Christmas Love Letter

A Teaching from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

When I woke up this morning, I found my thoughts so focused on the power of redemption. I’m not just talking about the blotting out of our sins like in the Old Testament, but about redemption so powerful it’s like we had never sinned. That’s what Jesus, our Redeemer, did for us — He absorbed our sin and washed us white as snow. The Bible says He became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Let me ask you a question. When on this earth did we see the first signs of our Redeemer coming to us? It was when a tiny little baby was born of a virgin more than 2,000 years ago.

Who could write such a loving story? Only a Father who loved His creation that much. He came to earth Himself and said, “I will become all their sin; I will take it upon Myself and endure their punishment so they can be with Me forever.”

When Mary took hold of Jesus’ tiny finger, just like all of us love to do with precious infants, she didn’t know that tiny hand would someday be stretched out on a cruel cross, nailed and pierced to bear her very sin and the sin of the whole world.

This Christmas, when you exchange gifts or eat special meals with friends or family, remember when you see the traditional manger scene with the baby Jesus — that baby is your Redeemer! That is the greatest message of all time — the greatest love story. He burst into the darkest of the darkness to set free and deliver those who were stumbling in its gripping power. That was you! And that was me!

So as you gaze upon a manger scene or sing Christmas carols, let the message of redemption go deep inside you. Jesus was born to be the Spotless Lamb to take away the sins of the world. He was born to give His life for you and me.

I know Christmastime can be very different for each individual. For some it can be the happiest time of the year, and, for others, the saddest time. Whether you are rejoicing or need a little encouragement during this season, please feel free to contact us — we want to pray with you. Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org. We are here for you!

I wish you the most wonderful Christmas season as you remember the One who was born — your Redeemer and Deliverer — and the great love He has for you. I pray safety over you and your family as you travel or simply enjoy special time with your loved ones and friends.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Denise Renner

Opportunities and Adversaries

December Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Dear Friends,

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

The Down Payment

A Teaching from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

Lately I have been studying more about Heaven because some people who are close to me have lost loved ones, and it has made me want to know even more about Heaven as our eternal destination. I began to study Revelation chapter 4 and saw that everything in Heaven is about the praising, worshiping, and adoration of the Father and the Son. I was so lifted up by what I read about Heaven — our real home.

In Revelation 4:8-11, the apostle John gave us a glimpse of Heaven:

The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’ Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will, they exist and were created.’

It’s overwhelming if you really think about the reality of Heaven. I began to think about these friends and loved ones who have gone on to Glory before me, and I know that is where they are right now. The Bible says in Second Corinthians 5:1, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” The “building” the apostle Paul was talking about is our Heavenly body.

And to prepare us now for this future Heavenly body, Paul continued, “Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:5-8). To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord!

In searching the Bible about Heaven, I saw in these scriptures that the apostle Paul was writing about a very important part of our salvation, and that’s what I want to share with you. Notice what verse 5 of Second Corinthians 5 says: “Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” Our body has been prepared for us by God, and He has given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee.

I looked up the meaning of “guarantee” and it denotes a down payment. For example, if you are in the process of buying a house or an apartment, you often need to prepare a down payment. When you pay that down payment, it means that home is now yours as far as the seller is concerned and that you are serious about owning that home.

The way that God shows us that he is serious about purchasing us, owning us, and redeeming us is with a Down Payment — and that Down Payment is the Holy Spirit. He put the Holy Spirit in you! His very presence is the Down Payment — the Guarantee — that carries the message to all: “This property is now Mine!” Isn’t that fantastic!

Now let me ask you a few questions: Did you have anything to do with paying that Down Payment? No. Did you become so good that God said, “I will put My Spirit in that person?” No. Did you choose Him to be your Savior on your own? The answer is no because the Holy Spirit and the grace of God came upon you and you believed from your heart and received salvation. He did it and we were the recipients. At the very moment you were saved, He placed the Down Payment of His presence on the inside of you. This magnificent presence of the Holy Spirit in you is the very sign to you and to the world that you belong to Him. This was His design — His plan. All we did was say, “Yes, I believe.”

So, what about the assurance and knowing that our loved ones who knew Jesus are with Him now? Is it a guarantee that they are in Heaven? The Down Payment — the presence of the Holy Spirit in them — is the surety that if our loved ones were born again, we absolutely know that, because of that Down Payment, Heaven is their home. They are more alive today than they were on this earth. And now they know more than us, they are happier than us, and they are waiting for us.

Death for the Christian is not the end of life — it is a new beginning! And when your loved ones entered into Heaven, they had the perfect Down Payment to be accepted — the very presence of God himself, the Holy Spirit.

If you have loved ones who have passed, I hope that in reading this letter it brings comfort to your heart. You can be assured if they knew Jesus, they had exactly what they needed to enter Heaven — the Down Payment of the Holy Spirit inside them. Please let us know how we can pray for you. We are ready to join our faith with yours for whatever prayer needs you have. And if God is doing something special in your life, we want to hear about that too! Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org. We are here for you!

Thank you for this time together.

Moving forward together,

Denise Renner

The Holy Spirit

A Teaching from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the Holy Spirit and the wonderful qualities that make Him the greatest Friend!

First, He is always with you because He lives inside you.
Second, He is brilliant. He knows everything!
Third, He has an amazing reputation of guiding you into truth and leading you away from lies or deception that would bring harm to you.
Fourth, the Holy Spirit is such a powerful Friend because He is the greatest Teacher in all the earth. He is always right, and never harsh or rude. He makes His point but never puts you down.
Fifth, His power and ability to comfort you is beyond any loving spouse, friend, food, entertainment, drug, or possession. His comfort is so miraculous. Even if you think, Oh no, this is an awful situation. I just don’t know if I can bear it. Or you may feel as if you have fallen into a deep hole and cannot get out. But then, in a moment when that hole that seems so deep and you don’t know the way out, suddenly, the Holy Spirit comes with His overwhelming presence and shows Himself to you as the Great Comforter. He lifts you up and out of that dark and seemingly never-ending place.

