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<h1 class="page-title">Category: <span>Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1979</span></h1> </header>
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<article id="post-1402" class="post-1402 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1979">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/19/heaven-and-us.html" title="Permalink to HEAVEN AND US" rel="bookmark">HEAVEN AND US</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="#" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-19T14:32:15+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/19/heaven-and-us.html" rel="bookmark">June 19, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-19T14:32:15+01:00">June 19, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/speeches/categories/rev-sun-myung-moon-1979.html" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1979</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="center">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="center">March 25, 1979<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>In Oriental philosophy, the word “heaven” connotes huge and noble things, while “earth” connotes small, lowly things. However, this distinction came to exist because of the fall of man; if there had been no fall there would be no such difference between heaven and earth.</p>
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<p>When we speak of heaven, we speak of God; when we say earth, we speak of human beings. If God is all alone, He cannot be fulfilled, so He needs to come together with human beings. The purpose of creation can be fulfilled only when love is fulfilled, and love cannot be fulfilled by one alone; there must be two, in the relationship of subject and object.</p>
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<p>When love is fulfilled, both the upper and lower areas are fulfilled equally. Because of the fall, love could not be completed, so there are many different barriers which separate heaven and earth.</p>
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<p>When the highest point comes down and the lowest point comes up, they can meet in the middle. Man fell, not God, and God cannot go down to the point of the fall. Thus man must be able to bring himself up, uniting mind and body. The most important thing for man, then, is to know God and to conquer his ignorance of his situation. Thus God has been working to bring people out of darkness so they can know God’s true nature.</p>
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<p>Two major efforts to advance mankind have been made. They are science on the external level and religion on the internal level. What is the destiny of science and religion? They meet at the point of the fulfillment of love. Here we are not talking about human love but the love of God. All efforts to discover God will ultimately reach the one point of the true love of God.</p>
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<p>In each entity there are two aspects-an internal and an external. They must meet at one point. To truly become one they must know each other, so mind and body should share knowledge of each other. In order for science and religion to unite, they must understand each other. Each person has his mind and body in horizontal alignment, side by side. God’s mind and body are in the same position. Here on earth man should have unity between his mind and body, and in spirit world God also should have such unity. Man’s mind and body meet horizontally, while God’s unity of mind and body is vertical. Thus we are going to reach God not only through religion but also through science.</p>
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<p>What does God need to realize joy in His mind and body? The same answer will apply also to people. What makes you joyful and happy? When your plans or ideals are realized, you are happy. The realization itself is not enough, however; it is the coming into oneness with a subject or abject in reciprocal give and take that creates happiness. Then what makes God happy and what is the work of God? His work is the perfection of human beings; that would be God’s goal and masterpiece. That is the point of ultimate joy and goodness, at which both God and man will say, “That is the best there can be” That is the point of love-not secular, carnal love but the original, pure love of God.</p>
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<p>I want you to understand that unless your mind and body are united, your are not eligible to meet God. We have two eyes but they have one focus and they produce one image, not two. That focus is always between the two eyes, not in front of one or the other. Sound waves enter both ears, but the nervous system coordinates those impulses into one sound.</p>
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<p>When a person’s mind and body are totally united, their focus is upon God. When God’s mind and body are united into one, what is their focus? It is people. When these focal points meet, they discover that they are alike. When they discover their likeness, they can stimulate each other in give and take and fellowship.</p>
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<p>What is the common goal that excites them both? It is love. Therefore, unless God finds love, He cannot find completion; and unless man finds his ultimate goal, which is the true love of God, he cannot achieve completion either. When God focuses upon man and man focuses upon God, and the two are united, the entire universe is united. In human love, the nervous system focuses to transfer sensation to the whole system. If the mind is willing to live this way but the body is lethargic and doesn’t obey, then the mind-body alignment is askew. Then the person is crippled, just as if he were missing an arm.</p>
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<p>It is most important that we focus our life. You should understand that the focus of the entire spirit world is God and that of the physical world is man. Can you imagine that God would arrange His creation in a sloppy manner? I know that God organized it to focus upon one point both on earth and in spirit world.</p>
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<p>There are two aspects to everything in the physical world: positive and negative. Within those positive and negative aspects there are also internal and external elements, or mind and body. Once positive and negative electrical charges meet, you can’t tell which is which. Likewise, you can’t tell where positive starts and negative ends in a magnetic field. But there is action in the magnetic field and energy is created.</p>
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<p>By the same token, men and women are different, but they are not enemies. Instead, each focuses on the other and how to win his or her love. Every nerve and all five senses focus on love. In the secular world today, many people don’t look beyond the fact that men and women can meet and love each other. But that is only the beginning point, like flipping the switch.</p>
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<p>Once an electrical switch is flipped, energy from the power plant can start to work wonders. In the same way, men and women together start to work wonders when they tap God’s power plant. When you know this, living really becomes a joy. Electricity can light ups a palace. but also a smelly countryside bathroom. Would the electricity refuse to light up such a place? Electricity works universally, once it is hooked up.</p>
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<p>Would nerves refuse to provide sensation for dirty, smelly feet, or the blood refuse to circulate through arteries and veins there? Would ocean water say it has no connection with the polluted water in New York harbor? The oceans all over the world are part of one body of water. In the same way, once love is activated it can go anywhere in the universe.</p>
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<p>Most young people would like to travel the entire world with their husband or wife, and then later with their own children. Wouldn’t a king like to see the beauties of the world accompanied by all his subjects? We envy the freedom of the birds who can take off for other parts of the world without needing passports. The barriers in our world such as immigration restrictions and nationality are manmade, so once we can get rid of those barriers, we will live in one world with as much freedom as the birds.</p>
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<p>Would ducks from the north discriminate against ducks from the south? Would they refuse to marry each other? It doesn’t matter where they are from, as long as they are ducks!</p>
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<p>I am constantly telling you that you have to serve others and focus on other people, because by doing so you create unity. If 1,000 people are focused together, they generate great energy and power. A good athlete has to focus his energy and distribute it perfectly in the pursuit of his sport. The pushing force and the pulling force must be harmonized to create tremendous power. The greater the power of give and take, the greater the wonder it can create. Is God great or tiny? God can stretch His arms from pole to pole, embracing the entire universe in give and take. We know God is a great God, so logically His creation-man-is supposed to be great, also.</p>
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<p>My eyes focus at one point, yet my vision carries across the entire world. Your line of focus can be extended as much as you want. Your ears “focus” within your brain, but actually you want to hear universal sounds. You inhale and exhale air through your lungs but that air can travel all around the world, linking you to it. In daily life we are dealing with one universe, one air, one water, one sunlight and one land.</p>
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<p>Do you want to focus upon your husband or wife without being interested in your society, nation and world? A man and woman who attain unity should try to focus on the larger entities, such as society, nation and world. The greater your vision and the greater the distance you focus on together, the greater your life becomes.</p>
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<p>Has anyone before thought like we Moonies? We say that as individuals we represent the entire universe. Furthermore, you even think God looks like you, not that YOU look like Him! This short brother here thinks he is big enough to embrace all of America and the world. This would be impossible to achieve through physical means, but through love he can do it. There is no nationality in the world of love because love travels all over, like air. Can love reach all the way to God? Love will penetrate God’s system and reach His heart.</p>
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<p>If God’s love were locked up in a vault with many locks your love could even penetrate that vault. That means your love is the greatest secret key of all. Everyone is focused upon love and even God hangs onto it. All things of creation cling to it as well.</p>
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<p>Everyone, whether Eastern or Western, young or old, likes to possess beautiful things. When we consider what is the most precious treasure in the universe, we conclude that it is love. Even the spirit world would concur.</p>
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<p>If you use true love as the key, every door can be opened. Do you think this is true in spirit world as well? If there was no such thing as true love then there would be no way to unite God and mankind for eternity. Since the human fall, the heart of God has been sealed shut. Would offering Him money or lovely jewels open His heart? If you offered Him the largest diamond, He could point to a mountain of diamonds that He already owns.</p>
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<p>Many people think knowledge is almighty, but will that open the door of God’s heart? God will say, “Is that all you know? I made it all” If you have great worldly power, can you command God to open His heart? What does God yearn to have? Not money, knowledge or power, but only true love. Love has an almighty, uniting quality which can govern and be governed. It is absolutely flexible.</p>
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<p>If you know someone is pinching you because he truly loves you, you want him to pinch you harder! Love can digest both extremes of happy and painful things. The one thing that can dominate the entire creation is true love. Do you agree?</p>
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<p>Love is communicated even without language. A puppy knows whether you love him or not. Likewise, a bird can feel love; even the trees and grass can feel love. If you love a deadly poisonous snake, it too can feel your love. Love is supreme. If you had a little chunk of love, would you hoard it in a pocket close to your heart, or would you sprinkle it around the world so that it would multiply and make you a millionaire of love? In order to become a millionaire of love, you might have to shed gallons of sweat and tears. Would it be worth doing even then?</p>
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<p>You can reach God only with love. He is the center of the universe, so whoever possesses more of Him will be the richest person. Then no matter how much sacrifice is needed to obtain Him, you can do it. Without sacrificial love you cannot make God your prisoner. God is like a gigantic fish and love is your bait. God loves love so He will swallow as much bait as you offer Him. When you sow true love, you will harvest love and God is bound to be close by.</p>
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<p>Unification Church members are fishing for God so we sprinkle our bait everywhere. God is a gourmet of love so He knows its exact taste, whether sour, sweet or flat. God knows a hook is hidden inside that love but it doesn’t matter to Him because He is confident He can digest that hook too.</p>
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<p>You enjoy certain tastes, and in the same way God prefers a certain taste of love. I want God to say that Moonies’ love is the best love He has tasted in 6,000 years. You cannot make tasty love out of small, individualistic love; that is bitter love. But when you have love that wants to save the world and serve others, God will savor it. God may be gigantic and awesome-looking, but once He tastes that love, He will melt and be like a child. Then He will want to go wherever you go.</p>
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<p>Why were you born? Furthermore, why were some of you born as men and others as women? Was it to eat meals? The lowliest statement a person can make is that he lives to eat. Some people seem to think they were born to study, but what a narrow life that is. It is beautiful, eternal and good to say we are born to love. Every life here on earth today is the fruit of love. You can say you participated in the love of your parents, your grandparents and so forth. You were born at the place of love and the motivation for your life was love. After you were born, you received the love of your parents.</p>
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<p>Why do your parents love you? Why do all the animals love their offspring? It is because children are the witness to their parents’ love. Cause and effect both spring from love; because of this most awesome truth, parents have to love their children, not only in the human world but also in the animal world. Children who live in the love of their parents are very happy children.</p>
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<p>Today in America there is something called a generation gap, with parents and children thinking they will live their own separate lives. This means they have lost the home base of love and they have nothing to return to. God designed the family to expand its pure love to the society, spreading one color of love all over the country, then to the entire world.</p>
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<p>The children who are born and live in love at home can become patriots in their nation and even saints in the world. The same principle works on these different levels. Just as water in New York is the same color as water in Norway, the makeup of the whole human world is the same. When you fulfill the criteria of love in your home, you can live the same criteria of love in the nation and the world. People should be born in love, grow and mature in love, and then die in love. We continue to live eternally in that love with God in spirit world.</p>
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<p>This world is a training center where you learn by stages how to love the world. You graduate from this school when you go to spirit world and there you can experience love for eternity. Perfected love can be compared to a perfectly round bowling ball that knocks down all the pins. But the love of those who fail in the workshop of love is like a square-shaped or lumpy ball that doesn’t roll properly. True love is perfectly round and can go anywhere and can find its way in any situation. Even if that ball travels in an erratic pattern, it will always hit the final target. If I can think of all this, don’t you suppose God has thought about this even more?</p>
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<p>Love is round, shining, beautiful and tender. The more you touch it, the more you like it. Therefore, love is good. Naturally you want to receive love from your parents, and you must receive the same amount of love from your society, nation and world. Would you like your love to be confined to only your parents or to expand to the whole world? Will you receive love if you just tell people to love you?</p>
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<p>The origin of love is God, who is always taking the initiative to give love to the world. You are in a position to take the initiative also. God is thrusting love downward, and you are thrusting love upward; the idea is always that each takes the initiative. Without question, love is good but to make your love truly good, you have to have the power to encompass difficult and bitter things. You should be able to embrace both extremes, loving not only America but also the enemies of America.</p>
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<p>Would you lose anything with that kind of love? No, by practicing this love you come to resemble God. It is natural to like the people who also like us, and if there had been no fall then that is all anyone would need to do. But because of the fall, that kind of love is not good enough; now we must have the power to embrace the people who hate us.</p>
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<p>What is the difference between Satan and God? Satan moves only in one direction but God moves in all four directions and embraces everything. Thus we must have the capacity to love evil people as well as good ones. That was the teaching of Jesus.</p>
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<p>A healthy person can digest anything he eats, even dried corn. If some kinds of food make your stomach ache, then you don’t have enough digestive power. You Moonies should have the capacity to digest everything. To develop such capacity, you should look for the things and people whom you hate and who hate you the most and learn to embrace them. Once you have digested the worst, then everything else is no problem. If you are a logical person, this is an obvious conclusion.</p>
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<p>The jobs that no one else wants to tackle are the things you should willingly take up and come to enjoy. Then when God sees that you just keep loving these things, He will say, “You have been there too long. Come on up here,’ end you will rise up higher and higher. If you are going to love the world, should you first have fun and take lots of vacations, and then love the world in your spare time? Imagine a woman beautiful enough to be Miss America yet who forgets herself and works all the time for the sake of the world. Such a beautiful woman might receive marriage proposals from many distinguished men, but she would say she didn’t have time for that now.</p>
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<p>You are intelligent men and women, so which route would you take in order to win the love of God-unselfish or selfish love? If you totally practice unselfish love for ten years, I guarantee that people will think you are truly the image of God. You will have the key to solving every problem people have. You may think this sounds very colorful and dramatic but when you try to put it into practice, it is very difficult. Anything may seem easier than loving the impossible people of this world.</p>
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<p>If I know how difficult this is, why have I dedicated thirty years of my life to it and why am I still pursuing it, after having been persecuted and criticized everywhere? The goal is to have love that will penetrate the entire universe and you know that cannot be easy to win. We are talking about love that can shatter the bonds of earth and go straight to the throne of God. Will God just smile quietly when that love hits, or will He be knocked out? When God is hit by that love He will tumble over and over; nothing could be compared with the expression of His joy.</p>
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<p>Was my decision to go this route the right one? Now that I am almost 60, do you think I have regrets about my youth being wasted on something worthless? You have the freedom to go to movies and such, but when I was your age I didn’t have any freedom.</p>
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<p>On the foundation I have laid, you can be grafted to me so no matter how imperfect you are, you are like a limb of the tree. I have won the ultimate battle so by being grafted to me and following my standard, you know you are protected from going wrong. You are the bud which will blossom. Can my buds belong to you? No. Since you are branching out from me, you must produce your own buds and blossoms. You cannot claim that my flowers are good enough and that you only have to reap the benefit of my blossoms. You must fulfill perfection as branches and produce blossoms yourselves.</p>
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<p>When you create many blossoms, you draw energy to that area and then you will send out new branches. If some branches are exceptionally energetic, the tree will grow in their direction, but when everyone works with equal power the branches will be balanced and the tree will grow straight. This is why I want each of you to do equally well. Thus you can’t shirk your responsibility when everyone else is fulfilling theirs.</p>
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<p>If one main branch dies and falls off, the tree starts to lean to the other side where there is still activity in the healthy branches. In the human body, healthy blood is welcomed wherever it circulates, but when it is unclean, it is just a burden. The best thing for a tree is for someone to chop off the dead branches and graft on healthy little branches.</p>
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<p>One branch of our tree is Korean, another is Japanese, another American and so forth. I am observing which branch is more energetic and powerful. If one branch is not doing too well, I will graft another little branch there to strengthen it.</p>
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<p>Who is better able to endure hardship-cultured people or primitive people? Most cultured people have almost zero endurance, while primitive people have 100 percent endurance but no culture. God is very fair in not distributing culture and endurance together! When I came to lead the American movement, I had a tough time because the Americans had their own yardsticks to evaluate me with. Cultured people think the night is for sleeping, for instance, so they thought my way wasn’t right for them. Some people insisted they needed eight hours of sleep and three meals a day on time. But these criteria become obstacles when we are fighting the revolution of true love.</p>
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<p>In the midst of war, you can’t have beautifully laid tables and grand food. But when you finally gain true love, it is the most cultured thing you have ever seen. I brought many Japanese and Germans to this country to show Americans how to endure; people in these nations suffered much during and after World War 11. When I told them to compete with the American members, the Americans thought it wouldn’t work because these people didn’t know the American ture. But when the result came in, the Japanese and Germans were the winners and the Americans realized they had to change their outlook.</p>
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<p>I pointed out to the Americans how the Japanese did the best even though they didn’t know English. The Americans didn’t like to hear that so they would sometimes say, “l wish those Japanese weren’t here!” Even now, that process of education is still going on. If you Americans are the leading citizens of the world and very cultured people, I want you to be the winners in endurance also, so that is how I am training you.</p>
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<p>Is it easier to give culture to people of great endurance or to train cultured people to endure? Once the cultured people are awakened and make up their minds, they can quickly develop endurance. But to raise up uncultured people takes a long time. That is why I came to work with Americans. In the process people accused me of brainwashing, but it doesn’t matter.</p>
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<p>I want you cultured Americans to dig down and endure 100 percent and then rise up to change the cultured world. Then America can be the hope of the world. America has grave problems, even though it thinks it has the greatest society in the world. American culture today is moving backward toward primitiveness, with people like the hippies leading the way. Someone should teach them the proper way of gaining the endurance of primitive peoples, and then they can learn to create a new heavenly society. I came in the nick of time to do that.</p>
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<p>American youth has no clear direction to follow at this time, but when they look for a place to drop anchor they are attracted by the Moonie ideology. They recognize that a nation based on it has to prosper and then they can have hope. But even though they see it is good, they sometimes decide not to follow it because it requires too much sacrifice; they want everything to come easily. Some say that if they could only do what they liked, then this would be the perfect ideology for the world. But if we ever compromise our basic way of life, then everything will disappear. There is no way we can become like the world and still be the light of salvation.</p>
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<p>People may hear the Divine Principle and think it is fine, but wish Chapter Two wasn’t part of it, or they wish that the Second Advent was still on the clouds. I could make some people happy by altering the Principle. Do you think God should give up the difficult parts of this ideology? If God were willing to do that, then we could too, but God will Just go His own way instead of compromising. If people can’t adjust then there is no solution for them. Even if all of you say you cannot go this way, I will still go my own way. If America totally rejects me and refuses to live that way of life, will say farewell and go to the primitive people who know how to endure. What would happen to America then? This nation would crumble far below the level of primitive people. It is our destiny to accept and live this ideology.</p>
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<p>I don’t want you to become like primitive people, but to learn their quality of endurance and use it to lead the world. You must decide that you will go on with iron will for seven years, and then everything will be over. Don’t crave the American standard but live for seven years in the lowliest places. This thinking is like a diamond wrapped in dirty rags-you don’t have to worry about anyone trying to steal it because no one will ever suspect what you have. Is this more real to you than eating when you are hungry or sleeping when you are tired?</p>
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<p>If you could only lose by living this way then no one would join, but you know that no matter how much you suffer, you will not only win in the end but will recoup many times more than you invested. This is the secret of winning people’s hearts without fighting physically and shedding blood. The more you live this life, the more you will become the central person in society.</p>
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<p>The most dazzling example of this is Jesus Christ. He was a miserable, suffering, persecuted young man who died when he was only 33. Today one can travel around Israel in just a few hours; it was in that tiny country that Jesus taught. Furthermore, he was executed as a treasonous criminal. The fact that one man died in such a tiny country 2,000 years ago would seem about as important now as one little insect breaking its leg in this country; yet that one “insignificant” life was the root of an entirely new world culture. No other individual has had such impact on the world.</p>
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<p>Is our tradition and teaching the same thing that traditional Christianity is teaching today? Is the distance between the New Testament and the Old Testament greater than the distance between the New Testament and the Divine Principle? In my own lifetime, I have had impact on the entire world. I came to this country to warn America that it would crumble if it did not return to God. This would be parallel to Jesus going to the Roman Empire and warning of its doom unless they accepted God. I am doing more drastic things now than Jesus was able to do in his time.</p>
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<p>Jesus had only a few disciples, but today many young people of all different races follow the Principle and are working to build the Kingdom. The world has even tried to kill me but am I a man of failure or success? Even now after 2,000 years there is a great rift between Judaism and Christianity, but today in my lifetime, Christians of all denominations are accepting me as a prophet and supporting my cause. It is an amazing thing.</p>
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<p>Koreans gave me the worst persecution and the established Christians were the fiercest. But when I last visited Korea, many people were saying that there had never been such a hero as Reverend Moon in the 5,000 years of Korean history. Imagine how much the dispensation has advanced when the Christians who persecuted me are now convening to declare their support. It is true that Korea has one of the most vibrant Christian communities in the world. Also, Korea is a buffer zone between the communist world and the free world. While the whole free world economy is shaking, that one tiny nation is growing faster than any other.</p>
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<p>At one time many Japanese hated me fanatically but now Japan’s leaders see that Unification Thought alone provides hope for their country. Now Korean and Japanese scholars are gathering to declare that the Unification teaching provides the only hope for Asia. You are in your twenties and thirties. Imagine how America will change by the time you are in your forties. If you continue the pace of your work today for another ten or twenty years, you know you will cover many miles and really have an impact on this nation.</p>
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<p>With CARP we have created a heavenly tornado on the East and West coasts; one campus after another is in turmoil now. Change never comes unless you shake people up. Every campus has its own communist organizations which always try to stop our meetings. The professors’ organizations divide into Cain and Abel factions over us. War is being waged.</p>
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<p>Today many Americans are focused on the Unification Church and some ask if there is any way to get Reverend Moon out of this country. They think that then all the Moonies will go back home. Are they right? Today I am declaring that until the world becomes one, this focus upon the Unification Church will only keep growing.</p>
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<p>Not only America focuses upon me but in each nation, every small thing I do becomes news. Did I cause such an extraordinary thing, or did God’! Together we did it. By doing this, will I survive or falter? Will I be victorious? If I won’t take responsibility, will you? If I ever became a communist, I would be the worst one, but luckily I am a champion of God, promoting the love of God in the world.</p>
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<p>Today’s topic is Heaven and Us. What is this “us” all about? We are the focal point. When we start businesses, we are the focal point of the business world. When we start a school, we are the focus of academia. In home church, we are making history. Whatever we do, we become the focus. People have never heard of anything like us, because this is the first such religious group in history. But God loves it, spirit world loves it and people of the present and future will also love it.</p>
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<p>How do you know the spirit world focuses on us? There are many phenomena today that testify to that. You are not alone when you fundraise because the spirit world is working with you. Did you know that Confucius and Buddha and Mohammed are our MFT members? Not only that, but God joined our MFT!</p>
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<p>How many focal points would you like to have? If your focal point is the love of God, then actually you are focused on everything, 24 hours a day.</p>
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<p>I recently sent Bo Hi Pak to Korea to get government approval so that we can start the Sun Myung Moon University there. He told them that people will come there from 120 nations and that there are Nobel prize winners already on the planning board. When they heard my plans those officials were astonished. Do you think it can be done?</p>
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<p>One asset you have is that you are young. If you work just like I worked, there is no limit to what you can do. What is our overall focus? It is God. Every Sunday morning I emphasize one thing-true love. Everything in the universe focuses upon true love; that is the source of life. In the spirit world the love of God is the rising sun.</p>
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<p>Once you possess the true love of God, you will be the focus of the world wherever you go. I am intently pushing you out so that you can quickly become the focus of the world. You will experience how much God has suffered in restoring mankind. I want you to understand how much God endured. If you had the power of almighty God, I’m sure you would have crushed the world a long time ago. Now you know you have to be patient, no matter how long it takes. Our weapon is education, so instead of destroying people we will raise them up.</p>
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<p>God saw and heard much wickedness over these thousands of years, yet He has been patient. By the same token, you have to be able to endure the criticism of the world. We must win the love of God; only that one thing matters. God has been the king of patience in history and so we must be princes and princesses of endurance. God gave His only begotten Son and saw the world kill him, but still God was patient. That is the endurance of God. Do you want it? You must have infinite patience and endurance if you want to gain true love.</p>
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<p>I have received overwhelming criticism but I don’t want to remember any of it. I want to forget within 30 minutes any accusation that comes. God has been forgetting the evil things and remembering the good news. I can always be grateful and thank God for the opportunity to participate in His hardship and learn His endurance. With that power alone can we understand God and become like Him.</p>
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<p>How much has God trusted people? In all biblical history man has failed God and has been untrustworthy, but still God trusted. Without trust there is no way God could continue the work of restoration. How could man continue to try if God did not trust him? Thus when we learn from God, we must learn how to trust other people even though they may fail us a thousand times. Even though they lie to you, still trust them. Even though they cause you pain, still trust them.</p>
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<p>Thank God that you can participate with Him in trusting unconditionally since you yourself have been untrustworthy. When you meet someone who is difficult to trust, you can thank God for the opportunity to practice His trust. God wants so much to love man that He gives everything unconditionally. By imitating the God who is infinitely loving and trusting, we can learn that wonderful way of love. When God sees someone who is trying to practice this way of life even while he is living in hard circumstances, God wants to show great mercy to him. You can win His heart and He will shower His mercy and grace on you.</p>
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<p>In home church you are persecuted many times. Your roster will be your record of persecution but God comfort you and be right there with you. Persecution is a necessary ingredient. In many cases when your people are rude and curse you, you come back to the center feeling depressed. But instead you should be jubilant over what they have given you that day.</p>
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<p>By enduring their hostility you will become a universal person who can go to both hot and cold places, high and low places and be welcomed there. In that way, you will become a central point. You love to see me because I am such a central point. I am almost 60, so wouldn’t you ask me to sleep late and let a younger person give the sermon on Sunday? No? How cruel you are! When I leave New York to go abroad, you feel America is empty because the focus of love is temporarily away. I am always trying to be the focus of your love and I always focus my love upon you. This is why I am generous with you and forgive you all the time, giving you another chance and trusting you.</p>
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<p>The twelve months comprise one circle of seasons. There is always balance there, with six months up and six months down, six months left and six months right. One place is hot and the other cold. Each season reaches a peak and then changes. You cannot say you want only spring or only enjoy hot weather. Most people don’t like winter but you have to live through it. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, and at least three disciples collaborated with him; their betrayal was equivalent to the three months of winter. You must pass through winter to welcome spring. Winter is essential because without it nothing can be prepared for the spring.</p>
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<p>When water freezes it expands and through that process the hard shell of a seed bursts and is ready for spring. God is truly a great scientist. When you see isolated aspects of the creation, you don’t understand the greatness of the whole picture; but when you see the whole picture, you can see the wisdom of having a season like winter. In the Unification Church now we are completing our winter and getting ready to welcome spring. Then we will go on to blossom fully in the summer and bring the harvest in autumn. When the seeds are harvested, we will enter winter again and be ready to be tested again. Then the cold will beat fiercely on us but the life in the seed will remain intact, waiting for the spring and summer. New life will come.</p>
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<p>You are persecuted and ill-treated but the life within you has been activated, hasn’t it? Are you ready to come out in the spring? Americans think that their nation will always prosper, but that is not so. While Americans are enjoying spring, summer and autumn, you are building up the power to survive the coming winter.</p>
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<p>The Unification Church is full of hope. We will not be a great movement unless we are hardened and tested, but then we will be strong and able to prosper anywhere in the world. In order to be a healthy person, you must be able to live in and enjoy all of the seasons. In the same way, you should be able to serve all four different categories of people-like spring, summer, autumn and winter. You can say that you need all four kinds of people, just as you need all four seasons.</p>
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<p>That is why Jesus selected twelve disciples, all of them very different. Jesus focused his love upon each person and then they became one united group. You should be able to serve and focus on twelve different people in harmony.</p>
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<p>In one day we can see signs of the four seasons: morning is like spring; daytime is like summer; evening is like autumn and night time is like winter. In order to make a full circle, your movement must be both up and down. You cannot go just one way. We should know how to go both up and down because God does both. Satan, however, only knows how to go up; ultimately he will fall all the way down. When you encounter tribulation and suffering, don’t think that you are destroyed. As much as you must go down, you can come up again that much higher. That is the method God wants to teach you.</p>
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<p>Together with the spirit world we are going to focus on the eternal love of God. As Moonies we have a tremendous capacity: we can focus ourselves no matter where we are because we have the true love of God. People see us now in a bad light but as soon as they see that their focus is wrong, they will change.</p>
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<p>If you totally serve and sacrifice for others, you will become a central figure wherever you go. If you live like that, you will be elevated into heaven as a central figure. Your eyes should search for the places where people are in misery; your thinking should be focused on how to liberate hell; your ears should want to change the sad sounds of hell; and your mouth should speak the glad words of salvation.</p>
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<p>Look at the world through God’s parental eyes and speak words of salvation. If you live like that, you will be a victorious person; you will be approved as God’s son or daughter. This is a task more urgent than anything else. You should get to the point where you forget the calendar, forget night and day. The place where we must do this is home church.</p>
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<p>Therefore, be proud of being persecuted. When you are walking on a windy, rainy day, soaking wet, be proud of it. When your shoes are broken and you have to stuff them with cardboard, be proud of it. When someone curses you, be proud of it. My only worry was that America might ignore me, but it hasn’t. Since you are like God and like me, your worst worry is that people will ignore you.</p>
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<p>If you can say that you will go this way without failure, raise your hands, please. Thank you. God bless you.</p>
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<article id="post-1400" class="post-1400 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1979">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/19/return-to-hometown.html" title="Permalink to RETURN TO HOMETOWN" rel="bookmark">RETURN TO HOMETOWN</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="#" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-19T14:16:43+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/19/return-to-hometown.html" rel="bookmark">June 19, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-19T14:16:43+01:00">June 19, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/speeches/categories/rev-sun-myung-moon-1979.html" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1979</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="center">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="center">March 18, 1979<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>Where is your hometown? When the original human ancestors became fallen, they departed from their original home, which was the ideal world. When we say “ideal world” we are including everything that is good. Anything we want to possess belongs to that ideal realm. What do you want to have? You want your parents to be the ideal parents. You also have brothers and sisters, neighbors and a society. and you want all of these to be linked to the ideal.</p>
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<p>We can basically divide ideal things into three categories: ideal world, ideal man, and ideal God. You might say that God is perfect from the beginning, but the fall brought the death of His children: how could God feel joy when He saw that His children were all dead? How could there be ideal parents if there were no ideal children?</p>
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<p>God became a sad God, and mankind wandered in despair. When God is heartbroken and man is in despair, all things of creation are caught in between. They also lead a tragic existence because there is no one to give them joy. Because the creation did not fall, it is in a position to reject fallen mankind. Creation knows that only original man has the right to govern it, that fallen man has no right to exercise dominion. But all things of creation have been exploited and damaged by fallen man.</p>
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<p>A tragic history has unfolded in human society as men have competed and fought and tried to take advantage of one another. Evil originated with the two human ancestors and has multiplied to every corner of the earth. The brothers of the next generation were enemies, and there was also separation between parents and children. Men are destined to he united and live in harmony but they became separated because of the fall. History has recorded only division among men, yet we are destined to unite. Therefore, there is a movement organized to unite men in their original state.</p>
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<p>Many leaders have tried over the centuries to unite their tribe, or nation or the world under their ideology, until today we can see basically two ideologies in the world. In the reality of today’s world we see nothing but despair and restlessness, but even under those circumstances people are still longing for and talking about unity and ideals. Even in past centuries when people enjoyed relative peace in the world they still harbored a desire for a higher goal and ideal. Today many people think we have reached the end of the world, yet still they talk about hope and the ideal.</p>
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<p>What is the solution for this world? There is some road teach to the hometown or birthplace for the individual, hut whether in East or West there must be one central formula for every individual to reach that ideal. There must also be some pattern and formula for a husband and wife to reach the ideal together. Next there must be a pattern for the family, for the tribe, the nation, the world, and ultimately for God.</p>
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<p>Today’s America is very modern and cultured, but there are still some people who are isolated from modern styles and live a backward way of life. They don’t care too much about the outside world, and they think that their way of life is the best. On the other hand, people who have the best the American culture has to offer feel that they are living the best way of life.</p>
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<p>Imagine that some people from each group were to meet and discuss the ideal way of life, explaining why theirs was the best. New Yorkers might boast they would never live anywhere else because they can buy anything in New York, see plays and concerts every day, live surrounded by skyscrapers, and have the most modern life. The country man might say he is scared to death to live in the manmade jungle which is New York. “How foolish you are to ride up so high in a little box hung on a cable; you never know when that cable might break! How can you stand all the noise on the streets? This is hell! People are always so restless and hurrying. What a life!” he would say.</p>
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<p>The country man gets up leisurely, climbs the mountains and watches the rising and setting of the eternal sun, breathing the fresh air. He drinks water fresh from the spring, but the city man drinks water purified with chemicals and pollutes himself. Country people don’t need much cash in their pockets, but city people cannot live without money every day. City people are always taking advantage of each other. Each side has its points in this discussion, and neither will be persuaded to change their minds. Neither side can settle their argument and show that the other side is wrong.</p>
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<p>If this issue cannot be resolved between people of the same nation, how much more difficult would it be for people from different nations and cultures? Is it easy for the various people of the world to come to the same conclusion? We are talking about one way of life for the individual, family, nation, world and God, but where can we find it? How can we know whether there is such a thing as the ideal? The key word is “true”-true parents, true children, and so forth, but what is “true”? What would guarantee that something is true?</p>
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<p>What is the truth you need most when you are hungry? Is the truth a sizzling steak or dried corn flakes? When you are very hungry you appreciate the taste of whatever you have to eat, and even it you have only a dry piece of bread you savor every crumb. But if you are already full and then are presented with a thick steak, would you appreciate it more or less than the bread’> If you don’t appreciate that steak all the time then it cannot be truth.</p>
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<p>Perhaps the bread came from a nasty, grudging neighbor, but the steak came with your mother’s love. When you were hungry you eagerly accepted the bread, but when you were full you rejected the steak. Also, if you ate the dry bread when you were hungry, you digested it thoroughly and got its nutritional value. But if you were full and forced yourself to eat the steak anyway, you would get stomach trouble. Where is the true value then? Nothing has absolute value all by itself. Everything is interrelated and has harmonized value. The value it has in creating harmony is what must be determined.</p>
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<p>Whether you are in the East or West, past, present or future, there must be one common denominator which determines truth. For something to be true it must bring joy to both sides; for instance, the steak must bring joy to both the giver and the recipient. The subject and object together create the harmonized value of anything. You cannot say dry bread has no value; for a starving man that bread is priceless. But if you don’t need the steak, or if you will suffer from eating it, it has no value for you.</p>
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<p>Truth always fills some need and brings the common good and creates a joyful feeling. The truth of whether something is good or bad cannot change with circumstance. What do the individual, family, tribe, nation and world all hunger for? What is needed by all these? Money? Power? Knowledge? They all want love. But love is a very confusing word also; there are many mixtures and kinds of love. L is long and wide so it means love is long and wide; O means it is OK, big like the ocean; V means love is the very thing you need; E means love is eventful and includes all the earth. Do you like love because its letters are good, or because its meaning is good? What is the meaning of love?</p>
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<p>I am an Easterner and you are Westerners, so am I talking about love which is different from yours? When you Westerners think of love, you imagine something that is different in quality and quantity from the love imagined by Easterners. Does true love vary from place to place? What is the base of the ideal-material wealth, big cars, technology? When God created Adam and Eve were there cars, planes and computers in the garden? What was the base of the ideal in the garden of Eden? Four elements existed there-God, Adam and Eve, angels, and all things of creation. Would you like today’s world or Eden better?</p>
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<p>The conveniences of today’s way of life are enormous compared to what Adam and Eve had in their primitive setting. Did they have rich dining rooms with silver and china, great mahogany tables and elegant manners? They had no formalities. If they were hungry then they just ate together when they felt like it. You might say they led an uncultured, primitive life. Today we talk about restoring the world and returning to the garden of Eden; do we mean returning to the primitive way of life? Did Adam and Eve have the fashionable clothes we see today” The only fashion they had was fig leaves!</p>
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<p>Did Adam have a nice shaving kit and toothbrush? Maybe Adam and Eve smelled like hell! But still we talk about the ideal in the garden of Eden. There was no government to print money or run schools, no theaters and culture, no law, no highways. But Adam and Eve had one very important thing-they liked each other and were happy together. God wanted to feel joy with them whenever they had give and take. God desperately needed Adam and Eve, and they desperately needed Him. Adam and Eve desperately needed each other as well.</p>
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<p>If they had a great deal of joy when they were young then when they got old and neared death they would still want to be near each other. Even in spirit world all three would still need each other absolutely. This one point would never change. No power could separate them, and even if they were separated a greater power would reunite them. If any power tried to infiltrate their unity, they would make a determined effort to fight back, wouldn’t they?</p>
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<p>The essence of the value of their lives lay in their unity and togetherness, so anything trying to curtail that life would be rejected. Equipped with the power of unchanging love Adam would be completely welcomed by Eve, and with that love Eve would be welcomed by Adam. In that love God and man would be totally melted into one.</p>
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<p>If Eve hadn’t washed her face, yet still wanted to show her love to Adam, would he push her away until she had washed? Could true love be conditional in that way? Love goes beyond appearance and cleanliness. If Adam and Eve completely forgot things like cleanliness and just wanted to show their joy and love for each other, would God be upset with their lack of formality and culture? If God evaluates love only according to external appearances, something is wrong with Him. True love has the power to transcend appearance and formality.</p>
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<p>I have heard that when parents visit their child’s elementary school the child is most proud when the parents are well-dressed and dignified. The teachers also like more refined people. But does a prosperous appearance determine the degree of love the parents can give their children? Children who receive true love from their parents will run after them to embrace them, no matter what the parents look like. That is a much more heavenly expression of love. Which one would you like? When you have true love you are parallel with the original nature of love. Any love that parallels God’s love we call genuine love. Today’s God is not really the true God because He is heartbroken instead of joyful. Until we can reach that true quality of love between God and man, certain things remain to be achieved here on earth.</p>
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<p>Ultimately restoration is working toward one final conclusion: one common principle of genuine love which shall be the standard of each individual, couple, tribe, nation and world. Today we are talking about returning to hometown; are we returning only as individuals? No. We are not talking about an individual’s birthplace, but the home to which all mankind are destined to return. That is the ultimate home and ideal, and everything from the individual to the universe must return there.</p>
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<p>Shall we return with money? With honor or knowledge? With power? What is going to be our gift? If a person leaves his home town empty-handed and then goes on to get an education, start a career and win honors, when he returns to his hometown he has become a legend. He is pointed out as a successful man in life. When he returns home would he tell his family they shouldn’t come near him because they are too lowly? How would you Americans react to such a man? Even if he is an important, successful man who exercises authority in the land, it isn’t acceptable for him to ignore his family. It isn’t acceptable because he has gained everything but lost love for his fellow man.</p>
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<p>If that great man comes home and loves and serves his parents as he used to do, if he wants to love and comfort his brothers and sisters and neighbors then he would be remembered as a great man. Suppose his mother was a bed-ridden invalid who had to be taken to the bathroom, and he insisted on doing it himself, sitting up with her at night and comforting her, all because she was his mother. Is that a great deed or a trivial one? The lower down he goes to serve his loved ones, the higher he shall be raised up.</p>
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<p>There is a great distance to go for fallen people to return back to their original home. One type of couple only wants to be happy by themselves when they return to their original home and doesn’t feel concern or obligation to anyone else. Another kind feels they cannot be happy all alone, but wants to go on to higher and higher levels and make others happy by enabling them to return home as well. Which type would be welcomed by the universe? It is not easy to live the second type of life because the farther you go the greater are the difficulties you must overcome.</p>
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<p>Restoration involves an about-face first of all. We have to go in the direction opposite our old way of life. and then tackle larger and larger goals. Even if a person turns around, starts the road of restoration and accomplishes the individual level, what he has accomplished has no value of he decides that one step is good enough and he goes no further. It would have been better if he had never started. If he gives up after reaching the second goal, that has no value either. It only has value when you tackle the ultimate goal and strive to reach the ultimate home.</p>
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<p>History is waiting for the man who will not only do an about-face but will penetrate all the way to the ultimate home. What are you doing here today in the Unification Church? True Moonies are the people who will do an about-face and go all the way to the final home. They are determined to go this way and will never be bothered by opposition. For what reason will we return? Because we want to meet the ideal God, not the suffering God, and meet ideal parents, ideal brothers and sisters, and ideal mates. When you start this path you may be defeated or you may be victorious, but the ideal always exists in the victorious way. Ultimately the ideal is love-that is our ultimate destination.</p>
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<p>History has been aiming this way from the beginning. Jesus came to complete the journey, but still it has not been complete. It would have been easy for Jesus to return home alone, but that would not be the ideal. He should bring his family nation and entire world to that goal. That’s what made his path difficult. What is the most important necessity for us to return home “First, a burning desire to love God, a consuming longing to meet Him. Our question is not whether God exists; we know that He exists and He is love, and we want to love that Father. We want to meet God in a heartistic relationship so that nothing can ever separate us.</p>
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<p>In the ideal Adam and Eve are truly brother and sister and nothing can ever separate them. Even if this entire world is offered in exchange, neither could ever trade that love away. When they are united in that bond and tradition and become parents, then they are true parents of unchanging and eternal quality. The formula of the heavenly tour positions must be possessed by the individual, family tribe, nation and world. The greater the distance you go, the stronger this bond should get. Unless it gets stronger it will be broken or cracked.</p>
