Home Church

The Words Of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Outline of Home Church

We have been developing spiritually according to our concept of heaven on earth. We have had some idea of heaven, and our idea has been growing. But even with the best idea that we have had so far, heaven on earth would never be realized. Home church is the revolutionary idea which has, as its basic principle, the building of the concrete foundation on earth for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Throughout history, the dispensation was limited by the fact that no one, including Father, until very recently, could work on the basis of large groups of people. Salvation could not be brought to masses of people at one time. First, God had to recreate and reestablish Adam, working through the three long eras of dispensational history. Then, centering around Adam as the first perfected individual, God could restore His family, and finally realize the true clan and nation. Until God restored this foundation, the Messiah could not work the full dispensation at the world level. When the Lord comes again, his purpose is to deal with the entire world, but he cannot do that until he satisfies all the conditions necessary to restore God's individual, family, clan and nation. The Messiah himself needs to be perfected, to have a family, to restore his clan and nation before he can work throughout the world; and after that, he can work to restore the spirit world, of course. Only after going beyond all these conditions and thus coming into the realm where there is no more accusation from the satanic world, can he return to his own family, and begin the real building and expansion of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Even after Adam's own perfection, then, he has to have a family, which is the core and the nucleus of God's restored love on earth. Then through that family unit, he must expand his dominion to the clan, the nation, world, and spirit world. Satan knows this and will try to do everything he can to block Adam's advancement; Satan will try to stop the development of this family, clan and nation at crucial points.

We might wonder why the true Adam should be persecuted, even after he perfects himself, and why he doesn't have the full right, as the Son of God, to do whatever he wants to do. It is because the dispensation requires, and cannot be fulfilled without the salvation of the elder brother. Because of the course of the fall, the first son is destined to go to Satan's side. Restoration must be brought about by the second son, who can go to God's side. For the will of God to be fulfilled, the younger brother, Abel, must take responsibility to raise up the elder brother, Cain; and Cain must be educated to be able to fulfill his portion of responsibility. If the fall had not taken place, then the first and second sons would, of course, both have been be on God's side. But this was not possible after the fall. The first son came to be under Satan, and the second son under God. In this situation, then, who is qualified to receive the inheritance from God and God's blessing? Again, if the fall had not taken place, the elder son would have been the one to receive that blessing. That is the Principle. But now the inheritance had to come to the second son, who was put in the position, providentially, to restore the birthright and position of God's true son. According to Principle, the second son can only go to God and receive the blessing through the first son. And if the first son is not willing to give it, then the second son has to somehow "snatch" or come to get the blessing back from the first son.

This process of reversing and restoring the birthright is crucially important. The deepest seeds of the restoration lie here. This is why in the Old Testament we know that the first-born, Perez, and the second-born, Zerah, struggled even from within the womb of their mother, Tamar. We know that prior even to that point in dispensational history, Jacob had to establish some condition through which to take the blessing away from the elder, first-born son, Esau. Jacob could not do this simply, or directly, but had to establish a condition which was legitimate according to the Principle. And he had to do this not only in a symbolic way, but also in a physical, substantial way. He had to labor as a servant for 21 years for his uncle Laban and give Esau all he that he had gained. Then he had to wrestle with the angel at the ford of Jabbok and defeat him in order to restore the right of blessing. By doing that, he established the foundation on which to inherit the blessing on the clan level through the elder or first-born. In the Israelites' history, whenever this dispensation would move one level higher, then struggle was inevitable. When God would attempt to work through any central person to bring about restoration, first on the family, and then on the clan and national levels, turmoil and conflict would arise at each stage because Satan was determined to block God's advancement.

An orderly pattern must be established connecting the individual level to the family level, family to clan level, clan level to national level, and national to world level, all in a straight line. Leaders at every level must be harmonized with each other. Then, when any one of the central persons gets victory over satanic dominion at any level of the providence, then every one connected with him will share that victory. Throughout the Old Testament, each individual bore the responsibility of each dispensation separately. Thus, there were some individual variations used in the methods of fulfilling God's dispensation from one generation to the next, and consistency was lacking. One of the missions of the Lord, the Savior who comes in the Last Days, is to make the path of God's overall providence straight, consistent, and continuous, restoring one generation at a time.

