Noah Traveled the Path of Adventure

Let us now reflect back on our ancestors of the past. When we look at the life of Noah first, we will find that it was not a smooth and even life. How do you think Noah must have felt when he received the commandment, “I will judge the world with water 120 years from now, so build an ark on the top of Mount Ararat”? It was not a feat that took twelve days, nor twelve years. It took 120 years. The commandment to build an ark on top of Mount Ararat was completely out of step with the reality of that time.

When you look at the actual situation of Noah, who carried out that kind of commandment, he might be considered a truly insane person, one who was fully out of touch with his time. Noah, who received such enormous directives from God, made a firm determination within himself. He persevered not for one day, but for a period of 120 years, wishing for that one day to come. You must understand that Noah was truly the adventurous champion, unprecedented in the 1,600 years of prior history. He was raised before Heaven representing that history.

Noah, who maintained absolute faith in the commandment as the will of the covenant, did not pay much attention to all those conditions. Once he decided, he did not care whether God intervened or whether the people of the world cursed at him. Since he had already embarked on the path for the sake of the will, putting his life on the line and having forsaken it, none of these matters posed any problem. Thus, he silently traveled through the course of ordeals that continued for such a long period of 120 years.

Noah must have faced criticisms in his family. Society must have greatly reproached him. Yet nobody could stop the footsteps of Noah, who began his journey to single-mindedly pioneer the heavenly path that humankind does not understand and has not traveled before, the path that no one in the course of sixteen hundred years had walked before. You must keep in mind that Noah was an adventurous person who could cast aside all opposition, even if the environment of society of that time obstructed him and all the people of the world pushed him back.

Noah made headway with dogged determination, regardless of what kinds of tests and tribulations he faced. After 120 years passed, he could erect the one restored family that Adam’s family had lost. You must understand such a historical background.

 

 

The Providence of God and the Nature of the Adventure That Transcends Reality
Reverend Sun Myung Moon
December 2, 1956

The Tale of the Shattered Diamond

The One looked down upon the world one day and decided to hide ten diamonds of unsurpassable beauty and brilliance. No one had ever laid eyes on diamonds sparkling with this manner of radiance and light – the likes of which even the wealthiest king would die for. So that night, The One laid them secretly, one by one, until all were buried in places hidden from the world. But as The One hid the last diamond it cracked into numerous pieces. Heaving a gasp, The One gently placed the shattered pieces together and hid them among the celestial mountains. There the remains of the shattered diamond would lie.

As time passed slowly the story of the hidden diamonds seeped out into the world. Kings and vagabonds alike scoured the lands in search of these precious gems. In time, whispers of discoveries began to materialize out of the landscape. Stories of this and that buzzed into thickening swarms. There were killings and robberies – all desired the diamonds. Blood shot eyes darting back and forth, paranoia, and insidious, rabid craving plagued mankind.

The world was darkening. Hunched impish figures now swept through the lands. Hiding in shadows, no one could trust anymore – all desired the diamonds. The nine un-shattered diamonds were circulated through the hands of many, always being wrenched out by even bloodier, greedier hands. Screams were heard, as sounds of fright and distrust pierced through the thickening night. All seemed lost.

But one day a little child was playing in the mountains. That day the child saw something that would change the world forever…

Amidst a straggling crag, the child saw a shimmer of light. On looking closer, there emerged the remains of the last – but shattered – diamond. This diamond surely no one would want. It was in pieces. All the other diamonds were whole, dazzling creations. But this one was shattered. So the child returned every morning at the crack of dawn. Slowly, piece by piece, the child began to re-assemble the shattered diamond.

Years passed and now the child was an old figure, still piecing the shattered diamond together. It had been the task of a lifetime – only three pieces remained and had to be found. The now old man searched day and night uncovering two of the three remaining pieces… only one piece remained…

The old man could hardly walk, as he gasped for air. His throat was collapsing along with the hardiness of life. But he continued to look. As his fragile frame snapped under his weight he fell to the ground. There he lay, calling out to The One, imploring to help him find the last piece…

The snow fell quietly. The old man lay stiff in the expanding bed of snow. He held his frostbitten hand to the heavens, and one shimmering sparkle floated down from a tree, fitting into the final spot, completing the shattered diamond. The diamond shone with unceasing illumination as the light dispelled centuries of darkness. The shattered diamond, once pieced together, shone more fiercely than ten thousand gleaming suns – its angles and cracks reflecting more light than could ever be extinguished.

