Renner Ministries News

Women’s Ministry at MGNC Holds Marriage Seminars Just for Wives

The women’s ministry of the Moscow Good News Church, directed by Pastor Denise Renner, recently hosted another marriage seminar just for wives in the church. Denise taught the women in attendance how to show honor and respect toward their husbands based on the inner-working of God’s Spirit in their own hearts instead of solely on the conduct of their husbands. Then she prayed over the women and their marriages. Based on the many written testimonies that poured in afterward, the results of this seminar were remarkable and life-changing.

We’d like to share four of these testimonies:

My husband is a former drug addict. His past influenced his ability to communicate. Because of my husband’s past, I did not have absolute confidence in our future.

We started our own business and began to work together. After some time, problems came in our business and then in our relationship. Our business did not allow us to divide work and home. Depression and despair came. I came to the MGNC seminars with the thought that if they didn’t help me, I would divorce my husband. 

At the very first seminar, I heard a word that touched my heart. It was about receiving my husband just as he is. It wasn’t until the third seminar that I finally understood deeply what this meant, and it changed me.

I asked Pastor Denise what to do when my husband asks me too many questions (his questions made me feel that he didn’t trust me or as if I was incapable of doing something myself). She recommended that the next time he asked me a question, I should simply respond, “Thank you. Thank you for caring about me and asking about me.”

Well, I did it, and my husband was stupefied! My husband is very good man. He loves me, and I love him too. Our relationship is getting better and better every day. Now I feel like I am on my honeymoon. I don’t even notice when he questions me. And we finally agreed that it was time to have a baby. I no longer have the doubts I once had.

_________

I got married five years ago. I worked at church in the children’s ministry, and everyone said I wouldn’t find a husband because I worked a lot, plus the children’s ministry was not a place where I could find him. But we met in the children’s ministry, and it was such an ideal experience when we dated.

But everything changed after we married. We could not communicate in the right way, and our feelings became extinct. Our baby was born — and our marriage became even more of a trial. We drifted apart more and more. Then I physically began to be sick and even had to go to the hospital. I am 38 and had never been sick before!

I went to the seminars with one last hope that God would help me. I understood that I could not cope with my problems on my own. During the last seminar, after Pastor Denise finished ministering, we even could not stir! My eyes were closed, and God showed me that I had to forgive my father. I had no easy relationship with my father, and I did not want to communicate with him. As a Christian, I understood that I needed to honor my parents and love them, but it was not in my heart. I tried hard to do it, but it was just outward behavior. But God was doing something in my heart.

During that seminar, my husband was away on business, but when he came back, I saw another attitude toward me. He did things he had never done before, such as asking me how he could help me. Then he took me and our son to the park, and we spent the best time in my life together!

When Pastor Denise taught, I came to see my mistakes. But I did not even have time to change things drastically before my husband began to change. God’s grace just came and began to work in my heart and my husband’s heart.

I thank Pastor Denise for her prayers and for opening her heart and serving God and us through her own testimonies. It gave me encouragement, and I believe God will give me more strength to make even more changes in my heart and in my relationship with my husband in the future. When we gathered together as wives, there was a great support. It is difficult to overcome some things alone, but when we are together, we are strong.

_________

Pride, rivalry, and malice were inside me. My husband is a very good man. Most of our problems I created myself by nagging him. What did the seminars give me? Now I meet my husband at the door when he comes home, ask him how he is, and prepare good dinners for him. I try to pay more attention to him and to support him better. As a result, our child is more obedient with less talking back.

I also began to listen to my husband, and I am learning when to speak and when to keep silent. He really is my best advisor and friend. He understands me and sees right through me. He is the head of our home, but pride prevented me from doing things God’s way. These seminars gave me new direction so that I could move forward instead of staying stuck in one place in my life and my marriage.

