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…

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

How To Guard Against Spiritual Attacks

July Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friend,

I am so excited about what I’m about to share with you in my letter today. This is going to be really helpful to you — it’s filled with common sense about what you need to do to keep the attacks of the enemy OUT of your life!

But first, let me ask you how Denise and I can be praying for you this month. This is not a cliché statement. We genuinely want to know how we can pray better for you! Every day — every morning and every night — I spend time praying for our friends and partners. Every day when I wake up and when I go to bed at night, the Lord hears me talking to Him about you and my requests for Him to move mightily in your life. That’s why if you have a specific prayer need, it would be great to know it. It will help Denise and me and our team pray specific and focused prayers for you!

And THANK YOU again for your continued prayers and the purposeful seed you have sown into the Ministry Expansion Project. Your heartfelt, fervent prayers and incredible generosity are propelling our endeavor to acquire a larger building for our Tulsa office and to get the Moscow studio closer to the goal line. The progress is so exciting! You are always welcome to take a look at the “progress thermometer” at renner.org/expansion. And if you feel led to give toward this step of faith we’re taking, please do what the Holy Spirit is asking you to do and join our giving team! We are so thankful for everything our friends and partners are doing to help us reach this goal.

But today I want to minister to you about being on guard against spiritual attacks because as you grow in your spiritual walk, attacks on your life may begin to escalate. The adversary doesn’t want you to grow. Spiritual growth in your life equals real trouble for him and his dark kingdom. He would much prefer that you remain infantile in your spiritual life so that you can inflict on him no serious damage.

Satan is well aware that your growth in God’s Word and in the power of the Holy Spirit poses a grave threat to his domain. So he may attempt to make a preemptive strike against you to slow down your growth. Do not be surprised by such strikes!

In regard to these kinds of attacks from the devil, the apostle Peter said, “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1 Peter 5:9).

These attacks are attempts of the adversary to drive you back from your land of promise. He doesn’t want you to obey God’s Word and experience blessing. This is exactly why the writer of Hebrews told his readers, “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions” (Hebrews 10:32).

I want you to understand that a fight nearly always follows illumination — revelation knowledge of God’s Word and His will. That’s why it’s so important for you to realize:

Satan comes to challenge you when you are gaining new ground. He strikes with an unrelenting force to shove you back into spiritual despair. He wants you to retreat and back off from the frontlines of battle! But by knowing ahead of time how the enemy works, you will be mentally prepared to deal with such challenges. Your knowledge of how and when Satan attacks will equip you to deal with these assaults more intelligently. So it’s also important for you to realize:

If you are mentally prepared and alert to the way the enemy operates and to the potential of an attack, you have already eliminated half the battle. Mental preparation removes the element of surprise. This will always give you the upper hand against the enemy.

This is what I want you to understand: As long as you do nothing for God, you can be confident that you will not face this kind of opposition from the enemy. However, when you begin to do what God has called you to do and you start experiencing a measure of success, you must stay mentally alert and aware of his tactics!

Remember that the violent winds that swept in to destroy Jesus and His disciples came at the very moment when Jesus’ ship was headed toward the shores of the Gadarenes (see Mark 4:35-41). Once Jesus reached the shores, He was going to cast a legion of demons out of the demoniac of Gadara. This would be one of the greatest miracles of His earthly ministry. Satan knew that Jesus was going to perform this miracle, and he knew he was about to lose a prized possession — the demoniac. Therefore, the enemy struck with all his fury to abort the miracle-working power of God.

In the same way, the devil loves to strike Christians today when they are about to come to the shores of their own “Gadara” where the miracle-working power of God will be loosed in the lives of the people involved.

But be confident that no matter what attack the devil levels against you — whether he attacks the church leadership, assaults the church finances, or causes strife and discord to erupt among church members — “…greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Satan hates the Church of Jesus Christ, and he hates you! And when you are illuminated and are determined to do God’s will, you become a menace from Heaven that has invaded territory once secured by the domain of darkness. To discourage you and stop you from making further inroads in this earthly sphere, the devil may make an effort to attack your progress.

