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Do you know that there is a spirit world? Who of you are actually convinced of the existence of spirit world in your hearts or through personal experience? Everyone has a certain anxiety to know about the spirit world and the nature of life after death. Through history all religions have preached about the existence of a spirit world and their doctrine and goal has been to secure eternal life there. Religion has been losing its influence, however, and has lately been reduced to being simply the crutch and comfort of the weak.
Many of you came from Christian homes, but the Christian doctrine and way of life in America has been weakened to such a degree that many of you were probably raised with only a vague concept of religious values. Religion is taking a more and more trivial role in daily life. You were wanderers in modern day America until you finally met the Unification Church. Are you still wandering in the Unification Church, only to go somewhere else some day?
Why has Christianity been weakened? Christianity has a promise of eternal life, a profound covenant between God and man. Why then are young people like yourselves losing their vision and hope for Christianity?
The first major reason is that people today do not clearly know that there is a spirit world. Human beings have the innate gift of comparison. When their wisdom dictates that certain things are better than others, they abandon the things of lesser value and seek to secure those which are of higher value. This is human nature. If you definitely know that something is better than your present way of life then you certainly want to change.
People do not know clearly of the existence of the spirit world. Secondly, people do not realize the relationship between God, the spirit world and man. Third, they do not know God, nor do they feel deeply that God exists solely for the purpose of love. They do not realize the love of God and how the two worlds of God and man are interlocked by love. If they realized these things then their lives would certainly be changed.
As long as there is love, it does not matter whether one is socially high, low, or in the middle. For instance, between a loving husband and wife it does not matter if the husband is of a cultured background and the wife is an uneducated person. As long as love unites the two these things do not matter. 'Me power of love stimulates their unity. Love brings the two together into one, wherever they may be.
People today are more and more aware of the necessity of bringing harmony and unification to our world. How can we bring that unity? Some claim that force will unite all people under one dominion. Others are convinced that in this computer age we can unite the world through meticulous organization. Still others insist that only a common ideology or a common language can bring the world together. But none of these have come close to the God-centered method of unification. None of these can bring complete harmony in man's heart or unity between his body and mind. None of these really has the power to embrace every conceivable existence in the universe. Money will not do that nor will knowledge or force.
There is one universal force which can bring every conceivable creation into oneness, allowing the entire universe to join in common goodness and common purpose. This is the power of true love. Do you agree? A person can become completely intoxicated in love. No other force has such attraction. For example, within true love our bodies and minds melt together in elation for eternity; money cannot do that, nor anything like knowledge or power. The power of true love activates all our senses so that our whole being is completely awakened and electrified. In other words, the human spirit and body truly respond to that certain element which is love.
There are two distinct worlds created by God; one is the spirit world, the other is the physical world. Only the power of God's love can evoke a reaction from both worlds. None of the things cherished by the physical world, such as money, power or knowledge, have influence in the spirit world. Existence in the spirit world is God-centered existence. Without the existence and the power of God's mind spirit world could not exist.
You each recognize that you have a mind. How does your mind differ from your spirit? Many people think the mind is the spirit but that is not true. A fallen man has a mind but that mind has nothing to do with spirit world. Suppose your body did not have bones. Can you imagine a human form without bones? It would be a most miserable entity, actually having no form. This illustrates the contrast between the fallen mind and the spirit. The fallen mind has no connection with the spirit world, being like a body without bones.
In addition to the physical mind there is the distinct existence of soul or spirit mind. Furthermore, each person has a distinct spirit body. Even though we cannot see the spirit body with our physical eyes, it is the substantial reality of existence in which the spirit mind dwells. However, the mind of fallen man has nothing to do with God. God is dealing only with the spirit mind.
How does your mind react to situations? Do you sometimes feel your mind change, as though you changed faces? Communists promote the theory that the human mind can be altered. They want to revolutionize the human mind, even to the point of denying God. They also insist that there is no existence beyond this physical existence. They believe they can successfully convince people of these things; however, the spirit mind does not change. Once the spirit mind is awakened and grasps the true value of life it will never change, but continue for eternity. Why? The flesh mind belongs to the physical body, but the spirit mind belongs to God and reflects the unchanging quality of God's nature.
In the Divine Principle there is a section in the Principle of Creation about the original or divine mind. That mind is the essence of each person, being the living soul which is eternally connected to God. It is through the original mind that people can be regenerated, to live the true value and purpose of life here on earth. Without the divine mind we have no means by which to make any relationships between ourselves, God, the spirit world and the physical world. Your divine mind functions in conjunction with your conscience. As it does your whole body will certainly have a purpose and direction. By working in obedience to your divine mind you will become one with God.
The greatest problem of humanity today is the separation between mind and body, with these two contradicting each other instead of harmonizing with each other. In restoration, it is when the divine mind or soul becomes the master of the human body that a person's life can become God-centered. It is as if God's mind were coming to dwell within that person. As a person responds to his divine mind that person will find his purpose and goal. Fallen man has no hope or direction unless that connection with the divine mind takes place. Until then, man's existence cannot have value.
The purpose of religion is to plant the divine mind in the human heart. There are many kinds of religion: some form small circles and others large circles, but some even form distorted circles. The important thing is to realize that even though there are many religions, very few actually deal directly with the divine mind.
Fallen man's ultimate goal is to reach his divine mind. Religions have evolved now to a point where they are close to finding the divine mind, yet still they have not touched it. They circle around and come out again yet they do not see it. When the true religion of God finally is fully revealed its focus will be the divine mind; it may come out and go in and circle around many times, but still it will not fail to pinpoint the target.
The amazing thing about this search is this: In searching from the outer to the inner circle the individual is in front. However, after reaching your divine mind there will always be someone else in front of you; from that time on God is ahead of you. Once you reach the divine mind within you and come back out to the world, you will find that God is already before you; thus nothing will be able to disconnect you or overcome you. In this way the world is guaranteed of finding peace.
Regardless of what age one may live in, every human being is a seeker. We are pioneers searching after the center of the universe. In our common search after the truth, however, we must be careful to not misjudge our ultimate goal. Some people think that the most fundamental goal in the universe is money, yet those who accumulate money realize that it is not the highest goal. Many people seek power while others pursue knowledge, but once they reach their objective they feel empty; what they sought was not the central point of the universe.
Communists, for example, believe that they have found the ultimate purpose or center of the universe through their ideology. Believing that the end justifies the means, they have used exceptional cruelty in attempting to reach their goal. However, once communism exercises absolute power, its followers discover within their own hearts that their ideology has not really shown them the center of the universe. In order to accomplish their goal they have disregarded everything, including their families and the well-being of others. Under communism only the state is important and it must have absolute power even when it uses the most ruthless means to achieve its goals. The people following this ideology thought they were going to find paradise, but the ecstatic joy that they expected was not there.
The communists misjudged the central point of the universe; they misjudged the ultimate purpose of life. Therefore, even though those working under communism are trying to get to the central point they are deeply disappointed. They thought that dialectical materialism was the truth, but once involved in communist activity they discovered that their values were always being changed. They found that communism is not based on an eternal and unchanging truth.
What is it in this universe that is unchanging and unique, in which we can truly find a union of our body and soul and in which there can be joy for eternity? What is it? There must be an unchanging center which remains from eternity to eternity. But even that is not enough; there must be an unchanging quality which we can enjoy within our own lives for erternity. This center is love.
Love is the central truth that we must reach. The direction in which you move and the shape your circle takes does not make such a difference as long as you reach that unchanging center of the universe: the truth and love of God. God, the eternal and central being, exists there. I am not speaking of a concept or some theory of my own. I am speaking of the reality of God. We can make an unchanging relationship with Him through love. Once you reach this experience, not just by logic but by your own feeling and emotion, then no one can change your heart. Even in the communist world people certainly taste love and long for love within their relationships. Although they may officially disregard these things they can never eliminate the innate desires of their human nature.
