And of Some Have Compassion

June 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,

Before I get into my teaching today, I want to thank you for signing up to receive your first teaching letter from me. Welcome! I’m so glad you decided to join our family of deeper readers. I spend hours writing these letters each month, sharing my heart and the insights gleaned from my studies in God’s Word. I pray that this letter, and every letter I write in the future, truly ministers to your heart and strengthens your walk with God.

Greetings in Jesus’ precious name!

How can I proceed with my letter without first thanking our generous friends who are responding so quickly and selflessly to our call for help? So many have sown seed into the emergency-relief effort that we are continually able to provide assistance to the precious people whose lives have been shaken by the turmoil in this region. As you know, the situation is volatile and changes hour by hour, but we have boots on the ground and are making a difference in many lives. God is multiplying the resources and protecting the people who are delivering these much-needed provisions to those desperate for them. THANK YOU for your compassionate giving and continued prayers for protection, provision, and boldness.

Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for those who have given so generously to the Ministry Expansion Project. Together, we have successfully completed Phase One and Two of this expansion project! In Tulsa, the papers were signed on our new ministry offices, we have moved in, and we are settling into our new facility. We are now ready for Phase Three of this project, which is to pay off the Tulsa facilities. Please pray about joining us in this effort to finish strong as we ready ourselves for all God wants to do in this season of expansion to take the Good News of the Gospel and the sound teaching of the Bible around the world. Follow this link to see photos of our progress or to give: renner.org/expansion.

This month sparks a special memory for us. It was 30 years ago this month that God brought Denise and me our first staff in the former USSR. Oh, I’ll never forget that moment — it was truly a historical time in our lives when God supernaturally brought us a group of young people who would literally risk their lives to help us spread the Gospel in the lands of the former USSR. I tell all about it in my autobiography UNLIKELY, which can be ordered at renner.org. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Because we are living in the very last season of the last days, most of us know or are familiar with believers or spiritual leaders who have been led astray by seducing spirits and, as a result, have fallen into sin and unbiblical lifestyles or have embraced strange, unscriptural beliefs. There is nothing more heartrending than to watch a person begin to abandon his or her scriptural foundations. It is especially grievous to see family, friends, or fellow believers lay aside sound doctrine and godly morals as they embrace beliefs and practices that will produce negative results.

But even though some have gone astray, it is important to remember that the gifts and callings of God are without repentance (see Romans 11:29). These individuals may have been seduced to go in a wrong direction or pursue a wrong course, but if they repent, they can get back on track. The call of God is still on them, and they can be used by Him once again.

Today I want to encourage you from Jude 22 and 23. It says, “And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”

Often when someone we know and love — perhaps even someone we have trusted in the past — falls into error or sin, we may be tempted to feel betrayed and angry toward that person. We may wonder how he or she could have ever veered off track into such deep moral or spiritual foolishness. But holding a hostile attitude against those who are walking in error or living in blatant sin will not set them free — and it won’t help our heart condition either.

In these cases, Jude 22 says, “And of some have compassion….” The word “compassion” is a translation of the Greek word eleeo, which in this case refers to the deep-seated and unsettling emotions a person feels when he has seen or heard something that is terribly sad or upsetting. These are emotions that may arise, for example, when you see a starving child whose stomach is bloated from malnutrition. You may also feel such emotions if you see an emaciated person dying of terminal cancer or if you encounter a family who is living in such destitute conditions that they are forced to live on the streets with little money or food and with bare necessities.

Jude’s use of the Greek word “compassion” — the Greek word eleeo — lets us know that he was trying to graphically help us understand the serious plight of those who had embraced error or who had compromised their walk of faith. But because Jude used the word “compassion,” he was also telling us that the spiritual condition of wayward believers is just as real and serious as the plight of a starving child, a dying man or woman, or a destitute family.

But as we allow the love of God to operate in us, compassion for errant believers will begin to flow from us to them, and that stream of divine compassion will move us into prayer on their behalf and away from a judgmental attitude against them. God’s compassion within us will compel us to do all we can to see these believers set free from the deception that has gripped them.

These individuals have ingested the poison of spiritual error and, as a result, they have become sickened with spiritual toxins. As such, they are spiritually ill people whose situations are grave. You may be upset with them for laying aside Scripture — and to be truthful, this should be upsetting. But harboring anger against those who have taken a wayward path won’t remedy their spiritual condition — and it will harm yours for taking a wrong stance in your heart against those who err!