Can you see why I said that the Holy Spirit is your greatest Friend?

Today I want to talk about another phenomenal aspect about the Holy Spirit. It’s found in Psalm 139: “O Lord, You have searched me and known me.” The Holy Spirit is a Great Searcher of your heart. Why is He searching? To tell you all the bad things about yourself? Some people actually think that. But, no, He is searching because He loves you so very, very much.

Let me explain. My husband loves history. He is searching all the time to learn more about people and things in ancient history. For example, he looks intently at rocks and studies ruins that have existed for centuries. Why does he do it? Because he really loves it.

Sometimes I watch talent shows and search the stage or television screen to find various singers. I am completely fascinated with how each voice is so unique. I love to think about how the body supports and projects these amazing sounds. Why do I search? Because I really love everything about the voice.

So, why is the Holy Spirit searching over you? The answer is because He loves you. He sees your born-again spirit and that is where He lives. And He wants to show you more about how much God loves you and what Jesus did for you on the Cross. He may want to show you how Jesus walked you through so many difficult situations. And it’s because of His presence in you that you can push through difficulties in life again and again. He is always searching to show us the deep things of God.

David said in Psalm 139:1, “O Lord, You have searched me and known me.” Somehow David knew that God had searched him. And David shared this revelation with his son, Solomon, in First Chronicles 28:9: “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”

David’s song continued in Psalm 139:2, which says, “…You understand my thought afar off.” Even before David could conclude his thoughts, God knew them. David was not born again — God did not live inside David’s human spirit. But God was searching. So what about us? How does the Holy Spirit help those of us who are born again, with the Great Searcher, the Holy Spirit, living inside us?

Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Look how the Holy Spirit wants to help us when we don’t know how to pray! He prays through us. He is such a helper!

But also look at verse 27: “ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” We see Him as the Great Searcher. Is He searching to see how bad we are? No. The Holy Spirit is searching for how He can get the will of God to us, and to help us when we don’t know how to help ourselves. He is making an investigative search of how to get the help to us that we need.

First Corinthians 2:10 confirms, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” We see the Great Searcher wants to reveal the deep things of God. Oh, what treasures could He want to reveal to your spirit! Maybe it’s the matchless, unfathomable love He has for you. Maybe He wants to reveal how you can forgive your offender. Maybe He wants to reveal to you how you will be with Him forever!

I don’t know all the deep things of God that the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to you, but I do know this — the Holy Spirit is searching inside you right now to reveal more of the love of God and the mercy of our Lord Jesus. You might ask, “Does He reveal our sins to us?” Yes, He does — not to condemn us, but to bring conviction that shows us the way out. He will show you the Scripture and the way of escape.

My friend, this letter contains just a tiny bit of information about this wonderful Third Person of the Godhead — the Holy Spirit — who lives in you. I hope you found encouragement and just what you needed to hear. Please let me know how we can pray for you. And oh, how I love hearing your response! Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 or send us an email at prayer@renner.org. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Thank you for this time together.

Moving forward together,

Denise Renner

Remember God’s Faithfulness

October Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friend,

Greetings in Jesus’ precious name!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! This month we officially mark 30 years of ministry in the former Soviet Union!

That’s right — 30 years ago this month, Denise and I traveled together to the Soviet Union to rent the first home for our family, to purchase our first car there, and to move many of our belongings there prior to our family’s arrival on January 2, 1992. Because we rented our house in Jelgava, Latvia, in October 1991, this is the date we use to mark our beginnings in the former USSR.

We decided to release our autobiography this month to commemorate this celebration. It is called UNLIKELY — Our Faith-Filled Journey to the Ends of the Earth It’s not just a true-life story filled with with teaching and life lessons God has taught us every step along the way all these years. It can be ordered right now at a 50-percent discount at renner.org/store. Please pray with us that God will use this book to encourage others to launch into their own unlikely adventures of faith!

Before I get into my teaching this month, I want to say how thankful we are to everyone who is standing with us in prayer or giving financially to help with our Ministry Expansion Project. If we had to do this step of faith alone, it would be difficult, but because of those who our “giving team” to make it happen, the victory is getting closer! Thank you for praying and for being a part of this amazing expansion to help us minister more effectively to the people God

But this month — because it commemorates 30 years in the former USSR — Denise and I have been doing a lot of remembering. All this remembering has caused us to recall good times and times that were also really hard. But it has brought our minds to Paul’s words in Second Timothy 1:6, where he said, “

This wonderful verse is about the power of remembering right things.

It is amazing to me that when we are confronted with a new challenge, we often fail to remember God’s faithfulness in the past. Our perspective gets blurry because of the problems we are currently facing, and we forget that we’ve gone through similar or even worse circumstances before. The looming mountain of problems before us looks so big that we momentarily fail to remember all the other mountains we’ve already faced and overcome with the help of God. That’s why we need to put everything on pause from time to time — to remember how faithful God has been to us.

When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, the younger man was facing the biggest mountain of his life. Nero had become the emperor of the Roman Empire. Because of his tyrannical rule, believers were being persecuted and were even dying for their faith. In the midst of all the panic, Timothy was tempted to fear for his life and his future. He must have wondered, Is God going to be faithful to me in this terrible hour?

