Embracing a Balanced Lifestyle

August 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,

Greetings in Jesus’ precious name! In my letter today, I want to share some things I’ve learned in life to underscore the importance of embracing a balanced lifestyle. Then I’ll give you a New Testament example of one whose health was possibly jeopardized because of an imbalanced lifestyle. I pray this letter blesses and encourages you.

Before I get into the teaching, I want to say THANK YOU for being one of the most amazing friends and partners in the world. Denise and I and our entire ministry team are so thankful to God for you. I always say it’s because of God’s grace and the giving of our partners that we are able to do what we’re doing. Just today I received updated information about where we’re reaching people, and it is simply thrilling to see responses coming from all over the globe. People everywhere are crying out for teaching that will answer their questions. I’m so thankful God is using us to bring them teaching they can trust. You are such a huge part of it all — so I wanted to say thank you!

Denise and I recently shared in a special video that during the summer months, often people give less to the ministry, and this makes it challenging as we endeavor to stay on target reaching people with sound Bible teaching. We rarely make a financial request, but we would be so thankful for any extra gift this month so we stay on track with our assignment. Most of our partners know I rarely make this kind of request, so please know that I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t feel the need was important. Our partners already do so much, and we are so thankful to God for each one! If you haven’t seen this short video of Denise and me but would like to view it, you can do so at renner.org/summer.

I also want to remind you that my new book The Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Tribulation — An End-Times Countdown and What Happens Next is now available at our online store at renner.org, or you can call 1-800-742-5593 to order your copy or copies. We are grateful that we can offer it as a pre-release at a discounted price. This book really provides answers to a lot of people’s questions — and from now until its release on September 2, we are offering it at a 25-percent discount.

But let me get into what is on my heart for you today… It was, and still is, ingrained in the Renner family that we do not surrender to sickness. We generally possess a steadfast refusal to succumb to illness and a fierce commitment to “power through” any physical frailty. This ethos was forged into my grandfather, a German immigrant who toiled relentlessly to carve out an education and meaningful existence in the New World. He passed this mindset to my father, who then infused it in my sisters and me. From a young age, my siblings and I were taught to stride forward, regardless of fatigue or discomfort. As a result, we are tireless workers! Over the years, this mentality has resulted in my having short patience with people who go “too easy” on themselves when they could be accomplishing more with their lives.

I’m deeply grateful for the work ethic my father imparted to me — a guiding principle that blends well with the teachings of Jesus in John 15:16, where He told His disciples to “go and bring forth fruit.” This verse impacted my life so much that one of my foremost prayers every day is that I will be fruitful and productive and yield lasting results. In fact, as I lay in bed each evening when the day draws to a close, I reflect on my day to assess whether I’ve been fruitful and productive. The industrious spirit my father instilled in me, intertwined with my conviction drawn from Jesus’ words in John 15:16, has created in me a commitment to live a life brimming with purpose, and that mindset leaves no room for idleness.

All of this is good in a measure, but as years passed, I failed to see the need to take a pause or rest along the way. I likened myself to a perpetual engine, tirelessly whirring without heed for downtime. Even the mightiest of industrial machines demands maintenance and periodic rest, yet I stubbornly denied such needs until middle age. Alas, in my 50s, I faced a physical collapse so profound that rest was no longer a choice, but a necessity. That jarring wake-up call proved to be a vital course correction that invigorated my productivity and, I believe, ultimately prolonged my life. Yet as time marches on, I must honestly admit that the draw to fill my days to the brim and push past sensible boundaries is still a temptation I have to overcome.

The call of God upon my life is very serious to me. I am deeply convinced that God has given us a significant mandate to take the teaching of the Word to people across the planet. This affects my desire to be fruitful and productive and significantly influences the way I navigate life. The fleeting nature of time is also very real to me, and this awareness urges me to use every moment to its fullest. Yet in my desire for peak productivity, I sometimes find myself ensnared by the trap of overextending myself — trying to squeeze an endless array of tasks into an unrealistic time frame. Although I can maintain this relentless pace temporarily, the inevitable consequence is the toll of exhaustion and illness. This outcome is not a matter of a lack of faith, but rather a lapse in practicing balance and common sense.

