Healing Excerpt

October 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|Hello Friend,

I’m so glad you’ve chosen to spend this time with me! As you read this letter, I pray you receive all that the Lord has for you and allow Him to minister to you.

I have it on my heart to share with you about divine healing and my own experience with the power of God to heal and restore you. But first, let’s look at why some are not healed, because I believe it will help you see some things more clearly than you’ve seen them before.

In last month’s teaching, we looked at the goodness of God and His heart toward all His children. As the father of the prodigal son said to the older brother, “’…Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours’” (Luke 15:31), all that God our Father has is ours through Jesus Christ, and we can be sure of His will to heal all who receive that blessing by faith.

We can study God’s Word and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is the will of the Father that we walk in divine health. With that settled, how do we process the question, “Why is it that some very good Christians end up going into eternity without being healed?” Or, “Why do some believers live their whole lives with debilitating or troublesome physical conditions and fail to receive healing?” How are we to understand this?

First, it’s simply true that there are a lot of factors that we don’t understand in particular situations. It’s not because God didn’t do His part; He isn’t holding back or holding out on anyone’s healing. Psalm 145:9 says, “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works”!

But I do know that people may have ways of thinking or dealing with situations in life that hinder them from receiving their healing.

We don’t know what is in the hearts and minds of the people who need to receive a touch from God. The Bible says it’s even difficult to know our own hearts (see Jeremiah 17:9). I came to realize this about myself during my journey that led to my first experience of receiving a miraculous healing.

I suffered for 13 years from a terrible skin condition on my face and neck from the time I was 12 years old. (I tell my full testimony in my book Redeemed From Shame.) The sores produced by the disease went clear through several layers of my skin. It was painful and terribly embarrassing. As a young woman, I was turned down from jobs and from singing opportunities because of the appearance of my face.

Even after I received the revelation years later that Jesus is my Healer, my healing didn’t just instantly manifest. But as I kept confessing God’s Word over a period of time, there came a powerful moment when the Holy Spirit showed me that there was something in my heart that was hindering my healing. Up until that time, I didn’t know what was in my heart or that there even was a roadblock that could keep my healing from manifesting. I was simply standing in faith, and the Lord was faithful to show me the hindrance!

All through my teens, I had to go to the doctor on a regular basis because of this skin condition. My mom spent a great deal of money on doctors to try to help me. I took a great amount of medicine over the years, but the medicines and treatments didn’t work for me; I just got worse.

These continual visits to the doctor gave me time to spend with my mother, and I enjoyed her attention. Even as horrible as the treatments were — having to endure the side effects of pain, blistering, and scaling — I still enjoyed those times of being with my mom and all the attention I received from her.

“Well, that’s normal,” some might say.

But fast forward years later to when I was 25 years old. Up until then, I just thought it was my lot in life to suffer with this chronic skin condition and that it was up to me to find a way to adapt and make the best of it. I had no hope for anything better. I had even resorted to buying very expensive, thick makeup to camouflage the disease.

Like many people who have a disease, the overwhelming reality of what I was experiencing — the pain, the embarrassment, the cost of treatment — canceled out the entrance of the Word about healing into my heart. So I hadn’t yet come to the revelation that Jesus bore my sicknesses on the Cross. I didn’t know He was my Healer.

For me, that revelation came one day as I just “happened” to come across a radio preacher teaching on healing. And as I listened, there was a moment when hope came alive in my heart as I heard him say, “By the stripes of Jesus, you are healed!” (See Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24.)

I said to the Lord, “You mean that I can actually be healed after suffering 13 years from this condition?”

It was that moment when hope entered my heart that my journey started. It wasn’t the kind of hope that says, “Well, I sure hope I’ll get healed.” It was the kind of hope that is based on the Word and is full of expectation that the manifestation of my healing was surely in my future!

At that time, I knew very, very little about the principle of confessing the Word. I just did it because the radio preacher I was listening to said it was important to do it.

