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Body – Bold If you are not already a part, I’m asking you to please pray about becoming a member of this giving team.

Body – If you are not already a part, I’m asking you to please pray about becoming a member of this giving team to finish Phase 3, which entails completing the last touches of the interior of the Moscow TV studio and paying off in full our Tulsa ministry building.

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Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed….

-James 5:16

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Body – Bold If you are not already a part, I’m asking you to please pray about becoming a member of this giving team.

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Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed….

-James 5:16

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Body – Bold If you are not already a part, I’m asking you to please pray about becoming a member of this giving team.

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Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed….

-James 5:16

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Body – Bold If you are not already a part, I’m asking you to please pray about becoming a member of this giving team.

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Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed….

-James 5:16

The Power of the Anointing

April Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

I want to ask you a question. Has fear been trying to knock at the door of your heart or your mind or your emotions? In this world that we’re living in today, we could be afraid of anything. We can be afraid of this disease or that problem or these relational difficulties or those things going on in this country or that country, and that fear is just mounting up like a river that’s about to swell over its banks.

I want to say right now, if you are struggling with fear, there’s no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Hebrews 4:15 says that He was tempted in all ways as we are. Of course, He did not sin, but He understands and empathizes and sympathizes with us when we are tempted to fear. Fear comes to all of us, so we need to have some tools to deal with that fear. We can’t just let fear have its way and push us backward; we have to recognize the faith that God puts in us when we are born again and use that faith against fear.

Today, I want to talk to you about a great overcomer, and that is David. The Bible says that through the blood of Jesus, through the resurrection, through the word of God, we are more than conquerors, and if fear comes knocking at our door, we have power to overcome, just like David overcame the giant.

*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

David’s Anointing

Now, we’re going to talk about how David defeated Goliath, but I’ve got to start with something very important, and that is when David was anointed.

In First Samuel, starting at the beginning of chapter 16, we see all these clues about how important this anointing is that Samuel comes with:

Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided for Myself a king among his sons.”

And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”

—1 Samuel 16:1-2

That’s how important this was, that Samuel could have died for the anointing he was carrying for David!

We get another clue when he arrives in Bethlehem. The Bible says that the elders of the town “trembled at his coming.” It is such a big deal that Samuel is coming to their little, tiny town of Bethlehem. Samuel’s presence, his influence, his reputation are all scary. It’s so powerful, and the men are terrified. They even ask about his coming:

“Do you come peaceably?”

And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

—1 Samuel 16:4-5

So, when Jesse brings forward his sons, Samuel looks at Eliab, and he thinks that surely the Lord’s anointed is before him right now. Surely, it’s Eliab. But the Lord says to Samuel:

“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

—1 Samuel 16:7

Then Jesse brings one more of his sons, Abinadab. He brings him forward, but the Lord says, “Nope, that’s not the one.” Jesse then brings forward Shammah, and the Lord says, “Nope, that’s not the one.” Jesse brings seven of his sons before Samuel, but none of them are the one that God has chosen. Finally, Samuel has to ask him, “Is this all you have?”

Now, I want you to pay close attention here, because it seems to me this is a huge thing that has happened for this family. The prophet Samuel came, and everybody was consecrated to do this sacrifice, and they’re all there except for one. David. Jesse could have called David for that special experience, but he didn’t. But that didn’t matter, because God called David.

Maybe fear has tried to say to you, “Well, you’re not so and so,” or “You don’t look like so and so,” or “You can’t do what other people do,” or “You’re not wealthy,” or all these other terrible things that our minds think sometimes to put us down. But God chose him. God chose David, and God chose you. It doesn’t matter what other people are thinking or saying. God chose you to carry His power and His name. He chose you to make a difference in your family, at your job, or at your school.

God’s anointing is on you, just like we see it was on David. Verse 12 tells us that when David comes, the Lord says, “This is the one.” The one who wasn’t called by his father or his brothers is exactly the one who is called by God, because it doesn’t matter what people think compared to God’s calling on your life. And then verse 13 says:

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.

—1 Samuel 16:13

Walking in the Anointing

Now what happens after that? Well, in chapter 17, we hear about this war that’s happening between the Israelites and the Philistines. There’s a valley between the two armies, the Israelites on one side and the Philistines on the other. The Philistines bring forth, it says, a great man of war, Goliath, a giant. And for 40 days, that giant does his very best to intimidate the children of Israel.

Well, Jesse sends David down to the camp with cheeses and bread to feed his brothers who are fighting in this battle. When David arrives, of course, he hears Goliath yelling and intimidating and defying the armies of Israel, and he sees that these men are dreadfully afraid. And David says:

“What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

—1 Samuel 17:26

Now, this is where we can begin to see the effect of that anointing. Being anointed was not just some small thing. A few weeks or maybe just a few days ago, David was just a shepherd boy, but now, he’s been anointed by Samuel, by the Lord, and an anointing carries power. It is a big deal. So, when David goes to that battle, he’s had a change in his life, and he is bold in the face of fear.

But just like before, when David wasn’t even called to his own anointing, he has to overcome so much in the Israelite camp. He overcomes Eliab saying to him, “You are just prideful and insolent. You just want to be here and see the battle.” He puts David down so bad. Then David goes before Saul, the king, and Saul even says, “You’re not able to do this.” He tries to discourage David and put armor on him that he can’t wear, but David says to Saul:

“Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

—1 Samuel 17:36-37

And why is David so bold? Maybe a few weeks ago, maybe even a few days ago, he was just a shepherd boy. Now, everyone tells him he can’t defeat this giant, but When David comes to that battle, he has been anointed King. He is moving in something that he didn’t have before.

When Fear Comes Knocking

David finally faces the giant, and when Goliath sees him, the Bible says, “he disdained him for he was only a youth.” He doesn’t know about the anointing on David. So, the Philistine says to David,

“Am I a dog, that you’ve come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.”

—1 Samuel 17:43-44

Has fear ever tried to breathe down your neck and say, “I’ll tell you what you’re going to do. I’ll tell you what you’re not going to do”? Well, that is what this Philistine is telling David.

So many times, God gives us an assignment or tells us to do something, and we are ready to do it, and we start moving forward, but then something happens—the enemy starts speaking to us, or somebody else voices a hurtful opinion, or maybe we get offended. Something happens and then fear starts to have a voice. Fear will stop us in our assignment. Before, we saw so clearly, “Yes! Let’s do it! Let’s go forward!” But then fear begins to speak, and now we say, “I need to rethink that. I need to back up from that. I know God said that, but maybe that’s for somebody else to do. Maybe I’m not as strong as I think I am. If I do that, I’m going to fail, and what will happen to me after that?”

But look at what David says in verses 45 and 46:

“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day, the Lord will give you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beast of the earth that the earth may know that there is a God in Israel”

We can say that to fear. We can say, “Fear, you just shut up right now. You’re not even allowed to speak another word to me. This day, fear, you will bow!”

This is what David is saying, and you know what he does next? He doesn’t bow to fear. In fact, the Bible says he runs toward the giant. Faith does not hesitate. Fear hesitates and pulls back, but faith charges forward. David pulls that sling, a weapon that he was familiar with, and that rock goes right into that giant’s temple, and that giant falls right to the ground. Then, just like he said, David runs to the giant, takes the giant’s sword, and cuts off his head.

Anointing in your life

You may be saying, “Well, I’m not like David. I’m not bold. I’m not a king or even a future king. I couldn’t be like that.”

Friend, if I ask you, “Do you think that David was mightily anointed?” you would probably say, “Of course he was. I mean, Samuel poured that oil over him. The Bible says he was anointed.” But let me tell you something important right now: we are anointed too.

As I was studying this, I thought about how the Lord says in His word that we have the spirit of Christ in us because if we are without Christ, we’re none of His (See Romans 8:9). But we are with Christ, and the word “Christ” means the anointed one and His anointing. The Anointed One has come in to live on the inside of you, to even empower you and be with you every single moment of every single day. We are anointed and empowered just like David.

