Our Place of Faith

August Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and greetings in Jesus’ precious name! Christ came into this world “in the fullness of time” to redeem mankind from sin and to reconcile us to the Heavenly Father (Galatians 4:4,5). And what a great salvation it was and is that God wrought for us in Christ (see Hebrews 2:3-18)! Denise and I and our family wish you a warm and wonderful Christmas season and the best new year of your life in 2022.

Today I want to talk to you about opportunities and adversaries, but first I want to say thank you for being such a faithful partner with our ministry. As I told you in my letter last month, our ministry is bursting at the seams, and I am so humbled that God would use Denise and me, our family, and our team to minister to the many people who are reaching out to us every day.

Every soul is precious, and it is our heartfelt desire to convey that truth to every person God brings to us — that they are precious to Him and to us. And your gifts are so vital to our ability to touch every one of these treasured souls! So today I want to say a special thank you for all you do with us to take the trusted teaching of the Word of God to people in Russia and all over the world. From the depths of our hearts, Denise and I THANK YOU!

This month is the last month of the year — and I know you are probably preparing for Christmas and many different kinds of gatherings. But in addition to Christmas, it’s also almost 2022. As we come to the end of this year and to the beginning of a brand-new year, the Holy Spirit keeps telling me to “stay on track” with the assignments He has given us. I hear Him saying that even if we hit bumps along the way, everything will be all right if we’ll just stay on track and maintain our God-assigned territory — the many opportunities and assignments He has given us to inspire, strengthen, and equip believers with the sound teaching of the Bible.

But I’ve learned over the years that opportunities and adversaries usually go together — and today I want to encourage you to undergird yourself so that you can stay on track with what God has asked you to do this month and in the coming year.

Over the course of our ministry, we’ve had many great, effectual doors open to us to do the work of the Gospel. I’ll never forget when I received an opportunity to minister on television in the former Soviet Union. It was as if a great door had suddenly swung open to an entire vast territory — a door that had never before been opened for anyone else — and I knew I was experiencing something miraculous. By faith, Denise and I stepped through that door and began to preach the Word of God on television in this spiritually starved corner of the world.

Given the former socialist-communist campaigns against the Gospel in this particular region, this opportunity was as miraculous as the Jordan River dividing for Joshua and the children of Israel. But with this great open door also came a slew of adversaries, specifically dispatched by Satan to instill fear and doubt into my heart. The devil desperately wanted to prevent me from touching the lives of spiritually oppressed people, so he positioned evil people with insidious plans to try to block my view of what God had in store for our ministry.

I’m telling you that it was like the children of Israel looking at the Promised Land from the far side of the Jordan River. From that perspective, they saw only the fruitful land of blessing that lay before them. But once they entered the Promised Land, they had to fight giants of every kind before they could possess that land and enjoy the blessing. In much the same way, if Denise and I had taken our eyes off the Lord during that tumultuous period — or if we had focused only on the problems and forgotten about the fruit we were pursuing for God’s Kingdom — I’m sure we would have backpedaled to get out of the situation!

But we knew this was a God-given opportunity and worth the fight, so we fixed our gaze squarely on the Lord. Girded with the armor of God and the power of the Spirit, we pushed through every obstacle and possessed the ground that God called us to take. As a result, millions of souls began to hear the Gospel for the first time. We knew that only God could have opened this door!

In First Corinthians 16:9, the apostle Paul wrote about the strategic doors of opportunity that open for the Gospel and the adversaries that usually accompany them. He said, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” Notice that Paul used the words “great,” “door,” “effectual,” and “is opened” to describe the opportunity that had been set before him.

The word “great” in this verse is translated from the Greek word megale, which means gigantic. The word “door” is the Greek word thura, which typically refers to a door, but in this context, denotes a rare opportunity. The word “effectual” is the Greek word energes, and it depicts something that is powerful and ready to be set into motion. Finally, the phrase “is opened” is the Greek word anoigo, which describes something standing wide open. In other words, the door in question couldn’t be any more open! Thus, an alternate translation of Paul’s words in First Corinthians 16:9 could be rendered, “A gigantic, powerful opportunity is already set in motion and standing wide open….”

Paul continued by saying, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me….” You see, Paul knew that the particular door he was referring to had never been opened to anyone else, and he stood in awe of the unprecedented opportunity. Walking through these kinds of doors is impossible without divine assistance, and Paul was fully aware of God’s role in the matter. That is why he specified that this door had been opened “unto me.”

Paul’s prayer request in First Corinthians 16:9 was not for a door to open because it had already opened. His prayer request was to receive God’s wisdom to deal with the numerous adversaries who were trying to come against him. Paul used the Greek word antikeimenoi to describe the vast number of “adversaries” that were sent to attack him. This Greek word describes something that was piled high and lying all around him. In other words, he was dealing with more than a few minor opponents. On the contrary, it felt like opposition was stacked high on every side!

I’ve learned that the enemy will try his best to keep you from stepping through the gigantic doors of opportunity God desires to open for you. Satan is afraid of what will happen when “his” territory is invaded by someone fully equipped with a full arsenal of spiritual weapons. So know this: God will open doors for you — but He needs you to make a determined decision that you will walk through them, no matter the opposition, with the help of His Spirit.

By opening the door, God has already done His part, which would have been impossible without His assistance. Now He beckons you to come, dressed in the whole armor of God and in the power of His Word — and proceed through that effectual door into new territory. It may look like enemies are everywhere, but it is simply a fact that the devil and his forces flee and collapse when they are subjected to a show of strong faith!

As I mentioned earlier, many great and effectual doors have been opened to us over the years to do the work of the Gospel. In each case, we knew these doors were unique to us and had never before been opened for anyone else. And just as Paul experienced opposition, there were plenty of enemies that came against us with each opportunity. But because we obeyed God, the devil was forced to move out of the way, and we walked right into the virgin territory that God had opened for our ministry.

Even if you think your situation looks threatening right now, I want to tell you that God is with you. He wants to supernaturally open new doors for you — doors that have never before been opened for you. He is not beckoning you to walk through these doors so you can fail. He is with you every step of the way, and He will empower you to defeat every foe and bring Him glory in that new territory that is yours to possess in Jesus’ name!

Your open door may be an opportunity to shine the light of God’s Word and God’s love to your family or friends during this holiday season. It may be a door that will open to you in the new year. Regardless of when it is or what it is, the same God who opens doors will empower you to walk through them — and then He’ll be right with you to give you the wisdom and strength needed to overcome any giant that tries to meet you on the other side.

I know this is not a typical December, “Christmas-style” letter, but this is what was on my heart to share with you today. I want you to always know that if we can join you in prayer, we would be delighted to do so. To be honest, we are praying for you anyway, but when we are alerted to know exactly “how” to pray, it increases our effectiveness as we pray for you. So if you have a special need, please either call or write to let us know how we can get in agreement with you for God to show Himself mighty to you according to Jeremiah 33:3, which says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

And please pray for us as we continue marching forward by faith to push back darkness, to shine the light of God’s Word, and to take territory for the Kingdom of God. Together — as partners — we can make a difference in the lives of throngs of people who are crying out to God for help. They are waiting for God to respond to their prayers, and God wants to use us — you and us together — to bring them the answers they desperately need.

But before I close, I want to say we are specifically asking God to do something special for you this month and before the end of the year. I don’t know what it is, but that is what we are praying. We are asking God to do something special that will bless your life! And please, please pray for us as we continue pushing ahead to build our studio in Moscow, to finalize the purchase of our new headquarters in Tulsa, and to continue to minister effectually to every precious soul Jesus brings to us!

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

It is such a privilege to write to you. I’m so thankful for you, and I’m thankful that you are taking the time to read these words of hope and encouragement. I’m writing a new book entitled Jesus Wants To Heal You that is to be released in early 2024, and I’d like to share a few words from its pages with you. I believe these words are timely and can strengthen you today if you will receive them.

In Matthew 8:2 and 3, we see that it is the will of God to have compassion on us. He wants to heal our bodies; He wants us whole in every area. This scripture speaks of a leprous man who knew that Jesus could heal him, but he didn’t know if Jesus wanted to heal him.

And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

We need to know what the will of God is regarding healing, and we see it in this verse. We see what Jesus’ will was for this leprous man.

Just consider the realities of this leprous man in the hours right before he met Jesus. When this man first opened his eyes that morning, it was just like any other morning. He didn’t know this was going to be his miracle morning. He got out of bed in his same old routine — carrying the same familiar burden of pain, shame, and fear and the same horrible identity as a leper that he had carried for years.

But this man had a burning question in his heart. He had heard about Jesus’ healing the sick; he knew that Jesus was able to heal. But one thing he didn’t know — would Jesus want to heal him?

So this leprous man was set up to experience a second reality that day. At some point, he decided to push past his fear and risk going out in public to make the effort to find Jesus and ask Him the question he didn’t know the answer to: “Are You willing to heal me?”

Can’t you just imagine this disease-ridden, leprous man pushing through the crowds as they were screaming in fear and backing away from him, yelling out to each other, “Unclean! Unclean!” They were protecting themselves from this horrible stench and dreaded, contagious disease.

But, finally, the man reached Jesus. And when Jesus said to him, “I am willing,” Jesus’ words became this man’s place of faith. From that moment on, his faith was his reality — and the next reality that manifested was his answer.

That morning this man got out of bed still leprous, and that evening he went to bed healed and whole!

The truth is, we can get so caught up in the physical realm and think, I need to be real about this problem. It’s true that symptoms present us with one version of reality. But what about our place of faith? Is that not a greater reality? It absolutely is! And it leads to our answer becoming our new reality!

You may be facing a challenge, and perhaps you’ve been feeling trapped in the reality of the problem. But Jesus is inviting you to another place, the place called faith — because that is the reality that comes before the miracle! In that place of faith, Jesus is your Healer. You’re not an over-reacting believer who doesn’t face reality; you’re simply walking in the place of faith. That place is where you abide before your answer becomes your new reality.

When somebody believes, that’s the reality of faith. Yes, the problem is one reality, but the answer to that problem is another reality. And between the two is the reality of faith that doesn’t give up — faith that says, “I’m going to receive from God, no question about it!”

The man didn’t know that this was to be his life-altering miracle day. He just made a decision to get out of bed, get dressed, and leave his home to go look for Jesus. But God was working a plan.

This man knew Jesus could heal, no problem. The man had probably thought a lot about it before this moment: I’ve heard of this Jesus performing miracles. I believe He can heal me — but does He want to heal me? Then Jesus spoke three words to this man that settled that question once and for all: “I am willing.”

So for this amazing miracle to happen, there were only two questions this man had to settle in his own mind: Can Jesus do it? Yes, He can. And does He want to do it? Now I know — yes, He does.

Those same two questions we still ask today. Can Jesus heal me? And does He want to heal me?

Friend, I’m writing this to you. If you have sickness, pain, or disease — anything that’s trying to attach itself to your body — the will of God absolutely is to heal you. Can He heal you? Yes, He is the God of the impossible! He most assuredly can heal you. And He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so you can also know beyond a shadow of a doubt that today He wants to heal you, just as He healed the leprous man that day almost 2,000 years ago!

If a sickness goes on for a long time, sometimes we start to believe religious statements like, Well, maybe God doesn’t really want to heal me. Maybe I’m giving glory to God through my patient suffering. Or maybe He wants to teach me something through this sickness. But the answer to all three of those “maybes” is no, no, and no. None of those statements reflect the true nature or the will of our Father God!

God doesn’t want His children sick in order to teach them something. Sickness is ultimately from the devil and originates in this fallen world. So why would He use something from the devil to teach us anything? That doesn’t make any sense, because the Bible says that the devil is under our feet (see Ephesians 1:20-22; 2:6)!

