12/11/01 - As a nation, we are slowly rising from the blow that crippled us over two months ago. With fear and trepidation, we look forward and onward.
One verse that is especially precious at a time such as this is John 10:10, in which Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Jesus is The Way, the only way. He is the way out for you, whatever your problem may be. He is also the way in for you. He is the door to God’s sheepfold.
Jesus gives us life abundantly. Physically, He provides us with our daily bread. Emotionally, He cares for those anxieties, the depression, the grief, and the trouble. He satisfies the deepest longings of the heart. Spiritually, He restores our souls.  So many at an hour such as this need their soul restored. They have a leanness in their soul. Troubles and cares have placed a great weight upon them - so great that fear has prevailed.
Remember our verse: The enemy wants to kill, steal, and destroy but Jesus wants to bring abundant life. Friend, we don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we do know Who holds tomorrow. The God Who made this world cares for us.
Three sailors were lost on the sea. Finally they spotted the North Star. One man cried, “Keep your eye on that star! If we lose sight of it we are goners!” Let’s keep our eyes on the Lord. If we don’t were goners.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

                                                                       
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11/27/01 - There are many wonderful promises in the Bible. They are unchangeable, immutable laws that cannot fail. They can be applied to every area of life.
One such set of laws is that of the Laws of the Harvest found in Mark chapter four. Our God is a God of order. He runs his universe very systematically. There are no laws of nature, just the laws of God.
The first of the Laws of the Harvest is the law of implantation. Simply put, if there is going to be reaping there must be sowing. Today in America we are reaping the harvest that our forefathers planted many years ago. Think of the seeds the pilgrims, our founding fathers, and the centuries of soldiers who defended our freedom planted so that today we could enjoy this abundant harvest.
Our freedom has not been free, and we must never forget that. This is the holiday season where we spend much time remembering. Let us remember those who gave us freedom, and let us not forget the next generation. Today we must be busy planting a harvest for them. The kind of America we plant will be the kind of nation our children's children will reap. Galatians 6:7 reads, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown, Md., Baptist Church

11/20/01 - The psalmist said, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.”
God wants us, as His people, to come into His presence with an offering. God is not speaking of a monetary gift that we are to bring.
He is speaking of our hearts bent before God’s throne in thankfulness for all He has done and for all He is.
Too often we come to God with our groans and cares and not with praise to Him on our lips.
Please do not misunderstand me. God hears us as we cry out to Him in trouble. However, I like what the old-time preacher said: “We need to pull some of the groans out of our prayers and put in some hallelujahs!”
This Thanksgiving season bring an offering to the Lord, one of real thanksgiving and praise.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

11/13/01 - In 1637 Queen Christina of Sweden granted a colonial charter to encourage trade, settlement and the spreading of the Gospel in Delaware.
She gave these instructions regarding Christian living in the colony in 1642: “Above all things, shall the Governor consider and see to it that a true and due worship, becoming honor, laud, and praise be paid to the Most High God in all things, and to that end all proper care shall be taken that divine service be zealously performed... and all persons, but especially the young, shall be duly instructed in the articles of their Christian faith; and all good church discipline shall in like manner be duly exercised and received.”
This is yet another example that our roots, our founding principles, and our core are that of a Christian nation. We worship the one true and only God. We are, in fact, a most Christian nation.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

11/06/01 - These are days of national crisis. Since the events of Sept. 11, we are a nation at war both at home and abroad. In times such as these we need to pray for our national leaders. They need wisdom and understanding to deal with problems swiftly and soundly.
The Bible teaches us as citizens to pray for our leaders. It also teaches us that wisdom is available if we will only ask.
James tells us, "If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally..."
We should also pray for one another that God would empower us as the citizenry to do our part financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I pray that God would use this crisis to strengthen our nation. I also pray that God would cover us with his love and mercy.
Mary Washington, our founding father's mother, said, "Remember that God is our only sure trust." Solomon said in Proverbs 21 that there is no wisdom nor understanding, nor counsel against the LORD." His is a Name you can trust.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
-- MEL BRINDLEY
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

10/30/01 - The Great American Dream was placed by God in the bosom of our forefathers.
As we look around it seems that our dream is becoming a nightmare.
We live with the anxiety of terrorism both at home and abroad, and it makes all of us question what kind of a nation we will hand down to our children’s children.
There’s a story in the Bible of a man who swept his house of the demon spirits that lived there and seven more came to take their place.
As a nation we rejoiced when communism fell and we thought our enemy was dead. We will never be dissolved of enemies.
There are and always will be those in our world who would like to topple us from being number one. Whatever or whoever our enemy is, it is imperative that we remember our past. We must remember our roots. We must not be cut off from our heritage. We must pass down our faith in God from generation to generation.
One boy said to his mom, “Remember that vase that’s been passed down from generation to generation in our family?” She replied, “Yes, what about it?” The boy stated, “This generation just dropped it.”
As God’s people we cannot, we must not drop the vase. Our forefathers fought an enemy. Those 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence paid the price. They were not fanatics, they loved freedom.
In these troubled times our heartthrob needs to be what the psalmist said - “My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” We’ve come too far to turn back. Let’s pass down our faith in God now as never before. This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