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<p>In order to accomplish that we totally invest ourselves without reservation. The heavenly tour position exists as the center, the core. Because ot the fall it did not exist in the beginning, but by throwing ourselves into the center we will create the core. I came to America to teach and give myself to the center, and the people who join with me will become the core. Even if the world were smaller, this principle would still work the same. There is no easy way to fulfill the central role; it can only be done by bearing the cross. By doing so as an individual and family you are creating a bigger realm which can suffer together with you for a great cause. Thus we widen the horizon.</p>
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<p>Do you know how much money I need to do the job’! I feel I must earn enough to feed all America. I want to embrace and be totally responsible for all Americans. I also want to feed all mankind. How could I do that as one man? The formula is simple: I sacrifice my family to feed the tribe, sacrifice the tribe to teed the nation, and sacrifice the nation to feed the world. When you keep expanding this formula then eventually you reach the entire universe.</p>
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<p>When we talk about returning home we mean returning to the place where all mankind can find happiness. We need a bridge from the individual level to the cosmos. The bridge is built by the individual’s sacrificing himself to go into the center of the greater circle, and then making that greater circle an even greater sphere. Every realm should join with the next higher level and enlarge to form the next realm. Thus, each individual can expand to cover the entire universe. Once the smaller realm is engulfed by the larger one, it is benefited whenever the larger realm is benefited. The greater universe includes all levels of existence, and each level contains the heavenly four position foundation. Jesus came to achieve this ultimate goal, and today the Unification Church mission is to go this road also. Whether you are Western or Oriental, white, black or yellow doesn’t matter; everyone has to go this central way of life.</p>
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<p>God is always on top, but He comes down along a straight line to each level and takes His position in the center. That line is the center of every level. That line shows God’s true way of love, and wherever it moves it becomes the center of all existence.</p>
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<p>The straight line is the line of love. God travels only on that straight line and there is no wobbling. The fundamental relationship is that of father-son, and when that is broken down then there is no more straight line acting as a pillar. The parent who has true love represents God’s trunk line; therefore, the true son is always in a position to follow that line exactly. When parents demonstrate true love their children have no right to say it is only their parents’ thinking and they want to go their own way. The vertical line is father and son, while horizontally the husband and wife form the central line. Normally Adam and God together represent heaven. and Eve and children represent earth. In Western culture children feel closer to their mother, and talk about Mommy and Daddy instead of Daddy and Mommy. That derives from this principle.</p>
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<p>Ultimately these relationships form a circle. God goes with His son, Adam, and the children go with Eve, their mother. Usually a grandfather pays most attention to his son and grandson, while the children feel closest to their mother. But everyone tastes the dove of the parents because it continues all the way around and maces a circle. That principle is applied in restoration and the four position foundation.</p>
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<p>All men are in a position to represent the father also they represent the position of husband. For a wife her husband is the Abel husband, and all other men are Cain husbands. In addition, men represent the position of son. Men have the roles of father, husband and son. On the opposite side, woman represents three distinct roles-mother, wife and daughter. Everyone has these relationships. Your own family is your Abel family, and the rest of the world is your Cain family. It is because of the fall that Cain came into being; in the ideal world there would be no such thing as Cain because all would be in one loving sphere.</p>
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<p>Initially we were meant to expand our love from the center outward, but because of the fall we start from the outside and work inward. If there had been no fall then the core would have come first and been expanded. Because of the fall however, there was no core, so we start from the outside and try to work into that core. Abel is in the position to give true sacrificial love. When you sacrifice for the sake of the Cain world would you do it on a one-to-one basis. or would you want to sacrifice for the sake of the entire Cain world? When you work on a worldwide basis you can restore the entire world at one stroke: When you go all the way to the other end and come back to the center then you have covered the entire universe.</p>
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<p>Men go one direction and women another, so when they meet in the center and create a family, logically they can say that their family represents the entire universe because they have already given themselves for the sake of the universe. The fallen world doesn’t have this core, however; though the shape is there, it has no content. In the Unification Church we are operating on the cosmic level and wherever we move there is always confrontation and controversy, but when we unite with the core then the rest of the world shall appreciate it. Every individual is moving toward this world.</p>
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<p>I want you to understand your individual position. You may think that you simply become a Moonie, wait for blessing, have a family and that’s it. But that’s not the end of it. Next you expand your family onto the worldwide scale and give it for world restoration. After ten years perhaps you have covered only a little bit of territory and think that you will never cover the universe by the time you are old. But you can sympathize with God. It took God 6,000 years to find one true Adam, so how much more difficult would it be to create Adam and Eve’s family, society, nation and world? Not everyone can do these extraordinary tasks; though everyone must do it, we know that individual capacity is limited.</p>
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<p>God knows your time and physical limitations, so He set up a good deal for you. God does 95% and gives it to you, providing you do 5%. Furthermore, He made an agreement with Satan-provided man does 5%, it will equal 100%, and then Satan cannot accuse. Satan insisted that it be done according to the principle of restoration through indemnity, with no short cuts, and then he agreed to accept it. The whole world came under Satan’s dominion, so he has Adam’s body, and even Jesus’ body. Satan said that if anyone would do more than Jesus did and set a higher standard then he would accept that person without accusation.</p>
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<p>Adam and Eve became fallen because they could not love God more than they loved themselves and they obeyed their own carnal desires. But since I know God’s principle, I will never be subjugated by this body, but will be guided only by the love of God. That’s the standard we need. Furthermore, I will love God more than anything else-more than my life, more than my family, more than anyone. The world has had fallen love and life, so we deny that love and determine to have the true life and love, no matter what. This is why Jesus’ teaching begins with denial of the physical world. He said that anyone who loved Jesus more than he loved himself or his family would be worthy of Jesus. That’s the central ideology of Christianity. Jesus came to proclaim new life, new values and new love, so it started from a denial of the old. Your old love for your parents, wife and children cannot be accepted.</p>
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<p>Always we find what seems to be contradictions in Jesus’ teaching in the Bible such as “For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Jesus proclaimed the greatest revolution. There have been many revolutions in the last 2,000 years, but he brought a revolution of life and love. Jesus made statements which made it almost certain he would be crucified. He said that anyone who loved his family more than Jesus was not worthy of Jesus, and that meant denying everyone. So everyone opposed him tor encouraging division of families. People said Jesus was destroying the family bond and social ties.</p>
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<p>Today the Unification Church is receiving the same criticism, but actually we are in an entirely different situation. In Jesus’ time the family system was much stronger; today American families are breaking down anyway, yet still they are blaming me for disrupting families making me the scapegoat! God has to re-establish new life and new love at the right time in history, so God is making our job easier by allowing families to break down on their own. We don’t have to break down the old ones, just make new ones. The American family system is in real danger, with parents separating and children running away. It is easy to build new structure when the old one has already been torn down.</p>
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<p>America is a representative Christian nation; it drew the Abel-type people from all over the world and planted them here in one nation. Now that nation has become a vacuum. The brilliant culture of white people is crumbling and families are disintegrating. People feel lost, and are starting to think that maybe the minorities in America have a better culture since they stick together and still have family ties.</p>
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<p>White people are the most agitated, wandering and looking for answers in new areas, marrying people of other cultures in their search for something they can feel good about. Now all of a sudden they hear me teaching about one family of man and a world without nationalities. I bring a new creed and discipline and morality tor family life. This one voice crying in the wilderness is saying things that sound logical and people are eager to receive them because the atmosphere in America is ripe for a new revolution of love.</p>
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<p>You are the children of the established generation in the United States, and in their own way I’m sure your parents tried to love you. Now you have dedicated yourself to the work of the Unification Church and the white community is upset, trying to understand why Reverend Moon could succeed where they could not. They are trying to find out what my technique is, and they cannot discover it, so they say you were brainwashed. A tornado doesn’t care how expensive your beautiful home or car was. There is a tornado of the new life and love which is blasting everything out of their already-weakened foundations, moving them from one place to another. In their place we will build something new. That heaven is what we have been waiting for 6,000 years.</p>
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<p>I did not create that tornado, however. A power greater than myself generated it, and I am merely riding the tornado. My secret is that 1 know precisely the rhythm and destination of the tornado so I can go one step ahead of it. Do you think God is scientific, that He has a pretty good brain? God is offering a partnership to His children, saying to them, “I have suffered so much for you, and I don’t mind suffering a little more, but if I do 95% then you have to do 5%. Do you agree? Your 5% will involve changing to a new life and new love.” God is offering beautiful new clothes to His children, who are wearing rags, but the problem is that you can’t see what He is offering and you cling to what you have. God knows you will be benefited 1,000 times by His offer, but you don’t have a glimpse of it so you don’t believe it.</p>
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<p>You need to make a commitment and be able to say, “Yes, Father, I see and I will do it.” Once you see clearly, would you hesitate to give up your old things” God knows you will have a difficult time believing, so His plan is to give you one example, Reverend Moon. If I had the respect of the world you would not understand your course, so God put me in the worst possible position of suffering. Yet under those circumstances I was not defeated, but rose up and won. In this respect I am a successful man and no one can compete with what I have overcome. Could the President of American duplicate it?</p>
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<p>God is showing you how I could win even under the worst circumstances because God was with me. Now God is saying that if you uphold the same cause that I am committed to, His power and strength will make you as successful as I am. It doesn’t matter to God what color you are, or what country you live in-as long as you apply this principle, God’s power will raise you up as much as He has me. God is issuing that decree to all people everywhere in the world.</p>
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<p>I am the most mysterious phenomenon in American society today, and no one can figure me out. When you work hard and pray, you meet me in your dreams. particularly when you are facing the most difficulty and suffering. If power lines carried this energy from me to you, they would form a system so gigantic that it would make IBM look like a peanut. But in my system no wires are needed, and each individual is a receiver who can automatically tune in. You can listen to me and see me, and distance doesn’t make any difference. Do you think God is with us? If so. we have the solution. Then all I have to say is that you should go out and die for the sake of the world because you have nothing to fear. What is there to be afraid of?</p>
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<p>You think America is a civilized nation, but today it is a manmade jungle. You know this is a dangerous world. [ came to create a new breed of Americans because I know that if this nation can be recreated then the world can be recreated. I asked God for young people who can be raised up to be God’s champions and change the world. Have you changed? Are you new people? How new? God is using me as a sample or example for the world to see, and He told me where to go. He told me how far to go in each direction, but He set certain limits which I must not cross over. I can cover all the territory within that boundary, and it is the responsibility of every individual to do everything outside that boundary.</p>
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<p>I gave up my own parents and family and nation. Actually I have been opposed by my parents. family and nation, so you also must take that route. The difference is that the opposition I received from my own family was a thousand times more painful that what you receive. Those who persevere under these circumstance and follow with the utmost commitment shall receive the benefit of it. Those who depart can receive nothing. I have received every possible accusation and been called every bad name. In America some people even think I am worse than the Mafia. People describe me as a monster who eats women without even chewing them.</p>
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<p>On the other hand, I am also given the highest possible reputation by people who call me a saint, and even say I may be the Messiah. There are two kinds of people making up two kinds of reputation for me, but there are no lukewarm people. The opposition is so persistent they are almost like Moonies. Even the <i>New York Times </i>and <i>Washington Post </i>have shown repentance, but to the very end those other people will not change. They want to see me fight them back one-to-one. They are offering us many temptations to fight them, but we have no time to waste on fighting on their battleground.</p>
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<p>We are like marathon runners with a goal to reach. The spectators may be shouting their ridicule and curses, at us, but do the runners have time to stop and fight with them? No, it sounds like music in our ears and we keep running. Then after we win the gold medal we will go back and greet them. When we go back then they will be flabbergasted and unable to speak. You won’t have to explain how wrong they were because they will see that their opposition makes no sense. That will be your real vindication.</p>
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<p>The victor won’t have to punish the whole world-he will just pick up one person and defeat him three times, and then the rest of the world can repent. Our battle with Congressman Donald Fraser showed the world that I am a winner, and let the world know that God is with us and I am innocent. Unless I had won all the spiritual victories and received the gold medal from heaven, this kind of victory against the Congress would never have been possible. By defeating Fraser I could teach the world a lesson.</p>
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<p>We also confronted the Senator from Kansas, and finished that battle in two weeks. We let Congress know what a mistake it is making, and eventually we will let the American President know what an awful mistake he is making. As God’s champion I have already covered 95% of the territory, and all you have to do is the remaining 5%. God is hoping for you to hang on with iron will and finish your 5% responsibility. God is hoping that your 5% will be a much more severe test under opposition so that you can really prove yourself and God can give you a medal. Then he can give you His unreserved blessing, something even greater than what He gives me. You should be such fanatics about doing home church that your 360 homes draw up petitions to the government to hold you back because you are at their doors so much every day.</p>
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<p>America is a nation of all races and colors, and in order to oppose you they will have to unite together. You must pray for such incredible opposition to come that people will club you and chase you down. When the people discover that you really are innocent and are living for the sake of God, they be remorseful over the evil they did. Then it will be your turn to say, “You have been united in opposing me and Reverend Moon, and now you realize you are wrong. Would you now unite even more strongly to do the work of God with me?” Then they will be glad to do it. When they realize the evil they have done in uniting to oppose you, will any additional opposition come once they decide to support you?</p>
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<p>We shall be superior to the standard of’ Adam, who fell. We shall be superior even to Jesus, who was crucified. Jesus proclaimed this revolution, but he became a victim and was murdered. But we will hang tough and survive to declare victory. You are Americans who have rights under your Constitution to live according to your religious beliefs If even a Korean man is still going strong in America, you can certainly go on without fear.</p>
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<p>What weapon do we have? At every level of our existence we crave the true love of God. That love is our weapon. There is no other way we can light. We give our heart and soul in serving and loving people, shedding tears and sweat for brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents all the people who are extensions of our own families. Home church is your foundation, and in order to make it firm you have to stamp on that area one time, three times, ten times, a hundred times. You must feel that you are launching a satellite that is Hying to the moon and sun, and home church is your ranching pad. In order to launch a rocket, you need a strong launching pad which can withstand the fiery heat of take-off.</p>
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<p>When the time for the launch comes I will push the button, and your lift-off will be so loud, bright and powerful that all America will shake and even the whole world will recognize it. Even one launching at Cape Kennedy makes news, but in home church there will be simultaneous launchings every day. Looking down, God will see all the missiles launched and flying to hit His heart. The steering mechanism of the rockets is the vibration of love and we are following it right into the heart of God. If you make a small mistake in steering, you will miss the target entirely, but once you hit the bulls-eye you will stay forever in the heart of God.</p>
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<p>Wherever the love of God is burning there is peace and joy and excitement, and you will hold the title to that world. ln that world husband and wife can embrace and say, “We’ve finally got it!” the wife will tell her husband she is so glad he hit her and made her go on, and that she can finally be here. You will even be grateful for my spanking too!</p>
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<p>Are you in exciting work? Can that ultimate joy be compared to walking down the aisle to a wedding march somewhere else? If you live your own way and marry on your own, when you finally enter the spirit world you will be a wanderer who does not know where to settle. Satan will stride up and order you into his realm. But when we live this way of life we don’t need anyone to guide us because we know we want to land in the heart of God. When you are going to meet your father do you need a guide to point him out?? Does someone have to help you find your own husband or wife?</p>
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<p>We are strange in a way because no one else thinks of that way of life I am not that handsome and 1 don’t look that smart, but I have been living this way of life. No matter what the world says or does to me, I have no time to fool with it. I am always going forward, day and night. I am only concerned that everyone is going toward the goal, and when I meet you I am concerned about how to make sure you are going straight. In a sense I am throwing you at the goal, so when I toss you I want to hit the bulls-eye. I am always concerned about strong discipline, and even at home I often speak about it to Mother and my children.</p>
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<p>Mother has the additional duty of bearing children, and it is not easy to give birth to many. I understand that she is careful and hesitates before doing some bold thing, but I always push her ahead anyway.</p>
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<p>The one principle that always works is that of hanging onto the rocket. You must be bold. When I am launched and you hang on, you will reach the same destination. You know you are on the right track, so are you going to hang on?</p>
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<p>We are all destined to go to spirit world, so when you arrive there who would you look for? If all of a sudden you find I am in the dungeon of hell, what would you do? Would you say you will go where your love is and come to hell with me? If I am in hell then you cannot avoid going there. But if you arrive and are excited to greet me. when you lift up your eyes from bowing you will see it is actually heaven. Wouldn’t that be more exciting and dramatic instead of just going straight to heaven when I am not there? If you possess the true love of God then you have the supreme power which can transform hell into heaven. I love love.</p>
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<p>I have been going around the entire world, and finally in 19761 stood on the pinnacle, with the whole world shooting at me. I came to America and predicted certain things. Do you think they were fulfilled? I predicted 1978 would be our worst year, but that if we went over that obstacle then we would come back with the power that would shatter the communist world. Recently the vice premier of China came to America. In Korea we write his name, Deng Tsiaoping, in Chinese letters. His family name means “climbing up”, so that is good, but his first name means “small and flat.” He was received with pomp, fanfare and headlines in America. But after he returned to China, it started a war with Vietnam and that giant country of China was miserably defeated. It was exposed as a paper tiger, and its reputation was damaged.</p>
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<p>In Korean “carter” means “fussy”, or”busy with this and that.” The meaning indicates being restless and always up and down. There is no decisiveness and righteous conviction in this Administration because it is only worried about popularity.</p>
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<p>Now that 1978 is over and 1979 is begun, whatever we do should have impact, and whatever you do shall accumulate as your monument. We can hit the world and it will tremble. We shall gain victorious result so you need lots of spiritual gunpowder and bullets. Is it better to have a rifle with a long barrel or a short one? If it is long enough then it will touch the target and there is no way you can miss! This is how I think. You might think this is not common sense, but nothing is impossible with God. But even with a gun, unless you have enough gunpowder the bullet will get stuck halfway down the barrel. What would you do if that happened? I always think of every possibility, so my plan is to have another charge within the bullet, and when that explodes the bullet will finish going all the way.</p>
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<p>Moonies are impossible people, and wherever I throw you, you can get out because you have your own gunpowder inside. With one stroke we shall hit the bullseye, which is the ultimate heaven. Your method of shooting would use up millions of bullets and still not hit the target because you aim in all directions. So I have designed a mechanism for you in which the barrel will not move and all you have to do is pull the trigger. There is a trigger for the family dispensation, national dispensation and world dispensation. Unless you know this much at least, you won’t know how close you are to the final destination.</p>
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<p>When you know where you are, you have hope to cover the rest of the distance. If you are crawling through a very tight, cramped tunnel, your back and legs hurt and it will take a millennium to get out. But if a flood roars along behind and pushes you through, would you appreciate that water? If you are going home do you want to make the journey last a thousand years or one year? No matter what, no matter how wounded you are, you never deviate from the goal of the love of God.</p>
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<p>Maybe you are hungry and cold and miserable, and you regret seeing your youth pass by. But if Unification Church life became routine then you would never get to the end in a million years. This is a revolution and you have to finish it in one stroke. Why did I make such a commotion and generate controversy? Why did I hold so many rallies? I am a topic not only in the religious world but also in the worlds of business, culture and education. I am making an impact on every aspect of American life so that American history can never leave me out. No one has ever seen one man come to this country and make a foothold in all areas of life in such a short time.</p>
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<p>I did not come to accommodate or negotiate with America, but to penetrate through it to the other end. To do that I needed speed and impact. Am I drowned by the American culture, or do I stand above it because I have penetrated it already? We do not live the American culture here. You sit on a hard floor to hear a sermon and after three hours you don’t even know if it will end soon. The rule of thumb in regular American churches, however, is that no soul is saved after fifteen minutes.</p>
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<p>Home church is your world. Go ahead and duplicate the world of God in this small area. Love them as much as God loves them. When you do this, the 95% God created through me will be given to you for free. To inherit this, you must walk the way of life 1 have walked, for even a short time. Then you shall truly be lord of all creation and a triumphant person. With that accomplishment you shall return home.</p>
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<p>You will report to God that you received the 95%, and added your 5%, and now you can bring the full 100% to God. Then He can declare that you have won the victory and are worthy to be His son. Satan will bear witness also. He will say he has done all</p>
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<p>kinds of evil against you, but you won over it. Then God can give His entire Kingdom to you.</p>
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<p>When you go home the entire village will celebrate with you. What kind of dances would you have at that celebration? Maybe disco? Why not create heavenly discotheque? You can dance so long and hard that God will give up first, and then you collapse after Him. When you revive again you be a capsule of the honey of God’s love. You will be so intoxicated with that love that you will forget about sleep and work because you are melted in that love.</p>
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<p>Before you reach your destination you must taste both death and life. Would you mind? Will you cover that distance with enthusiasm and excitement” Who wants to go there? Is home church good or bad” Home church is good! Amen.</p>
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<article id="post-1398" class="post-1398 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1979">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/19/the-way-of-prosperity-and-defeat.html" title="Permalink to THE WAY OF PROSPERITY AND DEFEAT" rel="bookmark">THE WAY OF PROSPERITY AND DEFEAT</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="#" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-19T14:15:45+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/19/the-way-of-prosperity-and-defeat.html" rel="bookmark">June 19, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-19T14:15:45+01:00">June 19, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/speeches/categories/rev-sun-myung-moon-1979.html" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1979</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="center">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="center">March 11, 1979<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Sang Kil Han</h3>
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<p>How do you feel on this rainy morning? Probably not as bright as on a sunshiny morning. Everything that lives on earth wants to prosper or rise, and nothing wants to decline. That is true for the individual as well as the family and nation and world. Then what about the Unification Church? The Unification Church shares this desire with everything else in the world. There are many denominations among Christian churches which must “pioneer” their own way, and they will go the same way other denominations go.</p>
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<p>Would God rise and fall also? God existed from the very beginning, and it is reasonable that He would have had the same rise and fall as others. Just as there are times for us to think, there are times in which God thinks, and after thinking He certainly would take action. The Bible records that after God created all things He said they were good. His creation had to be good or bad, but certainly there was the possibility that something could be better than good. You have probably had a similar experience; when you do something you can do a good job, but then afterward you think you probably could have done it better.</p>
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<p>In the morning every individual is thinking about something. When all of you came here, you came here in many different states, with some alert and thinking and some dozing off. Is it good or bad that you came here? You came here hoping that everything would be good, but perhaps a person you disliked sat beside you, perhaps someone who has a smell you don’t like. You could have concluded that it was a bad thing, but also that it was good as well. You could reach this conclusion by digesting the things surrounding you and making them your own.</p>
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<p>If you hear me speak in the morning and conclude that it was a good sermon, you can develop on that basis. You can think, “Even though it was raining, I learned very much,” which means that something benefited you and gave you a basis for developing further. We can understand that this process works not just for ourselves as individuals, but on every level. Since this is something we all do, we ought to think deeply about what we should be doing and what result we can expect.</p>
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<p>We can look back in history to understand what a certain person thought, how he acted and what the result was. Most people can agree that Jesus was a good person, or a saint, and Mohammed and Buddha could also be included in that category. Looking at these three, we logically ask which of them was the best person-in other words, who thought the most and who carried it out in the best way. On what basis can we say that Jesus was the best? If you ask Buddhists, they will undoubtedly say Buddha was the best, and Moslems will say the same about Mohammed. Is this why white people think Jesus was the best? That would be weak logic. How do we judge who thought the most and acted the best?</p>
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<p>People automatically say that whatever they believe is the best; this conviction is the same everywhere, so this is the point that we have to think about. The only way to find the answer is to go to someone who is higher than all religious leaders, leaving that plane of purely human thinking. God is the only one who can give a judgment on this and His decision is the one we must follow. If these three religious groups go to God to get a decision, they should follow what God tells them and not dispute among themselves.</p>
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<p>Then what does God think about these problems? When God thinks of people in the past, present and future, who would He think are the best? We can say He thinks the best of people in the future because they will have become more restored. If God thinks that what is yet to come in the future will be better than the present time, certainly He will try to bring in the future today. Likewise, if He thinks the past is better than today, He would want to help the present overcome its situation and reach the standard of the past.</p>
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<p>God created all things as a result of His thinking. He did not create at random without purpose. likewise, we always have a purpose in thinking, expecting some benefit. You have a clear purpose in coming here and want to find some subsequent course of action for carrying out that purpose. Likewise, when God created all things He had a purpose. Even for the grass God had a purpose which was in accord with everything else He made. The hundreds of kinds of trees were created in accordance with His purpose of creation. The birds and animals all came to exist in accord with His overall plan. Finally, God created man after creating all these things. Mankind consists of men and women, who were created to become one through love. Was God’s final objective of creation to be man, or was it to be love?</p>
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<p>What was the ultimate purpose of God in His creation? What final destination did He envision? Love has to be the ultimate purpose. Does man include love, or does love include man? Once we accept the conclusion that love includes man, we cannot discard it. What is your conclusion-can love and man be equal, or is one bigger than the other? Are you saying that love is greater than any man? Why is it so? We have to say that love is bigger because it is through love that everything can meet God. It is only through love that everything God created will be able to reach Him and His higher existence. Men and women all have a way to follow to reach God.</p>
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<p>If they were independently going their own ways, then love would hardly be necessary. But no one can be independent and expect to get somewhere. Women’s purpose is to reach men, and men in their turn have a particular way to go, which is to meet women. They cannot reach independent conclusions. This is true for all people, in the past, present and future. It will never change. What about homosexuals? Living in that way is the one sure way to perish by not leaving anything behind for eternity. That kind of life goes against all the laws of creation.</p>
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<p>It is the same as a tree that would refuse to bloom and create seeds. If mankind refuses to live in accord with their intended purpose, being willing to see the entire world become a desert as a result of their action, they should be condemned by the entire creation for violating God’s law.</p>
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<p>Let me ask you what your ultimate desire is. Do you want to graduate from a good school and rise in society, or is your most important goal to meet your ideal spouse? If asked which way we will go, would it be man’s way or woman’s way, or the way of love? We arrive at the common conclusion that we go the way of love. Are there any exceptions?</p>
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<p>Can you say you are really hurt and tired from love? Can you say love put you in a miserable situation so you have to revolutionize it? No, it is not possible to revolutionize love. Would you women really make an effort to correct a man who tried to alter love? Would you bite him and never let go? What if you were too weak to change him? Such a man clearly goes against the law of God and we would call him Satan. Such a person is opposing God’s law of creation, jeopardizing men and being an enemy of God.</p>
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<p>Now that we know God’s purpose of creation, we know that Satan’s purpose is to destroy God’s ideal by confusing or nullifying the path to true love. Satan works to separate man and woman and also to separate man and God. Clearly Satan is the enemy of God, men and women because he destroys the purpose of creation. If we follow Satan we will lose everything. When men and men live together and women with women, nothing remains afterward and all is washed away. Satan will not destroy men by war, but rather by separation. That is the tactic which can destroy God’s own purpose of creation completely.</p>
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<p>Would it be better for men and women to struggle, yet to stay together, or to separate and vow never to marry? Is it better for them to stay together even if they fight? Living that way is far better than homosexuals living together, even if they don’t fight at all. The first thing Satan says to a couple going down the wedding aisle, is, “You will fight constantly.” God’s blessing or promise is that they will never fight as long as they recognize that conflict is the voice of Satan. God’s desire is for them to live harmoniously. How can a couple help but fight if they really don’t like each other? They can be victorious if they think clearly what the law and purpose of creation is; they should realize that they are responsible to help protect God’s purpose of creation.</p>
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<p>Suppose there were millions of women on earth, but only one man. Could that woman declare that she didn’t love her husband and look for another? Would it matter if he was a cripple as long as he were the only man? If he had one eye could she refuse to marry him on that basis? In that situation she really has to take care of any disgruntlement in her heart, and even though that woman doesn’t like that man she must accept him. If she succeeds in digesting the situation then unity will come into being and love will follow. When unity is accomplished then God moves there to visit.</p>
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<p>Unity is good because that is where God dwells, and then everything is love. Therefore, the Unification Church is good because we are creating unity everywhere. God only said His creation of man was good after He had created both Adam and Eve.</p>
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<p>Women today like the concept of equality, don’t they? But they cannot change the fact that they are different. How can they claim equality when men need two helpings of food and women only one? Men work at heavy labor for hours and hours, but not women. A woman wrestler could never defeat a man. How could men and women be equal then? Only in love are men and women equal. Could you want any better equality? In primitive times a man had to really work to take care of his family. Because man could be independent in this way, God gave woman the one ability that man can never have, which is childbearing, to balance the different capabilities. But lately women are even refusing to have children.</p>
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<p>Is a woman’s bosom for the enjoyment of men? Are her big hips for men also? Even a small child can answer that question-they are to nurture children and not for anyone else. But now women diet instead of wanting a big bosom and hips for their children. What man would want a woman who insists on being thin? I understand that the present designs of Western dress originated with the British in a time when women were proud of having big bosoms and big hips and wanted to show them off, but today Western women don’t look right because they are so thin. You all laugh at this topic, but actually it is a serious matter.</p>
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<p>Would God say it was better for a woman to have a small bosom or an abundant one? Would God prefer women to have ample, rounded figures? Of course, it would have to be proportional to their overall height. Perhaps it is good for Orientals to diet because they are short and being too plump wouldn’t look right, but what about you tall Westerners? You have to have features that balance your height. Now that you have thought about it, is there any reason for you to diet?</p>
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<p>My topic is The Way of Prosperity and Defeat. What way must you pursue in order to prosper? First of all, you must parallel the purpose of creation. If you have active, outgoing love then you have the ability to observe and digest. Man and woman should be able to do so together and if you have love then this will not be difficult. If you really try to love each other then you will have a natural ability to observe and embrace each other. Sometimes you have a wide road and sometimes a narrow road to go.</p>
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<p>Before you are married you go your own way, but afterward you are on a track with another person. That road cannot change for your individual preference, but must always be traveled together. If it is always changing then harmony is lost and conflict results. If you change tracks and discard the old one, the next one will never be as good. The way of prosperity is adherence with the law of creation. The reason is simple: whoever follows the law of creation will be protected by God because He wants the purpose of creation fulfilled. The man who opposes that law and follows Satan’s law instead will be opposed by God. This is how rise and fall actually take place.</p>
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<p>A rainy day is closer to Satan’s side, while a sunny day is closer to God’s side. Nevertheless, although it may be raining, you can feel that the sun is shining all around you. That indicates that you have observed and digested and overcome the circumstances. Though you feel low on a rainy morning, if you overcome and feel bright then Satan will have to leave you. That kind of person can walk in any place where Satan hangs around and make him leave. Satan naturally looks for the way to benefit himself, so if you can overcome circumstances and defeat his purpose, he has nothing to gain by staying around.</p>
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<p>Is the diligent or lazy man on God’s side? Satan would discourage people from working hard by persuading them it is too much trouble. God, on the other hand, would rather see regularity in your life. The person who lives day by day and only responds to life as it comes is leaning more to the satanic side. God would urge people to live according to heavenly law. In the unification Church we make it a rule to arrive here at 6 a.m. Sunday morning, and discourage the attitude of deciding by whim whether or not to attend. You are worthy of being in the Unification Church if you have the attitude that you must meet the prescribed time.</p>
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<p>Are you on the satanic or Unification Church side? What about the person who is constantly dozing off and the person who always has bright eyes? The person who doesn’t fall asleep because he took time to get a good rest before coming is also on the satanic side! The person who didn’t sleep more than anyone else yet who can still have bright eyes is the worthy one.</p>
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<p>Now no more explanation is necessary. What do you have to do to be on the rising side? Of the four saints I described, who would such a person most closely resemble? On what foundation can you say he resembles Jesus? Of course, Jesus abided by the law, but more than that he lived love. Jesus went beyond the limited concept of law when he lived love, going beyond the concept of race because he wanted to belong to the world. He also went beyond his own religion, transcending the detailed tenets of Jewish law and being faithful to bigger principles. He loved not only the Jews but even the enemies of his people as well as the rest of the world. Jesus could even embrace the people who crucified him.</p>
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<p>What did he accomplish by all that! Jesus intended to accomplish a unity which could even include the Romans, so now we can understand precisely how he was great. If Jesus lived in today’s America would he advocate segregation of white and black people? White people may feel most comfortable with their own kind because they can digest that situation, but God would warn them that as long as they fail to follow their Christian ideals by failing to accommodate black people and bring unity, then white people themselves would risk their own survival.</p>
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<p>Jesus had the capability to observe and digest even the Roman Empire, which ruled the entire known world at that time. Jesus was great in the human realm because of this capacity, whereas in the heavenly realm he was great because he was the only one who proclaimed that God was the only Father. Jesus consistently followed the law of creation and met God’s expectation. As a result, Christianity not only survived but prospered as no other religion has done.</p>
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<p>What about Christianity in America a nation which was nurtured by that faith? America has almost totally lost the essence of Christian faith, and as a result Christianity is clearly declining in this nation. Why is this so? It is because the love for heaven and love for mankind which Jesus taught has been lost. How do we revive that love once again? Today’s churches are incapable of doing this. Church leaders today are incapable of bringing fresh love and faith, but just perpetuate all the old ways. God’s solution has been to pull the young people away from the churches to re-educate them and let them fulfill the purpose of Christianity in place of the old churches.</p>
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<p>With the continuing development of technology people are questioning the value of churches which cannot provide solutions. God will teach the young people a new way because they are searching hardest for a place of truth where they can belong. Other people criticize the Moonies for being the worst group, but what they are actually proving by their criticism is that it is the only good place.</p>
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<p>The religions of the world have forgotten their love for mankind and mission for heaven. The Unification Church is different because we are trying to restore that love, even though our members are sometimes weak and sometimes strong. Before joining the Unification Church our members were sometimes living in degraded ways and their lives weren’t focused, but now they move quickly and purposefully in everything. They look up to heaven instead of down to earth and they are proud and confident. Who else looks forward to the future in this age? That’s how the Unification Church is unique.</p>
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<p>Inside the smallest Moonie you will find love toward heaven and mankind. All the teaching you hear is directed toward that goal of love of God. God will certainly say that such a church is a good place to be. According to this criterion, would God love the Unification Church? What is the proof that Moonies love God and mankind? Do you have the urge to love them more than yourself? Do you really enter into love today, or think about loving better tomorrow?</p>
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<p>Even though you realize the world is about to perish, do you think you will enjoy yourself now and come back later to save the world? Would God say, “This world is doomed to perish anyway, so don’t pay much attention to it. Attendance at worship once a week is enough, and besides, you have to think of yourself”? If God wanted you to become like that, would you do it? If you insisted on dragging God around to help you put out the fire in the world, He might even complain that you are making Him work too hard! God would panic to see you coming back again.</p>
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<p>Would you choose to be the Moonie who is dragged but still won’t do it, or the one who will insist that God come to help him 24 hours a day since there is so much to do? Are you that second way? You always say yes! I have never seen Unification Church members come to complain that home church work takes too much of their time and is so difficult. But neither have I seen the member come who thinks I should start nation church instead of puny little home church. Now you say “Amen” because I said this, but why didn’t you say it first? If a black brother was the first to suggest it would I hug him, or tell him that someone else had to come up with the idea?</p>
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<p>I want to urge that you black brothers especially never be second in line, but do things better and faster than the white members. Should we start world home church or universe church ? Absolute God church! We can visualize many steps ahead of us now and think of universal church. Will the person who thinks home church is already too difficult prosper or sink? If he is huffing and puffing over home church then he will really struggle when he has nation and world church ahead of him.</p>
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<p>You are destined either to rise or fall centering on your home church. Will you be on the side of prosperity or decline ? Our future and destiny lie on the way to God’s home, so the secret is to observe all 360 homes at one time and then digest them. Forget about liking or disliking a certain home and just observe everything and then digest it all. cannot do that then they will digest you, so go and let them like you instead.</p>
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<p>When you go deeper and deeper into the night you are bound to come upon daytime, and if you go deeper and deeper into daytime then you are bound to come upon night. That’s how it is with the universe. We prosper and develop along this cycle. Most people in the United States are opposed to Unification Church, but this is the time when Unification Church will expand and grow. The point where we are persecuted to an impossible degree is the key point where we will rise or fall. If we give up, then everything ends, but if we gain ground inch by inch even under severest persecution, the way up will become easier and easier. Common sense would say that the world is so wicked that our lofty ideal doesn’t stand a chance. but God’s thinking is that His good sons and daughters will never succumb to Satan; He will help us to make it.</p>
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<p>Even the youngest Unification Church member knows that we have the highest ideal. We have godism, and this standard is better than the highest ideals of democracy or communism. Absolutely no one can take it out of our hearts. As long as I keep working with that in my heart, this way must prosper. America wanted to uproot Reverend Moon and the Unification Church completely, but was that attempt successful? Our roots are reaching deeper and spreading wider, although it may not show so much from above ground. We have home church, nation church, world church, universe church, God’s home. Once we have all that, there is nothing left to describe except “home.”</p>
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<p>Once we do that God is free to travel anywhere-to Belvedere, to visit you in your own homes, anywhere. Moonies see God clearly every morning, but other people say they have never seen God at Belvedere. Some people see UFOs, but someone who has not seen one cannot either believe or disbelieve.</p>
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<p>Are you in a position to prosper or decline? Wouldn’t it have been better for you if you had never heard of home church? Isn’t it true that though you think home church all the time, your feet are heavy when you are actually walking in your area? Do you have home church always in your mind and no room for anything else? Haven’t you older sisters worried instead about when you will get married?</p>
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<p>If you are completely full of the home church idea then your feet will be walking even without your knowing it. Have you ever experienced that? Then you have met the standard which God can really approve and begin to help you. Have you been to your area once or twice and then felt you had to think about it more, or did you have confidence that you wanted to keep on doing it?</p>
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<p>We have an unchanging direction going toward the purpose of creation. This is the same direction that God is going in. that Jesus went and that the whole Unification Church is going; there is no compromise here. Adam and Eve as well were supposed to go in this direction. There are two forces at work, with one force saying don’t go this way, and God pushing you to go this way. God has nothing to do with anything that is discouraging people from going this way. Which side do you belong on?</p>
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<p>At first man lived in God’s realm, but after the fall he sank down to the realm God has nothing to do with. There is no direction or ideal in that realm.</p>
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<p>People today characteristically don’t know where they are going or what is about to happen. They are in this godless realm, praying for direction. Now the individual has a small problem, then his family has a larger problem, and all the time the clan and society are groping; when the end of the world comes the whole world is groping, no better off than the individual who is searching The people of the world have no idea of something new coming, but remain in their limited area.</p>
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<p>God works by finding one individual in this realm and leading him to God’s side. He does not choose arbitrarily, but takes a few from the world, a few from the nation, a few from society and a few from a certain family, setting up the stages. Then for the first time in history God will teach them what the world of original creation was about. By learning it clearly they will be able to go to home church and prosper, ultimately going to various parts of existing society which have lost direction. Through these people God wants to show mankind the complete individual, family, and so on. He is looking clearly at the purpose of creation and will always go straight that way. His people will have such deep love as others never thought was possible in ordinary people.</p>
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<p>Moonies today have indisputable notoriety; realizing that the communist cause will ultimately lose to the Moonies, communists urge people not to even meet us by making them afraid of being brainwashed. In Asia it is rumored that a person can be brainwashed by merely looking at a Moonie. That is really a satanic idea.</p>
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<p>The purpose of creation is God’s ideal and you should be teaching the people God’s ideal by your action. God always has His ideal of creation, but because of man’s fall He failed to accomplish it, so what we are doing now is recreating it again. Through the teaching of the ideal we can recreate other people, and when the ideal is done you can claim your share of the credit before God. Then you can insist that God bring you everywhere He goes and He will have to agree.</p>
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<p>We are succeeding with our own hands in doing what God was unable to do. This is how we claim sonship and daughtership of God. Would you like to be God’s daughter-in-law? If you are not content with that then you must work harder than the son and qualify as His daughter. Jesus’ main teaching was essentially a few points. Once he said, “You are the bride and I am the bridegroom.” Can you speak that way`? Now you can have the confidence to say you are the bride and all the grooms must follow you, and your activity must show them the way. You may think the ideal is nice but dislike the activity involved. Do you really like activity?</p>
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<p>Would you move quietly, or with a loud brass band? When an old steam locomotive is in motion people cannot help hearing it, but would you be moving swiftly and noisily, or slowly and quietly? When you really move fast you cannot help but make noise. When you are really moving fast someone is bound to say you are dangerous, but others will say there is no other way to get something done in this country and those people follow you. The youth will want to move faster than you and that’s the way it ought to be.</p>
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<p>We really have to move ahead, not thinking so much of peripheral things. First we have to get the work done. Looking down on earth God watches to see if you are moving faster than Jesus did 2,000 years ago and doing more. Would God be interested in such people ? Until now God has only heard prayers of requests from people who never took action themselves and God is plugging His ears. Yet still He is looking down and it He sees someone really moving fast His eyes will pop open. He has heard many people talking, but never seen them working. Now He sees a different species, called Moonies, who don’t spend so much time praying to find out what they should be doing because they already know; therefore, they are constantly on the move.</p>
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<p>Looking down on them God is inspired enough to unplug His ears and is willing to listen to their prayers. When you prove that you really run, God will be on the alert to listen to your sincere prayer. How would God feel if it becomes clear that the person cannot succeed? He would be deeply disappointed. Although you are moving quickly now, will you be successful or not in the end?</p>
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<p>God has heard many sincere people praying and trying hard, yet every one of them failed. What could give God hope that the Moonies will succeed after everyone else has failed? If you were God would you have unreserved confidence? You have to think that you can never disappoint God and then do much to draw God’s attention. Tell God that He can unplug His ears and open His eyes because you will make it. We have to give God that confidence.</p>
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<p>When the spirit world sees all the Moonies working that way won’t they help out too? Your yes in the morning is confident and unreserved, but you have promised me many things in the past. When you listen to me you are inspired and full of enthusiasm. but the time you leave and get to New York you revert back to your old thinking, don’t you?</p>
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<p>Of course you have ups and downs, but when you have ups, it should be higher than ever before, and your lows not as low as before. Can you assure me that you are getting better or at least staying the same? When you first joined you were enthusiastic. but as time went on and you learned more did you become more enthusiastic than ever? Really? When someone hurts you doesn’t your enthusiasm sink a little? By the time they hit you five times don’t you yell at them? Because of fallen nature you are bound to have some fallen reaction. If you are not that way then you are already a saint and have no need of God and you don’t need me to teach you! Do you still I need me to some extent?</p>
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<p>I have seen many people who were really determined, and even wrote a letter of resolution to me in their own blood, but even those people dropped away when their expectations were disappointed-for instance, if they were matched to someone they didn’t care for. Do you know what I mean? Aren’t white people especially choosy? How can you say white people are an exception?</p>