The man mustered all his effort and with his remaining life, flung the gem into the heavens. “I am returning what has always been yours,” he whispered as his last breath was exhaled. The One heard him and gratefully smiled.

 

(from the book: A Bald Head And A Strawberry)

To Acquire the Conditions of God’s Pride

Those who boast, centering on themselves, for the sake of their joy will set conditions that violate the principles of the universe. The more one can be proud of the goodness and uniqueness of others, the closer they can get to Heaven.

Although all people want to transcend themselves to take pride in their families, churches, nations and the world, there has not been a world, nation, church or family on this earth that they could sincerely respect and be proud. Although we may be faithless, we must still build a relationship of pride with God. We must transcend ourselves to take pride in our families, our society, our nation and the world. Therefore, our minds are always being pulled in that direction.

Now we must reflect upon the heart of Heaven, who was filled with the desire to be proud of us. When we think about God’s tiring providence of 6,000 years, the purpose of which was to seek us, when we think about God, who has come looking for us through a miserable course of history filled with bloody battles, we find that He has never had the conditions upon which He could raise a person and be proud of him in the course of history. When we understand that such is the situation of Heaven, we dare not boast about ourselves or go before Him with some condition.

In the original garden of goodness, God was able to boast about us. He was able to take pride in us before all things and to be proud of all things before the angelic world. Our original desire to boast must begin with us as the starting point and then expand through the family, the society, the nation, and the world. It must become linked to the pride of Heaven. The fallen people, who could not achieve this, must strike themselves before they can set the conditions for pride. We have to understand that we are in this sad state.

Adam and Eve should have set the conditions of God’s pride so that even Satan could say, “They are the true sons and daughters of which You can be proud. They truly deserve Your love.” They should have been worshipped by Satan. Yet they have turned out to be the sacrifices of Satan for 6,000 years. We have to realize how great the sorrow of God has been, as He looked over this situation. Now we must set the conditions that can provide a source of pride to God, who is suffering such grief. One must become two, two must become ten, and ten must become ten million to form a people, a nation, a world and go in the direction God desires. The fallen people of the earth must inevitably seek this.

Therefore, you must now go forward toward the world about which God can boast, toward the sovereignty of which God can be proud. You must find and become the original person of which God can be proud and find the original life, personality and love of which God can be proud.

St. Paul did not boast about himself, though he had a high position and a great education. He could have been proud of his background, his tribe, his religious sect, and the chosen nation of Israel. The only things of which he wanted to be proud were what God had established as conditions of pride. You should learn about the life of St. Paul, who held onto that basis of God’s pride and carried on the battle. From the time of Noah to the present day, many ancestors who were raised before God suffered great tribulations.

How does God relate to us? He relates to us with what is most despised in the satanic world. We must understand this. Human beings fell because they lacked faith. Therefore, God emphasized that we must develop faith in the most difficult circumstances and that we must not eat the fruit in the most dangerous situation, when death is the consequence of eating it.

Consequently, our ancestors lived according to the word of God in an environment where it was difficult to believe in the word and put it into practice. Noah maintained his faith for 120 years as if it were a day. He chased away all persecution and scorn.

He was desperate to connect with the heart of God. He understood that what God wanted to be proud of was greater and more precious than anything of which society was proud.

Let Us Understand God, Who Wanted to be Proud
Reverend Sun Myung Moon
February 8, 1959

SMM Quotes – 223

“A wise person will go all the way once he has made a commitment; do not go only halfway or be mediocre, because you will only end up as a loser. If you want to become victorious, then you have to persevere all the way.” – Reverend Sun Myung Moon

12 Days with God – Day Nine

Join me for 12 days to spend more time with God, our Heavenly Parent.

This was the ninth day.

“How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God. Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied. Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.”
Luke 6:21

This was the day of change.

