Category: Proverbs

Return to Basics

2 Samuel 12

12 1 and he sent Nathan the prophet to tell this story to David:

A rich man and a poor man lived in the same town. 2 The rich man owned a lot of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had only one little lamb that he had bought and raised. The lamb became a pet for him and his children. He even let it eat from his plate and drink from his cup and sleep on his lap. The lamb was like one of his own children.

4 One day someone came to visit the rich man, but the rich man didn’t want to kill any of his own sheep or cattle and serve it to the visitor. So he stole the poor man’s little lamb and served it instead.

5 David was furious with the rich man and said to Nathan, “I swear by the living Lord that the man who did this deserves to die! 6 And because he didn’t have any pity on the poor man, he will have to pay four times what the lamb was worth.”

7 Then Nathan told David:

You are that rich man! Now listen to what the Lord God of Israel says to you: “I chose you to be the king of Israel. I kept you safe from Saul 8 and even gave you his house and his wives. I let you rule Israel and Judah, and if that had not been enough, I would have given you much more. 9 Why did you disobey me and do such a horrible thing? You murdered Uriah the Hittite by having the Ammonites kill him, so you could take his wife.

10 “Because you wouldn’t obey me and took Uriah’s wife for yourself, your family will never live in peace. 11 Someone from your own family will cause you a lot of trouble, and I will take your wives and give them to another man before your very eyes. He will go to bed with them while everyone looks on. 12 What you did was in secret, but I will do this in the open for everyone in Israel to see.”

13-14 David said, “I have disobeyed the Lord.”

“Yes, you have!” Nathan answered. “You showed you didn’t care what the Lord wanted.[a] He has forgiven you, and you won’t die. But your newborn son will.” 15 Then Nathan went back home.

Richard: Are we poor in spirit? Are we ready to hear what God is saying? David repented; can each of us do the same?

Proverbs 31

31 These are the sayings
that King Lemuel of Massa
    was taught by his mother.
2 My son Lemuel, you were born
in answer to my prayers,
    so listen carefully.
3 Don’t waste your life
chasing after women!
    This has ruined many kings.

4 Kings and leaders
should not get drunk
    or even want to drink.
5 Drinking makes you forget
your responsibilities,
    and you mistreat the poor.
6 Beer and wine are only
for the dying
    or for those
    who have lost all hope.
7 Let them drink
    and forget
how poor and miserable
    they feel.
8 But you must defend
those who are helpless
    and have no hope.
9 Be fair and give justice
    to the poor and homeless.

Richard: God is calling us to return to basics. Stay abstinent before marriage. Be Blessed in marriage and rear godly children. Follow the great commission; do Home Church, which means witnessing and serving in an area of 360 or more homes, as we have been reading in the past weeks.

Selected Passages from the Words of Rev. Sun Myung Moon about Home Church

Today’s Word magazine, September 1981 p. 16

The unified soldier has a mission to return to
his home town and build a holy temple in the
Kingdom of Heaven. Thus, your 360 houses are
your Cain-type home church and your home town
will be your Abel-type home church.
In the future, our organization will become
completely home church. National leaders, center
leaders-everyone-will do home church work.
Thus, Satan will lose all his ground and have to
leave the earth completely. Thus, the era of mobile
activity will draw to a close, and everyone will settle
down.
You left your home and your relatives have
persecuted you. But in a few years you can go
back to them and serve them better than any son
or daughter has ever done in the past. Soon you
can write a letter home saying, Forgive me. Daddy
and Mommy. for my absence. Now I can come
home and become more obedient to you than the
most dutiful son or daughter that ever lived in
this country. In a few years, you can pack your
bags and go home. Then in one night, you can
explain the Principle to your parents. and they will
cry tears of repentance when they understand
what you have done. When you die, your relatives
will erect a tomb in honor of you who died for
the sake of your parents. (9/23/78)

