Healing the Hurting Heart Has Moved to a New Site

Hello, followers and readers of Healing the Hurting Heart!  In case you are wondering what happened to this blog, it has a new name, MATTERS OF THE HEART, and has been moved to the following address:

http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/maryanndiorioblog

You may also read MATTERS OF THE HEART at http:/www.maryanndiorio.com/blog.

I look forward to reconnecting with you.


Blessings,

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

Here in the United States, we just celebrated Thanksgiving Day. It is a celebration that has its roots in the first settlers of our country who worshipped God and understood that He is the Source of every good thing.

Giving thanks is a key to healing the hurting heart. When we hurt, we tend to focus on everything that is wrong in our lives, on everything that is not exactly as we would like it to be.  But when we give thanks, we shift our focus from what is wrong in our lives to what is right in our lives.

No matter how bad our situation, we can find something for which to give thanks.  Today, instead of pondering your problem, ponder the God Who is so far bigger than your problem. Thank Him that He is always there for you, loving you and caring for you.

If you do not know this magnificent God of Whom I write, you can know Him today.  The way to know Him is through His Son Jesus Christ.  Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

If you want to know God the Father, you must first embrace His Son, Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMaschiach.  By His death and resurrection, Yeshua reconnected us to the Father.  We were separated from Him by sin, but Jesus destroyed the power of sin and offered us the gift of salvation whereby we can be reconciled to the Father.

Accept this gift today by praying this prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for dying in my place to pay the price for my sin.  I accept You now as my Savior and my Lord.  Heal my broken heart. Make of me what You created me to be.  Do not allow me to leave this earth until I have fulfilled the destiny for which You created me. In You Name I pray. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, please let me know and I will send you some follow-up material to help you grow in your walk with Christ.  You can reach me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com. If you live in a part of the world where it is dangerous for you to write to me or to post a comment, know that God sees and that I understand. My prayers are with you.
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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio.  All rights reserved.
Photo Source: Google Images

The Furnace of Suffering

Are you suffering?  Do you find yourself in a situation that is causing you great pain, either physical or emotional, or both?  Are you afraid of what tomorrow may bring?

No one likes to suffer.  We were not created to suffer.  We were created to enjoy God in all of His fullness and to live in joy and peace.  But sin entered the world and thwarted our original destiny. Hence, our suffering.

But suffering is not the end of the story.  Jesus Christ came to deliver us from suffering. The Word of God says that Christ died and rose again from the dead "to destroy the works of the devil" (I John 3:8).  Jesus Christ came to give us abundant life (John 10:10).

So, why do we continue to suffer?

One reason is that we are still in this world, and the world is infested with sin.  But I believe that the main reason for our continued suffering is to bring us to the point of total dependence on God.

We humans create for ourselves bastions of false security in which we place our trust.  We trust our jobs to give us security. We trust our governments to give us security. We trust our own strength to give us security.  But there is nothing and there is no one who can give us security but God.

The Lord uses suffering to unfasten our tight grip on our false securities.  He wants us to depend totally on Him. But we are so attached to our false securities that God must sometimes use drastic means to wrench us from them.  Hence, we suffer.

Are you now in the furnace of suffering? Then rejoice! God is pruning you, cleansing you, purifying you.  He is transforming you into the image of His own dear Son. 

Be encouraged by these words from our wonderful heavenly Father: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5).
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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All rights reserved.
Photo by Jon Sullivan. http://www.public-domain-photos.com/

God Wants to Heal Your Broken Heart

The God of the Christian and the Jew is a personal God. This means that He knows everything about you and wants to have a personal relationship with you.

No other religion worships a personal God.  The gods of other religions are demanding, distant, and often destructive.  They exact sometimes impossible prices in exchange for their favors. They do not care about your hurting heart, nor do they have any power to heal you.  Most of all, they have no power to save you.

Why is this so? The reason is that the gods of all religions other than Christianity and Judaism are false gods--indeed, no gods at all.  They are demonic spirits who disguise themselves as gods.

But the God of Christianity and Judaism--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--is real and personal and caring.  He is the only true God.  He is all powerful, almighty, and omnipresent.  He created the universe, and He created you.  He is Love Personified.

Because God created you, He can restore you.  He can heal you.  He can deliver you.  He can give you peace. 

But He not only can restore you, heal you, and deliver you; He WANTS to restore you, heal you, and deliver you.

This is the God of the Christian and the Jew.  He is the God Who is also your Father, if you choose to make Him your Father. 

All people are creations of God, but not all people are children of God.  One becomes a child of God only by accepting Jesus Christ--Yeshua HaMashiach--as Savior and Lord. 

Accept Christ today.  Do not delay, for you may not have another opportunity to do so.  Choose to serve the only true and living God.  Experience the joy of a personal relationship with the God Who made you and wants to be your Father.

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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.

Jesus Wants to Save You, Not Condemn You

By the grace of God, this blog is reaching the four corners of the earth.  I am both humbled and stirred with a renewed and urgent sense of responsibility to proclaim the message of Christ's love for all people.

That message is this:  Jesus Christ came to this earth to save you, not to condemn you.  Because of Jesus Christ, the wrath of God the Father has been appeased.  You may now approach the Father in the Name of Jesus and ask the Father to receive you into His family, and He will. Gladly.

While God the Father is the Judge, Jesus the Son is the Attorney who pleads your case before the Judge.  When the Father sees that you have accepted Jesus, He acquits you of your sin and sets you free.

All you need to do to be saved is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.  You cannot save yourself.  Your good works cannot save you.  Only Jesus Christ can save you.

If we could be saved by our good works, we would not need a Savior. If we could be saved by our good works, how would we know if we had done enough good works to be saved?  What is "good enough"?

No, the truth is that we are all in need of a Savior.  And the good news is that Jesus has offered Himself as our Savior.  Scripture says there is no greater love than this: that a man should lay down his life for another.  Jesus laid down His life for you and for me.  Now He offers you the gift of eternal salvation that He earned for you by laying down His life to pay the price for your sin.

You now have a choice to make.  Will you accept Christ's gift of salvation or will you reject it? 

I urge you to accept Christ's gift of salvation.  Remember: He came to save you, not to condemn you.  When you come to Him, He will never turn you away.

Come now!  Do not delay, for today is the day of salvation for you! 
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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio.  All Rights Reserved.

A Word to Persecuted Christians around the World

Many of you who are reading this live in countries where you are being severely persecuted for being a Christian.  I write as your sister in Christ to encourage you in the Lord.

Psalm 34:19 reminds us that "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all."

The Lord would say to you today, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, "Do not be discouraged and do not be afraid. I have not forgotten you.  I am nearer to you than you think.  I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Stand fast, for I will sustain you.  Keep your eyes focused on Me, for I am your refuge and your fortress.  In Me you will have peace in the midst of the storm.  Pray for your enemies.  Bless those who persecute you, for their eyes are blinded to the truth.  This world is fast passing away, but your reward is forever.  Weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

Dear ones, let us keep our eyes on Jesus. As we do, He will give us perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).  As the Lord commands, "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28).

As the world grows darker and darker, the Light of Christ in you will grow brighter and brighter.  We are children of the Light, and Light always dispels darkness.  Let us stand strong in the Light, for that Light is ignited by Love.

And Love never fails.
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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. 

Is the World Coming to an End?

There’s something in the air. Everyone seems to sense it in one way or another. It feels like a dark cloud covering the earth, overshadowing it with increasing darkness.