So in Second Timothy 1:5, Paul told Timothy, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also.” Paul was reminding Timothy about something very important!

God’s faithfulness was a part of Timothy’s family heritage. His grandmother trusted the Lord — and the Lord had never failed her or let her down. His mother trusted the Lord — and the Lord had never failed her or let her down either. Because Timothy was dealing with great stress and difficulty, Paul took the opportunity to remind him that just as God had never failed his grandmother or his mother, neither would He abandon Timothy in his own difficult hour.

Then Paul told him, “…I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). I want you to particularly focus on the phrase, “I put thee in remembrance.” It is taken from the Greek word anamimnesko, a compound of the words ana and mimnesko. Pay close attention, because this is very important! The word ana means again or to repeat something. And the second part of the word, mimnesko, means to be reminded of something, such as recalling memories.

When these two words are joined as in this verse, it means to regather or to recollect memories. The little prefix ana carries the idea of replaying these memories over and over again in your mind, the way you would press the rewind button on your video player so you can back up and watch one part of a movie over and over again.

This means there are some memories we should never forget!

For example, we should constantly hit the rewind button in our minds and “replay” the times God has been faithful to us in the past — delivering us, healing us, and rescuing us time and time again. We should replay those scenes in our minds until we are in constant remembrance of, never forgetting, His faithfulness to us.

You could translate Second Timothy 1:6 in the following way:

I am putting you in memory of all these things, so that by your remembering them, you might stir up the gift of God that is in you….

Paul reminded us how powerful it is when we take our eyes off our present times of trouble and remember God’s delivering and rescuing power for us in the past. If we really looked at our past, we’d likely find that we have faced other moments more severe than the one we’re facing right now — and God never failed us or let us down. In fact, He delivered us and turned those situations around.

As Denise and I have been remembering all those moments in our own lives recently, it has encouraged us to see how faithful God has been to us all these years!

Please don’t ever forget what God has already done for you. Those memories will stir you up and encourage you to face your present dilemma with faith. Just as God has always been faithful to you in the past, He will be faithful to you right now.

Never forget how:

God has healed you.
God has delivered you.
God has saved you.
God has guided and directed you.
God has brought you through difficult trials.
God has provided for you during hard financial times.
God has protected you from the snare of the enemy.

These kinds of memories are powerful and will stir up your faith today!

So the next time you feel you’ve hit a mountain too big to climb or a problem too big to overcome, take the time to get alone with the Lord, hit the rewind button, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you regather and recollect all those past events when God came through for you. As you replay those memories over and over in your mind, your faith will rise to a new level of confidence. You’ll be able to look your problems right in the face and say, “God’s record with me has always been good. He has been faithful to me in the past, and I know He’ll be faithful to me now as well!”

God has been so faithful to us — and He is faithful to you too. But if you have a need right now that feels too challenging to face alone, let us know how to pray for you and we’ll stand in faith with you for that mountain to move in Jesus’ name! Just give us a call, send us an email, or go to our website at renner.org/prayer to let us know how we can be praying with you. I promise you that we will really release our faith with you.

And please pray for those who are ordering my autobiography UNLIKELY right now. We want God to use this book to encourage people to launch out into their own journeys of faith!

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

Daniel

A Teaching from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

I want to talk to you about Daniel in the Old Testament — a young man who refused limitations, roadblocks, stop signs, discouraging reports, and threats, but, instead, kept believing and seeking God.

What do we know about Daniel? Daniel and his friends were taken as captives from their homeland of Israel to serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. As a captive, and now a eunuch, Daniel had lost his freedom, his family, his culture, his native language, and even his name. But of all that was taken from him, there was something that couldn’t be taken, and that was his faith.

The name “Daniel” means God is my judge. But his very powerful Hebrew name was changed to “Belteshazzar,” which means Bel [a Babylonian god] protects my life.

Daniel and his three friends’ names were all changed to assimilate them into the Babylonian world. The captors were intent on making these young men forget about their God and cherished homeland and to serve the gods of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar wanted Daniel and his friends to conform to his kingdom, his ways, and his worldly mindset.

Do you feel these pressures to conform right now? It’s possible that you do. Negative influences are around us all the time. We see them in movies, the news, advertisements, and on the Internet and social media. The pressure to conform to this worldly system is even being placed on our young children. The world is trying to convince us to forget our roots, our convictions, our salvation, and our God and to take on its ungodly ways of thinking and believing.

We can gain a lot of encouragement from Daniel’s life and his convictions. In Daniel 1:8, it says, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”

This verse is talking about resisting certain foods and drink, but out of this commitment and conviction of his heart came great boldness. Daniel was so bold that he went before the chief attendant who had been appointed over Daniel. He said to him, in essence, “We really don’t want to eat your food. Could you please feed us differently for ten days so we can show you how much healthier we are with our own kinds of food?”

Can you even imagine the boldness it took to ask for this kind of special treatment? That boldness came from a powerful place of commitment to God.

As we continue with Daniel’s journey, we see other attributes about his character that will help us in our own journey of putting God, His Word, and His will first before the will and opinions of others. So let’s look at those traits in the following story in the life of Daniel.

One night the king had a disturbing dream but didn’t remember or discern the dream or how to interpret it. He sent for his wise men, the Chaldeans, and said to them, “Tell me this dream I had and its interpretation. If you don’t, I will have you chopped to pieces and your houses burned to the ground” (see Daniel 2:5).

The wise men, with all their magic and sorcery, couldn’t answer the king, so the king ordered that all the wise men in the kingdom be killed, and Daniel and his friends were included in this group! But Daniel continued to walk in boldness and devoted dependence on God.
So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then with counsel and wisdom, Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, ‘Why is the decree from the king so urgent?’ Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel.