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<p>You must learn first to fight against the untrustworthy self which is inside Especially beautiful young people worry about working too hard and spoiling their figure and Satan will keep dwelling on these things. That is really true. That is absolutely true! A good figure can be your first enemy. If a person has great ability and a degree from a famous school, those can be his enemies as well. A machine gunner can’t stop and think a long time about shooting; at the same time a soldier’s responsibility is not to shoot with his eyes closed but to go quickly and alertly into action.</p>
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<p>Each person has many obstacles in himself, so if he makes a rule that he will forget himself he is better off. Our concepts of what suits us and what we think we can do will always hamper God’s will; we have to go along with His ideal. We have to be confident to observe and digest any personality we come in contact with. I was not born in America, and it was difficult for me to come and work here. But I observed and digested the situation, deciding I had to accept it and become one with it. Why will you prosper if you become like that? Because God will support it: if God pays attention to what you do then you have to prosper.</p>
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<p>Centering on your mind, the body can be digested. Once you can say that your mind and body are one, you can say you have a God-centered personality and God will stay with you. Then other kinds of unity will come easily and be possible centering around you. This mind-body unity is the crux of the problem; unless there is unity here, you cannot hope for anything greater. We will have to observe and digest communism, and naturally in due course there will be an incredible amount of difficulty. However, we will observe, digest and make unity and then we will develop. You can be sure that prosperous people have this capability because these things go hand in hand.</p>
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<p>Unless we can overcome these serious situations many dreadful things will happen. If racial war erupts, there is no hope for survival, and chances are it will be so extreme that one whole race could be wiped out. We can only say this won’t happen if some strong group can offer a solution. This will be the group God will have to support. We have to have confidence that God will certainly support us in this way.</p>
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<p>The master of all things will be the first person to observe the situation, digest it and make unity. We have to see both sides and understand that unity must come before God can respond; before unity can come we must observe and digest. There are two ways to obtain unity; first, when you really know clearly and teach someone clearly then you are observing and digesting him. Second, if your thinking is not so clear then your alternative is to serve him and later be accepted. When you are able to be recognized as being better than others, they will start to follow you. This is why Jesus taught his disciples to serve and sacrifice. By doing so you will be the subject instead of the object. In obedience, service and sacrifice, you will become subject of all things and be on the rise all the time.</p>
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<p>The teaching of 2,000 years was to serve and sacrifice, but that is not enough to make someone successful. Today Unification Church members know the truth that is needed in addition to that; we know the necessity of making unity. Previously you could only serve and sacrifice. Now if you explain the truth to someone yet he doesn’t follow it, you show him by your action. Better yet, if he doesn’t accept the truth then you are able to serve and sacrifice. This is the Principle.</p>
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<p>You said you want to prosper, so how rise? By uniting into one. How can you attain unity? By observing and digesting. When the Japanese members came to America to show the example, they didn’t care much about anything else except the work. Many Americans thought it was just the Japanese way to work all the time and be discourteous and disregard many things. But in their eyes it wasn’t of most importance to have harmony with the local people temporarily; their ultimate goal was to become one and they didn’t care about criticism.</p>
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<p>Sometimes bitterness is felt before something is digested and indigestion comes. Then you try again. We have to have unity before we can develop, so you have to be desperate to find unity. It was not easy either for Adam and Eve to observe and digest, and as a result they fell. You stand in a similar position today when you are on the verge of being restored. If someone opposes you, do you have to oppose him?</p>
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<p>You have to digest the situation instead of hitting him. If you really want of hit back, just turn around and hit something else. Overcoming at that time is when the complete foundation of your personality will be laid.</p>
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<p>You have a mouth, so when you go to home church you should speak to the people. Command your fist to knock on the door. Persecution may come after the door is opened, but that comes after you knock on the door, so don’t worry about knocking. The person just might welcome you, or have a special message from spirit world. If you are really reluctant to knock on the door then do so with your feet. The best people in any area experience all these things too, not just people who are having difficulty. The same is true in fund raising.</p>
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<p>When you train yourself in fund raising you can think of your fist as a flower. When you train yourself this way then when you have real flowers you will do very well. That’s how we develop. If an ideal is high and a thought is great then they are more difficult to digest. You will have to open your mouth as wide as possible to take it in. Perhaps you will die if you try to eat something that big, but that is better than dying and never having swallowed it.</p>
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<p>The world of men is unknown to the women and they cannot hope to understand it, so as brides they should just obey. Likewise, I can see that when black and white can digest each other America will really prosper. By making unity in this difficult situation you develop; love comes with unity and prosperity will follow This is true on each higher plane. You might ask why each race wouldn’t do better to unite separately and report to God, but God is not that way. God will give His approval only when white people can say they have loved blacks and Orientals.</p>
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<p>If there is only one group which can make this kind of unity then God will give His approval only to that group and dwell with them. Then that group or church will be eternal in His sight. If you don’t become one then you will perish. God would want you to bring everything into unity, while Satan would advise you to think only of yourself. Those with better marks at school are the people who observe and digest other people, right? Then they become achievers. The person who cannot do that well will never be able to go beyond the starting point, but will stay in one place and then decline.</p>
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<p>As Unification Church members we must know clearly that it is our mission to unify; before we can do so we must observe and digest. This is reasonable, like all the laws of creation; it applies on every level of family, society, nation and world. I want you to become like that and be a subject of the whole world, being appreciated by God and respected by all mankind. That is done through home church. Will you do it intensely through every 24 hours, or slowly and gradually? There is nothing else I can teach you; there are a limited number of important principles. This is a simple principle, but it applies to every level and in applying it you will do your mission.</p>
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<p>When the brain gives a direction to the foot or hand, the rest of the body focuses there. If the hands are the first to digest the situation then the rest of the body will focus on them. The first one to achieve that unity will be the subject of everyone else. Thus, he will meet God and God’s love sooner than others. Because we want to be the first to meet God we go this way.</p>
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<p>Today it is raining and sleeting, but it shouldn’t make any difference what the weather is like. You have to observe the rainy situation and digest it. How much encouragement and consolation you find in thinking this way! When you can make yourself the subject of all mankind in this weather then working in this weather is very nice. If you are short of clothing, you can simply digest that fact and feel the same as if you had nice things. When you have less food. instead of complaining you can handle the situation.</p>
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<p>When you do that all the time, you will bring unity in a wide area and the reward will follow from God. How beautiful it will be when white people shed tears as they see black people off on their journey, missing them, and also when black people are missing white brothers and sisters. Where else could God’s attention be drawn except to that scene? He would give it all His attention, hoping it would last.</p>
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<p>We can attain much unity according to how much we are willing to observe and digest. When this day comes to earth then mankind will experience happiness and God can rest for the first time. Can you do it? Let us pray.</p>
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<article id="post-1396" class="post-1396 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1979">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/19/our-one-life.html" title="Permalink to OUR ONE LIFE" rel="bookmark">OUR ONE LIFE</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="#" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-19T14:15:05+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/19/our-one-life.html" rel="bookmark">June 19, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-19T14:15:05+01:00">June 19, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/speeches/categories/rev-sun-myung-moon-1979.html" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1979</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="center">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="center">March 4, 1979<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Sang Kil Han</h3>
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<p>Man always thinks centering on himself, and so leads his life centering on himself. Where does that tendency to value himself most of all come from? It comes from God Himself. As man finds himself’ elevated he is happy, and he hates to find things the other way around. Each person always has a past, present and future; in addition he is surrounded by his family, clan and social environment. Farther away is the rest of the world and spirit world.</p>
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<p>Just as we want to elevate ourselves individually we also want to elevate our families. This extends to other levels, such that an individual would like to see his society elevated; an American would like to see America become more developed than any other country, for instance. All those in spirit world would like to see their world improved and respected by others. That is quite understandable, for certainly God is much like this.</p>
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<p>When you examine yourself closely you see that you are part of everything else around you and it is part of you; you live in a common realm of existence. How can both you and your family be elevated at the same time? This is an important matter when you seriously consider it. Actually it is rather simple-if an individual is completely united with his family then he will cherish the family and think highly of its other members. In addition, if all the family members want to live for something higher than themselves then we can say they are not only united, but are being constantly elevated. This is not just logical reasoning but is the way our mind naturally moves. If a clan is united then they discover that they are looking upward and desiring to live for a higher cause; in living that way they discover over time that they are gradually being elevated, in the sense of developing or improving.</p>
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<p>If you desire to be elevated but not to see others elevated in relationship to you, you will always be in conflict. The other person will never give in but will fight back. You will not only find yourself to be ineffective, but actually declining as well. According to the principle of development two people can advance by uniting for a higher purpose. Who among men would be the center in each step along the way? We can generalize and say that it is the one whom God loves most. What is the standard tor finding such a person? Yes, it is the person who always wants to himself, but we have to determine how God wants an individual to elevate himself.</p>
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<p>We want to elevate ourselves, not by asking other people to do it for us, but by coming under them instead. How does this actually work? If a person places himself in that position then the very environment will lift him up, even though he himself may not want to go higher. We have all experienced dislike for the person who only wants to elevate himself, regardless of whether he has the potential to be higher. This has been true in the past and present, and is a typical problem everywhere.</p>
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<p>This formula is always present, working on every level. If this element is removed from man’s life then no one would get anywhere, for no matter how high a person advanced, it would have no meaning. God took notice of this element and taught people through religion to be humble and to sacrifice themselves. If God is really God then this is likely to be His advice. When a person is like this then he is welcome wherever he goes, in his family, society, nation and in spirit world, and even God will like him very much. Is this understandable?</p>
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<p>In Unification Church terminology this means to live for the sake of others. Many people can’t understand why they shouldn’t live only for themselves, but there is the difference of heaven and earth between living for others and for oneself. By living for ourselves we are sure to destroy any possibility of elevating ourselves, while living for others is the surest way of elevating ourselves. What is the significance of living for others? It has the meaning of recreating something. In living for others we must make a commitment and make something out of nothing by adding on. Because of you something will come to exist where there was nothing before.</p>
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<p>If a person tries to live for others then he has left many works behind him on earth and his achievements are accumulated there to benefit everyone. There are a great variety of ways of living for others-some will do so by giving money, teaching, or doing medical or military work. What is the primary way, however? By giving love. There are many kinds of love and many steps in love. We are not just thinking about the smaller-scale love in a single family between a man and woman, but the largest possible love of God as an infinite subject loving His object.</p>
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<p>Even in love we find an order; not all love is the same. Love for God would be the highest plane ot love; love of the world would be next, and so on down to love of the family. We find this concept of order in the categories of love: Love of God is the greatest; next to it is love of the nation, society, clan, family and then the individual. Of course, we love ourselves, but if we love the family more then our love remains in greater form. You may sacrifice in loving the family but you are losing nothing by forgetting yourself; the remainder of the family cherish you in your place. That is much better than trying to cherish yourself.</p>
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<p>By loving ten other people, you have found ten other places to live centering on love. Then you remain in ever greater form in the minds of those ten other people. Wherever such a person goes, those ten people will follow him. Why would they follow him instead of going their own ways ? The explanation is not difficult to understand. When subject and object become one in give and take’ God joins them there and relates to them both. When God visits there and decides to stay, it means that the family becomes perfect; then it will never perish but remain eternally.</p>
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<p>If a nation chooses to sacrifice itself for the sake of the world, the world will cherish it and make it the central nation. If the spirit world decides to sacrifice itself for the sake ot God then the degree of love there will become even greater. We have an innate element which pushes us to want to become bigger and bigger and have more and more value. Even after uniting with people of higher value than himself, a person wants to go still higher until he reaches God. We always want to elevate ourselves. Without that desire we would not go ever higher until we reached God.</p>
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<p>This cannot be accomplished without love. Love is the only way to elevate oneself to God and fulfill the pattern of constantly uniting with a higher value. As we do that we will increasingly resemble God. No one can complain about this; the only complaint could concern a person who doesn’t become greater and greater-“You are crazy not to become greater!” If we have this love then even though we want to remain mediocre we will be lifted up by others, even turned upside down! Can you really imagine that?</p>
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<p>Why is a person born to begin with? One person might feel he was born to study and be a scholar, while another might feel he is here to make money. Another might think he is born to be a U.S. Senator, while a person of lesser ambition would think he is born to do whatever he wants to do. This question of “Why am I born?” is a serious one. Individuals have always answered in their own way and gotten away with it.</p>
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<p>What answer would everyone agree with? Everyone’s eyes pop open at the thought of money, and their ears open at the thought of knowledge, but somehow that is not the ultimate answer. What is the answer that sounds more and more right the more you think about it? Generally love sounds like the right answer. Why is love so good? There is much to be gained in love so for this reason people find it very attractive, but also it can lead you from place to place.</p>
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<p>If a woman is sleeping will she doze more deeply as love approaches, or suddenly wake up when it touches her? Will she snap, “Go away!” or will she suddenly wake up? Why is love so invigorating? What happens when love touches a supersensitive person who always has trouble sleeping? He will gradually be melted into sound sleep. Love works in many directions or even opposite directions. If you have been suffering all your life and can find no hope anywhere around you, love will melt you as if you were snow and you will forget all your suffering. Love is a yeast of harmony. English doesn’t have adequate words for this concept. Without love, blacks and whites don’t want to touch each other even back to back, but in love they will turn around and embrace face to face, forehead to forehead and even nose to nose.</p>
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<p>As you know, love can be clean, or expressed in a dirty way also. A baby may even lick at his mother’s runny nose because he is full of love. 1 saw one mother who loved her baby so much that there was nothing she didn’t touch; once her baby had a dirty diaper and she tasted it to see whether it was acid and how warm or cold it was. Sometimes a man and woman in love will lick each other’s mouth or nose or even their toes. Love can be expressed in a clean or dirty way.</p>
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<p>Love is the greatest of all because it brings equality to the lowest and highest. Equality and discrimination are much-discussed topics today, but it is ridiculous to even talk about them without love. With love you could walk sideways, backwards or upside down and not mind. There is nowhere you cannot go if you have love and there is nothing that cannot be done with love. Would it be extremely noteworthy or insignificant if a person lived that way? Would you alone describe it as holy, or would people in the past feel that way as well? What about people in the future? I am the same in this. What about babies and children? God Himself? Now you know the answer because you know how love works.</p>
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<p>Would you prefer to have sleep, money, knowledge or love? If you already have love would you just sit idle? Would you give it to us one person a day, or one hundred a day, or one hundred an hour? Isn’t love so precious that you have to economize and save it? No, with love you have to give as much as possible; otherwise, it will be wasted. You should do this even if you are tired, or so sick that you have to force yourself to keep going.</p>
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<p>If you are really distributing love in the right way, do you get more and more tired? When you give love you want to give still more, and you can also see hope for gaining more and more by doing so. When a piston starts moving it gains momentum and goes up and down faster and faster. Where is such a love in this world? The Bible says that God gave His only begotten son, and whosoever believes in him will never perish but have everlasting life. The capacity to be everlasting could only come from love, from give and take which will give more power and continue without becoming exhausted. This is what that statement means.</p>
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<p>Love is accompanied by endless power. Even though we live a life of sacrifice and difficulty and seem to be sinking lower and lower, the power of love is always lifting us up and eventually we will find ourselves in the highest heaven. The more we work and the lower we go the higher it lifts us up, without tail. We can be elevated without limit because love goes round and round without end; if it went in only one direction then it would be finite, but love is the only power which enables us to go in all directions.</p>
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<p>The only way for man, who is in the lowest position, to be elevated and join God, who is in the highest position, is through love. Love is what makes everything equal and what can elevate us. God does not look at anything without the glasses of love; He will never extend His hand without a glove of love, and when He appears it is in the clothing of love. This is why the whole universe will follow Him.</p>
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<p>When you sacrifice yourself for your family then wherever you go that family will move in that direction. God is subject over the whole universe and when He moves everything will go in His direction. If President Carter loves America more than any other president, when he moves the attention of all the citizens will follow him wherever he goes, right? Do you feel that way toward President Carter? If he didn’t love America or if he was uninterested in his mission then everyone would be indifferent to what he did. When Jesus moves in a certain direction then all Christians would follow. When Billy Graham goes in a certain direction will all Christians follow him?</p>
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<p>When the central person goes somewhere everything else will pay attention with all its content and heart. Is that understandable? If I observe these principles then will you want to do so as weld? Wouldn’t even God dream of everyone following me in order to inherit that pattern?</p>
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<p>We have been talking much about living in the Unification Church, but what is the Unification Church? In order to unify the whole movement must we have more or less love than the whole Unification Church? Do you have more love in you than the Unification Church itself? Who has love? When you act, would you like to do so with more or less love than the Unification Church? More? Great! Those who think they have that love, raise your hands. Not so many! Those who want to be like that, raise your hands then. Are you just deciding that now, or have you always been like that? If you have always been like that, why haven’t you been successful? Have I failed to supervise you successfully? Should I drive you out to do that or should I sit back and hope you are successful some day?</p>
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<p>Do you like it or not when I instruct you to do something? Do you rejoice, or pause to consider it with reservations? Should I come knock on all your doors at the World Mission Center to get you up in the morning, or perhaps push one button to ring bells on every floor at the same time? Would you jump up and wash quickly and dash out to meet me, or grumble about how sleepy you are? Maybe you would take your time and come late to the dining room for breakfast complaining about how the bell is never out ot order.</p>
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<p>Is it more precious to wake up a few minutes early and wait for the bell to ring, or wait thirty more minutes after it rings to get up? You could think that the sound of the bell is more inspiring than eating or sleeping. Have you ever felt that a bell could inspire you that way? You may never have felt that way because you never knew what was connected with that bell; you never knew God was watching over you as it rang and that’s why you could be so`, indifferent Just as love wakes up a sleepy person, that bell should wake us up instead of sending us back to sleep. It is a messenger of love.</p>
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<p>When I ask Unification Church members why you were born, you say you were born for home church. When you leave the building to do home church are you depressed by whether it is raining or snowing, or do you feel very hopeful and loving like the rising sun? I really feel that those members who grumble and drag their feet while walking to their home church area should be persecuted; if they aren’t persecuted by the community then something is wrong! If you go out with love then even dogs will wag their tails at you; it dogs are this sensitive then how much more aware will men be to whether you have come to share love or not?</p>
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<p>If people are persecuting you when you go out to your area with joy and love then they are violating God’s law and Principle, and God will never let it go by. God will do something to them according to the law of love. You can be confident that they should have known this already. New York has been called a jungle, but you can visualize it as a desert to which you are bringing an oasis; you are bringing the water of life to the city where love is totally lacking. Once people understand what you are doing there will be an avalanche of people coming to drink.</p>
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<p>Then why are we born? For what love? God’s love. If you toss a pebble into quiet water then the ripples will spread; likewise, when you make a big noise ot love the ripples will spread throughout the entire world. You are doing that now in daily life. The only question is whether you are throwing a grain of sand in the water or a big rock which you can hardly carry.</p>
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<p>Home church is unprecedented in history, like a big rock that will part the water with a loud smack. Should your home church work be a small pebble or a huge rock? Will it be easy to do or very difficult? YOU don’t mind the difficulty? We like difficulty because underneath it all lies the greatest love.</p>
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<p>The topic today is Our One Life. Do we live to keep eating every day? Communist doctrine states that man lives for his bread, but such a life has no value and can only be scorned. Do you live for bread? Would we live for the sake of love even if we starved? Would we say that if necessary we wouldn’t sleep for the sake of love? We are undergoing all kinds of persecution for the sake of love, and one day that love will touch us and make us forget it all. Would it be right to live that way?</p>
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<p>If you women are 34 years old, can you think that for the sake of love you don’t mind being old maids and will find your mate when you are 43? If you can think like that then could you even say that tor the sake of love you will never marry? No one answered that question very quickly!</p>
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<p>Which is better, to live only a short but intense life and then seize a big love, or to live a long, uneventful life and gradually embrace a great love? A person may live only a short time yet be able to grab a great love, whereas another person may live an extended but unexciting life and have great love at the end To live an intense but short life and have that love is better than to have an extended life with the same amount of love. Would you like to be crazy in love or not? The answer is always the same throughout the ages. All people say yes and God says yes.</p>
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<p>Now we know we are living for God’s love. You may have shed tears, but if they were for yourself then they have only limited meaning. If you shed tears for the sake of the country and world then you receive passing grade, but if you shed tears for yourself first then you are a failure.</p>
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<p>Your ears must feel they like to hear encouragement to live for other people. Your ears come earl, every Sunday morning to Belvedere, and perhaps they feel, “Oh, Father is telling us again to live for other people; it’s the same old story.” Would your leg say it is tired of living that way? Would your fact worry that once people thought you were very pretty but now after working such long hours under all conditions you are getting wrinkles? Do you couples think, “I waited practically for eternity and finally got married but now I have to wait another three years to be with my mate”? Would you feel your figure is pitiful and your hair a mess? But tell your body that it is worth waiting for the sake ot a greater love that is really good and everything will be opened up!</p>
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<p>I promised Mother that I would speak only two hours this morning. But I have an excuse that always works-if I speak with love then even if it lasts for seventeen hours I know I can be excused from my promise. Now you know for sure why you were born.</p>
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<p>How could this thinking of mine live and spread throughout the world, especially in America, since I only came here by myself? Is it easy for one person to come into contact with me, much less be inspired to live for other people and tor God? But I live every day for other people and this is what makes it possible. Why do I live that way? Do I always come here because I enjoy watching all your sleepy faces every Sunday morning? Some of you fool; very strange! Maybe the best thing I could do would be to let you sleep an extra thirty minutes right now, hut instead I am joking and making faces to stimulate you and wake you up. Morning after morning I do this. Is that a good or bad profession to be in? What’s so good about it?</p>
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<p>If there was no love here it would be miserable, but because love is here then even if life feels like misery it will one day be elevated to greatness; that is why we can call this the great way of life. There are many big churches with comfortable chairs where you are greeted and escorted to your seat. Here no one greets you and you don’t even have a chair to sit on. But since there is such sweet love here this discomfort is not miserable.</p>
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<p>Even though we go to hell I, if we bring love there then it is heaven. Do you really know this now, or aren’t you sure yet? Do you think you have to wait and see it this really works, or can you tell whether this is the true way by using your own judgment. Is it as real to you as sleepiness when you are tired” If you are really sure then there is not much more to teach you. You are already well-prepared and the only thing let’s to do is act on it and keep on going. Will you do that? Even if both God and I tell you not to do it? Will you still do it even if no one is watching or supervising. If this is true then I am a successful man.</p>
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<p>If you were conceived in love, born in love and living in love then inevitably you are grateful for being born and for living now. The very fact that you, are able to leave a great love behind on earth when you go to spirit world is a great thing.</p>
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<p>You must realize that you are a participant of your parents’ love. Have you ever seen people tight when they were in love? You are born of the love of your parents, who also were participants in their parents’ love. You are the living manifestation of your parents’ love. You are a result of their love, so you must live your life waving with love like a flag in the wind. When you see your parents and your brothers and sisters you have to wave your flag by showing love to other people. Did you do that in the past’.’</p>
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<p>You must become dedicated sons and daughters ot filial piety. What are such children? Are they the ones who help their parents rest when they are sleepy, or who can help their parents sleep comfortably even when they feel uneasy and restless? With what could you do that? With love. More than bringing food when your parent is hungry, being able to make him happy when he is poor is a higher act of filial piety. With what? With love.</p>
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<p>When parents are old and close to dying, you have to treat them better and love them more than if they were little and very young. When they were young they may not have needed that care, but now they do. Bringing laughter to very old parents as though they were in their teens is more important. It is even better if you can make them dance and rejoice. If your parent was dancing and then had a heart attack as a result, then his was a happy death. Though someone may accuse you of killing him by making him dance, he has no grounds for saying so.</p>
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<p>Have you ever thought of how to make your own parents happy in this way? What a great ambition it is to make your parents happy when it has been a long time since they laughed. When God looks down at the genuine effort you are making for your own parents will He tell you not to bother wasting your love on them? Or will He shed tears at the beauty of that scene? Your parents will cherish you for that. Your parents will sincerely say before God that you are a son or daughter of filial piety and acknowledge you to Him. God will really remember such children.</p>
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<p>Many times people are excited when their parents bequeath land or much money to them in their will, but that is nothing compared to the inheritance ot the heavenly task or work. That is the greatest inheritance a parent can give to a child of filial piety. If a person has a filial mind and cares tor his brothers and sisters and society, then everyone will remember him. If he encounters God with that mind then he will be the most loved one.</p>
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<p>Did Jesus have parents like this. or such brothers and sisters? Was Jesus able to do anything for the sake of his country? Jesus never had a country he Could] work for with that heart, and when he comes again he will indeed do so. The Unification Church is doing exactly that. Since this thought has never been known to the world, we are teaching, the concept of true family and parents, and therefore true brothers and sisters. When we apply this everywhere in the world, it will be none other than heaven.</p>
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<p>Is it the right attitude to listen to me but no one else? It is the kindergarten level to listen to me, but when someone else speaks to you with love like mine you must listen to him as well. Love is everywhere and unchangeable, so you have to listen to that love wherever you find it. It goes beyond time and place. If you listen only to me and not to someone else who has the same love then if I go away or to spirit world it would mean the Unification Church could no longer exist. That, of course, could never be true.</p>
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<p>We must have a tradition, not just loyalty to one person, and that tradition must be respected as much as you respect me now. The True Parents’ own love is part of that tradition; therefore, we cherish that tradition and must listen to the person who stands in behalf of it. In that tradition you have to be able to treat people all over the world with the same heart, not just your close relatives. Whether or not you can do that will determine what kind of heaven you can make.</p>
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<p>If you were riding on the subway and saw old people standing while young people took the seats, would you ignore the old people and sit as well? isn’t this a free country? You are free, but freedom comes only on the foundation of the cosmic principle; nothing which lives contrary to that principle can have freedom The order of the universe is determined according to this principle. If a person feels he should work harder because he is getting paid more than others, his is not really the highest thinking. The employee who works for the company with genuine heart, being completely conscientious no matter how much he is paid, is the only one who is worthy of being paid, and is worthy of receiving special notice by the president.</p>
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<p>We must think deeply about this because you know that even after joining the Unification Church you have hurt other people, right? You must change that. Some American women get married and divorced for the sake of alimony, don’t they? Do you think that way? Did you join the Unification Church to marry a good person, or because you wanted to have greater love? Although you may be inferior to some high-level people in the world, still you are able to give greater love than they can.</p>
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<p>If you were me, would you sympathize more with American men or women? After I came to America and studied American culture I became more convinced that in a subtle way American women had more to do with the cause of evil, while the men were rather obedient to their initiatives, just like servants. Often they are easily deceived by their wives’ explanation, of what they did during the day, or in financial matters.</p>
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<p>As a rule in entertainment on television or in the movies the women arouse the most hostile feelings. Do you think men are more hell-raising than the women? Answer me clearly! Naturally 1 sympathize more with the men, and when it came time to distribute indemnity I thought of how the women should take a greater portion. This is reality, in addition to the fact that Eve was the one who initiated the fall. 1 am confident of this understanding. Would any of you say I am not fair? Is this thinking good if it means the women can receive more love as a result? Do you welcome that or not?</p>
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<p>I chased all the women out, even those who were heavy with pregnancy and tired all the time. Looking back, they think that even their husbands couldn’t have persuaded them to do this and then they are genuinely grateful to me. Because of that gratitude their whole family will receive blessing. “1 am having this one baby, but spiritually 1 will have millions of babies, embracing this world with the greatest love.” When you feel that then you are on the right track.</p>
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<p>The one great principle we have been talking about this morning is how the individual can sacrifice for his family, and then it is not sacrifice at all but will elevate him. For the clan, the family can be sacrificed, and for the world the nation can be sacrificed; for the sake of God, everything can be sacrificed. That is good because then everything can be elevated to the level of God. As a result the Unification Church can bring up everyone who is in hell on earth to heaven and God. We are doing this with great love.</p>
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<p>We go to other countries to love the people there, and when we go to spirit world and become one with people there we will bring them up to God. In doing so you are like a ladder for them to climb up. They will cherish you for that because without you they could never have climbed up. You can rejoice at serving your purpose. Now you know that you use me as your ladder to climb up to God. Not only that, you can freely use all the highways 1 have paved on earth.</p>
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<p>Will you stop with what you have grasped now, or go on and on for the rest of your life? Since love is eternal you must determine that you will continue in this for eternity, not that you will go just one certain distance. Will you be exhausted by living this way in love? Would old couples feel that they have already gone through love and that now just young people will do it, or will they go this way forever too I? You have had a great opportunity to be here with me, so now do you feel free to go your own way, or will you live eternally with me?</p>
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<p>It you have genuine love and honestly want to live with me then I will approve it. But if you have your own objective in mind then 1 will not welcome your wanting to live with me. Must I like you since you like me? Or since I like you will you like me even more? The second answer? Great!</p>
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<p>It you are confident to live your life according to this principle then your one life will be perfected in every way. This is not an easy way, but if you are determined to do so regardless, raise your hands. This is a very, very, very, very, long way which continues forever, but do you choose it so you can grow perfectly? Great!</p>
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<p>Let us pray.</p>
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<article id="post-1394" class="post-1394 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1979">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/18/unification-church-and-heavenly-law.html" title="Permalink to UNIFICATION CHURCH AND HEAVENLY LAW" rel="bookmark">UNIFICATION CHURCH AND HEAVENLY LAW</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="#" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-18T05:24:00+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/18/unification-church-and-heavenly-law.html" rel="bookmark">June 18, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-18T05:24:00+01:00">June 18, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/speeches/categories/rev-sun-myung-moon-1979.html" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1979</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="center">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="center">March 1, 1979<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Sang Kil Han</h3>
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<p>Today is March 1 and two months of this year are already gone. This is the first day tor the remaining ten months. Today is a special day in that sixty years ago Korea experienced a great independence movement while under Japanese suppression and many people shed blood in a symbolic demonstration for justice. This is a significant national day in Korea, and everyone is reminded of that great spirit in national commemoration. I gave a special talk to my children about this day, and that’s why I was late this morning.</p>
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<p>Through Principle we have learned that religion is needed to learn God’s will and His teaching. God’s will is one. Since there is one God there should not be many churches and religions believing many different ways, but only one church teaching the correct way. That church is above any country and even the world, and not under any national direction or domination. If there had already been a church on earth teaching the ideal then mankind would have been educated, and God’s will would have been moving in a specific direction with substantial achievement. But as we look back in history no such religion is to be found; instead it has only appeared on earth today.</p>
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<p>In looking around the world we see that each people has their own way of believing in God, and that even those beliefs varied at different times in history. When we compare the various religions to the branches of a tree, it is not that they are completely in error, but that they are all directed in different ways, each with some cultural development surrounding it, whether small or large. In God’s overall plan He must be wanting to guide each religion in one specific direction, wanting to teach the people through religion.</p>
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<p>We see today that there is some general direction which each religion is taking. In the same way that the greater religion will absorb the lesser religion, a man of great character will surpass and influence a man of lesser character. Civilizations are the same; the higher civilization will eventually absorb the lesser culture.</p>
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<p>America is one of the great nations of our time and people around the world look to America and emulate that way of life. Why do less advanced people follow greater people? By doing so they are benefited. Also, it is convenient and helps ease their lives. When I refer to American civilization I am not referring to the American people, but to the achievements which have become a standard here and around which this civilization was formed. It might be said, that knowledge is what makes America great and what the people follow; it is not Americans themselves who are great but what they know. Science is one aspect of that truth.</p>
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<p>If the people don’t live up to a standard then they have to catch up with it. As long as the people are pursuing that ideal of those words, always trying to improve themselves and close the gap, they will have a great nation. When men are one with this standard, the most harmonious situation is formed. Goodness should be the result of people’s interaction in unity with the standard.</p>
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<p>What we are observing now in America is that people are attempting to follow a high standard, but what is amiss is the quality of peoples’ interaction with each other. There are such fundamental problems as racial conflict in which black and white people cannot even mix with each other. When this quality of interaction is lost then people lose what standard they have achieved. After that even the standard of truth becomes shaky and people are not sure of its value. They are confused and the truth becomes weak as a result.</p>
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<p>At one time Christians in this country pursued a certain standard of love, but now they are uncertain and even that standard is crumbling. lt is not difficult to see that American civilization is no longer strong and healthy but headed downward instead of upward. At first many people followed that standard because it benefited them, but now people feel it is inconvenient and that this way of thinking is a nuisance. Once families were strong in America, but now people increasingly feel there is nothing to be gained from family commitments and so when they leave home they rarely return. Church offers an environment which should help us better ourselves, but people are finding no benefit there so they stop going.</p>
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<p>God’s religion is unchanging. What is the truth that men are seeking and that God approves of? All major religions teach truth, yet each believes that it alone has the true way; they do not think from the position of God but from a point of view centering on themselves. God cannot approve of that. On looking down to earth God would rate the religions according to His standard. There can be only one which can receive the top mark. This is not difficult to understand because it is so reasonable.</p>
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<p>Religions should not be concerned about how they would be rated, but should be looking instead for the one religion which can be rated 100 per cent. This is the problem of’ the present day. All followers of a certain religion believe in its doctrine, but they are limited to that one teaching; though within that sphere they may rate 100 per cent, they cannot rate 100 per cent in the overall picture.</p>
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<p>Who can teach without any error and be in a position to give that 100 per cent mark? Only God can do this. This is not in any book or stated in any religious dogma, but it is in God himself It is only logical that eventually man will have to come to God Himself to make sure he got everything right; only when God assures him that he has met that standard can he be fully confident. It is logical that through the highest religion every person can come into contact with God and be assured for themselves that they are approved by Him.</p>
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<p>We have to be able to confirm whether a religious teaching is completely consistent with Gods own word. Each religion teaches the truth according to its own bible. Truth tells us what to do, how to do it, revealing how to live and what objectives to strive tor. Scientists as well have an objective and a means for reaching it; truth is applied in the same way here.</p>
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<p>If a religious truth teaches the individual but not the family then it becomes very inharmonious. Truth should be consistent and in accordance with both individual and family life being able to guide people toward higher and higher value until they ultimately reach God. Truth should be free of contradiction. A person’s hands and face belong to him and are part of him, meaning that every part of his body is consistent and none of them contradict the other. They function as one. A person does not pursue two different goals at the same time, but follows one objective and purpose.</p>
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<p>Likewise for man, what people 1,00() years ago and people today strive for should be in the same general direction. Orientals and Westerners should not live in a contradictory way; if they do it means that only one is right and the other has yet to come into accord with it.</p>
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<p>What is the truth then? What is the truth in a man? For man to meet woman and for them to love each other is a truth. The fact that man and woman can love each other in perfect harmony was true 1,000 years ago and today as well; this truth is consistent. Truth for the ear is to listen well to the right way. The nose must smell correctly, and if it fails to meet that standard then it is not a true or real nose. Truth for a hungry man is to get food. For instance, some food that makes him happy is a truthful thing; on the other hand, if some smell offends him then his nose will try to avoid it. If music is very pleasant then your ears are eager to listen and transmit that pleasure to your whole body. The whole community will be directed to the truth and benefit from it at the same time. Men must be happy before God can become happy. God can rejoice when men are happy in the right relationship.</p>
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<p>When you hear a word of truth you are really happy in response. If you are hungry then you eat; you ate yesterday and the day before, but are you happy every time you have food when you are hungry? When you listen to truth are you always happy? How about those people who are dozing-are they full and unwilling to partake any more?</p>
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<p>An ultimate religion will eventually have to emerge in history, but truth is only words, whereas the substantial entity is your character. The Bible records that everything came into existence as God spoke, having His body and character of development. Just as God spoke and formed everything according to His words, religion is meant to give some words and teach people so they can come into accord with what the Word meant them to be. When everything became as God told it to be, the Bible records that it was good to behold. That goodness results from the unity which is formed when the word and entity become one. This is what the whole idea is-unity.</p>
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<p>Once this unity is achieved you can go in any direction you desire and meet no resistance and never become unhappy. No matter how far or near or often you go, you will be unrestricted, but you have to have that element of unity to be welcomed. Love comes into being here. When we come to cherish love we want it always to stay with us, and God’s will is to fulfill that desire. We want to be in love wherever we go.</p>
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<p>What is that one element that we never get tired of? No matter how much and how often we are loved, we never tire of it. Food is different; when you are hungry you want to eat, but when you are not hungry then eating can even be painful. But there is no moment when you feel you can do without love. Could love be real if it were cherished only by white people? That would not be love because it could not be true in those circumstances. If only blacks or only Orientals liked love then it could not be true. As long as one is human, whether he is old or young he will like love. Everyone has this in common.</p>
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<p>God had an ideal which he desired, which is unity, and God’s words are called truth. Reality must come about according to God’s desire, and after that God wanted to wrap the whole thing up in love. After this is complete you can circulate in any direction. This is the full content of God’s creation. As long as you have love, you can skip one of the steps above; for instance, if you have love then you’ don’t need words.</p>
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<p>If people are thinking according to the wrong standard then eventually God will have to judge that, which is the judgment of words, and point out whatever is wrong. Also He must give some character judgment, or judgment of personality, according to how they have developed. Finally there is judgment of heart, and here too God must evaluate. All three must be given clearly. The fall was the result of failing to become the true entity ot’ the word; thus Adam did not come to possess true heart. Now in returning to God we must restore the words that Adam and Eve lost and check whether we have become as He wanted us to become. When these become reality then true heart will automatically emerge. We have to make sure that love is within us.</p>
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<p>Human history has been following that pattern as well. At each period in history man had a certain ideal, such as godism or humanism, which guided people in a certain direction, and man developed accordingly. Communists today are pursuing a goal based on words, for instance. Earlier in history pagan deities, and later God, were related in man’s thinking to events in every area of human life. Later that degenerated into humanism and people paid more attention to man than to God. Now that has passed and the emphasis is not even humanism but materialism.</p>
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<p>Originally man was supposed to possess material things, plus his physical body plus his mind, and all three were supposed to be united harmoniously.` Now little emphasis is placed either on man’s character or on God, so there is no way man could feel complete or satisfied. Materialism is not wrong, but it deals with only one portion of man’s life. At the same time man must pay attention to the human element, but most of all he needs God. He can never hope to be happy without God.</p>
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<p>Religion must ultimately deal with all these areas of godism, materialism and humanism and give a satisfactory explanation in all these things. The channel or order flows from God to man to material things; material cannot come above man nor man above God. In earlier times man concentrated exclusively on explaining events in religious terms and was not so concerned about man or individual human life later, reaction against that elevated man’s value but concentrated on him exclusively. Eventually man completely eliminated God from the picture. Certainly man should not concentrate on just one or the other, but should follow an order or sequence. Now the attention that was paid to man has swung to another extreme and men think that they need only material things, diagnosing social problems in terms of lacking material prosperity.</p>
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<p>People definitely suffer if they lack enough material things and then they become determined to make money, but even with money they don’t feel as content as they thought they would. After being dissatisfied with material things they look into communism. Material things are a necessary element, but not a crucial one. People are discovering that material things alone will not make them happy, and they are starting to look to other areas again. Pretty soon we will see a swing back toward re-examining man, and eventually back to God. Young people today are only scratching the surface in their search into mysticism and Eastern religion, but the trend will broaden and continue.</p>
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<p>We can understand that God, man, and material must be ordered in the right way before man’s matters can be solved, and this is what the teaching of final authority must do. Religion must encompass all these areas and teach about them correctly. Some religions emphasize attention to spiritual matters to the exclusion of material matters, but in the Unification Church we pay attention to material things in the context that it belongs to all mankind and to God. In this context material needs can be satisfied. The Unification Church is also humanist in that it doesn’t advance one race over another but embraces all mankind equally and seeks to live for the entire world. We must cultivate our character to live for the entire world.</p>
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<p>We don’t teach that God is necessary to only one area or country or for one period of time; we teach that God is needed equally by everyone, that there has always been only one God and He has been the most important element. We teach that God is a humanist and also a materialist, that He is a spiritual being but He loves material things. A religion must embrace all these elements before man’s life can become consistent in every way. Our criterion is whether the Unification Church lives up to that standard and manifests the heart of unity and the ideal.</p>
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<p>No religion which can live up to that standard has ever appeared on earth. The Bible states that it is not possible to worship God and material at the same time, but in the Unification Church we teach that we can worship God even through material as long as it serves God and the world. In this way I am different from any other religious teacher. People try to describe me as an evangelist, industrialist or businessman, or any number of things. I am a fisherman! All these things are in harmony and proportion and there is no part which is not understood by our members. If everyone can follow this teaching and be happy then it will pass all tests.</p>
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<p>By joining the Unification Church we become happier and gain some benefit. Being benefited never brings unhappiness. Are you happy? Then you like to do home church and fund raising? Until people understand all these things they are like half people and their focus is blurred, but as they understand they become increasingly happy. When such people assemble in the thousands and millions in the future they will be like a great river or ocean current.</p>
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<p>In looking back in history the common element through the ages seems to be war. Why do men tight? Because they have differences of opinion in ideology and different desires for possessing something. People in the free world are convinced that no one can conquer them and communists have the idea that no one can oppose or defer communism.</p>
