Winning with the Word: Recent Episodes
MaryAnn Diorio
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/2024_05_25_How_to_Get_on_God_s_Bad_Side.mp3May 25, 2024
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Saturday, May 25, 2024, and this is episode #15 in series 2024. This episode is titled, “How to Get On God’s Bad Side.”
If you want to get on God’s bad side, oppose Israel. When one opposes Israel, one opposes God Himself.
To oppose Israel is not to avoid honest discussions about her people, her policies, and her purpose. It is not to refrain from asking questions about her past or her future. To oppose Israel is to speak against what God has spoken about her.
On the other side of the coin, supporting Israel does not mean supporting everything she does or stands for. To support Israel simply means to agree with what God says about Israel. Nothing more. Nothing less.
So, to put it succinctly, opposing Israel means to oppose whatever God says about Israel, and supporting Israel means supporting whatever God says about Israel.
So, what does God say about Israel? To find out, we need to go to the Bible. In that great, best-selling book of all time, God does the following:
1) He makes it very clear that Israel belongs to Him.
For example, in the Book of Joel 1: 6, God says this about Israel:
“For a nation has invaded My land, powerful and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and its fangs are the fangs of a lioness.“
And in Genesis 35: 10-12, we read this: “And God said to him, ‘Though your name is Jacob, you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.’ So God named him Israel. And God told him, ‘I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.'”
2) God makes it very clear that those who try to destroy Israel will themselves be destroyed.
Joel 3: 2 gives us the following warning: “I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land.”
This event is known as the Battle of Armageddon and will occur in the not-too-distant future, at the end of the seven-year Tribulation.
When God speaks about dividing up His land, He is referring to the dangerous attempts of this present day to create a two-state solution to the problems in the Middle East. A two-state solution flies in the face of God’s promise to Israel. A two-state solution will result in a dividing of the land of every nation that promotes a two-state solution.
Here in the United States, we have a major fault line right down the middle of our country. Tremors have been increasing in that region, to the point that geologists are concerned about a major earthquake that will destroy America’s heartland. If this happens—and I believe it will—America’s land will be divided in two. As long as our nation supports a two-state solution, we are in danger.
A little research will reveal that every time America pushed for a two-state solution, that push was followed by major disasters. I have attached a PDF file titled Land-for-Peace Disasters, compiled by my husband, that lists the disasters that occurred here in America after each push by a United States administration toward a two-state solution. It is eye-opening.
Hebrews 10: 31 warns us that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” To go against God is to seal your own destruction. Those who seek to destroy Israel will one day fall into the hands of the living God unless they repent.
If you are one who opposes Israel, I urge you to reconsider your position in light of what God says about Israel in the Bible. Then turn to Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah who came forth out of Israel to take the punishment for sin that you and I were condemned to take. But because He loved us so much, He substituted His life for ours and took our punishment in our place.
To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, pray this simple pray with me now:
Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I confess that You are the Messiah, come forth from the Jewish people. I repent of my sin and receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the family of God! Write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday and the day on which you received the birthday gift of eternal salvation that Jesus died to give you. Then write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet titled After You’re Born Again to help you grow in your walk with Christ.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.
_______________________________________
“Land-for-Peace Disasters,” compiled by Dominic A. Diorio, MD
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Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is an award-winning novelist, certified life and health coach, and a licensed minister. She writes award-winning fiction from a small town in New Jersey where neighbors still stop to chat while walking their dogs, families and friends still gather on wide, wrap-around porches, and the charming downtown still finds kids licking lollipops and old married folks holding hands. A Jersey girl at heart, MaryAnn loves Jersey diners, Jersey tomatoes, and the Jersey shore. You may learn more about her at her at maryanndiorio.com.
May 18, 2024
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Saturday, May 18, 2024, and this is episode #14 in series 2024. This episode is titled, “Israel: God’s Alarm Clock.”
For the past several months, the eyes of the world have been on the Middle East, and, in particular, Israel. For those of us who follow Jesus Christ and are students of the Bible, this is not a surprise. The Lord predicted that this would be the case shortly before His return to remove His Church from the earth in the soon-to-come, cataclysmic event called the Rapture.
If we do not understand the events transpiring in Israel, we will not understand what God is doing in these last days. As one writer said, “Israel is God’s program for what He is doing in the world.”
For example, in Zechariah 12: 1-9, the Bible says this:
“This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the LORD: ‘This message is from the LORD, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit. I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves.
“On that day,’ says the LORD, ‘I will cause every horse to panic and every rider to lose his nerve. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of their enemies. And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, “The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, their God.“
“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure.
“The LORD will give victory to the rest of Judah first, before Jerusalem, so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David will not have greater honor than the rest of Judah. On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the LORD who goes before them! For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem.‘”
Jerusalem is still “like an intoxicating drink” in our day, or, as one translation calls her, “a stumbling block.” A move is afoot to divide the city of Jerusalem—and Israel itself—in two in what is commonly called a two-state solution. This is a disastrous move as it is completely contrary to God’s will.
In the Book of Joel, chapter 3, verses 1 and 2, the Lord pronounces this serious warning to the nations of the earth:
“At the time of those events,” says the LORD, “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land.”
God warns the nations of the earth that if they divide up His land, He will divide up theirs.
This warning has ominous implications for the United States. The current administration is supporting and pushing for a two-state solution. God is not pleased. Have you noticed the serious storms that we have been experiencing since that decision? Have you noticed the many serious catastrophes that have assailed our land, more than usual?
If you want to do a fascinating study, research all the disasters that have occurred in America immediately after our administration—or whatever administration was in office at the time—supported a two-state solution. You will be astonished.
There are increasing swarms of earthquakes now taking place in the area of the New Madrid fault-line that runs down the center of the United States. Could it be that God will divide our land there? Only time will tell. We are already divided ideologically and politically and socially. There is more to come.
My friend, God is not to be mocked. He says what He means, and He means what He says. He will fulfill every word He has spoken.
We are seeing today that the nations of the world are gathering against Israel. Even nations that formerly were among Israel’s greatest supporters, like the United States of America, are now turning their backs on God’s chosen land. About the size of the state of New Jersey, Israel now finds herself virtually alone in her struggle for survival.
Many prophecy scholars believe that what we are witnessing now in Israel is the war prophesied in Psalm 83, and commonly called the Psalm 83 War. Whether this is so will eventually be seen. But the current war in Israel certainly looks like the predicted Psalm 83 War.
Let us take a brief look at the history of Israel in order to understand the reason Israel is God’s alarm clock—the biggest player—in these end times.
Israel began with a man named Abram (Abram; later called Abraham) with whom God formed a covenant. Abraham had two sons: Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac was the son of promise because he was born miraculously to Abraham and Sarah, as the direct result of God’s promise to them when they were physically beyond child-bearing years. Ishmael, however, was born to Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s maid, through a rash decision made by Abraham and Sarah outside of God’s will.
Abraham’s descendants through his son Isaac and and through Isaac’s son Jacob eventually became the Jewish nation, while Abraham’s descendants through Ishmael eventually became the Arab nation. These two nations have been continually at odds with each other ever since. It is a case of constant sibling rivalry that began way back with Isaac and Ishmael and, sad to say, continues to our own day.
In Genesis 32: 28, we learn that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. From that point on, Abraham’s descendants became known as Israelites.
Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, had twelve sons, the fourth of whom was named Judah. Judah’s descendants became known as Judeans. Later, this epithet morphed into the term “Jew”. And that term has stuck to this day.
The Jewish people are a unique people. They are the only nation who, despite being scattered all over the world for nearly 2000 years, have preserved their culture intact. This could happen only by the hand of God. Every other nation, when dispersed, married into the culture of the land to which they went and lost their unique identities. Only Israel has preserved her unique identity for thousands of years despite her dispersion throughout the earth. This is truly phenomenal!
We often hear the Jews referred to as “God’s chosen people.” What does this mean exactly? For what purpose did God choose them?
The phrase “God’s chosen people” refers directly back to the covenant or sacred agreement that God made with Abraham in Genesis 12: 1-3. At the time, Abraham’s name had not yet been changed by God. He was still called Abram (or Abram):
Let’s take a look at that covenant as described in Genesis 12: 1-3:
“Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”**
In Deuteronomy 7: 6, God confirms His decision to make Israel His chosen people. In referring to Israel, He says this: “For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.”
The reason God chose the Jews to be His special people is that God was planning to send the Messiah to earth through the lineage of the Jewish people. Moreover, God expected the Jews not only to receive the Messiah but also to proclaim Him throughout the earth as the Savior of the world. Jesus had to become a man through some nation, and God chose Israel to be that nation.
But, tragically, the Jews as a nation failed in their commission. They rejected the Messiah and continue to do so to this day.
But God isn’t finished with Israel yet. One of the most significant Bible prophecies that proves we are in the last days before the return of Christ is the formation of Israel into a nation in a single day. This key prophecy is found in Amos 9: 14-15. Let’s take a look:
“‘I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,’ says the Lord your God.“
This monumental event occurred in 1948 when Israel was acknowledged as a nation in her own right. In fact, then President of the United States, Harry Truman was the first world leader to give official recognition to Israel as a legitimate Jewish state.
Another such prophecy about Israel’s becoming a nation is found in Ezekiel 37: 1-14. This is the prophet Ezekiel speaking to dry bones that he saw in a vision. The dry bones represent the nation of Israel at the time:
“The LORD took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones become living people again?‘
‘O Sovereign LORD,”’I replied, ‘you alone know the answer to that.‘
Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’
So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
Then he said to me, ‘Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.”
So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, “We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.” Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the LORD. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the LORD has spoken!’”
Finally, Isaiah 66: 7-8 predicts the formation of Israel as a nation in a single day:
“Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment?”
Yet that is exactly what happened when Israel became a nation in a single day on May 14, 1948.
I could go on and on, my friend. Yet, suffice it to say that these prophecies I shared with you all point to the truth that Israel is God’s land and that anyone who does violence to Israel does violence to himself and to God Himself and will not go unpunished.This is a sobering thought that should arouse fear in the hearts of any who oppose Israel in any way.
Remember this: Bible prophecy is history written in advance. God wants us to know what lies ahead so that we can prepare our hearts for His return. How do we prepare our hearts? By believing that Jesus Christ—Yeshua HaMaschiach—is the Son of God Who died and rose again to save the world, and by receiving Him personally as Savior and Lord.
I invite you to do that now. Please pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge my sin before You. As I repent, as I turn away from my sin, I ask You to forgive me. I receive you now into my life as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the family of God! Write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday and the day on which you received the birthday gift of salvation that Jesus died to give you. Then write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet titled After You’re Born Again to help you grow in your walk with Christ.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.
_________________________
Sources Cited:
https://understandingthesignsofourtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Isreal-Gods-Prophetic-Clock.pdf
This Week’s Featured Book:
The Iron Saint: Preparing the Church for Persecution
by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD
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WORD-BASED NOVELS FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE
The Madonna of Pisano
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Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is an award-winning novelist, certified life and health coach, and a licensed minister. She writes award-winning fiction from a small town in New Jersey where neighbors still stop to chat while walking their dogs, families and friends still gather on wide, wrap-around porches, and the charming downtown still finds kids licking lollipops and old married folks holding hands. A Jersey girl at heart, MaryAnn loves Jersey diners, Jersey tomatoes, and the Jersey shore. You may learn more about her at her two websites:
maryanndiorio.com
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May 11, 2024
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Saturday, May 11, 2024, and this is episode #13 in Season 2024. This episode is titled “The One-Way Street.”
A widespread notion has taken hold of the world-at-large that there are many ways to Heaven. Friend, hear me when I tell you that this is a blatant lie that is leading countless people straight into the pit of Hell. Just as you must drive in only one direction on a one-way street or else you will be punished by the law, so must you take a one-way street to Heaven or else you will be punished forever. That one way street is Jesus Christ.
The problem with the world today is that we think we can make our own rules without any consequences. That, too, is a lie. God has already made the rules, and if we try to change them, we will be in big trouble.
As in, going to Hell.
So, you may be thinking, “Dr. MaryAnn, who are you to tell me that I can’t make my own rules? I can choose whatever way I want to get to Heaven. After all, it’s my life.”
To answer your question as to who I am, “I am no one, really, to tell you what to do. I’m not the one making the rules. God has already made the rules. He is God, and I am not. My job is simply to warn you about the rules that God has already made—and that are unchangeable, by the way—so that you will not end up in Hell and suffer torment there forever.
All that I do, then, is to inform you about the rules so that you can lead a happy, successful, peaceful life and so that you will not go to Hell when you die.
You might further ask, “What’s it to you whether I go to Hell or not?”
My friend, you may find this difficult to understand, but I recognize you as a masterpiece created by God. A person God wants to make His child, to be a part of His family forever and ever. Because I love God, I love you, and I do not want to see you suffer, especially suffer the eternal punishment of Hell.
Let me put it like this: God created you for fellowship with Himself. Satan hates that truth and wants to destroy you so that you will never experience that fellowship with the wonderful, awesome God Who made you. You see, Satan hates God and everything God has made, especially people. And he hates you!
So Satan throws lies your way—like the lie that there are many ways to Heaven—to get you off course and going in the wrong direction, away from God.
Now, you may be wondering how I know there is only one way to Heaven. I know on the authority of the words of Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God Who cannot lie. Jesus said this in the New Testament Book of John, chapter 14, verse 6: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Did you hear that? Jesus said, “I am the Way to the Father. God the Father lives in Heaven. Since Jesus is the only way to the Father, Jesus is the only Way to Heaven.”
But because God loves you, He never forces you to do anything. He gave you a free will so that you could be—well, free! Why did God make you to be free? Because He wants you to love Him because you want to love Him, not because He is forcing you to love Him. You see, forced love is not love at all. It is coercion.
Would you want your spouse or children or best friend to love you because you forced them to? Of course not! That wouldn’t be love at all. You want them to love you because they want to love you.
So it is with God.
Because God the Father loves you, He has prepared a special place for you in Heaven, where He lives. But there is only one way to get there. That way is through Jesus Christ.
Now, you may be asking, why does Jesus have to be the only way I can get to Heaven?
Here is the short version: When our first parents, Adam and Eve, were created, they were connected to God. God gave them dominion over the earth.
But when our first Mom and Dad sinned by disobeying God, they were disconnected from Him and forfeited that dominion. In essence, they handed the dominion of the earth over to Satan. At that instant, Satan began to rule the earth. When Satan took over, death in all of its forms entered the world, and Satan has ruled the world ever since. That is the reason there is evil in the world. Satan is the cause of all evil.
Now, God the Father felt sorry for Adam and Eve and wanted them and all of their descendants reconnected to Him. But He knew that man could never reconnect himself to God through his own efforts. It was impossible. Why? Because man’s offense against a pure and holy God was too great to be paid for by a now corrupted, unholy man.
So God the Father, in His great love and mercy, gave up His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for reconnecting man back to Himself. You see, God the Son—Jesus Christ—was pure and holy. So He was worthy to pay the price for man’s sin against a pure and holy God. And as a man, Jesus Christ could stand in for fallen humanity in the reconnection process. In short, Jesus took the rap for our sin. He went to the electric chair for us so that we would not have to. Talk about love!
So, this is the essence of Christianity. Man can never earn his salvation. Jesus earned it for him. The main difference between true Christianity and every other belief system is this truth: Man cannot get to Heaven through his own efforts. No matter how many good deeds man does, he can never pay the price for his sin.
All other belief systems falsely teach that man can earn his way to Heaven by doing good deeds. I tell you, man cannot.
But the Good News—the Gospel—is that Jesus Christ earned man’s way to Heaven for him. Jesus paid the price of sin for man! He gave up His own life in order to do this. There is no greater love than giving up one’s life for another.
In paying for the price of our sin, Jesus gave us a great gift. But the gift is not ours unless we believe in it and receive it. We have to believe that Jesus paid the price for our sin, and we have to receive the gift from Jesus in order to benefit from the gift personally. When we do, we are instantly reconnected to God the Father.
So, Christianity is summed up in believing and receiving, not in earning and deserving.***
This process is commonly called redemption. And it is being offered to every human being simply for the taking.
What about you? Would you like to accept Jesus Christ as the one-way street to Heaven? Would you like to invite Him into your life now and receive Him as your Savior and Lord?
If so, pray this simple prayer after me:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I acknowledge that I am a sinner, and I ask Your forgiveness for violating Your Word and Your will. I invite You into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the family of God! Write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday and the day on which you received the birthday gift of salvation that Jesus died to give you. Then write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet titled After You’re Born Again to help you grow in your walk with Christ.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word!
___________________________________________________________
Source cited: *** David Guzik’s Commentary on Hebrews 8: 6, BlueLetterBible.org.
This Week’s Featured Book:
The Iron Saint: Preparing the Church for Persecution
by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD
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WORD-BASED NOVELS FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE
Miracle in Milan by MaryAnn Diorio
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In Black and White by MaryAnn Diorio
First-Place Winner in Historical Fiction in the 2020 Christian Indie Book Awards Contest
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Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is an award-winning novelist, certified life and health coach, and a licensed minister. She writes award-winning fiction from a small town in New Jersey where neighbors still stop to chat while walking their dogs, families and friends still gather on wide, wrap-around porches, and the charming downtown still finds kids licking lollipops and old married folks holding hands. A Jersey girl at heart, MaryAnn loves Jersey diners, Jersey tomatoes, and the Jersey shore. You may learn more about her at her two websites:
maryanndiorio.com
with Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
https://content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Dr_Dom_s_Testimony_of_Healing_from_Cancer.mp3
May 4, 2024
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Saturday, May 3, 2024, and this is episode #12 in Season 2024. This episode is titled “Dr. Dom’s Testimony of Healing.”
Since we recorded this message “off the cuff,” it is in podcast format only. You will find the link below:
Dr. Dom’s Testimony of Healing from Cancer
To accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, pray the simple prayer below:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I acknowledge that I am a sinner, and I ask Your forgiveness for violating Your will and Your Word. I invite You into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the family of God! Write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday and the day on which you received the birthday gift of salvation that Jesus died to give you. Then write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet titled After You’re Born Again to help you grow in your walk with Christ.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word!
April 27, 2024
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Saturday, April 27, 2024, and this is episode #11 in Season 2024. This episode is titled “What Will Happen to You after You Die?”
There’s an old saying that goes like this: Only two things in life are certain–Death and Taxes.
With apologies to the late, great Jane Austen, it is a truth universally acknowledged that all men will one day die. Despite current endeavors in trans-humanism—which is the merging of man and machine—man in his physical state is not immortal. One day his body will die. Plain and simple.
While people may grapple with the fear of death, they usually don’t think about what happens after death. In this week’s podcast, I would like to explore this very topic of what happens after physical death and why we should be concerned.
Let’s first take a look at what a human being really is. You, my friend, are an amazing creation of God. Contrary to what the evolutionists may tell you, you did not evolve from lower forms of life. You were created directly by God Himself, fashioned by His heart and His hands for His purpose. You are not here by accident. God intended for you to be here at this moment in time and at your particular place in time. Whether your parents wanted you or not, God wanted you. Psalm 27: 10 says this: “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.”
Now, when God made you, He made you in His image. This means that you are a reflection of Him. How? Well, God is a three-part Being: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Since you are made in God’s image, you, too, are a three-part being: spirit, soul, and body.
Your spirit is who you are at the core. The real you. Your soul comprises your intellect or mind, your emotions, and your will. All of this is housed in your body, which I call your “earth suit.”
When God first created man, man’s spirit was connected to God. When man’s spirit was connected to God, man enjoyed an abundant life of peace, joy, and love in a place called the Garden of Eden.
But when man disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden by eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, man’s spirit was severed from God. Man had already known good. But now, after his sin, he began to know evil as well.
And, sad to say , man has known evil ever since.
Man’s sin put him in a major dilemma. His spirit was now separated from God, and there was no way for man to connect himself back to God. Because of his sin, man was now corrupted and imperfect. God, of course, was pure and perfect. As an imperfect being, man could not reconnect himself to a perfect Being.
So what could man do?
Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Man could never reconnect himself back to God. Yet, without that reconnection, man was totally helpless, lost, and damned to an eternity of punishment in hell. For his sin had to be paid for, and man could not pay for it.
Yet, something amazing happened. Something completely unexpected. God the Father loved man so much in spite of man’s sin that God sent His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ to reconnect man back to Himself. That is what the Cross is all about, my friend. Jesus, the perfect God, gave His life as the punishment for your sin and mine. In other words, Jesus took the rap for our sin.
It would be like someone going to the electric chair for you today. Who would do that? No one I know. But Jesus Christ did it for you and for me.
You see, sin always has punishment attached to it. Sin is a violation of God’s holiness, and God not only will not tolerate sin, but he also cannot tolerate it. He is holy, and sin cannot stand in His Presence.
Well, since Adam was now corrupted by sin, he was in no position to pay the price for sin. Someone had to do it for him. And that Someone was Jesus Christ.
This is the reason Jesus came to earth as a human being. He took on the nature of man in order to be our substitute in taking the punishment for our sin. The One Who was fully God became fully man. And while on earth, He remained fully God and fully man.
Why?
Because as a human being, Jesus could represent man and take man’s punishment for sin. As God, He could perfectly pay the price for sin that was due to the perfect God. Jesus Christ alone qualified to pay the punishment for man’s sin. No matter what our culture may tell you, there is absolutely no other way to be saved. Jesus Himself said in John 14: 6, ““I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Buddha was not perfect. Mohammed was not perfect. Hare Krishna was not perfect. Nor were any other of the false saviors people have followed over the centuries. Only Jesus Christ was perfect.
Buddha, Mohammed, Hare Krishna and all other false saviors eventually died and remained dead. Only Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is still alive forevermore!
In dying for our sin, Jesus satisfied the wrath of the holy God. You see, because God is perfectly just, He has to punish sin. He cannot overlook it. Otherwise, He would not be perfectly just.
So, someone has to pay God for sin. Man could never pay God for his sin. So Jesus, in His great love and mercy, paid the price for man. Because Jesus was both God and man, God the Father accepted Christ’s death and resurrection as full payment for man’s sin.
The Good News is that now, Jesus offers to you and me the freedom from the punishment for sin that He earned for us. He offers this freedom as a gift, with no strings attached. We cannot earn Christ’s gift of salvation. We simply have to accept the gift. Only Jesus could pay the infinite price for sin owed to the infinite God. And Jesus did. Why? Because of His infinite love for us.
But unless we receive the gift of salvation, it does us no good. If I were to give you a birthday gift, you would have to accept it from me in order for it to be in your possession. If you refuse to receive the birthday gift from me when I offer it to you, you would, in essence, be rejecting the gift.
It is the same with the gift of salvation. We can either accept it or reject it. But there are consequences to each decision. If you accept the gift of salvation—also known as the gift of eternal life—you will go to Heaven when you die and live in joy with Christ forever. You will be acknowledging that Jesus Christ paid the price for your sin. In so doing, God the Father will consider your punishment for sin paid for. He will consider your debt of punishment cancelled.
But if you reject the gift of salvation, you will go to Hell when you die and live with Satan forever in utter, unending torment. You will be refusing Christ’s payment of your sin debt. As a result, you will still be required to pay the debt of punishment for your sin.
But, as we have seen, you cannot pay the debt yourself. So if you reject Christ’s payment of your sin debt, you will be condemned and damned for all eternity.
The choice is yours.
So, what choice are you going to make? Will you accept Christ’s gift of eternal life, or will you reject it?
Know this: Jesus came to earth the first time as a baby. He will come back the second time as a Judge. If you have not accepted His gift of salvation, He will judge you as guilty of sin. But if you accept His gift of salvation, He will judge you as innocent and acquitted of sin.
So, my friend, what is your decision? If you have decided to accept Christ’s gift of salvation, pray this prayer with me now:
Lord Jesus, I come to You, acknowledging my guilt. I deserve eternal punishment, but because of Your love for me, I can escape eternal death since You graciously paid the price for my sin. So, Lord, I repent of my sin, and I turn to You for Your mercy and grace. I receive Your gift of salvation. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. Reconnect me to God the Father. I pray in Your Name. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the family of God! Write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday and the day on which you received the birthday gift of salvation that Jesus died to give you. Then write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet titled After You’re Born Again to help you grow in your walk with Christ.
Also, please check out my featured books below. Miracle in Milan in ebook format is on sale this week for only $2.99. And my award-winning novel, In Black and White, is featured in a Goodreads Giveaway until May 9th.So take advantage of these two opportunities at the links below.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word!
________________
Miracle in Milan by MaryAnn Diorio
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Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is an award-winning novelist, certified life and health coach, and a licensed minister. She writes award-winning fiction from a small town in New Jersey where neighbors still stop to chat while walking their dogs, families and friends still gather on wide, wrap-around porches, and the charming downtown still finds kids licking lollipops and old married folks holding hands. A Jersey girl at heart, MaryAnn loves Jersey diners, Jersey tomatoes, and the Jersey shore. You may learn more about her at her two websites:
maryanndiorio.com
https://www.celebrationlifeandhealthcoaching.com
April 20, 2024
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/2024_04_20_The_Scoffers_Are_Coming.mp3Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Saturday, April 20, 2024, and this is episode #10 in Season 2024. This episode is titled “The Scoffers Are Coming!”
In 2 Peter 3: 3, the Bible predicts the following: “In the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.” The same prediction is repeated in the Book of Jude 1: 18: “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”
So, what is a scoffer? A scoffer is a person who scoffs. And what does it mean to scoff?
According to Merriam-Webster, to scoff means “to show contempt by derisive acts or language.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language states that to scoff means “to show or express derision or scorn.”
So, a scoffer is a person who shows contempt toward another person or belief by expressing ridicule and scorn against that person or belief. Another word for scoffer is mocker. In short, a scoffer or a mocker makes fun of a person or a belief with which he doesn’t agree.
The Book of Proverbs describes a scoffer like this: “’Scoffer’ is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.” (Proverbs 21: 24) So a scoffer is also arrogant and filled with pride.
When the Bible speaks of scoffers, it is referring to people who make fun of the Bible and anything related to God. More specifically, in our day, the term scoffer refers to someone who makes fun of the Bible’s teaching about the Rapture.
In case you are not familiar with the term Rapture, it refers to an imminent, stunning, and catastrophic event during which Jesus Christ Himself will appear in the clouds to call up from the earth those who are His true followers. First Thessalonians 4: 16-17 describes the Rapture like this:
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.”
There are many signs today that the Rapture is imminent. Although we do not know the exact date, we do see very clear indications that the Rapture will occur very soon, perhaps even this year.
Yet, there are many who are making fun of this Biblical prediction. In fact, as I read in our opening Bible verses, the Bible even predicted that there would be people in the last days who would make fun of those of us who believe and proclaim that the Rapture will occur.
But God says to the scoffers, “Be forewarned! You will be punished unless you repent of your scoffing.”
In Acts 13: 41 NLT, God is speaking through the Apostle Paul:
“‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”
The Bible uses the word “perish” in this verse. That means “die.” God is warning scoffers that if they do not repent, they will die. In other words, they will be condemned to Hell.
The Apostle Peter wrote this in 2 Peter 3: 3-4 NLT:
“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.'”
We are seeing Peter’s words coming to pass right now in our very day. I personally have had people laugh and say to me, “What do you mean Jesus is coming again? You Christians have been saying that for years, yet nothing has changed.”
Such people are scoffers.
It is a very dangerous thing to make fun of the things of God, and those who do will not go unpunished. Isaiah the Prophet wrote this warning to scoffers: “For the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, has plainly said that He is determined to crush the whole land. So scoff no more, or your punishment will be even greater.”
There is destruction decreed against the world, including America, if we do not repent. According to God, scoffers will be more severely punished because of their scoffing.
Be assured of this, my friend: what God has said in the Bible will come to pass. No one can keep it from happening. A person can scoff all he wants, but one day, in the not-too-distant future, that scoffing will turn to weeping as the scoffer experiences the wrath of the God Whom He has scoffed.
If you have been a scoffer, I urge you now to repent and turn to God. Ask Him to forgive you. He will. He did not create you to scoff. He created you to believe in Him and to live a joyful, peaceful life.
He who scoffs hurts himself. He destroys his own soul. And he dishonors the very Lord Who paid the price for his sin by dying on the Cross. Scoffing is no way to treat God or any of His children.
If you have been guilty of scoffing, stop now. Turn to Jesus in repentance, and ask Him to forgive you and save you. He will.
Pray this simple prayer with me now:
Lord Jesus, I come to You in my sin, acknowledging that I have ridiculed You and those who follow You. I have made fun of the Bible, especially its prediction about the Rapture. Forgive me, Lord. I repent of my sin and turn to You for Your mercy and grace. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. Make me a new creation. I pray in Your Name. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the family of God! Write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday. Then write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet titled After You’re Born Again to help you grow in your walk with Christ.
Also, please check out my featured books below, The Iron Saint: Preparing the Church for Persecution and Breaking the Mind Barrier: How to Think Like a Winner.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.
________________
The Iron Saint: Preparing the Church for Persecution
by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
PRINT
E-BOOK
Breaking the Mind Barrier: How to Think Like a Winnerby MaryAnn Diorio, PhD
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_____________________________________________________
Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is an award-winning novelist, certified life and health coach, and a licensed minister. She writes award-winning fiction from a small town in New Jersey where neighbors still stop to chat while walking their dogs, families and friends still gather on wide, wrap-around porches, and the charming downtown still finds kids licking lollipops and old married folks holding hands. A Jersey girl at heart, MaryAnn loves Jersey diners, Jersey tomatoes, and the Jersey shore. You may learn more about her at her two websites:
maryanndiorio.com
https://www.celebrationlifeandhealthcoaching.com
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Saturday, April 14, 2024, and this is episode #9 in Season 2024. This episode is titled “Why You Need a Savior.”
Before we begin, I’d like to thank my awesome husband Dr. Dom once again for being such a great guest on my three recent podcasts. Feedback on the interviews has been amazing.
If you haven’t yet listened to my interviews with Dr. Dom, you can check them out at the links in the show notes below:
Interview #1: The Rapture
Interview #2: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Interiew #3: Is the Bible True?
I’d also like to welcome all my new subscribers from around the world. Thank you so much for joining us here on Winning with the Word. We value you very much and trust that we will be a blessing to you.
And now on to today’s podcast.
If you’re at all like me, you grew up hearing the dictum, “There’s no free lunch!” Our parents used to say that over and over again to teach us that we had to work our way through life. And, to a great extent, they were right. Nothing comes to us free of charge. Either we have to pay for it or someone else does.
Take, for example, a college education. Some parents pay for their children’s college education; others do not. In my case, I paid for my own college education by working as a waitress and a store clerk during my college years. This made me appreciate my education all the more. But, it also taught me that it it were to be, it was up to me.
While this attitude—an attitude I call a “works mentality”—served me well in making my way through life, it did not serve me well at all when it came to the salvation of my soul. Why not? Because when I learned that I did not have to work to be saved—that I did not have to work to get into Heaven—the concept was difficult for me to accept. After all, “There’s no free lunch,” right? And, if it’s to be, it’s up to me.
You see, I had been brought up in the Roman Catholic Church that taught that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that He died to take the punishment for my sins. So far, so good. But this church also taught me that I had to add to what Jesus did for me by performing my own good works. His sacrifice was not enough for me to get into Heaven. My good works would make up the difference. In other words, I needed to help Jesus earn my way to Heaven by doing good works because His way was not enough.
Jesus plus Church Tradition. That’s what we were taught in the Catholic Church. Now, things may have changed today, but that’s what I was taught as I was being brought up in the Catholic Church.
So I spent my life trying to do all the good works I could, to the point of wearing myself out.
One day, it occurred to me that I might never do enough good works to get into Heaven. So I asked a priest how and when I would know if I had done enough good works to earn my entrance into Heaven.
His reply brought me no comfort at all. He said, “After you die, you will know if you’ve done enough good works to get into Heaven.”
Not a helpful thing for him to say. My tacit reply was, “Thanks alot! At that point, if I’ve fallen short of doing enough good works to get into Heaven, it will be too late to do anything about it.”
Moreover, another thought arose in my mind: If I can get into heaven by doing good works, then Jesus died for nothing. The thought startled me, the thought of His having gone through all that suffering for nothing. And it got me thinking hard and long. Certainly Jesus would not have died for nothing. He’s too smart to do that. After all, He’s God.
So I began to explore what exactly happened when Jesus died on the Cross. And here is what I discovered more than half a century ago:
__Man was created by God to live forever with Him.
__God gave man a free will so that man could make choices. Man could choose either God’s way or his own way.
__Man made the fatal choice to choose his own way when he disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. That choice resulted in man’s separation from God.
__When man chose to separate himself from God by going his own way, man forfeited eternal life in exchange for eternal death.
__In choosing to go his own way, man was now stuck. He could never get back into God’s good graces on his own. He needed someone to do it for him.
Why?
__Because in choosing to go his own way, man became corrupt. As a corrupt creature, he could never pay the incorruptible price for sin that was due to the perfectly holy God. In short, man needed someone to do it for him. He needed a Savior.
__That Someone—that Savior—was Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was the only one qualified to pay the price of punishment for sin. Why? Because Jesus Christ was both fully God and fully man. As God, Jesus was holy and could fulfill the requirements for sin required by the holy God. As man, Jesus was human so he could represent humanity by standing in the gap for us.
So why do you need a Savior? Because you cannot pay the price for your sin. It is a price only Jesus Christ could pay because only He was fully God and fully man.
Sadly, every belief system except Christianity teaches that we have to earn our way to Heaven. So, from the get-go, every belief system except Christianity will fail.
Why?
Because it is impossible for any human being to earn his way to Heaven through his own efforts by doing good works.
Jesus did all the earning for us by doing the one good work that was necessary to pay God for our sin. That one good work was to lay down His life as the sacrificial Passover Lamb of God. And He laid down His life because He loves us. In John 3: 16 we read, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
And in Ephesians 2: 8-9 NLT we read this: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
The Bible states that salvation is a gift. The gift of eternal life. In Romans 6: 23 we read:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So you see, my friend, there is still no free lunch. But our salvation lunch was paid for by Jesus Christ. All was have to do is to receive His gift.
How do we do that?
Simple. Just by reaching out in prayer and asking for it. Let’s do that now. Repeat this prayer after me:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. A sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I repent of my sin. I choose to turn away from it and to follow You. I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Make of me all that You created me to be. In Your Name I pray, Lord. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer with me, please write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday. And please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started on your exciting journey with Jesus Christ.
I also encourage you to begin reading your Bible every day. The Bible is our manual for life. Just as our car manual tells us how our car functions and what to do when there is a malfunction, so does the Bible tell us how we function and what to do when we malfunction.
Ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can find encouragement and support from other Christ-followers.
As of this podcast, I have been following Jesus Christ for nearly 54 years, and He has never failed me. Nor will He ever fail you. He is the Answer to your every need, bar none!
Before I close, I invite you to check out my latest book on growing in Christ, titled The Iron Saint. Based on the principles of the Iron Man Triathlon, The Iron Saint was written to prepare the Church in America for persecution. We are already seeing signs of this persecution in the increasing censorship of all things Christian. Get your copy of this life-changing book and learn how to endure strong and faithful to Christ until His return in the Rapture. Get a copy of The Iron Saint for your pastor as well.
The Iron Saint is available on my website, Amazon, at major online bookstores, and at retail bookstores for ordering.
I also encourage you to visit my website at maryanndiorio.com for a wide selection of outstanding books for your reading entertainment and spiritual growth.
Please tell others about Winning with the Word. By God’s grace, we now reach listeners in 80 countries throughout the world with the life-changing Word of God.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just when you are, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word!
Blessings,
Dr. MaryAnn
______________________________________________
The Iron Saint: Preparing the Church for Persecution
by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
PRINT
E-BOOK
Breaking the Mind Barrier: How to Think Like a Winnerby MaryAnn Diorio, PhD
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_____________________________________________________
Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is an award-winning novelist, certified life and health coach, and a licensed minister. You may learn more about her at her two websites:
maryanndiorio.com
https://www.celebrationlifeandhealthcoaching.com
April 6, 2024
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of the Winning with the Word podcast. Today is Saturday, April 6, 2024, and this is episode #8 in Season 2024. This episode is titled “Is the Bible True?”
Today I am delighted to welcome back my awesome husband of 54 years, Dr. Dominic Diorio, for this third and last episode in our series on the end times. If you haven’t listened to my first two interviews with Dr. Dom—the first one on the Rapture and the second one on the upcoming April 8th eclipse—I encourage you to do so. You will find the links in the show notes below.
So, welcome back, Honey! It’s great to have you on the podcast again. I might have to make you a regular. 🙂
We have had such good listener feedback from our previous two broadcasts, and I know that today’s conversation will give you even more very important information to help you understand and prepare for what lies ahead in the world.
And, yes. We know a lot about what lies ahead. Why? Because God has revealed it to us in the Bible. But the problem is that most people don’t read the Bible and most people don’t believe it is true.
So let’s begin our discussion with Dr. Dom with the most obvious question: Is the Bible true?
NOTE: In the show notes to the podcast, Dr. Dom discusses reasons that prove the Bible is true. Check out the podcast at:
Is the Bible True?
If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, do so now. Pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I admit that I am a sinner in need of your mercy and grace. I repent of my sins and receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving me and for setting me free. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the Family. Write down today’s date, for it is the date of your spiritual birthday. And write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet titled After You’re Born Again to help you get started in your exciting walk with Jesus.
Before we close, don’t forget to check out my book titled The Iron Saint. Based on the concepts of the iron man traithlon, The Iron Saint is a manual for preparing for the difficult challenges of these last days. It is available in both print and ebook formats on my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com or on Amazon. Get your copy now and give one to your pastor as well.
I want to thank God that Winning with the Word now reaches listeners in 80 countries around the world. If you are listening to this podcast from a country outside the United States, please let me know by writing to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com.
Remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
_____________________________________________________
Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
April 1, 2024
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/2024_04_01_Interview_with_Dr_Dom_on_the_2024_Eclipse.mp3
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of the Winning with the Word podcast. Today is Monday, April 1, 2024, and this is episode #7 in Season 2024. This episode is titled “The April 8, 2024, Great American Eclipse and What It Could Mean.”
Today I am delighted to welcome back my awesome husband, Dr. Dominic Diorio, as we explore another exciting aspect of these end times in which we live. We had such good feedback from last week’s broadcast, and I know that today’s conversation will give you even more very important information on what is going on in our world from a Biblical perspective.
So, with that, I am so happy to welcome back my amazing husband of 54 years, Dr. Dom Diorio.
SHOW NOTES
__In this episode, we discuss the upcoming April 8, 2024, Great American Solar Eclipse.
__Useful links:
What Is the Biblical Significance of the Solar Eclipse?
Do They Know Something We Don’t?
Decoding Heaven’s Message: Spiritual Meanings of the 2024 Eclipse
solar eclipse
eclipse
2024solareclipse
If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, do so now.
Remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
_______________________________
Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/2024_03_18_The_Event_That_Will_Soon_Turn_the_World_Upside_Down.mp3Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of the Winning with the Word podcast. Today is Monday, March 18, 2024, and this is episode #5 in Season 2024. This episode is titled “The Event That Will Soon Turn the World Upside Down.”
If you’re like me, you can feel it in your bones. Something big is about to happen, but most people don’t know exactly what that is.
When talking with others, I find that I am not alone in my feelings. Others also feel that the world is on the edge of a cliff, and that before long, it’s going to fall over and fall off and break apart at the seams.
So, if you’re feeling this way, you are not alone. But you may not be able to pinpoint why you feel this way. So let me give you a rational explanation. A rational explanation found in the Bible.
Now, before you tune me out, let me ask you a question. Have you ever read the Bible? If not, why would you dismiss it? If I’ve never tasted a certain dish, how can I say I don’t like it?
To reject the Bible without even reading it is not a sign of intelligence. I daresay you consider yourself intelligent. If you do, then read the Bible before you give an opinion on it.
That said, I believe that when you read the Bible you will be amazed at what you have been missing all these years. You will wish you had read it sooner, especially since the Bible predicts everything that you are now reading in the morning newspaper headlines and watching on the evening news.
Specifically, here is what I’m talking about:
1) We are fast heading toward a cashless economic system as world banks prepare us for digital currency. This digital currency system will lead to the Mark of the Beast that was predicted in the Bible in Revelation 13. Read it for yourself.
2) The world is fast moving to a one-world government, called the New World Order. We’ve all heard this term already. This was predicted in the Bible in the Book of Daniel, chapters 2 and 7, and the Book of Revelation, chapter 13.
3) Every day we hear new rumors of war as nations fight against nations. This was predicted in the Bible in Matthew 24: 7.
4) On the news we watch videos of criminals looting stores without consequence, as the law is no longer upheld. This was predicted in the Bible in Matthew chapter 24, verse 12.
5) In court rooms across the country, we watch criminals being released without bail for crimes that used to earn them life imprisonment. This was predicted in the Bible in Ecclesiastes 5: 8, written by King Solomon in the 9th century B.C., and in Isaiah 59: 14, written by the prophet Isaiah in the 8th century B.C.
Are you getting my point? Everything we see happening in the world around us today was predicted in the Bible, some things thousands of years ago.
So why am I telling you this?
I’m telling you this because there are events predicted in the Bible that have not yet happened but will soon happen just as surely as earlier predicted events have already happened, and as surely as today’s events predicted in the Bible are happening.
What are these future events?
Here are the most salient of them:
1) The Rapture of the Church. You may have heard of the Rapture. The Rapture is that future event, that may likely occur in the fall of this year, during which Jesus Christ Himself will appear in the clouds and remove from the earth all those who truly follow Him. This event was predicted in the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 4, verses 16 and 17. This is what it says:
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
The Bible is clear that Jesus will return in the clouds to remove from the earth those who follow Him. If you do not follow Him, you will be left behind to endure the worst period in human history called the Tribulation, or the time of Jacob’s Trouble.
When those of us who follow Christ are removed, the world will be told that we were abducted by aliens because of our lower consciousness level. The world will be told that we Christians were taken away to be “trained” until we reach the higher level of consciousness required to dwell on this planet. This is a lie, but the world will accept it as true.
For years now, our world has been programmed to accept aliens. Our movies, our books, our video games—all have been promoting aliens as creatures of higher intelligence, creatures to whom we should pay attention.
But let it be known that aliens are really demons in disguise. They are the fallen angels who were cast out of heaven with Satan at the time of his rebellion against God. This, too, is recorded in the Bible. Aliens are roaming the earth, these demon angels, are roaming the earth, deceiving and destroying everyone who believes in them.
2) The Tribulation. Once the true Christ-Followers are removed, the Tribulation will begin. The Tribulation will last seven years during which time the world will be under the brutal dictatorship of the AntiChrist. He will execute anyone who chooses to follow Jesus Christ during that time. It is highly probable that their execution will be by beheading. As far-fetched as it sounds, the world may very well see the re-instating of the guillotine used during the French Revolution.
The Tribulation will witness natural catastrophes to a degree unlike anything ever witnessed. There will be earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hail and windstorms that will literally wipe out whole populations. There will be diseases and plagues worse than those during the time of Moses. There will be violence unlike anything the world has ever known.
During the Tribulation, the world will see the rise of digital currency controlled by a one-world bank. The AntiChrist will demand that those who wish to buy or sell take a mark on the hand or forehead that signifies total allegiance to him. In the Bible, the AntiChrist is referred to as the Beast, and this mark he will demand is called the Mark of the Beast. The Bible predicts that during the Tribulation, about two-thirds of the world population will die.
Why should all of this matter to you? It should matter because your eternal destiny is at stake.
You see, my friend, you are not just a body. You have a soul and a spirit. Your spirit is who you really are at the core. Your soul is your mind, your will, and your emotions. When you were physically born into this world, your spirit was separated from God by sin–the sin nature we all inherit from Adam and Eve. Unless you receive a new spirit, you will remain separated from God forever. Why? Because you cannot give yourself a new spirit. You cannot save yourself from sin. None of us can.
Our sin was against a perfect God, and none of us is perfect enough to satisfy the requirements of God’s holiness. Only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, could satisfy that price.
And the good news is that He did! Jesus Christ loved us so much that He paid the price for our sin. He loved you so much that He paid the price for your sin. It is free. It is a gift.
But like any other gift, if you don’t receive it from Him, it won’t be yours. Each of us must receive the gift of salvation personally. We are not saved based on our church attendance, our family’s lifelong membership in a church, or by any effort on our part to do good works. Nothing will save us except the Blood of Jesus Christ which He shed on Calvary in payment for our sins.
Won’t you receive His gift of salvation today? What is holding you back? Why would you not accept the gift of your eternal salvation? Why would you refuse it and choose eternal separation from God instead in Hell forever and ever?
What I’ve told you today is true and will happen exactly as the Bible has predicted. You cannot change that. The only thing you can change is your response to Christ’s invitation to accept His gift of salvation and to follow Him. If you do, you will not be left behind when the Rapture occurs, very possibly in the autumn of this year. That’s only six months away!
I urge you to pray this simple prayer with me now to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I turn away from my sin and I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this simple prayer, you are now a born again child of God. When the Lord returns soon in the Rapture, you will go with Him to Heaven for all eternity.
To help you in your walk with the Lord until then, I would like to send you a free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. Please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com for your free copy.
Before you leave, check out my two latest books, The Iron Saint and Breaking the Mind Barrier. The Iron Saint offers Biblical principles for preparing for the return of Christ. Breaking the Mind Barrier offers Biblical principles on how to succeed in life the Bible way. Both books are available at the links below in the show notes or on Amazon.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word!
Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
The Iron Saint: Preparing the Church for Persecution
by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
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Breaking the Mind Barrier: How to Think Like a Winner
by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD
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by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 11, 2024, and this is Episode #4 in Season 2024. This episode is titled, “The Power of Faith: How Faith Is Released.”
This will be our last episode of four episodes on the topic of faith for now. So let’s dive right in.
In our previous three podcasts, we discussed what faith is not, what faith is, and how to receive faith. If you have not listened to those podcasts, I encourage you to go back and do so. They will help you better understand today’s teaching on how faith is released.
So, how is faith released?
Bottomline, faith is released through our words. Yes, our words.
Romans 10: 9 states this: ” . . . if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Two key words jump out at us in this verse: Confess and Believe.
To confess means to declare. When we confess our sins, we declare them before God. The word confess comes from the popular Latin word confessare, which means to declare or admit.
The second word that stands out is believe. When we declare, we must believe what we declare. And we must believe it in our heart. If we believe it only in our head, then that is not faith. It is only mental assent.
For example, I can declare that I am healed by the stripes of Jesus, but if I don’t really believe it deep down, I will not experience the healing in my body. Or I can believe that God will provide me with a job to pay my bills, but if I don’t really believe it deep down where I live, in my heart, then I will not experience God’s provision.
If we speak something we do not believe, it is not faith. Faith is released when we declare something we believe in our heart.
Mark 11: 23-24 says this: “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Notice, when you pray believe. When you pray believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
In this verse, we also see the necessity of words in releasing faith. Whoever SAYS. Those things which he SAYS. He will have whatever he SAYS.
Our words have great power.
Why are words so essential in releasing our faith? Here are a few reasons:
1. God created the universe using words. In Genesis 1, over and over again, we read: “And God said…and there was. And God said…and there was. And God said…and there was.”
We are made in God’s image. Therefore, we too create with our words. If we continually speak negative words over ourselves and our situation, we will create miserable lives for ourselves. If we speak positive, Scriptural words over ourselves and our situation, we will create beautiful lives.
2. Words are the containers of either life or death. Proverbs 18: 21 tells us that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
Let me ask you. What are you creating with your words? Are you creating life, or are you creating death?
Are you saying, “My allergies are getting worse” Or are you saying, “Jesus has healed me of all allergies.”
First of all, stop saying my allergies. If you are in Christ, they don’t belong to you. He took them from you when He allowed Himself to be beaten with 39 stripes on his back. So don’t take ownership of anything that is not yours.
Let me tell you a little story. And this is a true story. Many years ago a woman was suffering from a terrible pain in her neck. And she tried everything to get rid of this pain. She went to all kinds of doctors, but nothing helped.
Finally, she went to a Christian doctor who understood the power of words. And as he listened to her complain and describe what she was feeling, he noticed that she kept saying, “So and so is a pain in the neck. This is a pain in the neck. That is a pain in the neck.” And the doctor realized that this dear woman was creating her own problem by speaking the words pain in the neck and by taking ownership of that pain in her neck.
So the doctor said this to her. He said, “I am going to prescribe something for you, and I want you to do it for a month. For one month, I want you to stop saying pain in the neck.”
So the woman looked at him. She raised her eyebrows and wondered, “Well, that’s a strange prescription. ” But she was willing to do it.
So she did. And after a month, she went back to the doctor and she reported that the pain in her neck had left.
That is how important the power of words is in our lives. So we want to speak what belongs to us.
Well, how can we know what is ours and what is not? Well, study the Bible. It’s all in there, my friend. You just have to read it. 🙂 Every promise that God has given us is in the Bible. The problem is we don’t read it, and so we suffer as a consequence.
Here is a vital truth: You will become what you accept. You will become what you accept. Do not accept what does not belong to you.
If you are born again, remember this:
__You are in Christ. Is Christ sick? Of course not. Then neither are you in the spirit realm. But you must release your faith to bring the health that is yours in the spirit realm over here into the natural realm where we now live in our physical bodies.
__The same is true of financial provision. Is Jesus poor? Of course not! The Bible says He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. But we must release our faith in order to bring the financial provision that is already ours in the spirit realm into the physical realm where we now live.
So, accept only what Jesus has provided for you. What has He provided? Health, provision, peace, and joy.
In closing, I want to mention some reasons believers fail to receive from God:
1. Condemnation. We sometimes condemn ourselves either for past sins or for present sins. But the Bible tells us that there is no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ. This is not a license to sin, however. But, it is a recognition that Jesus has set us free from sin and has given us the grace to resist it.
2. Wrong teaching. If you have received wrong teaching about healing, for example, you will struggle with releasing your faith for healing. Get into the Word and find out what God really says about healing. He says that He wants to heal you. He says that He’s able to heal you. He says that He has already healed you. He did so when He took those stripes on His back. Remember this: Faith begins where the will of God is known.
3. Disobedience. Repeated disobedience will block the blessings of God in our lives. Make sure you are hearing the Word and obeying it. He who hears only and does not obey is deceiving himself.
So, my friend, take God at His Word. God cannot lie. If He says you were healed by the stripes of Jesus, then you were healed by the stripes of Jesus. Be fully persuaded. Don’t doubt. Do not let your focus on circumstances keep you from receiving what is yours in Christ. Remember Peter.
Peter was able to walk on water only while he kept his eyes focused on Jesus. The instant Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and put them on the wind and the waves, he sank.
Let’s not be like Peter. Let’s keep our eyes focused on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Then we will experience the abundant life He died to give us.
If you do not yet know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, I urge you now to receive Him. He is coming back to earth very, very soon to remove those who follow Him. Those who do not will be left behind to endure the worst period in human history, known as the Tribulation. It will be a time of terror and catastrophe under the dictatorship of the AntiChrist. You do not want to be here for that!
So, pray with me now:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I acknowledge and admit that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. Forgive me of my sin. I repent before You and ask You to come into my life and save me. Thank You for dying on the Cross for me and for rising from the dead. I receive You now as my Lord and Savior. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God and eligible to receive all of His promises by faith. Please write to me so that I can send you a free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. This booklet will help you get started in your walk with Christ. Write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com.
Remember that Jesus loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word!
Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
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March 4, 2024
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 4, 2024, and this is Episode #3 in Season 2024. This episode is titled, “The Power of Faith – Part 3.”
During our previous two podcasts, we discussed what faith is, what it is not, and the two kinds of faith. If you did not listen to those podcasts, you may wish to go back to do so before listening to this one.
Today, we are going to explore how we obtain faith in the first place and then, after we’ve obtained it, how we develop it or strengthen it.
To start off, if you are born again, you already have the faith of God residing within you. This is one of the perks of accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. In Romans 12: 3, the Bible says this: “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Emphasis mine). The measure of faith the Bible describes here is supernatural faith.
If you are not born again, you do not have this special kind of supernatural faith. You have only natural faith, which won’t get you very far in receiving from God. So, if you want supernatural faith, get born again. I will tell you how at the end of this podcast.
Now, let’s get back to the measure of supernatural faith that God gives to those who receive Jesus as Savior. Notice that the Bible says that God gives THE measure of faith, not A measure of faith. What is the difference?
THE measure of faith means that God gives the same amount of faith to everyone who gets born again. He does not give more faith to one person than to another. Just as God gives every human being the same number of muscles, so He gives to every born-again believer the same amount of faith.
So, now that we’ve established that each of us who is born again receives the same amount of faith, the next question is how do we develop that faith? How do we make it stronger?
Again, back to our analogy of the body’s muscles. How do we make our muscles stronger? By exercising them, right? Well, that is precisely how we make our faith stronger. By exercising it.
And how do we exercise our faith? Through trials and temptations.
God allows trials and temptations into our lives to give us the opportunity to exercise our faith and, thereby, to strengthen it. Why do we need to strengthen our faith? Because the Bible tells us in Hebrews 11: 6 that without faith, it is impossible to please God.
WOW! That’s a pretty strong statement. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. So, if we do not have faith, we cannot please God. That’s quite a sobering thought, isn’t it?
Well, why should we want to please God?
First of all, because we love Him. When we love someone, we want to please that person, don’t we?
Second, we need faith to receive from God what we need from Him. In Mark 11: 24, we read this: “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Third, we need to receive from God not only in order to have what we need, but also to bless others.
The Lord told Abraham back in Genesis 22: 17-18 that He would bless Abraham so that Abraham and his descendants would bless the earth. We are the spiritual descendants of Abraham, and God wants to us us to bless the world.
But how can we bless the world with God’s blessings if we ourselves have not received God’s blessings?
The answer is, we need to have faith to receive God’s blessings so that we can then bless others.
This takes us back to HOW DO WE GET FAITH?
We get faith by hearing. Romans 10: 17 tells us this: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Faith comes through hearing, specifically hearing God’s Word.
But, interestingly, faith in anything comes by hearing it. If we hear something over and over again, we will eventually believe what we hear, even if what we hear is a lie. That is exactly what’s happening in our world today. People are hearing lies repeated again and again, and they have begun to believe those lies.
What lies you may ask?
Lies like there are more than two genders. Lies like a man can become a woman and a woman can become a man. Lies like homosexuality and lesbianism are permitted by God. Lies like there are many ways to get to Heaven. And on and on and on the list goes.
Now, let’s go back to our muscle analogy for a moment. How are strong muscles developed? Through resistance. We lift weights–a form of resistance–to strengthen our muscles. The weights push back against our muscles and strengthen them.
It’s the same with faith. Our faith develops through resistance. This resistance comes in the form of trials, tribulation, and temptation. When we resist trials, tribulation, and temptation by drawing on God’s grace to help us through them, we develop and strengthen our faith.
This is the reason that Jesus commands us to rejoice in the midst of trials. What He is saying is that when we resist evil during times of trial and temptation, we are actually making our faith stronger. And that is cause for rejoicing.
So the next time you are faced with a trial or temptation, rejoice and remember that your faith is growing stronger.
Next time, we will talk about how our faith is released to receive from God. Meanwhile, if you have not received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, I urge you to do so now. Pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I believe that You are the Son of God, that You died for me, and that You rose from the dead. I choose now to turn away from my sin and to receive You as my Savior and Lord. I invite you into my life. Thank You for saving me. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a little booklet titled After You’re Born Again. I encourage you to begin reading your Bible every day. Pray every day. Prayer is simply talking with God as you would to your best friend. Ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can grow in your walk with Jesus and fellowship with other believers who can encourage you.
Before you leave, check out my featured book for this week. It’s titled The Iron Saint: Preparing the Church for Persecution. Please get a copy for your pastor and other church leaders, and please spread the word to fellow believers. The Church in America is experiencing increasing persecution, but we are not prepared. The Iron Saint will show you how to prepare for the difficult days ahead.
THE IRON SAINT PURCHASE LINK
Finally, please tell others about the Winning with the Word podcast. You can subscribe on your favorite podcast venue or by clicking on the link in the show notes below:
SUBSCRIBE TO WINNING WITH THE WORD.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
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Copyright 2000-2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
Today I am beginning a series on Faith.
Sometines, in order to define what something is, it is better first to define what it is not. So let’s take a look at what faith is not.
- Faith is not Hope.
__Hope is always in the future. Faith is always NOW.
__Hope says, “I believe I’ll get healed someday.” Faith says, I am healed NOW.”
__Hope says, “Someday I’ll be debt-free. Faith says, “I am debt-free NOW.”
__Hope is believing that God is going to do something. Faith believes that God has already done it.
The late evangelist and Bible teacher, Kenneth Hagin, used to say, “If it’s not NOW, it’s not faith.”
So, what, then, is Faith?
Hebrews 11: 1 tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Well, what is substance? Substance is whatever we need, whether it be a job, a raise, a car, a healing, a place to live. Substance could also be peace of mind, a good marriage, or wisdom in how to parent.
We could describe faith as a title deed. Let’s assume you hold the deed to your house or your car. That deed is not the actual house or car. It is a document that is legally as good as the actual property or car. If you show your deed to a judge in court, that judge will understand that your deed represents your ownership of the property.
Faith is like that title deed. Faith is our title deed to the promises of God. For those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord—in other words, for those of us who have been born again—faith is our title deed to all that Jesus died to give us.
When Jesus released His last breath, He said, “It is finished!” What was finished? His work of salvation. There is nothing more that Jesus has to do to save us, to forgive us of our sins, or to heal us. He did it all when He shed His Blood on that Cross.
Now it is up to us to receive what He died and rose from the dead to give us. Next time, we’ll take a look at how to receive those blessings into our personal lives.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/5_Signs_That_the_End_is_Here.mp3 __________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, August 14, 2023, and this is Episode #32 of Series 2023. This episode is titled "5 Signs That the End is Here!" One has to be blind not to notice the radical changes that are occurring in our world. From the rise of the New World Order with its digital currency, the increasing use of microchips, iris scanning, and other surveillance techniques, to unprecedented, apocalyptic superstorms, outrageous inflation, and the recurrence of rare diseases, like leprosy—long thought to be eradicated—we have without question entered the period of history that the Bible describes as the end times. As some Bible experts are saying, "The end is not near; the end is here!"
I would like to share with you five signs that the end is not near but already here: Sign #1. This sign is found in Daniel 9: 27 GNT - "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease . . . ."
This verse is talking about the AntiChrist and it tells us that he will confirm, or make sure, a covenant with many. The covenant will be for one week, which, in Biblical terms, means seven years. Interestingly, next month, on September 18th and 19th, the United Nations will confirm a covenant that was made with its many member nations back in 2015. Specifically, Secretary General Antonio Guterres has requested that the original signers of this covenant confirm it for another seven years. If that doesn't grab your attention, I don't know what does. Sign #2. The plans of the World Economic Forum to have the entire world population microchipped by 2026.
In a 2016 interview with Swiss Radio Television, World Economic Forum founder and leader, Klaus Schwab, asserted that humans will have microchips implanted in their brains, and under their skin, by 2026. When asked back in the 2016 interview regarding when microchip implantations would begin to be used in the human body, Schwab said this:
“Certainly in the next ten years, and at first we will implant them in our clothes....And then we could imagine that we will implant them in our brains or in our skin, and, in the end, maybe, there will be a direct communication between our brain and the digital world. What we see is a kind of fusion of the physical, digital, and biological world." (https://wide-awake-media.com/klaus-schwab-humans-will-have-microchip-implants-by-2026/) Already we are seeing signs of chip implantations, especially with the FDA's recent approval of Elon Musk's brain chip, called Neuralink. We are there, my friends. The end is here. Sign #3. The fulfillment of the Fig Tree Generation. Matthew 24: 34 says this: "Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened." The generation in which we are living is called "the fig tree generation." It began back in 1948 when Israel, which the Bible refers to as "the fig tree" became a nation in a single day. So these words of Jesus mean that the generation that saw the birth of Israel as a nation will not end until all of the signs of the end times as described in Matthew 24 have occurred.
Sign #4. Israel's 75 Birthday. This year Israel celebrated her 75th birthday as a nation.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Why_YOU_Need_to_Be_Born_Again.mp3 __________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, August 7, 2023, and this is Episode #31 of Series 2023. This episode is titled "Why You Need to Be Born Again."
One of Satan's tactics to thwart God's plan and a person's destiny is to cast aspersions on Biblical principles and terms. Chief among these, in my opinion, is the term "born again." For various reasons, and sad to say, the term "born again" has acquired a negative connotation for many people.
So in this week's message, I would like to set the record straight and explain exactly what "born again" means and why you need to be born again.
The term "born again" originates with Jesus Christ Himself. He was the first to "coin" the expression, so to speak, in the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 3 where He said this: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (NKJV).
Let's look at these words of Christ one by one in order to grasp their meaning.
First, Jesus used the words most assuredly. Why did He use these specific words? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines assuredly as meaning certainly or without a doubt [whatsoever][Brackets mine]. Most assuredly, then, means most certainly. So Jesus is saying here that most certainly you need to be born again. In other words, there is absolutely no doubt that you need to be born again.
So, the next question becomes, what does it mean to be born again?
