Winning with the Word | MaryAnn Diorio

February 16, 2026

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, February 16, 2026, and this is episode #3 in Series 2026. This episode is titled, “The Demon Invasion.”

Talk about demons elicits various types of responses, from “You’re crazy” to “You’re right.” In this week’s message, we’re going to explore briefly the topic of the current demon invasion and how the Christ-Follower should deal with it. We are going to focus only on what the Bible says because the Bible is Truth.

But first, I want to tell you that my featured book for this week, THE ITALIAN CHRONICLES Trilogy, is on sale for only $21.00. This offer includes all three novels of the trilogy—The Madonna of Pisano, A Sicilian Farewell, and Return to Bella Terra. That’s a 42% discount off the regular price. This sale will last only until the end of February.

So, get your copy now and follow the page-turning saga of Maria Landro as she faces losing her fortune, her family, and her faith. Click on the link below or in the show notes to get your copy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HFJC4RM

And now, on to this week’s message.

For centuries in the Western world, the topic of demons was considered not only taboo but ridiculous and off limits. After all, we were far enough advanced on the civilization scale that we no longer needed the foolishness of believing in demons. Science had taken over the western mind, and science was king.

Moreover, science, being observable and concrete, saw no indication of demons in the natural, material realm. And, if we couldn’t prove something scientifically, then it did not exist. If we could not see it, it wasn’t there. Anyone who still believed in demons, therefore, was considered backward, uneducated, and downright silly.

But things have changed here in the West. Over the past half century, with the rising interest in Eastern mysticism and a renewed interest in paganism, the spiritual realm has become a topic of major focus and exploration. Why? Because science has failed to address the inner part of us that is intangible. In other words, the human heart.

When God created you, He breathed into you a soul and you became a living being.
Scripture says this in Genesis 2: 7: “The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” In other words, God breathed into you His own breath, and this is what distinguishes you from every other creature.

Your soul is what gives you life, what enables you to breathe and walk around and act. Your soul is what enables you to think and choose, to love and experience emotions. Your soul embodies your personality and is what makes you uniquely YOU.

God also gave you a spirit. Your spirit is the core of who you truly are. It is the real you, your essence, and the only part of you that can connect to God because God is Spirit (John 4: 24).

Now, what does all of this have to do with demons?

Plenty.


WHAT ARE DEMONS?

Demons also are spirits, but they are the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim. The Nephilim were the offspring in human form of the union between fallen angels and human women. The purpose of this unholy union was to corrupt human DNA in order to prevent the Messiah from being born.

These hybrid creatures called Nephilim were eventually destroyed in the great Flood of Noah. But their spirits still exist and are called demons. Moreover, there is much evidence today that the Nephilim have reappeared because fallen angels have re-entered the earthly sphere.

You may be thinking, “Dr. MaryAnn, you’ve really lost it this time! Fallen angels impregnating women? Come on! You expect me to believe that?”

If this is what you’re thinking, then I refer you to Genesis 6: 4: “Back then, and later, there were giants on the earth, who were born as a result of the unholy union of heavenly beings with the human daughters.” These “heavenly beings” were the fallen angels who had rebelled, together with Satan, against God and were evicted from Heaven.

Now stay with me because it gets even more interesting.


THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DEMONS AND MENTAL ILLNESS

The LORD God became so angry at sin and at this unholy union between fallen angels and earthly women that He destroyed the earth in Noah’s flood. In that flood, every single person on earth died except Noah and his family. Only Noah and his family still had pure DNA from which the future Messiah could be born.

After the Nephilim died, along with the rest of sinful humanity, their spirits continued to exist, and these spirits are what we now call demons.

Since demons are disembodied spirits—in other words spirits without a body—they are continually looking for a body to inhabit, whether a human body or an animal body. When a person, through sin, allows a demon access to his life, that demon will encroach upon that person to the degree that the person allows it, even to the point of total possession of the person.

Today, because of blatant, brazen sin, we are witnessing an increasing invasion of demonic spirits into people’s lives. The results of this invasion are catastrophic, first to the person who has allowed the demons entrance, and second to society in general.

One such very serious result of demon invasion is the increase in mental illness. While there are cases of mental illness rooted in physical causes such as brain chemistry issues or brain trauma, a good deal of mental illness is rooted in demonic oppression. Sadly, this fact is rarely, if ever, considered by mental health professionals. Patients are given all kinds of medication that may alleviate the symptoms but never cure the root cause of the problem because the root cause is spiritual, not physical.

The incidence of mental illness in our culture has increased exponentially and continues to increase. Suicide is on the rise, especially among young teens. Nervous breakdowns, panic attacks, anxiety, and depression have become commonplace. Incidents of random shootings are growing at alarming rates.

Has anyone asked why?

I posit that much of mental illness today is the result of demonic invasion of the human soul.

Statistics gathered in 2022 from the National Institute of Mental Health show that approximately 23.1% of the United States population suffers from mental health issues. This calculates to almost 60 million people in the United States with a mental illness of any type.

Why such a high number?


THE NEFARIOUS EFFECTS OF SIN

A chief reason is that the incidence of sin has increased. Sin, my friend, opens the door to Satan. I’m going to say that again. Sin opens the door to Satan.