________

Pastor Denise set me free from the “responsibility” of changing my husband! This burden was on my shoulders many years, and I am happy to find that I do not need to do it! God is restoring everything; there is no irreparable situation with Him. He returned to me my husband’s love. When I came back home after the last seminar, my husband said he missed me very much. I am so thankful for Pastor Denise’s prayers.

________

God is in the business of restoring lives, but He always begins His work in the heart of the individual. When we cultivate a humble, teachable attitude, His grace can abound in the darkest of circumstances and begin to turn things around that looked impossible and hopeless. He does this wherever He finds a willing heart, whether in a church in Russia or right where you are right now. 

Just Between Girls Ministry Transforms Orphans’ Self-Image and Behavior

Isn’t it amazing how we see and treat others based on how we see ourselves? Studies have proven that having -- or lacking -- a strong sense of identity and self-esteem affects every aspect of a person’s mental, emotional and physical well-being. Alcoholism, domestic violence, and economic hardship have taken a toll on so many families in the former Soviet Union, leaving countless children abused, abandoned, or orphaned. The trauma these young lives have endured often leave them emotionally battered and without a sense of identity or connectedness. Their self-esteem shattered, they are left feeling worthless, unloved, and forgotten. The results are particularly devastating among young girls.

Imagine your feelings toward yourself and others if rejection, loneliness, and neglect shaped your daily reality for as long as you could remember -- worthless, hopeless, and angry are but a few of the feelings you would struggle with constantly. Now, imagine how you’d feel if someone came along and told you that you were valuable and precious -- and then demonstrated that your life mattered by investing time, instruction, and the necessary tools to help you find your place in society and function as a human being with a divine purpose and destiny to fulfill. Imagine the kind of transformation that would take place!

Transformation is exactly what’s happening among young orphan girls as a result of your prayerful and financial support of Making a Difference and the newest outreach program of Moscow Good News Church to orphanages under the direction of Denise Renner, called Just Between Girls. Through classes that teach hygiene, manners, social skills, and values, while providing personal supplies and products, Just Between Girls seeks to instill self-respect and confidence in girls ages 12 through their teenage years. Over the past year, the results have been remarkable:

We’ve watched the girls who come to these meetings dramatically change. Initially, they start out either very withdrawn or defiant. But over time -- when they see that we continue to come and bring them things not only necessary for hygiene, but also to make them feel special -- we watch them become more open, sociable, and kind toward us and toward one another. They already have the courage to express their opinions and participate in discussions, but we’re now seeing changes in their character, behavior, and appearance. They’ve become less rough and short-tempered -- and more self-disciplined. They are on time for class, and they try to show respect toward us as well as each other. It’s so gratifying to watch them learn to be polite and thankful and to even give compliments to others. When we speak about God, they listen to us more and more attentively. They’re learning to forgive and to ask forgiveness. At every meeting, we close with prayer before we say good-bye.

One girl, whom we’ll call Tanya, was notably harsh, negative, and ill-tempered. She would deliberately disrupt class at first by being negative and mean in an attempt to gain attention. But after a few classes, we acknowledged the birthday of a girl who was also attending the class. We asked each person to say something nice about this girl. Tanya, who had a reputation for being so unkind, shocked everyone in the room by saying to the girl, “I think you are a nice person, and I like how you are always so positive and kind.”

That was the day Tanya made a notable change for the better, and she has continued to show emotional growth and maturity despite the many tragedies, setbacks, and disappointments she has had to endure in her young life. Her story has become just one of many about the lives that have been transformed by experiencing kindness, patience, and compassion -- the love of the Heavenly Father in action -- through the hearts and hands of those who participate in this Making a Difference outreach to young women.  

We’re so excited to share accounts of real change and real influence that the partners and friends of RENNER Ministries have made possible through programs such as Just Between Girls. We’re grateful to God for opening doors for us to take tangible expressions of His love to these young women -- and we’re grateful to you for filling our hands and enabling us to effectively walk through those doors to share that love and the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress….

