"The PATMOS Experience: Adversity in the Spirit!"

When John the Revelator was banished to the Island of Patmos in the Greek Isles 2000 years ago, he took with him the most valuable survival kit one could have...the Holy Spirit! When Rome sent John away in the latter years of his life (around 92 years old), he was the last active member of the original twelve disciples teaching and preaching the gospel. He was banished by the Roman government for believing the Word of God and for giving the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:9-11) as Messiah, Savior and Lord.

The Island of Patmos ("my killing" in Greek) was a Roman penal colony created to punish religious and political opponents of the Roman Empire. It was a rocky, desolate and sterile place on the Aegean Sea where most of the inhabitants labored in the local quarries under arduous conditions for life! In Patmos, there was no coming back for most everyone; that is, except for the "Beloved Disciple!" However, a later Roman Emperor who succeeded Domitian freed John from Patmos and he returned to Ephesus where he died of natural causes at almost 100 years of age.

John is a picture of a man with his mind made up. No matter what, he was going to finish the race that God had placed before him. He suffered incredible adversity, hardships and near death experiences. Keep in mind, this was during the time of the pinnacle of Christian persecution amidst the backdrop of the slaughters in the Roman Colosseum, lion dens, crucifixions, banishment's, etc. John even survived being dipped into a cauldron of boiling oil! 

He stood flatfooted in the midst of the pot preaching the gospel of peace to the amazement of the crowd! They were waiting for him to scream, but he never cried out. He just kept on preaching Jesus as the Messiah, Savior and Lord! It is recorded that he won many souls to the kingdom that day. It was his survival of the boiling oil that sent Domitian off the deep end and he subsequently sent John to Patmos as further punishment.

While on Patmos, John suffered great adversity, however he endured. It was in the midst of his trying times that he stole away from the intense middle eastern heat into a cave where the Revelation of Jesus Christ came to him in a vision. 

Most Christians avoid their Patmos Experience like the plague! They don't want the hard times. They don't want the trials and tribulations. They don't want the thing they have most in common with their big brother Jesus; and that is He was roasted, stewed and barbecued for our sin (iniquity: inclination toward sin and manifestation: the act of walking your sin out in real time). Jesus embraced His destiny. His life. ministry and truth was an offense to the hypocrites of His day. Even today, the Word is the same; it still offends those living in darkness!

The hard truth is this: If you don't want adversity, you can't have Jesus! Selah...