Dear Beachside a Family and Friends,

Every day that passes it becomes even more evident that our culture is under assault. Forces both within, and without our nation are determined to destroy our heritage and the principles which have made our nation great. President Ronald Reagan once said "America is not good because she is great, she is great because she is good." Thirty years after this proclamation, we find the very foundation of our goodness challenged by the erosion of our once prominent Judeo – Christian values.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the church itself. In an attempt to remain "culturally relevant", we have strayed from the teachings of the Word of God and replaced them with our better "more inclusive" ideas. Only three decades ago it would be unheard of to accept the practice of homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual lifestyles in the church. Overwhelmed by the desire to remain "relevant" and non-judgmental, many who say they are Christians advocate for gay marriage, sex changes and gender redefinition. As to the latter, do we now assume that God was confused when he made us? That He created us with the wrong body? Or do we simply believe that God has given us the power to choose what sex we belong to? No doubt interesting questions for today's culture, but answered by God in Isaiah 29:18 "You are confused.You think the clay is equal to the potter. You think that an object can tell the one who made it, “You didn’t make me.”This is like a pot telling its maker, “You don’t know anything.”

Goodness does not originate with men. In Mark 10:18 Jesus said "only God is good." Men are not inherently good, but when they connect with God, he changes their very nature and places His goodness inside them. This is not a transformation that takes place through religion, but only through a relationship with the Creator. There is only one way into a relationship with God, and it has nothing to do with what men think or feel about Him. It has everything to do with what God says. Jesus ended all speculation about a relationship with God when he said in John 14:26 "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me."

In order to recover our culture and return our nation to the values it was founded upon, we must clearly embrace good, and turn from evil. We must call our nation to repentance, and it must begin with those who say they are  Christians. Do we wish to be "relevant" to this world, or relevant to God? We can never change this world by embracing its' departure from God and His Word. The power to be truly relevant comes only from the presence of the Word of God in our churches and our lives, not the absence of it. Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah when he said "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God." (Matt 15:8-9)

The modern church has become just as religious as the church my generation rejected. We have come to believe that coffee and a concert is true worship, and that the Bible cannot be relied upon because it offends those who choose to live lives contrary to its' teachings. Only a relationship with Jesus offers eternal life. A relationship with a church or a small group cannot save us: Our better ideas cannot help us or others. The solution for our nation and our lives is simple. We must accept Jesus as the only way into a relationship with God, turn from our sins, and accept the Bible as the Authority in the lives of men. Let us once again be good because God is good. 

I know revival is coming, and I am excited about what God is doing. Join me in pursuing the Word of God and putting Jesus first place in our lives. Change is coming to our nation, and to the world. When Jesus returns, will He find us faithful to His Word? Something to think about!

Pastor Ramon

Dear Beachside Family and Friends,

The most famous painting in the world resides in the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it is the main attraction.  More than six million people each year file by the iconic Mona Lisa, a portrait whose eyes and mysterious smile appear to follow its' admirers. Untold millions have seen it, songs have been sung about it, and aspiring painters continue to study this  intriguing work of art creased more than 500 years ago. 

This beloved and influential painting did not fall from the sky or appear out of thin air, nor did it somehow teleport here from another dimension. It owes its existence to someone who existed before it. The Mona Lisa was created by an artist, and its' presence in the halls of the Louvre is a constant testimony to the existence of the one who created it, the scientist, engineer, sculptor and painter Leonardo Davinci. 

Davinci himself understood that Someone Higher created human beings, just as he himself created art and machines. He wrote "rejoice that our Creator has endowed us with such an excellent instrument as the intellect." The proof of Leonardo Davinci's existence is in the things that he created that remain until this day. Every individual that observes the smiling Mona Lisa is observing proof of Leonardo's existence. 

We can apply the same thought process to prove the existence of a Personal God. The apostle Paul wrote " For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense." (Romans 1:20) The creation itself, the world and all that is in it, proclaims  that God exists. Psalm 19:1 declares "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship." As Davinci is known by his existing works, even more so God is known by His. 

The beauty of the Father's works is beyond compare. The earth and all its' fullness, the expanse of sky and space, the oceans and their pathless depths all inform us of the Creator. We observe His handiwork every day. He made everything we see and called It good, yet He still lacked one piece to finish His masterpiece mosaic. He needed someone to enjoy it with. 

