Happy True God’s Day!
Enjoy the special reading below for the holy day, and have a great holiday!
Reverend Sun Myung Moon,
January 1, 1980, Midnight
World Mission Center
The year of 1979 is finally over. The year of 1980 has dawned with great hope and glory. In 1980 we can find a very important number, eight. As we learn in the Divine Principle, the number eight denotes a new beginning and new hope. The Unification Church just welcomed the 1980’s. Now what is the goal and direction of our movement? This year our job is to undertake substantially the home church providence.
From the providential point of view, the third seven-year course would have been turned entirely into the home church crusade. The goal and slogan I gave on the first day of 1979 was “Home Church and the Completion of the Kingdom of Heaven.” The new slogan for 1980 is “Home Church is the Base of the Kingdom of Heaven.”
This slogan shows us that without home church the Kingdom of Heaven cannot become a reality. What kind of Kingdom of Heaven are we talking about? The Kingdom of Heaven is where there is rest and Sabbath, where there is true joy and happiness. When you take that rest do you do it all by yourself? You want to enter the kingdom together with your wife, with your children and parents, with your tribe, your nation and the world. No matter how much you are longing and ready to take Sabbath, if your parents are not in a position to take Sabbath with you, or your wife or children, then certainly you cannot very well take rest. In the Unification Church you are proud of having True Parents. If you are serving them but they are not in a position to take rest or have peace then would you take a rest all by yourself?
Yesterday I gave a very long, very detailed sermon about the position of Cain, and how Abel can win over Cain. In 1945, approximately 35 years ago, Korean Christianity should have taken the true Cain’s position to accept Abel and to be accepted by Abel and united together. Then at that time a true foundation of peace and a foundation for true Sabbath could have been established with the True Parents in the center on the family level, tribal level, and national level. Certainly that would have gone on to the worldwide level. If that had been done in 1945, then finally there would have been a place for the true, ultimate peace, happiness and Sabbath. Everything would have been done on the level of nation and world. If at that time the nation where I initiated this movement had accepted me then the national level of a foundation of peace would have been erected. Then the entire world would have seen a model or prototype and it could easily have followed.
The one golden opportunity came in those years around 1945. However, Christianity failed to unite with the True Parent, that revolutionary name of the new age. Because of that the 2,000-year old Christian heritage could not be fulfilled in the end. Therefore, that 2,000-year old foundation was broken into pieces without being fulfilled, and God had to rebuild the entire foundation through the Unification Church, piece by piece from scratch. Certainly that would not have been necessary if Christianity had accepted the Providence.
Of course, I as an individual could not all of a sudden initiate a nationwide crusade or movement. I had to start from the family level. The Unification Church has the ultimate goal of building the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. What is the basic component of that kingdom? The family is the building block of the Kingdom of Heaven. There a husband and wife become parents and together they become the foundation.
Because Korean Christianity failed to accept me in 1945, I went on with the arduous task of winning our own foundation after fourteen long years of struggle. At that time I erected the foundation upon which Mother and I could be installed as the first True Parents in the history of man. In other words, by then I had established a bulwark strong enough that the opposition of the entire nation and of all Christianity could not break it down; no matter what, our movement would have enough strength to sustain itself and still go on.
Even though Mother was installed as True Mother, we could not live as a happy family right away. A three-year period of purification and separation was necessary, a period which was very important prior to moving on to the next stage of the dispensation. In order to go into a second seven-year course, all conceivable indemnity must be paid on a family level. This first seven-year course was the period of erecting the foundation upon Mother’s installation, and the period in which Mother was to be perfected as the True Mother. It was the period of growth for Mother herself.
As you know, the human fall came in the perfection level of the growth stage. Therefore, the seven year course Mother and I went through together was the period to cross through the growth stage to perfection stage, the period in which I would restore and install Parents Day, Children’s Day, and Day of All Things. The most important condition Mother and I made during the seven-year course was that no matter what difficulties or obstacles and hardships came upon us, we would not complain. We would not even feel discouraged inside, or anguished or rebellious in any way.
As you can see, it was God’s method to utilize Satan to give Father and Mother the worst kind of test and tribulation. This is the way I had to be hardened and proven to be the True Parent. For Mother too, Satan created incredible instances in the first seven years, one after another, in which Mother could easily have given up and said, “Father, you are too great a husband and I simply cannot follow you. I’m not worthy of you, so let me pack and go.” She could very well have done that many times during those seven years.
