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“Is the World Coming to an End?”

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by

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:

________________________________________________

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 have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.”

Are we not now seeing this increase in wickedness all around us? Laws have been passed in some states that allow the killing of a baby after the child is born. Sex trafficking has reached astronomical proportions. Gay pride has infiltrated the Kindergarten classroom. How much worse can things get?

2. The push toward a one-world religion. Pope Francis’ recent call to merge Islam with Catholicism has stunned and angered many Catholics. The Pope’s historic signing of a “declaration of fraternity” with the Grand Imam of al-Azhar sent shock waves through the Christian world. This merger is a sign of what the Bible calls in 2 Thessalonians 2: 3 the “great falling away”–the rise of the apostate Church that will eventually become the one-world religion, possibly headed by the Pope himself. Many are already implying that he is the “false prophet” described in Revelation 19: 20. The Pope has even called for a revamping of Catholic school curriculum to include the study of Islam as a viable religion. 

3. The sudden rise of anti-Semitism. A couple of years ago, I was having a conversation with a Jewish friend of mine. I mentioned to her that we would soon see the rise of anti-Semitism once again. She laughed and said, “That will never happen again.” Yet, we are seeing it happen before our very eyes.

4.  The growing assault on Christians. More and more, Christians are being attacked for their positions on the sanctity of life, gender issues, and the freedom of expression. We are being cast as bigots, intolerant, and just plain anachronistic.

5. The spread of pestilence. In Matthew 24: 7, Jesus said there would be pestilence in various parts of the world. We are witnessing this now in the form of the Corona virus that has created panic throughout the world.

6. The increase in earthquakes and famine. I recently read that by April of 2020, many supermarket shelves would be empty because of the drought, heavy rains, insect plagues, and pestilence that have occurred both in our own country and in other parts of the world. As a result, our food supply has been greatly compromised. Famine already exists in many parts of the world. Could it not come to America as well?

As for earthquakes, they have increased in frequency and intensity. The ring of fire that borders world countries along the Pacific Ocean is on the verge of breaking in many places, particularly in the Cascadia Subduction Zone that stretches from Canada’s northern Vancouver Island to Northern California. It is only a matter of time before the “big one” shakes the entire west coast.

7. The amazing advances in technology, particularly in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Interestingly, it is believed by some that the image of the AntiChrist will be a robotic, lifelike statue powered by artificial intelligence: In Revelation 13: 14-15, we learn this: “He [the false prophet] was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die” (Brackets mine).

On another note, the increasing surveillance of the world’s population by means of computer chips, AI, facial and iris recognition all point to a coming dictator who will rule the world through a huge database of information. Ironically, much of that information we ourselves have voluntarily and unwittingly provided through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc.

These are but a few of the many signs about the end times prophesied in the Bible. Make no mistake about it, my friend. Every word of the Bible is true. Most of its prophecies have already come to pass just as predicted, and every one that has not yet come to pass will come to pass. 

This should serve as a warning to all of us to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ to remove His followers from the earth. Are you ready? If not, what are you waiting for? Do you want to go through the Tribulation, the most horrific period of human history yet to come? Do you want to be forced to take the mark of the beast in order to buy anything, including your food?  If you accept the mark of the beast, you will most certainly go to Hell when you die because taking the mark of the beast means you are giving your allegiance forever to Satan. There is no turning back once you take the mark of the beast.

I urge you now with an urgency that increases in my heart every day, do not take what I have said lightly. Consider this: If what I have said is not true but you believe it, then you’ve lost nothing. But if what I have said is true, and you do not believe it, you have lost everything. Some of you will recognize my challenge to you as “Pascal’s wager” in different words. That is exactly what it is. Don’t ignore it! Please! Your eternal destiny depends on it.

Years ago, a woman named Mary Katherine Baxter visited the church I was attending at the time. She had written a book called A Divine Revelation of Hell. The Lord Jesus took Mrs. Baxter to Hell in order to see how dreadful it is so that she could warn people against going there. You see, Hell is a real place, just as Heaven is a real place. One of Satan’s greatest deceptions today is to convince people that there is no Hell. But there is, and it is a place of eternal torment–a place you want to avoid at all cost.

So, how can you avoid Hell? By accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. You see, you cannot save yourself. You need someone to save you. That Someone is Jesus Christ. He alone was able to appease the wrath of God, and He did so on the Cross. God is both the One Who loves us and the One Who judges us. He must judge sin because He is holy and cannot allow sin in His Presence. God poured out His judgment for sin on Jesus. If we are in Jesus, then God considers the price for our sin as paid for. But if we are not in Jesus, then there is nothing left but for God’s wrath to fall upon us.

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. I invite You into my life to be my Savior and my Lord, Lord Jesus. I choose to follow You, Jesus. I turn my back on the world and its wicked ways, and I choose to follow You and Your holy ways. Thank You for accepting me as Your own. In Your Name I pray, believe, and receive. 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 day, starting in the Gospel of John, which is in the second half of the Bible. Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and find 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. I 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.

On my website, you will also find additional resources, articles, books, and podcasts to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

This podcast is found on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Spreaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Podbean, Podchaser, and Deezer, so I encourage you to subscribe and have it delivered right to your mailbox.

If you have been blessed by these messages, I also invite you to become a Winning with the Word patron on Patreon. As a patron you will enjoy special benefits only for patrons. Just go to Patreon.com and search for Winning with the Word to join. This podcast is being sponsored by my wonderful husband and patron, Dominic A. Diorio. Thank you, Honey, for supporting the work of the Lord.

And to all of you wonderful people out there, thank you so much for listening. This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your virtual life coach, reminding you 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.

Listen to the podcast here:

________________________________________________

Now it’s your turn: ? If so, which of the tips do you think will best help you to get through to God? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you!

PLEASE TWEET: “Is the World Coming to an End?” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

Please tell your family and friends about “Winning with the Word,” and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!

Check out these three popular Winning with the Word podcasts below. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top of the sidebar on this page. 

__The Coming Global Cataclysm

__Make Your Marriage Great Again!

__Sex and Soul Ties

__Is Your Tongue Ruining Your Life?

__A Parent’s Promise from God

 Are you new to this blog? If so, what is the “Winning with the Word” blog and why will it bless you to read it?

“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that helps you to deal with the daily problems of life by using the Bible as your guide to solving them. The Word of God will make you a success in life!

AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.

_____________________________________________________________

Copyright 2000-2020 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. 

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When Your Prayers Hit a Brass Ceiling

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by

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:

________________________________________________

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:

1. 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.

2. 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).

3. 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. 

4. 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.

5. 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.” 

6. 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. I invite You into my life to be my Savior and my Lord. I choose to follow You, Jesus. I turn my back on the world and its wicked ways, and I choose to follow You and Your holy ways. Thank You for accepting me as Your own. In Your Name I pray, believe, and receive. 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 day, starting in the Gospel of John, which is in the second half of the Bible. Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and find 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. I 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. This month, in honor of Black History month, I am offering a special discount on my latest novel titled In Black and White. It is the story of the love between a white woman and a black man and the power of God to restore all that is broken in our lives. To order your copy, click on one of the links below:

IN BLACK AND WHITE: A NOVEL

PRINT: Only $6.99 (Regular price $7.99)

E-BOOK: Only $0.99 (Regular price $2.99)

Note: The above are affiliate links.

On my website, you will also find additional resources, articles, books, and podcasts to help you grow in your walk with Christ,

This podcast is found on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Spreaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Podbean, Podchaser, and Deezer, so I encourage you to subscribe and have it delivered right to your mailbox.

If you have been blessed by these messages, I also invite you to become a Winning with the Word patron on Patreon. As a patron you will enjoy special benefits only for patrons. Just go to Patreon.com and search for Winning with the Word to join.

And to all of you wonderful people out there, thank you so much for listening. This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your virtual life coach, reminding you 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.

Listen to the podcast here:

________________________________________________

Now it’s your turn: Do you get a brass ceiling when you pray? If so, which of the tips do you think will best help you to get through to God? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you!

PLEASE TWEET: “When Your Prayers Hit a Brass Ceiling” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

Please tell your family and friends about “Winning with the Word,” and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!

Check out these three popular Winning with the Word podcasts below. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top of the sidebar on this page. 

__The Coming Global Cataclysm

__Make Your Marriage Great Again!

__Sex and Soul Ties

__Is Your Tongue Ruining Your Life?

__A Parent’s Promise from God

 Are you new to this blog? If so, what is the “Winning with the Word” blog and why will it bless you to read it?

“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that helps you to deal with the daily problems of life by using the Bible as your guide to solving them. The Word of God will make you a success in life!

AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.

_____________________________________________________________

Copyright 2000-2020 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. 

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The Coming Global Cataclysm

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by

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:

________________________________________________

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.

But such hopes on the part of the people will be crushed a few years later when the AntiChrist reveals his true colors as the worst tyrant, the worst dictator, of all human history. For this AntiChrist will, in fact, be the personification of Satan himself. In the middle of the seven-year tribulation, he will enter the newly rebuilt Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself God. Instantly, the Jews, who had heretofore accepted him as their Messiah, will recognize that he is an imposter.

So, why am I telling you all this?  Because it relates directly to you. You have the opportunity now to escape this brutal period of history. You have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord and be counted among those whom He will remove from the earth before all of the horror begins.

But let me warn you. You don’t have much time. Bible prophecy is being fulfilled at an amazing rate. Here are are some of the chief signs that the time is short before Jesus comes to remove His followers from the earth. These signs were all predicted in the Bible thousands of years ago, and most of them have already been fulfilled:

1__People will call good evil, and evil good. This is what is happening today. Those who stand up for what is right are criticized as being intolerant and bigoted, while those who brazenly support evil are applauded. Nearly 2800 years ago, the prophet Isaiah, who lived during the eighth century B.C., foretold that this would happen in our day. He wrote:  “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter” (Isaiah 5: 20). Today we condemn the innocent and acquit the guilty, both practices our Lord hates. Indeed, He emphatically states this in Proverbs 17: 15: “Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— both are detestable to the LORD.”

2__Natural disasters, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, will increase. Jesus predicted these natural disasters in the twenty-fourth chapter of the Book of Matthew, along with several other signs of the end times. Today we are witnessing a great increase both in the number and in the intensity of hurricanes, floods, fires, droughts, earthquakes, and famines. While there have always been such natural disasters, their occurrence today is more frequent and more dangerous. They are converging, meaning they are all happening at the same time. (Check out my blog post titled “Convergence: Clear Sign of the End Times”).

3__There will be widespread pestilence. We are all aware of the outbreak of the Corona virus that is now sweeping the world, causing many deaths and much fear. Jesus prophesied this as well. You see, my friend, what Jesus predicted 2000 years ago is coming true, and it is coming true at a rapid rate. Don’t you think it’s time to take Him seriously and get yourself ready for His return? 

4__There will be division among the nations. In Matthew 24: 7, Jesus prophesied that “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” Perhaps at no other time in history have the nations of the world been as divided as they are today, and the tension among them is only increasing. Virtually every country has some sort of war going on as I write. 

5__Lawlessness will increase. Jesus warned us about this, again in Matthew 24. All around us we see increasing disrespect for the law, mass rebellion against authority in our homes, our cities, our universities, and our government institutions. 

6__People will become heartless and rude. Timothy wrote that in the end days, people will “be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good” (2 Timothy 3: 3). Compassion for others is on the decline, as is kindness. Instead, rudeness is on the rise, as are selfishness and disrespect, especially disrespect for authority, both familial and civil.

These are only a few of the signs that we are living in the last days. But the real question is, “What do these signs mean for you?” Are you going to take them seriously and allow them to spur you to get yourself right with God? Or are you going to dismiss them as nothing more than alarmist theories? The choice, of course, is yours. But I do wish to urge you, in the love of Christ, to take these signs to heart as signs that Jesus Christ will soon return to take His followers from the earth. You can be one of His followers if you so choose. You, too, can be rescued from the horrific nightmare that is soon to come upon the earth. All you need to do is to accept Jesus Christ as the only One Who can save you.

One last thing: You may be thinking that I am nothing more than an alarmist, and that everything I’ve said is nonsense. But let me ask you a question: What if I’m right and you’re wrong? Are you willing to take that chance when it could mean spending eternity separated from God in Hell? The 17th-century philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, in his famous work titled Pensées, said–and I paraphrase– that if a person believes in God but God does not exist, that person has lost nothing. But if a person does not believe in God, and God does exist, that person has lost everything.

What about you? Do you believe that God exists or not? Are you willing to take Pascal’s wager? I guarantee that if you sincerely seek God, He will reveal Himself to you. For you see, God is a personal God. He is not distant and dismissive. In fact, He created you because He loves you and because He wants a personal relationship with you. To establish that relationship, He sent Jesus Christ, His only-begotten Son, to pay the price for your sin, thereby making it possible for you to have that personal relationship with the Father.

But you must do your part. You must respond to His invitation to have a personal relationship with you. You do that by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Why not do that now? 

Pray this simple prayer with me:

Father God, I want 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. You sent Jesus to rescue me from the horrific times coming upon the earth. Lord Jesus, I believe that what You foretold in Your Word is coming to pass before my very eyes. I don’t want to be here during the Tribulation. I want You to take me from the earth to be safe with You at the Rapture. But in order to do that, I must become Your follower. So I do that now, Lord. I invite You into my life to be my Savior and my Lord. I choose to follow You, Jesus. I turn my back on the world and its wicked ways, and I choose to follow You and Your holy ways. Thank You for accepting me as Your own. I trust You to save me from the wrath to come. In Your Name I pray, believe, and receive. 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 day, starting in the Gospel of John, which is in the second half of the Bible. Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and find 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 podcast. I invite you to visit my website at maryanndiorio.com. There you will find a complete list of the novels, novellas, and short stories I have written about characters with problems like yours. This month, in honor of Black History month, I am offering a special discount on my latest novel titled In Black and White. It is the story of the love between a white woman and a black man and the power of God to restore all that is broken in our lives. To order your copy, click on one of the links below:

IN BLACK AND WHITE: A NOVEL

PRINT: Only $6.99 (Regular price $7.99)

E-BOOK: Only $0.99 (Regular price $2.99)

Note: The above are affiliate links.

On my website, you will also find additional resources, articles, books, and podcasts to help you grow in your walk with Christ,

This podcast is found on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Spreaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Podbean, Podchaser, and Deezer, so I encourage you to subscribe and have it delivered right to your mailbox.

If you have been blessed by these messages, I also invite you to become a Winning with the Word patron on Patreon. As a patron you will enjoy special benefits only for patrons. Just go to Patreon.com and search for Winning with the Word to join.

In closing, I would like to recognize, honor, and thank all of my patrons who have helped to make this podcast possible.

And to all of you wonderful people out there, thank you so much for listening. This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your virtual life coach, reminding you 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.

Listen to the podcast here:

Now it’s your turn: Are you aware of the coming global cataclysm? What are your thoughts? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you!

PLEASE TWEET:  “The Coming Global Cataclysm” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

Please tell your family and friends about “Winning with the Word,” and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!

Check out these three popular Winning with the Word podcasts below. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top of the sidebar on this page. 

__Make Your Marriage Great Again!

__Sex and Soul Ties

__Is Your Tongue Ruining Your Life?

__A Parent’s Promise from God

 Are you new to this blog? If so, what is the “Winning with the Word” blog and why will it bless you to read it?

“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that helps you to deal with the daily problems of life by using the Bible as your guide to solving them. The Word of God will make you a success in life!

AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.

_____________________________________________________________

Copyright 2000-2020 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. 

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When the Heartache Is Unbearable . . .

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by

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:

 

 

________________________________________________

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, and rose from the dead for you–to heal not only your broken heart, but your broken body, and your broken spirit as well.  So, ask Him in faith to do what He came to do for you. He is not only able; He is also willing.

If you do not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I urge you to meet Him now. When you accept Him into your life, You will become a new creation. As such, you will begin to experience the abundant life which Jesus promised to give you. Just pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I have a broken heart, and none of my attempts to fix it has worked. Only You can fix it, Lord. So I come to You now in my need, and I ask You to mend my broken heart. I receive You 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 relationship with Jesus Christ. I also encourage you to get yourself a Bible and read it every day, starting in the Gospel of John, which is in the second half of the Bible. Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and find fellowship and encouragement with other Christ-Followers.

For those of you who may not know, I write fiction for the broken-hearted. I invite you to visit my website at maryanndiorio.com. There you will find a complete list of the novels, novellas, and short stories I have written about characters with broken hearts. On my website, you will also find additional resources, articles, books, and podcasts to help you grow in your walk with Christ,

This podcast is found on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Spreaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Podbean, Podchaser, and Deezer, so I encourage you to subscribe and have it delivered right to your mailbox.

If you have been blessed by these messages, I also invite you to become a Winning with the Word patron on Patreon. As a patron you will enjoy special benefits only for patrons. Just go to Patreon.com and search for Winning with the Word to join.

In closing, I would like to recognize, honor, and thank this week’s sponsor of Winning with the Word, Karon Bekebrede. Thank you, Karon, for so generously supporting this ministry.

And to all of you wonderful people out there, thank you so much for listening. This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your virtual life coach, reminding you 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.

Listen to the podcast here:

 

Now it’s your turn: How do you handle a broken heart? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you!

PLEASE TWEET:  “When the Heartache Is Unbearable” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

Please tell your family and friends about “Winning with the Word,” and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!

Check out these three popular Winning with the Word podcasts below. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top of the sidebar on this page. 

__Make Your Marriage Great Again!

__Sex and Soul Ties

__Is Your Tongue Ruining Your Life?

__A Parent’s Promise from God

 Are you new to this blog? If so, what is the “Winning with the Word” blog and why will it bless you to read it?

“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that helps you to deal with the daily problems of life by using the Bible as your guide to solving them. The Word of God will make you a success in life!

AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.

_____________________________________________________________

Copyright 2000-2020 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. 

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Make Your Marriage Great Again!

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by

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:

 

 

 

 

 

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. Sex outside of marriage also poses grave dangers to any children involved. (See my post and podcast titled Sex and Soul Ties.)

Now, those people who say that God doesn’t want us to enjoy sex are completely mistaken. They’ve made God into their own image instead of allowing Him to make them into His image, as He originally intended. And any image that man makes of God is a false image. You see, we can’t start with ourselves and then fit God into our picture. We always have to start with God and fit ourselves into His picture.

The same is true of marriage. When we choose to create our own ideas about marriage, we distort God’s plan for marriage, And distorting God’s plan for marriage is always dangerous. In order for a marriage to work, it must align with God’s plan for marriage. Otherwise, that marriage won’t work as it should. Plain and simple. Nor will any sexual relationship work outside of God’s plan for sex to be engaged in only in marriage.

So, what is God’s plan for marriage? Let’s take a look at it:

  1. A marriage must be between one man and one woman (Genesis 2: 23-24).  Otherwise, according to God, it is not a marriage. It is an abomination. Jesus said in Mark 10: 6-8: “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother [and be joined to his wife], and the two shall become one flesh.'”  This verse clearly indicates that marriage is to be between one man and one woman. To distort God’s plan through what is erroneously called “gay marriage” will eventually destroy the partners involved and will, if they do not repent, destroy them eternally.
  2. A marriage must be built on a firm foundation (1 Corinthians 3: 11). Just as a house needs a firm foundation or else it will collapse, so does a marriage need a firm foundation or else it will collapse. There is only one firm foundation on which to build a lasting marriage. That firm foundation is Jesus Christ. Indeed, in the Bible, Jesus calls Himself the ROCK (Psalm 89: 26). He also calls Himself the CORNERSTONE (Ephesians 2: 20). Unless a marriage is built on Christ, it will not be all it was meant to be.
  3. A marriage must reflect the love of Christ for His Church. In Ephesians 5: 32, the Apostle Paul calls marriage “a mystery” related to Christ and His relationship to the Church. Chapter 5 of Ephesians further instructs a man to love his wife and a wife to respect her husband. Love and Respect. These are the two foundational principles of a great marriage. When the husband loves his wife as Christ loves the Church, and when the wife respects her husband as she respects the Lord, the marriage will be great!

What does it mean to build a marriage on Christ? Simply put, it means to make Him the Lord of our marriage. But in order to make Christ Lord of our marriage, we need first to make Him Lord of our life. How do we do that?

First, we must be born again. This means that we must acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves and that we need Jesus to save us. Then we must personally receive Him as our Savior. And then we must submit to His instructions for making our marriage great.

Yes, you may be surprised to learn that God has given us instructions on how to have a great marriage. If we think things through, however, we should not be surprised that the God Who created us and who created marriage would give us a manual for marriage. That manual is called the Bible. In it, you will find advice for every situation you will ever face not only in your marriage, but also in your life.

For example, the Bible says in Malachi 2: 16 that God hates divorce. My husband and I have stayed married for 50 years because we entered marriage with the mindset that God hates divorce and that divorce was not an option. We would make our marriage work, no matter what forces of hell would come against us.

And the forces of hell did come against us, as they do in any marriage. You see, Satan hates marriage because it reflects Christ’s love for His Church and the Church’s love for Him. So Satan works continuously to destroy marriages, especially Christian marriages. Husbands and wives need to be aware of his deceptive tactics and resist them together.

Remember this: Your spouse is not your problem. Satan is your problem. You and your spouse are a team and need to join hands in driving Satan out of your marriage. You can do this only when Jesus rules and reigns in your hearts.

So, why do my husband and I have a great marriage?

1. We did marriage God’s way, and we still do marriage God’s way.
2. We put God first in our lives and in our marriage.
3. We put each other first.
4. We recognize that Satan is our real enemy, and we fight him together through daily prayer and through the reading of God’s Word.

You, too, can have a great marriage! It will take work and effort. But most of all, it will take Jesus Christ at the helm of your life and of your marriage. If Jesus is not yet in your life, I urge you to invite Him into your life and into your marriage right now. Pray this simple prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, my marriage is not what it should be, but You can change it. I come to You now in my need. I invite You into my life. I receive You as my Savior. Be the Lord of my life and of my marriage. Make my marriage great again, Lord, as only You can. 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 day, starting in the Gospel of John, which is in the second half of the Bible. Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and find fellowship and encouragement with other Christ-Followers.

For an outstanding resource on building a great marriage, I highly recommend the book titled Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs (Affiliate Link). It is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail stores. You may also purchase it at the link in the show notes.I also recommend my own little booklet titled Making Your Marriage Work. It is available on my website and Amazon.

For additional resources, articles, books, and podcasts to help you grow in your walk with Christ, I invite you to visit my website at maryanndiorio.com. This podcast is found on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Spreaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Podbean, Podchaser, and Deezer, so I encourage you to subscribe.

If you have been blessed by these messages, I also invite you to become a Winning with the Word patron on Patreon. As a patron you will enjoy special benefits only for patrons. Just go to Patreon.com and search for Winning with the Wordto join.

In closing, I would like to recognize, honor, and thank this week’s sponsor of Winning with the Word, my awesome husband of 50 years, Dr. Dominic Diorio, my very first patron on Patreon.

Thank you so much for listening. This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your virtual life coach, reminding you 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.

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/11/cohabitaiton-is-up-marriage-is-down-for-young-adults.html

Listen to the podcast here:

 

Now it’s your turn: Does your marriage need improvement? Would you like Jesus to help make your marriage great again? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you!

PLEASE TWEET:  “Make Your Marriage Great Again!” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

Please tell your family and friends about “Winning with the Word,” and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!

Check out these three popular Winning with the Word podcasts below. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top of the sidebar on this page. 

__Sex and Soul Ties

__Is Your Tongue Ruining Your Life?

__A Parent’s Promise from God

 Are you new to this blog? If so, what is the “Winning with the Word” blog and why will it bless you to read it?

“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that helps you to deal with the daily problems of life by using the Bible as your guide to solving them. The Word of God will make you a success in life!

AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to Winning with the Word, click here.

_____________________________________________________________

Copyright 2000-2020 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.

Photo Source: Image by Nicole Köhler from Pixabay

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. 
 
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