The Preacher’s Notebook

The Paper and Electronic Pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Mineral Springs, NC
(Delivered by E-mail and Us Postage Through Subscription as an Extension of the Pulpit Ministry of this Church)
Dr. Terry W . Preslar – PO Box 388 – M ineral Springs, NC 28108
(704)843-3858 – E-Mail: preslar12@windstream. net
Copyright (C) 2007. Terry W. Preslar All rights reserved.

Vol. II September, 2008 Issue 9

Prescribed by the Great Physician

I talked to a wheelchair confined resident at an assisted living center recently. He asked me a difficult question.
“...Just what is the purpose of my life?” I was taken aback and promised to give him an answer the next time I came
to preach for their devotion. The confused but deserving assisted living resident does have a purpose in God’s Plan!
Later I brought him a position paper on the purpose and I saw his eyes light up as he read how God uses the broken
and the dis-allowed stones. Even Christ was not accepted by His society (“Unto you therefore which believe he is
precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head
of the corner,” 1 Peter 2:7).
I received this list in my E-Mail, from a friend, the other day and was reminded of these very important facts. I
have added the scriptural documentation. The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember:
Noah was a drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gen. 9:20-21
Abraham was too old . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gen. 18:10-12
Isaac was a daydreamer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gen. 24:63
Jacob was a liar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gen, 27:18-29
Leah was ugly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gen. 29:25
Joseph was abused . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gen. 50:20
Moses had a stuttering problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ex. 3:11; 4:10; 6:12
Gideon was afraid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judges 6:11-15
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judges 16:1, 17
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jer. 1:6; 1Tim. 4:12
David had an affair and was a murderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Sam. 11:1-4
Elijah was suicidal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Kings 19:3-4
Isaiah preached naked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Isa. 20:2-4
Jonah ran from God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonah 1:3
Naomi was a widow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ruth 1:2, 20-21
Job went bankrupt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Job 1:21
Peter denied Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr 14:70-71
The Disciples fell asleep while praying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luke 22:40-47
Martha worried about everything . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luke 10:40
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John 4:16-18
Zaccheus was too small . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luke 19:2-3
Paul was too religious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acts 9:1-4
Timothy had an ulcer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Tim. 5:23
AND Lazarus was dead! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John 11:14
And don’t forget Jesus Helped them all! Now! No more excuses! God can use you to your full potential. Besides
you aren’t the message, you are just the messenger. In the Circle of God’s love, God’s waiting to use your full
potentiality.
10 Things We Need to Understand…
1. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
2. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

