Healing Excerpt

October Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Hello Friend,

I’m so glad you’ve chosen to spend this time with me! As you read this letter, I pray you receive all that the Lord has for you and allow Him to minister to you.

I have it on my heart to share with you about divine healing and my own experience with the power of God to heal and restore you. But first, let’s look at why some are not healed, because I believe it will help you see some things more clearly than you’ve seen them before.

In last month’s teaching, we looked at the goodness of God and His heart toward all His children. As the father of the prodigal son said to the older brother, “’…Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours’” (Luke 15:31), all that God our Father has is ours through Jesus Christ, and we can be sure of His will to heal all who receive that blessing by faith.

We can study God’s Word and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is the will of the Father that we walk in divine health. With that settled, how do we process the question, “Why is it that some very good Christians end up going into eternity without being healed?” Or, “Why do some believers live their whole lives with debilitating or troublesome physical conditions and fail to receive healing?” How are we to understand this?

First, it’s simply true that there are a lot of factors that we don’t understand in particular situations. It’s not because God didn’t do His part; He isn’t holding back or holding out on anyone’s healing. Psalm 145:9 says, “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works”!

But I do know that people may have ways of thinking or dealing with situations in life that hinder them from receiving their healing.

We don’t know what is in the hearts and minds of the people who need to receive a touch from God. The Bible says it’s even difficult to know our own hearts (see Jeremiah 17:9). I came to realize this about myself during my journey that led to my first experience of receiving a miraculous healing.

I suffered for 13 years from a terrible skin condition on my face and neck from the time I was 12 years old. (I tell my full testimony in my book Redeemed From Shame.) The sores produced by the disease went clear through several layers of my skin. It was painful and terribly embarrassing. As a young woman, I was turned down from jobs and from singing opportunities because of the appearance of my face.

Even after I received the revelation years later that Jesus is my Healer, my healing didn’t just instantly manifest. But as I kept confessing God’s Word over a period of time, there came a powerful moment when the Holy Spirit showed me that there was something in my heart that was hindering my healing. Up until that time, I didn’t know what was in my heart or that there even was a roadblock that could keep my healing from manifesting. I was simply standing in faith, and the Lord was faithful to show me the hindrance!

All through my teens, I had to go to the doctor on a regular basis because of this skin condition. My mom spent a great deal of money on doctors to try to help me. I took a great amount of medicine over the years, but the medicines and treatments didn’t work for me; I just got worse.

These continual visits to the doctor gave me time to spend with my mother, and I enjoyed her attention. Even as horrible as the treatments were — having to endure the side effects of pain, blistering, and scaling — I still enjoyed those times of being with my mom and all the attention I received from her.

“Well, that’s normal,” some might say.

But fast forward years later to when I was 25 years old. Up until then, I just thought it was my lot in life to suffer with this chronic skin condition and that it was up to me to find a way to adapt and make the best of it. I had no hope for anything better. I had even resorted to buying very expensive, thick makeup to camouflage the disease.

Like many people who have a disease, the overwhelming reality of what I was experiencing — the pain, the embarrassment, the cost of treatment — canceled out the entrance of the Word about healing into my heart. So I hadn’t yet come to the revelation that Jesus bore my sicknesses on the Cross. I didn’t know He was my Healer.

For me, that revelation came one day as I just “happened” to come across a radio preacher teaching on healing. And as I listened, there was a moment when hope came alive in my heart as I heard him say, “By the stripes of Jesus, you are healed!” (See Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24.)

I said to the Lord, “You mean that I can actually be healed after suffering 13 years from this condition?”

It was that moment when hope entered my heart that my journey started. It wasn’t the kind of hope that says, “Well, I sure hope I’ll get healed.” It was the kind of hope that is based on the Word and is full of expectation that the manifestation of my healing was surely in my future!

At that time, I knew very, very little about the principle of confessing the Word. I just did it because the radio preacher I was listening to said it was important to do it.

When we start speaking God’s Word out loud, something starts happening inside us. I knew so little at the time that I didn’t realize that as I confessed the Word, my mind was being changed on the subject of divine healing. Nevertheless, from the moment hope entered my heart, I started to faithfully confess God’s promises in His Word and believe Him for my healing, and the power of His Word was doing a work in me.

