The Words of Hyung Jin Moon From 2010
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The Words of Hyung Jin Moon From 2010 |
In the Prayer and Devotions Room, Jesus, Buddha, Confucius and the Prophet Mohammad are attended centering on True Parents. I am deeply grateful to God that we can prepare such a space on the first floor of Cheon Bok Gung.
The Growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung is a precious sanctuary for all of us but we must not forget that it is not our destination; it is one step of the process.
The Korean people have heard about the Dedication Ceremony for Cheon Bok Gung through media reports. When we are victorious in the Completion-stage Cheon Bok Gung providence, the entire world will look at the Unification Church.
Through the works of substantial returning resurrection, I clearly believe that we will be victorious in the providence of the Completion-stage Cheon Bok Gung.
After Jesus went the way of the cross, he was resurrected and the Holy Spirit came down on the Pentecost. The apostles went out to the world and proclaimed the Gospel that the Lord died for our sins, resurrected and was victorious. The apostles were persecuted, opposed and made fun of.
In the fifth chapter of Acts, apostles are caught by Jews and put in prison. But the spirit world worked even in that sort of desperate situation. An emissary of the Lord appeared, opened the door to the prison, saved the apostles and took them to the sanctuary where they testified to the Lord again.
What can we learn from this? When we proclaim and praise who the Lord truly is, then the spirit world will move with us. When members proclaim True Parents with true faith, amazing works of the Holy Spirit will take place.
Prophet Mohammad, the founder of Islam, was climbing Mt. Hira to offer a prayer. He stopped halfway up the mountain to rest and fell asleep. In a dream, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him, gave him a large book of scripture and asked him to read it. However, the Prophet did not know how to read. So he told the angel, "I cannot read that. I don't know what is written." But the angel Gabriel again told him to read. Mohammad said, "I can't." After refusing and being told again to read three times, Mohammad finally opened the book up to read. At first he couldn't read anything, but all of a sudden the Prophet Mohammad gained the ability to read and started reading the contents of the book of scripture.
When Mohammad woke up, he could not be certain that this dream and spiritual experience was God's work. Then finally, he came to the conclusion that it was not God's work. He became suspicious, thinking that he had been under the sway of an evil spirit. He thought that he should commit suicide by jumping off of the top of the mountain since his body was under the sway of Satan and evil spirits. But Mohammad was kept from committing suicide by meeting his wife's maid on his way to the top of the mountain. The maid took him to his wife Khadijah. When Khadijah saw the dark look on her husband's face, she asked him what had happened. Then Mohammad explained the spiritual experience that he had. Khadijah was sure that it was God working through the archangel Gabriel, so she asked her cousin Waraqah, who was a Christian.
Waraqah knew well about the work of archangels and other spirit beings in the Old and New Testaments, so he could tell that it was in fact the archangel Gabriel that Mohammad had seen. Waraqah predicted, "Your husband is a prophet who will lead our people." From that moment, the Quran was confirmed and the Islamic faith began.
At the banquet on True Parents' Birthday, 16 members of the Malaysian parliament attended. When the chairman of the HSA-UWC Foundation and I spoke, we testified to who True Parents really are. We proclaimed that True Parents are not just leaders or educators out to bring peace, but the Second Coming of Christ and the Savior of all humanity. Even though there were Muslims in the audience, I emphasized that everyone must open their spiritual eyes in order to realize what kind of people True Parents are.
Many of the staff were worried that these people of other faiths would feel uncomfortable if we proclaimed True Parents. But our thoughts were different. We knew that the people attending had come this far because they believed in True Parents and respected them. If we could not properly testify to True Parents in faith and make them open their spiritual eyes, that would really mean that we did not fulfill our responsibility and we did not have the right attitude of faith. That is why we confidently proclaimed out of faith.
God always works through truth. Although many people were worried about what Kook Jin hyung and I said at the banquet, the response was very positive. The Muslim leaders were very interested in our testimonies. They said, "We had no idea that True Parents were that kind of people. We heard it for the first time. It is so amazing. We want to know more about them."