James 1:27 NIV

Special Women’s Meetings Are Bearing Fruit and Building Marriages

Last week, we reported on the annual women’s conference hosted in Moscow by the women’s ministry of the Moscow Good News Church. This large conference — as well as the smaller meetings held throughout the year — is just one of the many outreaches of the church’s women’s ministry. Each event they sponsor is designed to minister to women of varying ages, marital statuses, and walks of life.

Last summer, Pastor Denise Renner sensed a special need among the married women in the church and was impressed to do something out of the ordinary for this group of women. She had received so many questions from wives concerning how to show the proper respect for their husbands that she decided to hold a series of five meetings over the course of five consecutive Sundays in order to teach specifically on this important topic.

Denise wanted to keep the group small, so she sent out a special invitation, and those who responded first comprised the charter “class” that would participate in this five-week series, which began on November 27, 2011.

The sessions focused on “Understanding Your Husband’s Needs,” and Ephesians 5:33 (NKJV) —  “…Let the wife see that she respects her husband” — was the keynote verse. Each time the women met together, time was allotted for teaching, questions and answers, and praying one for another.

Addressing the women, Denise said, “When we try to stand on our own, the devil uses our thoughts against us to make us think our problems are worse than anyone else’s and that no one has it as bad as we do — therefore, we can expect no answer and no change to happen in our lives. 

“But that is a lie. When you hear the questions that other women ask in these sessions, you realize that there are others who can understand you and pray for you and that you’re not alone. This brings hope into your situation. You begin to receive knowledge and light, and you see that it’s possible to have a happier marriage and a happier you.”

The results of that first series of classes were phenomenal! Following are some of the responses we received from the group of women that attended.

o   Thank you so much for this seminar. I gained knowledge that I was not taught in the world. I want to attend again and again and to be the best wife and mother I can be!

o   God helped me see some of my situations from “the other side.” He is gently showing me my disrespect and disobedience. I had been acting habitually without even seeing or noticing what I was doing. Thank you!

o   It’s not easy to look at my own heart and life instead of at my husband’s shortcomings. I thought my husband’s behaviors were the cause of all of our problems. But now I understand that I need the wisdom and humility to start with myself instead of focusing on him. I am grateful for these seminars. God is doing a real work in my heart.

o   Thank God for these seminars! God is touching not only my relationship with my husband, but also with my daughter. I try to do what I hear at these meetings. My heart is changing. Pastor Denise, you are the best example!

o   After these meetings, I am treating my husband with more love. I am changing, and I can already see his attitude toward me changing for the better.

o   God is changing my character, humbling my pride, and working in my relationship with my oldest daughter. I am thinking more about my husband’s feelings and his concern for providing for our family.

o   After these meetings, everything in me and my family has turned from “black to white.” I am becoming easy to live with. My relationship with my husband is getting right. Money is coming! It’s a miracle!

o   I am trying to consider my husband’s opinions more instead of trying to suppress them with my opinions. He is beginning to talk to me more freely, even confiding in me about his anxieties. Now when I submit to my husband and give him the right to make a decision, I feel that I am more of a woman than before. I feel tender and feminine and not like a “Titan” who’s able to solve any problem!

o   I got a revelation when we were praying during one of the meetings. I saw the need to be grateful for everything good that my husband has given to me — because of him, I am a wife, mother, and keeper of my home!

Because of the partners and friends of RENNER Ministries, the mission to teach, strengthen, and rescue people of all nations in every station in life is taking place in each of our many outreaches. We can’t thank you enough for everything you do in your praying and your financing giving to support this work and ensure our ongoing effectiveness in the former USSR and other nations of the world.

MGNC Women’s Ministry Holds Annual Conference With a Different Format and a Greater Refreshing

The annual women’s conference hosted in December by the women’s ministry of the Moscow Good News Church held many exciting surprises for those who attended this year. The conference theme was “Times of Refreshing,” and the event lasted two days this year instead of one so that the women could have time to genuinely rest and be refreshed spiritually, mentally and emotionally, and physically — not only in the presence of God, but in the company of other believers.

