Dear Friend,

Greetings in the name of Jesus! Today it’s on my heart to minister to you about the ministry and power of the Holy Spirit. Right now all over the world, many Christians are getting ready to celebrate Pentecost — the day when the Holy Spirit’s power was poured out on the Early Church. So it’s a good time for us to remind ourselves about the Holy Spirit’s powerful role in our lives.

But before I get to what’s on my heart, first I want to say THANK YOU for believing in us and for being a friend and partner with our ministry. And I want to also let you know that we are forging ahead by faith to purchase our new “ministry home” in Tulsa and to keep constructing our new TV studio in Moscow. We are so thankful for our partnership together — and we are exceedingly grateful for every extra gift you have given or will give to help us achieve this victory for our ministry (you can go to renner.org anytime to see our progress). As I told you, it’s not about buildings — it’s about having adequate space so we can effectively minister to the people who are reaching out to RENNER Ministries in need of resources from the Word of God, prayer, and spiritual support. If you want to give an extra gift toward this victory, we’d be so thankful to God for it. And we thank God for YOU so much! 

In Philippians 1, Paul told the Philippians how thankful he was for their partnership with him. In verse 7, he said, “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.” Paul knew that those Philippian partners were “partakers” of the grace of God on his life and that they would share in his eternal reward because of what they financially gave for him to be able to accomplish in his ministry. And that’s exactly how we feel about you because of what you do for our ministry. Together, we are making a difference in so many people’s lives!

Would you please let Denise and me and our team know how to pray for you or for whatever you are facing right now? In First John 5:14 and 15 we are told, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” Wow! We are confident that when we pray according to God’s will, it releases answers into our lives. And when you tell us your need, we’ll align our prayers with God’s Word and believe for a mighty river of answers to flow into your life. So please let us know how we can pray for you! Simply call us at 800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org

As I noted above, many Christians everywhere will be celebrating Pentecost this month. But as I think of the Holy Spirit, my mind always goes to Second Corinthians 13:14, where the apostle Paul wrote, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”

Unfortunately, many Christians live and die never knowing the fellowship and companionship of the Holy Spirit. They’ve heard about the Holy Spirit and may even know doctrinal answers regarding the Third Person of the Godhead. But knowing about the Holy Spirit and personally knowing Him in daily fellowship are two very different things.

In the Early Church, there wasn’t a New Testament for believers to turn to for direction, guidance, and answers. When believers assembled, there might have been teaching or readings from the Old Testament or from an apostolic epistle. But for the most part, the Early Believers relied completely on the Holy Spirit. In the First Century, the Church experienced demonstrations of God’s power, miracles, healings, mass evangelism, the full operation of the fivefold ministry gifts, and the gifts of the Spirit in amazing abundance.

We all look back to the Early Church in admiration, longing to see the power of God manifested at that level — and beyond that level — in our own generation. But today we are privileged to have at our continual disposal not only the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, but also the Word of God — an invincible combination in our arsenal that the Bible calls “the weapons of our warfare” (see 2 Corinthians 10:4,5). So why don’t we see the same level of God’s resurrection power and glory consistently manifested in our midst today that the Early Church experienced?

There may be many answers to this question, but one answer is certain: Far too many Christians today have come to lean on their own understanding and intellectual abilities at the expense of consulting the Holy Spirit for His guidance in their lives. They assume they already know what He wants them to do. And because they don’t depend on and yield to the leadership of the Holy Spirit the way the Early Church did, they miss opportunity after opportunity to see His power released in their lives.

There is no substitute for the Word of God — for the true power of the Gospel (see Romans 1:16). But neither is there a substitute for the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in the Church. In fact, these two go together as one. If the Spirit’s presence and power are removed, all that’s left is orthodoxy and religious works. But religion will never raise the dead, cast out demons, heal the sick, or turn cities and nations to Jesus Christ!

In my own life and ministry, I continue to learn more clearly every day how imperative it is for me to maintain intimacy and moment-by-moment communication with the Holy Spirit, no matter how knowledgeable I am of God’s Word. If I hadn’t cultivated a rich, solid relationship with the Holy Spirit during my early years of traveling in ministry throughout the United States, I would have been extremely skeptical, and may have even disobeyed Him, when He called me to move with my family to the former Soviet Union.

Without the help, guidance, and comfort of the Holy Spirit, Denise and I have no doubt that we would have become spiritual casualties at many junctures in our journey during those early years when we lived in Latvia and traveled throughout the former Soviet Union. Furthermore, we’ve stood and watched in awe as His power has moved through our ministry to eternally impact the lives of millions of people — saving them, healing them, performing miracles in their lives, and delivering them from Satan’s bondage.

The Holy Spirit has manifested Himself in ways we had only dreamed of in years past before our adventure in the former USSR began. For instance, in the years since we arrived in the former Soviet Union in 1991, He has enabled us to reach millions of souls through a weekly television program; establish multiple churches in the capital cities of Latvia, Russia, and Ukraine; launch a Bible school to train leaders to serve in a multitude of churches; and hold crusades and meetings in the various regions to build up and strengthen local works — and now to bring the teaching of the Bible to people around the world by media from Moscow. Friend, this is miraculous!

The key for me has been to learn to work with God’s Word while simultaneously flowing with the Holy Spirit. It’s a learning process that each of us must pursue in order to grow in God and fulfill His purpose for our lives. And we can trust the Holy Spirit in that process. He never leads us contrary to the Word of God; rather, He confirms and supports it. After all, He is the One who inspired its writing! (See 2 Timothy 3:16.)

With the Bible in our hands and our hearts — and with an open spiritual ear to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying — we are equipped with what we need to never fail. No people and no generation have ever been so blessed as those of us who live in this glorious Church Age!

I urge you to pray and ask our Heavenly Father to reveal the ministry of the Holy Spirit to you. I am confident that as you yield to His life-transforming work, you will experience the same power that the Early Church experienced as they leaned on the Holy Spirit. Isn’t that what your heart longs to experience?

What an honor to write to you today about the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit. I know that by learning to develop a supernatural fellowship and companionship with Him, you will be launched into a marvelous new adventure and spiritual journey. And please remember that if you have any special prayer needs, we are here for you and we WANT to pray with you. Please call us at 800-742-5593 or email us at prayer@renner.org.

Please also pray for Denise and me, our family, and our entire team, as we steadily press forward to get God’s Word into hungry hearts that are crying out for it. Your prayers and support are so vital to our fulfilling this great mission!

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