Category: Ephesians

He Who Commits Sin Is of the Devil

March for Trump: December 12th, 2020-Washington DC
Sample Letters to send to WV Congressmen re Election Fraud are here.

The Richard Urban Show:
#76-The Family Rooted in Absolute Sexual Ethics-Part 10 with Roy Ramey
#75-Biden Supports Voter Suppression and Intimidation

Ephesians 6

5 Slaves, you must obey your earthly masters. Show them great respect and be as loyal to them as you are to Christ. 6 Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. You are slaves of Christ, so with your whole heart you must do what God wants you to do. 7 Gladly serve your masters, as though they were the Lord himself, and not simply people. 8 You know that you will be rewarded for any good things you do, whether you are slaves or free.

Matthew 10

5 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions:

Stay away from the Gentiles and don’t go to any Samaritan town. 6 Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like a flock of lost sheep. 7 As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here.

Richard: This month, throughout the month and closest on December 21st, Jupiter and Saturn will be in a conjunction (closeness) in the southwest sky at sunset that has not occurred in 800 years. I believe that this is exactly the same occurrence that appeared as the star of David at the time of Jesus birth.
As you have been learning through the study of the daily scriptures, the kingdom of heaven is here, and it is embodied through absolute sexual ethics and the Blessing of marriage.

The Devil and His Activities

2. Works of the Devil

When a man grasps at things, Mara stands
beside him.
    Sutta Nipata 1103 (Buddhism)

Shall I inform you on whom it is that the devils descend?
They descend on every lying, wicked person, into whose ears they pour hearsay vanities, and most of them are liars.
    Qur’an 26.221-223

The foremost of your armies is that of Desire, the second is called Dislike. The third is Hunger-Thirst and the fourth is Craving. The
fifth is the army of Lethargy-Laziness and the sixth is Fear. The seventh is Doubt and the eighth is Obstinacy-Restlessness. Then there are Material Gain, Praise, Honor, and Fame… These, O Mara, are your forces, the attackers of the Evil One. One less than a hero will not be victorious over them and attain happiness.
    Sutta Nipata 436-39 (Buddhism)

For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
    Ephesians 6:12

The Evil Ruler spoils the Word,
the plan of life, by his teachings.
He, indeed, deprives me
of the exalted goal of Good Thought.
    Avesta, Yasna 32.9 (Zoroastrianism)

Never did We send an apostle or a prophet before you, but, when he framed a desire, Satan threw some vanity into his desire. But God will cancel anything vain that Satan throws in, and God will confirm His signs—for God is full of knowledge and wisdom: that He may make the suggestions thrown in by Satan but a trial for
those in whose hearts is a disease and who are hardened of heart.
    Qur’an 22.52-53

The Messenger of God said, “There is none among you with whom is not an attaché from among the jinn (evil spirits).” The Companions said, “With you, too?” He said, “Yes, but God
helps me against him and so I am safe from his hand.”
Hadith of Muslim (Islam)

He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God commits sin;
for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do
right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother.
    1 John 3.8-10

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But, because I [Jesus] tell the truth, you do not believe me.
    John 8.43-45

Through me you pass into the city of woe:
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Through me among the people lost for aye.
Justice the founder of my fabric moved:
To rear me was the task of power divine,
Supremest wisdom, and primeval love.
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I shall endure.
All hope abandon, ye who enter here.
    Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy

Our Purpose Should Be to Bring God and Humankind Together

Join us for the Urban Life Training Chapter Workshop, online or in-person on July 3rd 2020. Learn materials that teach about the physical, intellectual, emotional and long term benefits of sexual abstinence before marriage. Learn about setting up a Chapter of Urban Life Training to teach this material to middle and high school youth: https://www.urbanlifetraining.org/index.php/109-training/351-urban-life-training-chapter-workshop .

Ephesians 1

9 I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used 20 when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. 21 There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. 22 God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. 23 The church is Christ’s body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.

Isaiah 63

13 He led his people across
like horses running wild
    without stumbling.
14 His Spirit gave them rest,
just as cattle find rest
    when led into a valley.
The name of the Lord was praised
    for doing these things.

