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The Paper and Electronic Pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Mineral Springs, NC
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Dr. Terry W . Preslar – PO Box 388 – M ineral Springs, NC 28108
(704)843-3858 – E-Mail: preslar12@windstream.net
Copyright (C) 2009. Terry W. Preslar All rights reserved.
Mother’s Day?
(It comes on May 10 th this year)
About the middle of May each year comes “Mother’s Day”.
This day is a grand time for the forgotten Mothers of us all. So
often through out the year we take so much, but on this day we
give to them (our Mothers) in a free-hearted manner that we
hope will encourage these wonderful people.
A “Mother” is a bride and a lover then children come and
she is converted, by some force known only to GOD, in a way
so marvelous that words can not even describe it and with a joy
that makes her give love with unshaken devotion to her child.
This glorious condition is unspeakable for those of us who will
never know the inside of its wonders; however the joys of
Motherhood are enjoyed by all in the love we receive from these
untiring and devoted Mothers.
To a boy, his Mother is a friend, a counselor, a partner in
play, a challenge to his ambitions, a proud fan of his successes
and a provider of peanut butter and jelly, tea, clean socks, rides,
and thousands of hours spent in almost any manner thinkable yet
un-numbered by us in the days of boyhood.
To a girl, Mother is a source for un-numbered doll clothes,
bows for “pony tails”, frilly dresses, bed time stories, warm hugs after bad dreams and the role model for little girls
that will be Mothers themselves someday.
There was a time when there was no day called “MOTHER’S DAY.” This fault was recognized and rectified in
the early day of the last century. A Resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives May 7, 1914 providing
that the second Sunday in May be designated “MOTHER’S DAY”. The Senate approved it the next day, and
President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation asking the public to display the American flag “as a public
expression of our love and reverence for the Mothers of our country.” Every year since has seen a greater or wider
observance of “MOTHER’S DAY”. And although gifts, flowers, messages and dinner out, have become a way of
expressing thought of one’s Mother, it is now an American custom!
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Grace.”
We may forget her melting prayer, While leaping pulses madly fly! But in the still, unbroken air Her gentle
tones come stealing by, And years and sin and manhood flee To leave us at our mother’s knee.
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Washington - 1732-1799 – 1st President of the United States)
“By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the
great vacationless class.” (Anne Morrow Lindbergh - 1907-2001 – Pioneering American aviator, author,
and the spouse of fellow aviator Charles Lindbergh).
“I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.”
(Abraham Lincoln - 1809-1865 – Sixteenth President of the United States).
“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” (Henry Ward Beecher -
1813-1887 – American preacher, editor and orator).
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“I promise I won’t spank you if you’ll just come down off that oil derrick!”
20. And last but not least: my mother taught me about JUSTICE.
“One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!”
Put them all together, they spell “MOTHER,” A word that means the world to me.
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6- “The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his
mother.” (Prov. 10:1)..
7- “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”
(Isa. 66:13).
8- “Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so
is her daughter.” (Ezek. 16:44).
9- “And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43).
10- “And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept
all these sayings in her heart.” (Luke 2:51).
11- “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his
mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that
hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” (John 19:26-27).
A Mother’s Love
I saw an aged woman, bow
‘Mid weariness and care;
Time wrote in sorrow on her brow
And ‘mid her frosted hair.
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Bible that these “LANDMARKS” are man’s only way and to veer from them is sure destruction in the ruin
of our culture. In the outline below, see how the “LANDMARKS” that GOD has placed may apply to us
today.
I- The Landmark of Pure Religion (“Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks,
and feed thereof.”Job 24:2) (James 1:26)
II- The Landmark of Separation (“Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.”
Prov. 22:28).
III- The Landmark of Conversion (“Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they
of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God
giveth thee to possess it.” Deut. 19:14)
IV- The Landmark of The Family (“Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of
the fatherless:” Prov. 23:10) (Eph. 5:21-33)
A) Wives (Eph. 5:22-24) (Heart of the family)
B) Husbands (I Peter 3:7) (Head of the family)
C) Children (Eph. 6:1; see also Psa.127:4-5) (Hope of the family)
Oh! That God Might Give Us the Old Paths Again...
Three Bible Mothers
I. Rizpah (2 Sam. 21:9) – She kept the birds from the bodies of her sons until David gave her their
bodies – OH! Would to GOD we had some mothers like this and surly our DAVID [THE LORD
JESUS] would give us our sons.
