Dear Beachside Family and Friends,

Sometimes people wonder if God actually speaks to them. They go through life confused, trying to understand what needs to be done in order to hear from the Lord. The prophet Jeremiah wrote "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ (Jer 33:3) God clearly wants us to call Him, and He is always ready to pick up the phone and speak with us. Since the Lord says He will answer, the first step we must take in order to hear from Him to is to call,

Secondly, we must believe that He WILL answer us. We would never place a telephone call without expecting the party we called to answer and speak with us. Having the same expectation when we call upon the Lord makes it much easier to hear His voice. Prayer is not an exercise where we talk at God, but one in which we speak to Him AND listen to what He says. Simply speaking to our Father and quietly listening to His voice gives Him the opportunity to show us great and mighty things. Constantly talking to Him without listening is a one-way street with a dead end. 

Believers are often expecting to hear God in miraculous and powerful ways, yet He most often speaks quietly. 1 Kings 19:11-13 tells us "but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it.." Elijah discovered that hearing from God was not about powerful demonstration, but about peaceful and quiet communication. Choosing to converse with the Lord and listening for His still, small voice will keep us in the position to hear what He says. 

Every born-again believer is connected with the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His discïples "But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things.  And He will help you remember everything that I have told you. (John 14:26)  The Holy Spirit is responsible to teach us and remind us of the things that Jesus said and are recorded in the Bible, and also the things He is saying to us today. The Spirit of God is always speaking to us. As Romans 8:14-16 tells us: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children."

The Holy Spirit has the information we need. When we pray, we must spend time listening to what He says in response to our inquiries. He is constantly speaking to all of us, waiting for us to listen and do what He says. Talk to God and expect to hear from Him: He always speaks, He always answers, and He WILL talk with you today!

Pastor Ramon

Dear Beachside Family and Friends,

Suppose you could turn back time. Popular literature and cinema are flush with stories of time travel. The motives of the travelers themselves run from curiosity to greed, but all seem convinced that if they could travel to the past they might somehow change their present. It is an interesting notion...if we could through perfect hindsight change the mistakes of our past then we could alleviate the suffering caused by them in our own lives and the lives of others. If we could live free of the guilt and condemnation of the past, how wonderful that would be!

While time travel remains in the realm of science fiction, it is possible for us to live in a way that eliminates the power of past mistakes to control our lives. When we understand the nature of God and his relationship to time, we can fully comprehend the power He gives us to live free of the torment of past mistakes, hurts, and sins. 

Time is a creation of God, and He dwells completely outside of it. He has always existed, and created the timeline that governs human existence. There was no time on earth until God created the sun and moon, governing the passage of days and months. The sun rises, and the sun sets, and a day passes. The moon waxes and wanes, and a month goes by. Days become weeks, weeks become months, months become years, years become decades, decades become centuries, and centuries become millennia. Without interruption, time marches on. 

God dwells in an eternal realm. Where he lives, there is no passage of time, for there is no cycling of sun and moon. We see the best description of this in John's account of the New Jerusalem. " I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light." (Rev 21:22-23) Scripture declares that God is light, and where He is the light always shines. Jesus is the light, and where He is there can be no darkness. John 1:5 tells us "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.* 

"So how does this affect our past, we may ask?" It is in understanding that God, who is not controlled by time, cares not for the past mistakes of our lives. He is only interested in our present and future. He is focused on today, for what happens in our lives today determines our tomorrow. Hebrews 3:7 says "Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." God is interested in what we do today, not what we did yesterday. "What about the sins of our past, some might ask?" Our Heavenly Father who cannot live in the past says this: "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Heb 8;13) He always lives in the now, and by the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus washed away all the mistakes of our past. He will not, He cannot remember or hold our sins against us. To do so would be a violation of HIS OWN WORD!

From the moment that we were born again, we stepped out of natural time into eternity. Our spirits are already operating in the realm where there is no time, "For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus." (Eph 2:6) Like Jesus, we live in eternal day where the past has no power over us. 

Paul understood this well when he wrote "..,but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,' His murderous past  had no power to hurt him or stop him from fulfilling the call of God the moment He met Jesus on the Damascus road. We must adopt the same attitude as Paul in order to live the lives God has for us. As it has been said, "Yesterday is in the tomb, tomorrow is in the womb, let's live for Jesus today!" 

Time travel? It's never necessary for believers. Our past has been forgotten by our God Who lives in today. When we choose to move forward in life and allow the glory of His Word to light our present, the failures of the past become an insignificant factor. Like a wisp of smoke, they blow away in the breath of the Holy Spirit. In God's mind, the mistakes of our past never existed. Don't give them life in yours! 

Pastor Ramon

Dear Beachside Family and Friends,

On Friday, May 18, 2018, a high school student murdered 

ten people at the school he attended. There is, and never will be, any excuse for this heinous act. This was neither an act of God's judgment upon those who were killed, nor something He allowed. The responsibility for these insane acts rests solely upon the shoulders of Satan and his willing accomplice, the shooter. 

