Divine Provision

March Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

I 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 Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

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,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

I 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 Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

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,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

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!

Could you use a few divine surprises this year to bring more joy into your life?
Could you use divine provision so you can financially do what you need to do?
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

The Secret to Joy

December Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas as you reflect on the biggest miracle that has ever happened on earth — God coming to the earth in the form of human flesh and giving His life for us. I pray you enjoy your family and friends to the fullest during this beautiful season.

I also want to say how thankful I am for every email message and phone call that I am receiving. I am hearing from people who are experiencing miracles, and I want to share one of those testimonies with you before I begin my letter.

One gentleman wrote to us and said that he had been having great problems with his leg, and it had even become very difficult for him to walk. As he listened to my program, he heard me give a word of knowledge that the Lord was healing someone’s leg. This man said to himself, I’m going to take that. He woke up the next morning without any pain in his leg and decided he was going to run a few miles. After he finished his run, he said, “Thank You, Jesus! My leg is completely healed!”

Isn’t that magnificent! Jesus is the same miracle worker today as He was 2,000 years ago. I love to see when people are set free from suffering because they experience Jesus the Miracle Worker personally. The Father loves us so much, and He put all that pain and suffering on Jesus so we could be free from it and healed in our bodies.

That testimony was such great news, and I wanted to share it with you because Jesus is YOUR Miracle Worker too!

This month God put it on my heart to share with you something powerful that we can do to help us through difficult times. As I studied, I opened the Word of God to Philippians because the apostle Paul knew a thing or two about difficult times. In verse 7 of the first chapter, he wrote the words “in my chains.” And in verses 13, 14, and 16, he repeated the words “my chains.” It’s obvious that the apostle Paul was bound in chains — and not just in chains, but he was a prisoner in a horrible prison in Rome.

Scholars believe that one of the reasons this prison was so horrible was, it was a place where sewage was collected. Just imagine: The apostle Paul was in this prison, chained up and standing in sewage, when he wrote his encouraging letter to the Philippian church — what we now know as the book of Philippians. This is an incredible example to us of the magnificent power of God working inside Paul, and this same power is available to us today.

From this first chapter of Philippians, you can see that the apostle Paul was absolutely in a very difficult place. So how did he get through this difficult time? How was he able to use the word “joy” or a form of the word “rejoice” 19 times in these four short chapters while he was chained up in this horrible prison? The answer to these questions is found in Paul’s own letter, and I believe it will be very valuable for all of us.

Philippians 1:3 says, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” Even in this horrible prison, the apostle Paul was thankful! I know that’s amazing, but it is the truth. Then in Philippians 2, Paul went on to explain, encourage, and exhort the believers in the Philippian church. He said, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14,15).

We all need to understand that we cannot complain and be thankful at the same time. The apostle Paul was chained up in one of the most horrible prisons of his time, yet he was telling his fellow believers not to complain. “Complaining” goes further than just the words coming out of our mouth. The admonition in this verse is referring to what’s going on in our heart.

Complaining is murmuring, and murmuring is an expression of dissatisfaction; it’s grumbling and griping, even if in a low voice. One biblical commentator said it is the kind of grumbling that promotes ill-will instead of harmony and goodwill. It is inward disputing, discussing, and skeptical questioning or criticizing, and it refers to an intellectual rebellion against God. Just reading that makes me want to repent and turn from any dissatisfaction and grumbling I might find in myself!

But look again at Philippians 2:15: “That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” One Greek commentator said this word “blameless” means unblamed, unmixed, unadulterated, pure, and sincere. The word was used to describe a pure wine or a pure, unalloyed metal.

Many years ago, I had a ring that I loved very much. But in the cold winter months, it would break and come apart. I loved that ring so much that I kept getting it fixed. Finally, the jeweler said to me, “Denise, this gold has so much alloy in it — it has so many impurities in it — that’s why it keeps falling apart.”

Similarly, if we constantly have grumbling and complaining going on inside us, it produces something impure. And these impurities have the power to defile the soul, and it shows up in the intents of our heart. We can’t have this mix of impure things — grumbling, complaining, and disputing — going on in our heart, because instead of our being blameless or harmless in this troubled world, if we’re griping and complaining, we can become harmful.

