No Time To Worry

October 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,

In Matthew 6:34, Jesus says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

This has always been one of my favorite scriptures because Jesus is such a beautiful example to us of one who could have worried about many things but always chose to trust His Father. He could have worried about the agonizing crucifixion before Him and the betrayal of a beloved disciple. He knew everything that was going to happen to Him, and He could have worried about it all.

The Bible says in Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Although Jesus was tempted in every way we are tempted, He never sinned. So you can absolutely say that just as you and I are tempted to worry and waste our precious time, energy, and mental abilities, Jesus also was tempted in that very same way. He understands when we are tempted to worry, and He is there to help us. As we turn to Him, trust Him, and make room for His presence, it gives us the power to turn from worry and to rest in Him.

Jesus was also implying in Matthew 6:34 that every day is a gift, and every day has tremendous opportunities if we can see them for what they are and can recognize the gift of those 24 hours and how to wisely spend them.

Let me explain, and I will use myself as an example.

A few months ago, I was studying the Bible a lot about the word “worry.” But I woke up one morning and found myself worrying about a particular situation. After an hour, I said to the Lord, “Lord, I have been worrying for one hour.” For one hour, I had been wasting my precious time!

Maybe you’ve never done that, but more than likely you, too, have worried at one time or another. When we are worrying, we are taking the problem out of God’s hands — the hands that can do anything — and putting it into our own hands, which can do very little.

That’s what I was doing for that one hour — keeping the problem for myself to resolve. Did I find a solution? No. And I was convicted by the Holy Spirit that by worrying, I was actually limiting God from helping me with my situation.

Philippians 4:6,7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” In the phrase “be anxious for nothing” in the Greek language, there is a tiny little word ti, which means every teensy, tiny, minute, little detail. God cares about every teensy, tiny, minute little detail of your life.

Look again at His promise in Philippians. If we hand over our cares and concerns to Him, the peace of God, which surpasses our own understanding, will guard and protect our heart and mind. It is one small act of taking the time — the time we would have wasted worrying — to talk to Him about the problem instead. So rather than having an upset stomach or becoming angry with someone around us, we can be flooded with the peace of God.

This is what was on my heart to share with you this month because every single day we have a choice to keep trusting God, seeing Him as bigger than our problems, and receiving His care and His presence in our situation. Every day we must make the choice to open the door to His power and presence and to shut the door to worry and care. Every day we must choose to shut the door to sickness in our body — and other negative effects in our life — as a result of worry, and open the door to the peace of God flooding our heart and our mind.

I pray for you as I pray for myself that we will continue to look to God’s Word and to see His Word as our stability and our answer. We need His help to turn from trusting in our own abilities and to begin to trust in Him.

I will close with this verse in Proverbs 3:1,2: “…Do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.” Friend, His promise is right there. It’s for you, and it’s for me. Let’s open the door to receive His peace.

Thank you for your responses, comments, and testimonies. I am hearing from many of you who are watching my program TIME With Denise Renner on YouTube, Facebook, and Telegram!If you have a prayer request, please reach out to us. You can call us at 1.800.742.5593 or email us at prayer@deniserenner.org. We would love to join our faith with yours to see remarkable things happen in your life!

Thank you again for joining me. It is my prayer that I was able to encourage you today through these words.

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

Chosen By God

October Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

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,

Wow…I am excited to share what God has put in my heart for you this month. In fact, I’ve spent weeks recently teaching on this subject because I’m so excited about it. But before I get into the message, I want to say THANK YOU for being a friend and partner with our ministry! To the best of our ability, Denise and I, our family, and our God-called team are obeying God’s call to take teaching you can trust to people all over the world. But our ability to do it is connected to our partners who financially put “fuel in the tank” so we can take the life-changing teaching of God’s Word to people who are crying out for it.

I want you to know that what you are doing is truly making an impact. Don’t ever let the devil tell you that your part is unimportant because it is VERY important, and we are thankful to God for you!

Today I want to ask you: Has God put a dream in your heart and told you to do something that is so huge in your mind that you’re tempted to dismiss it as silly nonsense? Do you ask yourself, Is this idea really from God or is it just a case of crazy daydreaming?

Be careful not to dismiss your dream too quickly! It may be a vision of your future that God has dropped inside your spirit. When these God-given dreams occasionally surface in your mind, you may misinterpret them as “wishful thinking” or “fantasies.” But have you considered the possibility that God may be trying to break into your conscious mind to reveal His plan to you?

If you sense that God is pointing His finger at you right now, I can relate to where you are and to what you’re feeling. I’ve sensed the Father’s finger pointing at me on several occasions — nudging me from behind, as it were, and telling me to get with the program and make a decision to follow and obey Him wholeheartedly.

Hesitation is fine for a while, especially if you’re taking the time to confirm you’re on the right track. But when hesitation is prolonged again and again, it’s usually a subtle form of rebellion. Your flesh doesn’t want to do what God has told you to do. It doesn’t feel comfortable or secure because naturally speaking, you don’t know how to accomplish the assigned task. Therefore, the flesh likes to look for excuses to put off obedience just a little longer.

If you don’t finally say, “Yes, Lord, I’ll do what You tell me to do and go where You tell me to go,” He won’t sit around and wait on you forever. There comes a deciding moment when you must get with it or get out of the way so someone else can get started. Don’t forget that the Lord Jesus taught, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). There are “many” who have had the opportunity to do something great and significant, but because they wouldn’t go on with God, they were not “chosen” to do it. Please don’t let that be you!

Many present God with a host of arguments as to why He should choose someone else. They lay their ill-conceived case before God as a lawyer would present his defense before a judge and jury:

“I can’t speak well enough.”
“I see that other people are more talented.”
“I don’t think I’m ready yet.”
“I’m afraid.”
“I don’t know how I’ll be able to pay for it.”
“I’m too fat [or too skinny].”
“I’m not handsome [or pretty] enough.”
“I’m not popular enough.”
“I don’t have enough time to do it.”
“I’m simply not the best choice!”

We can each argue with God all day long about why He should choose someone besides us, but eventually we must quit fighting and simply surrender our will to obey God. I want you to embrace that God has a specific calling just for you and a spiritual race He has set before you that no one else can run as you can. When you finally step out to obey Him, you’ll be so glad you did because there is no greater satisfaction than knowing you are doing exactly what God has called you to do.

Your flesh may recoil from doing what God has asked of you because flesh likes to stay in its comfort zone where it isn’t necessary to change, grow, and develop. But as a child of God, you can take charge of your flesh and tell it to stop its ranting and raving. For far too long your flesh has told you all the lame reasons why you can’t be used by God. It’s time for your flesh to stop controlling your destiny!

If you don’t step out in faith to do what you know you’re supposed to do, you’ll miss the whole reason God brought you into this world. You see, He didn’t bring you into the world just to take up space on planet Earth. He has something grand and glorious for you to do. Imagine what a horrible tragedy it would be for you to live out your entire life only to discover when you die that you missed the grand, glorious destiny God had planned for you. God forbid that happens to you!

It’s time for you to turn your faith loose and jump out into the river of God, and let it carry you to a vast ocean of supernatural experiences and conquests. That’s God’s idea of a great life!

When we each reach the end of our life, the measure of our success will all be wrapped up in one question: Did we do what God called us to do? You may say, “But, Rick, I don’t know if God has called me to do anything special!” Of course, He has!