II. Belshazer’s mother (Dan. 5:10) – She gave her son, the King, good advice – to call for GOD’S man.
III. The Shunamite (2 Kings 4:19-21) – She knew what to do with a dead son – OH! our sons are dead
too!! (Eph. 2:1)
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IV- Sister of Mary the Mother of Jesus, and wife of Cleophas (John 19:25). Mother of James and Joses
(Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25). At the grave-site of Jesus (Matt. 27:61; Mark 15:47). Assists in
preparing the corpse of Jesus for burial (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1). A witness of the resurrection (Luke
24:10).
V- Magdalene – Possessed of devils, delivered by Jesus (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2-3). Present at the crucifixion
(Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 20:1,11-13). Recognizes Jesus after the resurrection (Matt. 28:8-10;
Mark 16:9; John 20:14-18).
VI- The Mother of Jesus (Matt. 1:16; Luke 1:26-38; 2:5-19). Visits her cousin, Elisabeth (Luke 1:39-56).
Attends the feast at Jerusalem with her husband and her son, starts back on the return, misses Jesus,
seeks and finds him in the temple area (Luke 2:48-51). Is present with Jesus at a marriage feast in Cana
of Galilee (John 2:1-10). Seeks Jesus when he is teaching in a house (Matt. 12:46-47; Mark 3:31; Luke
8:19). Present at the cross (John 19:25-27). Is committed to the care of John (John 19:27). Lives with
the disciples in Jerusalem (Acts 1:14). Prophecies concerning (Isa. 7:14; Luke 2:35).
A) Her Importance (“And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is
called Christ.” Matt. 1:16) – Although never called the “Mother of God” in scripture, and Jesus never
even called her “Mother,” she did have the wonderful privilege of being the Mother of our Lord.
B) Her Insignificance (“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary
his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they
presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” Matt. 2:11) – It is worth noting that
alongside the Lord, she was insignificant. The wise men worshipped HIM, not HER. They bowed
before HIM, not HER. They gave gifts to HIM, not HER. See also Luke 8:19-21; 11:27-28.
C) Her Issue (“Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James,
and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?” Matt. 13:55) – Contrary to Roman Catholic tradition, Mary was
not a perpetual virgin. Rather, she had sons and daughters as a result of her normal physical
relationship with her husband. See also Matt. 1:25 (only in the King James Bible – other modern
perversions of scripture remove the word “firstborn”).
D) Her Insufficiency (“And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced
in God my Saviour.” Luke. 1:46-47) – She rejoiced in God her Savior. Only a SINNER needs a
SAVIOR; therefore, Mary was a sinner, later going into the temple to offer a sacrifice for her sin.
See also Rom. 3:23.
E) Her Instruction (“His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” John 2:5)
– You couldn’t ask for better advice: Whatever the Lord Jesus Christ tells you to do, DO IT. If he
says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,” COME TO HIM.
F) Her Interchange (“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he
loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!” John 19:26-27) – Unrevealed in scripture
is when Mary’s husband, Joseph, died. He apparently died before the Lord did, for at Christ’s death,
John the beloved adopted Mary as his own mother and cared for her in his own home.
G) Her Involvement (“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women,
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” Acts 1:14) – In the last mention of Mary in
scripture (chronologically), she is found busy assembling with the New Testament disciples. She was
not being worshiped, and no one was praying to her. Rather, she prayed WITH the disciples, as all
of them approached the throne of the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the
Holy Ghost.
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— yet the mother in her will always come through. Garnish wamanhood with “rights” from her station —
yet a Mother cannot deny her rank as the GOD given caretaker of little boys and girls. It seems that the
suffering of birth would drive her away but it has brought her nearer. The truth is before us everywhere;
Mothers are incredible people.
There are many things that a Father can do but there is more that no one can do except a Mother.
Mothers are the foundation of a great nation, the heart of a family, and girls’ and boys’ best friend. Mothers,
OH, for good Mothers!
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The first battle was a material one. Because Samuel was a newly ordained minister in the Church of
England, he had to wait for appointments to parishes that paid a sufficient salary. Eventually, he was made
a rector at Epworth, a good position, but by then they were mired in debt.
To make the situation worse, Samuel was a poor money manager. Every side venture he touched turned
to disaster and left them poorer than before. Between bearing children and enduring lingering sicknesses,
Susanna was unable to do much to supplement his income. The generosity of friends and supporters kept
them going during the bleakest periods.