To make things worse, when was Mother was already so heavily burdened I was not a comforting husband. I started out as the worst kind of cruel husband. That was the standard I set at the beginning because that’s the way I also tested Mother, even harder than Satan. Knowing that Satan was going to test her, I tested her myself first. That was my purpose. Even though I tested her worse than Satan, stile some hint of purpose behind it could be understood by her. That made it easier to bear than Satan’s tests. In this way we became closer and closer for 3 1/2 years, then another 3 1/2 years.
After those seven years, our victorious foundation proved in front of God and in front of Satan that I was an invincible husband and that Mother was an invincible wife. No matter how difficult Satan’s standard was, God was justified in saying that we had passed the test. The many other blessed couples who came knew that the True Parents had set the true standard, and they followed that standard by uniting with them and serving them without a word of complaint. By doing so, they could obtain the same degree of perfection.
During the seven-year period I had blessed many couples, and they could easily have exclaimed to me, particularly the women, “I just don’t understand you. What kind of husband are you ? How can you treat your wife like that?” But these blessed couples who passed the test know one thing: no matter how many things I did that they didn’t understand, they were at least sure that I was absolutely God-centered, and whatever I did was for God. The 36 couples, 72, 120, and 430 couples were blessed within that seven-year period, and they knew one way or another what a difficult path Mother and I trod. Since they knew what kind of difficulties we had to overcome, they could not complain.
After that seven-year dispensation the time finally came to set up God’s Day. Only after the seven-year course was completely secured did I declare God’s Day. From the original point of view God’s Day should actually have come first, then Parents Day and Children’s Day and Day of All Things. But because of restoration, all other conditions had to be ready before God’s Day could be set up. That was finally done on January 1, 1968. Since God’s Day was declared victoriously in 1968, everything is restored and celebration begins with God’s Day. The first seven-year course was the time in which the True Parents were concretely established and upon which God’s Day, Parents Day, Children’s Day and Day of All Things could be restored to God.
In the meantime, the national level of opposition and persecution against our movement was gradually decreasing. Upon the victorious foundation of the first seven-year course our movement transcended persecution, and whether it came from the government or the Christian community, it didn’t hinder us at all. This is because I and my family took all the indemnity for the sake of our movement. Adam should be the one who stands like a tower to receive the persecution coming from the entire nation. That is the Adam role and I never hesitated to take it. The first seven-year course was for restoration of Adam and Eve, and it has been completed. The True Parents were installed and the True Family has been declared in heaven and earth.
The second seven-year course is the one in which the blessed couples had to take a major role. Their responsibilities were to teach the government and nation how to treat the families of the nation. At the same time. as the families of the nation’ they are teaching other families how to serve the nation. This second seven-year course was the period of the total mobilization of the blessed couples. All the blessed couples in Korea and some blessed couples abroad were mobilized to take up the torch for the second seven-year course, and in 1970 I ordered every blessed couple to leave their family. The wives took up the front-line role and I sent them out. Why? Because the women had to experience what True Mother experienced before them. They had to go the same route to learn that particular tribulation.
When the heavenly order came to leave their homes for the mission, then their loved ones-their husbands and children-could become the enemies of the mission. Because the husbands were in a position close to their wives, they could easily try to dissuade them from going. Then they would be the first ones to block the heavenly dispensation and actually be the worst Satans. The best way for the wives to overcome such a temptation would be to regard their husbands as their enemies. By thinking in that way it wouldn’t be painful to deny them and go out. By thinking of her husband as her loved one it would hurt a wife to refuse him, but by thinking of him as her enemy she was in a position where nothing could stop her. Then she could obey absolutely.
Each mother had to look at her children as her second enemy for the same reason. Then even if the children cried out and tried to stop her from leaving them it would not hurt her and break her heart. By doing so, if Satan was trying to invade then her standard would block him and protect the children. This is why the Bible teaches that the closest members of your family are your worst enemy in the last days. We must fulfill that scripture in the Unification Church. These are not just empty words. This is the actual history I am explaining to you.
