Qualities of a Blessed Life - Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes)

Blessedness of life ought to characterize every area of a Christian’s life.

8 Qualities of a Blessed Life: (They may be found in our hearts.)

1. A life of Dependence – “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”(v.3) – SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTCY
Poor in spirit = Humble in spirit

God’s Blessing: Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2. A life of Repentance – “Blessed are those who mourn…”(v.4) – SPIRITUAL MOURNING
Mourn = Contrite Heart

God’s Blessing: They shall be comforted. [Mercy & Forgiveness]

3. A life of Compliance – “Blessed are the meek…”(v.5) – BEING CONTROLLED BY SOMEBODY

God’s Blessing: They shall inherit the earth. [Needs will be met.]

4. A life of Sustenance – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…”(v.6) – TRUE SPIRITUAL PASSION

God’s Blessing: They shall be satisfied by their Father.

5. A life of Mercy – “Blessed are the merciful…”(v.7) – LOVING OTHERS

God’s Blessing: They will also experience mercy.

6. A life of Purity – “Blessed are the pure in heart…”(v.8) – LIVING TRANSPARENTLY IN GOD
Pure in Heart = Utterly Sincere

God’s Blessing: They will see God.

7. A life of Harmony – “Blessed are the peacemaker…”(v.9) – INITIATORS OF PEACE

God’s Blessing: They shall be called sons of God. [Be ambassadors of peace.]

8. A life of Difficulty – “Blessed are those who are persecuted…”(v.10) – LIVING THE TRUTH IN CHRIST

God’s Blessing: Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [Yours is the reward in heaven.]

*We must be willing to take our cross to follow Jesus.

Personal Reflection:
Are these qualities of life presently in my life today? In what areas of my life must Christ need to reign the most?

Source: Rev. Fraxedes “Macky” Sabayle’s Matthew 5-7 Series last September 2, 2007 at BUCCI.

How To Keep Our Fellowship With God - 1 John 1:1-10

MAIN IDEA: Sin separates us from loving fellowship with God. So God sent His Son to the world to mend this "disfellowship" problem. But, how can we keep this fellowship with God?

What is fellowship?
Greek: KOINONIA
a. Communion
b. Commonness
c. Closeness
d. Intimacy
e. Participation

I. What is the basis of our fellowship with God?
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light an in HIm there is no darkness at all." (v.1,5)

1. Belief that Christ became perfectly human. (v.1-4) [John 14:9, 1:14]
2. Belief that God is perfectly holy. (v.5) [2 Corinthians 6:14-15]

II. What breaks our fellowship with God?
"If we claim to have fellowship with Him, yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth." (v.6)

1. False Claims (v.6,10) [John 2:9]
a. That I can have fellowship with God at the same time enjoy in habitual sins.
b. I can love God at the same time hate my brother or sister.
2. Living with Compromises

III. How to bring back our fellowship with God?
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (v.8-9)

1. Admit you are a sinner.
2. Believe God's words.
3. Confess your sins.

IV. What are the blessings of our fellowship with God?
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (v.7)

1. Communion with other believers and God
2. Cleansing from our sins

APPLICATION:
A. Enjoy God daily. (prayer, devotion)
B. Examine yourself daily.
C. Endure the fight against sin.

Purposes of 1 John:
1. Evangelical - to teach the Gospel (1 John 5:13)
2. Theological - to correct false teachings (1 John 4:1)
- Gnosticism, Docetism (Jesus didn't become man), Antinomianism (liberalism/lawlessness)
3. Practical - to change our daily lives (1 John 2:1, 3:18)


Taken From: Rev. Fraxedes "Macky" Sabayle's 1 John Sermon Series last January 12, 2014 at BUCCI

Hand-Me-Downs For the New Year - 1 John 2:1-6

Main Idea: The New Year brings so many brand new opportunities for us. But God's gift at Christmas, though old, yet it is still so powerful to bring transformation in us today.