Jesus defeated Satan through His death, burial, and resurrection, and that includes every sickness that he brings! Jesus doesn’t use Satan or his evil ways to teach us anything.

Does it bring glory to God when we suffer with sickness? No, Jesus took all of our sicknesses and diseases on Himself as He hung on that Cross.

I’m telling you right now, any sickness or disease that is afflicting your body or tormenting your soul for any reason is not giving glory to God. This is such good news. Jesus took that physical or mental affliction to hell, and He punished it — destroyed its power and its right to remain on you forever!

The truth is, Jesus hates sickness and disease. There is nothing in Him that loves seeing people being tormented or in pain or that enjoys watching people lose all their money because they have to pay doctors for medical care. That brings Him no joy. In fact, Jesus hates it — so much so that He offered Himself as a Sacrifice and suffered a horrifying death on that Cross to purchase our redemption and healing.

And even before Jesus was nailed to that Cross, He took that beating with a whip that had multiple cords with pieces of metal and glass tied on the ends. When those pieces of metal and glass came whipping around His body, they tore His flesh. The pain and torture Jesus endured during that cruel lashing of His skin is unimaginable. Yet the Word says it was that very whipping that purchased your healing and my healing: “…By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Psalm 103:2 and 3 confirm to us what the Father’s compassions and benefits include for us. He not only forgives all our sin; He also promises to heal our bodies from all sickness and disease.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.

It is absolutely God’s will for you to be healed. It’s as much God’s will to heal you as it is to save you. His compassions are available right now for you. It’s as if there were a basket in front of you labeled “The Father’s Compassions,” and you could decide, I’m going to reach in that basket and take out the compassion called healing because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that healing is mine.

I personally have been touched by Jesus’ healing power so many times in my life. That’s why I minister on this truth that He bore our sicknesses and diseases with so much passion and gratitude.

Friend, there is nothing in the will of God that wants you sick or in pain — nothing.

The Father’s compassions have already been poured out. They are yours for the taking! The will of God was to heal the leper, and the will of God is to heal you.

When Jesus said on the Cross, “It is finished,” He was saying, “I have just paid for cancer, for arthritis, for mental illness, for lung problems, for skin disease, for blood problems, for kidney disease. I have just paid for anything wrong with your sinuses, your throat, or your ears. I have just paid for blindness. I have just paid for it all. IT IS FINISHED.”

The Bible says in Hebrews 12:2 that Jesus endured, despising the shame for the joy set before Him. That joy was a demonstration of everything He was paying a price for to free us from sin and sickness.

Yes, it is Jesus’ joy to heal you. Always remember this, for it is your amazing, wonderful, and great salvation!

Do you need healing in your body today? Do you have an unmet need in your life or in the life of a loved one? Our team would be honored to join our faith with yours for the manifestation of what He has already paid for. Call us at 1.800.742.5593, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT weekdays, or email prayer@deniserenner.org. A faith-filled prayer warrior is waiting to hear from you.

I would also like to invite you to join me on my program, TIME With Denise Renner. It airs on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. CT on Facebook and YouTube and Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT on GospelTruth.tv. You can also listen to my podcast on Spotify, Google, and Apple, with new episodes every Monday at 5:00 a.m. CT. Let’s continue to soak in His Word and saturate ourselves in His presence.

We are receiving our healing together,

Denise Renner

Seven Levels of Oppression

August Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Greetings in Jesus’ wonderful name and in the victory that is ours because of Him! I’m excited to continue sharing with you today about how to be set free from oppression!

But before I dive into my teaching, I want to express my thanks to God and to you for all you have done and continue to do to play such a vital role in our ministry. Because your support of us through your prayers and your finances is so crucial to our effectiveness in the Kingdom of God, I want to let you know of something monumental that is occurring at RENNER Ministries! In June of 2021, we took over a Russian-speaking Christian satellite network and renamed it the Good News Channel (GNC). We knew it was the leading of the Lord and moved forward with confidence that He would help us financially fulfill this commitment of broadcasting trusted Christian programming in the Russian language, 24/7, all over the world.

We are now ready to launch a full line of programming, and I wanted you to be one of the first to know because, as with any Kingdom endeavor, although one man or woman — or one ministry — receives a Heavenly assignment, it takes the work of many to execute that assignment and bring it forth to God’s glory. It takes staff in our offices both in the U.S. and Russia to facilitate this programming, and it also takes partners who will really pray for us and contribute financially toward making this outreach effective in the lives of millions of Russian-speaking souls.

When Denise and I call someone a partner, we do so intentionally and with heartfelt meaning. Those who partner with us really are partners in this work of God and all our outreaches. As each person we reach is touched and lives are changed, it is not only being credited to our ministry’s account in Heaven, but also to the account of every person who helped make it happen. Friend, that means YOU!

The Good News Channel will be an ongoing outreach, so please ask the Lord if He would have you join our giving team in reaching all these hungry Russian-speaking people with trusted Bible teaching. You can go to renner.org or call 800-742-5593 to give toward this ever-growing, vast new channel. Thank you so much for being a friend and a partner!

As I continue my teaching today from last month, I want to share with you my own testimony of how the devil tried to assault me mentally and emotionally when I was a young man. I am only sharing this because I want to demonstrate how the devil targets people. This way, you’ll understand how the process works when the devil is attempting to oppress you or someone you love and care about!

When I was young, most of my friends at our church were involved in sports, and the mindset was that to be a real man, you had to be a sports man. Sports were highly valued, and our church friends either bowled or played basketball, softball, or baseball. In fact, they participated in anything involving a ball! But young Ricky Renner was not gifted in any kind of sports involving a ball. I actually detested every kind of ball sport, and to this day, I don’t like any sports that have to do with a ball because it always symbolized failure to me.

When I was just a young man, a voice began to speak to me, saying, There’s something wrong with you. There’s something really wrong. You can’t compete with the other guys. You cannot do what the other guys can do. Those thoughts just kept striking, striking, and striking my mind. When I went to school, I tried to be involved in sports with all the other guys. But, still, I was such a failure when it came to sports. Every day, I would have feelings of failure reinforced by voices speaking failure to me over and over again. This was an early devilish assault on my mind, and because I didn’t understand what was happening, I couldn’t articulate it or verbalize it, much less stand against it.

In place of liking sports like all the other guys, I was drawn to art, music, museums, and things of a creative nature. I was just wired differently. But on top of all that, the same voice that told me I was a failure for not being good at sports also repeatedly sneered, You’re a freak to like the things you like. That voice constantly lambasted me day in and day out. I can still remember looking into the mirror as a young boy and thinking, What is wrong with you? There’s something really wrong with you. It was an outside, oppressive force trying to penetrate my mind and take me hostage.

Then when I was in the seventh grade, I became ill and missed half the school year. During my absence, a new level of math was introduced. When I finally returned to school, I had missed half a year of instruction, so I did not understand what was being taught. Not only was I struggling in math, but I wasn’t doing well in writing because I had missed so much about seventh-grade English and grammar. I struggled every day, and as I sat at my desk, I would hear that same voice speaking to my mind, There’s something wrong with you. You are inferior. You’re a failure. You’re stupid. You can’t understand because you’re stupid! I constantly heard voices accusing me, You’re a failure because you are not athletic, and you are stupid. You’re a freak because you are so different from other people.

Even though I failed in mathematics, my teacher liked me, so she graduated me to the next level in school. But if I didn’t understand math in the seventh grade, how was I going to understand math in the eighth grade? For the entire eighth-grade school year, I struggled in mathematics, with that same dark, relentless voice speaking to me, There’s something wrong with you. You’re just stupid! But that year, my eighth-grade teacher also liked me, so she passed me into the ninth grade.

When I entered ninth grade, it was time to study algebra! My algebra teacher was so old that she had also been my father’s algebra teacher and, unfortunately, when my father was in her class, she did not like him because he had done something mischievous in her classroom.

During my first day in her class, as this teacher was taking roll, she came to my name and said, “Ricky Renner.”

I responded, “Here.” She asked, “Is your father Ronald Renner?” I answered, “Yes, that’s my father.” I remember her face as she pulled her glasses down to the end of her nose. She peered at me behind those thick lenses. Then she pushed her glasses back up onto her face and said matter-of-factly, “Stupid. In this class, your name is Stupid. Any child of Ronald Renner is stupid, stupid, stupid — and that is your name in this class.”

Do you see what was happening? The devil was telling me I was a stupid failure and a freak, and then brought in reinforcements through this woman to daily lambast me to confirm that I was indeed stupid. He was able to use an authority figure, with influence, to reinforce the lies he was already telling me.

When the other students heard what the teacher called me, they thought it was hysterical, and they all began to call me “Stupid.” When I walked through the hallway at school, I would hear, “Hey, Stupid!” or, “Hey, Stupid, where are you going?” Every day when that teacher called the roll in class, she would call everyone else by his or her actual name, but as soon as she came to my name, she would call out, “Stupid Renner.” And every time, I would compliantly answer, “Here.” If I raised my hand to ask a question, she would respond, “Yes, Stupid? Can somebody please help Stupid?”

The devil was striking and striking me with his merciless blows to penetrate my mind so I would believe the lie that I was stupid, a failure, a freak, and there was something really wrong with me. The devil was trying to subdue, conquer, and dominate my young life in order to convince me to believe the lie. The devil knew if I began to believe what he was telling me, that lie would become my reality — a stronghold in my thinking — and that without deliverance, I would fail in life.

Even though the devil was in pursuit of my destruction through his persistent lies, when I was 14 years old, I gloriously received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and those attacks ceased. When I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the power of God came on me, that power drove that darkness out of my life, all those attacks stopped, and the devil’s mission concerning me was aborted.

I’ve shared this testimony to show you that the devil wants to tell us what to think and what to believe; his goal is to feed us lie after lie trying to get us to take the bait and believe him. Then with that false mindset, we begin acting accordingly, and our view of life and of ourselves changes radically for the worse.

But let me take this a step further and identify seven levels of oppression. I am sharing these so you can identify them in your own life or in someone else’s life. Then in next month’s letter, I’m going to show you how to walk free of the devil’s lies in your mind.

Level Number One: A Personal Attack

The first level of oppression is a personal attack against the mind and emotions. Remember, the devil is diabolos — the one striking, striking, and striking the mind. I vividly recall that when the devil repeatedly spoke to my mind and said, You’re a failure. You’re a freak. You’re stupid. Something is wrong with you, he was striking my mind ruthlessly and continuously. From a very young age, I was targeted. The devil’s intention was to penetrate my mind in order to gain access to and control over my thoughts, emotions, and belief system so he could ultimately destroy me and God’s purpose for my life.

Level Number Two: Reinforcements

During the second level of oppression, the devil sends reinforcements to fortify his mental and emotional attacks. In other words, the devil will use people who will yield to him to corroborate the lies he is speaking to you. In my case, I believed that I was a failure at sports and that there was something wrong with me. One way the devil tried to reinforce that thinking in my young mind was through a baseball coach who mocked me publicly, telling me I was stupid and a failure — which only confirmed to me what I was already feeling and being harassed with. The devil brings in reinforcements through people to support what you are already hearing from him. Of course, my high-school teacher was another such reinforcement, further confirming the barrage of thoughts that continually assaulted my mind. And all my fellow classmates who called me Stupid throughout my ninth-grade year were reinforcements on an even larger scale!

