Ep 425 - Meeting True Father Part 2
Meeting True Father #60 - December 24, 2021
Today is Christmas Eve. I may still be on the plane or I may have just arrived in Australia. I hope you all have a merry Christmas Eve today.
Today I’d like to talk again about “Meeting True Father(2)” from True Mother’s Anthology 1.
A month before the Holy Wedding, Father appeared to me in a dream and gave me a special revelation from God. Because at the time I did not have the ability to deal with such a monumental matter, I had to empty myself. All I could do was pray. I responded while constantly keeping that revelation in mind, thinking, “O God, I have been living in accordance with Your Will. I will follow and do whatever Your Will may be. Whatever Your providential purpose for me may be, I will follow as You command.” I was 17 years old, and it was sometime in February.
What we can know from True Mother’s testimony is that when receiving a command from Heaven, Heaven directly gave commands through her dreams, and True Mother had the heart to obey with absolute faith and absolute obedience, no matter what command God gave. If we look at her life of faith at that time, we can know that she possessed absolute faith which God could directly dominate.
True Mother lived with the mindset of absolutely obeying God’s Will and command. As believers following True Mother, we must inherit her faith.
I really admire her. At 17 and 18 years old, she already had that kind of heart of absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience toward Heavenly Parent. That is why God directly intervened (with her). Based on that foundation of faith, she received a dream. God and True Father appeared to her in the dream and told her she needed to prepare.
I did not want to analyze the situation at that time because I was making internal preparations by emptying myself. I only wanted to follow God's Will.
I was known as a student who liked reading and music in a comfortable and quiet atmosphere. Also, people had the impression that I was quite intellectual. I was not extremely emotional or excitable. Come to think of it, I might have given a first impression of being a little cold. In the dormitory I lived like a nun. My life was sheltered from the secular environment, like a flower blooming in a greenhouse.
Before the Holy Wedding with True Father, she lived a life of faith without compromising with the world and did not form any common base with any man, so she lived like a nun.
When we raise our children until they receive the Blessing, we need to educate them in a similar way as a nun or monk. They need to grow up purely and need to wait until True Parents give them the Blessing.
Before the Blessing, we must not waste our emotions recklessly but live with a pure heart. How we will educate our children in this secular world that we live in is our great task.
However, through the central figures from the history of the providence of restoration, if we look at the mothers who were victorious in the mother-child cooperation, we can learn very important lessons.
We must be aware once again that education about the chosen people, education on the Word, and (about the) model lives of parents is the one and only path to protect our children.
Only later did I realize that my life was that way to separate me from the fallen world. It was Heaven’s preparation, so that one day I could meet the Lord at His Second Advent and become his Bride. My character was naturally reserved, so I generally shied away from people, and spent time in my own private world. I did not show any interest in boys, never even looking at any young men who happened to be nearby. This was because even if I just looked at them I felt there was something improper about it and that I was losing my purity. (1977.05.03, Belvedere Training Center)
Mother’s life was so beautiful. She really completely prepared her heart to welcome God’s only begotten son.
LIVING DIVINE PRINCIPLE: Principle of Creation 7 - The Relationship between God and the Universe
♦ The relationship between God and the universe can be summarized thus:
♦ God is the invisible subject partner, and the universe as a whole is a substantial object partner to God. In accordance with the Principle of Creation, God's dual characteristics manifest themselves symbolically or in image as individual embodiments of truth, which constitute the universe.
Based on this EDP content, let’s study Father’s word.
The People of a New Nation and a New Age
<9-178> Therefore, the people of a new age must appreciate a clump of grass with his wife or sons and daughters if he was to farm. If you do so, the universe will be filled with elements of life, and life will follow where the heart goes, and life will spread naturally in places where love moves. If there was a person who engages in farming in this way, there will come a time when he does not need to use fertilizers to have good crops.
What is the attitude of the people of a new nation and a new age?
True Father said that people in the new age should cherish and nurture a clump of grass just like his wife or sons and daughters, even if they farm.
As a son born to a farmer who helped on my parents’ farm, I have never even once planted while thinking of plants as God’s sons and daughters. Through True Father’s words, we come to reflect on the standard of love of a true person who has perfected their heart.
True Father’s perspective on faith is when it comes to treating all creation and people, treating everything with a parental heart.
True Father said that when treating creation, if you treat it with a parental heart, the universe will be filled with elements of life. Also, life will follow where the parent’s heart goes, and life will spread naturally in places where the parent’s heart and love move.
