Turning Away From Negative Opinions
January Teaching Letter from Denise Renner
Dear Friend,
Happy New Year, friend! 2024 has been an amazing year, and I have seen the Lord do some truly incredible things in many people’s lives. When we don’t limit Him, He is capable of doing extraordinary works in our lives. It’s so important to keep our expectations high as we begin this new year. As you get your footing and begin navigating the ins and outs of starting a brand-new year, I want this to remind you to have high expectations from the Lord in 2025! Just as the Bible says in Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”
Another issue that seems to impact our ability to start the year strong is letting the negative opinions of others get to us. Negative opinions from other people — and ourselves — can influence us. But the good news is that we don’t have to let those opinions drag us down! God has a purpose for you, and you have a supply inside to give! We have to be unstoppable and confident in the truth of the Word and what it says about us. Today I want to discuss how Jesus was unstoppable in the face of other people’s negative opinions, and that we can adopt the same unstoppable attitude!
The enemy hates you and wants to see you fail. He resents the presence of God inside you. He stands against the inherent goodness in you and wants to hinder your journey. The devil will use offense, fear of man, and societal opinions to cause you to falter, become stuck, or quit altogether. Today I want to discuss how you can navigate through the negative opinions of others through examining our one true, perfect example — Jesus Christ.
If you’ve read the New Testament, you probably know that negative opinions had no effect on Jesus. During His life on the earth, many people hurled many opinions at Jesus, and today we’re going to study how He continued moving forward in spite of that negativity.
Studying these verses has been profoundly encouraging to me. Despite the barrage of opinions directed at Him, Jesus continued to move forward — a true example for us. You will inevitably face opinions and opposition, including disapproval concerning your beliefs as Christians and even your personal traits. There will always be those who challenge the Gospel, but Jesus showed how you can keep moving forward regardless of this negativity. As you read my letter to you today and study the Scriptures, I want you to look at Jesus as your perfect example of how to not let the opinions of others get in your way and to be unstoppable!
John 7:1-5 reads:
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
Do you have a family member who doesn’t believe in you or a relative who dismisses your beliefs by saying you’re narrow-minded and need to catch up with the times? It’s frustrating, isn’t it? As you just read, even Jesus faced criticism and skepticism from His own family. They put Him down with their words, but He didn’t argue or get upset. Jesus simply moved forward with what God placed inside Him. This is a powerful example for us: others may have their thoughts and opinions, but it’s most important that we follow what God has said to us and about us. Opinions may swirl around like a storm, but they didn’t faze Jesus, and they don’t have to faze us!
This is such an amazing example for us today. Other people may have their thoughts and feelings about you or what you’re doing, but they’re not important. What’s important is that we move with the gifts and callings God has given us. When you focus on what God has said to and about you, the other opinions don’t mean a thing!
In this chapter, Jesus was judged by his own family and brothers, the Pharisees, the Jews, the chief priests, the authorities, and even the crowd at the Feast of Tabernacles (see John 7:1-52). You can imagine all the negative opinions Jesus dealt with during this feast. All those negative comments whirling around Him, yet Jesus didn’t fold. I want to highlight that Jesus faced temptation just like we do. Even though He didn’t sin, He understands the pressure we face when we’re tempted.
Because Jesus understands the temptation to listen to negative thoughts and opinions and give in to the pressure, you can receive His unstoppable power when you’re faced with the temptation to react to negative opinions. When you’re trying with all your heart to do the right thing and push through negative opinions, remember that Jesus understands this struggle. Just look at the opinions that surrounded Jesus in John 7:
- Verse 12: Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.”
- Verse 15: And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”
- Verse 20: The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”
- Verse 31: And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”
- Verse 41: Others said, “This is the Christ.”
- Verse 46: Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”
You can see that Jesus faced both approval and harsh criticism, yet He remained focused on His mission. But just like Jesus, if you want to move forward in life, you have to learn to ignore the many opinions coming your way. You can’t make progress just because people like you, give you their approval, or because social media says you can. To move forward, you need to rely on what God says about you and hold tight to it, giving you the unstoppable attitude to overcome and continue carrying out His plan for your life!
To fulfill the unique plan the Lord has given you, you can’t wait for the approval or praise of others. You must move forward because of the conviction you hold in your heart — not depending on an external blessing but on the blessing inside of you!
You can’t wait for approval or praise from others. You must move forward with the conviction in your heart, not because someone praises or approves of you, but because of what you believe inside. You shouldn’t pay attention to negative opinions or be ruled by what others think. If you let other’s opinions define you, you lose your own identity and become what they want you to be. Not only that, but you become limited by their opinion. Instead, be guided by your convictions and not others’ beliefs — whether they think highly of you or not — affect your actions.
Friend, I don’t want to be ruled by others’ opinions, and I hope you don’t either. Ultimately, we will stand before Jesus, not before those people hurling their opinions at us!
The last verse in John 7 says, “And everyone went to his own house” (John 7:53). So after all these people subjected Jesus to their own gossip and ridicule, they took their negative opinions home with them. But what happens next in chapter 8 is phenomenal. It says:
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”
— John 8:1-5
I actually looked up what the commentators meant when they said to Jesus, “But what do You say?” When the onlookers said this, they were taunting, ridiculing, and trying to put Him down. Verse 6 continues:
This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
— John 8:6
Note where it says, “…as though He did not hear.” The people were constantly taunting Jesus and jeering Him on, but what did He do? He ignored their ridicule and negative remarks and calmly wrote something on the ground before them. No one knows exactly what Jesus wrote that day, but the passage goes on to say:
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
— John 8:7-9
Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, ignoring their taunts. Although we don’t know what He wrote, we know what Jesus said. “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7). Jesus did something amazing by silencing them with His words. He was in a difficult situation because Roman law said that a woman caught committing adultery was worthy of capital punishment, and so did Jewish law. So Jesus was going to break the law either way. But Jesus wasn’t seeking the opinion of the law!
Whose opinion was Jesus seeking? After facing harsh criticism in chapter seven, He went to seek the Father and pray in the mountains. I’m not saying it’s easy to ignore negative opinions and pressure from others who ridicule our faith. They might call us outdated or hateful, just as they did to Jesus. But Jesus sought strength in prayer. Facing the pressure of both Roman and Jewish law, He stood up to the accusers.
The story continues in verse 10:
When Jesus raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
— John 8:10,11
I want to point out that Jesus could have just ignored this woman. He knew what she had been accused of — what she had done. Despite knowing her guilt, Jesus had the Father’s opinion, which was to show compassion and not judgment. He didn’t stone her, ignore her, or condemn her. Instead, He showed compassion and spoke to her.
She stood rightfully accused, but Jesus didn’t listen to the opinions of others. He had the heart of His Father. His opinion mattered over the negative opinion of the commentators and Pharisees. The Father’s opinion was one of compassion and grace — not to judge her, not to stone her Himself, not to ignore her, but to have compassion on her and speak to her. And just like He didn’t ignore the adulterous woman, Jesus doesn’t ignore us when we’re in a difficult situation. Isn’t that wonderful?!
When Jesus lifted His head from writing on the ground and asked the adulterous woman where her accusers were, you can imagine how she must have felt. Her face may have been streaked with tears, dirt, or maybe even blood because we don’t know how her accusers treated her. She looked around and said, “No one, Lord” (see John 8:11). That’s a powerful statement. And what did Jesus say to her? He said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (see John 8:11).
The woman didn’t argue with Jesus — she didn’t say, “Oh, but I am guilty! I deserve it. Your compassion is great, but I really deserve to be stoned. And the people hate me anyway.” The Bible tells us that she received what Jesus said to her. You see, Jesus’ opinion is the opinion that matters. Not the opinions of your accusers, commentators, rivals, or enemies.
It’s so important that we receive what Jesus says about us — to hold His opinion of us higher than any other opinion man can give. What other people say about us and their negative opinions pale in comparison to the opinion of our Almighty God. Sometimes people’s opinions are good, but sometimes they aren’t so good. And if it’s coming against what has been placed on the inside of you — the truth you know about yourself — you must hold on to that truth. When you hold that truth dear and receive Jesus’ opinion about you, you will develop an unstoppable attitude that no one’s negative opinion can derail!
Friend, there will be times when you may be tempted to ignore someone in trouble. But remember, you have the power of God within you. Instead of walking away, seek the Lord in prayer, and He will show you His compassion, His plan, and His wisdom about whatever situation you may encounter.
If you’re facing a situation where you could ignore the problem, I encourage you to seek the Lord’s wisdom and plan. The God of this world, the creator of everything, lives within you. He knows everything and can give you the answers, boldness, and courage you need to address the situation and bring His heart and righteousness into it.
The adulterous woman’s decision to accept Jesus’ opinion is crucial. We must all come to the place where we govern our lives by God’s opinion of who we are, His will, His plan, and His purpose for us. God had a plan for us before the foundation of the world, including our personalities and the gifts He placed inside us. We cannot let others’ opinions stop us from discovering or sharing the supply inside!
It’s so important for us to receive what Jesus says about us, not what others say. While some opinions might be helpful, we must hold onto the truth within us. We need to accept Jesus’ opinion about us over any negative views others may have.
Before I close my letter to you, I want to share my weekly program, TIME With Denise Renner, with you. Each Wednesday, I get the incredible opportunity to open the truth of the Bible and share what the Lord has put on my heart. If you haven’t joined me yet, you can watch TIME With Denise Renner on my Facebook page, YouTube channel, or by visiting Renner.org. I hope to see you there!
Friend, I pray you’re encouraged by this teaching today. It’s always such an amazing privilege to share the Word of God with you — to open these truths in John 7 and 8. I encourage you to study these chapters and see how Jesus pushed past every negative opinion, and how that woman chose to receive the only opinion that was truly important — the opinion of Jesus Christ! Take this attitude into the new year and watch as you become truly unstoppable!
Prayer is such an important aspect of our lives as believers, and we want to let you know that we take each and every one of your prayer requests seriously. To connect with our prayer team today, call 1.844.473.6637 or send an email to prayer@deniserenner.org. We are believing for you to experience the fullness of God’s blessings in your life and hope to hear from you soon!
We are moving forward together,
Denise Renner
Our Faith Overcomes
the World
January Teaching Letter from Rick Renner
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the year 2025…a year that is filled with God’s promises for those who lay claim to them!
Today I want to write to you about staying in faith for this year and to remind you of the prophetic word from the Lord, which I shared with you in my November letter. Paul told Timothy to remember “the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare” (see 1 Timothy 1:18). A word is certainly not the same as Scripture, but according to what Paul wrote to Timothy, when God does give a prophetic word, He intends for us to remember it, lay hold of it, and wage a good warfare by it. So this month, I want to remind you of that and encourage you that God has given you everything you need to walk in victory in 2025.
But first, as always, I want to begin by saying how much we thank God for you! Paul rightly told the Philippians, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:3-5). Just as the apostle Paul thanked God for the Philippians who were partners with his ministry, we truly thank God for your partnership with us in the work of the Gospel. Having more partners would enable us to do so much more, but we are so THANKFUL for you and every partner that is with us right now. We are thankful for all you have done, for what you do, and for what you will do in years to come as we all work together and do our parts to obey the Great Commission in this hour of history!
So again, as we start this new year, I want to remind you of a prophetic word I received concerning the year 2025. I asked God if there was anything special He wanted me to communicate to our friends and partners about the upcoming year, and, as I did, I heard the following words arise from within my spirit as the Holy Spirit began speaking to me.
This is what I heard Him say…
A Storm Is Coming — Spiritual War!
Batten Down the Hatches!
We are headed into a season of intense warfare on many fronts — economic, political, and spiritual. But the Lord is a Man of War, and He knows exactly how to strategize against and overcome every assault against His people and against His Truth.
But just as one should batten down the hatches in a time of storms, God’s people must be mentally and spiritually prepared for a stormy season that lies directly ahead. However, with the grace of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, the promises of God’s Word, and the weaponry He has given, we can move forward step by step with the strategic guidance of the Holy Spirit. And God will triumphantly lead His people forward and carry out His plans for this end-time age.
This is not a time to fear, moan, or cry, but a time to rejoice, for God is strategically at work even in ways you do not see. Although it may seem the enemy and those he is influencing are attempting to derail God’s purposes, remember that the One who sits in the heavens laughs at their plans, and He will ultimately have them in derision (see Psalm 2:4). God is a Man of War, and in the end, His purposes shall surely prevail!
