Winning with the Word | MaryAnn Diorio

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

July 26, 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, July 26, 2025, and this is episode #10 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “Sounding the Alarm.”

For the past few years, watchmen all over the world have been watching for the return of Jesus Christ in the cataclysmic event known as the Rapture. But not only have they been watching, they have been warning the world as the Lord has been revealing more and more signs of His soon return.

In the Old Testament Book of Daniel, chapter 12, verse 9, the prophet Daniel inquired of the angel as to how the end of the world would transpire. The angel replied, “Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end.”

Well, my friend, we are now in that time of the end! And the Lord is revealing to His watchmen, day by day, the meaning of the signs the world is experiencing.

Perhaps the most significant of these signs is what is happening in the Middle East. Keep your eyes on Israel. Israel is God’s timepiece. As goes Israel, so goes the world.

Let’s take a look at some of these endtime signs that were sealed up in Daniel’s day but are now being revealed in ours. These signs indicate our Lord’s return in the Rapture is at hand.

1. MASS DECEPTION. When the disciples asked Jesus what would be the signs of the endtimes, the first thing Jesus listed was deception. Let’s read the passage in Matthew 24: 23-24:

“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you.'” (Matthew 24: 23-24 NIV).

We are living in a day when it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish the truth from the lie. With advances in Artificial Intelligence, we are now able to manipulate images, voices, faces, and everything else in such a way as to distort who or what they really are and make them into what we want them to be. We create avatars, pictures of ourselves as we would like to look, not as we truly look. I find it very disturbing that one of the chief definitions of avatar is the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition that calls an avatar “the incarnation of a Hindu deity” A false god. This is DECEPTION.

We are witnessing an increasing number of people claiming to be the Messiah and offering solutions to the problems of the world. In a desperate attempt to find answers, people are turning to spiritists, mediums, mystics, psychics, New Age leaders, and other occultists, not realizing that they are playing with fire and opening their lives to the demonic realm.

2. WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS. To my knowledge, there is currently a war or a threat of war in each of the four corners of the earth. Jesus warned us that this would be the case in the end times. Each day we hear increasing threats of a third world war, and, from the looks of things, we wonder if World War III has not already begun.

3.WIDESPREAD LAWLESSNESS. If you’ve watched the news lately, you’ve seen incidences of rioting in the streets, explosions on private property, and acts of arson that ignited widespread forest fires. Recently, a gang from a major nearby city invaded my small town and raced down one of our main streets on motorcycles. There were about 100 of them, and their exhibitions of lawlessness were beyond the pale. Their belligerent, rebellious actions forced other drivers off the road. The gang went through red lights, while doing flips, spins, and twirls with their motorcycles that would defy the most experienced stunt man.

But as if obstructing traffic and endangering lives was not bad enough, the gang also assaulted an elderly couple who own a convenience store in our area, robbed their beverage case, and destroyed their property. This kind of behavior is an example of the lawlessness Jesus predicted would occur in the last days.

4. NATURAL DISASTERS. I don’t know about you, but never in my life have I seen the severe kind of weather we are experiencing today. Monster storms are striking every continent with increasing frequency and intensity. The seeding of clouds and other methods of controlling the climate are backfiring on us, disrupting the way God created the earth. The hefty price we are paying for usurping God is starting to leave its toll.

Scripture warns us in Galatians 6: 7 that God cannot be mocked. A person will reap what he sows. To believe that what we do will not catch up with us is deception.

5. FAMINE. I recently saw a news report that Asia is experiencing a severe shortage of rice. Climate challenges have caused the rice crop to dwindle, resulting in conditions that could lead to widespread famine, not only in Asia but also throughout the world. Also, food prices are skyrocketing, so that people can no longer afford to feed their families. In many parts of the world, the situation is dire.

I read this quote on the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) website: “The scale of the current global hunger and malnutrition crisis is enormous. A total of 1.9 million people are in the grips of catastrophic hunger – primarily in Gaza and Sudan but also in pockets of South Sudan, Haiti and Mali. They are teetering on the brink of famine. In Zamzam camp in northern Sudan, famine has been confirmed.“

Jesus warned us that famine would occur in the last days, and that famine would be one sign of His imminent return. Based on what we are seeing in terms of world famine, our Lord will return very soon.

6. PESTILENCE. Who of us will ever forget the COVID pandemic of 2020? Jesus predicted that in the last days, there would be major pandemics, including the rise of new diseases formerly unknown to humanity. COVID was one of these and, according to the Bible, more are to come. During the seven-year Tribulation itself, there will be a major rise in pestilence—pandemics in which large portions of the world population will die.

7. PERSECUTION. In various parts of the world, Christians are being martyred for their faith. Here in the United States, we have a good deal of what is called “soft persecution” in the form of lawsuits against Christians who adhere to the commands of the Bible in their businesses, the banning of Christian posts on social media, and the increasing and vociferous opposition to Biblical values.

So you see, my friend, all that Jesus predicted would happen in the last days is happening now, before our very eyes. Moreover, politically speaking, the Abraham Accords are fulfilling Daniel 9: 27 where the Prophet Daniel speaks of a “covenant with many.” It seems highly probable that this covenant will be signed by member nations of the United Nations this coming September.

Let’s read the actual reference to this event in the Bible, in Daniel 9: 27. The “ruler” referred to in this verse is the AntiChrist:

“The ruler 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.” (Daniel 9: 27 NLT).

Once this “treaty” or “covenant” is signed, the Tribulation will begin. What is the Tribulation? It is the seven-year period during which the Lord will pour out His wrath on the entire world for rejecting Him. It will be a time of unspeakable horror, fear, suffering, and death under the tyrannical and brutal rule of the AntiChrist. You do NOT want to be here during the Tribulation.

But, you may be asking, how can I escape the Tribulation?

There is only one way. You must believe with your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who became a man, died for Your sins, and rose from the dead. Once you receive this truth with all of your heart, you will be saved. You will be born again, and you will escape the wrath of God to be poured out on the earth during the Tribulation.

Are you ready to choose Jesus Christ? Are you ready to place your faith in Him to save you from the Tribulation and, far more importantly, from the eternal fires of Hell? If you are ready, pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I want to escape the wrath of God during the Tribulation. Most of all, I want to escape it forever by going to Heaven and not to Hell. I cannot save myself. So I come to You now and ask You to save me. 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. Make of me who You created me to be. In Your Name. I pray. 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 blogs, “The Relationship Road” and “The Reader Connection.” There you will find valuable information on creating and cultivating healthful relationships based on God’s Word and information on wonderful books for readers.

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.

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


Featured Book of the Week:

The Iron Saint: Preparing the Church for Persecution by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD

The Church in America is on the verge of a possible 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!”

