Hyung Jin Moon
April 17, 2011
Cheonhwa Gung
Las Vegas, NV
For live service at Cheon Bok Gung
Yongsan, Seoul, Korea
We have done our best with limited time to translate our international president's sermon, and are pleased to present it to you here in English. Any misunderstanding or lack of clarity in meaning is our responsibility. You are welcome to contact Nina Rosario if you feel something needs to be more clearly expressed.
Hello Brothers and Sisters
Today, I am joining you from Cheonhwa Gung, here in Nevada, in the US.
True Parents are offering Jung Sung devotions here, preparing for surprising works that will develop and change this sin city dramatically. Today I have prepared my sermon with the title "Witness to the Holy Spirit."
First, let's read chapter 1 of the Book of Acts, verses 6 thru 8.
So when they met together, they asked him, `Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? `
He said to them: `It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Most notably, it says in verse 8 that when the Holy Spirit comes on us, we will receive power and will be witnesses to this.
Brothers and Sisters, this word is very important. That's because if we receive the works of the Holy Spirit, the power of the Holy Spirit, this is not works being done for us as individuals. When we send our love to God and True Parents, the Lord of Second Advent, the Christ, and the Son whom God sent with a pure mind, motivation, and heart / heart, motivation and Shim Jung, the Holy Spirit can come in between the vibrations. Then the Holy Spirit enters you and we experience these works. Miracles start happening. When the Holy Spirit works, we really can feel much change.
However, these changes are not only for us. As we recognize that we really are sinners and as we know that our repentance is not enough–even if we repent everyday–this repentance becomes our joy. Repentance is not self-hatred; it is done thinking only about great love of God and focusing only on that. That's why when we offer prayer of repentance with a pure heart, motivation and Shim Jung, and love and believe in True Parents, I believe amazing works will be done.
Brothers and Sisters, while those works are being done, even though we don't notice, we go into the womb of the Holy Spirit -- as Jesus said to Nicodemus, we can be reborn from the womb of the Holy Spirit. The fact is that we have to be reborn through the Holy Spirit every day. Living with the Lord, living with Christ, living with God, a life that renews a sinner like me. A new life that changes and renews a sinner like me, a life gives new Shim Jung/heart.
When we repented with such a pure heart, the Holy Spirit came into the center of our heart and planted new feelings within us. The Holy Spirit can instill in us the heart to earnestly love True Parents, the Son whom God sent. When that heart is planted within us, we can become witnesses to God. To become His witnesses, we cannot only speak out for God but also become His arms and legs. We are not becoming just an individual who can build God's kingdom, heaven, or Cheon Il Guk, but becoming God's sons and daughters who can be His witnesses.
Brothers and Sisters, this content is very important. That's because when we held the Holy Spirit Healing Service, when we sang Chambumonim Eok Mansei with truly pure mind, motivation and heart, this is not just a language, a teaching, or just some words. This is love itself.
As I mentioned last week, `The kingdom of God is within us,` just as Jesus said. True Parents are the Son and Daughter whom God sent… Wherever True Parents dwell as a king and queen that is heaven. That place is exactly God's kingdom. In that way, when we do Chambumonim Eok Mansei with pure mind, motivation and heart, True Parents reign within those few words and our prayers as king and queen. In short, that is the heavenly kingdom.
The qualities of `The Reign of Peace` are exhibited in those short words, Chambumonim Eok Mansei. Within them also can be found faith, love, and filial piety that are developing and building the heavenly kingdom.
Brothers and Sisters, when we do Chambumonim Eok Mansei, millions of vibrations within that vibration are appearing. The Holy Spirit wants to come in between each vibration. When the Holy Spirit comes inside the waves of that vibration, if we repent with a pure mind, motivation and heart and we move the spotlight away from ourselves and onto God and True Parent's love, the course of indemnity, and the course of Seven Deaths and Resurrections, the Holy Spirit wants to come to us. I believe.
Brothers and sisters, having arrived in America this time, we are hearing a truly amazing testimonies. Not long ago, about a month ago, we gathered together–about 2,000 American members, in Caesar's Palace, the famous hotel and casino, in Las Vegas -- and we all sent that vibration. Challenging the sinful culture, singing praises in the power of "Chambumonim Eok-Mansei," we gathered that vibration of love for a whole hour. It was truly like gathering the people of the world. Black people, white people, people from the East, the members gathered as all the races from around the world, all singing "Chambumonim Eog-mansei" together, and breaking into deep tearful prayers. Amid these spiritual experiences and works, many healings took place.
There were spiritual works whereby people whose legs were injured somehow, or people unable to walk, could stand and walk again. People whose eyes were damaged could see. One Christian, not a member of our church, and who did not know Divine Principle, was participating. For many decades he had suffered from a very uncomfortable skin disease on his back, which, through the Chambumonim Eog Mansei vibration, disappeared completely without him even knowing. This Christian put his testimony up on the Internet. These kinds of special things are happening. Brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit is once again coming to our church.
Why is that? Because the spotlight is not to be focused on ourselves, or on our families; and we must acknowledge that we are sinners. We must not run away, but the reason we can go before God is True Parents, His son, whom He has sent, who is the Christ. We are being shown that it is because of the love of Christ at his Second Advent, the indemnity he has paid, his course of death through blood, sweat and tears, and because of his path of resurrection, that we can go before God. Because of this, the
Whatever country we may go to -- even when we were in Kenya in East Africa, and in America, in Hong Kong too -- we received reports of remarkable spiritual works. In those places too, the Holy Spirit descended. Now, witnessing work has begun and already they say they have embarked upon a 21-day witnessing period.
Truly, in all our churches, through our teachings -- which is the truth -- and through the Holy Spirit, surprising works are being wrought. Really just like early Christianity, just like what happened to those who were attending Lord Jesus, spiritual works are taking place. That vibration, the power of the Holy Spirit between each vibration, that authority is coming down to us, Brothers and Sisters.
Brothers and Sisters, as I come here and hear such testimonies, I really feel huge hope. In our Korean church I have heard that amazing spiritual works are occurring in Korean because you are devotedly gathering the vibrations of love each week with devotion and filial piety, and sending strength to True Parents even at the cost of your life. Many Christians who were really prepared, who persecuted True Parents most, are now seeking out the Lord through the works of the Holy Spirit and the works of truth. Amazing miracles are happening.
Brothers and Sisters, we have to challenge our fear. For many decades even though we couldn't develop, grow or feel the Holy Spirit, we have to challenge our own fear. We have to have faith. I believe that with faith and love, with joyful obedience toward God, that we will become witnesses, and that amazing spiritual works will take place.
Brothers and Sisters, during my time here, I talked with one brother. He said that he has a Christian friend who is working on his PhD in Korea now. He recently came to Korea and met this friend. He wanted to tell his friend about the Unification Church and explained about it. He said things that his friend hadn't known. He had many misunderstandings.
True Parents experienced Seven Deaths and Resurrections, the final one of which came through the miracle of all 16 passengers surviving a helicopter falling from the air and becoming a fireball. What we saw on the news and the miracle we saw with our own eyes… There are some religious people saying that it was faked. Some people say the story was fabricated by our church, brothers and sisters.
Why? When Jesus resurrected from death and from his grave, that fact proved the authority of Jesus and proved him as the Son of God. Many of the people of Israel at that time denied this, and have opposed this idea. Today, in the age when the returning Lord has come, we have seen substantial resurrection with our eyes: even through a helicopter fell from the air and burned up, not only the Lord but also all 15 other passengers got out safely. That amazing miracle happened in front of our eyes; yet, there are people of other faiths who deny that.
Brothers and Sisters, this is because that miracle proved that God surely protected True Parents. Because it firmly proves that the Lord (who has returned) resurrected from death and is doing his work, and that True Parents are precisely those two people, brothers and sisters! We can have confidence.
Brothers and Sisters, we are people who have seen such works of God as this. Just as those miracles were written about in the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit is coming again. Such amazing power is coming down. Brothers and Sisters, From the Korean church, amazing vibrations are spreading throughout the universe from that power and work of the Holy Spirit. Even though we are in a country far from Korea, when Sunday comes, we feel the Ki-energy and vibration you are sending.
Brothers and Sisters, with pure mind, motivation and heart, when we receive the power of the Holy Spirit, when we receive that grace, when we lose ourselves, new Shim Jung/heart is planted within us. When we become such proud witnesses, we can confirm the great works True Parents are doing, and that the era of Cheon Il Guk, the era of The Reign of Peace, is approaching.
Brothers and Sisters, I am so glad that I could see you again from over here. Today, also, if you diligently gather the vibration of love, the vibration of Chambumonim Ok Mansei and of The Reign of Peace, and if you send great strength, love, repentance and gratitude to True Parents, I believe that will bring great strength to them.
I will conclude my sermon with True Parents' words.
Notes:
Acts, chapter 1
1: In the first book, O The-oph'ilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,
2: until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
3: To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God.
4: And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me,
5: for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6: So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7: He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority.
8: But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sama'ria and to the end of the earth."
9: And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
10: And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
11: and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
12: Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away;
13: and when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.
14: All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15: In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (the company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty), and said,
16: "Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested Jesus.
17: For he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry.
18: (Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.
19: And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Akel'dama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20: For it is written in the book of Psalms, `Let his habitation become desolate,
and let there be no one to live in it';
and `His office let another take.'21: So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22: beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us -- one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection."
23: And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsab'bas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthi'as.
24: And they prayed and said, "Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two thou hast chosen
25: to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place."
26: And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthi'as; and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.