Ep 608 - Why We Should Witness Part 1
Why We Should Witness - June 25, 2022
PDF Printable Text and Images+ Testimony Tomoko Taira
Today I have a meeting with key CARP leaders while fishing in the Hudson River. So, I had to record the sermon in advance. Thank you for your understanding.
Today I’d like to talk about “Why we should witness” from True Mother’s Anthology, Book 1.
We need to spread the word to the ends of this earth. The Bible also says that all nations will be ruled by the Word and the rod of iron. This means we need to witness to others. God needs a nation He can dwell in. For a nation to be established citizens are needed. Hence, we must witness. You must fulfill your tribal messiah mission. You need to do this in the remaining years of your life. If you fail to do so, you will not be able to face True Father when you go to the spirit world. He will say to you, “I taught you to do that while I was on earth; moreover, Mother also earnestly asked you to do it. Why didn't you do it? You need to do this at all costs not only for yourselves but also for the sake of your descendants.” (2013.02.10, Cheon Jeong Gung)
True Mother said, “We need to spread the word to the ends of this earth. This means we need to witness to others. For a nation to be established, citizens are needed. Hence, we must witness.”
Just as True Mother said, in order for us to witness, the words of the Principle and True Parents’ words need to enter our hearts and come to life. If the word enters my inner person and comes to life, I will not be able to help but witness. If you are always alive, stimulated by the Word, you (will) have no choice but to witness.
The Heavenly Tribal Messiah mission also begins with witnessing to 3 people. Do not think that the Heavenly Tribal Messiah mission is difficult. If we just make a determination for (the) Heavenly Tribal Messiah mission, anyone can do it. Surprisingly, if I just make a determination to do (the) Heavenly Tribal Messiah mission, my ancestors in the spirit world will help me accomplish it.
The problem is that the spirit world does not help because I do not make a determination. If humans beings on earth do not make a determination, the spirit world cannot help with anything. Therefore, think that making a determination is my responsibility and preparing and helping so that I can do it is the spirit world’s responsibility.
True Mother said if you go to the spirit world without fulfilling the tribal messiah mission, you will not be able to face True Father.
Do you remember? Before Father went to the spirit world, what was his last prayer? He prayed about Tribal Messiahship. Without fulfilling Tribal Messiahship we cannot establish substantial Cheon Il Guk. Of course, Cheon Il Guk has already started, but that is not yet a substantial national foundation. We need to really restore one nation, one sovereignty, one people. That is why Mother continuously asks us to fulfill our basic responsibility which is Heavenly Tribal Messiahship.
Without a grateful heart, you cannot advance into the presence of Heaven. All of you are far too unworthy. Still, you are lucky and should be grateful that True Parents are with you to place you in that position and lead you even though you are inadequate. There is no time now. You have to act differently. You should think twenty-four hours is not enough and work without sleep. You should lead your life while strenuously striving to think about how to save one more life. This is about people's lives. Someday, you and the people who lived in your time will all go to the spirit world. They will recognize you saying, “You are that pastor, elder or deacon from the Unification Church. How come you didn't know me even though you lived next to me? Why didn't you talk to me or my relatives?” There are people who lived in goodness who were prepared. Heaven has nurtured many of these people. You have to find these people.
Since you received a lot of grace, you have to offer devotion and find these people.. You should present them before Heaven. The church does not exist only for the blessed families. You have to save the seven billion people of this world before you go. You have to love even those at the very bottom in order to become a true teacher and true owner. Isn't there a passage in the Bible that says those who humble themselves will rise? With a grateful heart you should think “I am so grateful to be able to live and breathe in this age. I am even more grateful to be able to shoulder this great mission.” This is something you can truly be grateful for. If you can have that heart, all your desires will disappear. Do you understand? You have the Word that is more powerful than a missile. Is there anything more important than True Father's words, True Parents' words? I am telling you to live according to those words. (2013.04.15, Cheon Hwa Gung)
True Mother said, “You should think twenty-four hours (a day) is not enough and work without sleep. You should lead your life while strenuously striving to think about how to save one more life. This is about people's lives.” I also came to America to focus on morning devotion and witnessing, so there are many times when I don’t even have 5 minutes to spare in my heart.