So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon (Daniel 2:13-18).
We see that when the king’s guard came to kill Daniel, instead of Daniel meeting this executioner with fear and trembling, the Bible says Daniel met him “with counsel and wisdom.”

So what was Daniel’s counsel and wisdom?

He asked questions (vv. 15,16).
He communicated the facts (v. 17).
He went to his friends, and they sought God together (v. 18).
Daniel faced the problem and didn’t run!

And what was the result of Daniel using counsel and wisdom? “Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So, Daniel blessed the God of heaven” (Daniel 2:19).

My friend, great pressure was placed on Daniel and his friends that night. And we don’t know how many nights they were given to receive the answer to the king’s dream. This night could have been the night before the execution! Great pressure surrounded them. Other wise men had already been killed.

Daniel and his friends had been given so many limitations. They’d already lost their freedom, their language, their culture, and even their names. But these great limitations pressing upon them did not stop them from seeking God and receiving His mercies.

This amazing story ends with God giving the dream and the interpretation to Daniel, which saved all the remaining wise men from being killed. The king declared, “…Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret” (Daniel 2:47). Verse 48 continues, “Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon.”

What characteristics can we see from this young man who refused limitations?

Daniel purposed in his heart to honor God and not defile himself with “the king’s meat.”
Out of that commitment came great boldness.
Out of his conviction to not defile himself, he refused to fear and instead moved in wisdom and counsel.
He humbled himself to obey, seek, and exalt God over all else, no matter what.

Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). The God Daniel humbled himself before and sought for His mercy is the same God you and I humble ourselves before to seek His mercy. He has not changed. And the same power that was available to Daniel is available to us through the Holy Spirit living inside us.

A lot was pressing on Daniel to conform to the world system much like it is today for you and me. How should we respond? The answer is found in Romans 12:2: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Refuse to be conformed to this worldly system. We need to be bold and humble ourselves before God and seek God and His mercies like Daniel did. And just like He did for Daniel, God will lift us up!

Thank you for spending this time with me. I believe this letter is very pertinent to the times we’re living in, and I hope you found some encouragement in your heart from my words. If you need prayer, please let us know. Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 or send us an email at prayer@renner.org. We will carry your needs to God’s throne to see His answers and His mercy in your situation. And if God has done something special for you, please let us know so we can rejoice with you!

Denise Renner

God Calls the Unlikely

September Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friend,

Greetings in Jesus’ precious name!

Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support as we move forward in our Ministry Expansion Project. (You can read more about it and check our progress at renner.org.) We are SO THANKFUL to every person who has become a part of the giving team to help us so we can better minister to the people God has called us to reach. We are making significant progress, but please keep praying with us to reach the goal so we can move into our new building in Tulsa and complete our new television studio in Moscow.

THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER marks our 30-year anniversary in the former USSR, so in October, we are releasing our brand-new autobiography entitled, Unlikely — Our Faith-Filled Journey to the Ends of the Earth. It is being offered right now in our online store at renner.org at a 50% pre-release discount. I’m so excited for you to read it!

In light of our unlikely 30 years of ministry in the lands of the former Soviet Union, I want to share with you today about why God delights in choosing “unlikely” people to do His work.

In First Corinthians 1:26-28, Paul wrote: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen….”

In this verse, Paul described how God especially delights in choosing those who are unlikely to do something significant. If you see yourself as weak, feeble, or unskilled, and if that has been your excuse for why God cannot use you, you’d better start searching for another reason! You’re about to discover that God has delighted in calling feeble and unskilled people from the beginning of time.

No scripture teaches this more clearly than First Corinthians 1:26-28, so today let’s delve a little deeper into these verses to understand exactly how God is in the habit of choosing those who are unlikely in the eyes of the world. In First Corinthians 1:26, Paul said, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh….”

As Paul wrote his list of those whom God does and doesn’t use, he began by stating that God doesn’t use many who are considered “wise” by the world. The word “wise” is from a Greek word that refers to a person who possesses special enlightenment or special insight.

This particular word was often used to portray highly educated people, such as scientists, philosophers, doctors, teachers, and others who were considered to be the super-intelligentsia of the world. These people belong to a class of individuals whom the world would call clever, astute, smart, or intellectually brilliant. The term sophos was reserved only for those considered to be super-impressive or a cut above the rest of society.

But Paul said, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh….” Paul informed us that most of the people God calls don’t fit into this category of the super-intelligentsia. In other words, God doesn’t specialize in calling people who are especially bright, educated, astute, smart, or eminently enlightened.

If you take a close look at the Early Church, you’ll see that it was primarily composed of servants, slaves, and poorer people who heard the Good News of the Gospel and believed. It was an army of common people! Although there were a few elites in the Church, these were the exception rather than the rule. In fact, as we continue in First Corinthians 1:26-28, you will clearly see that God primarily specialized in calling people from a much lower class. And if you take a close look at the Church today, you’ll see that God still specializes in calling common people — and that’s good, because it means God wants to use you and me too!

I’m not debasing education, and I believe people should get as much education as possible. But school-issued pieces of paper are not the criteria that impresses God and gets His attention. There have been many educated people whom God could not use. Even though they were brilliant according to the flesh, they were not worthy of being chosen because their hearts weren’t right. Educational degrees may help you get a good job and positively sway the opinion of men in your favor, but Paul made it very clear that God is not looking for people who are “especially bright according to the standards of the flesh.”

Perhaps you’re one of those people who says, “God can’t use me because I don’t have enough gifts or talents. I haven’t even been to college. I don’t even have a Bible-school degree.” If you’ve uttered similar words, it’s time for you to change the way you’re thinking and talking. It’s time for you to start seeing yourself the way God sees you!