But stay on track and stay in the fight! If you stay the course and let the power of the Holy Spirit work through you — and if you stand firm on the promises of God’s Word — no attack will find success against you. That is what you are promised in Isaiah 54:17, which says, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper…”!

If you feel like you’re under some kind of attack and need spiritual support, remember we are here to pray and intercede with you. Call us at 1-800-742-5593 or email prayer@renner.org Denise and I and our team feel a spiritual responsibility to undergird you with fortified prayer, so please be sure to let us know how to pray for you. And please do the same for us! We really cherish your prayers, and we are so thankful for your faithful support of our ministry.

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 Roman Centurion

A Teaching from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

First of all, I want to say THANK YOU for all the wonderful feedback I’ve received from my School of Cinderella series on Rick’s television program. And THANK YOU to everyone who is taking part in the School of Cinderella through my Facebook page. I’m enjoying our time together!

I want to write to you this month about a story found in the Gospel of Luke that I believe will help us find many answers to our questions and needs today. The story begins, “And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die” (Luke 7:2). This Centurion — a high-ranking Roman soldier — had 100 men under his authority. No one gets this kind of authority over 100 men by accident. This Roman Centurion must have worked very hard and earned the respect of those over him to have this position of authority. But when death threatened his beloved servant, the Centurion had no authority. He had no power over this sickness that had taken his servant to a point of death.

How many rock stars and movie stars, millionaires and billionaires, and rulers and leaders had great authority over others, but when sickness or death came to them, they had no power over it. There is only One who has power and authority over death — and His name is Jesus. And still today, He is doing miracles and meeting death at its intimidating presence and saying, “No, not this time. You have no authority here! This one will live longer. Death, you cannot have her.”

But this is the situation of not having authority that the Roman Centurion found himself in. Though he had a lot of power, authority, and prestige as a Centurion, he did not have power and authority over the sickness and death that was trying to take his servant. Verse 3 says, “So when he heard about Jesus….” What did he hear? The Bible doesn’t say, but we can imagine he had heard about the miracles that Jesus had performed. Why else would he have asked Jesus to come heal his servant?

Verse 3 continues, “So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.” The Centurion went to the trouble to ask elders of the Jews to plead with Jesus to come and heal his servant. Think about how amazing that is — that he would send Jewish elders to Jesus to ask for a miracle. Romans despised Jews, and the Jewish elders hated Jesus. Nonetheless, the Roman Centurion sent Jewish elders; he used his authority and they obeyed.

The elders went to Jesus and begged and pleaded earnestly. It’s interesting that these Jewish elders told Jesus that this man (a Roman, no less!) was worthy and deserving. They pleaded with Jesus saying that the Centurion even loved their nation and had built them a synagogue (see Luke 7:4,5).

Jesus was on His way to the Roman Centurion’s house, but He never saw the Centurion or the servant. “Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, ‘Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, “Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Come,” and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it’” (Luke 7:6-8).

The Centurion and the dying servant never looked into Jesus’ eyes; they never felt His loving touch. But the Centurion knew the power of the spoken word and had sent a message to Jesus to just say the word. The Roman Centurion believed if Jesus would just say it, it would happen.

So we have to assume that the Centurion’s friends were just standing there waiting for Jesus to “say it.” So what did Jesus “say”? We don’t know. Although His response is not recorded, verse 10 confirms, “And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.”

Here is my question for you and me: Does God’s Word have such a place in our heart as to stop death at its door? What was different about this Roman Centurion? He heard about Jesus, he believed, and asked for Jesus to say the Word.

Jesus marveled at the faith of this Centurion. He was amazed! “When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, ‘I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’” (Luke 7:9) The Centurion simply believed the Word.

I want to say to you today what Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:29: “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That’s you! You do believe even though you have not seen. And because of that, Jesus calls you blessed!