I believe that if we work diligently and witness to save America, the good spirits of the spirit world will be mobilized to help us. Last time, at our Clifton Church, we held a welcome service for 9 new members who were witnessed to, and in the second and first week of next month, it is likely that more than 12 new members will be able to attend.
First, find 3 people who are the 3 disciples of Jesus and True Parents, then find 12 people who are the 12 disciples and set them up. The next step is to find 36 people, then 72 people, 124 people, 430 people, etc. You have to go through the model course.
Now in the Clifton church there is already the first level of 3 disciples (that) is done. Twelve are already done. Now it is going to be 21. I think we need to go up step by step – something like that.
Each sub-regional leader, how about your focal church? Have you already broken through the number three? How about twelve? How about 36? You need to go step by step, and you need to encourage all members to go through this kind of model course.
In America, since all of our members are offering jeongseong on a continental level, amazing things will happen sooner or later, in which great witnessing works will take place. We sincerely thank all the members for participating.
True Father said that all the members who joined our church were pushed in by our ancestors who had merit. Therefore, we must diligently seek out those prepared by our ancestors. There are definitely people that God has prepared.
We must never forget that God has chosen me to save my people, my country, and the world through me.
Now I am really excited about the Clifton Church. Wow! Step by step we have broken through with three; we have already broken through with twelve (also). Next (will be) 21, (then) 36. Wow! We are working together, our Clifton Church brothers and sisters. When we reach 124 (it will) already (be) a completely different dimension. If we reach 430, I am telling you, the entire American situation will be completely different. That is why I am so excited! So, let’s go forward with this kind of excitement and results. Then the spiritual world will help us according to our plan and vision.
LIVING DIVINE PRINCIPLE: The Principle of Creation 53 - The Realm of God’s Direct Dominion
• What is the realm of God's direct dominion?
• Human beings abide in the realm of direct dominion when, as subject partners and object partners, they unite in the love of God to form a four position foundation and become one in heart with God. In this realm they freely and fully share love and beauty according to the will of the subject partner, thus realizing the purpose of goodness.
• The realm of direct dominion is the realm of perfection.
• What will the world be like when the natural world abides under the direct dominion of human beings?
• When a fully mature person relates with the diverse things in nature as his object partners, they come together to form a four position foundation. People who are in total resonance with God's Heart will lead the natural world in the free-flowing sharing of love and beauty, and the entire universe will realize goodness. In such a manner, human beings will exercise direct dominion over all things.
What Brings Unity?
<271-16> At the time of the Fall, the family was lost. It fell into Satan's realm, the side of Hell. Now, centered on the True Family we must become connected to the realm of God's direct dominion. This can be accomplished by centering on True Parents. In this way the blessed families can become one with True Parents' family. How are they united? It is through tribal messiahs. Through them the nations become one by connecting to the True Parents and to God, thus connecting the realm of God's direct dominion and the realm of God's indirect dominion.
This will bring unity. Until you receive the Blessing, you are still in the lineage of the fallen world. Before the Blessing, you work in the name of the Unification Church, and after the Blessing you are connected to the Family Federation. This is different. You should move away from the life of hell by making a change in your heart and your life.
The Mission of the Tribal Messiah and Driving out Satan
The body of the Archangel becomes connected to the body of Lord of the Second Advent by completing the tribal messiah mission. They represent the realms of God's direct and indirect dominion. You should change each country and restore it. Then the countries should be connected to the realm of True Parents, to the realm of God's indirect dominion, completely going beyond the Satanic world. That is how Satan is expelled. Then God, the center of the whole world, comes to the families and nations, linking them to the world of freedom. This is how Satan is driven out.
Now is the time to connect with the realm of direct dominion centering on True Parents. All blessed families must inherit True Parents’ victorious foundation and unify the indirect and direct dominion.
The medium that unifies the realms of indirect and direct dominion is the tribal messiah. When you do a tribal messiah (mission), you are connected to the national realm that God is trying to find and establish, and you are connected from the realm of indirect dominion to the realm of direct dominion.
Before the establishment of the Family Federation, (members) were blessed (under) the name of the Unification Church, (HSA-UWC), but now when they receive the blessing, they are transferred to the Family Federation and advance to the realm of direct dominion. In other words, they move from the realm of indirect dominion to the realm of direct dominion.
That’s why I really appreciate (this change). In the beginning I could not understand why Father changed the name from the Holy Spirit Association to Family Federation. “Holy Spirit” is still under the realm of God’s indirect dominion which means that it is still in the realm of the archangel. But Father proclaimed the Family Federation. Family means centering on the Four Position Foundation and the couple. It means we are already entering the completion stage, right? That is why Family Federation is the highest association or federation, (higher) than any other organization. This is different. Family Federation, UPF and WFWP cannot compare. Family Federation is the highest realm according to its spiritual level because the Family Federation needs to begin centering on the family, on the couple. It is already beyond the top of the growth stage which is God’s indirect dominion. Any other organization, Christian organizations, ACLC, whatever, are still in the realm of the archangel.
That is why using Family Federation we need to restore all of religion and religious people. That is the job of Family Federation for World Peace. We need to understand this point very clearly.
TODAY’S YOUTH MINISTRY: Children of Heartistic Relationships
1. The reason that a Blessed family was born on this earth because of True Parents is to establish many families as God’s families through that one family. Also, the reason that a spirit is born on this earth and chosen before God’s will is through him, liberate many secular children who do not know the will from Satan’s realm and set them up as God’s children. We are people who have entered the realm of the amazing benefits of the age to be called children of God through True Parents. Now, by blessing many families through True Parents, all of them are called children of God. Also, through restored Blessed 1st generation, their children are living in the age of entering a true age.
Why did God call our family out of the 7.9 billion people of the world? The ultimate goal of God's providence of restoration is the total salvation of every single person. The reason God chose our family is to find and establish many worldly families as God’s families through us.
Also, the reason that a spirit is born on this earth and chosen before God’s will is (to) liberate many secular children who do not know the will from Satan’s realm and set them up as God’s children.
Therefore, since the blessed family has a mission to save others, they must respond to the will of God. So, as long as I am alive, I must find at least one spirit and build it up. If we fail to fulfill the will of God's calling, we must know that not only our ancestors but also the whole spirit world (will) lament.
Can you imagine that? The entire spiritual world is waiting for us. We are the subject. Can you imagine (how great) the population in the spiritual world is? We cannot imagine how many people are already in the spiritual world. All of them have great expectation of our Unificationists. (We) need to go forward and multiply the Blessing everywhere. God and the entire spiritual world are waiting for us. The 7.9 billion people on earth are waiting for us. Everybody is waiting for us.
That is why God called us to be a chosen person to witness to them, but if we do not do anything, can you imagine how upset our ancestors will be and how much they will lament? We need to know that.
That is why as a Unificationist since you know God and True Parents and the Divine Principle, if you do not say anything, if you do not focus on witnessing, they will be so upset. They are the ones who can make trouble for us. To avoid that kind of problem, we need to follow God’s will.
The thing that our blessed families should not forget, even for a moment, is that our mission is to multiply. Therefore, anyone who is interested in witnessing and strives to save one spirit will be the filial son or daughter who comforts God the most.
2. However, for us who are in the realm of death centered on Satan to go on the course of restoration of beginning from the position of the servant of servants to the servant position, adopted child position, stepchild position, and rising to the level of the direct child is by no means simple and requires a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice. It is not a problem that can be solved through 1st generation who received the Blessing. This is because it has to go through the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations who gradually inherit God’s heart and walk the path of restoration by restoring the lineage. There are various kinds of people based on the motives of our faith for knowing God's will. Some people joined because they were moved by the miracles, results, or spiritual history that happened as a result, while others joined with theoretical problems solved in principle. These kinds of people cannot be regarded as truly being born again by True Parents.
Because man fell to Satan's servant's position due to the Fall, the path of restoration from the position of the servant of servants to the servant position, adopted child position, stepchild position, and rising to the level of the direct child is by no means simple.
An unimaginable amount of time, effort, and sacrifice must follow. I don't think it's a problem that can be easily solved through a blessed first generation. To that extent, change of lineage and change of heart are not problems that can be easily restored.
It is very difficult.
Fallen human beings are mainly driven by external circumstances rather than trying to follow a path centered on their original nature and heart. Fallen humans like when things are good and complain when things are bad.
Fallen human beings simply rise and fall in our spiritual life according to results and external miracles of faith. Many people followed Jesus after seeing the signs and miracles of Jesus, but when Jesus died on the cross, everyone ran away.
The disciples and those who followed Jesus at the time did not know the essence, wishes, and heart of Jesus, so they all flowed externally.
3. Those who came into God's will through certain manifestations or miracles are like Nicodemus, who was amazed at the signs and miracles of Jesus and testified that Jesus was the one who came from heaven. However, like the woman Mary Magdalene who poured perfume on Jesus' feet and wept, only those who can face the death of Jesus and grieve with them are those who are reborn despite being persecuted, suffering, and humiliated. So Jesus praised Mary Magdalene, who had poured her perfume, as a woman to be remembered forever. She was a person who could share the sorrows of Jesus and be persecuted together with Jesus, and she was a woman with whom Jesus shared his feelings. As we also live our life of faith, our own cross is heavy beyond my capacity, but if there is someone who feels pity for my circumstances, grieves with us, and comforts our pain, we will not be able to forget them for the rest of our lives.
Why did Jesus praise Mary Magdalene who anointed his feet with perfume as she wept? It was because she was persecuted, suffered, and despised, but she knew Jesus' death and comforted him by knowing the sorrowful heart of Jesus.
Mary Magdalene was a woman who really had a relationship with Jesus, who only knew the sorrows of Jesus.
I really respect Mary Magdalene. I want to be like that. Even though many people misunderstand True Parents and persecute them, I want to be a kind of (Mary) Magdalene who truly understands the heart of True Parents and our True Parents’ suffering. I (want to be) the one who truly understands their wishes and their bitter heart like Mary Magdalene.
As we also live our life of faith, our own cross is heavy beyond our capacity, but if there is someone who feels pity for our circumstances, grieves with us, and comforts our pain, we will not be able to forget them for the rest of our lives.
Furthermore, our own cross is heavy, but if there is someone who goes beyond his own cross to know and comfort God and True Parents' suffering and goes out to the front lines to save people on behalf of God, God will never forget him. Such children are truly heartistic children before God.
4. When we call God our Father, how close are we in heart to God? The Korean tradition is based on a system called chonsu. The relation between children and parents is il chon (1st degree of kinship), and the relationship between siblings is yi chon (2nd degree). And the relationship between my siblings’ children and me is sam-chon (3rd degree). The relationship between children of siblings is sa-chon (4th degree). There is no chon number between husband and wife, so it is yeong-chon (0-degree). Yeong-chon (0-degree) is a very united relationship when close, but when they separate, they become people without any relation. In that sense, my relationship with God is the closest 1st degree relationship. When you call God, is it really the 1st degree parent-child relationship? Or is it 2nd degree or 3rd degree? Or is it 10th degree? According to the Principle of Creation, we are all children of God, but we are of different degrees. A child who only rejoices when their father makes them happy is an immature child. They cannot be seen as a filial son or filial daughter yet. A filial son and daughter are those who share the sorrows, pains, and wishes of their parents. A child who has no choice but to be involved in God's will like work cannot be called a true child.
If man had not fallen, the relationship between God and me would be the closest one (Il-Chon, the 1st degree of kinship). It is the closest relationship. When we call God our Father, how close are we in heart to God?
A true filial son and filial daughter before God are first-degree relatives. Satan's children have no relationship with God. They have absolutely nothing to do with God.
If my relationship with God is a first-degree relationship (Il-chon), I feel sad when God is sad and I am happy when God is happy. However, the children of Satan have no sense of the heart of God. Also, they have no sense of the circumstances and sorrows of others.
Ultimately, the course of restoration is restoration of one's heart with God. The goal of the providence of restoration is to become a child of the heart before God.
We need to reflect on that. What is my relationship with Heavenly Parent? (Is it a) first, second, eighth, 100th degree relationship? How far (away) is it? Or how close is it? We need to know about all the different degrees of relationship with God. We really need to think about that. A real child is what? A first degree relationship. There is no more gap between God and me as parent and child.
That is why in order to create the first degree relationship with God, we need to have a heartistic communication, a heartistic relationship. There is no heartistic distance. That is our fundamental goal in order to go back to God’s bosom.
LIVING TESTIMONY: I’m a Living Testimony for Whom Anything is Possible
(Testimony of Tomoko Taira)♦
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.♦