12/19There is a strange thing about the Christmas season. For many it is the happiest time of the year, while for some it is the loneliest time of the year. Loneliness is a genuine malady in our day. This time of the year many suffer from it, and it leads to increased depression, drunkenness and family problems.
The irony of it all is that Jesus came so that we would never have to be alone. Matthew’s gospel says His name was to be called Emmanuel, or “God with us.”
There are many lonely people in our world. Thomas Wolfe said, “Loneliness is far from being a rare and curious phenomenon. It is the central, inevitable fact of human existence.”
Loneliness is not solitude, for solitude can be good. It is healthy to be by oneself at times. Loneliness is not being lonely. We have all been lonely at times when we are away from loved ones. Loneliness is not being isolated from crowds.
As Thoreau said, “A city is a place where people are lonely together.”
Loneliness is insulation from people. It is feeling unneeded, uncared for, unwanted and even unnecessary. Many reasons are blamed for loneliness, such as past rejection, poor self-image, self-centeredness, sin, a past with pain and often a depersonalized society.
Whatever the reason, loneliness is a conquered foe! No one can help a life like Jesus Christ.
As humans we have three basic needs. First, we need to love and be loved. Second, we need to understand and be understood. Third, we need to be needed and wanted.
All of these can be found in Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus does not love “all of us,” He loves each of us. He was born to die, that we might have eternal life. He desires to fellowship with you and me and wants to be our friend. Jesus is not a fair-weather friend either. He will abide with you. He said in Hebrews 13- 5: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
If loneliness presses in on you at this time of year, let the Christ of Christmas come into your life as your Saviour. It is only then you will find Him to be your comfort and your ever-present Friend as well.
May God bless you with His presence and His peace throughout the holiday season and New Year’s time.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown, Md., Baptist Church
12/12In Psalm 73 the writer, Asaph, begins with a conclusion. His conclusion is first so that you may see his heart. He was not an unbeliever. He was a man with a perplexing problem.
His problem was that he had been watching the prosperity of the wicked while he himself had fallen on hard times. He had almost gone away from God. He had almost lost his faith, and he wondered if it paid to be faithful to the Lord.
He had failed to learn and to see how good God was. Put it down big, plain and straight — God is good at all times and in every way.
Only when Asaph went into the house of God did he finally see life from a proper perspective. Everything fell into place.
Life has a way of being unfair. If we are not careful, trouble and difficulty will defeat us. In church, with the help of God’s Word and with the encouragement of God’s people, we can learn to overcome some of the inequities in life.
This Christmas season I would like to encourage you to attend church and get the perspective of the sanctuary. Find a church that still uses the Word of God as a shining light for a world in darkness.
Our forefathers were men and women who found purpose in the House of God. Matthew 6:33 tells us that we are to seek first the kingdom of God. Put your life in order and put God at the top of your Christmas list. Be encouraged with who He is, and all He has done. It will encourage you and give you something we all need in life — perspective.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
12/05Rudyard Kipling, the famous British poet, made a lot of money at his trade. A newspaper reporter asked him, “Sir, do you know that it has been calculated that you make $100 a word?” Kipling responded, “No, I was not aware of that.” The reporter handed him a $100 bill and said, “Here, now give me one of those $100 words!” Kipling looked at the bill, put it in his pocket and said, “Thanks!”
Certainly, “thanks” is a $100 word seldom heard, rarely spoken, often forgotten.
It is a great word.
If any people should be thankful, it is Christians; if any nation should be thankful, it is America. The blind poet John Milton said, “He that is ungrateful has no guilt but one, all other crimes may pass as virtues in him.”
A wise man has said, “The thief may have streaks of honesty in him, the deadbeat spots of honor, the liar hours when he loves the truth, but nothing redemptive in the ingrate.”
What blessed people we as Americans are. Two-thirds of the world goes to bed hungry, one-third of the world is starving and think of the blessings God has bestowed on us.
If only once He’d given up and said,
That’s enough, I’m through
I’ve had enough of those on earth,
So this is what I’ll do.
I’ll give my orders to the sun,
Turn off the heat supply.
And to the moon, give no more light,
And run the oceans dry,
And then to make things really tough
And put the pressures on,
Turn off the vital oxygen until every breath is gone.
We know He would be justified if fairness were the game
For no one has ever been more abused
Or met with more disdain
And yet He keeps on supplying you and me
With all the favors of His grace,
And everything is free.
Men say they want a better deal,
So on strike they go,
But what a deal we’ve given God,
To whom all things we owe,
We don’t care who we hurt,
To gain the things we like
But a mess we’d be in,
It God would go on strike.
In Russia men work one hour for a loaf of bread, in America only six minutes. Russians work one hour 11 minutes for a quart of milk, Americans only nine minutes. And with all God’s blessings, we still are the biggest complainers of all. It is the sin of ingratitude.
“Must I keep on giving again and again?”
“Oh, no,” said the angel as his glance pierced me through,
“Just give until the Master stops giving unto you.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11/28 “Glory” is one of the amazing words of the Bible. There was the glory cloud that led the children of Israel through the wilderness, and there was the glory of the tabernacle on the mercy seat where God dwelt.
In Ezekiel’s day, at the dedication of the temple, the glory of the Lord filled the house. Moses saw the glory of God, as, on the mountain, God passed by him. Jesus displayed the glory of God through His life and on the Mount of Transfiguration. God revealed His glory through the nation of Israel.
Throughout history, there are times when God has placed His hand on a nation and also times where God has withdrawn His hand of blessing from a nation.
No one can deny the hand of God in our nation’s history. From our inception, God has provided for and protected us, many times through miraculous intervention.
During Israel’s history, the ark of the covenant was stolen. To them, the ark was the glory of God. From then until the ark was returned, they said, “Ichabod,” or “the glory has departed.”
America has taken God’s blessings for granted. Our fields overflow with grain and corn and our cupboards are full. Yet it could be said of America, as it was with Israel, “Ichabod, the glory has departed.” There is no glory in a nation that is over-indulged, unthankful and unmindful of its Maker.
“O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing.” The psalmist knew the answer for the glory departed.
Come, ye thankful people, come — raise the song of harvest home!
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that is is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown ( Md.) Baptist Church
11/21 At this Thanksgiving season, we are reminded of the bounty that God has set before us. The many blessings of God are immeasurable!
Of all His blessings to us and to our land, I believe the greatest is the Presence of God. When Moses went to Egypt to reclaim his people, the thing that encouraged him the most was the fact that God was with him. When Moses died, Joshua took over the leadership of the nation. God gave him the promise recorded in Joshua 1:5, “As I was with Moses, I will be with thee.”
Moses needed God to carry his burden and Joshua needed God to fight his battles. In both cases, God was there.
The longer we live, the more we realize there are burdens to carry and battles to fight. It may not be ours to be a Moses or a Joshua in our responsibility, but we do have the same promise they had. Hebrews 13:5 promises, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Our Lord’s last words to his disciples were, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
As a Christian, you are never alone, no matter what burdens you must carry or what battles you must fight.
America is never alone. We must rely on the guidance of our ever-present God. This Thanksgiving, and every day, let’s thank Him for His provision and presence toward us as a people. I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11/14The Marine Corps has a saying, “We’re looking for a few good men.” Over the years, the Corps has found more than just a few. In Isaiah, the Prophets say God was looking for a few to stand for Him, to rally to His cause.
God has always looked for a remnant to take up the slack. Ezekiel 22 says: “And I sought for a man among them to make up the hedge and stand in the gap for me.”
In Gideon’s day, God just wanted 300 men. From Abraham to Noah, to the three Hebrew children, to the disciples who forsook all to follow Jesus, God has found a few good men.
As Americans,we are a “called out” people. God wants a few of us to stand for him.
America the beautiful, the bountiful, and the blessed has become America the broken and bleeding. Once we were the land of the free and the home of the brave. Now we are the land of the weak and the home of the wayward.
Young King Josiah dusted off the Scriptures at the beginning of his reign and began to use them. God blessed him for it.
Picture in your mind the masses coming and going to and fro in America. Today God is looking for a remnant, one like Daniel, or David, Noah or Isaiah.
We all can change the condition of things by deciding that the change will take place in us. Let’s be a light to shine and salt to preserve.