Larisa Vasilyev, Denise Renner’s assistant, shared, “Because we added a day but didn’t add more sessions, the women had ‘free time’ for rest and fellowship. We were also able to reserve a nicer place with more facilities, such as a sauna, so the women could experience a true get-away from their everyday work and routines.”

Even the music portion of the conference was simplified this year. A professional singer was invited to lead the women in praise and worship. With just a piano and her voice, this woman led attendees into very anointed times of worshiping the Lord together. It was the first time in the history of this large conference that a single instrument was used for praise and worship. Larisa added, “Our worship leader was a gifted pianist, who was also very attentive and attuned to the Holy Spirit. We enjoyed singing praises to our God under her ministry.”

Denise Renner shared a powerful word in the first teaching session that created enthusiasm and excitement for what was to come — not just in the remainder of the conference, but also in their personal lives. Some of the sessions didn’t follow the original plan for the meeting — but they were orchestrated by the Holy Spirit, nonetheless, and proved very meaningful to the women. For example, one session became an impromptu prayer meeting, and many women commented afterward that they were blessed to be able to pray in depth with so many other believing women. They were also encouraged and invigorated to return to their homes and keep the flame burning in their personal prayer lives for their families, their church, and their nation.

On the final day of the conference, three mini-seminars were held on topics of special interest to women: embracing femininity as a woman (taught by Denise); dealing with feelings and emotions; and thriving during menopause. During the meeting on the topic of menopause, the women were able to ask a medical doctor questions to help them prepare for and deal with the challenges that are often experienced in this unique season of a woman’s life.

After the conference ended, word spread fast of the special time the women enjoyed together, basking in God’s presence; relaxing spirit, soul, and body; learning new truths; and enjoying the companionship of other women of like faith. Many who didn’t attend the conference this year have already expressed an interest in attending next year.

Meanwhile, the women’s ministry of MGNC experienced a busy month in December, reaching out and extending care to those in need in the form of visitation to shut-ins and gifts of toiletries and other necessities to women in the church and in drug-and-alcohol hospitals — as well as their continued work in various orphanages. Some members of the women’s ministry are already planning for their Easter program, which they will present in those orphanages this spring!

The women’s ministry is also engaged in planning smaller conferences throughout the new year, as well as adding new outreaches to women, such as care-based teaching for those who have been abused and special teaching sessions for singles who desire to be married one day. As a part of the vision of MGNC to build, restore, and strengthen strong families, Denise recently held a series of marriage seminars for women over a period of five consecutive Sundays. Space was limited, so those who responded to her invitation were asked to commit to attending all five sessions. The results were overwhelmingly positive, and at a later date, we will share some of the comments that followed these remarkable meetings.

RENNER Ministries and the women’s ministry of the Moscow church deeply appreciate all our friends and partners who contribute so generously financially and in prayer to make these outreaches effective in strengthening and refreshing those who give of themselves every day to others. We can’t thank you enough for putting your hand to the plow with us to help us harvest and care for thousands of precious souls — both men and women — in this part of the world!

Merry Christmas from Renner Ministries

 

Jesus is our joy in every season.
May your holiday be blessed with His love today
and throughout the coming New Year!

Merry Christmas!

The Renner Family and Ministry Staff

Bonds of Friendship Strengthened at Moscow and Sakhalin Pastors’ Conferences

In one month, the Pastors’ Association conducted two outstanding pastors’ conferences -- one in the city of Moscow and the other on the far-eastern island of Sakhalin in Russia, just north of Japan.

After the Moscow conference, Rick Renner commented, “This was the best pastors’ conference we’ve had in Moscow so far. In fact, with every Association event we host, it seems we step up and go higher and further. The word preached by Gordon gave me so much personally. I’ve been so richly encouraged and blessed!”

