In Pursuit of Peace

May Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

A Worry-Free Life

May Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Jesus’ powerful and wonderful name!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Power of Peace and Love

April Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

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

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

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

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

In verse 2, John continues, “Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.” We see that Jesus had gone early to the temple and a group of people surrounded Him. He was in the middle of teaching them when “…the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery…” (John 8:3). The rest of that passage reads, “…And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’” (John 8:3-5)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This story concludes with all those religious leaders leaving one by one until Jesus and the woman were left standing alone. “…And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’” (John 8:10,11).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

Overcoming in the Last Days

April Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

I greet you in the wonderful name of Jesus!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And today I have a personal prayer request for you.

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

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

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

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

Testimony From RENNER MINISTRIES!

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

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

Vera, Belarus

Divine Provision

March Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

At the first of the year, I told you that I heard the Holy Spirit say, The year 2023 will be filled with divine surprises, divine provision, and divine revelation for those who will receive it.

Because the Holy Spirit spoke that word to my heart, I felt impressed to write to you in January about how to receive divine revelation. Then last month, I continued to write to you about how to prepare your heart to receive whatever kind of divine surprises God wants to surprise you with in 2023. Today, I am writing to you about divine provision and what role you play in receiving it. I believe you will be so encouraged by what you read!

But before I move to the subject of divine provision, I first want to thank you for how God has used YOU to provide for this ministry. I often say that a car with no fuel can’t go anywhere — and, similarly, a ministry can be a good ministry, but if there is no “financial fuel” in the tank, it can’t get the ministry to the people who need it. But you are among our God-called partners who put fuel into this ministry’s tank so we can get the life-changing teaching of God’s Word to people who need it. And for this, Denise and I, our family, and our team want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

At this moment, we are stretching our faith to do all that Jesus has asked us to do. This is His ministry, and we are obeying His orders, so we trust Him to give us all the resources we need to do what He has given us to do. But because you are part of His divine supply to fulfill this vision, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to you!

But today I want to talk to you about how God wishes to surprise YOU with divine provision. Let’s begin with an amazing and miraculous account of divine provision to demonstrate that God knows how to get provision to His children right on time!

The Magi Show Up Exactly on Time!

The Bible tells us that God spoke to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Mary and Jesus and to flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s murderous plot of the Christ child. Egypt was one of the most luxurious nations on the earth at that time, and as a foreigner, Joseph would have had no legal right to work there. And because the holy family would be in “flight” the whole time they were there in order to avoid Herod’s spies, Joseph wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work. Living in Egypt would have been so expensive, requiring a massive amount of money to live there, especially for a foreigner and his family. And because the family wouldn’t be able to live in a single place for very long during that period, but would rather be on the move, they would need a lot of money for travel, food, housing, and protection along the way.

But God knew all this in advance, and He supernaturally orchestrated the arrival of the Magi just in time to deliver the financial resources needed to meet His own Son’s needs while the holy family was in flight in Egypt. God arranged for the Magi to show up to provide the surprising resources the holy family would need for their time in that country.

Matthew 2:11 says, “And when they [the Magi] were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

How wonderful is the timing of God, who supernaturally orchestrated events so the resources that would be needed would show up at the very moment He was going to instruct Joseph to take his family and flee into the expensive land of Egypt.

This makes me think of God’s promise in Philippians 4:19, in which the apostle Paul wrote, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Before we go further, we must first consider what this famous verse really means.

In Greek, the word “supply” means to make full, to fill completely, or to be filled to the point of satisfaction and overflowing. It is the very word used to describe any kind of container filled and packed to the point of overflowing. The use of this word emphatically means God wants to meet our needs so fully that they will be satisfied to the point of overflowing.

This brings us to the next word in this verse. How many needs does God want to meet? In Philippians 4:19, Paul wrote that He will meet “all” of them. In the original language, this is an all-encompassing word that leaves nothing out and means whatever the need is, God intends to meet it.

But what kind of “need” was Paul referring to in this verse? The answer is found in the Greek text. The word translated “need,” or “needs,” depicts any deficit or any need that must be met. Thus, whatever deficit we may be experiencing, God wants to meet it — in fact, He sees it as a need that must be met!

The word “riches” pictures a wealth so great that it cannot be tabulated. The word “riches” in this verse pictures abundant, extreme, vast riches, opulence, and wealth. The use of this word tells us that God wants to extravagantly meet the needs of His people.

The following is my interpretation of this amazing verse.

Renner Interpretive Version (RIV) of Philippians 4:19

But my God will supply your needs so completely that He will eliminate all your deficiencies. He will meet all your physical and tangible needs until you are so full that you have no more capacity to hold anything else. He will supply all your needs until you are totally filled, packed full, and overflowing to the point of bursting at the seams and spilling over.

The truth is that God’s people need to upgrade what they think about God meeting their needs. He does not want to give enough for you only to skimp along in life, but He wants to surprise you by lavishly meeting all your needs until they are totally filled, packed full, and overflowing to the point of bursting at the seams and spilling over.

This kind of need-meeting is demonstrated in the way God extravagantly met the needs of Jesus and His parents for their long trip into Egypt. The holy family experienced the reality of Philippians 4:19. And God will do this for anyone who is willing to obey what He tells him to do — and that includes you.

A Coin in a Fish’s Mouth!

But here’s another astonishing and surprising way that God manifested supernatural provision in the Bible. I’m thinking of one occasion in which Jesus and one of His disciples needed money to pay taxes, and God provided their need in an amazing way. In Matthew 17:24-27, we read:

And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

God supernaturally provided a need in this moment with a coin in the mouth of a fish! In verse 27, Jesus told Peter that if he would go retrieve a fish from the water and open its mouth, he would find “a piece of money” in it for him to use to pay taxes.

