Are You Ready?

September 11, 2025 Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Novelist and Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Thursday, September 11, 2025, and this is episode #17 in Series 2025. This episode is titled, “Are You Ready?” Before we get into our message for this week, I want to extend a warm welcome to all of our new subscribers around the world. By the grace of God, Winning with the Word now reaches 85 countries all over the globe! Praise the Lord and glory to God! I want you to know how much I appreciate your support, and I trust that Winning with the Word blesses you and encourages you during these difficult last days. Please share this podcast and blog with your family and friends. I would love to bless them and encourage them as well. Now on to this week’s message titled Are You Ready?. You may be asking “Ready for what?“ Are you ready to meet the Lord? Lest you scoff at my question, listen to these words straight from the Bible in Romans 14: 10 NLT: ” . . . we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” That includes you, my friend. No matter how much you may deny it or try to evade it, you will one day stand before the judgment seat of God to give account for your every thought, word, and deed. And so will I. A pretty sobering thought, don’t you think? And that day of judgment may be here sooner than you think. You see, the Bible gives us several clues as to what will happen on the earth before the Lord returns to judge humanity. Most of these clues, also known as prophecies, have already come to pass. Only a few more remain. And those few more are lining up perfectly and rapidly. So, what are the clues? We find them throughout the Bible, particularly in Daniel chapter 9: 27, Matthew chapter 24, and 2 Thessalonians chapter 5. Let’s take a look at a few of them. Matthew 24: 1-8 NLT says this:“Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, ‘Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?’ Jesus told them, ‘Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.’“ Take a look around us, folks. The number of earthquakes over 5.0 has been astronomical during the past two weeks. I have an earthquake app on my phone, and it registered 45 earthquakes over 5.0 and 414 earthquakes over 4.0 in the past week alone! This is unprecedented. The earth is groaning to give birth to the Kingdom of God, just as Jesus prophesied. Let’s listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8: 22 NLT: “For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.“ Food shortages are being reported daily, with many countries already in the grip of famine. As for wars and threats of war, just about every country is involved in a war of some sort. And then we have the prophecy in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5: 3 that is being fulfilled right now. Listen to this: “While people are saying, ‘Peace and security,’ destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” Are people not saying, “Peace and security” everywhere we turn? Just listen to the news. And did you know that on September 22nd of this year—that’s just 12 days from the day I am recording this podcast—the United Nations will hold a historic meeting in New York City to confirm an agreement for a two-state solution for Israel and the Middle East? Could this agreement be the “covenant with many” prophesied in Daniel 9: 27? Let’s hear the words of Daniel, written between 536 B.C. and 530 B.C. That’s over 3000 years ago, my friend! The word “ruler” in the verse I am about to read refers to the AntiChrist. Daniel is speaking of the AntiChrist and, very possibly, of this upcoming meeting at the United Nations on September 22nd. The number seven in the verse refers to seven years; namely, the seven years of the soon-to-begin Tribulation. “The ruler [the AntiChrist] will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.” (Brackets mine). This ruler, the AntiChrist, will be the dictator who will take over the world. He will be Satan in human form. And he is alive now and waiting in the wings. If, ...