Ep 413 - Holy Birth And Family History Part 1
Holy Birth and Family History #48 - December 12, 2021
Yesterday I had an unforgettable and beautiful time at Belvedere. Yesterday, there was a Commitment Ceremony of Robert Abendroth and Tomomi Fukuda at Belvedere in New York. Pastor Crescientia was MC, and Rev. Rendel, Olga, and Francis gave a beautiful testimony. President Naokimi -- he is a busy guy! -- came and gave a beautiful message as well. I delivered a congratulatory message. Both parents were so happy to attend the ceremony, and Tomomi’s parents attended the ceremony via zoom from Japan. And I gave them a benediction. It was a beautiful engagement ceremony held in historic Belvedia, where True Parents stayed.
I am posting this material today in the hope that many Blessed 2nd and 3rd Generation (young people) will have an unforgettable and holy family start in their lives with the blessings of those around them. Yesterday's engagement ceremony was one of the most beautiful and touching engagements I have ever seen. In the future, I hope that an engagement ceremony like this will become a model and be held in many churches every week. We look forward to continuing to promote this beautiful engagement culture going forward. Many people shed moving tears of joy. They are a very, very beautiful couple. It's really beautiful, isn't it?
Today I’d like to talk about “Holy birth and family history ” from True Mother Hak Ja Han Moon: An Anthology, Book 1.
I was born at 4:30 a.m. on the 6th day of the first lunar month in 1943, at 26 Sineui-ri, Anju-eub, Anju-gun, South Pyeongan Province. When I was born, my maternal grandfather, Hong Yu-il asked those present to take note of the time, making it possible to know exactly what time I was born.
I have been told that at the time I was born, my father, Han Seungun had a dream-like vision in which he saw beautiful, bright sunshine beaming down through a thick forest of pine trees. In that forest, two cranes were dancing in harmony. So he named me Hak Ja.
It was not a remote village, yet there was a hill, and also a stream, right behind my house. The surrounding village had a very warm and cozy feeling, like a hen embracing her chicks. In the backyard was a cornfield that my family harvested for food. I remember how big those corn cobs were.
Father's hometown, Jeongju, and my hometown, Anju, are situated on either side of the same river and are about 30 kilometers apart. When we visited Jeongju in December 1991, we flew over Anju by helicopter but the village I saw was completely different from how I had known it. There is now an apartment complex there. It has changed into more of an urban district than Father's hometown of Jeongju has.
My father, Han Seung-un, was a devout member of the New Jesus Church. He followed Pastor Lee Yong-do and Pastor Lee Ho-bin and lived a religious life together with Daemonim. They got married and he received a revelation that if they had a son, God would have a great purpose for him. However, a daughter was born.
Hong Yuil, my maternal grandfather, was tall and handsome. When I first met True Father, he felt familiar to me because he looked so much like my grandfather. In those days my grandfather was so open to modern trends that he even bought high-heeled shoes for his daughter-in-law. Jo Won-mo, my maternal grandmother, was petite and pretty. She was diligent and active. Although she was not well educated, she was very much a modern lady. She even operated her own business, selling and repairing sewing machines. (1999.10.21, Punta del Este, Uruguay)
Around the time of my birth, my mother ate some soup and then fell asleep. At that time, Satan, completely in black, appeared and said, “Through the birth of this child, I will come to ruin. That is why I am trying to get rid of this child.” At that time, Daemonim fought strongly and won. When she woke up, her whole body was covered in sweat and her clothes were soaked. My Grandmother Jo said, “You must be going through so much suffering to give birth to this child.” That's how seriously Daemonim fought with Satan. Why do I tell you this? God's providence is profound and mysterious. During the final stages of the Second World War, Japan confiscated all the iron they could find in Korea and even took the brassware that is used for ancestral rites, to make military weapons. However, those things would cross back again and accumulate in the yard of the house where I was born. What does this mean? This shows how urgent and desperate God's providence was. How desperate must God have been that such things would happen for the sake of a new born baby! (2013.10.20, Nagano, Japan)
Next, we will study more about the background of True Mother's birth. Sooner or later I will prepare well and I can deliver to you True Mother’s background.
LIVING DIVINE PRINCIPLE: Who Is God?
God is:
• The subject and harmonious union of original internal nature and original external form.
• The harmonious union of original masculinity and original femininity.
• The subject partner having qualities of internal nature and masculinity towards the universe.
11. God is the God of absolute faith, absolute love, and absolute obedience.
12. God is the subject of true love, true life, and true lineage.
13. God is the subject of conscience.
14. God is a God of bitter pain.
15. God is a God of mercy.
16. God is a God of sorrow.
17. God is a being who needs to be liberated.
Today, in the lecture series “Who is God?” I will tell you that God is the God of absolute faith, absolute love, and absolute obedience. Based on this lecture content, let’s study Father’s word.
11. God Is the God of Absolute Faith, absolute Love, and Absolute Obedience
<211-71> No matter how all knowing and all powerful God is, can He command a man and woman to be absolutely obedient to love? In order to be a fair and dignified God who is our father must be able to say, "As I am absolutely obedient to True Love, you also must be absolutely obedient to True Love." Would it be acceptable for him to say "Sons and daughters, you must be absolutely obedient to love" if He Himself does not keep that same standard?
Then the God who is in the position of teacher becomes the God of dictator. In the same way God says, "Just as I have eternal absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience to True Love, you sons and daughters also must have eternal obedience centered on True Love!" His sons and daughters will say "Aju!" If we look at from this point of view, even God must keep the principle of absolute obedience to True Love.
God has absolute faith in the principle of true love and the Principle of Creation that He created. When God created light, He said, "Let there be light," and there was light. When God created light, did He doubt that light would really appear when He said, "Let there be light?" God has absolute faith in the Principle of Creation. He absolutely believes that not only the whole universe but also all things move according to His Principle of Creation.
And even though human beings fell, God has absolute faith that at some point all of them some day will become His children. He has absolute faith in you and me. If God did not have this belief in fallen human beings, He would never have been able to conduct the providence of restoration. He has absolute faith that at any time everyone without exception will become true children, become true brothers and sisters, become true couples, and become true parents who achieve the ideal of heaven. God has absolute faith that one day for certain, His dream will come true, the sovereignty of evil will disappear, becoming heaven on earth, and the kingdom of Heaven will come. This is really amazing. Even though I am a fallen man, he has absolute faith toward my original mind.
“Even though you are a fallen man, your relationship with Me is parent and child. Someday definitely you will become my son. Someday you will come back to my bosom.” God has absolute faith. Otherwise how can he carry on his providence of restoration? It would be impossible.
God has absolute love for humans. Although humans have fallen and are now children of Satan, God absolutely loves humans because they have a parent and child relationship of the original creation. God never gives up on any human being, even if they are God's enemy, and loves them forever. In that respect, God's unrequited love for you remains unchanged forever. God has absolute love for you. God's love for humans cannot really be imagined, even for fallen human beings. No matter what happens to a fallen human being, God as a parent says, “I am responsible for you forever,” "I will protect you forever," and "I will continue to raise you until you reach completion." He has that kind of absolute love.
Oh, my God! God has that kind of absolute love for me, no matter what! “I love my child, no matter what. I will protect him. I will raise him. I will be responsible for him.”
God has that kind of absolute love toward each human being. Otherwise how can he carry on his providence of restoration? It is impossible.
Next, God is absolutely obedient to the truth of true love. For example, "Love comes from the other person." "Love is living for others first." "Love is giving first." "True love always requires sacrifice." "True love invests 100% in the other person and forgets about it. True love is investing and forgetting until the other person is better than me.” God is absolutely obedient to this truth. God obeyed and practiced this truth first.
That’s why True Father was asked to have absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience. However, God is the one who first practiced absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience. True Father, True Mother, True Parents are the ones who first practiced absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience. Therefore, we as children of God need to resemble that kind of faith, that kind of love and that kind of obedience of our Heavenly Father. Many people question, “Does God have absolute obedience?” Yes, He obeys his Principles. He obeys his Principle of Creation. He obeys his Principle of True Love absolutely. This is really amazing guidance by our True Father.
TODAY’S YOUTH MINISTRY: Joseph’s Course - Joseph, Who Lived for Others in Prison
Do you love Joseph? I really love this guy! He is one of the great exemplary spiritual sense(?) courses. I really feel that he is like our True Father. He really shows us an exemplary life of how to overcome any difficulties.
Today my title is “Joseph, Who Lived for Others in Prison.”
Genesis 39:1-23 Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did,
4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.
5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.
6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome
7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.
9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”
10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside.
12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house,
14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.
15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home.
17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me.
18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger.
20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison,
21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.
23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
1. When Joseph entered Egypt, he stayed at Potiphar's house for about 2 to 3 years, and including prison life, he spent about 14 years there. In the second year of staying at Potiphar’s house, Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife. So even in our lives of faith, when we make our first resolution and face the number 2, we must always beware of horizontal temptations. When I make a resolution to do something, Satan’s temptations will always come. There will also be many trials and tribulations.