Level Number Three: Life Experiences and Disappointments

In stage three of oppression, the devil uses negative life experiences and disappointments to fortify his deceptive lies. In my own life, experience after experience of failure in sports and in school convinced me that what I was believing and what I was hearing was the truth. I was not doing well in math; I was not doing well in English, which is amazing because today I’ve authored many books. It was as if the enemy knew certain things about my future and was attempting to sabotage me early on and abort my calling.

Level Number Four: Influential Voices

In stage four of oppression, influential voices bolster the intensity of the devil’s attack. As I told you, when I entered ninth grade, I had a teacher who disliked my dad. On my first day of class, I innocently showed up and the bombardment began.

Because an influential voice was now speaking to me, repeating exactly the same lie the devil had been speaking, I was victimized by an intensifying of that attack.

The ninth-grade students had also taken job-placement tests that year. After taking mine, I was called in for an interview by the test administrators — more voices of authority — to tell me how I should plan my future education and vocation. Two different counselors told me, “Ricky, you have no future. Mentally, you don’t have what is needed to go to college or pursue higher levels of education. We would encourage you to think about digging ditches or maybe helping to build roads — doing something manual because mentally, you will never be able to handle anything higher.”

There’s nothing wrong with building roads and infrastructures — those jobs are desperately needed in any civilized society! But I wasn’t called to do those types of jobs. I was called to study the Greek language and to teach the Word of God around the world through books, TV, and other platforms! The devil was trying to bolster the intensity of the attack on my life and ministry calling through influential voices — “experts.” The enemy had brought the teacher, a baseball coach, and, finally, two job-placement counselors to reinforce his lies. On top of that, the devil was still speaking lies to me personally, striking my mind repeatedly.

Level Number Five: Negative Faith

In the fifth level of oppression, negative faith in the lie is released by the one whose mind and emotions are being attacked. Jesus clearly taught that whatever we believe is what we receive. The devil’s purpose is to inundate our minds with a lie until we hear it so many times, the lie begins to become “truth” to us. In other words, we begin to believe we’re stupid or a failure, etc. We begin to believe that there is something wrong with us, and what we believe about ourselves is empowered by our faith to become a reality.

What you believe is so important. If you believe a lie, your believing will empower that lie, and it will become your reality. Conversely, if you believe the truth, the truth will become your reality. Whatever you believe becomes your reality. If you release negative faith in a lie, you will empower that lie, which leads us to level number six.

Level Number Six: What Is Believed Becomes a Living Reality

When lies are believed and embraced, they leave the mental realm and enter the physical realm — then whatever you have believed becomes your reality. If you believe the lie long enough that you are stupid, you will become stupid. If you believe you are a failure, you will eventually become a failure. If you believe you are a freak, you become a freak. When we believe the lie, our faith in that lie is released. When we accept the lie, it leaves the mental and emotional realm and enters the physical realm.

Level Number Seven: Domination for a Lifetime

The ultimate aim of the enemy is to take us hostage so he can dominate us for the rest of our lives. That did not happen to me because I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and it set me free. (If you have never received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, call RENNER Ministries, and we will pray with you to receive this powerful experience!)

You Can Pull Down the Devil’s Lies in Your Mind

But even if a person becomes subjugated to the devil’s tyranny and control, he or she can become free once again. In Second Corinthians 10:4, the apostle Paul wrote about calling down the lies that the devil is trying to plant in your mind and emotions. The verse begins, “Casting down imaginations….”

The words “casting down” are a translation of a Greek word that means to take it down and to disassemble, if needed, bit by bit. The use of this word means a lie can be demolished, destroyed, dismantled, thrown down, knocked down, broken up, broken apart, and pulled to pieces until nothing is left of it.

Paul specifically says we can cast down “imaginations.” In Greek, the word “imagination” is logismos, and it is where we get the idea of what the mind is thinking. The devil knows that the mind is the central control center of your life, and whoever controls your mind controls you. If the devil can control your mind, he can control what you think and what you believe. If he can control your mind, he can control your self-image. Your self-image will begin to affect the way you relate to others and how others perceive you.

Whoever has your mind has you. That is why God wants your mind! That’s the reason we need to renew our mind with the Word of God (see Romans 12:2). God wants your mind because when God has your mind, He has you.

But the Bible says that if you have a wrong mental stronghold — or if the devil is trying to suppress you in your mind or emotions — you can take that imagination apart, dismantle it, and disassemble it bit by bit until nothing is left of it and you are finally free.

And not only can we cast down imaginations, but Paul says we can cast down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. The words “high thing” are from a Greek word that describes any kind of presumptuous thought that “exalts itself” against the knowledge of God. So what does that mean? Let me give you a few examples.

God says you are healed, but your flesh or mind says you are not healed and that you will never be healed.
God also says you are made perfect in Christ, but your flesh will say you are a failure and that you’re never going to change or be anything in life.
God declares you are His very own righteousness in Christ and that there is no condemnation for you as you seek to walk with Him — but the enemy will assault your mind with thoughts that you are a guilty sinner!

The enemy wants to exalt his lie over your life — and it is always a lying voice that opposes whatever God has declared about you. You see, God speaks the truth, but the devil says the opposite. The enemy has waged an all-out war to try to convince you to disbelieve whatever God has declared about you!

That is why Paul goes on to say we must bring “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).

The word “obedience” is the Greek word hupakoe, which is a compound of the word hupo and akoe. The word hupo carries the idea of being in a subservient position, while the word akoe means I hear. When the two words are compounded, it depicts one who is submitted; one who listens willingly or by force; one who obeys what he hears, either willingly or by compulsion, duress, or pressure.

This means that to destroy a mental or emotional stronghold, we must speak to our mind and emotions and make them submit to what God’s Word says about us. The word hupo depicts you submitting yourself to the Word of God, and the word akoe pictures you bending your ear to what God has to say and then obeying it. You must submit your mind and your emotions to God and His Word — and you must force yourself to listen to and put into practice everything God says about you. In the process of making your mind and emotions submit to Christ and His Word rather than to the lies you’ve been hearing, you will begin disassembling those lies bit by bit and completely demolishing the rule of oppression in your life.

The fact is, we must choose which voice we hear. We can keep listening to the lie or choose to hear the truth. Whichever voice we choose to listen to is the one we will believe, and the voice we believe is the one that will become our reality.

So if you want to be free, you must choose to listen to the liberating voice of God. You must bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ and the knowledge of God — you must bring your mind captive to what God says about you. You must make the choice to hear the truth and believe it so that truth becomes your reality and obliterates the lie. If you’ll bend your brain to hear God’s Word and shut your ears to the enemy’s voice, you — and those you love — can walk free of every oppressive thought as you cast down vain imaginations.

I know that I’ve gone a little longer than I usually do in my monthly teaching letter, but I didn’t want to miss one important point in what I’ve shared with you today. My heart’s desire is to see people set free from the oppressive work of the enemy. And even more, Acts 10:38 says Jesus is anointed to set people free from oppression, so that means a part of our God-given assignment is also to see people set free!

If you need specific prayer about anything I’ve touched on today, please contact us by calling, writing, or emailing us. I promise that we’ll keep your prayer request confidential and we’ll pray forcefully for God to move on your behalf. Denise and I and my team are always praying for you anyway, but if you let us know how to specifically pray, it will enable us to do it even more effectively!

Please pray for Denise and me, our family, and our team, as we continue doing what Jesus has asked us to do. Like you, we are also doing our part to drive back the work of the enemy and to bring the healing, delivering power of Jesus into people’s lives. Thank you again for your partnership with our ministry. Your prayers and support are such an important part of our ability to do what Jesus has called our ministry to do — I cannot stress that enough!

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 ministry team

The Transforming Power in His Still Small Voice

July Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

It’s a privilege to write to you today, and I’m honored that you are spending this time with me in the Word of God. I want to share with you about a man who was completely transformed by the power of God. He went from being in a place of deep depression and wanting God to end his life to being a bold and mighty conqueror. This man of God was taken up to Heaven in a fiery chariot, so not only did God never kill him, this man never died and is still alive to this day. Yes, I’m talking about the great prophet Elijah!

Elijah had been sent by God to King Ahab and to the rebellious nation of Israel who was worshiping Baal. To remind these wayward Israelites of Almighty God’s power and might, Elijah had prophesied that it would not rain — and no rain fell for three years. But instead of their hearts returning to the Lord, the people of Israel continued to rebel. In First Kings 18:21, Elijah rebuked them and said, “…How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, follow him.” Verse 21 continues, “But the people answered him not a word.”

Elijah then challenged the prophets of Baal to set up an altar to their god Baal and call out to him, and afterward, Elijah set up an altar to God. Elijah decreed that the god who answered with fire was, and is, the One True God. So the prophets of Baal began worshiping and crying out to their false god, screaming and cutting themselves, but nothing happened; fire did not consume the offering on their altar.

When it was Elijah’s turn, he had people fill four large jars repeatedly with water and pour them on the sacrifice that he had prepared on the altar for the Lord. He then prayed to God, and the Word says, “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!’” (1 Kings 18:38,39).

The prophets of Baal were then seized and killed, and Elijah prophesied to King Ahab that it was going to rain, which would end the three-year drought. Rain did come just as Elijah had said, but when Ahab returned home, he told his wife Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and she vowed to kill Elijah. In fear for his life, Elijah ran and hid in the wilderness.

First Kings 19:4 says, “But he [Elijah] himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!’” Tired and discouraged, Elijah lay down to sleep.

I want you to think for a moment about how utterly exhausted — physically, mentally, and emotionally — Elijah must have been. He had been obedient and had done everything the Lord had asked him to say and do, but then a vengeful queen sought to kill him, and he was afraid. It was in this place of exhaustion that he cried out to God to kill him.

The Bible says in James 5:17 that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours….” Those feelings of depression, insecurity, wanting to give up, and utter defeat that Elijah experienced are the very same passions and emotions that we face. And I want you to see that Jesus didn’t come to judge Elijah in those moments of despair; instead He came to bring His compassion to him. It was not time for Elijah to die; it was not time for his race to be finished. And it’s important for us to recognize that in the transforming process of our lives — when we move forward from where we are to the place we need to be in the Lord — the compassion of our God is toward us.

But even if we know God’s attitude toward us, our emotions can lie to us. They can say, This is enough. I can’t do this anymore. In essence, this is what Elijah was doing. He was saying, “I don’t want to prophesy again. I don’t want to kill another false prophet. I don’t want to face another evil king from Israel. I don’t want to depend on God for food anymore.” He was exhausted — done — and he asked God to kill him. The same passions and emotions that we contend with were moving and dictating Elijah’s desires and words.

So how did God show compassion toward Elijah?

In First Kings 19:5-7, we read, “Then as he [Elijah] lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’ Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, ‘Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.’” Notice again that God did not judge Elijah; He came to minister to him personally.

It wasn’t time for Elijah to give up, but it was time for Elijah to get away from that tree and hear from God. So Elijah made a very long journey — about 180 miles — that took him 40 days and 40 nights to complete. And although Elijah was discouraged, he did not run from God. He ran to God, and his journey took him to Mount Horeb — the mountain of God.

The Bible passage continues, “And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (1 Kings 19:9).

And Elijah answered God: “…I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life” (1 Kings 19:10).

First Kings 19 continues, “Then He [God] said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (1 Kings 19:11-13).

Friend, this great prophet of God was so overwhelmed, he needed more than just hot bread, water, and a good night’s sleep. He needed to hear from God.

Sometimes the circumstances surrounding us can be so devastating that we end up believing the wrong voices and embracing the wrong emotions. And instead of moving forward with God, we park ourselves under a tree. But what we really need is to hear that still small voice. Jesus paid a tremendous price to bring His voice, His presence, and His power into our life through the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t want us to remain in the feelings and emotions of our flesh; instead, He desires that we are led by His Spirit who dwells inside us and transformed by His still small voice.