10/09/01 - Flag-waving Americans are proudly displaying our stars and stripes all over the country. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 so school children across America could recite it as the flag was raised each day.
The main reason the Pledge of Allegiance is met with dismay by some is because of the phrase “under God”, which was added by congress in 1954 to further acknowledge the dependence of our people and our government upon the moral directions of the creator.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower said at the time of signing the law, “These words will help us to keep constantly in our minds and hearts the spiritual and moral principles which alone give dignity to man, and upon which our way of life is founded.”
Patriotism is on the rise. What a land God has given us! Let’s all display the flag - it represents a nation - the grandest on earth! Man, I’m proud to be an American! This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown, Md., Baptist Church

10/02/01In the book of Romans we are commanded as a Christian nation to pray for our leaders. Great wisdom is needed today for those in charge and for those who will defend freedom’s cause. Newsweek magazine did a cover story on prayer entitled, “Talking to God.”
Gallup reported that 91 percent of women and 85 percent of men pray regularly. Fifty-seven percent of Americans say they pray at least once a day; 32 percent said it gives them a sense of peace; 26 percent said they felt the actual presence of God while they prayed.
God wants us to pray. The theologian R. A. Torry said, “Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouse of God’s infinite grace and power. All that God is and all that God has is at the disposal of prayer.”
As a nation, let’s pray together for God’s help in these trying and testing days, that His cause would be our cause and that righteousness would be exalted. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray...” Let’s become a people of prayer.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

9/25/01 - Kate Smith first sang it on radio, but since its first introduction, the song "God Bless America" has moved us all. However, in the past few days, it has found renewed use.
During the presidential campaign in 1984 Lee Greenwood introduced another song entitled, "God Bless the U.S.A." Both of these songs capture the strength of the patriotic spirit surging throughout America in the wake of malicious terrorist attack. They embody the hope, desire, and ambition that God would truly bless America.
I have never witnessed a time such as this. As a nation, we are in need of divine help. As we saw the attack on America last week, it moved us as nothing else could. I have seen more patriotism in evidence this past week than in all of my life.
I believe we have been fighting two great problems in America - apathy and greater apathy. Our vigor however, has been renewed. Apathy is being replaced by awareness and alertness. "God, bless America" is once again becoming a true desire of the heart rather than an outdated page in a songbook.
I truly want God to bless this land. I know there are other lands, but I believe that America is my first responsibility. We have been blessed more than we realize, and I have personally taken our culture, our abundance, and our system of laws for granted.
The cycle of nations is very clear. Nations begin at the bottom with slavery. Then they go to spiritual faith, and from spiritual faith to courage, from courage to freedom, from freedom to prosperity, from prosperity to self-satisfaction, from self-satisfaction to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence to slavery again.
This day, on the threshold of war, we need to prepare ourselves as God's people. We must remember that freedom cannot be accomplished without God, and neither can it be maintained apart from Him.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

9/18/01 - None of us will forget the day of Sept. 11, 2001. It, as that horrific day at Pearl Harbor, will live forever in infamy.
The tragic and needless loss of so many lives has left all of us numb. How terrorists could accomplish this on our home soil has puzzled us all. It will never, ever be the same for many who were so personally affected by Tuesday’s tragedy.
Our minds are filled with admiration and gratitude for so many brave and efficient workers as they continue to dig with hope of finding just one more American.
We mourn the noble police officers and firemen who have been lost, as well as other professional and civilian lives.
We must have faith that, through it all, a brighter day will dawn. It’s dark now — clouds block the sun and negatives fill us, as well as anger for revenge.
We are Americans, the greatest nation on earth. We have fallen and risen many times and we will do it again. Oh, how I love this land. As we pray for our country, millions from shore to shore join together with this one hope:

God, bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her,
Through the night with the Light from above
From the mountains, to the prairies,
to the oceans, white with foam,
God bless America,
My home sweet home.

This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.

—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

9/11/01 - Every church has three kinds of leaders. First, there are those who lead. Then there are those who labor with the leaders. These are those who many would call the “pillars of the church “. They make the work of God move forward. Our churches are what they are because of them.
Unfortunately, there is a third group on the church rolls, and they are the lookers. They are the members who simply look at everyone else who is doing the work.
Robert Frost said: “There are two classes of people in the world... those who are willing to work and those who are willing to let them.”
The cold, hard fact is we need our churches. They are vital to the health and welfare of our nation. Far too many families are allowing their churches to suffer, some through lack of attendance, some through lack of financial support, some through discontent and grumbling. The list could go on and on.
A little boy asked his Mom, “What will you pay me for being a good boy?” She answered, “Why don’t you be good for nothing like your Daddy?”
Let me ask you a question. What are you doing for Heaven’s sake? Why not remember your church this Sunday and its importance in your life?
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