Does anyone want only temporal love which will last only a year or two? Could that ever be true? Why is love so precious? Because love has an unchanging, eternal quality it will never decrease in value with time. Do your parents only give out love for a certain period of time, telling you, "All right, I can love you for one year. You take it now because then I will have no more." Parental love is not that way.
Parental love has no end. Even though the children become senior citizens, the parents still consider them their sons and daughters, feeling the same intensity of concern and love that they always bestowed upon them. If a grandmother is 150 years old and her son is 120, she will still say to him, "Watch out for traffic when you go outside." Such beautiful warmth and concern for children will not be tarnished with age. Even when the mother is 1,000 years old and her child is 970 she will still think of him as the child that she has always cared for. Do you feel embarrassed when you are treated by your own parents like that or do you feel loveliness and beauty in their hearts?
This particular pattern does not change from the East to the West. And throughout the ages no one has ever revolutionized love or changed it. The way of love stretches from eternity to eternity. The quality of love will never change. Neither will truth change. Does truth have dual aspects, with one aspect applicable only in the East and one in the West, or is it always the same? The truth or the true quality of a thing does not change. Gold may be heated hundreds of degrees, but it will continue to be gold. Even if one were to repeat this process a thousand times, the nature of the gold would not be changed. Gold is gold. Does value derive from the changeable or unchangeable qualities? Value is derived from unchangeable quality.
Dialectical materialism, on the other hand, does not recognize any eternal or unchanging power; it asserts that progress toward higher value is made only through relationships of conflict. However, this process will never bring man the ultimate happiness for which he has been searching. Man can only achieve that goal and happiness through an ideology which leads him to what is unchanging and unique and absolute. That concept is centered upon love. There is no other way.
Why did you come all the way to Belvedere this early on a cold morning? Is it because you know that I am wealthy and you came to see if I will give you money? However, there is nothing here, not even chairs or warmth. People cannot grasp the purpose that draws you young people together. The important thing is this: value does not have to be tangible. We gather here to search after something intangible yet eternal and concrete. That intangible something is the center of the universe and the love of God.
Actually you are finding yourself in God's position. Think for a moment about His situation-most of the world curses Him, arguing, "There is no such thing as God. God is dead." People who haven't found God are trying to be comfortable without Him; they do not even want to remember Him. But God is God. Looking down, He still has the same unchanging quality of love and is still trying to embrace the world. Even while people are denying Him God is looking down and calling to them.
Do you think God will be angry with a person who says, "There is no God; God is dead"? Or will God say, "Hmmm. Is that so?" He does not get mad, but will sadly smile. That is the way I also prefer to be. What am I doing? Simply speaking, I am trying to resemble God, to become closer to Him and take after Him. Consequently the entire U.S. and even the world is ridiculing me, saying all kinds of untrue and terrible things about me. I like to say, "Hmmm, is that so? All right, you will see."
The amazing thing is that the love of God is not only bestowed on those who respond, but is given also to those who do not respond; even greater love is given to those who do not respond. It would be normal for you to love only those who responded to you in love. But when you sacrificially give of your love to those who are hostile to you, you begin to reflect the real quality of God's own love. True love moves in this way. Its quality does not change regardless of the response of the people.
Parents deeply suffer if their child makes a grave mistake, perhaps becoming a criminal, but that does not break or lessen the love of the parents. They find themselves giving out more compassion, love and sympathy, and feeling even greater anxiety for their child in jail. That is the heart of the parent. If their child is sentenced to death, the parents would not say, "You deserve your death because you committed such a terrible crime." They will never curse but desperately search even up until the last minute, willing to do anything to save their child's life. The parent has the heart of forgiveness. That is unconditional love.
If the heart of human parents reacts in such a way to their children, then do you think that God, the parent of mankind, would be any different? No, His heart reaches far beyond this. God is the parent of all parents. The love of God surpasses the feeling of all the parents of the world. It is only His forgiveness, the giving and unconditional love of God, our parent, that can pull all peoples of the world into unity. It is only through the power of the love of God that all of mankind will be brought together.
This world has been looking for the manifestation of God's love. Someone must be found who can show the world the living love of God through their own action of love; then this world will have a direction and hope of unity and harmony.
God's dispensation has been precisely that. Indeed, God sent Jesus to the world as a representative of His parental love. The life of the Messiah of 2,000 years ago was one of total parental love, embodying the love of giving and the life of sacrifice. He not only forgave mankind but blessed his own personal enemies even as they were taking his life.
That love goes beyond any kind of love ever seen here on earth. It is more than brotherly love and more than that of husband and wife. All the love throughout the world put together cannot compete with the parental love of God. The central expression of the love of God was manifested here on earth in Jesus Christ, but he was crucified and could not proceed to the completion of his mission. God desires to continue His dispensation and ultimately fulfill His will on earth. For this He is preparing for the Messiah to come again. When the Messiah comes again, mankind will see and hear God. That is God's dispensation and the fulfillment of His Biblical prophecy and promise.
Mankind has only one hope in this world: the promise of God that such love exists, and that God will send His own son once again to show to the world by his love that it is possible to unite. No matter what mankind has been suffering, no matter how much confusion and chaos persists in the world, as long as there is that promise of God we have hope.
The hope of mankind is not communism but it is not democracy either. Our hope lies in the manifestation of the love of God in living form here on earth. God will create His own headquarters here on earth. Through His own representative He will show this love to the world. This power and love will bring harmony and unification to the world and it is the only hope of the world; this is the plan of God and His promise. The Unification Church embraces a hope that is crystal clear while the world is yet in despair. We can grab God; we know that His love exists and furthermore, that the love of God will manifest itself in human form here on earth.
The Unification Church member is a good diver or jumper. In order to jump we must crouch all the way down and then plunge down to the bottom of hell in this world, deep amidst the sin of mankind to bring everything back all the way to heaven. That is our way of life. Our purpose is not to stay in hell but to use hell as a springboard. If we plunge all the way down with tremendous energy and power, we will easily spring all the way up into the heights of heaven. Most importantly, we must always remember that it is God who will bring us up and that we will bring those who are in hell with us into heaven. That is our job.
Now you can understand why every member of the Unification Church goes down into hell. By going all the way down into the suffering of mankind you are tasting the misery of the ages. I am pushing all of you down there that you might taste this. Is your attitude, "Oh, I don't want to do it, but I have to because Father wants me to go"? Or do you courageously plunge down into the darkness with willingness and bubbling enthusiasm?
Are you anxiously thinking, "If the Unification Church looks so miserable now, what will tomorrow bring?" Is that your concern, or do you know what tomorrow will bring and therefore you can go into the dungeon of hell as a liberator, with the determination to bring hell into heaven? That is precisely what Jesus Christ did.
Jesus came to this earth, the dungeon of hell, to bring this hell to heaven. Furthermore, after his crucifixion he went down to the hell of spirit world. According to the Biblical description Jesus went down to hell for the first three days following his crucifixion. Why? He has the power to liberate the people who are bound there and to bring them with him up to heaven.
By his coming down to the hell of the physical world and the hell in spirit world, Jesus left millions of ropes or lines by which every soul suffering in those dungeons could climb to their liberation. Jesus left hope behind him, and all those multitudes of suffering people have the chance to be liberated.
Few of those people had the desperate desire to reach the final destination, however. Many would start but then lose their energy and fall down into hell again. To be successful they had to realize that those lines were the only hope of life and that there was no other choice. They had to look up and just keep going, not stopping for any reason. The spirit world and physical world have been separated throughout history, having no meeting ground and no unity. This is why so few people have even glimpsed the spirit world, and why as a result most people do not even think that there is a spirit world. For most people it is natural to see only what is here and now and never what is beyond our physical realm. They think this is all that there is.
Even though few know anything about spirit world, there is an intrinsic desire for unification and harmony among men in the heart of each person. They desire the ideal unified world but they do not necessarily want to take the responsibility for creating it. "If someone creates such a world then I will be glad to enjoy it." Many people think in this selfish way.
