good morning and welcome. This is pastor lucy painter with your daily insights and today as we close the week with this episodes of divine experience and we shifted to the new testament's I want to share about someone who also had one great divine experience. I don't know if you know the Alcatraz I learned in the mid door of the chilly waters of California san Francisco bay. The famous Alcatraz prison was built on this island. This prison housed some of America's most difficult and dangerous criminals during its ears of operation. From 1930 for two 1963. It was a maximum security facility that once housed the likes of scarface Capon and the murderer robot, the bad man of al cultures.

And this prison was nicknamed the rock and although a dozen attempts to escape were made, it is said that no inmate ever successively escaped the rock. And the story we're going to cover today we are going to read about the poster john who was exiled in a similar island called the island of Patmos. Patmos was like Alcatraz in the roman empire. It was a rocky desolate island that was used as a prison Island. It was a jail without bars and by sending you to Patmos, a prosecutor could met on you the worst possible punishment without necessarily putting you to death.

So we're going to read today. The Bible in revelation chapter one was 9 to 20. The bible says I john both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of jesus christ was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God, and for the testimony of jesus christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. And I had behind me a loud voice as of a trumpet, saying, I am the alpha and the omega the first and the last. And what you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia, To Ephesus, to Smyrna, to polygamous tooth, Attila, to Saudis, to philadelphia and to laud Asia. Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me, and having turned I saw seven golden lamp stunts, and in the mid east of the seven lamp stands one like the son of man clothed with a government down to the feet and guarded about the chest with a golden bad.

His hand and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined enough funniness, and his voice as the sound of many waters. He had in his right hand seven stars. Out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword, and his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead. But he laid his right hand on me and seed. Do not be afraid, for I am the fast and the last. I am he who lives and was dead and behold! I am alive forever more amen. And I have the keys of heads and of death right. The things which you have seen and the things which are and the things which will take place after these The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand.

And the seven gold lamps stands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lamp stands which you saw are the seven churches. Wow, this is deep and explicit. John was in exile in this lonely and desolate island, a Myanmar's of barren rock out in the open sea. The island was uninhabited and isolated and people seldom visited that place. It was a place of total isolation and it was a perfect place for punishment and banishment and sending john to Patmos was the perfect way to silence the apostle. And you know in this text that we have just read, john refers to himself as I john both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of jesus christ.

He was well known among the churches of Asia Minor. He shared a common hope I come on blessing with them. They were together in suffering and responsibility. He was a part of them as they were a part of him and being separated from the body of christ, being separated from this core support base must have taken his tall on him. You know I always say that when you're going through tough stuff, it is always important to have a base of support. But look at john here separated from the core support base. But even in this state of despair, john says I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. He received this unique revelation from the Holy Spirit at a time when things seemed to be at the arrest for him, God lifted and beyond the normal sense into a state where he could communicate to him into a state where God could reveal himself to him.

It's amazing to see how detailed jobs description of the events that took place. No, as I, as I read through this, I remember several songs that have been sung, even in my language describing the voice. He had the things he saw, the words that were spoken to him in so much quality. You know, you can imagine the scene as you read it. The voice he had was so clear. It was striking as a sound of a trumpet. It was so perfectly calculated that it, it is called in his wondering thoughts, but it is Solomon ized his entire flame. It commanded his attention, wow everything. His soul was so clear. The bible says that the Lord told him what you see, write it in a book, send it to the seven charges, The events that took place during the revelation one never meant to be forgotten.

They were a testimony to his calling. They were a testimony to his encounter with the Lord. And so like Jacob was left with a limp, a lasting evidence of his divine experience. John was told to record the things he witnessed and sent to the seven churches because beyond being a testimony to himself, the testimony of john on what he saw was important for the empowerment of the whole church. Amen and I'm just gonna post there and just mentioned this, that some of the divine experiences that the Lord allows us to encounter, they're not just for us. Therefore, the advocation of the body, john says. Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me and when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. But he laid his right hand on me saying, do not be afraid on the fast and the last um, he who lives and was dead and behold I'm alive forever more.

I try to imagine how john must have felt seeing Jesus again, there had been, they had been, there had been persecution, some of them had been killed. The authorities had gone through such lengths to discourage them to stop them from spreading the gospel. And then here was jesus in passing the very life source of the church. His voice might have been different now, but john remember jesus right when the authorities thought they had finally found a way to break, john spirit, Jesus appeared to him in passing, he renewed his faith, he renewed his strength, he gave john the much needed reassurance that there was a plan that there was no reason to be afraid because jesus, the very figure of divine glory that was looking back at Daniel in Daniel 7 13 14, you can read at your own time, he was right there with him in his splendor and authority, john in this destitute isolation, realized that he was not alone.

Yeah, John had known Jesus for over three years when he was in the world. He had been with him literally every day, but nothing could have prepared him for this kind of an experience. He had been there during the transfiguration that we talked about and had seen Jesus in his glory. But this was different. This was the reason christ, you know, when God does his work in us, it is not a one time event, his work is continuous. He is ever working to perfect us. The first divine experience during transfiguration was important to reassure the disciples of the authority and identity of jesus, but a second experience was needed for what they were going through and God did not hesitate to present this experience to john for the sake of the church and it is my prayer today as we come to the close of the week with the Lord Grant us, this kind of visitation.

When we experienced this kind of renewal. When we are at a place where we feel like there's no escape When we feel like we are trapped in situations too difficult for us middle or lift us into a higher state than we are in today. A state where we can experience his glory, a place where he can communicate with us. May he give us an experience that we will be imprinted in our heart long enough to last us through whatever difficult situation we may be going through in jesus name. I pray. Amen. Amen! This is Pastor, lucy painter with your daily insight and this is divine experience. Day eight Shalom.