Those Who Rule Without Authority Will Lose Their Authority

Zecheriah 6

Then he explained, “These are the four winds[a] of heaven, and now they are going out, after presenting themselves to the Lord of all the earth. The chariot with black horses goes toward the north, the chariot with white horses goes toward the west,[b] and the one with spotted horses goes toward the south.”

The horses came out eager to patrol the earth, and the angel told them, “Start patrolling the earth.”

When they had gone on their way, he shouted to me, “Those that have gone to the country in the north will do what the Lord’s Spirit[c] wants them to do there.”

Isaiah 22

The Lord All-Powerful is sending you with this message for Shebna, the prime minister:

16 Shebna, what gives you the right to have a tomb carved out of rock in this burial place of royalty? None of your relatives are buried here. 17 You may be powerful, but the Lord is about to snatch you up and throw you away. 18 He will roll you into a ball and throw you into a wide open country, where you will die and your chariots will be destroyed. You’re a disgrace to those you serve.

19 The Lord is going to take away your job! 20-21 He will give your official robes and your authority to his servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

Richard:  Those who rule without authority will lose their authority.

Let Us Follow the Way of Jesus

Sun Myung Moon
April 26, 1959

Matthew 7:1-20

Prayer

Father! After receiving the word, we have come to yearn for the image of Jesus of two thousand years ago. A turbulent world and self-centered people lay before Jesus as he tried to convey the word. We realize that as he gazed at them, infinite sadness flowed from his heart.

Jesus was looking at the situation where the Jewish church was not only suffering from factional strife; its members were also fighting among themselves. As we reflect on the characteristics of the age, people boasting of themselves, hiding their faults and exposing others’ defects, we can see how intensely woeful the heart of Jesus must have been as he carried the responsibility for the world and the age.

We can imagine the heart of Jesus, who nevertheless said, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) Although it was the nation, church and individual who were to ask, seek and knock, since they were not doing so, Jesus had to ask, seek and knock in their place. Father! This was a woeful thing. Continue reading “Those Who Rule Without Authority Will Lose Their Authority”

An End is Brought to the History of War and Struggle

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1972

The earth consists of land and ocean.
We see that the ocean has played a
motherly role, beginning with the birth
of the simplest forms of life. The ocean
symbolizes femininity because it nur-
tures and embraces life, while land can
be said to symbolize masculinity. For
this reason, the island nations located
in the ocean are countries that represent
the woman, and the peninsular nations
adjacent to the continental nations are
countries that represent the man. The
people of peninsular nations in par-
ticular have a toughness and intrepid-
ness that come from a life of preparing
against enemies, both from the conti-
nent and the sea. Furthermore, owing to
their pioneering, adventurous and pro-
gressive disposition, the people of pen-
insular nations brought forth a brilliant
culture and disseminated it to the world.
(279-208, 1996.8.20)

Richard:  Those who know the teachings of Sun Myung Moon need to desseminate this brilliant culture to the rest of the world.  Check out our practical projects at www.visionroot.org.

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1187

The Ceremony of the Settlement of
the Eight Stages signifies that the histor-
ical course of vertical indemnity and the
course of horizontal indemnity that went
through the stages of individual, family,
people, nation, and the world. That is the
vertical and horizontal courses consist-
ing of eight stages are completed. Due
to this, the right of eldest son has been
restored, and the course of indemnity for
all humanity is abolished. That is what
I have done by holding this ceremony.
The right of the eldest son is restored; the
Parents are embracing all humankind.
Thus, an end is brought to the history
of war and struggle that was necessary
in order for the right of the eldest son to
be restored in the realm of parental love.
The time has come when indemnity is
not needed and we can reach harmony
in love. In order to achieve this, I had to
hold the Ceremony of the Settlement of
the Eight Stages. By holding this cere-
mony, the Parents forgave both the elder
and the younger son, so that next we can
enter the age of the realm of forgiveness
for the fallen parents. (193-173, 1989.10.3)

Richard:  If we spread the teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, then we can end the perverse cylcle of war and conflict:  “Thus, an end is brought to the history of war and struggle that was necessary
in order for the right of the eldest son to
be restored in the realm of parental love.
The time has come when indemnity is
not needed and we can reach harmony
in love.”