In fact, if you feel inferior to others, remember that God regularly calls unskilled and uneducated people, such as the majority of the apostles Jesus hand-picked to serve at His side and to lay the foundation of the Church. Those apostles were fishermen, tax collectors — common people — not theologians. So if you want to be used by God, it’s time to quit complaining that you’re not as smart or sharp as someone else. Where does the Bible ever say God is looking for brains?

But in First Corinthians 1:26, Paul added, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty….” The word “mighty” is a Greek word that refers to power or ability. But in this verse, it refers to people who have political power or political might. It carries the idea of a person who is high and mighty in the world’s view.

You don’t have to be “high and mighty” to get things done for the Kingdom of God. All you need is the call of God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. With that spiritual equipment, you can move Heaven to action and push hell out of the way! So if you perceive yourself to be a plain, common type of person — rejoice! You are exactly the kind of person God wants to use.

Then in First Corinthians 1:26, Paul continued, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble….” The word “noble” is from a Greek word that portrays people who are well-born or who have excellent genes. It was used to refer to individuals whose ancestors had been powerful, wealthy, rich, or famous. These were high-born, blue-blooded, cultured, refined, courtly, pedigreed, aristocratic people who sustained their lofty positions in society based on their birth. It could also refer to people who carry the seed of genius as a result of the excellent genes with which they were born.

But Paul said that God hasn’t specialized in calling this category of people. From the outset of time, God has reached into the hearts of ordinary men and women. So if God isn’t looking for the upper crust of society, He must be looking to the “lower crust” — to the ordinary, usual, regular, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, typical kind of people. This means if you come from a normal, average background, as Denise and I did, then you are the very type of person God is desiring to use!

Paul continued in First Corinthians 1:27, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise….” The word “foolish” is a translation of a Greek word from which we get the word moron! My thesaurus gives these other synonyms for a “moron”: idiot, imbecile, halfwit, numskull, dimwit, dunce, blockhead, dope, ignoramus, lamebrain, jerk, or twerp.

The truth is no one is an idiot in God’s view. But the world often views people whom God chooses as being nitwits, lamebrains, and idiots. But much of the Early Church was comprised of servants and slaves, so most of the people in the local congregations were very uneducated, uncultured, clumsy, crude, awkward, and unpolished. The Early Christians’ lack of polish made them look stupid in the world’s eyes. In fact, the Roman Empire first looked upon Christianity as the religion of stupid, poor people because it grew so rapidly among the lower, slave classes.

Yet Paul said, “…God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise…” (1 Corinthians 1:27). The word “confound” means to put to shame, to embarrass, to confuse, to frustrate, to baffle. Again, the word “wise” refers to those who are naturally brilliant, intellectually sharp, or especially enlightened. Paul was saying that God calls people whom the world considers morons in order to put to shame, embarrass, confuse, frustrate, and baffle those who think they’re so smart.

So if anyone has ever called you an idiot — if you’ve ever been called a stupid imbecile, a jerk, or a twerp — it’s time for you to rejoice! You are exactly the kind of person God wants to use!

First Corinthians 1:27 goes on to say, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” The word “weak” is a Greek word that refers to something that is weak, base, feeble, puny, or powerless. This word describes something that is so substandard, second-rate, low-grade, and inferior, it’s almost laughable.

When Paul wrote First Corinthians, the Church was the laughingstock of the Roman Empire. Christians were viewed by the governmental powers as a weak, puny, powerless religious group. The world didn’t understand the incredible power God had placed both inside the Church and at her disposal. But the Church of Jesus Christ was invested with power and authority from on High. And Christians had marching orders to take the world. Paul declared that “…God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”

First Corinthians 1:28 continues to tell us God delights in choosing the “base things of the world.” The word “base” in Greek describes people of low birth or with bad genes — those who are low-class, second-rate, common, average, and run-of-the-mill whom the world will never recognize — ordinary people. But after they receive the nature of God and are washed in the Blood of Jesus, they become so powerful in the Spirit that God will use them to confound the whole world! You see, what you were in the past does not determine who you are today or who you will be in the future!

First Corinthians 1:28 goes on to say, “And base things of the world, and things which are despised….” The word “despised” means to make light of, to despise, to treat with contempt, to disregard, or to neglect. It pictures someone so low and detestable that he is hideous, disgusting, despicable, and nauseating to the viewer. In fact, this outcast is so low, he isn’t even worth recognizing.

From the beginning of time, the lost world has ridiculed, made fun of, sarcastically accused, and debased the people of God. So if the world makes light of you or treats you with contempt — if it disregards, neglects, and overlooks you — take heart. You are exactly the kind of person God wants to use! God has big plans to use you as a demonstration of His almighty power to the unbelieving world!

The RIV of First Corinthians 1:26-28 says:
For you see your calling, brothers, how not many of you were especially bright, educated, or enlightened according to the world’s standards; not many of you were impressive; not many came from high-ranking families or from the upper crust of society. Instead, God selected people who are idiots in the world’s view; in fact, the world sees them as imbeciles, jerks, real twerps. Yet God is using them to utterly confound those who seem smart in the world’s eyes.

God has chosen people whom the world finds laughable, and through them, He is confounding those who think they are so high and mighty. Low-class, second-rate, common, average, run-of-the-mill people — those so low that the world doesn’t even think they’re worth the time of day — these are the ones whom God has chosen….

Rather than complain that you’re too feeble, it’s time for you to throw up your arms and shout for joy! Your lack of skill may be the very thing that makes God want to use you! That way, when people begin to glory over what has been achieved through your life, you can truly say, “Believe me, if anything good has been done, it has all been by the grace of God!”