In Greek, the words “a piece of money” is the word a four-drachma coin, which was equal to approximately four days of wages at that time. That was the equivalent of nearly a week’s worth of salary in the mouth of a fish!

Peter could have said, “Lord, You must be kidding. No one finds money in the mouth of a fish!” But if Peter would do what Jesus told him to do, the Lord had a surprising provision waiting for him on the other side of his obedience. But again, it required Peter’s willingness to do as Jesus instructed him.

Over the years, Denise and I have learned that if we will listen to the Lord and follow His instructions carefully, He can — and He will — provide for us in ways that our minds cannot fathom. In fact, when He speaks and tells us what to do, our minds may be tempted to argue with Him at times — but if we’ll just obey Him, He has provision waiting for us in places we would have never expected. The same is true for you too. In fact, I am sure that much of what you need right now will be discovered when you obey the Lord’s explicit directions to you!

I told you that today I wanted to talk to you about how God wishes to surprise YOU with divine provision. And I also want to tell you that God is absolutely faithful. He has no shortage of whatever is needed to meet your needs. Just as He provided for the holy family with a surprising provision, and just as He supplied a coin in the mouth of a fish, God has exactly what you need, and He is waiting to lavishly meet your needs right now.

If you need someone to pray with you about a need you are facing, please reach out to us! We will pray and release our faith together with you for God to miraculously move and surprise you with divine provision to meet every need in your life, whatever that need may be. Just give us a call or send us an email or a letter, and I promise that we will genuinely release our faith for God to move mightily in your life! And please…remember to pray for us too!

We love you and truly thank God for you!

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

Testimony From RENNER MINISTRIES!

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

Thank you for your prayerful support and your kind words! Today I can hardly imagine my deep state of depression. But there was a time I felt dejected, sad, grieved, hurt, and crying endless tears for years. At times, I felt like closing my eyes and never opening them again. But I thank God for you — now I have a great desire to live and to never go back to living in that terrible state. I have already begun working on my mental health, and I believe that with God, everything is possible and that He can turn what was a very bad state of mind into good! THANK YOU for praying for me! May God bless you all!

Oksana

One Day at a Time

March Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

I am so excited about what I have to share with you! I have been studying how to maintain peace in difficult times, and I want to share with you the importance of living one day at a time.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34,  “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” But how is living one day at a time — the way that Jesus is telling us to live — going to help us maintain our peace in difficult times? Oh, friend, there is so much power available for us in just one day of living.

Do you remember the story of the Israelites when they were wandering in the wilderness? In Exodus 16:21, we see that God provided manna for them one day at a time, not days or weeks at a time. Every morning God would provide fresh manna for the Israelites to eat, and that happened day after day. Think about it: You can wish and you can worry and you can be anxious, but you can only live one day at a time. Let me use myself as an example.

Years ago when I was invited to sing somewhere, I would start worrying at least a month or two before the day of the performance. I would worry that my voice wasn’t going to be strong and clear, and I would worry what it would sound like. I would worry that I might mess up in front of everyone and think about how embarrassed I would be if that happened. Worry, worry, worry. It was stealing my sleep, and it was not helping me prepare for the performance. I was worrying about something that might or might not have happened a month or two in the future when God’s Word says that I am to live only one day at a time.

Finally, I got to a place where I realized that I was upsetting myself and giving myself undue worry and needless sleepless nights. The enemy was lying to me and building a stronghold in my mind that I would fail, and believing that I was going to fail before I had even tried was causing me to believe a lie. I was allowing the enemy to paint a picture of my future in my mind. And I began to understand that I was wasting my time “worrying about tomorrow” and that the devil was trying to intimidate me before I even stood on the stage. He is such a liar. But there is a good lesson for us in this example and in the example of the manna in the wilderness. We truly need to live one day at a time.

A second example of our need to live one day at a time is found in the Lord’s prayer — a prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray. It says, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). In this verse, Jesus is giving us wisdom about living one day at a time. We are not made to carry on our shoulders all the cares of tomorrow. Jesus didn’t carry it — so we shouldn’t either. He said that each day has enough trouble of its own so we only need to focus on today.

Let’s think about Jesus and the importance of Him giving us this instruction. The fact that Jesus told us to “ask for our daily bread” means that is what He did and how He lived — one day at a time. If anyone could have worried about the future, it would have been Jesus because He had so much in front of Him. But Jesus took hold of the power that God provided for Him every single day. Oh, what a lesson for us in maintaining peace in difficult times!

There have been times in my life when I have held on to Matthew 6:34 so tightly, as tight as I could, every day. You may ask, “Denise, why were you holding on to this verse?” Well, I was in a difficult situation, and I knew if I could adjust my attitude and think about making it through that one day — not two days, not the rest of the week, just that day — then for the next 12 to 16 hours that I was awake, I would think to myself, Okay, I can do this. It’s just 12 hours.

Friend, there is so much wisdom and power in this verse. Jesus told us to do this, not just in Matthew 6:34, but also in Matthew 6:11 — right in the middle of the Lord’s prayer. And He gave us an example in the Old Testament when the children of Israel trusted God for their supply (manna) every day. There is so much wisdom for us in these examples.

In my situation, which was very difficult at the time, it gave me peace to look at just one day at a time. And I didn’t let the enemy speak to my mind and say, “What if this happens?” or “What if that happens?” or “What if that doesn’t happen? What are you going to do?” It was when I turned off the what-ifs and recognized the power of the Holy Spirit inside me that I realized I had enough of His power and strength to make it through the day. And then the next day, He would give me the strength and the power to live that day too.

Lamentations 3:22 and 23 reminds us, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” His compassions never fail! Wow! New mercies are extended to you every morning — like a package that is lying at the foot of your bed, waiting for you to wake up and open it and receive those mercies. They are brand new, and they are designed just for you. These are not yesterday’s mercies — those have passed. These mercies are created new every day, just for today and just for you, exactly like that manna.

Friend, I’m not saying we are not to be mindful of the responsibilities we will have tomorrow. But if we are consumed and weighed down about tomorrow, it takes away our ability to experience the mercies, wisdom, strength, and power that God has for us today. Rest assured, tomorrow He will equip us with new mercies, wisdom, strength, and power that we’ll need for that day.

Jesus faced many different situations every day. He was tempted by the devil for 40 days. He was hated, ridiculed, and criticized by the religious people of that day, and some people even said He was the prince of devils. Some believed in Jesus, while others tried to plan His death and coerce Him into their trap. Jesus was tried and condemned in an illegal trial; He endured the horrible scourging of the Romans and the ultimate punishment of the Cross, hanging there with criminals. He took our sins, sicknesses, and shame and paid the price of judgment that should have come on us. He faced all these things, and He was VICTORIOUS!

But what if Jesus had worried about tomorrow and not taken the power of God that was available for Him to live one single day at a time? Think about how different things would have been.

So how do we recognize the power that is available to us every single day? The Bible says that He lives in us and He knows all things. He knows what tomorrow holds, but He wants us to take and possess His power for today. In all that you’re facing at this moment, whether it’s health or financial problems, heart-wrenching relational problems, or any other concern, what would your day be like today if you were not already trying to live tomorrow? What would happen if you took hold of the peace that God is offering you right now to be able to make wise choices today? Can you see how much power is available to us if we will take hold of what God is offering us today?

Dear friend, we need the power of the Holy Spirit and to recognize the resurrection power that is inside us every day. We need to take hold of that power, and we need to take hold of that power every day for today. We need to recognize the great mercy and love of God extended to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. He is giving us exactly what we need for today. You and I can — every day, by our own choice — take hold of the power, encouragement, and wisdom that we need for today and believe God for His provision, His peace, and His mercy that is coming toward us to help us live one day at a time.

So why is living one day at a time — living as Jesus says in Matthew 6:34 — so powerful for us in maintaining our peace in difficult times? Because we were made to take this power daily. We were made to live daily and to use our faith daily for those 24 hours that we were given.

Thank you so much for spending this time with me. I hope you will join me for my program, TIME With Denise Renner. It airs on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. CT on YouTube and Facebook — it’s a podcast as well on Spotify, Apple, and Google! And you can also find me Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT on GospelTruthTV and Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. CT on PTL.

And if you need prayer, please be sure to let us know how we can pray for you. You can call us at 1.800.742.5593 or email prayer@deniserenner.org. Our faith-filled prayer partners are ready to join their faith with yours for the Word of God to be manifest in your life!

We are moving forward together — one day at a time!

Denise Renner

Cast Your Care on the Lord

February Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

First, I am so thankful for the many responses I’ve received from my friends who are watching my programs or reading my letters and emails. I read and appreciate every comment.

I know the year has only just begun, but it’s important that we have in place the equipment from the Spirit of God that will help us in these times we’re facing. When problems and cares come, we need to know how to give those cares to God.

If you’re worried or anxious, that’s a heavy load or burden you’re carrying from day to day. So this month, I’m going to talk to you about how to cast your cares on the Lord.

First Peter 5:6 and 7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for he cares for you.” As I studied the word “casting,” I learned that in this verse, it means throwing or tossing your cares on the Lord — all of them.

This word “casting” pictures the action of throwing something away from yourself and onto someone or something else. For example, in Luke 19:35, it says the people cast — or threw — their clothes on that donkey for Jesus to ride on it. In much the same way, casting your cares on the Lord is not going to happen by accident. You’re going to have to cast them on purpose!

Casting your cares is not going to happen just because you go to church. It’s not going to happen just because you read your Bible, give your tithes, or because you’re nice to your children. Casting your cares on the Lord is only going to happen as a direct action of using your faith — of taking those cares that are trying to “strangle” your peace and throwing them on the Lord.

What does casting your cares on the Lord look like? It is a picture of a Christ-like attitude that’s not negative, fretful, or filled with regret or resignation. It is an expression of self-humbling and of abandoning trust in self to instead entrust oneself and his troubles to God.

To cast our cares on the Lord, there are two things we need to trust to God. First, we need to trust ourselves to Him. We need to recognize that He is powerful and able to take care of us in any situation. And we must be assured that He is not going to abandon us.

Second, we need to trust our problems to Him. We can trust God so much that whatever problem confronts us, we can let it go — in the same way we took hold of it to begin with. A problem or care may have pushed its way into your mind and emotions, but you can push it back out and cast it upon the Lord! By faith, you can choose to release that problem and trust it to the Lord.

‘My Own Victory Over Worry’

Many years ago, the Lord really dealt with me to trust Him about something that was tempting me to be anxious. Honestly, I was already in such a habit of worrying about this problem that when I heard Him say, “Trust Me,” I said to myself, Trust You with that? I wondered if He was powerful enough to help me let go of that problem and give it to Him. But to the best of my ability, I did trust Him.

And do you know what happened? I began to think differently about that problem, and I actually began to get victory over it. What do I mean by “victory”? I stopped worrying about it! The habitual way I had been acting for years was being broken by my act of trusting Him. But I had to humble myself before the Lord. I had to ask Him to forgive me for not believing Him. Of course, I know there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:1). So when I confessed my lack of trust to Him, I was not condemned by Him. But in humbling myself, I received the power to begin trusting Him. And He took care of that situation wonderfully. Friend, that is powerful!

I don’t know if you have any habitual behaviors, like worrying, that you fall into every time something bad happens or someone says something negative to you. But if you do, I’m telling you, those habits can be broken — shattered — by humbling yourself before the Lord and taking that very thing you’ve been holding so tightly to and casting it upon Him.

Look at the Birds!

I want to share with you one of the greatest examples in the Bible of trusting the Lord and not worrying. It’s found in Matthew 6:25 and 26: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Oh, friend, this is an amazing example of trusting the Lord. First, how many of us are really looking at birds? When the Bible says to “look” at the birds, it means look at, consider, think about, and pay attention to the birds.

You might be thinking, What’s so powerful about looking at the birds? It is so easy to just read these verses and think, Oh, well, that’s nice. Look at the birds. But that’s not how Jesus sees it. He really wants us to look at the birds. Why? Because His great love and care for them are a great example for us — especially if we are worrying.

You may know someone who is so filled with joy that he or she isn’t weighed down with worry and care. But if you don’t know anyone like that as an example who you can look to, I recommend that you look at the birds!

You see, looking at the birds is like a visual lesson. Birds are a great example of how not to worry. They don’t “sow or reap, nor gather into barns” (see Matthew 6:26). They don’t even labor for their next meal.

Lately I’ve been thinking about these carefree birds. They perch themselves on tree limbs, electrical wires, roofs, and windowsills. They sleep so peacefully, completely at rest and secure in the fact that God is going to take care of them. There are no anxious birds — it’s amazing!

Jesus knows that you and I are tempted to worry, and He knows we may be tempted to be fearful and anxious as well. So He says, “I’ve got the answer for you. Look at the birds!” He is saying, “Dear children, here is an object lesson for you. I want you to look at the birds. They are not stressed out, and they are not full of fear, because I feed them and watch over them.”

God cares so much more for us than He cares for the birds. Jesus did not come to save the birds, but He gave His life and His blood, suffering a horrendous death on the Cross, because He loves and cares for us. How much more should we be at rest in His everlasting arms that we can trust to hold us and care for us? We can live just as carefree as those birds!

You might be saying, “Oh, Denise. That’s ridiculous. I’m a responsible person, so I need to worry.” But do you need to worry? Jesus doesn’t think you do! After He said, “Look at the birds,” (see Matthew 6:26), He went on to say, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (v. 27).

Worry Won’t Produce the Right Results

To put this in perspective, one cubit is about 18 inches. It was as if Jesus was saying, “Your worry is in vain. You can stand around all day and worry, wishing to be taller, but it’s not going to do you any good. You will be the same height at the end of the day as you were at the beginning of the day. You won’t get taller by worrying.”

Jesus wants us to be productive in life. He’s helping us tear away from things that steal from us — such as worry — and he’s redirecting us by telling us to look at the birds and at their example. We can rest in the Lord because we are in His loving, watchful care even more so than the birds.

Jesus continued, “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-30).

Jesus is the One who clothes the lilies of the field, which are only here “a day or two” compared to our life. And He said their clothing is more beautiful than that of kings! Once again, Jesus is asking us to trust Him for our every need. Since He feeds the birds of the air and clothes the flowers in the fields, how much more will He feed, clothe, and care for us, His own children?

Then in verse 31, Jesus says, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” If we are going to maintain our peace — especially in difficult times — we must take on the characteristics of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field: They simply do not worry. They trust their Creator for their every need.

Can you see the heart of God in these Scriptures? He is warning us to not be burdened with worry and anxiety and sleepless nights. He wants us to experience His perfect peace and to cast our cares on Him, and He will help us maintain peace and will care for us, even in the most difficult times.

I trust that these words from Matthew 6 have been an encouragement to you. They definitely encourage me! We know that this is how Jesus lived — without worry and care. Think about all the things He could have worried about, but He chose to look at the birds and note how God cared for them.

The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in all the ways you and I are tempted, so Jesus was absolutely tempted to worry. He was tempted in every way we are, yet He never gave in to temptation. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” And then in verse 16, He extends the most gracious invitation to us: “…Come boldly to the throne of grace, that we will obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

There is power offered to you at the throne of grace! The Lord will absolutely empower you and encourage you to cast your care on Him so He can help you and lift you up.

Thank you for spending this time with me! And if you need prayer, please be sure to let us know how we can pray for you. You can call us at 1.800.742.5593 or email prayer@deniserenner.org. I’d also like to invite you to join me on my program, TIME With Denise Renner. It now airs on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. CT on YouTube and Facebook — it’s a podcast as well on Spotify, Apple, and Google! And you also can find me Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT on GospelTruthTV, and Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. CT on PTL. We always have such a rich time in the Word of God, and I know you will too!

Friend, I want to encourage you to cast your cares on the Lord in this new year and let Him lift you up!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

Divine Surprises

February Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

I could hardly wait to write you this letter. Last month as I sat down to write you, I heard the Holy Spirit say, The year 2023 will be filled with divine surprises, divine provision, and divine revelation for those who will receive it, and I’m excited to share more insight with you about this word I received from God.

But first, I want to say how thankful I am for the overwhelming response to last month’s letter. I really believe God wants to do these amazing works in our lives in 2023, and hearing that my letter helped so many of my friends to set their faith for it is a great encouragement to me as I write to you today.

I also want to say thank you for your precious partnership with our ministry. You are making a difference in so many people’s lives, and together — you, us, and the Lord, all working together — we are seeing lives impacted by the Word of God. How I wish you could hear the phone calls or see the letters and emails we receive with testimonies from people who are being strengthened and changed because of what God is doing! Because you are a big part of it all, Denise and I always want to clearly communicate from the depths of our hearts how grateful we are to God for you!