But when our heart is pure and free of grumbling and complaining, we are blameless and harmless, and something magnificent happens — we shine as lights in this dark world. We’re able to give off light — the light of our Savior within us — and to be a fresh burst of light to this dark world.

As I was studying this, my mind naturally went to thoughts of Jesus, who was and is perfect — so that means Jesus never complained or murmured. Naturally speaking, He had so much He could have complained about. He could have complained about the disciples and how unbelieving they were. He could have complained about the Roman government’s mistreatment of the Jewish people. He could have murmured and complained about the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who ridiculed, criticized, and condemned Him. He could have perhaps even complained and murmured out of weariness, because He was pouring out Himself and ministering to people continually.

But Jesus never complained. Jesus never murmured. He gave thanks. Friend, He is our Example! Then Jesus placed Himself inside us by His Spirit in the new birth — so we can continually give thanks too.

In Second Corinthians 13:5, the apostle Paul asked the church (and he’s asking us today), “…Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?”

Jesus Christ is in us! We can’t justify saying, “But you don’t know my circumstances. It’s too hard. I can’t stop complaining. I can’t stop murmuring.”

Oh yes, we can because the power of the Holy Spirit lives inside us. Jesus has given us the power to be thankful and to not complain. Because He lives in us, we can say, “No, Lord, I’m not going to murmur, and I’m not going to complain. I’m going to give You thanks!”

I want to close with a final verse: “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Giving thanks to God was a huge help to the apostle Paul that enabled him to endure in that difficult place. Even though he could have complained and murmured in that horrible prison, he chose to give thanks. And as a result, he gave light to all those around him. And that is what God has called you and me to do. He has called us to be harmless and blameless and to shine brightly in this world.

Thank you so much for spending time with me, and please let me know how we can pray for you. You can call us at 1.800.742.5593 or email us at prayer@deniserenner.org. And please join me on my weekly 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.

Let’s continue to be thankful as we are moving forward together, and let’s continue to be harmless and blameless as we bring goodwill and the light of Jesus Christ to others.

Have a very blessed Christmas!

Denise Renner

The Miraculous Birth of Jesus

December Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Before I get into my teaching today, I want to thank you for signing up to receive your first teaching letter from me. Welcome! I’m so glad you decided to join our family of deeper readers. I spend hours writing these letters each month, sharing my heart and the insights gleaned from my studies in God’s Word. I pray that this letter, and every letter I write in the future, truly ministers to your heart and strengthens your walk with God.

I am so excited about what I am going to share with you this month about the miraculous birth of Jesus! The Christmas season is such a marvelous time of the year for so many because it’s a miraculous time of the year when we especially celebrate Christ coming to the earth and God’s magnificent plan of redemption. His plan was to manifest “peace on earth, good will toward men” through the promise of His Son (see Luke 2:14). And every person on the planet can be a recipient of God’s favor by embracing Jesus as Savior and Lord. Friend, that is Good News!

But before I get into the teaching, I want to thankfully acknowledge that with all the challenges we have all faced in various parts of our lives this year, Jesus has proven again that He is Lord and is victorious over everything! Praise God that He leads us to victory!

This year, you have been so amazing in your support of our ministry, and we are so thankful for your role in what God has called us to do. It’s not just Denise and me, our family, and our team — you are a major part of this Gospel team that God is using to impact the world. We are so thankful for you!

Often at the end of a calendar year, people wish to give a special gift to organizations they really believe in. This has been an amazing year for RENNER Ministries, as we’ve taken the Gospel further than we ever have before. If you would pray about giving a special gift to our ministry before the year is over, it would help us gain even greater territory for the Kingdom of God. Eternity is before us, and what each of us does makes a difference for the souls we are reaching. I promise you that we will carefully use what you give to maximize its ability to reach people. What a joy that we can do this together!

But right now, I want to talk to you about the miraculous birth of Jesus!

