God’s Day Message

Young Oon Kim
January 1, 1969
New Age Frontiers - January 1969

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
(Psalms 23)

This is the first day of the first month in 1969. On this day last year, our Master declared God's Day. Since the Master has now established three days of celebration Parents' Day, Children's Day, and Day of All Things -- God has found His primary foothold on earth.

Therefore, it is now appropriate to declare God's Day as the fourth holiday for the new world. Originally, God's Day would have been the first to be declared. In the course of restoration, however, the order is reversed. The first and most important day cannot be proclaimed until the other days are restored.

Someone might wonder why we celebrate only one day as God's Day. It is true that every day belongs to God. But we set aside this one day specifically for God, to focus our thought and heart on Him, just as we set aside one day a week to worship, though everyday life is to be worship of God. Likewise, the first day of the first month of the year we set aside as God's Day to commemorate all His work in creation and restoration. On the day of Passover Israelis celebrate the wondrous work God did for their ancestors when He delivered them from Egypt and led them to Canaan.

Why did our Master choose last year to declare God's Day? Last year was the twenty-first year of his mission. He concluded the twenty-one years of Jacob's course and declared the first day of the new year God's Day. Last year also marked the first seven years since the members of our group were restored as children of God.

Since our task is so great and the territory to cover is so vast, our work requires great perseverance, patience, and wisdom, together with utmost dedication. Our complete goal is that of the Father. It is possible to see the achievement of our individual goals along the way, but we will have to work hard, with perseverance and patience, to reach the ultimate goal, however long it may take.

On January 4 it will be exactly ten years since I set foot on this continent to take up this mission. Looking back over this decade, I am most grateful that the Father has been with me in the many aspects of my effort to awaken the people to the truth. Ten years is not a short time, and the work has not been easy. It was particularly difficult because there was no literature to use, no pattern established, and no one to follow in this pioneering work.

There are so many things which I cannot record and cannot even convey in words to other people, including the Master. Such things I can share only with the Heavenly Father, I was limited in many ways. I was a foreigner and thus handicapped in language. Since my legal status did not afford me the full rights and privileges of a citizen, my activity was limited. I was in constant danger of losing my visa if my conduct were called into question. I was a woman and therefore belittled by many people. I was limited in material resources and was not free to do many things I wanted. Even my physical condition was far from favorable for such strenuous work.

Considering all these limitations it is a miracle that I have survived even this long and that our work has progressed this much, I am only grateful to Father, who has carried on the work with such power and love, beyond my capacity.

I recall with affection each of those who responded to the message in the early stages of my work and who have followed until today with sincerity and dedication. George Norton is here with us. Galen and Patty Pumphrey are in Denver, and Pauline Phillips is in Kansas City. Doris Walder is leading the English Family with the same great love and faithfulness as in the beginning. We laughed a lot together. We prayed a lot together. They shared with me my anxiety and hardship.

Their wholehearted dedication to the Father was a source of great comfort and strength. In my days of depression and loneliness, they have been great companions. I wish they could all be here today.

From the beginning we approached people from all walks of life, from different age levels, and from various nationalities. We have been rejected by many in the past ten years. In this decade I have seen and learned more lessons than in all my schooling. I have been taught by people of all degrees of goodness, from the worst to the best. I have learned more of the Father from all these experiences. This has been to me a precious, living text. It was not just a cheerful, happy life every day. After one obstacle was overcome, another obstacle appeared. In a sense it was a succession of difficulties, rejection, and constant struggle with Satan. He continuously confronted me, through outside people as well as those within the group.

In the past ten years I have received two or three letters of comfort from our Master and two or three long distance calls from him. I have never received any guidance or advice from him concerning my work. It was my faith that he remembered me and prayed for me every day. With this faith I worked, but this faith alone couldn't have sustained me if I hadn't had a strong bond with the living God. Before Him I knelt down morning and evening. With Him alone could I share my daily thoughts and feelings and from Him alone receive guidance.

If someone asks me the secret of my strength, to have carried on this work alone for so long, I would answer that it was the strength received vertically from God and the strength received horizontally from dedicated members. Everybody expects to receive strength and love from me, but I needed strength and comfort from them too. I still believe that when I gave the others the strength and love they wanted Father refilled my heart. One great lesson I will always cherish is that one's spiritual life is enriched by giving to others.

I do not expect our work ever to be easy. I do not expect masses of people to follow the Principle and do mighty work for God. If we win great multitudes without our tears and sweat, they may not maintain the quality of work we have begun. We have Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Catholics, and people of many Protestant denominations among our members. This proves that our truth can unify Christian denominations and all religions.

It will take time, but we have seen the evidence of it. We will continue to integrate all denominations through approaching individuals. As we increase in number, our group must promote strong unity among members by living the Principle. Through positive attack with the truth, we must overcome the world's greatest obstacle: Communist power. With careful planning and courageous activity, we shall carry on this project. As I have said before, it is always dangerous to expect immediate achievement of a goal.

Striving for the ultimate goal with patience, we must also achieve our individual goals daily. Through all human relationships and through various activities we must develop our character and mature in heart. We can then find joy and happiness in everyday life. This is our immediate goal. To achieve this goal let us always remember that we become spiritually rich by giving rather than by receiving. With this realistic method we must fulfill our ideal. Let us share this quality of life with as many as possible as quickly as possible. This is the way we can restore the world to God and establish His kingdom on earth. With this resolution, let us start 1969.