After the banquet, the guests went back to Malaysia. I could not be sure how much they would remember of that day's events. But they did not just sit on their thumbs. As soon as they went back to Malaysia, they contacted our church and asked for books related to our church, saying that they want to study the Divine Principle in depth. I could see that amazing spiritual phenomena take place when we proclaim the Lord earnestly.
The second Bible reading is from Acts 8:26-29: Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip,
"Go south to the road -- the desert road -- that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."
Philip was Jesus' apostle who went to Samaria as a missionary. The eunuch he met was reading Isaiah. Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" The eunuch did not. Philip explained the meaning to him and told him the good news that Jesus Christ had gone the way of the cross and resurrected for the sake of the world. Then, the Holy Spirit worked and the Ethiopian official determined to worship the Lord. As they walked on the road together, they discovered a small well on the side of the road and Philip baptized the Ethiopian. That is said to be the beginning point of Ethiopian evangelization.
Dear members! The spirit world is also working around us. The spirit world tells us where we need to go and who we need to meet. When we praise True Parents with a true heart and testify that Father was sent to the earth by God to be the Second Coming of Christ, then the spirit world works.
Among the events that were held around the time of True Parents' birthday, there was an inter-religious gathering. During the event, I had an opportunity to speak on stage. I confidently explained who True Parents are. And I explained that True Parents had inherited the true love of God and walked the path of Seven Deaths and Resurrections and the Completion of Eight Stages. I explained that True Parents had died and died and died again for the sake of their children.
After I finished speaking, I planned to leave but I felt spiritually that I needed to greet some people there before moving to the next venue. This was a very strong feeling. I met a Christian minister from Canada with a congregation of 1,200 people. He said that he believes in True Parents as the Second Coming of Christ, so he will teach the Divine Principle at his church.
One woman minister from Lebanon shed tears saying, "I did not know that God's love was like that. I did not know that True Parents were that kind of people." She added, "While I heard about the Seven Deaths and Resurrections, I felt my spirit rise up from my body and I felt great peace in my heart. Tears and praise naturally came out of my heart and I wanted to offer bows to God." She had experienced returning resurrection through the Seven Deaths and Resurrections. I was deeply moved to hear about how the spirit world worked.
Ms. Eun Ju Pak, the president of Gimm Young Publishers, had worked hard to produce True Father's autobiography. I met with her for lunch around one month ago. She told me that she received a lot of opposition because of the autobiography project. While she was preparing to publish the book, the editor-in-chief who had worked with her at Gimm Young Publishers for decades suddenly said that he was quitting. Ms. Pak was so shocked. She asked him why he was quitting and he said that he could not publish Rev. Sun Myung Moon's book as a Christian. Also, a very famous Catholic canceled a book publishing contract he had with Gimm Young Publishers. However, Ms. Pak pushed forward with publishing the book in the face of this kind of opposition. How do you think she was able to do so?
Ms. Pak is a faithful Buddhist. She wakes up early every day and offers 108 bows, recites the Geum Gang Gyeong and offers a lot of devotion in front of Buddha. One day, Buddha visited her in her prayers and told her that she should publish Rev. Sun Myung Moon's book. Through this kind of spiritual experience, she determined to publish Father's autobiography and was able to overcome all types of opposition she received.
There are so many examples of these kinds of spiritual experiences. At the Dedication Ceremony for Cheon Bok Gung, the Venerable In Kong, president of the Taego Buddhist Order in Korea gave congratulatory remarks. He testified that True Parents are the living Buddha and Savior while True Parents were present substantially. Now leaders of religious denominations, the highest spiritual leaders, are experiencing returning resurrection and testifying to True Parents.
Dear brothers and sisters! In the Prayer and Devotion Room of the Growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung, the four great saints are attended along with True Parents. Every day, church leaders, women leaders and members are offering devotion. They go around the Prayer and Devotion Room and offer 210 bows every day. I can already feel amazing spiritual energy coming out of that room.
True Parents have given us a new age with heavenly energy. On the day of the dedication of Cheon Bok Gung, True Parents went into the Prayer and Devotion Room and offered a prayer. Father blessed the Cheon Bok Gung, calling it a holy ground that has heavenly fortune. True Parents opened the way for the spirit world to work and many people are now experiencing the works of substantial returning resurrection. One member was praying to the four great saints and saw a bright light coming from behind.
