The Words of Hyung Jin Moon
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The Words of Hyung Jin Moon |
Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. It is always wonderful having you here in this sanctuary, and for those who are joining with us via internet we are welcoming you as well. Welcome brothers and welcome sisters.
Brothers and sisters, I want to share with you something from the Cheon Seong Gyeong. That really caught my attention, and it was on page 1730. I was reading from page 1 and just happened to be on 1730. I found this nice passage of what Father was talking about,
"What I agonized over the most in delving into the fundamental truths of the universe was the question of how love moves and settles. By discovering the fact that love travels the shortest distance, everything came to be resolved. If love were to come from above, seeing that heaven is above and the earth is below, what route would true love take to come to earth from heaven? It would take the shortest possible distance. What would that be? It is the perpendicular, isn't it? There is only one perpendicular. It is the shortest distance. Granted that love takes the fastest and shortest route, there can be only one meeting point of the heavenly and earthly worlds."
And that got me thinking; there is a rumor circulating around that says that that meeting point where love travels very quickly to the earth is this headquarters's church. (Applause) I don't know if it's true but I do believe, brothers and sisters, that each and every one of you is that channel. Each and everyone of us is that perpendicular route. Every single one of our blessed families, every single one of our brothers and sisters, we've been blessed by True Parents, and because of that we hold the lineal fruit, what the ancestors have been waiting for, and it's so important every time we start service to really remember and really re-invest ourselves in that attitude, when we look at ourselves to really see ourselves with fresh eyes, see ourselves with what I call God's perspective. It's so important that when we see ourselves, we see ourselves with divine value, we see ourselves with cosmic universal value, we see ourselves with unique and unchanging value.
Brothers and sisters, we have that much preciousness. You have it, it's all within you and it's so important that we let that out, we learn how to cultivate that so we can really bring great blessings to this world.
Brothers and sisters, once again we are so happy to have you here at this service. We really welcome you, and once again thanks so much for coming.
Before each sermon we like to start with something a little interesting. We came across this very interesting little story about an 85 year old grandfather, grandpa, and he was out on the water, fishing on the lake just enjoying himself. The water was beautiful and he was enjoying the beautiful fish he was catching. All of a sudden he heard a small voice. It said, "Pick me up". He looked around, there was nothing there; just he thought he was dreaming. He looked down and saw a little frog that said to him, "Pick me up!" And he looked at the frog and said, "I must be dreaming. I can't believe this frog is talking to me." The frog said, "Pick me up and kiss me, I will become a bride". The grandfather picked the frog up, put it into his pocket, and then the frog said, "What are you doing? I told you to kiss me, I'll become a bride" and he said, "Honey, at this age I'd rather have a talking frog!" (Laughter and applause)
All right brothers and sisters, come on let's get on up, let's do it. That took a little time to sink in but you did get it. I am proud of you!
As you see from the banner in this service, today we commemorate the Inauguration of Hyung Jin Nim as President of FFWPU International and Korea. Hyung Jin Nim was appointed by Father as the President of FFWPU International and Korea. As you know, two days ago, on April 18, there was a very beautiful inaugural ceremony in Cheon Jeong Gyeong. I'm sure some of you participated in the ceremony and some of you watched the ceremony by internet. I'm going to show you some of the pictures of that event, so we can join together to celebrate the inauguration of Hyung Jin Nim as President of FFWPU International and Korea.
This is the front of the auditorium where we greeted True Parents. Here is the True Family, Yeon-ah Nim, Hoon-suk Nim, Kook Jin Nim's couple and Hyung Jin Nim's couple.
At first there were remarks by Rev. Kwak, who was the first International President of FFWPU. He gave a very meaningful message to all of us. He said that the time he leaves his position is actually the beginning of the 2nd generation providence and that Hyung Jin Nim's couple taking the position of President of FFWPU International and Korea means actually the beginning of the providence of the 2nd generation. "This is historical and providential." He said he is very sorry that he couldn't prepare a better foundation to transfer to Hyung Jin Nim. He said that we did our best the last 50 years with True Parents.