Since I’m being honest, let me give you an example from a recent trip to the United States, during which I was slated to speak at a staggering 56 events, including in-person and online TV and podcast interviews, in 32 days. First of all, the journey from Moscow to our initial stopping point in the U.S. was a marathon in and of itself, taking us a grueling 56 hours door to door. Instead of taking a day to catch my breath upon arrival, I dove headfirst into my commitments at a relentless tempo that persisted without a pause throughout the entire trip.

It was a Herculean task to fulfill every engagement on the itinerary, and as the days wore on, the strain became more difficult to carry. Nevertheless, each morning I summoned every ounce of my resolve, pulling myself up “by my own bootstraps” and determined that I would joyfully fulfill every obligation. Despite the exhaustion that was mounting day by day, in typical form, I powered through it all until I had completed every single commitment I had set out to achieve.

As we embarked on the grueling 58 hours of flights back to Moscow, I noticed an all-too-familiar sore feeling in my throat — a sign that I had pushed myself beyond my limits. The reason I call it a “familiar” sign is that I have frequently experienced a bout of sickness after sustaining a long and unrealistic schedule. For me, such bouts of sickness have nothing to do with a failure to walk by faith in God’s promises for healing and health — they are usually a sign that I have once again pushed my physical body beyond its limits. In my relentless pursuit of productivity and eagerness to serve as many people as possible in the shortest span of time, I have pushed myself beyond my limits over the years. Time and time again, it has left me besieged with a sore throat and a stubborn cold. Once again, this is not an issue of faith; it is an issue of common sense.

To this day, I still grapple with committing to an overly ambitious schedule, but, thankfully, I’m surrounded by a loving family and a caring ministry team who love me enough to remind me, “You’re taking on too much in too short a time. It’s time to reel it in and focus on what’s feasible.” I usually do not like it when they tell me this, but later I’m thankful that they stepped in to help me. Now I am finally moving at a pace that is more realistic.

But what does a realistic pace look like for me? Each year, I make it my goal to write four substantial books, typically ranging from 350 to 850 pages each, and each year’s goal is to reach this four-book target. Alongside these extensive projects, I churn out a steady stream of content weekly, contributing to various ministry publications. I sit in front of a TV camera and film approximately 700 different television and media programs annually, and each new TV series we launch is accompanied by extensive study guides that I diligently help create.

Monthly, I appear as a guest for numerous online interviews, some sporadically, others regularly, while also participating in key meetings with our top ministry leaders scattered across the globe. I speak at about half of the church services at our physical Moscow Good News Church, and I play a leading role in our online Moscow Good News Church, a vibrant community with more than 250,000 regular participants.

Beyond these commitments, my ministry takes me across the world to minister and speak at churches, conferences, and gatherings throughout Russia, Europe, America, and beyond. Between these engagements, I meet with key government and religious figures in Moscow, and I also make it a priority to hit the gym three times a week for exercise, plus make sure that I fulfill my annual checkups at the doctor’s and dentist’s offices. In addition to fulfilling these responsibilities, I treasure my roles as husband to Denise, father to Paul, Philip, and Joel, father-in-law to their wonderful spouses, and proud grandfather to our eight precious grandchildren.

Every year, during the last week of December, I sit down to review what I accomplished that year. (I encourage you to do this as well. When you write down what you did or didn’t do, it helps you to be honest about your level of productivity so you can make the necessary adjustments for the new year.) As a part of my review, I list all my major accomplishments to gauge whether I’ve been genuinely effective and fruitful. Simply being busy isn’t my aim. My goal is to produce fruit that remains, to produce teaching that people can trust, to strengthen the Church, and to live in a way that gives glory to God. But as the year draws to a close and I perform my own annual review, no matter how much my family, my team, and I have achieved, I routinely find myself lamenting that I wasn’t able to do more. I find myself trying to figure out a way to more effectively use my time to be more productive in the upcoming year.

