Today is holy Sunday morning. We gather together for service. But as you see, that ground is wet and the surroundings are not that comfortable. But indeed, when I think of the rainy weather yesterday, we must feel this morning is a blessing. It's a beautiful morning, even with some last-minute moonlight up in the sky.

My topic this morning is to defend the one historical moment. You are living a most important part of your life, the age of 20 to 30. Life, starting from birth: childhood comes, then adolescence and young adulthood, finally adulthood and old age. This is the sequence of life. But all stages are continuations of one life. Each period is a segment of an important part of your life. By the same token, the work of God or the history of restoration is something like the life of one man. It consists of different parts, of segments. However, all these segments are joined into oneness. Therefore we have the Old Testament era, and that was succeeded by the New Testament era. Now we are living in a new era, the Completed Testament. History has three parts: past, present, and future. But each segment is very important, because it is fulfilling a vital role for that particular age in order to move into the future.

Therefore, when we consider the Old Testament era, there was a specific role for that particular period. That must be fulfilled during that era, and therefore that age has its character. The New Testament era also centers around one dramatic moment of fulfillment, one important point of movement-and the fulfillment is the center of the New Testament era.

And the Unification Church Movement is not any exception. We do have our dramatic moment of fulfillment. When I speak of American history, this is another case, without exception. American history is running a certain course, and during this course of history there is a certain moment of fulfillment. And no nation in the world is an exception. Their histories also run the course, and their course has certain moments of vital fulfillment, and upon that particular moment is hinged the life or death of that particular nation. History is something like a geographical terrain. There is rugged terrain, and in some places we have a plains area, then we have rugged mountains, then we have a valley. History runs a similar pattern. Certain persons like the plains area, certain people like rugged mountains, and certain people like the valley. Each person in a different part of history is destined to fulfill a different and specific mission. Certain persons run around the plains, another person is running around the valley and another is suited to the mountains.

All history, whether that of the individual, the nation, the society, or the world, including the history of God, is taking the same pattern, the same formula. But all of history has a goal, and the goal of history doesn't exist on the plain ground, but on the top of the mountain. Therefore all people who desire to achieve this goal have to run up the hill. So when you climb up toward the hill, it is different from your movement in the plain ground. You need an additional kick, additional power to climb up a mountain. Those who are wandering in the valley have to find a new direction to reach that goal on the top of the mountain.

Then when we look upon the present situation of the history of the world, we must come to understand what the timetable is and in what time of God's providence we are living today. We must know first that history, this particular period of world history, is not running on the plain field. Then is that history running up toward the top of the mountains? No, not quite that far. No, world history is now running down the hill toward the valley.

Then how deep is that valley? How far down will we go? Nobody knows. When history is going down to the valley, then how far they will go nobody knows.

Since 1960, in the last 15 years, history has been really rapidly falling down into the valley. First of all, one sin of that crumbling history is that religion, particularly Christianity, which has been enjoying a golden age of civilization, is now crumbling and the decline of the church is very obvious. Christianity has climbed the hill for the last 2,000 years. However, in the most recent 15 years Christianity is really sad, crumbling down into the valley. Under adverse conditions and under the persecution of the Roman Empire, Christians were really climbing up high in pride, in the spirit of sacrifice. Today, the Christianity of the world is enjoying more freedom than at any other time in history. However, Christianity itself is crumbling. Why?

Also, the last 15 years, decline is obvious in the case of democracy. Communism is not an exception, either. Communism also has had many troubles in the last 15 years. Then what is the difference between democracy and Communism and all the other ways of life of the world? Today we are living in a time of confusion. It is very difficult to distinguish right from wrong. Every day we witness more darkness coming into the lives of people, and we are truly living in a chaotic, age. We do know that this world is in trouble. The world is crumbling down into the valley. Can any individual stop the crumbling world today? Does the great nation of America have the power to turn back world history? Can Communism, that formidable power, do that? No, they are not capable. Even Communism is in trouble. They have within themselves so much division, more than they can bear. Today we must sense the time of history.