Did you know that the bulk of what we know about Jesus’ birth comes directly from Jesus’ mother? Before Luke wrote about the birth of Jesus, he interviewed Mary, and it was Mary who vividly told Luke about all the miraculous events that he then wrote about in the gospel of Luke. Mary’s memory of these amazing events is referred to in Luke 2:19 where the Bible says, “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”

The word “kept” in the original Greek means to keep within oneself in order to closely guard or accurately and carefully preserve, and the word “ponder” means to lay in order, like a person who carefully and meticulously chronicles a story. Mary was so impacted by this amazing sequence of events in her life and in the life of Jesus that she chronicled all of it in her heart and carefully preserved her memories of it all.

It is amazing to me that if Mary had not kept a record of all these events in her heart and mind, we would not know about them today. But because she so valued what she had seen God do in her life and in the life of Jesus, she was able to tell the gospel writers the entire account in vivid detail. As I think about this, it makes me want to ask — have you preserved your memories of what God has done in your life so vividly that you could share them with someone else? Have you been careful to remember the works of the Lord in your life? Or have you forgotten what God has done, or let those things slip because so much time has passed? If you’ve let those workings of God slip in your life, it’s not too late to pause and take stock of those things again, pondering them deeply and preserving them in your memory like Mary did.

Mary’s remembrance of the miraculous events in her life was so clear that she vividly related all the following occurrences to Luke in perfect order:

The miraculous happenings that occurred with Zacharias and Elizabeth and the birth of John the Baptist (see Luke 1:5-25).
She was a virgin who had never sexually known a man (see Luke 1:27).
The angel Gabriel appeared to her to make the annunciation (see Luke 1:26-38).
She was supernaturally impregnated by the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:34,35).
Elizabeth’s baby (John the Baptist) leaped in her womb at the sound of Mary’s voice (see Luke 1:41).
Elizabeth prophetically confirmed what the angel Gabriel had privately told Mary and then prophesied to Mary about Christ in her womb (see Luke 1:42-45).
Mary supernaturally sang a prophetic song of praise (see Luke 1:46-55).
When John the Baptist was born, Zechariah’s tongue was supernaturally loosed and he prophesied that John the Baptist would prepare the way of the Lord (see Luke 1:57-79).
An unexpected worldwide census took place that required Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem so Christ would be born there “on time” as prophesied (see Luke 2:1-6).
When Jesus was miraculously born, Mary wrapped him in “swaddling clothes” and “laid him in a manger” (see Luke 2:7).
Shepherds came to see the Baby because a heavenly host of angels announced to them that Jesus had been born (see Luke 2:8-18).
Simeon and Anna prophetically spoke over Jesus at His dedication in the Temple (see Luke 2:25-38).
They returned to Nazareth as a family of three: Joseph, Mary, and Jesus (see Luke 2:39).

When we come to Matthew’s earlier account of these miraculous events, we find that he included additional information that Luke did not write about in his gospel. Just as Mary shared details of her life with Luke, she told Matthew about many events that she preserved in her heart and mind so vividly — adding significant events that occurred after the holy family returned to Nazareth.

For example, Matthew learned from Mary that:

Mary was found with child during her espousal period with Joseph (see Matthew 1:18).
The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him to take Mary to be his wife even though she was pregnant (see Matthew 1:19,20).
The angel of the Lord gave Joseph the name “Jesus” for the child (see Matthew 1:21).
The angel confirmed to Joseph that Mary was indeed a virgin impregnated by the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 1:22,23).
The Magi came to Jerusalem to search for Christ (see Matthew 2:1).
The Magi announced a star in the East had supernaturally declared the birth of Christ (see Matthew 2:2).
The city of Jerusalem was very upset about the arrival of the Magi (see Matthew 2:3).
Herod had interrogated the Scribes in Jerusalem and demanded they identify the exact location where the Messiah would be born (see Matthew 2:4-6).
Herod had diabolical plans to murder the Christ-Child (see Matthew 2:7,8).
The Magi were supernaturally redirected by the Star to Nazareth (see Matthew 1:9,10).
The Magi entered the house where the holy family lived and fell on their knees and faces to worship Jesus (see Matthew 2:11).
The Magi gave a grand presentation of treasures and gifts that they had brought to Jesus (see Matthew 2:11).
The Magi were supernaturally warned by God in a dream to return home a different way (see Matthew 2:12).
The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to immediately flee with Mary and Jesus into Egypt (see Matthew 2:13).
Herod slaughtered babies in Bethlehem (see Matthew 2:16-18).
Herod died a tragic death (see Matthew 2:19).
After Herod’s death, God instructed Joseph in a dream to take Mary and Jesus and return from Egypt to Galilee (see Matthew 2:19,20).
The holy family returned and lived in Nazareth (see Matthew 2:22,23).

