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Rick Renner Podcast (Audio)
TIME with Denise Renner - Are You Preaching to Deaf Ears?
00:28:30
When you are open for God to use you, you can depend on the fact that He will do it. Don’t miss the surprising testimonies in today’s program!
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- [00:01]
Drew Hammer
This program is made possible by the giving of the God called partners of Renner Ministries. It's time for big miracles and changes in your life. Join Denise Renner and dive into the study of God's word, which has great power to strengthen faith, inspire change, heal physically and spiritually, and most importantly, help you learn about the power of Christ Jesus living in you. It's time with Denise Renner.
- [00:34]
Denise Renner
Hello, my name is Denise Renner and I want to welcome you to my program. And today I have the most amazing guest. She's been with me. You got to go to the archives before this. And her name is Drew Hammer. And she has this most amazing book called Hammered. And it's her testimony, glorious testimony, how God really just took a simple, just love God person and gave the most amazing life. And of course, there's adventures in that life. There's hurts, there's pains, there's surprises. And how God shows up so big.
- [01:23]
Drew Hammer
Amen.
- [01:24]
Denise Renner
If you need encouragement, I want you to get this book because she called it Hammered. And honestly, Drew, I think everybody's heart at one time has been hammered.
- [01:37]
Drew Hammer
Everybody's heart has been hammered. If you're alive, you've been hammered.
- [01:41]
Denise Renner
If you're alive. That's right. Because the enemy is a liar.
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Drew Hammer
Right.
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Denise Renner
He is a thief. He is a murderer. And he wants to hurt God's beautiful creation.
- [01:54]
Drew Hammer
That's right. Destroy us. So that's his whole goal, his whole mo.
- [01:58]
Denise Renner
I know. But Jesus.
- [02:00]
Drew Hammer
But God.
- [02:01]
Denise Renner
But Jesus.
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Drew Hammer
But God.
- [02:03]
Denise Renner
He took the punishment.
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Drew Hammer
Yes.
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Denise Renner
He took the hammering of every soul.
- [02:09]
Drew Hammer
Amen.
- [02:10]
Denise Renner
The deepest hurt. He took the hammering of it. And you're going to see through these programs the miraculous power of God that can take the worst hurt and problems and turn them around for the good. I love that.
- [02:31]
Drew Hammer
He sure does.
- [02:32]
Denise Renner
I love that too. Because it says that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called to his purpose.
- [02:41]
Drew Hammer
That's right.
- [02:42]
Denise Renner
And he absolutely keeps his promises.
- [02:44]
Drew Hammer
Yes, he does.
- [02:45]
Denise Renner
He does. So. So, Drew, let's talk about some amazing experiences that you've had in life. And that was, I mean, with Jesus, but having this grandfather. Tell us, tell us some more about this amazing man.
- [03:05]
Drew Hammer
Well, I had married into a Russian Jewish family. So I always say they had no idea was going to hit them when this gentile, Pentecostal, Tulsa, Oklahoma girl marries into that family. But God had a plan. He really did. And I want to say this too is I invited Armand, Dr. Armand Hammer. He started Oxydone Petroleum, started trade with Russia. That's why it's so phenomenal to me how God has plucked us small town kids from Oklahoma and here we are in Moscow and we get to minister the gospel together is just so outstanding to me. But sometimes when you minister to people, you don't even know if you're getting through. So I used to invite Armin to our home every Sunday for Sunday supper, as a southerners call it. And he would come over and I bought him a spirit filled Bible and I would mark like in Isaiah 53 and all the prophetic words of the coming Messiah. Because I think too, when you minister to different people from different religions, you have to understand where they're coming from so you know how to reach them. So I just started talking to Armand about how Jesus was that sacrificial lamb because in the Old Testament God always required a blood atonement as the covering of sin. And they would go out and sacrifice the perfect blameless spotless lamb. So I asked Armand one time, I said, well, you're not going out in the backyard and sacrificing a