Dear Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• “I can’t speak well enough.”
• “I see that other people are more talented.”
• “I don’t think I’m ready yet.”
• “I’m afraid.”
• “I don’t know how I’ll be able to pay for it.”
• “I’m too fat [or too skinny].”
• “I’m not handsome [or pretty] enough.”
• “I’m not popular enough.”
• “I don’t have enough time to do it.”
• “I’m simply not the best choice!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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