Our culture today openly condones sin and even celebrates it. Evil is promoted as good and good as evil. In choosing evil, people have actually invited disembodied, demonic spirits to use their bodies as dwelling places. And when a demon attaches to your body or, worse yet, lives inside your body through demonic possession, it wreaks havoc to your entire life, especially your mental life.

If you yourself have been suffering from mental illness and are having great difficulty getting better despite counseling and medication, consider the possibility that demons may be involved and that you need to deal with your problem spiritually and not just physically or mentally. If you don’t know where to turn, seek the counsel of a pastor who is experienced in dealing with demons. If you still need help, email me at [email protected] and I will direct you to a deliverance ministry that can help you.

You see, my friend, the goal of Satan and his demons is to steal, kill, and destroy you. Always. His goal never changes, nor do his tactics.

Most of the world is oblivious to what is really happening out there. Hordes of demons have invaded our earth through what are called portals, or openings, between the natural realm of earth and the spirit realm above the earth where fallen angels reside. The Bible calls this area “the Second Heaven.” It is the headquarters from which Satan plans and strategizes his attacks on humanity.

Above the Second Heaven is the Third Heaven where God dwells with the good angels and the saints of God, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord and lived for him while on the earth.

Directly above the earth is the First Heaven, the heaven we know as current residents of this earth. This First Heaven is now witnessing the invasion of demonic spirits from the Second Heaven. They are coming in the form of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena or UAPs, formerly called UFOs.

The media is telling us that these sightings are aliens from other planets. In a way, the media is right. But what they are not telling you because they do not know is that these sightings are not aliens from other planets but fallen angels from the Second Heaven invading the earth to prepare the world for the rise of the AntiChrist, the personification of Satan himself.

I have much more to say on the topic, but I will end here for this week. Please subscribe to this podcast for upcoming messages on the truth about what is happening in our world today. It is all prophesied and explained in the Holy Bible.

We are living in a time of great deception. (Listen to my podcast for February 9th titled The Great Deception for more information.) The world needs truth. Truth is a person, and His name is Jesus Christ.

If you have not yet met Jesus Christ, I invite you to meet Him now. Pray this simple prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You because I want to know Truth. I’ve been living a lie, and it has gotten me to places where I don’t want to be. So I choose now to turn away from the lie and to embrace You Who are Truth. I invite You into my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for revealing to me that You are Truth. In Your Name I pray. 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 [email protected], and I will send you a free PDF e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again.

In closing, I want to remind you that my featured book for this week is my popular trilogy titled THE ITALIAN CHRONICLES. See what happens to a soul who allows Satan to invade him. All three novels are on sale in a single ebook volume for only $21.00. That’s a 42% discount off the regular price.

This sale will last only until the end of February. So, get your copy now and follow the page-turning saga of Maria Landro as she faces losing her fortune, her family, and her faith. Click on the link below or in the show notes to purchase.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HFJC4RM

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 you to stay there. As you walk with Him, He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO WINNING WITH THE WORD.
________________________________

Copyright 2026 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.


Featured Book for This Week:

Get your copy now at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HFJC4RM

Visit my bookstore for a complete list of books at maryanndiorio.com/bookstore.

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February 9, 2026

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, February 9, 2026, and this is episode #2 in Series 2026. This episode is titled, “The Great Deception.”

Some of you may know that I am an author as well as a blogger. Recently in the publishing world, writers have reported a phenomenal increase in fraudulent offers promising wealth and fame for varying amounts of money. I myself have received several of these offers. All of them were generated by people using Artificial Intelligence. All of these offers were deceptive.

Deception has taken over the world. But to the Christ-follower, this is not a surprise. Jesus Himself predicted that deception would abound in the last days. While Jesus was on the Mount of Olives with His disciples one day, they asked Him what would be the signs of the last days. Listen to His reply, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 24, verse 4. Jesus said, “Take heed that no one deceives you.”

I find it quite interesting that the very first sign of the last days that Jesus mentioned was deception. He warned His disciples not to be deceived. In other words, Jesus foretold that deception would be the major signpost of the closing age of human history. In case you don’t know, my friend, we are living in that closing age today, and, just as Jesus predicted, deception is rampant.

Fake videos depict fake images of celebrities speaking things they never said. These fakes, called deepfakes, clone human voices, alter human faces, and change written content to serve purposes that are deceptive, if not downright sinister. It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between the truth and the lie.

So, what are we to do?

Let me answer by telling you a story. Years ago, I spoke with a friend of the family who was an executive at a local bank. I asked him how bank tellers recognize counterfeit money. His response surprised me.

He said that in their training program, bank tellers never handle counterfeit money. They handle only real money. And they handle real money so well and so thoroughly that when a counterfeit bill passes through their hands, they immediately recognize it as counterfeit.

Bottomline, the bank tellers first had to recognize real money in order to recognize counterfeit money. They had to know the truth in order to recognize the lie.

The same principle applies regarding deception. In order for us to recognize deception—or the counterfeit to the truth—we first need to be able to know and recognize the truth. The problem is that today, few people know the truth, although most think they do.

You may be asking, “So, Dr. MaryAnn, what is the truth?”

Contrary to popular opinion, the truth is a Person, and His Name is Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 6, Jesus made this profound statement: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus identified Himself as the Truth.

From this it logically follows that to know the Truth, one must know Jesus, and unless one knows Jesus, one cannot know the Truth.

