Blessed, Empowered, Joy-Filled, and Sustained

December 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,

Greetings in Jesus’ powerful and wonderful name!

Whew! It’s already December! The year has passed so fast — and now we are getting ready for 2024.

Usually in this month’s letter, I would write something related to Christmas, but I have received a word from the Lord for our friends and partners for the year 2024, and I sense this is what the Holy Spirit wants me to share with you in my letter today.

But first, if you have not ordered my book Christmas — The Rest of the Story, I do want to encourage you to go online at renner.org/store to order yours today. It is available right now at a wonderful 25-percent discount. I know you and your family will be so blessed by this book, not only through the holiday season but throughout the year! At just the right time, God sent His Son Jesus to the earth as a Babe in a manger — what a miracle in itself! But God performed so many miracles to preserve Jesus’ life until it was also just the right time for Christ to give up His life for you and me. From the bottom of our hearts, Denise and I and our family and team wish you a very wonderful, meaningful Christmas and an amazing new year — and I’ll get to that subject in just a moment!

I also want to say THANK YOU for your amazing support this year. We are reaching more people than ever before, and the year 2023 has been the best year in the history of RENNER Ministries. God has graciously empowered us to do what He has called us to do. And God used YOU and our other friends and partners to help us advance! As a result, we are reaching people all around the world who are crying out for the trusted teaching of God’s Word. Here’s an example:

I recently received an email from a man in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, who wrote to me to express how thankful he is that our program reaches him in Manila every day. And we’re not just reaching people in Manila but people all over the world. The list of nations of the people who write to us every week is simply astounding. It reminds me of the verse God gave to Denise and me in the earliest beginnings of our ministry: “…Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world” (Romans 10:18).

When the Holy Spirit gave Denise and me that verse many years ago, we had barely traveled beyond the borders of Oklahoma. But today, this ministry is literally touching people all around the world. And because we now own our own Russian-speaking satellite network, we are reaching Russian-speakers across the globe 24/7. That is truly miraculous!

It is because you are a huge part of this ministry that I want to make sure you know how deeply grateful Denise and I, our family, and our team are for everything you have done and for all you will do in 2024. And when I tell you that we are praying for you, I sincerely mean we are praying for you. You are important to us, and we want to see you experience the fullness and goodness of God on every level! And when I tell you that we want to know how we can specifically pray for you, I really mean it!

But in my letter today, I felt the Holy Spirit wanted me to tell you about an experience I recently had while traveling. As Denise and I were flying on an airplane to a certain destination, I was praying to see if the Holy Spirit had a specific word He wanted me to communicate to our friends and partners for the year 2024. Immediately, I heard the pilot announce, “We have been informed that we will encounter heavy turbulence on this flight, so please remain in your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. We will arrive safely, but we request because of the turbulence that you stay seated with your seat belts fastened.” It was then that I suddenly heard the Holy Spirit speak to my heart and say:

The year 2024 will be visited with turbulent episodes across the entire globe, especially in the realms of finances and politics and in the nations. These episodes will be of a sort that they will potentially cause those who are not rooted in God’s Word to be deeply disturbed. But for those who stay in faith…stay in peace…stay in love…stay in fellowship…and keep sowing seed for the sake of eternity — they will experience a supernatural power that will cause them to be unmoved, unshaken, well provided for, and to walk in a much-needed divine assurance, divine peace, divine power, and divine and supernatural victory. Yes, those who stay in faith, in peace, in love, in fellowship, and keep sowing seed for the sake of eternity will be blessed, empowered, joy-filled, and sustained, and they will miraculously thrive even if the world around them seems tossed with a tempest.

From what the Holy Spirit said to me, I see that the year 2024 will see a tempest on many fronts around the world — especially in the financial, political, and national realms. Those who are not rooted in God’s Word could possibly be deeply disturbed by these events, and this is another reason why we must keep teaching the stabilizing, strengthening Word of God to as many people as possible. Again, I thank you for being a partner who is helping us do this!
But from the word I received, I understood that the world will likely be “bumpy” in 2024, so we need to buckle our seat belts and stay in faith, stay in peace, stay in love, stay in fellowship, and keep sowing seed for the sake of eternity.
When I received this word, I thought of what Jesus said in Matthew 24 and 25.

