Faith Worthy of
the ‘Hall of Faith’

February Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friend,

Greetings in Jesus’ name! I have some exciting news for you. THIS MONTH, we begin offering my new book Build Your Foundation — Six Must-Have Beliefs for Constructing an Unshakable Christian Life, which will be released next month in March! You can go to our online store at renner.org to order your copy. This book will help ground you in the six foundational doctrines of the Christian faith in Hebrews 6 that every believer should know. To be rooted in the sound teaching and the safe doctrine of Scripture is the foundation we all need to build our lives on effectively for the Lord. You will want this book for your personal Bible study or group studies!

This month, I want to especially let you know that one of our most personal and greatest honors is to minister to our friends and partners and to pray for what they are standing for in their lives. So before I share what’s on my heart for you today, I want to tell you that we are here for YOU, and we would be delighted to put our faith together with yours for whatever you are facing or believing God for. When you call or write to us with your prayer request, we’ll pray and pray fervently. And we’ll always keep your prayer request confidential. Truthfully, we pray for you every day anyway — but when you let us know how to pray specifically, it just helps us to be more targeted when we pray for you!

So much is happening in the world, and this is really a time for all of us to keep our eyes on Jesus and to stay in a place, or position, of faith. Today I want to speak to you about holding on to your faith for whatever you have been praying for and believing to come to pass in your life. Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).”

• What are you believing for to come to pass in your life?
• What do you want God to accomplish through you?
• What are you believing to see come to pass in your family?
• What do you want to see God do in your job? In your business?

Dreams are powerful, but they usually seem impossible at first. However, those who dare to do the impossible are the ones who eventually see the impossible come to pass.

There are myriad examples in the Bible of individuals who had a dream. For instance, consider the dream God gave Abraham — called the father of our faith — regarding a new land and a new people. When God first spoke to Abraham about the son He would give him, Abraham and his wife had long been infertile and unable to conceive a child. The thought of having a baby probably seemed like an unattainable fantasy to them. They could have asked themselves, Is this really the plan of God for our lives, or is this a hallucination?

God also promised Abraham a new land but didn’t tell him where it was located. In their efforts to find that land, Abraham and Sarah were stricken with colossal challenges, problematic circumstances, and horrible internal family problems. First, Abraham’s father died. Then they lost their nephew, Lot, to Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham also took Hagar as a second wife, producing a son that didn’t belong to Sarah, along with a great deal of jealousy and strife. In addition, Abraham and Sarah experienced a terrible famine in their promised territory that forced them to leave due to a lack of food. Traveling to Egypt in search for food, they soon found themselves evicted from that land as well.

At any moment, it would have been so easy for Abraham and Sarah to say, “Enough is enough! Pack it up — we’re going back home to the city of Ur!” But instead of giving in to defeat and discouragement, they held tightly to the dreams God had put in their hearts and kept pursuing those dreams until they had witnessed their fulfillment.

If you want to see the dream God has given you be fulfilled in your life, it is imperative that you have this same attitude. As Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).”

Today I want to point out the words “hold fast” in this verse. Abraham and Sarah “held fast” to their dream, and that is what you must do as well. The phrase “hold fast” is taken from the Greek word katecho, which is a compound of the two words kata and echo. The first word, kata, carries the idea of something that comes downward.

You could say the word kata carries the force of something that comes down so hard and so heavily, it is overpowering and dominating to the point of being subjugating. When this force arrives on the scene, it conquers, subdues, and immediately begins expressing its overwhelming, influencing power.

The second part of the word katecho is the word echo, which simply means I have and carries the notion of possession. This is the picture of someone who has sought and searched for one particular thing his entire life. After years of seeking and searching, he finally finds the object of his dreams. Joyfully he rushes forward to seize it and hold it tight. He wraps his arms around that object, making it his very own. Finally, he can say, “I have it! At long last it is mine!”

When kata and echo are compounded into the word katecho, it literally means to embrace something tightly. However, because of the word kata, we know that this is the image of someone who finds the object of his dreams and then holds it down — taking control of it, dominating it — even sitting on it so it doesn’t slip away!

In Hebrews 10:23, this same idea is used positively to describe sitting on your word from God and refusing to let it slip out and get away from you. This is the attitude you must have if you want to see your God-given dream come to pass. You have to wrap your arms around that word from God and never stop believing and pursuing your dream until it comes to pass. If you’ll “katecho” your dream, it won’t be able to get away from you, nor will anyone else be able to take it away from you!

The word katecho in Hebrews 10:23 could be interpreted this way: “And let us hold fast to our confession, tightly wrapping our arms around it and embracing it with all our might, rejecting all attempts of anyone who tries to steal it from us.…”

When you finally discover God’s will for your life — when His plan finally begins to awaken in your heart and you know exactly what you are to do — hold fast to that dream. Tightly embrace what God has shown you. Seize it — wrap your arms of faith around it. Hold it down, and hold it tight!

Whenever you are tempted to become discouraged, give up, and release your dream, remember Abraham and Sarah. Although it took them awhile to receive their dream of having a son — and although they had to overcome titanic hurdles along the way — they refused to let go of that dream, and they eventually saw it come to pass. In the end, they discovered that their dream was not a hallucination; it really was a word from God!

If you’ll hold tight and refuse to let go of YOUR dream, it will just be a matter of time until you see it come to pass! Place all your weight on top of that dream so that NOTHING can steal it away from you!

Maybe you’ve been telling yourself, Come on! I’ve waited and waited for my dream to come to pass. God hasn’t done anything that I thought He was going to do. I’ve seen others blessed; I’ve seen others healed. But I’m still sitting here with the same old unanswered prayers. I’m sick of it all! I’m not going to believe and wait any longer. Forget it — I’m letting it all go!

If this sounds like you, I want to encourage you to read again the instruction found in Hebrews 10:23. It says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.…”

The word “waver” is taken from the Greek word aklines, which conveys the picture of something that does not bend or something that is fixed and unmoving and is therefore stable and enduring.

Interestingly, if you remove the a from the word aklines, you are left with the word klines, which pictures a person who is bowed down. With shoulders sloped and body bent over, this person is so tired that he can barely stand. Ultimately, he becomes so exhausted that he throws in the towel and gives up. In fact, the word klines is the same root in Greek for a couch or a bed. So when a person is klines, his “give-up” attitude causes him to head for the couch or bed where he lies down, stagnates, and wastes away.

Many people give up hope and quit believing because they get tired. The devil whispers in their ears and tells them, This thing you’re believing for isn’t ever going to happen! If it was going to happen, it would have happened by now! This is just a fantasy. You are wasting your time and throwing away precious years of your life. Why don’t you forget it, let it go, and move on with your life?

As long as you are energized by faith, you’ll keep moving in a forward direction. But the day you let loose of your faith and back off your position, it won’t be too long until a spiritual sadness will come over your life. Spiritually speaking, your shoulders will slope; your head will drop; and you’ll feel like someone pulled the plug on your energy level. Your eyes will drift toward the couch or bed, and soon you’ll end up completely going to bed on your faith!

Don’t let that happen to you!

What God promises, He will perform. It may take a while for that promise to come into manifestation, but eventually it will come. In the meantime, you must choose to believe that He will do what He has promised. That is the key! You must set your heart and commit your will, making an irrevocable decision to believe His Word regardless of how you feel, what you t hink in your natural mind, what others say, or how circumstances look.

It’s time for you to make the decision that you have too much invested to turn back now! Dig in your heels; drive down your stake; and tell the devil that you are not going to move from your position of faith! Aggressively choose to believe that what God has promised, He will always do. Once you’ve made that kind of life-changing decision, it will only be a matter of time before you’re rejoicing because of your manifestation!

