Posted on Monday, March 30, 2020

How to Enter the Rest of God

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, March 30, 2020. Today’s Podcast is Episode #13 in Series 2020 and is titled “How to Enter the Rest of God”.

Most of us have heard the quote that “desperate times call for desperate measures.” It is believed that the quote originated with the Greek physician Hippocrates. Regardless, it is a quote applicable to our day.

With the rapid global spread of the Corona virus, and with no cure yet, it can be said that we are, indeed, living in desperate times. Desperate not only physically, but also financially, emotionally, and psychologically.

So, what is a body to do?

While the problem may be complex, the solution is simple. What are we to do? We are to rest in the Lord.

What does it mean to rest? An Internet search discloses the following definitions for the word “rest”:

1. To be placed or supported so as to stay in a specified position; rest on/upon.

2. To be based on or grounded in; depend on.

How do these definitions relate to resting in the Lord? Well, using the first definition as a model, resting in the Lord means to be supported by Him, to lean on Him, so that we can stay in the position of peace. Using the second definition, resting in the Lord means to be grounded in Him and to depend on Him.

Resting in the Lord may be easy to do when things are going well, but when things are going crazy, it is far more difficult to rest in the Lord.

You see, when things are going well, we become self-reliant. We feel as though we are in control of matters and that nothing can change without our changing it. But the experience of recent days proves that such thinking is a delusion. We are no more in control of our lives than we are in control of the universe. God is in ultimate control, and He ultimately calls the shots.

At the same time, God does not leave us powerless. He wants us to draw our power from Him. In short, He wants us to rest in Him. To trust that He will be there for us, even in the worst of storms.

In Hebrews 4: 11, the Bible commands us to enter into God’s rest. Listen to what it says: “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” This verse instructs us to “labour” or “work” to enter God’s rest. This sounds like a contradiction, but it is not. It takes effort to enter God’s rest. That effort involves getting to know God and His character so that we can grow in trusting Him.

The rest of God is the peace of God. It is the place of total, unwavering trust in God. How do we get there? By getting to know God. You see, trust comes from knowledge. We do not trust people we do not know. The people we trust the most are the people we know best.

So it is with God. Our level of trust in God will correspond to our level of knowledge of God’s character. So if you want to enter into God’s rest, get to know God intimately.

How can you get to know God? By accepting His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way to get to know God the Father. Jesus said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” (John 14: 9). Jesus also said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14: 6).

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, I urge you to do so now by praying this simple prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I need You to save me. I cannot save myself. I repent of my sins and ask You to forgive me. I invite You into my life to be my Savior and my Lord. Lead me to the place of perfect rest in You. 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 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. In it, He reveals His rest.

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. 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 additional resources, articles, non-fiction books, and podcasts 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. This podcast is being sponsored by my wonderful husband and patron, Dr. Dominic Diorio. Thank you, Honey, for faithfully supporting the work of the Lord through this podcast.

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: Have you entered the rest of God? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you!

PLEASE TWEET: “How to Enter the Rest of God!” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

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__You Are ALREADY HEALED!

__The Dangers of the Enneagram

__Is the World Coming to an End?

__The Coming Global Cataclysm

__Is Your Tongue Ruining Your Life?

__A Parent’s Promise from God

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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!

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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.

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Posted on Monday, December 17, 2018

Do You Serve a “Quid pro Quo” God?

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by MaryAnn

Check out my 2018 Christmas Catalogue to Simply Your Christmas Shopping

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines
the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23

“Matters of the Heart” is a weekly blog that deals with the deepest issues of the human heart, the issues we all face but sometimes don’t want to talk about. The heart is the programming center of our lives. What is programmed into our heart will affect every area of our lives. Learn how to examine your heart and how to program your heart for success.

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Quid pro quo. Tit for tat. Something for something.

Is this the kind of God you serve?

Legalism—and its twin sister religion—are alive and well in the Church today. But, just as in the days Jesus walked the earth, legalism kills.

What is legalism? Legalism is any doctrine that states we can earn our salvation. All religion is legalistic because religion, of its very nature, believes that one’s salvation depends on one’s performance. If I do good works, God will approve of me and allow me to enter Heaven.

Such was the belief of the Pharisees, whom Jesus soundly condemned.

Interestingly, all belief systems today, except Christianity, promote some sort of legalism. All require that one “perform” in order to reach God and be saved.

The uniqueness of Christianity is that it teaches that all of our attempts to perform in order to be saved are futile. Why? Because we could never perform well enough to earn our salvation. We could never do enough good works or kind deeds to merit Heaven.

This is the reason we need a Savior. We need a perfect Person (Jesus) to pay the perfect price for our sin. The perfect price is the only price that will satisfy the wrath of a perfect God.

Jesus paid that price. As man, He alone could stand in our place because He was also God, and, as God, He alone could pay the price of sin required by our perfect God.

Jesus Christ has “performed” for us. In other words, Christ’s death and resurrection are all that were needed for us to be saved.

Yet, there is something in man that wants to pay his own way. We’ve all heard the phrase “There is no free lunch.” Well, salvation isn’t free, either. But the One Who paid the price for our salvation was Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He paid the ultimate price–the sacrifice of His life–so that we could be saved.

There is no other way to be saved except by believing in Jesus Christ and in what He has done for us. This is our salvation: to appropriate Christ’s death and resurrection to our personal lives. All we have to do is believe and receive His gift of eternal life. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.”

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,.”
John 1: 12

The message of salvation is the message of grace. It is not based on the condition that we perform for God. It is based simply on our believing that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, performed for us. We must rest in that truth. We must rest in Christ’s performance, not our own, for our own could never meet God’s standards of holiness.

When we come to God to be saved, we come on the basis of Christ’s merit and His merit alone. When we do, we will discover that His grace is more than sufficient to save us from all sin.

Now, it’s YOUR turn: Please share your questions and insights in the Comments box below. Thank you!

TWEETABLE: “Do You Serve a ‘Quid pro Quo’ God?” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio @DrMaryAnnDiorio (Click to Tweet)

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THE ITALIAN CHRONICLES TRILOGY

Book 1: The Madonna of Pisano Book 2: A Sicilian Farewell Book 3: Return to Bella Terra

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If you found this post helpful, please forward it to a friend. Thank you! You may also be interested in reading the following popular posts:

“How to Destroy Mental Strongholds”

“Convergence: Clear Sign of the End Times”

“The Rise of Wicca, Witches, and Warlocks”

“Don’t Let Satan Play Your Pipes!”

“How to Recognize a Controlling Spirit”

“Sex and Soul Ties”

Please check our archives in the right sidebar for older posts on a variety of topics. You may also search for a particular topic in the search box at the top right.

For additional encouragement, check out my podcasts at the following links:

A Moment with MaryAnn – Podcasts on Living the Good Life

Winning with the Word Podcast Series

Write Your Heart Out! – Podcasts for Writers

Please tell your family and friends about this blog and my other resources, and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!

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Copyright 2018 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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