1. Is God Alive In Your Heart?


ABRAM AND LOT

In the twelfth chapter of Genesis, Abram came into the land of Canaan to hear the voice of God, saying, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:"(Genesis 12:1) Abram of the twelfth chapter of Genesis is changed totally in the thirteenth chapter.
Abram typifies the faithful servant of God, and Lot, who followed him to Egypt from Ur of the Chaldeans, symbolizes the worldly Christian. When Abram came into the land of Canaan with Lot by the word of God in Genesis 12, they had no problem with each other. But in Genesis 13, many troubles are found between Abram and Lot. Abram, eventually suggested to Lot his nephew that they should depart, saying, "if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; of if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left."(Genesis 13:9) God wanted them to separate, for they had not the same mind.
Whether they be evil or good, people find themselves living together with others of the same mind and tastes. Whatever family, or society, or nation they belong to, there would be nothing more unfortunate or uncomfortable, if men should live with those of not the same mind. Being in discord between family members, even between parents and children causes untold problems. Although some men may meet with each other for the first time, however, they can live pleasantly together in harmony if they have the same faith. According to the Bible, Abram's suggestion to separate from Lot included a far greater reason besides their too many possessions for their land.
The reason why the shepherds of Lot and Abram quarrelled with each other was not because the land was too narrow to bear them, but because they had not same minds, so they eventually realized that they could not dwell together any longer. Of course, Abram did not quarrel directly with Lot, but they found that they had not the same minds through the troubles between their servants. In Genesis 12, while coming into the land of Canaan, they had the same minds. Why did they fall into discord coming out of Egypt in Genesis 13?
It is written, "And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land."(Genesis 12:10), after Abram came into the land of Canaan. It was a difficult and afflicting thing for Abram to depart from Haran and come into Canaan by the voice of God. But Abram departed from his kindred and his father's house and came into the land of Canaan, according to the words of God against many people's opposition.
His belief was satisfying in his sight, when he came into the land of Canaan. If Abram had kept trusting God who had led them to Canaan, he would have found God in everything no matter whatsoever things he might face. He came into Canaan by the leading of God, but was still possessed by his own thoughts rather than by God's. Of course, he built an altar, calling upon the name of Jehovah, after he arrived at Canaan. As the famine befell him, however, it was seen as great thing to him. The twelfth chapter of Genesis tells us that he did never remember God, the mighty trouble-solving Broker for that adversity.

IN THE FAMINE

In the famine, Abram had no faith to trust all his difficulties to God. Instead, he was trying to solve them himself. A man of faith solves all his problems through God's help by consulting and praying to Him, whatever things he faces. Even though someone has prayed to God and called upon Jehovah's name, if he does not solve his problem by trusting God, but struggles to solve them himself, he is not a man of faith. He is filled with problems, not with God. Abram was under such condition.
Christians also confront adversities and problems, they are often persecuted. God remains in them, however. So they can lead a life of faith in which they can solve all their problems through Him. The apostle Paul solved all his problems by God, whatever things he faced; after he was beaten by storms on the way to Rome, his ship was destroyed and he was bitten by a serpent. In the Bible, we can find the wonderful testimonies he left us. He lived his life in the abundant grace of God. One day, he was thrown into the dungeon in Philippi after being beaten terribly by the people because he preached the gospel in that city. But his mind was not in his painful body or the dark dungeon, but in the eternal world with God. So he could appreciate and praise God in the dungeon.
In the famine, the problem was that Abram's mind was filled with the famine, not with God who had the ability to deliver him. Although he called the name of Jehovah, building an altar for Him, he was not filled with God who could deliver him out of the famine. Another story about a famine is also written in the Old Testament. In 2 Samuel 21:1, there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. But as there was not only a famine but also God in David's mind, he began to pray earnestly to God and was answered by Him. God showed him so clearly what the cause of the famine was and how to solve it that Israel could be delivered from it.
David asked God about every thing he met and God answered and helped him. So he could leave the testimony, "And the Lord preserved David wherever he went."(2 Samuel 8:6, 14) He could go forward boldly with the faith, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me."(Psalm 23:4)
In the famine, David was delivered out of it through God's help by coming to Him, while, Abram strained and struggled to solve it by himself, for he was only filled with the famine, not with God who could help him, even though he built an altar in the name of God. If he began something with faith in God, he would not have needed his human ways, because God Himself could solve all his problems. If he had been delivered out of the famine only by God's help, he could have solved all the adversities he met by God as David. But he failed in trusting God, by trying to solve his problems by himself. So he had to solve the difficulties by himself whenever he met them.

IS GOD ALIVE IN YOUR HEART?