Hebrews 11:27 agrees: “By faith he [Moses] forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” Moses also had faith in the One he couldn’t see.

Friend, keep believing His Word. Do you need healing? He is your Healer (see 1 Peter 2:24). Do you need a miracle? He is your Miracle Worker (see Luke 7:18-23). Do you need peace? He is your Prince of Peace (see John 14:27). Do you need finances? He is your Provider (see Philippians 4:19). Jesus and His Word are one, and He is the only One you need!

The Centurion knew who to look to for the answer. He wasn’t seeking the answer from the religious leaders — he passed right over them. They didn’t have the power he needed for this critically ill servant to be healed. No, it was Jesus who had that power, and it is the same today. The only one with the power to heal, to deliver, to save, and to provide is Jesus.

Look how eager Jesus was to come and heal. And He is the same yesterday, today and forever (see Hebrews 13:8). He is still eager to come to you through the power of the Holy Spirit and bring to you the answers that you so desperately need.  What is it you need? He paid for it all on the Cross to get it to you. Our part is to ask Him and to believe Him — just like the Centurion.

Thank you for spending this time with me. I believe this message is very important for all of us. As always, please let us know your prayer needs and if God is doing something special in your life — let us know because we want to pray with you, and we want to rejoice with you. Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org.

We are moving forward together,


Denise Renner

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

June Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

 

Dear Friend,

We are definitely living in interesting times — and how important it is that we keep our eyes on Jesus and not be moved by what we hear and see in the news. Even when it looks like the world around us is falling apart, Jesus is still seated on the throne and He remains Lord over all! Because I believe we must remind ourselves and encourage each other concerning this truth, I want to tell you right from the start in this letter to keep your eyes on Jesus!  

Part of encouraging each other includes praying for each other. James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, so that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” The meaning of the word “faults” in this verse includes struggles and challenges of any type. We are commanded to undergird each other in prayer — and if we do it in faith, as this verse says, our prayers will avail much. The Amplified Bible says, “The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God — it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].”

I want you to know that we want to put our “heartfelt and persistent prayers” to work for you. This verse promises that such prayers accomplish much — and that they are dynamic and can yield tremendous power. Denise and I really believe this is true. So please, let us know how we can be praying for you right now. As always, we’ll keep confidential whatever need you share with us.

And again, I want to say THANK YOU for your friendship and partnership with our ministry. Your regular monthly gifts empower this ministry to fulfill its God-given assignment. But right now, we are taking new steps forward in our Ministry Expansion Project. This huge step of faith will provide our Tulsa office with a larger building and much-needed space to extend our own reach to the many precious people who are reaching out to us. It will also help enlarge and update our TV studio in Moscow so we can expand our reach by television and the Internet literally around the world. If you would like to be a part of the giving team on this project or to get an up-to-date look at how many square feet have been secured so far, please go to renner.org/expansion. I do not have words to express how thankful I am for your prayers and your generous giving to help us achieve this goal!

In my letter to you last month, I wrote about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. But today I’d like to take it one step further and speak to you about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. If you don’t know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I urge you to go to renner.org and order my book called Why We Need the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Although it’s only 96 pages long, I believe this book will really take you into new spiritual territory!

Sometimes people say, “I’m not special enough to be used in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” But wait — First Peter 4:10 says, “As every man hath received the gift….” In this verse written by Peter, he was referring to the spiritual enablements each believer has received from the Lord that empowers him or her to minister to others.

In fact, the words “every man” are translated from the Greek word hekastos, an all-inclusive word that literally means every single person, no one excluded. This undeniably means that every person who has been born of the Spirit and who declares that Jesus is Lord has been supernaturally graced or endowed from on High with divine gifts — including the gifts of the Spirit! This means even the person with the lowest self-esteem is mightily gifted by the Spirit of God; he is simply unaware of the powerful gifts that reside within him.

