The Power of Knowing God’s Will

April 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|Hello, Friend!

It is such an honor and privilege to write to you today! I am so thankful for you and that you’re taking the time to read this letter of encouragement and hope that’s coming to you straight from my heart. Every month in my teaching letters, I look forward to sharing important truths from the Word of God with you. I can hardly wait to share what’s on my heart for this month!
 
Before I share what I have for you today, I want to encourage you to remember God’s mercies as we transition into the spring season. Springtime represents newness — new life is beginning to spring up all around us! God’s mercies are just like spring, except instead of waiting around for the right time of year, you can experience the newness of life in Christ every single day. Lamentations 3:22 and 23 says, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Always remember that God’s mercies, like spring, “spring up” new every morning!
 
I want to share with you today about the importance of knowing God’s will. What we know is so important because people perish from a lack of knowledge (see Hosea 4:6). And knowing the will of God is vitally important to our lives. When we know and understand God’s will for us, we can start redeeming any time we may have lost along the way in our spiritual walk. It’s crucial that we redeem the time, especially in these last days!
 
What does it mean to redeem lost time? We can lose time in many ways, such as living in unforgiveness, holding onto bitterness, or living in offense. But the Bible says, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17). There is an abundance of power in knowing the will of God, and when we understand His will, He can start helping us redeem the time as we become open to His power working in our lives!

You Are Holy and Beloved

Friend, isn’t it true that God always makes the first move when He’s calling someone to be born again? You and I didn’t choose God — He chose us! (See John 15:16.) And when you become God’s child, it’s His utmost desire to see you walking out His perfect will for you all the days of your life and to redeem the time according to Ephesians 5:15-17.
 
A part of doing God’s perfect will is to first know who you are. It is God’s will for you to know who you are. Let’s open the Word of God and see who God says you are because there is power in knowing who you really are!
 
If you’re born again by the Spirit of God, the Bible says you are holy ground. Exodus 3:2-4 says, “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.’ So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’”
 
Friend, God is always seeking after us. The Bible says that His eyes search over the earth for those who will worship Him (see 2 Chronicles 16:9; John 4:23). God is in pursuit of us, and we see evidence of this in Exodus 3.
 
The conversation between God and Moses continues in Exodus 3:5, “Then He said, ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.’” I always thought God said this to Moses because He wanted him to remove his shoes out of respect. I’m sure there’s a real truth to that, but as I meditated, I realized that God has called this place holy, and God wanted Moses to experience all of His holiness. He didn’t want there to be a single thing between Moses and the holiness of God. And it’s the very same with us today!
 
God doesn’t want anything separating us from Him. He took the greatest measures to come to Earth as a man, die a horrible death on the Cross, and become sin for us. Jesus did all that just so we would come into that holy place — into the place of His presence. It says in the gospels that when Jesus said, “It is finished!,” the veil of the temple was torn. This veil was said to be several feet thick, separating the temple from the Holy of Holies, a place so sacred that only the priest could enter this space once a year! It was a holy, holy place! But when Jesus died, that veil was torn — and at that moment, He opened up that holy place to you and me!
 
God has invited us into the place of His presence! Isn’t that amazing? We are made holy and we can enter His holy presence through the precious blood of Jesus. Ephesians 4:24 says, “And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” If you have been born again, your spirit has been re-created in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, you are righteous and holy on the inside — how fantastic!
 
Colossians 1:21 reads, “And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” The Bible tells us that we were completely alienated from God, but He reconciled us unto Himself through the body of His own flesh through death! It is through Jesus’ suffering on the Cross that we were reconciled, and we are able to present ourselves before God as holy, blameless, and above reproach in His sight.
 
In Greek, the word “reconciled” is likened to a court of justice. And as you stand in front of this court of justice, you are found without spot, without blemish, and without accusation. You’re unaccused! But what does that mean? It’s a legal word indicating that there is no legal action that can be brought against you. That is who you are in your born-again spirit. Isn’t that magnificent?
 
Now let’s look at what we can do when we know who we are. Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, [and] longsuffering.” It doesn’t say we’re holy and beloved just so we can say we’re holy and beloved — it tells us we’re holy and beloved to give us the power to put on mercy and kindness for others! That is the power of God in you! You’re only able to put on these characteristics because of the holiness and righteousness that live inside your born-again spirit.
 
First Corinthians 6:17 says, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” Read that again. We are made one spirit with the Lord! It would be impossible to be unholy and unrighteous and share a spirit with the Lord! But the Bible says we are one spirit with Him. We are connected to the Lord and can have communion with Him because in our new birth, we are no longer separated from Him — Jesus bridged that gap with His blood on the Cross! He brought us into communion and oneness with the Lord. He is holy, righteous, and beloved and, therefore, you’re just as holy, righteous, and beloved in your spirit as He is!
 