Sadly, most of the world today does not know Jesus. Hence, they do not know the Truth. When one does not know the Truth, one ends up, by default, believing and embracing the Lie. The Lie is what Satan peddles in order to steal, kill, and destroy you. When one believes the Lie, one loses his ability to think straight.

The Bible tells us as much in Romans 1: 28: “. . . since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind . . . .” A debased mind is a mind that has lost its ability to think logically and truthfully. A mind that easily succumbs to deception.

“Well,” you might say, “I have my truth. You have yours. What’s the problem?”

Consider this. Suppose you hired two men to build you a tool shed. One man believed that a foot was twelve inches long while the other man believed that a foot was nine inches long. Each man was adamant that he was right. Do you think they’d get very far in building your shed?

Moreover, logically speaking, both of the men could not be right. If you yourself did not know for sure that a foot consists of twelve inches, you wouldn’t know which man was right. You would not be able to determine who was telling the truth and who was not.

Building a shed may not be a life-or-death matter, but knowing the truth is a life-or-death matter when it comes to your eternal destiny. For if you do not know the truth about what happens after death, you could spend forever in Hell instead of Heaven.

So, “What is the Truth?”

Simply put, the Truth is what God has said it is. And what God has said is the Truth is found in the Bible. Plain and simple. Because God alone is God, He alone has the right, the authority, and the wisdom to determine what is true and what is not true. We humans do not have that right.

Nor do we have the authority and the wisdom to determine what is true and what is not true because we are not as smart as God. He is the Creator; we are the created ones. The created ones are not smarter than the One who created them.

Now, most people don’t want to hear this. Why? Because they don’t want to be subject to a higher authority than themselves. Most people don’t want anyone telling them what truth is because most people don’t want anyone telling them what to do.

Most people want to make up their own rules and live by them. Why? Because they want to continue in their sin. They want to set their own standards for right and wrong so that when they do wrong, they won’t feel guilty and condemned.

But God has set the standards for right and wrong, and those standards will never change, no matter how much man tampers with them. Why won’t they ever change? Because they are the Truth, and Truth never changes.

You see, my friend, we can reject the Truth, we can rebel against the Truth, we can mock the Truth, but we can never change the Truth. A foot will always equal twelve inches. Two plus two will always equal four. Good will always win out over evil. And Truth will always overcome the Lie.

You can try to change this until you are blue in the face, but it will never work. Oh, it may look as though it’s working for a while, but in the end, Truth will overpower the Lie because God, Who is Truth, is more powerful than Satan, who is the Lie.

Perhaps you’ve been living in your own self-made concept of truth. How is that working for you? You may say, “It’s working great.” But, friend, I will tell you that one day, you will discover it no longer works. At some point, the foundation of your life will crumble because it is built on a lie.

Only a life built on the Truth will last. Only a life built on Jesus Christ will bring you true life.

If you have never had an encounter with Jesus Christ, Truth Himself, I invite you to meet Him now. Pray this simple prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You because I want to know Truth. I’ve been living a lie, and it has gotten me into places where I don’t want to be. So I choose now to turn away from the lie and to embrace You. I invite You into my life and receive You as Truth, as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for revealing to me that You are Truth. In Your Name I pray. 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 [email protected], and I will send you a free PDF e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again.

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 https://maryanndiorio.com/bookstore. That’s https://maryanndiorio.com/bookstore.

My featured book for this week is a story about the overcoming power of truth titled In Black and White. It is the love story of a young white woman and a young black man trying to sustain their love in the whirlwind of racism, prejudice, and family tradition. First Place Winner in Historical Fiction in the 2020 Christian Indie Book Awards Contest, In Black and White reveals the power of truth in overcoming the lie. Get your copy at one of the links in the show notes.

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.
________________________________

Copyright 2026 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.



Featured Book for This Week:

IN BLACK AND WHITE – A Gripping Christian Historical Romance

First Place Winner in Historical Fiction – 2020 Christian Indie Awards

A Forbidden Love. A Divided World. A Redeeming God.

In Black and White is a poignant and powerful Christian historical romance that dares to explore the depth of love between two souls separated by culture, color, and the crushing weight of racial prejudice.

Set against the backdrop of academic life and ancestral heritage, this award-winning novel weaves faith, endurance, and restoration into a story that transcends time and speaks to the heart of humanity’s greatest struggles—and God’s greatest triumphs.

PRINT

EBOOK

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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 [email protected], 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.

____________________________________________

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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EBOOK

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

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September 11, 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 11, 2025, and this is episode #17 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “Are You Ready?”

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 Are You Ready?.

You may be asking “Ready for what?“

Are you ready to meet the Lord?

Lest you scoff at my question, listen to these words straight from the Bible in Romans 14: 10 NLT: ” . . . we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” That includes you, my friend.

No matter how much you may deny it or try to evade it, you will one day stand before the judgment seat of God to give account for your every thought, word, and deed. And so will I. A pretty sobering thought, don’t you think?

And that day of judgment may be here sooner than you think.

You see, the Bible gives us several clues as to what will happen on the earth before the Lord returns to judge humanity. Most of these clues, also known as prophecies, have already come to pass. Only a few more remain. And those few more are lining up perfectly and rapidly.

So, what are the clues?

