Beyond the Curtain of Understanding

 

July 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,

It’s hard to believe it’s already the month of July! Time is flying by so fast, and before we know it, it will be the end of the year again. But today, I want to talk to you about the Holy Spirit giving you the insight you need for any problem, project, or task in front of you. I will share a bit from my personal experience, and I believe that what I am going to share will really help you!

But before I get into this teaching, I first want to say that it is our mission to fulfill the Great Commission and “teach all nations.” Every prayer prayed — and every gift given — empowers us to be able to accomplish God’s call on our lives and ministry. The task is huge, and it seems the Lord has trusted us enough to place more and more on our plates for us to do. Everywhere I look in our ministry, I see productivity and growth as people are responding in record numbers to the teaching of God’s Word. We couldn’t do any of this alone, which is why we are so grateful to our wonderful partners. If you would like to support us in this God-called endeavor, please visit renner.org/partner. We’re so grateful to anyone willing to help us reach more people with the Gospel.

I also want to tell you that on September 1, my next book will be released. It is called The Miracles of Jesus Christ — An Eye-Opening Examination of Every Miracle, Healing, and Demonic Encounter in the Gospels and the Book of Acts. I can’t find another book similar to this one. What makes it so different? Well, it is a commentary on every supernatural event in the Gospels, and as I wrote it, it made me fall deeper in love with Jesus. He is so amazing — and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever — so we need to understand how He healed the sick, worked miracles, and cast out demons. I truly believe this book will enrich your understanding and make you fall deeper in love with Jesus. This book will be offered at an introductory price of $28 for a limited time. To order ahead, simply call 1-800-742-5593 or go online to renner.org.

Now to begin my teaching this month on receiving the insight of the Holy Spirit! For years early on in our ministry in Russia, I searched for a way to reach the very large elderly population in Moscow where we live. They are a very unique generation, and I had never understood the key to touching them in large numbers. I knew there was a way to do it, but I didn’t know that way. To be honest, I had nearly bent my brain trying to think of how “I” could reach them! I didn’t realize it at that time, but I had worked so hard thinking on my own that I hadn’t involved the Holy Spirit very much in obtaining the answer!

But I’ll never forget the day many years ago when I looked out the living-room window of our apartment in downtown Moscow — and there on the street that ran parallel to the Kremlin was a massive demonstration of pensioners, widows, and other elderly people, looking like they were having the greatest party of their lives! As I leaned out our window to get a better glimpse, I heard music from the Soviet era being played, and I saw that many of these pensioners were actually dancing in the streets to the music. They were reveling in the memories of earlier times when they were younger and life seemed easier than it had become in their old age.

I told Denise, “I want to go downstairs, get out on the street, and experience those elderly people!” Within minutes, I had my winter coat on; I pressed the button on our elevator to take me down to the street; and I nearly flew out of the door of our building to quickly join that big demonstration. I just wanted to share the experience with these thousands of lively elderly people!

When I stepped into the huge throng of people, I suddenly found myself engulfed by senior citizens who were behaving like teenagers. All around me was a mass of white-haired revelers who had seized the moment to step into earlier memories of life in the USSR. For several hours, they really “whooped it up” on the central street of downtown Moscow. It was so invigorating to see them enraptured in their memories that I lingered among them until several hours had passed and the crowd finally began to dwindle down. As I walked home toward our apartment, the streets were covered with confetti and large banners with old Soviet slogans that lay scattered on the ground.

As I stood there pondering the whole experience, I cried out, “Holy Spirit, please show me how to reach this generation!” Before I got back to our apartment, God had marvelously opened my heart and mind to a new idea of how to reach this older generation, and before I stepped back into our elevator, God had given me the plan for how to do it. He imparted to me a revelation that, when later acted on, enabled us to build what is now one of the largest senior-adult ministries in the world and is still a major part of our Moscow ministry today.

It all began with an “idea” from the Holy Spirit that was birthed in my heart when I was not expecting it. It had started out as just an ordinary day that then developed into an unusual set of circumstances that ultimately became our ministry to many thousands of elderly people over the years.

In the midst of that unexpected situation near the Kremlin that day, suddenly the Spirit of God showed me something to do that I had never thought of before. It was like a supernatural beam penetrated my mind, and I could see what to do. Since that moment, years of fruit born from the implementation of that idea have proven that it truly was a revelation from the Lord.

I had always prayed for a way to reach the senior population in Moscow because they represented such a large part of the city, but I would have never been smart enough to dream up the idea that the Holy Spirit dropped into my heart that afternoon. And not only did the Holy Spirit give me an inspired idea, He also injected me with the courage I needed to obey it. In one split second, I had both the idea and the courage to do what the Holy Spirit had shown me. Insight for the plan and the faith to move forward on it came simultaneously, and the outcome in the years since that moment has been truly profound. Through this outreach that was birthed in my heart in that moment years ago, many thousands and thousands of senior citizens have gotten saved and experienced the love of God in their sunset years. The path to reaching them was so simple and so powerful, yet I had never seen it before that moment.