On the sixth day of creation He formed Adam out of the dust of the earth and breathed life into him. He then formed Eve around Adam's rib, blessing them, and walking with them in the garden He made specifically for them. He created them in His image and purposed that they would fellowship with Him. Even when they rebelled against Him, He sent His Son Jesus to deliver their descendants out of the thralldom of Satan. Humans are the most beautiful of all God's works, and He willingly paid the highest price for our redemption. 

Jesus fully understands the value of mankind, for He is both man and God. He told the people "It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. (John 10:34-36)

Just as the Mona Lisa is considered Leonardo Davinci's most famous and enduring work, we are the Father's highest, most beautiful, and enduring creation. When this earth and all that is in it passes away, we will still be around to enjoy the new heaven and new earth God promises to create. It will be infinitely more beautiful than the planet we currently enjoy, but we will still be the most blessed and important creation in the eyes of our Father. Our existence proves His existence. We are created in His image to enjoy what He has made and do miraculous, god-like things for His glory. He made us and filled us with creative power to do far more than create amazing works of art. The power that created the universe lives in us. As His children, let's use the power we have been given to do what Jesus did: heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. We have freely received, now let us freely give! (Matthew 10:8)

Pastor Ramon

Dear Beachside Family and Friends,

It seems like stating the obvious to say "life is challenging", yet acknowledging this fact is an important step in taking action to win when challenged. At this moment, each one of us is facing resistance to the plan of God in our personal health, business, family, or finances. Life cannot be experienced apart from trials, but the trials of life can be experienced apart from defeat. The circumstances of our existence are temporary. What exists in the world around us today may be gone tomorrow. The issues that seem so important this month may have little relevance next month. The years come and go, and our situation constantly changes. This is a fact of life. 

Some grow weary of the battle. Solomon said "But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere." (Ecc 2:11) He became so worn out that depression set in, and he considered life to be without meaning. It is amazing to think that the richest man who has ever lived felt so despondent about his life, yet he clearly did. He was unhappy no matter what happened. If life was good, he was unhappy. If life was bad, he was unhappier still. Why did the wisest man in the world give in to an attitude of "whatever happens, happens, Que sera, sera?"

Solomon was depressed because overcoming challenges trough hard work alone can never satisfy. Although raised by his father David to reverence and worship the Lord, Solomon abandoned pursuing a relationship with God and tried to find meaning in his own success. Even winning over adversity and trials did not bring satisfaction, because God was not involved. In our day, there are many men and women that the world would call successful, but they find themselves in the same condition as Solomon: nothing seems worthwhile.

Christians can find themselves in similar situations. They work hard to overcome the challenges satan brings into their lives, and grow weary doing so. The effort required to live by faith seems daunting to many. At times it can feel overwhelming, leading to the temptation to follow in the thought process of Solomon and say " it"s not worth it". It is absolutely true that pursuing healing, prosperity, deliverance, and freedom in our own strength is not worth it. To do so is a monumental waste of time and energy. 

Do we have to work it out on our own? Are we doomed to strive for victory on our own and never be satisfied even when we win? To these questions I say a resounding NO! There is a way to be happy and satisfied even n the midst of the greatest challenges of our lives. It is all a matter of perspective. If I see myself sick and trying to get healed, poor and trying to gain prosperity, or confused and attempting to have peace, I am defeated already. If my perception of the Christian life is like this, then I will always be working to obtain things that are beyond my ability. 

If I choose a different way of seeing myself, then I can achieve all that God has for me and fully enjoy the victories I will experience. The secret is this: I must see myself as God sees me. Since Jesus defeated satan and lives in our hearts, God looks at us in the same way He looks at His Son: completely and totally Victorious! Jesus has already provided health, healing, prosperity, and peace for us through His work on the cross. If we understand this, then we will perceive ourselves and our lives in a different way. We ARE healed and satan is trying to steal our health from us! We ARE prosperous and satan is trying to steal our prosperity! We ARE peaceful and satan is trying to steal our peace! When we see life in this way, we will no longer attempt to obtain these things..We will rest in the knowledge that Healing, Prosperity, and Peace BELONG TO US RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS HAS ALREADY DONE!

When we know these things, we can avoid the temptation to think the lives we live are not worthwhile. We can understand what Paul meant when he wrote "So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." (Gal 6:9) We can rest, confident that satan cannot succeed in taking what belongs to us. Hebrews 4:10 tells us "For the person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from His." Jesus has already defeated the devil for us.  All we need do is resist Satan's paltry efforts to deceive us with the Word of God and the Name of Jesus. We can find rest in all of life's challenges through our relationship with Him!

Pastor Ramon