We find them throughout the Bible, particularly in Daniel chapter 9: 27, Matthew chapter 24, and 2 Thessalonians chapter 5. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Matthew 24: 1-8 NLT says this:
“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.’“

Take a look around us, folks. The number of earthquakes over 5.0 has been astronomical during the past two weeks. I have an earthquake app on my phone, and it registered 45 earthquakes over 5.0 and 414 earthquakes over 4.0 in the past week alone! This is unprecedented.

The earth is groaning to give birth to the Kingdom of God, just as Jesus prophesied. Let’s listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8: 22 NLT: “For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.“

Food shortages are being reported daily, with many countries already in the grip of famine. As for wars and threats of war, just about every country is involved in a war of some sort.

And then we have the prophecy in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5: 3 that is being fulfilled right now. Listen to this: “While people are saying, ‘Peace and security,’ destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

Are people not saying, “Peace and security” everywhere we turn? Just listen to the news. And did you know that on September 22nd of this year—that’s just 12 days from the day I am recording this podcast—the United Nations will hold a historic meeting in New York City to confirm an agreement for a two-state solution for Israel and the Middle East? Could this agreement be the “covenant with many” prophesied in Daniel 9: 27?

Let’s hear the words of Daniel, written between 536 B.C. and 530 B.C. That’s over 3000 years ago, my friend!

The word “ruler” in the verse I am about to read refers to the AntiChrist. Daniel is speaking of the AntiChrist and, very possibly, of this upcoming meeting at the United Nations on September 22nd. The number seven in the verse refers to seven years; namely, the seven years of the soon-to-begin Tribulation.

“The ruler [the AntiChrist] will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.” (Brackets mine).

This ruler, the AntiChrist, will be the dictator who will take over the world. He will be Satan in human form. And he is alive now and waiting in the wings.

If, indeed, the treaty to be signed with many nations at the upcoming UN meeting on September 22nd is the covenant Daniel refers to in this verse, then surely the Rapture is at hand, followed by the seven years of horror called the Tribulation.

This means that Jesus Christ, the Judge of the Universe, will be coming at the end of the Tribulation to mete out judgment to all those who did not acknowledge Him as the Messiah.

What will you say to Jesus when you stand before Him? You won’t be able to give him any excuses for your sinful behavior because He sees right through you. He knows you better than you know yourself. We humans are quick to make excuses for our sin. But remember this, my friend. While there may always be reasons for our bad behavior, there are never excuses for it.

Right about now you might be thinking, “I don’t believe any of this, Dr. MaryAnn. You’re just an alarmist. The world has always been this way and will continue to be this way.”

Well, my friend, you just fulfilled another end-time prophecy found in 2 Peter 3: 3-4:
” . . . in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.’”

Besides, my friend. What you believe does not at all affect or alter what God has spoken in the Bible. You are not the one who determines what truth is. God does. And He has said that all men will stand before Jesus Christ to give an account of their lives. So there is no way for you to escape this dictum. When God speaks, He delivers!

Is there any fear of the Lord in you yet? If not, there should be. I have good news for you. You can escape the wrathful judgment of God by receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. If you do, you will escape the horror that is about to come upon the world. You can go up to Heaven with all of us Christ-followers when Jesus comes back for us in the Rapture. That event could be only two weeks away!

How can you receive Christ? Just pray this simple prayer with me from your heart:

Lord Jesus, I come to You as a sinner desiring 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. 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. Write to me at [email protected], 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:

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 look 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.

Featured Book of the Week: The Rabbi and Mrs. Goldstein

PRINT

EBOOK


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.

SUBSCRIBE HERE to Winning with the Word

SUBSCRIBE HERE to The Relationship Road

VISIT MARYANN’S ONLINE BOOKSHOP

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

The post Are You Ready? first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

September 4, 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 4, 2025, and this is episode #16 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble Is Near.”

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 end times. 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 our message for this week, which, by the way is especially for all of my Jewish friends out there. If you are not Jewish, please pass this podcast on to your Jewish friends and acquaintances. Thank you!

So, what is the time of Jacob’s trouble? This phrase first appears in the Book of Jeremiah, an Old Covenant (or Old Testament) prophet who lived from about 650 BC to 570 BC. He was a prophet during the latter decades of the Kingdom of Judah, and his ministry continued until after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

Referring to the time of Jacob’s trouble, Jeremiah wrote the following in chapter 30, verse 7, of his prophetic book: “In all history there has never been such a time of terror. It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel. Yet in the end they will be saved.”

The time of Jacob’s trouble is a seven-year period of intense suffering and torture under the brutal dictatorship of the AntiChrist. It is also called “the 70th week of Daniel” in the prophetic Old Testament book written by the prophet Daniel. I say this with all due respect, but the time of Jacob’s Trouble will make the Holocaust look like a picnic.

“Jacob” in the phrase “the time of Jacob’s trouble” includes the entire nation of Israel, comprising both the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel. When Jeremiah wrote his prophecy, Israel was in a time of great turmoil. The northern kingdom had already been captured by the Assyrians, and the southern kingdom of Judah was on the verge of being sent into captivity to Babylon because of their disobedience to the Lord’s commands.

Two Levels of Interpretation

But Jeremiah’s prophecy had not only an immediate meaning for the Jewish people living during his time; it also has a prophetic meaning for the Jewish people of our day. This dual level of interpretation means that the Babylonian captivity and other horrendous persecutions of the Jews, such as the Holocaust, served as types of the ultimate pouring out of God’s wrath on His people for their continual rebellion in not recognizing Jesus Christ as their Messiah.