 

Let Us Follow the Way of Jesus

Sun Myung Moon
April 26, 1959

Matthew 7:1-20

Prayer

Father, among Your sons and daughters gathered here, is there someone who has the glorious qualification to meet You directly because of his eager heart of yearning for You? Is there someone who is trying to bow to You as a living sacrifice, inspired by the heavenly heart that serves You?

Is there someone whose praiseworthy and tearful heart challenges the path of death and infinitely resonates with the heavenly Shim Jung and turns into a movement of life? Is there one who seeks to hold a gathering of peace? We know that if such a heart is absent in us, You will be sad, our hearts will be sad, and today’s meeting will end in sorrow.

Father! Please reveal Yourself here in glory. Come to us as our personal Master. If there is someone who has felt Your grace, open his heart and inject Your hope again. Many lives are captured by the power of darkness and are moaning in the world of death. Father, we eagerly hope and desire that You will remake them by bringing the life and authority of resurrection. Continue reading “An End is Brought to the History of War and Struggle”

Salvation is For All People

Acts 10

One afternoon at about three o’clock,[a] Cornelius had a vision. He saw an angel from God coming to him and calling him by name. Cornelius was surprised and stared at the angel. Then he asked, “What is this all about?”

The angel answered, “God has heard your prayers and knows about your gifts to the poor. Now send some men to Joppa for a man named Simon Peter. He is visiting with Simon the leather maker, who lives in a house near the sea.” After saying this, the angel left.

Cornelius called in two of his servants and one of his soldiers who worshiped God. He explained everything to them and sent them off to Joppa.

The next day about noon these men were coming near Joppa. Peter went up on the roof[b] of the house to pray 10 and became very hungry. While the food was being prepared, he fell sound asleep and had a vision. 11 He saw heaven open, and something came down like a huge sheet held up by its four corners. 12 In it were all kinds of animals, snakes, and birds. 13 A voice said to him, “Peter, get up! Kill these and eat them.”

14 But Peter said, “Lord, I can’t do that! I’ve never eaten anything that is unclean and not fit to eat.”[c]

15 The voice spoke to him again, “When God says that something can be used for food, don’t say it isn’t fit to eat.”

16 This happened three times before the sheet was suddenly taken back to heaven.

17 Peter was still wondering what all of this meant, when the men sent by Cornelius came and stood at the gate. They had found their way to Simon’s house 18 and were asking if Simon Peter was staying there.

19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three[d] men are here looking for you. 20 Hurry down and go with them. Don’t worry, I sent them.”

21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”

22 They answered, “Captain Cornelius sent us. He is a good man who worships God and is liked by the Jewish people. One of God’s holy angels told Cornelius to send for you, so he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Peter invited them to spend the night.

The next morning, Peter and some of the Lord’s followers in Joppa left with the men who had come from Cornelius. 24 The next day they arrived in Caesarea where Cornelius was waiting for them. He had also invited his relatives and close friends.

25 When Peter arrived, Cornelius greeted him. Then he knelt at Peter’s feet and started worshiping him. 26 But Peter took hold of him and said, “Stand up! I am nothing more than a human.”

27 As Peter entered the house, he was still talking with Cornelius. Many people were there, 28 and Peter said to them, “You know that we Jews are not allowed to have anything to do with other people. But God has shown me that he doesn’t think anyone is unclean or unfit. 29 I agreed to come here, but I want to know why you sent for me.”

30 Cornelius answered:

Four days ago at about three o’clock in the afternoon I was praying at home. Suddenly a man in bright clothes stood in front of me. 31 He said, “Cornelius, God has heard your prayers, and he knows about your gifts to the poor. 32 Now send to Joppa for Simon Peter. He is visiting in the home of Simon the leather maker, who lives near the sea.”

