The Very Best Giver

May Teaching Letter from Denise 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 Friend,

I remember a time when my grandkids were younger. They loved to go into my closet, find my high heels, put them on their feet, and start walking around our home in them. Sometimes they would take one of Rick’s coats and put it on even though it was too big. Whether walking around in my heels or wearing Rick’s coat, they pretended that they were grandma or grandpa. Our grandkids were imitating Rick and me.

Ephesians 5:1 tells us to “be imitators of God as dear children.” People often say that imitation is the greatest compliment. When we imitate our Heavenly Father because we want to be like Him, we are giving Him the highest praise! That is exactly what He commands us to do in His Word. Today, I want to talk to you about imitating God as a giver.

*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

When we get worried about what could happen to us or we get too focused on the things of this world, we quickly become nervous about giving to others. But God sets an example for us that is contrary to normal human worries and stinginess. The Bible reveals that God never was and never will be stingy. He is always a giver of the highest degree, and by studying His example, we can learn how we should give as His children.

God Gives…

God Gives Generously:

John chapter six records the story of a time when a huge crowd had gathered to listen to Jesus teach. Jesus questioned Philip, one of the disciples, about feeding the people who had gathered. On this occasion, Jesus multiplied two fish and five loaves of bread; or as my husband teaches, five little crackers and two small minnows that a young boy had brought with him to put on those crackers. After Jesus prayed over that small amount of food, it multiplied exponentially. Some scholars estimate that Jesus not only fed 5,000 men, but with the women and children who were present, He probably fed between 30,000 to 40,000 people that day with just two little minnows and five small crackers! Forty thousand people!

Our God is such a giving God that He multiplied and continued to multiply those few fish and crackers to feed the multitudes. Matthew 14:20 says, “So they all ate and were filled.” The Greek word for “filled” means satisfied. Those people ate until they were full and afterwards there was still food left over! When we give something to God, He doesn’t just add to what we give Him, He multiplies it! God is such a far-above giver!

God Gives Universally:

In that same passage in John, after everyone was satisfied, Jesus told His disciples to gather up the fragments so that nothing would be lost. When they finished gathering the fragments, 12 baskets were filled with the leftovers. Who do you think those 12 baskets were for? They were for those 12 disciples! God had multiplied for the crowd, and now He was supplying for each and every one of the disciples!

One day I was meditating on that, and I realized one of those disciples was Judas Iscariot! God gave Judas the same amount of food in his basket as He gave John, Peter, James, and Andrew. God is such a giver — He even gave to His betrayer! This is such a perfect example of Jesus’ words found in Matthew 5:43-48. It says:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

God is showing us in His Word that we are not only to bless and love our friends and those who love us, but we are also to love our enemies and those who despitefully use us, in a way similar to when Jesus gave a basket full of crackers and minnows to His betrayer. We are to be imitators of Him in how we love others.

Jesus treated Judas no differently than He did the other disciples. That is truly amazing, and that is our God! I am so grateful that God is that kind of giver, because there was a time in our lives when you and I didn’t know Jesus. Even today, you may be struggling and not doing everything perfectly as a Christian, but that will never stop God from giving to and loving you.

God Gives Extravagantly:

Not only does God give generously, He also gives abundantly to everyone, even His enemies. Even more incredible, God gives us the highest quality gifts.

Romans 8:32 says:

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

God always gives us His very best, but sometimes when we give, we don’t do the same. Unfortunately, I have done this personally, and maybe you have too. Have you ever given something away that you no longer use or have a need for? God is not that kind of giver. He is an extravagant giver who says, “I’m giving My very best, and My very best is Jesus.” God is not stingy. He is not trying to hold anything back from you; God is trying to get everything to you, even His very best.

God Gives Freely:

Best of all, our God is not unwilling or hesitant in His giving. He doesn’t give just because we beg Him.