Jesus Himself also referred to the time of Jacob’s trouble in Matthew 24: 21 BLB: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and never shall be.”

The purpose of the seven-year tribulation is to punish the Jews and all non-believers for rejecting Jesus Christ as the true Messiah. In the end, one-third of the Jews will finally acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah and will be saved.

Whether you are a Jew or a Gentile, there is only one way to be saved. And that way is by acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died to take the punishment for our sin upon His shoulders, and that He rose from the dead. There is no other way. Buddha cannot save you. Mohammed cannot save you. Hare Krishna cannot save you. No false god or false belief system can save you. Only Jesus Christ can save you.

He Himself said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Won’t you hear His call to you now? Won’t You receive Him as Your Savior and Lord before it is too late?

Just as the doors of Noah’s Ark eventually shut and no one could get in, but perished in the flood, so will the doors of the ark of salvation soon close upon the earth. Those who have already accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah will be taken out of the earth before the Tribulation begins. Those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Messiah will be left behind and suffer the torment of the Tribulation under the brutal and vicious dictatorship of the AntiChrist, who will be Satan himself in bodily form.

I implore you, dear friend, please do not be left behind. Receive Jesus Christ now as the true and only Savior of the world. Pray this prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I come to You as a sinner desiring 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. Make of me what You created me toe be. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer from your heart, you are now a born-again child of God. Write to me at [email protected], 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 this link 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 look 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.

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.

______________________________

Featured Book of the Week: The Rabbi and Mrs. Goldstein

PRINT

EBOOK


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.

SUBSCRIBE HERE to Winning with the Word

SUBSCRIBE HERE to The Relationship Road

VISIT MARYANN’S ONLINE BOOKSHOP

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

The post The Time of Jacob’s Trouble Is Near first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

August 28, 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, August 28, 2025, and this is episode #15 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “A Discussion on Daniel 9: 27″ with Dr. Dom Diorio.

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 end times. 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 our message for this week.

You will be delighted to know that my wonderful husband is back as a podcast guest. Many of you heard him in former podcasts as he spoke on the end times, and today we’re going to focus in on Daniel 9: 27.

So help me give a warm welcome to Dr. Dom Diorio. Welcome, honey!

OK, let’s get started. Please tell us, Dr. Dom, why Daniel 9: 27 is so important, especially today?

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE END:

If you sincerely prayed this prayer from your heart, you are now a born-again child of God. You have been given an inheritance by God Himself that includes hope, peace, and joy. Write to me at [email protected], and I will send you a free PDF e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again.

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 look 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 accepts Yeshua as the Messiah and faces her husband’s wrath in the form of divorce, destruction, and death. You can get your copy at the link provided HERE.

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.


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

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.

SUBSCRIBE HERE to Winning with the Word

SUBSCRIBE HERE to The Relationship Road

VISIT MARYANN’S BOOKSHOP

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

The post Interview with Dr. Dom Diorio on Daniel 9: 27 first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

August 21, 2025


LISTEN HERE

SUBSCRIBE HERE to Winning with the Word

SUBSCRIBE HERE to The Relationship Road

VISIT MARYANN’S BOOKSHOP

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, August 21, 2025, and this is episode #14 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “It’s Almost Midnight!”

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 end times. 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 our message.

The World Is Asleep

While the world sleeps, God’s watchmen are at their posts .For the past decade and more, they have been studying the Word, watching the heavens, and keeping their eyes on the geopolitical pulse of the world, especially on the Middle East, and specifically on Israel. Their conclusions coincide: the world is approaching its end as we know it, and approaching its end at warp speed.

Something shifted in the world back in 2020, and the world has never been the same. Normal did not come back, as people had hoped. But the watchmen know that Jesus is coming back. And they are risking their names and their reputations to warn us.

Why?

Because God, in His infinite love, has given the watchmen a mandate to warn the world. We read this mandate spoken by God in the Book of Ezekiel 33: 6:

“But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and does not sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.”


The Enemy is Coming

So, what enemy is coming that the watchmen are warning us about? They are warning us about the coming Tribulation under the brutal dictatorship of the AntiChrist. More than that, they are warning the world of the eternal fires of Hell which no one will escape unless he is born again.

And what are the watchmen getting for their warnings? They are being mocked, ridiculed, and scorned. They are being called alarmists and fanatics and lunatics. But they don’t care. Why not? Because they love God and they love you!

You may find this hard to believe, but it is the truth. How do I know? I have followed the watchmen for a decade now, and, indeed, I have joined their ranks.

So, what are the watchmen seeing as they watch?

1) They are seeing that the earth is groaning in labor pains that will only increase before the Tribulation and then result in the birth of the Kingdom in the Millennium, the thousand-year period of time during which Jesus Christ will rule on the earth. These labor pains are appearing in the form of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, monstrous storms, solar flares, falling asteroids, and so on.

Romans 8: 20-23 NLT says this: “Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” 

And in Luke 21: 11 NLT we read: “There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.”

2) The watchmen are seeing the entire world gang up against Israel and demanding a two-state solution. Scripture clearly warns in the Book of Joel that any nation that divides Israel will itself be divided. Listen to the prophet’s sobering warning in Joel chapter 3, verse 2:

“I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.”

Little do the nations of the world know what awaits them, yet the watchmen are warning them. They will have no excuse when they stand before the King of kings and Lord of lords.

“I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.”

3) The watchmen are seeing things that generations before us did not aww, indeed, could not have seen. Why? Because things hidden for centuries are now being revealed.

In the Book of Daniel, the angel told Daniel that the book of prophecy would be sealed until the end times. We are now in those end times, and the book of prophecy is being opened again.

Let’s read from Daniel, chapter 12, verse 4:

“But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”

We are living in the age when many are rushing here and there and knowledge has increased to the point that computer engineers tell me that computer information becomes obsolete within three months of time, if that long. And travel has certainly increased to the point where millions of travelers travel all over the world. Travel statistics from the year 2024 show that approximately 1.45 billion people traveled internationally during that year, marking an increase of 11.5% over the previous year of international travel.

There are many other signs the watchmen are seeing and pointing out to the world. You would do well to take heed, but be sure that what a watchman says aligns with God’s Word. For just as there are many true and legitimate watchmen, there are many false ones. The way to gauge their veracity and trustworthiness is to measure what they say by what God says in His Word.

If you have been mocking the watchmen, think twice. They are looking out for your soul. And if that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.

Will you receive that love now—God’s love—if you haven’t yet done so? Pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your love. You loved me enough to die for me and to take the punishment for my sin, the punishment that I deserved. And now You are warning me through Your servants the watchmen. So I receive You now as I heed Your warning. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. 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. You have been given an inheritance by God Himself that includes hope, peace, and joy. Write to me at [email protected], and I will send you a free PDF e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again.

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 look 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 accepts Yeshua as the Messiah and faces her husband’s wrath in the form of divorce, destruction, and death. You can get your copy at the link provided HERE.

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.

SUBSCRIBE HERE to Winning with the Word

SUBSCRIBE HERE to The Relationship Road

VISIT MARYANN’S BOOKSHOP

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

The post It’s Almost Midnight! first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

by Dr. MaryAnn DIorio

August 14, 2025

SUBSCRIBE HERE to Winning with the Word

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, August 14, 2025, and this is episode #13 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “What’s with the Jewish Temple?”

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 throughout 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 end times. 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 very important message.

During the past week, word was released that the Jews conducted the first animal sacrifice in 2000 years in Jerusalem, just across from the Temple Mount. Interestingly, the momentous event was kept quiet in order not to arouse any more dangerous activity in an area already under tremendous attack.

Byron Stinson, the cattle rancher from Texas who bred the red heifers and sent them to Israel a few years ago, posted a short video on Facebook showing the event. While there has been much controversy as a result over whether the sacrifice was legitimate or not, the sacrifice seems to have fulfilled Torah requirements.

If, indeed, the sacrifice was legitimate (and I personally think it was), then the world has entered a new era prophetically.

If you’re wondering what this is all about—if you’re thinking, What are you talking about now, Dr. MaryAnn? Animal sacrifices? In this day and age? Now you’ve really lost it!— please hear me out.

The first Jewish temple, built by King Solomon, was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. on the Jewish feast called Tisha b’AV or the 9th of Av. The second Jewish temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. on the same feast day. This second temple was built under the leadership and supervision of the prophet Nehemiah and was subsequently destroyed by Roman armies under the Emperor TItus. To this day, the Arch of Titus in Rome commemorates this wicked event.

As a result of the Temple’s destruction, the Jews have not had a Temple for 2000 years, and they are very eager to rebuild one.

Why do the Jews need a Temple? They need a Temple because the sacrifices required under Jewish law for the forgiveness of sin require a Temple. But even more than that, prophecy declares that, during the Tribulation, the AntiChrist will enter the Temple and declare himself to be God. In order for the AntiChrist to enter the Temple and for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled, there must be a Temple to enter.

We read this prophecy spoken by Jesus Himself in Matthew 24: 15 – 21:

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”

So, the Bible prophesies that in the last days, there will be a Third Temple. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that everything has already been prepared for this soon-to-be-built Temple. All of the utensils have been crafted. All of the priestly garments have been sewn. The Menorah has been made according to the specifications given in the Bible. The priests have been trained for the sacrifices and other rituals. Everything is in order and waiting in the wings for the final command to start building. In fact, I recently saw on the news that road signs pointing to the Temple are being put up throughout Jerusalem and the surrounding area. Also underway is a high-speed rail system leading to the Temple from other parts of Israel.

From the events now taking place in Israel, it is becoming increasingly clear that the command to rebuild the Temple will come any day now.

Given the imminence of the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, we can know for certain that we are extremely close to the Rapture of the Church. The Rapture is that momentous event that will occur when Jesus Christ appears in the clouds to remove from the earth those who are truly born again and who follow Him. If the rebuilding of the Temple is so close, the Rapture is even closer. And so is the Tribulation, also called the “time of Jacob’s trouble,” when Israel will be punished for not accepting Jesus Christ as the true Messiah when He came the first time. At the end of the Tribulation, one-third of the Jews will, indeed, recognize that Jesus is the Messiah, and they will weep bitterly for having rejected Him 2000 years ago. The prophet Zechariah foretells this in chapter 12, verse 10: ” . . . and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son.”

