Winning with the Word | MaryAnn Diorio

January 17, 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 17, 2025, and this is episode #1 in Series 2025. This episode is titled “The Truth about Healing—Part 2.”

Wherever we turn, people are sick. And, it seems, getting sicker. Perhaps you are one of them.

If so, you need to listen to this podcast or read this blog post to the very end. It is the second in a series on healing I started last year.

So, what’s the deal with sickness? Where does it come from? Why does it come? And are we doomed just to live with it?

Let’s start with the first question: What’s the deal with sickness? The deal is that it’s a raw deal. A bad deal. Not a deal anyone wants to engage in. So why is there sickness?

There’s sickness because there’s sin. Sickness has its roots in sin. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the sick person has personally sinned. It means that when sin entered the world through the rebellion and fall of Adam and Eve, sickness was not far behind.

Sickness is the offspring of sin, as is every evil thing in the world today. If Adam and Eve had not sinned, there would be no sickness. In fact, when God created them and placed them in the Garden of Eden, they were perfectly healthy in spirit, soul, and body. They were in perfect alignment with God.

That’s what health is, really. Alignment with God. When sin came into the world, this alignment was not only skewed; it was completely shattered. As descendants of Adam and Eve, we now share in that awful misalignment.

You may ask why? Because we inherited Adam’s sin nature. When Adam sinned, his nature became corrupted. Misaligned. Out of sync with God. So when Adam and Eve had children, that’s all they could pass on to future generations. A sin nature. Adam and Eve’s perfect, healthful nature had been destroyed by disobedience to God. All that was now left was a corrupted nature.

So here we are today, still experiencing the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin. And sickness is one of those consequences.

But lest you fall into despair, dear friend, let me now give you the good news. The good news is that Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection, overcame the consequences of Adam’s sin and restored to mankind Adam’s original, uncorrupted nature. Is that something to shout about, or what?

But, there’s a catch. The only way man can now experience Adam’s original, uncorrupted nature is by being born again. In other words, by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. When you are born again, you instantly receive the nature of Christ which is incorruptible. The nature of Christ is also perfectly healthy. This new nature comes to reside on the inside of you and to make you what the Bible calls “a new creation.”

The born again person, therefore, has a new nature on the inside of him. The nature of Christ. And Christ is not sick!

“Well, then, Dr. MaryAnn, “you may be asking, “why are so many Christians sick?” Fair question! The reason is found in the Bible in Hosea 4: 6 where God says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” In other words, Christians are sick because they don’t know they’re supposed to be well!

Now before you turn off this podcast or stop reading this blog post, do yourself a favor and get all the facts.

Because God is God, He cannot lie. So when He says something in His Word, He means it, right?

Okay. Let’s look at some of the things God has said in the Bible about healing:

___Exodus 15: 26 NIV – “I am the LORD, who heals you.”
___ Jeremiah 30: 17 NASB – “For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the LORD.”
___Psalm 41: 3 – “The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health.
___Matthew 12: 15 NASB – “Many followed Him, and He healed them all . . . .”
___Matthew 8: 17 NLT – ““He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.”

I could go on and on with verses proving that God hates sickness and wants us well. Not only that, He has made provision for our healing and health. How? When He sent Jesus His only begotten Son to pay the price for sin and sickness on Calvary in what is aptly called “The Great Exchange.”

During this Great Exchange, or Great Transfer, Jesus took our sickness and gave us His health in exchange. He took our sin and gave us His righteousness in exchange. In other words, the punishment for sin and the sickness that rightfully belonged to us because of our sin, Jesus took upon Himself and in exchange gave us total freedom of spirit, soul, and body. He gave us eternal life, mental clarity, and physical health.

No greater love than this exists!

Now the question remains: What are you going to do with that love? Are you going to spurn it, or are you going to return it? I hope you will return it.

To do so, just pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, thank You for the Great Exchange in which you took my sin and sickness and gave me Your righteousness and health. I want to express my love and gratitude to You for doing that for me. So I ask You now to come into my life. 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. Check out my books at my online bookstore at maryanndiorio.com. That’s 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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Copyright 2025 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

The post The Truth about Healing-Part 2 first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

November 29, 2024

Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Bible Teacher, Novelist, and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Friday, November 29, 2024, and this is episode #24 in Series 2024. This episode is titled, “HELL Is a Real Place.”

Thousands of people today think that Hell is only a figment of one’s imagination. An imaginary place that doesn’t really exist. After all, why would a good and loving God send people to Hell?

While the question is valid, if one thinks this way, one does not understand the nature of God and the depravity of man. You see, my friend, God is both merciful and just. Mercy and justice are two sides of the same coin of the Being Who is called God.

When God created man and woman—and yes, He created only two genders, male and female—God gave them free will and dominion over the earth. He placed two trees in the Garden of Eden–the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God warned Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil but to eat only of the Tree of Life. If they ate of the Tree of Life, they would be blessed. But if they disobeyed God and ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would be cursed.

Why? Because God did not want them to experience evil, only good. If they rebelled against Him to obtain knowledge of evil, however, they would be cursed. Notice that God forbade them to eat of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God wanted to protect Adam and Eve—and all of us—from knowing evil and, as a result, from experiencing the curse of death.

Let me ask you a question: Has it been of any benefit to you to learn about evil? Has knowing evil done you any good? If we’re honest, none of us wants evil in our lives. Yet, we experience evil because Adam and Eve, the original parents of the entire human race, disobeyed God.

So, how does all of this relate to Hell?

Interestingly, all of this is closely related to Hell. When God warned Adam and Eve against rebelling and disobeying Him, He also warned them that disobedience would bring a curse. That curse was eternal separation from God. In other words, God said that if Adam and Eve disobeyed Him, they would open themselves up to His justice.

What is God’s justice? God’s justice is His perspective on sin and His punishment for sin. God hates sin. He is holy, and sin cannot stand in His Presence. Moreover, God punishes sin because it violates His holiness and goodness. All who participate in sin place themselves under the verdict of God’s judgment. And God’s judgment for sin is eternal separation from Him in a place of everlasting torment. In other words, HELL.