When the ideal world comes, do you think it will automatically fit into the standard of your life as it is now, or would you have to change in order to fit into the ideal world? American young people must awaken to the wonderful realization that each person will have to change himself in order to be qualified for the ideal world. Most people who are yearning after love and goodness do not realize that as the first ones to participate in the ideal they would have to be the first ones to change. In many cases their attitude is, "The ideal world will come and accommodate me. I don't want to move; put me into the ideal world." Rather, we must search for the ideal world, learning and growing into its standard. We must bring the revolution to ourselves and in this way adapt ourselves to the ideal world. The youth of America and the world must realize that they are a most prestigious group of people because they are young and have the zeal and energy to change the world and to change themselves.
Communists delude what they call the working class people into supporting them by promising that utopia will come to them. But that will never happen. Everyone must sweat and labor together to find the Kingdom. The Communists speak sweet words about their ideal paradise here on earth, but the reality of the communist system only chains nations and peoples in even greater turmoil, hardship and slavery. The ideal world will not come in that fashion.
Each of us must participate in building the ideal world. You must learn the truth and put yourself in the pioneer's role, getting fully involved in it at great cost. It is irresponsible to idly wait for the ideal day to dawn and expect to wake up on that day with the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. That will not happen.
Do you think I am wrong? America thinks so and is coming against me, trying to show me how wrong I am. However, I am bringing together many young people; while the world accuses me of trying to enslave you I am teaching you how to be the foremost pioneers of the Kingdom of God. If you get down to work and joyfully take up the most difficult responsibility then your reward in heaven will be just extraordinary.
A better world will never come unless people such as yourselves determine to give of themselves in unparalleled sacrifice and devotion, not for their own sakes, but for the very purpose of the Kingdom of God. Will complaining, protesting, demonstrating, and acts of violence be effective in bringing the Kingdom of God and the ideal world? The ideal world can only come where those people are gathered together who are trying to plunge down to the very heart of sin and human misery, sacrificing everything in working to cleanse and liquidate the sin of men's hearts and the vice of society. Only that kind of effort, dedication, and sacrifice can bring the Kingdom of God. I know to the depths of my being that the ideal world can be brought about only by people like that. I not only know this but I have been living this knowledge my entire life.
I know that this cause will never fail. It is secured and guaranteed, not only by the power of God, but by the fact that I have worked harder than anyone else here on earth. How can I fail? People talk about me in a most unkind way, but let them talk. Let the New York Times and the Washington Post talk. The communists think they will control the whole world by violence, deceit and demonstration, but you will see. We are moving quietly; however, the quiet force will be the winner. In the end it is history that will tell.
How fortunate you are to be here. When the world looks at you it will say, "You poor, miserable children! You look so pale and tired." Do not be deluded by these words. During my entire ministry of thirty years I looked just as you do now; often I was pale and most miserable. When I was imprisoned and tortured in indescribable ways I looked a thousand times more miserable than you do. But I was a winner; I am a winner; I will be a winner continuously. That must be the pattern of your lives as well.
Presently everyone views me either positively or negatively; that represents a certain personal influence and power on my part The American government and the FBI are looking at me and always wondering what my next plan is. Even the communists scrutinize my every action to determine if I am really going to Moscow.
I did not begin my work in a gorgeous palace but in the most miserable situation. The center that I established was so small that I could reach out and touch all four walls while sitting in one place. That was the first Unification Church, the birthplace of this new world. God's ideal and dream was planted on the earth in that little center, just like a tiny baby conceived in its mother's womb and then coming out to grow and bear influence in the world. In the same way, the life of the new world was conceived and was born in that small cubbyhole.
By every standard I am a successful person. I am victorious and still moving forward without limits. I am fresh and do not feel like a man of 60 years.
Where would you like to live--the physical world or the spirit world or both? Where would you like to start your eternal life? Do you begin eternal life after your life in the physical world is over, or do you start it right now? Have you started it already? Because of the fall of man the two worlds were separated. When these two worlds do meet according to the plan of restoration, will man or Satan be aware of that meeting place first? Of course God is the master planner, but apart from God who else would detect that plan?
There must be a central, chosen person who pioneers the world to bring about this unity. God will plan to send that central figure at a certain time and to a certain part of the world. Do you think Satan will not know? When there is a heavenly maneuver God Himself has to manifest a certain plan and then it remains no longer a plan but becomes an action. When an action begins to unfold, Satan will quickly detect it because he is constantly alert.
The Messiah is coming to bring these two worlds together. However, that particular intelligence is picked up by Satan before man detects it. Satan knows how the Messiah will come, being fully aware that the Messiah is coming to destroy his power. Satan will do his utmost to kill that child at birth and to crush the birth of his movement. This world has been controlled and dominated by Satan, and from the time of the Messiah's conception in his mother's womb through his entire life and ministry he faces the threat of destruction by Satan. He is destined to fight through the most difficult possible conditions here in the world, with nothing to ease his path.
The Messiah is destined to take the most extraordinary path of tribulation. God knows it and He will do everything possible to prepare for him. Through the ages religions have been revealed in order to establish a groundwork for the coming of the Messiah. They are merely God's preparation for the Messiah. When the Messiah actually comes he will bring the new world and the existing religions will be consummated by following him.
The chosen people are indispensable to God's dispensation. At the time of Jesus Christ the chosen people were the people of Israel. It was to them that Jesus came. However, at that time the chosen people thought the Messiah was coming to fulfill their desires for a better life and for independence. They forgot that the Messiah was coming for the ideal of God and His new order and that they were to work to establish the Kingdom of God in God's way, not their own way.
If there had been understanding between the Messiah and the chosen people then Jesus Christ would never have been crucified. Instead there was a fatal difference of opinion. The Messiah's goal was one thing and the people's desire was another. The tragedy came about because of this difference of opinion.
This lesson is vitally important to Christians today. What is modem Christianity throughout the world? It is the gathering of the people prepared for the ultimate day of the Lord of the Second Advent. However, Christians today feel that the Messiah is coming only to fulfill their own desires, to liberate them and give them happiness and a place in heaven. They do not think in terms of the Messiah coming to fulfill the original ideal and will of God.
If the Messiah comes only to fulfill the wishes of the Christians today then there will be no kingdom. In fact, there would be no value in his coming. Christians accept the most horrendous idea that when the Messiah comes all the disbelievers will be burned in unquenchable fire and judged to eternal damnation while the Christians will ascend up to heaven to enjoy the heavenly kingdom with God and Christ.
The Christian world itself is not only hopelessly fragmented but corrupted in its practices. Christians have erected barriers among themselves in order to continue believing in their own comfortable way. If the Messiah came and fulfilled all their conflicting wishes there would be nothing but war.
When the Messiah comes with the will of God he will not condone and praise Christianity but will ignite a spiritual revolution and clean house first. The Messiah comes as the greatest of all revolutionaries, not using weapons and violence but bringing peace through truth. Great changes will come about and people must prepare to adapt themselves to the way of the Messiah, not thinking in terms of the Messiah adapting himself to the ways of Christians.
Will the Messiah's revolution begin in the spirit world or physical world? Among the rich or down in the gutter of human misery? Liberation from sin starts at the very bottom of hell, so the Messiah must begin his work at the bottom of human misery, The Messiah will begin his religious movement to build the Kingdom of God here on earth at the very bottom of human misery. He will gather young people like yourselves and ask them to go into hell and transform it into the Kingdom of God. The worst enemy is conquered when the worst sin is conquered.
If Christianity accepts such an extraordinary revolutionary movement then there will be harmony and a new world will come easily. But if we study the lessons of history we know that the Messiah's acceptance is most unlikely. The people working with him who launch the spiritual revolution will face a wave of persecution for each step of their accomplishment, until finally they can encompass the entire world. Satan is the worst kind of enemy and he will try to block the spread of this movement in every conceivable way.
