A little over a year ago, before Hyung Jin Nim "broke the silence", I traveled by bus to several cities in the God's Hope for America tour.
It was a good experience, but as I talked to members and saw the circumstance of our church facilities and families, I wondered if we were really honoring and fulfilling the hopes and dreams of God.
I pondered, what is really God's Hope for America? What does America have to offer the world. Why did True Father invest so much into this country? And, why did he always make every effort to connect his victories to Christianity?
This naturally led me to wonder, what happened to our movement? I felt as though God was trying to help me think practically and realistically about the life and dreams of True Father, and what he wanted to accomplish.
While I was on that tour, I was still under the impression that the leaders in Chungpyung understood God’s providence; and that they were following True Father’s wishes for accomplishing and fulfilling the mission of the Second Coming of Christ. After all, I thought to myself, they spent so much time with True Father, they must at least, be sincere about this, especially True Mother. I believed this at that time.
Still, as I returned home from that tour, my heart was uneasy, and for good reason. It seemed as though many things were happening without explanation. It seemed as though True Father’s work with Christian ministers came to a standstill. And, while it was always my understanding that Mother was restored by True Father to the position of True Mother; and that Mother was born with original sin. She was now saying that she was born sinless and that True Father became the only begotten son when he accepted the mission from Jesus. I knew in my heart of hearts, there was something wrong.
Also, she blessed her two youngest daughters, which was not a problem for me at that time; but it was out of place somehow. We received memos and testimonies from leaders, about the providential significance of this wedding, including inspiration Mother had from the movie, “Little Mermaid”. And, while it was somehow made public, it was also obviously very secretive.
Furthermore, Mother asked us to complete Vision 2020; and Tribal Messiahship. For the most part, it seemed as though all of the FFWPU members were behind this. Personally, I didn’t have a problem with it. In fact, as a person who really believed in True Father, I believed that, surely, God would reap the harvest at some point. After all, he prepared 2000 years of history for the Second Coming. I was sure that, even though he had passed, the victory that God had awaited for, between 1945 and 1952 would come, and that God’s Kingdom would come to this earth.
And yet, despite Vision 2020 and the call for Tribal Messiahship, it was painfully obvious to me, that the FFWPU had lost it’s way.
I often chastised myself for being too judgemental; but as I prayed to God, he spoke to my heart, that his will could not be accomplished through the FFWPU. There was no faith to actually fulfill God’s Hope, God’s Dream, God’s Kingdom.
I told this to a few elder members. I suggested that maybe God will establish a new Covenant with people, as he had always done when the chosen people lost their way. They agreed, but there seemed to be no other way, but the way of the FFWPU.
I went all out to try to take responsibility for Vision 2020 on a local level, and worked with the local Sr Pastor to do a witnessing campaign; and that very week, we had record-breaking snowfall in Dallas. We couldn’t even drive for several days. Furthermore, I realized that a huge percentage of our church membership was not actually invested in Vision 2020 or witnessing. Some are very faithful, but the void of real organizational leadership was very apparent. We brought people, but there was not really a place for them to apply the gifts and talents they were given by God, to contribute to God’s Kingdom.
Even a new American member, Clark Gingrich, who had recently joined in Houston, had noticed that something was wrong. I told him that God must have another plan, other than FFWPU.
Then, finally, Hyung Jin Nim had “broken the silence”. He actually did this, just prior to our witnessing efforts, and the record snowfall in Dallas. I didn’t initially listen his sermon, and I didn’t really understand what was going on; but in my heart, I felt that God was beginning to move in Pennsylvania.
Just like everyone else, I couldn’t initially believe what was being said; and I had some criticisms. But, the more I listened, the more EVERYTHING, began to fall into place.
Not only that, dreams that I was having of True Father began to make sense. The Divine Principle and True Father’s life began to make sense to me, in ways that it didn’t understand before. I gradually felt True Father’s presence in my life more and more; and I felt as though God was able to reach me deeply again. My life was changing for the better, my heart was changing; and I felt the strength to lead my family even closer to Heaven. Also, the more I read the original Cheon Seong Gyeong and Divine Principle, the more I realized that Mother had disunited from True Father. It was hard to accept, but I knew it was true. God’s will could no longer be fulfilled through the FFWPU. It was and is crystal clear to me.
So, I share this, because, I believe that, for those people who yearn for God, and for God’s Kingdom, and who truly want to transform and heal the lives of all people, to live in a free society centered on God’s original lineage; that they can find a “sanctuary” in Hyung Jin Nim, whom True Father anointed as his successor representing the second Kingship; and his son representing the third Kingship.
At the same time, there are people who come onto this facebook page with assumptions about Sanctuary Church supporters, that are completely made up and false. They come from a place, that compared to my experience, does not resonate with God’s providence, God’s will, and God’ heart.
If you are longing to see the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom, centered on the ideal of True Parents, please be open to listening to God, and what he wants to share with you. I believe, you will find that Hyung Jin Nim is speaking with truth. It may be uncomfortable, but brothers and sisters, this is how God works sometimes. Please be open. God Bless.
(FB Post by Kevin Leopold Brugman)
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