Our forefathers were men and women who believed in the importance of shining forth for God. When they did, others followed. We can do the same.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11/07 In Luke 12, beginning with verse 16, Jesus told a parable:
“The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’
“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
As we reap a bountiful harvest this fall, let us not be so caught up in ourselves that we forget the real giver of this bounty. Before you bring all your stores into the storehouse, make sure things are right between you and God.
After teaching the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus continued to instruct, in Matthew 6:19: “Do not lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal.
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— CAROL KINSLEY
Assistant Editor
and member of First Baptist Church
of Milford, Del.
10/31
In his book Success, Motivation and the Sciptures, William H. Cook puts the matter of prosperity into focus. He says, “A right definition of success is important from two sides — from the side of having God in it and from the side of having achievement in it.
“Defining success without having God in the definition leaves man without the blessings of God upon his life. Yet having God in the life and still not achieving is adding insult to the infinite. God knows more about success than man does, more about goal setting than man does, more about inner confidence than man does, more about power than man does and more about planning life than man does.”
Since God knows all those things and provides the very route to our success, isn’t it incredible that we would leave Him out of our plans?
In Psalms Chapter One, the Psalmist tells us that the man who includes God in hsi thinking will prosper. These are uncertain times, especially for the farmer. Many people these days have time for meetings, seminars, and “how to” clubs, but no time for the Bible and no time for church. Yet they complain when all goes wrong. Let’s look to God, follow His plan, and we will be prosperous — in his way.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours. —MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown, Md., Baptist Church
10/24Joseph was an amazing Bible character. The refrain found about him throughout scripture is, “the Lord was with him.” There was much to overcome in his life. Joseph’s father was a con artist in his younger years, along with his Uncle Laban. His mother died when he was a teenager. His brothers were very ungodly.
However, Joseph had a difference about him. He was distinct in many ways.
He did not let his family struggles or personal problems squeeze him into a mold.
There is something in nature that makes us want to conform to a group, like a flock of sheep, pack of wolves, covey of quail or a pride of lions.
The chief religion in America is the cult of conformity. Think of how powerful peer pressure is. Someone puts a ring in his nose, and soon all are following suit.
Two years ago, scientists did a study on why fish swim in schools. They took a fish, removed most of its brain, and put him back with the school. The fish swam off aimlessly by himself and all the others followed him!
They were following a brainless fish. For further reference, visit a high school some time.
There should be something about us that is different. Our forefathers were men of vision. They dared to be different.
When the Bible says God was with Joseph it means God was for him. Friend, God is for us, too. Dare to be different and with the strength of God you will make an impact as Joseph did.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown, Md., Baptist Church
10/17 Psalm 67 is a thanksgiving for a good harvest. It ends with verses 6 and 7:
“The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
God has blessed us;
Let all the ends of the earth fear Him!”
But the beginning of the Psalm is a prayer that the blessing will continue:
“May God be gracious to us and bless us
And make his face to shine upon us.
That Thy way may be known upon earth,
Thy saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise thee, O God;
Let all the peoples praise thee!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
For Thou dost judge the peoples with equity
And guide the nations upon earth.”
As the harvest across the Mid-Atlantic swells the storage bins to capacity, let us not forget to thank God for his abundant love, for the sunshine and the rain and the good earth from which this bounty grew.
Let us continue to pray, also, for His continued guidance for ourselves and our nation.
That was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This Faith of our Fathers was written by Assistant Editor Carol Kinsley, a member of First Baptist Church of Milford, Del.
10/10 America’s founding fathers believed that a widespread faith in God was the true source of America’s greatness. They would view today’s war on Christianity, traditional education, the media and American culture as a grave threat to our survival as a nation.
Alexander Hamilton’s dying words were: “I have tender reliance on the Almighty, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am a sinner. I look to him for mercy. Pray for me.”
Patrick Henry, in his last will and testament, said: “This is all the inheritance I give to my dear family: The religion of Christ will give them one which will make them rich indeed.”
Daniel Webster said: “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper.”
In 1781, Thomas Jefferson said: “God, who gave us life, gave us liberty.”
We must realize how great our freedoms are, and with that realization, we must bow to God as sinners in a Christian nation and ask him to help us remain free by His great grace.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
-MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
As Americans we are always interested in the biggest, the best and the greatest. We put an emphasis on what is the most important.
The Pharisees had tried to fool Jesus many times through trick questions that they thought could have no right answer. They are the men who asked him the question concerning the commandments, which was the most important.
In actuality, the Pharisees had 610 commandments to choose from and every Pharisee had his own favorite that he felt should be the most important to obey. Jesus quoted from the writings of Moses to tell them where the emphasis should lie.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might.”
Jesus knew that if they could obey this commandment, it would dominate their emotions, direct their attitudes and determine their actions. Jesus was telling them that their affections are to be on Him and they should be passionate, not passive in their love for God.
Our love for God must be from the heart, our innermost being; love from the soul, our purpose and will; love from our minds, our faculty for knowing.
Jesus knew that love determines actions. “Talk is cheap,” the expression goes, but love gives of itself. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
The greatest thing we can do in life is to love the LORD our God with all of our hearts. After this, all else falls in place.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9/12 Robert Robinson was an 18th Century preacher. As his ministry grew, so did his popularity. Soon he was overwhelmed with the demands of the ministry and he became “burned out.” He left the ministry. His heart was cold and his attitude indifferent.
Robinson was riding on a stagecoach one day and a young woman next to him was reading a book. It was a book of hymns. She asked him to listen to the words of one particular song:
Come thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing thy praise.
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Calls for songs of loudest praise.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love.
Take my heart, Oh! Take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.
Robinson tried to avoid the young woman, but she was so taken by the words to the song that she persisted in reading them over and over. Finally, he said to her, “Madam, I’m the poor, loathsome creature who wrote those lines.”
He had forgotten what he had written. It is a tendency for all of us to wander away from the Lord. The human tendency is downward, not upward. It is true in our lives. We grow cold and indifferent and soon veer off course.
This is true with our nation. We become unthankful and cold toward God and soon, other gods rule our direction.
As we stream toward another national election, let’s not be fooled by a false sense of security in our economy. Let’s size up our indifference and get back on track. We cannot ride on the godly momentum of past generations. We must create our own.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9/05 “He who boasts of being perfect is perfect in folly.” I have often heard those words spoken. In my short-lived years, I have never met a perfect person. One man said that you will never see a perfect man until two Sundays come together. You see, you can’t get white flour out of a coal sack or perfection out of human nature. Every head has a soft place and every heart a black spot. Every rose has a thorn and every day has a night.
If we could always remember that we live in a world of imperfect men, we should never be disheartened by our friends’ failures. Blessed is he who expects nothing out of flesh and blood, for he shall not be disappointed. The best of men are men at best and the best wax will melt. The best cook will burn the soup, the smartest student will make an error, and the best husband, wife, farmer and worker will, sooner or later, make a mistake (though it’s hard to admit sometimes.)
I have no patience with people who poke their noses into other people’s business to find their faults. You can find something wrong with everybody. Why be so shocked to hear some tad of gossip? Why so eager to find out a fault and condemn? A white cow will be all black if you choose to make it so.
We would be better off realizing that no one is perfect. All of us have faults. I know good people who quit because they themselves have a fault. Faults or no faults. the work must go on.
Thank God for forgiveness. No one is perfect and the sooner we realize that we all have faults, the better off we will be.
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours. — MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (MD) Baptist Church
8/29 King Solomon owned virtually everything that a man could own, and yet he exclaimed in Ecclesiastes 2:17 that he hated life. He had tried every direction and yet found that life was full of vanity and emptiness.
Our world is full of people who feel the same way. Their problem is that they are heading toward the wrong goals.
Solomon tried wisdom, but he soon found that a full head and an empty heart do not satisfy.
He tried laughter, but only too soon came to realize that there are serious things we must consider that laughter cannot cover.
He tried wine, thinking perhaps he could drown his troubles, but it only increased them.
He tried wealth. Solomon owned all that a man could own. He was by far the wealthiest man of his day, but he soon found that, though he could buy a bed, he could not buy sleep.
He tried wantonness. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines, but still he hated life.
In all his wisdom and experience, he writes these words: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
Many in our day are heading toward wrong goals that will leave them unfulfilled and hating life. Fear God and obey his commandments. This is the key to a happy life. Don’t take my word for it. Take the word of the wisest man on earth — King Solomon.