In today’s letter, I want to look at this word piece by piece and then end with a scripture that God has put on my heart for you. But first of all, notice the word from the Lord begins by saying:
We are headed into a season of intense warfare on many fronts
— economic, political, and spiritual.
I fully believe the days ahead are going to be filled with intense battles on many sides. Some of them may be really intense, and they will be experienced in three realms.
First, economic battles.
A time is coming when an economic shaking will come to different parts of the world. This is why it is so important that we keep sowing our financial seed right now before difficult times come.
Ecclesiastes 11:6 says, “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.”
This verse means, “Sow your seed right now and do not stop! You do not know precisely what the future holds economically, but if you keep sowing your seed, it means you’ll be in good shape regardless of what happens in the economy!”
So I want to encourage you to keep sowing your seed and do not stop! Sowing seed now guarantees that you’ll be provided for even in hard times. Seed eventually grows, and it will come back to you as a harvest in the future if you have been sowing regularly in good times.
Second, political battles.
We are living in a time when incivility rages in politics. None of this is news to those of us who have been watching ugly politics on our TV screens, computers, or mobile devices. The public behavior of politicians and political parties has departed from the days of respectful disagreement into an ugly mess of intolerance and mudslinging. Add to that a widespread weaponizing of the media to perpetuate this indecent assault, and you have a modern picture of “kingdom rising against kingdom” (see Matthew 24:7).
Third, spiritual battles.
Just as there are political battles going on, there is a division happening in much of the Western Church. A large number of people are going “woke” and embracing lunacy, and we are seeing a departure from the faith that Paul prophesied about (see 1 Timothy 4:1) which seems to be snowballing with the passing of time. At first, this departure was a slow drift, but the trajectory has become more pronounced in recent years, accelerated over the past several decades by influential parts of the historical Church Body choosing to abandon the clearly stated, foundational truths of the Bible.
But at the same time, there is a large number of those who are spiritually waking up and declaring the truth and who refuse to budge from the age-old, unchanging truths of the Bible. The result, however, is an intense conflict between light and darkness within the Body of Christ. Unless a major revival occurs, this rift will only grow deeper and wider. If repentance doesn’t melt the hearts of people throughout the Church world, it will eventually seem like there are three churches in existence on the earth instead of one Body:
- A Church that holds fast to the truth and faces the brunt of opposition because it refuses to bend to the spirit of the age, but also experiences the amazing power of the Holy Spirit.
- A Church in the middle trying to “ride the fence” through accommodation or compromise in order to avoid persecution and societal rejection (see Revelation 2:12-17).
- A lukewarm “Laodicean-like” Church that has allowed compromise to run its full course, stripping it completely of the power of God and leaving Jesus standing on the outside (see Revelation 3:14-22).
It is not too late for the Body of Christ to make a full recovery, but for the Church to receive the divine power it needs for correction, change, and restoration, it must undergo a transformation from the highest to lowest levels — from the pulpit to the laity. The Holy Spirit is prophetically warning His people that the only way they can thwart this impending dark spiritual season is to return to their “first love” (see Revelation 2:4,5) and to Christ as the Head of the Church in reverential awe.
Taking up our own cross and surrendering every area of our lives to Him is always the correct path for believers who have chosen to walk with Jesus. We must be willing to face our cross as He did and believe for resurrection power to flow through us — even if it means suffering the brunt of a changing society that has no tolerance for people who hold to an exclusionary faith or to fixed moral absolutes.
If the Church has no fixed, non-negotiable biblical truths to stand on, it will simply become a spiritually weak humanitarian organization with a “Christian” philosophy that lacks the power of God. But I am convinced that there is a breed of believers who have chosen to take a stand for the Word of God — to stick with truth and the power of the Holy Spirit! For them, the future is filled with a visitation of God’s glory!
Again, the first part of the word I received from the Lord said, “We are headed into a season of intense warfare on many fronts — economic, political, and spiritual.”
Next in the prophetic word, I heard:
But the Lord is a Man of War, and He knows exactly how to
strategize against and overcome every assault against His people
and against His truth.
We must never forget that Jesus is Lord and that the Scripture declares Him to be “a man of war” (see Exodus 15:3). That means He knows exactly how to maneuver in all of these realms — He is one step ahead of every event, and He is strategically at war to undo the enemy’s plans!
Then I heard the Spirit say:
But just as one should batten down the hatches in a time of storms,
God’s people must be mentally and spiritually prepared
for a stormy season that lies directly ahead.
Being mentally and spiritually prepared for events in the future is vital, but we are not alone…and that is why the Holy Spirit said next:
With the grace of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, the promises of God’s Word,
and the weaponry He has given, we can move forward step by step
with the strategic guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The fact is that God’s empowering grace is upon us! The power of the Holy Spirit is in us and works through us! The promises of God’s Word are ours to claim and to declare! God has given us spiritual weapons to use when needed and we have the direction of the Holy Spirit.
(In response to this prophetic word, I have dedicated every TV program throughout most of the month of January to a new series called WEAPONS! To the best of my ability, I want to help our friends and partners wage a good warfare according to the word the Holy Spirit has spoken.)
And then, I gloriously heard:
God will triumphantly lead His people forward
and carry out His plans for this end-time age.
We must never forget that God is working! He is the master chess player who knows what move to make to win the game, and He is moving pieces around the board in nations and in ways that we may not see or understand. But one thing is sure: God will lead His people forward victoriously and accomplish His purposes in these last days!
In conjunction with that, I heard the Spirit say:
This is not a time to fear, moan, or cry, but a time to rejoice,
for God is strategically at work even in ways you do not see.
Rather than complain about what we see or what is happening, we must rejoice that God is in charge. Although it’s not always in obvious ways, Jesus really is at work to fulfill the plan of the ages. Jesus truly is Lord over all!
Finally, I heard:
Although it may seem the enemy and those he is influencing
are attempting to derail God’s purposes, remember that the One
who sits in the heavens laughs at their plans, and He will ultimately
have them in derision. God is a Man of War, and in the end,
His purposes shall surely prevail!
This brought Psalm 2:1,2 and verse 4 to my memory. These verses declare:
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed…. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
The kings of the earth, that is, world leaders, have their own plans — and may be trying to work a hidden agenda to accomplish what they wish — but God is seated on His throne, undeterred, and is laughing at their future plans. In the end, God declares that He will have them in derision!
Therefore, rather than be moved by what you hear or see happening all around you, this is a time for us to put our eyes on Jesus and our trust in the One who is seated on His throne in the heavens — who is working a divine plan that will outdo and undo all the evil works of men. In this hour, we must remember this and rejoice that God really is in control!
So as we come to the end of this letter, I want to leave you with First John 5:4, which says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
The words “whatsoever is born of God” include YOU because you are born again and therefore a child of God. This verse gloriously declares that whoever is born of God — meaning YOU — they are the ones who overcome the world.
The word “overcometh” is from a Greek word that means to conquer, master, prevail, subdue, or be victorious. The word “world” is from the word kosmos, which pictures all world systems. It would include all human institutions and all the political aspirations, plans, power-plays of man, but also everything in the natural realm. As a phrase, the words “overcometh the world” means that as a child of God you have within you everything needed to conquer, prevail, subdue, master, and be victorious over everything — including all the political aspirations, plans, power-plays of man, and anything else in the world!
Then this scripture triumphantly adds, “…This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” This plainly means that our faith gives us the supernatural ability to override whatever is happening in the world. Even if the world around us is tossed like objects in a storm, we can rise above it all and override it. I think of Noah, who, with his family safe inside the Ark, floated on the same waters that destroyed the rest of the world around them. By the way, I encourage you to read my book Last Days Survival Guide, as it will really help equip you to sail through these times in victory and peace!
So if we exercise our faith and apply everything we’ve been learning over the years about how to use that faith toward whatever circumstances or situations come our way — it doesn’t really matter what the devil tries to do, for God has imparted to us the supernatural ability to override it all! We are truly overcomers!
I realize this letter has been a little long, but I felt the need to encourage you with the word the Holy Spirit gave me for 2025. Wage a good warfare by it! Don’t let the enemy discourage you. And remember — you have a faith that overcomes and overrides anything in the world around you!
Before I close, I really want to petition you to please let us know how to pray for you if you are facing a need right now. Just reach out to us by calling 1-800-742-5593 or send us your prayer need at prayer@renner.org. Of course you can pray alone, but why pray alone when our prayer team is standing by to pray with you? There is power in agreement, and in Matthew 18:19 Jesus promised that “…if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”
So again, please remember that we are here to pray for you, and we really want to join you in prayer for God to move on your behalf to meet whatever need is on your heart. We will get into scriptural agreement with you, and Jesus will do His part to do exactly what needs to be done! We really do believe in the power of prayer!
Thank you for letting me minister to you today!
We are your brother and sister, friends, and partners in Jesus,
Rick and Denise Renner
along with Paul, Philip, and Joel Renner and our entire ministry team
P.S. Click here to view the new interactive Ministry Update page or click here to download the printable pdf flyer.
Choosing To Walk in the Love of God
December Teaching Letter from Denise Renner
Dear Friend,
Before I begin my letter this month, I wish you the warmest greetings this Christmas season. I’m sure your calendar is filled with parties, errands, and holiday plans right now, and it’s easy to feel like you can’t check everything off your to-do list. But you can always find comfort in this thought: You only have to live one day at a time, and what you do today will prepare you for tomorrow. Even though this time of year is notoriously busy, take it one day at a time and have a very Merry Christmas!
I also want to encourage you this Christmas season to be aware that the One you call Lord and Savior is also the Prince of Peace. As you navigate this holiday season, you may find yourself standing in line, waiting to pay for wrapping paper or a Christmas present when you notice the person in front of you can’t find their credit card and is causing a delay. Or maybe you notice someone get frustrated and speak rudely to the clerk serving them. Or perhaps the store clerk will be rude to you or doesn’t move as quickly as you’d like him to.
When those little annoyances happen, just remember who lives inside you — the Spirit of the One who is Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, Great I Am, First and Last, and the Greater One. He is residing within you, so you are equipped with everything you need to be kind, gentle, loving, and forgiving in any situation that may arise.
In this month’s letter, I want to focus on the characteristics of God’s unchanging, unending, ever-present love. The Bible talks a lot about God’s love, something many have grown up hearing all about. But when life gets busy, we can sometimes forget just how great His love is for us, and what it gives us the ability to do in our daily lives!
The Lord’s unconditional love for us is so amazing. It was out of this great love that He sent His only Son Jesus to the earth and laid down His life on the Cross to pay for our sins. Not only this, but He sent the Holy Spirit to live within us. That is a powerful love! As we continue to study God’s love, the curtain will be drawn further and further apart, opening up to us this amazing revelation of His love personally.
Jesus went so far as to die for us, to take our punishments, and to take our sins! He even went a step further and gave us the Holy Spirit — our personal Counselor, Comforter, Helper, and Guide — to live inside us!
Paul details the magnitude of this love in First Corinthians 6:19, which says:
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
If you are born again — meaning you believe in your heart and have confessed with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Savior — you have within you the Holy Spirit, who is just like Jesus.
The Bible tells us that at the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit enters your spirit, bringing with Him the very love of God.
…The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
— Romans 5:5
How amazing is that?! When you accepted Jesus into your heart and the Holy Spirit came to dwell within you, He put God’s eternal, unchanging love in your heart. And when you open your heart and acknowledge Him, you can receive even more of this great love of God.
Even if we don’t say, think, or do the right thing, instead of leaving or abandoning us, God’s unconditional love is always there! It doesn’t change. It doesn’t move. It’s constantly there for us to open our hearts and freely receive that magnificent love and forgiveness over and over again!
The Lover Inside Us
Romans 8:38 and 39 says:
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When you became born again, the indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit came to live within you. The Bible teaches that He is greater than anything or anyone in this world. It even refers to Him as the Greater One inside us in First John 4:4, which states:
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
As born-again believers, we can look to the Holy Spirit for guidance and rest assured that He will help us live as overcomers. There is absolutely no circumstance or situation that is too big or difficult for His mighty power to change.
The power of the Holy Spirit can be expressed in many ways. One of the most valuable benefits of having the Holy Spirit living within you is the ability to love others with the precious love of Christ. By acknowledging His presence and respecting His role as the Greater One on the inside, you can tap into the power of the Holy Spirit every single day. And as you begin to allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life and operate in the love of God, you will see the fruit of it in every aspect of your life.
