Ep 548 - Cranes Club For Young Professionals Part 2
Cranes Club for Young Professionals 183-28-14-40-548 + Testimony of Jonathan Davis - April 26, 2022
I really miss all of you. Even though I have not joined you live (this morning). I always watch my own morning devotion and (your) reflections and appreciations. I really appreciate all of you. In two days I will return to America and will attend (Morning Devotion) live. I want to hear your voice and your suggestions. I am really excited to return to my mission country, America.
Today I’d like to talk about “Cranes Club for young professionals” from True Mother’s Anthology, Book 1.
You have lived and breathed in the same era as the True Parents. What does this mean? It means you are placed in the position of the ancestors. You are the center. You have to become people who are not ashamed of or afflicted with pangs of conscience over this. Whatever you are doing in your part of the world, you still have the responsibility to bring new life, to meet many people and raise them. I'm saying that you have to witness to people. The True Parents are the True Parents of all seven billion people of this world. You should remain within the realm of True Parents' love. If you depart from True Parents, you are no different from Adam and Eve who fell into the fallen world. We are living in a time when it becomes important that you can be remembered in history as being filial children and loyal patriots in front of True Parents by offering devotions and making effort as people born to those who were the first to receive the Blessing from True Parents.
Our physical life on earth is short. Even if one lives a long, healthy life, one usually does not live for more than 100 years. I am now more than 70 years old. You must have hopes and dreams. The longer I stay with you the more blessings will come to you. You can become the leaders in firmly establishing Cheon Il Guk. Whatever you do, you must be different from the rest of the world. You need to be the new ancestors of a noble family. To become that you have to make an effort. You must attend True Parents until they are able to embrace all seven billion people in the world as king of kings. You must make efforts to become proud parents to your descendants. (2014.12.20, South Point Hotel, Las Vegas)
The position in which we have received the Blessing from True Parents is the position of ancestors. Therefore, as a model ancestor, we have to lead a life free from remorse.
Second, you have a responsibility to find and nurture many people around the world who, no matter what they are doing, can get new life because of you. That means you must witness. You need to focus on salvation.
Thirdly, True Mother said that all blessed families should become central to the settlement of Cheon Il Guk and become the ancestors of a noble family.
When we reach the standard of the royal family, we can become the ancestors of the noble family. True Mother really emphasizes that we need to become a noble family. The first generation will become a noble family, and then the second generation will need to inherit from the first generation. Then the third generation will need to inherit from the second generation. Then three generations will reach a certain standard. Then you (will become) the ancestors of the noble family. Mother emphasizes how to rear ancestors of the noble family.
LIVING DIVINE PRINCIPLE: Principle of Creation 44 - What is Good and Evil?
Let’s study the EDP content first.
• An act or its result is considered good when it fulfills God’s purpose of creation; this takes place when subject and object partners unite through the harmonious and spirited give and take of love and beauty, become the third object partner to God, and form the four position foundation.
• An act or its result is considered evil when it violates God’s purpose of creation by forming a four position foundation under the dominion of Satan.
Today I would like again to talk about what good and evil are based on our Divine Principle.
What is Good and Evil?
1. Father said that good is to be for the sake of greater things. Good is to love the family more than yourself, to love your nation more than your family and to love humankind more than your nation.
Do you love the family more than the individual? Do you love your country more than your family? Do you love True Parents more than anything else?
Those who died while loving their own country, Father said, must be resurrected. Why? It’s because loving the world is still left to do. To inherit everything of God’s, you have to love the universe.
That is why our final goal is not only to (be satisfied with) loving my own family, my own tribe and nation. Father said our final goal is to love all humankind and the world. If you only love your own family and (then) die, you will need to resurrect. Then your course to love your tribe, nation and world will still remain. Those who become patriots because they love their country very much and then die, still need to be resurrected again because their course still remains (incomplete).
Our final destination is to love all humankind and the world. God loves the world. Our category is not just the family, tribe and nation, but the whole world. That is why you need to embrace the whole world beyond color, nationality, any philosophy and thought. You need to truly feel we are one family under God.
You do not care about any nationality or nationalism. There is no need to talk about black-white people issues. We need to overcome everything with true love. This is very important. God doesn’t have any color, any nationality. That is why we need to go beyond such concepts. That is why Father has suggested international and interreligious marriage. You need to marry with your enemy nation -- between black and white people, between yellow and white people, especially between Koreans and Japanese enemies.