Hell is a real place, and you don’t want to go there. When He was on earth, Jesus spoke more about Hell than He did about Heaven.

Let’s look at some verses on Hell:

Romans 6: 23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Matthew 25: 41 – “Then he [God] will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

You see, my friend, Hell was not prepared for man, only for the devil and his angels. But the man who rejects God will go to Hell.

Revelation 20: 15 – “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

One of Satan’s craftiest lies in our age has been to convince people there is no hell. After all, as the argument goes, why would a good God send people to Hell?

To be clear, my friend, God does not send anyone to Hell. People send themselves to Hell. How? By rejecting Jesus Christ as the One Who died and rose from the dead to save them so that they could escape Hell and go to Heaven. If one rejects the very Savior Who could save him the only one who could save him, there i sno other way to save him.

Don’t make this same mistake. Choose life now by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. He is the only one who can save you from Hell. Pray this simple prayer with me now.

LORD Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I choose to turn away from my sin, and I invite You into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for being my Savior. pray this prayer in Your good and merciful Name. 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. Check out my books at my online bookstore at maryanndiorio.com. That’s maryanndiorio.com.

As 2024 comes to a close, so will this podcast come to a close. I want to thank all of you for being such faithful listeners over the years. I pray God’s blessings upon you.

Normally, I end my podcasts with the words, “Until next time . . . .” But since this is my last podcast, I will close out simply with the words, 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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Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

The post HELL Is a Real Place first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

November 23, 2024

Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Bible Teacher, Novelist, and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Saturday, November 23, 2024, and this is episode #23 in Series 2024. This episode is titled, “Are You a Good Person?”

If asked that question, most people today would say “Yes, I am a good person.”

Perhaps you are one of these people. Perhaps you consider yourself a good person because you’ve never killed anyone, nor ever punched anyone in the face, nor ever hurt an animal—or some such reason. Perhaps you would tell me that you’re nice to people or that you let people be who they are.

I would then reply, “Have you ever taken the Good Test?”

What is the Good Test? The Good Test is a powerful test that identifies whether or not you are truly a good person. I’ve posted the link to the test in the show notes at the end of this podcast, and I urge you to take the test.

Here are some of the questions you would be asked on the Good Test:
__Have you ever lied?
__Have you ever stolen anything, no matter how seemingly insignificant, like a paper clip from work?
__Have you ever used God’s name in vain?
__Have you ever lusted sexually or otherwise?

How would you answer these questions? If you’re like the rest of humanity, you would have to answer “yes” to every question. Why? Because these questions reveal God’s definition of “good,” and every one of us has violated that definition.

You see, my friend, God’s standard for good is not the same as man’s standard for good. Man creates his own standard for good based on his personal beliefs. Man makes the standard for good a subjective issue when, in reality, it is not at all subjective. It is objective. The standard for good is absolute and is determined by God and God alone. He alone is good. Therefore, He alone has the right and the ability to set the standard for what is good and what is not good.

So, what is God’s standard for good? We can find His standard for good in the Ten Commandments. If we don’t meet the standard for good found in the Ten Commandments, then God does not consider us good.

And God’s opinion is the only one that matters.

Why? Because when we die, we will face God, and He will determine whether we are good or not. If God determines that a person is not good, that person will go to Hell. But if God determines that a person is good, that person will go to Heaven.

So how can we know what God will determine about us? How can we know if, when we stand before God—and every person will stand before God when he or she dies—how can we know if God will deem us good and bring us to Heaven or deem us not good and send us to Hell?

You may be thinking, “Why would a good God send anyone to hell?”

Great question! Here is the answer. Would a good judge let the guilty go free? Of course not! Only a corrupt judge would let the guilty go free? Since God is a good Judge, He has to punish the guilty. He has to punish sin. He cannot look the other way. And He won’t.

But in addition to being a good Judge, God is also a merciful Judge. Scripture says in 2 Peter 3: 9 that God is not willing for anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance. Because God knew that man could never pay the price for his sin, God chose to pay the price for man. What amazing love! God loved us so much that He chose to become a man himself so that He could take our place in going to the Cross.

You see, my friend, by rights, each one of us should have gone to the Cross ourselves. Each one of us should have been killed for our sin. But not only killed. Each one of us should have gone to Hell for all eternity. But Jesus did all that for us. Why? Because He loved us.

When we look at the Ten Commandments, we realize that it is impossible to keep all of them all the time. In fact, the Ten Commandments were given to us to show us how impossible it is for us to keep them, to meet God’s standard. Even if we have obeyed every one of the commandments but disobeyed only one of them, we are just as guilty as if we had violated all ten commandments. In James 2: 20 we read, “For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.”

So what are we supposed to do? God requires that we keep the Ten Commandments, yet it is impossible for us to keep them. But unless we keep them, we will go to Hell when we die. Talk about a Catch-22 situation!

The Apostle Paul recognized this when he wrote the following in Romans 7: 22-25: “I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Did you hear that? Paul explained that the answer to the dilemma of sin is “in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus Christ is the only one who can set us free from the bondage of sin.

But in order for this to happen, we must repent of our sin. To repent means to acknowledge that you are a sinner and to choose to turn away from sin. Have you acknowledged that you are a sinner, and have you turned away from your sin? Have you received Jesus Christ as your only Savior and Lord? If not, do that right now. Pray this simple prayer with me:

LORD Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I choose to turn away from my sin, and I invite You into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank You, LORD, for saving me. Thank You for healing me. I pray this prayer in Your good and merciful Name. 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. Check out my books at my online bookstore at shop.maryanndiorio.com.

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: https://www.goodtest.net/video

____________________________________________________
Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

The post Are You a Good Person? first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

November 16, 2024

Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Bible Teacher, Novelist, and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Saturday, November 16, 2024, and this is episode #22 in Series 2024. This episode is titled, “The Truth about Healing.”

Recently, I was severely criticized for my position on healing. Interestingly, the criticism came not from non-Christians who don’t believe in Jesus Christ, but from born-again, Christ-Followers who do.

While the criticism troubled me, it troubled me for a reason other than what you might think. I wasn’t at all troubled because I was criticized. Jesus warned us believers that criticism would come, and I have certainly had my share over the years. The criticism troubled me because the critics, for whatever reason, were missing out on one of the greatest blessings Jesus Christ died to give all of us. The blessing of healing and health.

