Ep 640 - The Role Of Women Part 3
The Role of Women - July 27, 2022
PDF Printable Text and Images + Testimony Norm Presley
Key Points
If we fail to take responsibility, the second generation must pay indemnity.
We need to create an environment in which the blessed children can come back.
Witness to many secular people to completely change the environmental realm of the church and make it a church of true love.
The path will be opened for all the blessed children whom we have longed for to come back.
Through witnessing we need to cultivate our heart.
If our first and second generation unite and produce substantial results through new membership, the spiritual world will witness to and push our second and third generations to come back to God’s bosom.
The reason why faith in True Parents is shaken is that a member has only accepted True Parents through the Word and reason but has not obtained spiritual conviction through experience.
Experience and practice are the most necessary things in our life of faith.
All rituals and systems must connect to real life.
If you just bow and (then) disrespect people, that is hypocrisy.
Our life of faith should always be lived with a heart of worship, a heart of kyungbei, a heart of reverence, and a heart of gratitude that comes from the heart.
If you bow with a heart that truly worships heaven, you will have spiritual weight, authority and dignity.
A person with a heart of worship treats everyone with affection.
A person with a heart of reverence sees even a single blade of grass as connected with God.
All things are truly one of the great textbooks.
Those who have a heart to worship God do not discriminate between the smallest and the largest.
The most precious education for children is to show that parents bow to and attend God and True Parents.
Our life of faith needs to preserve the heart with which we bow every morning throughout the day.
I am on my way to my home in Australia, so I am recording this (session of) Morning Devotion.
Today I’d like to talk about “The Role of Women” from True Mother’s Anthology, Book 1.
The people of Israel did not know the history of God's providence or that of indemnity. They just thought that they were a chosen people blessed by God and preserved that one point alone. Therefore, they could not avoid sending Jesus in such a miserable way. The people of Israel ended up becoming a wandering people for 2,000 years as a result. They became a people without a nation. Amidst such a history, however, it was the role of mothers to keep their lives and tradition going. That's why I emphasize the creation of an environment. Our first generation, the parents, could not fulfill their responsibility. They came to know God's grace, the truth, and yet, they could not fulfill their responsibility to match the blessings they had received. Hence, the necessary environment could not be created.
As a result, many second generation members have left. This is truly regrettable. As parents, you have nothing to say. If we do not fulfill our responsibility, second generation members must pay the indemnity. Nobody knows how great the indemnity conditions will become, but without fail they must be paid. We also have a responsibility to fulfill until all the people in the world have been embraced. You cannot avoid this. If you do not pay all the indemnity, your descendants will have to pay it. (2013.01.09, Cheon Jeong Gung)
True Mother said that even when the people of Israel became wandering people after Jesus’ crucifixion, the mothers played a big role in keeping their lives and tradition going.
Many second-generation members of our Unification church have flowed out to the secular world. In the end, True Mother took responsibility for this and is investing much effort into saving the growing blessed second and third generations.
As True Mother said, if we fail to take responsibility, the second generation must pay indemnity. For paths that cannot be avoided, she said that if we do not pay the indemnity, our descendants will pay.
So, what should we do? You must start anew now. First, as True Mother said, we must create the environment. We need to create an environment in which the blessed children can come back. What is that? For that, we must go back to the early days and witness to many secular people to completely change the environmental realm of the church and make it a church of true love. If such an environment is created, the path will be opened for all the blessed children whom we have longed for to come back.
I am really grateful to True Mother. She has created an American CheonBo Won for us. We can work together with the CheonBo Won. When our new membership increases day by day, our first generation has the confidence to bring new guests any time. Anyone who comes to our church can remain there joyfully and happily following True Parents’ will. We are creating more numbers and a more beautiful environment. I am telling you, the whole spiritual world will mobilize our second generation, and then our second generation will naturally come back to our church.
That is why I am very focused on witnessing. Through witnessing we need to cultivate our heart. That is why the past one year and eight months I invested in Morning Devotion without missing a single day.
