Message of the Month
August 2007
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
What
do you say when there are so many emotions, issues, and thoughts
running through your mind? Well, as I sit back and begin to write, the
hunger to praise the Lord is the inspiration that keeps consuming my
mind, heart, and soul. Psalms 150:6 encourages the reader to “let every
thing that has breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD” (KJV). If we
are to follow that call to self-evaluate ourselves and acknowledge
almighty God with praise, we will stand with total fulfillment and joy.
Yes, there are times (as I so often find myself) when situations and
trials can really catch you by surprise, and then the cares of life
seems to overwhelm you to the point of desperation. In the Holy
Scriptures Jesus Christ has taught, encouraged, and shared the promise
of better life with those that would accept Him at His word and trust
His Father. I have told many (if not all) of my close brothers and
sisters that the “soil is fertile” on the island, and that there was
not a question in my heart whether or not me and my family are supposed
to be here in this new appointment. But as fertile as the ground is
here on this island, there is the fact that we are in middle of
spiritual warfare! Spiritual Warfare can be ugly, nasty, and down right
heartbreaking. When we see pointless loss of life in our community
because of the deception that the enemy spreads, such as legal or
illegal use of drugs in our youth and young adults, and the misuse of
alcohol with our youth, Brothers and sisters it angers me with a
righteous fire to hear just how the demonic forces are working
over-time to steal, kill, and destroy the lives and families that have
come to call this place on God’s earth home! It’s time we addressed
this wickedness by taking a stand and by praying for those trapped in
the darkness. Never the less—“let everything that has breath praise the
LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
The reality is that as the pastor of
Hatteras UMC Charge, I love you and my prayer is that while Caprice,
Brandon, Jadon, and I are here that we will ALL grow closer to Christ.
I do believe Almighty God has given me a clear-cut vision that is
supported by Scripture and inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. That
will take time and it will take prayer. Prayer will draw us to
agreement, and agreement will unify us, and unity will win the race
that has been set before us to run. Dear church family, I want to
finish (with you) well, and hear the words of our Heavenly Father say,
“Well done you good and faithful servant…” (Matthew 25). Doesn’t it all
make sense? The world and modern theology will tell you “that nothing
can make sense anymore,” but remember our God is not [the author] of
confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Cr
14:33). So as we step unto this new place in ministry together as
partners, know that we can stand on the promises of God through faith
in Christ Jesus, and walk in our divine destiny as Children of the Most
High God with blessed assurance knowing that the battles of life are
His and that “all things work together for the good to them that love
God, to them who are the called according to His Purpose” (Romans 8:28).
So remember “let every thing that has breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
Pastor Cory
(It’s All about Jesus)
September 2007
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
The Fall Season is before us, and the way we first notice the change in
season is with the beginning of a new school year. To share a little
about myself in this newsletter, I would start off by saying, “I’m a
life person.” I enjoy every season of the calendar year, but there is a
kind-of sigh of relief when Fall finally comes after a long heated
summer. During the Fall it’s a time to Selah as the Bible says in the
Psalms which means, stop and reflect for a moment. As I prepare to look
on into the up-and-coming New Year, I sense some divine direction for
the months ahead. But before I cast a vision, I would like to celebrate
one of the successes we have experienced within the past two months.
First, we have grown in our outreach to one another by opening our
homes to the charge family of God during our nine Block Parties. These
Block Parties have been part of the message preached from the pulpits
of our churches which pointed to the idea of Offering Better Life. I
tell you, those parties where fun, and exciting! The Block Parties were
each unique and all well attended. You see in God’s system of things,
He longs for us to fellowship and grow in the ways of His Truth. And as
we well know that Truth is found in the person of Jesus Christ. Psalm
25:5 says to us the learner, “Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for
you are the God of my salvation…” So how do you define “teaching”? What
is your concept of the nature of teaching? Truly effective teaching is
more than the mere impartation of knowledge.
The kind of teaching that matters most involves the changing of lives.
It isn’t enough that people should merely know what to do and how to
act. To be sure, such knowledge is vital, for right conduct presupposes
knowledge of what is right, but people who know they ought to do right
don’t always do it. Suppose you explain to your son or daughter how to
drive the family car, going over the instructions in great detail,
telling him how to operate the starter, the shift, the steering wheel.
Then, in a burst of confidence in your own ability to teach, you allow
her to drive off by herself—into a tree. You’d not be so foolish, of
course. The point is, however, that your telling the student was not
teaching, for even if she remembered what you told her, she had not
learned to drive—and without learning there has been no teaching.
You have seen the same principle operating in the lives of men and
women. Not all men or women who know the plan of salvation have
embraced salvation. Not all Christians who know they should be living
consistent, clean, sanctified lives are doing so. Sometimes we explain
this by saying that they have the “head” knowledge but not the “heart”
knowledge—a distinction about which Scripture knows nothing. The only
knowledge worth anything is knowledge that involves the whole being;
head and heart.
The complete process then
is: teaching, learning, and practicing (or demonstration). In the
case of a person learning (being taught) Christian living, it means
relating truth to life—putting into action the principles involved. To
review, then:
1.) There is no teaching unless there is learning.
2.) “The proof of the learning is in the living.”
Dear
Church family the vision before us is to think of ways we can make a
positive difference in the life of our church and by offering better
life to those in our community. In October the Lay Leadership will be
helping you to realize this way of life by encouraging Home Fellowship
Groups or also known as Small /Cell Groups. The exciting idea about
Small /Cell Groups or Home Fellowship groups is that they can virtually
be anywhere at any time that works best for the host and the
facilitator. So during the month of September you will begin to hear
the word Small /Cell, or Home Fellowship groups used in the life of our
congregations. I look forward with great expectation of the Offering
Better Life message that we are all called to share with one another in
the Body of Christ. This definition might help you to understand:
“Celebration may be the entrance point for many who come to our
church, but we know real life transformation happens within a smaller
group called a cell community (small or home fellowship). This is a
group of people who meet together for relationship building, Bible
study, life interests, fellowship, making new friends or just hanging
out. This can be a group that meets in a home, a discipleship
opportunity on the church campus, or a ministry team that works
together through active participation.”
So as we look forward
together this coming Fall, I pray that this new season of ministry will
spark New Life in our congregations and within our hearts so that we
too can stand together and proclaim the reason why we exist…“To Offer
Better Life!”
It’s All about Jesus < {{{><
Pastor Cory
October 2007
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
This
past June the Bishop of the North Carolina Annual Conference of the
United Methodist Church called all his soon to be moving itinerate
Pastor’s to Greenville, North Carolina for meeting titled, “The Day of
Empowerment.” Since this was my first move as an itinerate Pastor
appointed under Bishop Al Gwinn, I was excited to hear what he and the
rest of his leadership team had to offer in light of a fresh approach
to pastoral ministry. I have great respect for the leadership in our NC
Annual Conference and celebrate with them this ministry that Almighty
God has giving us to faithfully serve. While during the “The Day of
Empowerment” meeting we heard some very important messages, which if
administered correctly could greatly benefit the life of the local
church. Such things that in my observation are really just good plain
common sense, but all the same, are valuable tools to equip new
in-coming pastor’s for the challenges of 21st Century ministry. We were
strongly suggested to stay very close to “our work” for the first 100
days. There were many great illustrations and examples on how to be
this, or how to be that; it was extremely comforting knowing that the
NC Annual and our Bishop are wholeheartedly concerned for the
well-being of our churches and praying for the right pastor for the
right parish. So why have I said all this thus far? Well, I am happy to
announce that on October 3rd we will be celebrating our first 100 days
of congregation / clergy ministry! How cool is that? I am filled with
such excitement as I look back on these past 100 days of ministry and
see the hand of God so divinely working in our churches. There have
been breakthroughs, breakouts, and wonderful signs of life. I praise
God for His Son’s grace upon us and this new opportunity to offer
better life in our community. I want to share just how I feel, and I
want you to know just how much I love you, my “new church families.”