I was heading towards to You in this path, again, and I hoped to find the straightest path, not an elliptic one, again…

…and so the day became days, loosing sense on routines. After a while, days melted into evolving time and space. Memory of Your past echoed in me as I was loosing sight and detoured. You have created time and space, this world of dreams, hopes and possibilities – how could You prevent Yourself from changing, when everything went astray?

I realized, Your determination has always been greater than the pain You have suffered, Your hope is a constant one, Your acts for humankind haven’t ceased despite all the things we have been doing against the Ideal.

This is what I learned from You, that’s what I need to do: improving always, and not changing in doing, ceaselessly love through actions, and hoping Heaven on Earth will be on Earth and Heaven soon.

I must change to be unchanging in love and dedication, just like You, Father.

Thank you for teaching me, Father, even when it hurts.

Your son,

-JD-

12 Days with God – Day Eight

Join me for 12 days to spend more time with God, our Heavenly Parent.

This was the eighth day.

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favor!
Luke 4:18-19

 

This was the day of life.

I was looking forward to this day. I was looking forward to feel You, I was looking forward to see You in every meetings, I was looking forward to spot You in the crowd. I was looking forward to get to know what was what You wanted to teach me today.

I was not able to keep the right mindset all the time, I had to warn myself, and I failed to realize in time every so often the sudden challenges are You gifts to receive a greater Blessing. An interrupted little to nothing sleep should have been felt Your care, not a headache, an immature youngster’s action could have been experienced as Your interactive historical tv-channel, I also should have changed my schedule when I was needed by one of the most beloved ones instead of loosing actual priorities.

Besides, I was aware of a teaching You gave me, and I acted upon, giving more from myself, as I used to and I supposed to do. It felt good and another way to improve and grow – for the most beloved ones, and through them the whole world.

I felt lonely.

I don’t know how and why. It might have a similar experience when long time ago Your pain was revealed during the time creating art. I still remember the endless, salt streams, the inner travel beyond time and space and the heart I felt, Your heart, seeing how everything was falling apart…. I felt Your loneliness and eager desire to accomplish and restore everything, becoming content and happy. I wish I could give You this. I would grant You it in an instant. Maybe, one day, soon, You will have the chance to accept it…

What will the next day bring, I can’t know. Either a challenge or tranquility, I’ll invite You for everything, each moments of my life, please, be a  part of my life, Father!

Your son,

 

-JD-

On kindness and perseverance

Brothers, if one of you misbehaves, the more spiritual of you who set him right should do so in a spirit of gentleness, not forgetting that you may be tempted yourselves. You should carry each other’s troubles and fulfill the law of Christ. It is the people who are not important who often make the mistake of thinking that they are. Let each of you examine his own conduct; if you find anything to boast about, it will at least be something of your own, not just something better than your neighbor has. Everyone h as his own burden to carry. People under instruction should always contribute something to the support of the man who is instructing them. Don’t delude yourself into thinking God can be cheated: where a man sows, there he reaps: if he sows in the field of self-indulgence he will get a harvest of corruption out of it; if he sows in the field of the Spirit he will get from it a harvest of eternal life. We must never get tired of doing good because if we don’t give up the struggle we shall get our harvest at the proper time. While we have the chance, we must do good to all, and especially to our brothers in the faith.

Galatians 6:1-10

Have You Noticed That You Are Amazing?

Here is the thing: everybody wants to be happy, live a joyful life, create and work for the greater good and be appreciated accordingly.
Nobody likes being prejudged based on anything, nobody likes being shut out, nobody likes being alone, nobody likes being misused.
Yet, we all have vast experiences about these and there are more to them.
How can we change it?

Here is the thing: we are all meant to excel in whatever we plan for others and the world around us. Living in a world full of communication devices we seem to be loosing in our efficiency regarding the ability of real meaning and understanding each other. It is like the Tower of Babylon – so many ways to miss the point.
However, and this is a great however: you can excel in any art, the inevitable tool to comprehend other nations, science, faith, people and I can assure you, yourself during the way.

You are a Winner,
Not a Quitter,
You are Awesome,
No matter what you say,
You are Amazing,
Nobody is, was or will be like you
You are Unique,
Not only Special,
But simply: Fantastic!

Be persevering and all your efforts will bring fruition for you and your beloved ones and the whole world will be a greater place.

 

Joshua Dragon

Why don’t we talk about love anymore?