33 I sent for you right away, and you have been good enough to come. All of us are here in the presence of the Lord God, so that we can hear what he has to say.

34 Peter then said:

Now I am certain that God treats all people alike. 35 God is pleased with everyone who worships him and does right, no matter what nation they come from. 36 This is the same message that God gave to the people of Israel, when he sent Jesus Christ, the Lord of all, to offer peace to them.

37 You surely know what happened[e] everywhere in Judea. It all began in Galilee after John had told everyone to be baptized. 38 God gave the Holy Spirit and power to Jesus from Nazareth. He was with Jesus, as he went around doing good and healing everyone who was under the power of the devil. 39 We all saw what Jesus did both in Israel and in the city of Jerusalem.

Jesus was put to death on a cross. 40 But three days later, God raised him to life and let him be seen. 41 Not everyone saw him. He was seen only by us, who ate and drank with him after he was raised from death. We were the ones God chose to tell others about him.

42 God told us to announce clearly to the people that Jesus is the one he has chosen to judge the living and the dead. 43 Every one of the prophets has said that all who have faith in Jesus will have their sins forgiven in his name.

44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit took control of everyone who was listening. 45 Some Jewish followers of the Lord had come with Peter, and they were surprised that the Holy Spirit had been given to Gentiles. 46 Now they were hearing Gentiles speaking unknown languages and praising God.

Peter said, 47 “These Gentiles have been given the Holy Spirit, just as we have! I am certain that no one would dare stop us from baptizing them.” 48 Peter ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and they asked him to stay on for a few days.

Richard:  I take this to mean that God has chosen me and Stacey to spread the New Truth, God’s Word of the Completed Testament and the Blessing of marriage.  Those who are open will understand that there is no need for church structures church of Hak Ja Han, nor Sanctuary Church, nor the movement of Hyun Jin Moon.  Although these are all related to the ‘chosen people’ (the lineage of Rev. Sun Myung Moon), those who do the Will of the Father are those called and chosen, just as Jesus said (Matthew 12: 46-50)

Psalm 72

Do this because the king
rescues the homeless
    when they cry out,
    and he helps everyone
    who is poor and in need.

Let Us Follow the Way of Jesus

Sun Myung Moon
April 26, 1959

Matthew 7:1-20

Prayer

Father! Please remember this day and reveal the granted grace. Reveal through our hearts the granted movement of life. If You can, please grant the glory of resurrection to us, even though we have been disloyal.

Please rule over our minds and bodies. We have realized that although we have our minds, they are not ours; although we have bodies, they are not ours. Our minds seek the direction of goodness, yet our bodies seek the direction of evil. Hence, we know that You treat us with the understanding that we are struggling between the two and have not stepped outside the realm of Heaven’s lament. Father, You will have to have pity on us and give us the heavenly grace of life and the strong power of resurrection in our hearts.

Although the body tries to subjugate the mind, the heavenly will is for the mind to defeat the body and establish one victorious standard whereby the mind can eternally subjugate the body. We know that an inevitable battle lies before us in which we have to establish such a standard in ourselves. Continue reading “Salvation is For All People”

What Is the Purpose of Life?

Cheon Seong Gyeong 423

What was this ideal that was sup-
posed to be realized through the ances-
tors of humankind? It was to realize an
ideal family through the union of an ide-
al man and an ideal woman. Then, what
is necessary for the realization of an ide-
al family? It is neither man nor woman
alone. A family, after all, is a unit. It is
represented by the union of a husband
and wife, and the relationship of parents
and children with the love of God at the
center. Therefore, we reach the conclu-
sion that God’s will is the union of a hus-
band and wife, perfecting a family cen-
tered on God’s love. (Blessed Family – 298)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1567

The Ceremony of the Settlement of
the Eight Stages signifies the restoration
of the right of the eldest son. It was held
after both the vertical historical course
and the horizontal course of indemni-
ty on the levels of the individual, fam-
ily, people, nation and world – in short,
the vertical and horizontal courses of
indemnity in the eight stages – had
been completed. It signifies the comple-
tion of the course of indemnity for all
people of the world. All this comes to
fruition through the Ceremony of the
Settlement of the Eight Stages.