You are awesome and God’s presence is surely moving in the life of our
congregations. There have been times in the past (many actually)
where it has almost seemed like people have apologized for being
“islanders,” and they would say things like, “I HOPE you like it here,”
or “I HOPE that you will want to stay.” Well I will tell you,
straight-up, I praise God for being sent here. I believe so strongly,
that Almighty God placed us together for a great new day in ministry
and in mission to this world. Hey! Why else are we here? I believe we
are here to offer better.
Bishop
Alfred Wesley Gwinn, Jr. has challenge all the churches under his care
to start evaluating and building healthy congregations, and sisters and
brothers, I believe we are ahead of the game, or at least off to a
great start. I want to share with you part of his thoughts when
speaking from the stand point of a healthy congregation. “There once
was community of believers so devoted to God that their life together
was charged, literally, with the Spirit’s power. God’s Holy Spirit.
They were so bold, so creative, so dynamic that folks simply could not
resist them…could not resist wanting to be in their fellowship, wanting
to know their message and be a part of that message. In fact the
scripture says that the Lord of the Church added to their numbers daily
those who were being saved. Read about that in the second chapter of
Acts…read about it not as someone’s past history but as our present
instruction and encouragement. And I would hope folk would not look
upon this section of scripture as some kind of a previous record
established by someone but rather a present possibility that God wills
for our churches here in North Carolina today. I would say, with a
fresh eye and a fresh heart and spirit look at Acts in the second
chapter. It contains the Great Commandment, the Great Commission.”
Bishop Gwinn is laying the ground work for us in the North Carolina
Annual Conference to allow the movement of God into our churches and
live a life of excellence through Christ Centered mission and ministry.
By focused spiritual formation, by risk-taking mission and ministry,
and by our continued call to “GO” and make disciples of Jesus Christ.
What’s
so thrilling to me is to witness how Creator God is speaking the same
language in so many different communities of believers. Brothers and
Sisters, the Lord is moving mightily in the world today, and He is
here! Hence, the time has come for use to refocus, reevaluate, and
prepare for the success that Christ Jesus offers to those that are
faithful. I have a simple prayer that I pray that you too will often
pray with me, “Lord Jesus thank you for the first 100 days, may I be
blessed with next 100 days and may those days continue into years,
until your Will is complete in us together.”
Pastor Cory
(It’s All about Jesus)
PS: We’re very, very glad to be here, truly!
December 2007
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
The
Advent Season is here and that glorious time of expectancy fills the
believer’s heart with the blessed hope of the coming King. Advent
is the first season of the Christian Year which helps us to follow the
Kingdom story in its entirety, from the birth of Christ to the
resurrection and then to the out-pouring of the Holy Ghost on the Day
of Pentecost. Early in my Christian walk I was not very well versed in
the language of the Church and many things sounded and seemed very
foreign. Simply put, some of the words and deeds didn’t make any real
sense to me as to why we always said a prayer at this time or why we
stood up and sat down at just a certain time. And I wondered, “what’s
with all this passing of the peace stuff?” Well, as the Lord began to
open my eyes to the Church and its worship I started to see the
significance as to why those things of the Church mattered. Colossians
3:23,24 says, “Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for
the Lord and not for your masters, (24) since you know that from the
Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the
Lord Christ.” You see, when I read that Scripture and the Holy Spirit
started educating me I realized that in the Church that Christ Jesus
the Lord is the significant purpose of all we say and do. In our
prayer, songs, sermons, responses, and in all that we do we do it in
the Name of the Lord as into the Lord. We don’t pay tithes to Caesar;
no we give as into the Lord. We don’t sing to the bricks and the stain
glass; no we sing as into the Lord. We don’t worship a religion or an
idol; no we worship as into the Lord. The season of Advent helps
us to focus on God rather than us. I would like to encourage you this
month to let God focus on you and you start focusing on others.
There
is a great lesson we can learn from the meaning of this time of year
and just how low Almighty God will stoop to come and offer us better
life. Think about the stable of where our Lord Jesus Christ was born.
What did it mean to be born there? If you’re like me you probably have
visions of what it must have been like there. We think of the beautiful
manger scenes with all the pretty little animals and the warmth of a
nearby fire, but the fact is the stable was not a glamorous place to
be. Read this one account that I have found to understand this topic
written by Rick Joyner: “In biblical times, the stable was a most
offensive place, the floors were composed of impacted dung (for the
younger readers “animal poo”) and other filth which had usually
accumulated for decades. The stench was so great they were placed as
far away from the other dwelling as possible. By today’s standards,
stables in biblical times would probably not even be considered fit for
animals. That the Lord of glory would choose such a place to make His
entry into this world is one of the more profound revelations of His
message and His character.” Rick goes on to say this about the stable,
“Human reasoning would never lead us to a stable to find God. The only
way He could be found was by revelation; only those who were led by the
Spirit would come. This has not changed. That which has been born of
God is usually found in a place that is repulsive to the pride and
presumptions of carnal men.
And
see in the Holy Scripture, “But God has chosen the foolish things of
the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the
world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the
world and despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He
might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God”
(1 Corinthians 1:27-29). The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians
to the believer we can boast in Christ!
So
in conclusion I challenge you to prepare your heart for the true reason
of the season. Yes we want to give gifts and put up lights, but I want
to encourage you to let the Great Light of Christ shine in you. As you
go in and out of your daily walk have that expectancy of the return of
our glorious King that came just to spend time with people like you and
me. And as we the people of God continue to hope, dream, and rejoice
the Lord will bless and give us better life!
It’s All about Jesus
Pastor Cory
January 2008
NEW BEGINNINGS
Why are so many of us fascinated with new beginnings?
We
see through stories, media, and other forms of communication the
success in learning how something got started from the “ground up” so
to say. It has always been a part of my personality to try and figure
out the origins of things; such topics as languages, names, styles,
fads, businesses, and even differences in worship styles.
Have
you ever wondered why we sing Happy Birthday, or how did the tradition
start where we place candles on a birthday cake? If we were to keep
thinking on those lines then we could easily spend a lot of time simply
just wondering. Well, here we are faced with the new beginning once
again of a New Year and it’s exciting. In the Holy Scriptures we see
two places where Almighty God has shown us an example of His nature.
Genesis 1:1 begins by saying, “In the beginning, God created…”, and
then in the New Testament the Gospel of John also begins with, “In the
beginning, the Word was already there” (NIrV). You see, dear saints,
the very essence of the Father our Lord is the attribute of creating,
and inside the heart of our Creator God is the love of Christ. Almighty
God is always creating and making new life in His perfect system to
bring forth His Will. We see this element of creativity flowing
throughout all the pages of the Holy Scriptures. God has placed us
together for this new beginning for such a time as this.
Today
we can trust that our Heavenly Father has created a new beginning, a
new opportunity, for us together to share the love of Christ in a great
way. You say “how”? I say by being the church. By being and doing what
Almighty God called all of us to do and that is by faithfully
witnessing and by trusting in His Holy Spirit for guidance and
discernment. Praise the Lord! The Creator has created once again
something new, something fresh, something alive.
Brothers and
Sisters, John 10:10 says Christ Jesus came to give us life to the
fullest! Today we need to believe the words of the psalmist that says,
“God, create in me a pure heart” (Psalm 51:10).