Are you ready to stand up for Christ, no matter what the cost? To find out, read The Iron Saint.

The post Sounding the Alarm first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

June 21, 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, June 21, 2025, and this is episode #9 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “Jesus Christ Is Coming Back Soon!”

If you are at all in tune with world events, you very likely have heard mention of an event called the Rapture. If not, let me explain to you what the Rapture is.

The Rapture is an event predicted in the Bible whereby Jesus Christ Himself will appear in the air and gather together from the four corners of the earth all those who follow Him. It will be a sudden event and will leave those who are not raptured reeling in shock as to what happened.

Let me read to you directly from the Bible as it describes this cataclysmic event in 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-3:

“Now about the times and seasons, brothers, we do not need to write to you. For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 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.” (1 Thessalonians 5: 1-3)

Did you catch the words “peace and security”? Have you noticed that those words are being uttered all over the news every day and are being pronounced continually in meetings at the United Nations?

Friend, Jesus Christ made this prediction over 2000 years ago, and we are now seeing it being fulfilled right before our very eyes. Should this not cause us to pause and consider?

You may be saying, “Well, Dr. MaryAnn, I don’t believe in the Rapture. In fact, I don’t even believe in Jesus.”

I would say to you, “You are free to believe what you choose. But what you believe does not change the truth.”

For example, you could say to me, “Dr. MaryAnn, I’m going to climb up on my roof and jump, but when I do, I will go up instead of down.”

I would say to you, “I don’t think you will go up when you jump off your roof. I think you will go down and possibly get hurt. There is a law of gravity that will cause you to go down when you jump. So, if I were you, I would reconsider my belief. But, of course, you are free to believe whatever you want to believe.”

But know this, my friend, whatever we believe has consequences. So be prepared to face the consequences of your belief that when you jump off your roof, you will go up.

The same is true about the Rapture and the Bible in general. The Bible is God’s inspired word. He directed different people in different centuries to write His Word. Despite the fact that those people for the most part didn’t know one another and lived centuries apart, they all wrote the same truth expressed in different ways. Doesn’t that tell you something?

Bottomline, we will believe what we want to believe. But we had better make sure that what we are believing is the truth. Otherwise, we will end up where we don’t want to be.

There are numerous signs in the Bible of the Rapture. Some will say that the word “rapture” is not in the Bible. Actually, it is. It is found in the Latin Vulgate translation as the word “rapturo.” “Rapturo” means “a catching away,” which is exactly what the Rapture will be—a catching away of the people of God by Jesus Christ Himself.

Lest you think this is far-fetched, so is the concept of aliens far-fetched. Yet, people have no trouble believing in alien invasions. Over the decades, the world has been programmed through movies and books to believe in aliens. In fact, once all Christ-followers have left the earth, their sudden departure will be attributed to an alien abduction of inferior creatures of a lesser consciousness. (As an aside, aliens are fallen angels who rebelled against God with Lucifer, now known as Satan.)

Other signs of the imminent Rapture are the world’s current focus on Israel and the Middle East. Zechariah the Prophet prophesied about 2500 years ago that Jerusalem would become a “cup of trembling” in the last days (Zechariah 12: 2).

And so it has become. The nations of the world are now focused on annihilating Israel. Anti-Semitism has skyrocketed as the world increasingly opposes Israel.

But God will not be mocked. He promises woe to those nations who oppose Israel and warns that those who divide His land will suffer great punishment. Hear what the LORD says in Joel 3: 2:

“I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land.” (Joel 3: 2 NLT)

So, my friend, as you can see, many signs point to the soon return of Jesus Christ. Are you ready to meet Him? Or will you be left behind to endure seven years of horrendous tribulation under the brutal dictatorship of the AntiChrist?

According to Biblical signs, the Tribulation could begin this very year. During the Tribulation a huge portion of the population will die. But worse than that, most of those who die will go to hell for all eternity.

I urge you not to be one of them. Make the decision now to believe in Jesus Christ. He is the only Savior of the world. There is no other way to be saved. He Himself said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” (John 14: 6).

If you want to escape the Tribulation and spend eternity in Heaven, pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I want to escape the wrath of God during the Tribulation. Most of all, I want to escape it forever by going to Heaven. I cannot save myself. So I come to You now and ask You to save me. 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. Make of me who You created me to be. In Your Name. I pray. 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 Substack at drmaryanndiorio.substack.com and subscribe to my blog titled “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.

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

The post Jesus Christ Is Coming Back Soon! first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

June 14, 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, June 14, 2025, and this is episode #8 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “An Interview with Dr. Dominic Diorio on the End Times.”

Listen here!

Friend, if you want to escape not only the horrors of the Great Tribulation but also the horrors of an eternity in Hell, accept Jesus Christ now. Don’t wait another moment. Pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I want to escape the unspeakable horrors of the Great Tribulation that is soon to begin. Even more than that, I want to escape the eternal fires of Hell. So I ask You now to come into my life. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died to save me and Who rose from the dead. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. Help me to live for You all the days of my life. In Your Name I pray. 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 Substack at drmaryanndiorio.substack.com and subscribe to my blog and podcast titled “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.

Visit my ONLINE BOOKSHOP.

The post Interview on the End Times with Dr. Dominic Diorio first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

June 7, 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, June 7, 2025, and this is episode #7 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “The Truth about Depression.”

In the past few months, I have received far too much tragic news about people who have committed suicide. Some of these were middle-grade and teenage children!

Friend, this should not be. These tragedies lead us to ask ourselves what is going on? Why is this happening? And why is it happening at younger and younger ages? Also, why is depression now so commonplace, to the point that it has become an epidemic and a household word?

When I was a young teen, I was excited about my future, despite the fact that I was then living in a very difficult family situation. I had dreams and goals and the hope and ambition to pursue them. But far fewer young people today have that same hope and ambition. Instead, they are drowning in a sea of depression and despair, with no seeming way of escape.

But young people aren’t the only ones affected by depression and hopelessness. More and more people are complaining of being trapped in the grips of depression, with no hope for a future. The number of people taking mental health medications has skyrocketed, to the point that these people cannot function normally without them. Anxiety prevails, causing people to resort to drastic measures to obtain a semblance of peace.

Something has gone drastically wrong. And while the solution is right under our noses, few are willing to look there.

So, let’s explore this problem of depression and uncover what is really going on behind the scenes.,

I think you will agree that for every effect there has to be a cause. This is simple logic. While we may not know the cause, we know there is one because logic demands as much. So, when we witness increasing incidences of depression and despair in a culture, a despair increasingly resulting in suicide, we need to trace these effects back to their original cause. Once we know the cause, we can take measures to alleviate the cause and, thereby, create a different effect.