What you just read is much more balanced and realistic than what I tried to do in my earlier years. I don’t know what you accomplish in a single year, but please do not compare your annual output to mine, as we are all at different stages of capacity and different levels of fruitfulness. Second Corinthians 10:12 says it is not wise to measure ourselves by others or to compare ourselves to others. It is important that every person finds his own balance — his own pace of work and periods of rest — so that he can be fruitful and productive in a way that does not throw off his physical, mental, and spiritual equilibrium. As I said earlier, my temptation is to try to do more in a time frame than is realistic, and at times when I’ve overdone it, it has repeatedly affected me in all the ways I just described.

A life lived out of balance not only affects productivity and schedule, it also strains your finances and relationships, and it can take a toll on your physical, mental, and spiritual health. This is why, at the dawn of creation, God exemplified the importance of rest. Genesis 2:2-3 says, “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”

To reaffirm the need to devote a single day to God to rest, God gave the principle of the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20:8-11, He said, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

Many argue about the role of the Sabbath for a New Testament believer, but that is not the topic of this letter. What is abundantly clear is that God has ordained a day of rest — a sacred interlude for halting one’s routine in order to worship Him and rejuvenate one’s body, mind, and spirit. The notion of “rest” is a deeply personal affair, varying in application from one person to another. Recognizing what defines rest for you is essential, and it is just as imperative to refrain from projecting your interpretation onto others.

Take, for example, the idea of lounging on a sun-drenched beach — it is an idyllic retreat for some, but for me, it’s a torturous ordeal. Not only will it ruin my so-called time of rest, but it will ruin everyone else’s time, too, because I will be so miserable that it will affect everyone around me. For Denise, a visit to the mall is restful, but for me, a venture to the shopping mall is similarly torturous and leaves me exhausted rather than refreshed. Conversely, immersing myself in the quiet halls of a museum filled with ancient artifacts breathes life back into me, though Denise might find it an exhausting effort to accompany me there, despite her best intentions. Denise and I have divergent definitions of “rest,” but we have learned how to negotiate our various styles of rest into our combined schedules.

Balance and rest are inherently personal pursuits, and it is vital that you discover what restores equilibrium for you. Perpetually working without finding some kind of reprieve is a type of self-abuse. You are treating yourself like a mechanical machine that neither demands rest nor requires care, but this lifestyle ultimately leads to an inevitable breakdown. I know this all too well, having pushed myself beyond my limits repeatedly over past years.

Today I have a far more balanced existence, and life is both productive and rewarding. Sometimes when others glance at my daily and weekly schedule, they wonder where “rest” fits into the picture. Yet I have discovered a rhythm of work and rest that works for me, and Denise has identified her own rhythm of work and rest — and together, we’ve crafted a harmonious blend that supports each other’s productivity. This decision has resulted in the sustenance of our vitality and strength, and it enables us to fulfill the endeavors to which we feel called.

Allow me to share a story from the New Testament that highlights the possible perils of an unbalanced lifestyle. This narrative features Epaphroditus, one of Paul’s dearest friends — a faithful minister with steadfast dedication to his calling. Despite Christ’s redemptive work on the Cross that provided healing and health, Epaphroditus found himself in the throes of a serious illness. The account in the book of Philippians suggests that his ceaseless and relentless work in the ministry led him to overextend himself, and it ultimately compromised his well-being. Could it be that his tireless devotion and desire to do too much too fast inadvertently opened an “entry point” for the enemy to try to bring him down and take him out?

In Philippians 2:25, Paul writes about Epaphroditus, saying, “Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.” I emphasize this verse, as it unveils the profound importance of this person in Paul’s journey — a genuine brother, cherished colleague, steadfast comrade, and devoted minister who commanded Paul’s deep respect.

In Philippians 2:26, Paul continues, “For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.”