Before you come to Christ, you are just a person who is in the world doing your own sinful thing. The Bible even says that we were servants to the enemy of this world. Our hearts were against God. But when you get born again, you are anointed. I’m saying to you, friend, we’re not just some mere little Christians walking around in this world without any power and without any authority. No! We’re anointed.

It says in 1 Corinthians 6:19,

“Don’t you know that the Holy Spirit lives on the inside of you and that you are his temple?”

You are not just some little person down here on Earth while God gets to be great and big up there in Heaven. You are one with the Lord. Yes, God is almighty and amazing and magnificent. We cannot even come up with enough adjectives to describe Him. But He says in His word that He is one with you. You are anointed.

Like David, we do not have to bow to the enemy of fear. We do not have to bow to the enemy of sickness. We do not have to bow to the enemy of strife and confusion and hate. We’re anointed to say, “No, fear. You will not dominate me. You will not manipulate me. You will not stop me because the greater one is in me than he that’s in this world. I am anointed by God to stand up against you.” Isn’t this fantastic? You’re not just some little Christian struggling around in this world. If Christ lives inside of you, you are anointed. You’re anointed to take down and overcome the spirit of fear.

Friend, we’ve got to recognize that when God speaks to us, He wants us to do what He said, and He gives us the power to do it. When you come to your battle or your giant, when you come to that place where fear is trying to overcome you, you are anointed to overcome it. You’re equipped to face the enemy. You’re equipped to face the giant. You’re equipped to say “No” to fear. You’re equipped to shut up the lies of the enemy.

Before, David was just a shepherd boy. He wasn’t special beyond you and me. But after he was anointed king, he went into that battle with that giant with something that he didn’t have before, and he came out a conqueror. And that power that he had is the same power that’s inside of you.

Closing

Before I close my letter to you, I just want to invite you to join me every Wednesday on TIME with Denise Renner. Every Wednesday at 12:00 PM CT, I get the privilege of opening up God’s word and sharing what’s on my heart for you. You can watch on my Facebook page, YouTube channel, or by visiting Renner.org. I hope you’ll join me!

I hope you were encouraged by this letter. It is so encouraging that God gives us this anointing so freely, but fear still tries to sneak in, and sometimes the enemy manages to whisper in your ear. If you’re struggling with fear or anxiety in your life right now, I want to tell you that we’re here for you. Prayer is such an important aspect of our lives as believers, and I want you to know that we take each and every one of your prayer requests seriously. To connect with our prayer team, call 1.844.473.6637 or send an email to prayer@deniserenner.org. We hope to hear from you soon!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

Polina Renner’s Testimony

I was born in Moscow when the Soviet Union was still in existence. I was the second child in the family. I had a brother who was 15 months older than me. My father worked as an engineer and my mom was an architect. I had grandparents on both sides and I was very close with them. My grandpa used to take me to the kindergarten and it was very common for me to stay with my grandparents for the weekend or even for a week when they could take me to the kindergarten.

A Hunger for God

I still remember the story that my grandpa used to tell me before bed of how God spared his life during the military service in the Second World War. He served with the tank troops and one day, when they accidentally got to the minefield, his tank was on fire. He was the only one who survived that day. He managed to get out of the tank under fire, and when he got shot in the leg, the bullet came through. He crawled on the minefield to safety and prayed for God to spare his life. God did! Every time after that story I asked him to show me his leg and the marks from the bullet. This story impacted me as a child to know that, although we never really talked about God in the family, I knew that God was real.

When I was about seven years old, I was walking on the Red Square with my mom and I needed to take something to to trash can. As I approached it, I saw a booklet about Jesus lying in the pile of trash. I wondered who that person was who didn’t want to know about God. Then I thought to myself, “Even if the booklet is from the trash can, I want to know about God.” So, I picked it up and put it under my clothes to hide it from my mom. I knew that if she asked me what I had picked up in the trash, I might have to throw it away because I was not allowed to take anything from the trash.

Salvation

When I came home that day, I locked myself in the bedroom to finally read the story about Jesus. It was made out of a children’s book (comic), so it was very easy to read for a child. At the end of book, there was the salvation praye,r and by the time I got to it, I was convicted that my sins were separating me from God and I needed to repent and be reunited with Him. So I prayed the prayer, and with my whole heart invited Jesus in. At that moment I was overwhelmed by feeling so loved by God. I knew that in my mind I couldn’t understand everything that was happening at that moment, but with my whole heart, I received that love that I had never felt before. I know that in that moment I was saved.

Hungry to Know More

After that experience, I was looking to find everything I could to learn about God and faith. At that time I was in the first grade. Then shortly after my salvation experience, I met a girl who was my brother’s classmate and was a Jew. She could read very fast and had a children’s Bible at home. So, I asked her if she could read to me from the Old Testament and we would gather together in her house to read Bible stories. We both talked about what we had just read and commented on our perception of God and our take away from the story. But at the end of that school year, she and her family were repatriated (moved) to Israel. For a few years, we were writing letters to each other. In her letters, she wrote to me about her new life and that she had gotten into the religious school and liked it. Now she was learning about God in the school, and I thought to myself that I wanted that too.

Seed Planted in the Heart

Then in the middle of the second grade, my father died from a heart attack. My mom was devastated and didn’t know what to do. We all were. But even this tragedy didn’t make me question God and His goodness. I knew that He was good even if something really bad had happened.

In the spring of that year, I overheard a conversation in school between my classmates. They were saying that if you would receive water baptism in the church, God would be with you. So when I came home, I told my mom that I wanted to be water baptized and that she needed to take me to the church. Back in the day, there were only Orthodox churches that we knew of, so the following weekend we went together to the church so that I could be baptized. When we arrived, we were told that I needed to have a cross to put on after the baptism and a godmother who would be with me. Because I wanted to be baptized that day, my mom bought me a cross that she could afford and we found a grandmother in that church who was willing to become my godmother. I still remember that her name was Anna. I got baptized that day, and with a new sense of assurance that God was with me now, I went home.

Around the same time, my other friend in school told me that she was going to the Baptist Sunday school, and I asked her if I could go. I started going with her. That is when I saw a real Bible for the first time. I loved attending there and sometimes I would go by myself because my friend or my mom could not take me. My mom never went to church. She would just bring me and then pick me up after it was over. No one ever asked me about my parents or who was bringing me to church. I was just there and very happy to learn everything. We learned songs about Jesus and read a chapter from the Bible, verse by verse, one after another every time we met there. Then there was a time for a Bible story, and the teacher used a flannelgraph to illustrate the story. I loved it all, and what had been sown in my heart at that time helped me in the next few years of my life.

Difficult Times

At the beginning of the third grade, ( I was 9 at that time), my mom lost her job. We had no income, so my mom sent me to a school where I spent five days a week and was only home for the weekend. My brother stayed with my grandparents that year. The following year, my mom decided to find another place for my brother and I to live so we could be together. Out of all places, my mom sent us to an orphanage so we could be there while she decided what to do next. The orphanage was a place with no hope, no care, no love. That place had a deficiency of everything, even toilet paper. Stealing was a common thing there. Kids and everyone around us seem to be cruel to us. I felt lonely the whole time I was there and I never had experienced loneliness to that extent before. So I talked to God and prayed that He would rescue us from that place. My grandparents knew nothing about it, so two months after we arrived, my brother and I made a plan of escape. We decided that if we succeeded, we would go to our grandparents to stay with them.

My mom came to visit us at the same time we had devised this plan of escape. We told her that if we were forced to stay at that orphanage, we had a plan to escape. She understood that we were serious and promised to come back the next week to take us home. What a relief! God answered my prayer and I was very aware of it. For the rest of the year, we stayed with Mom in our apartment. It was difficult, but we were surviving. My mom didn’t have a job and we only had a little bit of money from the government as a social support, but it was not enough for even a week of groceries. My brother and I had to wash cars and collect bottles to make a little extra money for our living. My grandparents tried to help, but they didn’t know how bad it was for us. My mom was hiding it, and we were not telling them to protect mom from social services.

A House With No Heat Or Water

For the next school year, my mom managed to rent our apartment out to some people, and she found a house in the village that we could rent and have some money left for food. That was in the year 1993 when the Soviet Union had already collapsed and many people had lost everything and had no jobs and no income. Our situation was one of many at that time.