With that thought in mind, let’s take a look at the last 75 to 100 years in America and in western civilization as a whole. How would we describe the state of the world 100 years ago vs. the state of the world today? What is the mindset of people today vs. the mindset of people living in the first part of the 20th century? As you follow along with me, I think you will discover some very interesting facts.

Having conducted my own research on the topic—and, better yet, having lived on this earth through nearly 80 of those 100 most recent years—here are two observations I have made:

1) One hundred years ago, in the first half of the 20th century, the cultural consensus was rooted in a Judeo-Christian philosophy of life. While many people were not Christians, the majority of the population respected and lived by the Judeo-Christian principles espoused in the Ten Commandments. Lest you do not know what these principles are, they can be summed up in what we call the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words, treat other people as you would like them to treat you.

In fact, 100 years ago most people lived by these principles. Yes, there were evil people back then just as there are today and have been throughout human history. But the culture as a whole did not look favorably upon evil people. Their behavior was considered shameful. And that public disapproval—that peer pressure, as it were, against wrongdoing— provided a great deterrent to evil.

Take pregnancy outside of marriage, for example. A girl in my high school became pregnant outside of marriage and was expelled from school. A stigma of shame rested upon her and the young man who fathered the child. This shame was a powerful deterrent to other young people to refrain from having sex outside of marriage.

Now, I’m not saying that the young pregnant girl should not have received help. What I’m saying is that society, at the time, looked on having sex outside of marriage as a sin.

And it was! And still is!

But today, we don’t disapprove of sex outside of marriage. We celebrate it!

In the first half of the last century, most people tried hard to live a decent life. They did not cheat or lie to their neighbors. They did not steal from them. They did not riot in the streets, ransack businesses, and destroy their neighbors’ property. They did not commit adultery with their neighbors’ spouses. They did not walk by a person in danger but, instead, stopped to help. They did not film a rape but rescued the victim by fighting off the perpetrator.

Recently, an example of the lawlessness dominating our culture today took place right outside my home. The back of my house faces a busy street. One Saturday evening, I was sitting in my home when, all of a sudden, I heard a tremendous roar outside my window. When I looked outside, I could not believe what I saw. Approximately 100 motorcylces raced down the street, with their drivers performing dangerous stunts called “wheelies” where they lifted their front wheels and performed these stunts in the middle of the street. These cyclists drove cars off the road, disobeying traffic signals, and nearly caused serious injury to innocent drivers. Moreover, we later learned that the cyclists robbed a local convenience store owned by an elderly couple.

This kind of behavior was unheard of 100 years ago.

In short, most people lived by the Golden Rule. And the Golden Rule implies an unselfish heart. Interestingly, as a result of living by the Golden Rule, people were far happier than they are today. Society was far more stable than it is today. Our country was far safer than it is today.

Why?

Because people, as a whole, considered the well-being of others as well as their own. Sometimes even more than their own.
And doing that makes for a safe society.

2) Seventy-five to one hundred years ago, people believed in God and honored Him. Indeed, their adherence to the Golden Rule stemmed from a respect and reverence for God. It was customary for families to attend church services together. In my own public school, my first-grade teacher, Miss Ritter, kept a Bible on her desk. Every morning she would begin the day by reading to us from the Bible. We were required to stand in respect as she read from the Word of God. Afterward, we saluted the American flag and then continued into our school day. We learned respect for God and country.

Today, it is forbidden to read the Bible in our pubic schools. We don’t salute the American flag. Instead, we burn it and demean it and the shed blood it stands for. We have become a nation of selfish ingrates, bent only on the gratification of our own desires.

Why?

I trace it back to one reason: We removed God from our culture. When America took prayer out of its schools in the 1960s, a downward spiral began in our land. This downward spiral can be traced statistically through myriad sociologial data. I have included some of this data in the show notes.

So what does all of this have to do with depression? And with the depression you yourself may be experiencing as I speak?

Let me answer your question, dear friend.

When we remove God from our lives and from our society, we will always experience a downward spiral from hope to depression and despair. It is inevitable.

Why is it inevitable?

Because when we remove God, we remove the Source of all hope, the Source of all peace, the Source of all joy. You see, hope, peace, and joy all originate in God. We cannot experience true and lasting hope, peace, and joy without God.

Moreover, in removing God from our culture, we removed Truth. And when we remove Truth, we inevitably fall into the Lie and all the suffering that results from believing the Lie. The Lie is that man can make it on his own, without God.

Jesus Himself said, “I am the Truth.” Without Jesus, we can never comprehend truth. And, as Jesus said, it is the truth that sets us free (John 14: 6). Without the truth, we will fall into darkness. Bondage. Depression.

Indeed, when we turn from truth, we automatically fall Into deception. And deception always and ultimately brings depression and despair. For without truth, there is no hope, and without hope, there is only despair.

Bottomline, my friend, hope is all about our relationship to Jesus Christ. Do we have a relationship with Him, or do we not?

Several years ago, I participated in my church’s ministry to the mentally ill. We would visit a local mental institution filled with people who had lost all touch with reality. They were labeled “insane,” with no hope of recovery.

But as we presented them with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, light began to shine into those dark places of their lives. Slowly, but surely, many of them came to Christ and were set free. Their minds were restored, and they left the mental institution and went on to live happy, productive lives.

Depression comes from Satan and affects not only the soul but also the body, particularly the chemical structure of the brain. At its root, depression is a spiritual ailment and can be healed only by dealing with it spiritually. Depression is caused by a demonic spirit that needs to be cast out of your life. While medications may “manage” or cover the symptoms of depression, the root cause will always remain unless dealt with spiritually. This is the reason depressed people need their medications in order to function. The root cause of their problem—the evil spirit of depression—has not been addressed.

But I have good news for you. Once the root cause of depression is eradicated, medications are no longer necessary.

If you are suffering from depression, I want to tell you that there is a permanent way out. And that way is Jesus Christ. He not only will remove the symptoms of depression from you; He will remove the root cause of depression, that spirit of depression causing those symptoms.

Won’t you turn to Jesus to be free of depression—and of every other chain that is holding you down? If you want to do so, pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I want to be free from the bondage of depression. I cannot do it on my own. So I come to You now and ask You to drive depression out of my life, as well as every other evil spirit keeping me from the hope, peace, and joy that only You can give me. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died for me and Who rose from the dead. I invite you now into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Make of me who You created me to be. In Your Name. I pray. 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 Substack at drmaryanndiorio.substack.com and subscribe to my blog and podcast titled “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.