Oh, I’ve so enjoyed ministering this to you today!

It’s time for me to close my letter to you this month. But let me tell you again that we would love to pray with you for whatever you are standing in faith for in your life. And please…pray for us as we push the powers of darkness out of so many people’s lives with the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. We need your prayers!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Finish What You’ve Started…

A Teaching from Denise Renner

Dear Precious Friend,

Have you ever stopped or given up on a dream, a plan, or a vision too soon, when you were almost at the finish line? If so, you could say…you didn’t finish what you started.

Many years ago, when I was between the ages of 13-17 years old, I made all my own clothes. I would go to the store to pick out the pattern, material, zipper, buttons, and the matching thread. Happily, I would take my treasures home, lay the pattern on the material, cut it out, and start sewing. Oh, how I loved creating my own garments. I would even lie in bed at night and think about how to add my personal touch to each piece of clothing to make it more interesting and beautiful. I was very proud of my creations. Sewing was so much fun for me, and it also saved money.

However, sometimes I would start one project and then decide to move to another project before I finished the first one. My mother would say, “Denise, you need to finish what you’ve started before you go on to the next project.” I didn’t know at the time the value and wisdom of her words, and how right she was.

As I became an adult, I would often find myself starting a project with great excitement, but not finishing it. A habit like this is more than just failure to complete a project; it can influence our character to give up on other difficult tasks that don’t seem to be going the way we want them to go. We’ll just give up on the project at hand and start something else — or maybe even quit trying all together.

God’s character and reputation are completely the opposite. Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) 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.” God started His great work of salvation in you, and He will not stop until it is finished.

It’s very important that you do not give up in the middle of what God has shown you to do. Maybe you are believing for a baby, but the baby hasn’t come yet. Or you have prayed for God to heal your marriage, but you and your spouse are still arguing. Maybe you are believing for a better job and you’re still having trouble paying your bills. Developing an “I will not give up” attitude is so important to your faith being effective no matter what is happening around you.

I want to give you one example from the Word of God about a woman who would not give up. In Matthew 15:22, we become acquainted with a woman who was in a desperate situation.

“And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour” (Matthew 15:22-28).

The woman’s daughter was grievously vexed with a devil. Somehow this woman heard about Jesus and went to Him, crying out to Him, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David.” In verse 23, we read that Jesus did not answer her — not even one word! To make matters worse, the disciples started planning to send her away. The situation did not look good for this woman. It didn’t look like she would get any help at all. Jesus seemingly ignored her, and the disciples were trying to get rid of her. But she didn’t give up. She believed her daughter would be set free.

In verse 24, Jesus spoke to her, but he said, “…I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” This woman was a Canaanite, not a Jew. But even that didn’t stop her. Enduring those three rejections, she could have given up and said, “Forget it. He’s not going to help me.”

Most people would have responded that way and just given up…but not this woman. In verse 25, we read that she became more determined and went straight to Jesus and worshiped Him. Then she said the simplest prayer, “Lord, help me.”

Jesus replied, in effect, “I’m not supposed to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs.” Jesus was not being condescending, but this was how the Jews spoke of anyone who didn’t have a covenant with God.

Most of us would have given up if Jesus had referred to us as a dog! But this woman was determined that she was going to get what she had come for — her daughter’s deliverance.

In verse 27, she again called Him Lord and in essence said, “You’re right. I am not a Jew, and I don’t deserve the children’s bread. But even the little dogs can eat the crumbs off the floor.” Then Jesus said, “Woman, great is your faith. Be it unto you what you want” (see v. 28).

The Bible says in verse 28 that she got exactly what she wanted, and her daughter was made whole from that moment. That woman did not quit until the desired end! She pressed on to the finish line and didn’t stop short of her desired goal.

Oh, friend, do not stop believing, do not stop expecting, and do not stop praying! Jesus is faithful. You need to finish the assignment in front of you before you go on to another.

I never knew when my mother was telling me to finish the garment I’d started before moving on to the next that her words would be a foundational truth in my walk with God. It is very important that we take the assignments of God and bring them to completion.

What will happen if we refuse to give up and we push forward to the finish line with what God has put in our heart to do? We will see the fruit of our labor and persistence!

My friend, do not quit! Keep pushing forward! Let’s be like this woman in Matthew 15 who would not give up until she reached the finish line and got her miracle.

Thank you so much for spending this time with me. And thank you for your responses and prayer requests. We care about you, and we want to know how we can pray for you. You can reach us at 1-800-742-5593 or by email at prayer@renner.org. We look forward to joining our faith with yours so we can rejoice with you all the way to the finish line!

Your sister in Christ,

Denise Renner

People have been asking me, “Rick, how should we respond to all the events that are happening in society and around the world today?” Well, I’m excited to minister to you from my heart about the times we are living in right now and how we must respond to everything we are seeing around us!

But first, I want to remind you about our big Renner TV Family Meeting online on Friday, January 22, at 7:00 p.m. CST. We’ve been planning this special meeting for months, and you won’t want to miss it! My sons Paul Renner and Joel Renner will host, Denise will sing, and I will be ministering from Red Square in Moscow! There will also be special praise and worship by some of our own Russian team on this side of the world. We are so looking forward to this meeting, so please put this date on your calendar and join us! Also, on that night only, we’ll be giving away as a downloadable PDF the first three chapters of my newest book Build Your Foundation, which will be released in March — and on that special night, everything in our online store will be 30 percent off the regular retail price! You can go to renner.org or call us for more information.

I also want to say THANK YOU for your prayers and support for what God has called us to do in our ministry. Denise and I are willing to do our part, but what our partners do is vital for us to be able to fulfill our God-given assignment to take teaching that can be trusted to people all over the world. How I wish I could sit down with you and show you the multitudes of people from a long list of nations that are being fed right now through RENNER Ministries. And what is happening in our Russian outreach is just explosive! It is growth beyond our wildest imagination! But we are only able to do it because of our partners’ sustaining prayers and financial support. And for this, we are so very thankful.

If there is a special way that Denise and I and our team can be praying for you today, please don’t hesitate to let us know. I know you understand how serious we are about praying for our partners and friends. The moment we hear from you, we enter into prayer for you about whatever you are facing. Jeremiah 33:3 promises that if we call out to God in faith, He will respond with amazing answers. We have seen it, and we believe it. We pray for our partners every day anyway, but if we know how to pray more specifically for you, it will help us pray even more effectively!

Today I want to share with you about how we must — and how we must not — respond to events happening in society and around the world right now. I personally believe we are living in the greatest hour for the Church of Jesus Christ. God promises that in this end of the age, a massive harvest of souls will come into the Church. But right in the midst of all this, events have occurred throughout the earth that have shaken the nations of the world and filled men’s hearts with fear.

I am convinced that part of this worldwide assault has been the devil’s attempt to put believers in fear so they will retreat from this worldwide advance of the Gospel. Although we need to be wise and do what we can to protect ourselves in times such as these, we do not need to react in fear. Fear is never the answer; it results in blurred thinking and bad decisions.

God’s Word promises us a sound mind if we will claim it. When Timothy was facing hard times, Paul told him, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

This verse says that God has given us a “sound mind.” This phrase comes from the Greek word sophroneo, and it is a compound of the words sozo and phroneo. The word sozo is the Greek word for “salvation.” It means deliverance, protection, and soundness. The word phroneo is the root for the word “mind.” When these two words are put together as they are in this verse, the new word is translated “sound mind.” The idea presented by the word sophroneo is a mind that is saved and protected or a mind that is sound. It is just the opposite of a mind given to fear, panic, or unfounded and unreasonable thinking. This word describes a mind that is thinking correctly!