Any religious movement will face the possibility of persecution if it is determined to deal with the reality of human sin and misery at the bottom of hell, while at the same time proclaiming to the world the highest possible goal of the building of the Kingdom of God here on earth. One way to confirm the emergence of God's new Messianic movement is to find where worldwide persecution is concentrated on one group. Why? The reason for this is that God must begin His work in the satanic world, and this world is Satan's territory.
The Unification Church fits this qualification. This movement began in the most humble circumstances on a mountainside of Korea, becoming the center of a worldwide hurricane of controversy within the lifetime of its founder. The Unification Church is the very honorable bulls-eye of the world. Almost every conceivable type of group, even including government bodies, are disturbed and want to throw me out. Established religions have had their peace disrupted and are agitated enough to actually unite in making a statement against me! Why did the powerful religions of the world today unite together to try to destroy this one man and his small handful of followers? The only explanation could be that they feel threatened. Let us compare the two opposing factions by their present-day fruit. Are you members assembled here in the Unification Church just the cast-offs of mankind? Even our persecutors admit to the quality of our people and comment on their shining faces and their ideals, dedication and sacrificial spirit.
I know and you know that we are trying harder to live lives of unselfish sacrifice than most people outside our Church who do not know the truth. In our dedication and in our understanding of the world situation we are more solid. It is my pride that I will never fall behind anyone in dedication or unselfish giving for the cause of God. The President of the United States does not have the insight and vision to really stop the corruption of the youth and engender a new generation of leaders. But I have a purpose and ideal and a plan of action, and I can show young people how to become champions of God.
The world is coming to know the power of the Unification Church and our opponents in the past have seen how we will not be crushed. When they push us down we merely spread out to the sides! Even under persecution we have expanded to the worldwide level. President Nixon was crushed by the criticism of America and the world, but even though harsher accusations have been made about me, I am still going and going strong.
Are you intimidated by this headwind? Nothing can stop you; persecution should only make you stronger. Where does the Kingdom of Heaven begin here on earth: the most luxurious place or in the pit of misery? Who does this world belong to? In every possible way Satan is trying to stop us, but eventually he will give up and then you will be the winners.
If you follow me then you will receive the same scornful treatment I receive. Even with your youthful vitality this road is not an easy one. Maybe the newcomers here are shocked by hearing these things, but we are honest and say that this is not an easy way. You should pack up if you don't want to face this life. Perhaps then you would not feel any pressure, but if you think about it there is no hope outside of this Church. At least one thing is sure; if we stay here then at least we have hope. To stay in the Unification Church you need a lot of faith, both in me and in the Principle.
My life for the past thirty years is my enduring testimony; by looking at my whole way of life you can be convinced that I will not fail. The established generation are the ones who are attacking me and trying to destroy my work, and yet you people here this morning are their children. The Unification Church is primarily blessed by the participation of the youth. God is truly working here. Many of your parents have taken a position opposing me, but God has changed the hearts of their children, that you might understand and pursue this way of life. Eventually you will also be the ones to persuade your parents to change their opinion. Some parents passionately feel that I am their worst enemy, but all of a sudden they find their own children defending me! Only God could inspire such a revolutionary happening.
Our enemies know that it would be hopeless to try to deprogram me, but they think they can deprogram you. The deprogrammers use many enticements such as money, your former love relationships or finally even extreme threats, like, "I will kill you unless you do what I tell you." Are you confident to win over these? No matter how special their offers are, you will be tempted unless you have put away your desires for such things. I see many weak spots in you! Satan looks at your weak spots and he knows which ones to use.
Many times members are resolved that they could never be deprogrammed but when they become too concerned about how soon they can get married and start having children they may get discouraged. That feeling becomes a hook which Satan can grab, and then those members decide to leave. You may be vulnerable in another way. You may be working hard fund raising and witnessing and then your parents phone you, tearfully pleading, "You don't have to suffer this way. Why don't you come home and we'll get you new clothes and you can have a happy life for a change! " At that time you may feel sorry for yourself and say, "I've been in the Unification Church for three years and nobody cried tears for me." Your parents' offer may be very tempting.
I personally know all these enticements very well. I too have lived through the reality of these things; the most important thing to realize is that temptation always comes through those nearest you, to whom it is so difficult to say no, people like your friends, your spouse or children or parents.
Unresolved doubt is always a hook for Satan to pull. You may even feel sometimes that there is no God or that our movement is inhumane and unjust. That is why you must be wise in understanding the Principle. God sometimes tests you by pretending that He is unconcerned or even that He is betraying you. You must understand the Principle more deeply than to be swayed by that experience. When you go over that experience you realize that God wants to give His entire love to you, but only on the condition that you have completely won over Satan on your own.
God wants you to be free from any condition of accusation. Then He will fill you with unconditional love and blessing. He wants to give His blessing freely, without any condition of accusation from Satan, and the entire world will say, "God, that man certainly deserves that blessing. We have no complaint about him." God wants us to meet that standard, becoming people who are victorious in heaven and on earth. He wants to say to the world, "I even denied this person, but their loyalty and trust and faith never swayed even one iota. This is indeed My victorious child." When God can say that about you then you have received the highest praise possible. By meeting that highest possible standard you can secure the ideal center upon which God can rebuild the entire world. Once we meet that standard then God can pour His blessing upon the Unification Church. Satan will not be able to say, "God, they do not deserve the blessing you have given them so freely."
Can you now see why we can become truly victorious only under persecution? Persecution is the most ideal situation in which to demonstrate to God and to ourselves who we really are. The entire spirit world knows that America came against me and against the Unification Church. Once we meet the high standard of heaven and God can fill us with His blessing, then there is no way for any American on earth or in spirit world to complain or accuse us before God. There are many in the spirit world whose descendants are trapped in communist countries and we don't want to be accused by them for not doing everything in our power to help save their descendants. Already some of our members are working in communist countries and are suffering at this moment in communist prisons.
Last year I sent missionaries out to 120 nations, knowing that because I am well-known they would receive the same persecution that we are receiving here in America. No one on earth or in heaven will be free to accuse me of not paying attention to their nation by at least having our Church established there. As a movement we are bringing ourselves into the position where we can be free from the accusation of Satan, and even from those in spirit world. If that principle is true, the day will come when the worldwide level of God's blessing will pour down upon the Unification Church.
Where will the Kingdom of God begin? The Kingdom of God will germinate here on earth in the depths of human misery, the pits of hell. Have you received threats on your life here in America because you were acting on your beliefs? That has not seriously happened in this country. Then who has laid that foundation for this Church? I am the one who really tasted the misery at the bottom of hell, being threatened and imprisoned and tortured many times. That is how the foundation was laid upon which you now stand. I started out all by myself to erect the family, tribal and national foundations; then I worked to set the foundation in Asia and for the world, and now in America, the focal point of God's dispensation, I am unfolding the universal level of the dispensation.
Because I have liberated every kind of human misery by participating in every walk of life, I have a friend everywhere. I have talked with murderers and given them hope; I have suffered together with people in prison camps and labored with dock workers and miners and old mountain people. Do you know why we bought the New Yorker on 8th Avenue, where there is so much prostitution? It is our responsibility to solve that particular situation. Recently I even went to Las Vegas and prayed for that most carnal city The gamblers and strip-tease dancers need to be saved some day and I had to set some condition for them to eventually be liberated from that life.
I do the most unique and extraordinary things, which have never been seen in human history. I am making connections with the entire human race in order to truly create a most spectacular international family. I am responsible to redeem every human misery and crime, to leave a spiritual rope by which these people may some day have hope to climb out of their hopeless situations. Absolutely no one knows more about human misery on all levels than 1. No one has ever visited more kinds of places around the world than I have. I specialize in the keen observation of human misery and human sin because that is the area I am going to liquidate. I have many friends, even those who have committed crimes, but who have become new people and committed their lives for God's cause. There are many beautiful stories that you would be moved by because you also have felt something touch you.
Have you ever spoken to God concerning some threat to my life, "Heavenly Father, let me be his shield; take my life instead of his and let him remain on earth to continue with this work for humanity!" Why do you think in that way? My entire life has been lived that way and something is inspiring you to live like that as well. My prayer has always been, "Father in Heaven, let me suffer in Your place. Whatever arrows come to You, let me be the target."
