Today's Passage - John 15:7-8

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english John 15:7-8   "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."   In this passage, Lord Jesus taught us how to remain the Lord.  First, we must remain in the Lord's word, which means to let our surroundings in life be filled with the word of God.  We often like to get hold of all kinds of information, so our life is filled with TV program, newspaper, emails and cell phone.  We intentionally live in an environment filled with information, and as a result our hearts and minds are continuously filled with information from the world, and we end up walking on the path of the world.   Christians must choose to let ourselves live in an environment filled with God's word so that our hearts and minds are continuously influenced by the word of God.  This is what Deuteronomy chapter six teaches us: "These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."  Think about it - Do you have God's word in your home, your car and your workplace?  People who worship idol or believe in Feng Shui often show their faith in the public, and in the same way we should courageously let our environment be filled with the word of God.  Once our life is filled with the word of God, it's easy for us to enter into the presence of God.   Next, we must pray and bring our thoughts and minds before the Lord.  Verse seven says that " Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."  I believe what the Lord said here - "Whatever you wish" - means the wish to always be in the Lord.  If we want to always be in the Lord, we must first bring our thoughts and minds before the Lord.  I know a brother who would turn around to face the window in his office to cry out to the Lord whenever he's overloaded, exhausted and nearly falling apart physically and mentally at work.  His heart and soul are immediately released when he brings his thoughts and minds to the Lord.   Brothers and sisters, we need to discipline ourselves to bring our thoughts and minds to the Lord, instead of letting them wander around.  Some people would stare at TV after they go home from work, and let their thoughts and minds wander.  King David fell and sinned precisely because he didn't protect his thoughts and mind, thus he was overcome by sin.  May God help us to become closer to God through prayer!                                   Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, please forgive us, because we often neglect your word.  May you help us to re-adjust our living environment, and may the Holy Spirit come and guide our thoughts and minds, so that we will become more like you.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!