Because God has given us a “sound mind,” we can think correctly about how to live in these last days — a time that Second Timothy 3:1 predicts will be “perilous.” The word “perilous” is a translation of the Greek word chalepos, and it literally means something that is difficult, dangerous, or filled with risk. This is a prophetic warning to let us know that those who live in the very last of the last days will be confronted with a strange period of time like mankind has never seen before. It will be a time filled with difficulty, danger, and risk.

Today I want to give you what I believe is a sensible approach to living in these last days. To ensure that we are doing all we can to remain in the blessings of God, these are the practices Denise and I apply to our own lives. These are the Holy Spirit’s orders to us, and now I am passing them on to you as they’ve been given to us.

Living in the last days requires that we have a greater sensitivity to the Spirit of God. Romans 8:14 declares that one of the privileges of being a son of God is that the Spirit of God leads us. The word “led” is the Greek word ago. It is the picture of someone extending his hand to you so he can gently lead you.

In these last days, we must be led by the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit will lead us only if we allow Him to lead us. How many times has the Spirit of God wanted to be our Leader, but we went our own way and ultimately suffered the consequences! He knew exactly how to lead us past every attack. He knew how to avoid each strategy of the devil.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would “guide you” (John 16:13). The word “guide” is the Greek word hodegeo and is the word for a guide who shows a traveler the safest course through an unknown country. This means the Holy Spirit is our Guide. He knows the way we should go. He understands how to avoid every trap and obstacle along the way. When we are going into an area we’ve never been before, the Holy Spirit wants to show us how to take the safest route. He knows exactly how to get us safely to our destination!

The Holy Spirit often stopped Jesus from going to certain regions because the Jews were waiting to ambush Him. To avoid these traps, the Holy Spirit would guide Jesus another way. The Spirit also warned Paul not to go to certain places for the same reason. And in the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit warned the Early Church in advance about persecution, famine, and other trials.

The Holy Spirit knows the future and wants to enlighten us with all the information we need in every situation. This is part of His ministry to you and me.

If the Holy Spirit speaks to you and tells you to do something specific, be quick to obey Him! Do you remember when the death angel passed through Egypt and took the firstborn of all the Egyptians? The reason Israel was unaffected was, the Israelites obeyed the instructions God gave them to put blood on the doorposts of their houses. They brushed the lamb’s blood on the doors of their homes just as God had ordered. Later when the death angel came, he passed by every home where he saw blood on the doorposts. The result: Not one of the Israelites was touched!

But what if Israel had disregarded God’s instructions and tried to protect themselves another way? Would their efforts have worked? Of course not. God told them how to be protected. All they had to do was obey. If they did what God told them, they were guaranteed protection and blessing. They were untouched because they walked in obedience. Weeping, crying, and mourning were heard in Egypt, but not in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel lived. They found protection in their obedience to the Word of God.

As we obey the Word of God and listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading, we will have wisdom to know every step we need to take in the days ahead. All we have to do is obey God’s instructions, and He guarantees us blessing and provision — even in difficult times. But if we try to take another approach, there is no guarantee for us to claim. We must do what God says if we want to be assured of His divine blessing and protection.

As a spiritual leader and friend, I feel the responsibility to encourage you to increase your level of faith, especially if you are facing challenging times. Stand on the Word of God; exercise your faith; listen to the Holy Spirit; and obey what He tells you to do. As you do these things, God’s supernatural blessings will kick into action, and you will soon find a river of supernatural provision flowing to you.

There is no doubt that we are living in some of the most challenging days the world has ever seen. But you can face these times victoriously because God has given you a sound mind. He has given you the promises of His Word. And He has given you the leadership of His Spirit. Never has there been a more crucial time for you to operate in faith and not fear, and to believe for a mighty move of God to take place on this earth!

My precious friend, we are anointed for these times! We can navigate these times successfully if we embrace the sound mind that God promises us and if we do not give way to a spirit of fear! I’m praying this over my life and over the lives of our partners all the time! We can live victorious in the power of the Holy Spirit in whatever season we find ourselves in!

It would be good for you to say out loud, “AMEN!”

THANK YOU so much for letting me have this time to open the Word to you in this way today. If you don’t have my books Last-Days Survival Guide and Signs You’ll See Just Before Jesus Comes, and you would like to go deeper in the Word to understand the events that are unfolding around us, I encourage you to go to our store at renner.org and order these books. Reading them will fortify your faith for the season we are living in right now!

Please remember to let us know how to pray for you. Denise and I love you, and we pray for you faithfully! And please, please, pray for us too. Just like you, we are giving our best to do what Jesus has asked us to do. But we need your prayers to undergird us as we press ahead by faith!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

On December 25, people in most parts of the world will be celebrating Christmas. However, for us in Russia, Christmas Day is on January 7. But because we know you will soon be celebrating the birth of our Savior, we are asking God to give you a warm time with friends and family. What a marvelous opportunity to reflect on the incredible miracle of Jesus’ birth and to share valuable time with others.

I know that many people are struggling financially this year because of so many disruptions to life due to the pandemic. If you’re facing difficult financial challenges, or simply have a tight budget as you approach this gift-giving season, or you don’t know how to handle stressed relationships with the people you’ll see — and you need prayer for any of it — please let us know and we’ll pray with you. And please pray for us as our Moscow ministry gets ready for a massive push during the Russian Christmas season to share Jesus with unsaved people in Moscow and throughout the former Soviet Union.

At this time of year, I would normally write to you about Christmas, but this year, I feel led to write to you about something else.

In just a matter of days, all of us will be wrapping up 2020 and starting a new year. It has been a good year for many people, despite the global pandemic. For me personally, it has been a very productive year of ministry, full of good fruits. I am so thankful for this — yet I know there are still some things the Holy Spirit wants to accomplish in my life before the clock strikes midnight on December 31 and a new year begins. The new year is just days away — so it means I must really focus on what the Holy Spirit desires to get done in my life before this year ends.

I am aware that this year has been filled with both challenges and victories for many people. But I know that you want the year to end in total victory by allowing the Spirit of God to inwardly finish what He started in you at the first of this year. Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

The word “confident” is the Greek word peitho, and it means to be sure, to be certain, and to have absolute conviction. The Holy Spirit has been working fervently in the hearts of each of us this year, and I have absolute conviction that He is going to finish what He has already started in us. Do you have that same conviction concerning your life?

What does the Holy Spirit want to accomplish in your life between now and December 31? You might say, “There’s not enough time left to get anything done!” But nothing is impossible when the Holy Spirit has a yielded vessel who is willing to cooperate with Him. If you are willing, the Holy Spirit can accomplish anything in you — even in just days before the year ends! Then you can start the new year fresh and ready for what God wants to do next, with nothing trailing behind you from the year before. Don’t let yourself drag anything negative from this year into the new year. The Holy Spirit’s power is available to do a quick, fresh work of grace in your life. He wants to set you free and get you ready for a brand-new start!

This is also a good time to seek forgiveness for what you didn’t accomplish in 2020 in His plan — and to move into the new year with a fresh sense of faith and courage, allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work He desires to do in you in 2021.

Knowing God’s plan — and operating according to that plan — is essential for living effectively for Him. If you don’t know the Lord’s will for the next year of your life, the Holy Spirit does, and He wants to help! Ask Him to show you. As I’ve already noted, the Holy Spirit will work fervently in you to finish what He has started. Philippians 1:6 assures us that this is true: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Stop for a moment to consider that promise! God begins the good work in you, and then He performs it. From start to finish, it’s His grace that enables you to accomplish what you need to do before the clock strikes midnight on December 31. So don’t say it’s too late, because it’s never too late to address those issues the Holy Spirit has been talking to you about. If nothing else, He will help get you started afresh and anew in this new calendar year — and His power will help you quickly get the victory.