The love of God is on a magnitude that nothing in or of this world could come even close to recreating. The world doesn’t have this kind of love because it is a direct result of the Holy Spirit’s inward working in your heart. As it says in Romans 5:5, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” The characteristics of God’s great love have been planted in your heart through the Lover inside you, and as you give place to it, this love can impact everyone you come into contact with.
The love of God is so powerful that once it has been imparted to us through the Holy Spirit, it has the power to change our lives including our attitudes, actions, behaviors, and our words. It even transforms the way we think about others and causes us to pursue peace in our relationships!
God’s love can also cause us to let go of selfish attitudes. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” While we may never physically lay down our life for another, we can be selfless in our interactions with friends, family members, acquaintances, or those we come into contact with during the course of our daily lives.
When God’s love is living within you, it causes you to let go of the selfish nature of your flesh and be considerate of those around you. Whenever you become tempted to act ugly or unkind toward another person, you can remember that the Greater One living within you is there to help you overcome the weaknesses of your flesh. If you find yourself wanting to be unkind or even react to someone being unkind to you, draw from the power deep within your spirit and release the supernatural love of God instead!
We are all tempted by our flesh to react with bitterness, selfishness, or unforgiveness. But as we truly grasp the enormity of what Jesus did when He suffered and died to pay for our sins, it motivates us to shove the desires of our flesh aside and love as He loves and forgive as He forgives.
If you have confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you are forgiven and loved, meaning you are full of the love of God and can show that very same love and forgiveness to those around you.
It isn’t always easy to walk in love toward others, but that’s why we have the Holy Spirit — the Lover — and the Word of God to guide us! Life can throw some sensitive and complicated situations our way, making expressing God’s love correctly difficult at times. But by holding onto what God says in His Word and calling upon the Holy Spirit within us, we can deal with even the hardest situations in a way that displays the same love Jesus showed us when He died on the Cross.
A High-Level Kind of Love
Even when we were far removed from God and living in sin, His great love forgave us. And now that we have been born again and have His love alive in our hearts, He calls on us to love and forgive others just as He did — even our enemies.
Without the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance, this would not be possible, but because of His unfailing living in us, we can tap into the love deep within us to love others as He loves us. The Bible tells us that:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
— Matthew 5:43-46
God wants us to love those who are good, those who are bad, those who are just, and those who are unjust (see Matthew 5:43-45). The Bible has a lot to say about why we should love others the way God loves us, and it reveals that because the Holy Spirit is living inside us, it equips us to love like He loves. This includes our enemies, those who persecute us, those who despitefully use us, and those who hurt or do wrong by us. We are called to love them. God commands us to love everyone no matter what. This is the kind of high-level love Jesus taught and continues to teach us to this very day.
What Kind of Fruit Are You Producing?
The Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of a believer is evident through the fruit of the Spirit they’re producing. You’re probably familiar with the fruit of the Spirit as detailed in Galatians 5:22 and 23. It says:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control….
This fruit is instilled in your heart atthe moment of salvation, and as you learn to release this precious fruit, you will become equipped to overcome any circumstance this life can throw at you!
The fruitfulness of the Christian life isn’t just for personal benefit, but it also shows the character of the heart of God, drawing others nearer to Christ.
The Holy Spirit — the Greater One — living inside you produces beautiful fruit, all of which are valuable in their own ways. But as you’ve been reading about, one of the most wonderful attributes of the Holy Spirit is the love of God. Again Romans 5:5 says, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
As you know, when you became born again, the Holy Spirit began pouring the love of God into your heart — but not the natural, emotion-driven love — the highest quality of love to ever exist! The God kind of love is a high-level kind of love, and it will enable you to do some amazing things that your flesh could never do on its own.
The love of God inside you allows you to love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for your persecutors (see Matthew 5:32-46). These actions are things that just aren’t possible with natural, human love because God’s love far surpasses what human love can accomplish. His love is supernatural and resides in you by the presence of the Holy Spirit!
Forgiveness is another attribute of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. Although we have all experienced hurt and pain from another in the past, we can forgive and release those who hurt us by the power of God living inside us. It is because God forgave us that we can forgive others. All we need to do is access God’s supernatural love placed in our hearts when we were born again!
Sometimes forgiving someone can seem difficult or even impossible but God’s love activated by the Holy Spirit can release forgiveness to anyone, regardless of the pain that person may have caused.
Love and forgiveness are just a few examples of the fruit of the Spirit that you can exhibit through the Greater One living inside you, but releasing them is a choice for which we are all responsible. We can decide to live lives full of bitterness or allow the fruit of love to dominate every aspect of our lives.
When you choose to release the fruit of the Holy Spirit, it frees you to run and finish the race set before you in complete victory! His fruit is already stored within your spirit — it’s up to you to acknowledge His presence and produce it every day, showing the heart of the Father to everyone you cross paths with. By giving the Holy Spirit room to express Himself in you through the fruit of the Spirit, there is absolutely nothing in this life you can’t overcome!
The Love of God Never Fails
Walking in love all day, every day isn’t something we can accomplish on our own. One of the best places to learn about love is “the love chapter,” or First Corinthians 13. First Corinthians 13:4-8 reads:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails….
If you’re unsure what God’s love would do in a given situation, just return to His Word. It will show you what love looks like and how it operates. And the great news is that God’s love is already inside you! It is immediately available to operate through you and to empower you. All you need to do is acknowledge its power and release it by faith!
According to Galatians 5:22 and 23, the Bible says there is no law against the love of God. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law.” In other words, nothing — especially that is in or of this world — can stand against this kind of love. It can never fail.
The Bible is full of examples of the great love God has for mankind. Because of the vastness of this love, we now have healing, deliverance, and forgiveness — and we can freely share these precious gifts with others through the great love that is shed abroad in our hearts (see Romans 5:5). As His beloved children, we are called to do likewise through forgiving and loving others.
We can learn so much from the display of God’s love demonstrated for all mankind. Anyone can say, “I love you,” but it is their actions that show beyond a shadow of a doubt that they love us. God displayed His perfect, unchanging, unconditional, undefinable love for us when he sent Jesus to die for us. He chose us. We can rest assured that we are so incredibly important to God because His actions revealed — and continue to reveal — the gravity of His love. The Bible says in Romans 5:8:
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God came to the earth to rescue His people but they didn’t receive Him (see John 1:1). Instead, they rejected Him. He knew they would not be receptive to Jesus, yet He came and laid down His life for them anyway. That is the love of God being expressed through Jesus Christ.
John 1:4 and 5 says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” Read that again — there is no darkness so dark that God’s light can’t overcome!
The love of God can be likened to a garden tiller that pulls out all the weeds and makes the ground soft and ready to receive seed. Love can go into the ground of any heart and remove hate, criticism, jealousy, bitterness, unforgiveness, offense, or fear because it’s the most powerful thing on this earth. God’s love can triumph over anything standing in its way!
Friend, you can’t escape the love of God when you’re born again. His love is in you all the time. God’s presence will never leave you, and the Lord will continue to uphold you with His righteous right hand (see Isaiah 41:10). It is truly amazing how great of a love God displayed to us. Every morning we should wake up and say, “God, help me to know how much You love me, and help me love others with the love that You’ve placed inside me.” The supernatural impartation of the love of God happened the moment you made Jesus your Lord and Savior. When you became born again, the love of God came inside you to dwell in your heart. It’s not here for just a certain moment, week, month, or year. This supernatural love always resides within you! It’s available for you to draw from at any moment for the rest of your life.
The end of the year is drawing closer every day! I encourage you to be intentional about walking in love in your thoughts, words, and actions. Endeavor to make every interaction one that reflects the very love and heart of the Father. As you tap into the love of God that was placed inside you at the moment of your salvation, you will see your circumstances, relationships, and spirit change for the better.
I also want to personally invite you to watch my weekly program, TIME With Denise Renner. Each Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. CT, join me as I bring encouragement from the Word that will strengthen and uplift your spirit! You can watch TIME on my Facebook page, YouTube channel, or visit Renner.org for more information. I look forward to sharing the truth of the Gospel and fellowshipping with you!
Before I close my letter to you this month, I want to let you know that if you are going through a difficult season in life, need healing in your body, want to lift up a loved one, or simply need someone to be in agreement with you, our prayer team is waiting for your call! Prayer is such an important aspect of our lives as believers, and we want to let you know that we take each and every one of your prayer requests seriously. To connect with our prayer team today, call 1.844.473.6637 or send an email to prayer@deniserenner.org. We are believing for you to experience the fullness of God’s blessings in your life and hope to hear from you soon!
We are moving forward together,
Denise Renner
The Restorative Power of Jesus
December Teaching Letter from Rick Renner
Dear Friends,
Greetings in Jesus’ powerful and wonderful name!
This month, believers all over the world will be celebrating Christmas! But right now, the world is in deep trouble in many respects, and that is why it is important to remember that Jesus came to seek, to save, to redeem, and to restore. If we ever needed a saving, redeeming, restorative message, it is right now. And that, my friend, is really the reason why Jesus appeared as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago!
But before I go any further, I want to say THANK YOU to our partners for all you do as a friend and partner with our ministry. I never used the word “partner” lightly, as I believe this word is specially reserved for people who really take “part” in this work of God. Because of those who come alongside and partner with us — and because of the anointing of the Spirit and grace of God — we are able to take the trusted teaching of God’s Word to the ends of the earth! People’s lives are being changed, saved, and strengthened because of what we are doing together, and Denise and I, our family, and our ministry team are so thankful for your vital role in what God has called us to accomplish.
In my teaching letter last month, I shared with you the prophetic word God gave me for 2025 and the last part of 2024. Keep that word in your heart and mind as we sail through the rough waters of this end-time age. God has given us everything we need to be victorious in Christ regardless of what is happening in the storm-tossed society around us. Let’s do all we can to rescue the perishing and to care for those who are in need of strengthening! (You can access my November teaching letter by going to renner.org.)
Let me also remind you that right now we are offering my book Christmas — The Rest of the Story at renner.org. You may have already ordered a copy in the past, but if not, this is a book that will really make this Christmas season more meaningful to you!
As we ponder the meaning of Christmas this month, I want to focus on the saving, redeeming, and restoring power of Jesus Christ. Let me begin by telling you a true story. Maybe you’ve heard it before, but it is worth repeating because it paints such a profound picture of the good things Jesus wants to do in your life and mine.
Many decades ago, Denise and I found an old apartment in a building constructed in 1898 that was perfect for our family (back when we lived in Riga, Latvia, before we moved to Moscow). This apartment was located in a once-elegant building in Riga’s most prestigious neighborhood — that is, a building that was elegant before the Bolshevik Revolution. But in the earlier Soviet years, apartments like this one were confiscated and converted into communal flats. In the case of our apartment, this once majestic space had been divided into eight tiny apartments for eight families that shared one kitchen and one toilet!
The people who lived there over a period of nearly 55 years had no respect whatsoever for this architectural treasure. Their total lack of care was most obvious in the bathroom. As men used the bathroom over the years, they had missed the toilet so many thousands of times that the acidic effect of the urine had literally burned a hole through the heavy flooring big enough to see straight through it into the apartment below! It was shameful to see what had happened to this once-luxurious apartment where an elite class of people had formerly lived.
As I walked through that deteriorated apartment, I could see hints of old beauty that somehow still remained. I could see that under years of botched paint jobs, each room was adorned with massive moldings that went all the way around the ceilings. Several of the rooms contained formerly spectacular ceramic fireplaces, but the condition of these fireplaces left me aghast. This once-grandiose residence now only boasted of collapsed ceilings, crumbling plaster, and mold that had spread over large sections of the walls. To top it off, hooligans had painted derogatory words and nasty phrases all over the walls throughout the apartment.
Because the apartment was so trashed, no one else wanted it, but we knew this was our apartment, so we purchased it and went to work restoring it. Dirt, grime, filth, and trash was heaped in huge piles in every room, but we knew that this place was restorable if we would be willing to do what was necessary to bring it back to its former glory. Many times, when I looked at the work required to restore that apartment, it made me reflect on the words of John 10:10, where Jesus told us that Satan always attempts to take what is good and ruin it. But whatever Satan has tried to spoil, Jesus has the power to reverse!
Finally, after almost one year of nonstop work, that dilapidated apartment was amazingly restored to its original glory. The process was long and painful, but the results were breathtaking, and Denise and I were thrilled that we had invested the time and energy to undertake this project. It was almost impossible to believe that this formerly neglected, run-down, decrepit, decayed apartment had become our lovely home — a home we would live in for years before we finally moved to Moscow. But because we were willing to accept the challenge of the task and painstakingly undertake the process of restoring this property, we were rewarded with something very glorious and magnificent that eventually emerged from a ravaged, wasted, and devastated state.