Fear God and keep his commandments. This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— Mel Brindley
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8/22 God’s advice to Israel was, “Remove not the ancient landmaks.” He was referring to a fixed standard. There was a time in America when we recognized the Ten Commandments as an unchanging, fixed standard.
Now America is becoming a “values free” society. Our standard has been removed. James Patterson, chairman of the J. Walter Thompson Company, did an exhaustive study in 1991 entitled, “The Day America Told the Truth.”
The results were staggering. Only 13 percent of those surveyed believed in the relevancy of all 10 of the commandments. Nine out of 10 Americans lie regularly. One- fifth of America’s children lose their virginity by age 13. Seven percent said they would kill a perfect stranger for $10 million.
Isaiah could have been speaking of America when he proclaimed, “Judgment is turned backward and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter.”
Picture the scene of a traffic jam with justice, equity, and judgment all stopped because truth has fallen. When truth is not lifted up, catastrophe is the result.
As a nation, we must raise the standard of truth, the standard of our Bible-believing forefathers. Neither education, money, nor our own righteous acts can replace the Truth as a compass for our nation. Jesus said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8/15 Spending five to six hours a week counseling for the past 11 years has been quite an education for me. I feel the exposure has given me a few insights I would not otherwise have.
The most outstanding thing that comes to mind about human nature is the frequency with which I see people “blameshift”, which is to blame someone or something else for their failure or sin. The tragic thing about this phenomenon is that, in our country, we accept it as normal behavior,
We have seen the television commercial in which the wife slams her hand on the table and shouts at her husband through gritted teeth. The husband then looks to a friend seated with them and says, “It’s the caffeine. The doctor told her not to drink coffee.” The friend then replies, “Drink Sanka.” If the wife will get rid of the caffeine, she will be free of her temper.
And so it goes. Everything would be different if it were not for the caffeine, or somebody, or something. I have heard people blame their failures, sins and wrong attitudes on just about everything, most commonly parents, teachers, brothers, sisters, churches, God, lack of money, opportunity, or education.
Every person is responsible for his or her own actions. We in America cannot “blameshift.” We must realize that we, as a people, are responsible for our problems and also for solving them.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8/08 Martin Luther said, “If all thieves who do not wish to be considered such were to be hanged on the gallows, the world would soon be desolate, and would be without executioners and gallows. One of the great dilemmas of our society is that of theft. The commerce department reported that one out of every 52 supermarket customers steals at least one item. Four million people are caught shoplifting each year. For every one caught, 35 go undetected. Theft has become a billion dollar-a-year business.”
In His commandments to Israel, God told them, “Thou shalt not steal.” That command is more complex than you think.
Three stages of fraud take place in disobeying this command. There is defrauding man. That is when we take from others what does not belong to us.
There is defrauding deity. That’s withholding from God what belongs to Him. Many today put God on the back burner and keep it on simmer. God has a purpose for every life. Not to fulfill that purpose is to take from God what is rightfully His.
Thirdly, there is defrauding oneself. That is a life lived for self. Many have cheated themselves by a selfish life. Don’t steal from yourself the joy, peace and happiness God wants to give you.
Jesus said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8/01 Life, death and eternity are very real subjects. Man is the only one of God’s creation who knows he is going to die. When you talk of death to most people, they will change the subject. The thought of death is just too unwelcome.
Death is a part of life. Reason and experience tell us we are going to die. You are not prepared to live until you are prepared to die.
We, as humans, are more interested in the origin of the species when we ought to be interested in the destiny of the species. From whence we came..... that is settled in the Word of the Eternal God. Where we are going...... that can only be settled by each individual human heart as it heeds the words of Jesus Christ:
“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” ..... “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
There is a tombstone in England that reads:
“Pause, stranger as you pass by
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you will be
So prepare to die and follow me”
Someone wrote these words:
“To follow you I’m not content
Until I know the way you went”
There was a time when you were not. There will never be a time when you will not be. Friend, take note that this life is passing. “The grass fadeth and the flower withereth, but the Word of the Lord endureth forever.”
Are you prepared to live? Are you prepared to die?
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
—-MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7/25 As people look around and see the plight of our nation, they often leap to the question: “Where is God?” Is God powerless to do something? Why does He allow certain wrongs to go unchecked?
A great truth for all of us to realize is that God is omnipresent. God is everywhere. Jeremiah 23:24 says: “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord.”
Many think of God just inside the church house, yet God is always with us. There is not a movement God does not see. There is not a motive He does not know. There is not a word He does not understand.
Think of all the words men speak, yet God hears all of them. There is not any power that can separate us from God.
Not even death can separate us. To close our eyes on earth is to open our eyes to God in Heaven. Distance can never separate us from God, because God is everywhere.
God has a plan for this world and His purpose will never be thwarted. In the fullness of time, God will work His plan. There are no clocks in Heaven, no calendars by which to run the course of this world.
We Americans are by no means a patient crowd. However, God cannot, and will not, be hurried. We have always trusted Him before and we must trust Him now. It is time for all of us, from the White House to the church house, to trust God and lean not upon our own understanding but acknowledge Him, trust Him and He will direct our paths.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7/18 When Nehemiah and the children of Israel had finished rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, it was a time of great celebration. All the people of God gathered themselves together in the street to worship the Lord.
As the people gathered into the street, the scribe Ézra said, “Bring me the Book.” The Book was the Scriptures, or what was written of the Bible in those days. As Ezra read from the Book, the people wept. So long had they been held captive, to hear those words again broke their hearts.
For the most part, we in America have Bibles everywhere. They are in motels, hospitals, places of business, and our homes. We have not been removed from our land, neither have our Bibles been taken from us.
Yet how long has it been since the words “Bring me the Book” have been heard in our homes, our businesses, in our own ears? Even sadder still, how often is it said in our churches?
It is the Book that is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Without it, we walk in the darkness, as a captive people.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7/11 King David prayed that the Lord would deliver him from presumptuous sins. Presumptuous sins are taking the forgiveness and grace of God for granted. God has an abundance of forgiveness; we are all proof of that fact. God’s grace is also fathomless. However, neither His forgiveness nor His grace should be taken for granted.
At this time of year, the summer harvest, we are reminded of the forgiveness and grace of God. What a blessed and prosperous nation we have! Our abundance is beyond even our imagination.
In our abundance though, I fear that we have become presumptuous. We presume that this is our lot, it is what we deserve, it is our “due” heritage. If God removed his hand from us, we would then be aware of how good He has been.
Our farmers and their crops are a blessing to us all. Are we presuming on God’s grace when we fail to thank God for them? When was the last time you bowed your head and humbly thanked the Almighty for your abundance?
If it’s been a while, you are presuming God’s grace.
We would be deeply wounded to give to our own over and over and never hear a word of thankfulness. The dividing line among our youth is between those who are thankful and those who are not.
As a nation we must be careful. We are walking where angels fear to tread. Do not presume that the crops of today will be those of the future. Thank the Lord today for those who till the ground. Thank the Lord today for the abundant crops we are reaping.
Become aware of the fact that every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above, from our Heavenly Father.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7/04/00
On Thursday, May 27, 1999, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colo., was invited to address a House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during the special session of Congress was painfully truthful. The lawmakers were not prepared for what he said, nor was it well received.
However, it needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologists, every psychologist and every so-called expert. These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott were powerful, penetrating and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness.
The following is a portion of the transcript:
***
Since the dawn of creation, there has been both good and evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence.
The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher and the other 11 children must not be in vain.
(The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NRA, the National Rifle Association. The true killer was Cain and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.)
In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy. I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA, because I don’t believe they are responsible for my daughter’s death. Therefore, I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder, I would be their strongest opponent.
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy, it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves.
I wrote this poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today.
Your laws ignore our deepest needs, Your words are empty air. You’ve stripped away our heritage, You’ve outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die. You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question “Why?” You regulate restrictive laws through legislative creed. And yet you fail to understand that God is what we need!
Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, soul and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice and hatred to rush in and wreck havoc. Spiritual influences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation’s history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is an historical fact.
What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the door to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine’s tragedy occurs, politicians immediately look for a scapegoat, such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws.
Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts. Politician posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers. The young people of our nation hold the key.
There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched! We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored. We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple thrust in God!
As my son, Craig, lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes.....he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America, and the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School, prayer was brought back to our schools.
Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA, I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter’s death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6/27 It was not enough to remove prayer from the classroom. Now prayer has been removed before sports events. Monday, June 15, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 6 to 3 that a Texas public school district had acted in violation of the U.S. Constitution and was guilty of infringement of the First Amendment in allowing prayer before its football games.
Chief Justice Rehnquist noted forcefully: “Even more disturbing than its ruling is the tone of the court’s opinion; it bristles with hostility to all things religious in public life.”
This vote was a slap in the face of our forefathers who stopped the writing of the United States Constitution to ask God to intervene on their behalf. It’s a good thing that didn’t happen today.
When George Patton was in Bastogne in 1944, his troops were bogged down in bad weather. Patton summoned the chaplain and told him to pray for good weather.
He also ordered 3,200 copies of the directive for prayer sent throughout his army, encouraging them not to confine their prayers to church and services. Imagine what our Supreme Court would have done with that!
When George Washington knew his army was hanging by a thread, he knelt at Valley Forge and sought divine help for his noble efforts. Imagine what the Supreme Court would have done with that!
Vice President Gore said he supports the court’s decision while Governor Bush is disappointed by it. Personally, I am appalled. When will we learn?
Are things going so well in our public schools that we no longer need God’s help? Believe that, and you have been living in a cave for the past five years.
This is a Christian nation and without God’s help our problems are beyond us.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6/20 The third of the Ten Commandments is very important. It tells us: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
God’s name is holy and should never be uttered as an oath. To many, God’s name is no more than a word to say when they are angry. God says his name is the Lord God. Lord means “Jehovah who is the everlasting God.” God means “Elohim” or “The Mighty One.” These two names together describe God as The Everlasting Mighty One.
He is the God who has the power to perform his Word.
Rather than taking his name in vain, we should be lifting his name in victory! The psalmist said the name of the Lord is a strong tower.
The righteous run into it and are safe.
In America, we would do well to be advised that God says the improper use of His name is wrong. Exodus 20:7 tells us that God will not hold us guiltless. Let us follow the advice found in Colossians 3:17: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and Father by him.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6/13
The Ten Commandments are a topic of great discussion these days. Some say they are "outdated" and they have been removed from the walls of our public education institutions.
The Ten Commandments have some negatives and some positives, but it takes both for us to have the power to live the Christian life. A car battery has both a negative and positive pole. Touch one by itself and it is powerless. Put jumper cables on them both and touch the other end, and you'll feel the power!
The same is true with the Ten Commandments. The fact is, God loves us and the Commandments were given for our own welfare. Pick and choose which to heed and which to ignore, and you wiil be powerless. Heed and live by the whole, and you will be empowered to live a vibrant, abundant life.
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth: but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Joshua 1:8
This was the faith of our fathers'and I trust that it is yours.
-MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5/30 We will remember the sacrifice,
We will remember how great the price
That was paid to win our freedom.
So noble a death is never in vain
When given so the Word of Truth
may remain
As a torch lighting the way to freedom.
“Memorial Day” — So touching a tribute!
Saluting bravery, honor, and
loyalty unrefuted,
Hallmarks of character for men
of freedom.
We will remember the sacrifice,
We will remember how great the price
That was paid to win our freedom.
So noble a death is never in vain
When given so the Word of Truth
may remain
As a torch lighting the way to freedom.
“Resurrection Day” — How thrilling
to say!
Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords, victorious over the grave!
Hallmark of the ultimate price paid
for freedom.
As we remember the sacrifice of love,
The life that was given here below and from above,
Ever more precious grows that word —freedom.
Anonymous
5/23 In recent days, we remembered the Columbine High School tragedy of over a year ago. We remembered the horror, the bloodshed and the bewilderment that faced those precious students. We remembered the questions for which all of us sought the answers.
William Bennett, former secretary of education, spoke at a forum where there was discussion about the violence that erupted at Columbine High. He questioned how the school staff and faculty could have failed to do anything about the teenagers walking around in trench coats and saying “Heil Hitler.”
Someone, he said, surely would have noticed Cassie Bernall, a born-again Christian and also a victim, if she had been carrying a Bible. Can you imagine if Cassie Bernall and her friends had been walking through the school saying “Hail to the Prince of Peace?”
They would have been escorted to the principal’s office and branded as people to watch!
We should all be concerned about the enemy without, but our greatest concern should be the enemy within.
The Ten Commandments and prayer are out of our schools and robbery, murder, and bombs are in. Creation is out, evolution is in. Corporal punishment is out, rebellion is in. Traditional values are out, unwed motherhood is in. Abstinence is out, safe sex and abortion are in.
We learn from history that history repeats itself. We must look within and recognizethe real enemy of our young people if Columbine is not to be repeated over and over in this generation.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5/16 The national observance of Mother’s Day was suggested by a woman named Anna Jarvis. In a memorial service for her own mother, she gave away carnations. In the following years, the idea of honoring mothers on a certain day gained popularity. Finally, on May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as “Mother’s Day.”
The word “Mother” reminds us of undying love, untiring work, unselfishness and undivided devotion. One mother had scrimped and saved to put her son through college. At graduation, upon receiving his diploma, he walked over and handed it to his mother, saying, “Here Mom, you earned it.”
A little boy was to perform in his Sunday School play. His mother sat in the front so she could help him in the event that he forgot his lines. He did forget, and she cued him by saying quietly, “I am the Light of the World.” He smiled and exclaimed, “My mother is the light of the world!”
To all our moms, those who have gone ahead and those who remain, we wish you a Happy Mother’s Day — you’ve earned it!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5/09 In His commandments to Moses, God said: “I am the Lord thy God.” He is not just the God of the Jewish nation, but of all the nations of the world.
A great problem with America is that we have a form of godliness but deny the power, or the authority thereof. We readily admit there is a God, but do not obey Him.
Many Americans live as though God doesn’t! In his Tulsa-based newspaper, Jenkins Lloyd Jones wrote: “The old theory that crime was the handmaiden of poverty is proving false with increasingly higher percentages of young lawbreakers with fat wallets.”
He went on to say: “Our problem today is moral illiteracy and a valueless educational system.”
He is basically saying we have lost our fear of God. Our streets have become jungles, our schools have become dangerous and we’re living without the Lord our God. We have chaos reigning rather than peace, our prisons are full and our youth are rebellious.
We have come to a day where we have no fear of God. It would do us good to put the Ten Commandments back on the school walls, prayer back into the classroom, and God back in His rightful place — first place.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5/02 The following was written by a teenager in Bagdad, Ariz.:
“Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
The Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights
And any time my head I bow
Becomes a federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange, or green
That’s no offense — it’s a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate
And God’s name is prohibited by the state.
We’re allowed to cuss and dress like freaks
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They’ve outlawed guns, but first the Bible
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant senior queen
And the unwed daddy our senior king.
It’s inappropriate to teach right from wrong
We’re taught that such judgments do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires, and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed.
It’s scary here, I must confess
When chaos reigns, the school’s a mess.
So Lord, this silent plea I make
Should I be shot, my soul please take.
AMEN”
“The days of his youth has thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame” (Psalm 89:45).
Is it you, America, that has done this?
“Let no man despise thy youth but be thou an example...” (I Timothy 4:12).
This, America, you can do.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4/25 If you have ever seen the original of that great painting of Christ before Pilate, you must marvel at the way in which the artist makes the figure of our Lord stand out against the howling mob behind him and Pilate before him.
All else is bedlam and only Jesus is calm. He was the one on trial, yet they were being tried.
The centurions said, “Never a man spake like this.” Pilate was at wits end as to what to do with Jesus.
He finally exclaimed to the crowd, “What then shall I do with Jesus, which is called Christ?”
That is a decision that every man must make for himself. It is impossible to do nothing about Jesus. Not to decide for him is to decide against him, but we must decide.
Pilate’s mind was filled with Greek philosophies, Roman laws and Oriental jargons. We live in an age of cynics who as some have put it, “See the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Our generation is one of decision. The greatest decision we will make as a nation is “What shall we do with Jesus?” The question is individual in its scope and each must answer for themself.
Friend, make a decision for Christ. Our forefathers by and large accepted Christ and our freedom is a result of that acceptance. Make your decision for Him today.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4/18 The Apostle Paul said: ‘I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching unto those things which are before.” In other words, he realized he hadn’t reached perfection.