Simply put, to be born again means to be reconnected to God by receiving a new nature, a nature compatible with God's holy nature. When we are born physically into this world, we are born with a sin nature, a nature that has been corrupted by sin. Some people call this "original sin" because we received this sin nature by default from our original parents, Adam and Eve. When they rebelled against God, Papa Adam and Mama Eve lost their holy nature and got a sin nature instead. This sin nature, therefore, was the only nature they could pass on to their descendants.
And that's exactly what they did. All the way down to you and me. Since a sin nature is not compatible with God's holy nature, there can be no spiritual connection between God and us. And since we were created to have a spiritual connection with God, we soon discover, to our great dismay, that we face a huge dilemma. We have a sin nature but we need a holy nature. But we can't acquire a holy nature on our own. We need help. We need a Savior. Someone who can take away our sin nature and give us a holy nature in its place.
So the next question becomes, why do we need a holy nature? That is, why do we need to be born again? Jesus gives us the reason in the second part of the verse. He explains that we need to be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God. Jesus lives in the Kingdom of God. So, if we want to see Jesus and to reconnect with Him, we need to be born again. We need a holy nature.
Okay, but what is this Kingdom of God that Jesus wants us to see?
The Kingdom of God is where Jesus lives. We normally call it Heaven. It is the place of eternal life, the place where people who are born again go when they die, and where they live forever and ever and ever. Moreover, the Kingdom of God is the home for which we were originally created.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Is_Daniel_927_About_to_Be_Fulfilled_.mp3 __________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 31, 2023, and this is Episode #30 of Series 2023. This episode is titled "Is Daniel 9: 27 About to Be Fulfilled?"
Bible prophecy is being fulfilled at astounding speed right before our very eyes. In this week's message, I would like to bring to your attention the significance from a prophetic standpoint of the upcoming United Nations Summit meeting to be held in New York City on September 18-19 of this year. Please check all sources cited at the end of this post. (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/category/sustainable-development-summit/)
First, a little background. Back in 2015, UN member nations signed an agreement to implement 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as SDGs, as part of their agenda to control the world. Of course, the UN did not say that the ultimate purpose of this agenda was to control the world. Instead, they called the agenda a (quote) "Agenda for Sustainable Development" (end of quote). Its express purpose was to implement 17 goals that the UN thinks will make this world a much better place for everyone. Following are the 17 goals: Goal #1: No poverty. Goal #2: Zero Hunger Goal #3: Good Health & Well-Being Goal #4: Quality Education Goal #5: Gender Equality Goal #6: Clean Water & Sanitation Goal #7: Affordable & Clean Energy Goal #8: Decent Work & Economic Growth Goal #9: Industry, Innovation, & Infrastructure Goal #10: Reduced Inequalities Goal #11: Sustainable Cities & Communities Goal #12: Responsible Consumption & Production Goal #13: Climate Action Goal #14: Life below Water Goal #15: Life on Land Goal #16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions Goal #17: Partnerships This all sounds very good, but in truth, it is a coverup for the real agenda which is to depopulate the world and to subjugate humanity under a one-world government called 'the New World Order."
This UN agreement signed back in 2015 launched a 15-year plan for achieving their 17 goals to make the world more "sustainable." Here is a statement about these 17 SDGs taken directly from the United Nations website. And I quote:
"The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 Goals are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve them all by 2030." (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/)
As time went by, the name of the UN Agenda became Agenda 2030. In other words, as mentioned in its official statement, the United Nations determined to achieve its 17 sustainable goals by the year 2030.
Well, progress on the goals has fallen far below what the UN had hoped to achieve by this point. So, UN Secretary Antònio Guterres recently sent out a special edition report to the member nations urging them to reconfirm their original agreement for another seven years in order to speed up the process. I quote now from his report:
"First, I [Antònio Guterres] urge Heads of State and Government to recommit to seven years of accelerated,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/They_re_Coming_for_Your_Children.mp3 __________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 24, 2023, and this is Episode #29 of Series 2023. This episode is titled "They're Coming for Your Children!"
Communism has always had on its agenda the complete control of our children in order to indoctrinate them in the ways of Satan with the ultimate purpose of subjugating nations. Vladimir Lenin once said, "Give me a child for the first five years of his life and he will be mine forever."
Lenin's philosophy is alive and well today, right here in America. It is being implemented through our educational system that is no longer focusing on teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic but, rather, on teaching a socialist philosophy that deifies the government as the supplier of every need.
Most Americans now look to the government to supply them with income, healthcare, and direction. We have become a culture of dependent, fear-ridden puppets who, when the government tells us to jump, we ask "how high?" We wear muzzles—I mean, masks—when we are told to wear them. We allow security cameras to scan our faces and record our location. We freely give out our personal information without batting an eye.
All in the name of safety and convenience.
As if this weren't bad enough, the culture is now coming after our children. This pursuit has taken the form of horrific pedophilia—the bold and brazen sexual exploitation of our children in the form of child trafficking, the promiscuous promotion of pornography in the classroom, and the raping of our children's innocence in the name of progress.
Make no mistake about it. God is not pleased. In fact, as far as God is concerned, this wicked pursuit of our children is the straw that will break the camel's back for God. In Luke 17: 2, Jesus said this about those who harm children by robbing them of their innocence: "It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin." So, how are the wicked coming after our children?
They are doing it deliberately, intentionally, and openly. Through educational materials in our classrooms, materials that promote the globalist agenda to capture the minds and hearts of our children. Through drag queen appearances and performances at our local libraries. Through online chat rooms for children to discuss their sexual identity. Through books, movies, and cartoons that promote the lies of transgenderism, homosexuality, and pornography. Through the insane advocacy for cross-sex medical interventions for children supposedly confused about their gender. And implementing such advocacy without the knowledge or the consent of the parents. And, unbelievably, through churches that have strayed so far from the Bible that they can no longer be associated with Jesus Christ.
All this in the name of wokism.
These evil ideas are being deliberately implanted in the minds and hearts of our children for the purpose of brainwashing them. Recently, I heard of a ten-year-old child who was asked ...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/How_to_Stop_Being_Too_Busy_to_Live.mp3 __________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 17, 2023, and this is Episode #28 of Series 2023. This episode is a replay of a post from October 3, 2016, titled "How to Stop Being Too Busy to Live". It is just as relevant today as it was back then, perhaps even more so. Read or listen, and be blessed.
__________________________________________ “Busy” has become today’s buzzword. Have you noticed that when you ask people how they are, the first words that usually come out of their mouths are, “I’m so busy.” Not only is “busy” a buzzword, it has also become a badge of honor. The busier one is, the more important one is.
But, the busyness lie has a way of finding us out. Sooner or later, our busyness will catch up with us and expose the truth that we are too busy mostly about nothing. This happened to me when my children were small many years ago. I was complaining to the Lord one day that I did not have enough time to do everything I had to do. Expecting a little sympathy from the Lord, I was taken aback when He said to me, lovingly but firmly, “MaryAnn, you always have enough time to do what I have called you to do.” Whoa! “O-O-O-kay, Lord,” I replied. “Either I’m totally disorganized, or I’m doing some things You have not called me to do.” In my case, it was the latter, as I am an organized person by nature. As I asked the Lord what I was doing that He had not called me to do, I was surprised when He pointed out several church ministries in which I was involved at the time. Good things. But not good for me. Besides, other church members were called to those ministries, and I was effectively robbing them of their ministries. A bad thing! So, I gave up those ministries and began earnestly to seek God as to what He had called me to do. As I let go of what I wanted, God gave me what I needed. A writing ministry to glorify Him, to get to know Him more intimately, and to teach me His ways in the process. One of the biggest bonuses I received from stopping the aimless busyness was that I finally started to live. No longer was I barely keeping my head above water and merely surviving. I started to enjoy my life. I started to smell the roses and to seize the precious moments of life as they presented themselves in quiet, subtle ways. In short, I began experiencing the abundant life Jesus died to give me (John 10: 10). How? By making my time with Jesus the most important priority in my life. By sitting continually at His feet. By refusing to take a step without first seeking Holy Spirit’s direction. In Luke 10: 41-42, Jesus is having a conversation with Martha. Martha, you may recall, was the sister in the Mary-Martha duo who was constantly busy. Her busyness kept her in a continual state of anxiety, worry, and stress. Sound familiar? In talking to Martha one day while she was busy, busy, busy, Jesus said this: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Signs_Seasons_of_Christ_s_Return.mp3 __________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 10, 2023, and this is Episode #27 of Series 2023. This episode is titled "Signs & Seasons of Christ's Return". There is a very interesting Scripture passage in Mark 13: 28-29 that says this: “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that His [Jesus Christ's] return is very near, right at the door." (Brackets mine.) Prophecy expert and teacher T.W. Tramm has pointed out that summer as used in this Scripture is a metaphor for the end times. Keeping this in mind, Tram discusses five signs of summer that indicate that our Lord Jesus is coming soon to take us home in the Rapture. Let's take a look at these five signs.
- The 8th Anniversary of the Appearance of the Star of Bethlehem in 2015. July 1st of this year marked eight years since the Jupiter-Venus conjunction, referred to as the Star of Bethlehem, reappeared in 2015. While this recurrent conjunction is not necessarily rare, as Tramm points out, the one that occurred in 2015 was unique in that it occurred on the Jewish fall feasts of harvest. Also, like the original Star of Bethlehem that appeared around 2 B.C., this 2015 Bethlehem Star was a rare triple conjunction that occurred in the constellation Leo, or the Lion. It is this constellation that represents Jesus as the Lion of Judah, as we read in Revelation 5: 5, where John writes: "But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, 'Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.'”
Also, the appearance of the Bethlehem Star in 2015 occurred in a sabbatical year, just as did the original Bethlehem Star. The sabbatical year is the seventh of seven years during which the Israelites are not to plant crops but to let the ground rest for a year.
This command is found in Leviticus 25: 3-5: "For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest.”
So every seventh year, there was to be no planting or pruning of crops. The land was to rest. It is possible, as Tramm points out, that the Bethlehem Star and eclipses of 2015 were a seven-year warning about the Sabbatical week that will begin in September of this year on Rosh Hashanah, September 15-17.
- The Full Moon. On July 3rd of this year, the first full moon of summer appeared. This moon was a super moon and indicates the type of moon that will usher in the return of the "goodman" of the house—namely, Jesus Christ—as described in Proverbs 7: 20: "...at the full moon he [the goodman or husband] will come home."
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Lunatic_Age.mp3 __________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 3, 2023, and this is Episode #26 of Series 2023. This episode is titled "The Lunatic Age". Those who are honest among us–and who still can think straight—will not be afraid to acknowledge that we are living in an age of utter lunacy, an age when logical thinking has gone out the window and has been replaced by insanity, idiocy, and every form of stupidity possible to human beings. If my parents were alive today, they would not recognize the world in which we live. So, you may be wondering, like a lot of people, how did we get here?
The answer is very simple. We got here by turning away from God and, thereby, turning away from Truth, because God is Truth. The Bible is very clear that if we turn away from God, He will turn away from us. And when God, Who is Truth, turns away, we have no Truth left on which to base our thinking. Romans 1: 28 says this: "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done." In other words, when we choose not to honor and reverence God and to obey His commands, then He will leave us to our own devices. He will turn away from us and leave us to fend for ourselves without the benefit of Truth. All we have to do is to look around us to see what happens to people who lead lives without truth. They become lunatics.
A life without truth is a life of deception. A life of lies. Our culture has abandoned God. He has said, "Enough! Do what you want, and see what happens."
Well, we are seeing what happens. Some men think they are women. Some women think they are men. Some people think they are cats. Drag queens lead story hour at our public libraries. So-called churches have transgenders as pastors. If this is not lunacy, I do not know what is.
Lunacy is what happens when people turn away from God. They become their own god, and they surely make a mess of their lives as a result.
God will not strive with man forever. In other words, God will not go chasing man down forever. God gives us many chances, but at some point, we run out of chances. That is what has happened to our world today. It has run out of chances because it has scorned God's continual calls to repentance. If God has turned you over to a reprobate mind, then you can no longer think logically. Why? Because logical thinking is founded on Truth. When one strays from Truth, one automatically strays from logical thinking. We have no excuses. We are getting what we deserve. And things will only get worse for those who persist in their rebellion. While they may think they are living the good life, they will soon find out that it leads to Hell. So, is there any hope for a reprobate mind to be restored to sanity? Yes. But it will require a fierce commitment to the following:
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Sincere repentance. This means a sincere turning away from sin and an acceptance of Jesus Christ Who alone is Truth.
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Unflinching obedience to the Word of God at all costs, even in the face of the worst temptation.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_We_in_the_Last_Hour_of_Human_History_2.mp3 __________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 26, 2023, and this is Episode #25 of Series 2023. This episode is titled "Are We in the Last Hour of Human History?"
If you're like many people, you may be taking a look at the culture around you and wondering if we are near the end of the world. Well, I for one, think we are. Very near.
What reasons do I have for thinking that we are in the last hour of human history?
To answer that question, join me in exploring an eye-opening Scripture passage about the times in which we live. This passage is in 1 John 2: 18-20:
"Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the AntiChrist is coming, and already many such antiChrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth." This passage provides three significant reasons that reveal we are in the final hours of human history. Let's take a look at each reason:
1) The rise of many anti-Christs, leading to the rise of THE AntiChrist. Verse 18 says this. "You have heard that the AntiChrist is coming, and already many such antiChrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come."
An antiChrist is not only a person who opposes Christ, but also a person who attempts to supplant Christ. Today, we have the majority of the world population openly opposing Christ by deliberately mocking Him and any one who loves and follows Him. We also have millions of people who brazenly disobey God's commandments and live in utter rebellion to His ways.
The rise of many antiChrists is a sign of the imminent rise of THE AntiChrist, the global dictator who will soon dominate the world through the use of terror tactics toward all those who do not comply with his agenda. I believe that the AntiChrist is already alive and waiting in the wings to emerge. His appearance will be revealed through the confirming or expansion or strengthening of a covenant or agreement that will already be in place at the time of his arrival. I believe that the current Abrahamic Accords agreement is that very covenant. Already there is talk of adding more nations to the Abrahamic Accords, what could be considered a "strengthening" of that agreement.
What we do know for sure is that the confirming of this major agreement--whatever it is--will mark the beginning of the horrific seven-year period known as the Tribulation. At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus Christ will return to judge the world, to separate the just from the wicked, and to begin His 1000-year reign of peace known as the Millennium.
2) The great apostasy or falling away from God. Verse 19 of our passage says this: "These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_You_a_Laodicean_.mp3 __________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 19, 2023, and this is Episode #24 of Series 2023. This episode is titled "Are You a Laodicean?"
So, what is a Laodicean?
To understand what a Laodicean is, we need to go back to the Book of Revelation 3: 14-22: Here Jesus is speaking to the Apostle John: Let's take a look at that passage now: “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation: 'I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, "I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!" And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.'” Laodicea was a city in what is now modern-day Turkey. It was a wealthy city situated in the valley of the Lycos River. Laodicea was founded about 260 B.C. by King Antiochus II, a king of Syria, and it was named after his wife Laodice.
The city lay not far from two other cities, Hierapolis and Colossae. Both Hierapolis and Colossae provided water to Laodicea from their springs. Hierapolis had hot springs where people would go for physical therapy for their aches and pains. Colossae had cold springs that were clean and perfect for drinking.
Laodicea's water supply came from the merging of these two springs into an aqueduct located six miles south of the city. But the problem was that the hot and cold water mingled in the aqueduct so that by the time it reached Laodicea, it was unfit for drinking. In other words, it was useless.
The water contained inedible minerals from the hot springs of Hierapolis, blended with the clean water from the cold springs of Colossae. By the time the water reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm, unclean, and undrinkable. It made the people sick. Sick enough to vomit it out of their mouths.
Jesus used this metaphor to describe the condition of the church at Laodicea. Prior to addressing this church, Jesus had already addressed six other churches. But, Laodicea was the only church about which Jesus had nothing good to say.
Using the analogy of the lukewarm water that entered Laodicea, Jesus described this church as spiritually lukewarm.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_You_Worried_about_Your_Financial_Future_.mp3 _________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 12, 2023. Today's episode will be a replay of a podcast I did on November 14, 2022 titled "Are You Worried about Your Financial Future?" _________________________________________ Originally published and broadcast on Monday, November 14, 2022 . . .
If you've had your eyes open at all, you know about the predicted food shortages and famines, the projected stock market crash, and the move toward a digital world currency. All of these ominous events are causing great anxiety among the world population. Already I've read that some families here in America have reduced their daily meals to two a day instead of the usual three. Drought has ruined many crops throughout the world, and, if things don't change, the world is heading to famine.
But today I'd like to encourage you not to be anxious nor to fear, I'm going to share with you some promises from God for His children. (If you are not His child, then listen closely so you can become His child and receive these benefits as well.)
The world is fast heading into a time period that the Bible calls "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30: 7). This will be a seven-year time period, also known as the Tribulation, during which God will judge the Jews for rejecting the Messiah. The Book of Revelation speaks extensively of the time of Jacob's trouble.
During this time, there will be widespread famine. The fact that we are witnessing the approach of global famine now means that the Tribulation is not far off, and the return of Jesus is even closer. The Bible tells us that Jesus will return to remove His followers from the earth before the Tribulation. He said that when we see all these things converging—wars, rumors of wars, increase in the number and intensity of earthquakes, violent storms, and food shortages—we can know that His return is imminent.
So, what can you do?
- The most important thing you need to do is to get born again if you are not yet born again. What does the term "born again" mean? It means to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord so that you can experience the new birth He died to give you. You see, when we were born physically into this world, we received a fallen, corrupted spirit that separated us from God. Jesus wants to give us a new spirit that connects us back to God. Jesus died and paid the price for the sin that caused our corrupted spirits in the first place and, in exchange, He gives us eternal life. So, the first order of business is to get born again. Do it now!
How?
- Acknowledge before God that you are a sinner.
- Repent of your sin. This means turn away from it and go in the opposite direction.
- Receive Jesus into your heart by asking Him to come in.
Once you do these three things, you become a child of God (John 1: 12). And as His child, You become eligible for His blessings. One of His blessings includes financial provision. He promises in Philippians 4: 19 that He will supply all your need.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Prepare_for_Persecution.mp3 ________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 5, 2023, and this is Episode #23 of Series 2023. This episode is titled "Prepare for Persecution". No one likes to talk of persecution, especially those being persecuted. But, as we look around, we cannot help but see that persecution against Christians is on the rise. Why? Because we adhere to absolute Truth, and the world wants no part of truth these days. Yet, all around us, we are seeing the consequences of straying from the truth and embracing the lie. For example, our culture no longer knows the difference between men and women. Our culture calls good evil and evil good. Our culture promotes harm to children through the lies it is teaching them about transgenderism, authority, and rebellion.
The farther man strays from truth, the more perverse he becomes. Why? Because man was created for truth. But Satan tempted him to renounce truth and to choose the lie. And, sadly, man did.
Satan's tactics haven't changed. He still tempts man to choose the lie over truth. And, tragically, most men fall into Satan's trap.
The horrendous evil we are witnessing around us today is the result of man's choosing the lie over the truth. So, what is truth?
Truth is a Person. Truth is Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said this about Himself: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14: 6). Without Jesus, there can be no recognition of truth because Jesus is Truth.
Today's world has replaced the Truth with the Lie. It has replaced Jesus with Satan. And all we have to do is to look around us to see the consequences of replacing the Truth with the Lie. Of replacing Jesus with Satan.
As the world continues to embrace Satan over Jesus, the world will eventually realize what Satan is really like. He is the essence of evil. He is the Lie itself. The Bible tells us that Satan is a liar and the father of lies. There is no truth in him.
Since Satan is evil personified, all evil comes from him. The bad things that happen in the world are the result of man's acceptance—and even his exaltation—of the lie. Today the world is exalting sin like never before. It is openly advocating sin. And it is scoffing at truth. But one day, unless those who follow Satan repent, they will reap the consequences of their rebellion. And it won't be pretty.
Satan has already begun to show his true colors in the insanity that has taken over the world. In the transgender movement, the Satan worship movement, the pedophilia movement, and every other abhorrent movement that mocks God and His Word. We Christians will be increasingly marginalized and persecuted. We will be called "terrorists" and "enemies of the state". Already we are seeing signs of this. We must be prepared for what is to come.
To that end, I have written a book called The Iron Saint. In this short book, I delve into Biblical principles that we, as the Body of Christ, must adopt and adhere to if we want to remain strong in the day of persecution.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Fear_The_Thief_of_Freedom.mp3
________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 29, 2023, and this is Episode #22 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “Fear: The Thief of Freedom.”
The past few years have exposed an alarming truth: Fear will motivate people to give up their freedom.
Now, before you balk at my statement, let me ask you a few questions:
During the pandemic . . .
- Did you wear a mask?
- Did you stay locked down in your home?
- Did you give fist bumps instead of handshakes?
If you’re like most people, you did all three.
But have you ever asked yourself why? Most likely, the reason you did all three is that you were afraid.
Afraid of what?
Afraid of getting sick. Why? Because you were afraid of dying.
- You wore a mask because you were afraid of getting sick and dying.
- You stayed in lockdown for the same reason. You were afraid of possibly exposing yourself to sick people, getting sick yourself, and dying.
- You gave fist bumps instead of handshakes because you were afraid of getting sick and dying.
In each case, you gave up some of your freedom in exchange for safety and protection from dying.
Studies have shown that the root of all fear is the fear of physical death. A person will give up anything, even his freedom, in order to be relieved of the fear of death. In order to be safe and protected from death.
During the pandemic, did you ever ask yourself if the mask was really protecting you? If the lockdown was really keeping you safe? If the fist bump really warded off sickness and death?
Most likely, you did not. Most likely, your fear was so great that you didn’t stop to think. Or challenge. Most likely, you just went along with the crowd. You just believed everything the government told you. You did exactly what the government said to do. You never questioned the government’s advice nor its motives. You just followed along in lockstep with the rest of the world.
All because you were afraid.
Today, nearly a full four years later, we are paying the price for our fear. We are facing an increasingly controlling government–both national and global–who has used and continues to use fear to implement its ulterior motive of subjugating us. And, frankly, they’ve done a good job.
The pandemic did not happen by chance. It was planned. And fear was the catalyst to getting the results we are witnessing today: the rise of a one-world government that will control every aspect of your life and rob you of your freedom.
All of this was prophesied in the Bible, especially in the Books of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation. A world that has rejected Truth will live in fear. And fear is the thief of freedom.
Yet, God has given us the antidote to fear. His Name is Jesus Christ. But the world refuses to believe in Him.
It amazes me that people will sooner believe the government than believe God. Yet, that is what we have done. We have trusted a government that does not have the best interests of the people at heart. We have trusted a government that has its own agenda called the New World Order. We have trusted a government that is being used as a tool to set up the antiChrist system.
Underneath it all lies a fundamental question: Why do most people fear death? Most people fear death because we were not created to die. God created us to live and to live forever. But our sin brought death. Romans 6: 33 says that “the wages of sin is death.” This means both physical death and spiritual death.
It also amazes me that people fear physical death but give no heed to the implications of spiritual death. Jesus said this: “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10: 28).
But what is, perhaps, most amazing to me is that Jesus Christ came to give us true freedom in every way: Freedom from eternal damnation, freedom from sickness and disease, and freedom from fear. Yet, few people want the freedom Jesus offers us. Why?
Because people want to be their own god. And what has that gotten us? It has resulted in the loss of freedom and the rise of slavery. The world is fast moving into a new world order in which the globalists will implement their evil agenda at the expense of our freedom.
And we have allowed it by rejecting true freedom in Christ.
To choose fear is to give up freedom. To choose Christ is to gain true freedom.
I urge you to accept Him now. Unless you do, you will be increasingly suppressed under the thumb of the AntiChrist system that is soon to take over the world. And you will spend your eternity in bondage in hell.
So, please repeat this short prayer after me now:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I repent of my sin and ask You to forgive me and to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I acknowledge You as the One Who alone can give me true freedom. I invite You into my life now to be my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for saving me. Thank you for setting me free. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the Family! Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
My featured book for this month is The Captain and Mrs. Vye, is my latest novel. It is the story of a 19th-century, middled-aged widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute. You can purchase the book at the links below.
Also, I invite you to visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
You can also keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
A middle-aged, 19th-century widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
PRINT:
EBOOK:
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
_________________________
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Lie_of_A_I_.mp3
________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 22, 2023, and this is Episode #21 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “The Lie of A.I.”
The topic of Artificial Intelligence, aka AI, has headlined the news lately and has raised a lot of serious questions. What is AI and how is it fulfilling Bible prophecy? Yes, in case you have any doubts, it is fulfilling Bible prophecy.
According to Britannica.com, AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. The term is frequently applied to the project of developing systems endowed with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience.”
Generally speaking, psychology characterizes human intelligence as the combination of many abilities, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and the ability to speak and use language. AI seeks to imitate these abilities and even to surpass them. In fact, trans-humanists are using AI to create—or to attempt to create—a species of superhuman whom they call Homo Sapiens, Version 2.0.
AI is permeating every aspect of our lives and is closely linked to Bible prophecy.
How so?
Well-known Bible teacher and prophecy expert, Pastor Billy Crone, describes AI as follows: “AI is in the process of taking over every aspect of society. Self-driving cars, robotic surgery, lightning-fast communication, … it all sounds so good. But the Bible tells us how these seemingly helpful benefits to society will be used to usher in the dark agenda of the Antichrist in the future.”
AI has already made extensive inroads into such areas as health, education, transportation, the economy, and the military. For example, doctors are doing surgery using robots run by Artificial Intelligence. The military is using AI in its operations both at home and abroad. Consider Project Maven, the Pentagon’s flagship Artificial Intelligence effort that has been used to conduct military operations in all branches of the service. Through the use of unmanned drones, military robots, and equipment such as exploding dragonflies, the way the military conducts warfare has drastically changed.
AI is being called “the new electricity”. Just as the invention of electricity transformed society and the way we lived at that time, so is AI transforming society and the way we live now. AI has already infiltrated homes, businesses, cities, shopping, education, even law enforcement through the concept of “predictive policing”.
So, what’s the problem, you may ask? AI is doing a lot of good things. For one thing, it’s making our lives easier. And who doesn’t want that? It’s doing things for us so that we don’t have to do them for ourselves.
While all this sounds good, there is great danger inherent in AI.
The danger in AI is that it is catering to a selfish, pleasure-loving society that wants convenience at all costs. A society that loves pleasure more than God. A society that wants to be served and not to serve.
AI will take over everything for you. It will manage your life for you. AI will give you a self-driving car so that you can sit back, texting to your heart’s content. AI will vacuum your house through a robot vacuum cleaner. It will do your grocery-shopping for you and even deliver your food to your house.
AI will even rid you of your job. Now, how’s that for convenience? The job you do today may be done by a robot tomorrow. But, wait a minute? How will you earn a living?
Not so good.
AI will provide a means of controlling everything in every aspect of life. AI will control the world through global surveillance techniques that will track your every move. AI will control transportation through driverless vehicles. In case you were not aware, we already have driverless cars and trucks on our highways. Once the global digital currency system is in place, AI will have total control over your money. Those who try to beat the system will be severely punished, possibly even imprisoned and put to death.
The AntiChrist will eventually use AI to control the entire planet during the soon-to-come, seven-year Tribulation. At the push of a button, he will be able to force every person on earth to comply with his demands. If they do not, they will be killed.
I call AI the “Frankenstein of the 21st Century.” Man has created a monster that will eventually result in his destruction. At the root of AI is a desire to be like God. Indeed, to be God. Where did we hear that before?
Satan keeps repeating the same old lie. He uses the same trick with us that he used with Adam and Eve. And many are still falling for it.
Don’t you be one of them. Learn the truth about AI. Learn the truth about what is soon to come upon the earth. Learn the truth about Heaven and Hell and how to be saved, not only from the evil clutches of AI but also from eternal damnation and separation from God in Hell.
How?
By accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. He will lead you into all truth, not only about AI but also about His purpose for your life.
Pray this simple prayer with me now:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I repent of my sin and ask You to forgive me and to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I invite You into my life now to be my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for saving me. Make of me the person You created me to be. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the Family! Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
My featured book for this month,—for both men and women—,The Captain and Mrs. Vye, is my latest novel and is the story of a 19th-century, middled-aged widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute. You can purchase the book at the links below.
Also, I invite you to visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
You can also keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
Sources cited:__”Artificial Intelligence”
https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence
__”The A.I. Invasion” by Billy Crone
https://prophecywatchers.com/videos/billy-crone-the-a-i-invasion/
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
A middle-aged, 19th-century widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
PRINT:
EBOOK:
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Have_You_Lost_All_Hope_.mp3
________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 15, 2023, and this is Episode #20 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “Have You Lost All Hope?”
Many people are answering that question in the affirmative today. They look around them and see things getting worse: rising inflation, increasing job lay-offs, collapsing economy, expanding violence, frightening loss of freedom, clueless leaders, etc., etc., etc. It’s enough to make one wonder where is it all going to end?
Yet, despite all these depressing scenarios, we can have hope in the midst of the storm. Why? Because we Christ-followers know where it’s going to end, and the end for us is glorious!
But meanwhile, how do we contend with the world in which we still live?
Here are a few proven tips taken straight from the Bible:
1. Think on pleasant things.
Philippians 4: 4-8 says this: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
What we choose to think about will affect the way we feel. Feelings are the results of thoughts. And if we continually think bad thoughts, we will end up with bad feelings.
Our actions follow our feelings. So if we live with continual negative feelings, we will express those negative feelings in negative actions, like murmuring, complaining, criticizing, impatience, and so on.
So make it a habit to think good thoughts, thoughts that align with hope, joy, and peace. Thoughts that align with the Holy Word of God. You will be a lot happier. You will also be able to encourage others when they need encouragement.
2. Keep your eyes on heavenly things, not earthly things.Colossians 3: 2 says this: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
There are so many demands on our daily lives that it is difficult to keep our eyes on things other than this life. Yet, doing so is the key to having hope. This world is not our permanent home. We are simply passing through. Should we not, therefore, be focusing on preparing for our permanent home instead of living as though we will be here forever?
But, how do we keep our eyes on heavenly things?
It is a matter of putting God first. Jesus said this in Matthew 6: 33 NLT: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Jesus is telling us that if we focus on God first, God will take care of everything we need. It’s that simple.
How do we focus on God first? Here are a few tips:
1. Start your day with God. Read and study a Bible passage. Pray. Listen to His instructions for you for that day.
2. Talk with God throughout the day. Ask His advice. Tell Him your concerns.
3. Thank Him for His many blessings. Develop a grateful heart.
Now we move on to the third way to contend with our current world, and that is to . . .
3. Trust in the Lord.Proverbs 3: 5 says this: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
Too often we tend to try to figure things out on our own without consulting God first. This will always end in disaster. Our minds are limited. Therefore, our judgment is limited. We do not see the whole picture as God does. So trusting in Him means to seek His advice before taking action, before making a decision, before heading down a certain path. When we trust God, we can make every decision the right decision.
I believe there was a reason that Jesus commanded us to look up when we see all these frightening things happening around us. The reason is that He knew we would get depressed if we looked around.
So keep looking up for the return of our Lord and Savior. And while you’re looking up, think on pleasant things, keep your eyes on heavenly things, and trust in the Lord.
I cannot end this message without asking you if you have been born again. To be born again means to repent of your sin and to receive Jesus Christ as the only One Who can save you from your sin. So, if you have not yet received Jesus, pray with me now:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I repent of my sin and ask You to forgive me and to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I invite You into my life now to be my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for saving me. Make of me the person You created me to be. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the Family! Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
My featured book for this month,—for both men and women—,The Captain and Mrs. Vye, is my latest novel and is the story of a 19th-century, middled-aged widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute. You can purchase the book at the links below.
Also, you I invite you to visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
You can also keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
A middle-aged, 19th-century widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
PRINT:
EBOOK:
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/America_Land_of_Compliant_Cowards_.mp3
________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 8, 2023, and this is Episode #19 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “America: The Land of Compliant Cowards?”
Eighteenth-century Anglo-Irish statesman, economist, and philosopher, Edmund Burke, is purportedly to have said that “the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Whether Burke actually said this or not, the truth of the statement remains. Evil flourishes when good men do nothing to stop it.
Such is the condition of our country today. And of most countries in the world. We have a global situation in which very few of the good people remaining are doing anything to stop the evil. Why is this?
I believe there are several reasons, among which are the following:
1) An erroneous belief that we are so far gone that no protest will matter because we can’t stop the decline.
2) A weariness at trying over and over to push back the tide of evil, but without seeing any results.
3) A despair that one person can still make a difference.
But one person can still make a difference! Even if there is no turning back of evil, there is still the turning back of one individual person at a time from evil to good.
There are still people out there who are truly searching for truth. But they don’t know where to find it.
That is where you and I who are Christ-Followers come in. We must go out into the harvest fields and reap the harvest.
The Bible says in Luke 10: 2 that “the harvest is great but the laborers are few.” Will you be one of those laborers?
You might ask how have we come to this? Well, I have an opinion, and it has to do with the men of America. I believe that we have a shortage of men in America. I’m not talking about numbers; I’m talking about character.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post titled “Are You Suffering from a Father Wound?”. A father wound represents the hurt inflicted on a child by the man who sired him or her. The response to that post was stunning. It told me that the number of people suffering from a father wound is astronomical.
So, what does this mean?
It has long been my contention, based on my observations and experience as a Certified Life Coach and a Certified Biblical Counselor, that America has millions of males but very few men.
You might be asking, “What’s the difference?”
Here, in my humble opinion, is the difference between men and males. And it is huge.
1__A male is out for his own gratification, usually in the areas of sexual lust, greed, and power. A male thinks only of meeting his own needs and doesn’t care for the effect of his actions on others. A male will bail out on his responsibilities to the women he has used, or the wife he has married, and the children he has sired. And he will bail out without compunction and without looking back. A male will not stand up for what is right but will pursue the path of least resistance. The path that aligns with his own selfish motives.
2__A man, on the other hand, puts aside his own needs for the needs of those he loves. A man will not use a woman—or any other person—for his own sexual gratification, nor for greed or power. A man will humble himself under the authority of God and obey His commandments with the utmost reverence and respect. A man will assume the responsibility of providing for, protecting, and caring for his wife and children–physically, financially, and, especially, spiritually. He will teach His children to obey the Word of God.
So, based on these criteria, I don’t see too many men in America.
It has been said that the family is the foundation of society. I would like to go one step farther and posit that the man is the foundation of the family. God created the man first, from the dust of the earth. God created the woman out of man, not out of the dust of the earth. The man is the ground on which the family is built. If the man does not provide a strong foundation, the marriage and the family–and, by extension, society—will crumble.
And this is precisely what we are seeing today. The collapse of a nation. A nation that was once great because it was led by men and not males.
Oftentimes, women are blamed for the collapse of a society. But women step in only where men step out. The feminist movement is proof that men have stepped out of their family leadership roles, leaving the women to assume them. And why have women assumed those family leadership roles? Because women fiercely love their children and will do whatever it takes to protect them.
So, I call on you, America. Are there any men left in your midst? If so, I challenge you to step up to the plate and take your rightful place as Godly defender, protector, provider, husband, and father of your family. Stop being a male and become a man!
How?
It all starts with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you don’t have one, start one now by praying this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I repent of being a male and not a man. I admit that I have sinned in fulfilling the role for which You have created me. I repent of my sin and ask You to forgive me and to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I invite You now into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Make of me the man that You created me to be. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the Family! Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
My featured book for this month,—for both men and women—The Captain and Mrs. Vye, is my latest novel and is the story of a 19th-century, middled-aged widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute. You can purchase the book at the links below.
Also, you I invite you to visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
You can also keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
A middle-aged, 19th-century widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
PRINT:
EBOOK:
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_You_Guilty_of_Normalcy_Bias_.mp3
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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 1, 2023, and this is Episode #18 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “Are You Guilty of Normalcy Bias?”
If you haven’t yet heard the term “normalcy bias”, you are hearing it now.
So, what is normalcy bias?
Normalcy bias is the human tendency to underestimate the seriousness of a situation. It is the tendency to minimize danger and crisis and to pretend that they cannot happen. Normalcy bias is a dangerous form of denial that could lead to suffering and even death. How? Well, when we refuse to take heed to warnings, and when we insist that nothing bad is going to happen despite warnings to the contrary, we place ourselves in serious risk of getting hurt.
Let me give you an example. Suppose a tornado warning is issued in your area, and you are urged to take cover. If you are in normalcy bias, you’ll say, “Oh, it’s just another storm,” and you won’t take cover. You’ll falsely believe that you are in no danger. And you may be deadly wrong. Literally!
Another serious form of normalcy bias is the common belief today that our country is going to return to normal. I hate to tell you, my friend, but our country will never return to normal. It will never return to the way it was before the pandemic. In fact, things will only get worse.
You might be thinking, “How do you know, Dr. MaryAnn? What are you, some kind of a doomsday prophet?”
No, my friend. I am not a doomsday prophet. I am a serious, long-time student of the Bible, and I am simply telling you what the Bible predicted about the times in which we live. You see, when I tell you that things will get worse instead of better, I am getting my information from the most reliable source possible: God Himself. God Himself recorded this information in the Bible so that we could read it and know what lies ahead.
But, the sad thing is that few people today read the Bible. Few people care enough to know the truth about what is really going on. Most people want to deny the truth and pretend that everything will be okay again.
But, it won’t!
Why not? Because God Himself said it won’t. Not, at least, until He returns at the end of the seven-year Tribulation, in the event known as the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, to judge the world and to set up His millennial Kingdom on earth.
Meanwhile, the world is now entering into the period described in the Bible as the Tribulation–a seven-year period of horrific suffering under the rule of the most vicious dictator in all of human history called the AntiChrist. The AntiChrist will be possessed by Satan and will be his embodiment in the earth.
Under the dictatorship of the AntiChrist, you will own nothing and be happy. You will be surveilled wherever you go. In fact, you will be told where you can go and where you can’t go. Where you can live and where you can’t live. What you can eat and what you can’t eat. What you can buy and what you cannot buy. Every facet of your life will be under the control of the AntiChrist and his one-world government.
Already we are seeing signs of his coming dictatorship. What signs? Here are a few of the most salient:
1. The development of technological tracking systems via our cell phones, traffic lights, surveillance cameras everywhere we turn, voice and iris recognition technology, pay-by-palm technology, and AI-based surveillance methods. All of these systems are preparing the way for the one-world government’s global tracking system of every human being on the planet.
2. The establishment of a one-world economic system through the implementation of digital currency. If you’ve been following the news, you know that our president is planning to introduce a trackable digital currency system as early as July of this year, if not before. He and the Federal Reserve have already started to lay the groundwork for this digital currency system that would eliminate the dollar and money transactions as we know them and put them under the complete control of a world government.
3. The establishment of a one-world religion. Again, if you follow the news, you’ve heard of the one-world religious center, called the Abrahamic Family House, that recently opened in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. It features three buildings–a synagogue, a mosque, and a supposed Christian church–grouped together on a single piece of land. The three buildings represent the formation of a one-world religion where the heresy is taught that all ways lead to God.
4. The establishment of a one-world government whereby there will be one world leader and all nations of the world will be united under that leader. Already, many are promoting the need for a one-world leader to handle the problems of the world. Nationalism is decried, resulting in open borders, drug cartels, and gun control, with all of the problems resulting from such idiocy.
Even now, world leaders are jockeying into place for this position of world leader who will, eventually, become the AntiChrist. Speculation abounds, with France’s Emmanuel Macron, England’s King Charles, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi-Jinping and even Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu in the running. But only God knows who the AntiChrist will be.
If you say all this can’t happen, you are living in normalcy bias, and you are sadly mistaken. It is already happening. In fact, almost 2000 years ago, the Bible predicted it would happen in the last days. Listen to what the Apostle John wrote around the year 95 A.D. in the Book of Revelation, chapter 13, verses 16-18, regarding the digital currency system:
“He [the AntiChrist] required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.” (Brackets mine).
So far, not a single Bible prediction has failed to come true at its appointed time to come true. There are a few more Bible prophecies that remain and have yet to come true. But they will come true as surely as every previous Bible prophecy has come true.
So, don’t be deceived! Don’t keep your head in the sand. Don’t live in normalcy bias. Lift up your head and look around you. The time for Jesus Christ’s return is imminent. Repent of your sin now! Receive Him now as your Savior so that you will escape the horror of the Tribulation and spend eternity with Him.
Let’s pray together now:
Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I want to escape the wrath to come. I choose to repent of my sin and to ask You to forgive me and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I invite You now into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the Family! Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
My featured book for this month, The Captain and Mrs. Vye, is my latest novel and is the story of a
19th-century, middled-aged widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute. You can purchase the book at the links below.
Also, you I invite you to visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
You can also keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
Source consulted:
“Biden administration is quietly planning for a future where you don’t own money” – Op-ed piece by Justin Haskins of FOX News.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/biden-administration-quietly-planning-future-where-you-dont-own-money
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
A middle-aged, 19th-century widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
PRINT:
EBOOK:
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 24, 2023, and this is Episode #17 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “Are You Wielding Your Two-Edged Sword?”
Throughout the Bible, there are numerous references to a weapon called a two-edged sword. This is a spiritual weapon that God has provided for every Christ-follower, and it is used to fight off Satan and his demons as we engage in spiritual warfare against them. But few of us know how to use this weapon. So, today, we are going to explore what the two-edged sword is and how we can wield it effectively.
First of all, what is a two-edged sword?
The term two-edged comes from two Greek words: di, which means two, and stomos, which means mouth. In Greek, the two words put together make the word distomos, which means two mouths. Thus, when these two words are merged into one (distomos), they describe something that is two-mouthed, or has two mouths. Would you agree, however, that this meaning seems a little strange?
So, why would the Bible refer to the Word of God repeatedly as a “two-edged sword” or, literally, a “two-mouthed sword”, a sword having two mouths? What do two mouths have to do with the two edges of a sword?
Let’s look more closely.
One verse in the Bible, Hebrews 4: 12, uses the expression two-edged sword to describe the Word of God. The verse says this: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.…” Hebrews 4: 12
Very interesting, no? if we apply our definition of two-edged as having two mouths, we come up with a sword with two mouths. Well, what could that mean?
In the Book of Revelation 1: 16, the Word of God says this in describing Jesus: “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword….” Notice: the two-edged sword was not in Jesus’ hand but in His mouth. Why?
The message being conveyed in this image is that the two-edged sword represents the Word of God. Ephesians 6:17 calls God’s Word the “sword of the Spirit.” It is the sword of truth that we are to use to drive the lies of Satan out of our lives.
Indeed, Jesus Himself is the Word of God. And out of His mouth comes forth a two-edged sword, which represents His Word. It is this Word coming out of God’s mouth that has power to destroy the lies of Satan with its sharp and powerful truth. God’s Word that came forth from God’s mouth and that is now recorded for us in the Bible is one side or one edge of the two-edged sword.
Now here comes the good part for us as Christ-followers. In giving us His Word, Jesus gave us His sword, for they are one and the same thing. And we can use that same sword to drive out the lies of the enemy from our lives! When we do, we are implementing the second side or the second edge of the sword.
And it gets even better. When we use the same sword that Jesus used–the Word of God–we are setting ourselves in agreement with Jesus. We are setting in motion the power of agreement described in Matthew 18: 19 where Jesus says this: “If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.” Is this amazing or what?
So, the two sides of the sword represent this: one edge represents the Word of God coming out of His mouth, and the other edge represents the Word of God coming out of our mouths. And when we both speak the same Word of God, we are in agreement with God and whatever we agree on will come to pass.
So, the next time you come across the term “two-edged sword” in the Bible, remember the power and authority you have through that two-edged sword of truth, which is the Word of God, coming out both of God’s mouth and of your mouth. Remember to use the sword of the Spirit to drive out the enemy from your life whenever he attacks you. And remember most of all that the sword has two edges: one is God’s Word coming out of His mouth in the written pages of the Bible and the other is God’s Word coming out of your mouth as You speak it forth over every negative situation in your life. Then you will know what it means to be more than a conqueror through Christ.
Perhaps you are reading this blog post or listening to this podcast and you don’t yet have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You have to be in relationship with Him in order to receive and use His two-edged sword. So I invite you to accept Jesus Christ now. Here’s how:
1__Acknowledge that you are a sinner.
2__Repent of your sin.
3__Believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose from the dead for YOU so that you could be saved.
Let’s pray together now:
Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I choose to repent of my sin and to ask You to forgive me and cleanse me. I invite You now into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank You for giving me Yourself. Thank You for giving me the Sword of the Spirit. Thank You for making me what You created me to be. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
My featured book for this month, The Captain and Mrs. Vye, is my latest novel and is the story of a 19th-century, middled-aged widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute. You can purchase the book at the links below.
Also, you I invite you to visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
You can also keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
Source consulted:“You Have a Two-Edged Sword”
https://renner.org/article/you-have-a-two-edged-sword/
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
A middle-aged, 19th-century widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
PRINT:
EBOOK:
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Mark_of_the_Beast.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 17, 2023, and this is Episode #16 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “The Mark of the Beast: What You Should Know and Why”.
Quite likely, you have heard of the mark of the beast. If not, you will hear about it in this message. So pay close attention.
What is the mark of the beast, what should you know about it, and why?
The mark of the beast is a sign of the last days, as predicted in the Bible. Specifically, it is a mark that will be placed on and in the hands or the foreheads of those who will give allegiance to the AntiChrist and worship him during the seven-year period of unspeakable terror known as the Tribulation.
One of the signs that the implementation of the mark of the beast is getting closer and closer is the growing move by the globalists toward trans-humanism. The American Heritage Dictionary defines trans-humanism as the “belief that humans should strive to transcend the physical limitations of the mind and body by technological means.”
An article by Christian Evidence titled “The Rise of Transhumanism” and published on February 20, 2023, describes trans-humanism as follows: “Transhumanism is a philosophical, scientific, and essentially religious movement that seeks to merge humans with emerging technology, such as brain chips and genetic engineering. By doing so, transhumanists believe that we can enhance our intellectual and physical capacities; transcend our biological limitations, including death; and create a more evolved species they call the ‘posthuman.'” *
Influential globalists, like Jewish historian and social scientist Yuval Noah Harari, and Karl Schwab, founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), are teaching that mankind is moving toward a new level of perfection—a level of immortality, even— where, by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other modern computer technology, man will no longer die but live forever on a Utopian earth, an earth the globalists are trying to transform through deliberate climate change, the destruction of our food supply, and the promotion of a vaccine that has killed more people than it has helped.
So, what does the mark of the beast have to do with all of this?
It is possible that the mark of the beast will be the means by which a human will be turned into a trans-human. In taking the mark of the beast, a person will receive some kind of substance—whether biological or technological, probably a combination of both—that could possibly alter his DNA from the way God created it to an unnatural DNA that no longer makes him human. This new hybrid creature will be called a “trans-human” and will be the modern-day version of the Nephilim mentioned in the Bible in Genesis, chapter 6.
Scripture tells us in Matthew 24: 37 that “as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” Just as there were Nephilim in Noah’s day—hybrid creatures who were part human and part demonic as a result of the sexual intercourse that occurred between fallen angels and human women—so will there be hybrid creatures at our Lord’s second coming, when He returns in all His glory to judge the earth as Lord of lords and King of kings. Hallelujah!
So, what does the mark of the beast mean to you as an individual, and why do you need to be aware of it and what it does? Here are some critically important reasons:
1__During the Tribulation, no one will be able to buy or sell anything unless he has taken the mark of the beast. Of course, we just saw that taking the mark of the beast means possibly allowing one’s DNA to be altered so that one will possibly no longer be human but trans-human. In other words, those who take the mark will possibly be hybrid creatures, half-man and half-machine, and may no longer be capable of being saved. Jesus died to save humans, not trans-humans. So, taking the mark of the beast means no hope of salvation, only the prospect of eternal damnation.
Let’s take a look at Revelation 14: 9-11:
“Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”
You do NOT want to take the mark of the beast!
2__If you are here during the Tribulation, you will be forced to worship the Beast, also known as the AntiChrist. If you refuse, you will be beheaded, most likely by guillotine. Yes, I said beheaded. The guillotine, prevalent during the French Revolution, will likely once again be reinstated and reserved for those who oppose the AntiChrist in any way.
3__As the globalists like to say, “You will not own anything and be happy.” You will be a slave of the State and under constant surveillance. The digital currency system soon to be put into place will control how and where you spend your money based on a social credit score, much like what is currently being used in China. Your credit score will be calculated based on your compliance—or non-compliance—with the globalist agenda.
For example, if you accept the current craze of perversion in the world–like abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, a new world order under a globalist government, Covid vaccine compliance, and worship of the AntiChrist–you will have a high social score and will very likely be permitted to use your money as you wish and to travel more freely. If you do not accept the globalist agenda and the brazen sin of the culture, you will receive a low social score and may not even be able to access any of your money at all or travel beyond your home. You will be totally confined under the merciless control of the AntiChrist.
None of this sounds good, does it? But you can escape the Tribulation with those of us who follow Jesus if you choose now to accept Him as your Savior and Lord, if you choose to be born again. You see, those who are Christ-followers will not have to go through the horrors of the Tribulation. Instead, the Lord Himself will rescue us from this cesspool that our world has become. He will remove us from it in a cataclysmic event known as the Rapture.
In other words, He will remove from the earth all those who have repented of their sin, have been born again, and obey His Word. Those who have not repented, or have not been born again, or have not obeyed His Word will be left behind to experience the Tribulation. This will be a period of seven horrific years in which most of the human race will die. Whatever you do, don’t get left behind. Accept Jesus Christ as Your Savior and Lord right now.
How? Just pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I want to escape the wrath to come. I do not want to be here during the Tribulation. So, I ask You to save me and deliver me. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. I ask that You would forgive me and make of me what You created me to be. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
My featured book for this month, The Captain and Mrs. Vye, is my latest novel and is the story of a 19-century, middled-aged widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute. You can purchase the book at the links below.
Also, you I invite you to visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
You can also keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
Sources cited:
“The Rise of Transhumanism,” Christian Evidence Blog, February 20, 2023.
https://www.christianevidence.net/2023/02/the-rise-of-transhumanism.html
“Transhumanism and the Mark of the Beast”
https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=5916
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
A middle-aged, 19th-century widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
PRINT:
EBOOK:
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_You_Suffering_from_a_Father_Wound.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 10, 2023, and this is Episode #15 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “Are You Suffering from a Father Wound?”
What is a father wound?
According to Focus on the Family‘s Alfred C.W. Davis, the father wound is “the absence of love from one’s birth father.” * Father wounds stem from many causes, but bottomline, a father wound results from one’s earthly father’s not meeting one’s physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual needs. This failure to meet a child’s needs can result from abuse, absence, domination, or death. It can also result from the withholding of love for whatever reason. Regardless of the cause, the pain of the wound is the same—deep and lingering.
The most common effect of a father wound is lack of self-worth, usually resulting in performance syndrome. The child comes to believe that he has to perform in order to be loved. And so begins the vicious cycle of doing, instead of being, the vicious cycle that ends up destroying the child and his future relationships, even into adulthood.
Some symptoms of the father wound are the following:
__Feelings of unworthiness. “I’m not good enough.”
__Feelings of being stupid. “I’ll never get this.”
__Feelings of inadequacy and incompetence. “I’m a loser.”
__Feelings of being unloved or unlovable. “Who would want to love me?”
Those suffering from father wounds usually experience constant, underlying inner pain and are often unaware of the cause. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that our souls can be healed and restored.
You see, when we are born again, it is our spirits that are made perfect. This is called justification. We are instantaneously justified before God by the Blood of Christ. Our souls, however –our mind, will, and emotions–are still wounded and scarred and need to be healed. This healing process, which can take a lifetime, is what the Bible calls sanctification–that is, becoming holy.
So, once we have been born again–that is, once we have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord—He can begin healing the father wound. The healing of the father wound comes under the heading of sanctification. This means that, little by little, the Holy Spirit restores our wounded souls. He reveals lies we have believed about our fathers. He gives us understanding of the reasons our fathers acted the way they did. He does not condone our fathers’ actions. Rather, He helps us to understand them so that we can more readily forgive our fathers.
Father wounds often involve lies from the devil. For example, a father wound can cause us to believe we are worthless and good for nothing. But, when we read the Word of God, we discover the truth about ourselves. We discover who we truly are in Christ—that we are enough because God says we are. We are not stupid, because we have the mind of Christ. We are not losers, but we are more than conquerors through Christ Who loves us. We are worthy of love because God loves us and died to save us.
Probably the worst effect of a father wound is that it gives us a distorted view of God the Father. People suffering from father wounds usually see God as they see their earthly fathers. If one’s father has been absent–whether physically or emotionally–that person sees God as absent. If one’s earthly father has been distant, that person sees God as distant and uncaring. If one’s earthly father has been cruel or domineering, one sees God in the same way.
It used to be thought that a father was more important to a son than to a daughter. Research has revealed differently. Father wounds affect daughters as much as sons, perhaps more in many ways. Studies show that a daughter’s father wound can result in the following:
__It sends women on an endless search for love, and they often make poor choices, ending up hurt and abused as a result.
__It causes women to view men through the false filter of their earthly father, resulting in painful and broken relationships and hatred toward men.
__It creates a fear of abandonment in women.
__It causes women to marry father-wounded men.
__It causes women to assume responsibilities that are not theirs to assume.
So, how do we get free of a father wound? Here are some proven suggestions that I have successfully used myself:
1. Get to know God, the only perfect Father. He will show you what a father is supposed to look like.
2. Invite the Lord to heal you. Ask Him to show you the truth about the relationship with your father. Much of what we remember is true. We usually remember only the bad things our fathers did. But ask the Lord to show you the good things your earthly father did as well. Your view will become more balanced, and you will experience compassion for your father’s weaknesses as a fellow human being.
3. Recognize that your earthly father is human, just like you. Consequently, he is flawed and marred by sin. Choose to understand his behavior without condoning it.
4. Forgive your earthly father for the hurt he has caused you. Forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling. Make the decision to forgive him. In so doing, you will set yourself free.
5. Embrace the earthly father God gave you. He did so for a purpose, and that purpose has everything to do with your becoming more like Christ. So don’t reject your earthly experience with your father. Ask the Lord to show you the reason He gave you the father He did.
6. Accept God the Father as your true Father. He will be to you all that you need. He will never fail you.
7. If you are a father yourself, model yourself on God’s character. To know His character, study His Word. There you will find what a good father looks like.
8. Finally, if you do not yet know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, receive Him now. True healing begins and ends in Christ. Unless you have Christ in your life, you will never be completely healed.
So, do that know, will you? Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I am hurting from a father wound. I need Your healing. So, I receive You now as my Savior, my Healer, and my Lord. I receive the freedom You died to give me. Freedom from a father wound and all wounds. Thank You for saving me and healing me. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you go, I ask you to check out my featured book for this month, The Captain and Mrs. Vye. It is my latest novel and is the story of a 19-century, middled-aged woman widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute. You can purchase the book at the links below.
Also, you can visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
You can keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
Source cited:
https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/content/understanding-and-healing-the-father-wound
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
A middle-aged, 19th-century widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
PRINT:
EBOOK:
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Dangers_of_Digital_Currency.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 3, 2023, and this is Episode #14 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “The Dangers of Digital Currency”.
If you have not yet heard about the imminent adoption of a digital currency system here in the United States and throughout the world, you will soon. Sometime this year, the United States will very likely make the huge transition from cash and credit cards to digital currency.
What exactly is digital currency, and why should we be concerned about it?
According to journalist Leo Hohmann, digital currency is a “cashless electronic payment system that feeds on your personal biometric data.” So what does that mean? It means that we will no longer be able to pay for purchases with cash or credit cards. Instead, we will pay with a scan of the hand or the face, a practice called facial recognition.
Why the concern? It seems as though digital currency will make our lives easier, no? We won’t have to carry around credit cards. We can pay with a simple scan of our hand. No more worries about not having enough cash on us or forgetting our credit card. So, what’s the problem?
The problem is that the digital currency system is a cover-up for the implementation of the Mark of the Beast as prophesied in the Book of Revelation, chapter 13: 16:
“He [the AntiChrist] required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.” That number, as we learn in the following verse, is 666, the number associated with the AntiChrist.
Amazon has already rolled out its “pay by palm” platform to pay for purchases in its brick-and-mortar stores. Based on the Amazon model, the Panera Bread chain has announced that it is planning to roll out a digital system for purchases in its restaurants. J.P. Morgan Bank has also announced such a roll-out and plans to make it available to the banks and businesses within its purview.
Other credit card companies have already introduced payment systems based on hand or face scans. For example, VISA calls its biometric system “contactless payment”. If you visit Visa’s website, you can find a list of retailers already participating in its contactless payment system. These include McDonalds, CVS Pharmacy, 7-Eleven, Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, OfficeMax, Whole Foods, Aldi, and Costco, among others. Mastercard has introduced a similar biometric payment system that it calls “Smile to Pay”.
Well, we won’t be smiling any time soon when we learn what is really going on.
The truth of the matter is that the world is being set up and programmed to accept the Mark of the Beast, the mark that will be required during the Tribulation in order to buy or sell anything. You might ask, “What’s wrong with that?” If it makes my life easier by making shopping more convenient, what’s the harm?
The harm is this. The mark of the beast is not simply a financial transaction tool. The mark of the beast is an indication that one has chosen to worship Satan instead of the one true God. It is a device that will most likely be implanted under the skin, on the hand or the forehead, and will signify that one has sold his soul to the devil.
When the mark is inserted, it will bring about a change in one’s DNA that will make him what is called a trans-human–part human and part machine. You may have already heard of the move toward trans-humanism, a move led by Yuval Noah Harari, right-hand man to Klaus Schwab. Schwab, founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum, is a major player in implementing the New World Order, comprised of the one-world government, the one-world religion, and the one-world economic system. Digital currency is the vehicle by which this one-world currency will be implemented.
The purpose of such implementation is to be able to exert greater control over the world population. That is the ultimate goal of the globalists: total world power and total subjugation of humanity. And they are making fast progress toward attaining that goal.
While the world is asleep, Satan is doing his thing. It is critically important to recognize and remember that the globalist agenda is being instigated by Satan himself. He is the chief architect behind it and its chief executor. He still wants to be God and foolishly thinks he can. Sad to say, he uses deceived human beings to implement his nefarious plan.
So, what can we do as we approach the impending beast of the New World Order? There is only one thing to do. If you have not yet given your life to Jesus Christ, do so now. Do not wait another second.
You see, my friend, this world will never return to normal. It is careening toward the Great Tribulation as predicted in the Bible. And the Bible has never been wrong. America has essentially fallen, and soon the entire world will fall with it. The time is perilously short before the return of Jesus Christ to remove His followers from the earth before the start of the Tribulation. And only His followers will be removed. Everyone else will be left behind to endure the horrific torments of the Tribulation,
Lest you think I am being an alarmist or a conspiracy theorist, know this. The Bible has never been wrong in its predictions. Why? Because the Bible is the very Word of God, spoken out of His mouth to warn us of His coming wrath if we reject Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved. There is no salvation in Buddha, Mohammed, Hare Krishna, or anyone else. Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ, and if we reject Jesus Christ, there is no possibility of salvation. Jesus Himself said in John 14: 6: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
So, don’t delay. Receive Jesus Christ into your life now. Admit you are a sinner. Believe that Jesus is the only One Who can save you from your sin. Call upon His Name now and He will save you. Just pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I repent of my sin and ask You to forgive me. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. I receive the freedom You died to give me. Thank You for saving me. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you go, I encourage you to check out my featured book for this month, The Iron Saint. Details follow below. Also, you can visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
You can keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
___________________________________
Sources Cited:
Leo Hohmann, “The One-World Beast System Is Roaring into Reality, but Is Anyone Listening?”
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
Are you ready for the persecution of the Church? It’s not only coming; it’s here already. Increasingly, Christians are being persecuted for their stand for Christ. According to Scripture, this persecution will only increase.
But to be able to endure it, we must prepare. In this insightful book, Dr. MaryAnn Diorio presents principles for running one’s race until the end. Get a copy for yourself, for your pastor, and for any believer who is serious about following Jesus.
PRINT:
EBOOK:
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_You_an_Amateur_Providence_.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 27, 2023, and this is Episode #13 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “Are You an ‘Amateur Providence’?”
Sometimes we stand in the way of God by trying to help people instead of simply praying for them. In his classic devotional, My Utmost for His Highest,” Oswald Chambers refers to this as being an “amateur providence”.
There is a fine line between helping and controlling, and we must continually be on guard not to cross that line. If we do, it is a sign that we have very likely allowed a Jezebel spirit to enter our lives.
What is a Jezebel spirit? Jezebel was the very domineering wife of the weak-spirited King Ahab, one of the kings of Israel. Her attitude was “My way or the highway.” She wreaked horrific destruction in Israel by promoting the worship of false gods. She killed God’s prophets, and she was the cause of the murder of an innocent man.
Jezebel was in the grips of a demonic, controlling spirit that has become known as the Jezebel spirit. The Jezebel spirit has been the destruction of many marriages, families, and churches.
Jesus refers to the Jezebel spirit in Revelation 2: 20 when He addresses the church of Thyatira: “But I have a few things against you: You permit that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols”. Jesus is reprimanding the church of Thyatira for permitting the Jezebel spirit to continue to operate in its midst.