Right now I am like the shield before God, receiving all the criticism from the world. Ultimately I am responsible for every deed you do and every mistake you make. Our enemies have planted false members in the Church who act like model followers and then after six months or a year commit some crime or immoral act in order to give myself and the Church a bad name. All the blame comes to me.
The world may think I am like a "godfather," being totally evil and only exploiting young people for my personal gain. You, however, have come to respect and love me as a man of God. Your belief in and understanding of me will be strengthened in the days to come, and the world's wrong conviction about me will slowly change because of a lack of foundation in fact. Slowly but surely the world will be won.
The time has come to unite spirit world and physical world, finally ending their separation. That unity will not occur in a smooth, peaceful transition, but through earth-shaking events. Why should that be necessary? An extraordinary confrontation will take place, with God exerting all His power to accomplish His will and the satanic powers desperately trying to stop Him. One such dramatic battle took place in Washington, D.C. on September 18, 1976. February 17 is the final day in 1976 by the lunar calendar. In the heavenly dispensation the lunar calendar is often very important and influential, and God is continuing the dispensation for 1976 until that day.
The age is now dawning in which Satan will no longer have the power to accuse man in the sight of God. The spirit world may blame others, but they cannot blame the Unification Church. Furthermore, the time has come when all the spirit world on the side of goodness will come down and assist our crusade. With that assistance our work will be greatly speeded up. The time has come for the great spiritual leaders of the past, such as Buddha, Confucius, Moses, past Christian saints and Mohammed, to appear before their own disciples, telling them that they must receive the benefit of the Unification Church.
Until now all of spirit world has been divided by many barriers, but the victory of the Washington Monument Rally broke through all those barriers and allowed the spirit world to become one unified world. The spirits there communicate with each other and now know who the central figures are and where the central movement is. They are traveling in their respective channels to break down the barriers between people in the physical world and create a similar unity here as well.
So far there has been no fellowship in the spirit world between East and West, but now that barrier has been broken. The power of absolute, heavenly love has united the two with God at the center. On earth, the Unification Church is bringing the two cultures of East and West into one, intermingling them by international marriage and international gatherings of members working together. In our Unification Church there is no boundary between East and West.
We have laid the foundation for unity on the individual level, family level, tribal, national and world levels. Anything we bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and anything we loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. In the future we will take more and more initiatives in world affairs, and you will witness how even our most violent opponents will fade away. This phenomenon of persecution will persist until 1981. Therefore, we must act now to set the foundation and strongly establish ourselves; we must develop the will of a captain in steering his boat through a storm.
These next five years will be an extraordinary period in which the entire world will be shaken, including the communist world. Already the communists are troubled; since their signing of the Helsinki Agreement the free world has a reason to attack them for their terrible abuses of human rights. Communist leaders always disguise their true motives, deceiving the free world into allowing the expansion of communist power. The communists have no intention of giving anything to the free world. However, deprogramming on a large scale is presently taking place in the communist world; Ted Patrick is not doing it, but the spirit world. Spirit men are descending to the children of communist leaders, saying, "Communism is wrong. This ideology is based on a lie. It is not the truth." A great deal of turmoil will be seen soon between those parents and children as the two ideologies confront each other.
In the garden of Eden Adam and Eve came against God, their Father. In the last days God would like to indemnity this situation within the communist world by having the parents and children in conflict with each other over the heavenly ideology. This same confrontation is already widespread in America and the free world.
Why does this situation persist? It is not a sign of decline but of preparation for God's Kingdom. The American youth have tried every conceivable thing--hippie life with its sexual freedom, streaking, drugs-but they did not find anything there. Now they are coming back to religion but not back to the established churches. Young people have not found anything dynamic and fulfilling in the churches they knew before so they are searching after something new.
I know very well that people outside our church have usually heard of me in a negative way and they think this is some kind of terrible cult. But you will see that in two years this movement will be completely changed by an avalanche of young people flowing into our Unification centers. Because the young people of America are wise people they will inevitably pass through the gates of the Unification Church to investigate it. We are like the catchers in a baseball game; the young people are the ball being thrown by all of America. We need a lot of catchers to receive them and I am preparing them right now. The time will come when many balls will be flying toward us. The most beautiful young people will come to us and we will train them with the truth, giving them a new direction and purpose to live.
When young people without any preconceived notions about the Unification Church come to hear lectures for one week, they are ignited by the deep spiritual insight of the Divine Principle and say, "What a powerful gospel this is! Why didn't we know about this before?" Then they hear that this is the message of Reverend Sun Myung Moon. At that point they cannot say anything in opposition. The testimony to the power of the truth will be seen in their inspiration to change others' minds about Reverend Moon.
We are the only ones who can overcome the negativity of those around us. We have the power to change the youth of America, and once that happens the communists will have absolutely no power. I know in detail what the strategies and techniques of the communists are; I am an expert on it. We are the only ones who have the power and truth not only to overcome but also to liberate the communists. Because they know that this positive truth will liquidate their own lies, the communists are afraid of our ideology.
We must have the pride and joy of realizing our good fortune at living in this particular age of awakening; we can live and accomplish what no saints or religious leaders of the past could accomplish. In your mind new spring has dawned and you are becoming a new, ideal individual, and establishing a new ideal home, society, nation, and world, with one main truth interconnecting them all. With one common base you can build all these levels of perfection, centering upon the heart of God which will become your heart and your love.
Once you are united to God and His love your personality will become universal and you will not only be the central point of a family, society, nation and world, but the central point around which the entire universe can be harmonized. It is not necessary to go many different routes to fulfill each level; there is one route and by uniting with one central point you can realize them all.
The communists say, "We are going to liberate the proletariat and the poor people." We are going beyond that goal, aiming to liberate the conscience of all mankind. We are not limited to concern for material wealth but are concerned for the conscience of man and the love of God, in which there are no classes.
Before you met the Unification Church your goal was nothing abnormal; in the everyday world it is natural to be focused upon yourself. But since coming to the Unification Church your goal has completely changed, focusing not on yourself but upon God and humanity. Of the two possible ways of life we can live, the selfish way only leads you down. On the other hand, the more you are unselfish and public-minded the more you will rise in happiness and prosperity.
Those who say, "I don't care about God or the world, my country, or my family, only about me," will end up in the dungeon of hell. The person who truly lives his utmost, investing every ounce of energy for the sake of God and the sake of humanity, will end up in the highest possible level of Heaven. Why should the Principle work like that? The world is created according to that principle and nobody can prosper apart from it. God Himself does not exist for Himself but solely for the sake of man; even God forgets Himself.
True parents are those who live solely for the sake of their children. Truly pious sons and daughters are those who live for the sake of their parents, forgetting themselves. In any nation the government must exist solely for the sake of the people and the world, and the people must live for the prosperity of the nation and mankind. This same formula applies up to the highest possible level. God lives solely for the sake of the world and humanity. He does not claim that His people exist for Him, but instead He lives for them. God is the ultimate and eternal parent and His children must also live for the purpose of their Father.
In comparing this to the communist ideology we see that communism is an evil, false ideology which is trying to destroy both God and humanity. Communist leaders sometimes test the loyalty of Party members by requiring that they kill their own father or mother. That ideology is the total abandonment of God's principle and must be liquidated. No matter what the communists may boast, the time will come when their internal division and external problems will move them slowly but surely to extinction.
America is trying to withdraw from world responsibility when instead this nation should be willing to sacrificially give itself for the sake of world salvation. If that became America's national goal then this nation would not only lead the entire world, but eventually possess even God. There was a time when the American people were respected overseas and when American citizenship was a very glorious thing, but the time is rapidly approaching when people will spit at anyone calling themselves American.