But First Peter 4:10 goes on to say, “As every man hath received the gift….” The word “received” comes from the Greek word lambano, which means to receive into one’s possession or to take into one’s own control and ownership. It carries the idea of taking hold of something; grasping onto something; or embracing something so tightly that it becomes your very own. As used in this verse, it means that it’s our responsibility to accept and take ownership of these gifts as our own.

Then the verse adds, “As every man hath received the gift….” The word “gift” is a translation of the word charisma, derived from the word charis, the Greek word for grace. But when the word charis becomes charisma, it doesn’t describe only grace, but it speaks of grace-given gifts. Specifically, the word charisma denoted individuals who were graced and favored with a divine touch that enabled them to do something supernaturally. The charisma they received means God equipped them with supernatural abilities. If you have been born again, this includes you!

First Peter 4:10 also charges us, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” The word “steward” is from the Greek word oikonomos and was specifically used to describe the household manager for an upper-class, wealthy home. By using the word oikonomos in this verse, the Bible tells us that God has made us the stewards of His own personal treasures. That means He expects us to give Him glory by allowing these gifts to operate through us to meet the needs of those around us.

Taking all these Greek words into consideration, First Peter 4:10 could be interpreted:

Every single one of you without exception has received a grace-given gift. Embrace what God has placed inside you. Take ownership of it, and do your best to develop and use that gift to meet the needs of one another. God has entrusted a great deal to you by placing such a special gift in your life, and He is depending on you to be faithful with this important responsibility.

This means God has given YOU spiritual gifts and He expects you to let them operate through you for the purpose of meeting the needs of those around you. Those gifts are inside your spirit, just waiting for you to step out in obedience when the Holy Spirit prompts you so they can begin to manifest for the blessing and benefit of others.

So make the decision — if you haven’t already done so — to yield to the Holy Spirit’s leading and to release the divine gifts God has placed inside you. And if you are hungry to know more about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, be sure to order my book Why We Need the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

I’m so thankful that I learned to let God’s gifts work in me, and as I walk with the Lord, I want to become an even more yielded vessel for Him to use. It makes me shudder to think how many people are loaded with spiritual gifts, but because they never learned about them, they have never experienced the treasures laid up inside them. Don’t let that be you!

Please remember that Denise and I and our team want to put our prayers to work for whatever you are facing or whatever is on your heart. So please let us know how we can be praying for you right now. And remember to pray for us too. Thank you for being an amazing partner. We are so thankful for you!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

On Eagles Wings

A Teaching from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

Today I want to write to you about the power of waiting on the Lord. In Isaiah, there is a beautiful yet powerful verse that says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Today I want to focus on the part of this verse that says we will “mount up with wings like eagles.” But let me pause for just a moment to give credit to Col Stringer’s beautiful book On Eagles Wings where I gathered some of the information I used in this letter.

The eagle is such an accomplished flier that he can soar above the storms and even cyclonic conditions with complete mastery of flight. Other birds are thrown and tossed around by these powerful winds — but not the eagle. Aircraft designers have been unsuccessful in trying to copy the eagles’ slotted-wing structure. The eagles’ feathers are tapered at the tips to form slots, and these slots act like shock absorbers.

So, if we are waiting on the Lord, drawing on the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we are like the eagles’ wings which have shock absorbers. Let me explain. When something hits us and tries to knock us out of our place or maybe tries to steal our joy or our peace, the mighty Holy Spirit on the inside of us acts like a shock absorber, and instead of being thrown around, we stay steady.

A direct quote from On Eagles Wings says, “In conditions which would be difficult for a man to stand, an eagle can hover as steady as a rock, the wing tips moving constantly and automatically to make adjustments to the air currents.”

Friend, that’s you and me! We can be just like that eagle if we are waiting on, leaning in, and listening to the Holy Spirit. Even in the fiercest of storms, He is making adjustments in us to keep us as steady as a rock.