How can we recognize a Jezebel spirit? Here are some characteristics:
1. The ultimate goal of the Jezebel spirit is control. This spirit wants its own agenda to prevail, and will do anything and everything to accomplish it. People in the grips of the Jezebel spirit are usually very insecure and see themselves in a negative light. They have usually been emotionally wounded in some way and seek significance in ruling over others.
2. The Jezebel spirit rebels against authority, especially male authority. Usually this rebellion against male authority stems from a poor relationship with one’s father. One of the worst displays of the Jezebel spirit occurs in a church where the pastor is weak and allows himself to be controlled by this spirit.
3. The Jezebel spirit is manipulative. It tries to undermine divinely appointed leadership by pretending to step up to the plate in order to help, while all the while it is taking authority that does not belong to it.
4. The Jezebel spirit operates clandestinely, often under the guise of sacrificial servanthood. If a leader is not discerning, he or she will be overcome by the Jezebel spirit.
5. The family of one who has yielded to the Jezebel spirit is often chaotic and out of order. The Jezebel spirit always requires the presence of the Ahab spirit in order to accomplish its goals. The Ahab spirit is the spirit that allows Jezebel to take control. The Ahab spirit is weak, complacent, and does not step into its role of divinely ordained leadership. Without the Ahab spirit, the Jezebel spirit is virtually powerless. More often than not, the one in bondage to the Ahab spirit is not aware of his weakness in facing the Jezebel spirit, or lacks discernment in recognizing the Jezebel spirit.
One way to recognize a Jezebel spirit is to discern whether a person is pointing others to his own spiritual gifts or to Jesus. If the person’s influence highlights himself or herself instead of Jesus, that person may very well be in the grips of a Jezebel spirit.
In the last couple of decades, I have seen a major rise in the Jezebel spirit’s operation in the church, resulting in much havoc, chaos, and division. An example of the manifestation of the Ahab spirit would be a pastor who–wittingly or unwittingly– allows someone in his congregation to run things behind the scene. Common occurrences are pastors whose wives think they are co-pastors when they have never been called or ordained to that office.
If you are in the grips of a Jezebel spirit, repent now and change your ways. If you know of someone in the grips of a Jezebel spirit, pray for that person. If necessary, confront that person in love as the Holy Spirit leads.
Remember this: Our influence in the life of any person should be to point that person to Jesus Christ. He alone is the answer to our every need. We have no answers. We can only point to the Answer. To do otherwise is sin.
If you have not yet found the answer to your life, that Answer is Jesus Christ. Now is the time to receive Him into your life. Just pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sin and ask You to forgive me. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. I receive the freedom You died to give me. Thank You for saving me. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you go, I encourage you to check out my featured book for this month, The Iron Saint. Details follow below. Also, you can visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
You can keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
Source cited:
https://ifapray.org/blog/10-characteristics-of-the-jezebel-spirit/
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
Are you ready for the persecution of the Church? It’s not only coming; it’s here already. Increasingly, Christians are being persecuted for their stand for Christ. According to Scripture, this persecution will only increase.
But to be able to endure it, we must prepare. In this insightful book, Dr. MaryAnn Diorio presents principles for running one’s race until the end. Get a copy for yourself, for your pastor, and for any believer who is serious about following Jesus.
PRINT:
EBOOK:
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/A_Warning_from_the_Watchman.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 20, 2023, and this is Episode #12 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “A Warning from the Watchman”.
Did you know that God has called certain people to be watchmen? What is a watchman? A watchman is a person who stands guard and keeps watch for those he loves in order to protect them from oncoming danger and harm.
There are all kinds of watchmen. We have security guards who protect businesses at night. We have watchmen who protect students at schools, and watchmen who protect neighborhoods. And there are also watchmen for entire countries.
A father is a watchman for his family. He keeps guard against any spiritual, physical, and financial harm toward his wife and children. A pastor is a watchman for his congregation. He keeps guard against any spiritual deception and harm toward his congregants.
There are also watchmen called by God to alert the world of the impending doom predicted in Bible prophecy. These are end-time watchmen, and I am one of them.
End-time watchmen are often misunderstood, ridiculed, and mocked. But that comes with the job. 🙂 We choose to overlook those obstacles because of our love for the people for whom we watch. We see a bigger picture that, perhaps, they do not yet see, and we seek to show them that picture for their ultimate safety.
Today, I want to share with you some warnings that I see as a watchman for the United States. These warnings are not of my own creation. They are all predicted in the Bible. I can, therefore, share them with the authority of God’s Word backing me.
So, please take heed and search the Scriptures for yourself. You will discover that what I am saying is true and should be heeded.
1) The United States of America is being taken over by totalitarianism. (If you missed it, see my last post titled “The Totalitarian Tiptoe” at the link provided. The Bible predicted that shortly before the Rapture (that world-shattering even when Jesus removes His Church from the earth), there would arise a “new world order”–a global system whose purpose would be to subjugate humanity under the dictatorship of a man called the AntiChrist.
2) The rise of digital currency. We are already seeing this happening as the world economy gives up cash and moves toward a digital currency platform. Many, including myself, consider this move a great threat to our personal freedom. Digital currency will allow the federal government to monitor our every transaction and to challenge each one based on our religious belief system and our political ideology. If we think the way the government thinks, we will have special purchasing privileges. If we do not, we won’t.
3) The invasion of America by foreign troops. It is no secret that countries like China and Russia are enemies of the United States. Already, there are reports of Chinese and Russian submarines and ships secretly sailing off our coasts. And, recently, China brazenly sent spy balloons across our country while we stood by and simply watched. Many Christ-followers have had dreams that China will invade the United States. I, too, have had such a dream.
4) The Mark of the Beast. This digital currency system will eventually lead to the Mark of the Beast. The Bible says that the mark will likely be some sort of computer chip or tattoo implanted or engraved on one’s forehead or hand. It will contain that person’s medical, financial, and socio-political information. Without the mark, a person will not be permitted to buy necessities, such as food, nor will he be permitted to sell. Taking the mark is proof of allegiance to the AntiChrist who is the personification of Satan himself. Those who take the mark will be forever doomed to hell. Why? Because the mark will alter the person’a DNA, thereby making him trans-human and, therefore, no longer redeemable. Jesus Christ came to redeem humans, not trans-humans.
These are only a few of the warnings that I want to share with you as a watchman for our country in these last days. In Ezekiel 3: 3-6, the Bible says this: “When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people. Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die. They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives. But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.”
I do not want your blood on my hands for having failed to warn you. Now the ball is in your court. What are you going to do with the warning? Are you going to ignore it, reject it, or mock it? If so, you do so at your own peril.
For you see, my friend, the warning I am giving you is not of my own making. It comes from the Word of God that is absolute and true. Check out the Bible for yourself, particularly the Books of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah in the Old Testament, and the Books of Matthew and Revelation in the New Testament. You will find that I am telling you the truth.
Read for yourself and think for yourself. Ask God to show you the truth. I guarantee that if you ask, He will.
Knowing truth begins with knowing Jesus. If you do not yet know Him, pray this simple prayer with me now:
Lord Jesus, I want to know You. I want to escape the wrath to come during the Tribulation. I repent of my sin and ask You to forgive me. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. I receive the freedom You died to give me. Thank You for saving me. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you go, I encourage you to check out my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
You can keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
__________________________________________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
. Are you a ready for the coming persecution of the Church?
__________________________________________________________________
Sources cited:
“The US Dollar Could Go Digital” (CNN Business)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/11/tech/us-digital-dollar-cbdc/index.html
“Cash Will Soon Be Obsolete. Will America Be Ready?” (NY Times)
“Biden’s Plan for a Digital Dollar Is a Massive Threat to Freedom” (Newsweek)
https://www.newsweek.com/bidens-plan-digital-dollar-massive-threat-freedom-opinion-1688803
____________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Wired_for_Worship.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 6, 2023, and this is Episode #10 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “Wired for Worship”.
It has been said that man cannot live without someone or something to worship. If man does not worship the one, true, living God, man will worship another man or he will worship himself, or he will worship some thing.
Why is this so? Because God designed us this way. It has always been God’s will that we worship Him. Worshipping the one true God is the only way for us to experience life, freedom, joy, and peace. But, when we choose to worship a false god—such as another man or thing, or oneself—we will experience destruction and death.
Today men have turned away from the one true God and are worshipping false gods. Some of these false gods include the following:
__Politicians
__Movie Stars
__Music Idols
__Entertainment (such as video games)
__Planet Earth
__Health and Fitness (Yes, health and fitness)
__Money and
__Sex
In the Book of Revelation, chapter 4, the Apostle John is taken up into heaven where he sees God’s throne. The throne is the focal point of Heaven, and on that throne sits the one true God. In this chapter of Revelation, John describes everything he sees in relation to the throne.
Today we have denied the throne of God. We have replaced it with atheism, which says there is no throne, and with humanism which says there is a throne but man sits on it. Both of these worldviews deny the throne of God. Only Christianity acknowledges that God sits on the throne.
Let me ask you, my friend, who sits on the throne of your life? Is it a job, a career, money? Drugs? Sex? Alcohol? Is it a political leader, a rock star, or even a spouse? You see, even a loved one can become a god in one’s life.
When the disciples told Jesus that his mother and brothers were standing outside the house in which he was preaching and they were asking to speak with Him, what did Jesus say? He said, “’Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!’” (Matthew 12: 48-50 NLT). Here the Lord was showing us that no thing, no person, must come between us and the will of God. Anything that does is called idolatry.
So, I ask you again. Who or what sits on the throne of your life? Whom or what are you worshipping? Is it someone or something other than the one true God? If so, it’s time to repent and turn to the only true and living God. No one can love you more. No one can better provide for you. No one can give you peace the way God can. No one can bring healing to your body as only He can. No one can heal your broken, shattered heart as only God can.
You see, God is the One Who created you. He knows everything about you. Every single detail. He put you together in the first place, so when you are broken, He can fix you because He alone perfectly knows you.
And He created you because He wanted a relationship with you. He longs for a personal relationship with you so that He can bless us with every good thing. At the same time, He loved you enough to give you a free will so that you could choose whether or not we want to love Him.
Won’t you accept God’s invitation to love you? Perhaps you were deeply hurt by a human being, but God will never hurt you. He’s just not that way. He is good. Always good.
Remember, my friend, you were created to worship.We were created to worship. If we do not worship God, we will worship someone else or something else. So, why not be good to yourself? Worship the way you were wired. That way is to worship the one, true God. Only then will you experience the abundant life that He wants to give you.
If you are ready to give up worshipping idols, pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I have been guilty of worshipping false gods other than You. I confess my sin and ask You to forgive me. I receive You now as the One and only true God, my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for saving me and for loving me. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you go, I encourage you to check out my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table for a wonderful selection of books–both fiction and nonfiction–to encourage you in your walk with Jesus.
You can keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Paganization_of_America.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 27, 2023, and this is Episode #9 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “The Paganization of America”.
When I studied the history of Western Civilization in college back in the mid-sixties, the cultural consensus was that the West had overcome the primitive beliefs of earlier peoples who worshipped gods and goddesses, mythology, and other forms of paganism. We in America–and in the West– had now become a rational civilization, a civilization that eschewed ancient myths, ancient forms of worship, and ancient philosophies. We now had science, and science poked holes in such silliness.
If only my history professor back in those days could see what is happening in our country now! We have embraced the very culture we once termed as foolish and primitive. We have returned to those destructive lies. We are once again worshipping pagan gods in America.
In a pivotal book titled The Return of the Gods (affiliate link), Rabbi Jonathan Cahn posits that America’s return to paganism began in the sixties when prayer was removed from our public schools. This heinous act, Cahn points out, was the first step in separating our children from God and God from our children. Since then, it has been a downhill battle in our land to save our children from wickedness and destruction.
We have only to look at the staggering suicide rate among children between the ages of nine and fifteen. We must ask ourselves why. The answer is clear. Without God, there is no hope.
Sadly, we have come a very long way from the America in which I grew up. Just to give you an example: From 1950 until 1954, I attended Kindergarten to fourth grade at the public school in my town. My first grade teacher, Miss Ritter, had a Bible on her desk. Every morning, our class had to rise for the reading of the Word. After reading a passage from the Bible, my teacher prayed aloud. After her prayer, we saluted the flag. (Click here to read my heartwarming story about Miss Ritter, titled “Miss Ritter’s Bible”.)
If a public school teacher today did what my first-grade teacher did back in 1951, today’s teacher would be fired and, possibly, charged with breaking the law. And we wonder why our youth have gone astray?
If you’ve ever watched old television programs like Leave It to Beaver, you get a glimpse of what America was like back in the 50s. I can vouch for those TV shows. I grew up in the fifties and sixties. America back then was a wholesome place, a country where the consensus was a moral one, even among those who were not Christian. It was considered shameful to have sex before marriage. Today, we blatantly promote sex before marriage. In fact, we even encourage young people to live together without getting married.
Of course, there has always been sin, even back in the 50s and 60s. But sin was not glorified and magnified as it is today. Worse yet, we have entered an era when Satan—the father of sin—is being worshipped and glorified. Case in point: the recent Emmy Awards.
And we wonder why America has gone mad? Satan is the father of lies. When a people worships him, that people will reap the consequences of embracing the lie. And when people embrace the lie, only destruction and death result.
Today in America we are witnessing a return to devil worship. And yes, the worship of gods and goddesses is devil worship, for behind those false gods and goddesses are demonic spirits. They are the same demonic spirits that were behind the paganism of the ancient Greeks and the paganism of third-world cultures that did not embrace Christianity.
You see, spirits never die. When Satan rebelled against God, he took with him one-third of the angels of heaven. Those angels are now the demons that roam the earth, working for their master, Satan, and seeking people to devour. Don’t be one of those people!
But if you are, there is hope for you. That hope is found in Jesus Christ, the true God Who came down from heaven to save you. He gave His life so that you can be free from the lies of Satan and the demonic oppression that goes with them when you believe those lies.
If you are ready to be free, pray this simple prayer with me now:
Lord Jesus, I want to be free from the lies of Satan. I admit that I have sinned against You. I ask You to forgive me as I turn away from my sin. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for saving me and for loving me. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus
Before you go, I encourage you to get yourself a copy of Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s The Return of the Gods and learn more about the paganization of America. Just click on the book cover below.
Also, please check out my website bookstore for a list of the books I’ve written for your information and reading pleasure, to help you grow in Christ. Just go to MaryAnn’s Bookstore.
You can keep updated on new releases in my writing ministry by subscribing to my monthly author newsletter at the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Great_Awakening_or_Rude_Awakening.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 20, 2023, and this is Episode #8 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “The Great Awakening or the Rude Awakening?”
If you’ve been listening to the news lately, you know that there is a Great Awakening going on in the heartland of our country. It began at Asbury University in Kentucky, and it is now spreading to other Christian universities in the Midwest. People are coming from all over the United States to experience this great move of God.
A similar move of God occurred at Asbury University—then Asbury College—back in 1970, the year in which I was born again. That move of God also spread across the United States, reaching as far west as an Anglican church in the state of Washington and as far east as Pennsylvania and New Jersey where I lived.
So, what is going on?
What we are witnessing is, I believe, a final outpouring of God’s mercy before the return of His Son Jesus Christ. You see, my friend, God does not want anyone to go to hell. In 2 Peter 3: 9, His Word says this: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
So, what we are witnessing through this Third Great Awakening is God’s response to hearts hungry for Him. Many in our land—especially our youth—have experienced hopelessness and despair at the direction in which our country has gone. Many have cried out to God for help. And God has graciously responded.
But, lest we become proud or complacent, let us be forewarned that this Great Awakening precedes the Rude Awakening when the Age of God’s Grace will cease and the Age of God’s Wrath will begin. You see, God’s mercy endures for a season, but at one point it will no longer be available. At one point, it will be too late to receive it.
Are you willing to take such a risk?
There is a verse in the Bible that most people are not aware of, but it is a verse that should put the fear of God in our hearts. The verse is found in the book of Galatians, chapter 6, verse 7: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” This verse makes clear that when it comes to God, we will not get away with anything. Whatever we plant is what we will harvest. In other words, what goes around comes around.
So, do not take this Great Awakening for granted. Do not make light of it because a similar awakening may never come again. Perhaps not in your lifetime, at least.
Instead, ask yourself this question: What am I going to do with this great outpouring of God’s mercy? How am I going to respond to this Great Awakening? Will I participate in it by accepting God’s invitation to be saved? Or will I walk away and remain in my sin and rebellion?
The choice is yours, my friend. But know this: the choice you make will have eternal ramifications. If you choose to participate in the Great Awakening by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you will be saved and you will spend eternity with God in Heaven. But if you walk away from the Great Awakening and refuse to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you will surely enter the Rude Awakening when the wrath of God will be poured out upon you, and you will be eternally damned.
Romans 2: 5 says this: But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. That day of God’s wrath is just around the corner. World events clearly point to its imminence.
So, don’t suppress the truth by your wickedness. John 3: 36 says this: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”
Choose to repent, to turn away from your sin, to embrace your Savior and Lord. You can do so right now by praying this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I want to be part of this Great Awakening. I admit that I have sinned against You. I ask You to forgive me as I turn away from my sin. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for saving me and for loving me. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my website bookstore for a list of the books I’ve written for your information and reading pleasure, to help you grow in Christ. Just go to maryanndiorio.com/book-table.
Also, I encourage you to subscribe to my author newsletter for monthly updates on my writing and speaking. You will find the link below in the show notes.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_You_Connecting_the_Dots_.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 13, 2023, and this is Episode #7 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “Are You Connecting the Dots”?
Have you figured it out yet that God is judging the earth? How else do you explain the apocalyptic events that are occurring all around us—and all at the same time? Earthquakes of immense proportions. Weather patterns that are unprecedented. Lawlessness that has run rampant. Insane thinking that defies description and credibility.
Where is all of this craziness leading? To exactly where the Bible predicts it will lead: to the rise of the one-world religion, one-world economic system, and one-world government led by the worst dictator in human history known as the AntiChrist.
In case you don’t know it, this dictator is already in the wings, waiting patiently to make his appearance on center stage after the Rapture and during the Tribulation. He will be the man who brings a supposed peace in the Middle East, the man who seemingly reconciles the world with Israel and Israel with the world, the man who gets the chaos under control after millions of Christians suddenly disappear in the Rapture. He will be brilliant, charismatic, and powerful.
And, he will be a Deceiver!
In fact, he will be the human personification of the chief deceiver of all time, Satan himself.
So, you may be asking, how do you know all this, Dr. MaryAnn?
Simple. It has all been predicted in the Bible. Of course, if you don’t read the Bible, you very likely will have no clue about what is really going on. All you see are the events, but you don’t know what is going on behind the events and who is instigating them.
My friend, I urge you to read the Bible. God gave it to us as our manual for life. Just as you get a manual for your car, you get a manual for your life. That manual is called the Bible.
But very few people read it.
The Bible contains prophecies about the future. Most of these prophecies have already come to pass. Many of them are being fulfilled before our very eyes. And some of them have yet to be fulfilled.
Everything the Bible prophesies happens according to God’s plan. But most people are not connecting the dots. Why not? Because they do not know the Bible. It’s all explained in that Book above all books. The Book that is the best-selling book of all time, but the book that most people relegate to a shelf to collect dust.
But they do so at their own peril. You see, my friends, God is warning us and has been warning us all along of what the future holds. There are signs in the heavens that foretell the events of the last days. In the last few years, we’ve witnessed several blood moons, comets, asteroids, unusual planetary alignments, solar flares, and a host of other signs through which God is speaking to us. Well, you may say, these things have been happening for centuries. Yes, but not all at the same time! It’s called Convergence, all the signs of the end happening at the same time.
But, sadly, few are paying attention. Most, instead, are engaged in pursuing their own interests, with no thought toward the future except their 401Ks, their IRAs, or their next vacation. Are you among them?
But what about your spiritual future? What about what will happen to you if you are left behind to endure the horrendous torment of the AntiChrist during the Tribulation? What about eternity? Will you spend it in heaven or in hell?
Jesus said that in the last days, many would be deceived. In fact, when the disciples asked Jesus to describe the events of the last days, the first thing Jesus said to them was, “Do not be deceived.”
Today, most of the world is being deceived. It is believing the lie of the New World Order instead of the truth of the Bible. Indeed, the Bible is discounted and demeaned and discredited as an archaic book with no contemporary application. Yet, the Bible has never been more relevant than it is now. The Bible, my friend, has never been wrong. Never!
So, you have a choice to make. Will you believe the lies of Satan and the New World Order? Or will you believe God and the Bible? Your choice has eternal implications.
Let me ask you this: If you are not yet a follower of Jesus Christ, what is your life like? Are you experiencing peace deep down inside? Are your relationships prospering, or are you struggling in your marriage, your parenting, or your workplace? Do you feel empty and hopeless inside? Are you looking for answers to the meaning of life and your purpose here on this earth?
All of these are excellent questions. The answer to each one lies in Jesus Christ. He alone can give you true peace. He alone can give you loving relationships. He alone can fill that void inside that only God can fill. He alone can give your life meaning and purpose.
This same Jesus is coming back soon to remove from the earth all those who follow Him. Will you be among them? You can be, you know. The only thing you need to do is to receive Him as your Savior and Lord.
How do you do that? By asking Him to come into your life. Won’t you do that now with me? Let’s pray :
Lord Jesus, I need peace in my life. I need purpose and meaning. I don’t want to be left behind when the Rapture occurs. I want You to take me with You so that I can live with you forever. I acknowledge and admit that I have sinned against You. I ask You to forgive me as I turn away from my sin. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for saving me and for loving me. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my website bookstore for a list of the books I’ve written for your information and reading pleasure. Just go to maryanndiorio.com/book-table.
Also, I encourage you to subscribe to my author newsletter for monthly updates on my writing and speaking. You will find the link below.
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/How_Close_Are_We_to_the_Rapture.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 6, 2023, and this is Episode #6 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “How Close Are We to the Rapture?”
This past week, a new version of the movie Left Behind was released, under the directorship of Kevin Sorbo. This movie recounts the events that will soon transpire on earth as we move closer and closer to the Great Tribulation.
Unlike the two earlier versions of the Left Behind movie, Sorbo’s version is like watching the morning news. The movie takes place against a backdrop of events that are currently happening in the world around us. What he portrays on the screen is what we are currently reading in the morning headlines or watching on the evening news.
Usually, apocalyptic-type movies present a scenario of a future yet to be unfolded. But Left Behind presents a scenario that is currently happening before our very eyes and that predicts the future yet to be unfolded.
So, what does this mean for us? It means several things:
1) The Bible is absolutely true. All of the events happening in our world today—from the Covid crisis to the rise of trans-humanism, digital currency, the mark of the beast, and the AntiChrist—are all predicted in the Bible. Everything in the world is happening just as God said it would. All of these events are either taking place now or are being set up for the near future.
2) Current events mean that the Rapture of the Church is just around the corner. Bible prophecy will be fulfilled, whether we believe it will or not. We have no say in the matter because God alone is God. We are not. You see, my friend, God will have the final say, whether you believe it or not. So, doesn’t it make sense to get ourselves on God’s side?
One of the greatest signs of the coming Tribulation is that man will declare himself as god. This is what the World Economic Forum is doing, especially through its spokesman Yuval Noah Harari, right-hand man to Klaus Schwab. If you haven’t heard of Harari or his dangerous false teachings, check him out.
3. You do not want to be left behind when the Rapture occurs. If you think the world is crazy now, it will be unrecognizable after the Rapture. When Christ-followers are taken home to Heaven, chaos will reign supreme. Imagine airplanes in flight suddenly without their pilots. Imagine cars suddenly without their drivers. Imagine mothers suddenly without their infants and children. All this is what will happen at the time of the Rapture when Christ-followers are removed from this earth.
So, how close are we to the Rapture? Very, very close. World events indicate that the Rapture could occur any day now. As my husband often says, the world is not falling apart. It is falling into place. World events are falling into place for the Rapture and the Tribulation to occur just as the Bible predicted they would.
If you want to get a good picture of what the world will look like after all Christ-Followers are removed from the earth, watch one of the Left Behind movies. You will find them sobering and, if you do not know Jesus, you will find them terrifying.
But, you don’t have to be terrified. You can be saved instead and full of joy and peace and be among those who will be rescued before the Tribulation breaks loose. Simply place your trust in Jesus as the One Who alone can save you, and you will be saved. Do that now by praying this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I don’t want to be left behind when the Rapture occurs. I want You to take me in the Rapture so that I can live with you forever. I acknowledge and admit that I have sinned against You. I ask You to forgive me as I turn away from my sin. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for saving me and for loving me. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of sinning against the Most High God, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting love journey with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my new featured books: The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel, A Christmas Homecoming, my popular Christmas novella, and Miracle at Madville, my latest children’s storybook.
The Captain and Mrs. Vye is the story of a middle-aged, childless widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of a mother whose teenage daughter goes missing. The mother faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith. This story is now also available in audiobook format.
Miracle at Madville is the story of an angry young princess who discovers the greatest weapon of all.
All three books make great all-occasion gifts for the readers in your life and are available on Amazon and other retail venues.
Purchase your copies here:
THE CAPTAIN AND MRS. VYE
A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
MIRACLE AT MADVILLE
Please help me spread the Gospel by sharing this blog post and podcast with people you know and by subscribing to both the blog and the podcast at the links below:
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Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
________________________________
Featured Books for the Start of the New Year:
A Story for All Seasons . . .
Get your copy of A Christmas Homecoming! One reader called it “a cup of hot cocoa for the heart.”SUMMARY: When Sonia Pettit’s teenage daughter goes missing, Sonia faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
Also available in AudioBook Format.*CLICK HERE for audiobook.*
NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel
A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
New Release: Miracle at Madville: A Storybook for Children
An angry young princess discovers the greatest weapon of all.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
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To subscribe to The Reader Connection, click here.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/You_Are_Loved_.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 30, 2023, and this is Episode #5 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “You Are Loved!”
In my 77 years on this earth and my 50-plus years of ministering to people both as a Life Coach, a Licensed Minister, and a friend, I have discovered that an underlying root of all sin and suffering is the belief that one is not loved. Because all of us were created to love and to be loved, this false belief leads us to look for love in the wrong places, and when we do, we always end up in trouble.
The need for love is a universal need. We find it in every person of every age and nationality. We find the need for love throughout human history, as expressed in our literature and our historical documents. We find the need for love in every child as he trustingly reaches out to those who care for him.
The need for love is a need we cannot deny or escape. Yet so many of us try to do just that. The need for love is a need placed in our hearts by God Who created us so that we would look to Him to meet our need for love.
The sad thing, however, is that while the need for love never goes away, the wrong ways we try to fill that need backfire on us and, instead of love, we experience suffering and sorrow. Broken relationships and broken hearts.
When babies do not receive the love they need, their souls become warped. They learn that they have to perform to be loved, or that they are not worthy of love, or that they are unloveable. These soul wounds continue to fester as the child grows up, making his adult relationships fraught with problems.
Moreover, when one does not receive the love he needs as a child, he begins looking for love in the wrong places. For instance, in drugs, alcohol, food, illicit sex, pornography, or crime.
Perhaps you yourself find yourself in such a situation. Perhaps you have looked to the wrong sources to get the love you need. If so, let me offer you hope.
No matter what you’ve done or where you are in life, there is One Who loves you and will always love you, no matter what. That One is God. He made you because He loves you, and He continues to love you despite the way you may have messed up your life. He wants to heal you and restore you. He wants to show you how much He loves you.
You see, my friend, all healing begins with the knowledge and belief that God loves you! Until you truly know and believe in the depths of your heart that God loves you, you will remain stuck in your bondage. Until you truly know and believe that God loves you, you will live a life of continual regret.
So, you may be asking, what am I supposed to do? How can I know and believe that God loves me?
Well, the first thing is to ask yourself if you truly want to receive God’s love. Some people don’t, you know, and that is tragic. For only God’s love can save you. But if you truly want to receive God’s love, it is there for the taking. God never stops loving you. While you are on this earth, He never stops offering you His love. But it’s up to you to receive it.
God’s love is best expressed through a Person. That Person is Jesus Christ. When He came to earth to die for You, He demonstrated the enormity of God’s love for you. Love gives. Jesus gave His very life to show you He loves you.
There is no greater gift that a person can give to demonstrate His love than his very life.
So, my friend, I ask you. Are you looking for love in drugs, alcohol, food, illicit sex, pornography, or crime? If so, you are looking in the wrong place. There is only one place to find love, and that is in God. Why? Because God is Love. His very nature is Love. His very essence is Love. All love originates in God and ends in God.
You can receive that love now by receiving Jesus Christ, Love Himself. Just prayer this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge and admit that I have sinned against You by looking for love in the wrong places. I ask You to forgive me as I turn away from those wrong sources of love. I want You alone to be my Source of Love, for only You can give me true, lasting love. So, I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. I receive You as the Lover of my soul. Thank You for saving me and for loving me. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of looking for love in the wrong places, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting love journey with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my new featured books: The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel, A Christmas Homecoming, my popular Christmas novella, and Miracle at Madville, my latest children’s storybook.
The Captain and Mrs. Vye is the story of a middle-aged, childless widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of a mother whose teenage daughter goes missing. The mother faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith. This story is now also available in audiobook format.
Miracle at Madville is the story of an angry young princess who discovers the greatest weapon of all.
All three books make great all-occasion gifts for the readers in your life and are available on Amazon.
Purchase your copies here:
THE CAPTAIN AND MRS. VYE
A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
MIRACLE AT MADVILLE
Please help me spread the Gospel by sharing this blog post and podcast with people you know and by subscribing to both the blog and the podcast at the links below:
SUBSCRIBE TO WINNING WITH THE WORD BLOG AND PODCAST
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE TO THE READER CONNECTION, my blog for Readers of Fiction.
Finally, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
________________________________
Featured Books for the Start of the New Year:
Get your copy of A Christmas Homecoming*! One reader called it “a cup of hot cocoa for the heart.”SUMMARY: When Sonia Pettit’s teenage daughter goes missing, Sonia faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.CLICK HERE to get your copy now.*
Also available in AudioBook Format.*CLICK HERE for audiobook.*
NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel
A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
New Release: Miracle at Madville: A Storybook for Children
An angry young princess discovers the greatest weapon of all.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.
To subscribe to my Author Newsletter, click here.
To subscribe to The Reader Connection, click here.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/How_to_Fight_Fear.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 23, 2023, and this is Episode #4 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “How to Fight Fear”.
Wherever I turn, I meet people who are fighting fear. Fear is the buzzword of the day as people face job losses, pay cuts, inflationary food prices, health challenges, and relationship issues.
If this describes you in any way, let me share the antidote to fear so that you can rid your life of it once and for all.
Fear expresses itself as a powerful emotion, perhaps the most powerful of all emotions. We all know that sick feeling in the pit of our stomach when fear strikes. That overwhelming pressure on our chests. That painful lump in our throats. That relentless, irrational attack on our minds that causes us to picture the worst. These physiological changes when fear strikes are real and, I might add, harmful.
I grew up in an atmosphere of fear, with the result that fear became a stronghold in my life. For years, I thought I had no control over fear, so whenever it struck, I would allow it to take me wherever it wanted to take me. But after I came to Christ and was born again, I learned something about fear that blew me away. Something that gave me an insight into fear that totally changed my perspective on it and the means by which I fought it. Now, I want to share what I learned with you.
I had always thought that fear was an emotion. But the Bible says something completely different. Here it is in 2 Timothy 1: 7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Did you get that? I’ll read it again. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear.” Fear is a spirit! It is not a feeling. Yes, we experience negative feelings when we fear, but behind those negative feelings is a demonic spirit.
This revelation was a game-changer for me. It meant that I finally understood what I was dealing with when I felt fear. And because I understood what I was dealing with, I knew how to handle it.
You see, when we are born again, we receive the authority and power of Christ over the enemy. In Luke 10: 19, we read this: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Did you get that? “I give you authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Jesus has given the born-again believer authority over ALL the power of Satan. And that includes authority over the spirit of fear.
When we feel fear, we are hearing the devil talking. He is whispering—or shouting—lies to us to divert our focus from God to himself. At the first signal of fear, then, we must recognize that we are dealing with an evil spirit, and we must use the authority that Jesus gave us to resist that evil spirit of fear so that it will flee from us.
The battle can be vicious. I remember one incident in particular when my daughters were teenagers. They had gone to a school event that took place in the evening. While they were gone, I was suddenly attacked with a ferocious spirit of fear. This evil spirit bombarded my mind with horrific thoughts about my daughters’ safety. With the thoughts came the frightening feelings that fear brings.
By this time, however, I had learned how the spirit of fear operates and how I needed to operate in the face of it. So I immediately began to use the authority that Jesus Christ had given me through His Word. I began to bombard the spirit of fear with Scripture verses about fear. I spoke the Word of God against the enemy. I said that God had not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
This went on for nearly three hours. Yes, three solid hours. As I mentioned, the battle was ferocious. But I stood fast on God’s Word, confident that it would accomplish its purpose of driving out the spirit of fear.
And it did!
After three hours of battle, the peace of God flooded my soul. His Word had done its job.
The same can happen to you. Now, you very likely won’t have a three-hour battle against fear as I had. But you will have a battle. When you do, do what I did. Take the Word of God—which the Bible describes as the Sword of the Spirit—and use your sword against the spirit of fear. The Bible says in James 4: 7: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
As we submit to God and resist the devil with the Word of God, the devil must flee from us. He has no other choice because he has already been defeated by Jesus Christ.
One caveat: Only those who are born again have the authority and the power to overcome the spirit of fear. If you have not been born again, you do not have that authority and power. But you can have it now if you choose to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Just pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge and admit that I am a sinner. I have sinned against You and I now choose to repent. I ask You to forgive me of my sin. I want to share in Your authority and power to overcome the spirit of fear and every other evil spirit. So, I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for saving me. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of your sin, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my new featured books: The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel, A Christmas Homecoming, my popular Christmas novella, and Miracle at Madville, my latest children’s storybook.
The Captain and Mrs. Vye is the story of a middle-aged, childless widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of a mother whose teenage daughter goes missing. The mother faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith. This story is now also available in audiobook format.
Miracle at Madville is the story of an angry young princess who discovers the greatest weapon of all.
All three books make great all-occasion gifts for the readers in your life and are available on Amazon.
Purchase your copies here:
THE CAPTAIN AND MRS. VYE
A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
MIRACLE AT MADVILLE
Please help me spread the Gospel by sharing this blog post and podcast with people you know and by subscribing to both the blog and the podcast at the links below:
SUBSCRIBE TO WINNING WITH THE WORD BLOG AND PODCAST
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE TO THE READER CONNECTION, my blog for Readers of Fiction.
Finally, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
________________________________
Featured Books for the Start of the New Year:
Get your copy of A Christmas Homecoming*! One reader called it “a cup of hot cocoa for the heart.”SUMMARY: When Sonia Pettit’s teenage daughter goes missing, Sonia faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.CLICK HERE to get your copy now.*
Also available in AudioBook Format.*CLICK HERE for audiobook.*
NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel
A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
New Release: Miracle at Madville: A Storybook for Children
An angry young princess discovers the greatest weapon of all.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.
To subscribe to my Author Newsletter, click here.
To subscribe to The Reader Connection, click here.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Dangers_of_the_Two-State_Solution-1_13_23_2_39_PM.mp3
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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 16, 2023, and this is Episode #3 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “The Dangers of the Two-State Solution.”
Something big is afoot in our world. Everyone senses it, although most people are making a weak attempt to brush off the anxious sensation. It’s as if a dark, monstrous hand is enveloping the earth and is starting to squeeze it with all its might.
Not only is this a symbolic description, it is also very much a real one. Just this past week here in the United States, tornadoes ripped through the Southeast, killing some and injuring others. Along the California coast, the country is being buffeted by floods, earthquakes, and severe storms. Unprecedented drought has struck the southwestern part of America, and food shortages are threatening more and more areas of our nation.
So, what is happening?
I believe that God’s hand of judgment has fallen upon us.
Now, before you start reminding me that there have always been earthquakes, tornadoes, droughts, famines, and floods, consider this for a moment. For the first time in human history, these disasters are occurring all at the same time. The word is convergence. The disasters are converging. That is, they are happening simultaneously in all places. This month alone, bitter snowstorms raged in the northern part of the country, while severe thunderstorms and high winds wracked the southern part.
So, why is the convergence happening?
The biggest reason, I think, is that the United States has taken a position in support of a two-state solution for Israel. Such a position is strictly forbidden by God Who gave Israel control of Jerusalem and of a huge land mass extending to the Euphrates River. In Genesis 15: 18, God said this to Abraham: “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.” Imagine that! From the river of Egypt (which is the Nile) to the Euphrates River! This parcel of land–ALL of it–belongs to Israel, and Israel will one day inhabit it. And any nation trying to steal the land or any portion of it will have to contend with God Himself. Hebrews 10: 31 tells us that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
America is falling into the hands of the living God because she is actively opposing God’s will for Israel. She is seeking to divide what God has forbidden to be divided. America is shaking her fist at God. This is an extremely dangerous act of open rebellion against God and will not go unpunished. God said this in Joel 3: 2: “I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land. . . . “
Israel belongs to Israel. Plain and simple. God later repeated the original promise He made to Abraham to Abraham’s son Isaac and to Isaac’s son Jacob, whose name was later changed to Israel. In Joshua 1: 4, God confirmed His promise about the land when the Israelites, under Joshua’s command, were about to enter the Promised Land. God said, “Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.”
From north to south, God gave Israel all the land territory from the Nile River to Lebanon and, from west to east, God gave Israel all the land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River. In today’s language, that means that God gave the Jews all the land that is currently modern Israel, all the land in the West Bank and Gaza (now inhabited by the Palestinians), all the land of Jordan, and parts of Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. That is quite a parcel of land!
Those who try to change the boundaries that God set in place for Israel will be sorely punished. We learn in the Book of Galatians 6: 7, that God will not be mocked. He will not be insulted. Whatever a person (or a nation) sows, that shall the person (or the nation) reap. America is about to reap a fearsome harvest of evil because she has pushed to divide God’s land.
Unless America changes her position toward Israel, we can expect to witness worse things happening: worse storms, worse calamities, and even the division of our country geographically by a huge earthquake right down the middle, at the New Madrid fault-line. Other nations who support a two-state solution can expect the same in their own countries.
You see, my friends, we cannot disobey God and get away with it. If we think we can, we are being very foolish. God will always win in the long run.
But the truth is, He wants you and me to win with Him. The plan He has set in motion for us—and for the whole world—is a plan motivated by love. God is Love. All that He says and does proceeds from His heart of love for us. He always has our best interests at heart. Even when He disciplines us, He does so for our good, just as a parent disciplines a child for the child’s good.
So, to rebel against God is to hurt oneself.
If you really care about your well-being, obey God. To do otherwise is to spite yourself and to bring calamity upon yourself, your family, and your country. God has His reasons for doing things the way He does. We cannot possibly understand His reasons, but we can always trust them because God is perfectly trustworthy.
If you don’t know God in this way, then you need to meet this wonderful Maker of your spirit, soul, and body. No one will ever love you more than God loves you. No one will ever want to be in relationship with you more than God wants to be in relationship with you. No one will ever want to bless you more than God wants to bless you.
So, how can you meet this awesome God Who wants to be a Father to you? There is only one way, and that is through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the mediator between us and God the Father. Jesus is the bridge that reconnects us with the Father. You see, when God created our first parents, Adam and Eve, they were connected to God. But when they disobeyed Him, they willfully severed that connection and were left isolated and alone in their suffering and disgrace.
But God loved them so much—and all those who descended from Adam and Eve, including us—that He wanted to give us a second chance at being connected to Him. But the only possible way to do that was to send Jesus to be our Substitute. Jesus was both God and Man. As God, Jesus was the only Person Who could pay the infinite cost of sin. As Man, Jesus was the only Person who could represent us and stand in our place before a righteous God.
So, in order to be reconnected to God the Father, you need to go through Jesus. Let’s do that now, shall we? Please pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge and admit that I am a sinner. I have sinned against You and I now choose to repent. I ask You to forgive me of my sin. I want to be reconnected with God the Father. So, cleanse me, Lord Jesus, of all unrighteousness. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. Help me to experience the true success that comes only from knowing You. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of your sin, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my new featured books: The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel, A Christmas Homecoming, my popular Christmas novella, and Miracle at Madville, my latest children’s storybook.
The Captain and Mrs. Vye is the story of a middle-aged, childless widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of a mother whose teenage daughter goes missing. The mother faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.
Miracle at Madville is the story of an angry young princess who discovers the greatest weapon of all.
All three books make great all-occasion gifts for the readers in your life and are available on Amazon.
Purchase your copies here:
THE CAPTAIN AND MRS. VYE
A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
MIRACLE AT MADVILLE
Please help me spread the Gospel by sharing this blog post and podcast with people you know and by subscribing to both the blog and the podcast at the links below:
SUBSCRIBE TO WINNING WITH THE WORD BLOG AND PODCAST
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE TO THE READER CONNECTION, my blog for Readers of Fiction.
Finally, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
Source cited: “Original Land Promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18) and Current Boundaries”https://www.nationalwarcouncil.org/2019/12/29/original-land-promised-to-abraham-genesis-1518-and-current-boundaries/
________________________________
Featured Books for the Start of the New Year:
Get your copy of A Christmas Homecoming*! One reader called it “a cup of hot cocoa for the heart.”SUMMARY: When Sonia Pettit’s teenage daughter goes missing, Sonia faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.*CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel
A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
New Release: Miracle at Madville: A Storybook for Children
An angry young princess discovers the greatest weapon of all.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.
To subscribe to my Author Newsletter, click here.
To subscribe to The Reader Connection, click here.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Seven_Laws_of_Success.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 9, 2023, and this is Episode #2 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “The Seven Laws of True Success”.
Most of us begin a new year with the expectation that it will be better than the previous year. But in order for us to experience a better new year, we need to understand that success does not just happen. There are specific laws that govern success. When applied, these laws will inevitably result in success because they are laws. But when ignored, failure will be the result.
A law is an unchangeable principle that works for all people, in all circumstances, everywhere, and in all generations. For example, the law of gravity applies to every human being. If one jumps off a roof, one will go down, not up. There are ways to circumvent the law, but without the circumvention, the law will do what it is designed by God to do.
Most people are unaware that there are laws of success. And many of those who become successful are also unaware of the laws of success. They somehow fall into them by accident, as it were. And when they do, they experience success.
What are some of these laws of success?
Let’s take a look. They are all found in the Bible.
Law #1: Set the Right Goal. Proverbs 16: 3: “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.”
In order to set the right goal, you must first understand the meaning of true success. If you have a false understanding of the meaning of success, you will build your life on the wrong foundation.
In Joshua 1: 8, we learn the meaning of true success and where it is found: “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” True success is impossible without knowing and applying God’s Word. Oh, a person can make a lot of money, but that money will not make him happy in the long run. There are values in life far greater than money—values like health, peace of mind, and hope. We learn how to develop and experience these values in the Holy Bible, our manual for life.
Once you have defined the meaning of true success according to God’s Word, make achieving true success your number one life goal.
Law #2: Preparation. Proverbs 14: 15 says this: ” . . . the prudent man . . . considers well where he is going.”Achieving a goal requires preparation. That preparation may include education of some sort. The best education for achieving success is to become a student of the Bible. But not only a student, but also a doer of the Word of God. As you lay this foundation for success in your life, you will also need to prepare yourself for your particular calling in life by learning what you need to learn to fulfill your life purpose. For some, this may mean learning a trade. For others, it may mean taking a course of study in a particular subject. Whatever the case, success always requires preparation.
Law #3: Good health. 1 Corinthians 6: 19 states this: “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself . . . . “
Without good health, we cannot be successful. We need good health to pursue our goals. We need good health to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.
It has been proven over and over again that the greatest percentage of our health comes from the foods we eat. If we do not nourish our bodies with the food God created for us, we will not be able to pursue our goals and, hence, we will not achieve success. Moreover, our bodies need exercise and rest. Make sure that you eat wholesome foods, exercise regularly, and get sufficient sleep. If you need help in this area, please contact me. I am a Certified Health Coach, and I will be happy to help you. Just visit my coaching website at CelebrationLifeCoaching.com for details.
Law #4: Motivation. Proverbs 13: 14 the Word of God says: “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.”You may have the greatest goal in the world, but unless you have the motivation to work toward it, you will not achieve it. Laziness is a major hindrance to success. People who do not possess inner discipline and motivation will not succeed, plain and simple. If you lack motivation, perhaps you have not yet discovered your God-given purpose in life. If this is the case, ask God to reveal it to you. I can help you in this area as well since I am also a Certified Life Coach.
Those who discover their purpose discover that it sets them on fire. They now have a reason to wake up in the morning. They are going somewhere and are looking forward to the journey. Not a day goes by that I do not awaken on fire to write stories for King Jesus. This calling keeps me moving forward, pressing toward the mark of the prize of my high calling in Christ. You can experience the same fire when you discover your personal calling.
Law #5: Resourcefulness. Psalm 18: 18 says this: “They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the LORD supported me.”The successful person can handle the unexpected, knowing that God is on his side and at his side. On your journey to success, you will encounter many obstacles. There will be emergencies, conflict, opposition, and maybe even persecution. You will need to have a backup plan in case your original plan takes an unexpected turn. And you will find that backup plan in the wisdom of Jesus Christ.
Law #6: Perseverance. In James 1: 12, we read: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”No person ever achieved success without setting out for the long haul. Success requires commitment and endurance. It requires holding fast to the path of truth, without wavering and without quitting. When you discover your purpose and set your goal to achieve it, there is no turning back. Why? Because God’s calling on your life is irrevocable. He does not change His mind about His purpose for you. He created you on purpose and for a purpose, and that purpose will stand until the day you die. And maybe even beyond.
Law #7: Relationship with Jesus Christ. In Revelation 3: 20, the Word of God says this: ““Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”
This, in my humble opinion, is the most important law of success. Without a relationship with Jesus Christ, we can never receive the supernatural wisdom that only He can give. Moreover, it is only from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that we can discover our purpose on this earth. Our purpose is directly related to our success. If we do not discover our purpose, we will never discover true success, only a false success that will not satisfy.
So, have you established a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Source of all success? If not, I urge you to do so now. Knowing Christ will give you success not only on this earth but, more importantly, for all eternity. Ultimately, true success is salvation through Jesus Christ—your restoration to the original state of perfection in which God created you. There is no greater success than that.
So, pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge and admit that I am a sinner. I have sinned against You and I now choose to repent. I ask You to forgive me of my sin. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. Help me to experience the true success that comes only from knowing You. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, if you have repented of your sin, and if you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my new featured books for this season: The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel, A Christmas Homecoming, my popular Christmas novella, and Miracle at Madville, my latest children’s storybook.
The Captain and Mrs. Vye is the story of a middle-aged, childless widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of a mother whose teenage daughter goes missing. The mother faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.
Miracle at Madville is the story of an angry young princess who discovers the greatest weapon of all.
All three books make great all-occasion gifts for the readers in your life and are available on Amazon. Links are included at the end of this blogpost and podcast and in the show notes.
THE CAPTAIN AND MRS. VYE
A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
MIRACLE AT MADVILLE
Please help me spread the Gospel by sharing this blog post and podcast with people you know and by subscribing to both the blog and the podcast at the links below:
SUBSCRIBE TO WINNING WITH THE WORD BLOG AND PODCAST
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE TO THE READER CONNECTION, my blog for Readers of Fiction.
Finally, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.
Until next time, I wish you a Happy New Year filled with God’s blessings. Remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
________________________________
Featured Books for the Start of the New Year:
Get your copy of A Christmas Homecoming*! One reader called it “a cup of hot cocoa for the heart.”SUMMARY: When Sonia Pettit’s teenage daughter goes missing, Sonia faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.*CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel
A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
New Release: Miracle at Madville: A Storybook for Children
An angry young princess discovers the greatest weapon of all.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.
To subscribe to my Author Newsletter, click here.
To subscribe to The Reader Connection, click here.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Finding_Hope_in_the_Future.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 2, 2023, and this is Episode #1 of Series 2023. This episode is titled “Finding Hope for the Future”.
The start of a new year always brings with it a renewed hope for a fresh start. Some of us need a fresh start on a longstanding goal. Some of us need a fresh start on taking care of our health. Some of us need a fresh start in our marriage or our parent-child relationships. Whatever the case for you, this new year of 2023 offers a fresh start.
But, perhaps you are feeling hopeless about the possibility of a fresh start. Perhaps, with everything that has been happening in the last three years, you feel that a fresh start is impossible. If this describes you, let me encourage you with a few Scripture verses:
1. Lamentations 3: 23 – “Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.” Because of God’s mercy, we can begin each day with a clean slate as we repent of our sin. Each morning, we can have renewed hope that our Lord is for us and not against us.
2. Romans 8: 31 – “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” Those who are in Christ can always count on God’s hundred-percent support. He has our backs and will protect us from evil as we trust in Him. This gives us hope to go on in the face of even the worst difficulties.
3. Jeremiah 29: 11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” No matter what things look like, God has a good plan for your life. But it is our job to connect to His plan. How? There is only one way. That way is to be born again.
You see, when we are born into this world, we are born with a spirit disconnected from God because of sin. But when we are born again, our spirits are reconnected to God by the power of Christ. When that happens, the life of Christ–including His good plan for our lives–begins to flow into us. Jesus Himself said, “Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
4. Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. This verse tells us where hope comes from. It comes from God. God is the Source of our hope. Without a relationship with God, we have no hope.
This verse also tells us that we can be filled with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is He Who makes it possible for us to experience hope. If you are in need of hope, turn to God. He has an endless supply of hope for you.
5. 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 – “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” As our bodies grow older, our spirits can grow stronger when we focus on the right things. If we focus on this world, we will be discouraged and lose hope. But if we focus on “the things that are unseen”—in other words, the things of God—we will never lose hope. Why? Because, as the Bible points out, “the things of this life–the things that we can see–are temporary, whereas the things of God–the things we cannot see—are eternal.
So fix your eyes on eternal things, for these are the only things that matter in the long run. When you do, you will have hope.
But the only way you can fix your eyes on eternal things is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Who is our Hope. If you do not yet have a relationship with Him, I urge you to establish one now by receiving Him into your life. Pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge and admit that I am a sinner. I have sinned against You and I now choose to repent. I ask You to forgive me of my sin. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, repented of your sin, and received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my new featured books for this season: The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel, A Christmas Homecoming, my popular Christmas novella, and Miracle at Madville, my latest children’s storybook.
The Captain and Mrs. Vye is the story of a middle-aged, childless widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of a mother whose teenage daughter goes missing. The mother faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.
Miracle at Madville is the story of an angry young princess who discovers the greatest weapon of all.
All three books make great all-occasions gifts for the readers in your life and are available on Amazon. Links are included at the end of this blogpost and podcast and in the show notes.
THE CAPTAIN AND MRS. VYE
A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
MIRACLE AT MADVILLE
Please help me spread the Gospel by sharing this blog post and podcast with people you know and by subscribing to both the blog and the podcast at the links below:
SUBSCRIBE TO WINNING WITH THE WORD BLOG AND PODCAST
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE TO THE READER CONNECTION, my blog for Readers of Fiction.
Finally, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.
Until next time, I wish you a Happy New Year filled with God’s blessings. Remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
________________________________
Featured Books for the Start of the New Year:
Get your copy of A Christmas Homecoming*! One reader called it “a cup of hot cocoa for the heart.”SUMMARY: When Sonia Pettit’s teenage daughter goes missing, Sonia faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.*CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel
A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
New Release: Miracle at Madville: A Storybook for Children
An angry young princess discovers the greatest weapon of all.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.
To subscribe to my Author Newsletter, click here.
To subscribe to The Reader Connection, click here.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2023 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Turning_Storms_into_Sunshine.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, December 26, 2022, and this is Episode #40 of Series 2022. This episode is titled “Turning Storms into Sunshine”.
If you are like most people, you are going through a storm in your life. Whether that storm be physical, financial, or relational, it is no fun to find yourself in the middle of it.
But, take heart! Jesus Christ has a way of turning our storms into sunshine.
Yes, you heard that right. No storm lasts forever. After your storm, the sun will shine again. But only if you are in Christ.
Let’s take a look at storms to learn more about their why, when, and wherefore.
First, what is a storm? A storm is a disruption in the calm of our lives. A shaking out of the peaceful. A disturbance of our equilibrium. A storm rattles, shakes, annoys, and, if severe, arouses great fear.
The Why. Why does God allow storms in our lives? The purpose of storms is to point us to Jesus. When things are going smoothly, we don’t think of our need for God. We think we can handle things pretty well on our own. But when a storm arises and our solutions produce no results, we realize that we need the help of Someone bigger than ourselves. And so, we usually turn to God.
The When. When does God allow storms in our lives? He allows them when we need them. When we are heading in the dangerous direction of pride, arrogance, and self-sufficiency, He will allow a storm. God wants to keep us from falling into complacency, that dangerous state in which we think that we’ve got everything under control. He wants us to understand that, in reality, He alone is in control of our lives.
The What. What storms does God allow in our lives? He allows those storms that will make us more like Jesus. Every person experiences different storms. Each storm is custom-designed for that individual person. God knows exactly what we need to conform us to His image. And so He allows those customized storms that will best get the job done.
When a storm comes, what should we do? Here are three simple positions to take in order to ride out a storm:
1. PRAY. When a storm strikes, the first thing we should do is pray. We should ask God for strategy in riding out the storm. Sometimes He will deliver us immediately from the storm. Most of the time, however, He will allow us to go through it. But He will always weather the storm with us. Just as He remained in the boat with His disciples during the storm, so will He remain in the boat with us as we sail through our storm.
2. TRUST. When a storm hits, we need to trust that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us. Remember. He is allowing the storm to make us strong. Just as muscles do not develop without resistance, neither does character develop without resistance. The storms of life provide the resistance necessary to build character.
3. REJOICE. Yes, you heard me right. Rejoice in the midst of the storm. Rejoicing is an act of faith. It shows God that we fully believe He will get us through the storm. Rejoicing also minimizes the storm in that the devil backs off when we rejoice and worship God.
For those who are in Christ, storms are blessings in disguise. But for those who do not know Christ, storms can be devastating. If you have not yet received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, then you face the ultimate, unending storm of hell. Without Jesus, you have no recourse in the midst of a storm, especially the eternal storm of hell.
I urge you to accept Jesus Christ now in order to avoid that worst of all storms—eternal damnation in hell. That storm is one that will never end.
When you accept Christ as your Savior and Lord, you will experience an eternity free of every storm. So, pray this simple prayer with me now:
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge and admit that I am a sinner. I have sinned against You and I now choose to repent. I ask You to forgive me of my sin. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, repented of your sin, and received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my new featured books for this season: The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel, A Christmas Homecoming, my popular Christmas novella, and Miracle at Madville, my latest children’s storybook.
The Captain and Mrs. Vye is the story of a middle-aged, childless widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of a mother whose teenage daughter goes missing. The mother faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.
Miracle at Madville is the story of an angry young princess who discovers the greatest weapon of all.
All three books make great all-occasions gifts for the readers in your life and are available on Amazon. Links are included at the end of this blogpost and podcast and in the show notes.
THE CAPTAIN AND MRS. VYE
A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
MIRACLE AT MADVILLE
Please help me spread the Gospel by sharing this blog post and podcast with people you know and by subscribing to both the blog and the podcast at the links below:
SUBSCRIBE TO WINNING WITH THE WORD BLOG AND PODCAST
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE TO THE READER CONNECTION, my blog for Readers of Fiction.
Finally, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.
Until next time, I wish you a Happy New Year filled with God’s blessings. Remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
________________________________
Featured Books for the Christmas Season:
Get your copy of A Christmas Homecoming*! One reader called it “a cup of hot cocoa for the heart.”SUMMARY: When Sonia Pettit’s teenage daughter goes missing, Sonia faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.*CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel
A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
New Release: Miracle at Madville: A Storybook for Children
An angry young princess discovers the greatest weapon of all.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.
To subscribe to my Author Newsletter, click here.
To subscribe to The Reader Connection, click here.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2022 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2022 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Collision_Course_to_Catastrophe.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, December 19, 2022, and this is Episode #39 of Series 2022. This episode is titled “Collision Course to Catastrophe.”
The world is on a collision course with catastrophe. And the crash is in sight.
Those of us who study the Bible know full well what is happening, but most of the world is clueless. Yet, this very cluelessness is a ploy of Satan to derail and destroy. If he can keep people unaware and distracted, he will have won a victory over them.
Don’t you be one of Satan’s casualties! Read the Bible. Find out the truth about what is happening in our world and how it will affect you not only while you are here on earth but, more importantly, after you leave this earth.
Let’s take a look at five significant events of the past year and how they are already affecting you:
1) The rise of the World Economic Forum, or WEF. Founded and headed by Klaus Schwab, and greatly influenced by trans-humanist proponent Yuval Noah Harari, the World Economic Forum is one of the most dangerous—if not the most dangerous—organizations to infiltrate the world in recent years. Their grand scheme to take over the world is outlined in the Bible, in the Book of Revelation, chapter 13. Read it. Schwab, Harari, and their globalist cohorts are ushering in what the Bible calls the “Beast System” which will be headed up by the AntiChrist, none other than Satan himself personified. Already we are seeing signs of this beast system falling into place.
2) The increasing acceptance of government intrusion in our lives in the name of safety and security. Covid sealed this acceptance as the world allowed itself to be subjugated by lockdowns, masks—or should I say, muzzles—and mandates. Now we bow ourselves before whatever the government says. We blindly place our trust in the government to take care of our health and, very soon, our money. With this attitude already in place, it will be only a skip and a jump for the world to place its trust in the AntiChrist.
3) The rapid move toward digital currency and a central digital banking system known as CBDC. Have you been to a store or restaurant lately where you were told they did not accept cash? Have you been to a store or restaurant lately that told you they had no change? If not, you will be soon. All of this is leading to a cashless society in which your money will be controlled by the AntiChrist. Whether you can spend your own money will be determined by your religious, political, and social beliefs. If they conform with the New World Order, you will be able to buy pretty much what you want. If they don’t, you won’t. Citizens of this New World Order will be given social credit scores based on their carbon footprint, their compliance with vaccine mandates, and their social and religious viewpoints. The credit score will determine what they can buy or sell, if they can travel, and where they can travel.
4) The rise of anti-Semitism and persecution against Christians. Jews and Christians are called “people of the Book”, the “Book” being the Holy Bible. The Bible is the Word of God, so it is really God Who is under assault here. Satan hates God and has always wanted to be God. He still wants to be God and is waging an all-out war to attain that position that belongs only to the one, true God. One day, Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, but until then, he roams the earth, seeking to devour all those who profess belief in the Holy Bible and in the one true God.
5) The growing deception and delusion throughout the world as people call good evil, and evil good. In Isaiah 5: 20, the prophet warned : “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” This is exactly what we see happening today. People are calling good evil and evil good. Delusion causes people to think illogically. God warned that if people turned from Him, He would turn them over to minds that can no longer think straight. We read in Romans 1: 28: “. . . since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind.”
These are only a few of the major indicators that we are fast approaching the seven-year period in human history known as the Tribulation. The Bible describes these signs as “birth pains” (Matthew 24: 8) which only increase in intensity as the birth of the child approaches. We are fast approaching the birth of the Kingdom of God. But first, the world must suffer great and unspeakable judgment for its rebellion against Him.
So, if you think we are going back to normal, I’m sorry, my friend, but you are sadly mistaken. We will never go back to normal. We are moving toward a “new normal”, as the globalists call it, “a New World Order” that will be ruled by the AntiChrist and the most horrific dictatorship the world has ever witnessed. You don’t want to be here for that.
But, how can you escape it?
By believing in the only One Who can save you from it, Jesus the Christ.
Jesus alone can keep you from the wrath to come. Jesus alone can rescue you from the tribulation that is about to take place. Jesus alone is the way to be saved. If you are looking for someone else or something else to save you–whether that someone else be a political figure, a false religion like Buddhism, Hinduism, or Islam–you are looking in the wrong place!
Jesus Christ said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus Christ is the only Savior. Unless you believe in Him and receive Him into your life, you will not be saved, Plain and simple.
So, why not trust Jesus to save you? You can do so now by taking the following three steps:
1. Acknowledge before God that you are a sinner. The Bible says that all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Every single one of us needs a Savior, so acknowledge and admit your sin.
2. Repent of your sin. This means turn away from it and go in the opposite direction, changing not only your conduct but also your way of thinking.
3. Receive Jesus into your heart by asking Him to come in. The Bible says “To as many as received Him, He gave the power to become the children of God.” (John 1: 12).
So do these three things now. Acknowledge that you are a sinner. Repent of your sin, and invite Jesus into your heart. When you do, you will be filled with deep peace, and you will be born again. God will give you a new spirit. And not only will you escape the soon-coming Tribulation, but you will also spend eternity with God in Heaven.
If you have acknowledged that you are a sinner, repented of your sin, and received Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your exciting life journey with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my new featured books for this Christmas season: The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel, A Christmas Homecoming, my popular Christmas novella, and Miracle at Madville, my latest children’s storybook.
The Captain and Mrs. Vye is the story of a middle-aged, childless widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of a mother whose teenage daughter goes missing. The poor mother faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.
Miracle at Madville is the story of an angry young princess who discovers the greatest weapon of all.