The restoration work on that apartment made me think of Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” That word “lost” is derived from the Greek word appolumi, and it conveys the idea of something ruined, wasted, trashed, devastated, or destroyed. It’s the same word used for the Destroyer — one of the New Testament names to describe Satan’s demented nature.
The words “to seek” are a translation of the Greek word zeteo, which depicts a search so intense that it could be likened to an investigation for something. It tells us that Jesus has put forth and is putting forth His best efforts to actively seeking to save and restore whatever Satan has tried to steal, kill, or destroy.
The word “save” is translated from the Greek word sodzo, which mainly implies rescue, such as a rescue from a raging sea, rescue from an illness, rescue from immediate danger, and so forth. Inherent in this type of “rescue” is one’s return to safety and soundness. Day after day as we worked on that apartment, I thought, “Just as we took on the task to restore this apartment, rescue it from destruction, and return it to a state of normalcy, Jesus wants to rescue and return us to a state of normalcy, safety, and recovery!” But what Jesus did for us — and continues to do in us — isn’t just a salvage operation. It’s a full-scale rescue that results in a redemptive and fully restorative operation.
Someone might say, “Even if Jesus works mightily in my life, it seems that some things will probably never be like they were before the effects of sin and disobedience made a mess of things.”
But I want you to know that when Jesus’ restorative work is complete, it does not leave you a second-rate, dumbed-down version of something that used to be better! You may be different than you used to be, but your memories of the past are not always realistic. Those memories are usually tainted to look better than they really were. In Christ, you are filled with the potential of the Holy Spirit inside you, and the truth is that you are not a weaker, substandard version of what you were before. You’re stronger, better, and greatly improved because of what Jesus has done to rescue, to redeem, and to restore your heart and life to a state of wholeness in Him!
Although we never saw in all its glory the original apartment that was built in 1898, as I compared what we had restored to what we first found when we were considering it as a place to live, I never felt or thought that the original was better. The new version was simply stunning! It’s amazing that a horrible place with a “urine hole” that went right through the floor could once again be beautiful. But to accomplish that task required faith, imagination, hard work, and a lot of prayer. It didn’t happen overnight. It was a daily effort over a year’s time. But with all our efforts, faith, prayer, and the help of others, the results were breathtaking!
I’m sure that if the original owners in 1898 had seen what we restored from such a decrepit, fallen state, they wouldn’t have thought it was a second-rate version. It may have been different, but what came out of that restoration process was still a home of great beauty and value, as was the home that had been exquisitely created in the beginning.
And right now, Jesus is seeking to perform a rescue operation in every area of your life where Satan has attempted to bring devastation and ruin. That is actually the message of Christmas! He came to seek and save that which was lost! And it doesn’t matter how the destruction occurred — whether it was due to your own neglect, to the actions of others, to circumstances, or to an attack of Satan himself — Jesus is still pursuing you for your rescue, your safety, and your recovery! And if you will participate with Jesus, it will speed up the restoration process.
If we participate with Jesus in what He is trying to restore in our lives, the process will speed up, and He will restore each of us to the wholeness He originally intended for our lives.
And this doesn’t apply just to us! Jesus is also seeking to rescue those around us who desperately need rescuing. Don’t give up on them, because rescue operations are Jesus’ specialty!
Jesus appeared as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, but His purpose in coming to seek and to save that which was lost is still ongoing today — and that means He wants to release His fullest power to save and restore whatever the enemy has tried to take from you or from those you love. His power was, is, and will always be active for those who release their faith in Him to put His restorative power to work!
I am so thankful for all that Jesus has done in my life — and I know that you are thankful for what He has done for you. This month would be a great time to use the Christmas season — and the message of Jesus coming to the earth to save and restore us — to share with family and friends in need of the Lord. This month is a God-given opportunity to reach them, so don’t miss the opportunity!
Before I close, I want to remind you that if you need prayer, we are here for you. Just reach out to us by calling 1-800-742-5593 or send us your prayer need at prayer@renner.org. I promise that as soon as we hear from you, we will fervently pray on your behalf. First John 5:14 says that if we pray according to God’s will, He will hear us, and as a result, you’ll have the requests you made of Him. So we’ll pray with you according to the promises of God’s Word, and we’ll believe with you for Jesus to do exactly what needs to be done! So please let us know how we can pray for you!
One last word: Please pray for us as well. God has put many responsibilities on our plate to reach people with the Gospel and with the trusted teaching of the Bible. We are giving it our all, but it requires every ounce of our faith and a lot of finances to get it all done. God is faithful, and He has given us the most faithful partners who are so vital and important to us. But we ask you to pray with us for increase, as there are so many people waiting to be reached with the message God has given us!
Denise and I pray you have a wonderful Christmas season!
We are your brother and sister, friends, and partners in Jesus,
Rick and Denise Renner
along with Paul, Philip, and Joel Renner and our entire ministry team
P.S. Click here to view the new interactive Ministry Update page or click here to download the printable pdf flyer.
Rich Because of God’s Perfect Love
November Teaching Letter from Denise Renner
Dear Friend,
Wow — 2024 has certainly flown by! I am immensely grateful for every year on this earth and for the opportunity to witness God’s goodness and love in so many people’s lives daily. As we approach the end of this year and the beginning of a new one, I encourage you to seek out His exceeding goodness and love every day. It is all around us! As time passes, it might seem easy to fall into the routine of daily life, but when you pause to recognize Christ’s presence, you may find yourself becoming more present, grateful, and motivated to give your best every day, thanking the Lord for His abundant blessings and presence in your life.
Last month on my weekly program TIME with Denise Renner, I presented a series titled Rich, Richer, and Richest. In each episode, I discussed how, as believers, we are truly rich because God is faithful and always fulfills His promises. As I thought about the approaching new year, I felt inspired to write to you about one aspect of this wealth we inherit as Christians — we are rich because of God’s perfect, endless love for us!
While many people in the world are financially wealthy, they are often impoverished where it truly matters — in their spirits. The wonderful news is that if you’re born-again, abundant riches are available to you within!
Scripture teaches us that as believers, we have a rich inheritance granted by the Lord and His sacrifice on the Cross. In my series, Rich, Richer, and Richest, I highlighted several ways in which believers are spiritually rich:
- You are spiritually rich because God is your Heavenly Father.
- You are spiritually rich because you are made alive in God.
- You are spiritually rich because Heaven dwells within you.
- You are spiritually rich because God’s exceeding power is directed toward you.
- You are spiritually rich because of God’s immeasurable love for you.
Today, I wish to further explore one of these incredible reasons why you are spiritually rich — because of God’s immeasurable, incomparable, boundless, exceeding, and perfect love for you!
The Bible says in Ephesians 1:17-19:
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.
Essentially, it is God’s will for you to grasp the fullness of the Heavenly inheritance you accepted upon being born again. Understanding this inheritance is vital because to receive it fully, you must understand what it encompasses. These riches dwell within you, and as you delve into the Word, fellowship with your Heavenly Father, and meditate on your knowledge of Him, you will access and utilize these riches to their extent.
The Perfect Love of God Resides Within You
Ephesians 3:17-19 says:
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ that passes knowledge; that you may be filled with the fullness of God.
The reason it is possible for you to know God’s love is because this very love is what sent Jesus to earth, prompting Him to take on flesh and make the perfect sacrifice. He suffered beatings, torment, and crucifixion for our sins, paving the way for our salvation.
Upon being born again and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that same love shared between God and Jesus was poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit (see Romans 5:5).
This love is not something you earn by being “good enough,” tithing, or memorizing Scripture — it is freely given to you as you dedicate your life to Christ Jesus, spreading over every surface of your heart.
Security in God’s Perfect Love
As a believer, you share one spirit with the Lord according to First Corinthians 6:17, which says, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” And wrapped in that oneness is the perfect love of God — and that love provides security in Him.
The flesh seeks security in knowledge, vanity, and possessions—in other words, temporary things. The Bible clearly states in Second Corinthians 4:18, “For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” These temporary things offer no real security, but God’s love, wrapped around your heart, brings peace, patience, joy, confidence, and true security.
Although these are valuable, through the loving sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, He offers them freely as our inheritance.
The Love of God is a Powerful Protector of Your Heart
Circle back to Ephesians 3:17-19. It says,
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
God’s perfect love inside you enables you to do “unusual” things. For example, if you struggle with unforgiveness, His love within your heart takes disciplinary action against it! Whether it is unforgiveness, fear, offense, depression, or worry trying to take root, God’s love commands it to leave!
That is how powerful God’s love in you is! When you forgive someone, God’s love rebukes and casts out negative emotions, such as fear, hate, and resentment. As the Bible says in First John 4:4, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
God Wants You to Understand the Full Dimensions of His Perfect Love
According to Ephesians 3:18 and 19, it is God’s will for you to understand His love in its entirety. You have to open your heart to grasp His love’s depth, width, and height.
Many years ago, when I was in college, I had a tendency to believe the enemy and his lies. I felt deeply condemned, believing that I was displeasing to God and not accepted by Him. Although I knew I was a Christian, I felt like I was the worst one.
After dealing with this for some time, I contacted someone I considered a spiritual mother and opened up my heart to her about my struggle with condemnation. I felt so condemned, and I didn’t even really know why! She started to pray with me, and as we prayed, I had an experience with the Lord that I will never forget.
While we prayed, my spiritual mother said, “Denise, His banner over you is love,” and directed me to Song of Solomon 2:4, which says, “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” In other words, right over your head is a banner of God’s love. As she spoke these words to me, I began to see an ocean — volumes and volumes of water that never ended — and I knew it was a representation of God’s perfect love.
God was showing me that His love is truly so unfathomable and immeasurable that it’s able to break through any boundary — it’s able to heal, to deliver, to bring peace, and to chase out the enemy. And it could come against the condemnation of the enemy that was taking place in my mind!
This vision was shown to me to communicate something about the boundless dimensions of His love. This love already resides within your heart, and it’s God’s will for you to discover and understand its dimensions!
God’s Will is For You to Become Acquainted With His Perfect Love
Colossians 1:12 and 13 says:
Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
These verses reveal that when you became saved and made Jesus the Lord of your life, “this inheritance of the saints” became available to you. And it was the very love of God that reached out and pulled you out of darkness and placed that same perfect love inside your heart, transferring you into the kingdom of the Son of His love according to Colossians 1:12 and 13.
His love is wrapped around your heart, holding, touching, and reaching out to you every second of every day!
Many people often ask, What is the will of God for me? According to Ephesians 3:17-19, the will of God is that you be filled with all the fullness of God. How? By becoming acquainted with and coming into agreement with the love of God that’s been poured out into your heart by the Holy Spirit.
Begin to meditate on God’s perfect love, seek Him out for more understanding about His love, and stay diligent by reading His Word. The more you do this the more you will discover about the vast dimensions of the perfect love of God afforded to you by Jesus’ sacrifice — your inheritance.
In a world full of bad news, God’s Word offers good news — His perfect love within you is rich, pure, and immeasurable. Armed with this knowledge, you can declare confidently, “I possess the power and love of God and can withstand any challenge!” It is not your personality, intellect, appearance, or possessions, but the boundless love of God residing in your heart!
When you became saved, God gave you His very best — He gave you Himself, and that includes His perfect love. That’s powerful!
Acknowledge the love of God that has been stretched out to you and that is working against any confusion in your heart and mind. That is the presence of the Lord — the Holy Spirit — bringing forth that love of God in you. As you do this, you will discover more and more about the vast dimensions of His love and receive the revelations that come by faith in Jesus’ name!
Friend, I hope you learned something valuable about the perfect, immeasurable love of God living inside of you. I invite you to watch my newest TIME With Denise Renner series Rich, Richer, and Richest to discover more about the riches that are available to you through Christ! You can watch this series on my YouTube channel or on Renner.org.
As I close my letter, I want to remind you that our prayer team is just a phone call or email away! Whether you have a prayer request or want someone to rejoice over a praise report with you, our prayer team is full of faith and ready to lift your needs up to the Lord in prayer. Just call 1.844.473.6637 or email prayer@deniserenner.org.
We are moving forward together,
Denise Renner
What To Do When Your Prayers Are Hindered
November Teaching Letter from Rick Renner
Dear Friends,
Greetings in Jesus’ powerful and wonderful name!
