Greetings in Jesus’ precious name! As we celebrate a special time of thanksgiving this month, it is also a good time to ask God if we’re doing everything He has asked us to do with our lives. He has given us so much! And He is prepared to do even more in our lives as we yield ourselves to Him in obedience and service.

So I want to ask you: Are you on track to do what God has asked you to do with your life — your time, talent, and finances?

It takes real determination to accomplish anything God has asked you to do. You have to make a quality decision that you will never yield to discouragement or allow yourself to give up and quit. That’s vital if you are going to victoriously finish your race and accomplish what God has called you to do during your time on earth. That’s what I want to speak to you about today.

But first, I want to ask for your prayers. This month and next month, I will be traveling all over Russia to speak in conferences and churches. The distances are huge (Russia is almost twice the size of the United States) — and the strength required to do this is great. I am strong and capable, but I sense the need to ask for your supporting prayers of agreement for safe travel, strong physical reserves sustained throughout, and a precious anointing to be imparted to the people in every place I will be ministering. Will you please pray for me?

Today I want to encourage you to never give up! Let me begin with a true story from this journey that Denise and I have been on with our family and team for so many years as we’ve pursued God’s call.

After years of searching for a permanent home for the Moscow Good News Church, we finally found a building that would suit our needs — after complete reconstruction. I put the vision before our church and our partners, and we started to believe for the money needed to purchase and totally renovate the building.

I sensed that our situation was similar to the Israelites’ assignment to possess the Promised Land. Just as Joshua’s spies outlined the obstacles they encountered when they came back from scouting out the land, I didn’t hesitate to outline the challenges that lay before our congregation. I related the facts with clarity, but like Joshua and Caleb, I made it clear that God would give us victory over every obstacle or giant along the way. The issue was not how big the giants were. The true matter revolved around God’s faithfulness to perform His promises and our obedience to enter into and receive the promise He had given us.

We were stepping out by faith to do what was required to receive God’s supernatural blessing. Completing this mammoth vision far surpassed our natural abilities, yet we were certain this was God’s plan. So we fixed our eyes on Jesus, convinced He would supernaturally enable us to accomplish this mighty deed. With our eyes fixed solely on the prize, we all committed to doing whatever God asked us to do. We also set ourselves to keep moving forward and never to stop until we had reached the finish line.

This grand undertaking required every ounce of our faith, strength, and might. It demanded the highest level of faith for finances that Denise and I had ever released in our lives. I knew that just as God entrusted Denise and me with the task of heading up this project, He had entrusted many faithful partners to contribute financially. God explicitly told me that people would generously help us — and that He would abundantly bless those who participated in the project. We knew that the same grace that was on us would also be on our partners and that God would supernaturally grace them to supernaturally give.

The Lord assured me that unusually large offerings would be given to help Denise and me establish this Gospel center in the heart of Russia so that this huge assignment would not be a burden. And as is always true regarding the heartfelt giving of God’s people, Heaven would keep records of every gift given, crediting those gifts to people’s heavenly accounts that await them there.

I have often reflected on God’s faithfulness as we ran that stage of our race of faith. He perfectly and completely fulfilled every single one of His promises to us. Although the challenges were enormous, we accomplished the vision! When we are all in Heaven one day, the fabulous building that we now occupy in Moscow will still be filled with people worshiping Jesus. From the grandstands of Heaven, Denise and I — along with all those who financially gave — will rejoice that we didn’t shrink back from His command. With God’s grace, we ran that part of our spiritual race and reached the finish line!

What race is God asking you to run in your own life? Has He given you an assignment that seems huge, gigantic, massive, and colossal to you? When you ponder what He is asking you to do and the ramifications of your obedience, do those thoughts rattle your emotions and make you inwardly shake? Or do your meditations before the Lord about the vision He’s planted in your heart ignite you and stir you up? Does it thrill you to know that God trusts you to believe Him for the impossible?

You have come too far to shrink back from God’s command now. It’s too late to turn around and run the other direction!

As we near the very last of the last days, there’s no place for fear or timidity. The time is short, and God is looking to each of us to fulfill His plan for these last generations. He is depending on you and me, and we must give our lives to do exactly what He is asking. There is nothing more important in life than to heed His voice and do what He is requiring of us.

God could choose anyone for the task or assignment He’s given you — but He has chosen you. So whatever He has given you to do, see it as the great honor it is that God would trust you to accomplish such a feat! You must push aside fear, reach deep inside to the anointing and power of God that resides within you, stand on His promises of provision and strength, and step forward by faith to see it done.

You will never know what God can do unless you do something that gives Him the opportunity to show you.

As the children of Israel prepared to cross the Jordan River into their Promised Land, the river was at flood stage — its highest stage of the year. Yet God commanded Joshua to instruct the priests to step right into the river! God assured Joshua that as he and the priests were obedient, the water would supernaturally part so that they and the rest of the Israelites could pass through on dry ground.

Imagine what Joshua must have felt. The people were watching him and the priests, looking to see if the water would part as their leader had promised. Every eye in Israel was fixed on Joshua. But this wasn’t Joshua’s moment to shrink back in fear — it was his moment to obey!

Standing on the brink of the Jordan River with its dangerous waters rising higher and higher, Joshua obeyed God’s command, and the priests lifted their feet to take that first brave step into the raging, overflowing waters. As they obeyed, the waters parted just as God had promised. The Bible tells us, “And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan” (Joshua 3:17).

It required one man’s courage and obedience to cause those waters to part — and because of Joshua’s willingness to do what God had commanded, all the Israelites passed into their land of promise. That shows the power of one person’s obedience.

Your obedience affects many lives! When you obey, it impacts many people and paves the way for others to inherit God’s promises as well.

I’m sure Joshua had to battle his thoughts and emotions, constantly refusing to give in to the feelings of trepidation that tried to overwhelm him as he followed those priests into the raging river. Had Joshua listened to the thoughts of fear and doubt that certainly assaulted his mind, he never would have obeyed. Just as you and I must do, he pushed all of it out of the way and boldly stepped out to do what God had instructed him to do. And in the moment Joshua committed to taking that step of obedience, he experienced the intervening, supernatural, history-making power of God!

Many believers simply stand on the banks of the river they need to cross and watch the raging waters flow by. But if they keep doing only that, they will never experience the power of God as Joshua did that day. If they want to “see the waters part,” they must be willing to rise up, step out, and do exactly what God is asking them to do.

And the same goes for you! When you finally act on that dream God has given you and step forward to do what He has asked of you, that is the moment you will see Him move into action and part the waters before you!

I’m so thankful that Denise and I — along with our staff, our church, and our partners — stepped out into the waters in front of us, trusting God to do His part. We had prayed about it, thought about it, and talked about it for years. Then God asked us to take action and obey. With man it was impossible, but with God, all things are possible (see Mark 10:27)!

Today this is true for you as well!

• Has God given you an assignment?
• Is He asking you to start a new business?
• Has He assigned you the task of reaching your unsaved family and friends?
• Do you sense that God is calling you to pursue higher education?
• Is His Spirit calling you into the ministry?
• Do you feel the tug of God in your heart to become a larger financial giver in the Kingdom?

When you know it’s time to step out in faith, it’s up to you to take your eyes off the turbulent waters that rage before you and fix your eyes on Jesus Himself — the Author and Finisher of your faith (see Hebrews 12:2)! You can be sure that what He starts, He will always finish. When you obey God, your obedience activates His power on a scale far greater than you could have ever dreamed or imagined. But that kind of powerful demonstration belongs only to those who obey!

Denise and I know what it means to accept a faith assignment. We understand what you may be feeling as you step out in faith to obey something God has told you to do that seems impossible. We assure you that He will protect you and supernaturally provide everything you need to accomplish the task He is asking you to do.

In our case that I related earlier, God was depending on us to trust Him and to follow His instructions step by step on the way to purchasing and fully renovating the building that today so beautifully houses the Moscow Good News Church. Likewise, He wants you to do what He is telling you to do right now to take steps toward the fulfillment of your own assignment from Heaven.

What race is God calling you to run? What river is He calling you to pass over? I deeply believe that God will empower you to do the most radical, supernatural thing you have ever done in your life as you commit yourself to His plan. It may seem as impossible as crossing the Jordan at flood stage. But His grace and power will infuse you, strengthen you, and guide you toward the goal as you keep your eyes fixed on Him and obey His voice every step of the way. And as you trust the Lord, He will bring you all the way to the finish line!

Just determine that from this day forward, you will do exactly as God instructs you to do. It’s that simple. That determined commitment to be obedient to the Holy Spirit’s leading will cause His supernatural power to manifest in your life on many levels. I’m convinced that your obedience will trigger miracles in every area of your life — your family, relationships, health, finances, business — including the fulfillment of things you’ve sought for, prayed for, and desired to come to pass for many years.