Whenever a question comes up about a topic, we should go first to the Word of God. The Word of God is like a referee. It alone determines the truth or error of a particular belief or belief system.

So let’s take a close look at what Jesus Himself said about healing.

First, God makes clear in His Word that healing is in the Atonement. The Atonement is the reconciliation between God and humanity that Jesus brought about by dying on the Cross and rising from the dead. Through the Atonement, Jesus paid the price for the forgiveness of our sin and the healing of our bodies.

We acknowledge this truth every time we take Holy Communion. The wine represents the Blood of Jesus that earned for us the forgiveness of our sin. The Bread represents the Body of Jesus that paid for our physical healing. Jesus died to save the whole person, not just the spiritual person.

Now, God is not only able to heal us; He wants to heal us. And even more than that, He has already healed us.

When Jesus took the 39 lashes on His back just before being crucified, He paid for our healing. He took our sickness and disease and, in exchange, gave us His health.

Let’s look closely at some Scripture verses that reveal this truth:

__Matthew 8: 17 NLT – “This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, ‘He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.’”

Notice Jesus “took our infirmities” —our sicknesses—and “bare [or “bore” in modern English] our sicknesses” so that we would not have to bear them.

__Psalm 103: 2-3 NLT – “Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.”

Notice: God heals ALL our diseases; not some, but ALL. Just as He forgives all of our sins, He heals all of our diseases. Imagine if we believed that God forgives only some of our sins or that He forgives the sins of only some people, but not the sins of all people. I don’t know of anyone who believes in that kind of partial forgiveness of sin by God. Yet, that is exactly what we believe about healing. Why would the God Who forgives all sin heal only some sickness?

We Christians sometimes don’t think straight. We don’t carry our thinking to its logical conclusion but we hold on to tradition or wrong teaching without ever questioning it.

Here is another Scripture verse on healing:

—-Mark 11: 24 NJKV – “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.“

Notice: This verse instructs us to believe when we pray, not when we receive the answer to our prayer. If we believe when we pray, then we receive what we prayed for the instant we pray for it. But, the manifestation—or the showing up—of what we prayed for usually comes later. For example, I believe that I receive healing the instant I pray for it, but the healing may not show up in my body until later. Sometimes a lot later.

God’s will for healing is clear in the verses I cited above, and in many other verses throughout the Sacred Scriptures. I challenge you to look up every Scripture verse on healing and see for yourself that healing is God’s will for you and healing is for today. Hebrews 13: 8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Second, a Word on Faith . . . 

Faith begins where the will of God is known. I’m going to say that again. Brother Hagin used to say this all the time. Faith begins where the will of God is known. Unless we know the will of God on a particular matter, we will not have faith to ask God for what we need in that area. Or we will ask Him tentatively, such as when we use the phrase “If it be Your will.”

Tentativeness is not faith.

And it is by faith that we receive healing.

How do we receive healing? By faith. Let’s look at Scripture verses that prove this:

__Mark 5: 34 NLT- “And he [Jesus] said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

In the story of the woman with the hemorrhaging, Jesus said that it was her faith that made her whole. 

Jesus said the same of the blind man named Bartimaeus.

__Mark 10: 52 NLT – “And Jesus said to him, ‘Go, for your faith has healed you.’ Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.“

It was Bartimaeus’ faith that healed him.

And so it is with us. It is our faith that brings us the healing that Jesus died to give us. Our faith makes us whole. 

Jesus says what He means and He means what He says. Why, then, do we not take Him at His Word? 

When Jesus told the hemorrhaging woman that it was her faith that healed her, why don’t we believe what He said to her? In telling the hemorrhaging woman that her faith healed her, He was telling us that our faith heals us as well.

Third, My Personal Experience . . .  

Lest you think that I am simply misinterpreting Scripture to prove a point, let me share with you some personal experiences of healing in my own life and my own family.

When my younger daughter Gina was two months old, she was diagnosed with an incurable intestinal disease involving the lymph glands. The medical prognosis was that she would not live beyond nine years of age. 

Because my husband and I knew and believed the Word of God on healing, we refused to accept our daughter’s diagnosis as the final word. Instead, we laid hands on her as the Word commands, and we prayed for her healing.

And we believed that our baby daughter was healed the moment we prayed.

Shortly after we prayed, I was sitting in our family room with my daughter in a cradle beside me. The Holy Spirit told me to turn on the TV. So I did.

The channel was already set to a Christian program I watched regularly—the 700 Club. Perhaps some of you listening know of this program.

The instant I turned on the TV, the host of the program, Dr. Pat Robertson, was praying. He looked straight into the camera and said, “There is a baby in the television audience out there with a lymph gland disorder and God is healing that baby now.”

Well, I jumped out of my chair shouting, “That’s my Gina! That’s my Gina!”

Suddenly I felt a sensation like that of warm oil running down my body from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. I knew that my baby was healed.

My husband—who, by the way, is a physician—and I took our baby back to her pediatrician. He was amazed and vouched for her healing. All symptoms of illness had disappeared.

Today our daughter is 47 years old, happily married, and serves on the worship team at her church. God’s Word works, my friend!

Why do I share this? Because I am saddened to see so many people needlessly enduring sickness that Jesus took from them, simply because they do not know the truth about healing. Case in point: the well-meaning critics who recently criticized me for believing in healing.

I am saddened by the false teaching about healing and the lack of teaching about healing in the Church. I am saddened from grieving over the untimely death of family members and friends who did not know the Word of God on healing or, worse yet, doubted it. Yes, all of us must die one day, but hear this: we don’t have to be sick in order to die!

We have no problem believing that we are forgiven when we ask God to forgive us. Why not? Because we have heard the message of forgiveness over and over and over again.

But we have trouble believing that we are healed. Why? Because we have not heard the message of healing over and over and over again. In fact, we’ve barely heard it at all! 

Romans 10: 17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. This is the only way faith comes. If we don’t hear the Word of God on healing, we will never have faith for it. In fact, we will eventually believe whatever we hear often enough and long enough. The Church has heard wrong teaching about healing far too often and far too long.