I am praying for you today and this month! God has wonderful things in store for you. He simply needs your cooperation, and His supernatural power will quickly do what otherwise would take a long time to do. Throw open your arms and say, “Holy Spirit, I am ready to cooperate with You. Do quickly in my life what only You can do and show me what my part is so I can do what You want me to do.”

•    So what internal changes do you need to wrap up before the clock strikes midnight on December 31? The Holy Spirit can quickly do what you could never do on your own. Why not write down the changes today you desire to make and release your faith for a quick work to be done.

•    Do you have a relationship that needs to be mended and healed before the end of this year? If so, you know that restoration is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to help you know how to approach that person, how to apologize, and how to make amends. He will show you what to do, when to do it, and even give you the words to say.

•    Do you owe a debt to someone that you should have taken care of this year but failed to do so? Has that unpaid debt grieved you and hurt the person you owe? Why don’t you humble yourself, make a phone call, sincerely apologize, and get on the path toward making things right with that person.

It’s never too late with the Lord, but He needs a willing partner to work with so He can do the miraculous and the supernatural. If you are willing, He is ready to be your Partner to do a quick work this month — and on December 31, you can say farewell to 2020 with a shout of victory instead of defeat!

One more thing — in the busyness of this month, please don’t forget to read your Bible. It will strengthen you for every meeting and every event, and will keep the peace of God reigning in your heart. And please remember to pray for us as we reach out to many lost people this month in Moscow and throughout Russia!

We are so thankful for you — we truly do love you and thank God for you.

Merry Christmas and God bless your new beginning in 2021!

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

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

Controlling Our Emotions!

A Teaching from Denise Renner

This has been a very unique year. I know many of us still have some very serious questions about what’s really going on, and of course, this can affect our emotions. This is what I want to talk to you about today — controlling our emotions. But how do we do that? The Bible says, for example, that we can be angry and sin not (see Ephesians 4:26). So anger is normal, but then we have to learn how to control it.

You may ask, “How can I control myself?” That’s a good question. We cannot excuse ourselves by simply saying, “I can’t help it. My mom was this way, my father was always yelling, and I’m just acting like them. I can’t help myself.” But that would not be true, because God does not ask us to do things that we are not able to do. Let me explain. He loves you and me so much. And because He is also just, He would not ask us to do things that He did not equip us to do. So today, we are going to talk about what we can do and about training ourselves to do what the Holy Spirit will do, with our cooperation, to help us.

The word “emotion” comes from a Latin word that means to move. Emotions have moving power. They move us to be mad, sad, happy, confused, fearful, and excited. And they change all the time! You can have emotions of happiness, but then hear something from someone, or even “hear” from your own thoughts, and immediately be moved to become sad and discouraged. Emotions can change that quickly. You can be happy with a new haircut and then decide you don’t like it, and you become upset — only to figure out how to better style it and then you’re glad again.

So what kind of power do we need to control these emotions that have such a great moving influence?

Before I answer that question, I want to use myself as an example concerning the emotion of fear. First of all, perfect love casts out fear (see 1 John 4:18). God’s perfect love has been working in me and I’m not as fearful as I once was. I have grown in this area through the years. But many years ago, the enemy planted a terrible stronghold in my mind, and I feared that someone would try to do great harm to me. This imagination lorded itself over my life. When my children were younger, I was dominated by this fear.

I remember one particular day when we were living in Latvia. Paul, our oldest son, was about ten years old, and he had asked me to go to the store with him. I’m embarrassed to say that I was so ruled by fear that someone was waiting outside to hurt us that I, sadly, told my precious son no. I was controlled by the emotion of fear.

If I had been more spiritually mature, I could have told myself, Denise, this is ridiculous! Go to the store with Paul. Those thoughts are lies, and you are being moved by an emotion of fear. This fear is ruling over you — stop it! God has not given you that spirit of fear. Go to the store with Paul. But I let my emotions dictate my actions, and I lost out on what could have been a fun outing with my son.

Let’s take a look at how the Bible brings light to us and helps us with our emotions. Consider the emotion of anger. It can quickly move you somewhere that is not good. So what do you do when you’re angry? There are two possibilities. You can yell, scream, develop bitterness in your heart, or maybe even throw something. Many people choose one or more of these behaviors as an option.

But what about us? We are Christians, with the Spirit of God living inside of us. We shouldn’t be screaming and yelling and threatening people. I’ve learned (and I am still learning) to choose the second possibility — I talk to myself.

What do I mean by that?

Proverbs 15:28 (NKJV) says, “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.” Again, we have two choices: We can study how to answer and stay in control, or we can just pour forth any evil thing we feel like saying or doing.

Here are some real, practical suggestions for dealing with anger:

1. The Bible says to flee temptation (see 2 Timothy 2:22). If you find yourself in a growing argument, you can politely excuse yourself, and then ask yourself, What am I doing? Am I losing control of my emotions? Stop and think: What good is it going to do if I continue with this argument? What damage will I do if this continues? Is this going to matter in five years? Is this really worth arguing about and causing so much unrest and strife in my home? These are great questions to stop and ask!

2. Another practical suggestion is to count to 10. Or to 100! You could also take a few deep breaths. Whatever you choose to do, it’s you taking control of your emotions and not letting those emotions take control of you.

If you are a Christian, never forget that the power of the Holy Spirit is inside of you. He is your Comforter, Helper, and Guide. That’s His job description: to guide, help, and comfort! The Bible says He is in you and with you. It doesn’t matter how loud your emotions are screaming — you have a Helper who is especially equipped at that very moment with help that has your name on it! It’s help that is specifically and uniquely designed for you and your situation. He is the perfect Comforter, perfect Helper, and perfect Guide. And all you have to do is ask Him for His help.

What’s more practical than having the Answer living on the inside of you? Your GPS on your phone might miss it sometimes, or you might type in the wrong address, but the Holy Spirit is the perfect Guide. He never misses it!

Thank you for letting me share what was on my heart for you today. It’s almost a certainty in this unique time and season — when there are many unanswered questions — that we will be tempted to lose control of our emotions and say or do things we will later regret. I hope these purposeful words and practical teaching will encourage and strengthen you and help you gain the victory at every opportunity.

Before I close, I want to remind you that we are here to pray for you. A friendly voice, ready to stand with you in prayer, is just a phone call (or email) away. You can reach us at 1-800-742-5593, or by email at prayer@renner.org. It’s our greatest joy to join our faith with yours and then see God move mightily on your behalf.

Thank you for spending this time with me today.

Love,

Denise Renner

Don’t Give Up!

A Teaching from Denise Renner

For us to be strong in these last days, we need to understand more clearly and deeply the treasure that we have on the inside of us. Second Corinthians 4:7 says that “…we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

This invaluable part of that treasure is what I want to talk to you about today — and this is the treasure of endurance. Endurance is part of the “treasure-package” that is inside of you, and it can be unwrapped and discovered when you are enduring.

So how important is it for us to know about endurance? Enduring power comes from the Holy Spirit on the inside. The Holy Spirit is a supernatural Friend who shows up to push you over into victory when it looks and feels like winning is nowhere in sight. Throughout the centuries, this supernatural Helper has enabled believers not to give up even in the midst of horrible circumstances.