Please let us pray with you for the wisdom and strength needed for you to cross over into the victory that God has waiting for you. Of course you can pray alone, but it often helps when others pray with us. We are here to pray for you, and we’d love to join our faith with yours for specific needs and dreams that are strong on your heart.

Thank you so much for letting me minister this word to you today. And thank you again for being such a friend and partner with this ministry! You are so vital to this work of God!

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

Oh, how thankful I am for the precious call of God upon my life. Aren’t you thankful that He called and chose you too?

God has a special plan for each of us. The main goal of believers should be to find God’s plan for their lives and then to go after it with all their might and strength. That is what I want to talk to you about in my letter today! But first, I want to say THANK YOU for your faithful support of all that we are doing right now. We are pursuing the goal of providing teaching people can trust and to get that teaching to hungry hearts all over the world. But we can only do this effectively because of partners that support us to accomplish it. There is simply no way I can exaggerate or emphasize enough the important role each of our partners plays in this work — for all eternity. You are making a huge difference, and Denise and I want to personally thank you!

I also want to tell you that we are inching closer to the finish line for what we need for the expansion of our TV offices in Moscow. We are almost there! Thank you for your continued prayers for this venture — that we’ll soon have all the funds we need to finish this assignment. I want to express my deep thankfulness to every person who has participated in this faith project. When we reach the finish line, we’ll let you know it’s done, and we’ll all be shouting together about this amazing victory!

Today I want to take you to First Corinthians 9:24, where Paul wrote, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”

The Holy Spirit through Paul is teaching here that each of us is in some kind of race. That word “race” is the Greek word stadion, which later became our word “stadium.” However, it first described a racecourse that was 600 feet in length or one-eighth of a Roman mile — the exact length that was used in the athletic competitions of the ancient world, including the Isthmian Games that were held near the city of Corinth. Because Paul was highly educated, he knew precisely what he was doing when he used a word that described the racecourses of his day.

As I just noted, eventually the word stadion became the word for a stadium, the place where athletic competitions were held. Since this is the picture Paul had in his mind as he used the word “race,” let’s stop to consider the competitions of that time.

The winners of these competitions were rewarded both materially and with great honor. However, if you study these champions of the ancient world, you will see that the primary emphasis of the reward was not material wealth, but rather the distinguished honor bestowed on the winners of those games.

You see, these champions were only able to achieve victory in those games by being disciplined, balanced, and committed to excellence. For possessing these qualities that they had to develop and display so consistently and perseveringly, they were held in high regard. These champions became revered as heroes, gods, or icons in their society. Respect, honor, notoriety, and fame became their lifelong reward.

In addition to these ideas, it’s important to notice something else about the word “race,” from the Greek word stadion that depicted the huge arena where the competitions were held. Paul used this word to tell us that when we enter our race of faith, it puts us in the center of the arena. People see us as we walk by faith. They know of our struggles, and they watch as spectators to see if we will win our battles.

We must always keep in mind, therefore, that we’re not running a private race of faith, but rather a race that has influence on many people’s lives. Hence, Paul urges us to run our race in a way that encourages bystanders who are watching from the sidelines to jump into the race themselves and pursue their destiny in God!

By using these ideas, Paul was communicating to us that we need to see ourselves as spiritual competitors! But this life we lead is no game; it is the most serious competition we will ever face in this world. And the rewards of a life well lived are enormous. Not only will God materially reward us as we are faithful to His call, but He also reserves eternal rewards of honor and glory for those who run their race well in this life (see Romans 2:10).

It is interesting that Paul said, “…They which run in a race run all….” Notice particularly the words “run all.” It means every believer is in some kind of race. That person may not have awakened to the race he is in yet, or perhaps the race hasn’t yet been revealed to him. Nevertheless, the fact remains that God has a specific plan for every individual.

Our task is to find the divine plan for our lives; to “get in shape” so we can run our race; and then to run like mad so we can finish in first place! That’s why Paul exhorted us, “…Run, that ye may obtain” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

You see, runners have one thought foremost in their minds — the finish line! With this analogy in mind, Paul is telling you to run your spiritual race with all your might, keeping your focus on the goal — the divine call on your life as God has revealed it to you. You may ask, “How long am I supposed to keep running and trying to reach my God-given goals?” The answer is, until you “obtain” what God has called you to do!

The word “obtain” is the Greek word katalambano, which is a compound of two words, kata and lambano. The word kata describes something that is coming downward, and the word lambano means to take or to seize something. When compounded into one word, katalambano means to grab hold of, to seize, to wrestle, to pull down, and to finally make a desired object your very own. This is the picture of someone who finally sees what he wants — and instead of letting that goal he desires slip away, he pounces on it, seizing it and latching hold of it with all his might!

Paul uses this word katalambano to depict the attitude of a runner who is running with all his energy, straining forward as he keeps his focus fixed on the finish line. At last, the runner reaches the goal, and the prize is now his! He gave that race all he had to give, and it paid off! Had he approached the race with a casual, lazy attitude, the prize would have gone to another. But because he ran to obtain that prize, in the end, that’s exactly what he did!

There is no doubt that you have a divine purpose for your life — something God has called you to do. God has marvelous ideas and plans for you! The question is this: Do you WANT to fulfill His plans for you? If your answer is truly yes, then set your heart on your goal. Don’t be halfhearted, mealy-mouthed, touchy, or easily discouraged. It’s time for you to develop some resolve!

Do you see yourself as someone who is running the spiritual race of his or her life? Or are you simply “jogging for Jesus”? If you’re serious about fulfilling God’s plan for your life, it’s time to shift into high gear and to start putting all your spiritual, mental, and physical energies into getting the job done. You have to remove all distractions and commit yourself to a life of discipline, balance, and devotion.

To maintain the many victories the apostle Paul had won, he knew he had to remain vigilant. That is why he wrote, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

The word “castaway” in Greek is adokimos, which means disapproved, discredited, or disqualified. This is the picture of a person who won some type of victory, but lost it due to negligence. Now that person has become a “castaway.” It is the portrait of a winner who has lost his victory.

People often make the mistake of thinking that just because they’ve had a victory in the past, they will automatically have a victory in the future. Many people — having won a great victory — later make the mistake of letting down their guard and giving in to their flesh. As a result, they lose their victory!

Paul didn’t consider himself so high and mighty that he couldn’t imagine this happening to him. Rather than letting his flesh get the best of him and making the same mistake others had made, Paul chose to keep his flesh under control. That is why he said, “…I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.…”

The word “subjection” is a compound of the word doulos and ago. The word doulos is the word for a slave, and the word ago is the Greek word that means to lead. Placed together, these words for “subjection” mean to lead about like a slave. This means that Paul mastered his body rather than allowing his body and flesh master him. He was determined to keep his body in “subjection” and to lead his flesh about as his slave rather than become its slave, pandering to its carnal desires that would inevitably lead him into defeat.

By mastering his body and keeping it under his control, Paul turned his flesh into a mighty instrument:

• His feet became his tools to take the Gospel to places that had never heard the Good News.
• His eyes became his instruments through which he was able to identify needs that God’s power could meet.
• His voice became a voice of salvation to bring healing and deliverance to those who heard him preach.
• His hands became the hands of God that brought a healing and compassionate touch to those in need.

After winning many victories, Paul knew he still needed to keep his body and flesh under control so he could keep winning and not lose the victories he’d already won. So Paul kept his flesh under his command and made it his slave for the purpose of accomplishing God’s will.

Is your body an instrument God can use, or is it a tool the devil uses to lure you into seasons in which you lose the victories God gave you in the past? Don’t join the ranks of those who once had great victories, but now live in defeat because they refused to master themselves. Instead, turn your body into a mighty weapon that the Holy Spirit can use!

To win your God-ordained race, you MUST have the attitude, “I’m going to RUN this race, and I’m going to WIN it! I’m not going to live my whole life missing out on what God has for me! No matter what inconvenience I must endure, what price I have to pay, or what adjustments I need to make, I am going to faithfully run my race so that one day, I can obtain the prize — the fulfillment of God’s call on my life! Furthermore, I’m going to master my body so that it becomes a mighty instrument God can use to touch those around me!”

My friend, God wants you to jump in the race and run it to complete victory — and then to do all that is needed to maintain that victory! You can do it! If you need someone to pray with you about this, please contact us and let us know. We count it a privilege to put our faith together with yours for the victory that you need to reinforce in your life right now.