Lest I mention only my daughter’s healing, for which we continue to this day to praise God, I would like to share two more healings in my immediate family:

1) First, my own healing. I was healed of breast cancer 30 years ago. When I received the diagnosis, I rejected it. I didn’t deny the fact of the test result. Rather, I rejected the truth of the test result.

What do I mean?

I mean that TRUTH and FACT are not the same thing. FACT is the test result you receive, the medical report from your doctor. TRUTH is what God says about you. TRUTH is greater than FACT. TRUTH supersedes FACT.

God says 1 Peter 2: 24 that you were healed by the stripes of Jesus. This is TRUTH. The test result says you have cancer. This is FACT. Which one prevails in your life—whether Truth or Fact—depends totally on which one you believe—Truth or Fact.

The problem with most people is that they believe Fact over Truth. As a result, FACT prevails in their life.

2) My husband was recently healed of cancer. When he received the cancer diagnosis, he rejected it and chose to believe what God said about him in the Holy Scriptures. This is what my husband stood on and held fast. Remember: My husband is a physician. He has treated hundreds, if not thousands, of cancer patients over his 50 years of practice.

So, my friend, why were my daughter, my husband, and I healed? Because we simply believed God’s Word about healing. We simply placed TRUTH over FACT.

And you can do the same thing!

It grieves me that so many churches today are reluctant to preach healing for fear of making people feel bad if they are not healed. I call this reluctance the fear of man. And God warns us against the fear of man.

I, for one, will not deny God’s Word because of the fear of man. Instead, I will speak the truth in love because of my fear of God and my love for my fellow man. The truth is that if I do not receive something that God has promised me and given me, the problem is with me, not with God. 

If we love someone, we will tell him the truth, regardless of how it makes him feel, because only the truth sets us free. If we love someone, we will tell him the truth, regardless of the cost to us, whether that cost be simply criticism or something worse.

So, my friend, if you are facing an illness today, the truth is that Jesus died to heal you as well as to forgive you. Choose to believe God’s Word about healing.  Choose to be healed.

A word of caution here: It is not wrong to go to a doctor and to take medicine for one’s healing. God has provided these wonderful resources for healing as well. To those who would say that God makes us sick, I would say, “Why, then, do you go to a doctor? If God made you sick, you are sinning by trying to get well.”

Do you see the lack of logic in this way of thinking?

So, bottomline, Just as we cannot earn forgiveness of sin, neither can we earn physical healing. We simply believe that forgiveness and healing are ours, and we receive them with thanksgiving. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price so that we can be free in spirit, soul, and body. We must not take His sacrifice lightly by not believing Him and by not receiving what He did for us. To do so would break His heart and, in my opinion, be a slap in His face.

Our world desperately needs healing. Just as millions will go to hell needlessly because they refuse to believe in salvation by Christ alone, millions are needlessly sick today because they don’t believe in healing. Don’t be one of them.

The focus of this message today—and of all of my messages—is Jesus Christ. He is all you will ever need. Do you know Him personally? Have you received Him as your Savior and Lord? If not, pray this simple prayer with me now:

LORD Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I admit that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I repent of my sin, and I invite You into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Thank You, LORD, for saving me. Thank You for healing me. I pray this prayer in Your mighty and compassionate Name. 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 issues. You can check out my books at my online bookstore at MaryAnn’s Online Bookstore.

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 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

The post The Truth about Healing-Part 1 first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

November 4, 2024

Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Bible Teacher, Novelist, and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, November 4, 2024, and this is episode #20 in Series 2024. This episode is titled, “Why Marriages Fail.”

A little over a week ago, my husband and I celebrated 55 blessed years of marriage. I call those years “blessed” because during our growth as a couple, we discovered the fundamental secret of a fulfilling marriage. If you listen until the end of this podcast, you will learn what that secret is.

Young people frequently tell me that they are afraid to get married. When I ask them why, their responses always reveal an underlying fear. Here are some of those fears:

1__Fear of marrying the wrong person.
2__Fear of divorce.
3__Fear of commitment.
4__Fear of the unknown.
5__Fear of interference with one’s career.

I could go on and on with other reasons, but the five I named above are the most common.

Interestingly, all of the reasons these precious young people give me include the word fear. When young people observe the marriages of their parents or their friends’ parents, they generally do not like what they see. And, in my opinion—and perhaps in yours as well—this is a sad situation, indeed.

So what’s going on?

Here are some reasons I’ve discovered from 55 years of marriage and 25 years as a Life Coach helping others in their marriages:

Reason #1. Selfishness. When we get married, we usually think, first and foremost, what’s in it for me. Sure, we say we want the best for our spouse—and we do—but when the rubber meets the road, and we find ourselves in a situation where we have to sacrifice what we want for the good of our spouse, we often sing a different tune.

Reason #2. A Misunderstanding of the Meaning of True Love. Few people understand the true meaning of love. If asked, most would define love as a feeling. But the truth is that love, in its essence, is not a feeling. It is a Person, and that Person is Jesus Christ. Moreover, treating our spouse with love is a decision, not a feeling. When we use feelings as the arbiter of love, we will always come up short. How many times have you heard a spouse say, “I don’t love him anymore. I don’t love her anymore.” The truth is that spouse does not want to love his or her mate. That spouse wants to love only himself or herself.

3. Failure to prioritize your marriage relationship. We live in a culture of wrong priorities. We focus on the least important things rather than on the most important ones. For a marriage to succeed, we must put our relationship with our spouse above every other relationship except our relationship with God. This includes children. Far too many wives put their children above their husbands, and far too many husbands put their jobs above their wives. Both attitudes lead to failure in marriage.

Failure is not only defined as divorce. Failure in marriage can be displayed in a growing distance between husband and wife, in poor communication, and, worst of all, in apathy. Remember this: No relationship, especially the marriage relationship, is static. It will either move forward or backward. The choice is up to you.

Marriage is a crucible in which we discover who we really are at the core of our being. It is the place where we learn what our true character is like. Marriage exposes those dark places of our hearts that reveal, bottomline, that we want our own way. God gives us our spouse to polish us, to remove the dross, and to make His purpose in our lives shine through.

