Ep 549 - Cranes Club For Young Professionals Part 3
Cranes Club for Young Professionals 184-29-14-40-549 + Maiko Shimogawara’s Testimony - April 27
Yesterday I attended Sunday service at a local church in Korea and delivered God’s message. I can speak with more confidence in Korean, and I could have give-and-take with local brothers and sisters. It was an incredibly beautiful time!
Today I’d like to talk about the “Cranes Club for young professionals” from True Mother’s Anthology, Book 1.
I told the second generation members, “You were born as pure water, as the children of parents blessed by True Parents in the fallen world.” The fallen world is muddy, turbid water. Pure water, however, goes stale if it is stagnant and does not move. Therefore, if you know True Parents and you have been blessed by them, you need to introduce True Parents to your neighbors and your country, and furthermore, to the seven billion people of the world. That is the responsibility that comes with the Blessing you have received from True Parents.
If all peoples of all nations in the world formed blessed families and attended the Heavenly Parent and True Parents with one heart and one will how could there be conflicts between neighboring countries? How could they possibly fight one another for their own interests? You need to bear in mind that the only way for this country and the world to survive is by attending True Parents. Things may be difficult for you if you try to work alone, but if you work together with your brothers and sisters and progress toward your one common goal, you will bear great fruits. (2014.12.21, South Point Hotel, Las Vegas)
Even clear water becomes rotten if it is stagnant and does not move. Flowing water creates life all the time. Therefore, the Blessed Family and their children must also move in order to be alive. Stagnant water rots. Our souls become dead souls as long as they do not move for the will of God.
Therefore, you should not try to merely maintain your life of faith. You have to constantly challenge yourself. A life of faith is always challenging and overcoming, setting a goal and (then) challenging and overcoming (again). (In this way) you go up to a different level.
In order for you to grow spiritually, you have to set dreams and goals, take on challenges, and move forward. Otherwise, if you settle for reality, your soul will die. So as long as you are alive, you have to move forward. As long as you are alive, you have to put all your energy into saving the soul of even one person.
The fact that I wake up every morning and am alive (means) that I have a mission. That is … to save even one soul.
When you wake up and feel, “I am alive,” it means, “I have a mission.” What kind of mission? I have to save even one person’s soul. That is everybody’s common goal. That is why Mother says continuously if you do not do anything and you are stagnant, then your spirit will surely go down. As long as you breathe and are alive, constantly and continually you need to look for someone who really can become God’s son or daughter.
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.
What is Good and Evil?
Today let’s study good and evil based on Bible verses.
Bible Verses: Good and Evil
1. Genesis 2:17 :You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: If you eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you (will) surely die and become evil. Not only die, but become evil. Therefore, no matter what, you must not eat the fruit. Before marriage, until you control sex, woman is the enemy to man and man is the enemy to woman.
You need to know very clearly about that. When you relate to a man or woman without controlling your sex, you are really in danger.
The enemy of all enemies is the enemy of love. The evil of all evils is eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Self-centered or arrogant people are always likely to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The common denominator of those who do not keep purity is that most of them are very arrogant, self-centered, and become the tools of the evil Satan.
That is why anyone who creates a Chapter Two problem easily becomes evil, easily becomes self-centered. Anyone who commits Chapter Two sin (becomes on of) two kinds of people (who) appear. One guy really repents and tries to go back to God’s bosom. The other guy who commits Chapter Two sin tries to deny God and True Parents and the Divine Principle and wants to run away. But I am telling you, you cannot cheat your original mind. The more you deny God, True Parents and the Divine Principle, (the more) you will feel incredible pangs of conscience. No one can avoid this.
Centering on Bible verses, what are good and evil? If you eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you are in danger. Keeping purity is very important. Look at Adam and Eve. After eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, what happened? Everybody became the enemy of God.
2. Genesis 3:5 : “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Once you eat it, since you know the taste of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you cannot break away. Once you become addicted to drugs, sex, alcohol, cigarettes and games, it's hard to get out of it. These are Satan's five great weapons. Many young people these days are addicted to games, and there are too many people who can't get rid of them.