When we start speaking God’s Word out loud, something starts happening inside us. I knew so little at the time that I didn’t realize that as I confessed the Word, my mind was being changed on the subject of divine healing. Nevertheless, from the moment hope entered my heart, I started to faithfully confess God’s promises in His Word and believe Him for my healing, and the power of His Word was doing a work in me.

Weeks passed, and I didn’t see any difference in my outward appearance or feel any different. Nevertheless, as I focused in and confessed what the Word says about Jesus being my Healer, something was surely changing in me. I was changing from the inside out.

The Holy Spirit Is the Revealer of Our Hearts

But then one day, as I was sitting in my car, listening to a woman radio preacher teach on healing, she asked a question that was a key. It unlocked a door to my heart and allowed me to see what was inside.

The radio preacher asked, “Do you really want to be healed?” When she said that, the Holy Spirit made it personal and asked me that question. And as He did, He revealed what was in my heart. He showed me that I had enjoyed the attention I had gotten from my mom because of the sickness, and I was unaware that I had, in a sense, “nurtured” that sickness instead of resisting it.

As I mentioned earlier, Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that in ourselves, we can’t truly know what is in our own hearts. But the Holy Spirit is a Revealer. He reveals the secret things that are binding us so we can be free! (See Daniel 2:22.)

The desire for my mother’s attention had been binding me to the skin disease that had afflicted me for so long, but until that moment, I had no idea. I could only have discovered that by the Holy Spirit. And when He spoke those words into my heart through that radio preacher, there also came the knowledge of what I had to do for deliverance. I immediately repented.

I prayed right then and there, “Lord, I don’t want any more attention because of this condition. I want to be healed!”

As I sat in the car that day, there was just something about the delivering voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to my spirit through this radio preacher. I didn’t have to wonder if the preacher’s words applied to me. I knew.

Suddenly I knew something about myself I hadn’t known before that moment. That is the revealing power of the Holy Spirit in action! And in that moment of revelation, I immediately dealt with the hindrance to my healing that the Holy Spirit had shown me.

Keep Believing — Stay in Faith!

Still, for the next several weeks after that experience, I didn’t see any change in the skin disease. In fact, two months had gone by since the revelation of Isaiah 53:5 first dropped in my heart. Judging from what it looked like, I wasn’t getting any better. Nevertheless, I believed that God was working, and I just stayed in faith and kept doing what I knew to do — confessing what the Word said about my healing.

Then one night I went to bed with that disease, just as I had every other night for 13 years, but when I woke up the next morning, I had received a complete miracle. My forehead, my cheeks, and my neck were clear — the disease was completely gone!

Why did that happen? What freed me from that disease? That happened because of the scourging of our Savior! Jesus didn’t take that scourging — those healing stripes — in vain. He took those stripes so we would believe on what He did for us and receive our healing. But we have to believe it.

That’s what happened in my situation. First, I believed God’s Word. And when the Holy Spirit’s delivering voice through that woman radio preacher revealed to me a key hindrance to my healing, I immediately responded and He dealt with it. Then in the weeks that followed, somehow as I saw His words with my eyes, spoke His words with my mouth, and heard His words with my ears, the power of those words made their way into my heart. And at some moment when my heart and soul agreed, I was healed.

Why would Jesus willingly subject Himself to such horrible treatment? Because it was His Father’s will to free you from suffering and torment. And it was also Jesus’ will. His will and the Father’s will are 100-percent the same — same in purpose, same in plan, same in power. So you can boldly proclaim: Jesus is my Healer! God is faithful, and His promises are true!

Thank you so much again for spending this time with me. If you would like more encouragement from the Word, I invite you to join me for my program TIME With Denise Renner on Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. CT on YouTube and Facebook. You can also find me on the following:

• GospelTruth.TV — Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT
• PTL — Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. CT
• Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google — Mondays at 5:00 a.m. (new audio podcasts)

Will you let us know how we can pray for you? If you need healing or you have a special prayer request, one of our prayer partners is just a phone call or email away. Call 1.844.473.6637 or send us an email at prayer@deniserenner.org. We are believing for you to experience the fullness of God’s blessings in your life — including the healing power that is available to you today!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

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