Maybe you’re tempted right now to throw in the towel and say, “I can’t do this anymore — it’s not worth it!” But endurance is standing right there to carry you through. So don’t quit! You can’t quit! God is inside you to carry you through your situation to the end. Nothing — absolutely nothing — can separate you from His love for you. And His love will see you through!

Romans 8:38,39 says, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God is for you and He will never leave you. He is right there with you. The enduring power of the Holy Spirit will grasp hands with you and pull you over the finish line victoriously.

So how do you discover this secret weapon called endurance? Let’s begin with James 1:2,3: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

This is not to say that we are simply to embrace or glorify hardship. The truths I’m sharing are to help you embrace God’s power to bring you through the hardship. God wants to lead you into victory so that you will be better and not bitter. On the other side of your trial, you will be more convinced of His love for you than wanting to quit. You will be more in love with Him and His great love and power than resentful of your circumstances. And you will be more confident of the fact that the Greater One in you is truly greater than he who is in the world (see 1 John 4:4).

Let’s look at this first word “count” in James 1:2. It means to consider it or to think about it. This is so powerful! It’s important to look at what is trying to bring you down and then consider it all joy. This joy is supernatural, but it is available to us.

The next word I want to focus on is “fall.” That verse says, “…Count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (NKJV). In other words, you didn’t plan to fall into that trial. You didn’t want to fall. You just fell. But remember that endurance is “stay-in-there, never-give-up” power — and it is available to you and can work in you even when you fall.

Verse 3 gives us the next word — “knowing.” In other words, you can count it all joy, knowing that this test is working for you instead of against you. The problem came to crush you, and the devil is testing you, trying to steal from you. But the Holy Spirit is there with you with His enduring power. Through this test, where the devil wanted to break you, the Holy Spirit wants to show you that, with Him, you’re unbreakable!

From this teaching so far, what have we learned?

1. We learned that our problems are not from God.

2. We know that we can resist them.

3. We know that God’s presence is in us to work endurance through us as we’re resisting and defeating the enemy.

4. We know we are going to come out on the other side having experienced this supernatural power of endurance. This is the “I-will-not-quit” attitude that says, “I’m not stopping until I get what is mine.”

My husband explains it like this: “Endurance pictures one who is under a heavy burden, but refuses to bend, break, or surrender because he is convinced that the territory promised or the principle under assault rightfully belongs to him.”

That’s a “never-give-up” attitude!

We know that this mindset and experience called endurance is a supernatural power that is especially needed for these last days. Some situations may come to press on us to give up, but we have a Non-Quitter on the inside! He is the Holy Spirit and He shares with us His enduring power.

Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

I want you to recognize in this verse who is working in you. It’s God! He comes with His energy and power, and He has committed Himself to work in you and bring you to the finish line.

Here is one more promise: Philippians 1:6 (TPT) says, “I pray with great faith for you, because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this glorious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you and will put His finishing touches to it until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ!”

Friend, God is committed to the end to see that we remain faithful and victorious. His presence and the power of endurance are working in you right now. This is not a time for us to give up, but a time for us to press in.

Thank you for taking this time with me.

I love you,

Pastor Denise

This is the month when people in the United States are especially thinking about “thankfulness” or “thanksgiving.” Since this is such a prominent subject in the Bible, today I want to talk to you about the power of thankfulness and also what happens when people are unthankful.

Before we proceed, I want to say that I am THANKFUL TO GOD FOR YOU and for your prayers and financial support of our ministry! It’s been a year of great advancement in getting the teaching of God’s Word into people’s eyes, ears, hands, and hearts — but much of it has been due to your amazing generosity to sow your finances into our ministry. I use the word “sow” very carefully because I am really asking God to give you a huge harvest from the heartfelt gifts you have sown into this ministry. With your help, we have been able to reach more people around the world than at any other time in our ministry. I am so very thankful — to God and to you!

As I begin my teaching this month, I want us to see what the word “unthankful” means, but to do that, let’s first look at the word “thankful.” The word “thankful” that is primarily used throughout the New Testament is a translation of the Greek word charistos. The word charistos is a derivative of the word charis, which is the New Testament word for grace. However, when the word charis is transformed into charistos, it more fully expresses the idea of one whose heart is thankful, grateful, or appreciative for various reasons.

One scholar says the Greek word charistos depicts an inward awareness of having been fortunate or well-treated.  Thus, the word “thankful” — translated from charistos — projects the deep inward feeling of one who is thankful, grateful, or appreciative for what one has received or how one has been treated by others.

All three words — “thankfulness,” “gratitude,” and “appreciation” — are the expressions of a person who is thankful he has experienced some good event or blessing. They depict someone who is grateful toward the person or people who treated him kindly and is appreciative of what has happened. These words also communicate the recognition of his thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation of his many blessings.

But the Holy Spirit prophesied in Second Timothy 3:2 that many in society will become “unthankful” in the last days. The word “unthankful” is the Greek word acharistos — the word charistos with an a affixed to the front of it. That little a has a canceling effect and literally changes the meaning of this word from thankful to unthankful. For example, though a person was once thankful, something has occurred and his thankfulness has been canceled. A thankful person has become an unthankful person.

In other words, though this person or society once had a thankful attitude, for some reason that same person (or people) lost his thankful, grateful, and appreciative attitude, and has become unthankful. Now unthankfulness, ingratitude, and unappreciativeness have filled his heart and mind. Rather than be thankful for what he has experienced or for the blessing he has received — rather than be grateful toward the people who have treated him kindly — rather than be appreciative for what has happened and recognize how appreciative he is for it, he has become unthankful. He is filled with ingratitude, and he is unappreciative of others and what they have done for him. Simply put, he is the picture of an ingrate!

But in Second Timothy 3:2, the Holy Spirit uses the Greek word “unthankful” — the Greek acharistos — to tell us many will depart from a thankful attitude and will transition into a state of unthankfulness. Yes, an unthankful attitude will rise up until its grip has seized society at the end of the age.

Unthankfulness is so wicked that in Luke 6:35, Jesus connects it with evil. He said, “…Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

Jesus’ words posture the characteristic of being “unthankful” in the same category as “evil.” This most assuredly tells us that an unthankful attitude is evil in God’s sight. It is simply spiritually criminal not to be thankful for what we have in life, even if it seems like what we have is little compared to someone else’s blessings.

And even if we feel we’ve worked hard and earned what we have, we still should be profusely thankful for the fact that what we have was given to us by God. Our jobs and opportunities could have been given to someone else, but they were graciously given to us. Others who need a job and a salary would be thankful to have your position and your income. There are people all over the world who do not have shelter, warmth, and clean water, but you likely have access to it every day. When you remember that, it will help you to be thankful for what you have and for every blessing that comes your way.

But unfortunately, we live in an end-time season when people are so self-focused and self-consumed that they are rarely grateful for anything — and if they are grateful, that attitude is often short-lived and soon forgotten.

The Bible commands us “be ye thankful” and “in everything, give thanks” (see Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). Even if things seem to be going wrong all around us, we can still stop to count our blessings! We may feel besieged by need at the present moment, but the fact is, we each have many reasons to be thankful! In Second Timothy 3:2, Paul forewarned us that many in the last days would become unthankful. It is a warning every one of us should heed.

At this time of the year when we are especially reminded to stop and think about what we are thankful, grateful, and appreciative for, it would be good for us to consider whether we have been thankful, grateful, and appreciative all year round! Even if we’ve been through hard times, those times could have been even harder, and we can think of much to be thankful, grateful, and appreciative for right now, while we’re still going through our difficult time or struggle.

I’m not trying to attack anyone who is going through a hard time. We all go through hard times at various seasons in life. I simply believe it’s healthy for each one of us to stop and reflect on what we have to be thankful for today and every day!