So we see that
our Heavenly Father is creating new beginnings for us in the life of
the Hatteras Charge. While we’ll never forget the wondrous works of our
past and gifts of God’s heritage, this New Year we will look on
together with excitement as we hold on to the words of our Methodist
founder John Wesley, “best of all God is with us.” And Almighty God is
with us now. His promises are forever and His words are Yes and Amen!
As
we come to the table of the Lord through Nurture, Outreach, and
Witness, let us praise God for our past, and give thanks for His
provisions, and also rejoice in our new beginnings together in Christ
Jesus at His Heavenly Table.
Rev. Cory B. Oliver
(It’s All about Jesus)
February 2008
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
Jesus
shared the purpose for which He came to earth in John 10:10. He said
that He came to offer “life more abundantly” or BETTER LIFE. The
salvation that comes through Christ is a great, wonderful, and eternal
part of this better life. The context in which He stated His purpose
was during an explanation of the eternal door through which all must
come if they are to be a part of the Kingdom of God. He explained that
He Himself is this door and that this is the door not only to eternal
life but to abundant life in the here and now.
We
are learning this year that our purpose is the same as Christ’s. We too
are to offer better life to all that we come in contact with. If
we are to fulfill our purpose, there is no room for jealousy, greed,
offense, hatred or ill-will in God’s kingdom. We must offer wide
latitude to our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. In this way
we may be of real Christian service in love. Wesley taught that our
sanctification was a process of becoming not more perfect, but more
perfect in love or in the process of loving others.
This
is where “Offering Better Life” originates as our church’s purpose and
mission statement. We mustn’t offer better life through Christ and the
ministries of His church because we feel sorry for others. Pity should
never become our primary motivation. We must minister because we love
other people. This is the motivation of heaven. This is why the Bible
says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. .
.” It does not say that God merely felt sorry for us or only had
pity on us. The Word declares to a needy humanity that God loves
us!
Sometimes
we have problems at this point and have trouble loving others because
we do not love ourselves (Mark12:31). We can become negative and
caustic persons full of bitterness and criticism. This is when we
must allow His great love to wash over us and enter into a deeper
relationship with the Master. When this happens we rejoice in offering
better life as Jesus did - motivated by love. I am excited about this
message because it is the truth and the truth will always set you free.
The Year 2008 truly is a time for new beginnings and a time to explore
our faith as we grow in love with God, with His children, and with His
Word. May the Almighty bless you as we learn to celebrate, to
enjoy loving groups for fellowship and ministry, and to fulfill the
calling of the Lord on our lives as we minister to others.
Offering Better Life in Him,
Pastor Cory B. Oliver
(It’s All about Jesus)
MARCH NEWSLETTER 2008
Dear Hatteras Charge family,
I
am very stirred-up in my spirit as I think of all the wonderful things
Almighty God has prepared for His church. I want to affirm you in your
call as children of God to know that His promise is for you: "I
know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans not to harm you but
plans to bless you and give you hope and great future" (Jeremiah
29:11). So many times we get caught-up in the cares of life, forgetting
that we do have the promise of God that is found in the love of Christ.
Losing heart bring us to a place of despair and hopelessness that keeps
us bound-up by the Enemy of this world. For us to combat those feelings
we must understand that our true identity is not defined by the world’s
standards but rather by what our loving Master speaks over
us. While there are many examples of what a correct relationship
is with Him, the one that I think of as I write this directs me to
Zephaniah 3:17 that says, "The LORD your God in your midst, the
Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with His love, He will
rejoice over you with singing." Wow! Is that not amazing to know that
the Creator of the universe rejoices over you with singing? Dear
Saints, God loves you! He wants to have that right relationship with
you, which gives you complete fulfillment in this world. The question I
submit to you is this, "Are you living a life of fulfillment?" If not,
we can absolutely do something about that! We can discover together a
clear-cut way that will lead to peace and fulfillment. So, are you
interested? If so, I would encourage you to keep reading. Romans
6:16-18 says, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants
to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto
death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (17) But God be thanked,
that ye were the servants of sin, by ye have obeyed from the heart that
form of doctrine which was delivered you. (18) Being then made free
from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Looking to the
Greek explanation of the word “servants” we find this word to mean “to
bind.” Therefore this word in Romans refers to one who is bound to
another, a slave. In the Greek slavery speaks in two ways either one
taken in as a slave in war, or a person born into slavery. Romans six
speaks to the person that is born into slavery. This type of slave is
one who is bound to his master. For the believer in the Lord Jesus as
our Savior, were once bound to Satan in the bonds of sin. Whether we
like to admit this (especially in our “modern” time), we were the
Enemy’s bondslaves. Now the love of God binds us to our Lord Jesus by
the bonds of an eternal life. Again, the slave is in a permanent
relationship to his master which only death can break. We were in
permanent relationship to Satan until, by our identification with
Christ in His death, those bonds were broken. Now for the believer we
are in permanent relationship to Jesus Christ, a relationship which
only death could break. Here the good news, because he lives, we live,
and since Christ Jesus never dies, we will never die. Brother and
sisters we are Jesus’ bondslaves forever. But remember again, this
slave is one born into slavery. Our first birth we were born into
slavery to Satan, but in our second birth we are born into slavery into
Jesus Christ. This is a glorious condition in which we are Christ’s
loving bondslave forever.
Recently I was talking to a retired Chief from the U.S. Coast Guard;
his explanation profoundly has touched me. He said this, “The greatest
comfort is to know the Mission, and to know my Orders…” As a bondslave
to Christ we have been liberated to complete freedom if we are indeed
truly bound to Christ. Before we were saved, our wills were swallowed
up in the will of Satan. We walked according to the prince of the power
of the air. But now our wills as we yield to the Holy Ghost’s fullness,
are swallowed up in the will of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
Previously in one of my past sermons I gave an example of what a true
bondslave asked of the Lord in each new situation of life; a true
bondslave asks, “Master, what will you have me to do today?,” or
“Master, how would You have me handle this increase in finances”? A
bondslave regards Jesus Christ’s interests better than his own selfish
wants. So here are questions to consider praying over while in your
time of mediation. Are you a bondslave of Jesus Christ, are we serving
Him just to the point where it starts costing us something, and we are
stopping there? Or are we in utter abandonment of self serving Him, not
counting the cost, not counting our lives dear to ourselves? We have a
great model to guide us into this better life, as we learn to discover
the ministry of the Apostle Paul. His designation of himself in the
closing chapters of his own ministry was that of a bondslave of Jesus
Christ. As well equipped and as knowledgeable of the mysteries of God
he says, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
I
pray that this Resurrection Season (Easter) will bring you to an
exciting place of true servant-hood where we together begin to find a
greater and deeper sense of purpose in our life and in our service to
the Lord. Resurrection Power equips the believer to discover this total
fulfillment; the fulfillment of knowing Him.