What about you? Have you recognized that Jesus Christ is the Messiah Who died for you and rose again to save you from the eternal fires of Hell? Are you ready to meet Him when He appears in the clouds to remove His true followers from the earth before the Tribulation? Will He find you ready to go home to Heaven with Him, or will you be left behind? The choice is up to you.

I urge you to make the right choice. You can make it right now. You can choose to be born again and to go up with the Lord in the Rapture. Pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I want to avoid the horrors of the Tribulation and, worse than that, the horrors of Hell. I want to be born again. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died for me and Who rose from the dead. I invite you now to come into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank you for paying the price for my sin. Thank You for giving me the gift of eternal life. In Your Name I receive it now. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer from your heart, you are now a born-again child of God. You have been given an inheritance by God Himself that includes hope, peace, and joy. Write to me at [email protected], and I will send you a free PDF e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again.

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 look 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 accepts Yeshua as the Messiah and faces her husband’s wrath in the form of divorce, destruction, and death. Get your copy HERE.

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.

SUBSCRIBE HERE to Winning with the Word

SUBSCRIBE HERE to The Relationship Road

VISIT MARYANN’S BOOKSHOP

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

The post “What’s with the Jewish Temple?” first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

August 9, 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 Saturday, August 9, 2025, and this is episode #12 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, Are You Ready for What’s Coming?

Well, are you ready for what’s coming? Do you even know what’s coming? And coming very, very soon?

It astounds me when I speak to people to learn that most of them have no clue about what is really going on in the world. They may know geopolitically or economically, but few know Biblically and prophetically what is actually happening. The reason is they don’t read the Bible!

Moreover, when I explain to people what is happening, most of them brush me off as being a lunatic, a crazy lady, a woman off her rocker. (Now, I do have a lovely white rocking chair on my front porch, but I manage very well to remain in it when I rock. 🙂

But, back to my very serious message. The world is on the brink of a major disruption such as has never been seen in history nor will it ever be seen again. Consider Matthew 24: 21 NASB: “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again.”

This verse alludes to the Tribulation, that seven-year period of horrific catastrophe and calamity that will befall the earth and is also referred to in the Bible as “the time of Jacob’s trouble.”

What is the time of Jacob’s trouble?

Let me give you a little background to help you understand. Jacob was the grandson of Abraham and the son of Isaac. In the Bible, the name Jacob refers to Israel because the Lord God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. We learn this in Genesis 32: 28 ESV: “Then he [God] said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.'” (Brackets mine)

Over the subsequent centuries, the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob, sinned greatly against God. As a result, God’s wrath against them was roused, and they suffered much for their rebellion. The purpose of the Tribulation, or the time of Jacob’s trouble, will be to bring Israel to repentance and to pour out His wrath on an unbelieving world.

When will the Tribulation, the time of Jacob’s trouble, occur? Here are some indicators:

1_It will occur after Israel is back in her land. From the years 70 AD to 1948 AD, Israel was scattered all over the world in the historic event known as the diaspora. But in 1948, Israel was established and recognized as a sovereign nation by the United Nations. So Israel is now back in her land. Indicator #1 fulfilled.

2_It will occur after the “times of the Gentiles. In Luke 21: 24, Jesus prophesied that Jerusalem “would be trampled underfoot” by the Gentiles until their time is fulfilled. This “time of the Gentiles” was likely completed in the 1967 war when Israel took back Jerusalem. Indicator #2 fulfilled.

3_It will occur before the second coming of Christ. According to Mark 24: 23-30, Jesus will return at the end of the time of Jacob’s trouble to judge the world. Indeed, His return signals the end of the Tribulation, or the time of Jacob’s trouble.

But before returning to the earth at the end of the Tribulation, Jesus will appear in the clouds and remove His true followers from the earth before the Tribulation, so that they will not suffer His wrath during the Tribulation. This event is called the Rapture. Some scholars believe that the Rapture could occur next month, September 2025, on the Jewish Feast of Rosh HaShanah, also called the Feast of Trumpets.

Many signs are alerting us to the imminent return of Jesus Christ in the Rapture. Here are a few:

1_The increase in the frequency and intensity of earthquakes, storms, and floods.
2_The rise in famine around the world.
3_The appearance of new diseases.
4_The move toward a worldwide banking system of digital currency.
5_The increase of lawlessness in the form of bloody street riots, increasing attacks on Christians and Jews, and failure to uphold our Constitution and our laws.

Jeremiah the Prophet described the time of Jacob’s trouble as follows: “In all history there has never been such a time of terror. It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel. Yet in the end they will be saved!” (Jeremiah 3: 7 NLT)

Friend, you may be quite surprised by all that I am telling you. Or you may think it’s nothing but the conspiracy theory of an alarmist. Whatever you think, it will not change the truth that the Tribulation will occur. And based on the world situation today, it will occur very, very soon. And those who are not born again will have to endure it. The Bible says that most of the world population will die during the Tribulation. You don’t want to be one of them.

Worse than physical death, however, is spiritual death. During the Tribulation, people will be forced to worship the AntiChrist. Those who refuse will be beheaded. If one chooses to worship the AntiChrist, one will be doomed to Hell. Only those who refuse to worship him, and who are beheaded as a result, will go to Heaven.