This morning as I was praying and reading my Bible, I stopped to thank God for YOU and for your friendship and partnership with our ministry. When I call you a partner, I really mean it. You are a huge part of what we are doing — and when we all one day stand before Jesus, you will be richly rewarded for what you have done to help take the trusted teaching of God’s Word to people all over the earth. Denise and I, our family, and our team are willing to do the work, but you provide fuel for the tank that makes it all possible — and for this, I am so, so thankful!
I want to tell you about a special conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma that is coming up in just a few months! I will be participating in the Voice of God conference with Joseph Z on January 16, 17, and 18, 2025. It will be an amazing meeting where we minister to you. We’re asking all who are planning to attend to sign up online free of charge at renner.org. I hope to see some of you there!
This month is election month! So I want to remind you that Revelation 1:5 declares Jesus Christ is the “Prince of the kings of the earth,” which means there is no higher authority than Jesus! Even though Satan is working an evil agenda through those who despise God and His ways, nevertheless God sits on His throne in Heaven and laughs at their plans (see Psalm 2:2-4). In the end, the wicked plans of man will fail, and God will have His way!
Before we dive deep into this letter, I want to share a word from the Lord along this same line that I received in August about this coming season. Actually, it’s a word for right now and for the year 2025. I think it is important to share this with others — especially our God-called partners — so we can properly prepare and not be taken by surprise. The word goes as follows:
A STORM Is Coming —
Batten Down the Hatches!
We are headed into a season of intense warfare on many fronts — economic, political, and spiritual. But the Lord is a Man of War, and He knows exactly how to strategize against and overcome every assault against His people and against His Truth.
But just as one should batten down the hatches in a time of storms, God’s people must be mentally and spiritually prepared for a stormy season that lies directly ahead. However, with the grace of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, the promises of God’s Word, and the weaponry He has given, we can move forward step by step with the strategic guidance of the Holy Spirit. And God will triumphantly lead His people forward and carry out His plans for this end-time age.
This is not a time to fear, moan, or cry, but a time to rejoice, for God is strategically at work even in ways you do not see. Although it may seem the enemy and those he is influencing are attempting to derail God’s purposes, remember that the One who sits in the heavens laughs at their plans, and He will ultimately have them in derision (see Psalm 2:4). God is a Man of War, and in the end, His purposes shall surely prevail!
I pray this word will prepare you for the days ahead and encourage you that we’re on the winning side. Do not be discouraged! Things will get worse, but please take these words to heart — we are not alone in facing whatever comes our way.
Today I want to talk to you about what to do if it seems your prayers are being delayed or hindered. There are certain things that can delay or hinder answers to prayer, such as: praying inconsistently or incorrectly; a lack of faith; a negative confession; bad relationships; spiritual opposition; sin; and even timing. So, of course, we need to make sure we’re making the necessary adjustments according to the Word of God so we can continue in faith, expecting answers to come to us when we pray.
But what about when you’re living and praying correctly, but you still are not seeing answers to your prayer? What should you do? When we find ourselves in that difficult place (which all of us experience from time to time), we must do what Paul tells us in Colossians 4:2.
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving….
The word “continue” in Greek depicts a strong, solid, never-give-up type of leaning toward an object. It pictures one who desires something so passionately that he is pressing toward it or one so devoted to obtaining something that he is busily engaged in activities that will eventually bring it to him. In fact, when Paul writes, “Continue in prayer,” it could be better interpreted as, “Press forward in prayer.”
Paul is urging that when you feel you’ve hit a wall in prayer or that your prayers are delayed or hindered, you must keep pressing into the Spirit and refuse to give up until you have obtained what you are praying for. Some answers come only if you press forward in prayer. So God is urging you here to keep pushing forward in prayer until you see the manifestation of your answer.
The word “prayer” in Colossians 4:2 is also very important. It is translated from a Greek word that depicts a person who is willing to surrender anything in exchange for an answer. Sometimes there is something inside us that God is waiting for us to surrender to Him so we can receive the answer to our prayers. I have personally found that, if I’m experiencing a delay in a prayer being answered, it is good for me to come to the altar of God and ask, “Lord, is there anything I am unaware of inside me that is stopping me from receiving an answer to my prayer? Is there something You are wanting me to surrender to You?”
God is eager to answer our requests! But the fact is at times, there are issues in our lives that block the answers to our prayers. But when we draw close to God in faith and prayer, the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts of the areas that need to be surrendered to Him. When we repent, or turn, the blockages are removed and often the answers then come quickly.
But Paul adds that we must “continue in prayer, and watch….” The word “watch” is from the Greek word gregoreo, which means to be attentive and watchful, and it was used to picture guards that were to stay wide awake on the job. This word “watch” depicts one whose attitude is to never let up on being watchful, to stay wide awake, and to never fall asleep on the job. One expositor has translated it, “…Be wide awake….”
Rather than go to sleep on the job when it comes to praying, it means you need to keep your eyes wide open and keep praying. You’re also to stay attentive with your eyes wide open so you can watch for the answer. Is it possible that you’re expecting it to come one way, but God will answer your prayer in a way you didn’t expect? Keep your eyes open and be attentive so you’ll see when the answer shows up! Remember, you are supposed to press into the Spirit and not give up until you have obtained what you are praying for. So Paul commands us, “Stay awake! Keep your eyes open!”
Once you pray in faith and begin to make the changes God requires of you, Paul goes on to say that we are to “continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.…” In Greek, the word “thanksgiving” speaks of an outpouring of thanksgiving from the heart. That means when you engage in aggressive prayer, you also need to lift your voice to thank God in advance for the answer! Thanksgiving is the voice of faith!
So what should you do if you are praying in faith and the answer still hasn’t come? If you have dealt with the points I mentioned previously — praying inconsistently or incorrectly; a lack of faith; a negative confession; bad relationships; spiritual opposition; sin; and timing — it’s time for you to obey Colossians 4:2 and do the following: 1) keep pressing forward in prayer; 2) be willing to make whatever changes God may require of you; 3) keep your eyes wide open for the answer so you don’t fall asleep on the job; and 4) lift your voice in thanksgiving to God even before the answer comes.
Here they are summarized once more:
- Continue.
- Surrender.
- Stay alert!
- Thank God for the answer!
Thank you for taking time to read my letter this month. This is what was on my heart to minister to you. And remember, if you need prayer for any reason, we would love to pray with you. In Matthew 18:19, Jesus promised, “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” Of course you can pray by yourself, but this verse declares that when we are scripturally in agreement in prayer, God moves mightily. So if you need prayer, please reach out to us at prayer@renner.org or call us at 1-800-742-5593.
Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, remind yourself this month that Jesus Christ really is the “Prince of the kings of the earth” and that there is no higher authority than Jesus! Also, remember Psalm 2:2-4, which says, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”
Again, we can rest assured and be THANKFUL that God sits on His throne in Heaven and laughs at the wicked plans of man that always backfire and fail. God always has His way — so pray into that because it’s true!
Next month, I’ll be writing to you about how to minister to others in the Christmas season. It is a God-given opportunity to reach out to those in need, so please look for my letter!
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 Renner and our entire ministry team
P.S. Click here to view the new interactive Ministry Update page or click here to download the printable pdf flyer.
The Display of God’s Love
October Teaching Letter from Denise Renner
Dear Friend,
When we talk about the God who made the universe, who gives us the breath of life, who can part the Red Sea, and yet chose to come to Earth and die for us, it brings a sense of profound humility. It’s truly amazing, but that’s how much He loves us. While many people say, “I love you,” repeatedly, love is truly shown through our actions.
In my letter to you this month, we will discuss the ways God displays His amazing love for you. Jesus’ actions were absolutely complete, showing us beyond a shadow of a doubt that He loves us, that He chose us, and that we are important to Him. You are so important to Him that He died for you.
Galatians 4:4 says:
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.
There was a time when God said, “It’s time — it’s time that I come. It’s time that I rescue them Myself because they’re not getting it. They have already sinned against Me. They have already rejected Me. They can’t fulfill My law. I’m coming Myself.” There was just so much love in this action for you and me. We should wake up every morning and say, “God help me know how much You love me today, and help me love others with the love that You’ve put inside me.”
The book of John has this to say about the magnitude of God’s love:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
— John 1:1-5; 10-12
Notice verse 1 begins by saying, “In the beginning….” This phrase indicates God’s eternal plan. Verse 1 continues, “…was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus was there with the Father and the Holy Spirit, planning this great rescue for you and me from eternal damnation.
Verse 2 states, “All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made.” In other words, everything in existence is because of Jesus. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
Friend, this means that there is no darkness so deep that God’s light cannot overcome it. Have you ever noticed that in a very dark room, the moment you turn on the light, the darkness is expelled? That is what Jesus did when He came into this world. And it was at just the right time. There was a lot of darkness in the world then, but when Jesus came, He brought His light into the world! That is amazing love.
Have you ever poured out your love to someone, only to have them reject it over and over again? I remember many years ago, I tried to be a friend to this girl, but time and time again, she rejected me and hurt my feelings. I didn’t have another friend, so I kept forgiving her. However, my love wasn’t like God’s love. Eventually, there came a time when I said, “I’m not going to forgive this person anymore because I don’t want to be hurt anymore.” But that’s not how God operates! He came to rescue us.
Jesus came whether the people rejected or received Him! That is the love of God — the heart of God being expressed through Jesus. Hebrews 1:1-3 says:
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Jesus was the very expression of God! What Jesus did on Earth was exactly what His Father would have done. What Jesus is doing today to rescue, save, and heal is exactly what His Father would do today.
John 1:14 says:
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The phrase “…full of grace and truth” describes exactly who Jesus was and is.
Now, look at Psalm 22. Keep in mind, this teaching is about love being displayed. Love doesn’t just talk — love acts. Jesus didn’t just say, “I love you,” and then wish us the best! No! He displayed His love in the greatest act of selflessness and compassion by sacrificing Himself to save us from an eternity separated from Him.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” When God says, “I love you,” He always backs it up with a display of action, as He did by sending His Son, Jesus.
Let’s circle back to Psalm 22. When you read Psalm 22, you can see the things Jesus went through on the Cross — the feelings He had and what it was like for Him while He bore our sins, sicknesses, diseases, poverty, guilt, and shame. Psalm 22 provides a close-up picture of the ordeal Jesus endured on the Cross.
Psalm 22:6–8 reads:
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
The word “worm” here is actually referring to maggots. Most everyone gets grossed out at the mere mention of the word “maggot.” The phrase “no man” in this verse means “an unimportant man.” Jesus — the creator of the universe — lowered Himself to such a place that when He was hung on the Cross, He compared Himself to a lowly worm, a man of no importance.
Verses 6 and 7 continue, “…A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me….” Can you imagine a time in your life when those around you ridiculed or made fun of you? Can you remember how small and insignificant these actions made you feel?
Take those feelings of shame and torment you’ve experienced in your own life and multiply them by ten billion trillion times. The ridicule that Jesus endured came from the demonic realm — blaspheming, mocking, and putting Him down. Jesus submitted Himself to this so that you and I could be free from ridicule and accusation. The very God of this universe lowered Himself so far that He compared Himself to a worm and a man with zero importance — a man full of sin — so He could rescue us from an eternity without Him.
Matthew 27:41-43 shows us what the religious leaders and onlookers were saying as Jesus suffered on the Cross. It reads:
Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
This is what the crowd yelled at Jesus as He was suffering — His hands and feet hanging on nails for them, for their forgiveness, for their salvation, and for you and me. They mocked and blasphemed Him, yet He didn’t come off the Cross. He continued to pay the price for our salvation.
The Bible says in Matthew 26:51-54:
And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”
Jesus could have let Peter and His disciples defend Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, but He didn’t. He could have called on His Father to send legions of angels to stop His arrest, but He didn’t. The chief priests, elders, and temple guards didn’t take Jesus’ life — He gave His life up for you and me. This ultimate act of sacrifice was the love of God on display. Psalm 22:9 says:
But You are He who took me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God. Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Who can explain the Trinity? I can’t explain the Trinity, but I definitely believe it. When Jesus was on the Cross, He was the Son of Man, yet He was God. He put aside His godhead — His godhood — and died for you and me. This is His love displayed, and it’s so amazing! When we talk about Jesus’ sacrifice — everything the priests and elders said about Him and His refusal to call upon a legion of angels to save Him from the brutality of the Cross — it is truly astounding.