Then let us ask, is that the will of God, to see our world crumble and civilization decline and all the people in despair? Is that the will of God? The answer is no. Therefore, there must be some supernatural power that will either stop the course of history or turn around, or set it moving toward another goal. Then there must be somebody who will become the instrument of God. No movement will be successful that originates or centers upon man. Man is incapable of doing anything with this world, and only the power of God is our hope. So the answer, the solution, must come from heaven. That is the only solution in which we can have hope. God alone can stop this world and turn it back. So God must bring down to this world a huge crane to pull the world into opposite directions. And God must also push the pedal or the brake to stop this running car. And who shall become that brake? Who shall become that cable of God's crane? That has to be man. Man must take up that role. God Himself has no arms, no legs. He must employ his arm in man. God is running human history. Therefore the central axis is man and woman. Therefore, God would use them as instruments.

So God must be seeking his instruments either by nation, by individual, by movement or by organization. And God's instruments have to be religious organizations or religious movements. They will be different from the crumbling Christianity. They will come up with a new philosophy or ideology that is different from the crumbling democracy, that shall overcome the Communist ideology, because it has to be stronger than Communism. And there will be in that group the strongest conviction in history, compared to any other religion that has existed in history. And so that that formidable conviction can serve as the brake of God and stop the crumbling world. In other words, the power of this particular movement will be stronger than the rest of the world. Otherwise that power cannot stop the world. And who will do that?

I tell you this morning, you are summoned. You are the champions. You are called for that job. Our goal is unification. Unification cannot be done without having this tremendous conviction in God and in humanity. Are you ready to become the crane cable and brake for this running and crumbling automobile? (Yes!)

Then there is hope, for the first time this world can recognize some hope for the future. That is truly the only beacon for mankind. This is a very fast moving and really dynamic movement. Then there is always some confusion, there is always some reaction to that. In New York the last several weeks you have been engaged in battle. In a way this is a heavenly spiritual battle. A spiritual tug of war is going on in New York. Our weapon is not firearms, not rifles, but we have weapons of truth and the spirit of God. And when you are the brake to stop this crumbling world, then you have a certain resistance or a certain contact. You must make contact. When your crane, your heavenly crane, is cranked up, then you determine whether things are lifted up or lose power and momentum, are falling down. And if we push all New York away, then there must be a rebirth, a new New York.

Thank you. New York has been cranked up and God is turning the crank handle. You have been the cable, and New York is the weight that has been lifted up. Are you in that role, in that mission, in that position? (Yes)

This is truly the heavenly battle in a test case. This heavenly force can move New York. Then certainly we can move America. We can move the rest of the world. If we can plant this hope for New York, then we surely can plant hope in America and hope for the world. So we are at the truly crucial moment of the history of the world and the history of God. Then shall we be joining the crumbling forces of the world, or shall we be bringing the world back into the other direction? (Back.) Up or down? (Up.)

I know from the men and women, all who are young, the answer is the same: we must go up.

Anybody in this universe who does not desire success, who does not desire great accomplishment, there's no such person. There's no one who wants to decline, who wants to be destroyed. Not a single one. Throughout history everyone has desired success, climbing up to the top. Yet very few achieve that goal. It is not enough only to desire success; we must win that success. Then in order to win that victory we must be different from ordinary people. When you go up there is some exertion, some attrition of energy. So we must preserve enough energy to climb all the way up. Also we must invest not only energy but time. Energy and time are not the only investments. We must invest our soul. So you must realize today we are living the most critical, the most historical and vital moment of our lives, of the history of this nation, of this history of the world. Energy, time, and your heart and soul. This is what we need to invest.

This is not my own personal idea. No, this is the one mandate coming from heaven. What we accomplish today will remain an important part of the history of the world.

Between the persons who are victorious and those who are defeated, there we have a million miles of death. Once we are defeated then no excuse will work, no rationalization will be justified. That misery could not be compared with any other sadness. So all of our power must be mobilized before the showdown so that we can win the victory, because once our result turns out to be defeat, then it will be too late. Instead of being defeated, then destroyed in misery, it would rather be wise of us to commit our lives before the showdown, before the investment toward victory.

It can be compared to one big boxing match. You know, at Madison Square Garden, sometimes they have world championship fights. Cassius Clay, for example, and Floyd Patterson, were matched for the world championship. Though they both really fought to their utmost degree, one had to be defeated. No matter how good a fight you put up, if you cannot reach the final victory, then no matter what good work you have invested, that will go down the drain. No matter how miserable your fight might be, if the end result is victory, then all the suffering and miseries, all the shame and anything else you went through, that will be rewarded. So it is a matter of becoming the heavenly Cassius Clay or following the heavenly pattern,

I know you will be winners not defeated. In order for Patterson to win, he had to do more, make more extraordinary efforts than Cassius Clay.

