Richard U. | Daily Inspiration

Satan Always Establishes His Evil Regime First

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

Book Review-American Worldview Inventory 2020-21 by George Barna

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1925

Thankfully, there are 3.2 billion people living in Asia. The Soviet Union is a nation of white people who are in a disadvantageous position due to their frigid climate. Yet, the Soviet Union is in a position today, which surpasses that of communist China in all aspects, including military and political fields. That is why the Soviet Union is intent on devouring Japan at any cost. Once the Soviets do so, they believe that they can grasp the initiative in their confrontation against America, centering on the stage of the Pacific Ocean. (121-16, 1982.10.21)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1458

Adam and Eve lost the standard through which they could practice absolute faith, absolute love, and absolute obedience. They entered unprincipled marriage, thereby defiling the lineage, completely overturning the right of ownership, and bringing into ruin their whole tribe. Therefore, the absolute restoration of the lineage must take place.
In other words, you need to protect the pure lineage of True Parents so that it can be passed down to your descendants eternally. Adam and Eve failed to do so and entered a fallen relationship. Therefore, you need to maintain purity and be blessed in marriage. You can then restore the absolute lineage, the absolute right of ownership, and the absolute realm of heart. This should be our motto, in fact three mottos. (269-94, 1995.4.8)

Richard: Wow! This is beautiful. So, the three points stated slightly differently.
1) Absolute lineage: Through the Blessing, you can connect to God’s lineage, as we have all inherited the defiled lineage (John 8:44)
2) Absolute right of ownership: This means the ownership of love. That is based on the ownership of your spouses sexual organ by you only and none other.
3) Absolute realm of heart: The love you have for your spouse, family and the extended family of the world is firmly entrenched in this standard of true lineage and absolute ownership of love and of your spouse’s sexual organ.

Muhammad

2. Muhammad Overcame Persecution and Hardships to Establish Islam

By the Pen and by the record which men write, you are not, by the grace of your Lord, mad or possessed. Nay, verily for you is a reward unfailing, and you stand on an exalted standard of character. Soon you will see, and they will see, which of you is afflicted with madness. Verily it is your Lord who knows best, who among men has strayed from His path: and He knows best those who receive guidance.

Qur’an 68.1-7

When the Apostle openly displayed Islam as God ordered him, his people did not withdraw or turn against him until he spoke disparagingly of their gods. When he did that they took great offense and resolved unanimously to treat him as an enemy, except those whom God had protected by their allegiance to Islam from such evil, but they were a despised minority.

Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah

O you who believe! Remember the grace of God on you, when there came down on you hosts; but We sent against them a hurricane and forces you could not see: but God sees clearly all that you do. Behold! They came on you from above you and from below you, and behold, the eyes became dim and the hearts gaped up to the throats, and you imagined various vain thoughts about God! In that situation were the believers tried; they were shaken as by a tremendous shaking… And God turned back the unbelievers, for all their fury; no advantage did they gain; and enough is God for the believers in their fight. And God is full of Strength, Able to enforce His will.

Qur’an 33.9-25

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Satan always establishes his evil regime first, ahead of God. Then with this mighty power Satan attacks God’s side, attempting to destroy the tender shoot of God’s Word and crush the lives of His gentle champions. Satan is always first: first with the established power and first to attack. In fact, aggression is the trademark of Satan. Being attacked first is the trademark of God’s side. Yet God’s side prospers according to this principle. By being attacked first God’s side builds up great wealth through suffering and sacrifice. Through paying this price and bearing injustice, God’s side ultimately gains the victory.