We are a product-oriented society. We in American like a finished product. We get nervous over construction and the process of completing something. The sawing, the hammering, the hanging and the whole process are not our idea of fun. We want it over and complete. We want to finish our goal.
The funny thing is we often spend more time “in the process” than we do “in the finished product.” It is the same with the Christian life. God is constantly in a building process and we will never reach perfection until we reach Heaven.
There is a popular quote which says, “Please be patient with me ... God’s not finished with me yet.” How true it is for us who know Christ. We may expect perfection but God wants yielded vessels to construct.
We become so judgmental with each other when we should show patience and kindness, knowing that no one is perfect until they have reached immortality. This is real Christianity .. to be slow to anger, quick to love and eager to understand.
Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4/11 We classify the nations in various ways. We list them by government structure, religious majority and racial majority. There are kingdoms, empires, democracies and republics. There are Mohammedan, Buddhist, pagan, and Christian nations. There are African, Asian, Caucasian and Hispanic nations, to name just a few.
America is a Christian nation. It was declared a Christian nation by the U.S. Supreme Court. In the case of the Holy Trinity Church vs. the United States, the court stated: “These and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation.”
In the writings of Supreme Court Justice David J. Brewer, it is noted that state by state, a person could not hold office unless he had acknowledged God and solemnly worshipped Him. Every United States president closes his inaugural oath with the words, “So help me God.”
In Maryland, by the Constitution of 1776, every person appointed to office had to take an official oath of “subscribing a declaration of his belief in a Christian religion.”
In Hosea 4:6, the prophet declares: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee; seeing thou hast forgotten the law of God, I will also forget thy children.”
See this picture painted before your eyes. The youth of America boldly displaying the slogan: “No Fear.” This slogan is only an outward show of inward belief. Our nation has forgotten to pass down its knowledge of God, its Christian heritage and in many cases, God has let us go. How else can we explain the otherwise unexplainable dilemma of our youth? The Lord told Malachi: “Return to me and I will return to you.”
“... That they seek the Lord if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.” (Acts 17:27)
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— Mel Brindley
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4/04 I’m not one for the Oscars. The Hollywood crowd hardly, if ever, produces a movie I’m interested in. I’m of the conservative status. I read about the movies and very little conservatism is seen.
I was surprised to read that “American Beauty” was film of the year. This film’s success emphasizes how dysfunctional America is. The mother of the film is so engrossed in her career that she fails at everything and eventually contemplates suicide.
There is the neighbor who deals drugs for a living, and the daughter who has no relationships at all except with the drug-dealing neighbor.
Then we have the main character, Lester Burham, played by Kevin Spacey, who can’t keep his hands or thoughts off his daughter’s friends, and he was voted “Actor of the Year!”
In America, we have laws to protect minors from moral and physical perversion, but Hollywood depicts these thoughts and actions as normal. We wonder at society’s problems and where they came from, and, with the same breath, heap praise and awards on the very people and producers who created the cesspool of wickedness in which we are swimming.
Hollywood has played a great part in depicting the norm for us, and we have obediently followed suit. Knowing all about the molestation and debauchery, we vote “Actor of the Year.” We are heading downhill in a hurry. William Bennett’s book of values is fast fading from memory in the mind of America.
Proverbs 10:25 reminds us: “As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.” Our forefathers built us a foundation of righteousness and right-thinking. History teaches us that more than one nation has risen to the heights of glory, only to sink to the depths of depravity and destruction.
May God give us the wisdom to learn from the error found in the ruins and remember to build America on a solid foundation of righteousness.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown, Md., Baptist Church
3/28 One great preacher said, “Foxes are all tail and people are all tongue. From big guns and people’s tongues, deliver us.”
We in this great nation can harness the awesome power of nuclear energy, dam the forces of a raging river, and send our voices to the other side of the world via satellite. We can control just about anything except the tongue of man. James said that the tongue is an unruly evil that no man can tame. You can put a bit in a horse’s mouth, a rudder on a ship, but you can’t control a wagging tongue.
It’s an awful shame that we do not tax the words some people speak. What an income we would have if every time a man or woman spoke ill of someone they were taxed. It would pay off the national debt seven times over.
The funny thing about gossips is that they never get the story straight. As a snowball grows by rolling, so does the gossip’s tale. I heard one man say, “Those who talk much, lie much.” Silence is wisdom according to the Bible: “Even a fool is counted wise when he openeth not his mouth.” An open mouth shows an empty head.
Talking ill comes by nature. It takes a lot of training to be quiet. You see, the worst evil that you can do to a man is to ruin his character. If a man’s sins were divided into two bundles, one would be the sins of the tongue. It is just as easy to speak well as evil of a man.
“I stood on the streets of a busy town
Watching men tear a building down
With a yo heave ho and a lusty yell
They swung a beam and a side wall fell.
I asked the foreman, “Are these men as skilled
as those you’d hire if you wanted to build?”
“Oh, no,” said he, “indeed,
unskilled labor is all I need.
I can tear down in a day or two
What it would take a skilled man a year to do.”
May we ask God to make us people who think before we speak, people who can control our tongues.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3/21 It seems war has broken out once again with “gun control” at the forefront of the battle. We all were shocked when, just days ago, a boy, 6, shot and killed his six-year-old classmate. Stories such as these are hard for all of us to ponder. Just how could it happen?
Many feel it calls for stricter laws on the ownership of guns. The young man who shot his classmate was being raised in a “crack house.” It was a filthy, rat-infested, sin-laden home. Changing laws would not and will not stop these types of crimes.
Our courts are filled to the brim with those who have broken existing laws and, for the most part, we do not back the existing laws. We need to toughen up our stand on crime and realize it’s not the gun, knife, cloth, rope or any other article that kills. It is the individual.
Our policy on crime is weak. For the most part, it has no teeth. That young boy would have found that gun even if we had all the laws on gun control changed. He lived in an environment of no respect for law or the welfare of others. We must realize these people, the criminal element, will always have guns.
Thomas Jefferson said: “What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that the people preserve the right of resistance? Let them take arms.”
It’s not responsible, righteous people who need gun control. They abide by the Constitution and the statutes of law. However, the criminal doesn’t care what laws you change. They don’t respect any of them.
To many, the frenzy over gun control is no more than a political agenda to create hysteria among the masses. Gary Shade said, “Freedom means being politically incorrect.”
Don’t allow a freedom to be taken away that the Constitution guarantees. Allow the Constitution to protect us from those who do not respect the law — the criminal!
“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
That was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3/14 In the celebrated “Parsons’ Cause,” young Patrick Henry made a name for himself.
As the parsons of Virginia complained of too little money, many of the laity did not want a tax increase to meet the need.
Young Henry was retained to defend the people, not against the clergy but against the King of England and his influence on their freedom. His premise to the case was: “It is the business of the King to protect his people and not to enslave them.” He was building on the principle that government is to work for the people.
His speech needs to be given today. Slowly, yet methodically, we in America are losing our freedoms and are becoming enslaved by government. Our welfare rolls are staggering, our taxes are astronomical, and many of our freedoms are suspect.
Many do not realize that government cannot give us anything it hasn’t first taken. The great Constitution of the United States was set in place to guarantee certain rights and freedoms to the American people, yet legislators and lawmakers work night and day to re-word and explain away the clearly written mandates of our forefathers.
It was that attitude of government that inspired Patrick Henry years ago. The King cared not for the people or their needs and wishes, only for the riches he could take from the people amd spend as carelessly as he wished.
Friend, look closely at those who would get your vote to become a part of our nation’s government.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3/07 It should never be said that the Christian life is a life of only tears, unhappiness and long faces. To be sure, there are times of heartbreak and tears. There are battles to be fought and valleys through which we must walk. However, the Christian life should be characterized most of all as a life of joy. Jesus said in John 15:11, “I am come that ye might have joy.”
It is tragic that many Christians have a sad lack of old-fashioned, simple-hearted joy. Someone has said, “Joy is the flag that is flown from the castle of the heart when the King is in residence on the throne.” Joy is the result of being rightly related to God and having Jesus as the Lord of one’s life.
Oh, how we need joy! It is the best advertisement a Christian can have before a lost world. Our churches need joy.
Many churches think of themselves as being dignified when the truth is they are just dead.
Consequently, the world stays away in droves.
