Posted on Monday, May 9, 2022

Progressive Christianity: The Hoax of the Century

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by MaryAnn

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 for 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.

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Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.

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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, May 9, 2022, and this is Episode #19 of Series 2022. This episode is titled “Progressive Christianity: The Hoax of the Century.”
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It has been said that the most dangerous place in the world is inside a church.

Why?

Because one would never expect to find Satan inside a church.

But, not only is he there; he is hidden and camouflaged to the point that we view him as a light when he is actually the same old, evil deceiver.

So, how has Satan infiltrated the Church today? What am I talking about specifically?

I’m talking about Progressive Christianity.

You may have heard the term. It sounds so innocuous, doesn’t it? So cool, even. After all, progress is a good thing, right?

Not always. In fact, Progressive Christianity is not progress at all but, rather, a falling away from the essential truths of Christianity. It is the most dangerous heresy–or conglomeration of heresies–to have infiltrated the Church in this century.

Progressive Christianity now has a strong but sinister presence in our seminaries and pulpits. It has even found its way into the media that is unashamedly propagating its tenets in order to undermine the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When the Apostle Paul was on earth, he warned of heresies that would enter the Church. He called these heresies “another Gospel”. He warned in Galatians 1: 9 that “if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Pretty strong words!

Progressive Christianity is “another Gospel” — not the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not the Gospel we received from the Word of God.

So, what is Progressive Christianity? In what ways is it a false Gospel?

Progressive Christianity grew out of the Emergent Church Movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s. As its name implies, Progressive Christianity considers it progress to re-examine, re-define, and, if necessary, reject the historic doctrines of the Christian faith.

Here are some of the problems with the teachings of Progressing Christianity:

1__It denies that the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God and absolute Truth.

2__It denies the doctrine of original sin, the Biblical teaching that every human being is born into this world spiritually separated from God by sin.

3__It ignores the concept of sin altogether and does not teach about the need for repentance from sin and accepting Christ as Savior and Lord.

4__It denies the Blood of Christ, His substitutionary Atonement on the Cross, and the Resurrection.

5__It denies the existence of Hell, a very real place where those who reject Christ will spend eternity.

6__It aligns itself with anti-Biblical, cultural trends like abortion, same-sex marriage, and gender identity.

7__It preaches a gospel of social justice and universal salvation instead of the true Gospel of repentance from personal sin, personal salvation, and personal redemption.

8__It places undue emphasis on saving planet Earth, worshipping the earth more than the Creator of the earth.

So, what can we who are followers of the true Gospel do to stem the tide of Progressive Christianity:

1. Know the Truth. We must saturate ourselves with the Word of God so that we will instantly recognize any teaching contrary to the Word of God. Just as a bank teller-in-training never handles counterfeit money but gets to know real money so well in order instantly to be able to recognize counterfeit money, so must we study God’s Word, the real Truth, in order to be able to recognize a counterfeit.

2. Be bold. We must speak out against the lies of the enemy and replace those lies with the Truth as found in the Bible. We must resist the fear of man–worrying about what people think–and fear God instead. We will be persecuted for speaking the Truth, but we must speak it anyway. Jesus warned us that we would be hated by the world. He said this in John 15: 18: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” It is a great honor and privilege to be hated for the cause of Christ.

3. Stand up for life from its beginning to its end. Speak out against abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia. The sacredness of human life is the core issue of our day. Unless we hold life sacred in all its stages, nothing else matters.

4. Uphold Absolute Truth and speak out against relativism. Progressive Christianity espouses the lie that truth cannot be known, so each person must create his own truth. Progressive Christianity teaches that your truth is your truth, and my truth is my truth. This is called Relativism.

Truth is not what we decide it is. Truth is what God decides it is, and He has already decided what Truth is and has declared it in the Bible, His Holy Word.

If you have been attending a church that espouses Progressive Christianity, run away from it as fast as you can. Be sure that your pastor teaches the full counsel of God without compromise. That full counsel is found only in the Holy Bible. The Bible is the final authority and standard of living for the true Christ-Follower.

If you do not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I urge you to establish one now. All you need to do is to repent of your sin, ask Jesus to forgive you, and invite him into your life. Please pray this simple prayer after me:

Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I acknowledge my sin before You. I recognize that my sin put You on that Cross where You died for me. So, I repent of my sin, and I ask You to forgive me. I invite You into my life now. I receive You now as my Savior and my Lord. Thank You for saving me. Make me what You created me to be, O God. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer, welcome to God’s family! Please write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday. And please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet titled After You’re Born Again. This booklet will help you to get started in your walk with Jesus.