All of this makes me want to ask you:
If such a long list of miraculous events happened to you or your family, don’t you think that you would never forget them? Luke 2:19 says, “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”As we have already seen, the original words in Luke 2:19 mean that Mary intentionally kept a precise and correct record of it all in her heart. And because she did, she was able to communicate every piece of the story with Matthew and Luke so they could write it all down and eventually recount it to others — including you and me! What if Mary had let it all slip over time and forgot about it? We know all the details of this miraculous story because Mary never forgot.
Likewise, you should never forget all the marvelous things you have witnessed God do in your own life. Do you keep a clear memory of all the miraculous things God has done for you so you can share them with your family and friends? Why not take some time to carefully recall those blessings so you can hold them in your memory and communicate them to others who really need to hear them.As we are coming to the close of 2022, it would be good for you to reflect on all God has done in your life over the past 12 months. Then, as Mary did, you need to share with others the wonderful things He has done. Let’s all follow the tradition of Mary and share with those around us what Jesus has done for us this year!I’ve written about all this and so much more in my new book Christmas — The Rest of the Story. Please pray with me that this book will take readers on a vivid journey through the many facets of the miraculous events surrounding Christ’s birth. I want readers to say “WOW!” as they read this new, fully illustrated book! By the way, if you haven’t ordered your copy yet, you can order it by calling our office or by going online to renner.org.

As I close my letter today, I want to wish you a wonderful Christmas season and encourage you to take time to reach out to someone who is in need or who is feeling lonely. There is always someone who needs the love of God — and you could be that someone to reach out to that person during this season! And never forget that we are here for you, and you can reach out to us any time you need prayer. Praying for you is a top priority in our ministry. If you’ll simply call us or send us an email or letter, the moment you let us know how we can pray for you, we’ll begin to pray in Jesus’ name!

Denise and I and our team wish you a Merry Christmas and a very blessed new year!

And please…pray for us as we press forward to do what God has called our ministry to do.

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

Resisting the Enemy

November Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Today I want to speak to you about resisting the enemy’s attacks in your life.

But first, I want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving and to THANK YOU for being such a faithful friend and partner with this ministry! Proverbs 10:21 says, “The lips of the righteous feed many….” That verse describes God’s call to our ministry to feed many people the Word of God. Denise and I and our family and team can each do our part, but our partners’ regular giving is what enables us to take this message to people everywhere. We are giving our all to obey God, and the part you do is so vital in His great plan. That is why I want to say thank you to you before anything else today! We all have so much to be grateful for, and there is no better time than now to express again how thankful Denise and I are for you.

I also want you to know that my new book Christmas — The Rest of the Story is now available for purchase in our online store! From cover to cover, you’ll find full-color, original hand-drawn illustrations decorating every page. Packed with biblical truth and history, this book tells the story of our Savior’s birth and His purpose for coming in a way you’ve probably never heard before! I believe that as you gather with your family or friends this year, you will want this book within arm’s reach so you can share all the treasures that are in it. To order your copy today, go to renner.org.

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

As you grow in your spiritual walk, you need to know that attacks on your life may begin to escalate. But the good news is that your new growth and your knowledge of God’s Word will help you come through each attack as the victor!

It is certain that the devil doesn’t want you to grow because spiritual growth in your life equals real trouble for him and his dark kingdom. He would much prefer that you remain infantile in your spiritual life so that you do him no serious damage. Satan is well-aware that your growth in the knowledge of God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit poses a grave threat to his domain. He will, therefore, attempt to make a preemptive strike against you to slow down your growth. Do not be surprised by such preemptive strikes in your life!

Paul said, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man…” (1 Corinthians 10:13). In regard to these attacks from the devil, Peter also said, “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1 Peter 5:9).