If you want to avoid the horrors of the Tribulation, and worse yet, the horrors of Hell, pray this simple prayer of salvation with me now. Do not delay!

Lord Jesus, I want to avoid the horrors of the Tribulation and, worse than that, the horros of Hell. I want to be born again. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died for me and Who rose from the dead. I invite you now to come into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank you for paying the price for my sin. Thank You for giving me the gift of eternal life. In Your Name I receive it now. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer from your heart, you are now a born-again child of God. You have been given an inheritance by God Himself that includes hope, peace, and joy. Write to me at [email protected], and I will send you a free PDF e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again.

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 look like impossible problems and situations. Check out my books at my online bookstore at shop.maryanndiorio.com. That’s shop.maryanndiorio.com. 

Also, 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.

SUBSCRIBE HERE to Winning with the Word

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

The post Are You Ready for What’s Coming? first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

August 2, 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 Saturday, August 2, 2025, and this is episode #11 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, Life’s Most Important Decision.

Well, have you made life’s most important decision? Do you even know what it is?

You may be thinking, Dr.MaryAnn, stop playing games with me. What are you talking about? What is life’s most important decision?

I’m so glad you asked. Now, before I answer your question, I want you first to pay close attention to what I’m about to say. I want you to pay attention for your sake, not mine. Because you see, I’ve already made life’s most important decision. I made it 55 years ago, and, as a result, I have experienced peace, joy, and love ever since.

Now, I don’t mean I haven’t had problems since then. In fact, I’ve had many problems, and some very serious ones. But in the midst of every problem, I’ve experienced peace, joy, and love.

So, let’s get to the point. What is life’s most important decision?

It is the decision to be born again. Now, if that term makes you cringe, then you need to hear this more than anyone.

Years ago, when I was in my early twenties, a young woman named Margo asked me the question, “Have you been born again?”

I looked at her as though she had two heads and replied, “I’ve never heard the term ‘born again.’ What do you mean?”

She went on to explain that to be born again is to be reconnected to God and to be restored to the original state in which God created Adam and Eve.

Again, this time I looked at her as though she had four heads. I didn’t even know I had been disconnected from God, so why would I need to be reconnected? Moreover,
what she said was foreign to all that i had been taught growing up.

“Margo,” I said, “I respect your belief system, but it’s not for me. I’m Catholic.”

At the time, I was still under the erroneous belief that only Catholics went to Heaven and that I needed to stay as far away as possible from all things “Protestant.”

An expression of deep sadness crossed Margo’s face. “I will pray for you,” she said. The look in her eyes reflected a love I had never seen before in anyone’s eyes. It touched me to the core.

A few years later, after much personal searching, I finally did make the decision to be born again. And it transformed my life.

So, like me 55 years ago, you may be asking, “What does it mean to be born again?”

It means to be reconnected to God Who created you and originally intended for you to be connected to Him forever. It means to accept Jesus Christ as the only one who can do the reconnecting.

You see, my friend, when God created Adam and Eve, they were perfect. They had everything going for them: health, abundance, love, joy, and peace. They also had a free will. Sadly, they used that free will to turn against God and to go their own way. This foolish decision ended up disconnecting them from God and connecting them to Satan. It opened them up to the eternal punishment of Hell when they died.

By rebelling against God’s command not to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they got a good look at what evil is, and they experienced it firsthand. They also gave over their rule over this world to Satan. Satan is now the god of this world and the source of everything that is evil in it.

But God was deeply saddened by Adam and Eve’s rebellion. He also knew they could never get out of the mess they created on their own. So He sent His Son Jesus Christ to get them out of the mess.

And He did!

That’s what the Crucifxion and the Resurrection are all about. In dying on the Cross, Jesus took the punishment for our sin that we deserved to take. What is that punishment? It’s an eternity of torment in the fires of Hell, forever separated from God.

In rising from the dead, Jesus proved to the world that He is not only fully man but that He is also fully God, and that He was completely qualified to take the punishment for sin on our behalf. Now He is offering to you what He did for you. He is offering to you a clean slate in the form of a gift called “salvation.”

But the only catch is that you have to receive the gift of salvation if you want to experience it. If you don’t receive it, it won’t be yours.

Receiving the gift is called being born again. It is the only way to be reconnected to God and to go to Heaven when you die. Jesus Himself said, “Unless a person is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Won’t you accept Christ’s gift of a clean slate right now? He is offering it to you because He loves you.

Today, I know that the look in Margo’s eyes was the reflection of that love of Jesus Christ within her. Jesus wants you to experience the same love in your own life.

If you have not yet made the most important decision of your life to be born again, make it now. Pray this simple prayer with me from your heart:

Lord Jesus, I want to make the most important decision of my life right now. I want to be born again. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died for me and Who rose from the dead. I invite you now to come into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank you for paying the price for my sin. Thank You for reconnecting me to God the Father. Thank You for giving me the gift of eternal life. In Your Name I receive it now. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer from your heart, you are now a born-again child of God. You have been given an inheritance by God Himself that includes hope, peace, and joy. Write to me at [email protected], and I will send you a free PDF e-booklet titled After You’re Born Again.

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 look like impossible problems and situations. Check out my books at my online bookstore at shop.maryanndiorio.com. That’s shop.maryanndiorio.com. 

Also, 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.

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

The post Life’s Most Important Decision first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.