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.

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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 April 12, 2021, and this is Episode #10 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Have You Lost Your Hope?”

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It is no secret that we have been living in times that pose a great challenge to our hope. Hopelessness, depression, and despair are widespread, particularly among our young people.

So, what can we do not to lose hope?

As always, the Bible gives us the answer. In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he writes, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope” (1 Timothy 1: 1). Notice that Paul calls Jesus Christ our Hope.

Jesus is our Hope. We not only put our hope in Him. He is Hope itself.

Let’s take a look at the nature of hope. What is it, and why is it so essential to life?

In his 1828 dictionary, Noah Webster defines hope as follows: “Confidence in a future event, the highest degree of well-founded expectation of good; as a hope found on God’s gracious promises.” Webster continues his definition of hope by quoting the Scripture verse in Joel 3: 16: “The Lord will be the hope of His people.”

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“Jesus Christ, our Hope” (1 Timothy 1: 1)
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So, according to Webster’s definition, the Lord God is our Expectation of Goodness. When we consider the Lord, we can always expect goodness from His hand. When we place our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are expressing confidence in the truth that goodness from His hand always lies ahead. This is hope.

So, how does hope operate?

Now, please pay close attention to what I am about to explain, as it is very important to receiving what we need from God. This truth transformed my life. I know it will transform yours as well if you grasp it and apply it to your own life.

Just as the soul is comprised of the mind, the will, and the emotions, the spirit is comprised of the conscience, the intuition, and the imagination. Hope is a function of the imagination. Hope is the blueprint that resides in our imagination. That blueprint is the inner picture we have of ourselves and of our situation in life. So, we can say that hope is a blueprint.

This blueprint or picture of ourselves inside ourselves is what faith turns into reality. Let me give you an example:

Years ago, my husband and I built a house. Before the house was built, the architects gave us the blueprints of the house. When family and friends would come over to visit, we would show them the blueprints and say, “This is our house.”

Now, the blueprints were not the actual, physical house. They were the picture of what the house would eventually be. They were, in other words, the hope of the house. When we looked at the blueprints, we were exercising the hope that one day that house would be a physical reality. 

When the physical house was actually built, it was the substance of our fulfilled hope–the physical, material reality of what we had seen on the blueprints.

So, first we had the blueprints of the house, and later, we had the actual house.

Now, the blueprint was necessary to build the house. Without a picture of what the house should look like, the builders could not build the house. Without the blueprint, the builders could not give substance to the house.

Scripture says in Hebrews 11: 1 that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

So, continuing with the metaphor of the blueprint and the house, the blueprint of the house represented our hope, and the actual house represented the faith that gave substance to that hope–in other words, the faith that made that blueprint of the house or that hope of the house a reality.

In order for us to receive from God, we must have a blueprint in our imagination of the promise of God that we wish to receive. In other words, if we are praying for healing, then we must have a blueprint–or a picture on the inside–of ourselves as healed. Our faith, then, will turn that inside picture into a physical reality. If our blueprint or picture of ourselves on the inside does not match God’s Word, then our faith will turn into a physical reality whatever picture we have on the inside of us–whatever picture we are imagining.

Our faith, then, will bring into reality whatever we picture on the inside, whatever we imagine. Make sure that what you are picturing in your imagination is only what God says about you. Nothing more, and nothing less.

In closing, I’d like to ask you, “Is Jesus Christ your Hope?” If not, you can make Him your Hope right now. Just pray this simple prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I need hope. Since You are Hope, I need You. I ask You now to come into my life. I receive You as my Hope, as my personal Savior and the Lord of my life. Forgive me of my sin. Thank You for restoring my hope. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer sincerely, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free e-booklet that will help you get started in your walk with Christ. I also encourage you to get yourself a Bible and read it every single day. The Bible is God’s love letter to you, His manual for your life. In the Bible, God reveals Who He is, and He teaches you how to live.

Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and have fellowship and encouragement with other Christ-Followers. It is critically important in these last days to fellowship with other believers who are mature in Christ and can guide you as you grow in Him.

If you are not yet a subscriber to the Winning with the Word blog and podcast, I urge you to click on the link below to subscribe now so you will not miss a single weekly episode:

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

PLEASE TWEET: “Have You Lost Your Hope?” (CLICK TO TWEET)

Now it’s your turn: Have you struggled with getting hope? Have you struggled with finding hope in the midst of despair? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you.

Photo Source: Tumisu from Pixabay
Additional Resources: Andrew Wommack Ministries
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For those of you who may not know, I write fiction about many of the issues I deal with in this blog and podcast. I encourage you to visit my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table . 

This podcast is funded by listeners like you. If you have been blessed by Winning with the Word, I invite you to become one of my special patrons on Patreon.com. For only $1.00, $3.00, or $5.00 a month, you can help me proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Winning with the Word now reaches 43 countries on six continents because of your faithful support. So please help me to keep Winning with the Word on the air by becoming one of my valued patrons. Your patronage helps to cover the costs of producing, hosting, and distributing Winning with the Word to the four corners of the earth. Patrons receive special benefits, including free books, short stories, podcasts, and videos. So, join my wonderful team of Patrons and be part of something great!

To become a patron, go to https://www.patreon.com/winningwiththeword 

This week’s podcast is being sponsored by patron Sharon Lamson. Thank you, Sharon, for being a valued patron and for choosing to become a part of something great! 

I would like to thank all of my patrons who are making this podcast possible. I could not do this without you!

Finally, be sure to check out my latest book, The Iron Saint. This book talks about the coming persecution of the Church in America and how you can prepare for it. The Iron Saint is available on Amazon and on my website at maryanndiorio.com/book-table. Get a copy for your pastor as well. 

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! 

To subscribe to “Winning with the Word”, click here.

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To become a patron of Winning with the Word, click here.

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Featured Book of the Week:  THE IRON SAINT by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD

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.

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“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.

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Copyright 2000-2021 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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