lamb, so what do you do today as your atonement for your sin? And he was never really religious, but he said, we have a day where we fast. And I was like, well, but that isn't exactly what God required. But I told him, I said, that is why we call Jesus the Lamb of God, because we believe he became that atonement for us. And he was the only sinless man. But the point is, is I learned to read him. So when he would come over, he would come over to watch the children play and we would eat lunch together, but I would just slowly sneak it in, you know what I mean? But I also read him and I KN when to stop because you can't overwhelm people and certainly brilliant people like he was, you can't pound them with the gospel like I've been known to do before. I just want people to get it so badly. So it was so amazing, Denise, because when his wife died, he was 92 years old and he was so heartbroken because Francis wife went everywhere with him and she was Catholic and we used to talk about the Lord and she loved Jesus. When she died, he called me and he said, drew, you have something I don't have and I need that right now, right? And I was like, well, wow. I said, armand, the only thing I have that you don't have is Jesus as my Messiah. And he said, I know. Would you call your father? Because my dad would always minister to him and he loved my parents. He invited them to everything, which showed us that he was drawn to what we had because there was no reason for him to invite my parents, you know, to all the different events. But he obviously saw something in my parents because my dad would witness to him as well. So he. They went and prayed with him, and. Oh. So I said, yes, but if they come out, they're going to pray with you to accept Jesus. And he said, I know. I'm ready. 92 years old. So they went. Michael and my dad went and held hands with Armand in his living room, and they prayed the sinner's prayer. And all of a sudden, Army Armand began weeping. And afterwards my dad said, armand, what happened? And he said, God gave me a vision. Like, is that amazing? And my dad said, what was the vision? He said, I saw this golden St. And Jesus and Francis were standing at the top, and I was halfway there on a golden staircase. And he died within six months. He actually went into a coma, like, a couple months after that and never really regained consciousness. Except for there's one other story in my book, but, I mean, it's really remarkable. And here's what I want to say. Even if you minister to family members and you think they're listening, God's word never returns void. It just doesn't. So he was listening that whole time. But I think you have to pray for wisdom. You know, how to approach each person, because you have to approach each person differently. And I'm sure my two sons will say, well, mom, you didn't use much of that wisdom with us, because I was like the hammer just pounding at my kids now.
- [08:29]
Denise Renner
Okay, now there's a question. Tell us about your wonderful sons. I know. Yeah, two wonderful sons.
- [08:34]
Drew Hammer
I do. I do. So my older son is Army. And this is kind of a funny story, because I was in the hospital giving birth to army, and we were not going to name him Armand because that's such an adult name. So we were going to name him Alexander Armand because Michael was Michael Armand. And that hammer, you know, there's very few family members. Armand only had one child. And I was in the hospital and got a telegram from Russia. I mean, is that hilarious? And it was from Armand, of course. And he said, I heard you just gave birth to my great grandson. It would mean the world to me if you'd name him Armand. And I was like, well, that actually wasn't what I was thinking. And it's hard to call a child Armond. So army just stuck. My sister gave. My sister Lisa said, call of army. That's such a cute name. So he is an actor and he was the Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp. And he's been in a lot of movies and he's been hammered, but I can see God changing his heart. And then my younger son, Victor, I said, I have a left and a right side of the brain. Armie's this creative and the actor walks into a room and just, you know, is so funny and outgoing. And my other son, Victor is Mr. Businessman. And he is a vice president of one of the vice president presidents and Morgan Stanley and brilliant with numbers. That's just his calling. So they're both just amazing boys. I love them so much.
- [10:13]
Denise Renner
So, Drew, tell us just a little bit of, you know, what your grandfather did for Russia.
