Faith is Like a Cell Phone

Cell Phones Work by Connection

I’m sure most of you have cell phones. Mine is a Samsung Galaxy. The advertisement for it claims that even if you drop it and step on it, it still works. But what matters most is what’s inside the phone.

It has a microphone—but not a big one like the one I’m using now. It also has a camera, speaker, and wireless transmitter. You can watch television and send messages. Regular phones have about 90 gigabytes. One kilobyte is a thousand bytes, and a gigabyte is a billion bytes. That means 90 gigabytes is 90 billion bytes.

The phone has a transmitter. It sends waves that carry sound. It can receive electric waves and convert them into sound and images. All of these are complicated functions, but they are packed into this one small device.

That didn’t happen by accident. People worked very hard to create those features and put them into this small phone, which is why it costs a lot. But we don’t think much of it—we simply make phone calls, watch TV, or read the news.

The Large Machines Behind Cellphones

There are many large machines in other places that your phone connects to. The phone sends electric waves to those machines, and they support your phone. Likewise, in spiritual life, although it appears very simple, behind it lies a vast, powerful, and complex system that makes it all work—Jesus Christ.

We can pray to God and have our prayers answered. God can work inside of us. Though it may seem small and insignificant on the surface, the power behind those changes is enormous—the effort and sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us.

Just like the phone doesn’t contain all the machinery inside the device, the manual doesn’t explain it all either. There are machines elsewhere providing support. That’s how your phone works—and that’s also how spiritual life works.

A Brother Dying of Cancer

One day, I was at home and received a phone call.

“Pastor! This is Jeonju. Brother Kim Chung-Hwan has cancer and is hospitalized. He’s been in the hospital for a few months, and his condition is getting worse. The doctors say he only has two or three days left to live.”

Right then, one of our pastors was in Jeonju. I asked him to visit Brother Kim Chung-Hwan before coming to see me. The pastor visited and later came to report:

“Pastor, I don’t think Brother Kim Chung-Hwan is going to make it. The doctor says he only has two or three days left.”

The next day was Sunday, and I was scheduled to preach the evening service in Jeonju. On the way there, I decided to visit the hospital with my wife and son. I told my wife, “Honey, let’s leave one hour early and go meet Brother Kim Chung-Hwan at the hospital.”

"Jesus Would Heal this Brother"

We arrived at Jeonbuk University Hospital and opened the door to the hospital room. The atmosphere inside was heavy with death. Though the brother was not dead yet, he had already given up in his heart.

At the foot of the bed, his mother was crying, tears rolling down her face. Behind the bed, his wife stood silently, head bowed. In their hearts, death had already come.

I thought to myself, “If it wasn’t me visiting, but Jesus, what would happen?”

Jesus would preach the word. He would not ignore this brother. He would do something. In my heart, I knew: Jesus would heal this brother.

Right then, I had this realization—Jesus is in my heart, and He is also in this brother’s heart. When phones work, they connect with one another. When you press the right buttons, the signal connects.

Just like that, in that hospital room, Jesus was there. Jesus was in my heart. Jesus was in the brother. Jesus could work. But I needed to explain to the brother how Jesus could work inside him.

Connecting Hearts: Making Jesus Work in Us

I called out to him. He was lying down, barely showing signs of life.

“Brother Kim, open your eyes. I’m here.”

He opened his eyes slowly.

“Brother Kim, I’m here.”

“Yes, Pastor.”

“The doctors say your cancer is very bad and you won’t be able to live another two or three days. That’s what they told me.”

“But those are just the circumstances. There is Jesus here. Jesus is inside of you, and He is in my heart. We may not see Him, but He is here. If Jesus works, this sickness is nothing.”

“What we have to do is have Jesus work.”

I explained it this way: When electricity flows, it flows through electrical lines. There are many electrical lines here. One deacon at my church is the chairman of the Taehan Electric Cable Company. He sells one roll of electric cables for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Electricity does not flow through Mercedes-Benz cars or on our backs. It only flows through connected electrical lines.

