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 Monday, June 28, 2021, and this is Episode #21 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “Whose Report Will You Believe?”
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Choices. We face them every day. And which choice we make can have a major impact on our life not only while we are here on earth, but also for all eternity.
One of the most important choices we can make is that between truth and falsehood. If we make the wrong choice there, we will head down a path that leads to destruction. The Bible says so in Proverbs 14: 12 NLT: “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”
So how can we know which path is really the right path? The path that will lead to life?
The answer to that question is, at the same time, both simple and complex. Simple, because the answer is readily found. Complex because the answer requires a major change in our thinking.
This change in thinking is called “the renewing of the mind.” In Romans 12: 1-2, the Bible says this: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
So, the Bible is telling us that when we change the way we think to agree with the way God thinks, we will become a new person and experience God’s good and perfect will for our lives. WOW! What a promise!
But the promise is contingent on our changing the way we think.
So how do we do this? How do we change our thinking?
I’ll give you a simple illustration. Let’s say that you lose your job and have a family to support. You know that in the Bible, God says that He will supply everything you need. You also hear Satan shouting at you that you’re going to go under, lose your car, your house, and everything you own, You now have two opposite reports staring you in the face. One is God’s truth that says that He will provide for you, and the other is Satan’s lie that says you’re going to lose everything. Whose report will you believe? God’s or Satan’s?
It seems as though this is a no-brainer, but, sadly, more people believe Satan’s report than God’s. When we believe something, we agree with it. And the Bible says in Matthew 18: 19-20 that when two or more people agree on something, it will come to pass.
So, here’s the picture. On the one hand, God is giving you a good report that says He will provide for you. On the other hand, Satan is giving you an evil report that says you will go under. You are the referee who will determine which report wins out. If you agree with God, what God says will come to pass. If you agree with Satan, what Satan says will come to pass.
Each day we face similar choices between Truth (what God says) and Deception (what Satan says). For example, God says you were healed by the stripes of Jesus. But you get a bad medical diagnosis that says you have only six months to live. Whose report will you believe? What the doctor says or what God says?
Now, I’m not implying that doctors represent Satan. (My husband is a physician and I highly respect him and the medical profession). No. What I’m saying is that if any report–whether medical, financial, or otherwise–says something that is opposite from what God says, then we must believe what God says because God cannot lie.
What God says is TRUTH. What Satan says is FACT. Most of the time, TRUTH and FACT do not agree. For example, the doctor may say you have a terminal illness. That is FACT. But God says you are healed. That is TRUTH. Whose report will you believe?
We do not deny FACT, but when TRUTH and FACT disagree, we must choose TRUTH if we want to experience our healing or our financial provision or whatever it is we need from God.
Believing TRUTH will often require downplaying FACT. Scripture tells us that Abraham was a very old man when God told him he would have a son. Abraham was very likely impotent in the natural, but the Bible says he did not consider his body. In other words, he paid no attention to the fact that his body was incapable of producing a child. He simply believed God. And what happened?Abraham had Isaac, the child of promise. Why was Isaac called “the child of promise?” Because God had promised Abraham that he would give him a son, and God cannot lie.
When TRUTH and FACT do not agree–as in the case of Abraham–if we want to see God’s promises to us fulfilled in our lives, we have to believe God in spite of the circumstances. For example, if we want to experience healing, we will need to believe God’s promise that we were healed instead of believing the doctor’s report that we are sick. In order to experience God’s promises fulfilled in our lives, we must side with TRUTH and not FACT. FACT is temporal and, therefore, subject to change. TRUTH is eternal and, therefore, not subject to change. If we believe FACT over TRUTH, FACT will win out. If we believe TRUTH over FACT, TRUTH will win out.
As you go about your life, we will continually face the choice between believing God’s report and believing Satan’s report, between believing TRUTH and believing FACT. The more we believe God’s report, the better life we will have. The converse is also true. The more we believe Satan’s report, the worse life we will have.
Decide now that you are always going to believe God’s report, no matter how much it looks impossible, irrational, or ridiculous. Why? Because God is Truth, and Truth will always prevail in the end.
If you do not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, He is giving you an invitation now to receive Him. Won’t you accept Him as the Truth you need?
Pray this simple prayer with me now:
Lord Jesus, I need You. I need you to know truth because You are Truth. I invite You into my life now. I receive You as my personal Savior and the Lord of my life. Thank You for forgiving me and bringing me into Your family. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for giving me eternal life. I pray this in Your Name. Amen.
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, 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 who 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 TWEET: “Whose Report Will You Believe?” (CLICK TO TWEET)
Now it’s your turn: Are you believing what God says about you or what Satan says about you? Why or why not? Please leave your comment in the Comment Box below. Thank you.
Photo Source: Gert Altmann (Pixabay)
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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. My latest novel, Miracle in Milan, has just been released in both print and ebook formats and deals with the issue of unforgiveness. It is the story of a young, female auditor who discovers evidence that the man she loves is an embezzler. You will find Miracle in Milan to be a page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat. To order your copy, go to Amazon or to my website bookstore at maryanndiorio.com/book-table. You will also find Miracle in Milan on Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.
This podcast is funded by listeners like you. If you have been blessed by Winning with the Word, please consider becoming 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 51 countries on six continents, by God’s grace, 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 become a part of something great!
To become a patron, go to https://www.patreon.com/winningwiththeword
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 non-fiction book, The Iron Saint. This book, modeled after The Iron Man triathlon, talks about the coming persecution of the Church in America and how you can prepare for it. The Iron Saint is available on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other major book purchasing venues. You may also find it 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!
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Now Available for Purchase: Dr. MaryAnn’s latest novel, Miracle in Milan.
When a young, female auditor discovers evidence that the man she loves is an embezzler, she must choose between ruining him or ruining herself.
Amy Torelli, Chief Auditor for New York City-based Enson Pharmaceuticals, is assigned to audit the books of Enson’s Italian branch in the enchanting city of Milan, Italy. Having made an inner vow never to trust a man again because of her father’s betrayal, Amy finds herself falling in love with Enson Italia’s American-born Vice-President, Ted Masters. Will Ted be the one to cause her to break her inner vow?
Ted Masters is on the run. A run from rejection. From himself. From God. Having been wounded by a father who made him feel worthless, and having been dumped by the woman he wanted to marry, Ted is determined to keep all women at bay. But will Amy Torelli be the reason he changes his mind?
Miracle in Milan
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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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__How Close Are We to the End?
__When Your Prayers Don’t Seem to Be Answered
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__7 Signs That the Tribulation Is at Hand
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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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