First of all, we need to have the... motivation to go out witnessing. We cannot just be pushed by Abel but (go out) voluntarily; it needs to come out from that kind of heart.
I can feel (now) that everywhere the atmosphere is so beautiful. A few days ago the atmosphere at the CheonBo event was very beautiful because all of our American brothers and sisters really worked hard together to create a beautiful environment. I have great hope actually. If our first generation and second generation unite and produce substantial results through new membership, spiritual world will witness to and push our second generation and third generation to come back to God’s bosom.
That is why we need to start from the external environment. The external environment will become the internal environment, and the internal will become more internal. That is why we need to have an internal heartistic transformation. Then we can change the family, church and tribal environments. I think now if you and I put our jeongseong together... it is not easy to attend Morning Devotion without missing a single day; this is our jeongseong condition, right? Ultimate jeongseong always moves heaven. Even though I am sick and so tired and exhausted, I cannot run away. This is my destiny. I need to go together with my American brothers and sisters.
Also, our Canadian brothers and sisters support North America. Thank you so much for your support all the time. And not just America and Canada; from all over the world, you are really praying together and supporting our True Mother’s providence.
LIVING DIVINE PRINCIPLE: The Principle of Creation 60 - The Development, Perfection, and Features of the Spirit Self
• All the sensibilities of a spirit are cultivated through the reciprocal relationship with the physical self during earthly life.
• Therefore, only when a person reaches perfection and is totally immersed in the love of God while on earth can he fully delight in the love of God as a spirit after his death.
• All the qualities of the spirit self are developed while it abides in the physical self: Sinful conduct during earthly life aggravates evil and ugliness in the spirit of a fallen person, while the redemption of sins granted during earthly life opens the way for his spirit to become good.
• This was the reason Jesus had to come to the earth in the flesh to save sinful humanity, We must lead a good life while we are on the earth.
• In Matthew 16:19, Jesus gave the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter, who remained on the earth, and in Matthew 18:18, he said, "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven," because the primary objective of the providence of restoration must be carried out on earth.
Based on that let’s study Father’s word:
The Course of Spiritual Experience
<76-125> Therefore, if some kind of godly nature flows strongly into fallen humankind, fallen people cannot be purified in a natural way. When this power flows in, it does not come in at once but enters in an alternating plus and minus manner in the way sound waves are transmitted with alternating amplifications and attenuations. This power comes in sometimes strongly and sometimes weakly, all the while cultivating us. You will have vibrations, lose your consciousness, and the phenomenon in which spiritual forces act strongly takes place. This is manifested as spiritual phenomena.
<76-125> What will happen next if you continue having such experiences? Your physical body and your physical fallen nature will become purified, and through this you will naturally come to accept these works 100 percent. When that happens, even without such phenomena you can enter a state higher than the spiritual phenomena and then receive all that heaven teaches while not being overwhelmed at all.
You have to go through these courses to reach that level of purification, as well as the phases of receiving revelations and directions.
The Experience of Spiritual Works
<76-125> Once you reach the level of such experiences, your mind will give you directions. You will be struck dumb when you try to talk to someone, or you will scold someone in spite of yourself. You will experience such incomprehensible phenomena from time to time. Therefore you have to be able to control them. If you mishandle the situation, people may treat you like a crazy person.
It is absolutely necessary to go through such a course of experiencing these things. If you enter the position of having had experienced through the trials of life, by feeling and experiencing that which entered your mind, you will become stronger. You will not be affected by anyone’s comments. Understand that both spiritual experiences and their realization are of the utmost importance in your lives of faith.
In the end, the life of faith enters the world of conviction that no one can deny through the process of experience. Therefore, you must have experiential faith.
When a person preaches the word with that experiential faith, that person becomes strong. Even if anyone denies the facts of God and the spirit world, he does not listen to them. Even if anyone denies True Parents as the Messiah, those who have spiritual experiences will not change their hearts.
The reason why faith in True Parents is shaken is that (a member) accepted True Parents through the Word and reason but did not obtain spiritual conviction through experience.
I know a famous lady who was connected through the true children’s side. Rev. Yo Han Lee said she does not know the spiritual world. She does not have clear spiritual experience.
You need to have spiritual conviction through experience. One who has spiritual conviction about who True Father and True Mother are never, ever betrays (them). He is not simply convinced by God’s word. When you experience by spirit...
My physical younger sister has this kind of spiritual phenomena a lot. She tells such a beautiful testimony. She said, “Hey, my older brother. I am really grateful to True Father and Mother. I cannot deny (that) they are my own savior.”
She was (frequently) in the emergency room for more than six or seven months. There was no way to cure her situation. I realize (how strong) my mother’s jeongseong (was). Without giving up, without sleeping she put so much effort into praying for (my sister) and was beside her. I realized that my mother’s (attitude) was like life and death. My mother had that kind of eternal love to take care of my younger sister.
Finally (my sister) recovered, although her body’s situation is not easy. She received the Blessing. The doctor said she could not have a baby. However, when she started family, she cried and went to the doctor again in Japan. (He said the) same thing. But she did not give up and continued to pray.
Father came (to her in a) dream and sanctified her love organ. ... After that she had two beautiful children. The doctor said these are miracle babies.
(After that) she often had spiritual dreams(?). She know s the value of True Parents. Wow! She gave many testimonies about the value of True Parents. That’s why many people may say that Father and Mother Moon are not the messiah; even though everybody may reject them, she cannot give True Parents up.
We need to have that kind of spiritual experience and conviction about who True Parents are. Then you will never run away, you will never betray True Mother.
Therefore, we need to know that experience and practice are the most necessary things in our life of faith.
TODAY’S YOUTH MINISTRY: A Heart of Worship, A Heart of Reverence, A Heart of Gratitude
1. Every morning, before Hoondokhae, we bow to Heavenly Parent and True Parents. In this way, we must preserve the heart with which we bow every morning throughout the day. Anyone who lives with the heart they have when they bow to God every morning treats everyone with respect, so they know and feel the circumstances of other people. Because one loses the heart with which they bow every morning, he lives without knowing the circumstances of other people. Those who truly keep the heart they had when bowing that comes from our ShimJeong will have a heart of worship, reverence, and gratitude and can feel the sorrow of all things. Every time we see all things, we are truly happy, and have more peace and strength in our hearts. Then, where does the heart to treasure all things come from and look up to? Because we respect the Creator of all things, it gives rise to a heart of admiration.
The reason we bow to Heavenly Parent and True Parents every morning is to live each day with the heart we bowed with. All rituals and systems must connect to real life centering on our life. If you just bow and (then) disrespect people, that is hypocrisy.
We bow to Heavenly Parent and True Parents with full respect, full reverence and full gratitude. That is why when we recite Family Pledge and bow down to True Parents, this is not just by ritual... or tradition. You need to keep that kind of heart and mindset of attendance and worship (throughout the day). You need to apply this in your daily life every moment, every second, every hour, every day.
The problem is that we lose the heart (with) which we bowed in worship every morning, so we live without knowing the circumstances of other people. Therefore, our life of faith should always be lived with a heart of worship, a heart of kyungbei, a heart of reverence, and a heart of gratitude that comes from the heart.
True Father’s guidance is beautiful. He shows his top secret to us. What kind of mindset (we should have); what attendance means. That kind of respectful, grateful heart, how important it is!
The Life of a Person who Lives With a Heart of Worship
2. When we respect and love someone, we automatically have respect or reverence for the things that they own. This is something you will feel a lot through experience. However, it is very difficult to keep the heart that we bowed with until the end. If you bow with a heart that truly worships Heaven, bend your body and bow with a desire to truly belong to God, you will have weight. You will not be self-centered nor act recklessly. There is always weight. A person with a bowing heart has affection for the other person. You can be merciful to others and seeing them makes you happy and it feels natural. Even a stranger is not considered a stranger. A person with a heart of reverence sees even a single blade of grass as connected with God.
If you bow with a heart that truly worships heaven, bend your body and bow with a desire to truly belong to God, you will have spiritual weight and spiritual authority and dignity.
A person with a heart of worship treats everyone with affection. He can be merciful toward others and deal with them naturally and pleasantly.
In addition, a person with a heart of reverence sees even a single blade of grass as connected with God.
You look at all things. All trees and plants, “Ohm mansei to God!” The sun and Heavenly Father, “Ohm Mansei!” Look at all things and always be grateful. Always glorify God and (be) thankful and really truly bow down. How beautiful! That is why I think all things are truly one of the great textbooks.
3. This heart of worship and reverence can be said to be the point in having a relationship with God. A person who has a heart of reverence and worship like this can't help but look at a single blade of grass and see it as a creation connected to God. Such a person does not discriminate between the smallest and the largest. When we look at our fingers, even though they are all different sizes, do we value one and despise the other? We do not discriminate. In the same way, can there be any discrimination against all things that God created with all His heart? There can be no discrimination. So, we with reverence today also do not discriminate. Like this, if you do not discriminate, have a relationship with Heaven, and see all things with a good attitude, then your faith will begin to take hold. If you don't have it, you are like an uprooted tree, and are loose and reckless.
The most important thing in having a relationship with God is a heart to kyungbei and worshipping God and a heart to revere God. If this kind of heart is the basis, you would see even a single blade of grass as a creation of God and consider it (to be) so precious.
Those who have a heart to worship God do not discriminate between the smallest and the largest (just as) we don't discriminate between our fingers even if they're all different sizes.
(One) doesn’t mind if someone is tall or short, an older or younger brother. Each has the same value.
This is because people who discriminate easily and ignore others are very arrogant and hypocritical.
Consequences of a Person Without Reverence
4. If you do not have reverence in your vertical relationship with God, you become a self-indulgent person. People who do not have a hold on their faith are usually good at complaining because they were not loved by their parents when they were growing up, or because they just lived according to the wind and circumstances. You can easily recognize people by looking at them. In view of this, we have a responsibility to preserve a heart of worship and reverence. Those who do not forget and keep their first motivation, first heart, and first love like this are called righteous.
If you become a person who does not have reverence in your vertical relationship with God, you become a self-indulgent person. If you look at horizontal people, they have no respect for God and their parents.
Therefore, the most precious education for children is to show that parents bow to and attend God and True Parents. And parents should attend their children with a heart of bowing to God.
People who do not have a hold on their faith are usually those who grew up not well loved by their parents. So, they just fool around according to the wind and the environment and complain a lot.
Our life of faith needs to preserve the heart with which we bow every morning throughout the day. We must not forget that this is the very beginning of faith.
Every morning you wake up and attend Morning Devotion and bow down to Heaven and True Parents. This kind of respectful heart of attendance you need to apply to your spouse, to your children. When you leave your home and see Abel, you need to apply the same thing. When you see a guest, (you need to have the) same attitude. You need to have the same attitude toward all things.
This is the era of attendance.
“Oh, the Unification Church just worships human beings. They worship Father and Mother Moon.”
They don’t know the meaning of attendance. We don’t just worship God and True Parents. Based on that standard, I want to practice (this) with everyone. There is no difference. If you do something different, you are called a hypocrite.
When you reach that kind of level of when you deal with God and with human beings, you have the same kind of mindset and attitude and respectful heart and gratitude and reverence, we call you a perfect man.
Let’s practice that.
LIVING TESTIMONY: I’m a Living Testimony for Whom Anything is Possible
(Testimony of Norm Presley, Kentucky, Life Fest & ACLC)♦
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. 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 March 29, 2022 are available as six 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.♦