Weeks passed, and I didn’t see any difference in my outward appearance or feel any different. Nevertheless, as I focused in and confessed what the Word says about Jesus being my Healer, something was surely changing in me. I was changing from the inside out.

The Holy Spirit Is the Revealer of Our Hearts

But then one day, as I was sitting in my car, listening to a woman radio preacher teach on healing, she asked a question that was a key. It unlocked a door to my heart and allowed me to see what was inside.

The radio preacher asked, “Do you really want to be healed?” When she said that, the Holy Spirit made it personal and asked me that question. And as He did, He revealed what was in my heart. He showed me that I had enjoyed the attention I had gotten from my mom because of the sickness, and I was unaware that I had, in a sense, “nurtured” that sickness instead of resisting it.

As I mentioned earlier, Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that in ourselves, we can’t truly know what is in our own hearts. But the Holy Spirit is a Revealer. He reveals the secret things that are binding us so we can be free! (See Daniel 2:22.)

The desire for my mother’s attention had been binding me to the skin disease that had afflicted me for so long, but until that moment, I had no idea. I could only have discovered that by the Holy Spirit. And when He spoke those words into my heart through that radio preacher, there also came the knowledge of what I had to do for deliverance. I immediately repented.

I prayed right then and there, “Lord, I don’t want any more attention because of this condition. I want to be healed!”

As I sat in the car that day, there was just something about the delivering voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to my spirit through this radio preacher. I didn’t have to wonder if the preacher’s words applied to me. I knew.

Suddenly I knew something about myself I hadn’t known before that moment. That is the revealing power of the Holy Spirit in action! And in that moment of revelation, I immediately dealt with the hindrance to my healing that the Holy Spirit had shown me.

Keep Believing — Stay in Faith!

Still, for the next several weeks after that experience, I didn’t see any change in the skin disease. In fact, two months had gone by since the revelation of Isaiah 53:5 first dropped in my heart. Judging from what it looked like, I wasn’t getting any better. Nevertheless, I believed that God was working, and I just stayed in faith and kept doing what I knew to do — confessing what the Word said about my healing.

Then one night I went to bed with that disease, just as I had every other night for 13 years, but when I woke up the next morning, I had received a complete miracle. My forehead, my cheeks, and my neck were clear — the disease was completely gone!

Why did that happen? What freed me from that disease? That happened because of the scourging of our Savior! Jesus didn’t take that scourging — those healing stripes — in vain. He took those stripes so we would believe on what He did for us and receive our healing. But we have to believe it.

That’s what happened in my situation. First, I believed God’s Word. And when the Holy Spirit’s delivering voice through that woman radio preacher revealed to me a key hindrance to my healing, I immediately responded and He dealt with it. Then in the weeks that followed, somehow as I saw His words with my eyes, spoke His words with my mouth, and heard His words with my ears, the power of those words made their way into my heart. And at some moment when my heart and soul agreed, I was healed.

Why would Jesus willingly subject Himself to such horrible treatment? Because it was His Father’s will to free you from suffering and torment. And it was also Jesus’ will. His will and the Father’s will are 100-percent the same — same in purpose, same in plan, same in power. So you can boldly proclaim: Jesus is my Healer! God is faithful, and His promises are true!

Thank you so much again 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 12:00 p.m. CT on YouTube and Facebook. You can also find me on the following:

Will you let us know how we can pray for you? If you need healing or you have a special prayer request, one of our prayer partners is just a phone call or email away. Call 1.844.473.6637 or send us an email at prayer@deniserenner.org. We are believing for you to experience the fullness of God’s blessings in your life — including the healing power that is available to you today!

signatureWe are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

As It Was in the Days of Noah

October Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

It is such a joy to greet you in Jesus’ precious name!

For three weeks in October on my TV programs, I am focusing on the events that occurred before the Flood and how Jesus prophesied that many of those same events will be replicated again just before His coming at the end of the age. The introductions to these programs were filmed on-site at the ruins of Noah’s Ark in the lower mountains of Ararat in eastern Turkey. Please do all you can to watch these in-depth programs, as I believe you’ll really learn something new from the Word of God. If you would like to purchase the entire 15-part series, just call us or go to renner.org after October 1 to order.