Those who desire to use these senseless deaths for political advantage immediately began to demand more gun control, a refrain composed even before the victims were pronounced dead. Guns are responsible they say, and only the elimination of private gun ownership will solve the problem. They declare the Second Amendment is at fault, because it allows citizens to own guns. Even if The Second Amendment was repealed and gun ownership by private citizens was outlawed, it would not solve the problem. Criminals do not obey the law and will always find ways to obtain firearms for their nefarious purposes. New laws are not the solution.

Some blame violence readily found in movies, television, and video games. Music that glorifies killing policemen and others is also cited as the reason that students take up arms against classmates and faculty. Depression, ADHD, and the drugs used to treat them are also faulted as the source of violent behavior in teenagers. Certainly these things contribute to violent thinking and may inspire violent acts, but new restrictions upon them are not the solution. 

The popular culture that embraces many of the things blamed for acts of violence cannot solve the problems it often creates. Politicians are powerless to solve the problem. The scourge of murderous violence in schools can never be eliminated until we acknowledge and admit the root of the problem. Like a weed growing in an otherwise beautiful lawn, violence will continue to grow and spread on campus until the root is pulled out of the ground or killed.

When I started the first grade in 1962, we opened each day with prayer. It was not a sectarian prayer, and was very simple in nature. We asked God to help us do our best as students, and to guide and help our teachers and school administrators. Entering second grade, I experienced something new and "culturally advanced." Because of Supreme Court decisions, we were no longer allowed to pray or read the Bible as a group in school. God was kicked out of school, although he could not be banned from our hearts. Two generations later, we struggle with school violence. The root of the problem is simple: when God and His Word are not acknowledged and respected, morality fails and violence ensues. 

55 years of public education without God has resulted in a culture of disrespect and violence directed towards students and teachers whose lives mean nothing to the dealers of death.and destruction. Unfettered by respect for Higher Authority and without morality, killers who are a product of the system they resent walk the halls of schools, and wait in classrooms for an opportune time to strike. Why did we allow this reprehensible cultural devolution to develop in our schools? The Church must except its' responsibility for blind inaction in the wake of disastrous Supreme Court decisions and the rise of pop culture. 

The court decisions excluding God from public schools, followed by court decisions permitting abortion on demand, have seriously eroded respect for life among our citizens. If it is permissible to take the life of an innocent child we have never seen, is it not also permissible to end  the lives of others we have seen and dislike? Christians should reject and abhor such thinking, but it is not a stretch at all for Satan and those whom he motivates. Where there is no God, there can be no respect for life. Individuals devoid of a God – connection will develop other connections, often with disastrous results.

There is only one way to dig up and destroy the root of violence in public schools. The solution is the same for every problem in our nation today. We must return to God and the Bible in our personal lives and public institutions. The apostle John wrote "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life".(1 John 5:12) it is impossible to maintain a culture of life uwithout embracing a relationship with Jesus, the Prince of Life. Students who are never exposed to the truth about God and Jesus are easily influenced by pop culture and its' fascination with immorality, darkness, and death. We must determine to live our lives in ways that display the love of God and adherence to the Word of God, the only source of life and truth. We must insist that public institutions and those that run them reflect the values upon which our unique American culture was founded. We must not shy away from the truth in political discourse. Most importantly, we must pray for a Holy Spirit led revival in our nation. We may be dismayed by recent events in our schools, but we can be comforted in this: REVIVAL CHANGES EVERYTHING, and it's on the way! Will you join me in prayer, expectation, and action?

Pastor Ramon

Dear Beachside Family and Friends;

There are times in life when we encounter problems that seem to have no solution. We spend hours thinking and praying, trying to figure things out. After all this effort, we may find ourselves in the same place we started from, still dealing with the same challenges. In times like these, we need God and His Word more than ever!

Jehoshaphat, King of Judah was a righteous man. The Bible records that he served God with all his heart, like his ancestor David. He was prosperous in every way, and God blessed the nation of Judah because of his obedience. His success in God attracted the attention of a number of neighboring nations, who allied themselves together to attack and destroy Judah. The enemies' armies were far greater in number and power than the army of Judah, and they faced an impossible situation. In the midst of this very serious problem, they made a very important decision. Jehoshaphat, whose name means "God is my Judge", made this statement to God and the nation: "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chr 20:12)

Instead of trying to figure everything out on their own, the nation of Judah took their eyes off the problem, and turned their eyes upon God. They stopped focusing on the challenge, and focused on God and His Word. When they did so, God granted them incredible deliverance from their enemies. They didn't even have to fight. God fought for them, and all they had to do was pick up the riches their enemies left when they destroyed each other. (2 Chr 20:24-25). Not having to fight, the army of Judah spent three days carrying off all the riches abandoned by the enemy. 

Life serves up challenges where the resistance seems too great and our enemies too strong. Surrounded by visions of defeat and bombarded by thoughts of surrender, we face an life-altering choice. Will we quit of march out to face the enemy? Like King Jehoshaphat,  Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller, the most decorated Marine in history, faced a similar situation. During the Korean War campaign of the Chosin Resevoit in 1950, he said "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." Staring down certain defeat and destruction, the Marines faced the enemy and fought their way out of the encirclement, ultimately chasing the North Korean Army all the way to China. 