When you get all your home church people
united. don’t you think they would all want to help
you do home church work with your family? They
will do the witnessing for you. When your relatives
come and see your members serving them and you
so sincerely, they will be deeply moved. This is the
normal pattern: Cain and Abel are meant to love
each other and live together harmoniously. The
Bible says your worst enemy is your family (even
without looking it up in the Bible, you know that
from experience!). But if you succeed in your
Cain-type home church, then you won’t even have
to fight your worst enemy.
After the completion of home church in the
Cain world, you can build one more home church:
your Abel-type home church in your home town.
Then you can invite your father and mother and
your whole family to join you, and together with
them you can enter the Kingdom of God. The
Kingdom of God accepts only families, not just
individuals-and families of three generations,
at that. By physically creating our tribal messiah-
ship, we can open the door for national and
worldwide messiahship. (1/1/79)

The Two Thousand Year History after Jesus is the History of Seeking a Bride

Hosea 4

4 Don’t accuse just anyone!
    Not everyone is at fault.
My case is against you,
    the priests.[a]
5 You and the prophets
will stumble day and night;
    I’ll silence your mothers.
6 You priests have rejected me,
and my people are destroyed
    by refusing to obey.
Now I’ll reject you and forget
your children,
because you
    have forgotten my Law.

Proverbs 8

8 With great understanding,
    Wisdom[a] is calling out
2     as she stands at the crossroads
    and on every hill.
3 She stands by the city gate
    where everyone enters the city,
    and she shouts:
4 “I am calling out
    to each one of you!
5 Good sense and sound judgment
    can be yours.
6     Listen, because what I say
    is worthwhile and right.
7 I always speak the truth
    and refuse to tell a lie.
8 Every word I speak is honest,
    not one is misleading
    or deceptive.

9 “If you have understanding,
    you will see that my words
    are just what you need.
10 Let instruction and knowledge
mean more to you
    than silver
    or the finest gold.
11 Wisdom is worth much more
than precious jewels
    or anything else you desire.”

The Toil of God as He Tries to Raise up His Beloved Children

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
October 11, 1959

John 3: 11-21

1 Corinthians 7:28-29

Ladies and gentlemen, please think about it. If Jesus, the only begotten son of God, had not died after coming to the earth, what would have happened? Since it is said that Jesus is the only begotten son, God would have sent his only begotten daughter. The two-thousand-year history of God after Jesus is the history of seeking a bride. It is the history of seeking a bride. Do you deny that?

Although Jesus came as a true son, since there was no true daughter, God’s will was not fully accomplished. For this reason the two-thousand-year history is the history of finding a daughter. The fights in the Unification Church will also center on this issue. The Holy Spirit came as God’s daughter.

God raised Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and blessed them not only to love them; it was to love their descendants too. Are there any such descendants? Have there ever been sons and daughters whom Jesus could love? If there had been sons and daughters of whom Jesus could say, “He is my son that I love infinitely and eternally, and he is my direct descendant,” then this world would have already become God’s nation.

As God’s son Jesus died on behalf of God’s heart of the past, present and future. The Lord who is returning will come to inherit the will and realize it on the earth. When he comes, what should the countless believers on the earth do? Just as Jesus was a son before God, you should become true sons and daughters before the Lord. Don’t you think that is how it should be?



Do Not Think that by Believing in Jesus You Will be Saved

Join us this Saturday for Part 3 of the Unification Principle online seminar. Register here: https://www.urbanlifetraining.org/index.php/109-training/328-unification-principle-online-seminar-coming-november-2nd-2 .

Luke 11

33 No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a clay pot. A lamp is put on a lampstand, so that everyone who comes into the house can see the light. 34 Your eyes are the lamp for your body. When your eyes are good, you have all the light you need. But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. 35 So be sure that your light isn’t darkness. 36 If you have light, and nothing is dark, then light will be everywhere, as when a lamp shines brightly on you.

Proverbs 31

These are the sayings
that King Lemuel of Massa
    was taught by his mother.
2 My son Lemuel, you were born
in answer to my prayers,
    so listen carefully.
3 Don’t waste your life
chasing after women!
    This has ruined many kings.

