Author: Richard Urban

The Most Important Thing Is to Discern Between Good and Evil

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True Adam is the True Parent. The True Parents will pass down their language to the True Children. That is the Principle. The True Parent did not come down as Rev. Moon. He came from heaven sent by God. Hence, it can be presumed that those who do not know God cannot recognize the True Parents. (129-20, 1983.10.4)

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You must bear in mind that only those who carry out the restoration of the right of the eldest son, the right of parents and the right of king are relatives. Then, the world will be united naturally even without me. I have now blessed more than 24,000 couples. The number 24 is 3 multiplied by 8. I have restored the number eight centering on the three ages of formation, growth and completion. In this way I completed the establishment of the rights of tribal messiahs on the world level. Now, even if I am not here, if you work day and night following God’s will to save your country, this world will come to one place. Furthermore, in the whole of history, there has been no other cultural foundation which included global academic, political and cultural organizations possessing a philosophical content greater than that of Rev. Moon. From whatever perspective we look at this, everything is now concluded. (206-272, 1990.10.14)

Good and Evil

1. Goodness Is Selfless and Altruistic, while Evil Is to Gratify Selfish Desires

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

How do the directions of good and evil differ? Good always centers on God, the Absolute Being, or puts itself in the other person’s shoes. Evil centers on the self, or puts itself in the subject position. What is good? It is to advance the purpose of the whole by sacrificing yourself. What is evil? It is to pull everything toward you. Thus, good and evil have different directions.
    Your body wants to do everything it desires, while your mind tries to restrain you from acting to satisfy the body. Thus they also have different directions, one good and the other evil. (16:137, January 2, 1966)
 
For human beings, the most important thing is to be able to discern between good and evil. Yet until now, the standard for determining good and evil has been unclear. Evil is to present conditions that enable Satan to accuse human beings. What is sin? It is something that provides grounds for Satan to accuse. Christians more than anyone must know clearly what sin is, especially the root of sins.
    Evil began at the Human Fall, when not only Satan but also Eve thought, “I will be the subject partner. I will be the center.” God’s Principle of Creation is to live for the sake of others, while the attitude of living for one’s own sake is Satan’s nature. You must know clearly the origin of good and evil.
    An evil person tells others to live for his sake. God and Jesus work to subdue this kind of spirit, which is why they teach us not to be arrogant, to sacrifice for others and to serve others. (69:85, October 20, 1973)
 
How do we determine if someone is good or evil? It is whether he or she lives for a public purpose or for an individual purpose. That is the norm of human ethics.
    A good person sacrifices him or herself for the sake of others while an evil person exploits others for his or her own benefit. This is my way of teaching about good and evil. (102:234, January 1, 1979)
 
There are two basic types of people in the world: those who think and act altruistically for the sake of the greater good, and those who think and act to benefit themselves.
    Most people do not like to think about the world and act for its benefit. They prefer to think about themselves and act out of their self-centered thinking.
    The altruistic person admires the saints who were dedicated to the welfare of the world, patriots who lived for their nation, and righteous leaders of the current era, taking them as role models for his own life. The self-centered person could care less about saints, patriots or today’s leaders. He acts only to benefit himself.
    Which type of person are you? Which type of person would you like as a friend?… You know the altruistic way is correct and a self-centered life is wrong, but what is your reality? You answer that you are altruistic, but your self-concept does not match your reality. The fact is, you are walking a self-centered path. You know the truth, but your reality does not match it. (117:214-15, March 7, 1982)
 
By the criterion of goodness, we can classify all people in the world into three groups: first, people who oppose goodness; second, people who know goodness but don’t actively pursue it to make it their own (they end up living in the buffer zone between heaven and hell); and third, people who want to take responsibility for accomplishing goodness. It is people of this third group whom God needs to accomplish His will. (Way of God’s Will 2.2)
 
What makes someone a good person? Someone who just takes a bite out of what he receives is an evil person, while someone who adds to what he receives and passes it on to others is a good person. This is why every parent wants their children to grow up to be better than themselves. (315:211, February 2, 2000)
 
Does the president of the United States think centering on himself or centering on the United States? Does he act for his next election or for the future of the nation? These matters determine good and evil.
    To go one step further, if the president focuses only on the benefit of the United States, then he will only be a respected president within the United States. However, if he centers on the world and the benefit of the world, then the world will admire him as an American president who has worldwide influence. Otherwise, although he serves his nation’s best interests, his actions will cause friction in the rest of the world.
    All human beings are subject to this law and will be judged accordingly. What will ensnare you in the judgment? The main thing is the self-centered thinking. You will be judged for focusing on yourself. How can you confidently say that you will not be caught by this universal law? You will be liberated from the law when you become the type of person about whom people say, “He does not live for himself. He lives for the welfare of the world.” (93:302, June 12, 1977)
 
 

Jesus Did not Even Let Death Stop His Unwavering Efforts

Editorial: Do You Know the Facts about COVID and the COVID Vaccines?

