provide supernatural guidance are abundant in the New Testament. One such example is when the apostle Paul experienced supernatural guidance when he was on a ship in the midst of a raging storm at sea. After the ship’s crew had fought the storm for many days, Paul told them, “And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee” (Acts 27:22-24).

Although the storm still raged for many more days, the message the angel delivered to Paul came to pass exactly as it had been spoken. The ship was lost, but not a single soul perished. When Paul and the other men were tempted to fear for their lives, God sent an angel to calm the inner storm that was raging in their minds and souls. And because Paul believed the word of the Lord spoken through the angel, everyone on board survived. This ordeal resulted in a great revival on the island of Melita (see Acts 28:1-9).

Over the years, I have heard of and experienced in my own life moments of angelic guidance. In the same way an angel gave supernatural guidance to Paul, there may be moments when God uses an angel to direct you too. Can you think of a time when you experienced this type of angelic ministry?
Angels Provide Protection and Deliverance
The Bible is also filled with many examples of angels providing protection and deliverance of God’s people. Let’s look at an example from the book of Acts. In Acts 5:17-18, the high priest rose up against the apostles and had them arrested and thrown into prison. Then in Acts 5:19-20, it says, “But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

That night an angel intervened to protect the apostles and set them free. In an instant, they were delivered from harm. And this is just one instance of angels providing God’s people with supernatural protection and deliverance from harm. There are too many examples in both the Old and New Testaments to cite them all.

Over the years, I have heard of and experienced in my own life moments of angelic protection and deliverance — stopping others and even me from suffering harm. In the same way an angel gave protection and deliverance to the apostles when they were thrown into prison, there are moments when God may use an angel to protect and deliver you too. Can you think of a time when you experienced this type of angelic ministry?
Angels Perform Superhuman Feats
There are multiple examples in the Old and New Testaments of angels performing superhuman feats. But one of the best examples is when the angel rolled away the massive stone that lay in front of Jesus’ tomb. Matthew 28:2 says, “…The angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door….”

Stones placed in front of such tombs were enormous and weighed many tons. It would have been impossible for a human to move it without the assistance of many people, but the angel was so powerful, it was able to singlehandedly move this massive stone.

Over the years, I have heard of and experienced in my own life moments when angels performed superhuman feats — like when a car that had rolled over was suddenly moved out of the way, or when an invisible power intervened to do something stupendous. In the same way an angel rolled the stone from Jesus’ tomb, there are moments when God may use an angel to perform superhuman feats on your behalf too. Can you think of a time when you experienced this type of angelic ministry?
We Need To Be Open to Angelic Ministry
When It Is Needed
I am stirred by this subject this month because I just read a new book called Servants of Fire by my friend Joseph Z. It is absolutely one of the best books I’ve ever read on the subject of angelic ministry. I wish every Christian would read this book; it would make them aware that a whole company of angels has been assigned by God to assist, help, protect, and strengthen them. So this month we are making this amazing book available to our partners for $22. I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting because it was so riveting to see what God has provided for us in terms of angelic ministry! If you would like to order a copy, just go to renner.org or call 1-800-742-5593. You’ll be so glad you did!

Before I close today, I want to say thank you again for your support of RENNER Ministries. Together we are seeing the Kingdom of God advance. Individually, it is more difficult to make a big impact, but when we join ourselves as partners, we can move mountains! Thank you for joining Denise and me as we obey the assignment God has given us. And please let us know how we can pray for you, as praying for you is one of the most serious assignments God has given us. I assure you that if you ask us to pray, we will really pray for you — and God will answer!

We love you and thank God for you!

We are your brother and sister, friends, and partners in Jesus Christ,

Rick and Denise Renner
Along with Paul, Philip, and Joel Renner and our ministry team

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