Month: October 2018

God Called Elijah, the Peasant

2 Samuel 20

20 Joab answered, “No, no! I’m not trying to wipe you out or destroy your town! 21 That’s not it at all. There’s a man in your town from the hill country of Ephraim. His name is Sheba, and he is the leader of a rebellion against King David. Turn him over to me, and we will leave your town alone.”

The woman told Joab, “We will throw his head over the wall.”

22 She went to the people of the town and talked them into doing it. They cut off Sheba’s head and threw it to Joab.

Joab blew a signal on his trumpet, and the soldiers returned to their homes. Joab went back to David in Jerusalem.

Richard:  No one appreciates a troublemaker.  Sometimes, though, according to God’s Will, it is good to make trouble, as in opposing something that is wrong.

Job 22

23 If you return to God
and turn from sin,
    all will go well for you.

Click below to listen to or download a recording of Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s speech “God’s Ideal Family Is the Model for World Peace”, the inaugural message of the Universal Peace Federation on September 23, 2005 at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel in Washington DC. Rev. Moon speaks extensively about the Peace Kingdom Corps.:
http://visionroot.org/assets/SMM%20UPF%2009-23-05-combined.mp3

The Heart of Heaven in Relation to Elijah

Sun Myung Moon
March 15, 1959

1 Kings 19: 1-21

Looking at the pitiable situation, God sought out and set up a person called Elijah from the peasants living in Gilead. At that time, there was a king of Israel as well as the ten tribal chiefs. However, God put them all aside and elected Elijah, who was a mere peasant in Gilead. You must know how sorrowful a fact like this is.

The king of Israel should have stood guard over the holy temple of Heaven while ruling the nation. However, he forgot that responsibility. He rejected and reproached Heaven and trampled upon the people. Furthermore, he built an altar for Baal, the enemy of Heaven, and made Asherah poles. He put them up in front of the people and worshipped them. We must think about how Heaven could have hated King Ahab for doing such things. Because God could not control the anger and sorrow in His heart at seeing the chosen people being trampled by Satan, God chose one person. That chosen person was not the king of the nation, not royalty, not a tribal chief, but a commoner, Elijah. Heavenly Father was in the situation where He could not find the person He had to find, He could not have the person He had to have, He could not lead the people He had to lead. He went around looking for them, meeting the king, the tribal chiefs and numerous people without success. Therefore, He sought out and set up one person who knew and felt concern about the national grief and heavenly sorrow of that period, a person who prayed and cried out to Heaven. That person was Elijah. Continue reading “God Called Elijah, the Peasant”

King Solomon Should Have Upheld the Will of Heaven

Click below to listen to or download a recording of Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s speech “God’s Ideal Family Is the Model for World Peace”, the inaugural message of the Universal Peace Federation on September 23, 2005 at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel in Washington DC. Rev. Moon speaks extensively about the Peace Kingdom Corps.:
http://visionroot.org/assets/SMM%20UPF%2009-23-05-combined.mp3

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1977

You should all love Korea. God’s pur-
pose in raising Korea should be fulfilled
and Korea should become our home-
land. In the future, the entire Korean
peninsula should become a holy ground.
Shouldn’t we recover the Liaotung penin-
sula in Manchuria that used to be Kore-
an territory? The people of Israel sold
Jesus and then recovered their nation.
Then do you believe that I, who live with
the title of returning Lord, would not be
able to recover our native land? Even if
the Soviet Union were to obstruct my
way, I would push right through it. I
think we should enter negotiations to
recover parts of our native land which
belonged to us during the former Sung
dynasty and which was taken away by
the Soviet Union. (168-49, 1987.8.30)

Richard:  It is possible to regain sovereignty through negotiation, as Rev. Moon points out here.

Thirty thousand couples from 131
nations received the Blessing even
though they had only just been matched
by photograph. This was a historic event.
Could the pope bring this about? Could
the president of the United States do this
kind of thing? It was not I who wished to
do this, but you. You asked me, “Please,
Father, do this for us!” Now that I have
matched you, do you think the couples
suit each other well, or not? The whole
world knows that I carry out the match-
ing using photographs only. The mem-
bers of the Unification Church are intel-
ligent, and that is why they have left the
matching up to me. I do not think I will
do it from next time.