Thank you so much for allowing me to minister this word to you today. Oh, how I pray it has been a blessing to 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

First, I want you to know that my new book HOW TO KEEP YOUR HEAD ON STRAIGHT IN A WORLD GONE CRAZY has just been received in our office! We are releasing it to our partners and friends now, through the ministry, before it is released to the public on September 17. In fact, I just signed 1,200 copies, and you can get one of those while they last by going to renner.org or by calling our office at 918-496-3213 to purchase your copy. Please let me know what you think of my book when you get it!

This book is different than any book I’ve ever written. It deals specifically with issues that a last-days generation will be forced to face — issues that make this period of time different from any previous generation. I can’t urge you strongly enough to get your copy! But please pray before you read it. In it, I write candidly about delusional thinking in society and in the Church in the very end of the last days. This topic is what I want to address in my letter to you today.

But before I get any further into my letter, I want to THANK YOU for responding so generously as I’ve let you know about a recent opportunity for us to purchase property in Moscow to expand our Russia ministry offices. Real estate in this part of the world is at a premium — for this property to become available adjacent to our existing facility is amazing in itself! But we know God opened this door for us to do some much-needed expansion so we can more effectively minister to the thousands of souls who reach out to us from all over the former Soviet Union. Because of our partners’ generosity, we have received approximately 80 percent of the funds we need to move on this new part of our assignment. Again, I want to say THANK YOU!

It’s not just your generosity toward this expansion project that we’re so grateful for. Every prayer and gift you send to this ministry is helping Denise and me, our family, and our team do what God has asked us to do in Russia and around the world. In reality, we are on the frontlines of battle doing our God-called part, and we are thrilled to be here doing it! But you are supplying what is necessary for us to accomplish this work that is changing so many lives. I simply have no words to adequately express how thankful I am for you.

Today I want to speak about something very important that the Holy Spirit prophesied would occur at the very end of the age — an infiltration of seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. This is what the Holy Spirit foretold in First Timothy 4:1. He sounded this alarm to prevent deception from finding entrance into our lives, into our families — our children and grandchildren — and into our churches. And this message especially applies to those of us living at the conclusion of the age.

First Timothy 4:1 says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons.” The words “speaketh expressly” are a translation of the Greek word rhetos, which describes something spoken clearly, unmistakably, and vividly or something that is unquestion­able, certain, and sure. By using this word rhetos, the Holy Spirit makes His point unequivocally clear. The events that He was about to describe in this verse are definite; they will certainly come to pass. Therefore the Spirit speaks of them in undeniable terms.

In light of this, one could actually translate the verse:

• “Now the Spirit speaks in absolutely clear words….”
• “Now the Spirit speaks in unmistakable terms….”
• “Now the Spirit speaks in the clearest of language….”

The use of the Greek word rhetos makes it categorically plain that what the Holy Spirit is saying is not optional or something that can be altered. He was depicting something very clearly that will take place at the end of the age. Paul delivered the Spirit’s unmistakable message: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith….”

The Holy Spirit forewarned that a dangerous plot will be concocted against the Church at the end of the age. This last-days assault would be so insidious that the Holy Spirit spoke expressly about it — in absolute, clear, vivid, unmistakable, undeniable, definite, and certain terms.

This verse states that this threatening attack will occur in the “latter times.” The word translated “latter” in the King James Version is translated from the Greek word husteros. This word emphasizes the ultimate end or the very last of something. The word “times” is from the Greek word kairos, which in this case depicts a season. When taken together as one complete phrase, these words describe the very last season or the very last period of time.

There is no doubt that the combination of these Greek words describes the very end of the age when nearly no time is left remaining in the last prophetic season. So when this invasion of seducing spirits and doctrines of demons occurs, it is a signal that the very end is upon us, for the Bible clearly prophesies that the very end of the period is the time when this emergence of error is going to transpire in the world and in the Church.

Since these seducing spirits will be working at the end of the age, it means deception and delusion in society and even in certain sectors of the Church will be a key sign that we are near the very end of the age. Jesus made this very clear in His discourse that is recorded in Matthew 24:4 when He said, “…Take heed that no man deceive you.”

The word “deceive” in that verse is translated from a Greek word that means to wander off course. It could depict an individual or even a nation that has wandered off course. It could even describe vast numbers of nations that have veered off course from a moral position they once held to be true. It suggests a moral wandering on a worldwide scale at the close of this period.

This word “deceive” tells us that there will be a mass divergence from time-tested biblical standards at the end of the age. Jesus foretold that a moment was coming when society would move away from the long-affirmed laws of Scripture. Although He enumerated many signs that would indicate the conclusion of the age, Christ declared that this mass divergence from truth — and worldwide moral wandering — would be the first, foremost, or primary sign to alert us that the end was near. That is precisely why He named it first in His list of signs that would authenticate we’ve entered the wrap-up of the age (see Matthew 24:4).

Is this our age?

You know that we are watching moral confusion rage among the nations of the world as never before in our lifetimes. This confusion is perhaps no clearer anywhere than in the debate over gender identity — a manifestation of confusion so severe that it stuns most thinking minds. The culture most of us knew as we were growing up was established on Judeo-Christian values. But now, as the winds of change are blowing, we are watching as the world is rapidly departing from time-tested beliefs and traditions based on these biblical values. As a result of this near abandonment of truth and throwing away of moral foundations, confusion abounds and society is teetering on a treacherous path. The spirit of this world is working furiously to eliminate all remnants of a godly foundation from society and to replace it with a last-days deception that will ultimately usher in a time when the antichrist rules a lost world for a temporary period of time.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul prophesied that a mass deception would occur at the end of the period as a precursor to Christ’s return. According to Scripture, this period of worldwide deception will occur at the “outer rim” of the era — marking a time when delusion will attempt to pervade every realm of society.

First Timothy 4:1 is the Holy Spirit’s way of pointing His prophetic finger into the future to apprise you and me of this forecasted period of error that would emerge in the world and also in the Church in the last season of the Church age. The Spirit was so sober about what He saw happening in that last season that He communicated it in absolute, clear, vivid, unmistakable, undeniable, definite, and certain terms.

This verse continues, “…The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith….”

The word “depart” is a translation of the Greek word aphistemi, which is a compound of two Greek words apo and istimi. The word apo means away, and the word istimi means to stand. But when these two words are compounded, it means to stand apart from; to distance oneself from; to step away from; to withdraw from; to shrink away from. It is the very Greek word from which we derive the word “apostate” or “apostasy.”

This “departing” depicts a departure of a notable sum of people that takes place very slowly, over a period of time, and it pictures a person who changes his position, withdrawing or stepping away from what he or she once believed. This departure occurs so gradually that those who are in the process of departing may not even realize that they are in transition. But little by little, bit by bit, they are transitioning away from what they once believed and adhered to, and are moving in the direction of something very different.

This means the “departing” the Holy Spirit prophesies about in this verse does not refer to a blatant, outright rejection of the faith, though it may eventually lead there. It describes something much more subtle than that. It portrays a slow, almost unnoticeable, step-by-step departure over a period of time. It is a very slow with­drawal and change of position. The verse doesn’t say people will reject the faith; it says they will depart from the faith. There is a great difference between rejecting the faith and departing from the faith. Rejecting is deliberate; departing is usually unintentional.

Why “some” are departing from the faith is not stated in this verse. However, the reason is implied. It says they shall depart from the faith, “…giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).

Because the words “giving heed” are used in connection with the activity of seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, it provides the answer to what external influence is leading these people in a new direction. The Holy Spirit tells us that some believers at the end of the age will be seduced by a demonic influence that will lead them to open their minds to doctrines and systems of thought that are a departure from what they previously attested to be truth. Rather than stick with the scriptural truth that was so foundational to their lives, some will slacken their grip on what they believe in order to “become more relevant and reach more people.” But this erroneous move toward relevancy will require a disregarding of significant portions of the Bible that address the very issues they’re changing their positions on.

This step-by-step departure from once-held beliefs and convictions is happening in the disguise of open-mindedness, fairness, equality, and even in the name of God’s love. This shift in sexual morals has been seductively evolving over a number of decades. In fact, the transition has occurred so slowly and was so well disguised that those in transition were not even cognizant that a transition was taking place. But the reality is that we are entering a season of moral confusion and destruction due to this slow, methodical, seductive process that has led society off track.

Those of us who are committed to God’s Word must determine that we will not budge from the Bible on key issues and that we will keep our heads on straight on these issues even if the world seems to be going another direction. The Bible has never changed on these subjects. Its teaching has never been altered. But the authority and voice of Scripture are now being called into question by those who downgrade the Bible’s authority, relegate it to the past, and allege that it is no longer entirely applicable in the current environment.