While living in that house, we had goats, chickens, and rabbits that the owners left and we made an agreement to take care of the animals. We could have milk and eggs for our labor. There was no heat in the house, but one fireplace that we had to learn how to start a fire and prepare the wood. There was no water in the house, so we had to go to the well to get water every time we needed it. My mom was struggling with depression at that time and it was mostly me and my brother that had to do it all. We didn’t know what depression was, but we knew that something was wrong because our mom slept all the time. Today she doesn’t have any memories of that time.

It was during the time in that village that I felt God so close to me. I was talking to Him constantly out of my heart with no way of knowing what was the right way to pray. I sang songs that I learned in Sunday school while I was walking in the forest and no one could hear me but God! In all of the hard labor that we endured to survive, I knew God was there and because of it, I knew that we would make it. I had hope again and felt His love for me.

Locked Out!

That winter, while my brother and I went to our grandparents for the New Year school break, my mom rented another house that was in a little town and was so much closer to school. She came for us so we could start school before the school break was over. It took us a whole day to travel there. When we arrived, the new house was locked and there was no way to know where the owners were. We didn’t have keys, so we managed to break into the front porch of the house to spend the night and hide from the freezing temperatures and cold wind (-15F). It wasn’t heated, but it was still warmer than the outside. We spent the night there and the next morning decided to take time and ask around where we could find the owners, since my mom had already paid them and we had no extra money to rent another house that month. By the afternoon, it was clear that we had lost our money and the owners had sold the house to someone else. We knew that we needed to find another place to spend the night. By that time I was so cold, I couldn’t feel my hands and feet anymore. While my mom and my brother were looking for a place to stay, I stayed inside and decided to pray and ask God for help. Two minutes after I prayed, my brother came to say that we found a place for the night, and I exclaimed that that was the answer to my prayer, because I just prayed! God saved our lives again because I knew that I could not survive another night out there. I always struggled in the winter with my hands and feet being cold, but never to the point that they were numb anymore.

Bible School Students from Siberia

My brother and my mom returned to Moscow, but I stayed in that village with the grandmother, Lena, whom we had just met. I missed that year of school because of our circumstances, and after I finally got back to Moscow for the next school year, we were still not sure what we were going to do for the income.

We decided to give up one of the rooms in the apartment for rent. The very next day, we had a couple who came to talk to us because they were looking for a room to rent. They had heard from the neighbors that we had been renting it out before. It happened to be that they were Bible school students and had come from Siberia to the Bible school. Two days after they moved in with us, they told us about Jesus and asked me if I wanted to receive Him into my heart and pray a salvation prayer. I said yes. As we began to pray, I recognized that it was the very same prayer that I had prayed a few years ago. When I opened my eyes, Peter, (the Bible school student), told me that the whole heaven was rejoicing right now about me giving my heart to Jesus. I was overwhelmed to hear that, and he read me the scripture from Luke 15:10 to reassure me. I was holding back my tears from learning the fact that the whole heaven could rejoice over me. I didn’t mention that I prayed that prayer before. A few weeks later, Peter and Tatyana prayed with us to receive baptism in the Holy Spirit, and my mom and I got baptized. So much changed after that. Peter and Tatyana gave me my first Bible so I could read it every day. The whole year that they were living with us, I was discovering so much about God. I had so many questions and they were always willing to explain them to me. I got involved in the church and was willing to serve anywhere I could. I wasn’t only saved, but finally, I was discipled. I was twelve years old when it all happened.

My story is the one that is described in 1 John 4:19,15: “We love Him because He first loved us. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” And Philippians 1:6 says, “He which hath started a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” I am forever grateful to God that He has found me and made me His own!

Revival in Russia Prophesied

Many years later, I was reading one prophecy that was given by Bob Jons about revival in Russia. God told him to gather a million-dollar offering and give it to Terry Law because God was going to use him to bring Bibles and other materials to the former Soviet Union. So they gathered the money and gave it to Terry Law Ministries. The track about Jesus that I found on the Red Square had been printed by Terry Law Ministries. My mother-in-law, Denise Renner, gave everything she had in her wallet to this missionary project when Terry Law was sharing at their church about everything the Lord was doing in the Soviet Union. Someone received the Word from God and was obedient to follow through. Another person was obedient to sow money, and another to print and distribute the materials, and God brought the harvest!!! My mother-in-law couldn’t have known when she was sowing her seed to that ministry that in return, many years later, she would get a Russian daughter-in-law who was saved as a result of the work that this missionary did! We can’t outgive God! Our seed goes farther than we think and makes a full circle to bring harvest back into our life and into the lives of others in a multiplied way! God is so big and God is always good!

My prayer is that God would use this testimony to bring someone into the Kingdom.

The Prayer of Salvation:

Dear God,

I come to You in the name of Your Son Jesus. After reading this testimony, I realize why I need salvation. I ask You to forgive me of my sin that was inherited from Adam. You said that the wages of sin is death, — eternal death and separation from You — BUT the gift ofGod is eternal life through Jesus Christ. And You said if I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if I acknowledge that He died to restore my relationship with You — while believing in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, — I will be saved (Romans 6:23, 10:9). Right now, I confess out loud, that Jesus is Lord, and I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead for me. Thank You for saving me! I believe these things are true and You hear my prayer.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

The Display of God’s Love

October 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,

When we talk about the God who made the universe, who gives us the breath of life, who can part the Red Sea, and yet chose to come to Earth and die for us, it brings a sense of profound humility. It’s truly amazing, but that’s how much He loves us. While many people say, “I love you,” repeatedly, love is truly shown through our actions.

In my letter to you this month, we will discuss the ways God displays His amazing love for you. Jesus’ actions were absolutely complete, showing us beyond a shadow of a doubt that He loves us, that He chose us, and that we are important to Him. You are so important to Him that He died for you.

Galatians 4:4 says:

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.

There was a time when God said, “It’s time — it’s time that I come. It’s time that I rescue them Myself because they’re not getting it. They have already sinned against Me. They have already rejected Me. They can’t fulfill My law. I’m coming Myself.” There was just so much love in this action for you and me. We should wake up every morning and say, “God help me know how much You love me today, and help me love others with the love that You’ve put inside me.”

The book of John has this to say about the magnitude of God’s love:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

— John 1:1-5; 10-12

Notice verse 1 begins by saying, “In the beginning….” This phrase indicates God’s eternal plan. Verse 1 continues, “…was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus was there with the Father and the Holy Spirit, planning this great rescue for you and me from eternal damnation.

Verse 2 states, “All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made.” In other words, everything in existence is because of Jesus. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

Friend, this means that there is no darkness so deep that God’s light cannot overcome it. Have you ever noticed that in a very dark room, the moment you turn on the light, the darkness is expelled? That is what Jesus did when He came into this world. And it was at just the right time. There was a lot of darkness in the world then, but when Jesus came, He brought His light into the world! That is amazing love.

Have you ever poured out your love to someone, only to have them reject it over and over again? I remember many years ago, I tried to be a friend to this girl, but time and time again, she rejected me and hurt my feelings. I didn’t have another friend, so I kept forgiving her. However, my love wasn’t like God’s love. Eventually, there came a time when I said, “I’m not going to forgive this person anymore because I don’t want to be hurt anymore.” But that’s not how God operates! He came to rescue us.

Jesus came whether the people rejected or received Him! That is the love of God — the heart of God being expressed through Jesus. Hebrews 1:1-3 says:

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Jesus was the very expression of God! What Jesus did on Earth was exactly what His Father would have done. What Jesus is doing today to rescue, save, and heal is exactly what His Father would do today.

John 1:14 says:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

The phrase “…full of grace and truth” describes exactly who Jesus was and is.

Now, look at Psalm 22. Keep in mind, this teaching is about love being displayed. Love doesn’t just talk — love acts. Jesus didn’t just say, “I love you,” and then wish us the best! No! He displayed His love in the greatest act of selflessness and compassion by sacrificing Himself to save us from an eternity separated from Him.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” When God says, “I love you,” He always backs it up with a display of action, as He did by sending His Son, Jesus.