Next were the remarks by Rev. Hwang, President of FFWPU Korea. He is also leaving his position. He also gave meaningful remarks. He said that Hyung Jin Nim taking the position of President FFWPU International and Korea means a new beginning. In the history of the last 50 years in Korea, this is the 10th church president in Korea, from Rev. Eu to Hyung Jin Nim. Actually, providentially, this is the first president of FFWPU in Korea. What does this mean? From Father to Hyung Jin Nim there were 10 presidents, but Hyung Jin Nim is the first president of FFWPU Korea in Abel position. This is really the beginning of a new era.
Before inviting Hyung Jin Nim to the podium, we presented a flower bouquet to Hyung Jin Nim's couple. Then Hyung Jin Nim gave an inaugural speech.
Hyung Jin Nim's ministry. He loves and respects his younger brother. Hyung Jin Nim is ready to receive this position as President of FFWPU International and Korea, and now he has taken this position and responsibility. So we all together respect Hyung Jin Nim. He cried so much at the ceremony.
Before we invited True Parents to the podium, Rev. Yeon-jun Noh's couple presented flowers to True Parents. They were very happy. Things then went unexpected. We invited Father to give the speech, but Father and Mother invited Hyung Jin Nim to the podium in front of them and gave encouraging remarks to give a blessing to Hyung Jin Nim's couple.
This is very historical. On the podium there was a box. It was a Cheon Seong Gyeong, meaning "Words of True Parent". True Parents didn't just give the position of President of FFWPU to Hyung Jin Nim, but they gave inheritance. The whole history and True Father's words and everything was inherited by Hyung Jin Nim. This box was the word of True Parents. That means that actually Hyung Jin Nim received True Parents' Words as representative of True Parents. Father and Mother gave a very special prayer for Hyung Jin Nim's couple.
Eog Mansei for God, True Parents and Eog Mansei for Hyung Jin Nim's couple as President of FFWPU International and Korea.
Another special event followed. We really did not expect this event in the context of the inaugural ceremony. A few days ago Father gave a special matching to one couple. The man is working in the Peace Palace. The wife is a daughter of 430 couple family. At the ceremony, Father asked Hyung Jin Nim to give the blessing to them.
What is the essence of True Parents? There are two points: One is their word and one is their authority of giving the blessing. This time True Father gave the position of President of FFWPU to Hyung Jin Nim, he gave his word and then he gave the authority of the Blessing to Hyung Jin Nim. Before we complete our blessing we receive the benediction prayer from Father. Now Hyung Jin Nim can give the blessing prayer to all the people of the world. This is a very meaningful occasion.
After that there was a banquet with True Parents. We invited True Parents and Kook Jin Nim's couple and Hyung Jin Nim's couples to cut the cake together, but Father said, "No, this time is only for Hyung Jin Nim's couple." So they cut the cake and received appreciation from the congregation.
Kyung-bae, cheers with True Family and all success for Hyung Jin Nim s couple!
Can you imagine this meaningful ceremony with the help of these pictures? Let's give applause.
Let's now invite Hyung Jin Nim's couple on the stage. This time with all our heart we give flowers to Hyung Jin Nim and Yeon-ah Nim. Lots of happy applause!
Today I want to talk to you about "Knowing that our best is yet to come." If we are truly to live the blessed life, then it's so important that when we look at our own future, when we look at our own lives, that we know that God has still so many things He has planned for us. Still our best has yet to come! We have to know that God has so many plans that we have not even fathomed yet. He has designed our lives so that we will be so victorious, so great. The potential is all there. It's so important in our lives. Our portion of responsibility then is to look at that and to see into our future and really believe that we have that kind of potential.
And it's so easy to start getting into a thinking that says, "I really reached my limits, it's all downhill, I am over 30 now, it's all downhill from now, I just hit 30!!" That's a little depressing for me. I don't want to believe that. I want to believe that each decade, even in our marriage relationship, each decade will become more rich, more deep. Even in our own lives it's so important that we don't get into that trajectory of thinking. It's so tempting to say, "I don't see a way out of this situation," or "I don't see a way out of this family problem that we are having. I don't see how unity will be able to come." But we have to always remember that God has a very magical way of moving things in our lives, so that these things can come to pass.