- [10:20]
Drew Hammer
Oh, it's really. You know, I'm not even sure I even totally understand the impact, but he literally came here and saw that there was a need when he was 23 years old and saw that the people were starving to death in the Urals. They had had one of the worst winters they'd ever had in the history of Russia. And this 23 year old kid graduated from medical school at Columbia and had turned his father's pharmaceutical company around and sold it and made a million dollars. And he and his father both, they each had a million dollars in this company or made a million dollars. And it was all Armand. He did it when he was in medical school, if you can believe it. So it's one of these deals where it makes zero sense in the world's eyes, but at 23, a kid out of medical school gets an appointment with Vladimir Lenin and goes in and says, your people are starving to death. We have a bumper crop in the United States. And I have a million dollars. They're selling it for a dollar a bushel. I can buy a million bushels of wheat and ship it over and save the Russian people from starvation in exchange for furs and antiquities and priceless things. And he basically started trade with Russia. And for 67 years, he was the liaison between every world leader and every leader in Russia. And I was really blown away when you all invited me to speak at the National Prayer Breakfast. And I had the privilege of saying how Armand came to Jesus, a Russian Jewish, and there's not anyone in this world that can't be saved. Which is proof right there. And a gentleman spoke after me and he said, my family, we were some of the recipients. And I Bet Armen saved $10 million from starvation so that.
- [12:38]
Denise Renner
10 million people.
- [12:39]
Drew Hammer
Yes, from starvation during that winter. Oh, isn't God Amazing. But here's the thing. When Armin did that, he didn't know Jesus. And I'm not even sure he was even religious. But I always think of him in that verse that says, we are blessed to be a blessing. So as he was doing this, rather he benefited from it or not, which he did, obviously, but he saved millions of people from starving. And what does God say? What did Jesus say to Peter, Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep? And he asked three times, because I believe it's physically, mentally and spiritually we're supposed to feed God's sheep. And Armand was doing that, not even knowing that he was in the will of God. And he was doing what Jesus commanded us to do. And because of that, he blessed Armond all throughout his life and really did remarkable things that very few men could single handedly do.
- [13:47]
Denise Renner
Okay, so Drew, like I know he had something to do with pencils.
- [13:54]
Drew Hammer
Yes. So when he made such a difference in the Russian history and saved all the people, then Lenin said, you may have any concession that you want. And he did a study and people couldn't afford pencils. And he said the pencils were horrible and they didn't write well on paper and they didn't know how to manufacture pencils in Russia. And they were extremely expensive, if you could even get your hands on them. So he goes to France because this was the oldest pencil factory in the world and hires away the president of the company. I'm sure they weren't happy about that. And he brings over the machinery and started a pencil factory and made them affordable for children to learn. Because back then they were really doing a push for children to read and write and be literate because there was a really high percentage of illiteracy in Russia at that time because a lot of them were working out in the fields and they didn't have the opportunity to be in school. So again, even though he benefited financially, he always thought, what can I do to help the people? And that's the way God wants us to think. And when we do, when we think like that, in other words, it's not just, well, God, what can you do for me? I want to be blessed, I want to be successful. He was always thinking of others. And because of that, God blessed Armin so overabundantly that the things that he had done throughout history is really mind boggling.
- [15:31]
Denise Renner
Well, now, Drew, so him being involved with all these other nations brought him, brought you into audience with pretty interesting people. Will you tell us about that?
- [15:47]
Drew Hammer
Well, one of Them, which people love. The story is Princess Di. And when I've met her, I had met her several times, but rightfully so. She was very guarded, and I would never even be speaking about this if she was still alive. But it's a God story, and she was very guarded because people would sell articles you can imagine, and make a lot of money if they had good scoop on her. So, you know, we. They always kind of put us next to each other, because when you're paying $50,000 for a plate at some VIP reception or dinner, you know, you're there with 70 and 80 year olds that can afford that you're not in your 20s like we were. So that Arman would always kind of put us to where we could visit a little bit. But the last time I met her, I was so taken back, first of all, because she walked right up to me. It was at the National Opera dc, and it was a VVIP reception, so there were very few people in the room. And she walked right up to me and said, hello, Drew, it's so nice to see you again. And, you know, I'm a kid from Oklahoma, and I'm like, wait a minute. Does my mind even, you know, understand that Princess Di just walked up to me and called me by name? It was just kind of a funny moment. I was like, okay. And that just happened.
- [17:14]
Denise Renner
That's a funny moment, right?
- [17:16]
Drew Hammer
So she said, I want you to know how sorry I am that Francis has passed away. Because she knew Francis and Armin very well because he was like a godfather to Prince Charles. So we had gone to a lot of events with them.