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<p>In a similar vein we can ask why existing churches oppose the Unification Church. Church leaders feel that their congregations belong to them and they don’t like to see their members come to the Unification Church. Christians are making one great mistake in not thinking that their churches must be owned by the world and live for the world. The world must own the churches, not vice versa. Neither do they know that they belong to God.</p>
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<p>Americans feel that their nation belongs to them and no one else has any claim on it. They feel that other people should take care of themselves, but instead America should belong to the world. Neither does America understand that America belongs to God. Individual Americans think their country belongs to them; they do not know that they belong to the world and to God.</p>
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<p>War stems from a wrong concept of possession, and people fight when they think things rightfully belong to them. What is needed now is to eliminate wrong concepts of ownership. For instance, it is holy to think that America belongs to the world and to God instead of to Americans.</p>
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<p>Whose notebook is this? Before it belongs to you it belongs to America; before America it belongs to the world. In that sense it is even holy. If you have a notebook and see it is needed by the nation and then give it for that, or the nation offers it for the world’s use, then even the notebook will be much happier. If God wants to use it the notebook will be even happier. The entire world will dedicate it to God if He wants to use it.</p>
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<p>You may not realize it at this moment but you are going through a great transition in your concept of ownership. Is it necessary that we change in this way? When we offer something for the use of the whole then not only we are happier but the whole is happier also and the value of the object will also increase. By dedicating smaller things to the whole we eventually come to possess the world and God Himself. It is like using small bait to catch bigger and bigger fish. Even in a business sense this is a good idea.</p>
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<p>We have to revolutionize this sense of ownership and also change the conventional concept of the ideal from an individual ideal to an unlimited ideal that stretches ale the way to God. Wars have always started over different opinions about these two things. When I earn money I do not feel that it belongs to me, but to God and the world and then to me, in that order. It is ironic that I am scratching money together from poorer countries to aid this richest nation in the world. I feel money from a small country should be dedicated to a larger country and then to God and then it will eventually return.</p>
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<p>When wealth belongs to the world, how can the world light itself? When the master of the world appears, that money has to be returned to Him, and as long as everyone understands who that wealth belongs to how could they light over possessing things? Before things belong to God they belong to the world, and before they belong to the world they belong to us. The world is yours, then the world’s, then God’s.</p>
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<p>There is no reason for communism and democracy to fight once we know that everything belongs to God. Now that you know whom the Unification Church belongs to, it is millions ot’ times nicer than you originally thought. A citizen must really love the country that he lives in because it is God’s before it is his. Therefore, I love America more than any Americans do because I know to whom it belongs.</p>
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<p>It makes little difference how much we are opposed as long as God approves and recognizes us. Then this teaching will always remain on earth. If the world needs our fancy clothing then we are only too happy to take it off for others to use; we are happier when they use it than we ourselves.</p>
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<p>If the world is asked to give something for God to use then the world is happy to do so. If God asks where this coat came from He will be told that it came from the world, but more specifically from America, and most specifically of all from one individual. Then God can give His blessing to the world, America and that individual.</p>
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<p>It is easy to understand logically that we will be happier by living this way, so it is our responsibility to teach this and actualize it. Since we understand this we are capable of embracing all varieties ot’ cultures and religious ideals. They are not ambiguous religious thinking to us but reality. Someone here now may misunderstand and reject this, but someone who is smarter will understand its full value later.</p>
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<p>Are you confident and proud enough as Unification Church members to accept any indignity” Let’s consider several things: does the Unification Church have the truth? Has it actualized the truth to a certain degree in reality, in character and personality? Is love in its true sense to be found in the Unification Church? Will this be approved by all races, over all historical time? Then God will approve it too.</p>
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<p>Now that we understand Unification Church, we will proceed to heavenly law. God has a way of sorting out or screening things of greater and lesser value. What is the law which the Unification Church must recognize as being of utmost importance? The law of love” Love is actually an end product; to ensure love we have to observe some procedure or goal very strictly; this goal is God’s ideal of creation. That ideal has a code we must live by. The ideal of God involves forming the four position foundation, where love comes into existence. In order to achieve the four position foundation we have to have words which teach that ideal which is the Divine Principle.</p>
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<p>Law is nothing but words. In a law book legal standards are codified as well as sentencing and punishment for infraction of those standards. By referring to the law it can be determined whether a man has become what the law specifies he must be. As long as you stay within the law no one will bother you, no matter where you go. Are you living within the law? Certain specifications such as fasting for a number of days and waiting a certain number of years after marriage are mere words, yet you keep them strictly.</p>
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<p>When worldly law is broken a person goes to jail, and when a person violates God’s words he is punished to prevent him from violating them again. Home church is heavenly law. Are we free to follow it or not as we please? If the president does something wrong could the country possibly perish? If I, as the head of the Unification Church, do something wrong could the Church potentially perish? What will determine if it perishes or prospers? If heavenly law is met then prosperity is ensured, but if the Church violates that law then it will decline and die.</p>
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<p>A president can be great if he keeps the law, but if he violates it himself can he be a great president? If I sometimes keep the law myself and other times don’t can I be called a responsible Unification Church member? If a member sincerely believes I am wrong then he has a responsibility to speak out and tell me what he thinks. Once the law is taught should you follow it, or would only keeping it up to a point be sufficient?</p>
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<p>Each individual has a certain law to observe and together as the Unification Church we have certain laws to observe. When I speak of important things and people doze off, would that be a violation of heavenly law? Do those people who are dozing realize this? You must have a clear idea ot’ whet is true. Each person must meet rigid standards in order to reach the goal, and the first is the judgment of words. The Divine Principle will judge you if you go against it, whether knowingly or unknowingly. By knowingly going through this process ot’ following God’s words we can create our character and personality in reality.</p>
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<p>If someone loves the word but does not want to practice it then later the person who did everything according to the word will be his judge. Even people who have nothing to do with us will point out how that person did not do what the others did. Satan will judge, and the members and I will all blame that person, and then the angels and God will judge that person for knowingly failing to carry out the word.</p>
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<p>You are following the one way to reach God, which is very specific. First you tree yourselves from the satanic world, then become a member of the Unification Church, receive True Parents’ recognition through the blessing, go to spirit world and then to God. That is the direction of our path. There is no other way to reach God. If there is some lack in your character or personality can you tell a lie to cover up? If you really didn’t want to do this yet grudgingly did so, it would be as bad as not doing it at all.</p>
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<p>A chestnut has an outer husk with sharp burrs, but inside is a smooth, tasty nut. If you always think about True Parents and God then you are like this chestnut inside. You will grow to be like True Parents and receive God’s approval, and when you have gone through all the steps to maturity then when someone breaks open your thorny husk everyone will see how rich you have become. You live for the sake of God and True Parents because all people in spirit world live centering around God and True Parents. In order to live that way successfully there you must live that way here. When you practice that way with all your efforts here then you will be able to harmonize in spirit world. This earth is only a temporary place.</p>
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<p>Please understand you must pass through the rigid judgment of word in reality and personality., Once these two steps are passed then the third, the judgment of heart, will be passed automatically. Why do we have to witness and fund raise under persecution? By going through that troubled situation we learn to love others and our hearts will be formed If we only think about the word without much practice then can we mature in reality? No. Therefore when you hear words of truth you must live them. You have to love better than any people in the world, for without going beyond that standard you cannot know the Kingdom of Heaven.</p>
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<p>You want to go to heaven after becoming people of love. Once you reach spirit world God will be judging you as well as Jesus and True Parents. If you pass the test of practice then they will test you for heart. This is our day-to-day practical problem and it is strictly ordered by God. How can a person act rightly if he does not know what to do? First we must clearly understand the law of Divine Principle. The standard course is two-day workshop, where people come to know something about God for the first time; then seven-day training to learn more substantially, and following that the 21-day and 40-day courses. Everyone in Unification Church must go through that within six months of joining. That is our standard course for the whole Church. Then members will know what the word is and what the criteria and standard are that the Unification Church is pursuing.</p>
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<p>After forty days members can know the words clearly and set out to practice them. Then they can grow to have the qualification of heart, going through recreation in every stage. God first made material, then man, and then wanted love to be created there. In God’s place we are going to recreate all those things. First we re-create material, which is represented by fund raising. Next you take God’s position (as a parent) and make God’s heart; that is all-creation course, the course of heavenly law which everyone must follow</p>
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<p>We don’t do this because it is nice and we choose to do so; it is imperative that nothing be overlooked. Every stage must be fulfilled. By knowing the word completely, by carrying it out and then recreating heart and love we will become like Jesus, True Parents, and God Himself. Now you can understand how strictly this must be observed. In everything we do we must have let’s love behind us when we go to spirit world. Every activity we do is a step toward that goal.</p>
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<p>If the Unification Church somehow acquired a fund of billions of dollars you would still have to do what you are doing now and people in the future will do as well, even though we would have much more money. If every person on earth joined the Unification Church you would still have to serve them, teaching them how to go this course. We can never say that our work will be less hard once we become successful. Until everyone knows this way of life we must continue, and it is the law that we cannot stop as long as it is unfinished.</p>
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<p>Once you follow the principle of home church and are successful you can leave it behind. Everyone goes to spirit world; when you go there you have to belong somewhere so you need to be able to point out your tribe and family. This is your identity. As it is written, whatever is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven. As the tribes are organized through home churches, the organization of spirit world will truly begin for the first time. This its heavenly law. The responsibility of faithfully observing the law is the responsibility of the citizens and especially the leader of the country.</p>
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<p>Can you choose which laws you will observe” No. Even a small company has rules and regulations, and certainly there is no country without any law. This is a higher law from which no one is exempt if he wants to go to heaven. If this law didn’t exist then why should I come to America where I have to speak through an interpreter and have been opposed by the people? I could have stayed in Korea and easily accomplished the foundation there instead. I do so because I come under the heavenly law like everyone else.</p>
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<p>If you decide that you will not attempt to keep the law in every detail but will just love True Parents and God, disregarding home church and so forth, you will not be able to pass the three judgments. You must know all the heavenly laws. Furthermore, you cannot promise to do it and then renege. It is a very deep thing to achieve all this and not at all easy. Since we are heavenly citizens we have to realize this more deeply than any worldly citizen. In doing this you are going step by step to heaven; there is no choice about going an easier way to heaven because this standard way is the easiest.</p>
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<p>Can the <i>News World </i>members think they are unable to do home church? How can they not do so and still what they have to do? Such people simply have to witness to someone better than they who can take their newspaper position and free them to do home church. There are many, many things I have to take care of, even things that are not really my responsibility, and my schedule is so full that it doesn’t include much sleeping time. I have to manage to find time to do everything.</p>
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<p>God never scolds a person for doing more than he should. If you cannot go personally to do home church then you can carry on through phoning, and there are other ways besides going personally. If a person has many complex responsibilities, doing many things at once, it is that much more his blessing. I will take notice of such a person and use him more and more.</p>
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<p>I speak the heavenly law, but it has not come from me personally. He who speaks the heavenly law must come under it himself. That law is much stricter than earthly law.</p>
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<p>Now two months of 1979 are gone. During the next ten months we will always keep that heavenly law in mind and try our utmost. This is why I speak today on heavenly law. By strictly living heavenly law and setting a tradition we are in fact helping the other people who will follow; they are in fact your own children and the rest of America.</p>
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<p>Let us pray.</p>
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<article id="post-1392" class="post-1392 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1979">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/18/eternal-happiness.html" title="Permalink to ETERNAL HAPPINESS" rel="bookmark">ETERNAL HAPPINESS</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="#" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-18T05:23:28+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/18/eternal-happiness.html" rel="bookmark">June 18, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-18T05:23:28+01:00">June 18, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/speeches/categories/rev-sun-myung-moon-1979.html" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1979</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="center">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="center">February 25, 1979<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Sang Kil Han</h3>
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<p>Man has always yearned for the ideal and a life of everlasting happiness. If there had been no fall then human history could have started on the basis of happiness, and men would have lived together with and served the one True God. Because of the fall, however, people have even questioned whether there might be such a thing as an untruthful or false God who created evil.</p>
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<p>After the fall the original God could not live the way He intended. Instead He had to be the God who constantly fought His enemy Satan. An enemy is one who is always undermining and disturbing the peace and happiness of other men. Through what condition can God’s happiness and peace be invaded? We find that God is not being disturbed directly; Satan is disturbing God through man, who was to be the object of God’s happiness.</p>
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<p>We know that God wanted to find His true happiness and ideal through men Through love God will find everything and be able to assume His true position. This is the true God and His original course in goodness. We know that God has not been able to live in that way as a true God, however. Instead God has always been waiting to assume this position, slowly advancing towards it by finding and restoring what He has lost. This is the history of restoration and re-creation.</p>
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<p>God has not been seen as the God He really is because He has constantly had to fight and recover what was lost. Therefore, His position has been that of an almighty and judging God, not the God of parental love. He has been working through the Old and New Testament eras to reach His objective, always striving for victory, but His purpose has been frustrated over and over again. During the years of His struggle God has become burdened with despair and disappointment and this theme has been interwoven through history. Now knowing this to be God’s own struggle, mankind has called history the struggle between good and evil. Man has not clearly known that when he stands on the side of goodness he is helping God’s work and broadening God’s foundation, but if man puts himself in a position of evil then he is undermining God’s purpose and even helping Satan. Like a scale that moves up and down before balancing, man has always been swinging back and forth, trying to decide what to do. Your scale always wants to tip heavily to the side of goodness, but always there are failures and temptations waiting to push you the other way.</p>
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<p>In man’s lifetime there is always a pattern of, repetition, swinging up and down. How do God and Satan fight this war? It may seem that God is fighting against Satan, but that is not the case at all. Man is the central problem of all this fighting, and his whole environment is involved. Each man as an individual as well as the society, nation and world are all at stake during this fighting.</p>
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<p>We may say that someone is a good or bad man, and centering on that person we may say that his family is good or bad as well. A whole neighborhood or even a whole country may be viewed as good, meaning that it is comprised of generally good people. If someone is able to be completely objective then he will be able to compare the East and West and say that one may be better than the other. We speak in the same terms whether we are talking about one person’s life or the life of a country or even about the world.</p>
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<p>What kind of things are men proud of? When people have nice clothes to wear they are very proud, but the important point is how they obtained such finery. There are all different ways. A person may be given clothes as a gift from his king for service to his country, and then he can wear them with pride. Others may have stolen their clothes and be proud of their cunning and success. Someone else may have worked very hard and bought that clothing for himself, wearing it with pride in his hard work. People may be wearing identical clothes at the same time, but the history behind each of them is totally different, so some of the wearers can be more proud than others.</p>
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<p>Two people may be doing basically the same work, but their backgrounds and reasons for doing it may be totally different. For instance, one may volunteer, or be inspired by his surroundings or be forced to do it. When we eat nice food we feel good, but even food comes to us in different ways. Was it given to us as a reward, or was it stolen, or did we earn it? Although it is something nice to eat and gives us pleasure, if we stole that food is it good or bad? Even the thickest, juiciest steak can be a bad steak under certain circumstances.</p>
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<p>A lovely house is not such a nice house to live in if it belongs to a burglar. The same thing goes for a country. A country may be very prosperous, with eight-lane highways, modern apartments, and factories, but if that country has become rich by exploiting other people, can we say that it is a good country?</p>
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<p>Is America good or bad? Imagine a small country whose citizens are struggling to achieve the highest standard of goodness. They are very conscientious and though they suffer and remain poor they keep on trying. Is that a bad or good country? The size or wealth of that country is an unimportant consideration.</p>
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<p>Can it be said that a king is good or bad depending on how big his palace is, how many people are around to wait on him, or how big a realm he governs? Even if his status is taken away, does that determine whether he is a good or bad man?</p>
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<p>What is God like and how does He live? One thing we know is that God is the center and master of Himself, the family, society, nation, world and the entire universe. He has been forced out of the center, however, and lives in a very small and miserable situation. After being expelled from his palace by the enemy, He found Himself all alone, but He has been expanding His territory gradually and recovering what was taken from Him. He cannot forget how His brilliant world was taken away and He was forced to live in such a small and terrible place. Since He is unhappy, what must He do? He must reclaim what its already His. In other words, salvation and restoration actually mean that God is reclaiming what was already His, bringing it all back to be with Him.</p>
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<p>God will restore His country to be His own and restore the original world back to Himself. Has God ever lived in the original world in His rightful position? He has always been pursuing that ideal. We must realize that God has no actual foundation for living in that world. He has a foundation only in the sense of His thinking and ideal, but not in physical reality.</p>
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<p>As the result of being brought up in a certain way, people tend to think of themselves in certain categories such as nationality or race. Since this has been man’s habit for so long, can God easily raise him out of that environment? It is a difficult job because people remain very attached to their familiar surroundings. This is the unfortunate reality. Everyone has to be pulled out of his own particular hell, and even when he is pulled out he still retains many of his old attachments. Each person feels he must still live in certain ways and cannot do anything else. In this sense everyone has built his own wall so high that you cannot see over it.</p>
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<p>When Jesus came and said, “Come follow me,” it was his godly mission to liquidate all of those barriers. If he said, “Come follow me but continue to do everything as you have been; be nice to your family and meet all your obligations to your surroundings,’ we could not regard him as the one who was sent by God. Instead, he said, “Leave everything, even your life, and come with me.” The messiah’s mission has many aspects, but this point is crystal clear.</p>
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<p>If the messiah came today would he approve of everything’! He comes to give approval to heavenly things, but first he must take the position of denying all worldly things. That is his original mission. Otherwise, he would not be the messiah. Looking for the person who meets this requirement is another way of locating the messiah. Is there any indication that such a person ever existed here on earth? Was there ever a man who denied everything 100%? We can say that Jesus was such a person and can conclude that the messiah was indeed here on earth.</p>
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<p>Did Jesus tell his followers to cherish everything and be nice to everyone? On the contrary, he said, “Do not think I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Even John the Baptist said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Why didn’t he say, “Rejoice, for the Kingdom of Heaven is coming”? True repentance is not easy. First you have to repent for the historical mistakes made during the dispensation, and then do what was left undone.</p>
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<p>The strict requirements of Jesus’ teaching are contrary to what we want to hear and in opposition to what we want to do. Compared to today, 2,000 years ago was a very spiritually dark and closed age, yet even under those circumstances Jesus said, “He who loves father and mother more than me is not worthy of me.” Do you think the people of that unenlightened time would have welcomed Jesus?</p>
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<p>If Jesus came today he would proclaim that people should love him instead of the President. He would walk into a wedding and say that it is better to live singly and forget about marriage in order to love Jesus. It is not surprising that people wanted to stone or club Jesus to death for the things he said. What if he had said, “I don’t want you to wait for marriage tor eternity, just until I say that it is possible.” Do you think that the man who was presiding over the ceremony would have said, “Jesus, you are right. This couple should wait to marry”? No! They all would have said he was crazy and wanted to toss him out of the church. The people of Jesus’ time thought he was a crazy man who was unfit to live in society.</p>
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<p>Reading the Bible with this understanding can give us much hope. For the first time we can find a clear and unmistakeable explanation about Jesus’ teaching. Is this my far-fetched explanation, or am I merely explaining the truth without compromise ? If man hadn’t fallen then this would be false, but because mankind has fallen this is the reality.</p>
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<p>Is there such a thing as happiness on this wide earth? Happiness can exist where there is a guarantee of eternal love and eternal ideal. Can we find something eternal today? No matter how many thousands of years ago it was started, can we find an ideal here today? Is there anything which is lasting, even the smallest thing? Can the True Parents guarantee happiness for everyone? If people knew there was eternal happiness in the Unification Church then even God would have a hard time stopping the avalanche of people who would be coming here. People pray every day for their ideals and happiness, but only if they are based on eternal love can we realistically talk about the ideal and happiness.</p>
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<p>Happiness can be achieved only through truth and the ideal. We may have an ideal for the sake of love. A woman dreams of eternally relying on her husband. Her ideal includes love which will last forever. Where can we go to find eternal love and happiness? Only to God. Can we imagine an ideal world without love? Would love be found in the country where people have nice clothes, nice food and the best homes? For those people love would only seem like an accessory. These days many people live in apartments and frequently move from place to place, but do you think they are happy that way? If a man moves from apartment to apartment, going from one woman to another, is he bound to find love eventually?</p>
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<p>There is a love which God approves and a love which Satan likes. There are also two kinds of ideal and happiness. What is the difference between them? The love God chooses is directed toward the eternal ideal, while the other is temporary, going first in one direction and then another. Which one did you choose to pursue? You may think you are seeking an eternal goal, but don’t you sometimes think back to the happy days when you were dating someone you liked? Do you give yourself a severe reprimand and forget those memories, or do you entertain that thought with yourself? Just like you would shake off noxious insects, you should run a mile away from those memories. I know it is not an easy thing to do, but it must be done and you can do it.</p>
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<p>The true religion is concerned about eternity, with God at the center. God is always in the center of the one true religion. There may be many things in life which look so alike that we cannot tell one from another, yet even among these things there is only one which is true. They may all have similar elements, but there is only one which is true. Is the Unification Church a religion at all? Is it a true or false religion? The true leader is one who always makes you do something that you don’t particularly like. I am consistent in doing that, and you may have decided it is because 1 am from the Orient.</p>
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<p>Recently one leader worked hard to prepare a good plan and brought it to me with many suggestions, but I refused to accept it. He had made many preparations before he asked to do all these things, but 1 turned him down completely. He had many sleepless nights afterward thinking about why he was turned down, imagining that perhaps I could not understand him because we were not the same age. The only reason why I refused his plan was because it centered around himself and not around God. In this matter I am uncompromising and unyielding.</p>
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<p>God likes us to go up and down instead of only one direction. A person who prefers only going up and refuses to go down cannot be called a true man because even God is not like that. When a man sets out in search of love, he will do better to go to the lowest place and absorb more suffering because then his love will become brighter.</p>
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<p>lt is good if you can recognize the opportunity to give up everything, repent and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is near at hand. What do you gain by giving up everything? By relinquishing your own goal you gain God’s ideal and family and country.</p>
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<p>How can eternal happiness be achieved? Through true love and ideals. If you have eternal ideals in you then when someone comes and chops off your head will your eternal happiness go away? Does your eternal ideal remain with you even if your head is separated from your body? Do you have that eternal ideal within yourself now? If your parents or even the President kidnap you and beat you to the point of death would you still keep the eternal ideal within you?</p>
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<p>You have to have that kind of desperate experience in order to know what you will do. Who will give you a certificate saying that you have passed that kind of test? Not me, but Satan. If Ted Patrick kidnaps you and uses all his methods but still you don’t budge, he will have to sign your certificate and say, “I have nothing to do with this person.” If Congress investigates you but finds no way to change your mind and your eternal ideal, then Congress will issue you a certificate claiming they have nothing to do with you.</p>
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<p>When your case comes before God and He asks, “Do you really believe that this man has an eternal ideal,” Ted Patrick will reply, “Yes God, I really tried to change him but 1 couldn’t.” God will ask the government if they are really certain about this person and the investigators will have to admit they couldn’t find a flaw. Then God will proclaim that if there is no objection He will admit you to heaven. Satan is the first one to sign your passport or ticket to heaven. This is the reason why all worthy religions will go through persecution. Persecution indicates only that you are trying to do something in a different way than others want to do it. Opposition is painful, but it purifies you and makes you stronger.</p>
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<p>An exam is the best thing that can be given to a student. You might think that exams are not good because they are painful, but actually they can make you more capable. If someone takes an examination without really being ready and flunks it, can we say it was good to give him a test? For those who studied very hard the examination is good, but for those who haven’t studied, the exam is like hell. Studying hard means making sacrifices. You have to study while others are enjoying themselves, which means giving up many activities.</p>
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<p>As you may have heard, there are many blessed wives who are leaving their children in the nursery and going out on the bus teams. The couples may talk among themselves about how certain people didn’t go out, and question why they should have to sacrifice. Perhaps they think the wives are needed at home to take care of things. You be the judge. Do you think that what 1 ordered them to do was too harsh? Then is trying to avoid going out good or not?</p>
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<p>When people around the world see our members leaving their young children to go out and witness, they change their thinking about our movement. They expect to see the engaged couples get married and settle down with nice families, but when the babies finally come they see the mothers leaving them behind and going out to other parts of the country to witness. When they see that our families are separated again people think, “I will never try to understand them again.” That hardship is what Satan has been trying to focus their attention on. Satan is watching the ties you have with your physical father and mother, thinking that if you are persecuted enough by them that maybe you will change your mind, but you never change your mind! Ordinary people are thinking that once you have your children you cannot endure leaving them behind, but then they find out you have gone witnessing 3,000 miles away!</p>
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<p>Satan is closely watching the husband whose baby and wife are both gone. If that man thinks that I ask too much of their family, Satan will be right beside him, saying, “That’s right. I told you so!” But the man who is left alone can have a different attitude, smiling to himself that the little creature who disturbed his sleep at night is gone. His attitude should be, “He is not here for me to take care of any more so God must be with him. Now I can work even harder, and when I come home at night I can rest in peace.” Will God be angry with him, or be happy and think that for the first time He has found someone who could pass the examination of heart?</p>
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<p>On the other side, if the man starts complaining, then God is really worried, not knowing how he is going to pass this test. Satan will be really happy, though. “This is the last test and I knew that he wouldn’t pass it.” Can you imagine the scene where God and Satan are right beside you, watching how you behave? If a husband can give up his wife and children and have nothing left to lose, Satan has no claim on him any more and he is a free man.</p>
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<p>If I am smart then will I make a man give up everything in order to make him a free man? There is no better way than to get rid of everything. Do you welcome this thought? What about those bachelors who are saying that it doesn’t really matter so much, or the fathers whose babies have gone to the nursery? You may think that you can let your wife go away, but when you come to the nursery and see your child you may feel that he is not eating properly or is not spiritually well. If you worry about your wife and think that she is not well and may be ill, Satan has hope to find something to accuse with.</p>
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<p>If the baby had a mind like a grown-up would he welcome his father worrying and carrying on like that? If the child had a mind like a grown-up he would say, “Don’t come near me. You are worrying about yourself and not about me.” Then the father wouldn’t lose any time in going to his home church because the baby would not be crying; he would even say, “Instead of visiting me you should be going to your own home church!” Do you think this is my own peculiar idea? Would God look down on me and say that I am pushing you too hard?</p>
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<p>Many people have successfully followed Jesus’ teachings except in this one area: “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” So far no one has been successful in that area, and as a result everyone has been blocked from heaven. Apart from that criterion, many would have gone to heaven before now. However, most people have stopped thinking about it altogether. Would God be happy for the person who managed to cross that barrier for the first time in history? You can imagine how the rest of mankind would talk about such a person, calling him inhuman. In the Unification Church husbands and wives are often separated, and even when they have children, often leave them behind to do their missions. I know that the public criticizes me for telling our couples they must live this way, but I am not afraid of criticism. Should I feel this is too hard for you and not ask it of you? No, I want you to go over this barrier.</p>
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<p>Some examinations have many questions, and one question may be worth one one-hundredth of a point, but this question of leaving your wife and children will be given credit for ninety points. If you are a smart student then you will concentrate your effort on solving this big question. Then if you are wrong on all the other questions you will still get ninety points, but even if you solve all the smaller problems you will still get only ten points. Would you rather study under the teacher who can show you the answer to the big problem, or the teacher who concerns himself with all the smaller details? When you are ready to take the cosmic examination, which teacher would you rather prepare with?</p>
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<p>Do you like the teacher who encourages you to sleep all you want, or would you prefer a strict teacher who kicks and disciplines you? Even if you get up at 3:30 you will find such a teacher already up. He may tell you, “Now that you have gotten up so late, you’d better start moving fast.” When midnight comes and you have been working all day, this teacher will say, “How can you go to bed so early?” Teaching you in this way gives me as much pain as it does you, but if you are going to pass then someone has to push you that hard. It certainly is not for my benefit. I already have assurance of going to heaven, but what about the rest of you people?</p>
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<p>I already know what it is like to live that way because I did it long ago. I started out from scratch in the barest surroundings, not just once but over and over again in different countries. If I didn’t know what it was like and only made the members do it, would Satan have kept quiet? I have pushed Mother very hard and even sent my own child into an orphanage. If I hadn’t done that myself then my conscience would bother me constantly.</p>
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<p>The first 36 couples are living together now, but they can do so without their consciences bothering them because years ago they were separated for a long time. Also, ten and twenty years ago the situation was much more difficult than it is now.</p>
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<p>Even though externally America is comfortable and affluent, I know the difficulty that you must be going through being separated from your families. Once you know the Principle and realize how to live it, you should be competing to see who is going to do it first. Those who wait until the second or third opportunity comes will have more difficulty than the one who does it first. This is something that we should jump out to do and get over with. If you are prepared to do this for the rest of your life then you can stop sooner. Do you plan how you can get out of doing it, or do you want to be the first one to do it? Once you finish you are allowed to come back and there is nothing which is more difficult for you to do in the future.</p>
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<p>Satan will always be encouraging the person who hangs back. Satan knows this is difficult for you and he is always trying to tempt you. One American member wanted to report his concerns to me about various matters concerning the nursery. I was very stern with him and asked if he had ever worked harder and poured out as much heart as the people working in the nursery. If he had, then I felt I could listen. 1 had a clear idea about his own attitude. If a person is worthy of taking responsibility for this country, then he would lead this country in maintaining this standard and understanding. I asked him about this.</p>
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<p>Before he came to speak he should have spent much time in prayer and thought about the situation to be sure of what he was saying. I told him it is better to give a good spiritual atmosphere in the school than to give the children the best food and clothing. It is better for the children if someone is really praying for them and being with them. In a regular nursery children might have better care externally, with one adult caring for three children and working only eight hours. Here we have one person for every five children, but these people are pouring out their heart and love to them. This is the crux of the problem. External things aren’t so much of a concern, but money will never provide the love and prayer the children need.</p>
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<p>We are always challenged to make decisions about happiness. Anything and everything that begins with yourself at the center is bad. That which does not center around yourself is eternal anal good. The father who gives of himself for the sake of the family is a good father for that family. If that family sacrifices for the sake of the clan, that family will suffer the most, but everyone will say that family is the best in their clan.</p>
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<p>America is made up of many races and clans. If one clan really works together to help America in a crucial way, the whole nation will praise and respect all of them. If America will do that for the world, submitting to suffering to help other nations, then the world will live. All people would look up to America just as they did years ago. Will America be considered a bad country or a good country?</p>
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<p>Many religions follow certain rites and practices, but none are thinking of the ultimate solution for the world’s problems. We will never be second best because we are uncompromising in our standard. What will the world religions say when the Unification Church attains its goal? They will recognize that the Unification Church is better than they are. They are already beginning to see that we are more active and more effective, and as they understand us more they will like us more. Of course, we have to allow some time; we cannot expect all Americans to be able to understand us in a few days. How long must we live like this? This will be our way of life until America can follow and reach the goal. When we look back a few years it is clear that we have passed the peak of persecution.</p>
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<p>Years ago I predicted that 1978 would be the peak year of persecution. Now the communists and religious groups are increasingly fighting among themselves. The Unification Church faced its most difficult fight against injustice in 1978. Senator Dole’s hearing was held on the last day of the lunar calendar. Even up to the last day we had persecution, but now it is coming to a conclusion.</p>
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<p>Are we waiting for eternal happiness to come to us or are we going to build it? Is it not yet discovered, or are you going to build it? Once you resolve to do something you have to devote all your power to accomplishing it. How difficult it is!</p>
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<p>You may have heard that giving birth to many children is very difficult. Is it more difficult to build the heavenly kingdom, or to give birth to a child? If it is as difficult as giving birth to 1,000 babies at the same time would you give up and fall behind, or would you follow? Those women who have already given birth to babies know how difficult it is, but you men will never know.</p>
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<p>Should 1 accept your sincerity automatically, or should I seriously check you? Will the Unification Church survive when things become difficult? Are you honestly the ones to build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth? Would such a person doze off here in the morning? Those of you who have never dozed off here in the morning, raise your hands.</p>
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<p>Once we have a clear goal and are confident to reach it then we are much freer to do everything. We can go to the theater or a show, to a bar and watch people drink. If you are working for a goal you are free to do that, but if you do it just centering on yourself, you will find yourself in hell.</p>
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<p>Your balance scales are always swinging back and forth, depending on whether you have good motivation or are acting in a self-centered way. As I said before, even your clothing can be good or bad depending on how you obtained it.</p>
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<p>If you are following the right purpose then you can even go dancing, but without a heavenly purpose your dancing is bad. No one but heaven can see your motivation just by looking at you, but your purpose determines the value of everything you do. If we think about building heaven are we only going to include people who are rich, famous or powerful? We should be able to embrace them, but we also have to think about people in bars, houses of prostitution and so on.</p>
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<p>If I spent the night in a house of prostitution, people would think the usual things about me, but God would know the content of what I did there. If I went there and talked all night to save the people then it doesn’t matter what other people think. God knows what I did. It all depends on the content.</p>
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<p>I have started all kinds of social activities, schools and factories, and now I am even making a Hollywood-scale film. If I didn’t do these things, people would say that I built heaven on earth only for religious people, not the people in the streets, the shopkeepers or the factory workers. Though we do many secular activities, they have a spiritual content.</p>
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<p>Unification Church members go everywhere, not as Americans but as citizens of the heavenly kingdom, to research all that goes on. We will visit every house, not to criticize or look for something bad, but to know every family so we can raise everyone to goodness and clear out undesirable things. It doesn’t make any difference if people jeer at us. We will not stop going because of that.</p>
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<p>We are not doing this for ourselves but for the sake of the young people, to give them guidance and care. Nothing we do is really just for ourselves. We marry just as other people in the world do, but with different purpose and content. You said you are seeking eternal happiness, but do you have the ability to do it? Before you can make a machine you have to have the necessary skills. Are you skillful enough in doing home church work to save the nation? Is that job easy or difficult? How difficult? Saying that it is very difficult is the same as saying you can’t do it. As long as you have the idea that it is very difficult, you will find it difficult to succeed. Though you honestly think it is difficult, if you know you can do it somehow then you have some possibility of success.</p>
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<p>It was difficult for me to work here in America, but I never felt overwhelmed by the obstacles and I always knew that I could do it. I just kept on going, and the result shows that I succeeded. Do you understand what I am trying to say? If I know a task is very difficult then I set my mind to go one step further, and then I always reach my real goal. I always think that, even though I have to die some time, I will never die before the task is done. Though I am opposed today, I feel I will conclude that opposition before going on to something else.</p>
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<p>If you are serious about accomplishing something then you must prepare for it. You may pinch yourself to see how much pain you can stand, but when someone else pinches you it always feels more painful. You can test yourself by getting a champion wrestler to pinch you and see if you can tolerate it. Then go all the way up to God; His pinch will be so hard that there will be a hole in your arm. If He causes you the worst possible pain but still you won’t give up, God will say, “This person is out of my hands.” Then He will give up testing you. That is the way God works.</p>
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<p>You hear me talk about having a serious attitude, but you can never understand how serious I am. By nature I am a very serious man. I will build heaven with my very own hands. When I planned to make my own family, I determined it would be the ideal family which could set the example. I wanted to create the best family and have five races included. Mass marriage was started as a result. There is a chance you will be blessed with someone you like, but what if you are matched with someone you really don’t like?</p>
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<p>When I was in Europe I met many white members. Many of them were very nice and could do many things, but actually I did not think so much of them. Then one German sister came to me, saying she had discovered something in black men that was the most genuine and most pure of all. She found such a kindness and genuineness in them that she had never found in the white people. She said very seriously and sincerely that she had made up her mind to marry a black brother if I approved. ‘That was the first time I could really bow down to a white woman; I never thought it would be possible.</p>
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<p>I saw that couple the other day in New York because they are visiting here, and when there is time I want to take them to dinner. I respect them because they are pioneers in building the heavenly kingdom on earth. Even God could not help but respect them for their seriousness and sincerity. Since I am also working for the heavenly kingdom I can recognize the value of what they did, and when they are successful then it is like my own success.</p>
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<p>Once you become dead serious about this task you can realize how difficult it is. Anyone who says that he can do it easily does not really know what he is talking about, and may actually be very close to Satan. A serious man will think deeply all the time and the contents of his actions will be completely different from anyone else’s, even though their external activity may be the same. The inevitable conclusion is that it is actually God who is seeing through his eyes. When that person is moving his hand, it is not he alone who is using it but God. At first he may not be so certain of this, but as time goes on he can gain confidence that God is doing work through him.</p>
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<p>Although we may not have adequate education or preparation according to the worldly standard, long as we have that serious kind of mind God is always with us and we will always be successful. We may not see success with our own eyes, yet we will never perish; God will be with us all the time, even at the moment of death. This is most natural and matter of fact because only through that kind of man will God realize His ideal. If God does not help such a man then God will never achieve His ideal. It is obvious that God will be there with him.</p>
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<p>Does eternal happiness remain with this person or will it be found somewhere else? We know now that eternal happiness stays with the person who builds it himself. Doesn’t that stand to reason? The question is not so much whether a person simply wants to live in eternal happiness, but whether he is determined to make his eternal happiness. This deep desire goes hand in hand with eternal happiness and with God’s eternal love and ideal. As long as love and eternal ideal are part of this desire, eternal happiness will be found there. This is the only criterion for any happiness at all.</p>
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<p>You have discovered that you do this together with your Parents. Now you have confidence and are not just dreaming. Everyone hopes for happiness, but few people come near the goal. We are not brilliantly educated or good-looking and fashionable, yet we have come close to this ideal. As long as we are living with such confidence, we can come nearer to the eternal happiness and show it to everyone else. With such pride and sincerity nothing will hold us back. This is the ordinary path and attitude of the Unification Church member.</p>
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<p>I can gauge how much heaven on earth is being achieved by the measure of how much we totally devote ourselves to its creation. According to the amount of sacrifice we make in building this ideal and how much sweat and tears we shed in sympathy and agony for mankind, we can measure how successful we are in building eternal happiness on earth.</p>
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<p>The worldly concept of happiness is directly the opposite: most individuals care only about their own enjoyment, regardless of how much other people suffer. This is a commonplace thing. In the worldly point of view, anyone who tries to go beyond that is jumping down the river.</p>
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<p>The leaders of communist nations are very vicious and free world nations maintain armies to fight them. Other nations never send armies to help the communists. If the communist powers are rampant and no nation sends any army to check them then Unification Church members will go to the front to fight them. Will God say that the Unification Church is too busy with its own business and shouldn’t send members to help fight the communists?</p>
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<p>Why are we so opposed to communism? If the communists dominate the world do you think any religion, good or bad, will remain on earth? Can God have anything to do with mankind without the true religion? Should we stop communism ourselves, or just watch communism prosper and let nature take care of it? It is apparent that if communism prevails it would completely annihilate religion and then God would have no chance whatever for restoration. God has been waiting for the outcome, but I stepped forward and said, “God, You have no responsibility for this. I volunteer myself. You have never given an order to fight the war, but I will fight communism on my own initiative. I will wipe out that ideology so that it will never bother any God-fearing people” I will bear that responsibility and carry it out once and for all.</p>
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<p>Even when America was not willing to send any troops to Vietnam, Korea sent troops to fight with Americans in the name of freedom. Could Americans later say that the Koreans were fighting on their own? Or would they encourage the Koreans to go ahead and do what Americans were not able to do?</p>
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<p>In this thinking I am different from ordinary religious leaders. Even though I don’t carry out all my ideas, I stretch my imagination to the extreme. As a religious leader I cannot encourage people to kill communists. If there is no effort made to stop communism, however, then certainly there is no chance for any religion to survive, including Unification Church, and no way for God’s ideal to be realized. This is really a critical moment. If some of our members didn’t even report to me but just went on their own to fight and wipe the communists out, what do you think I should say when they are successful? Should I say, “I never told you to start a war!” Or will I be happy at what they did and say, “That is the one thing I wanted to tell you to do, but I could never speak directly”?</p>
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<p>It is our strength and blessing that we have a consistent and accurate view of history and the world. When I started a factory in the early days of our Church I decided it should be a machine-parts factory, even though that business is not very profitable. Everyone in Korea knew that, and members said, “Why don’t you start a paper factory and we can make millions overnight?” But I insisted otherwise. I thought that if America was overrun by communism and unable to defend itself that I would make the necessary guns with my own hands to support America. Would Americans question why I gave them free assistance?</p>
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<p>If any person thinks seriously about why people oppose Reverend Moon and the Unification Church, they can find absolutely no answer that makes any sense. It is completely ridiculous. It is always helpful to receive some aid, but you have to have adequate strength to defend yourself. This is why some of our members in Korea and Japan are learning karate or tae-kwon-do. We train and prepare ourselves, but we hope we don’t have to use these skills. If we do use them it won’t be for ourselves but for the sake of everyone else. This proved to be necessary in Japan because the communists are quite violent when they have rallies. As a result, other students don’t want to get anywhere near, but the Unification Church members are strong and when our members go together to confront them the communists are afraid.</p>
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<p>Power by itself is neither good nor bad; it only becomes so according to how it is used. If the Mafia and other such groups use violence for their own selfish purpose, people think that all power is bad. But if strength is used by God it is good. If you use it to wipe out evil then it is even better.</p>
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<p>What is your thinking-do you think New Yorkers want to eliminate prostitution, or do they want to keep it? If you preach and lecture that it is against God’s ideal, will it be eliminated? No, these people have heard preaching before. The only way to change them is to use force.</p>
