---
title: "OUR NEWBORN SELVES"
type: "speech"
published: "2018-06-13T05:21:21+01:00"
updated: "2018-06-13T05:21:21+01:00"
source: "/blog/2018/06/13/our-newborn-selves.html"
speechYear: "1977"
categories:
  - "Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1977"
tags: []
---

<h2 align="center">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
<h3 align="center">November 1, 1977<br />
Belvedere, New York<br />
Translator &#8211; Bo Hi Pak</h3>
<p>The central thought and principle of Christianity is resurrection, which means rebirth. Jesus said, &#8221;Unless one is born anew he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.,&#8217; Rebirth was the central thought of Jesus&#8217; teaching and, of course, the central principle of God. If that is the case then it should be the central thought of all mankind. That means that the entire universe and every human being is destined to go through this process of being born again, and in the Unification Church we have many conditions, such as the separation or purification period, which are all part of that process.</p>
<p>Parents are prerequisite for being born again; you cannot give yourself rebirth. Rebirth is needed because of the fall of man, but what was the fall? It was a false birth or a false beginning. Each person must clearly understand that everyone has been born of fallen, sinful parents before they can understand resurrection. Today there are billions of people here on earth, but how many really have realized that they are children of false parents? Even in the Unification Church, how many members feel they are born of fallen parents?</p>
<p>When looking in the mirror it is the simple human tendency to not worry about the past; you just want to be proud of your handsome features. How many of you look at your image in the mirror and think that you are the result of sinful parents, that every feature is the product of the fall? If women see a little scar or blemish when they look in the mirror then they may wish it was not there, but how many are concerned about the sin of their ancestors?</p>
<p>From God&#8217;s point of view each person is seeing a dead body when he looks in the mirror. There can be no life in that person because of the fall . The image you see in the mirror is an ugly one in the sight of God because all mankind is the product of sinful ancestors. If you would be a faithful and religious person then you must first recognize this fact. Without resurrection no one has life, and each person is born as an object that cannot be forgiven. If there is judgment in this world then you must feel that you are the one who deserves it first.</p>
<p>What kind of sin did man commit? In order to explain more realistically, it can be said that man&#8217;s sin was a betrayal of God; man also betrayed the</p>
<p>world for his own benefit. God had an ideal for man and the world but all of mankind has sold it out. Finally love, the most precious item that God gave us, has been betrayed. That is the real truth about each person. How can any fallen man even think about governing the world or being recognized and honored by the world? What a shallow, ridiculous idea that is when you really think about it. Furthermore, Adam betrayed Eve and Eve betrayed Adam. Because the first ancestors were unfaithful to God and each other, each of their descendants has committed the same crime. The original value has all been lost-God&#8217;s value, man&#8217;s value&#8217; universal value and the value of the ideals and beauty that God prepared originally for mankind. We must restore them one by one.</p>
<h3 align="center">The fall submerged each person<br />
in the realm of death</h3>
<p>To whom were these things sold? To Satan&#8217; the culprit who masterminded the crime of the fall in order to gain for himself everything that God created. By what method did Satan achieve that goal? He worked through the self and through love&#8217; the two most vulnerable areas. After everyone sold themselves to Satan they became dead. In the sight of God no one has value, being like mere clods of dirt. Everything was swallowed up by the sinful world and the universe was totally submerged in the realm of death, which has Satan as its master. To reach the realm of life everyone must break through this realm of death and come out; otherwise no life can be obtained.</p>
<p>Each individual is down at the bottom of the realm of death, surrounded by the family, nation, world and cosmos, all of which are submerged under the sinful world. Your desire is for new birth and new life, but where shall you be born again? At the very bottom? No matter how much you struggle at that point, there is no resurrection and no new birth there. You must first come out of the realm of death and darkness. That situation is made even more difficult because each individual is being pressed down by many different layers of weight; the family system, social system, national system and world system are all combined to keep him down on the bottom. Did you know before now that there was so much to break through?</p>
<p>There are only two ways in which you can come out of that situation. Either all the weight must be lifted up so you can freely maneuver, which is unlikely, or you must break through each layer and emerge as a winner. If you have enough powerful thrust to break through the layers, then it is exciting to be pressed down because when the pressure is greater, the drama of breaking through is much greater. With that power you can turn this entire fallen world upside down and push the realm of death away, leaving you on the pinnacle from which you can easily launch yourself upward. Once you conquer the world you will have a final showdown with Satan. The ultimate act of a man of God is to knock Satan out.</p>
<p>The moment you confront Satan and subjugate him, God will appear. You haven&#8217;t seen God yet because He will not come into action until you are victorious; at that point He can intervene in your personal affairs and then you can be concerned with finding the parents who can give you new birth. This is really common sense, isn&#8217;t it?</p>
<h3 align="center">Once you are victorious over the world,<br />
resurrection is your reward</h3>
<p>What is the role of religion then? Religion starts at the level of the individual and expands to the family, tribe, nation and world, but no matter how much worldwide impact religion may have, the individual is ultimately the decisive factor. Each of you should become a person who can govern religion, not be controlled by it. Does man need religion, or does religion need man? Religion needs man, as it requires a true man to fulfill its purpose. Once the purpose of religion is fulfilled by finding true men, it is no longer necessary. Only because of the fall of man has mankind descended into a world of death and religion become necessary to raise him up. Once we achieve the original concept of creation, however, there will be no more religion because none will be needed.</p>
<p>The Unification Church is none other than a religion, so where does that mean we are today? Are you pulling the Unification Church or is it pulling you? Does the man who is already resurrected need further religion? If his resurrection is complete then he doesn&#8217;t need religion. Once you break through the realm of death you have fulfilled the purpose of religion, and as you come out of that realm for good you will find God and parents.</p>