We yell like Indians at a football game. Yet, we sit in church like wooden Indians and wonder why the world is uninterested. When we get excited over a ballgame, we are called ‘fans’, but when we get excited about serving God, we are called ‘fanatics.’ Folks often go to church as if they are mourning a corpse when they should go as if to hail a conqueror.
How we need joy in our churches!
A pastor asked an absent church member why he had been missing services. The man said, “It’s been raining a lot lately.” To which the pastor replied, “It’s been dry at the church.” The man answered, “Yes, Pastor, and that’s another reason we’ve not been there.”
Yes, Jesus, came to bring joy, not cheerleader enthusiasm, but a joy from deep within. It is available to you and I if we let Jesus reign in our hearts.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
- MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2/29 What was it that sustained Moses during those difficult years in wilderness? It was not his Egyptian education or his own personal strength. In fact, more than once he almost broke under stress placed upon him as Israel’s leader.
Moses had been sustained by a promise: the promise of the Presence of the Lord. The older a person grows, the more burdens they carry and often the more battles they must fight. However, as God promised to be with Moses, He has promised to be with us. Hebrews 13 tells us, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Our Lord’s last words to His disciples was the promise, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” The Christian is never alone. No matter how much of a load we carry, God will help us along.
In these days of stress where many “wear out” before they “rust out,” it is reassuring to know that God is with us. That’s not “pop” psychology. It is an ironclad promise, set in concrete and steel, from the Almightly God.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2/22 Agur is a relatively unknown writer of the Bible. He, under God’s guidance, was responsible for a few verses in the book of Proverbs.
In those few inspired lines, he gave his philosophy regarding riches and poverty. He prayed that God would give him neither riches nor poverty. He was afraid that if he were poor he might steal or take God’s name in vain. On the other hand, he feared that if he became rich he would be full and would ultimaltely deny the Lord (Proverbs 30:8-9).
History has proven that his fear is justified. When people are trapped in poverty, they often lose faith in God. However, great riches also change people. Many of the wealthy become complacent and decadent and deny the Lord through self-sufficiency.
Agur’s conclusion is that there are dangers in both poverty and riches. However, we all need to realize that there are dangers in every level of life. We need to put God first no matter what our situation.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2/15In recent years, we’ve been shocked by the cheating scandals in some of our top universities, even by those in our military academies, When polled, a high percentage of college students admitted that they had cheated on exams.
Thomas Jefferson said, “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” Honor certainly is a major thread in the moral fabric of any culture. If we are to remain a beaming light for other nations to follow, we must have honor. Those in leadership must set the course. Parents and teachers, clergy and others should proclaim honesty an honorable trait.
Our forefathers were men of honor. Their word was their bond. They could be trusted to do what they said. Today honesty is missing in the fabric of society. Men scheme and cheat while living the philosophy, “He who dies with the most toys wins” or “Do unto others before they do unto you.”
The Word of God teaches us to provide for honest things, “not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men.” (II Corinthians 8:21) To be wise is to be honest and all wisdom is built around the fear of the Lord.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2/08 King David was a man of great integrity, yet in an hour of temptation, his integrity failed him. Abraham was a man of great faith, yet in a time of testing, his faith failed. Peter was a man of great strength and courage, yet in the courtyard of Pilate’s judgment hall, his strength and courage failed.
Each of these men failed God in the area of their greatest strength.
Yet each one went on to serve God in a greater way when they learned to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.”
Oswald Chambers said, “An unguarded strength is a double weakness.” 1 Corinthians 10:12 warns, “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
We all have an enemy that is destructive, deceptive and deadly.
His name is Satan. Spiritually speaking, he walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Friend, Satan will attack you in the area of your greatest strength.
Remember the words of the songwriter, “The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own.” Whatever you are battling, with God’s help it can and will be defeated.
The secret is to seek His help and walk on in the power of His might.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2/01 It’s always wonderful to start over. The new year, a new season or a new crop always begins with a clean slate and the promise of a new beginning.
The apostle Peter is an example of someone who needed a new beginning. Peter had forsaken all to follow Christ. Then came Calvary and the dark days that followed. Peter had miserably failed the Lord, but when he heard the rooster crow, he was reminded of the words of Jesus, “I have prayed for you.”
When a rooster crows, it marks a new beginning, a new day.
This was true for the apostle. Though he had failed, Jesus gave him a second chance. Peter served the Lord greater after failure than before.
As God gave Peter a new start, so He wants to offer all of us a new beginning. Though you may have failed the Lord, He will forgive you and offer strength for the journey.
At this beginning of a new year, why not start over? Bow your head and give this year to the Lord. Let Him give you a new beginning.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
-MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1/25 Young Cassie Bernall walked into Columbine High School a beautiful young woman. Twenty-four hours later, she had been carried out as a Christian martyr. As she sat in the library reading the Bible, a trench-coated gunman asked her: “Do you believe in God?”
She replied, without hesitation: “Yes, I do.
The gunman asked her, “Why?” pulled the trigger and Cassie stepped out into eternity.
Cassie Bernall had dabbled in the occult and drugs until a friend told her about Jesus Christ. She was marvelously converted. A week after her death, they found a letter she had written one week prior to her death.
She wrote: “Now I’ve given up everything else. I had found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought Him back to life again and to find out what it means to suffer for Him.”
Her story startles those of us who have only read of Christian martyrs. The question asked her is one that should be asked of all of us. A crisis does not make martyrs; it reveals them. Young Cassie would not deny her faith. She was a martyr long before she died for the Lord.
In our society, we may never be shot for our faith. However, one cannot die for the Lord if one hasn’t chosen to live for the Lord. Oh, how her life ought to give backbone to all of us! How we need to stand up and be counted with those who have chosen the Cross!
The curse of our day is the Christian who will not take a stand for the Lord. We speak of the moral majority and live as the silent majority. A nation perishes when good men do nothing. A wise man said: “It’s the strategy of Satan to keep good people quiet in times of crisis.”
Let’s be bold for our Lord. Let our voice be heard loud and clear. Young Cassie died for the Lord. Will you live for Him?
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
- MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1/18 Our words reveal so much about us because they are the most valid indication of what we are thinking. It is impossible for a man to think about something very deeply without the words that describe his thoughts being uttered. Jesus said this another way: “For of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” (Luke 6:45) The country preacher said, “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.”
Because of the importance of our words, there are several words that should be a regular part of our conversation and some that we should completely eliminate.
The words “I can” should frequent our conversation. Whereas, we should eliminate the words “I can’t.” We should use “I will” instead of “I won’t.” Expecting the best should replace doubt. We should use “I know” instead of “I think.” Change “maybe” for “positively.” “I’m confident” should replace “I’m afraid.” We should promote the usage of “you” as opposed to “I.”
By doing this, our words will be words of positive faith and inspiration, both in our minds and in the ears of those listening to us.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— Mel Brindley
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1/11 With seed in hand and faith
in heart ...
Astounding, indeed, is the simple growth of plant life. Consuming gallons of water a day from the earth, changing minerals of the earth into food, the simple plant defies explanation to man and all his technology. He can tell you what happens, but he cannot actually tell you how it happens. It is divine in its nature.
Men who work the soil, those whose livelihood is derived from the growth of plants, know all the intricacies involved. Because of that, farmers tend to be special people. Their occupation is one of great faith and an unusual dependence on God. A farmer knows that he can do everything right, but without divine assistance, there will be no crop.
In his Notes on Virginia, Thomas Jefferson said: “Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God.” Jefferson preferred country life to the city. He felt closer to God in the country.
In the midst of the great changes our society and culture have undergone, we have come to take for granted all that we have. Walk down the aisles of a supermarket and compare it to that of another country. Drive down a country road in the summer and see vegetable stands bursting with food. Then thank the farmer.
With seed in hand and faith in heart, farmers have been used of God to bless America abundantly.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1/04 Isaiah penned the words in Chapter 46: “I am God and there is none else; and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done.”
As we embark on the new millennium, it is with mixed feelings of excitement and hope, uncertainty and some trepidation. However, we can rest in the certainty that God knows the future and is in control of each and every moment.
The future has always held an interest for man. This is as true in our day as it was in ancient times. A fortune teller has always been able to draw the interest of people, using a variety of ways to foretell the future, including cards, stars, the entrails of animals and a crystal ball.
The Delphic Oracle was one of the most famous of ancient times. The King of Lydia summoned the oracle to tell his chances in defeating Persia. He was told to enter the battle and that a great empire would be defeated. What he didn’t know was that the great empire to be destroyed was his own.