America should not have become involved in Vietnam without intending to take full responsibility for any consequences. Millions more people were killed by America's becoming involved and then abandoning Vietnam. If America had left that nation alone the Vietnamese would not have suffered as many deaths after coming under the communist yoke. Instead, when America withdrew all the people who had trusted America were lost. All became victims of communist retaliation.
When faced with the responsibility America has assumed in Korea, politicians are increasingly saying, "We must withdraw our armed forces from Korea." If this nation fails Korea then not only that nation but God will react. Americans are thinking, "Oh, we have so many problems internally that we have to take care of ourselves first and forget about the outside world for now."
America will never take care of its problems by withdrawing from its worldwide responsibilities; instead the internal problems will become more desperate and America will catapult into a rapid decline. If American young people will stand up by the millions, willing to give their lives for the sake of the world, then America will have hope. However, Christianity has failed its mission in this respect.
l came to treat the patient which is America, providing a worldwide vision for which it can stand up and to which it can give its energy. No American leader dares to make the statement, "I will act as a doctor to heal this country." I am not even American but I uttered that at the Yankee Stadium Rally. At Washington Monument I proclaimed, "I came to restore the young people, the leaders of tomorrow, back to God." Nobody else can utter such a clear statement because they have no conviction. The white people and particularly the religious leaders of America should be embarrassed that a yellow man from Asia could challenge the American people with such a dynamic commitment. I am not making empty statements at all, and the proof is seen by the fact that I am doing things that no religious leaders in the world have ever done.
Why am I accused of brainwashing you? Simply because I brought the message with power so strong as to ignite a heavenly revolution in the hearts of young people. Such a thing has never been seen before and thus I am accused of brainwashing. How could I brainwash you if I never met any of you when you first came to the movement? There are many members in state centers and on MFTs all over the nation who have never seen me. How could they be brainwashed without even seeing me? Many people think I am a dangerous hypnotist, but this is contradicted by the fact that our members remain dedicated for many years. If I had the power to hypnotize people without them even seeing me then wouldn't I have already hypnotized all the 41/2 billion people of the world?
My enemies want to stop me by spreading rumors and vicious accusations, painting a grotesque picture about the work I am doing. I do not have to go to 120 countries for this work to grow, for even without my presence our movement is expanding in those nations. Do you think a gun or even the atomic bomb could stop our activities in those 120 nations?
The spirit world and physical world have been separate for a long, long time, ever since the human fall, and now for the first time in history the two worlds are being linked together again with the Unification Church acting as a catalyst. I am sure that most of you here have had some spiritual experiences. Because you can have a living relationship with God you can continue your dedicated work under any circumstances. This is the experience of the members of the Unification Church all over the world.
Why did you come here early this morning? Did you come to gain something for yourself or did you come to lose something? You came because you know you can advance spiritually by being here. Here the power of God's love is manifested in truth. I am not the world's best orator, but you can recognize truth in my words and in my own being. It is not flowery words that give inspiration but the living truth coming into your heart that makes you want to act.
The Unification Church's mission is to build the Kingdom of God by going to the very bottom of human misery and building the highway up from there, both up through the whole physical world and the spirit world as well, all the way to the throne of God. We will not end at the throne of God but will march proudly toward the heart of God, for our ultimate destination is the heart of God's love.
Do you think that the joy and ecstatic excitement of being entirely absorbed into God's love is far superior or far inferior to the experiences of drug users? Compared to the love of God, the love the world offers is very cheap and shallow. When you become the kind of person who completely forgets himself in giving for the sake of God and humanity, all of spirit world is yours. You will have complete freedom to go anywhere and will be honored as princes and princesses of God. Even the love of a married couple in this world is nothing in comparison to the experience of the love of God.
The love of God is electric and there is nothing it cannot melt and absorb. When the love of God unites two into one there is no way those two will ever be separated. If there had been no fall then your lives would have been charged with the electric love of God. Your mind and body would have been completely one and the entire universe would have been ignited by your ecstatic joy and intoxicated in your happiness. Since I know that world of love as a reality, neither persecution nor even death can sway me. Your opportunity to live on earth is at most 70 to 100 years, but it is important that in that time your body and mind are united into one and you experience the love of God.
Man and God have a mutual goal: It is God's goal to become completely one with perfected man and to manifest Himself in man here on earth, and at the same time man is working to elevate himself to be one with God. In a sense man and God are striving to swap positions with each other. We all have the ambition and desire to become the kind of person who can influence the entire world. God is already in the position to have dominion over the world, so He wants to come down and live side by side with man. Man is seeking God's position and God is seeking man's position.
Why did God create Adam and Eve? God wanted to manifest Himself as a living person on earth. Why does man desire to unite with God? Man would like to become one with God and enjoy His position. After they become one, everywhere you go you will find God; when you are on earth God is there and when you go to spirit world God is there. Right now God is only in heaven and man is only on earth, but when they are one in love God will be everywhere.
The power of God is descending, seeking to dwell with men, while we are striving to meet God and become His dwelling place. When you live completely in communion with God on every level then God will be able to completely embrace you. God's idea was to swap lives with man, with His life being for each man, and each man's life being for God. If you demand that your partner love you, trying only to receive instead of give, then there will be separation. The universal principle calls for you to exist for others. This is the only way for two to become one and there the ideal will blossom for eternity.
The wise man is the one who understands the universal truth of living for others. Actually the existence of the entire creation is already centered on serving something else. The mineral world exists for the plant world and the plant world exists for the animal world, which in turn exists for the human world. V,/hen you eat meat you are actually being fed at the sacrifice of something else. Then do we exist for ourselves? No, we exist for God and God exists for us. When we swap positions joy is generated. That is the formula of the universe.
God created everything to exist for something else. Logically then we were never created to exist for just ourselves. The theory of evolution claims that inevitably the weaker become the prey of the stronger. The shark, for example, eats smaller fish for food. This fact was not invented by the scientists, but is God's principle at work. Man's physical life is also a reflection of this principle; man is nourished by all the things of creation. They were given for that purpose by God. However, the only way you are justified in eating those plants and animals is by living for the joy and service of God and the universe.
God Himself lives for His children and the universe. Even Almighty God puts Himself in the position of sacrifice, giving Himself for you, for humanity, and for the sake of the world. If you in turn do not want to live for God and humanity then you have no right to eat the things of God's creation. How can you ever complain about being object to the same principle?
The most beautiful thing about this rule is that it does not result in your decline. God will give you the best of all blessings under the sun when you live for Him and for humanity. If beef on the table had a mouth, it would say, "I wish to be eaten by a man of God. I want to become part of God's flesh." When a God-centered man eats that meat it becomes that man's flesh, and since man's body belongs to God that beef can be very happy in fulfilling its purpose of creation.
Fruit and vegetables as well wish to fulfill their lives by becoming part of God's flesh. Even clothes wish to be possessed by a truly holy man in order to serve God's purpose. God created all these for the purpose of God-centered man and only saintly men have the right to use them. All things of creation want to share the love of God by becoming part of the flesh of God-centered people. They will actually ask you to eat them when you become men and women of God.
If you understand this basic principle of creation, you understand how all things of creation feel. Those who feel it is vicious for the stronger to eat the weaker do not understand God's point of view. Just as those plants and animals want to become a part of God, so we want to plunge into the heart of God.
If you feel a sense of service to God then when you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner you will never have stomach trouble. However, when you eat food with an ungodly mind the food will demonstrate inside of you, "No, I don't want to become that person's flesh and blood."
If you really become sons and daughters of God and look at all the things of creation from God's point of view then you can hear the music of your surroundings and share in the happiness of the food which you are about to eat. Unless you become the embodiment of the love of God then in spirit world you have no right to even look at nature or to enjoy food. In hell in the spirit world you will have no right to eat and even though you hear of certain places that are very beautiful and glorious, you will not be free to go there.
Our human destiny is to harmonize with the love of God, plunging into His heart to become a part of Him and to enjoy the universe from His point of view as His representative. That is the ideal of creation that God originally intended to fulfill. The love you will receive in heaven will be as much as the love you have felt for this world, humanity and God while on earth. You will not be able to receive even one iota more or less. This is the law of cause and effect and God's justice is absolutely carried out in that respect.