When you think about the magnitude of this sacrifice, there really is no excuse for any of us not to forgive each other. It’s not right to say, “Lord, I know you’ve forgiven me, but I can’t forgive others.” He paid the complete price so we could be forgiven and to put the love of God inside you and me so that we could forgive.
Jesus took every sickness and disease known to man, every torment of our minds, every pain in our bodies — He took them upon Himself. Psalm 22:6 tells us that Jesus felt like a worm on the Cross — the lowest of the low. He was scorned, spit upon, humiliated, shamed, ridiculed, and lied about. And even still, He endured it all for our eternal salvation. This is love displayed! Jesus was falsely accused, hated, denied, and betrayed by one of His dear friends, yet He showed us a love so perfect that any fear that tried to come against Jesus giving His life was totally cast out. And any fear that would try to come to us has no right because the perfect love of God — which Jesus displayed and put on the inside of us — casts out fear. When we believe His Word, this display is so great that His power comes to us and gives us the confidence and authority to forgive any offender, to believe for the healing of any sickness or disease, to give mercy, to give understanding, and to practice patience. The display of God’s love gives us the power to express that love in our hearts by what He did for us.
Friend, isn’t that just amazing?! God didn’t save us just so we could go to Heaven — He saved us to go to Heaven because eternity in hell would be unimaginable. Heaven will be so magnificent that it’s hard to imagine, but when Jesus died on the Cross, God brought Himself inside us so He could live through us and we could have a relationship with Him.
Jesus paid the complete price. His love didn’t display fifty or ninety percent to save us from death, eternity in hell, and from our own selves. His love displayed paid the complete price — a hundred percent price. He paid for it, but it’s up to us to receive it. For example, say someone gave you a $100,000 or a 2 million dollar home. It’s there and all you have to do is receive it, but you stand there and say, “I don’t know if that’s really for me or not. Should I really accept it?” If you question their gift, you will not receive it. But if you say, “I receive what you have for me,” it’s yours!
It’s the same way with God. Say, “Lord, I receive what You paid for me. I receive my healing, I receive forgiveness, I receive this powerful love on the inside of me to love and forgive others as I’ve been forgiven and loved.” It’s all been paid for — you just have to reach out and receive it!
As I close my letter, I want to remind you that we are always praying for you. And if you ever need prayer, our amazing Partner Care team is available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT every weekday. Give us a call at 1.844.473.6637 or email us at prayer@deniserenner.org to be connected with one of our dedicated team members, and they will personally pray with you over whatever request you may have. And if you haven’t seen my weekly program yet, I invite you to join me for TIME With Denise Renner each Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. CT by watching on my Facebook page or YouTube channel.
We are moving forward together,
Denise Renner
Staying Committed To the Truth
October Teaching Letter from Rick Renner
Dear Friends,
I am so excited to write to you and to share with you a warning from Scripture about something we need to pay serious attention to in these last days.
But before I get into the teaching, Denise and I want to express our heart-felt thanks for your amazing partnership with our ministry. Every day I pray fervently for our partners — and not just once, but many times a day. In the past month, when Denise and I were speaking across the U.S.A., it was such a joy to meet so many partners in our meetings. I really want you to know how much we love you and thank God for you!
Today I will be writing from the footnotes and commentary in my new Renner Interpretive Version (RIV) of the book of Jude. I call it the Renner Interpretive Version (RIV) — A Study Bible for People of Faith. It is literally packed with treasures from the Greek New Testament!
Every day on my TV program this month I am teaching the whole book of Jude from the RIV with commentary, and I want to go into a little of what will be covered in that series today. Let’s get started and take a deep dive into Jude 3 and 4. You’re about to find amazing truths in these powerful verses!
Jude 3 says, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
In this verse, Jude begins by saying, “I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation.” The words “gave all diligence” would be better interpreted as “fully intended” and is from a form of a Greek word that means to do something with eagerness; to do something with diligence; acting responsibly, quickly, and with attentiveness; or one so diligent, excited, and energetic that he puts his whole heart into the principle or task before him.
The words “common salvation” in Greek pictures what is commonly or mutually shared. By using this Greek word to describe salvation, Jude acknowledges that salvation has many benefits that mutually belong to all believers. Jude was so excited to share about all the benefits contained in our salvation that he was ready to put his whole heart into writing an epistle about it.
But something happened that caused Jude to change his plan. It seems likely that someone had just passed a copy of Peter’s second epistle to him, and when Jude read what Peter wrote about false teachers in the Church, it so stirred him that he abandoned his plan so he could join Peter in addressing the problem of error that was emerging in the Church.
Jude wrote that he found it “needful” to write and encourage his readers to earnestly contend for the faith. The Greek word for “needful” depicts an urgent necessity. Something so sinister was happening that Jude felt urgently pressed to address the issue as quickly as possible. Without hesitation, Jude dropped his prior plans to write an epistle about salvation and instead raised his voice with Peter to alert the saints of a danger that was lurking nearby and to give instructions regarding how to confront the problem.
Jude also wrote of a need to “exhort” the saints — and us — to earnestly contend for the faith. The word “exhort” is from a Greek word that was used militarily to picture a commander who stood in front of his troops to exhort and prepare them for battle. Because the battlefield held intense conflicts, the commander took time to earnestly “exhort” his troops to hold their heads high, to throw their shoulders back, and, if needed, to face the enemy eyeball to eyeball. As a spiritual general, Jude declared to the Church — and us — that we must be soldiers of truth who are ready to defend the Word of God with every ounce of our being.
In fact, Jude went on to urge his readers “to earnestly contend” for the faith because it was under assault. Forgive me for going into a lot of intricate Greek, but the words “earnestly contend” are translated from a compound of epi and agonidzomai. The word epi means for or over, and it is used as an intensifier. The second part of the word is agonidzomai, a word that denotes an intense struggle and is where we derive the word agony. The word agonidzomai was used to picture two wrestlers who agonized to win over the other in a wrestling match. Both wrestlers worked to gain the advantage and hurl their opponent to the ground, exerting every ounce of their strength and skill to win a very intense physical contest.
When epi and agonidzomai form a single word, which Jude used here, it depicts those who are fighting with all of their might to win a match of some type. The use of this word tells us Jude was urging his readers to intensely fight for truth, and it also implies that false teachers were trying to wrestle the faith to the ground and subdue it and modify it to suit their own ends. Because deception was attempting to trounce truth, Jude told his readers — and us — that they had a responsibility to do everything they could to defend, fight for, and guard the purity of the faith.
Jude then wrote that the faith was “delivered,” or “entrusted,” to us by God. The word “entrusted” in Greek means to entrust for safekeeping. Jude used this word to confront each of us about our God-given responsibility to guard, defend, and do everything in our ability to present the Word in its purest form and as close as possible to the original message from generation to generation. No one has the right to change it!
This is why I am so committed to correctly understanding and teaching the meaning of the Bible. God expects you and me to do everything in our power to keep the Word of God as close as possible to what God meant for it to say to us.
Jude went on to affirm the Word of God was “once” delivered to us, which is a Greek word that means “once and for all.” In other words, when the Word of God was given, it was complete, final, and so complete that it needed nothing more to be added to it. Jude said that the Word of God was delivered “once and for all” as a finished, completed, perfect work. As it stands, the Bible is complete, final, authoritative, and life changing.
Here is the Renner Interpretive Version (RIV) of Jude 3:
Beloved — I call you that because it’s the only word I know to express how deeply I love and cherish you — I fully intended to write to you about our mutually shared salvation, and I was really eager to write about this exciting subject, ready to engage all my abilities to dive deep into all the benefits that our salvation entails. But as I was about to get started, I found myself gripped with a sense of urgency and a deeply felt need to address another subject that came to my attention. I felt someone needed to come alongside the troops — to urge them to hold their head high, to throw their shoulders back, and, if necessary, look the enemy eyeball to eyeball and to earnestly contend for the faith because it is under assault. God entrusted the faith to us once and for all and expects us to guard it and maintain its integrity in the same form it was delivered to us. God has given us the responsibility to impart it to others in the same form it was given to us.
But then in verse 4, Jude went on to describe the kind of perpetrators that were worming their way into the Church and twisting the Scriptures. He wrote, “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Notice the words “crept in unawares.” This is translated from a form of the word pareisduo — a triple compound of para, eis, and duno. The word para means alongside, the word eis means into, and duno means to enter and settle down into a place. But as a compound, this word pictures those who clandestinely enter into a certain place and who settle down and function right alongside others. It denotes covert activity. It gives the impression of those who secretly make their way into the ranks and who use a disguise or stealth to conceal their wrong activities. And we should have known that this sinister group was coming — that is why Jude added that we were warned about them “of old.” The Greek word for “of old” means long ago, of old, in times past, or in former times, and the use of this word tells us the Holy Spirit has been warning about this event for ages.
Jude also wrote that this group was “ordained to this condemnation.” What “condemnation” was he talking about? To answer that, we must look at the original word used in the Greek text, which is a word that depicts a judicial verdict of judgment. Here, Jude wrote that God will investigate the activities of those who use spiritual influence incorrectly and that Heaven’s court will pass a damning judgment upon such individuals as those described in these verses. The Judge of the earth has been watching all along and has observed this category of errant leaders, and in the end, Heaven’s court will issue a final verdict of judgment against them.
What is shocking is that many who are in error, actually started out good, but somehow along the way, they got off track. This fact is made clear by the word “ungodly” — which depicts what was once holy that has become unholy, what was once reverent that has become irreverent, what was once God-fearing that has lost its fear of God. Jude was talking about people who were once anointed and upright, but now they have regrettably gone in a wrong direction.
These individuals are now so far off track that Jude said they are “turning” the grace of God into something it was never meant to be. In Greek, the word “turning” pictures an alteration, change, or modification. Jude used it here to refer to those who are altering, changing, and modifying teaching about the grace of God to suit the whims of the times.
And these perpetrators can’t claim ignorance or innocence about what they are doing because the Lord faithfully corrected them and told them to get back in line. We know this because Jude added that they are in a state of “denying the Lord.”
The words “denying” and “Lord” are really important at this juncture. The word “denying” is from a Greek word that means to knowingly deny, to knowingly disown, to knowingly reject, to knowingly refuse, or to knowingly renounce. It undoubtably refers to one who knowingly disavows, forsakes, walks away from, or washes one’s hands of another person or group of people. It depicts something done with one’s full consent and understanding of what is being done. In this verse, it depicts those who hear what Christ has to say but then reject His counsel. Rather than obey, they knowingly choose to go on a different path. It means this category of erring individuals are knowingly rejecting the authority of the Lord and they are knowingly ignoring the warning signals given to them by the Holy Spirit.
But the word “Lord” is not the normal Greek word for “Lord.” It is from another word that depicts a chief executive officer or one with authority over others in the executive department directly under his control. It was a technical term used to describe the chief steward of large households who had authority over all the other servants in a household. Those who were under such a “lord” reported to him, received instructions from him, were paid by him, and, if the need arose, they were dismissed by him.
By using this word, Jude was describing those who have been called by Christ into leadership positions in the Church, those who relate to Jesus not only as their Savior but also as the Chief Executive Officer who called them. But in this case, although they are answerable to the Lord, they are instead “denying” His explicit directions. These individuals are genuinely God-called ministers who knowingly divert from the authority and instructions of the “Lord” who is over them.
Because of the various Greek meanings assembled in this verse, I have interpreted the Renner Interpretive Version (RIV) of Jude 4 as follows:
Unfortunately, we are now confronted with a certain category of individuals who have craftily, clandestinely, as in a stealth operation, wormed their way right into the middle of our ranks. Long ago it was foretold and written in advance that a day would come when such individuals would show up. But in the end, Heaven’s court will issue a damning verdict of judgment and condemnation on them due to their activities. I’m talking about people who were once reverent and God-fearing, but now have obviously lost their fear of God. These are individuals who go about altering, changing, and modifying the grace of our God into a teaching that says everything is okay, and that teaching leads to sinful living especially marked by immoral and indecent sexual activities along with other base behaviors. They can’t claim ignorance about what they’re doing because the Lord God — that is, our Lord Jesus Christ — has spoken to them and warned them to get back in line. But in spite of these warnings issued by the Lord, they knowingly are denying and walking away from His authoritative covering.
Most scholars count the book of Jude not only to be commentary about what was happening when Jude wrote it, but also as a prophetic book about events that will take place again at the end of the age. We know from multiple New Testament verses that there will be an assault on truth in the last days — and my dear friend, we are seeing that assault in society today and, unfortunately, even in parts of the Church. But rather than bend to the spirit of the age, we are to dig our heels into the bedrock of truth and refuse to budge from it!