Rev. Gordon MacDonald was the featured conference at the conference in Moscow  Many pastors and leaders enthusiastically shared their testimonies about what the conference meant to them. One pastor related, “A surprisingly simple yet extremely deep message was spoken here. The tender spirit of Gordon MacDonald disarmed every question and made me glad to surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of my life. I will be sure to pass on what I received to all of my leaders back home.”

Sergei and Natasha Bagretsov, Association directors in Moscow received several ministry invitations by pastors who hadn’t attended an Association event in quite awhile. These leaders were so blessed by the conference that they wanted Good News representatives to come to their churches so that their congregations could be ministered to further. Sergei Bagretsov expressed, “It was so wonderful to see their faces again, and it was precious to be so earnestly welcomed to bring the ministry to their church congregations.”

No sooner than the RENNER Ministries’ Association leaders caught their breath after that huge Moscow meeting, they began packing their things for the long trip to the Far East. On October 20-23, another conference was held on Russia’s easternmost shores on the island of Sakhalin. The theme of that meeting was “A Minister’s Values in Today’s World.”

 

The main speaker at the Sakhalin conference was Pastor Richard West of Liberty Christian Center in Fairfield, California. Other speakers included Rick Renner, Sergei Bagretsov, and Sergei Finayev, an itinerant teacher from Minsk, Belarus. In preparation for that conference, ads were distributed that headlined, “Rick Renner Gathers With Friends on Sakhalin.” Sergei Bagretsov shared, “This advertisement  proved more true than we’d realized. When we arrived in the Far East, bishops, pastors, and spiritual leaders from all over the region awaited us there. Pastors and leaders from 26 churches attended the conference, and 6 had come over from the mainland. More than ever, the Far East holds a very special place in all our hearts.”

The meetings began with Pastor Denise Renner ministering to women pastors and leaders, sharing her experience in overcoming inner conflicts related to self-esteem, emotions, and attitudes. Denise shared the floor with June Blume, a long-time friend of RENNER Ministries, along with her husband Wally. June addressed the women about her personal struggle with health issues that she was finally able to defeat by the power of God’s Word. She shared that when she defeated wrong thoughts in her mind, she began to see manifestations in her body. Today June enjoys great health and the ability to take care of their family business tirelessly at the age of 72.

On October 21 and 22, special sessions for pastors and leaders were conducted.

Pastor West preached on the core values of a minister, including maintaining complete surrender to Christ’s lordship and continually dying to his own flesh and desires even if he must to go through a “Garden” experience to do it. Referring to Jesus’ experience in the Garden of Gethsemane, Richard exclaimed, “The way to true freedom and God’s grace runs through your own ‘garden.’ We can do all things through Christ when we are truly living and abiding in Christ and He is in us -- when there is more of Him in us and less of us.”

Richard ministered on doing the “impossible,” sharing many powerful testimonies of impossibilities that suddenly became possible with God. He then prayed and laid hands on ministers who were facing their own impossibilities. Gifts of the Spirit were in manifestation as Richard ministered to each person, and many hearts were kindled anew with fresh hope and passion for God and His plan for their lives.

On Sunday, October 23, Rick and Denise Renner, Richard West, Sergei and Natasha Bagretsov, and Sergei Finayev each ministered in various churches all over the island. The teams reunited that evening for a citywide service. The meeting was powerful, and later one of the host ministers related that the attendance at that corporate meeting was so unusually high, it was “unheard of.” At that meeting, Rick Renner strongly challenged the congregation to continually grow to become more Christ-like. He taught that this process of transformation in a person’s soul is an ongoing one that will last for the rest of one’s life.

