Our Faith Overcomes
the World

January 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,

Welcome to the year 2025…a year that is filled with God’s promises for those who lay claim to them!

Today I want to write to you about staying in faith for this year and to remind you of the prophetic word from the Lord, which I shared with you in my November letter. Paul told Timothy to remember “the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare” (see 1 Timothy 1:18). A word is certainly not the same as Scripture, but according to what Paul wrote to Timothy, when God does give a prophetic word, He intends for us to remember it, lay hold of it, and wage a good warfare by it. So this month, I want to remind you of that and encourage you that God has given you everything you need to walk in victory in 2025.

But first, as always, I want to begin by saying how much we thank God for you! Paul rightly told the Philippians, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:3-5). Just as the apostle Paul thanked God for the Philippians who were partners with his ministry, we truly thank God for your partnership with us in the work of the Gospel. Having more partners would enable us to do so much more, but we are so THANKFUL for you and every partner that is with us right now. We are thankful for all you have done, for what you do, and for what you will do in years to come as we all work together and do our parts to obey the Great Commission in this hour of history! 

So again, as we start this new year, I want to remind you of a prophetic word I received concerning the year 2025. I asked God if there was anything special He wanted me to communicate to our friends and partners about the upcoming year, and, as I did, I heard the following words arise from within my spirit as the Holy Spirit began speaking to me.

This is what I heard Him say…

A Storm Is Coming — Spiritual War!
Batten Down the Hatches!

We are headed into a season of intense warfare on many fronts — economic, political, and spiritual. But the Lord is a Man of War, and He knows exactly how to strategize against and overcome every assault against His people and against His Truth.

But just as one should batten down the hatches in a time of storms, God’s people must be mentally and spiritually prepared for a stormy season that lies directly ahead. However, with the grace of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, the promises of God’s Word, and the weaponry He has given, we can move forward step by step with the strategic guidance of the Holy Spirit. And God will triumphantly lead His people forward and carry out His plans for this end-time age.

This is not a time to fear, moan, or cry, but a time to rejoice, for God is strategically at work even in ways you do not see. Although it may seem the enemy and those he is influencing are attempting to derail God’s purposes, remember that the One who sits in the heavens laughs at their plans, and He will ultimately have them in derision (see Psalm 2:4). God is a Man of War, and in the end, His purposes shall surely prevail!

In today’s letter, I want to look at this word piece by piece and then end with a scripture that God has put on my heart for you. But first of all, notice the word from the Lord begins by saying:

We are headed into a season of intense warfare on many fronts
— economic, political, and spiritual.

I fully believe the days ahead are going to be filled with intense battles on many sides. Some of them may be really intense, and they will be experienced in three realms.

First, economic battles.

A time is coming when an economic shaking will come to different parts of the world. This is why it is so important that we keep sowing our financial seed right now before difficult times come.

Ecclesiastes 11:6 says, “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.”

This verse means, “Sow your seed right now and do not stop! You do not know precisely what the future holds economically, but if you keep sowing your seed, it means you’ll be in good shape regardless of what happens in the economy!”

 So I want to encourage you to keep sowing your seed and do not stop! Sowing seed now guarantees that you’ll be provided for even in hard times. Seed eventually grows, and it will come back to you as a harvest in the future if you have been sowing regularly in good times.

Second, political battles.

We are living in a time when incivility rages in politics. None of this is news to those of us who have been watching ugly politics on our TV screens, computers, or mobile devices. The public behavior of politicians and political parties has departed from the days of respectful disagreement into an ugly mess of intolerance and mudslinging. Add to that a widespread weaponizing of the media to perpetuate this indecent assault, and you have a modern picture of “kingdom rising against kingdom” (see Matthew 24:7).

Third, spiritual battles.

Just as there are political battles going on, there is a division happening in much of the Western Church. A large number of people are going “woke” and embracing lunacy, and we are seeing a departure from the faith that Paul prophesied about (see 1 Timothy 4:1) which seems to be snowballing with the passing of time. At first, this departure was a slow drift, but the trajectory has become more pronounced in recent years, accelerated over the past several decades by influential parts of the historical Church Body choosing to abandon the clearly stated, foundational truths of the Bible.

But at the same time, there is a large number of those who are spiritually waking up and declaring the truth and who refuse to budge from the age-old, unchanging truths of the Bible. The result, however, is an intense conflict between light and darkness within the Body of Christ. Unless a major revival occurs, this rift will only grow deeper and wider. If repentance doesn’t melt the hearts of people throughout the Church world, it will eventually seem like there are three churches in existence on the earth instead of one Body:

• A Church that holds fast to the truth and faces the brunt of opposition because it refuses to bend to the spirit of the age, but also experiences the amazing power of the Holy Spirit.
• A Church in the middle trying to “ride the fence” through accommodation or compromise in order to avoid persecution and societal rejection (see Revelation 2:12-17).
• A lukewarm “Laodicean-like” Church that has allowed compromise to run its full course, stripping it completely of the power of God and leaving Jesus standing on the outside (see Revelation 3:14-22).

It is not too late for the Body of Christ to make a full recovery, but for the Church to receive the divine power it needs for correction, change, and restoration, it must undergo a transformation from the highest to lowest levels — from the pulpit to the laity. The Holy Spirit is prophetically warning His people that the only way they can thwart this impending dark spiritual season is to return to their “first love” (see Revelation 2:4,5) and to Christ as the Head of the Church in reverential awe.

Taking up our own cross and surrendering every area of our lives to Him is always the correct path for believers who have chosen to walk with Jesus. We must be willing to face our cross as He did and believe for resurrection power to flow through us — even if it means suffering the brunt of a changing society that has no tolerance for people who hold to an exclusionary faith or to fixed moral absolutes.

