Allowing The Holy Spirit to Glorify Jesus in Your Life

July 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|Dear Friend,

I pray this letter finds you well. As you read this, I want to encourage you to keep the Holy Spirit at the forefront of your mind as you prepare for a new month. When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He didn’t leave us on our own without a guide! Jesus promised another Helper to abide in you — the Holy Spirit. When you have the Holy Spirit living on the inside and are sensitive to His voice, your life will be forever changed!

The Holy Spirit is many things to a believer — He is just like Jesus — He is the Spirit of Truth, our Teacher, our Revealer, the One who glorifies God, and so much more!

But today I want to focus on how the Holy Spirit glorifies God. You will come to discover that everything the Holy Spirit does, He does in order to bring glory to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit — The Declarer of Jesus

Let’s begin by reading John 16:14, which says:

He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it unto you.

So how does the Holy Spirit glorify Jesus? He takes what belongs to Jesus, and He declares it unto you. The Holy Spirit is a Declarer, an Announcer, a Testifier, and a Proclaimer. For example, if Jesus has healing revelation or divine wisdom to impart to you, who is going to get you what Jesus wants to give? The Holy Spirit! He wants to take what Jesus has and give it to you. Isn’t that marvelous?

If you need healing in your body, the Holy Spirit wants to give you healing. If you need a revelation, He wants to give you a revelation. And if you need peace, He wants to give you peace! By delivering what the Lord has for us, the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus.

You may be wondering, But how does the Holy Spirit deliver these things to me? For one thing, the Holy Spirit is speaking to you through the Word of God. Through every verse, chapter, and book, He is declaring what Jesus has for you! That is just one of the many reasons why it is so important to read the Word consistently. It is such a powerful tool in the life of the believer! Through it, the Holy Spirit reveals and imparts things to you, and it glorifies Jesus.

I want to tell you about an example of the Holy Spirit glorifying Jesus in a huge way during a Kathryn Kuhlman meeting many years ago. Kathryn Kuhlman made such a way for the Holy Spirit to move in her meetings. She knew that the Holy Spirit would glorify Jesus by bringing His healing, miracle-working power to those who were in her service! That miracle-working power was working through her, and glory was being given to Jesus as everyone in her meetings watched numerous people be healed in miraculous ways.

In this particular meeting years ago, there was one healing that really stood out to me. There was a man named Billy Burke, who is now an evangelist in the United States, but who was just five years old when he attended this service. He had a brain tumor that caused him so much pain that in order to get any relief or freedom from the pain, he had to put his entire head in a bucket of ice. His eyes were also severely cross-eyed because of the tumor. He was in great pain and suffered from embarrassment because of his crossed eyes. He was just a little boy who wanted to live a normal life, except his life wasn’t normal at all.

But his grandmother took five-year-old Billy Burke to that Kathryn Kuhlman meeting. And Kathryn supernaturally called him out to come down to the pulpit for healing. The boy felt embarrassed and didn’t want to come down from his seat on the balcony, so his grandmother and the ushers helped encourage him to go down. And when he had made his way to the front, Kathryn touched him, the Holy Spirit brought the full power of Jesus, and that little boy’s eyes that so severely crossed became absolutely straight! At that moment, Jesus was glorified and this little boy was completely healed of that tumor! Praise the Lord!

Through the miracles the Holy Spirit brought into manifestation in that meeting, He was making a declaration of what Jesus wanted to bring to the meeting — healing. The Holy Spirit is always going to glorify Jesus, and in the Spirit’s manifest presence, His glory changes things.

Allowing the Spirit of God To Move Yields Powerful Results

Just recently, I was in our church in Moscow, Russia, and the Holy Spirit gave me a word of knowledge to speak against cancer and proclaim healing over people dealing with cancer. He specifically instructed me to curse every single cell of cancer. I didn’t know exactly who this word was for, but I obeyed the word the Holy Spirit gave me and proceeded to proclaim healing against every single cell of cancer in the auditorium!

Then just last week, a woman from our church came up to me after the service and told me she had been diagnosed with cancer, and the doctors had told her that she had a very small chance of survival. But after the service when I shared the Holy Spirit’s instruction to curse every cancerous cell in that room, the woman went back to the doctor. After examining her, the doctor told her that every single cell of cancer in her body was gone!

Can you see what the Holy Spirit was doing? He was glorifying Jesus by bringing His ministry — what Jesus wanted to do and what He wanted to give — to that service. And when that healing came, Jesus was glorified! Oh, how powerful!

What about Peter? The apostle Peter was incredibly sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:14-16 says:

And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Did you catch that? Believers would place the sick on the ground around Peter’s path so that when he walked by, they would have the chance to be touched by his shadow, and they would receive their healing. Can you imagine it? Peter was so filled with the Holy Spirit that his shadow actually healed people! That’s the job of the Holy Spirit — to take what Jesus had and to give it to you to bring glory to Him!

Allowing the Holy Spirit to do what He wants to do opens the door for Jesus to bring what He wants to bring into your life. You have to get the Word of God in your heart and get into agreement with it. Once you’re in agreement with the Spirit of God and His Word, it enables the Holy Spirit to impart the things Jesus wants to give you. And Jesus has everything — He has your healing, your deliverance, your peace, your joy — Jesus has absolutely everything you need, and the Holy Spirit wants to give it to you!

I want to give you one more example from the Bible. This passage talks about when Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee.

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw out some now, and take it to the master of the feast.”

And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

— John 2:6-10

Water in the Bible often represents the Word of God. Just like Jesus turned that water at the wedding into good wine, He is doing the very same thing in your heart with the Holy Spirit! I’ll explain it this way: The wine of the Holy Spirit is powerful, and we need to be filled with the Word of God so He can turn that “water” into wine. In other words, when we are filled with God’s Word, we can receive from Jesus through the Holy Spirit. And when we receive from Jesus in this way, it glorifies Him!

Only the Holy Spirit can declare to you what Jesus wants to give you. And when we receive it, it brings glory to His name! That is the manifest power of the Holy Spirit showing us firsthand the ministry and miracle-working healing power of Jesus.

As you go about your month, I encourage you to fill your heart with the Word of God. Dedicate time to spend in the Word and to quiet your heart and mind to become sensitive to the Spirit of God. Listen for Him to declare what Jesus has for you, and receive it knowing that you’re glorifying Him.

As I close my letter, I want to remind you that our prayer team is just a phone call or email away! Whether you have a prayer request or want someone to rejoice over a praise report with you, our prayer team is full of faith and ready to lift your needs up to the Lord in prayer. Just call 1.844.478.6637 or email prayer@deniserenner.org. And if you haven’t tuned in for my weekly program yet, I invite you to watch TIME With Denise Renner on my Facebook page or YouTube channel every Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. CT!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

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