- [17:28]
Denise Renner
And Frances was Armin's wife.
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Drew Hammer
Yes, thank you.
- [17:32]
Denise Renner
And he loved her very much.
- [17:33]
Drew Hammer
Loved her. Yes. They went everywhere together. So she said, I'm so sorry to hear about Frances. She was such a lovely woman. And then she kind of leaned in and kind of pulled me in closer, and she goes, I just have to ask you, did you get her jewels? And I started laughing because I'm like, you got to be kidding me. I mean, you have a vault of royal jewels, and you're asking me if I got Francis's jewels. But God in that moment, gave me an opportunity to minister to her. And I said, princess Di, I did get some of them, but guess what? She didn't take them with her. I go, you know, what she took with her is her relationship with Jesus. And that's the only thing we take with us into eternity. So again, at that moment, it was like, that's all you can say. Because, you know, then she had to go. I just. I had that little moment.
- [18:32]
Denise Renner
It was a very powerful moment.
- [18:34]
Drew Hammer
Yes. So after that, it came out, probably, I would say, three or four years later, that she had suffered from eating disorders, and she found out that Prince Charles was in love with Camilla. And there were struggles in her marriage, and she tried to throw herself down stairs and commit suicide at one point. And the Lord spoke to me, and that's when you can have everything and yet have nothing if you don't have the Lord. So for five or six nights, I couldn't sleep. And the Lord kept saying, write her a letter. Because I think I was exercise anorexic, because I would run marathons and I worked out every day. And it kind of became an idol in my life because I was always a tennis player and always into sports. But, you know, it just kind of. It consumed me, if you will. And that was the year, seven years in, that I found out that there were infidelities in my marriage. So I didn't want to sound presumptuous to her, but the Lord kept saying, write her letter and tell her I'm there for her. So I wrote her. And I have to say, I'm not even sure what was in the letter, because the Holy Spirit just took over. But I was so exhausted from not sleeping that you finally go, okay, okay, God, I'll write her. So I wrote her a letter, and I remember a little bit of it, but it was like a four page, handwritten letter. And I don't remember most of it because it just flowed from the Holy Spirit. And I said, princess Daya would never be presumptuous to say, I understand what you're going through because you're on a world stage where everybody knows your problems.
- [20:21]
Denise Renner
Exactly.
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Drew Hammer
But it's hard enough to go through it alone. And I have gone through many of the similar things that you are going through. And I just want you to know that Jesus loves you. He is there for you. He is waiting for you to invite him in to your heart as your Lord and Savior. And I just went through the sinner's prayer with her and told her how I'm praying for her, you know, and on and on. And I called Armen's assistant, Florence, who was amazing. She worked for him for years and years. And I said, florence, this is embarrassing to ask, but can I have Princess Di's private residence address? Because I wanted to make sure it was. That it got there. And I thought, well, God gave me this opportunity, so why not? Go through the right approaches.
- [21:13]
Denise Renner
So.
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Drew Hammer
But it was so funny because when I sealed it and went to the post office, you have to get an international stamp. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, this postmaster's gonna go, really? And you think this is gonna get to her, don't you?
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Denise Renner
Right?
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Drew Hammer
And, you know, I'm thinking I probably look like a child sending a letter off to Santa Claus with, you know, my request for Christmas. But I mailed it and slept like a baby. And I'm not saying that I'm the only one that ever ministered to her, but there couldn't have been a lot of people. I mean, I don't know. I pray that there were a lot of people, but I do know that I was one of them because God put me in that opportunity. And the night that she was in the car accident, I was telling Rick this. I said, you know, I really pondered. I said, God, she didn't die immediately, and your words never returned void. So I kept praying, God, let your words, not mine. Let your truth reverberate in her life, in her heart, Jesus, before you take her home. And by the way, I have to add this. She's not any more important in God's eyes than anybody else. And one of my joys is we had a couple living with us for years, Berta and Noy, and they helped raise our children and worked for us, and we had the privilege of leading them to Jesus. And that was every bit of a joy as Princess Di, because in the eyes of God, no one's a princess. We're all children of God. And they now have a son, Jesse, that is, if he's not a brilliant pastor world leader, I would be shocked. But to watch their family just open up like a butterfly is just as
- [23:05]
Denise Renner
important, because the gospel is the gospel for everybody. It is for everybody. The blood that poured off of Jesus body was for everybody. His suffering in hell was for everybody.
