Ep 466 - America - The Elder Son's Responsibility Part 2
America -- The Elder Son's Responsibility 101-26-12-40 - February 3, 2022
Today I’d like to talk again about “America -- the elder son's responsibility” from True Mother’s Anthology, Book 1.
Though America received God's blessings for 200 years, what is it like today? True Father carried out his worldwide providence centering on America from 1972. He said, “I came to America as a doctor because it is sick. I came to America as a firefighter because it is on fire.” America was undergoing a moral breakdown, and was thinking only of its own interests and forgetting the true purpose for which Heaven had established it. That is why True Father wished to awaken America and establish it again in front of Heaven's providence, so that it can fulfill its responsibility in this age when the Messiah of the Second Advent has appeared.
He thus poured out his love on the elder son nation. Fallen human beings, however, are unintelligent. They cannot realize how the history of the providence has unfolded until now, or even whether God is alive or not. And so, for 34 years, True Father tried to enlighten them in various ways through his own actions. America has much to repent for. If it does not repent, it will not be able to save face in the future as a respected nation in the world. History has taught us that, when people or nations chosen by Heaven fail to fulfill their responsibility, they have to pay severe indemnity. (2013.10.14, Sapporo, Japan)
The United States of America is the nation to which True Father dedicated himself for more than 40 years. America was established as the elder son nation, but it did not fulfill its responsibility. An elder son must embrace his younger siblings. America is not taking care of its siblings because it is more focused on its own well-being, which is wrong. We have the broad foundation that True Father laid. From now on, the American church needs to move forward based on spirit and truth. I have also said that it needs to become a lively church filled with spirit and truth, where the lights are burning 24 hours a day. I hope that you will endeavor to make that a reality. (2013.02.10, Cheon Jeong Gung)
Let’s summarize what Mother is talking about.
Key Points from True Mother's Message
1. America is undergoing a moral breakdown.
Therefore, it is necessary to continuously develop the movement of purity and absolute sex centering on the growing youth. There is only absolute sex education that can save youth from falling into prostitution and prevent free sex. Only education and an exemplary life are the solutions.
2. America is thinking only of its own interests.
We need to teach the American people the spirit of living for the sake of others.
Whenever we have any opportunity, a seminar, etc., we (need to) continuously guide them in the principle of living for the sake of others.
3. We need to awaken America.
First, we need to inform America that we need to return to the spirit of the early church and educate all Christians along with ACLC.
That is why the role of the ACLC is very important, to help them wake up in order to return to our founding spirit.
4. America needs to repent.
Centering on the spirit of the early church, the people of the whole nation need to do the Great Awakening Movement, so that God becomes the center of America.
5. America could not fulfill her responsibility as a chosen nation, If so, America should know that she has to pay severe indemnity.
Now as we are facing the last providence, we need to become one with True Mother and help the providence of Heavenly Unified Korea so that America can fulfill its responsibility.
6. America does not fulfill its responsibility as an elder nation.
> America, as an elder nation, needs to embrace the 200 nations in the world.
We need to send our Blessed children and youth to the world mission field to participate in the salvation of all mankind substantially.
7. America needs to move forward based on spirit and truth.
All family members need to attend the morning devotion to continuously lay the spiritual foundation for God to work in spirit and truth.
Already I can feel something everywhere. That kind of phenomenon is already appearing.
Even though our situation is not easy, let’s try to really unite together to attend morning devotion and invest our effort and jeongseong. And finally God will be the one who will handle the entire American providence. Only Jeongseong can move God’s heart. Only Jeongseong can bring the Holy Spirit working together with the truth.
8. It needs to become a lively church filled with spirit and truth.
The center of our movement is the Blessing. Blessing is eternal salvation. Everyone should do their best to fulfill the mission of Heavenly Tribal Messiah.
Anyone participating to fulfill this HTM mission needs to substantially feel the spirit and truth because we are the ones who really focus on God’s providence substantially and directly.
