Posted on Monday, June 5, 2023

Prepare for Persecution

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by 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 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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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, 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. Based on the training principles of The Iron Man Triathlon, The Iron Saint is divided into three main sections:

1. Building Spiritual Strength
2. Fueling Spiritual Strength
3. Transitioning from Glory to GLORY.

As we apply these principles to our daily lives, we will grow strong. We will fuel our strength. And we will transition to the victory that we have in Christ.

But we must remain faithful. Faithful to stay close to Jesus our Lord. Faithful to fight the good fight of faith. Faithful to obey Him by living out and proclaiming His Word. Only then will we be able to endure to the end.

If you are listening to this podcast and are not yet a Christ-Follower, I urge you to turn to Jesus now. He loves you and has only good in store for you. He made you on purpose and for a purpose. So, repent of your sin. Turn away from evil, and receive Jesus Christ into your life. He will set you free.

To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, pray this short prayer after me now:

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I repent of my sin, and I 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 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.

In closing, I urge you to get yourself a copy of The Iron Saint: Preparing the Church for Persecution. And, while you’re at it, grab a copy for your pastor and for the elders in your church. Also, please tell other Christians about this book. It will help prepare all of us for the persecution that has already begun.

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!
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Featured Book of the Week:

The Church in America is on the verge of a tremendous spiritual awakening, an awakening that will first be fueled by persecution unlike anything we have ever seen before in this land. Indeed, a prophetic word given in my home church during the month of November gave this warning to the Church: “Prepare for the fire of persecution!”But the Church is not ready for this persecution. For the most part, the Church in America has been weak and lukewarm. Flabby and lazy. Consumed with the world and not with the things of God. As a result, the Church has been deceived and has subverted the divine order of things.In THE IRON SAINT, Dr. MaryAnn Diorio seeks to help equip the saints for the work of true, integritous, and effective ministry. As a teacher in the Body of Christ, it is her burning desire to help correct this devastating error. In THE IRON SAINT, Dr. Diorio has outlined a plan of action for strengthening the Church through uncompromising obedience to the Word of God. This plan of action is based on her own 50 years of walking with the Lord and being led by His Holy Spirit.If you are a born-again believer and member of the Body of Christ, make this book a top reading priority. Click on one of the links below to purchase.

E-BOOK

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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.

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Posted on Monday, May 8, 2023

America: Land of Compliant Cowards?

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by 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 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.

________________________________________

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:

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Posted on Monday, May 1, 2023

Are You Guilty of Normalcy Bias?

by Dr. MaryAnnDiorio

by 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 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.

________________________________________

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

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Featured Book of the Week:

A middle-aged, 19th-century widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.

PRINT:

EBOOK:

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Posted on Monday, April 10, 2023

Are You Suffering from a Father Wound?

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by 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 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.

_________________________________________

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

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Featured Book of the Week:

A middle-aged, 19th-century widow discovers that her late husband has left her destitute.

PRINT:

EBOOK:

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Posted on Monday, February 27, 2023

The Paganization of America

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by MaryAnn

WINNING WITH THE WORD

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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 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.

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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!

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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.

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