On the other side of the coin, marriage is also the place where we discover depths of love and sacrifice that we never knew we were capable of. When a man and a woman join hearts and minds in marriage, they can do anything. They become a force for good in an evil world.

Well, I promised to tell you the secret of a fulfilling marriage. So here it is. The secret is so simple that you could easily miss it. But I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. The secret of a fulfilling marriage is Jesus Christ.

Now before you get upset, consider this.

God Himself created marriage. Marriage was His idea. He created marriage to be the earthly witness to the relationship of Jesus Christ with His Bride, the Church, and the Church’s relationship to Christ. Earthly marriage is supposed to be a reflection of this heavenly relationship. A solid, fulfilling marriage shows the world that the love of Christ is the answer to every problem in life.

Marriage is a love relationship. Jesus Christ is Love Personified. And in the relationship between Christ and HIs Church, He is the Bridegroom and the Church is the Bride. So Jesus knows a few things about marriage, wouldn’t you agree? In fact, Jesus knows everything there is to know about marriage, and He knows how to fix every marriage problem, no matter how impossible it seems.

But the only way to tap into His help is to establish a relationship with Him. Making Jesus the center of your life and of your marriage will help ensure that you have a marriage that not only lasts but that is also fulfilling.

So, why is Jesus the secret to a fulfilling marriage? Because we can do nothing without Jesus. We cannot build a solid, lasting, and fulfilling marriage without Jesus. We need His strength and His wisdom in the tough times. We need His joy in the good times. We need His peace all the time.

And unless you think that a fulfilling marriage is free of trials, let me assure you that it is not. In fact, every marriage will have its ups and downs, but for those who don’t know Jesus Christ, the downs get worse and worse. For those couples who do know Jesus, the downs are simply the means to deep spiritual growth in love.

So the next time a young person tells you that he or she doesn’t want to get married, share what you’ve learned today. And if you don’t yet apply it to your own marriage, begin now. The best way to begin is to make sure that you yourself have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you don’t or are not sure, pray this simple prayer with me now:

LORD Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I admit that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I repent of my sin, and I invite You into my life to be my Savior and Lord. I place my marriage in Your care, LORD. Teach me how to be the spouse You created me to be. Give me revelation of the meaning of true love. Thank You, LORD. I pray this prayer in Your mighty and compassionate Name. 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 and of marriage. In my stories you will find characters just like you who struggle with what look like impossible issues. You can check out my books on my online bookstore at shop.maryanndiorio.com.

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 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

The post Why Marriages Fail first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

October 21, 2024

Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Bible Teacher, Novelist, and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, October 21, 2024, and this is episode #19 in Series 2024. This episode is titled, “Why Jesus Is the Only Way to Heaven.”

Recently, Pope Francis told the world that there is more than one way to Heaven. Well, with all due respect, the pope is wrong.

The Holy Scriptures make very clear that there is only one way to Heaven, and that one and only way is through Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said as much.

Let’s look at the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 6: Jesus was talking with his disciples and was explaining that He would be leaving them soon to prepare a place for them and that He would one day return to take them with Him. He added that they knew the way to the place where He was going.

Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles, questioned Jesus: “Lord, we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered Thomas’ question with these words: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

To say that there are many ways to Heaven is to believe a lie. And believing that lie is sending countless numbers of people to Hell.

So, I want to set the record straight in this blog post and podcast by explaining why Jesus is the only way to Heaven and why believing in Him is the only way to be saved.

In order for Jesus to be able to save us, He had to be two things:

1) He had to be God.
2) He had to be a man.

Jesus Christ was both.

But why did the Savior of humanity have to be both God and man?

1) The Savior of humanity had to be God because only God could satisfy the wrath of God. Sin is an offense against a perfect, infinite God and demands the payment of a perfect, infinite price. Only someone who was perfect and infinite was qualified to pay that price. Jesus alone was qualified. No other human being fit the bill because no other human being was perfect. Not Buddha. Not Mohammed. Not Hare Krishna. Not anyone but Jesus.

2) The Savior of humanity also had to be man. He had to be human because He had to represent the human race He was saving. In order to represent them, He had to be one of them in order to stand in their place. No other so-called god gave his life to save his followers. Only Jesus Christ did.

So, let’s put our heads together and do a little reasoning together, shall we? In other words, let’s have a rational discussion about why believing in Jesus is the only way for anyone to be saved.

In an outstanding article titled “3 Reasons Why Jesus is the Only Way,” Dr. Tim Stratton says this: “There are three fundamental Laws of Logic that are always required in rational discussion.” We will use these laws of logic in our discussion. These laws are:

1) The Law of Identity
2) The Law of the Excluded Middle
3) The Law of Non-Contradiction.

The Law of Identity states that a thing is what it is. In other words, a thing has specific qualities that make it what it is. For example, a square is a square because it has four equal sides. If it had three equal sides, it would not be a square. It would be a triangle.

The Law of the Excluded Middle, attributed to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, explains that a a statement that asserts or denies something is either true or its negation is true, thereby eliminating a third option. In other words, either a statement is true or its negation is true. There is no third option, no middle ground.

For example, I can say that water is wet or water is not wet. Water is wet is a statement that asserts, and water is not wet is a statement that denies or negates. It has to be one or the other. There is no middle ground because water cannot be half wet and half dry.

Applied to Jesus, we could say that He either rose from the dead or He didn’t. There is no middle ground. He could not have half risen from the dead and half not risen from the dead. Either he rose from the dead or He didn’t.

Next, let’s examine the Law of Non-Contradiction. This law states that when two statements contradict each other, one of those statements must be false and the other statement must be true. They cannot both be false.

For example, if one person says that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven and another person says that Jesus Christ is not the only way to Heaven, one of the persons must be right and the other person must be wrong. When applying the Law of Non-Contradiction, both statements cannot be true and both statements cannot be false.

(NOTE: Be careful here not to confuse the Law of Non-Contradiction with the Law of Contradiction. They are not the same. With the Law of Contradiction, both statements could be false. For example, Joan could say that the earth is a square and Jenny could say that the earth is a triangle and both of them would be wrong.)