Overall, the Sakhalin meetings were a special bonding experience for everyone who attended. One of the bishops in the region stated, “Pastor Rick and his team have always been a blessing to our region. Our pastors and leaders have looked up to him for wisdom and guidance, and his visit now is just another way he has strengthened and encouraged them. It has also provided a way for all of us to get together from different denominations, groups, and associations to host this event so effectively. Thank you, Rick Renner, for what you have given us.”

We at RENNER Ministries want to in turn thank you, our friend and partner, for your faithfulness to help us go to some of these faraway and remote regions of the world with your prayers and your giving. You may never meet the people you’ve touched with the Gospel and the love of God, but when you give, you “go.” Our fruit is your fruit too!

MGNC STAFF FEATURE: Yanis Beiris and the Home-Group Ministry

 

The Moscow Good News Church has a large and thriving home-group ministry. The purpose of this ministry is twofold:

• To bring the ministry of the church to Moscow’s neighborhoods and families.
• To provide an avenue by which church members can discuss the message ministered on Sundays, giving home-group participants an opportunity to share insights and ask questions about the Word of God.

Many people don’t feel comfortable coming to a church, but they will go to a friend’s or neighbor’s home. Home groups provide individuals with a comfortable and ideal opportunity to hear the Gospel among friends, neighbors, and family members in a relaxed setting. These groups also provide an atmosphere where people can worship, pray, and enjoy a time of close fellowship with others in a way that isn’t possible during a large Sunday church service.

Yanis and Irina Beiris are the directors who oversee Church Membership and the Home-Group Ministry of MGNC. Yanis, a native of Lativa, has attended MGNC from the beginning. Before his conversion to Christianity, Yanis was a functioning alcoholic who, despite maintaining his job and supporting his family, was destroying himself and his marriage. Yanis recounts that after he was born again, the Lord soon delivered him from his drinking addiction. He later found hundreds of empty liquor bottles scattered throughout his home — evidence to the fact that he was indeed drinking himself to death. Together with his wife Irena and their two children, Yanis has been a faithful member of MGNC. He was appointed to guide the home-group ministry after it experienced a difficult transition.

“Yanis has been with us since the birth of the Moscow Good News Church,” related Paul Renner, associate pastor of MGNC. He began serving in a maintenance position in the church and was a faithful, excellent worker. Then he stepped up and into leadership when we needed to replace the individual who was in leadership over that area. It was a difficult time, but not only did Yanis grow tremendously both spiritually and in his role, this ministry has also thrived under his leadership. He built it up. Today, we now have 110 home groups that are regularly attended by more than 1,000 people.”

The home-group ministry is instrumental in helping to fulfill part of the vision of the Moscow Good News Church: to build a strong, influential family church in the center of Russia’s capital city.

Gordon MacDonald Featured Speaker at Good News Pastors’ Conference

 “We listen [to God] every time we open the Scriptures and place ourselves at the feet of the inspired writers who unfold the mysteries of God.”

Gordon MacDonald,

Ordering Your Private World

 

In the month of October, the Pastors’ Association — headquartered in Moscow, Russia, under the auspices of RENNER Ministries and the Moscow Good News Church — conducted two conferences for pastors and leaders in Moscow and on Sakhalin Island, respectively. This week, we’d like to share with you some of the profound insights that were shared in the Moscow meeting.

Dr. Gordon MacDonald, pastor for more than 50 years and author of several titles, including Ordering Your Private World and A Resilient Life, was the featured speaker in the first conference, held October 7-9. In that meeting, Dr. MacDonald spoke on “A Minister’s Private World” before an audience of more 350 ministers, leaders, and spouses that attended. More than 50 Charismatic, Pentecostal and Baptist churches in the Moscow region, central Russia, the Volga River Basin, and the Urals were represented at the conference.

Dr. MacDonald laid a solid scriptural foundation for his topic and said, “The world today as well as today’s Christian community are in need of more prophetic leaders.” Then expounding on the meaning of a “prophetic leader,” he pointed out three main elements that are found in such leaders: (1) a mighty vision; (2) a deep soul; and (3) an exemplary life.

