When we read the Bible, we find many stories about Jesus. There's one story where Jesus was preaching to many people and for some reason he had to go to the mountains; the Bible says he went to pray.

He sent the disciples to the land across the Sea of Galilee and during the night, Jesus appeared to them. Jesus was coming towards them walking on the sea. The disciples were amazed and some of them were afraid of him because they thought Jesus might be a ghost. Jesus said, "Don't be afraid, it is I." Peter said, "Oh, teacher, let me go with you," and Jesus said, "Come." Peter started to walk on the sea. Suddenly a wind began to blow and Peter was afraid. The next moment he began to sink and he shouted, "Lord, save me!" Then Jesus took him out and said, 'What little faith you have." When the disciples couldn't heal people or cure diseases or cast out demons, they came to Jesus and said, "Why can't we cast out demons or evil spirits?" Jesus said again, "What little faith you have."

Another story is in Matthew 9:20-22:

"Behold a woman who had suffered from a bleeding for 12 years came up behind him and touched the fringes of his garment for she said to herself, 'If only I could touch his garment I shall be made well.' Jesus turned and seeing her he said, 'Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.' And instantly the woman was made well."

This is the story of the woman who believed that if only she could touch the clothes of Jesus, she could be cured. She did it and it came true. Her faith saved her.

The first story is the story of the disciples who had obeyed Jesus and who had been with Jesus for more than three years. The second is the story of someone who had been suffering from bleeding for a long time. If the same thing happened to you, which of the two do you think is closer to yourself? Can you believe that God can heal you? Can you do that? Usually, it is very difficult. If Jesus came to you now, what would he say to you? Would he say, "Your faith has made you well," or, 'What little faith you have?" Which of the two do you think he will say to you? Are you a man of faith or a man without faith? These are real stories of people around Jesus. If Jesus were here and came to us, Jesus would probably say to most of us, "What little faith you have."

Why could the woman believe that Jesus could cure her? And why did Jesus have to say to Peter, "What little faith you have?"

The woman had been suffering bleeding for 12 years, and must have tried to cure the bleeding. She must have visited a doctor and must have tried all kinds of medication. She tried, and tried, and tried; but nothing could cure her. Based on her own past experience it was quite impossible to be cured. Still she drew near to Jesus without any doubt. Then what was her belief? I'm sure she must have felt that God was working through Jesus. The woman must have believed in God, but Peter also must have believed in God.

Then what's the difference? What's the difference even in our cases? We believe in God. We say, "Yes, I believe in God. Yes, God exists. If I didn't believe in God, I wouldn't have come to Barrytown. Yes, I believe in God, therefore, I want to know something more about God." Through the lectures you have understood more about God than before. "Oh, yes, it makes sense. God is love. Oh, I didn't know that God is my Father. It's all very nice. Yes, it's good to have been here."

Most of you have probably felt this way. Likewise, Peter and the woman both believed in God. But the woman believed that not only did God exist, but that God had infinite capability. Peter believed in God, but he couldn't understand God's real force and real capability. This point made the difference. Do you feel the real capability of God? Do you believe that God can solve your problems, if not through so called miracles, then through your brothers and sisters or through real facts? Do you believe that God can do that? If you can't say, "Yes," Jesus will say to you again, 'What little faith you have." We believe in the existence of God, but we cannot understand or recognize that God is alive and has real capability to solve your own problems. In this meaning we don't really believe in God, we cannot really trust God, we cannot really rely upon God because we cannot believe in His real capability. So, we have to rely upon ourselves. God exists, but He is far distant from me. Therefore, we do not have a real relationship with God because we have no faith. Because we don't trust God, God cannot work.

This is the reason why God seems to be incapable or impotent. Who made the almighty God incapable? I did and you did. We can't put limitations on God who created this world and who has guided mankind right up to this moment. The God who created this world is the God who created Adam and Eve on earth and is the same God who called Abraham from Ur of Chaldea and is the same God who sent Jesus on earth. By giving His only begotten son, God tried to save mankind. The same God is now living with me, the same God is living with you. Even at this moment, He's living with us who made Him incapable and impotent by our lack of faith. We believe in the existence of God; but we don't believe in the real force, the real capability of God. God can cure your disease. God can change your character. God can give inspiration to you. God can give answers to you. God can change you and change the relationships between brothers and sisters. God can work wonders.

One day we planned to gather many parents together to give a special workshop. We had planned on 200 people, but the time was near and only 30 or 40 had applied. We thought that even 30 or 40 would be OK because we had never gathered any parents before. But one disagreed with us and said, "We can do it, we can do it. I'll never be satisfied with 40. We can do 200. We can do 200." He was very confident. Afterwards he came to me and asked for help. No one believed in God, he said, not even the leaders. "Help me," he said. He and I went somewhere and prayed and in the prayer I felt what little faith I had. According to the reality of the situation, it was very clear that we couldn't gather more than 40 or 50, at least according to a statistical understanding. But I could understand I was standing on past unsuccessful experience. According to a common sense understanding of the past, it was impossible to get more than 50. But, who manipulated the past, I thought. Satan manipulated the past. In the satanic dominion Satan is king. Therefore, if we think we cannot do something, it means we are still under satanic subjugation. Why should we be satisfied with 40 or 50? This is a satanic understanding, a satanic opinion. "Forty or fifty is OK," Satan was whispering. In the next moment, I could understand that there is nothing that Heavenly Father cannot do, Heavenly Father who made this world and who has guided this world.

We determined to begin not with reality but with God. God's intention is to bring all mankind to Himself. He cannot be satisfied with 50 or even 70. He has the right and the force and the real capability to do anything if only we have faith and we repent. We started to gather members and stimulated much excitement. We said, "We can do it because God is with us. There is nothing that God cannot do." On the final day of the campaign one week later, we had a sermon. The Master of Ceremonies reported that now 199 had applied to attend this workshop. How very close, but not enough! The Master of Ceremonies took his seat. I was the speaker at that time and just as I got to the hall a note came from the office that said another one had applied just now. The people who were there were amazed at hearing this fact. They all stood up and cheered. It was a victory of faith, a victory of faith! They shouted, "We got a victory, we got a victory, a victory of faith!" Actually, 204 people came. If we truly have faith and we can move God's heart, Heavenly Father is then responsible. If we have true faith and if we do our portion of responsibility 100% or more than 100%, then in the next moment God works and He can execute His almighty power.

We believe in God, but we don't believe in the real capability of God. This is the true meaning of faithlessness. There are so many Christians living now on the earth. If they could all have this kind of faith this world would be changed at once. God can work through them. There is now almost no faith in Christianity. This is the reason why God cannot work and why Satan can work. This world is involved in impurities and corruption. Christianity, as a result, has lost the spiritual force to save this world. We must restore true faith, faith in God, not only in the existence of God. We must believe that God can solve the world's problems. If we trust God, God will work. If we trust and believe in God and do our 100%, God can do anything. When one meets with difficulties, his attitude will determine whether he is a man of faith or a man of faithlessness. If he says only, "Oh, I cannot, I cannot," and retreats, he is out of the question. Another says, "Oh I can do that OK; I can break through," and he does it. But after a while, he feels fatigue and he fails. Another one penetrates and penetrates and he does it. What's the difference between the second one and third one? I will tell one short story in a word or two. America and Japan fought each other and in some small island of the Pacific Ocean the Japanese troops were compelled to retreat because of American attack. Many ships sank and there was no supply of food. They had to walk a long distance around the seashore to find a place to protect themselves. Everyone began to walk without food. In retreat, they died one by one because of fatigue and starvation and very few came back. Most of those who came back were Christians who had faith, and those who had no faith died on the way. They all tried to survive but they couldn't because they tried with their own efforts alone. Without God, this is just 5%. Those who survived were given another 95% from God.

This is the difference between men of faith and men without faith. When we truly have faith, however difficult the situation may be, we can still all have victory. In the coldness of winter we can live in the warm spring, if we have faith. Is there anyone who doesn't believe that the sun will shine in the morning? At midnight it's very dark and at 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock it's still very dark. But is there anyone who doesn't believe it will be light very soon? Then you have faith. You have no experience, but you have faith. Even in the coldness of the white snow is there anyone who doesn't believe that beautiful flowers will bloom very soon when spring comes? We can believe in these things because it was God who prepared morning after night, and God who prepared spring after winter. The same God made a promise that if only we have faith He can work. Why can't we believe that the same God can have real capability to change this world, to change ourselves? Whatever big problems you may have; in family relationships, in your character, anything: do you think that God is incapable of solving these problems? Truly, Heavenly Father can do it. The only reason why Heavenly Father hasn't done it is because of our faithlessness and our own lack of 100% effort. Faith will solve our questions and problems without fail.

As you know, Noah was an old man, but still he was able to make an ark. He was ridiculed by people; but he had faith and because he had faith, he could do incredible things. When Abraham was called from Ur of Chaldea, he put aside his job, his family, his estate, everything he had, and he followed God without knowing anything about where to go. He had faith and because he had faith, God made him great. God made him the ancestor of the Israelites. When the Egyptians chased after the Israelites, the Egyptians were behind the Israelites and the Red Sea was in front of them. Women and children cried and men shouted. But Moses had faith in God and prayed. Because he had faith, God was able to work. God divided the sea into two because Moses had faith. Noah was a man of faith, Abraham was a man of faith, and Moses was a man of faith. However difficult their situations were, they broke through the difficulties due to their faith. . .

If we have faith, even in the coldness of winter we will be able to foresee the coming of beautiful spring. Standing in the cold snow we will see blooming of flowers and hear the twittering birds. This is faith. When others are about to die because of despair and hopelessness, you will still have hope and you will be able to smile because you will see the solution to the difficulties. You will already have solved them within you and joy will come to you. Others will not understand why you are smiling. This is faith. Where there is no hope you can be hopeful and you can give hope. Where there is coldness you can be warm and you can give warmth. Where there is grief you can be consoled and you can give consolation. Where there is darkness you can be light and you can give light. This is faith. Where there is no love you can give love because you're living in the new world already. However dark it may be, you will be able to see light. Every dark cloud has a silver lining. This is faith. You will see brilliant sunshine even in the darkness.

Faith brings hope however difficult and hopeless the situation may be. When you have faith, faith itself can create hope with a deep and steadfast foundation. Where there is hope we feel love. When people are hating each other, we have hope and love because we have faith. The plant of faith will bloom in hope and a bloom of hope can bear the fruits of love, hope, and faith. Therefore, we can say with St. Paul, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Yes, it's true, with faith we can change this world. Many people are now caught up in corruption, degradation, and hopelessness. But, however dark it may be, God has slowly prepared the coming of the new age, the coming of a new era. Yes, through the Messiah's Second Coming this world will be changed completely. If we have faith, if we have hope, we can create a world of love. God promised to send the Messiah again. Yes, this is as true as the daily sunrise and the nightly darkness of midnight. Because God made the promise, the Messiah must come. God never fails. Through the Second Coming of the Messiah, the kingdom of God will be established here on earth. If we have faith in this point, then we are not really living in this impure world. We are all living in the kingdom of God. With faith, we can love each other and we can have hope. We are already in the kingdom of God if only we do our portion of responsibility with faith. Now we can truly realize the kingdom of God through faith, true faith.

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