Before I get into what I want to share with you this month, I first want to say thank you for being a faithful partner in helping us do this amazing work of God. You know that many all over the world are crying out for answers to difficult dilemmas. The world is more confused than ever, and people desperately need solid answers from God’s Word to strengthen them, heal them, and give them the direction they need for their lives. Because of what you do as our partner, we can get the Word of God to people all over the world!

Proverbs 10:21 says, “The lips of the righteous feed many….” I love this verse because it describes so well the heart of our ministry, which is to feed the wonderful Word of God to as many people as possible. Denise and I, my family, and my team, are enabled to do this ministry because of: 1) the call of God and anointing of the Holy Spirit and 2) the faithful partners who give financially and pray for us to enable us to do it. I realize the Lord is the Source for everything, but the fact is, He uses partners. So I want to say THANK YOU for being a partner that God is using to make a difference in the lives of so many people!

But today I want to share with you some fascinating truths about the Flood and its significance to us in our day. In Matthew 24:37, Jesus says, “But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

According to our Lord Jesus, we can expect much of what happened in the time frame just before the Flood to be replicated before the end of this age. In fact, the words “but as” in this verse mean just exactly as or precisely as, and the words “so shall also” mean it accordingly will be, thus it will be, or it will be keeping in line with. This means that just exactly as it was before the Flood, it accordingly will be just before the Lord comes again!

In this pivotal verse, Jesus declares that He will be “coming” again. In Greek, this word “coming” is a technical expression to describe the visit of a king or emperor who alone can deal with a situation. This means when Jesus finally comes again, He will show up with the authority needed to right every wrong in the world. That’s good news! By the time the Rapture occurs, there will be a lot of wrongs that will need to be corrected. Jesus emphatically said that the conditions in the world at the end of the age  — just before His coming — will indeed be very similar to the conditions that existed in the world before the Flood.

But what exactly were the conditions that existed in the world before the Flood?

I dive deep into detail about these conditions in the 15-part series I will be teaching on TV from October 2-20, but I would summarize them as follows:

Oh, how I wish I had time to really delve deep into each of these points in this letter, but it would take an entire book to document it all (which I might eventually write). Nevertheless, Jesus said all of these things would be duplicated again in the last of the last days.

Then in Matthew 24:38, Jesus continues, “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe [Noah] entered into the ark.”

In Greek, the words “for as” at the beginning of that verse, mean accordingly and in the same identical manner, and it unmistakably pictures a duplicate event. The phrase “in the days that were” literally means as they were in the very exact days, and the word “before” is a translation of a Greek word that means right before or directly preceding. By using this combination of words, Jesus let us know that He was describing regular life in the very exact days directly before the unleashing of the Flood.

The word “flood” in this verse is a form of the Greek word kataklusmos, which means to inundate, to flood, to overwhelm, to submerge with water, or to completely deluge, and it is where we get the word “cataclysm” or “cataclysmic.” The use of this word tells us that the Flood was truly a cataclysmic event that turned the entire world upside down. Some researchers try to say it was a localized flood, but the Bible clearly teaches in Genesis that it was a worldwide cataclysmic event that affected the entire planet.

Noah is called a “preacher of righteousness” in Second Peter 2:5. He preached and warned people that judgment was coming. He called them to repent, but they didn’t take him seriously and even ignored his prophetic warnings. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:38 that right up to the last moment preceding this cataclysmic event, the pre-Flood world was “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.”

In Greek, all these words — “eating,” “drinking,” “marrying,” and “giving in marriage” — are in a continuous form, meaning they were eating and eating, which implies overeating and a lack of moderation; and they were drinking and drinking, which implies continuous drinking of alcohol and a lack of moderation; and they were marrying and marrying and were “given in marriage,” which paints a picture of a casual attitude toward marriage and remarriage, and a lack of sanctity in marriage.

Thus, we find that even though Noah warned them that judgment was coming, people shrugged it off and continued on as usual right up to the very end when judgment finally came. Matthew 24:38 says this uninhibited lifestyle continued “…until the day that Noe [Noah] entered into the ark.” Amazingly, the word “until” means right up until, picturing a time right up until the final moment before the Flood began.