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

According to Jesus, if a person builds his life on God’s Word, it means he is solidly built on a rock, and his life is built so firmly that he can withstand rain, floods, and turbulence of all kinds. This is why we must do all we can to help people get established firmly on the foundation of God’s Word — and this is why you must stay grounded in God’s Word!
But the prophetic word I received also made me reflect on Jesus’ words in John 16:33: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

The words “ye might have” are from a Greek word that means to have, hold, or possess. It means Jesus wants YOU to have, hold, and possess supernatural peace even in troubled times!

But wait — let’s look at that word “peace”! The word “peace” is from a Greek word that pictures a cessation of conflict and a time of rebuilding and prosperity, distractions removed, and a rule of order in the midst of potential chaos. It speaks of a calm, inner stability that results in the ability to conduct oneself peacefully even in the midst of circumstances that would normally be traumatic or upsetting. This word is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word shalom, which expresses the idea of wholeness, completeness, or tranquility in the soul that is unaffected by outward circumstances or pressures.

By using this word, Jesus promised that we can be in peace regardless of what is going on in our personal lives or the world around us. That means even in turbulent seasons, we can supernaturally remain peaceful, tranquil, and unaffected by outward circumstances or events! Regardless of what kind of turbulence the world experiences, we can move forward in peace! Jesus promised it, so it’s yours to claim!

But in John 16:33, Jesus referred to “tribulation.” This is from a Greek word that depicts pressures. Jesus stated that as long as we are in the world, there may be moments when we feel pressures, but He went on to say that we should “be of good cheer.” The words “be of good cheer” actually mean be bold and take courage! The reason we can be bold and take courage is, Jesus has “overcome the world”!

The word “overcome” means to completely conquer, and the word “world” depicts all the systems and events that are occurring in the world around us. We are living in crazy times, but regardless of what is going on, Jesus has completely overcome every bit of it. That is why we can be bold and take courage in every season of life! Again, this promise is yours to claim — so reach out and take it!

But the Holy Spirit specifically told me that in 2024, those who:

They will be:

And they will possess a much-needed:

In the first months of 2024, I will specifically write about what it means to stay in faith, stay in peace, stay in love, and stay in fellowship, and keep sowing seed for the sake of eternity. Starting in January 2024, I will be writing to you about these important points!

But in response to what the Holy Spirit said to me about 2024,
I have been faithfully declaring:

I declare by faith that in 2024, I will stay in faith, stay in peace, stay in love, stay in fellowship, and keep sowing seed for eternity. I expect the Holy Spirit’s power to cause me to be unmoved, unshaken, and well provided for in every realm of my life. I proclaim that I walk in divine assurance, peace, power, and supernatural victory. Regardless of any tempest, God’s Spirit will cause me to be blessed, empowered, joy-filled, sustained, and to miraculously thrive in 2024.

Today I encourage you to grab hold of the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit and to make this your faith declaration as well. We are called to be here in this season, and we are anointed for it. God wants to use each of us to help others, so let’s take hold of what Jesus has promised and march forward by faith this month and in the coming year to help those around us!

This is the Christmas season, and you’ll be seeing a lot of people — so this is your opportunity to share Jesus with them and to speak a faith-filled encouraging word to those you encounter. Let’s make the most of every opportunity and not lose a single moment to be a voice of hope and strength to others this month!

I told you this letter would be a little different for December, but I want to let you know that in 2024 — in just a few days — we are anointed for whatever we need to confront in the new year. We are not victims; we are victors through Jesus! And He has promised us that we can overcome the world — and He has told us to be bold and courageous — so let’s do it!

As I close, I want to say that if you have a prayer need of any kind, we would be delighted to pray with you. If you’ll let us know how to pray, Denise and I, along with our team, will take that need before the Lord and He will hear and answer us according to Jeremiah 33:3. Again, I want to say how thankful I am for your partnership with our ministry this year and in the coming year. Together, as a team, we are making a difference in the lives of people all over the world!

Denise and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed new year!

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

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

P.S. Click here to view the new interactive Ministry Update page or click here to download the printable pdf flyer.

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