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

_______________________________________
Sources Cited:
“The Stunning Evidence of America’s Moral Decline” by Robert Clifton Robinson
https://robertcliftonrobinson.com/2020/11/02/the-timeline-depicting-the-decline-of-america-since-1962/

“Banning Prayer in Public Schools Has Led to America’s Demise” by Editorial Staff
https://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0098_Ban_on_school_prayer

“What Happened When the Praying Stopped?” by Editorial Staff
https://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0124_When_America_stopped

The post The Truth about Depression first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

May 31, 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, May 31, 2025, and this is episode #6 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “It’s All about Control!”

What’s all about control? The events we see going on in the world today.

Our world is fast moving toward the rise of the AntiChrist and his global dictatorship. Everything is being set up for the establishment of the Beast system and, sad to say, most of the world is clueless.

What about you? Are you clueless, too? If so, listen to this podcast to the very end so that you can be prepared for what lies ahead in the very near future.

You’ve very likely heard of the accelerated move toward the digitalization of our world, including the financial, medical, and social segments of society. Digital currency is making major head-roads in Europe, with the soon establishment of the digital Euro by 2026, if not before. The European Central Bank has stated that it “hopes to have a political deal on the digital Euro by early 2026.” I’ve posted the article containing this quote under “Sources Cited” in the show notes.

In another article, posted by Accenture and titled “The Digital Euro: A strategic step toward Europe’s monetary sovereignty?,” the author explains that “cash is rapidly losing ground” and being replaced by a digital system that will purportedly make monetary transactions safer and more convenient.

Pay attention to the words “safer” and “more convenient.” You will be hearing and seeing those words more and more as the world becomes completely digitalized. Under the guise of safety and convenience, the New World Order is setting up a system of control over the entire world population. Eventually, as they proclaim, “You will have nothing and be happy.”

Why will you have nothing?

Because your freedom is being gradually stolen from you, under your very nose. And you are very likely unaware that it’s happening. What looks like a “safer and more convenient” way of living is actually leading to tyranny.

Lest you think I am being far-fetched and alarmist, consider this:

__Surveillance cameras are everywhere, watching our every move. One writer noted that the United States has more surveillance cameras per person than any other country in the world. (https://theconversation.com/surveillance-is-pervasive-yes-you-are-being-watched-even-if-no-one-is-looking-for-you-187139)

__More and more countries are requiring more and more identification processes—like iris scanning, facial scanning, palm scanning, and on and on—in order to travel, purchase, and do things we used to do without such scanning.

__When you’re online, websites use ad-trackers and third-party cookies to gather information about you. These ad-trackers and third-party cookies are stored in your browser and follow you around from site to site, enabling advertisers to follow you around as well.

__These days, surveillance is the name of the game in healthcare as well. A recent article, titled “AI may be listening in on your doctor’s appointment,” raises a red flag on another aspect of stolen freedom. (https://endtimeheadlines.org/2025/05/ai-may-be-listening-in-on-your-doctors-appointment/)

__If you wear a device to monitor your health, such as a FitBit or SmartWatch, you are being surveilled. It has been noted that there is an eerie resemblance between a FitBit and the ankle bracelets people wear when being monitored by a court of law. The analogy reminds me of the heavy chain prisoners used to have to wear around their ankles.

__Perhaps the biggest tracking culprit of all is your cell phone. GPS gives your location to maps and weather apps. WiFi and Bluetooth can pinpoint your phone’s location.

Do you use gaming apps? Then your information is being tracked. Do you own a late-model car? Then very likely your car employs telematics, such as OnStar or Bluelink to track your location.

All of this is playing right into the hands of the AntiChrist and his beast system. While the world embraces safety and convenience at the expense of freedom, the beast is laughing at our gullibility.

All of this is also being promoted in the name of convenience and safety. Let’s make life safer and more convenient for you. Let’s get rid of cash, credit cards, debit cards, and every other device. Instead, let’s use your body parts to identity you. Let’s scan your eyes or your face or your hand. Look how convenient it is! And how safe! If you forget your cash or credit card, you’ll still be all right. You have yourself.

And we like sheep comply and follow the crowd—all for the illusion of convenience and safety.

Have we ever considered that in choosing convenience and safety over responsibility and freedom, we are choosing tyranny?

Ben Franklin wrote: “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Yet, all of this was prophesied in the Bible, particularly in the Book of Revelation. What we are witnessing in our day is the rise of the global beast system that will mark the reign of terror of the AntiChrist. All the pieces are in place, and soon the world will witness the appearance of this man who will be Satan personified.

From the very beginning, Satan has wanted to be God. And he hasn’t stopped trying to overthrow God’s throne, despite the fact that Jesus Christ defeated Satan as a result of the Resurrection. Satan is fighting a losing battle, but he is still determined to fight. In the near future, during the seven-year period known as the Tribulation, Satan will demonstrate the fullness of his evil by assuming total control of the world through the man called the AntiChrist.

And if you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will be one of the AntiChrist’s victims.

Friend, I am not talking through my hat. What I am telling you is the absolute truth, found in the Holy Bible which is the Word of God. God Himself is warning you through me in this message to get right with Him or else suffer the consequences.

So what will you do? Will you dismiss God’s warning as the crazy rantings of a misguided woman, or will you at least look into what I’m saying yourself? Intellectual honesty demands the latter, would you not agree? And so does concern for your personal well-being.

You see, my friend, no matter what you believe, the Bible is true. Most of the prophecies in it have already come to pass exactly as predicted. A few more remain to be fulfilled, and they too will come to pass exactly as predicted.

Several of those prophecies have to do with the rise of the AntiChrist and the New World Order. Already we are hearing leaders from all over the world speaking of the New World Order. Although it sounds good, the New World Order will be a global dictatorship headed up by the AntiChrist and implemented by his right-hand man, called the False Prophet. The AntiChrist will control the world through digital currency, and, as prophesied in Revelation 13: 16-17, no one will be able to buy or sell anything without taking the AntiChrist’s mark on his hand or his forehead. Those who refuse to take the mark will not be able to buy or sell. In other words, they and their families will starve to death.

Let’s look at those verses:

“It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.”

Taking the mark of the beast means giving Satan, in the person of the AntiChrist, total control of your life and worshipping him as god. In essence, those who worship the AntiChrist will be selling their soul to the devil. Are you willing to do that?

Those who sell their soul to Satan by accepting his mark will be doomed forever to hell, with no chance of redemption.

So, what is your response to this information? Are you going to dismiss it as foolishness? Are you going to take it seriously? I hope you will. Your choice will determine your eternal destiny.

Friend, I don’t want you to go to hell. Neither does God. God does not send people to hell. People send themselves to hell by refusing to believe the truth.

If your heart is calling you now to believe what I am saying, then that is God inviting you to come to Him. Won’t you accept His invitation?