This is what the Holy Spirit prophesied would occur both in society and even among some in the Church at the end of the age. Does this sound familiar and up-to-date to you? Do you see this being fulfilled even among those you know or love?

I want to encourage you to dig in your heels and refuse to budge when it comes to the voice of the Bible in your life. The world is off track and is going further off track all the time. But you and I are to stick with God’s Word regardless of opposing voices. If we’ll stay on track with truth, the Holy Spirit’s power will be released like a river through us as we come closer to the conclusion of this age!

This letter is a little different this month, but I pray it has caused you to perk up and think. We are living at the end of the age. The Holy Spirit did not write this to scare us, but to prepare and give us information that will protect us. That is why I wrote you this letter this month, and it is also why I’ve written my new book HOW TO KEEP YOUR HEAD ON STRAIGHT IN A WORLD GONE CRAZY.

How I pray that you get your hands on this book! I want you to really read it and let its truths sink down deep in your heart so that your thoughts remain clear and pure amidst this darkened end-times period. But I plead with you again to lay your hands on your head and heart to pray before you read a single page of it! Also, I am seriously asking you to join with me in prayer for God’s Spirit to open the eyes of others who read it  — that He will speak to people’s hearts and wake them up, bringing them into the state of spiritual sobriety that is required for them to navigate these last-days waters.

Please let us know how we can be praying for you too. We are already praying for you, but when you let us know exactly how to pray, it simply enables us to pray more effectively! Denise and I and our team are waiting to hear from 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

JESUS IS LORD OVER ALL! I want to start this month’s teaching by encouraging you not to ever let the devil, or your imagination, tell you anything different! It doesn’t matter what kind of storm you are facing — Jesus is Lord over the wind and the waves! And that is what I am going to talk to you about in my letter to you today.

But first, very briefly, I want to say THANK YOU for what you’re doing to help us with the office-building and land purchase in Moscow. We are still believing for the full amount needed, and we are in faith that it will come on time. If God moves on your heart to help us financially with this project, we thank you in advance for doing whatever He leads you to do. I simply cannot overstate the importance of your prayers and your gifts of support as we expand our capacity to serve the people who call into our ministry daily. Denise and I are so thankful that you have joined hands to help us fulfill this part of our assignment. You are making a difference in so many lives in the former Soviet Union and beyond!

I want to talk to you about spiritual storms and raging waves that try to derail us when we’re obeying God and stepping out to do something significant for the Kingdom of God. When you step out to do something in faith, that is usually the moment when the enemy attacks and tries to thwart what you are doing.

In our own ministry over the years, the enemy has struck to destroy from time to time. These attacks have usually come at points when we were about to do something especially important in the Kingdom of God. Each time, those attacks were attempts to thwart the plan of God. But the devil’s attacks always failed, and the power of the Holy Spirit always prevailed. And that is what is going to happen with you too!

Let me direct you today to Mark 4:35-41, where the Bible tells us that even Jesus came under such an attack when He was preparing to cast a legion of demons out of the demoniac of Gadara. Jesus was headed to “the other side” — where a great miracle was going to take place — when, suddenly, winds seemed to come out of nowhere to try to capsize Jesus’ boat and drown Him and His disciples in the middle of the lake!

Mark 4:37 says, “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.” The words “there arose” were taken from the Greek word ginomai, which describes something that happens unexpectedly or something that catches one off guard. This word is used in Mark 4:37 to tell us these winds overtook them unexpectedly. Suddenly and unexpectedly, there arose “a great storm of wind.”

The word “great” is from the word mega, which denotes something of magnificent proportions. It is where we get the idea of “mega-bills,” “mega-work,” “mega-tired,” etc. — and the word “megaphone.” By using this word, the Holy Spirit was telling us that this was a mega-storm! And notice what particular kind of storm it was. Mark didn’t say it was a thunderstorm or a rainstorm; he said it was “a great storm of wind.” The word “wind” is the Greek word lalaips, which describes turbulence or a terribly violent wind.

This “great storm of wind” was an attempt of the enemy to stop Jesus and His crew from reaching the other side of the sea where a great breakthrough would occur. So when Jesus was on the edge of a breakthrough, violent and destructive turbulence showed up. This was a preemptive strike of the devil to stop the plan of God. But it didn’t work, and it won’t work on you and your breakthrough either!

But since an attack like this came against Jesus, you need to know that the enemy will attempt to do this to you as well. That’s why you must “put on the whole armor of God” (see Ephesians 6:11) and learn how to take authority over the wind and the waves that come against your life — against your family, your finances, or your body — just as Jesus took authority over the wind and the waves that came against Him.

So what do you do if you come under a demonic attack? BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE…first check to make sure you have left no doors open for an attack. Then just like Jesus did in the middle of that storm, you must take authority over the wind and the waves in your life and command them to stop in Jesus’ name!

When Jesus was done taking authority over the wind and waves that night on the sea, the winds ceased, and there was a great peace. And “a great peace” is exactly what Jesus wants to bring into your life right now.

•  If the enemy has created a great financial problem in your life, Jesus Christ wants to match it with a great financial blessing.

•  If the adversary has created a great sickness in your body, Jesus wants to match it with a great healing.

•  If the devil has created a horrible marital mess in your life, the Lord Jesus Christ wants to match that marital crisis with a great marital blessing.

•  Whatever the devil does, Jesus Christ wants to match that attack with an even greater blessing in your life!

I want to tell you that your best days are ahead of you. If you are experiencing a raging spiritual storm, it may be a signal that you are on the verge of something magnificent, and that may be the very reason why a storm has suddenly shown up to try to stop you. But that storm is your opportunity to see a demonstration of God’s power in your life! Rise up in faith and rebuke those spiritual winds, and they will cease, and a great calm will come, and you will make it to the other side!

If you need help to do this, let us help you. We are very serious when it comes to praying for our partners. But to know how to specifically pray for you and the storm you’re facing, we need to hear from you. So call or write and let us know how to pray. We’ll rise up in faith with you to take authority over the wind and waves in any area of your life!

It has been so good to share this word with you today. Please continue to pray for us as we do what God has called us to do in Russia and around the world. God’s Word has the power to change lives, but people have to really hear it, embrace it, and believe it in order to experience that transformation. So together with our partners, we’re doing our part to get the life-changing Word to them through every vehicle and avenue God opens up to us. Thank you for helping so profoundly like you do! We are deeply grateful — and 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

Wow — I’m hearing from so many people who are responding to what I’ve been teaching recently, and I’m nearly speechless to see how God is touching so many lives. How can I be anything but grateful that He has allowed us to be a part of His great big plan to strengthen His people in these last days?

We’re also so thankful that our partners are helping us do it. In fact, we wouldn’t be doing all that we do if it weren’t for the faithful, consistent giving of partners. I say that our ministry is like a well-prepared automobile that is ready to go, but it needs fuel to operate. In a real sense, when our partners give, they put the gas in the tank to keep us moving and doing what God has called us to do! We count every one of our partners as a true participant and sharer in this work of God. For this, we simply can’t say it enough: THANK YOU!

I also want to express my heartfelt thanks to each person who has given toward the purchase of the new office space in Moscow that is so desperately needed. We haven’t yet reached the amount we need in order to proceed, but with our partners’ help, we have made significant progress. If God moves on your heart to help us financially with this project, please do whatever He tells you to do. I am convinced this is God’s will, and I know He will provide what is needed. And I am praying for Him to mightily bless those who give especially for this project.

In this month’s letter, I want to especially encourage you about defeating the negative forces that come to assault your mind and your life. I’ll start by referring you to the real-life story of David and Goliath.

In First Samuel 17, we can see how the devil used the giant Goliath to intimidate the armies of Israel. Goliath’s outlandish, arrogant, and disdainful declarations of what he would do and what would become of the Israelites were so effective that not one soldier from the Hebrew camp was willing to stand up to this aggressor. In fact, the Israelite armies were rendered paralyzed for 40 days — until a courageous young man named David came along with the power of God to challenge those lies!

The Bible says, “And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was SIX CUBITS AND A SPAN” (1 Samuel 17:3,4). In today’s measurements, we could say that Goliath was up to 9 feet, 9 inches tall!

In addition, First Samuel 17:5-7 says, “…He had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.”

In today’s weight, that “coat of mail” would be the equivalent of 125 pounds! But we know he also had greaves of brass and a target (javelin) of brass slung between his shoulders! The staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam — which means the long staff of his spear weighed at least 17 pounds. The Scripture also specifically says that the spear’s head weighed 600 shekels of iron — which is the equivalent of 16 pounds. One scholar has speculated that the weight of all these pieces of weaponry together — Goliath’s helmet, breastplate, greaves, brass javelin, spear, and shield — may have weighed in excess of 700 pounds!

In every respect imaginable, Goliath was a very frightful sight! How would you feel if you were challenged by a monster who stood about 9 feet, 9 inches tall and carried 700 pounds of weaponry? And imagine how much the giant himself must have weighed! Yet it wasn’t just Goliath’s size or weaponry that caused the Israelites to shrink in fear. It was the constant threats and mental bombardment that the giant hit them with every single day. This mental harassment “crippled” the Hebrew soldiers so that they lost sight of the awesome ability of God.

The Bible says: “And he [Goliath] stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together” (1 Samuel 17:8-10)

These threats were so emotionally overpowering that it shut down Israel’s entire armies. Verse 11 declares, “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.”

Goliath mentally and emotionally immobilized the armies of Israel without ever using a sword or spear! With words alone, he incapacitated, disabled, stunned, and “disarmed” the Israelites. The giant’s flagrant and preposterous distortion of his own greatness was so outrageous that his words bewitched the Israelite armies until they were spellbound under his verbal control.

In effect, Goliath said to them:

• “Who do you think you are to fight with me?”
• “Come on, just try to do damage to me, and you’ll find out what I’ll do to you!”
• “What’s wrong? Are you afraid to face me and take me on?”

Isn’t this what the devil tries to do to you? He is a slanderer and an accuser! By speaking to minds and emotions, he seeks to incapacitate, disable, stun, numb, and disarm believers the same way he paralyzed the Israelite armies through Goliath. This conduct is the primary tool the devil uses to assault the minds of believers — bombarding God’s people with thoughts, such as:

• You think you’re so tough — I’ll show you who’s REALLY tough!
• I’ll use this bad situation to beat the life right out of you! ?
• I’ll strike you down so hard and fast, you won’t know what hit you!
• I defy you to believe your financial situation is going to turn around! ?
• I mock your belief that you will succeed in the place where God has called you!

Throwing one slanderous accusation after another at your mind, the devil will do everything he can to slander and belittle you. He will defame, malign, revile, and smear you and your faith in order to drive you back into the ditch of self-preservation where you never do anything significant for the Kingdom of God.

If you listen to the devil’s threats long enough, you will become “dismayed and greatly afraid,” just like the children of Israel who listened to the words of Goliath and became functionally paralyzed. You’ll find yourself living on the low side of victory — unwilling to take on any new challenges for fear you might fail, for fear of what others might say, for fear of potential catastrophe, etc.

The devil wants to take you captive and destroy you with the same tools Goliath used against the Israelites. Satan wants to ruin your effectiveness with deceptive suggestions and lying allegations!

DON’T LISTEN TO THE ENEMY —
SPEAK GOD’S WORD!

But if you learn how to conquer all the lying emotions, slanderous accusations, and deceptive suggestions the devil uses to try to neutralize you, you will be able to keep the enemy in a subordinate position for the rest of your life. Once you pull the plug on Satan’s intimidating threats and lies, he will no longer be able to hold your mind captive. If you’ll take charge of your mind — learning how to SPEAK God’s truth rather than LISTEN to the enemy’s lies — the devil will lose his ability to use lying emotions and illusions to manipulate, dominate, and control your life!

When David heard Goliath’s threats, he decided to stand against the giant and to forever remove his ugly words against the armies of Israel. David said concerning Goliath, “…Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:32). Then First Samuel 17:40 tells us that David “…took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.”

David charged a giant — who was wearing 700 pounds of weaponry — with nothing in his hands to kill him but a sling and five stones! David was not naturally equipped to fight this kind of foe, but he declared to Goliath, “…Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (v. 45).

David continued, “This day will the Lord deliver you into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and He WILL give you into our hands” (vv. 46,47).

The story continues: “And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him…” (vv. 49,50).

But wait — David wasn’t finished yet! While Goliath lay with his face to the ground, stunned by the small stone that had been hurled from his young opponent’s sling, David seized the opportunity to make sure the job was finished! The verse continues to tell us that David “…stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith…” (v. 51).

Are you tired of being mentally harassed and emotionally tormented by the lying insinuations and slanderous accusations of the adversary? How would you like to sling a stone of faith into the head of accusing thoughts and drop them to the ground, stunned — and then “cut off their heads” so that they can never harass you again?

You do not have to listen to harassing thoughts that enslave you mentally and emotionally! You can shut them up and eliminate them! If you don’t know how to do it or you need help, call us, and we’ll pray with you! God wants to liberate your mind from every paralyzing lie of the devil!

Oh, it has been so good to share this word with you today! I know this letter is a little longer than usual, but this is what was in my heart for you this month, so I needed to get all of it to you. Thank you for letting me share it. I pray it has given you strength to stand up in faith against the enemy’s mental and emotional onslaught against your life!

Thank you, too, for your prayers and your partnership. Please let us know how we can pray for you. We’re already praying, but when we hear from you, it helps us get more specific in our praying! We bless you in Jesus’ wonderful name!

And we truly 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

As I write to you today, I want to begin by telling you that Denise and I are so thrilled about everything God is doing in our lives and through our ministry. This is absolutely the most exciting time of our lives! All over Russia — and across the rest of the world — we are seeing people respond to the teaching of God’s Word. This is what we live for, so it simply thrills us.

Of course, we are willing to do the work — God’s calling on our lives is deeply embedded in our hearts. But fulfilling the assignment is not possible without partners who empower us to do it with their financial gifts and their prayers.

For this, we want to say THANK YOU for every gift you have given, are giving, and will give in the future. What we do is vitally connected to what you do, and we never forget what you are doing to support this ministry. As our partner in this work, you can be assured that we are using your gifts as wisely as we know how, and we are fervently praying for you on a daily basis.

Thank you for taking the extra time to read in last month’s letter about our recent opportunity to purchase a much-needed facility adjacent to our Moscow offices. This new building will expand our ministry effectiveness to those who are responding to the TV broadcasts in the former Soviet Union, the United States, and all over the world. We are grateful for those who have generously responded to this opportunity, but we still have a distance to go, and we cherish your prayers. Denise and I are so deeply touched and are grateful for your support of this additional step in God’s plan for RENNER MINISTRIES. Thank you!

This month, I want to talk to you about the effect that God’s miraculous power has on people’s lives!

It is sad that many people think Jesus’ miracle-working power is only a thing of the past because He is the same today as when He walked the earth some 2,000 years ago. Jesus hasn’t changed. He still wants to touch, heal, and restore people. That’s why I want to encourage you to make room in your life for Jesus to perform His miracle-working, life-changing ministry through you!

God has always used miracles to attract people to Jesus Christ. Many examples can be found in Scripture, but one I especially love is found in John 6:2. It says, “And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.”

May I take a few minutes to focus on this verse with you today?

Why was this massive multitude following Jesus? The verse tells us: “…because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” The word “because” is the word hoti, and it points to the reason the crowds were following Jesus. It says they were following Him “…because they saw his miracles….”

Just as one would sit and watch a play from a seat in the theater, those crowds watched to see every miracle Jesus was performing. Like spectators in a theater who are mesmerized by an amazing show, they didn’t want to miss one “act” in this supernatural performance — so they followed Jesus to get a close-up look at the miracles that were constantly occurring in His ministry.

The verse goes on to say, “…They saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” The word “miracles” comes from the Greek word semeion. In the Greek world, this word semeion signified the official written notice that announced the final verdict of a court; the signature or seal applied to documents to guarantee their authenticity; or a sign that marked key locations in a city.

Taking that into account, it means these miracles were the final verdict or proof that God was with Jesus. When those crowds saw the miracles, they knew those supernatural acts were God’s stamp of approval on Jesus’ ministry. These superhuman deeds were the guarantee that Jesus was anointed by God. The miracles Jesus performed were like signs that declared, “God is here! You are in the right place!” They were comparable to a signature or a seal that authenticated and guaranteed God was with Him. That’s why those followers didn’t want to be away from Jesus for a moment. They knew Jesus bore the stamp of God’s approval!

John 6:2 even gives us an idea of what kind of miracles primarily caught the attention of the crowds. It says, “And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” The words “he did” come from the Greek word poieo, which often conveys the idea of creativity. The use of this Greek word implies that miracles of a creative nature were regularly occurring and that these miracles in particular were catching the attention of the crowds.

John recorded that Jesus was healing those who were “diseased.” The word “diseased” in Greek is astheneo, and it depicts people who are physically feeble due to some bodily condition. Their physical condition is so serious that it has rendered them unable to move about freely.

These were feeble, frail, broken people. But when Jesus walked the earth, He carried the anointing to heal the sick — and He regularly healed people who were feeble due to some bodily condition. The health of these people had deteriorated to the point they had become weak and frail — but once Jesus touched them, they were restored to health!

