Have You Lost Your Hope?

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

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 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.

https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/WWW_04_12_21_Have_You_Lost_Your_Hope_.mp3

______________________________________

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?”

_______________________________

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.”

__________________________________

“Jesus Christ, our Hope” (1 Timothy 1: 1)
__________________________________

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:

https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/w4q0z

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
___________________________________________

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.

To receive my monthly newsletter, click here.

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

________________________________________________________________________

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.

PRINT FORMAT

E-BOOK FORMAT

_________________________________
Check out these 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 Privilege of Persecution

__How to Think like a Winner

__7 Signs That the Tribulation Is at Hand

 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 Wordclick here.

_____________________________________________________________

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.

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. 

HELP! I’m Worried about the Future!

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

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!

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 February 15, 2021, and this is Episode #3 of Series 2021.

Do you sense that something scary is going on in the world? That something ominous is about to happen, and you have no control over it? 

If so, you are not alone. Millions of people throughout the world know that something is drastically wrong in the world, but they don’t know what it is. For this reason, they are afraid.

Today, I’d like to ease your fear by explaining some of the things that are happening, why they are happening, and what to do about them.

1. WHAT is happening?
Did you know that you can learn everything you need to know about what is happening in our world today by reading the Bible? Particularly the following passages:

  1. Matthew 24 (Parallel accounts are found in Mark 13, Luke Luke 21 and Luke 17:20-37)
  2. Revelation 13
  3. 2 Thessalonians 2
  4. Jeremiah 50-51
  5. Ezekiel 38-39 
  6. Book of Isaiah 1-66
  7. Daniel 2, 7-12
  8. Book of Joel 1-3
  9. Book of Zechariah 1-14
  10. Book of Zephaniah 1-3

Thousands of years ago, Old Testament prophets, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, predicted the events that are taking place today–events we are reading about in our morning newspapers, hearing about on the daily news, and living out in our daily lives. 

So what is happening today is the fulfillment of Bible prophecy right before our very eyes. The events the Bible predicted thousands of years ago are now coming to pass in our lifetimes. And they are coming to pass very quickly.

2. WHY is it happening?
It’s happening because God said it would happen. In the Book of Numbers, chapter 23, verse 19, the Bible says that “God is not a man, so he does not lie.” Not only does God not lie; He cannot lie because His very nature is Truth. So, when God says something, He says what He means and He means what He says. You can stake your very life on God’s every word. This is the reason the Bible is such an amazing book. Every word in it is the truth!

Take for example the following passage from Matthew 24: 3-8 NLT:

Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world? Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.”

Are we not witnessing the beginning of all of these things now? Indeed, we are. And Jesus warned us that there is more to come.

What is this “more to come”? It is a seven-year period of the most horrific events the human race has ever suffered. For it will be the period when the AntiChrist, who is Satan personified, will seize power and enforce the tyrannical government of the New World Order. For the last few decades, we have heard this term bantered back and forth by politicians, beginning with former President George Herbert Walker Bush and used by major political leaders since then. 

This New World Order is already upon us. It is now being called “The Great Reset” and is a system of surveillance, censorship, and suppression of basic human freedoms given to us by God. Make no mistake about it, we are living in the last days before the return of Jesus Christ–first in the Rapture to remove His followers before the Tribulation and then, seven years later, at His Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation to set up His millennial kingdom.

So, the third question remains . . . 

3. WHAT can I do about it?
The most important thing you can do–and must do if you want to be among those whom Jesus will remove from the earth during the cataclysmic event called the Rapture–is to repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Only by accepting Christ–an act called “being born again”–can you be counted worthy to be removed from the horrors to come upon the earth. For you see, once Christ-Followers are removed, all hell will literally break loose. God’s wrath will be poured out upon the earth against all those who have rejected Christ.

While you can still accept Christ during the tribulation, you will be beheaded by the AntiChrist if you do. And the probable means of beheading will be the guillotine.

So, accept Jesus now, before the Tribulation. If you have not yet accepted Christ as your Savior and Lord, pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I do not want to be left behind at the Rapture. I want to be taken up with Your true followers to spend eternity with You. So, I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness and make me clean. Give me Your grace to follow you all the days of my life. I ask and receive in Your Precious Name. 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 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. 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 won’t miss a single weekly episode. For those who are listening, the URL is 

https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/w4q0z

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

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 . 

If you have been blessed by this blog and podcast, I encourage you to share them with others. 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. We now reach 34 countries all over the world with the message of the Gospel. I could not do this without your help.

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! 

PLEASE TWEET: “HELP! I’m Worried about the Future!“” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

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

To receive my monthly newsletter, click here.

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

Now it’s your turn: How do you control your thoughts? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you.

________________________________________________________________________

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.

PRINT FORMAT

E-BOOK FORMAT

_________________________________
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. 

__How to Think like a Winner

__7 Signs That the Tribulation Is at Hand

__The Dangers of Generation Separation

__Are You Thinking Straight?

__How to Deal with the “New Normal”

__What to Do When Your Child Goes Astray

___Are You a Perfectionist?

__Is the World Coming to an End?

__The Coming Global Cataclysm

 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 Wordclick here.

_____________________________________________________________

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.

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.