In last month’s letter, I wrote to you about how the Holy Spirit will give you divine revelations for the things you desperately need to know. Today I want to talk to you about the various kinds of divine surprises that God wants to surprise you with in 2023. There are many kinds of divine surprises, so be sure you don’t limit God as to what He can surprisingly do for you. It’s time to throw open your heart so you can receive whatever kinds of surprises Jesus wants to give you this year.

But first, let’s look at the different kinds of surprises that took people by surprise and caught them off guard in the early New Testament — beginning with the ministry of Jesus and then other surprises we find in the book of Acts. As you read this letter, determine what category of divine surprises fits your need best, and then believe that God will surprise you too. Since Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Hebrews 13:8), it means that if He did it in the past, He’s still doing it now, and He’ll still be doing it in the future. Oh, how He would love to give you a divine surprise in 2023!

My friend, as you look at the following categories, I think you’ll be overjoyed to see that we are the sons and daughters of a God who delights in giving divine surprises!

Surprises of Divine Revelations

In Acts 10, we read about a surprising revelation that occurred one day when Peter went up onto a rooftop to pray while he waited for lunch. Suddenly, taking Peter completely off guard, he had a surprising revelation that he absolutely did not anticipate!

Acts 10:9 and 10 tell us:

On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance….

Notice the verse says that Peter “fell into a trance.” The Greek words for “fell into” describe an event that takes one completely off guard. In other words, Peter did not go to the rooftop intending to have this experience. He went there to wait for lunch and decided to pray while he waited — when, suddenly, he slipped into a trance, or surprisingly found himself in another dimension. It took him totally off guard, but as a result, he received a surprising revelation that he needed for his ministry!

Then in Revelation 1, we read John’s testimony about how he received the book of Revelation. Wow! This was another surprising revelation, and it totally took John off guard. Revelation 1:9,10 says:

I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day….

Notice in verse 10, John wrote, “I was in the Spirit….” The words “I was” are the same identical words used in Acts 10 to describe how Peter slipped into another realm. In the same way, John surprisingly found himself in another dimension. It took him totally off guard and by surprise, but as a result, He received a brand-new revelation of Christ, as well as the book of Revelation!

Just as God gave these surprise revelations to Peter and John, He wants to give you a surprise revelation and to show you Who He really is and answer your questions. He wants to take you off guard and into another realm where you’ll see and know Him better than ever before. It can happen to you in 2023!

Surprises of Divine Healing

In Mark 5, we read of a woman who’d had an issue of blood for 12 years, suffered many things at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all the money she had on medical expenses. But regardless of all the medical treatments she had received, she continued to get sicker and weaker. Then one day she heard about Jesus, and she decided to go see Him for herself — and that’s when she received a sudden surprise healing that she did not anticipate! It totally took her off guard!

Mark 5 tells us:

When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague…. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Mark 5:27-29,34

Notice the word “straightway” in verse 28. Wow…after waiting for 12 years to feel better, a surprise divine healing took place — and she immediately got well. I want you to know that just as God gave a surprise healing to this woman, He would love to surprise you with the healing manifestation you’ve been waiting for. You’ve believed and believed, and you’ve waited and waited. It can happen for you in 2023!

Surprises of Divine Deliverance

In Acts 12, we read about a surprise deliverance that occurred at the time Herod was persecuting the church in Jerusalem. Herod had already killed James, the brother of John, but when he saw that what he’d done to James really pleased the Jews, Herod decided to arrest Peter as well. But Peter miraculously escaped imprisonment because of a surprising deliverance he experienced that totally took him off guard.

Acts 12 tells us:

And when he [Herod] had apprehended him [Peter], he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter [Passover] to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.… And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision….

And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary…where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. 

Acts 12:4,5,7-9,11-16

These verses are full of divine surprises of deliverance. In verse 7, we see the word “behold,” which really means, WOW! This was such a shocking and surprising event, only the word “WOW” could describe it. Then in the same verse, it says the angel of the Lord “came upon” Peter. Those words “came upon” in Greek literally describe a surprising appearance that takes a spectator by surprise. Peter was so stunned by it all that He even thought he was dreaming. In verse 11, it says Peter finally “was come to himself” — or he realized this was really happening! Then in verses 12-15, we find this deliverance was such a WOW experience that the people praying even had a hard time believing it was really happening. That’s why in verse 16 it says they were “astonished.” That word “astonished” literally means they were out of their minds with astonishment!

What kind of situation are you in right now that naturally looks hopeless? Well, it couldn’t be more hopeless than the plight Peter was in, but that is when God gave him a surprise deliverance. What God did was so shocking that Peter thought he was dreaming. Since God did it for Peter, He’ll do it for you too. God wants to give you a surprise deliverance to set you free from whatever your problem is — a deliverance so mighty that you’ll think you are dreaming! It can happen to you in 2023!

Surprises of Divine Miracles

There are all kinds of miracles, but a huge one took place the night Jesus sent His disciples to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and told them He would meet them later. But they sailed right into a horrible storm. It seemed all was lost, but the surprising moment happened when they saw Jesus come walking toward them on the water. It so totally took them off guard that they screamed when they saw it happening! This really was a surprising miracle!

Matthew 14 tells us:

And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away…. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

Matthew 14:22,24-27

Do you feel like you or your family have sailed into a horrible storm that you don’t know how to get out of? Then this is a great moment for Jesus to come walking to you on the water to work a surprising miracle for you. You may think there is no escape from what you are facing, but Jesus specializes in doing surprising miracles in the middle of storms. Since God did it for the disciples, He is willing to do it for you too. In fact, God wants to give you a surprising miracle so great that it will make you want to shout and scream! It can happen to you in 2023!