This plan has become our Golden Age outreach — a weekly gathering where Moscow’s senior citizens come to enjoy live performances of the music they grew up with, lovingly presented by volunteer musicians. After the concert, they are invited to hear a message about Jesus, and each meeting is paired with practical care through the distribution of food, vitamins, arthritis creams, Bibles, Christian books, and other necessities. Through these gatherings, we minister to nearly 4,000 people every month. It is amazing what God can do, isn’t it?

Often we think so long and hard about how to do certain things that need to be done — when all along the Holy Spirit knows exactly how to do it. The Holy Spirit sees and knows everything. He knows the key to every heart. He knows the secret to every success, whether in ministry, business, education, family, or anything else. If we will listen to Him, the Holy Spirit will reveal exactly what we need to know for every situation we face in life. The question is — are we listening?

In First Corinthians 2:9, Paul wrote of the restrictions normally placed on our minds, but in verse 10, He told us that part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry is to remove those restrictions so we can see what we normally could not see on our own. He says, “But God hath revealed them [hidden things] unto us by his Spirit.…”

The word “revealed” is the Greek word apokalupto. The root word is kalupto, which describes something that is veiled or hidden to the human eye and mind. It is there, but it isn’t seeable or knowable. It’s like an entire lawn that is green, lush, and beautifully landscaped, but because the curtains inside the house are closed, you are unaware of the beauty that is right outside for you to see.

But in First Corinthians 2:10, the word apo is added to the front of the word kalupto, and that little addition of apo means the curtain that once hid our view has been removed. Suddenly what was unseen becomes visible, and what was hidden becomes revealed. This is the reason apokalupto is translated as something revealed or as a revelation. And Paul stated that this was a strategic part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry — to take hidden things that we can’t know on our own and reveal them to us.

On that day when the Holy Spirit spoke to me, it was as if He held the strings on an invisible curtain that had blocked my ability to see how to reach that older population. When I cried out to Him for answers, He lifted that curtain, and I instantly saw what I had never seen before. In a split second, I had an answer to a question I had been asking for years. It wasn’t something I sat around and concocted on my own; it was something revealed to me as the Spirit removed the invisible veil that had separated me from the answer I had been seeking.

God has blessed our ministry enormously over the years, and I am the first to tell you it isn’t because we are so smart. If Denise and I have done anything right, we have listened. We discovered that if we remember to ask the Holy Spirit for help, He will always be there to show us that which we’re not smart enough to figure out on our own. I don’t know what answer you’ve been seeking, but I know who has the answer!

The Holy Spirit sees everything and knows everything — including those things that your mind would never see or know on its own. Perhaps you’ve been seeking answers about your marriage, your business, your education, your finances, your health, your children, or an important relationship — the list could go on and on. You may have been seeking answers for years, but you just couldn’t see what to do. In my own case, all those years, the Holy Spirit had the answer I had been seeking, but I was so busy trying to brainstorm ideas by myself that I hadn’t allowed the Holy Spirit to operate in His revealing ministry on my behalf.

Today I want to encourage you to open your heart to the Holy Spirit in a new way. He is present with you right now, holding the strings to the curtain that has blocked your view. This may be the very moment that He pulls those strings, and you finally see what you’ve been seeking for so long. Instead of only brainstorming and trying to think it through on your own, look to Him — and let Him give you a revelation of what He wants to happen next. He has all the answers, but we must surrender to Him so that He can show us what we need to know and see!

This letter is simple, but this is a life-transforming truth that changed me and resulted in the salvation of tens of thousands of senior citizens. In like manner, the Holy Spirit has all the answers you are seeking, and He wants to reveal them to you. Today I encourage you to pray: “Holy Spirit, please open my eyes and mind to know and see what I haven’t been able to figure out on my own. You hold the answers I need, and it is God’s plan for You to show them to me, so I ask You to do what is necessary to open my eyes and mind to supernaturally know and see the answers that I am seeking!”

This may seem so simple, but when the Holy Spirit shows you what you need to know, you’ll want to shout, “Hallelujah!” Finally, you’ll see what you need to see, and you’ll know what you need to do. And if you want someone to pray with you so that you can more easily hear and see what the Holy Spirit wants to show you, please reach out to us by calling 1-800-742-5593 or write to us at prayer@renner.org. We are very sincerely praying for you, but when we know exactly how to pray, we become more effective in our praying for you. It always helps to have someone agreeing in prayer, so please reach out and let us know how we can pray for you.

Before I close, I want to ask you to also pray for us. Denise and I, our sons, and our team are on the frontlines and doing what Jesus has asked us to do. But it is your prayers and financial gifts that help us to take God’s Word to those who are languishing in darkness. They need answers, and we have the answers, but it is your prayers and gifts that help us do this job of impacting lives for the present and for eternity. Thank you for praying for us too!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

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

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