Chosen By God

October Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

Wow…I am excited to share what God has put in my heart for you this month. In fact, I’ve spent weeks recently teaching on this subject because I’m so excited about it. But before I get into the message, I want to say THANK YOU for being a friend and partner with our ministry! To the best of our ability, Denise and I, our family, and our God-called team are obeying God’s call to take teaching you can trust to people all over the world. But our ability to do it is connected to our partners who financially put “fuel in the tank” so we can take the life-changing teaching of God’s Word to people who are crying out for it.

I want you to know that what you are doing is truly making an impact. Don’t ever let the devil tell you that your part is unimportant because it is VERY important, and we are thankful to God for you!

Today I want to ask you: Has God put a dream in your heart and told you to do something that is so huge in your mind that you’re tempted to dismiss it as silly nonsense? Do you ask yourself, Is this idea really from God or is it just a case of crazy daydreaming?

Be careful not to dismiss your dream too quickly! It may be a vision of your future that God has dropped inside your spirit. When these God-given dreams occasionally surface in your mind, you may misinterpret them as “wishful thinking” or “fantasies.” But have you considered the possibility that God may be trying to break into your conscious mind to reveal His plan to you?

If you sense that God is pointing His finger at you right now, I can relate to where you are and to what you’re feeling. I’ve sensed the Father’s finger pointing at me on several occasions — nudging me from behind, as it were, and telling me to get with the program and make a decision to follow and obey Him wholeheartedly.

Hesitation is fine for a while, especially if you’re taking the time to confirm you’re on the right track. But when hesitation is prolonged again and again, it’s usually a subtle form of rebellion. Your flesh doesn’t want to do what God has told you to do. It doesn’t feel comfortable or secure because naturally speaking, you don’t know how to accomplish the assigned task. Therefore, the flesh likes to look for excuses to put off obedience just a little longer.

If you don’t finally say, “Yes, Lord, I’ll do what You tell me to do and go where You tell me to go,” He won’t sit around and wait on you forever. There comes a deciding moment when you must get with it or get out of the way so someone else can get started. Don’t forget that the Lord Jesus taught, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). There are “many” who have had the opportunity to do something great and significant, but because they wouldn’t go on with God, they were not “chosen” to do it. Please don’t let that be you!

Many present God with a host of arguments as to why He should choose someone else. They lay their ill-conceived case before God as a lawyer would present his defense before a judge and jury:

We can each argue with God all day long about why He should choose someone besides us, but eventually we must quit fighting and simply surrender our will to obey God. I want you to embrace that God has a specific calling just for you and a spiritual race He has set before you that no one else can run as you can. When you finally step out to obey Him, you’ll be so glad you did because there is no greater satisfaction than knowing you are doing exactly what God has called you to do.

Your flesh may recoil from doing what God has asked of you because flesh likes to stay in its comfort zone where it isn’t necessary to change, grow, and develop. But as a child of God, you can take charge of your flesh and tell it to stop its ranting and raving. For far too long your flesh has told you all the lame reasons why you can’t be used by God. It’s time for your flesh to stop controlling your destiny!

If you don’t step out in faith to do what you know you’re supposed to do, you’ll miss the whole reason God brought you into this world. You see, He didn’t bring you into the world just to take up space on planet Earth. He has something grand and glorious for you to do. Imagine what a horrible tragedy it would be for you to live out your entire life only to discover when you die that you missed the grand, glorious destiny God had planned for you. God forbid that happens to you!

It’s time for you to turn your faith loose and jump out into the river of God, and let it carry you to a vast ocean of supernatural experiences and conquests. That’s God’s idea of a great life!

When we each reach the end of our life, the measure of our success will all be wrapped up in one question: Did we do what God called us to do? You may say, “But, Rick, I don’t know if God has called me to do anything special!” Of course, He has!

God certainly has a call on your life and a mission just for you! You may not know it yet, but there is a definite and distinct call of God designed just for you and for no one else. Ephesians 2:10 says God was planning the very works you should walk in even before the first layer of the earth’s crust was laid. Your presence on this planet was not accidental, nor was it an afterthought. God planned your life. He brought you into this world so you could contribute something valuable.

I want to encourage you to seek God diligently until you receive revelation regarding His plan for you. Once that plan is revealed, step into your place of faith and stay there for the rest of your life. The only way you’ll accomplish God’s plan is by living in the realm of faith and staying determined to do whatever God asks you to do. Both faith and diligence are required if you want to be successful in fulfilling your God-given life assignment.

THAT is what was on my heart to share with you today. But before I close, let me remind you that we are here to pray for you about anything — and when you reach out to us by phone, email, or letter, you can be sure that your prayer need will remain confidential between you, us, and the Lord. We are praying for you anyway, but when we hear from you, it helps us to pray even more effectively for you! Thank you again for everything you do to help us fulfill God’s call on our ministry. We could not do this without you!

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

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

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