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<p>The beautiful Unification Church women should train in karate. Then they can stand on every corner on Eighth Avenue and if someone comes to make a pass at them, it is just too bad! If there are fifty such casualties on Eighth Avenue, then no one will go there even if you invite them. Those who are not beautiful don’t have to learn karate!</p>
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<p>If a person is determined to save America and New York then shouldn’t the citizens of New York welcome him, no matter how extreme his actions? The average American is not treating me even as well as a prostitute. You Unification Church~members have to realize and feel a certain anger about America’s lukewarm attitude toward this injustice. Even if only a few people stand up, they will soon become a big group, and then a small stream and finally a big river. This has come to pass.</p>
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<p>Even though David was small he killed the giant Goliath. How can you say he did a good deed? You have to look at the whole situation. With that one deed he helped save 3,000 years of God’s work; otherwise, it would have been washed away. David did not win just an ordinary fight like we see in the streets. If David had been a rabbi then the people would have accused him for killing someone, but do you think that God was happy to see him fight Goliath and win?</p>
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<p>The same principle applies to me. If I confronted communism with armed force and won, would God be happy, even though many people were killed? Place yourself in God’s position and see whether or not you would be happy. You should be very sure about this. How would God react if you gave up your religion so you could be free to fight? Certainly all religions must do their spiritual work, but now the communists are threatening and no one is defending God or religion. The religious man can never afford to be stupid. How can a religious person, seeing communism destroying the churches, say, “I am a religious person so I must sit down and pray. God will take care of it because He’s omnipotent.”? That kind of religion will be swept off the face of the earth. What could God do with that kind of religion?</p>
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<p>The Unification Church is bound to prosper at this time in history because it fits the requirements for God’s work. Both God and the world need the Unification Church, so it cannot help but prosper. There is no other way for us to go. If there is any life in this country of America then it is founded in the love of justice. No one else may care about justice, but Americans will care. Will people of justice stand by while someone kicks you and steals from you?</p>
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<p>If Jesus had been more powerful than the Roman emperor when the soldiers were sent to arrest Jesus, do you think he would have submitted when they grabbed him? Suppose after Jesus had been arrested and put on the cross the soldiers wanted to fight for him and take him down; would Jesus have said, “No, I don’t want to come down. This is where I belong. Why do you interfere with my mission”? Nevertheless, Christians today think Jesus came to die and would have remained on the cross even if the soldiers had tried to save him.</p>
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<p>If the soldiers had rescued Jesus from the cross and enthroned him like a king, what would have happened at that time? If the Kingdom of Heaven had come at that time do you think there would be many different Christian denominations fighting against each other today? Let’s face it; the Christians don’t know any more than anyone else about which way to turn. God is not talking to them directly.</p>
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<p>Even though we are on the side of good, we still need power in order to erase evil; we will never use it for our individual purpose but only to save America, to benefit the world, and most of all, for the sake of God. How do we attain power? We must start at the lowest point, persevere there and go up through every experience successfully. This is why the first thing, Unification Church members learn is to persevere through any difficulty. We don’t make decisions centered on ourselves but with public minds. What matters is content, not external appearance.</p>
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<p>Does God instigate war, or does He intervene only after men start conflicts? Men start wars, but God helps the good side to win and reach the goal they fought for. God certainly doesn’t want to bring the world into unity through use of arms, and neither do 1. It is through love that the world must come into one under God.</p>
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<p>How different the thinking of the Unification Church is from the rest of the Christian world! Shouldn’t the world-champion wrestler be in the Unification Church? He wouldn’t come to be a decoration, but to knock out the enemy. Is it good to knock out someone else? It is only justified when public good will result from it. If nothing else will be effective then it is good. We need strong teams in wrestling, soccer, baseball and all sports.</p>
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<p>Will some member who is not a part of the team complain, “1 work so hard fund raising and witnessing and don’t have the best food. Look at those members of the wrestling team. They eat big meals and sleep all night to train for wrestling. Why do I have to fund raise and witness?” Even though you don’t say anything, will you keep a grudge inside and secretly hope our champion loses his match? A real champion would want him to win, forgetting his grudge; if you realize he is fighting for the same thing you are, you will cheer him on. If that champion is a Mr. Kim, will the world say, “Mr. Kim won,’or “the Unification Church champion won”? It’s natural that a champion must be given certain special considerations when he is training. Because he doesn’t fight for himself but for the Church, the whole Church has to back him up.</p>
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<p>The same is true for the Olympic teams that compete every four years. All of America follows the achievements of the American team and supports them. When one champion wins, all 240 million people will rejoice because he represents their nation.</p>
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<p>When a war is fought, don’t you think God enjoys it when the good side wins? Young boys like war games even though they have no concept of killing. When given a toy pistol, even good children will tell people to put their hands up, and be happy when they do. It’s very apparent that this is an expression of a competitive sense. I like war movies very much because the fight against evil is very real to me.</p>
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<p>Even Christians have regarded themselves as a heavenly army. We are no exception. All armies go to the front line to fight. More than anyone else, we have been entrusted with the mission to advance the front line of goodness. At Barrytown all the seminarians, both men and women, have regular karate lessons. If one of our Barrytown graduates sees two men fighting, then even though he is ordained as a religious leader he will tell them to stop. If they turn on him and snarl, “What’s it to you,’then he will say, “I said to stop it!” He will take off his coat and in a few minutes they will both be flat on the ground. If they don’t make peace with each other then he will strike again.</p>
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<p>Suppose a Christian minister comes by and two men are fighting. He may say, “It’s not right to fight. Stop it.” They reply, “You shut up or else we will knock you out.” He has no training, so what can he do? He will have to retreat and pretend he didn’t see it. If God watches both these scenes, which one will He really enjoy?</p>
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<p>I am unique among religious leaders, including Christians, because they have no idea about using power for goodness. If I go to the farm I am a good farmer. When I go into the fishing business I become one of the fishermen. I can eat raw fish and even their guts out of my hand. There is nothing I can’t do. If I go to a mine, I will dig day after day just as if it were my vocation. I can go to the slums and talk to the people and win their hearts. Without doing all these things how can you know what your objective is? Only after graduating from all those experiences could I think of coming to the United States to do anything meaningful. I have done nothing wrong. If it is bad to make the young people come away from drugs and walk straight toward God’s goal, then I am bad. But everything indicates it is good; from the dispensation point of view, this movement is vitally necessary.</p>
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<p>Many ministers think that when I die the Unification Church will disintegrate. Not at all. When I reach spirit world I am determined to push all Unification Church members ten times harder. No one minds that? Now you have promised. You continue on your own, and if that is not sufficient then I will push you.</p>
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<p>Those who are determined to build eternal happiness are the pioneers, and such people must go through all sorts of experiences. In one sense I am a very loving person, but I am also a person to keep an eye on because if I give a direction there are hundreds of people ready to do impossible things. Yet I am completely unlike the communists or people like Jim Jones; as long as the work of justice needs doing I will proclaim so and go head on.</p>
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<p>The free world needs this kind of leadership now. The world needs the person who strives for the ideal that is deep inside himself and who can never be inhibited. There are three kinds of people to be seen in building the kingdom of heaven: the people who really fight with everything they have, feeling no regret and winning victory for history; those who will die fighting because they are short of power; and those who retreat because the fighting is difficult and they are afraid to die.</p>
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<p>In which category would you like to be? Number one is best. Number two is permissible, but that doesn’t mean I am encouraging it. We should never be attacked and killed simply because we antagonized people in our zealousness. That’s not a worthy death. Your death will have merit when it could not be prevented, and when heaven and earth can acknowledge that. If you can avoid death, do so by all means. Heaven is intended for those who win over the circumstances, who persevere and keep on trying. The kingdom cannot be formed unless you survive the fiercest fights. Like the Bible tells us, we must be wise as serpents in order to survive.</p>
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<p>We persevere so that one day we can go on the offensive most effectively. Those people who only persevere but never strike out for good are not helping God’s providence. Through experience we can distinguish the time to attack from the time for retreat. All Unification Church members must be wise in perceiving when to attack head-on and when not to.</p>
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<p>In the home church you will have to teach everything to the people. If someone is opposing the Unification Church, don’t go to his house and try to get even. Keep a record of the untruthful things he says about you and teach everything you know, and if after hearing everything you have to teach he is still opposed, then go and fight him. He will be weak internally by that time and only need a little push. But after fighting, you must become friends with him. Otherwise, there is no sense in fighting.</p>
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<p>Even though we may need to fight the communists, afterwards we have to tell them why communism is wrong so they can change their minds and have godly thinking. This is why we have Victory Over Communism theory. If Christians are against us, we must show them why they are wrong; this is why we have Divine Principle. We have a complete explanation based on the Bible to show them how they are mistaken. If they repent, it’s fine, but if not then we need to make more effort to win them over. God first teaches people and shows them an example, then passes judgment. He always wants to teach still more, but He can’t wait eternally if they won’t listen.</p>
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<p>We cannot build heaven all by ourselves, but must teach other people so that they will understand and participate. We must do it first, and then with our experience we must teach them well before we can expect them to follow us. You have to be a good teacher and not rush them, or expect them to respond if you are unable to teach them very much. A person must like you first and then he will listen to what you have to say. Then he has to like what you tell him. Teaching people is not just a matter of talking. After they like you personally and like what you say to them, they must like you for your deeds. You have to make them like you in these three ways and then they will copy everything you say and do. That is how the heavenly kingdom will expand. We have to teach them by our personality, word and deed.</p>
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<p>Do you like the fishing business? Why? After I went to sea I talked so much about it that now you are enthusiastic about fishing too. I stayed out many days tuna fishing, and now since I like fishing so much and you like me so much, you like fishing also. One day all the sisters said they wanted to be captains of fishing boats. I’m not just talking about loving fishing, but showing it by my example. We have been building boats for over a year now, and I also bought a boat of which I am captain. When storm warnings are posted and everyone advises against going out, I still go anyway. When the waves are rough, everything inside the boat is tossed around. ln the beginning I held on to the railing, but after being tossed around for a few hours, I found it was easier just to get bumped around and I forgot about holding on. In rough weather the crew is tossed around and the furniture slides from corner to corner. Now I enjoy watching them move around; otherwise, there would be nothing to do. Since 1 have already showed the example, I am sure you will like that too, and even like going to sea in a storm.</p>
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<p>I remember very well the day I took the Little Angels on the boat. First they sang up on deck and wrote letters about their experience. When the waves got bigger they thought that was exciting and jumped up and down, but as the waves got even bigger they started throwing up. One older sister held a sick younger girl on her lap, but then the older sister got sick too. Finally all of them were sick. The boat was still heading out to the fishing ground, but their only desire was to go back to land! But how can you catch fish if you go back? I knew what they wanted, but should I have turned around and gone back to land’.’ l had to clear a path between them to walk back and forth, ignoring them to concentrate on catching fish. l didn’t take them with me just to sympathize with them, but to fish together. They understood that we were there to fish so they didn’t mind being pushed around and didn’t complain.</p>
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<p>We’re all here to build the Kingdom of Heaven, but if the going becomes rough should I say it’s too hard and send you back to rest, or push you to keep going? People can adjust. After being seasick for three days people get bored and want to get up and do something. Gradually they adjust and become immune to seasickness. Then they can eat and have energy to move around. New members always feel they can really see heaven. No one has ever been to heaven and they are excited, but soon they find that our boat sails through typhoons and that people persecute and spit at us. Some of them feel completely knocked out.</p>
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<p>Many people don’t go to work when it snows but can we stop working in bad weather? We go out anyway and work harder. That is our training. Now there are rockets that can take people to the moon, but do you think heaven is closer or farther than the moon? Once a rocket is launched can it come back and land and start over again? Can you say, “Let’s wait and rest here”? It really doesn’t make any difference what you feel; a rocket will just keep on going until it reaches its destination. Once you take off, God will adjust your course and have you land when the proper time comes. If you have only a little more distance to cover, yet you feel like getting off, how would God feel? Once we get on the rocket we just keep on flying, leaving everything else to God. This is what we are doing now.</p>
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<p>I have come here from Korea and Japan, and soon I will leave this country and go to yet another place to do what I have done here. Can you protest that I should stay in America? When the time comes to go I will go, and you have nothing to say to me about that.</p>
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<p>The amount of effort we invest in the heaven we are making will determine how happily we will live there. Who bought Belvedere, East Garden and the New Yorker? Soon I will build my own residence in America, better than the White House. You will not earn the money for that. I am also determined to build schools and universities. When I say I will build these things, will I do it? There is nothing I have said I would do that I didn’t accomplish.</p>
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<p>There is no time in each day to rest your head. Many nights I fall asleep in a chair at two or three in the morning. Then Mother wakes me up and brings me to bed. I sleep fewer hours than you do because I never want to depend on you. Even when the Korean members need more money for a factory in Korea they ask me. Yesterday I invested more money in our factories there. I am doing that for your future and for the future of the world, so I give directions about every detail of where and how to build the factories and schools. Those are complicated matters. Do you think that is an enjoyable or difficult task?</p>
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<p>Is your brain happy when you make it work day and night? Is the person who works all day long a happy person or a pitiful person? He might not be happy in the beginning, but as he keeps working his happiness will become greater and greater. I know you don’t always like what you do, but you do it anyway and gradually you will come to like it. At first you don’t like it, but then you train yourself.</p>
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<p>Once we set out to do something, like erect a building, are we going to build it slowly or quickly? While we are building this heaven we shall live under one ideal and love and establish it the way God originally intended. We will keep on working and building with our own love. Without doing so there is no basis for eternal happiness to be built. How does that sound?</p>
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<p>Are you more interested in working hard like this or in getting married? When I am talking for a long time like this many people doze off, but as soon as I mention marriage their eyes pop open. What does that show? Is it greater to get married or do this work? You have to understand which comes first. If you have never made this foundation yet you get married, can you forget about having to finish? That’s why it says in the Bible, “Woe to those who are with child in the last days.” It means that even those who are married must go pioneering and do this work on earth. If they were unmarried, it would be a lot easier. Even though they are married, they must set aside their family ties and go do that work.</p>
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<p>Is it better to do this work and build a home church while you are single and then get blessed and start a family, or to start a family now and separate while going to the home church? A baby can be a nuisance because his parents are no longer free. Your most precious time is taken up caring for the baby, and then you would wish you hadn’t married before you had completed your home church work.</p>
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<p>Since I conducted an engagement and blessing in Europe and Japan and an engagement in Korea, you probably think there will certainly be a marriage here too because otherwise it would be unfair. Don’t you think that way? How long can you say no? Until 1980 or ten years from now? You must think about finishing the work first and think about marriage after it’s done. That’s the best way.</p>
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<p>We have set out to build the foundation of eternal happiness. Everything is for this purpose. Would you invite me to come visit when you have finished? Let’s set the date now; when do you expect to be finished? What if I leave this country before 1981? That’s up to you.</p>
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<p>When I first came to this country the movement here was in chaos. I had to gather everyone together and train them, send them out, then bring them back again. We are now standing on the foundation of a lot of work. Now it’s up to you how long you will take to be successful enough to invite me to your area. Don’t you want to be successful in this? Then you must have some idea when you can invite me. It won’t depend on me but on your progress. Once you make up your mind, you have to promise before God with the seriousness of having a dagger stabbing you in the side, “No matter what happens to me, nothing will stop me. Once I make up my mind I will go straight forward to the goal.” If at all possible finish it by June 1981.</p>
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<p>I feel that you could do it rather easily within that time. If I had to do it, I could do it much earlier than that. You have to make a meticulous plan in order to establish the foundation of heaven, outlining each step so you can see where you are.</p>
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<p>You all want to go to the same place where I go, and all your home church members should look up to you the same way and wish they were going to the same place as you. You have to have them be so attached to you that they want to follow you, and in order to do that you have to devote all your heart to them.</p>
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<p>If you didn’t have to go to home church you would like to work together with me wouldn’t you? Your home church members should feel the same way about you. This can happen because there is an ideal and unchanging love there. That’s why you long to be close to me and work directly with me. If you really miss me then I will come to you in person. You will occupy that same position in your home church, and everyone will miss you and want to see you.</p>
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<p>In order for them to feel this close, you will have to devote all of yourself to them and then you will understand me. You will walk and walk, wearing out many pairs of shoes. Every household has a history and aspiration, and everything you invest in them will be inscribed there. Perhaps a certain family opposed you very much but later finally welcome you. Every scene of those events is a source of pride for what you did. You should make them so anxious to help you that they are eager to do many things for you after you are married. They will feel more happy than at the time of their own marriage and want to do something for you. You must make them feel so deeply about you that they want to carry you on their shoulders like football heroes.</p>
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<p>You have to plan ahead if you are really going to do these things. We have to continue through rainy days and sunny days without letup. If you can’t bear to leave your area and you stay there awake all night then spirit world will visit those 360 homes for you. Spirit, world will show each one of them that you are standing in the neighborhood and not going back to your home because you miss them so much. After having this dream or vision, when they open up their door you will be standing there. This can actually happen. Just as spirit world, Adam, Eve and God must work as one before the Kingdom of Heaven is realized on earth, you also will have to experience this before heaven can be realized in your area.</p>
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<p>Everything you do should be centered around your area. If you have to go to the bathroom, go there. When you cry, you must shed the most profound tears in your area. The best things that happen in your life should happen in your area, things that you cannot forget for eternity. When you become old and look back and say those were your happiest days, you will have the foundation for eternal happiness. That is where God’s love and ideal will be left. I experienced that while I was in prison, and even now I can feel the same everywhere I go. These things are happening even now, not only at the early times. The standard is the same for you as for me, but it will work only if you are complete in your feeling of love for that area.</p>
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<p>The experience of suffering is a very subjective thing. American people may suffer a little yet think that they are suffering a great deal, but in a poor country like Korea where people have had tremendous suffering they feel that such hardship is easy to bear. Looking down objectively at these circumstances, what would God think if Americans said they were already doing their best? What if they insisted they only knew the democratic way and wanted to do things that way? If asked who liked indemnity, no one would volunteer under the democratic system. You can imagine how difficult it would be to find volunteers.</p>
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<p>Americans are big people, bigger than the Japanese, for instance. The Japanese are working as hard here as they did in Japan, and Americans know clearly that they are not working as hard. Do Americans feel shame because of that, or don’t they care so much? Is that something easy to take, or do you feel you can’t allow that record to continue? You have to have some pride in what your own country can do.</p>
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<p>Is it better to have the Japanese tell you to do something or have me tell you’! Why me? Which brings more indemnity-failing at a task that I tell you to do, or “‘ailing the same task when told to do it by the Japanese? The choice is very obvious. If both Americans and Japanese engage in the same activities in this country, which nationality would I rather see winning? I make the Japanese work hard in order to teach you indirectly to work harder than they do. You must always work harder than they. Even if the Japanese rest, the Americans should not rest because they have to catch up. You should listen to this with the attitude that you can learn from it, rather than feeling that you hate to hear such things.</p>
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<p>When I go to Japan, I always praise the Japanese leaders, but when I come back to America I tell the American leaders they are not up to par and should work harder. When I call a leaders’ conference, they come with heavy legs, feeling I will scold them once more. After I do that three times, they want to collapse. They need some release from that feeling and say that democracy and the American way ot’ education are not like that. Don’t you feel that way’.’ Only a few of you are saying no, and those who say no perhaps don’t know so deeply. Do you think I don’t know about democracy and the American way of doing things? I already know about America. 1 already have evaluated which ways don’t work and that’s why I am going a way none of you have ever tried. If’ your way worked, America would be prosperous by now.</p>
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<p>How many times do you wish I would push you ahead when you feel you lack power to go on’! Do you think ten times would be enough for you’! It someone is really concerned about you, such as your parents, then they will push you even while you are in grammar school and expect you to study hard. They will push you throughout middle school and high school and even through college, and even then think it is not enough and want to push you further.</p>
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<p>If a student becomes impatient or arrogant and tells them that he’ll do it by himself, he has come to have false confidence and will probably fail I will continue to push you even after I think you can take care of yourself, and give you a shove until you fly instead of walk. I will take no chance on your failing. It is a happy thing to have someone behind you making sure you reach the goal.</p>
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<p>If the indemnity of 6,000 years is employed in a horizontal way, it will take 6,()00 years to fulfill. We are trying to condense it even into sixty days, so you cannot expect to go at the same speed that would take you 6,000 years. I am quite serious about making you fly in order to cover that distance. Is this bad thinking or good thinking? With that in mind, keep a record of how many times I have pushed you. Keep statistics in your diary and count up to 2,000 times or 20,000 times. The more pushing the better because more history will be accomplished through you. Each time I give you a push your name will be inscribed in history.</p>
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<p>I know that this will be the source of happiness and because I know it I can keep doing it. Thus, I will give you the most precious things. This is why I can keep on pushing over and over and over again, to fulfill the tradition of love.</p>
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<p>Even though I have fulfilled my portion of responsibility, I cannot just leave you alone to do your work because I know what’s ahead tor you. I will keep after you, paying attention to every detail, as if this were my own responsibility. This is the only way to set you on the right course without taking unnecessary risk. The people who don’t like that are the ones who will let America drift into chaos. Such a person is not only untrustworthy, but will one day mislead the American people and in the process destroy himself too. I am always aggressive toward that kind of person and I will give everything in the hope of waking that person up. That’s the only way.</p>
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<p>I have always intended to involve as many Americans as possible and drive them into as much suffering as possible. America has failed more than she has succeeded, so the greater the number who are involved the better; they will serve as a condition for God to forgive everything America has failed to do. If I don’t do that, there is nothing anyone can do to help America. No one can pray about America and expect that prayer to win God’s sympathy unless I make Americans suffer for the sake of God’s providence. On that basis I can pray to God, saying, “Father, please regard them with love because they didn’t rebel against me or against You. Take that merit and forgive whatever they have failed to do.” God will listen to that prayer.</p>
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<p>That is like Abraham’s prayer for the city to be there were ten righteous people to be found in it. God said if there were even only three righteous people He would not destroy the city. If there are ten such righteous men in America then I won’t want to leave this country, and that means God will stay in this country also. However, if 1 give harsh words and push but you complain and don’t respond, then I won’t be inclined to stay here. If I leave this country, God will leave too and then what can we expect ?</p>
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<p>As I told you, when I first came to this country I had to work all by myself because no one understood what I wanted to do. I have to untangle all the difficulties in this nation and you are the ones through whom I must do that. All Americans are opposing me in an outrageous way in the sight of God, but if the Unification Church members will never rebel against me for passing that burden to them then that will become condition enough to liquidate all the opposition rendered toward me. Then there is a chance tor heaven’s forgiveness to be given. Everyone must understand the meaning of these ties of love between the young people of America and myself. When I become close with everyone of you, an altar will be created to receive your sacrifice tor the sake of America. The altar and the sacrifice exist tor the benefit of the country. America is big and you know how impractical it is for you to reach out to 240 million people. There is a way to condense it by making a proper condition, however.</p>
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<p>When 1 look at one state leader, I don’t see him an an individual but see millions of people standing behind him. When I scold him, my words are directed to the millions of people behind him, and when I pray, that prayer goes to those people. The state leaders think of themselves as individuals and feel that the blame they are given is too harsh. They don’t think strongly that they are representing the millions of people, but they should. Although I know it’s difficult to bring ten people, 1 never praise them for doing well if they have accomplished that much. Rather I say, “How are you going to witness to millions of people at this speed?” They have to understand that with a million people waiting behind them ten is nothing. The responsibility to turn America in the right direction rests between all of you and me. Our relationship does not involve just yourselves and me; our purpose is to establish a condition for America to be restored. So this is a public life we are leading.</p>
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<p>I know that on Thursdays the leaders meet at the World Mission Center, but these days I have been trying to retrain from being there. Many times 1 have almost gone, but then didn’t because 1 know I will scold them like a machine gun and they won’t like it. Even though someone may be knocked out, I still continue shooting at him. Would you leaders like me to come to your meetings or have me stay away? If 1 go and scold you and you don’t like that, a rift develops which grows bigger each time I go. If 1 clobber you with my words yet you overcome it then you will come closer to me, but if not, there will be a greater rift. Nevertheless, the cold path of indemnity still remains. I am inclined to think that I can’t do this to Americans, so 1 think I will give the worst beating to Koreans in hopes that they can tolerate it. 1 cannot lead Americans directly so I give the Japanese leaders the responsibility, pushing then hard and hoping that the Americans will come up to the standard. If I give the same beating to Koreans, Japanese and Americans, I expect that, although the Americans can’t endure it, the Koreans and Japanese will tolerate it, obey and keep going strong. If I leave America, do you think you will still need someone to lead you?</p>
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<p>Forget about clinging to your education and your traditional ways; they aren’t important because they have the least to do with God. The path that God implemented and that I myself and the early followers all followed will be much more effective, even though it seems very different from what you are accustomed to. Much indemnity can be paid and love can become deeply rooted in this way. 1 have been consistent in implementing this way here in America. If you don’t do this while you are on earth, you must understand you are not free from responsibility once you leave this world. It is no exaggeration when I tell you it will be a million times more difficult later. You must understand that in the spirit world it is very difficult to make up for complaint against me. It’s a lot easier to do while in the flesh.</p>
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<p>After you bring success with home church, many Americans will understand the Unification Church and will be revived. Even after America is restored I will never compliment you, but will drive you out to every corner of the world. Until we teach and liberate the entire spirit world, we cannot stop going along this path. Can you get to the end without me? Can you reach there if I tell you to take it easy?</p>
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<p>If you are fifty years old then you never know how much longer you have to live, but when you have an historical task in front of you how can you help but work hard for it? Those members who are fifty or sixty years of age may think they are exempt from responsibility, but I cannot say the older people should take it easy and the younger people should work. Older people have more business to take care of than young people so I should drive them out even more. The only reason I don’t push the older people more is that if 1 do, they will run away. I feel free to speak to you young people because I know you won’t run away.</p>
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<p>Is it good or bad for me to push people? There is a reward waiting for those who respond when they are pushed. You will become the ancestors of your lineage, who are honored for doing this historical work. If you don’t achieve this then your second generation will take that position of honor instead. I am determined to make you become such ancestors while you are alive, not after you go to spirit world.</p>
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<p>Since this is the situation, you must always remember that there is a wall of indemnity between all of you and me. There is also such a wall between God and me. Even after all 1 have done, God has never once told me 1 have done enough. All the time God says to me, “This is a busy time. Do more.” I understand that, and if 1 were Heavenly Father I would say the same thing. To reach the standard required by heaven there is a long way left to go, so how can you say you have already done much? Even while God has been ruthlessly driving me out without a warm word, He has been supplying me with love. God sends people who come and cry, saying, “Thank you, Father, for what you’ve done for us.”</p>
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<p>Even though I push you just as ruthlessly, Americans will come and repent to you, saying they were wrong in persecuting you, and you will be much rewarded. You must understand that there is historical indemnity remaining between the leader and the people led. It is always the pattern that God will make everyone who is close to Him suffer because His purpose is to save the people who are far from Him. I am pounding on the Unification Church members as if you are the enemy, but the objective is to restore all Americans. This is why the Unification Church members are precious in the sight of God. What would their value be otherwise? When a Unification Church member is suffering it isn’t for himself but for the sake of America, and in God’s sight it is holy and precious.</p>
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<p>If America can be restored because of your suffering, then your struggles are nothing. If 1 am beaten and shed tears but billions of people are saved because of my suffering, the benefit on the side of goodness is so great that the suffering seems to be very small. Though we are living in a cold climate now, we have a clear idea in mind. Spring is approaching and soon we will be enjoying that warm climate. Once spring comes we will be able to forget all misery.</p>
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<p>I know what 1 have been saying is not pleasing to your ears, but this is why it’s so important for you to understand. I can never be more serious than 1 am when I talk this way. I know the hours have gone by and after so much time a sermon should end, but indemnity can be one result of going on. Sometimes I determine to talk until a certain person falls asleep. I am tired too, but feel it is indemnity. To sit here for five or six hours on the hard floor and listen to bitter talk will make up for the eagerness of people leaving quickly after hearing brief sermons in Christian churches. With all I have gone through yesterday and last night I am very tired and would like to rest my legs, but still I go on, watching people’s eyes. Last year I talked for 14 hours at one conference, but I was constantly watching how the people responded.</p>
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<p>Unless you understand the truth about God, you cannot understand what we do or what I am doing now. When everyone is dozing and only a few remain alert, then I talk about the most important things. Now the most important talk begins! It’s not a simple thing either. When you make an error, you may lose many years’ earnings in blessings, whereas if you go the right way at this point you can gain many years of hard work. I am especially watching those who are closest to the stage to see who will doze off; those who are sitting up front arrived at 3 o’clock, so if one is dozing I think that is too bad because his seven hours of sitting here is in vain. Those who are not dozing are better off than those up here. If you use a pin to keep yourself awake then any marks that remain on your skin are a visible record of how you encouraged yourself.</p>
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<p>Don’t think you are perishing when you suffer; the reverse is true. If you are a leader and go through suffering successfully, all your members will benefit from it as well. If all the 1,00() people here went away except tor one man, that one would inherit what all the others left behind. We have been talking about suffering, but I know you don’t understand suffering or how I suffered because I have never told anyone. Instead, I will make everyone go through it and then they will understand. I apply this same principle to my own children. 1 don’t feel my own children are any more precious than others.</p>
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<p>I must also plan ahead. If you persevere through this suffering maybe it will be enough to last for ten years, but what happens after that? I will give all the tests you would expect to go through during ten years in a short period of time. I could even do that in a few days, and once you are successful then ten years’ indemnity will be paid. I really look into what needs to be done in order to fulfill the of God in America.</p>
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<p>Sometimes I give a person a scolding even though he has made no mistake, just to see what his response is. This is very practical and can be helpful in planning what he can do in the future. I am quite serious about receiving some earthly treasure in the right way. If 1 do it in the wrong way I will be pursued in spirit world and asked why I left it to a person who fails.</p>
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<p>I must always use a formula, like a law, which applies to everyone. No one is to be favored at random. In that manner, if I want to give you more and more responsibility, I will. If it is better not to do so, that’s up to me. I do it in a very fair way, but still the decision rests with me.</p>
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<p>A person may be doing fine but then one day I slap him for no apparent reason and without explanation. I don’t know how he will receive it, but will just have to wait and see over several years. I don’t do that because Heavenly Father did it to me, but because sometimes it’s the only way to make sure about a certain person. Without doing that I cannot know. Heavenly Father did that to me all the time for the same reason. There is no explanation given, and in that case people sometimes get upset.</p>
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<p>Did you know that God promised me all the best things in the world, and the next day I was sent to prison? Someone else might have said, “God, You promised me good things. What kind of promise are You keeping?” But I received a silent answer long, afterward: “I gave it to you. Find it in the prison.” Heavenly Father wasn’t lying. He indeed gave me something that was to be found only in prison so I was sent there. Once 1 understood that, the second time I went to jail I had high hopes. Sure enough, when I got there, everything was prepared for me spiritually. When I was really starving, someone was preparing delicious food tor me.</p>
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<p>Knowing this, can you conclude that God sent me to prison out of hate or out of love? In the same way, if I beat you, is it because of hate or because of love ? If you know the answer and persevere, you will become great and achieve great things. Wherever Unification Church members go, their sole purpose is to build the Kingdom of Heaven.</p>
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<p>While I was in prison I couldn’t witness openly without being punished or even executed. Since spirit world knew that, spirit world did the witnessing and people came to me that way. To those people it was the greatest joy to escape the guards and sneak to my cell to say good morning. If one person was able to do that, he was jubilant all day long. If one of those people walked by my cell at exercise time and could say hello with his eyes, he felt honored that day. My most precious memories center around those days and I often remember them. Now when I see spiritual phenomena, I recall that time.</p>
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<p>Your experience of working so hard that there is no time to think of anything else becomes the most precious memory. I need to impress a few members like that for the sake of America’s future. If I give a really harsh scolding which no one can bear, but one members cries and really repents, that stays deep in my memory. Then I want to see if he will shed tears again if I come and give an even stronger scolding. If he continues to shed tears the third time then because of him I cannot scold any more. The path of restoration should be tread that way.</p>
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<p>Is it good to scold or bad to scold? Is it good or bad for parents to strike their own children to make them study? The parents will know what the future will hold, so he will push his children even at the risk of causing pain.</p>
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<p>Over twenty years ago I told the Korean members that the whole world would oppose us as we became successful in doing the will of God and that they should be confident that the time was coming near. But I told them that if we digested that with gratitude and pride, never being beaten, then worldly blessing would follow immediately after. Haven’t I been called bad names and persecuted as I predicted? That period is pretty much over now because everything has been said that there is to say and no one can find any more accusation. I know the great blessing is getting near.</p>
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<p>We must understand that the forthcoming blessing is not for one individual but will go to all parts of the world. You are the public figures to receive that, but before I can pass that blessing along you will have to be persecuted by me; then people cannot ask why you got the blessing instead of them. People of all five colors of skin are here being pushed and persecuted by me. A great blessing will come which will be spread out among the five races. Who will be the first to show enthusiasm and win the race-white, yellow or black? I have no preference. If the black people come forward after all their suffering and persecution and remain humble then they will receive the major blessings. The yellow people have the same opportunity. If the white people do that, I will feel they can continue to lead mankind as they have done for many years. I watch the different races through these eyes alone.</p>
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<p>This is not a dream but reality. 1 have studied science and know that scientific explanations can’t be spiritual but must have solid logic and be proven many times over. You know that the people with the best minds will join the Unification Church. The greatest professors can come to the Unification Church because they will be able to understand what I mean and what I am doing. If they ask questions, I can explain everything they have tried to know about their lives and about history. No blind faith is necessary. If a person has made God a part of everything he does, as though there were a rope tying them together all the time, would that person only be average, or would he have a sharp mind?</p>
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<p>Viewed according to my own standard, I have not really driven you hard enough. If I drive you harder, would that be all right with you? Have you brought one person a month yet? Then You have to do that right away. This is the word of judgment. Time and time again I told you to do it. It will be the source of great regret if you don’t do it. If you do it, a wonderful blessing will come to you. I already told you to sell fifty copies of <i>News World </i>every day. A long time ago I told everyone that they should leave the World Mission Center and go to live in their home churches by September. Have you done it? I already gave you thirty copies each of Divine Principle tapes and transcripts to distribute in your homes on a rotating basis. Did you do that? You made a resolution to witness to 3,000 people in forty days. Have you accomplished that? If you didn’t do these things, you should always be repenting and preparing to do them.</p>
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<p>What will your excuse be if you go to spirit world and are asked why you always said you would do things but never did them? We said that by 1979 we would have 30,000 members and mobile teams traveling all over to influence America and the world. 1979 is already here but did we do that? I also told you to write to all of your closest friends to tell them what you are doing and what the Church stands for. Have you done that? Maybe a few accomplished these things, but what about the majority of you? There are many things you promised to do.</p>
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<p>I already said that the basic course for each member should be three years of fund raising, then three years of witnessing, but many members are trying to avoid that course because they want to go an easier way. I have already explained to you in detail what the reasons are for going this way. God first created all things, then man and love. God lost all things as a result of the fall, and in order to restore that we are restoring money and possessions. On that foundation we will restore all men who are lost. This is why the course of restoration involves a certain formula and standard. More important than the money we bring in is the value of laying this course so that those who come later can follow it more easily. You will not only set the tradition by doing that correctly for three years, but will come to appreciate material things because you know how difficult they are to earn. By doing this even while you are being persecuted you will develop your heart and see how much more precious one crippled man who is helping God’s work is, compared to others who are living for themselves. In this activity you are able to learn many practical things and train yourselves. That is the foremost front line where Satan and God come into contact.</p>
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<p>When you go witnessing after that, you know you are snatching a person from Satan’s front line. Satan is watching all the time to see how an individual will decide.</p>
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<p>Only a few members have been kidnapped and know what it feels like to have escaped and returned to the Church. Only those who have been kidnapped and have overcome the ordeal of deprogramming know how precious it is to be here. When you are kidnapped you have to pray to God to remain strong. Do the rest of you know how torturous it is to be forced to believe something you know is wrong’.’ When you overcome all that and can come back, you feel so confident that you know you can go over anything, no matter what happens in the future. From the Principle point of view kidnapping is good for the Unification Church. I wish the President of the Church and all the state leaders would be kidnapped once. Those who go through kidnapping and then escape and renew their determination are most precious.</p>
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<p>You might have tried to avoid responsibility or looked for the easy way, but if you are kidnapped you are desperate to get away so you can carry on God’s work, feeling, “God needs me. I must get out of here.” Your escape is a great experience. If 1 could disguise myself, I would like to kidnap certain crucial persons and bring up the things I know they hate most and challenge them, “The Unification Church is that way, so why go back?” Then I will see how they respond.</p>
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<p>I know you do things under what seem to be impossible circumstances, but look at my position. Your working hard actually is insignificant compared with the goal. Even though you don’t sleep in order to study for an examination, what good does it do if you fail? If you fail, should I say, “Well, you did your best. Try harder next time”? The only time you can be approved is when you meet the criteria and the standard.</p>
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<p>You have accumulated much failure in the past, so I am thinking that we will indemnify past failure within this year and eliminate that debt. Is that good or bad thinking? So should I just shrug and say that you’ve done your best, or keep driving you and make you understand why you need to be pushed?</p>
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<p>I know you have tried hard and yet you failed, so you have to be driven out much more before we can expect to achieve success this time. Home church came into being only last year, and by being successful there we can indemnify all the past failures I have just pointed out. Everything that you left undone will be offset by home church success. Don’t take many months or years, but do it in the shortest period of time. Make a plan and accomplish the goal. If we can set many records within this year then later members will have a much easier time and America will become livable again. America is about to go down the drain but your success can prevent any further deterioration. This is why time is so precious. I am expecting to have many people who will establish records during this one year.</p>
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<p>Yesterday Heung Jin came back from a school field trip with a swollen foot from walking so much. I thought that this is the standard we must set for this year. Even with a swollen foot he had to go back to school the next day. I feel that great poetry will come out of your home church activity, as well as great literature and a great history. Writing a diary you may say, “Today I am in no condition to go out. It’s raining but I still must go out because this is the call of God. If it weren’t for God I wouldn’t do it.” There is no greater poetry than that simple feeling, no better writing than that. All you have to do is carry this out and record what you felt.</p>
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<p>When we see someone in a movie walk into a wilderness, we are attracted because that is exactly how we are about to set out. There are a million people living around us but there is not one whom we can call a true person. It’s like being in the wilderness looking for human contact. You can keep a diary of the corrupted person you were teaching and how in time he came to trust you. Maybe you think it will take three years to rehabilitate him, and if you can manage to do that in one year it will be a miracle. Write down your idea about him. Are you keeping a record?</p>
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<p>Do you set out for the home church in the morning with a happy mind, or are you almost in tears to have to go out there? The only way you can go out to home church is with great expectation of finding a treasure of a person, to find your lost relatives. Do you think this is only dreaming or make-believe? No, the person who is successful in home church is the one who recovers the lost people, the lost country, the lost spirit world. Everything that was lost will be recovered by the successful home church workers.</p>
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<p>How do we go to heaven in spirit world? On the basis of home church. You must leave love behind you so that the home church people will be eager for you to come again. Once you leave the foundation of that love behind you, even though you have gone to spirit world you can come back and start working again in the spiritual way.</p>
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<p>Your country and your spirit world are condensed in your home church. You may think home church is only a witnessing idea, but this is the formula and law, not something that changes. It is more significant and precious in the spirit world than you can imagine. Throughout history there was no such thing as this arrangement of home church. As soon as the foundation is set, like a tree setting down its deep roots, you will see the satanic world crumble.</p>
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<p>Expect some miracle in the home church. When the Christians come to support you, what will the world be like? The world will come to God very quickly. When we are successful, everyone will realize who is on the side of evil and on the side of good. Do you think anyone could remain in the evil area for long after we become successful in home church? That’s where the eternal foundation for happiness will remain on earth. The very home church work you are doing now is the foundation I have talked about this morning.</p>
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<p>Since I decided we must indemnify everything during this year of 1979, I appointed Col. Pak to lead you for this all-out campaign. Since the blessed wives left here they are much freer to work; without their husbands or children they have nothing to worry about but can dedicate everything to God. Then they will have nothing to regret from previous years and can indemnify all the things they didn’t do; the husbands won’t have to worry how to get along with their wives but can work harder independently. They can sleep better without a wife or child and then go out and give their total commitment. If you look at it that way, is there any reason to complain about being separated from a spouse or child?</p>
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<p>Half of American marriages are breaking up because couples don’t care about each other or their children, but only about themselves. But Unification Church couples separate for the sake of everyone else. Don’t you think God can use that as a condition to offset all the wrongdoing in America? Are there any grounds for complaining about your family not being with you?</p>
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<p>You may feel uneducated and simple, but you can’t help but feel very insecure at the course America is taking. There is no intelligent reason to be optimistic. All the newspaper reports are bad. But if this can be stopped quickly and if America can be turned around as a result of what you are doing now, can you refuse to do this? Let’s put it another way: Sooner or later people will have to recognize that everything is hopeless and no one is doing anything meaningful about this country except the Unification Church. When that happens, you will be the flagbearers and then Americans will ask, “You are the members of the Unification Church. What do you think we should do?” Then you won’t have to lecture them but just tell them, “I have been doing the home church, loving the people and teaching them. If you do that, America and the world will come alive once more.” Your work won’t stop there but will expand and expand to include spirit world.</p>
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<p>Home church seems to be simple and humble, but this is the only way for God to live. You can explain that step by step with no problem. If everyone does that in America, this country will live. Senators and Congressmen don’t have to make long studies about the problem of how to benefit America. They don’t have to go to school and study for years. All they need to do is turn their eyes toward home church and the Unification Church members will show them the way. If they follow that pattern all throughout the United States, this country will live.</p>
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<p>If this is a reality then shouldn’t I send you out to suffer for a few years in the prime of your life? Even though you are not well-qualified in the worldly sense, if all you need to do is go out and do the job, should you hesitate to go, or should I hesitate to send you? I know you won’t refuse and you know I won’t hesitate. As a result, there will be an explosion big enough for all America to hear and for the first time there will be true hope. Discriminating eyes will see that the foundation for eternal happiness is beginning.</p>
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<p>Heaven on earth will start at this very moment, at this very point. Even with these small numbers. don’t you think America can begin to see the real path through which she can revive once more? There is no question in God’s mind that this small number of people is good enough. When God says, “I approve it,’ Satan will have to go away.</p>