A Bondslave to Christ,
Pastor Cory
(It’s All about Jesus)
April 2008
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
We
are four months into this New Year and I can rejoice at the fact that
Almighty God has truly blessed us in some very amazing ways. You say
how? And all I can say is come and take a ride with me some time. The
testimonies that I have witnessed first hand have been no less than
miracles. Remember the message from the past few weeks, “God can change
your heart, but you have to change your mind?” Just about 18” holds you
back from a total breakthrough. Dear Saints, that’s what I’m called by
God to help you receive in your spirit; an equipping-wholehearted
breakthrough in your life! 2 Timothy is a terrific book to read and
study. In this book most scholars agree that more than likely this was
the Apostle Paul’s final letter before his death. This letter was
written to encourage a young pastor in the faith of Jesus Christ, in
Paul’s own words, written in another place in scripture “press on”
because no matter what, he “kept the faith.” Paul says to Timothy in 2
Timothy 1:6 “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is
in you through the laying on of my hands.” Like Jesus, Paul was
intentional with his faith and practice of offering better life. Paul
goes on in this same chapter at verse 7 by instructing his young pupil
with these words that just completely move me; “For God has not given
us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.” My
Lord and my God! What a revelation of truth to read the words of life
flowing through the pen of one of God’s beloved. That declaration of
truth has inspired me to a new level of wholeness. Throughout this
world’s history there have been tragedies, conflicts, wars, and deep
struggles, but the God of love and peace has offered the believer to
stand firm without fear. For God has not given us a spirit of fear!
When we find ourselves facing crisis, how do we respond? Do we react in
fear? Do we handle life in fear and frustration? It’s so easy to allow
the carnal part of our understanding to lead us, but for the followers
of Christ He has equipped us with resurrection power from on High. “For
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a
sound mind.” Think about it like this: Fear (unhealthy fear) is
of the Enemy whereas power is of Christ, love is of God, and a sound
mind is of the Holy Trinity God. That is what Almighty God has given
us, power, love, and a sound mind.
Sisters
and Brothers, I strongly encourage you not to fear, for the brightest
days of the Church of Jesus Christ are right in front of us! We are the
people of God and we have the victory. In January we declared that 2008
would be the year of the Bible, realizing that all the questions of
faith and theology can be address by just committing ourselves to the
practices of living in the Word of God daily. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
says, “Now, family, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and
our gathering together to Him, we ask you, (2) not to be soon shaken in
mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as of from
us, as though the day of Christ had come. (3) Let no one deceive you by
any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes
first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, (4) who
opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is
worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself
that he is God.” Saints, you have heard me say on many occasion that I
feel the greatest need for the Church today is the spiritual gift of
Godly discernment, in other words, to know the times that we are living
in and be so aware that we live as people that are not controlled by
what is being heard in the secular arena and popular national news
medias. Rather than what some cable news network preach, should we not
rather listen to the voice of God through His holy word? So many times
we hear a good or divine “word” for today, and then very quickly we
move on to the next topic or the next thought without ever fully
committing to the original word or set of instructions given. The Lord
promised that His word would never go void, and today in His view, that
word is still going out to accomplish His ultimate purpose according to
His perfect plan for eternity. So, we have nothing to fear, for our God
is an awesome God and He is highly exalted and lifted up above all
else. If we truly believe this fact, then we by faith can be children
of light and live a life without the hindrance of fear.
So
in these final thoughts, I pray you will remember those keys messages
that were given in our recent past: 2008 the year of the Bible,
the year of God’s Word (John 1); life is all about Jesus (John 14:6);
there is a great shaking and everything that can be shaken will and
those things that are eternal will stand (Haggai 2:7); 2008 the year of
the bond-servant, we must hear the voice of the Lord (Ephesians 6:5).
My prayer for you is the same prayer the Apostle Paul shared with the
Thessalonians in First Thessalonians 5:23-28 “Now may the God of peace
(not fear) Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit,
soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”
From a pastor that is blessed to service you,
Rev. Cory B. Oliver
(It’s All about Jesus)
May 2008
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
There
is a song that some churches and small groups use from time to time
that in the past have lifted and inspired me. It’s a simple song, which
also motivates the believer to expect and trust that the Lord is
working according to His prefect Will. I don’t remember the title but
the song goes like this: “I feel that something good is about to
happen; something good is on its way. I feel it in my feet, I feel it
in my hands, and I feel it in my heart, I feel it all over me!” Saints
of the Most High God, as I write this letter and survey all the
wonderful forward movement in our churches, that old chorus rings true
to my ears, for confidently I share with you that something is
happening within the life of the churches on Hatteras Island. Our
attitudes is everything, and as the people of God we must be the ones
that stand in the mist of diversity, economic challenges (or
uncertainties), wars and rumors of war, famines, earthquakes, and
whatever else can come our way. You see, I believe that the heavenly
Father loves you, and for such a time as this, He is bringing us all to
a place to turn to Him. My question for you is this: What are you
holding on to? Or better yet, what’s holding on to you and keeping you
from fully surrendering to the love of God through Christ Jesus.
God has an everlasting love that frees us from false expectations and
misaligned thoughts concerning the ways of mankind. The Apostle Paul
wrote these words to encourage the early church, these words weren’t
simply some feel good words, these words have been accorded so that we
could stand with those in the past to announce, like those before us,
we too have the victory. “What then shall we say to these things? If
God is for us, who can be against us? Ok! Before I go any farther,
let’s look at that statement of fact. First, this verse of Scripture
proclaims the eternal backing of the Almighty God! So if you’re called
to do anything in this world, who in the world can stand against you?
Isn’t it relieving to know that God the Father has your back for the
mission and calling He has wonderfully shared with you? You truly can
do all things with Christ that strengthens you (Phil. 4:13)! The next
thought is this, if God is for us, who can be against us to look
forward, move forward, and take new territory? Not too long ago we
heard a message from the pulpit with the title, “Jesus Said Go.” This
message explained the mission statement that the church is to follow
daily, “To Make Disciples.” Remembering the message, Jesus said go to
by helping to meet people’s needs, worshiping and praising, setting us
free from oppression, and by teaching the Word of God (Matt.14:14; Jn.
4:23-24; Lk. 4:18; Matt. 28:20). Jesus also said go by proclaiming
God’s offer of salvation, healing the sick, sharing the power of the
Holy Spirit, and by praying at all times ( Lk.19:10; Matt. 10:8; Jn.
7:37-39; Eph. 6:18). And we can do this by believing that, “If God is
for us, who can be against us?” Yes we are at war! We are in several
wars at this presence time (I don’t believe biblically speaking that
we’re going to see an end to wars in this age), and the Enemy of our
souls would have us seized with fear and frightened about every thing
possible, Jesus but said in Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who
kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able
to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Am I trying to get you to
pretend that we aren’t facing challenges and fearful times? No I’m not,
but what I do want you to see is that above all we must trust God—for
everything!
It
is God’s everlasting love that help Little Grove UMC move forward in
removing a condemned trailer off newly purchased property (can you say,
thank you Jesus). It’s God everlasting love that also helps the family
of Little Grove to remodel and expand for the glory of God. It is God’s
everlasting love that has inspired the Buxton UMC family to resurrect
the Bell Tower once again so that all those in the community will know
that the church that Jesus Christ founded is alive and well! As the
melody of its sound is heard again may it be a reminder that the love
of God rings louder than anything else that the world tries to produce.
It is God’s everlasting love that has filled believers to dedicate
time, money, and effort for the glory of God at Hatteras UMC with the
beautiful addition of a memorial bench and a set-apart Prayer Room,
which displays God’s presence with us. This, my dear beloved is:
Radical hospitality; Passionate worship; Intentional faith development;
Risk-taking mission and service; and Extravagant generosity! What else
can I say? Well, as you have grown in the knowledge of who I am, I’m
sure you could, “he can say must more…” So in closing let me encourage
you with the Apostles Paul words and then my own. “He who did not spare
His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him
also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s
elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ
who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your
sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the
slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through
Him (Jesus) who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor
life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor
things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:32-39). Folks, quit running from God’s love an
surrender! We are doing some great work in the Kingdom of God and I
want you know that I am proud to be apart of you! From Small Groups,
Men’s and Women’s ministries, Senior Class sponsors, to Bible Study
groups, choir, youth, dancers, and all the behind the scenes support; I
know impart and see impart, but Almighty God knows and sees.
