Not isolated but insulated

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Transcript

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Welcome to the Be and Become podcast, featuring Francois Carr, a heartbroken and connected life ministry. Francois's international ministry equips and encourages pastors, ministry leaders, and fellow Christians as they discover what it means to truly be and become the followers they were meant to be. Thank you for joining Francois today as he offers a few words of encouragement from God's Word.

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Several years ago, I was traveling to the country of Poland to preach at a conference about revival. And while I find myself in this country, there was an incident when the volcano just erupted in Iceland. And for the next several days, six days in total, all the airlines were just stranded in the different airports, and about 20 countries closed their airspace to commercial air traffic. It was affecting about 10 million travelers in that time. Even myself got stuck in the country of Poland, and I asked myself the question, how in the world will I get back home to South Africa? And it's almost as if I find myself in isolation or in exile sitting in Poland, not knowing what's going to happen on the day of tomorrow. It was at that moment where God spoke to me and touched my heart and revealed a new truth to my heart to learn to trust the Lord Jesus day by day and step by step as I was studying for the life of King David in 1 Samuel chapter 30. So my Poland experience, my time of isolation, my time of being an exile in Poland has become a wonderful time of encountering the Lord. It reminds me of Jacob in exile when he saw God at Bethel in Genesis chapter 35. It was an exile that Moses saw God at the burning bush in Exodus chapter 3. It was exile that Elijah heard the still small voice in 1 Kings chapter 19. It was an exile that Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord by the river. It was an exile that Daniel saw the ancient of days in chapter 7. It was an exile that John received the revelation of Jesus Christ in chapter 1 as he finds himself on the island of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Now Patmos is a small island about 40 miles away from Ephesus. It's about 10 miles long and 6 miles wide. It's isolated, barren, rocky with hills rising to about a thousand feet. Now we read that the Bible tells us that the Apostle John was exiled in Benice there by the Roman Emperor. If we do some research about this in the year AD 94, where he is believed to have written the book of Revelation in the cave of the Apocalypse near the monastery of St. John. Today it's a popular destination for pilgrims. He was liberated from the island of Patmos in AD 96 when Domitian died. But it was here for the word of the Lord and the testimony of Jesus Christ that he received the revelation of Jesus. John, just like you and I, had some hopes and plans, and we make some plans to serve the Lord Jesus and to be fruitful. But suddenly he finds himself in the island of Patmos, and all his hopes and dreams has just vanished. The moment he received his sentence and set foot on Patmos. He becomes a place of hopes that died. He's an exile, in isolated. There's nothing to see. He's alone. But John soon finds out that even though he was alone, he was actually not alone, but actually insulated. He was isolated, but not isolated, but actually insulated. Let me explain this to you. If you built a small house in the countryside in the mountains, the house is isolated from all the noise and people from the community, it's far away. It's alone, it's isolated in the mountains. But in the walls of the house, you put all different kinds of things to insulate the house, to protect it from the cold coming to the inside, and there's heat inside to keep the heat inside. So the house is isolated but insulated. And John found out that he is actually isolated on the Patmos, but he's not isolated. He's actually insulated for a purpose and for a reason. And so the spiritual meaning of this word is the intentional practice of surrounding yourself with God's word and community to remain in the world but not of the world, protecting your heart from negative influences while remaining effective in ministry. It was here, in isolation, but in insulation, where he felt the gentle touch of the Lord Jesus and heard the voice of Jesus Christ speaking to him. And the Spirit of the Lord so insulated him that God's messages might pass through him to an entire world. Now most of us are aware and well acquainted with experiences like this. We may not suffer in the hands of the Romans, but all of us had in some way or time have to bury our hopes and dreams and desires. That causes our heart to be troubled in John chapter 14, become wary and tired in Matthew chapter 11, 28, especially if the Lord Jesus Himself has led you to an island and place where your dreams is just vanishing and all the plans that you are making. It is during those times and places that the Lord will gently touch you and speak to us, just like for myself in Poland and show us things more wonderful than we have ever seen or experienced in our walk with Him. You must remember that God has not failed you or even forgotten you. He himself has brought you to a place like this. In his own time will reveal to you the plan and the purpose of it all. Let me just ask you something. Do you feel lonely? Have you lost your hope? You find yourself stuck in something which is boring and tedious and dull. It's just a wearisome experience day by day. Just take a moment and open your spiritual eyes. Just like Jesus was standing next to John at Patmos. Jesus is actually standing next to us all the time. And God met John's need on that island when he was alone and shredded and far away in that barren and isolated place. Imagine being alone, banished from society, your loved ones, your friends. But John knew Christ, and Christ met his need completely and fully. In our darkest hours, God is always there. He will meet with us if we will only cast ourselves upon him and call for him. This was true for John and Patmos. It was true for me in the country of Poland. It is true for all of us. Poland and Patmos is actually a blessing to all of us. It's the secret that will transform every disappointment and suffering and loneliness. It's a love for Jesus that will impel us to learn from Jesus day by day, to lean upon him in constant communion and to look upon him as the all-sufficient Savior. So remember, you might feel isolated, alone and lonely, but you're actually insulated for a reason and for a purpose. Not isolated, but actually insulated. May the place and the time you find yourself in this moment become a place of encounter where you feel the touch of the Lord Jesus, hear the voice of Jesus Christ, and receive the message that transforms your life and even those around you for days, for weeks, for months, and for generations to come. Because all of us sometimes find ourselves at a place of isolation. But we are not isolated. We are actually insulated for a reason and for a purpose. May God bless you.

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Thank you for listening to this Be and Become episode with Francois Carr. For more information about the ministry, visit the website at ConnectedLife Ministries.com. We hope you'll join Francois next time as he continues the conversation on what it means to be and become the follower you are meant to be.