Encouragement for the New Year!

February Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

 

Dear Friend,

First of all, I want to express my deep gratitude for the many comments I’ve received in response to my new TV program Time With Denise Renner. One response even said, “Thank you so much for this word of encouragement. I really needed it to keep pushing through my difficulty and not give up.” Sometimes we all need encouragement, and it is my joy and honor to encourage you.

I can honestly say that there have been many times when I’ve needed to hear an encouraging word to keep going. But when we face trials and decide to keep going — trusting the Lord and loving others anyway — we become intimidating to the devil. And as we push through our difficulty, with every push, we also grow to understand God’s faithfulness more and more. He is just waiting on the other side of that push to bring us to victory.

I want to draw your attention to a very important passage of Scripture that is important to our busy lives, even though this year has barely started. It is Luke 10:38-42:

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

I have heard messages on this passage before, explaining that we cannot all be like Mary — that some of us have to be like Martha and that Marthas are just as powerful as Marys. But whether or not that’s true is not as important as the point the Holy Spirit was making as He inspired Luke to write.

Notice what verse 39 says, “And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet….” Because of this word “also,” it’s possible that at one time, Martha also sat at the feet of Jesus. But on this particular day when she felt so much pressure to prepare a meal for the Lord, Martha showed herself not as one longing to hear Jesus’ words, but as someone who was fault-finding, critical, and also accusing of Jesus because she thought He didn’t care about her current situation.

Martha loved Jesus. Why was she acting in such an angry, fault-finding way? She was distracted and weighed down, so her weaknesses were coming out for all to see.

Have you ever experienced a time when, because someone else put pressure on you or because you put pressure on yourself, you blamed others for your problems and maybe even blamed God? Have you ever started complaining in your heart like Martha, telling Jesus, “I don’t like what’s going on in my life right now, and I want You to do something about it — I want you to tell these other people what to do”? Or have you ever said to Jesus, “I can’t believe this is happening to me — it seems like You do not care”?

Maybe you have never had these feelings or thoughts inside you. Maybe you never doubted that Jesus cared, but at this moment recorded in Luke 10, Martha did.

I love what Jesus said to Martha in verses 41 and 42, “Martha, Martha….” First, He said her name two times. Have you ever wanted to correct someone so gently because you cared for that person so much, so you looked him or her in the eye and said that person’s name twice? I have, and it was not to reprimand the person, but to correct and redirect his or her actions.

Jesus went on to say, in effect, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. Martha, don’t worry; don’t be troubled.” Could Jesus have been saying to Martha, “Martha, don’t worry, don’t be troubled. When you are worried and troubled, you cannot hear Me and you won’t have peace”?

Martha was really upset, and Jesus knew it. Verse 42 tells us that Jesus, in essence, responded, “Martha, there is one thing you really need. I know you think you need Mary to help you. You’re worried that I don’t care, and you want to make sure I know these things that are troubling you. But that is not what you need. Martha, you need My presence right now. You need to hear My words right now. That is what you really need.”

Friend, I have acted like Martha at times in my life when I thought that if Jesus would just change this or that person or circumstance, everything would be perfect. But what about the next time when things become difficult again and the pressure is on? How am I supposed to act then?

I’m not saying there are not real problems that need to change — of course there are. There can be terrible things happening around us and to us and to the people we love. But it does not help our situation to blame Jesus when bad things happen. He is the answer, not the problem! To believe He doesn’t care is to believe a lie.

So what do you need when you’re worried or stressed? Exactly what Jesus said to Martha: “Martha, you need to hear from Me, and you need My wisdom and presence.” Or He might say to you, “I am here for you. Come to me and I will give you the wisdom, peace, and comfort that you long for so you can deal with this problem. I am not your problem; I am your answer.”

Can you just imagine Jesus speaking to you as He did to Martha and saying your name twice? Just think of Him gently placing His hands on your cheeks and looking you in the eyes as He speaks your name. Imagine that He says to you, “I know you’re upset, but what you really need is to hear from Me.”