1. A Holy Purpose to Fulfill - STOP LIVING IN SIN!

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin." (v.1a)

What is SIN?
A. Sin is SEDITION (rebellion) against God. [1 John 3:4]
B. Sin is VERY SERIOUS. [1 John 3:8-10]
Why is sin serious?
B.1. Sin is very serious because it insults the death of Christ.
B.2. Sin is very serious because it illustrates the nature of Satan, not God's.
B.3. Sin is very serious because it imperils our assurance of salvation.
C. SCRIPTURE can help us overcome sin. [Psalm 119:11]

2. Christ helps us in our fight against sin.

"But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." (v.1b)

A. We don't have to surrender our fight over sin,
B. Because Christ is at the Father's side speaking in our defense. [Romans 8:34; 1 John 4:4]

3. Hope that our failures will be forgiven.

"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (v.2)

A. Christ's death SATISFIED the wrath of God. [John 3:36]
B. Christ's death SANCTIFIED us from our sins. [1 John 1:7]
C. Christ's death SEALED our forgiveness from the Father.

Taken from: Rev. Fraxedes "Macky" Sabayle's  1 John series - January 5, 2014 at Bradford United Church of Christ, Inc.

The Christian and Temptation

What is temptation?

~Sometimes in the Bible, it is TESTING. 1Peter 1:6                                                    ~Sometimes, temptation is strictly an attempt of the Devil to solicit us to do evil. ~Sometimes, it has been defined temptation as being “the incitement of a normal desire beyond the boundaries set by God for man.

The Source of Temptation

~Temptation does not come from God. James 1:13,14

~Temptation comes from the Devil. 1Chronicles 21:1, Matt. 4:1, John 13:2,  1Thessalonians 3:5, James 1:3

Ways to Overcome Temptation

~We are to trust God to deliver us. 2Peter 2:9                                                                       ~We are to take the way to escape that God gives us. 1Cor. 10:3                                           ~We are to realize that God will not let us be tempted above our abilities. 1Cor. 10:13       ~We are to resist the temptation. Ephesians 6:16, Heb. 12:4, 1Peter 5:8-9                         ~We are to guard against the temptation. Matthew 26:41                                                      ~We are to pray not to lead us to temptation. Matt. 6:13a                                                           ~We are to be careful not to be a source of temptation to other people. Romans

14:13                                                                                                                                                 ~It will be an encouragement to each of us if we realize that all temptations are common to all.1Cor.10:13a                                                                                                                                            ~We should run immediately from the temptation.                                                             ~Remember that if you have yielded to temptation, you can still be restored. 1John 1:7

P.S. Every time you give in to any temptation, you let Satan mock the Lord.

Written by Sophia (pax) in our Wordpress blog.

Four Kinds of Fasting

There are probably as many ways to fast as there are ways to pray, bu these four ideas are a starting point:

1. Normal Fast

In this kind, a person goes without food for a predetermined amount of time --- 1 day, 3 days, 1 week or longer. Water is allowed and necessary of course. Extreme care should be taken with long fasts, especially if there are any underlying medical conditions. It is wise to consult your physician if you are planning on embarking on a long fast.

2. Partial Fast

This fast allows certain foods, or is on a schedule that includes limited eating, possibly one meal or two meals a day, or only eating vegetables for several days. Daniel and John the Baptist followed this sort of fast, while John Wesley ate only bread and water for many days as his fast. This is a better option for those who cannot do a water fast.

3. Juice Fast

This is the same as normal fast in 1 above, except the one fasting also eats fresh vegetables or drinks fruit juice.

4. Object Fast

Some people decide to fast on something completely unrelated to food, such as TV or computer time. This is a very commendable type of fasting also. There are very valid reasons to choose this sort of fast, but for the rest of this article series we will deal with food.


Source: BUCCI's Becoming Intimately Dependent on God booklet

SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION

EPHESUS (Loveless Christians) – Revelation 2:1-7
City of Ephesus	Church of Ephesus	Character of Christ	Commendation & Condemnation	Command	Consequence
- Center of trade & commerce (free city) - Capital of worship for the Greek god Artemis - Center for immorality	- Planted by Paul and pastored by Timothy and John	1. Who holds the seven stars in His right hand 2. Walks among the seven golden lampstands or candlesticks	Commendation: 1. Hardworking Church 2. Persevering 3. Discerning Condemnation: - They are FALLING OUT OF LOVE* for Christ. *or FELL OUT OF LOVE (This is the mother of all sins)	-Remember [how we met Christ] – Luke 15:17 in the Prodigal Son -Repent -Repeat [do the things you did when you first met Jesus]	Removal of the lampstand or candlestick* [if they fail to do the commands and repent] *There is no more Ephesian church today geographically but there are still spiritual Ephesians. “Do everything in LOVE for the Lord and not out of duty.”