God certainly has a call on your life and a mission just for you! You may not know it yet, but there is a definite and distinct call of God designed just for you and for no one else. Ephesians 2:10 says God was planning the very works you should walk in even before the first layer of the earth’s crust was laid. Your presence on this planet was not accidental, nor was it an afterthought. God planned your life. He brought you into this world so you could contribute something valuable.

I want to encourage you to seek God diligently until you receive revelation regarding His plan for you. Once that plan is revealed, step into your place of faith and stay there for the rest of your life. The only way you’ll accomplish God’s plan is by living in the realm of faith and staying determined to do whatever God asks you to do. Both faith and diligence are required if you want to be successful in fulfilling your God-given life assignment.

THAT is what was on my heart to share with you today. But before I close, let me remind you that we are here to pray for you about anything — and when you reach out to us by phone, email, or letter, you can be sure that your prayer need will remain confidential between you, us, and the Lord. We are praying for you anyway, but when we hear from you, it helps us to pray even more effectively for you! Thank you again for everything you do to help us fulfill God’s call on our ministry. We could not do this without 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

The Power of Forgiveness

September Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

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,

Once again, I want to thank you for spending this time with me. I am continually blessed by all the prayer requests and responses that have been sent in. It is an honor to pray for you and rejoice with you over what the Lord is doing!

Today I want to speak to you about a subject that I believe touches all of us at one time or another. That is the subject of forgiveness. I recently heard a testimony of a relationship that had been broken for 30 years — a mother and a daughter had not spoken to each other and could not be in the same room with each other for 30 years. The devil had his hold on that relationship, but through forgiveness, that mother and daughter are now speaking kindly to each other and enjoying one another’s presence. That is why this subject is on my heart today. We have to close the door to the enemy so he can’t come in and wreak havoc in our relationships with one another. And we can do that through forgiveness.

Forgiveness opens the door of Heaven to our relationships.

I want to tell you another story that illustrates this truth so powerfully. We’ve lived in the former Soviet Union since 1991. Once when we were ministering at a church in Ukraine, a lovely lady we knew was leading worship and I had the opportunity to talk to her. She was there with her son and her husband, whom she said was her second husband.

I said to this woman, “You have a beautiful family. How was it with your first husband?” (I felt free to ask that question because we were close and were having a heart-to-heart conversation.)

She answered, “I’ll tell you my story. After I married my first husband, he became an abusive alcoholic. He even abused our son, which affected him mentally — so, finally, I divorced him.”

After this woman divorced her husband, she heard the Gospel, received Jesus, and became filled with the Holy Spirit. After a while, she started getting more and more inwardly bothered by a thought she couldn’t seem to escape: I’ve got to forgive this man. A great work of the Holy Spirit was going on inside of her.

Later the woman remarried, and she noticed that she was starting to accuse her second husband of the same offenses her first husband had been guilty of — but her second husband wasn’t even doing those things. It was all in her mind. She was still hooked to the offender through unforgiveness, and she was bringing the ill effects of that inner “hook” into her second marriage.

This woman could only see her second husband through the lens of the pain and hurt of her first husband. And to add to her pain, every day she saw the effects of her first husband’s cruelty and abuse in her son, who had suffered some mental disabilities as a result. But even with her soul screaming so loudly with the pain of what she had gone through, she was convicted in her spirit that she needed to forgive her first husband. She prayed about it often: “God, please free me from this bitterness. I know I have to forgive him.”

One day the woman was cleaning out her apartment that was filled with things that needed to be thrown away. By the end of a day of hard work, she had stuffed many bags with trash to throw out and was so pleased with all the work she had done.

Then the woman looked over and saw a tiny piece of paper on the counter and immediately thought, I’d better get that. At that instant, the Holy Spirit spoke to her heart: Do you see that big pile of trash that you’ve gathered and are so proud of?

She answered, “Yes, Lord, I’m so happy to get rid of all that trash!”

The Holy Spirit continued, The debt you owed Me is like that huge pile of trash. And do you see that tiny piece of paper? That’s like the debt of offense and pain your ex-husband owes you. In comparison to the weight of sin I removed from you, his offense is very small.

That was the moment of revelation this woman needed. Right then, she forgave her first husband and released him from the debt of offense he owed her. And it wasn’t long afterward that God healed her son!

Forgiveness is truly one of the most important things that we do in our walk with God, because we were forgiven. If He hadn’t forgiven us, there would be no hope of Heaven, no love of God in our hearts, nor any ability to forgive. There would be no hope of all the benefits He has given us — healing, soundness of mind, peace, and so much more. But God did forgive us, so it is our responsibility to say, “Father, I also choose to forgive.”

We have the power to do what God requires of us. He gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, and we have the love of God shed abroad by the Spirit in our hearts (see Romans 5:5). We just have to avail ourselves of that love by faith and say, “Lord, I know that You and I can do this together. I can forgive and release those who have offended me. Lord, You know what they did to me. But You also know all that I have done to grieve You. Yet You paid my debt. You took all the punishment of sin for me so I wouldn’t be punished. You forgave me; now it’s my turn to forgive every person who has hurt or wronged me and to release them from the debt they owe me.”

Forgiveness is a really big thing with God. It is the reason He was able to redeem us. He brought us into reconciliation with Himself through the forgiveness of sin.

This subject of forgiveness is so important that Jesus even said, “If you don’t forgive, your Heavenly Father won’t forgive you” (see Mark 11:25). Since we need to receive the forgiveness and mercy of God, we must give the forgiveness and mercy of God. We need to acknowledge and act on His love that has been shed abroad in our hearts and on the power that is within us to forgive.

Friend, I have told you before that bitterness, unforgiveness, and resentment are not foreign to my own heart and that in my situation many years ago, God delivered me from the horrible trap I was in. If God is speaking to you through this letter and you realize you need to reach out to someone and ask for his or her forgiveness for all the resentment you’ve carried in your heart against them because of how that person hurt you, I encourage you to make that bold step. I want to pray for you:

Father, I pray for my friend right now to be courageous and to be humble before your Word. If this precious person needs to open the door of forgiveness that in turn opens the door of Heaven to his or her relationships, help my friend to be obedient. I thank you for Your mercy and grace and Your love that has been poured out in this person’s heart by the Holy Spirit. I pray for encouragement to do the right thing, and as Your coming draws closer, that we all continue to close any doors that could let the enemy into our relationships or our heart, mind, or body. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I share more about this important subject in my new book Unstoppable, which I encourage you to purchase if you haven’t already. In it, I teach in depth about pressing through fear, unforgiveness, and the negative opinions of others to fulfill your divine destiny.

I also invite you to watch my program TIME With Denise Renner. You can tune in to my program on YouTube, Facebook, or Telegram! I truly believe both my book and my program will bless you greatly.

Let’s keep our hearts free from offense and continue moving forward together.

Denise Renner

These Signs Shall Follow Them That Believe

September Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

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,

I am so excited about what I am going to share with you in my letter this month!

But first, Denise and I want to express our heartfelt thanks to God for all you are doing as a friend and partner with our ministry. Right now, we are giving our best to fulfill the many assignments God has given us, and that includes teaching the Word of God on various media platforms around the world, ministering seriously to the needs of our partners, providing tons of relief to displaced people in our part of the world, and finishing Phase 3 of our Ministry Expansion Project.

We could never do all this alone, but when partners obey what the Holy Spirit asks them to do, a miracle occurs, and the job gets done. For your part in our God-called team, Denise and I are so grateful. Your heart really is in the Kingdom of God, and we sincerely thank you for joining hands with us to do what God has commissioned us to do! Together, we are a God-called team!