9/04/01Labor Day is supposed to be a time of rest. We rest because we all get weary. Do you ever get tired? If so, it’s probably with good reason.
Somewhere in the world there is a country with a population of 220 million. 84 million are over 60 years of age, which leaves 136 million to do the work. There are 22 million employed by the government, which leaves 19 million to do the work.
Four million are in the Armed Forces, which leaves 15 million to do the work. Deduct 14,800,000, the number in state and city offices, and that leaves 200,000 to do the work.
There are 188,000 in hospitals or insane asylums, so that leaves 12,000 to do the work.
It is of interest to note that in this country 11,998 are in jail, so that leaves just two people to carry the load. That’s you and me — and brother, I’m getting tired of doing everything — aren’t you?
The workforce of America is gradually shrinking. Rather than everyone carrying their load, you have a few carrying everyone elseís load.
Although our labor at times becomes a burden, we can thank God for the privilege of work.
We can thank God for a healthy body with which to work, and for the ability to earn, that we may provide for our own. God told Adam, “Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but on the seventh day thou shalt rest. Rest is important, but only for those who are deserving of it.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

8/21/01No one in this life will ever know why God has blessed our nation so much. Our history, although short-lived compared to others, is unprecedented. We are, without a doubt, the envy of other nations, even those that live within the guidelines of democracy.
Quite often I am tempted to complain about some problem that exists. After all, we are not without problems. Inflation, scandals on the national level, poverty and crookedness can cause the best of us to complain.
But through all of this, America gives us what we all need.
We need hope: The hope of peace and prosperity, the hope of a bountiful life, the opportunity for anyone, no matter what their skin color or national origin, to make a success of their life, the hope of college, of having a home, a family, a job, a retirement.
The greatest hope that a man is afforded is eternal life, and that hope comes from God. Nowhere can you go in this country and not see the hand of God and the message of God. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should have everlasting life. That is hope!
Let us thank God for America and the hope we have because of Him who has blessed us so abundantly.
That was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

8/07/01 Doctors tell us that the part of our mind that plays the greatest role in achievement is the part that visualizes. The left side of the brain is connected with logic and speech — it thinks. The right side of our brain is related to intuition and creativity — it knows. Most of us spend the majority of our time cultivating the left side, and very little of our effort cultivating a vision.
Solomon said it this way: "Where there is no vision the people perish." In other words, if you are aiming at nothing, that's what you will hit.
Helen Keller was right when she said, "The greatest tragedy in life is to have sight, without vision." As individuals we need to have a vision for our lives. As Americans we need to have a vision for our nation. Our youth envision what they want to become, and our old envision a nation worthy to pass down to them.
Though there are a lot of doomsday prophets today, I believe our greatest days are ahead. I can envision a nation that our forefathers envisioned for us. A vision is not simply positive thinking — it's a God-given dream. Let's dream and envision a nation where God is on the throne and our children's children are free to worship God as we are now.
There is a story of three workmen who were hammering and chiseling stones. A man walked by and asked them what they were doing. One workman replied, "I'm just chipping at this stone." Another said, "I'm earning a living for my family." Finally, the last answered, "I am building a great cathedral!" There was a man of vision. Let's not just live and take for granted this great nation. Let's build and envision where we can go.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
- MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor,
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

7/31/01 - In the Colonial era, wealthy women were very proud of their wideboard oak floors. Every week, servants would wet-rub and dry-rub the floors to shine them, taking care to move the mop along the grain of the wood.
Sometimes a careless worker would mop across the grain and it would produce streaks on the floor. The lady of the house would scold the servant for rubbing the floor the wrong way. Hence, we get the phrase, “to rub someone the wrong way.”
We all have met people who rub us the wrong way. As Christians, we need to do our part to rub people the right way. A sure-fire, fail-safe, foolproof, guaranteed way to rub people the right way is by encouragement. It works every time, with anybody, at any time.
We all need to be encouraged at times. Human nature is so quick to tear down, rather than build up. For every word of encouragement we take in, we hear 10 words of discouragement. The old song goes: “Once I did bad and that I heard ever, twice I did good, but that I heard never.”
John Wooden, the great basketball coach at UCLA, wanted his players to encourage each other. He instructed them to be sure, after they scored, to smile, wink, nod, or point to the player who passed him the ball. One player asked, “What if he’s not looking?” Wooden responded, “ I guarantee you he’ll be looking.”
And he was right. Everybody is looking for affirmation. Charles Swabb said, “I have yet to find a man who did not do better work and put forth a greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism.” John Mark needed Barnabas in Acts Chapter 4, when he encouraged him and raised him up in such a good way that Paul, who had given him up as worthless, called for John Mark to be brought on a later missionary journey saying, “for he is profitable to me for the ministry.”
Why not today be an encouragement to someone? You may change someone’s life in the process. This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

7/17/01 Isaiah the prophet warned of a time when evil would be called good and good would be called evil. In other words, there would be a time of no absolutes, no fixed standard of right and wrong. An age of relative morality.
The word that describes our age is the word “tolerance”. We are told by “the powers that be” that we are to be tolerant of others.
However, our culture is different because we have always had a fixed standard, a benchmark to guide us. Of course, I’m talking of the Bible. As a Christian nation we must be tolerant of difference, but we are to be intolerant of sin.
Hemingway defined the spirit of our age in this way: “What is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.” He obviously believed that.
However, when the Bible is our standard, we must understand that wrong is what God says is wrong and right is what God says is right. God is intolerant of many things. As He is, even so we should be.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.       