Perhaps you are familiar with the mighty yet corrupt powers that ruled out of Mecca during the life of the Prophet. When Muhammad brought his message of peace and brotherhood among all tribes and peoples, these mighty governments of evil power mobilized themselves to take the lives of God’s Messenger and his followers. The followers of Islam endured this aggression and injustice, and by thus conforming to God’s principle of indemnity, they were able to bring even these mighty powers into complete surrender. In the end Muhammad walked unmolested, as the glorious victor, to the Kaaba and dedicated it to the one true God. (October 21, 1990)

Islam Adopted Biblical Teachings Appropriate to Arab Culture

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

Book Review-American Worldview Inventory 2020-21 by George Barna

Hebrews 6

⁹My friends, we are talking this way. But we are sure that you are doing those really good things that people do when they are being saved. ¹⁰God is always fair. He will remember how you helped his people in the past and how you are still helping them. You belong to God, and he won’t forget the love you have shown his people. ¹¹We wish that each of you would always be eager to show how strong and lasting your hope really is. ¹²Then you would never be lazy. You would be following the example of those who had faith and were patient until God kept his promise to them.

Matthew

²⁸“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Richard: We do well to take the scripture of Matthew 6:33 as our motto. It is, indeed, a rare path for people to take, as Jesus said earlier in verse 24 of the same chapter
“You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Muhammad

Living in polytheistic Arabia, Muhammad saw the truth of the one God and accepted his calling to be God’s apostle. Though he knew the stories of the bible from childhood, the Jews and Christians living in his area did not impress him, for they lacked the conviction or zeal to confront the ruling polytheistic tribes. Muhammad went through the streets of Mecca proclaiming the message of Islam to anyone who would listen. Though he suffered persecution and exile, he also found supporters. Muhammad and his companions were welcomed in Medina, where they defended the young faith against overwhelming odds. Muhammad was devoted to God and uncompromising with evil. Father Moon honors him as one of the foremost founders of religion.

1. God’s Revelation to Muhammad

Muhammad is… the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophets.
Qur’an 33.40

O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, and good tidings to bear and warning, calling unto God by His leave, and as a light-giving lamp.
Qur’an 33.45-46

It belongs not to any mortal that God should speak to him, except by revelation, or from behind a veil, or that He should send a messenger and He reveal whatsoever He will, by His leave; surely He is All-high, All-wise. Even so We have revealed to thee [O Muhammad] a Spirit of Our bidding. You knew not what the Book was, nor belief; but We made it a light, whereby We guide whom We will of Our servants. And you, surely you shall guide unto a straight path—the path of God.
Qur’an 42.51-53

In the month of Ramadan… in the night on which God honored Muhammad with his mission and showed mercy on His servants thereby, Gabriel brought him the command of God. “He came to me,” said the Apostle of God, “while I was asleep, with a coverlet of brocade where-upon was some writing, and said, ‘Read!’ I said, ‘I cannot read.’ He pressed me with it so tightly that I thought it was death; then he let me go and said, ‘Read!’ I said, ‘I cannot read.’ He pressed me with it again so that I thought it was death; then he let me go and said, ‘Read!’ I said, ‘I cannot read.’ He pressed me with it the third time so that I thought it was death and said, ‘Read!’ I said, ‘What then shall I read?’ —and this I said only to deliver myself from him, lest he should do the same to me again. He said,

Read! In the name of thy Lord who
created,
Who created man of blood coagulated.
Read! Thy Lord is the most beneficent,
Who taught by the pen,
Taught that which they knew not unto
men. [Qur’an 96.1-5]

“So I read it, and he departed from me. And I awoke from my sleep, and it was as though these words were written on my heart. Now none of God’s creatures was more hateful to me than an ecstatic poet or a man possessed: I could not even look at them. I thought, Woe is me, a poet or possessed—never shall the Quraysh say this of me! I will go to the top of the mountain and throw myself down that I may kill myself and gain rest. So I went forth to do so, and then, when I was midway on the mountain, I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘O Muhammad! Thou art the Apostle of God and I am Gabriel.’ I raised my head toward heaven to see who was speaking, and lo, Gabriel in the form of a man with feet astride the horizon, saying, ‘O Muhammad! Thou art the Apostle of God and I am Gabriel.’ I stood gazing at him, moving neither forward nor backward; then I began to turn my face away from him, but toward whatever region of the sky I looked, I saw him as before…
“I said to Khadija, ‘Woe is me, a poet or one possessed.’ She said, ‘I take refuge in God from that, O Abu’l-Qasim. God would not treat you thus, since He knows your truthfulness, your great trustworthiness, your fine character, and your kindness. This cannot be, my dear. Perhaps you did see something.’ ‘Yes, I did,’ I said. Then I told her of what I had seen; and she said, ‘Rejoice, O son of my uncle, and be of good heart.48 Verily, by Him in whose hand is Khadija’s soul, I have hope that you will be the Prophet of this people.’”
Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Why did God reveal Himself to the prophets and create the great religions of the world? It was to enable the human race to return to Him, and then, in perfect oneness with His blessed Will, establish one peaceful world. Humanity must know God’s original vision for the world, and know the reason why God revealed Himself to the prophets. Surely no one expressed more deeply this original ideal of God than the blessed Prophet Mohammed, not only in word but also in deed. (October 21, 1990)