I am SO excited to tell you that beginning September 1, you can preorder my new book Christmas — The Rest of the Story! Featuring full-color, original hand-drawn illustrations, this beautiful hard-cover book is sure to leave you spellbound by the wonderful account of our Savior’s birth. From the angel’s pronouncement to Mary to her marriage to Joseph to the angels’ glorious heralding of Jesus’ arrival as a newborn in the cave in Bethlehem, you will see the incredible journey of Christ’s coming to earth — and His purpose for coming — in a way you’ve probably never heard it before. This book is packed with biblical truth and history, and I believe it will be a blessing to you as you read it, as well as a treasure in your family for generations! You can preorder your copy at a discounted price today at renner.org.

Now let me get to what is on my heart to share with you today.

Just moments before Jesus ascended to the Father, He told the disciples, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17,18).

In this amazing passage, Jesus said that “signs” will follow those who believe. That word “signs” is from a Greek word that refers to a signature or seal that was applied to a document to guarantee its authenticity. It was the proof that showed the document was the real deal.

Jesus was sending His disciples into the world to preach the Gospel, and as He sent them forth, He said, in essence, that God’s supernatural signature would be on their ministry. These “signs” were to be God’s official declaration that His people were sent by Heaven and that the Gospel message was true. Signs following the preaching of the Gospel were to authenticate the message and make clear that this was no manmade message — but one that came straight from God Himself.

The specific signs that Jesus mentioned are as follows:

They will cast out devils.
They will speak with new tongues.
They will take up serpents.
If they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and the sick will recover.

The Lord said these signs would “follow” those who believe. It’s important that Jesus said in Mark 16:17, “…These signs shall follow them that believe….” The word “follow” is translated from a word that means to follow or to go somewhere with a person, as in accompanying him on a trip. As it is used in this verse, the word “follow” means to tirelessly accompany someone, to constantly be at the side of an individual, or to always be in close proximity with a person, like a faithful companion who is always at one’s side.

This tells us that signs and wonders are to faithfully follow us and the Gospel message everywhere we go. Signs and wonders are to be so in step with us and the message we preach that to live without these signs should seem very strange to us. God intended for these signs to follow us everywhere we go, like our nonstop companions and as God’s signature that the message we speak is true.

Every time you preach or share the Gospel — whether at church, at work, on the mission field, in a bus, on the subway, or at the grocery store — you should expect these supernatural signs to be present with you. These signs should accompany you everywhere you go because they are a part of your spiritual equipment as a faithful partner of the Gospel message!

SO…why don’t we see more of these signs following Christians?

The answer to this question is actually found in Jesus’ words in Mark 16:17. It says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe….” But the tense used in this verse means it would be more accurately translated, “These signs shall follow those who have engaged their faith and are believing….”

That means these signs don’t come automatically just because you are a Christian. Actually, Jesus never said these signs would simply follow Christians. He said they would follow those who are believing for them. If a Christian isn’t believing for these signs to be manifested or expecting supernatural signs to follow him, they probably won’t. Like everything else — signs and wonders are activated by faith.

Throughout our ministry, Denise and I have observed that people who regularly experience the miraculous are those who regularly expect to see it. Rather than being passive — they are aggressive about pushing forward to see the miraculous in their lives or ministries. Those who press forward and release their faith to see the supernatural demonstrated are the ones who often experience these divine demonstrations in their lives.

So the number of signs and wonders that follow you will be determined by how intensely you are constantly believing for them to be in manifestation. If you want signs and wonders to faithfully follow you, you must be constantly believing for them to happen!

When you preach and share the Gospel, expect things to happen!
When you pray for the sick, expect them to be healed.
When you confront someone who’s demonized, expect that person to be set free.
When you are in a situation that requires the miraculous, expect it to occur.
When you need protection, expect God’s hand of protection to be upon you.

Remember that these signs always follow those who are believing for them to occur. This is Jesus’ promise! He absolutely promised His supernatural signature would be with anyone who preaches the Gospel and opens the way for the supernatural to come to pass by believing.

In Mark 16:17 and 18, Jesus said those who believe will:

cast out demons.
speak with new tongues.
pick up serpents.
not be harmed by drinking anything deadly.
lay hands on the sick and they will recover.

What do these signs really mean — and what do they mean to you? I don’t have space in this letter to answer these questions, but it’s important for you to know the answers. I just finished teaching a new series called THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE, and in this brand-new series, I fully explain what all of this means for you. You can order it by calling our ministry or by going online to renner.org.

But certainly, Mark 16:17 says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe….” Again, it would be more accurately translated, “These signs shall follow those who have engaged their faith and are believing….” So if you want to see these supernatural signs accompanying you in all your paths of life, you have to release your faith and believe for them to be manifested!

My purpose in writing you this letter today is to encourage you to engage your faith and begin believing for these signs to be your partners in life and ministry. If you’ll believe and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit, these supernatural signs will be God’s signature that goes with you everywhere you go!

This is what I felt led to share with you this month, and I pray it has encouraged you to listen to the Spirit, to believe, and to obey whatever He instructs you to do.

Before I close, I want to remind you to please let us know how to pray with you for whatever it is that you are facing or dealing with in your life right now. We are very serious about hearing your prayer needs, either by phone, by email, or by letter. As soon as you let us know how to pray for you, we will release our faith with you for Jesus to supernaturally empower you right where you are!

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

Rick and Denise Renner

Turn Your Back to the Naysayers

August Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

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,

Thank you so much for choosing to spend this time with me today. I have something on my heart I want to share with you that I think affects each of us at some time in our lives — maybe even right now. Being influenced by the negative opinions of others around us, or even the negative opinion of ourselves, can be detrimental. Those negative feelings, thoughts, or words can detour us from taking hold of our God-given assignment. But God has a better plan!

I want to start by sharing a very familiar story in the Bible — David facing Goliath. In First Samuel 17, we read that David, a lowly shepherd, had already decided that he would be the one to take down the Philistine giant who was threatening the Israelites. But David’s older brother, Eliab, mocked him and said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know the pride and insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle” (v. 28). Eliab was trying as hard as he could to crush David’s confidence. Then David replied to his brother in verse 29: “… What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”

But I love what verse 30 says about David’s response to his older brother:

Then he turned from him [Eliab] toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did. — 1 Samuel 17:30

David didn’t snap back. He didn’t let Eliab draw him into the fight of a fleshly argument. He didn’t get bitter. He didn’t yell at his brother. He didn’t cry to himself, I need support from my big brother. Doesn’t he realize what I’m about to do? He didn’t think, Oh, Eliab is probably right. I need to be back with the sheep. All this scripture says is that David turned.

There was the older brother, full of ridicule, criticism, and rejection toward the younger brother. David heard Eliab’s words. But then the younger brother did an about-face, and he turned from those words.

That was a huge accomplishment on young David’s part. Eliab’s opinion of him could very well have stopped the younger brother. What if David had gotten his feelings hurt? What if he had swallowed those words and decided to believe them?

As the youngest brother, David had probably been raised to yield to his older brother and respect his words. But in this high-stakes situation with a giant that had to be defeated, David turned from Eliab and gave no attention to his words that were meant to shut down the younger brother’s confidence and stop him in his tracks.