Fear is reaching epidemic proportions as people listen daily to the constant barrage of bad news. Climate patterns have become erratic, resulting in earthquakes and tornadoes in places that rarely, if ever, witness them. Diseases once thought extinct are resurging, as are new strains of viruses and plagues.

People are becoming more rude, more selfish, and more defiant. Traditional values are being superseded by blatant rebellion against the laws of decency and self-respect. In short, the world seems to be falling apart.

Granted, we live in an age of instant communication when the air waves transmit wars in all of their ugly immediacy.  But the truth is that things are coming to a head in the earth.  And that head will be none too pretty.

So, what is really happening? Is the world really coming to an end, and, if so, what should we do about it?

What is really happening is a battle as old as time.  It is a spiritual battle, and the main players are Satan vs. God.  Scripture tells us that Satan, originally named Lucifer, was the Angel of Worship in Heaven.  He became proud and attempted to overthrow God Himself.  But, of course, no one can overthrow God.  So God cast Satan out of Heaven.

Enraged at his fall, Satan vented his anger on God's creation, Adam and Eve.  He tempted them by maligning God's character. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve fell for his temptation and, as a result, they forfeited their dominion over the earth and handed it over to Satan. Since then, Satan has been the god of this world.  All evil comes from him.

When Jesus Christ came to earth to die on the Cross, He broke Satan's hold on man. From that moment forward, any person who accepts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord regains dominion over Satan.

And Satan doesn't like that one bit.

The Bible speaks of many events that will take place before the return of Jesus Christ.  Yes, Jesus is returning to earth.  His return will be in two stages:  1) He will appear in the skies and draw to Himself all those who have accepted Him as Savior and Lord;  2) After seven years of tribulation, He will return with the armies of Heaven to destroy the enemies of Israel and set up His millennial reign as King of the Earth.

These prophecies are recorded throughout the Bible, particularly in the Book of Daniel, the Book of Ezekiel, the Book of Matthew, and the Book of Revelation.  Just as Satan could not stand against God, so Israel's enemies will not be able to stand against God. It is a dangerous and futile fight to oppose Israel, because in opposing Israel, one is actually opposing Israel's God.

You will be affected by Christ’s return to earth. How you will be affected is entirely up to you.  If you choose to accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you will be taken up with all those who trust and obey Him.  If you refuse to accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you will be left behind to endure the horror of the Great Tribulation and, worst of all, the horror of eternal damnation and eternal separation from God.

God created you because He wanted a personal relationship with you. That relationship is possible only through Jesus Christ.  When you accept Jesus, you accept a personal relationship with God the Father.

Don’t delay any longer.  Although we do not know exactly when the end of the world as we know it will come, we also do not know when our own personal end on this earth will come.  Why take a chance with the salvation of your soul?  Why risk losing Heaven for a momentary pleasure?

If you are reading this, God is calling you to Him because He loves you.  He does not want you to die in your sins.  He has provided a way of escape for you, and that way is Jesus Christ.

Accept your Savior today.  Make Him the Lord of your life.  You will then understand the meaning of true peace, true joy, and true love.

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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio.  All Rights Reserved.
Photo Source: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 1887. Painting by Russian artist Viktor Vasnetsov.

How Do You Envision God?

How do you envision God? The one and only true God? Do you see Him as distant, uncaring, or irrelevant to your life? Do you see Him as ready to punish you for the slightest offense? Do you even wonder if He exists?

Your view of God will determine your relationship to Him. It is imperative, therefore, to have a correct view of God so that you can have a fulfilling relationship with Him.

So, who is God, and what is He like?

God is Love.  This means that His very essence is love.  Since His essence is love, everything He says, thinks, and does is motivated by love. 

Because God is Love, He must give love, for the nature of love is to give itself.  Love must have someone to love.  God has chosen to love you.

Consider this:

• God loves you just as you are.
• You do not and cannot earn God's love. He freely gives it to you.
• God demonstrated His love for you by sending His Son, Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach, to pay the price for your sin by giving His life in exchange for yours.
• God forgives you of every and any sin when you repent and come to Him.
• God created you for a unique purpose that only you can fulfill. You are not an accident as the evolutionists would say.
• You were created to worship. If you do not worship the one true God, you will worship a false god, a creature, an ideology, or an activity.
• You will never know who you truly are until you return to your Creator through Jesus Christ.
• Jesus Christ is the only way to be reconnected to God the Father, your Creator. Despite what is currently being proclaimed throughout the world, all paths do not lead to God. Only one path leads to God, and that way is Jesus Christ.  He Himself said so (John 14:6).
• God has written a personal love letter to you. It is called the Bible.
• The Bible is your manual for living. Just as you receive a manual when you buy a car, so do you receive a manual when you are born into this world. That manual is the Bible.  In it you will find everything you need to know to live a happy, healthy, prosperous life in this world.
• You can choose to know God. He has given you a free will because He wants you to love Him freely. 
• God wants a personal relationship with you.  He wants to be your Father.  He wants to bless you, to heal you, to set you free. 
• You can choose to be reconnected to your heavenly Father.  To do so, accept the only path to re-connection:  Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is God the Son.  He will reconnect you to God the Father.  Jesus alone has provided the way for reconnection.  He did so by coming to earth as a man while still being God.  Jesus bridged the gap between God and man. He paid for your sin and my sin in our stead.  He took the punishment that we should have suffered for our sin against God.  In exchange, Jesus gave us eternal life.

To be reconnected to God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son, pray this simple prayer:

Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God.  I accept You now as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for reconnecting me to God the Father.  I embrace You, Father.  I receive Your embrace. Make of me what You created me to be.  Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, please leave a comment or write to me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio.  All Rights Reserved.

The Truth Will Make You Free

One's freedom is based on one's acceptance of truth.  The more one embraces truth, the freer one will be.

Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). It is knowledge of the truth and applying it to one's life that makes one free.  The converse is also true: the lie shall make one a prisoner.

Suppose you had an uncle who died and left you a huge sum of money.  Suppose, however, that you did not know what your uncle had done for you.  You would not know to lay claim to your inheritance. You would remain a prisoner of your poverty.

Jesus Christ died and left us an amazing inheritance of eternal life in the hereafter and countless blessings to enjoy on this earth. But if we are unaware of this truth, we will remain in bondage to sickness, poverty, and moral and political ideologies that imprison us intellectually, morally, and, sometimes, physically.

The amazing thing about Jesus is not only that He offers us truth; He IS Truth. He Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). 

One of the greatest lies of this age is that there are many roads to salvation. This is a lie that keeps people in bondage and will take them straight to hell.  There is only one way to be saved, and that way is through Jesus Christ.  He Himself said so.  Believing this truth will set you free.

If you don't believe me, or if you still have doubts, ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you.  He will. :)
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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio.  All Rights Reserved.

Light Will Always Dispel Darkness

Have you ever walked into a dark room and lit a match? That match, although only a tiny flame, will dispel the darkness of the entire room every single time.  This is a law that cannot be altered: Light always overcomes darkness.

As our world is growing darker and darker day by day, we can be confident in knowing that the Light of Christ will always prevail over the darkness of Satan.  Even when things look hopeless, even when fear threatens to overwhelm us, even when God seems far away, His Light will always overcome the darkness.  We have only to believe and to cling to that hope.  Our Lord will never fail us, even though it seems as though His help comes at the last minute.

As I write this word of encouragement, I am keenly aware that I am writing to my brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world.  Some of you are currently in countries that are persecuting Christians.  Some of you have had to run for your lives.  To leave your homes and your homeland. To leave the darkness.