So when Jesus came, at the national level, the nation should have come to center around Jesus and become perfectly united with him. Then all the other levels could have been straightened out and brought into harmony within seven years. This would have been the path of least difficulty and the most ideal way to accomplish the dispensation at that time. After gaining the support of the nation, and thus being empowered to go beyond the national level, Jesus would have been qualified to go forward and restore the world. Unless the people around Jesus came into complete harmony with him on the national level, however, Jesus could not advance the dispensation.

Now God was no longer working through individuals, as He had in the Old Testament, but He was using one man, Jesus, to try to restore the family, clan and nation-all of the levels-at one time. Restoration started from the individual and family levels; now Jesus stood at the central point of the nation, on the threshold of the world level. This was not only the central point of the world, but also of the individual, family, clan and nation; everything revolved around this central axis. Thus, by succeeding on the national level, Jesus would have established the condition to restore the entire fallen world.

What this meant, physically, in the real sense, was that after completing the dispensation successfully in Rome, going through Rome, and returning to his own home among the Israelites where he started, then, centering on Israel, the real, ideal world would have started to be realized. This represents the process of winning over the elder brother, subjugating Cain level by level, and inheriting his right of blessing to God's side. The second son must change positions with the first son, level by level, and return to his original home. Satan will not surrender the blessing and the birthright easily, and the first son will resist the efforts of the second son. Nevertheless, with or without a fight, the second son must win. He comes into the victorious position as far as God is concerned, so he can return to his original home. He is in the first sons position, although he started out as second son. If Jesus had succeeded in his mission, he would have been the first son on the family, clan, and national levels-even unto the world level.

When the Messiah comes again, this still remains to be done. If this basic seven-year course is not successfully completed, it must be repeated. We see that Jesus did not complete it; therefore, the Lord of the Second Advent must restore it. Do you follow? So, centering on Christianity, this seven-year course had to be done all over again, from the individual to the world level. If the Christians had obeyed and supported Father of course, this could easily have been accomplished. However, the Christians opposed Father, and the foundation that was laid could not be used by God. Then Father had to start all over again from the beginning, restoring all the stages of the providence again in his own lifetime.

When Father accomplishes the foundation to become the center of the dispensation at the world level, then everybody will come to learn more and more about him, and what he did for the world and for God. This foundation can be broadened horizontally until even the last remaining men and women on earth hear about him and accept him as the source and center of the new age. Then the restoration that was left undone at the time of Jesus will be accomplished.

Again, if Christianity had supported the will of God, centering around the coming of the Lord of the Second Advent, then this would easily have been done within seven years and the whole world would have come within the range of the embrace of God. But, when, within seven years' time, Christianity did not come to support Father, the dispensation failed and Father found himself utterly alone in this world of death. If only Christianity had listened to him, understood him, followed and obeyed him, then Father could have taken all the different segments of the foundation for the providence which Christianity had laid -- the family foundation, clan foundation, elder's foundation -- and just put them all together. Do you follow? But as it was, Christianity did not accept and follow him, and all of the historical foundation came to nothing; God could not claim it. And, as we know, this dispensation has been extended from Adam's time, through Jesus' time, and finally to the time of the Second Advent. Each time period is represented by seven years; thus three orderly stages of seven -- 21 years -- is allowed for restoration. What was accomplished at Jesus' time was only fragmentary, and that second time period was left dangling. The third time period itself during the course with Christianity brought failures which had to be overcome. From this emerges the need for and the significance of the three seven-year courses, the 21-year course, within the Unification Church.

Father walks this course in a sensitive way, to restore the many segments of the providence, and to make them into a straight, continuous, paved pathway. He has to make the tradition easy to follow so that everyone following him can go through a formula course to reach the same destination he did. So the Messiah, as a perfected individual, must take his family, and advance through the various stages. When the family moves and works together as one unit centering around God and gains victory at the clan level, then they can inherit the blessing on the clan level. When they progress to the national level, the Messiah and his clan can win the fight on the national level. And when the Messiah wins the victory at this level in the nation of America, which is in the place of the Roman empire, and represents the world, then he will have won the elder's blessing on the world level. In this way, starting out as the second son, he must elevate himself to the position of the elder son and claim it for God. This is the mission of the Messiah.

