Cheon Seong Gyeong | Daily Inspiration

Jesus Walked Into the Wilderness Alone, Without a Friend

#97-Why is the Truth about the January 6th US Capitol Protest Being Obfuscated? – VisionRoot The Richard Urban Show

Why is the Truth about the January 6th US Capitol Protest Being Obfuscated? – Editorial

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1011

The purpose of a church is to find and establish God’s nation; it is not to find and establish a church. God’s original ideal for creation was to establish one world centered on a nation. Hence, the destination of the church is to find that nation. (149-48, 1986.11.2)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1107

What do the words “Principle of the Unification Church” mean? Why is it called the Principle? The purpose of the Principle is to show clearly the borderline between the realm of dominion based upon accomplishments through the Principle and the realm of direct dominion.Adam and Eve, as firstborn children, had to grow through the stages of formation, growth and completion. This is the way of the Principle. Even within the realm of indirect dominion, human beings must fulfill their portion of responsibility if they are to perfect themselves. It means that until you reach maturity you should never have a love relationship. Before reaching adult-hood, Adam and Eve should not have committed themselves in this kind of relationship. That is why a boundary line was set and God told them, “Wait; do not take and eat!” (137-252, 1986.1.3)

Jesus

7. The Three Temptations in the Wilderness

Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hun-gry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered,

“It is written,‘‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds from the
mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,‘‘He will give his angels charge of you,’ and
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is written,‘‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.
Matthew 4.1-11

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Jesus defeated Satan by overcoming the three temptations in the wilderness, the last of them on a mountaintop. Yet we should realize that when Jesus journeyed to the wilderness after being rejected by John the Baptist and his followers—a situation that made likely his rejection by the Jewish people as well—he carried a heart of sorrow the like of which no one on the earth had ever experienced.
    Jesus appeared as the only Son of God, who came to resolve the 4,000-year history of God’s providence. He came as the seal of victory that God could boast about before that generation and countless generations to come. Yet it was with a sad heart Jesus that walked into the wilderness—alone, without a friend, leaving his family, the chosen John the Baptist, the religious authorities, and his people behind.
    Jesus set out, filled with determination and sense of mission to pay the debts of history. What did he think about during his 40 days of fasting? He felt an acute sense of responsibility to restore through indemnity, by himself, the rueful course of his forbearers…
    No one ever had more determination and resolution to fulfill God’s will than Jesus Christ. He went to the wilderness with a burning heart to capture and subjugate Satan. He stood alone on that mountain with a firmer determination than any ancestor in history. (5:194-96, January 25, 1959)

Satan tempted Jesus three times. First, while he was fasting for forty days, Satan tempted him with food. He appeared before Jesus and asked him to change a stone into bread. This would be good news to a starving person, but Jesus refused. He clearly stated, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” This means that Jesus refused to yield any conditions to Satan pertaining to the necessities of life.
    Throughout history up until that time, people had been fighting over material wealth. However, Jesus’ victory over Satan’s first test made it possible to bring and end to this interminable struggle for material goods.
    What trial did Jesus have to face next? Satan led him to the top of the Holy Temple. There he tested him, saying, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” Jesus came with the religious teaching that could educate Judaism and the people of Israel. When Satan said, “throw yourself down,” he meant for Jesus to bow down before the conventional Jewish doctrines and traditions and abandon his role to educate and lead them. But Jesus did not fall for Satan’s test. Instead he won the victory.
    What was the third test? “The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’” Here Jesus rejected Satan’s demand in order to fulfill the Will of God. Far from needing Satan’s help, Jesus came bearing the universal teaching by which he would build God’s nation, the Kingdom of God. (3:121, October 13, 1957)

In Order to Raise Good Descendants, the Parents Should Do Well

#97-Why is the Truth about the January 6th US Capitol Protest Being Obfuscated? – VisionRoot The Richard Urban Show

Why is the Truth about the January 6th US Capitol Protest Being Obfuscated? – VisionRoot Blog Post

