Facing our Heavenly Destiny

Hyung Jin Moon
February 6, 2010
Headquarters Church, Chungpadong, Seoul, Korea

Welcoming Remarks:
Yeon Ah Nim:

Good afternoon, brothers and sisters! Welcome to the Headquarter of the Unification Church. Brothers and sisters, can you believe that we are actually moving today? Can you? (Applause)

We have been talking about it, we have seen the pictures, but we are actually moving today. Let us give this honor and thanks to our Heavenly Father and True Parents and those members throughout the world who supported and made this come true. Let's give a big applause! (Applause) Aju!

Hyung Jin Nim:

Good afternoon, brothers and sisters! Let's first manifest the principle:

Give and Receive action

Four position foundation

May I inherit the True Love of God.

Aju!

Today is from Cheon Seong Gyeong page 600. Father speaks. He says:

"All of us must embrace the hope with which you can overcome even death, when we are confronted by it. After we coerced that path, we must be able to race joyfully to that original homeland, for which we have longed with the hopeful thought of standing tall in front of heaven and earth."

Brothers and sisters, can you believe it? My goodness! Today is the last official service in Chungpadong, Headquarters Church. It's a historic church. Father ministered here for over a decade. I want to give it up for Chungpadong Church and all the incredible history that has happened here! (Applause) It's like we are living in a dream. It's amazing.

Brothers and sisters, today is a new day. It is a new day for the Unification Church. Today we will be actually going to the Temple. Many of you haven't seen it yet. When you do, I want you to remember that that is the Unification Church. When you go in there, just remind yourself, my God, this is the Unification Church! Hold that in your heart, because we want that to be the hope of all the Unification Churches around, in different cities and countries where the Unification Church is still persecuted. One day they can come, see the Temple and say: "You know what? There will be the day that we can be proud of our faith in our city, where we can make a difference in this land."

Brothers and sisters, it is an incredible time and I'm so honored to be able to walk with all of you, and with all our brothers and sisters tomorrow as well.

Main Sermon:

Let's take a look at Christianity today. This is Romans 8:28, let's read this together,

"We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose."

Aju.

Remember when we say Aju, the meaning of Aju means, My Lord! That's what it means. We are praising God as we say Aju.

Let's look at Buddhism today; this is from the Udana 19-20, let's look at this together,

"I am fearless, assured, confident and unafraid. I live at ease, unstartled, lightsome, with a heart like that of some wild creature."

Aju.

Let's look at the Holy Qur'an today. This is Sura 29-60, this is from Islam. Let's take a look at this together,

"How many animals do not carry their own provision! God provided for them and for you. He is alert, aware."

Aju.

This is from True Parents' words. This is from the collection of speeches 107:83, let's read this together,

"What do you think I am proud of? It is that I am afraid of nothing. There is nothing in heaven or on earth that I am afraid of, because my efforts are entirely for God."

Aju.

You know, brothers and sisters, there are times in our lives when we are called to walk a path that has never been tread before. It is our destiny to have faith in a promise, a long old prophecy, that we will matter, that we will make a difference and that we will glorify our True Parents and glorify our God.

So we are like the pioneers today, setting out to discover the new world. They had to get on to their ships, they had to set sail, leave the comforts of their homes and the stability of their homelands to take to the open ocean. They knew that they would face uncertainty, there's inevitably storm up ahead, danger, even death they had to face. But see the power of their faith and the spirit of adventure that God was calling them on, this was even more profound than the fear that was so overwhelming.

This is our last service here in Chungpadong Church, a historic church where True Father directly ministered in, where we also have the Koo Bon Boo Kyo Hae (Old Headquarters Church) up there. And today we depart from this holy location where so much blood, sweat and tears had been invested. So much devotion has been spent and now we trek a cause, the cold city of Seoul in 2010 and we'll make our way towards the Temple of God. Let's give it up to the Temple of God everybody. (Applause)

Come on, we're going there today. (Applause)

Oh my goodness! It's an amazing day. (Applause)

I am reminded of the story, a Christian story of St Paul and his second letter to the Corinthians. As you know, he had been travelling all around the Mediterranean and he briefly summarized the highlights of his trials and tribulations, of his missionary travels proclaiming and preaching the Gospel of Christ. Let us read his words together. This is 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, let's read this together,

"I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches."

We see here the incredible challenges that Paul had to face, the tremendous tribulations on his journeys spreading the Gospel of Christ. He had to go and challenge every single challenge and brave every single fear that was muscled up in his heart because the love of Christ was his mission and his purpose, because proclaiming the Gospel of Christ was his essence. He moved forth through that danger, through the incredible persecution that he received.

We see in his testimony that Paul was beaten and imprisoned, stoned and shipwrecked, facing threat and danger from starvation and cold and brutal elements, etc. But greater than these things was again his faith and his love for Christ. This was the power that helped him to overcome every challenge that he had to face. Time and time again, every time he faced a robber or a person that stoned him, he had to muster up the love of Christ and move forward and because of this kind of incredible faith and love for Christ Paul was able to shape the history of Christianity.

I am also reminded of a Buddhist tale. It is a tale of Mahaprajapati, who is the Buddha's Aunt. She was a woman who had raised the Buddha's son from a young age along with her own son. She had a long time relationship with the Buddha and as he left and became enlightened, she asked him, "Let me follow you and let me go the full religious life. Let me follow this path. Don't just let the men walk this path. Let also the women walk on this path."

But the Buddha denied her at that time. He said, "No, I can't do that, it's too dangerous." Many different issues at that time that were arising. They were practicing in open air and so it was dangerous for women to be outside in those kind of areas. So he denied her at that time.

He had travelled to another city, from Kapilavastu which was his homeland all the way to Vesaliwhich was in Northern India. So he made that long trek and so it was very far away. The Queen Mahaprajapati now decided, "I will make the long journey across the rivers and through the woods to find the Enlightened One, to find him and to ask him once again." She had to brave her life, risk her life to go on that path, on that pilgrimage. When she arrived at that sacred city Vesali, it was a cosmopolitan area at that time, she was met again with dismay because he said no again.

She was very depressed and was sitting in front of the retreat and one of the Disciples, his name was Ananda, he came to her and said, "Why are you so sad Queen?" And she explained her ordeal. "I am so sad because I want to commit myself to the full religious life. I want to make a better world and I want to save and liberate beings etc., but that opportunity has not arisen."

But then, Ananda said, "Take heart and I will tell the Buddha. I will tell him. I will ask him special permission to have you and your practitioners come in with us and to go on the course." The Buddha heard about that, and then he shared with her, that he was moved by her perseverance, by that she had braved even her life, that she had sacrificed everything, threw away all her jewels and her queenly status and followed him across the very dangerous wilderness.

From this particular tradition the Buddhist nuns are descending. It was this kind of braveness and the movement into the future knowing, "If I believe and have faith, we will be allowed to stand together with the men to create a better world." This was her heart.

As I remember this story, it also reminded me of what Unification Church, what we are doing together, that we are standing together, brother and sister, and Father and Mother, and man and woman, and we are going following our Lord, to create a better world of goodness, peace and heavenly fortune so that we can bring those from the realm of Satan's dominion, which is self-pride and self-centeredness, to a world of inheriting the true love and essence of God.

I'm also reminded of a story from Islam by a great biographer who wrote the first real biography of the Prophet Muhammad. It was the work called the Sirat Rasul Allah, which was written by Ibn Ishaq in the eighth century. He told the story about the Prophet Muhammad. There was a particular time which was very dangerous for the Prophet Muhammad because now he was moving away from Mecca where the Muslims were persecuted. They were a minority. They were under the very dominant Qurayish tribe in Mecca.

Now, they have to make the trek out of Mecca into Medina where they would try to start a new life and try to start a new way to worship God. In the eve of this emigration, which is called the Hejira, most of the followers had already gone to Medina. But Muhammad said, "I cannot go until the very end. I cannot go. I can only leave when I get God's permission." So he had to wait to the very end because there was one more task for him to finish.

There was that night a plot against his life. There were people that were going to come into his room and kill him while he was sleeping and the Prophet Muhammad knew about this. So he asked his cousin Ali to sleep in his bed at night and to take his place, literally on the cross, knowing that that person will be killed. He asked him to take his place in faith.

His cousin Ali did so; he stepped up. When the plotters came to kill Muhammad, they saw in his bed somebody else and that surprised them and they fled. That was the time when the Prophet Muhammad was able to leave Mecca and entered Medina. They entered Medina and became an established religion, where they would have dominance there.

Peter had failed Jesus at the eve of his crucifixion. Peter was supposed to step in for Christ, step in and declare that he knew Christ. He was supposed to stand up for Christ. Peter had failed this task. Ali however, had done the opposite and stepped up in faith for Muhammad.

When I remembered this tale, it also reminded me that now, as True Parents are fighting for God and they are under attack in many ways, we as the Unification Church are standing up for them. We're saying, "True Parents, we stand with you and we won't desert you. We will go into the city to preach about you and we will face uncertainty and face the unknown. We may even be persecuted but we will stand with our faith." Let's give it up for Unification Church and our faith! (Applause)

We are moving to the Temple, the Temple to attend God and True Parents, to teach the world that the Messiah, the Maitreya, the Mahdi, the Kalki, the Righteous One has come! And that we are standing with our faith and our pride to uphold the value of True Parents, to bring in the many, many people who had been prepared by God and the spirit world, who are waiting to meet their True Parents, the True Parents of heaven and earth. Let's give it up for God and True Parents.(Applause)

I was finally reminded of the story in Isaiah and this is Isaiah 40:1-11. This was the Prophet Isaiah who was encouraging the Jews who were living in exile in Babylon. Their temple had been ruined and they had been chased out and now they were living in Babylon as a minority. They were been mocked and laughed at and they were still trying to get settled. They were starting a new life, and in the midst of that kind of cosmopolitan Babylonian culture, many of the Jews were loosing faith in their own God, in their own heritage, in their own religion, in their own life and identity.

When they thought about leaving Babylon they might have thought, "My God! I got to stay now in Babylon. I am setting up my family, setting up my work and trying to make a living…" But then all of a sudden, God called the Jewish people from Babylon back to Zion, back to Jerusalem. If they would go back to Zion, they would have to cross the desert and the threats that lie there -- thirst and famine. They would have to face poisonous snakes and robbers, scorpions and Hyenas, all sorts of dangers that would arise in the desert.

So many of the Jews did not want to go. They said, "I don't want to go. We don't want to go. We are setting up our lives here in Babylon. Why would we go back where we have to enter into Jerusalem? Why would we have to reclaim Zion? Why would we rebuild our Temple? It will take too much time. We are still under the curse of God."

They still believed that they were under the curse; that God had lifted the blessing from them and now everything they did was doomed to failure. They believed that they can never be successful and that God now held the dark cloud of curse over them.

But see, the Prophet Isaiah encouraged them. He said to them, "Comfort, comfort…." He said, "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord." He said, there was a change of fortune from curse to blessing, "God is about to bring us prosperity and blessing. God is with this endeavor. Do not dread the past where many ordeals may have failed. God is with us on this new day where we re-face our Temple and we walk toward Zion."

"In the wilderness, prepare the way of Lord," he said, "Every mountain and hill will be made low. " That means that every obstacle will be made low, not with our own strength but with the power of God. "The Glory of the Lord will be revealed," he said.

And he said, "All flesh is grass." The flowers and flesh are grass, they wither away. He was referring to the many of the naysayers, many of the persecutors of the Jews, who persecuted and attacked them and said, "You people are worthless, you have no value, you are just like money" and these kind of things. He said, that all that flesh and those flowers, all those words against us are like the grass; they will fade and wither away but the word, the Lord our God is eternal and lives forever.

He said, "The Lord God comes with might." Remember that the Babylonian people saw the Jews in their weakness, in a defeated state. They saw them pitiful. They saw them not being able to set their roots, not being able to succeed, saw them being at the lowest realm of society, being laughed at and mocked. They had to endure this for 70 years.

And in the same way, the Korean people have also seen True Parents and the Unification Church in weakness. They saw a church that was declining, was not growing for 30 years. But in the Temple, in Zion, in the New Jerusalem, in the Cheon Bok Gung Palace, they will see another day and see another Unification Church! (Applause)

If you believe it, let's give it up for God (Applause)

The Prophet Isaiah says, "Be encouraged because the Lord comes with might, not in weakness." And he says, "And the Lord our God will feed His flock." From God and from the Temple, from the holy land Zion, will spread the spiritual abundance and blessing, that will spread not only to all the members across the world but to all the nation of Korea and all the nations of the world and all the spirit world and will be returned and glorified back to God. If you believe it, let's give it up for God! (Applause) Oh, my goodness! (Applause)

We are going today, brothers and sisters! We are going!

As we move to the Temple, brothers and sisters, we're moving to the next level, such a visible level as a Unification Church. We're pressing forward with hope. We are having hope in the kingdom of God, in a world of unity and oneness centered on our Lord and savior -- the True Parents of heaven and earth. We face uncertainty, surely, attack from closed minded individuals, surely. Danger, surely, but we as the Unification Church, we are moving forward. We are believing, believing in our God, we are believing in our True Parents, we are believing in each other.