By choosing regular folks, God has made sure that when a victory is won, everyone will know it is due to His glory and grace. As Paul said, “…According as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).

When I think back over the years, it is clear that what has happened in our lives is completely unlikely to have occurred — nonetheless, the unlikely has happened. You see, God delights in taking people from unlikely places and situations and enabling them by His grace to do what they could never do by themselves. And God has a plan He designed for you, and He will enable you to do what you could have never done on your own.

If anyone could claim to be unlikely for such a huge assignment, it was Denise and me and our family. But when God’s Spirit called out to me, He also enabled us to say yes to His divine invitation. And once we did, He threw open the door, rolled out the red carpet, and empowered us to miraculously step forward to fulfill God’s specific will for our lives. Naturally speaking, this was all very unlikely…but God had a plan. And God has a wonderful plan for you too. He is simply waiting for your yes — for you to get into agreement with Him and His purposes for your life!

As I come to the end of my letter, I want to encourage you to let us know how to pray for you. We will really go to the throne of God to lift up that need and believe for God to move mightily in your life according to His promise in Jeremiah 33:3. So please let us know how to pray for you!

And please be sure to go to renner.org to learn more about my new autobiography called, Unlikely. As I wrote it, I sincerely prayed for God to use this new book to encourage others to launch out into their own unlikely adventure of faith that is awaiting them. That means you too!

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

Queen Esther

A Teaching from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

If you had to choose one person to save a nation, whom would you choose? You would probably pick someone who was a diplomat or who had a lot of experience in the military, perhaps even a military strategist. You would likely want to select a very educated person. You would probably not pick a young woman who’d just won a beauty contest! But that is exactly who God chose to save the nation of the Jews in Persia at a critical time in Jewish history. You probably know who I’m talking about. I’m talking about Queen Esther — and I like to call her “the queen that surrendered”!

When Esther was brought to the palace to be considered for selection as the next queen, she lost her name, her culture, her family, her language — her identity. She was a Jew, but she had to pose as a Persian. That’s a pretty big price for a young girl to pay to do God’s will. But at the end of the “beauty contest,” she was chosen to become the new queen and was inserted into the king’s court — the highest place in the Persian empire.

The Bible says that the king loved her so much that he even declared a special day in her honor. It was called the Feast of Esther. On that day, everyone gave gifts to each other (see Esther 2:18). I know this sounds like a really great story — almost like the fairy tale Cinderella. But in this great story, something happened that was very important to the entire Jewish nation.

A wicked man by the name of Haman decided he was so powerful that when he walked down the street, everyone should bow before him. The uncle who raised Esther, Mordecai, refused to bow before Haman as he walked by. Esther 3:5 says, “When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath.” In fact, Haman was so filled with himself that he wanted to kill all the Jews. Wicked Haman then devised an evil plan and made a bargain with the king to kill all the Jews because of the one Jew (Mordecai), who would not bow before him.

Mordecai sent word to Esther, asking her to make supplication to the king to save the Jewish people. Esther responded, in effect, “The king has not called me in 30 days, and no one can just go before the king without being invited. To do so is an offense worthy of instant death. The only exception is if the king has favor on the one who enters uninvited, and he holds out his golden scepter. Then and only then can that person’s life be saved” (see Esther 4:11).

Eventually, Esther pushed her fears aside and urged Mordecai to gather all the Jews in the city to fast for three days. She and her maidens would also fast. Esther said, “‘…[Then] I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish’” (Esther 4:16).

Esther had gone through all of this — giving up her name, her culture, her family, and her language — and now she was going to risk her very life to save her nation!

In our own lives, God never asks us to surrender something valuable without His giving back much more than He ever asked from us. He asked Esther to be willing to give up her life, but in return He would give her a nation.

Esther is such a beautiful example for women of all ages everywhere. But what made her so beautiful? Yes, she had all the clothes and jewelry and was “pampered.” But we don’t remember Esther for what she had or held on to. We remember her for what she was willing to let go of — and she was willing to give up her very life. That is true beauty!

Jesus said in Matthew 16:25, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Dear friend, sometimes for us to take hold of the next assignment that God has for us, we have to let go of — surrender — what is comfortable and familiar and be willing to say yes to something that may be unknown. Esther was comfortable in her familiar position in a kingdom. But God wanted to give her a nation!

The word “surrender” has tones of death attached to its meaning — death to our will, death to our plans, and, like many of the saints who have gone before us, death to our flesh. But for Christians, after death, there is always a resurrection. Even after the “death” of self — our own will and way — God will bring a resurrection of something new.

Is it possible that God wants you to let go of something so He can bring something brand new into your life? Many saints who have gone before us chose the way of surrender. They let go of their own will and plans, and they surrendered their plans into the hands of our Father. And just like Esther, God gave back to them much more than they ever surrendered.

Is God talking to you about something that He wants you to give up so He can give you something brand new? I encourage you to do all you can to let go of whatever it is you’re holding on to that you know God wants. Surrender it so He can give you something brand new and much better in its place.

Thank you for spending time with me. If you have any prayer needs, please let us know. We are here to pray for you. Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 or send us your prayer request at renner.org/request prayer. We’ll gladly put our faith together with yours to help you let go so you can receive something greater.

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

A Life Ablaze

August Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friend,

WOW…it’s already the month of August!

I feel like 2021 is flying by — and so much has already happened this year! The enemy has tried to upset the world and to lure many off track, but there is a powerful band of believers who are on fire to fulfill God’s plan! Denise and I are among them who are alive with divine fire! I know your heart’s desire is to be an inferno for Jesus, too, so that’s what I’m going to talk to you about today.