Can you do it? (Yes)

What would you do if the entire city of New York now stood up and came against you? They kick you and they throw you into the ditch, really do all kinds of unkind things to you. Then what would you do? Would you retreat? (No) Since we have conviction, we do this for the name of God and for the hope of America. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We must go forward.

When you suffer, particularly when you are treated unkindly by people, you must remember Heavenly Father is looking down upon you. He is your guarantee, your guarantor. God could not find young people like you anywhere who can truly go forward single mindedly only for the purpose of God. God needs you. Yes, you left your home, left your family, and sacrificed your personal interest, sacrificed your own glory, and even went beyond the interest of your own nation. We are here for the interest of God and His kingdom. We did not come to earn our daily food. We did not come to work to just earn our clothes. We are not working only for the honor of America. We are here to commit our life and our soul and heart to win America. By doing so we can truly bring God's kingdom here on earth.

Yes, we have been somewhat unkindly treated by this nation. We have many things to say. I myself, Reverend Moon, have been mistreated by all kinds of people, in all kinds of ways, and in sometimes unbearable ways. My own country persecuted me. Asia persecuted me. But I never retreat, and I know God is on our side. The worst situations have come to me. But that even spurred me on to have even greater courage and commitment. It's getting to be even a pleasure to go against opposition and still win the victory for Father. I always felt I was walking out like a prisoner to be executed. That kind of spirit, that feeling, prevails in my life.

So without even a moment's relaxation, each moment I faced a spiritual battle, and I won-I won and won again. That has been the succession of victories of my life. And I always felt as though I were the only one that God depended on at this particular moment, that He depended upon me and my role, that my fulfillment was so vital for His own fulfillment. If we cannot keep and win this moment of history, then the Unification Church will be washed away in the future. The challenge is greater, and greater, therefore our determination must be to parallel that challenge.

One time I was out on the boat on the Hudson River. I saw a big fish, a huge, giant dead fish helplessly floating down into the sea. Then I felt how miserable the destiny of that particular fish was, even though it was a giant fish. We must not become just fish in our life. That huge fish, if he were alive in the Hudson, you know, the tide would be no problem. That particular fish would be swimming all the way up the Hudson River, as far as he wished. Even little fish barely spawned can swim against the tide, against the flow of the water.

Jesus Christ gave a truly historical mandate to his disciple, Peter, "You shall become fishermen of men. " And Jesus Christ compared humanity to fish. Do you think he wanted to catch only the dead fish, helpless and floating away? Actually, Jesus is saying even those dead fish have to be given life. So in order to give, you have to become a fisherman of man and give life-resurrection-to dead men. You shall become another dead fish to give life to the fish. In order to have dead fish resurrected, live again, you have to share your life force with that dead fish, so you have to become powerful. Then you must revive the life of the dead fish. That fish will be another comrade and go the other direction, the direction of life.

So let us all compare ourselves; we are fish. So there are many fish in this world that need to be touched by you, because they're either helpless or dead. So we have to revive those helpless and dead fish. We must give them a revival of life; then instead of dying, we shall prosper together with them. Together.

For that purpose we must have great energy, not just your own; but really what we need is super, super energy. So in the morning you're really energetic fish, but you must be energetic fish at noon and energetic fish in the evening, too.

Many people have been thinking, "Well, we're going to New York. " You've been very excited, and that excitement vanished away within two days or three days. Ten days. How many days? Two days? One week? Why is September the 18th so far away? The moment when September 18th finally comes to you, would you become really dull, you know, just helpless fish? Or would you want to be an energetic one? (Yes.) We must prove this in deed, not by words. If you become that kind of man, that kind of champion of God, do you know what? You are the hope of America, the only hope of America, and the only champion that God can count on. Then you'll become victorious, and do you think Heavenly Father will say, "Well, you have won this victory, then you go ahead and relax and have a vacation"? I want you to know this is just a beginning, the beginning of our heavenly battle. So we have three choices: either we march forward or we stand still or we retreat. Is it true? Which do you choose? (Forward.) Well, you are really greedy young people. I commend your greed, even this greed, because it's unselfish greed, and that will create Father's ideal on earth. That will bring the new history.