4 Kings and leaders
should not get drunk
    or even want to drink.
5 Drinking makes you forget
your responsibilities,
    and you mistreat the poor.
6 Beer and wine are only
for the dying
    or for those
    who have lost all hope.
7 Let them drink
    and forget
how poor and miserable
    they feel.
8 But you must defend
those who are helpless
    and have no hope.
9 Be fair and give justice
    to the poor and homeless.

The Toil of God as He Tries to Raise up His Beloved Children

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
October 11, 1959

John 3: 11-21

1 Corinthians 7:28-29

For what purpose did God bless the original Adam and Eve before the Fall? It was not so that they could eat good things and be happy by themselves. God gave them the blessing on behalf of their descendants, their family, their people and the world. What was the purpose for sending Jesus? Since he came as the only begotten son of God, it was to find sons and daughters who could become only begotten children to him. Because Jesus struggled to find these sons and daughters, because he was connected to the heart of God who was seeking sons and daughters like Jesus, even though the Jews were to perish, he prayed on the cross, “Father, please forgive their sins.” You have to understand that the motivation of heart came from Heaven.

Believers should not just be descendants of Jesus. They should become his sons and daughters. Where are the sons and daughters to whom Jesus can reveal all things, to whom he can entrust all ideals and whom he can bless, just as God could embrace him? God revealed all that was inside of Him and safely entrusted His works to Jesus. Had such sons and daughters of Jesus appeared on the earth, the Second Advent would have been realized a long time ago. It did not have to take two thousand years. Have you ever seen such sons and daughters? Although there were those who died believing in Jesus’ words, there was no one who understood the heart of Jesus, believed in the embodiment of Jesus, and died for him.

It is said in John 3:16, “Since God loves this world so much He sent His only begotten son that whoever believes in him will never perish but will attain eternal life.” It is said that whoever believes in him will receive eternal life, but what are we to believe in? We are to believe in the only begotten son whom God loves like the world, and we are to believe in the world that God loves like the only begotten son. These are what we are supposed to believe in. That is the main theme in all sixty-six books of the Bible. Those who believe in the heart of God who loves the world like the only begotten son and who loves the only begotten son like the world will be saved.

For this reason, faith, hope and love will always be there. But among them it is said that love is the best. Love is what will remain eternally, be victorious eternally, and what will come with the eternal, glorious Lord. No matter how sinful the world may be, those who can love the world as God loves it, as He loves the only begotten son, and love the only begotten son as God loves the world, will receive salvation.

Do not think that by believing in Jesus you will be saved. Such people are thieves. Thieves. When Jesus came to the earth, he considered this world more precious than his own body. Since it is said that God sent His only begotten son because He loved the world so much, Jesus knew that God sent him because He loved the world so much. He could not deny this when he fathomed the heart of God in history. Moreover, since the Jews needed the embodiment of God’s love, he knew that he had to stand before the world.

For this reason, Jesus did not live three years of public life to elevate himself. The purpose of the three years was to find disciples. Jesus worked hard to raise up three disciples to be like his sons and daughters and to make the twelve disciples into his children.

You probably understand this through your study of the history of restoration through indemnity. God worked through the three sons lost in Adam’s family. He worked through the three sons lost in Noah’s family. He was the God of the three generations of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the three generations of Saul, David and Solomon. This is according to the universal principles of restoration which seek this number three to represent the whole. Therefore, Jesus had to raise up three spiritual sons.

For this reason, even if Jesus were to abandon everything else, these three disciples should not have separated from him. Although Jesus wanted to bring the three disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane and the hill of Golgotha, they betrayed him in the Garden of Gethsemane. This was the beginning of a sorrowful history.

If You Obtain Success that God Does Not Permit, You Will Perish

Joshua 2

21 “I’ll do exactly what you said,” Rahab promised. Then she sent them on their way and tied the red rope to the window.

22 The spies hid in the hills for three days while the king’s soldiers looked for them along the roads. As soon as the soldiers gave up and returned to Jericho, 23 the two spies went down into the Jordan valley and crossed the river. They reported to Joshua and told him everything that had happened. 24 “We’re sure the Lord has given us the whole country,” they said. “The people there shake with fear every time they think of us.”