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you….” Even in his discouraged and depressed state, Elijah was still trying to draw near to God. By running to Mount Horeb, Elijah was drawing near to God and God was drawing very near to Elijah. When Elijah heard the still small voice of God, the presence of God was so overwhelming that he covered his face with his mantle. This was the answer that Elijah needed — but he had to get away from that tree to hear the still small voice of God. This was his transforming moment.

In First Kings 19:14 and 15, the conversation between Elijah and God continues. Elijah once again responded to God, “…I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” And the Lord said to Elijah, “…Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.”

Many years ago, my husband Rick and I were involved in the building project of our church in Riga, Latvia. The stress on my husband was overwhelming, and the requests for finances from the building contractors were relentless. God was so faithful, but many times the contractors would say, “OK, now I need X amount of money,” and “I need money for this,” and “I need money for that.” It became overwhelming to Rick.

One night, Rick was up in the middle of the night because he was worried and couldn’t sleep. He had his head on the desk, and he was crying out to the Lord, God, please help me. Where am I going to get the money needed to finish this project? And in the middle of his prayer, Rick felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Joel, our youngest son.

“Dad, what’s wrong? Why are you weeping?” Joel asked.

And Rick said to Joel, “Your dad is worried about the money that is still needed to be able to finish the building on time.”

To this, Joel responded, “Oh, Dad, hasn’t God already proven Himself faithful to you?” It was the tender question of a child that God used to comfort Rick’s heart. Just as God was to Elijah — not condemning or judging him but wanting to lift him up — so God was to my husband. The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, came and comforted my husband.

I tell you that story because so many times, like Elijah, when we feel mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, we begin comparing ourselves with others, and we start to see ourselves as failures. But God does not come to judge or condemn us. He comes with His still small voice to comfort and encourage us; He comes to get us back up on our feet again and get us going in the right direction.

Elijah was transformed that day. In obedience to God’s leading and direction, he returned from Mount Horeb to anoint a new king over Israel and a new king over Syria. Elijah also passed his mantle to his successor Elisha. Then God raptured Elijah into Heaven, and he was taken up by a chariot of fire — never experiencing physical death.

Maybe you’re stuck under a tree like Elijah was and want to give up. Maybe you see yourself as a failure. But God doesn’t. He’s there with the power of the Holy Spirit to comfort you and help you at this very moment.

Romans 8:31-34 speaks of God’s everlasting love for us and His defense of us that we can declare in those moments of weakness or discouragement. It says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

Friend, nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. There is no tree that we have to stay under. God has the hot bread and the water and the power to transform us and enable us to get up and get going. And we can hear His still small voice — the awesome presence of the Holy Spirit inside us — that speaks to us and gives us the encouragement and reassurance we need.

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. It truly is a privilege and an honor. I want to invite you to join me for my program, TIME With Denise Renner, on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. CT on YouTube and Facebook. You can also find me on Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT on GospelTruth.TV and Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. CT on PTL. And you can access my audio podcast on Spotify, Apple, and Google with new episodes every Monday at 5:00 a.m.

Will you let us pray with you? Please reach out to us if you have a prayer request. We are here for you, and our prayer team is ready to stand in faith with you. Just call 1.800.742.5593 or send us an email at prayer@deniserenner.org. We look forward to hearing about God’s transforming power that is working in your life!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

Spiritual Oppression

July Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Wow! I am so excited about what I am going to share with you in my letter this month. In fact, I have so much to share on this subject that I’ll continue it in August’s teaching letter as well.

Before I get started, I want to personally thank you for praying for my trip to the mountains of Ararat to see the probable ruins of Noah’s ark. My team and I were there for over a week, filming and documenting the entire site; it was truly amazing. I will be sharing brand-new TV teaching on it in the month of September. I also want to express my heartfelt thanks for your faithful partnership with our ministry. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of people all over the world. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

In other exciting news, I also want to tell you that July 10-31 will be “CHRISTMAS IN JULY” at RENNER Ministries! During those days, our online store will offer a 25-percent discount on all Renner products. So if there are any resources you’ve been wanting to order, this will be a great time to do it. My team asked me to tell you about it.

But today — and in next month’s letter to you — I want to address the issue of spiritual oppression. Specifically, I’ll write about what it is and how to be set free from it. Many people today are suffering from oppression and feel hopelessly trapped, but there is an answer from the Word of God about how to be set free! Perhaps you — or someone you know — are oppressed in some area of life. As you read this letter today, my prayer is that you will be equipped to recognize, identify, and abolish oppression in your life and to help those around you.

Let’s begin with Acts 10:38:

…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

What exactly is oppression?

First, it is important to understand that oppression is not depression; oppression and depression are not synonymous. Depression can be caused by disappointments, diet, fatigue, or a relentless schedule — or it can even be the result of a chemical imbalance. In these cases, depression can often be eliminated by taking a day off, by eating differently, or by medication. Typically, the source of depression is internal or physiological, or physical.

A dictionary meaning of the word “oppression” is the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. The etymology of the word “oppression” comes from a Latin word that basically means to press upon. So if a person is oppressed, something from the outside is pressing on him or her. The word “oppression” also means to overburden, weigh down, overwhelm, or overpower. So when a person is oppressed, he or she feels overpowered by some external force, and the result is a feeling of being crushed, put down, smothered, subdued, or even tormented.

In the New Testament, the word “oppression” carries the idea of tyranny. It refers to an outside force that is ruling over, subduing, harassing, conquering, or overpowering — telling the one who’s oppressed what to think, what to believe, and what the future will be.

But Acts 10:38 declares that “…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

This verse opens with the words, “How God anointed….” The word “anointed” is from a form of the Greek word chrio, which in history described the rubbing of oil or perfume upon an individual. It was used in a medical sense to depict a healing anointing. However, in the New Testament, the word chrio describes the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and its results were available to Jesus — and are also available to every believer today.

In Acts 10:38, Peter went on to say that “…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power…”

The word “power” is a form of the Greek word dunamis, which describes explosive, superhuman power that comes with enormous energy and produces phenomenal, extraordinary, and unparalleled results. But this word was also used to describe the full might and power of an advancing army. That means dunamis gives you the ability to make an advance into a territory and drive back the forces of hell!

Acts 10:38 continues, telling us that Jesus, “…went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.”

The Greek word for “good” is from the word euergeteo, which is comprised of the word agathos, meaning to do good, and the word ergao, meaning to do. When compounded, this phrase “doing good” portrays a benefactor, a philanthropist, or one who financially supports charitable works. This phrase describes an individual who uses his financial resources to meet the needs of disadvantaged people. When the power of God came on Jesus, not only did He heal people who were sick and oppressed, but the power of God also operated in Him to drive back poverty.

But the verse goes on to say that Jesus went about doing good “…and healing….” The word “healing” is the Greek word iaomai, an old medical term that meant to cure or to be doctored. It describes healing power that progressively reverses a condition, and it denotes healing that comes to pass over a period of time. For this reason, iomai is often translated as a treatment, a cure, or a remedy. It pictures a sickness that has been progressively healed rather than instantaneously healed.

It is important for me to note that this particular word is used in connection with those who were oppressed of the devil. The Greek word for “oppressed” is a very long Greek word, katadunasteuo, which is comprised of the word kata, which carries the idea of something that is coming down or something that is dominating, and the word dunamis, which is the word for power. When compounded, these two words for “oppressed” carry the idea of domination, or more precisely, a dominating tyrant. It denotes the oppressive power of a wicked tyrant; one who rules over and cruelly tyrannizes his subjects, bullying them. It further describes one who is cruel; one who rules in despotism; a dictator; or someone who is oppressive or tyrannical.

In Acts 10:38, Peter continued by identifying the name of the tyrant as the devil. The word “devil” is the Greek word diabolos, which depicts one who repetitiously strikes until successfully penetrating an object to ruin it, affect it, or take it captive. This word diabolos means to slander, accuse, or defame; to penetrate by continuous assault; or to ensnare with a net.

The devil begins his attack on someone’s life by repeatedly attacking the mind. His intention is to strike the mind so continuously that he finally penetrates it. When the devil penetrates the mind, he begins to take the mind hostage, and like a wicked tyrant, he begins to dictate what a person should feel, think, and believe. He will tell his victims what they can or cannot do, and like a wicked tyrant, he subdues them. That outside pressure cruelly oppresses them as it tries to gain inside access and control of their lives.

Through oppression, the devil tries to dictate what you are to feel and what you are to believe about your future and your identity. Oppression also carries the ideas of domination, force, harshness, harassment in the mind and emotions, hardness, injustice, ruling with an iron hand, maltreatment, overthrowing, repressing, suffering, severity, subjugation, torment, and tyranny.

In the life of an oppressed person, the devil is literally ruling over him or her like a tyrant. He has found a foothold into the mind, emotions, and imagination and has built a stronghold there. And like a wicked king or tyrant, from that stronghold, the devil is trying to dominate and control his victim’s life.

But in Second Corinthians 10:4, we find that Paul has given us weapons to overcome oppression and strongholds. In that verse, Paul wrote, “For the weapons of our warfare….” The word “warfare” is the Greek word strateia, which describes a well-planned strategic attack. It is from the Greek word strateuomai, which depicts strategic warfare, including a line of attack; methods to be used in the attack; and the route chosen to carry out the debilitating assault.

This means if the enemy has tried to build a stronghold in your mind, you have access to spiritual weapons, and the Holy Spirit will give you a strategy — a well-planned route of attack for a debilitating assault — to pull down those strongholds.

Second Corinthians 10:4 also says that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. The Greek word for “carnal” means fleshly or from the material realm. Paul literally meant that these weapons are not natural. In other words, the use of these weapons cannot be taught by humans. They are of supernatural origin — divine spiritual weapons — and they are mighty.

The word “mighty” is a translation of the Greek word dunatos, which is from the word dunamis. It describes something explosive. It is superhuman power that comes with enormous energy and produces phenomenal, extraordinary, unparalleled results. It is the same Greek word that describes the full might of an advancing army, which means when these weapons are working, it is like an army’s power has been released to drive back the darkness that has tried to attack your mind.

But then the passage tells us that those weapons are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Even the word “to” is important in Greek because it is the word pros and it describes a face-to-face confrontation. This means when the weapons of God and the power of God are working in us, we no longer need to hide from the enemy; we can both confront the stronghold and pull it down. We are talking about demolishing oppression! The words “pulling down” in Greek mean to take down; to disassemble, if needed, bit by bit. So if there is a lie that has been working in your mind for a long time, you have weapons and power to confront that lie. You can begin to dismantle it, destroy it, throw it down, knock it down, break it up, pull it apart, and break it into pieces until nothing is left!

But notice the word “stronghold” in Second Corinthians 10:4. It is from the Greek word ochuroma, and it is very important, for it describes a castle, prison, or fortress. It pictures a stronghold with walls that are fortified to keep outsiders out. But it also depicts a dreadful prison constructed deep inside a fortress that was intended to prevent a hostage or prisoner from escaping — a place of arrest, captivity, confinement, detention, imprisonment, or incarceration to keep people in.

I want you to understand that when the devil has built a stronghold in your mind or your emotions, it means he has built a well-fortified mental fortress in your head. And like a tyrant, he begins to operate through a lie that he has built inside your mind. It is a well-defended lie you have heard for so long that you really believe it. You see, when you embrace the lie the devil has been pounding into your thoughts, the lie becomes a fortress, a prison, and you become imprisoned and held hostage inside the walls of that well-defended lie in your head — a stronghold.