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

7/10/01 - In Proverbs 30, the prophet Agur describes a generation to come that typifies our nation today. He speaks of a generation that opposes its parents. He mentions a generation which has no fixed standard of right and wrong; a proud generation which is unashamed and unblushing in its sin; a generation whose members are devouring one another. Agur saw the characteristics of a civilization on its last legs, prosperous on the outside, but putrefied within.
Our danger is not from any external foe. It is from an internal foe — sin. Thomas Jefferson said: “Yes we did produce a near perfect republic, but will we keep it or will we, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the surest way to destruction.”
John Adams said: “We have no government armed in power capable of contending in human passions, unbridled by morality and religion. Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”
What does America need?
• A leader like Moses, who was determined to obey God no matter what.
• Politicians like Joseph who walked with God and sought His will for all policies.
• Preachers like Peter who had the courage to look people in the eye and say, “Repent or perish” and to denounce personal as well as national sins.
• Mothers like Hannah who would pray for their children and give them to God, rather than become delinquent mothers of delinquent children.
• Children like Samuel who would talk to God in the hours of the night and honor their parents in the hours of the day.
• Physicians like Luke who would not only care for physical needs and treat human life both in and out of the womb as something sacred, but would also introduce their patients to The Great Physician, the Lord Jesus Christ.
• A God like Israel’s. Not the “man upstairs,” but a thrice-holy God who blesses holiness and curses sinfulness.
• A Saviour like Jesus who can save anyone at any time, at any place, including an entire world, if they would just turn to Him.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

7/03/01 - Calvin Coolidge said, “To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege God ever gave to mankind.”
The reason he said that is because Americans live in unparalleled freedom. What he meant was that if a man was created for anything, he was created to be free. Man was meant to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
President Coolidge had learned that there is nothing anywhere else in the world quite like living in the land of the free.
Some 225 years ago, Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” He believed that life wasn’t worth living unless it was lived with the opportunity for freedom.
A Christian is one who has been set free from the bondage of sin.  The Bible challenges us to “stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”  An American is one who has been set free from tyranny and is able to worship God according to the dictates of his or her heart.
As we celebrate our independence as a nation, thank God for the freedoms He has allowed us to enjoy as “One Nation Under God”.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

6/26/01Our God is very much for family-style religion. Study the history of the church through the book of Acts and you’ll find it to be true.
The Bible places great emphasis on household religion. When God pronounced his judgment on the world, he found Noah to be righteous and spared him. The interesting thing is that when it came time to get into the ark, God told him, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark.” Noah had lived in such a manner that he saw to it that his family was safe.
So many look at Noah’s ark as if it was a fable, when in reality it actually existed. The flood really happened. Study the archaeological and anthropological records of mankind and you will find that all civilizations record a flood. The geologist will find seashells at the top of the Alps. This world was once covered by water in a tumultuous, catastrophic way.
The ark is an incredible illustration of faith served family-style. In very dark and troubled days, Noah saw to it that his entire family knew the Lord. May I humbly encourage each one of you men - fathers - to show your family the way to faith in God. This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

-MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

6/19/01In all generations, through all time, God has always had a remnant, a people who genuinely love Him and want to serve Him.
They are those who acknowledge His will and adhere to His ways. They are those who have opposed the decay of society and are persuaded that God’s way is best.
The history of nations reveals the success or failure of a people based on their loyalty to God. It has been said that the difference between North America and South America is that those who founded South America sought gold, while those who came to North America sought God. The blessing of God on our country has been the result.
It has also been said that “the thing that made you great will keep you great.” We are a great and blessed nation because we have sought God. Any change from that direction is a weakening change. In God, we have our hope of freedom and of a future for our children. Without Him, the sky will grow dark.
There are those who would like to dismantle our underpinnings. As God’s people, we simply cannot allow that to happen. We may be few, but we are important. We are the remnant for this time, for this generation, by the grace of God, for the glory of God.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

6/12/01“The religious right! Who do they think they are?”
The salt of the earth, that’s who.
“What can they do?”
They can help preserve our land a godly nation.
They can teach us to taste and see that the Lord is good. They can clear the path for those whose feet have well nigh slipped and help them walk a clear, sure path for God and country.
If you are not part of a “religious right” then what are you a part of? - an “ungodly wrong?”
Think about it.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

No one can overestimate the value of a good teacher. We can all say, from past experience, that a teacher can make education interesting or something to be endured. Study after study shows that a crucial factor in determining whether schools or school districts succeed or fail is the quality and the stability of their leadership.
I recently read a bumper sticker that said, “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” Personally, I know of no other influence aside from parents that is so powerful.
Our nation has made education a priority. Our politicians claim that we are falling short of the mark compared to other nations.
Ladies and gentlemen, I submit to you that money will not solve our educational crisis! I’m tired of hearing these do-good liberals who feel money is the answer to our problems. Teachers are our answer. Yes, they must be paid well, but most teachers who impact don’t do it for money. They teach out of love for the student. To them it’s not a job, it’s a calling.
That’s why the private school and home school movements have blossomed. The salary private school teachers make is not even to be compared with that of public school teachers. Yet these teachers do it, many with all their heart.
I said all of that to say this: If you know a teacher, public or private school, who is impacting lives for good, then thank them. Tell them what a good job they’re doing.
Then as a nation, let’s put people in the classroom who have the students’ and the nation’s best interests in mind. Being a teacher is not for the faint of heart, but speaking as a teacher, may I say that teaching reaps some of life’s greatest rewards.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