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 did not pray this prayer with me, please reconsider. Jesus Christ is coming back soon to remove from the world all those who follow Him. The rest of the world’s population will be left behind and will face the most horrific time in human history under the dictatorship of the AntiChrist. If you do not believe me, do your own research.

Thousands of years ago, the Bible predicted exactly what is happening in our world today. Everything is coming to pass exactly as the Bible predicted. The Bible has never been wrong. I have been following Jesus for 52 years, and He has never failed me. Nor will he ever fail you if you choose to follow Him.

I urge you: Follow Jesus Christ. Accept Him into your life. He is the only way to be saved.

If this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful Team. Winning with the Word now reaches 70 countries throughout the world because of the help of patrons like you. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.

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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Posted on Monday, January 31, 2022

Popcorn Power

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by MaryAnn

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.

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Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.

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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, January 31, 2022, and this is Episode #5 of Series 2022. This episode is titled “Popcorn Power.”

Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks. Recently, I was making some in my large popper. As I watched the corn pop, I had a strong sensation that the Lord wanted to speak to me. So, I sharpened my spiritual ears to tune into His voice.

But, I heard nothing. Yet, deep in my spirit I knew that the Lord would speak to me.

Shortly before this incident, I had been praying for God’s direction for my life. It seemed that my writing and teaching ministry was not bearing the fruit I had hoped it would bear. For example, I had not reached as many people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ as I would have liked to reach by now. I had not helped as many people get free from bondage as I would have liked to help by now. I had not sold as many books as I would have liked to sell by now.

It was two days later, during my morning quiet time with God, that He finally spoke to me about the popcorn.

“When you were popping your popcorn the other day,” He said, “did you notice that nothing happened for the first few moments after you put the corn kernels and the oil into the popper?”

“Yes,” I said.

God continued. “Did you then notice that first one kernel popped, and then another, and then another and another and another in increasingly rapid succession?”

“Yes, Lord,” I replied.

“Then, did you notice that suddenly all of the remaining kernels burst into loud, exuberant popping until all of the corn was popped?”

“Yes, Lord,” I replied again.

Then the Lord spoke these words to me: “Well, dearest one, that is the way it works with the seeds you plant in life. A single seed is like a single kernel of popcorn. When you first plant it, it doesn’t seem as though anything is happening. But then, it mingles with the oil of My Spirit and begins to sprout. Just as one kernel pops first, so does one seed sprout first. Just as the popcorn explodes into growth, so does the seed explode into growth, developing shoots and then leaves. Finally, it grows into whatever it was designed to be. Before long, you have a plant or a tree with many branches and leaves.”

The Lord’s words greatly encouraged me.

And I hope they encourage you, too.

Perhaps you’ve been waiting for years for an answer to prayer. Perhaps you started a business, and it has not grown to the level to which you had hoped it would. Perhaps you’ve set a goal, but you’re still struggling to achieve it. Whatever the case, be patient because your single seed will eventually multiply.

Shortly after my conversation with the Lord, Holy Spirit gave me a remarkable strategy for expanding my ministry. Already, I am seeing my fruit multiply.

The Lord wants you to know that it’s now time for the seeds you’ve planted to grow as well. It’s time for your popcorn to pop.

If you’d like to know what strategy the Lord gave me, it’s this that I learned from a fellow believer; Do the right things in the right way in the right order.

That’s where I can help you.

If you’re stuck in your life or in your business, I can help you get unstuck by pointing you to the right things to do in the right way and in the right order. As a Certified Life Coach, I’ve been helping people since 2002 to find and fulfill their God-given purpose by teaching them how to do the right things in the right way and in the right order.

If you would like to hire me as your personal life coach, contact me at drmaryann@celebrationlifecoaching.com to set up an appointment. Also, visit my website at CelebrationLifeCoaching.com for answers to your questions about coaching and for testimonials from some of the clients I have already helped.

For example, Tracy said this; “Personal coaching was like having a personal trainer for the mind.”
Just click here: CelebrationLifeCoaching.com/testimonials.

Popping your popcorn begins with knowing Jesus Christ. If you have not yet accepted Him as your Savior and Lord, I invite you to do so now. Pray this simple prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I need my popcorn to pop. I need results from my efforts. I don’t want to continue the daily grind only to end up a frustrated failure. Dr. MaryAnn tells me that finding my purpose begins with finding You. So, I invite you now into my life to be my Savior and my Lord. Show me the purpose for which You created me, and help me to fulfill that purpose before I leave this earth. Pop my popcorn, Lord, for Your glory and for the building of Your Kingdom. Thank You. In Your Name I pray, Jesus. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer, please write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday. And please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com or at drmaryann@celebrationlifecoaching.com. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet, titled After You’re Born Again. This booklet will help you get started in your walk with Christ.