Taking all these words into consideration,
the RIV (Renner’s Interpretive Version) of John 6:2 reads:

A massive multitude continually followed Jesus because they were constantly seeing the mighty signs He was performing on those who were sick. Those whose health was so deteriorated that they were physically frail were recipients of these mighty deeds that authenticated the fact that God was with Jesus!

Those who followed Jesus during His ministry knew something wonderful was always happening because God was with Him. People’s lives were being changed; their health was being restored; and their purpose in life was being renewed. Jesus was the best thing that had ever happened to any person who came in contact with Him!

Jesus is still the best thing that has ever happened to any person who comes in contact with Him! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Hebrews 13:8). So if you have need of healing or a manifestation of miraculous power, go ahead and believe for a miracle to start working in your life! Just think of the profound effect a single miracle would have on your life — and in the lives of those in your circle of friends and the people you know.

And never forget that God may want to perform a miracle through you! As a believer, you are anointed to lay hands on the sick, and you have the right to expect to see those sick people get well. That’s God’s promise in Mark 16:18, so boldly claim it by faith and reach out to let His power operate through you to others!

Having witnessed many miracles in our own ministry, I want to encourage you to believe for miracles in your life and in the lives of those around you. When people see and experience the power of God, it makes them want to follow Jesus, just like the crowds who followed Him in John 6:2. Miracles are God’s way of shouting, “I am here, and I love you!”

It’s sad that many people think Jesus’ miracle-working power is only a thing of the past, because He is both able and willing to do now the same things He did when He walked on the earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus hasn’t changed. He wants to touch, heal, and restore people. That’s why I want to encourage you to make room in your life for Jesus to perform His miracle-working, life-changing ministry through you!

Whatever your particular need is today, Jesus has the power to touch it and change it. Whether it’s a need concerning your physical or emotional health and well-being, your finances, or your relationships — whatever your need — Jesus Christ’s power is present right now. If you don’t know how to lay hold of that power, call us at 1-800-742-5593, and our prayer team will lay hold with you so God’s miraculous power can be released to change everything!

Please pray for Denise and me too. We are pushing forward by faith to touch as many lives in Russia and around the world as possible. The Word of God has the power to change the lives of all who believe it. But they have to hear it in order to believe it (see Romans 10:14-17), so we are doing our part to take the Good News to them. For that to happen through this ministry the way God wants it to happen, we need a lot of prayer support!

Let us hear from you so we’ll know how to pray for you!

We really do 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

This month, I sense the Holy Spirit encouraging me to exhort people to open their minds and hearts to do whatever God is asking them to do. So today I feel led to ask you: Do you find it easy to step out in faith to obey God, or is acting on what you know to do a challenge for you? Do you struggle to get in line with God’s will for your life — or are you sold out to do whatever He may ask you to do? Be honest as you ponder your answer, because locating yourself in these matters is the first step toward aligning yourself with God’s perfect plan and His dreams for your life.

Before I get into my teaching this month, I’d first like to tell you about an opportunity presented to us that we feel we need to act on. Right now, our TV outreach is growing, and we are touching people all over the world in both the Russian and English languages. The fact is, many people are responding to our TV broadcasts, and we need more space for staff to help us effectively minister to them. This means we need more space for expansion — and the land and building next door to our offices in Russia have just become available for purchase. We could use the property fairly quickly with a little fixing up. The cost for this property is about $500,000, which for Moscow is a very reasonable price. We sense a green light from the Lord to proceed, but we need the finances to take this step of faith.

We know that God is our Provider, and our eyes are on Him. But would you please pray to see if the Lord would have you do something extra right now to help us move on this opportunity? I am letting you know about this need because I believe you would want to be informed about it. If many people could do a little, it wouldn’t take much for us to get this project done — but it will require as many people as possible to make it happen. I rarely ask for help in this way, but because you are our partner, I felt I should present this in faith to you. Will you please pray and believe with us about this amazing opportunity and important step of faith?

Now I want to encourage you on the subject God has put on my heart to teach about this month. God has a specific plan and purpose for the life of every single person on the planet. And the Bible is filled with people who heard and knew the will of God, but who experienced a prolonged “in-between” time while everything came into alignment so His plan could be realized in their lives.

Abraham is an example of someone who experienced a prolonged time between his dream and its fulfillment. He had heard from God, but it took him decades to fully experience what God had promised him. Or how about Joseph, who had a dream from the Lord about rising to a place of great position and authority, but it took him more than a decade to step into and begin walking out that call on his life.

Likewise, David was anointed of God to be the king of Israel. But he spent many years first working for King Saul — and then running for his life from the king — before his calling to actually be the king became a reality. Each of these men — Abraham, Joseph, and David — experienced times of confusion, discouragement, and frustration as they went through the process of getting fully aligned with God’s will for their lives.

THE PATH TO YOUR DESIRED OUTCOME

The same can be true in each of our lives. Sometimes it takes a while to really understand what God is saying to us. We discern His leading in our hearts, but for various reasons, we don’t understand with our intellects what He’s actually saying to us. Sometimes the timing doesn’t seem right; at other times, our own selfish preferences can hinder our understanding or cause us to misinterpret what God is saying.

Perhaps we hear His voice in our hearts, but our emotions don’t want to accept what He is saying. As a result, we rationalize that God couldn’t really be saying what we think we’re hearing. At other times, there may be a blockage inside us that hinders our progress — a wrong mindset or a stubborn will — and before we can proceed, that hindrance has to be eliminated by the power of the Spirit.

Another reason it takes people time to fully connect with doing God’s will is the comfort factor in their lives. Most of us like to be where we feel comfortable, and our flesh naturally gravitates to what is easy. It seems so effortless to take the path of least resistance. We are drawn to what is familiar and will usually shy away from anything that will “rock our boat.”

But if God is asking you to do something that is totally out of your comfort zone and contrary to your way of thinking, He can change your thoughts to become agreeable to His will. You’ll find the path to this desired outcome in Proverbs 16:3 (AMPC):

Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

What a powerful promise from God — He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and your plans shall succeed! But it isn’t automatic — there is something you must do first. You must commit your way wholly and completely to Him.

You may have found that settling into your divine calling is a process and even a struggle at times. I have struggled with it in the past — and so have many others. Don’t feel condemned or discouraged — just join the crowd! Our minds are finite, and sometimes it’s difficult for us to comprehend and assimilate what God is saying to us, even if we know it in our hearts.

The truth is, God may call you to a people, a place, or a job that you would not naturally choose. He may call you to a church filled with people of a different race and culture — an unfamiliar situation you would normally avoid. He may call you to a different city or a different part of the country or to another part of the world, as He called me. Regardless, you can rest assured of this truth: Wherever God calls you is the best place for you to be!

So I want to ask you:

• Do you have a dream that you know God has placed in your heart — a call or assignment that He desires to accomplish through you? Is it a struggle for you to accept and believe it? If you’re struggling, get quiet before the Lord and ask Him to show you why. Write what He reveals, and surrender it to Him in prayer.
• If you’ve gotten a glimpse of God’s will for your life, do you have a certain way of thinking that needs to change or a mindset that needs to be removed so that you can move forward to do God’s will? Have you asked Him to reveal any hindrance and give you His perspective on the matter?
• What is the “comfort zone” that is stopping you from moving forward? If there is such a comfort zone that is stopping you, why not pray and ask God to give you the strength and the desire to align yourself with what He has specifically called you to do in His great plan.

Today I want to encourage you to surrender yourself afresh to do the will of God, no matter what. If your will is strong and it is closed or opposed to God’s will, it may take time for you to come to a place of surrender and total understanding. If that’s true about you, just be real with Him and pray this from your heart:

“Lord, I ask You for Your grace to embrace the place where You have called me. As I do what You are asking me to do, I release my faith to believe I’ll experience joy and victory and that my steps will be fruitful for Your glory. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Never forget that God has a great plan for your life. He is just waiting for you to say yes and to jump in the race He has designed for you. Also, never forget that if you need someone to pray with you about anything, we are here for you, ready to go to God on your behalf. Simply write us a letter, email us, or call us, and Denise and I and our team will pray for you!

Oh, how I pray that this letter has been an encouragement to you this month. Please remember to pray for us too. And, as always, we want to say THANK YOU for your prayers and your gifts to our ministry. You are making a tremendous difference in so many lives!

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

This month, people around the world are focused on Easter, so I’d like to take a moment to share from my heart about the cross of Jesus Christ and what exactly it means for you and me.

The cross of Christ is a precious emblem to those of us who call Jesus the Lord of our lives. We love that cross and cherish it because of the price that was paid some 2,000 years ago when Jesus died for our sins.