Power through Electric Cables

No matter how big or small your house is, or whether it’s clean or dirty, as long as the electrical lines are connected, electricity will come in and do all the work. The electricity does not discriminate. It just flows.

Likewise, when our hearts connect with the heart of God, God begins to work inside us.

I told the brother:

“Brother, when I read the Bible, there’s only one condition for God to work inside us. In Romans 3:23, it says, ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.’ But in verse 24, it says, ‘Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.’”

“The condition for us to be justified is not based on our good deeds, prayer, or offerings. It’s only one thing: the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. That condition alone makes us justified, sanctified, and one with God.”

Jesus Came to Do Something We Couldn't

Once, I was traveling in Manhattan and passed by a camera shop. There, I saw a camera called the FM2. It was a favorite among photojournalists and could take a picture at one four-thousandth of a second. Since sports events involve a lot of motion, such a high shutter speed prevents blurry photos.

I asked, “How much is it?”

They said, “Three hundred dollars.”

It was so cheap, I bought it—though I didn’t really need it. I inserted the film and took a few photos. Making a camera like that requires more effort than an ordinary one. That camera is still somewhere at my house today, though it’s practically useless now because people no longer use film cameras. But some people still appreciate those classic models.

This camera had a special function. It could do something others couldn’t.

What’s the reason Jesus came to this earth? To do something we could not do ourselves.

Righteousness by Redemption

The Bible tells us that for us to be righteous and holy, there is no condition requiring us to do anything. When I applied to the army in 1962, I was disqualified because my front tooth was broken. Could I say, “Look at my little brother’s strong tooth! Can’t I join based on his tooth?”

No, of course not. My brother’s tooth is his. Mine is mine.

In the same way, no matter how much good you do, you are not called righteous because of your actions. We are not justified by anything we do. We are justified because Jesus Christ was crucified and redeemed us at the cross.

Yet most people don’t understand this. They think, “If I do some good, pray a lot, or give offerings with all my heart, I’ll become more and more righteous.”

But the Bible clearly tells us we are justified freely through the redemption in Christ Jesus. That one condition alone satisfies God. Through His redemption, we are sanctified and justified. That’s all there is to it.

The Power of a Connected Heart

So, to the man on the verge of death because of cancer, the challenge was this: How do I connect his heart with Jesus?

I told the brother:

“Brother, listen carefully. You have cancer. You’ve been in the hospital a long time. The doctors say you have two or three days to live. You don’t have the strength or power to overcome this cancer.

But God does. God has the power to heal you. Do you want to be healed?”

He nodded faintly.

“Do you think Jesus wants to heal you?”

Let’s look at the Bible. Jesus never ignored any sick person. He healed all of them. Jesus wants to heal you. And He wants to come into your heart. It’s about uniting your heart with Jesus.

Back in the day, we had wire phones. Now, phones use electric waves. They use a transmitter, called a crystal oscillator, made by slicing a crystal very thin and running electricity through it. That oscillator produces electric waves that carry sound and image.

That’s how Jesus can work inside you—not by holding hands or doing something dramatic—but by becoming one-hearted with Him.

Convincing the Brother of Jesus’ Desire to Heal

I explained all of this to the brother and concluded:

“The important thing is this—how can your heart connect with the heart of Jesus?

In the Bible, Jesus never ignored anyone sick. He always healed them. Now, you’re here, dying of cancer. Jesus wants to heal you.

So how do you connect your heart with Jesus’?”

The brother just looked at me.

“Jesus wants to heal your disease, and you want Him to heal you, right? You want to know His heart. If Jesus wants to heal me, and I believe it, then I’ll be healed. That’s the heart you need to have.”

As the brother listened, his expression changed.

“That’s right. In the Bible, Jesus never ignored anyone who was sick. Even though I can’t see Him, Jesus is here. He wants to heal me of my disease. Then… would He really heal me? I haven’t prayed much. I haven’t been a good man. Would Jesus heal me?”