Here’s what you need to know: There will be times when you have to face a giant in your life. For instance, the Lord may ask you, with the supply He has given you, to do something for Him that seems impossible to accomplish in the natural. And as you are getting ready to face your enemy, it is very likely that right before it’s time for you to chop off the giant’s head, the devil will send an “Eliab” to you with an opinion that temps you to feel discouraged or inadequate for the task.

Most likely we’ve all experienced this at one time or another. We’ll be preparing to step out of our comfort zone to give from our supply. We’ll be all fired up, excited, and ready to go — and then someone walks up and says something that deflates us.

At that point, we have a choice: Will we listen to the negative opinion and say, “Oh, that’s right. I need to go back to the field and tend the sheep. I’m not as anointed as that other person”? Or will we turn from that negative opinion and do what God has told us to do?

If that ever happens to you, do what David did — simply turn from the voice of the naysayer and refuse to receive that opinion! Go tell someone else what you’re going to do — or simply voice your intention to God! And whether anyone else believes you, don’t let yourself relax your grip on the assignment you have received from Him!

Every one of us has a responsibility to turn from different people’s opinions when their opinions do not match the word of God or go contrary to what He has clearly instructed us to do by His Spirit. We have to continually keep ourselves aligned with and in agreement with His opinions — because if we don’t, someone else will be telling us who we are, what we can do, and how far we can go in life.

Friend, it is never anyone else’s place to tell us who we are, what we can do, or how far we can go in life. That plan was put inside our spirit many years ago by God, and as we continue to push past the negative opinions of those around us — and even the negative thoughts we have about ourselves — we are agreeing with God’s plan and His opinion about us. It is in that agreement that we find power to move forward, past the obstacles of negative opinions. Just imagine that Jesus is on the other side of whatever it is you are going through, and He is cheering you on, saying, “You can do it! I am in you, and you can do all things because I am strengthening you.”

The Bible says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn” (Isaiah 54:17). That is what we see acted out in the life of David as he turned from the opinions of his older brother who tried to discourage him from doing what God had called him to do — kill the giant. That same power of the Holy Spirit is inside you to defeat every weapon that is set against you and to silence any voice that rises against you in judgment.

Thank you again for spending this time with me. If there is any way that we can pray for you, please let us know. You can call us at 1.800.742.5593 or email us at prayer@deniserenner.org and there will be someone from our team waiting to pray with you. And if God has done anything special in your life through this teaching, please let me know! I continue to hear from many of you who have read Unstoppable and are experiencing freedom and victory, and I am so thankful for each and every response, comment, and testimony. I love your responses, and I read them all.

I also want to invite you to watch my program TIME With Denise Renner on YouTube, Facebook, or Telegram!

Moving forward together,

Denise Renner

No Room For Compromise

August Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

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,

Wow…things are really getting intense around the world. This is a time for us all to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and to always remember that Jesus is Lord over all. He is seated on His throne of power and is working out an end-time plan to bring about the victorious end of the age for His people!

So many people responded to my letter last month about how Jesus wants to give us a divine visitation wherever we are or in whatever situation we may find ourselves. Thank you so much for letting me know that my letter ministered to you. And please, before I go any further, let me say that we ALWAYS want to know how we can pray for you. Those who have been friends and partners of our ministry for a long time know that when you reach out to this ministry for prayer, you will REALLY be fervently prayed for, and you will see results. So if you have a prayer need, reach out to us by phone, by email, or by letter. We are waiting to hear from you!

And thank you for all you are doing to help us do the work that God has entrusted to us. Proverbs 10:21 says, “The lips of the righteous feed many….” We know that feeding many the Word of God is our assignment, but we do it in partnership with you. There is not a morning or evening that passes in which I do not personally pray for you. I am so thankful for your partnership!

Right now, we are in the final phase of our Ministry Expansion Project. Phase 1 allowed us to close on our new U.S. headquarters in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Phase 2 funded the construction of our TV studio in Moscow, Russia. Now in Phase 3 we are working to pay off the Broken Arrow facility in full and complete the final touches of our TV studio. Would you join us in believing for the completion of this project? And if you are not already a member of this giving team, would you prayerfully consider becoming one? Denise and I are so grateful for the increasing number of people God is sending us to minister to, and we are so thankful to you for helping us in this work!

But in my letter to you this month, I want to speak to you about the times we are living in right now.

In these perilous days, we must understand the times we live in and our role in them according to Heaven’s perspective. There is no doubt that society is bending under an unrelenting pressure of external forces that is demanding compromise and denying the reality of absolute truth. But in the midst of it all, Jesus Christ’s clarion call to His people will still be heard!

Those who have put their trust in Jesus are to walk as He did on this earth — to stand boldly as His representatives; to refuse to fear or to allow their faith in Him to be diluted or deterred, no matter the consequences; and to demonstrate His power on an unprecedented level in these “last of the last days” before Jesus’ return.

Jesus promised, “…The gates of hell shall not prevail against it [the Church]” (Matthew 16:18). Although the brutal waves of persecution have come and gone many times over the past 2,000 years of Church history — even right up to this present day — every turbulent episode has proven Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 to be true.

But today, society is filled with new pluralistic, inclusive views that contain certain key elements — such as a diversity of beliefs, an ever-changing moral code, and the acceptance of moral perversion — and these are seeping into the mainstream of life, encased within the noble-sounding ideas of inclusivity and open-mindedness.

In the midst of these times, possessing a rock-solid, unchangeable belief in absolute truth in this current climate labels you as extreme. A person who fits that description may even be seen as a menace to the direction the rest of society wants to take. And although unyielding Christians will be called intolerant, it will be the pagans themselves who have no stomach for anyone who holds a position different than theirs.

The pressure exerted on Christians will continue to intensify in an attempt to push them to modify their message and become more accepting of moral codes that directly contradict the Bible.

Satan has learned through 2,000 years of Church history that Christ cannot be defeated. So instead of fighting a fight he cannot win, the enemy now attempts to level the playing field by deluding people — even many Christians — into believing that every faith, including Christianity, is equally acceptable and true. Entrenched in this deception, people begin to think that no one is exclusively right or wrong and that everyone has a piece of the same puzzle. From this mindset, a diverse mix of beliefs have emerged, and people no longer feel the need to repent or to be saved. This is the inclusive view promoted today by so many in the arenas of politics, media, entertainment, justice, and education.

According to the rules of this pluralistic game — everyone is the same — and Christians who stick to their “insistence” that Jesus Christ is Lord over all and that the Bible is absolute truth are often persecuted for being stubborn in their convictions. And the trend toward inclusivism is growing so rapidly that believers are now often hesitant to publicly affirm what they believe for fear of backlash from others and being labeled intolerant.

We must face the fact that in the days to come those who remain faithful to the Gospel must be prepared to be ostracized as members of a fringe group — non-conforming outcasts of an uncaring society. They may be called “hateful” and “bigoted” simply because they adhere to the teaching of the Bible that does not condone others’ immoral life choices.

You know it’s true that…

The spiritual environment in the world is undergoing a radical change. A great gulf is beginning to divide those who reject absolute truth and those who see what is happening and respond by renewing their commitment to the faith — and right now the winds of change are blowing to separate the wheat from the chaff.

But God has a remnant of believers who are willing to hear and hearken to what the Spirit is saying to the Church. And as long as the Church is willing to receive the divine power it needs for correction, change, and restoration, God will use the Church to change the world. God has always had a remnant who will not bow to external pressures, and in these last days, He will have that remnant once again — and that remnant is us! Believe me when I tell you that those who refuse to compromise will experience previously unknown levels of the power of God as a result of their commitment to stand by truth.