 5/29/01 - King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, said, “Cast thy bread upon the water, for thou shalt find it after many days.” He was speaking of making proper investments you will be sure to reap.
In our world, there are a number of things we can pour our lives into, such as business, pleasure, activities, and so forth. I honestly believe the greatest investment we can make is in the lives of people. I often remind my staff that we are in the ‘people business.’ People are what we are all about. As a pastor, my people are what I am here for.
As a father, my kids deserve my investment. Eighteen years ago, I came to this church holding a little six-month-old boy. This Friday, he graduates from high school. Since he was five years old, he’s been very active in sports. I do not know the hours I’ve spent watching his games and his practices. I even had the privilege of coaching him in high school soccer.
We’ve had some success (state champs for the last three years) but the greatest privilege I’ve had is to see my investment grow and return. When he walks across that platform on Friday night, I can honestly say I’ve poured my life into his.
He has become a good man. I’m proud of all his accomplishments on the athletic field, but I’m most proud of his Christian character. I wouldn’t trade my investment for a million dollars. The prayers, the labor, the hours of talks, and even at times the discipline, were a great investment.
In a day when a lot of people are trying to find themselves, I’m glad to say that you’ll find what you are looking for by pouring your life into someone. It may be that you’ve made some bad investments, but it’s never too late to start over.
People do not demand that you and I be perfect, but they do demand that we be real. I love my son and I’m proud of him, but to be honest, he’s taught me far more than I have ever taught him. My investment has returned, and I, indeed, am a wealthy man.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church


5/22/01 The prophet Balaam said in Numbers 23:12, “must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth?” This Old Testament prophet said many good things. It’s too bad his walk didn’t match his talk.
Balaam was offered a bribe to come and curse Israel. He took a solid stand and said, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God.” Some talk! Yet the next morning he was on his way with the messengers of Balak to cooperate with the enemy. God punished him for this.
You and I had better be sure that our walk measures up to our talk. Balaam said one thing, yet he did another. We had better guard our lips. One man said, “Loose lips sink ships.” America needs to get back to where our walk matches our talk and our word is our bond.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

5/15/01 - In Jeremiah 32, God says to the prophet, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
That would be a very insulting question if puny man were to ask that of the powerful God. This was a question not asked of God, it was not asked about God, it was not asked to God.
It was a question asked by God.
The context of the question comes from the book of Genesis when Abraham is told by the Lord that he would father a son.
Realizing he and his wife were nearing 100 in years in age, he asks, “How?” God tells him, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?”
God is all powerful. He is God. Because He is God, He is many things. He is omniscient — there is nothing He does not know. He is omnipresent — there is no place He does not exist. He is omnipotent - there is nothing He cannot do.
In life we all face obstacles, pressures and bewildering circumstances.
Often we have no place to turn. We’re tempted to quit and prone to discouragement when we’re faced with overwhelming odds. However, it would do us good to remember there is nothing that is too hard for the Lord. Perhaps today trouble is your lot, with relationship problems, money matters, or emotional upheaval. It looks impossible. However, there is nothing too hard for the Lord. Why not put your faith in Him? One thing for sure — He knows about your trouble. In Jeremiah 33:3 God says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable? Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through? God specializes in things thought impossible. He’ll do for you what others cannot do.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours. —Mel Brindley
Pastor
Chestertown, Md., Baptist Church

5/08/01 - I’m convinced that if the Devil cannot make us lazy, he will make us so busy here and there that the best is sacrificed for the good. The Lord is not interested in mere quantity production. We can often do more by doing less. It is no mark of godliness to be forever running about in a fever, going nowhere at all.
I have never lived when people are so busy as in this day and this hour. Our time for family, some fun, and yes, even rest, is so limited that our human fabric is falling apart.
It is high time we learned in this nerve-wracking, maddening modern rush, that we have let the spirit of the times rob us utterly of meditation, devotion, rest and the special side of us that desires to develop ‘Christlikeness.’
In our society, our problem is simple: There is no depth to us. Jesus told his disciples to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. For many, God’s kingdom is the last priority in their lives.
Why not slow down, take a breath, and see where God is in your life? The oldtimers used to call it “spiritual inventory.” How does your life stack up?