If your heart says yes, then pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I cannot save myself. I repent of my sin. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died for me and Who rose from the dead. I invite you now into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. In Your Name. I pray. 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.

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. 

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 enough not to keep you there. As you live in Him, He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.

______________________________________________________________
Source Cited: 

“ECB hopes to have political deal on digital euro by early 2026”
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/ecb-hopes-have-political-deal-digital-euro-by-early-2026-2025-05-15/

“Is the UN’s Digital ID plan the end of privacy as we know it?”
https://endtimeheadlines.org/2025/03/is-the-uns-digital-id-plan-the-end-of-privacy-as-we-know-it/

“AI may be listening in on your doctor’s appointment”
https://endtimeheadlines.org/2025/05/ai-may-be-listening-in-on-your-doctors-appointment/

“Surveillance is pervasive: Yes, you are being watched even if no one is looking for you.”
https://theconversation.com/surveillance-is-pervasive-yes-you-are-being-watched-even-if-no-one-is-looking-for-you-187139

______________________________________________________________
Copyright 2025 by MaryAnn DIorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

The post It’s All about Control! first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

May 22, 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, May 22, 2025, and this is episode #5 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “Christianity is NOT a Religion!”

What I am about to say may surprise you, even stun you. But it is a truth with eternal consequences, a truth that is widely misunderstood but needs to be understood.

My statement is this: Christianity is NOT a religion. It is a relationship.

Let me say that again: Christianity is NOT a religion. It is a relationship.

Understanding the difference is crucial to understanding Christianity. You see, my friend, religion is all about earning one’s way to Heaven by doing good works. The American Heritage Dictionary defines “religion” as follows: “A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.” And the leader of every belief system except Christianity teaches that one must earn his way to Heaven by doing good works.

While we cannot explore every belief system in existence today, let’s look at the top most prominent ones outside of Christianity and what their leaders teach. I quote directly from websites on each of these belief systems:

1. Islam: The leader of Islam is Mohammed. Mohammed taught the following. I quote from an article titled “What’s the Road to Heaven according to Islam?” by Professor Shahul Hameed, President of the Kerala Islamic Mission, Calicut, India: I quote Professor Hameed: “. . . In Islam, both faith and good works are of equal importance; indeed they are two sides of the same coin.” (https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/road-heaven-islam/

2. Hinduism: This belief system teaches that a person’s karma, or the sum total of his good and bad deeds in his previous life, determines the level into which he will return in their next life. The ultimate goal is to be released from the rebirth cycle when one reaches moksha. Moksha is what the Hindus believe is ultimate salvation. It is a state of enlightenment achieved only through a series of good works done from one life to the next. Once a person reaches moskha, the rebirth cycle is broken and one goes to loka or Heaven. (https://hinduismfacts.org/reincarnation/salvation/)

3. Buddhism also teaches reincarnation but a continual reincarnation until one reaches nirvana, similar to the Hindu’s moksha. To the Buddhist, death is not an ending but simply the beginning of a new life. What one will become in the new life results from the works one has done in his previous life. This process continues until one becomes free from the cycle of death and rebirth and reaches nirvana, or heaven.

4. Judaism also teaches that salvation results from one’s works. At the same time, salvation for the Jew is collective and national, not personal and individual. Jewish teaching does, however, place responsibility for sin on the sinner. Judaism teaches that the individual can atone for his sin by repentance and by doing good works. He has no need of anyone to save him. He can save himself through repenting of his sin and doing good works to make up for them. (https://chosenpeople.com/salvation-as-interpreted-by-judaism/)

Did you notice that all four of the above belief systems involve good works as an essential part of salvation and going to Heaven?

Yet, when we come to Christianity, we see that good works have nothing to do with salvation and going to Heaven. Let’s read what the Bible says in the Book of Ephesians 2: 8-9 NLT:

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Christianity teaches that no one can earn his way to Heaven. No one can do enough good works to qualify for Heaven. Why not? Because no human being can meet God’s perfect standard of justice for sin. Not a single one of us could ever pay God enough for our sin against Him.

But, there was One Who could!

And that one was Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.

Jesus is God. He loved us so much that He chose to take on human form so that He could pay the infinite price for our sin. Jesus was God and man combined in a human body.

As man, he could represent humanity. As God, He could pay the just price for our sin.

And that’s exactly what He did!

You see, my friend, God is perfectly holy and perfectly just. Therefore, He requires a perfect payment for sin. But how could man, who is imperfect, pay the perfect price for sin to a perfect God? Man could not.

Because of this dilemma, God paid the price for man. That is the depth of His love for humanity.

God paid that perfect price through Jesus Christ, Who was perfectly God and perfectly man. And salvation is the result!

Salvation is a gift. It becomes yours by simply believing that Jesus Christ is Who He says He is—the Son of God Who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the Cross, and rose from the dead. If you believe this, you, too, can be saved and go to Heaven when you die.

You might say, “But Dr. MaryAnn, that’s a bit far-fetched, isn’t it? To believe that Jesus Christ was really born of a virgin, that He really rose from the dead? How do you expect me to believe that?”

I would say to you, my friend, isn’t what you believe far-fetched as well? It takes more faith to believe the teachings of the false religions than it does to believe the truths of Christianity. You see, the founders of Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are all still dead. Jesus Christ is the only founder of a belief system who is alive today! There is both historical and scientific proof to the fact that He rose from the dead.

Let me ask you one final question: Is your belief system working for you? Is it bringing you hope, joy, peace, and love? Is it healing your body? Is it removing fear and anxiety from your life? Is it providing for your family?

Christianity does all of these things because Christianity is centered on the Person of Jesus Christ who is Love Personified.

When I embraced Jesus Christ nearly 55 years ago, I became a new person on the inside. In all of my years of walking with Jesus, He has never failed me. And He never will.

If you are weary, depressed, and even in despair, know that God loves you and God knows you. He wants you to know Him as well. He wants to demonstrate His love for you, but He will not force Himself upon you. God does not coerce; God invites.

And He is extending His personal invitation to you today to believe Him and to receive Him into your life. Will you accept His invitation?

If your heart says yes, then pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I cannot save myself. I repent of my sin. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died for me and Who rose from the dead. I invite you now into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. In Your Name. I pray. 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.

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. 

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, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.

______________________________________________________________
Source Cited: 

“What’s the Road to Heaven according to Islam?” by Professor Shahul Hameed
https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/road-heaven-islam/

“What 7 Religions Think Happens After You Die” by Amanda Chatel
https://www.bustle.com/articles/55208-do-hindus-believe-in-heaven-what-7-major-religions-believe-about-death-and-the-afterlife

“Salvation” by Rahul
https://hinduismfacts.org/reincarnation/salvation/

“Salvation as Interpreted by Judaism” by David Sedaca
https://chosenpeople.com/salvation-as-interpreted-by-judaism/
________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2025 by MaryAnn DIorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

The post Christianity Is Not a Religion! first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

May 15, 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, May 15, 2025, and this is episode #5 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “Where Is Humanity Headed?”