All the blessed mothers in those days were given their marching orders and nothing would stop them. They decided to give up their children and leave them with someone else to be cared for. In this country you have many welfare organizations, but in Korea there is no such thing. So they wrote short letters and left their children with their unwelcoming relatives, knowing they would be criticized. Their letters said, I “I am not abandoning my child. I love him, and I will come back in three years. Will you please take care of I him until I come back?”
You can imagine what the parents, in-laws and the public would say. They bitterly criticized those women and criticized me and our movement. People said, “Reverend Moon put those couples together and now he’s separating them. He never even thought of their children. What kind of cruel man is he?” There was no direction from which criticism didn’t come. But during those seven years the one group of people who adamantly refused to complain against me was the Unification Church husbands and wives. They looked like victims but they welcomed the mission, and even the children sometimes said, “Mommy and Daddy, go ahead and don’t worry about me.” How could Unification Church couples be so strong? Because there was a living example in front of them, Mother and I, who had gone through much more tribulation. Compared to that suffering, the blessed couples knew that their own suffering was small.
The major members of the Unification Church knew that incredible opposition would come to them, but they knew that the most accusation and criticism would go to me. They felt very protective of me, wanting to shield me and not let my name be tarnished. That’s why the Unification Church core foundation has become tight and strong. Therefore, the love of God is coming to my family and will be connected to the blessed couples. That inseparable bond between True Parents and true blessed couples was made under overwhelming adverse conditions.
The first six months were the worst period. Throughout the entire nation there was criticism and negative publicity. People knew all about our movement and how our young couples were leaving their children and going to the front line. As time went on, people knew they were missionaries of the Unification Church and then they asked, “Aren’t you the women who left their families behind? Why did you do that?” Then the true testimony was given. “Yes, we love our children and we love our husbands, but we love this nation, the people of the world and God more. We want to demonstrate by the most painful experience of leaving these children behind that we want to save this nation. We love this nation and people more than we love our own children.”
After one year these people who were negative began to weep together with our people, praying together with them and coming to help. Even without knowing the contents of the Divine Principle they wanted to be with them and be supportive. After two years passed public opinion was unanimous that if all the Korean people loved their country as much as Unification members, then indeed the nation would be saved. Furthermore, no matter how great the communist threat would become, it could be stopped. That was the conviction of the people.
What about the children who were left behind? During the first two years the people thought they were a burden to everyone. Villagers would talk about the Moonie children and say, “Their mother and father are crazy.” Two years later what happened? Everyone wanted to come help, wanting to take care of the children for a few days to do something for that young couple before they came back. They volunteered to serve those children in some way. Even the Korean government looked at what our people were doing in every corner of the countryside.
The Christians who were traditionally very negative toward our movement thought they had a golden opportunity to criticize Unification Church and called me all kinds of names, but two years later the villagers and common people stood up and said to those critics, “Are you true Christians? We found God in the Unification Church members. They stood up and fought for us. What kind of Christians are you?”
In other words, during these three years of tribulation unity was made with the people, and even unity between the government and the people was enhanced by our heroic actions. By doing so a condition was established: by our members’ abandoning their children for three years, all other people recognized their sacrificial work and came to value and respect our movement. Then they wanted to do something to help the children who were left behind. Thus, through the children a link was made between our members and other churches and the common people. That formed a condition for God’s blessing to flow not only to the Unification Church but through us to all the people, even to negative Christians and people who criticized us.
The providence of the second seven-year course was such that I wanted to save the nation by sacrificing my own beloved family. That was the theme of it.
It also made restitution for Jesus’ time, when incredible opposition came from Judaism and the Jews who ultimately crucified Jesus. By offering the family as a sacrifice on the altar of God and going from the position of receiving the worst criticism to the position of welcome, a base was formed for the restitution of Jesus’ ministry as well. Our members in Korea have successfully fulfilled the second seven-year course through their own portion of responsibility.
This was why I could come out of Korea for the worldwide dispensation in the third seven-year course. Furthermore, the dispensation of God was pushed three years ahead of time. Always the providential schedule has been delayed, but for the first time in history I could advance the schedule and come to this country in 1971. At the onset of 1972 my global ministry could begin. The remarkable thing was that during the initial period of my ministry in 1972,1973 and the middle of 1974, the Christians of America gave me an open-armed welcome and red-carpet treatment, even though Korean Christianity failed to accept me in 1945.
