Father's achievements in Korea

Chung Hwan Kwak
May 1986

Recently in Korea Father has achieved some wonderful results in his work, especially in connection with PWPA and IFVOC. Truly the Korean people are, for the most part, accepting Father.

Despite his busy schedule, Father also has given guidance to our church leaders and members through his sermons at Sunday service, on the first of every month, and on various important occasions. I want to share the focus of his message with you, the worldwide membership.

Father has stressed three main points. First, a person who calls him or herself a believer should recognize the living God, the Heavenly Father who is alive in each moment of our lives.

Second, we should fully recognize our own position. "I" am not simply one person living day to day; actually, "I" am the result of history. I was created by God to be totally good, but because of the fall and the subsequent history of the fallen blood lineage, I have been born as the fruit of the fall. I have to solve the historic problems of the fall centering on myself, and overcome the negative aspects of my inheritance. The view that our problems are simply a natural, original part of life is 180 degrees opposite to the view of faith.

Third, we must recognize the existence of Satan. Many of us still consider Satan to be just a concept, but we fail to realize that Satan, as much as God, is a very real existence, not merely a theoretical one. Satan, like God, is acting behind us, working according to the spiritual conditions we set daily. Once we have grasped these three points, we must come to realize what an important role our internal reality and motivation play in our daily life, and how our life course is determined by the internal, spiritual conditions we make based on our faith.

People think that the daily events of our lives -- eating, sleeping, talking -- represent that which is "real"; but the most important reality is our invisible motivation. Before both God and Satan, the kind of internal, spiritual motivation we have is far more important than any external, physical results we accomplish. Physical results are always related to our internal motivation, which is their source. My simple conclusion here is that our way of faith is always determined by our internal motivation, which is based on our perception of spiritual reality.

If we are not motivated by the spiritual reality of the struggle between good and evil within us, we cannot truly be called believers. True motivation is derived from the three points Father outlined. We must not only recognize the existence of God and Satan, but recognize them centering on "myself" Once we recognize the reality of spiritual conflict and our own role in solving it, our motivation will already be there within us. Unification Church members need to be motivated more by these spiritual realities and avoid being swayed by external circumstances. Lasting solutions can only come from the internal side. We have to base our attitudes as well as our thoughts and actions clearly and deeply on the true motivation within us.

Let us look at the example of the Israelites at the time of Moses. In the wilderness, the original Israelites who left Egypt continually experienced external attacks, disagreements among themselves, and overall instability due to their faithlessness. Although the nation of Israel represented God's side in terms of position, the first generation Israelites were not spiritually powerful as a nation because the internal conditions of faith were not yet established. Therefore, Satan could influence even God's chosen people, and they were constantly filled with complaints, doubts, and fears.

However, Joshua and Caleb, the only ones of the first generation to maintain their firm faith in the goal, led the second generation Israelites, who were loyal to them, over the Jordan River and victory was achieved; after that Israel was no longer vulnerable to any kind of attack. From the time they crossed the Jordan, the chosen people took the aggressive or offensive position. The people on the satanic side -- the inhabitants of Jericho -- now became the frightened and unstable ones.

The amazing point here is that this complete turn of events did not occur because of any obvious external change in their behavior or in their physical circumstances. Victory was achieved by the Israelites persevering based on their loyalty to Joshua and Caleb, who had kept their faith and internal motivation. Judging externally, the people behind Joshua and Caleb were a very unlikely army. They were not the same people who came out of Egypt, but they were those born in the wilderness. After such a long time in the wilderness without proper food or shelter, they must have been somewhat physically weak. Though the first generation Israelites who started the journey may have been physically stronger, they did not have strong enough internal motivation to make it all the way to Canaan. God could gain a victory only through the second generation Israelites because they were faithful and loyal to Joshua and Caleb and were filled with zeal to reach the Promised Land. The Canaanites of Jericho retreated in terror from God's advancing army. The Israelites' victory, centered on the right internal conditions and motivation, is a very good example for us.

The experience of the Israelites is comparable to our own individual way of faith. A member who has been in the movement quite a long time may still be struggling because of a lack of internal motivation, and may never make it all the way, while a much younger member may have already achieved an internal victory of faith and be working aggressively to overcome the satanic world on the individual level (his or her own Jericho).

The history of a religious people or group may be long, but if inadequate internal conditions are made by the followers and if they have no deep motivation to accomplish a certain goal, then no matter how long they continue, they will always be defeated. This is a painful reality. Perseverance is important, and the providential time period is important, but the most important question each person must ask is, what kind of internal spiritual conditions have I established based on my understanding of the spiritual reality of life?

I encourage you, the worldwide membership of our church, to check your own individual level of faith and the internal conditions you have made or are making. Without laying certain kinds of internal conditions, you can never comfortably and stably progress. Again, look at Israel. The first generation didn't make it to Canaan because they had proven weak in their motivation. But the second generation had vision and hope -- they knew it was their clear destiny to enter Canaan. Our individual life is the same; the key to any victory is our internal motivation.

In the same way, our Father, after 13 months in Danbury and 40 years of sacrifice, achieved a worldwide victory as of 1985. Providentially, he has carried the Unification Church beyond the Jordan River into Canaan. When Israel crossed the Jordan River following the Ark of the Covenant, the river ceased flowing to let them pass. This was a symbol of their complete unity with the Ark (i.e., God's Word). In our case we have to show our complete unity with our True Parents, since they have already brought us beyond Jordan.

It really doesn't matter how many people are listed on the church's membership rolls. Our own personal situation doesn't matter either. If we have the true internal motivation to accomplish our goal, the satanic world will already be afraid -- on the defense. We will automatically be on the offense.

My concern is this: Though our movement has gone beyond Jordan based on Father's total faith and sacrifice, each of us must keep two points deeply in our hearts. First, we must completely unite with our True Parents just as the Israelites were faithful to Joshua and Caleb. Second, we must check ourselves on the individual level: Have I effectively established the conditions I need to set as an individual? If I have, then automatically I will be stabilized and peaceful within myself.

Unfortunately, in many cases, we continue our faithlessness, lose power, and vacillate in our heart and actions, all the while blaming things like our difficult schedule or our difficult Cain/Abel relationships. But the real cause of our struggles lies in the world of our internal motivation.

No one can create our internal motivation for us -- it is in our own hands. Our own life situation is the result of history, i.e., our ancestry and our personal past. Each of us is unique in this respect. Therefore, our own internal conditions must be unique.

Please remember once again Father's three points. First, believe that the living God is here with you, the almighty God and True Parents who want to embrace and love you. Second, remember your fallen history and lineage of which you are the fruit. Third, remember that a real Satan is present as a result of the fall, and is always trying to hold you back. Because of Satan's accusation God cannot easily take care of us nor love us freely. Our motivation determines whether or not God can recognize and help us. Therefore, we must take responsibility to establish and develop the right internal motivation to succeed.

Once again, recognize God, Satan, and "myself': and then correctly lay the necessary conditions. You will become a stable individual as the result, and you will be able to unite with Father and Mother in the true sense.

Our unity with them comes as a result of our internal conditions and motivation. If we can accomplish this, it will not be a burden, but a joy to follow our True Parents, even though our path is never easy.

Please think and pray deeply about these things, for this is a very important time.