In my latest novel, Miracle in Milan, my hero, Ted McMasters, struggles to pop his popcorn. Check out this powerful story to discover how you, too, can receive God’s help in popping your popcorn.

You can purchase a copy for yourself or as a gift for someone else by visiting my website at maryanndiorio.com/book-table. Here is the direct link:
https://maryanndiorio.com/maryann-diorio-books/miracle-in-milan

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 on the link in this blog post.
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/w4q0z7

To subscribe to my author newsletter, click on the link below:
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Posted on Monday, January 10, 2022

How to Get Rid of Emotional Pain?

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by MaryAnn

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.

___________________________________________________________________________

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, January 10, 2022, and this is Episode #2 of Series 2022. This episode is titled “How to Get Rid of Emotional Pain.”

Are you hurting on the inside? Are you struggling with negative emotions that you don’t know how to get rid of? Do you sometimes feel as though you simply can’t go on?

If so, I empathize with you. For many years, I carried emotional pain around like a noose around my neck or a ball and chain around my ankle. No matter what I did to get rid of it, it just hung around, crippling my life and keeping me from the freedom I so longed to experience.

But then one day, I learned the secret of getting rid of emotional pain.

But, before I reveal the secret, let’s talk a little about the nature of emotional pain. Emotional pain has its roots in our thinking. Yes, you heard me right. In our thinking. You see, it’s not what happens to us that matters; it’s how we think about what happens to us that matters. I’m going to repeat that statement: It’s not what happens to us that matters; it’ show we think about what happens to us that matters.

In other words, our perspective on our traumatic experience is what gives that experience control over our lives or gives us control over the experience.

For example, two children can both experience the pain of a parent’s alcoholism, but one child learns from the pain of that experience and creates a successful life for herself, while the other child gets angry with God and ends up an alcoholic like his parent.

Perhaps you are the child of an alcoholic or a drug addict. Perhaps you are the product of childhood abuse or trauma. Perhaps you experienced a tragic divorce or lost a child. Perhaps you went bankrupt and lost everything you owned. Whatever your traumatic experience, it left you with a lot of emotional baggage that you now have to deal with.

You’re carrying that emotional baggage around with you, and, whether you realize it or not, it is affecting your relationships. It is causing you continual pain. Isn’t it about time to get rid of it?

It is not what happens to you that matters. It is how you perceive what happens to you that matters.

When I was five years old, I was struck by a car. My parents took me for dead, but, thankfully, I was merely unconscious. During that horrible incident, I sustained a fracture of my left clavicle. I remember awakening to consciousness in the hospital, being held down flat on a stretcher, with a group of white-coated medical personnel pushing down on my shoulder to put it back in place. I screamed in agony at the excruciating pain. In my little five-year-old mind, I did not realize that the doctors and nurses hovering over me were only trying to help me. I perceived them as trying to hurt me even more. In short, I was traumatized by my wrong perception.

Several years later, my parents went through a bankruptcy. We lost our home and had only 30 days to find a house to rent. But no one would rent to a family of seven children. I remember driving around with my pregnant mother, looking for a house. Person after person slammed the door in our faces, saying to my mother, “We refuse to rent to you. Your children will destroy our home.” Little did they know that we were well-behaved children whose parents had trained us to respect the property of others.

I remember a very cold winter when we ran out of food to eat and oil to heat our home. A very hungry bunch of little children gathered around our old fireplace, stomachs growling as we huddled together around the fire in our winter coats. It was then I learned that, just as the Bible says, poverty is a curse.

I could go on and on with other negative experiences that brought great pain to my life. I’m sure you have your own set of experiences, many of them far worse than mine.

So, why is it that today I am free of the emotional pain of the past? There is only one reason: Jesus Christ set me free!

When I had had enough of emotional pain, I got smart and turned to Jesus. I invited him into my life and received Him as my Savior and Lord. It was then that He began the process of restoring my soul, a promise that He makes in Psalm 23: 3 to all who need freedom from emotional pain.

You might be thinking, “But, Dr. MaryAnn, you don’t understand. My emotional pain is too great.”