During his course, the Messiah passes through every stage of the dispensation. The Jewish people, representing the Old Testament era, and the Christian people, representing the New Testament era, all opposed Father, however. And even the nation of America, which has realized the symbolic prototype of heaven on earth, also opposed the advancement of his mission. The final confrontation with this opposition and the culmination of this aspect of Father's mission was the Washington Monument rally. Washington Monument represented the peak of opposition. And Father continued even beyond that point to win a symbolic fight against Congress, representing the core of the power of this country. Until September 18, 1976 was a time of spiritual fighting necessary to restore the elder's blessing back to God's side. Father had to become established and recognized by God as the true elder son. After that time, the period of physical fighting began in which we all witnessed legal actions and confrontations of many kinds. The battle must be won on both the spiritual and physical levels.

Father is victorious as the elder son. He started out as the second-born, but now, he can be the victor not only on the national level, but also on the world level. That means he can be the center; he can go anywhere, and still be the elder brother to everyone. This is how Adam was supposed to be: Adam should have been the elder son, not only of his own family, but of his clan, his nation, and his world. He would have been the elder son everywhere he went. Since the restoration of the true elder son's position is completed, then God is ready to give Father, as the original Adam, all the blessings at all the different levels. He can give the blessing at the family level; He can give the blessing at the clan and national levels; even unto the world level, God is now free to give him blessing. That means that Father can lead our Church family through all these levels, and brothers and sisters can fight to achieve blessing and victory themselves at all these levels as well. This spiritual fight culminated in the Washington Monument rally on September 18, 1976.

Until that time, fallen people could do anything they wanted to with this second son. Father could have no authority. The elder son, representing Satan's dominion, had all the authority. The blessings belonged to him and extended throughout the world. Until the true Adam could reverse the situation and restore the blessing back to God's side, people could bother and persecute him so much, and even drag him into hell. However, when Adam gets victory, he can use the same principle as the satanic elder son did, even drag his older brother out of hell, and bring him back to the side of goodness. This is what is supposed to happen. Do you understand?

The fight against Fraser was an example of this. Father's spiritual foundation to restore the elder son's position was already well established, and on this valid and invincible foundation Father could fight confidently; Father knew he could not lose against Fraser. At that point God could recognize that Father had won back the elder son's position and blessing, and Satan could not do anything about it. So Father went ahead and sued Congressman Fraser and sued the New York Times, going against all the powers of injustice. So far Father has been kicked around; but from this time on, it will not be permitted.

Now we can also see some tangible result of these victories. In Korea, many people opposed Father. Everybody knew that the opposition was unwarranted and ridiculous. However, in recent years, those opposing Father all died. They are even dying now, one by one. Ryan, who was next to Fraser in power, also died. In Korea the meaning of what is happening is very obvious. Do you follow this? If this is not true, then nothing is true, and there is no Principle upon which God can operate.

Then Father left America and went to London, staying there exactly six months. Then he went to Korea, and came back. This trip has special significance, because Father was embraced and welcomed in Korea; he received incredible recognition. There was no opposition except from a very few hardcore Christian ministers, and nobody paid any attention to them. So because of this foundation, Father can move from one country to another country without being limited. Satan cannot do anything, because he knows the Principle. Even if he wants to create opposition, he knows now that he cannot fight against Rev. Moon and expect to win. As a result, Father has been preparing many "John the Baptist" nations, not just in America, but in many different parts of the world. We can understand, by reason and by Principle, that this is why, wherever Father goes, he is the legitimate elder son; and as far as God is concerned, there can be no legal or legitimate opposition which is of any consequence.

Then what are Unification Church members? You could say that Unification Church members are the eldest grandchildren of God. We are Father's tribe! And the eldest grandson is entitled to have his own country; he can accomplish at that level, now. Because of the foundation of Father's achievements in the Principle, the only thing the eldest grandson needs to do is to understand and to inherit that foundation. Through Father he can hold his birthright again, and exercise it by restoring his own family, and expanding his territory as a legitimate grandson. In the past, Jesus left only the spiritual victory, and he did not fulfill the physical victory. Then who must actually accomplish that physical victory? Now the task goes to every individual. Every single living individual must come into the realm of true eldest grandson where he is entitled to win back his own blessing and birthright.