When Paul discovered that the news of Epaphroditus’ illness had reached the ears of the Philippians, he understood that it would pierce their hearts and weigh heavily upon their spirits. The seriousness of Epaphroditus’ condition evoked a fear that they might never again witness the warmth of his smile or be graced by the melody of his laughter. The term “sick” finds its roots in the Greek word astheneia, which encompasses a broad spectrum of physical frailties and weaknesses. But as we delve into the following verse, it becomes clear that this malady afflicted Epaphroditus so severely that it brought him to the very brink of death.

Philippians 2:27 adds, “For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.”

In Greek, the word “indeed” serves as an emphatic exclamation and highlights the profound gravity of the situation. The term “sick” is, again, from the Greek word astheneia, which embraces a spectrum of physical frailties and weaknesses. The words “nigh unto” are an interpretation of the Greek term paraplesion, which is a compound of the words para, meaning beside, and plesion, which is the Greek equivalent of a neighbor. When compounded, the word paraplesion, which is used by Paul in this verse, pictures someone who resides in close proximity to a neighbor. In this case, Epaphroditus was living nearby to “death.”

The word “death” is derived from a form of the Greek word thanatos, which signifies either death or a death sentence. As a complete phrase, it means that Epaphroditus “was so sick that he was living right alongside death.” It was as if a death-sentence were hanging over his life. Epaphroditus was so perilously close to death that he was practically its next-door neighbor.

But Paul then wrote that “…God had mercy on him….” The word “mercy” is from the Greek word eleeo, which depicts a heart-wrenching emotion that compels one to action. This tells us that, driven by deep compassion, God intervened to bring about Epaphroditus’ recovery from a perilous situation. The specifics of his healing — whether it was through miraculous means, faith and prayer, or a combination of spiritual and medical efforts — are not disclosed in the text. But what is certain is that Epaphroditus lingered under the grim shadow of death for quite some time before finally regaining his health.

The narrative refrains from revealing the precise reason for Epaphroditus’ illness, yet Philippians 2:25 paints a picture of him as a steadfast laborer, passionately committed to his ministerial duties. Experts tend to interpret the scripture as suggesting that his unwavering dedication, potentially compounded by stress and insufficient rest, might have ushered in the illness that threatened his life. This was not a trivial ailment but a severe condition that brought him to the brink of death. However, through divine intervention, he was granted recovery and was able to return to his essential ministry work.

In this story, we see the example of a devoted servant of God who grappled with physical ailments, even though Christ had secured his healing and lasting health on the Cross. But by doing too much of a good thing with no pause, it appears that he opened the door to an attack. But he found the path back to health through a mixture of faith, fervent prayer, likely medical aid, and much-needed rest.

If you have overdone it for too long and now your health is jeopardized in some way, God’s mercy is also present to restore you. If God will do it for me, and if God will do it for Epaphroditus, God will also do it for you. But once you are restored, it is vital that you learn — as hard as it may be — to find a rhythm of work and rest that is balanced. It is vital that you discover what lifestyle works best to bring equilibrium to your life.

If you ignore this truth, sooner or later, the devil will discover a way to slip into your life, targeting your body, emotions, or mind, with the aim of dragging you down and snuffing you out. Instead, why not adopt a proactive and preventative approach? Cultivate a lifestyle of balance in which you’re empowered to achieve much while also ensuring you get the necessary rest along the way. Your body will express its gratitude, your spouse will be appreciative, your friendships and other relationships will flourish more, and you’ll enjoy happiness and health throughout your life.

I realize this letter is a little different from what I would normally share, but I simply felt the need to encourage you this month to find the rhythm of work and rest that the Lord wants you to have. I pray that what I shared has encouraged you to rethink this issue for yourself and that the Holy Spirit will help you to devise a plan that works best for you!

As I close, please remember that we are here to pray for you. Just email us at prayer@renner.org or call us at 1-800-742-5593 — we are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT. We will really pray for you, and we believe Jesus will do what needs to be done in your life. And please, pray for us as we are pushing forward by faith to do what Jesus has commissioned us to do. It’s a huge task that requires many hands and hearts, and I am thankful that your own hand and heart are a part of what we do. Oh, we are so thankful for you!

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

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.

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