In our discussion, we are talking about the Law of Non-Contradiction because there are no contradictions in the Bible. Even though at times there may seem to be contradictions, there are none because, upon close study, all seeming contradictions are resolved within the context of the Bible itself. Psalm 119:160 says this: “The sum of Your words is truth.”  This means that the Bible is solidly and undeniabily true in its entirety when considered as a whole. Logically speaking, if one part of the Bible is wrong, the entire Bible is wrong. But this is not the case. The entire Bible is true.

Now let’s look briefly at two of the most widespread specific examples of the Law of Non-Contradiction as applied to our topic: These two specific examples are Atheism vs. Theism and Islam vs. Christianity. I again refer to Dr. Tim Stratton’s excellent study, the link to which may be found in the footnotes.

Atheism vs. Theism
Here we have an example of the Law of the Excluded Middle which states that a statement that asserts something is either true or false or its negation is either true or false. Atheism asserts that God does not exist, while Theism asserts that God does exist. Both of these positions cannot be true. While a person may not know which of the theistic belief systems is true (whether Christianity, Judaism, or Islam), a person can know without doubt that atheism and theism cannot both be true.

Islam vs. Christianity
Islam teaches its followers to kill all unbelievers opposed to Islam. Christianity teaches its followers to love one’s enemies. According to the Law of the Excluded Middle, only one of these statements can be true. Which one is it? I think you know.

So, back to our starting proposition: Why Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven. Here are three reasons:

1) Jesus physically rose from the dead. Historical and scientific evidence prove the Resurrection of Jesus. Furthermore, only Jesus rose from the dead. No so-called other god rose from the dead. Buddha did not rise from the dead. Mohammed did not rise from the dead. Hare Krishna did not rise from the dead. Nor did any other so-called god rise from the dead. In fact, Buddha, Mohammed, Hare Krishna, and all these so-called other gods are still dead in their graves.

Only Jesus Christ is alive!

Moreover the wooden and metal idols of the Buddhists were made by men’s hands. Is it not illogical to believe that the idol a person creates with his own hands is more powerful than the person who created the idol? No one created Jesus, but Jesus created man.

2) Jesus is God. He is the only way to Heaven because He is the only One who is God. Only God could pay in full the perfect price for our sin that was due to the perfect God. No other so-called god paid the price for sin. Only Jesus Christ perfectly paid the price in full because He is both God and man.

3) Christianity is the only belief system in which salvation is a gift. It is the only belief system wherein man does not have to earn his way to Heaven. Every other belief system requires a man to work for his salvation. This is an impossible feat because, as I explained earlier, sin requires the payment of a perfect price to a perfect God. No human is perfect and, therefore, no human can ever pay a perfect price for sin.

You see, my friend. Jesus Christ paid that perfect price for your sin and mine because He loves us. He offers salvation as a gift to all who will receive it. He offers it free of charge. No strings attached. At this very moment, He is offering you that priceless gift of salvation. Will you receive it? Will you accept Christ’s infinite love for you in taking the punishment for your sin?

If you are willing, pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I admit that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I repent of my sin, and I ask You to come into my life to be my Savior and Lord and to fix my broken heart. I receive your gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord. I pray this prayer in Your Name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer sincerely 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 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 issues. You can check out my books on my online bookstore at shop.maryanndiorio.com.

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.

__________________________________________________
Sources cited:
“3 reasons Why Jesus Is the Only Way” by Dr. Tim Stratton
https://crossexamined.org/3-reasons-why-jesus-is-the-only-way/

“What Is the Law of the Excluded Middle?”
https://www.gotquestions.org/law-of-the-excluded-middle.html

_________________________________________________
Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

https://www.gotquestions.org/law-of-the-excluded-middle.html

In addition, the Savior of humanity had to demonstrate His power.

The post Why Jesus Is the Only Way to Heaven first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

October 14, 2024

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 Monday, October 14, 2024, and this is episode #18 in Series 2024. This episode is titled, “Are You Broken-Hearted?”

A few months ago, I thought that the Lord was finished with this blog and podcast, but He had other plans. So here we are, happy to be back with all of our wonderful readers and listeners.

Today I want to discuss the topic of broken-heartedness. Have you noticed that not many people are smiling these days? As I go about my daily life, I am struck with the looks of fear, hopelessness, and despair on the faces of those who cross my path.

My heart goes out to them, because I know from personal experience that life does not have to be this way. You see, my friend, I used to be there myself. There was a time in my life when everything looked bleak. I felt stuck in a rut, with no way to get out. Nothing was going right. Not my job. Not my finances. Not my relationships. I was what you would call a “sorry case.”

So, what changed?

Thanks for asking. I’d love to tell you. 🙂

What happened was that I had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

Now, before you stop reading or listening hear me out, please. Since you asked to know what changed, it’s the polite thing to do on your part to wait for the answer to your question. After all, I’m taking the time to answer you. And to answer you gladly, I might add. 🙂

Yes, I had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

Okay, Dr. MaryAnn. What exactly do you mean? Are you telling me that You met Jesus in person? I mean, did you bump into Him on the sidewalk? Did you run into Him at the library? At the grocery storet? What exactly do you mean?

I mean that I met Jesus in a spiritual encounter that took place inside me for the first time in my life. And I have never been the same.

Where did I meet Jesus?

I met Him in the family room at a moment when I was at the end of my rope emotionally.

How did I meet Jesus?

Through a TV show being broadcast by Billy Graham.

Holding the remote in my hand that night, I flipped through channels and found nothing that interested me. When I came upon Billy Graham, I decided to watch him because there was nothing better to watch, frankly. Plus, I had a certain respect for Billy Graham and thought it wouldn’t hurt to watch and listen.

Little did I know that during that TV program, I would meet Jesus Christ Himself.

So, how did it happen?

It happened when Mr. Graham looked right at me through the TV camera and spoke to my broken heart. He said words about me that He could not possibly know unless God had revealed them to him. He described exactly how I was feeling and the situation I was in. He saw my broken heart.

Then Mr. Graham said something amazing. He said that Jesus was the answer to a broken heart. Since Jesus made the human heart, He was the only one who could fix it. Was I willing to have Jesus fix my broken heart?