But be certain of this: our Lord will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). We can count on Him to lead us and guide us into the Light.

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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio.  All Rights Reserved.

The Empty Tomb

The Cross is both the pivotal point and the focal point of all human history.  The Cross marks the dividing line between time before Christ and time after Christ. The Cross is the juncture at which Jew and Gentile became one in Christ.

Yet the Cross is not the end of the story.  If it were, the Cross would represent abject failure. No. The Cross led to the Resurrection three days later. And the Resurrection is the event that gives profound meaning to the Cross.

Without the Resurrection, the Cross would be meaningless. But because of the Resurrection, the Cross has become the salvation of humankind.

No other belief system can boast of the resurrection of its founder.  Buddha did not rise from the dead. Mohammed did not rise from the dead.  Joseph Smith did not rise from the dead. None of the pagan gods worshipped by many rose from the dead.

Only Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

In whom will you put your faith?  In a person who died and remained dead? Or in the One Who died for you and rose from the dead, proving thereby that He is God?

The answer seems quite obvious to me.
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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.

The Suicide Trap

Humans were not created to die.  They were created to live forever.  Death is not a normal part of the human psychological make-up.  So anyone who wants to die or to kill himself is acting contrary to his God-given human nature.

Death entered the world through sin.  When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them dominion over the earth. They were to control every creature and every plant on the earth.  They were not, however, to control their fellow human beings.

But Adam and Eve disobeyed God and, in so doing, gave up their control over the earth to Satan.  This is the reason the world is full of tragedy, suffering, and death.  Satan is now in control of this world.  He is evil in his essence, and whenever he controls anything or anyone, evil is the only result.

Scripture calls Satan a "thief" and says that he comes for one purpose only: "to steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10).  It is no wonder, then, that Satan will prey on vulnerable people to get them to commit suicide.  Satan knows that God has a great destiny for each person, and Satan will do whatever he can to thwart that destiny. 

Suicide has become an epidemic.  Young people by the thousands are killing themselves.  Increasing numbers of older people are killing themselves.  Why? Because they have lost all hope. And why have they lost all hope? Because they have believed Satan's lie.

Satan speaks to the human mind in the form of thoughts.  This is the reason that Jesus warns us to monitor our thoughts to see if they agree with His thoughts about us as found in His Word.  If our thoughts do not agree with God's thoughts about us, then we must renounce our thoughts and choose to align our thinking with God's thinking.

For example, God says this about you in Jeremiah 29:11:  "My plans for you are for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."  Satan whispers this thought:  "You have no future. You are hopeless. Nothing will work out for you. You are a loser.  No one will ever love you. You may as well kill yourself."

Satan's words are the exact opposite of God's words. Whom will you believe?  Will you believe Satan whom the Bible calls "the father of lies" (John 8:44)?  Or will you believe God Whom the Bible describes as the only one "who cannot lie"(Titus 1:2)?

Logic demands that we believe the One Who cannot lie.

Is Satan lying to you today? Is he tempting you to kill yourself?  Please do not listen to his lies. Please believe that God loves you and that He created you for a very important purpose in this earth. You are not here by accident. You are here intentionally.  You have a song to sing that no one else can sing. You have a job to do that no one else can do.  You were created with a unique destiny that only you can fulfill.

Awaken to this truth and be set free.  Embrace God's love for you.  Run to His open arms and let Him heal you of the hurt that has driven you to the edge of suicide.  Turn around and behold your Savior and Lord, Jesus the Christ. 
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Copyright 2014 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, DMin, MFA.  All Rights Reserved.

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Have you ever wondered what happens to a person when he dies?  Some people believe that death is the end of everything, that there is no life beyond this life.  Others believe that there is something after this life but that we cannot know what it is.  Still others don't care.

But what about you? Do you wonder what happens after a person dies? Do you wonder what will happen to you after you die?

The answer to this most important question is found in the Bible. The Bible teaches that a human being is made up of three parts: spirit, soul, and body (I Thessalonians 5:23).  Your spirit is who you really are at the core of your being. Your soul consists of your mind, your emotions, and your will. Your body is your earth suit, the earthly housing for your soul and your spirit.

When a person dies, his soul and spirit leave his body. As a result, the body becomes lifeless and is buried or disposed of in some way.  But the soul and spirit go to one of two places: Heaven or Hell.

According to the Bible, Heaven and Hell are real places.  Heaven is where God and His angels dwell. Hell is where Satan and his demons dwell.  Where your spirit and soul go after you die is up to you. But you must make that choice while you are still alive on this earth.

How do you make this choice? How do you decide where your spirit and soul will go after you die? The answer is very simple.  You do so by an act of your will.

To be saved simply means to be rescued from eternal damnation. But who rescues us? Only Jesus Christ can rescue us from eternal damnation. This is the reason He is called our Savior. We cannot save ourselves. We need someone to save us. That Someone is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ came to earth as a man in order to pay the price for our sin. Because He is both God and man, He was able both to stand before God as a man and to stand before God as God.  In other words, His human nature represented all of humanity while His divine nature fulfilled the perfect price of righteousness required to satisfy the wrath of God.  Jesus did this because of His love for us. He knew we could never pay the price for sin on our own. So He paid it for us by giving His very life for us.

Salvation is a gift that Jesus offers to every human being. In order to experience salvation, we must accept Christ's gift.  When we accept His gift of salvation, we receive the assurance that we will go to Heaven when we die.  But more than that, we begin a relationship of ever increasing intimacy with the God Who created us.

Please accept God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  He is the answer to your every need. In the 44 years since I accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord, He has never failed me.  He has only loved me.

To receive Christ's gift of salvation, pray this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am.  I thank You for accepting me just as I am.  You do not condemn me. You only love me. I choose to receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Accomplish Your purpose in me and through me.  In Your mighty Name I pray and receive. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, please let me know. You can reach me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com
I will be happy to offer you further help in growing in your relationship with the God Who loves you.

For more information on salvation, click here.

The Power of a Grateful Heart

To the earthly mind, the Kingdom of Heaven is full of paradoxes. Here are a few:

• We must first give before we can receive.
• We must return good for evil.
• We must love those who hate us.
• We must humble ourselves before God will exalt us.
• We must forgive those who curse us.

Such commands of our Lord shake our human reasoning and make no sense at all. But when we obey these commands, we find that we become filled with joy and peace.

Another such command is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in every circumstance." At first glance, this sounds ridiculous. How can we give thanks in the midst of evil? How can we give thanks in the midst of suffering and pain? How can we give thanks when someone hurts us?

The truth is that when we give thanks in the midst of every trial, we are expressing our trust in God Who is far bigger than any trial. And when we trust God, He delivers us from the trial or helps us to endure it and get through it.

Jesus is not saying that we must be thankful FOR the trial, but IN THE MIDST OF the trial. Evil things come from Satan, but God allows them in our lives to draw us to Himself, to help us understand that we are totally dependent on Him.  The longer we walk with Christ, however, the more we see that the trial has worked on our behalf, transforming us more and more into the image of Christ. This is God's ultimate goal for us: to transform us into the image of His dear Son Jesus Christ.

Whatever trial you are facing today, give thanks to God in the midst of that trial. Run to Him and cast your burden on Him (Psalm 55:22; I Peter 5:7). He cares for you and will see you through. 

Take to heart this promise of God for you in Zephaniah 3:17:  "The LORD your God in the midst of you is mighty; He will save; He will rejoice over you with joy: He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing."
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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.