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Who is the Messiah? The True Parents. Then, why are they necessary? It is because human beings must receive new grafts through the love of the True Parents. Thus, unless the True Parents – the Messiah – appear, fallen human beings will not be able to eliminate their original sin or be liberated from sin and receive the Blessing at the completion stage. (35-215, 1970.10.19)

Richard: Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Mrs. Moon are the True Parents.

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Why do people do penance by inflicting pain on their bodies? This is because they have inherited the blood of Satan, the blood of the enemy of God. Who is this enemy of God? He is the adulterer. He is the enemy of the love of God. He is the adulterer. We inherited the blood of the adulterer.

Jesus

15. Jesus’ Resurrection

On the cross, Jesus prayed for the people and determined to fulfill his responsibility for them even after his death; indeed, his concern for God’s Will transcended even death. Therefore, God could resurrect Jesus, and Satan did not dare accuse the resurrected Jesus. When you attain a level of perfection that you have the same value as Jesus, Satan cannot accuse you, either. (2:141, March 17, 1957)
 
Satan exercised his maximum power to crucify Jesus, thereby attaining the goal he had sought through-out the four-thousand-year course of history. On the other hand, by delivering Jesus to Satan, God set up as compensation the condition to save sinful humanity. How did God achieve this? Because Satan had already exercised his maximum power in killing Jesus, according to the principle of restoration through indemnity, God was entitled to exercise His maximum power. While Satan uses his power to kill, God uses His power to bring the dead to life. As compensation for Satan’s exercise of his maximum power in killing Jesus, God exercised His maximum power and resurrected Jesus. God thus opened the way for all humanity to be engrafted with the resurrected Jesus and thereby receive salvation and rebirth. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Moses and Jesus 3.3.1.1)
 
After his death, Jesus was concerned about his scattered disciples. Even during the three days in the tomb, he was determined to protect them for eternity. Hence, he went to the shores of Galilee after his resurrection and searched for them.
    Today from a humanistic perspective we might wonder how Jesus could care for his disciples, when they showed no sense of responsibility and betrayed him the moment they faced difficulty. Yet this did not stop Jesus from fulfilling his responsibility toward them by visiting them in Galilee.
    This is the character of Jesus, who did not let even death stop his unwavering efforts at raising his disciples to also be unwavering. We should take a lesson from Jesus’ admirable character in this regard. (1:38, May 16, 1956)
 
Due to the sin and blindness of the people, God permitted His Son to be a sacrifice. That was the significance of the crucifixion: God allowed Jesus to die on the cross as the ransom paid to Satan. In exchange, upon Jesus’ resurrection, God could claim the souls of humankind—though redemption of the body was not possible. Therefore God’s victory, and our salvation, was not in the cross but in the resurrection…
    Our salvation comes from Jesus’ victorious resurrection. This is Christ’s victory, and Satan’s power can never affect it. But the body of Jesus Christ was given up as a sacrifice and a ransom. In giving up his body, Jesus also gave up the body of humankind. Our salvation is limited to spiritual redemption, because the redemption of the body remained unfulfilled 2,000 years ago. And our world still suffers under Satan’s power. Sin still rages within our bodies and dominates this world.
    Therefore Paul cried out in anguish, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of my self serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” (Rom. 7.24-25) Paul was living in the grace of the Lord. Still he confessed that he could serve God only with his mind, and his flesh served the law of sin. His body yearned to be redeemed; he still anguished over sin.
    And so it is for us. By accepting Christ, we receive spiritual salvation. But our body still serves the law of sin under Satan’s domain, until Christ returns and liberates us from the bondage of sin. The Lord of the Second Advent alone can give total salvation, in spirit and in body. (September 18, 1974)
 
Richard:  Redemption of the body is now possible by grafting our lineage on to that of the True Parents.
 