Take for example the eagles’ eyesight. Eagles can see five times better than humans. But God gives you and me eyes to see with understanding and mercy through the power of the Holy Spirit. In a tense situation if someone was railing on you, it would be natural to want to rail right back. But you and I have eyes like the eagle. We can see deeper into the situation, and with the wisdom of God, know what needs to be said (or not said), and extend that person grace.

And some eagles can fly at speeds of 200 miles per hour. When they see their prey from far up in the sky with their powerful eyesight, they dive down to attack the prey. While diving at 200 miles per hour to get their food, something miraculous happens: At 15 feet away from their desired meal, their wings instantly spread out and their sharp talons come out. This instantaneous spreading of their wings acts like brakes to slow their flight speed so they will be able to catch and secure their food.

Likewise, in our relationships with other people, especially difficult people, there might be times we have to put the brakes on. Say, for example, you are moving along quite nicely in your day — everything is going well and you’re getting done all that needs to be done. Then all of the sudden you see something that needs extra attention. There’s a problem, maybe a very serious problem. For us to be successful in our relationships, we have to be ready and willing to interrupt our flight and put the brakes on. Like an eagle puts the brakes on, we have to put the brakes on to not only deal with the situation, but to also put the brakes on any strife or contention that may try to arise. We have the power and authority within us to do this.

We find a great example of this kind of power and control with Queen Esther. She was ruling as queen and “had it made.” But for Queen Esther to save her people, she had to move out of her comfort zone, spread her wings of authority and put the brakes on. She stopped to listen, fast, pray, and humble herself. But waiting on the Lord like eagles — like Esther — we must put our brakes on and spread our powerful wings of authority to accomplish what needs to be done. We, like Esther, must move out of our comfort zone and listen and lean in to hear His voice. Like Esther, who put her brakes on and saved a nation, you and I, by listening and waiting on the Lord, put on our brakes to stop strife or walk away from offense or fear to embrace courage. We have powerful influence in our choices, and we need to recognize this power like the powerful wings of the eagle.

Do you need to put your brakes on like the eagle, spread your beautiful wings of authority and grace in the Spirit and be able to do the right thing? My friend, the Word says those that wait upon the Lord are going to rise up like eagles! You have in you the Spirit of God to rise up like an eagle, to see like an eagle and give mercy and understanding to difficult people, to hover in a storm like an eagle, and to put the brakes on and spread your powerful wings and listen to hear the exact instruction to make powerful change.

If you have prayer needs or a testimony you want to share with us, please let us know. Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org. Friend, by the powerful Holy Spirit inside of us, we are all called to rise up with wings as eagles. It’s time to soar!

Moving forward together,


Denise Renner

Ministry of the Holy Spirit

May Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

 

Dear Friend,

Greetings in the name of Jesus! Today it’s on my heart to minister to you about the ministry and power of the Holy Spirit. Right now all over the world, many Christians are getting ready to celebrate Pentecost — the day when the Holy Spirit’s power was poured out on the Early Church. So it’s a good time for us to remind ourselves about the Holy Spirit’s powerful role in our lives.

But before I get to what’s on my heart, first I want to say THANK YOU for believing in us and for being a friend and partner with our ministry. And I want to also let you know that we are forging ahead by faith to purchase our new “ministry home” in Tulsa and to keep constructing our new TV studio in Moscow. We are so thankful for our partnership together — and we are exceedingly grateful for every extra gift you have given or will give to help us achieve this victory for our ministry (you can go to renner.org anytime to see our progress). As I told you, it’s not about buildings — it’s about having adequate space so we can effectively minister to the people who are reaching out to RENNER Ministries in need of resources from the Word of God, prayer, and spiritual support. If you want to give an extra gift toward this victory, we’d be so thankful to God for it. And we thank God for YOU so much! 

In Philippians 1, Paul told the Philippians how thankful he was for their partnership with him. In verse 7, he said, “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.” Paul knew that those Philippian partners were “partakers” of the grace of God on his life and that they would share in his eternal reward because of what they financially gave for him to be able to accomplish in his ministry. And that’s exactly how we feel about you because of what you do for our ministry. Together, we are making a difference in so many people’s lives!