Muhammad was centered on God, and based on God’s revelation he founded the religion of Islam. It adopted the teachings of the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible with contents appropriate to Arab culture. Through Islam, Muhammad sought to give human beings the absolute truth of God. (39:316, January 16, 1971)

God always supports those serving the larger purpose… Between one who lived for his family, and one who sacrificed his beloved family for the benefit of his community, God would support the one living for the community. This is an unchanging principle of God. Once again, we can use the Prophet as a supreme example of knowing and living according to this Divine Principle. Did the Prophet live only for his own clan or tribe or even only for the Arab people? No, he always lived for the higher purpose, not limiting his message for only one group or race. The message of the Prophet was for every precious one into whom God breathes His spirit. (October 21, 1990)

Father, Forgive Them for They Know Not What They Do

Nehemiah 8

⁵Ezra was up on the high platform, where he could be seen by everyone, and when he opened the book, they all stood up. ⁶Ezra praised the great Lord God, and the people shouted, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed with their faces to the ground and worshiped the Lord.

Hosea 12

⁶So return to your God.
Patiently trust him,
and show love and justice.

Jesus

12. The Agony of Christ’s Passion and Crucifixion

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men.”
Matthew 16.21-23

And he came out, and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”…
    There came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?” And when those who were about him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
    Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house…
    Now the men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” And they spoke many other words against him, reviling him.
    When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes; and they led him away to their council, and they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” And they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” And they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
    Then the whole company of them arose, and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a king. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”…
    And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.
    And when they came to the place which is called The Skull [Calvary], there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He has saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
    One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
    It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Thy hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
    Luke 22.39-23.46

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27.46

Can You Understand the Heart and Situation of Jesus?

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1057

Blessed families should establish a family tradition and create a family code of conduct. You should also create a standard of education for children and rules of conduct for the family. If the parents have not done so, they will have nothing to say when they commit an error and their children press them hard. (21-87, 1968.11.3)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1130

If you carefully study the contents of the Bible, you cannot deny the fact that due to the illicit love the human ancestors connected themselves to the devil, Satan, with a relationship of father and children. Human beings are precious beings who were supposed to inherit God’s lineage and be born as His own sons and daughters within His absolute love. However they were born into lineage of devil, Satan, as his sons and daughters. In the eighth chapter of Romans, it is recorded, “…but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit, groan inwardly, as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” An adopted child has a lineage different from that of his foster parents. This is the reality of human beings. (53-261, 1972.3.1)

Jesus

11. Jesus’ Wept Out of Love for the People and Agonized Over Their Unbelief, Even as His Closest Disciples Proved Faithless

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Does God live only for Himself and His glory, or is God totally selfless, living for the well being of the entire creation? Which is true love? In fact, the true God comes to us fallen people, shedding tears. People weep either when they are sad or happy. What about God? Does He shed tears of grief looking at human misery, or tears of laughter as He saves people? Think about it. If you ever lost a loved one and then found him again years later, what would you do? You would weep, first with grief and then with joy.
Therefore, God wants to meet His beloved ones on the path of tears. Would you like to experience God’s tears? Have you ever cried, so shaking with sobs that water runs from your nose and mouth, your entire body drenched in sweat? Until you experience what grief is, you cannot taste true love. (102:163-64, December 17, 1978)