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 3

The Purpose of Human Life

For God’s Good Pleasure

As creatures, human beings are created with a purpose determined by their Creator. The monotheistic religions in particular recognize that God created human beings to serve, love and glorify Him. We can thus find fulfillment through service and obedience. However, as our heavenly Father, God would also want us to be children who reflect His image and likeness in the world by spreading love and benevolence throughout the human race.
God is the Enjoyer of all phenomena in some texts; specifically, we can speak of God’s joy when His purpose of creation is fulfilled. It is our privilege as human beings to return such joy to God. Father Moon explains God’s purpose for creating human beings as a creative partnership, where we take after God’s loving nature and God in turn rejoices to see countless images of Himself as we establish loving families and relate to one another and to all God’s creatures with divine love. Nevertheless, due to the Fall of the first ancestors, people do not form loving families or treat the creation with love. Therefore, God has never experienced the fullness of joy. (See Chapter 6: God’s Grief.)

  1. Our Purpose Is to Serve God

I have created the jinn and humankind only that
they may serve Me. No sustenance do I require
that they should feed Me. For God is He who gives
all sustenance, the Lord of Power, Steadfast.
Qur’an 51.56-58

All that God created in His world He created
only for His glory, as it is said, “All that is called
by my name, for my glory I created and fash-
ioned and made it” (Isaiah 43.7).
Avot 6.11 (Judaism)

There is one God, the Father, from whom are all
things and for whom we exist.
1 Corinthians 8.6

The greatest bliss is the good pleasure of God:
that is the supreme felicity.
Qur’an 9.72

Why, is he better who founds his building upon
the fear of God and His good pleasure, or he
who founds his building upon the brink of a
crumbling bank that will tumble with him into
the fire of hell? And God does not guide the
people of the evildoers.
Qur’an 9.109

If you obey the commandments of the Lord
your God which I command you this day, by lov-
ing the Lord your God, by walking in his ways,
and by keeping his commandments and his stat-
utes and his ordinances, then you shall live and
multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you
in the land.
Deuteronomy 30.16

Do not try to develop what is natural to man;
develop what is natural to Heaven. He who
develops Heaven benefits life; he who develops
man injures life.
Chuang Tzu 19 (Taoism)

If it be your wish, O people, to know God and to
discover the greatness of His might, look, then,
upon Me with My own eyes, and not with the
eyes of anyone besides Me. You will, otherwise,
be never capable of recognizing Me, though
you ponder My Cause as long as My Kingdom
endures.
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh 127
(Bahá’i Faith)

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Originally, human beings were created to be happy, full of life and joy before God their Parent. Our existence should be for the glory of God. (52:36, December 12, 1971)

What should we human beings set as our purpose? Rather than setting our purpose on the individual, family, community, nation, world, or even the cosmos, we should set our purpose on God. Our purpose should be to bring God and humankind together. (41:323, February 18, 1971)

For what purpose were we born? What should be our center as we go through life, and what should be our ultimate goal? These questions absolutely cannot be answered if we exclude God. Without God, our life will have no connection to the Cause. Even if he makes some success in his life, a person who lacks a connection to the Cause cannot reap the result, and the value of his result cannot be recognized. A building is constructed according to a blueprint created by an architect. A building built without a blueprint cannot become what the Architect intends. (21:100, November 17, 1968)

My life is for the sake of God and the world. You also should think to live for God and the world. You should not think to live merely for yourself… Always check how closely you are aligned to the life that God wants you to live. (147:115, August 31, 1986)

Submit Yourself to God and Live in Harmony

Happy Thanksgiving!

The latest Richard Urban Show:
Are the Proclamations of Rev. Sun Myung Moon Valid, or Are They Null and Void?  https://youtu.be/yGSVxL2Uy8A

Ephesians 4

4 As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. 3 Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. 4 All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God’s people. 5 We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. 6 There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.

1 Kings

46 Everyone sins. But when your people sin against you, suppose you get angry enough to let their enemies drag them away to foreign countries. 47-49 Later, they may feel sorry for what they did and ask your forgiveness. Answer them when they pray toward this temple I have built for you in your chosen city, here in this land you gave their ancestors. From your home in heaven, listen to their sincere prayers and do what they ask. 50 Forgive your people no matter how much they have sinned against you. Make the enemies who defeated them be kind to them. 51 Remember, they are the people you chose and rescued from Egypt that was like a blazing fire to them.

The Path of Life We Must Go, Entertaining Hope

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
March 22, 1959

Romans 8: 18-21

Jesus is a man who lived having given up all the earthly hopes people normally cherish from the time of his youth. We must know that Jesus lived from early on with a hope for which he could forsake his family, his environment, his religious denomination, and even his nation. He had a firm belief and hope in Heaven that no one could change. The hope that he cherished in his young mind was an immutable, thorough-going one with which he could withstand whatever difficulties he might encounter. Therefore, we must remember once again that Jesus ran the path he had to take with unflagging perseverance.

Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem with his parents when he was twelve. His parents came back first, and Jesus remained there. When his parents came looking for him later, Jesus scolded them, saying, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49) We must know that Jesus cherished hope only for the Father.

Jesus ceaselessly toiled to put the surrounding environment in order as he matured. He had faith for the sake of Heaven; the kind of faith no one else had. Although there were many difficulties on the path he walked, because he had faith that he would build a new kingdom, a new world of hope, those difficulties could not take away his hope. Continue reading “Submit Yourself to God and Live in Harmony”

Elijah Loved the People

Watch my latest Richard Urban show:  Christ Has Already Defined His Kingdom and It Is Not the Rod of Iron Kingdom:  https://youtu.be/aMCMMaQdFps

Ephesians 2

4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God’s wonderful kindness is what saves you. 6 God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. 7 God did this so that in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. 8 You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve.[a] This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9 It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. 10 God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.

1 Peter 4

10 Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. 11 If you have the gift of speaking, preach God’s message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever. Amen.

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

The Heart of Heaven in Relation to Elijah

Sun Myung Moon
March 15, 1959

Even while hiding in Kerith Ravine, Elijah renewed his resolution. Though no human beings knew the sorrowful heart of Elijah, in hiding after reprimanding King Ahab and Jezebel to save the Israelites, ravens brought him things to eat. You must know about Elijah. He committed himself to seeking out people who could comprehend the heart of Heaven even as he was starving.

Elijah knew that Heaven’s deeply felt sorrow was because of the people, who stood at the crossroads of life and death. He knew that the judgment day resulting from the accumulated sorrows would come. The more Elijah felt he could not cope with it alone, the more he yearned after a like-minded person who could sacrifice him or herself for the sake of Heaven’s will. Elijah was permeated with the wish to love like-minded people as much as he loved the nation, as much as he loved Heaven.

Elijah’s was the kind of mind that could save the people, the kind of mind that could bring the people around to restore the nation to life. This was an ardent mind capable of forging ties between humanity and Heaven. Because Elijah had such a heart, Heaven chose and led him. Continue reading “Elijah Loved the People”

You Must Meet Jesus Again at the Second Advent

Ephesians 6

5 Slaves, you must obey your earthly masters. Show them great respect and be as loyal to them as you are to Christ. 6 Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. You are slaves of Christ, so with your whole heart you must do what God wants you to do. 7 Gladly serve your masters, as though they were the Lord himself, and not simply people. 8 You know that you will be rewarded for any good things you do, whether you are slaves or free.

Richard:  I think that this speaks to our attitude as we do the duties that God gives us in life (through our conscience, mainly, but also to others such as our parents, or Christ).  We should give obeisance to Christ and be glad to go the way of sacrifice, knowing that we will reach the goal of happiness after the course of hardship.  The problem is, as Rev. Moon stated yesterday “We the followers of Jesus must go the way he went, whether we live or die. The problem is whether you really want to go this way.”

Isaiah 30

29 The Lord’s people will sing as they do when they celebrate a religious festival[e] at night. The Lord is Israel’s mighty rock,[f] and his people will be as happy as they are when they follow the sound of flutes to the mountain where he is worshiped.

The Ideal Kingdom of Heaven, Our Hope

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
February 22, 1959

Matthew 3: 1-17

We must go. We must go over the idea of faith that religious people hold. Furthermore, we must go over the cross of Jesus. Beyond the cross, we must go over Jesus’ heart of resurrection. We must even go over God’s heart and comfort Him. We must advance toward that kind of position.

How can we stop our footsteps from heading toward that longed-for place, the place where God resides, the place where Jesus dwells, the place of the true brotherhood of humankind? Before you lies the road of ideology that we must go, no matter what on earth holds us, stepping over every obstacle. We must even lead the people who have been those obstacles into following that road.

Have you ever thought about God’s hard work in finding us? From the day of the fall, God always sought Adam. God never failed to follow Adam’s descendants. He has been seeking you when you did not know He was doing so. Have you ever sought God? You must know that 6,000 years of sadness and millions of people’s deaths obstructed His path. When we know the hard work of God in seeking us, we should have the same kind of heart as we in turn seek God. Continue reading “You Must Meet Jesus Again at the Second Advent”