Author: Richard Urban

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”

Alleviate God’s Sorrow

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 323

Those who live with the love of God
inside their hearts are sons or daugh-
ters of God. These are the central figures
of the whole universe who can govern
heaven and earth. Love is the essential
element enabling people to attain this
position. (9-173, 1960.5.8)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1567

How would democracy, which has
unfolded through a history of wars, be
brought to an end? Democracy would
naturally conclude with the advent of
the parents, the coming of the parent-
centered ideology. Hence, the Unifica-
tion Church declared to this world that
the era of the providence of salvation
has ended and has given way to the era
of the providence of restoration through
love. Many religions are unaware of this
truth. Pastors of established churches
do not understand what is meant by
the era of the providence of salvation
by love or the era of the ideology cen-
tered on the Heavenly Father, do they?
They wouldn’t know what the Ceremo-
ny of the Settlement of the Eight Stages
is. (194-325, 1989.10.30)

Let Us Halt in Our Steps and Behold the One Who Is Protecting Us

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
March 8, 1959

Psalm 121

No scripture reveals God’s labor and grief of the 6,000 years. However, scriptures extensively elaborate on goodness and the land of blessing where we can live.

Why did God take this approach? It is because God loves us. Because Heaven loves us, He has sought us in this manner. It can be said of our path toward God that joy cannot be attained instantly. Joy can be attained only after we go through the path of sorrow.

If someone on earth longs for the Kingdom of Heaven and longs to become a true son or daughter of Heaven, he should raise his hands and pray in tears, “Please let me shed God’s tears of the 6,000 years in my lifetime.” He must offer his life and risk heaven, earth and all created things as he cries out.

He who discovers that the Father cannot be found in a good, beautiful, precious, proud and glorious place, but is in a state of deep sorrow will become the master of goodness. You have to understand that such a person can become a true son or daughter of God. Continue reading “Alleviate God’s Sorrow”

Feel God’s Sorrow

Exodus 1

15 Finally, the king called in Shiphrah and Puah, the two women who helped the Hebrew[d] mothers when they gave birth. 16 He told them, “If a Hebrew woman gives birth to a girl, let the child live. If the baby is a boy, kill him!”

17 But the two women were faithful to God and did not kill the boys, even though the king had told them to. 18 The king called them in again and asked, “Why are you letting those baby boys live?”

19 They answered, “Hebrew women have their babies much quicker than Egyptian women. By the time we arrive, their babies are already born.” 20-21 God was good to the two women because they truly respected him, and he blessed them with children of their own.

Richard:  Be aligned with God’s Will and follow God’s calling, according to your conscience!

Jeremiah 21

Pay attention, you that belong
    to the royal family.
12 Each new day, make sure
    that justice is done,
and rescue those
    who are being robbed.
Or else my anger will flame up
like a fire that never goes out.

13 Jerusalem,
    from your mountaintop
you look out over the valleys[c]
    and think you are safe.
But I, the Lord, am angry,
14 and I will punish you
    as you deserve.
I’ll set your palace[d] on fire,
and everything around you
    will go up in smoke.

Let Us Halt in Our Steps and Behold the One Who Is Protecting Us

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
March 8, 1959

Psalm 121

Why did God not abandon the world, even as He was forsaking Jesus? Why did He allow Jesus to be hung on the cross, yet did not forsake his enemies? It was to show that there was even greater sorrow than Jesus’ death.

We fallen people must seek the infinite love of Heaven and experience His historical heart as our reality. He has protected us and labored for our sake. We must emerge victorious before God. When you look at society, you will find that it is not a joyful world. Human history is a history of sorrow. Because human history did not begin in joy, but in grief, human history has become a history of sorrow.

When you look at a person weeping painfully over his grief, you probably feel sympathy toward him. However, do not sympathize with an individual’s grief or rejoice over your situation. Our grief transcends the individual level and is connected to the family level, the national level, the world level, and even to the level of Heaven. Continue reading “Feel God’s Sorrow”