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<p>Where do home church and eternal happiness begin? They begin on the hill of where Jesus prayed. Jesus prayed three times to God Home church should also start at Golgotha where Jesus bore his cross. When Jesus was at Gethsemane and Golgotha no one was sympathetic or understood him, but now there will be 100 other people watching you who realize how much easier it is than what Jesus had to go through.</p>
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<p>Jesus wanted a handful of people who would understand him and say, “Jesus, you stay here and I will do it for you.” But he did not have even one. Now, 2,000 years later, we find ourselves free to do anything we want. You can go out in Jesus’ position to seek those disciples who will want to bear the cross for you. You are free to meet the people, to train them and serve them. You have to feel how fortunate your situation is compared to the time of Jesus before you can go out to work in the home church realistically.</p>
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<p>It is already one o’clock and I am hungry, but I have one purpose in giving you a seven-hour sermon. Don’t forget this. You must understand this message and try hard so that when you go to spirit world you will have something to report to Heavenly Father. Without doing that, there is nothing you can say in the spirit world. We have to try and try to set a condition to gain more time for America and let God take care of the result. Keep asking God to postpone the end of America for one year or two years. “During this year I will commit myself totally and get things done in America.” We must pray that way to God, asking for an extension.</p>
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<p>There is no other way I can explain why we must do home church and what the result will be. Now it is up to you to digest and carry out. Your success will be America’s success and God’s success. If the Unification Church fails, you can imagine the future of America in a few years. Maybe you can say that America will fade away just as it was suddenly born 200 years ago,</p>
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<p>but the world will die also if America fails. At least be responsible for the world. Where will God go, where will Christians and religious people go in the face of communism? I have been telling you again and again that this is the most critical year in all of human history. What does it mean? This is a year of indemnity. By doing home church the right way, we will make up tor all the failures of the Unification Church.</p>
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<p>In London all the leaders have gotten together and are witnessing together in order to support America. To support the American effort Japanese members work many times harder than MFT members in America to raise funds. Last year the Japanese totally dedicated themselves and sent millions of dollars here. Can you say you can’t do the same? Because this is your country you should think that you can’t be outdone.</p>
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<p>As soon as we gain 30,000 people we will organize and go all around America stimulating the people and saying that we must do something to reverse the present trend in America and revive the pioneering spirit. We often hear about emergencies in the world, but now this country is in such an emergency that martial law should be declared. Will I say it is not necessary to do anything, as though this were peacetime?</p>
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<p>I urge you to understand this situation very clearly and through pioneering home church to make the foundation for the world’s eternal happiness. Everywhere you go, throw the bomb of love and ignite the people’s minds, giving them hope. Show them the way to live.</p>
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<p>When the seminarians came to London, before they even had a chance to eat I told them about the serious situation and instructed them to go out and find a place to stay and start witnessing. When I finished speaking it was nighttime, so where could they go? Many stayed in the train or subway stations, but within one week the last one managed to find some place to stay. They introduced themselves and started working from there. By the end of April all of you will go out like that too. Those who determine to do it, raise your hands.</p>
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<p>Let us pray.</p>
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<article id="post-1390" class="post-1390 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1979">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/18/what-shall-we-do.html" title="Permalink to WHAT SHALL WE DO?" rel="bookmark">WHAT SHALL WE DO?</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="#" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-18T05:22:45+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/18/what-shall-we-do.html" rel="bookmark">June 18, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-18T05:22:45+01:00">June 18, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/speeches/categories/rev-sun-myung-moon-1979.html" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1979</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="center">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="center">February 11, 1979<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>One individual may seem to be very insignificant, but each one is the product of history. Therefore, he represents the history of the past, present and future. In the modern day we usually think of ancient nations as being isolated and separated, but today nations are united by one destiny. The societies and cultures of the world are becoming mixed together.</p>
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<p>As you know, the world of nature is already one in perfect harmony. For example, the air we breathe can travel all over the world without limitation. A storm doesn’t just move air from Belvedere to New York, but blows across whole continents and oceans. The birds that migrate each winter also travel great distances over continents and oceans. Canadian geese travel in formation over the whole continent of North America. When the spring comes and the birds return, it is a refreshing reminder that a new season has arrived.</p>
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<p>These are all phenomena of nature, which is harmoniously intermingled, but what about men? Men put up tremendous barriers and obstacles between each other. In order to get into America, for example, a traveler needs a visa and each person coming into the country is checked at Customs. Does anyone like that procedure? Maybe you like it because your nation made it! There is a much simpler procedure in some nations in Asia and the EEC nations, which have treaties, and a traveler only has to show his passport. Some nations don’t even want to see passports and the Customs officer is almost dozing. When you receive that kind of trusting treatment from a nation, you hope for God’s blessing on that country.</p>
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<p>Basically speaking, why does the human world have so many divisions and departments’! It is because men do not live in accordance with some principle or standard. ln order to have harmony men must live in accordance with some basic principle. Always a principle or law is enacted for the benefit of a nation or all humanity, not just one individual. The inconvenience of regulations is unavoidable because some people disregard that particular principle.</p>
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<p>Everyone collects certain habits in his life which become long lasting behavior. Families and societies also collect habits, which develop into what we call cultural behavior. Thinking people sometimes wonder how we can develop one simple, unified way of living for the whole world, eliminating the divisive effect of having separate ways of living. They wonder why laws can’t be passed which will be liked by everyone here on earth and will guarantee everyone’s profit and benefit. Such laws must provide continuity between past, present and future, and must not serve different purposes at different times.</p>
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<p>The President of the United States is responsible for America, and a President of the world would think about the world. Those two presidents and God would all be thinking differently because their areas of responsibility are separate. We have to consider what would be of benefit to America, the world and the whole universe at the same time.</p>
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<p>From the American point of view the most important thing is national sovereignty or power, and for that purpose knowledge and money are needed. For that purpose an intelligence network like the CIA is maintained. Recently various activities and plans of the CIA have been exposed, revealing that it has plotted to overthrow governments and assassinate certain leaders of small nations. Cruel things are going on in the name of national security. If a person serves as a double agent and then his purpose is finished, he is murdered, for instance. All this is done in the name of protecting national sovereignty.</p>
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<p>Much dirty activity goes on in order to maintain superiority in knowledge. There is much competition between nations over computer technology, for instance. Also there are power struggles in the financial world. Are those the only important things? What else is needed? Love doesn’t produce money, knowledge or power. You can’t live on love, so why do you like it? What can love do for you when you’re hungry? There must be some law that can be enacted which, from the point of view of God and religion, will protect and advance the benefit of all mankind. There must be a solution for the world.</p>
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<p>America has power and sovereignty, plus lots of money and knowledge, so it seems to have everything. But is it declining or continuing to prosper? Will all America’s wealth prevent its decline? Is today’s Christianity declining or increasing? Are America’s young people energetically moving forward, or are they morally corrupt? Not only are they declining, America’s young people are becoming living corpses. Is New York thriving and prospering, or declining? What about the rest of America’s big cities?</p>
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<p>Ask God what it can do. White people have always thought they were an invincible power, but it doesn’t look like that today. White supremacy is fast declining’, and black and yellow people are fast gaining. The Japanese make high quality products that are less expensive than things the Western nations produce. America is losing its edge in technology. In the arena of sports black people are emerging as champions. On all sides white people are being pressed by other races. People in other nations who have no connection with America except through television have the impression that because the athletic champions are all black that America is a black nation. Other nations enjoy watching American sports, and because most sports champions are black it is easy for them to think this way. You black members probably fee l that finally your people are doing something, right?</p>
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<p>In many cases the white people who are the backbone of America don’t care about the problems of their society, such as drug use or immorality. When black people and yellow people from other nations see America for what it is, however, they can clearly know that this nation is doomed. We learn from history that even the powerful Roman Empire collapsed from within because of its immorality. Ancient Pompeii was wiped out by a volcano, and when it was excavated centuries later it was clear why the city was destroyed-its people were focused on sex, drinking and sensual pleasure.</p>
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<p>History shows us one important law-whenever a society becomes morally corrupt it faces a quick downfall. This is not my opinion, but the lesson of history. Whatever culture or race you belong to, this rule will apply consistently. Moral corruption is an incurable disease, and usually infects the nation which has much money, power and knowledge. America today is in the same position as the Roman Empire. It has money, power and knowledge and thinks it is the greatest country, but in reality it is suffering from the worst internal disease.</p>
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<p>Any nation that has caught this disease has always declined; no nation has ever been cured. One of the symptoms is that the young people are given no discipline in their lives and they become promiscuous. Then the families and entire nation become undisciplined and permissive as well. Is this reality in America? When I see the proud American people I wonder how long their air of prosperity can last.</p>
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<p>The greatest disease is not that of poverty. Poverty can be cured by hard work and applying some ingenuity to developing an economic capacity. Black people in America are suffering primarily from poverty, but that can easily be solved through their determination and industriousness. Knowledge can be gained by hard study. Power is gained through unity of effort. But the disease of illicit love cannot be cured as easily. The love disease is worse than drugs because it drains away all ot one’s motivation to be good and industrious. When a person has the love disease he doesn’t care about money, knowledge or about his nation’s well-being. That disease is terminal because it leads to destruction.</p>
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<p>If Americans were looking for ideal love in their lives, would you say the nation is near to or far away from accomplishing it? Suppose your father enjoyed tremendous prosperity in his life, but he and your mother fought and fought and finally got divorced. No matter how much money your father has, he still looks like a miserable man. When children become involved in immoral practice their parents also become weakened. Why do we need love? How can love be so powerful in solving human problems? When love is used in the right way, it can be most constructive; God made love supremely powerful, and that has not changed all through the past or present, and will not change in the future.</p>
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<p>America is a lawful country, with a Constitution and a code of law, but it is a desert in the area of love. There is no standard or regulation in this country to govern or guide the supreme power of love. People’s way of thinking becomes extreme, and they see nothing wrong with a son living with his mother. Free sex makes humans look like animals, which have no rules about love. There is no destruction because of sex in the animal world because there is no spirituality there, but in the human world men are corrupted through the misuse of love.</p>
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<p>Venereal disease is rampant in America, and most young people experience it at some time. The statistics show it is second only to the common cold. What kind of deformed children will such people have, no matter how much money they earn? Have you ever heard of a VD epidemic in the animal world?</p>
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<p>Why then is it found in man’s world? God gave it as a punishment, as proof that the law of love is one He cannot bend under any circumstances. America’s problem is not a shortage of money or knowledge or power, but one of love. What shall we do? This is what Americans should be asking today.</p>
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<p>In your life before the church many of you were promiscuous and probably had VD. Now you know that love is supremely powerful and unchanging from past, present and future. Love has been misused and has led man into ultimate destruction, so we must look for some discipline of love. We must bring men back to their original purpose and achieve unchanging prosperity through true love Where can we find such discipline? In trying to correct the human situation, God is not worried about money or power or knowledge; He will concentrate His effort on solving the problem of love. This is where the root of the problem lies.</p>
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<p>God’s concern is far more than the salvation of men; He plans for the salvation of love. What would God save you for, to abuse love again? If you keep repeating the fall, what good would it do? The main function of the religious mission is to solve this basic human problem, but most religious people have forgotten about it. Once we bring the solution of love and put love in its proper perspective, we have solved the problems of the past, present and future and we can bring mankind back to the original ideal God designed.</p>
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<p>If America’s policy makers are really concerned about America’s future for the next one hundred or thousand years, they should concentrate on this kind of thinking: What will the family be like? What will the relations of parents and children and brothers and sisters be like if things continue the way they are? Those who love the nation and humanity must concentrate on finding the solution of love, on finding the kind of discipline necessary for a happy home and family for generations to come.</p>
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<p>Many people know that the Messiah will bring salvation to mankind, but he is not coming to bring salvation for the power or economic strength of this country. He is not needed in those areas, which are secondary; he is coming for primary salvation of love, to bring discipline and a standard of love which will enable it to blossom into the concept God envisioned for His original ideal. That love must be the power to create the ideal family and world. Unless he is coming for that purpose, he is not needed. The world doesn’t need any other kind of messiah.</p>
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<p>The Messiah will bring judgment to societies’ corrupt morality, to clean up adultery, homosexuality and fornication. That is the worst disease man is suffering from, for which man has no hope. The Messiah must lift them up to a higher love. When people talk about the problems of the world today they are thinking of the economic and political turmoil, but the Messiah sees that the problem of love is the major problem. By solving that problem we can help other problems. God is looking for a leader or group here on earth which is dedicated to solving this basic moral problem. If He can find such a group, it will be the most precious to Him. Such a group would be found only in the religious world because these are problems for religion.</p>
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<p>The relations between men and women are so strictly regulated in the Islamic world that a woman cannot even show her face on the street. That’s going too far! But here in America women wear less and less clothing and people kiss and hug in the street. That’s the other extreme. What is God’s solution?</p>
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<p>Would any man want to see his fiancee or wife embracing another man? A man is very generousminded compared to woman, but even so he cannot stand seeing his woman hugging another man. If a woman saw her man hugging another woman, her tiny mind just couldn’t stand it! Is there any difference between Eastern and Western women in this respect? Has it changed over the centuries? How about one hundred years from now? How do you know-you won’t be here in a hundred years! Even though you won’t live that long, you know through logic that it must be so. Whether you are a child in kindergarten or a university professor, you know it is true.</p>
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<p>Is it bad to have money? If it is nicer to have more money than less money, and more knowledge than less knowledge, then isn’t it better to have more husbands and wives? Here in America children frequently have more than one mother and father because their parents marry several times. Your ten fingers are not enough to count how many parents you have. Maybe it’s very handy because you have allowances coming from many sources. Wouldn’t you enjoy having that many parents?</p>
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<p>Is it a sign of happiness to have this kind of entanglement between husbands and wives? It is a sign of tragedy. Did that apply to people in the past? What about in the future? No one wants more then one mother and one father, but who will bring a solution to this marriage problem in America? Would a dictator be welcome who could put love in its proper perspective? How could a democratic society welcome a dictator? I would vote for such a man, and eventually other people would too because he is the one who could bring salvation. What about God?</p>
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<p>If you ask what we can do because we don’t have enough money, you aren’t asking the right question. If you ask what we can do if we don’t have enough power or knowledge, you still aren’t asking the right question. But if you ask how we can bring a standard and discipline of love then you are on the right track. If a little nation has no power, money or knowledge but it does have a discipline of love and lives morally in the sight of God, that nation will not envy another nation. It already has everything it needs. Eventually other people will bring prosperity to that small nation and go there to live because nothing else can bring happiness.</p>
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<p>People who have lost hope in love are like leaves fallen from the tree. Why is America, a supposedly Christian nation, suffering from the disease ot love? The Bible teaches about God-centered love, but America has become degraded. Why do the ministers shy away from this question? God will not tolerate this in America. Christian leaders cannot avoid the clenched fist of God’s judgment.</p>
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<p>Decades ago I predicted that America would decline. What can we do here? We do fund raising because we are here to make lots of money, right? Are we here to get smart and be knowledgeable? Are we here to get political power? If you don’t have those things then what is left? In the meantime you are persecuted and ridiculed for being Moonies. Why am I such a controversial person, accused of being so many evil things? I have a source of secret help-God is telling these people who are trying to get rid of me that they can’t do it because they need me.</p>
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<p>What have I done in this country? I broke down the barriers between East and West, between white, black and yellow. Furthermore, I am setting up an unprecedented discipline of love. The world must conclude that anyone who is interested in genuine, pure love has to study me and my methods. Every national leader must study what I am about; the FBI and CIA must also study me. 1 have a very real power which no other leader has: young people want my permission to love. That’s real power, isn’t it?</p>
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<p>The time is here for all five races to gather and ask the question, “What can we do, God, in order to find the right love so we can be saved and we can prosper? We need only true love!” When you seriously plead with God to know what you can do about true love, would you stand and ask, or be on your knees fervently praying? Would you be smiling, or have tears running down your face, and your nose and mouth dripping? Would you kneel on a plush carpet, or on a concrete floor” On the green grass or on ice and snow? Are you that serious?</p>
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<p>As Moonies you are ready to receive any kind of curse from people. Let them go ahead. We don’t worry because inevitably the time will come when people will be climbing over fences to come to our centers and learn the solution for love. We must feel that we will be responsible for the historical problem of love and ask Him for permission to take care of it for Him. If we asked Him if it was the most serious problem He had faced in all history, He would reply, “Yes, that problem has pierced my heart over and over all these years.” That is God’s primary problem and work.</p>
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<p>In the Unification Church we have many older sisters. They have every reason to go out and get married, but they have this discipline of love. I never told them they shouldn’t marry outside the Church. They are free to go. Why do they stay? It is because they know they have touched the truth and they don’t want to make any mistake with love, even if it takes fifty years of their lives.</p>
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<p>The last time I was in Japan, I matched 1600 couples in 24 hours. When the Japanese media heard that I was in the country they knew something was about to happen, and when they started asking questions they found out I had finished the matching and already left for Korea. The media knew that if they publicized what I had really done that people would think I was a superman, so they kept the news quiet instead. The communist papers are always trying to spread evil news about me, but they too kept the news quiet, realizing that people would think I was greater than any other man.</p>
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<p>Never in history has one man done this kind of thing. Even if people accuse me of being a dictator, it doesn’t matter. Over 3200 young people gathered to trust me, leaving their ultimate question of love to my solution and recommendation. They followed in such a disciplined manner that it in itself is an extraordinary event. You can’t find any other such champion in history. If this champion is bringing salvation to the world then it should welcome him, but instead the whole world has tried to kick him out. Is this comparable to a boxing championship of Mohammed Ali? To a marathon championship?</p>
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<p>Would God be interested in any other champion when he sees what I am about? Even God is left speechless and smiling ear to ear, and He exclaims, “I always wanted a son like this!” If God has only one daughter, would He want a son-in-law like Reverend Moon or Mohammed Ali? If I were still available, would you women gather your courage and propose” Sometimes I try to think from God’s point of view and evaluate what kind of man God would like to have as His son. I concluded that the best kind of son would have to be like Reverend Moon.</p>
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<p>What are we here for in the Unification Church” We are here to pose a solution to the worst questions facing the world and mankind. That is the love problem we are solving. We are bringing hope and life to that love. On any and every level we are bringing one solution. No leader in history has ever been concerned about the fundamental problem of love, and in this respect I am alpha and omega-there is no one before or after. I am an historical individual. Once we solve the problem of love in the present, the problem of love in the past will be solved, and the future problems will be prevented Would God like to have this problem solved as quickly as possible?</p>
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<p>Why is it happening in this particular time then” It is because the world has shrunk to such a degree that everyone works as one unit; in the past it took years or months to communicate between East and West, but now it only takes hours. A trip to London takes three hours. Once I traveled to London on the Concorde, and after takeoff it took one hour and fifteen minutes to reach Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound. It cruised at full speed only one hour, then started to slow down. At full speed the Concorde could cover the entire distance in 1½ hours. That plane will be most advantageous over long distances. The route from Tokyo to New York will be the golden, route for the Concorde because it would take only three hours at full speed. A New York company could send an official to a meeting in Tokyo and have him return the same day.</p>
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<p>The world has shrunk so much that news can travel to every part of the world in fifteen or twenty minutes. One hundred years ago travel from England to America took months and was full of risks, but through technology God shrank the world. At the same time the love problem has come down to the bottom and it cannot get any worse. God sees that this is the time for the solution to come, and that’s why He sent me to America at this time.</p>
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<p>I came to America bringing a completely different way of life. America has been enjoying its carnal pleasures so naturally it rejects me. At Christmas time American young people go to parties and discos, but Unification Church members only use their two legs to go fund raising. You don’t even go home for Christmas. Have you ever read of parents kidnapping their children at any other time of history? If they did so when their children became prey of prostitution or drugs and brought them to a religious organization then it would be a very good thing. But instead they come to kidnap you from a religious organization. It’s crazy. They are trying to find out what power Reverend Moon has to influence their child to change so drastically. Now you are clean cut and your thinking is clear, and you have a goal in life, so the only explanation they can think of is “brainwashing”.</p>
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<p>Would you be brainwashed if you took an undergraduate course three hours a week for four years and were taught that you should marry someone outside your own race? In the Unification Church you don’t have any obligation to come to a lecture, but after hearing me once or twice your attitude completely changes. Americans can’t believe that you could change so much without being treated with some mechanical gadget.</p>
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<p>Recently I celebrated with some of the 1800 couples their fourth anniversary. One by one 1 told each couple why they were a good match, what the strengths and weaknesses of each one were and why they needed each other. Everyone was amazed. Your eyes are big, but my eyes are so narrow that you can hardly see them and you wonder how I can see so clearly. Each person has some desire about the person he would like to marry, and if a person really begs and pleads then sometimes I match him with the person of his choice. I tell them that l cannot guarantee the outcome, and those couples usually have not been happy. But the couples I put together and said they would be good couples have all turned out to be happy. After seeing this happen many times most members have decided it is best to leave the decision to me.</p>
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<p>From God’s point of view, what I am doing has more historical impact than World Wars I and 11. 1 am straightening out history by putting the future in proper perspective. How could any other event be as great? The world does not know, however. Are you happy? Do you have money or power? I may not have the most knowledge or power or money in the world, but my pride is that I have something better and longer-lasting than all these–that is the power of love. Everything else will serve the purpose of love.</p>
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<p>I have the authority to straighten out the young people of America and I can give then something that even the most well-educated and wealthy parents cannot give. When they change, then they can change their parents. Eventually those parents will kneel in respect and acknowledge that their children’s way is true. With the power of God the world can be influenced.</p>
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<p>Rabbi Davis says that I am worse than Hitler and Stalin, that I am making you an army worse than the Red Army. “Even Stalin and Hitler paid their people to work,” he says, “but Reverend Moon makes the people work without money. They even have to raise the money and bring it to the Church. Therefore, Reverend Moon is the worst dictator in all history, depriving young people of everything they have.” How do you feel about that? If you raise $10,000 a day and give it all, you still feel that it is not much compared to what you have received from God and the True Parents, and you want to do more. When you see a Rolls Royce or a big house you wish you could get it for me. When you see a lovely landscape you wish you could bring the True Parents there. You don’t wish you could have a mansion there all for yourself.</p>
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<p>I think the same way you do. When I see beautiful houses I think that some day I will buy them to give to you. When I see some beautiful scene, I wish I could bring all our members there. When you enter the World Mission Center, or Belvedere or the Tiffany Building, do you feel you are entering Reverend Moon’s building, or that you are walking into your own house? Do you think I hide the Church money in my own pockets? What’s mine is yours. The world is truly like a desert and we are going to replenish it with water and make it blossom with love.</p>
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<p>The flowers the MFT sells are the representative of the beauty and fragrance of love. Chocolate is symbolic of the sweetness of love. When you fund raise you are symbolically sprinkling the love of God on the people. Therefore, the more you give, the better it is for the people. The job of MFT is actually to spread the love of God in the world. While fund raising you meet all kinds of people and you are educated about human nature. Now when you see a person you can immediately understand what kind of person he is. In my lifetime I have met thousands of people and now I can almost see through people! Since I can quickly analyze people and situations, I can predict the future of America and the future of Asia.</p>
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<p>Because we are doing things for the distant future, it is difficult tor you to follow and to succeed. But with every year that passes you have new understanding of the value of what we do. For decades the Koreans struck and persecuted me, but the future that I was working for has now arrived, and the Koreans have changed their attitude. Now they have to admit that I am the greatest hero of the nation. Have I changed? Why then are the people who rejected me thirty years ago welcoming me now? Because in those days they were ignorant and needed education. We have to knock on doors and bring education to every home. That’s why we do home church.</p>
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<p>Sometimes you should look back and think about what you would be today if you had not joined the Unification Church. There are many members who would not be alive today if they had not found this Church, who would have killed themselves out of despair. But here you are disciplined in love and you are flourishing. Are you grateful” Do you love the word Moonie, or do you hate the sound? Do you still like it when people scoff at you on the street? From this time on only Moonies are going to flourish.</p>
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<p>In Korean “moonie” means discussion, and also means “pattern or design”. Now that you are Moonies you are here discussing and consulting about the power of love; that is the center of reconciliation. What kind of pattern will we create? The design of love. Without Moonies this world would be very lonely because there would be no one to discuss true love or to make everything beautiful with the rich design of love.</p>
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<p>We have the great privilege of being Moonies who have the solution of love. Not only does it solve love but it brings salvation to the world. Once you know the solution for love, everything else looks insignificant, even influence and wealth. You would never swap the treasure of love for anything else. Even under incredible persecution I never lost the pride of having love. This is a good time to be a member in America because the time of persecution is nearly over. Recently we had a fierce fight in Congress with Senator Dole. When we brought our protest to the other Senators, however, they all listened and gave their support. They discovered that Moonies are serious, dignified people, and above all Moonies are disciplined, unlike any other American young people they have met.</p>
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<p>Do the State Department people dislike me because they think I will explode bombs and disrupt the government? They know I will never do that. They know I have greater power than violence; that is the power of love. Once young people come into contact with me they are melted and want to follow me. Eventually all America might follow me and that’s what the government is afraid of. They say Moonies are glassy-eyed. We definitely do have different eyes, but that is because we look for different things. You used to look for money, power or knowledge, but today your eyes are looking for true love and finding ways to be of service to God and the world.</p>
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<p>You grew up in the habit of trying to gather things so you could become rich or influential, but now you think about how to sacrifice yourself and give love for the benefit of others. You used to try to pull things to your side, but now you are trying to give. Why is the Immigration Department so strict about who can enter this country? Because they know that most people come to take something from America. But suppose people came to America because they wanted to help; then the Immigration regulations wouldn’t be as tight.</p>
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<p>I am not taking one penny away from America, but have poured millions of dollars back into America for the benefit of those people. Yet not one newspaper has written a single line about it. Wherever I go, I want to help that country. When l was in Great Britain, l had brought in $1.5 million after only four months. At first people misunderstand, but when the truth is revealed people apologize. Eventually the government of Britain apologized.</p>
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<p>The budget for the Defense Department is about $150 billion, while the illegal drug traffic takes $48 billion out of this country each year. Drugs take out the equivalent of one-third the Defense Department budget. My teaching and example emphasizes serving others, and aims at a revolution from selfishness to unselfishness. I practice this in my own life. How can people reject it? In time the truth will be known to the world, and then many nations will try to kidnap me for their own country.</p>
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<p>Once this fundamental problem is solved, the rest is easy. When the benefit of this way of life is revealed, would people like to import that system for their own country? Once the world’s financiers know my way of doing business, will they want to do business with us? Will many professors want to teach in our school? Will politicians want to learn my methods in organization, employment, management? If the President joined the Unification Church would he try to bring righteousness to the United States? ls that unlikely, or within the realm of probability?</p>
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<p>No matter how young you are in Unification Church, your thinking is far more mature than that of the politicians and businessmen in this country. You have a different concept of the world. Are you superior in practicing true love? Then there is no problem. Is sitting on a concrete floor a problem? We would rather use the money we would spend on chairs for some other purpose. The money we earn fund raising is used to fulfill that love so that other people can learn about it.</p>
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<p>You are not rich at all but in due course people will come to respect you, so there is nothing to worry about. If you give yourself totally for the ten years of your young adulthood in service of God and Unification Church without receiving any honor or money then you may think you are not advancing. But you are wrong. In ten years many people with worldly credentials will be coming and asking to marry a Moonie. In Florida there are many senior citizens who are trying to enjoy their last days, but they are lonely people. We can bring good news to them and hope for eternal life. If they were to die as Moonies would it be a glorious thing tor them?</p>
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<p>Many of our blessed couples are suffering because they have no money. But they should continually serve the people, particularly senior citizens. If they keep going in this way of life then eventually their problem shall be solved in a great way. I would like to create a big center where lonely senior citizens can come. Where will they want to leave their money? For the service of the Kingdom of Heaven. The time will come when I will tell people not to give their money because it is not needed. Even when they insist I will still refuse. Finally, they will set up a cannon outside East Garden and load it with their bag of money and shoot it onto the grounds! I don’t need any money. If I need to do certain things there is always money available. Would you like to receive some of my money?</p>
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<p>What shall we do? People ask us how they can solve their love problem, and we can take care of it. What should our question be then? Our problem is how to share this love and increase it in the world. The more you give love, the more you want to keep giving. When you have sown seeds of love in every nation then you want to give that love even to the animals and plants. Our problem is learning how to give in the best way.</p>
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<p>If you need to travel hundreds of miles a day to give that love then God will agree you need a car and will provide it. If you need a school, God will provide one. If you need money, God will provide it. If God can’t assist you, then He is not really doing his duty! God knows very well that I need money for building His Kingdom. He knows clearly that I need young people, so He guides them here. Does God know I need rebellious, complaining young people, or obedient young people?</p>
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<p>If you unite with me then you feel good, but if you disobey and violate my principle of unselfishness, you feel uncomfortable. If you don’t unite then spirit world will spank you. Have you felt it? This is what the everyday world doesn’t know, and they can’t discover it by looking at us! Sometimes spirit world yanks on your necktie. Do you vaguely know this 4r vividly know it? Sometimes your legs don’t want to move but some power pushes you. How many of you have had this kind of mysterious experience? That’s why no matter how the nation may criticize, or how your parents rage, it won’t change you.</p>
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<p>Do I have a good or bad brain? Am I mediocre or meticulous? I have so much stamina that no one can compete with me. In my younger days I was always a winner in sports. If an education was my goal, I would have gotten many Ph.Ds. In any area I worked in I would be the best. Would I receive acclaim or curses for my accomplishments? Have I been praised or persecuted for leading the Unification Church? Why would any sensible man choose such a route then?</p>
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<p>Here in America all the major papers printed false accusations about me, but was I shattered into pieces? When the press attacked President Nixon during Watergate he was totally demoralized after 1½ years, but I have been hit by the American press for seven years and still I am going strong. Even the attitude of the <i>Washington Post </i>toward me has changed.</p>
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<p>There are many CARP members in America, sponsoring student festivals on campuses. They are finding many students who want to know about me, and many students are even collecting my picture. Many researchers are investigating me and writing their Ph.D. theses on me, in every area from my sociology to theology to personality. Those people are sneaking in the back door because they want to be connected with me. But you come here every Sunday to receive my instruction directly yet you don’t appreciate it.</p>
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<p>If you mispronounce “happy” it sounds like “heavy.” Are you dwelling on your heavy burden or on the happy side? You don’t mind the heavy burden? The greater the heavy responsibility you bear in the Unification Church, the greater will be your blessing and glory. Your problem should always be finding more to do because I didn’t give you enough. Is it true? Is it good news to hear you are responsible for all America? Are you saying “great” or “gray hair”?</p>
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<p>I have always been asking God to let me bear His impossible burden and worst worry that other people cannot bear. God answered that His greatest burden was the love question, and I told Him that I could solve it if He would give me a little time. God told me to go to America to establish my headquarters and undertake the revolution of selfishness to unselfishness. I obeyed and came, clearing the field like a bulldozer. All the trees and grass of the proud American culture are being uprooted. Everyone is raging at me for doing that, like barking dogs, but the bulldozer keeps on coming. No matter how much they attack me, there is no sign that I am losing strength or getting ready to quit. I have an iron will to go on and they will decide they might as well give up.</p>
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<p>Now Moonies have become the curiosity of America, and people want to know what you have that is so tasty. When they finally taste Divine Principle they will find it is good and will ask. how you came to find this place much earlier than they did. Parents will praise their children for restoring the honor and history of their family.</p>
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<p>The parents of the first 36 couples insisted that I could not conduct their children’s marriages because I was not their parent. The opposition was fierce. Reverend Kwak’s situation is a good example. His wife is the daughter of a well-known educator in one province. This prestigious family never knew that both their daughters were Moonies, but one day they received an invitation from Reverend Moon, saying that their daughter would marry such and such a person on a certain day, and if they wanted to attend, please come. They were completely outraged and demanded to know when their daughter had become a Moonie and who was going to marry her.</p>
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<p>Her father was determined to take his daughter away and came on the day of the ceremony. The receptionist greeted him warmly and told him that if he wanted to attend the ceremony he had to wear a robe. He was completely upset, saying in effect, “What are you talking about, wear a robe! I came to take my daughter!” The member insisted he couldn’t get in without a robe. He had to get in, so somehow he obtained a robe to wear and lined up in the procession. The wedding march began and the couples came forward. He is an educated man so he didn’t want to shout or do anything violent, but he just wanted so badly to curse me! I saw his face moving with rage and frustration, and I understood every word he wanted to say!</p>
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<p>The parents of the couples never spent one nickel for their wedding; I prepared and paid for all, the robes and rings. What was I gaining by that if people cursed and criticized me? But I know that the discipline and tradition of heavenly love had to be set, even though people opposed me. I also knew that within ten years they would all surrender. Now that father has discovered that he has a very smart, very faithful and handsome son-in-law of filial piety who serves his parents very well. His heart was melted and now he testifies that he has the best son-in-law. If he is going to advertise his son-in-law he has to advertise Reverend Moon at the same time!</p>
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<p>I never argued once with them, but over ten years the parents naturally came to surrender on their own. Now when that father-in-law comes to meet me, he will bow down to me, even though he is much older than I am. He knows he cannot repay the things I have done for his family.</p>
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<p>Our life is really a great adventure. Don’t you think so? You are the modern saints. The world thinks you look dumb, but on the heavenly side whole new horizons are opening up to you. What you gain is up to you now. Your prayer must be like mine-“God, give me your burden and I shall not falter.” There are 130 nationalities in our movement. Do you think unifying them into one is an easy task? Will money glue them together? Power? It has to be genuine sincerity. The job of melting the hearts of men with genuine qualities is a heavy load. You should live in genuine service and genuine love, and even thousands of years after you die your tomb will never be bare of beautiful flowers.</p>
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<p>When you serve with pure love you are going to solve the historical problem and liberate history, the present and the future. Your question is, “What can I do to give love to the world? What more can I do for you?” There is nothing greater and more glorious than this question. There is no limit or end to it; you can go deeper and deeper, and wider and wider without end. In Jove all five colors of skin can embrace and all cultures be united into one; all nations can rejoice together over love.</p>
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<p>Why do you fund raise? To liberate God and mankind, and to fulfill love. Why do we witness? To liberate God and mankind, and to fulfill love. Many young people are dying and being corrupted and it doesn’t matter that people say about us. People are crying to receive love for themselves, but we labor and sweat to give love. How much more precious that is. There are not many who are crying tears in order to give love. Many cry out to receive love for themselves, however. One is heaven and the other hell.</p>
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<p>The greater the burden you bear, the greater the blessing that will come to you. That principle will never fail. Therefore, the Moonies lead a life of asking God what more they can do to liberate Him and mankind and fulfill love. Those who pledge that they will do just that and nothing else, raise your hands.</p>
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<p>God bless you.</p>
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<article id="post-1388" class="post-1388 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1979">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/18/the-present-time.html" title="Permalink to THE PRESENT TIME" rel="bookmark">THE PRESENT TIME</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="#" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-18T05:10:18+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/18/the-present-time.html" rel="bookmark">June 18, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-18T05:10:18+01:00">June 18, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/speeches/categories/rev-sun-myung-moon-1979.html" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1979</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="center">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="center">February 4, 1979<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>No man can predict the course of history. Neither can he predict sickness or disease, or his own death. Nevertheless, all these things are continuously occurring in human history. A man who is heading toward success cannot know at what particular moment failure will set in. Therefore, all people can do is harbor hope and wish for good fortune.</p>
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<p>What might we term the greatest success in one lifetime? There could be many kinds of success. Each nation has a different set of goals in life, and they consider many varied things to be desirable. As Americans, what would be the day you feel truly joyful and successful? There may be a success which brings joy to the individual, or to the nation, or to both, but there are also things which may bring joy to the nation, but not necessarily to the world. If there is an event which brings joy to the individual, to the nation and to the world then it is more valuable than something that brings joy only to the individual or nation.</p>
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<p>Suppose there is an event which brings joy to the individual, nation and world, but not to God. How would He feel? lt might be meaningful to the human world, but have no relation to or meaning for God. Can we look forward to the day which brings joy to the individual, nation, world and also God? Would the day on which World War 11 ended be that kind of universal day? The true day of joy should include not only God but also the angelic world and all spirit world. Otherwise, it would not be complete.</p>
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<p>How would it be if that time of joy for the cosmos lasted not just for one moment or day, but for eternity? lt would be great. If God has a goal or will in history, then God and mankind must be looking forward to the day or moment which will be the culmination of all human history. What day would that be? Let us search to understand. Once it occurs it will be the first and last; that moment could never come twice because once God attained that joy it would last forever. What day would that be? Imagine that somehow you are standing on the moment of cosmic joy-how would you feel? Would you dance and sing?</p>
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<p>What would have the most value in our life? Indeed, love. Then when and where would that love begin? Of course, it begins between two; you know from Principle that there must be give and take between a subject and object for love to exist, so love begins between God and man. In what kind of setting can love begin? At the moment of perfection of Adam. Can Adam perfect himself alone? What does he need? He cannot reach perfection alone; the perfection of Eve must accompany it. The moment love begins is the moment Adam and Eve become perfected and united with God. Imagine you are present at that very moment; how would you feel? Would it be a happy moment?</p>
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<p>What is the point of origin of each individual? He is born in the love of his natural parents. Was your life the beginning point, or was a love which came before your life the beginning point? Love is the beginning point. Every individual’s life began in the love of his natural parents. That’s a happy moment, but because of the fall of man we are not happy. That love was not truly lawful love. We know that illicit love marked the beginning of history.</p>
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<p>Because of the fall, human history did not begin with the love of God. Instead, illicit love marked the beginning of human life. Therefore, the perfection of Adam and Eve could not be found, and of course their union with God could not be found. Therefore, the joyful moment of love never took place because it never found a base here on earth. When the generations of mankind were born it was not out of a joyful love, but rather a sorrowful and stained love.</p>
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<p>We should have been born in a joyful outburst of the love of God, but that never happened. From the very beginning human history was marked by tragedy and sorrow instead of joy. Therefore, our lives have no value from God’s point of view because they have no connection to Him. From the point of view of God’s love, the enemy’s generation is prospering. We were supposed to have been born and raised in the love of God, and consummated our life in the love of God. This sequence should have been enjoyed by all mankind, but instead it was broken down. Mankind has been born in sorrow, grown in the fallen world, and had a tragic end.</p>
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<p>If we had begun our lives in the love of God, it would have been an exciting and joyful life, a life of fulfillment and richness. The love of God was supposed to be a limitless powerhouse. Not only joy but also fulfillment and glory would blossom when life originated in the love of God. The energy of that love would push you all the way through life and more. When Adam and Eve were born of the love of God, a burst of joy must have begun at that moment, but as soon as they separated themselves from the love of God, death, tragedy and misfortune set in, and have permeated human history.</p>
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<p>Since the two human ancestors began their life in a tragic way, what could we expect from their children? When those children became a tribe and nation, nothing but the same tragedy and sorrow would be multiplied. The fall was not only a tragic moment for man, but for God. There His life of sorrow and heartbreak began. History became destined to follow a pattern of sorrow, since the true love of God could find no foundation here on earth.</p>
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<p>Since that base was not found at the beginning of human history, could fallen man find that base themselves, no matter how they endeavored? Even if all mankind joined to sacrifice themselves at one time on the altar, it would still not be enough to set the foundation of true love. No human endeavor could ever bring the base of true love here on earth; the only possibility would be for God to initiate that base on earth. We cannot be vague in talking about the love of God. It is necessary to specify what the true base of that love is. In order to find that base you have to reverse history and climb up again from the very point where that base of true love was lost.</p>
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<p>For whom was true love prepared-the ancestors of mankind, or the descendants of those ancestors? The ancestors must be able to receive that true love and hand it down. Then how far back in history must we climb? We have to go back beyond the moment of man’s fall, and reach Adam and Eve before they were stained. We have to break through the barrier of the fall and go beyond. When we reverse history and get back to the time before the human ancestors tell, then the true ancestors of mankind can be found.</p>
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<p>The problem is one of origin. No matter how many people are alive today, the fallen parents are still the root of history, so in order to start the history of goodness we must have true parents of goodness. In order to establish the base for true love, it is our destiny to reverse all of history and go further back than the point of the fall.</p>
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<p>Since God is trying to remake history from a good and righteous beginning, could the true parents be born in the midst of all mankind, or should everyone be gotten rid of so that those two could be born by themselves? Which way will God work? If the True Parents are coming in the midst of mankind,` are they arriving in hell or heaven? Will God come down to hell and establish His base of love? Would that be fortunate love or unfortunate love? Principled or unprincipled? When Adam and Eve were born the angelic world existed, but no human life other than themselves. They arrived in a brand new house. Did Satan exist when Adam and Eve were born? Does Satan exist in our world today?</p>
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<p>How could True Parents come into this unprincipled world? In order to remake history from the beginning, God disregards the rest of mankind and even Satan. By not recognizing Satan and the rest of mankind, He can begin with one man and one woman in the True Parents’ position. As far as God is concerned, this is a world of dead people. If God acts as if there is no Satan then Adam and Eve must also realize that they are making history from the very beginning. Though Satan’s children fill the world, it is better than not having anyone at all because those people provide material for restoration. Even if satanic people persecute the True Parents, it is still better than being in an empty world. That’s the way God and True Parents think.</p>
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<p>God gives no recognition to Satan and the satanic world, and when the True Parents come into the world they also think that they are starting a brand new world from scratch. Thus, if persecution comes, it is not significant and cannot disturb them. The True Parents know that each day they are coming closer to God and that they cannot do that if they are filled with resentment, frustration and anger. They are drawing closer and closer to the base of true love, and doing so in peace, serenity and tranquility. They are not perturbed by satanic intervention.</p>
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<p>Honeybees store honey in their hive so that they can survive the winter. When they stick their heads into the honey comb to drink the honey they are so intoxicated by its sweet taste that they forget everything else. If you pull on a bee which is drinking honey and its body snaps in two at its thin waist, the bee doesn’t even realize what has happened to it. When you are busy drinking in the love of God you are so intoxicated that even if your body is cut in two at the waist you don’t realize it. In the same way, when the True Parents are moving toward their goal, nothing in the world can disturb them. No event can sidetrack them from going forward.</p>