All three books would make great Christmas gifts for the readers in your life and are available on Amazon. Links are included at the end of this blogpost and podcast and in the show notes.
THE CAPTAIN AND MRS. VYE
A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
MIRACLE AT MADVILLE
Please help me spread the Gospel by sharing this blog post and podcast with people you know and by subscribing to both the blog and the podcast at the links below:
SUBSCRIBE TO WINNING WITH THE WORD BLOG AND PODCAST
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE TO THE READER CONNECTION, my blog for Readers of Fiction.
Finally, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.
Until next time, I wish you a very Mrremember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
________________________________
Featured Books for the Christmas Season:
Get your copy of A Christmas Homecoming*! One reader called it “a cup of hot cocoa for the heart.”SUMMARY: When Sonia Pettit’s teenage daughter goes missing, Sonia faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.*CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel
A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
New Release: Miracle at Madville: A Storybook for Children
An angry young princess discovers the greatest weapon of all.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.
To subscribe to my Author Newsletter, click here.
To subscribe to The Reader Connection, click here.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2022 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2022 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_You_Stuck_in_a_Stronghold.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, December 12, 2022, and this is Episode #38 of Series 2022. This episode is titled “Are You Stuck in a Stronghold?”
Recently, I listened to a wonderful podcast by my friend Dr. Pam Morrison titled “How Do I Break Free of Spiritual Strongholds in My Life?”. Her post inspired me to deal with the same subject in this week’s post and podcast because a lot of us have struggled or are still struggling with spiritual strongholds.
What is a stronghold?
Noah Webster in his original 1828 Dictionary defines a stronghold as “a fortified place; a place of security and safety.” In ancient times, strongholds were built to protect cities and towns from their enemies. These strongholds were usually very high fortresses with thick walls to keep the enemy out.
While this was a positive type of stronghold and is often mentioned in the Bible as such, the Bible also refers to a type of stronghold that is negative. This type of stronghold is spiritually rooted and has control over a person’s behavior. It has become a bad habit in a person’s life, a habit he can’t seem to overcome. Why? Because this kind of stronghold is actually an infiltration of a demonic spirit.
How Strongholds Are Established
Strongholds are established in our lives in many ways. Their foundations are often built in our lives during infancy and childhood, and even before then in our mother’s womb, when we are the most vulnerable. Through the sin of our parents, or through traumatic experiences we endure, demonic spirits enter our souls and begin establishing their strongholds there. These could be strongholds of fear, worry, anxiety, depression, rejection, insecurity, inferiority, and a host of other types of demonic activity.
Strongholds are usually very deep-seated and often difficult to recognize. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we become aware of them. The good news is that they can be torn down by the power of Jesus Christ.
Other ways in which the enemy builds strongholds in our lives are the following:
1. We give in to temptation. For example, we are tempted to take a single drink of liquor, or a single whiff of weed, or a single pint of ice cream, or a single time of sex. But what happens? That single time—the time that was supposed to happen only once–becomes a second time and a third time and a fourth time, and so on—until it becomes entrenched in our psyche and becomes a habit. A habit in which we feel trapped and from which we cannot seem to escape.
This is the subtle way the devil makes inroads into our souls. He whispers, “One time won’t hurt.” And we agree. And then we get hooked and fall into his trap of deception.
2. We want instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it now! We don’t think of the long-term consequences of what we do now. Years ago, I had a wonderful pastor who would continually remind his flock to think long-term. He would say, “Before you decide to do something or not to do it, ask yourself how you will feel in five years, ten years, twenty years.” Sound advice we need to keep in mind.
3. We think that we are powerless over temptation. But the truth is that we who are born again have the grace of God available to us at every moment. He promises us in His Word that He will always make a way for us to escape the temptation. In 1 Corinthians 10: 13, the Bible says, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
4. We don’t realize that a temptation is actually an enticement to satisfy a need in the wrong way. For example, we are tempted to overeat because we need comfort about a stressful situation. We even call the food we eat too much of comfort food. We may use drugs or alcohol to escape a painful situation, like a marriage problem, a health challenge, or a broken relationship. We may engage in illicit sex to satisfy a need to be loved. Regardless of the reason, the problem is that we are looking to someone or something other than God to meet our need. And this is idolatry–putting someone or something above God. God alone can meet our every need. No human being can satisfy us the way only God can.
5. We use natural weapons to fight supernatural problems. While natural problems can be handled naturally, supernatural problems must be handled supernaturally; i.e., spiritually. As Scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 10: 4: “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.”
Since strongholds are spiritual in nature, they must be handled with the spiritual weapons God has given us. Those weapons are found in Ephesians 6: 11-18:
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.”
Let’s parse this passage to determine how we can tear down strongholds in our lives.
1. We need to put on the whole armor of God. The whole armor of God consists of the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Each piece of armor is a spiritual, supernatural weapon with which to resist the temptations of the enemy.
2. We need to saturate our minds and hearts with the Word of God and hide the Word in our hearts. Psalm 119: 11 says this: “I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” How do we hide God’s Word in our heart? By reading it, studying it, memorizing it, and meditating on it.
3. We need to assemble regularly with fellow Christ-Followers who will hold us accountable and encourage us in our walk with Jesus. It is extremely important to surround ourselves with like-minded people who will be a good influence on us and help keep us on the straight and narrow. Remember this: We will become like the people we hang around with. Are you hanging around with Godly people? If not, find yourself some Godly friends.
4. We must pray without ceasing. Prayer keeps us focused on Jesus and on eternal things. Prayer helps to strengthen our resolve to obey Christ. Prayer keeps us in continual communication with our Heavenly Father.
5. Monitor your every thought. Satan bombards us all day long with thoughts that are contrary to God’s Word. We must pay attention to what we are thinking so that we can determine if a particular thought will lead us closer to Jesus or away from Him. Scripture has much to say to us about our thought life. Here are some key verses:
2 Corinthians 10: 5 NIV: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Philippians 4: 8 NIV: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Demonic strongholds will keep us from experiencing the fullness of what God has for us. We need to repent of them and get rid of them. But the only way we can get rid of them is through the power of Jesus Christ. And the only way we can have access to His power is by being born again and becoming a child of God.
Have you been born again? Have you received Jesus Christ as your Savor and Lord? If not, follow these three simple steps now:
1. Acknowledge before God that you are a sinner. The Bible says that all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Every single one of us needs a Savior, so acknowledge and admit your sin.
2. Repent of your sin. This means turn away from it and go in the opposite direction, changing not only your conduct but also your way of thinking.
3. Receive Jesus into your heart by asking Him to come in. The Bible says “To as many as received Him, He gave the power to become the children of God.” (John 1: 12).
So do these three things now. Acknowledge that you are a sinner. Repent of your sin, and invite Jesus into your heart. When you do, you will be filled with deep peace and you will be born again. God will give you a new spirit. Then, write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you get started in your walk with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my new featured books for this Christmas season: The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel, A Christmas Homecoming, my popular Christmas novella, and Miracle at Madville, my latest children’s storybook.
The Captain and Mrs. Vye is the story of a middle-aged, childless widow who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
A Christmas Homecoming is the story of a mother whose teenage daughter goes missing, leaving the mother to face losing her mind, her family, and her faith.
Miracle at Madville is the story of an angry young princess who discovers the greatest weapon of all.
All three books would make great Christmas gifts for the readers in your life and are available on Amazon. Links are included at the end of the podcast and in the show notes.
THE CAPTAIN AND MRS. VYE
A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
MIRACLE AT MADVILLE
Please help me spread the Gospel by sharing this blog post and podcast with people you know and by subscribing to both the blog and the podcast at the links below:
SUBSCRIBE TO WINNING WITH THE WORD BLOG AND PODCAST
SUBSCRIBE TO MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER
Finally, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
________________________________
Featured Books for the Christmas Season:
Get your copy of A Christmas Homecoming*! One reader called it “a cup of hot cocoa for the heart.”SUMMARY: When Sonia Pettit’s teenage daughter goes missing, Sonia faces losing her mind, her family, and her faith.*CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel
A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
New Release: Miracle at Madville: A Storybook for Children
An angry young princess discovers the greatest weapon of all.
CLICK HERE to get your copy now.
To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.
To subscribe to my Author Newsletter, click here.
To subscribe to The Reader Connection, click here.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2022 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2022 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/2022_12_05_Where_Will_You_Spend_Forever.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, December 5, 2022, and this is Episode #37 of Series 2022. This episode is titled “Where Will You Spend Forever?”
Many people live today as though life on this earth has no end. In fact, the globalist agenda is seeking to create eternal life through artificial intelligence and the creation of trans-human creatures that are part human and part machine. The Bible describes this mingling of man and machine in the vision of the beast seen by King Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel, a vision in which the king sees a large statue with feet of clay and iron.
Without getting into extensive detail, many Bible scholars today believe that the two feet of the statue—one foot made of clay and the other foot made of iron—represent our current era’s attempt genetically to modify the human being into a different species called a trans-human. This trans-human purportedly will be half man and half machine, operated by artificial intelligence, more commonly known as AI.
Yet, the Bible predicts that all of man’s attempts to create eternal life will ultimately fail because eternal life comes only from God.
Are you living as though you will live forever on this earth? Or are you living with the knowledge that one day you will die?
Your answer to those questions is critically important because it will determine your eternal destiny.
There is a longing in the human heart to live forever. The reason for this longing is that we were created by God indeed to live forever. God’s original plan was that man would live forever in total joy, peace, and love—free from sickness, strife, and pain. But man thwarted that beautiful, original plan by sinning against God. The result was death in all of its forms.
But God loved His man so much that He wanted to redeem him, to give him a second chance. And that’s exactly what God did by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross. On that Cross, Jesus Christ paid the price for man’s sin. He took man’s sin upon Himself and, in exchange, gave man His own righteousness, the very righteousness of God.
Mankind has never witnessed, nor will ever witness, a greater act of love.
But God does not force this gift of eternal life on man. Man must receive it by an act of his free will.
So, the question posed to you today is this: Do you want to receive the eternal life Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead to give you?
You see, since we were originally created to live forever, we will still live forever when we die. But where we live forever is the great question.
If you receive Christ’s gift of eternal life, you will live forever with Him in Heaven. But, if you do not receive His gift of eternal life, you will live forever separated from Him in Hell. The choice is yours.
But, you must make that choice while you are still on this earth. You cannot make it after you die because it will be too late then.
The Lord says this to you today in Deuteronomy 30: 15, 19: “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death . . . . Choose life.”
Will you choose life today? Will you choose to follow Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world no matter what anyone says?
If you do, you will spend forever with Him. And there is no better place, my friend, to spend forever than with God Who loves you.
You may be asking, “How do I receive Jesus?” It’s very simple. Follow these three steps:
1. Acknowledge before God that you are a sinner. The Bible says that all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Every single one of us needs a Savior, so acknowledge your sin.
2. Repent of your sin. This means turn away from it and go in the opposite direction.
3. Receive Jesus into your heart by asking Him to come in. The Bible says “To as many as received Him, He gave the power to become the children of God.” (John 1: 12).
So do these three things now. Acknowledge that you are a sinner. Repent of your sin, and invite Jesus into your heart. When you do, you will be filled with deep peace and you will be born again. God will give you a new spirit. Then write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you and get started in your walk with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my featured book of the week, The Captain and Mrs. Vye, my latest novel. It is the story of a middle-aged childless woman who discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
Finally, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
_______________________________
Sources cited:
“Packing Insects for a New Generation of Protein Snacks”
https://thisismold.com/visual/packaging/packaging-insects-for-a-new-generation-of-protein-snacks
Other Resources:
https://www.jdfarag.org
________________________________
Featured Book of the Week:
NEW RELEASE: The Captain and Mrs. Vye by MaryAnn Diorio – A Novel
A middle-aged, childless widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.
Available in print and ebook formats.
CLICK HERE to get your print copy now.
CLICK HERE to get your e-book copy now.
To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.
To subscribe to my Author Newsletter, click here.
To subscribe to The Reader Connection, click here.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2022 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at info@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
Amazon.com Required Disclosure: MaryAnn Diorio is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2000-2022 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING WITH THE WORD“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you:
To subscribe to this blog, click here.
To subscribe to this podcast, click here.
If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post.
______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Three_Cs_of_the_World_s_Final_Destruction.mp3
_________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, November 28, 2022, and this is Episode #36 of Series 2022. This episode is titled “The Three C’s of the World’s Final Destruction”.
This week’s message is one that will require your full attention as it deals with a very serious topic that affects you and your loved ones. So, please listen with an open mind and an open heart, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth.
What I am about to explain may surprise you, shock you, or even scare you. But my purpose is not to scare you. My purpose is to prepare you for the extremely difficult times that lie ahead—maybe even before the end of this current year of 2022.
For the past two thousand years, we have been living in what is called the Age of God’s Grace. It has been a period of time in which God has shown mercy on the world and has withheld His judgment on the sin of man. But the Age of Grace is about to close, introducing the Age of God’s Wrath. The Age of God’s Wrath is that time period in history when God will no longer hold back His anger toward mankind’s sin but, instead, will unleash His full fury upon it. You don’t want to be here for that!
Why not?
Well, for one reason, God will show no mercy during His time of wrath, only punishment. For another reason, that punishment will be meted out through the severely dictatorial hand of the AntiChrist, Satan personified, who will rule the earth during the seven years of the Age of God’s Wrath.
Okay, Dr. MaryAnn, so, what specifically will happen during the Age of God’s Wrath, and how will if affect me?
Great question! Let me explain.
The Bible tells us everything we need to know about what lies ahead, both for those who accept Christ as their Savior and Lord and for those who do not. These Bible predictions are called prophecies. Some of these prophecies foretell three key, big-ticket items that are currently taking over our world as I write this message. The big-ticket items have been called the three Cs of the end days and are Climate Change, Crypto-Currency, and Covid.
Let’s take a close look at each one.
1__CLIMATE CHANGE
You may have read that recently, Pope Francis led a delegation of world religious leaders to the COP27 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Egypt. While there, these world religious leaders went to the Mt. Sinai area to announce to the world the Ten Climate Change Commandments that would form the foundation of their New World Order. In other words, these Ten Climate Change Commandments are the foundational document of the one-world religion prophesied in the Bible and spearheaded by none other than Pope Francis.
So, what are these Ten Commandments of Climate Change. Let me list them for you.
- Think of future generations.
- Embrace alternative energy sources.
- Consider pollution’s effect on the poor.
- Take the bus!
- Be humble.
- Don’t become a slave to your phone.
- Don’t trade online relationships for real ones.
- Turn off the lights, recycle, and don’t waste food.
- Educate yourself.
10.Believe you can make a difference.
This blasphemous attempt to re-create the original Ten Commandments given by God to Moses—and without any mention whatsoever of the God Who rules our planet–and announced on this very mountain where the original Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses, form is a key sign that we have entered the last days before the return of Christ. Interestingly, a few months before this event in Egypt, the infamous and occult Georgia Guidestones were suddenly destroyed in the State of Georgia. The Georgia Guidestones listed ten commandments that were similar in many ways to the Ten Commandments of Climate Change introduced by the pope and his heretical cohorts. The commandments on the Georgia Guidestones read as follows. Note their similarity to the Ten Commandments of Climate Change.
- Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
- Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity.
- Unite humanity with a living new language.
- Rule passion — faith — tradition — and all things with tempered reason.
- Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
- Let all nations rule internally, resolving external disputes in a world court.
- Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
- Balance personal rights with social duties.
- Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite.
- Be not a cancer on the Earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature.
At first glance, many of the points in these documents sound really good. After all, who doesn’t want to prize truth and unite humanity? But that is the nature of deception. It sounds so good or looks so good–at first glance. But when we carefully examine these commandments, we see their grave danger. The grave danger lies in the fact that both sets of commandments worship the creation rather than the Creator. The New World Order has made the earth its god. This is nothing other than idolatry.
Moreover, consider carefully the first commandment of the Georgia Guidestones: Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature. The world’s population recently reached eight billion people. The number eight billion is considerably greater than 500,000,000. So, in order for this commandment to be obeyed, 7,500,000,000 people would have to be killed. Interesting! So, how would these people be killed in order to eliminate them? We shall find out a little later in this message.
Continuing with our exploration of the Climate Change Agenda, we learn that its goal is to monitor what is called the carbon footprint of every person. What is the carbon footprint? It is the total amount of carbon dioxide (including methane and nitrous oxide) that your daily activities generate. What daily activities? Activities like eating, driving your car, and heating your house.
So, how will the New World Order government monitor your carbon footprint? Easy. Through what is called a carbon score card or carbon credit card. This card will keep track of your carbon score by maintaining a running total of your carbon footprint usage and by restraining your usage based on your total score. If you exceed your allotted limit, you will no longer be permitted to engage in certain activities.
For instance, if you use more than your heating allotment, you won’t be allowed to buy more gas or electric to heat your house. If you use more than your food allotment, you won’t be allowed to buy more food.
So, how is this credit score calculated? It is calculated based on your political, religious, and social views. Let’s say you want to eat meat twice a week. If you do, points will be deducted from your total carbon credit score card because the globalists don’t want you to eat meat. They want you to eat bugs. (In case you haven’t heard, insects are now being pushed as food for humans. Be sure you read the labels on everything you buy. Look for ingredients like “cricket flour.” I am not joking. If you don’t believe me, read the article at the link at the end of this post titled “Packing Insects for a New Generation of Protein Snacks.”
The four main categories that will be measured to determine your carbon footprint score are: food, consumption, transportation, and household energy. You will be tracked in all of these areas. For example,
__How much meat did you eat?
__How much gas did you use in your car?
__How much electricity and heat did you use in your home?
If you exceed the prescribed limits, you will be penalized by having a limit placed on your future consumption of these products and services.
Let’s move on to item #2:
2__CRYPTO CURRENCY
While the Climate Change agenda has as its goal the creation of a carbon footprint credit score—in other words, a score given to each person based on how well he obeys the ten commandments of climate change— the Crypto-Currency agenda has as its goal the total tracking of our financial transactions based on our religious, political, and social views. In other words, if we agree with the ideology of the New World Order, we will be allowed to buy and sell pretty much what we want. But if we don’t agree, the government will limit–or even block–our purchases. For example, based on our compliance with the government or lack thereof, we will be allotted a certain amount of gasoline to fuel our cars, a certain amount of electricity to light our homes, a certain amount of meat, if any, to include in our diets.
How will this financial surveillance and tracking take place? Through the use of blockchain technology. Blockchain technology is, simply speaking, the means by which every single financial transaction a person makes will be tracked in a record-keeping system that stores your information in a digital block. The block is then attached to other digital blocks of data in the system, thus forming a train or chain of interconnected data blocks. This data can be easily tracked and surveilled with perfect accuracy. Blockchain technology will be used to verify every single financial transaction of every single person in the entire world. No one will escape its surveillance. The end goal of the Crypto-Currency agenda is to control the economy of the world and, in so doing, to control your personal finances.
So how will this affect you?
The tracking of your every financial transaction will work in sync with your carbon footprint score card and be recorded on something like a social credit score card. Everything you purchase will be evaluated in light of your political, religious, and social views. If your views align with the views of the globalist, new world order agenda, you will be allowed to purchase pretty much what you want. If they do not, you won’t.
So, let’s say you are opposed to abortion. Points will then be deducted from your social score card because of your position on abortion. Let’s say you are opposed to homosexuality. Points will be deducted because of your position on homosexuality. Let’s say you refuse to address people by their requested pronouns. Again, you will have a strike against your carbon credit score card.
All of these strikes will diminish your ability to buy and sell.
This use of social credit and carbon footprint score cards will eventually lead to the mark of the beast without which, the Bible states, no one will be able to buy or sell.
Revelation 3: 16-17 NLT: “He [the AntiChrist] required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.”
This mark will be implanted in the hand or forehead of every person who chooses to take it. It will signify that those who take it worship the AntiChrist. Those who refuse to take the mark will be beheaded by the AntiChrist.
The mark of the beast will be some sort of insertion into the body–whether by injection or some form of tattoo—of a substance that will alter your DNA and transform you into a new species of being. You have have heard the term “trans-humanism” being bounced around lately. Well, the mark of the beast will turn all those who take it into trans-humans—beings who are part human and part satanic. As such, they will no longer be capable of being redeemed and, as a consequence of their altered DNA, they will be doomed to hell. Why? Because Jesus came as a human to redeem humans, not trans-humans.
This is the reason that the Bible says this in Revelation 14: 9 of those who take the mark of the beast:
“Then a third angel followed them, shouting, ‘Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.”
Well, my friend, are you shaken up yet? We have one more item to go. Number three is COVID.
3__COVID.
The COVID Agenda is the unifying factor among the three agendas of CLIMATE CHANGE, CRYPTO-CURRENCY, and COVID. The reason that the COVID Agenda is the unifying factor among all three agendas is that the COVID Agenda prepared the way for the other two.
The COVID Agenda is the biggest deception ever perpetrated upon human history. It is a globalist plan—engendered decades, if not centuries ago—to destroy the human race. I mentioned earlier that one of the Georgia Guidelines called for reducing the world population to 500,000,000. One of the chief ways the New World Order has attempted to do this is through the Covid vaccine. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have died from taking this vaccine. Evidence is increasingly emerging that the vaccine affects the heart, causing sudden heart attacks and myocarditis. Why the spike in heart-related deaths among people in their thirties and forties? There is something sinister going on, my friend, and we who follow Christ know what it is. It is the encroachment of the beast system over the entire world, leading to the rise of the AntiChrist and the Great Tribulation.
You see, ever since the plan of salvation was put into motion, Satan has tried to corrupt the human genome in order to prevent the birth of Christ and the preservation of His followers. The Bible tells us that in the days of Noah, humanity was corrupted by the fallen angels who had sexual relations with human women and created hybrid creatures called Nephilim. The DNA of these hybrid offspring—these Nephilim—was corrupted because of the demonic union of supernatural satanic beings with human women. This abominable creation of a hybrid being is the reason God destroyed the world by flood. The Messiah could not come through a lineage whose seed—in other words, whose DNA—was corrupted. Noah and his family were the only humans left on earth whose DNA had not been corrupted by the entrance of hybrid Satanic beings into their lineage.
Today, Satan is still up to his old tricks. He is still trying to corrupt the human race by his attempts to create a hybrid creature–what the world calls today a trans-human. Those who take the mark of the beast will become trans-human and, therefore, will no longer be able to be saved.
How will this corruption of humanity happen? It will very likely happen through a vaccine or an injection of a substance that alters one’s DNA.
Lest you think this is a conspiracy theory, let me warn you that the term “conspiracy theory” has been loosely tossed around in order to discredit those of us who are telling the truth. This careless use of the term conspiracy theory is designed to cast aspersions among truth-tellers who refuse to be moved by the New World Order agenda. The only real conspiracy going on is that instigated by Satan. It is his conspiracy to destroy humanity and to bring everyone to hell with him. In order to do that, he has to discredit Truth and all who speak it, in an attempt to make us look like fools who know nothing.
But Truth will always prevail over Deception.
So, let’s now take a look at the Covid deception and how this vaccine is being used to corrupt humanity.
While the Covid vaccine is not the mark of the beast, it will eventually evolve into the mark of the beast. In other words, the present Covid vaccine is the precursor of what will eventually be the mark of the beast. Why? Because the mark of the beast will inject or insert into the body a coded substance that will alter the God-ordained genetic code and transform it into something else that is no longer human. Indeed, it is not absolutely certain that the current Covid vaccine does not do something similar, or is not, at least, paving the way for genetic modification.
How does this work?
The COVID vaccine injects into the body a substance called mRNA. You have very likely heard the term mRNA in reference to the Covid vaccine. The “m” in the term mRNA stands for messenger. The messenger takes the message coded in the RNA and transmits that message to the cells of the entire body. In the case of the COVID vaccine, the message is: Body, you need to produce more proteins. The coded message in the RNA then begins helping the body to produce more proteins. But it may be producing abnormal proteins that can adversely affect the body.
When the mark of the beast is actually implemented, it will insert into the person’s body a code that will alter that person’s genetic structure—that person’s DNA—thereby changing him from a human to a trans-human. A hybrid being. Since Jesus came as a human man to redeem only humans, this trans-human creature will no longer be able to be redeemed; that is, to be saved. Hence, he or she will go to hell and remain there forever. The Bible warns us that those who take the mark of the beast are doomed forever:
Revelation 14: 9 – “Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”
Revelation13: 16 – Also he compels all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead [signifying allegiance to the beast.
The COVID Agenda has as its goal the destruction of humanity. Remember the first commandment in the Georgia Guidelines—”Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature”? Well, the COVID vaccine seems to be contributing to that goal. According to a recent analysis conducted for Health 202 by Cynthia Fox, Vice-President at Kaiser Family Foundation, 58% of Corona virus deaths in August 2022 were among people who were vaccinated or boosted. That is a very high percentage for a vaccine that supposedly prevents a disease.
One purpose of the COVID pandemic—or, as some of us prefer to call it, the COVID “plandemic” because we believe it was deliberately planned—was to condition humanity to allow itself to be controlled by a new world order government bent on subjugation. And fear was the motivator.
Fear is diametrically opposed to freedom. Where there is fear, there is no freedom. Where there is freedom, there is no fear.
Ultimately, the globalist agenda with the mark of the beast will come into full effect through the merging of the three agendas: Climate Change, Crypto-Currencey, and Covid. Through the mark, the AntiChrist and his governmental forces will be able to control our activities, our money, and our health. The technology they have developed will employ a digital identification card (a digital ID) that will work through blockchain technology and will be implemented by means of a vaccine of which the Covid vaccine was the forerunner—in other words, through the injection of a DNA-altering substance into the human body that will work like a micro-computer in your physical body to track everything about you: your health, your financial status, and your social status. Already, people are getting the chip so that they can pay for purchases with merely a swipe of their hand over an electronic transaction device.
The Bible tells us that in the last days before the return of Christ in the Rapture, things will be as they were in the days of Noah. What happened in the days of Noah? In the days of Noah, humanity had been genetically corrupted by sexual relations between the fallen angels and the women of that day. Human seed was merged with satanic seed, thereby creating hybrid creatures the Bible calls Nephilim. The reason that Noah and his family were spared is that they alone still possessed DNA that has not been altered and corrupted.
When the Bible states that Noah was found to be righteous, it means that Noah’s DNA was still intact. It had not been corrupted. Everyone else’s DNA has been corrupted by the seed of the serpent that altered the seed of man. But Noah’s DNA was unaltered and pure.
There is so much more to the three C’s of the world’s final destruction. But let me conclude by saying this: All three Cs are in the process of merging. This is a sure sign that the Tribulation—the Age of God’s Wrath—is about to begin. The world stage has already been set up to receive the AntiChrist and his evil system. The day will soon be here when, in order to survive, one will need to abide by the AntiChrist’s agenda. That is, one will need to be climate-compliant, currency-compliant, and Covid-compliant. If one refuses to be compliant in any of these three areas, one will be executed.
Lest you think that what I am saying is not true, just look around you. Even now, any foreigner who travels to the United States must have been vaccinated with the Covid vaccine in order to enter our country. Soon, all international flights will require that one be vaccinated. And in the near future, it is highly likely that even those who fly domestically will have to take the vaccine or else they will not be permitted to fly.
For those who think that things will return to normal, I hate to be the harbinger of bad news, but they won’t. So don’t get your hopes up. Just realize that all that is happening was foretold by Jesus Christ Himself. He is coming back soon for those who believe him and follow him. That’s the only thing you need to consider at this point in time. Do you know Jesus Christ? If not, you will have to go through the Tribulation and will very likely die during the Tribulation. If you accept Jesus Christ now as your Savior and Lord, you will not be left behind. He will remove you from the earth together with all of us who follow Him, and He will take us to Heaven to be with Him forever.
The choice is a no-brainer to me. What is it to you? Accept Jesus Christ now by doing these three things:
1. Acknowledge before God that you are a sinner.
2. Repent of your sin. This means turn away from it and go in the opposite direction.
3. Receive Jesus into your heart by asking Him to come in.
Do these three things now. When you do, you will be filled with deep peace. Then write to me at info@maryanndiorio.com and request my free e-book titled After You’re Born Again. It will help you and get started in your walk with Jesus.
Before you leave, please check out my featured book of the week, The Italian Chronicles Trilogy, listed below. All three novels are available for only $9.69 for a limited time only on Amazon. The trilogy would make a great and inexpensive Christmas gift for the reader in your life.
Finally, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word!
_______________________________
Sources cited:
“Packing Insects for a New Generation of Protein Snacks”
https://thisismold.com/visual/packaging/packaging-insects-for-a-new-generation-of-protein-snacks
Other Resources:
https://www.jdfarag.org
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WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
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https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Where_Is_the_World_Headed.mp3 _________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, November 21, 2022, and this is Episode #35 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Where Is the World Headed?"
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Anyone with any sense of decency left at all can see that the world around us has become a cesspool of sin and evil. Its stench reaches the nostrils of God, and His patience regarding sin will soon run out. When that happens, all hell will break loose. Literally.
Let's take at look at Matthew 24: verses 3-4 and verses 10-12 that record Jesus's warning:
"Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, 'Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?' Jesus told them, 'Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘"I am the Messiah." They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. . . . And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.''"
The words of Jesus are being fulfilled before our very eyes. Let's take a look: 1. Sin is rampant. Scripture says in Matthew 24: 12 that in the last days, "lawlessness will abound." We are certainly seeing evidence of this in the riots in our streets, the looting in our stores, and the defunding of our police, resulting in little, if any, protection for our citizens.
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Earthquakes and storms are increasing in intensity. More and more, when we listen to the news or the weather report, we hear words and phrases like unprecedented, never before in history, apocalyptic. Again, Matthew 24 comes to mind. Jesus warned us that there would be more and more earthquakes and famines before His return. Scripture never lies. We do well to take heed.
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Food shortages. Here on the East Coast where I live, we are witnessing intermittent shortages of some foods. While the supplies are usually replenished, it is taking longer for some items to arrive because of the diesel fuel situation.
- Relationship problems are off the chart. Lately, I have been receiving more and more prayers requests for reconciliation among family members. Relationships are based on trust and fueled by love. But Jesus warned us that in the last days, the love of many would grow cold. People are more rude than ever, cutting one another off in traffic and simply walking by people who are hurt on the street and need help. Gone are the days when one considered oneself his brother's keeper. While there are still kind people in our world, the consensus now is me-centered, not other-centered.
- Wars and rumors of war surround us.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_You_Worried_about_Your_Financial_Future_.mp3 _________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, November 14, 2022, and this is Episode #34 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Are You Worried about Your Financial Future?"
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If you've had your eyes open at all, you know about the predicted food shortages and famines, the projected stock market crash, and the move toward a digital world currency. All of these ominous events are causing great anxiety among the world population. Already I've read that some families here in America have reduced their daily meals to two a day instead of the usual three. Drought has ruined many crops throughout the world, and, if things don't change, the world is heading to famine.
But today I'd like to encourage you not to be anxious nor to fear, I'm going to share with you some promises from God for His children. (If you are not His child, then listen closely so you can become His child and receive these benefits as well.)
The world is fast heading into a time period that the Bible calls "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30: 7). This will be a seven-year time period, also known as the Tribulation, during which God will judge the Jews for rejecting the Messiah. The Book of Revelation speaks extensively of the time of Jacob's trouble.
During this time, there will be widespread famine. The fact that we are witnessing the approach of global famine now means that the Tribulation is not far off, and the return of Jesus is even closer. The Bible tells us that Jesus will return to remove His children from the world before the Tribulation. He said that when we see all these things converging—wars, rumors of wars, increase in the number and intensity of earthquakes, violent storms, and food shortages—we can know that His return is imminent.
So, what can you do?
- The most important thing you need to do is to get born again if you are not yet born again. What does the term "born again" mean? It means to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord so that you can experience the new birth He died to give you. You see, when we were born physically into this world, we received a fallen, corrupted spirit that separated us from God. Jesus wants to give us a new spirit that connects us back to God. Jesus died and paid the price for the sin that caused our corrupted spirits in the first place and, in exchange, He gives us eternal life. So, the first order of business is to get born again. Do it now!
How?
- Acknowledge before God that you are a sinner.
- Repent of your sin. This means turn away from it and go in the opposite direction.
- Receive Jesus into your heart by asking Him to come in.
Once you do these three things, you become a child of God (John 1: 12). And as His child, You become eligible for His blessings. One of His blessings includes financial provision. He promises in Philippians 4: 19 that He will supply all your need. This means that He will provide everything you need because you are His child.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Sickness_Is_from_Satan_Not_from_God.mp3 _________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, November 7, 2022, and this is Episode #33 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Sickness Is from Satan, Not from God" _________________________________________ Last week's message hit a nerve with many of you. I hear you. When I first learned that God did not make me sick, it hit a nerve with me, too. A big nerve! So, today I'd like to dig a little more deeply into the topic of healing. Why? Because I know that many of you reading this post or listening to this podcast are dealing with sickness. Some of you, with serious sickness. And some of you have been dealing with sickness for a long, long time. If you're like me, you were taught that sickness comes from God and that, when it does, we simply have to lie down and take it. We have to accept it as His will. If that's true, then something is wrong with this logic. Consider this: If sickness is God's will, then going to a doctor violates God's will and is sin. Yet, what's the first thing we do when we feel sick? We go to a doctor. In fact, you may have also been taught that God uses sickness to teach us a lesson. While I won't deny that we learn some things when we're sick, sickness is not God's method of teaching us. His Word is. In Ephesians 4: 26, we learn that God teaches us through His Word. He washes us and cleanses us through His Word. His Word is His pedogagical method.
What parent would make his child sick in order to teach him something? Not a single one I know. Then why would God, the perfect parent, make anyone sick? It just doesn't make sense.
So the question remains: where does sickness come from? The answer is that sickness—and everything evil—comes from Satan. Satan is the source of all evil, not God. Yet God is the first one to be blamed in the face of evil. I often say that God is the most maligned person in the universe when, in truth, He is the most wonderful, loving person in the universe. But Satan has deceived the world into thinking that God causes evil. How often have you heard someone say that God took his loved one? That God made him sick? That God caused a tragedy? All of these are blatant lies perpetrated by Satan to cause us to doubt God's goodness. So why then, do people get sick? Here are three reasons:
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Sickness is a result of the fall of Adam and Eve. Their sin corrupted human genetics, making it vulnerable to the attacks of Satan. You see, sin always opens the door to Satan. Sin is the way Satan gains a foothold in our lives. When we sin, we invite Satan in.
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Sickness often results from disobeying God. When we disobey God, we willfully remove ourselves from His protection. And when we move out of the realm of God's protection, we move into the realm of Satan's attacks.
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Sickness can result from the curses we speak upon ourselves. You've undoubtedly heard people say things like, "My father died of cancer. I guess I will, too." Such kind of foolish talk opens the door to the Satanic realm by speaking words contrary to what God says abou...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/God_Does_Not_Make_You_Sick.mp3 _________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, October 31, 2022, and this is Episode #32 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "God Does Not Make You Sick!" _________________________________________ There is a common misconception among people that bad things come from God. I often say that God is the most maligned person in the universe! Imagine how you would feel if someone accused you of making him sick or of bringing some tragedy upon his life. Well, God is a person and He has feelings, too. So the next time you're tempted to blame God for bad things, think twice.
When we think of bad things, sickness is at the top of the list. Just as God does not cause evil, so does He not cause sickness. Sickness comes from Satan, period! When Adam and Eve yielded to Satan's temptation, sin and sickness entered the world. And they've been here ever since!
But the good news is that Jesus Christ freed us from sin and sickness when He died for us and rose from the dead. The Bible tells us that the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross paid the penalty for our sin. The stripes He took on His back in the scourging at the pillar paid the price for our sickness. Jesus took 39 stripes--or lashes--on His back. Interestingly, there are 39 categories of disease as outlined by the medical profession. So Jesus took a lash for eve ry category of disease, which means that He covered every disease.
When we take Holy Communion, we take both bread and wine. The bread represents the lashes that Jesus took on His back in payment for our sickness. The wine represents the blood He shed in payment for our sin. Bread and Wine. Blood and Lashes. Healing and Forgiveness. Both are in the Atonement.
Have you ever wondered why it is easy for people to accept God's forgiveness but difficult to accept His healing? The reason is that forgiveness has been taught more than healing. And the Bible says that faith comes by hearing. What we hear often enough we will eventually believe.
Healing has not been taught in our churches as a rule. In fact, there has been much preaching against healing. Some pastors have taught that healing is not for today, that it ended with the Apostles. But the Bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Bible also says that Jesus loves all people equally. So why would He heal people back then and not heal us now? Why would He not heal today if He never changes?
If we just used our heads, we'd see the fallacy in the teaching that healing is not for today.
Perhaps as you read or listen to this message, you are in need of healing. If so, I would like to pray for you now.
Father God, in the Name of Jesus, I come to You on behalf of the person reading or listening who needs healing. With the authority You have given me in Your Name, I command every spirit of infirmity to leave their bodies now. In the Name of Jesus, I release the healing power of the Holy Spirit into every cell of their body. I call them whole and healed in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Expect God to heal you.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/2022_10_24_Are_You_in_Bondage_to_Legalism.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, October 24, 2022, and this is Episode #31 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Are You in Bondage to Legalism?" _________________________________________ I grew up in a very legalistic denomination where the concept of salvation by works was given equal importance as the concept of salvation by grace. This false teaching caused me great spiritual distress over the years and placed unnecessary burdens on me, resulting in bondage that took me a long time to get rid of. So what are some of the signs of a legalistic spirit?
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Perfectionism. People under bondage to legalism tend to be perfectionists who are hard on others and even harder on themselves. This is also called "performance syndrome." Such people think that if they just do a bit more—for example, read the Bible more, pray more, do more good works—they will earn God's approval and His love. They have trouble accepting a free gift, any gift for which they did not work, at least in part.
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Lack of assurance of salvation. Those in bondage to legalism often doubt their salvation because they feel they have to do good works in order to be saved. They do not understand that their good works profit them nothing as far as getting into heaven is concerned. Good works determine our rewards only after we get into Heaven. But legalists have difficulty accepting that truth.
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Difficulty overcoming sin. A person in bondage to legalism has trouble accepting God's grace. The legalistic person has the attitude that there's no free lunch, even when it comes to salvation. Well, he's right that there's no free lunch, but he fails to understand that Jesus paid for our salvation by dying on the Cross and rising from the dead.
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A critical spirit. Legalists often criticize those with whom they don't agree. This critical spirit stems out of a failure to receive God's unconditional love.
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Bondage to religious tradition. Legalists believe that repeated practices and protocols win them favor with God and, hence, entrance into Heaven. They resist change because, as they say, "This is the way we've always done it." While God is unchangeable in His essence, He is not opposed to doing new things. There is a certain degree of pride in the person bound to legalism. That person believes that the Lord's sacrifice was incomplete—not enough to save him—and that the person himself has to earn at least part of his salvation. This is heresy.
Also, the legalistic person has not yet grasped that God loves him unconditionally, probably because his earthly father or mother did not love him unconditionally. The legalistic person, therefore, feels that he must continually strive to earn the grade. If you are in bondage to legalism, the first thing you need to do is to experience God's unconditional love for you. If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, I urge you to do so now. Pray this simple prayer with me: Lord Jesus,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Four_C_s_of_a_Great_Marriage.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 25, 2022, and this is Episode #30 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "The Four C's of a Great Marriage." _________________________________________
My younger daughter was married two weeks ago to a wonderful, Godly man in a beautiful ceremony. The officiating pastor gave a wonderful message on the three C's of marriage: Companionship, Commitment, and Covenant. I would like to expound on that message here and add another C: Communication.
Let's explore each of these four C's of a great marriage one by one.
- COVENANT. The most important point about a marriage is that it is a covenant. A covenant is more than a contract. According to Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary, the precursor of today's Webster's Dictionary, a covenant is "a binding agreement." In other words, a covenant imposes an obligation on the part of each party to keep the agreement until the death of one of the parties.
Whereas a contract involves two people, a covenant involves three: the man, the woman, and God. Because God is involved in a covenant, it is deemed by Him to be unbreakable. Hence, His warning in Mark 10: 9 NASB: "Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.” A covenant, therefore, is sealed with a vow before God to honor the covenant until death. 2. COMMITMENT. The strength of a marriage depends on the integrity of the husband and the wife to remain committed to the marriage no matter what the cost of that commitment. Every marriage will have its trying times. Trials are part of God's plan to conform us to the image of Christ. Just as making a muscle strong requires repeated resistance, so does making a marriage strong require repeated trials.
One of the most important lessons I've learned about marriage and about life, in general, is that God's goal for us is not our happiness but our holiness. Trials help to make us holy if we maintain the Biblical perspective toward trials. Trials are for our spiritual growth. But whether we grow or not through our trials depends on our attitude toward them. Something amazing happens when we resist and overcome trials. We not only become holy; we also become happy.
- COMMUNICATION. Good communication is key in cultivating a good marriage. The Bible is full of principles for good communication. Here are a few of them:
__James 1: 19 - "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." __Proverbs 10: 19 - "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." __Proverbs 12: 18 - "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."
- COMPANIONSHIP. When the three elements above--Covenant, Commitment, and Communication--are put into practice, then beautiful, intimate companionship follows. Companionship is oneness of soul. The Word says that in a marriage, the two become one flesh (Mark 10: 8). The flesh is comprised of both the body and the soul. Therefore,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Interview_with_Dom.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 18, 2022, and this is Episode #29 of Series 2022. _________________________________________
Today I have a very special surprise for you. I’m so excited to welcome on this podcast this week my awesome husband Dr. Dominic Diorio. Dr. Dom is a retired E.R. physician who, during his retirement, has become quite an expert on End Time Prophecy. And today, we are going to discuss some of the topics related to the End Times. Welcome, sweetheart, Dr. Dom! Dr. Dom: Hey! It’s great to be here for my very first podcast. Uh-I’m a novice at this, so if my voice cracks, you’ll understand why. I have to laugh every time MaryAnn introduces me as an "expert." I try to remind her that "expert" comes from two words: “ex” is an old has-been and a “spirt” is a drip under pressure. So, every time she introduces me as an “expert”, we chuckle. Dr. MaryAnn: So, get ready for some good humor and fun during this podcast. All right, let’s begin. Our first question is “Where do you think we are on God’s timetable and why?” Dr. Dom: That’s an interesting point. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this, a lot of reading and pondering, and it is my opinion that we are in the end of the times, we are in the end time. Uh-I read Genesis—Genesis chapter 6 verse 3--when God says He’s fed up with man – I’m paraphrasing. He’s fed up with mankind and He is going to give them 120 years. I initially thought that that was before the flood because it took Noah maybe 100 or so years to build the arc, and I thought that that was what He was referring to. But the more I think about that, God knew that after the flood Noah and his family would survive and would go on to generate more people. So, the more I went to that in prayer, I think what God was saying, I’ve come to the conclusion that what God was saying was He was going to give man 120 Jubilee years. And a Jubilee year is 50 years. So, if God gave man 120 Jubilee years, that’s 120 times 50 or 6000. And we are in the 6000th year since the creation. So I believe that we are very close to the end times. Dr. MaryAnn: Wonderful. OK, next question. You know that today a lot of people are eschewing the validity of the Bible. They are saying that the Bible is just an ancient book and that it really doesn’t have any more validity than that. So let me ask you, why do you believe the Bible? Dr. Dom: I believe the Bible is God’s book of instruction for life. I believe that because in the Bible there have been approximately 2500 prophecies that are listed. The Bible is a huge book of prophecy. Of those 2500 prophecies, about 2000 of them have come to pass. There is a whole list of Bible prophecies that have been realized so far. Just to name a couple of them, in Micah chapter 5 verse 2, it states that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and we all know that’s where Jesus was born. Another interesting one is in the book of Zachariah chapter 11 verses 12-13 when Zachariah,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Is_America_under_God_s_Judgment_.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 11, 2022, Independence Day here in the United States, and this is Episode #28 of Series 2022. This episode is titled _________________________________________
God's mercy is amazing. But so is God's judgment.
God's mercy is for those who repent of their sin. But God's judgment is for those who do not.
Since the time of Christ on earth, we have been in a period called "the Age of Grace." That period was determined by God to last 2000 years. The 2000-year period is almost up. We are nearing the end of the Age of God's Grace and about to enter the Age of God's Wrath. The big problem is that few people are paying attention.
All around us, people are caught up in the things of this world. Money. Jobs. Careers. Family. Sports. Entertainment. Pleasure. Yet, God is clearly speaking. He is continually trying to get our attention.
How?
Here are a few ways:
1) Through signs in the Heavens and in the Earth. In Luke 21: 25-28, the Bible says this: "There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
In the past several years, we have witnessed blood moons, solar eclipses, unusual planetary alignments, severe storms, an increasing number of earthquakes, strange weather patterns--all containing a warning message from God that He is calling the earth to repentance. But few there are who are noticing and interpreting these signs as warnings from God.
There is a telling verse in 1 Chronicles 12: 32 about a group of men who had defected from Saul to join David, the rightful king of Israel, in Hebron. These men, sons of Issachar, knew how to read the signs of the times and to interpret them: "From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take."
Notice what happened when the sons of Issachar paid attention to and understood the signs of the times. They were able to advise Israel regarding the best course for the people to take. We, too, need to pay attention to the signs God is sending us so that we will know the best course to take.
- Through the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. If we study the Bible, we will soon notice that what is happening in our world today--politically, economically, socially, and globally--has been predicted in the Bible. The problem is that most people don't read the Bible. They consider it an outdated book with no relevance to our own day. Yet, the Bible is so closely linked to what is going on in our day that we are foolis...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Is_Your_Thinking_Skewed_.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 4, 2022, Independence Day here in the United States, and this is Episode #27 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Is Your Thinking Skewed?" _________________________________________
When we say that something is skewed, we mean that it is slanted or off-center in some way. So, the word "skewed" as used in the title to this week's message means "to be off center."
We speak of picture frames that are skewed if they are leaning to one side on a wall. We also speak of ideas that are skewed when they are off-center. But, in order to know if something is off center, we must first know center. And how can we know center? In order to know center, we need a tool or a standard which shows us what center is. Then, when we've determined what center is, we can determine what is off-center.
Let me illustrate. When my husband and I built a home years ago, we hired a general contractor to supervise the construction work. As the men put up the walls, they frequently used a level to measure if the walls were straight or not. They did the same thing with the doors and the windows. They used the level to determine if the windows and doors were installed straight, or if they were leaning to one side, or skewed. Every level the men used was exactly the same and worked the same way. So, every measurement was accurate, and the house was built straight.
Now, imagine if each workman decided to make his own level his own way because he did not like the level provided by the general contractor. One workman's level would show the wall as being straight, while another workman's level would show the wall as being crooked, or skewed.
Or, imagine if one workman used a ruler of 12 inches to a foot while another workman used a ruler of 15 inches to a foot. As you can quickly see, the result would be mass confusion.
If you haven't recognized it yet, this is exactly what has happened in our culture. Each person is using a different ruler or level, and the result has been mass confusion and chaos.
When each person uses a different rule of measurement, this is called Relativism. Applied to a society, relativism is the view that each of us can decide for himself what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong.
For example, if Jody decides that abortion is wrong but then has an abortion, she is doing wrong. But if Mary decides that abortion is not wrong and has an abortion, she is not doing wrong because her standard says that abortion is not wrong. So abortion could be right for one person and wrong for another at the same time. In a relativistic society, therefore, each person determines his own morality. Eventually and inevitably, those differing viewpoints will come into conflict with each other.
Take, for example, the recent Supreme Court decision to overrule the Roe vs. Wade decision. Those who believe abortion is wrong rejoiced at the decision, while those who believe that abortion is not wrong,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Truth_about_the_Great_Reset.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 27, 2022, and this is Episode #26 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "The Truth about 'The Great Reset'". _________________________________________
If you have not yet heard of "The Great Reset." you will soon. In today's post, we will explore this topic and expose the lies at its foundation. So, what is The Great Reset and why do you need to know about it?
The Great Reset is the name given to the 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, in 2020. Convened by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and the World Economic Forum (or WEF), this meeting brought together top business and political leaders from around the world for the purpose of taking advantage of the then current COVID crisis and to use that crisis as the launching pad for creating the New World Order.
The stated goal of the 2020 World Economic Forum meeting, as published on the official WEF website, was “to overcome income inequality, societal division and the climate crisis.” This remains the WEF's goal, and they are pursuing it with relentless passion.
While, at first glance, the WEF's goal may sound noble, it is rooted in deception. In truth, the nice-sounding terminology masks anti-Biblical lies whose ultimate purpose is to enslave humanity and to usher in the New World Order under the brutal dictatorship of the Anti-Christ.
A frequent expression used by the Great Resetters is "Never let a crisis go to waste." Interestingly, one of the chief topics discussed at the 2020 Conference was how best to use the COVID-19 pandemic and the theory of climate change to reset global structures. Klaus Schwab, current CEO of the World Economic Forum, said this in a statement posted on the official World Economic Forum website: “The pandemic represents a rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world.”
Reflect. Reimagine. Reset.
What the Great Resetters mean by these words is not what most people mean by these words. The Great Resetters want to turn our world into a global kingdom where we own nothing and are happy. A kingdom where they call all the shots and we call none. A kingdom where we do what they say or we die.
The social structures included in their nefarious reset goals are education, health care, finance, and energy production, among others. The aim of the World Economic Forum is to restructure our world according to a model that makes the liberal, wealthy élite rulers over the rest of us.
Those who promote the Great Reset are brazenly open about the fact that they want to control every human being in every aspect of his life. For the past two years, we have already witnessed and experienced that control infiltrate our daily lives in the form of lockdowns and mask mandates. Now that same control is expanding to the imminent use of a Social Score Card that will ration food, gasoline, and other life-sustaining products according to the degree of one's com...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_We_Being_Gaslighted_.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 20, 2022, and this is Episode #25 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Are We Being Gaslighted?" _________________________________________
What is gaslighting? And what does it mean to gaslight people? It means to manipulate them by psychological means into doubting their own sanity.
Gaslighting is a malicious attempt to control people psychologically by giving them false information to make them think that what they believe is nonsense and that they are crazy for believing it. Gaslighting tries to get its victims to doubt what they know and believe is true about God, about the Bible, about others, and about themselves. Gaslighting attempts to thrust its victims into a confused state of doubting their perception, their memory, and even their mental health. Gaslighting even tries to make them think that they are going insane.
Gaslighting attacks a person at his very core, causing him to doubt his identity, his worth, his common sense, and his good judgment. If the gaslighting continues indefinitely, the victim will fall ever more deeply into the lie and become inescapably entrenched in it.
Gaslighting is another name for mind control or brainwashing. And this technique is being used by globalist leaders and politicians both in the United States and around the world. Sad to say, most people are oblivious to what is being done to them. Gaslighting presents and pushes false narratives as truth. And whoever does not accept these false narratives is criticized, ridiculed, and even ostracized as being an enemy. So, how, specifically, are we being gaslighted and by whom? One of the chief--if not the chief--proponents of gaslighting is the World Economic Forum. This organization has been creating false narratives and presenting them as truth. Here are some examples of false narratives being promulgated as true by the gaslighters of the World Economic Forum, headed up by Klaus Schwab, and by other globalist leaders:
1--The false narrative of clean energy, such as solar power and wind power. While the sun and the wind are, indeed, sources of power, they are not reliable sources of power nor are they clean sources of power. We cannot tell the sun when to shine, nor can we make the wind blow at will.
As Lucas Toh writes in an article titled "Let's Come Clean" and dated October 26, 2021, "Environmentalists have been telling us that wind and solar mean cheaper, cleaner energy. They herald a future of electric vehicles quietly zipping around on electricity that created thousands of green jobs. If all of this is true, why are we suffering from a global energy crisis just months after adding record amounts of new renewable capacity?" (https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/10/26/lets-come-clean-the-renewable-energy-transition-will-be-expensive/)
2--The false narrative that fossil fuels are destroying the planet with carbon emissions. That we need to get rid of gasoline-powered cars and, instead,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Social_Gospel_or_Salvation_Gospel.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 13, 2022, and this is Episode #24 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Social Gospel or Salvation Gospel?" Are you wondering what has happened to the Church? It seems to have gone crazy, like the rest of the world.
But, let me assure you, the true Church of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is alive and strong. It still adheres to the true Gospel. It still proclaims the true Gospel. It is called the Remnant Church.
And it will never go away! As Scripture promises in Matthew 17: 18, "The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."
At the moment, you may not be able to see much of the true Church, but I assure you, it is active and moving and powerful and strong!
So, what's going on? Isn't what the world knows as the "Christian Church" the true Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
Tragically, no. What the world sees as the Christian Church is, in reality, the Apostate Church. I call it the "Church of the Great Falling Away," described as follows in the Book of Second Thessalonians, chapter 2, verses 1 through 3:
"Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition . . . ."
This extensive "falling away " is what we are witnessing now in the so-called Christian Church--the Apostate Church. I am specifically referring to the following teachings that the Apostate Church is promoting:
1__Abortion is a woman's right and is okay. In fact, some apostate churches are even calling abortion "sacred." Talk about perverse thinking! These so-called "justice-oriented people of faith" are calling murder sacred.
One such organization is the Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity (or SACRed). This organization promotes abortion as sacred to human dignity. No mention of or thought given to the sacred dignity of the child in the womb. The innocent victim of murder. Such deceptive thinking is what the Bible means when it says that in the last days, people will call evil good and good evil.
2__Homosexual marriage. Apostate churches are sanctioning and blessing marriages between two people of the same gender. This is an abomination in God's sight and clear defiance of His Word. Listen to what God Himself says about it in Leviticus 18: 22 NCV: "You must not have sexual relations with a man as you would a woman. That is a hateful sin."
In 1 Corinthians 6: 9, the Bible warns that those who practice homosexuality will not enter Heaven but will go to Hell: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_You_Looking_up_or_Looking_Down_.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 30, 2022, and this is Episode #22 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Are You Looking Up or Looking Down?" ___________________________________________ When I was growing up, there was a saying that went like this: "Don't be so heavenly-minded that you're no earthly good." The saying meant that one could get off balance by thinking too much of spiritual matters while neglecting important daily matters, like eating or taking a shower. The expression was used to speak of people who always had their head in the clouds. Absent-minded people. Daydreamer types who repeatedly missed the forest for the trees.
On another level, the phrase also referred to people who constantly talked about God and the things of God. So-called religious fanatics. But were these people really off base? Or had they grabbed onto something vitally important that the rest of us missed? Scripture gives us a clear answer. In 2 Corinthians 4: 18, the Bible tells us to "fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
This verse tells us that there are two realms: the spiritual realm and the earthly realm. One of these realms--the earthly realm where we now live--is temporary. It will one day pass away. The other realm--the heavenly realm--is eternal. It will last forever. Doesn't it make sense, then, to focus on what will last forever instead of on what one day will end?
I think so.
So, what about us? Are we fixing our eyes on what is seen, or on what is not seen? Are we focusing more on making a living, building a career, paying our bills, and having a great weekend with our friends? Or are we focusing more on obeying God, reading the Bible, and doing good to others? In other words, are we so earthly minded that we are no heavenly good?
It is time, my friend, for us to be heavenly-minded. Jesus is coming back soon, and He will remove from the earth only those who follow Him and are focused on the things of God. If our focus is on the wrong thing, we will miss our destiny.
What about you? Are you focused more on the things of God than on the things of earth? Are you focused on the things of God at all? If not, please take to heart this week's message. The things of God are the only things that ultimately matter. They alone are the things that will last forever. To spend our time focusing only on what will pass away is foolishness. Focusing on the things of God begins with a relationship with God. To begin that relationship, we need to invite Jesus Christ into our lives. If you have not yet done so, let's do that now. Please pray this simple prayer after me: Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I admit that I have been going the wrong way, my own way and not your way. I have been putting my focus on earthly things rather than heavenly things. I recognize that my sin put You on that Cross where You died for me. So, I repent of my sin,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Relationship_Relationship_Relationship.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 23, 2022, and this is Episode #21 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Relationship! Relationship! Relationship!" ___________________________________________ You have very likely heard the real estate term, "Location! Location! Location!" This term implies that location is everything in determining the value of a house. A modest house in a prime location is usually worth more than a luxurious house in an undesirable location. Taking our cue from the "Location! Location! Location!" slogan, let's modify it a bit and talk about "Relationship! Relationship! Relationship"!
When it comes to life, relationship is everything in determining the value of life. A loving, honest, and deep relationship between two people is worth far more than a superficial relationship that is such because of neglect. Relationships are God's idea. Starting with the primary and paramount relationship--that between God and man through Jesus Christ--relationships are, ultimately, the most important thing in life. But, too often, we don't recognize that truth until it is too late.
Sadly, many people relegate relationship to a secondary position, after their job or career, sports or hobbies, or, nowadays, their cell phones. If you are one of these people, listen up.
In my many years of ministry, I've met countless people who reach the latter part of their lives carrying deep regret. They regret having spent too much time building a career and too little time building a marriage or a relationship with their children. Too much time chasing the dollar and too little time chasing the dream God had for them. Too much time focusing on the world and too little time focusing on the things of God. The result is a deep sense of regret, remorse, and grief. Yes, grief. You see, my friend, time is life. It is the only thing that, once spent, can never be retrieved. When we are young, we thing we have a lot of time ahead of us. But, when we are older, we realize at how quickly time passes and how little we may have left. While no one knows his last day on earth, the odds against our having a lot of time left grow greater the older we get.
So, I ask you: What are you doing with your time? Your life? How are you spending it? Are you spending it in a way that will cause you great regret, remorse, and grief when you approach the end of it? If so, stop now and change direction.
What are you doing with your relationships, especially your most important ones? Are you cultivating them or neglecting them?
Most of all, what are you doing with your relationship with God? Do you even have a relationship with God? If not, why not?
Perhaps you feel it's too late for you. Perhaps you've already messed up your relationships. Well, if so, let me encourage you. There is a wonderful Bible verse in Joel 2: 25 just for you. It is this: "The Lord says, 'I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Subtle_Lure_of_Cultural_Pressure.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 16, 2022, and this is Episode #20 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "The Subtle Lure of Cultural Pressure". ___________________________________________
We've all heard of peer pressure. Our parents warned us against it. If we heeded our parents' warnings, we avoided a lot of suffering. If we did not heed our parents' warnings, we paid dire consequences, many of which may still be operative in our lives today. Well, peer pressure isn't just something young people need to guard against. Peer pressure is a tactic that Satan uses throughout our lives. And, if we are not aware of it, we will end up in some serious trouble.
Peer pressure has a lot of different names. One of the most common today is "political correctness." To be politically correct is to go along with a culture's political and social agenda. Just look around. So many people--even so-called Christians--have caved in to the anti-Biblical, political and social agenda that is being blatantly and brazenly proclaimed throughout our country and throughout the world. We are witnessing active and arrogant rebellion against God and His Word. Opposition to God's commandments has run wild, with the result that lawlessness prevails and deception runs rampant.
The Bible calls peer pressure and political correctness "the fear of man." Take a look at Proverbs 29: 25: "The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe." A snare is a trap. So, the Bible is saying that when we fear man --in other words, when we worry about what people think--we fall into a trap. What kind of trap?
A trap that leads to death and destruction.
Isn't that what we're seeing around us? Death in the form of abortion, infanticide, increase in homicides and suicides? And destruction in the form of drug addiction, alcoholism, domestic abuse, and child abuse? Are we not seeing looting, shoplifting, vandalism, attacks against our law enforcement officers? Indeed, we are. Our country has gone crazy because we have allowed ourselves to be taken captive by social and cultural pressure. We have caved in as a nation to putting more stock in what others think than in what God thinks. Are you giving in to the peer pressure of societal lies? Are you sliding down the slippery slope that leads to death and destruction? Are you opposing God and exalting yourself?
Yes, that's what peer pressure ultimately does. It exalts the Self over God. And, bottom line, that's what's wrong with our culture today. We have become a society of mini-gods, each one doing his own thing, each one deciding for himself what's true and not true. Each one establishing his own rule of moral conduct. Relativism is the name of the game these days. My truth is my truth, and your truth is your truth. Well, how far has that gotten us? It has led only to mass confusion, societal and family division, and a people who can no longer think straight.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Are_You_Reading_the_Wrong_Story_.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: This is a reprint and replay of an earlier post.
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and Certified Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 7, 2022, and this is Episode #6 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Are You Reading the Wrong Story?."
Years ago, I was driving along the Beltway outside of Washington, DC, when I missed my exit. Of course, I didn't realize that I had missed my exit until I started passing the same landmarks I had already passed. But, I had to go around the Beltway yet again in order to reach my exit. So, around the Beltway I went. Again!
Perhaps your life feels like my Beltway ride. You're going around the same circle again and again. Or you're going around the same mountain again and again, getting nowhere except frustrated. If so, I can relate. There's a saying that doing the same thing over and over again without getting results is insanity. If this describes you, perhaps you're reading the wrong story. What do I mean?
Well, each of us reads and follows a story for our lives. It is usually the story we've grown up with or been told along the way. We think it's the right story because the ones who told us the story were trusted people in our lives.
For example, we may all have heard the story that, to be successful, we need to "grow up, get a job, and work hard." That's the story I heard growing up. Perhaps it's the same story you heard. So, let me ask you: "Is that story working for you?"
You see, it's not necessarily working hard that makes you successful; it's working smart with the wisdom of God.