In the midst of a spiritual assault that you’re experiencing, the devil may try to coax your flesh and emotions into believing that no one has ever been attacked like you’re being attacked. He may whisper to your mind that no one else has ever gone through the difficulties that you are going through right now. But you need to realize that this is a trick to make you fix your eyes on the problem and to overmagnify it.

It is vital for you to know that as you grow and your understanding of God’s Word begins to increase, you will probably have many opportunities to use your faith and to resist the devil. I can’t begin to count the times someone has told me, “I didn’t have any health problems until I got the revelation that Jesus bore all my sicknesses! After I started believing and confessing that healing was in the Atonement, it seemed like I was hit with all kinds of sicknesses!”

Others have said, “I had no financial woes until I believed what the Word of God has to say about tithes and offerings. Everything was fine financially until I started acting on the Word of God. Then when I began to give tithes and offerings to the Lord, everything seemed to fall to pieces!”

These attacks are attempts of the devil to drive you back from your land of promise. You see, he doesn’t want you to obey God’s Word and experience God’s blessings. This is exactly why the writer of Hebrews told his readers, “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions” (Hebrews 10:32).

You need to know that a fight nearly always follows illumination. When you have received revelation concerning some area of the Word of God, the enemy comes almost immediately to attack, trying to steal the Word you have just embraced. Satan wants to make you doubt that Word so that you’re unable to confidently stand on it by faith.

That’s why it’s so important for you to realize that:

An attack against your finances is not unique.
An assault against your body is not unusual.
A strike against your church is not an oddity.

This is simply how the enemy works.

Satan comes to challenge you when you are gaining new ground. He waits until growth has begun; then he strikes with unrelenting force to shove you back into spiritual despair. He wants you to retreat and back off from the frontlines of battle!

By knowing ahead of time how the enemy works, you will be mentally prepared to deal with such challenges. Your knowledge of how and when Satan attacks will equip you to deal with these assaults more intelligently.

In regard to these times of spiritual assault, James said, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2). Notice that James doesn’t say to count it all joy if you fall into diverse temptations. He says when. The word “when” implies that these attacks will come. The Greek tense used here suggests that:

These attacks normally come when you least expect them.
They usually come from a direction you would have never dreamed in a million years.
They are specifically designed to catch you off guard and take you by surprise.

From time to time, everyone comes under some type of assault. Regardless of whether the enemy’s attack originates in the natural realm or the spirit realm, the important thing for you to know is how to respond when such an attack commences against you.

God doesn’t warn us of this in order to inspire fear in us. He forewarns us of this reality so that when attacks do come, we will not be shocked and taken off guard and, thus, thrown into a state of confusion and discouragement. We are to anticipate such attacks.

The devil does not want you to make spiritual progress, and he will try to stop you dead in your tracks! If nothing else, the presence of these attacks prove that you are making headway in your spiritual life and are becoming a threat to the security of the kingdom of darkness. Otherwise, these unseen enemies would leave you alone.

But if you are mentally prepared and alert to the way the enemy operates and to the potential of an attack, you have already eliminated half the battle. Mental preparation is a major key for dealing with potential attacks. If we are mentally alert to this possibility, and if we understand that these attacks occur when we are becoming more illuminated concerning the Word and our place in Christ, we will be better positioned to guard against and overcome these assaults.

If you’re experiencing some kind of attack in any area of your life, it’s time for you to rejoice that the devil is threatened by the progress you are making — and it’s time for you to use your faith to drive him out of that area of your life. You have all the authority you need to push the devil out of the picture — so use that authority and start pushing in Jesus’ name! That is what I had on my heart to share with you today!

If you need someone to help you pray and push an attack out of your life, reach out to us by phone, by email, or by letter. I assure you that we know how to pray and how to use the authority of Jesus’ name, and we will agree in faith that God’s power will drive the enemy out of your territory! But please…let us know how we can be praying for you. And always remember, we are so thankful to God for your partnership with our ministry. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of many people around the world.

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

We Can Count It All Joy

November Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

First of all, I want to say thank you for all the comments, responses, and prayer requests. I hear from many people every day, and I am so thankful to be able to receive such heartfelt communication from you.