Let Us Follow the Way of Jesus

Sun Myung Moon
April 26, 1959

Matthew 7:1-20

Don’t condemn others, and God won’t condemn you. God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them.

You can see the speck in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the log in your own eye. How can you say, “My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you don’t see the log in your own eye? You’re nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend’s eye.

Don’t give to dogs what belongs to God. They will only turn and attack you. Don’t throw pearls down in front of pigs. They will trample all over them.

Ask, Search, Knock

Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. Would any of you give your hungry child a stone, if the child asked for some bread? 10 Would you give your child a snake if the child asked for a fish? 11 As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.

12 Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets[a] are all about.

The Narrow Gate

13 Go in through the narrow gate. The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. A lot of people go through that gate. 14 But the gate to life is very narrow. The road that leads there is so hard to follow that only a few people find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 Watch out for false prophets! They dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves who have come to attack you. 16 You can tell what they are by what they do. No one picks grapes or figs from thornbushes. 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that produces bad fruit will be chopped down and burned. 20 You can tell who the false prophets are by their deeds.

Prayer

Father, You have endured the long course of history and fought to gain the glory of Heaven! Please allow the day to soon appear in which You alone receive the glory of the providence. We know well that Your original will has been ruthlessly trampled down by a myriad of satans from the time the human beings committed the error. We did not know Your situation. We did not know that You must find someone to serve the will which was to be realized by human beings on the earth because that will was violated.

We know that the history of the providence is one in which You toiled with no one to serve the will. You worked endlessly hard to convey the will, which is burning in Your heart, to humankind. Father! Please allow us to be heavenly sons and daughters who can exert all our effort to possess Your will in our hearts and to follow Your path of glory through the providential will and course of history. Since we know that Your will is to find true sons and daughters, please be with us so that we can build a country, world and universe where we can serve You as true sons and daughters and give You joy. Help us realize that this is the country and will of Your hope. Continue reading “What Is the Purpose of Life?”

Give Us A Heart to Transcend Our Personal Concerns

2 Chronicles 7

On that same day, Solomon dedicated the courtyard in front of the temple and got it ready to be used for worship. The bronze altar he had made was too small, so he used the courtyard to offer sacrifices to please the Lord[a] and grain sacrifices, and also to send up in smoke the fat from the other offerings.

Psalms 94

12 Our Lord, you bless everyone
    that you instruct and teach
    by using your Law.
13 You give them rest
    from their troubles,
    until a pit can be dug
    for the wicked.
14 You won’t turn your back
    on your chosen nation.
15 Justice and fairness
    will go hand in hand,
    and all who do right
    will follow along.

When We Should Stay Awake with Heaven

Sun Myung Moon
April 19, 1959

Matthew 25:1-13

Father! As we try to think about the new task, we realize that we cannot even think as the present flow continues; we cannot wake up unless we find a moment in which we stop the flow of history and think about ourselves. Since we cannot wake up without a new shock, Father, please continuously give us such shocks with which to escape from the historical ties. As we see that, we cannot wake without a stimulated heart. We should look for and adore such a heart.

You have sent leaders in every age to awaken others. You led them to live with the Shim Jung with which You grieved over fallen humankind. Noah, Moses and Jesus all lived like this. Father! Please give us a shock of new feelings in the grounds of our hearts. Give us a heart to transcend our personal concerns, to experience Your sorrow, and to worry about the nation being swept into the world of death. Continue reading “Give Us A Heart to Transcend Our Personal Concerns”