Proverbs 3

Honor the Lord by giving him
your money
    and the first part
    of all your crops.
10 Then you will have
more grain and grapes
    than you will ever need.

I Am Relating With Two Worlds

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
September 20, 1959

Now the direction is being reversed. Heaven will become the earth, and earth will become Heaven. Human beings have to become the center. This is a time for change. Since it is a transition time, we should become central beings of Heaven and earth and the lords of the universe. Heaven is not the center of the universe. God created human beings for the purpose of raising them up as the lords of the universe who represent His authority.

To reach that standard, you have to lay the foundation to solve problems ourselves with experience from our hearts. To pursue the path which can resolve problems from our minds and hearts, we need to search for the one direction. What are we to do after we find the direction? We are to look in the four directions around that direction. After looking around in four directions, we should find out what they are like and then look at the heavenly nature. Only then can you understand the state you are in.

The religion and ideas that you have now cannot serve as a perfect standard for your minds, heart and ideology. Why not? Because it is written that as a new era comes, all of them will fade away. Since our religions and thoughts have not become the perfect standard for our minds, hearts and ideology, the time has come when something new must become our center. This is such a time. You and I are in the same position. Jesus said that his disciples were not his servants but his friends. We are in the same position. The universe is not lofty. We must stand shoulder to shoulder with the universe.

No denomination has the quality of all directions. They are all one-sided. For this reason those who decide upon the heavenly heart as the center must be critical of their one-directionality and be open to the four directions. Should the mind and body always be in conflict? The mind should conquer the body. Then the standard by which the mind can guide the body to all four directions should be established. That is how it should be. Otherwise, there won’t be a perfect solution.

For this reason you are not to sit still. Wait idle and see what will happen. You are not to boast, “I am great,” or “I am some great scholar.” People talk about this scholar and that scholar, but scientists are better than most of them. Other scholars will find that things may turn upside down. They should not be so proud. They should realize that they have greater responsibility. Those who mislead other minds with their hypothetical theories and malign the ways of Heaven will face eternal accusation once they go to the next world.

You all want to become heroes, right? If you try to become a hero that you were not born to become, you will be struck by lightning. You want to become great and successful, but if you attain success that God does not permit, you will perish. Your descendants will perish. This is why there are such cruel events as sudden assassinations or murders by knife. They say, in effect, “You are not qualified to be in that position.” This is also something that Heaven directs them to do. This is the law of Heaven.

The time has come when we should throw away our ambitions and find ourselves. God longs for those who can rejoice in mind and body together. Have you ever experienced God saying, “Let me touch your hand,” and then had Him hold your hands in joy? Is that how your minds are?

God created the physical world in order that our minds could be active and stimulate the actions of our bodies. You should become someone who sings for all things, all people, for the future world, the spirit world and the earthly world. You should be able to rejoice in your minds. You should become someone to whom God will come and whom God will receive with joy. This is not fancy or imagination. This is reality. It is a reality that this young man who is speaking to you has experienced and knows is true. Hence, even if Heaven and earth were to oppose me and even if Heaven and earth were to turn upside down, I am determined to walk this path. What kind of age is this? It is the Last Days. However, without a person who has established such a standard, the last judgment cannot be cast. The day of judgment will not come.

Richard: “ You and I are in the same position. Jesus said that his disciples were not his servants but his friends. We are in the same position. The universe is not lofty. We must stand shoulder to shoulder with the universe. “. Wow. We are to be a friend with Jesus, a friend with True Father, not a servant.

The Lord Comes with a New Truth of Higher Content

Matthew 27

22 Pilate asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”

They all yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”

23 Pilate answered, “But what crime has he done?”

“Nail him to a cross!” they yelled even louder.

24 Pilate saw that there was nothing he could do and that the people were starting to riot. So he took some water and washed his hands[c] in front of them and said, “I won’t have anything to do with killing this man. You are the ones doing it!”

