The Ruler Of This World Judged

This is Follow Jesus Radio encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. The title of this devotional thought is: The Ruler of This World Has Been Judged.

John 16:11: "And concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged."

Fellow believer in Jesus Christ, thank God our enemy has been judged. Because he has been judged, we have been set free from Satan's control. God supernaturally broke the hold the Devil had on us so that we can come to God through His Son, Jesus Christ. We are free from the horror of death because Jesus assures us we will be with Him in paradise. We are guaranteed that even if we lose a spiritual battle, God will lift us up and train us for the next one. And God assures us that in Jesus, we win the war.

Romans 16:20: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

Do not despair if you have lost a battle. Jesus will train your hands for war so that you may have overcoming faith. Trust Him. Go to Him now for help.

For those who have been held captive by the enemy there is deliverance from evil. 

Psalms 130:4  But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

That's it for this podcast. Remember, Jesus loves you and is just a prayer away. 

A Victory Already Won

This is Follow Jesus Radio encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. The title of this devotional thought is: A Victory Already Won.

Those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ have a beautiful, unshakable assurance: we belong to God.

But when we look at the world around us, it is impossible to ignore the great spiritual war that is raging. We see it on the news every single day—the senseless violence, the tragic loss of life, and the heavy tension and wars between nations.

The Apostle John described this reality with sobering clarity:

"We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one."
— 1 John 5:19 (NKJV)

The Bible does not hide the fact that there is an active enemy. Jesus Himself referred to Satan as the ruler of this world. But look at how Jesus spoke about him right before heading to the cross:

"I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me."

— John 14:30 (NKJV)

Satan had absolutely no claim, no hold, and no power over our Savior. And because Jesus walked to the cross in perfect obedience, the enemy's fate was sealed. As Jesus declared:

"...the ruler of this world has been judged and condemned."
— John 16:11 (AMP)

If the enemy is already judged, why is the world still in such deep darkness? The Apostle Paul explained that the enemy's primary strategy is to keep people spiritually blind:

"whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them."
— 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NKJV)

The violence and chaos we see in the news are the tragic results of spiritually blinded minds. But we do not have to live in fear of the darkness.

Our ultimate victory is not found in our own human strength, political systems, or worry. Our victory is found entirely by faith in Jesus Christ, in His sovereign power to rescue lost sinners, and in His precious blood that cleanses us of all our sins.

We know how this story ends—and it has a gloriously happy ending. Even in the midst of a chaotic world, Jesus is actively saving souls. Lives are being rescued from the power of hell, and heaven is gaining brand-new residents every single day.

Let's pray: Lord Jesus, thank You that because of my faith in You, I belong securely to God. When the news of this world threatens to bring fear or discouragement, remind me that the victory is already won. Open the blinded eyes of those around me, and use me to shine Your light today. Amen.

That's it for this podcast. Remember, Jesus loves you and is just a prayer away.

God Lifts You Up

This is Follow Jesus Radio encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. The title of this devotional thought is: God Lifts You Up.

"I will extol Thee, O LORD; for Thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me."
— Psalm 30:1 (KJV)

Think about the times the Lord has lifted you up.

From the moment your sins were forgiven and washed clean, to the specific days your prayers were answered. Maybe it was an unexpected new job, a new friend who came along at the perfect time, the healing of a broken relationship, or the physical healing of your body. When we look back, we see that His hand has always been there to lift us up.

But maybe you are listening today and you are walking through a very dark valley. Perhaps you are wondering how you are ever going to stand back up.

Please take heart. Our God is completely capable of turning any dark situation around. As the Psalmist writes later in this very same chapter:

"Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;"
— Psalm 30:11 

No matter how heavy the mourning is today, God can replace it with dancing. No matter how deep the sorrow, He can clothe you in His supernatural gladness.

Take a moment today to thank God for the many blessings He has already poured into your life. Look back at His incredible track record of faithfulness, and have the faith to believe that the very same God who lifted you up before is ready to help you again today.

Let’s pray: Lord Jesus, thank You that You are the God who lifts us up out of our darkest valleys. Thank You for every answered prayer and every blessing. Even when things look dark today, I choose to have faith and trust that You will help me again. Amen.

That's it for this podcast. Remember, Jesus loves you and is just a prayer away.

Come Back To God

This is Follow Jesus Radio encouraging you to have faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him daily. The title of this devotional thought is: Come Back to God.

"...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
— Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)

Have you ever felt like you’ve drifted too far from God? Perhaps you feel like you have failed at being a Christian, so there is no going back.

But please hear this: no matter how far God's children may go, God will always bring them back and restore them. He doesn't love you because you are perfect, and He doesn't stop pursuing you when you struggle.

Consider this beautiful illustration from the lips of Jesus Himself in Matthew 18:12-14:

"How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."

What an incredible picture of our Savior's heart. When you wander, He doesn't turn His back on you. He goes searching for you. He actively pursues your heart, guiding you back to safety.

And when He brings you back, He doesn't meet you with anger or condemnation. Instead, your Father in heaven brings complete restoration and healing. As the Lord promises in the Book of Hosea, 14:4:

"I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him."

Come to Jesus and confess your sins. You will find forgiveness and rest for your soul.

That's it for this podcast. Remember, Jesus loves you and is just a prayer away.