This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— Mel Brindley
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

5/01/01 - When America accepted the concept of the need of an all-powerful state, America accepted paganism and repudiated her faith in the absolute power of God.
What we are now experiencing in this country is the inevitable fruit of 50 years of paganism. Socialism is paganism. It makes the state a god, an idol, a golden calf. It puts the state ahead of God. Socialism violates the First Commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).
Verna Hall said in Christian History of the Constitution, “In proportion, as America let go of faith and the absolute power of God, she accepted the belief of the all-powerful state. This is true of people or nations, for their idea of God determines their social institutions.”
Who can say for a minute that God’s laws are now the laws of the land? They once were. There was a time when the laws of this country and those of Scripture were compatible. When that was true, it was safe to walk the streets at night. Children actually learned something at school. Political leaders were respected and families were stable.
Why?
Because God’s laws had authority and respect.
However, when these laws were replaced by an almighty state and its socialistic legislation, everything began deteriorating.
I realize that this explanation will not satisfy everyone, particularly those brainwashed by decades of statist conditioning. However, this explanation more nearly fits the facts of “the way things are” than do any of the bureaucratic guidelines that I have currently read.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

4/24/01 -Of all the privileges God gives to man, the greatest of these is prayer. Prayer is the key that opens Heaven’s door. The Bible tells us that Jesus prays for us and that “He ever liveth to make intercession for us.”
Prayer can do many things in the heart of a believer. It can lighten the burdens of life. Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” The way to come to Him is by prayer.

“What a Friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear;
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer.”

Prayer can also ease the heart. Prayer can give patience to the restless. All of us have felt the pain of human limitations. Many Christians use prayer as a last resort, but we, as God’s people, are to constantly be in prayer for our needs and concerns.
My Mother hung a sign over the mantle that said, “Prayer changes things.” I used to stare at it as a young man and in my mind that thought still lingers - prayer changes things. It changed things for Daniel in the lion’s den, it changed things for the three Hebrew children, and it will change things for you.

“Oh how praying rests the weary.
Prayer will change the night to day.
So when life seems dark and dreary,
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
4/17/01 - Off the coast of South China, on a high hill overlooking the Harbor of Macoa, is a huge wall. It’s the only thing that remains from a massive cathedral the Portuguese built years ago. A typhoon smashed the cathedral to ruins and everything except the front wall was leveled. On the top of that wall was a huge bronze cross.
In 1825, Sir John Bowring was sailing his ship off the same coast when a storm hit, breaking his ship apart and throwing him into the water. He thought he would perish there in the China Sea, when through the storm his eyes caught sight of this cross. In that moment God spoke to him. He knew in his heart he would be spared. As he kept his eyes on the cross and paddled toward it, he was miraculously rescued. The experience moved him to write a poem and put it into music:

In the cross of Christ I glory
Towering o’er the wrecks of time.
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in writing to the Galatian church: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The symbol of Christianity is the cross. If you want to see God’s love expressed, if you want to experience God’s love, then you must look to the cross. God’s purpose for the cross was to redeem fallen man. The only hope for a helpless, hurting, and hateful world is the cross of Jesus Christ.
As Bowring followed his way to safety by the cross, so we also must realize that the way of the cross leads home.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

4/10/01 - A mighty man was Moses. He came into the world under the sentence of death. Pharaoh had such disdain for God’s people that he decreed all the male babies be thrown into the crocodile-infested Nile River. But Israel was in desperate need of a deliverer, and the baby Moses was God’s choice.
Moses’ parents were very godly people with great faith in God. They had made up their mind that the Nile was not going to claim their boy’s life. Scripture tells us they hid him for three months, and when they could no longer hide him, they placed him in an ark by the river’s edge, where he was found by Pharaoh’s daughter.
Allowed to be raised by his own mother, this heir apparent to the throne of Egypt was God’s deliverer.
Our children today have many similarities to the baby Moses. This world as we know it is like a crocodile-infested Nile that will destroy our kids unless we protect them. Humanism, amorality, the rock culture, movies, and even television are all having a damning effect upon our young people.
As parents we must teach our children the faith of our fathers — a faith that is Biblical, responsible and essential for a fruitful life.
An arsenal of wickedness is pointed at our youth. We must protect them.
The Bible is God’s principle book. It needs to be taught and assimilated. If not, our nation as we know it will perish.
Our forefathers were men of the Scripture and our nation was founded on Biblical principles and concepts. Let’s be sure we are raising up a generation of leaders with the same values and standards. It will be they who lead America back to God.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

4/03/01Probably some of the saddest words most of us ever have to admit are the words, “I wish I had only listened.”
How many teenagers say that after being strung out on drugs or after they have an unwanted pregnancy? I had a friend who drowned in a pool where we were told never to swim!
Sad is the experience of Israel. All through the Old Testament you read words such as, “O Israel be careful to hear and do it!” Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often I would have gathered thee together even as a hen gathereth her chicks and ye would not.”
You see, listening is a crucial companion to obedience. To know the truth and not to do it is just the same as not knowing it at all.
Now we in America have the Bible, which is God’s infallible Word. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” The Bible is our compass and our guide. We should be constantly reading and hearing the Word of God in order that we may be doing the Word of God.
So many people have gotten away from it. We have found other modes and methods for how to raise our young, how to have a good marriage, how to be successful, how to love, work and play. We need to get back to hearing and obeying the Word of God.As the Bible says, “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only...”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