Christ’s death on the Cross purchased our forgiveness, our redemption, our freedom, our fellowship with God, and our eternal well-being. But we need to remember that when the Lamb of God hung on that cross we deem so precious, He hung there naked, beaten, and bleeding profusely before a watching world — and it was a ghastly sight.

Blood drenched Jesus’ body, pouring from His head and brow, running like rivers from the deeply torn flesh in His hands and feet. The effect of the scourging Jesus received in Pilate’s palace had begun to take its toll as His body swelled up and became horribly discolored and disfigured. His eyes were matted with the blood that poured from the wounds in His brow — wounds caused by the crown of thorns that bore into His skull as soldiers pushed it down hard upon His head. The whole scene was ugly, unsightly, repulsive, sickening, vile, foul, and revolting.

Isaiah 53:3-5 vividly described Jesus’ sacrifice this way: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

According to this verse, when Jesus died on that hideous cross:

• He bore your
• He carried your
• He was wounded for your
• He was bruised for your
• He was chastised for your
• He was scourged for your

‘IT IS FINISHED!’

As Jesus breathed His last breath, He cried out and said, “It is FINISHED!” These words are a translation of the important Greek word tetelestai (see John 19:30). There were many nuances to this word, but precisely four of them have great significance for you and me.

First, this word was used when a servant was sent on a mission and later returned to his master. Upon finishing his assignment, the servant would say, “Tetelestai,” which meant, “I have done exactly what you requested” or, “The mission is now accomplished.” The use of this word means that in the exact moment Jesus cried out, He was exclaiming to the entire universe that He had faithfully fulfilled the Father’s will and that the mission was now accomplished.

No wonder Jesus shouted, “It is finished!” This was the greatest victory in the history of the human race! He had been faithful to His assignment even in the face of unfathomable challenges. But then the fight was over, and Jesus could finally cry out to the Father, “I have done exactly what You asked Me to do!” or, “The mission is ACCOMPLISHED!”

Second, the word tetelestai was the equivalent of the Hebrew word spoken by the high priest when he presented a sacrificial lamb without spot or blemish. Annually, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, where he poured the blood of that sacrificial, spotless lamb on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. The moment that blood touched the mercy seat, atonement was made for the people’s sins for one more year — at which time, once again, the high priest would enter beyond the veil of that sacred room to offer blood. This was done year after year to obtain the annual, temporary forgiveness of sin.

But when Jesus hung on the cross, He was both Lamb and High Priest. In that holy moment as our Great High Priest, Jesus offered His own blood for the permanent removal of sin. He offered up the perfect sacrifice of which every Mosaic sacrifice was a type and symbol. In that instant, there remained no more need for an offering for sin. Jesus entered into the Holy Place and offered His own blood — a sacrifice so complete that God never again required the blood of lambs or other animals for granting forgiveness. Hebrews 9:12 says, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his [Jesus’] own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Thus, when Jesus said, “It is finished,” He was declaring the end of all those sacrifices, because the ultimate Sacrifice had finally been made! Atonement was completed, perfected, and fully accomplished. It was done once and for all — finished forever!

Third, in a secular sense, the word tetelestai was used in the business world to signify the full payment of a debt. When a debt had been fully paid off, the parchment on which the debt was recorded was stamped with tetelestai, which meant the debt had been paid in full. This means that once a person calls Jesus the Lord of his life and personally accepts His sacrifice, no debt of sin exists for that person any longer. The debt is wiped out because Jesus paid the price for sin that no sinner could ever pay.

Jesus took our place. He paid the debt of sin we owed. And when we by faith repent and receive Him as Lord, we are set free! This is why Paul wrote, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

When Jesus uttered those words, “It is finished,” it was His declaration that the debt for the sins of mankind was fully satisfied, fulfilled, and complete. His blood utterly and completely cleansed us forever. It was far-reaching and all-embracing for all who put their faith in Him.

Fourth, the word tetelestai was used to depict a turning point when one period ended and another period began. When Jesus exclaimed, “It is finished,” it was indeed a turning point in the entire history of mankind, for at that moment, the Old Testament came to an end — it was finished and closed — and the New Testament began. The Cross was “the Great Divide” in human history. When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” He was shouting that the Old Covenant had ended and the New Covenant had begun!

In that divine moment when Jesus cried, “It is finished,” all the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus’ earthly ministry were fulfilled. The justice of God had been fully satisfied by the Lamb of God. At that moment, the sacrifices of the Old Testament could permanently cease, for the perfect Sacrifice had laid down His life for the salvation of mankind. Jesus’ mission was accomplished. Thus, He could cry out that His task was complete!

YOUR DEBT HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL

Never forget that because Jesus was willing to offer His own blood for the full payment of our sinful debt, we are forgiven and utterly debt-free. “PAID IN FULL” has been stamped on our past, sinful record because Jesus paid the price for our redemption with His own blood.

Think of all that Jesus’ death on the cross accomplished for you and me. It leaves me nearly speechless to think of it. It makes me stop for a few moments just to thank Him for what He has done.

Doesn’t it affect you this way too? Where would you be today if Jesus had not died on the cross for you? Why not take a few minutes right now to express your heartfelt thanksgiving to Him for paying the debt you could never have paid? Because of Jesus and His great love for you and me, the debt for sin has been PAID IN FULL, and we are truly redeemed. What victory was won at that hideous place of the cross!

As I close my letter this month, I want to ask you to pray for us as we reach out to even more people with the teaching of the Word of God. We need your prayers, and we are thankful for every financial gift you give to help us do this vital ministry. You are so important to us. If there’s any specific way we can be praying for you, please be sure to let us know, and we will pray eagerly. We are always waiting to hear from our friends and partners!

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

Can you believe it’s already March? The days of this year seem to be flying by, and there is so much for us to accomplish between now and the end of 2019. But with God’s grace, we can do it!

Before I get into my teaching today, I want to say thank you for helping us do this ministry that God has assigned to us. With your prayers and partnership, we are making such significant progress in reaching people that really need to be reached. Denise and I and our team are giving our all on the frontlines, but what you provide financially and in prayer is empowering us in practical ways so that we can actually do it. For this, we are so very thankful.

It’s crucial that we know exactly what God wants us to do in life and not just expend energy in a random or scattershot way. To do that, it means we’ll have to discover where God wants us to be and then stay put in that place in faith. That’s what I want to talk to you about in this month’s letter: staying in a place of faith! I’ll be sharing a slightly different aspect of a familiar verse to show you the importance of the obedience of faith.

Hebrews 11:6 says about God, “But without faith it is impossible to please him….” Today I want to do a brief word study with you on the word “without” in this verse. It comes from the Greek word choris, which means to be outside of something, and it pictures someone who lives outside the perimeters of a city. It presents a comparison between being outside or inside something — for example, in the house or out of the house; in the yard or out of the yard; or in the car or out of the car.

The word choris — “without” — depicts someone who is out of, not in, a specific location. Because this word is used in connection with faith, the writer of Hebrews lets us know that we can live in or out of faith.

ARE YOU LIVING ‘IN’ FAITH OR ‘OUT OF’ FAITH?

This also means that faith must be a real place with borders, perimeters, and boundaries. Just as you can live in the city or out of the city, you can live inside faith or outside of faith. The determining factor is your obedience to the assignment God has given you! God wants you to be located at this address of faith — for this is the location He deems the most valuable and profitable for your life. So residing at a place of faith for you means being exactly where God told you to be and staying right there, resolutely, in that place of faith.

Hebrews 11:6 could be accurately rendered:

When you live outside of faith, living beyond its boundaries and perimeters,
it is impossible to please Him….

Have you ever had a moment when you absolutely knew where God told you to be, what He told you to do — and you stuck with it, regardless of how difficult it was? If so, did you see God do the impossible for you as a result?

On the other hand, have you ever moved “out” from where God told you to be and from what He told you to do? If you’ve ever done this, you already personally know how disastrous it can be to surrender the place where God told you to be and to walk away from what He told you to do. The price for moving “out of” a place of faith is so costly.

I encourage you to stay put and not abandon the place where God called you to be. Don’t walk away from what He told you to do. It may be temporarily hard as you wait, but if you’ll hang on and stay put in faith, the Bible promises that you’ll eventually see God move miraculously for you!

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU IDENTIFY
WHETHER YOU ARE ‘IN’ OR ‘OUT OF’ FAITH

To determine if you are in or out of faith, you must answer honestly the following questions:

• Am I doing what God told me to do?
• Am I determined to fulfill the assignment He gave for my life?
• Am I living in obedience to His Word and to the revelations He has given me?
• Am I faithfully sticking with the plan Jesus asked me to execute?