<p>The purpose of the Unification Church is to find God, the one common Parent. This is only the medium or system in which we can truly find God. Even though a person may discover God, however, for a long time he will simply not understand who He is. For instance, a child knows that he has parents who gave him birth, but as an infant he has no concept of who they are. A baby goes through nine months in his mother&#8217;s womb, but after he is born could he tell about what it was like in there? A baby doesn&#8217;t know anything about what kind of world he is born into, and after he is born he just worries about how to survive, crying out when he needs help. Each person seeking rebirth is like a baby and in his new environment he must accept milk. Have you ever cried like a baby when you were spiritually hungry? At first you come to church just like a baby wanting milk, but as you grow you have a certain consciousness of your surroundings, and then later you recognize for the first time who is feeding you.</p>
<p>The important thing is that the parent&#8217;s role is not just that of feeding milk to the baby. Parents have to give milk first&#8217; of course, but later also give discipline and guidance for molding their child&#8217;s character. Parents have a vision and concept of what their child will be like in the future. If he is to be a world citizen then he must be able to uphold certain standards, for which his parents must give all the necessary training. The good parent shapes his child&#8217;s character to fulfill certain roles.</p>
<p>The parent must have a concept of how his child needs to be educated to eventually become a world leader who can uplift the world instead of being dominated by it. True parents will let you grow as a baby initially, but when your awakening is sufficient they will teach you that this world has lost God&#8217;s concept, that this is a deviated world and that, therefore, we must restore the original value and goal of life. Everyone needs parents to lead them out of the realm of death, giving them the full realization and sufficient energy to break out of this muddy realm into a new world of life and resurrection. This is how God visualizes resurrection taking place in the fallen world.</p>
<p>God sees that in order to achieve the religious goal of breaking through the realm of death there is always a certain amount of pain and pressure to overcome. God deliberately adds His pressure to the pressure already on a man who is seeking new life, as part of the process of disciplining and toughening him. Already the family is pressing down, as well as the society, nation and world, and eventually God Himself will lean on you&#8217; but out of all that He wants you to be a winner who can come out above it.</p>
<p>The qualification to be victorious and to be resurrected&#8217; therefore, is to become victorious over the world. Once you meet that criterion you are victorious, and resurrection is your reward. Everyone lives in a world of temptation, particularly at your age, but no matter what kind of temptation comes, the good person will not be stained or affected by it. Once someone is victorious in the sight of God, He will trust that person. After you achieve the realm of resurrection you can be given everything you need -a family and physical necessities, as well as glory and honor-but until then all those things are obstacles. The more you possess, the more burdens you have in your climb toward resurrection.</p>
<p>The religious way of life initially demands sacrifice, requiring that you deny all your surroundings and ultimately deny yourself. This is not to destroy you but to save you and let you emerge later as a victorious person. You must become invincible so that nothing can deter you from moving forward to the ultimate goal of meeting God and becoming totally perfected. In that commitment you will have the will power to deny everything and to continue moving forward to become a victor.</p>
<h3 align="center">You can only meet God&#8217;s<br />
standard by overcoming persecution</h3>
<p>If you demonstrate the power to deny your surroundings then ultimately another, more difficult kind of temptation will come spiritually. Have you gone through such testing in the Unification Church? How can a man prove himself victorious? By knocking out several other men? The worst temptations for men always come through women. A most beautiful, charming woman can make a man feel totally intoxicated, but if you annihilate that temptation then you will prove yourself a victorious man. The worst temptation for a woman usually comes in the form of a most handsome man, and when you sisters see a handsome man approaching you might be almost totally melted without knowing it. If God asked you to show Him how victorious you are you couldn&#8217;t answer, &#8221;In the boxing ring I knocked out several men.&#8221; That isn&#8217;t a real accomplishment in the sight of God. But you can say, &#8221;I felt the worst kind of temptation from this man and I won. I went straight forward to You and I didn&#8217;t even hesitate.&#8221;</p>
<p>None of us are physically very beautiful or handsome because we work very hard. When you are out fund raising on the streets your faces are covered with lots of dust instead of makeup, for instance. When you were fund raising or witnessing were you momentarily intoxicated with a handsome man or beautiful woman, or did you think, &#8221;Father, trust me. I will be victorious,,? While you were carrying out your daily responsibility and you met an outstanding man or woman, did you ever wish you could have such a person as your spouse? Your laughter is a very clear answer, &#8221;Yes, Father, I admit that.&#8221;</p>
<p>This is the real test. This is God&#8217;s standard for recognizing anyone as a true man or woman. When you use this criterion to evaluate the many different religions, do you conclude that they merely oscillate back and forth within the realm of death, or are they really taking themselves out of that realm into resurrection? What about the Unification Church? Are we just the same? We are different. We are heading toward new life and resurrection.</p>
<p>This is the reason the teachings of the most prominent religions in history have always been similar. They emphasize an individual&#8217;s denial of his circumstances and his leading a celibate life in most cases, trying to conquer sexual temptation and stand on the side of God. Christianity in particular emphasizes this in the West, while in the Orient Buddhists isolate themselves from the secular world to make themselves divine&#8217; trying to follow spiritual instead of carnal desires. A man of religion is always going to the mountain to isolate himself. Jesus, for example, went to many lonely places, fasting and taking time for prayer and secluded meditation. That is the kind of effort needed to pass God&#8217;s test and be recognized as a man of perfection.</p>
<p>Initially&#8217; religion teaches you how to pass God&#8217;s test, and once you pass you go out to confront the satanic world and widen your own territory. When you become a victorious individual, persecution doesn&#8217;t matter because you are like a locomotive, having generating power within yourself. Clearly you can only meet God&#8217;s criterion through persecution because without it you would have no way to prove yourself. Good religions are destined to be persecuted because of this principle. A new religion has always begun in the life of an individual and then expanded at what we might call the grass roots level, ultimately confronting persecution from hostile governments which try to suppress it. Jesus was nailed to the cross by the Roman government&#8217; for instance. Because religion does not ultimately recognize national boundaries and customs&#8217; it poses a powerful threat.</p>
