Celebration and Reflection…
November 2nd, 2007On Thursday I had the joy of being with over 200 Alabama Baptist pastors in a “Called to Communicate Conference.” We spent the day learning to be better communicators. Along with Dr. David Platt and Dr. Bobby Welch, I had the honor of speaking that day. I was greatly encouraged by what I heard from young and old alike.
Last night Liz spoke at FBC Eufaula at a ladies conference. Today we are spending a fun day in a beautiful lake home on Lake Eufaula provided for us by some dear friends.
Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before going to bed Saturday night.
I am looking forward to this Sunday. It will mark my 17th anniversary as your pastor. I will be preaching from Isaiah 41. Through this passage God spoke to my heart in the summer of 1990 as I was praying about becoming the pastor at Olive. During those months, the Spirit of the Living God pressed home to me many distinct promises. Several of them have become reality. Others I can see unfolding and still some are yet to come. As we begin year 18 together, we still have much to do.Our days ahead remind me of a poem I heard so often spoken by Dr. Stephen Olford:
Only one life
Will soon be past.
Only what’s done for Christ
Will last!
Pastor Ted Traylor
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:57 am
Congratulations on 17 years with Olive, your an amazing Pastor.
November 3rd, 2007 at 1:05 pm
I am in awe. The Lord is faithful to keep us close when we choose to obey Him. I know we have nothing in us that is faithful except His Holy Spirit. I am thankful for your service to the Lord. You are a HUGE blessing in my life and in the lives of the members of Olive and I’ve only been around a few months to hear you speak God’s Word.
I do have a comment though. When you first began to seek Him hard, did you have war in your mind at times? There are thoughts that come in that I don’t take captive quick enough and they knock the life out of me then I go through such gulit and pain about having such thoughts that are so opposite of how I know the Lord really is. Almost like I start to believe the opposite of my God. It crushes me and takes me quite a bit to bounce back. I think I need to learn more about spritual warfare. At this point in my life, actual ’sin’ - day to day actions of sin are not the issue. Sinning by word or deed is FAR from my plate, but on my plate right now is my warped sense of God sometimes.
God bless you and 18 MORE years at Olive! Maybe our Lord will come scoop you up sometime between now and then!