Remember in 1936 when True Father received his revelation, his anointing from God, when he started moving unto his path to save humanity, to save the world, to liberate God's heart. He did not know at that moment that God had still more things for him to do. Of course at that moment when he made the decision, I can see him praying at the rock on top of the mountain, really receiving God's anointing, really making the declaration that he will move forward.
But yet it's so easy to start thinking, "After this, I don't know what tribulations I will have to go through," and particularly when Father was going through tribulations, how easy it was for him to start saying, "It's not going to happen. The things that I promised God will never come to pass."
When the Korean war broke out, again Father was under continuous imprisonment, continuous oppression, and yet you can see him in those prison cells, you can almost visualize in your mind, him sitting there in that cell. He does not see a way out, there is no army camps that are coming to liberate him. He is just sitting in prison, day in and day out, working every day in the concentration camp. There is no possible way he can emerge out of there.
But yet God challenged him in those times of oppression, in those times of difficulty. He challenged him to believe, "Yes, I will be free". I remember that story: On the day that Father was designated to be executed, the American liberation forces came in and freed him.
What am I saying? Even though we may not be able to see how God is going to do it, He will organize things, He will move things around in the cosmos to be able to help us actualize the vision and dreams that He has planned for us.
In the 1970s when True Parents moved to America, how many difficulties they received! They are in a foreign land, they don't speak the language. There are so many new members but how to communicate with them? How to be able to really understand Americans? How to be able to truly make America the homeland of God?
In the 1980s. after the fall of communism, I can see True Father sitting in his room, really feeling the victory of Communist Russia finally falling, collapsing, opening itself to democracy. But still he knew that God still had more for him to do in his life. He still had more to do and to accomplish in his life.
Even in 2001, after the Declaration of God's Coronation Ceremony, really what we would imagine to be the crowning highlight of True Father's spiritual life, after having been able to liberate the 6,000 years of suffering that God had to endure, but still True Father moved forth. He still knew he had yet things to do.
Even in 2008, we just had the congress elections here in Korea. All our brothers and sisters in Korea were running. They were really pushing for the Family Party, working so hard, day in and day out, really giving all their effort, and investing all their blood, sweat and tears into it, and the result was not as we assumed. We were not able to make it into the Congress. But I love Father's attitude when he came back yesterday, when he was at the rally, and all the members were there, and all the brothers and sisters believed, "We are such failures, we did not make it this time. We thought at least one congressman we would make." But Father -- I love his attitude -- he came out and he just said to them, "Don't even in your wildest dreams assume that this is a failure; this is just a beginning."
And I love that because in our lives as well, when we encounter trials, when we encounter tribulation, when we encounter difficulty, it's so important to say to our mind, just like Father told us, "Don't even in your wildest dream start thinking this is a failure."
We have to always see our lives as being victorious. We have to envision it, we have to visualize it with that type of energy. Father has always done that. He has always tried to work and encourage us in such a manner.
When we were young, we grew up in a very public environment. We have a couple of brothers and sisters that are here and were helping us in that environment etc. and I remember times, I was like riding a bike or I used to skateboard, so I was skateboarding outside, and people would be taking pictures of us while we were just trying to skateboard around or ride a bike. We understand members, "Oh, these are the True Parents' children, so we take pictures and it's very nice." But at times we felt very frustrated because we really had no control over this environment. We could not start yelling and say, "Stop taking pictures, I am trying to skateboard here, I'm trying to do my 360 alley, you are distracting me!" We couldn't do that. So we felt really that we had no control over the environment.
So many times we found ourselves very frustrated. Sometimes we were really angry at this situation, and many times we were not able to speak to the congregation. We didn't necessarily have a platform to speak, to share our feelings, to really communicate with our brothers and sisters. And it almost felt like every mistake, every sign of frustration that we were feeling was almost being noticed and being watched, and we could almost feel like every eye was on us. And at times I found myself very stressed by that environment.
Even when we were not in public gatherings we really also felt that it was a public environment. We lived on a public compound, East Garden, a lot of movement in and out and I remember times… you know we were normal brothers and sisters, so sometimes we had disagreements, and we argued, we yelled at each other and called each other names, that we would really kind of regret after we did it, just like any normal brothers and sisters. I remember so many times when we had these kinds of normal interaction that siblings do, then we would end up hearing these rumors within the community. They would start spreading, "The True Children are fighting. What are they doing? What's so special? What are they doing fighting all the time?" We'd hear these kinds of rumors.
But in that kind of situation, I really felt one of the real big hurdles of that kind of situation, of that kind of environment was when we were not necessarily given the permission to be human. We were supposed to be so holy, so perfect; we were supposed to be all knowing beings. I literally had a gentleman come up to me while I was skateboarding outside. He came up to me, maybe 20 yards in front of me and he bowed in front of me. He bowed and came to me and asked me for spiritual guidance. Now remember, this is when I was 6 years old. I could barely spell, "Spiritual guidance", I could hardly spell, "Spiritual" let alone give it. So we were underneath this kind of situation, this kind of environment. We were feeling this kind of pressure.
And I remember at times, all our family members are very passionate people, we are very intense people and we also love each other so much. We have passion in life and in what we do. And many times we did disagree with each other as normal brothers and sisters do, normal siblings do. That's normal interaction at home. And at times -- we were young -- I really do feel we did take it personally at times.
10 years ago, if somebody said to me, "The True Family will never be able to work together. It's just impossible. They are too strong personalities. It's impossible!" I would have almost believed you if you told me that 10 years ago. But what I saw, especially when Young Jin Hyung passed… and we started maturing and we starting seeking after the purpose in our lives, and we started searching for the meaning of our lives, the value in our lives, started moving towards higher and higher heights of maturity… and particularly when Hyo Jin Hyung passed, I saw for the first time -- I think I shared it with you all at Hyo Jin hyung's ceremony -- but it was the first time in our family when we really came together. We came together and sent our brother off, in such an honorable way. We really felt so happy about it.
And if you came up to me, even 10 years ago telling me that we could do such a thing, that that kind of unity would be possible, I literally 10 years ago wouldn't believe it. But what I do believe now is God is doing impossible things. He is moving things in our lives. He is moving things in our family, even things that I didn't believe could come to fruition, even when I thought, "Our family has reached a limit, we have reached our best days; they're behind us." What God was telling us that day, particularly when Hyo Jin Hyung passed away, He was telling us, "No, it's not over yet; your best is yet to come".
I really saw that. I really do believe that each one of us faces such obstacles in our lives. Some of you today are facing some obstacles, some difficulties that are hindering you. Maybe it's a sickness that you're dealing with, maybe it's something that you have no control over, such as a child that is sick like the young blessed child that we prayed for today. It may be some struggles in your relationships. It may be something that is materially giving you struggles, etc.
But what we have to know is that God has the power. His force, His power, His chi is more powerful than those things that are coming against us. Those hindrances, those obstacles that are fighting us, that are pushing against us, those archangels that are coming into our paths, they are no match for the Creator of the entire universe. We have to always remember that in our lives we have His backing, we have Him behind us, we have Him as our Father.
It's almost like this: When there is a force against you, when you are encountering something that is more difficult, sometimes so difficult you can't even bear it, then remember, that's a sign. God is telling you that at that moment you are right on the cusp of breaking through to a greater victory. You are right on the cusp of having a greater enlightenment, a greater step up in your life. Why? Because whenever you are facing greater obstacles in your mind, when people are coming against you more, when they are fighting you harder in your relationships etc. when you are encountering those archangels all around you, whether in your mental state or in physical people, physical situations etc, remember that those things are a sign.