Surprises of the Supernatural Presence of God

In Acts 2, we read about 120 believers who were gathered in the Upper Room in Jerusalem to pray. Then suddenly, the power of God rushed into that room, taking them totally off guard, and they experienced the surprising supernatural presence of God.

Acts 2:1-4 tells us:

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The word “suddenly” in verse 2 carries the idea of a sudden and surprising event that totally took all of them off guard. They had been praying for days and days, but they still didn’t know what God wanted them to do. But then — suddenly — they were visited with a surprise of the supernatural presence of God that was so great, it sounded like a mighty rushing wind that filled the whole house.

God is not a respecter of persons, which means that since God did it for them, then He is willing to do it for you too. If you’re hungry for the supernatural presence of God, He wants to give it to you on a surprising level this year. He’s just waiting for the moment to move and do it. It can happen to you in 2023!

Surprises of Divine Connections and Friendships

In Acts 18, Paul was coming from Athens to Corinth by himself, and he was discouraged. But at the same moment, a couple named Aquila and Priscilla were also coming from Rome to Corinth for the first time. As all three turned to walk the main road into Corinth, they “accidentally” — or divinely —encountered each other. They didn’t know it, but God was arranging a supernatural connection and friendship between the three that would last for many years.

Acts 18:1,2 tells us:

After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla….

In verse 1, the word “found” is used to describe what Paul felt when he divinely crossed the path of Aquila and Priscilla. That word “found” in Greek is where we get the word eureka! That means this was a eureka moment for all three of them. They would have never dreamed of meeting each other on that road, but God had orchestrated them to get there at the same time. He surprised them!

Then in Acts 19, we read about yet another surprising connection and friendship that must have taken the apostle Paul completely off guard. As unlikely as it was, God surprised Paul by bringing a pagan to help rescue Paul from a dangerous situation. Who would have ever imagined that God would use a pagan to help a preacher?

But Acts 19:29-31 tells us:

And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre. 

In verse 31, we see the words “the chief of Asia, which were his friends.” The words “chief of Asia” in Greek describe the Asiarch of Ephesus, who was the highest pagan priest in the cult of emperor worship. There were only 12 Asiarchs in all of Asia, and verse 31 says this pagan priest was Paul’s friend. What a surprise! At a moment when Paul was about to make a big mistake and charge into the theater, where he could have been severely hurt or even killed, God surprisingly used a pagan to deliver him!

So Acts 18 and 19 are loaded with surprises of divine connections and friendships that were totally unanticipated. Think about it: God surprisingly brought an apostolic team of three together, and then God gave Paul a surprising connection with a pagan who so befriended him that he was instrumental in helping Paul in a difficult moment. My friend, if God can bring a team together for Paul and use an unbeliever to help Paul in a hard moment, God can do this for you too. Are you believing Him for surprising divine connections and friendships that can make a big difference in some area of your life this year? It can happen to you in 2023!

I’m so thrilled to tell you that God wants to surprise you with all kinds of wonderful things in 2023. Open your heart right now, throw up your arms, and declare: “Father, I’m ready for some wonderful surprises! Please, surprise me with the manifestations of Your goodness this year!” I’m sure that if you seek Him, release your faith, and believe for this year to be a year of divine surprises for you, God will show up and show off in your life this year!

Denise and I and our prayer team would love to put our faith together with yours for the manifestation of God’s goodness in any area of your life where you feel it is especially needed. If you need a surprising move of God, I want to tell you that God is willing and ready to do the surprising for you. But please, reach out to us and let us know how we can pray with you!

And please pray for us, too, as we are also anticipating the wonderful goodness of God to enable us this year to do everything He has asked us to do. God is faithful! Let’s believe Him to show His goodness to all of us. And before I close, I want to thank you again for praying for us and for supporting this work with your precious gifts. Oh, how we appreciate you and thank God for you!

In my letter next month, I’m going to talk to you about the third blessing mentioned in this word from the Lord and its benefits if we will receive it — divine provision. I can hardly wait to write that letter to you!

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

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

Don’t Give Up!

January Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friend,

Welcome to January 2023! This month I am titling my teaching letter, “Don’t Give Up!” I want to bring you an encouraging word from the life of Elijah, who at one time definitely wanted to give up. I know that this year has only just started, but the word I’m going to share with you is so encouraging because it shows us that God has much more for us than we think He does.

In First Kings chapter 18, Elijah had an experience with the power of God in such great measure that it would have been absolutely overwhelming and exhausting to Elijah’s physical body — preparing and then calling down fire on his burnt offering, thrusting a sword through 450 false prophets, praying for a three-and-a-half-year drought to stop and for rain to come, and outrunning a chariot. Although he was anointed by God to do all these things, it’s difficult to even imagine the physical exhaustion that Elijah was likely experiencing at that time. And, on top of that, he then received a death threat from Jezebel that said by the next day, he would be dead just like the false prophets that he had killed (see 1 Kings 19:2). Suddenly, we find Elijah, this great man of God, exhausted, running for his life, sitting under a tree, and praying to God that he would die.

So why would my January teaching letter be on the subject of not giving up? Because you may be facing problems, trials, sickness, difficult relationships, or disappointments right now, and with that kind of pressure can come a temptation to quit.

Exactly what happened to Elijah? He became so exhausted, so discouraged, and so afraid that he wanted to quit. So what can we learn from him? Even though Elijah wanted to run and quit and die, God’s instructions, God’s Word, and God’s ways for him remained the same. God’s plans for Elijah were so much greater than Elijah was thinking.

Elijah wanted God to kill him. But not only did God not kill him, Elijah was used by God to anoint two more kings and to anoint Elisha as the prophet to replace him. After that, he was caught up — alive — in a chariot of fire with horses of fire. So not only did God not kill Elijah — Elijah never died!