Let’s circle back to Psalm 22. When you read Psalm 22, you can see the things Jesus went through on the Cross — the feelings He had and what it was like for Him while He bore our sins, sicknesses, diseases, poverty, guilt, and shame. Psalm 22 provides a close-up picture of the ordeal Jesus endured on the Cross.

Psalm 22:6–8 reads:

But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

The word “worm” here is actually referring to maggots. Most everyone gets grossed out at the mere mention of the word “maggot.” The phrase “no man” in this verse means “an unimportant man.” Jesus — the creator of the universe — lowered Himself to such a place that when He was hung on the Cross, He compared Himself to a lowly worm, a man of no importance.

Verses 6 and 7 continue, “…A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me….” Can you imagine a time in your life when those around you ridiculed or made fun of you? Can you remember how small and insignificant these actions made you feel?

Take those feelings of shame and torment you’ve experienced in your own life and multiply them by ten billion trillion times. The ridicule that Jesus endured came from the demonic realm — blaspheming, mocking, and putting Him down. Jesus submitted Himself to this so that you and I could be free from ridicule and accusation. The very God of this universe lowered Himself so far that He compared Himself to a worm and a man with zero importance — a man full of sin — so He could rescue us from an eternity without Him.

Matthew 27:41-43 shows us what the religious leaders and onlookers were saying as Jesus suffered on the Cross. It reads:

Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

This is what the crowd yelled at Jesus as He was suffering — His hands and feet hanging on nails for them, for their forgiveness, for their salvation, and for you and me. They mocked and blasphemed Him, yet He didn’t come off the Cross. He continued to pay the price for our salvation.

The Bible says in Matthew 26:51-54:

And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

Jesus could have let Peter and His disciples defend Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, but He didn’t. He could have called on His Father to send legions of angels to stop His arrest, but He didn’t. The chief priests, elders, and temple guards didn’t take Jesus’ life — He gave His life up for you and me. This ultimate act of sacrifice was the love of God on display. Psalm 22:9 says:

But You are He who took me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God. Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

Who can explain the Trinity? I can’t explain the Trinity, but I definitely believe it. When Jesus was on the Cross, He was the Son of Man, yet He was God. He put aside His godhead — His godhood — and died for you and me. This is His love displayed, and it’s so amazing! When we talk about Jesus’ sacrifice — everything the priests and elders said about Him and His refusal to call upon a legion of angels to save Him from the brutality of the Cross — it is truly astounding.

When you think about the magnitude of this sacrifice, there really is no excuse for any of us not to forgive each other. It’s not right to say, “Lord, I know you’ve forgiven me, but I can’t forgive others.” He paid the complete price so we could be forgiven and to put the love of God inside you and me so that we could forgive.

Jesus took every sickness and disease known to man, every torment of our minds, every pain in our bodies — He took them upon Himself. Psalm 22:6 tells us that Jesus felt like a worm on the Cross — the lowest of the low. He was scorned, spit upon, humiliated, shamed, ridiculed, and lied about. And even still, He endured it all for our eternal salvation. This is love displayed! Jesus was falsely accused, hated, denied, and betrayed by one of His dear friends, yet He showed us a love so perfect that any fear that tried to come against Jesus giving His life was totally cast out. And any fear that would try to come to us has no right because the perfect love of God — which Jesus displayed and put on the inside of us — casts out fear. When we believe His Word, this display is so great that His power comes to us and gives us the confidence and authority to forgive any offender, to believe for the healing of any sickness or disease, to give mercy, to give understanding, and to practice patience. The display of God’s love gives us the power to express that love in our hearts by what He did for us.

Friend, isn’t that just amazing?! God didn’t save us just so we could go to Heaven — He saved us to go to Heaven because eternity in hell would be unimaginable. Heaven will be so magnificent that it’s hard to imagine, but when Jesus died on the Cross, God brought Himself inside us so He could live through us and we could have a relationship with Him.

Jesus paid the complete price. His love didn’t display fifty or ninety percent to save us from death, eternity in hell, and from our own selves. His love displayed paid the complete price — a hundred percent price. He paid for it, but it’s up to us to receive it. For example, say someone gave you a $100,000 or a 2 million dollar home. It’s there and all you have to do is receive it, but you stand there and say, “I don’t know if that’s really for me or not. Should I really accept it?” If you question their gift, you will not receive it. But if you say, “I receive what you have for me,” it’s yours!

It’s the same way with God. Say, “Lord, I receive what You paid for me. I receive my healing, I receive forgiveness, I receive this powerful love on the inside of me to love and forgive others as I’ve been forgiven and loved.” It’s all been paid for — you just have to reach out and receive it!

As I close my letter, I want to remind you that we are always praying for you. And if you ever need prayer, our amazing Partner Care team is available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT every weekday. Give us a call at 1.844.473.6637 or email us at prayer@deniserenner.org to be connected with one of our dedicated team members, and they will personally pray with you over whatever request you may have. And if you haven’t seen my weekly program yet, I invite you to join me for TIME With Denise Renner each Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. CT by watching on my Facebook page or YouTube channel.

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

The Final Two Signs of the End — ‘As in the Days of Noah’

September Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Greetings in Jesus’ wonderful name! He is so worthy of our praise. Not only is He Wonderful, but He is Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (see Isaiah 9:6). Oh, how great He is!

THIS IS THE MONTH!!!

My book Fallen Angels, Giants, Monsters, and the World Before the Flood is finally released! I cannot tell you how excited I am for you to hold this book in your hands. Please don’t let it sit on the shelf. Read it and share it with others. I worked hard on this book because I want to help biblically unlock unanswered mysteries from the past that are relevant to our lives today.

Our dear friend Joseph Z said: “Fallen Angels, Giants, Monsters, and the World Before the Flood is captivating in every way as it unveils ancient mysteries that will usher you right up to the issues of our current day. This work is both academic and convincing; not only does it offer you a master class on biblical archaeology, but it will also powerfully guide you through arenas many would consider foreign terrain or uncharted territory…. Rick has spent much of his life walking, filming, and researching the physical locations tied to the events contained in this book, which qualifies him as a leading voice on the matter….”

Another dear friend Sid Roth said: “You may have heard secular commentators try to explain the “unexplainable” found in the Scriptures, such as fallen angels, giants, and the Flood. Now world-class Bible teacher Rick Renner answers your questions about these and other “unexplainable” details and events from a 100-percent biblical perspective!”

If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, go to renner.org to place your order right now!

Before I get into my message, I want to say THANK YOU for what you do. Proverbs 10:21 says, “The lips of the righteous feed many….” Teaching biblical truths is like giving spiritual food and nourishment to both believers and non-believers. I know that teaching the Word of God to many is our calling, but we are only able to do it because of the grace and anointing of God on all our work and because of the gifts you give to this ministry. Partners like you, who regularly give to this ministry, put fuel in the tank so we can fulfill our mandate. When I call you a partner, I sincerely mean you are a partner with us. You mean so much to Denise and me and our family, our team, and the people who are reaping the consequences of your giving in their lives!

Today I want to continue speaking to you about the words Jesus spoke to His disciples about the end times in Matthew 24. In that text, Jesus said:

But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
— Matthew 24:37

Jesus prophesied that the events which occurred before the Flood would occur again in the days before His return. Since we are living in those days, we need to be awakened to what is going to happen in our times. So today, I want to cover the next two points on what happened before the Flood. Both points will happen again and are already happening.

#5: Continuous Evil in the Heart of Man
(Genesis 6:5)

Genesis 6:5 says, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

This verse tells us clearly that in the time frame before the Flood, man had degenerated in his imagination into such evil things that “his heart was only evil continually.” This evil in the heart of man became especially evident and increased as the pre-Flood population interfaced with the dark spirit world and engaged in demonic activity and multiple forms of sexual perversion.

Again, Jesus said, “But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37).

Therefore, we must ask:

Is the world today experiencing a rise of evil in the heart of man
as it occurred in the days before the Flood?

