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.

May 22, 2025Hello 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...

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May 15, 2025Hello 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,

April 24, 2025Hello 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?

by MaryAnn Diorio, PhDApril 16, 2025Hello 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.

by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

January 31, 2025Hello 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,

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 hate...

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.

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 b...

November 16, 2024Hello 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 ...