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September 18, 2025

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 Thursday, September 18, 2025, and this is episode #18 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “The Upside-Down Kingdom.”

Before we get into our message for this week, I want to extend a warm welcome to all of our new subscribers around the world. By the grace of God, Winning with the Word now reaches 85 countries all over the globe! Praise the Lord and glory to God!

I want you to know how much I appreciate your support, and I trust that Winning with the Word blesses you and encourages you during these difficult last days. Please share this podcast and blog with your family and friends. I would love to bless them and encourage them as well.

Now, on to this week’s message titled “The Upside-Down Kingdom.”

If you have been a Christ-follower for any length of time, you have likely noticed that the Kingdom of God runs by laws opposite those of the natural world.

For example, in the kingdom of earth, one lives first and then dies. In the Kingdom of God, one dies first and then lives.

In the kingdom of earth, one must see first before one believes, while in the Kingdom of God, one must believe first before one sees.

In the kingdom of earth, one does something in order to be something. In the Kingdom of God, one is something before one does something.

In a very interesting passage in Acts 17: 6, the Bible calls the disciples “the men who have turned the world upside down.” We tend to think of this expression of turning the world upside down as meaning to disrupt the natural order of things. And it does mean that. But, the coming of Christ to earth also turned the world upside down in a very literal way. The old order of the way things worked passed away. Jesus ushered in a new order, a new way of seeing and doing life. And that way is the only true way.

Let’s take a look at this new order of things that Jesus brought by exploring each of the ways the Kingdom of God is upside down from the kingdom of earth.

1) Death before Resurrection.

In john 12: 24 NIV, Jesus said this: “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” The Kingdom of God is like a seed. A seed must be planted in order to produce a crop according to the seed’s kind. So it is with the one who chooses to follow Jesus Christ. That one must die to himself in order to live in Christ.

This seems like a paradox, and it is.

2) Believing before Seeing.

In the earthly kingdom the dictum is, “Seeing is Believing.” In God’s Kingdom, the dictum is “Believing is Seeing.” The Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Faith. In order to benefit from the promises of the Kingdom, one must walk in faith.

Faith is the switch that turns on the power of God and enables t he Christ-Follower to experience the promises of God fulfilled in his life. Faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God whereby all transactions are conducted. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

3) Being before Doing.

I find it very interesting that here in the earthly kingdom, when we meet someone new, one of the first questions we ask is, “What do you do?” Why don’t we ask our new friend, “Who are you?” The reason is that the dictum for the kingdom of earth is “Doing precedes Being,” while in the Kingdom of God, the dictum is “Being precedes Doing.”

In the Kingdom of God, we must first abide in Christ before we can bear any fruit. Jesus said this in John 15: 4 NIV: “Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.”

So, let me ask you, friend, are you engrafted in the Vine that is Jesus Christ? If not, you need to be. You might be asking, “Why?”

Well, for one thing, you cannot be saved unless you are engrafted in Christ. He is the only Savior of the world, and only those who receive Him as their Savior will be saved.

Second, there is no life outside of Christ. He is the Source and the End or Purpose of Life. He Himself said, “I am the Life” (John 14: 6). He is the one who created you and gave you life. You cannot take your next breath without His help.

Third, why would you want to refuse Christ when the only other alternative is death in Satan? There are only two choices to be made: Jesus Christ or Satan. Jesus offers you life. Satan offers you death.

Hear the words of Jesus in John 10: 10 AMP: “The thief [Satan] comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” (Brackets mine).

So, whom do you choose? It seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? If it seems like a no-brainer to you as well, pray this simple prayer with me now from your heart:

Lord Jesus, I come to You as a sinner needing and wanting to be saved. I know that only You can save me. I acknowledge You as the Son of God Who died for my sins and rose from the dead. I receive You now into my life as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for taking the punishment for my sin in my place. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer from your heart, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the Family of God! Write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com, and I will send you a free PDF e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again.

If, however, you still refuse to turn to Jesus to be saved and are left behind, I refer you to the link below in the show notes where you will know what to do:

https://maryanndiorio.com/a-letter-to-those-left-behind-after-the-rapture/

In case you are not aware, I write heart-mending fiction that deals with the deepest issues of life. In my stories, you will find characters just like you who struggle with what seem like impossible problems and situations. Check out my books at my online bookstore at shop.maryanndiorio.com. That’s shop.maryanndiorio.com. 

My featured book for this week is titled The Rabbi and Mrs. Goldstein. This powerfully moving novel recounts the story of a 19th-century rabbi’s wife who must face the truth that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and that there is no other. You can get your copy at the link provided HERE. And share this novel with your Jewish friends. The Messiah died and rose again from the dead for all of us, not just for Gentiles.

I also invite you to visit me on my other blog, The Relationship Road. There you will find valuable information on creating and cultivating healthful relationships based on God’s Word.

Winning with the Word is available on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast venues as well as on YouTube. Check out my YouTube channel at youtube.com/drmaryanndiorio.

Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are. Yet He doesn’t want to keep you there. As you live in Him, He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.

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Featured Book for This Week:

The Rabbi and Mrs. Goldstein

A 19th-century rabbi’s wife accepts Yeshua as the Messiah and faces divorce, destruction, and death.



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Copyright 2025 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.