Looking back, we can reexamine Jesus' situation. Jesus was not able to become a messiah even to his own clan. He failed to establish his tribal messiahship. Jesus' clan was represented by Joseph's family, in the Abel position, and Zachariah's family, in the Cain position. Beginning in the position of the second-born, Jesus had to restore his position as elder son by uniting with John the Baptist and winning Zachariah's family. Then he could have returned home to Joseph's family on this victorious foundation and inherited the blessing of the elder son's position in his own home. In this way Jesus should have brought Joseph's and Zachariah's families into unity and harmonized them. Then automatically Jesus could have stood as the center and messiah of his own clan, and would have been elevated into the position of true parents of the clan level. He would no longer have needed to witness to anything. The elder's birthright and blessing would then have been restored to God's side, and the will of God would have been completed on the clan level.

As history witnesses, Jesus could not fulfill in this way. He failed to accomplish that part of his mission. Our mission is based on our responsibility to restore Jesus' failure. Father has given members that authority, so our work has this vertical significance. But we are deployed by Father horizontally, and because of Father's foundation, he can deploy us any way he chooses. Father can restore the right to everyone in the Unification Church to become the head of his clan and even establish his own country. He has given us the privilege to become tribal messiahs. We have a much better position than what Jesus himself had, because we have already won the spiritual foundation on which we only need to gather the physical reality. If we have anything less than Jesus' position, we cannot enter heaven. This is why we renounce everything in this world and just connect ourselves to Father's foundation and blessing. Through Father we inherit the position of the victorious Jesus, of Jesus who fulfilled his mission. Then Father can deploy us, with his permission and authority, to restore our own clans, everywhere throughout the world, with no exceptions.

That leaves us a concrete area, with concrete work to do. We are exactly in Jesus' situation; so what should you do? You have to find the home which is equivalent to Zachariah's, and try to restore the elder son's position in relationship to them. Then you have to restore Joseph's family, which is your own physical family, and bring them into harmony with Zachariah's family. In the Principle, in order to restore the clan, you have to win over the Cain family and then win over the Abel family, both, and bring them into unity. Then you can be the center and messiah of your own clan. After you complete that, in fact, you are no longer just a messiah; you are true parents to your clan. Do you follow? And when you actually achieve that, then you will suddenly find yourself thrust into a larger, Abel-type realm, in the national position. At that point, restoring the nation on your own power will become easy. You will want to achieve this because it will be within your power to do it.

What Father is giving you is this very ground: the home church. You must go to the home church, and restore your own Cain and Abel clans, becoming a true master. Father is giving you the permission to do this, so you are going with the authority of God Himself and the authority of the True Parents. And why now, at this time? Because now God and True Parents have established the solid condition on which anybody can do it. Since Father has already won that foundation, he is now saying to you, "Go, and achieve your own clan; become the messiah and true parents to your own clan." This is what Father is assigning you to do in home church.

As a result of these solid achievements, our opponents are losing their ground more and more; they are losing what little ground they have had so far. People cannot continue to oppose you any longer. If you sit tight, like a sitting duck, and you let them oppose you, well, then, they will go on and on opposing you, because they have no reason to stop. But when you go and demand an explanation of why they are bothering you, why they are opposing you, and what is wrong with you that they have to oppose you; when you protest like that, and the people around you judge the situation based on what you have said and done, then they won't be able to oppose you any longer. If you only sit tight, however, they will keep on opposing you. So from now on, keep a modest and humble attitude, but go ahead and protest to them, "Why do you oppose me? What wrong have I done?" Then you will gain your force and ground and you will become stronger.

So far we have had to put up with opposition. But now that Father has established these historical conditions, we don't have to put up with it any longer. This is why Father is now saying, for the first time, not to sit tight any longer, but to confront your opponents. Go to your minister or to the newspaper or to the television station and demand an explanation. Ask why the reports about you and the organization you represent were false and misleading. Demand to know on what grounds they could report such things. Then if you find any real wrongdoing on their part, go ahead and sue them with the help of a good lawyer. Is it true that you are right, and they are wrong? If so, then go ahead.

What will happen as a result? Everyone has taken it for granted that the Unification Church is a target of persecution, so our resistance may create some confusion at first. But soon people will become afraid to bother us, because when they harass us, they will be proven wrong. Everyone, including the judges involved, knows that they are wrong. And we know why. We know clearly that we must become the messiah of our own clan; we must pick up and restore the unaccomplished mission of Jesus. Since the spiritual foundation is accomplished, we only need to apply it to physical restoration. That is the nature and significance of home church.

Father's history involved the restoration of the three different providential ages. In each age, a different type of sacrificial offering, representing the restoration of heaven and earth, was made at the altar of God. The Old Testament age offering was material; the New Testament age, the offering of life; and the Completed Testament age, the offering of love, of the heart. True Parents have accomplished these conditional offerings on every level, from the individual to the world level. Every follower, every grandson, should do the same thing. But that would be impossible, physically, and it doesn't need to be done, because the Parents have taken all the responsibility. As long as the children just follow the pattern, the Parents will regard that as a condition, and God will accept it. It is easier for you, since the Messiah has already paved the way. We only need to follow Father's way in that small area of 360 homes. Home church represents a condensation of his course. Symbolically, the 360 home area has everything in it; not only does it contain the entire earth, but also the element of man. That number 360 symbolizes earth and man. It means not only the 360 degrees of all space, but also the 360 days in the year of the lunar calendar. Thus both time and space are represented in your area by the number 360, representing the entire earth and all mankind.

The number 360 is inclusive of all the significant numbers: one, which is God; and two, three and four -- 72; seven, especially; there's no number which is left out of 360. Up until now, as Father has told you, individual salvation has been the goal. But from now on, God can deal with salvation in mass. Even you are not dealing with just your individual selves any longer; you are dealing with the family unit, and the clan unit that you are restoring in home church. Once this is done, then the entire nation can come into salvation, as well. Jesus failed to secure 12 disciples and 72 elders. If Jesus had had this minimum number of 84 to be his fence, his barrier against satanic invasion, then he would not have had to give up his life. It is your destiny to restore this number in the place of Jesus. Within your seven-year course, you must bring in one person every month. Then you will have your 84. If the Unification Church overall had enough members to cover 84 disciples for every individual member, then you would not even have to do home church. You would already have the necessary foundation to go directly back to your own homes and witness to your relatives.

Once the fall occurred, restoration could not begin in one's own home. Instead, historically, the central person of God's dispensation had to leave his native land and go to restore these numbers. Only then could he come back. Real restoration would begin when he could return home after having inherited the elder son's blessing and birthright back to God's side. Therefore, in all religious endeavor, you have to leave your native place, just as Jesus and Buddha did. The path of religion always leads out and away from your home. This is why.

Let us take Father's own physical family as an example. Father has never given a Divine Principle lecture to his own mother, or brothers and sisters. Father had to leave his home and restore all these providential numbers. Only then could he go back to his native country. Then Father could, for the first time, give Divine Principle lectures and restore his own family and clan. So Father went back and had a glorious homecoming in Korea. And he performed a very important ceremony on November 2, 1978. In that ceremony, Father witnessed to his own clan.

What significance does this have? Let's take a look at the spirit world, the real, substantial spirit world, as it is. The spirit world is divided into many societies, and even nations, greater in number than what we find in our physical world. Each society is isolated from all the others; there are rigid walls between them. You cannot simply go from one neighbor to another, because the people there won't permit each other to come across the boundaries. The spirit world is just like the physical world in this respect. On earth you have to have a passport, and go through very rigid processing for every country you go to. In spirit world, the processing is even more severe.

Divisions exist according to religion, as well. Different religions and their denominations have been separated by walls and isolated from each other. Then, what Father did specifically was to establish the condition to bring these various denominations and religions together. He brought all the many little branches, or tributaries, of religion into conjunction with the mainstream religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, and so forth. Then he connected these to the central religion, Unification Church. Father has to establish the conditions on earth to liberate the spirit world, and break down the walls which have existed there.

Father also has to liberate the many clans in spirit world by breaking down the barriers between them and bringing them into harmony as well. Then people can travel among all the clans without any passports or processing. Restoration must be done in this order: religions in the spirit world must be brought into unity before clan wars can be successfully done away with. Just as in the case with religion, where the "mainstream" religion, Unification Church and all the other tributary or "side-stream" religions have to come into harmony with each other, Father had to unite his own family, as the "mainstream" clan, with all the tributary or "side-stream" clans and bring them into harmony. When they can all come together without conflict, then all the barriers and fences in spirit world can be done away with. Father establishes this foundation and sets the condition, and when God approves, then it is done.

As a result, all the ancient walls in spirit world that have separated one section from another for thousands of years are finally crumbling. What does that mean to us? Previously, whenever any of our ancestors were supposed to come to the earth plane to help us, they had to go through all sorts of administrative processing and so forth. It would be almost impossible for them to come. However, since barriers in the spirit world have been broken down, people there have come to know what the Unification Church means and what is right and wrong in the true sense; and it is easier for them to descend to help us. From now on, when people on earth continue to oppose us, they will be pressured by good spirits more and more. Soon they will not be able to oppose us very much at all because the spirit world will work against them and interfere with their efforts to disrupt Unification Church activities. The earth is Adam's position; and the spirit world is the archangel's position. The earth itself used to be divided between Adam's and the archangel's dominion, but no longer. Now the entire spirit world has been subjugated by the true Adam, and has succumbed to him. The whole earth has become victorious. Not only can just the good part of spirit world help the earth; now the entire spirit world-anyone, anywhere-can come directly down to earth, especially our ancestors.

Let's take an example. If you have 360 homes in a town in Florida, then all the spirits which once used to live in this Florida town when they were on earth, the spirits of all their relations, as well as the ancestors of people currently residing there, can all come down at the same time to assist you. One day, you won't even have to go back to your own hometown. In one given area, so many spirits will come down to help you that it would be the same as, or just as easy as, going to your own hometown where all of your own ancestors would descend to help. Spirits will be able to descend on the basis of such "land affiliation." What is happening, actually, is that when we work on the clan level in home church, the entire clan of anyone connected to you, or to the past or present residents there, can pour down into the area and give their full support. Based on any connection they can find with you or anyone in the neighborhood, spirits can help. For example, if you are Catholic, then all the Catholic spirits can come down and help. If there is one Buddhist, then all the Buddhist spirits can come down, not only his own ancestors. If a Buddhist temple was in that area, and later it was used as a Christian church, then both Buddhist and Christian spirits can all come, because that's the way they connect. Home church is the altar where we provide the offering. It is the altar where virtually everyone and everything can come and be connected to your offering.

You have inherited the right to do home church. You should not begin with a high posture. You should start out as a servant of servants. You can elevate yourselves to the position of servant when there is someone else to take your place. You can be elevated to the position of adopted son when somebody is willing to take your servant's role, and so forth. As a messiah of that area you are responsible to restore everybody. Therefore you have to start out from the lowest possible place and work yourself up. You do not go as any kind of prince or princess, but rather as a servant of servants.

Jesus was such an obvious example. He washed his disciples' feet, and told everyone following him that they should do the same. Regard yourself as a trashcan, centering on love. Make yourself available as a trashcan so that everybody can dump their garbage into you. You should not refuse that. When you go to someone's home, and the baby wets his diaper, don't shy away because it's smelly. But go there, wash and change the diaper yourself, and although you never had a child of your own, think that this is your own child. When you go to a home that has a dirty area, then go there and clean it, just as if it were your own home. In fact, do an even better job, because you have to make a heaven out of that place also. Eventually, there is bound to be someone who will insist on doing all these things for you. Then you will be elevated one more step. Go to your home church with that heart. Practice and train yourself in this way. Then when you go there, everybody will come and welcome you. They will want to follow you just as you want to follow Father. When Father went to England, all of us wanted to go to England, too, didn't we? And when Father returned to America, then everybody in England missed him. If you have some especially nice food, you might want to give it to Father before eating it yourself. Your followers will feel exactly the same way toward you. There's no part of this that Father hasn't experienced. He knows exactly what way you are going to go.

People in spirit world would like to have a foundation so that they can always come back to earth whenever they wish. This is why the spirit world is so busy. Everyone there is trying to create his own foundation for resurrection. To accomplish this, spirit men have to help you to build your foundation on earth. When you open up the way to victory, spirit men will share that benefit with you. But you have to master them. You need to follow only one principle. You have to feel the need to accomplish God's will more acutely and desperately, and work harder than they ever did. You must never yield your standard. Perhaps one man who once lived in your area was very loyal to Heaven, even more than you. You absolutely cannot allow that to happen. No one should be able to compete with your standard of loyalty to Heaven. That's the iron rule. If you are outdone by any person who is alive or in spirit world, then you have no place to stand. This is why Father determined to do more than any soul, living or dead, for the sake of America. He determined to love America more than anybody, and he did just that. Whenever you hear about somebody who did more to save America or the world than you did, then you simply must catch up to him and then exceed his standard.

