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 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 – Mineral Springs, NC 28108
(704)843-3858 – E-Mail: preslar12@windstream. net
Copyright (C) 2007. Terry W. Preslar All rights reserved.
Vol. II September, 2008Issue 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 cameto 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 brokenand 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 headof 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. Ihave added the scriptural documentation. The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember: Noah was a drunk ................................................................Gen. 9:20-21Abraham was too old ............................................................Gen. 18:10-12Isaac was a daydreamer .............................................................Gen. 24:63Jacob was a liar .................................................................Gen,27:18-29Leah was ugly ....................................................................Gen. 29:25Joseph was abused ................................................................Gen. 50:20Moses had a stuttering problem ................................................Ex. 3:11; 4:10; 6:12Gideon was afraid ...............................................................Judges 6:11-15Samson had long hair and was a womanizer .........................................Judges 16:1, 17Jeremiah and Timothy were too young ..........................................Jer. 1:6; 1Tim. 4:12David had an affair and was a murderer ...............................................2 Sam. 11:1-4Elijah was suicidal ..............................................................1 Kings19:3-4Isaiah preached naked ...............................................................Isa. 20:2-4Jonah ran from God .................................................................Jonah 1:3 Naomi was a widow ............................................................Ruth 1:2, 20-21Job went bankrupt ....................................................................Job1:21Peter denied Christ ................................................................Mr 14:70-71The Disciples fell asleep while praying ..............................................Luke 22:40-47Martha worried about everything ......................................................Luke 10:40The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once ....................................John 4:16-18Zaccheus was too small ............................................................Luke 19:2-3Paul was too religious ...............................................................Acts 9:1-4Timothy had an ulcer ..............................................................1 Tim. 5:23AND Lazarus was dead! .............................................................John 11:14And don’t forget Jesus Helped them all! Now! No more excuses! God can use you to your full potential. Besidesyou 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 Hiswill...
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 shelveshave 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 desiresto know what their “purpose” is. This egoistic search is an expression of this self-absorbed generation. This is notabout
 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 earnestlydesires to work out this plan in your life. There is no doubt that we are in the hands of a Mighty God who orders thedoings 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 thesalvation of the LOST [
 He wants us to be saved 
“before night” 
]. (2 Peter 3:9). Time runs out, “...the night comeswhen 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 Godtook 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 atEndor 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 willGod. (Job 13:15). Jesus said “...not my will but thine...” The Apostle Paul’s last words concerned God’s purpose andnot “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 willfulsin! See Heb. 10:26-29). In this way of life (His
 Permissive
will) God permits a level of aliveness that allows timefor repentance and re-consecration. But, many thus, never get to His perfect will. (“...I am come that they might havelife, 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 therevelation 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 onlyin 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 throughand in the lives of the people of this world. What is He doing in your life? If you must say that nothing of Divineconsequence 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 hisfathers, 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 whatis 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 therenewing 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 thewill 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 whichis 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 faithfulin 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 ChristJesus,” (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 mightdeliver 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 theservants 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 fromfornication:” (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, yemight 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 theignorance 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 yesuffer 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 thekeeping 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
of 00

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