The higher realms of spirit world are reserved for those who gave their lives in service to others. Those who live here on earth with a self-centered way of life, regardless of their positions as noted religious or world leaders, will end up in the lowest realms of hell. Our goal in the Unification Church is to serve, even to the point of liberating the communist world. We are not trying to destroy the communists, but to free them through our service.
If the communists ever seize us they will first of all kill our members. In contrast, if we gain power over them we will make them our brothers and sisters. Which ideology is stronger and is destined to win eventually? Our positive ideology must be stronger even than communism. When your passion and zeal to serve the world is stronger than the communists' conviction, you shall not only save this world and liberate the communists but you shall be entitled to live in the Kingdom of God.
Are you preparing to enter the Kingdom of God? Will you continue preparing just today or tomorrow, or for ten years or a hundred years? You are like a wild olive tree and must be grafted into the true olive tree. Has this process been completed in your lives?
Have you seen me in your dreams or in visions? Unification Church members all over the world are experiencing the same thing, some seeing me all the time; sometimes they even walk with me on the mountains of Africa or in South America. Distance does not make any difference in this case. Some of you are probably experiencing such mysterious, unprecedented phenomena. This will not be just a passing thing but will become more frequent and widespread.
Before the fail, God spoke to Adam and Eve directly and walked beside them. In a parallel way if you are spiritually sensitive then as you mature I will be involved more and more directly in your life through visions and dreams. The person who willingly accepts my directions with obedience and enthusiasm will experience great spiritual accomplishment sooner.
If a person seriously pledges, "Father, give me the worst mission you have, the worst problem and I will solve it," then spirit world will intervene to give him the power and wisdom to fulfill. If any person has the kind of commitment to volunteer for such a task then he will never be alone. Even if you plunge into the communist world and go to liberate the millions of suffering people there, with the willingness to give up even your life, then spirit world will intervene and help show you the way to save some of those lives.
Whenever I was in prison God intervened to give me guidance. I have experienced communist prisons in North Korea, prisons under the Japanese and prisons in South Korea, but even when I faced the worst circumstances, God's intervention came immediately.
The supreme power of God does not manifest itself in a palace or from a gorgeous throne but always at the bottom of human misery, where blood and sweat are shed and where cries of anguish are heard. That is the place where the love of God is manifested in a supreme form. Though I did not preach even one word during my prison terms, the spirit world testified to me and most loyal disciples joined with me there, people who were willing to die for me. If I had been a desperate criminal I could have ganged up with those followers and escaped, but I never did.
I experienced God's intervention in the worst possible situations. Food is absolutely precious in a prison camp because there is never enough food given for the prisoners to survive, just some barley and salty water. Sometimes one of my disciples would receive spiritual instructions to hide the rice cakes which had been brought to him by a visitor. Of course he was hungry to the point of starvation and wanted to eat them himself, but instead he would bring it to me, whispering, "Won't you share this little piece with me? Hide it here." You cannot imagine how this was a precious, precious gesture and true expression of love. Truly they risked their lives in such acts as this, and I have never forgotten each of those moments.
Although we were kept in separate cells, my followers had dreams of what I was doing and what my status was, and I also knew what they were doing and thinking. More than once they said, "Let me die in your place." I too was willing to lay down my life for their safety and well-being.
You have not gone that far yet; instead your thinking is, "I've been here in the Unification Church for three years and I've done nothing but suffer." However long you have been here does not make any difference; what matters is where your heart lies and whether you are still fervent in elevating your maturity of heart centered upon God. No matter what happens to me, if everything I have done is stripped away, or if one morning I become a leper, I still have value and cannot give up this way of life. If you also feel that to the depths of your heart then for the first time you are really entitled to the highest heaven.
We have more difficulties ahead. Blessed are those who continue steadfastly on this road with appreciation and a grateful heart. They will end up at the final goal. Because there is still so much distance to cover, the faith of many members will crumble in complaint and the desire for reward, even after only one or two years. Those people cannot be rewarded. If you are that way you will never be together with me in spirit world. Even though I would like you to be with me, without having the right heart we will be separated by a great distance. Whether you believe this or not is up to you; soon enough you will experience the truth in spirit world.
If you believe me then you must want to put that faith into action. You will never regret it. Even though you may be alone you can always have communion and companionship with God and live in anticipation of communicating with me in visions or dreams. As you prepare to go out witnessing you can anticipate unforgettable experiences. You never know when the opportunity for great blessing will come, so you must go on until it arrives. At the moment you get discouraged I may be but the next step ahead of you. Always press on with that expectation.
Do not ever think about whether you feel hungry or count how many hours you slept. Forget it! When you forget the earthly things then spirit world will feed you, and even if your forget to eat you will not be hungry. When spirit world intervenes, though you may run and run, you will feel as light as a bird. When you feel this joy of assistance from spirit world you will not even want to live in this clumsy earthly world. Nevertheless, God needs you here because His work is to be done on earth. Also He wants you to have a spouse and children. That is why God does not want you to enjoy spirit world too much but rather wants you to wait until your lime is finished on earth.
One of the important qualifications to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is that of creating your family. The love of husband and wife and the love between parents and children is essential to this physical life. That is why Heavenly Father wants you to have your focus here on earth, although the cooperation of the spirit world is essential.
Once you know the spirit world's standard of justice, you will be serious about maintaining harmony within your family. A husband and wife must seriously repent for their quarrels, even over a period of several months if necessary. Disunity between parents and children is also serious.
I would like to train you and leave you with the standard of spiritually perfected people. Can your own parents or your college professors train you that way? Your natural parents and professors cannot take responsibility for your eternal life, though I am doing it. No one else can take up the responsibility which I am fulfilling for you. I am coming into your life through dreams and visions to elevate your spirituality.
After coming into the Unification Church your understanding of God's heart and the intervention of spirit world may come quickly, but you do not realize the value of what you receive. Behind the grace given you is the sacrifice of the saints and holy men of history. You are reaping the fruits of their suffering, standing upon the priceless foundation they have laid.
Spirit world has not yet seen perfection, but because life in the flesh is in the subject position, perfection of both the physical and spirit worlds must be accomplished by work in the physical world. The flesh is most important and precious. While you have your body you have to invest it properly, and it is your heart which will consummate the purpose of your body; through your heart you will fulfill individual, family, national and world perfection.
You single people must keep your purity and give your heart to God first. Those who have committed earthly sins such as lustful acts need to repent and work out the entanglements of your life. You will be forgiven if you repent and forever leave behind those ideas; only as a purified person can you be admitted to the Kingdom of God. Without purification you are incapable of receiving God's pure love. God's intention was for you to first taste His pure love, but this world has been a place of illicit and unprincipled love. Even so, there is no excuse for losing individual purity. In God's sight fallen men are dirty, impure creatures who have lost the qualification to come before Him.
Upon entering the Unification Church you should have begun this cleansing process, completely dropping all connections to your past illicit relationships. Your concentration on God should become so intense that you even forget the names of those you were involved with. One serious condition for your blessing is that you restore yourself in purity before God.
You must bring yourself into a new realm of life in which you love God more intensely than your feeling of any past earthly love. To be acknowledged as a child of God your first love must be given to Him and to the True Parents. The illicit, impure love of the fallen world will not be accepted. You have a lot to forget and to cleanse. As members of the Unification Church you must not think about who you might marry. You will never reach the level of sons and daughters of God with such thinking, but only leave a hook by which Satan can snag you at any time. Your love should be connected to God and to the True Parents, being innocent, genuine and pure like Adam and Eve's before their fall.
Once you have purified yourself to that degree then the entire spirit world will open to you and unification between the spirit and physical worlds can take place through your being. That is the Principle. The wisest way for you to go in the Unification Church is to become a person who is single-mindedly focused on one goal, not looking from side to side. Only then can you take up the worst possible sacrifice and accomplish the most difficult task. God will accept that person first.