If the Church has no fixed, non-negotiable biblical truths to stand on, it will simply become a spiritually weak humanitarian organization with a “Christian” philosophy that lacks the power of God. But I am convinced that there is a breed of believers who have chosen to take a stand for the Word of God — to stick with truth and the power of the Holy Spirit! For them, the future is filled with a visitation of God’s glory!

Again, the first part of the word I received from the Lord said, “We are headed into a season of intense warfare on many fronts — economic, political, and spiritual.”

Next in the prophetic word, I heard:

But the Lord is a Man of War, and He knows exactly how to
strategize against and overcome every assault against His people
and against His truth.

We must never forget that Jesus is Lord and that the Scripture declares Him to be “a man of war” (see Exodus 15:3). That means He knows exactly how to maneuver in all of these realms — He is one step ahead of every event, and He is strategically at war to undo the enemy’s plans!

Then I heard the Spirit say:

But just as one should batten down the hatches in a time of storms,
God’s people must be mentally and spiritually prepared
for a stormy season that lies directly ahead.

Being mentally and spiritually prepared for events in the future is vital, but we are not alone…and that is why the Holy Spirit said next:

With the grace of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, the promises of God’s Word,
and the weaponry He has given, we can move forward step by step
with the strategic guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The fact is that God’s empowering grace is upon us! The power of the Holy Spirit is in us and works through us! The promises of God’s Word are ours to claim and to declare! God has given us spiritual weapons to use when needed and we have the direction of the Holy Spirit.

(In response to this prophetic word, I have dedicated every TV program throughout most of the month of January to a new series called WEAPONS! To the best of my ability, I want to help our friends and partners wage a good warfare according to the word the Holy Spirit has spoken.)

And then, I gloriously heard:

God will triumphantly lead His people forward
and carry out His plans for this end-time age.

We must never forget that God is working! He is the master chess player who knows what move to make to win the game, and He is moving pieces around the board in nations and in ways that we may not see or understand. But one thing is sure: God will lead His people forward victoriously and accomplish His purposes in these last days!

In conjunction with that, I heard the Spirit say:

This is not a time to fear, moan, or cry, but a time to rejoice,
for God is strategically at work even in ways you do not see.

Rather than complain about what we see or what is happening, we must rejoice that God is in charge. Although it’s not always in obvious ways, Jesus really is at work to fulfill the plan of the ages. Jesus truly is Lord over all!

Finally, I heard:

Although it may seem the enemy and those he is influencing
are attempting to derail God’s purposes, remember that the One
who sits in the heavens laughs at their plans, and He will ultimately
have them in derision. God is a Man of War, and in the end,
His purposes shall surely prevail!

This brought Psalm 2:1,2 and verse 4 to my memory. These verses declare:

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed…. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

The kings of the earth, that is, world leaders, have their own plans — and may be trying to work a hidden agenda to accomplish what they wish — but God is seated on His throne, undeterred, and is laughing at their future plans. In the end, God declares that He will have them in derision!  

Therefore, rather than be moved by what you hear or see happening all around you, this is a time for us to put our eyes on Jesus and our trust in the One who is seated on His throne in the heavens — who is working a divine plan that will outdo and undo all the evil works of men. In this hour, we must remember this and rejoice that God really is in control!

So as we come to the end of this letter, I want to leave you with First John 5:4, which says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

The words “whatsoever is born of God” include YOU because you are born again and therefore a child of God. This verse gloriously declares that whoever is born of God — meaning YOU — they are the ones who overcome the world.

The word “overcometh” is from a Greek word that means to conquer, master, prevail, subdue, or be victorious. The word “world” is from the word kosmos, which pictures all world systems. It would include all human institutions and all the political aspirations, plans, power-plays of man, but also everything in the natural realm. As a phrase, the words “overcometh the world” means that as a child of God you have within you everything needed to conquer, prevail, subdue, master, and be victorious over everything — including all the political aspirations, plans, power-plays of man, and anything else in the world!

Then this scripture triumphantly adds, “…This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” This plainly means that our faith gives us the supernatural ability to override whatever is happening in the world. Even if the world around us is tossed like objects in a storm, we can rise above it all and override it. I think of Noah, who, with his family safe inside the Ark, floated on the same waters that destroyed the rest of the world around them. By the way, I encourage you to read my book Last Days Survival Guide, as it will really help equip you to sail through these times in victory and peace!

So if we exercise our faith and apply everything we’ve been learning over the years about how to use that faith toward whatever circumstances or situations come our way — it doesn’t really matter what the devil tries to do, for God has imparted to us the supernatural ability to override it all! We are truly overcomers!

I realize this letter has been a little long, but I felt the need to encourage you with the word the Holy Spirit gave me for 2025. Wage a good warfare by it! Don’t let the enemy discourage you. And remember — you have a faith that overcomes and overrides anything in the world around you!

Before I close, I really want to petition you to please let us know how to pray for you if you are facing a need right now. Just reach out to us by calling 1-800-742-5593 or send us your prayer need at prayer@renner.org. Of course you can pray alone, but why pray alone when our prayer team is standing by to pray with you? There is power in agreement, and in Matthew 18:19 Jesus promised that “…if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”

So again, please remember that we are here to pray for you, and we really want to join you in prayer for God to move on your behalf to meet whatever need is on your heart. We will get into scriptural agreement with you, and Jesus will do His part to do exactly what needs to be done! We really do believe in the power of prayer!

Thank you for letting me minister to you today!

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.

|