But Second Corinthians 10:4 says that we are to be “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”

Today my goal was to help you understand the meaning and origins of oppression. If you (or someone you know) have been oppressed, you have been under a spiritual and mental assault of the enemy. But in this letter, I’ve shown you that God has given you weapons to obliterate oppression. If you’ll listen to the Holy Spirit, He will give you a divine strategy about how to pull every stronghold down from your mind so that you — or those you love — can be permanently set free from oppression!

When I was younger, I dealt with oppression in my own life, but by applying the principles of God’s Word to my mind, the power of God set me free from it. In next month’s letter, I will help you identify different types of oppression that people deal with and give you the tools to permanently break free! Oh, I can hardly wait for next month to get here so I can share these liberating truths with you!

If you (or someone you know) have been dealing with oppression, we would love to pray with you. If you’ll call, write, or email us, I promise that we will release our faith with the power of God to obliterate that evil force and break its control over you or your loved ones! Please let us know how to pray and we’ll join with you for Jesus’ victory to become a reality in your mind and emotions!

Believe me when I tell you we are waiting to hear from you right now!

Thank you so much for taking time to read my letter. I pray it has been helpful to you today. Please watch for my letter next month when I’ll continue sharing on this subject. THANK YOU for partnering with and praying for us as we do what Jesus has asked us to do. What we are doing together is making such a significant difference in the lives of so many people — and for your part, I am so extremely thankful!

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 ministry team

Never Give Up!

June Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Every month I look forward to this time to encourage you in the Word of God. Although each day seems to be going by a little faster than the day before, it is vital that we slow down to wait before the Lord, spending time in His presence, every day.

I also want to let you know that I have a heart filled with gratitude for those who watch my program. I’ve received so many messages with kind words, notes just to say “hello,” emails with heartfelt communication, and sincere prayer requests. We read every letter, email, and message and pray over every prayer request. There is power in agreement. Yes, God hears our prayers — and He answers them!

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

This treasure inside us is the Holy Spirit, and there is an invaluable part of that treasure that I want to talk to you about today — the power of endurance. Endurance is part of the treasure that resides in us. And this treasure can be unwrapped and discovered as we are enduring.

How important is it for you to know about endurance? It is very important. As I mentioned, this power to endure comes from the Holy Spirit who dwells inside you. This supernatural Friend shows up to push you over into victory when it looks and feels like winning is nowhere in sight. This supernatural Helper has caused believers throughout the centuries to not give up in the midst of horrible circumstances. You need endurance so you can ultimately receive what is promised (see Hebrews 10:35,36).

Maybe you are tempted right now to throw in the towel and say, “It’s not worth it. I can’t do this anymore.” But endurance is there inside you to carry you through. Don’t quit. You can’t quit! The Holy Spirit can and will carry you through this situation and see you to the end. Nothing can separate you from His love for you. Nothing.

Romans 8:38 and 39 tell us, “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.” He is right there with you. The Holy Spirit, with His enduring power, grasps hands with you to pull you across the finish line victoriously.

So how do you discover this secret weapon called endurance? Let’s begin with James 1:2 and 3:

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

I want to emphasize that this teaching is not to promote embracing or glorifying hardship. The truths we are studying are about embracing the power of God to bring you through hardship into victory. When you understand the enduring power within you, you will be more convinced of His love for you than the desire to quit. You will be more in love with Him than resentful of the circumstance. And you will be more confident of His power in your life — assured that the One who is in you is far greater than the enemy in the world.

First, let’s look at the word “count” in James 1:2. It means to consider or to think about it. This is so powerful. It’s powerful when you can look at what’s trying to bring you down and yet consider and think about it as joy. This joy is supernatural and not subject to natural circumstances, but it’s important to know that it is available to you.

The next word I want to focus on is “fall.” This word indicates that you didn’t plan for it. You didn’t want it, but you just “fell” into it. But endurance is stay-in-there power; it’s never-give-up power. And it’s available to you and will work in you even when you fall.

James 1:3 continues, “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” The word “knowing” means I know; I perceive; I realize; or I recognize. Be quick to know, perceive, realize, and recognize that this test is working for you. The devil will test you; he intends to crush you and steal from you. But the Holy Spirit is there with you with His proving power. You can be confident that where the devil wants to break you, the Holy Spirit will show you that — with Him — you’re unbreakable!

So what do we know from the Word of God?

We know that the problem is not from God. (See James 1:17.)
We know that with the power of the Holy Spirit in you, you are to resist the enemy. (See James 4:7.)
We know that as you stand in God’s strength to defeat the enemy, God’s presence is in you to work endurance through (See Philippians 4:13.)
We know that you are going to come out on the other side knowing and having experienced this supernatural power of endurance — the I-will-not-quit attitude that says, “I’m not stopping until I get what is mine.” (See James 1:4.)

I want to share the following quote from my husband Rick Renner: “Endurance pictures one who is under a heavy burden, but refuses to bend, break, or surrender because he is convinced that the territory promised or principle under assault rightfully belongs to him.”

Now that’s a never-give-up attitude!

It is vitally important that we know endurance is a supernatural power for these last days. Most assuredly, we will encounter situations that press on us and tempt us to give up, but we don’t have a quitter on the inside! We have the Holy Spirit, with His enduring power in us, and He is more than enough to see us through to victory.

Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

Once again we are reminded who is working in us. It’s God! He comes with His energy and power, and He has committed Himself to work in you and bring you across the finish line.

Here’s one more promise from the Word of God. Philippians 1:6 in The Passion Translation says, “I pray with great faith for you, because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this gracious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Friend, God is committed to the end to help you remain faithful. Even at this very moment, the power of endurance is working in your spirit. This is not a time for you to give up, but it is a time for you to press into Him and His Word to fully embrace His enduring power.

Thank you for taking this time with me. I want to invite you to join me for my program, TIME With Denise Renner, on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. CT on YouTube and Facebook. You can also find me Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT on GospelTruth.TV and Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. CT on PTL. And you can access my audio podcast on Spotify, Apple, and Google with new episodes every Monday at 5:00 a.m.

And I always want to know how we can pray for you. Please reach out to us if you have a prayer request. We are here for you, and our prayer team is ready to stand in faith with you. Call 1.800.742.5593 or send us an email at prayer@deniserenner.org. We look forward to joining our faith with yours to see the desire of your heart fulfilled and His enduring power manifested in your life!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

The Ministry of Angels

June Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

This month, I want to talk to you about the ministry of angels! Angels are messengers of God sent to minister to those who are the heirs of salvation — and that includes you and me. So it’s important that we know about angels and how they are available to help us.

But first, I want to say THANK YOU for your partnership with our ministry. This week, I’ve been looking at all the projects and outreaches that RENNER Ministries is leading to touch souls — and the manpower and money it takes to do it all — we are able to do it because of God’s grace and the partners He has assigned to this ministry. In fact, our partners are an integral part of God’s grace working with us to reach people who so desperately need to be reached. And for this, I say thank you — to you and all our precious partners!

Today I am going to write to you about the ministry of angels that is available to you. In the New Testament, angels are entrusted with the care of those who are saved — the heirs of salvation (see Hebrews 1:14). The primary assignments of Heaven-sent angels are in respect to God’s elect. God is sending angels to meet His people’s needs; to strengthen the weary; to give believers supernatural guidance (which, in the New Testament frequently occurs in dreams and visions); to provide protection and deliverance from harm; and to carry out supernatural feats. The Bible doesn’t say how many angels there are, but Hebrews 12:22 says they are “innumerable.” That means there are more than enough angels to fulfill these assignments for each of us — and that includes you!
Angels Meet Physical Needs
In Matthew 4:11 and Mark 1:13, we read that when Jesus concluded His 40 days in the wilderness, angels appeared to Him and ministered to Him and met His physical needs.

In both of these verses, the word “ministered” comes from the Greek word diakonos, which depicts a servant whose chief occupation is to meet some kind of physical or tangible need. This word is most notably used in Acts 6:2 where it is translated “serve” and refers to the role of deacons who were chosen to meet the physical and tangible needs of widows in Jerusalem. So when Matthew 4:11 and Mark 1:13 say angels “ministered” to Jesus, it means they took on the role of servants and ministered to Jesus’ physical and tangible needs after His 40 days of fasting and being tempted by the devil in the wilderness.

Over the years, I have heard of and experienced in my own life moments when angels came to minister to physical or tangible needs. In the same way angels aided and attended to Jesus, there are moments when God may use an angel to meet your physical or tangible needs too. Can you think of a time when you experienced this type of angelic ministry?
Angels Give Strength
The Bible provides many examples of angels strengthening the weary, but the best New Testament example is found in Luke 22:43, where an angel strengthened Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane during one of the most difficult moments of His earthly life. This verse says, “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”

When Jesus could find no one else to stand with Him in His hour of need, God provided supernatural assistance in the form of an angel to strengthen Him. This word “strengthen” comes from a Greek word that means to empower someone; to fill a person with physical vigor; or to give someone renewed vitality. In essence, it describes a person who may have been exhausted and depleted but then suddenly receives a robust blast of energy that recharges him. This means that when Jesus’ disciples and friends couldn’t be depended on in His hour of need, God provided an angel who empowered, recharged, and imparted strength to Jesus, thus renewing His vitality so He could victoriously overcome His difficult hour.

Over the years, I have heard of and experienced in my own life moments when an angel strengthened others and even me. In the same way an angel strengthened Jesus, angels are sent to give strength to you too! Can you think of a time when you experienced this type of angelic ministry?
Angels Give Supernatural Guidance
Examples of how angels provide supernatural guidance are abundant in the New Testament. One such example is when the apostle Paul experienced supernatural guidance when he was on a ship in the midst of a raging storm at sea. After the ship’s crew had fought the storm for many days, Paul told them, “And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee” (Acts 27:22-24).

Although the storm still raged for many more days, the message the angel delivered to Paul came to pass exactly as it had been spoken. The ship was lost, but not a single soul perished. When Paul and the other men were tempted to fear for their lives, God sent an angel to calm the inner storm that was raging in their minds and souls. And because Paul believed the word of the Lord spoken through the angel, everyone on board survived. This ordeal resulted in a great revival on the island of Melita (see Acts 28:1-9).

Over the years, I have heard of and experienced in my own life moments of angelic guidance. In the same way an angel gave supernatural guidance to Paul, there may be moments when God uses an angel to direct you too. Can you think of a time when you experienced this type of angelic ministry?
Angels Provide Protection and Deliverance
The Bible is also filled with many examples of angels providing protection and deliverance of God’s people. Let’s look at an example from the book of Acts. In Acts 5:17-18, the high priest rose up against the apostles and had them arrested and thrown into prison. Then in Acts 5:19-20, it says, “But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

That night an angel intervened to protect the apostles and set them free. In an instant, they were delivered from harm. And this is just one instance of angels providing God’s people with supernatural protection and deliverance from harm. There are too many examples in both the Old and New Testaments to cite them all.

Over the years, I have heard of and experienced in my own life moments of angelic protection and deliverance — stopping others and even me from suffering harm. In the same way an angel gave protection and deliverance to the apostles when they were thrown into prison, there are moments when God may use an angel to protect and deliver you too. Can you think of a time when you experienced this type of angelic ministry?
Angels Perform Superhuman Feats
There are multiple examples in the Old and New Testaments of angels performing superhuman feats. But one of the best examples is when the angel rolled away the massive stone that lay in front of Jesus’ tomb. Matthew 28:2 says, “…The angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door….”

Stones placed in front of such tombs were enormous and weighed many tons. It would have been impossible for a human to move it without the assistance of many people, but the angel was so powerful, it was able to singlehandedly move this massive stone.