It is clear we are witnessing an intensification of evil in men’s minds and hearts in our own times, and Romans 1:30 states that when lost humanity continues to go astray, it leads to their becoming “inventors of evil things.”

The word “inventors” in this verse is from an original word that means to contrive or invent, and the word “evil” depicts what is bad, base, destructive, evil, foul, harmful, injurious, rotten, vile, or morally wrong. When the word “inventions” is used in the Old Testament, it usually has to do with foul sexual activity. We find it used this way in Psalm 106:29 and 39, where we read that God was displeased with Israel for going “a whoring” with sexual escapades and sexual inventions in their times.

When Romans 1:30 speaks of “inventors of evil things,” it seems to speak of a time when the world will throw off moral restraint, and inventions of evil things begin to emerge that will include inventions that are base and ugly in the sight of God. Keep in mind, Jesus said that what occurred in the days preceding the Flood would be replicated again at the end of the age. So how does the “continual evil” in the heart of man from the pre-Flood society connect with people becoming “inventors of evil things” in our age?

The list of evil inventions today is nearly endless, and appearing toward the top of it is pornography and all kinds of highly sophisticated sexual technology that comes with it, including virtual sex. Without getting too explicit, our so-called sophisticated society in which we live has taken the creation of evil fantasy to such a new level that there are new, life-like robots designed to carry out sexual acts however an owner programs them. Recently published articles reveal that with the push of a button, one can get from a robot whatever concoction of sex he or she wants. This bizarre development is a sign of “every imagination of man’s heart being only evil continually” (see Genesis 6:5).

Bloodshed was also widespread before the Flood, which begs the question: How is it being replicated in our time at the end of the age? The answer could lead us to many horrific societal trends, but one practice it painfully brings to mind is the mass killing of the unborn in our generation. Today, easy accessibility to abortion has taken this form of bloodshed to an entirely different level than has ever existed in previous generations.

In my book Last Days Survival Guide, the documented statistics of abortion around the world (at the time of my writing) are outlined. I’ll share a part of it in the following paragraphs.

Because accurate numbers of abortions were not kept in the Soviet Union before 1957, if we count from 1957 to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 — in those 34 years alone — approximately 306,457,000 abortions were performed in the Soviet Union. This number is larger than the entire population of the USSR when the USSR dissolved in 1991.

When we turn our attention to China, we find that the best records for the numbers of abortions performed in China before 1970 are unavailable, so research must begin with 1971, when the best information became available. Those records reveal that from 1971 to 2020 — a span of nearly 50 years — 489,936,650 abortions were carried out in China.

To help you comprehend that number, the current population of the United States is approximately 330 million. This means from 1971 to 2020, China aborted the equivalent of the entire population of the United States, plus nearly 160 million more.

Turning our attention to the United States, we see that since 1973 when abortion was legalized by the Supreme Court in the infamous case of Roe v. Wade, nearly 62 million abortions have been performed.

Altogether, the most solid information shows that the worldwide number of abortions between 1980 and 2020 is estimated to have exceeded 2 billion. Think of that horrifying landmark number modern society has reached — 2 billion abortions carried out globally in a span of 40 years!

Although these statistics are already mind-boggling, these statistics are constantly being outdated as tens of thousands of abortions are carried out every day worldwide.

While some contend that the world today is more technologically advanced and more sophisticated, this slaughter of more than two billion babies and counting shows that we are not more civilized; rather, barbarism is escalating on an unthinkable scale. Infants are routinely brutally burned to death by chemicals injected into a mother’s womb, torn to pieces in the womb by medical devices, or aborted by means of an easily ingested pill — their lives tragically snuffed out.

Every minute of every day in sterilized hospitals and clinics around the world, this barbaric act occurs. This is worldwide savagery of the worst kind that makes all other holocausts and genocides pale in comparison. It is murder on a scale so massive that no fiction writer could have ever imagined it. Yet this is reality in our present day and age. Murdering more than two billion babies through the act of abortion is the mass annihilation of those who cannot scream, who cannot be heard, and who cannot defend themselves. The tiny bodies of these image-bearers of God are mutilated and thrown into garbage cans, sold for parts to the highest bidder, or recycled to be used in shampoos or cosmetics.

When godly advocates raise their voices against this genocide in the Western world, those who are pro-choice (which should be called pro-abortion) often portray objectors to this atrocity as narrow-minded, right-wing fanatics. These advocates for life are attacked with a vengeance by an evil faction that wants to intimidate, silence, and render powerless any and all opposition in order to retain the legal right to terminate the life of a child.

Make no mistake — this present generation is tainted with the blood of innocent children. And one could argue that as a whole, it is largely guilty of the most heinous and barbaric behavior, perhaps in the entire history of mankind, because of the murder of more than two billion unborn children.

If you have experienced an abortion, God’s grace and forgiveness are available to you. No condemnation for anyone is intended. If you need prayer for inner healing due to an abortion you had in the past and need someone to pray for you to receive healing and freedom, please reach out to us and we’ll pray for God’s healing balm to touch your soul.

The Evil Invention of Gender Reassignment Is Destroying Lives

In addition to abortion, think of the evil occurring as medical procedures are being regularly carried out in an attempt to change people’s gender. The preposterous notion that a person’s gender can be creatively “reassigned” is a recurring message being shoved down the throats of everyone in modern society.

Satan, the god of this world, is deceptively working overtime through educational institutions, the courts, many forms of the media, and the entertainment industry to wear people down until the shock factor of gender reassignment diminishes and society begins to adjust to and accept the idea that changing a person’s gender isn’t so bad — or physically and emotionally damaging — but that it is, in fact, a good thing.

This is a blaring signal that delusion is oozing into the mainstream of society at an ever-increasing rate. This seduction and deception has woven its way into the fabric of society from nearly every angle, and even the Church has been affected.

Besides what’s being blasted over the airwaves on televisions, one of the primary ways the minds of the young are being swayed is through public education. Curriculum is being written for the classroom that promotes and pushes a narrative that includes all things ungodly — sex without limitations, abortion, same-sex attraction, gender fluidity, and pretty much anything else that undermines respect for God, Jesus, and the authority of the Bible.

This so-called “progressive” curriculum blurs the lines of truth, incites confusion, obliterates common sense, and punishes individual thinking. Any thinking that is outside the box of the “kinder, gentler” world of progressive humanism is not only frowned on, but is often met with violent, punitive resistance.

As incredibly challenging as this is, we as Christians need to know that it’s okay and right to recognize and acknowledge that such assertions belong in a world gone mad — not in the life of the Body of Christ. If you are still standing for biblical truth and against the lunacy that has been loosed in this last-days society to destroy it — congratulations on maintaining your spiritual fire and not caving and becoming numbed and desensitized to the changes in the moral tide that we’ve experienced over the last 50 years.

Let me be clear and say gender confusion is a real and complicated spiritual and psychological problem that cannot be remedied with sexual surgeries to try to alter a person’s gender. This is not a reasonable answer to such a deep spiritual and psychological issue. In fact, it is delusionary. Those who struggle with the serious issue of gender confusion need mental and emotional healing — not surgery to try to make their physical makeup match their mental confusion. We need to help them with the right tools, not a surgeon’s scalpel.

It is a sad fact that commonsense thinking has been thrown to the wind, replaced with the whims of ever-fluctuating times. To most of us, it seems that the level of evil that is now manifesting is unprecedented in human history. And it is — except for in the time frame that preceded the Flood.

But once again, I remind you that God is not in the practice of scaring us, but He is in the business of warning and preparing us. If we listen to the Spirit and build our lives and minds on the soundness of God’s Word, we and those we love can be safeguarded from this destructive spirit of the age. But if you know someone who has already been affected and you want someone to pray with you about it, reach out to us and we’ll pray with power!

#6: Widespread Violence
(Genesis 6:11,13)

The sixth phenomenon that was taking place before the Flood was widespread violence across the earth. In fact, violence was so prevalent that God ultimately concluded that the only way to cleanse the earth of it was to send a flood.

In Genesis 6:11 and 13, we read, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence…. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”

Once more, we must recall the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:37, where He said: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Therefore, we must ask:

Is the world today experiencing widespread violence
as it occurred in the days before the Flood?