If someone from your area who went to spirit world was more loyal to Heaven than you, and you just say that it is all right, then that spirit man won't come down to help you. He has no reason to come down, because he cannot gain any new merit through you. You will not be able to achieve anything at all in your area, that way. Whether you eat or sleep is a secondary matter; you can even forget about it. Your sole concern should be to outdo any patriot or saint, living or in spirit world, among your 360 homes. If you are determined to do that, then Father guarantees you that nobody will starve. When you reach that superior level, then you can command any spirit that is connected with your area. You can summon them and tell them what you are going to do, and ask them to help you do it. On such a foundation, they will help you.

Sooner or later, you will leave this earth, and go to spirit world. Wouldn't you like to be able to come back to earth? Would you want to have to come through someone else? How would you like to come? You would rather have your own home, wouldn't you, instead of borrowing someone else's home. It's just like a bird and its nest: you are the bird, and you are going to build a nest. If you are a big bird and have a big nest, then you can go anywhere in the world and always come back when you want to. You can travel very far distances. However if you are just a small bird and have only a small nest, then you can only fly a few hundred miles away, and then you have to come back. The size of the home, or foundation, you make here on earth will determine the extent of your freedom in the spirit world.

Let's say your home church work is not so effective, so you decide just to go somewhere and get a job. That's fine, but eventually you will have to come back to the home church and start it all over again. In home church your investment will remain, whereas elsewhere, it will all flow away. Home church is like a launching pad at Cape Kennedy. You are going to launch yourselves straight to heaven. When you launch yourselves, will you be victorious and ready for takeoff? Do you have such determination and confidence, or are you wondering how you will accomplish it?

Home church is more precious than your own wife, than your own daughter, than anything. It is most precious. Your wife and your daughter are precious only after home church, in that order. This is the Principle. Is it consistent and reasonable to you? [Yes.] We only need to feel that even such a "fantasy," as some people would call it, overlaps perfectly with reality. How fantastic this is! It is a combination of so many religious ideals. If we fail to do home church, then we will really become miserable people. We will be destined then to have to move from one place to another, going through unnecessary persecution, and we will have to start all over again at another time. So we really must do home church. We have to establish this good ground in home church, rather than any place else, for God and for the future.

After you are successful in home church, you will go back to your own hometown. Automatically your clan will assemble to welcome you. You won't have to witness or do anything then, as you do now, because when you go back, you won't be in the same position as you are now. You will return as the Abel who subjugated Cain through love. Then wherever you go, you will be in the position of restored Abel. Everyone will welcome you; no one will oppose you -- not even Satan. And before you go to spirit world, you have to have a big reunion and feast with your own family and clan. You will rejoice, thanking God for all His blessings. Only after such a celebration has taken place will you really be free to die and go to heaven in the spirit world.

After the third seven-year course Father will go back to Korea and the people there will absolutely receive him with joy. Those who continue to reject him will perish from the force of the dispensation. At that time, nothing more will need to be done. Everything will be finished and Father will still be living. Father will have been living in heaven on earth at the end of the third seven-year course.

Father has set you right at the starting point. But you have an option. You don't have to remain as just the messiah of your clan; you can become the messiah of a nation. The effect of that will be to encourage you to become a messiah of the world. When you become successful in your 360 homes, you can send your people out to the world to set up their own home churches. They will prosper, and breed a third generation. This way, you will become the ancestor of as broad a domain as you please. Soon, when Father has confidence that you are doing well in your home church, he will allow you to counsel and supervise your own members' home church work. How much responsibility would you like to take?

If you can't do it within 3 1/2 years' time, then other people who really want to do home church will just come into your area and start witnessing. You will be deprived of your area and have to go some place else. There is really no way to get around home church.

Just imagine! is this really true? Will we realize heaven on earth, or not? It is even mathematical; you can work it out. If there are two million people, and each person has 360 homes, then that covers the last man on earth. It only takes two million people. Do you think this is difficult. or can this be done?

Yes, all of this is true. Father did it, and Father knows it better than anybody. Father also knows better than you that this is a dream-like thing. But you wait and see: it will come to pass. We had better do it. Now we know what Father is like. He is fearful, in a way. Father could figure this out, accomplish it, explain it to you, and give you proof. When we realize what kind of person Father is, we must receive some awakening power. And you know for sure. So you must understand home church clearly and perform the task.

11.27.78, Boston