- [23:21]
Drew Hammer
So people love hearing the story about Princess Di because it is a fascinating story. But if there's anyone listening that doesn't know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, you are every bit as important as Princess Di in God's eyes. And he leaves the 99 for the 1. And it's so simple. You just say, jesus, forgive me of my sins. Because the price that he paid, that you just spoke about on that cross was the atonement of our sins so we can have access to Jesus. And then all we have to do is say, jesus, come into our hearts as our Lord and Savior, and he promises us that from that moment we will spend an eternity with him and we can have heaven on earth because he lives within us.
- [24:14]
Denise Renner
Amen. Amen. Drew, we're out of time. Stay with us and we're going to come right back and pray with you.
- [24:21]
Narrator
Every heart gets crushed by this world. Sometimes we all experience pain, fear, loss and attack. But as believers, we have hope in the fact that God is still powerful and he's always finding ways to equip and use us to touch those around us. In her series From Broken Places to Beautiful Grace, Denise Renner and her guest Drew Hammer share personal stories to encourage you with the incredible ways God moves in and through broken lives. You'll hear stories about God's perfect, unexpected planning, the power of a willing heart, the path to physical and emotional healing. This heartfelt five part series is available in digital and physical formats starting at just $11. In addition to this teaching series, we are also offering you the book Hammered by Drew Hammer. In this earnest memoir, Drew shares details from her incredible messy life to encourage you that even in the darkest moments, God is moving to bring healing to broken hearts. You can purchase hammered today for $19. Don't miss this special offer, the series From Broken Places to Beautiful Grace and the book Hammered by Drew Hammond. Visit renner.org to order, call the number on your screen or scan the QR code now. Call or go online today.
- [25:51]
Denise Renner
Wasn't that amazing? And I know that you that are listening and you haven't made Jesus the Lord of your life and you don't know if you are going to go to heaven. If you died today, you can know that right now. And Drew, I want you to look in that camera and I want you to lead them in a prayer.
- [26:11]
Drew Hammer
Be honored. I'd be honored. Well, we first want to come to the throne room by asking Jesus to forgive us because he paid that price as our atonement. So just say with me, Jesus, forgive me of my sins.
- [26:25]
Denise Renner
Jesus, forgive me of my sins.
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Drew Hammer
Come into my heart.
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Denise Renner
Come into my heart.
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Drew Hammer
As my Lord and Savior.
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Denise Renner
As my Lord and Savior.
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Drew Hammer
And from this day forward, and from this day forward, I will live my life.
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Denise Renner
I will live my life for you.
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Drew Hammer
Amen.
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Denise Renner
Amen. You may say that seems too simple. Well, Jesus did all the work.
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Drew Hammer
Yes.
- [26:49]
Denise Renner
All he asked us to do is to believe on him and to give him our life. Just like you just prayed. So please let us know if, if what God's doing in your life, if you prayed that prayer, please let us know because we want to send you something. We want to pray with you. We want to connect with you so that you can in your faith. Drew, thank you so much for being with me.
- [27:13]
Drew Hammer
Thank you for having me.
- [27:14]
Denise Renner
It's been an honor. Thank you so much. It's been a blessing to be with you and and I want to see you on the next program. If you've never received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, now is the time for you to experience a new life. Jesus has to give you. Pray this prayer with me right now. Lord, I repent of my sin and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Wash away my sin and make me completely new. I thank you that my sin is removed and Satan no longer has any right to lay claim on me. I faithfully promise that I will serve you as my Lord for the rest rest of my life. Amen.
- [28:07]
Drew Hammer
If you just prayed the prayer of
- [28:09]
Narrator
salvation with us, would you please let us know by going to renner.org salvation
- [28:15]
Drew Hammer
we would love to connect with you.