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1827

The time has come when we can farm under the ice. Do you know what this means? Flowers will bloom. If you go to Alaska, the tall mountains are covered with perpetual snow and grass grows in the central regions. Below there, flowers bloom and people go fishing. You have no idea what a beautiful and enchanted land it is. It is beautiful with clean water and clear air, and is a perfect ecologically balanced environment. If you ever visit there on vacation and enjoy it, you will want to live there and never leave. The reason I am exerting myself and investing in all these projects is because such things are now possible. (220-13, 1991.10.13)

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1091

You cannot expect your children to grow well when you do not even strictly observe morning Pledge service, devotion, and Sunday service. You should establish a four-position foundation centering upon True Parents. In order to raise good descendants, the parents should do well. (21-87, 1968.10.27)

Jesus

5. Worldwide Preparation for Christ’s Advent

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea…” They went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2.1-11

The ancient children of the East were possessed of a wisdom which they inherited from Abraham, who transmitted it to the sons of his concubines, as it is written, “Unto the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and he sent them away… eastward, unto the country of the children of he East.” (Gen. 25.6). In the course of time they followed the track of that wisdom into many directions.
Zohar 1.100b (Judaism)

I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 8.1

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Buddhism in India, Confucianism in China and Zoroastrianism in Persia were religions with leading influence in the Orient. Spiritualists of these religions could naturally recognize who Jesus was. (227:81, February 10, 1992)

In preparation for the First Coming of Christ, God sent the prophet Malachi to the chosen people 430 years beforehand to arouse in them a strong messianic expectation. At the same time… among the world’s peoples, God founded religions suited to their regions and cultures by which they could make the necessary internal preparations to receive the Messiah. In India, God established Buddhism through Gautama Buddha (565-485 b.c.) as a new development out of Hinduism. In Greece, God inspired Socrates (470-399 b.c.) and opened the brilliant age of classical Greek civilization. In the Far East, God raised up Confucius (552-479 b.c.), whose teachings of Confucianism established the standard of human ethics. Jesus was to come upon this worldwide foundation of preparation, and through his teachings he was to bring together Judaism, Hellenism, Buddhism and Confucianism. He was to unify all religions and civilizations into one worldwide civilization founded upon the Christian Gospel. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Parallels 6)

Jesus was born of Asian blood, but since he lost his body in Asia, his legacy moved in the opposite direction—to Western civilization centered on Rome—in a course of restoration through indemnity. Originally, had Jesus not died on the cross, He would have led Israel to create a unified religious sphere with Buddhism in India and Confucianism in the Far East, centered on his teachings. The religious realm was to be unified first. The highest leaders in the religious sphere communicate with the spirit world and know the direction of Heaven. For this reason, had Jesus won for Israel a degree of independence from Rome and unified the divided peoples in lands of the Middle East (representing the twelve tribes of Israel), he would certainly have been able to embrace Asia. (229:174-75, April 12, 1992)

There Can Be No Perfection in Ignorance

Cheon Seong Gyeong 2168

Are you brave soldiers who should stand forward for the establishment of the homeland, or are you failures who bring it down? When we say brave warriors, we mean those who can represent the nation and carry out the things that other people cannot do. We do not use the term brave soldier for the people who do what just anyone can do; they are the rank and file troops. The brave soldier is the one who carries out the mission that his comrades have retreated from or failed to accomplish. The word yong means swift, quick. The brave soldier has to be able to run faster than anyone else, and even to be able to dodge bullets. The term brave soldier is reserved for those who do what no one else can do.

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1260

There can be no perfection in ignorance. Who did I say Satan is? He is the adulterer. I have made all this clear to you. Do you think you can go to the Kingdom of Heaven if you ignore this? Do you think you can be saved if you ignore it? There is not even the slimmest chance. What a set of ignorant people! If you could be saved by just believing what you are told to believe, people like you and I would have been saved a long time ago. We would not have to suffer like this. (188-230, 1989.2.26)

Jesus

4. Preparation for Christ’s Advent and the Responsibility of John the Baptist

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Micah 5.2

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
who shall prepare thy way;
the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight”—

John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey.