Matthew 24:39 says, “And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” The words “knew not” in Greek mean they did not realize, or they did not have a clue. It wasn’t that they hadn’t been informed, because Noah had warned them. But they shrugged it off and lived like they were clueless that they were living on the precipice of judgment. Noah had told them of the impending cataclysmic “flood” — kataklusmos — a word that well depicts the total destruction that came on the earth in those days.

Jesus goes on in Matthew 24:39 to say the Flood “took them all away.” The words “took…away” are translated from several words that when put together mean to remove or to prune. Thus, we discover the purpose of the Flood was not to destroy, but to be a pruning operation to remove all the evil and wickedness from the earth. Matthew 24:39 then says, “…So shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Those words “so shall also” mean it accordingly will be also, or thus it will also be.

Jesus’ words of warning continue in Matthew 24:40 and 41. He says, “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

The word “taken” in both instances means to personally snatch or to take to one’s side. In context, it means that when the Rapture of the Church occurs at the end of the age — just before the Great Tribulation begins — Jesus will personally snatch and take to His side those who are ready. But those who ignored what they heard and were unprepared will be “left.” The word “left” in both instances means to be left behind, and it pictures a sense of loss. Thus, those who are “left” will suffer great loss and experience the judgment of that terrible time.

Of course, the example that Jesus is using is of Noah compared to the lost world that lived all around him. Because Noah and his family were listening and were prepared, they were “snatched” from the waters of the Flood, but those who shrugged off Noah’s prophetic warnings were regrettably “left behind” and suffered the consequences of judgment.

In Matthew 24:42, Jesus concluded with wise instruction saying, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

Here Jesus pleads with us to be attentive and watchful — unlike the people before the Flood who disregarded the warnings and suffered as a result. In fact, the word “watch” means to be attentive, on your guard, and watchful. It denotes one who is on the lookout and on high alert. It pictures one who is determined not to be taken off guard.

And in this same verse, Jesus clearly states why we need to be watchful: “…For ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

This means no one is able to predict the exact day and exact time when Jesus will come for His Church before the judgment of the Great Tribulation is unleashed. However, this doesn’t mean we can’t have a prophetic sense of timing, for if we pay attention to the signs that Jesus gave us in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 — and to the list of signs the apostle Paul gave us in Second Timothy 3 — we can gauge how close we are even if we cannot predict the exact day or moment of His coming. (I urge you to get my books Signs You’ll See Just Before Jesus Comes and Last-Days Survival Guide to help you know these signs of the end times!)

Then the Lord urgently said in Matthew 24:44, “Therefore be ye also ready….”

The words “be ye… ready” mean to be constantly prepared and ready for action. It means we need to be paying attention to what the Word of God says — to the signs that are given to us in Scripture — and to the voice of the Holy Spirit. And it means we must live every day as if it is THE DAY that Jesus is coming. If we live like this, we’ll be constantly prepared for the coming of the Lord!

Oh, there is so much more I wish I could share, but I am out of space for this month’s letter. But let’s take the words of Jesus to heart and do the following:

We are living in a very serious hour. The events that occurred before the Flood are happening again — right now — just as Jesus said they would before His coming. The signs are everywhere to alert us to the fact that we are approaching the very end of this present age when some will be “taken” and others will be “left” behind. We must do all we can — just as Noah did in his time before the Flood — to love people enough to warn them!

If you have friends or relatives who are unsaved and not walking with God, we would love to pray with you about them. Please call 1.800.742.5593 or email us, and we’ll get into prayerful agreement with you for God to reach out and touch them! It would be our honor to pray with you concerning your loved ones, or any other prayer request you may have. And, as always, we promise that whatever you tell us will be held in the strictest confidence!

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter today. And thank you for being such a precious partner to what we are doing as we obey the call of Jesus to take the Word of God to the ends of the earth. If we had to do it alone, it would be so much harder, but together, we can do much more and make a huge difference in the lives of people all over the world!

And never forget — JESUS IS COMING SOON!