What does it mean to work smart? Here are a few thoughts I'd like to share with you:
1__Working smart being doing things God's way, not our own way. Years ago, I was talking with the Lord when He spoke these words to me: "Your vision is Your provision."
One huge thing I learned when I stopped reading the wrong story is that working smart does not mean trading hours for dollars. You see, when you trade hours for dollars, if you need more dollars you have to work more hours. That's what most people are doing today. They are trading hours for dollars. In fact, that is the work model throughout most of the world. And this "hard" work model is stressing out a lot of people, leaving them little better than they were when they started the journey.
If you're like most people, you're thinking, "the harder I work, the behinder I get."
Yet, the Bible tells us in Proverbs 23: 4 MSG, "Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich."
This verse sheds light on something very important. It implies that we don't have to kill ourselves in order to achieve financial freedom. Or any other kind of freedom for that matter.
Another wrong story I read growing up was that I had to earn my way to Heaven. I remember asking a priest one day, "How and when will I know if I've done enough to get into Heaven?" He said, "You'll find out when you die!"
What? I looked at him in disbelief. I don't know about you, my friend,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Progressive_Christianity_The_Hoax_of_the_Century.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 9, 2022, and this is Episode #19 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Progressive Christianity: The Hoax of the Century." ___________________________________________
It has been said that the most dangerous place in the world is inside a church.
Why?
Because one would never expect to find Satan inside a church.
But, not only is he there; he is hidden and camouflaged to the point that we view him as a light when he is actually the same old, evil deceiver.
So, how has Satan infiltrated the Church today? What am I talking about specifically?
I'm talking about Progressive Christianity.
You may have heard the term. It sounds so innocuous, doesn't it? So cool, even. After all, progress is a good thing, right?
Not always. In fact, Progressive Christianity is not progress at all but, rather, a falling away from the essential truths of Christianity. It is the most dangerous heresy--or conglomeration of heresies--to have infiltrated the Church in this century.
Progressive Christianity now has a strong but sinister presence in our seminaries and pulpits. It has even found its way into the media that is unashamedly propagating its tenets in order to undermine the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When the Apostle Paul was on earth, he warned of heresies that would enter the Church. He called these heresies "another Gospel". He warned in Galatians 1: 9 that "if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." Pretty strong words!
Progressive Christianity is "another Gospel" -- not the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not the Gospel we received from the Word of God. So, what is Progressive Christianity? In what ways is it a false Gospel?
Progressive Christianity grew out of the Emergent Church Movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s. As its name implies, Progressive Christianity considers it progress to re-examine, re-define, and, if necessary, reject the historic doctrines of the Christian faith.
Here are some of the problems with the teachings of Progressing Christianity:
1__It denies that the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God and absolute Truth.
2__It denies the doctrine of original sin, the Biblical teaching that every human being is born into this world spiritually separated from God by sin.
3__It ignores the concept of sin altogether and does not teach about the need for repentance from sin and accepting Christ as Savior and Lord.
4__It denies the Blood of Christ, His substitutionary Atonement on the Cross, and the Resurrection.
5__It denies the existence of Hell, a very real place where those who reject Christ will spend eternity.
6__It aligns itself with anti-Biblical, cultural trends like abortion, same-sex marriage, and gender identity.
7__It preaches a gospel of social justice and universal salvation instead of the true Gospel of repentance from personal sin, personal salvation,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Beginning_of_the_End.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 25, 2022, and this is Episode #17 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "The Beginning of the End". In a very telling passage of Scripture in Matthew 24: 8, Jesus foretold many of the events that are happening today. He called these events "the beginning of sorrows".
What did Jesus mean by "the beginning of sorrows"?
As we look around us today, if we are at all observant and aware, we recognize that our world seems to be falling apart. People are calling good evil, and evil, good. Lawlessness is increasing, and insanity prevails to the point that people no longer know the difference between a man and a woman.
Every day, we hear rumors of wars. Every day, we witness violence. Every day, we are bombarded with bad news about disease, about the economy, about food shortages and famine.
But the truth is, the world is not falling apart. As my husband says, it is falling into place.
You see, thousands of years ago, the Bible predicted the very headlines we are reading in today's news. For instance, in the Book of Ezekiel, the Bible predicted the coalition that we now see forming among Russia, Turkey, and Iran. In the second book of Thessalonians, the Bible predicted the falling away of many from the Christian faith, the Great Apostasy as it is called. In the Book of Revelation, the Bible predicted the establishment of the New World Order, consisting of a one-world government, a one-world economic system, and a one-world religion, all headed up by the AntiChrist. The New World Order is emerging before our very eyes.
Today, we are seeing the rise of a one-world digital currency and a cashless society. We are hearing talk about inserting a chip in the hand or forehead to facilitate commerce--what the Bible refers to as "the mark of the beast"--without which people will no longer be able to buy or sell. Already a one-world religion complex has opened in Dubai, comprised of a synagogue, a church, and a mosque.
What more proof does one need to believe that the Bible is true? What more proof does one need to believe that Jesus Christ is, indeed, God, and that He is coming back soon? What more proof does one need to believe that the only way to be saved is to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord?
Those who refuse to believe truth are doing just that: refusing to believe. The evidence is all around us, and it is as clear as day. Yet, countless people prefer to bury their heads in the sand. Unwilling to submit to the authority of God, they simply dismiss Him and think they will get away with it.
But God will not allow Himself to be made a fool of. The day of His judgment and wrath is coming, and woe to those who will not escape it because they reject truth.
Don't be one of them! Perhaps, like many people, you think that things are going to return to normal. My friend, I tell you that things will never return to normal. We are nearing the end of the world as we know it.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Heaven_or_Hell_Your_Choice.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 18, 2022, and this is Episode #16 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Heaven or Hell? Your Choice." Perhaps no time in history has been as crazy as our time. Never before in human history have large numbers of people not known the difference between a man and a woman. Never before in human history have we encouraged perverse sexual activity among our children. Never before in human history have we, as a nation, so brazenly exalted evil. If we think that we will get away with this, we are sorely mistaken.
While God is certainly merciful, He is also just. And those who do not repent of their sin will, eventually, experience His justice that will come in the form of His fierce wrath. To those who think they can continue in their sin, the Bible gives this warning in Galatians 6: 7 AMP: "Do not be deceived. God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap."
Are you willing to take the risk of mocking God? Of making Him out to be a fool Who looks the other way at your sin? Of thinking you will escape His punishment because He hasn't punished you so far?
Think again, my friend. You are treading on dangerous ground that soon will sink beneath your feet, open up, and figuratively, if not literally, swallow you whole.
You think it can't happen? Then read the account of Korah in the Book of Numbers, chapter 16, verses 1-40. Korah was the infamous man who was swallowed alive, with his entire family, when he rebelled against Moses in the wilderness. If God did not spare Korah and his family in their rebellion, why do you think he will spare you?
Sin is serious business in God's eyes. And it should be in yours as well.
If you are in rebellion against God and His Word, repent now and ask God to forgive you. When you do, He will show you His other side: His mercy side. More than anything, God wants to show you His merciful side. But He cannot do so unless and until you acknowledge your sin, repent of it, and ask His forgiveness.
So, why not do that now? What are you waiting for? Remember, if you don't acknowledge your sin and repent of it, you will experience God's justice and wrath. In practical terms, this means you will go to Hell when you die.
But, if you acknowledge your sin, repent of it, and ask God to forgive you, you will experience God's mercy and grace. In practical terms, this means you will go to Heaven when you die.
So, my friend, what is your choice? Heaven or Hell? Mercy or Justice? Grace or Wrath?
The choice is yours. You can make that choice right now by praying with me. Just repeat after me: Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I acknowledge my sin before You. I recognize that my sin put You on that Cross where You died for me. I repent of my sin, and I ask You to forgive me. I invite You into my life now.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Abuse_of_America_s_Children.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 11, 2022, and this is Episode #15 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "The Abuse of America's Children." There is nothing that angers me more than to see an innocent child abused. Whether the abuse be physical or verbal, my blood boils and my words flow when I witness the abuse of children. Child abuse comes in many different forms. The ultimate, of course, is abortion. Brutally to mutilate a helpless child in the womb is nothing short of barbaric. Any society that has no respect for life at its beginning will have no respect for life at its end. Case in point: the increasing practice of infanticide and euthanasia. There is a sinister logic to evil. That logic follows a slippery slope that begins with small steps but then exponentially increases to avalanches of perversion. You see, Satan extends his chain a little at a time so that we don't see the whole chain until it's tightly wrapped around our minds and hearts.
So, why and how are our children being abused? First, let's take the why. In case you are unaware, there is--and has been--an intentional global move to destroy our children. Yes, intentional. Spawned by and fueled by the leftist mantra that "it takes a village" to raise a child, we have been witnessing the disintegration of the family as God designed it. In its place, we are witnessing the rise of the State as the primary guardian and provider of our children.
Unwitting parents have abdicated their role as primary educator of their children and handed that role over to the State and to our public school system. Parents have trusted the school system to do what they are commanded by God to do. At the same time, parents have not monitored what there children are being taught in our public school system. They have wrongly assumed that their children were receiving an education similar to their own when they were children. But nothing could be farther from the truth.
Children today are not being educated; they are being indoctrinated. And they are being indoctrinated with a globalist agenda that undermines parental authority, rejects God and HIs commandments, and idolizes the State. Case in point: Several years ago I was invited to review a textbook that our local school system was planning to include in the health curriculum of our elementary schools. As I carefully read through the textbook, I noticed very subtle innuendos that undermined parental authority and encouraged children to rebel against it. The book even implicitly condoned abortion. Despite my pointing out these dangerous subtleties to the school board and speaking out against them, the book was, nevertheless, added to the curriculum.
And the minds of countless children suffered the abuse and consequences of being taught a lie.
You see, my friend, the ultimate globalist goal is to take over our children and, in doing so, to take over the next generation and, ultimately, the world.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Holding_On_to_the_End_of_Your_Rope.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 4, 2022, and this is Episode #14 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Holding On to the End of Your Rope." In my award-winning novel, In Black and White, my main character, white woman Tori Pendola, faces rejection, guilt, and racial injustice as she strives to remain true to the black man she loves. The question she faces at the beginning of the story is, Will their love survive the cruel and bitter attacks against them, or will hatred and prejudice gain the upper hand? As Tori faces the demons of societal hatred, she reaches the end of her rope. Scorned by her parents and friends, she finds strength in her faith in God to hold on tightly to the end of her rope and to hang on even when things seem impossible. Perhaps you, too, are hanging on to the end of your rope. Perhaps you, too, are facing a hopeless situation whose solution or resolution seems impossible. If so, I urge you to hang on to the end of your rope, for help is nearby.
So, what does it mean in practical terms to hang on to the end of your rope? Here are a few thoughts from one who has had to hang on to the end of her rope many times during her 76 years here on this earth:
1) Focus on who is holding the rope. God Himself is holding your rope, and God won't let go. You can trust that He has a firm grip on your life and that you will not fall as long as you trust Him. 2) Focus on what the rope is made of. God's rope is unbreakable. It is made of faith. It will hold you as long as you hold it. It is only when we let go of God's rope that we fall into danger and destruction. 3) Focus on one moment at a time. Don't think about how much longer you will have to hang on to the end of your rope. Think about how long you have already hung on, and hung on successfully. With God's help, you can hang on one more minute. Remember this: God will not allow you to hang on to your rope beyond the strength He gives you. And He will give you His strength until it's His time to lift you off the rope. The expression "at the end of one's rope" is primarily an American expression. The British say "at the end of one's tether." The phrase can be traced back to the 1680s. Its meaning refers to someone who has been thrown a safety rope and has run out of length, strength, endurance, or patience. Why does God allow ropes in our lives for us to hang on to? One of the chief reasons is to get our attention. To get us to turn to Him when we have nowhere else to turn. When we are at the end of our rope, we are in a very vulnerable position of helplessness. And, sad to say, most of the time we have to reach that position before we will turn to God.
In my novel, Tori was at the end of her rope. But as she hung there, she learned some powerful truths about herself and about God--truths you will find out when you read the book. Purchase details for In Black and White are at the end of this blog post or in the show notes if you're listening to the podcast.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Fighting_the_Fear_Factor.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 28, 2022, and this is Episode #13 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Fighting the Fear Factor."
It doesn't take much to notice that our world today is ruled by fear. Fear is a crippler. A cruel taskmaster. A deterrent to freedom.
Are you consumed by fear? If so, pay close attention.
For many years, I was consumed by fear. I grew up in a fearful environment. I learned how to fear the worst instead of expecting the best. But when I came to Jesus Christ, He delivered me from all fear. But, I had to take that truth and make it experiential in my life. I had to resist the spirit of fear with the weapons of spiritual warfare that God had given me in Christ. Although there are seemingly many reasons to fear, we do not have to be ruled by fear if we are in Christ. Scripture calls fear a spirit. In 2 Timothy 1: 7 NKJV, we read: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Fear, therefore, is not simply a terrible negative emotion. Fear is actually an evil spirit that continually tries to rob us of our peace. When we look at fear as a spirit, we then know that we must deal with it spiritually.
Here's how:
__Saturate your mind and heart with the Word of God. Hide it in your heart through reading, studying, meditating, and memorizing. When the Word of God is hidden in your heart, it will rise within you and arm you when you are tempted to fear. __Seek God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. We do this through prayer and through spending time in God's Presence. Let Him speak to you. Listen for His voice, and write down what He says to you.
__When you are tempted to fear, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Fear is a temptation. When we feel fear, we do not have to give in to it. Remember: Fear is a spirit. And God has given us spiritual weapons to fight it. Those weapons are called the "armor of God," and they are listed in Ephesians 6: 11-18:
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition."
The spiritual weapons God has given us will defeat fear every time. So use your weapons.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/The_Hidden_Subtlety_of_Stress.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 21, 2022, and this is Episode #12 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "The Hidden Subtlety of Stress".
All stress is self-imposed. Whoa, Dr. MaryAnn! What are you saying? And how dare you say it? Don't you know that stress comes from outside circumstances? I can't help being stressed.
I hear you, my friend. I was in your shoes at one time. But I learned that if I'm stressed, it's my own fault. And if you're stressed, it's your own fault.
I know you don't like to hear that. Neither did I. But, bottomline, it's the truth, so we both may as well face it.
So, you're probably thinking I owe you an explanation. I agree. Here goes.
God created us in such a way that peace is the norm for us humans. In fact, God has provided the Bible--particularly, the New Testament--to teach us how to live in peace. The problem is, we don't obey His instructions.
For example, are you obeying the following instructions that God has given us to keep free from stress?
- John 14: 1 - "Do not let your heart be troubled." The Good News Translation says it like this: "Do not be worried and upset." Are you letting your heart be troubled? Are you allowing yourself to be worried and upset?
Notice the wording here: Do not LET or ALLOW your heart to be troubled. This means that we control whether or not our heart is troubled. Whether we are worried or not is entirely in our hands.
- Colossians 3: 15 - "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." Here again, God uses the word "let", meaning "allow". He is instructing us to allow Christ's peace to rule in our hearts. This command implies that we can also NOT allow Christ's peace to rule in our hearts. We have a choice to allow ourselves to be ruled by Christ's peace or not.
The opposite of peace is stress. If we don't allow Christ's peace to rule in our hearts, we will experience worry and stress. If we do allow Christ's peace to rule in our hearts, we won't experience worry and stress. Again, the choice is ours.
- Philippians 4: 6 - "Do not be anxious about anything." Anxiety is a major problem today. Most of the prayer requests I receive have to do with anxiety of some sort. Yet, God has commanded us not to be anxious about anything. ANYTHING! This command implies that we have a choice. That we have control over anxiety.
One of the greatest tricks of Satan today is to convince us that we have no control over our emotions. Because we believe this lie, we give in to our emotions. We allow them to rule us because we think we have no power over them.
But the truth is that we do have power and control over our emotions. And we need to begin exercising that power in order to get rid of stress in our lives.
At the same time, in order to exercise power and control over our emotions, we need the grace of God. We cannot do this in our own strength. We humans have a sin nature, and that is our default nature. Unless we are born again,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 14, 2022, and this is Episode #11 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Where Is the World Headed?"
Wherever we turn, someone is giving an opinion of what is happening in our world. If you feel confused, you are not alone.
The purpose of my message this week is to enlighten you to the truth of what is really going on.
So, you may be asking, "How do you know what's really going on, Dr. MaryAnn? What is your source of information?" Great question! And one that should always be asked: What is the source of one's information?
As an experienced scholar trained in in-depth, primary-source research techniques, I can personally vouch for the critical importance of not only knowing but, more importantly, trusting one's sources. Unless the source is accurate, we cannot be sure that the information from that source is accurate.
So, let me assure you that my source is absolutely accurate. In fact, it is the most accurate source that exists, that has ever existed, and that will ever exist. My source is God Himself, and the information I am using to support my message is from the Book God Himself wrote; namely, the Bible.
Now, before you hit the DELETE button or turn off this podcast, do yourself a big favor and get all the information, and only then draw your own conclusions.
So, how can I say that the Bible is absolutely true? Well, here are three of many reasons:
- God cannot lie. In Numbers 23: 19, the Bible says this: "God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change his mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?"
- God is Truth itself. In John 14: 6, the Bible records these words spoken by Jesus Christ: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me."
- The Bible has never been wrong. All that the Bible has predicted up until our day has come to pass exactly as the Bible said it would. A few events remain to occur before the return of Christ. As I write, we are seeing those remaining events unfold before our very eyes, meaning that Christ's return is imminent.
World events today are happening exactly as the Bible predicted thousands of years ago.
In case you're wondering what world events I'm referring to, let me give you a few examples:
- The Bible predicts in the Book of Ezekiel, chapter 38, that in the last days, Russia, Turkey, and Iran would form a coalition, together with some smaller countries, with the goal of invading Israel for its gas and oil reserves. Today, we see Russia,Turkey, and Iran in the process of forming that very coalition with the ultimate goal of invading Israel. On March 21, 2021, an article written by Seth Frantzman and titled "Iran, Russia, and Turkey Signal Growing Alliance," was published in The Jerusalem Post. In the article, Mr. Frantzman shows how the relationships among Russia, Turkey,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 7, 2022, and this is Episode #10 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Are You a Consumer Christian?"
So, what is a consumer Christian? In short, it is a person who looks to God as a vending machine.
Wow! That's a pretty disrespectful way of looking at God, isn't it?
Yes. It most certainly is!
Yet, all of us have been guilty of consumer Christianity at one point or another.
You may be asking, "How so?"
Well, let me give you some examples:
- Do you go to God only when you're in trouble?
- Do you spend more time asking God for what you need than you do in worshipping Him?
- Does your life revolve around you and the things you're interested in rather than revolving around God and the things that matter to Him?
These are only a few of the ways we have bought into Consumer Christianity.
And, I can assure you that our Lord is not pleased!
In an insightful article by Matt Reynolds, titled "The Death Rattle of Consumer Christianity," and published on July 20, 2020, the author writes this:
"The consumeristic approach we've taken to church life in the United States is collapsing because it lacks a foundation. We have favored pragmatism over theology, crowds over disciples, marketing over evangelism, coffee bars over catechism. We have shown greater commitment to manufacturing celebrity pastors than lifting up unseen, humble, and sacrificial shepherds."
How true and how sad!
But we have only ourselves to blame. Yes, there are pastors who have not been what they should have been to the flock of Christ. Pastors who have twisted and perverted the Gospel for their own gain and their own fame. But we are individually responsible for our own lives. Scripture warns us in Philippians 2: 13 to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." In other words, we cannot pass the buck to poor pastors when it comes to the kind of Christian life we are leading.
So, let me ask you again: "Are you a Consumer Christian?" If so, do an about-face. Repent and get serious about your relationship with Jesus Christ. Worship Him because He is God and for no other reason. He alone deserves our worship, adoration, and praise. No matter what!
If you do not yet know this awesome Jesus Who died and rose from the dead for you, welcome Him into your life now. He is the only way you can be saved. He is your only ticket to Heaven. There is no other way, no matter what anyone tells you.
In Acts 1: 11, the Bible says this: "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.” Hallelujah! Yes, this same Jesus will one day very soon return in the same way He left to remove His Bride from the earth and to take her to be with Him forever in Heaven. Those of us who are born again are that Bride. You can be, too!
How? By accepting Jesus Christ now. Pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 28, 2022, and this is Episode #9 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Distraction: Satan's Static."
A common complaint I've heard from fellow believers recently is that they are fighting more temptations to distraction than ever before. Perhaps you can relate.
You might be wondering if the complaint is real or imagined. I would suggest that it is real. Very real.
So, why is this happening? Why is Satan tempting believers with so much distraction?
The answer is as close as the Word of God. In fact, as close as Revelation 12: 12: "But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.”
You see, my friend, the devil knows that he doesn't have much time left to attempt to thwart God's plan before the Lord Jesus Christ Himself returns to cast him into the lake of fire forever.
So, Satan is trying to make the most of the short time he has left.
And one of his chief tools is distraction.
Distraction is the attempt to derail one from one's purpose, one's primary goal, one's top priority. The top priority of the Christ-Follower is to preach the Gospel and to fulfill the Great Commission found in Mark chapter 16. If we are not spending the majority of our time doing these things, we are being distracted.
Distraction is like static. It interrupts God's broadcasting system. You see, God is continually speaking to us. His Holy Spirit is continually directing us. Yet, if we allow ourselves to be distracted, we will not hear the Holy Spirit and, as a result, we will not fulfill God's call on our lives.
Satan's Strategy
So, how does Satan distract us?
Here are a few of his tactics: 1. By luring us to fritter away our time on social media, cell phones, video games, and email. 2. By annoying us with irritating problems, like computer issues, broken appliances, car problems, especially while we are trying to study the Bible or pray. 3. By troubling us with relationship problems, like misunderstandings, offenses, miscommunications, especially when we are doing our best to obey God's Word.
These are only a few of the many ways Satan attempts to distract us from our primary purpose of preaching the Gospel and making disciples of all nations.
What about you? Are you being distracted? If so, step back and re-evaluate your priorities. Are you putting God first, or have you slipped into relegating Him to second place? Are you spending the bulk of your time on things that don't ultimately matter, or are you spending most of your time deepening your relationship with Jesus Christ? Are you more focused on the things of this world than on the things of Heaven?
It's time we stop allowing ourselves to be distracted and start becoming single-minded on the things of God. Like Jesus, we must not look to the right or to the left. We must remain focused on being about the Father's business in these last days.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/What_Is_Your_Idol_.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 21, 2022, and this is Episode #8 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "What Is Your Idol?"
In the Book of Acts, chapter 22, we learn that the Apostle Paul was im Jerusalem and about to be arrested when he asked the commander of the guard to allow him to defend himself before the people.
The crowd grew very quiet and listened as Paul began to give his testimony about how Jesus had saved him on the road to Damascus. All was going well, and the crowd was listening attentively until Paul told the people that, because the Jews had refused and rejected the Messiah, the Messiah was now sending Paul to preach to the Gentiles.
At the mention of the word "Gentiles," the crowd flew into a rage.
Why?
Because Paul had struck a nerve. The nerve of their idol. What was their idol? Self-righteousness.
You see, the Jews believed that they were saved simply by the fact that they were Jews. Moreover, they believed that salvation was only for the Jews and for no one else.
When Paul challenged this belief--this idol of theirs--the Jews could not handle it. This is what idols do. They make us angry when they are detected and exposed.
Idols in our hearts will stand in the way of our seeing the truth. Idols in our hearts will blind us to what God has for us. idols in our hearts will keeping us from fulfilling God's plan for our lives.
Today, here in the West, we tend to think of idols as statues that only people in third-world countries worship. Yet, there are idols of the heart that are just as destructive.
What is the idol in your heart? Is it money? Your career? Sex? Pornography? Drugs? Smoking? Food? Your car? Your spouse? Your children? Your health?
While some of these things are good--like loving your spouse and your children and taking care of your health--they can be carried to the extreme of putting them above God. When this happens, the idol becomes sinful.
Each of us must continually guard against idols in our hearts. Satan builds them secretly, subtly, surreptitiously. But once built, they strangle us in their tenacious grip and become what the Bible calls a stronghold.
If you have an idol in your heart--or more than one--repent now and renounce it in the name of Jesus. If you don't know whether or not you have idols in your heart, ask the Holy Spirit to show you. He will.
Most of all, read the Bible. The Bible is like a mirror. When we look into it, we see ourselves reflected in its light. In other words, reading the Bible shows us those areas of our lives where we don't measure up to God's standard. It shows us those things in our lives that are idols.
The Bible sets the standard of conduct for our life. It is our responsibility to adhere to that standard.
But we cannot adhere to God's standard of conduct in our own strength. No, we need a Savior to adhere to it for us. The good news is that we already have such a Savior. His Name is Jesus Christ.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Whose_Report_Will_You_Believe_.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 14, 2022, and this is Episode #7 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Whose Report Will You Believe?"
I receive a lot of prayer requests through my ministry. I am always honored to pray for the people who send me their requests. But one thing I frequently notice is that may Christians believe reports other than the Lord's report.
What do I mean?
Well, let me give you a practical illustration from my own life. Almost 27 years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was 50 years old at the time and had a 22-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old daughter. Needless to say, the diagnosis came as quite a shock. I am a health-conscious person and never expected such a diagnosis.
Thankfully, I belonged to a church that preached the Word of God without compromise. I had heard many sermons on healing. So, when the attack came on my body, I already had the Word of God hidden in my heart. What I needed to do was to use it against the spirits of sickness. It was crunch time.The time for the rubber to meet the road.The moment at which we know whether or not we truly believe God.
I won't say that it was not a battle to keep my mind and my emotions under control. Fear assailed me day and night, but I would fight it with 2 Timothy 1: 7: "God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." I kept at it until, finally, I experienced the victory of healing.
You see, my friend, the battles we fight are in our minds. When you think about it, we live our entire lives in our minds. The mind is the referee between the Truth and the Lie. But the mind must know both sides in order to be a just referee.
We get to know the difference between the Truth and the Lie by studying the Bible, which is Truth. In the Bible, the greatest book of all time, we gain insight into how Satan works against us. Satan is a pure liar. The Bible calls him the "father of lies." The chief way he works against us is through the Lie. He continually wants to get our eyes off the Truth and onto the Lie. The truth says that you were healed by the stripes of Jesus. The lies says that you are sick because the lab report says so.
So, whose report are we going to believe? Thankfully, I believed God's report in His Word over my own lab report. I believed what the Word of God said, that I was healed by the stripes of Jesus. I am here today because I believed God's report over every other report.
You see, my friend, there is a difference between Truth and Fact. Fact is temporal, meaning it is changeable. Truth is eternal, meaning it is unchangeable. A lab report can change in the future. It is temporal. But the truth of the Bible is eternal, and it can never change. Doesn't it make more sense, then, to place our trust in God's Word that can never change instead of a lab report that can change?
If you are facing sickness today--or any serious, seemingly impossible challenge--believe God's report over your earthly re...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Popcorn_Power.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 31, 2022, and this is Episode #5 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Popcorn Power."
Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks. Recently, I was making some in my large popper. As I watched the corn pop, I had a strong sensation that the Lord wanted to speak to me. So, I sharpened my spiritual ears to tune into His voice.
But, I heard nothing. Yet, deep in my spirit I knew that the Lord would speak to me.
Shortly before this incident, I had been praying for God's direction for my life. It seemed that my writing and teaching ministry was not bearing the fruit I had hoped it would bear. For example, I had not reached as many people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ as I would have liked to reach by now. I had not helped as many people get free from bondage as I would have liked to help by now. I had not sold as many books as I would have liked to sell by now.
It was two days later, during my morning quiet time with God, that He finally spoke to me about the popcorn.
"When you were popping your popcorn the other day," He said, "did you notice that nothing happened for the first few moments after you put the corn kernels and the oil into the popper?"
"Yes," I said.
God continued. "Did you then notice that first one kernel popped, and then another, and then another and another and another in increasingly rapid succession?"
"Yes, Lord," I replied.
"Then, did you notice that suddenly all of the remaining kernels burst into loud, exuberant popping until all of the corn was popped?"
"Yes, Lord," I replied again.
Then the Lord spoke these words to me: "Well, dearest one, that is the way it works with the seeds you plant in life. A single seed is like a single kernel of popcorn. When you first plant it, it doesn't seem as though anything is happening. But then, it mingles with the oil of My Spirit and begins to sprout. Just as one kernel pops first, so does one seed sprout first. Just as the popcorn explodes into growth, so does the seed explode into growth, developing shoots and then leaves. Finally, it grows into whatever it was designed to be. Before long, you have a plant or a tree with many branches and leaves."
The Lord's words greatly encouraged me.
And I hope they encourage you, too.
Perhaps you've been waiting for years for an answer to prayer. Perhaps you started a business, and it has not grown to the level to which you had hoped it would. Perhaps you've set a goal, but you're still struggling to achieve it. Whatever the case, be patient because your single seed will eventually multiply.
Shortly after my conversation with the Lord, Holy Spirit gave me a remarkable strategy for expanding my ministry. Already, I am seeing my fruit multiply.
The Lord wants you to know that it's now time for the seeds you've planted to grow as well. It's time for your popcorn to pop.
If you'd like to know what strategy the Lord gave me, it's this that I learned from a fellow believer; Do the right things in...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Is_Your_Package_Still_Unwrapped.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 24, 2022, and this is Episode #4 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Is Your Package Still Unwrapped?"
Recently, I heard a wonderful gentleman by the name of Wallace Johnson make the following statement: "Don't die with your package still unwrapped!"
His statement deeply resonated with me because it closely resembled a statement I often make, and that is, "Don't die without singing your song."
While Mr. Johnson used the symbol of a package and I used the symbol of a song, we both meant the same thing: Don't leave this earth without fulfilling your God-given purpose!
God created you ON purpose and FOR a purpose. But it is up to you to discover what that purpose is and, then, to fulfill it. If you don't intentionally look for your purpose, you run the risk of never discovering it. You run the risk of dying without unwrapping your package or without singing your song.
What is the song God gave you to sing? Are you singing it? If not, why not?
There are many reasons why people don't sing their songs. Here are a few of them:
1) Not knowing what their song is. How can you know what song you were created to sing? There is only one way I know to find out, and that is through Jesus Christ. He is the One Who created you, so He alone knows the song He created you to sing. When you establish a relationship with Jesus Christ, He will reveal to you the song He created you to sing.
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Fear. You may know what song you were created to sing, but, for whatever reason, you're afraid of singing it. Maybe you're afraid of messing up. Maybe you're afraid of what people may think. Maybe you're afraid of being considered an imposter. Whatever the reason, fear is keeping you from singing your song. So, ask yourself this question: What do you fear more: taking the risk of singing your song while you are still on this earth, or leaving this earth without singing your song?
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Unbelief: Maybe you doubt that you have a song to sing at all. Or maybe you don't think you're good enough to sing your song. One of my favorite quotes in life is, "Every master was once a disaster," first quoted by T. Harv Eker. No expert ever starts out an expert. Every expert had to learn how to be an expert.
The Bible warns us in Zephaniah 4: 10 not to despise small beginnings. So start small. Believe that if God has called you to a certain purpose, He has equipped you to accomplish that purpose. And He will make good on His Word as long as you cooperate with Him by believing His Word. "Don't die with your package still unwrapped!"
- Lack of knowledge to fulfill your purpose. Is lack of knowledge keeping you from fulfilling your life purpose? If so, don't let it. With today's technology, you can find the knowledge you need to accomplish God's purpose for your life. Pray, and God will send people your way to help you fulfill the destiny He gave you to fulfill.
One of my great joys as a Certified Life Coach is helpi...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/How_Big_Is_Your_God_.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 17, 2022, and this is Episode #3 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "How Big is Your God?"
Are you facing an impossible situation? Maybe you've been given an incurable medical diagnosis. Maybe you've gone bankrupt with no prospect of a job that pays enough to get you out of your deep, financial hole. Maybe your spouse has just walked out on you, leaving you alone with small children to raise.
Whatever the case, you're feeling hopeless.
In my novel, The Madonna of Pisano, the first book in my Italian Chronicles trilogy, my main character, Maria Landro, faces a hopeless situation. Raped by a man she deeply trusted and pregnant with his child, she finds herself frightened, ostracized, and alone in a small, 19th-century Sicilian village. Gossiping tongues wag fiercely behind her back, threatening to destroy any vestige of self-worth she still might have.
Unable to move forward, she goes into hiding for six years, only to discover, upon her return to society, that it is now her little boy who bears the brunt of her tragic experience. Eventually, Maria must come to grips with how she perceives the size of her God. Her pivotal question becomes: Will she trust God to save her, or not?
Perhaps you, too, like Maria, are struggling with trusting God. Perhaps your God is an uncaring God, a distant or absent God, or a disinterested God. Perhaps your God is an angry God, a fickle God, or a demanding God. But, none of these lenses reveals the true character of our God.
Let's take a look at Exodus 34: 6-7, where Moses ascends Mount Sinai to get the second copy of the Ten Commandments after he angrily destroyed the first copy upon seeing the idolatrous sin of the nation of Israel. In this passage, we learn about the true nature of God as He describes Himself to Moses:
"The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, 'Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.” So, what do we learn from this passage? We learn that God is full of mercy and compassion toward us. We learn that He is filled with love toward us and wants to bless us and our families. We learn that God wants to forgive us of our sin. He is not ready to pounce on us; He is ready to welcome us!
We also learn that God is just. In other words, He cannot turn His back on sin. If we do not repent of our sin, we must be punished for it.
But God has provided a way out of our sin. That way out is Jesus Christ. Jesus took the rap for our sin. He took the punishment for our sin that should have been inflicted on us. But, He loved us so much that He wanted to be punished in our place.
When Jesus took the punishment for our sin,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 10, 2022, and this is Episode #2 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "How to Get Rid of Emotional Pain."
Are you hurting on the inside? Are you struggling with negative emotions that you don't know how to get rid of? Do you sometimes feel as though you simply can't go on?
If so, I empathize with you. For many years, I carried emotional pain around like a noose around my neck or a ball and chain around my ankle. No matter what I did to get rid of it, it just hung around, crippling my life and keeping me from the freedom I so longed to experience.
But then one day, I learned the secret of getting rid of emotional pain.
But, before I reveal the secret, let's talk a little about the nature of emotional pain. Emotional pain has its roots in our thinking. Yes, you heard me right. In our thinking. You see, it's not what happens to us that matters; it's how we think about what happens to us that matters. I'm going to repeat that statement: It's not what happens to us that matters; it' show we think about what happens to us that matters.
In other words, our perspective on our traumatic experience is what gives that experience control over our lives or gives us control over the experience.
For example, two children can both experience the pain of a parent's alcoholism, but one child learns from the pain of that experience and creates a successful life for herself, while the other child gets angry with God and ends up an alcoholic like his parent.
Perhaps you are the child of an alcoholic or a drug addict. Perhaps you are the product of childhood abuse or trauma. Perhaps you experienced a tragic divorce or lost a child. Perhaps you went bankrupt and lost everything you owned. Whatever your traumatic experience, it left you with a lot of emotional baggage that you now have to deal with.
You're carrying that emotional baggage around with you, and, whether you realize it or not, it is affecting your relationships. It is causing you continual pain. Isn't it about time to get rid of it? It is not what happens to you that matters. It is how you perceive what happens to you that matters. When I was five years old, I was struck by a car. My parents took me for dead, but, thankfully, I was merely unconscious. During that horrible incident, I sustained a fracture of my left clavicle. I remember awakening to consciousness in the hospital, being held down flat on a stretcher, with a group of white-coated medical personnel pushing down on my shoulder to put it back in place. I screamed in agony at the excruciating pain. In my little five-year-old mind, I did not realize that the doctors and nurses hovering over me were only trying to help me. I perceived them as trying to hurt me even more. In short, I was traumatized by my wrong perception.
Several years later, my parents went through a bankruptcy. We lost our home and had only 30 days to find a house to rent.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
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https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/2022_01_03_The_Sting_of_Betrayal.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 3, 2022, and this is Episode #1 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "The Sting of Betrayal."
There is, perhaps, no emotional pain more piercing than the sting of betrayal. We can usually push through the pain of losing a loved one, losing a job, or meeting with failure. But when it comes to betrayal, it is a pill very hard to swallow.
Why is this so?
The main reason is that betrayal is the violation of a sacred trust. And the violation of a sacred trust produces shock, anger, and a deep sense of loss and grief. But, unlike other losses in life, betrayal carries with it the knowledge that it did not have to happen. It most often happens because of one's deliberate, hurtful decision, usually resulting from selfishness.
Betrayal produces great conflict in a relationship. The person one trusted implicitly is now the person one seemingly cannot trust at all. When the betrayal occurs in marriage, its effects can be devastating. Betrayal is a form of emotional abuse that can cause all kinds of physical and emotional symptoms. Some of these include sleeplessness, nightmares, anxiety, and self-doubt.
The Bible has a lot to say about betrayal. Indeed, Jesus experienced the ultimate betrayal when Judas Iscariot sold him to the enemy for thirty pieces of silver.
So, how should we respond when we have been betrayed?
Scripture assures us that one who betrays will not go unpunished unless he repents. There are both spiritual and natural consequences to betrayal. At the same time, the Bible commands us to forgive the person who betrayed us.
Forgiveness is essential not only because God commands it, but also because forgiveness sets us free from the harmful effects of betrayal on our own minds and bodies. In Matthew 6: 14-15, the Word of God warns us that if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven. This is a very serious matter.
If you have been betrayed, God is calling you today to forgive the person who betrayed you. As ludicrous as it sounds, you may even need to forgive God for allowing the betrayal. Remember this; Whatever God allows in our lives, He allows for our ultimate good.
Perhaps you have been the one who has betrayed. If so, you need to ask forgiveness of the person you betrayed. And then you need to do everything in your power to restore trust in your relationship.
While betrayal is a very serious matter, it does not have to mean the end of a relationship. Trust can be restored if both parties are willing to make a commitment to complete reconciliation. Consider, for example, Jesus and Peter. After Peter's betrayal, our Lord forgive him completely and entrusted him with a leadership position in the Church. There are three important steps we can take when we've been betrayed:
- Call the betrayal for what it is: a violation of your trust.
- Forgive the person who betrayed you and, if possible, be reconciled.
- Learn from the betrayal and move on.
Finally,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Second_Chances.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, December 27, 2021, and this is Episode #39 of Series 2021. This is our last episode for this year. This episode is titled Second Chances.
For most of us, a new year means a new beginning. All of us, at one time or another, need a new beginning. We need to start over. We need a second chance. Whether we need to recover from a mistake, a broken relationship, a job loss, the death of a loved one--whatever the case, we all need a new beginning once in a while.
Where does the concept of a new beginning come from? Have you ever wondered? As I think about the close of 2021 and the opening of 2022, I am reminded that new beginnings--second chances--are God's idea. How do I know? The Bible says so.
In the Book of Revelation--a book that so few people read, although it is one of the most amazing books in the Bible--the Apostle John wrote this in chapter 21, verse 1: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared." Did you know that, one day, this earth, as we now know it, will no longer exist? The Bible tells us that it will be destroyed by fire because it has been corrupted by the sin of man. But God will create a new heaven and a new earth for those who follow Him. What an exciting promise!
God is in the business of Second Chances. It is not for nothing that He is called the Redeemer. A redeemer is one who buys back, who restores, who gives second chances. The greatest second chance in the history of the human race occurred when Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby, grew up, and died on the Cross at the age of 33 to save every human being who would ever live on earth.You see, Jesus didn't have to do that. He had given Adam and Eve authority and dominion over the earth, to rule over it. But by disobeying God, Adam and Eve forfeited that dominion to Satan.
Now, Satan rules over the earth. He is the reason for all the evil that humanity has suffered throughout the ages. When Jesus died and rose from the dead, He took back the authority that Adam and Eve had handed over to Satan. But only those who are born again--in other words, only those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord--can operate in that authority over Satan. The rest of the world cannot because those who have not accepted Jesus Christ have not accepted their second chance. You see, Jesus is our Second Chance. In dying for our sins, Jesus gave Himself to pay for our sins. He gave us a second chance to be restored to what God originally intended for us: a life in eternal union with Him, free of every evil. Today, Jesus is offering you that second chance. Will you accept it? I urge you to do so. You may never have this opportunity again.
Jesus is coming back soon to take with Him all those who have accepted their second chance. Won't you be one of them? Pray this prayer with me now so that you can be: Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are the God of Second Chances. I thank You that, even now,
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Merry Christmas Blessings to all of my faithful readers and supporters of this ministry. May our Lord fill you to overflowing with His joy, peace, and love this Christmas season and beyond.
With blessings and prayers, MaryAnn
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://archive.org/details/www.-2021.10.20.-the-seven-pillars-of-the-holy-spirit ___________________________________________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, November 1, 2021, and this is Episode #38 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “The Seven Pillars of the Holy Spirit." _______________________________ In the Book of Isaiah 11: 1-2 NKJV, the Word of God says this in speaking about Jesus: “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” (underlining mine) This passage describes seven attributes of Jesus that are referred to as the Seven Pillars of the Holy Spirit. The Seven Pillars of the Holy Spirit--also called the seven Spirits of God--are mentioned here in the Book of Isaiah and four times in the Book of Revelation: Revelation 1: 4; Revelation 3: 1; Revelation 4: 5, and Revelation 5: 6. They are not seven different spirits of God but seven attributes of one and the same Holy Spirit. The seven pillars of the Holy Spirit symbolize seven key aspects of the Holy Spirit. In Biblical numerology, the number seven refers to completion. So, the seven pillars of the Holy Spirit are seven aspects of the Holy Spirit that symbolize His fullness, completeness, and perfection. Let's take a brief look at each one.
1) THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD. This is the Holy Spirit Himself, Whom we receive when we are born again. 2) WISDOM. The ability to use knowledge correctly. Wisdom helps us to know God and to place more value on eternal things than on temporal things. 3) UNDERSTANDING. Understanding gives us insight into spiritual matters and natural matters.
4) COUNSEL. Scriptural advice that enables us to navigate life.
5) MIGHT. The strength and power of God in us.
6) KNOWLEDGE. A clear grasp of that which exists; of a subject; learning; a skill.
- THE FEAR OF THE LORD. What is the fear of the Lord? Contrary to popular opinion, the fear of the Lord is not a cringing fear that God will hit us over the head with His gavel. No. The fear of the Lord is a holy reverence and a sacred respect for God and His Word. It is a knowing that because God is God, He knows all things. Because He knows all things, He is all-wise. Because He is all-wise, He always knows best.
When we have the Holy Spirit within us, we have:
__Wisdom: The ability to use knowledge correctly. 1 Corinthians 1:30 NKJV - “. . . you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom . . . .”
__Understanding: Insight into spiritual matters and natural matters. Proverbs 28: 5 KJV - “Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.”
__Counsel: Scriptural instruction that enables us to navigate life. Psalm 73: 24 NKJV – “You will guide me with Your counsel.”
__Might: The strength and power of God in us. Colossians 1: 11 NKJV – “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power . . . .”
__Knowledge: A clear grasp of that which exists (the Word).
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://archive.org/details/www.-10.11.21.-dont-despair.-prepare ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, October 11, 2021, and this is Episode #36 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Don't Despair! Prepare!" _______________________________
Despair may be covering the earth, but it doesn't have to cover your life. This week, I want to encourage you by saying, "Don't despair! Prepare!" Prepare for what?
Prepare for the return of Jesus Christ to remove His followers from the earth!
We are living in those "perilous times" predicted by Jesus in the Bible. While it may be a very difficult time to be alive, it is also a very exciting time to be alive. We are the generation that, according to Scripture, will witness the return of the Lord.
What does this mean?
It means that the Bible is true. Jesus came to earth the first time 2000 years ago as the Savior of the world. He died on a Cross, rose from the dead, and returned to Heaven. Before He returned, He promised that He would prepare a place for His followers in Heaven and then come back for those who choose to follow Him. We find His promise in John 14: 3: "And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am."
Jesus cannot lie because He is God. In fact, every prediction He has ever made has come true up to this point. There are still prophecies He made that have not yet come to pass, but they will come to pass just as surely as His other prophecies have come to pass.
One of those prophecies is that Jesus will come back to remove from the earth all those who believe in Him and follow Him. When will this happen? We do not know for sure, but Jesus gave us some warning signs and some clues. They are found in Matthew 24. These warning signs and clues are happening right now as I speak.
So, what does all of this mean for you?
It means that if you are not yet ready to meet Jesus, you had better get ready. Otherwise, when He removes His followers from the earth, you will be left behind.
And it won't be a pretty situation.
You see, after Jesus removes His followers from the earth, the world will come under the tyranny of the AntiChrist. Yes, tyranny. The AntiChrist's ascension to power will usher in what the Bible calls the Great Tribulation, a seven-year period of horrendous suffering on the earth. At first, the AntiChrist will seem to be a wonderful, charismatic leader who will bring peace to the earth. But in the middle of his reign, he will reveal his true colors.
During the Tribulation, people will not be permitted to buy or sell unless they take a mark on their hands or their foreheads. The Bible calls this mark "the mark of the beast." The Beast is the AntiChrist, and he will be a beast. This mark may be a computer chip of some sort or a tattoo engraved in the skin. Already, we are seeing a precursor of the mark of the beast in the current Covid vaccine. In some parts of the world, people cannot enter certain business establishments without a vaccine passport. In other words, they cannot purchase certain services--like attending concerts, sports events,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://archive.org/details/are-you-paralyzed-with-fear-10-04-2021 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, October 4, 2021, and this is Episode #35 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Are You Paralyzed with Fear?" _______________________________
Fear is a great motivator. It causes people to do things they would not normally do--like submit themselves to a tyrannical government. All around us, we see people acting in irrational ways because of fear. People who normally had common sense are now acting as though they've lost their minds. They are now complying with irrational, illogical dictates they would never have dreamed of complying with a short two years ago.
Case in point: Vaccinated people are still required to wear masks.
A person who thinks logically will realize that this makes no sense at all. The whole point of being vaccinated is protection from an illness. Once one is vaccinated, one is supposedly protected, right? Then, why the need to continue to wear a protective mask?
Truth be told, this whole Covid thing is not about health; it's about control. It's about the encroaching New World Order predicted in the Bible, the New World Order that will witness the rise of the AntiChrist, who will be the personification of Satan himself in human form.
Yet, fear is keeping people from recognizing this truth. And that very fear is creating an environment ripe to usher in that very New World Order. Don't think for one moment that the globalists are not aware of this. They are leveraging the people's fear to subjugate them. Plain and simple. And people all over the world are falling for it.
At the root of all fear is the fear of death. You see, when we are afraid to die, we will do anything--and I mean anything--to stay alive. But when we have no fear of physical death, we experience inner peace and continue to act in alignment with Truth.
The follower of Jesus Christ has no fear of death. He knows that when he dies, he will immediately go to be with Jesus. Scripture confirms this in 2 Corinthians 5: 8 where the Word of God says that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
It is the person who does not have a relationship with Jesus Christ who fears physical death. Such a person clings to his life, even to the point of relinquishing his freedom.
When freedom becomes more important than life, we will be truly free. To those brave souls who founded our great country and fought to preserve it over the decades, freedom meant more than their physical lives. Many of them proved this by giving their lives to keep America free.
What about you? Are you going to give in to fear and allow your freedom to be stolen? Or will you imitate our founding fathers and stand up to the evil forces that want to make slaves of you and your family? The choice is yours.
Fear is an evil spirit. The Bible says so in 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." The only way to overcome fear is to accept Jesus Christ, Who is Love in human form.
Just as Satan is the antithesis of Christ, so is fear the opposite of love.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://archive.org/details/is-hell-real.-2021.09.27 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, September 27, 2021, and this is Episode #34 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Is Hell Real?" _______________________________ Mention the topic of Hell these days and you will get a variety of interesting reactions. Some that I've gotten personally are the following: __I don't believe in Hell. __A good and loving God would not send people to Hell. __I don't care if I go to Hell. My friends will be there, and we'll have a big party. __The concept of Hell is a crutch to control people. __Hell is real, and I don't want to go there.
Perhaps you, too, have heard some or all of these statements about Hell. Let's look at them one by one.
1.__I don't believe in Hell. Just because a person says he doesn't believe in Hell doesn't mean that Hell does not exist. Whether something is true or not does not depend on what we believe. It depends on an absolute standard of truth established by God. God alone is capable of establishing what is true or not. We are not God.
For example, you could say, "I don't believe in sound frequencies." But just because you don't believe in sound frequencies doesn't mean they don't exist. Or, you could say, "I don't believe in gravity." Well, try jumping off a roof and see where that belief takes you.
2.__A good and loving God would not send people to Hell. If you believe this, then you haven't read the Bible. The Bible includes several examples in which God executes mass killings of people in punishment for their sin. Here are a few: __The Great Flood (Genesis 6; Genesis 7; Genesis 8); __The destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18; Genesis19); __The killing of Egypt's firstborn sons (Exodus 11; Exodus 12); __The killing of the Canaanites under Moses and Joshua (Numbers 21; Deuteronomy 20; Joshua 6); __The mass murder of the Amalekites by King Saul (1 Samuel 15). Those who don't recognize the justice side of God do not know God. He is not only the God of mercy; He is also the God of justice who will punish sin. The only way to avoid that punishment is to accept Jesus Christ as one's Savior. Jesus took the punishment for the sin of every human being, but unless a person repents of his sin and trusts in Jesus to save him, that person will eventually be punished. And the punishment will be in Hell.
3.__I don't care if I go to Hell. My friends will be there, and we'll have a big party. Wrong! There will be no partying in Hell, I can assure you. On the contrary, people in Hell exist in unending torment of spirit, soul, and body, isolated from God and from one another. There are no relationships in Hell, only abject despair. The Book of Revelation, chapter 19, verse 20, describes Hell as a "lake of fire burning with brimstone."
This past week, you may have watched footage of the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. Did you ever consider that the fire and lava we see erupting from volcanoes could be coming from Hell? You might be thinking, "Dr. MaryAnn, how can you make such a ridiculous statement?
WINNING WITH THE WORD by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
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NOTE: This blog post and podcast were first published on November 25, 2019. On my morning walk this morning, I saw a tree that caught my eye. What struck me about this tree is that the lower part of its trunk was crooked while the upper part was straight. Instantly, the Lord spoke to my heart: "If you follow My ways, no matter how crooked your past, I will make your future straight. I will give you a second chance." Overwhelmed by the Lord's mercy, I thought of my own life. Before I met Jesus, I was following a crooked path, a path that would eventually lead to death and destruction. But when I met our precious Lord, He redirected my life and put me on a straight path. He gave me a second chance. Perhaps you, too, need a second chance today. Perhaps you've been following a crooked path--whether through ignorance, rebellion, or a combination of both. Whatever the case, God is ready to take you by the hand and put you on the straight path. What is the straight path? The straight path is the path that leads to life. It is the path of righteousness. It is the narrow path that alone brings joy and peace. Some people are blessed with starting out on the straight path and remaining on it. Because of the Word of God engrafted early on in their young hearts, such people never enter the crooked path but remain faithfully on the straight path. They never experience crookedness but grow straight--like the straight young sapling I also encountered on my morning walk. This tree is growing in the right direction, following the path intended by its Maker from the beginning. Most of us started out on a crooked path. Life has bent us and twisted us and distorted us. But God can give us a new direction. He can redirect our path toward Truth and Light and Life. We have only to repent and surrender to Him. The tree on my morning walk had started out crooked but now it was growing straight. Straight upward toward the One Who'd created it in the first place. My "second-chance tree" was finally pointed in the right direction--not toward the world around it but toward the heavens above it. What about you? Do you need a second chance today? Do you need God to straighten you out? Do you need to leave behind the twisted pain of your life and embrace the beauty of being straight? If so, God is ready to meet you. And in His hand, He is holding your second chance. Won't you accept it now? Just pray this simple prayer with me: Lord God, I am in desperate need of a second chance. I have messed up my life. I am bent and crooked and broken. Please straighten me out. Please give me a second chance. I repent of my former ways. In the Name of Jesus, I repent of having followed the crooked path. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. I now choose to turn with You onto the straight path. I choose to follow You on the straight and narrow path for the rest of my days. Help me, Lord. In the Name of Jesus. Amen. If you prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God. Please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com and I will send you a free booklet to help you start walking on the straight path. Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are, and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word!
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://archive.org/details/www.-09.13.2021.-god-loves-you ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, September 13, 2021, and this is Episode #32 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “God Loves You!" _______________________________ Has anyone ever told you that God loves you? If not, I want to tell you now. God loves you! But let's take a closer look at what this means.
When I meditate on Scripture, I like to take a passage and emphasize one word at a time to extract its deeper meaning. So, let's do that now with the sentence "God loves you!" When we put the emphasis on the first word, the sentence reads like this: GOD loves you! Well, who is God, and why does it make a difference that it's GOD Who loves you and not someone else? The reason it makes a difference--and a huge difference--is that God is the One Who created you. He is the One Who loves you more than anyone else. He is the One Who knows you from the inside out. In fact, this is how the Bible describes God's knowledge of you in Psalm 139: 13-18 NLT: "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me!" So, we can see from this passage that when I say that it is God Who loves you, this is a big deal. Why? Because God loves you even though He knows everything about you. He knows both the good and the bad, yet He loves you anyway. God doesn't love you based on your performance. God loves you based on your worth to Him. And He Himself gave you that worth. So, don't look to anyone or anything for your sense of worth. You won't find it anywhere except in God.
One of the biggest lies of all time is that your worth comes from another person or from what you do. Believing this lie results in things like one's marrying the wrong person or becoming a workaholic at one's job. When we believe the lie that our worth comes from another person or from our performance, we feel as though we are never enough. We feel as though we will never measure up. Why? Because no person and no job can measure our true worth. Only God can. And He already has. How do we know? Just look at the Cross.
God is saying to you now, "Stop measuring your worth by what you do. It's not what you do that gives you worth; it's the fact that I made you that gives you worth. Your worth is a given. You were born with it, and no one can ever take it away from you."
Now let's emphasize the second word in our sentence: God LOVES you! What does it mean that God LOVES you? It means that He wants only your good and your well-being. When you love someone, you desire the best for that person. So it is with God.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://archive.org/details/www.-09.06.2021.-the-wrath-of-god.-is-it-real ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, September 6, 2021, and this is Episode #31 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “The Wrath of God: Is It Real?" _______________________________ Nowadays we hear a lot about the love of God, the mercy of God, and the grace of God. In fact, we hear about this side of God almost to the exclusion of His other side--the justice, judgment, and wrath side of God. There is no question that God is the God of love, mercy and grace. And we would all be lost without His love, mercy, and grace. But there is another side to God--a side we would do well to keep in mind. God is also the God of justice, judgment, and wrath. And we had better pay close attention to that side of Him as well. Our perception of both sides of God must be in perfect balance in order for us to have a correct view of God. But, sad to say, something has happened in recent years that has dangerously shifted our perception of the perfect balance between God's grace and God's justice. This shift in perception has placed virtually all of the weight of the divine scale on the side of God's love, mercy, and grace, resulting in very little, if any, weight left on the side of God's justice, judgment, and wrath. Moreover, this shift has resulted in the widespread heresy called "hyper-grace." In fact, the hyper-grace heresy is an offshoot of an earlier heresy called Antinomianism, the heresy that teaches that because one is saved, one no longer has to obey the Ten Commandments. In other words, Antinomianism is the doctrine that, because Christians are freed by grace, they no longer have to obey the Mosaic Law. The Antinomians considered the very idea of obedience to the Law as legalism. So, what is hyper-grace, and why is it so dangerous?
Hyper-grace--aka "cheap grace"--is a relatively recent teaching that emphasizes the grace of God to the exclusion of the judgment of God. Hyper-grace shies away from any discussion of sin, repentance, and confession of sin. Hyper-grace teachers maintain that all sin--whether past, present or future--has already been forgiven by God, so that there is no need to confess it. In fact, since we are already forgiven, we can keep on sinning because all of our sins--past, present, and future--are covered under the Blood. Hyper-grace teaches that when God looks at us, He sees us as righteous and holy, no matter how we live.
Hyper-grace teaching presents half-truths; hence, it is heretical. Because hyper-grace teaching does not present the other side of the equation--God's justice, judgment, and wrath--it is skewed to one side. As a result, its teaching is off balance. Segments of the Church have embraced the teachings of hyper-grace, resulting in the apostasy that Jesus predicted would occur shortly before His return in the Rapture. Interestingly, those segments of the Church that have embraced hyper-grace have slipped into accepting the sins of the culture under the guise of love. They have promoted a false Gospel that says that because God is good, He would not send anyone to Hell. Because God is good,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://archive.org/details/www.-08.30.2021.-will-things-ever-return-to-normal
________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, August 30, 2021, and this is Episode #30 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Will Things Ever Return to Normal?" _______________________________ The simple answer to this question is NO. Things will never return to normal.
Despite what some false hopefuls may think or say, America--and the entire world, for that matter--is headed on a trajectory that is fulfilling Bible prophecy to the tee.
You see, God predicted certain things in the Bible regarding the time period shortly before the return of Jesus Christ. These predictions will come to pass because God said they would. Nothing can stop their coming to pass. They must and will happen just as Jesus Christ said they would. The dangerous thing is that people all over the world are ignoring these predictions to their own peril--both earthly peril and spiritual peril. Indeed, most people are not even aware of the predictions of Jesus.
Yet, for those of us who are aware of them, we see them being fulfilled every day before our very eyes.
Just to give you an example, the United States of America falls off the map in the Book of Revelation. In other words, the Bible predicts that America will lose its worldly influence and respect, thereby preparing the way for the rise of the AntiChrist. Are we not even now witnessing the loss of America's influence and respect after the recent fiasco in Afghanistan? Has not the United States of America been humiliated and vilified for its despicable failure to keep its commitments to our allies?
But all this is not to say that we have lost all hope. On the contrary, we are living in what may be the most exciting time in human history, second only to the first coming of Jesus Christ. We are living in the generation that may very well see the glorious appearing of Christ in the magnificent event called the Rapture. Are you ready for it? If not, I urge you to get ready now! Tomorrow may be too late.
The Rapture will mark the most pivotal event in human history next to the first coming of Jesus Christ. At the Rapture, all born-again believers will be removed from the earth. The result of this sudden departure of all Christ-Followers will be chaos unlike the world has ever known. Imagine all Christ-Followers suddenly leaving the earth all at the same time in a single instant!
Following the Rapture, the world will cry out for a world leader to restore order. Such a leader will arise. He is called the AntiChrist. At first, he will seem benevolent. He will be charismatic. He will have a magnetic personality and possess what look like amazing leadership skills. But underneath it all, he will be Satan personified. He will deceive the world with His seeming achievement of peace. But in the middle of it all, his true nature will be revealed.
When the AntiChrist first appears, the Jews will believe that he is their long-awaited Messiah. But when, in the middle of the seven-year Tribulation, the AntiChrist enters the Third Temple (which, according to the Bible, will soon be rebuilt),
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_08_23_2021_Are_You_Ready_for_the_Return_of_Jesus_Christ_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, August 23, 2021, and this is Episode #29 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Are You Ready for the Return of Jesus Christ?" _______________________________
The next major event scheduled on the Biblical calendar is the Rapture of the Church. This momentous event will mark a critical shift in the direction of the world since, as a result of the Rapture, the world will be thrust into total chaos and will be ripe for the rise of the AntiChrist. So, what exactly is the Rapture, and why is it critically important that you be ready for it?
The Rapture of the Church is the instant in time in which Jesus Christ will appear in the sky to remove His true followers from the earth. Only His followers will see Him when He appears; the rest of the world will not.
When Christ's followers are suddenly removed, the world will be thrust into total chaos and confusion. Imagine this: Christian pilots will disappear while they are flying their airplanes. Christians driving cars will suddenly disappear, leaving their cars careening crazily in the midst of traffic. Christian doctors performing surgery will suddenly disappear from their operating rooms. Christian machinery operators will instantly be removed from behind their machinery. Because they have not yet reached the age of reason and accountability, all babies and little children will suddenly go missing. I think you get the picture.
After the Rapture, those left behind will find themselves in an unspeakably horrific situation and will cry out for someone to take charge and put things back in order. That someone will be the AntiChrist.
The rise of the AntiChrist will usher in a seven-year period of unimaginable trials, tragedy, and torment known as the Tribulation. The Tribulation will be a period of worldwide dictatorship and loss of freedom under the AntiChrist. At the halfway mark of the Tribulation, the AntiChrist will demand that the entire world give him worship and allegiance by taking his mark, called the Mark of the Beast. According to Revelation 13: 16-17, this mark will be placed on the hand or the forehead.
Just this past week, I read a chilling article about a young man in Italy who tattooed his vaccine pass onto his right arm. I'm not saying that the vaccine passport is the mark of the beast. I am saying, however, that it is heading in that direction. Folks, we are almost there! Wake up! Realize that the Bible's predictions made thousands of years ago are coming to pass before our very eyes. So, what does all of this mean for you?
It means that, if you want to escape hell on earth and hell in eternity, you need to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, and you need to accept Him now. You have no time to lose. It means that if you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you are in for the worst suffering of your life--a suffering that you may not survive. But, even worse than that, you are in for an eternity of unending suffering in ...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_08_16_2021_Have_We_Passed_the_Point_of_No_Return_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, August 16, 2021, and this is Episode #28 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Have We Passed the Point of No Return?" _______________________________ As I talk with people from all over the country and, indeed, all over the world, I am hearing the same question: Have we reached the point of no return? Frankly, I think that, not only have we reached it, but we have also passed beyond it.