Christ's Mission: To Heal Your Broken Heart

Jesus Christ had an amazing mission statement. It was first recorded in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 61, and announced by Jesus Himself in Luke 4:18:19 when He read from the Word of God in the synagogue:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound...."

Note, in particular, the second point of Christ's mission statement: "...to heal the brokenhearted."  Are you broken-hearted today? If so, this word is for you.

Jesus came to earth to heal your broken heart!

That is good news! No matter how your heart was broken, Jesus can heal it. All you have to do is give Him your broken heart.

You may be thinking that your broken heart is beyond repair. I assure you it is not. My own heart was broken, and Jesus healed it. He will do the same for you because He loves you.

Your heart may have been broken by rejection, physical or mental abuse, sex trafficking, abandonment, separation, divorce, death of a loved one, illness, loss of a job, death of a dream, drugs or other addictions, imprisonment, or any one of a number of things that can break the human heart. But what matters is not how your heart was broken. What matters is that Jesus Christ can heal your broken heart. All you have to do is give it to Him.

Here is a simple prayer to help you:

Lord Jesus, my heart is broken. I give it to You now. Heal it as only You can--in Your perfect timing and in Your wonderful, loving way. Thank You. Amen.

Pray this prayer now and begin to experience the amazing, supernatural healing power of Christ's infinite love for you.

To help you in your healing journey, I highly recommend The Mended Heart (affiliate link) by Suzanne Eller.   

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Copyright 2014 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, DMin, MFA.

Hurting People Hurt People

It is a psychological truism that hurting people hurt people.  Knowing this helps us to understand others when they hurt us. To understand, however, is not to condone.  Wrong behavior must never be accepted.

In order to forgive those who hurt us, it helps to understand why they hurt us. Usually, the hurt inflicted upon us has nothing to do with us but everything to do with the person who hurt us. The one who hurts others usually acts out of his own pain and takes out his pain on someone else.

Of course, this is sick behavior.  But understanding motives is essential in the forgiveness process.

As Jesus hung on the Cross, He prayed, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are doing."  The same is true of us. We can forgive those who hurt us by realizing that they really did not know what they were doing.  If they did, they would never have hurt us.

If one who hurts another truly understood that he was hurting himself far more, he would never hurt anyone.  In his warped thinking, he believes he is gaining a benefit from hurting another person. But this is a lie that will one day backfire on the one who hurts someone else. As Scripture promises, we will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).

If you have been deeply hurt by someone--and all of us have--choose today to forgive that person. Forgiving the one who hurt you will set you free.  Remember this: you are a prisoner to the extent that you do not forgive others.  As long as you do not forgive, you remain chained to the one who hurt you. But when you forgive the one who hurt you, you are set free.
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Copyright 2014 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, DMin, MFA.  All rights reserved.

Faith Does Not Make Sense

For the last two hundred years or so, the western world has made an idol of human reason.  Reason has become the yardstick for measuring truth.  If something cannot be supported by reason, then it is dismissed as foolish, ridiculous, or even stupid. 

This exaltation of reason has prevented thousands upon thousands from experiencing the power of faith.  Faith does not contradict reason; faith supersedes reason. 

Perhaps I can best explain it like this.  Here on earth we are subject to the Law of Gravity. But there is another law that supersedes the Law of Gravity. It is called the Law of Lift.  The Law of Lift is what enables an airplane to supersede the Law of Gravity in order to fly.

Reason is like the Law of Gravity. It keeps us grounded in the natural.  Faith, however, is like the Law of Lift.  It allows us to rise above reason and to enter the realm of the supernatural.

Faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God.  A person enters the Kingdom by faith and lives in the Kingdom by faith.  To the human mind, faith does not make sense because faith has nothing to do with the senses.  Faith has everything to do with the spirit.  But unless the spirit is regenerated through union with Jesus Christ, the spirit will never understand faith. 

Scripture tells us that "faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see" (Hebrews 11:1).  Do you need assurance about things you cannot see?  Do you want to have the confidence that what you are hoping for will actually happen?
Then place your faith in the only One Who can honor your faith: Jesus the Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world. 

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Copyright 2014 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA.  All Rights Reserved.

Are We in the End Times?

There is something in the air, and most of us can sense it.  Earthquakes seem to be increasing. Weather patterns seem to be altering in dramatic ways. The threat of yet another war seems to be looming on the horizon, and with the nuclear weapons we have available today, if a war should erupt, it will be far different from previous wars.

People seem to be more anxious and fearful than ever. When I was a child of eight years of age, I would take the bus by myself to go downtown. There was no danger.  We slept with our doors unlocked. During the summer, we even slept on the porch with no concern whatsoever.

Today, we live behind alarm systems and barred windows. We look over our shoulders as we walk city streets.  We drive through traffic lights and know that we are being monitored.

People seem more rude than ever. Hostilities abound between nations and between spouses. Sin is no longer hidden for fear of punishment; instead, sin is openly and shamelessly exalted.

What does all this mean?

Scripture has much to say about all of the above. What I have described are the signs that will occur before the return of Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus Christ is coming back. Acts 1:11 tells us that "Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go.”  Are you ready for His return?

The eyes of the world are focused on the Middle East, particularly Israel.  Have you ever wondered why?  Why does a nation about the size of the state of New Jersey hold the rapt attention of the entire world? Why does a tiny nation with a small population compared to the rest of the world play such a critical role in current events?

The reason is that Israel is God's nation. He established it and He will preserve it. Despite all attempts to annihilate Israel, it will never happen. Jesus Christ Himself will return to earth to rescue His people. And all those who oppose Him will be destroyed.

It is a dangerous thing to stand against Israel. He who stands against Israel stands against Almighty God. The prophecies of Scripture have never failed to be fulfilled just as they were prophesied.  While all of the prophecies have not yet been fulfilled, those that have come to pass have been fulfilled exactly as prophesied.

What does all of this mean for you? It means that you must make yourself ready for the return of the Lord.  How? By accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.  He alone can save you from sin. He alone can redeem you from destruction. He alone can satisfy your heart with good things.

To accept Christ is to accept eternal life.  To reject Christ is to accept eternal damnation. Yes, there is a hell, despite what many say.  But you do not have to go there when you die. The choice is yours. Accept Jesus Christ now. Then write to me to tell me you have.

Here is a simple prayer you can pray:

Lord Jesus, I am a sinner and I need a Savior. I ask You to forgive me of my sin. I turn to You to save me. I receive You as my Savior and Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer from your heart, you are now a child of God. Scripture says "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).

Please let me know if you have prayed this prayer. I will send you information on how to begin your new life in Jesus Christ.

May our Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He grant you His favor and give you His peace. Amen and Amen!

The Four Hearts: Which One Are You?

The Parable of the Sower is the foundational parable. If we do not understand this parable, we will not understand the rest of Christ's parables.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus speaks of the seed, which is the Word of God, and of four types of soil onto which the seed falls:  1) hard soil; 2) rocky soil; 3) thorny soil; and 4) good soil. Each type of soil represents one of the four types of the human heart.  As you read further, think about what type of heart you have.

The hard soil represents the heart hardened by sin. This type of soil hears the Word of God but does not understand it because this heart has been seared by sin. Therefore, this kind of heart cannot receive the Word of God because Satan quickly snatches it away.

The stony soil represents the heart of him who hears the Word of God and is initially delighted with it. But when troubles come, the stony heart loses faith because he did not allow his heart to be transformed by the Word.