That pivotal night, almost 55 years ago, I told Jesus I was willing for Him to fix my broken heart.

And do you know what?

He did!

So, if your heart is broken today, let Jesus Christ fix it. He is the only one who can.

And how do you do that? By inviting Him into your life and receiving Him as your personal Savior and Lord. Pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I admit that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I repent of my sin, and I ask You to come into my life to be my Savior and Lord and to fix my broken heart. Thank You, Lord. I pray this prayer in Your Name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer sincerely 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 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 issues. You can check out my books on my online bookstore at shop.maryanndiorio.com.

Until next time, remember that God loves you just as you are and just where you are, and He will help you to keep on Winning with the Word.

________________________________________
Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

The post Are You Broken-Hearted? first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

May 25, 2024

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 25, 2024, and this is episode #15 in series 2024. This episode is titled, “How to Get On God’s Bad Side.”

If you want to get on God’s bad side, oppose Israel. When one opposes Israel, one opposes God Himself.

To oppose Israel is not to avoid honest discussions about her people, her policies, and her purpose. It is not to refrain from asking questions about her past or her future. To oppose Israel is to speak against what God has spoken about her.

On the other side of the coin, supporting Israel does not mean supporting everything she does or stands for. To support Israel simply means to agree with what God says about Israel. Nothing more. Nothing less.

So, to put it succinctly, opposing Israel means to oppose whatever God says about Israel, and supporting Israel means supporting whatever God says about Israel.

So, what does God say about Israel? To find out, we need to go to the Bible. In that great, best-selling book of all time, God does the following:

1) He makes it very clear that Israel belongs to Him. 

For example, in the Book of Joel 1: 6, God says this about Israel:

“For a nation has invaded My land, powerful and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and its fangs are the fangs of a lioness.“

And in Genesis 35: 10-12, we read this: “And God said to him, ‘Though your name is Jacob, you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.’ So God named him Israel. And God told him, ‘I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.'”

2) God makes it very clear that those who try to destroy Israel will themselves be destroyed.

Joel 3: 2 gives us the following warning: “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.”

This event is known as the Battle of Armageddon and will occur in the not-too-distant future, at the end of the seven-year Tribulation.

When God speaks about dividing up His land, He is referring to the dangerous attempts of this present day to create a two-state solution to the problems in the Middle East. A two-state solution flies in the face of God’s promise to Israel. A two-state solution will result in a dividing of the land of every nation that promotes a two-state solution.

Here in the United States, we have a major fault line right down the middle of our country. Tremors have been increasing in that region, to the point that geologists are concerned about a major earthquake that will destroy America’s heartland. If this happens—and I believe it will—America’s land will be divided in two. As long as our nation supports a two-state solution, we are in danger.

A little research will reveal that every time America pushed for a two-state solution, that push was followed by major disasters. I have attached a PDF file titled Land-for-Peace Disasters, compiled by my husband, that lists the disasters that occurred here in America after each push by a United States administration toward a two-state solution. It is eye-opening.

Hebrews 10: 31 warns us that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” To go against God is to seal your own destruction. Those who seek to destroy Israel will one day fall into the hands of the living God unless they repent.

If you are one who opposes Israel, I urge you to reconsider your position in light of what God says about Israel in the Bible. Then turn to Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah who came forth out of Israel to take the punishment for sin that you and I were condemned to take. But because He loved us so much, He substituted His life for ours and took our punishment in our place.

To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, pray this simple pray with me now:

Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I confess that You are the Messiah, come forth from the Jewish people. I repent of my sin and receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the family of God! Write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday and the day on which you received the birthday gift of eternal salvation that Jesus died to give you. Then write to me at [email protected]. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet titled After You’re Born Again to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

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.

_______________________________________
“Land-for-Peace Disasters,” compiled by Dominic A. Diorio, MD

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This Week’s Featured Book:

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

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The Madonna of Pisano

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Copyright 2024 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is an award-winning novelist, certified life and health coach, and a licensed minister. She writes award-winning fiction from a small town in New Jersey where neighbors still stop to chat while walking their dogs, families and friends still gather on wide, wrap-around porches, and the charming downtown still finds kids licking lollipops and old married folks holding hands. A Jersey girl at heart, MaryAnn loves Jersey diners, Jersey tomatoes, and the Jersey shore. You may learn more about her at her at maryanndiorio.com.

The post How to Get on God’s Bad Side first appeared on MaryAnn Diorio.

May 18, 2024

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 18, 2024, and this is episode #14 in series 2024. This episode is titled, “Israel: God’s Alarm Clock.”

For the past several months, the eyes of the world have been on the Middle East, and, in particular, Israel. For those of us who follow Jesus Christ and are students of the Bible, this is not a surprise. The Lord predicted that this would be the case shortly before His return to remove His Church from the earth in the soon-to-come, cataclysmic event called the Rapture.

If we do not understand the events transpiring in Israel, we will not understand what God is doing in these last days. As one writer said, “Israel is God’s program for what He is doing in the world.”

For example, in Zechariah 12: 1-9, the Bible says this:

“This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the LORD: ‘This message is from the LORD, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit. I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves.

“On that day,’ says the LORD, ‘I will cause every horse to panic and every rider to lose his nerve. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of their enemies. And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, “The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, their God.“

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure.

“The LORD will give victory to the rest of Judah first, before Jerusalem, so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David will not have greater honor than the rest of Judah. On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the LORD who goes before them! For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem.‘”

Jerusalem is still “like an intoxicating drink” in our day, or, as one translation calls her, “a stumbling block.” A move is afoot to divide the city of Jerusalem—and Israel itself—in two in what is commonly called a two-state solution. This is a disastrous move as it is completely contrary to God’s will.

In the Book of Joel, chapter 3, verses 1 and 2, the Lord pronounces this serious warning to the nations of the earth:

“At the time of those events,” says the LORD, “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem, 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.”

God warns the nations of the earth that if they divide up His land, He will divide up theirs.