America is a nation of people from around the world, and American Christianity represented world Christianity. By America’s initial acceptance, God was in a position to forgive Korea’s mistake. By doing so the condition was sustained that God could still give blessing to the entire world through America. By the end of 1974 I had won an unprecedented heavenly victory here in America, receiving the total welcome of the American people and the Christian churches. I visited every state at least once, and visited many major states several times, sweeping the country and kindling a spiritual revolution. I received around 850 welcoming proclamations and honorary citizenships and citations. Even Jimmy Carter gave me one when he was governor of Georgia.
Upon the foundation of this worldwide victory I returned to Korea with honor and with strength to truly go on the offensive. My goal was to teach strongly the Korean Christians and government who so adamantly opposed me. What was the situation at that time? At first the Christian churches and government united together against me, but then after 2 1/2 years what happened? There was a big fight between the Korean government and the Christians. I was very strong in saying that the government must be strong to stop the aggression of communism. The Christians thought they could confront and criticize the government, but when the Unification Church stepped in between they were forced to fight the Unification Church instead.
This was the reversal of the relationship between Rome, Israel and Jesus 2,000 years ago when the Roman government sided with the government of Israel to crucify Jesus. Today Christianity is in the position of Judaism at that time, and the Korean government in the position of Israel. God wanted the government of Rome and Israel to support Jesus and stand up against Judaism if necessary, but exactly the opposite situation occurred. 2,000 years ago Jesus was not accepted by Judaism, by Israel, and certainly not by Rome. America today is in the position of the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago, and in 1974 America welcomed me. Then when I returned to Korea the government welcomed me, and instead of uniting with the Christian churches who were attacking me the government stood together with us. That was historical restitution.
No matter how external America’s unity with me was at first, this nation set a condition of welcoming me. Therefore, with that power I could go back to Korea victoriously, no matter how much Christian opposition existed there. Opposition is mounting here in America only because American Christians are affected by the Korean churches. Also there is agitation by communists internationally, people who know me as an archenemy of communism. The new opposition grew because of the planning between American churches and Korean churches, as well as conspiracy between communistic elements. The United States government and the media have been exploited by these forces. Initially, however, there was a pure welcome, and because of that condition America can still be saved.
Furthermore, no matter how much people may scheme to ruin us, we have built up enough strength already to not only resist but win over them. I know that no matter how much Christians come against the Unification Church, they are going to be defeated. No matter how much the communists come against us, they are going to be defeated. Once the necessary foundation is made, we can declare the new age, and now, no matter what the people say, a new age has dawned.
When I initiated the three seven-year courses there seemed to be a stone wall blocking us, with one obstacle after another. At that time many early members thought there was no hope, no way to break through all the barriers. Everyone was discouraged, but what happened? After winning each incredible battle and completing each of the seven year courses’ it seemed almost as though a big construction company was going out in front of me, laying a super highway. This is why after the victory at Washington Monument I could declare that Moscow is our next goal.
No matter how much the international communists struggle for world conquest, they cannot proceed according to their own schedule. Their decline is inevitable, and they will have worse internal arguments and splits among themselves. Russia and China fight even more bitterly with each other than either of them fights with the United States right now. The communists thought they had the one unified ideology which could bring world conquest, but now they are busy fighting among themselves.
I can say very clearly that without the Unification Church America has no hope. The free world has no vision of hope without Unification Church. Furthermore, the Unification Church can go on and truly liberate communism. No one except the Moonies has the ideology or the power of love to do that.
I have made a most important declaration: all the historical debts of the past have been paid. Now the time has come when I can focus completely on building. The time has also come that Mother and I can take some rest. At the outset of this talk I said the Kingdom of Heaven is the place of Sabbath and true peace. No satanic power has any right or condition to claim True Parents’ family or the Unification Church movement. We are above their accusation.