I told him, “It’s not about that heart. You must believe this: ‘Surely, Jesus wants to heal me. Then He will heal me.’ That’s the heart that makes you one with Jesus.”

The Heart Connection That Activates Faith

I told the brother, “Jesus wants to heal me. Then He will heal me.”

If you believe that, your heart becomes one with Jesus. The illness that is causing your death becomes nothing. I explained this carefully.

As the brother listened, he said, “That’s right. Jesus wants to heal me. Then He will heal me when I believe.”

The heart that says, “Oh, Jesus won’t heal me… It’s not going to happen,” is not the right heart. But if your heart says, “Jesus wants to heal me. Then He will heal me,” that heart becomes one with Jesus.

Do you understand?

Receiving the Gift of Faith

I continued, “If I’m giving you a gift, and you’re going to receive it, what should you do?”

You should say, “Oh, Pastor is giving me a phone. Wow, thank you!”

But if you say, “Pastor, don’t joke with me. You’re not going to give me a phone,” then we don’t have the same heart. Receiving requires you to connect your heart with the giver.

So I prayed for him and left the hospital room. The brother was happy. He believed.

I traveled to Gwangju, then returned home. A week later, while eating breakfast one morning, I got a phone call. It was that brother.

“Pastor, how are you?”

His voice was loud and clear.

“Oh, how are you?”

“I’m doing well. Pastor, this morning I’m getting discharged.”

“Really? Hallelujah! What did they say?”

“The doctor says there’s no cancer cells in my body anywhere.”

That brother was discharged and came to my church on a Sunday. He wanted to give his testimony. During the service, I gave him time to share.

He spoke about the pain and despair he went through. Even though Jesus was with him, he hadn’t trusted his sickness to Jesus. He held it in his own hands, and the sickness grew worse.

But after connecting his heart with Jesus, everything changed.

Becoming One with God’s Heart

No matter what thoughts you have, they are not what’s important. When you connect your heart to become one with God, something amazing happens: your heart begins to flow with His.

God’s heart flows into your heart. Your heart flows into God’s. Then you and God become one.

When you become one with God, no matter what you are going through, no matter what you are facing, it becomes God’s concern—not just yours.

Spiritual Life and the Power of Faith

In spiritual life, it may seem extremely simple on the outside. But behind it are countless complex, intricate parts—just like in the phone company, where huge machines support your small device. We can pray to God, have our prayers answered, and God can work inside of us. These things that appear small actually require the tremendous work and effort of Jesus to be possible.

You know, the phone’s user manual doesn’t tell you everything. For a phone to send and receive electric waves and communicate sound and image, it needs massive machinery and systems backing it up.

So it is with Jesus. If our hearts connect with His, He will work inside of us. Just like a phone has many functions but only works when you press the right buttons, our connection with Jesus begins when we turn on the switch of faith and call upon Him. That’s when Jesus begins to work.

No matter who you are tonight, there’s no reason you can’t be connected with God. The Bible explains in detail how Jesus can work inside of us. Through the Word, we connect our hearts with Jesus so He can work. As long as the electrical line is connected, electricity can flow. The same is true when our hearts are connected to God—then He works amazingly inside us.

True Connection with God and Freedom from Sin

After I realized this in 1962 and received the forgiveness of sins, I saw something very important: I am not righteous by my own merit, but God’s righteousness entered me. By faith, His holiness entered me. Even though I was lacking, no matter what I did, I could see God working in me.

Recently, throughout Christianity, all over the world, the churches are dying out. So many people are spiritually dying. Even in many churches in Africa, people dance and sing enthusiastically, but now they say, “We no longer want to just dance. We long for the Word. We want to find the clear path in the Word.” The same thing is happening in Korea. Many people go to church vaguely, without a clear understanding. But when I preach the gospel, I see a wonderful phenomenon.