Over the years, I have heard of and experienced in my own life moments when angels performed superhuman feats — like when a car that had rolled over was suddenly moved out of the way, or when an invisible power intervened to do something stupendous. In the same way an angel rolled the stone from Jesus’ tomb, there are moments when God may use an angel to perform superhuman feats on your behalf too. Can you think of a time when you experienced this type of angelic ministry?
We Need To Be Open to Angelic Ministry
When It Is Needed
I am stirred by this subject this month because I just read a new book called Servants of Fire by my friend Joseph Z. It is absolutely one of the best books I’ve ever read on the subject of angelic ministry. I wish every Christian would read this book; it would make them aware that a whole company of angels has been assigned by God to assist, help, protect, and strengthen them. So this month we are making this amazing book available to our partners for $22. I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting because it was so riveting to see what God has provided for us in terms of angelic ministry! If you would like to order a copy, just go to renner.org or call 1-800-742-5593. You’ll be so glad you did!

Before I close today, I want to say thank you again for your support of RENNER Ministries. Together we are seeing the Kingdom of God advance. Individually, it is more difficult to make a big impact, but when we join ourselves as partners, we can move mountains! Thank you for joining Denise and me as we obey the assignment God has given us. And please let us know how we can pray for you, as praying for you is one of the most serious assignments God has given us. I assure you that if you ask us to pray, we will really pray for you — and God will answer!

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 ministry team

In Pursuit of Peace

May Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

It is such a privilege to be able to share with you what’s on my heart this month. God is doing amazing things! Our world has changed a lot in the last three years, but that has not stopped His mighty hand or His ability to change lives. He is a rescuing God, a saving God, and a supplier-of-our-needs God — and He will always be!

But first I want to tell you how thankful I am for the many responses and prayer requests I’m receiving. I read every one, and I pray over every prayer request and rejoice over every praise report. I’m so aware that God is reaching out to us. It doesn’t matter if we can see each other or not — His Spirit is working mightily among us!

Today I want to talk to you about the faithfulness of our God, His compassion, and His peace. In John 14:18, we see these amazing and wonderful words from Jesus: “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.” Through these powerful words, we catch a glimpse of the heart of Jesus and the heart of the Father for the disciples. Jesus knew He would soon be leaving His chosen followers. He knew they would see and witness His arrest, He knew they would see Him crucified, and He was speaking these words to bring comfort to them before these things happened.

Jesus knew these cascading events would shake His disciples — they would devastate them. Out of His compassion for them, He was preparing them beforehand. He cared perfectly for them. And the Word says He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Hebrews 13:8), so His heart toward us is the same as it was toward His disciples. He can see what is ahead of us. We may not see it, but He does, and He says to us, “I will never leave you. Never!”

Before Jesus reassured the disciples by saying, “I will come to you” (John 14:18), He told them how He would come to them. In John 14:16, He said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” When Jesus said He was going to send them (and us) another Comforter, He was basically saying, “I am going to send you Someone exactly like Me.” And that Someone is the Holy Spirit — the perfect representation of Jesus in every way. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, our refuge, our strength, and our very present help in times of trouble (see Psalm 46:1).

The New King James Version of John 14:18 says, “I will not leave you as orphans….” Maybe you were an orphan, or maybe you have adopted a child who was orphaned. If so, you have intimate knowledge about what it means to be an orphan. I have been in several orphanages in the former USSR. In fact, more than two decades ago, we sold one of our first homes to a ministry, and they transformed it into an orphanage. When I went back to visit the children at the orphanage, I could see clearly that they had once been rejected, abandoned, ignored, devalued, and absent of love and parental affection. But Jesus said, “I will not leave you orphans.” In other words, He was saying, “I will not leave you rejected. I will not leave you abandoned. I will not leave you ignored, without value, or absent of love or affection.” Then He said, “I am giving you the Holy Spirit, and He will never, never, never leave you!”

Jesus continued His words of encouragement to His disciples by saying, “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy [Spirit], whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:25,26).

In verse 27, Jesus then shares something that’s even more revealing of His tender care for us. He says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

When Jesus said this to His disciples, He was immediately giving them peace — and that same peace is available to us. Peace can mean several things: It can mean cessation of war, the putting away of weapons, putting away conflict, or a time of rebuilding and reconstruction after war has ceased. It can also mean distractions being removed and order in the place of chaos. Ultimately, peace is a calm inner stability that results in peacefulness even in the midst of circumstances that would normally be traumatic and upsetting.

First Peter 3:4 also gives us wisdom concerning peace. It says, “But let it [peace] be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” This can be the picture of a godly wife with controlled strength — a wife who has opinions and preferences about how she would like to see things happen in her marriage, or a wife who has desires about how her husband should treat her. But instead of arguing and complaining, she takes hold of peace and lets it manifest in her as controlled strength.

God says this kind of peace is “very precious” in His sight (see 1 Peter 3:4 NKJV). But this kind of peace does not just happen automatically. It is something that we must pursue. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” This word “pursue” means to hunt for and to follow after. So my friend, if we desire to attain this peace and keep it, we must continually pursue it.

Peace can be ours today — it is ours to freely receive. But we must choose to pursue peace and say to our heart, “Don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” Speak peace over yourself, your family, your children, and your house. God said to Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses” (Joshua 1:3). Take your authority over your place and declare peace! Peace is a weapon, and it silences the enemy. It conquers anger and defeats anxiety.

This peace that you have on the inside is so powerful, and it has a powerful voice. Peace says, “Don’t fear.” Peace says, “Yes! I can do this.” Peace says, “Don’t worry.” Peace says, “Devil, shut up!” And peace says, “Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and I will not fear.” Speak it by faith today — embrace peace, and don’t let it go.

Dear friend, when we take hold of that peace, joy comes, strength comes, and patience and kindness come. I know, in this day especially, we need to embrace the peace of God. His peace shows up very powerfully in the midst of difficulties. What an amazing and wonderful Savior we have! He is the Prince of Peace and the One who gave us His peace.

I speak the peace of God to you right now — over your mind, over your body, over your emotions, over your relationship with your family, over your finances, and over your home.

Thank you so much for spending this time with me. If you would like more encouragement from the Word, I invite you to join me for my program, TIME With Denise Renner, on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. CT on YouTube and Facebook. You can also find me Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT on GospelTruth.TV and Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. CT on PTL. And you can access my audio podcast on Spotify, Apple, and Google with new episodes every Monday at 5:00 a.m.

Please let us know how we can pray for you. If you have a special prayer request, one of our prayer partners is just a phone call or email away. Call 1.800.742.5593 or send us an email at prayer@deniserenner.org.We look forward to joining our faith with yours for the answer you need!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

A Worry-Free Life

May Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Greetings in Jesus’ powerful and wonderful name!

This month I felt led to encourage you to permanently throw away worry, so that is what I want to talk to you about in my letter. But first, I want to say thank you for being a partner with our ministry. I know I thank you for this every month, but I simply cannot say it enough. Denise and I, our family, and our whole ministry team are so thankful for your support to help us fulfill the assignments God has given us. And with God’s grace and your partnership with us, we are seeing so many people reached with teaching they can trust!

Oh, how I wish you could hear the calls and read the emails and letters that are coming to us from people all over the world — precious people who are thrilled they have found a source of verse-by-verse teaching from the Word of God; unsaved people who are coming to Christ; spiritually hungry people who are being filled with the Spirit; or the thousands of displaced people that we are helping with relief. All of it — every outreach of this ministry — is vital, and we are able to do it because of the generous giving of our partners! And that is why I want to say THANK YOU again!

And please remember to pray for me. As you receive this letter, I am in the lower mountains of eastern Turkey filming at the alleged site of Noah’s Ark. I am here with my team, producing teaching for you that I believe will thrill your heart when you see it and hear it. Thank you for praying for me and my team and our safety while we are here!

Now let me share with you what’s on my heart for you today.

Have you ever had a moment when anxiety tried to creep up on you and seize your heart? I’m talking about those times when you are thrown into a state of panic about things that concern you — such as your family, your friendships, your business, or your finances. Very often this state of panic is caused by the mere thought of a problem that doesn’t even exist and is unlikely ever to come to pass — but just the idea of this problem troubles you deeply. Soon you find yourself sinking into such a strong state of worry and anxiety that it literally takes you hostage emotionally!

Some people are so controlled by worry that they pray fretful prayers instead of faith-filled prayers. Have you ever had one of those times? Praying fretful prayers doesn’t get you anything — it is non-productive praying. And God does not respond to fretfulness; He responds to faith.

For deeper insight on this subject, we have just released my newest book called My Peace-Filled Day. It is a 31-day guided journal with teaching about how to keep the peace of God ruling your heart instead of panic and worry. I really encourage you to get it for yourself or for someone else who needs to learn to live free of worry, and it’s available to order at renner.org.

In Philippians 4:6, we are told, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Do you see the word “careful” in this verse? It is the Greek word merimnao, which means to be troubled; to be anxious; to be fretful; or to be worried about something.

In New Testament times, this word was primarily used in connection with worry about finances, food to satisfy hunger, or some other basic provision needed for life. It pictures a person who is fretful about paying his bills; a person who is worried he won’t have the money to purchase food and clothes for his family’s needs or pay his house payment or rent on time; or a person who is anxious about his ability to cope with having the daily necessities of life.

This is the same word used in Matthew 6:25, when Jesus says, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink.…” The word “thought” is also the Greek word merimnao. But in this particular verse, the Greek New Testament also contains the word me, which is a strong prohibition to stop something that is already in progress.

This means Jesus is speaking to worriers who are already filled with fret and anxiety. He is urging these people to stop worrying. The verse could be translated, “Stop worrying about your life.…” Then Jesus specifies that they are to stop worrying about “…what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink….” So again we see the word merimnao used to describe worry, fretfulness, and anxiety about obtaining the basic necessities of life.

We also find the word merimnao used in the parable of the sower and the seed. Matthew 13:22 says, “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” The word “care” is the Greek word merimnao, and again, it is connected to material worries and concerns.

Jesus says such worry “chokes” the Word. The word “choke” is the Greek word sumpnigo, which means to suffocate; to smother; to asphyxiate; to choke; or to throttle. You see, worry is so all-consuming in an individual’s mind that it “chokes” him. It is a suffocating, smothering force that throttles his whole life to a standstill.

In Luke 21:34, Jesus gives a special warning to people who live in the last days. He says, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, so that day come upon you unawares.”

When Jesus mentions the “cares of this life,” the word “cares” is the same Greek word merimnao, but this time it is used in connection with the word “life,” which is the Greek word biotikos. This comes from the root word bios, the Greek word for life, and it is where we get the word “biology.” But when it becomes the word biotikos, it describes the things of life — pertaining primarily to the events, incidents, and episodes that occur in one’s life.

This phrase could be understood to mean that we should not allow ourselves to worry and fret about the events, incidents, or episodes that occur in life. This is a particularly fitting message for people who live in the last days and who are confronted by the troubling events, incidents, and episodes that occur during this difficult time.

So when Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing…,” that verse is pleading with us not to be worried about the basic needs and provisions required for life. Paul was also telling us not to let the events of life get to us and throw us into a state of anxiety or panic. To let us know how free of all worry we should be, Paul said we are to be “careful for nothing.” The word “nothing” is the Greek word meden, and it means absolutely nothing!

So this phrase in Philippians 4:6 could be translated: “Don’t be worried about anything — and that means nothing at all!”

Is there one particular thing Satan keeps using to strike your mind with worry? Can you think of a single time when worry and fretfulness ever helped make a situation better? Doesn’t worry serve only to keep you emotionally torn up and in a state of panic?