Would you please let Denise and me and our team know how to pray for you or for whatever you are facing right now? In First John 5:14 and 15 we are told, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” Wow! We are confident that when we pray according to God’s will, it releases answers into our lives. And when you tell us your need, we’ll align our prayers with God’s Word and believe for a mighty river of answers to flow into your life. So please let us know how we can pray for you! Simply call us at 800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org

As I noted above, many Christians everywhere will be celebrating Pentecost this month. But as I think of the Holy Spirit, my mind always goes to Second Corinthians 13:14, where the apostle Paul wrote, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”

Unfortunately, many Christians live and die never knowing the fellowship and companionship of the Holy Spirit. They’ve heard about the Holy Spirit and may even know doctrinal answers regarding the Third Person of the Godhead. But knowing about the Holy Spirit and personally knowing Him in daily fellowship are two very different things.

In the Early Church, there wasn’t a New Testament for believers to turn to for direction, guidance, and answers. When believers assembled, there might have been teaching or readings from the Old Testament or from an apostolic epistle. But for the most part, the Early Believers relied completely on the Holy Spirit. In the First Century, the Church experienced demonstrations of God’s power, miracles, healings, mass evangelism, the full operation of the fivefold ministry gifts, and the gifts of the Spirit in amazing abundance.

We all look back to the Early Church in admiration, longing to see the power of God manifested at that level — and beyond that level — in our own generation. But today we are privileged to have at our continual disposal not only the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, but also the Word of God — an invincible combination in our arsenal that the Bible calls “the weapons of our warfare” (see 2 Corinthians 10:4,5). So why don’t we see the same level of God’s resurrection power and glory consistently manifested in our midst today that the Early Church experienced?

There may be many answers to this question, but one answer is certain: Far too many Christians today have come to lean on their own understanding and intellectual abilities at the expense of consulting the Holy Spirit for His guidance in their lives. They assume they already know what He wants them to do. And because they don’t depend on and yield to the leadership of the Holy Spirit the way the Early Church did, they miss opportunity after opportunity to see His power released in their lives.

There is no substitute for the Word of God — for the true power of the Gospel (see Romans 1:16). But neither is there a substitute for the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in the Church. In fact, these two go together as one. If the Spirit’s presence and power are removed, all that’s left is orthodoxy and religious works. But religion will never raise the dead, cast out demons, heal the sick, or turn cities and nations to Jesus Christ!

In my own life and ministry, I continue to learn more clearly every day how imperative it is for me to maintain intimacy and moment-by-moment communication with the Holy Spirit, no matter how knowledgeable I am of God’s Word. If I hadn’t cultivated a rich, solid relationship with the Holy Spirit during my early years of traveling in ministry throughout the United States, I would have been extremely skeptical, and may have even disobeyed Him, when He called me to move with my family to the former Soviet Union.

Without the help, guidance, and comfort of the Holy Spirit, Denise and I have no doubt that we would have become spiritual casualties at many junctures in our journey during those early years when we lived in Latvia and traveled throughout the former Soviet Union. Furthermore, we’ve stood and watched in awe as His power has moved through our ministry to eternally impact the lives of millions of people — saving them, healing them, performing miracles in their lives, and delivering them from Satan’s bondage.

The Holy Spirit has manifested Himself in ways we had only dreamed of in years past before our adventure in the former USSR began. For instance, in the years since we arrived in the former Soviet Union in 1991, He has enabled us to reach millions of souls through a weekly television program; establish multiple churches in the capital cities of Latvia, Russia, and Ukraine; launch a Bible school to train leaders to serve in a multitude of churches; and hold crusades and meetings in the various regions to build up and strengthen local works — and now to bring the teaching of the Bible to people around the world by media from Moscow. Friend, this is miraculous!