Today violence and corruption runs rampant in our schools, our streets, and even our homes — it is everywhere. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the apostle Paul forecasted that society would turn dangerously violent at the end of the age (see 2 Timothy 3:1-9), and his Holy Spirit-inspired predictions support Jesus’ prophetic warning that the things which occurred before the Flood would be repeated in the days before Christ’s return. As barbaric and violent as society has been in past times, the level of violence that will mark the end of the age will be greater than this world has ever known.

In today’s world of entertainment, violence is one of the hottest-selling tickets. It can be found all over the Internet, embedded in music, and vividly portrayed in video games. To demonstrate just how sinisterly barbaric our world has become, consider these insights from my book Last Days Survival Guide:

In our own time — at a time in modern history when we seem to be so sophisticated — we have taken the barbaric behavior of the ancient world to a new, unprecedented level. We no longer have to visit Roman stadiums and other venues to experience violence and bloodshed, as a pagan society did in Early Church history, because now we bring huge doses of violence directly into our homes through television, digital devices, and the Internet. Although the means by which we receive our entertainment may be more technologically sophisticated, this generation is as barbaric, or even more so, than previous generations. It is simply barbarism manifesting in a different form.

This present generation has seen so much brutality as entertainment on screens in front of them that they have become numb to its hideousness. Today people purchase tickets to movie theaters to watch scenes of human carnage play out before their eyes as thrilling entertainment.

So I ask you — if we as a society regularly feast our eyes, minds, and emotions on enacted scenes of human bloodshed, does that really make us more civilized than the ancient world that reveled in some of the same live scenes played out before them?

Current statistics prove that if a person watches enough violence on television, his sensitivity to violence will become dulled and he will become numbed to acts that would otherwise prick his conscience and vex his soul. The same statistics reveal that if a person watches pornography, in time, that person will lose his sensitivity to the wrongness of this behavior; once again, he will become numb to it.

Consider these facts:

The escalation of violence in entertainment is so widespread that by age 18, a child will have seen more than 200,000 acts of violence on television and witnessed more than 40,000 simulated murders.

The average seventh-grader watches more than 4 hours of television per day — with more than 60 percent of the programs containing violence.

The same average seventh-grader plays electronic games 4 hours per week — with more than 50 percent of games categorized as “violent.”

In most of the industrialized world, 90 percent of homes with children have more than one television, not to mention video-game equipment, a personal computer, and high-tech cell phones with the capability of showing movies. This means parents can watch television in one room while their children sit unsupervised in another room with access to “entertainment” that projects violence into their young minds.

Violent video games have created a thirst for violence. In fact, statistics now reveal the majority of children select “fantasy violence” as their favorite type of video games.
Further studies reveal that the more frequently children practice fantasy acts of violence on video games, the more likely it becomes that they will carry out real acts of violence.

The slower, kinder, safer world many of us grew up in is nearly gone, and with every new day it seems like society is being inundated with more violence. Unfortunately, our “sophisticated” and technologically advanced generation has become a generation wholly given to violence. Who would have ever thought it might be dangerous to go shopping at the mall or go watch a movie at the theater. Nevertheless, because there have been so many shootings and killings in the past decades, many people who frequent these types of public places are now taking the time to scope out the closest emergency exits in case a shooter shows up and goes on the rampage.

Indeed, the levels of violence we are witnessing today may be unprecedented in human history — except for in the time frame that preceded the Flood.

We Are Witnessing the Onset of a Duplicate Moment
as in the Days Before the Flood

Once more consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:37: “But as the days of Noe [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” The meaning of the original text here is the equivalent of Jesus saying, “Exactly and precisely as it was in the days of Noah, thus it will be in the days preceding My coming, when I will set all things right upon My arrival.”

But it’s time for me to wrap up today’s letter before it becomes a book!

One final time, I remind you that God is not in the practice of scaring us, but rather preparing us! He loves us so much that He wants us to have ears to hear what the Spirit has said so we and those we love can be safeguarded from the destructive spirit that is manifesting before Christ’s return. But again, I plead with you that if you know someone who has already been affected and you would like someone really qualified to pray with you about it, reach out to us and we’ll pray with you!

Before I close, if you have a prayer request of any kind and would like us to agree with you for that need to be met, give us a call or send us an email. Jesus promised that if we would pray in agreement, God the Father would hear us and answer (see Matthew 18:19)! I realize that, as a believer, you pray by yourself, but I sometimes find it helpful to have someone pray with me. That prayer of agreement gives me assurance and peace and it really brings fast results. Give us a call at 1-800-742-5593 or reach out to us at prayer@renner.org. I promise that we’ll keep it confidential and we’ll pray for you!

Denise and I, our family, and our team love you and thank God for you!

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

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

P.S. Click here to view the new interactive Ministry Update page or click here to download the printable pdf flyer.

Remaining Thankful in Troubling Times

September Teaching Letter from Denise Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

It’s such an honor and a privilege to write to you each month. Thank you for spending this time with me as I share what the Lord has put on my heart. I also want to thank those of you who watch my weekly program TIME With Denise Renner. Your responses and kind comments are so encouraging. If you haven’t seen my program yet, I invite you to watch it on Facebook or YouTube every Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. CT. We are living in a time when we need the kind of encouragement that can only come from the Word of God every single day, and that’s what is on my heart every time I write or speak to you in my letters and programs.

I am writing to you today to talk about staying desperate and not letting go. When I say “desperate,” I’m not talking about the kind of desperation that puts you in a state of despair and causes rash or extreme behavior, but rather desperation in the sense of being willing to do anything and everything to walk in faith and stick with the Lord, clinging to the promises He makes in His Word. When you have this kind of desperation, you can be unstoppable! One thing that these kinds of desperate people do in times of trouble is remain thankful and refuse to complain.

You may be wondering, Why is it so important to remain thankful and avoid complaining? People who complain are often so involved with themselves and overcome by their own problems that it becomes extremely difficult for them to receive from the Lord and His Word. Complaining people are also often stuck in that place of difficulty because they can’t move on. But people who are desperate to follow the Lord have an attitude that says, “I’m not staying here. I’m moving forward.” When you have this never-giving-up attitude, you’re able to keep going and going — and when you keep going, you will receive your prize!

The Ultimate Example of Maintaining
An Attitude of Thanks and Refusing to Complain
in the Midst of Troubling Times

As I was preparing this letter for you, I got to thinking about figures in the Bible who could have complained about their situation but refused to give in to the temptation. The most obvious and perfect example of this can be found in Jesus. He could have complained His whole life! He could have complained about the disciples and their unbelief, the Romans and how they mistreated the Jews, the Pharisees and Sadducees for constantly ridiculing and trying to trap Him, or even for just being tired! Jesus could have complained and murmured about so much during his lifetime, but He chose not to.

Keeping An Attitude of Thanks
Delivers Us From Complaining

If you’re in a desperate position, you must refuse to complain because complaining won’t get you anything or anywhere. Another great example of someone in the Bible who was desperate and could have complained but kept an unstoppable attitude was the apostle Paul. Philippians 1:3 says, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”

At the time he wrote the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul was stuck in a truly desperate situation, imprisoned and chained in horrific conditions. Yet while in the midst of this terrible prison, Paul began his letter to the Philippians by saying, “I thank my God” (see Philippians 1:3). It is by giving thanks that delivers us from complaining.

Now look at Philippians 2:14-16, which reads:

Do all things without complaining or disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

It is the will of God for us to shine as lights in the world, but if we’re complaining, we can’t shine. And if we’re complaining, we’re certainly not being thankful! You can’t be thankful and complain at the same time — it’s either one or the other.

The apostle Paul had so many reasons to complain, yet he began his letter to the Philippians with thanksgiving. Even in these horrible prison conditions, he told the Philippian Church to do all things without complaining or disputing.