• What are you thankful for?
• What has God done for you this year that has been a blessing to you?
• What have others done for you that deserves a special thank you?

These are questions that are healthy to ask. Remember, Jesus said that unthankfulness is evil, so you and I DO NOT want to fall into that category! Better to self-correct and to be corrected than to end up in that awful condition of being unthankful! We simply need to put words of thanksgiving into our hearts and mouths!

I hope this letter has encouraged you. It has literally made me want to stop writing and start making a list of what I am thankful for in my life. Why don’t you and I both take time to do this today!

Thanks for letting me share this from my heart with you. I think you can see I put a lot of thought and study into it. I take ministering to you very seriously, so I pray this has really strengthened you today!

Remember that we are here for you when you need prayer. We are praying for you daily, but when you let us know how to pray specifically, it enables us to be even more effective in our praying. And please pray for us too…our ministry is touching thousands of lives and we want to do it excellently as unto the Lord. I cherish your prayers for us — and I thank you for your remarkable financial support to help us do it. You’re not just helping — you are a key player as a partner to enable us to get God’s Word out to people in a timely fashion!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Jesus is Lord over everything you’re facing right now — and He is Lord over everything that seems to be happening in the world around us. Never forget it!

In the past couple of months, I’ve been writing to you about issues related to what so many people are facing in society right now. And I am excited that THIS MONTH, my newest book Last Days Survival Guide — A Scriptural Handbook To Prepare You for These Perilous Times will be released and available for purchase! I encourage you to get your copy at renner.org just as soon as you can!

Last-days events are occurring all around us, and there is victory to be had for those who are in Christ. But in this month’s letter, I feel led to encourage you on a more personal topic. So let me ask you…

What is your biggest temptation? Do you know what mine is? It’s a fast-food hamburger and French fries that my body does not need! That may seem rather benign to you, but that is one of the biggest temptations I face. But with God’s grace, I’ve learned how to deal with it.

The answer to defeating temptation is really quite simple… Would you like to know how to do it?

Be the Conqueror and Not the Conquered

   The fact is that everyone has to deal with temptations at one time or another, so you don’t need to feel embarrassed if you’re facing a particular temptation right now. But at the same time, you don’t have to succumb to temptation, because it is something you can overcome! All temptations can be beaten! You just have to make up your mind that you’re going to be the conqueror and not the conquered!

You may not have thought of it before, but the devil tries to lure you into doing something you ought not to do by using your mind and emotions. He injects thoughts into your mind that act as stimulants to get you all stirred up in a certain area of your life. At that moment, you should be consciously aware that you can let the temptation pass you by — or you can allow those thoughts to fester in your mind and take root in your emotions until they become a major stronghold to battle.

For me, the thought of a nice, warm, salty French fry comes into my mind — I can almost taste it! After that, my mind may go to a nice hamburger, along with a vanilla shake, all things that I do not need. I’ve lost a lot of weight over the past few years by being very disciplined. But every once in awhile, those images of fast food will pop into my mind and work like the stimulant I just described in the previous paragraph. It’s not sin, but it’s something I do not need!

But by refusing to accept the thoughts in the first place, I — or you concerning whatever temptation or mind-popping image you face — can avoid the whole struggle!

You can choose to turn and look the other way, or you can dwell on that temptation until it fills your mind and imagination. If you choose to meditate on the thought that the devil is trying to put into your head, it won’t be too long until he is waging a full-scale battle in your mind! If you don’t put on the brakes and stop those thoughts, the devil will conquer you.

That’s why it’s so important that you learn how to control your thinking. If you can keep your mind under the control of the Holy Spirit, you will make it almost impossible for the devil to defeat you in any realm of your life.

The devil is a master when it comes to mind manipulation. He knows that if he can get you to spend a little time meditating on something wrong, he can eventually entice you to do it! If the devil was persuasive enough to deceive brilliant, mighty, powerful angels, how much more easily can he deceive people who live in a far-from-perfect environment and wrestle daily with their own imperfections! The emotional makeup of human beings makes them even more susceptible to the devil’s masterful skills of lying, deception, and manipulation.

Satan watches for the right timing. He comes along at an opportune moment. He waits until you’re tired, weary, or exasperated. Perhaps you woke up in a bad mood; someone gave you a “look” you didn’t like; or you just started off your day on the wrong foot. Then suddenly he strikes you with a thought — something that takes you totally by surprise when your guard is down!

The Way Out

   When negative thoughts begin to deluge your mind, you need to know that it is Satan setting a trap in front of you. He is trying to ensnare you so he can cripple and devastate both you and the people you love. He’s trying to get you to bite the bait so he can set the hook! But you don’t have to fall into this trap anymore! There is a way out if you really want out of this type of emotional quandary.

First Corinthians 10:13 promises, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

The word “temptation” is the Greek word peirasmos, and it may refer to any outside source that appeals to a weakness in your flesh. That appeal pulls you like a magnet; it lures you mentally, emotionally, and sensually. It fascinates the imagination and entices the flesh to “take a closer peek.” If you don’t stop this process, it will set its hook in your soul and haul you right smack dab into the middle of some kind of sin!

Because the word peirasmos (“temptation”) can describe any weakness of the flesh, this scripture could apply to any fleshly weakness you might struggle with — from being lazy or easily offended to thinking too lowly or too highly of yourself to having a problem with anger or sexual temptation. Whatever your flesh responds to is what this word peirasmos refers to!

But this verse promises that God will make a way for you to escape temptation — if you really want to escape it! The Greek word for “escape” is the word ekbasis. This word is a compound of the word ek, meaning out, and the word basin, meaning to walk. When they are compounded, it means to walk out, as to walk out of a difficult place; to walk out of a trap; or to walk out of a place that isn’t good for you.

This makes me think of the time Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife when she tried to seduce him. Rather than stay there and try to negotiate in the midst of the situation, Genesis 39:12 says Joseph “…fled, and got him out.” In other words, he got out of there as quickly as he could!

Negotiating with sin usually leads to falling into it rather than conquering it, so it’s better for a person to just get up and get away from the situation as quickly as he can! This is why Paul was constantly telling the early believers to “flee” evil influences (see 1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22).

Your Part Is To Jump Through the ‘Escape Hatch’

The word “flee” is the Greek word pheugo, which means to flee, to take flight, to run away, to run as fast as possible, or to escape. This pictures a person who doesn’t want to succumb to those temptations that are surrounding him. If that describes you, you just need to get up, put on your jacket, pick up your things, and get out of that place of temptation as fast as you can! Let your feet fly as you flee that situation! You’re not stuck there — you can get out! You can walk out of that place just as easily as you walked in! Your feet work in both directions! God will make a way for you to escape those negative emotions if you really want to escape them. But you are the only one who can make the choice to jump through that escape hatch!

• If you know you’re being tempted to angrily explode, walk out before explosion happens!
• If you know you’re being tempted to get your feelings hurt, go somewhere else to pray and avoid the offense!
• If you know you’re being tempted to slip into a state of laziness, get up and get busy!
• If you know you’re being tempted to steal, get as far away as you can from the money or the coveted object!
• If you know you’re being tempted to eat what you don’t need to eat, get out of that situation immediately!
• If you know you’re being tempted to do anything wrong, it’s time for you to flee from that temptation!

Millions of Christians are held captive because they will not take the leap through that escape hatch that God promised to provide. As a result, they have no joy, no peace, and no victory in their lives. They may be Christians, but they’re miserable because they haven’t made the choice to jump through the escape hatch God has provided for them and to leave all those negative temptations and garbage behind.

