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As an individual, each one of us is a product of the history of the providence of restoration. Hence, the person who is to accomplish the purpose of history is none other than I, myself. I must take up the cross of history and accept responsibility to fulfill its calling. To this end, I must fulfill in my lifetime (horizontally), through my efforts, the indemnity conditions which have accumulated through the long course of the providence of restoration (vertically). Only by doing this can I stand proudly as the fruit of history, the one whom God has eagerly sought throughout His providence. In other words, I must restore through indemnity, during my own generation, all the unaccomplished missions of past prophets and saints who were called in their time to carry the cross of restoration. Otherwise, I cannot become the individual who completes the purpose of the providence of restoration. To become such an historical victor, I must understand clearly the Heart of God when He worked with past prophets and saints, the original purpose for which God called them, and the details of the providential missions which He entrusted to them...
Excerpted from The Exposition of the Principle Part II, Introduction, Section 3
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My way of praying is very simple: Let me sacrifice myself for these people, and let these people sacrifice themselves for the rest of the world. That is the contents of my prayer to God. Since my prayer is that way, and very ardent, I know that God will answer my prayer. So I am confident to talk to the people of the world that they should do the same. And in that case, I feel confident.
Excerpted from How To Be A Leader Rev. Sun Myung Moon -- Atlanta Directors Conference -- November 9, 1973 --
Translated by Mrs. Won Bok Choi
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What would have happened if Jesus had not died on the cross? In that case, the nation of Israel would have followed Jesus' teachings, stabilized and endured. Judaism also would have remained as it was. Jesus knew that if he were to die on the cross, multitudes of people in future ages would have to follow him on the way of the cross, and that they would not be able to do so without shedding blood. Many Christians would have to suffer, and even when the Lord came again he would have to go the way of suffering. You need to know that this is the reason that Jesus had to pray as he did in the Garden of Gethsemane. Christians today say that Jesus prayed for deliverance because he had a physical body and feared the pain of death. But was Jesus such a trivial Messiah? Certainly not...
When Jesus left his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane and went to pray, he said, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Luke 22:42) This was his greatness. He understood that his body was a sacrificial offering for the nation, a sacrificial offering for humanity and a sacrificial offering for Heaven's Providence.
Because he understood this, Jesus, while not denying his own sorrow, was more concerned about how great a sorrow God must have felt. Jesus had appeared for the sake of the nation and he was concerned how great God's sorrow was to see him rejected as a traitor. Jesus was the prince of Heaven, the central personage of the entire universe, and the Messiah. If he chose, he could have fallen prey to self-pity and asked why he should go the miserable way of the cross. He could have set the entire universe in motion to breathe a deep sigh of despair with him. But he understood that his position was not to sigh in despair. Instead, he even went so far as to feel apologetic toward Heaven for having been rejected.
Jesus bore the responsibility to rally the religious establishment, rally the nation, build the Kingdom of Heaven and return the world to the Father's bosom. Yet when he was forced to abandon that mission and walk the way of the cross, he did not feel enmity toward anyone. He did not pray, "Let this cup pass from me," out of a fear of death. Rather, he prayed this because he knew that his death would add to the grief of the nation and to God's grief...
Now is the time for America, the Christian country representing the Second Israel, to stand in the forefront. I declare to the world that America has the responsibility to guide all the world's people. But it must not do so with weapons; it must do this in truth and love by living for the sake of others upon the foundation of true love, true life, and true lineage...
Excerpted from The Life of Jesus as Seen from God's Will, and
God's Warning to the Present Age, the Period of the Last Days
20th Anniversary of the Washington Times Banquet
Washington Hilton, Washington, DC -- May 21, 2002
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Because none of you knows the reality of the spirit world, all of you get tired even though you offer jungsung (true and sincere devotion) along the course of faith. However, all of you must know that the center of the spirit world is God and that God is our Father. More than anyone else, our Father stands in the closest and most unbreakable and fateful relationship with us. If I tell you what the desire of the Father is, it is the liberation of your family, and yet, not just your family alone. The issue of liberating the family of the whole of mankind is what is clogging Father's mind, even at this very moment. I can say that it is like a wall, or even like a wound that gives Father acute pain because he is unable to circulate freely (like blood through the body)...
Hence, you must have the presence of mind that you are praying while representing all of humanity, even representing God. When you pray representing God, when you offer jungsung representing God, you must try to imagine how much jungsung God himself, even now, has offered throughout providential history...