I studied this concept of complaining and disputing, and it’s more than just verbal dissatisfaction. It’s a murmuring — a complaint rooted in the heart. This murmuring manifests as grumbling or muttering in a low voice. One commentator described complaining as an internal grumble. In other words, it is an action that fosters ill will rather than harmony and goodwill. It involves inward questioning, disputes, discussion, skepticism, or criticism — an intellectual rebellion against God.

Reading this passage in Philippians 2:14-16 makes me want to repent and flee from any dissatisfaction or grumbling within myself. The Holy Spirit has been dealing with me about this in recent months, and when I came upon these verses and studied the words, I prayed, “Oh, Lord, let this not be in my heart.” Dissatisfaction, grumbling, criticism, unhappiness, discontent, muttering, and murmuring — all these should be banished from within us.

Banish Dissatisfaction From Your Life

Circle back to verse 15, which says, “That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

Pay attention to the language used in this verse: “…blameless and harmless, children of God without fault…” (Philippians 2:15). This language means to be pure on the inside — unblemished, unmixed, unadulterated, and sincere. These words were also used to describe pure wine or unalloyed metal.

Let me give you an example from my own life. Many years ago, Rick gave me a beautiful ring that I loved very much and wore all the time. However, the ring kept breaking, and I found myself repeatedly taking it to the jeweler for repairs. Each time it would get fixed and I would wear it with joy, but soon, it would break again.

Finally, I asked the jeweler what was wrong with the ring. She explained, “Denise, this ring has alloy in it — it’s impure. The gold is in an impure state, and that’s why it keeps breaking.”

When I saw this language in Philippians 2:15 and thought of that example, I realized that when we’re grumbling and complaining, we’re putting ourselves in a place where we can be easily broken. Just like the alloy in the ring made it impure and fragile, constant complaining makes us impure and easily broken.

Scripture teaches us that in order to shine as lights in the world, we need to be blameless, pure, and sincere on the inside (see Philippians 2:15). Just like grumbling, feeling dissatisfaction in our hearts stops us from shining. And when we aren’t shining, we aren’t ready to witness to someone who needs it, to love someone, or to even let the power of God flow out of us! But when we remain thankful, we’re blameless! A person who is blameless is free — free in their attitude, free in their mind, free to give out of their hearts because they’re not complaining, they’re thankful. Isn’t that powerful?!

The Word of God touches our hearts so deeply. Hebrews 4:12 says it’s like a sharp, double-edged sword. When you hear the Word, a word from your pastor, or while reading the Bible yourself, the Word of God pierces between your soul and spirit and between joints and marrow. Joints and marrow are so close together! How crucial is it that the Word of God has that place in your heart where it can literally separate between soul and spirit and joints and marrow? One of the most precious places in your body is in your bones, where the blood that gives us life is created, showing us just how vital the Word of God is to our survival.

So don’t complain! Don’t be disgruntled or dissatisfied. Give thanks and be blameless. That is how powerful the Word of God is, and that’s why it should be in our eyes, ears, and hearts. When we are harmless and blameless, we shine. And when we shine as lights in this dark world, we can be a beacon of brightness to others.

The Holy Spirit Living Inside You Helps You
Abstain From Complaint and Ungratefulness

Jesus could have complained about so much, but He didn’t — He gave thanks! The apostle Paul could have murmured and complained, especially in that horrible Roman prison. Scholars say that the prison contained collected sewage, and was packed with prisoners chained from wall to wall, each with no choice but to just stand in that filth. Paul had every reason to complain but chose to give thanks instead. How powerful is that?!

You may be thinking, But I’m not Jesus! I’m not the apostle Paul! But the Bible says in Second Corinthians 13:5:

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?

And First Corinthians 6:19 says:

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

Our lives are not more difficult than Jesus’ or the apostle Paul’s. Paul chose to give thanks while in the most dismal of circumstances, and we have Jesus Christ living on the inside of us! Therefore, we can put a stop to complaining and choose to give thanks because the Holy Spirit resides within us.

Desperate people must choose not to complain because complaining leads nowhere, but giving thanks propels us forward. The apostle Paul eventually got out of that horrible prison and continued to live his life, and simply giving thanks was a huge part of his breakthrough. If you’re in a desperate situation, giving thanks can help you get out of it. It’s all about changing your attitude!

If you’re a desperate person, and you want to get out of your desperate situation, be thankful. Start thanking God right now! It’s going to do more for you than complaining, and thanksgiving has a certain power that can deliver you out of any desperate situation.

Friend, as we come to a close today, I want to remind you that desperation isn’t something that should cause you to panic. Next time you’re tempted to act with extreme behavior or complain in a tricky situation, remember this letter and choose to give thanks instead. I also want to remind you about our Partner Care team. If you ever have a prayer request you need to share, please reach out to our prayer team. Each member is full of faith and devoted to seeing the Lord move mightily in your life! Connect with our team today by calling 1.844.473.6637 or emailing prayer@deniserenner.org. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

More Signs of the End — ‘As the Days of Noah’

August Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

I am so excited to write to you and to share with you a warning from Scripture about something we need to pay serious attention to in these last days.

But before I get into the teaching, Denise and I want to express our heart-felt thanks for your amazing partnership with our ministry. Every day I pray fervently for our partners — and not just once, but many times a day. In the past month, when Denise and I were speaking across the U.S.A., it was such a joy to meet so many partners in our meetings. I really want you to know how much we love you and thank God for you!

Today I will be writing from the footnotes and commentary in my new Renner Interpretive Version (RIV) of the book of Jude. Right now, the first volume of the RIV of James and Jude can be preordered online at renner.org or by calling 1-800-742-5593. I call it the Renner Interpretive Version (RIV) — A Study Bible for People of Faith. When you get your copy, I believe you’ll feel like you’ve hit a gusher that is going to burst forth with new revelation. It is literally packed with treasures from the Greek New Testament!

Every day on my TV program this month I am teaching the whole book of Jude from the RIV with commentary, and I want to go into a little of what will be covered in that series today. Let’s get started and take a deep dive into Jude 3 and 4. You’re about to find amazing truths in these powerful verses!

Jude 3 says, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

In this verse, Jude begins by saying, “I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation.” The words “gave all diligence” would be better interpreted as “fully intended” and is from a form of a Greek word that means to do something with eagerness; to do something with diligence; acting responsibly, quickly, and with attentiveness; or one so diligent, excited, and energetic that he puts his whole heart into the principle or task before him.

The words “common salvation” in Greek pictures what is commonly or mutually shared. By using this Greek word to describe salvation, Jude acknowledges that salvation has many benefits that mutually belong to all believers. Jude was so excited to share about all the benefits contained in our salvation that he was ready to put his whole heart into writing an epistle about it.

But something happened that caused Jude to change his plan. It seems likely that someone had just passed a copy of Peter’s second epistle to him, and when Jude read what Peter wrote about false teachers in the Church, it so stirred him that he abandoned his plan so he could join Peter in addressing the problem of error that was emerging in the Church.

Jude wrote that he found it “needful” to write and encourage his readers to earnestly contend for the faith. The Greek word for “needful” depicts an urgent necessity. Something so sinister was happening that Jude felt urgently pressed to address the issue as quickly as possible. Without hesitation, Jude dropped his prior plans to write an epistle about salvation and instead raised his voice with Peter to alert the saints of a danger that was lurking nearby and to give instructions regarding how to confront the problem.

Jude also wrote of a need to “exhort” the saints — and us — to earnestly contend for the faith. The word “exhort” is from a Greek word that was used militarily to picture a commander who stood in front of his troops to exhort and prepare them for battle. Because the battlefield held intense conflicts, the commander took time to earnestly “exhort” his troops to hold their heads high, to throw their shoulders back, and, if needed, to face the enemy eyeball to eyeball. As a spiritual general, Jude declared to the Church — and us — that we must be soldiers of truth who are ready to defend the Word of God with every ounce of our being.

In fact, Jude went on to urge his readers “to earnestly contend” for the faith because it was under assault. Forgive me for going into a lot of intricate Greek, but the words “earnestly contend” are translated from a compound of epi and agonidzomai. The word epi means for or over, and it is used as an intensifier. The second part of the word is agonidzomai, a word that denotes an intense struggle and is where we derive the word agony. The word agonidzomai was used to picture two wrestlers who agonized to win over the other in a wrestling match. Both wrestlers worked to gain the advantage and hurl their opponent to the ground, exerting every ounce of their strength and skill to win a very intense physical contest.