The thorny soil represents the heart of him who seems to receive the Word of God but who, in reality, allows the cares and pleasures of this world to choke out the Word.

The good soil represents the heart of him who gladly receives the Word of God and allows it to transform him. This heart bears much fruit for the Kingdom. This heart is the only one of the four that is truly saved.

What type of heart are you? Be honest with yourself. If your heart is not the good soil, you can choose to change now. Ask Jesus to create in you a clean heart, a good heart.  He will. ______________________________________________________
Copyright 2014 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA.  All rights reserved.

Deception Destroys

Deception is an intriguing subject.  The very nature of deception prevents the deceived person from recognizing that he is a victim of deception. 

Deception is a liar. It causes one to believe that what is false is true.  Deception is Satan's chief weapon against humanity.  Deception is the counterfeit of Truth.

You will be free to the degree that you eliminate deception from your life.

How can you know if you are being deceived?  You can know that you are being deceived if what you believe is contrary to Holy Scripture.  God's Word, also known as the Bible, is absolute Truth.  It is the standard by which all philosophies, all ideologies, all belief systems, all scientific hypotheses, and all methodologies must be measured to determine if they are true or not.

It is a little know fact that Christopher Columbus learned that the earth is round by reading the Book of Isaiah, chapter 40, verse 22 where Scripture says that "God sits above the circle of the earth." God tells us in this verse that the earth is round.

You say you do not believe the Holy Scriptures?  Why not?  Has your way of living worked? Has it brought you permanent fulfillment, peace, and joy?  Be honest with yourself. 

I was once like you.  Lost and searching for meaning in life.  I found it in Jesus Christ. And so can you!

I encourage you to explore God's Word for yourself.  It is His manual for humanity. Just as you received a manual when you purchased your car or your washing machine, God has given us a manual to help us understand how we are made and how to live successfully in this world.

As always, if you have any questions, please write to me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com. Meanwhile, my prayer is that you will come to know how deeply Jesus Christ loves you!

The Lord Knows Your Name

I write this post tonight with the distinct impression that I am writing particularly to someone on the other side of the world. Whoever you are, be encouraged that our Lord knows your name.

Our Lord knows the names of each of us who read this blog. Not only does He know your name, but He also knows everything about you.  Does not the Bible tell us in Luke 12:7 that God even knows how many hairs are on our heads? 

Ponder this truth for a moment. What kind of God would know how many hairs are on your head? Only the God Who created you and loves you and cares about every detail of your life.

Wherever you are at this moment--whether physically, mentally, or spiritually--know that Jesus Christ is with you and that He cares.  Turn to Him with the burden you have been carrying and give it to Him.  He will transform your life with His love. Stop struggling to survive. Just rest in Him.

Looking Beyond the Facts

For many people all over the world, Christmas is often a time of sorrow and regret. Family members may be missing at the dinner table for one reason or another. Broken relationships may trigger deep regret. Family feuds may linger because of bitterness and unforgiveness.

If this describes you in any way, let me offer a thought. Problems have a way of responding to the way we look at them. If we look at the negative situations in our lives as impossible situations, then we will despair. But if we look at the negative situations in our lives as opportunities for miracles, then we will be encouraged.

No matter what is going on in our lives, we can choose our response. We cannot always choose what happens to us, but we can always choose how we respond to what happens to us.

If you are suffering emotionally, turn your eyes toward Jesus. Focus on Him. He knows your sorrow. He knows what you are going through, and He wants to comfort you and to heal you. All you have to do is ask.

May Jesus Christ reveal Himself to you in a very special way this Christmas season, and may the New Year bring you a powerful revelation of His deep and infinite love for you.

There Is a Way Out of Your Pain

I am impressed by Holy Spirit to write to those of you reading this who have fallen into despair. You are facing a seemingly hopeless situation from which there seems to be no way out.

Let me encourage you.  There is a way out, and that way is Jesus Christ.

Now before you hit delete, please hear me out.

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).  Jesus is the Way out of every problem you will ever face, no matter how hopeless. 

You may be on drugs--even hard drugs.  You may be on the verge of divorce. You may have had an abortion.  You may have killed someone, or stolen from your employer, or committed adultery.  It doesn't matter what you have done or what has been done to you, Jesus is the way out of your pain.

Won't you turn to Him today and pour out your broken heart to Him?  He is so ready to listen to you and to heal you.  He will give you a new life.  All you have to do is receive it by believing in Him.

Let today be the beginning of a new life for you.  Let Jesus into your heart and let Him heal you.

The Gift of Grace

If you are like me, you mess up in some way nearly every day. Whether it is through a misspoken word or a thoughtless act, we succumb to our human frailty on a regular basis.

If you are also like me, you feel very bad when you sin.  To sin means to miss the mark.  As humans, we frequently miss the mark because of our flawed nature.

When we sin, however, we have an Advocate before the Father in Heaven. Our Advocate, or Lawyer, is Jesus Christ Himself.  If we have accepted Him as our Savior, He pleads our case before the Father.

The Father is the Judge. Jesus is the Defense Attorney. If we are in Christ through being born again, then when we stand before the Father, the Father looks at us through the lens of Christ. The Father sees that we are in Christ, and the Father acquits us.

How great a gift God has given us in Jesus Christ!  If you have not yet accepted the Gift of Christ, which is the Gift of Grace, I urge you to do so now. Here is a prayer you can pray:

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I cannot save myself. I need You to save me. I receive You now as my Savior. Cleanse me and make me whole. In Your Name I pray. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, you are now a child of God.  Your next step is to begin reading the Bible. Then find a good church that teaches the Word of God in all of its fullness and without compromise.

If you have any questions about your new birth in Christ, please write to me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com. I will be happy to answer your questions.

Are You Being Deceived?

No one likes to be deceived. Synonyms for deceived are tricked and betrayed. If you have ever been tricked or betrayed, you know that deception can make you very angry. Worst than that, deception can cost you greatly, even to the point of costing you your life.

Satan is the Arch-Deceiver. His desire is to trick you into believing a lie. Then, once you believe the lie, he betrays you, leaving you to the suffering, destruction, and even death that believing the lie has caused you.

One of the biggest lies that Satan uses to deceive is the lie that he doesn't exist. If you believe he doesn't exist, you won't be on the lookout for him. You won't consider him your enemy if you believe he doesn't exist.

The truth is that Satan does exist, and he is continually trying to thwart God's destiny for your life.

What is God's destiny for you?  It is that you have a wonderful relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.

God wants to bless you. Why? Because He loves you. 

God created you for Himself.  He wants you to be His child, and He wants to be your Father.

Satan hates this truth. Satan hates God and everything associated with God. For this reason, Satan wants to get back at God by destroying God's creation; namely, YOU!

My prayer is that you will recognize Satan's deception in your life. To do this, you will need God's power that becomes yours when you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Jesus Christ is the only way by which you can establish a relationship with God the Father.  You see, Jesus Christ represented you on the Cross at Calvary.  He took your place. By rights, you and I should have been condemned to hell because of our sins.  But Jesus gave His life in our place so that we would not have to spend eternity in hell.

Once you receive Jesus Christ, you become a new creature on the inside.  The new creature you become is able to see the things of the spirit and to understand them. Until you accept Christ, you will not be able to understand the things that pertain to God. You will not be able to discern truth from error.

Accept Jesus Christ today as your Savior.  He is coming back to earth soon.  Only those who have received Him will be saved.  All others will go to hell.