Today, people long to know their future. They consult the horoscopes and psychics wanting to know what path to take. Although people do not want to know it, their future is not in the stars. It is in the Scriptures.
In this new millennium, no one knows the future except God. There is none like him. No one knows what tomorrow may hold, but we may know Him Who holds tomorrow!
Friend, place your life in the hands of the One Who made the stars — Jesus Christ, The Mighty God, With Him there is no uncertainty.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
12/21Ours is a troubled world, at times often full of pain, suffering, chaos and broken hearts. Jesus said, ‘In this world ye shall have tribulation.”
The world at this time of year takes on a different “aura.” There’s something about Christmas that is unlike any other time of year. While shepherds slept and wise men pondered, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings robed himself in human flesh. He was born in the lowest of places, a stable. There was no music playing to usher in his arrival, just cobwebs and the lowing of animals.
He was born in the most unlikely of places, Bethlehem. Micah the prophet foretold it saying, “But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousand of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.”
He was not born in Rome, the center of politics, nor did he come to Athens, the center of philosophy. He did not make his appearance in Jerusalem, the center of religion, but to Bethlehem he came.
The reason is clear. The answer to mankind’s problems is not found in politics, not in philosophy, nor in religion. The answer was wrapped up in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. The angel told Joseph, “Thou shall call his name Jesus — for he shall save his people from their sins.”
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown, Md., Baptist Church
12/14 The Second Amendment to the Constitution is a much debated article. Today many feel that weapons are the cause of the crime and vice in our society.
Our founding fathers were men of honor and integrity. The writing and adoption of the Constitution was done with much prayer and dedication. They felt it very important that we as Americans have arms to defend ourselves. Thomas Jefferson said, “The Constitution of our states asserts that all power is inherent in the people and it is their right and duty to be at all times armed.”
Many liberal politicians and clergy feel that if gun control was adopted, it would greatly diminish crime. On Aug. 8, 1996 The Wall Street Journal reported that states that adopted “shall issue” laws greatly reduced crime. David Mustard of the University of Chicago analyzed the crime statistics from the FBI for 3,054 American counties from 1977 to 1992. The most conservative estimates show that in states adopting the “permit to carry” gun laws, murder was reduced by 8.5 percent, rape 5 percent, assaults 7 percent and robbery 3 percent.
The proof is that criminals respond to a strong deterrent. Guns do not kill — people do. In reality, the accidents caused by weapon misuse are less than 200 incidents a year. Many violent crimes are committed daily without the use of guns.
Preventing law-abiding citizens from having guns does not and will not end violence, but merely make the citizen more vulnerable under attack.
These facts bear reflection on the premise that it is our constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
MEL BRINDLEY
Chestertown, Md
12/07 As I write today we are celebrating Veteran’s Day. I am thankful for those who defended freedom and stood against tyranny in Europe and Asia and were victorious.
William L. Shirer’s presentation of the Third Reich is amazing! As I watched it, I was amazed at the power Adolf Hitler had over the German people. It was as though they were hypnotized.
Arnold Toynbee, the great historian, could not understand that. He could not figure how a wild man like Hitler could wreck Germany and almost the world. Toynbee arrived at a conclusion that sounds like that of a preacher. “There must be a vein of original sin in human nature; civilization is only a thin cake of custom overlying a molten mass of wickedness, always boiling up for an opportunity to break out.”
Original sin? Yes! It came when the first man, Adam, disobeyed the Lord and it has been with mankind ever since. War is the result of man’s sinful nature. Every dictator, tyrant and godless leader has been led by his own pride and the desire to live a life apart from God.
I thank God for those men and women who opposed these demagogues and kept freedom’s light shining to give man a chance to see his real problem — sin, of which salvation in Jesus Christ is the only cure.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11/30 These are certainly troubled times in which we live. We are in a cultural crisis of great proportion. Many have asked, “What is the proper response to trouble?”
The greatest thing we can do is to pray. William Walford wrote those words, “Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care.”
Every great movement toward God always had its roots in men and women of prayer. George Washington, the father of our country, was a man of prayer. Our forefathers sought divine help when forging the beginning of this nation.
In these days, we need the God of Heaven to help us, to give us wisdom and certainly to guide our leaders. As Christians we need to pray as Jesus taught his disciples — “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We should pray that through these agonizing times, God will bring America closer to him.
Many lessons are hard to be taught in the sunlight, so God allows the shadows. What the church needs, what the nation needs, is for people to pray.
“Oh! how praying rests the weary, changes the night to day.
So in sorrow and in gladness, don’t forget to pray.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11/23 God’s servant Job said: “Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.” How important it is for us to stop often and recount God’s blessings and mercies.
The songwriter wrote,
“When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done”
Ingratitude toward man and God is unforgivable. George Truitt, the great pastor from Texas, said, “You have indicted a man severely when you say about him that he does not have any sense of gratitude. You have indicted him terribly when, in truth, you can say of a man he is ungrateful. Ingratitude is unmanly when it is toward man, and treason against God.”
At Thanksgiving time, our hearts should be as the songwriter’s when he said:
“Come Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.”
In our celebration time, let’s find the time to praise the One from Whom all blessings flow. May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11/16Ten years ago, the Cold War came to an end as the Berlin Wall fell. I can see in my mind’s eye President Reagan beseeching then Russian leader Gorbechev to “tear the wall down.”
For many years, that wall had symbolized the tyranny of the Soviet empire. The imprisoned Germans knew of freedom only from history and radio broadcasts. Then, in moments, they were a free people as the wall crumbled.
Today some rubble remains as a reminder of the awfulness of communism. Government without God has never worked and never will.
We learned that socialism takes away a people’s will and religion is not the opium of the people. It is hope placed in the heart of man by a loving God.
How thankful we must be for the freedoms we are afforded today. America, founded and kept on godly precepts, is a bastion of what all the world desires — freedom.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11/9 We will soon celebrate “Old Fashioned Day” in our church. This is a special time where we remember how things were years ago. It is also a time where we thank God for his goodness in the here and now.
Jeremiah the prophet said to the people of Judah, “Walk ye in the old paths and in the good way and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
Now while it is vain and futile to want to go back in time, there are many principles the past holds that need to be addressed today. They are the principles of honesty, integrity, morality, decency and many more characteristics of a good and upright people. This is what America was built upon.
It is good to look back at our history. First of all, it tells us the direction in which we were headed, and then it tells us if we have swerved off course.
In reality, we need to keep the old preaching, precepts, passion, praise, power, prayer, pardon and purity. Let us, as God’s people, never lose our thankfulness for where God has brought us. Let us be proud of our heritage, and let us never lose that “Old Time Religion.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11/2 God always keeps His word. And in His time God will reward us with the gifts that He has promised us. God never tells us one thing and then does another. He will perform it in His time. We always try to manage our lives and often try to interfere with God’s plan for our lives. Solomon said He maketh everything beautiful in His time.
Perhaps you have received a promise from God’s word and you are waiting for God to fulfill it. It would be financial, perhaps it is a wayward child or a broken home. If God has not met your need, remember two important facts. First, God doesn’t operate on a time table as we do. We live by the clock; our lives revolve around the 60 second minute. But God doesn’t operate in time. Secondly, God never forgets or retracts His word. When God told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son, they laughed. But, good to His word, 25 years later a baby was born to this godly couple.
Maybe today you are in a swamp of despair waiting for God to meet your need. Please keep these points in mind and it will encourage you. Isaiah said, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...” Many folks these days need to gain strength in their hour of weakness. Trust the Lord, remember He is good to His word. He has not and will not fail to make good His promises.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10/26 - The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small uninhabited island. He prayed fervently for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements.
One day while off scavenging for food, he noticed smoke. By the time he arrived back to camp his small hut had burned to the ground. He was stunned with grief and anger at God. Now all he had was gone!
Early the next morning he was awakened by the sounds of a ship. It had come to rescue him. “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers.
“We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.
It’s easy to become discouraged in life. However, we shouldn’t lose heart. Often behind the scenes God is at work. That fire burning in your life may be in actuality a smoke signal.
“My Father’s way may twist and turn
My heart may throb and ache
But in my soul I’m glad to know
He maketh no mistake.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10/19 An elderly man sitting on a park bench was in tears. A policeman asked, "Sir, what is wrong?" The elderly man answered, "I'm 80 years old, I have a 25 year-old wife who is beautiful, charming and madly in love with me." To which the policeman replied, "What's the problem?" The gentleman answered, "I can't remember where I live."