When epi and agonidzomai form a single word, which Jude used here, it depicts those who are fighting with all of their might to win a match of some type. The use of this word tells us Jude was urging his readers to intensely fight for truth, and it also implies that false teachers were trying to wrestle the faith to the ground and subdue it and modify it to suit their own ends. Because deception was attempting to trounce truth, Jude told his readers — and us — that they had a responsibility to do everything they could to defend, fight for, and guard the purity of the faith.

Jude then wrote that the faith was “delivered,” or “entrusted,” to us by God. The word “entrusted” in Greek means to entrust for safekeeping. Jude used this word to confront each of us about our God-given responsibility to guard, defend, and do everything in our ability to present the Word in its purest form and as close as possible to the original message from generation to generation. No one has the right to change it!

This is why I am so committed to correctly understanding and teaching the meaning of the Bible. God expects you and me to do everything in our power to keep the Word of God as close as possible to what God meant for it to say to us.

Jude went on to affirm the Word of God was “once” delivered to us, which is a Greek word that means “once and for all.” In other words, when the Word of God was given, it was complete, final, and so complete that it needed nothing more to be added to it. Jude said that the Word of God was delivered “once and for all” as a finished, completed, perfect work. As it stands, the Bible is complete, final, authoritative, and life changing.

Here is the Renner Interpretive Version (RIV) of Jude 3:

Beloved — I call you that because it’s the only word I know to express how deeply I love and cherish you — I fully intended to write to you about our mutually shared salvation, and I was really eager to write about this exciting subject, ready to engage all my abilities to dive deep into all the benefits that our salvation entails. But as I was about to get started, I found myself gripped with a sense of urgency and a deeply felt need to address another subject that came to my attention. I felt someone needed to come alongside the troops — to urge them to hold their head high, to throw their shoulders back, and, if necessary, look the enemy eyeball to eyeball and to earnestly contend for the faith because it is under assault. God entrusted the faith to us once and for all and expects us to guard it and maintain its integrity in the same form it was delivered to us. God has given us the responsibility to impart it to others in the same form it was given to us.

But then in verse 4, Jude went on to describe the kind of perpetrators that were worming their way into the Church and twisting the Scriptures. He wrote, “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Notice the words “crept in unawares.” This is translated from a form of the word pareisduo — a triple compound of para, eis, and duno. The word para means alongside, the word eis means into, and duno means to enter and settle down into a place. But as a compound, this word pictures those who clandestinely enter into a certain place and who settle down and function right alongside others. It denotes covert activity. It gives the impression of those who secretly make their way into the ranks and who use a disguise or stealth to conceal their wrong activities. And we should have known that this sinister group was coming — that is why Jude added that we were warned about them “of old.” The Greek word for “of old” means long ago, of old, in times past, or in former times, and the use of this word tells us the Holy Spirit has been warning about this event for ages.

Jude also wrote that this group was “ordained to this condemnation.” What “condemnation” was he talking about? To answer that, we must look at the original word used in the Greek text, which is a word that depicts a judicial verdict of judgment. Here, Jude wrote that God will investigate the activities of those who use spiritual influence incorrectly and that Heaven’s court will pass a damning judgment upon such individuals as those described in these verses. The Judge of the earth has been watching all along and has observed this category of errant leaders, and in the end, Heaven’s court will issue a final verdict of judgment against them.

What is shocking is that many who are in error, actually started out good, but somehow along the way, they got off track. This fact is made clear by the word “ungodly” — which depicts what was once holy that has become unholy, what was once reverent that has become irreverent, what was once God-fearing that has lost its fear of God. Jude was talking about people who were once anointed and upright, but now they have regrettably gone in a wrong direction.

These individuals are now so far off track that Jude said they are “turning” the grace of God into something it was never meant to be. In Greek, the word “turning” pictures an alteration, change, or modification. Jude used it here to refer to those who are altering, changing, and modifying teaching about the grace of God to suit the whims of the times.

And these perpetrators can’t claim ignorance or innocence about what they are doing because the Lord faithfully corrected them and told them to get back in line. We know this because Jude added that they are in a state of “denying the Lord.”

The words “denying” and “Lord” are really important at this juncture. The word “denying” is from a Greek word that means to knowingly deny, to knowingly disown, to knowingly reject, to knowingly refuse, or to knowingly renounce. It undoubtably refers to one who knowingly disavows, forsakes, walks away from, or washes one’s hands of another person or group of people. It depicts something done with one’s full consent and understanding of what is being done. In this verse, it depicts those who hear what Christ has to say but then reject His counsel. Rather than obey, they knowingly choose to go on a different path. It means this category of erring individuals are knowingly rejecting the authority of the Lord and they are knowingly ignoring the warning signals given to them by the Holy Spirit.

But the word “Lord” is not the normal Greek word for “Lord.” It is from another word that depicts a chief executive officer or one with authority over others in the executive department directly under his control. It was a technical term used to describe the chief steward of large households who had authority over all the other servants in a household. Those who were under such a “lord” reported to him, received instructions from him, were paid by him, and, if the need arose, they were dismissed by him.

By using this word, Jude was describing those who have been called by Christ into leadership positions in the Church, those who relate to Jesus not only as their Savior but also as the Chief Executive Officer who called them. But in this case, although they are answerable to the Lord, they are instead “denying” His explicit directions. These individuals are genuinely God-called ministers who knowingly divert from the authority and instructions of the “Lord” who is over them.

Because of the various Greek meanings assembled in this verse, I have interpreted the Renner Interpretive Version (RIV) of Jude 4 as follows:

Unfortunately, we are now confronted with a certain category of individuals who have craftily, clandestinely, as in a stealth operation, wormed their way right into the middle of our ranks. Long ago it was foretold and written in advance that a day would come when such individuals would show up. But in the end, Heaven’s court will issue a damning verdict of judgment and condemnation on them due to their activities. I’m talking about people who were once reverent and God-fearing, but now have obviously lost their fear of God. These are individuals who go about altering, changing, and modifying the grace of our God into a teaching that says everything is okay, and that teaching leads to sinful living especially marked by immoral and indecent sexual activities along with other base behaviors. They can’t claim ignorance about what they’re doing because the Lord God — that is, our Lord Jesus Christ — has spoken to them and warned them to get back in line. But in spite of these warnings issued by the Lord, they knowingly are denying and walking away from His authoritative covering.

Most scholars count the book of Jude not only to be commentary about what was happening when Jude wrote it, but also as a prophetic book about events that will take place again at the end of the age. We know from multiple New Testament verses that there will be an assault on truth in the last days — and my dear friend, we are seeing that assault in society today and, unfortunately, even in parts of the Church. But rather than bend to the spirit of the age, we are to dig our heels into the bedrock of truth and refuse to budge from it!

This is why RENNER Ministries is COMMITTED to bringing the trusted teaching of God’s Word to people everywhere — and that is why we refuse to bend, mitigate, or negotiate the truths of the Bible. And because you are a partner with us, I want to say THANK YOU for standing with us as we battle for truth in our times. People need the truth, and people need the power of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit anoints the Word of God, it unleashes a mighty spiritual blade that slices through darkness and sets hearts and minds free!

I know this letter has gone a little deeper into the Greek text than usual, but this is what was on my heart to share with you this month. I pray it has been a blessing to you. You are a blessing to this ministry! Again, I thank you from the depths of my heart for being a friend and a God-called partner!

Next month I will be writing to you about what to do when your prayers seem to be hindered or delayed, and I believe it will really encourage you. However, if you need prayer for anything right now, please reach out to us at prayer@renner.org or call us at 1-800-742-5593. I sincerely mean it when I say we will pray scripturally for you and will release our faith for God to move powerfully in whatever situation or need that is on your heart!

Denise and I, our family, and our team love you and thank God for you!

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

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

P.S. Click here to view the new interactive Ministry Update page or click here to download the printable pdf flyer.