These are the issues facing the Church in the days we’re living in.

But GOD CHOSE US for this end-time season, and we are absolutely anointed for it. We are well able to overcome anything we face in this age of the last days. (By the way, I have written a book called NO ROOM FOR COMPROMISE that takes all of this teaching many steps further. If you don’t have this book, it is one you will want to read. You can order it at renner.org.)

Oh, my heart is so filled as I ponder the fact that God chose us to live in this age and that He is going to pour His Spirit out MIGHTILY on those who refuse to compromise with the spirit of the age. That includes you and me!!! Let’s dig our heels in, refuse to budge from truth, and let the Holy Spirit use us to rescue those who are perishing all around us!

I could continue on this important and timely subject, but I know your time is precious. Before I close, I want to remind you that we are here to pray for you. Please let us know if you need prayer. Reach out to us by phone, email, or letter — or go to renner.org — and we will agree for Jesus to move mightily in your life. And please pray for us as we continue pressing forward by faith to take the teaching of God’s Word to people who are in darkness!

Oh, how we thank God for you!

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

Rick and Denise Renner

Forgiveness Is the Expeller of Rejection

July Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

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,

This month God put this message on my heart for you. I started thinking about the power of forgiveness and its connection to rejection — and rejection’s connection to fear. There was a woman I knew years ago whose body was filled with cancer. One day a man of God received a word of knowledge and the working of miracles — two gifts of the Holy Spirit — concerning this woman and he began praying in tongues over her.

As he was praying in tongues, she began to scream out all the times she had been rejected, starting with when she was a very, very young girl. After all this rejection and pain in her soul were confessed, they soon found there was no cancer in her body. But shortly after this miracle, this woman encountered another situation where someone she deeply loved rejected her, and the cancer came back and she died.

Another woman, a friend of mine, recently died from an illness. She was actually getting better, but her father, who had already rejected her most of her life, came to see her and threatened to take everything away from her. She died just a few days later. I know that, scientifically speaking, this woman died of a terrible disease. But it was the pain of rejection that was actually the killer and took her life in the end.

The forgiveness that Jesus gave us — because He was rejected by His Father because of our sin — freed us of rejection by the love of God. He forgave us and overcame all the horrible evils of mankind, and mankind was forgiven. But in the same way, we have to receive the forgiveness that He gave us.

Oh friend, it is more important than ever for us to become more and more acquainted with the love of God and to extend that love of God to others the best we can. It could be a spouse, a parent, a brother, a sister, or even a friend or a stranger who inflicted us with so much pain. But it is the love of God that is so powerful. If we let it, His love can extinguish all the pain in our life. The Bible says we do not fight against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers that want to wound our hearts and separate us from one another (see Ephesians 6:12). We are not fighting against that person; we are warring against the enemy of this world and his evil strategies.

As I was thinking about all of this, I also reflected on the love of God that was shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. And it says in Romans 5:5, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

The Bible says in Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn.” What is this great power that is used to destroy those weapons? It is the love of God in you and me, and it’s greater than any weapon the enemy tries to use against us.

There is no power greater on this earth than the love of God, and the love of God is the great extinguisher of rejection. And therein lies the power that has been made available to us to tap in to and forgive others. Jesus has already forgiven us, and we need to extend this same forgiveness that we receive to others. Jesus paid the complete price for every place in our heart to be filled with the love of God so rejection has no room to dwell there — even if it was a very, very small closet. The whole price was paid to free our complete heart.

But remember: Rejection, if embraced, can leave us as a victim — not a victor.

Think about the Apostle Paul and how he did not die from sickness or disease. It says in Second Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” And verse 8 says, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” Paul died a victor — not a victim.

The apostle Paul, with all that had happened to him, could have died a bitter man, but the love of God which he embraced healed his body and soul over and over again, and he gave this forgiveness to those who lied about him, betrayed him, and persecuted him.

I am not saying this kind of forgiveness — extended to those who have rejected us, and then allowing God to free us with His love — is easy. We find even more instruction from Jesus about this very challenge to give love and forgiveness to those who have wounded us in Matthew: “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” (Matthew 5:43,44). Matthew was very clear: We are to love our enemies, and we have the love of God on the inside of us which empowers us to do this.

I once had the privilege to go to Rome and see the place that historians say was the very place where the apostle Paul laid his head to be executed. Historians say they did not drag him to that stump, but that when Paul saw it, he ran and embraced it and wrapped his arms around it. His attitude was not one of a victim, but a victor. He saw decapitation as an entrance into Heaven, and he knew that day he would be swept up into the arms of Jesus.

The love of God is greater than any hate. Jesus proved this love as He hung on the cross, pushing up on His torn flesh where the nails were piercing his torn feet, enduring the excruciating pain that enabled him to breathe. He also proved this great love to us when the Roman soldiers spat on Him, beat Him, and slapped Him, and still, He spoke the words, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (see Luke 23:34 NLT).

This is the love of God that extinguishes the sting of rejection, and this is the very love of God that dwells in your spirit. Even though the pain that comes through the actions or words of another can scream very loudly, the love of God is even louder. His words and actions are louder and more powerful — with forgiveness, compassion, and kindness that we receive from our wonderful Savior — than any rejection or onslaught that has been inflicted on us by another.

The devil wants us to believe that we are the rejected. But that’s a lie! Jesus says we are the accepted in the beloved. It was the love of God poured out by our wonderful Savior that has freed us to forgive and to be released from the pains of rejection. Forgiveness is the expeller of rejection!

Thank you for spending this time with me. I wanted to share this message with you because it is very important in these last days that we continue to extend love and forgiveness to anyone who hurts or offends us. Jesus said that offenses will come (see Luke 17:1), and I know He wants to equip us for this time to walk as victors over the painful emotions of rejection.

Are you ready to live the life of a victor? I want to recommend my book Unstoppable to you. I know that the enemy wants to stop us in our race of faith with the attacks of others and for us to be offended and remain in bitterness, but God has a limitless supply of everything we need to be unstoppable! I am hearing from many who have read Unstoppable and are experiencing freedom and victory. I am so thankful for each and every response, comment, and testimony.

I also want to invite you to watch my program TIME With Denise Renner on YouTube, Facebook, or Telegram! And if you need prayer today, please do not hesitate to call our prayer team at 1.800.742.5593 or email us at prayer@deniserenner.org. Let’s continue to equip ourselves with the love of God so we can give this love to others.

Moving forward together,

Denise Renner

John’s Vision of the Exalted Christ

July Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

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,

Today it’s on my heart to encourage you that God wants to give YOU a divine visitation. Please carefully read what I’m going to share with you today because I really felt impressed that I was to share this timely word with you.

But first, I want to say thank you for being among our faithful family of partners. When we call you a partner, we use that word very sincerely, because we can only do what we’re doing because of what our partners are so faithfully doing to help us. Together — as a God-called team, each doing our part — God is using us to touch people’s lives. For this, I am so thankful, and I want to tell you today how very thankful Denise and I are for you!

Right now we are still in the middle of Phase 3 of our Ministry Expansion Project, and we are also continuing to provide TONS OF RELIEF to displaced people in our part of the world. We have received thousands of prayer requests and testimonies from the people that WE — this ministry and our precious giving team — are helping together. As the conflict persists, the need for even basic necessities for the growing number of hurting people remains. If you are led to give to either of these crucial assignments, please go to renner.org/emergency-situation. Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do. You are a real partner with us, but remember that as your partner, we are here to pray for you! Please let us know how to pray, and we’ll pray very seriously and in faith for God to move in your life.