Look at James 1:5:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

The Greek word for, “ask of God,” means to get very close to God. Sometimes we think drawing near to God means we need to do everything perfectly, but in our sinful flesh, that is impossible for us. No. When we take our imperfect selves and say, “God, I’m coming to you. I’m drawing near to you, Father, as close as I can. I’m determined to think about You first, Lord, as much as I am able. I’m going to talk to you as often as possible” — when we have this heart attitude, God responds. God is such a giver. Even if we have not been seeking Him, and encounter a situation where we desperately need God and His wisdom. He doesn’t say, “Oh, you haven’t talked to Me in five years. I’m not going to do anything for you.” No. That is not our God. He is not the God with a clenched fist, but the God with an open hand. God is the best giver and He is a habitual giver. As we seek Him for wisdom, as James 1:5 states, He promises to give it to us liberally! God is obliged to give us wisdom as we seek Him.

The Reward of Greed

God gave His own Son for us. This is a powerful example for us to follow, but sometimes, in our sinful natures it is difficult. We are so fortunate to have a God who readily forgives us whenever we mess up, but as Paul tells us, we cannot use that as an excuse to continue sinning.

The Bible reveals some examples of people who did not follow God’s generous example, who were unrepentantly stingy and greedy. In the Old Testament, we read about Laban. Laban was the father-in-law of Jacob, who lied to Jacob and cheated him over and over again. Laban tried his best to cheat Jacob out of the things God had given him, but what did it bring to that selfish Laban? Everything he tried to cling to — his daughters, his livestock, the work that Jacob was doing for him — Laban absolutely lost.

What about Nabal? Nabal was the husband of a beautiful woman named Abigail. David and his men had been respectful to Nabal while they were near his land, and it was an especially plentiful time for Nabal. But when David came looking for provision for them, Nabal refused and insulted them. Nabal was stingy. David became so angry at Nabal that he wanted to completely destroy Nabal and his men. But Abigail, in all her wisdom, humility, and kindness, went to David and begged for mercy. She fed all his men and was blessed because of her generosity. What happened to Nabal, the stingy one? Everything he wanted to cling to, he lost. He even lost his life.

What about Judas? Judas was stingy. When he got angry about money (John 12: 4-5), Judas wasn’t thinking about feeding the poor. The Bible says he was thinking about the treasury and what he could have done with it for himself. What happened to stingy Judas? He betrayed the Son of God, and he died. He lost his life. That is what stinginess gets you.

Imitating Him

Friend, we must realize that God is not a hoarder. Hoarding is all about self. God is a provider. Even at this very moment, God is in Heaven preparing to give us a gift.

Jesus said in John 14:2-3:

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Jesus has already given us salvation, and now He is preparing the gift we will receive when we join Him in Heaven!

We need to ask ourselves, “Do I imitate God as a giver or do I only give to those who give to me? Do I just give to those who do good to me? Do I only give something away that I don’t need or do I give my very best?”

Luke 6:38 says:

“Give, and it will be given you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

God knows we cannot outgive Him because He will always give back abundantly more than we will ever be able to give Him, and we cannot give God what we do not have — God would never expect that of us — but we can give Him what we do have. So, what can you give? Can you give more of your time to people who need you? What about your money, your forgiveness? What about your patience? Could you give more of that? What about your mercy? What about your love? What about trusting somebody? Could you give someone trust who might not deserve your trust but wants another chance? What possession can you give that you don’t need and somebody else does? Maybe it’s your enemy who needs it. Are you willing to give it to them?

God has revealed Himself as the tremendous giver He is. He loved us when we were spiritually dead, and He made us alive in Him. His gifts are enormous, and they are coming towards us right now. So, I want you to ask yourself, How can I act like God and give something today?

Before I close my letter, I want to encourage you that we are here for you. Prayer is so important to our Christian walk, and our team takes every one of your prayer requests seriously. Whether you need strength to follow God’s example or provision for a difficult time in life, you can connect with our prayer team today by calling 1.844.473.6637 or sending an email to prayer@deniserenner.org. We are believing for you to see the fullness of God’s blessings in your life soon!

I also want to invite you to my weekly program, TIME with Denise Renner. Every Monday at 7 AM CT and Wednesday at 12 PM CT, I have the privilege of sharing what God has put on my heart for you. I hope you will join me if you haven’t yet! You can watch TIME with Denise Renner on my Facebook page, YouTube channel, or by visiting Renner.org.

I pray that this teaching will encourage you or someone you know to give like God today. We have such a generous Father in Heaven, and when we follow His example, He gives back to us so much more than we could ever imagine. Remember His love for you and determine to put on His giving mindset as you carry His image out into your life this week.

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

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