 

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

Editorial: Do You Know the Facts about COVID and the COVID Vaccines?

Exodus 18

7 When they arrived, Moses went out and bowed down in front of Jethro, then kissed him. After they had greeted each other, they went into the tent, 8 where Moses told him everything the Lord had done to protect Israel against the Egyptians and their king. He also told him how the Lord had helped them in all of their troubles.

2 Kings 19

19 As soon as Hezekiah heard the news, he tore off his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth. Then he went into the temple of the Lord. 2 He told Prime Minister Eliakim, Assistant Prime Minister Shebna, and the senior priests to dress in sackcloth and tell the prophet Isaiah:

3 These are difficult and disgraceful times. Our nation is like a woman too weak to give birth, when it’s time for her baby to be born. 4 Please pray for those of us who are left alive. The king of Assyria sent his army commander to insult the living God. Perhaps the Lord heard what he said and will do something, if you will pray.

5 When these leaders went to Isaiah, 6 he told them that the Lord had this message for Hezekiah:

I am the Lord. Don’t worry about the insulting things that have been said about me by these messengers from the king of Assyria. 7 I will upset him with rumors about what’s happening in his own country. He will go back, and there I will make him die a violent death.

Jesus

15. Jesus’ Resurrection

I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
    John 11.25-26
 
If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain… If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
    1 Corinthians 15.14-22
 
On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
    That very day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
    So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread.
    As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see that I have.” And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.
    Then he said to them, “These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high.”
    Then he led them out as far as to Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.
    Luke 24.1-53 
 
 
 

We Would Have Also Crucified Jesus

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I have given you the title of messiah, tribal messiah! Then what should you do? What should you do as the messiah? I have prepared everything that you might need to become the national messiah, the world messiah, and the cosmic messiah. I have prepared treasures the size of a mountain for you. You will inherit all this mountain of treasures once you become messiahs. It will all be passed down to you like water flowing through water pipes. (189-247, 1989.4.9)

Richard: We become Tribal Messiah’s through our work in Home Church.

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Now, we three – God, True Parents and you – must become one. We have to act in concert. Since this is a decisive question of life and death, all three must unite at the point where they come together. The realm of resurrection is at that very point. It is the connecting point where oneness comes, where True Parents and you become one and unite together. There, the unification into one heart takes place. Therefore, you must lead a life of oneness with His will. (31-321, 1970.6.7)

Jesus

14. The Tragedy of Jesus’ Rejection

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
    Matthew 23.37

And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, saying, “Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now they are hid from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will cast up a bank about you and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
    Luke 19.41-44

None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
    1 Corinthians 2.8

“Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 
     Matthew 21.33-41

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Today it is easy to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, because for nearly 2,000 years Christianity has been glorifying him. But if you had lived in the days when Jesus was being pushed around and ridiculed, would you have believed? The scribes and priests of those days longed to see the Messiah, yet they did not recognize him. Do you really think that the Jewish people of that era were inferior to Christians today? In fact, we would probably have compounded their mistakes if we had lived in the days of Jesus of Nazareth. (69:100, October 21, 1973)

Jesus came with the lonely heart of Heaven to a people who were collapsing and dying, and taking compassion upon them, he came to them without holding back even his own life. But the people of Israel, who called themselves the chosen people, did as they pleased to the Messiah whom Heaven had sent and to John the Baptist whom Heaven had prepared…

Today let us know: It was not because the people of Israel at that time were inferior to us, that they betrayed Heaven, nor was it because their desire to live for the sake of Heaven was not as great as ours, that they forgot Heaven.

Let us understand: They had a concept about the Messiah, thinking that the Lord to come would appear as a great man, but because in reality the Messiah who appeared was haggard, pitiful and unimpressively small, they rejected him.

Let us consider our position now: Today we commonly speak ill of the historical people of Israel, and like to criticize how they handled the situation at that time, but please let us understand: between the situation now and the situation then there is no difference. May we have the mind to admit: if we had been alive at that time, we would have done the same as they. (5:284-85, February 22, 1959)

After preparing humanity for four thousand years to receive the Messiah, his death was not in God’s original plan. Satan was the one who dragged Jesus to the cross and killed him. The crucifixion was a total loss. Everything was lost: Israel, Judaism, John the Baptist, the twelve disciples who betrayed Jesus… No one remained on the side of Jesus or Heaven.