I really admire the quality of Joseph’s blood lineage. He did not know the fall of man. How was he able to overcome the temptation from Potiphar’s wife? Potiphar’s wife tempted him, not just one day according to the Bible. Every day she tempted him. Wow! In order to overcome that kind of Chapter Two temptation, your blood lineage has to be different. Something has to be different. Otherwise most people could not overcome that kind of temptation.
When I see a righteous guy among our ancestors, those who overcame Chapter Two temptation, there is something different (about them). They had a different spiritual background and ancestor background. Really something different. Otherwise, how could they have overcome that kind of Chapter Two temptation?
Not just Chapter Two temptation. Whenever we make up our mind to do something, in the beginning our motivation is strong. However, on the way when you face the number two, the second one, the second year, trials always come (along), horizontal temptation will come to you. That is why anyone who joins our movement needs to be careful. The first year they don’t know anything, (they) just follow. But in the second year many horizontal temptations come to them, especially Chapter Two temptations. Many people leave the church because they could not overcome the number two, Chapter Two, temptations.
2. While Joseph spent more than 10 years in prison, wherever he went, he became the center of harmony and a solver to everyone's problems. He has always been a center of comfort for others. Because Joseph always lived for others in the prison life where he would have no choice (but) to despair, he was able to lead a gracious (grace-filled) life. Joseph's life provided a model for how to overcome difficult trials and tribulations in any environment.
That is why Joseph has a different quality of blood lineage. How come he spent more than ten years in prison without any complaint, without any dissatisfaction? … He thought that his life in prison has meaning, that it is God’s will. “I need to do something here. This is my destiny. It is God’s will.” Then he really served people, loved people, cared for people. That is why he became the center of harmony and he became the solver of everyone’s problems. He always comforted people, living for others.
Wow! When I look at Joseph’s life in prison, I think about True Father, how he could overcome such terrible trials in Heungnam Prison, Soedemon Prison, everywhere. Wow! I really love Joseph; I really love our True Father, how he could overcome!
3. Since Joseph was serving others, he had many things to do even in prison. Of course, he must have met a lot of bad people, but on the other hand, we can easily assume that he must have met people who felt unjust and people with worries and concerns. He gave wisdom to those who were brought in because they did not know how to properly distinguish between good and evil, and suggested countermeasures. Because he loved and lived for each and every prisoner, the spirit world gave him the power of prophecy, and everything became as Joseph had said.
It was really amazing.
4. Today, we believers must be like Joseph. He adapts well to any environment. Even in situations where he had no choice but to suffer injustice and dissatisfaction, he was grateful, took care of those around him like his own brothers, and genuinely cared about their future, so he had to be able to see the future about them and even further, have the ability to predict people’s futures. How can we see someone's future and predict that person's future? It is taught by the spirit world to truly love and respect that person from the perspective of a parent. When anyone truly loves a person, his heart and his future can be seen. Love sees everything. When you love, you see God, you see your partner, you see nature, and you see everything. It can not be seen because I do not love. This is the key point. If anyone truly loves everything, his eyes will be opened spiritually. True Father says that you can even see God. So love is everything.
Why can’t I read my wife’s heart? Why can’t I read my husband’s heart? Why can’t I read my children’s heart? Why can’t I read my parents’ heart? Why can’t I read Heavenly Father’s heart? Because you don’t have love. When you truly love your wife, you read your wife’s mind. When you truly love your children, you read your children’s heart and mind. When you truly love your parents, you read your parents’ heart and mind. Why can’t we feel God? Why can’t we see God? We do not have a heart toward God.
That’s why love is key. Love is everything. There is no need to talk about skills. There is no need to talk about means and methods, how to know that, how to see that person’s future. I am telling you, love is everything. If you really love someone, your spiritual eyes open. You can see God. You can see someone’s heart. You can see someone’s future.
Many people say, “Oh, that guy is spiritually open. I am so scared in front of you.” Do you know how he can see into the future? How he is spiritually open? Because he loves human beings. That is why he is spiritually open. He can see the future as well. “If you continually do bad things, your future will be like this.” Wow! There is no need to talk about skill. There is no need to talk about the way to do it. Love is the key. Love is everything.
5. If a person who believes is discouraged, they will fail, and it is easier to become worse than a person who does not believe. If we always try to bring others joy and live for the sake of others even in unjust circumstances, just as Joseph's heart was always bright, our life of faith will also become brighter.
Even though he was in prison, his main focus was “How can I help others? How can I make joy and happiness for others.” He truly lived for the sake of others. That’s why even though … he was in prison more than ten years, time passed very quickly. He did not think, “After I get out of prison, how will I live? What to do?” Nor did he complain, “Why did God put me in this kind of terrible prison? When can I get out of prison? Oh, my God! Why is my life like that? Why did God give me this kind of suffering and uneasy situation?” (He could have) complained and complained like that.
How was he able to overcome? What is the best way to survive in prison? Truly love that environment. Truly love his colleagues. Never complain. Wow! Joseph is a great guy!
6. When anyone is full of public thoughts, private worries and concerns do not arise. God is with us in public worries and concerns, but private worries and concerns build up stress and demoralize oneself.
7. Although Joseph went to prison as a criminal, his life was much more for others than himself, and he became so needed by those around him that he became like a public official working in the prison.
He became the center of that prison. One who truly lives for others can become the center of that area. In your church if you truly live for others, more than anyone else, you can become the center of the church. If you love each of the family members of your family, you can become the center of your family.
8. When a person becomes someone needed by people anywhere they go, they immediately settle in. So wherever we go, there are people who are needed, people who don’t really matter if they’re there or not, and people who are not needed. A person who lives for others like this and has public achievements always possesses good heavenly fortune, so there are many people who want to help him. Why don’t people around me live for the sake of me or help me? It is because there are no actual results of living for the sake of others, so the spirit world does not work with me. Therefore, one must become a person with actual results of love. People who have actual results of love have the spirit world mobilize people on earth to help me.
True Father was in Heungnam Prison; it was a terrible situation. However, the spiritual world, his ancestors mobilized other prisoners. Whenever they had food, (the spiritual world) asked them to give it to Rev. Moon. One who is recognized by the spiritual world and ancestors because of achievements of true love, because he or she (has) lived for the sake of others, always heavenly fortune follows him or her. One who lives for the sake of others, I am telling you, heavenly fortune always follows him, protects him. He never dies. He never decreases.
9. Just with the fact that True Parents are in Korea, the Korean members believed that heavenly fortune would come to Korea. Why is that? It is because True Parents have brought actual results of touching all people in heaven and on earth. And it is because they know that wherever True Parents go, God is with them and there is heavenly protection.
10. People with public achievements have a different atmosphere wherever they go. In Korea, it is believed that fortune comes to families who take good care of their grandfathers and grandmothers. This is because there is a filial heart that serves and loves the elderly, so they believe that heaven will protect the family.
That is why Father asks us to have 3 or 4 generations living together. If as children and grandchildren, (you) really take care of your grandparents very, very well, and if as a child, (you) take care of your parents very well -- I am telling you, I am telling you, I am telling you guaranteed -- heavenly fortune will always be in that family! God will protect that family! That’s why one who has a filial heart, filial piety, God will always protect that person. And he is the one who always carries heavenly fortune. Many people do not know this top secret. Many people do not know that filial piety brings heavenly fortune. Many people do not know (this). This is a top secret, ok? Living for the sake of others always brings heavenly fortune.
11. For those who lead a private life, the path of death blocks the way, but for those with public achievements like Joseph, even if they enter a harsh prison, the road ahead is opened. A public mind is one that always serves and lives with God and lives for the sake of others. Therefore, if we also live with a public mind, a road will open wherever we go.
12. Just as it says in the Family Pledge, Blessed families must always know how to convey Heaven’s blessings to our communities. Those who have actual results of living for God and others always bring heavenly fortune. In order for a person to become a successful person, he must always carry this kind of heavenly fortune with him.
13. As Joseph lived his life with attachment to public purposes, he felt worthiness wherever he went. We must become believers who, wherever we go, receive recognition to a point that we cannot be absent. Then, wherever I go, I quickly settle in. If I serve God and live for the sake of those around me, my life will soon take root and settle in.
What is the conclusion? Joseph lived for the sake of others in prison. One who lives for the sake of others, one who truly loves others, I am telling you, Heavenly fortune will always follow that person.
In the family how can we bring heavenly fortune? Truly loving one's parents, truly loving grandparents, this is the way to receive heavenly fortune. Joseph knew the top secret of how to survive and how to (be) liberated. It is an incredible lesson from Joseph!♦
NOTE: This lightly edited transcription may contain errors and omissions. Indecipherable or uncertain words are tagged with a “(?)” and phrases with an ellipsis “ ...”. This text and the powerpoint slides from this speech are available as pdf files at the top of this text and at yong.hoondok.com. Audio only is available at anchor.morndev.com, spotify.morndev.com & audio.morndev.com♦