So
as we continue the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ may you find
peace in the mist of discord, may you be an example of Christ as you
become His agent in a world that desperately needs saving; Because we
are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us!
Pastor Cory B. Oliver
(It’s All about Jesus)
June 2008
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
It
is good for us to be reminded often of what and who we are in Christ
Jesus. Acts 17:28 is explained by Paul this way, “For in Him we live
and move and have being…” What caused the Apostle Paul to make this
statement? Well, as a witness of Christ, Paul found himself surrounded
by a sea of knowledge among the people of Athens, some of which were
quite learned in philosophy and prided their selves on the great
knowledge they obtained. Athens at this time was saturated with idols
and in Acts 17:16 the Bible says that Paul was “deeply distressed to
see that the city was full of idols.” But his distress didn’t cloud his
mind separating him from the mission of sharing the truth of God with a
deluded people. Jesus instructs believers in Matthew 10:16 by saying,
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be
wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” I can only imagine looking
into the life of the Apostle Paul (and many others in history) that
only the wisdom of the Lord sustained the very life in which Christ had
called him. To think of having such a great encounter with the Son of
God (on the road to Damascus) and then returning to a broken, pagan,
and fallible world. But Paul excites our heart as we read words in
Philippians 3:12-16 “Not that I have already obtained this or have
already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because
Christ Jesus had made me His own. (13) Beloved, I do not consider that
I have made it my own, but this one thing I do: forgetting what
lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, (14) I press on
toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ
Jesus. (15) Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind;
and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal
to you. (16) Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.” You see
for the Apostle Paul and like-minded believers in Christ we can see the
goal and the prize is the Lord Jesus Christ!
Paul’s
calling was apostolic (planting and equipping), and we too also have a
calling on our lives to make Jesus Christ known in a dark world that is
consumed by modern philosophies and ungodly idols that in no way,
shape, fashion, or form can do one single thing for us. I praise God
that we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help us navigate
through all the secular psychobabble of today’s time. God Almighty has
blessed us in so many ways with His Word and with His Spirit. Through
God’s Son, Jesus Christ, we have truth, and the truth shall make us
free (John 8:32). The Apostle Paul witnessed with godly wisdom the
truth as he shared the light of God to people that were in darkness;
“For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of
your worship, I found among them an altar with inscription, ‘To an
unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to
you. The God who made the world and everything in it, He who is Lord of
heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is
He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He
Himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one
ancestor He made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and allotted
the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where
they would search for God and perhaps grope for Him and find Him—though
indeed He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:23-27).
Today,
like the Apostle Paul, we are living in very strategic, but very
exciting times! We are living in a time where we have the greatest
opportunity to offer better life to a neighbor, a village, an island,
and a world. So be the witness and the child of God that you were
created to be in Christ Jesus, “For we too are His offspring” and can
stand with assurance and proclaim, we are “not ashamed of the gospel;
it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the
Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is
revealed through faith for faith; as it written, ‘The one is who is
righteous will live by faith’” (Acts 17:28; Romans 1:16, 17). Amen.
Pastor Cory B. Oliver
(It’s All about Jesus)
July 2008
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
Bless the Name of the Lord! I am so excited about our relationship and
the development of how much we have grown in the past UMC appointment
year. Can you believe it? A whole year has come and in now gone!
There’s been a change in pastoral leadership but I have witnessed
during this time of change and challenge we have not retreated, but
rather looked head-on for positive solutions to maintain health and get
even better. From the time the Fayetteville District Superintendent
phone Caprice and I on April 20th 2007 to this day June 23rd 2008, I
have sensed the centeredness of being in the will of our Heavenly
Father. I often question myself about my effectiveness and if I’m dong
the right things. It can almost drive one crazy when you try to live up
to the expectation of others (especially when there’s really not a
dominate local voice of guidance). Yes there is the Book of Discipline,
and yes there are some other helpful tools to help guide the pastoral
ministry, but what I’m talking about is am I living up to the standard
of Almighty God as His servant, and am I producing good fruit that can
visibly be seen in the churches I serve on Hatteras Island. If you
notice just a few sentences ago, you will find an error that has been a
great mistake for many people throughout all of history. The written
error is this: It can almost drive one crazy when you try to live
up to the expectation of others. Now you’re probably saying, “How is
that statement in error?” Well, we find in 1 Samuel 15 that king Saul
was told to follow specific instructions concerning the Amalekites.
When King Saul was question by the prophet Samuel because of his
disobedience, Saul argued at first by trying to convince Samuel he had
indeed followed the plan of God. We hear this conversion in 1 Samuel
15:20 “But I did obey the LORD,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the
LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought
back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the
plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice
them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” But Samuel replied: “Does
the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in
obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to
heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of
divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have
rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.” This
dialog seems harsh but we remember that Almighty God has our best
interest in mind. His love surpasses our thoughts and it all boils down
to this question, “are you going to trust God?” Now lets follow-up with
this dialog as we hear why King Saul disobeyed the LORD. Verse 24 of 1
Samuel 15 says, “Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated
the LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people
and so I gave in to them.” Do you see what just took place in verse 24?
Saul was afraid of the people so he gave in to them. Sisters and
Brothers that is what is called a “man-pleaser,” and that type of work
will never flourish. Yes we are to prefer others but not at the cost of
stepping out of the will of God. The Apostle Paul was challenged many
times in his ministry to give in and be a man-pleaser, but to follow
Christ above all was his high calling. Paul wrote letters that were
love letters of encouragement, but they were also letter of change, of
instruction, and of correction. The first century church had many
hurtles to overcome and it was by keeping focused on Christ that the
ministry of Jesus was lifted off the ground. Paul wrote in the letter
to the Philippians: “Not that I have already attained, or am
already perfected; but I press on, that I may hold of that for which
Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself
to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting forward to those
things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV). Dear
Saints, if we will affirm that same resolve each and every day of our
life, we to will be following the will of God in our lives.
So looking back at this past year, I’ve seen breakthrough, development,
and spiritual growth. I am blessed to be apart of the Hatteras Charge
and I love celebrating our relationship with Christ. This relationship
defines our existence and establishes our purpose. If we look at all
our successes in Christ we can surely see how Almighty God has blessed
and provided. Through Small Groups, Bible Studies, Men’s, Women’s, and
Youth Ministries, through Choir, and the praise team, as well as a
variety of other successful outreaches; truly we are moving forward,
offering better life. I would like to encourage you to keep the focus
on Christ Jesus and make a declaration that after you read this
newsletter you will continue to pursue Christ Jesus and set the goal to
be a God-pleaser, not a man-pleaser. In closing I have to say Thank
You! First to the Lord Jesus and then to my wife and family, to the NC
Annual Conference Bishop Alfred Gwinn and cabinet, to the Hatteras
Charge leadership, and finally to all of you that make-up this
wonderful parish; I can say with a confident heart, “This has been one
of the best years of my life!” And for that I am grateful!