If there is a person who farms with the heart of a parent in this way, there will come a time when farming will go well even without fertilizer. True Father said that the people of Cheon Il Guk, who are living in a new age outside the fallen environment, should farm while treating all plants as friends, or even children at times, and pray for blessings and say “Grow well!” The world of heart really is this beautiful.
That’s why I really admire True Father’s guidance and attitude. I didn't have this kind of experience when I dealt with all things, with each item whenever I took care of farming. Wow! How can I have that attitude, to treat each item of all things -- each plant, each tree, each creature -- as if it is my son or daughter, to treat it very, very preciously and communicate with it heartistically, to talk to it like taking care of my own child? If we have that kind of heart to communicate with all things, that is the best way to mature our heart and mind and grow our spiritual level very quickly. That is why Father said all things are a museum of love for human beings. Whenever we deal well with all things, this is the best way to cultivate our heart.
Just like a person who farms with this kind of heart, if the same method is applied to farmers raising people, there is no doubt that (the one who does this) will become a church leader who is respected and loved by the people around them.
<9-178> Is there anybody who farms with tears to touch a lump of earth dug by a hoe or a leaf of grain held in his hand and treat them and care for them like your friends with the hope for them to grow well? From now on, the people of new nation and new age must live like that.
Let Us Comfort the Universe
<9-176> The members of the Unification Church must be able to shed tears to see a wisp of grass as they walk down the street. They must be able to cry as they clutch to a tree saying, “How lonely must you have been by losing your owner.” You should try doing this. The person speaking here in front of you has cried many times. I cried as I clutched to a rock, and I cried as I saw the wind blow. Since I told you why you should do so, I believe you will understand me.
In True Father’s world of heart, he could converse with the heart of treating all creation. He conversed even when looking at a mountain, he conversed even while touching water, and he conversed even while looking at a rock. And he said that he conversed with all creation with God’s pitiful heart. When will we reach that level of heart? Then our heart level will be completed, Father said. True Parents are our eternal teachers. I learned many things from our True Parents. Wow!
How can I deal with all things? How can I communicate heartistically with each item whenever I pass, whenever I see it the same way as with human beings? Father treats each item of all things as if “They are my children; they are my sons and daughters; they are my spouse.” He has such heartistic communication with all things. That’s why (with such communication) our heart is cultivated and comes very close to Heavenly Parent.
I really have reflected about myself: from now on I need to have a more heartistic way to be close to each item of all things whenever I touch them. I need to have that attitude of parental heart and treat them as my own children. That is why Father talks about the relationship between the universe and human beings. We need to have that kind of heartistic relationship.
TODAY’S YOUTH MINISTRY: Moses and the Course of Faith - God who Commands and Moses who Refuses (2)
1. If Moses went right away in front of the Pharaoh when God told him to go, it is highly likely that when the Israelites disbelieved in him, he would have been able to deal with it in a humanistic way centered on his style. Because if you make a decision easily, it is easy to give up easily when difficulties come. Although Moses may have thought that God sent him to go before Pharaoh and the Israelites, if he delivered God's commands directly to them, they would not accept them so easily. However, he was able to do this because he met Aaron and the priests, and they met and united, gathered various wisdom to get public opinion and go before the Pharaoh. Even if we also have received revelation from God in our life of faith, we learn that we need to build a foundation of faith with more than three people and gather wisdom to achieve it.
We need to learn from Moses. He had that kind of attitude.
2. Therefore, if we too receive God's command from True Parents and the central figure, we should think about how to build a foundation of faith and fulfill that Will and pray together. If you distrust that you can't do it without even trying it before putting into practice the given command, it will result in distrust of the person who gave you the command. Since it is a command from God, you must believe that there is a way and go out with faith.
That is Moses greatness. When he received God’s command, he did not go immediately. He asked God again and again until he was really convinced of what God had said. But he still did not go to Pharaoh and to the Israelis. He called his brother Aaron, the priest, and discussed the situation with him: “This is what God said. What should we do?” They talked and talked and gathered wisdom. Finally, based on that foundation, he went in front of pharaoh. That’s why whenever we receive some kind of revelation or God’s command or True Parents’ or True Mother’s direction, sometimes we may feel, “It is impossible to achieve this goal.” Before having this kind of negative thinking, we need to think, “God does not give us impossible goals. True Mother does not give us impossible goals.” We need to think about it.
But do not just think alone. You need to creat some kind of foundation of faith and call your trinity and key leaders (to discuss) “How can we achieve Heavenly Parent’s wishes? Then you should put your wisdom together, share together. Through this kind of unity and foundation of faith, God will surely intervene. That was Moses’ great point.