In such cases, we must learn to let the compassion of Christ flow from our hearts toward those who have become infected with spiritual error. Compassion is a mighty force that releases astonishing amounts of spiritual power. The tremendous flow of God’s power, released as you pray from His heart of compassion, has the ability to break the chains that came to bind their souls and minds. Their condition may be so grave that only intervention by God will open their eyes and enable them to see their way out of the dark place they are in right now. This was the reason Jude urged, “And of some have compassion.…”

But then Jude 22 added, “And of some have compassion, making a difference….” This phrase “making a difference” is translated from the Greek word diakrinos, which is a compound of the words dia and krino. The word dia carries the idea of dividing or separating, and krino means to judge or to determine. But when these two words are compounded, in this verse, the new word pictures an individual who has lost his ability to separate right from wrong, and it can even depict those who are unable to tell the difference between the truth and a lie.

The Greek word here translated as “making a difference” is translated as “doubt” elsewhere. Believers who have gone astray develop a chronic instability in what they believe — and, ultimately, they begin to doubt God’s Word altogether, even questioning the most basic fundamentals of scriptural truth. They sink deeper and deeper into deception and become so spiritually unstable that they begin to chronically question and doubt important Bible truths they once believed and embraced. By using diakrinos — translated “making a difference” in Jude 22 — Jude informs us that individuals who are deceived are unable to reach accurate spiritual conclusions and therefore often embrace what they would have once deemed to be spiritual error or morally wrong.

But Jude 23 goes on to say, “And others save with fear….” The word “save” comes from the Greek word sodzo. In this verse, it is used in the present active imperative tense, which means the Greek calls for immediate, fast, and continuous or steadfast action. Furthermore, this was not a suggestion from Jude; this was a command.

The word “fear” is from the word phobos, and it refers to a fear that results from a threatening or alarming circumstance. The fact that Jude would use this word indicates that erring believers were on the brink of some type of destruction. This explains why Jude commands us to act fast and immediately. These deceived believers are on the edge of imminent disaster, and if someone doesn’t act fast and do something to rescue them, they could suffer catastrophe.

This reminds me of Lot — an Old Testament believer who was living on the brink of disaster and didn’t understand the seriousness of his plight. But because Abraham acted quickly to stand in the prayer gap and intercede for his deliverance, Lot’s life was spared.

In the same way, Jude commands us to be moved to act immediately because the circumstances of those who are in error are so serious. We must do everything we know to do. A crucial ingredient of that saving process includes intercession, just as Abraham interceded for Lot. And as we pray and stay sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, He will show us what other steps we might need to take to see deliverance come to those who have been led astray. The Holy Spirit has the key to every person’s heart, and He is ready to give us that key if we will hear Him speak to us.

Jude went on in verse 23 to say when we see other Christians headed down a dangerous path of spiritual deception, we must engage in “…pulling them out of the fire….” The word “pulling” is from the Greek word harpadzo and conveys the picture of laying hold of and snatching someone out of a dangerous situation. We must obey this command by doing everything within our ability — through prayer empowered by divine compassion — to lay hold of and to snatch people out of their spiritually dangerous predicaments. Although wayward believers may not feel the heat of the fire or realize the seriousness of their spiritual condition, Scripture shows that they will experience a negative consequence of some kind if intervention is not made on their behalf.

We are not to just sit by and watch erring Christians sink deeper and deeper into deception. When we see people lured off track, we must pray and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He will show us how to pray and whether we are to be further involved in helping them wake up to the reality of their situation so they can be delivered from the judgment they are about to bring upon themselves.

The following is an interpretive expansion of Jude 22 and 23:

And for some, it is essential that you be moved with compassion that does more than simply feel sorry about their plight; you must let compassion move you to take action — to do what you can — to make a difference for those who are uncertain, doubtful, and even vacillating back and forth in their faith. Indeed, there are some in such serious condition that there is no choice but for you to urgently swing into action to deliver, rescue, and save them. You should be so alarmed by their condition that you are willing to do whatever is necessary to snatch them out of the fire….

I realize this letter has been a little long, but this is what was on my heart to share this month. I know that many serious Christians are concerned about people they love, and if this describes you, I pray this letter encourages you to really fire up your prayer life to intercede for them. If you specifically need someone to pray with you for someone on your heart, let us know, and we’ll pray with you. In fact, please contact us about any need on your heart by giving us a call or sending an email or letter, and we’ll gladly pray with you and believe for a powerful result to our prayers of faith.

I pray this letter has encouraged you and given you some guidance today!

We love you and thank God for you!

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

Rick and Denise Renner

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