This warning has ominous implications for the United States. The current administration is supporting and pushing for a two-state solution. God is not pleased. Have you noticed the serious storms that we have been experiencing since that decision? Have you noticed the many serious catastrophes that have assailed our land, more than usual?
If you want to do a fascinating study, research all the disasters that have occurred in America immediately after our administration—or whatever administration was in office at the time—supported a two-state solution. You will be astonished.

There are increasing swarms of earthquakes now taking place in the area of the New Madrid fault-line that runs down the center of the United States. Could it be that God will divide our land there? Only time will tell. We are already divided ideologically and politically and socially. There is more to come.

My friend, God is not to be mocked. He says what He means, and He means what He says. He will fulfill every word He has spoken.

We are seeing today that the nations of the world are gathering against Israel. Even nations that formerly were among Israel’s greatest supporters, like the United States of America, are now turning their backs on God’s chosen land. About the size of the state of New Jersey, Israel now finds herself virtually alone in her struggle for survival.

Many prophecy scholars believe that what we are witnessing now in Israel is the war prophesied in Psalm 83, and commonly called the Psalm 83 War. Whether this is so will eventually be seen. But the current war in Israel certainly looks like the predicted Psalm 83 War.

Let us take a brief look at the history of Israel in order to understand the reason Israel is God’s alarm clock—the biggest player—in these end times.

Israel began with a man named Abram (Abram; later called Abraham) with whom God formed a covenant. Abraham had two sons: Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac was the son of promise because he was born miraculously to Abraham and Sarah, as the direct result of God’s promise to them when they were physically beyond child-bearing years. Ishmael, however, was born to Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s maid, through a rash decision made by Abraham and Sarah outside of God’s will.

Abraham’s descendants through his son Isaac and and through Isaac’s son Jacob eventually became the Jewish nation, while Abraham’s descendants through Ishmael eventually became the Arab nation. These two nations have been continually at odds with each other ever since. It is a case of constant sibling rivalry that began way back with Isaac and Ishmael and, sad to say, continues to our own day.

In Genesis 32: 28, we learn that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. From that point on, Abraham’s descendants became known as Israelites.

Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, had twelve sons, the fourth of whom was named Judah. Judah’s descendants became known as Judeans. Later, this epithet morphed into the term “Jew”. And that term has stuck to this day.

The Jewish people are a unique people. They are the only nation who, despite being scattered all over the world for nearly 2000 years, have preserved their culture intact. This could happen only by the hand of God. Every other nation, when dispersed, married into the culture of the land to which they went and lost their unique identities. Only Israel has preserved her unique identity for thousands of years despite her dispersion throughout the earth. This is truly phenomenal!

We often hear the Jews referred to as “God’s chosen people.” What does this mean exactly? For what purpose did God choose them?

The phrase “God’s chosen people” refers directly back to the covenant or sacred agreement that God made with Abraham in Genesis 12: 1-3. At the time, Abraham’s name had not yet been changed by God. He was still called Abram (or Abram):

Let’s take a look at that covenant as described in Genesis 12: 1-3:

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”

In Deuteronomy 7: 6, God confirms His decision to make Israel His chosen people. In referring to Israel, He says this: “For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.”

The reason God chose the Jews to be His special people is that God was planning to send the Messiah to earth through the lineage of the Jewish people. Moreover, God expected the Jews not only to receive the Messiah but also to proclaim Him throughout the earth as the Savior of the world. Jesus had to become a man through some nation, and God chose Israel to be that nation.

But, tragically, the Jews as a nation failed in their commission. They rejected the Messiah and continue to do so to this day.

But God isn’t finished with Israel yet. One of the most significant Bible prophecies that proves we are in the last days before the return of Christ is the formation of Israel into a nation in a single day. This key prophecy is found in Amos 9: 14-15. Let’s take a look:

“‘I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,’ says the Lord your God.“

This monumental event occurred in 1948 when Israel was acknowledged as a nation in her own right. In fact, then President of the United States, Harry Truman was the first world leader to give official recognition to Israel as a legitimate Jewish state.

Another such prophecy about Israel’s becoming a nation is found in Ezekiel 37: 1-14. This is the prophet Ezekiel speaking to dry bones that he saw in a vision. The dry bones represent the nation of Israel at the time:

“The LORD took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones become living people again?‘

‘O Sovereign LORD,”’I replied, ‘you alone know the answer to that.‘

Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’

So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.

Then he said to me, ‘Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.”

So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.

Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, “We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.” Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the LORD. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the LORD has spoken!’”

Finally, Isaiah 66: 7-8 predicts the formation of Israel as a nation in a single day:

“Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment?”

Yet that is exactly what happened when Israel became a nation in a single day on May 14, 1948.

I could go on and on, my friend. Yet, suffice it to say that these prophecies I shared with you all point to the truth that Israel is God’s land and that anyone who does violence to Israel does violence to himself and to God Himself and will not go unpunished.This is a sobering thought that should arouse fear in the hearts of any who oppose Israel in any way.

Remember this: Bible prophecy is history written in advance. God wants us to know what lies ahead so that we can prepare our hearts for His return. How do we prepare our hearts? By believing that Jesus Christ—Yeshua HaMaschiach—is the Son of God Who died and rose again to save the world, and by receiving Him personally as Savior and Lord.

I invite you to do that now. Please pray this simple prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge my sin before You. As I repent, as I turn away from my sin, I ask You to forgive me. I receive you now into my life as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.

If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God. Welcome to the family of God! Write down today’s date. It is your spiritual birthday and the day on which you received the birthday gift of salvation that Jesus died to give you. Then write to me at [email protected]. I would like to send you a free PDF booklet titled After You’re Born Again to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

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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Sources Cited:
https://understandingthesignsofourtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Isreal-Gods-Prophetic-Clock.pdf

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Dr. MaryAnn Diorio is an award-winning novelist, certified life and health coach, and a licensed minister. She writes award-winning fiction from a small town in New Jersey where neighbors still stop to chat while walking their dogs, families and friends still gather on wide, wrap-around porches, and the charming downtown still finds kids licking lollipops and old married folks holding hands. A Jersey girl at heart, MaryAnn loves Jersey diners, Jersey tomatoes, and the Jersey shore. You may learn more about her at her two websites:
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