<p>Even if Jesus had overcome the persecution of the Roman Empire he still would have had to go to the world. The ultimate victory must be won on the worldwide level. Whoever would be victorious on the universal level can be hardened by the nation, the world, spirit world, Satan and God Himself, all together trying to defeat him. One religious leader must break through that supreme pressure because only by winning that kind of universal victory can man be restored into God&#8217;s original universal concept. God can only be God of a true universe without sin. Otherwise&#8217; everything will always fall short of the level of perfection.</p>
<p>Throughout history God has been dealing with the fallen world&#8217; but we must liberate Him to deal with the true world&#8217; the pure world of original men. We have to elevate God to a new height. That is the ultimate duty of a religious leader&#8217; and by doing it&#8217; the satanic world will be isolated and a new world created where God and true men can live together.</p>
<p>Until a religious leader emerges who can set a standard high enough, it will not take place, however. Without total victory by one man, that will not take place.</p>
<h3 align="center">God loves you and is<br />
allowing you the chance to be victorious</h3>
<p>Obviously we are talking about the Messiah, or the Lord of the Second Advent. All kinds of mysterious predictions have been made about this man, but who is he and why does he need to come? The Messiah is the man here on earth who is victorious over every temptation in the universe, including persecution from the world, God, Satan and the spirit world. He will naturally draw their attention because that man is to be the universal champion, because the world&#8217;s destiny depends upon him. The religion which will welcome the Messiah will also draw the attention of the world and receive utmost persecution. It has to go through a most painful process, and we volunteer to take that position because without it this world has no hope.</p>
<p>Many of you here are Americans, but you are being persecuted by your fellow Americans. That is actually God&#8217;s scheme; God wants you to lose your attachment to America as it is now by having other Americans attack you. In other words&#8217; God is asking you to give up the selfish America and to love this nation, not on the national level, but from the point of view of the world and God. God is asking you to discover a new America, to give up the things that are corrupted and to search after the things that can be resurrected and remain permanently.</p>
<p>You are Americans, but you are a different kind of American who lives for the America of tomorrow, not today. You want to become Americans who can be welcomed by God, the creation, spirit world and every man here on earth. Therefore, receiving persecution is actually good. Would you like subtle persecution which slides in sideways, or persecution which hits you head-on? We don&#8217;t want to go a sneaky way but to confront a head-on collision, starting with the whole United States government. I am doing precisely that.</p>
<p>The amazing thing is that the government can be ruined by its own power. It can mobilize all its resources for a confrontation with the Unification Church, but when all of a sudden the Unification Church jumps over it, the government will collapse in a heap from its own weight! That is precisely what is happening in the newspaper world too. Many publishers think it is just a matter of time until The News World collapses, but actually we will jump over them.</p>
<p>Do not be afraid of persecution; worry instead about being victorious over it. Without persecution you have no way to prove yourself. Today the Unification Church is going precisely that course, with not only governments but religions attacking us. There is no friendly quarter anywhere in sight. I am all by myself in the center of the upheaval and at least in this respect I am unique. Let the world decide whether I am the most handsome man; the main thing is that I have become controversial to such a degree that I am singled out for attack by the entire world. No other individual in history has caused more controversy.</p>
<p>One brother who is working underground in Eastern Europe wrote a letter some time ago and said, &#8221;Even here everyone knows your name and over the radio I hear the government trying to slander you. I felt so good hearing about you over the radio.&#8221; I admire one thing about communist leaders: They know how formidable a person I am. They are watching my every move and at every opportunity they try to slander me in hopes of making me ineffective against them. On the other hand, the free world leaders are asleep, ignoring what I am doing. The only ones in the free world who know our true potential are other religious people. Eventually, however, the whole free world has to know.</p>
<p>This is a battle, no question about it. Generally you would think that if God loves me He shouldn&#8217;t be sitting idly by and permitting all the persecution; He should come down and knock some people around! The same kind of question was asked in the Bible when Jesus was crucified, but this question was not answered until now. If God had intervened to kill all the Roman soldiers and bring Jesus down from the cross, He would not have been acting out of love because that would have blocked Jesus&#8217; way to</p>
<p>become victorious over the world. Do you understand why God cannot intervene in that way?</p>
<p>God loves me and is allowing me the chance to become victorious. I want to walk through the valley of death for my entire lifetime and become victorious. That&#8217;s the victory God is waiting for. If we become victorious with our own strength and commitment then the entire world has no condition to accuse and they will have to bow down once they are defeated. At that time will we try to retaliate for all the trouble they have caused? No, when we are victorious we will let them see who we really are and what the work of God is all about, and then we will even give them more blessing than the members who have gone through all kinds of suffering will receive. It might sound peculiar, but receiving that love will really be the worst kind of treatment they could expect. Their consciences will hurt and they will try to pay some indemnity by working a hundred times harder than Unification Church members.</p>
<p>Should we destroy the rest of the world just to send this little group here to heaven? The traditional Christians think that God loves only Christians, and that when the day of judgment comes they will be lifted up in the air to meet the Lord while the people remaining behind are destroyed in unquenchable fire. That belief is the worst treachery toward God. If God is really working to build the kingdom in that fashion then we donut need that kind of God.</p>
<h3 align="center">Everything I have done was to save you</h3>