If you’ll say yes to the Lord, He will show you how to walk out of whatever mess you find yourself in! You can avoid, evade, dodge, elude, shake off, get out of, and break away from every temptation — including eating a burger and fries you don’t need to eat! But you are the only one who can choose to walk out of those killer mental attacks or negative situations. The moment you make that decision, your journey to freedom begins!

So today the Lord is asking you: “Are you going to stay the way you are right now, or are you willing to take the proper steps to escape from your emotional temptation and demonic trap?”

What is your answer? What are you going to do? God is waiting for you to decide if you will receive the freedom He is offering you!

God is so good to give us such practical, down-to-earth advice that is helpful in walking free from temptations. But sometimes we also need the reinforcement of those who pray. If you need prayer for anything, in any sphere of your life, please let us know and our ministry team will get to praying as soon as we hear from you. In Jeremiah 33:3, God promised that if we would call out to Him, He would answer and show us a great and mighty answer. Let us pray with you for those amazing answers you need!

Thank you so much for letting me minister to you today. I trust this letter has been a blessing to you because I put my heart into it to bring you some spiritual assistance that works!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Before I get into the meat of this letter, I want you to be among the first to know that our meetings in the United States this summer have been canceled. About a month ago, we learned that international flights from Russia have been halted due to the coronavirus situation.

Because of that, Denise and I had no choice but to cancel all our meetings this summer — the first time we’ve ever had to do this for one of our regular trips to the States. Thank you so much for praying for God’s wisdom for us as we navigate this interesting season we are all living in all over the world.

But wait — although, we’re not able to physically be in the U.S. this summer, we are continuing full-steam with preparations for our special public meeting we had planned to hold on Friday, July 17, 2020 — and we’re going to do it online!

You won’t want to miss this historic online service, so save the date! From our Russian worship team opening the service with praise and worship in English to a word from my sons Paul Renner and Joel Renner and special music by Denise — and ministry in the Word by me — this will be a meeting that will bless you from start to finish! Please go to renner.org to learn how to log on and join us for this special time together in the Lord.

People have been asking how the situation is in Russia. Although the impact of this virus in Russia has been significant, in the midst of it all, God is moving mightily in the lives of so many people as we continually reach out over the airwaves to preach and teach the Gospel, which is truly Good News!

Whew…we are definitely living in unstable times, just as the Holy Spirit prophesied that it would happen at the very end of the last days.

But at the same time, this is the greatest hour for the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. A massive harvest is coming into the Church all over the world. Statistics prove that right now, more people are coming to Jesus worldwide than at any other point in history. The Spirit of God is swinging the Gospel sickle, and millions upon millions of souls are being swept into the Kingdom of God. Praise the Lord! This is one of the greatest signs in evidence today that we are near to the coming of Jesus (see Matthew 24:14).

But right in the midst of all this, events have occurred throughout the earth that have shaken the nations of the world and filled men’s hearts with fear. I am convinced that part of this worldwide assault has been the devil’s attempt to put believers in fear so they will retreat from this worldwide Gospel advance. Although we need to be wise and do what we can to protect ourselves in times such as these, we do not need to react in fear. Fear is never the answer, for it results in blurred thinking and bad decisions.

God’s Word promises us a sound mind if we will claim it. When Timothy was facing hard times, Paul told him, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

This verse says that God has given us a “sound mind.” This comes from the Greek word sophroneo, and it is a compound of the words sodzo and phroneo. The word sodzo is the Greek word for salvation. It means deliverance, protection, and soundness. The word phroneo is the root for the word mind. When these two words are put together, as they are in this verse, the new word is translated sound mind. The idea presented by the word sophroneo is a mind that is saved and protected or a mind that is sound. It is just the opposite of a mind given to fear, panic, or unfounded and unreasonable thinking. This word describes a mind that is thinking correctly!

Because God has given us a “sound mind,” we can think correctly about how to live in these last days — a time that Second Timothy 3:1 predicted would be “perilous.” The word “perilous” in that verse is the Greek word chalepos, and it literally means something that is difficult, dangerous, or filled with risk. This is a prophetic warning to let us know that those who live in the very last of the last days will be confronted with a strange period of time like mankind has never seen before. It will be a time filled with difficulty, danger, and risk.

Today I want to give you what I believe is a sensible approach to living in these last days. To ensure that we are doing all we can to remain in the blessings of God, these are the steps my wife and I apply to our own lives. These are the Holy Spirit’s orders to Denise and me, and now I am passing them on to you as they’ve been given to us.

Living in the last days requires that we have a greater sensitivity to the Spirit of God. Romans 8:14 declares that one of the privileges of being a son of God is that the Spirit of God will lead us. The word “led” in this verse is the Greek word ago. It is the picture of someone extending his hand to you so that he can gently lead you.

In these last days, we must be led by the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit will lead us only if we give Him this right. Oh, how many times the Spirit of God has wanted to be our Leader, but we went our own way and ultimately suffered the consequences! He knew exactly how to lead us past every attack. He knew how to avoid each strategy of the devil.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would “…shew you things to come” (John 16:13). The word “shew” is the Greek word hodegeo and is the word for a guide who shows a traveler the safest course through an unknown country. This means the Holy Spirit is our Guide. He knows the way we should go. He understands how to avoid every trap and obstacle along the way. When we are going into an area where we’ve never been before, the Holy Spirit wants to show us how to take the safest route. He knows exactly how to get us safely to our destination.

The Holy Spirit often stopped Jesus from going to certain regions because the Jews were waiting to trap Him. To avoid these traps, the Holy Spirit would guide Jesus another way. The Spirit also warned Paul not to go to certain places for the same reason. Also, in the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit warned the Early Church in advance about persecution, famine, and other trials.

The Holy Spirit knows the future and wants to enlighten us with all the information we need in every situation. This is part of His ministry to you and me.

If the Holy Spirit speaks to you and tells you to do something specific, then obey Him! Do you remember the account of when the death angel passed through Egypt and took the firstborn of all the Egyptians? The reason Israel was unaffected was that the Israelites obeyed the instructions God gave them to put blood on the doorposts of their houses. They brushed that lamb’s blood on the doors of their homes just as God had ordered. Later when the death angel came, he passed by every home where he saw blood on the doorposts. In the end, not one of the Israelites was touched!

But what if Israel had disregarded God’s instructions and tried to protect themselves another way? Would their efforts have worked? Of course not. God told them how to be protected. All they had to do was obey. If they did what God told them, they were guaranteed protection and blessing. They were untouched because they walked in obedience. Weeping, crying, and mourning were heard in Egypt, but not in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel lived. They found protection in their obedience to the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

As we obey the Word of God and listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading, we will have wisdom to know every step we need to take in the days ahead. All we have to do is obey God’s instructions, and He guarantees us blessing and provision even in difficult times. But if we try to take another approach, there is no guarantee for us to claim. We must do what God says if we want to be assured of His divine blessing and protection.

As a spiritual leader and friend, I want to encourage you to increase your level of faith, especially if you are facing challenging times. Stand on the Word of God — exercise your faith. Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey what He tells you to do. As you do these things, God’s supernatural blessings will kick into action, and you will soon find a river of supernatural provision flowing to your life.

There is no doubt that we are living in some of the most challenging days the world has ever seen. But you can face these times victoriously because God has given you a sound mind; He has given you the promises of His Word; and He has given you the leadership of His Spirit. Never has there been a more crucial time for you to operate in faith and not fear, and to believe for a mighty move of God to take place on this earth!