Where IS humanity headed? Do you know? Do you wish you knew? Are you afraid, or doesn’t it faze you?

Well, if you’re like most people, you are concerned about what’s going on in the world around us. As the saying goes, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the world is on the brink of destruction, and all of it, sadly, is self-imposed.

So, where exactly is the world headed? While most people are frantically trying to figure it out or have completely tuned it out, there are answers to this very legitimate question. And those answers are found in a place where most people refuse to venture. That place is within the pages of the Holy Bible.

If you had a negative, visceral reaction to what I just said, you need to hear what I’m about to say because it could literally save your life. This is no time for playing games, my friend, and if you truly care about your future, then you will choose to listen closely to the rest of this podcast.

The Bible is a book replete with predictions about the future. Most of them have already come true—exactly as predicted. Some are currently in the process of coming true—exactly as predicted. And a few still remain to come true and will occur exactly as predicted.

Let’s take a look at some of these prophecies and compare them with what’s happening in the news today.

Number 1: 2 Peter 3 NIV – ” . . . in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’”

Wherever I turn these days, I find mockers of Christ’s promise to return. While I hope not, perhaps you are one of them. If so, I would warn you to stop your mocking. If you don’t, you will one day deeply regret it. No one can call God a liar and get away with it. So stop calling Him a liar. Just because His promise to return hasn’t yet come to pass does not mean that it won’t.

Number 2: Matthew 24: 7 NIV . . . “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.“

Well, you might say, “Dr. MaryAnn, there have always been famines and earthquakes,” and you would be right. But we can’t deny that there are more earthquakes today than ever before, and in places where we never used to hear of earthquakes. I have spent most of my life in New Jersey, and for the first 65 years of my life, I don’t recall ever experiencing an earthquake. In the last decade, however, New Jersey has had three earthquakes measuring over 4.0. This is highly unusual for my area. The same can be said of places like upstate New York, Indiana, and Ohio. Those states are not known for earthquake activity.

Consider also the Phlegrean Fields outside of Naples, Italy, a supervolcano now on the verge of a catastrophic eruption. Or Yellowstone National Park, also on the brink of a disastrous eruption. These are developments in the earth that are direct fulfillments of Bible prophecy.

Number 3: 1 Thessalonians 5: 3 NIV – “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

Interestingly, if you go to the website of the United Nations, you will find the phrase “peace and safety” or “peace and security” written in multiple places. Just out of curiosity, I did a search on how many times the phrase “peace and security” occurs on the UN website as of the recording of this podcast, and the results listed 8012 times!

But not only do we see thie phrase “peace and security” on the UN website, we also hear it continually in the news or read it repeatedly in online articles, in magazines, and in newspapers. It is virtually on the lips of every commentator, newscaster, and political communicator. Just as the Bible predicted.

But what is of special concern about this Bible prediction is what will happen while people are continually saying, “Peace and safety.” Listen again to what the Bible predicts in 1 Thessalonians 5: 3: “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

Did you get that? Destruction will come suddenly. That means without warning. While people are going about their daily lives, destruction will suddenly come. No one will be expecting it.

Mark my words, dear friend, destruction is coming swiftly upon the earth, and you don’t want to be here when it does.

What kind of destruction? I’ll get to that at the end of this podcast. You will want to listen to the end to find out.

Number 4: Now, let’s go to another Bible prediction that is coming true. It is found in 2 Thessalonians 2 and talks about the lawlessness or rebellion that will be prevalent in the last days. We have already seen this in the bloody riots that have occurred on the streets of our major cities, in the widespread looting of businesses, in the escalation in crimes against our citizens, and in the acceptance of evil as good and good as evil. Hear what the Bible says about these rebellious, lawless people:

2 Thessalonians 2: 10-11 NIV: “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.“

Have you ever wondered why the world has gone crazy? Well, we just read the reason. These rebellious people have believed the lie of Satan and have delighted in their wickedness. As a result, God has turned them over to delusion, to a reprobate mind, so that they can no longer think straight. They have lost the ability to reason logically.

A case in point: People who don’t know the difference between a man and a woman are deluded. People who think that there are many genders are deluded. Bottomline, these people have made themselves their own god, resulting in the loss of their ability to reason logically. How many times have you heard someone say lately that the world has gone insane? That is a very apt word to describe the condition of our culture today.

Number 5: Acts 4: 12 – “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

There is a move that has gained widespread acceptance and that states that there are many ways to Heaven. Even the late Pope Francis was a proponent of this false teaching. The Bible makes very clear that there is only one way to be saved, and that way is through the Name of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself spoke these words found in John 14: 6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So, anyone who teaches that there are many ways to be saved is a liar and a heretic. To heed that person or persons is to court eternal damnation of your very soul.

Yet, millions are embracing this heresy, this lie of Satan, designed to draw men into Hell. Are you one of them? If so, I warn you, friend, to reconsider your position.

Number 6: 2 Thessalonians 2: 3 NKJV – “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first,”

What is the falling away? It is the great apostasy, the widespread move of the Church away from the sound doctrines of the Bible, including sin, salvation, and judgment. These central tenets of Christianity are being replaced by what the Bible calls “doctrines of demons.” We read this in 1 Timothy 4: 1 – “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.”

Number 7: Zechariah 12: 1-3 – ““I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.”

The entire world today is focused on Jerusalem and a two-state solution for Israel. Such a solution is blatantly against the Word of God. He Himself said that if we divide His land, He will divide ours. A sobering warning!

Hatred against Israel, the Jews, and now even Christians has reached alarming proportions. All of this was predicted in the Bible.

I could continue with many more Bible prophecies that are being fulfilled today before our very eyes. But I want to end this podcast by explaining what I hinted at in the beginning. The prophecies I listed have far greater implication than simply political, geographic, or social. During the seven-year tribulation, there will be horrors upon this earth that the world has never witnessed before. You do not want to be here, because much of the world population will be decimated and destroyed.

Yet these prophecies I have shared—and many more I haven’t shared—have eternal implications for every you personally, and you would do well to take them seriously.

For you see, my friend, Bible prophecies are not meant to scare us but to prepare us. To prepare us for what? To prepare us for the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.

Now, before you start mocking, hear me out if you truly care about your eternal destiny. You see, whether you believe it or not, you will continue to exist after you die. And you will exist in one of two places, Heaven or Hell.