Therefore, you must be God's co-worker and comforter, one who prays that every fundamental root that is connected with the fall of man is rooted out from the heart of God. When you stand in such a difficult position, you'll come to realize how precious your partner of faith [spouse] is. Such preciousness will be realized because God's shimjung of love will be reflected. Because God's shimjung of love is reflected, you will long for people, you will long for villages, and you will long for nations. Therefore, you must always remember that God cannot be liberated from His worries or from His shimjung of pain until His hope is fulfilled; that is His ultimate purpose of the liberated kingdom of Heaven on earth transcending the level of the nation. At the same time, you must think about what you can do should you be a co-worker with God...
Excerpted from With Jungsung and Love January 5, 1999 -- Punta del Este, Uruguay
Translation by Prof. Taek Yong Oh and the UTS Faculty
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Did God begin the universe in joy or sorrow? During the process of creation God felt joy and said that His creation was good, but did He feel the same joy at the fall of man? God's joy would have been complete if man had become perfect in the object position, but that never happened. Therefore, human history started in misery, and God's history was also miserable. There was no sound of joyful laughter, only tears. The echo of those tears has resounded throughout history down to the present day.
The sound of tears began history, continued through the centuries, and will be the future agenda of history unless we bring total change. This is the universal atmosphere surrounding our life, so if you are trying to be happy all by yourself it is futile. You are swimming in waters of unhappiness and it is impossible to get out by yourself. Does God have reason to grieve or not? His grief begins in the realization that if things had been different He would have been embraced in joy, but instead He is surrounded by sorrow. Is God's situation clear to men?
Is it understood why men toil and sweat in tribulation? People know they have restless, unhappy lives, but they don't know why they struggle so much for so little... The world is in total darkness and people don't know why it happened or how they can resolve it, but still they continue to struggle... God's direction is to bring the solution by following a stony path, but religious people today shun the cross and ask God for blessing and money instead... Instead of comforting Him, it causes Him more pain. On the other hand, if there is a group of people who can say they understand God's situation and who want to take care of His sorrow, will they be closer to God?...
Excerpted from Stony Path of Death April 27, 1980 -- Belvedere
Translator - Bo Hi Pak
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Today, Senator Donzella James attended the morning Hoon Dok Hae. She was deeply grateful to True Parents for her experience with the Divine Principle at Ocean City. She quietly and humbly testified today, "Father you are the Messiah. Many important people are coming to understand it. I was so moved by the Divine Principle. Rev. Schanker and other leaders lecturing. Especially the clergy from different backgrounds reading directly from the Principle. I can't wait to get home and read every word from cover to cover. Also, when Rev. David Reed lectured I had a breakthrough.
My son was killed by a drunk driver. When I was in Korea for your Coronation in February, I went to the prayer hall and during my prayer there, my son walked up, smiling, accompanied by a young Asian man and a white person with dark hair. I was taken aback and thought I was just imagining all this. Then he came up and said, "That's my mom praying there. Hi Mom !!!" I began to cry. (She was crying at this point). I was moved but also I didn't understand. Then when Rev. David Reed lectured about resurrection, everything became crystal clear. It was really my son who appeared to me for real. Now my mind is totally at peace. I could see that he was totally happy. The spirit in the room changed from the lecture. I could feel that my experiences were real and that my son lives." Father replied, "Because you are here now, you can be totally happy and fulfilled in your life. She said, "my husband and I are now a blessed couple. My husband had serious knee problems and is waiting for a kidney transplant. When we went to Israel for the Pilgrimage, my husband was totally healed in his knees. The doctors were amazed. They said that the cartilage grew back and he doesn't need surgery now. The healing occurred when he stepped in the Jordan river. We know that this is the power that God and Jesus are bringing through True Parents. I am so grateful to be here."
Excerpted from True Parents Love for America a testamony by Reverend Michael Jenkins -- 4/26/2005
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Reverend Moon's Meeting with President Nixon
"... You may find my words somewhat shocking and abrupt. Can I ask you to listen to me with an open mind?"
President Nixon, responded, "Yes, of course, Reverend Moon! In fact, I really need that." And he settled himself to listen to Reverend Moon's words respectfully.
Reverend Moon began to speak in a tone that was both stern and sincere.
"Mr. President, please don't think that you can overcome this difficult period with wisdom that is squeezed form the minds of the people on your staff.