Rick and Denise Renner also ministered at the conference. Denise shared a powerful message on the benefits of thinking “right” thoughts that line up with Scripture — as well as the damage that can result from thinking wrong thoughts that are corrupted and destructive. She reiterated points from Dr. MacDonald’s message, saying, “A minister’s private world can be enriched and balanced, or it can cause suffering and devastation.”

Denise quoted First Corinthians 2:16, which says, “…Who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ” — and noted that blessing and enrichment or destruction and devastation are contingent on the thoughts that we allow to dominate our thinking.

Rick Renner shared a personal experience in which he rose by the grace of God from a crisis circumstance to a place of victory in that situation by first bringing balance to his private, inner world. Rick discussed the importance of having balance in the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our lives, saying, “Keeping these three in balance — and learning to read the signals that your soul and body send you — is a key to a healthy and resilient life.”

Further building on the messages brought by Dr. MacDonald and Denise Renner, Rick emphasized, “Being at peace with God, with your own personal self, and with those around you will result in a life worth living.”

At the close of one of the services, Dr. MacDonald summoned to the altar those who needed prayer for a strengthening, a deeper grounding in God and His purposes, and a refreshing in the pastoral call. Many pastors, leaders, and their spouses wept with contrite hearts before God, and many knelt in God’s tangible presence as Dr. MacDonald laid hands on them and prayed over each person who answered the altar call.

Several of the pastors who had come from a distance to the conference stayed for the Sunday services at MGNC to hear Dr. MacDonald minister to the church congregation and just to enjoy fellowship with others and with God in His anointed presence.

The events of this pastors’ conference will be a long and lasting memory to many because of the lives and ministries that were strengthened and rescued by what the Lord did in the meeting. Thank you, friends and partners of RENNER Ministries, for your faithful support in your prayers and your giving toward all the various outreaches of this ministry. Our fruit is your fruit too!

Pastor Appreciation Month

I will give you shepherds after my own heart,
who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.
― Jeremiah 34:15 NIV

October is designated as Pastor Appreciation Month, a time for congregations to devote special honor to their pastors and pastoral families for their tireless commitment to bless and strengthen the lives of so many.

The Word of God is clear that giving honor is right and that pastors who labor in the Word and doctrine are worthy of double honor (1 Timothy 5:17). People tend to forget that pastors provide far more service than what is observed in the pulpit. And it is actually their unseen labor — prayer, study, and quiet acts of service — that affects and influences the congregation the most.

Entrusted with the spiritual care and feeding of God’s people, pastors stand responsible before God and accountable before man. The pressures they face are tremendous, yet many times their own needs are overlooked or ignored as they seek to meet the needs of others. Added to that pressure is their challenge of living under a microscope with never-ending public scrutiny ― and of dealing with overwhelming and often unrealistic expectations held by those who believe their pastor should be self-sacrificing and on-call 24/7.

Today, why not take the time to express your appreciation to the pastors you know? Hebrews 13:17 (NLT) states, “Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow....”

Whether you choose to demonstrate your appreciation with affirming and encouraging words, with gifts, or with some form of practical expression, remember also to uphold and support your pastors and their families in prayer on a regular basis. Ask the Lord to strengthen them with might in their inward man (Ephesians 3:16), to garrison their minds with His peace (Philippians 4:7 AMP), to anchor their souls in His Word (Hebrews 6:19), to keep them protected from harm (Psalm 91:9-13), and to infuse them with His wisdom so that His thoughts and ways may be demonstrated through their thoughts, words, and actions (James 1:5). As you lift up your pastors and their families in prayer, surrounding them with faith and love, fresh grace will equip them to do the will of God, which will in turn be profitable for you.