So, stop being deceived. You owe it to yourself to check out what I am saying. Do your own research. Ask God to show you the truth.  When I did, He did.

Are You the Man in the Hole?

Are you in the pit of despair with no place to turn?  Are you wandering aimlessly through life, wondering why you are here and where you are going?  Are you struggling to determine what is truth?

If so, take about three minutes to watch this video.  It will change your life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEftDn-OOUY

Blessings,

Dr. MaryAnn

Are You a Prisoner of These Lies?

Many lies are being perpetrated today in the name of tolerance.  Here are a few:

1) All belief systems lead to God.
2) A good God would not allow people to go to Hell.
3) As long as I am a good person, I will go to Heaven.

Please allow me to address each of these lies since believing one or all of them will result in your eternal damnation.

1) First, the lie that all belief systems lead to God.  All belief systems are not equal in the sense that all do not teach the truth.  What is the truth?  The truth is a Person named Jesus Christ.  He said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6).

To believe anything that contradicts that Christ is the Truth is to believe a lie.

Jesus taught that there is only one way for man to be saved, and that way is to accept Him as the Savior.  In the Gospel of John, chapter one, verse 12, the Word tells us that ". . . to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."  One cannot enter God's family without accepting Jesus Christ, the Door to the family.

2) Second, the lie that a good God would not allow people to go to Hell.  The truth is that God does not send anyone to hell.  A person sends himself to hell.  Hell is the tormenting absence of God. When one moves away from God, one moves toward Hell.  The less of God one has in one's life, the more of Hell one has in one's life.  There will come a point at which the decision to remain estranged from God will be a permanent one. That point is called death. Thereafter, Hell will be a permanent state for the person who has chosen not to follow Christ while on this earth.

3) Third, the lie that as long as I am a good person, I will go to Heaven.  Getting to Heaven has nothing to do with what we do, but it has everything to do with what Jesus Christ has done. No matter how many good works we do, they will not get us into Heaven.  Why?  Because our good works mean nothing in relation to our sin.  Our good works can never erase the sin nature from our hearts. Only God can do that, and He did it through Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ took our place and paid the price for our sin.  He became our scapegoat because of His infinite love for us.  He knew we could never earn salvation on our own, so He earned it for us.  All we have to do is believe and receive that salvation.

The time is short before the return of Jesus Christ to judge the earth.  Please take to heart what I have written.  Please research it for yourself.  Most of all, please ask God to reveal His truth to you so that you may have eyes to see and ears to hear.

If you have any questions, please write to me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com.  My prayer is that you will know the truth that will set you free (John 8:32).

Overcoming Depression

Depression has reached epidemic proportions throughout the world. An alarming fact is that depression is assailing more and more young children, leaving scars on their souls that could last a lifetime.

Psychology offers many solutions, some of which are effective. But what is one to do when years of counseling yield no results?

As always, the Word of God offers solid answers that bring results. Here is a promise in God's Word that you can apply to your life to ward off depression:

Isaiah 61:3 commands us to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. What is the garment of praise? It is putting on the attitude of worship and praise in order to put off the attitude of depression.  Yes, depression is an attitude that results when the mind has been meditating on lies.

How does one put on the garment of praise? Very simply. By praising the Lord.

This sounds like a crazy command, but it always works.  Whenever I am tempted to be depressed, I begin to praise the Lord. Sometimes I will put on a CD of worship music and dance before the Lord, playing my tambourine and shouting praises to His Holy Name.

When depressed, I don't feel like praising the Lord, but I do it anyway in obedience to His command. And do you know what?  Depression always leaves.  ALWAYS!!!

Depression is bondage. Remember: There is no bondage that the Blood of Jesus Christ cannot destroy.  There is no situation that the Blood of Jesus Christ cannot overcome.  There is no sin that the Blood of Jesus Christ cannot wash away.

The next time you are tempted to be depressed, start praising the Lord.

Scripture tells us that the Lord inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).  When God inhabits a place, the devil and his spirits of depression cannot inhabit the same place. They must flee from it.

When Life Seems Hopeless

One of Satan's chief weapons is discouragement. If he can get us to give up hope, he has us pretty well in his evil hands. 

Scripture tells us that hope is the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19).  In other words, when we have hope, our soul (which consists of our emotions, our intellect, and our will) has an anchor. What does an anchor do? It holds a ship in place and keeps it steady.  Hope holds your soul (the ship of your life) in place and keeps it steady.

Hope also keeps you from thwarting your destiny through self-pity, depression, and even suicide. Remember this: God has created you for a specific purpose that only you can fulfill. Satan will do everything he can to rob you of that purpose through hopelessness. 

If you feel hopeless today, look toward Jesus. He is stretching forth His hand, inviting you to take it. He will lead you out of hopelessness as you keep your eyes on Him. 

Conquering Addiction

An addiction is a deceptive means of obtaining the love we needed but did not get in a healthful manner. Usually this love need was not met in our childhood. As a result, we learn to fill our need for love in ways that hurt us.

For example, a person addicted to food looks to food to fill his hunger for love.  A person addicted to sex looks to sex to fill his hunger for love. A person addicted to drugs looks to drugs to fill his hunger for love. And on and on the list goes.

God has created us with a legitimate hunger for love. What we fail to realize is that He alone can ultimately satisfy that hunger for love so that we are no longer hungry.  When we look to anything or anyone else to satisfy our love hunger more than we look to God to satisfy it, we end up feeling empty and hurting our hearts. We end up destroying our lives and our relationships.

If you are looking to a person, a practice, or a thing other than God to satisfy your need for love, stop now and turn around toward God. Ask Him to forgive you for looking elsewhere to satisfy the love hunger that only He can satisfy. Here is a simple prayer you can pray:

"Papa God, I come to You just as I am. Broken and empty inside. Despite all of my attempts to satisfy my need for hunger through (name your addiction), I now realize that I have been looking in the wrong places to fill that need. Only You can satisfy my hunger for love. I give you my broken, hurting heart. Take it and heal it with Your love. Jesus, come into my life. From now on, whenever I am tempted to look elsewhere to satisfy my love hunger, I will remember that addictions are empty promises, but You are my Well of Life. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen."   

You Can Spot a Counterfeit

Have you ever considered that for every counterfeit, there has to be a real?  For example, the fact that counterfeit money exists means that real money has to exist. Otherwise, there could be no counterfeit money. 

The same is true in the philosophical realm. The fact that lies exist means that truth has to exist. Otherwise, there would be no lies.

The critical question for us becomes, then, how do we tell the difference between the truth and the lie? And why is knowing the difference so important?

Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:32). Knowing the difference between truth and falsehood has everything to do with our freedom. If the truth makes us free, then the lie makes us slaves. 

But how do we know what is true and what is false?  Again, Jesus tells us how.  "Your Word is Truth" (John 17:17).  Jesus is saying that the Word of God, the Holy Bible, is Truth.  So, if we want to learn how to recognize what is true, we can go to the Holy Bible.  Everything written therein is Truth. 

As we go about our daily lives, we will face situations where we need to know if what we are hearing is a lie or the truth. All we have to do is measure what we hear by the standard of the Word of God. If what we hear agrees with the Word of God, then it is true. If what we hear contradicts the Word of God, then it is false.

I like to tell a little story to illustrate this concept.  When my husband hangs a picture for me, he asks me if the picture is straight.  I may tell him that the picture is tilted to the right.  My husband may think the picture is tilted to the left. 

Since we are not sure who is right, we go get the level.  The level is an instrument that measures whether something is straight or not. The level does not lie. It tells us the truth about the position of the picture.