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

Authority Over the Enemy

September Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Greetings in the all-powerful name of Jesus! How I love to ponder on the power that is available to us in that name!

Today I will continue from what I shared in last month’s teaching letter. But first, I want to express my thankfulness to God for the way He sent you to our ministry. I am so very grateful for the opportunity to minister to you, and for your being a friend and partner with our ministry. As I always tell you, Denise and I, our sons, and our team can do our God-given parts, but to carry out the whole ministry takes a family of partners — and YOU are a significant part of that family. For that, I want you to know how truly thankful I am to God for you!

Two monthly letters ago, I shared that there is a difference between depression and oppression. We saw that depression can be both physical and emotional. It can be caused by a disappointment, fatigue, stress, a wrong diet, or a chemical imbalance, and often depression can be remedied by making certain adjustments in our lives or even by medication.

But oppression is different from depression; it is not physical, but spiritual. Oppression originates from an outside spiritual source. In fact, the word “oppression” indicates the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust way. It means to press upon; to press against; to overburden; to weigh down; to overwhelm; and to overpower. It also means to burden, to be cruel or unjust toward, to exercise uncontrollable restraints upon, to treat with severity, to oppress, to afflict, to crush, to put down, to smother, to subdue, or to torment.

Oppression is an exterior spiritual force that tries to quell, smother, and control you. The devil tries to suppress our lives so that we will not become what God desires us to be.

Other synonyms for oppression include: abuse, brutality, coercion, compulsion, control, cruelty, despotism, dictatorship, domination, force, harshness, harassment, hardness, injustice, ruling with an iron hand, maltreatment, overthrowing, repression, suffering, severity, subjugation, torment, and tyranny. These words vividly describe what oppression does in a person’s life.

Then in last month’s letter, I shared the seven levels of oppression. We saw that we can demolish oppression and dismantle it — if need be, piece by piece, to walk free of it. But today, I want you to see the power of God that is available not only to help you personally to walk free of oppression, but, additionally, to minister freedom to others who are experiencing oppression.

Let’s begin in Luke 10:17 where we read the account of Jesus sending the 70 disciples out to minister: “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils [spirits] are subject unto us through thy name.”

Jesus had sent the 70 out with authority to heal the sick and to cast out demons. They were so excited when they returned, and exclaimed, “…Lord, even the spirits, the devils are subject unto us through thy name.” The word “devils” is the Greek word daimonia. This word describes evil spirits, demons, or devils. The ancient world believed demons populated the lower regions of the air and were the primary cause of disasters and suffering — and they were correct. In the New Testament, this word daimonia, or “devils,” also depicts mental illness, oppression, or physical infirmities that are inflicted by evil spirits. The Greek word describes oppression as spirit-inflicted issues in a person’s mind or body.

The Bible says when the 70 returned, they said, “Lord, the demons, these evil spirits (the source of disaster, mental illness, and mental struggling) are subject unto us through Your name.”

The word “subject” is from a form of the Greek word hupotasso, which is a military term. It portrays a soldier who falls in line when a commander gives an order; one who is submitted to authority. These disciples said, “Lord, when we speak, they recognize our voices as the voices of commanders, and they fall in line when we use Your name!”

In the same way, you have the name of Jesus and the authority designated to you by Jesus. When you speak, demon spirits — every foul, evil force — will hear the voice of a commander and fall in line when you use Jesus’ name.

In Luke 10:18 Jesus said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven.” The word “beheld” is from a form of the Greek word theoreo, which means to gaze at or to look upon. It is the root word from which we get the word “theater.” Jesus was literally saying, “Guys, I know you’re impressed by what you’ve just experienced, because demons respond to you when you speak, but let me tell you about My experience. I remember when Satan fell from Heaven like lightning.” Jesus used the word “beheld,” which means Jesus said, in effect, “I watched it like I was in a theater. I watched the first act, the second act, and the third act. I saw the entire show; I watched the whole event.”

Portions of that event are recorded in Isaiah 14:12 and Ezekiel 28:16. Isaiah 14:12 says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” Ezekiel 28:16 says that God told Lucifer, “…Therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God.”