But how many times do we get our eyes off Jesus and focus on the problem instead? No matter what the problem is, I want you to know, the answer is Jesus!

Although this year has just begun, you may already be facing some kind of threating situation, and you need to know that Jesus cares. I encourage you to meditate on Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28,29:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus is our answer. It isn’t that He doesn’t care like Martha thought — it’s the very opposite. He cares and He tells us, “Come unto Me and I will help you.”

I pray that as you read this letter, you clearly see that what Martha really needed was to hear from Jesus. Sometimes the situation we’re in combined with the pressure we’re feeling can be just enough to push us into acting like Martha, but as you can see through this teaching, our answer is the same as Martha’s. When we’re struggling, we need to go to Jesus. Just as Martha’s answer was so close to her, in the midst of our own difficulties, our answer is so close to us if we’ll just draw near to Him.

Thank you for letting me share these powerful truths with you.

I pray the following prayer for you:

Father, we come to You in the name of Jesus. Help us, Lord, to recognize in this situation, which seems full of pressure and obstacles that we are not to blame others, and we are especially not to blame You and doubt Your care for us. Father, right now, we receive help from the Holy Spirit to see this situation as it really is and to receive Your love, care, and comfort. Thank You for never leaving us or forsaking us. We receive by faith right now Your care and your comfort in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Again, I want to invite you to watch my brand-new weekly TV program Time With Denise Renner at 7:00 a.m. CT each Monday. You can view it on YouTube, Facebook, or Renner.org. Also, if you have any prayer requests, please let us know. We are here for you and want to help you bring these requests to the Lord in faith, believing. Call or write to our team at 1-800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org.
Moving forward together,
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Denise Renner

The Permanent Indweller

February Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

 

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Jesus’ precious name!!!

Today I want to begin my letter by saying thank you for your prayers for us as we move forward in our Ministry Expansion Project (you can see more about it at renner.org/expansion). It is the winter months here in Moscow and normally construction work would stop, but we are able to continue working on the interior of the new TV studio even though it’s so bitterly cold outside. We are making significant progress, but please continue praying with us. 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 people. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

This month marks 30 years that we launched our TV ministry in the former USSR. If you want to read the whole story, it’s in my new autobiography UNLIKELY,and it can be ordered at our online store at renner.org. It was totally unlikely that it could happen, but with nothing more than a word from God, we stepped out in faith to do what had never been done before in the realm of television in the lands of the former USSR. And it worked! God blessed our obedience, and He is blessing and increasing our television ministry to this day.

Following the leading of the Holy Spirit all these years has been the adventure of a lifetime! But today, I’d like to talk to you about the Holy Spirit living inside you as a Permanent Indweller. James 4:5 says, “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”

I want to point out the word “dwelleth” in this verse. In Greek, it is a compound of the words kata and oikos. The word kata carries the idea of settling down, and the word oikos is the word for a house. Taken together, the new word — katoikidzo —means to take up residency or to dwell in a house and carries the idea of residing permanently. In other words, this word would never describe a transient or one who came to live in a place only temporarily. Instead, it is the picture of a person who has settled into a home with no intention of ever leaving.

This means when the Holy Spirit came to live inside you, it wasn’t for a short period of time. He came to stay. From the moment you made Jesus your Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit made your heart His permanent home. He has no intention of ever moving out to leave your heart vacant while He finds somewhere else to live. Think of that! The Holy Spirit doesn’t come only to visit occasionally — your heart is His HOME!

But James 4:5 goes on to say, “Do you think that the scripture saith in vain, the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”

The word “lust” usually has a bad connotation in our minds. We think of sexual lust, for example, as something that must be eradicated from our lives. But James told us that the Holy Spirit has lust — and because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of holiness (see Romans 1:4), we know that the lust of the Holy Spirit must be a healthy, godly kind. Understanding this point is so important that we must stop to see exactly what James was saying to us here.