Many a truth is spoken in a jest. In II Samuel is the story of an 80-year-old man named Barzillai. He comes into view after King David was forced to leave the palace when young Absalom stole the kingdom. Barzillai stood for King David and gave his all for the King.
When David was returning to Jerusalem with the kingdom restored to him, he asked Barzillai to come with him. Barzillai refused, as his mind was on preparing to go to his eternal home.
He had lived a wonderful, full life and was now ready to meet the Lord. As I read his story, my heart was stirred by the priority of his life. He could have lived in the palace with the King but more important to him was meeting the Lord.
Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you."
George Bernard Shaw once remarked, "The statistics of death are impressive - one out of one people die!" May we be reminded once again of the brevity of life and the eternality that awaits us all.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
-MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10/12 As a preacher, I'm too often reminded that our world is a troubled one. Difficulty, disease and death are constantly before us. I've often heard the sobs of one who is left behind after the shadow of death has taken a loved one. I've been asked by distraught ones after a divorce if there is a reason for it all. The doctor's prognosis of some incurable ill causes the best to ponder. People ask, "Where is God?"
While we may not understand the reason, we do know God is with us. He has promised to never leave us nor ever forsake us. The psalmist David said of the hour of death, "Even there thou shalt guide me."
It's a good thing, it's an anchor for the soul to simply trust when the way seems dark. "'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word. Just to rest upon his promise, just to know thus saith the Lord."
Friend, your way may be dark and you may fear tomorrow. Please know that He Who flung this planet into existence will stand by you if you will, by simple faith, claim him as yours.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
-MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10/5 One of the least known of all the Bible writers was Agur, who wrote a few verses of the Proverbs. In these he gave his philosophy regarding poverty and riches. His prayer was that God would give him neither poverty nor riches. He feared that if he were poor he might steal and take God's name in vain. On the other hand, he feared that if he became rich he would be full and deny the Lord.
History has proven that Agur's fears were justified. When people are trapped in poverty, they lose hope. Poverty sometimes drives people to theft and to a loss of faith in God. On the other hand, riches also change people. Many who are affluent lose compassion, become decadent, and deny the Lord in self-sufficiency. It's easy to deny the Lord through a lack of faith when there is no need.
Agur's conclusion is that the best station of life is somewhere in between. Since most of us fit in this middle category, we can be thankful for our lot. Whether rich, poor or in the middle, it seems we always want what we do not have. The Apostle Paul wrote, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content."
Friend, think about it. Then thank God for what you have and also for what you do not have.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9/28 The Ivy League schools were started with the intent of training ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. At Harvard University, there is etched above the gate the words: "After God had carried us safe to New England, and we had built our houses, provided necessaries for our livelihood, reared convenient places for God's worship and settled the civil government, one of the next things we longed for, and looked after, was to advance learning, and perpetuate it to posterity, dreading to leave an illiterate ministry to the churches, when our present ministers shall lie in the dust."
Harvard's first president and teachers all insisted that there could be no true knoweldge or wisdom without Jesus Christ. As a matter of record, Harvard's rules and precepts, adopted in 1646, included the following: "Every one shall consider the main end of his life and studies to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life." All students were to seek the Lord for wisdom in prayer, to read the Bible twice daily and to be ready to give an account of their proficiency therein.
In the 17th Century, 52 percent of Harvard's graduates became ministers. Much the same could be said of Yale, founded in 1701, Princeton, in 1746, and Dartmouth, in 1754, whose main thrust was evangelizing the Indian tribes.
We could go on and on. In most colleges today, however, the Bible is absent and prayer often is considered offensive. Most pastors have to warn their students who attend secular universities to be wary of the teaching and not to forget their biblical grounding.
At this time of year when so many of our young people have gone off to college, I'm thankful for good Christian colleges. The Bible is still upheld, prayer is offered in every class and evangelism is proffered to the students.
Our youth are our future. Train them in humanistic philosophy and we will become a humanistic society. Train them in godliness and we will become a godly nation.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
-MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9/21 To the casual reader of the books of Chronicles, names appear on the pages in lists with no apparent reason. Often I've read the geneologies and wondered why God would put all those names in Holy Writ. To you and me they are just names, but to God they are individuals.
Our God cares for each and every one of us. After Neil Armstrong took that giant step from the ladder of the space vehicle to the moon, his name has been famous.
I recall seeing a cartoon which depicted two men on the moon with a microphone. The caption read, "This is William T. Thruckmorton, the third, broadcasting from the moon. Whatchamecallit and I just made it." I'm glad with God there are no "Whatchamecallits."
God is interested in individuals. In the Old Testament when the high priest would go into the Holy Place to offer sacrifice for the people, he would carry the names of the people on a scroll around his shoulder. Jesus, Whom the New Testament calls our High Priest, knows each and every one of our names.
That is the great difference between the saved and the lost. The lost of this world are described in Psalm One as worthless chaff the wind drives away. In Luke 16 is the story of the rich man and the begger. The poor begger went to Heaven not because he was poor but because he knew Christ. The rich man went to Hell, not because he was rich but because he never put his trust in God. The begger was named Lazarus. However, the lost man is unnamed. That is the horror of Hell - when one arrives he or she is just a nameless entity.
Either your sins have been blotted out or your name will be blotted out. Either your sins will be forgotten or your name will be forgotten. If you have trusted Christ, rejoice that your name is written in Heaven. If you have never received Him, do it today before it is everlastingly too late.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
-MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown Babtist Church
9/14 Nathanial Hawthorne said, "A grave, wherever it is found, preaches a short and profound sermon to the soul." Epitaphs, though only a few lines, tell us a lot about the person buried.
A certain Scottish grave reads:
"Here lies Andrew McPherson,
Who was a peculiar person.
He stood six foot two without his shoe,
He was slew at Waterloo."
In Painswick Church yard in Gloucershire, England:
"Here snug in her grave my wife doth lie,
Now she's at rest and so am I."
In I Chronicles 26, we read the story of King Uzziah, one of the greatest kings to sit on the throne of Judah. His grave reads, "He was a leper."
Uzziah ascended to the throne at the age of 16. A good and godly king, he was the toast of the common people. His accomplishments over 52 years were astounding. He opened a passage to the Red Sea for commerce, he defeated every enemy with his military, and built up the defenses of his country with advanced weapons of war. His was one of the most prosperous reigns of the kings of Judah.
However, the Bible says, "When he was strong, his heart was lifted up." Uzziah entered the temple to offer sacrifices, a place only priests were to go. When he did, God struck him with leprosy while he stood in the temple and he died a horrible, lonely death.
His pride was the reason for his fall. Somehow he became obsessed with his accomplishments, intoxicated in his own success.
Pride is the forerunner of defeat. Someone said, "Pride is the only disease that makes everyone sick except the person who has it." Another said, "None are so empty as those filled with themselves."
The Lord hates pride. Proverbs 6 says, "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him." The first is haughty eyes, a proud look.
Uzziah forgot it was the Lord Who had blessed him. His blessings brought pride instead of praise. Uzziah's condition is common. Often we become filled with self-importance instead of thankful humility. Let's learn to be marvelously helped - not grievously humbled.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
- MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8/31 - As people look around and see the plight of our nation, they often leap to the question, "Where is God?" Is God powerless to do something? Why does He allow certain wrongs to go unchecked?
A great truth for all of us to realize is that God is omnipresent - God is everywhere. God never has to go anywhere. Jeremiah 23:24 said, "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord."
Many think of God just inside the church house, yet God is always with us. There is not a movement God does not see. There is not a motive He does not know. There is not a word He does not understand. Think of all the words men speak, yet God hears all of them.
There is not any power that can separate us from God. Not even death can seperate us. To close our eyes on earth is to open our eyes to God in Heaven. Distance can never separate us from God, because God is everywhere.
God has a plan for this world, and His purpose will never be thwarted. In the fulness of time God will work His plan. There are no clocks in Heaven, no calendars to run the course of this world by.
We Americans are by no means a patient crowd. However, God cannot and will not be hurried. We have always trusted Him before and we must trust Him now.
It is time all of us from the White House to the church house, to trust God and, lean not upon our own understanding but acknowledge Him, trust Him, and He will direct our paths.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
- MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church