I would say to you, “God is bigger than your pain.” No matter what you’ve been through or what you are going through now, Jesus is bigger than your pain. In fact, He took your pain to the Cross with Him. He doesn’t want you to have to carry it any longer.

So, where do you begin?

You begin by admitting that you’ve been carrying around a lot of emotional baggage that you want to get rid of. Then you ask Jesus to come into your life to remove the baggage. He will. One layer at a time. Like an onion. He peels away a little. You cry a little. Then He peels away a little more, and you cry a little more. Until one day, you discover that the entire onion has been peeled. All the pain has been removed. You are finally free!

God did not create us to carry emotional pain. He created us to live joy-filled lives of love and peace. This is what He wants for you.

But do you want it for yourself? Do you want it enough to lay down your own way of getting rid of pain and choosing God’s way? Do you want freedom from pain enough to turn your back on those drugs, those cigarettes, that alcohol, that illicit sex, that pornography, that food addiction? If so, you are ready to be free of your emotional pain.

Let’s pray together now:

Lord Jesus, I’m tired of carrying around emotional pain. I’m tired of hurting on the inside. Tired of sleepless mights. Tired of fear and worry. Tired of regret and remorse. Tired of hangovers and false highs. Tired of the torment of the past. I’m deciding now to give you my pain because I can’t carry it any longer. And I know that when I give you my pain, You will begin to clean me up. And I’m asking for You to restore my soul as You promise me in Psalm 23: 3. I invite You now into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank You for giving me new life. Thank You for restoring my soul. Thank You for removing the emotional pain of the past. In Your Name I pray. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer, please write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday. And please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet, titled After You’re Born Again, that will help you get started in your walk with Christ.

For those of you who may not know, I write fiction that deals with the deepest issues of the human heart. My stories are about ordinary people like you and me who struggle with the same kinds of problems we struggle with. So, check out my fiction at maryanndiorio.com/book-table.

Also, if this podcast has helped you in any way, please consider supporting it by becoming one of my valued patrons. Just go to patreon.com/winningwiththeword to join my wonderful Team. Patrons receive numerous benefits in appreciation for their support.

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 on the link in this blog post.
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/w4q0z7

To subscribe to my author newsletter, click on the link below:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/x5i2r2

To follow me on social media platforms, click on the link below:
linktr.ee/maryanndiorio

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Please check out my latest children’s book, Penelope Pumpernickel: Dynamic Detective, Book 2 in the popular Penelope Pumpernickel Series of Chapter Books for Children. This series, written for early and reluctant readers, is designed to build Christian character in the young children in your life. To order, just click on the book cover image below. You may also purchase your copy on my website at https://maryanndiorio.com/book-table.

My latest novel, Miracle in Milan, has 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 convincing 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 and share in the rewards of all those who come to Christ through this ministry.

Winning with the Word now reaches 64 countries on six continents, by God’s grace, because of the faithful support of my patrons. 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.

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Posted on Monday, February 8, 2021

How to Control Your Thinking

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

by MaryAnn

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.

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Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast.

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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 February 8, 2021, and this is Episode #2 of Series 2021.

In my last blog post and podcast, I talked about how to think like a winner. We explored certain principles from the Bible that, if applied, will help us to win in life. If you did not listen to that podcast, I encourage you to go back and listen to it.

Today, we’re going to discuss strategies for thinking in a way that will ensure that our thoughts will lead us to success. By success, I do not mean only financial success. More importantly, I mean peace of mind, good health, and joy in living.

The strategies I will discuss always work if we work them, because they originate in God’s Holy Word, the Bible. And the Bible is Truth in written form.

So, let’s begin.

Principle #1: Our life is shaped by our thoughts.

This is a law established by God, a law that we cannot change, just as we cannot change the law of gravity.

Because this law cannot change, we can either adapt to it or rebel against it. If we are wise, we will adapt to the law and allow it to work in our favor.

Several Scripture verses teach this principle that our thoughts shape our lives. For instance, in my last podcast, we unpacked Proverbs 23: 7: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” We saw that the way we think in our hearts will determine the way our lives turn out. We also learned what the Bible means by the heart.

The second principle in controlling our thinking is found in Romans 12: 2 NKJV: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

In this verse, we learn that in order to prove–or experience–God’s perfect will, we need to be transformed. In order to be transformed, we must renew our minds. Renewing our minds means training them to think in a new way, a way different from the way we have been thinking up until now.

But the key here is that the new way of thinking we must choose is God’s way of thinking as found in the Bible. Any other way of thinking will not give us the desired result of a successful life.