Based on Mother’s words, let’s study a little more of Father’s words and what he says about the mission of America.
<Pyeong Hwa Gyeong, P. 1309> When God is with you, everything can be resolved. But the day you lose God, you lose everything. Knowing this, you must clearly understand that you need to find God and all humanity, even if it means having to sacrifice everything and even the entire United States. The United States has to be awakened, and its citizens need to come together and once again embrace the goal of unity, centered on God. A spiritual reform movement must arise, leading the United States toward the world of the providence at a higher level by uniting Christianity and bringing together all religions.
<Pyeong Hwa Gyeong, P. 1310> Because the United States has not realized its crucial historical mission of connecting the East and the West as it was prepared to do, and is trying to focus only on itself, God commanded me to come and work in the United States to reawaken this country to fulfill its mission.
The task that the United States needs to fulfill under God’s Will on earth will enable it to avoid the fate of Israel, the Roman Empire and England. America needs to return to its founding principles. She needs to bring the church and the state into full harmony in accordance with the formula of God’s Will, and become the nation that attends Him thoroughly and completely.
The United States must work together with God to save the entire world, even at the risk of sacrificing itself, to fulfill its mission as the standard-bearer that runs at the forefront until the kingdom of heaven on earth is realized. When it can accomplish this, the United States will have completed the eternal Will of God and will become an eternally blessed nation.
Let me summarize Father’s word. (These are) key points from Father’s message today.
1. America has lost God. Therefore, America's urgent task is to find God at any cost.
When you have lost God, you have lost everything. How can we bring God back to America? This is the most urgent task. Our Heavenly Parent should be the owner of our nation, America. As long as God takes care of America and is directly involved in the American providence, America can have great hope. In order to bring God back to America, what can we do? We really need to understand Father’s guidance. When we are united with True Parents’ guidance, surely we can bring God back to our nation of America.
2. America has to be awakened, and embrace the goal of unity, centered on God.
3. A spiritual reform movement must arise, leading America toward the world of the providence at a higher level by uniting Christianity and bringing together all religions.
That is why True Parents set up ACLC. Many people do not know the value of ACLC. They do not know why Father established it. This is an incredible and profound meaning. One of the main missions is to unite Christianity. Not just uniting Christianity, but uniting all different religions.
How to make unity is an important mission for ACLC.
4. The task that America needs to fulfill on earth is to enable it to avoid the fate of Israel, the Roman Empire and England.
If True Parents are not involved in the American providence, (the nation) will repeat the same (mistakes) as Israel, the Roman Empire and England. True Parents do not want to see the same kinds of problems again. That’s why our entire Unification Movement has a very important responsibility to help our nation fulfill its responsibility as the Elder Son Nation.
5. America needs to return to its founding principles and attend God thoroughly and completely.
6. America needs to take the formula course of God’s Will. That means America needs to save the entire world, even at the risk of sacrificing itself.
That is why True Father came to America all the way from Korea. He spent more time for America than for Japan and Korea and any other nation. Most of his investment is for the sake of America. That’s why all American brothers and sisters need to appreciate True Parents’ effort and sacrifice. I sometimes feel very heavy when I think of True Parents’ investment. He invested more than 40 years.
And he asked me to take responsibility for the American providence. To inherit his heart, how much I need to invest my heart and jeaongsong. If I do not do much jeongseong, how can I carry on the providence here? That is why I am very tense. Without jeongseong I can’t do anything. That is why I need to start with Morning Devotion. I need to wake up early in the morning and pray and kneel down: “Heavenly Father, I do not have any capability. Please guide me.”
I know that God can work through unity. That is why through morning Devotion our entire membership in America and Canada can really unite together and inherit our True Parents’ spirit and …. help True Mother.
7. America needs to fulfill its mission as the standard-bearer that runs at the forefront until the kingdom of heaven on earth is realized. Then, America will become an eternally blessed nation.
We still have time. Now is the final providence centered on True Mother. This seven years course is really important. Let's you and I work together and fulfill our responsibility as the elder son nation.
