Dear Beachside Family and Friends,

The current national brew-ha-ha over the proposed confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court should be informative to Christians. After multiple FBI background investigations and exhaustive hearings in the US Senate, no disqualifying information was discovered that should deny this committed and faithful jurist a seat on the highest court in our nation. Politics aside, it appears that there are few, if any, peers of Judge Kavanaugh's intellect, judicial temperament, and adherence to the Constitution. More importantly, his dedication to family and community speak with a loud voice about what kind of man he is, both in and out of robes. 

At the eleventh hour, an accuser has arisen to claim that she was assaulted by a teenage Kavanaugh more than thirty-five years ago. She does not remember the exact year or exact place, yet she is convinced it is true. Brett Kavanaugh has clearly and emphatically stated that no such assault took place, and does not even know the accuser. Those who were quick to dismiss such charges against prominent members of their own political persuasion have immediately declared that the accusations must be true just because the accuser says so. They demand further investigation and a delay in Kavanaugh's confirmation vote. We might say "this is politics, why does this matter to to Christians?

We must look beyond the surface of this deeply distressing situation to understand the hidden motives behind it. The resistance to the nomination of this man is rooted substantially in satan's desire to kill and destroy human beings, the focus of God's love and care. He hated Adam, engineered his fall, and continues to hate his descendants today. He will do anything to strike back against the One who ended his drive for dominance, and murdering the innocent of God's creation gives him great pleasure. Satan Is the one hindering Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation. He is using human tools to do it, but without question he is the one behind it. He knows his toolkit of destruction is under assault, and he won't give up without a fight. The tool he fears losing is abortion, the slaughter of the innocent. 

Judge Kavanaugh has rightly refused to respond to. hypothetical questions as to how he would rule on any case with implications for the current state of abortion law in our nation. No judge should declare in advance how he or she would rule in a case without first hearing the evidence. Because the nominee will not commit to fully supporting abortion on demand, satan and his human assistants have determined to destroy Brett Kavanaugh, his character, and his future. It is not surprising, but it is thoroughly and totally disgusting. 

Christians must not be caught up in the politics of this situation or be blind to the devil's smokescreen. We cannot see into the hearts of others and know their motivations. We can only observe their lives and evaluate what they say and do. Jesus said "Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. (Matthew 7:20) Judge Kavanaugh's known actions over the past three decades have been above reproach. No evidence can be produced proving that he participated in the alleged assault. In our system of justice, no person is considered guilty unless they can prove themselves innocent: they are considered innocent until proven guilty. 

I do not know how a Justice Kavanaugh might rule in an abortion-related case. I know he has pledged to follow the Constitution and his decisions. The Constitution was written by men who followed God and honored life. I pray that those who rule on it will respect what it says, but they often do not. The scourge of infanticide and abortion on demand was foisted upon this nation by Supreme Court justices who did not follow the Constitution. I look forward to the day when Justices once again are true to its' words. 

We must be fully cognizant of what the word of God says about abortion as well as other acts of murder.. "Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve. (Proverbs 24:11-12) Let us pray together that the smoke and mirrors ot satan's plan will be exposed, and that God-fearing, Constitution supporting justices will take seats on the Supreme Court. I believe Brett Kavanaugh to be such a man. 

Pastor Ramon

Dear Beachside Family and Friends,

Christianity is described by the world in many different ways. Some call it a religion, others call it a lifestyle, and many call it irrelevant. Still others call it hypocritical, dangerous, and even subversive. It is not surprising that the world is confused about what it means to be a Christian. What is surprising is that many people who attend church and many churches themselves seem just as confused as the world.

Acts 11:26 tells us ",,,It was at Antioch that the believers* were first called Christians." The term, which means "little Christ", was first used as a derisive term. The people of first century Antioch observed that believers were acting like Jesus, and therefore labeled them as Christians. The label stuck, but became a badge of honor for believers who began to refer to themselves as Christians. The first believers did not belong to any denominations or go to church in buildings directed solely for that purpose. They met daily where they "....continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers."

As the church began to grow, there was no confusion about what it meant to be a Christian, because believers lived differently than those in the world around them. They lived their lives "in the world", but were not 'of the world." They were aware of Jesus prayer to the Father in John 17:15-16 "I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do." In the first century, there is a clear dividing line between Christians and non-Christians. It was evident not because of their adherence to religion, but because their behavior and attitudes were different than the world. There could be no confusion: Christians acted like Jesus.

The world today is confused about Christianity because the church is confused. In an attempt to attract unbelievers to services, we often find ourselves becoming more and more like the world and less like the Christians described in the book of Acts. If we truly want to bring people into a relationship with Jesus, then we must draw closer to Him and His Word in our behavior and attitudes. If we look the same as the world, having no victory over sin, sickness, poverty, rejection and fear, and define  worship  solely as a multimedia experience, what incentive exists for unbelievers to change their lives? Why should they become like us, if it seems that we only want to be like them, living defeated lives sometimes cloaked in religion. We should live by faith, with the blessing of God so evident in our lives that the men and women of this world insist on knowing how they can become like us!

So how do we win the world? How do we encourage those who do not know Jesus to enter into a relationship with Him? The answer is given by Paul in Romans 1:16-17 "For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life." Our lives must be focused on Jesus and His Word so that our lives are different enough to attract attention. When the world sees that the Christian life actually works, they will come to Jesus. When they do, our highest priority must be to teach them to live by faith. There is only one way to develop faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing the word of God. (Rom 10:17). 

When the church puts to an end confusion over what it means to be a Christian and accepts the Bible definition, then those in the world will see that Christianity actually offers something that is different than what they have. Not a religion, but a relationship with a Real Person who will change their lives forever. His name is Jesus, and we should strive to be like him, and not the world. Think about it!

Pastor Ramon