The word “lusteth” in James 4:5 is the Greek word epipothei — a compound of two Greek words — epi and pothei. The word epi adds force to the word, and the word pothei means an intense desire or yearning. When compounded, the new word describes an intense, excessive yearning for something. So according to this verse, there is something the Holy Spirit is yearning after — something He passionately longs to possess. One expositor has translated this verse to read, “The Spirit that dwelleth in us has an intense yearning….”

But what does the Holy Spirit yearn for so strongly?

James used the word epipothei to picture the Holy Spirit’s intense desire to possess and fill each believer that He indwells. This emphatically means the Holy Spirit wants more and more of us. When it comes to you and me, He can never get enough!

I’m thankful that I have walked with God for many decades, and over these years I have learned that it doesn’t matter how much I surrender to Him today, by tomorrow He will be asking me to surrender more. Every second, every minute, every day, every week, and every year that passes my eyes are illuminated to new areas of my life that have never been surrendered, and each time the Holy Spirit asks me to yield those areas to His control.

During the altar call when I was saved, the congregation was singing the famous song “I Surrender All.” Ever since that time, I’ve been surrendering all as the Holy Spirit convicts me and shows me areas where I’ve never fully surrendered or where I need to surrender more. I first called Jesus Lord decades ago, but I’m still learning to accept His lordship in various areas of my life. It doesn’t matter how much I think I’ve surrendered or how yielded I think I’ve become, there is always more to surrender and more He desires to possess of my life.

And the Holy Spirit desires to possess you — all of you. I want you to see that the Holy Spirit “dwelleth” in us and He “lusteth” for us — and He will never be satisfied with shallow fellowship. He is in pursuit of deep communion with you. So I urge you today to make a decision to yield to the Holy Spirit’s yearning for you — to fill you with more of Himself and for you to come to know Him at a deeper level than you ever have before!

Oh, how I pray this letter has encouraged you today to open your heart and welcome the precious presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. He is IN you — and He wants to fill you and possess you fully. So please… take a moment to say: “Holy Spirit, thank You for living in me. I surrender to You today, and ask You to fill me more than ever before. Take me — I’m yours!”

As I close my letter today, I ask you to continue praying for Denise and me. After all these years, we are still giving our all to Jesus and to His will for our lives and ministry, and we are continually seeking to obey Him accurately in every area. And as always, I sincerely thank you for being our partner in this wonderful ministry that God has entrusted us to lead. Thank you so much for your obedience to God and for your willingness to give to make an eternal difference for others!

And please let us know how to pray for you. Just give us a call or send us your prayer need. We are praying for you anyway, but when we know what you are specifically standing and believing for, we do a better job of praying. And I promise that we’ll stand in faith with 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

Embracing Confidence

January Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

 

Dear Friend,

First of all, I want to thank you for the kind comments and responses to my letters — and requests for prayer — that I have received from so many. It is such an honor to hear from you and to pray for you.

The new year is upon us, and I can’t help but think about how important our decisions are right now and what kind of mindset we need to have for 2022. I am asking myself this question, and now I am asking you: What banner can I hold over my life in this new year? My first thoughts went to what I am confident in — what is going to hold me steady in place today and tomorrow. I want to share with you this promise from Philippians 1:6, which says, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

When things seem so shaky around us — maybe a difficult family situation, a health concern, or things going on in the world — and it seems like we can’t do anything about it, our mind and emotions can be thrown into such an upheaval, as if we were in a storm and tossed by every wave.

But what can keep you steady and your mind at peace in the midst of the storm?

Is it your own abilities, gifts, and talents? No. Is it a supportive family or a healthy bank account? No.

It is the fact that what God started in you, HE WILL FINISH! There is power in the Holy Spirit inside you to help you remain confident and to hold you steady.

It wasn’t even you who started this journey of eternal salvation with Jesus — He started it. And you are not the one who is going to finish — He will bring you to the finish. Isn’t that just completely amazing and peace-giving!

Am I saying that you can just sit down and do nothing in your Christian life or sin all you want to? No. Can you just remain a gossip or one who is bitter and hateful all of your days and then expect to live in victory and peace and love in this life? No, I’m not saying that at all.