I urge you to put an end to worry today, once and for all. If you let worry start operating in you — even for a moment — it will try to become a habitual part of your thought life, turning you into a “worrier” who never knows a moment of peace.

Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father right now, interceding for you continually. Jesus understands every emotion, every frustration, and every temptation you could ever face (see Hebrews 2:18). So why not make a deliberate decision to turn over all your worries to Jesus today? Rather than try to manage those anxieties and needs all by yourself, go to Him and surrender everything into His loving, capable hands. Walk free of all those choking, paralyzing fears once and for all.

Jesus is waiting for you to cast all your cares upon Him because He really does care for you (see 1 Peter 5:7). Then once you throw your worries and concerns on Him, He will help you experience the joy and peace He has designed for you to enjoy in life all along!

I can vividly remember a time when I was very concerned about something that was about to occur. Although the challenge before me wasn’t so life-shattering, at the moment, it seemed huge and mountainous. I was extremely concerned.

I’m sure you know what it’s like when worry tries to flood your mind. It has a way of magnifying issues to the point of being ridiculous, but when you’re in the midst of the situation, it seems very real. Only after the event has passed do you realize how silly it was to be so worried about something that was so non-eventful.

But at the time I’m telling you about right now, I was consumed with worry. I paced back and forth, fretting, thinking, and pondering, making myself even more nervous by my anxious behavior. I was nothing but a bag of nerves. Realizing how deeply I was sinking into worry, I reached for my Bible to try to find peace for my troubled soul. I opened it to Philippians 4:6, which says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

I tried to push everything else out of my mind so I could concentrate on God’s words in this verse. Through Philippians 4:6, I could see that God was calling out to me and urging me to lay down my worries and come boldly before Him to make my requests known. As I focused on this verse, I suddenly saw something I had never seen before. I realized that this verse showed me step by step how to lay down my worries and boldly make my requests known to God. If I followed the steps laid out in this verse exactly as I understood them, I would be set free from worry and fear! I promptly followed these steps, and in a matter of minutes, my worry was replaced with a thankful, praising, and peaceful heart!

In moments when worry or fear is trying to wrap its life-draining tentacles around me, I rush back to the truths found in Philippians 4:6. Just as I followed the steps found in this verse so many years ago, I still carefully follow them whenever I start getting anxious. Every time I do, these steps lead me from worry and fear to a thankful, praising, and peaceful heart. In fact, I have learned that if I faithfully follow these steps, fear will always be eradicated and replaced with the wonderful, dominating peace of God.

So don’t let worry wrap its tentacles around you. Instead, listen to Paul’s advice about how to deal with the problems and concerns that try to assail your mind. Let’s look once again at what he says in Philippians 4:6: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

In this verse, Paul lays out five very important steps to move from fear to faith, from turmoil to peace, and from defeat to victory. We’ll look at five key words that tell us exactly what we must do when worry and concerns are trying to assail our minds: 1) prayer; 2) supplication; 3) thanksgiving; 4) requests; and 5) known.

The word “prayer” in this verse is the Greek word proseuche, which is the most commonly used word for prayer in the New Testament. This particular word and its various forms are used approximately 127 times in the New Testament. The word proseuche is a compound of the words pros and euche. The word pros is a preposition that means toward, which can denote a sense of closeness. Nearly everywhere it is used in the New Testament, the word pros carries the meaning of close, up-front, intimate contact with someone else.

The second part of the word proseuche is taken from the word euche. The word euche is an old Greek word that describes a wish, desire, prayer, or vow. It was originally used to depict a person who made some kind of vow to God because of a need or desire in his or her life. This individual would vow to give something of great value to God in exchange for a favorable answer to prayer. Thus, inherent in this word is the idea of an exchange — giving something to God in exchange for something wanted or desired.

So instead of carrying your worries and burdens, you are to take the first step Paul gives you to move from a place of turmoil to peace: Come close to the Lord in prayer. Once you are in that intimate, face-to-face place with God, take that opportunity to give Him your worries, fears, and concerns. Then ask the Lord to give you something back in exchange for the worries you have given Him — ask Him for peace! You see, this is a part of the great exchange found in the Greek word proseuche. When you give God your problems, in return, He gives you His peace.

Perhaps you’ve experienced this great exchange at some previous moment in your life. Can you think of a time when your mind was hassled with fears? Once you truly committed your problem to the Lord, did a supernatural peace flood your soul and relieve you from your anxieties? This is the first step that Paul urges you to take when worry, fear, and concerns are trying to take over your mind or emotions.

The second step Paul tells us to take is found in the word “supplication.” The word “supplication” in Greek is the word deisis, which depicts a person who has some type of lack in his life and therefore pleads strongly for his need to be met. The word deisis is translated several ways in the King James Version, including to beseech, to beg, or to earnestly appeal. This word pictures a person in such great need that he feels compelled to push his pride out of the way so he can boldly, earnestly, strongly, and passionately cry out for someone to help or assist him.

One of the most powerful examples of the word deisis is found in James 5:16. In this famous verse of Scripture, the Bible says, “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Here the word deisis is translated as “fervent prayer.” You see, deisis is a passionate, earnest, heartfelt, sincere prayer. It comes to God on the most serious terms, strongly beseeching Him to move and to meet a specific need that the person praying is facing in his life.

So when you are facing a problem that deeply concerns you, don’t be afraid to go to the Lord and earnestly beseech Him to meet your need. Paul’s use of this word means you can get very bold when you ask God to move on your behalf. There is no reason for you to be timid or mealy-mouthed when you pray. You can tell God exactly what you feel, what you’re facing, and what you want Him to do for you. This is what “supplication” is all about!

After mentioning “supplication,” Paul then gives us the third important step to take when giving our worries and concerns to the Lord. Paul tells us to make our requests known to God “…by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.…”

God not only expects you to be bold; He also expects you to thank Him for being good to you! It simply isn’t right to ask boldly without expressing thanksgiving. If you’ve ever generously given to someone who never took the time to thank you for the sacrifice you made for him or her, you know how shocking ingratitude can be. In a similar way, you must be careful to thank God for being so good to you!

The word “thanksgiving” that Paul uses in this verse is the Greek word eucharistia, which is a compound of the words eu and charis. The word eu means good or well. It denotes a general good disposition or an overwhelmingly good feeling about something. The word charis is the Greek word for grace. When these two words are compounded, they form the word eucharistia. This compound word describes an outpouring of grace and of wonderful feelings that freely flow from the heart in response to someone or something.

By using this word, Paul was teaching us that when we earnestly ask God to do something special for us, we must match it with an earnest outpouring of thanks. Although the request has only just been made and the manifestation isn’t evident yet, it is appropriate to thank God for doing what we have requested. Thanking Him in advance demonstrates faith.

So always make sure to follow up your earnest asking with earnest thanksgiving! Make it a goal to be just as passionate in your thanksgiving as you were when you made your request.

Paul then gives you the fourth step out of worry and anxiety when he tells you, “…Let your requests be made known unto God.” The word “requests” is the Greek word aitema, from the word aiteo. The Greek word “ask” destroys any religious suggestion that you are a lowly worm who has no right to come into the presence of God. You see, the Greek word aiteo means to be adamant in requesting and demanding assistance to meet tangible needs, such as food, shelter, money, and so forth.

In fact, in the New Testament, the word aiteo is used to portray a person who insists or demands that a specific need be met after approaching and speaking to his superior with respect and honor. Additionally, it expresses the idea that one possesses a full expectation to receive what was firmly requested.

There is no doubt that this word describes someone who prays authoritatively, in a sense demanding something from God. This person knows what he needs and is so filled with faith that he isn’t afraid to boldly come into God’s presence to ask and expect to receive what he has requested.

This means when you pray about a need that concerns you, it is right for you to pray authoritatively. As long as your prayer is based on the Word of God, you can have the assurance of God’s promise regarding the issue you are most concerned about. Furthermore, when you pray, it is spiritually appropriate for you to fully expect God to honor His Word and do what you have requested.

As a final, fifth point, Paul says, “…Let your requests be made known unto God.” The word “known” comes from the word gnoridzo, and it means to make a thing known; to declare something; to broadcast something; or to make something very evident. This plainly means that your asking can be extremely bold! Declare to God what you need; broadcast it so loudly that all of Heaven hears you when you pray. You can be exceptionally bold when you come before Jesus to make your requests known!

An expanded, interpretive translation of Philippians 4:6 could be rendered:

Don’t worry about anything — and that means nothing at all! Instead, come before God and give Him the things that concern you so He can in exchange give you what you need or desire. Be bold to strongly, passionately, and fervently make your request known to God, making certain that an equal measure of thanksgiving goes along with your strong asking. You have every right to ask boldly, so go ahead and insist that God meet your need. When you pray, be so bold that there is no doubt your prayer was heard. Broadcast it! Declare it! Pray boldly until you have the assurance that God has heard your request!

So in moments when worry or fear is trying to wrap its life-draining tentacles around you, obey the steps in Philippians 4:6. You don’t have to live subject to worry, concerns, and fears the rest of your life. If you follow these steps, worry and fear will always be replaced with a peaceful and praising heart!

I pray this has helped and encouraged you today. And if you are facing anything that has tried to steal your peace or fill you with fear or worry, we are ready right now to hear from you so we can pray with you and encourage you in the Word. Just call, email, or write to us, and we’ll immediately join you in prayer to come against whatever is concerning you. We’ll believe for peace that passes understanding to fill your heart and mind and for you to experience the answer from God that you are needing. We are praying for you anyway, so hearing from you will only help us to pray more effectively!

I know my letter is a little longer than usual today, but it was really on my heart to minister this message to you. Never forget that Jesus is there for you — and we are here for you. And we are ready to pray for you right now!

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 ministry team

The Power of Peace and Love

April Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

I’d first like to say how thankful I am for the many responses and comments I’ve received. It means so much to me to know that God is touching lives through the truth of His Word.

Last month I shared with you how God wants us to have peace in difficult times. The night before Jesus went to the Cross, He participated in Communion (“the Last Supper”) with His disciples. He knew what the disciples would soon be facing, and He told them, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1). He was instructing them to have peace, even though they were going to face something very, very difficult — His crucifixion on the cross at Calvary. The good news is, God has not changed, and He never will. And He is still calling us to that place of peace no matter what is going on around us.

I want to show you from the gospel of John how Jesus faced very difficult circumstances, and how He walked in such a fierce and commanding peace that it would completely change a situation. Friend, we must get these truths planted deep inside our heart, learning how Jesus handled difficult situations — and not just read about them, but that we truly believe He lives in us so we also can move in this kind of peace.

In John 8:1, we read, “…Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.” The Mount of Olives is where Jesus would go to pray and be alone with the Father; it’s where He got His identity and the strength, encouragement, and peace He would need for whatever situation He would face on that day.

In verse 2, John continues, “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.” We see that Jesus had gone early to the temple and a group of people surrounded Him. He was in the middle of teaching them when “…the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery…” (John 8:3). The rest of that passage reads, “…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 8:3-5)

Jesus was teaching and people’s lives were being touched by His words. He had their attention, and they were listening intently. Then all of a sudden, these very religious scribes and Pharisees came walking up in their religious clothing and their pompous and arrogant attitudes, and they interrupted Jesus! But Jesus remained calm and didn’t get upset with them for interrupting Him. As I continued reading these verses, I understood that it was the peace of God ruling in His heart that equipped Him to respond with such wisdom and strength.