But now let me get to what is on my heart for you today…

When the apostle John received the book of Revelation, he was living as an exiled prisoner on the remote and secluded island prison of Patmos, where the Roman government sent those deemed to be its most dangerous political offenders. John had been arrested for his faith, judged by the Roman legal system, and sent with a shipload of other criminals to languish and die on that forsaken island.

But it was during John’s horrible time on Patmos that he encountered the risen Lord as no one had ever seen Him before. In one split second, the spirit realm suddenly opened, and John found himself standing in another dimension, where he heard and saw things almost beyond description — a panoramic vision both of things present and of things yet to come, all of which John later recorded in the book of Revelation.

Imagine it. While John was living in a cave on this hostile, forsaken island, the elderly apostle’s isolation was unexpectedly invaded, and he was “caught up” into the realm of the spirit to behold the exalted Christ in all His glorious splendor. In this vision, Jesus delivered to John seven messages to seven churches — messages that still apply to His Church today.

Right in the midst of that horrific island, Jesus Christ Himself paid a visit to the lonely cave where John had made his temporary home. On that day, the One who calls Himself the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16) stepped into that hole in the earth to reveal Himself to John as no one had ever seen Him before.

In Revelation 1:10, John gives us insight into how this divine visitation took place when he said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.”

The word “was” in this verse is the Greek word ginomai — in this case, a word that describes something that happens unexpectedly or something that catches one off guard. This tells us that John was not expecting this divine encounter. When it occurred, it took him completely by surprise and caught him off guard. In a way he never could have predicted, he suddenly found himself “in the spirit.”

The phrase “in the Spirit” is a translation of the Greek words en pneumatic. The first part of this verse would be better translated, “In a way I never could have planned, predicted, or anticipated, I suddenly found myself IN SPIRIT on the Lord’s day.” This phrase “in spirit” is a term to describe another realm, another dimension, or a spiritual realm far different from the natural world that surrounded John.

When the phrase “in spirit” is combined with the preceding usage of the word ginomai, which depicts an element of surprise, the new phrase gives a clear picture of what John experienced and how he felt when it occurred. When John experienced this divine encounter, he did not know it was about to happen. The apostle was going about his business, when suddenly — out of nowhere, taking him completely off guard and by surprise — he abruptly found himself no longer in the same physical place, but in another dimension. He had somehow passed from the natural realm into the realm of the spirit and was now “in spirit” or in a totally different realm. Thus, John’s words in this verse convey the following idea: “In a way I never could have planned, predicted, or anticipated, I suddenly found myself in the spirit realm….”

Then all of a sudden, John “heard” a great voice, “as of a trumpet,” coming from behind him in the spirit realm (see Revelation 1:10). The word “heard” is the Greek word akouo, which simply means to hear. This is the same word from which the word “acoustics” is derived. John wrote that it was a “great voice.” The word “great” is the word mega, meaning huge, and the word “voice” is phone, simply the word for a voice. When the two words are used together, the phrase describes not merely a voice, but a great, huge, gigantic voice.

The voice John heard was so loud that he said it was like a “trumpet.” The word “trumpet” is the Greek word salpignos, and the tense used indicates that the sound of the voice was as loud and clear as the blast of a trumpet. Just as a trumpet blast gets the attention of those who hear it, the sound of Jesus’ voice rang forth so loudly and clearly that John was captured by its force and knew immediately he was to submit to the authority of the One speaking.

John then tells us in Revelation 1:12, “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me….” The voice came from behind John, so he turned to see the source of the sound. The word “turned” is from the Greek word epistrepho, which means to completely turn around. The use of this word tells us that John’s vision was experienced both in the realm of the spirit and in the natural realm. John had to physically turn completely around “to see the voice” that was speaking to him.

This phrase “see the voice” is unusual because it is impossible to “see” a voice. But the word “voice” comes from the Greek word phone — again, a word that simply describes a voice. But there was something about this voice that caused John to quickly turn to “see” it. The word “see” is the Greek word blepo, which means to see, to watch, to look at, to give attention to, to pay heed to, or to perceive. When John heard this voice, he perceived something so special and familiar about the sound of it that he eagerly turned to see who was speaking.

John hadn’t physically heard Jesus speak for approximately 60 years, but he had never forgotten the sound of his Master’s voice. As a younger man, John had listened to that voice for three and a half years as one of Jesus’ disciples. Throughout the years since he had last seen Jesus, John had carried the sound of that beloved voice in his heart.

When John turned around to follow the sound of that voice, the barrier between the natural world and the realm of the spirit was suddenly removed, like window curtains that are pulled apart to reveal the view outside. At that moment, John did indeed see Jesus — but the Person he saw was nothing like the memories he had carried in his heart for those 60 years. The voice was the same tender, compassionate one John remembered so well, but the physical appearance of Jesus was dramatically transformed.

John beheld Jesus not as he had known Him during His earthly walk, but in His exalted and present-day role as King and Priest. As the apostle focused his eyes on the dazzling countenance of the One who stood before him, this Person looked “like unto the Son of man” (see Revelation 1:13).

The Greek text actually has no definite article before the words “Son of man.” This means that the phrase doesn’t necessarily refer to Jesus in His role as the Son of Man; rather, it portrays the humanity of Jesus that John so clearly remembered from nearly 60 years earlier. Scholar Albert Barnes wrote, “Indeed, the costume in which he [Jesus] appeared was so unlike that in which John had been accustomed to see the Lord Jesus in the days of his flesh….” Thus, John beheld Jesus in His full glory, both as God and glorified Man united eternally — our great King and High Priest.

In the phrase, “like unto the Son of man,” the words “like unto” are a translation of the Greek word homoios, which describes a resemblance, similarity, or likeness. Jesus’ physical appearance had been transformed from the way John remembered Jesus in His humanity. The Person who stood before the apostle was a vision of the glorified Christ in His kingly and priestly attire. The One standing “in the midst of the seven candlesticks” had a likeness, resemblance, or similarity to the way John remembered Jesus, yet He was also very different.

The manner of likeness John was referring to in this verse isn’t stated. He may have been referring to a physical attribute such as Jesus’ facial features, height, or weight. But the word homoios is sufficient to convey that something about the image John beheld was similar to his memory of the Master — enough for him to immediately recognize that the One he was seeing was Jesus Himself.

The appearance of Jesus in John’s vision as the risen and exalted Christ signaled a powerful message to him and to other early believers who were suffering so much agony, tribulation, and unabating persecution. Jesus’ glorified appearance shouted that Jesus is the King of kings; He holds the highest seat of power; He possesses dominion over all; and His Kingdom will never cease. Other kings and governments will come and go throughout the ages, but Jesus’ Kingdom is everlasting and supersedes all others. A time will come when opposition will cease and all people, tribes, and nations will bow before Christ the King.

Then in this divine visitation, Jesus began to give John messages to the leading seven churches in Asia — seven powerful messages that still speak to us today. (I have written on this subject in A Light in Darkness: Seven Messages to the Seven Churches and No Room for Compromise: Christ’s Message to Today’s Church that are available at renner.org. Both are powerful books that you will devour!

But all this happened in a cave, on a forsaken island, where John was in a horribly tight, life-threatening squeeze. BUT JESUS STEPPED INTO THAT SITUATION AND GAVE JOHN A VISITATION LIKE HE NEVER HAD BEFORE.