<p>Our Unification Church way of life is God&#8217;s way of life, and in our ideology we parallel God&#8217;s thinking. I want you to understand how close we are to zeroing in on that moment of fulfillment. This year saw a wave of harsh attacks coming from every corner of America, but 1977 is the year for us to jump way over all of that. There is nothing wrong with what I did here in America; everything was done to save you. Many of you have backgrounds of all kinds of suffering. Some of you were drug addicts and many led promiscuous lives but you were pulled out of that. Many of you might have committed suicide but I pulled you out of it. Most of you have experienced the hippie life, but now you are experiencing rebirth and you see a different purpose in life. Your eyes are shining and you are clean-cut. What&#8217;s wrong with that? Did I teach you to rob banks or kill people? I am always repeating one simple sentence every Sunday: Go out and give yourself for the sake of God and the sake of the world.</p>
<p>I am exposed to great danger here in America. I have heard how anyone can hire an assassin who will kill anybody for just $170&#8242; and in a literal sense anyone who joins this movement has to be ready to give up his life just to begin with. Not only my own life&#8217; but also Mother&#8217;s and all our children&#8217;s lives are committed to this spiritual revolution in full knowledge of the tremendous danger which accompanies it. No one has yet thanked me for coming under tremendous persecution to save this nation. No one&#8217; that is&#8217; except you.</p>
<p>I want to be at the forefront always, working harder than any of you, preaching and sweating more than any of you. In the last three years I have spent more money for the sake of America than at any other time in my entire ministry&#8217; even in my own country&#8217; but there have been no welcoming signs from the government or the White House and no national leaders have said one kind thing about me. The United States government has even given sanctuary to a group like the PLO&#8217; who are the worst terrorists in the world&#8217; trying to give them a voice in the Middle East negotiations and in the United Nations . That is ridiculous . On the other hand&#8217; I came to this country trying to give it everything I have&#8217; yet the government has never said one kind thing about me.</p>
<p>You know who I am and where we are&#8217; so you must become tough and courageous. Your power far surpasses the evil and iniquity outside. Don&#8217;t be embarrassed to go anywhere&#8217; and whatever your chore is&#8217; do not be ashamed of it. You are doing the most noble task of all. Fund raising is not meant to feed ourselves but to keep this nation and world alive. Maybe Americans are the only kind of people who do not understand; the earth and sky know&#8217; but the American people are blinded.</p>
<p>As persecution becomes more intense each day, should we hide out somewhere? Now that I have been talking to you, you say no, but weren&#8217;t you weak</p>
<p>soldiers one hour ago? I&#8217;m sure that many of you thought about how coming to Belvedere would take up hours you would rather spend sleeping, right? On the other hand, maybe you thought, &#8221;Well, since I have to go to Belvedere I don&#8217;t have to get up to deliver newspapers.&#8221; Your laughter is giving you away! God is allowing you the opportunity to become supremely victorious, not just mediocre. That chance is reserved for you.</p>
<p>Once I break through all the way to the realm of resurrection and the world can see what I have done, then overnight the world will see the truth and become repentant. God is waiting to give me that kind of dramatic victory. God wants to expedite the work of salvation, and making me fight a one-man battle against the world is one of His strategies. By being victorious, I can shorten the time of restoration. The Unification Church cannot be in a half-way position. If it is bad then we are the worst kinds of gangsters, but if it is good then we are right next to God.</p>
<p>We have to decide whether we represent the worst evil or represent God Himself. The Mafia is one of the most feared groups in the fallen world, but we are at the top of the religious world. The entire religious world despises us as much as it hates the Mafia because we have brought ourselves to the pinnacle of the religious world. If our Church has that stature, can you as individuals just wander around in the middle ground? At the outset of 1977 I declared that New York is the front line. You are becoming front-line soldiers, going to every street corner and knocking on every door in New York. This is our battleground. You are using your head almost like a battering ram trying to penetrate the minds of the people.</p>
<h3 align="center">Marine industries and the Unification Church</h3>
<p>Two weeks ago I was in Alabama, which is known as the ship-building capital of the United States, looking around to buy a shipyard so we can build our own vessels. Would you want our factory to be mediocre or number one? That is easy to say but not to fulfill. We have to work harder than anyone in order to be number one. It is going to be a tough job but I will push you. There were no women working the Alabama shipyards and I thought that this is one way we can make history. We will have women shipyard workers! If you women become welders then your fingers and faces will get marked up, but is that all right? Now at 7:42 a.m. on November 1, 1977, the women have pledged that they want to be welders at the shipyard in Alabama. All you men are out of jobs today! If the women are willing to do that much then you men have to work harder, even into the night.</p>
<p>I knew years ago that unless I intervened in the shipbuilding and fishing industries with my own resolve and determination, this nation could have no hope for those two industries to survive. I met two wonderful individuals in Alabama, a father and son who have spent their lifetimes in the business. They said that the boat-building business is in a boom period, with many people going out to sea. I answered, &#8221;That may be true, but what about a few years in the future?&#8221; They replied thoughtfully, &#8220;Reverend Moon, we didn&#8217;t think about that but you are absolutely right. The men have no deep motivation and American women just cannot wait patiently for their husbands to come home from the sea.&#8221;</p>
<p>Usually the wives of fishermen have betrayed their husbands in the past. What shall we do in order to reverse the trend? I will make you welders and fishing captains, and our fishermen won&#8217;t have to worry about their wives running off! If the Moonies and Sunnies are doing that, the rest of America will not want to face being defeated and having to give everything up to us. Once they decide to compete with us, the marine industries will be revived. I am determined to give vision and hope to the American young people so they will be motivated to go out to sea. The oceans are a vast, untapped area waiting to be utilized by courageous men and women and we want to initiate that. There is a chance for America to become great by conquering the sea, but if your countrymen ignore the sea and only want to lead complacent lives then America has no hope to lead the world. America is blind to this.</p>