Richard:  It is destiny for all couples to eventually decide to receive the Blessing:  http://www.visionroot.org/resources/marriage/.

The Heart of Heaven in Relation to Elijah

Sun Myung Moon
March 15, 1959

1 Kings 19: 1-21

After fallen history began, God came forth, holding onto the chosen Israel for a long time, unconcerned about His own great toil. After the lapse of three thousand years, He established King Saul with great hope and expectation. Because Saul could not fulfill his responsibility, however, the original will of God was prolonged through King David to the time of King Solomon. In other words, the will God wanted to realize by establishing Saul was prolonged 120 years.

King Solomon had a heavenly responsibility to build the holy temple by upholding the will of Heaven and to unite his people with it through his leadership. However, we understand that since he too committed sin, he ended up handing the people over to become puppets of Satan.

After King Solomon’s death, the Israelites were divided into the kingdoms of northern Israel and southern Judah by King Jeroboam and King Rehoboam. The Israelites were the chosen people. With one leader centered upon God, they were to act according to his commands. They were the people God had led through a history of toil. We know the sorrowful fact very well that the Israelites were divided into the two kingdoms of north and south, contrary to Heaven’s wish. All twelve tribes of Israel should have united with Heaven centered on one altar, standing on Heaven’s side. Continue reading “King Solomon Should Have Upheld the Will of Heaven”

Follow the Right Way Centered on Your Conscience

Click below to listen to or download a recording of Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s speech “God’s Ideal Family Is the Model for World Peace”, the inaugural message of the Universal Peace Federation on September 23, 2005 at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel in Washington DC. Rev. Moon speaks extensively about the Peace Kingdom Corps.:
http://visionroot.org/assets/SMM%20UPF%2009-23-05-combined.mp3

Deuteronomy 5

23 When fire blazed from the mountain, and you heard the voice coming from the darkness, your tribal leaders came to me 24 and said:

Today the Lord our God has shown us how powerful and glorious he is. He spoke to us from the fire, and we learned that people can live, even though God speaks to them. 25 But we don’t want to take a chance on being killed by that terrible fire, and if we keep on hearing the Lord’s voice, we will die. 26 Has anyone else ever heard the only true God speaking from fire, as we have? And even if they have, would they live to tell about it? 27 Moses, go up close and listen to the Lord. Then come back and tell us, and we will do everything he says.

28 The Lord heard you and said:

Moses, I heard what the people said to you, and I approve. 29 I wish they would always worship me with fear and trembling and be this willing to obey me! Then they and their children would always enjoy a successful life.

30 Now, tell them to return to their tents, 31 but you come back here to me. After I tell you my laws and teachings, you will repeat them to the people, so they can obey these laws in the land I am giving them.

Richard:  We can now have our own relationship with God, Jesus and Rev. Moon.  Aligned with our conscience, we can follow our consceince and God’s teachings.  We don’t need to fear this relationship and direct authority.  It is God’s grace for this age.

Proverbs 20

It isn’t smart to get drunk!
    Drinking makes a fool of you
    and leads to fights.
2 An angry ruler
    is like a roaring lion—
    make either one angry,
    and you are dead.
3 It makes you look good
when you avoid a fight—
    only fools love to quarrel.
4 If you are too lazy to plow,
    don’t expect a harvest.
5 Someone’s thoughts may be
    as deep as the ocean,
    but if you are smart,
    you will discover them.

The Heart of Heaven in Relation to Elijah

Sun Myung Moon
March 15, 1959

1 Kings 19: 1-21

Please look upon the thirty million Korean people with compassion. Bless the numerous religious orders which have appeared on their behalf. It is a time when brother fights against brother. It is a time when family members become enemies to one another, defying heavenly principles and breaking down human ethics and morality. It is a time when people calling on Heaven play sport with people who also call on Heaven and strive more than hungry lions to catch and eat them. It is the time when he who knows the sorrow of Heaven and looks at this reality must weep bitterly and sigh for grief.

Father, please look with compassion at the pitiful, ignorant people. Although they wander about seeking the true path, that path cannot be walked without tears. Although they wander about seeking the true path to life, the search cannot help being continued day and night since the thirty million Korean people are ignorant. Who is responsible for the fate of these people? Who feels and experiences the sorrow of Heaven on behalf of these people? There is no one who will take responsibility for the fate of these people. There is no one who will dissolve the sorrow of Heaven. There is no one who hears the sounds of lamentation and crying from Heaven. If such a person should appear, Heaven’s sorrow would not penetrate deeply into the earth; Heaven’s judgment would fall.

Father, please allow this age today to know the grief of Jesus, who spoke of his sorrowful heart. It is of no use to know Jesus only as a historical figure. The time has come when we must know Jesus of the present time in our environment. Please allow us to be the throng of people who utter a cry only toward Heaven, dead or alive, overwhelmed by the Shim Jung to offer our minds and bodies as sacrifices before that lofty and dignified Shim Jung, before that love. We know that this throng of people is to be hounded on this earth and forsaken by the religious order. I wish and desire that You will allow Your sons and daughters gathered here to become the throng of people who can defend their position to the death. Continue reading “Follow the Right Way Centered on Your Conscience”

We Must Go Up Golgotha Carrying the Cross on Our Back

Click below to listen to or download a recording of Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s speech “God’s Ideal Family Is the Model for World Peace”, the inaugural message of the Universal Peace Federation on September 23, 2005 at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel in Washington DC. Rev. Moon speaks extensively about the Peace Kingdom Corps.:
http://visionroot.org/assets/SMM%20UPF%2009-23-05-combined.mp3

Cheon Seong Gyeong 2286

On God’s Day, God wants human-
ity to fulfill the perfection of His true
love. To do this, humankind needs to
stand in the position of the perfect-
ed object before the perfected Subject.
The True Parents stand in this position.
God needs to be liberated by true love.
Through whom is this to be achieved? It
is through the True Parents. Knowing
this, I am able to liberate Him. Just as
I, taking the position of minus, attained
oneness with God as the Subject part-
ner, you too should also occupy the
minus position and attain oneness sub-
stantially, with the True Parents in the
plus position. You will thereby become
free to advance to the position of one-
ness with God. Such is the way of the
principle of re-creation. (275-333, 1996.1.1)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1251

The reason people need to get mar-
ried is so they can relate to the love of
God. In other words, a man and woman
cannot fully connect to the love of God
if they are not married. When a man
and woman get married, the love of God
resides with them, and they become one
centering on this love. Then, God can
bequeath to them the whole universe,
including God Himself, His love, and
everything that belongs to Him. (135-327,
1985.12.15)

The Heart of Heaven in Relation to Elijah

Sun Myung Moon
March 15, 1959

1 Kings 19: 1-21

Prayer

We are aware that numerous people on this earth have gone through a path of toil and have undergone a fight of blood and tears for the sake of the will. Today, we know that we must be the fruit of that blood in front of Heaven. We know that we must hoist the flag of victory on the base of the providence that remains. In this hour today, please allow us not to think we belong to ourselves. Since our minds are not ours, our lives are not ours, and the desire we cherish is not ours, please allow us not to relate to Heaven with self-centered minds. Since we began as the Father’s, Father, I pray deeply that You will allow this to be the hour when we belong only to You.

Our minds, our bodies, and our doctrines and assertions must all belong to the Father. Therefore, please do not tolerate the things that are not of You. If there are elements of evil in our minds and bodies, please eliminate them. By eliminating all doctrines and assertions that are not Yours, Father, I sincerely wish and desire that You will allow this to be the hour when we can move only in accord with what belongs to the Father.

Who can stand against Heaven, however great he may be on this earth? No one can appear before the Father with any excuses. Therefore, we realize that the time has come when we must repent from the heart, for we are steeped in sinful history. We have become offerings for Satan because of the sin and evil of history.