The reason I am telling you this today is this:

Jesus knows exactly what you are facing — and He wants to give you a divine visitation regardless of where you are or what you are experiencing. The cave was a natural limitation for John, but in that horrible place, God enabled him to move into a supernatural dimension that empowered him.

Today if you’ll open your heart and ask the Father for it, He will likewise visit you in whatever place or whatever situation you are in right now. God is NOT limited by your situation, environment, or your challenges — and if your heart is open to it, He will give you the exact divine visitation you need to empower you to keep going. It happened for John, and it can happen for you too!

That is powerful!!!

I remind you again, please let us know how we can pray with you for whatever it is that you are facing or dealing with in your life right now. Partnership goes two ways — and we are very serious about praying with you either by phone, by email, or by letter. But please, let us know how to pray for you. We will release our faith for Jesus to supernaturally empower you right where you are!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

Rick and Denise Renner

Do Not Worry

June Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

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,

Lately, it seems as if there are more opportunities to worry than ever before. As you wake up, you can feel the weight of problems trying to attach themselves to the very top of your shoulders. There are days when the sheer weight and number of these problems are trying so hard to weigh you down, it can even affect your very posture and how you carry yourself.

The things that are going on around us are very real and very tangible, and they also carry power in the spirit realm to press on people’s hearts and minds. Jesus said in the last days that men’s hearts would fail them for fear (see Luke 21:26) — even the physical heart can be affected by the pressures that are in the world.

But Jesus said these things would happen (see Matthew 24:6) — and even more will happen before His return. We are also told by Jesus that when these things do happen we are to look up and lift up our heads because our “redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). So how do we simply handle living day to day? That is exactly what I want to talk to you about in this letter, and how we are to live with our heads up — every day — without worrying and fretting or being overcome and overwhelmed by the bombardment of negative thoughts.

Let’s take a look at Matthew 6:25-32 where Jesus was giving a lesson on worry to the multitudes on the hillside.

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Jesus’ words are very clear — He said, “Do not worry.” Even in Philippians 4:6, we read, “Be anxious for nothing.” That word “nothing” in the Greek language means no one, none, nothing — that means that down to the smallest, most minute detail, we are to worry about NOTHING! Wow, that’s a big assignment! So let’s take a closer look at Jesus’ teaching on worry.

Matthew 6:25 begins, “Therefore I [Jesus] say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on it….” The things Jesus mentions are very small, basic necessities for everyday life. And if we are not to worry about these things, these small things, what about our future — the bigger things? How many of us have asked ourselves these questions: Will I be successful at my job? What if my plan fails? What if I’m wrong in what I am pursuing? Will I ever get married? There are so many questions and possibilities for WORRY! Here are a few more thoughts that can bring worry and care to our hearts: Is that person ever going to change? Am I stuck with this situation? This is not fair! I don’t deserve this! Again, WORRY. Worry is fear-based, and fear has torment.

Then in verse 26, it says, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns….” I would like to ask you a question about this verse. Have you ever seen a bird sitting on a telephone wire having a nervous breakdown because it was worried about what to eat? Is that what we see when we look at the birds? No, it’s not!

The next part of verse 26 says that our Heavenly Father feeds them and takes care of them. And then Jesus asks, “…Are you not of more value than they?” That means God cares for us. First Peter 5:7 confirms, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” In the Amplified Classic version, it says “He cares for you affectionally.”

God can do a much better job caring for us than we can do trying to care for ourselves.

So what good does worry do for us? Matthew 6:27 asks, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit [18 inches] to his stature?” Let’s say, for example, your mind is involved in worrying about 3 hours a day. You’re busy doing other things throughout the day, but several times a day, the question pops up, What if…? If you spend 3 hours a day, 7 days a week, entertaining that question, that’s 21 hours a week of worry. There are 52 weeks in a year, so this part-time activity of worry has now taken 1,092 hours of your energy, mental calmness, and your valuable time. If you continue this pattern of worry for 3 years, that’s about 3,276 hours of your precious time consumed with worry, exhaustion, and maybe even opening the door to impatience and anger. Jesus gave this example about increasing our physical stature to emphasize that worry doesn’t accomplish anything — it’s a waste of time and it doesn’t work.

So what is the answer to worrying? We find the answer and much-needed wisdom in the next two verses: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble”(Matthew 6:33,34).

Friend, if anyone could have worried about tomorrow, it was Jesus. He was constantly criticized, doubted, accused of having demons, kicked out of cities, and ridiculed by religious people who were also plotting His death. His disciples, who followed Him the best they could, really didn’t understand who He was. And weightiest of all, Jesus knew His purpose was to come and give His life as a ransom for the sin of the world. He knew the penalty of death was the only payment that would be accepted for our freedom.

Jesus had every reason to worry. The Bible says He was tempted in every way, just as we are (see Hebrews 4:15). Yes, Jesus was tempted to worry just like you and me. He never sinned, but He identifies with us, and His answer for not worrying is to live one day at a time and to do everything we can each day to work hard, serve people, and enjoy life. It may sound simple to some and very difficult to others, but He has given us the Holy Spirit on the inside of us to help us live one day at a time and not be encumbered, overcome, and defeated by worry.

Dear friend, I want to pray the following prayer with you. As you read this, let your heart agree: Father, I thank You for the Word of God and Your instruction to us not to worry. And I thank You for the help of the Holy Spirit — the ultimate Helper. Right now, by my own will, I receive Your help to live this day to the fullest and not worry about tomorrow as Jesus commanded. It’s in His name I pray. Amen.

Please let us know how we can specifically pray for you. And if God has done something special in your life, please let us know that too. Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT, or you can send us your prayer request at prayer@renner.org.

Thank you for spending this time with me. I am hearing from many who have read my new book Unstoppable, and I am so thankful for each and every response and comment. I also want to invite you to watch my program TIME With Denise Renner on YouTube, Facebook, or Telegram! Let’s live each day one day at a time!

Moving forward together,

Denise Renner

And of Some Have Compassion

June Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

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,

Before I get into my teaching today, I want to thank you for signing up to receive your first teaching letter from me. Welcome! I’m so glad you decided to join our family of deeper readers. I spend hours writing these letters each month, sharing my heart and the insights gleaned from my studies in God’s Word. I pray that this letter, and every letter I write in the future, truly ministers to your heart and strengthens your walk with God.

Greetings in Jesus’ precious name!

How can I proceed with my letter without first thanking our generous friends who are responding so quickly and selflessly to our call for help? So many have sown seed into the emergency-relief effort that we are continually able to provide assistance to the precious people whose lives have been shaken by the turmoil in this region. As you know, the situation is volatile and changes hour by hour, but we have boots on the ground and are making a difference in many lives. God is multiplying the resources and protecting the people who are delivering these much-needed provisions to those desperate for them. THANK YOU for your compassionate giving and continued prayers for protection, provision, and boldness.

Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for those who have given so generously to the Ministry Expansion Project. Together, we have successfully completed Phase One and Two of this expansion project! In Tulsa, the papers were signed on our new ministry offices, we have moved in, and we are settling into our new facility. We are now ready for Phase Three of this project, which is to pay off the Tulsa facilities. Please pray about joining us in this effort to finish strong as we ready ourselves for all God wants to do in this season of expansion to take the Good News of the Gospel and the sound teaching of the Bible around the world. Follow this link to see photos of our progress or to give: renner.org/expansion.