But first, you know that I always ask how we can pray specifically for you because we are extremely serious about praying for our friends and partners. Prayer is a top focus with us. God has given us spiritual responsibility for so many people, and undergirding them with our heartfelt prayers is something we feel very serious about. So if you have a need, would you please let us know so we can undergird you more effectively with our prayers? We are waiting to hear from you so we can agree with you in prayer.

Denise and I and our team also want to thank every partner on our “giving team” who has sown into the Ministry Expansion Project. If you would like to see the up-to-date progress on this project, please go to renner.org and click on the Ministry Expansion Project link. We are so thankful for your continued prayers and your generous giving to help us expand as we reach and minister to more precious souls around the globe. And if you feel led to become a part of this exciting project, it’s not too late! You can give financially through this link as well.

Today I want to talk to you about stirring up the fire of God inside you! In Second Timothy 1:6, Paul wrote, “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.”

The words “stir up” are from the Greek word anadzoopureoo, a triple compound of the Greek words ana, zoos, and pur. The word ana carries the idea of repeating an earlier action or doing something again. The word zoos is from the word zao, which means to be enthusiastic, to be fervent, to be passionate, to be vigorous, to be wholehearted, or to be zealous. And the word pur is the Greek word for fire.

But when these three Greek words are compounded, they form the Greek word anadzoopureoo — the very word Paul used in Second Timothy 1:6 when he told the younger minister to “stir up” the gift of God that was in him. It implies that the fire in Timothy’s heart had ebbed to embers or was on a low burn. That is the reason Paul told Timothy to begin to passionately and rigorously stoke and stir up the gift of God in his life. Paul was telling Timothy that just as one would stoke the embers of a fire in a hearth or fireplace, it was time for the younger minister to take action. Paul was commanding Timothy to reach within himself and to begin to rekindle, or kindle anew, the fire in his heart.

At the time Paul wrote to Timothy, the younger minister was surrounded by a great deal of chaos and confusion because of the intense persecution that was taking place. It is probable that Timothy was physically and emotionally exhausted from dealing with an onslaught of problems and that his own spiritual fire was beginning to wane. That’s why Paul told him to take action before the fire inside him that burned for the things of God went out completely.

Paul was commanding Timothy to reach within himself and begin to rekindle, or kindle anew, the fire in his heart. In other words, he told Timothy to open the door to his heart, look inside to determine the condition of his inward fire, and then take action to stir up the gift of God inside him. Like a person stokes the coals in a fireplace, Timothy was being called to stir the embers and then “put more wood on the fire.”

This would not occur accidentally. Timothy would have to be intentional and proactive to keep that flame burning. But if he would heed Paul’s command, that inward fire — which was beginning to wane — would blaze once again in the core of Timothy’s spiritual being.

In our early days of living in the former Soviet Union, our family lived in a house that only had heat due to wood we burned in our fireplaces! We learned if we wanted to have heat, we had to be proactive to make it happen: We had to find fuel; we had to open the fireplace door; we had to put the fuel on the fire; and we had to stoke the fuel regularly throughout the day to keep it burning. We knew we’d reap a lot of cold, unnecessary discomfort — and even serious trouble — if we chose to neglect what was happening deep inside those fireplaces.

If we discovered that the fire had ebbed too low and the coals of wood were turning cold and hard — that we had “hit a low burn” — we would have to begin the process all over. So the choice to be proactive was wiser than reaping the consequences produced by negligence. The truth is, we made the choice to do whatever was required to stay warm — because otherwise, we knew we’d freeze!

If your spiritual fire is at a low burn or close to going out, it’s time for you “to stir up” the gift of God that is inside you. You cannot depend on someone else to do the stoking and stirring for you. It is so vital that you take responsibility to look inside yourself, to determine your fuel supply, and to do whatever you must to stir your spiritual embers and keep your fire burning.

The Holy Spirit will show you how to open the door to your heart and take an honest look on the inside to assess your condition and need. Then you must let Him show you the steps to take and the kinds of fuel you need to activate and fully utilize in your life. You are called to consistently stir up those embers and to fuel that fire so you will remain a blazing inferno for Jesus!

Perhaps you can remember a time when your heart was literally ablaze with a passion for the things of God — but if you were honest with yourself, you’d admit that since that time, the fire has diminished. Oh, how vital it is that we determine to stay ablaze with the Spirit and power of God!

In First Thessalonians 5:19, Paul admonished us, “Quench not the Spirit.” The word “quench” comes from the Greek word sbennumi, which means to extinguish, smother, suppress, douse, put out, snuff out, or quell. It is most often used in the context of extinguishing a fire by dousing it with water. In some places, it means to evaporate or to dry up.

Paul was telling us that if we ignore the Holy Spirit’s voice long enough and often enough, eventually we will become spiritually hardened and will no longer be able to hear Him when He speaks to us. It will be like His voice evaporates or dries up, and we will no longer be able to hear it.

If you’ve ever seen a campfire, you know that its flames can burn very bright and hot. But what happens if someone keeps throwing water on the coals? Initially, it will only dampen the heat of the flames. But if the person continues to throw water on the flames, eventually that water will quench, smother, or put out the fire altogether.

So I ask you to do everything you can to stoke, stir, and add more fuel onto the fire of your heart! When you adopt the attitude that you’re going to start fueling your fire, consistently utilizing to the fullest all the fuels God provides, I guarantee you that your inner man will burst into spiritual flames! But you are the only one who can choose to “add the fuel” and “stoke the coals” to keep the Holy Spirit’s fire burning brightly in your life.