The Bible is the level for determining whether a philosophy or a concept is true or false. The next time you are not sure whether what you are hearing or reading is true or false, get out your Bible and measure what you have heard or read by the level of the Word of God.  His level will always keep you from deception and, in so doing, keep you free.

Living in the Supernatural

There is a place where you can live in peace.  That place is above your emotional pain and in the realm of the spirit where the Kingdom of God is.  But the only way to get there is through Jesus Christ.

There are two realms that control life: the natural realm and the supernatural realm. The natural realm is subject to the laws of the natural world; the supernatural realm is subject to the laws of the supernatural world. 

The supernatural world has both a good aspect and an evil aspect. The good aspect is the supernatural realm inhabited by God and His angels. The Bible calls this supernatural realm of God "the third heaven". The evil aspect is the supernatural realm inhabited by Satan and his demons. The Bible calls this supernatural realm of Satan "the second heaven".  The supernatural realm of God is far more powerful than the supernatural realm of Satan.

Man was created and designed to live in the supernatural world of God, but sin relegated man to the confinement of the natural world.  Jesus Christ came to set man free from the confinement of the natural world and to restore him to the supernatural world of the Kingdom of God.

When man enters the supernatural world without Christ, man will encounter the supernatural curses of Satan and his demons. This is the realm of the occult with all of its attendant dangers.

When man enters the supernatural world through Christ, man will encounter the supernatural blessings of God.

So how does this apply to your life and to your emotional pain?

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you are still a prisoner of the natural world. In practical terms, this means that you are still in bondage to sin and its torment, including emotional torment. You may have tried to free yourself from emotional pain by entering the supernatural world of Satan and his demons. If so, you may have found a false and temporary relief, but you soon learned (or will learn) that Satan offers only trickery and bondage, never truth and freedom.

But if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you are no longer a prisoner of the natural world nor the supernatural world of Satan.  Instead, you are a resident of the supernatural kingdom of God and a child of God whose inheritance is healing in every aspect of your being.

You cannot free yourself from the natural world nor from Satan's supernatural world. You need a Savior to free you. Jesus Christ is that Savior.  Accept Him today into your life. Ask Him to be your Savior and Lord. Ask Him to free you from the pain of emotional and psychological torment.  Then expect Him to do so.

Re-Programming Your Mind for Emotional Health

Jesus tells us in John 8:32 that the truth will set us free. What is the truth? First of all, the truth is a Person: Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life" (John 14:6, emphasis mine). So, to know Jesus Christ is to know Truth personified.

Finding truth, therefore, begins with finding Christ. And finding Christ simply means to accept Him as the Son of God who alone can save us from sin and all of its consequences. One of the consequences of sin is a hurting heart. So when we accept Jesus Christ as the only One Who can save us, we are accepting the Truth that alone can set us free not only from sin but also from all of the consequences of sin.  One such major consequence is a hurting heart.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, He gives us a new spirit, and His Holy Spirit begins to live in our new spirit. Our spirit is the core of our being, the essence of who we really are.  When we accept Christ and He gives us a new spirit (called being "born again"), our new spirit is perfect and holds all that we need to overcome in life.  But our souls (mind, will, and emotions) must be renewed in order to experience the benefits that now dwell inside our spirits.  This renewal process involves reprogramming our thinking to align with God's thinking. God's thinking is found in the Holy Bible, also called His Word or the Word of God.

As we renew our minds by studying and applying God's Word to our lives, we will experience greater emotional health and physical well-being.

Unloading Emotional Baggage

Emotional baggage is a heavy weight, a weight you were never meant to carry.  I define emotional baggage as the sum total of all the negative experiences you've had that have warped the image of who you really are and were meant to be.

Why do we accumulate emotional baggage and how can we unload it? 

Here is a simple explanation.  When God created you, He created you with a plan for your life.  That plan included only blessings. But Satan also has a plan for your life, and his plan is the exact opposite of God's plan for you. Satan's plan includes only curses.

Because our original parents, Adam and Eve, messed up God's original plan through their rebellion against Him, God had to set up Plan B.  Plan B was the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In other words, by His death and resurrection, Jesus restored the blessings of Plan A.  But to benefit from this restoration of blessings, one must accept Jesus Christ as the Savior through Whom these blessings become ours.  This acceptance of Christ is called justification and means becoming right with God. There is no other way to become right with God except through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6, emphasis mine).

Once you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, He begins the process of helping you unload your emotional baggage. This process is called sanctification, or becoming whole and set apart from the effects of Satan's curse. 

Two important steps are involved in unloading our emotional baggage. We will talk about these two steps in future posts, but, for now, I will simply mention them. They are:

1) Surrendering our wills completely to God's will;
2) Reprogramming our thinking to align with God's thinking as found in the Bible.

If you are carrying emotional baggage that is causing you great pain, or even just a little pain, begin unloading it now.  Start by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord if you have not already done so.  Once you have accepted Christ as your Savior and Lord, begin reading the Bible, also called the Word of God. As you read it and apply it to your life, you will notice that, little by little, the emotional pain will decrease and you will feel more light-hearted and free as our compassionate Lord unloads the baggage from your heart and soul.  

You Can Choose to Be Free

Emotionally sick people usually feel trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of pain and more pain. Satan wants you to believe that you are doomed to suffer forever and that there is nothing you can do to free yourself from your pain.  This is a lie, and if you continue to believe it, you will remain in bondage to your wounded emotions.

The truth is that you can be free of emotional pain. But in order to be free, you must first believe that you can be free and then you must want to be free.  The desire to be free is key to your becoming free. You must have a burning desire to be free, and then you must do what it takes to be free.

What does it take to be free?  Here are some of the most important things it takes to be free:

• Being free means acknowledging that you cannot heal yourself.
• Being free means acknowledging that you need a Savior to heal you.
• Being free means accepting your Savior, Jesus Christ, and trusting Him to heal you.
• Being free means obeying His Truth that will set you free. This Truth is found in the Holy Bible.

As you take these steps toward freedom, you will enter a new realm of living, a realm of peace and joy unlike anything you have ever known. 

Here is a simple prayer you can pray to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord:

Jesus, I come to You just as I am.  Broken, hurting, and deeply wounded. I know that You accept me just as I am. There is nothing I can do to earn Your love. You give it to me freely. Your love for me is not dependent on my performance but on Your goodness.  So I come to You now and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Heal my broken heart, Lord. Restore my soul. Make me the person You created me to be. In Your Name I pray and receive by faith.  Amen.

Once you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, you will be on your way to complete emotional health. But know that Satan will not like the fact that you are moving toward freedom. He will try to stop you at every turn by attempting to fill your mind again with his lies. Resist him. As a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, you have the power and authority to resist the devil and he must flee from you. 

Please let me know if you have prayed this prayer. You can write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorioministries.com.

How Free Do You Want to Be?

How free do you want to be? Interesting question, isn't it? You may even think it's a ridiculous question. Of course, you want to be as free as you can be.  Who doesn't?

But did you know that the degree to which you are free from emotional pain is entirely up to you?

Now, if my statement offended you, give yourself a chance to reconsider. Our emotional freedom depends on our choices.  Yes, you read that right.  Our emotional freedom depends on our choices.

Choice is a function of the will. God created each of us with a free will. While we may not be able to control what happens to us, we can always control how we respond to what happens to us.  And therein lies the potential for emotional freedom.