Lucifer was cut to the ground, fell from the heavens, and was cast out as profane. He fell so rapidly that Jesus said he fell like lightning — which means he was gone in a flash! But immediately after describing Lucifer’s fall, Jesus says in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy….”

In Greek, the word “behold” is idou, which contains the idea of bewilderment, shock, amazement, and wonder. Jesus was so excited about what He was about to say that He began with the Greek word idou, which means behold. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Hey guys, this is amazing! What I’m about to tell you is phenomenal! Behold, I give you power [authority] to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy….”

The word for “power” is from a form of the Greek word exousia and it describes one who has received delegated authority and power. Jesus said, “I’m giving you authority; I’m delegating this authority to you to tread….” The word “tread” is from a form of the Greek word pateo, meaning to walk on, to trample, to crush, or to advance by setting the foot upon. Jesus said, “I’m giving you power to advance, and along the way, if necessary, you can trample serpents and scorpions.” The word “serpents” is from a form of the Greek word ophis, meaning snake. This word is used in the Scripture to describe Satan when he strikes to kill.

Jesus said, “You have no need to be afraid of the devil or any attack he may wage against you because I have given you authority to move your feet. Just start walking forward. If the devil gets in your way, trample him with no fear of an attack or of him striking you.”

The word “scorpion” is from the Greek word skorpios, which describes a scorpion or a creature with a poisonous sting. Jesus said, “You don’t need to worry about being hurt or being stung because I’ve given you authority to make an advancement. Move your feet and just start marching forward, and if the devil or any stinging situation gets in your way — if anything comes to strike you or sting you — don’t worry. Just move your feet, because I have given you authority to advance and to trample those serpents and scorpions along the way.”

Jesus went on to say, “I’ve given you authority…over all the power of the enemy.” The word “over” is the Greek word epi, which denotes a position of advantage and superiority. Because Jesus has given us authority, we have a position of advantage. We have a position of superiority over all the power of the enemy! Wow!

In this instance, the word “power” depicts an advancing army. The enemy tries to advance on us. It may appear as though Satan’s troops are coming against us, but don’t allow yourself to worry because you have authority, a position of advantage, and superiority over the advancing power of the enemy.

The word “enemy” used in Luke 10:19 is from the Greek word echthros, which describes someone who is openly hostile, one with deep-seated animosity and hatred, an irreconcilable hostility, or one who is bent on inflicting harm. Jesus said, “Don’t worry about him. I’ve given you authority over anything he can ever wage against you.” That is why Jesus began by saying “Behold…” in Luke 10:19. Jesus was saying, “Wow! The authority I’ve given you is amazing!”

And that, my friend, means you have been given authority over ALL the works of the enemy!

But in Acts 10:38, we also read, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power….” The word “power” is from a form of the Greek word dunamis. It describes explosive, superhuman power that comes with extraordinary, unparalleled results. It’s the same Greek word that describes the full might of an advancing army.

When Jesus was anointed, He had amazing, supernatural power with unparalleled results. When that power worked in Jesus, it was like the heavenly armies were unleashed. The power of God was moving forward to drive back the forces of evil, and that is why He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.

We saw in an earlier teaching letter that the word “oppressed” is from a compound of two Greek words kata and dunamis. In this particular case, the word kata caries the idea of domination. The word dunamis depicts a domineering tyrant. It is a picture of the oppressive power of a wicked tyrant, one who rules cruelly and tyrannizes his subjects — one who is a cruel bully, dictator, or oppressive tyrant.

The word “devil,” as mentioned previously, is from the Greek word diabolos, describing one who repetitiously strikes until successfully penetrating an object to ruin it, affect it, or take it captive. It also means to slander, to accuse, to defame, to penetrate by continuous assault, or to ensnare with a net.

Here, we see a picture of how the devil wants to dominate your life, how he wants to control your mind and your emotions. He begins repeatedly striking the mind and the emotions until he finally moves in like a wicked tyrant and begins to tyrannize and rule over you like a wicked king. But Jesus came with an anointing and with power to set at liberty all who are being tyrannized by the devil.