SMYRNA (Suffering Christians) – Revelation 2:8-11
City of Smyrna	Character of Christ (Rev. 2:8)	Condition of the Church	Commendation of Christ (Rev. 2:9b)	Command (Rev. 2:10)	Consequence (Rev. 2:11)
- Most beautiful of all the cities - Smyrna comes from the word Myrrh which means Bitter - Today, Smyrna is called Izmir in Turkey which is famous for huge theaters and massive temples of Zeus, Hermes, Apollo & Mercury - Smyrna was never mentioned in the Bible apart from Revelation	1. The Eternal One (First & Last) – Isaiah 41:4, 43:10, 44:6, 48:12 2. The Living One (Dead & Alive) –Christ experienced suffering & death so He can sympathize with the church of Smyrna & us	1. Pressured (AFFLICTION = pressure from the inside) 2. Poor – They have nothing to show to the city of Smyrna 3. Persecuted – Real Christians are persecuted (PERSECUTION = pressure from the outside)	Plenty and abounding in: A. Promises of Christ B. Perseverance C. Purity -The Smyrna Christians are rich in Christ while they are poor here on Earth. -They have a sweet-smelling testimony before God.	1. Fear Not 2. Be Faithful to the End – perseverance of the saints	1. Crown of Life 2. Eternal Life

PERGAMOS / PERGAMUM (Compromising Christians) – Revelation 2:12-17
City of Pergamos / Pergamum	Character of Christ (Rev. 2:12)	Condition of the Church (Rev. 2:13a)	Commendation of Christ (Rev. 2:13b) & Condemnation (Rev. 2:14-15)	Command (Rev. 2:16)	Consequence (Rev. 2:17)
- Capital city of Asia Minor, 20 miles from Smyrna - Center of worship for Asclepius (god of healing) - The place of the first worship of Caesarian worship in 2 B.C. - Wealthy but wicked city; the biggest library can be found; temples of Zeus, Athena & Dionysius	1. Truth of God’s Word: a. Word of God is a sword. b. It is sharp (Hebrews 4:12)	- They live where Satan’s throne is. “Christian life is not escaping from Satan, but a constant conquest against Satan.”	Commendation: - Remained true or faithful - Did not renounce their faith Condemnation: 1.Teaching of Balaam (Numbers 23-24) – accommodating worldly principles and practices, sexual immorality, marrying unbelievers 2.Teaching of Nicolaitans – pagan practices	- REPENT IMMEDIATELY! John 12:48	- Hidden Manna (God will provide for you) - White Stone – Thummim [black stone which means no] & Urim [white stone which means yes] (God will say yes to you or God will give you His approval) - New Name

THYATIRA (Corrupt Christians) – Revelation 2:18-29
City of Thyatira	Character of Christ (Rev. 2:18)	Commendation of Christ (Rev. 2:19) & Condemnation of Christ (Rev.2:20-23)	Similarities of Jezebel in Rev. 2:20-23 & 1 Kings 16	Command (Rev. 2:24)	Consequence (Rev. 2:26-29)
- Thyatira means continuous sacrifice - Ruins are in Akkasar, Turkey. - The city have business guilds and military posts. - They are famous for textiles. - The church of Thyatira is small	1. Son of God a. Eyes with blazing fire – Christ’s seeing-everything, knowing-everything eyes b. Having feet like fine bronze – judgment of Christ	Commendation: -They are growing spiritually and numerically Praises: a. Love b. Faith c. Service d. Perseverance Condemnation: 1.They tolerated Jezebel (prophetess who teaches false doctrines) a. Sexual immorality b. Foods sacrificed to idols	a. Both tried to replace God’s Word with substitutes b. Bothe seduced God’s people to immorality c. Both were judged and condemned by God Modern Jezebel Teachings: 1. Humanism (Enlightenment Period) – Man is the center of everything. 2. New Age Movement (the movie entitled Secret) – God is yourself. 3. Relativism / Pluralism – Every religion are just different ways to reach God. 4. Atheism – There is no God.	- Hold on to what you have unto the end. - Stick diligently to what you believed.	-Christ will give them authority of the nations (During the millennial period) -Christ will give them the morning star (Jesus Christ) Things we must let go:  a. Teachings that are unbiblical b. Teachings that are against the Lord no matter how old it is.