What does it mean to be emotionally free? It means to be free of the turmoil, the pain, the anguish, the conflicts, the fear, and the struggles of a troubled soul.  To be emotionally free means to experience peace, joy, satisfaction, fulfillment, hope, and the expectation of good things.

But how do we get to the point of emotional freedom? We get there by first recognizing that we cannot heal ourselves.  We need a Healer.  The good news is that we have a Healer, and His Name is Jesus Christ.

After we recognize that Jesus Christ alone is our Healer, we need to embrace Him and surrender to His will for our lives.  His will for us is that we be totally healed in spirit, soul, and body.  He wants you totally well. But not only does He want you totally well; He has also provided all that you need to be well in His Holy Word, the Bible.

The Bible gives clear instructions on how to be free of emotional baggage. It gives clear direction on how to be healed. The more you study the Bible and apply it to your life, the freer you will be.  In fact, you will be free to the degree that you believe and act on the Word of God.

So ask yourself this question: How free do I really want to be? Then when you've asked yourself that question, ask yourself this one: Am I willing to allow Jesus Christ into my life, to follow Him, and to obey Him?  If you answered yes, then you are on your way to total freedom.

What Is Controlling Your Life?

Your life is controlled by your thinking, not by your circumstances. Most of us have made the mistake of believing that our circumstances control us and that we are helpless victims of fate. But this is a lie. If we continue to believe this lie, we will never be free of emotional pain.

The truth is that your life is controlled by the space between your ears. In other words, your life is controlled by how you think and what you believe.

The mind is the control center of our lives.  Scripture says, "As a man thinks, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7 TLB). 

What are you thinking on a regular basis?

A friend of mine once told me this powerful story about her little son.  When he was three years old, she found him staring out the window.  She said, "Matt, what are you thinking about?"  In the wisdom of children, he replied, "I'm thinking about what I'm thinking about."

Profound advice that we should all take to heart.  How often do we think about what we are thinking about?  How often do we analyze what we are thinking to determine if it aligns with God's Word or not?  If it does not align with God's Word, then it is a lie.  And if it is a lie, we must renounce it and replace it with the truth.

We will remain in bondage spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, and physically to the degree that we believe a lie.  By the same token, we will be free spiritually, emotionally, psychologically,  and physically to the degree that we know and believe the truth. 

The Truth is found in the Holy Bible.  The Truth is Jesus Christ.  He said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6).  He who finds and follows Jesus finds and follows Life.

If you are hurting today in any way--spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, or physically--turn to Jesus Christ and accept Him into your life.  When you do, you will be accepting freedom in all of its aspects.

Jesus considered you valuable enough  to die for you in order to set you free. But that freedom will never be yours unless you willingly accept His free gift of salvation.  Do so now. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

If you have questions or would like more information, please write to me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com. 

Are You Thinking Straight?

Emotional problems result from believing lies. Since we were designed to function according to truth, any deviation from truth will cause us to malfunction, whether emotionally, physically, or spiritually.

So, the big question becomes What is truth? Truth is defined as "the actual state of a matter" (Dictionary.com).  But herein lies the problem: Who determines what the actual state of a matter is?

For me, the actual state of a matter may be one thing; for you, it may be another.

What this means is that my truth may not be your truth, and vice versa. This way of thinking is called relativism and is a lie.

In our culture, man has taken it upon himself to determine the actual state of a matter. For example, it is common for people to say things like, "Abortion is not an option for me, but it may be an option for you".  Many have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that it is a viable option for terminating a pregnancy. Some have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that abortion at any stage is murder.

The nature of Truth is that it applies to everyone everywhere, equally and indiscriminately.  This means that Truth is absolute, just as gravity is absolute. No matter who you are, if you jump off a roof, you will go down.

Most people don't like the truth that Truth is absolute. In fact, they rebel against it.  But what they don't understand is that by rebelling against absolute Truth, they are hurting themselves. That hurt may not show up right away, but it will always show up eventually.

Man was designed by God to function according to the laws of Truth.  When man deviates from those laws and goes his own way, he will always suffer. There's no escaping this truth.

We need to understand that emotional problems result from rebelling against Truth and insisting upon creating our own truth. Any thinking pattern that deviates from God's thinking pattern will end up hurting us.

God's thinking pattern is found in His Word, the Holy Bible.  If we want to learn how God thinks, then we must read His Word. As we change our thinking to align with God's thinking, we will be moving closer to the Truth and closer to emotional health.

Godly Intervention

There can be no healing of the heart without the intervention of Jesus Christ. Scripture reveals the following:

• Psalm 147:3 - "He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds."
• Psalm 23:3 - "He restores my soul."
• Luke 4:18 - "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because  He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

If you are hurting today, Jesus can heal you. Not only can He heal you, but also He WANTS to heal you. 

Think about this for a few moments. Jesus WANTS to heal you! It is His desire that you be whole, that you be free from the hurts of the past. He died on the Cross and rose from the dead for that very purpose: to set you free in sprit, soul, and body.

What Jesus Christ did for you is called Salvation. The word "salvation" comes from the Greek word sozo which means wholeness.  

Salvation is a gift from God to you. But you have to accept the gift of salvation in order for it to bring healing to your life. This gift of salvation is Jesus Christ Himself.

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, why not do so now?  Here is a simple prayer you can pray:

Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I believe you died and rose from the dead for me so that I can have a relationship with You and be made whole. I accept You now as my Savior and Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the Family of God!  You have just made the most important decision of your life. Please let me know, and I will send you some information to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ.

God bless you!

Do You Want to Get Well?

Do you want to get well? This may seem like a silly question, but it is the question Jesus asked the paralytic (John 5:6).  Why would Jesus ask such a question? Surely, everyone wants to be well.

The truth is that not everyone wants to be well. The desire to be well precedes all healing.  If you do not want to be well, then you will not get well.  But if you want to get well, you will get well as you seek God's wisdom and pray for His direction. You will get well as you believe that you will get well. 

How can you tell if you want to be healed?  Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1) Am I using my physical sickness or my emotional illness as a means of getting attention?  If so, am I willing to give up that desire for attention in exchange for wholeness?  

2) Am I willing to renounce the doctrines of men and the doctrines of devils in exchange for the truth of God's Word? Much false teaching is out there regarding healing. This false teaching comes from people and from demons. You may have been the recipient of this false teaching in your church or elsewhere. False teaching will keep you from wanting to be healed. If, for example, you have been falsely taught that God makes people sick to teach them something, then you will feel conflicted about wanting to be healed because you will think that you are violating God's will. But, if it is true that God makes you sick to teach you something, then you are violating God's will by going to a doctor.

3) Am I willing to concede that, while I may not be responsible for what happens to me, I am totally responsible for how I respond to what happens to me? It is far easier emotionally and psychologically to blame others for our troubles than to assume the responsibility ourselves. But the truth is that we cause many of our own problems.

4) Am I willing to concede that while God is in control of the universe, He has given me dominion over the earth, a free will, and, therefore, dominion over my choices?  It is far easier to blame our negative life situations on God's sovereignty than on our responsibility. Saying that everything happens because God is in control is a cop-out.  Some things happen because of our poor choices. God never intended for them to happen.

5) Am I willing to give up all of my excuses to pursue emotional health? Am I willing to go through the pain in order to discover the freedom that is on the other side of the pain? Emotional health requires a price on our part.  That price is the laying down of our own solutions to our problems and the embracing of God's solutions as found in His Word.

So, do you want to be healed?  I hope you'll shout a resounding YES! :)