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3. Silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted.
4. Do the math . . count your blessings.
5. Faith is the ability to not panic.
6. If you worry, you didn’t pray . If you pray, don’t worry.
7. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.
8. The most important things in your house are the people.
9. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.
10. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
The SON is shining and he can certainly use you! He is looking to use some folks that will seek and keep His
will...
The Will of God for You Is His Purpose
“...If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” (James 4:15; 13-15)
In all the self-help books of this day we find very little real help. It is sad that these books that fill our shelves
have missed the mark to help this hungry generation. “The Purpose Driven Life” and the “Purpose Driven Church”
written by Rick Warren (which I do not endorse) have become “best sellers” because the population in general desires
to know what their “purpose” is. This egoistic search is an expression of this self-absorbed generation. This is not
about your purpose but it is all about what God’s Purpose is for you!
Most of our lives are lived outside the Purpose of God. God has a plan and a purpose for YOU! He earnestly
desires to work out this plan in your life. There is no doubt that we are in the hands of a Mighty God who orders the
doings of men, women, boys and girls.
It can be seen, from Scripture, that the steps of a good man are the concern of the will of God [He wants us to
“walk right”]. (Psa. 37:33). Surely it is seen that the second return of the Master is in the purview of the will of God
[He wants us to have “future sight”]. (Acts 1:6-7). But the most important purpose of God for our lives is the
salvation of the LOST [He wants us to be saved “before night”]. (2 Peter 3:9). Time runs out, “...the night comes
when no man can work.” (John 9:4). There is no better time than presently, “...now is the accepted time...” (2 Cor.
6:2). There is no other way (Acts 4:12).
The Will of God!!
There is the Perfect will of God. (Rom. 12:1-2). It is the “Elusive Enigma of the Ages.” the perfect will of God
took Moses 40 years behind Mt. Horab. It was delivered by the man of God to the house of Jessey in the time of
trouble for Israel. The perfect will of God could not be found at all by the King (Saul) and He consulted a witch at
Endor in an attempt to find his (the King’s) purpose and found Satan’s intention instead. (1 Sam. 28:7)
So how can we know the perfect will of God. Indeed, the perfect will of God is the purpose of God for our lives.
Communion with God is the needed element. Prayer is the means by which we get the answer: Prayer secures it,
Prayer assures it and Prayer accomplishes the perfect will of God.
The will of God can be found in the Bosom of Christ, the Monarch of the universe, if you truly want to know it;
do the will of God. (John 7:17). In this there must be a resignation to the will of God. Job was resigned to the will
God. (Job 13:15). Jesus said “...not my will but thine...” The Apostle Paul’s last words concerned God’s purpose and
not “Paul’s” plans. (2 Tim. 4:6)
Most today live in the Permissive will of God which is actually a life of disobedience. (**Disobedience is willful
sin! See Heb. 10:26-29). In this way of life (His Permissive will) God permits a level of aliveness that allows time
for repentance and re-consecration. But, many thus, never get to His perfect will. (“...I am come that they might have
life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10).
Many may say that they cannot know the purpose of God for their lives. This is a common excuse, but the
revelation of God is clear (“...so that they are without excuse:” Rom. 1:20). Of all the revealing of God in nature or
in the conscience it must be seen that the Revealed will of God that saves, keeps and wherein we serve is found only
in the Bible.
The marvel of the purpose of God for our lives is in His Secret will for our lives. (Deut. 29:29). In the plan and
purpose of God for the lives of the human family we find a Sovereign Will at work. The Almighty is moving through
and in the lives of the people of this world. What is He doing in your life? If you must say that nothing of Divine
consequence is going on in your life, you must ask yourself some questions:
What is the reward of doing the will of God? – “For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother,

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 and my sister, and mother.” (Mark 3:35)
“For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his
fathers, and saw corruption:” (Acts 13:36)
Should we seek the will of God? – “Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous
journey by the will of God to come unto you.” ( Rom. 1:10)
Do we have any help in the search for the purpose of God? – “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what
is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Rom.
8:27)
Will the purpose of God be shown to us? – “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Rom.
12:2)
How will the purpose of God in my life impact others? – “That I may come unto you with joy by the will of
God, and may with you be refreshed.” (Rom. 15:32)
Does anyone else seek the purpose of God for life? – “Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the
will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,” (1 Cor. 1:1)
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which
is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:” (2 Cor. 1:1)
“And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of
God.” (2 Cor. 8:5)
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful
in Christ Jesus:” (Eph. 1:1)
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,” (Col. 1:1)
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ
Jesus,” (2 Tim. 1:1)
What part did Jesus play in the purpose of God for my life? – “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might
deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:” (Gal. 1:4)
How shall I carry out the purpose of God in my Life? – “Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the
servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;” (Eph. 6:6)
Do others live within the purpose of God? – “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you,
always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
(Col. 4:12)
What is the will of God for me?
– To live clean: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from
fornication:” (1 Thes. 4:3)
– To Give thanks: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
(1 Thes. 5:18)
– To receive the promise of God: “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye
might receive the promise.” (Heb. 10:36)
– To put to silence the gainsayer: “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men:” (1 Peter 2:15)
What is the advantage of living within the purpose of God? – “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye
suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” (1 Peter 3:17)
How, then, should we live? – “That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men,
but to the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:2)
What if I suffer for the will of God? – “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the
keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” (1 Peter 4:19)
How long will the purpose and will of God be effective? – “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:
but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2:17).
What Is the Will of God
and How Can I Know it for Myself?
(“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye

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 transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God.” Rom. 12:1-2)
Questioning is not always doubting, sometimes it is seeking divine guidance. In the Bible it was most often before
battle (1 Sam. 23:2,4; 2 Sam. 5:19,23; 2 Kings 3:11; 2 Chron. 18:4,6-7), but, also, in other situations as well. A
variety of methods were employed to seek God’s counsel: dreams (1 Sam. 28:6); priests with the ephod (1 Sam.
22:10; 23:9-13); prophets (2 Kings 3:11); and direct consultation. In the early history of Israel, priests were
consulted for divine counsel (Judg. 18:14,17; 1 Sam. 22:10). The priests discerned God’s will by the sacred lots, the
Urim and Thummim (Num. 27:21; 1 Sam. 14:36-42). Since these lots apparently were kept in a pouch in the priest’s
ephod (Ex. 28:30), references to inquiring of the ephod likely refer to the lots (1 Sam. 23:9-13; 30:8). Prophets
sometimes used music as an aid to achieve an ecstatic state in which God’s will could be discerned (2 Kings 3:15;
1 Sam. 10:5-6). Prophets frequently took the initiative to announce God’s will when no consultation was requested.
With the rise of the synagogue, direct inquiring by prayer became the primary means of ascertaining the divine will.
Not all methods of inquiring of God were looked upon with favor. The Danites consulted a Levite in charge of
Micah’s sanctuary (Judg. 18:5-6, 14). The method used by the Levite to ascertain the divine will is not clear. The
sanctuary contained an ephod (with lots?), a cast idol, and teraphim (household gods), any of which might have been
consulted. Such shrines were regarded as one example of the evil that resulted when there was no king and “every
man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 17:6). Other methods of discerning God’s will rejected by the biblical
writers include: consulting mediums, wizards, and necromancers (Deut. 18:10-11; 1 Sam. 28:3, 7; Isa. 8:19);
consulting teraphim (Judg. 17:5; 18:13-20; Hos. 3:4; Zech. 10:2); and consulting pagan deities (Baal-zebub, 2 Kings
1:2-3, 16; Malcham or Milcom, Zeph. 1:5).
However you may answer your questions, the Bible still holds the most answers. As for me, I join the inquirers
of many of the past with a few Questions of my own...I will advance a few suggestions as to the answers for these
timeless questions.
Three Questions Asked
I- “...wherefore...?” [when Israel could not stand] (Josh. 7:7)
A) Sin in the camp: In every case – DETECTION (Vs. 10-11)
B) Judgment is sure: In every case – CORRECTION (Vs. 12)
C) Solution is clear: In every case – RESTORATION (Vs. 13)
II- “...why is thy countenance sad...?” [when Nehemiah heard of the conditions back in his home land] (Neh. 2:1-3)
A) He had a vision and a vision leads to a burden and a burden appears to make one sad (John 11:35 with Heb.
12:2)
B) A nation needs a vision – it is sometimes the fire of a national vision that comes from the spark of a personal
vision. (1 Sam. 3:1)
C) A broken heart comes with a vision but the broken heart is not too heavy (Lam. 1:12 with Matt. 11:29-30)
III- “...why hast thou forsaken me...” [when Jesus was on the cross] (Matt. 27:45-46)
A) FORSAKEN for the race of fallen man (1 John 2:2) “...but for the sins of the whole world...”
B) FORSAKEN for the chiefest of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15) “...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am chief.”
C) FORSAKEN for a day as of yet unseen except by faith (Heb. 11:13 with John 8:56) “...and he saw it, and
was glad.”
“The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing
thereof is of the LORD.” (Prov. 16:33)
This Periodical is printed by Gospel Publishing and Colportage, a ministry of the First Baptist
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Baptist Church of Mineral Springs PO Box 388, Mineral Springs, NC 28108 (704)843-3858
Psalms 107:2 S É S Romans 12:1-2
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First Baptist Church

PO Box 388
Mineral Springs, NC 28108