So, Principle #2 can be summarized as follows: We experience God’s perfect will for our lives by changing the way we think and aligning our thinking with the Bible.

So many of us have believed lies all of our lives. We have embraced these lies as truth. Consequently, we have experienced the negative effects of those lies.

For example, we may have been told as children that we would never amount to much or that we were clumsy or stupid or fat. We may have been told that we were unwanted or an accident or a mistake. Whatever the case may be, we accepted those lies as truth, and those lies have controlled us all of our lives.

Yet, we may not even be aware that we are being controlled by lies. Instead, we suffer silently the emotional pain of broken relationships, damaged careers, and other failures, totally unaware that all of this suffering is caused by the lies we believe.

But I have great news for you! Jesus Christ has come to set us free! To give us life and life more abundantly (John 10: 10). We have only to accept that abundant life by inviting Jesus into our broken lives. He is Life!

Unless we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we will not experience the fullness of the abundant life that He died to give us. It all starts with accepting Christ–in other words, with being born again. Once we are born again, the Holy Spirit begins the process of cleaning us up and making us like Jesus.

We don’t come to Christ already cleaned up. No. That would be impossible. We come to Christ in order to get cleaned up. So don’t let your sin and your failures hold you back. Come to Jesus now!

After we come to Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins the lifelong process of cleaning us up. A huge part of this process is helping us to get rid of the lies we believe.

When I first became a Christian, my life was controlled by many lies. As a result, I suffered much emotional and physical pain. That pain drove me to Christ Who then began in me the process of demolishing the lies and rebuilding my life on the Truth.

So, if you are reading this blog post or listening to this podcast, I understand. I’ve been there. And I can tell you with all sincerity of heart that you can come out of that painful place and know a joy and a peace beyond your wildest dreams.

That joy and peace are found only in Jesus Christ. And it is He alone who will help you to change your thinking to align with His. Indeed, what the Bible means by renewing the mind is to stop thinking the world’s way and to start thinking God’s way.

Well, how do we do that?

It is a three-step process that involves identifying the lies we believe; repenting of having believed them: and replacing those lies with the truth as found in the Holy Bible.

So, in three simple words, the three steps are:

1. Identify.

2. Renounce (Repent).

3. Replace.

So many of us have believed lies all of our lives. We have embraced those lies as truth. Consequently, we have experienced the negative effects of those lies as they destroyed our lives and kept us from experiencing what Jesus died to give us.

But God wants to set us free! And the way we cooperate with Him in that process is by renewing our minds.

The final strategy for success that I’d like to discuss with you today is found in the Book of Joshua 1: 8: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

This verse reveals Principle #3: Obeying God’s Word is the only way truly to succeed in life. Success involves far more than money. It involves peace of mind, physical well-being, and healthful relationships. Obeying the Bible will give us all of these things.

But it all happens because we align our thinking with what the Bible teaches. In other words, we obey the Word of God. We do life His way, not our way. His way always works. Our way doesn’t.

Remember this: How we think determines our destiny!

Once we recognize the lies we have believed, and once we have repented of them and renounced them, and once we have replaced them with the truth, we still have something else to do. We still must continually monitor our thoughts to determine if they are from God or from the enemy. In short, as the three-year-old little boy of a friend of mine once said, we have to think about what we are thinking about.

The only way to do this effectively is to know what God says in His Word. When we do, we will instantly recognize a lie. When we recognize a lie, we must then lasso it, take it captive–as the Bible says–and give it to Jesus. We must lay that lie at the foot of the Cross where it was defeated once and for all. And then we must replace that lie with the truth.

Renewing the mind is a lifelong process. The Bible describes it as the process of sanctification in John 17: 17: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” The encouraging news is that the Holy Spirit helps us in this process. We read this in Philippians 2: 13: ” . . . for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

So, be encouraged that you are not in the mind-renewing process all by yourself. The Holy Spirit is with you, leading you and guiding you into all truth.

But perhaps you do not know the Holy Spirit. Perhaps you do not have Him in your life to help you to renew your mind. If this describes you, then let me urge you to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. When you do, the Holy Spirit of Jesus will come into your life. He will give you a new spirit and make you a new creation on the inside.

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You. I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Forgive me of my sin. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness. Give me Your grace to follow you all the days of my life. Thank You for satisfying my need for You. I ask and receive in Your precious Name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer sincerely, please write to me at drm@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.

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

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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 .

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. 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:“How to Control Your Thinking” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

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

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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.

PRINT FORMAT

E-BOOK FORMAT

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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 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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