Father, although our minds and bodies should have been our own, they became offerings to Satan instead. Please allow us to revive the minds within us that can grieve over this. Please create contrite hearts that regard this matter with great indignation. Father, I ardently wish and desire that You will allow us to form ties with Heaven by being awakened to our worth and by rediscovering ourselves. Continue reading “We Must Go Up Golgotha Carrying the Cross on Our Back”

The Father Longs for the One Who Can Render Devoted Service to Him

Acts 3

14 You rejected Jesus, who was holy and good. You asked for a murderer to be set free, 15 and you killed the one who leads people to life. But God raised him from death, and all of us can tell you what he has done. 16 You see this man, and you know him. He put his faith in the name of Jesus and was made strong. Faith in Jesus made this man completely well while everyone was watching.

Richard:  Do not reject Jesus at His Second Coming.

Lamentations 1

Don’t let their evil deeds
    escape your sight.
Punish them as much
as you have punished me
    because of my sins.
I never stop groaning—
    I’ve lost all hope!

The Heart of Heaven in Relation to Elijah

Sun Myung Moon
March 15, 1959

1 Kings 19: 1-21

19 Ahab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah had done and that he had killed the prophets. 2 She sent a message to Elijah: “You killed my prophets. Now I’m going to kill you! I pray that the gods will punish me even more severely if I don’t do it by this time tomorrow.”

3 Elijah was afraid when he got her message, and he ran to the town of Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4 then walked another whole day into the desert. Finally, he came to a large bush and sat down in its shade. He begged the Lord, “I’ve had enough. Just let me die! I’m no better off than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down in the shade and fell asleep.

Suddenly an angel woke him up and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 Elijah looked around, and by his head was a jar of water and some baked bread. He sat up, ate and drank, then lay down and went back to sleep.

7 Soon the Lord’s angel woke him again and said, “Get up and eat, or else you’ll get too tired to travel.” 8 So Elijah sat up and ate and drank.

The food and water made him strong enough to walk forty more days. At last, he reached Mount Sinai,[a] the mountain of God, 9 and he spent the night there in a cave.

While Elijah was on Mount Sinai, the Lord asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”

10 He answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I’ve always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”

11 “Go out and stand on the mountain,” the Lord replied. “I want you to see me when I pass by.”

All at once, a strong wind shook the mountain and shattered the rocks. But the Lord was not in the wind. Next, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 Then there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

Finally, there was a gentle breeze,[b] 13 and when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.

The Lord[c] asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”

14 Elijah answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I’ve always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”

15 The Lord said:

Elijah, you can go back to the desert near Damascus. And when you get there, appoint[d] Hazael to be king of Syria. 16 Then appoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat[e] to take your place as my prophet.

17 Hazael will start killing the people who worship Baal. Jehu will kill those who escape from Hazael, and Elisha will kill those who escape from Jehu.

18 But seven thousand Israelites have refused to worship Baal, and they will live.

19 Elijah left and found Elisha plowing a field with a pair of oxen. There were eleven other men in front of him, and each one was also plowing with a pair of oxen. Elijah went over and put his own coat on Elisha.[f]

20 Elisha stopped plowing and ran after him. “Let me kiss my parents good-by, then I’ll go with you,” he said.

“You can go,” Elijah said. “But remember what I’ve done for you.”

21 Elisha left and took his oxen with him. He killed them and boiled them over a fire he had made with the wood from his plow. He gave the meat to the people who were with him, and they ate it. Then he left with Elijah and became his assistant.

Prayer

Upon this day You have given, we have gathered before Your dignified presence on our knees, concerned about our insufficiency. Please allow us to fathom our hearts now to see where they are. We are aware that Your course in pioneering the path of life was one of utmost austerity and consecration.

Father, please look with compassion at Your sons and daughters gathered here. I sincerely wish and desire that You will please manifest Your dignified presence. By our setting up the standard of victory You have granted, acknowledge us as the sacred throng, and come visit us.

The remaining course of the providence is one of sorrow. We are aware that the responsibility to hold this sorrow in check is upon our shoulders. We also know that he who cannot feel Heaven’s limitless sorrow will not be able to assume responsibility for it. Since we are aware that we cannot help assuming the responsibility for the sorrowful heart that remains in Heaven and for Heaven’s battles, please allow us to know how. Continue reading “The Father Longs for the One Who Can Render Devoted Service to Him”