This is why RENNER Ministries is COMMITTED to bringing the trusted teaching of God’s Word to people everywhere — and that is why we refuse to bend, mitigate, or negotiate the truths of the Bible. And because you are a partner with us, I want to say THANK YOU for standing with us as we battle for truth in our times. People need the truth, and people need the power of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit anoints the Word of God, it unleashes a mighty spiritual blade that slices through darkness and sets hearts and minds free!
I know this letter has gone a little deeper into the Greek text than usual, but this is what was on my heart to share with you this month. I pray it has been a blessing to you. You are a blessing to this ministry! Again, I thank you from the depths of my heart for being a friend and a God-called partner!
Next month I will be writing to you about what to do when your prayers seem to be hindered or delayed, and I believe it will really encourage you. However, if you need prayer for anything right now, please reach out to us at prayer@renner.org or call us at 1-800-742-5593 . I sincerely mean it when I say we will pray scripturally for you and will release our faith for God to move powerfully in whatever situation or need that is on your heart!
Denise and I, our family, and our team 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 Renner and our entire ministry team
P.S. Click here to view the new interactive Ministry Update page or click here to download the printable pdf flyer.
The Final Two Signs of the End — ‘As in the Days of Noah’
September Teaching Letter from Rick Renner
Dear Friends,
Greetings in Jesus’ wonderful name! He is so worthy of our praise. Not only is He Wonderful, but He is Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (see Isaiah 9:6). Oh, how great He is!
THIS IS THE MONTH!!!
My book Fallen Angels, Giants, Monsters, and the World Before the Flood is finally released! I cannot tell you how excited I am for you to hold this book in your hands. Please don’t let it sit on the shelf. Read it and share it with others. I worked hard on this book because I want to help biblically unlock unanswered mysteries from the past that are relevant to our lives today.
Our dear friend Joseph Z said: “Fallen Angels, Giants, Monsters, and the World Before the Flood is captivating in every way as it unveils ancient mysteries that will usher you right up to the issues of our current day. This work is both academic and convincing; not only does it offer you a master class on biblical archaeology, but it will also powerfully guide you through arenas many would consider foreign terrain or uncharted territory…. Rick has spent much of his life walking, filming, and researching the physical locations tied to the events contained in this book, which qualifies him as a leading voice on the matter….”
Another dear friend Sid Roth said: “You may have heard secular commentators try to explain the “unexplainable” found in the Scriptures, such as fallen angels, giants, and the Flood. Now world-class Bible teacher Rick Renner answers your questions about these and other “unexplainable” details and events from a 100-percent biblical perspective!”
If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, go to renner.org to place your order right now!
Before I get into my message, I want to say THANK YOU for what you do. Proverbs 10:21 says, “The lips of the righteous feed many….” Teaching biblical truths is like giving spiritual food and nourishment to both believers and non-believers. I know that teaching the Word of God to many is our calling, but we are only able to do it because of the grace and anointing of God on all our work and because of the gifts you give to this ministry. Partners like you, who regularly give to this ministry, put fuel in the tank so we can fulfill our mandate. When I call you a partner, I sincerely mean you are a partner with us. You mean so much to Denise and me and our family, our team, and the people who are reaping the consequences of your giving in their lives!
Today I want to continue speaking to you about the words Jesus spoke to His disciples about the end times in Matthew 24. In that text, Jesus said:
But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
— Matthew 24:37
Jesus prophesied that the events which occurred before the Flood would occur again in the days before His return. Since we are living in those days, we need to be awakened to what is going to happen in our times. So today, I want to cover the next two points on what happened before the Flood. Both points will happen again and are already happening.
#5: Continuous Evil in the Heart of Man
(Genesis 6:5)
Genesis 6:5 says, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
This verse tells us clearly that in the time frame before the Flood, man had degenerated in his imagination into such evil things that “his heart was only evil continually.” This evil in the heart of man became especially evident and increased as the pre-Flood population interfaced with the dark spirit world and engaged in demonic activity and multiple forms of sexual perversion.
Again, Jesus said, “But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37).
Therefore, we must ask:
Is the world today experiencing a rise of evil in the heart of man
as it occurred in the days before the Flood?
It is clear we are witnessing an intensification of evil in men’s minds and hearts in our own times, and Romans 1:30 states that when lost humanity continues to go astray, it leads to their becoming “inventors of evil things.”
The word “inventors” in this verse is from an original word that means to contrive or invent, and the word “evil” depicts what is bad, base, destructive, evil, foul, harmful, injurious, rotten, vile, or morally wrong. When the word “inventions” is used in the Old Testament, it usually has to do with foul sexual activity. We find it used this way in Psalm 106:29 and 39, where we read that God was displeased with Israel for going “a whoring” with sexual escapades and sexual inventions in their times.
When Romans 1:30 speaks of “inventors of evil things,” it seems to speak of a time when the world will throw off moral restraint, and inventions of evil things begin to emerge that will include inventions that are base and ugly in the sight of God. Keep in mind, Jesus said that what occurred in the days preceding the Flood would be replicated again at the end of the age. So how does the “continual evil” in the heart of man from the pre-Flood society connect with people becoming “inventors of evil things” in our age?
The list of evil inventions today is nearly endless, and appearing toward the top of it is pornography and all kinds of highly sophisticated sexual technology that comes with it, including virtual sex. Without getting too explicit, our so-called sophisticated society in which we live has taken the creation of evil fantasy to such a new level that there are new, life-like robots designed to carry out sexual acts however an owner programs them. Recently published articles reveal that with the push of a button, one can get from a robot whatever concoction of sex he or she wants. This bizarre development is a sign of “every imagination of man’s heart being only evil continually” (see Genesis 6:5).
Bloodshed was also widespread before the Flood, which begs the question: How is it being replicated in our time at the end of the age? The answer could lead us to many horrific societal trends, but one practice it painfully brings to mind is the mass killing of the unborn in our generation. Today, easy accessibility to abortion has taken this form of bloodshed to an entirely different level than has ever existed in previous generations.
In my book Last Days Survival Guide, the documented statistics of abortion around the world (at the time of my writing) are outlined. I’ll share a part of it in the following paragraphs.
Because accurate numbers of abortions were not kept in the Soviet Union before 1957, if we count from 1957 to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 — in those 34 years alone — approximately 306,457,000 abortions were performed in the Soviet Union. This number is larger than the entire population of the USSR when the USSR dissolved in 1991.
When we turn our attention to China, we find that the best records for the numbers of abortions performed in China before 1970 are unavailable, so research must begin with 1971, when the best information became available. Those records reveal that from 1971 to 2020 — a span of nearly 50 years — 489,936,650 abortions were carried out in China.
To help you comprehend that number, the current population of the United States is approximately 330 million. This means from 1971 to 2020, China aborted the equivalent of the entire population of the United States, plus nearly 160 million more.
Turning our attention to the United States, we see that since 1973 when abortion was legalized by the Supreme Court in the infamous case of Roe v. Wade, nearly 62 million abortions have been performed.
Altogether, the most solid information shows that the worldwide number of abortions between 1980 and 2020 is estimated to have exceeded 2 billion. Think of that horrifying landmark number modern society has reached — 2 billion abortions carried out globally in a span of 40 years!
Although these statistics are already mind-boggling, these statistics are constantly being outdated as tens of thousands of abortions are carried out every day worldwide.
While some contend that the world today is more technologically advanced and more sophisticated, this slaughter of more than two billion babies and counting shows that we are not more civilized; rather, barbarism is escalating on an unthinkable scale. Infants are routinely brutally burned to death by chemicals injected into a mother’s womb, torn to pieces in the womb by medical devices, or aborted by means of an easily ingested pill — their lives tragically snuffed out.
Every minute of every day in sterilized hospitals and clinics around the world, this barbaric act occurs. This is worldwide savagery of the worst kind that makes all other holocausts and genocides pale in comparison. It is murder on a scale so massive that no fiction writer could have ever imagined it. Yet this is reality in our present day and age. Murdering more than two billion babies through the act of abortion is the mass annihilation of those who cannot scream, who cannot be heard, and who cannot defend themselves. The tiny bodies of these image-bearers of God are mutilated and thrown into garbage cans, sold for parts to the highest bidder, or recycled to be used in shampoos or cosmetics.
When godly advocates raise their voices against this genocide in the Western world, those who are pro-choice (which should be called pro-abortion) often portray objectors to this atrocity as narrow-minded, right-wing fanatics. These advocates for life are attacked with a vengeance by an evil faction that wants to intimidate, silence, and render powerless any and all opposition in order to retain the legal right to terminate the life of a child.
Make no mistake — this present generation is tainted with the blood of innocent children. And one could argue that as a whole, it is largely guilty of the most heinous and barbaric behavior, perhaps in the entire history of mankind, because of the murder of more than two billion unborn children.
If you have experienced an abortion, God’s grace and forgiveness are available to you. No condemnation for anyone is intended. If you need prayer for inner healing due to an abortion you had in the past and need someone to pray for you to receive healing and freedom, please reach out to us and we’ll pray for God’s healing balm to touch your soul.
The Evil Invention of Gender Reassignment Is Destroying Lives
In addition to abortion, think of the evil occurring as medical procedures are being regularly carried out in an attempt to change people’s gender. The preposterous notion that a person’s gender can be creatively “reassigned” is a recurring message being shoved down the throats of everyone in modern society.
Satan, the god of this world, is deceptively working overtime through educational institutions, the courts, many forms of the media, and the entertainment industry to wear people down until the shock factor of gender reassignment diminishes and society begins to adjust to and accept the idea that changing a person’s gender isn’t so bad — or physically and emotionally damaging — but that it is, in fact, a good thing.
This is a blaring signal that delusion is oozing into the mainstream of society at an ever-increasing rate. This seduction and deception has woven its way into the fabric of society from nearly every angle, and even the Church has been affected.
Besides what’s being blasted over the airwaves on televisions, one of the primary ways the minds of the young are being swayed is through public education. Curriculum is being written for the classroom that promotes and pushes a narrative that includes all things ungodly — sex without limitations, abortion, same-sex attraction, gender fluidity, and pretty much anything else that undermines respect for God, Jesus, and the authority of the Bible.
This so-called “progressive” curriculum blurs the lines of truth, incites confusion, obliterates common sense, and punishes individual thinking. Any thinking that is outside the box of the “kinder, gentler” world of progressive humanism is not only frowned on, but is often met with violent, punitive resistance.
As incredibly challenging as this is, we as Christians need to know that it’s okay and right to recognize and acknowledge that such assertions belong in a world gone mad — not in the life of the Body of Christ. If you are still standing for biblical truth and against the lunacy that has been loosed in this last-days society to destroy it — congratulations on maintaining your spiritual fire and not caving and becoming numbed and desensitized to the changes in the moral tide that we’ve experienced over the last 50 years.
Let me be clear and say gender confusion is a real and complicated spiritual and psychological problem that cannot be remedied with sexual surgeries to try to alter a person’s gender. This is not a reasonable answer to such a deep spiritual and psychological issue. In fact, it is delusionary. Those who struggle with the serious issue of gender confusion need mental and emotional healing — not surgery to try to make their physical makeup match their mental confusion. We need to help them with the right tools, not a surgeon’s scalpel.
It is a sad fact that commonsense thinking has been thrown to the wind, replaced with the whims of ever-fluctuating times. To most of us, it seems that the level of evil that is now manifesting is unprecedented in human history. And it is — except for in the time frame that preceded the Flood.
But once again, I remind you that God is not in the practice of scaring us, but He is in the business of warning and preparing us. If we listen to the Spirit and build our lives and minds on the soundness of God’s Word, we and those we love can be safeguarded from this destructive spirit of the age. But if you know someone who has already been affected and you want someone to pray with you about it, reach out to us and we’ll pray with power!
#6: Widespread Violence
(Genesis 6:11,13)
The sixth phenomenon that was taking place before the Flood was widespread violence across the earth. In fact, violence was so prevalent that God ultimately concluded that the only way to cleanse the earth of it was to send a flood.
In Genesis 6:11 and 13, we read, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence…. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
Once more, we must recall the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:37, where He said: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
Therefore, we must ask:
Is the world today experiencing widespread violence
as it occurred in the days before the Flood?
