The Holy Spirit drew Rick Renner and his family to move to Russia in large part through leading him find a Russian Bible. An evangelist, pastor, and faith leader, Rick spent hours reading over it and comparing it to the Greek he knew, utterly captivated.
“God had put a hook in my heart. I knew for some reason, I was supposed to learn the Russian language.”
It didn’t take long for God to confirm the calling on the Renner family, and Rick ultimately established the Moscow Good News Church. He describes starting a new life on the other side of the world as an adventure.
“Rather than talk about how hard life was, we decided to turn every day into a scavenger hunt. When you’re in the will of God, you never lose. You’ll flourish when you’re where God wants you to be.”
Just like a Bible was pivotal in confirming his calling, the Bible is paramount in carrying it out for Rick. Jeremiah Johnston and Rick both emphasize the importance of keeping Scripture central.
“The Bible is God’s sword. It is what slashes open the human heart and brings conviction. It brings encouragement. It brings everything we need.”
“In fact, we’re told in 2 Timothy 3:17 that it equips us for life: ‘…so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’”
“The Bible truly is the answer for every human need. I’m committed to the teaching of the Bible. It is the power of God, the music of God and the perfume of heaven. We have a responsibility to earnestly contend for the faith; we have a responsibility to maintain the purity of the faith.”
When it comes to unanswered questions from his own life, Rick says,
“God is so clear in His Word. When He asks me to do something, my job is to say, ‘Yes, sir.’ When we say ‘yes,’ and we get in line, things usually become pretty clear. And the things we need to know, we eventually begin to see as time passes.”
Rick Renner is the senior pastor of the Moscow Good News Church in Moscow, Russia, and the founder of Rick Renner Ministries. His teaching has reached searchers and believers throughout the world. Renner is known for drawing out rich meaning from the original Greek language and for tying in personal insights. He has authored more than 30 books in English and Russian, many of which have been translated into other languages.
Rick Renner: How God is moving in Russia and beyond