That is why Father initiated the marriage ceremony between Japanese and Koreans. I did not like Japanese. However, Father said the best way to make unity and world peace is to love your enemies. Without loving your enemy, you cannot build world peace. Why did Jesus become such a famous guy? He loved his enemies. White people, no matter what, need to love black people. Black people, no matter what, need to overcome and love white people. Only true love can settle these issues.
2. Those who are always living privately and selfishly are evil.
Unification Church-style egoism: We should not be content with myself being blessed, my children being blessed, and my family entering CheonBoWon and (simply) ignore other families. “I fulfilled my own portion of responsibilities. I already raised the Cheonbo Won. I fulfilled my 5% responsibility.”
Why … are you saying that? Do not be satisfied. Don’t stop after you complete your mission, the human portion of responsibility.
God's concept of salvation is total salvation without missing a single (person). God wants to save my race, my country, and the whole world through me and my family. Why did God call me? Not for my own individual salvation. Not just for my family’s salvation. Not just for my tribe's salvation. God called me to become a Unificationist and blessed family for the sake of the world. That is why you were chosen. …
Why did God choose me among 7.8 billion people? For what purpose? Not just for your salvation. You cannot just be satisfied with your own salvation. This is our church-style egoism. That is why you need to think about God’s situation. We must never forget that the reason God called me and you was to save the world and all humankind -- through me and through you. Therefore I should not be satisfied with my personal salvation, nor with the salvation of my family…
3. Good is a heart that wants to give without reason and share everything we have.
Goodness just wants to give and to live for the sake of others for no reason. “I just want to give. No condition. No reason. Just naturally I want to give, to help.” This is goodness.
Goodness is unconditional sacrifice, unconditional giving. There are no conditions for parents to love their children. Conditional goodness is still in the realm of restoration through indemnity.
4. Don’t regret that you did good and don’t sell the fruits of that good.
God is a good God. God never causes loss. He repays you tenfold and one hundredfold. That is why God is a GOOD God. What you have done for the sake of God’s will, he never forgets. Anything you dedicate or do for the sake of his will, as your parents he never, ever forgets. Someday he will definitely repay you. Not just tenfold. Not only one-hundredfold.
If you don’t receive that kind of benefit during your generation, the greatest blessing will always go to your descendants. That is why whatever you have done for the sake of God’s will since you joined the church -- for 30 or 40 or 50 years -- never regret (it). Why? God knows you very well. God is such a good God. You will never lose. He never causes loss.
We should always forget about the good things we did.
5. When you speak honestly and act sincerely, good is reflected in it, however Evil always hides itself.
Goodness is always honest and very sincere.
I am so surprised when I go to America and see my American brothers and sisters.
Most are very sincere and very honest. I love that kind of honesty.
Goodness always confesses. It is good at apologizing. It expresses gratitude and regret well. This is goodness.
However, evil is not honest. It never confesses. It hides its identity always. …
It always is doing things behind. This is the nature of evil. It does not show. It always hides its identity. This is really evil.
Evil is always proud. It is not humble at all.
It is not honest, (does) not confess, seldom apologies, seldom expresses gratitude, seldom regrets.
Wow! Today Father is teaching what is good and evil.
6. If Evil attacks good, Evil never wins and if Good is attacked, Good never perishes.
Distinguishing Cain and Abel: who attacks first? The person who strikes and attacks first is Cain.
We already know that. Evil always attacks, persecutes first, blames first, criticizes first. This is evil. But the Abel side waits and accepts and digests, and is more patient.
Evil strikes first, attacks first -- not just physically; also using words.
7. Good never takes advantage. It may be taken advantage of, but eventually the person who took advantage will perish.
Abel does not use Cain, but Cain always tries to use Abel.
However, even if you have the position of Abel, if you misuse Cain, you are not a true Abel. True Abel does not use Cain for certain (?selfish?) purposes(?). But the nature of Cain is always to use Abel.
Do not use church members for your own purpose or business as a leader. If you misuse members, great judgment will wait for you. Our members are very kind and sincere and believe easily. Many people misuse this kind of Unification Church character. It is easy for them to believe and easy (for them) to be disappointed. Those who misuse this kind of character and misuse our members, this kind of guy is really evil.