If you know others who are subject to the cruel, oppressive treatment of the devil in their mind and emotions, pray for them, lay hands on them, and release the power of God because according to Luke 10:19, He gave us power over all the works of the enemy. You have a position of advantage and superiority, and if you will use your voice of authority and release the power of God through your hands, God will use you to bring freedom to those who are bound and oppressed of the devil.

According to Acts 10:38, Jesus was anointed, and when the anointing came upon Him, the power of God began to work through Him to set people free. But speaking of believers — that’s you and me — we read in First John 2:20, “But ye have an unction [anointing] from the Holy One….”

That word “unction” is from the Greek word chrisma, which means anointing. If YOU are in Christ, the same anointing belongs to you; you are covered from head to toe with the same anointing that was upon Jesus! That means you have the same dynamic power, and just as Jesus “set at liberty them that were bruised,” you can also deliver those who are oppressed by the devil. Yes, it means YOU can be used by God to speak a word of deliverance to people who are bound.

I want you to understand that God wants to use YOU to help dismantle those strongholds and vain imaginations in their minds. God has given you a voice and hands to release power just like Jesus. First John 2:20 says you have received an unction, or chrisma. You are anointed from top to bottom, from head to toe, with the very anointing that will bring freedom to anyone who is oppressed of the devil.

Wow…that makes me want to shout!

As I come to the close of this letter today, I want to remind you that we are here to pray for YOU and we would cherish the opportunity to pray with you for whatever is on your heart or for anything you are facing right now. If this letter has touched you in a special way, we’d love to pray with you about that as well. Simply call us at 1-800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.com, and we promise to put our faith to work for Jesus to do something magnificent — and God promises that He will hear us and do it!

Thank you for being among the best partners on the planet!

We love you and thank God for you,

Rick and Denise Renner
Along with Paul, Philip, and Joel Renner and our ministry team

The Goodness of Our God

September Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Hello Friend,

I’m so glad you’ve chosen to spend this time with me! As you read this letter, I pray you receive all that the Lord has for you and allow Him to minister to you. He is drawing near to you as you draw near to Him. I’ve shared with you before about the goodness of God, and how through the sacrifice of His precious Son, He wants to freely give to us. Romans 8:32 says:

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?

We can see from this scripture that God wants to give us all things. But God also does not want us to miss out on receiving what He has for us.

In Luke, we read about two brothers who took two very different roads to receive what their father had for them. They were both his sons — they belonged to their father, they were loved by their father, and they each had an inheritance. But both sons made choices, and those choices were very costly. Like these two sons, you and I have been richly graced and lavished with the love of our Father, but it is still our choice how we come to know our Father more intimately and receive all He has for us.

Let’s begin in Luke 15:11 and 12.

Then He [Jesus] said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.”

Some biblical commentators have said that for this younger son to ask for his share of the inheritance was very disrespectful and dishonoring to his father. In the language used in this young man’s request, there is even a tone of urgency. The request of the son that he be given his inheritance while the father was still alive and in good health was an insult to his father. It was as if the son said, “Father, I cannot wait for you to die! Give me what is mine now!”

This son, who already had everything his father wanted to give him, was so selfish and impatient that he basically said, “I want my money now! I am not waiting for it.” And the loving father freely gave his son all he asked for. The next verse says,

“And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.”

— Luke 15:13,14

This young man thought he now had everything he ever wanted and didn’t need his father anymore. He had asked for and received all his money, but this wayward son didn’t know there was going to be a severe famine in the land. Having spent everything he had, he was not prepared, and the Bible says “he began to be in want” (v. 14). Now poor and hungry, the prodigal son had no one to turn to. The story continues in verse 15:

“Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.”

By this time, the young man had so little favor on him that the person he befriended sent him out to feed the swine rather than take him in to care for him. Feeding the pigs was considered to be the very lowest job that one could have because it was often offered to those you wanted to get rid of. Most would refuse this type of employment, but the prodigal son was desperate, so he took the job. Verse 16 says:

“And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.”

The young man was essentially a slave, and as a slave, any food taken from the swine would have been considered stealing, and he would have been beaten and punished for stealing from his master. He was destitute, and he was close to death.