Jesus came to my dreams a few days ago. He came with his disciples, wearing white clothes and a blue shawl. He will continue to work for the Providence in greater ways.
Dear brothers and sisters! The spirit world is moving. You will also experience the works of returning resurrection. Mohammad, Jesus, Buddha and Confucius may appear in your dreams. When you pray, you will experience the kinds of mysterious events.
At the inter-religious event, we proclaimed who True Parents are and explained about the mission True Parents gave to us. True Parents have carried out peace movements and inter-religious activities for decades. Although we have actively supported True Parents' efforts, we did not know how they connected to the Unification Church. The VIPs did not know. We thought that it was an entirely different movement.
On that day, I explained the vision for Cheon Bok Gung. In the Completion-stage Cheon Bok Gung, there will be a Buddhist temple, a Christian church and a Muslim mosque. We will go beyond inter-religious dialogue to a new model of living together in peace. I proclaimed that it would be a beginning of Cheon Il Guk.
The leaders from various religious denominations who attended the inter-religious event also visited the Growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung. They were very impressed to see the Prayer and Devotion Room in which paintings representing the four great saints were displayed. In the Growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung, we will proclaim who True Parents are with devotion and love. But in the Completion-stage Cheon Bok Gung, people of all religions will practice a life of attending True Parents.
Dear brothers and sisters, these kinds of things have been possible due to our confidently proclaiming who True Parents are.
The Unification Church has vision and hope because of True Parents.
1: But a man named Anani'as with his wife Sapphi'ra sold a piece of property,
2: and with his wife's knowledge he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet.
3: But Peter said, "Anani'as, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land?
4: While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
5: When Anani'as heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.
6: The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7: After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8: And Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much." And she said, "Yes, for so much."
9: But Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Hark, the feet of those that have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."
10: Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11: And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things.
12: Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico.
13: None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor.
14: And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women,
15: so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.
16: The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
17: But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sad'ducees, and filled with jealousy
18: they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison.
19: But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said,
20: "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life."
21: And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and taught. Now the high priest came and those who were with him and called together the council and all the senate of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
22: But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported,
23: "We found the prison securely locked and the sentries standing at the doors, but when we opened it we found no one inside."
24: Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were much perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to.
25: And some one came and told them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people."
26: Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
27: And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them,
28: saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us."
29: But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.
30: The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.
31: God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
32: And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."
33: When they heard this they were enraged and wanted to kill them.
34: But a Pharisee in the council named Gama'li-el, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a while.
35: And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you do with these men.
36: For before these days Theu'das arose, giving himself out to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was slain and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.
37: After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered.
38: So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this undertaking is of men, it will fail;
39: but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!"
40: So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41: Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
42: And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
1: And Saul was consenting to his death. And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Sama'ria, except the apostles.
2: Devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him.
3: But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
4: Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
5: Philip went down to a city of Sama'ria, and proclaimed to them the Christ.
6: And the multitudes with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs which he did.
7: For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
8: So there was much joy in that city.
9: But there was a man named Simon who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the nation of Sama'ria, saying that he himself was somebody great.
10: They all gave heed to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is that power of God which is called Great."
11: And they gave heed to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
12: But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13: Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
14: Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Sama'ria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
15: who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit;
16: for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17: Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
18: Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,
19: saying, "Give me also this power, that any one on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
20: But Peter said to him, "Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
21: You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
22: Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
23: For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity."
24: And Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."
25: Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
26: But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a desert road.
27: And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of the Can'dace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship
28: and was returning; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29: And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."
30: So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
31: And he said, "How can I, unless some one guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32: Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was
this: "As a sheep led to the slaughter
or a lamb before its
shearer is dumb,
so he opens not his mouth.
33: In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe
his generation?
For his life is taken up from the earth."
34: And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, pray, does the prophet say this, about himself or about some one else?"
35: Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture he told him the good news of Jesus.
36: And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?"
38: And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
39: And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
40: But Philip was found at Azo'tus, and passing on he preached the gospel to all the towns till he came to Caesare'a.