8. If you have Goodness, you can always grow, but if you have Evil, you will complain more and have more regrets
Complaints are poison. Submission, worry for the sake of the whole purpose may look like complaints, but that is not complaint. Really live for the sake of righteousness and with your tears suggest good things; that is not complaint. Without connecting to God, without the heart of filial piety, just horizontally saying this and that, that is complaint. Complaint is poison. Complaints kill your soul.
TODAY’S YOUTH MINISTRY: To Bear Each Other's Pain Means to Link Affection and Affection (2)
1. Let’s consider the case of the prodigal son in the Bible. If a child leaves his home because he does not want to be intervened (with) by his parents, whose words would he obey? Where in the world will a person who does not obey his parents even find someone who will treat him like his own parents, and who will a child who has left home serve and be loved by whom? Those who abandon their parents and leave will not be able to find the subject of love who will love them. So you only become lonely and in pain. Since the prodigal son goes out because he does not want to be interfered with by his parents, he is in the position of the prodigal son who will not be able to find someone who will love him any longer. Then each person he meets will have a lower level of love. As a result, you will not feel satisfied. As the days go by, the sadness only grows and we have no choice but to go down the path with regret.
Where in the world will a person who does not obey his parents even find someone who will treat him like his own parents?
Who will a child who has left home serve and be loved by? Those who abandon their parents and leave will not be able to find the subject of love who will love them.
Children who do not obey their parents do not obey anyone. I promise you. Therefore, those who disobey their parents are most likely to commit crimes when they go out into the world. A person who does not obey his parents is unlikely to become a (person of good) character. And the unfilial child creates conflict and complicates all human relationships.
That is why obedience is very important. Look at all the central figures in human history. Their common point is absolute obedience. Noah and Abraham absolutely obeyed God. So did Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Jesus. Their common point was absolute obedience.
Children who do not obey their parents are bound to become lonely and suffer. Therefore, the unfilial child is highly likely to be horizontally polluted because he always communicates with low-level people in the world.
An unfilial child who does not obey his parents is always dissatisfied. As the days go by, he only grows sad and regrets and is forced to go downhill.
Look at Adam and Eve. They disobeyed God’s commandment. What happened?
Absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience: absolute obedience is the completion stage; absolute faith is the formation stage, and absolute love is the growth stage. Faith and belief and love -- without believing in and loving someone, you cannot obey (him). Obedience is already beyond faith and love. Without loving someone, I cannot obey. Without believing in someone, I cannot obey. That is why obedience is the highest level, above absolute faith and hope and love. One completely becomes one.
Father said successful parents raise their children to be filial sons and daughters. Of course, if the parents go the wrong way, we cannot follow. There are some special cases, but I am talking about the general case.
2. How can a person who has left God be happy on the downward path of his heart? What can a person who has departed from God be comfortable with? When the standard of love falls, everyone becomes conflicted, lost in direction, and ambiguous. What are our sins? It was a sin to cause infinite resentment against God through the fall of the first parents. Then, how are we going to deal with the regret of God? First of all, I have to take the lead in solving the difficult and sad things in my life. First, you must carry your cross well, then your brothers and sisters’ cross, and go further, nurture a heart that can feel Heavenly Father's sorrow as well, and go on the path of pain of restoration. So, in the end, we take responsibility for even God's sorrow.
A person who leaves God and leaves his parents cannot be happy forever. To say that you are comfortable with leaving God is a lie. You are telling a lie. If you depart from God and (say you) are comfortable, (that) is a lie.
Even if you (feel) happy, it is temporary (happiness). Anyone who leaves God and their parents, loses the standard of love and causes conflict, loss of direction, and ambiguity.
There is no happiness apart from God. There can be no happiness without parents. Therefore, just as the prodigal son returns to his home, we too have to return to God's side no matter how much suffering we (endure).
Why is all humankind wandering and suffering? What is the main cause? It is because they have left God. Why am I still wandering and suffering? Because I still haven't properly found God.
When I meet God, only then can I settle my heart. When I depart from God, (I will be) wandering and suffering on and on and again and again. Since Adam and Eve left God, how much they suffered, how much they wandered here and there! Our original mind always says to go back to the original hometown. Where is our original hometown? God is our original hometown. When can we graduate from our suffering and difficulty? When we truly meet God and build up a parent-child relationship with God, an unforgettable, heartistic, inseparable relationship.
Then how are we going to deal with the regret of God? First, I have to take the lead in solving the difficult and sad things in my life.
First, you must carry your cross well, then your brothers and sisters’ cross, and go further, nurture a heart that can feel Heavenly Father's sorrow as well, and go on the path of pain of restoration.
So, in the end, we take responsibility even for God's sorrow.
We cannot take responsibility in the beginning for God’s sorrow. Only gradually, gradually. First, you need to take responsibility for your own cross. Later you need to bear your brothers and sisters’ cross, your parents’ cross, your tribal and nation’s cross. Then you can reach heaven. Then in the end you can even take responsibility for God’s sorrow.
3. Taking responsibility for God's sorrow cannot be done from the beginning. When the prodigal son returns to his home, he must start from the position of a servant and become the chief servant among them. If you do not become the number one servant among servants, you cannot be said to have liquidated unfilial piety and be filial to one’s own father. You cannot relieve your parent's sorrow if you cannot even be a servant in your own home. Become the number one servant so that the servants must testify “the second son was a great concern for his parents before, but now he is a filial son.” It is filial piety to sacrifice and labor to understand your parents’ heart. Therefore, a life that follows the way of the cross of pain and suffering centered on the Word is ultimately a life of loyalty. But until now, we did not know that the word “filial piety to our parents” means to bear the cross of our parents. We did not know that to serve God means to bear the cross of God. To say that children grow up as children and fulfill their responsibilities means that they have reached a stage where they can feel their parents’ sorrow.
In order for the prodigal son, who was an unfilial child, to become a filial son, he must suffer more than the servants of his own household and become the chief servant among the servants. If you do not become the number one servant among the servants, you cannot pay (for) the unfilial thing to your father and become a filial child.
Become the number one servant so that the servants must testify “the second son was a great concern for his parents before, but now he is a filial son.”
Until now, we did not know that the word “filial piety to our parents” means to bear the cross of our parents.
We did not know that to serve God means to bear the cross of God. Wow! This is incredible!
To say that children grow up as children and fulfill their responsibilities means that they have reached a stage where they can feel their parents’ sorrow.
4. In the Old Testament Age, perhaps God expressed His aching heart through Abraham’s burnt offering of Isaac. It is thought that the New Testament Age showed the pain of God through Jesus, through the cross of Jesus. In this way, we believers today must change the cross of Jesus into our own cross. That is why the relationship between the Lord and me must form an integral relationship between the Lord and me, ‘you and me’ and ‘me and you’. Those who carry their own cross and follow the Lord cannot take the place between Jesus and his brothers, but can be seen as a believer in the position of a servant. If you are between Jesus and his brothers, you must bear the cross of Jesus to be considered brothers and sisters of faith.
Those who carry their own cross and follow the Lord cannot take the place between Jesus and his brothers, but can be seen as a believer in the position of a servant.
If you are between Jesus and his brothers, you have to bear the cross of Jesus to be considered brothers and sisters of faith.
In conclusion, taking responsibility for each other's pain means that the hearts and minds of each other become one and form an eternal bond of heart.
LIVING TESTIMONY: I’m a Living Testimony that Anything is Possible
Now it is time to share a living testimony. Let's take the time to hear another living testimony of Johnathan Davis from GPA. Let’s welcome him. Thank you very much. I really miss all of you. See you soon!
(Testimony of Johnathan Davis.)♦
NOTE: This lightly edited transcription may contain errors and omissions. Indecipherable or uncertain words and guesses are tagged with a “(?)” and indecipherable phrases, with an ellipsis “...”. First, second and third person pronouns have been left as spoken if the meaning is clear, and other apparently Korean English expressions have been preserved. Some repeated phrases have been eliminated. This text and the powerpoint slides from this speech are available as pdf files at the top of this text and at text.morndev.com & yong.hoondok.com. Audio only is available at anchor.morndev.com, spotify.morndev.com & audio.morndev.com. Notes or transcripts of Dr. Yong’s Morning Devotion speeches from November 11, 2020 through January 2, 2022 are available as five paperback books at cost at Lulu.com/Shop -- search for Dr. Chung Sik Yong -- and as PDF downloads free of charge at MDBooks.Hoondok.com.♦