25 Everyone answered, “We and our own families will take the blame for his death!”

26 Pilate set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross.

Richard: Crucifying Jesus was a tragic mistake. It was NOT God’s original plan. The chosen people should have accepted Jesus: Exposition of the Divine Principle Chapter 4, The Messiah: https://1drv.ms/b/s!Aj5ekHDYOaCihchktF6T5-QJyENGeg

Proverbs 18

5 It’s wrong to favor the guilty
    and keep the innocent
    from getting justice.

We Who Are Walking a Life Course

Sun Myung Moon
September 6, 1959

1 Peter 1: 21-25

Christians today should lead this kind of life. Those who praise the dreams of the new age and are content to be at the cutting edge of a splendid culture will be denounced by history and forced to stand for judgment at the bottom of this world. Conversely, if there is a group of people who say, “All of you go back; I will guard this place,” and fill up the ditch of death with their own blood, sweat and tears and make a level ground, then God will work through that group.

History is created with new ideologies and in new forms, yet it does not begin from a good situation but from a bad situation. You’ve learned all this. For this reason, where there is sin, there will be much divine grace.

We who must go now should open our hearts and protest, “God! Although Jesus came, I could not establish a standard in my heart which would enable me to go confidently before the absolute being as His object partner. What am I to do?” We should cling to Jesus and protest. We should cling to the Bible and protest. If we were only to listen to the words of other people, we would perish. The Korean people have suffered the misfortune of becoming a colony of another country because they listened to someone else’s words.

Now, as we stand before God who has been seeking humanity speechlessly, we should not unconditionally believe other people’s words. There are fundamentally different forms of words. You cannot believe others.

Therefore, although it is said that the foundations of heart and truth in our hearts should be like this and that, when these words do not come true, we should protest. If you want to protest, you should be able to defend yourself as such and such a person. If you say, “Father, this should have become such and such because of this and that. Why was that not realized?” then God will immediately say, “That is true.” Have you thought about this?

Christianity today says that the Lord will return. Buddhism claims that the Maitreya will return, while Confucianism says that the true man will appear. Each religion is talking about the return of the Lord. They do not mean that he will simply relive the words in the Bible. He is not someone who will relive the words of the Bible or repeat the words of an already established faith. These religions are talking about the return of a Lord who will come with a new truth of higher content. For this reason, if Heaven exists, we should protest until we can obtain an answer concerning him from Heaven. Have you ever tried that? The time has come when we should protest, “Is that really true about Jesus? Is God really like that?” Only then will history make progress.

Although many faithful people worshipped the founders of their religions and took a direction in history, that did not manifest itself in their lives. For this reason we should rise above the founders of religions and grab hold of God. Shouldn’t we do so? Since not everything can be explained by what is written in the Scriptures, we should rise above their pinnacle and protest to God. We are to protest about the founders of religions.

What is the purpose of believing in Jesus? What are we to accomplish by believing in him? To become his bride? What are we to do once we become brides? To live a good life? What are we going to do once we live a good life? We are to reciprocate. Hence, if this has not come true, then shouldn’t we protest? Our goal is to meet Jesus, our bridegroom. Yet have we ever received the love of Jesus? That is not what I believe. Regardless of whether Jesus loves us or not, I want to reach beyond Jesus and receive the love of God. Jesus is a condition. He is the condition through which we can receive the love of God.

Thus, Paul said, “Who will ever cut me off from the love of God which dwells within our lord Jesus Christ?” God’s love within Jesus is not the love related to a bride. If Jesus cannot take a bride and receive God’s blessing, he cannot inherit the great work of Heaven. You have to understand this. You should build a relationship of God-centered love.

Have you ever opened the gates to your heart to obtain this quality and felt the waves of truth? Have you ever prodded an extremely clear conscience? Have you ever grabbed onto the traces of life coming through the voice of your conscience and praised it? Have you ever felt something in your heart which is connected to the infinite world and emerged with an explosive power of life? Have you ever felt it?