Today violence and corruption runs rampant in our schools, our streets, and even our homes — it is everywhere. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the apostle Paul forecasted that society would turn dangerously violent at the end of the age (see 2 Timothy 3:1-9), and his Holy Spirit-inspired predictions support Jesus’ prophetic warning that the things which occurred before the Flood would be repeated in the days before Christ’s return. As barbaric and violent as society has been in past times, the level of violence that will mark the end of the age will be greater than this world has ever known.
In today’s world of entertainment, violence is one of the hottest-selling tickets. It can be found all over the Internet, embedded in music, and vividly portrayed in video games. To demonstrate just how sinisterly barbaric our world has become, consider these insights from my book Last Days Survival Guide:
In our own time — at a time in modern history when we seem to be so sophisticated — we have taken the barbaric behavior of the ancient world to a new, unprecedented level. We no longer have to visit Roman stadiums and other venues to experience violence and bloodshed, as a pagan society did in Early Church history, because now we bring huge doses of violence directly into our homes through television, digital devices, and the Internet. Although the means by which we receive our entertainment may be more technologically sophisticated, this generation is as barbaric, or even more so, than previous generations. It is simply barbarism manifesting in a different form.
This present generation has seen so much brutality as entertainment on screens in front of them that they have become numb to its hideousness. Today people purchase tickets to movie theaters to watch scenes of human carnage play out before their eyes as thrilling entertainment.
So I ask you — if we as a society regularly feast our eyes, minds, and emotions on enacted scenes of human bloodshed, does that really make us more civilized than the ancient world that reveled in some of the same live scenes played out before them?
Current statistics prove that if a person watches enough violence on television, his sensitivity to violence will become dulled and he will become numbed to acts that would otherwise prick his conscience and vex his soul. The same statistics reveal that if a person watches pornography, in time, that person will lose his sensitivity to the wrongness of this behavior; once again, he will become numb to it.
Consider these facts:
- The escalation of violence in entertainment is so widespread that by age 18, a child will have seen more than 200,000 acts of violence on television and witnessed more than 40,000 simulated murders.
- The average seventh-grader watches more than 4 hours of television per day — with more than 60 percent of the programs containing violence.
- The same average seventh-grader plays electronic games 4 hours per week — with more than 50 percent of games categorized as “violent.”
- In most of the industrialized world, 90 percent of homes with children have more than one television, not to mention video-game equipment, a personal computer, and high-tech cell phones with the capability of showing movies. This means parents can watch television in one room while their children sit unsupervised in another room with access to “entertainment” that projects violence into their young minds.
- Violent video games have created a thirst for violence. In fact, statistics now reveal the majority of children select “fantasy violence” as their favorite type of video games.
- Further studies reveal that the more frequently children practice fantasy acts of violence on video games, the more likely it becomes that they will carry out real acts of violence.
The slower, kinder, safer world many of us grew up in is nearly gone, and with every new day it seems like society is being inundated with more violence. Unfortunately, our “sophisticated” and technologically advanced generation has become a generation wholly given to violence. Who would have ever thought it might be dangerous to go shopping at the mall or go watch a movie at the theater. Nevertheless, because there have been so many shootings and killings in the past decades, many people who frequent these types of public places are now taking the time to scope out the closest emergency exits in case a shooter shows up and goes on the rampage.
Indeed, the levels of violence we are witnessing today may be unprecedented in human history — except for in the time frame that preceded the Flood.
We Are Witnessing the Onset of a Duplicate Moment
as in the Days Before the Flood
Once more consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:37: “But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” The meaning of the original text here is the equivalent of Jesus saying, “Exactly and precisely as it was in the days of Noah, thus it will be in the days preceding My coming, when I will set all things right upon My arrival.”
But it’s time for me to wrap up today’s letter before it becomes a book!
One final time, I remind you that God is not in the practice of scaring us, but rather preparing us! He loves us so much that He wants us to have ears to hear what the Spirit has said so we and those we love can be safeguarded from the destructive spirit that is manifesting before Christ’s return. But again, I plead with you that if you know someone who has already been affected and you would like someone really qualified to pray with you about it, reach out to us and we’ll pray with you!
Before I close, if you have a prayer request of any kind and would like us to agree with you for that need to be met, give us a call or send us an email. Jesus promised that if we would pray in agreement, God the Father would hear us and answer (see Matthew 18:19)! I realize that, as a believer, you pray by yourself, but I sometimes find it helpful to have someone pray with me. That prayer of agreement gives me assurance and peace and it really brings fast results. Give us a call at 1-800-742-5593 or reach out to us at prayer@renner.org. I promise that we’ll keep it confidential and we’ll pray for you!
Denise and I, our family, and our team 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 Renner and our entire ministry team
P.S. Click here to view the new interactive Ministry Update page or click here to download the printable pdf flyer.
Remaining Thankful in Troubling Times
September Teaching Letter from Denise Renner
Dear Friend,
It’s such an honor and a privilege to write to you each month. Thank you for spending this time with me as I share what the Lord has put on my heart. I also want to thank those of you who watch my weekly program TIME With Denise Renner. Your responses and kind comments are so encouraging. If you haven’t seen my program yet, I invite you to watch it on Facebook or YouTube every Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. CT. We are living in a time when we need the kind of encouragement that can only come from the Word of God every single day, and that’s what is on my heart every time I write or speak to you in my letters and programs.
I am writing to you today to talk about staying desperate and not letting go. When I say “desperate,” I’m not talking about the kind of desperation that puts you in a state of despair and causes rash or extreme behavior, but rather desperation in the sense of being willing to do anything and everything to walk in faith and stick with the Lord, clinging to the promises He makes in His Word. When you have this kind of desperation, you can be unstoppable! One thing that these kinds of desperate people do in times of trouble is remain thankful and refuse to complain.
You may be wondering, Why is it so important to remain thankful and avoid complaining? People who complain are often so involved with themselves and overcome by their own problems that it becomes extremely difficult for them to receive from the Lord and His Word. Complaining people are also often stuck in that place of difficulty because they can’t move on. But people who are desperate to follow the Lord have an attitude that says, “I’m not staying here. I’m moving forward.” When you have this never-giving-up attitude, you’re able to keep going and going — and when you keep going, you will receive your prize!
The Ultimate Example of Maintaining
An Attitude of Thanks and Refusing to Complain
in the Midst of Troubling Times
As I was preparing this letter for you, I got to thinking about figures in the Bible who could have complained about their situation but refused to give in to the temptation. The most obvious and perfect example of this can be found in Jesus. He could have complained His whole life! He could have complained about the disciples and their unbelief, the Romans and how they mistreated the Jews, the Pharisees and Sadducees for constantly ridiculing and trying to trap Him, or even for just being tired! Jesus could have complained and murmured about so much during his lifetime, but He chose not to.
Keeping An Attitude of Thanks
Delivers Us From Complaining
If you’re in a desperate position, you must refuse to complain because complaining won’t get you anything or anywhere. Another great example of someone in the Bible who was desperate and could have complained but kept an unstoppable attitude was the apostle Paul. Philippians 1:3 says, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”
At the time he wrote the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul was stuck in a truly desperate situation, imprisoned and chained in horrific conditions. Yet while in the midst of this terrible prison, Paul began his letter to the Philippians by saying, “I thank my God” (see Philippians 1:3). It is by giving thanks that delivers us from complaining.
Now look at Philippians 2:14-16, which reads:
Do all things without complaining or disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
It is the will of God for us to shine as lights in the world, but if we’re complaining, we can’t shine. And if we’re complaining, we’re certainly not being thankful! You can’t be thankful and complain at the same time — it’s either one or the other.
The apostle Paul had so many reasons to complain, yet he began his letter to the Philippians with thanksgiving. Even in these horrible prison conditions, he told the Philippian Church to do all things without complaining or disputing.
I studied this concept of complaining and disputing, and it’s more than just verbal dissatisfaction. It’s a murmuring — a complaint rooted in the heart. This murmuring manifests as grumbling or muttering in a low voice. One commentator described complaining as an internal grumble. In other words, it is an action that fosters ill will rather than harmony and goodwill. It involves inward questioning, disputes, discussion, skepticism, or criticism — an intellectual rebellion against God.
Reading this passage in Philippians 2:14-16 makes me want to repent and flee from any dissatisfaction or grumbling within myself. The Holy Spirit has been dealing with me about this in recent months, and when I came upon these verses and studied the words, I prayed, “Oh, Lord, let this not be in my heart.” Dissatisfaction, grumbling, criticism, unhappiness, discontent, muttering, and murmuring — all these should be banished from within us.
Banish Dissatisfaction From Your Life
Circle back to verse 15, which says, “That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”
Pay attention to the language used in this verse: “…blameless and harmless, children of God without fault…” (Philippians 2:15). This language means to be pure on the inside — unblemished, unmixed, unadulterated, and sincere. These words were also used to describe pure wine or unalloyed metal.
Let me give you an example from my own life. Many years ago, Rick gave me a beautiful ring that I loved very much and wore all the time. However, the ring kept breaking, and I found myself repeatedly taking it to the jeweler for repairs. Each time it would get fixed and I would wear it with joy, but soon, it would break again.
Finally, I asked the jeweler what was wrong with the ring. She explained, “Denise, this ring has alloy in it — it’s impure. The gold is in an impure state, and that’s why it keeps breaking.”
When I saw this language in Philippians 2:15 and thought of that example, I realized that when we’re grumbling and complaining, we’re putting ourselves in a place where we can be easily broken. Just like the alloy in the ring made it impure and fragile, constant complaining makes us impure and easily broken.
Scripture teaches us that in order to shine as lights in the world, we need to be blameless, pure, and sincere on the inside (see Philippians 2:15). Just like grumbling, feeling dissatisfaction in our hearts stops us from shining. And when we aren’t shining, we aren’t ready to witness to someone who needs it, to love someone, or to even let the power of God flow out of us! But when we remain thankful, we’re blameless! A person who is blameless is free — free in their attitude, free in their mind, free to give out of their hearts because they’re not complaining, they’re thankful. Isn’t that powerful?!
The Word of God touches our hearts so deeply. Hebrews 4:12 says it’s like a sharp, double-edged sword. When you hear the Word, a word from your pastor, or while reading the Bible yourself, the Word of God pierces between your soul and spirit and between joints and marrow. Joints and marrow are so close together! How crucial is it that the Word of God has that place in your heart where it can literally separate between soul and spirit and joints and marrow? One of the most precious places in your body is in your bones, where the blood that gives us life is created, showing us just how vital the Word of God is to our survival.
So don’t complain! Don’t be disgruntled or dissatisfied. Give thanks and be blameless. That is how powerful the Word of God is, and that’s why it should be in our eyes, ears, and hearts. When we are harmless and blameless, we shine. And when we shine as lights in this dark world, we can be a beacon of brightness to others.
The Holy Spirit Living Inside You Helps You
Abstain From Complaint and Ungratefulness
Jesus could have complained about so much, but He didn’t — He gave thanks! The apostle Paul could have murmured and complained, especially in that horrible Roman prison. Scholars say that the prison contained collected sewage, and was packed with prisoners chained from wall to wall, each with no choice but to just stand in that filth. Paul had every reason to complain but chose to give thanks instead. How powerful is that?!
You may be thinking, But I’m not Jesus! I’m not the apostle Paul! But the Bible says in Second Corinthians 13:5:
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?
And First Corinthians 6:19 says:
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Our lives are not more difficult than Jesus’ or the apostle Paul’s. Paul chose to give thanks while in the most dismal of circumstances, and we have Jesus Christ living on the inside of us! Therefore, we can put a stop to complaining and choose to give thanks because the Holy Spirit resides within us.
Desperate people must choose not to complain because complaining leads nowhere, but giving thanks propels us forward. The apostle Paul eventually got out of that horrible prison and continued to live his life, and simply giving thanks was a huge part of his breakthrough. If you’re in a desperate situation, giving thanks can help you get out of it. It’s all about changing your attitude!
If you’re a desperate person, and you want to get out of your desperate situation, be thankful. Start thanking God right now! It’s going to do more for you than complaining, and thanksgiving has a certain power that can deliver you out of any desperate situation.
Friend, as we come to a close today, I want to remind you that desperation isn’t something that should cause you to panic. Next time you’re tempted to act with extreme behavior or complain in a tricky situation, remember this letter and choose to give thanks instead. I also want to remind you about our Partner Care team. If you ever have a prayer request you need to share, please reach out to our prayer team. Each member is full of faith and devoted to seeing the Lord move mightily in your life! Connect with our team today by calling 1.844.473.6637 or emailing prayer@deniserenner.org. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
We are moving forward together,
Denise Renner