<p>I am leading the way in this field and the Unification Church will follow through. I would really like to see you beautiful sisters become fishing captains and go out to sea, being so knowledgeable and dedicated that men won&#8217;t mind taking orders from you. Then people will recognize Sunnie power and Moonie power. I want to make our women the presidents of many companies so that the employees who just graduated from Harvard and Yale will all have to listen to you. You may look tiny and weak but when the men on the ship are scared to death, you women will take command and give orders to rectify the situation. You might even take your own babies with you! I am very excited about this idea. I was planning to travel around and look at businesses in Alabama, for instance, but Mother was somewhat hesitant and said, &#8221;Father, you know that&#8217;s a man&#8217;s job, so you go and I will stay home.,, But I told her she should come along anyway.</p>
<p>We are not seeking millions of dollars for ourselves by starting businesses; we are looking at the world and this nation and preparing to spearhead change. Imagine the time when we have thousands of vessels and I can say to the American government, &#8221;[here are so many farmers sitting idle and receiving government subsidies for doing nothing. What kind of ridiculous system is that? You pay them for not growing crops, but in the meantime millions of people are starving in other parts of the world. Let the farmers grow their crops and let us transport that food all over the world to feed the poor. We have the boats to do it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Fishing has seasons and doesn&#8217;t last twelve months a year, so why shouldn&#8217;t we transport things all over the world in between seasons? How would you feel being the captain of a boat loaded with grain and headed for a nation where many people are starving? I would select the tiniest of all women to be the captain of such a boat and have her wear a special hat with official decorations. We must all have a dream to live for. I have more dreams than anyone else, but the difference is that my dreams become reality.</p>
<p>I will establish a system in which you women will be the captains and your husbands the first mates. You men will have to say, &#8221;Yes, ma&#8217;am,&#8221; when the captain gives orders, even though she may be your wife. Do you men feel good or bad about that? If you are a seasoned captain then whether you are man or woman doesn&#8217;t make any difference; the crew has to obey. Will you men say. &#8221;Father, we will never get behind the women in leadership and experience,,? Up until the blessing there are many things that the tiny women do better than men, but after marriage comes I don&#8217;t want to see you men falling behind the women because I am a man too!</p>
<h3 align="center">We are citizens of two worlds</h3>
<p>Why do I keep stirring up so much controversy? I could be comfortable at home with Mother and our children and no one would criticize me. After knowing this truth, sitting still is impossible because I know that the ultimate victory is within reach. I want to guarantee the realm of resurrection on the worldwide level. Initially, I was all by myself in this realm of darkness, pioneering a one-man battle, but I will multiply and become two, ten, a hundred, then millions, and this pioneering work will become wider and eventually cover the entire world. I planted stakes in 120 nations by sending a group of Reverend Moons into those countries, knowing ahead of time that they would receive persecution initially.</p>
<p>I am centrally located here in America as an axis around which to raise all 120 nations up, step by step. In each nation our members are starting a highway, making it wider and wider, just like the central one I am making here in America. Eventually, each country will be turned around and each sovereignty will find new direction. Even America will eventually welcome me and know who I am. Once America starts to say, &#8221;We need you, Reverend Moon,&#8221; the rest of the world will do the same because American citizens are the children of the world.</p>
<p>The Abel members of the world&#8217;s races came here to America, primarily for religious freedom. America is the Abel country in the sight of God, and Abel&#8217;s duty is always to save Cain, in this case the rest of the world. There is only one country under the sun where descendants of the world&#8217;s races are gathered, but you didn&#8217;t make this country, nor the American people; God raised this country up for the purpose of the world. Once we move America we can move the world, and I am thinking day and night about how we can have impact upon America. Are</p>
<p>you also thinking day and night about America? Day and night you need to make conscientious effort to become one with me; that&#8217;s the way of life in the Unification Church.</p>
<p>Do you really like me? Your being so devoted is how you bring me a lot of persecution! You love your Unification Church brothers and sisters more than your own natural brothers and sisters, which means that you white members think more of your black brothers and sisters than of your own family. I can&#8217;t understand that mentality because I have never been in a white man&#8217;s position. If what you are saying is true then you are doing something better than me.</p>
<p>Why do you love your brothers and sisters in this Church so much? You love them because God loves them. What is your justification for loving Reverend Moon? You know that God loves him.</p>
<p>I have an ideal nation in my mind, but in actuality I have nothing else. I have nothing to give you, therefore, but still you are trying to follow my ideology and way of life. Americans are always proud of being first-class citizens of the world, but by following me you have become tenth-class citizens! You are risking your American reputations, but do you still want to follow? That could only be possible because God loves my imaginary world more than God loves this physical world, and you want to belong to that world, not this one.</p>
<p>Actually, it doesn&#8217;t matter if this world comes against you because we are not of this world. We belong to the other, ideal world, God&#8217;s world. We are not only citizens of that world, however; we are trying to forge a link and bring the two worlds into one. We do things for the true world, and for that reason we are in a position to be loved more by God than ordinary people.</p>
<p>When you go to spirit world you will be higher than any saint or holy person who ever lived in history because you are being loved by God in two worlds. No one in spirit world has had that experience, even though God originally wanted to love man both on earth and in spirit world. All the saints, including Jesus, should respect you because even Jesus could not duplicate the work you are doing now. Today your dream is as great as Jesus, dream 2,000 years ago, but it is possible for you to make it reality while you are in this world. This commands Jesus&#8217; respect and admiration. Once you deeply realize this, you will be front-line soldiers without any hesitation. We are at the front line of the historical battle&#8217; not just in one nation but in the universe. You can definitely see our ideal and all you have to do is take one big step to reach it.</p>
<h3 align="center">The Japanese in America</h3>
<p>Why were you Japanese so foolish as to come to America? America is the country that dropped the atomic bomb on your country and killed millions of your people. Did you come to make millions of dollars in America or to beg for food? Even the American Immigration Department is trying to kick you out but still you are hanging onto America. You Japanese are still here in America in order to hasten the day that God can bless America with both hands, and you want to be with Americans to see that day. You Japanese represent the Asian countries. You are from a nation which was once an enemy but you are here to forgive and bless America. You are giving your blessing along with God&#8217;s to hasten the day this former enemy country can be blessed more than anyone. By doing it, your own nation&#8217;s blessing is guaranteed.</p>