The Bible says in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” The clue in this verse to having this overcoming, virtuous power is found in the words “in Me.” He says, “…In Me you may have peace….” You may be asking yourself right now, How can I find peace with so much trouble around me? This has been my question lately, and I believe I found an answer to this question in the first chapter of James.

James was the half-brother of Jesus and the leader of the church at Jerusalem. His congregation was suffering, and he was trying to help and encourage them. As their pastor, James wrote to them and addressed their problems — and he began doing that right at the beginning of his letter.

James started the second verse of his letter with the words, “My brethren.” By using the words my brethren, he was saying that he understood what they were going through and that the same things had happened to him. He continued, “…Count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2).

Can’t you hear his congregation thinking to themselves, How can we get joy from trials? This is a very good question. But James knew something they didn’t know — or something they had forgotten. Verse 3 begins with the word “knowing.” In other words, there was something that they were supposed to know — and it is something that we are supposed to know too.

Again, you can imagine what this congregation was thinking as they read this letter: What are we supposed to know? All we know and all we can say is that we’re experiencing overwhelming problems that are trying to overtake us. But James, being confident and steady, said, “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:3).

I once thought — and maybe you have thought this also — that this “testing” James mentioned was from God. But, no, this testing was not from God. This kind of testing is from the fallen world, but it should always meet up with our faith and our knowledge of the truth.

A big weapon you have against the pressure of a test that’s exerting its power to try to crush you is the mighty power of joy inside you! When you choose joy in the midst of a test or trial, you learn something: You learn that the very thing that is trying to break you can be overcome by rejoicing because God is going to help you through it, and you’ll also learn that you will come out stronger and more powerful than when you first went into that test or trial.

I’m going to show you that when you go through a test God’s way, that test will produce some really powerful things in you that will help you overcome future tests and trials. One of these powerful things is supernatural joy, because supernatural joy generates “hang-in-there” power. That means when the storms of life come, you will not be knocked over by the winds and the waves because the patience and hang-in-there power that have developed in you will hold you steady and embolden you against the storm so that you can keep standing. You will be like a palm tree that stays rooted in the midst of horrific hurricane winds of 100 mph or higher. You will just be standing there, holding your ground and declaring to the storm, “I will not be moved!” What is that power that is in you? It is the Greater One standing with you against the storm or trial!

Dear friend, that’s why we can count it all joy. We may not like the trial, but joy will destroy the gripping power of doubt, fear, depression, self-pity, and the desire to give up. And as a result, that great hang-in-there power will cause us to be better and stronger believers.

James 1:4 reminds us that if we will let patience finish its work, we will “be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Now that’s power! But this overcoming power doesn’t mean that everything will always go our way and that we’ll get to bypass difficulties. That would be nice, but life is not like that. The real power is that, by faith, we can count it all joy and watch God change us into powerful, patient, loving, stable, confident, and more forgiving believers. That is why we can count it all joy!

You might be facing some kind of difficulty right now that has the power to knock you down. But the hang-in-there power of the Holy Ghost that is working on the inside of you — that power of the Holy Spirit residing in you — is a conquering power and is greater than any opposing force. Let me say it like this: When we count it all joy, we are turning on the switch to receive the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit to not give up. The Third Person of the Godhead is taking hold of that problem with us and bringing it into subjection to the joy that He has produced in us. Oh, glory to Jesus! What a Savior we have to help us through life’s tests, trials, and storms!

If you don’t have my new book, Unstoppable, I want to encourage you to get it. You’ll be able to read about others who have pushed through seemingly overwhelming odds but didn’t give up, and they received their reward from God.

Thank you so much for spending time with me, and please let me know how we can pray for you. You can call us at 1.800.742.5593 or email us at prayer@deniserenner.org. Our power-packed prayer team is waiting to hear from you!

And please join me on my weekly program, TIME With Denise Renner, Mondays at 7:00 a.m. CT on YouTube and Facebook! You can also find me on Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT on GospelTruthTV. We have such a wonderful time diving into the Word of God, and I would love for you to jump in with us!

Rick and I and our entire family and ministry team pray for you continually, and we bless you in Jesus’ mighty name! Remember — whatever the season or whatever the storm — embrace the power of the Holy Spirit to count it all joy!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner