Ep 627 - A Life of Jeongseong Part 1
A Life of Jeongseong - July 14, 2022
PDF Printable Text and Images + Testimony Joy Theriot
(Response to sharing) Angels definitely do exist. I had a beautiful experience with angels. When I followed True Father’s orders to help the Japanese providence, I brought 120 Japanese missionaries to Yamagochi Camp(?Ken?). Every day we did jeongseong and hoondokhae conditions. Then you know what happened? So many angels appeared.
Most of our Japanese missionaries could see the angels. When we looked at the sky, even some outside people discovered so many angels there. Do you know who could not see the angels? Only me! Everybody (else) could see the angels. Oh my God! I tried to see them, but I could not. Most of the Japanese missionaries watched the angels.
Some outside people asked, “What happened? Why are they looking at the sky?” There were so many angels but only over our church area. I realized that when we do jeongseong, so many good angels always support us. They already know everything and are helping us.♦
Today I’d like to talk about “A Life of Jeongseong” from True Mother’s Anthology, Book 1.
Think of God's creation of the heavens and the earth. God was thinking of an ideal nation when He began His creation of all things. Who was that creation for? He was creating an environment for Adam and Eve, His son and daughter, who were to grow into True Parents, His substantial selves. The creation of an environment is not easy. When you make an artwork according to your talents, you invest an offering of devotion. It doesn't happen by simply saying, “Ah, I want to make it this way. You, rose! Take this form.” Devotion (Jeongseong) is essential. (2012.12.14, Cheon Jeong Gung)
You have everything. When Jesus came 2,000 years ago, he had the qualification of the True Parent, but He could not achieve that and went the way of the cross. How distressed must He have been! To send Jesus, God prepared the Israelite people and went through unspeakable troubles. Jesus also knew what His mission was, but because the environment was not prepared, He died hanging on the cross. However, when He thought about meeting God in the spirit world, how would his heart have been? Jesus would have had an earnest heart wanting to complete his mission at least spiritually after shedding his body. When Christianity first started, many people were eaten by lions. When we consider that they had to go through that kind of path to demonstrate their faith, you of the present day are people who have received a great blessing.
We must think about the heart of Jesus who had to wait 2,000 years. In his lifetime, True Father laid the foundation for victory while going through repeated suffering in prison and receiving much persecution. While following him, you also went through many difficulties, but when you think of True Father, the point is whether you will be able to say, “Father, I did my best.” Even if you recite the Family Pledge every day, speaking about filial piety in the family, patriotism in our nation, saints in the world, and divine sons and daughters in heaven and on earth and are going that way, and even if every day you bow and pray even thousands of times with a grateful heart, it will not be enough. (2002.08.21, Takamatsu, Japan)
True Mother said that when God created the heavens and earth, He invested unimaginable Jeongseong and devotion.
Then, let’s take a look at True Father’s Words regarding God’s creation and jeongseong.
<78-111> If God had thought only of Himself, would He have created heaven and earth? To create means to invest energy. The cherished desire of an artist is to create a masterpiece. To do this, the artist will invest all of his heart and soul. He will want to reach the point where he cannot do anything more. Only by thus investing himself completely can he create the perfect masterpiece. It was not incomplete investment. It is only here that a masterpiece can be created, which can be said to be nothing more than complete investment.
What is the original creation of God? Christians today believe that the omnipotent God created by speaking words, saying “Let there be…” and the creation appeared as if it were a magic show. On the contrary, God totally invested His entire self into the work of creation. He invested, expressing His total love. Don’t we give our utmost sincerity and invest our flesh and blood for the sake of the people we love?
<461-177> When God created man, He did not create them randomly. The Bible says that He created them with words, but it was not random. After thousands of years of hard work, He created with 120 percent of Himself, investing hundreds of times. When some Christians think about God's creation of heaven and earth, they focus on God's omniscience and omnipotence, and thereby believe, simply, that He created by His words. The creation did not, however, come into form by some type of magic. He created His sons and daughters by investing His entire being with a sincere heart. That is why He loves them.
We also do love anything that we don't put our heart blood and flesh into. Where there is no love, you disappear. It is like disappearing. It was created because of love, but since there is no object partner to love, the self disappears.
An artist will invest all of his heart and soul in order to create a masterpiece, right? Only by thus investing himself completely can he create the perfect masterpiece.
True Father said, “When God created the entire universe and human beings, do you think that God created the universe and humans as if by some kind of magic? No. He invested 100% and 120% of Himself with all His utmost sincerity and jeongseong.”
He could not do anything more because he had invested everything and had no more power left. That was God’s jeongseong for creating human beings and all things. That is why he created such a beautiful and perfect masterpiece.
Because God created His object partners with 100% and 120% with all his heart and sincerity, it is impossible not to love his object partners. The reason parents love their children so much is because they risked death and offered their lives to raise them.
How much does God love me? Can you think about that? Then how much does God love me? If he created me as his own child, how much does he love me as a parent?... 100%? 120%? Why? Because we are God’s greatest masterpiece. We are a child of God.
If you realize how much God loves you, I think your life of faith will completely change. (It will have a) different dimension. I think many people do not know how much God loves them.
LIVING DIVINE PRINCIPLE: The Principle of Creation 58 - The Reciprocal Relationship Between the Physical Self and the Spirit Self
The Structure and Function of the Physical Self
• The physical self consists of the dual characteristics of the physical mind (subject partner) and the physical body (object partner).
• The physical mind directs the physical body to maintain the functions necessary for its survival, protection and reproduction.
• For the physical self to grow in good health, it must absorb air and sunlight, which are intangible, yang types of nourishment, and eat and drink food and water, which are tangible, yin types of nourishment. The body has give and take with this nourishment through its digestive and circulatory systems.
• Good or evil in the conduct of the physical self is the main determinant of whether the spirit self becomes good or evil.
• This is because the physical self provides a certain element, which we call the vitality element, to the spirit self.
• In our everyday experience, our mind rejoices when our physical self performs good deeds but feels anxiety after evil conduct. This is because vitality elements, which can be good or evil according to the deeds of the physical self, are infused into our spirit self.
Let’s study Father’s words:
The Nobility of Your Life on Earth
<91-191> If I am liberated, God is liberated. Is that correct? (Yes). If our family is liberated, then our heavenly family will also be liberated. If the earthly world is liberated, then the heavenly world will also be liberated. This is why in the Bible, it says that, “What is bound on earth is bound in heaven. What is released on earth will be released in heaven.” This logic can be understood through the unity of dual characteristics. Human beings today should know how valuable their physical lifetime truly is. The conclusion is that the period of their life on earth is the only time when they can liberate God, revive this universe and unite all heaven and earth.
Father is talking about the importance of our physical self.
God’s han that was bound through His children is liberated when His children are liberated. That means that when I am liberated, God will be liberated as well.
This is why in the Bible, it says that, “What is bound on earth is bound in heaven. What is released on earth will be released in heaven.” In that sense, we human beings today should know how valuable our physical lifetime truly is. “While I am using my body, I have to grow, perfect myself, and loosen everything that has been bound.”
(This) is impossible once you shed your body. Once you shed your body, think and imagine how difficult it must be to come down to earth and borrow someone else's body, according to Father.
The period of using the body is the only time when we can liberate God, revive this universe, unite tribes and nations, and unite all heaven and earth to create Cheon Il Guk.
We must clearly understand that forgiveness, indemnity, liberation, and perfection are possible only during the period of using the human body.
That is why the human body is so precious! While we are on the earth with our physical self, we have to do everything.
You Should Live a Heavenly Life During your Time on Earth
<155-27> Today, people live for only seventy to eighty years. Our heart knows that our lifetime is too short to allow us to restore all the realms of goodness entangled in history. We should not die. If we die, we cannot accomplish it. During our lifetime, we should make that connection of heart and restore the sovereignty of the Homeland on this earth. We must find the original homeland, attend the Heavenly Sovereignty and live with His people in His nation. Only then can we go to heaven in the spirit world. How desperate our heart would be if we knew we were unable to go and live in that world!
Then what is the reason we shouldn’t die early?
The first reason is because if we die while our spirit body is not perfected, we have to come back down to Earth again. No one can predict how long it will take for me to return to earth again and complete myself.
Then... I will need to borrow someone’s body. If he is a failure, then I have to look for another guy. It is not a simple matter.
Second, it is because we have to die after seeing the realization of the liberation of God’s homeland through the building of Cheon Il Guk. If you go to the spirit world without building heaven on earth, how can you enter the kingdom of heaven? It should always be kept in mind that what is bound on earth is bound in heaven, and what is loosed on earth is also loosed in heaven.
That is why the earthly world while I am wearing my physical self is important.
In order to enter the real heaven, you have to achieve the substantial heaven and experience it on earth, and then go to the spiritual realm. Otherwise, even if you receive the blessing, you will go to the world closest to heaven, the world of paradise for blessed families, but you will not be able to enter the perfected kingdom of heaven.
That is why we need to have a real taste of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. That is why Mother emphasizes substantial Cheon Il Guk. She has already declared that Cheon Il Guk has started centering on Cheongpyeong. All blessed families are trying to become CheonBo (families). That is a certain level. (But) we are talking about national sovereignty, national-level substantial Cheon Il Guk.
If we don’t have that taste and experience of Cheon Il Guk on earth, how can we enter the substantial Kingdom of Heaven in heaven? The Bible(?) says clearly why everybody needs to suffer. (It is) because (we need to) realize the land(?) of Cheon Il Guk on the earth, not heaven.
That’s why you and I need to work very hard to support True Mother for Korea to become God’s substantial Cheon Il Guk. This is your wish, my wish, God’s wish, True Father’s wish, everybody’s wish.
TODAY’S YOUTH MINISTRY: How to Properly Practice Growth-stage faith
This is very important guidance. We can learn Father’s mindset and attitude: How to deal with his personal responsibility.
The Faith of a Person who Reaches the Growth Stage
1. A person who has reached the growth-stage faith has the heart of serving the center. By following Abel’s directions and putting the Word into practice, since they realize that those Words become vitality to them, their heart of serving Abel grew. Joy arises in the heart of the person who dominates the body while serving the center and putting the Word into practice. Those who take responsibility while valuing those around them will continue to feel joy and reap benefits. It is also the way to be more grateful. As True Father said, such people are grateful even if they suffer hardships; they are grateful without getting tired even after following the path of faith for decades, and they live a life of gratitude whether they encounter joy or difficulties. A person who realizes that the Principle and the Word are precious will increase their gratitude as they get older. Just as a person who knows how to make money will earn money, a person who knows how to practice faith of gratitude will grow deeper in gratitude. A person who does not know how to make money cannot discover the wisdom of how to earn money.
A person who has reached growth-stage faith will taste joy from dominating their body. Of course, it is not easy to dominate our body, but once you know the taste when you control your body, you can feel incredible joy and happiness.
If you reach the level of dominating your own body, you become more humble and grateful.
Such people are grateful even if they suffer, grateful even if they suffers trials and tribulations, and their faith to be grateful continues to grow even if they suffer injustice. By overcoming the body, dissatisfaction and complaints disappear, so the more years pass by, the greater the gratitude.
If there are still a lot of dissatisfaction and quarrels between husband and wife, conflicts between Cain and Abel, always criticizing others, always negative in everything, always looking down at others, and having a lot of envy and jealousy, you are not people practicing growth-stage faith. You are still in the formation stage. This is the proof.
What is your level? What kind of level do you have? Are you grateful all the time? Or are you not grateful? Do you have a lot of dissatisfaction and quarrels or not? Having a grateful heart is very important. Through controlling your body, naturally you appreciate everything no matter what happens.
If you are Faithful in the Little Things, you will be Responsible for the Big Things
2 People who have interest in studying do not know that time is passing and try to study whenever they have free time. Those who do not know how to study or do not have any interest are always idle. Even when they look at a book, it is the book that looks at them. They make effort to read a book every day, but since they do not know taste of studying, they lose interest because they do not realize it. People who are not good at studying hate studying. Even businesspeople say, “What can I do for a living by doing this? Why don’t I have a different job?” People who find their jobs annoying like this are incompetent people. Such a person is not wholehearted in their responsibilities.
A person who knows how to raise money or is skillful makes a profit of joy because they value their responsibilities. We can see this as an absolute formula that if you are faithful in the little things, you will be responsible for the big things. However, the life of a person who has preposterous fantasies about the work they are assigned to is unhappy.
When your faith reaches the growth stage, you carry out your responsibilities very diligently. Such a person makes a profit of joy because they value their responsibilities.
It is an absolute formula that if you are faithful in the little things, you will be responsible for the big things.
That is why you have to always be faithful even though you are dealing with little things. You need to invest all your jeongseong even if you are doing little things. If you do that, you will be responsible for big things in the future.
Think that Every Moment is Eternity
3.You must have a faithful heart, a joyful heart, and precious heart towards the tasks entrusted to you. It is a very normal thing that people who acquire their skills and realize their values develop through these things. There is no such thing as temporary in the way we go in life. Whether you are going to the military, going to church, visiting homes, or doing anything anywhere, you shouldn't think it's temporary. Know that thinking that it is temporary makes me pitiful and miserable. We should think that temporary does not exist in our life. You should always think of every moment as eternity. Even when Father went to prison, instead of thinking that he worked because somebody made him, he always thought that the reason he is doing this work is because it is his purpose of being born on this earth, so he was always number one. He put his life on the line and risked his life hour after hour because he believed that he was born on this earth because of this responsibility. So, in the end, he was put in charge of big tasks.
True Father’s attitude is really amazing! This is an important thing that we can learn and inherit from our True Father. You must have a faithful heart, a joyful heart, and precious heart towards the tasks entrusted to you. Whatever you do, you should be faithful, joyful with a precious(?) heart.
It is a fact that people who are faithful and happy to take responsibility for the work they are given are getting better and better, so they develop and grow in every heavenly matter.
My attitude of mind is very important in order to be faithful to the task given to me and fulfill my responsibilities. Then, what kind of attitude should I have in fulfilling my portion of responsibility?
First, think that there is no such thing as temporary in the way we go in life. Whatever you do, do not think that it is temporary. Do not think of it as just a passing moment.
Even if you are doing large or small things, don’t think of it as temporary. Do not think of it just as a passing moment.
As most of you all know, in Korea, all men are required to perform 2 to 3 years of compulsory military service. However, most people try to avoid that period. And they also think that the period in the military is a period to waste time.
Therefore, most people do not enter military service with a happy and voluntary heart. They hate the military term very much. And a lot of accidents happen because they think that period is just a period to quickly pass by and a period of duty. Accidents are always prone to happen in any work that is done with a sense of duty or reluctance or done without joy.
Do you know that? What does our original mind require? Whatever you do always (be) faithful, joyful with a precious heart. Do not think only of responsibility.
Therefore, know that when anyone (does) a task, thinking of it as temporary, he becomes pitiable and miserable. We should think that temporary does not exist in our life. We cannot find the word “temporary” in my dictionary.
A believer should always think that every moment is eternity. Even when True Father went to prison, he did not think that he went in unjustly. Even while living a very difficult life of labor, instead of thinking that he worked because somebody made him (work), he always thought that the reason he is doing this work is because it is his purpose of being born on this earth. Since he assumed this kind of attitude, he always received the award for being number one among all laborers.
Wow! Father’s attitude is amazing! When he was in Heungnam Prison, (he had to do) such a... laborious job. His attitude was “I was born for this.” When he entered Danbury and needed to do these kinds of things, “I was born for this.” (He had this attitude for) whatever he did. “I was born for this portion of responsibility.” It looked like a temporary job, a temporary moment. But he thought, “I was born for this for eternity.”
This kind of mindset is incredible, so beautiful! Wherever Father went, he thought he “was born for this.” When he went to the ocean (for) fishing, he thought this. (Nothing was) temporary. Every moment, every second, every hour was connected to eternity. That is why each moment was precious. He invested in every moment because he did not think that everything is temporary.
Since True Father worked, thinking that he was born on this earth to fulfill the responsibilities he was given, he put his life on the line and invested himself in his labor work. As a result, later on, he was entrusted with a great task of being (in) charge of all humankind and history.
His responsibility was what, finally? “I need to liberate God, liberate all of humankind.”
If you approach indemnity, thinking of it as compulsory, the indemnity will never be paid. Know the truth that when you approach it with a voluntary heart, grateful heart, and joyful heart, then indemnity is completed. We must understand that the providence of restoration through indemnity is the providence of subjugating Satan naturally.
That is why we need to have a grateful, thankful heart, precious heart. In this way we can pay any indemnity. Also, we need to think we were born for this. “Oh, this is just temporary. I can just practice...” Do not think that way.
Whatever you do, (it) was given by God. “This is my portion of responsibility. I was born for this.” Your studies: you have joined GPA, you work very hard – “Oh, this was a beautiful, incredible experience” – and (then) go back home to school and study, “I was born for this, for my studies.” Then (invest) all your effort in it.
After GPA when you go back to school, (you may feel) it is very boring. “This won’t help me much.” If you think like that, your life will become very miserable.
We can learn from Father’s attitude. It is incredible. When Father went to a factory, he became a factory-man. When he went to a farm, he became a farmer. When he went to the ocean, he became a professional fisherman. This was Father’s attitude. Wherever he went, he loved the environment. Some people might think that he was born for that. I really admire Father’s attitude. Father never wasted time, even one second.
If you Win in the Smallest Things, you can Also Win in Greater Things
4. Even if you go somewhere and take on a temporary task, the person who assigns it to me may call it temporary, but my position in doing the work is not temporary. You have to think of it as eternity. It is just like doing sports. Sports are both a competition and a fight. If I win, there is a path to go on, but if I lose, there is no path to go on. In the same way, there is no temporary in life; it is always eternal. If you win in the smallest things, you can also win in greater things, and you are entrusted with a greater responsibility. People like this are always growing and developing. In this kind of faith at the growth stage, we have a sense of cherishing our responsibilities, but we also always find joy in our responsibilities. You will also grow and gain appreciation.
Even if we have been assigned a temporary task by someone, from the position of being in charge and responsible for the task, we should think of it as an eternity, not temporary.
When I think I've been given a temporary job, my mind does not devote all my energy to my responsibilities. Doing so will waste all that time.
Therefore, my life is not temporary; it is always eternal. If you win in the smallest things, you can also win in greater things, and you will be entrusted with greater responsibilities.
In this kind of faith at the growth stage, we also have a sense of cherishing responsibility, and we discover (we) find joy through our responsibilities. You will also grow and gain gratitude.
Today I have talked to you about how to properly practice growth-stage faith.
LIVING TESTIMONY: I’m a Living Testimony for Whom Anything is Possible
(Testimony of Pastor Joy Theriot, Brooklyn Church)♦
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.♦