Everybody come on let's stand on up, stand on up! I need you stand up and I need you to hold your brother's and sister's hand next to you, hold their hand. Tell them today, "I am honored to be on this ship with you."

Because, brothers and sisters, we are now facing our own new destiny and we're moving forth to the temple of God. Let's end with Father's words:

"May we go forth with a bold and vibrant attitude as God's hopeful sons and daughters, going towards the nation of peace, the peace of the Kingdom of Heaven."
(True Parents' 33:273)

Aju.

Hyung Jin Nim's prayer:

Dearest most beloved Heavenly Father! Dear Lord, we thank You so much. You have brought us on an incredible journey. We were at a point where we did not believe in ourselves as Unification Church. We didn't believe that we have value. We didn't believe in our identity. We have even lost faith in True Parents. But You brought us out of the darkness and You brought us into a new light, where we are facing a new future, where we are facing our destiny with pride, with our faith and with our family and friends.

Father, we thank You so much because this day is the day that we have waited for; the day that we have yearned for and the day that You have longed for 6,000 years, the day when your sons and daughters would know who they are and whose they are, that they would be proud in themselves, would lift up the name that is the most high --Your name, and would head forth unto the seas of the unknown, to proclaim the goodness of Your love. To proclaim the everlasting nature of Your goodness, to proclaim Your sorrowful heart, to proclaim that we can do something to liberate Your heart.

Father, we thank You so much because we have been on an incredible ride together. We are honored to be on this incredible pilgrimage of life, that we can walk together hand in hand, that we can face each other, looking into each others eyes with pride, knowing that we are brothers and sisters, that we are united by our True Parents. That we stand for our faith, that we stand for our brothers and sisters all around the world.

Father, we pray that as we walk step by step across the city of Seoul, that each one of these steps may be recorded in heaven. That each of these steps may bring new light, comfort and new inspiration to all our brothers and sisters around the world. Some are living in cities where they are persecuted, where they are minorities, where they never will believe that one day they can stand strong and tall. Let us show them on this day, that although with men it may be impossible, but with You all things become possible. Things that we never dreamt of are coming true before our very eyes.

Let us face this incredible journey with pride. Let us face this uncertainty and unknown with a sense of adventure and a sense of faith and believe that we can do this. We can make a difference; we can create a better world. We can make an impact in the time of True Parents' life.

We thank You so much. We as Unificationists we stand together on this day. We stand in the historical building that True Parents ministered in. As we leave here, we take that history with us to the new temple where You will reside, where True Parents will reside, where all our brothers and sisters and the nations will reside.

Father, we pray that all those in heaven -- all the angels and all the spirit world, all the saints and sages, Jesus and Muhammad and Buddha, Confucius and all the great apostles of the past will work with us, will move with True Parents' heavenly destiny and bring the incredible Cheon Bok -- heavenly fortune to all of this world.

We pray for that great day that we can call Cheon Il Guk our own and we pray these things in the name of True Parents and in the name of our own central blessed families, as Unificationists we pray. Aju!

Notes

2 Corinthians, chapter 11

1: I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!

2: I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband.

3: But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

4: For if some one comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough.

5: I think that I am not in the least inferior to these superlative apostles.

6: Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not in knowledge; in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

7: Did I commit a sin in abasing myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel without cost to you?

8: I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you.

9: And when I was with you and was in want, I did not burden any one, for my needs were supplied by the brethren who came from Macedo'nia. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.

10: As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Acha'ia.

11: And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

12: And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.

13: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

14: And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

15: So it is not strange if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

16: I repeat, let no one think me foolish; but even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

17: (What I am saying I say not with the Lord's authority but as a fool, in this boastful confidence;

18: since many boast of worldly things, I too will boast.)

19: For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!

20: For you bear it if a man makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.

21: To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever any one dares to boast of -- I am speaking as a fool -- I also dare to boast of that.

22: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

23: Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one -- I am talking like a madman -- with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.

24: Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.

25: Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea;

26: on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren;

27: in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

28: And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches.

29: Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30: If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

31: The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for ever, knows that I do not lie.

32: At Damascus, the governor under King Ar'etas guarded the city of Damascus in order to seize me,

33: but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands.

Isaiah, chapter 40

1: Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

2: Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.

3: A voice cries:
"In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4: Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.

5: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

6: A voice says, "Cry!"
And I said, "What shall I cry?"
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

7: The grass withers, the flower fades,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
surely the people is grass.

8: The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand for ever.

9: Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
"Behold your God!"

10: Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.

11: He will feed his flock like a shepherd,
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.

12: Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?

13: Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD,
or as his counselor has instructed him?

14: Whom did he consult for his enlightenment,
and who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?

15: Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up the isles like fine dust.

16: Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

17: All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

18: To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?

19: The idol! a workman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold,
and casts for it silver chains.

20: He who is impoverished chooses for an offering
wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skilful craftsman
to set up an image that will not move.

21: Have you not known? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22: It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;

23: who brings princes to nought,
and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

24: Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows upon them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

25: To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.

26: Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.

27: Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
"My way is hid from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God"?

28: Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary,
his understanding is unsearchable.

29: He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.

30: Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;

31: but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint. 

Our Mission on Entering the Growth Stage Cheon Bok Gung by Mr. Sang Yeol Lee

Hyung Jin Moon
January 30, 2010
Bonbu Church, Seoul Korea

Welcoming Remarks:
Yeon Ah Nim:

Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. It is great to see you all. It's always our honor to have you here in this sanctuary.

In our faith life we have ups and downs, but one thing I know is that in our deepest part of our heart we always have true love towards our Heavenly Father and our True Parents. That's because that's our original heart. That's because that's our original nature. Do you believe that today? Aju!

Today we'd like to offer that beautiful heart to our Heavenly Father and our True Parents through this service. Welcome, brothers and welcome, sisters.

Hyung Jin Nim:

Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. Let's start by manifesting the Principle:

Give and Receive action
Four position foundation
May I inherit the True Love of God.
Aju!

Today is Cheon Seong Gyeong 644. It's the chapter on the Kingdom of Heaven. Father says,

"The Kingdom of Heaven cannot be found in the physical world alone. It is not of this world. As such, it starts from the point where we actualize the visions of our heart. Finding that one place enables us to welcome the Kingdom of Heaven."

True Father is really pointing us to the fact that the pathway to the Kingdom of Heaven begins with our own internal posture, our own internal stance. Father says that even though the Kingdom is here in the physical, if our hearts are not prepared or connected in any way, we will have no connection to the kingdom. No harmony will be reaped from that.

Brothers and Sisters, this is an amazing day, because guess what? Next service is our last service in this sanctuary and we are going to the growth stage temple, the World Peace Unification temple next week! My, my Lord! So brothers and sisters, it's important that we bring the Kingdom with us as we enter into the temple. If you believe it, let's give it up for God and True Parents this day!

Introduction of Guest Speaker:

Brothers and sisters today will be the last service of this kind. We have today a wonderful speaker whom I have had the great privilege of being able to work with the last couple of months.

Our administrative director, his name is Sung Il Lee, Shik Jung Nim, has actually had vast experience in managing organizations. He's had over 30 years in the marketplace. He's been a president and CEO of TIC Corporation, which was part of the Chedan group. The group was sold, managed and then improved when Kook Jin Hyung came in 2005. He worked with him until last year.

Mr. Lee was actually going to just start his own business or take a little rest from work, etc. Again, Kook hyung really asked him, he said, "You know what? For thirty years you've been an incredible Unificationist. You've been an incredible supporter of the church down in the south region of Korea. Not only have you been a CEO and had that kind of experience, but you also have been always in the church, managing the finances that are helping the church to maintain its financial strength and to be transparent." So he said, "Why don't you come work with us at the church a little more? In these very important times, we need somebody who has had your kind of experience."

I'm very pleased to work with Mr. Lee because he brings so much stability and maturity to our leadership. He brings so much knowledge and experience in terms of making the right decisions. For any type of organization, that's very important. He also brings a whole new cadre of tools and skills, not only stemming from management or group psychology, understanding such things, but he understands and deeply loves the Unification tradition.

I remember when I first met him, in a more casual setting. We were talking and he said, "You know, even if everybody leaves Unification Church, even though everybody leaves, I'm going to stay here. I'm going to be the last member and I will continue to love True Parents and serve them as the Messiah and Returning Lord." Let's give it up for that kind of incredible faith.

He has an incredible heart and maturity which I have really grown to appreciate and respect. He has a peace of mind and a calm, cool, decision-making ability which I have also come to deeply appreciate.

As Mr. Lee came to the church, he realized, "This is not the same as when I was managing a business as a CEO." After he did a little analyzing and meeting the different individuals in the team, he said, "We want to make an offering condition. We want to make the Foundation of Faith so that the Foundation of Substance can arise. Before we enter the Temple, we've seen other ministers do the 21,000 bow devotional practice, etc. You know what? We're going to do it as well!"

So the administrative department embarked on an over forty-day condition. After every morning service here held at the Headquarters church the directors of the administrative department would congregate and they would offer 500 devotional bows every day. I'm very happy to announce that they did complete the 21,000 devotional bows! I'm very proud of them spiritually setting the right condition.

We were worried about them and said, "We are ministers and we can focus on this kind of thing. Us doing it is not a problem. That is part of our work. We do that kind of spiritual devotional practice as part of our work. But you are part of the administrative department. You are helping us a lot with the financial management, the transparency, keeping accounts, and all that kind of thing. I don't know if it's necessarily fitting for you members to be doing that kind of rigorous practice while you have to be working at the same time."

He said, "I want to do it. I want to do it because I want to offer and put my heart in as much as I put my mind, my talents and my experience. I want to offer my spirit. I want to offer my heart."

With that heart they were able to walk that kind of path for forty days. I was worried about them, to say the least, but they did it. I'm actually very proud and I've heard incredible stories of experiences that they have had while doing the incredible Jeong Seong together.

Brothers and sisters, when we ask Lee Sung Il to come up, let us offer him a warm, true, true family welcome, a real family welcome. Let's welcome our brother, Mr. Sung Il Lee Shik Jung Nim.

Main Sermon by Mr. Sang Yeol Lee:

I am very happy to meet you all today, brothers and sisters. I do not know whether I can live up to the introduction our senior pastor has given me.

I am going to talk today about our mission as we enter the growth stage Cheon Bok Gung. Let us read what our True Father said in 2008, October 12th, in Hawaii about Cheon Bok Gung.

"Cheon Bok Gung will be built in the Republic of Korea, the New Jerusalem and homeland of our faith. It is to be built by January 13th, 2013 and serve as the foundation for the substantiation of Cheon Il Guk, and as the temple that will complete the providence for the Abel UN. Building Cheon Bok Gung is a responsibility of the utmost importance that all people of the world must fulfill together."

Our vision is to inherit the True Love of God, and our mission is to establish the foundation for Cheon Bok Gung by witnessing to 210,000 people. Let us become a model of victory for the growth of the church and the restoration of the nation, and let us complete the substantial foundation for Cheon Il Guk.

Right now in Korea, we have a population of 50 million and among them 20 million practice a religion. In our church, with 56,750 members, we represent 0.12% of these religious practitioners in Korea.

The chart shows that there are 10,944,000 Buddhist (22.8%), 8,784,000 Protestant (18.3%), 5,232,000 Catholic (10.9%), and other religions have 720,000 members (1.5%).

Our True Parents have missionaries working in 193 countries and we have members working all around the world.

Next, I want to report on how many members are registered and how many are attending the Headquarters Church. At the beginning of last year, we had about 1,500 members attending the service generally each week, but by the end of the year, the number raised up to 2,300 members per week. The number of members registered into this church went from 6,400 to 9,200. This includes the members of seven other churches that were incorporated into the Headquarters Church last year in July.

Now I will give you a short report about the results of tithing and other offerings. Donations went from about 60 million won (about $53,000) a month in January to 160 million won (about $140,000) a month by the end of the year. The total amount of offerings including other types of offerings went from 97 million won (about $85,000) to over 200 million won (about $175,000). This victory is the result of your faith in True Parents and your devotion.

I want to introduce now the six departments we have in our administration.

The chart shows:

The Planning and Finance Department (Organization, Finance)
The Culture and Promotion Department (Promotion)
The Family Department, CARP and Church School (Nurture)
The Education and Witnessing Department (Education and Witnessing)
The Worship Support Department (Worship)
The External Liaison Department (International Relations)

Until last summer, we only had one department, the church office. Since August, we have six departments and each has its own function. You might say that these six departments are divided into two groups, one that makes policies and procedures and the other one that implements them.

The policies and procedures department is there to create an infrastructure that can support Cheon Il Guk as it grows. It will make manuals and systems to educate new members for all kinds of functions the church needs to fulfill as Cheon Il Guk develops. The other function we have to fulfill is taking care of the congregation we have now as it grows and develops. We also have to administrate the large church events, such as Blessings, holidays, and other big church functions.

The most crucial thing is that when you go out for witnessing and bring new people here, we must prepare a warm and welcoming place for them to come.

I now want to show you the direction of change at the growth stage of Cheon Bok Gung. First, Cheon Bok Gung members must inherit International President Hyung Jin Moon's foundation of devotion (Jeong Seong) and become the true owners of the church and the providence. Next, we must build a transparent and specialized church system and create the foundation for witnessing to organizations and groups. As we go on from there, we must create a model of church growth to realize Cheon Il Guk and present this model to churches worldwide.

