News from Potter's Wheel Ministries

Being able to experience peace in our heart is becoming a greater challenge these days. You might be asking yourself how can I be at peace with so much violence going on around the world. And how can I be at peace when nature keeps unleashing its awesome destruction all across the world? How can I be at peace when our bodies are being attacked with all kinds of killer diseases? And how can I be at peace when I can't even trust anyone's word anymore as love and friendships are just a passing emotion among so many people today? Or how can I be at peace when our finances are as uncertain as tomorrow's weather? How can I be at peace when someone is always ridiculing what I believe and where those who govern us can no longer be trusted? How do you expect to have peace in this kind of society? Well this is what I want to address today as we consider Jesus' words concerning how to overcome spiritual drifting in volatile times. Let's turn over to the gospel of John to the fourteenth chapter. However, before we read our text let me give you some background of what is happening leading up to our passage.

It's the night before the crucifixion. Jesus has been fellowshipping with His disciples at the last supper as they have been discussing various things. In the process of these talks Jesus finally addresses that one of you will betray me. You can imagine the look of anguish among the disciples as they listened to these words that Jesus spoke. So imagine what kind of trouble began to fill their hearts as they pondered on His words to them. Here is the Messiah the one they have walked and talked with and witnessed so many of His miracles. They heard Him express more than once that He was God and that He was the Messiah. He told them that if you have seen Him then you have seen the Father. So now He is telling His disciples that one of them would betray Him and then He has to tell another disciple how he would deny Him three times before the rooster crows. You can only imagine what kind of frustration, anxiety and fear was boiling in that setting around the table that evening. So beginning with the first verse in the fourteenth chapter of the book of John let us read what Jesus told them when He looked at their emotions drifting out of control.