The really good thing is this: when I preach the Word and the gospel, the older generation nods and listens, but there isn’t much change. Yet the youth, they listen and simply accept it. Many young people are changing. Each year, we send out hundreds of college students as volunteers abroad. When they come back, they participate in a homecoming festival, performing in 12 cities across Korea and also in Japan, such as Hiroshima and Fukuoka.

These college students go through many problems at their age. But each time they perform, they give testimonies about how they overcame challenges like malaria, family struggles, and more. As people in the audience listen, they cry. Through Jesus, all their problems were solved. It’s not that they did something well. It’s that Jesus solved it all.

Jesus Does the Work of Salvation

It’s not that you have to do something well. For example, I don’t know how to fly an airplane, but I ride on airplanes all the time. The pilot does everything. Likewise, even though we cannot wash away our sins, we can become clean because Jesus does it. I cannot wash away sin. No matter what I do, I cannot cleanse myself of sin. But it is the cross of Jesus that has washed away my sins. That is the grace I received.

When you believe and become one heart with Jesus, from then on, you can see the Bible in a whole new light. The words of the Bible were given as revelation, and through them, you begin to rejoice and become happy.

In Korea, many churches are closing down and selling off their buildings. But our churches, even now, are building new ones. What others are selling, we’re buying. Our churches are full of people. It’s not because of my greatness. When people come to our church, they receive the forgiveness of sins, their families become happy, and the Holy Spirit comes upon them. I continue to share these words with pastors all over the world.

At first, some pastors misunderstand me. “You never sinned? You never lied? How could you be righteous?” I tell them, “I’ve told more lies than anyone. I’ve stolen many times. But I am righteous because Jesus forgave me.” In Isaiah 53:6, it says, “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Jesus paid the price in full for our sins—eternally. Therefore, God calls us righteous.

The Bible tells us clearly that there is nothing we need to do for sin. These words are alive among us, and when I speak them, God works amazingly.

Sharing the Gospel Worldwide

Last October, I had the Christian Leaders’ Fellowship (CLF) in Hong Kong. Around 1,150 people came. I spoke the gospel, and during the session, a person from a theology school raised his hand from the back and said, “Pastor, salvation is very difficult to interpret. You can’t interpret it the way you are.” I smiled and replied, “Yes, the Bible is always difficult.”

At the wedding at Cana of Galilee, they needed wine. They poured water, but Jesus said it was wine. Isn’t that difficult? The man with infirmity for 38 years couldn’t walk, but Jesus said, “Rise, take up your bed, and walk.” That’s difficult. The daughter of Jairus was dead, but Jesus said she was sleeping. That’s difficult. That’s why we don’t try to understand with human thought—we simply believe.

If God says you’re righteous, you say, “Amen, I’m righteous.” Let’s consider it another way. God says to Pastor Joseph, “You are righteous.” But if Pastor Joseph responds, “No, no, I’m a sinner,” is that belief? No. What should he do? If God says, “You are righteous,” then he should say, “I’m righteous? God, is that true? Thank you, God.” That is belief.

There was a lady in our church who once wanted to commit suicide. She was being led by an evil spirit. But the next day, she received the forgiveness of sins. She loved Jesus so much that she gave her whole life to Him. There are so many brothers and sisters like that in our church.

We spend the most on missions all over the world. We even cover airfare for missionaries. But God opens all the doors for us. It is not me who lives, but Christ who lives in me. All the work Christ does, God wants to do through us. When Christ was on this earth and then ascended into heaven, He didn’t just leave us behind. The power and wisdom He had while on earth—He gave it all to us.

Now, we read the Bible through the wisdom of Christ. We live our lives through the peace of Christ. We look to tomorrow with the hope of Christ. Regardless of who you are, if you have become one with Jesus, then if He is holy, we are holy. If He is righteous, we are righteous. I praise the Lord who made us one with Jesus.

From a Keynote Session of the 2018 CLF World Conference with Pastor Ock Soo Park

Watch the full Session here: https://youtu.be/f0iCCD2qlK0