Today, how many people are still bearing their own problems not believing God who created the universe and can solve all their problems with mighty power, even though they say with lips they believe in God?
We will never be anxious about the coming night if we installed an electric light at home and if we know we will have light, once we switch it on. If we have a lot of food in refrigerator, we no more worry about hunger, we can just go and eat. Even if we know how to be free from hunger, however, if there is no food in refrigerator, that is a big problem. Even if we know it will be bright, once the light is on, however, if there is no electric light, it would be problem when night comes. In the same way, even if we know theoretically that God protects and helps us with mighty power, but if God is not in our heart, we naturally bear to ourselves all the problems we confront. It is possible for Christians to smile always even if they have problems, because the God who can solve them is with them.
During the last thirty years living by faith, there have been so many difficulties for me. But I have a testimony that the living God has been always with me and helped me every moment. Therefore whenever I am in trouble these days, at first I worry about it, but I soon expect Him to solve the problem His way. Because I have faith toward God, I can always appreciate Him. The saints of all ages have had the same experience. In the case of Abraham and David, they could praise and rejoice with God not because they had no problems. Rather they had more problems than we had. But they trusted in God who could solve their problems, so it was possible for them to glorify God.
The reason why many people worry about their problems is that they have no God in their heart, but the problems are their own. If God is alive, who can solve the problem, we should no more worry about and be anxious about the difficulties we meet. When Abram met famine, he didn't solve the problem by God's way, but he went to Egypt to escape the famine by his own way. He deceived people saying his wife was his sister and managed to save his own life. Finally he had to suffer from losing his wife. Differently from Abram we can see in the phrase "there he builded an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord."(Genesis 12:8), we can clearly see that there is no more God in his heart.
The important thing is not 'whether I am burdened with many problems, but rather is God the problem-solver alive in my heart?' If God is not alive in our heart, however much we believe in God with our lips, ask to Him, and pray to Him, when we are actually confronted with problems, we ourselves bear it, not expecting God. I used to ask to many people,
"Is God really alive in your heart?" "Does God really work in your heart?" "Does God really solve problems in your heart?" But unfortunately, so many people are still afflicted with their own sins and they grieve at and repent of them. The problem is that they still have their sins without Jesus' blood which already solved their problems. Of course, he may have attended church for a long time and prayed to Jesus all night, spoken with other tongues, and experienced many things in his own way. But because he trusted not in Jesus' blood, he is therefore always troubled with his sins and tries to repent of them.

IF WE HAVE THE PRECIOUS BLOOD
IN OUR HEART...

When we are thirsty, we will be no more thirsty if we have water to drink. When we are hungry, we will be no more hungry if we have food to eat. In the same way, even though we have so many problems, we can no more fall into them, if the God who can solve the problems remains within us. Even if we are dirty persons who commit so many sins, we can no more be corrupted by the sin if Jesus' precious blood is in our heart. It's not by ceasing to commit sin that we can become holy and righteous, but by Jesus' precious blood we can be righteous. Therefore, if we have Jesus' blood in our heart, there remains Jesus' blood instead of sin in our heart, even though we have committed so many sins, and we can have a joyful life with a righteous and holy mind.
But so many people say that Jesus' blood washed their sins away and even they sing the hymn that 'I'm redeemed of the Lamb, I'm redeemed of the Lamb, Jesus saves me and keeps me just now', yet are still being afflicted by sins because there isn't Jesus' blood in their heart. They know Jesus' blood just with their head and lips, but not by their heart. Independent of Jesus' blood, such a man will perish by his own sin.
Not having God in his heart, Abram called upon God and gave an offering to Him. So, when he was confronted with famine, he tried to solve the problem not by God's way. Likewise, if a person has no Jesus' blood in his heart these days, it would not be true faith, even though he attends church and calls Jesus' name with their lips. When we commit sin, we fall into the sin and suffer because we have no Jesus' blood which can free us from it, if there is no Jesus' blood in our heart.
When David was confronted with famine, he could solve it by God in his heart. But in the case of Abram, he had no God in his heart who led him from Canaan, so he went to Egypt to escape the famine by his own way. He was deprived of his wife in Egypt and suffered. At that time, he could experience the God who saved his wife from king of Egypt. After that, he believed God in his heart, not by his lips. When he returned Canaan from Egypt, Abram was not the same man when he went to Egypt. His mind was similar to his cousin Lot when he went to Egypt, but his mind was completely different from Lot when he came back to Canaan. Lot still desired the physical blessings of the world even though he believed in God, but now Abram became freed from his flesh and became a man who wished only for the things of God.
I sincerely hope you who are reading this sermon that your eyes are open and you receive God, and I wish you experience the Lord's power everyday who can solve our various problems as well as our sins and lead us.