As long as you stay in that place where God told you to be, you are residing at that address of faith and you therefore please God. But the day you give up and move out of that place of faith, you will be moving into cheaper territory that God doesn’t value as highly — a location where you will experience the hardships and inconveniences of poor choices and defeat.

As you read on in Hebrews, you’ll see that the entire eleventh chapter is about men and women who lived inside the perimeters faith. They each received a word from God for their own lives or for their generation. Although it was difficult to do, they held tightly to their mandate from Heaven. As a result, they changed their generations and pleased God. Faith was the location where they lived — and because they stayed in that place where God had called them, they brought great pleasure to Him.

A REWARD FOR THE PERSISTENT

The devil will try to discourage you from being steadfast and faithful. He’ll orchestrate situations designed to fill you with worry and fear. If you let the enemy’s plan work, it won’t be long before your bags will be packed and you’ll be changing locations — moving out of faith to low-level areas of defeat where you will not please God.

But for those who stay in faith, there is a reward. That is why Hebrews 11:6 says that God is a Rewarder. For those who refuse to be moved by circumstances; who adamantly reject any inclination to throw in the towel and quit; and who rebuff any temptation to let go of the word God gave them — it is just a matter of time until their faith is rewarded. They will receive the FULL manifestation of what they believe!

Hebrews 11:6 says God “…is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” You see, it takes diligence to stay in faith! It will require you to be focused, concentrated, and committed till the end. When circumstances try to knock you out of faith, you must have a fierce, unwavering commitment that you are not going to leave the place where God has called you.

• So what has God asked you to do?
• What is that place of faith where you are supposed to be living right now?
• Are you staying in that place of faith, or have you been vacillating back and forth, in and out of the place where God called you to be?

Make the decision that there is no turning back from where God has called you. God promises that if you stay in faith, there is a glorious reward awaiting you in the near future. It’s only a matter of time until the full manifestation of what you are believing will come into view!

So make every effort to stay at your address of faith! Inside that place, with its borders, perimeters, and boundaries, you are living in the most valuable, beneficial location for your life. You are living where God can really bless you!

Writing this letter today has encouraged me to stay in the place of faith where God has called me. I pray it has had the same effect on you. We must dig in our heels, resist the enemy, and determine to be unmoved until we receive the full manifestation we are waiting for from Heaven!

As you stay in your place of faith, it helps to have others praying for you. So how can we be praying for you right now? We have a whole team of people who pray with Denise and me for the needs of our partners. Please let us know how to specifically pray for you, and we’ll get busy calling out to God on your behalf. I promise this to you!

As I close, I want to say thank you again for every financial gift you send to our ministry. We do what we do because you do what you do. Together we are truly partners affecting the world with the Word of God.

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

Welcome to 2019! I realize we’re entering the second month of the calendar year, but I just want to encourage you that this year is going to be the best year of your life. I declare it to you in Jesus’ name!

But to make sure you have a solid start for the year, I feel the need to urge you to do all you can to keep every door shut to the enemy so that he is unable to find access to your life. There are practical, biblical ways to ensure you give him no opening, or entry point, into your affairs.

I’ll never forget the time a stranger tried to find entry into our home. It was a horrible moment. Although one of our employees eventually escorted that person off the property, the would-be intruder lingered a long time behind our home, waiting for our attention to drop and for another opportunity to get back onto the property and inside our home!

But Denise and I stayed alert and didn’t relax our guard until that intruder was long gone. Had we not been diligent to stay alert on that occasion, it would have been only a short time before the person would have tried to find entrance into our home again. However, a locked door and an alert attitude kept our home from being penetrated by this unwanted guest.

That may seem like a simplistic example, but an “open door” is exactly what the devil is looking for in each of our lives. If we are diligent to keep the doors shut and locked, it is much more difficult for him to find access to us. This is one reason the apostle Paul wrote, “Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). This short verse is full of insight about how the devil operates, and it explicitly tells us what our part is in keeping him from finding a way into our lives.

Let’s look at this verse more closely and see what it tells us. First, when Paul wrote, “Neither give place to the devil,” it was not a suggestion; it was a command. If you’ve ever come under spiritual assault and found the devil in the middle of your affairs, you understand the value of stopping the enemy at the doorway rather than finding a way to extract him once he has found an access point to worm his way into some area of your life.

That’s why Paul so urgently warned you to give the devil no place. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul told you to stay alert so that the enemy can’t freely access your life. Believe me, just like the stranger who lingered behind our property, waiting for us to drop our guard and relax our level of alertness, the devil will linger a long time to see if you are truly serious about keeping him out of your life.

That word “place” in Ephesians 4:27 is from the Greek word topos. It describes a specific, marked-off location. But rather than a physical location that we use a map to identify, this “place” may refer to a rough spot in our relationships, our finances, our thoughts, our personal habits, or to lingering areas of disobedience. Whatever it is, it’s an identifiable location that the devil seeks to find and use as an open door into our lives.

If the doors to your life are closed to the best of your knowledge, you’re already in good condition. If they’re closed because you’re deliberately living a life of holiness and obedience, you’re in an even better condition. But if you’re living loosely, you need to know that some door to your life is not only unlocked — it is likely standing wide open, literally inviting the enemy to come in and wreak havoc in your life! This is why you must be so circumspect in answering the question: Are there any open doors I need to close that will allow the enemy access to my life?

We need to be serious about our lives because the devil is always looking for a door, a window, or a crack — any entry point — through which he can access us. We must circumspectly look at our lives to see if there’s any area we’ve left open or unguarded that has allowed the devil to find a way to attack us. These types of “places” are the open doors he seeks.

The word “devil” in Ephesians 4:27 leaves no question about his intention to attack us as believers. It is the Greek word diabolos, which is a compound of dia and ballo. The word dia means through, as in all the way through an object. The second part of the word “devil” is from the word ballo, which means to throw, to hurl, to inject, or even to beat. When these two words are compounded to form the word diabolos, the new word categorically means that the devil is one who strikes repetitiously — trying to find a way to break through into our worlds and mess up our lives.

IS THE DEVIL MORE COMMITTED TO ATTACK YOU
THAN YOU ARE TO WITHSTAND HIM ?

This word diabolos vividly reveals the devil’s tenacity. He is so committed to our destruction that if he doesn’t easily find his way into our lives, he will linger and wait for us to drop our guard so he can try again, perhaps from another vantage point. The Greek emphatically means he’ll even try to beat his way inside if that is what is required.

In many cases, the devil is more committed to attacking us than most of us are committed to withstanding him. That’s why he is often so successful in the warfare he wages against us. And that is why the apostle Paul commands us to resist him and to give him no place!

Since we know the devil is trying to find a way to gain entry into our lives, we must use the weapons of warfare God has given us to resist him (see Ephesians 6:10-18). But it is likewise essential that we diligently keep watch over our lives on a sustained and continual basis, looking for any doors we may have left open that would make it easier for the enemy to find entrance.

One thing is certain: Living a life of obedience shuts doors and makes it more difficult for the devil to find entry into our lives. On the other hand, we must also acknowledge that if we are living in disobedience in any area, those areas may become the very entry points by which the devil gains access to disturb our peace and to try to stop our forward momentum and even bring destruction in our lives.

THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL HELP YOU CLOSE
DOORS TO THE DEVIL AND KEEP THEM CLOSED!

In light of this, let’s do all we can to find the access point and STOP him at the door! I realize that many attacks we experience can be attributed to the devil as he beats on the door trying to attack us from the outside. But the truth is, many times we have left a door open that has allowed the enemy to find his way into our lives and launch his fiery darts from an inside position. It’s up to us to do all we can to shut every door and to make sure those doors stay shut. And during those times we are under attack, it would behoove us to ask: “Holy Spirit, is there any area in my life where I’ve left a door open and allowed this intruder to find his way in?”

As you’re getting started in this new year, I want you to know that you can stand strong in the Lord, confident that the weapons of warfare given to you will enable you to successfully repel the enemy in the name of Jesus Christ. But if you have knowingly, negligently, or ignorantly left a door open that allows the enemy access, there is always the possibility of a successful attack against your life. So I urge you to close the door so that no demonic attack will find its way into your affairs!

If you find the devil has already found entrance into some area of your life, it’s not too late. Using the Word of God and the authority of Jesus’ name, you can drive him back out. And if you need someone to pray with you to do it, we are here to pray the prayer of faith with you. Just let us know, and we’ll add our faith to yours. Jesus has a mighty victory for you in every area of your life!

Oh, we are so thankful for you! We are grateful for your friendship and partnership in the Gospel, for your prayers, and for your financial contributions that help us do this amazing work God has entrusted to us!

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