LIVING DIVINE PRINCIPLE: Principle of Creation 16 - The Life of 4 Position Foundation
When the origin, the subject partner and the object partner projected from the origin, and their union all fulfill the three object purpose, the four position foundation is established.
Based on that, let’s study Father’s word:
The Goal of the Family Is in Completing the Four-Position-Foundation
<33-177> What is the difference before and after having a family? The family must not become a burden when leading a life of faith. By having a family, you should be able to have greater appreciation to God. When you look at your wife, you should thank God; when you look at your children should thank God. Your gratitude must be tripled. I am saying that you should be grateful thinking how God had given such blessing to your family.
True Father is asking, “What is the difference before and after having a family, after getting Blessed?”
The family will become a burden when leading a life of faith? Is having a family really a blessing? Are you really feeling grateful?
Let’s be honest. Which is it? Has your family become a burden? Or are you really grateful to each of your family members?
When you first had a family, there were many conflicts and fights, but have you been able to overcome them and be thankful now?
In my case in the beginning I really struggled with my wife. Gradually we overcame. I came to feel that, without my enemy, my wife, how can I survive? I am really grateful to my wife.
True Father said that if we have a family before and after receiving the blessing(?), we should be able to thank God more.
Do you thank God when you look at your wife and your husband and your children?
True Father said we should be three times more grateful than before we were blessed. When you look at your husband, “Thank you so much, that you were blessed with me.” When you see each of your children… When I talked with my daughter I said, “Hey Sesan(?), my daughter, I am very grateful to you. You were born as my daughter. Without you I would not have any daughter. I am so grateful to you.” Then my daughter smiles and says, “Papa, you always say that. “ She has a big smile. I talk with each of my sons. I hold hands with them and say, “Thank you so much. You were born as my son. If you were not here, I would have no son. Can you imagine?” When I see each of the grandchildren, I am extremely grateful. I don’t have any expectations, but already they were born as my grandchildren. My blood lineage has already multiplied so much. Wow! I have multiplied heavenly blood lineage! I am really grateful to God and True Parents.
Even though I struggled so much with my wife in the beginning because I disliked Japan, I disliked Japanese, when I overcame that, I could feel a different world, a different dimension.
True Father said if the other person becomes a burden and like an enemy, we need to really repent. I did that. A fallen family becomes a burden to each other when the body and mind do not become one and fight each other.
Father said if there are ten members in your family, if your mind and body are fighting each other, that is already two guys fighting each other. If there are eight members in the family struggling with each other. Times two, that is 16 members fighting each other.
When you become one mind and body, that is one. When you unite with your wife, you become one. When you unite with your children, you become one. Then everything goes well. But if you fight, you divide more and have more conflict.
<33-177> From this point of view, when you compare the time you were alone in the past and the current times when you have a family, what is important is how much greater your heart of gratitude has increased towards God and how much greater your heartistic capacity has increased. Yet, when you are exhausted and find yourself thinking “Forget about the Will. What is the purpose of living?” you should return to the heart you had before marriage and once again make preparations to welcome your wife. Do you understand? You should shed tears saying “My love to you until now was not true, therefore I am a false husband. Please forgive me of this capital offense” and return to a heart and mindset of repentance, and repent for not being able to have a heart of gratitude for having received one’s true wife bound to you by God.
If the conflict between the couple continues after getting blessed, problems arise because they do not treat each other like God.
This is my real and substantial experience. There is no need for the couple to make their own arguments. If there are arguments between husband and wife, something is wrong. Most of them have the same standard. If there is an argument between husband and wife, it means you do not know what self-denial means. Father’s guidance is that if you have absolute faith and absolute obedience to the words of your spouses; then most problems will be solved. Conflict between a couple is a problem of both parties actually. If at least one (member) of the couple (practices) self-denial and he or she absolutely obeys the other, the problem is solved.
I really struggled with my wife: different character, different nationality, different background and different hobbies. Not even one thing between us could become one. We struggled and struggled. I reflected on that, “I am a blessed couple. I cannot continue like this. What is wrong with me?”
One day I got an answer from Father. You (should) completely deny (yourself), even (if only) one person (does), and (be) ready to obey your spouse whatever she wants with no need to talk or argue any more, no need to insist on your opinion any more. Even though you don’t agree, just obey your spouse absolutely.
I tried that way. Wow! It really works.
“Whatever you want, I can do anything. I am ready to put up with anything. I completely deny myself. I do not exist.”
Father said at least if one person completely denies and obeys the other, the problems can be solved.
My spouse already knew.(?) “My spouse changed so much.”
If the other side works that way, a perfect plus creates a perfect minus.
Without bringing unity between husband and wife how can you create a beautiful four position foundation in your family?
When there is a conflict between the couple, the first thing to do is to sincerely repent to the other person, Father said. And you have to confess to your partner. It is the Abel person who confesses first. As True Father said, you shed tears and repent and say, “My love for you until now was not true. Therefore I (am) first(?) a husband. Please forgive me for this capital offense.”
Husbands and wives need to repent for not being able to express the heart of gratitude toward their spouse.
You need to repent because if you struggle, something is wrong. One side (must) completely denies (himself or herself) and (be) ready to obey whatever she wants. In the beginning your heart may not be ready, but initiate and practice and try to unite completely. One time, two times, three times. It becomes a great habit, and you can see beautiful unity between husband and wife.
<33-177> It is the same when relating with your children. You haven’t tried fighting while risking your life for your children until now. That is why you might not be fully aware of this but your children are priceless beings born to be like lamps of hope through a single family which God had found by sacrificing countless patriotic martyrs through tens of thousands of years of history. The returning point for the sacred goal of completing the four-position-foundation is brought by the children of such families. When you think about this, you must be truly grateful to such children as each day goes by. When the parent can have this heart, their children will never starve to death.
Father said we need to know how precious our children are when we (deal with) our children. We need to know that the Blessed children are the ones whom God had found by sacrificing countless patriotic martyrs through tens of thousands of years of history until they were born.
Our sons and daughters are the final returning point of completing the four position foundation. In the end, it is up to my child to decide whether or not my four position foundation is completed.
Without my children and grandchildren I cannot complete the four position foundation. Without grandchildren I cannot complete it. That is why the final point is how I can raise my children and grandchildren very well. Then we will be able to accomplish the four position foundation.
Therefore, you should always be grateful to your sons, daughters, and grandchildren because they are the ones who complete your four position foundation.
If the heart of gratitude as parents increases every day for your children, your sons and daughters will never perish.
Father said you (should) appreciate each of your children every day: “My daughter, thank you so much. You were born as my daughter.” “Hey, elder son, thank you so much. You were born as my elder son. I am so grateful, so thankful.”
Every day as a parent, appreciate each child rather than scolding them and blaming them, rather than requiring anything(?). Always appreciate, Father said, Then your family will never perish. Appreciation is important.
TODAY’S YOUTH MINISTRY: The Life of Original Heart
1. We sometimes witness the reunion of families separated by South and North Korea. In order to make sure the other is their family, they ask each other about their experiences and circumstances in the past one by one. As they ask and answer each other about the past, if they confirm "That's right! That's right!" they both sit and weep. As we listen to and experience the Words in our course of faith, we also empathize with the Words while saying, "That's right! That's right!" Any member who lives according to their original nature is moved by the Words and resonates with them, saying, "That's right! That's right!" Then, when they meet True Parents, they realize, "They really are True Parents!"
2. The reunion of separated families in Korea is incomparable to meeting God through the True Parents after 6,000 years since Adam and Eve fell away due to the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Now is the time for all mankind to come back to God after 6,000 years of separation. Finally, through True Parents’ guidance, the time has come for God and prodigal son-like fallen humans to reunite. It can be said that the reunion of separated families in Korea fits perfectly with the course of the providence of restoration today. If the Principle is really the truth, it stimulates your original nature and you always empathize with it as a result. If the Principle is really the truth, we cannot deny the existence of True Parents.
That is why we need to challenge (ourselves). Is the Divine Principle really true or not? Is it real or not? If Divine Principle is real and true, I can sympathize with tears whenever I hear the word. That is my real experience.
3. When we listen to the Words, we should empathize with them, be moved, cry, and be happy, saying, "That's right! That's right!" The reason you don't know if the Words suit your original nature is that you don’t yet properly realize the Words. That is because you are still young and immature. When the Words really fit my original nature, why am I not inspired with joy and moved to tears? In order for me to live a life of original nature, I have to develop my spirit which has been dulled by the Fall. You first have to listen to a lot of Words. Just as the Bible says that faith comes from hearing the message, you should take many opportunities to hear the Words. That's why you have to listen to and realize the Words a lot, and empathize with the Words.
In order to cultivate our original nature, in order to live a life of original nature, the Bible says we need to study God’s word a lot.
● Faith comes from hearing the Word.
You need to hear God’s word a lot. Then you can have more confidence, you have more realizations, you can repent more and you can know your identity.
● Faith comes from reading the word.
● Faith comes from meditating on the Word.
● Faith comes from practicing the Word
Your faith will become clearer. Finally you can cultivate your original nature, and it will become very sensitive. You can distinguish between good and evil, and you will seldom make mistakes.
4. You have to cherish the Words. If you cherish the Words, it comes into you and becomes life. You have to keep the words you are touched by every day in mind and accumulate them in your daily life. When the Words enter my heart and stay as I grow, I can feel and cry more about God's situation and heart. Therefore a believer must have a lot of tears. Even on the street, if I think of sorrowful God and True Parents, I have to cry so much that I can't see because of the flowing tears. Then, I start to feel compassion for others. Because I try to see everything from the heart of God, who is my parent, I gradually develop a heart that can love anyone. If you repeat such a course, you can see that you become rich in compassion and true love.
True Father always said that the most dangerous among leaders is the one without tears. The way to develop my own nature is to shed a lot of tears. The best way to cultivate my original nature is through tears, non-stop tears. You will realize, “I am a fallen man.” To overcome my fallen man, I need to struggle a lot in order to overcome my fallen nature. How can I become a true man, true woman, true filial sons and daughters? Even though I struggle and struggle, still I feel physical limitations. Many things really cause(?) a lot of problems. “Heavenly Father, I try to overcome, but I cannot overcome. This is my limitation. What shall I do?” That is why in order to go to God’s will, in order to cultivate my original nature -- I am a normal guy and a man of faith -- (I need) always a lot of tears. If there are no tears, you do not know the taste of God’s word.
Have you ever cried for God? Have you ever shed tears for True Parents? Have you ever shed tears for the sake of the world? Have you ever shed tears for your family? Have you ever shed tears for each of your church members as a minister? As a minister if you have no tears for your members, you are not a minister.
As a father and mother, do you seldom shed tears for your children? Then you are not a real father and mother.
Tears. In order to cultivate my heart from a fallen heart, in order to cultivate my original nature from fallen nature, what is the best way? We need to have a lot of tears. That is why I say a leader's wealth is tears. A person who sheds a lot of tears has no choice but to live by nature.
5. We did not vaguely enter the Unification Church. Did you join the Unification Church to make money? Did you join to advance your career? Or did you join to run a business? Or did you join because you had nowhere to go? We joined to learn about love. We joined to establish a parent-child relationship with True Parents, become true filial sons and daughters and own true love. What kind of person is a true person? It refers to a person who treats everything with love. Everything without love is a lie. It's just a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Therefore, you don’t need to brag about your knowledge. You don't have to show off your power. You don't have to brag about your money. Even if I have everything, it's nothing if there’s no love there. It's just a noisy gong.
Our life is very short. Can you live more than 100 years? Maybe some of us, but most of us die before that. Our life is very short.
However, in the spiritual world we live forever, not 100 years, not 1,000 years.
Based on the result of the earthly world, why did we join the Unification Church? In order to become a man of true love. Whenever you are dealing with people, if there is no love, the Bible says in Corinthians, “You are just nothing. You are just a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” The way of power, knowledge, honor just goes away. Only love (remains). Even if I have everything, there is nothing if there is no love. Why did we join the Unification Church? Why do we follow True Parents? How we can become men of true love and then establish an ideal family on the earth.
6. A person who owns love can be said to be a true person. So if we embrace love in our hearts, we induce heart (shimjeong) and a voluntary heart wells up. If we always focus on original nature and live happily, gratefully, and pleasantly, our original nature will gain more strength and we will finally become people who own love. Therefore, since we entered the Unification Church to live a life of original heart, we must be different from secular people.
7. Because your mind is the entity of the nature of intellect and emotion, if you set your mind right, your heart naturally comes out. If you keep the law of original nature and grow as is, the original nature of goodness within you automatically realizes all logic. It is not something taught to you. In the end, I realize that everything is in me. Therefore, many secrets are hidden in my heart that I don't even know of. It contains all unimaginable and unexpected treasures. There is God, the entire cosmos, and all truth inside me. I realize that God and the entire cosmos are all mine. Therefore, if I turn on the lamp of love in my heart, everything will turn out well and I will be omniscient and omnipotent.
Incredible! “If I turn on the lamp of love in my heart, everything will turn out well and I will be omniscient and omnipotent like God.”
8. Our True Father is not person who researched the Principle while studying at a desk. True Father met God while crying and crying after meeting Jesus. True Father said that he rarely slept at home when he was young. He said he climbed quiet mountains to meet Jesus. Even if he ran around because he was curious about everything during the day, he went to the mountain at night and cried a lot over poor Jesus. Accordingly, as long as God is there, could you pretend not to know True Father who had a lot of tears? Didn’t he say that Jesus appeared to him and told him about his sad situation when he was 16 years old?
How did True Father meet God? It was not … through the Bible. It is not through knowledge. It's not something you meet through books. However, he did not meet through spiritual experience either.
The secret to True Father meeting God was tears. True Father met God as he prayed to God while weeping over and over about how to save the pitiful human beings. True Parents met God through tears and found all the truth.
If you are our parent, we are the children of God. Through the relationship between God and son, he discovered all the truth.
9. After True Father knew Jesus' sad situation, as he gradually experienced the world, he later even knew sorrowful God's situation and heart. At the same time, True Father said he went out to search for anyone who knew God's situation and heart on earth. That's why he first looked for people who were persecuted and opposed by others. While studying in Seoul, he visited people who were said to be very spiritual. It was to find out how much they knew about God's situation and heart. If we are really people of original nature, we should meet people who struggle to live according to their original nature. There are definitely people prepared by heaven.
Like True Father, if we cry all night and cry over who is ready for heaven and cry out to God with a sorrowful heart to save humankind, God will surely teach us where to find those who are prepared.
Because we do not have such a mournful and earnest heart, we cannot meet the object that heaven has prepared.
10. Those who live according to original nature are bound to recognize those who also live according to original nature. By original nature, people always long for a true person, so with the antenna of longing, you can definitely meet people around you who try to live justly and according to original nature. Feelings of longing connect with each other. Your original nature always wants to find the subject and object of your longing heart. Those who live according to their original nature are people who deeply long for a true person so much that they always cry.
That is why in order to find God’s prepared ones, you need to have a longing heart. How much do you have a longing heart? With your tears. Until your tears come down… “I have a very longing heart. Who is prepared? Heavenly Father, I am really searching for your children. Where can I meet (someone) prepared by God?” If we have that kind of honest, sincere, tearful heart, God will surely show you your object partner. That is the way True Father met God and Jesus. That is the way God saves each one of us.♦
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.