Mark 1.2-6

John said, “I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know, even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness, “I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

John 1.26-34

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? Why then did you go out?… To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,

‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,who shall prepare thy way before thee.’

Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force.

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Matthew 11.2-15

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

John 1.19-21

Jesus Is Indeed the Son of God

Cheon Seong Gyeong 2143

All things are seeking such owners. We should feel ashamed of not having yet realized this degree of love. The universe is filled with all beings existing as pairs at their level, but ultimately, they follow the principle of being absorbed into higher levels of love. Thus, minerals want to be absorbed by plants, plants by animals, and finally all of creation by human beings. Through this process they ultimately reach the position where they can experience the essence of true love, which is the love that is nearest to God, the origin of love, who created everything with an intrinsic nature to provide value to a higher level.

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1023

If there is something bad, do not get rid of it right away. Even if there is something bad, you should deal with it, having the flexibility and capacity to find some conditions that will improve it while you keep the bad aspects on hold. If a person is cut off due to a mistake he made a year ago, then he may spiritually die completely. But if he is kept for one, two, or three years in the belief that the mistake is a secondary consideration, then after that time there may be a way for him to live. (72-313, 1974.7.14)

Jesus

2. Jesus—the Son of God and Incarnation of the Word

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3.16

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, “Show us the Father?” Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me?…

Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

John 14.8-11, 19-20

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him…

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we know and believe the love God has for us.

1 John 4.9, 14-16

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

John 1.1-15

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

After being born on this earth, Jesus claimed, “I am the only-begotten Son of God!” He made the decisive proclamation, “No one comes to the Father but by me,” meaning that in history up until his coming, no one could fully receive God’s love. Thus, Jesus expounded the ultimate standard, the level that God longs to see us attain. Jesus was the only person who claimed this relationship with God. We read his words in John 14, “Believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me.” Thus, he declared that he is one with God. (53:231-32, February 28, 1972)

The Bible calls Jesus the “only-begotten Son.” What does this mean? God’s love is absolute love. Jesus was the first person in history who could receive the total love of God and represent that love to humankind.

Because God gave Jesus the title, “only-begotten Son,” he could become our Savior. Jesus taught that he is the true Son of God from the standpoint of love. Therefore, only by going through Jesus can we make a relationship of love [with God]. (146:168,June 15, 1986)

Among Jesus’ words, he said, “God is my Father.” This is the correct teaching. It is the word that can bring complete success to human life. It is a word without precedent, which can elevate human affections to the level of heavenly heart and heavenly law.

Next, Jesus said, “I am the bridegroom, and you are the brides.” He was speaking about this in a religious sense, was he not? In the human world, what can be more intimate than the relationship between husband and wife? What can be closer than the relationship between parent and child? Jesus also said that he was our brother. What relationship could be closer? With these teachings Jesus was describing God’s family. He encapsulated the truth by describing relationships containing the divine heart. (39:42-43, January 9, 1971)

Jesus came as the incarnation of the Word. Jesus was the man whom God had been hoping to see over the long course of restoration history, the desire of God from the time of creation. (3:318-19, February 2, 1958)

God’s original thought in creating the universe centered on human beings was to rejoice with all His creatures. This was God’s desire, but it was not realized on this earth due to the Fall of Adam and Eve, our progenitors. God created all existence in six days through the Word [logos]. He bestowed upon all created beings a purpose: to become God’s object partners by manifesting God’s Word.

What then, would all created beings hope for, having been created as substantial object partners through the Word? This was for a mediator, one central being that would enable them to move in step with God. If human beings had become that center, the chaotic history that has unfolded on this earth would not have happened.

God also hoped to see the appearance of the one being who could represent Him and act on His behalf. This has been the center of God’s hope—not only during the course of the providence of restoration since the Human Fall, but even since the beginning of creation.