"Mr. President, you have to rely on God. You must place your trust in Him completely. To do that, you must get down on your knees before God and repent in tears. You must ask His forgiveness. Then, with a completely reborn heart, you must set aside all political objectives and private concerns to humbly apologize to the American people in tears. You must place yourself in a position where you are an offering before the American people and people must feel that you are only trying to act in the interest of America, to bring about peace for all humanity, and to accomplish the will of God.
"Mr. President, you need to move the hearts of the American people. Then you need to receive their forgiveness. The American people are a great people of God. Once they understand your true intentions, they will forgive your past mistakes and give you their fervent support..."
"Mr. President, this country has faced several crises in its history that challenged American presidents to make very courageous decisions. Probably the most serious was the Civil War. The country was divided. Brothers were killing brothers. Both the North and the South were suffering tremendous casualties. The nation was in mortal danger of splitting in two.
"At that time, President Lincoln's heart was heavy. He had to find a way to unite the people and renew their faith in the government. He took the bold step of declaring a national day of fasting and prayer, asking people to repent and renew their faith in democratic principles.
"Mr. President, more than one hundred years later America has come to a similar juncture of history. You must do something extraordinary. Just a simple apology to the people will not do. May I suggest that you declare a week of repentance, and fasting. You can begin yourself and set an example. The hearts of the American people will be moved, and millions will follow your example in the spirit of forgive, love, and unite, which I declared in my Watergate statement.
"I will support you in this endeavor with all my power and with the help of my movement in America and around the world. The voice of repentance and fasting will shake the planet. There will be prayer and fasting on the steps of the Capitol and the White House. Let the people hear the sound of prayers from every hill and valley in America asking God to directly intervene in the affairs of this nation.
"If one week is not enough, extend it to two weeks or three weeks, even as Moses endured forty days of fasting before he finally received God's message."
President Nixon seemed to think deeply for a moment about what Reverend Moon had just said. Then, he made his promise.
"Reverend Moon," he said, "that sounds like a great idea. I will consider that option."
The president continued. "I know that you are not thinking only about the country but also the world in making this unconventional suggestion. Please continue to pray for me. Right now, I need your prayers more than anything else. Please continue to pray of this country, too.
Reverend Moon responded as if to prod the president. "Mr. President, you already have my prayers," he said. "Even if you pray, God cannot work unless you take action courageously and decisively.
"Please have courage. The Bible says, 'Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his like will preserve it." [Luke 17:33] Be brave, and make your decision. You need to carry this out within the next three days. After that, it will be too late. Please don't forget that ten million innocent lives are at stake. If you are not courageous, many people will die. You can save this country and save the world. But you have to have the spirit that you are prepared to sacrifice your own life, if necessary, for that purpose, Mr. President!"
Reverend Moon spoke with overpowering intensity and authority. If the public had witnessed this scene, many would have been reminded of scenes in the Old testament where a prophet gives God's command to a king.
President Nixon made a clear promise.
"I understand," he said. "I will do that."
The two warmly embraced each other again, and Reverend Moon left the Oval Office with a feeling of great exhilaration. He was happy that he had accomplished an important mission.
However, despite his firm commitment, President Nixon failed to take any decisive action within the next three days. In the end, people concluded that the president had obstructed the Watergate investigation and engaged in a cover-up.
Excerpted from
Messiah -- by Dr. Bo Hi Pak
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0761818154/
Chapter Twelve, On:
Reverend Moon's Meeting with President Nixon,
Regarding Watergate
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When you have the heart which loves God and the creation, you can eliminate fallen love. Progress comes only if the pursuit of the original standard is stronger than the love of man and woman.
Further, you must love God absolutely, Make a goal that has personal value centering on the love which recreates; and go forward. It is like that because of the fall into unprincipled love.
Human beings fell to a level of love centering on pride and on the self. That is why only when we have God's original love can we go forward. Your desire to reach the perfection of yourself must be stronger than the heart of a young man and woman dating; only then can you go up to the perfection level. Unless your love for God digests self-centered love, you cannot go up.
If your love for God does not surpass the love of a worldly husband and wife, parents and children, and patriots for the nation, how can you become the sons and daughters of God? In order to become the true sons and daughters of God, first of all, God, the spirit world, and your descendants on the earth all must praise you...
Excerpted from
Blessing and Ideal Family
Chapter Three: THE MEANING AND VALUE OF THE BLESSING
by Reverend Sun Myung Moon
Also see:
True Romantic Love
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