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<p>If you know completely that such love of God is available and attainable, that the moment has come, would you have absolute courage to surge ahead in spite of any obstacles? One difference between you and the honeybee is this-once the bee’s body is cut in two, it dies, but if you are drinking the love of God when your body is cut in two, you don’t have to worry because God will put it back. if someone removes your body again, God will replace it again! You will never die or be diminished. Satan is trying to tear you in half in order to pull you away from the love of God, but will have to give up because he can’t do it.</p>
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<p>With that formula God is going forward with restoration. When True Parents encounter the activity against them from the satanic world, they feel it makes their work more exciting instead of being disturbed by it. There is no other way the base of true love could be established. If you were in God’s position and heard someone say there was no God, you would immediately stand up and shout, “What are you talking about!” But God can be patient because He doesn’t recognize anyone that is out there. God can be patient because He is not derailed by what fallen mankind may do.</p>
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<p>Any person who would become true Adam or Eve must totally understand God and breathe together with Him, and then no amount of persecution could disturb him. Adam and Eve are forging ahead, building their union with God, and their satanic counterparts are busy trying to disrupt their work. Would God try and drive those people away? No, He would stand back and let it bring more fun and color to Adam and Eve’s life. The entire world will be wild at Adam and Eve, cursing and screaming, but they can remain calm and peaceful and appreciate the interesting diversion. That is the most practical, logical way of restoration.</p>
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<p>In the Divine Principle you learn three reasons why God could not intervene to stop the fall of man. For the same reasons God will not disturb anyone in the path of restoration. Anyone trying to find the base of true love must go through a process of persecution, but he should not be disturbed by it.</p>
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<p>According to the Principle of Creation, Adam comes first and then he restores Eve to perfection. Did Adam in Eden have many candidates among whom to choose his bride? Who created Eve for Adam? If God hadn’t created Eve then Adam would not have had any bride at all. What if God somehow made a mistake and made Eve with only half a face-would Adam say she was unacceptable and ask for another bride? Or perhaps he would decide to give her only half his love. Since God exists in perfection, would He decide to give this incomplete daughter only half-hearted love? Adam had no choice whatsoever, so whether Eve was pretty or ugly, half or two-thirds, wouldn’t matter. lt would be out of the question for Adam not to unite with her.</p>
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<p>What if Eve was created very short? Then Adam would have more fun because he would pick her up to kiss her. Would Adam only give her small love because she was so small? Shouldn’t Adam love her wholeheartedly? If God had extra material and made Eve like a giant, would Adam protest to God? Even if Adam wanted to protest, there were no other alternatives available. God would sternly say, “If you want love, there is your bride. With her you can find your true love.”</p>
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<p>Adam was in a situation where true love was unaffected by what kind of bride he had. The important point here is that true love was not determined by the external appearance of Adam’s bride. Once true love was experienced through that channel, external appearance was unimportant. Beauty and ugliness never mattered. True love can make up for any disfigurement or deficiency and even add extra appreciation.</p>
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<p>Do you imagine that Adam and Eve were attractive or ugly? A man’s sexual organ fulfills the holy purpose of love, but also the most menial task of eliminating body waste. Two extremely different purposes are fulfilled by one organ. Love is not only expressed through external beauty. Maybe you thought Adam was very handsome and Eve very beautiful, but it could have been totally opposite. Adam might have been funny-looking, with a lump on his forehead, or been fierce-looking. My point is that whether a man is handsome or a woman beautiful doesn’t make any difference because true love will make up for it. Love will supplement any deficiencies.</p>
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<p>A woman needs a man to be married, and a man needs a woman. I know there are some women who look in the mirror and are discouraged because they think no man could ever like them. I am telling you not to worry. There will be some man who sees beauty in that particular ugliness. It is difficult for men and women in the fallen world to find the ideal mate, but the Unification Church has no problem because we have mass weddings. The average person doesn’t have hundreds of candidates to select his mate from, but I can tell who would be perfect for you. Looking at you now I can see who would be good with whom. Maybe you envision an ideal mate in your mind, but then when you look at the woman you were matched with you wonder if this could really be her; positive and negative charges collide in the atmosphere and lightning is created. Does a lightning bolt have a choice about where on earth it will strike? It strikes wherever the right conditions exist. There is no hesitation or choice.</p>
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<p>When men and women meet it is like a positive and negative charge colliding, and there is no looking left or right. Doves always live as pairs, and when they are exchanging feelings of love they always sing their love. If even birds do that, Adam and Eve would also express their love somehow-maybe not with gentle cooing, but shouting and bellowing whaa whaa whaa!</p>
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<p>When lightning is created, thunder booms through the air. When Adam and Eve’s love collide, not only lightning would spark but thunder would resound throughout the universe. With this kind of love, do you think negative articles in the media would matter to them? Would persecution perturb the lightning of their love? No, their love would penetrate all that and ignite it. First love is the most intense; that is the true love. First love has the power of dynamite.</p>
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<p>In recent years it has become acceptable in America for engaged couples to try out living together before they get married. If a salesman is selling something, he offers a free trial to the customer. Now even men and women try a trial run to see whether they like living together. Do you think Adam and Eve would have had a trial run to see if the true love of God would make them happy? When they meet, that’s alpha and omega and there is no more. Adam was meant for Eve and Eve tor Adam for eternity. Period.</p>
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<p>The strongest, most heartfelt love of total dedication has the power to overcome any unrighteousness and penetrate any persecution. Once you finally meet true love, everything else is solve. Rejection and opposition have no more power over you. All the storms of history happen below the line of the but once you penetrate above that line and go up above the storm clouds there is tranquility and peace and nothing will disturb you.</p>
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<p>Suppose we have True Parents on earth who represent such absolute love. How much joy would that give to God? The normal process God expected was for Adam and Eve to grow in the garden of Eden, reach perfection and be united in love. But the fall took place and God struggled for thousands of years to restore man instead. When the True Parents are victorious and conquer the fallen world and reach the ultimate goal, do you think it would bring Him more joy than if He had seen the original Adam and Eve united in love for the first time?</p>
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<p>You enjoy action movies with lots of thrills, narrow escapes and romance more than you like dull movies about everyday life. That is why I saw that for Adam and Eve and God the fallen world is better than having nothing except themselves, even though it is a world God does not recognize. That world lends more excitement. How proud and joyful would Adam and Eve be to emerge victorious from the fallen world? The first Adam and Eve would have been very proud parents, and how much more proud would the True Parents be at winning victory?</p>
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<p>When God can meet victorious Adam and Eve, would they come together casually and with no special interest, or would they rush together like speeding bullets? The love they have inside would fly ahead of them to meet God, and with the speed of light they would come together into one. What would God say to them? “The fallen drama of mankind was stimulating and challenging, and now I can even be glad about it. There was an exciting drama in overcoming it.”</p>
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<p>Even if God could have come down and made a new Adam and Eve after the fall, there would be no joy for Him in doing so. The religions which have been God’s instruments of restoration have endured tremendous suffering and persecution, but looking back in the end, those events make our history more colorful. When restoration is finalized, the trials of the past lend color.</p>
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<p>Where would God meet the ‘True Parents here on earth? On the street corner or in the subway’! Suppose they met God on a beautiful lawn The very grass would be ecstatic at being the setting for such a summit meeting. Even the things of creation would feel honored at providing the decorations for the meeting of God and the True Parents. Suppose they met in the autumn, amidst the colorful leaves. Even though those leaves had come down from the trees, they would feel they had the greatest honor in all creation.</p>
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<p>Suppose the True Parents met God while standing on top of an ugly-looking rock. No matter how ugly it looked, the rock would feel it was the greatest of all because it provided the throne t’or their first meeting. That meeting place would remain forever as holy ground for all mankind, the holy ground of love. Even if it was an ugly, cold-looking rock, it would be cherished. What if they met on some ice; could even ice become holy ground. What if it melted and then vaporized into clouds? It still wouldn’t matter. The very ground where the ice was located would be holy ground.</p>
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<p>Imagine that Adam was wearing rather ragged clothes at that meeting. Even those smelly, worn-out clothes would feel they were more precious than jewel-encrusted robes and be proud that they adorned Adam and Eve on the day of their summit meeting with God.</p>
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<p>The moment when the True Parents meet God is the greatest moment. If there were many people around to see this first meeting take place, would they be excited and proud that they witnessed that great moment in God’s history? How would you feel if you were children of the True Parents, having your origin in their love? Would you be proud of the special origin of your life? You could say that of all the people who have come and gone from the earth there was none like you. Could that be compared to acquiring some piece of property or ground? Could it be compared in value to the entire territory of the United States!</p>
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<p>The heirs of the True Parents would feel they could sacrifice anything necessary to preserve that great honor. How much the people in the present and the future would be envious of that position. When they are not only born in the True Parents’ love, heirs also raised in that love, what could their happiness be compared to? Every day they would be elated in the realization that they are children of the True Parents. For them it would not matter if people ridiculed and scorned them when they went out witnessing and fund raising. They would have too much to be jubilant about to be affected by that.</p>
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<p>Why do you go to home church? Because you want to bring this ecstatic joy and privilege and share it with someone. The people will be envious of what you have and want to be part of the True Parents’ love through you. That’s home church. Wherever you go, people will want to follow, whether you go east or west, or even to the bathroom. If you don’t sleep for 24 hours, they won’t want to sleep either. That kind of person is surely entitled to share your joy, and part of your joy will become his. Whether you live or die physically won’t matter.</p>
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<p>I know you share that desire to be with me wherever I go. If you really feel that then we are connected and can become one. Home church is the means to make that connection. Home church people will envy you. Will the True Parents be here on earth for millions of years, or for a limited time? The odds against a certain person meeting the True Parents are overwhelming. Human history has been continuing for millions of years, through ups and downs, wars and tragedies and corruption, and now is the moment when the True Parents have emerged. But through some fortune you have come to the very point where the True Parents are. That such a meeting should take place is simply incredible. As soon as you realize the meaning of this great opportunity, would you jump into it? When you realize it, all your five senses will melt into it.</p>
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<p>Suppose some ungodly power tried to scare you away. Would you be driven away, or would you be so intoxicated, like the honeybee, that even if your body was torn away you wouldn’t let go? This kind of historical encounter is a super miracle. The odds against it are so great that they are inconceivable. The very grass that provided the setting for the True Parents’ meeting with God would feel it was the greatest of all creation; how much more elated would you feel when you know that you are living and working together with True Parents? Would you take it easy and allow yourself to be led away? If every moment of the day you have this realization that you can live and breathe with the True Parents, speak and laugh with them, then when you come back from working in the day you want to go back to the True Parents’ home.</p>
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<p>This is the time that True Parents and God and all creation feel joy together, and you happened to bump into it. You can become inseparable from the True Parents and an extension of them. When you are welded to them it doesn’t matter if people curse you as being Moonies, and you can even ask tor more. Their persecution will sound like a sweet song in your ears because you are so intoxicated with the joy of meeting True Parents. isn’t this logical”</p>
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<p>What is the real meaning of the Unification Church? When you meet the True Parents you become true children and then true husband and wife. What else do you need? When you become an integral part of the True Parents’ family, they won’t want to travel by themselves, but will bring you along. Will that be hell or heaven? That is the highest heaven of the Kingdom of God and you are part of the royal family of God. How great you are then! Can you insignificant Moonies become the royal family of God?</p>
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<p>With this realization would you live with joy and with dancing, or be sad and gloomy? Your joy would be so great that tears would run down your face because your elation could not be contained. Other people might think we cry out of misery, but we know it is out of joy.</p>
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<p>When you find the True Parents you find not only parents but your family, nation and world, plus your God and eternal life in heaven. There is so much meaning and substance in this that the entire spirit world has to be mobilized also. If one beautiful woman happened to stumble on this moment of time but she was so captivated by her own beauty that she decided that she wouldn’t gain anything here, her ancestors would wish that she were ugly so that she could stay instead of being concerned with herself.</p>
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<p>That opportunity is not just for you. It is for all your ancestors as well, and what you do affects them. If you are so ugly that you can’t stand to see yourself in the mirror but you can become welded into one with the True Parents, your ancestors will be jubilant and brag about how beautiful you are to those other people whose descendants rejected this moment</p>
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<p>With all the shouting and dancing going on, there will be a great commotion in spirit world. God would walk out to see what is happening, and then He could not resist joining in too.</p>
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<p>Even if you were thirty or forty years old and still are not married, it wouldn’t matter as long as you had the opportunity to be one with True Parents. Whether you have beautiful clothes is insignificant because they are not the clothes you will wear for eternity. God will give you a garment so dazzling that you cannot even imagine it. Now you want to make yourself beautiful with makeup but you can’t do it. But don’t worry. Once you get to spirit world God will give you makeup for your whole body, not just your face.</p>
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<p>You won’t just kiss mouth to mouth but all over, to the soles of your feet. If that is your opportunity then you won’t care about anything else except hanging on to it. If Ted Patrick tries to deprogram you, you will decide to deprogram him instead. To express the joy of meeting True Parents ordinary laughter would not be enough; you would shake with gales and bellows of laughter. In average dancing you move your arms up and down, but in heavenly dancing there is no way you could bring your arms down again. This sounds like joking, but it is not. Every word is meant literally.</p>
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<p>God is like a marksman who has been trying for millions of years to hit the bulls-eye but has always missed. If all of a sudden He hits it, that’s quite a moment tor God. If trying after all these years God decides to try just once more and then suddenly He hits the bulls-eye, would He just fall asleep? Wouldn’t He be very tired after all that effort? At that moment He would forget His position as God, forget His dignity and become delirious with joy.</p>
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<p>The morale of the angels in spirit world has been very low because Lucifer disgraced them, but they have been waiting and hoping, cheering for God to hit the bulls-eye. They have been waiting millions of years also, so the moment He hits the bully the entire angelic world would erupt in cheers.</p>
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<p>Would the tickets be expensive to see God shooting at the bulls-eye? Would people like to witness the fulfillment of history? Suppose thousands of tickets were sold over the years to see God aim at the bulls-eye, but each time He missed. People would get bored and not come any more. Then one day when there aren’t any other spectators perhaps one beggar might decide he has nothing better to do than to watch God’s marksmanship. He will be the only spectator, but if he is there when God hits the bulls-eye then would he be jubilant at seeing the highest moment of human history?</p>
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<p>God would look tor a partner in His elation, but if He saw there was only a ragged beggar would He refuse to dance with Him? Or would He just pull Him down from the stands and dance with Him’! Would they be miserable with each other, or striding along in happiness? If they were walking down Fifth Avenue would they just stay to one side of the sidewalk, or would they stride down the street, calling out to the street, “Why are you so narrow ?”</p>
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<p>Is this convincing and logical.’ Here in the Unification Church we are talking about True Parents and true brothers and sisters, true husband and wife, and true love. Why are you here? No one else ever talked about True Parents. All my life I have been suffering because of the idea of True Parents and true brothers and sisters. Why would an intelligent man commit himself to a concept and suffer for it ? No matter what, I cannot give up the word True Parents because it is so precious. Even if the entire world comes upon me trying to tear me apart, would I look like a desperate, worn-out person? You don’t like to hear the word Moonie, do you? Are you tired out? You say you like it because this is a gathering of Moonies, right? But when people slam their doors in your face you don’t like the word Moonie.</p>
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<p>In Korean the word “moonie” means “pattern”, or design. As Moonies we are the design of the True Parents’ clothes. Also “moonie” can mean consulting together, or discussing with each other. We are always in fellowship, discussing True Parents, true ideals, true family, true nation and true world.</p>
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<p>White and black used to avoid each other, but no more. Here we talk about true love among each other as brothers and sisters and we are all one. There is a Korean woman here who is a doctor, and when I asked how she would like an American husband, she replied, “Fantastic.” This kind of heart and spirit is the proud dignity of the Moonies.</p>
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<p>I can tell clearly what will happen when I go to spirit world. Do you think I will be welcome? Would all the religious leaders come to welcome me? As each year passes, spirit world thinks that the time for my arrival is getting closer and they have committees organized for setting up welcoming procedures. A presidential inauguration requires months of preparation, so how much more will they do in spirit world? They are anxiously waiting for the greatest moment.</p>
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<p>Do you feel that old men are dull and don’t you like them? Do you wish that I would leave you alone instead of pushing you without any vacation? We are talking about True Parents, true sons and daughters, true family, but even though you think it’s real you don’t really feel the true impact of it. If you felt the reality of this to the bone, you could not sit still like this-you would be dancing around and unable to contain yourself. Your enthusiasm would be ready to spill over and you would jump at the chance to be given an order. But now you moan and groan and say that I push you too much.</p>
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<p>Is our life with True Parents real? Are God and the heavenly kingdom real? Have you been living up to that reality? If you work yourself to death it is not enough. If you talk yourself to death, it is still not enough. Have you talked about the Divine Principle so much that your tongue won’t function any more? If your tongue falls out because you talked about the True Parents so much then God will give you a stronger tongue; He has lots of spare tongues! God cannot afford to lose you.</p>
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<p>Maybe you are wondering why I haven’t talked about blessing or matching. Here is a Korean sister who is 36 years old and a doctor, but she never worried about getting married. Now she has a happy family. This sister here is also getting older. If the True Parents are real to you and true love is real to you then you just don’t worry about marriage. There is so much to rejoice over and celebrate that you even forget when your birthday is.</p>
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<p>Even if you forget yourself in praising this great moment, the name of the True Parents, the name of true love and God, still you have not done justice to the moment. When you compare your one body to the value of this time, it is very insignificant. Those of you who have thought even once that Unification Church life was just too much and you were at the end of your rope, raise your hands please. Actually that will mean forgiveness and I will never condemn you. Those who raised their hands are the honest men and women! Those who did not are not honest, particularly those leaders who did not.</p>
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<p>I am a pitiful person in a way because I must trust these weak soldiers in trying to build the kingdom of God’s dispensation. The events and blessings you have bumped into are so extraordinary that as soon as you hear the news you should be electrified. But when you heard the news you stopped and wanted to evaluate it first. You take two steps forward and one backward, and in the meantime you get upset if you think I don’t recognize your hard work. “I have been in the Unification Church all these years and gave the best part of my life, but the Church never recognized me.” I am asking you to jump over all that to the other side. We have to go beyond the level of the fall, but you are fooling around in the middle ground.</p>
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<p>A child should finish elementary school while he is still a child, but you are like a forty-year-old who keeps flunking every day and complains to his teacher about not getting his diploma. You have to finish the course in order to get a diploma. Do you know how precious the present time is, how crucial it is ? Are you spiritually awakened now?</p>
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<p>Do you think I realize the true value of the moment? That’s why I am the only one who is truly crazy about God. I am desperately trying to convey this to you, and you simply have no right to complain. By worldly standards I am a very superior person who has many talents in many fields. I tackle hundreds of things at the same time. I speak well at the same time, don’t 1? That’s why men and women of all colors come here to follow me. If you determine to follow me then do it 100%, not halfway.</p>
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<p>Time is not in your favor. Before the third seven-year course is over, you must finish your course. After the third seven-year course is over I won’t ask you to gather at 6 a.m. or to go out and do home church. This is a precious moment. To come and hear me on Sunday morning is a precious, extraordinary blessing.</p>
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<p>If I were you, sitting out there listening to Reverend Moon, I would not act like you. I would have done something so great and thunderous that all New York would have been shaken. I wouldn’t allow myself any time to rest. Once this present moment passes, it will never return even after millions of years. Once this opportunity passes there will be no more opportunity. The greater the persecution, the greater your opportunity to write a chapter of history. The persecution you receive should spur you on with greater energy. Don’t pay any attention to it but be totally concentrated on fulfilling the goal.</p>
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<p>Put your hand on your chest and think a moment, “Is there really such value here that I can give my life to it? Is my present life in the Unification Church measuring up to that value?” You should repent over not realizing the preciousness of this moment. The present time should be made into a glorious, victorious moment. Turn it around into a proud moment. When you appear before the throne of God you should be able to say proudly to Him, “I have done my absolute best. I have no shame or regret.” You must become a person who can say to posterity, “Look at me and follow my example.” You should be able to say that with pride.</p>
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<p>There are many different levels of accomplishment here. When you waste time sitting down and doing nothing other people will be running many steps ahead of you. Each day is a competition.</p>
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<p>Those who can pledge they will make the present moment a proud and victorious moment, raise your hands. Thank you. God bless you.</p>
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<article id="post-1386" class="post-1386 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-speeches-of-rev-sun-myung-moon-1979">
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/18/the-first-day-and-our-lifetime.html" title="Permalink to THE FIRST DAY AND OUR LIFETIME" rel="bookmark">THE FIRST DAY AND OUR LIFETIME</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="#" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-18T05:09:35+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/18/the-first-day-and-our-lifetime.html" rel="bookmark">June 18, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-18T05:09:35+01:00">June 18, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/speeches/categories/rev-sun-myung-moon-1979.html" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1979</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="center">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="center">February 2, 1979<br />
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World Mission Center<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>To you and all our members around the world and in spirit world, thank you for your greetings and congratulations on True Parents’ birthday.</p>
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<p>Human history has been one of chaos and upheaval. This has been particularly true since World War I. Through the Divine Principle we learn that this is not a random occurrence but is part of the providence of God, based on the principle of indemnity. History has now come to a point of drastic change. Where will it go from here?</p>
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<p>Many people today think the present chaos will only deteriorate further. The decline of Western civilization has recently become very obvious. As you know, Christianity has been the backbone of Western civilization and that has been crumbling. As a result, unity in the Western families and nations has also been crumbling. It is easy for young people to be pessimistic about the future, but when we understand that God is almighty, then we recognize that God has a plan for turning this drastic decline around.</p>
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<p>We can anticipate that there will be two basic paths- first, that of people who are headed toward destruction; and second, that of God, who is headed toward reconstruction and hope. God is working with people, so He must somehow be making a great effort to bring them to His side. There are two points of view opposing each other in the world- one atheistic or man-centered, and the other theistic or God-centered.</p>
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<p>In the past, people thought that science could provide all the answers for the world, but that hope is diminishing today. Thinking people are realizing that a solution can only come through religion, or a God-centered ideology. Those who put human beings at the top of any solution are losing hope, but the alternative is to put God on top, above everything.</p>
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<p>God reveals His will through religion, and then science is in a position to serve God’s purpose. But religion and science have been like oil and water. It has not been easy for God and man to meet harmoniously in the mainstream of history; there has not been a medium for doing so. Ultimately, one type of civilization will prevail in the world. Will it be a man-centered or a God-centered civilization? If Almighty God does exist, then a God-centered civilization must prevail.</p>
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<p>God must have been working diligently on some solution to man’s problems today. After World War 1, it became apparent that there were basically two opposing ideologies in the world. Now more and more people are realizing that they must choose one or the other; they cannot avoid making a choice. When God sees Western civilization crumbling, it is only natural that He would prepare some answer through the other part of the world-in other words, in the East. Just like our planet turns, so history is turning. Western civilization has passed through its golden age and now dusk and sundown are coming. Logically, then, the other side of the planet must be receiving sunshine now.</p>
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<p>This is proven by the fact that many Westerners are looking to the East for answers to their spiritual questions. America today contains the essence of Western civilization,, it has attracted the best of the Western world. In its short time of 200 years America has experienced a golden age, yet how many of its young people really love America today? How many of them really honor their heritage or truly care for their families? Instead, many are trying to separate themselves from this country.</p>
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<p>Young people have lost their world, their nation, their society and their families. It is as though they are trying to get out of a great fishing net which holds them fast. When I see disco dancers, this is what I see. American young people are lonely in their desperation because their family, nation and world cannot rescue them. Where do they try to go? Many go to the West Coast, to California, as close to the East as they can get. God knew such a trend would begin here in America, so He prepared some solution to come from the East. God is helping people to cut their net and find new power. He is also teaching them that they were caught because they were trying to find a selfish solution to their problems and to escape being linked to anyone else. He tells them that instead they must find the world, nation and a home with parents and become firmly anchored in those systems. God is teaching them an entirely new concept of family, nation and world.</p>
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<p>God has been planning the re-education of America and its young people but the teacher must come from elsewhere. The usual American education will not do. In order to revolutionize life in this nation, God needs a champion but America is not qualified to provide one. God will look for a nation in the East which is linked to America and send a teacher from there. What Eastern nation has unbreakable ties to America? Korea does.</p>
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<p>Korea’s relationship with America is providential, not accidental. Any American policy makers who try to sever America’s ties to Korea will not succeed; Carter has not been able to do it, for instance. Nixon was destroyed by Watergate but was Korea destroyed by “Koreagate”? Certain people are trying to victimize Korea and Reverend Moon at the same time, but have we been destroyed? Why not?</p>
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<p>The people who plotted to destroy Korea and the Unification Church were themselves destroyed, while our movement is still spreading around the world. We fought a battle in the House of Representatives, and now in the last several days we have fought a battle in the Senate as well, meeting every senator. Senator Dole does not understand totally what he is doing, but he is being used in a role of historical villain. But this time, the Unification Church is not alone in our fight. Nine major Christian denominations as well as prominent Jews are joining us in this fight, totaling 10 elements fighting together. Even <i>The Washington Post</i> turned out to be our friend on this issue.</p>
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<p>Senator Dole thought that after the tragedy in Guyana he could become popular by whipping up public opinion against a minority religion or a “cult” But actually he is being manipulated by deprogrammers, becoming the central figure in creating a roadblock for the heavenly cause. Always there are Cain and Abel sides, including the religious world. Two thousand years ago, 900 Jewish zealots committed suicide when they were about to be massacred by their enemies, while on the heavenly side the leading event was the birth of Jesus. In the present time, this event in Guyana is the extreme expression of a satanic religion. On the other hand, the far extreme on the side of goodness is our emergence today.</p>
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<p>Satan waged a broad attack on us through the incident in Guyana, working through Senator Dole to persecute us as a cult. But God is also using this as an opportunity to place the Unification Church among the major religions and separate it from the category of cult. Major denominations have called us heretics but now they are saying they can’t afford to see us destroyed because they know that could happen to them, too.</p>
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<p>I initially said that events in Guyana would not harm us in the long run, but that God can do good even through that tragedy. Now we see it happening in the unity of the major religions around the Unification Church. Through this hearing in the Senate we are being recognized as a significant religion in America.</p>
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<p>When a ball hits a wall, it rebounds with equal force. Events surrounding us are not happening at random but according to the law of indemnity. God had things figured out in advance. Great events on earth always precede great events in God’s dispensation. Three years after World War I, an important heavenly birth took place. Now you accept this explanation, but in those days, no one even thought about interpreting history in that way. At that time, Korea was occupied by Japan and in 1919 they stood up to declare independence. They failed and thousands of Koreans were killed in the uprisings. It was as though Korea was trying to turn itself around before the great event of 1920. The greatest sacrifice was made by Korean Christians, many of whom were martyred.</p>
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<p>My home town was Chungju, in what is now North Korea; it was a very Christian town. As a result of the uprisings, the Japanese allowed the Christians to gather to worship in the largest church and then they set it on fire, trapping everyone inside and killing them. I was born one year after the independence uprising. Chungju was the town where the most Christians were martyred. The Second World War erupted as I reached 16 years of age, beginning with the war between Japan and China. In 1945, when I we’ 25, the war ended.</p>
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<p>When I was 30, the Korean War broke out, lasting three years. That was a worldwide event with 16 nations sending troops to fight in Korea and combat communism. There is no parallel to this in all of history. That was one event which all the free world could rally around in the fight against the God-denying ideology of communism. This was one truly, “holy war” because God mobilized all colors of skin to die side by side. This was a greater event than even the martyrdom of first-century Christians, because America, in the position of the Roman Empire, took the initiative to invite all free people to participate in the defense of Korea. It was as though the Roman Empire had invited 16 nations to come defend Israel 2,000 years ago.</p>
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<p>Colonialism before World War I was a struggle for land After World War I, the nationalistic movements fought a war focused on human beings. For instance, the Germans and Japanese declared they were superior races. One war remains and that is the war for God-to decide who will possess Him.</p>
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<p>To win this war for God, you must be superdenominational, transcending national barriers and race. In this respect, the Unification Church has great dimension; we think of all races as one family, all nations as one nation of God and all religions as one under God. On the other hand, other religions claim God is only with them. This ultimate war for God has been declared, with the Unification Church on one side, and all other religions on the other.</p>
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<p>Our battle in America is a religious one because all other religions have joined to try to discredit us in the past. But we are trying to awaken the conscience and righteousness of the people. Our method now is like guerrilla warfare, and we have only our brains and hard work to convey truth. Using our bodies as bullets, we are pushing forward in New York, on Capitol Hill, and throughout America, and finally we will have a collision with communism. Then things will turn around 180 degrees.</p>
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<p>We represent the absolute goodness of heaven and we have been oppressed by evil, but the heavenly power will keep pounding and turn evil around. The turning point in history has to come, and it is now at hand. The Unification Church has been chosen for the part in turning evil to goodness. To reach this level, I have gone through all the misery of the world from the very bottom. Many people are amazed at what I am doing today because they thought I would be destroyed a long time ago; they never thought I would survive.</p>
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<p>History is not run solely by people; God won’t allow that. Noah Korea thought it could conquer South Korea easily, but it could not. The communists have tried to pressure America and make Korea another Vietnam, but some greater power prevented it. There is a tug of war going on now between the communist bloc on one side, and America, Korea and Japan on the other. There has to be a strong champion pulling on the side of righteousness.</p>
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<p>The communists’ goal is always clear-world domination-and they are united in that purpose. But the nations on God’s side are divided and uncertain. God cannot allow this situation to continue, so He has raised up Reverend Moon and the Unification Church to regroup the forces in the free world and win against communism. The communists seem to be winning, gaining more territory and people every day, but we are winning spiritually. We are not alone, for the entire spirit world is with us. Which population is bigger- spirit world or the people alive today?</p>
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<p>God is watching this tug of war and eventually He will judge who has won. We are on good speaking terms with that judge! God is saying now that He wants us to prove how much we love mankind and show Him that our love is greater than the communists’; then He can give us the victory.</p>
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<p>God is sending us out to home church, to the very family units the communists are trying to destroy. We are making the home the building block of the Kingdom of Heaven. The communists know they must destroy two targets-the church and the family-in order to conquer society. But God’s side is the champion for both home and church in our system of home church. We are now approaching the terminal of God’s dispensation.</p>
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<p>Home church is your launching pad. If you are a powerful rocket, but you have a weak launching pad, you cannot take off. Receiving persecution will strengthen your foundation enough to withstand the millions of pounds of thrust you need for launching. This world must quickly turn 360 degrees but what will its axis be? Home church. Only Reverend Moon can make this kind of dramatic statement. Could anyone else give this dispensational message?</p>
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<p>God has a great sense of humor. His most important message has been revealed through Reverend Moon, who has been accused by society of incredible things. Good news always begins from within enemy territory, however. World War II ended when good news came from enemy territory and Japan surrendered. Our good news will come when our critics in the government, the media and the established Christian churches say that they surrender to us. Then our territory can be guaranteed.</p>
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<p>Senator Dole’s campaign has been a blessing for us because it has brought good news from <i>The Washington Post </i>and from the denominations that have fought together with us. Public opinion has knocked so loudly on Senator Dole’s door that he is backing down. Is this the first time such news has come or does it happen all the time to us? It happened that this campaign in Washington ended the day before the True Parents’ birthday, so the outcome is a birthday present!</p>
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<p>We have seen how important the external world is. In my entire life there has not been one truly good day when there was no torture, no plot or conspiracy against me, but I have overcome all the typhoons in my life and now the entire world has to recognize me as a giant spiritual power. I know you would agree that I could not do this all alone; was God or Satan assisting me? I fulfilled God’s internal dispensation all by myself and the corresponding external dispensation has proceeded up through this recent battle with Congress. This is the time in which the internal and external victories must be united.</p>
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<p>The year 1960 was a turning point in human history, when the True Parents were installed. If established Christianity had accepted them, the dispensation could have been completed in seven years, but instead it was prolonged to 21 years.</p>
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<p>We are like a multi-layered eruption, with the individual at the center, then the family, society, nation and so forth. The inner two layers must be united for the next layer to erupt; the love of God is our igniting power. When each layer is ignited by love, it in turn ignites the next layer. When the individual and family are united and ignited by love, they burst through the entire society. When the family and society are united and ignited in love, the entire nation can be ignited and reborn. Finally, the unity in love of all those levels, of all races and nations, can bring rebirth to the entire world.</p>
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<p>I came to America because it is like a museum of the world, containing all races and all kinds of people. If it could be ignited by the love of God, then the impact would certainly reach throughout the world. Such a change of this world would be enough to change the entire spirit world.</p>
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<p>When you move closer to the central point you eventually reach the very core. Those individuals who are absolutely one with God and whom God is working through have to suffer more and do more because they have to fulfill the highest possible position. If the earth’s axis moves, then the entire world will move. Real energy must be added there to make that happen.</p>
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<p>The people summoned by God will be asked to do more and show the greatest devotion. That has always been true in history. God’s people have suffered most and made the greatest sacrifices. I started this process at the very core, ignited by the love of God, and pushed on to each stage, bringing rebirth to the nation, world, and eventually the entire universe.</p>
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<p>Jesus had a showdown with Satan at the beginning of his ministry, during his forty-day fast in the wilderness. Jesus was victorious over Satan’s three temptations but it says in the Bible that Satan just withdrew temporarily, not permanently. Satan’s plan was to attack Jesus when he started on the road to the family and tribal levels and finally Satan won on the national level through the crucifixion. Satan’s power destroyed Jesus physically but God’s power resurrected Jesus spiritually. That is how God works.</p>
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<p>Simply speaking, am I teaching you to enjoy life and have the best of everything, or to do the hardest, most difficult work? The satanic world also wants to mobilize people, but they do it at gunpoint, forcing people to sacrifice themselves and their families. But God wants His people to work voluntarily, taking up the cup of sacrifice on their own.</p>
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<p>Is there someone with a whip forcing you to fund raise and witness? You can run away any time and Satan is always trying to encourage you to do Just that, but even if deprogrammers come to take you, you try to run back to this way of life. Satan offers all kinds of bait to entice you, like the love of your parents or your friends or your children. We face temptations every day. This explains why the Bible says that those who have the burden of families will suffer more; it is because Satan has more bait to offer them.</p>
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<p>Handsome men are bait for our beautiful sisters, since so many of our brothers are thin and pale-looking. As soon as you hear me talk about the Blessing you get excited, but then I tell you to expect to receive the most difficult, unattractive husbands. When you hear that, do you feel you want to leave?</p>
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<p>I have not been walking this 21 -year course alone, but all of spirit world has been behind me. Sometimes I try fiercely to drive them away and have privacy but they never leave me alone. They keep asking me to do things for them. The spirit world of America wanted me to do something about this nation and they were very persuasive, saying: they could offer representatives of the whole world in one nation. I told them I would go to America on the condition that they bring white people, yellow people and black people into unity with me and then I could move the world. They assured me it would happen and now we see that phenomenon occurring.</p>
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<p>The spirit world has been helping the demand for minority rights in America. Spirit world is telling people that they are all equal and must unite as brothers and sisters. Minority rights are a popular issue in this country; spirit world cannot allow them to be swallowed up because of what they promised me. Besides, I am not a white man, you know!</p>
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<p>A new phenomenon has started in America since I arrived, with parents kidnapping their own children. Parents are thinking on a horizontal level; they can’t understand how they could give their children so much and then see them want to follow a yellow man. But you came to me without thinking about my color. You hear about an ideal for the world and you are ignited with a new purpose in life. Blue eyes are the color of clean water, but blue water is not very deep. When water is very deep, it looks dark; when you see my eyes, you see immeasurable depth. You want the message of depth. In summer my skin is so dark that it is almost black, but it still looks good to you.</p>
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<p>The Western way of demonstrating love is often superficial, like a fly tapping the wall. Korean couples don’t give each other a quick kiss when the husband leaves for work for instance, but there is a depth of communication as the look at each other before he leaves. The Western way is very open, with the wife chatting about the day and handing her husband his lunch. But a Korean wife is always a few step behind, as though she were shy, and her husband has to turn to look at her. As he walks away, she looks after him until he disappears and she might say a tearful prayer. Their relation- ship is almost mystical.</p>
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<p>The time has come when you can understand the taste of such love and when you taste that kind of love in the Orient you don’t want to come back to the tasteless Western way The Orient has some mysterious areas which cannot be expressed in words. I am a puzzle to Americans and thought they study and analyze me, they cannot measure me. You too are trying to size me up, but there is an infinite quality about me that you cannot digest.</p>
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<p>I speak for hours at a time each Sunday and at leaders conferences, but I never run out of things to say. Do you feel some charm from me? But I am also very fierce. You Westerners have such big eyes that no one will be really afraid when you get mad, while my eyes are so small that you don’t know what is happening inside and you tremble when I get mad.</p>
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<p>But no matter how mysterious and deep I look, if there were no love in me I would be like the desert. The sweetness comes from love. In our church life, there is a bitter, difficult side but every one of you has tasted the sweet side of love here also. Do you feel drawn to me? Once you taste the sweetness of love, even if you are criticized or pushed out, you cannot separate yourself from me.</p>
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<p>God is a master fisherman and He is very wise. The greatest bait God offers man is love and truth. You and I may both say “love,’ but the quality of what we mean is very different. The love of Satan’s world is self-centered, while God-centered love is always unselfish. That is the fundamental difference.</p>
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<p>You know that today is True Parents’ birthday, but I haven’t even tasted breakfast yet!</p>
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<p>The entire history of mankind since Adam and Eve had to be indemnified before restoration could be complete. Historians recognize the many great events that happened in history but they have never understood the reasons for them. Only in the Unification Church can you find the explanation. Western civilization is on a march of death today, with the older people in front, middle-aged people next, and the young people right behind them. God is chasing that crumbling civilization in order to turn the people around. Young people are at the back of that march, so God is able to reach them first to turn them in a different direction.</p>
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<p>America’s young people are rebellious and they mistrust older people, but God is also working through that. That attitude makes it easier for Him to turn them around. God is creating an environment in which young people are searching for ideals and can easily join religious movements. Young people in America have tried everything, even “streaking,’ but they haven’t found ultimate happiness. They realize they are behaving like animals and they long for some purpose and value. When people are longing for some ideal, God can more easily work in their lives.</p>
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<p>Many people in the drug and free-sex culture are in despair, but then they hear about a stranger from across the ocean who is bringing new hope. I found people here entangled in a huge net and started ripping it apart to let them out. After meeting me, many people feel free and are able to sleep well at night for the first time. When I first came to America I knew the people here would feel that I didn’t love them as much as the Korean and Japanese members. That was the first test I encountered. But then the Americans discovered that no one can work harder than I can and that I gave the hardest tasks to the Koreans and Japanese, demanding that they suffer the most for the sake of America.</p>
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<p>At one time, I was persecuted and tortured by Japanese people, but now I don’t feel they are my enemies; I truly feel a father-son relationship with them. When I ask for something to be done, they absolutely follow my instructions, without adding their own interpretation. They are absolutely loyal and trusting.</p>
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<p>You know now that I truly love America. You have been liberated from the Western march toward death and now you are going back to save your family and nation. The parents have been going on in their old direction, but all of a sudden they see that their children aren’t behind them anymore and instead have become Moonies! Then they turn to deprogrammers to kidnap their children. Some people have tried to draw a parallel between the Guyana tragedy and the Unification Church, but they are totally confused. Many of them say they would rather have their children taking drugs and having promiscuous sex than see them in the Unification Church. What kind of parents are they?</p>
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<p>You can always make up your own mind about whether to stay or go with your parents; it is truly up to you. Unless you can be victorious over yourself, how can you imagine being victorious over the world? I need people of discipline. We are marching toward life, not death, and we will save all those who are on the march of death. God thinks young people must come first so they can be the prime movers for His morality. Is that the right way of thinking or the evil way?</p>
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<p>When you join the Unification Church, your concepts of life, family, society and nation, the world and God all become different. Sometimes you may wish you had never heard of the Divine Principle. But even if you wish you could deny this understanding, you have to conclude that the world has no other hope than this. America is suffering and going the way of death, and without the Divine Principle it has no way to survive. Every year for 20 years I have been paying indemnity for the sake of all mankind, and I can tell you it is all done. There is no more debt to be paid; therefore, no one can stop me. I can succeed here in America, no matter what.</p>
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<p>Americans will realize that they definitely need me; when that time comes, I will leave America. I have much more territory to cover for the sake of the world. We have missionaries in 120 nations and I will meet them on their battlefields. I know when I visit them that I will find them being persecuted and enduring suffering. I will go and vindicate them and they will be victorious. Americans will want me back and <i>The New York Times </i>will say that America’s young people need me. When Africans read that this very man who is in so much demand in America is actually in Africa helping their countries, how will they feel?</p>
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<p>Today I want to tell you that you should plan your entire life. There are three stages in our adult life: the years of 15-30 are the formation stage; 30-45 are the growth years; and 45 and beyond are perfection. This is why since 1965 I have been completing my foundation in Korea, Japan and America. My 15 years from 45-60 have been my era of consummation, when I have been finishing my responsibility. I gave every ounce of energy for that purpose.</p>
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<p>I made up my mind that I would be number one in every challenge: in eating less food, sleeping less than anyone, working harder and criticizing myself the harshest. In these respects, I set world records. Not only God’s world welcomes me, but the satanic world has to welcome me and surrender to me.</p>
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<p>After the Washington Monument victory, I declared plans for the Moscow rally. Because I have said it, you know I will do it; even without your being aware, preparations are going forward. The worst enemy of communism today is Reverend Moon, not America or even Ronald Reagan. The communists know that my victory means their defeat, so they are trying to stop me now by influencing the American government. This is the internal reason behind all these confrontations with government authorities.</p>
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<p>No one in America can outdo me in terms of religion, for no other religion has come this far. If American young people are really thinking deeply and with strong conviction, would they choose the Unification Church, or some established denomination? Do you like being Moonies even though people persecute you?</p>
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<p>When we do normal things like everyone else, such as sing and dance, people are surprised. But soon people will realize that the Moonies are outdoing them in every area. Then they will start imitating what we do. When people meet Reverend Moon’s disciples, they realize that they are the brightest American young people and that someday they will be in the national leadership. The world will know soon that the American government is making a grave mistake by persecuting Reverend Moon and his disciples; the nation should have supported us instead.</p>
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<p>World opinion will turn to support me before America supports me. Soon ambassadors will be sent to invite me to their native countries. America is the slowest to awaken to the new truth; other nations-and even the communists have already realized my significance. One after another, God will remove from office the unrighteous legislators; the makeup of the legislature will change. In time, Congress will take the position of supporting and welcoming me. That pattern has been seen in Korea.</p>