The being God and creation hoped for would come as the incarnation of the Word… Due to the Fall of Adam and Eve, God’s Word returned to Him without being manifested on the earth; meanwhile, separated from the Word, human beings still live on this earth. Therefore, God would once again bestow His Word upon humanity. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Christology 4.1.1)

Because Jesus was born on the foundation of a purified lineage, having nothing to do with Satan, he is indeed the Son of God. He could finally claim: “I am the only begotten Son of God.” No one like Jesus had ever appeared before in human history…

There have been other religious founders and saviors in history, but none of them was born relating to God as a son to his Parent, because they did not have a purified lineage, unstained by Satan’s polluted blood. Neither Buddha nor Confucius nor Mohammed came from such a background. Therefore, Jesus’ birth on earth was truly the hope of all humankind. It is through the glory of his person that we can receive new life and resurrection. (53:205-206, February 21, 1972)

Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand

Cheon Seong Gyeong 2393

Where does true love come from? True love comes into existence when one serves others, and not when one wants to be served by others. Why? The fundamental foundation for the creation of heaven and earth in the beginning was not the action of drawing things in to oneself. Catching hold of something and drawing it to oneself can create only one entity. Everything in this world requires investing oneself. The axis for the creation of the universe belongs to God, who has been seeking the ideal of love. It did not begin with drawing or pulling things in, but with investing. You must understand that the way of true love is found by investing even your life and being able to forget about it. (284-71, 1997.4.15

Cheon Seong Gyeong 1684

Taking into consideration the principle of the dissipation of energy, can input be equal to output for human beings? Energy enters the body to carry out actions; can that energy be equal to that left after the action has been carried out? Is it consumed in the process of action? Does motion consume energy? Thus, output cannot be equal to input, but is always less than before. Evolutionists imply that energy increases with action. Such a formula does not exist. If it were true, this world would be turned upside down. Hence, an external source of additional energy would be necessary. (55-254, 1972.5.9)

Jesus

Sun Myung Moon regards Jesus of Nazareth as the Greatest of all the religious founders. He has made an exhaustive study of his life and work; his speeches about Jesus take up many volumes. He does not view Jesus from the conventional Christian perspective as the savior who fulfilled everything through his atoning death on the cross. No, Father Moon’s Jesus knew he had a much greater mission—to live and establish God’s Kingdom on earth during his lifetime. the crucifixion cut short his mission, frustrated his aspirations, and prolonged the centuries of suffering and wars while the Kingdom tarried until the days of the second coming. It is through this lens that he views scripture passages about Jesus’ person, preparations for his coming, and his relations with his family, his ministry, the cross, and the resurrection.
Father Moon knows Jesus as the “man of sorrows.” he asserts that even in his youth, during the 30 years prior to beginning his public life, Jesus was misunderstood and ridiculed by his family and his village. The fact that Jesus never married, when it was customary for all Jewish men in their twenties to do so, is taken not as a mark of special holiness but rather as the painful lot of a man of questionable birth and strange behavior who was not regarded as marriageable.
When it came time for Jesus to begin his ministry, all heaven’s attempts to prepare the Jewish people to welcome him ended in failure—notably the ministry of John the Baptist. Consequently, Jesus was never able to preach what he set out to preach: the gospel of the Kingdom of God in plain language. Instead he had to speak in obscure parables. He was never able to do what he set out to do: lead a spiritual and political movement to win Israel’s independence from Rome and establish God’s Kingdom throughout the world.
Jesus’ sorrow only increased as the forces opposing his ministry grew stronger and he was compelled to take an alternative course, the way of the cross. His grief was exacerbated by the weakness of his disciples, who fled and scattered leaving him alone at the end. In the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed desperately, knowing the sorrow of God and the sufferings of generations to come that would ensue if he took that path and died without completing his original mission. But by that time the people’s rejection was unalterable; the die was cast and he obediently accepted the cross as God’s will.
Yet Jesus never changed his heartfelt love for the people, even for those who were killing him. When he forgave his enemies on the cross, it was an earth-shaking moment that changed history forever.

1. Jesus Came to Save Sinful Humankind

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
1 Timothy 1.15

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”… And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.
Matthew 4.17, 23

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.”
John 14.6

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11.28-30

And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9.10-13

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.
John 10.11-16