<p>You are setting a new tradition because your actions are loving actions. That is the supreme love, to love your enemy. You came here for one other reason&#8217; however; you came because I am here on the front line and you want to be with me&#8217; thinking&#8217; &#8221;I want to be your shield and protector and do your work.&#8221; You volunteered to become front-line soldiers for the cosmic battle. All we know is the role of the front-line soldier, and day and night nothing else comes to mind except winning the victory.</p>
<p>Would you Japanese members ask me for a little relaxation after working here for so many years? I will see to it that all the Japanese members will be pushed to an extreme, impossible degree. I want American people everywhere to see the Japanese members and say, &#8221;I don&#8217;t want to be near them because I just cannot compete with them.,, I want you Japanese to set the toughest example to follow.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t you Americans sometimes think that the Japanese members are foolish to come and work so hard when they don&#8217;t even speak the language? Don&#8217;t you think, &#8221; That makes me uncomfortable. I want to rest, so why don&#8217;t you relax too?,, I know there are at least some who think that way. Americans do everything super king-size compared to the Japanese. You are tall and have long arms and even your eyes are bigger. You walk like cranes but the Japanese walk like sparrows. How can you let yourselves be defeated by the Japanese?</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t want you Americans to get behind the Japanese; if you are defeated by them then there is no way you can win the real blessing, because even if they decline in the future God still has to give them the blessing. Actually, I am on America&#8217;s side because God has been on the side of America. God wanted to prepare this nation so perfectly that it could fulfill its extraordinary task in the final day, and because God worked so hard I want to see America become superior in every way. In order to do that you Americans must suffer more for this country and the world. The person who takes more of a beating is the one who shall be rewarded with more blessing and love. If that is not the case then God is wrong. If I do not think in that fashion then somewhere along the line I am also wrong.</p>
<p>Japan was defeated in World War II but now that is all past and we are engaged in the most historically important battle. I am Korean and they are Japanese; have you Americans been defeated by us Orientals? If not&#8217; then you shall be prosperous and I shall be prosperous because you and I are not enemies; we are one family, even though we are separated by nationality. My victory becomes yours and yours becomes mine.</p>
<h3 align="center">Because I have already opened the way,<br />
you don&#8217;t have to go the entire distance by yourself</h3>
<p>Even in the secular world parents want their children to be superior to themselves, so how much more true is this with heavenly parents.? They really want to see heavenly children become better than themselves. Do you welcome suffering more than your own parents? Would you do it for my sake or the sake of the world? Within several decades I will no longer be here on earth, but God and the world shall remain. You love God and the world, and therefore, your love shall be permanent. I want you to take over the duty that is more difficult than my own, and if you suffer more than me then you shall receive more of God&#8217;s love, which is the source of life.</p>
<p>The fall of man resulted from self-centeredness, but now in the opposite way we give ourselves for the sake of God and humanity; this ideology will totally annihilate the satanic way of life and bring this world into the realm of resurrection. Your struggle is actually a very short one because you are engaged in the final battle. By demonstrating your fortitude and loyalty and winning in that final battle, you will inherit all of my accumulated victory because it serves as your foundation.</p>
<p>Under normal circumstances you would have to go through every step, beginning with the individual level. I have already gone through the whole sequence, but by participating in this one universal battle you are actually indemnifying my every accomplishment on the horizontal level. You are acquiring the entire foundation of my victory and all of it will become your asset. I am standing at the top of the ladder after winning every level of victory, but if you start out from this point and follow me farther and farther through every step on the horizontal level , you will receive my entire foundation.</p>
<p>You can measure yourself by how I have lived. When you come to a difficult moment you should think, &#8221;Father suffered more than I did and I want to surpass him.,&#8217; If you always set your sights on me then you can overcome anything. Because I have already opened the entire way for you , you don&#8217;t have to worry about going the entire distance by yourself. By aiming to achieve my standard you can inherit my entire foundation. That is a demonstration of your love. By following this one man in the center and wanting to sacrifice yourself for him, even more than for your own family or country, you are giving your total love to him. In that way you are actually shortening your own dispensation.</p>
<p>With every step you are becoming victorious because you have this absolute standard to follow. When you look at me you cannot say you are tired, or that following me is too much to be expected.</p>
<p>There is no way you can exceed me but that is why you constantly make effort, and while you are doing it you are really becoming one with me. A vivid example is the Japanese members here. They have their own nation and their parents across the Pacific, but they gave everything up to come follow me in this country.</p>
<p>The Americans in spirit world can see and compare the Americans and the Japanese with me. Who is demonstrating more serious unity and commitment? Many of you Americans have probably experienced thinking that you cannot go on any further and that you want to leave this movement because you cannot keep up, but then your ancestors appear in a dream and chastise you, saying, &#8221;My son, that&#8217;s not the way you should be. You must persevere.,&#8217; Some people have told me that kind of story. Practically every one of you should have that kind of experience of being counseled and given direction spiritually.</p>
<p>Why should that phenomenon happen? That is the proof that spirit world is watching over you and taking care of you. They want to be proud of you, not ashamed. This country is at least a Christian nation while Japan is not, and if the Japanese are already working hard, how could you not do more? People outside have no concept of this kind of spiritual guidance, but in the Unification Church we are fully aware of this reality in our lives. Without knowing this vertical principle, the world and the United States government think they can remedy the situation simply by throwing me out of the country. But I tell you, if that ever happened then the activity of the entire spirit world would become so intense that you would be exhausted. Such a commotion would result that no one could restore order.</p>