I now want to give you the most recent teachings from our head pastor.

"When we clearly proclaim True Parents as the Messiah, the Returning Christ, and the Savior, our true identity is established."

"The secret to all victories is defending the value of True Parents."

"That is precisely the path for victory for the Unification Church. When we elevate True Parents, the Unification Church cannot help but prosper and be victorious."

"Faith is witnessing. By witnessing, we fall in love once again with True Parents over and over again."

"When we proclaim True Parents and witness to people, we see how the people are transformed and we fall in love with True Parents all over again. This is eternal love."

I have been here for five months now, working with Reverend Hyung Jin Moon and Reverend Yeon Ah Lee. The thing I have noticed the most is how much our two pastors truly love our members here. We can find this in the Bible in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Reverend Hyung Jin Moon has talked a lot about this and he has taught us that True Parents are our way, our truth and that true love is the only way that we can go to the Father.

We remember the early members who came to the church and were overwhelmed by True Father's spirit and the level of devotion that they observed in the church. Some of those early members who were so much in love with True Parents, we do not see them in the church now. This brings us to a painful realization. We are very concerned about how we, as members, can love True Parents in such a way that they can be within our hearts, within our bones, within our skin forever.

If you come to the service here, you will have already noticed that Reverend Hyung Jin Moon, at every single service, is working so hard to let us know that we need to be deeply in love with God and True Parents.

You have seen how he works to give each member who comes here a rebirth experience, a reawakening experience to let them fall in love with True Parents once again. He is building deeper and deeper love and faith in True Parents within each one of us with his words and the True Parents declaration, and through every action he does with us during the service. I think he is trying to give us the greatest gift, to be eternally in love with True Parents. Let us give a warm round of applause to thank our head pastor for this!

Next, let us have a look at what our Tongil Group Chairman Moon Kook Jin's message is.

"A leader is someone who makes the impossible possible."

"From now on, we need a paradigm shift. Instead of witnessing only to individuals, we need to witness to whole organizations."

When Kook Jin Moon started to work with our companies, he took a very business-like approach because he was desperate to save our companies. He gave the impression that he did not love us, that he was kind of cold and firm.

He undertook the work of restructuration of our foundation in 2005. At that time, I was the CEO of one of our companies called TIC in Cheongwon. I was there when he started his very first campaign of reorganization. Why do we need to reorganize? What is the goal and purpose of this reorganization? What did he want to accomplish by reorganizing our companies? When I was in Cheongwon I was in charge of eight companies. By the end of 2007, only three were left. Five companies were either merged into other companies or gotten rid off completely!

The same time at the end of 2007, there was a Saeilo company conference in New York for the heads of our worldwide companies. I was called to participate in this conference, so I went there. Each company president was asked to make a short presentation about their company and their work. One of the presidents of a Japanese company in the automobile industry reported that because the financial situation of their company was so bad, all the employees including the company president had taken a 15% cut in their salary.

Our President Kook Jin Moon responded like this:

"If you continue in this way with this kind of management, this kind of level of salaries, the company will close. If you continue to operate with these reduced salaries, all your really valuable employees will go somewhere else and you will be left with only the employees who do not have many skills or abilities. I do not want you to operate with reduced salaries. I want you to give back all the reduced salary money to all the employees. Keep looking for people with abilities and then put them into the company. That is the only way your company will have a vision for the future."

I was very surprised when I heard him giving this company this kind of advice. I could not quite understand why, when he had just been closing down companies and cutting people all over Korea, he was saying that this Japanese company should take a different course. I finally understood that the important point is that you have to fix the organization where there is a need of fixing. Otherwise, there is no way to continue into the future.

After that, we have been working on reorganizing the church as well. The reorganizing of the church involves combining some small churches together, getting rid of some churches, and many of our clergy are losing their positions. This was very painful for many of the ministers and many members who had been working sacrificially for a long time, that their lives would be reorganized. But we have to keep in mind that our goal is to establish a substantial Cheon Il Guk by January 13th, 2013. So if we are stuck looking at the short term difficulties instead of looking at the strategy that will enable us to accomplish our long term goal, we will never be able to reach that goal. I hope you will all understand and support our strategy of doing the difficult things now that will make it possible for us to bring victory to True Parents in the future.

No matter what kind of obstacles we face, we need to challenge ourselves to make this goal absolutely. We need to thank Kook Jin Nim for doing this difficult work that no one really wanted to do and allowing us to get the strength to go forward in a much better way. Please give him a warm round of applause.

Now, I will give you a little detailed report about the preparations to move into Cheon Bok Gung. We will be standing on the front line to inherit the True Love of God and True Parents' victory as we move into Cheon Bok Gung. Each one of us needs to have a heart of ownership and responsibility as we move forward. Our administration department will work very closely with our pastoral team and our Women's Evangelical Association to build a culture that realizes the ideal of Cheon Bok Gung. Our goal is to make a well working and organized church and create an environment where we can feel that all members are VIPs.

Let us finish by reading some words from our head pastor about Cheon Bok Gung. The growth stage of Cheon Bok Gung has several providential meanings. One of them is that it is one of our True Parents' palaces located in the center of Seoul, which is the center of the nation of Korea, the homeland of our faith. It is not a very big palace but it has a very special meaning, along with Cheon Jeong Gung Museum.

Chung Jeong Gung Museum is the place where True Parents live. It is a very important place for the security and health of True Parents. It is located in a very beautiful and natural environment, with lots of fresh air. It is not a public place. It is a private palace where we can truly protect True Parents' safety. You cannot go to Cheon Jeong Gung Museum unless you have a security clearance in advance. You have to get an invitation.

Cheon Bok Gung is a completely different kind of place. It is located in the center of the city and it is a public place. Cheon Bok Gung is a temple where we can reach out to the world and proclaim True Parents as the Messiah, as the Savior and the Second Advent of Christ. It is a place where we can witness to True Parents, where we can give people new life, a place where people can inherit the True Love of True Parents, and where the blessings of Heaven can be given out to all people. This is a place where we can take people away from Satan's dominion and bring them back to God's dominion.

This will be a historical temple where people receive true salvation, where people receive eternal life and where the Cheon Il Guk culture is realized. We have to proclaim the joyous news, the Gospel of Heaven. We have to proclaim, according to our world president, with a loud voice that Christ has returned. Cheon Bok Gung is the place to receive Heaven's blessing.

The entire world is watching Cheon Bok Gung with great anticipation. We are going to put a huge Unification Church sign on there and will proclaim True Parents' mission as the Messiah with a loud voice.

Cheon Bok Gung has to be the place where we proclaim True Parents and give people new life.

I will finish by asking you to join me in giving our whole energy to realize our pastor's words.

Thank you very much!

Administrative Department Video Message:
Administrative Director Sang Yeol Lee:

Brothers and sisters! I want to start by thanking all of you for all of your hard work and devotion for the sake of the providence and True Parents' will.

Everyone in the administration is working hard to support Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and all of the Headquarters Church members as we prepare to enter the growth stage Cheon Bok Gung.

On the foundation of devotional tradition established by Revs. Hyung Jin Moon and Yeon Ah Lee, we have worked to establish an environment and management systems that embody the spirit and culture of Cheon Il Guk, and we are dedicated to providing friendly and efficient service to all of our brothers and sisters.

And we will continue to make effort to create a culture of Cheon Il Guk public service here at headquarters.

Your interest and participation as owners of the providence is crucial for our victory. Thank you.

Sung-bok Hong, Director of the Family Department:

All of us in the Family Department will make constant effort to live up to the level of service that you, our hardworking and dedicated brothers and sisters deserve. Although our work may be complicated or difficult at times, we will always be available when our brothers and sisters need us.

Particularly now, when our head pastor has placed such a large goal in front of us, the Family Department is upgrading our records and procedures so that we'll be prepared to handle the increase.

In cooperation with the Education and Witnessing department, we are developing new educational programs to raise up our brothers and sisters so that all our Blessed families can live well and be happy. We will also do everything we can, working closely with the Pastoral team and members to bring victory in the February 17 Blessing.

We pledge to work with a spirit of service and dedication to all of our members and families. Thank you.

Jin-hyeon Yong, Director of the Education and Witnessing Department:

As we are drawing near to entering Cheon Bok Gung, and the fulfillment of the dream of True Parents and our International President, we are dedicated to accomplishing the goal of witnessing for 210,000 members.

The mission of the Education and Witnessing Department is raising up members and witnessing to new members, so we will be standing on the front line to accomplish the vision of the growth stage Cheon Bok Gung.

We will do our utmost to support the Pastoral team, the Women's Evangelical team and all of our members to accomplish this dream. Brothers and sisters, don't you think 2010 will be an exciting year?

We can see the will of God clearly with our spiritual eyes, so let's all unite to accomplish that will!

Soon-jung Kim, head of the worship support team:

Preparing to move into the growth stage Cheon Bok Gung makes this a very exciting and hopeful moment.

It also brings me memories of our earlier days at the Mapo Church.

When we were at Mapo church Rev. Hyung Jin Moon told each one of us we should live a life in attendance to Heavenly Father. Let's go forward with the same spirit, from the Mapo Church to Headquarters Church, right on into the growth stage Cheon Bok Gung.

I wish all of you good health, and I love you!

Sung-nam Kim, Director of Foreign Liaison Department:

In 2010, the Foreign Liaison Department will focus on the new deeper understanding of the grace and offering of our True Parents' life as illuminated through the Seven Deaths and Resurrections and the Eight Stage Victory that was given to us by our International President and share it with our Unification Church brothers and sisters all around the world.

As the name Cheon Bok Gung tells us, we can inherit blessing and grace and happiness, and we will prepare to share all of that with our international brothers and sisters around the world.

In-suk Nam, Director of the Culture and Promotion Department:

We are living in an age of change.

Brothers and sisters, can you feel how things are changing?

The echo of the beating heart of Cheon Bok Gung is spreading all around Korean and the world, centered on our Headquarters Church.

Centering on our International President, we are creating a world with a culture of heart.

I hope each and every one of you will join us in creating this new culture.

All together:

The whole staff at Headquarters Church will work together in 2010 to enter the growth stage Cheon Bok Gung, and to witness for 210,000 members with True Love for all our brothers and sisters!

Let us fight for that!

Hyung Jin Nim's words after video:

Let's give it up for everybody in our administrative team! All the directors you saw in there participated in the 21,000 bows and all that. It's really wonderful to be able to work with so many different people. We're not all the same. We have different personalities. A lot of the people in the administrative department have quietness behind their work, but still they have this incredible maturity and confidence in whatever they do, so it's very inspiring to be able to work with such a wonderful team.

Hyung Jin Nim's Prayer:

Brothers and Sisters let's join our hearts in our final prayer for this service.

Dearest most beloved Heavenly Parents, our most beloved True Parents, thank you so much for guiding us to this stage. Father, we've had an incredible journey together for the last two years and more. Father, I have personally seen the incredible miracles that you have allowed us to see.

There were so many times where we just couldn't see how anything would work out, so many times of uncertainty and so many times of despair. So many difficult stages and so many difficult hurdles had to be overcome. But Father, we tried to stay true to Your course and we tried to always keep our hearts centered on Your glory and on elevating True Parents, and not letting it be about us but letting it be about True Parents.

Father, we have seen incredible miracles happen. I can personally testify that in my own life. I have seen amazing changes and amazing things that I never knew we would be able to overcome such circumstances. But Father, You have showed us that with man it may be impossible, with human beings it may be impossible, but with You, with faith in You, all things are made possible.

We thank You so much because two years ago, nobody would ever have believed that we would be moving into the new temple, into the growth stage temple where we would be showing the whole world that the Unification Church is not dead, that we are not over. But although so many who had come before us who had prophesied that we would plummet and we would fail after True Parents, Father, we are here to show them in 2010, that NO WAY are we going to go under; that we are standing strong and we are standing proud of who we are, proud that we are your children, proud that we have this faith and we are moving forward into the future with hope and inspiration and a desire to want to truly return glory to You.

Father, we thank You so much for bringing us to this stage, because we know that it is not by human means that You have allowed us to come this far.

Father, we also ask of You to be with us now as we have our last service next week and as we move to the temple.

Father we pray that we may truly come to realize our own value, come to realize the value of our faith, and that there are so many archangels that want to tear that away from us. May we learn how to protect what we have, to be proud of who we are and to be able to share with confidence and a clarity that comes from true wisdom and compassion.

Father we thank You so much. We want to inherit Your true love as we now heard the words from all the people who are working day in and day out to help run our Headquarters Church.

As we move to the next stage, we know it's not going to be all perfect. We know that there will be difficulties. We know that there will be challenges, Father. We know that we will have to grow. But we are ready for the challenge.

Father, we know that if we hold on to our faith and hold on with hope, that we can accomplish things we thought wouldn't be possible.

We thank you so much and we want to pray and offer these things to You in this service. We want to dedicate this to You with our grateful hearts and with a heart of true love. We give ourselves in the names of our blessed central families around the world and in the great name of the True Parents of heaven and earth we pray together. Aju!

Notes:

John, chapter 14

1: "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.

2: In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

3: And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

4: And you know the way where I am going."

5: Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"

6: Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.

7: If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him."

8: Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied."

9: Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father'?

10: Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

11: Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.

12: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.

13: Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son;

14: if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

15: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

16: And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever,

17: even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.

18: "I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you.

19: Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also.

20: In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

21: He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."

22: Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?"

23: Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

24: He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

25: "These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you.

26: But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

28: You heard me say to you, `I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.

29: And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe.

30: I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me;

31: but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go hence.  

Announcement of Personnel Change in North America 1

Hyung Jin Moon
January 24, 2010

Ref. No. FFWPUI 2010-08

To: Regional presidents, National messiahs, National leaders
From: FFWPU International Headquarters
Date: January 24, 2010
Re.: Announcement of Personnel Change in North America 1

May God and True Parents' blessings and love be with brothers and sisters in your region, mission nations and providential organizations.

This is to announce True Parents' instructions regarding a change of the regional president in North America 1 (USA and Bahamas). Dr. Chang Shik Yang has been appointed to the position of regional president of North America 1 and thus will relinquish his position as vice-president of World Mission Headquarters. The outgoing regional president, Rev. Ki Hoon Kim, has been appointed to the position of Itinerant Worker of North America 1. We would like to thank Rev. Kim for his hard work and dedication and wish him the best in his new mission.

The change is effective as of January 13, 2010.

Hyung Jin Moon
International President 

Working Toward The Completion Of The Cheon Bok Gung By Mrs. Yasue Erikawa

Hyung Jin Moon
January 23, 2010
Headquarters Church, Seoul Korea

Welcoming Remarks:
Yeon Ah Nim:

Good afternoon, brothers and sisters! Welcome to the Headquarters of the Unification Church. There is a saying: "Great tests make great testimonies." Although the Unification Church went through a lot of persecution and opposition we're still here. The Unification Church is still standing here in front of Heavenly Father and True Parents. Today we would like to offer all our grace and gratitude to our beloved Heavenly Father and True Parents.

Hyung Jin Nim:

Good afternoon, brothers and sisters, I d like to start by manifesting the Principle (Give and Receive Action, Four Position Foundation, may I inherit the true love of God) Aju.

Today in Cheon Seong Gong page 643, Father says:

"In observing the great universe, I am sure you will find stars made of precious stones, like diamond stars. It all belongs to us as God's children; we can live with that joy. This is the ideal world where all who love the universe are God's loving family, and will be able to live and move together. You should join this group and become part of that family. Those who are willing to sacrifice themselves will become the leaders, and become people in charge in the spirit world".

Brothers and sisters, it s always so amazing to be alive, I had a very strange week and I'm very grateful to have health, and to have so many people who care and pray. It's really tremendously moving; I'm very grateful.

Brothers and sisters, I believe when we are really able to understand the value that we have, when we are truly moving with God, then we will be able to return glory and joy to Him. I want to thank everybody for the last week; to the many families who sent their warm wishes and have sent messages; I'm very grateful for that.

Introduction of the Guest Speaker:

Brothers and sisters, we have only two more services in this sanctuary. Can you believe this? What an amazing and incredible journey we had in 2009, and now in 2010. You know, I'm so grateful because I got to stand with so many incredible leaders that I have been able to work within the last year and half. Many of these leaders I never knew, but I was able to work with them. However, knowing the person that is going to address you today -- and I've seen her in America and different places around the world -- being able to work with such an incredible woman, has been a great honor for me. I have learned a great deal from her; she has an incredible spirit, an incredible faith. She has an incredible work ethic, and just really outstanding in almost every facet of leadership.

You know, we had a huge work and project to do in the Korean church; we had a situation where the Korean church was so beaten and so down-trodden. We had to try to resuscitate that. I remember when I started this ministry; there was absolutely no witnessing going on. Big leaders were always telling me that we cannot witness here in Korea; Koreans cannot be witnessed to. So we encountered that kind of reality on the ground. I remember that doing the ministry, doing other activities and working with different leaders when we arrived here at Headquarters Church, we came to a situation where there was no internal structure in the church. So we had a lot of help from our brothers and sisters in the church and all related groups. Kook Jin hyung helped a lot, he helped us to build a rational structure, and that helped us to move forward.

It was at that time when Father asked Mrs. Erikawa... She was already in Korea working in Yeosu, and with the Japanese missionaries in Korea. We asked her to come to Headquarters Church and actually be the leader of our nation-wide witnessing organization, to take the leadership role. This was on the recommendation of Kook Jin hyung, who worked with her and knew her from the past. She is of course from a Japanese heritage, so when she arrived here on the ground and we announced that she is going to be the leader of the witnessing organization, you can imagine what kind of reaction our Korean members may have had. As you understand, the Korean members have a pride in the nation; so we were in an environment where people were saying that you cannot witness to Koreans, even us Koreans cannot witness to Korean people, let alone a Japanese woman coming here in here, trying to teach us how to witness.

So we had this incredible dynamic. It was stressful, I know, for Mrs. Erikawa, but we were really in an incredible situation, and because at that time also in the Unification Church there was no real powerful women leadership, we were in a situation where women were not elevated into a position of leadership in the church. So we restructured that, we changed that around, and we put over 20 women leaders into the church leadership. Not because they were women, but because they really had incredible leadership potential.

Anyhow, Mrs. Erikawa came and she did something remarkable: she started organizing the women's groups. She started organizationally moving things, not just giving lectures but actually dividing things into groups, creating structures and rational systems; things that a lot of us didn't think about. Then she would go out and educate, move and work with the people on the ground. I remember she told me a story when she was a new member and she had just joined the church -- she was at Japan at that time. She heard that if there was the type of people that would even challenge communism, that the nation of Japan would be restored. This is what Father said at that time.

In Japan, there was a famous communist university; it was founded by the North Koreans. So she went in front of that university everyday, and she brought out the Divine Principle; she brought out a big chalkboard and was teaching them Divine Principle everyday. She didn't do it just for a week, or a month, but for three years. She went everyday in the midst of this communist university, where all the kids were into the communist ideology. She was sitting there at the front door saying that communism destroys religion, destroys faith, destroys God and we must have victory over communism. This was in the middle of the cold war where there were so many communists all over the world. She did that kind of practice. She was burned with cigarettes by the people who were mocking her.

There was a situation once where they were so angry that somebody in a truck tried to run her over in front of the university. She was threatened; she was spit at; she was harassed by the male communist students. But everyday, she said: "I am willing to die for you, so you can understand that this is not the right way, as history has shown." And it is this kind of heart with which she has lived her life of faith. She is an incredible leader; she not only talks the talk, she walks it every single way. She is an amazing leader, because everyday I am motivated and inspired to be around her; and when you are surrounded by people like this, something gets on the inside of you.

Brothers and sisters, she is going to give you what she has prepared for today. When she comes up let's all give her a big and warm round of applause. She is truly a woman who is making a huge difference in the Unification Church right now. She is actually famous outside the Unification Church among the people who try to deprogram the Unification Church members. They say, "Look at the Unification Church members, they have even crazy people like Erikawa." They say this because she is really incredible. She does not sleep, she works all day, she knows how to delegate responsibility, she knows how to work in teams, she knows how to motivate and inspire people, and she knows how to build faith. She herself has an incredible faith.

So brothers and sisters when she comes up, let us welcome her with a true round of applause. Let's bring our sister, Erikawa Haejangnim (President).

Main Sermon by Mrs. Erikawa, Chair of Women's Evangelical Association, Headquarters Church:

"Women's Evangelical Association Marching Forward with Heavenly Fortune"

My dear brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, I'm so glad to be here, and it's my pleasure, thank you very much! We are so glad to be with Hyung Jin Segye Haejangnim (International President) and Rev. Yeon Ah Lee Chuksajang nim! Please give them a big hand! Thank you very much!

As the International President Hyung Jin Moon mentioned, on July 15 of last year, here at Headquarters, the Women's Evangelical Association was begun. First, I'd like to introduce, via video, what activities we held for five months last year. What we feel is that always God has been together with us, and True Parents have been with us. Our International President Couple has offered so much Jeong Seong, so that our small 5% has all borne fruit.

This is the age of women! Rev. Hyung Jin Moon has taught us that we need to develop women leaders within the Unification Church. We need a Church full of heart, tears, love and compassion; a church with deep faith, a church with an active life of volunteerism and service. We must have the mother's heart within our church.

In Year Nine of Cheon Il Guk the Cheon Bok Women's Evangelical Association had many precious opportunities to work together with Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and Rev. Yeon Ah Lee, following the will and heart of heaven.

Video Shown With Commentaries

In particular, on July 14, 2009, Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, after offering continuous conditions of devotion and faith for the sake of God and mankind, announced to the world the supreme victory of our True Parents, based on the course of seven deaths and resurrections our True Father has walked in order to save mankind through True Love. Under the leadership of Chairwoman Yasue Erikawa, the Women's Evangelical Association was formed and organized into nine geographical regions in the greater Seoul area, with a regional director in each region, in order to witness to the grace and True Love of the seven deaths and resurrections.

The Women's Evangelical Association held leadership seminars, meeting together with Revs. Hyung Jin Moon and Yeon Ah Lee, as well as Tongil Group Chairman Kook Jin Moon and his wife, Ji Yea Pak to formulate goals and strategies for their work.

In gratitude for the love and grace of the truth he had come to understand regarding the seven deaths and resurrections, Rev. Hyung Jin Moon offered a devotional Jeong Seong condition of 21,000 bows. During the days of this offering, the Women's Association members also offered Jeong Seong with all night prayers and symbolic 120 bow conditions.

After that, the Women's Evangelical Association offered training sessions to Association leaders and members about the purpose, goals and strategies for witnessing.

In order to share the Heavenly Fortune of the 21,000 bows, together with the headquarters church pastors, the women visited the members of the congregation in their regions, over the period from August 5-21. Also, from August 2 to September 11, Association President Erikawa visited each of the nine regions, meeting with the members and leaders of the Evangelical Association in each area.

A witnessing seminar was held on the 4th floor of the headquarters building on August 20 to further develop witnessing strategies.

A special new life ceremony was held for new members joining from the witnessing campaign

Street witnessing campaigns were held in many areas, including Namsan.

Street witnessing at Yongsan Family Park, near the site of the growth stage Cheon Bok Gung.

Street witnessing in the Myungdong area.

September 26, on the occasion of Rev. Hyung Jin Moon's birthday, the Women's Evangelical Association presented him a yellow witnessing vest and cap. From that day on, our sisters could be seen throughout the city wearing their yellow uniforms, proudly proclaiming themselves as Unification Church members.

Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and Yeon Ah Lee also donned their yellow uniforms and joined the women on September 28 to kickoff a witnessing campaign to promote and distribute copies of True Father's memoirs, and proclaim True Parents as the Messiah.

During the morning of September 28, while the sisters were mobilized, the book hit the #1 spot on Yeongpung Book Center's best seller list for the very first time.

Witnessing training and witnessing sessions were held from September 1 to 3. Following the visits to members of the congregation, regular campaigns of street witnessing were conducted.

On September 15, the "21 Heavenly Fortune Center" was opened on the 3rd floor of the Headquarters Building, to support the witnessing campaign.

International President Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, Rev. Yeon Ah Lee, and Tongil Foundation President Kook Jin Moon and his wife attended the opening

After the initial book promotion campaign, Rev. Hyung Jin Moon participated in continuing promotion campaigns held in each area of the city during the period from September 18 until December 15.

In October 14, the church celebrated the Cosmic Blessing Ceremony officiated by True Parents, followed by a second generation Blessing in November. Members of the Women's Evangelical Association wore their yellow witnessing vests as they served as staff for the Blessing Ceremony, and at volunteer service events around Seoul.

The women began a new 21 day course from October 26, continuing until November 15. Goals during this period included improving the organization in each region, each one striving to be a model region, and challenging to complete the distribution of 21,000 copies of True Father's memoirs. By the end of the period, each region was well organized, and 16,590 copies of the Biography had been distributed

Simultaneous campaigns were held in all regions on November 7 and 14. On November 11, members of the Evangelical Team made their first volunteer effort as a group of proud Unification Church members when they joined a charity kimchi-making marathon in Yongsan, where 50,000 bags of kimchi were produced.

From November 22 until December 31, a 40 day condition was made to finish the year. During these 40 days, goals included each member of the team bringing one new member to the church, 40 families to reaching a goal of distributing 430 copies of True Father's memoirs, preparing a warm welcome for new members joining. To date, 38,065 copies of True Father's memoirs have been distributed, and the goal of 40,000 copies will soon be reached.

During December, street witnessing continued at a fervent pace, and many new members came to the church. A special New Life Resurrection ceremony was initiated to welcome the new members into the church after they had completed their initial course of education.

Everybody worked very hard in 2009.

In 2010, following our new motto of "Mansei for oneness with True Parents' pure heart and all their victories in the realm of the Cosmic Sabbath centered on true love" we pledge that our Women's Evangelical Association will bring much joy to our True Parents. May you all have a blessed New Year!

Mrs. Erikawa continues to speak to the congregation in Korean with English translation:

In this way, we have been working very hard for the last five months. What did you think? Thank you. Our Region 2 and 4 leaders are not able to be here today, because they have caught colds. I came to Korea the year before last, in July. When I looked at the situation here in Korea, I was very surprised.

Rev. Hyung Jin Moon mentioned it a while ago, and yes, the members had very little faith. Everything was very weak. I had a very strong feeling that Korea's mission as the Third Israel was a failure. I felt this is why God asked me to come to Korea. When I met True Parents and joined the church, there were special things that happened. I saw True Parents and how they were working, and I decided that I would do the work that no one else would do. And since I had made that promise when I first joined the Church that is why I felt that God brought me to Korea, for this reason.

But then, I saw how seriously Hyung Jin Moon was offering his Jeong Seong and devotion, and I felt Korea will be okay. Among Father's words, we can read about devotion: "Before God, we must become leaders who will offer Jeong Seong." Father said if there is one such leader in the country, that country will not be destroyed. The situation was very difficult, but I could see the conditions that Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and Rev. Yeon Ah Lee were making, and this gave me hope.

I showed you the video of our activities, but I truly feel that these activities are only 5%. Heavenly Father, True Parents, Hyung Jin Nim and Yeon Ah Nim have done 95% of the work already.

Heavenly Fortune is the foundation. If we follow Heavenly Father's Will, we will inherit the Heavenly Fortune. Next, if we follow True Parents' directions, we will have Heavenly Fortune. If we read True Father's words and follow them, we will have Heavenly Fortune. Hyung Jin Nim has gone a course of ten years of offering devotion and Jeong Seong, and now that Jeong Seong is the center of the Korean Church, and the center of the worldwide Church. So based on that foundation of 95%, if we work centered on True Parent's words, we can have results.

I felt a lot of negativity when I first started. Many people said, "Oh, this is the Japanese way." I said, "No, this is God's way, this is True Parent's way!" And now the atmosphere has changed completely. Many people now believe it is possible. If we do it, it will work, it will happen. And actually the results have begun to come.

Our very first stage of work that had to be accomplished in the last five months, from July of last year to the beginning of this year, was to resurrect and re-awaken our existing members. Following that, we have to quickly reach 21,000 people, and later 210,000 people in a short time. So for that goal we need a very strong and clear organization.

One of the key points to this organization is that we need 1,000 members who really feel a sense of ownership of the Church. Because True Father has proclaimed and directed us to gather 210,000 people by January 13, 2013, then I know it is possible. We have to do it. So with that thought in mind, I have proceeded.

This chart is small and you can't see the numbers very well. One of the most important numbers at the bottom of the second column is 63. This means, 63 new members joined our church during the five months of beginning. We also have more people coming to service, who haven't fully joined yet. We have 347 guests at the service. Actually the largest number of new members attending the service is from our English service!

There are 77 people have started to attend educational sessions at the new Cheong Bok Witnessing Center; 57 of those people have paid 210,000 won (about $184) for a course of lectures, and they are continuing to study. From last year, the women have collected 1.2 billion won; it's a small number, but still it's a number that wouldn't have been there if we didn't start. And now we saw on the video that there were almost 40,000 copies of the autobiography distributed; that was last week, now, 41,000 copies of the book have been distributed. And 59 of our members have given out 430 copies on their own, by themselves.

We visited lots of our church families during this time. We checked and talked to the members about whether they were giving their 10% tithing every month. We made 38 regions around Seoul, organizing the members into 38 areas. And then we made 101 smaller teams in those areas.

We have to work centered on Father's words, and we have to have a clear goal. After you have your goal, you have to educate everyone about how to accomplish that goal. The most important point of education is that people need to feel a personal responsibility for the goal. Korea is the chosen people for building the Cheon Bok Gung in the Cheon Il Guk age, so we need to let people understand that they have been chosen, they are the chosen people. So we'll continue to upgrade this understanding among the members, and make more leaders.

Next we need organization. After we have people in the church, we have to take care of them. And we need to organize them into small groups so that they can work effectively. If you have a goal, and do your organization and education centered on that goal, then results will come.

One of the things Father has told us is that we must make even the most simple families in our church wealthy and happy and healthy. It's not good if people at the bottom are working and sacrificing, and a few people at the top are wealthy. We must all be wealthy. The flowers bloom on the foundation of all of the families' wealth. So if all the people at the base of the church are wealthy, they will bring much fruit. I think one of the places that we have to work the hardest with is the international Blessed couples here in Korea.

So if you look simply and mathematically at the current situation and our goal, we need to roughly double the number of our members every six months. So if we have 2,200 members now, then by the middle of this year we should make 4,400 members and so on. We need to increase the amount of donations coming to the church at the same time. For more activity, we will need more funds. So the basic philosophy is to double it each six months; the people and the money. If we do this during 2010, 2011, and the beginning of 2012, and at the very last part of the campaign from the second half of 2012, we need to triple our membership, and we will reach our goal.

The level of offering that many members are giving now is about an average of 100,000 won (about $90) a month, but if people can start thinking about supporting the church with 210,000 won (about $185) a month, then we will have a much bigger budget to work with to accomplish this goal. I think we can do it!

So now we just need to think about how we can do it. We need to have more owners, more people with a sense of ownership. What we need to do is expand the number of core key members who are deeply devoted to the church's activity. What makes someone an owner of something? First of all, they should attend church every week, they should make donations, and they should witness. People who can do those three things can be the owner of this church. Attend worship service, tithe and witness -- if you can do those three things, you can become an owner.

If we have just 1,000 people with this kind of ownership mentality, and if those 1,000 people bring one new member each month, we will have 12,000 people by the end of the year. In two years, we'll have 144,000 people. In three years, 1.72 million people. Father has spoken about this:

"Bring one person a month. I gave this direction all over the world. But will the Korean members do less than the foreign members? No matter how difficult, isn't it easier than crossing the 38th parallel?"

This is a quote from Father, from the book called The Way of Pastors.

"If only 1,000 members are witnessing but each person brought just one person a month, you'll still have 12,000 new people in one year. If you continue with that, two years later, you will have 144,000 people. In three years, there will be over 1.5 million Unification Church members, and by the fourth year, you will have more than 15 million members. This is the way that Korea can be restored in a few years."

And I think if we can make 1,000 core members with a sense of ownership, we can do this. Father has also said,

"If you offer Jeong Seong devotion three hours a day for a month, one person will definitely join."

So I gave the direction that each member should bring at least one member a month. Father said this in the 1970s. Father also talked about what we will have left when we go to the spirit world. The only thing that you can be proud of when you go to the Spirit World is how much you have witnessed. You won't be able to brag about how much money you had, or how much power you had. What you can brag about is how many lives you saved. Going beyond yourself, beyond your tribe, how many people have you connected to true new life? This is your treasure. The only important treasure you can take to the spirit world is your witnessing effort.

It is said that once you join the church, if you do not witness at all, and go to the spirit world, you'll be mute, unable to speak at all. And one of the greatest gifts you can bring to God is to find His children who have fallen away from Him, and tell Him how they are and where they are. If you bring those children back to God, that is the greatest treasure for Heavenly Father.

That's why, in order to be a real owner of the church, witnessing is indispensable. This time there is a lot of Heavenly Fortune to work with. There's one particular Korean husband with a Japanese wife that we are working with now. Every time we go out to witness, we ask him to come along, and he said," No, I'm not going out there." No matter what we said, he did not come with us. But recently he said, "Oh, I have to go meet this friend of mine." So we told him, "OK, when you go, take Father's book with you." And his friend was really inspired when he read the book.

He's a 360,000 Couple, and until that time, he himself had not read the book. But his friend read it, and was very inspired so he thought, "I better read this book." He became very inspired when he read the book; but at the moment his friend is working harder than him. He actually brought two friends to the October 14th Blessing after that. So this Korean man, who had no desire to go witnessing, was pushed by God. God prepared everything, but he did so little. Then he became so successful and inspired. We are at such a time now. So he is one of our owners now.

Another story is of a Japanese mother with a daughter living in Korea, who came here to visit. The mother had done so much work for the church over the years, but now she was exhausted and had stopped going to church. She didn't want to go to church anymore. When she came to Korea, and saw how hard the sisters were working, she went out to witness with them. When she saw how much the leaders were working, and how much the sisters of the Women's Evangelical Association were helping, she thought, "I really must start witnessing again." Yesterday as she left Korea to go back to Japan, she said, "I'm so glad I came here. I received great inspiration. I can go back to Japan, and work hard now." So this very tired and worn-out member got new life. She also became an owner once again, after having left the owners' team.

Since at this time there is so much Heavenly Fortune available and so much devotional activity, I really think it is not going to be a problem to find 1,000 owners or core members.

How many people are here today? So, all of you could become owners on our owners' team! There are five services tomorrow. How about if all 2,200 people who come to service become owners? Then we can reach 210,000 members ahead of schedule!

One very important point: if you're going to be one of the owners, you need to give tithes, your offering. Please do not think, "Oh, I don't have much money, so I don't have to tithe. The Japanese church will pay for it any way." Don't think that.

There are two kinds of donations. There is the donation which needs to be made for the sake of man. That's the 10% tithing which we give each month, and blessing donation. These are the offerings that are done for the sake of mankind. Then there are special donations; those are special "providence-for-the-start" donations. So for example right now, we have the Cheon Bok Gung offering campaign. This is one of those special donations.

As I mentioned, if you want to be one of the owners, you need to attend service, you need to tithe, and you need to witness. Let's talk a little more detail about tithing, 10% offering. When did this start? You can find it in Genesis -- first book of The Bible -- 28:20-22. Jacob met God. Jacob promised God, "God, because you are taking care of me, making sure that I have food and clothing and a place to live, then I will give you 10% of everything that I receive."

In the history of the Israelites, there were times that they did well, and times they did not do well. There's another place in The Bible where it says, Malachi 3:8-10, "What happens if man will take what is God's?" The elder said, "We did not take anything from God." But in The Bible, as it says, if you did not give your tithes, your 10% to God, you are taking what is God's. You're keeping what is God's and that is robbing God. So if you're not giving your 10% to God, you should have the feeling that you're taking that from God.

Another thing Father has said about tithing is to offer it together with Jeong Seong. Then you will never starve, you will be taken care of. Your descendants will also be taken care of. You have to offer devotion, when you tithe. That is the center of a life of faith. So life of faith is strongly connected to your life of offering. Why am I talking about tithing here? It's because if you do give your tithe, then God is able to give you the blessing of heaven. God then is right there in your family. So if everyone in the country will offer their tithes to God, then God will be with every family in this country.

We need to live and move with Heavenly Fortune. That's why we give the tithes. Also, we are not ordinary people. We are special people. Another thing Father has said is,

"Do not think this Church exists to fulfill your thoughts. This Church exists to save the country, to save the world. I am not sending you out to witness for the sake of the Unification Church. I am sending you out to witness for the sake of the nation. And actually we are not saving the nation for the sake of the nation. After we have saved the nation, we will go out to save the world. We are looking for one country that will sacrifice itself for the sake of the world. If we cannot find that country, Satan will persecute us and there will be many sacrifices."

We are the third Israel. We have an important mission to accomplish. I think you've probably heard this quote from President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address,

"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country."

So I'm asking you, Cheon Bok Gung brothers and sisters, "Do not ask what Headquarters Church can do for you. Ask what you can do for Headquarters Church!" Agree with me? Let's try!

Let's bring our internal Jeong Seong, and our external activity and results by February 21, so that we can enter as owners into the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung! The only way we can accomplish a very big mission, is to start with yourself. Come to service, witness, and tithe. That's what you have to do.

Just one more thing I have to say. We have the Blessing coming up on February 17th. Our goal is 14,300 Couples. Since Father has made this goal for us, I am sure it is possible. But of course we do need to make our best effort and investment. There are a lot of people here, who have not received the Blessing yet. Just in this short period I've interviewed 20 people wishing to be Blessed. So for example there was a brother who in 1988 received the 6500 Blessing, but the Blessing was broken. This case was a Japanese husband and a Korean wife. The Korean wife left the Church, and started living outside. The husband has been waiting 22 years to be Blessed again. His hobby is witnessing. I said, what do you like to do in your free time, and he said, "Witness!" He's here today. He's been here in Korea for 22 years, sacrificing a lot. He got blessed in his 20s, but he is now over 50.

A Filipina sister was blessed as a 360,000 Couple. For one year her Korean husband hit her every day. So finally they got divorced; she was so afraid. For 15 years now, she's been waiting to be re-blessed. There are many people like this. So I'm working very hard to try to give these people a chance to be blessed. I met that Filipina sister and talked to her for two hours, about two weeks ago. I tested her a bit. Can you be blessed with a man much older than you? Can you be Blessed to someone who's disabled? Would it be OK for you if you received this kind of husband?

Her answer was, "All I want is that this person be a church member. A Korean member would be good." So when I saw the level of her faith, I thought I'd call this 53-year old brother, and let them meet each other. They met each other and the Filipina sister said, "Okay!" He said, "I'm Japanese, is that okay?" She said, "I'm not Korean, I'm Filipina, is that okay?" They agreed, and they got matched! They are here. (Applause) He's been waiting 22 years, and she's been waiting 15 years. There are a lot of members like this, who are living a sacrificial life, and waiting to be re-Blessed. All of the Filipina missionaries were so inspired to hear that this sister had received a match. I was very happy about it too, and I'm telling you there are many people like this.

So if each of us will find a way to bring one couple to this Blessing, we can be victorious! True Parents are returning to Korea tomorrow. We need to go to True Parents with a victory to show them. We need to bring joy to True Parents! Are you sure? Do you understand? Kamsahamnida!

Hyung Jin Nim:

We are so grateful, congratulations to our sister. Let's gather our hearts and end with our final prayer

Hyung Jin Nim's Prayer:

Heavenly Father, most Beloved True Parents, thank You so much for this day that You have granted it and given it to us. Father, we once again remember who we are. We thank You so much for allowing a true elder sister to stand before us, the one who is infatuated with You and Your heart; who loves True Parents utterly and completely. Father, we are so grateful for such incredible testimonies that were shared today, and Father we know that we all can become the owners of this church. We know that we have what it takes to make the impossible, possible. Father, we believe that we will be able to be victorious in all the stages and phases that You have put before us.

We thank You so much for the words of our sister Erikawa Haejangnim, for her leadership, her compassion, her care, and for the incredible miracles that are happening because of her incredible faith. Father, we pray that we may also remember the incredible stories that have happened and that we have heard today. Let it be in our heart, let us truly be able to return glory and happiness to You. We thank You for this time that You have given us, please let us make a new try, a new challenge in 2010, not only for ourselves and our families, but for the nation and the world .

Let us be truly the world level people that You have created us to become. We thank You so much. Bless each and every one of our brothers and sisters around the world, and let the 1,000 members who are truly owners stand up and let us make a good history for You and for all time to see.

We pray all these things with a grateful heart, and thank You for Mrs. Erikawa. We thank You so much, and we pray all these things with gratitude and a grateful heart. Thank you for Erikawa Haejangnim's words. We pray all these things in our names and True Parents names. Aju.

Notes:

Genesis, chapter 28

1: Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, "You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women.

2: Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethu'el your mother's father; and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.

3: God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.

4: May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your descendants with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings which God gave to Abraham!"

5: Thus Isaac sent Jacob away; and he went to Paddan-aram to Laban, the son of Bethu'el the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

6: Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he charged him, "You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women,"

7: and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram.

8: So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father,

9: Esau went to Ish'mael and took to wife, besides the wives he had, Ma'halath the daughter of Ish'mael Abraham's son, the sister of Neba'ioth.

10: Jacob left Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.

11: And he came to a certain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.

12: And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!

13: And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants;

14: and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves.

15: Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you."

16: Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I did not know it."

17: And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

18: So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone which he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

19: He called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.

20: Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,

21: so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God,

22: and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou givest me I will give the tenth to thee."

The Book of Malachi, chapter 3

1: "Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

2: But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? "For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap;

3: he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the LORD.

4: Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.

5: "Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

6: "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

7: From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, `How shall we return?'

8: Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, `How are we robbing thee?' In your tithes and offerings.

9: You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you.

10: Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.

11: I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.

12: Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.

13: "Your words have been stout against me, says the LORD. Yet you say, `How have we spoken against thee?'

14: You have said, `It is vain to serve God. What is the good of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts?

15: Henceforth we deem the arrogant blessed; evildoers not only prosper but when they put God to the test they escape.'"

16: Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another; the LORD heeded and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and thought on his name.

17: "They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

18: Then once more you shall distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.  

Rev. Dong Hon Lee: Let's Fulfill our Responsibility for the Blessing and Enter the Cheon Bok Gung

Hyung Jin Moon
January 16, 2010
Headquarters Church, Seoul Korea

Welcoming Remarks:
Yeon Ah Nim:

Good afternoon brothers and sisters! (Good afternoon!) Welcome to the headquarters of the Unification Church! A couple days ago we went to the growth stage Cheon Bok Gung, and we really saw the hope for the future Unification Church. Today, we sincerely hope and pray that you and your family have heavenly fortune from Heavenly Father and True Parents. Aju.

Hyung Jin Nim:

Good afternoon brothers and sisters! Let's begin by manifesting the Principle: give and receive action, four position foundation, may I inherit the true love of God. Aju!

Before we start with the Cheon Seong Gyeong, you know the characters for Aju, in Chinese characters the word "Aju" can mean many things. In Chinese, when you write the characters ah-ju, the ah is the character for 'myself' -- or 'me,' 'I' -- and ju, there are many different translations for it. We usually think of it as 'owner.' But ju can also mean 'Lord.' Like, "Jesus is the Lord." When we say that in Korean, we would say Ju-nim.

So, when we look at 'Aju,' we can see that from one perspective it means 'I am becoming an owner,' as Father explains. Of course, as the last Adam, as the perfected Adam, Father can say that. In terms of our own devotional life, when we say 'Aju,' it has of course that meaning as well, but at the same time it has a powerful meaning, which is 'my Lord,' 'my God' -- we are praising God every time we say 'Aju'! See what I mean? It has that kind of an amazing thing inside. In Chinese it can actually mean that.

So we want to remember that when we say 'Aju,' we're not just saying 'truth' -- like 'Amen' just means 'truth' or 'I agree with that.' It means 'my God,' 'my Lord' -- we are praising God every time we say it!

Today Cheon Seong Gyeong is from 578. Father is talking about the spirit world here. "Death and the Spirit World" is the title, chapter two. Father says,

"The earth also breathes and moves. Your cells breathe as well. Do you want to live eternally on earth, or do you want to live eternally in a place where you become an invisible entity of love? God is the center of the invisible spirit. Therefore He wants to give human beings who are His counterparts everything from the eternal realm of the ideal that He created."

Brothers and sisters, we just received some news, actually, from Haiti. As you know, there was a huge earthquake there, a huge disaster in Haiti. You've seen the news: up to 50,000 casualties and fatalities. But amongst all that incredible natural disaster and just unbelievable trauma, we have there a center, the Haiti Unification Church center. And it was greatly affected by the earthquake: it actually collapsed. The second and third floor collapsed, people were inside the building -- extremely dangerous. Two of our Japanese missionaries were there. One is the wife of the national leader there in Haiti. Her name is Fujiko Hirano-san. And the other sister is Yukiko Shibata-san who is blessed to a Haitian brother. They have one new-born baby. Mrs. Hirano has three children.

They were in this incredible disaster, this earthquake, where so many people have lost their lives. The Haiti church center the building collapsed on top of them, it literally collapsed on top of them, they were under the rubble for about an hour. After the rubble was cleared, everybody believed that there would be sad news. But -- miraculously -- from the ashes of that rubble all the brothers and sisters -- and the little babies! -- came out completely healthy! Let's give it up one more time, let's give it up one time for God, protecting them and blessing them. (Applause) We are so grateful for the Haiti brothers and sisters. We want to pray for them, particularly today.

Brothers and sisters, we are living in a miraculous age. So, this is our part: In this service we want to talk about ministry today, before we go to the Cheon Bok Gung. We want to share with you a lot of great things about ministry. But today we also want to be able to give, through that, glory back to God. So, it may be a little different type of inspiration today. Okay? It may be a different type of feeling. But before we go to the temple, which is only three weeks away from now, we want to be able to be fully informed and educated about what kind of things will actually be going on in the temple. So that way we're all on the same page. Brothers and sisters, we pray that today, through service once again, we can return victory and also greater heart and love to God and True Parents.

Intro to Guest Speaker and Nature of Our Tradition:

Brothers and Sisters, today we have a very special guest. He is the head of our ministry team at the Cheon Bok Gung. We'll be moving to the temple, as you all know, in a couple of weeks. But before that, I just want to talk, just a little briefly, about the nature of our tradition in our religion. You see, when we look at the Unification Church and at Unificationism as a religious tradition, we can see that it has a very different nature than other established religions. Other established religions like Catholicism or Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, etc. -- that are referred to as the "universal" religions -- they have the mission, as religious traditions, to testify about -- for example in Christianity -- Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, about his death and resurrection, and about the Son of God, etc.

As a Buddhist, one would have the mission, being in the Buddhist tradition, to follow the teachings, what is known as the "Buddha-dharma" of the Buddha, to follow the path of self practice and enlightenment, and also to go beyond that, to actually save and liberate other beings, which means also to witness. In the Islamic tradition we have the mission of Islam, which is to testify that there is only one God, and that Muhammad is His prophet. That is the first pillar of Islam -- very important for that tradition. So, all the religious traditions, whether they are ancient religions or new religions, have as their mission to testify about their faith.

As the Unificationist tradition, of course we have as one of our central missions to testify about True Parents as the Second Coming of Christ, as we see it through the Divine Principle. But one aspect in which we differ greatly from other religions is the fact that we actually are a religion attending a living messiah, the living messiah. And that's very different. Because we not only are theologically in a relationship with the Lord, as Christians are in a relationship with Christ, or as Buddhists are in a relationship with the Buddha. Not only is it a cognitive, or mental relationship, or a heartistic relationship; it's actually a real relationship in the sense that they are present on this earth!

And so another mission of our Unification movement is not only to testify about True Parents, it's also to fulfill the will of the living Messiah, the living returning Christ. And this is the one factor that is very different in our ministry as the Unification Church, compared with other religious traditions. This is one of the greatest driving forces of the Unification movement, because we have what is known as 'immediacy.'

We have the presence of the Messiah, in our midst, whose will we are working to fulfill. And so there are also difficulties in this kind of mission; it's not always easy, as you can recognize with the apostles that followed Christ, Jesus' twelve apostles: even the twelve apostles had a difficult time following Christ. We have Peter who denied Christ three times. We have Judas who betrayed him, sold him for a couple of shekels of money. So we have the reality that serving the living Messiah is extremely difficult. It is a huge challenge. It's not an easy thing! It comes with so many different trials and tribulations that one has to endure and overcome on a personal level. And so this is one of the really key characteristics of us as a religious tradition: we have the presence of the Messiah, the Buddha, the Matrea Buddha, the Mahdi, etc.

In 2009 we had an incredible year, a year of incredible victory actually -- but much pain was involved in those victories! You know, we made history in the Korean church; the Korean church members made history in 2009. We did things that nobody believed we could do in the Korean church. Members never believed we could do it, but we did it as the Korean church. We did it, we made history! (We'll talk about it a little later).

But you know, as the Korean church we had to undergo a lot of difficult tasks. We hadn't grown in thirty years. We had negative growth in the last 30 years! So we had many things that we had to address. We had to think about the nature of that problem. And now, try to fix it! You see how difficult that is, to see the nation, and then actually create a plan to fix that problem. I couldn't do it by myself, absolutely not.

We had Kook Jin hyung's expert analysis; we had whole groups of teams that came in; first generation was involved, professionals that were second generation were involved. Even consultants from outside groups were also involved. We had to go through phases of restructuring in the Korean church. We had to actually make very difficult and tough decisions -- very tough! I mean I don't think I ever cried that much in a year! So tough!

I mean, some of the times were the most grueling experiences I had to go through personally; just so painful. You know we had to let go of over a hundred ministers. We had over four hundred and fifty ministers; we had over four hundred and fifty churches! Many of the churches were totally dilapidated, and their congregations -- the average size of these small churches was ten members. So there was no way that they were self-sufficient.

So we had to make very difficult changes. A lot of the ministers were also advanced in age, over sixty-five, over the normal age of retirement. So we had to actually retire ministers! I had to let go of pastors! That was probably the most painful thing I've ever done in my life! Because these people had families, they had children. It was so painful.

We had to cry with them, we had to explain to them honestly the situation. We had to tell them that the Korean church was subsidized every year, at least $10 million per year! We had to explain how the Japanese members have to suffer so greatly so that they can actually pay for all the churches around the world, that only the Japanese church is actually paying for all the other churches around the world!

And these bitter realities that we had to confront and face as a movement -- no more could we hide behind the idea that these things didn't exist -- we actually had to confront them! We had to bring them to the open. We had to say, "Now look at these problems! Look at these huge, chronic illnesses! We've got to make a change! Otherwise we're never going to be able to succeed." So I tell you, brothers and sisters, 2009 was so tough. Boy, I was just a scholar! I was a scholar and a student and a practitioner, and now I have to be in a position where we have to actually create a church that can stand on its own two feet, that doesn't rely on the Japanese brothers and sisters -- many of whom are actually here today -- to run its operation.

So we had to let go of ministers; we had to merge over two hundred churches. So the nature of the Unification Church ministry has completely transformed in Korea. It was usually a ministry where one minister would have almost complete control over that church. But now, through many different systems, we can check on how the minister is actually managing their members in the church. We also have feedback loops that we've created so that the members can voice their opinions on their ministers; if they're not happy with the ministers, they can create their comments.

We also had to merge churches, which changes the nature of our ministry from a ministry that is centered around a charismatic leader to now a team ministry, where we have to work together in ministry, where now the ministers have to work together with other ministers to create greater victory for the church, and for True Parents.

And personally, even in my own life -- now I've been doing ministry for about two years now, two years plus -- I see even the nature of my own ministry changing. At first, when I first started ministry, I didn't have the kind of feeling of mission; I didn't really have an understanding of the Unification Church mission. And so, even in my own ministry, I see a transformation, because as Father asked me to take more responsibility, then I had to actually confront this issue, and I had to actually address this issue -- this kind of fundamental purpose that we have as a Unification Church: to testify and fulfill the will of the returning Christ. And this also was extremely tough. This was very tough for me.

I went from a position of just encouraging people, to now being in the position where I had to tell them the bitter reality. I had to tell them things they didn't want to hear. I had to tell them things like, "Hey, guys! We cannot continue to burden the Japanese church like this! It's not responsible; it's not ethical." I had to challenge the Korean congregations! I had to tell them, "We're not going to do this any more. We're going to become self-sufficient. We're going to step out on our own two feet. We're going to stop the dependency mentality. We're going to stop relying on Japanese brothers and sisters to suffer for us. We're going to liberate them."

So we embarked on that kind of journey. It was tough! Boy, it was very tough at first. At first we were challenging members to take more ownership for the church. You know, we have to participate in creating self-sufficiency for the church, we have to practice in what normal people do, in Christianity and Buddhism and Islam, normal things. We have to be at least at their level! We have to be at least contributing, tithing to the community so that we can support the church. We have to be at least participating in the world providence, at least once in our life. We have to also be able to testify about True Parents -- these were new things! Things people hadn't done in thirty years!

So these were new challenges, and many members were upset: "Why are you making us do these things? Why are you making us? We were comfortable!" Even though our church was going down, we were comfortable being subsidized. We were comfortable taking $10 million at least every year from the Japanese church. "Why shouldn't they suffer for us?!" They were furious! And we had to deal with these very difficult issues. I actually never shared this with you guys for the year-and-a-half that we actually had to work through this.

And so it was very tough; 2009 was extremely tough. It was so tough at times, that we just wanted to quit! We just wanted to throw our hands in the air: "Well, that's over! Forget it! Why do we have to endure this? We just want to quit." But you know what? We pushed through, together with the Korean brothers and sisters. The brothers and sisters in Korea stepped up. Not all of them at first. Many were furious at first; they left; stormed out, said, "We don't want anything to do with the Unification Church anymore!" But there were brothers and sisters who said, "You know what, we know that we have to do that. We know we have to do that for our own pride as a Korean church. We know we have to stop the dependency, the subsidization that's coming from Japan; we've got to stop that! We've been talking about helping the Japanese brothers and sisters; we've got to do it now!"

And, about 1500 brothers and sisters stepped up. And we fought. We went a tough path; we went through a tough battle. We went together, and we suffered through tough, tough things together. Boy, we went through things that we couldn't even imagine, that we wouldn't wish upon anybody else. But we went through the different stages of growth. We learned how to contribute to the community again. We learned how to contribute to the world providence. We learned how to testify about our faith, and to be proud of our religion. These things were not present in the Korean church even one year ago.

One year there was absolutely no hope. We had a dilapidated church. Where now, church membership has grown 30% - 40% for the first time in thirty years! Members now, across the nation, have participated in being responsible for their own churches, tithing to the community. In the Korean church alone -- we'll be moving to the temple very soon, but we have to be clear, let's be honest -- the Korean church raised over $25 million for that Temple! That's nowhere near Japan, which raised $75 million for that temple.

So actually, the Korean church did something that was unheard of. It did those kind of incredible things. And, at the same time, we now in the Korean church have an atmosphere where people are on the streets witnessing again. People are declaring their faith! They're saying, "I'm not going to be a closet Unificationist anymore." We've done the impossible in the Korean church! Let's give it up for our brothers and sisters in the Korean church! They've really stepped up this time!

And this has everything to do with ministry, because the Korean members stepped up and participated in ministry. They stepped up and made a historical result that no other nation in the world has done yet in the Unification Church. Not yet. Not even one nation has made this kind of result, in the world. All the Unification Churches except now Korea are receiving subsidies from Japan -- still. But the Korean church has broken free from that! And we are now standing on our two feet. For the first time, we received zero from the Japanese church.

I am so proud of the Korean members! Boy, we walked an incredible year! We never thought we could get through it, but we ended up coming out victorious. And we ended up proving to ourselves that we could do something that nobody thought we could do. For that, I am so grateful for the Korean members, because they really stepped out of the box, to step up in faith, and I am so proud of them!

You know, in that realm, there is a lot of hope. I'm really grateful also to our ministry teams. All around the country, our ministers stepped up a whole new notch. Our ministers participated at a whole other level than what they were doing in the past. Our ministers around the country really stepped up to declare their faith and to be proud as leaders in their faith, to take responsibility as leaders! And because of that, we have grown as the Korean church. I am so proud. So when we move into the temple, I know we are moving in with that kind of victory.

We are not at a situation where we can actually support other nations now. We're not. We're at a situation where we barely can survive. But that is greater than in the past, than any year in the past! And it is a greater result than any nation right now, currently in the Unification Church, other than Japan. So we're so proud of our brothers and sisters and the Korean church.

We also have to remember -- Kook Jin hyung reminded us last time -- that the temple that we're going to is because of the dedication of the world membership. He reminded us last week in a video. He said, "Guys, remember: this is not YOUR church. This is not the Headquarters Church for YOU, so you guys can just enjoy a beautiful temple and have a great facility. That is not the purpose of this temple. That is not why members across the world donated their blood, sweat and tears to build this temple.

This temple represents the hope that the Unification Church will not die, and that our belief and our faith and our conviction will continue throughout the ages, and that we will continue to witness and testify on behalf of True Parents." And so he reminded us -- and he's very much into the numbers -- so he reminded us, "Remember, you guys only raised ten percent of the temple!" He said, "So imagine, you go out with your friends to dinner and you have to pay for your friends every time you go out, every time YOU have to pay for them, every time! They pay once out of ten, so every time you go out, for a hundred times, they pay ten times, you pay ninety times!" He said, "That's unfair. You're going to get upset at some point. You're going to say, 'Hey! Wait a minute! You guys are my friends! We should be helping pay for this together!'"

Kook Jin hyung reminded us that we've got to go into the temple remembering we have a mission. We're not going in there just so we can enjoy ourselves. We're going in there with a purpose. So that purpose is the very purpose why we joined the movement, and the very purpose why many of us have moved to and live in Korea: to truly create the Cheon Il Guk nation, to begin the starting point of the nation, centered on faith, centered on the love that is testifying on behalf of the True Parents and their True Love. And so he reminded us that we, as the Korean church, have this kind of awesome responsibility as well.

So, brothers and sisters, today we want to invite up our head pastor. I'm so proud of our ministers, because they are going above and beyond what they ever have done in ministry in their lives! We have many different things that are going on, and we also have to fulfill the responsibilities that True Parents give to us, such as the February 17th Blessing that is coming up: 14,300 new members we have the responsibility of creating! So that's not an easy responsibility. Can you feel the weight of that burden? So our ministry team has really stepped up. I'm very proud of them. We have some young ministers, we have some more elderly ministers, but all of them at the headquarters temple, without exception, have stepped up in every aspect.

The man you will be hearing from today participated -- together with all the ministers here at Headquarters Church -- in the 21,000 bows offering of devotion and effort. Pastor Brazil also participated in that: 21,000 bows, they did together! Our vice pastor here also, at the age of 62, participated in that, had to even go to the hospital because of the pain, but still participated in that kind of preparation in their heart to now truly step up and stand up for the Unification Church as we enter the temple.

Brothers and sisters, as Rev. Dong Han Lee comes up, I really want you to offer him a great applause, because he represents now the ministers in the Unification Church that are really coming up to the next level, that are coming up and really fulfilling the purpose and mission for which the Unification movement exists. So, brothers and sisters, when Rev. Dong Han Lee comes up, let's all give him a warm round of applause. Let's now invite Rev. Dong Han Lee up to share with us the goals and the different ministries at the temple that we'll be having in 2010. Let's give it up one time for Rev. Dong Han Lee.

Main Sermon by Rev. Dong Han Lee:
2009 Activities of the International President

Throughout the year 2009, International President Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and Rev. Yeon Ah Lee were up every morning at 2:00 am, and offered the utmost Jeong Seong, for 365 days. When True Parents called them, they attended True Parents at the Cheon Jeong Gung Palace Hoon Dok Hae.

Throughout the year, they officiated at six church services every week, delivering sermons 198 times. They also officiated at the 5:00 am Cheon Bok Ceremony service for the Seven Deaths and Resurrections, a total of 95 times.

They went on 21 home visits of members' families, and invited 38 families for consultation at the Church.

They visited dignitaries 20 times for talks, officiated at 160 diverse meetings and spoke 84 times at various events. Despite their constantly busy schedule, they received 17 media interviews and appeared 24 times in the papers. Following True Parent's directions, they visited and spoke in five American cities, and made 10 trips overseas including Japan and Taiwan.

Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and Rev. Yeon Ah Lee offered intense Jeong Seong for the past one year, walking a tearful path of restoration through indemnity. They came to a higher spiritual enlightenment of True Parents' Seven Deaths and Resurrections and Completion of Eight Stages, and their victory of 21,000 bows to witness to 21,000 and for the entry into the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung will be recorded eternally in the history of restoration.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Rev. Hyung Jin Moon has established the Seven Deaths and Resurrections Cheon Bok Ceremony service of the true love of True Parents, the Second Coming of Christ, which he has experienced and inherited. This is not one event of the past, but the service continues at present and will in the future, as an act of faith.

2009 Practice and Action of the Assistant Pastors

Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and Rev. Yeon Ah Lee are the full-time senior pastors of the International Headquarters Church. They have single-mindedly devoted themselves to build a model International Headquarters Church, by reviving the current Headquarters Church. The other pastors have divided the various roles within the Church as assistant pastors.

Seven pastors are in charge of nationwide regions, and of them, two are Hoonsa-nims. There is one pastor for youth and college students, one pastor for junior and senior high school students, one pastor for the English-speaking congregation, one lay minister for the Japanese congregation, one pastor in charge of the Christian service. There is one pastor in charge of special witnessing and general ministry for members, or a total of 13 pastors.

Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and Rev. Yeon Ah Lee always stand at the forefront, offering Jeong Seong and a ministry of love. The assistant pastors are also offering Jeong Seong, but as there are many shortcomings, sometimes we are scolded, and have to set conditions of re-indemnification.

The assistant pastors are uniting to assist the early morning Cheon Bok Ceremony and the six weekend services.

In the past year, the 13 pastors made 1,134 home visits. They counseled 3,831 members. They gave 865 lectures, and held 256 Home Group meetings. They have witnessed to and brought a total of 94 new members.

The pastors have distributed a total of 2,609 autobiographies, brought 135 couples to be blessed. The contribution made by them and their congregation to the Cheon Bok Gung amounts to 274 million won.

The pastors have been working hard with one mind to build the Church, denying themselves, serving Cain, making the Tongil Mark, in order to inherit the true love of God and True Parent, always and anywhere.

2009 Results of the Church

Brothers and sisters, you are the central figures of the growth and revival of the Church!

During the past year, you offered Jeong Seong every day, attended service every week, took part in the home visits and witnessing -- brothers and sisters, you are the owners of our church.

Attending Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and Rev. Yeon Ah Lee, together with the pastors and the women leaders -- although lacking -- who are dedicated to their work, the 2009 Jeong Seong and activities of numerous members is a record for the International Headquarters Church that could not be found in the past.

As of December 2008, there were 6,531 members registered at Headquarters Church, with 1,554 attending service. Donations amounted to 131 million won, tithing came to 99.2 million won. Now, as of December 2009, there are 9,272 registered members, with 2,243 attending service regularly. Donations came to 240 million won, and tithing amounted to 156 million won. What this means, is that membership registration rose by 142%, service participation by 144%, donations grew 156%, and tithing rose by 157%. During one year, the contributions for the Cheon Bok Gung came to 756 million won, growing by 230% compared to last year!

This has never happened in the history of the Unification Church! It is an amazing miracle. The authority of God and True Parents is alive, and it is evidence that the spirit world is completely resurrected and working! It is the victory of God, True Parents, Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and Rev. Yeon Ah Lee. Mansei! It is the victory of our brothers and sisters. Mansei!

2010 Growth Goal of the Church

Rev. Hyung Jin Moon declared last week at the service, that this coming February 7 we will offer the final service at this Headquarters Church here. Following the service, all members will leave the Cheongpa-dong Headquarters Church on foot, just as the Israelites entered Canaan going through the wilderness. We will march toward the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung, International Headquarters Church sanctuary.

He said that the new Cheon Bok Gung sanctuary is a place to enter, humbling ourselves, discarding arrogance, carrying with us a sense of mission to fulfill the Cheon Bok Gung providence. In order to strengthen our sense of mission, of all those entering the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung, we must make the goal of the Headquarters Church very clear.

The goal given by True Parents to the International Headquarters Church, is to build a church of 210,000. However, the main chapel in the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung that we will enter can hold 2,000 members, so if we hold 10 services, we will have nearly 21,000. Therefore, our first-term growth goal is 21,000 members.

At this starting point the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung situation is that we have 2,500 members and staff, a monthly donation of 200 million won, and 125 small groups. For three years our first-term and second-term goals are to double membership every year. Then, in the third year, if we expand 2.1 times, we will realize a membership of 21,000, donations of 1.6 billion won, and 1,050 small groups. This is a goal that can be achieved, if each member brings just one member a year.