The archangels are fighting you not for your present, not for your past; they are fighting you for your future. So remember within each moment there are 3 time frames that Father talks about. He talks about the past, he talks about the present, and he talks about the future being present in the present moment. Whenever we are under duress, whenever we are under difficulty in our lives, whenever we are stressing out about a certain obstacle that we are facing, remember: It's really the future right there, it is your present joy and your future potential that the archangel is fighting you for. He is not fighting you for your past, that's already done with. It's so important that we know that when we look forward in our future, when we look forward into our lives, that we see that the best days are still yet to come.
But so many people will say, "I don't see how it's going to happen! I just don't know how it's going to happen, I can't figure out, there's no way; it's not going to occur like that, there's no way." And the real thing here that I would like to convey to you is that you don't need to figure it out. It's not important for you to get it all mapped out. It's important of course to have goals and to have purpose in your live, but also to remember that those goals and purposes do change at times as we pass through life, as we move though the different phases of life, as we go through different changes. And to try to map everything out is literally impossible.
We have to know that in the end we can't figure it out 100 %, that God is going to direct our path, that He is going to prepare places, prepare people, prepare the right situations that we will need in order to progress, substantializing the dreams and visions He's placed in us.
It's OK that sometimes you feel a little stressed about not being able to figure it all out. "I don't know if I should move to Korea, I don't know if I should be able to live here, to put my roots down here, if I go back to my country or not." It's OK that you don't know it at this particular moment because God will show you the way. Keep open, keep reflective, keep your heart in motion with Him and He will continue to give you enlightenment and illumination. Remember, it doesn't happen overnight, but God never promises that it does happen overnight.
Even when we look at the story of Moses. Many times I talked about the story of Moses. There was no way he could see Pharaoh letting his people go. There was no way. Look at the story of Joseph. He was imprisoned for three years for something he did not even do, and yet he was praying, he was keeping his attitude up. He knew that he was going to get out of there. He knew that God gave him the power of revelation, the power of interpretation, so when the right time came, he would have the right person that would help him to be free.
David was just a sixteen year old boy when he was asked to be the king of Israel. But so many people say, "I am not qualified, I really reached my limit, I have an education handicap, I have no money, I have no resources. I don't have the connection other people have." But we have to also remember that neither did Moses. Moses was uneducated, he was poor. He was so uncharismatic. He was one of the worst stutterer in the land during his day, and God chose him. He chose him and gave him the mission to lead the people out of Egypt. That's almost an impossible task. In order to lead people you need to speak, you need to speak into them words of faith, words of hope. Moses couldn't even say, "I love you" without stuttering three times.
We have to know that God will choose such people. He will choose us even though we might have such inadequacies, even though we might not be totally perfect, God does choose us to do great things. Even Joseph was sold into slavery. He had no positive environment that he came out of. His family was very abusive; his brothers sold him into slavery. Can you imagine coming from a family where you are sold into slavery by your siblings! That's not necessarily a positive family environment. But yet Joseph was still able to become the second most powerful person in all of Egypt. He was able to control all the funds, all the resources, the food that was being distributed to all the Egyptians in times of famine.
David was totally unqualified to be king. There were so many people more qualified than him, so many more generals that could lead the people of Israel so much better, that had so much more experience, that had so much more education, that had led people, that had had so many wars under their belt, so many victories. But God chose David, a 16 year old boy, out there on the farmlands herding sheep, totally unqualified in human eyes, but in God's eyes he was exactly the right person.
It's so important that when we look at our lives, that we see with those eyes of faith into our lives, that we see ourselves moving into a direction of actualizing God's best in our lives. Remember, all it takes is really one good idea that can set your whole life into a whole different trajectory. God can give you one enlightenment, God can give you one realization. He can even give you a great patent, a great idea that eventually becomes a great invention that you can take and work on.
He can send you one person in your path that will help you, that will lead you, that will open up a new door for you, a new avenue in your life. He can give you one new opportunity that can totally transform your life. It's so important that we understand that these possibilities are always around us. And if we're not looking we're going to be missing each one of these possibilities; each one of these blessings will be passing us day by day.
It's so important that in our lives we keep our eyes open, that we keep our eyes of faith open, our hearts open, open to what God is giving us, open to what we are supposed to receive, open to what the future holds, open to creating our destiny. We have to know that God is working with us; He is working with you, each and everyone of you. You have a destiny to fulfill. Each one of you has an incredible journey to walk. Each one of you has so many people that need the talents that you're given. Each one of you has within your hearts, within your abilities, within your range of skills, something that somebody absolutely needs in this world. You are absolutely a miracle to somebody in this world.
And it's so important that we realize that God is connecting us. He is trying to connect us in that way. He is trying to fulfill our destiny. If we do try our best, if we don't give up and we live with that integrity, if we live with that hope, if we live knowing that our future is going to bring us things as we stay open, as we stay receptive, as we be our best and be excellent, God promises that He will do the 95% to bring those things to pass.
So what can we learn today? If my message is very simple, if it's very short and simple today, I really want to communicate today: Let us believe in our future. Let's be bold in what we are expecting in our future. Let's not just settle for second best dreams or visions that we have been placing in our hearts. Maybe, "It has never come to fruition. I really tried last time, it didn't happen." Let us ask again! This is a new time for God to work something in your life, a new time for you to step up as a blessed family; maybe something in your relations, maybe something with your children, maybe something in your workplace, to really shine as a blessed family and can really bring glory unto True Parents and God.
Let's not settle where we are. It's so important that we don't settle where we are. When we start settling, we start sinking. It's so important that we keep moving, that we keep growing in our lives. We don't say, "This is the best, this is as good as life gets." If we start living with that mentality, life only can go down from there. It's so important that we believe and we know that life gets better and better, it gets more bright. It does not mean there's not going to be obstacles; there will be. It does not mean there's not going to be people against you; there will be. It does not mean that there's not going to be situations that are going to really challenge you; there will be. But we have to know that life does get better. As long as we move, as long as we prepare ourselves and work with our effort, continually developing ourselves and improving us we will see those best days that God has yet to come.
I do believe that each and everyone of us in this room, including myself, has a great future. I want to believe for each and everyone of you today. I was dealing with a fever and a little bit of a cold and allergy this whole week, and I really felt," My God, I could actually pass tomorrow!" I was starting to exaggerate a little bit in my mind, but as you know, my brother just passed and I am also feeling, just personally, he is our biggest brother and he was a real pillar in our family, and really feeling the impact of that, and feeling really the impermanence of life; in one second we can go. I'm just thinking, "Hey, I have this headache, I have this constant fever, this constant coughing, I've got sinusitis, whatever," and I am thinking, "It's actually a possibility. The next day, I might not wake up."
And when I start re-framing my life like that, I start to realize how precious it is in our lives. It is so precious not to live day in and day out and say, "Oh this day is terrible, this day is miserable. I don't know, life only seems to get worse." We have to start changing the battle between our mind and body. We have to start changing the dynamic between our mind and body, so that when we start seeing our future, we do believe that God is directing our path, He does wish for us to be prosperous, He does wish for us to be fruitful, He does wish us to bring more victory into His life.
Brothers and sisters, I really want to declare over you today, each and everyone of you has something great that you must accomplish in your lifetime. You have something within you that you must give to somebody in this world. You may not know who that person is. It may not necessarily be your children or the people that are close to you. It may be somebody that you may meet in 5 years. But God had something planned for you, something that you will do to impact somebody. You may just be just a normal teacher but you may be teaching the next person who cures cancer. You may be in a situation where you will bring out the potential in that particular person, in the individual, even in yourself, those people around you, that will allow a great thing to occur.
I really hope that you can really accept this into your heart today, and brothers and sisters, I do believe that when we look into our future, remember there's 3 moments in each moment; there's a past, a present and a future. Archangels don't fight you for your past, your past is already gone. They're going to fight you for your present joy and they're going to fight you for your future potential. Don't let them win that battle. Always stay healthy in your battle, always stay healthy in your mind and body. Don't let them take away your present joy. Don't let them take away or steal your future potential. You guys have so much of it, and I really do wish that you will see more and more victory, more and more illumination, and more and more peace.
Brothers and sisters if you can receive this, let us give a big applause to True Parents on this day. (Big applause) Thank you so much!