This month sparks a special memory for us. It was 30 years ago this month that God brought Denise and me our first staff in the former USSR. Oh, I’ll never forget that moment — it was truly a historical time in our lives when God supernaturally brought us a group of young people who would literally risk their lives to help us spread the Gospel in the lands of the former USSR. I tell all about it in my autobiography UNLIKELY, which can be ordered at renner.org. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Because we are living in the very last season of the last days, most of us know or are familiar with believers or spiritual leaders who have been led astray by seducing spirits and, as a result, have fallen into sin and unbiblical lifestyles or have embraced strange, unscriptural beliefs. There is nothing more heartrending than to watch a person begin to abandon his or her scriptural foundations. It is especially grievous to see family, friends, or fellow believers lay aside sound doctrine and godly morals as they embrace beliefs and practices that will produce negative results.

But even though some have gone astray, it is important to remember that the gifts and callings of God are without repentance (see Romans 11:29). These individuals may have been seduced to go in a wrong direction or pursue a wrong course, but if they repent, they can get back on track. The call of God is still on them, and they can be used by Him once again.

Today I want to encourage you from Jude 22 and 23. It says, “And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

Often when someone we know and love — perhaps even someone we have trusted in the past — falls into error or sin, we may be tempted to feel betrayed and angry toward that person. We may wonder how he or she could have ever veered off track into such deep moral or spiritual foolishness. But holding a hostile attitude against those who are walking in error or living in blatant sin will not set them free — and it won’t help our heart condition either.

In these cases, Jude 22 says, “And of some have compassion….” The word “compassion” is a translation of the Greek word eleeo, which in this case refers to the deep-seated and unsettling emotions a person feels when he has seen or heard something that is terribly sad or upsetting. These are emotions that may arise, for example, when you see a starving child whose stomach is bloated from malnutrition. You may also feel such emotions if you see an emaciated person dying of terminal cancer or if you encounter a family who is living in such destitute conditions that they are forced to live on the streets with little money or food and with bare necessities.

Jude’s use of the Greek word “compassion” — the Greek word eleeo — lets us know that he was trying to graphically help us understand the serious plight of those who had embraced error or who had compromised their walk of faith. But because Jude used the word “compassion,” he was also telling us that the spiritual condition of wayward believers is just as real and serious as the plight of a starving child, a dying man or woman, or a destitute family.

But as we allow the love of God to operate in us, compassion for errant believers will begin to flow from us to them, and that stream of divine compassion will move us into prayer on their behalf and away from a judgmental attitude against them. God’s compassion within us will compel us to do all we can to see these believers set free from the deception that has gripped them.

These individuals have ingested the poison of spiritual error and, as a result, they have become sickened with spiritual toxins. As such, they are spiritually ill people whose situations are grave. You may be upset with them for laying aside Scripture — and to be truthful, this should be upsetting. But harboring anger against those who have taken a wayward path won’t remedy their spiritual condition — and it will harm yours for taking a wrong stance in your heart against those who err!

In such cases, we must learn to let the compassion of Christ flow from our hearts toward those who have become infected with spiritual error. Compassion is a mighty force that releases astonishing amounts of spiritual power. The tremendous flow of God’s power, released as you pray from His heart of compassion, has the ability to break the chains that came to bind their souls and minds. Their condition may be so grave that only intervention by God will open their eyes and enable them to see their way out of the dark place they are in right now. This was the reason Jude urged, “And of some have compassion.…”

But then Jude 22 added, “And of some have compassion, making a difference….” This phrase “making a difference” is translated from the Greek word diakrinos, which is a compound of the words dia and krino. The word dia carries the idea of dividing or separating, and krino means to judge or to determine. But when these two words are compounded, in this verse, the new word pictures an individual who has lost his ability to separate right from wrong, and it can even depict those who are unable to tell the difference between the truth and a lie.

The Greek word here translated as “making a difference” is translated as “doubt” elsewhere. Believers who have gone astray develop a chronic instability in what they believe — and, ultimately, they begin to doubt God’s Word altogether, even questioning the most basic fundamentals of scriptural truth. They sink deeper and deeper into deception and become so spiritually unstable that they begin to chronically question and doubt important Bible truths they once believed and embraced. By using diakrinos — translated “making a difference” in Jude 22 — Jude informs us that individuals who are deceived are unable to reach accurate spiritual conclusions and therefore often embrace what they would have once deemed to be spiritual error or morally wrong.

But Jude 23 goes on to say, “And others save with fear….” The word “save” comes from the Greek word sodzo. In this verse, it is used in the present active imperative tense, which means the Greek calls for immediate, fast, and continuous or steadfast action. Furthermore, this was not a suggestion from Jude; this was a command.

The word “fear” is from the word phobos, and it refers to a fear that results from a threatening or alarming circumstance. The fact that Jude would use this word indicates that erring believers were on the brink of some type of destruction. This explains why Jude commands us to act fast and immediately. These deceived believers are on the edge of imminent disaster, and if someone doesn’t act fast and do something to rescue them, they could suffer catastrophe.

This reminds me of Lot — an Old Testament believer who was living on the brink of disaster and didn’t understand the seriousness of his plight. But because Abraham acted quickly to stand in the prayer gap and intercede for his deliverance, Lot’s life was spared.

In the same way, Jude commands us to be moved to act immediately because the circumstances of those who are in error are so serious. We must do everything we know to do. A crucial ingredient of that saving process includes intercession, just as Abraham interceded for Lot. And as we pray and stay sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, He will show us what other steps we might need to take to see deliverance come to those who have been led astray. The Holy Spirit has the key to every person’s heart, and He is ready to give us that key if we will hear Him speak to us.

Jude went on in verse 23 to say when we see other Christians headed down a dangerous path of spiritual deception, we must engage in “…pulling them out of the fire….” The word “pulling” is from the Greek word harpadzo and conveys the picture of laying hold of and snatching someone out of a dangerous situation. We must obey this command by doing everything within our ability — through prayer empowered by divine compassion — to lay hold of and to snatch people out of their spiritually dangerous predicaments. Although wayward believers may not feel the heat of the fire or realize the seriousness of their spiritual condition, Scripture shows that they will experience a negative consequence of some kind if intervention is not made on their behalf.

We are not to just sit by and watch erring Christians sink deeper and deeper into deception. When we see people lured off track, we must pray and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He will show us how to pray and whether we are to be further involved in helping them wake up to the reality of their situation so they can be delivered from the judgment they are about to bring upon themselves.

The following is an interpretive expansion of Jude 22 and 23:

And for some, it is essential that you be moved with compassion that does more than simply feel sorry about their plight; you must let compassion move you to take action — to do what you can — to make a difference for those who are uncertain, doubtful, and even vacillating back and forth in their faith. Indeed, there are some in such serious condition that there is no choice but for you to urgently swing into action to deliver, rescue, and save them. You should be so alarmed by their condition that you are willing to do whatever is necessary to snatch them out of the fire….

I realize this letter has been a little long, but this is what was on my heart to share this month. I know that many serious Christians are concerned about people they love, and if this describes you, I pray this letter encourages you to really fire up your prayer life to intercede for them. If you specifically need someone to pray with you for someone on your heart, let us know, and we’ll pray with you. In fact, please contact us about any need on your heart by giving us a call or sending an email or letter, and we’ll gladly pray with you and believe for a powerful result to our prayers of faith.

I pray this letter has encouraged you and given you some guidance today!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

Rick and Denise Renner