Today I want to encourage you to make a serious commitment before the Lord that you will stay ablaze with God’s holy fire for the rest of your days on this earth. Set aside time with the Lord to ask Him for His help and His strategies as you purpose to add more fuel to your fire. Then determine to do whatever the Spirit of God tells you to do to keep your inner man burning like a spiritual inferno!

Be encouraged…

I know you can do it!
The Holy Spirit will help you to do it!
We are here to pray with you!

If you want us to pray with you for that divine fire to be re-released in your life, let us know and we’ll join you in fervent prayer as soon as we hear from you. Of course you can pray alone, but sometimes it really helps to have agreement in prayer. We’d love to be that voice of agreement for anything on your heart!

And as always, I ask you to pray for us too. Denise and I, and our family and team, are giving our all to do what Jesus has asked us to do. It is so exciting and such an honor to do the work of God, but it takes God’s power and, of course, money to do it. Your prayers and your financial support mean so much to us. Thank you!

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

The Sinful Woman

A Teaching from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

I want to share a story with you that’s found in Luke 7:36-39 (NKJV) about a woman who interrupted a dinner party because she knew Jesus was the only answer for her messed-up life. Although this woman lived over 2,000 years ago, Jesus is still the only answer for the messes in our lives today.

Here is that passage.
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him [Jesus] to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ‘This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.’
Think about it. For this woman to go to the house of a Pharisee was amazing in itself — she knew she had a reputation in the city, and she also knew what the Pharisee would think of a woman like her. He would consider her as dirt under his feet. For her to approach Jesus and pour out this expensive perfume on Him and, really, pour herself out like she did was monumental. Her display of worship — the adoration, her tears, the pouring out of expensive oil upon Jesus — came from somewhere deep inside this broken woman. She interrupted a gathering at the home of that Pharisee because she knew that Jesus was her only answer!

Do you know that Jesus is your only answer?

This woman did not cry at Jesus’ feet for fear of the Pharisee. She cried because of the Lord’s presence. I once heard a story about Smith Wigglesworth, a humble British plumber who became an evangelist and was filled with God’s Spirit. He once got on a train to travel to a certain city, and God’s presence on him was so strong that people approached him to repent of their sins and asked him how to know God. Smith Wigglesworth never preached to his fellow travelers — he never said a word. It was the overwhelming presence of God on this man that drew the attention of the other passengers.

Similarly, the woman in this passage of Scripture wept in the awesome presence of God that was upon Jesus. When the woman approached Jesus, she was first standing. But then she probably dropped to her knees because it says that as she wept, her tears fell on His feet. She was weeping so much that she washed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet. Can you imagine that scene and what the religious Pharisee must have thought? I am sure that this hard-hearted Pharisee was disgusted!

Then, for the Pharisee, the scene got even more intimate and worshipful. The woman poured out a very expensive oil on the Lord’s feet and the fragrance filled the house. The worship of Jesus had completely taken over the Pharisee’s house! Her act of worship had interrupted the meal, and the fragrance of the expensive oil had overpowered every other scent in the house.

When I thought about how her worship interrupted the homeowner and his guests, I asked myself, Does MY worship interrupt the broken world of other people around me? Do people around me even sense His presence in me? Would people say there’s something different about you? It’s a question for us all to think about.

It’s interesting in verse 39 that the Pharisee, the one who invited Jesus, doesn’t speak his thoughts out loud, but Jesus heard them. Can’t you just imagine the Pharisee’s judgmental tone as he muttered to himself, If He were a prophet, He would know what kind of woman she is and who is touching Him. She is a sinner. But Jesus knew exactly what he was thinking.

Jesus directly responded to the Pharisee’s thoughts with the following words about the forgiveness of debt. Jesus said, “‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?’” (Luke 7:41,42 NKJV)

Jesus emphasized that one debtor owed ten times more than the other, but neither of them could pay his debt. What point was He making to the Pharisee? Well, let’s say that the woman at Jesus’ feet owed 500 denarii, and the Pharisee only owed 50 denarii. And let’s just suppose that neither could pay the debt. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We all as Christians once owed a debt of sin to God, but He freely justified us and forgave us that debt “because of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (v. 24). And in the case of the two people in Luke 7 who owed a large debt (500 denarii) and a small debt (50 denarii), the creditor freely forgave them both (v. 42).

What was the difference between this sinful woman and the Pharisee? She knew who Jesus was, and the Pharisee did not. If the Pharisee had known who Jesus was, he would have welcomed Him into his house with open arms. Jesus said that the Pharisee didn’t welcome Him into his house properly, yet this woman came with expensive oil to pour over Jesus because she knew who He was — she recognized Him as the One who could justify man and forgive sin. (See Luke 7:44-46.)

Friend, that is why we need to have more and more fellowship with the Holy Spirit — so we can properly receive His presence and power to reveal to us who Jesus is. Oh, that we would become like this woman. She knew who Jesus was, she showed her great appreciation for Him, and she knew He was the only answer for the messes in her life.

Thank you so much for spending this time with me. I am so convicted in my heart that we need to absolutely spend as much time as we can in the presence of the Lord. We need to seek His presence, fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and spend time in God’s Word because we need a faith in our heart these days that is like a rock — unshakable faith. That’s why I wanted to share this message with you — this precious woman had something that we need. She knew who her answer was, and she was desperate to be in His presence and to have her answer. Jesus is the only answer you need too!

If you have any prayer needs, please let us know. And we would also love to know if God is doing something special in your life so we can rejoice with you. Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org. We’re ready to “interrupt” the situations and circumstances of your life to help you receive the answers you need in His presence!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner