Posted on Monday, April 13, 2020

How to Endure to the End

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, April 13, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #15 in Series 2020 and is titled “How to Endure to the End”.

Tough times show us what we’re made of. The world has been going through a very tough time recently. Many are calling it unprecedented, and I agree. At least, unprecedented in our life times.

So, how are you holding out? Are you holding out?

Jesus said that only he who endures to the end will be saved. That means if we quit along the way, we won’t be saved.

Photo by Yiannis Papanastasopoulos. Freelyphotos.com

Are you on the verge of quitting? If so, let me encourage you with these tips on how to endure to the end:

1. Cling to Jesus through study of His Word. Only the Word of God will sustain us in these difficult days. Jesus said that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4: 4). The Word is our spiritual food. Without nourishing ourselves on it every day, we will die spiritually.

2. Stay closely connected to fellow believers. We are the Body of Christ. We all need one another. When we are being tempted to quit, a brother or sister in Christ can encourage us to hang on.

3. Pray without ceasing. Maintain a running conversation with the Lord throughout the day. Constant communication is essential between a soldier and His Commander. We are soldiers of Christ, and we need to hear continually from our Commander.

“Tough times show us what we’re made of.”

Dark days are upon us, dear ones, and they will grow darker still. The Apostle Paul described these days in 2 Timothy 3: 1 as “perilous times.” Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we apply the three tips above to endure to the end. For, oh, what glory awaits those who do! (1 Corinthians 2: 9).

There is only one way to experience God’s glory. We must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. If you have not yet done so, I urge you to do accept Jesus Christ now by praying this simple prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I need You to save me. I cannot save myself. I repent of my sins and ask You to forgive me. I invite You into my life to be my Savior and my Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. I pray, believe, and receive in Your Name. Amen.

If you prayed this simple prayer, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a little booklet that will help you get started in your relationship with Jesus Christ. I also encourage you to get yourself a Bible and read it every single day, starting in the Gospel of John, which is in the second half of the Bible. The Bible is God’s love letter to you, His manual for your life. In it He reveals Who He is. In it He reveals His infinite love for you and instructs you how to live.

Finally, ask the Lord to lead you to the church of His choice for you where you can learn about Him and have fellowship and encouragement with other Christ-Followers.

For those of you who may not know, I write fiction about some of the issues I deal with in this blog and podcast. As a token of my deep appreciation for all of you who follow this blog and podcast, I want to give you a FREE ebook copy of my popular novel, The Madonna of Pisano, the first book in my trilogy titled The Italian Chronicles. To receive your FREE ebook copy, please go to the link listed at the end of this post. For those of you who are listening, the link is: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/705659

Note that this offer is valid only until April 30th, so get your free ebook copy now before you forget!

I also invite you to visit my website at https://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 many additional resources to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

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 my patrons. Just go to Patreon.com and search for Winning with the Word to join. I would like to thank all of my patrons who are making this podcast possible. I could not it without you.

And to all of you wonderful listeners out there, thank you so much for listening. This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and 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.

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

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Listen to the podcast here:

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Now it’s your turn: What do you do to endure in tough times? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you!

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Posted on Monday, December 5, 2016

Embrace Your Race

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by MaryAnn

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines
the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23
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Do you know that you are running a race? I can hear you now: “Yes, I’m running a rat race, and I’m exhausted.”

LOL! No, dear friend. You are running a race whose course has been set by God the Father. It is a personal race that defines the purpose and path for your life here on this earth. It is not a rat race. It is a life race—your unique life race—and the Father wants you to finish it.

But Satan does not!

In fact, Satan will do everything he can to keep you from running your race and, if not from running it, from finishing it. Why? Because Satan hates God and he hates you because you belong to God.

And it is this very truth that you belong to God that makes it so important that you finish your race.

So, a few critical questions arise:

What is my personal race?
How do I run it?
How can I make sure I finish it?

Today, we’re going to answer these three questions.

First Question: What is my personal race?

Your personal race is the day-to-day life you live, with all of its annoyances, setbacks, trials, blessings, and joys. It is the specific purpose for which God created you. It is the specific location where He has placed you. It is the specific people with whom He has surrounded you.

Are you complaining about your life race? Are you ungrateful for the life God has given you? Are you discontented with your life and comparing it so someone else’s? If so, you are not running your personal race to win. You are setting up obstacles in your own race that will keep you from finishing it well.

Second Question: How do I run my race?

How you run your race will make all the difference as to whether or not you finish your race. I have learned that the best place to run one’s race is not from a position of striving but from a position of rest.

You may ask, “How can I run my race while I’m resting?” Good question! Here is the answer: The position of rest is not a position of inaction. It is a position of trusting God completely for the outcome of your life and of your race while you run it.

Third Question: How can I make sure I finish my race? Here are four tips:

—1. Decide now that you will finish your race. Another way of saying this is: EMBRACE YOUR RACE! Commitment to your race is half the battle.

—2. Pray daily for God’s help in running your race. You are not running your race alone. God is always at your side, encouraging you to keep on keeping on—straight to the finish line. Acknowledge that you need His strength to run and trust Him to help you finish your race.

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The position of rest is not a position of inaction. It is a position of trusting God completely for the outcome of your life and of your race.
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—3. Enjoy your race! God means for us to enjoy our lives. Despite the many setbacks that will surely try to hinder your race, keep your eye on the finish line. Seasoned runners know that running a race is not easy. Sometimes you grow weary and need a second wind. But that second wind can give you the final push to finish your race. If you need a second wind, ask Holy Spirit to blow His wind of love and strength upon you today. Let His wind lift you up as you focus your eyes on the finish line.

—4. Keep your eye on the finish line. What is the finish line? The finish line of your race is Jesus Christ! (Philippians 3: 14). He is your Prize and the reason you are running your race. When you keep your eyes on Him, every obstacle eventually falls away as you press forward toward Him.

Now, it’s YOUR turn: Are you running our race in a manner pleasing to God? What obstacles have you encountered during your race? Please leave a comment in the box below.

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—Why Getting Offended Is Dangerous

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Posted on Monday, June 8, 2015

Running Your Race to Win

by MaryAnn

RUNNING YOUR RACE TO WIN

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines
the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23
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If you are a follower of Yeshua, you are in a race. Your goal is to win the race, and your prize is God’s call upward to Heaven in Christ (Philippians 3:14). In other words, you are running toward the eternal prize of salvation in Jesus Christ.

How is your race going? Are you strong and steady, or slow and shaky? Are you going full speed ahead, or are you running out of steam? Are you close to giving up, or have you already stopped running?

If you’re finding that your race seems overwhelming, here are a few tips to help you catch a second wind:

1) Ask Holy Spirit to fill you again. And again. And again. And again. To follow Jesus, we need a continual infilling of Holy Spirit’s power. One drink from His well is not enough. A runner needs water while running. We need the living water of the Holy Spirit to replenish us while running our race.

2) Take time to worship the Lord. Worshiping God through singing, dancing, and quiet meditation will get your spiritual muscles working again. Worship is one of the best ways to renew your strength so that you can keep on running your race.

3) Pray in tongues. Scripture says that praying in tongues (also called praying in the spirit) builds up the one who is speaking in tongues (I Corinthians 14:4). Speaking in tongues recharges your spiritual battery, giving it renewed power to continue your race.

4) Stay focused on your goal. Satan will send distractions in the form of trials and temptations to get you off track. Just when things are going well in your race, he will place an obstacle across your path. Expect these distractions and prepare for them through prayer and fasting. Let nothing keep you from finishing your race.

5) Rely on the Lord to help you. Our Lord is invested in your race. He is right there with you, encouraging you to finish. Keep your eyes on Him. If you do, you will finish your race and receive the crown of life that God promises to those who endure to the end (Matthew 24:13).

Are you running your race with Jesus as your goal? To help you do so, read YOU WERE MADE FOR GREATNESS! and discover how to compete for the only prize that matters: Jesus Christ!

You may leave a comment by clicking here. To receive these blog posts in your emailbox, please click here.

If you found this post helpful, please pass it on to someone who can benefit from reading it. Thank you!

If you have any questions, you may contact me as follows:

Email: drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com
Snail Mail: PO Box 1185, Merchantville, NJ 08109
Tel. 856-488-3580

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Copyright 2015 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 maryann@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.

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Dr. Diorio is a Certified Life Coach, a Certified Biblical Counselor, and a Certified Behavioral Consultant. She is also an award-winning, widely published author of fiction for children and adults. You may reach her at maryann@maryanndiorio.com or via one of her social media venues below: