Sun Myung Moon
April 8, 1956
Headquarters Church, Seoul, Korea
1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor's crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
II Timothy 2:1-13
Prayer
Father, let this be the hour when the life of the original nature that man possessed before the fall is thrust into us. Please allow us to become the altar of life where Your love overflows. Allow us now to feel this wall of death with our minds and bodies. Father, I pray from the depth of my heart that we can receive the grace of resurrection in this way and by building the glorious altar, go before all the dispersed altars with a new candle lit in our hands.
Is there anyone who was inflicted with wounds in his or her heart? Please show them compassion. Is there some trace in one's body where Satan used to clutch? Please cleanse them. Father of love, I wish and hope earnestly that on account of that cleansing and/or compassion, they can restore their original hyung-sang1 from before the fall.
Father, please appear before us with the words of power. Please reshape our whole being. Beloved Father, we desire from the bottom of our hearts that You will allow the miracle of recreation. You have called upon each of us in this difficult environment, so we will now cross over this path of ordeals and tribulations. The time has come when we must offer the song of victory on the actual battle ground. Father, please increase our strengths, multiply our power, and come before us with the power of resurrection.
Grant liberation to the souls who have been imprisoned in the darkness. Please resurrect them with the fire of hope. My Father, I pray with utmost sincerity that You may bestow Your fire of life, which can light up the garden of truth, the path of which is blocked. Light up this world where evil governs and the grounds of the bitterness of the Father have existed for over 6,000 years.
We understand that the new history begins with the Father as the center. We also know the historical fact that if humankind does not set the standard of history in Heaven, then it cannot be a comprehensive standard of history
Father! Since You have put us in this position, please allow us to build a new history and please groom us as the Heavenly soldiers of the new era. Bestow upon us the grace to construct a new garden and return the glory of bliss to the Father. Beloved Father, I offer this wish from the depth of my heart.
We have broken through the walls of conflict and have come seeking the same path that the prophets and sages once walked. We have embarked upon a path from which we can never return. We know that the time has come when we must fight with independence and audacity and head toward a single goal. Please guide us to pour out the last drop of our energy, to make a resolute decision and stand on the front line facing Satan. Let us become the soldiers of Heaven who can raise the flag before anyone else and march against Satan. Father, please take in the current altar of conflict as a triumphant altar. Until You can control it as Your altar of peace and glory Father, please protect our path and sanctify our dwelling place. Father, please lead us to erect the white flag of joyful victory before this Korean people and the 2.4 billion people comprising humanity Father, although we are small in number, these members have united our hearts and gathered here to be intoxicated in Your love. Hence, even for this hour, please allow us to be immersed in Your concealed love.
Divulge the work of Heaven's love and truth, which has been hidden for 6,000 years, and unfold the miracle of resurrection. Please allow us to become liberated from our minds and bodies and become the Father's true sons and daughters. Father, we desire from our deepest hearts that You will raise us as children who can reciprocate with You and serve You with the honor of victory This day is a glorious day Please manifest Your powers before these altars, those who have gathered here representing the thirty million Korean people. Please let Your works be manifested. If there are altars without life, then please manifest the miracle of life. Regardless of time, environment and place, Father, please let Your work unfold.
Give rise to the beacon of life that has been fast asleep. Please allow it to step forward holding a banner of new life on the grounds of conscientious children, children who follow the Father. Beloved Father, I pray earnestly that there will come forth many children who can safeguard hidden altars.
We have gathered here so, Father, please sanctify our souls. If there is any self-centered concept or sinful element, the dark root that impedes chastity then please appear before us as the work of the Holy Spirit that resembles the flame of the Father, and guide us forward. Father, this is our most sincere wish.
Please lead us to accomplish the mission assigned to us without any fault. Allow us to become sons and daughters who, offering all of their minds and bodies for the sake of the one will2 are dignified before the many thousands of faithful believers and members of the spiritual world. Let us fulfill all of their missions. In this hour, from the beginning till the very end, please do not let even one person fall subject to the accusations of Satan. Let the grace of resurrection, the blissful taste of new life, and the grace of new life be granted to as many people as possible. In this way let this be the hour when we can return the glory of the resurrection of new life to the Father. Beloved Father, this is our prayer, from the depth of our hearts.
We entrust everything to You now so let the fundamental miracle of the living life be manifested from the beginning to the very end. Let only the will of happiness unfold. We prayed in the name of the Lord. Amen.
Prayer
Father, although unworthy and sinful, today a handful of members have prostrated themselves before the sacred presence of the Father again.
Until now You have raised prophets and given Your commands through them. You have given the mandate through the Holy Spirit and Jesus, but we know that until now You have been unable to command directly. Please let the mandate that You could not decree directly be promulgated here. This being done, let the will of the Father, which You have tried to accomplish through the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ, be manifested here.
We understand that the Father is trying to realize the dispensation of joy Before Your will, we long to pour out all of our heart and soul, offering all of our loyalty and bodies. Though these may be inadequate, Father, please extend Your hands of compassion.
On our hands and feet are the scars left by Satan's arrows, and in our bodies we carry the battle wounds. Father of compassion! Please extend Your divine grace to hold our hands and feet, full of the scars of Satan's arrows, to grip our wounded bodies, to apply the oil of life on us and to wrap our bodies with the bandages of resurrection. We yearn for a word of counsel so, Father, please advise us. We desperately desire it.
Please liquidate our vulgar minds and all sinful natures. Guide us to cling only onto the original heart that cherishes nothing but the Father.
Father, You have gathered us now so please give Your commanding words. Please allow us to find out what the center of the dispensation is that the Father wishes for and what is the center of the universal principles that the Father seeks.
Descend upon us in this hour. We have prostrated ourselves humbly and meekly to respond to the words that the Father gives us. We are ignorant and wounded, but because we hope that we can be an offering to You, please receive us. Father, we pray from the depth of our hearts.
Father, please govern over everything in this hour. We who have come seeking the dispensation know that we must bear the fruit of life, so in this moment when the last days are nearing, Father, please bestow Your outstretched hands of life. We know that though the world and history might change, the Father's life remains unchanging, so please allow us to dash toward eternal life and the standard of immutability If there are children who do not meet the standard, please order each of them personally and lay Your hands of power on them. Allow them to resemble Your holy image. Father, I pray from the depth of my heart.
We have gathered before the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit, so please remove everyone's subjective concepts and allow the miracle of life. Please be the center of their minds and bodies, the center of the whole congregation gathered here and the triumphant shield, so that this moment can become an hour of joy and fulfillment.
Father, we pray from the bottom of our hearts that with the elements of life that we will obtain from this day, we can create the flesh and blood of life and forge the eternal shield of victory so that even if we are to clash with Satan head on, we will not be wounded. We entrust everything to You, so please rule over us. We pray in the name of the Lord.
We who are the center of the conflict and the embodiment of hope
The title of the sermon that I will give today is "Let Us Become the Elite Troop of God." I will speak briefly on this topic.
Initially the term "elite troop" did not exist. It came into being because of the fall of man. Because of the fall, the term had to emerge. In other words, it was invented because, by virtue of the remaining conflict, there was the need for sons and daughters who could conduct the fight in the place of God.
God chose these sons and daughters because His will could not be accomplished unless He raised them and led them through the course of conflict until a certain point in time. By repeating the changing history during the 6,000 years of long history God personally intervened on earth and fought with Satan. However, what kind of beings are they who must take responsibility for this history of the conflict of God and can fight on the front line?
God is not to fight directly and neither is Jesus nor the Holy Spirit. As you know very well, the faithful believers whom Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and God stand behind are the ones who must directly take responsibility for the fight.
This fight must be concluded at any cost. Yet even after 2,000 years since the coming of Jesus, this fight has not yet been concluded. Now the grounds for this fight must be broadened and the grounds for victory must be built. Who are the ones who must take on this responsibility? It is none other than insignificant and unworthy us.
When we reflect on this, we can learn that the hope of God does not lie with Himself. What is more, the hope of Jesus also does not lie in himself. Likewise, the hope of the Holy Spirit does not lie within her. The hope that the prophets and sages sought also cannot be found in themselves. Their hope lies with none other than us, the insignificant ones who dwell on this earth today
If God calls upon you who are on earth, what kind of criterion is He using? He uses the whole 6,000-year dispensation as the criterion to call upon you.
Therefore, you must clearly understand that you have the responsibility to bring a victorious conclusion to the many thousands of years of the history of humanity Moreover, you must understand that God is calling us in this manner. Not only that, we must become the true elite troop of Heaven who can take responsibility for this era, this history and for eternal history
Directly pioneering the great fate of the dispensation is not the work of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God. It is a task we must do.
To become the heavenly elite troop
We must be able to stand as a third person and make a critical evaluation of ourselves, we who bear such a great mission as this. You must reflect whether you can answer confidently even if the Father were to appear personally before you and ask you. When the Father asks, 'Have you become the elite soldier of Heaven who can be responsible for the whole dispensation and fight fully armed with audacity dignity and conviction," are you able to say "Yes! It is true," without any hesitation? Heaven is searching for those who can answer proudly
What are the conditions that qualify you as a member of the elite corps? We cannot find the qualifying conditions within us. How can we become members of the elite corps of Heaven? To become the elite troops of Heaven, we must follow the example of Jesus Christ, in whom we believe, the one who appeared as the archetype of the elite corps of Heaven. The background of the advent of Jesus, his life and ideals, are all things that we can take pride in before Satan. What is more, they are the content and conditions that we must inherit if we are to become members of the Heavenly elite troop. You must heed this.
The same thing can be said about his words and about the path of crucifixion that he demonstrated at the time of his death, as well as the way of resurrection that he left behind for us. These are the conditions and laws that we absolutely need to end all the historical conflicts and to become the elite corps of Heaven. We must fulfill these conditions.
Nonetheless, what we must understand here is that Jesus spent thirty years preparing, toiling, and suffering to be fully equipped with all the conditions that are necessary to become an elite soldier of Heaven. It did not happen in one day or in one moment. He had to pass through thirty years of a long period of tremendous ordeals. What is the course that Jesus walked after coming to the earth? He demonstrated the condition and course of tribulations that one must walk to win victory over Satan as the elite soldier of Heaven.
Jesus cried, "All is done," on the cross, but he did not say this because he fulfilled everything on the cross. He uttered those words because even before he hung on the cross, he fully satisfied all the conditions needed to qualify as the elite soldier of Heaven. By putting it into those words, he meant that he had fulfilled all the missions that he had to as the elite soldier of Heaven.
Because Jesus was an impeccable member of the elite corps of Heaven, Heaven could resurrect him after he passed away on the cross. After the resurrection of Jesus, Jesus worked in Heaven and the Holy Spirit worked on earth and carried on the fight against Satan for 2,000 years.
The lessons to be learned from the life of Jesus Christ
Now there remains the course of tribulations to which we who are called upon by Heaven must adhere. You must remember that it is none other than the path of Jesus, who walked it throughout the thirty years of his life. When you examine the thirty-year life course of Jesus, he lived thirty years of private life, three years of public life and brought an end to his ordeals during the three-day period in the tomb.
There is no question that we ourselves must follow the path of crucifixion and resurrection. Yet the important thing is that the humanity of the whole world must all walk the same path.
After his death on the cross, Jesus received the grace of resurrection, but this did not take place in the simple and easy manner you might envision. It did not happen in one day or in several hours. You must understand that it was achieved when the heart of God, who had traveled through the long 4,000-year history became one with the heart of Jesus. On that foundation, Jesus walked thirty years of a suffering path and won the victory We are living a life of faith and are reading the Bible, yet we must never interpret the Bible according to our own whims. It is common for believers to take the view that the way of the crucifixion took place solely on the cross, but this is not true. You must understand that the way was materialized through his life of tremendous suffering that others do not know about. For thirty odd years, he could not eat or dress adequately Moreover, you must also realize that Jesus is the only begotten son of God who fully equipped himself with the remaining conditions to be qualified as a member of the elite troop of God.
Now we must analyze the lessons that the life of Jesus provides and come up with a new interpretation of matters that range from having faith in Jesus to his course of ordeals. You must also pass through the course of trials. While Jesus was passing through the course of trials and ordeals, there must have been many fights. We must learn from the example of Jesus who fought, not for ten or twenty years, but for thirty years and braved even death. What you must understand now is that you yourselves must take charge of the remaining path of suffering and path of death, to guard the cross and uphold the way of the crucifixion.
After Jesus passed away the responsibility to guard the castle of crucifixion that Jesus had constructed on earth and to make the first step in the fierce fight lay with the apostles. You must understand that now the responsibility to protect the castle of crucifixion lies on the shoulders of the apostles of the last days. The time has come when the final determination of victory and defeat must be made in the last fierce battle. The crucial question is whether you have become the elite troop that can stay on the course, and whether you can perform the second miracle of resurrection to be reborn, as Jesus was resurrected.
Jesus has continued to engage himself in the fight, even after going to the spirit world. He is fighting against Satan on behalf of the countless good believers. The Holy Spirit is the one who, copying the example of Jesus, has unfolded the battle on earth. It is our responsibility to receive the help of the Holy Spirit and fight the actual battle. In other words, it is we who must become Heaven's elite corps who can take over the burden of the conflict.
The time when the grief and resentment of the 6,000 years must be expunged
The final conflict has unfolded. You must understand that the fight you are partaking in today is not for your own sake. This fight has been linked to you through Heaven and the Holy Spirit. What is more, the purpose of that fight is to expel Satan.
Accordingly we must now cross the pass of conflict and reach the original homeland. We must become the elite soldiers who can bear the remaining cross of Jesus and sing a victory song. We must become the elite troops of triumph and happiness, who remove the resentment of the 6,000 years and realize the hope of the 6,000 years.
The twelve disciples emerged as the representative elite troop responsible for the castle of the cross. The twelve disciples crossed the boundaries of death to protect the walls of the castle of the crucifixion. Even as they were offering their minds and bodies and shedding their flesh and blood, they did not hesitate in guarding the castle wall.
The traces of blood that the prophets and sages shed as they were walking the path of the gospel still remain visible on the walls of the castle of the crucifixion. Moreover, this land is ground which is soaked through with the grief and blood of the ancestors. It is the land on which the appeal of blood is left behind. The ones who must resolve this bitter resentment are none other than us. Although the death of Jesus Christ was a grievous event, the deaths of the prophets and sages were also bitter tragedies. You must learn to grieve for the deaths of the prophets and sages along with the death of Jesus Christ.
Now we must understand that the time has come when we must feel strongly indignant. The time has come when we must eradicate the grief and bitterness of God. What is needed at such a time is a heavenly elite corps. That is what this era demands. You must become the true sons and daughters who can say 'Father! Please expel the resentment of the 6,000 years through me." If there are many such true children among the thirty million people, then the path of survival will open for them. What is more, if these people become priests to protect the walls of the castle of the crucifixion and become members of the Heavenly elite troop, they will not perish. We who have faith today must become the Heavenly elite troop.
Jesus, who came to earth and passed away on the cross, built the holy altar of victory in the spirit world and has expanded it. As you can see by observing the spirit world, the pitch darkness of the fall has reached all the way to the feet of the throne of God. Since the time of Jesus, the one foundation has finally been laid through the repetition of conflicts, tribulations and toil. The fight has continued until today to broaden this foundation further. Even on earth the fight with Satan has continued. Now Heaven is hoping for the appearance of the Heavenly elite troop who can bring this conflict to a conclusion.
We must shape up and try harder. Jesus not only fought during his thirty-year life on earth until he crossed the pass of crucifixion and death; he has also continued the battle for 2,000 years since then. Humankind is ignorant of this fight. You must appeal to yourselves. Before you appeal to the people, to the family the society the world and the earth, you must first appeal to yourselves. You must follow the example of Jesus Christ, who has been fighting for the sake of the will for 2,000 years. You must carry on the struggle for the sake of the will. By doing so, you must win the victory both in heaven and on earth, so that heaven and earth can respond. You can then represent the heart of God and manifest the original beauty of creation. This is the purpose for which God has been propelling the dispensation forward for 6,000 years and the reason He sent Jesus Christ.
The task that the heavenly elite troop must accomplish
Now we must become the elite troop of Heaven and protect the walls of the castle of crucifixion. You must likewise become the Heavenly elite soldiers, but you must first distinguish to which rank in the elite corps you belong.
Because the history on earth is the history that horizontally unfolds the work of Heaven in image, just as there are twelve ranks of elite troops centering on the twelve disciples, there are twelve denominations on earth that resemble the pattern of the twelve tribes of Israel and countless minor ranks. This hierarchy of ranks was formed during the 2,000-year history You must know which rank you belong to. You must understand which rank you belong to in the Heavenly army It is structured systematically much like the army of the secular world, in platoons, companies, battalions, regiments, divisions and so forth. Moreover, you must understand what mission you are being given the commands centered on.
Now after passing through the course of conflict, we must usher in the era when the whole world of creation can rejoice. The center of that is none other than Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit whom we believe in.
What is the ultimate purpose of the Heavenly elite corps? It is to conclude the fight with Satan and receive accolades from God and Christ. It is to win victory in the fight and receive the rewards of Heaven on earth.
Now the fight is taking place in every sphere. It is unfolding in every place of the world. Moreover, the will of the dispensation is being unfolded in the whole of heaven and earth. You must become the Heavenly troops who win the victory in the fights on the individual level, on the family level, and on the societal, national and world levels, as well as bringing victory in the fight that is taking place in heaven and on earth.
Jesus is unable to bring an end to the fight that is taking place in heaven and on earth. Consequently you must become the elite soldiers who protect all posts on all fronts and end the battles on all fronts. All things in the universe will act in harmony only after we reap the victory as one body with Christ as the head, and offer a frill bow before Heaven.
You must now pass through the traces of blood left behind by the apostles. You must lead and take charge of the companies or battalions the apostles used to lead. Going one step further, you must take on the responsibility that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are bearing upon their shoulders.
The ultimate goal of the elite corps of heaven
God does not want any battle ground to remain on earth. Because the resentment was caused on earth, only when the victory is reaped and the grief is removed on earth can Jesus Christ's battle be concluded and can he come again. What is he to do after coming again? He is to bring to an end the battle that has taken place for the last 6,000 years and receive the blessing from God. The banquet in which God raises both hands to celebrate, the banquet in which the triumphant elite soldiers all gather and receive the blessing is the banquet of the little lamb. He is going to host this banquet of the little lamb.
You must directly receive the commanding words of God, who is the commander-in-chief You must rise to the position where, in place of Jesus, you receive directives straight from God.
You must obtain the seal of the Father, just like in the verse in the fourteenth chapter of the Book of Revelations: "Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads." (Rev 14:1) You have been guided by the Holy Spirit and Jesus until now but this is not the whole story. Only after you receive the seal of the Father will you become an eternal member of the elite corps, effective not just on earth, but also after you go to heaven. You must never forget that you must proceed all the way to that point. While you become the elite corps of Jesus by winning all the fights, you must also become the original human beings in whom God can take delight, as well as true sons and daughters who have perfected the ideals of creation. Only when the victory song of Hosanna offered by this Heavenly elite troop shakes the whole earth will the grief and resentment of God be liquidated. Satan, also, will immediately be liquidated. You must understand this clearly The fight remains. Accordingly you must venture on the last offensive to cross over the pass of conflict to receive the seal of God and subjugate Satan before God. This is the only way that the confrontation with Satan will come to an end.
The conflict will not end, even after making Satan submit before the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. The conflict will come to a conclusion only when Satan is subjugated before God. The Father has been suffering as He walked through the 6,000 years of dispensational history with the purpose of raising this victorious elite corps. Understanding this kind of father, you must become the victorious elite troop of Heaven.
Notes:
1 Hyung Sang -- A Korean term that can be translated roughly as "external form or shape." This term is explained in the first chapter of the Divine Principle, "The Principles of Creation."
2 The word "will" in Father's speeches usually refers to the divine will, and it also means the dispensation of God or the divine providence. To make the point more clear, The Way of Tradition in the original Korean is "The Way of the (Divine) Will," which really means "The Way of the Dispensation of God." Although this word will be translated frequently as "the will," where deemed appropriate, it will also be rendered as the "dispensation or providence."