Just because you may not believe in Hell doesn’t mean Hell is not a real place. For you see, my friend, you and I are not the arbiter of whether or not something is true. God is. You and I do not determine what is true or not true. God does.

Jesus says in the Bible, in John 3: 3, that unless a person is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. This means that unless you are born again, you will go to Hell when you die.

What does it mean to be born again? It means to admit you are a sinner and to ask Jesus to save you from your sin. Have you done that? Have you been born again?

If not, you can be born again right now. And I urge you—I even implore you—to make that choice. Just pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I cannot save myself. I repent of my sin. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died for me and Who rose from the dead. I invite you now into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. In Your Name. I pray. 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.

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. 

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, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.

______________________________________________________________
Source Cited: “Top 10 Bible Prophecies that are Coming True Right Now!”
________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2025 by MaryAnn DIorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

The post Where Is Humanity Headed? first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

April 24, 2025

Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Story Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Thursday, April 24, 2025, and this is episode #4 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “Do You Know Who You Are?”

Let me ask the question again. Do You know who you are?

You may be thinking, What a ridiculous question! Of course, I know who I am. I’m an accountant. Or, I’m a plumber. Or, I’m an electrician. Or, I’m a lawyer. Or, I’m a teacher. Or, I’m a basketball coach. Or, I’m the CEO of XYZ Company. Or, I’m a mom. Or, I’m a grandfather—and on and on and on it can go.

But let me ask you a question: Is that who you really are? What if your career were suddenly stripped from you? What if, God forbid, your family and friends were suddenly taken from you? Who would you be then?

Have you ever considered this profound question? If not, I would urge you to do so. For you see, who you believe you are is at the very foundation of your purpose on this earth. Who you believe yourself to be will determine your path in life, and whether that path takes you to fulfillment or to destruction, to life or to death.

Sadly, most of us grow up with the idea that we will discover our identity in our job or career. And so, we plod along, year after year, until one day we realize that, despite the outward success, we feel empty on the inside.

As a Life Coach, I have had numerous clients over the years come to me in their forties and fifties, admitting that the career they thought would satisfy them never did. In almost every single case, the client discovered that he was not living in God’s purpose for his life, but in his own.

Recently, I have been discipling my three teenage granddaughters using the outstanding Lifeway Bible study titled Defined. It was created by the Kendrick Brothers, producers of several powerful Christian movies, including The Overcomer. (As an aside, if you haven’t seen The Overcomer, I urge you to do so.)

In the Defined series for Girls, author and Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer discusses the topic of identity with a group of young women who face the identity struggle all of us face at some point in life. You, too, may be struggling to know who you are and why you’re here on this earth. You, too, may be wondering how to discover who you really are. If so, stay with me until the end of this podcast. I’m going to give you some insights you may never have considered before in your journey toward discovering who you really are.

Now, hear what I’m going to say next because it is a game-changer.

There is only one way to discover who you truly are, and that is by turning to God for the answer. I’m going to repeat that because it’s critically important: There is only one way to discover who you truly are, and that is by turning to God for the answer.

Now, before you get upset with me, consider these four points, taken from the Defined study:

1_God made you. Only the one who made something can define what it is. If you create something—let’s say a work of art or a tool of some sort—only you have the right to say what it is.

2_God owns you. He purchased you with the greatest price of all, the Blood of His Son Jesus Christ. If you purchase something, it’s yours and only you have the right to do with it what you choose.

3_God has authority over you. Only the creator of something has authority over his creation. Only the creator of something can determine the purpose for which he created it. Since God created you, He alone can determine your purpose. Only you have authority over something you create.

4_ God knows you better than anyone knows you, even you yourself. Because God made you, no one knows you better than He does. So no one else has the right to tell you who you are. If you create a painting, no one besides you has the right to tell you what the painting means.

Now, considering these four points, doesn’t it make sense then that God alone can tell you who you are? Of course it does!

But, instead of going to God to tell us who we really are, we go to other people who don’t know us the way God knows us. We take the word of friends, and we base our life decisions on what they tell us about ourselves.

Or, if we don’t like what friends tell us, we turn to drugs, or alcohol, or sex, or food. We allow those things to define us. But all of these are the wrong places to go. All of these false sources of our identity will lead us to only one place, and that place is destruction.

Bottomline, only God has the right to tell you who you really are. He alone can give you your identity. And the good news is that He already has given you your identity. You just need to discover it. God knows who you really are, who He created you to be, and He wants you to know as well. But, unless you turn to Him, you will never discover who you are. Instead, you will discover a false imitation of who God made you to be.

I can hear your next question now. Dr. MaryAnn, how can I know who God made me to be?

I’m glad you asked. 🙂 There is only one way to know who God made you to be. And it’s a simple way. You can know who God made you to be by knowing God. When you know Him, you will know yourself.

The starting point of all self-knowledge is knowledge of God Who made you.

But how can you know God?

There is only one way to know God. And that is through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only one who can connect you to His Father. And when Jesus connects you, His Father becomes your Father. And when you are connected to your Father, He will reveal to you who you really are. After all, He made you and, therefore, He knows who you are and why He made you.

If you haven’t yet met your Heavenly Father, let Jesus connect you to Him. Pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I want to know who I really am. I want to know the Father Who alone can tell me who I am. You, Jesus, are the only one who can connect me to the Father who made me. So I ask you to connect me now. I admit that I am a sinner in need of a Savior to connect me to the Father. I repent of my sin. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died for me and rose from the dead. I invite you now into my life. Connect me to the Father so that I can know who He is and who I am. In Your Name. I pray. 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.

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. 

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, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.

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Source Cited: https://www.lifeway.com/en/special-emphasis/defined-bible-study

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

The post Do You Know Who You Are? first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD

April 16, 2025

Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Story Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Wednesday, April 16, 2025, and this is episode #3 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “Can History Prove the Resurrection?”

To my knowledge, nothing has caused more controversy throughout human history than the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Satan has made every attempt to discredit this historical fact and continues to do so today.

In this podcast, I would like to share seven historical facts that support and prove the Resurrection:

1) All four Gospels recount the events of Christ’s death and resurrection. The Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—all followers of Christ. Three of them—Matthew, Mark, and John—were eyewitnesses to these major historic events and testify to them. The fourth, Luke, learned about the resurrection from earlier eyewitnesses of the events.

2) Many of the eyewitnesses to Christ’s death and resurrection gave their lives rather than denounce what they had seen with their own eyes. They died for more than just a cause they believed in. They died for the very facts they saw with their own eyes. They refused to deny the facts, although doing so would have likely spared them from death. But they chose to side with the truth of what they had seen, not to lie in order to save their own skin.

3) History shows that Christ’s grave was in fact empty. The stone had been rolled away. His body was never found. Although Roman soldiers guarded his tomb, he still disappeared from it.