The Bible has much to say about instructing us on our daily living and choosing whom we will serve every day of our life. We can’t just live in bitterness, unforgiveness, hate, doubt, fear, and unbelief and expect to experience all the same blessings and benefits as those who are choosing to walk in obedience to God’s Word.

The truth from Philippians 1:6 is this:

  1. There is a place of confidence we can walk and live in.
  2. You did not start your walk with Jesus. You did not choose Him — He chose you.

John 15:16 clearly says, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you….”

  1. There is a “finishing” power in you — in your born-again spirit — that can bring you all the way to the finish line victoriously.
  2. The Greater One (1 John 4:4) who lives inside you can not only bring you to your finish line, but He is also the invisible presence within us who is the “Completer.” You can’t finish your race by yourself — but the truth is, you are not by yourself! The Holy Spirit is with you and in you to complete the good work He began in you when you were born again. So I encourage you to get your eyes off your good works and how well you think you’re performing in life and look to Him.

Can you see why I began this letter about embracing new confidence for the new year? You see, it’s not only about what you have done, but what He has done in you. The Psalmist David summed it up in Psalm 18:1,2:

I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Oh, friend, put your hope and your confidence in Him, and trust His commitment to you and His covenant with you. His promise is to bring you to the finish line if you will walk with Him. And He always keeps His promises. He will never move or change. We can look to Him, and He will hold us steady, secure, and confident in this new year.

I believe it’s more important than ever that we reach out to one another and ask for prayer. If you need prayer, please call us or write to us. Our phone number is 1-800-742-5593 and we can be reached Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT, or you may send us your prayer request at prayer@renner.org. A faith-filled prayer warrior will be waiting on the other end of the line to join their faith with yours for victory in your situation.

Thank you for spending this time with me. And starting Monday, January 3, you can view my brand-new weekly TV program, Time With Denise Renner, that will air on YouTube, Facebook, and Renner.org! I’m looking forward to this beautiful time in the Word with you!

You can be confident in Him,
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Denise Renner

How To Receive Your Answer From God

January Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

 

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year!

It is amazing to me, but this month marks 30 years that our family of five boarded a plane to take us to our new home in the former USSR. We had rented our first house in October 1991 when the USSR still existed, but on January 27,1992, our family physically boarded a plane to forge into unknown territory both naturally and spiritually. Paul was 8, Philip was 6, and Joel was 2. It’s hard to fathom, but I was only 33 years old at that time.

But with precious Denise at my side, along with our boys, we walked onto the plane, got into our seats, buckled our seatbelts, and started the trip — not understanding what awaited us or the monumental work God would use us to do in a new land. If you want to read the whole story, it’s in Chapter 9 of my new autobiography UNLIKELY. (It can be ordered on our online store at Renner.org.)

But before I go any further, I want to say THANK YOU for all your prayers — and for every gift that every person has given — for our Ministry Expansion Project. At this point, we are preparing to move into the new Tulsa building and we are working on the interior of the new TV studio in Moscow. We are believing for every dollar we need to finish these projects right on time, and we are so thankful for every sacrificial gift that precious people have sown into this expansion project. People are reaching out to us for teaching materials and prayer, and we simply need space so we can better minister to them. THANK YOU for all your prayers and gifts!

It is just amazing all that has happened in the last three decades of our lives and ministry in the former Soviet Union. When we made that move in 1992 to this part of the world, I had so many questions I needed God to answer for me — and He told me everything I needed to know. In my life, I have heavily leaned on the instruction in James 1:5, which says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God….”

The word “if” assumes that there are times when we simply need an answer from God. The word “lack” is a form of the Greek word leipo and describes a deficiency. It depicts a deficit, insufficiency, shortage, or undersupply. As used in James 1:5, it means to be without, to have want of, to be in need of, to be lacking, to be short of, to be low on, to not have enough of, or something that exists in an insufficient amount. All of these meanings correctly convey the idea in the Greek text. But for our purposes, we will say the first part of James 1:5 could be interpreted, “If you are short on wisdom…” or, “If you find yourself to be lacking wisdom….”