Today I’d like to lead you in this prayer:

Lord, as an end-time believer, I need to be filled with faith and not with fear. Help me fill my heart with Your Word, stand on Your promises, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and exercise my faith more than ever before! I know that fear has blurred my thinking in times past, but it will NOT have any place in my life from this day forward! Instead, I release my faith and confidently expect to be a partaker in the last and greatest harvest of souls ever to be reaped for the Kingdom of God! Holy Spirit, help me rise to the occasion as I become an instrument God can use in these last days. I pray this in Jesus’ name.

Please remember that we are here to pray for you. You can reach us by phone any work day 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT — or you can email us at prayer@renner.org, or submit your prayer request online. Just as soon as we hear from you, we will swing into action to lift your concern to the Lord in faith. It is one of our highest joys in the ministry to pray for you and to see Heaven’s best manifested in your life!

While I’m talking to you in this letter about being led by the Spirit in the last days, I want to tell you about my new book Last-Days Survival Guide — A Scriptural Handbook To Prepare You for These Perilous Times. This book is at the printer as I write, and I am excited to let you know that it will be available soon! Right now, for a limited time, you can purchase this book at a prerelease discount of 30 percent off the retail price! Just go online to our store or call our Tulsa office to order your copy, or copies, today!

Denise and I love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Greetings, my friend!

In last month’s letter, I asked you to pray for Denise and me as we prepared to minister in the United States this summer. About two weeks ago, we learned that international flights from Russia to the United States have been halted until sometime between mid-August and the first part of September. And that’s if more restrictions don’t follow on the heels of that, delaying outbound flights even further.

As a result of that, Denise and I were forced to make the difficult decision to cancel all our meetings in the U.S. this summer — the first time we’ve ever canceled every single meeting scheduled for one of our regular trips to the States. We wanted you to be among the first to know, and we thank you so much again for praying for God’s wisdom for us as we navigate this interesting season in time.

We’re not able to physically be in the U.S. this summer; however, we are going to continue full-steam with preparations for our special public meeting we’d planned to hold on Friday, July 17, 2020 — and we’re going to do it online!

You won’t want to miss this online service! From our Russian worship team opening the service with praise and worship in English to a word from my sons Paul Renner and Joel Renner and special music by Denise — and ministry in the Word by me — this will be a historical meeting that will bless you from start to finish! Please go to www.renner.org to learn more about how to log on and join us for this special time together in the Lord.

People have been asking how the situation is in Russia. Although the impact of this virus in Russia had become significant, at the time I am writing you this letter, things have leveled off somewhat, and government officials are cautiously optimistic, opening up a few parks and small businesses very slowly, with permits still required in order to travel. But in the midst of it all, God is moving mightily in the lives of so many people.

Our media team was quarantined for one month together at our studio so we could continue working to broadcast online teaching and encouragement in this season. Due to their commitment to do this, we were able to host at least six live events online every day — seven days a week — during that time! As a result, we’ve had more than 1,000,000 connections in the last 30 days from all over the world! There is immense hunger for answers from the Bible, and I am thankful that through Internet technology, we can be right in people’s homes to help them. In America, we started our Home Group again — this time daily, for a season, instead of weekly — to feed people’s faith about the future because so many have been hearing fear-filled messages. The response has been remarkable.

But we are only able to do all of this because our partners are steady and strong in their commitment to help us take the Word of God to people who are crying out for it. Proverbs 10:21 says, “The lips of the righteous feed many….” That is our task — Denise and I, our family, our team, and our partners — together, we are helping people who need it so desperately right now. Please know how thankful I am to you.

Just in the last month, we have done more than 400 live events. Naturally speaking, this would be an exhausting endeavor. But we are not tired at all and are supernaturally energized for this moment. It is a great testimony to the supernatural supply of the Holy Spirit. When that supernatural supply is being released in you, it gives you fortitude to keep going strong even when everyone else can barely take one more step.

Have you ever met someone like this?

Have you wondered, How in the world can that person keep going the way he does?

That person has likely learned how to tap into the supernatural Source of power I am describing. And the good news is that this same inexhaustible supply of power is available to you! In Philippians 1:19, Paul talked about this kind of power: “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”

I especially want you to notice the word “supply” in this verse. It is the Greek word epichoregia. To those who read Greek, this word seems like a strange choice for Paul. However, after reflecting on the original usage of this word, it makes this verse even more exciting! The word epichoregia is an old word that literally means on behalf of the choir. I know this sounds peculiar, so let me explain where this word came from and why Paul used it here.

Thousands of years ago in classical Greece, a huge choral and drama company practiced endlessly for a huge, important theatrical performance. After they put in a great amount of time, effort, energy, and practice, it was finally time for the show to go on the road. But there was one major problem — they ran out of money!

These people had given their lives to this production. They had committed all their resources to making sure the performance succeeded. But because they ran out of financing, it meant the show was over — finished! They were washed up before the show ever officially got started. From all appearances, it was the end of the road for them and their dream.

At that exact moment, a wealthy man heard of their crisis, stepped into the middle of their situation, and made a huge financial contribution on behalf of the choir. This contribution “supplied” all they needed to get back in business again! In fact, the gift the man gave was so enormous that it was more than they needed or knew how to spend! This man’s contribution was excessively large, abundant, overflowing, and overwhelming.

This is where we get the word “supply” in Philippians 1:19 that now describes the enormous contribution of the Spirit that Jesus Christ wants to give to you and me!

In light of this, Philippians 1:19 could be taken to mean:  I am certain that this situation will ultimately turn around and result in my deliverance. I’m sure of it — first, because you are praying for me; and second, because of the special contribution of the Spirit that Jesus Christ is donating for my present cause.

This means when you’ve run out of steam, when you’ve given your best effort and don’t feel you have another ounce of energy to give — and when it looks like your resources are drained and you’re unable to take one more step unless someone steps in to help you — that is exactly the moment when Jesus Christ becomes your personal Benefactor! Like the wealthy man in the classical story, Jesus steps into your life at that moment to donate a massive, generous, overwhelming contribution of the Spirit’s grace and power for your cause!

Jesus is your wealthy Benefactor. He has more strength and power to give you than you’ll ever be able to use! If you are weak, He has precisely what you need to get up, get recharged, and get going again! If you’ll open your heart to Him right now, Jesus will give you a brand-new contribution of the Spirit’s power — and it will be more than enough to get you on your feet and back on the road again!

So when you’ve exhausted all your resources and, in your natural human will, you’re too tired to keep going, let Jesus reinforce you with a new “supply of the Spirit” that will give you all the strength you will ever need. Just open your heart to the Holy Spirit’s help today. Allow Him to fill you with a supply of power so large, you can’t even use it all!

Jesus is waiting RIGHT NOW to give you a new dose of the Holy Spirit to energize you and put you back in a forward-moving position! If you’ll open your heart, Jesus will step in to refill you now. I’m always leaning into the Lord for a fresh infilling of His grace and power, so let’s lean into Him together — and together, we will be refreshed and revitalized by the supply He has for each of us! Amen!

If you’re a little weary from watching the news or feeling trapped because you’re not able to get around as you usually do, you are a candidate for a fresh, supernatural supply of the Holy Spirit! It’s yours for the asking right now!

As soon as we know about our summer schedule, we’ll let you know. Until you hear from me again, please keep praying for us to stay divinely energized for this season of opportunity to reach people by every means available. And pray the same thing for your pastor, staff, and church. Everyone is in the same situation and trying to figure out how to reopen things again. Every spiritual leader needs wisdom from Heaven and a fresh supply of the Spirit right now.

And, please, if you have a specific prayer need, let us know so we can really get specific when we pray for you.

Denise and I love you and thank God for you. Your willingness to help us take the Bible to others just amazes me. Together we are making a difference in many people’s lives!

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

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