On what basis do I say this? I say it on the basis of God's prophecies as found in the Holy Scriptures.
The Bible speaks of several things that will happen shortly before the return of Jesus Christ and the end of this world as we know it. These things include the following:
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Earthquakes, pestilence, famine, rumors of war. All of these things have been happening in greater number and in greater intensity in the last few years. While earthquakes, pestilence, famine, and wars have occurred throughout the history of the world, what makes this time different is that they are all occurring at once with greater frequency. In other words, they are converging.
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The formation of a coalition among Russia, Turkey, and Iran. The Bible tells us that this coalition will be formed shortly before these three countries invade Israel to take control of its oil and gas supply. The Bible refers to this event as the Ezekiel 38 War because it is prophesied in the 38th chapter of the Book of Ezekiel. Make no mistake. Russia, Turkey, and Iran hate Israel and are set on destroying her.
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Increasing talk about the building of the Third Temple. This is the temple in which, during the seven-year period of horror called the Tribulation, the AntiChrist will perform what the Bible calls "the abomination of desolation." While the Jews believe that the AntiChrist is their long-awaited Messiah, he will offer a sacrifice--possibly of a pig--in the Temple, thereby revealing to the Jews that he is a false Messiah. At the shocking realization that the AntiChrist is not their Messiah but is out to destroy them, the Jews will then flee to Petra, a town in Jordan that God has prepared to protect His people.
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The rapid loss of freedom. The New World Order (NWO) has as its purpose the subjugation of the entire world under the power and tyranny of a few. Out of this subjugation will arise the AntiChrist as predicted in the Bible. This subjugation is already in progress, and its chief tool is fear. When people fear, they will comply with the dictates of tyranny. And when they comply with the dictates of tyranny, they will be enslaved.
This is what is happening in the world today. People are paying a high price for safety and security. They are paying the price of their very freedom. And all because of fear. 5. The Rapture. The Rapture is that instant in time in which Jesus Christ will appear in the sky to take away those who follow Him. Only His followers will be able to see Him when He appears. The Rapture will occur before the Tribulation,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_08_09_2021_Truth_and_Love_Inseparable_Twins.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, August 9, 2021, and this is Episode #27 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Truth and Love: Inseparable Twins." _______________________________ Are you wondering why our culture has gone mad? If we are logical, thinking people--and there are a few of us left--we cannot deny that what we are seeing going on in our world defies logic and sanity. People are calling good, evil and evil, good. Our leaders are making decisions that make no sense when submitted to the scrutiny of logic and common sense, and the public is following along with nary a whimper. And, to add insult to injury, some medical schools are now teaching that gender is what you want it to be. So much for science!
So what's going on? What is the root cause of this insanity? And yes, it is insanity.
In this week's podcast, I'd like to discuss one reason that you may not have considered, but one which, I believe, lies at the root of the insanity we are facing. You will find the reason hidden in a pivotal verse in the New Testament Book of Ephesians 4: 15. The verse says this: " . . . speak the truth in love." Before we can explore what this Biblical command means, we need to understand what truth means and what love means.
Now, we may think we already know the meaning of these words. But do we really?
Let's take a close look.
Let's first consider truth. What is Truth? Today, many people will say that truth is whatever they interpret it to mean. So, as we often hear, you have your truth and I have my truth. Well, if that were the case, then your truth might be different from my truth. So, let's say your truth is that there is no God, and my truth is that there is. Logically speaking, both of us cannot be right. Logic dictates that one of us be right and one of us be wrong. But the problem today is that logic has been thrown out the window. And in its place has come delusion. Strong delusion. Just as the Bible prophesied in 2 Thessalonians 2: 11: "And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie." Delusion says that both of us can be right at the same time. In other words, delusion says that there is a God and there is no God both at the same time, depending on what you believe. Delusion says that good is evil and evil, good. Delusion also says that a person can have male chromosomes yet be a woman, and vice versa. Again, depending on what you decide.
This kind of thinking is called relativism. It is based solely on the individual's standard of measurement, not on an objective, external standard of measurement. Imagine trying to build a house when one carpenter on the building team says that a foot is 12 inches long and another says that a foot is 18 inches long. This is what relativism looks like on a practical level. In a world with such thinking--or should I call it "non-thinking"--the human mind falls prey to the lie. This is exactly what Jesus said would happen when people turn away from God.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_07_26_2021_Are_You_Being_Seduced_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 26, 2021, and this is Episode #25 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Are You Being Seduced?" _______________________________ When we think of seduction, we usually think of sexual seduction. But sexual seduction is not the only type of seduction that Satan uses to steal, kill, and destroy.
This week I'd like us to take a look at the four chief types of seduction: the Seduction of Pleasure, the Seduction of Position, the Seduction of Possession, and the Seduction of Power. But first of all, let's define the word seduction so that we will all be on the same page.
The word seduction comes from the Latin word, seductio, which means the act of leading or drawing aside. According to Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary, seduction is "the act of enticing from the path of duty."
One reason I greatly appreciate Noah Webster's Dictionary is that, when he defines a word, he often includes a Biblical allusion. As a Christian, he honored God's Word. For example, in defining seduction, Noah Webster adds this admonition against it: "The best safeguard is principle, the love and purity of holiness, the fear of God and reverence for His commandments."
Now that we've defined seduction, let's take a look at the four chief categories or types of seduction. Most, if not all, forms of seduction will fall into these four categories. 1.___The Seduction of Pleasure. This is commonly known as sexual seduction and is a primary tool of Satan to destroy young people, single people, and married people. Women have powerful influence over men. At the same time, men are often clueless to the seductive wiles of women and can easily succumb to those wiles. Women have a great responsibility to be pure and holy in dress, in speech, in mannerisms, and in actions. Perhaps even more than men, a woman has within her the power to destroy or the power to build. Women, don't take that power lightly. And men, be aware of that power in women.
Today, Satan is blatantly using sexual seduction to bring down families, churches, and institutions that should be the bedrocks of a moral society. Both men and women must be continually on guard against sexual seduction. So be alert to sexual seduction and flee from it. Remember 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 8: "Be alert and of sober mind.Your enemy the devil prowls around, like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." Don't be that someone!
2.___The Seduction of Position. We live in a status-sensitive culture. People jostle for position at work, in organizations, and, sad to say, even in the Church. Worldly position is not something to be desired. The only position we should desire is our position in Christ.
Scripture tells us that it is God who promotes. We read in Psalm 75: 7: "But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another." We also learn from Scripture that humility precedes promotion. In Matthew 23: 12, we read: "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_07_19_2021_Have_We_Reached_the_End_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 19, 2021, and this is Episode #24 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Have We Reached the End?" _______________________________ The world has gone crazy. Everywhere I turn, people are calling good, evil, and evil, good. Violence abounds as people disregard the law because they know they will not be punished for doing so. Police authority is almost non-existent, while retail stores are closing because of the incredible looting taking place.
But I'm not surprised. Why not? Because Jesus predicted this very thing would happen shortly before He returns to earth to remove His followers. Listen to what He said in Matthew 24: 3-8: "While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. 'Tell us,' they said, 'when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?'Jesus answered, 'See to it that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, "I am the Christ," and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.'" Sad to say, most people aren't paying attention to the warnings of Jesus. In fact, most people are clueless that such warnings even exist. Yet, the warnings of Christ have a major implication for your life. Yes, YOUR life. You ignore them at your own peril.
And I don't mean just peril on this earth. I mean peril after you die. For, you see, Christ's warnings have everything to do with what happens to you after you die. And yes, as much as you hate to think about it, one day you will die. And at that moment, you'll be so glad you listened to what I am about to tell you.
You see, world events are converging just as the Bible said they would. The Bible predicts that Russia, Turkey, and Iran will form a coalition and invade Israel. Guess what? Russia, Turkey, and Iran recently formed a coalition with the purpose of conquering Israel.
The Bible predicts that people will not be able to think straight shortly before Jesus returns. Well, guess what? People are no longer thinking straight. They can't tell the difference between a man and a woman. They think that killing babies in abortion is okay. They have no problem lying, stealing, and cheating to get ahead.
The Bible predicts that there would be an increase in the number and in the intensity of earthquakes shortly before Jesus returns. Guess what? We have witnessed an extraordinarily high number of earthquakes throughout the world, many in areas where there have been no known earthquakes. And the intensity of these earthquakes has also been increasing.
The Bible predicts that there would be famines, droughts, and pestilence before Jesus returns. Guess what? We are seeing droughts in the United States like never before.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_07_12_2021_Where_Is_the_Fire_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 12, 2021, and this is Episode #23 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Where Is the Fire?" _______________________________ If you discovered the cure for cancer, what would you do? Would you not shout it from the rooftops? Proclaim it to everyone who crossed your path, especially those suffering from the disease? Would you not rush to doctors and hospitals to tell them what you'd discovered? And schedule interviews on major news channels to notify the entire world?
One thing I know you would not do, and that is keep the miraculous discovery to yourself.
Why not? Because, if you're like me, you care about people. You don't want to see them suffer. You want to do whatever you can to put an end to their suffering. Yet, the truth is that we Christ-Followers do, indeed, have the cure for cancer. And for everything else that ails the human race. That cure is Jesus Christ! Then why aren't we shouting Jesus from the rooftops? Why aren't we proclaiming Him to everyone who crosses our path, especially those who are sick and suffering? Why aren't we telling the world the Good News that Jesus died to set them free?
Here are a few reasons I've observed in my 50-plus years of walking with Christ:
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Christians are more focused on the things of this world than on the things of God. Eternity seems a faraway place at a faraway time. Yet, truth be told, eternity is merely a heartbeat away and a veil's width away. Any one of us could be alive one moment and dead the next.
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Christians are more concerned about what people think about them than they are about what God thinks about them. This is called the fear of man, and God hates it! We live in an age of political correctness that has caused even the Church to fear man more than God.
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Christians as a whole are not taking the Lord's imminent return seriously. They think that the Lord's return is far off, and that it will happen when it will happen. There's no need to think about it. Yet, the Bible commands us in Luke 21: 28 to be intentional about looking for the Lord's return: "So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”
Do you find yourself in one or more of these reasons for not proclaiming Christ? If so, it's time to repent and to start telling everyone you meet about Jesus. The time is short. If people do not come to Christ, they will go to hell when they die. And if we did not tell them when we had the opportunity to do so, their blood will be upon our heads.
If you are a Christian, you hold in your hands and in your heart what the world desperately needs. If you withhold it, you withhold it to your own peril and to the damnation of souls. But if you proclaim it boldly and passionately to everyone you meet, you will receive the crown of rejoicing, as promised in 1 Thessalonians 2: 19-20, the crown that goes to all those who are faithful soul-winners.
It's time to rekindle the fire of the Holy Spirit in you!
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_07_05_2021_The_Dangers_of_Distraction.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 5, 2021, and this is Episode #22 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “The Dangers of Distraction". _______________________________ Never in my 75 years of life have I seen people so distracted as they are today. Wherever I turn, people's noses are in their cell phones, often to their own danger. Recently, our town removed some tree limbs from a tree on the street behind our house. The limbs were hanging low and posing an obstacle to pedestrians. As I watched the workmen cut down branches and throw them into a dumpster, a woman approached, staring at her cell phone. She was totally oblivious to what was going on a few feet ahead of her. Had one of the workmen not warned her of falling tree limbs, she could have been struck and seriously injured, if not killed. All because she wasn't paying attention but had her focus on her cell phone, not on her surroundings.
Focusing on the wrong thing in the natural can harm us, even to the point of natural death. But focusing on the wrong thing in the supernatural can harm us even more for all eternity.
Satan uses many tactics to steer our focus away from the things of God. One of the most subtle is distraction.
What is distraction? The Online Dictionary defines distraction as "a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else." The word "distraction" comes from two Latin words: dis, meaning apart or away from, and trahere, meaning to drag. In the Greek language, the word distraction means to drag all around, especially mentally.
And that is exactly what a distraction does: it drags us around mentally from thought to thought or activity to activity, leaving us feeling out of control and at the mercy of whatever is going on around us.
So distraction signifies a dragging apart or a dragging away from one's assigned task. In the case of a believer--of a Christ-Follower--a distraction is something that takes us away from God's assigned task for us at that particular moment in time.
One of the chief dangers of distraction, then, is that it drags us away from God's will. And to be dragged away from God's will can only end up in harm, whether spiritual, physical, or both.
When we are distracted from the important things of life--like our relationship with God and our relationship with others--we suffer loss. Moreover, we also open ourselves up to attacks from Satan that hinder us from our God-given purpose in life.
The word distraction appears only a few times in the Bible. Let's take a look at those occurrences and the people who are involved in them. A well-known example of the subject of distraction occurs in Luke 10: 40 NKJV, where Scripture describes Martha: "But Martha was distracted with much serving…" (Emphasis mine). We all know from this story that Martha was running around, trying to put a meal on the table for Jesus, her family, and the other people present. But Jesus told Martha that she was anxious for many things and that her sister Mary had ch...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_06_28_21_Whose_Report_Will_You_Believe_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 28, 2021, and this is Episode #21 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Whose Report Will You Believe?" _______________________________ Choices. We face them every day. And which choice we make can have a major impact on our life not only while we are here on earth, but also for all eternity.
One of the most important choices we can make is that between truth and falsehood. If we make the wrong choice there, we will head down a path that leads to destruction. The Bible says so in Proverbs 14: 12 NLT: "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death."
So how can we know which path is really the right path? The path that will lead to life?
The answer to that question is, at the same time, both simple and complex. Simple, because the answer is readily found. Complex because the answer requires a major change in our thinking. This change in thinking is called "the renewing of the mind." In Romans 12: 1-2, the Bible says this: "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
So, the Bible is telling us that when we change the way we think to agree with the way God thinks, we will become a new person and experience God's good and perfect will for our lives. WOW! What a promise!
But the promise is contingent on our changing the way we think.
So how do we do this? How do we change our thinking? I'll give you a simple illustration. Let's say that you lose your job and have a family to support. You know that in the Bible, God says that He will supply everything you need. You also hear Satan shouting at you that you're going to go under, lose your car, your house, and everything you own, You now have two opposite reports staring you in the face. One is God's truth that says that He will provide for you, and the other is Satan's lie that says you're going to lose everything. Whose report will you believe? God's or Satan's? It seems as though this is a no-brainer, but, sadly, more people believe Satan's report than God's. When we believe something, we agree with it. And the Bible says in Matthew 18: 19-20 that when two or more people agree on something, it will come to pass.
So, here's the picture. On the one hand, God is giving you a good report that says He will provide for you. On the other hand, Satan is giving you an evil report that says you will go under. You are the referee who will determine which report wins out. If you agree with God, what God says will come to pass. If you agree with Satan, what Satan says will come to pass. Each day we face similar choices between Truth (what God says) and Deception (what Satan says). For example, God says you were healed by the stripes of Jesus. But you get a bad medical diagnosis that says you have only six months to live. Whose report will you believe?
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_06_21_2021_Breaking_the_Mind_Barrier.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 21, 2021, and this is Episode #20 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Breaking the Mind Barrier". _______________________________ I'm working on another non-fiction book. You guessed it. It's titled Breaking the Mind Barrier. Lord willing, it will be released by the end of summer 2021.
I started writing this book a few years back and wrote a good part of it, but I didn't finish it because the time did not seem right. A few days ago, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, "Now is the time."
So, I thought I'd give you, my faithful readers and listeners, a private, advance preview into my forthcoming book, before the rest of the world learns about it. Breaking the Mind Barrier is about renewing the mind for success. It's based on Romans 12: 2 NLT, where the Word of God says this: "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
The Word of God has much to say about success. In fact, it is the greatest book on success ever written. Why, then, do most people never read it? The reason is that the Bible has been lied about, and the God of the Bible has been maligned. Instead of reading the Bible for themselves, people have listened to the lies of others about the Bible. In listening to those lies, they have short-changed themselves from taking advantage of the greatest book of all time.
Are you one of those people? If so, decide to change that today by breaking the mental barrier that is keeping you from knowing the truth.
That's what the mind barrier is, you know. It's a mental barrier--consisting of a lie--that keeps you from knowing and accepting truth. Consequently, it keeps you enslaved to defeat and despair.
Most--if not all--of us have had mental barriers to truth. Most of the time, we develop them in childhood when well-meaning parents or guardians say things that are not in sync with our true identity--things like, "You'll never amount to much" or "You never do anything right." These labels--as I call them--stick to us, most of the time for the rest of our lives. And these labels keep us from fulfilling our true destiny.
In my forthcoming book, Breaking the Mind Barrier, I discuss the three key points to breaking the mental strongholds that are keeping us from success. These three steps are: 1) Identifying the lies we believe; 2) Renouncing those lies; and 3) Replacing the lies with the truth that alone sets us free.
Let me give you a quick overview of each step:
- Identifying the Lie. Unless we can identify the mental barrier that is keeping us from success, we will not be able to deal with that mental barrier. We will be ignorant of it and of the havoc it is wreaking in our lives. Breaking the Mind Barrier will help you to identify the lies you believe so that you can address them.
- Renouncing the Lie.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_06_14_2021_Let_s_Get_Woke_About_UFOs_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 14, 2021, and this is Episode #19 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Let's Get 'Woke' about UFOs" _______________________________ There's been a lot of talk lately about UFOs, especially with the upcoming release of the United States government's report on the topic. Back in my day, anyone who believed in UFOs was considered a quack.
That epithet stood firm until a few years ago when highly reputable people--like navy pilot Commanding Officer David Fravor--reported seeing a UFO while flying over the Pacific Ocean in November 2004. Since then, reports about UFO sightings have been increasing at a phenomenal rate. These sightings are now referred to as UAPs, or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, perhaps to divest them of the heretofore charlatan flavor of the term UFO.
So, what is really going on here with these unidentified aerial phenomena or UAPs? Are these aircraft secret military vehicles invented by an enemy nation to spy on the United States? If so, why are UFOs appearing all over the world? Are they aliens from another planet or from a place outside of our known universe?
In analyzing some debris from a UFO crash (please see a February 15, 2021, article referenced at the end of this post), the Pentagon admitted that it has in its possession "off-world vehicles not made on this earth." Did you hear that? "Off-world vehicles." So, our government has admitted that UFOs are not of this world.
Moreover, US intelligence officials have found no evidence proving that the UFOs encountered by US Navy pilots were alien spacecraft. At the same time, they have not reached a conclusion as to what they are. Well, if they are not of this world, and if they are not alien spacecraft, then what are they? And what are they doing making their appearance all over our globe?
As always, the Bible gives us the answer. Yes, the Bible. Are you surprised? If so, then you need to read the Bible. It has answers to what's going on in the world today.
One thing the Bible tells us is that there were angels who, together with Satan, rebelled against God and were expelled from heaven. After they fell, these rebellious or fallen angels retained much of their supernatural power and knowledge. They were sent to a place the Bible calls "the second heaven", and that is where they are now. Just so you know, the Bible speaks of three heavens. The first heaven is the atmosphere immediately surrounding the earth. The second heaven is the place where the fallen angels have their headquarters and from which they strategize, conduct, and execute their nefarious schemes upon the earth. And the third heaven is the place where God and the good angels reside.
While one of the chief theories about UFOs is that they are piloted by alien invaders, the Bible reveals otherwise. The Bible reveals that the UFO phenomenon is part of the coming Great Deception. This is Satan's evil plan to deceive humanity and to corrupt the human race. So,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_06_07_2021_Are_You_A_Ritual_Robot.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 7, 2021, and this is Episode #18 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Are You a Ritual Robot?" _______________________________ For many years, I belonged to a traditional, mainline church that emphasized ritual over relationship, law over grace, and tradition over the free flow of the Holy Spirit. I was a devoted member of this church and followed all of its tenets to the tee.
Yet, I was dead inside.
One Sunday, when I was in my early twenties, I attended the morning service as usual. On this particular day, I was feeling very discouraged about life. Depressed even. I went to church out of habit--and ritual--but when I left the service that Sunday morning, I felt worse than I had felt before I entered the service. Something was not right. As I stood on the front steps of the church, I cried out to God. I said, "God, there has to be something more to You than this. Show me if you are real." After that heartfelt prayer, I went home as usual, wondering whether or not things would ever change. Shortly thereafter, things did, indeed, begin to change. For the first time, a young woman asked me a question that changed my life. The question was, "Have you been born again?"
At that time, I had been in my church for 23 years, but I had never once heard the term "born again" preached from the pulpit, nor did I have a clue as to what the term meant. The young woman explained to me that being born again means accepting Jesus Christ as one's Savior and Lord.
I told her that I already believed in Jesus. But she said that believing in Jesus did not mean I was born again, because, as the Bible says in James 2: 19, even demons believe in Jesus!
Wow! I had never read that. Of course, I had never read the Bible, either. My denomination taught that only priests were qualified to interpret the Bible and that the laity could not, nor should not read this greatest of all books.
The young woman went on to explain that there is a huge difference between giving mental assent to Jesus and receiving Him into one's heart. The head and the heart are not the same. She further explained that tradition was deceptive in that it made one think that one was saved when one was not. Tradition for the sake of tradition was legalism, not life. One could spend his entire life observing church traditions and still go to Hell.
So, the reason I felt dead on the inside was that I was dead on the inside. I had not yet been born again. I had not asked Jesus to save me so that He could make me alive spiritually by giving me a new spirit full of His eternal life.
In short, I had become a Ritual Robot.
As I began to ponder what the young woman had told me, I asked many questions, both of myself and of others. For example, I asked, "Why did Jesus have to die if my good works could get me to Heaven?" I asked, "How will I know if I have done enough good works to get to Heaven, and when would I know this?" One priest told me that I would not know until after I died....
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_05_31_21_Are_You_an_Anxious_Mess.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 31, 2021, and this is Episode #17 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Are You an Anxious Mess?" _______________________________ I talk to a lot of people, and the common denominator among them today seems to be anxiety. Never before have I seen the average person so anxious about so many things. The events of the past year have certainly not helped the situation.
But did you know that there is a better way to live? Yes, a better way. And I want to share that better way with you today. It is called the way of peace.
Now, I'm not talking about the kind of peace one gets from putting one's external environment in order. Like what I did recently by organizing my kitchen. I'm talking about the peace on the inside that remains quiet and calm no matter what is going on around us. As my daughter Gina wrote in her outstanding book titled 40 Days of the Names, Titles & Attributes of God: "We often think of peace as the absence of external conflict. But true peace is the absence of internal conflict."
Few people today are experiencing that absence of internal conflict. Why not? Because it comes only from Jesus Christ, and, sadly, few people are interested in Him these days.
Jesus Himself said this just before He left the earth and returned to Heaven: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14: 27 NIV).
What is this peace that Jesus has given us? And who qualifies for it?
The answer to both of these questions lies in the Holy Bible, as do the answers to every question in life.
In the Sacred Scriptures, Jesus is identified as the Prince of Peace. In Isaiah 9: 6 KJV, a verse we quote at Christmas time and with which most of us are familiar, we read these precious words: "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
So, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. This means that He alone is the One Who makes peace between God the Father and man. Only Jesus could pay the price for our sin. And He did. For this reason, we have much for which to be thankful.
When we accept the gift of salvation that Jesus died and rose from the dead to give us, we become born again. In other words, we enter the family of God. As members of the family of God, we are inheritors of the blessings of God. Among these blessings is the blessing of peace.
But peace is not only the absence of internal conflict. It is also the presence of wholeness. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. It means "nothing missing, nothing broken; no lack." Shalom comes from the root word shalam, which means to make whole or complete. The peace of Christ makes us whole and complete in our spirit, our soul, and our body. In other words, we become whole in spirit, soul, and body through the peace of God.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_05_24_2021_Why_Do_I_Need_to_Repent_1.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 24, 2021, and this is Episode #16 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Why Do I Need to Repent?" _______________________________ According to the Blue Letter Bible (blueletterbible.org), the word "repent" appears 46 times in 43 verses in the King James version of the Bible. What does it mean to repent, and why does the Bible command us to do so?
First, let's take a look at the meaning of the word repent. In common parlance, to repent means to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin; to view or think of (an action or omission) with deep regret or remorse."
While these are good definitions for the word repent, the Biblical concept of the word repent goes even deeper. According to the Bible, to repent means to change one's mind. To do a 180-degree turn in the opposite direction.
We find this meaning of the word repent in Acts 3: 19 where the Greek word metanoeō (met-an-o-eh'-o) is used for the word repent. Metanoeō is defined in Strong's Concordance as "to change one's mind; to change one's mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins." In his commentary on the verse, theologian F. F. Bruce writes: "Repentance (metanoia, 'change of mind') involves a turning with contrition from sin to God; the repentant sinner is in the proper condition to accept the divine forgiveness." So, now that we've explored the definition of the word repent, why do we need to repent? Indeed, why does the Bible command us to repent?
Here are three basic reasons we all need to repent:
- We are all sinners, and sin is an affront to God Who is perfectly holy. The Bible tells us in Romans 3: 23 that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Sin cannot stand in the Presence of a Holy God. When man fell in the Garden of Eden, his sin separated him from God. There was no way that man could atone for sin to a perfectly holy God because man was now hopelessly sinful and imperfect. Were it not for the mercy of God in sending Jesus to atone for our sin, mankind would have been doomed to spend eternity separated from God and in unspeakable torment.
- If we don't repent of our sin, we will spend eternity separated from God in an indescribably horrific place called Hell. While Jesus paid the price for our sin by His death and resurrection, we must individually receive His gift of eternal life in order to go to Heaven. In John 3: 3, Jesus says, "Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." A gift is not a gift until one receives it. So, it is critically important that if a person wants to be saved, he accept Jesus Christ as his Savior.
- Repentance reconnects us with God through Jesus Christ and allows us to go to Heaven when we die. Whereas sin separates us from God, repentance reconnects us with Him. When we repent, we are saying, in essence, that we choose God over sin and that we desire a relationship with Him above a relationship with sin.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_05_17_21_Does_Your_Soul_Need_Healing_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 17, 2021, and this is Episode #15 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Does Your Soul Need Healing?" _______________________________ In the third letter of John, chapter one, verse two, the Beloved Apostle writes: " . . . I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”– 3 John 1: 2 KJV This verse makes it quite clear that it is God's will that His children prosper and be in health. Notice the phrase, "above all things." This phrase means that more than anything else, God desires our entire well-being: spirit, soul, and body. God wants us well spiritually, emotionally, and physically. God wants every part of us to function as He created it to function. God wants no disease (read: dis-ease) in our bodies, nor in our souls. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes "disease" as "any harmful deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an organism."
If you are born again, then your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and there should be no disease in the Holy Spirit's Temple. But, sadly, there is. Why? Because of what God says in Hosea 4: 6: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." A lack of knowledge of the Bible will cause us to fail to prosper and fail to be in health.
The word “prosper” as used in this verse means “to have a good journey.” It is similar to our modern expression, “I hope things go well for you.” It was a commonly used expression in John’s day—so common, in fact, that the expression was often shortened to a few initials at the end of letters. The Latin abbreviation was SVBEEV, citing the first letters of the expression, ”Si vales, bene est; ego valeo” meaning, “If you are well, it is good; I am well.”. The practice of abbreviating a message in John's day compares to the practice we use today in texting, when we use letters like TTYL (Talk to you later), or we shorten the word "you" to the simple letter "u." We are not so different from our early ancestors after all. :)
To prosper means not only to be in health physically, but also mentally and emotionally. To prosper also means to have sufficient provision to take care of one's needs.
Next in the verse, the expression "be in health' is pretty self-explanatory. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "health" as “the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit; a condition in which someone or something is thriving or doing well.” In John 10: 10 NKJV, the Bible says this: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus died and rose from the dead to give us total health in spirit, soul, and body. This is what is meant by the abundant life. Abundant means plentiful, plenty of. Plenty of health, plenty of provision, plenty of peace of mind, plenty of joy, plenty of love. And so on. __________________________________
"As goes the health of the soul,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_05_10_21_How_to_Have_Faith.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is May 10, 2021, and this is Episode #14 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “How to Have Faith." _______________________________ Have you ever wondered why your prayers have not been answered despite your begging and pleading with God to answer them? Perhaps the problem has something to do with faith. Let's take a look today at what faith is and what faith is not.
First, let's take a look at what faith is NOT.
__Faith is not an attempt to make something exist that does not exist. Faith always rests on something that does exist. We place our faith in a chair as we sit down. The chair exists. We place our faith in God. He also exists, although we cannot see Him.
__Faith is not something we need more of. In Romans 12: 3 KJV, the Bible says that "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (underlining mine). This means that every person receives from God the same amount of faith when that person is born again. Just as we all receive the same number of bones and muscles when we are physically born, so do we also receive the same amount of faith when we are born again. __Faith is not something which some people have more of and some people have less of. The Bible makes clear that God is not partial toward people. He treats us all with equal love. The Bible reveals this truth in Acts 10: 34 NKJV: “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ’In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.’” Now that we've looked at what faith is not, let's take a look at what faith is. __Scripture defines faith as follows: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This verse tells us that faith presupposes hope. No hope. No faith. Hope is the blueprint on which faith builds. Hope is the inner picture in one's imagination to which faith gives substance. If we have no hope, we can have no faith.
In other words, faith transforms hope into reality. Faith makes what we hope for a reality as long as what we hope for is based on God's promises. For this reason, we must know God's Word!
__Faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God. It is the medium of exchange between God and us and between us and God. God gives us the promise--whether it be of healing, or provision, or peace--we give Him our faith in exchange for the fulfillment of the promise in our lives. Faith receives the promises of God. Faith reaches out to the spiritual realm and brings the promises of God from the spiritual realm into the natural realm. __________________________________
Faith makes what you hope for a reality. __________________________________ There are two kinds of faith: Natural Faith and Supernatural Faith. What is the difference?
Natural faith believes only what the five senses tell it. In other words, natural faith believes only what it can see, hear, touch, smell, or taste. Natural faith is also called "sense faith."
An example of natural faith occurs when we sit down in a chair. We place faith in that chair to hold us up.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_05_03_2021_1_How_to_Be_Healed.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is May 3, 2021, and this is Episode #13 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “How to Be Healed." _______________________________ I frequently receive prayer requests from around the world and am always honored to pray for people. Significantly, the request I receive the most is the request for physical healing. Perhaps you, too, today need a physical healing. If so, this message is for you.
Today I'd like to share with you what the Bible says about healing and how you, too, can be healed if you only believe.
Sickness is a plague that has afflicted mankind since the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Sickness entered the world through sin. When Jesus came to earth to die for us, He paid the price not only for our sin but also for our sickness. In other words, He redeemed us not only from sin but also from sickness. Sin and sickness no longer have dominion over the born-again child of God unless we allow them to. The defeat of Sin and the defeat of Sickness are the two parts of the Atonement. This is the reason we use both bread and wine in Holy Communion. The bread represents the broken body of Jesus as He took 39 stripes on His back to pay for our sicknesses. Interestingly, there are 39 official categories of disease recognized by the medical profession. So, the 39 stripes that Jesus took covered all 39 categories of disease. The wine in Holy Communion represents the Blood He shed to pay for our sins. That Blood washes us clean and makes us righteous before God. Hebrews chapter 9, verse 22, referring back to Leviticus chapter 17, verse 11, says that "without the shedding of blood there is no remission" of sin. In other words, forgiveness of sin requires the shedding of blood.
In the Old Testament sacrifices, animals were killed every year on the Day of Atonement, and their blood was shed so that the people's sins would be forgiven. When Jesus died, He was the final Sacrifice. He was the Passover Lamb Who fulfilled the Old Testament law and established the New Covenant or New Testament. He was the One Who forgave our sin and healed our sickness once and for all. Both sin and sickness were paid for by Jesus on Calvary. Forgiveness and healing are part and parcel of the New Covenant into which we enter when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord. As born-again believers, we should expect to walk in health just as much as we expect to walk in forgiveness. But the reality is that most Christians do not walk in healing and health. Most Christians are sick. This should not be the case, but, sadly, it is. The chief reason for this state of affairs is, I believe, a lack of knowledge. In Hosea chapter 4, verse 6, the Word of God says this: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."
The lack of the right kind of knowledge will bring destruction. So, what do we need to know about healing in order to receive it and to stay healthy? Here are some key truths that we must believe in order to receive our healing: 1___God CAN heal.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________ t Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_04_26_How_Close_Are_We_to_the_End_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is April 26, 2021, and this is Episode #12 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “How Close Are We to the End?" _______________________________ Any thinking person realizes that things are not what they used to be in this world. We not only sense that something isn't right, but we wonder if things will ever return to normal.
Well, let me encourage you today. Not by promising you that things will return to normal, because I personally do not believe they will. But let me encourage you with the wonderful news that, no matter what happens in the world, if you follow Jesus Christ, you have a great future ahead of you!
You might be asking, "Dr. MaryAnn, how can you say such a thing? Is your head in the sand?"
No! Not at all. My head is very much above the sand. I'm continually looking around, observing current events, and comparing them with what the Bible says about our day. And, yes! The Bible has a lot to say about the day we're living in. Yes, the Bible. That ancient book that most people have never read. That ancient book that God gave us as our life manual. That ancient book that provides the answer to every situation we will ever face in life.
So, what does the Bible say about the days we are living in? The Bible says that when certain things begin to happen in our world, we can know that the return of Jesus Christ is near.
For those of you who do not know, Jesus Christ came to earth the first time two thousand years ago as a man in order to die for our sins, to rise again from the dead, and to restore man to God's original intent for man. After Jesus accomplished His amazing victory over sin and death, He returned to Heaven for a time, promising that He would one day return for those who follow Him.
That return will take place in a cataclysmic event called the Rapture, which means an instantaneous "catching away" or removal from the earth of all of His true disciples. At the Rapture, Jesus will appear in the sky and take from the earth all those who are born again and follow Him. Only those who know Him will see Him. All others will be left behind to endure the most horrific period in human history known as the Tribulation.
In the past year, since Covid came on the scene, the world has had a small taste of what it will be like during the Tribulation. Our freedoms will be increasingly taken from us as the New World Order takes over the world. Here are some signs predicted in the Bible of what we would witness in the earth shortly before the Rapture:
- Talk of "peace and security." Hardly a single day goes by that we don't hear or read the phrase "peace and security" or "peace and safety." Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 5, verse 3, says this: "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape."
Pay particular attention to how many times you hear or read the phrase "peace and security" or "peace and safety" during your ...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_04_19_21_Your_Authority_and_Power_in_Christ.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is April 19, 2021, and this is Episode #11 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Your Authority and Power in Christ” _______________________________
Have you had trouble getting some of your prayers answered? If so, this week's post and podcast may explain why.
One of the key reasons we do not get answers to our prayers is that we ask God to do something that He has told us to do. Something which He has already given us the power and the authority to do. God is a God of law and order. He has established spiritual laws, and He will not violate those laws. Indeed, in cases relating to man's dominion on the earth, God has chosen to limit Himself.
Brother Kenneth Hagin, who is now with the Lord, told of the time that Jesus appeared to him. While Jesus was speaking, a demon got between Him and Brother Hagin and started creating such a ruckus that Brother Hagin could not hear what Jesus was saying. As you can imagine, Brother Hagin was getting quite frustrated because he needed to hear what the Lord was saying to him. Finally, Brother Hagin blurted out, "Lord Jesus, please send this demon away. I can't hear a thing You're saying!" To Brother Hagin's great surprise, Jesus said, "I can't." Brother Hagin was astounded. "Lord, what do you mean You can't. You're GOD!" "Yes," Jesus replied. "But I have chosen to limit My power and authority on the earth because I have given it to man. You have to command the demon to leave." So, Brother Hagin commanded the demon to leave in the Name of Jesus, and the demon immediately left. As born-again Christ-followers, we have that same authority and power residing in us. A simple illustration will explain how the authority and the power of Christ in us work.
Most of us have electricity in our homes. If you walk into a room in your house and it is dark, do you call the electric company to ask them to turn on the lights? No, of course not. You turn on the lights yourself. Why? Because the electric company has already supplied the electric power to your home, but it is up to you to flip on the light switch. If you don't flip on the switch, all the power coming into your house from the electric company will do you no good. Well, the same principle applies to us believers. God has given us the power and the authority to fulfill His Great Commission as He commanded us to do in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 16. That power is on the inside of us. God is the Electric Company. But we have to switch on the power inside us in order to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. In other words, we have to flip on the switch of that power to get it flowing. If we do not switch on the power switch, nothing will happen, even though all the power we need is inside us. How do we flip on the switch? By faith. To expect God to flip on the switch is a wrong expectation. His job is to be the Electric Company, to supply the power of the Holy Spirit. He will not flip the switch for us.
Why not?
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU:
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https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_04_12_21_Have_You_Lost_Your_Hope_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is April 12, 2021, and this is Episode #10 of Series 2021. This episode is titled "Have You Lost Your Hope?" _______________________________ It is no secret that we have been living in times that pose a great challenge to our hope. Hopelessness, depression, and despair are widespread, particularly among our young people. So, what can we do not to lose hope?
As always, the Bible gives us the answer. In the Apostle Paul's first letter to Timothy, he writes, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope" (1 Timothy 1: 1). Notice that Paul calls Jesus Christ our Hope.
Jesus is our Hope. We not only put our hope in Him. He is Hope itself.
Let's take a look at the nature of hope. What is it, and why is it so essential to life?
In his 1828 dictionary, Noah Webster defines hope as follows: "Confidence in a future event, the highest degree of well-founded expectation of good; as a hope found on God's gracious promises." Webster continues his definition of hope by quoting the Scripture verse in Joel 3: 16: "The Lord will be the hope of His people." __________________________________
"Jesus Christ, our Hope" (1 Timothy 1: 1) __________________________________
So, according to Webster's definition, the Lord God is our Expectation of Goodness. When we consider the Lord, we can always expect goodness from His hand. When we place our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are expressing confidence in the truth that goodness from His hand always lies ahead. This is hope.
So, how does hope operate?
Now, please pay close attention to what I am about to explain, as it is very important to receiving what we need from God. This truth transformed my life. I know it will transform yours as well if you grasp it and apply it to your own life.
Just as the soul is comprised of the mind, the will, and the emotions, the spirit is comprised of the conscience, the intuition, and the imagination. Hope is a function of the imagination. Hope is the blueprint that resides in our imagination. That blueprint is the inner picture we have of ourselves and of our situation in life. So, we can say that hope is a blueprint. This blueprint or picture of ourselves inside ourselves is what faith turns into reality. Let me give you an example:
Years ago, my husband and I built a house. Before the house was built, the architects gave us the blueprints of the house. When family and friends would come over to visit, we would show them the blueprints and say, "This is our house."
Now, the blueprints were not the actual, physical house. They were the picture of what the house would eventually be. They were, in other words, the hope of the house. When we looked at the blueprints, we were exercising the hope that one day that house would be a physical reality.
When the physical house was actually built, it was the substance of our fulfilled hope--the physical, material reality of what we had seen on the blueprints.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU:
To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today's blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_03_29_21_Are_You_Being_Deceived_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is March 29, 2021, and this is Episode #8 of Series 2021. This episode is titled "Are You Being Deceived?" _______________________________ Nearly every day someone says to me, "I'm so confused. I don't know whom or what to believe any more." Does this sound like you? If so, then listen up. Deception is rampant today and is destroying many people.
What is deception? Deception is believing that something false is true or that something true is false. The Greek word meaning deception is the same word used to mean roaming or wandering around. This Greek definition implies that a deceived person has gone off course from the truth and is wandering around.
Deception occurs through seduction. One is seduced--or drawn away from the truth--through deception. The dangerous thing about deception is that the deceived person does not know he is deceived. If he did know he was deceived, he would no longer be deceived.
In other words, deception hides itself from its victim.
Deception takes a truth and manipulates it by taking something away from it or by adding something to it. The result is a falsehood that sounds true or logical or even loving. But it is false, nonetheless.
When we believe that something false is true, we fall into bondage. Deception carries within it a hook that catches us when we believe the deception. This hook is one of the ways Satan draws us from truth.
The Bible warns us in several places not to be deceived. One such major warning given by Jesus Himself is found in Matthew 24: 3-13. In this passage, the disciples asked Jesus what would be the signs of the end times. Let's listen in on this conversation. and hear how Jesus replied to the disciples' questions: "While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. 'Tell us,' they said, 'when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?' Jesus answered, 'See to it that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains." I find it extremely significant that the first sign Jesus gave as to what would signal the last days was the sign of deception. Now, in order to be theologically balanced, what Jesus described in Matthew 24 are events that have happened throughout history. There have been wars and rumors of wars throughout history. There have been nations rising against nations throughout history. There have been famines and earthquakes throughout history. There has been deception throughout history. But, what is different about our day is that all of these things that Jesus mentioned are converging. In other words, they are all happening with greater and greate...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU:
To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today's blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_03_22_21_Are_You_Struggling_with_Performance_Syndrome_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is March 22, 2021, and this is Episode #7 of Series 2021. This episode is titled "Are You Struggling with Performance Syndrome?" _______________________________ The natural inclination of man is to perform in order to be approved. As we observe the many religions of the world, we notice that, except for Christianity, every religion teaches its followers that they must earn their salvation by doing good works. Only Christianity teaches that we can never earn our salvation. That is the reason Jesus Christ earned it for us and gave it to us as a love gift. The only thing we must do is accept His gift.
In the Book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul addresses this topic of trying to earn our salvation. After teaching the Galatians how to be saved through faith in Christ, Paul now finds them going back to their old ways of trying to earn God's approval through their good works. Let's listen in on what Paul says:
"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes, Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"
Paul was distressed that the Christians of Galatia had reverted back to their old ways of thinking and acting. When we are born again, we receive God's approval because of what Jesus did for us on Calvary, not because of anything we did. This is called grace. The first chapter of the Book of Ephesians, verse 6, reveals this truth to us: "He [God the Father] made us accepted in the Beloved {Jesus Christ]." (Brackets mine).
Yet, so often, after we are born again, we find ourselves falling back into trying to earn God's approval through our good works. I call this the performance syndrome, and I would venture to say that we have all been guilty of it at one time or another, especially those of us who grew up in particularly legalistic environments.
Most of the time, we are unaware that this happened. Hence, Paul's use of the word "bewitched." "Bewitched" means to be under a spell. Strong's Concordance defines "bewitched" as follows: "to bring evil on one by feigning praise or an evil eye; to fascinate by false representations; to lead into evil doctrine."
When one is bewitched, one is taken mentally captive and is unaware of his mental captivity. When we are bewitched, we are unaware that motives other than God's love have begun to corrupt our thinking. We begin to strive to earn God's approval. We become tense and fear-filled, wondering if we've measured up. We often feel condemned when we mess up.
So, Paul calls the Galatians "foolish" not in the sense that they lacked intelligence, but in the sense that they should have known better than to revert from a grace mentality to a works mentality. Paul Himself had taught them the truth about salvation,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU:
To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today's blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_03_15_21_What_s_the_Condition_of_Your_Heart_.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is March 15, 2021, and this is Episode #6 of Series 2021. This episode is titled "What's the Condition of Your Heart?" _______________________________
Did you know that the condition of your heart determines the course of your life? I'm not talking about your physical heart. I'm talking about that intangible part of you that includes your mind, your will, your emotions, and your conscience. The Bible says this about the heart: "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." Now that's a pretty heavy statement, don't you think? So heavy, in fact, that we would be foolish to ignore it. Yet, many people do ignore it, and they ignore it to their own peril.
What is meant by guarding your heart? To guard means to protect from harm. The Bible commands us to protect our hearts more than we protect anything else? Why? Because our heart is more precious than anything else. Our heart determines where we end up at the end of our life.
So, how can we determine the condition of our heart? A good way is to consider the different types of heart conditions the Bible talks about and then evaluate your own heart by these conditions.
The Bible describes six heart conditions. Let's take a look at each one.
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The Double Heart. The Double Heart is also referred to as the Deceitful Heart. I call it the Forked Heart, as in forked tongue. Scripture alludes to the double heart in Psalm 12: 2 NKJV: "They speak idly everyone with his neighbor: With flattering lips and a double heart they speak." The double heart is a two-faced heart. It speaks out of both sides of its mouth. It says one thing and means another. It is double-minded. In James 1: 8, we read that "a double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways." So, a double heart is an unstable heart. What happens to things when they are unstable? They fall.
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The Hard Heart. In Proverbs 28: 14, we read this warning: "Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity." What is a hardened heart?
A hardened heart is a heart that has lost its sensitivity to the things of God. In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 8, verses 16-21, Jesus reveals that a hard heart has lost its ability to see, understand, and hear God. It is a heart that has also lost its ability to remember.
Let's enter this passage in Mark chapter 8, verses 16 through 21. The disciples are out on the lake in a boat, and they realize they have forgotten to bring bread to eat. So, they're discussing what to do. Let's listen in on what Jesus says:
"Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, 'Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU:
To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today's blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_03_08_21_The_Privilege_of_Persecution.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is March 8, 2021, and this is Episode #5 of Series 2021. This episode is titled "The Privilege of Persecution." _______________________________ You may find the title of this week's message a bit disconcerting, if not downright frightening. If so, I hear you!
But the truth is that the Body of Christ here in the United States will undergo persecution. Indeed, it has already begun. Thus far, it has been only "soft persecution" in the form of censorship, reviling, mocking, and ridicule. But in the days ahead, we will witness more severe persecution, as is happening to our brothers and sisters in countries like China, Iran, and, most recently, Myanmar. Given the degeneration that has been occurring in America over the last five decades, it will not be long before the same type of persecution hits our shores in full force.
Why we in the American Church think that we are immune to persecution is a mystery to me, especially since we have opened the doors to persecution because we have not been salt and light in our nation. We have allowed the forces of darkness to take territory that we, the Church, should have protected.
Instead of overcoming the world, we have become like the world. We have embraced ideologies blatantly contrary to the Word of God, and yet, we expect God to bless us. This is deception at its most basic level.
Let the truth be told: the buck stops with the Church. Always! When the Church fails in its duty to stand up for righteousness, corruption always follows. As goes the Church, so goes the Culture.
Back in November, a prophetic word came forth in my church. The message was, "Prepare for the fire of persecution!" The same prophetic message has come forth from other places in the Body of Christ. It is a warning from the Lord to get ourselves ready to face severe persecution for following Him. As goes the Church, so goes the Culture. How do we do that?
Here are some steps we can take to ensure that when full-blown persecution comes to Christ-followers here in the United States, we will be able to stand against it:
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Cultivate your relationship with Jesus Christ. Be intentional about doing so. Cultivating a relationship with Jesus Christ means spending time in His Presence, worshipping Him, communing with Him, studying His Word.
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Obey what the Holy Spirit tells you to do. Hearing the Word without obeying it leads to deception. James 1: 22 makes this clear: "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves."
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Pray continually. Prayer is an ongoing conversation with God. It is the means by which we remain in contact with the Lord, the means by which we abide in Him. When we commune with God throughout the day, we receive a continual supply of all that we need to remain strong in the face of persecution.
Persecution is not a pleasant topic, but it is a topic we must address and a situation we must confront. We often quote Philippians 3: 10,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU:
To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today's blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_03_01_21_Unless_You_Become_Like_Little_Children.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is March 1, 2021, and this is Episode #4 of Series 2021. This episode is titled "Unless You Become like Little Children" _______________________________ In a very telling story in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 18, Jesus called a little child from the crowd and placed the child in the midst of the people. Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18: 3).
This is a pretty serious statement made by Jesus Himself. It behooves us, therefore, to take strict heed.
What does it mean to become like little children? Let's take a look at some of the characteristics of children:
- Children are naturally humble. They don't have to try to be humble; they just are. They don't act as though they are better than anyone else. They are accepting of others, with no strings attached. When we are proud and boastful and think the world owes us something, we are not acting like children.
- Children are not intimidating. We are not afraid of them. They are approachable, and they invite relationship. When we become threatening to others and unapproachable, we are not acting like children.
- Children are free of guile. That is, they do not pretend to be what they are not. They do not put on airs. With children, what you see is what you get. Is the same true of us?
- Children make poor liars. They are open books. If a child lies, he is easily found out because his facial expression and guilty mannerism reveal the lie. Are we open books to others, or do we try to hide and deceive?
- Children are unassuming. They don't care about social status, the impression they make, the clothes they wear. They don't care about skin color or financial status. They freely accept others for who they are and do not judge them. When we ascribe value to others based on their financial status, their looks, or their skin color, we are not acting like children. Jesus taught that becoming like a little child requires conversion. In other words, it requires a turning away from pride and embracing humility. It is not in our human nature to be humble. We naturally gravitate toward pride. But in order to become like a little child, we must renounce pride and embrace humility.
In Matthew 18: 4, Jesus also said that whoever humbles himself like a little child would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. I believe that what Jesus was pointing out here is that whereas pride is the foundation of destruction, humility is the foundation of greatness. There is only one way to become like a little child, and that is, to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. In His life we see exhibited every one of the beautiful qualities that comprise the heart of a child. When you receive Him, you receive the qualities of childlikeness. If you have not yet accepted Christ as your Savior and Lord, pray this simple prayer with me now: Lord Jesus,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU:
To subscribe to this blog, click here. To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today's blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_02_22_21_How_to_Receive_from_God.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is February 22, 2021, and this is Episode #3 of Series 2021. This episode is titled "How to Receive from God". Most of us Christians spend our lives going after something we already have. We ask God to do something that He has already done for us ((e.g., heal, deliver, provide) or to give us something that He has already given us. We rightly believe that God CAN do anything, but we don't believe that He HAS ALREADY DONE everything. When we study the Book of Ephesians, however, we notice a critically important truth: Everything has already been accomplished in Christ and given to us. Ephesians 1: 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."
This verse tells us that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings and that those blessings are found in heavenly places in Christ. These heavenly places signify the spiritual realm, So, all of the blessings that God has already given us are located in the spiritual realm.
Well, where is the spiritual realm? For the born-again believer, the spiritual realm is the realm of his spirit because the Holy Spirit lives in the born-again believer's spirit. The job of the Christ-Follower is to retrieve the blessings that are in his spirit--in other words, in the supernatural, spiritual part of him--and bring these blessings out into the natural, physical realm.
But how do we do that?
Here are three simple steps that will help you to bring the blessings Jesus died to give you--the blessings that are already in your spirit--out into your daily life. Notice, I said these steps are simple, not easy.
BELIEVE that what God says about you is true. SPEAK what God says about you. That is, speak His Word. ACT as though what God says about you is true.
Let's unpack each one of these. 1__BELIEVE that what God says about you is true.
Here are some things God says about you in His Word:
__Luke 10: 19 NLT: "Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you."
If you are a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, He has given you all authority over the power of Satan. Using the Name of Jesus, you can drive Satan and all of his demons out of your life. Do you believe this? __Romans 8: 37 - "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
If you are a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, you are more than a conqueror in every situation. This means not only that you have the authority and power to overcome Satan, but you also can take back what he has stolen from you. __1 Peter 2: 24 - "By the stripes of Jesus, you were healed."
If you are a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, He gave you healing in exchange for your sickness when He took the stripes on His back just before His crucifixion. Do you believe this?
__Galatians 3: 13 NIV - "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the ...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today's blog post on podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_02_15_21_HELP_I_m_Worried_about_the_Future.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is February 15, 2021, and this is Episode #3 of Series 2021. Do you sense that something scary is going on in the world? That something ominous is about to happen, and you have no control over it?
If so, you are not alone. Millions of people throughout the world know that something is drastically wrong in the world, but they don't know what it is. For this reason, they are afraid.
Today, I'd like to ease your fear by explaining some of the things that are happening, why they are happening, and what to do about them.
- WHAT is happening? Did you know that you can learn everything you need to know about what is happening in our world today by reading the Bible? Particularly the following passages:
Matthew 24 (Parallel accounts are found in Mark 13, Luke Luke 21 and Luke 17:20-37) Revelation 13 2 Thessalonians 2 Jeremiah 50-51 Ezekiel 38-39 Book of Isaiah 1-66 Daniel 2, 7-12 Book of Joel 1-3 Book of Zechariah 1-14 Book of Zephaniah 1-3
Thousands of years ago, Old Testament prophets, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, predicted the events that are taking place today--events we are reading about in our morning newspapers, hearing about on the daily news, and living out in our daily lives.
So what is happening today is the fulfillment of Bible prophecy right before our very eyes. The events the Bible predicted thousands of years ago are now coming to pass in our lifetimes. And they are coming to pass very quickly.
- WHY is it happening? It's happening because God said it would happen. In the Book of Numbers, chapter 23, verse 19, the Bible says that "God is not a man, so he does not lie." Not only does God not lie; He cannot lie because His very nature is Truth. So, when God says something, He says what He means and He means what He says. You can stake your very life on God's every word. This is the reason the Bible is such an amazing book. Every word in it is the truth!
Take for example the following passage from Matthew 24: 3-8 NLT: Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world? Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come." Are we not witnessing the beginning of all of these things now? Indeed, we are. And Jesus warned us that there is more to come.
What is this "more to come"? It is a seven-year period of the most horrific events the human race has ever suffered. For it will be the period when the AntiChrist, who is Satan personified, will seize power and enforce the tyrannical government of the New...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today's blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_02_08_21_How_to_Control_Your_Thinking.mp3 ______________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is February 8, 2021, and this is Episode #2 of Series 2021. In my last blog post and podcast, I talked about how to think like a winner. We explored certain principles from the Bible that, if applied, will help us to win in life. If you did not listen to that podcast, I encourage you to go back and listen to it.
Today, we're going to discuss strategies for thinking in a way that will ensure that our thoughts will lead us to success. By success, I do not mean only financial success. More importantly, I mean peace of mind, good health, and joy in living.
The strategies I will discuss always work if we work them, because they originate in God's Holy Word, the Bible. And the Bible is Truth in written form.
So, let's begin.
Principle #1: Our life is shaped by our thoughts.
This is a law established by God, a law that we cannot change, just as we cannot change the law of gravity. Because this law cannot change, we can either adapt to it or rebel against it. If we are wise, we will adapt to the law and allow it to work in our favor.
Several Scripture verses teach this principle that our thoughts shape our lives. For instance, in my last podcast, we unpacked Proverbs 23: 7: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” We saw that the way we think in our hearts will determine the way our lives turn out. We also learned what the Bible means by the heart.
The second principle in controlling our thinking is found in Romans 12: 2 NKJV: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
In this verse, we learn that in order to prove--or experience--God's perfect will, we need to be transformed. In order to be transformed, we must renew our minds. Renewing our minds means training them to think in a new way, a way different from the way we have been thinking up until now. But the key here is that the new way of thinking we must choose is God's way of thinking as found in the Bible. Any other way of thinking will not give us the desired result of a successful life.
So, Principle #2 can be summarized as follows: We experience God's perfect will for our lives by changing the way we think and aligning our thinking with the Bible.
So many of us have believed lies all of our lives. We have embraced these lies as truth. Consequently, we have experienced the negative effects of those lies.
For example, we may have been told as children that we would never amount to much or that we were clumsy or stupid or fat. We may have been told that we were unwanted or an accident or a mistake. Whatever the case may be, we accepted those lies as truth, and those lies have controlled us all of our lives.
Yet, we may not even be aware that we are being controlled by lies. Instead, we suffer silently the emotional pain of broken relationships, damaged careers, and other failures, totally unaware that all of this suffering is caused by the lies we believe.
But I have great news for you!
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today's blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_02_01_21_band-How_to_Think_like_a_Winner.mp3 ______________________________________ Have you ever wondered why some people are more successful in life than others? Is it a question of so-called "luck"? Or is there something more to this thing called success?
The answer, as always, is found in the Bible. In this best-selling book of all time, God has clearly outlined the principles of success. The problem is that, sad-to-say, most people don't read the Bible.
Or they read it after the fact. After the problem has arisen and nearly devastated their lives.
Yet, the Bible contains the answer to every single situation you will ever face in life. In fact, the Bible is God's Manual for Life. It is the book He gave us to navigate our time on this earth successfully. Isn't it a tragedy that most of the world neglects it?
The Bible is all about winning. Not only winning in this life, but, far more importantly, about winning in the life after this one. The life that will last forever.
In the Bible, God has set in place certain principles, or laws, that govern success. If we live according to these principles, we will experience a wonderful, blessed life. But if we don't, we won't. It's as simple as that.
So, what are these principles of success? And how can we apply them to our lives?
One of the fundamental principles is found in Proverbs 23: 7: This verse reads as follows: "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."
Let's unpack this verse to discover what it means and how it can affect the entire course of our lives.
First of all, this verse clearly connects the way we think in our hearts with the way we are: "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Note the phrase in his heart. The verse does not simply say as a man thinks, but as he thinks in his heart.
Well, what is meant by the heart?
The word heart as used here does not refer to the physical heart, the organ that pumps blood throughout our bodies. No, the word heart as used in this verse implies that intangible entity within us that we all recognize but cannot adequately define.
Yet, the Bible gives us a picture of what this intangible entity called the heart really is.
The heart is that part of us that connects our soul with our spirit. We are made in the image of God, and we have a spirit, a soul, and a body. Each of these three parts is also made up of three parts. The spirit is made up of the conscience, the intuition, and the imagination. The soul is comprised of the mind, the will, and the emotions. The body is made up of bone, fluid, and soft tissue.
The heart is the bridge between the spirit and the soul. In other words, the heart is connected simultaneously to the spirit and to the soul. On the one hand, the heart is connected to the conscience part of the spirit. On the other hand, the heart is connected to the emotions, the will, and the mind parts of the soul. The Bible makes many references to the heart. Each of these references gives us a partial definition of the heart.
For example, in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 9, verse 4, we read this: “And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, 'Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?'”
The act of thinking occurs in the mind. But in this verse, Jesus connected thinking with the heart as well. "Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_09142020_Are_You_Walking_the_Narrow_Road_.mp3 _______________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, September 14, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #36 in Series 2020 and is titled "Are You Walking the Narrow Road?" _______________________________________________
In the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, verse 13, the Word of God gives a sobering command and warning: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."
What is the narrow gate? One Biblical commentator calls the narrow gate "the gate of true conversion" (Benson). Many pray the sinner's prayer and believe that is all they need to do to be saved. But to pray the sinner's prayer without turning away from sin, without crucifying the flesh, without obey the Lord's commands is pointless--and even dangerous.
True conversion means turning away from sin and living a life of holiness. This takes great effort, and few people are willing to put in the effort. It is not easy to say no to the flesh--to greed, to lust, to selfish ambition. Yet, that is precisely what we must do if we want to follow Jesus Christ.
There is a huge difference between accepting Christ as our Savior and accepting Him as our Lord. He Himself said that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. Accepting Christ as Savior alone has a selfish aspect to it because it is an act of concern only for one's personal salvation. While this is certainly a good thing, the act cannot stop there. It must go beyond the concern for deliverance from Hell to the love that inspires perfect obedience to the Lord Who saved us.
When Jesus called His twelve apostles, He commanded them to FOLLOW Him. One definition of the word follow means to take orders from. When we choose to follow Jesus, we choose to take our orders from Him and to put aside our own will and desires in order to accomplish His. Christians are often accused of being narrow-minded. Well, we are narrow-minded because our minds are continually focused on staying on the narrow road. It is far too easy to fall off the edge of the narrow road into the ditch of sin precisely because the road is narrow. So our minds must continually focus on this truth---that the road is narrow and we must walk it carefully and not move off of it.
Jesus said, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 19: 23). The sign of true conversion is self-denial. The cross we are to carry daily is precisely this self-denial. It is saying no daily to all those desires that are contrary to God's Word and choosing, instead, to obey the Lord's commands as found in His Word. If you have made Jesus your Savior but not your Lord, I urge you to repent and to complete a full conversion. Turn from your sins and begin to obey the Lord's commands.
If you have not yet made Jesus your Savior and Lord, please do so now by praying this prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I want to make you both Savior and Lord of my life. I accept You now as my Savior and as my Lord. Forgive me of my sin. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Give me Your grace to follow you, to deny myself,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_08312020_Taking_the_End_Times_Seriously.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, August 31, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #34 in Series 2020 and is titled "Taking the End Times Seriously". _______________________________________________
For the past several years, my husband and I have been what the Bible calls "watchmen on the wall." For those of you who do not know, according to the Scriptures, a watchman is a person who studies current events in relation to Biblical prophecy. To read the morning headlines today is to read Bible prophecy being fulfilled. So much that was predicted by the ancient Hebrew prophets thousands of years ago is now coming to pass before our very eyes.
What are some of these prophecies? Here are a few highlights:
There will be an increase in natural disasters, pestilence, and famine throughout the world. We are already seeing this prophecy being fulfilled in the Covid-19 pandemic, the increase in earthquakes, vicious storms, and the devastating loss of crops, resulting in food shortages. Matthew 24: 7 talks of these things: " . . . and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”
There will be a coalition of nations in Africa and the Middle East that will align themselves against Israel (Psalm 83:2-8; Ezekiel 38:2-16). We see this happening now with the big three--Iran, Turkey, and Russia--joining together with the smaller nations of Libya, Ethiopia, and Sudan to align themselves against Israel.
There will be a global economic collapse followed by revolution, war, and, possibly, martial law. Several passages in the Book of Revelation prophesy of this economic collapse (for example, Revelation 6:2-6; Revelation 13:16-17). We are seeing the beginnings of economic distress in the closing of businesses due to the pandemic, the drop in the value of the dollar, and the growing shortage of coins.