You may be wondering why I am saying all this. I’m telling you this because with our limited thinking and with our own summation of things, we can be tempted to put a limit on our limitless God. We might take a look at our circumstances, think they are so bad, and then decide for ourselves how God should intervene. Or perhaps we do not believe that God can do anything about our situation, so we decide we need to take it into our own hands to try to remedy.

Some of us are tempted to quit or even run away from the situation we’re facing because of fear. But God is not calling us to quit or run away from a difficult assignment or circumstance. He is calling us to the exact place that He called Elijah — a place where we can stand in His presence and listen to what He is saying to us.

Have you ever been tempted to run away or quit because you could not see past the problem before you and thought that it must be a dead end? Elijah was tempted. Elijah thought his life was over. But God‘s compassion came, and He saved him. Elijah even ran away (see 1 Kings 19:3), but God met Elijah right where he was and spoke to him exactly what he needed to hear.

And that was in the Old Testament! The Spirit of God was upon Elijah, but did not live inside Elijah — but the power of God, the resurrection power of God, is inside us. Even if we are afraid or don’t understand the situation we find ourselves in, if we will acknowledge the power within us and say yes to the Lord, He will lead us to the next step — just like he did with Elijah. God wants to show us so much more than anything we can imagine.

Friend, maybe you’re discouraged right now and tempted to give up. Don’t give up! Don’t run from the assignment that He’s given you or the situation you are in. He has so much more waiting for you on the other side of your faith. Yes, your problem is a real place, but a miracle is also a real place. And the space in between the problem and the miracle is a real place — it’s the place of faith. Don’t give up in this place. When Elijah was ready to give up, he could not have imagined that not only was God not going to kill him, but that he would not even experience physical death. His miracle came after he stood before God and listened in faith.

What about the woman with the issue of blood (see Mark 5:25-34)? She could have just given up and said, “I’ve had this disease for 12 years, and I have already spent all my money and I have not gotten any better but only worse. I’m going to give up. Everyone will understand if I just give up and die.” No, she didn’t give up. She heard about Jesus and believed if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed. It was her place of faith — and her place of faith was as real as her sickness. In fact, it was more real!

We don’t know how many times she told herself, Yes! If I can just touch the hem of His garment, I will be healed. We don’t know how difficult it was for her to leave her house as an unclean person who could have been stoned to death for doing so, especially after crawling through that crowd to get to Jesus. But it was her place of faith that led to her miracle.

That may be where you are right now. Do you believe in the miracle-working power of God? He is the same today as He was yesterday and as He will be forever, and He will meet you in your place of faith.

Don’t give up. Don’t stop believing that God is your answer. Don’t run from this place of faith. He has so much more waiting for you on the other side of your faith.

I would like to pray for you. Father, You know my friend intimately — every question, every problem, and every heartache. And you see how this person is pushing through to believe you and to not quit. Father, thank You for the power of the Holy Spirit that is inside my friend. And He is absolutely the Greater One on the inside — greater than any pressure that’s in this world. Father, You promised you would never leave nor forsake this person. And together with my friend, we say, “Help us, Holy Spirit, to continue to believe and to continue to push through all the obstacles that surround us.” I thank You for Your strengthening and emboldening power that belongs to this person through the power of the Holy Spirit — resurrection power — that’s living inside of my friend. I pray this in the all-powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

Thank you for spending this time with me, and if you need prayer, please let us know how we can pray for you. You can call us at 1.800.742.5593 or email us at prayer@deniserenner.org. Many have left comments or reached out to ask for prayer, and I appreciate every response so very much.

I’d also like to invite you to join me on my program, TIME With Denise Renner, Mondays at 7:00 a.m. CT on YouTube and Facebook! You can also find me Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT on GospelTruthTV.  We always have such an encouraging time in the Word, and I want you to be encouraged too! Friend, we are together in this race — this fight of faith. And the Bible calls it a good fight. Let’s keep moving forward in this new year ahead of us.

Moving forward together,

Denise Renner

Divine Revelation

January Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year!

Just as I was getting ready to write you this letter, suddenly I heard the Holy Spirit speak to my heart about what to expect in the year 2023. I heard the Holy Spirit tell me, The year 2023 will be filled with divine surprises, divine provision, and divine revelation for those who will receive it.

So…in response to what I heard from the Lord just minutes ago, I want to speak to you today about the divine surprises, divine provision, and divine revelation that God wants to impart to our lives in 2023, but in this letter, I will especially focus on the various types of divine revelation that God wants to give you this year. However, before I plunge into this wonderful subject, I first want to say thank you!

THANK YOU for all the ways you stood by our ministry in 2022. I truly believe God has graced our ministry with some of the most wonderful ministry partners in the world, and Denise and I want you to know how much we appreciate you and love you.

• Due to the grace of God — coupled with your precious giving to our ministry — we were able to press forward in taking the Word of God to more people than ever before.
• We were enabled to provide tons and tons of relief to displaced people in our part of the world.
• We were able to stay on schedule with the building of our new TV studio in Moscow.
• We were able to move into our new building in the Tulsa area, from which we are touching people all over the world and receiving calls and letters from thousands of people who regularly reach out to us for help and prayer.
• But most important, we were able to continue sending “teaching you can trust” to the farthest ends of the earth — that is, to spiritually famished people who are crying out for answers from God’s Word.

For your part in this, Denise and I, our family, and our ministry team say THANK YOU!

As we move forward into this wonderful new year, we want you to really understand that your partnership with our ministry is vital for us to fulfill the assignment Jesus has entrusted to us. So again, thank you for all you have done, and thank you for all you will do. You are truly a God-called partner, and we are so thankful for you.