3. Moses continued to work while clinging to God and asking questions until the end. This is indeed the attitude of a leader we can learn from. Moses received a lot of power from God because if it didn’t work out, he would ask until the end, listen to the response, and then act, and if it still didn’t work out, he would persistently ask until he got an answer. … God even rebuked him because he did this so often.
Moses asked again and again and again until he was convinced. That is why sometimes God was upset. “Just believe and go!” But he really wanted to be convinced by God.
When our True Father met Jesus at the age of 16 years old, he had prayed deeply and resolved to meet God directly. He had prayed and prayed and prayed for a very long time. Finally he met God in person. Then Father Moon asked many questions. “God, do you really need me? How much do you need me? 30%? 40%? 90%? 100%? Father asked in detail how much God needed him and was finally convinced by God’s answer. “I need you absolutely 100%.” Then father was convinced, “I see. That is my mission.” Then he asked Heavenly Father, “You are almighty God, omniscient God, omnipotent God. You can do whatever you want. As the creator and omnipotent God, do you have any wishes?” God did not give an answer immediately. Father asked again and again. Then God revealed his wishes. “These are my wishes.” He was crying and crying. Father also was crying and crying. Then Father received a very clear vision of what he should do. Until he received such conviction, convinced by God, Father asked God details continuously.
Moses, our central figure, has the same kind of attitude. Without being convinced by God and simply going on faith “Ok, God ordered me so I will go,” when persecution and difficulties would have come, he would have had no idea how to convince Pharaoh and his own people, the Israelis. He wanted to make sure. He wanted to be convinced by Heavenly Parent. Moses had that attitude -- until God became angry.
4. Moses clung onto God this closely. If he had this personality throughout his time of being a leader, he would not have made mistakes, but he made mistakes because he became angry on his own will.
Moses should have had the attitude that whenever he had a problem, he would kneel down (and prayed). Until he received an answer from heavenly father, he would not have taken any action. He needed to keep this attitude continuously until the end. However he could not maintain such an attitude. Whenever he faced a problem, he should have knelt down in front of God and asked, “God, what shall I do? How can I solve this problem? My emotions are like this, what shall I do?” Then he should have humbled himself and received God’s clear answer. Then he should have delivered God’s message to the people. (If he were to have done this) he would not have made any mistakes.
Before he struck the rock twice, it would have been better if he had said, “God! Forgive these people. Their disbelief is my disbelief. Because of my sin of disbelieving in you eight times, I am troubled because of the people.”
When his own people did not believe in him and Moses was very angry at them, he made a mistake. When people didn’t believe in him, he should have knelt down and prayed, “I am the one. I have caused you a lot of trouble, Heavenly Father. More than eight times I did not accept your guidance easily. I am the one who really made trouble for you. When I see my people disbelieve in me, I really understand how much you have suffered because of me. I truly, truly repent. Please, Heavenly Father, forgive my people.” If he had been weeping and crying in front of God showing this kind of attitude, he would not have made a mistake.
That is why we should treat the sin and problems of other people as “my own sin and problems.” Then we will automatically become humble. “I am the one who has made a lot of trouble to (you,) God.” Now when my people (my Cains) do not believe in me, I can realize how much I caused God to suffer and hurt his heart. “I am truly sorry, Heavenly Parent.”
5. When you are in Abel's position or the leader's position, when you are heartbroken because of Cain, your family, or other people, then you should think about how heartbroken you have been to God and True Parents in the past. Then your faith will grow that much, and your past mistrust will be forgiven.
That’s why whenever I see my children’s fallen nature, when I was young, I only blamed and scolded them: “You cannot do this.” But recently when I confront problems with my children, I do not have the heart to blame them. Rather I pray, “This was my fault. That was my fallen nature, Heavenly Father. I am the one who has caused this trouble. I don’t have a pure heart. All that fallen result, my outcome, is connected to my children. Heavenly Father, I am truly sorry. Please forgive me.” If we have this kind of attitude, this is the way we can indemnify and be forgiven by Heavenly Father. This is the way we can grow up.
6. Because Moses himself troubled God, he should have thought of himself as he had done to God in the past and just believed and said, “It will not go well. Do I have to go again after this?” and if God says “Go,” Moses should have replied “Yes” and just gone.
That is why we need to ask God all the time before getting angry with people. When people do something (wrong) on their own, we need to ask. Asking is very important. When we ask, automatically our fallen nature can decrease. Without asking, sometimes we become really angry with people. That is the reason we often fail because of our lack of faith.