Love,
Pastor Cory
(It’s All about Jesus)
August 2008
Dear Hatteras Church Family,
Many
scholars and theologians believe the letter written to the church at
Corinth was one whole unit of literature, meaning 1st and 2nd
Corinthians. In the context of the letter we find the Apostle Paul
encouraging, admonishing, and giving strong words of correction. Paul’s
letters are occasional, meaning that they were written to address a
particular issue (good or bad) inside the body, as Paul so frequently
calls the ecclesia. In 2 Corinthians 4, we find the Apostle Paul giving
somewhat of a testimony of his own service to the Lord Jesus and His
Church. Saint Paul writes about his ministry of suffering to help drive
the message home about what we too, must endure for the seek of the
Cross of Christ. 2 Corinthian 4:8-12 “We are troubled on every side,
yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted,
but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in
the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might
be made manifest in our body. For we who love are always delivered unto
death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made
manifest in our mortal flesh. So the death works in us, but life in
you. (KJV) Now to further explain this interpretation of this letter we
must also address the fact that Saint Paul was also dealing with those
who questioned his apostolic ordination, as well the validity of the
Gospel message. This additional information will not be discussed at
this time, however, for the purposes of the newsletter what I would
like to share is the thoughts we sometimes have concerning “suffering.”
During my time in July at Duke Divinity School there were times when I
literately felt as if I was being persecuted for the saints. There were
times during the occasion when I thought I was going to die
(figuratively), now while some of this is written in fun, there is a
truth in what each one of us feels when we operator under our own
strength and ability. The work load for all our lives can be very
“pressing” and can push us to the point of despair and even (God
forbid) depression. Studying people in the Bible, we some time
super-inflate who they are, but we must remind ourselves that they are
just like you and me. Their stories help give us examples on how we are
to be molded, so that our stories can be written faithfully and
fruitfully. Yes, there were times along of the way when I questioned
the “process,” but I can assure you that when we start down that road,
if we look to God for help, answers, and guidance he will always come
to lending loving hand of grace and mercy. Paul writes earlier in
chapter 4 by saying this about the believer, “For God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, has been shown in our hearts, to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the
Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” While suffering
is a part of life, if we embrace our trials with the mind of Christ,
centered in almighty God’s Word we can begin to receive a clearly
understanding of why we must endure at times such hardship. My stance
is this: I trust God! And if I follow His Will by being obedient
to Him through daily communication (prayer and Scripture read), then no
matter what comes my way…I can stand and say “I trust God”! So I leave
you with this thought, do you trust God? To model after Jesus Christ,
simply quit trying to do everything on your own, and with help allowing
you to fall into the loving arms of God for support, renewal, and
courage.
September 2008
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
Here recently I’ve had the opportunity to help a person in our charge
discern her call to ministry. It has been a very exciting time as we
share our joys, concerns, and challenges. The question came forth about
the readiness of accepting this call. While it can be very tough to
grasp the idea of a calling, it is that calling of God that we should
all acknowledge. It is best understood through our baptismal covenant,
which calls all believers into ministry. I know for me it is good to
reevaluate my (our) beliefs and review the basics of our faith,
heritage, and doctrinal stance. While working through step one with our
discovering candidate for ministry, I once again found myself very
thrilled about our basic message. I would like to share with you in
this newsletter an exert from The Christian as Minister book that is
read when an inquiring person expresses their call to ministry in the
United Methodist Church.
The Mission and Ministry of the Church
Moving into twenty-first century tends to make us more aware of life
around us and our part in it. We are more aware of the changes and
economic, social, and political forces that contribute to the
complexity of our society. This complex diversity is reality in our
lives, and we must learn to speak about it through the lens of our
faith. The church is the community where we experience a relationship
with god and define our beliefs. As a faith community, the church is
not merely a human institution but the creative work of the Spirit of
God. The church is away to relate to God.
P.121. Rationale for Our Mission—The mission of the Church is to make
disciples of Jesus Christ by proclaiming the good news of God’s grace
and thus seeking the fulfillment of God’s reign and realm in the world.
The fulfillment of God’s reign and realm in the world is the vision
Scripture holds before us. The United Methodist Church affirms that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, and the Lord
of all. We respect persons of all religious faiths and we defend
religious freedom for all persons. Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:19-20
provide the Church with our mission: “Go therefore and make disciple of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have
commanded you.”
This
mission us our grace-filled response to the Reign of God in the world
announced by Jesus. God’s grace is active everywhere, at all times,
carrying out this purpose as revealed in the Bible. It is expressed in
God’s covenant with Abraham and Sarah, in the Exodus of Israel from
Egypt, and in the ministry of the prophets. It is fully embodied in the
life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is experienced in the
ongoing creation of a new people by the Holy Spirit.
John
Wesley, Phillip Otterbein, Jacob Albright, and our other spiritual
forebearers understood this mission in this way. Whenever United
Methodism has had a clear sense of mission, God has used our Church to
save persons, heal relationships, transform social structures, and
spread spiritual holiness, thereby changing the world. In order to be
truly alive, we embrace Jesus’ mandate to make disciples of all peoples.
The
church is a divine gift when coupled with human activity. We cannot
separate the church from the community. The church is a faith community
that transforms and liberates persons and institutions from personal
and social forms of sin. Freedom and transformation are the critical
work of the church in our time.
The
church is both the body of Christ and participant in Christ’s ministry.
As a faith community the church is a sign that points to God’s grace
and love for all creation. It continues the work of God’s creation in
the world and in Jesus Christ. The church, in the midst of community
beset by brokenness, offers a vision of peace, wholeness, and unity
which God wills for all creation.
The
church’s mission is to fulfill God’s plan and action for reclaiming and
restoring the relationship between God’s humanity and all creation. It
is this mission that gives the church’s vision focus and drive, and
which invigorates and guides the church. At the same time, mission is
the response of the community of faith to what God has done and
continues to do to restore and reclaim creation.
The
church needs a clear understanding of its mission in order to continue
facing new challenges where political power is used to dominate and
blur the spiritual vision, where violence is sought as an answer to the
problems in our society, and where the poor and oppressed are excluded
and alienated. (GBOHEM, pg.9-11, Nashville, TN., 5th Ed. 2001)
Wow!
I pray that you are stirred-up in your spirit just as much as I am
after reading this amazing piece of literature. May this remind you
again that we are all called into the life of the church and our
mission is to walk into the calling that Almighty God has designed just
for you! If you’re not sure of that call…well that’s why I’m here, to
help you discern your gifts and your graces. I pray that this
newsletter fills you with excitement as you discover the perfect will
of God for your life, and remember “If you have faith as a mustard
seed, you will say to this mountain ‘Move from here to there,’ and it
will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)
Your Servant Leader,
Pastor Cory
(It’s All about Jesus)
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
“Can
I hear from God?” That is a very worthy question to ask. And believe it
or not, I have been asked by many of you throughout the charge and in
the community if this is possible, “can I really hear the voice of
God,” or “how do I know if God is speaking to me?” Dear saints, I want
to comfort you, and encourage you by saying this, “Almighty God is more
interested in speak and being heard by His children; even more so than
we are willing to listen.” If we simply look at the examples throughout
the Holy Scriptures Old and New, we’ll see that from the Garden with
Adam down to each generation thereafter, communication with His
creation was our heavenly Father’s desire. Unfortunately, if we’re
pleasured and happy, then for most cases there is no real longing to
have fellowship and communion with God. It is frightening to think
about how few there are that “strive first for the kingdom of God and
His righteousness” (Mt. 6:33 NRSV). Only in a statement like this can
you rely on the Scripture itself to offer guidance. The Bible explains
to the believer how we can notice faithfulness activated in a child of
God. In Galatians we are shown this, “By contrast, the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22,23). Put in
these words, “you don’t have to wear your faith on a T-Shirt to be
recognized as a Christian.” You see the fruit of the Spirit is the
manifestation of Almighty God’s holy presence living in and through you
as a believer in Christ Jesus. Now back to the issue of Creator God
speaking to His covenant people. In 1 Samuel we enter into the story of
the LORD God following through with His promise to Hannah after she
prayed to the LORD God to open her womb, and He blessed her with the
gift of a son. Before we go any further I must first remind you that it
was through Hannah’s trusting in God through prayer that she received
her request. This was not easy for her! She struggled! And she endured
great disappointment and ridicule; but her trust in a sovereign God
provided her heart for His Will to be done. Verse 26 of chapter 1 shows
her response to the LORD’s faithfulness, “And she said, “O my lord! As
your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying
to the LORD. (27) “For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me
my petition which I asked of Him. “Therefore I also have lent him to
the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD.” So what’s
the result of their acknowledgment back to a promise keeping LORD?