Here is how the Holy Scriptures describe the event in Matthew chapter 28:
“And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.”

So the guards themselves saw this angel who made them tremble. They knew that something supernatural had happened. Yet, they allowed themselves to be bribed for fear of their own death.

You see, in those days, if a Roman soldier failed in his assignment to guard a prisoner and the prisoner escaped, the soldier himself was killed. In Matthew 28: 11-15 ESV, we read what really happened after the guards saw the angel and discovered that Jesus was missing:

“While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.”

Did you catch that last sentence? “And they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.” Rather than tell the truth about what they saw, the guards accepted the bribe to save their lives and told the Jews that Christ’s body had been stolen. And TO THIS DAY, the lie continues to be spread!

4) After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to numerous people. About 500 in fact! He talked with them, ate with them, touched them. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he writes this:

“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.”

Those who saw Jesus after His death had known Him before His death, so they recognized Him and asserted that it was indeed Jesus Himself standing before them after the Resurrection.

5) When the crowds saw Christ after the Resurrection, the news of the empty tomb spread like wildfire. Despite severe opposition from the Romans and the religious leaders of the Jews, thousands came to Christ after the Resurrection. Why? Because they saw for themselves that He had risen from the dead.

6) Christ’s death and resurrection were prophesied thousands of years before they happened. Consider these verses from Psalm 22 NASB, which were written 1000 years before Jesus died:

__v. 16 NASB: “a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet . . . .”
__v. 18 NASB: “They divide my garments among them, And they cast lots for my clothing . . . .”
__V. 17 NASB: “I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me;”

7) Christ’s bones were not broken, although it was customary to break the bones of a crucified person to hasten his death.

Isaiah 53, often called “the forbidden chapter” by the Jews, says this:
__v. 5: 5 NASB: “But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed.”

Many more Old Testament passages predict the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We only need to have “eyes to see and ears to hear.”

But sadly, so few people do. Why? Because they simply don’t want to. They want to do their own thing, without thought for what will happen to them after they die. In short, they want to be their own god.

But no human being will ever be able to save himself. Every attempt to do so will result in failure and destruction. Only Jesus Christ can save us. He is the one and only Savior God has provided for us. We can do good deeds until we are blue in the face, but they will never be sufficient to save us.

One of the biggest lies of our age is that man is inherently good. If you believe this about yourself—if you believe that you are a good person—I would ask you this question: By whose standards? By your own or by God’s? You see, my friend, God’s standards are the only standards that matter. And by God’s standards, we are all sinful and deserving of death.

But as God tells us in His Holy Bible, He loved you and me so much that He gave His only begotten Son to save us. Anyone who believes in Jesus will not perish but will receive everlasting life.

Are you ready to receive everlasting life? If so, pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I repent of my sin. I believe that You are the Son of God Who died for me and rose from the dead. I invite you now into my life. Make of me all that 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.

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. 

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, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.

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For more information, check out: “Ten Concise Pieces of Evidence for the Resurrection” by George Sinclair
https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/article/10-concise-pieces-of-evidence-for-the-resurrection/

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

The post Can History Prove the Resurrection? first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

January 31, 2025

Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Story Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Friday, January 31, 2025, and this is episode #2 in Series 2025. This episode is titled “The Truth about Healing—Part 3.” It is the last episode in my three-part series on healing.

Are you sick today? If so, listen up because I’m going to share with you some principles about healing that will help you to receive the healing that Jesus Christ died to give you.

There has been much erroneous teaching about healing. Perhaps you have been taught some of it. For example, here are some common misconceptions about healing to which people cling:

1) God does not heal everyone.
2) It is not always God’s will to heal.
3) Healing is not for today because Jesus Christ is no longer on the earth.

I could include many more misconceptions, but let’s focus on these three.

1) God doesn’t heal everyone.

A close look at the Gospels shows that Jesus never turned away anyone who came to Him for healing. Repeatedly, we read the words, “And He healed them all.”

For example . . .

Matthew 4: 24 – “News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed–he healed them all.”

Matthew 12: 15 – “And many followed him, and he healed them all.”

Matthew 15: 30 – “A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all.”

2) It is not always God’s will to heal. This is the second misconception. It is not always God’s will to heal.

During the Lord’s ministry on earth, a leper approached him, asking if Jesus was willing to heal him.

Let’s read this incident in Luke 5: 12-13 – “In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.‘ Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be healed!’ And instantly the leprosy disappeared.”

You might object that just because Jesus was willing to heal the leper, He is willing to heal everyone. Well, let’s take a look at two more Scripture verses that will bring more clarity.

First, in Hebrews 13: 8, we read: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Second, in Romans 2: 11, we read: “For God does not show favoritism.”

So we see that Jesus Christ hasn’t changed and that He has no favorites. So if He is willing to heal one person, He is certainly willing to heal everyone.

3) Healing is not for today because Jesus is no longer on the earth.

Well, the truth is that Jesus is on the earth in us, His believers, His followers. We are called the Body of Christ. Moreover, Jesus commissioned those of us who follow Him to continue the work that He did while on earth. That work includes healing the sick.

Let’s take a look at Christ’s commission to us in Mark 16: 15-18:

“And then he told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.’”

In light of these Scripture verses, we can see the following:

1) God heals everyone who has faith to be healed.
2) It is always God’s will to heal.
3) Healing is for today because the Body of Christ is still on the earth and Jesus Christ never changes.

Jesus says what He means and He means what He says. When He says you were healed by His stripes, He means just that. You WERE healed. Past tense. He healed you when He took 39 lashes on His back in payment for your sickness, when He died on the Cross and shed His blood in payment for your sin, and rose from the dead for you to give you complete healing in your spirit, soul, and body.

But the only way to receive healing—or anything else from God—is through faith. You need to believe with your heart—not simply give mental assent with your mind—that God says what He means and He means what He says.

You see, my Friend, healing begins on the inside with a revelatIon of God’s infinite love for you. It is because of His love that He forgives your sin and heals your body. Healing and forgiveness have nothing to do with our good deeds. They have everything to do with our faith in the Lord’s finished work on our behalf.

So, if you need spiritual healing as well as physical healing today, pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, thank You for taking those 39 horrific lashes on Your back, for shedding Your Blood on the Cross, and for rising from the dead so that I can be forgiven of sin and healed of all sickness. I ask You now to come into my life, to heal my body, to forgive my sins. I acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. So I receive You now as my personal Savior and as the Lord of my life. Make of me all that 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.

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 maryanndiorio.com. That’s maryanndiorio.com. And simply click on the tab marked “Bookstore.”

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, and that He will help you to keep on winning with the Word.

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

The post The Truth about Healing: Part 3 first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.