Years ago, whenever I was preparing to sing for a performance, I would get anxious. And as I was trying to get ready, if my husband Rick asked me to do something, I would get so upset because he was interrupting me. He was interrupting my self-importance! You see, when we are all wrapped up in ourselves, we are not being ruled by peace. But not Jesus. He was absolutely ruled by the peace of God in His heart, and He was consumed with doing the will of God, not with self-importance.

Think about the last time you were interrupted. Did you get irritated? Were you impatient with the person who interrupted you? If so, I understand. As I mentioned, I used to get irritated when my husband would interrupt me — I was consumed with myself, and I had no patience for his interruptions. In those moments, I did not just calmly say, “Okay, what is it that you need me to do?” I was not being ruled by peace.

Those religious scribes and Pharisees were demanding an answer from Jesus concerning the woman caught in adultery. “What do You say?” they asked, testing Him — because according to Jewish law, if Jesus said that she should not be stoned, they could have accused Him of being a false prophet. But if He said she should be stoned, He was surpassing the laws of the Roman government.

But the peace of God operated and ruled in Jesus. He was not upset that these religious leaders had interrupted him or that they had asked him a difficult question. When peace is ruling in our hearts, we can answer difficult questions. Because instead of giving in to our thoughts and emotions, we can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit not only telling us to quiet ourselves, but also telling us what to do.

John 8:6 continues, “…But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though he did not hear [their accusations of this woman].” The Pharisees continued asking Him, “What do You say? Tell us, Teacher. Oh, You who are so wise, what are You going to do?” The Bible says in the next verse that “…He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first’” (John 8:7).

What an amazing statement! The religious leaders came with accusations, but Jesus responded, “Before you throw your stones, check yourself.” Oh, friend, this statement is so powerful for us today. Maybe you’ve wanted to “throw a stone” at someone else because you did not understand his or her actions. You may have wanted to judge or condemn someone — maybe not with your words, but with your thoughts as you stood there with a stone in your hand, ready to accuse and cast judgment on that other person (or other people) who had disappointed you.

Jesus said to those religious leaders, “Let the one who is without sin go ahead and cast the first stone.” But none of them was without sin. And I believe Jesus is asking each of us this question: When you are wronged or disappointed by someone else’s actions, do you have the right to throw your stones of disapproving thoughts or words of judgment toward that person? In other words, are you without sin?

Of course, you and I both know that Jesus is the only One without sin. But Jesus did not pick up stones and join in with the accusers. The Bible says that Satan is the accuser of the brethren (see Revelation 12:10). And, dear friend, we want to be on the same side as Jesus and not have stones in our hands ready to accuse and judge someone. We do not want to be on the side of the accuser — agreeing with Satan — accusing, judging, and condemning. Instead, we need to recognize that we have been forgiven much.

I am not justifying the sin of this woman who was caught in adultery. And I am not saying that sin is okay or that it’s not a big deal, because Jesus has forgiven us. Jesus suffered a horrible death on the Cross because the power of sin had separated us from the Father. Jesus doesn’t look at our sin and say, “Oh, that’s okay.” He says, “I took your punishment; I became sin for you so that you do not have to suffer the consequences. And because I have forgiven you and have broken the power of sin over your life, you have the power to throw down any stones and stand against the accuser.”

God has given you and me the same power to be ruled by peace that He gave Jesus. When we feel wronged and are tempted to pick up a stone, we have the power of peace within us to leave those stones on the ground and out of our hands.

This story concludes with all those religious leaders leaving one by one until Jesus and the woman were left standing alone. “…And Jesus 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).

But how was that woman able to “go and sin no more”? She was victorious over sin because of the love of God and the peace of God that was operating in Jesus. That love and peace had so much power that it completely changed her. And that’s the same power that you and I have inside us by the Holy Spirit — the powerful love of God, and the powerful peace of God. And as we fellowship with Him and seek Him more every day, we can become intimately acquainted with the Greater One inside us so that we can more freely operate in this kind of love and peace.

I’d like to share a powerful story. Many years ago, there was a very precious man who loved God with all his heart; his name was David Wilkerson. David Wilkerson would go into the very darkest and most dangerous places in New York City, and he would preach Christ to the most violent and dangerous gang members.

One day, David Wilkerson spoke to a young man who had a knife in his hand. David Wilkerson said to this young man, “Jesus loves you.”

The young man said, “Say that one more time, and I’ll cut you into pieces.”

David Wilkerson said to the man, “If you cut me into pieces, then every piece of me will say to you, ‘I love you.’”

At that moment, the young man’s hardened heart was broken by the love of God that was flowing through David Wilkerson. That young man was Nicky Cruz, and he became a powerful evangelist, who is still in the ministry today.

It’s easy to understand that this power of love and peace flowed through Jesus, but it also flows through human beings like David Wilkerson — and you and me! If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then this power is inside you, so you have everything you need to be like Jesus to this lost and hurting world. The peace that was and is inside Jesus, and the peace that was inside David Wilkerson, is the same peace that is inside you and me. That’s powerful!

This month we celebrate Easter — the resurrection of Jesus. And it says in Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Did you get that? The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside you! Dear friend, I encourage you to spend time with God in prayer and in His Word every day so you can learn more and more about who you really are on the inside and the power that you have on the inside through the Person of the Holy Spirit.

As always, thank you for spending this time with me. I’d also like to invite you to join me for my program, TIME With Denise Renner, on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. CT on YouTube and Facebook. You can also find me Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT on GospelTruthTV and Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. CT on PTL, or you can access my podcast on Spotify, Apple, and Google!

But we sure would love to pray with you! If you have a special prayer request, please reach out to us. You can call us at 1.800.742.5593 or email us at prayer@deniserenner.org. We are waiting to hear from you and are ready to join our faith with yours to see God’s power manifested in your life. Have a wonderful Easter celebrating our resurrected Lord — and His resurrection power inside you!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

Overcoming in the Last Days

April Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

I greet you in the wonderful name of Jesus!

Today I have a message on my heart for you, but before I get into it, I first want to express my thankfulness for your partnership with our ministry and wish you a happy Easter — Christ is risen; He is risen indeed! Denise and I are endeavoring to do all that Jesus has asked us to do (which is a lot), and we are able to do it because of the grace of God through Jesus Christ and because of faithful partners who pray for us and who give financially. This is precisely why the word “partners” is not a cliché to us. When we call you a “partner,” we really mean it because what we do is linked to the giving of our partners. So I really want you to know how very thankful we are for everything you are doing with us!

What I want to share with you today is that we are living in a critical time — but the Holy Spirit prophetically predicted in the New Testament that at the end of the age (the time we are living in right now) a spiritual storm will once again slam against society as it did in the early days of the Church. This is exactly what Early Christians faced when the pressures of the ancient world threatened to devastate the newly forming Church. It is vital that we heed the Holy Spirit’s warnings in Scripture and understand what is ahead. But remember, the Holy Spirit didn’t tell us this to scare us; He did it to prepare us, and it is imperative that we hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us.

In addition to understanding that a spiritual storm will slam into society at the end of the age, we must remember the Holy Spirit’s wonderful promise in Joel 2:28: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.”

This explicitly says there will be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s power in the last days. Just like a mighty outpouring of God’s Spirit occurred at the beginning of the Church Age, it will occur again at the end of the age. In fact, it will be the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the history of the Church — reserved specifically for the difficult and challenging times we are entering. For those who are committed to Christ and refuse to give way to the spirit of the age, the greatest levels of power the Church has ever experienced will be released.

But…in the earliest days of the Church, when persecution against believers was extraordinarily acute, those Early Christians could not be deterred. If anything could have stopped the Church, it would have been the storm that raged against them. But Jesus promised, “…The gates of hell shall not prevail against it [the Church]” (Matthew 16:18). Although waves of persecution have come and gone many times over the past 2,000 years of Church history, every turbulent episode has proven Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 to be true — the gates of hell cannot prevail against the Church!

God has always had a remnant who will not bow to pressures — and in these last days, He will have that remnant once again. Are you one of them? Are you among those who refuse to compromise? If yes, you will experience previously unknown levels of the power of God as a result of your commitment to stand by truth. But in the midst of these end times, we must remember Jesus’ words in Revelation 2:17, where He says: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh….”

The word “overcometh” is derived from the Greek word nikao. It refers to a victor, a champion, or one who possesses some type of superiority and can be translated to conquer, to defeat, to master, to overcome, to overwhelm, to surpass, or to be victorious. This word was often used to portray athletes who had mastered their sport and ultimately reigned supreme as champions in their games. It could also describe a military victory, in which one foe fought against the other.

It is also important that the tense of the Greek word translated “overcometh” speaks of a continuous action. It isn’t acceptable to win a single battle but then lose the war because of a slack, unguarded attitude. Christ is calling on each of us to remain victorious. In this verse, He is admonishing each of us to be permanently and consistently undeterred in our efforts to overcome and to obtain a lasting victory over sin in our lives. This means Jesus is calling on us all to be overcomers, and it is to be our continual and unrelenting goal to maintain victory in every possible sphere of life as long as we are on this earth.

In these last days, we need to make up our minds and be committed to being “overcomers” regardless of what is happening around us. If we will take the Bible as our absolute authority and allow it to thoroughly equip us, we will victoriously sail through these times and take our God-ordained position in His plans and purposes. Just as the waters of the flood lifted Noah’s Ark and caused Noah and his family to float during a time of unprecedented crisis, God’s Word will cause us to be buoyed up above the perils of this hour and will enable us to float when it seems everything else is sinking.

In moments when you feel pressure trying to bear down on you, you must grab hold of God’s Word and look to Jesus to draw your strength from Him. You can be victorious in this hour. Jesus calls you (and each one of us) to be an overcomer. To do that, we must dig in our heels and make it our continual and unrelenting goal to maintain victory in every sphere of life! This is what was on my heart to share with you today!

Before I close, I want to tell you that we are here to stand in prayer with you for any area of your life where you need to experience Jesus’ power! Maybe it’s in your mind, your emotions, your family, your relationships, your finances, your job, or your church. Whatever it is, I promise you that Jesus has all the power you need to experience His victory in that area of your life. It would be our greatest honor to pray with you — and we promise that whatever you share with us will remain confidential. So please…either call, go online, or write to us so we can know exactly what your need is, and we will stand in faith for Jesus to move mightily in your life and in your situation!

And today I have a personal prayer request for you.

In the first weeks of May, I will be traveling to eastern Turkey to film for ten days at a site that many believe contains the actual ruins of Noah’s Ark. It is very remote and hard to reach, so I am asking you to pray with me for divine protection and success as we go there to film as I teach. I am extremely excited about this, and I am thrilled that I will be able to show you this amazing site in future TV programs. Would you please join with me in prayer for this?

Once again, thank you for all you do to help us take the trusted teaching of God’s Word to people all over the world. You are a very important partner in this work, and I am so thankful to 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 ministry team

Testimony From RENNER MINISTRIES!

From time to time, we share testimonies we receive at the ministry in Moscow to inspire your faith and to encourage you that your support is touching and changing lives. Whether it’s the multitudes via television and the Internet or the few on the streets or even at a church altar, God is enabling us to “make disciples and teach all nations” in every region of the world!

My dear ministers, I have known you and your ministry for a long time. Twenty-five years ago, my granddaughter was born in Ukraine with a dislocated hip. I shared with you about it and asked you to pray for her. Today I want to testify to you. My granddaughter recovered, grew up, and became a beautiful and healthy girl. She graduated from the university, received a Master’s degree, with honors, in Poland, married a good guy, and gave birth to a son. All is well. I thank God and you for your prayers, and I thank the doctors. Praise the Lord! His mercy endures forever!

Vera, Belarus