The key for me has been to learn to work with God’s Word while simultaneously flowing with the Holy Spirit. It’s a learning process that each of us must pursue in order to grow in God and fulfill His purpose for our lives. And we can trust the Holy Spirit in that process. He never leads us contrary to the Word of God; rather, He confirms and supports it. After all, He is the One who inspired its writing! (See 2 Timothy 3:16.)

With the Bible in our hands and our hearts — and with an open spiritual ear to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying — we are equipped with what we need to never fail. No people and no generation have ever been so blessed as those of us who live in this glorious Church Age!

I urge you to pray and ask our Heavenly Father to reveal the ministry of the Holy Spirit to you. I am confident that as you yield to His life-transforming work, you will experience the same power that the Early Church experienced as they leaned on the Holy Spirit. Isn’t that what your heart longs to experience?

What an honor to write to you today about the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit. I know that by learning to develop a supernatural fellowship and companionship with Him, you will be launched into a marvelous new adventure and spiritual journey. And please remember that if you have any special prayer needs, we are here for you and we WANT to pray with you. Please call us at 800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org.

Please also pray for Denise and me, our family, and our entire team, as we steadily press forward to get God’s Word into hungry hearts that are crying out for it. Your prayers and support are so vital to our fulfilling this great mission!

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 Battle Belongs to the Lord

A Teaching from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

Have you ever tried to fight a battle that wasn’t yours to fight? To stay strong in these last days, we have to know what is and what isn’t our battle. We need to ask questions like, What am I supposed to do, and what is God supposed to do? — because He is the only one who can really change impossible situations.

Maybe you’re in a difficult situation, and if God doesn’t move, you don’t know what will happen. Then, my friend, you are in the perfect place for a miracle! You know that God is the only answer. But God wants a partner and you’re the one.

Have you ever tried to fix things yourself and it didn’t work — or things even became worse? We sometimes do that when we’re faced with battles. We try this or that, or we tell the Lord, “I can say this,” or “I can do that,” and think that will fix it. We may even suggest to Him what He should do. We try to fix the problem in our own effort, and we don’t get the results we were hoping for. So now what?

In Second Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, was threatened from enemies on every side — even “from beyond the sea” (v. 2). Although it didn’t look good for him and the land of Judah, the king knew who to turn to for the answer. “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord” (2 Chronicles 20:3).

Jehoshaphat knew that God was the only answer. He reminded the people of Judah of the power, strength, and might that belong to the God they served. “Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord” (2 Chronicles 20:13).

And the Holy Spirit responded through a prophet saying, “…Listen, all you of Judah and your inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat!” (v. 15) Notice that the first word the Spirit of God said was “listen.” And this applies to us now — our first instruction is always to listen. We are asking a question, so we need to listen for the answer.

When we listen, we have to put aside what we think. This is so necessary, because if we hold on to our plans and our opinions that didn’t work, how are we going to hear the best plan from God? We have to listen on purpose and hear the instruction from the Spirit of God.

Second Chronicles 20:15 continues, “Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude [problem], for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’” This means we need to step aside and let God move.

Whose battle is it, then, in the tests and trials of life? The truth is, we seek Him, and we believe — but He is the one who does the work. We pray and we believe, but He is the One who heals. We pray and we believe, but He is the One who provides. We pray and we believe, but He is the One who protects.

So I want to encourage you this month to pray and to believe with all that is within your power to do, but make room for the One with the greatest power of all. Put high expectancy on His ability to move and change things. See Him as the One with the power to bring change, to bring deliverance, to bring healing, to provide financial blessing, and to bring comfort and confidence to your heart so you can trust Him to fight this battle.

Are you in a particular battle right now? If you need prayer or encouragement, please call us and let us know how we can stand and pray with you. Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org. The Bible says that we can put our trust in Him and that those who trust in the Lord will never ever, ever be ashamed. Let your heart begin to rest as you see God win the battle right in front of you.

Taking ground one day at a time,

Denise Renner