7. The Israelites continued to trouble Moses.
How many times the Israelis made trouble for Moses! When he saw his people (like this), he became so upset and angry. Not only one time had God showed them miracles. On the way they become hungry and again complained, “No water! No food! No feed!(?)” Everyday they complained and complained. At that time, as he half-heartedly thought about how he was and how Pharaoh was, he should have thought about how he was troubling God, and whenever the Israelites complained, the right way was for him to have thought “I must have troubled God like this before.”
8. However, the second time he struck the rock, Moses made the mistake of becoming angry at the Israelites from his standpoint. If many members gather centered on the Will, there will be many cases when we think ‘The Will is this great, so why can’t we get along?’ At that time, I must reflect on how much I must have troubled God. Indeed, through this incident, I am able to understand God’s pitifulness to some extent,’ and by living a life of gratitude, I will become mature in faith.
9. There are many regrets along we path we are walking. When things don't go your way, especially when things don't work out despite having the conviction that your wishes are the same as God's will, you must repent. When Moses saw the Israelites disbelieve in him, he should have embraced them and wept, realizing that just as the people trouble him, he must have troubled God. And while repenting, he should have wept, thinking about God who clung onto such a person and worked.
The Israelis complained and complained. If he had knelt down and cried: “Heavenly Father, I am the one who was like that. I am the one who hurt you. Actually, their sin is my sin. Please forgive them.” If the central figure has that kind of heart and mindset, that kind of love and embrace, if at least one person, the central figure, has absolute faith, even though the entire (tribe of) Israelis disbelieved in him but the central figure has firm, absolute faith and obedience, absolute love toward God, a perfect plus can create a perfect minus. God’s providence would never have failed. That is why the central figure’s faith is very important.
In your church or center if Cain is always complaining “Nobody likes that,” if the members are complaining with no satisfaction, but the central figure is very stable with absolute faith, he chan change the environment any time. But if the central figure loses his vertical alignment, then he loses everything.
10. But seeing that Moses rebuked and became angry with the people of Israel, Moses did not know the pain of God, the Father. When Moses asked “God, I am sorry. I will ask one more time,” did he understand God’s heart? He completely did not understand God’s heart because he was full of thoughts that he was slow of speech and hopeless.
11. Because he went out and worked in charge of the Israelites with this attitude, he was also troubled himself. Therefore, when we reflect on ourselves in the past and want to know God from such a standpoint, we will develop if we follow the will of God by comparing ourselves with the faith of Moses.
We need to learn from Moses. When you see people’s fault and problems, don’t scold them, rebuke them and judge them. “Treat (their problems) as my problem, Heavenly Father. If you want to curse them, please curse me first. That was my fault. I did not guide them properly, Heavenly Father!” If the central figure confesses and repents on behalf of all the people, if the central figure has that kind of faith, God’s providence will never be delayed, never prolonged.
12. Can you all say that you understand God’s Will and act accordingly in the position you are in? In a position of responsibility, when you take responsibility for people, become financially independent with your own hands, and act like a trustworthy person in front of others, you will realize that you troubled your Abel figure. You will not know during the time of receiving Abel’s love and being indebted to him. Only when You stand in the position of raising others and have them owe you, then you can understand the position of the person that is indebted.
13. Children will never know the heart of their parents until they become parents. Also, unless you become Abel, the leader, you will never know the heart of a leader. Therefore, as you gradually take on the responsibility of others, you go further and grow by taking responsibility for the cross of God's suffering, and you will come to understand the world of God's heart.
14. Although Moses was the leader of the Israeli nation, the problem was that he did not have the parental heart to embrace the distrust and sin of the Israeli people as his own. Therefore, in order for a leader to guide his family members, he must always embrace them with the heart of a parent and serve them as a servant. If a leader does not grow heartistically, he is taken over by the environment and fails because he or she gets angry according to the object partner or cannot control his or her emotions.
That’s why, the extent to which I grow, I can raise people. The object partner is a second matter. The environment is not so great all the time. Cain complains all the time. There are all kinds of trials … all the time. The issue is, as a leader, a central figure, how firm is your faith? As long as you have that kind of firm faith, absolute faith, you can change the horizontal environment any time. That is why the central figure is very, very important.
We can learn from Moses’ course what the role of the leader is. Let’s apply this in our life of faith.♦
NOTE: This lightly edited transcription may contain errors and omissions. Indecipherable or uncertain words are tagged with a “(?)” and phrases with an ellipsis “ ...”. First, second and third person pronouns have been left as spoken, and other apparently Korean English expressions have been preserved. Some repeated phrases have been eliminated. This text and the powerpoint slides from this speech are available as pdf files at the top of this text and at text.morndev.com & yong.hoondok.com. Audio only is available at anchor.morndev.com, spotify.morndev.com & audio.morndev.com.♦