There is no Christianity at the place of Jesus’ cross. Christianity began on the Day of Pentecost. You must know that the cross was the victory of Satan, not of God. God’s victory came with the resurrection by the power of the Spirit.46 (73:220-21, September 18, 1974)

 
 
 

Jesus Came Before the People in Meekness and Humility

Judges 18

30-31 Even though the place of worship was in Shiloh, the people of Dan set up the idol Micah had made. They worshiped the idol, and the Levite was their priest. His name was Jonathan, and he was a descendant of Gershom the son of Moses.[i] His descendants served as priests for the tribe of Dan, until the people of Israel were taken away as prisoners by their enemies.

Richard: Here we see some of the Israelites worshipping idols. Yet they also claimed they were worshipping God. Yet Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 ““No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” And in Matthew 6:31-33 “31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
    Idols can be money, power or authority; anything that takes us away from the focus on putting the work of God toward building His Kingdom first.

Jeremiah 25

4 The Lord has sent prophets to you time after time, but you refused to listen. 5 They told you that the Lord had said:

Change your ways! If you stop doing evil, I will let you stay forever in this land that I gave your ancestors. 6 I don’t want to harm you. So don’t make me angry by worshiping idols and other gods.

Richard:  Again God warns against seeking Idols before seeking and doing His will.  See the reading above.

Jesus

13. Jesus Bore Our Sins on the Cross

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Jesus accepted his destiny, taking on his shoulders the whole responsibility for the future of Israel, giving all his strength. His disciples scattered in all directions; they abandoned Jesus, concerned only to protect their own lives. Meanwhile, Jesus did not think about his own life at all. With utmost sincerity, taking more responsibility than any other person who lived for God in history, and eager to accomplish God’s purpose, he went the way of the cross. He walked that path with God. (35:23, September 27, 1970)
 
Suppose Adam and Eve had a brother, and he had not fallen. If that brother went to Satan and tried to bring Adam and Eve back, Satan would by no means let them go without a price. Satan would want something more valuable than what he would lose by giving up those fallen siblings. Therefore, the unfallen brother would have to sacrifice himself in place of his fallen siblings; only on that condition could he liberate them. That sacrificial brother is Christ, the second Adam. (52:50, December 14, 1971)
 
An offering must shed blood. God does not like bloodshed, but He cannot save a person unless he sets a condition of dying and being reborn. Offering sacrificial animals and having them shed blood has served as a condition for this throughout the ages.
    Thus, in the Old Testament Age, God raised the people of Israel by having them set this indemnity condition, forgiving their sins based on their offerings of animals. On that foundation, God planned to send the Messiah to open the New Testament Age and lead Israel to build the nation of God’s victory.45 However, when the people failed to believe in the Messiah, the Messiah died by offering his own self.
    Animal sacrifices represent the people who offer them. Based on their accumulated offerings of animals, all Israel at the time of Jesus stood as the fruit of the Old Testament Age; this fruit was supposed to unite with Jesus. However, when it did not happen, Jesus had to offer his own self as the sacrifice. That is how Jesus came to die on the cross. (54:252-53, March 25, 1972)
 
The basic nature of Satan is arrogance and fury. In contrast, Jesus came before the people of the world in meekness and humility.
    Jesus did not show meekness and humility because he was incapable and unworthy. He deserved to be higher and enjoy more glory than anyone else, but Jesus forsook all that and lowered himself. Satan confronted Jesus and tried to draw him into a fight, but Jesus knew that if he remained meek and humble to the end, Satan would be bound by a condition in the Principle to submit to God. Therefore Jesus maintained his humility, doing what Satan with his arrogant and wrathful nature cannot do. Then Satan, who also knew Heaven’s law, realized that he would have no choice but to recognize Jesus.
    In other words, if you move forward in meekness and humility, then even the satanic world will naturally submit. Jesus understood this principle, and he took a position of meekness and humility of which Satan was utterly incapable. Similarly, you can pioneer the new path to God only when you place yourself in a position of meekness and humility. (3:187-88, October 27, 1957) 
   
Do you know Jesus’ heart when he subjugated Satan? It was a heart full of compassion for God, compassion for all humanity, and compassion for all creation: “How pitiful is God, who lost His sons and daughters! How pitiful is creation, which lost its owners! How pitiful are human beings, who lost their value, purpose, and position!” Because Jesus’ heart exploded with such pity, Satan retreated. (9:181, May 8, 1960)