The witnessing goal for 2010 is to bring 5,000 members. During one year the goal for our 2,500 members to witness to one member each. We will then have 250 small groups with donations of 400 million.

2010 Strategy for Activity

If we are to say, this Cheongpa-dong Headquarters Church was a church of indemnity and offering centered on the foundation of faith, we can say that the Hangang-ro Cheon Bok Gung International Headquarters Church will be a church of restoration and grace, centered on the foundation of substance. Rev. Hyung Jin Moon has been making all of the preparations in order to revive the 21,000 growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung, International Headquarters Church.

As it says in Matthew 16 to build a church on the rock of Peter, who confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, the International Headquarters Church, centered on the International President, will inherit the true love of the Seven Deaths and Resurrections, and Completion of Eight Stages. The cornerstone of the World Temple that testifies to True Parents as the Second Coming of Christ has been prepared.

This fact is important. In 2010 the church ministry activities of the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung, International Headquarters Church, can be divided into the five areas of:

Jeong Seong,
Service,
Witnessing,
Education, and
Member Care.

Rev. Hyung Jin Moon has already set the standard for Jeong Seong, and leads the way. He is offering Jeong Seong starting at 2:00 am, but the members can come to the 5:00 am Cheon Bok Ceremony service and pray for God, True Parents, the Church and your own wishes. We must build the passion for early-morning prayer. The church revival begins with the early-morning prayer.

Services will be held in English on Saturday, 8:00 and 10:00 am on Sundays and 4:00 pm for the Japanese service. The pastors and women leaders will do their very best to prepare inspiring services.

Witnessing must become the torchlight and the motto of the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung. Rev. Hyung Jin Moon said that faith is witnessing. In the Way of God's Will, too, it says that witnessing will save us. Saint Paul said that if we don't convey the good news, we will be punished by heaven. The church administration office will prepare all possible methods and strategies for witnessing. Street witnessing, witnessing by writing and literature, via the internet, with witnessing teams -- we will be mobilizing all possible means of activities.

Witnessing is the best action for putting true love into practice. Yet, all of the religions of the world witness for their own interests, so the true reason for witnessing can be misunderstood. Thus, while we witness, we have to share true love with our neighbors through service activities. Through sharing and serving, we can make people open their hearts, which have been closed until now. The 125 small groups are groups for witnessing and at the same time, groups of service. Let's create meetings for service, for witnessing. Let's raise the banner of service, and go out into the world!

Members grow and the church develops through education. In cooperation with the women leaders and administrative support office, the pastors are preparing various programs to raise up new members who are guided to the church. Education for new members, for blessing candidates, the Mothers' Classes, Fathers' Classes, Couples' Classes are being prepared. At the Cheon Bok Video Centers various educational programs by video are ready, and lecturers are standing by.

Care for the members is to make sure that members can maintain a life of faith. We hear that we can bring members, but they don't stay. At the Cheon Bok Gung Headquarters Church, we will change this. If we bring new members, they will bring more new members! We have to help faith to grow. If we don't grow in faith, we will not multiply, even if we are alive. All members should belong to a group with life power, give and receive true love in their daily lives, and develop.

Responsibility for the 2.17 Cosmic Blessing Ceremony

On February 17 True Parents' Cosmic Blessing Ceremony will be held at the KINTEX Convention Center in Ilsan. The Cosmic Blessing Ceremony is a blessing of amazing grace, in which the sins of humankind are cleared. Through the blessing we can be reborn with new life, with the grace of the Messiah who has come after 6,000 years.

Brothers and sisters, we at the Headquarters Church, put up a banner saying, 'Each member bring one member to enter the Cheon Bok Gung!' and have been offering Jeong Seong and working towards it. The growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung is a Temple of World Peace, made possible by the holy offering of members from 195 countries around the world.

For the 2.17 Blessing let each family guide one family to the Blessing, and let's enter into the precious Cheon Bok Gung together! The goal for the 2.17 Blessing is 14,300 couples. The responsibility of Headquarters Church is to bring 1,220 couples among them. This is our portion of responsibility, that each and every member of Headquarters Church guide at least one couple to the Blessing. Each region and church have set their own goals and are now in the middle of a special witnessing period.

Thus, currently the leaders of the movement and the church have a goal to bring three couples, while general members are asked to bring one couple. We cannot enter into this historic Cheon Bok Gung, empty-handed. Let's take responsibility to guide one couple, and enter the Cheon Bok Gung together with the blessed members!

If we fulfill this blessing goal, our Church will have fulfilled 70% of our 2010 goal already.

Here is a 5-step activity plan to fulfill our blessing goal:

Step 1: Hold a meeting to make a determination of faith for our blessing responsibility.

Step 2: Identify the blessing candidates.

Step 3: Visit the candidate and make a decision.

Step 4: Bring the candidate to KINTEX.

Step 5: Enter the Cheon Bok Gung together with your blessed couple.

Be forgiven of all sins, be reborn as true families, fulfill the 2.17 blessing responsibility and let's enter into the Cheon Bok Gung of glory together!

2010 Church Activity Policy

Brothers and sisters,

The key to fulfilling all of the goals of church ministry I've mentioned lies with you. Our success depends on how you can be inspired and light the torch of witnessing with faith, witnessing with life, and witnessing with love!

Brothers and sisters,

First, let's have Pride in our Church. The Tongil-Kyo, International Headquarters Church, Cheon Bok Gung church, is the only one in our providential history to

1) Testify to the Messiah.

2) Be the Church that will establish the World Temple.

3) Be the Church that will build Cheon Il Guk!

Brothers and sisters,

Faith means to keep God's promise without change, and to receive blessing. First of all, let's offer Jeong Seong. Let's offer praise at the early-morning prayer Cheon Bok Ceremony. Second, let's attend service. Let's offer tithing at the Saturday or Sunday service. Third, let's take part in faith-group activities. After service, let's always get together for witnessing or service activities and study or hobby activities.

Next, I'd like to show you a very short video of our pastors working at the International Headquarters Church, and close with greetings.

Brothers and sisters,

Let each family bring one family and enter into the Cheon Bok Gung!

Video Greetings from the Pastoral Team at World Headquarters Church:
Rev Kab-yong Kim, Region 1:

Good afternoon, brothers and sisters.

Cheon Il Guk year 10 has now dawned, a year which will bring many great blessings to all of us. I am sure that this year you will inherit the true love of God, as well as inheriting True Parents' heart, and will and hope.

In this coming year, if all of us embrace the faith and philosophy of our senior pastor, Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, we can live a life of victory, a life of illumination, a life of peace, and we will all be showered with God's unending blessings and grace; and we will be able to accomplish the victory of the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung. I wish all of you a victorious year!

Rev. Yong-ha Kim, Region 3:

We have entered a new year, 2010. This New Year marks an important moment in the history of God's providence.

I hope that through our life of Jeong Seong, love, harmony and unity we can bring victory in witnessing and in donations. I will determine to bring victory following Senior Pastor Hyung Jin Moon's strategy to witness to entire groups and organizations during this year.

Brothers and sisters let us all march forward to bring victory for the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung.

Rev. Baeg-wan Moon, Region 6:

The most fervent dream of all Unificationists is the establishment of Cheon Il Guk. In 2010, we will witness a cornerstone of the substantial Cheon Il Guk when we move into the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we must all become one, working in harmony and unity in order that each one of us can make that vision our own, and that we can become proud and worthy members of headquarters church. Fighting!

Rev. Jae Hyun Kim, College and Youth Students

Year 10 of Cheon Il Guk has dawned.

As I worked with the members last year it was a very happy and fruitful year, full of God's True Love.

I will work hard as the minister for our brothers and sisters in the college and young adult congregation, as well as the preschool and elementary school young members so that this year, too, will be a year of blessing, a year of True Love, a year of sharing.

I always feel a great heart of gratitude when I meet our members, and I hope that this year we can all become one centered on True Love.

Cheon Il Guk year 10 is a very special year, so I will work even harder this year to live a life centered on love.

I will share that love with all of our brothers and sisters. I love you!! Thank you!

Rev. In-young Song, Region 2:

We have pledged to manifest Cheon Il Guk here in Korea, the New Jerusalem and the fatherland of our faith, by January 13, 2013. Together with the Ambassadors for Peace we undertake the great mission and mandate to bring all the people of the world to Cheon Il Guk.

Rev. Jeong-sub Yoo, Region 7:

Year 10 of Cheon Il Guk has finally arrived.

In commemoration of the growth-stage Cheon Bok Gung, True Parents have called us the 'heaven's heart' or 'Jeong Shim' Unification Church in this year's motto.

Rev. Yoon Ho Ok, Region 4

This is the time we need to work with renewed determination, in order to complete Cheon Il Guk by 2013.

Rev. Shin-han Kim, Region 5:

Through the victory of the February 17 Cosmic Blessing, we will take a big leap forward toward the 210,000 member Cheon Bok Gung, the new Jerusalem.

Rev. Hoon Moon Choi, Middle and High School Students

By practicing absolute faith and devotion toward True Parents we will accomplish the completion of the 210,000 member Cheon Bok Gung.

Rev. Michael Brazil, Region 8 English Language Congregants

Let's each bring one new family with us and enter the heaven's heart Headquarters church all together.

All Pastors:

"Mansei for oneness with True Parents' pure heart and with all their victories in the realm of the Cosmic Sabbath centered on true love". Brothers and sisters, we love you!

Closing Prayer by Hyung Jin Nim:

You know, it's quite incredible. We had an incredible journey with the Korean Church the last year. In so many aspects, we surprised ourselves and we were able to really do great things last year. I'm so proud of all the brothers and sisters in the Korean church stepping up and helping our Japanese members also in Japan. We are so proud of the Korean church!

Brothers and sisters, as you saw, our ministers were gearing up for ministry at the temple. There's going to be many, many activities that we're going to be participating in there. Really being able to fulfill not only the life of faith that you can practice in any other religion just going to church and being inspired, but really participating in the unfolding of the divine providence: that's the difference between the Unification Church and the other religious traditions. We don't just come to service to be inspired. We come to participate in an unfolding divine will. And that is really what is characteristic about our faith. That is why I'm so excited and so grateful that the Korean church has stepped up and is now finally participating in that kind of work. We also want to encourage all the nations around the world to start stepping up, and participating in that kind of providence, taking responsibility, helping the Japanese church so the Japanese church can be relieved of the burden that they have held for all of us for thirty plus years. Brothers and sisters, let us join our hearts and end in our final prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you so much, today, for allowing us to rethink what ministry is all about in the Unification Church. Father, we want to be able to live up to that standard as ministers who actually are working, and who are supposed to be leaders that protect the value of True Parents, and that testify and fulfill the will of Your divine providence. Father, we know that we as ministers we are not perfect, and we know that we are not the greatest leaders at times, but, Father, we pray that you may raise us and give us more wisdom, and give us more compassion. And, Father, give us more strength to be honest with ourselves and honest with others.

Father, we are so grateful that this last year we were able to see the Korean church really step up on the international platform and stage and be able to do what no other church has done. Finally the Japanese church can look at us with hope and see that we are not a dependent church that they have to continue to feed and subsidize, but now we are adults, and we are stepping up on the world stage to support the providence! Father, we know that 2009 was amazing, and we had to do so many things that required incredible faith and effort, and challenging ourselves and going through unbelief! But, Father, we did it! We did it to the degree that we couldn't imagine. And so for that, we are so grateful.

We pray that You may bless 2010 in a powerful way, You may bless the world temple and the mission that we have there, to show the Unification Church worldwide that we can do this, we can make a difference, and we can be relevant in a real society in the modern age, that it is not a fruitless dream! Father, we want to be able to make that victory real at the growth-stage temple.

Father, we pray that You may also inspire all our brothers and sisters that participate with us in the international services, that they also may come to that heart, and we also may rise up in every step, every facet, so that we can go in with the same heart, the same mission, the same desire to truly liberate Your heart and liberate the heart of True Parents.

Father, we thank you so much for giving us more specific reports about what we actually have done, and what we want to accomplish. We pray that those desires may come to fruition. We're going to keep praying, and we're going to keep giving, offering devotion, and we're going to keep witnessing in your name, so we pray that You may bless 2010. We pray that You may move the spirit world, and all the saints in the spirit world may be moved, so that in 2010, we can truly be victorious for You.

We thank You so much, and we want to pray that once again, in the Fatherland of Korea, we can do the impossible in 2010, we can step up and do what nobody believes we can do. Let us have the faith. Father, we pray that You may imbue us with the spiritual wisdom and the spiritual ability to do such things.

We thank You so much. We thank You for now preparing our ministry to the new level. We know that we are, in many aspects, not at the top, not at the very essence of our ability, but we are moving towards that, and we will try our best every day to get better in our ministry. We thank You so much and we pray that You may bless the ministry.

Next week, Father, we pray that we may listen to the women leaders who have been rising in the church for the first time in history, that we may be inspired by them, and help the women leaders also, to be successful in all that they do. We are one team, we have one purpose, and are moving with one heart and one mind. We thank You so much. We pray these things in a united heart that wants to inspire the world; in our own names, we pray as blessed central families and in the name of True Parents of heaven and earth, Aju.