3/20/01 In October 1991, the “Andrea Gail”, a 72-foot-long fishing boat with a 365 horsepower turbo-charged diesel engine, left a New England port for the Atlantic Ocean. It was supposed to be a routine fishing trip, but it would prove to be her last voyage.
She would run into the most powerful force on earth, a full-blown hurricane in open seas. An ocean hurricane is so powerful that the combined arsenals of the Soviet Union and the United States do not contain enough energy to keep one going for even one day. Windspeed can be so high that, on the coast people have actually been sandblasted to death. With five inches of rain per hour, it is enough to drown a bird in flight.
The “Andrea Gail” had the misfortune of running into a storm called Hurricane Grace. It was so powerful it created waves 10 stories high, the highest recorded since 1899. The boat never had a chance. She had met the perfect storm.
On the Sea of Galilee, the disciples also met the perfect storm. It was not perfect because of its strength, but because it taught them how to react in the stormiest seas of life.
In the midst of the storm the disciples woke up Jesus and inquired, “Cares thou not that we perish?” Jesus responded, “O ye of little faith.”
No one has a life with all sunshine and no rain. A storm with great intensity or rainfall will touch every human life. Other ships were also there that day, but the Master of the Sea was on board with the disciples. If you are in the “perfect storm” or overwhelming rainfall, you’d better make sure Jesus pilots your ship. Jesus rebuked the storm and calmed the waves. He didn’t keep the storm from striking the boat, but He did keep it from sinking the ship.
I’m sure someone is in the storm today, maybe even one that could sink their ship. Remember, the Lord has promised never to leave you nor forsake you. The One who brought the disciples through will bring you through, when you put your faith and trust in Him.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

3/13/01 The art of stretching the truth is uncommonly general nowadays. People with good imaginations are not scarce at all. Certain folks are always on the prowl for wonders, and if they don’t see them, they invent them. All of their mole hills are mountains and their ducks soon become swans. If they saw six dogs running together, they would swear that it was no less than 100, and would swear everyone else saw it, too!
I hear these folks talk often on the airlines as I travel. Their wealth is enormous, they are extremely successful and everyone else has problems but them. They have it made in the shade.
People have become great boasters. Most of these are great talkers and little doers. My Dad used to say, “Dogs that bark much run away when it is time to bite.”
Saying and doing are two different things. The leanest pigs squeal the most and it is not the hen that cackles most that lays the most eggs. One of the reasons a drum sounds so loud is because there is nothing in it.
I found out long ago that when a man is excellent, he will, as cream, soon rise to the top. The Bible teaches us that the backslider is filled with his own ways. Solomon said, “Even a fool is counted wise when he holdeth his peace.”

“As by the ears the mole is known
A truth as sure as parsons preach
The man, as proverbs long have shown,
Is seen most plainly through his speech.”

Let’s glorify God, not ourselves.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— Mel Brindley
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

2/27/01 Of all the needs people have, one of the greatest is to be encouraged. You don’t have to live long to come to grips with the fact that discouragement visits each and every one of us.
As you study the Bible, it is interesting to note how often you see the words, “one another”. This is God’s way of reminding us how important we are one to the other.
One such example is that of encouragement. The Greek word for encouragement is “paraclytis”. It is our word for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit encourages us in hours of trouble. God, through his Spirit, comes alongside us to give us help, hope, and healing to get us on our way.
As Christians, our job is to encourage others. Often we meet people who are so discouraged that they discourage others. They are like a glass of water to a drowning man. Discouragement is the darkroom where the failures of life are developed.
However, God is the God of all encouragement. He uses us to lift up those who are down. In the cartoon strip, “Peanuts”, Lucy and Charlie Brown are talking. Lucy tells Charlie that on a cruise ship people place their chairs different ways. Some look forward to see where they’re going, some look backward to see where they’ve been, and some look sideways to see where they are. “Charlie Brown”, Lucy asks, “which direction do you put your chair?” He answers, “I can’t get my chair unfolded!”
Many people today can’t get their chairs unfolded. They need help and our job is to aid them. “All for one and one for all” is how Americans have always lived. It’s what has made us into this great nation. Why not find someone today who is having trouble getting his or her chair unfolded and lend a hand? In so doing you’ll be doing the work of God.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours. — MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church



2/20/01 - In Ezra 7:10 the Bible tells us, “Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord and to do it.” The emphasis is on his preparation. As a preacher, I have come to understand that 90 percent of the sermon is in the preparation of it.
God is on the lookout today for a person who will be quiet enough to get a message from him, brave enough to preach it, and honest enough to live it.
Please know that, as we prepare for life as a Christian, we are also preparing our hearts. Tough times will come, your heart may break, but know that God, as the Great Potter, is making you a vessel unto honor, fit for service. In His great love for you, He is molding you into the person He created you to become.
As Paul told the Corinthians, “Be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