The word “wisdom” is from the Greek word sophos, which describes special insight or special understanding. This verse could be interpreted, “If any one among you lacks special understanding [regarding an issue]….” The verse could even be interpreted, “If any of you are short on knowing what to do…” or, “If any one of you is in need of special answers regarding what to do….”

Then James tells us, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask….” The word “ask” is from the Greek word aiteo, a word that means we should have a full expectation to receive what we have requested. But God gives one condition we must fulfill before He answers our petitions. James 1:5 continues, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God….”

The word “of ” in Greek is para, which means close, side by side, or alongside. As used in this verse, this word provides the condition we must meet in order for God to answer us. To qualify for God’s answer, we must be in a close, side-by-side position with Him. God doesn’t want to just answer our request for wisdom — He wants us to come alongside Him, close to His heart. In that position, He will not only answer us, but He will embrace us, cleanse us, and change us. Once we are in that close, side-by-side position, God opens His hand to show us the wisdom we lack and are seeking to gain.

James 1:5 says that after someone asks God for wisdom, He “…giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not….” The rest of that verse concludes, “…And it shall be given him.”

In this verse, we find five guarantees God makes to those who seek answers from Him:

1.James 1:5 guarantees that when we ask for wisdom and we meet God’s condition of drawing close to Him, God will “give” us the answers we need.

The Greek word used for “giveth” does not describe a random, occasional act of God, but it pictures the regular behavior of God. It means God is the giving God. He is not one who “holds out” on us when we need wisdom. He is the giving God — the One who guarantees to give answers to those who meet His conditions.

2. James 1:5 guarantees that God gives “to all men.” This removes the uncertainty that God may answer some and not others. If we draw near to His heart and come closely alongside Him, He will answer us, because each of us fits into that category of “all men.”

3. James 1:5 guarantees that God gives to all men “liberally” — from a Greek word that means bountifully. This pictures one with an open hand, as opposed to one who keeps a closed fist. God doesn’t dangle the bait before us and then quickly jerk it out of our reach. If we have pulled up alongside His heart, He reaches to us with an open hand to give the answer we seek — and He gives us the answer bountifully.

4. James 1:5 guarantees that God “upbraideth not.” The Greek word for “upbraideth” means to berate, to censure, to correct, to rebuke, or to scorn. In other words, God is not going to get upset with you if you ask Him for answers. He will never berate, censure, rebuke, or scorn you when you come alongside Him to receive wisdom.

5. James 1:5 guarantees that answers “shall be given” to the one who is seeking them. The words “shall be given” in this verse is a promise you can count on God to keep!

James 1:5 conveys this idea in the Greek:

If you are short on the answers you need, insistently ask God for them. But God first requests that you come alongside Him. That is the one request He makes before He will provide the answers you seek Him for. God is the giving God. He is known for habitually answering those who seek answers from Him, and when He answers, He does so lavishly and with an open hand. He never berates, scolds, or scorns you for asking. One thing is for sure — answers will be given to you when you ask God’s way!

This verse tells us that God likes it when we ask Him for His wisdom! So draw near to Him and ask in faith today — and get ready to receive a bountiful dose of guidance for the path right ahead of you! Over the years as Denise and I, our family, and our ministry has moved forward, we have leaned heavily upon the promise in James 1:5. You can claim it too!

And if you need someone to pray with you, please reach out to us and let us know how to pray for you. We’ll put our faith together with yours for God to clearly give you the guidance you need for whatever you are facing right now. God will give it — but you need to ask for it! So please, let us know how we can pray with you!

I pray this letter has been a blessing to you today. Please continue praying for us as we press forward to do what Jesus has asked us to do. And, again, thank you so much for being our partner in this wonderful ministry that God has entrusted to us. Right from where you are, you are changing other people’s lives around the world! Thank you so much for your obedience to God and your willingness to give to make an eternal difference for others!

Have a very blessed and prosperous new year!

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

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 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

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!

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:

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?

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?

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