SARDIS (Dead Christians) – Revelation 3:1-6
City of Sardis	Character of Christ (Rev. 3:1a)	Condemnation of Christ (Rev. 3:1b) &	Command of Christ (Rev. 3:2-3)	Commendation of the Church (Rev. 3:4)	Consequence (Rev. 3:5-6)
-The commercial city of Sardis was situated at the foot of Mt. Tmolus & in the fertile valley of the River Hermus. -The capital of the old kingdom of Lydia with important industries including woolen garments, jewelry, dye and textiles which made the city wealthy. -Center of pagan worship and site of a temple of Artemis. -A small village called Sart remains.	1. Holds the seven Spirits of God – Only one Holy Spirit but described in Isaiah 11 as the seven-fold Spirit which also symbolizes the all-seeing eyes of God (Rev.5:6). 2. Seven stars – The seven messengers (pastors) of the seven churches (Rev. 1:20)	- They have a reputation of being alive but are actually dead. – Alive here implies that they professed attachment to Christ and His cause but it was just a mere profession. They were Christians with works but not much of Christ’s life. -They had reputation without reality, form without force. The Christians in Sardis gloried in past dignity, but ignored present decay.	1. Wake up! – The first step toward renewal of a dying soul is honest awareness that something is wrong. 2. Strengthen the few things you do have. 3. Remember the Word you have received and heard. 4. Apply it! 5. Repent!	1. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. - A remnant exists and the Lord admonished them to strengthen what remained and not to give up because the church was weak.	1. Walk with Me dressed in white – promise of eternal righteousness 2. Name in the Book of Life – assurance of eternal salvation 3. Will acknowledge his name before My Father – honor and glory in heaven

PHILADELPHIA (Faithful Christians) – Revelation 3:7-13
City of Philadelphia	Character of Christ (Rev. 3:7)	Condition of the Church (Rev. 3:8)	Commendation (Rev. 3:8)	Comfort to the Church (Rev. 3:10-12)
-Philadephia means brotherly love - Gateway of Greek culture to the Orient; trade route of business - Present day name is Alasehir - A group of believes still remains.	a. Holy (Gk. word HAGIOS) – pure, sinless b. True (Gk. word ALETHINOS) – real, genuine c. The Sovereign One who holds the keys of David	- Launching door – They have opportunities to share to people about Jesus. - Little power – Small in quantity, not in quality (They are the smallest church.) - Lay hold of the Word - Loyal to the Lord – Did not deny His name.	a. Great Opportunity b. Little Capacity c. Biblically Faithful d. Good Testimony	a. I will humble your enemies/ - We can’t enjoy the best of both worlds. b. I will strengthen you through extreme trials. c. I will honor and secure you in heaven. d. I will give you a new identity.

LAODICEA (Lukewarm Christians) – Revelation 3:14-22
City of Laodicea	Character of Christ (Rev. 3:14)	Condition of the Church (Rev. 3:15-16)	Counsel of Christ (Rev. 3:18)	Command of Christ (Rev. 3:19-20)
-Wealthy city known for 3 industries: banking, glossy black wool cloth, medicine (eye salve) - No good supply of water - Water comes from aqueducts which originates from 2 springs: a. Hieropolis (hot spring) b. Colossae (cold spring)	- Amen (Sovereign One) - Faithful and True Witness - Ruler of God’s Creation	A. Neither hot nor cold - They were useless. - They were successful but not significant. - cold spring = refreshes - hot spring = heals 3 Spiritual Temperatures: 1.On fire (Acts 4:31) 2. Cold (Matthew 24:12) 3. Lukewarm (Rev. 3:16) B. Lukewarm -Comfortable (Mediocre) -Complacent (Satisfied with spiritual life) -Caused Jesus to vomit C. Unaware of their spiritual condition -lost their value -lost their vesture -lost their vision	-Buy from Me Gold = Faith Clothes = Righteousness Salve = Truth “The absence of persecution indicates a dying Christian.”	-Be zealous (active) -Repent – Change your direction. -Welcome Him – Hear His voice and open the door. (Intimacy, fellowship and communion with Christ)

Source:

All the contents of this post is taken from Rev. Fraxedes Sabayle's Sermons last August 9- September 20, 2009 in Bradford United Church of Christ Inc., Urgello, Cebu