What I’m telling you today is amazing, and it’s the truth! It’s so important that in these last days, you redeem the time by knowing the will of God and knowing who you are. You aren’t just a sinner saved by grace! You used to be, but because of your born-again spirit, you are the righteousness of God in Him. Can you see how important it is that you know and believe this? There is so much power in the revelation of who you really are — that you are holy and beloved in Christ Jesus — because it will give you power in these last days.

Your Sins Are Forgiven as You Forgive

You are absolutely holy, righteous, and beloved in your spirit because you share one spirit with the lord. And because you are holy and righteous because of your born-again spirit, you can know how to forgive just as you know you are forgiven. Forgiveness is such a powerful thing — there is power in receiving forgiveness and in giving forgiveness. I’m not talking about only forgiving when someone hurts or wrongs you — I’m talking about having a strong conviction of forgiveness and living with a forgiving attitude in your heart!
 
There was a time in my life when I struggled with unforgiveness for nearly two years! What people often don’t realize about unforgiveness is that it opens the door for the enemy to wreak havoc in every area of your life, including your mind and body. The Bible says this about unforgiving and combative attitudes in Ephesians 4:31 and 32, which says, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
 
The Bible isn’t giving you a suggestion in this passage — it’s giving you a command! It doesn’t say, “Maybe” or, “Try to.” No! It says, “Let all of these things be put away from you”! The Bible commands you to get rid of all harsh attitudes. When you’re wronged, you decide how you will react and respond. You can either choose to respond in anger, or you can do what the will of God commands you to do and show kindness and forgiveness to that person.
 
You see, your flesh isn’t kind, but your spirit is. That’s why you have the ability to forgive and be kind! Without the Holy Spirit within you, your flesh would take over every time you’re tempted to react poorly. When you say “no” to your flesh and choose kindness and forgiveness, that is powerful!
 
I want you to reread Ephesians 4:32 where it says, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted….” We are called to have a tender heart. Some people have completely stopped running their race because of offense! You have to learn to speak to your heart and choose to not be offended. When you’re tempted to be offended or respond harshly or angrily, remind yourself that you are commanded to forgive and have a tender heart.
 
Verse 32 continues, “…Forgiving one another….” When you look up “forgiving one another” in the Greek language, it actually means to grace one another. We are commanded to give to one another the very same grace that we receive from Christ! We need to show grace toward those who offend and wrong us. It’s so important to remember: If you sow mercy, you reap mercy.
 
Lastly, Mark 11:24-26 says, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Jesus told us that offenses would come, but we have to choose to forgive daily. Our sins are forgiven as we forgive!
 
Take the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35, for example. It tells the story of a servant whose master had great compassion for him and forgave the massive debt he owed him. Then this same servant turned around and had his fellow servant thrown in prison for not being able to pay back a small debt the fellow servant owed. The Bible says in verse 34 that when the master found out, “…His master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.”
 
Tormentors come into your life when you’re living in unforgiveness, just like in the case of the unforgiving servant. Tormentors can manifest in your life as anxiety, worry, bodily pains, chills, discomfort, etc. When I was living in unforgiveness, I began experiencing a lot of anxiety and discomfort in my body. But the moment I forgave who I needed to forgive, the tormentors left and I haven’t struggled with the tormentors of unforgiveness since!
 
Friend, when you open that door of forgiveness to whomever you need to forgive, you open the door for Heaven to rule your life, your relationships, your mind, your thoughts, and your emotions. The answer to redeeming the time you’ve lost living in unforgiveness is simple — you have to forgive! It’s God’s will that you forgive and, therefore, when you live a life of forgiveness, you’re walking in God’s will and can redeem the time!
 
Oh, friend, it is so important for us to walk in God’s will and redeem the time, especially during these end times. And now you know that to redeem the time you’ve lost, wasted, or that has been stolen from you, you must know the will of God! God wants us to know His will because there is so much power available to us when we live in alignment with it. By studying God’s Word, holding fast to your faith in the Lord, and actively integrating the truths of His Word into your life, you will experience the full power of who you are and the full power of forgiveness to affect every area of your life!
 
As I close my letter to you this month, I want to say thank you to those of you who watch my weekly program TIME With Denise Renner. I am always so encouraged when I receive your powerful testimonies, kind words, and comments about how uplifting this program has been in your lives. Thank you so much for supporting me in this endeavor to reach more and more people with the precious truth of God’s Word. If you’d like to watch TIME With Denise Renner, you can do so on my Facebook page or YouTube channel every Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. CT!
 
Don’t forget to let us know how we can pray for you! If you need healing in your body, are in a difficult season, have a special request, or just need someone to pray with, I encourage you to reach out to one of our prayer partners! Call 1.844.473.6637 or send us an email at prayer@deniserenner.org. We look forward to joining you in faith for your answer!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner

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