FOR WRITERS

FOR READERS

FOR PUBLISHERS




FREE CHRISTIAN REPRINT ARTICLES

Christian Articles for All of your Publishing Needs!

LIKE US
Translate this Page Here

FOR WRITERS

FOR READERS

FOR PUBLISHERS




Word Count: 860

Send Article To Friend Print/Use Article

Contact Jerry Ousley


A Patmos Experience

by Jerry Ousley  
6/19/2015 / Christian Living


What does it feel like to be completely alone abandoned by all others? At times we may welcome such a thought. I mean, think of all we could get done if we were left to ourselves and didn't have to answer to anyone else. There would be no one to tell you what to do, where to be and what time to be there - seems like a dream come true. You could get up when you wanted, go to bed when you wanted, eat when you wanted and what you wanted, play when you wanted and work when you wanted and no one would be there to tell you any different.

Then, on the other hand, there would be no one with which to share those special moments, tell our stories, enjoy our meals, laugh with and cry with. We would be alone. Alone time is great for a while but because we are basically social creations of God we also have a desire to share life with someone else. It seems like a curse in a way doesn't it? I mean, we like the thought of being alone but only when we want to be because being alone all the time is frankly one big bore.

For a time in the life of the Apostle John, he was alone. Because of his faith in God and his testimony for Jesus Christ he was captured, sentenced and abandoned on the island of Patmos. Patmos is a tiny Greek island in the Aegean Sea and is only thirteen square miles. If you look it up on the internet you'll discover that today it is a resort island; no prison there now. I've heard different opinions about banishment to this island in the days of John. Some believe that it was a work island and that the people taken there had no hope of escape because it was surrounded by the sea. Others have said that it was a deserted island except for the prisoners left there. They were simply cast ashore and left to fend for themselves. From John's description I have the feeling that it was more of the second opinion. Think of it abandoned; left to find your own food, build your own shelter and keep from getting killed by the other prisoners. Most, if not all except for John, were criminals murderers, thieves, and menaces to society. It had to be a dangerous, grueling experience.

Many would think that the great Apostle had wasted his life. Some might even dare to think of him as a very unsuccessful minister. He had no congregation, no pulpit, no program plan and no library from which to form his sermons. He didn't even have a decent suit to preach in. How could he win the world for Christ abandoned on an island? But I want to tell you that John was among the most successful ministers in history.

In the opening words of the Book of Revelation John tells us that "he was in the spirit on the Lord's Day." That was plainly a Sunday. The Lord's Day indicates the day of His resurrection The first day of the week Sunday. Despite his surroundings, in the face of the danger of starvation, death at the hands of other prisoners, and being left to fend for himself in the elements of nature, instead of cursing God and saying, "Why have You done this to me?" he was in the spirit on the Lord's Day. He was worshipping God lost in the presence of His Creator, basking in the light of Jesus Christ, the Son.

Remember that while Jesus walked the earth and John, one of the twelve, followed closely behind, along with his brother James, were known for their fury and getting angry easily. They were nick-named "The sons of thunder." But after the Day of Pentecost God transformed John from a son of thunder to a teacher of love. You can read it in the books of the Bible that he wrote. Even though John was abandoned on this deserted island, and though he was not alone because of the other prisoners there, he was able to be alone with God In the spirit on the Lord's Day.

We can have a Patmos experience. In fact, some right now are going through a terrible time of loneliness. Perhaps you've lost a loved one and you feel abandoned. Maybe your spouse has left you and you feel cheated, deserted and alone. Or it could be that you have taken a stand and everyone else seems to have rejected you causing you to feel like no one understands. There can be many situations to make a person feel abandoned. But you are not alone. You can turn to God and be in the spirit be so involved in worshipping Him that everything and everyone else is shut out. This doesn't mean that we become an island but it does mean that despite our circumstances we have found that in the midst of all our problems and difficulties we can be in the presence of God where we are never alone.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW

Read more articles by Jerry Ousley

Like reading Christian Articles? Check out some more options. Read articles in Main Site Articles, Most Read Articles or our highly acclaimed Challenge Articles. Read Great New Release Christian Books for FREE in our Free Reads for Reviews Program. Or enter a keyword for a topic in the search box to search our articles.

User Comments

Enter comments below. Due to spam, all hyperlinks posted in the comments are now immediately disabled by our system.

Please type the following word below:


Not readable? Change text.



The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Hire a Christian Writer, Christian Writer Wanted, Christian Writer Needed, Christian Content Needed, Find a Christian Editor, Hire a Christian Editor, Christian Editor, Find a Christian Writer


Main FaithWriters Site | Acceptable Use Policy

By using this site you agree to our Acceptable Use Policy .

© FaithWriters.com. All rights reserved.