Despite his love for her and his commitment to Christ, Samuel was blind to his faults. At times he was
tyrannical and despotic at home. Once after a minor disagreement, he abandoned Susanna and their several
children for an entire year.
The Wesley family traced their lineage to the 10th century, but ancestry did little to help the problems
of their forty-four year marriage. They suffered illness, disease, poverty, and the death of children. Fire twice
destroyed their home. But through it all Susanna accepted the will of God and placed herself and her family
in His hands.
Politically Samuel and Susanna were both Tories, but while Samuel accepted William of Orange as King
William III, Susanna considered James II to be the true king. Once in 1701 Susanna refused to say “Amen”
to Samuel’s prayer for King William. Tension ensued. Samuel left for London as a Convocation proctor for
a year. He returned in 1702 when Queen Anne, whom they both acknowledged as the legitimate sovereign,
came to the throne. So in a real sense, we might say that John was the child of their reconciliation.
Susanna bore between seventeen and nineteen children; ten survived. The frequent absences of her
husband on church business left the management of the household in her hands. Through it all she remained
a steadfast Christian who taught not only through the Scriptures, but through her own example of daily trust
in God. She once wrote: “We must know God experientially for unless the heart perceive and know Him
to be to be the supreme good, her only happiness, unless the soul feel and acknowledge that she can have
no repose, no peace, no joy, but in loving and being loved by Him.”
The children were raised strictly. They were taught to cry softly, to eat what was put before them, and
not to raise their voices or play noisily. Physical punishment was used, but confession of faults could avoid
it. All but one of the children learned to read from the age of five, including the girls. (Susanna made it a
rule for herself to spend an hour a day with each of the children over the period of a week.) After the fire
of 1709 family discipline broke down, but Susanna managed to restore it later. She paid special attention
to John, who was almost lost in the fire. He referred to himself as “a brand plucked from the burning fire,”
and his mother said that she “...intended to be more particularly careful of the soul of this child that Thou
hast so mercifully provided for, than ever I have been, that I may do my endeavours to instill into his mind
the disciplines of Thy true religion and virtue.”
No matter what the circumstances, however, Susanna was committed to caring for her family the best
way possible. Though resources were limited, she started a daily school for her children. She said her
purpose was exclusively “the saving of their souls,” so the rigorous academics never took priority over
instruction in God’s Word. Each day before class, she set aside an hour to herself for Scripture reading and
prayer, and then led them all in singing psalms.
Biographer Arnold Dallimore notes: “Susanna trained her children to obey and in so doing richly molded
their characters.” Each child had separate responsibilities, a necessity in running a large household. When
one was disruptive, Susanna responded with appropriate discipline. Though some modern counselors are
critical of Susanna’s methods, their assessment of her is accurate. She never disciplined excessively or
unkindly.
Because Susanna wanted to develop a personal relationship with each child, she scheduled a private
appointment with each of them once a week for encouragement. These bonds of faith and love helped them
survive continual hardships.
Twice their home was destroyed by fire, and God saved them from the flames. In the second fire, John
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was only five and was trapped upstairs. Neither Susanna nor Samuel could reach him, but they heard his
cries of fear. They prayed, and John appeared in the window just in time to be grabbed before the roof caved
in.
Shortly before she died at age seventy-three, Susanna wrote Charles to describe her faith. She admitted
that for years she struggled with doubt and confusion about her salvation, but that she finally had complete
peace. “When I had forgotten God, yet I then found He had not forgotten me. Even then He did by His Spirit
apply the merits of the great atonement to my soul, by telling me that Christ died for me.”
With her family gathered around her bedside during her final illness, she said: “Children, as soon as I
am released, sing a psalm of praise to God.” Her grave marker reads in part: “...A Christian here her flesh
laid down, the cross exchanging for a crown.”
It is said that at the age of six or seven John thought he would never marry “because I could never find
such a woman as my father had.” After Samuel Wesley died in 1735, Susanna lived with her children,
especially, in her last year, with John. She died on July 23, 1742 and was buried in London’s Bunhill Fields,
where John Bunyan and Isaac Watts are also buried. Her sons won tens of thousands of souls to Christ. She
would not have wished for more.
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Psalms 107:2 S É S Romans 12:1-2
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