Exiles to Patmos

Written by: Kevin Price

January 6, 2024

Are you willing to be an exile? This question, is one that many Believers never ask themselves. In reality, if we are to take our walk with Jesus seriously, this can never be avoided. Many in the body of Christ do not understand that when we surrendered our lives to him, we also took a vow to partner with him in suffering. Christ himself stated that the servant is not greater than the master. If the world hated him it would also hate his followers:

" If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also... - John 15: 18 - 20

Believers know this scripture, but when we're tested with the fiery trials of the world's hatred by coming into agreement with God's word on what he says is right and what he says is wrong many believers cave into the demands of this world. They switch sides out of fear of offending people.

Persecution

Brother John the Apostle said that he was sent to the Island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for his testimony about Jesus:

I John, your brother and companion in the suffering and in the kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. - Revelation 1:9

Brother Paul told brother Timothy that persecution was to be expected for a Christian who desires to live a godly life in Christ Jesus:

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted - 2 Timothy 3:12

The word Persecuted in greek is dioko (dee-oh-ko). It means to persue with all haste (chase after) earnestly desiring to overtake (apprehend). This is to aggresivly chase and hunt down. An alternative way to say the above verse would be:

All believers who desire to live a devoted life, truly in Christ Jesus, will be hunted down.

Patmos is a small rocky island located in the Aegean sea in Greece. This is a place where many criminals in Rome were sent to serve their prison terms under rough conditions. John the Apostle was banished to this island because Roman emperor Dometian considered the message of the Good News and John's testimony about Jesus to be a threat. In other words, Dometian was offended. Brother John was considered a criminal by Rome and was made Dometian's enemy.

When we as Christians speak the truth of God's word and speak the name of Jesus, this world (which is under the power of satan) will come against us. They will persecute us, they will come against followers of Jesus, because his Spirit lives in us.

Counting the Cost

followers of Jesus must understand, that being his desciple may cost us some things. There are things that we may lose in this world: family, friends, careers, sometimes even our very lives. Sadly, particularly here in the west, many Christians do not understand this. They want blessings but no suffering. They want power from God but dont want to surrender to God. They want to experience God but wont spend time with him. They want salvation but not descipleship.

If we lose anything in this world for the sake of Christ we are promised by him to recieve it back abundantly in his Kingdom:

And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall recieve an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. - Mathew 19:29

I don't know every detail about what Jesus will bless us with in his Kingdom, but I do know that NOTHING in this world can compare to what he has prepared for us in the world to come.

Loving the World

Those Believers who have fallen in love with this world will find this to be a struggle. If we become attached to anything here, we'll find ourselves compromising. We will find ourselves imitating the ways of this world rather than imitating Christ. The fullness of God's love will not be realized (free to flow) within us. As stated before this world is under the power or control of the evil one, so mimicking the world is actually mimicking Satan. We can either walk by the flesh or the Holy Spirit, those are the ONLY two options a follower of Jesus has.

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them - 2 Corinthians 4:4

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -the desires of the eyes and the pride of life- is not from the Father but is from this world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. - 1 John 2: 15-17

If any Christian is in love with this world, We will (relationally) become God's enemy. This holds us back and hinders our walk with Jesus. You will place stumbling blocks in your path that will make your walk with God more difficult. You will make the Holy Spirit sad and your relationship will grow more distant with him. Because of Idolatry, the communication from his Holy Spirit, like a dimming flame, will get smaller and smaller. I have personally gone through this before and it's devastating to greive the Holy Spirit. God cannot partner with Idolatry.

To be an Exile for us means spiritual banishment. The devil finds us to be such a threat to his agenda that he must cast us out from the rest of society so that we dont bring the light of Jesus to those trapped in darkness. This takes many forms: name calling, false accusations, prison, being killed etc. many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world are being slaughtered daily for following Jesus.

Let us not fear. If/when persecution happens, we know that we will NEVER be abandoned. Jesus lives in us and he will be with us forever! May we continue to keep our eyes upon him my friends and look forward to his coming.