This world is broken. It might seem better than in the past, we have better technology, we have great connections, we have the whole world. Looking it closer it is obvious: a glittering only what we adore, a fading reflection of a fake light…

Although, the technology promises a more comfortable and extanded life, in some parts even enhanced, yet, it goes only for those, who would never ever think of those who are not among them. Although, the connections are intertwining – they are just consuming our time giving nothing in return only temporar fulfillment and more often fear, boredom, anger, desperation, envy. Although, it seems we can share the whole planet, yet, we are being shared among each other by some seemingly invisible and untouchable…

All the hatred, arrogance, selfish indulgence, isolation build stronger and stronger impenetrable walls especially in our hearts and minds, limiting our ultimate ability for compassion, care, love.

When have we lost our ways to talk?

When have we lost our ways to share?

Since when are we incapable to live for other without expecting anything in return?

One may say, it has always been like this, abusing, misusing, overtaking, caging, neglecting, pretending – there is nothing to see here…

What is what God says? He sees our potentials, He seeks our heart, He longs for our open arms. He never speaks ill about us, not even when we are the farthest from the Ideal, not even when we are unwillingly or willingly fighting with Him…

Why don’t we talk about love anymore?

It wouldn’t hurt anyone to embrace and uplift, enrich and support with passion. To acknowledge someone might know better, to accept the help what is offered. To listen for the change and act upon our untold promises.

Longing comes first then we can think and analye, shaping our inner self. Our way of thinking changes our way of speaking. As we speak we create an atmosphere and re-create the world around us in a symbolic way. And our actions are based on our speaking.

Why don’t we talk about love anymore?

Talking about love would find us a new realm of love, eventually.

An ideal of love, compassion, sharing.

A conscious, caretaking, devoted, persevering life of Truth.

 

Joshua Dragon

What attitude is needed in order to receive the Messiah?

Since the fulfillment of perfection was not obtained in Israel, God prepared the second Israel as the foundation upon which the second Messiah could come. That foundation is the work of Christianity. We must know that Christianity is the second Israel in the sight of God. The ultimate goal of Christians the world over is to receive the Messiah. They talk about this, but the most critical question for them is how they are going to meet the Messiah. Many Christians think that the Messiah will command extraordinary miracles to happen which will solve all the world’s problems in one moment, instantly making the world the Kingdom of God. This is their ambiguous understanding but this could not possibly be so.

When the Messiah comes the second time he will start from the very bottom of man’s situation and advance step by step to the height of the Kingdom. He brings the pattern which the rest of the world should follow and he will not compromise with the world. He will initiate the final showdown between good and evil. According to that standard, are modern day Christians ready to be lifted up to the Kingdom of God in heaven as perfected men and women? Not at all. They must transform themselves and change to fit into the pattern that the Messiah will bring; as the second Israel, Christians are to be the first people to change themselves into that model.

Even today there are people who think that the fall of man was in the plan of God. How ridiculous! If God had planned for evil and sin, He could never be a good God. God never intended the work of salvation to be needed; He originally intended only the garden of Eden, with Adam and Eve becoming the embodiment of perfection. A man of perfection does not require salvation. God would far more prefer to have man without any need for the dispensation of salvation.

How well do you know the Will of God? Many Christians are convinced that God’s Will for them is to seek only their own chunk of heaven, and they could care less about the fate of the rest of the world. Meanwhile the nation and the world are crumbling and instead of feeling responsible, they expect God to handle everything. That is not true Christianity.

After the fall of man God’s efforts focused on the work of salvation. I want you to know clearly that His target is the world, not just one man, one race, one people or one nation. God intended the Messiah to accomplish the fulfillment of perfection, not to create a multitude of denominations. He still is determined to achieve that one ultimate goal of perfection and unity between men, even if this may mean the sacrifice of the churches.

I have seen what the Kingdom of God is like in the spirit world and ultimately you too will see that God’s Kingdom is not organized in the same divided way that religions are here. Such separation is truly contrary to the will of God. The conflict and division between religious people has been carried over into spirit world and brings grief to God. Yet that has been conventional faith.

 

God’s Will and Christmas
Reverend Sun Myung Moon
December 25, 1976