In the world dominated by Satan, God’s providence requires battles. God has to set up fights. Jesus certainly made some people angry when he criticized the Jews living in peace and comfort, calling them “hypocrites” and a “brood of vipers” and casting curses upon them. If Jesus had praised the rabbis, scribes and priests, telling them that they were doing a wonderful job for God, would he have been killed? Confucius and Mohammed—all the saints without exception—declared to the world something it did not want to hear. By doing that, they created the momentum for change. (95:276-77, December 11, 1977)

The people who were the closest to Jesus caused him the most sorrow. His sorrow was not so much from rejection by the people of Israel whom God had prepared, or from rejection by the Jewish authorities. His greatest sorrow came when his beloved disciples—some who had followed him for as long as three years—lost faith when he needed them to believe, did not testify when he needed them to testify, did not fight when he needed them to fight, and ran from death when he needed them to face death. (3:142, October 18, 1957)

Who followed Jesus to the end without forsaking him? The twelve disciples? No, even the three chief disciples among the Twelve did not keep faith and follow Jesus to the end.
Although Jesus tried to introduce the love of God to humankind and tried to put that love into practice, he died without building a substantial relationship of love with a single human being. Although Jesus conveyed words of heavenly love, and although his heart burned with love, he died without having found one person whom he could tightly embrace and exchange the affectionate words, “My son!” “My father!” sharing the love that runs between a parent and child.
Can you understand the heart and situation of Jesus as he cried in anguish through the sleepless night in the Garden of Gethsemane, even as the disciples were dozing off? Many people today appreciate Jesus’ words of love, but 2,000 years ago, Jesus did not have anyone to whom he could give his love. (3:58, September 22, 1957)

Jesus lived barely thirty years, a life filled with sorrow. Jesus spent three years of public life, offering everything he had; yet who knew his heart, and who knew his situation? Not even one person.

Even the disciples, who attended him as their teacher, who shared his joys and sorrows, who were sad when he was sad and lonely when he was lonely—they did not know, either.

The disciples, who should have clung to Heaven and appealed with earnest hearts, concerned that their teacher might go the path of death, instead were confused, asking, ”Who is Jesus?” (7:45, July 12, 1959)

On this earth, who knew the heart of Jesus? Not a single person recognized Jesus, a man filled with apprehension, who experienced and felt keenly Heaven’s sorrow, who felt Heaven’s lament over humanity. Jesus did not have even one disciple who exclaimed, “My Lord!” intimately feeling God’s heart…

Enable us to sympathize with the heart of Jesus, who had to leave behind disciples ignorant of his great sorrow, with the heart of Jesus, who died without seeing his life bear fruit, even though he lived his entire life for humankind. (5:137-38, January 11, 1959)

Woe to You, Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites!

Exodus 31

^12-13Moses told the Israelites that the Lord had said:

The Sabbath belongs to me. Now I command you and your descendants to always obey the laws of the Sabbath. By doing this, you will know that I have chosen you as my own. ^14-15Keep the Sabbath holy. You have six days to do your work, but the Sabbath is mine, and it must remain a day of rest. If you work on the Sabbath, you will no longer be part of my people, and you will be put to death.

Richard: Rev. Moon introduced the idea of not only having your own Sabbath, but creating a Sabbath for God, who has had no rest since the Fall of Man.

Acts 4

4 The apostles were still talking to the people, when some priests, the captain of the temple guard, and some Sadducees arrived. ²These men were angry because the apostles were teaching the people that the dead would be raised from death, just as Jesus had been raised from death. ³It was already late in the afternoon, and they arrested Peter and John and put them in jail for the night. ⁴But a lot of people who had heard the message believed it. So by now there were about five thousand followers of the Lord.

Jesus

11. Jesus’ Wept Out of Love for the People and Agonized Over Their Unbelief,
Even as His Closest Disciples Proved Faithless

Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; and he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
John 11.32-36

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
    Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
    Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
    Matthew 23.23-28

And they went to a place which was called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come; the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
Mark 14.32-41

And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the maids of the high priest came; and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway. And the maid saw him, and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while again the bystanders said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the cock crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Mark 14.66-72