<p>If white people never become fully awakened then the spirit world will mobilize the black people as soldiers to preserve America&#8217;s blessing. Better that black people should take over than to upset the providence; black people are American citizens too. If I lead the way then this will happen. From being on the street corners you realize that those who support us the most are minority groups; they have given me a warmer reception than anyone else. The spirit world is behind you because they cannot stand in the forefront&#8217; and they are trying to use these minorities to steer America in case the white people fail.</p>
<p>The impact of one man is not limited just to him or his family; the whole nation and world will be affected. I am here to reconcile the differences and bring unity to America and all races. I am a welder of the human races, here to heal the rift between them. God knows very well that the blacks and whites cannot totally unite unless there is a mediator, and He is using me as that mediator. God has seen the future and is concerned about how to create one human race.</p>
<p>White people have to be humble and meek because otherwise they will be deprived of all blessing. Look at how black people are coming into prominence, particularly in sports. Most of the American champions in sports are black people. There&#8217;s a great potential among blacks, and once their future is opened up by the Unification Church ideology they will become even more motivated. Historically, blacks have been oppressed and they felt that suffering to the bone, seeking a way to make their race outstanding in the sight of God. Once they have the proper motivation they will do it.</p>
<p>The history of the world reveals that oppressed people always conquer their oppressors once they have a superior ideology. It is always the case in the history of God that the oppressed people have become the masters in the next generation. That is the inevitable consequence of Principle in this fallen world. We are following the same pattern.</p>
<p>Because of this principle God appears to be weak and powerless, even to the point of allowing the birth of an ideology like communism, which is an outright declaration against God. Today the worst kind of living hell on earth is New York, and when the blackout hit, New York became a literal hell overnight. The Unification Church must come to conquer living hell and revolutionize it. Are you going to influence New York or be influenced by New York?</p>
<p>New York has become gentler and is not persecuting you too much, so you should go out looking for persecution. You go once, twice, three times to visit your assigned homes, and no matter whether people point their fingers at you each time, their consciences will not allow them to keep it up. The first time you knock on the door they may be almost like lions trying to bite you, and the second time be almost the same. The third time they will stare at you, but the fourth time they will shake their heads, &#8221;Boy, I just don&#8217;t understand these mysterious people. I&#8217;m sorry. I didn&#8217;t treat you right before.&#8221;</p>
<p>Their apology will be as deep as their wrongdoing and the more they persecute you, the deeper shall become their repentance. This is the strategy of God. Because I know heavenly strategy I never get tired or become hopeless. It is impossible. I proclaimed that we will have a rally in Moscow, and that is not an empty dream. Already your brothers and sisters are giving up their lives right now to prepare for that day. If they are working under such adverse conditions, how can you say that it is difficult to do the work of God in New York? You can&#8217;t say that. Whenever I receive a report from the underground movement in communist countries it makes me tremble. I see that you are too idle come pared to our members there who are risking their lives every day.</p>
<h3 align="center">Your rebirth can set the world right again</h3>
<p>What is our ultimate goal? That is the topic of my message this morning. In one stroke we want to transform this entire world of death into a realm of light. It has absolutely become a possibility that we can erect the physical Kingdom of God on earth. If you didn&#8217;t have my victory to look at and you had to start out from scratch, you could try for millions of years and still not come out into the realm of rebirth. There are many people in history who tried to take every step but they always faltered after they achieved even a little goal. Never in all history has anyone reached the top.</p>
<p>I want you to feel to the bone that because you are serving as an axis, the entire world is turning upside down and right side up. Our work is progressing, with the spirit world as one hand and all of us here is the physical world as the other. Together we are turning and transforming the world. You must feel that God is using you as an axis and realize that if you make a mistake then the worst consequences will come about&#8217; even worse than the fall of Adam and Eve. That is precisely the position of each one of you.</p>
<p>In order to be born again as a brand new baby of God, both Mother and Father and God will give you strength, but only if you become strong like a dynamo; otherwise you cannot have rebirth. When a child is born the head comes out first, and that indicates that we have to push ahead. The astonishing thing is that when you are born again your ancestors are born again, as well as your generations in the future. By knowing such a formidable truth I am not bothered by anything.</p>
<p>Your own birth is accompanied by the birth of the angelic world, spirit world and physical world; your own birth sets all this existence right again. Your ancestors represent the angelic world and your future generations represent spirit world, placing you in Adam&#8217;s position. Adam is the seed, and as a result of Adam being born in the right way, the future world and spirit world are all brought together. Adam is in a position to say, &#8221;Because of me and because of my love you shall be blessed and your children shall be blessed.&#8221; Can you fulfill that position?</p>
<p>What qualification will enable you to be resurrected? As a son of God who receives His love you can be born again. Then shall you be better than or inferior to Jesus? Jesus is in the parent&#8217;s position and everyone else in the children&#8217;s position, and as I said before, it is the parents, utmost desire to have their children become better than themselves. In his own lifetime Jesus could not consummate his mission nor love his world or the angelic world. He could not love the entire universe and God in his own lifetime, but as a son and daughter of God, you would give him great joy by doing everything that he wanted to do but could not.</p>
<p>This kind of statement is the reason why conventional Christians sometimes call me a heretic. Because we want to work harder than God, will God say, &#8221;How could you ever think of such an impossible thing?,, Will we be God&#8217;s adversaries for wanting to liberate Him? When God hears His children talking just like that, do you think He would be mad or happy? Any parent wants to hear that.</p>