The final role the American movement will take in addition to what the True Parents and the Korean and Japanese blessed couples have done is a 2 1/2-year condition by the blessed couples. I want America to go ahead on a global scale and show in front of God and Satan the determination of the American blessed couples. That’s why I have asked the American blessed wives to go to the CARP movement for 2 1/2 years. It is the final condition the women are going to undertake in America. If this final condition by the American blessed couples is fulfilled then even if you volunteer for such things there won’t be any opportunity. This is the final chance. After that the home church crusade will be wide open and home ministry will be our way of life. In other words, you will not face the indemnity Mother and I went through. You won’t have to go through the same condition the Korean blessed couples went through in those harsh years.
Now everything you do is building a lasting accomplishment that will become your tower. The men and women going out into home church will be harvesting and bringing things in. We are moving across the boundary. We no longer belong to the old age or old territory. We are moving into a new territory and a new era. That is why I told you that home church is the base of the Kingdom of Heaven. We can now build the physical kingdom with our own hands. In the past the Unification Church missionaries endured incredible situations. Your elder brothers and sisters were kicked and spat at, and even killed, but that era is now over. You don’t have to face that. When you speak the Divine Principle you will meet people anxiously waiting for the message and you shall be regarded as their savior. The people are waiting for you to come.
This afternoon Tiger Pak reported that 150 brilliant college students came to the CARP week-long workshop in Florida. He reported that those students were really excited when they heard our lecturers teach the Principle and they look like real Moonies. I told Tiger Pak, “Don’t you know that it ought to be that way? Don’t you know God’s timetable? It’s just about that time for that.”
You are in the same position. Just concentrate and totally unite and do things beyond the standard I established. All you have to do is try to cross over the boundary of the worst persecution I have been receiving. If you exert your energy trying to bring yourself over the line of my own suffering, once you go one little step beyond it the entire spirit world will come down upon you. A new horizon will be wide open.
Home church will only be difficult at the beginning. The first several steps will be difficult but try to cross over the point of persecution by comparing it with my energy at that particular point. When you go just one more step over that point everything will become easy. Can you do it? At the beginning you may wail, “Father, I just can’t do it!” But as you continue, slowly everything will become easier. Don’t worry about trying to save face. Make a new hole and tighten your belt. Make up your mind, grit your teeth and step forward.
When you go to home church don’t try to get into someone’s living room right away. Go through the back door and then to the bathroom. Your first thought will be, “How can this be a bathroom in the heavenly kingdom? I cannot afford to leave it this dirty. Let me clean it.” After the bathroom is clean and fresh you can come out and look at the hallway. You will say, “I cannot afford to welcome Heavenly Father in this dirty hall. Let me clean it up.”
The person living there will stride up to you and shout, “What kind of rascal are you? Why do you bother my bathroom?” Then you will shout back, “What kind of rascal are you? This is my home. I’m trying to welcome Heavenly Father in this home and no one will stop me. I’m going to keep cleaning your house.”
You can tell them, “Don’t you want to celebrate at least one of God’s birthdays in your home?” The other person will be totally overcome and say, “Is it true? Can we have God in this house? You say, “All you have to do is try me out free for one week. Whether God is coming in through the door or not, try me out for one week.” This is a very effective way to make a sale in America, offer someone a tree trial, and if they don’t like what you offer they can return it.
I want you to know that the term “home church” is a most precious one. Many, many saints, wise men, prophets and Christian martyrs have waited for the day of home church but they did not have the luxury of seeing it. They did not have anyone to set the highway straight by paying back all the necessary indemnity. There was no way home church could start before I came. Only because I have paid all the past debts can we now undertake home church. I want you to know how precious the gift of home church is.
Your 360 homes are your tribe. If your name happens to be Smith, those 360 homes are the Smith tribe. You can even put a sign up. You can say, “Who built all these homes for them? I came and I am going to build homes for all of my tribe.” But then you can think, “I know who built these homes. God built them for me to give to my tribe and He used Satan as labor. I claim ownership of this place and as the tribal messiah I shall lead my tribe into the Canaan of the modern century.”
When you begin to enjoy your home church and claim the land, God will come down, smile at you and say, “My son, don’t you like it?” Then you will reply. “Yes, Father, I like it.” Then Satan will come and tell you, “You are using the homes that I sweated very hard to build but that’s okay. You go ahead because I cannot claim you any more.”
Do you understand what a welcome word “home church” is, and how much indemnity was paid in order to make home church possible at this time? If you truly know the value of home church through learning the depth of the Divine Principle then you will come to the point where even if you just see the words “home church”, tears of gratitude will roll down your face. You will bow down to those words, saying, “Thank you, Father, that I can read ‘home church’ and have home church.”
Now home church is available for all mankind. I have done everything on a global scale to pay for the past 6,000 years and now I am asking you to take care of one little corner of the land with 360 homes. Can you say you cannot do it? If you say you refuse this task then you are entitled to the worst hell, not heaven. That is true because it is so obvious that home church can easily be done.
Once we turn the atmosphere of America around, particularly the media atmosphere, everyone will say, “Reverend Moon, please come and do home church for me.” If everyone says that, don’t you think home church can be done easily? Then will you be persecuted or be a hero?
When I say “base”,. what do I mean? Usually a base is a launching pad like the pads at Cape Kennedy. When a rocket is launched, the capsule for the astronauts is on the top. The engines for take-off are on the bottom, then the booster engines in the middle, and the capsule put on top. What you are doing is building a rocket. You build the engine on the base first, and that’s the most difficult. Then you build up and up and up all the way to the capsule where you can stay. Once you have finished constructing it, all you have to do is push the button and lift off. After a successful launch you can look back and see your 360 home church families all around you.
Why did God allow man to land on the moon successfully? Where did Armstrong land? On the moon. M-O-O-N. But the moon is not the end of the journey. When you land on the moon, I will be up there waiting. Then I will build another rocket and we will lift off to the sun. Then you will be a Sunny, but that’s not all. I will ignite you once more and this time you will land in the heart of God. Then you will be a Kingy. Other people might say you are brainwashed or crazy, but who cares what they think as long as we are happy? What is our topic? Home Church is the Base of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let me ask you a question-Do you want Mother and me to take a rest and go around the world? Would you say, “Father and Mother, you can go and rest under one condition: that you take me along”? I will tell you to come along with me only after home church has lifted off. I have done home church on a global basis, and because of the work I have done home church can be done everywhere by everyone.
No matter how gutsy you are, can you ask me to take you along if you have only done home church in 360 homes? I have been looking forward to home church for at least twenty years. This is my twenty-year dream become reality; even to speak the word home church is a dream become reality for me. I never gave up but hung on and fought it out for twenty years. How long have you been doing home church? Some of you have not even done it for twenty weeks. Are you justified in whining, “Father, I am so tired. My legs are hurting and getting sore”? Do you think home church is incredibly difficult or can it be done? Not “can be done” but “candy done”. Sweet things are always done.
In the future being deprived of the right to do home church would be the worst sentence to pass on anyone, worse than prison or electrocution. The age has come when home church is that precious. Everyone will be so eager to have a territory for home church that if they can’t have their own area they will feel they are in the worst hell. Do you clearly know the value of home church? Do you know that in order to establish the foundation of home church God and I have worked desperately hard to pay all the indemnity? Many, many saints and martyrs have shed blood in order to achieve the home church dispensation.
You don’t need any additional explanation, do you? Can you go on and finish without me? Let’s meet together when we complete home church and then we can have a victory party. I am looking for one person: the champion of home church. Whoever consummates the home church dispensation shall truly be recognized as the tribal messiah and will issue invitations to Mother and me to come to the first completed home church on earth. I am looking forward to that home church and am anxious to see whether it will come in Japan, Korea or America. I will ask the same question to the Korean congregation and they will say, “The first champion of home church will be in Korea.” The Japanese will say it will come in Japan. So you have fierce competition!
Sometimes you think it’s a great advantage for Americans to have long legs because you can run faster, but watch out for the Japanese and Koreans. They will be fierce competitors because, even though their legs are short, your eyes are big and you look around at so many things. But Koreans and Japanese have small eyes and they see only the goal, nothing else. Can you still win?
The Korean way of life is such that they can skip lunch for a week and never notice. But in America you count on eating three meals, and when one o’clock comes you think, “Why isn’t lunch ready?” The Koreans have another advantage because they don’t need any special furniture to sit on. They can sit anywhere: on the grass, on the sand, on the highway, and it doesn’t make any difference to them. But when you tell Americans to sit down they look for a bench or chair. The Korean people don’t need flush toilets because nature provides a toilet everywhere. But when Americans have to relieve themselves they run around until they find a toilet.
Also you Westerners complicate a meal by using so many different utensils-a fork, knife, butter knife, salad fork, steak knife, coffee spoon, soup spoon. Why do you make your life so complicated ? All Koreans need are two chop sticks for everything. Chop sticks were inspired by the birds, whose beaks work on the same principle. A bird doesn’t need many forks and knives. When you think you need so many items, you will get left behind. Would you fall behind?
In an American meal there is soup, then salad, then the main course, then dessert and an after-dinner drink. You have breakfast and then in a couple of hours you want a coffee break. How many breaks do you have during the day? You waste so much time doing many tedious and ridiculous things. How many of you sisters waste time painting your fingernails and trying to shape your eyebrows? If you do all these things do you still have time to complete home church?
It is not very easy to win at home church. You need to do three things: think differently, plan differently and act differently. Your way of life must become different. Instead of walking the normal way at a normal speed you need to be shouting out and running down the highway. If you have that kind of stamina then I can see some hope in you to win the home church championship here in America. Can you do it? Your answer is very clear.
Do you know how much I have been tricked and cheated by you? You always lie to me. How many yeses have you spoken to me? But where are those yeses in action? I forgive you for 1979. It’s gone and behind us. What about 1980? Would you do it? Is this a yes I can remember or should I forget it?
I gave you not only a sermon this morning but a one-man show. Why? Because I see nothing but hope in 1980, nothing but brightness and excitement. Therefore, I want to start the day by being happy, excited and jubilant. I would like to keep a record in my own notebook of successful home church #1, #2, #3, and #4. How many numbers would you like to have? You won’t see that notebook here on earth, but as soon as you get to the spirit world you will automatically see that notebook. If you find it and see you are number one then all your American ancestors will be shouting and dancing. God will be awakened and ask, “What are you doing down there?” and you will reply, “Father, come and dance with us. America has the number one home church and did the number one job.”
When you become a champion in home church, is that comparable to winning the Olympic marathon? A marathon is trivial compared to the home church race, where a champion must run for ten or twenty years to win. You are going to win far greater glory as a home church champion, so wouldn’t you want to give your entire best for a few years? It is only logical. I want you to know that what I said this morning will be put into practice by all the Unification Church members around the world, not just you. You have tough competition. Within three days the entire world will hear what I said this morning and then everyone will want to catch up with you for the three-day delay. They will want to run faster and do something better than the American movement. “I will witness better and lecture better and visit home church more.” Even the MFT will want to do better than you in every competition. Especially the heavy women will want to get rid of their extra burden so they can do better, and God, looking down, will say, “That’s truly my daughter. She resembles me and my character.” then will God think that He wants to give her the best husband or not? You know the answer. You are not dumb.
Today’s topic is the slogan for this year of 1980: Home Church is the Base of the Kingdom of Heaven. That is the destiny where true rest lies, where true happiness and joy lies, and even where true life lies. The person who lives and dies in home church is the person who is truly happy.
I would like to buy an airplane. What kind would you like me to get? If you ask me to buy a Concorde, I will do it. I would like to go around the world and hand-pick the twelve most scenic areas for resorts. I might visit Greece, South America, or the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Would it be fun for me to go to those places alone? Who should I bring with me? I don’t want to go alone but to take the home church champion along. Those who have been persecuted and who suffered the most yet still became the home church champions are going to be my companions. Those champions cannot ride in any ordinary car. I would like them to have a Lincoln Continental because they are the eternal heavenly heroes.
What kind of ranking would you want to get- number one or number one thousand million? This is the appropriate morning for you to make up your mind. I want you to know that in order to build the base of the Kingdom of Heaven eternally you must first build a base to the Kingdom of Heaven within yourself. So make up your mind what kind of grade you want to get. To reach that rank do you need everyday supervision or do you need someone snapping at you every minute?
If you’ve really make up your mind that you’re going to be the champion for the home church, that means I am already a success at the outset of 1980. Do you want to make me a success? Your yes sounds like ye-su, which is how Koreans pronounce Jesus’ name. Does that mean you are going to give your life like Jesus did for the sake of your own mission?
This is your first 1980 promise to God and me: that you are going to be a home church champion and win the most successful rank. Will you fulfill it?
God bless you.