Free To Follow

This week, we’re sharing a powerful testimony of how God delivered a woman from depression and shame when she stopped running from Him — even as a believer — and opened her heart to Jesus completely. Experiencing God’s love in a way she never had before, she became free to follow Him wholeheartedly, to make a difference in the lives of others, and to find fulfillment for her own life. The joy of serving became a reality for this woman when the God of joy broke through the veil of her heart.

_________________

My husband and I each grew up in a republic in Russia where there are two main religious groups: Russian Orthodox and Buddhist. There are few Protestant churches in my hometown, and most of them are considered by the local community as sects. During the time of our studies at a university, we both gave our hearts to Jesus as Savior. 

For a long time, my husband and I were the only Christians among our predominantly Buddhist families, and those were long and difficult years. But within ten years’ time, my mother and my husband’s mother and father also became Christians. We were so happy for them, but the situation became worse and worse for me, because — although I didn’t realize it at the time — my heart was actually closed to the Lord. I knew Him in my mind, but I always wondered why my husband could talk so freely about his love to the Lord, and I couldn’t. I was selfish, I pitied myself, my spirit was weak, and there was no strength nor fire inside me. But, praise God, there was a tiny place in my heart where the Holy Spirit lived.

The Bible says, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV). I’d experienced some terrible events that had negatively influenced me in every area of my life. The enemy was using these things to try to “devour” me, and for some time, he was succeeding. He gave me an idea that my death was the only way out and that it would relieve everyone around me. I was giving up because I couldn’t bear the pain anymore.

I remember one day when I was not expecting anything supernatural to happen, yet God filled the whole room with His presence. My heart melted because of His love, and all of my insides began crying with happiness and relief. I asked Jesus to forgive me for what I’d allowed to preoccupy my heart and my thoughts, and I devoted my whole life to the Lord.

Everything in me was miraculously changed in one second: my heart, my mind, my way of thinking. People saw a different person in me, now filled with God’s life and strength! God gave my husband a vision for our lives, and we a made the decision to leave our past and our comfort zone behind us. All we wanted to do was to follow Jesus. We moved to Moscow by faith without knowing anyone there and without having a place to live or work. God was faithful to provide everything we needed. We miraculously met some people from the Moscow Good News Church. When we heard about Rick Renner’s vision for the church, I started to cry because it was the same vision God had given us! We knew that the Lord wanted us to serve in that church.

When we first came to Moscow, I was shocked to see so many poor, homeless people on the Metro and streets. I wanted to do something to change their lives because they didn’t know, but I did, that there is a way out of any miserable situation! I wanted to share God’s love with them. At my workplace, I printed some verses from the Bible about Jesus’ love toward them, and I began to give those small cards to the beggars I’d come in contact with. 

Since that time, God has given me many opportunities to share His love with those who are in orphanages and women’s prisons. My husband and I even went on a RENNER Ministries mission trip and served as interpreters for a Russian-American team on the trip. God is a God of miracles and wonderful surprises — it was a dream come true for both of us!

 

We saw so many miracles on that mission trip, including the miracle of lives that were eternally changed! The children’s ministry team presented a wonderful puppet performance, but when we first entered the room where the older children gathered, most of them “attacked” our brothers on the team: They tried to grab their hands, sit on their knees, and touch their hair and faces. The nurses explained that the children were accustomed to seeing only women around them and feeling only a “mother’s” love and care — but they didn’t know or understand a father’s love.

Unsaved people have burdens, and it’s our duty as Christians not to be selfish, but to let God pour His love through us toward them. We are truly God’s vessels, and through us He can reach the hearts of the unsaved and hurting people around us. Our assignment is to demonstrate Jesus, to undo those heavy burdens, and to bring God’s love, joy, peace — and hope for tomorrow — to their lives.

—     I. D.

Russia

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Thank you, friend and partner of RENNER Ministries for your faithful support of every outreach of this ministry through your prayers and your giving. Whether it’s many lives — or just one life at a time — that we reach, you have a part in what God is doing in this part of the world! We appreciate you!