There will be a great falling away from the faith. Hardly a day goes by that we do not hear of a Christian leader turning away from God and denouncing faith in Christianity. Thousands--if not millions--are turning away from righteousness and embracing wickedness. People are calling wrong right, and right, wrong, as 2 Thessalonians 2: 3 prophesies.
These are only a few of the indications that we are in the end of the last days.
All believers have been given the assignment to be a watchman in these last days, but, sadly, very few are fulfilling it. What about you?
Perhaps you don't know how to be a watchman. Here are some suggestions:
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Pray. This is the first order of business. Watchmen get their orders from our Commander-in-Chief, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. These orders come as the result of prayer.
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Witness. Proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ at every opportunity. Souls hang in the balance.
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Act. Fulfill the Great Commission by healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead. God has given us the power and authority of His Name to fulfill His Great Commission. If we fail to do so, the blood of the lost in our circle of influence will be on our heads.
Only those born again in Jesus Christ can fulfill the Great Commission a...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_08242020_Who_Am_I_Really_.mp3
______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, August 24, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #33 in Series 2020 and is titled "Who Are You Really?" _______________________________________________ We hear a lot of talk these days about self-image, self-esteem, and self-fulfillment. All of this discussion has as its goal discovering who we really are. While discovering our true identity is crucial, most of us are going about it the wrong way. We are looking in the wrong place to discover who we really are. We are looking to ourselves.
Let's take a deeper look. Have you noticed that all of these phrases--self-image, self-esteem, self-fulfillment--include the word "self"? It seems as though the entire goal of life is to find ourselves. We think that in finding ourselves, we will ultimately find the meaning of life and our purpose in life.
But is this really true? Is it really true that when we find ourselves, we will discover who we really are? That we will discover the meaning of life and our life purpose? The answer to this question lies in God's Holy Word. What does God say about finding ourselves? In Matthew 10: 39, God says this about our search for ourselves: "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Hmm. Now that's the exact opposite of what the world has taught us, isn't it? The world has taught us that we need to find ourselves in order to discover the meaning of life. God says that if we focus on finding ourselves to discover the meaning of life, we will eventually not only lose ourselves, but we will also miss the meaning of life. On the other hand, if we focus on finding God, we will find ourselves and the true meaning of our lives.
Why does finding ourselves depend on finding God? Because God is our Maker.
To expect the self to know the purpose for which it was made is like asking a car to know the purpose for which it was made. The car is incapable of knowing its own purpose. Only the maker of the car can tell us the purpose for which the car exists.
Likewise, the self is incapable of knowing its own purpose. Only the Maker of the self can tell the self the purpose for which the self exists. While this may be a weak analogy, I think you get my point.
You see, my friend, we were made in God's image. Precisely for that reason, our true identity lies only in Him. if we ignore or deny that truth, we will miss the very meaning of our lives. The world's emphasis on the self takes our eyes off the true source of our identity, and that source is God Himself. When we look to ourselves to define ourselves, we will be deceived and go astray. We will lose our bearings. But when we look to God to define us, we will discover who we really are. To seek our identity outside of this truth is to end up with a false image of who we truly are. Yet, this is exactly what Satan tempts us to do. Liar that he is, Satan tempts us to believe that we can know ourselves by ourselves. He tempts us to isolate ourselves from our Maker.
But isolation leads to desolation. And that is precisely the goal of the enemy. The Bible says he comes only "to steal,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_080320The_Dangers_of_Passivity.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, August 3, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #31 in Series 2020 and is titled "The Dangers of Passivity." _______________________________________________ God hates passivity. But the devil loves it. What is passivity? Passivity is the trait of holding back and letting someone else act in a given circumstance. Passive people avoid resistance and confrontation and give in to external influences.
Noted Bible teacher Francis Frangipane calls passivity "Satan's secret weapon," a tool to render Christ-Followers ineffective. As Frangipane further notes, "There is no room for a passive spirit in God's army." There are times when passivity is warranted among Christ-followers, such as in submitting to God. But there are many more times when passivity is unwarranted and harmful both to the passive Christian and to the Body of Christ. We are living in times in which passivity on the part of righteous people is causing the destruction of our nation. Demonic forces are taking down our country while far too many Christ-followers are sitting back and just watching.
Jesus warned us of what would happen in the last days. But He also commanded His Church to occupy until He comes. With what are we to occupy ourselves? We are to occupy ourselves with preaching the Gospel. But why is it that so many Christians are failing to preach the Gospel? Why is it that so many Christ-followers are simply allowing the enemy to encroach upon the Church? Why are they being passive? Here are some insights on passivity: 1) Passivity is a learned behavior. It has psychological roots in rejection, abandonment, and fear. Passive people are often self-centered rather than other-centered. They are afraid of speaking out because they are afraid of being rejected. Sadly, many Christ-followers fall into this category.
2) Passive people do not see themselves as passive. They will often object to accusations of passivity, replying that they work very hard and make many sacrifices in their families or ministries. While this may be true, it is an out-of-balance perspective. Provision has many facets to it, and one facet is also bold leadership.
3) Passive people see themselves as victims, not as victors. This is contrary to what God says about us. Scripture tells us that we are more than conquerors through Christ Who loved us. This perspective is not the perspective of a passive person. The opposite of passivity is boldness. While passivity holds back, boldness pushes ahead. While passivity refuses to get involved and take action, boldness jumps at the opportunity to get involved and to take action. Interestingly, Scripture rarely requires passivity but most often it requires boldness. In order to obey God's commands, we are often required to get out of our comfort zones and to speak out. For example, it is impossible to obey the Great Commission while being passive.
In his excellent book, THE SPIRITUAL MAN, Watchman Nee writes this about passivity: "God has not called us to be passive. He has called us to fight. We are engaged in a spiritual battle of intense proportions,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_07272020_Are_You_Majoring_in_the_Minors_.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 27, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #30 in Series 2020 and is titled “Are You Majoring in the Minors?". _______________________________________________
In the first of his three letters, the Apostle John wrote: "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever."
The problem today is that most people are not obeying this command not to love the world. They are so attached to this world and to what it can offer them that they are not paying attention to what is really happening in this world and to where they are headed.
To love the world is to major in the minors, for this world will soon pass away. And so will you!
So, perhaps it's time you shift your perspective and start majoring on the majors. But what are the majors? And how can you know if you are majoring in them?
Here are some clues:
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Is the word "busy" the most often used word in your vocabulary? Are you constantly saying you're busy? Too busy? Are you focusing on your to-do list to the exclusion of your relationships, especially your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you even have a relationship with Jesus? One of Satan's chief tactics is to keep us too busy for a relationship with God. Don't fall into that dangerous trap.
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Has distraction taken over in your life? Have you become too distracted to think about spiritual things, like where you will go after you die? Does that even matter to you? When the thought of death comes, do you brush it off?
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Are you following the false teaching that your main goal is to create a great life for yourself here on earth? That your best life is now? What about success after you leave this earth? Do you think about that at all? And do you know what success after this life is all about?
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Do you refuse to listen when Christ-Followers warn you of what's coming ahead? Do you find that kind of discussion too overwhelming, so you tune them out, branding them as crazy alarmists? Denial of reality is one of the ways human beings cope, but we cannot and must not deny the truth of what Jesus predicted would happen in the last days. We must prepare for it. In fact, we have already begun to live it through the current lockdown and increasing assault on our Constitutional rights and religious freedom.
5. Are you attending a church where the pastor never talks about the end times? Does your pastor avoid the Book of Revelation? Does he avoid preaching on sin? Is his goal only to make you feel good when you leave the service? If so, beware.
- Are you obsessed with social justice here on this earth? Are you focused on saving the planet? It sounds so good, yet it keeps you focused on this world and not on the next.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_07202020_Are_You_Living_on_the_Level_.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 20, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #29 in Series 2020 and is titled “Are You Living on the Level?". _______________________________________________
During the 50 blessed years my husband and I have been married, he has become an expert at hanging pictures. But sometimes when he hangs a picture, I think it's leaning to the right, and he thinks it's leaning to the left. So, in order to avoid an argument, we get out our trusty level. My husband places the level under the picture, and the level tells both of us when the picture is straight. The cool thing about the level is that it ALWAYS tells the truth. So, when my husband and I trust the level, it settles the issue, because both of us believe and trust the level and set ourselves in agreement with it. As a result, we remain unified in our picture-hanging situations. God has given us a level for life that always tells us the truth as well. That level is called the Bible, and it is Absolute Truth. If we use the Bible every day and in every situation we will ever face, the Bible will keep our lives straight—and on the level. If we use the Bible when facing conflicts in our relationships, believing, trusting, and acting on what the Bible commands will keep us unified and reconciled in our relationships. But the sad thing is that most people use themselves as a level instead of the Bible. They measure the straightness or the crookedness of their lives by their own opinions and their own perceptions of what is true. This is called relativism. And relativism NEVER tells the truth. In fact, relativism ALWAYS leads to a messed-up life, broken relationships, and, eventually to destruction and death. We live in a world that has become relativistic. It is a world in which each person has chosen to be his own level. Our world today is not only ignorant of the Bible, but it also despises and denigrates the Bible. All we have to do is look around us to see the results of not using the Bible as a level. Confusion. Hatred. Division. Lawlessness. Violence. Death. These are the tragic results of using the Satanic level of relativism instead of the God-ordained level of absolute truth. Why? Because the level of relativism cannot be counted on since it changes from day to day and from person to person. We've all heard comments like, "Abortion may be right for you, but it's not right for me." This is relativism. This is each person formulating his own morality. Writing his own bible. When this happens, we have no level by which to measure whether something is straight or not. Whether it is true or not. Imagine if I had one level for measuring whether or not a picture hung straight and my husband had another level—and each level said something different. How would we ever know if the picture hung straight? We wouldn't know, because we were using different standards of straightness and crookedness. The level my husband uses to hang pictures always tells the truth. We can count on it every single time. In all of our 50 years of marriage, that level has never been wrong. The Bible also tells us the truth.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_07132020_Preparing_for_the_Lord_s_Return.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, July 13, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #28 in Series 2020 and is titled “Preparing for the Lord's Return". ________________________________________________ There's an old saying that goes like this: "Forewarned is forearmed."
When it comes to the days in which we are living, this saying bears serious consideration. Why? Because we are living in the days in which Jesus Christ could return at any moment to remove His followers from the earth. So, it behooves us to be ready for His return. Why do we need to be ready?
Great question! Here are some answers:
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The world is fast heading toward the worst time in human history: a seven-year period called the Tribulation. This period of time will witness the rise of the AntiChrist, the most horrific and most tyrannical dictator ever to walk the earth. He will be completely possessed by Satan and operate at his bidding. The AntiChrist will set himself up as God in the Jewish temple and will demand that the whole world bow down in allegiance and worship to him. Those who refuse to do so will be beheaded, most likely by the guillotine.
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Only those who follow Jesus will be spared this horrific time in human history. The reason is that Jesus will remove His followers from the earth just before the Tribulation in a cataclysmic event called the Rapture. In what the Bible describes as "the twinkling of an eye," all Christ-followers will disappear from the earth, creating utter chaos that will send the world hurtling toward the horrors of the Tribulation.
- Those of us who follow Christ must repent of our sin and light our lamps, making sure we have ample supply of the oil of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We do not want to be like the five foolish virgins who were not prepared for the Lord's return (Matthew 25: 1-13).
Some of you reading this blog or listening to this podcast may be hearing all of this for the first time. Well, thank God you are hearing it, for it is Truth, and most people are clueless about the Truth.
Bottom line, Jesus is coming back soon for all those who follow Him. If you do not follow Jesus, begin now by accepting Him as your Savior and Lord. Pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I have been clueless about what's really going on in the world. Thank you for leading me to this message today. I want to go with You when You remove Your followers from the earth. So I accept You now as my Savior and Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen. If you prayed this simple prayer, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a little booklet that will help you get started in your walk with Christ. I also encourage you to get yourself a Bible and read it every single day. The Bible is God's love letter to you, His manual for your life. In the Bible, God reveals Who He is, and He instructs you how to live. Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and have fellowship and encouragement with other Christ-Followers. For those of you who may not know, I write fiction about many of the issues I dea...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
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______________________________________________ Four months ago, we were all writing the plots of our lives, oblivious to what lay just around the corner. Then--out of nowhere--the world was hit with a major pandemic that caused our plots to twist--and, in some cases, twist drastically. Now we find ourselves in totally unexpected situations, trying to make sense of it all and--even more challenging--trying to write new plots for our lives. But maybe that's where we've been missing it. In trying to write our own life plots in the first place. For you see, God has a plot for each of our lives, and His plot is usually quite different from ours. The big question is, "Am I willing to let God write the story of my life, or will I insist on writing it myself?" If you're like me, you may have resisted God's plot--or story--for your life. In my case, I didn't even know God had a plot for my life. So, at the age of fifteen, I started writing my own plot. I planned every point along the way, exactly as I wanted it to happen. But midway through my writing of my plot, God intervened. Basically, He told me I was writing the wrong story. It wasn't His story. He had a different story He wanted to write for my life. Would I let Him do so? I would have been a fool to refuse.
What about you? Are you refusing to allow God to write the story of your life? If so, consider these advantages of allowing God to plot your life:
God always has your best interests at heart. So the story He has planned for your life is the best story possible for your life--the story that will serve to make you the most like Jesus.
God created you. Therefore, He knows in what "genre" to write the story of your life. He knows whether or not you will become more like Jesus through humor or sorrow--or a combination of both. He knows whether or not you need a slow-paced story, with lots of calm moments to sort things out, or a fast-paced one that forces you to confront things you don't want to confront.
God loves you. Ultimately, this is God's reason for wanting to write your story. He knows that if you go it alone, you'll botch up your story. He wants to make sure you don't mess it up.
If there's one thing I've learned about the Lord in my 50 years of walking with Him, it's that the story He writes for our lives is always better than the story we try to write ourselves.
Are you willing to let God write the story of your life? In order to do so, you may have to let go of the story you thought your life would be and learn to find joy in the story you're living. Why not do that now? Give Jesus your pen and then stand back as the Master Storyteller writes the magnificent story He has already plotted for your life. I guarantee it will be a bestseller! If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ, the Master Storyteller, I urge you to do so now. Please pray this simple prayer with me: Lord Jesus, I've been trying to write the story of my own life, but I've failed miserably. Forgive me! You are the only one who can write my life story. And it's the best story for me. So I hand over my pen to You, and I give You free reign to write the story of my life. In Your Name, I receive You as my Savior and Lord. Amen. If you prayed this simple prayer,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: ______________________________________________ https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast06292020_Why_You_Need_to_Be_Born_Again.mp3
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 29, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #26 in Series 2020 and is titled “Why You Need to Be Born Again". ________________________________________________ Sadly, the term "born again" has fallen into disrepute over recent years, despite the fact that it is the most important term that one must address regarding one's eternal destiny. People who are born again have been ridiculed, criticized, and even ostracized. Have you ever wondered why?
Often, when there is great public outrage against something, it is due to the fact that that "something" is true. You see, the truth offends. It has offended from the fall of Adam and Eve. It offended when Jesus walked the earth. And it continues to offend today.
Why does the truth offend? Because it challenges a person's self-will, his desire to be his own god.
Rebellion is at the heart of the human condition. It was rebellion that brought evil into the world, and today, it is still rebellion that perpetuates evil.
Because of our first parents, Adam and Eve, each of us is born into this world with a sin nature. This means that we enter this world with spirits disconnected from God. In other words, spirits that are dead, for there is no life unless we are connected to God.
When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, they died spiritually and, eventually, physically. God never intended for us to die physically. Sin caused physical death as well as spiritual death.
After they sinned, Adam and Eve were helpless to regain what they had given up by obeying Satan instead of obeying God. There was nothing our first parents could ever do to be restored to their original condition. Consequently, since they had corrupted themselves by their sin, they could pass on to us only corruption--spiritual, mental, and physical. They could only give us what they had.
But God loved Adam and Eve and all of us, their descendants, so very much that He took it upon Himself to rescue us, to reconnect us to Himself. There was only one way He could do so. God needed a scapegoat--someone who was not only God and capable of paying a perfect price to our perfect God, but who also would become a man in order to represent mankind and stand in our place as our substitute. That Someone was Jesus Christ, God's only Son!
Ever since that day when Jesus rose from the dead, He has been offering His gift of salvation to all who would take it. Won't you accept His gift of salvation today? Tomorrow may be too late.
You see, when a person is born again by accepting Christ's gift of salvation, that person is reconnected to God the Father. This reconnection qualifies the person to spend eternity with his Father in Heaven because he has become a member of God's family. So why should being born again matter to you? It should matter because whether or not you are born again will determine your existence for all eternity after you die. Contrary to popular teachings, you will continue to exist after you die physically and leave this earth. Your spirit and your soul will continue to exist in one of two places: Heaven or Hell. The choice is up to you,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast06152020_The_Dangers_of_Generation_Separation.mp3 ______________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 15, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #24 in Series 2020 and is titled “The Dangers of Generation Separation." ________________________________________________ When I was growing up in the fifties, the elderly sat on front porches surrounded by toddlers and teens. It was a common practice for groups of children to visit middle-aged and elderly neighbors to listen to tales of earlier days. Back then, there were no such things as “senior citizens” or “adult communities.” Nursing homes were virtually non-existent, and grandparents often lived with their children and grandchildren. The grandparents gave the children time and wisdom, and the children gave the grandparents a sense of joy and lasting youth. During the past half century, we’ve seen a dangerous phenomenon occur. I call it the “generation separation”–the deliberate attempt by our culture, and even our churches, to separate the elderly from the young and the young from the elderly. The result has been a tragic loss of wisdom for the young and respect for the elderly. In the Biblical model, there is no separation of generations. All ages lived together, worked together, and played together. The generations were interdependent. This is God’s way, and it is His way for a reason. Throughout the Scriptures, the older generation is commanded to instruct the younger generation in the ways of God, and the younger generation is commanded to learn from the older generation. This is not to say that the young cannot teach the old. I’ve learned more from children, especially my own, than from any other age group. It is to say, however, that the older generation has a mandate from God to teach the younger generation to know Him. How can this happen unless the generations interact? Today, as people are living longer, it is not unusual to meet great-grandparents as well as grandparents. I personally know of some families that are blessed with five living generations. To separate the great-grandchildren from the great-grandparents would be to rob both of great blessings. I propose, therefore, a return to the mingling of generations, for these reasons:
It is God’s way of blessing all generations. It fosters respect for the elderly and wisdom for the young. It serves as a valuable link of understanding between the past and the future. It provides roots that, in turn, provide stability to families. It nurtures a sense of belonging and unity so essential for emotional and spiritual well-being.
If you are in a situation where you are separated from other generations, I encourage you to find a way to bridge that gap. If you have small children, bring them around the elderly. If you are among the elderly, spend time with children. Not only will you be greatly blessed, but you will be a venue of blessing to generations other than your own. The most important thing you can do for your grandchildren is to teach them the truth about Jesus. But how can you teach them if you do not know Him yourself?
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcst06082020_How_to_Conquer_Anxiety_Once_and_for_All.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 8, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #23 in Series 2020 and is titled “How to Conquer Anxiety Once and for All."
I recently heard on the news that the use of anti-anxiety and anti-depression drugs has skyrocketed. This news saddened me because we don't have to depend on drugs to handle anxiety. There is a better way, and I want to share that better way with you today. It is found in the Holy Bible.
The Bible was given to us by God as a manual for life. Sadly, however, most people haven't read their manual. Then they wonder why their lives are not working right. You see, we all need instructions for navigating our time here on earth. Sure, we can do things our way, but in the end, our way will fail. Why?
Because, truth be told, we are not that smart! :)
When we think we are smarter than our Maker, we get into all kinds of trouble. And one of them is anxiety.
You see anxiety comes from our failure to trust God and to live according to His commands. Why don't we trust God? Because we have not taken the time to get to know Him. When we get to know God, we will discover that no one is more trustworthy than He is. In fact, He is perfectly trustworthy, precisely because He is God and, as God, He is perfect.
Sadly, most people today want to be their own god. They don't want God telling them what to do. As the old Frank Sinatra song goes, they want to do it "their way."
Are you one of those people? Are you someone who wants to do it your way instead of God's way? If so, what has that gotten you so far? Has your way given you peace? Freedom from anxiety and fear? Joy and blessings? Or has doing things your way made you anxious, worried, and fearful? Chances are doing things your way hasn't gotten you very far, especially during these challenging times when the world seems to be crumbling around us; when you don't know if you will have enough money to feed your family or to pay your bills; when your heart is filled with anxiety. So, let me ask you a question. Are you ready to start doing things God's way? Are you ready to start putting your trust in Him by giving Him your burdens, as He commands us to do in the Bible? Are you willing to surrender your life to Him because He cares for you?
If so, pray this simple prayer with me now:
Lord Jesus, I come to You, just as I am. I'm ready to conquer anxiety once and for all, but I know that I cannot do so without You. So I ask You to come into my life. I receive You as my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for Your peace that passes all understanding. In Your Name I pray. Amen. If you prayed this simple prayer, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a little booklet that will help you get started in your walk with Christ. I also encourage you to get yourself a Bible and read it every single day. The Bible is God's love letter to you, His manual for your life. In the Bible, God reveals Who He is, and He instructs you how to live. Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and have fellowship and encourageme...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast06012020_Are_You_Thinking_Straight_.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, June 1, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #22 in Series 2020 and is titled “Are You Thinking Straight?"
You might be wondering, What a strange question to ask? Am I thinking straight? Yet the truth is that my question is one of the most important questions you may ever be asked in your life. Your answer to that question will determine whether your life turns out well or turns out badly.
Okay, Dr. MaryAnn. Aren't you getting a little melodramatic here? After all, how I think is how I think. What difference does it make how I think, if the thoughts are my own? The fact that you made that statement and asked that question is proof that you are not thinking straight. So, before we go any farther, let's define what is meant by "thinking straight." Thinking straight means thinking in line with Truth. But then we have to ask another question: What is Truth? You may remember that a Roman governor of Judea, named Pontius Pilate, asked that same question of Jesus just before Jesus was crucified (John 18: 38).
The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is Truth. He Himself said of Himself in John 14: 6, "I am the Truth." Jesus is the Word of God, and so is the Bible. This makes Jesus and the Bible one and the same. So, logically speaking then, if Jesus is Truth, and if Jesus and the Bible are one and the same, then the Bible is Truth. So, if the Bible is Truth, and if thinking straight means thinking in line with Truth, then thinking straight means thinking in line with the Bible.
Let me ask you another question. Are you thinking in line with the Bible? Do you even know what's in the Bible? If you don't, then how can you think in line with Truth?
We must know Truth in order to think in line with Truth.
Truth is a Person. Truth is Jesus Christ. If we don't know Jesus Christ, Who is Truth, then we cannot live in line with Truth.
So, the first order of business is to get to know Jesus Christ. How? By accepting Him as your Savior and Lord. When you do, you will be born again, and you will begin to comprehend Truth. We live in a world in which most of the information we receive is controlled by people who do not know Truth. People who do not know the Bible. People who do not know Jesus Christ. Indeed, people who are blatantly opposed to Jesus Christ and, therefore, to Truth. The information we receive from such people is contrary to Truth, yet most of the public believes their lies. When we believe a lie, we will suffer the consequences of believing a lie.
To believe a lie is to put ourselves in bondage. To believe the Truth is to experience freedom. Jesus Himself said, "You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free." We are fast losing many of our freedoms today. Have you asked yourself why? The reason is that, as a culture, we have chosen to embrace the lie instead of embracing the Truth. We will be free to the degree that we embrace the Truth.
Do you want to be free? Then embrace the Truth. Embrace Jesus Christ. He is waiting to set you free. Pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I come to You now, just as I am.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast05252020_How_to_Deal_with_the_New_Normal_.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 25, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #21 in Series 2020 and is titled “How to Deal with the 'New Normal'."
The events of the last few months have set the world in a tailspin from which it may never recover. While we all wish things could go back to the way they used to be, chances are good that they will not. Wherever we turn, we hear the words "the new normal." What is the "new normal" and how can we deal with it?
WHY THE NEW NORMAL? First of all, it will help to understand WHY the new normal before we discuss how to deal with it. Unless you are a student of Bible prophecy, you may not be aware that what we are experiencing today with the Corona virus and all the political upheaval attendant to it was foretold in the Bible. Jesus warned us of certain signs that would occur before He returns for His followers. And, yes! Jesus will soon return for His followers! For those of us who have received Him as our Savior and Lord. For those of us who are born again.
Jesus described the signs we are witnessing today as the contractions--or birth pains--of a woman in labor. Let's take a look at Matthew 24: 3-8:
"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. 'Tell us,' they said, 'when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?'
Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, "I am the Messiah," and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.'" We are personally witnessing these birth pains in our world today. First of all, there is mass deception. People are calling good, evil and evil, good. People are believing the Lie instead of the Truth.
The first warning Jesus gave in answer to His disciples' question about the end times was, "Do not be deceived!" All around us, people are being deceived by the media, in many cases by the pulpit, and in also many cases, by our governmental and educational systems.
Throughout the world, there are wars and rumors of wars. Iran is threatening Israel. China is threatening the United States. Nation is rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. We are hearing of famines in many places, and earthquakes are increasing in frequency and in intensity, including in areas where earthquakes have heretofore been rare.
Jesus called all of these signs "the beginning of birth pains."
Well, what happens when birth pains begin for a woman in labor? They get stronger and stronger until the actual birth and delivery of the baby.
The earth's birth pains will also get stronger and stronger, until the birth of God's Kingdom when Jesus Christ Himself will return to rule the earth during the thousand-year period called the Millennium. The birth pains will be the strongest during the period of time that will follow the Lor...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast05182020_What_to_Do_When_Your_Child_Goes_Astray.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 18, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #20 in Series 2020 and is titled “What to Do When Your Child Goes Astray." There's an old saying attributed to the 18th-century Scottish poet Robert Burns that goes like this: "The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray." If you're like me--and I think you are--you've had plans that have not turned out the way you wanted. This can be very painful, but it is especially painful when those plans included our children. Far too often have parents come to me in anguish over a child who has turned away from all that is good and holy and followed a lifestyle that leads to destruction. As a mother, my heart goes out to such parents. But what can they do? Indeed, is there anything they can do? Yes, there is something they can do. But first let's explore some reasons that our children go astray.
- FREE WILL (Joshua 24: 15). The number one reason that children go astray is that they have a free will. We can warn, admonish, advise, enforce, and even object, but bottom line, our children will do what they want to do. Not even God--Who gave us free will in the first place--can keep a child from going astray if that child wants to go astray. God respects the free will of His creation, and so should we.
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BELIEVING THE LIE (Romans 8: 6). Our children go astray because they choose to believe a lie. Every path to destruction is strewn with lies. A key to helping our child is prayerfully to discern what lie or lies he or she is believing and then presenting the Truth as an antidote to the lie.
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A STRAINED RELATIONSHIP WITH A PARENT (Ephesians 6: 4). We parents can alienate our children by being too harsh with them, by not listening to them, by treating them condescendingly, or simply by not trying to understand their side of the story. When children feel unheard, they go elsewhere. Examine your own heart to determine if you have done anything to contribute to your child's going astray. If you have, repent and ask the Lord to forgive you. Also, ask your child to forgive you.
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SITTING UNDER THE TEACHING OF A WEAK PASTOR (Jeremiah 50: 6). In this day and age, it is vitally important to sit under the teaching of a pastor who preaches the Word of God without compromise. Many of our children have gone astray because they have listened to the teachings of pastors who want only to tickle their ears.
Now, let's look at some things you can do to influence your wayward child to return to the Lord: 1__Declare the Word of God over your child (Mark 11: 23). There is power in the Word of God to tear down the strongholds that are keeping your child bound. While you cannot and must not violate your child's free will, you do have authority in the Name of Jesus to command all lying spirits to desist in their maneuvers against your child.
2__Focus on the character of God as you pray (1 John 4: 8). God is Love and wants your child to return to Him more than you do. He will do everything, short of violating your child's will, to bring your child back to him.
3__Pray that your loved one will hear the voice of God (Isaiah 30: 21).
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_05112020_How_to_Grieve_Healthfully.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 11, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #19 in Series 2020 and is titled “How to Grieve Heathfully." Grief is a part of the human experience. Not a pleasant part, but an inevitable one. Yet, grief brings with it some dangers of which we need to be aware.
There are many types of grief. Probably the worst kind of grief is the loss of a loved one, whether sudden or expected. Either way, we are never prepared for the death of someone close to us. But there is also the grief that comes from the loss of a friendship, the loss of a love relationship, the loss of a job, the loss of a dream, the loss of a bodily function, the loss of finances. I could go on and on and on. No matter the cause of the grief, the process of grieving is similar. Let's take a look at this process, keeping in mind that there is a right way and a wrong way to grieve. We discover the right way to grieve in God's Holy Word. Here are three important keys to grieving healthfully:
- Grieve! This may sound obvious, but some people resist grieving in an attempt to be stoic. But the Bible not only permits grieving; it encourages it.
When referring to the death of believers, the Apostle Paul wrote this in 1 Thessalonians 4: 13: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope."
Paul didn't simply write, "so you will not grieve." No, he wrote "so you will not grieve like people who have no hope." In other words, Paul encouraged grieving, but the right kind of grieving--the grieving that was filled with hope. What hope? The hope of being reunited one day with one's loved one in Heaven. This is the wonderful hope experienced by those who are born again.
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God wants us to express our grief to Him. The Psalmist David is our example in this. David frequently expressed his grief to God. But almost always, his expression of grief turned into an expression of praise. Expressing our grief to God lightens its burden as God replaces our grief with His comfort.
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God wants us to express our grief to others. God has placed us in relationship to others so that we can bless one another. Part of blessing another is to share our pain during times of loss. Allow others to comfort you when you are grieving. Sharing the load will lighten it.
Grief becomes dangerous when it becomes pathological. Pathological grief is inordinate grief that remains stuck and cannot resolve itself. This most often occurs when the person has not gone through the stages of grief in a healthful manner. Although I won't get into them here, these stages of grief include denial, anger, bargaining with God, depression, and acceptance. If you are experiencing grief, know that God cares. As you give your grief to Him, He will take it and, in due time, restore to you the joy of living.
Jesus died to take away our grief. If you do not yet know Him as your Savior, pray this simple prayer with me now to receive Him:
Lord Jesus,You, above all others, are acquainted with grief. I come to You now,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast05042020_Are_You_a_Perfectionist_.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, May 4, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #18 in Series 2020 and is titled “Are You a Perfectionist?"
Perfectionism is a silent malady. It often afflicts people without their realizing it. I was once its victim but, by the grace of God, I have made enormous strides in overcoming this silent monster. By applying the Word of God to my life, I was able to discover how the enemy uses perfectionism to keep us in bondage. And, as always, God's truth set me free!
What is perfectionism? Simply put, it is deriving our worth from our accomplishments instead of deriving it from God Who alone is the rightful source of our worth. So, let me ask you? Are you a perfectionist? Here are some questions to ask yourself:
You think in "all-or-nothing" terms. There is no gray in your life. For example, if you are trying to lose weight but eat a doughnut, you figure you've blown it, so why not eat the whole batch?
SOLUTION: Recognize that life is not black-and-white. Sometimes it is gray.
You determine your worth by your accomplishments. You don't feel good about yourself unless you accomplish a lot. And you continually judge your worth by how much you have accomplished.
SOLUTION: Recognize that you don't have to earn your worth. God has already given it to you by virtue of creating you.
You continually beat yourself up when you mess up. Your self-worth is conditional, based on how perfectly you do something. If you don't do it perfectly, you are miserable.
SOLUTION: Your worth is unconditional and does not depend on how well or how badly you do something.
You do not like constructive criticism from others. Any corrective comment from another person is a personal threat to your self-worth because such a comment implies that you are not "perfect."
SOLUTION: Do not take constructive criticism personally for it is not meant to be that way. Accept it gratefully as a gift to make your life better.
You include the word "should" as a major part of your vocabulary. I "should" plan a menu each week; I "should" call my best friend more often; I "should" read my Bible for at least one hour a day.
SOLUTION: Give up the "tyranny of should" and learn to relax by simply doing your best.
You take little time for yourself. You always put the needs of others above your own. You tell yourself that you will take time for yourself after you fulfill your responsibilities to others. But you never take that time for yourself.
SOLUTION: Treat yourself with the same love and respect with which you treat others. Make time for yourself and do so without guilt. You are worth it because God said so!
You always live in the future, thinking, "I'll feel good about myself when . . . ." The truth is that a perfectionist will never feel good about himself because he feels his accomplishments are never enough.
SOLUTION: The future never comes because it is always today. Learn to be thankful for where you are today. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
There is a huge difference between perfectionism and excellence. Perfectionism means doing something perfectly,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast04272020_How_to_Experience_the_Abundant_Life_in_Christ.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 27, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #17 in Series 2020 and is titled “How to Experience the Abundant Life of Christ."
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then God has given you hundreds of promises, the fulfillment of which He wants you to experience in your life in a practical way. But what if you are not experiencing the fulfillment of God's promises in your life? What is wrong? Well, first of all, of one thing you can be sure: The problem is on not on God's end; the problem is on your end. Okay. So, what is the problem?
To find out, let's take a look at Mark 11: 24: "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Notice the verb tenses in this verse. The first verb (ask) is in the present tense. The second verb (believe) is in the present tense. The third verb (receive) is also in the present tense. The fourth verb (will have) is in the future tense. So, three of these verbs are in the present tense--the now--and one of the verbs is in the future tense--in a time yet to happen.
Now, keeping those tenses in mind, let's read this verse like this: "Therefore I say to you, whatever you ask for when you pray, believe at the instant you ask that you receive it at the instant you ask, and you will experience the answer in your life at a future date.
What this verse is actually saying is that we must believe that we receive what we ask for the instant we ask for it. The asking, the believing, and the receiving occur at the same instant in the spirit realm. When these three acts--the asking, the believing, and the receiving--coincide--in other words, when they occur at the same instant--then what we ask, believe, and receive in the spirit realm in that instant will eventually show up in the physical realm in the future.
To put it another way, the simultaneous asking, believing, and receiving take place in the spirit realm, and those three acts, done at the same time, will bring what we ask for from the spirit realm to the physical realm at a future date. It is our faith that connects the two realms. It is our faith that brings the promise of God from the spirit realm to the physical realm so that it can show up in our lives, and we can experience it in a practical way.
Let's consider healing, for example. We may need healing from a disease. Mark 11: 24 tells us that when we ask for healing, we must believe that we receive it the instant we ask for it. If we believe that we receive our healing the instant we ask God for it, then we will eventually see the sickness leave our body. Most believers, however, believe that they have received an answer to their prayer only after the answer shows up. But in most cases, the answer will never show up in their lives because their prayer was motivated by hope, not faith. When we pray with the mentality that we are not healed until we are free of symptoms, we are praying in hope, not faith. Hope is always future. But faith is NOW. Hebrews 11: 1 says "NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast04202020_How_to_Have_Hope_When_Things_Seem_Hopeless.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 20, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #16 in Series 2020 and is titled “How to Have Hope When Things Seem Hopeless."
Lately, I've been deeply saddened by the rising number of suicides as a result of the Corona virus. I read of a young nurse in Italy who killed herself when she was diagnosed with the virus. Others are killing themselves as a result of the recent sharp dives in the stock market that have drastically cut their life savings.
What do all of these people have in common? They have all placed their hope in the wrong place.
You see, where we hang our hope will determine if our hope will carry us through bad situations. The people mentioned above hung their hope on things of this world--things that had no solid foundation. Things that will not last. Where are you hanging your hope? If on the things of this world--your IRA, your savings account, your job, your vitamins, your medication, your social distancing--all of these things are temporary and will not ultimately protect you. Only Jesus Christ can and will protect you. There is only solid and secure place where we can hang our hope, and that is on Jesus Christ. In 1 Peter 3: 6 the Bible says this about hoping in Jesus: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...." Notice this verse calls Christ our "living" hope--a hope that is alive and will remain alive forever.
So, if you want to have hope when things seem hopeless, turn to Jesus Christ, the perfect Hope-Giver. If you have not yet asked Jesus to come into your life and be your hope, do so now. Please pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I have lost my hope. I am discouraged and depressed. Sometimes I want to give up. But You are offering me true hope. So I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Fill me with Your hope, the hope that never ends. In Your Name I pray. Amen. If you prayed this simple prayer, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a little booklet that will help you get started in your relationship with Jesus Christ. I also encourage you to get yourself a Bible and read it every single day, starting in the Gospel of John, which is in the second half of the Bible. The Bible is God's love letter to you, His manual for your life. In it He reveals Who He is. In it He reveals His infinite love for you and instructs you how to live. Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and have fellowship and encouragement with other Christ-Followers. For those of you who may not know, I write fiction about many of the issues I deal with in this blog and podcast. I also invite you to visit my website at https://www.maryanndiorio.com/book-table. There you will find a complete list of the novels, novellas, and short stories I have written about characters with problems like yours. One such story is my latest novel, In Black and White.
BUY NOW! On my website,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast04132020_How_to_Endure_to_the_End.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 13, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #15 in Series 2020 and is titled “How to Endure to the End".
Tough times show us what we're made of. The world has been going through a very tough time recently. Many are calling it unprecedented, and I agree. At least, unprecedented in our life times.
So, how are you holding out? Are you holding out? Jesus said that only he who endures to the end will be saved. That means if we quit along the way, we won't be saved.
Photo by Yiannis Papanastasopoulos. Freelyphotos.com
Are you on the verge of quitting? If so, let me encourage you with these tips on how to endure to the end: 1. Cling to Jesus through study of His Word. Only the Word of God will sustain us in these difficult days. Jesus said that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4: 4). The Word is our spiritual food. Without nourishing ourselves on it every day, we will die spiritually.
- Stay closely connected to fellow believers. We are the Body of Christ. We all need one another. When we are being tempted to quit, a brother or sister in Christ can encourage us to hang on.
- Pray without ceasing. Maintain a running conversation with the Lord throughout the day. Constant communication is essential between a soldier and His Commander. We are soldiers of Christ, and we need to hear continually from our Commander. "Tough times show us what we're made of." Dark days are upon us, dear ones, and they will grow darker still. The Apostle Paul described these days in 2 Timothy 3: 1 as "perilous times." Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we apply the three tips above to endure to the end. For, oh, what glory awaits those who do! (1 Corinthians 2: 9). There is only one way to experience God's glory. We must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. If you have not yet done so, I urge you to do accept Jesus Christ now by praying this simple prayer with me: Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I need You to save me. I cannot save myself. I repent of my sins and ask You to forgive me. I invite You into my life to be my Savior and my Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. I pray, believe, and receive in Your Name. Amen. If you prayed this simple prayer, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a little booklet that will help you get started in your relationship with Jesus Christ. I also encourage you to get yourself a Bible and read it every single day, starting in the Gospel of John, which is in the second half of the Bible. The Bible is God's love letter to you, His manual for your life. In it He reveals Who He is. In it He reveals His infinite love for you and instructs you how to live. Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and have fellowship and encouragement with other Christ-Followers. For those of you who may not know, I write fiction about some of the issues I deal with in this blog and podcast. As a token of my deep appreciation for all of you who...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_04062020_WHY_the_Corona_Virus_.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, April 6, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #14 in Series 2020 and is titled “WHY the Corona Virus?"
Have you asked yourself why the entire world is experiencing the pandemic of the Corona virus? Surely, there have been pandemics before, and perhaps they occurred for the same reason I'm going to present to you today. Among the many scientific and social reasons for the virus, this one is one to consider as well. It is the SPIRITUAL reason for the Corona virus.
Yes, there is a spiritual reason for the current presence of the virus in our world. That spiritual reason is that God is calling us to repent of our sin and to turn to Him.
Of course, the spiritual reason is not a very popular one because people don't like to talk of sin nor to confront their own sin. But this is what we must do if we want God to heal our land.
There is a very pointed Scripture verse in the Second Book of Chronicles that says this: "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Who are God's people? Those of us who have been born again by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. God is talking to us, the Church. He is saying that in order for Him to heal our land, we must do four things:
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We must HUMBLE ourselves. This means we must acknowledge that we are helpless without God.
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We must PRAY. We must communicate with God and do more listening than talking.
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We must SEEK His Face. This means we must put God first, above everything else in our lives.
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We must TURN from our wicked ways. This means we must repent of our sin and do an about-face in the way we live. To repent means to do a 180-degree turn and go in the opposite direction.
When we have done all of these four things, then--and only then--will God heal our land.
Notice in this verse that God is speaking to His people, not to the world. The buck always stops with the Church. As goes the Church, so goes the culture. What a sad commentary on the Church!
To a great extent, we have failed in our mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We have failed to fulfill the Great Commission given to us by Jesus in Mark 16. We have failed to uphold righteousness. Indeed, we have even succumbed to unrighteousness and participated in evil by siding with the culture of the world. So, I implore you. Let all of us who call ourselves Christ-Followers repent of our complacency and our compromise. Let us humble ourselves, pray, seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways. Then let us go out into all the world and preach the Gospel so that others, too, can be saved. If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, I urge you to do so now by praying this simple prayer with me: Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I need You to save me. I cannot save myself. I repent of my sins and ask You to forgive me. I invite You into my life to be my Savior and my Lord.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast03232020_You_Are_ALREADY_Healed_.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your Virtual Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 23, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #12 in Series 2020 and is titled “You Are Already Healed!" With the Corona virus pandemic literally bringing the world to a stop, the topic of sickness is on the minds of the great majority of people on earth. Except, perhaps, for those of us who follow Christ.
Sickness should not be on our minds. Healing and health should be on our minds.
Sadly, however, many Christians are facing the pandemic in the same way the world is facing it--with fear and dread. Brothers and sisters, this should not be!
When we were born again, we received not only forgiveness for our sins but also healing for our bodies. Both forgiveness and healing are in the Atonement of Christ. The stripes He took on His back were for our healing. First Peter 2: 24 testifies to this truth: "By the stripes of Jesus, you were healed." When were we healed? When Jesus took those 39 stripes on His back. Interestingly, the medical profession groups all diseases into 39 categories. So, Jesus took a stripe on His back for each category and, thereby, for all diseases.
When we take Holy Communion, we are commemorating both the forgiveness of our sins and the healing of our bodies that Jesus earned for us through His death and resurrection. The wine represents His Blood which He shed to pay the price for our sins. The bread represents His Body which He gave to be beaten to pay the price for our sicknesses. This is the two-fold meaning of the Atonement. Yet, despite Christ's gift of total salvation, few Christians are partaking of it. Instead, they are needlessly bearing a burden that Jesus already bore for us. Why?
There are several reasons. I would like to touch upon only a few:
- Healing is not being taught in our churches. The Bible teaches in Romans 10: 17 that "faith comes by hearing." This means that faith in anything comes by hearing. Taken to its logical conclusion, whatever we hear often enough will engender faith in that which we hear.
So, if we constantly listen to reports and statistics about the devastation being caused by the Corona virus--or anything else, for that matter--we will begin to have faith in those negative reports. But if we constantly listen to the Word of God and His message of healing and health, we will begin to have faith in God's report.
- False teaching has been preached from some pulpits. Such false teaching includes messages like the following:
___Healing is not for today. ___God doesn't heal everyone. ___God uses sickness to teach us. All of these false teachings are contrary to what the Bible teaches, yet few Christians challenge them but simply swallow them hook, line, and sinker.
Well, it's about time we realize that God says what He means and means what He says. When He says in Psalm 103: 3 that He heals all our diseases, He means He heals ALL our diseases. When He says in 1 Peter 2: 24 that we were healed by the stripes of Jesus, He means that we WERE healed by the stripes of Jesus.
Healing is a finished work. Before He gave up His last breath, Jesus said, "It is finished!
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_Episode_11_2020-03-16_The_Dangers_of_the_Enneagram.mp3 ______________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your Virtual Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 16, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #11 in Series 2020 and is titled “The Dangers of the Enneagram."
We live in an age of great delusion. Jesus prophesied that this would happen in the last days. When His disciples asked Him what would be the signs of the end times, His first words of response were, "Take heed that no one deceives you" (Matthew 24: 4). I find Christ's initial response extremely telling.
The first sign Jesus gave of the endtimes was deception. He warned us that the last days would be characterized by great deception and great delusion. And He warned us to "take heed" against it. To take heed means "to guard ourselves against." Deception is the act of misleading in a wrong direction. Deception is the promulgation of a lie that will eventually lead to death, not only physically, but also morally, psychologically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. One of the signs of this great deception is the widespread infiltration into the Church of the Enneagram. Like yoga, the Enneagram has been "Christianized" to make it look innocuous. But it is far from innocuous!
Perhaps you have heard of the Enneagram, or perhaps you have used it yourself. But for those of you who have never heard of it, what is the Enneagram? The Enneagram is a tool used to analyze one's personality. It became popular in the corporate world in the 1990s, and from there spread rapidly to the mainstream world. Now, sad to say, it has even infiltrated the Church! The Enneagram is comprised of a diagram listing the numbers one to nine. The diagram has lines that connect each number to two other numbers. According to the Enneagram Institute, the nine numbers represent the so-called "nine divine forms" found in Gnostic teachings. Gnosticism, you may recall, was the heresy that the Apostle Paul refuted in the Book of Colossians. These nine forms of the Enneagram supposedly represent man's perfect essence in unity with Divinity. Under the guise of analyzing the personality for the purpose of better understanding oneself and others, the Enneagram at its core has as its purpose a spiritual awakening. Listen to what Marcia Montenegro, a former New Age astrologer who converted to Christianity, has to say about the Enneagram: "The Enneagram purports to lead a person to not only self-understanding, but to an integration of all aspects of the self and, ultimately, to an awakening to the true Self. 'Self' is capitalized because the Self is considered by the original (and most contemporary) Enneagram teachers to be divine."
As with other things in life, we must look at the root to determine the fruit. The Enneagram has its roots in the occult. In other words, it has its roots in the demonic kingdom of Satan. Some of those roots can be traced back to mystic George Gurdjieff (1866?-1949) who was born around 1866 and lived until 1949. It is purported, although not proven, that Gurdjieff learned the Enneagram from the Sufis, a mystical subgroup of Islam. Gurdjieff had two well-known followers--P. D. Ouspensky (1878-1947) and Oscar Ichazo (b.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your Virtual Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 9, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #10 in Series 2020 and is titled “Not Will Power, but Word Power." Over my lifetime, I've struggled to overcome the bad habit of speaking before thinking. I can't tell you how many times I've put my foot in my mouth only to take it out and put the other foot in. I am a communicator by nature and by calling, and I love to communicate. This is the reason Satan fights me in the area of my tongue. Of one thing we can be sure, the enemy will always focus his attacks on our areas of strength by targeting the weaknesses that go along with those strengths. For example, those of us who communicate well are susceptible to talking before thinking or talking too much. But the Bible warns that if we talk before we think or if we talk too much, we will eventually sin (Proverbs 10: 19). Well, as always, the Bible is true. When I speak before I think or when I talk too much, I inevitably get myself into trouble. And getting out of trouble is much more difficult than getting into it, I can assure you. As always, I went to the Lord with my problem. I told Him that no matter how hard I tried, I kept engaging my mouth before engaging my brain. The harder I tried not to talk before thinking, the more I talked before thinking. I felt just like the Apostle Paul who wrote in Romans 7: 15-24: "I don’t do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate. . . Although I have the desire to do what is right, I don’t do it. I don’t do the good I want to do. Instead, I do the evil that I don’t want to do. What a miserable person I am! Who will rescue me...?" Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever wanted desperately to stop doing something--like, perhaps, to stop smoking, or to stop taking drugs, or to stop viewing pornography, or to stop overeating, or to stop spending too much money, or to stop yelling at your kids--but, no matter how hard you tried, you just kept messing up? If so, you are not alone. One of the biggest reasons that bad habits are hard to break is that we try to overcome them in our own strength. And that, my friend, is impossible. We as humans have no power in ourselves to overcome the flesh. We need Jesus Christ in our lives to live the overcoming life through us.
So, the first step to overcoming a bad habit once and for all is to be born again--to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. Why? Because only Jesus Christ can set us free. Nothing else or no one else can set us permanently free. Yes, we may have some success using will power alone, but that success will eventually fizzle out. What we need to overcome permanently is not will power, but Word power. The power of God's Word as found in the Holy Bible. Jesus is God's Word made flesh as we read in John 1: 1. Jesus said in John 8: 32, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The truth is found in God's Word. As we learn the truth and apply it to our lives, we will become freer and freer. In fact, we will be free to the degree that we know and obey the Word of God. Once we have Jesus living within us,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
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Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your Virtual Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, March 2, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #9 in Series 2020 and is titled “Is the World Coming to an End?"
So, is the world really coming to an end? Let me say that the world as we have known it is coming to an end. Ultimately, however, after a seven-year period of time known as the Tribulation, Jesus will return to destroy the enemies of Israel once and for all and to set up His millennial kingdom--or His thousand-year reign on the earth. During this time, Satan will be bound and the world will be in peace under the rulership of Christ. At the end of the Millennium, Satan will be unleashed one last time and then destroyed forever by God Himself. God will then create a new heaven and a new earth that will last forever.
But, before that time, a lot must happen. It doesn't take much to realize that something different--and scary--is happening in our world. This year, if the Lord wills, I will have lived three-quarters of a century on this earth. What I am seeing today is something far different and far more frightening than I have ever seen throughout my entire lifetime. So, what's going on? The answer to this very important question is found in the Bible, specifically in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24: 3-13. In that chapter, we read about a conversation between Jesus and His disciples. Let's listen in: "As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, 'Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign that you are coming again, and when will the world come to an end?' Jesus answered them, "Be careful not to let anyone deceive you. Many will come using my name. They will say, 'I am the Messiah,' and they will deceive many people. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don't be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don't mean that the end has come. Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these are only the beginning pains [of the end]. Then they will hand you over to those who will torture and kill you. All nations will hate you because you are committed to me. Then many will lose faith. They will betray and hate each other. Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. And because there will be more and more lawlessness, most people's love will grow cold. But the person who endures to the end will be saved. This Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come." All around us today, we see these prophetic words of Jesus coming true. Specifically, here are a few of those signs: 1. The phenomenal rise in wickedness. The Bible teaches that in the last days, wickedness would increase exponentially. In 2 Timothy 3: 1-5, we read this: "In the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and hav...
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_Episode_8_2020-02-24_When_Your_Prayers_Hit_a_Brass_Ceiling.mp3 ________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your Virtual Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 24, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #8 in Series 2020 and is titled “When Your Prayers Hit a Brass Ceiling."
Recently, I've had a couple of people tell me that they feel as though God does not hear them when they pray. Perhaps this describes you as well. If so, let me encourage you with some tips on how to break through that brass ceiling when you pray.
Here are a few things that may be keeping you from getting a response from God:
- Know that God is listening, but you may not have connected to His wave length. Have you ever tried to tune in to a radio station while driving your car? Sometimes you have to keep turning the knob until the connection is made. The station is always transmitting, but you are not always connecting because you haven't hit the station's wave length.
- Faith is the spiritual device that connects you to God (Hebrews 11: 1). Another way of putting it is to say that faith is the currency of Heaven, the medium of exchange. God has a storehouse of blessings for you in Heaven. To download them from Heaven to Earth, we need faith. Faith is the downloading device. The Bible says that without faith, it's impossible to please God (Hebrews 11: 6).
- Our prayers must align with God's Word (1 John 5: 14-15). For instance, a single woman who prays that a certain married man will become her husband is not praying according to God's Word. Instead, she is being deceived by Satan. God will never answer such a prayer--nor any prayer that violates His Word.
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We must ask with the right motives (James 4: 2-3). Right motives are not selfish motives. Right motives characterize a heart willing to accept God's will, no matter what it is.
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Gratitude must lace our prayers. God responds to a grateful heart because a grateful heart is a humble heart. Scripture tells us in James 4: 6 that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
- Finally, we must wait for God's timing. "There is a time for everything," Solomon writes in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Although it may seem as though God has not heard our prayer, he sometimes delays His response for reasons of His own. Perhaps we need to learn to be patient. Perhaps He has to orchestrate other situations connected with our own situation. Whatever the case may, God is always on time in answering our prayers. All of the above tips are meaningless unless one has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ--in other words, unless one has been born again. Scripture says this: "God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him." The only prayer God hears from those who do not know Him is the prayer for salvation. In John 6: 37b, God says, "Whoever comes to me I will never drive out."
If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, I urge you to do so now.
Pray this simple prayer with me: Father God, I want and need a personal relationship with You. I recognize that I cannot save myself. For this reason, You sent Jesus to save me and to restore me to fellowship with You.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_Episode_7_2020-02-17_The_Coming_Global_Cataclysm.mp3 ________________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your Virtual Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 17, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #7 in Series 2020 and is titled “The Coming Global Cataclysm." Most people are unaware that there is a global cataclysm coming upon the earth that will literally turn the world upside down. No one knows exactly when this event will occur, but all signs indicate that it will happen in the not-too-distant future. The cataclysmic event to which I am referring is called the Rapture. So, what is the Rapture?
The Rapture is a momentous instant in time when Jesus Christ will suddenly appear in the sky, visible only to His followers, to remove them from the earth before the beginning of the most horrific period in human history called the Tribulation. The Bible warns of this momentous event in 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17:
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord." When the Rapture occurs, the world will fall into utter chaos. Imagine the scenario. At the Rapture, all born-again followers of Christ will be removed from the earth. This means that all airplane pilots who are Christ-followers and who are flying planes at the time of the Rapture will suddenly disappear from their airplanes. All drivers of cars, trucks, trains, ships, and other forms of transportation will suddenly leave their vehicles driverless and unattended. All operators of machinery who are Christ-Followers will suddenly disappear from their workstations. The result will be catastrophic. Planes whose co-pilots are also Christ-Followers will fall from the sky. Trains will derail. Cars and trucks will veer off the highways. The result will be a nightmare the likes of which have never been seen, not even in a horror movie. After the Rapture, the people left behind will be thrust into frenzied terror. Parents will be frantically looking for their missing infants, toddlers, and little children (who will also be raptured). Spouses who are not born again will be frantically looking for their spouses who were born again and were taken by the Lord. Cell phone lines will be jammed as people desperately try to reach their loved ones.
World leaders will likely attribute the disappearance to an alien abduction, stating that those who disappeared were of an inferior degree of spiritual consciousness than those who remained and, consequently, were abducted by aliens. Even now, the world is quite comfortable with the concept of aliens, having been programmed for the last few decades, especially through the film industry, to accept them as normal. All of this chaos will lead to the rise of the AntiChrist, a world leader who will eventually emerge on the scene with a seeming solution to the chaos. Panic-stricken by the whole scenario, people will flock to him as their savior, as the one who will put their lives--and their world--back in order again.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_Episode_6_2020-02-10_When_the_Heartache_Is_Unbearable.mp3 ________________________________________________
Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your Virtual Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 10, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #6 in Series 2020 and is titled “When the Heartache Is Unbearable". Years ago, I heard a speaker say something I have never forgotten. She said, "Treat everyone as though he has a broken heart, because he does." Those poignant words were engraved upon my heart and totally transformed the way I looked at people. Those words, I believe, were what led me to become a Life Coach. And my experience as a coach during the past several years has proven over and over again the truth of the speaker's words.
In one way or another, everyone has a broken heart. We can't live long on this earth without experiencing something that will break our heart. A toddler's heart might be broken because his mommy has to leave him for a few hours. Or, far more serious, a toddler's heart might be broken by a mommy who has physically abused him or abandoned him. A teenager's heart might be broken by unrequited love. A married man's heart might be broken by a wife who leaves him. A middle-aged woman's heart might be broken by the death of her mother or her father. Broken hearts are all too common and all too painful. Heartache comes in many shapes and sizes, and no one is immune from it. Most of the time, we learn to cope with heartache. But sometimes, the heartache becomes unbearable. So, what do we do in such cases? As always, the Bible, God's manual for man, provides the answers. Let's take a look at what this greatest book of all time has to say about heartache:
God knows our heartache. Not only does He know it; He wants to heal it. Acts 15: 8 tells us that "God knows people’s hearts." God knows your heart, too, and He knows the depth of your suffering. He wants to take away the pain and replace it with His joy and peace.
God sent Jesus to comfort the broken-hearted. In Isaiah 61: 1, a verse quoted again by Jesus in Luke 4: 18, we read: "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has . . . sent me to comfort the broken-hearted." Jesus came to earth to comfort the broken-hearted. He wants to comfort you, too. Why? Because He loves you!
God heals our broken hearts, thereby removing the heartache. Psalm 147: 3 NLT says, "He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds." Picture our loving Jesus, bandaging your broken heart as He restores it to wholeness.
God is near to you at all times, especially during times of deep heartache. The Bible tells us in Psalm 34: 18-19 that "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time." If you are broken-hearted, the LORD is close to You and wants to rescue you. What an amazing promise! Surely knowing this gives us hope to go on when we feel like giving up.
In order for Jesus to heal our broken heart, we must ask Him to. Jesus is a gentleman, and He will not force Himself upon you. But if you ask Him to heal your broken heart, He will jump at the opportunity to do so. That is the reason He came to earth, died for you,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_Episode_5_1_2020-02-03_Make_Your_Marriage_Great_Again_.mp3 Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your Virtual Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 3, 2020. Today's Podcast is Episode #5 in Series 2020 and is titled "Make Your Marriage Great Again!" Recently, my husband and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. While this is quite a milestone to say the least, we didn’t get there by strolling hand in hand down the pathway of life without a few bumps and bruises along the way. Sometimes major ones! We reached that 50-year milestone because of a lot of patience, perseverance, and plain pluck! Because my husband and I are somewhat of a marriage anomaly in this day and age, young people often approach us asking how we stayed married for so long. They also tell us that they are afraid to get married. When they have seen more marriage defeat than success, it's no wonder they are leery of getting married. What young people have seen in the marriages of their elders has only served to discourage, depress, and drive them away from marriage. Instead, many of today's young people have opted for living together, a state called cohabitation. To hear young people say that they are afraid to get married makes me very sad since marriage was instituted by God to bless and to be a blessing. Yet, I understand their reticence. Why risk all the pain and heartache of a divorce when they can simply avoid all that suffering by leaving themselves a way out? In other words, by simply living together without a legal commitment. Before we examine the fallacies and dangers of cohabitation, however, let me be quick to explain that I do not by any means condone living together. Plain and simple, cohabitation is a violation of God's Word, and any violation of God's Word is sin. And, as the Bible warns us in Romans 6: 23, "the wages of sin is death." Sin will always lead to death and destruction on some level.
Yet, today more couples are living together outside of marriage than within marriage. In fact, a 2018 article published by the United States Census Bureau states that "cohabitation is now more prevalent than living with a spouse." The article goes on to state that in 2018, nine percent of the US population lived with an unmarried partner compared to seven percent who lived with a spouse. This is a troubling state of affairs.
While there are many articles out there giving supposedly good reasons for living together before marriage, I'm going to give you good reasons—God's reasons--for NOT living together. And here's a little hint: Choosing any of our own reasons to live together over God's reasons not to live together will ultimately hurt us. The first thing we need to consider is that marriage was God's idea! And so was sex! Because marriage is so special to God, He set up boundaries for protecting it as an institution and for protecting the husband, wife, and children in a marriage. The chief boundary God placed was that sex—the single act that differentiates marriage from every other human relationship—must be confined to marriage. Why did God set this boundary? Because to have sex outside of marriage is dangerous not only to the psychological and physical well-being of the partners involved but, more importantly, to their spiritual well-being.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
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AMENDMENT: It has been brought to my attention that a Biblical marriage consists of more than just sexual union. There must also be Ceremony (in the sense of the father's or the family's approval of the betrothal), Covenant (the commitment before God of the man and the woman to each other), and Consummation (sexual union). Please prayerfully consider these points as you read or listen. Thank you. ______________________________________________ If you've had sex outside of marriage, this podcast is for you. So, listen up. It could give you insights into many of the problems you're experiencing in your life—problems you've had trouble solving or resolving. If you’ve had sex outside of marriage, you formed a soul tie—or more than one—with the person or persons with whom you had sex. Unbeknown to you, that soul tie may be the cause of the emotional, psychological, and physical problems that are now troubling you or maybe even tormenting you—problems like nightmares, panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, unusual fear or phobias, addictive behaviors---or physical problems, like migraine headaches, infertility, heart palpitations, or digestive issues, among many others. You may have tried and tried to get rid of these problems, but they have been resistant to all kinds of treatment. But be encouraged! What you are about to hear may be the answer you've been looking for. So, what is a soul tie? A soul tie is an emotional and psychological connection that forms in a relationship, especially a sexual relationship. For the purposes of this podcast, we will confine ourselves to discussing the soul tie that occurs in a sexual relationship. Before getting into the meat of our discussion, let me explain that we human beings are made up of three parts: spirit, soul, and body. This truth is found in the Bible, God's manual for man, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5: verse 23 where the Apostle Paul writes: "May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Italics mine). Just as God is a triune—or three-part Being (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)—so we who are made in His image, are triune beings made up of a spirit, a soul, and a body. Your spirit is who you really are, the core of your being, the real you. Your soul is made up of your mind, your will, and your emotions. Your body is what houses your spirit and your soul. Your body is what I like to call your "earth suit".