Verse 28b says, “So they worship the LORD there.” Brothers and Sisters
we must give Almighty God the praise, the glory, and the honor for all
the blessings and answered prayers we have prayed! Listen carefully; it
is in our intimate time with the LORD that we find truth, deliverance,
peace, insight, promise, hope, and confidence. Some people actually
think that the Apostle Paul was arrogant. While in today’s world if you
stand in confidence on the Word of God the same thing is easily said of
you. We remember that as Christians all we have is truth, and truth is
the only instrument that will set you free (Jn. 8:32 in my
words). Like in the world in each we live, we notice there has
been a spiritual compromise because of the lack of knowledge and hunger
for the Word of God. It’s seen in many places in the Bible where the
covenant people of God did not recognize their fall or broken
relationship with Him. But for the sake of staying true to one story we
pick back up in 1 Samuel where we see that the High Priest Eli (which
was a man of God) over looked the sins of his sons and the Bible says,
“Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the LORD.” Well,
what did Eli do about this abhorrent sin that his sons practiced
openly? Nothing! And as result…Eli was cut-off from the Word of the
LORD. Why? Because Eli ignored the responsibility of keeping his house
in order and for that reason Almighty God chose the next willing vessel
to speak forth His words, “and while Samuel was lying down, that the
LORD called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” If you read the rest
of 1 Samuel 3 you will find that the LORD gave Samuel his first
prophecy…and it wasn’t pretty! Well, it is just one of many examples in
the Bible where God speaks to His child (the one’s that are willing to
hear).
In the weeks ahead I look forward to discussing in more detail the
opportunities God Almighty has given to share in knowing Him and in
discerning His voice in this fast-pace and frantic world. As we
discover God’s will for the Hatteras Charge and for the people of
Hatteras Island. We will achieve the peace of “walking in the fruit of
the Spirit.” To the global world certain panic is inevitable, but for
the Body of Christ it is the times in which we live that define us and
challenge us to pursue God with all our heart, body, mind, and soul.
Dear family, I believe in you! And more importantly, our heavenly
Father believes in His creation and knows that with Him all things work
together for good for those who love Him, who are called according to
His purpose (Rm. 8:28). So here’s the last challenge as you read this
newsletter: Cry out for genuine repentance; open your heart to
faith in Christ Jesus, God’s Son; seek a fresh holistic
relationship with God by praying, mediating (just thinking about His
will and goodness), and by being a student of His Holy Word. This
action plan can come by confession, by trading in religion for a
relationship with the Creator of the Universe and His set-apart people
(other Christians). And finally, by sharing your experience with others
and those that God places in your life. I promise you this, you will
not be disappointed! That’s what God created you for…and when you begin
to line-up with the true voice in the world of many, you will find the
rest and peace of Christ Jesus that passes all other understanding.
Amen.
Pastor Cory B. Oliver
(It’s All about Jesus)
November 2008
Dear Hatteras Church Family,
Have
you been thankful lately? This may seem to be a silly question, but it
is one that is well worth asking. I’m a people person, and considering
my calling as a Christian pastor, that a good thing! You have heard me
say on occasion maybe during a sermon, or in conversation that I enjoy
going places just to watch people interaction with the world and with
each other. I find it intriguing how people communicate and how they
carry themselves; some very well kept and observant, while others
appear out of places and oblivious to their surroundings. So it is easy
for me to ask you the question, “have you been thankful lately?” It so
easy to be caught-up in the cares and concerns of everything going on
in this world to forget that it is important that we count our blessing
and walk in the light of gratitude. November is a time in our culture
where “thankfulness” is highlighted and celebrated, as we return to the
traditional roots of our American heritage. It was by Almighty God’s
sovereign hand and the sharing of humanity (Pilgrims and Native
Americans) that give us that door in which we found survival. Because
of the eyes witness testimony of the early settlers we now can go back
in time with pure amazing as we can spiritually see how the hand of God
spared those people, during the most unimaginable hardships. In the
letter of First John it begins this way, “We declare to you what was
from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our
eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the
word of life—this life was revealed, we have seen it and testify to it,
and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was
revealed to us—we declared to you what we have seen and heard so that
you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with
the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things
so that our joy may be complete” (1 John 1:1-4 NRSV). Saints of God it
our same calling as Christ-followers to witness and testify of the word
of life! So that our JOY may be complete. Folks, what in the world is
our joy? Is it our possessions? Is it our relations? Is it our
religious activities? Dear hearts is it our witness, our fellowship,
and testimony of the revealing love of God demonstrated in our lives.
The only way we can truly be this “light-example” is by striving to
grow in the grace of gratitude.
We are to walk in the light…
“For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as
children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). So as children of light, I would to
share with you some helpful ways to walk in light with the attitude of
gratitude.
1.) Be grateful for
Freedom. Romans 6:18 “And that you, having been set free from
sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”
2.)
Be grateful for Friends. John 15:15 “I do not call you servants any
longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but
I have called you friends…”
3.) Be grateful for
Salvation. Psalm 68:20 “Our god is a God of salvation, and to GOD, the
Lord, belongs escape from death.”
4.) Be
grateful for Family. Psalm 127:3 “Behold, children are a heritage from
the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward.”
5.)
Be grateful for Food on our table. Ecclesiastes 2:24 “There is nothing
better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their
toils. This also, I saw is form the hand of God…”
6.)
Be grateful for God‘s love. John 3:16 “This is how much God loved the
world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is
why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him,
anyone can have whole and lasting life.”
7.) Be
grateful for God’s presence. Acts 2:28 “You have hade known to me the
ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.”
Dear
Family as we enter into the seasons of festivities and the holiday of
faith (Thanksgiving and Christmas) may we be children of light that go
to every attempt to encourage one another in the faith and love of the
Lord Jesus Christ. There is so much more to write on this subject…but
Sister Linda O’Neal gets on me if I get to “wordy” (that a joke…by the
way). But closing on a serious note, I believe to can witness first
hand life change events if we begin to regain a healthy positive
attitude of gratitude. And as we practice to walk in the light of
Christ with a grateful heart, we will experience the JOY that may be
complete in us. Remember it’s in your witness, your, fellowship, and in
your testimony… “This is the disciple who testifies of these things,
and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And
there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were
written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not
contain the books that would be written. Amen.” (John 21:24-25).
Starting
after you read this, I encourage you count your blessings day by day
and prepare your heart again for the Advent of Christ. Happy
Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
Pastor Cory
(It’s All about Jesus)
November
Memory Verse: Psalm 100:4 “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and
His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His
name.”
January - February 2009
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
Happy New Year! What an exciting time as well as a remorseful time, to
be thinking about the all the joys and failures of the past, while
dreaming about a better future. The New Year gives us an opportunity to
refocus, redirect, and rekindle the things that we feel are important
to us. Such things as: Quality family time; Bible reading and
studying; Prayer and set-apart time with God; Enjoying creation through
recreation and fun time; and also looking at different prospects on how
we can address the needy and the poor (physically and spiritually).
Psalm 72:1-7 and 10-14 helps us capture the dream of hoping for a
better future…a future where the Prince of Peace will establish true
leadership without corruption and deceit. “Give the king your justice,
O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son. May he judge your people
with righteousness, and your poor with justice. May the mountains yield
prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness. May he
defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the
needy, and crush the oppressor. May he live while the sun endures, and
as long as the noon, throughout all generations. May he be like rain
that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. In his
days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no
more. (10) May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him
tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts. May all kings
fall down before him, all nations give him service. For he delivers the
needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. He has
pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From
oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their
blood in his sight” (Ps. 72:1-7, 10-14 NRSV). This psalm is given
rightly to God’s children at this time of year specifically to
recognize divine judgment and to center the believer in the Lord’s
righteous order of wholeness and peace (shalom). Not only do we find
comfort in our Redeemer God as our relationship is revealed through His
Word, but also for relief in the mind of the restless heart…God shines
His glorious light to the World that was in darkness. Everyone has been
in a dark place, and isolation is the darkest of all places; separated
from close connections, hope, love, and the warmth of a friendly touch,
those times bring pain. The Advent Season, the New Year’s celebration,
and the holy observance of the Epiphany of the Lord help us to get
excited again about our wonderful, unique, and fantastic relationship
with the Son of God, God’s Son…God the Son. In addition, the Old
Testament passage from Isaiah 60:1 also starts our new year similar
with the vision of epiphany power and God’s glory revealed, “Arise,
shine; for your light has come, for the glory of the LORD has risen
upon you.” Sisters and Brothers, this is a new year and a new
opportunity for us in our community to shine and share the love of
Jesus Christ by the equipping power of His Spirit. Christ has been
revealed and is calling His set-apart children into divine worship and
service. It is important for us to often be reminded of the Mission and
our covenant as Christians; let us together go back and think of the
“former” ways:
The Seven Pathway: Our
Council of Bishops has identified SEVEN PATHWAYS that we will focus on
as we center on making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation
of the world: 1.) Developing new congregations. 2.)
Teaching the Wesleyan model of forming disciples of Jesus Christ.
3.) Strengthening clergy and lay leadership.4.) Reaching and
transforming the lives of the new generations of children.
5.) Eliminating poverty in community with the poor.6.)
Expanding racial / ethnic ministries. 7.) Transforming existing
congregations; the Body Christ is alive! And we are called to be
faithful stewards, ministering the presence and power of God Almighty.
God is calling and challenging this Generation to racially transform
themselves into His image of Grace.
Many times it’s hard to
start a Newsletter, but I can assure you it’s even tougher to end one!
For the days, weeks, and months ahead in 2009 I want to encourage you
to walk in the light given through the Great Light—Jesus Christ! I
believe more than ever, the greatest days of the Church are in our
grasp, and it is a great honor to partner with you in the ministry of
Jesus Christ here on Hatteras Island. Thanks be to God!
From the Heart of the Pastor,
Pastor Cory
(It’s All about Jesus)
March - April 2009
Dear Hatteras Charge Family,
It is important to know your season, and better yet to know the season
in which you are living. Humanity is governed by time, and in our world
time also seems to be a huge issue. Whether it is a dead line that must
be met, a responsibility that must be fulfilled, or a call just to be
settled with where you are in life. I have heard it said by Leonard
Sweet and maybe from some other source—“that we are either heading for
a storm, we are in storm, or finally we are just leaving a storm.” In
my life I find this to be an absolute fact, and if you consider that
quote, you would find also your own self admitting this cycle to be
quite accurate. Wherever you may be in this life illustration…I want to
encourage you to fear not, and enjoy the season, and trust God.
Most of us struggle with the cold of winter, and our stance is “I can’t
wait until spring comes!” And while I can definitely empathize with
your feelings concerning the cold, the dreary, and the gloomy; please
know that it is a season in which we must all endure. You see there is
a life application that is essential for the Body of Christ grasp. That
life application is the season of patience. This season of patience to
not only endure, your season, but also patience to praise God when the
season of your life is not so much as you wish it could be. Yes,
everyone wants the season that they prefer the most to always be...and
yes, everyone wants the harvest time to come right away, but we are
called as Christians to wait patiently. Psalm 40:1-3 NIV says, “I
waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He
lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet
on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my
mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put
their trust in the LORD.”
Are you looking for
a new day or a new season? If you have said, “yes” then that’s a good
thing! Almighty God has placed in our heart a desire to worship and
serve Him no matter what season or day we find ourselves in as it
applies to the now. And while some of you might be dissatisfied with
your conditions please remember you will not always be where you are
now. That is why is it so important to know the God who loves you, and
to know the plan God has for your life. I can’t think of a more perfect
season than the season of Lent to return back to the first love or
“season” in which our eyes were opened to the things of God; that
season which radically changed our life from the inside. However, along
the journey of life we stumble; have hard bumps, and collision that
unfortunately cause us to lose focus of our eternal destiny. The Season
of Lent is like riding some of the best Hatteras Island swell with
emotions that are up and down and again and again…the exhilaration of
the ride and then the agony of the wipe-out, this illustration in some
way a similar image of our salvation. When we as Christians think of
the joy of our salvation and what that happiness from Christ bring—Lent
reminds us not to forget the brokenness of our sinful ways. In the
forty days of Lent (and please note that Sundays are not included, can
you say yeah, especially from all you chocolate fasters) we recognize,
observe, and experience the bitter sacrifice of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
It is important for us
to come to terms with “season,” and to be patience within the process.
The Season of Lent is truly a blessing for those who will faithfully
seek God’s face in humility and reverently approach God with a renewed
sense of service…just as I our faithful savior Jesus Christ did. If we
will wholeheartedly observe the Season of Lent with a new focus on
honoring and learning His ways, I can promise that your Resurrection
(Easter) Sunday experience will truly blow the lid off anything else
you have ever experienced on earth. Now I know that’s a big claim! But
we worship a Big God! Christ is Risen!
So,
as we prepare for this new season with patience realize that God knows
exactly where you are, exactly what’s going on with you, and exactly
what is best to get you where you need to be! A season that begins with
ashes applied upon your head will end with the sweet smell of spring
flowers, warm breeze, and the celebration songs of “He Lives!” For us
today and for the days while we’re living in this current season, I
want to serve some closing thoughts about preparing to the next season
to come:
1.) Get in Shape! 1Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV “But reject
profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise toward godliness. [keep
yourself spiritually fit] For bodily exercise profits a little, but
godliness [spiritual training] is profitable for all things, having
promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” Saints
of the Most High God we need to get in shape spiritually.
2.)
Learn the Fundamentals! Any good team plays defense; knows how look for
the open person; works at reversals or for rebounds; and honors the
position they’ve been assigned. None thing worst than I ball hog! For
us to spiritual win we must all share in the victory!
3.) Play
as a Team! Remember Deuteronomy 32:30 “One can chase a thousand; two
can set ten thousand to flight.” Listen, I believe the age of the one
person show has really just about run its course. Almighty God raises
individuals…but He with coming for the Body! We must function as the
Body working in harmony with one another in agreement to offer better
life in Christ Jesus. The face is Jesus built His team while on earth
and He’s still building His team today! Let’s agree now for His will to
be done in earth as it is in heaven!
May you be open to the
blessings of God no matter what season of life you are in with
patience, looking to God and His Body for health, wholeness, peace,
joy, and love. Amen.
Pastor Cory B. Oliver
(It’s All about Jesus)