What shall we do next year? We cannot stop. We must march forward, to a much greater battle. If you are alive, you must continue to march forward. Those who are alive must grow each year. The Unification Church, whether it is dead or alive, we can prove that only one way, by growth. That is really the honest truth. So, I want you to have a reserve of energy knowing this is merely the preparation for the greater year of 1975. When you have a future, new hope, new plan of action, you can never become a man of despair. Maybe your weight is going down. Your face may become pale. But your eyes are shining like a light bulb. You may not wear the best clothes in New York, but your manner of walking or dealing with people, your facial expression will represent God's. Each step you take in New York must have meaning, meaning not for yourself but for Father. This is the decisive step you are taking for Father. You are not just passing by. You are determined to really make a showdown right there. So in this respect, who are truly the hosts and hostesses of New York? The millionaires of New York? No. Those who can control the soul of New York, those who can make hope for the new future of New York, those are the masters of New York-those who love New York most.

So are you becoming the soul of New York? (Yes.) Are you becoming the hope of New York? (Yes.) Yes, indeed, you are the hope of New York. You are the soul of this great city. Yes, the Empire State Building looks quite small, doesn't it? Lincoln Center is nothing in the standard now dreamed. Yes, you are the hope of New York; the future that we are putting into New York is going to be truly a glorious one, nothing that the physical appearance of New York today can represent.

I know each one of you hopes that day of dreams is realized. So then this moment, this critical moment is important. You must catch this opportunity. Yes, you are putting a stake in the ground. Then put your stake firmly in, anchored in the ground. Do not let other people touch your stake. This is the time. God has been waiting for so long to see His people do His job here in the city of New York. And this moment, this hour, therefore is important and critical. And this is very important for the Unification Church.

This morning we must renew our commitment to create a new beginning for the ultimate victory in New York, by putting out our utmost energy, time, and heart and soul. And we are not just ordinary Christians. We are a different breed, a different kind of people. We are different from the ordinary citizens of the free world. We are even far different and far stronger than those who are believing in the ideology of Communism. We deserve God's praise. God must feel joy and satisfaction in you. Let us defend the historical moment and bring this moment into glorious victory, and so that we shall truly make our endeavor in New York a historical one and a proud one in the history of America and the history of God.

Yes, what we are dealing with here is tremendous, extraordinary, but to lead into that great success the very core principle is rather simple. There are many beautiful young ladies and young men. You are meeting every day probably, possible future husbands and future wives in the city of New York. Who knows? The young man you talked to today may become a great leader of America in the future, such as a future President of the United States. You never know what kind of people you will meet today. You never know what kind of potential they have. Furthermore, these people you meet may be lifeless, hopeless today, but because of you they will be resurrected and given new hope, and will become great leaders of this world and of this nation. That's the point. So do not look just at the appearance of the people you meet today. Do not disregard anyone because his appearance is poor, he looks so hungry or looks very, very miserable. Do not treat anyone evil only because that person cannot speak English. Do not mistreat anyone because that person happens to be black. Each person is your showdown, your possible victorious moment; and toward each person you must be serious.

This morning we have special guests from CBS and you are working very hard at this early hour in the morning. But really, what's the significance of this day? Why has CBS come here to watch you work? Something is clicking. Something important is brewing. The world may not know now, but some day they will know. And you are making history. You are the chosen champions of God. We are the main actors and actresses for God's work. So somebody may spit at you, maybe someone will hit you, but you must smile at them and bless them. Be patient. Be patient and meek, love life, your entire life up to this hour. That is God's way.

Do you know, you are my pride? You young people gathered from all over the world who have come to me and are really listening. Every instruction I issue, just carry it out 1,000 percent. Each one has conviction and is trusting me, and anything I say, you're willing to fulfill. What an honor! What a joy! What a great privilege! Is it true? (Yes) Thank you.

Yes, maybe I'm not the tallest person, but I do have energy. Yes, a few years ago in Korea and Japan, they were very scornful to me and our movement. But today they're looking up to me and saying, "You are the hope of turning the tide in the situations of Korea and Japan. " The persons, those enemies who persecuted me to the worst degree, come to me today saying, "Reverend Moon, you are the hope of our nation, hope of this world. We wish you great success. " Is that because I am that important and I am that glorious? No. It is because the ideal, the person I represent, He is great. His time and hour has come, and representation of His mission, that makes us great.

I was in a labor camp, the worst labor camp you could think of. I was in a Communist prison, for many years in an unbearable situation, and I was in hunger. I was in poverty, but I had the same conviction that you have, and through all the difficult days of my life, I persevered and was patient. That brought today's glory. I forgot misery. I forgot my suffering. I forgot my difficulty because I was so busy comforting the Heavenly Father, knowing one day Father's will, His ideal, must prevail for the sake of the world. And as a result you are here today. I've been looking forward to that one moment of victory, that one crucial moment. Now it is your turn, today is your opportunity; your crucial moment has arrived. Whether you make use of this great moment in history, that will determine your life in victory or in failure.

No matter what the rest of the world says, I will go on for the sake of the Father. I am destined to live this according to His will. You just make up your mind firmly. Don't be shaken. That's the key to success.

Then in order to do that, become a public person. Do not harbor personal ambition. Let us be greedy for the ideal, for the sake of everybody; be unselfish, that's the key. Let us be humble, and let us be meek. We must not be boastful. We must be humble and meek in front of everyone. When you walk this path there are many times you come to a moment when it is very difficult to judge which way is the right one. Sometimes confusion prevails. Then what is the solution to finding the right way? In that particular moment of confusion be humble and have an unselfish mind. If from that point of view you look at the situation, then your course of action is very clear, obviously you put yourself on a horizontal level. Worry about your objective, not yourself, and pray to God.

If you become an unselfish person, then in this universe just like the great magnet of the north pole and south pole, there's a magnet of God. That greatest power of the universe will pull you when you make yourself unselfish. Then you'll be pulled by that magnet and will be directed into right direction. And the Bible says we must pray secretly. Why should we pray secretly? That's the moment when you put yourself in horizontal position and are very humble; then the power of God, the great magnet of the universe, will attract you toward the right direction. Think of it. In walking this far, from the first founding of our movement up to now, how much difficulty I have encountered. And there were many, many occasions where, if I had made one wrong choice, that one wrong decision would have wiped out our movement in no time. Knowing the seriousness of our movement, I also have been serious. I have been deadly serious in dealing with each critical decision. And I have a clear objective. There is no deviation from our goal. Therefore my prayer was serious. Therefore always the universal magnet, the force of God, attracted me into the right direction and the right decision.

So once again, now is your chance; your opportunity has arrived. You must depend on this historical moment and turn this moment into a glorious, victorious time for you, for this nation, for God. You are not just individuals, not just a single person. There are hundreds of thousands of people working together. Therefore the result is going to be phenomenal. I have received many letters. I have received numerous letters, hundreds and hundreds of letters from Korea, Japan and all of the world, and they are all saying they are praying day in and day out for the success and victory of Madison Square Garden. That's the target of their prayer. You are the front-line soldiers for that great victory. You will be responsible if we fail, if we cannot make Madison Square Garden successful. Then how can we reply to those people who prayed for this opportunity? What would you do with your hard work and blood and sweat, your long hours put into this effort? Think of your God who commanded you to go and win this battle. Therefore when I consider all this, bearing the cross to Calvary is rather easier than the task we face today. It's something like we are going through the dark tunnel toward the hope of dawn on the other side.

Yes, it is true that I want to have September 18th pass away as history, but we cannot welcome September 18th as just another day. We must make that day the day of light, day of glory. I'm determined to see this day victorious so that I can reward the prayers that are coming from overseas. I want to reward your hard work, and I want to glorify the name of Heavenly Father. I want to have everybody happy. Then I want to see you. Then I shall be happy.

So I am standing each moment most seriously, without any relaxation. So I want you to know leaders are truly the sacrifice of our movement. To be a leader is not a glorious position. The leader is the most suffering one.

This is the final segment of our glorious three years' battle started together in 1972. This is the finale of our movement for the three-year course. Now I want you to know, therefore, that this is to me very important; to you, so important; for Heavenly Father, so vital. And therefore this morning I deliver the message, "Let Us Depend On the Historical Moment and Turn It Into Great Victory, " and I urge you all to join with me for the assault to final victory.

Those who determine to give yourselves, pledge yourselves for victory for this cause of September 18th, let's raise both hands as a sign. Thank you.

Let us pray.

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