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<p>I was viciously opposed in Korea but during that time I laid the foundation so that eventually I had to be welcomed. This also happened in Japan and it will happen in America. When America opposes me, it gives the rest of the world the opportunity to rally around me quickly. Minorities in America are already starting to support me. When one side attacks us, God always prepares another side to give us support.</p>
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<p>In another year I will be 60; this year coming up is like the grand finale of God’s dispensation unfolding on earth What kind of world would we have today if I had never been born or had never taught this Principle? Could you have united East and West into one culture? Could you have seen God’s precise plan without me?</p>
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<p>In many cases, the events I am predicting sound like a dream but they will be fulfilled eventually. Is there a foundation of logic to them? If it were not so, then you would not follow me; you are people of logic and conscience. American scholars will want to study me; already many are writing about me. Are you fortunate or unfortunate to have met me?</p>
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<p>The weather today is very cold; when you came here yesterday for first-of-the-month service and also today, you had to walk some distance from your vehicles in the dark. I’m sure you were shivering from the cold. It is human nature to ask why I bring you out on a morning like this, but somehow you don’t want to criticize me or complain. Instead you thank me for giving you something to overcome. Did I instruct you to thank me? Who mad’ you think that way? Only the power of God could do it.</p>
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<p>This is unprecedented in history and anyone trying to stop it will work in vain. It is an amazing thing, but those who tried to kill me in prison in the past have all died while I am still alive and going strong. Congressman Fraser is another example. He was a powerful committee chairman in the House and tried to use his power to destroy me, but he was defeated in his bid for re-election However, when he was trying to incriminate us, even our own members doubted we could win.</p>
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<p>The battle on the front line is always neck-and-neck For you to be victorious soldiers of Heaven, I must send you out on the front line. This is why in 1978 I declared that New York was the front line and when the victor, comes, the front line soldiers will get the honors. The victory doesn’t come in an office or in the headquarters, but on the battlefield. Our front line is home church. In the last 45 years, the entire course of the dispensation has been set, and now I am giving it to you, asking you to finish in seven years.</p>
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<p>I shed a huge quantity of tears and went through tremendous ordeals, but that is how I met God. That is why I have to be very precious in God’s sight and why I cannot be destroyed. God always knew the final goal and knew there was a great possibility of human beings failing. Many prophets in history received special dispensation from God, yet they failed; so God put me in the same position to see what I could do. If I had failed, then Satan would have laughed and scoffed at me; then God would have had to be silent and would have had no way to vindicate me. He would have had to agree that His champion had failed. That’s why I never wanted to be defeated, for my defeat would be God’s defeat.</p>
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<p>One after another, I received severe tests and yet I always won the victory. When I first came to America, I could not reveal my plans to my closest disciples, or even to Mother. I was very serious. I always thought about how we could indemnify the sins of America in the shortest possible time and clear away its debts. The real dispensation here in America began when I was granted permanent residency; that happened April 30, 1973. The consummation of my victory came on September 18, 1976. I shook the entire country in 3½ years, and it would never have happened unless the power of God was working.</p>
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<p>Everyone, even Congress, has to recognize that I am victorious and successful here. The next 2½ years, until June 1981, will be your final battlefield, your final opportunity to really help my work. The era of “guerrilla warfare” is over; now an all-out offensive is being waged. It is up to you whether America will be the hope for the Kingdom of God on earth. Otherwise, it will be the kingdom of hell. I want you to understand that your most important qualification is to become trusted by me, as much as I have become trusted by God and you. You know you can trust me.</p>
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<p>All this inheritance can be completed in seven years-3½ years as a single person and 3½ years as a couple. That is your responsibility. When you restore your family, together you shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and in heaven. You come to me and I chase you out to the world, just as Jacob had to go to Haran. In 21 years, he restored his family and acquired wealth and then returned to Canaan. In the same way, you go to restore Cain-type home church and the Abel-type home church and then return to Heaven. That is your destiny.</p>
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<p>Jesus’ mission was the same. God sent His son to the satanic world to create a cain-type and Abel-type tribe, and enter the Kingdom with his family. If Rome had united with Israel at that time, the whole world would have become one. This is why Christianity moved from Israel to Rome, going to Western civilization first, then moving around the world and returning to the Orient where it originated.</p>
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<p>There are profound parallels today between Israel and Korea. Israel is surrounded by hostile Arab nations, and Korea is one anti-communist nation surrounded by overpowering communist nations. The two countries must be united. Who shall play the major role in building this unity? It is America. Judaism is the foundation stage, Christianity is the growth stage, and the Unification Church is the completion stage. America is the representative Christian nation. If Christianity dies in America, however, there would be no foundation upon which Israel and Korea could be united, so God sent me from Korea to awaken American Christianity.</p>
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<p>The fact that the Senate hearing lasted three days was providential. I anticipated that such an event would occur; according to the Divine Principle this is how we can move to a higher level. The time has come for congressmen and senators to know the will of God. You can help open their eyes.</p>
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<p>You will go through all kinds of twists and turns in your life, but ultimately where will you go? Use your life to liberate the world. You must create a new tradition for American young people and nurture them in it. You are the moving force to reveal the new culture for America. If American youth won’t do it, no one else will. God created America for one purpose and this is the time when it must be fulfilled.</p>
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<p>Is it difficult or easy to bring this nation to salvation? Of course it is difficult but we must give an extraordinary degree of effort. Are you the central hope for America’s salvation, or are you heretics? If you are to be America’s salvation then you must follow my path. Since our cause is right, do not retreat until God seals our victory. God will let Satan sign that paper of surrender first, however, approving you as a victorious son and then God will sign.</p>
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<p>Satan has attacked me in many different ways, but each time he had to surrender. Satan did his absolute best to defeat me but he recognizes that he cannot win over me and says that I am indeed a champion. In order to inherit my victory, you must be spiritually one with me, not a son or daughter in name only. My own children are the same; unless they go spiritually parallel with me, they will not inherit the Kingdom, in spite of their blood relationship with me.</p>
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<p>The split between parents and children never comes all at once, but accumulates bit by bit through one word of complaint, one word of asking too much, one word of disobedience. The worst sins are uttered by your mouth. Even though you might feel uncomfortable or have a complaint, overcome it and the feeling will go away. But if you announce your complaint, it becomes a serious thing.</p>
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<p>If I filled out your test paper from Heaven for you, everyone would say it was unfair, including not only Satan but also God and spirit world. You have to pass the test on your own. You must love your country more than I do. When God sent me here, He clearly told me to love America more than my own country and to make Americans love America more than I do. That is the mandate I am fulfilling step by step.</p>
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<p>Do you know why I didn’t answer my accusers point for point? It was because I had no time; I was too busy fulfilling the overall plan. There is a time limit for finishing a test and you can’t fool around. Once the time is up, not one more minute is granted. I have a 21-year course, not one year or one day more. There was not even time for me to die. I had to overcome a crushing amount of suffering and never yield to death. I plunged myself into the place of death many times, knowing that God could not afford to lose me. I let God worry about me and just plunged ahead.</p>
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<p>You have the mission of saving your country and liberating the world; to do that you must fight harder than I did. It is not easy, I know. Your mouth might be ready to complain, but bite your tongue until it bleeds if necessary to keep your mouth from speaking. Sometimes you must experience that. Of course you will encounter obstacles, and I understand that you yearn for the good times from your past. Your body will become sexually excited; even 2,000 years ago, Jesus taught that such temptation was inescapable. But we are so seriously committed that we will never let ourselves succumb to any of Satan’s temptations.</p>
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<p>You must think that though everyone else may be exhausted, you will still continue, that you will not be the one to give up. Today is a Joyful celebration, not only for you and me, but for the world and spirit world, because I have won over history. Now posterity shall reap my victory. This foundation shall remain forever.</p>
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<p>I just heard that in Korea the central figures of the various denominations are arranging a welcoming rally for me this summer. If that happens, the world will be turned around very quickly. If the established churches open their doors, the Divine Principle can easily unite them. The three seven-year courses are almost done, and this is your final opportunity to give your loyalty, service and love for God and True Parents in completing the victory. If you can do that before 1981, it will be most precious for you.</p>
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<p>Particularly if you succeed in home church and become a tribal messiah, your name will be known throughout history. Once the third seven-year course is over and the door of the Kingdom of Heaven is open wide, all future posterity can meet the qualifications easily because of you. They will have you as their ancestors. That is the authority God wants to bestow on you. In three generations of 20 years each, the work will be finished; that means my generation, your generation and your children’s generation.</p>
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<p>The greatest virtue my own children can demonstrate is loyalty, absolute love and obedience. In that case, they will go freely with me. But if they don’t demonstrate obedience, they will have to go through 21 years themselves, as well as their children. Always three generations are needed for fulfillment. You are joining me in the third seven-year course and if you fulfill in this victory you can indeed become the ancestors of the world race.</p>
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<p>The qualification to become such ancestors is available only once in history. This is your extraordinary privilege; do not lose it but seize it and fulfill it, leaving no regret behind. Are you willing to participate in my ultimate victory? I actually started the home church program in 1978, so by June 1981 it will be 3½ years old. When you first heard about it, it may not have been clear, but every day you are understanding its meaning more deeply.</p>
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<p>I was born for this mission and have lived it and fulfilled it. In the same way, you were born for your victorious work in home church. Through that victory, your victory can go everywhere. It will continue until all heaven and earth become the Kingdom of Heaven.</p>
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<p>Those who pledge that for the rest of the 3½ years, until the end of the 21-year course, they will go forward in obedience to victory, raise your hands. God bless you.</p>
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<a href="/blog/2018/06/18/the-sound-of-the-bell-of-the-mind.html" title="Permalink to THE SOUND OF THE BELL OF THE MIND" rel="bookmark">THE SOUND OF THE BELL OF THE MIND</a>
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<span class="author vcard" >By <a class="url fn n" rel="author" href="#" title="View all posts by Fami1yfed">Fami1yfed</a></span> <span><time class="onDate date published" datetime="2018-06-18T05:08:43+01:00"> <a href="/blog/2018/06/18/the-sound-of-the-bell-of-the-mind.html" rel="bookmark">June 18, 2018</a> </time></span><time class="updated" datetime="2018-06-18T05:08:43+01:00">June 18, 2018</time> <span class="bl_categ"> <a href="/speeches/categories/rev-sun-myung-moon-1979.html" rel="tag">Speeches of Rev Sun Myung Moon 1979</a> </span> </div><!-- .entry-meta -->
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<h2 align="center">REVEREND SUN MYUNG MOON</h2>
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<h3 align="center">January 28, 1979<br />
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Belvedere<br />
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Translator – Bo Hi Pak</h3>
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<p>How did you know today was the lunar new year? The Oriental custom of celebrating the new year based on the lunar calendar is thousands of years old. Unlike the West, when the new year comes we always add one more year to our age. So today you are really one year older; happy new year to you!</p>
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<p>When you climb the mountains at night and look down in all directions you can see many sparkling lights. Colored lights always stand out, but bright lights stand out most of all. That is what spirit world sees when they look down on this world of ours. Your mind is like a light in the darkness, even though you cannot see it as such with your physical eyes. An electric bulb has an external shape, inside of which is the tungsten wire which actually lights up. As you know, the actual source of the light is the electricity generated by the power plant.</p>
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<p>The brighter the light bulb, the heavier the wire inside must be. No matter how powerful the bulb is, however, it will give no light until the switch is turned on and the electricity flows. Where is the electricity, inside or outside the bulb? When you are quietly reading a book by your light you don’t see the huge power source that is keeping your light on. The moment the light is turned on the power flows not only in the bulb but down the length of the wire from the power plant. Just looking externally, it might be concluded that the switch is the actual source of power, but the unseen power plant is the actual source. The power plant looks like a factory, with huge generators making great noise. At a hydroelectric power plant a massive flow of water is turning enormous turbines, while at a steam-powered electric plant huge amounts of fuel are burned to run the gigantic machinery.</p>
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<p>If the power plant is far away from the place where electricity is used, some power is lost in transmission. Also, in order for your light to work everything must be in working order. If one little wire is out of place then the light won’t work. Such a bulb is like a dead man whose body exists but isn’t functioning. Our existence can be described in the same terms used for an electric bulb. You can be a person of small wattage or of great wattage and there are many ways you can shine. How many watts are you? It is easy to say you are a million watts, but are you really shining that brightly?</p>
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<p>Have you ever thought about what power resources you have, or how heavy the wire is which connects you to the power plant? Perhaps you feel the wire is so heavy that it is difficult to maneuver. The important thing is that if you have a heavier wire you can draw more electricity. To use a powerful light bulb you also have to have an appropriate socket. We must consider what kind of socket and bulb we are. Are you small like a Christmas ornament light, or a big floodlight from a football field? It can be said that the effort you make every day goes to enlarge your bulb and socket so you can shine brighter and brighter. Is it easy? Also, is it cheap or expensive to do? It is one thing to enjoy benefit from the light, but to become a light yourself and become brighter and brighter is not easy. Often people are just like little lights, but they boast about it nevertheless.</p>
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<p>When a great, bright light is turned on, the lesser bulbs are not needed and can be turned off. I’m sure God has thought about this phenomenon too. God made the sun such a bright source of light that nothing can compete with it. We need electricity only because there is night time. Do you have a greater need of sunlight or electricity? When the sun is shining is it possible to make the day brighter, even if many floodlights are turned on? It is impossible.</p>
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<p>We commonly hear the expression “an enlightened mind.” It is very poetic to speak of the lantern of the mind. Today we are talking about the sound of the bell of the mind. A bell can be a signal of good news or bad news. Our Jives can be compared to light bulbs and to bells which signal news. No matter what kind of bulb you are, someone must switch it on, and no matter how loud a bell you may be, someone has to ring it.</p>
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<p>Who is going to shake your mind? Your mind is not standing still but is constantly active. The mind acts as a watchdog, being satisfied when you do something right, and criticizing when you do something wrong. Have you felt that your mind tries to control you and put the brakes on sometimes? Did your ancestors have minds as well, all the way back to the first forefathers and God? Have you compared your mind to God’s mind? How are they different or the same? If they are the same then you must be God, right?</p>
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<p>The relationship between God and man can be compared to that between the light bulb and power plant. In order for electricity to work there must be a circuit of plus and minus having give and take. If your two eyes functioned separately you would see two images, but instead they cooperate. Your two ears hear slightly different sounds, but they are coordinated so that you perceive one united sound. You have two nostrils, but the sensations of each are coordinated. When there is no blockage between the power plant and bulb, the bulb can receive full-strength power. Therefore, it is important to remove all resistance to the electricity, for it consumes the power of the current.</p>
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<p>One person can be like gold, which conducts 100% of any electricity passing through it, while another may be like wood-no matter how close it is to the source, it cannot conduct any electricity. When I look at you I can see all different purities of gold, different kinds of metal, and some pieces of wood. The power plant would prefer genuine gold, which can conduct electricity without any loss of current. If you are like a wire of pure gold then all the electricity can flow through you to the light bulb and ring the bell.</p>
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<p>If all the current is conducted continuously, the bell could ring for a millennium. Your mind is like a bell which rings when it receives some power. However, there are all kinds of bells-bells of all kinds of material and shapes, some of which are whole and some of which are broken or damaged. Many people don’t know what condition the bell of their minds is in. The bells of people who are doing evil are cracked and broken, and the electricity may reach such a bell but it won’t react.</p>
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<p>All our lives we are constantly ringing our bells. The sound of our bell may resound in the village, or even farther, throughout the whole society or nation. When you are the right kind of bell, everyone listens when you start to ring. On the other hand, if the head of a household has lost dignity and credibility, no matter how loud he rings no one will listen. His own son might feel he is more righteous than his parent.</p>
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<p>Many people have come and gone in history and each of them created some kind of bell while on earth, ringing to the best of their capability. Some of them left a particular heritage or legacy behind them, such as literature, philosophy or art, all of which are the expressions of their ringing bells. If the manifestation of their character has some value, the people who come after them will want to preserve it, displaying it in museums or libraries and so forth. Many individuals have been remembered in a good way by history because they tried to bring forth the central truth.</p>
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<p>What are those people like who remain in history? Are they powerful, rich men of military might? The word saint refers to a person who rang a bell which is listened to by people throughout history, and because people desire to come closer and unite with the ringing of that bell they ultimately create one sphere of culture. This is what we call a religious cultural sphere.</p>
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<p>Who were the saints of purest gold? They were those who taught true character, and above all, true love. A true saint talked not only about true men but about true God. Those who are known as true saints are mostly religious leaders, but why would only religious people be elevated to sainthood? It is because they were concerned with some eternal and unchanging value and with eternal God, desiring to manifest in their lifetime the truth of God, which can never change or tarnish. Those who pursue goals that are limited to life here on earth will pass by unnoticed. The animals live that way, looking after their own well-being and centering only on life here on earth.</p>
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<p>Men live forever, however. The true man must continue in eternal life. The headline news yesterday was about the death of Nelson Rockefeller. If the work he left behind is connected to some central, unchanging value, the reaction to his death will be great. If he had truly served the unchanging purpose of God then the entire nation would mourn him and think his passing was a loss to the whole country. At one time he was Vice President of the United States and before that a longtime governor of New York, but when he died the news was simply that a rich man had died. But ever since Jesus died 2,000 years ago, millions of people over the years have wept at his death</p>
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<p>What is the difference in this situation? Jesus was only an individual, so the difference could only be one of mind. A person’s mind determines his ultimate value. If he is centered on God and the universe and tries to benefit the people by spreading the truth, such a person will be loved eternally. Though we live here on earth only for a short time. we will continue living for eternity and so we must think how to live our life on an eternal basis. If we live and die like animals, what would make us any different from them?</p>
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<p>There are many people in the world who pursue only their own honor and reputation. If someone did great things, not for himself but for America, then his work would be preserved in a museum, but if America were destroyed then the value of what he did would be destroyed with it. The American people would remember him, but what about the rest of the world? Heroes who are respected here in America are viewed as enemies by the communists, for instance, who consider them defenders of capitalism.</p>
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<p>Is there any value in leaving a reputation behind? In one generation a name may be famous, but the next generation may criticize and degrade it; its earthly value changes with time. Nations come and go and men live only a short time, but there is one source and one person who sustains his life for eternity. The best way to immortalize your name and work is to give your life to his incorruptible museum. God is this immortal subject and creator of the universe. Since our minds recognize this universal entity, we always harbor hope in Him and try to follow his guidance and live His way of life.</p>
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<p>Every person wants to leave something behind after he dies. That something could be money, but will it remain for eternity? Money is like any other physical matter on earth and really amounts to nothing. But men remain forever; they can be different The saints of history have made an impact that will never be extinguished because they lived for the central reality which will never be extinguished. We usually talk about four men who were the greatest saints of history. Which of those would hold the central position? Why do you say Jesus” Over the years Jesus has been thought of as the Messiah, but in his own lifetime he was considered a criminal. He looked very miserable in the midst of much persecution.</p>
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<p>What sets Jesus apart from all other religious leaders? First, he said he was the only begotten son of God, and therefore, that he possessed the entire love of God. When you have your first child, he is the center of a tremendous outflow of your love. Those who are not yet married can expect that to happen to them. If human beings feel such ecstatic joy with their first child, what about God? Because God sees His own image in his first son and through him can manifest His image to the entire world, you know. how critical that person is. What should that son do? Does God need only a son? God knew ahead of time that He needed a pair, which would include a daughter. We have to talk about God’s daughter, especially here in America! God will be more accepted in this country when we talk about His only begotten daughter as well.</p>
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<p>A son living by himself would be like a person with one foot. Jesus knew that God was looking forward to having His only begotten daughter, so Jesus looked forward to restoring a woman in that position. This is why the central theme in the New Testament is that of bride and bridegroom. Christians today use incredible logic trying to make the impossible possible, saying that men are in the position of bride as well as women, and not only that but the church as well. What has the church as an institution to do with Jesus’ bride?</p>
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<p>How could Jesus kiss an institution? Is it true that your President is such an institution that he doesn’t know how to kiss? Are great leaders so great that they don’t need to kiss anyone? Jesus was the King of kings; in that sense he was the greatest institution so he should remain single the rest of his life, right? No, he was human and needed an object like all other men. Would he sit on his throne and proclaim the single way of life as the most holy, dictating it to his subjects? Such a teaching would be a crippled teaching.</p>
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<p>Jesus came to fulfill the will of God, and to do so he had to restore his own bride. The entire Christian world is shaken at hearing this revelation, and because of it Christians have called me a heretic. Jesus can hear all this conversation going on here on earth. Do you think he would smile at hearing me say he should have had his own bride, or do you think he remained single because he thought that was the most holy way of life? Who created men and women, and who was Jesus’ parent? God created men and women to become one, to marry and live as husband and wife. That is the holiest relationship of all in God’s creation. Genesis says that God created Adam first and Eve second; God never said “It is good” until after He had created both Adam and Eve. Many religions have advocated a life of celibacy, but the Unification Church is saying that families, not individuals, are the building blocks of the Kingdom of Heaven.</p>
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<p>Jesus not only said that he was God’s only begotten son, he also denied the world. No matter how beautiful or wonderful the world seemed, it was nothing in the sight of God, so Jesus’ ministry had to begin with a denial of the world. Jesus came as the only begotten son to restore God’s only daughter and make God’s only begotten family, nation and world. Jesus truly occupied the position of central saint because he was the most direct manifestation of God. Would all other saints agree with that? I know you debate among yourselves who is the better Moonie, so wouldn’t the saints do the same? Who will decide ? This cannot be decided by popular vote, but only by the first cause of the universe. Would God judge according to what would make the others happy, or according to His own truth?</p>
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<p>What is God’s central theme, the one which would completely melt even His heart ? God doesn’t need money or power. When Jesus came and pronounced himself as God’s only begotten son, it moved God as no other sound did before. Many righteous people had come on earth in the 4,000 years before Jesus, but if God had asked Jesus, “Do you think you are greater than Moses and Abraham and all the others,” Jesus would have replied that he was.</p>
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<p>How could he prove it to God? Jesus would have told God he could pass any test because his faith was absolute. He would have said that he could never be destroyed; if he were cut in ten pieces then there would be ten pieces of only begotten son but he could not be destroyed. Even if his finger were cut off it wouldn’t protest, but would say even though it was separate it was still part of the only begotten son. There has never been another person who could make exception to Jesus’ claim, or even be a candidate for that position. In Jesus’ mind, being God’s son was such an absolute matter that nothing could shake it. Such a man or woman had never existed before.</p>
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<p>Are you absolute women, or do your eyes wander and look at all the different men? I can see how your minds are thinking! You may be trying to go in a certain direction, but instead of going straight you are meandering around. Are you thinking about which man you feel I should bless you with?</p>
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<p>What kind of a person do you imagine Jesus was if he could claim he was the only begotten son of God? Was he cunning and quick-thinking, or dumb and dull? Even if his body was chopped apart piece by,> piece, he would still have had the conviction that he was the only begotten son of God, and nothing could change that in his mind. In that absolute commitment Jesus knew he could not be defeated by anyone.</p>
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<p>Jesus reached the very center of love in the heart of God and he was always ready to receive any kind of instruction from God. No other saint has ever so closely embodied that goal. All the other saints taught a good way of life and truth, but no one was so absolute in his faith that God was his Father and in his total denial of the world as Jesus was. When he called himself the only begotten son of God, he meant that he and God were the only true existence and that he meant to change the rest of the world to become true as well. The first thing he intended to recreate was God’s daughter. Then he intended to create God’s family, society, nation and world.</p>
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<p>The bell of such a refreshing sound had never rung before Jesus came. The sound of Jesus’ bell resounded not only around the world but through the spirit world That sound pierced the very mind and heart of God and they resounded and rang together. That sound shook God and made Him feel good because it was the sound of love.</p>
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<p>What would make God joyful-life? God is the source of life for all living things. Would knowledge please Him instead? No, He has all knowledge. Would power enthuse Him? No, He runs the entire universe already. Perhaps money would please Him. No. Why does He need love? Because God wants to be intoxicated in the joy of love. Only love can totally intoxicate Him in earth-shaking laughter and joy. That joy would not inspire only song and dance, but much more. God wants to be melted by love to the degree that He forgets Himself and His dignity as God and can become totally like a child.</p>
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<p>Will anyone object that God shouldn’t act like that? In love everything will be melted into one. If someone asks God for good fortune and honor because he has made many contributions to the church, that prayer will completely pass God by. God would show that person heaven’s treasure house and he would realize that his contributions were hardly worth God’s Kleenex. Someone might point out all his achievements for God, but God will show him what He has been doing and suffering throughout history, and that person’s contribution will be seen as less than a peanut.</p>
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<p>There is nothing we can really proudly present to God and make the claim that we should receive honor in heaven. No action could justify that. God already has everything in His storehouse-tremendous power and wealth and knowledge-but one thing is not there-love. There is no history that God can be proud of, and God’s house of love is empty. God is looking for the man who can say, “God, I love you to the degree that no satanic example can compare with me. There is nothing that can compete with my love for you.” When God finds a person who can satisfy Him with love, He will uphold that person as victorious.</p>
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<p>All mankind is in a competition of love. All the nations and races compete with each other on this one point of who loves God most. The great cultures and art are of no importance to Him, for God can see only the element of love. He is blind to everything else. Depending on your love for God you shine brightly or dully. Do you love God? Do you love me? Is your love always coming and going? If you are not sure you have a living relationship with me, how can you be sure you love an invisible God?</p>
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<p>How do you know 1 am telling you the truth, or whether I am a son of the devil? There are all kinds of love. Everything is instant in America, even love. How do you know whether God or Satan is working through your prayer? How do you know you are listening to the truth here? The answer is simple. You cannot help but love me, and there is no logical explanation for it. You cannot even explain it yourself. Your mind knows you are in the right place and your mind can always detect a lie eventually. It feels so right to be here that even if I push you out and insist you work hard you still feel right about being here.</p>
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<p>At the crucial moment of the crucifixion Jesus said, “Oh my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” l wish Jesus had never said that. 1 would rather read that Jesus said, “God, my Father, glory to you. If my death upon the cross is the way to fulfill your will, I will die one thousand times.” At no time, even in my time of hardest suffering, did I pray for God’s help because I always knew there was a reason for my suffering. If sacrifice would yield a greater victory for God then I wanted to receive even more. The members of the Unification Church come from all over the world and all races to say, “God, I know what you want. Even if it requires my own sacrifice and that’ of my people, I am willing to do it to liberate you and mankind.”</p>
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<p>People today are in bondage, and by liberating mankind we can liberate God from His sorrow. Billions of people have lived on earth and left the sound of their own bells, but what sounds will resound through history for eternity? What light will shine for eternity? Not the bell of knowledge or power, but the bell of the love of God. How much love you have toward God determines everything, even the length of your life and the size of your territory in the Kingdom of Heaven.</p>
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<p>Some members are working very hard on MFT. Perhaps some of them complain that even when they break records the Church never recognizes them or gives them medals. But my thinking is that it is not enough to give the money that I have earned with my heart and soul; for the work of God and His will I can give everything and still that will not be enough. There is no time for me to think about my honor.</p>
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<p>Some Christians think they are religious because they are generous in their tithing, but I think tithing is only a start. I want to give my life and blood and sweat and even more. I would rather become the most indebted person of history for the sake of God’s will, owing my money to every bank in the world if necessary. Will God ask why I am so dumb as to work this hard instead of enjoying my life a little before going to spirit world? Would God praise or chastise me?</p>
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<p>If I am willing to give every ounce of capability and every dollar 1 can earn before I become indebted, God will arrange the resources in advance to move ahead. There have been many arduous times in my life when certain funds were urgently needed and always a miracle happened. Perhaps someone would receive a revelation to give his fortune and all of a sudden that need would be met precisely.</p>
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<p>There are millions of small bells in the world, but when a king-sized bell resounds throughout all the universe, all the others will be drowned out. That one bell is the sound of love. When that bell of loves sounds, the louder the better. You will never tire of that sound, whatever time of day, even 24 hours a day. That sound goes beyond the limit of time and geography. Those who are sleeping now do not know love. The worst situation you can be in is to be insensitive to love.</p>
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<p>Nowadays everyone has home church fever. I am pushing you hard every week and in New York Col. Pak pushes you. Don’t you feel you can’t stand it any more? As long as you have the sound of the bell of love ringing in your heart, it doesn’t matter how hard I push for it will never hurt you. If you do home church only out of duty, however, you will never survive. If you become a person burning with love then people cannot help but welcome you and invite you to stay longer with them. You will become a magnet that pulls the people.</p>
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<p>You must experience having such a deep fellowship that you don’t want it to end, even when it becomes two or three o’clock in the morning. It should be an experience that people wish could last forever, and it you are truly doing home church out of love then you will surely feel it. When such people come to a family meeting at home church they feel they can breathe, and when they return home they long to be back there again in home church. You are the powerhouse to generate all that.</p>
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<p>If you create that kind of atmosphere then certainly God and spirit world will become one with you. When you open your spiritual eyes spirit world will be a living reality to you. If people experience that kind of uplifting love of God in home church then when they go back out on the New York streets they will stare at the familiar sights of cars and buses and feel that a thousand years have passed since they last saw those things. Nothing will look normal.</p>
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<p>We sometimes say that your conscience spanks you, but you must be beyond the level of conscience, at the point where love is your guiding light. The mind can be so intoxicated by love that it won’t function normally and you simply feel joyful without being able to say why. When you walk, you are so elated that you just smile to yourself, and at night under your blankets you are so happy you just smile. Wherever you are you are happy. In love you forget hunger and sleep because your mind is so intoxicated. Your body won’t even realize it is missing sleep and food. Have you experienced this?</p>
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<p>If you are truly intoxicated in the love of God then difficulty and suffering have nothing to do with you because you don’t even worry about them. Because of love you want to give your most precious things to your loved ones and you hold nothing back. That’s the way God is. When we know this truth there is no room for complaining, or for saying you are overburdened. Nothing can bother you, even the person who tries to hit and curse you. You feel instead that he is complaining because he has not received your love and you can’t even get mad at him, much less fight back. You must see his behavior as a sign that he is starving for love. When people in your home church area are hostile you should wish you had been there ten years ago for them to receive the good news you bring so that they would welcome you now.</p>
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<p>1t you feel that stepping forward for execution will give you an opportunity to declare the victory of the love of God on the most dramatic stage, then even death will never bother you. No power will be able to make you tremble. The power of love is the greatest of all. I have a very hot temper, and if 1 didn’t know this truth then I could never let the unjust persecution of the world go on without protesting. But instead I feel that persecution is a request for my love.</p>
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<p>When the whole nation of America came against me I felt sorry that I could not have come ten or twenty years earlier so that now people here could be satisfied. When God sees my attitude will He scoff at how dumb I am? He will feel I am truly His son and be proud of me.</p>
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<p>Even Satan cannot protest but must surrender to the power of love. As long as you have love you have immunity and Satan has no way to influence you. Satan can always invade other achievements regarding money and power, but not love. If you try to win heaven with money, Satan will offer to pay you a little more. If you try to win heaven with knowledge or power, the same thing will happen. If Satan had love then he could not have become Satan, so when you plant love you will reap love.</p>
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<p>When you become a man of greater love then you can ring a greater bell of love, and in looking down from Heaven God will see that your light is the biggest and brightest. Such a light is far more beautiful than any diamond because it shines with all living colors. Love not only shines. but has a taste as well.</p>
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<p>The more you receive of it, the more you like it and the greater your intoxication in it. That’s why it is really true to say that God thinks of nothing else but love. You can be all kinds of bells, but above all you must become a bell of love. No other sound will reach the heart of God. What you will be held accountable for is how much you have shed your sweat and tears for love.</p>
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<p>All people in the world today can be seen as patients in a hospital, without exception. What do hospital patients think about all day long? No matter how much money or honor they have or how much work is waiting to be done, they think only about how they can get well. No medicine has worked for these patients and they are still sick; what they really need is a prescription of love. That alone can cure them, particularly in America.</p>
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<p>A dose of love is a cure-all. Love doesn’t just restore a person back to his original health, but makes him a completely different person who can love his family, society, nation and even the whole world. That person will become a man of love. With love we can even change the content of men. They won’t be restored just to their old selves, but will become totally new men who have nothing to do with the satanic world and are pioneers of the world of love.</p>
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<p>You should realistically understand the nature of hell: it is the place where people cannot receive the benefit of love and are consumed both with regret over what they have done and with resentment over what they think people have done to them. They are totally without love there. Hell is the place where people dwell who are always blaming others instead of themselves. When they remember the Moonie who knocked on their door, they will wish that the Moonie had been more persistent even though the door was slammed in his face. They blame that person for not persisting two or three times more, thinking that they would have accepted him after a while. People in hell are full of hatred and animosity. A betrayer of love is the worst enemy. If a loved one betrays you, you clench your teeth in anger and frustration and can’t bear even to see that person.</p>
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<p>Let us become a bell for love which can resound throughout the universe. When the sound of the bell of love reaches the hospital it will liberate the patients into restoration. Then they can be discharged and become bells of love themselves, bells whose ringing will save more people. Your bell will bring resurrection, and then those people can do the same.</p>
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<p>I don’t want you to do home church just out of’ duty but because of an urge that you cannot resist. If your be loved parent or child were in jail, you wouldn’t go to see him out of duty. The people in your home church area are like prisoners in jail, and as God’s representative you go there with parental heart. You will never lose by doing that but will inherit the love of God. The more you do as a channel of God’s love, the more you will inherit.</p>
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<p>The world abounds with untruthful love and false teaching, so people are skeptical and will not trust you right away. They have never seen true love or tasted genuine truth, so it’s only natural that they not trust you. You have to penetrate their trust one level at a time, gradually winning their hearts, but it takes time and real effort and love to do it. I want you to have concern and pity for those people who fiercely reject you because they are the people whose hearts have been hurt deeply and who cannot trust. You must understand that they need more love than anyone else, and just give and give and give until their hearts melt.</p>
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<p>God’s love is eternal and all-powerful, and ultimately it will win, no matter how great the obstacle blocking the way. It is ironic that even though I teach about this love people still think I am some kind of monster. Nevertheless, the bell of true love is ringing out from this place. God is amused by this situation. America is totally rejecting me and even trying to evict me, yet even Americans cannot help but be more and more interested in me. You are misunderstood and people sometimes even tremble when they meet you, more than if you were a prostitute or criminal. That is proof that eventually you can turn these people around in a life-giving way with love.</p>
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<p>If you ring the bell of love with such effort that you falter and die, nothing is ended. Someone else will rise up in your place because people will compete to pick up the rope and continue ringing the bell. There is no way that bell will be silenced. Some people think that if I die then the Unification Church will fade and die. Why won’t this happen? I am ringing the bell of love with all my might, and if I die then millions of Reverend Moons will come forward to ring the bell in my place.</p>
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<p>The world is like a barren desert and it is very hard to find other people like you. Looking for true love in this world is like looking for water in the desert. However, the spirit world knows the true situation, and even though I may seem to be totally deserted and alone I am never lonely because God and the entire spirit world are with me.</p>
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<p>When I was in England last year I invited about forty of our missionaries who were working under very difficult circumstances in their countries to come to London. Working there was like heaven compared to their mission countries, but when I asked if they wouldn’t rather come back to America to work, they all said they wanted to return to their own countries. I feel that if you are truly people of love then even if you discourage people from following you they will insist on coming with you. If you left their countries they would feel as though they were dying and would insist on coming with you.</p>
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<p>When I was in prison I never preached even one word of Divine Principle but the spirit world was there and conveyed my heart. Many disciples were found who wanted to live and die with me there, even though they never heard one word of Divine Principle. That prison was a living hell, but when I saw the people there as God must see them, I felt l should love them as He would. I prayed for them and cared about them; this thought could travel and spirit world communicated to them and these people were drawn to me like a magnet.</p>
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<p>Your own ancestors are bringing more elements to you so that you can be pulled by the central magnet, just as those people were. The spirit world doesn’t assist you because you are attractive, but because they know you are the inheritors of the love of God. That love is precisely what they need and the only way they can get it is by participating in your cause. Home church will make you a tribal messiah, but are you going out with a messiah’s heart? Do you look for someone to help you and give you something, or do you feel that you are the messiah who will bring whatever your 360 homes need? You are going to home church to give, not receive.</p>
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<p>If you have nothing in your pockets then you can give the people your tears, sweat and blood and your love. You may not give anything tangible, but if you give them love then you have given them the best.</p>
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<p>Many people misunderstand who Moonies are, but one day they will realize that Moonies stand for real love. If you are conquered by love, you are thankful, and if you are a conqueror of love you are still thankful. The Book of Revelations teaches that it is better to be hot or cold, but never lukewarm. Love works best in either heat or cold, but worst in lukewarm circumstances.</p>
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<p>Love causes a violent reaction either way; it doesn’t produce any middle ground. Are you going at a lukewarm pace in home church? Love can have a hot and cold side; cold love sometimes means spanking children for their own good. Late Thursday I spoke strongly to the New York department leaders and they trembled that cold night. I am a loving person, yet I am ruthless when I speak of the Principle because there is no compromise possible. I am ruthless toward evil and totally uncompromising, but in love I give everything I can and hold nothing back.</p>
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<p>There have been many bells of goodness and love in history, but today you can create the greatest bells of love, ringing them in a desert-like world. You are the first and last in history to do so. We are living in an age of hope and consummation, the time when God’s history will be finalized. There is nothing greater you can expect. You should be honored to participate in this final drama of God’s history. Let us be great bells of love ringing out in the desert. Once people hear the sound of love correctly, they will follow your pattern and imitate you and the sound of the bell will never cease.</p>
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<p>In spirit world we will all have some accumulated testimony about how much love we gave to God and the people. Even though your ancestors lived many years before you, as far as love is concerned you are the forefathers. Those who loved less than you did will bow down. God is the oldest person, the forefather of all because He is the source of love and He practiced this way of life from the very beginning. In love you become a small God here on earth, so when you go to spirit world you have complete freedom to dwell in the realm of love God has been creating from the start. My voice is the loudest of all here on earth because I am ringing the bell of love.</p>
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<p>Before you love anyone, listen to the sound of love in your heart. If you ask a question to that mind of love, it will answer. You must discover this in your own heart. God is like a broadcasting station, and as long as you have a receiver you can understand what God is saying. As long as you have a receiver for love, you can hear what God’s love is saying.</p>
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<p>Your 360 homes are your training center to open up your mind and heart of love. Once the love of God is consummated in your heart, you become the subject of your surroundings, no matter where you go. I’m sure you have pictures of Mother and me in some album. They are probably on the last page, right! No.’ Who told you to put them on the front page! Your own mind did. Because we are a symbol of love, your conscience hurts you if you put us last; then you don’t enjoy that album or want to show it to anyone.</p>
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<p>Your home church people will have their own albums, and since you testify to the True Parents, even though they have never seen Mother and me they will put our picture on the front page, and right next to that they will put your picture. And they will say, “This person is my messiah.” If this doesn’t happen then our teaching is false. This will happen automatically, not because you tell them to do so but because they desire to do it.</p>
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<p>When you see something wonderful you always wish you could show it to True Parents. Mother and I always think that way as well, wanting you to ride in nice cars and have beautiful houses in the future. I am not only thinking about this, but doing it. There is a lot of physical work to be done so we have industries and businesses. The Korean and Japanese members all feel indebted to me, not just because they are resurrected by this truth and love, but because their families, jobs and homes were all given to them by me. I want to do still more. I have set a world record for matching couples, but actually the True Parents have so many children to worry about that I can’t help but set such a record!</p>
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<p>Even if people in your home church area never see me in the future, I won’t mind at all if your picture is on the front page of their album as their messiah. Would you ever check to see whether your picture is there? No, because their action would only be done out of their mind of love, not duty. Your picture will symbolize hope and happiness to them.</p>
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<p>Our teaching is crystal clear, not hidden in symbols or vague mysteries. Because the teaching of Christians is often vague, they lack spiritual power. We do not see dimly, however, but face to face. We are now running to the patients in the hospital to bring them to the palace of God, not to their old homes. All people have some part of themselves that is waiting to be ignited with hope for the future, even though they are patients in the hospital. The Unification Church has the supreme task because we have the best life-giving gift to give.</p>
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<p>You will never be alone, even though all of your 360 homes reject you. The electrical pole, the street signs, even the postal box are your friends, and in ten years they will all testify to what you did and how many tears you shed. Nature is like that. When people are your worst enemies then nature is your best friend. Even when you are trembling and shivering, that scene and experience is your friend as long as you are not shivering for yourself. You will never forget that moment. Your worst form of suffering will be a teaching aid for the future, and everything you do will be recorded as the acts of apostles to instruct the people. When people a thousand years from now read of your deeds, they will still shed tears; that is the kind of chapter we want to write.</p>
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<p>When you hear the story of my suffering you feel badly, and it becomes a source of inspiration to suffer for mankind in my place. What a precious asset it is when many people can come alive because of one man’s suffering. History demands such a man; God demands such a man.</p>
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<p>Will you go to home church out of duty, or with enthusiasm and the love of God? Listen to the bell of love in your own heart. Your mouth won’t obey if you want to talk of anything apart from sounding that bell of love; your eyes and ears won’t want to have anything to do with it either. If that is the case then you are not far from the ultimate breakthrough to the spirit world and heart of God and you will always be sure of your course and destination. You are carrying the prescription that can solve all the problems and bring comfort and happiness for each of your 360 homes. If you are living in that heart that even if you don’t intend to speak your mouth will automatically open and convey that love.</p>
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<p>Susan Fefferman, you are back from three years’ missionary work in Iran. Did you love the people? The coming of night won’t bother the person who is anxious to visit one more house, meet one more person. The missionary’s life is that kind of life. When you come to America you should be longing for your children back in Iran. When you site down to eat, you should feel such longing to see them that you can’t even eat. That is true parental heart.</p>
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<p>The love of God is far greater. When your hand reaches out to help, see it as the hand of God extended. If you see your image in a mirror when walking down the hall, you should be seeing the image of the love of God. Always ask yourself how much you have suffered for the sake of the love of God, how much you have loved your fellow man and served them for the sake of God. A sense of duty and responsibility all come on that foundation.</p>
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<p>1979 is the year we are definitely going to become bells of love, ringing out so the power of love resounds through the earth. You are the one who determines how bright your light is. The power plant is ready. God is just waiting for you to light up and decide how bright you will be. You should be so bright that no one can miss you; your bell of love should be so loud that no one can avoid hearing you.</p>
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<p>You are the only lighthouse on a lonely, dark sea, a beacon alerting the people to the emergency. Are you going to become such a light?</p>
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<p>The lunar calendar is in a sense an internal calendar. Today is a new beginning on the first day of the new year. Let’s ring the bell of love. Those who will do it, raise your hands.</p>
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<p>Thank you. Let us pray.</p>
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