Rich Because of God’s Perfect Love

November 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,

Wow — 2024 has certainly flown by! I am immensely grateful for every year on this earth and for the opportunity to witness God’s goodness and love in so many people’s lives daily. As we approach the end of this year and the beginning of a new one, I encourage you to seek out His exceeding goodness and love every day. It is all around us! As time passes, it might seem easy to fall into the routine of daily life, but when you pause to recognize Christ’s presence, you may find yourself becoming more present, grateful, and motivated to give your best every day, thanking the Lord for His abundant blessings and presence in your life.

Last month on my weekly program TIME with Denise Renner, I presented a series titled Rich, Richer, and Richest. In each episode, I discussed how, as believers, we are truly rich because God is faithful and always fulfills His promises. As I thought about the approaching new year, I felt inspired to write to you about one aspect of this wealth we inherit as Christians — we are rich because of God’s perfect, endless love for us!

While many people in the world are financially wealthy, they are often impoverished where it truly matters — in their spirits. The wonderful news is that if you’re born-again, abundant riches are available to you within!

Scripture teaches us that as believers, we have a rich inheritance granted by the Lord and His sacrifice on the Cross. In my series, Rich, Richer, and Richest, I highlighted several ways in which believers are spiritually rich:

• You are spiritually rich because God is your Heavenly Father.
• You are spiritually rich because you are made alive in God.
• You are spiritually rich because Heaven dwells within you.
• You are spiritually rich because God’s exceeding power is directed toward you.
• You are spiritually rich because of God’s immeasurable love for you.

Today, I wish to further explore one of these incredible reasons why you are spiritually rich — because of God’s immeasurable, incomparable, boundless, exceeding, and perfect love for you!

The Bible says in Ephesians 1:17-19:

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.

Essentially, it is God’s will for you to grasp the fullness of the Heavenly inheritance you accepted upon being born again. Understanding this inheritance is vital because to receive it fully, you must understand what it encompasses. These riches dwell within you, and as you delve into the Word, fellowship with your Heavenly Father, and meditate on your knowledge of Him, you will access and utilize these riches to their extent.

The Perfect Love of God Resides Within You

Ephesians 3:17-19 says:

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ that passes knowledge; that you may be filled with the fullness of God.

The reason it is possible for you to know God’s love is because this very love is what sent Jesus to earth, prompting Him to take on flesh and make the perfect sacrifice. He suffered beatings, torment, and crucifixion for our sins, paving the way for our salvation.

Upon being born again and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that same love shared between God and Jesus was poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit (see Romans 5:5).

This love is not something you earn by being “good enough,” tithing, or memorizing Scripture — it is freely given to you as you dedicate your life to Christ Jesus, spreading over every surface of your heart.

Security in God’s Perfect Love

As a believer, you share one spirit with the Lord according to First Corinthians 6:17, which says, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” And wrapped in that oneness is the perfect love of God — and that love provides security in Him.

The flesh seeks security in knowledge, vanity, and possessions—in other words, temporary things. The Bible clearly states in Second Corinthians 4:18, “For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” These temporary things offer no real security, but God’s love, wrapped around your heart, brings peace, patience, joy, confidence, and true security.

Although these are valuable, through the loving sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, He offers them freely as our inheritance.

The Love of God is a Powerful Protector of Your Heart

Circle back to Ephesians 3:17-19. It says,

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

God’s perfect love inside you enables you to do “unusual” things. For example, if you struggle with unforgiveness, His love within your heart takes disciplinary action against it! Whether it is unforgiveness, fear, offense, depression, or worry trying to take root, God’s love commands it to leave!

That is how powerful God’s love in you is! When you forgive someone, God’s love rebukes and casts out negative emotions, such as fear, hate, and resentment. As the Bible says in First John 4:4, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

God Wants You to Understand the Full Dimensions of His Perfect Love

According to Ephesians 3:18 and 19, it is God’s will for you to understand His love in its entirety. You have to open your heart to grasp His love’s depth, width, and height.

Many years ago, when I was in college, I had a tendency to believe the enemy and his lies. I felt deeply condemned, believing that I was displeasing to God and not accepted by Him. Although I knew I was a Christian, I felt like I was the worst one.

After dealing with this for some time, I contacted someone I considered a spiritual mother and opened up my heart to her about my struggle with condemnation. I felt so condemned, and I didn’t even really know why! She started to pray with me, and as we prayed, I had an experience with the Lord that I will never forget.

While we prayed, my spiritual mother said, “Denise, His banner over you is love,” and directed me to Song of Solomon 2:4, which says, “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” In other words, right over your head is a banner of God’s love. As she spoke these words to me, I began to see an ocean — volumes and volumes of water that never ended — and I knew it was a representation of God’s perfect love.

God was showing me that His love is truly so unfathomable and immeasurable that it’s able to break through any boundary — it’s able to heal, to deliver, to bring peace, and to chase out the enemy. And it could come against the condemnation of the enemy that was taking place in my mind!

This vision was shown to me to communicate something about the boundless dimensions of His love. This love already resides within your heart, and it’s God’s will for you to discover and understand its dimensions!

God’s Will is For You to Become Acquainted With His Perfect Love

Colossians 1:12 and 13 says:

Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

These verses reveal that when you became saved and made Jesus the Lord of your life, “this inheritance of the saints” became available to you. And it was the very love of God that reached out and pulled you out of darkness and placed that same perfect love inside your heart, transferring you into the kingdom of the Son of His love according to Colossians 1:12 and 13.

His love is wrapped around your heart, holding, touching, and reaching out to you every second of every day!

Many people often ask, What is the will of God for me? According to Ephesians 3:17-19, the will of God is that you be filled with all the fullness of God. How? By becoming acquainted with and coming into agreement with the love of God that’s been poured out into your heart by the Holy Spirit.

Begin to meditate on God’s perfect love, seek Him out for more understanding about His love, and stay diligent by reading His Word. The more you do this the more you will discover about the vast dimensions of the perfect love of God afforded to you by Jesus’ sacrifice — your inheritance.

In a world full of bad news, God’s Word offers good news — His perfect love within you is rich, pure, and immeasurable. Armed with this knowledge, you can declare confidently, “I possess the power and love of God and can withstand any challenge!” It is not your personality, intellect, appearance, or possessions, but the boundless love of God residing in your heart!

When you became saved, God gave you His very best — He gave you Himself, and that includes His perfect love. That’s powerful!

Acknowledge the love of God that has been stretched out to you and that is working against any confusion in your heart and mind. That is the presence of the Lord — the Holy Spirit — bringing forth that love of God in you. As you do this, you will discover more and more about the vast dimensions of His love and receive the revelations that come by faith in Jesus’ name!

Friend, I hope you learned something valuable about the perfect, immeasurable love of God living inside of you. I invite you to watch my newest TIME With Denise Renner series Rich, Richer, and Richest to discover more about the riches that are available to you through Christ! You can watch this series on my YouTube channel or on Renner.org.

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 1.844.473.6637 or email prayer@deniserenner.org.

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

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