One commentator stated that the prodigal son would have been so malnourished from lack of food and care that his condition would have been life-threatening. Another biblical commentator compared his life to that of a candle with only a flicker left. It was in this desperate situation that he made a wise choice. Luke 15:17-20 says:

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”

Notice, friend, it wasn’t the son who was looking for the father, and it was not the son who ran out to meet the father. It was the father who was searching for his son. It was the father who was filled with compassion, fell on his son’s neck, and kissed him. And look at what happened next:

“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry.’”

— Luke 15:21-23

Amazingly, the father did not even respond to the son’s remorse or guilt but, instead, was ready to receive him just as he was. The elated father called for the servants to bring out his best robe and put it on his son, to put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet, and to bring the fatted calf to eat and be merry. The reason for the father’s joy is expressed in verse 24:

“‘For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”

In these verses, we see the loving and compassionate actions of this father in welcoming home his prodigal son. We see that the father was out looking for his son because the Bible said “he was still a great way off” when the father saw him and ran to him. The son was not met with condemnation or harsh words of correction. The son was met with love and compassion from a father who had been waiting for his son’s return.

This son must have been filthy and smelled horrible. His clothes were probably torn and tattered. But it didn’t stop the father from kissing him and falling on his neck. It didn’t stop the father from giving this dirty, rejected-by-society son his very best robe! The father’s compassion put a ring on his son’s hand, put sandals on his son’s feet, commanded the fatted calf be killed, and ensured the rejoicing began!

You may be thinking, Why would a son leave a father like this? Could it be that this son didn’t take the time to get to know his father? Was he too busy and prideful about his own life? Sadly, this son took for granted the blessings that he had and didn’t take the time to get to know the one from which all the blessings came.

Friend, could it be that we have some of these characteristics of the younger son — enjoying the blessings of our Father but not spending time to get to know the One who is blessing us? Instead of being grateful, are we tempted to complain? And instead of recognizing what He has done for us, are we questioning why He hasn’t done more? Could this kind of deception have knocked on our doors at different times to seduce us away from the beauty and intimacy of our Father? Before you answer those questions, let’s turn our attention to the actions and attitudes of the older son who remained with the father while his younger brother squandered the family fortune.

“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’”

— Luke 15:25-30

We see in these verses that the older son made some wrong choices of his own. Yes, he had been obedient and worked hard, but he did not know the heart of the father. He was so unacquainted with his father that he questioned his father’s love for his brother. This son had been given the opportunity to not just work for his father but to serve and really get to know his father. But he still did not know him. He knew his father so little that he didn’t understand why his father would want to bless his brother after what he had done.

The story continues with the father pleading with his older son to come in and celebrate. And then in verse 31, we come to a very sad part of this story. The older son got upset with the father and then the father said to him:

“‘…Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.’”

When I read that verse, I think of Romans 8:32, which again says, “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?” God did not spare Jesus but gave Him up for us. He wants to give us everything — just like the father of these two young men did.

Let’s not make the mistake of being like the younger son — enjoying the blessings of his father but with a thankless heart. And let’s not be like the older son who was obedient and worked very hard but never took the time to really get to know his father. Neither son really knew the blessing of what they already had and all that the father wanted to freely give them.

In this hour, when it is getting closer and closer to the time of Jesus’ coming, God is pouring out His Spirit. Let’s make whatever changes we need to make to spend more time with our Father, whether it’s by reading His Word, praying, or meditating in His Word. It is never wasted time. The Bible even says that if we meditate in the Word of God, we will have good success (see Joshua 1:8). God has freely given us everything we need to come through victorious in whatever battle we find ourselves in.

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 12:00 p.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.

Will you 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 are believing for you to experience the fullness of God’s blessings in your life and the depth of His great love for you!

signatureWe are receiving our healing together,

Denise Renner

Our Place of Faith

August Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

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.

signatureWe are receiving our healing together,

Denise Renner

Seven Levels of Oppression

August Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

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.

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 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!

signature We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

Spiritual Oppression

July Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

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 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?

  1. We know that the problem is not from God. (See James 1:17.)
  2. We know that with the power of the Holy Spirit in you, you are to resist the enemy. (See James 4:7.)
  3. 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.)
  4. 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!

signature We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

The Ministry of Angels

June Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

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