<p>The time has come for the opportunity to liberate God and Jesus and the spirit world by your own hands and sweat. Is that wrong thinking? Jesus swatted blood in agony at the meaning of his own death, but we are sweating for our own rebirth and the rebirth of humanity. That is my ideology, the ideology of resurrection. Could you complain?</p>
<p>The mouth is supposed to eat food, not speak words to destroy you. Just like a baby drinks milk to live, you must grow under any circumstances, overcoming everything and continuing on. Are you growing at night when you are asleep? Wherever you are and whatever time of day it is doesn&#8217;t matter because every moment of the day you are growing. God is holding you in His arms like a baby, but you are growing so fast that God will tell you, &#8221;You are growing bigger than I am! You go out now and be independent.&#8221; That&#8217;s resurrection.</p>
<h3 align="center">Rebirth begins in your struggle in a humble place</h3>
<p>Initially in the Unification Church we embrace people and give them food and shelter and love, but when you become a real man of God He will say, &#8221;Get out of here and go be independent. Be like me and make miracles happen in other countries.&#8221; Just like any country expects an adult to work and pay taxes, you will go out and become a productive, independent man&#8217; and without doubt your productivity will become so great that the kingdom will flourish. Before the world even knows it, the world will become our territory; already we are embracing the universe, even without other people knowing it. Columbus came to America and claimed the continent, and in the same way we will soon discover a new continent within our arms.</p>
<p>Do you want to open your arms wider than God, or do you only want to embrace the world a little bit? You may say&#8217; &#8221;God, I want to embrace the world more than You. My arms are longer than Yours and I will do more than You do.&#8221; Then God will say, &#8221;All right, you take over. I want to take a little nap.,&#8217; God will gladly leave the mission to you. God is looking for men and women with arms longer than His and I am looking for that in our Church. If everyone comes to the Unification Church and only does less than I do&#8217; then this house will fall to the ground.</p>
<p>When I was in Alabama going from town to town, we stopped at McDonald&#8217;s after a long afternoon. We were sitting outside in the open air, and a little black sister with a box in her lap was sitting nearby, just smiling and smiling at Mother and myself. We didn&#8217;t know her but Mother soon discovered that she was our MFT member. This girl just couldn&#8217;t believe that we were real! We asked her why she didn&#8217;t come over and say, &#8221;Hello, Father and Mother. Welcome to Alabama.&#8221; She said, &#8221;I just couldn&#8217;t imagine that Father and Mother were out in the country here, and I thought I was seeing some kind of vision. But now I see you are the real ones!&#8221; She was a little black sister, all shiny with sweat, but at that place there was such a beautiful meeting of father and daughter, and mother and daughter.</p>
<p>God works in mysterious ways. Sometimes you are the only one who knows that you are working in the back country where hardly any other Unification Church members come, but all of a sudden God sends the True Parents right there to embrace you. There the intense joy of meeting is more ecstatic than here where you expect to see me week after week. Always Mother and I express more unreserved love in such a situation. That&#8217;s the way God works, and even in a remote corner God&#8217;s love is more intense. You will not receive God&#8217;s love at the comfortable headquarters. God is way out on the front line, and there His love is manifested in a dramatic way.</p>
<p>Where can we have this rebirth and resurrection? In a very glamorous area, or sweating and struggling in a remote area? You are searching after God&#8217;s love and it is going to come to you after very hard but very dramatic experiences. You might think that IBM has the best computers, but no, the best computer is in spirit world, where your entire life is already mapped out on your own computer card. You are traveling in the fallen world and you go up and down and have struggles along the way. You sometimes go up very high, but sometimes you dump down low. Would you like to go up and down in this realm of death, or in the realm of resurrection? It&#8217;s not easy! You have to hang on and persevere through the fiercest suffering.</p>
<p>A big grandfather clock has rhythm. I like to hear that because it is like the rhythm of your life, in which you push yourself up with each stroke. You will never get into the realm of resurrection as a solitary individual. First you must cross the boundary and go to the world. Because he did not have the world with him, even Jesus could not go to the Kingdom of God in heaven. I am very intent in the midst of this emergency. Today there is a state leader&#8217;s conference, but tomorrow I might take off for somewhere else. There is a busy heavenly schedule and I am making my own computer card and mapping out my own life.</p>
<p>In the realm of resurrection you are going to see the day of new birth. Once you see that day then everything becomes yours-the spirit world, God and the physical world-and you can claim it. No matter what the cost or sacrifice, while we have this flesh on earth we must reach that realm of victory. I want you to know that as members of the Unification Church you are living in a golden time because you still have persecution coming to you. It is almost like the birth pains of a mother who is pushing her baby out to be born. The entire universe is focused upon you, and to the limit of your strength you can push yourself into the new world.</p>
<p>There are many babies who die during delivery. Do you want to be born dead, or be a victorious child? Here in New York you must look at the Empire State Building and think that if you throw yourself against it that even that huge building will fall. Yesterday in Alabama we made many plans, talking about buying 200 acres with waterfront, even though I had no money ready. I told the real estate broker, &#8221;We have as much money as we need and we have an even more precious thing; we have as many dedicated people as we need.&#8221; I was thinking about you when I said that and this morning I wanted to make sure that you are here! Can you give me that confidence that we have as many good people as we need?</p>
<p>I came barehanded to this country and have been able to do this much. Therefore, I have no doubt that by following my example you can be equally successful, even if you have only bare hands. Do you just feel good or can you do it? Does that mean that when I buy a shipyard and send either men or women down to work that you can fulfill the mission? That means you can become either captains or welders or fishermen, whatever I assign you to do? I set the tradition already at Barrytown by teaching members for two nights straight how to make nets. I went fishing many nights with no sleep, and went out to sea at 3:30 in the morning every day. That&#8217;s the way I set the tradition. Can you match that record, not for my sake, but for the sake of your own country and humanity?</p>
<p>Do you think that I am so miserable that I need your help? Not at all. God and the world are more miserable than I am. They need help, so we must go. Will you pledge to conquer the realm of resurrection and plunge into the world with it?</p>
<p>Thank you very much. God bless you.</p>