Of course, you can control it a little bit, okay. But young people cannot control games. These are the serious issues: drugs, sex, alcohol, cigarettes, and games. If you do not control (them) properly, you surely will die and become the equipment(?equivalent?) of evil. That is why the Bible clearly says that we have to be really careful.
3. Psalm 37:27 “ Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.”
Why do you live long if you do good? When I do good, my soul is very healthy because (doing good) fills my soul with joy, so I can live long and live forever.
That’s why those who live for the sake of others, those who really help others and give them joy, live a long life normally because God blesses them. They are very healthy spiritually. They don’t feel much stress because they always feel full of joy through helping others and living for the sake of others.
4. Proverbs 12:2 “ Good people obtain favor from the LORD, but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.”
Those who devise wicked schemes must surely be condemned.
Someone who always makes up or devises wicked schemes -- “How can I kick him out? How can I attack him? How can I get a higher position than he?” -- (someone who feels) jealousy, this kind of guy and person will surely be condemned. We need to know about that.
5. Romans 12:17 “ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”
If I repay evil for evil, I too become a wicked person, and the evil multiplies.
6. Romans 12:21 “ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
In order not to be defeated by evil, control the desires of the flesh and always do good and give and give for the sake of others.
This is the way to win over evil.
Without controlling physical desires, without giving, without living for the sake of others, there is no way to win over evil.
7. John 5: 29 “Those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
If I do good works, my soul must experience the resurrection of life. And if you do evil, you will surely be judged. Where there is sin, there must be judgment.
No one can avoid this rule.
TODAY’S YOUTH MINISTRY: Blessed Families Must Bear True Parents’ Cross
Let’s study.
1. You must take up the cross without any conditions of disbelief to win. To win with the cross means that the cross caused by my own sins and the cross I suffer because of my ancestors' lineage are all finished. If the foundation of faith and the foundation of substance are fulfilled in one's life of faith, the course of one’s own cross will come to an end. You set a standard that has no more conditions for Satan to accuse. If from a spiritual point of view, that person is worthy of praise, and from the standpoint of a human being on earth, that person becomes worthy of praise, their individual cross will disappear. After that, you will begin to take up the public cross. The public cross is the cross of Jesus, the cross of True Parents, and the cross of God. If you become a Unification Church blessed family today, whose cross should you bear? We must bear the cross of True Parents. We need to be at the stage where we can take on True Parents’ worries. Then we will serve and be filial to True Parents.
If the foundation of faith and the foundation of substance are fulfilled in one's life of faith, the course of one’s cross will come to an end.
In the formation stage we take responsibility for my own sin. In the growth stage we try to pay indemnity for the sake of my ancestors. That’s why if the foundation of faith and foundation of substance are fulfilled in one’s life of faith, the course of one’s cross will come to an end.
If you go beyond the growth stage and enter the completion stage, you enter a course to bear True Parents’ cross and God’s cross.
A person who has overcome the relationship between Cain and Abel well, begins the journey of the cross on the path of the completion stage. He is worthy of praise from a spiritual point of view, and from a human point of view.
Many people recognize him and respect him and praise him. “Wow! This guy is a genius of human relationships, especially between Cain and Abel. He is the one who always carries the cross of God and True Parents.”
The cross to bear at the completion stage is a public cross. The public cross is the cross of Jesus, the cross of True Parents, and the cross of God. It is a course to take responsibility for God and True Parents' worries and liberate them.
What cross are you carrying? Are you bearing a personal cross to pay off your own sins? Or are you carrying the cross to atone for the sins of your ancestors? Or are we carrying the public cross for True Parents and God's will?
2. I should no longer create pain caused by me in front of heaven. I am not someone who lives within the realm of True Parents’ circumstances, but I must go beyond the level of faith with the belief and realization that I belong to True Parents and enter the realm of the parents' heart and bear True Parents’ cross as a filial son or daughter. What is the son’s cross? Cultivating the ability to take on Heaven’s sorrows through the horizontal cross centered on human relationships while living on earth is the son’s cross. The course of the cross of the adopted son is the process of inheriting the circumstances of Heaven. We must consider all life circumstances from the child's point of view as the circumstances of the father, carry the cross of others around us in place of Heaven, and have filial piety that can please God.
A person who goes on the path of the completion stage no longer creates pain caused by himself in front of Heaven.
God never worries about you because you have already graduated. God is so happy because you carry the public cross, the national cross, the cross of the world, the cross of God and True Parents. God is so grateful to you!
On the completion stage course, you also hold the belief and realization that you belong to True Parents and have to go beyond the level of faith, enter the realm of the parents' heart and bear the cross of True Parents as a filial son or daughter.
Our True Mother carries such a burdensome and heavy cross. Who can help (her)? Who can willingly and happily bear her cross? We are the ones. We are blessed families. You second generation and third generation are the ones who need to carry the cross of our True Parents (and of) our Heavenly Parent.
The completion stage course is a cross that one bears for their parents as a filial child.
3. Pastors working in public positions today are in a position where they can revive their hearts while in the position of the adopted son. This is because they go beyond their own life and circumstances and personal goals and devoted themselves while knowing the circumstances of Heavenly Parent and True Parents. People in public positions can be resurrected more easily than others. It is very difficult for church members who focus on their own personal life to enter the realm of the adopted son. This is because it is difficult for them to get out of their own circumstances. If you only live by faith, it is difficult to get out of the position of a servant.
What are the benefits of working in public positions?
One in a public position is in the adopted son’s position where he can revive his heart.
Spiritual growth is rapid for those in public positions because they go beyond their own life and circumstances and devote themselves while knowing the circumstances of Heavenly Parent and True Parents.
It is very difficult for church members who focus on their own personal life to enter the realm of the adopted son.
Of course, certain people have public missions. Those who are working outside, even though it is not an easy situation, really need to think, “This is God’s will.” You need to take it as a public responsibility -- serving your company, serving your workplace, working with outside people. You need to treat them as your own brothers and sisters. You need to treat that company as God’s and my company. That should be okay.
Of course, those who substantially have a public mission (have it) much, much easier than those who are working outside.
4. “I will keep my own faith,” “I will follow the way of the Will at home while financially independent,” “I will believe well while living as an ordinary believer.” It's hard to get out of the servant position for those who leave behind the church’s circumstances and try to resolve their own situation first. It is true if you put yourself first for financial self-reliance rather than public responsibility. However, those in a public pastor’s position worry more about the church than about their own household. So, because you are partly responsible for God’s father’s living, you will grow within the realm of adopted son. Our leaders must be smart about the adopted son level resurrection and resurrect the church members well.
People who do public missions resurrect easily because their position is where they can bear the cross for others and for the Will.
Blessed families must bear God’s and True Parents’ cross.
Wow! True Parents’ guidance is really amazing, right? Outside religious people do not know how to grow up, how to bear the cross. But the Divine Principle teaches step by step: formation, growth and completion stage. I am so satisfied by our True Parents’ guidance (about) how to bear the cross. Finally we have to bear the cross of God (and) our True Parents. Then we surely (will) become God's filial sons and daughters.
LIVING TESTIMONY: I’m a Living Testimony that Anything is Possible
Today let's take the time to hear another living testimony of Maiko Shimogawara from LA CARP. Let’s welcome her. Thank you very much.
(Testimony of Maiko Shimogawara.)
Thank you so much, Maiko Shimogawara, for your beautiful testimony. When I visited your place, I understood how dedicated and devoted to witnessing you are and (how much) you support your Abel. You really know how to create unity between Cain and Abel! You are really an exemplary figure! Because of that unity, you (have been able to) break through with your spiritual children. Thank you for your beautiful testimony!
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.♦