Whenever a man and a woman engage in the sexual act, a bond is formed. That bond is either godly or ungodly. If the sexual act occurs in marriage, then the bond is godly. It is a bond sanctioned and approved by God because He has ordained that sex should be engaged in only in marriage. If the sexual act occurs outside of marriage, then the bond is ungodly. In other words, God declares the sexual act outside of marriage to be illegal and illicit, and He does not approve of it. When a person has engaged in sexual activity outside of marriage—whether through fornication or adultery—a soul tie is formed. While the expression "soul tie" does not appear in the Bible, the concept of a soul tie does. In 1 Corinthians chapter 6: verse 16, the Bible says this: “He who joins himself to a harlot, becomes one body with her. For as it is written, ‘the two shall become one flesh.'”
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
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Back in the late sixties, I applied for a teaching job in a large midwestern city. I had just earned my Master's degree in my subject matter from a prestigious college and was eminently qualified for the position. Imagine my shock when, instead of being considered for the job, the superintendent of the school district told me to "go back to my own people." To say I was speechless would be an understatement. Never before had I experienced prejudice, and prejudice simply because of my ethnicity. (For those of you who don't know, I am of Italian descent). Moreover, little did I know back then that I would have had legal recourse in the matter because of the then recently passed Civil Rights Act of 1964 that made employment discrimination illegal. But, as the saying goes, we get too soon old and too late smart. :) The sting of the superintendent's prejudicial slur dug deep. Yes, I forgave him from my heart, but the scar of his hurtful words remained. Instead of making me bitter, however, his words deepened my compassion for those who suffer prejudice of any kind. For the first time, I knew what prejudice felt like.
So, what exactly is prejudice? Noah Webster in his classic 1828 dictionary defines prejudice as follows: "Prejudgment; an opinion or decision of mind, formed without due examination of the facts or arguments which are necessary to a just and impartial determination." The current edition of Webster's dictionary defines prejudice as "an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge." When we think or act with prejudice, we are doing so without just cause and without logical reason. We are forming a preconceived opinion about someone, an opinion that has no basis in logic or experience. Sadly, prejudice still exists today and, sadly, it will always exist until the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Until that glorious day, we will have to deal with prejudice, whether it's the prejudice of others toward us, or our own prejudice toward others. So, in this podcast, I would like to offer some logical reasons that prove that prejudice is not only a sin but that it is also counter-productive and counter-intuitive. In the process, we will learn ways to deal with prejudice in a manner that glorifies God and respects others.
First, some logical reasons that render prejudice illogical, foolish, and sinful: Reason #1: All people ultimately descend from Adam and Eve and from Noah after the Flood. Since we share the same original parents, we are all in the same human family. In Acts 17: 26 NET, the Bible says this: "From one man he [God] made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live."
Reason #2: There is only one race: the Human Race. All differences in skin color resulted from the amount of people's exposure to the sun over time in a particular geographical area. The skin contains a pigment called melanin. Melanin determines one's skin color, hair color, and eye color. Exposure to the sun affects the amount of melanin produced by the skin cells. The more exposure to the sun, the more melanin in the skin cells. The more melanin in the skin cells, the darker the color of one's skin. So,
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Episode_2_Series_2020_Podcast_2020_01_13_Ouch_There_s_a_Thorn_in_My_Flesh_.mp3 Is there someone in your life who rubs you the wrong way? Well, if so, you're not alone. We've all had people in our lives who have rubbed us the wrong way. Of course, we rarely, if ever. think that WE rub someone the wrong way? That would be too humble of us, wouldn't it? Several years ago, I worked with a person who made life difficult for me. This person was harsh and unkind, and confusion often reigned in our communication. The more I tried to clarify, the worse the communication became. I had hired and signed a contract with this person to achieve a professional goal. But the person seemed to be standing in the way of my achieving that goal by sowing confusion in our communication. In short, this person had become a thorn in my flesh! Or, so I thought. (By the way, if you haven't experienced a thorn in the flesh yet, you will. So file away for future reference what I'm about to share with you.) Now, in all fairness to the person, I must say that the opposition was not intentional. But it was there, nonetheless. Yet, given the contract I had signed, I had no other recourse but to put up with the situation and to make the best of it. Day by day, as I engaged with this person, I found myself getting more and more stressed. I complained to the Lord that this person was an obstacle to my achieving my goal. To my great surprise, the Lord answered me with these words: "This person is not an obstacle, but a vehicle." A vehicle? Surely I had misunderstood and misheard the Lord. But I had not misheard Him. He had simply shown me once again that His ways are higher than my ways. Okay, Lord, I replied. "As always, you're right. But how is this person a vehicle and not an obstacle in my life?" The Lord said, "This person is a vehicle to my making you like Jesus. That's been your prayer, hasn't it? That I would make you like Jesus. Well, I've placed this person in your life to polish your rough edges. And you have many of them, you know." Gulp! Have you ever wanted to run into a cave and hide? Then you know how I felt. With great sincerity of heart, I asked the Lord to forgive me of my selfish, arrogant attitude and to help me view this person as a vehicle to God's shaping me into the image of Christ. Now, years later, I can see how that person's presence in my life revealed the huge flaws in me that I needed to deal with in order to become more and more like Jesus. Perhaps you, too, have a person or a situation in your life that is your thorn in the flesh. A person or situation that seems to be holding you back from what you want, that seems to be standing in the way of a goal you want to achieve. If so, stop and reconsider. Perhaps the very person or situation you think is an obstacle is actually a vehicle to something far better for your life. Something good you would miss if you didn't have that thorn in the flesh. So, why does God give each of us a thorn in the flesh? Here are three key reasons: 1. A thorn in the flesh polishes us. Thorns scratch at us, removing bits of harmful debris. Thorns polish us, removing our rough edges. Thorns prick us, instigating us to righteous living. 2. A thorn in the flesh keeps us dependent on God. When things aren't going swimmingly—as our British friends say—we tend to go to God for help.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post: https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast_Episode_1_Series_2020_Is_Your_Tongue_Ruining_Your_Life.mp3 You may be thinking, "What a strange question? How could my tongue be ruining my life?" You may be quite surprised when you find out. So, let me start off by asking you another question: Are there problems in your life that you can't seem to overcome? Like health problems? Marriage problems? Parenting problems? Addiction problems? Job problems? The list can go on and on. But if there are problems you can't seem to overcome, the real problem may be your tongue. Have I captured your attention yet? I hope so, because in the rest of this podcast, we are going to explore the role of the tongue in creating success or failure in life, blessing or cursing.
Just to clarify upfront, by the word "tongue" I mean the words we speak. Did you know that the words we speak affect our life, for better or worse? In the Book of Proverbs 18: 21, the Bible makes a very strong statement when it says "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Let that sink in for a moment. What does this verse tell us? First of all, it tells us that the tongue has power. Second, it tells us that that power is the power of death and life. In other words, your tongue has the power to generate death or to generate life. Quite a sobering truth, wouldn't you agree? If you're like me, just thinking about that verse makes me cringe. When I think of all of the negative words I've spoken throughout my life—unkind words, angry words, impatient words, impertinent words, hasty words, hurtful words, foolish words—I want to dig a hole and throw myself in it. In James 3: 6, the Bible calls the tongue "a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body." James further explains that the tongue "corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." Wow! Those are pretty strong words! So, what are we to do with this unruly member of the body? Well, truth be told, there is nothing we can do in our own strength. Why? Because the BIble tells us it's impossible to tame the tongue. I've tried taming my tongue in my own strength, and I've failed every single time. That strategy just doesn't work. Why not? Because the root of the problem is not the tongue; it is the human heart. You see, the Bible explains that what the tongue speaks comes out of the heart. In fact, the tongue can speak only what is in the heart. Matthew 12: 34 says this: "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." The NIV version states it like this: "...the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." What is your heart full of? Is it full of hate, bitterness, envy, anger, revenge? If so, that is what you will speak. No matter how much you try not to, you will eventually speak what is in your heart. But even more serious is that what you speak will affect your future life. If you speak failure, you will create failure. If you speak success, you will create success. If you speak curses on yourself, you will create a cursed life. If you speak blessings on yourself, you will create a blessed life. Let me give you an example. A woman went to her doctor complaining of a chronic pain in her neck. The doctor ordered all kinds of tests, but every test returned negative. He could find nothing physically wrong with her neck. But the doctor was a very observant man.
WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! ______________________________________
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Parents frequently ask me for advice on how to raise their children. Frankly, I am somewhat surprised, since by no means do I consider myself an expert on parenting. I do, however, consider God the Expert par excellence on parenting. As I was raising my children, I relied totally on God to direct me. There were many times I had absolutely no clue as to what I was doing. And there were even more times that I made mistakes--sometimes big ones. But there was one thing I always did right: I prayed! And, oh, how I prayed! Each night, as I checked on my children after they had fallen asleep, I would kneel down beside their beds, gently lay my hands on their precious heads, and pray this prayer: "Father God, please bridge the gap between the love my children needed today and the love they received." And then I trusted God to do just that. And, do you know what? He did! My daughters are now in their forties, and I can see the fruit of my daily, heartfelt prayer in their lives. They have become beautiful women of God who love Him and serve Him with all of their hearrt, soul, strength, and mind. And I owe it all to our Heavenly Father.
You see, when I first became a Christian a few years before my children were born, I discovered a promise to parents in the Bible. The promise is found in Proverbs 22: 6 KJV and says this: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." The New Living translation states it like this: "Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it."
As a young mother, I was trusting enough to believe that verse and to take God at His Word. My job was to learn what "the right path" was and to teach it to my children.
And so I began a diligent study of the Bible. Whenever I learned a new principle of holy conduct, I taught it to my children. I taught them the Word morning, noon, and night, because the Bible instructed me to do so. Regarding God's commandments, the Bible has this message for parents: "And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." And that's what I did.
So, let's break down these verses in Deuteronomy 6 and uncover the specific steps to wise and successful parenting:
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Commit wholeheartedly to God's commands. As parents, we must commit ourselves wholeheartedly to God's commandments, If we aren't serious about obeying God, we can't teach our children to be serious. They will see right through our hypocrisy.
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Repeat God's commandments over and over to our children. We all know that children usually don't get it the first time around. Nor the second! We have to repeat and repeat and repeat. The same is true of God's commandments. Our children need to hear them over and over before those commandments begin to sink in.
- Continually talk about God's commandments. We must talk about God's commandments when we are at home, in the car,
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https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_Podcast12232019_How_to_Destroy_Depression_Once_and_for_All.mp3 Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your Virtual Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is December 23, 2019, and our topic is how to destroy depression once and for all. Yes, I said destroy—as in get rid of forever! If you're depressed, that sounds like beautiful music to your ears. And it is!
Did you know that the number of depressed people today is greater than the number of people suffering from heart disease and cancer combined? This is a staggering number. But it does not have to be so.
You see, most advice on destroying depression focuses on the physical and the psychological. Very little advice focuses on the spiritual, which, in truth, is the real root cause of depression. While the physical and psychological remedies prescribed offer some semblance of relief, the depression rarely is entirely cured. It is merely managed.
But wouldn't you prefer not just to manage your depression but to get rid of it once and for all? Well, you can! And today we're going to talk about how to do that. First, let's look at some of the symptoms of depression, While experiencing these symptoms once in a while doesn't necessarily mean that you are depressed, experiencing them frequently may mean that you are. Let's take a look at some of the most common symptoms of depression: __Feeling hopeless about the future. __Crying a lot, especially at the drop of a hat. __Wanting to isolate yourself from people. __Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed. __Feeling tired all the time. __Having trouble focusing or concentrating. __Thinking of harming yourself or even killing yourself. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, what can you do? Isaiah 61: 3 gives us the answer: "Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." "What?!?" I can hear you screaming now. "Dr. MaryAnn, are you saying that I'm supposed to praise God when I feel depressed? You've got to be kidding! How can I praise God when all I want to do is die?” Friend, I am not saying it. God Himself is saying it. God tells us that the antidote to depression is praising Him!
But how can that be? Well, it's like this. Praising God is an act of trust in His love for us. When we trust God, we are expressing faith in Him to deliver us from whatever is coming against us. Praise will drive out depression EVERY SINGLE TIME. Why? Because depression is an evil spirit that wants to rob you of your joy, your power, and your destiny. And evil spirits get terrified and flee when they hear us praising God. Yes, contrary to what medicine and psychology may say, depression is an evil sprit. And yes, an evil spirit can cause physical and mental problems, like a chemical imbalance and suicidal tendencies. Medicine and psychology may be able to tame those symptoms temporarily, but unless the evil spirit is dealt with, those symptoms will recur.
How is the evil spirit dealt with? Through praising God. Praising God does not depend on our feelings. It depends on our will. We can choose to praise God even when we don’t feel like it. In fact, God commands us to praise Him even when we don’t feel like it. Why? Because God knows that praising Him will lift us out of depression and drive it away.
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“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
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Back in the day when I was in high school and college and studied history, I used to marvel at the barbaric practices of people in earlier civilizations. Surely, I thought, we are becoming more civilized as time goes on. These kinds of practices are done and over with forever.How wrong I was! It seems as though we in the 21stcentury have regressed as a civilization. Despite the amazing advances in technology and the incredible accumulation of knowledge, we are still spiritually primitive at heart.
A case in point is the contemporary rise of the occult. For a generation that prides itself on human reason, this resurgent interest in the occult seems mind-boggling, if not downright absurd. How could a generation of educationally advanced people still engage in practices once considered associated with educational poverty? Yet it is happening before our very eyes. All around us we see signs that the human mind, despite all of its advances, is still rooted in sin.
Let's consider the occult practice of using crystals or gemstones for healing, a practice sometimes associated with the false Hindu god Ganesh, the supposed remover of obstacles, including sickness. Using crystals and gemstones for healing is a practice that is widespread today and, sadly, is gaining in popularity, especially among young people. This practice is rooted in eastern mysticism and teaches that certain crystals, gems, and stones have healing powers when placed on specific parts of the body called "chakras." Many people claim to have been healed by using gemstones and crystals.
But beware! While a real healing may seem to have taken place, what the persons who uses this modality do not realize is that demonic forces have entered their bodies to inflict a deeper sickness on the levels of the soul and the spirit. This deeper sickness often does not show up until after the false physical healing has taken place. As the old saying goes, "All that glitters is not gold."
An undiscerning Christian might think, "What's wrong with using crystals and gemstones if using them heals me? After all, they're just stones." No, they are not just stones. They are conduits for demonic spirits who seek only your destruction through deception.
The Bible describes Satan as an angel of light. This means that he can counterfeit healing and use it as a lure to draw a person into his deathtrap. Just as Pharaoh's astrologers were able to counterfeit the power of God operating through Moses, so can New Age healing practitioners counterfeit healing power through the use of Satanic practices. But don't be deceived! The healing is a false healing, inflicting worse and lasting damage to your soul and your spirit.
The results we get from a particular practice should not be the basis for whether or not we engage in that practice. The end does not justify the means. Instead, we must evaluate every practice by the standard of God's Word. What does God say about the practice of using crystals and gemstones?
The Bible is quite clear about using any practice that attempts to manipulate the spirit world. Doing so is called witchcraft, and witchcraft is forbidden by God. Consider Deuteronomy 18: 10-12: "Let no one be found among ...
WINNING WITH THE WORDby Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here.
If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
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Shame is to the heart as chains are to the body. It imprisons us and causes us great emotional pain.Shame keeps us bound to the past and prevents us from moving forward into the future with joy and expectation.
What exactly is shame? In his wonderful 1828 dictionary, Noah Webster defines shame as "a painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt, or of having done something which injures reputation; or by that which nature or modesty prompts us to conceal. Shame is particularly excited by the disclosure of actions which, in the view of men, are mean and degrading."
Most, if not all, of us have experienced shame in one way or another.
I come from a poor family of eight children. Were it not for the generosity of the nuns at the Catholic school I attended, we would have often gone to bed hungry. Frequently, the nuns would graciously give me a big bag of their leftover egg salad sandwiches to take home to my family. As I rode the school bus with that large shopping bag filled with the nuns' pungent sandwiches on my lap, I felt shame. Shame because the other kids on the bus not only knew what I was carrying, but also why. Shame because I believed the lie that poor people were inferior.
Shame is the lie that says you're not good enough. While guilt says I MADE a mistake, shame says I AM a mistake.
Where does shame come from? Shame has two sources:1-Shame can come from our own sin.2-Shame can come from the sins of others against us.Let's look at each source.First, shame can come from our own sin. When we disobey God's Word and do something He has commanded us not to do, we feel shame because we know we have done wrong. We also feel shame because we have been found out by God--Who knows everything anyway--and shame because we may have exposed ourselves to the displeasure or scrutiny of others and, as a result, have gone down a notch in their estimation of us. Shame from our own sin makes us want to hide. And so we do. We hide in our jobs, in our hobbies, in social media, in our relationships, in our busy lives. Anything to avoid facing the pain of our shame.
Second, shame can come from the sins of others against us. For example, our parents may have spoken negative words to us as children---words that wounded our hearts. Have you ever heard these words as a child?
__"You'll never amount to anything."
__"You're so clumsy!"
__"You're stupid."
__"You're fat."
__"Our family is poor."
__"No one will ever love you."
__"I wish I never had you!"
__"You were an accident."
__Why can't you be like your brother? Your sister?
__"You're ugly."
__'You're (You fill in the blank)."
Words such as these linger with us all of our lives, imprisoning us in shame, unless we deal with them.
One of the worst things about shame is that, if we don't deal with it, we tend to pass it on to others, especially to the next generation. We do this by blaming them for our problems or by shaming them. For example, a mother who hates her own overweight body will often criticize her daughter's food choices, thereby passing on to her daughter a sense of shame about her body. A husband who was belittled by his boss during the day will come home and belittle his son in order...
WINNING WITH THE WORD by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.
AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here.
If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
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”It’s all your fault!” How often have I heard my grandchildren utter those words to one another! Too many times to count. Yet, while such an accusation may be expected among children, I hear it among too many adults as well.
So, what is the Blame Game?
The blame game is the act of refusing to take responsibility for one's own actions and the attempt to place responsibility for one's actions on someone else.
Let’s take a look at some players of the blame game. You will hear them say things like this:
“The devil made me do it.”
“It’s all my mother’s fault.”
“If only my father had not been an alcoholic, I wouldn’t be one either.”
“If I had not grown up in a dysfunctional family, my life wouldn’t be such a mess.”
“If only I didn’t like potato chips so much, I wouldn’t be overweight.”
All of these statements reveal a failure on the part of those who say such things to take responsibility for their lives.
You see, the truth is this: We alone are responsible for our choices and our actions. While we are not responsible for the choices and actions of those who have harmed us in any way, we ARE responsible for how we respond to the choices and actions of those who have harmed us.
Like many of you, I grew up in what would be described as a dysfunctional home. In fact, I think every home is dysfunctional in some way. As I approached my twenties, I stood in front of the mirror one day and said, “Girl, your past can either break you or make you. Which is it going to be?” Right then and there, I decided and declared aloud that my past was going to make me.
From BLAMER to TAMER
Because God has given you a free will, you can move from blaming others for your choices and actions to taming your choices and actions. How? By taking responsibility for your choices and actions. By placing them under your control and, in turn, under the control of the Holy Spirit.
It is not what happens to us that matters. What matters is how we respond to what happens to us.
And God has given you the power to make that right choice.
So use your power to choose. And use it wisely. Don’t let the past dictate your future. Don't blame others for where you are today. Choose to take responsibility for your choices and your actions.
And remember this: It is not what happens to you that matters; what matters is how you respond to what happens to you. In other words, whether you have had an ideal childhood or you have come from the worst home situation possible doesn't matter. What matters is that you have the God-given power to make wise choices to create a fulfilling future. Use that power from now on!
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NOTE: If you are struggling to take responsibility for your life, I can help you! As a highly experienced Certified Life Coach, I will help you set priorities in line with your God-given purpose. For more information or to set up a phone appointment, please send me an email at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. You'll be taking the first step toward getting out of your mess of stress!
Now,
WINNING WITH THE WORD by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
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PODCAST: “Do You Need a Second Chance?” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
______________________________________ On my morning walk this morning, I saw a tree that caught my eye. What struck me about this tree is that the lower part of its trunk was crooked while the upper part was straight.
Instantly, the Lord spoke to my heart: "If you follow My ways, no matter how crooked your past, I will make your future straight. I will give you a second chance."
Overwhelmed by the Lord's mercy, I thought of my own life. Before I met Jesus, I was following a crooked path, a path that would eventually lead to death and destruction. But when I met our precious Lord, He redirected my life and put me on a straight path. He gave me a second chance.
Perhaps you, too, need a second chance today. Perhaps you've been following a crooked path--whether through ignorance, rebellion, or a combination of both. Whatever the case, God is ready to take you by the hand and put you on the straight path.
What is the straight path?
The straight path is the path that leads to life. It is the path of righteousness. It is the narrow path that alone brings joy and peace.
Some people are blessed with starting out on the straight path and remaining on it. Because of the Word of God engrafted early on in their young hearts, such people never enter the crooked path but remain faithfully on the straight path. They never experience crookedness but grow straight--like the straight young sapling I also encountered on my morning walk. This tree is growing in the right direction, following the path intended by its Maker from the beginning.
Most of us started out on a crooked path. Life has bent us and twisted us and distorted us. But God can give us a new direction. He can redirect our path toward Truth and Light and Life. We have only to repent and surrender to Him.
The tree on my morning walk had started out crooked but now it was growing straight. Straight upward toward the One Who'd created it in the first place. My "second-chance tree" was finally pointed in the right direction--not toward the world around it but toward the heavens above it.
What about you? Do you need a second chance today? Do you need God to straighten you out? Do you need to leave behind the twisted pain of your life and embrace the beauty of being straight?
If so, God is ready to meet you. And in His hand, He is holding your second chance. Won't you accept it now? Just pray this simple prayer with me:
Lord God, I am in desperate need of a second chance. I have messed up my life. I am bent and crooked and broken. Please straighten me out. Please give me a second chance. I repent of my former ways. In the Name of Jesus, I repent of having followed the crooked path. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. I now choose to turn with You onto the straight path. I choose to follow You on the straight and narrow path for the rest of my days. Help me, Lord. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God. Please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com and I will send you a free booklet to help you start walking on the straight path.
Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are, and just where you are, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word!
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WINNING WITH THE WORD by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
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Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below on the PODCAST LINK to today’s blog post:
PODCAST: “ARE YOU READY FOR THE RAPTURE?” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio ______________________________________
http://maryanndiorio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/WWW.Podcast-23.-Are-You-Ready-for-the-Rapture_.mp3
We are living at a momentous time in history, a time when Jesus Christ could return at any moment to take his Church out of the world. This remarkable event whereby Jesus will instantaneously remove his followers from the earth is called the Rapture. As the Bible describes it, it will happen in the twinkling of an eye, in other words as fast as the blink of an eye. Interestingly, in Jewish tradition, the term the twinkling of an eye also refers to the sliver of the new moon that is seen on Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets.
My question to you today is, are you ready for the Rapture? If Jesus Christ were to return today, would He take you to be with Him? Or would He leave you behind?
This is a very serious question, and it is critically important that you be able to answer it in the affirmative. If you are not sure that you would be able to do so, then listen very closely. What I am going to discuss with you today could determine your eternal destiny.
The Rapture of People out of the world
According to the Bible, God's instruction manual for man, the day is coming when Jesus Christ will return to Earth to rule and reign for a period of 1000 years. This thousand-year period of time is referred to as the Millennium. About seven years prior to the second coming of Christ, however, He will appear in the sky and draw to Himself all those who have surrendered their lives to Him and who are living for Him. This event is called the Rapture and is described in 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17:
"The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."
Those people who will be taken out of the world at that time are called the Church. The Church is comprised of all those who have been born again by accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, and who are serving Him as their Lord at the time of the Rapture. These people alone will be considered the children of God, and therefore eligible to be removed from the earth and to see God. You see, while all people are the creations of God, only those who have been born again are the children of God. Two Scripture passages confirm this truth.
The first is John 1: 12 that states: "But as many as received Him, to them, He gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in His Name." The second is John 3: 3 that says, "Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
So those who have not been born again and who are not serving God at the time of the Rapture will be left behind. And they'll go through the worst period of suffering in the history of the world. This period of suffering is called the Tribulation and will make all previous wars combined look like a picnic.
During this horrendous time of human suffering, the world will be under the rule of a dictator called the Antichrist. Many will believe him to be the Messiah when, indeed, he will be Satan incarnate. In other words, he will be a man totally possessed by Satan.
WINNING WITH THE WORD by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
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PODCAST: “WHERE WILL YOU GO WHEN YOU DIE?” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio ______________________________________ Hello and happy day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your Virtual Life Coach welcoming you to Winning with the Word!.
Today I'd like to start our program by asking you a very important question. It's a question that may at first sound negative, but in reality, it's one of the most positive questions I could ever ask you. In fact, it may very well be the most important question anyone could ever ask you.
The question is this: Do you know where you will go when you die?
Perhaps you've never thought about that question before, or perhaps it has crossed your mind on occasion, but you quickly brushed it aside because you did not like to think about it. After all, no one really likes to think about death.
Do you know the reason people don't like to think about death or even to talk about it? The reason is that the concept of death is foreign to God's original plan for humanity. It was not something He ever intended for man to experience. On the contrary, when God created man and woman, He intended for them to experience only life forevermore. He intended them to live in total health of spirit, soul, and body, to enjoy abundant wealth. and to be happy and full of joy forever. Somewhere deep down in our hearts, we know that we were meant to experience this kind of life. We know that we were meant to live forever. Consequently, the thought of death troubles us. "The concept of death is foreign to God's original purpose for humanity." Furthermore, because we believe that death is beyond our control, we try, in a variety of ways, to get a handle on it so that it won't seem so frightening. Have you noticed that when you acquire knowledge about a particular topic, any fear you may have had about it loses its power over you? Well, subconsciously, we believe that if somehow we can figure out death, we will be able to master it, that if somehow we can arrive at an understanding of death, the fear of death will lose its power over us.
One of the ways we try to get a handle on death to gain some control over it is by coming up with all kinds of explanations as to what happens to us when we die. For instance, some people believe that death is simply the end of life and that there's nothing beyond it. This belief spawns what is commonly called an Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you might die philosophy. After all, if this life is all there is, why not throw ourselves recklessly into living it by doing whatever we want. Others believe that everyone will go to heaven because God is good, and a good God would never send anyone to Hell. Even if we've done terrible things during our lifetime, when it's time to die, God will feel sorry for us and let us off the hook. Still others believe that if they live a good life, they will make it to Heaven, although they won't know for sure until after they die. These people are great at doing all kinds of good works, because they are convinced that the more good works they do, the better chance they will have of making it into Heaven. At the same time, however, they live with a continual undercurrent of fear and worry, because they won't know until they die whether or not they actually made it to Heaven. Then there's that group of people who believe what the Bible says, which is that after we die,
WINNING WITH THE WORD by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God's principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God's manual for life.
AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
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PODCAST: "THE DANGERS OF THE OCCULT" by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio http://maryanndiorio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/WWW.Podcast-26.-The-Dangers-of-the-Occult.mp3 ______________________________________
With Halloween just around the corner, I think it appropriate today to discuss the dangers of the occult. While occult practices are widespread in our country throughout the year, they become particularly intense around Halloween, since Halloween is considered a religious holiday, if you will, among those involved in the occult.
Webster's Dictionary defines the occult as "matters involving the action or influence of supernatural agencies." I'd like to clarify this definition a bit by saying that the occult involves the action or influence of demonic supernatural agencies. Angels are supernatural agencies, but they have nothing at all to do with the occult. Many people today are involved in the occult and don't even know it. Perhaps you are one of them. Let me ask you a few questions.
Do you start your day by reading your horoscope? Do you call the psychic hotline when you're facing a problem? Have you gone to a fortune teller, attended a séance, or spoken to what you thought was the spirit of a dead relative? Have you played with a Ouija board or experimented with levitation?
If you've done or are doing any of these things, then you are involved in the occult, and you are in serious danger. So, listen very carefully. If you've experimented with the occult to any degree whatsoever, even if just once, you've probably encountered forces outside the natural realm. Most likely, these forces, also called evil spirits, have produced fear in your life, perhaps even nightmares or panic attacks. In some cases, these evil spirits may have even taken over your personality. If so, I want to encourage you today, for there is a way for you to be delivered from the influence of evil spirits.
The Bible God's instruction manual for man, in Deuteronomy 18: 9-12, has this to say about the occult: "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist, or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord." If you are involved in the occult, you are on a road that will surely lead you to destruction and death unless you make an about-face. Why? Because the occult is the realm of Satan and his demons, and involvement with Satan and his demons always leads to spiritual and often physical death. Demons are fallen angels that sided with Satan when he rebelled against God. As a result of their rebellion, they were thrown out of Heaven and now roam the earth enticing unsuspecting people into their evil traps.
The primary goal of demons is to get you to doubt what God says in the Bible. In other words, to get you to doubt God. This is exactly how Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. He got her to doubt the truth of what God had said to her.
Let's take a look at this passage in the third chapter of Genesis: "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" Let's stop here for a moment and notice the key to Satan's strategy of deception.
WINNING WITH THE WORD by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God's principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God's manual for life.
AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
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PODCAST: "DEALING WITH THE SPIRIT OF STRIFE " by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio ______________________________________ http://maryanndiorio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/WWW.Podcast-9.The-Spirit-of-Strife.mp3 Are you upset with someone today? Have you just had a big fight with your spouse, your child, or your mother? Is there a person at work with whom you just can't get along? If so, then you can be sure that the spirit of strife has crept into your life.
Today I'm going to show you how you can stop being upset and start being happy. I'm going to show you how to deal with the spirit of strife and create positive, win-win relationships with all of the people in your life. Strife is one of the key causes of relationship problems. In fact, strife is responsible for the breakup of marriages, families, friendships, and churches. What is strife?
Webster defines strife as bitter, sometimes violent, conflict or dissension; an exertion or contention for superiority. I find it especially significant that Webster describes strife as "contention for superiority." What he is saying is that contention, which is another word for strife, arises out of a desire for superiority. Superiority here means thinking of yourself and your needs as more important than the other person and his needs.
Another word for superiority is pride. Interestingly, the Bible, God's manual for man, also relates strife to pride. Proverbs 13: 10 says, "By pride comes nothing but strife." This verse tells us that in every instance of strife--in other words, in every fight you have with your spouse, in every argument you have with your children, in every verbal outburst you have with your co-worker--there is always pride involved. If both of you are shouting, then more than likely, there is pride on both sides. Well, you may be wondering, what's so bad about that? A little clearing of the air once in a while is good for you. If, by "clearing the air" you mean that two people in a relationship need to make sure they are communicating clearly, I agree with you. But strife is not the way to do it. In fact, strife never clears the air. Strife pollutes it even more. You see, strife worms its way into a relationship, destroying the very foundations of that relationship. Strife's goal is not to promote better communication. Strife's immediate goal is to destroy communication, and its ultimate goal is to destroy the relationship. Let's look at seven causes of strife as described in the Bible: Cause #1: Anger. Anger is a chief cause of strife. The Bible has a lot to say about anger. There is a kind of anger that is not sin. This is righteous anger, anger that is directed at evil. For example, it is right to be angry at the evil of abortion. But the anger we're talking about here is anger that wants to hurt. That wants to get revenge. That wants its own way. This kind of anger leads to strife, and strife, as we will see later, leads to every evil thing. Proverbs 15: 18 says, "A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention." Again, in Proverbs 29: 22, we read, "An angry man stirs up strife." Are you angry today? Is there a fire of rage boiling inside of you because of something someone did to you? If so, you need to deal with that anger because if you don't, it will turn against you and destroy you.
Anger implies an assumption of personal rights,
WINNING WITH THE WORD by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God's principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God's manual for life.
AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
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PODCAST: "YOU CAN CONQUER WORRY!" by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio ______________________________________ Today we're going to be exploring a very common problem, one that affects a lot of people in varying degrees. In every case, however, this problem ends up in some way hurting them and those close to them. What am I referring to? I am referring to the problem of worry.
Are you a worrier? Do you find yourself dreading the future, wondering what bad thing is going to happen next? Are you continually uptight about your finances, your health, your marriage, your children, your job?--to the point that you have a hard time relaxing and having fun? Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions, I have good news for you!
You can conquer worry!
We all know that with anything we wish to accomplish in life, we have to start with a desire to accomplish it. The same is true of conquering worry. You have to want to conquer worry before you can begin doing so. Now, you may be wondering: Who would not want to conquer worry? After all, worry robs us of peace and joy and keeps us in a constant state of inner turmoil.
You may be surprised to learn that there are many people who, deep down inside, do not really want to conquer worry. Strange as it may seem, worry has become for them a sort of status symbol, a sign of "responsibility." In other words, these people feel important when they worry. Or, for some people, worry is like an old shoe. They've grown comfortable with it and are reluctant to part with it. In fact, some people absolutely refuse to part with worry. It has become so much of a habit in their lives that they cannot imagine living without it. Still, other people hang on to worry because it is a means of drawing attention to themselves. They feel so insecure about themselves that they resort to unhealthful behavior patterns to affirm their worth. By worrying, they attract the attention of others and, in a sick way, that attention satisfies their need for affirmation. All of the examples I've just given are obstacles that keep us from conquering worry. To achieve any level of success and freedom in life, we have to be willing to part with those things that are holding us back. In other words, we have to move out of our comfort zones--and I'm not saying this is easy to do--but it's absolutely necessary if we are to grow. We have to push through the pain of growth, because on the other side of the pain, we will find freedom. The same is no less true of conquering the worry habit. You have to want to conquer worry before you can conquer it.
Okay. Let's assume that you truly want to conquer worry. What then? Well, the next step is to make a decision to conquer worry. You can have all the desire in the world to conquer worry, but unless you decide to do something about it, nothing will happen. Let me give you a simple illustration. Most of us at some point in our lives have struggled with losing weight. For instance, after I had my second child, I weighed ten pounds more than I weighed before I became pregnant. For years, I kept saying, "I want to lose these ten pounds. I have to lose these ten pounds." I kept expressing the desire to lose those ten pounds, but I never made the decision to lose them. Consequently, those ten pounds stayed around right where I didn't want them. Every time I looked in the mirror, there they were,
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“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God's principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God's manual for life.
AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog, click here. If this blog has blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you!
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PODCAST: "LIVING IN A VIOLENT WORLD" by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio ______________________________________ School has already been in session for over a month now, but perhaps some of you parents and grandparents have been sending your children and grandchildren off to school this year with more than the usual amount of anxiety. With all the violence in our world today, particularly as it relates to children, a new phobia has developed in our culture--a phobia that the young loved ones we send off to school in the morning may not come home in the afternoon.
Are you a victim of this phobia? Do you spend the entire day worried about the safety of your children? Perhaps some of you who are reading this post or listening to the podcast are, yourselves, students who arrive at school every morning wondering if you'll leave there alive that afternoon. Certainly, this is no way to live, and, certainly, God does not want you to live this way. But what can be done? Do we need tougher laws? Do we need more security in our schools? Do we need to screen students more carefully? While all of these measures may provide a small amount of improvement, they do not get to the root cause of the problem.
You see, no amount of external changes in policy will effect a lasting safety for our children, nor for ourselves. The reason is that the problem lies not in the external circumstances, but in the internal arena of the human heart. It is in the human heart that the battle against violence is waged. In Proverbs chapter 23, verse 7, the Bible says that "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." This means that a person will respond to life based on what is in his heart.
Well, if we continually fill our hearts with evil, such as images of violence, hatred, and lust, then we will respond to life with violence, hatred, and lust. If, on the other hand, we fill our hearts with good images--such as kindness, peace, and love--then we will respond to life with kindness, peace, and love. To expect to change society without first changing the heart is futile, because in order to change the fruit, we first have to change the root. The root of a person is his heart. So, how does all of this relate to the safety of our children in our schools? It relates very significantly because we now know that our major efforts in protecting our children must be directed not toward more social programs, but toward changing the human heart.
Well, you may be thinking, that's all well and good, but how can we change the human heart? The answer to that excellent question is, "We can't! Only God can." But there are some very important things we can do to get God to change the human heart. Let me share some of these things with you. They are found in 2 Chronicles chapter 7, verse 14. There God says, "If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land." This Scripture passage gives us a formula for addressing the problems we face as a society and, more specifically, for ensuring our safety, both in our schools and in our country. Let's look at this passage closely:
"If My people who are called by My Name ...." God is speaking to those of us who belong to Him, those of us who have been born again and are part ...
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4: 23 _________________________________________________ AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog via Facebook, click here. If you are not on Facebook or would prefer to subscribe via a different venue, please check the sidebar to the right for subscription options. Thank you! __________________________________________________ Wherever I turn, I find people who feel hopeless. Be it a teenager whose parents just divorced or an elderly person without a family, people everywhere struggle with despair. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is currently the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. On average, 121 people kill themselves every single day. That is 121 too many!
But suicide isn’t the only epidemic in the United States. Millions of people suffer from depression and depression-related disorders, like anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorders, bipolar disorder, and phobias. This should not be. Yet it is. But why is it? I would posit that many of these problems stem from a loss of hope, and a loss of hope stems from the lack of a deep, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 6: 19 that hope is “an anchor for the soul.” In other words, hope keeps us stable and positive in the midst of obstacles. Hope keeps us looking ahead toward a better tomorrow. Toward the day when Christ will return and usher us into the eternal realm where all suffering will cease. But while we are here on this earth, God wants us not only to survive, but also to thrive. And in order to do so, we must have hope. But our hope must be in the right place.
The only right place for our hope is in Jesus Christ. To hope in anything outside of Christ is to hope in vain, for only Christ is the Solid Rock on which hope can stand. Much of our disappointment in life comes from the fact that we have hoped in the wrong thing or the wrong person. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a spouse or a child only to be disappointed in that spouse or that child. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a job or a career, only to be disappointed in that job or that career. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a friend who has betrayed us or a parent who has let us down. Whatever the case, when we place our hope in imperfect human beings or in imperfect human situations, our hope will falter. But when we place our hope in the Perfect God, our hope will never fail. In Psalm 39: 7, King David asks this question: “And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?” David answers his own question when he says: “My only hope is in You.” David knew that the only safe repository of his hope was God. The same is true for us. When we place our hope in God, we will never be disappointed. Perhaps you are listening today and you are feeling hopeless. Perhaps your life has crumbled and you don’t know where to turn. Perhaps you have even contemplated suicide or have already made arrangements to kill yourself. If I am talking to you, then I urge you to give yourself another chance. You see, Satan wants to destroy you because you have a great purpose in God’s plan, and Satan wants to keep you from fulfilling that purpose. If you were not important to God, Satan would have no need to get you to feel hopeless or to kill yourself. But you are a threat to Satan, so he wants to eliminate you—to take you out of the picture. He does this by stealing your hope. Without hope, we see no reason to go on. So, if Satan can steal your hope, he can steal your life and your blessings. God, on the other hand, wants to give you life not steal it from you. He wants to give you hope and peace and every good thing. But in order to receive the hope that God wants to give you, you must receive it from His hand. You must, in short, come to Him. God is waiting for you to do that now. Today, if you are feeling hopeless,
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4: 23 _________________________________________________
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Do you hate confrontation? Are you one of those people who gets uptight when there is the slightest indication of anger, upset, or instability in the status quo?
If so, you are not alone!
But while you may not be alone, you may be in trouble!
Why? Because confrontation is essential to growth. Without it, we will remain imprisoned in unhealthful relationship patterns. We will not experience the abundant life Jesus died to give us. In fact, we will not fulfill our God-given destiny.
Consider the caterpillar. Without confrontation--i.e., confronting the cocoon--the caterpillar would never turn into a butterfly.
Consider also the chick in the egg. Without confrontation--i.e., pushing against the eggshell to escape its confines--the chick would never emerge to live out its destiny as a chicken.
And consider the human being. Without confrontation--i.e., pushing through the obstacles that hinder healthful relationships and God's plan for our lives--we would never grow into the truthful and loving people God created us to be.
No, it's not confrontation that is the problem. It is the manner in which we handle confrontation.
"It's not confrontation that is the problem. It's the manner in which we handle confrontation." ~ Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
Most people are afraid of confrontation because they have seen it mishandled. Many have been deeply hurt by confrontation, whether emotionally, physically, or both. Perhaps, like me, you are one of them.
For example, shouting, throwing things, or inflicting physical or emotional pain is not the proper way to handle confrontation. This kind of behavior is what has given confrontation its bad name.
But, on the other side of the coin, the failure to confront--especially on the part of a leader--has resulted in the destruction of families, organizations, and churches. When a leader fails to confront sin, he is tacitly allowing it to continue. There is no middle ground. Also, when a leader fails to confront sin, he is giving in to the fear of man. Whenever we fear man more than we fear God, we are in big trouble! So, what is the proper way to handle confrontation? First, let's consider what confrontation really is. Confrontation is "speaking the truth in love." This concept comes directly from the Bible. Let's take a look at Ephesians 4: 15: "Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ . . . ."
What do you notice about this verse? Let's dissect it together:
1--We are instructed to speak the truth. 2--We are instructed to speak the truth in love; i.e., with a desire to help the person we are confronting. 3--When we speak the truth in love, we will grow more and more like Christ.
Speaking the truth in love--aka "confrontation"-- causes growth, both in the speaker and in the listener.
When David sinned with Bathsheba, he brought much suffering and harm to his family. God commissioned the prophet Nathan to confront David about his sin. Nathan obeyed the Lord, resulting in David's repentance. Do you think Nathan felt like confronting King David? I doubt it. Nor do we always feel like confronting sin in the lives of those we love or those whom God has placed under our authority. But confront we must if we truly love them. Truth without love will result in alienation. Love without truth will result in damnation. This is what is happening in many of our churches today. Pastors are preaching a love message without combining it with a truth messa...
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4: 23
With Halloween close on our heels, we are entering the yearly period of intense occult activity in our land. Not that the occult isn't alive and active all year round. But at this time of year, it steps up its game. What is the occult, and why is it dangerous?
The occult is involvement with demonic supernatural agents. Notice that I said "demonic" supernatural agents. Good angels are also supernatural agents, but they are by no means occultic in nature or function. Instead, they are holy and in total submission to God.
Demons, on the contrary, are in rebellion to God. Demons represent the one-third of the angels who joined Lucifer in rebelling against God. The other two-thirds of the angels remained faithful to God.
Many people today are involved in the occult and don't even know it. Perhaps you are one of them. If so, read on, because involvement in the occult is extremely dangerous to your spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
How can you know if you are involved in the occult? Here are a few questions to ask yourself: 1--Do you start your day by reading your horoscope? 2--Do you call the psychic hotline when facing a problem? 3--Have you gone to a séance, consulted a fortune-teller, or spoken to someone you believed was a dead relative or friend? 4--Have you played with a Ouija board or experimented with levitation? 5--Have you played with tarot cards, read tea leaves, or used crystal balls to determine the future? 6--Do you play occult games like Dungeons and Dragons or Tunnels and Trolls? 7--Have you had your body tattooed in private places? 8--Do you use occult symbols on your personal belongings--symbols like the pentagram, the number 666, or horned creatures? 9--Do you easily rebel against authority? 10-Have you engaged in animal sacrifices? 11-Do you watch horror or occult movies or read horror or occult books, like Harry Potter? 12-Have you had out-of-body experiences that terrified you? 13-Are you addicted to drugs? 14-Do you deliberately cut yourself? 15-Are you inordinately depressed, to the point of wanting to commit suicide?
"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft...." ~ 1 Samuel 15: 23
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you need to take action! Even if you've experimented with the occult "only one time," you've opened the door to a demonic realm that is affecting your life at this very moment.
For example, do you experience panic attacks, nightmares, or inordinate fear? These symptoms could very well be due to your involvement--past or present--with the occult.
Or perhaps you are tormented by voices continually talking in your head. You may be afraid to tell anyone about these voices for fear you would be considered insane. You may see horrible images in your mind that drive you to distraction, yet you are afraid or embarrassed to share this with anyone. You may have an inordinate fear of something but are unwilling to divulge it. This fear may be due to your involvement in the occult. In worst case scenarios, involvement with the occult could result in a complete takeover of your personality by demonic spirits--something called "demon possession." If you are, indeed, involved in the occult, there is hope for you! That hope is in Jesus Christ! Before I gave my life to Jesus, I used to read the daily horoscope, unaware of its grave dangers. After I was born again, Holy Spirit showed me in the Bible that what I was doing was sin. I immediately repented and stopped reading the horoscope. Also, I learned that some of my ancestors had been involved in the occult and, as a result, had passed on to me a generational curse. So, I underwent deliverance ministry whereby I was set free from the generational curse of occult involvement. If you have been involved in the occult, you, too,
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4: 23 Satan wants your tongue! Why? Because your tongue is the programmer of your life. If he can get control of your tongue, he can get control of you and your future.
Have you noticed that when God created the universe, He used words? In other words, He "spoke" everything into existence. God said, "Let there be light" and there was light. In fact, throughout the first chapter of Genesis, we read over and over, "God said . . . And there was." "God said . . . And there was." "God said . . . And there was." When God said something, it came into existence.
Well, since we are made in God's image, we function the same way. When we say something, it comes into existence. This makes the words we speak of utmost importance, wouldn't you agree?
So, what words are you speaking? Are you speaking words that agree with God's Word, or are you speaking words that agree with Satan? The Bible calls Satan "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8: 44). One definition of the verb "lie" is "to twist the truth". Whenever we speak words that contradict what God says about us, we are twisting the truth and allowing ourselves to be used as tools of Satan. We are acting as tongue-twisters. Not a good thing!
"Your tongue is the programmer of your life." ~ Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
Proverbs 18: 21 tells us that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." This means that with your tongue you can point your life toward death or toward life. Pretty heavy stuff! Which will it be for you?
As one who has struggled much in the area of the tongue, I humbly offer three suggestions that have helped me:
1--Think before you speak (Ecclesiastes 5: 2).
2--Choose your words carefully (Matthew 12: 36-37; Psalm 19: 14).
3--Ask the Lord to put a guard over your mouth (Psalm 141: 3).
Applying these three principles to your speech will radically transform your speech and help you to align it with God's Word/
Remember: Your tongue is the programmer of your life. Make sure you program your life with God's Word. Then watch your life become filled with life. Now, it’s YOUR turn: Do you have trouble controlling your tongue? What can you do about that? Please leave your response in the Comment Box below. Thank you! TWEETABLE: Are You a Tongue-Twister? by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (Click to Tweet)
Don't miss my 15-minute podcast below that accompanies this post: The Power of the Spoken Word http://maryanndiorio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/WWW.Podcast-3.The-Power-of-the-Spoken-Word.mp3
If you found this post helpful, please forward it to a friend. Thank you! Check our archives in the right sidebar for older posts on a variety of topics. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top right. Some of our most popular posts are:
---Victim or Victor: Which One Are You?
---How to Conquer Stinkin' Thinkin'
—How to Make Change Your Ally —Are You Playing the Blame Game? For additional encouragement, check out my podcasts at the following links: A Moment with MaryAnn – Podcasts on Living the Good Life Winning with the Word Podcast Series Write Your Heart Out! – Podcasts for Writers NOTE: If you are struggling to know your purpose in life, I can help you! As a highly experienced Certified Life Coach, I will help you set priorities in line with your God-given purpose. For more information or to set up a phone appointment, please send me an email at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. You’ll be taking a major step toward fulfilling your destiny! Please tell your family and friends about this blog and please pass this post on to them. Thank you! _______________________________________________________________ To help you learn about your true identity in Christ, I wrote YOU WERE MADE FOR GREATNESS!.
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4: 23 Victim or Victor. Both words begin with the same four letters, but they are complete opposites in definition. Which one are you? Let's take a look at some of the characteristics of each. See where you fit in.
VICTIMS: --believe they have little or no control over their lives. They are swept along by the desires of others and refuse to take responsibility for their lives. They often don't know how to say no.
---think that their past equals their future. They feel condemned and controlled by what happened to them and hopeless that things will ever change. --are ruled by their circumstances. Victims feel powerless to do anything about their circumstances and, hence, succumb to them. VICTORS: --believe that they alone are responsible for their lives. They do not allow others to control their lives. They "own" their lives and take charge of them under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
--know that their past does not equal their future. They feel empowered to make those choices that will create for them the kind of life they want to live. They believe that they have a free will that can change things.
--are not ruled by their circumstances. Instead, they rule over their circumstances by the pro-active way in which they respond to their circumstances. So, which one are you? Victim or Victor?
"You are a victor to the degree to which you take charge of your life." ~ Dr. MaryAnn Diorio
If you discovered that you are a victim, you can change. If you discovered that you are a victor, keep doing what you're doing. But if, like most of us, you found yourself somewhere in-between, take heart. God is still working on us. The fact that we are still on this earth means that God has not finished with us yet.
So, be encouraged. It is only by His power that we can be set free from a victim mentality and develop a victor mentality. Ask the Lord to help you see where your thinking is wrong and to change it. Depend on Him to help you break free of the chains of victimization and to walk in the freedom He died to give you. In their pivotal book, It's Not My Fault, Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend make a critically important statement: "You can be free from whatever situation surrounds you to the degree that you are willing to take responsibility and ownership for it, even it it's not your fault."
So, whether you are a victim or a victor depends on whether or not you choose to take full responsibility for your life--in other words, whether or not you choose to "own" your life.
Make that choice now! Choose to be a victor by taking responsbility for your thoughts, your words, and your actions. As you do, you will discover more and more that you are gaining victory over your life instead of being a victim of it. Now, it’s YOUR turn: Are you a victim or a victor? How can you tell? Please leave your response in the Comment Box below. Thank you! TWEETABLE: "Victim or Victor: Which One Are You?" by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (Click to Tweet)
Don't miss my 3-minute podcast below that accompanies this post : Are You a Victim or a Victor? http://maryanndiorio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2017-02-18-MM-Podcast-6-Are-You-a-Victim-or-a-Victor_.mp3
If you found this post helpful, please forward it to a friend. Thank you! Check our archives in the right sidebar for older posts on a variety of topics. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top right. Some of our most popular posts are:
---How to Conquer Stinkin' Thinkin'
—How to Make Change Your Ally —Are You Playing the Blame Game? —Are You a Mess of Stress? For additional encouragement, check out my podcasts at the following links: A Moment with MaryAnn – Podcasts on Living the Good Life
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4: 23
Are you a stinkin' thinker? I used to be. Until, that is, I learned that stinkin' thinkin' got me nothing except misery, poor relationships, and failure.
So, what did I do to change? Let me share three Scripture verses that pulled me out of the pit of stinkin' thinkin' and put me on the path to happiness, great relationships, and success. As I obeyed these Scripture verses and applied them to my life, they changed me from a negative person to a positive one. They can do the same for you! Scripture Verse #1: Philippians 4: 8 NLT - "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."
Easier said than done. But doable, indeed! God never gives us a command without also giving us the ability to obey it. As I set my will and my mind to obey this commandment, I began to realize how much my thoughts were fixed on the opposite: the false, the dishonorable, the wrong, the unholy, the ugly, and the least to be admired. I certainly was not thinking of things that were excellent and worthy of praise. No wonder I wasn't experiencing the abundant life Jesus died to give me.
Scripture Verse #2: 2 Corinthians 10: 5 NIV - "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
What are "arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God?" Simply put, they are the lies that the devil throws at us every day. Those lies come in the form of negative thoughts.
Have you ever tried to lasso a negative thought? It resists capture worse than a bucking bronco. Lassoing (or capturing) a negative thought takes a determined and concerted effort on our part. First, we must monitor our thoughts. Then we must lasso those that disagree with God's Word. Lassoing our thoughts is difficult enough, let alone capturing them. But once we have captured them, we can't hold on to our prisoners. We must give those captured thoughts to Jesus in prayer.
One of the best lessons I learned about monitoring and lassoing my thoughts came from the three-year-old son of a friend of mine. My friend walked into her living room one day and discovered her little guy staring out the window in deep thought. "Matt," she asked, "what are you thinking about?"
He turned from the window and looked at her. Then, in a pensive voice that defied his three-years of age, he said, "I'm thinking about what I'm thinking about." Profound? No question! This little boy, at a very young age, had learned the importance of monitoring this thoughts.
Are you monitoring your thoughts? Do you think about what you're thinking about? If not, start now. Doing so will vastly improve your life.
"Whatever things are true, noble, pure, right, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, think on these things." - Philippians 4: 8
Scripture Verse #3: Romans 12: 2 NLT - "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
Talk about an amazing promise! Let's break it down. First, God tells us not to copy the behavior and customs of this world. This means that the world's way of doing things will lead to destruction. Then God tells us that He wants to change us into new people. God is in the business of making things new. Would you like some newness in your life?
So, how does God change us into new people? By changing the way we think. Success in life is all in the way we think. As we saturate ourselves with God's Word, we will discover how He thinks. Then, as we change our thinking to align with His thinking, we will reap a great reward.
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4: 23
Are you in bondage to your baggage? Are you carrying around the excess emotional weight of past hurts, trauma, or abuse? If so, listen up. You can check your baggage at the freedom counter and unload it once and for all!
All of us carry emotional baggage from our past. Whether that baggage resulted from trauma, abuse, or some other family dysfunction, we have to deal with the baggage if we want to live the abundant life Christ died to give us. A common misconception about baggage is that born-again Christ-Followers do not have baggage. The truth, however, is that all of us have baggage. And that baggage hangs around in the soul. The first thing to understand is that you are made up of three parts: spirit, soul, and body. Your spirit is your core—who you truly are. Your soul comprises your mind, your will, and your emotions. Your body is what I like to call your “earth suit”. Emotional baggage is stored in the soul compartment. In other words, it is housed in your feelings, your thinking, and your decision-maker. If not dealt with, emotional baggage has a way of invading your physical body and causing ill health. So, how can you get rid of emotional baggage? Here are three ways that have worked for me: 1-Do not bury your feelings. Admit them. Being honest with yourself about your negative feelings is the starting point for getting rid of them.
2-Examine your attitudes. Are you guilty of “stinking thinking”? Do you complain and criticize? Do you focus on the negative instead of the positive? Christian motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once said, "Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude" in life. So, start thinking the way God thinks. Read Philippians 4: 8.
3-Give your baggage to God. He Himself said “Cast your cares on Me because I care for you.” Moreover, it is Jesus Himself who promises to restore your broken soul from the damage done to it (Psal 23: 3). As you give your baggage to Him, He will clean up and make your soul like new!
So, what are you waiting for? Are you ready to unload your baggage? Are you ready to move forward with your life? With God's help, you ca let go of your emotional baggage once and for all and begin living the abundant life Jesus died to give you.
The choice is entirely up to you!
"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude." ~ Zig Ziglar
Now, it’s YOUR turn: Are you in bondage to your baggage? If so, what do you plan to do about it? Please leave your response in the Comment Box below. Thank you! TWEETABLE: “Are You in Bondage to Your Baggage?” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (Click to Tweet)
Check out my 3-minute podcast on this week's topic below: Are You in Bondage to Your Baggage? http://maryanndiorio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017-03-20-MM-Podcast-9-Are-You-in-Bondage-to-Your-baggage_.mp3
If you found this post helpful, please forward it to a friend. Thank you! Check our archives in the right sidebar for older posts on a variety of topics. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top right. Some of our most popular posts are: —How to Make Change Your Ally —Are You Playing the Blame Game? —Are You a Mess of Stress? For additional encouragement, check out my podcasts at the following links: A Moment with MaryAnn – Podcasts on Living the Good Life Winning with the Word Podcast Series Write Your Heart Out! – Podcasts for Writers NOTE: If you are struggling to know your purpose in life, I can help you! As a highly experienced Certified Life Coach, I will help you set priorities in line with your God-given purpose. For more information or to set up a phone appointment, please send me an email at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. You’ll be taking a major step toward fulfilling your destiny! Please tell your family and friends about this blog and please pass this post on to ...
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4: 23 Change. It happens to all of us. Sometimes it's planned; often, it's not. Always it must be faced.
Change can be our enemy or our ally. It all depends on how we handle it. So, what is the best way to handle change? That, too, depends on the situation. One thing to know for sure is that all change requires some element of risk-taking, of moving out of your comfort zone. But the very process of taking risks and moving out of your comfort zone can make you a better person with a lot more to give to those in your circle of influence.
Here are a few tips that have worked for me in handling change:
1-Don’t be afraid of change. Look on it as an opportunity for growth--an adventure that will bring you to a higher level of satisfaction with your life. 2-Don’t be afraid to take risks. No one ever succeeded in life without taking risks. In fact, I like to think of risk-taking as a synonym for faith. When we take a risk, we are stepping out in faith. Now, the risk must not be a careless risk, like quitting your job without a few months of backup income. The risk must be a calculated risk, meaning you’ve prayed about taking the risk, you’ve carefully thought out the pros and cons, and you’ve discussed those pros and cons with trusted friends and colleagues. Based on your research and their input, and based on what God has been speaking to your heart, you’ve decided to proceed with taking the risk.
If you change nothing, nothing will change.
3-Don’t keep doing the same thing. If what you’ve been doing hasn’t gotten you the results you want, then change what you are doing. As Albert Einstein once purportedly said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If you want different results in your life, you will have to change your approach to solving your problems. There you have it. Three simple, but not easy, steps in making change your ally. Applying these three steps to your life will result in changes that will make your life happier and more fulfilling. Now, it’s YOUR turn: How have you handled change in your life? Please leave your response in the Comment Box below. Thank you! TWEETABLE: "How to Make Change Your Ally" by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (Click to Tweet) Before you leave, I encourage you to listen to my 3-minute podcast, How to Make Change Your Ally, from my popular podcast series titled A Moment with MaryAnn. Simply click on the arrow below.
http://maryanndiorio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017-03-09-MM-Podcast-8-How-to-Make-Change-Your-Ally.mp3
For more of my podcasts check out the following:
A Moment with MaryAnn - Podcasts on Living the Good Life
Winning with the Word Podcast Series Write Your Heart Out! - Podcasts for Writers NOTE: If you are struggling to take responsibility for your life, I can help you! As a highly experienced Certified Life Coach, I will help you set priorities in line with your God-given purpose. For more information or to set up a phone appointment, please send me an email at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. You'll be taking a major step toward fulfilling your destiny! Please tell your family and friends about this blog and please pass this post on to them. Thank you! _______________________________________________________________ To help you embrace change God's way, I wrote YOU WERE MADE FOR GREATNESS!. This book will reveal to you the power and authority you have to bring about effective change in your life through Jesus Christ. Get your copy now! Learn about your power and authority in the Kingdom of God! Discover who you truly are in Jesus Christ! YOU WERE MADE FOR GREATNESS! by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio Kindle iPad Nook Smashwords AudioBook If you found this post helpful, please forward it to a friend. Thank you! Check our archives in the right sidebar for older posts on a variety of topics....
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23 Are you new to this blog? If so, what is the Matters of the Heart blog and why will it bless you to read it? Matters of the Heart is a weekly blog that deals with the deepest issues of the human heart, the issues we all face but sometimes don’t want to talk about. The heart is the programming center of our lives. What is programmed into our heart will affect every area of our lives. Learn how to discover what is in your heart and how to program your heart for success. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To follow this blog via Facebook, click here. If you are not on Facebook or would prefer to subscribe via a different venue, please check the sidebar to the right for subscription options. Thank you! _______________________________________________________________ Love. The word conjures up all sorts of emotions. To some, those emotions are positive. To others, they are negative. How we respond to the word love depends less on our experiences with love and more on our understanding of the real meaning of love. Today, we use the word love quite indiscriminately and, I might add, rather flippantly. We speak of loving ice cream, loving a car, loving a style of house, loving a person, and loving God--all in the same breath. No wonder we are confused when it comes to giving and receiving genuine love.
Genuine love begins and ends in God. Scripture reveals to us that God is Love (1 John 4: 8). The Word does not say that God has love; it says that God IS Love. The very nature, or essence, of God is love. If we want to understand love, we must seek to understand God’s nature. Why is this so important to our well-being in this life? Here are some thoughts for you to ponder: 1--We are made in God’s image. God’s nature is to love. Because He made us in His image, He designed our nature to love. But sin marred, corrupted, and perverted our original nature so that the nature of humanity, in its unregenerate state, is to hate. Moreover, when we do not believe that we are made in God’s image (as evolution teaches), we can never experience the well-being that comes from knowing God loves us. 2--To know God is to know Love. Since God and Love are one and the same, to know one is to know the other. An apprentice becomes an expert at a trade by spending time with his master, observing how his master works, and then applying what he has learned from his master. We become experts at loving by spending time with God, observing how He works, and then applying what we have learned from Him. 3--Love is the ultimate healer. Every physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual disease responds positively to love. We’ve all heard stories of healing wrought by the power of love. Love is essential to our well-being in every area of our lives. So, how do we learn to love? And how do we become experts at loving? Love Himself has given us the plan of action for loving. It is found in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8. Let’s take a look at what love in action looks like:
Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love is not boastful. Love is not proud. Love is not rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable. Love keeps no record of being wronged. Love does not rejoice about injustice. Instead, love rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up. Love never loses faith. Love is always hopeful. Love endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever.
How do you square up with God's description of love? If you’re like me, you have to admit that, at times, you fall short. But don’t get discouraged. We are all learning to love. Our life on this earth is a course in learning how to love as Jesus loves. We have not yet finished the course, but we are covering more ground every day. So, as we move into the new year, let’s make it our goal to learn to love as Jesus loves.