I also want to let you know that I’ve just released my new book Apostles and Prophets! This insightful and timely book is filled with vital information that is needed for the Church today — especially in these last days. Please be sure to take a look at the enclosed flyer for more details on how you can purchase Apostles and Prophets for your personal library.

Now let me get to what is on my heart to share with you today.

The Holy Spirit just spoke to me and said that He would give divine surprises, divine provision, and divine revelation to those who will receive it in 2023, so I want to encourage you to throw open your heart to receive what God wants to give TO YOU in this new year!

1. Could you use a few divine surprises this year to bring more joy into your life?
2. Could you use divine provision so you can financially do what you need to do?
3. Could you use divine revelation to help provide the answers that you’ve been seeking?

Well, today I want to focus on that third point — divine revelation — and then next month, I’ll be writing to you about divine surprises and how to access them by faith!

In First Corinthians 2:9, Paul described the frustration that so many people feel when they can’t seem to see or comprehend what they really need to know. And then in verses 10 and 12, he went on to give us God’s miraculous answer to this dilemma. In these verses, Paul said: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God…Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”

The dilemma is defined in verse 9 where Paul wrote, “…Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” According to this verse, man by himself simply does not have the ability to see, hear, or comprehend the things that God has prepared for him.

But in verse 10, Paul went on to say that God sent the Holy Spirit to enable us to see and to know all those things that we once found so difficult to see and know. This means the Holy Spirit has all the answers, and the Holy Spirit is the major key in how we receive divine revelation!

First Corinthians 2:10 specifically says, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”

So what has the Holy Spirit come to reveal to us? Everything that we once couldn’t see, hear, or know. What once seemed to be unknowable mysteries should no longer be concealed to us, because verse 10 says that “God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.”

The word “revealed” is the Greek word apokalupto, and it is a compound of the preposition apo and the word kalupto. The preposition apo means away, as in to remove something, while the word kalupto describes a covering or veil that obstructs one’s view.

Let’s use the example of curtains on a window to make the point.

When curtains are drawn shut, it isn’t possible to see through the window and enjoy what’s waiting for you on the other side. On the other side of the curtains is something wonderful for you to see, but because the curtains are blocking your view, you can’t see or enjoy it. However, if someone pulls the curtains apart, then you’ll suddenly be able to see what has been there all along. You’ll instantly see it — and instantly seeing it is what the Bible calls a revelation.

There are many things God wants to reveal to you, but you’ve been unable to see them on your own. The Holy Spirit comes on the scene to supernaturally pull your mental curtains apart — to remove whatever has obstructed your view. And when He does that, you will suddenly and clearly see what you couldn’t see before. In that moment, you will have a divine revelation!

Paul continued in verse 10, saying, “…the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” The word “searcheth” is a translation of the Greek word ereuna, which depicts a deep and scholarly investigation. This tells us that when the Holy Spirit comes to reveal things to us, He begins by doing His homework. He digs deep to find all the answers that we are seeking.

This verse says that the Holy Spirit searches the “deep things.” The Greek words used here describe the deepest depths of the sea. The usage of these particular words means that when the Holy Spirit begins His investigative work to find the answers your heart is crying out to know, His searching is not superficial, but rather, He dives to the depths to find exactly what you need to know. When He has gathered all those needed answers, that’s when the Holy Spirit begins to pull the curtains apart and out of the way so that He can reveal to you the answers you need!

Verse 12 emphatically states that the Holy Spirit is sent by God to remove our blinders so we can see and know what we need to see and know! It says, “Now we have received…the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

The word “know” in the original Greek means to know, or even better, it means to know like an expert. This means that after the Holy Spirit has plunged to the depths to find the answers you need to know, He begins the process of pulling the curtains out of the way so you can clearly see the answer — and the answer He gives you will not be blurry. You’ll discover that what He reveals to you is so complete that you’ll see and know the answers like an expert!

So if you’ve been frustrated because you don’t have the answers you need about…

• Your family
• Your marriage
• Your brothers and sisters
• Your friendships
• Your church
• Your job or profession
• Your health
• Your money
• Your bills
• Your investments
• Or anything else

…Then it’s time for you to invite the greatest private detective and investigator in the world to go to work for you. Yes, I’m talking about the Holy Spirit. After He does His work, you’ll discover the answers you need. The answers, that for whatever reason you’ve been unable to see up to this point, will suddenly come into view.

If you’ll invite the Holy Spirit to help, after He obtains all the answers you are seeking, He’ll then begin removing all your mental limitations so you can finally SEE and KNOW what you need to see and know. The Holy Spirit will pull the curtains apart — and when He does, in an instant, you’ll have a divine revelation that clears everything up for you!

First Corinthians 2:12 clearly states that the Holy Spirit has been sent “…that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” That means God has it all ready and waiting for you. Now you need to ask the Holy Spirit to do His revelatory work so you can see it and receive it!

That, my friend, is a big part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry to you!

Next month, I will pick up right here with the word the Holy Spirit gave me for you concerning 2023 — and I’ll be writing to you about the different kinds of divine surprises that God wants to surprise you with this year.

But for now, I want to remind you that we are here to pray with you for anything that is on your heart. If you want us to agree with you for a divine revelation, for divine provision, or for God’s power to show up in any area where you are concerned, just contact us to let us know how we can pray for you. Based on the promise of Jeremiah 33:3, we will call out to God in faith, believing He will hear us, He will answer us, and He will show you great and mighty things. So please reach out to us, and we’ll pray in faith with a full expectation for mighty things to take place for you!

I can hardly wait to write to you again next month. But until then, please also pray for us. We thank you for your faithful partnership in the Lord and in the work of this ministry!

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