In San Francisco there was one blessed Korean woman whose husband passed away. When she came to America I gave her the most difficult task of working in a restaurant so that she would not have a moment to think about her grief. Recently she said to me, "Thank you for giving me this task; I have had to concentrate on this task so hard that there has not been a moment to think about anything else."
Idle time or time having no purpose is your enemy because that is when your thoughts usually become self-centered. If you look back in your life then you know how true this is. I do not allow myself an idle moment but schedule my time in such a way that my whole attention is needed at every moment right where I am.
Take up the greatest possible responsibility and work yourself the hardest; then God will be free to accept you. In the morning get up early and stay out all day long; then come back and have supper and pray and sleep like a log. The person living such a life is the happiest person because he can cover the longest distance in the shortest possible time. Always push yourself and also ask God to push you. Once you deeply realize your situation in world restoration and feel the urgency of God, no power can bring you down. Recently many brothers and sisters have been vacillating back and forth, wasting too much time in idle moments and purposely wandering about. You must be straight and single-minded, directing yourself in such a way that all your time is given to God, True Parents and your mission.
This is why my message is concentrated on the spirit world and physical world. Unless you are earnestly pursuing that level of perfection and accomplishment, you don't deserve to be blessed. When you truly experience the world of God's love you will feel, using an American expression, like you are on Cloud 9. Then the next morning you will come back to the world of reality and the physical world will seem absolutely strange to you. You might have an even more extreme experience of being embraced in the heart of God and then coming back to yourself. Seeing your family's faces you will think "Is she my wife? Where did these children come from?" It is possible to forget everything when you are living so single-mindedly in God's world.
No matter how much a couple loves each other, when one of them precedes the other into a higher realm of spirit world, do you think he misses his spouse still in the physical world? Being intoxicated every moment of his life in spirit world, he will be constantly looking up to still higher progression and spiritual accomplishment. To those in spirit world the physical world is very clumsy and awkward and they have no desire to linger here.
You older sisters who are still single, do not speculate and wonder about your own blessing; if you are truly able to forget it amidst your work then the blessing will come sooner to you. Concentrate on your spiritual maturity. You clumsy brothers who are over 25 raise your hands. You must purify yourselves; you have a much more urgent mission for which you must intensify your way of life. From the point of view of the spirit world many of you are not yet human beings. When you came into the Unification Church you came into a new world and you must forget the world that you came from.
I am always concerned about how I can guide you young people so that you aren't always losing your single-minded sense of purpose. In order to attain the highest possible heaven you need to strive for purity and perfection. Do you want to go over that hill quickly? That is why I push you out to do the hardest possible missions, in which you must fight and battle uphill against great odds. Satan loves to see you in an agony of confusion, but when you are joyful even in the midst of suffering the worst kind of tribulation Satan has no power over you.
In the communist prison I was tortured and beaten and was at the point of dying from losing so much blood. When the prison guards threw my body out of the prison my disciples started to make preparations for my funeral because they thought I had died. Even under those circumstances my spirit was never defeated. My prayer to God was, "Father, don't worry. I will never be a weak person. I shall never be defeated by my suffering. I am concerned only for Your heart and I want to comfort You. Don't worry about Your son."
I never prayed from weakness to beg God's help; I never said, "I'll die unless You come to help me." I want to go over every difficulty with confidence and show Heavenly Father that He has no further cause for concern or misery or sorrow. My philosophy is to reduce the sorrow and pain in the heart of God, not to add to it or burden Him further.
In your life also there will be a crossing point between good and evil which you must go over. You must become the embodiment of God's love; otherwise you will never be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Your eyes must be focused upon the one single-minded goal of becoming the embodiment of God's love. Because we have been living in the age of indemnity the course has gone up and down, but from this time on you must single-mindedly focus your attention and go up. We have come to the end of fluctuation.
You can do the same and even greater works than 1. Since we know things that other people do not know we can do extraordinary things, performing miracles. I have the same kind of body you do, with two hands and ten fingers. I am putting my life on the front line all the time. The mission I am fulfilling has never been comfortable or even safe. There have been many threats on my life, and without God's protection I would have been killed a long time ago.
Because I know that God's protection is everywhere, I go anywhere with faith that God's power will defeat an assassin's purpose. I have already seen occasions when this happened. One time a person was ready to kill me when suddenly he dropped dead. With danger always around I always live my life on the brink.
When you can love someone at the risk of your life, your love is then true love. The American people are deeply indebted to me because I have been giving my whole-hearted attention and love to the American people at the constant risk of my life. In the same way the entire spirit world is indebted to me.
God will bring the victory, no one else. The blessing is wonderful but you can ask for your blessing only after God's heart has been comforted. Until then your point of view should be, "God, please push me out all the way until we attain Your goal."
There are many things about God and the dispensation which I did not tell you before, but now I can tell you the truth very plainly. However, you must act accordingly. What I am telling you this morning is not theory but the eternal truth. You must forget the ways of the old world from which you came and become a single-minded person centered on God's purpose. Since you had previously forgotten God and devoted yourself to the world, you must now forget the world and devote yourself to God. It is the road of restoration. As a person who has not yet reached the goal you must humbly accept the fact that you are far from perfection.
Those who have experienced the love of someone in the fallen world must indemnity this by giving a more intense love than you gave before in your witnessing and fund raising. Without changing yourself you will not be admitted into the Kingdom of God and His world of love. Your love will be tested and then you can demonstrate that you love God and the True Parents with all your heart and soul. That love should exceed all your past experiences.
Have you ever experienced a longing for True Parents so great that you could not sleep, but went outside and watched the moon rising and the stars shining? In the everyday world people sometimes can't sleep for longing to be with their fiancé or their family, but they go outside and shed tears in the dark of night. Your change in heart must be brought to the point that you long for God and the True Parents even more. That is the Principle and the fastest means by which you can obtain the Kingdom of God eternally. The person will be blessed who can give his first love to God and to the True Parents. God wants to give tremendous glory to those who offer their most precious love for His sake.
Unless the intensity of your love for God is stronger than all your past love experiences, Satan will always be able to hook you and always you will have that one condition for Satan to claim. God is not free to give you unconditional love and blessing until you liquidate all conditions for the accusation of Satan. Do you think that is right? You know this truth now. Once you die and give up your body it will be too late to change easily; to make progress in spirit world requires millenniums. You young people have something worthwhile to live for now.
The standard of truth I am giving you this morning is a very, very difficult standard for the average stained young people of America to be challenged with. In this sense the background of Oriental young people is much better. In the East genuine purity has been strictly upheld so those people have a much greater chance to give their first love to God. In the Western world your first love is often given cheaply among yourselves, and what you call "experience" is what kills true love. Pure love is like unstained linen, but stained love is like linen with big ugly marks that are most difficult to wash out. You have to wash away all the memories of the past from your mind.
Today's American society has lost the value of true marriage and many babies are born out of wedlock. Society is in confusion. However, God can even utilize this situation because in trying to change and go the heavenly way people may more easily forget such relationships and go the way God has called.
Degradation and decline can be seen everywhere; the world is crumbling, but through it all God has a certain purpose. It is very logical that the spirit world and physical world shall be united centering upon the genuine pure love of God. That is the one thing that can speak loudly in both worlds; nothing will work in either world except through the pure love of God. Unity with God's love is the most basic and fundamental means by which everything will be restored. Without this one basic element, no matter how much effort is made nothing will be accomplished.
When you are lonely then you can feel closer to God's lonely position and you can more easily forget this lonely world and come toward a single-minded devotion to God. God's goal is to make a personal relationship with you. When you are in the direct dominion of God He directly intervenes in your life.
You are entitled to know what kind of heaven awaits you; I am not talking about a fantasy world but a more real world than man has ever yet experienced. Let us experience and live that Kingdom of God on earth. After that, the Kingdom of God in heaven shall be open to you automatically as an extraordinary reward. Shall we build it or not? God bless you. Let us pray.