If General Puller and King Jehoshaphat could endure incredible challenges and win, we can as well. The victory in any battle can always be found in God and the Bible. We need to avoid the temptation to become so focused on solving our problems that we become controlled by them. Like the nation of Judah, we must focus on God and His Word. He is bigger than any problem! When our eyes are on Him, we can march forward in life, knowing that God is working for us and with us, making us victorious in every situation. When we take stock of every battle with confidence in His Word, facing them head on, victory is ours. To quote General Puller "that simplifies things!"

Pastor Ramon

Dear Beachside Family and Friends,

Nothing van be accomplished in life without paying a price. From the coffee we drink in the morning, to the vehicles we drive to work, to the homes we return to afterward, to the beds we lay down in at night, everything has a price that must be paid. Whether purchased outright or paid over time, everything we use and enjoy has a price. 

When considering our dreams for the future, we must count the cost. Jesus said "But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?" (Luke 14::28) if we do not have the resources to acquire what we desire, we must evaluate what changes we must make in order to have enough to achieve our goal. We must count the cost, paying the price today so that we can pay the price tomorrow! A new house or a new car may be just beyond our reach, but if we are willing to pay the price and make changes in our lifestyle, they can be ours. 

Another cost we pay in life is the price of integrity. Defined as adherence to a code of moral or ethical values, integrity is ours to keep and ours alone to give away. Integrity cannot be taken from us, but we can choose to surrender it. When under pressure to violate our convictions and values, we always have a choice. Will we compromise in order to make other people happy, or will we firmly adhere to the truth? The most powerful minister of the gospel in history was once forced to choose between his integrity and his congregation. He preached a message that almost everyone in his congregation thought was wrong. The choice before him was stark: change his message and way of doing things, or lose everyone. 

The price he would have to pay in order to keep his integrity was staggering, everything he had accomplished . Who was he, and what was his choice? Before we answer the question, we must understand that every person must make the choice to keep or abandon integrity. The pressure to compromise biblical values is intense in today's society. Even in the church at large there is a desire to get along with the world and not hold to absolute truth. Will becoming like the world actually help us to save the world, or will the reverse occur? Will abandoning integrity and adherence to the Bible create a church just as weak and powerless as the world it attempts to embrace?

Who then was this minister who was forced to make the choice between integrity and popularity?  His Name is JESUS. The Bible records His challenge to the people. "Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life." (John 6:60-61,66-68)

Jesus paid a price for His integrity. Because He would not compromise, His congregation left Him. He was so committed to the word of God that he turned to the remaining few and said "are you also going to leave?" He was determined to speak the truth even if it cost Him His entire ministry. We should be eternally grateful that He did not compromise. Because He paid the price for His integrity, He was empowered to pay the price for our sins and give us eternal life.

Are we willing to pay the price for our integrity? Are we committed to stand for the truth no matter what the cost?

Will we remain determined to do what Jesus said and did, even in the face of ridicule from the world and the modern church? Peter was right when he said to Jesus "You have the words that give eternal life." He knew there was nowhere else to go. What Peter knew then, we know today. It's all about the Word! As Jesus said "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) A price must be paid for everything in life. Will we pay the price for integrity?

Pastor Ramon

Dear Beachside Family and Friends;

It's common for Christians to say they are believers. It is also typical for those who do not believe in Jesus to say they are believers. Even atheists are believers: they just believe that there is nothing to believe in. Everyone believes in something. All human beings are servants of something or someone. Bob Dylan, during his "Christian" phase, wrote some lyrics that ring true. "You've got to serve somebody. It may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you've got to serve somebody."

Even those who say they believe in God may miss out in the end. Jesus said to His disciples just before His crucifixion " Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me." (John 14:1) Peter, James, John, and the other members of Jesus' personal staff had been with him since the beginning, and they all believed in God. They knew Jesus was the Messiah. Why did Jesus find it necessary to tell them to "believe in Me"?

Jesus understands the heart of man. Created by God in his image, man craves to believe. Even those who say they believe in nothing have an innate desire to believe in something. Jesus knew that acknowledging God was not enough to experience eternal life. He told his disciples to believe in Him personally because that is the ONLY way into eternal life and the Kingdom of God. John 14:6 tells us "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Based upon Jesus' statement, the definition of a Christian believer is one who not only believes in God, but also believes in Jesus and what the Bible says about Him. In John 9:35-38, we read that Jesus healed a man blind from birth. Scorned by the Jews, he was kicked out of the synagogue for acknowledging Jesus as Messiah. "Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him." The Bible defines a Believer as one who believes in God, has a personal relationship with Jesus, and worships Him as Lord. 

Most people are sincere in what they believe, but sincerity alone cannot save us. We can be sincerely right or sincerely wrong. Sincere belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord guarantees our future in heaven  Jesus asks the same question of us today that He asked of the man born blind. Do you believe in  the Son of God? Something to think about! 

Pastor Ramon