2/13/01 - Hope springs eternal from the soul. This is the faith that God gives us when we belong to Him. The great hope for the Christian is the place called Heaven. The human soul longs for such a place.
As far back into history as you go, you will see mankind looking forward to Heaven. Abraham, the Bible says, “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
The book of Hebrews tells us: “Here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” Also, “Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him.”
If God made this world in seven days, imagine what Heaven must look like after 1,900 years! This universe is just a glimpse of the magnificence of God’s handiwork.
Our earth is so small in comparison to the rest of the universe, it is said you could bore a hole in the sun and pan out 1,200,000 earths. Alpha Centauri is five times bigger than the sun. This entire solar system is flying through space 400 times faster than a ball shot from a cannon. The beauty of Heaven is unspeakable, with walls of jasper, foundations garnished with precious stones, every gate of pearl, a city of pure gold!
God is building the Christian this eternal abode even now as we live and dwell on this earth. Our forefathers believed in Heaven. It was their hope, and for us today it is our hope; the hope of the soul.
Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” That is the promise that turns hope into certainty.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

2/06/01 - Solomon, the wise man, said, “Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.” He was speaking on the subject of prosperity. Do you want to hear some good news? God wants you to prosper!
Throughout the Bible, references are given to show that God takes delight in the prosperity of his people (Psalm 35:27). It is important, however, to understand what true prosperity is.
Often we see or read of someone who has been married 10 times and sees a therapist for multiple emotional problems, but because they are in the Forbes 500, we think they’re prosperous.
An old prospector thought he’d found a fortune one day. In actuality it was “fool’s gold,” or mika. He started out across the desert, but ran out of water. He was found with his prize and a note: “Died rich!” Many today believe they are rich with fool’s gold, but real prosperity is not just financial. It’s spiritual.
Life is to be more than just drawing your breath. A sewer worker in Chicago put it this way: “I dig the ditch to get the money to buy the food, to get the strength to dig the ditch.”
Solomon understood prosperity and the principle of investing. He would send ships out and they would come back full of gold, silver and many precious things. I believe that is where the statement “when your ship comes in” originated.
Jesus told the Parable of the Talents. He gave to one man five, another three, and yet another he gave one. Two of the men doubled their talents, while the third hid his in the earth. To this day He is known as the bad steward, a foolish man.
The greatest investment you have is your life. You can squander it or you can use it for God’s glory.
Personally, the greatest pleasure I find is to invest in people. It is amazing how you can put your life into people and see Solomon’s scripture come to fruition. I’ve had the privilege to pastor in Chestertown now for 18 years. As I look back at the people of all ages God has brought across my path, I see that as my greatest investment, and that stock has doubled time and again.
This year, why not invest? Cast your life into someone who needs you. After many days, you’ll find Solomon was indeed a wise man.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church



1/30/01 - In the book of Ecclesiestes, Solomon describes his life without God. He found himself in great wealth. He found himself leading a nation of loyal followers. Dignitaries from all over the world sought out his great wisdom. Yet Solomon was miserable in his life. He described all these benefits as vanity and vexation of spirit.
The most unhappy person is the one away from God, Solomon found himself in a fight he could not win. He thought that his wealth would fill his longing only to find that it could not solve the problem or fill the ache.
Solomon realized that wealth and material benefits without God were of no worth. He possessed everything. There was nothing he needed. Yet he didn’t have the power to enjoy it. Many a person today would trade their fortunes away for peace of mind. Many times people have commented to me that they would give it all up for a good marriage, or for the return of a child who had gone astray, or for the easing of a broken heart.
Americans are at work feverishly, day and night, to amass things. Yet they have so many troubles that all those things will not calm the ache of their soul. Solomon described it this way: “There is a sore evil that I have seen, a man to whom God hath given riches and honor, yet he hath not power to enjoy.” He realized that all these gifts could not be enjoyed apart from God, who is the Giver of all things.
Whatever you own, it won’t satisfy in the midst of trouble and trial. Things won’t help you with family problems or when disease racks your body. There is nothing wrong with things, but there is more to happiness than material blessings. Happiness can only be found in a relationship with the God who is the Giver of all things.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

1/23/01 There is always a danger in a new beginning. There is a temptation to go on without the help of God.
Life has a way of seducing us away from our anchor. It’s been said that the thing that made you great will keep you great.
That is true for individuals as well as nations. America is truly a great nation — the greatest nation on earth! Our greatness is because of the blessings of God upon us.
We are embarking on a new beginning, new leadership, new vision and new direction. As we do so, it is imperative that we follow a biblical direction.
Abraham Lincoln said it in these words: “It is fit and becoming in all people, at all times to acknowledge and revere the Supreme Government of God; to bow in humble submission to his chastisement; to confess and deplore their sins and transgressions in the full conviction that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and to pray, with all fervency and contrition for the pardon of their past offenses, and for a blessing upon their present and prospective action.”
As we embark on this beginning may it be so with all humility and utter dependence on the help of God.
Our future is as bright as the promises of God. We know not what tomorrow holds, but we do know Who holds tomorrow. As the Lord said to Joshua, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

1/16/01Dr. Paul Vitz, New York University psychology professor, did a survey for the U.S. Department of Education on 60 of the most popular textbooks in our public schools.
It is estimated that 87 percent of our elementary students use the books about which Dr. Vitz stated, “The most striking thing about these texts is the total absense of the Christian religion in them.”
He pointed out that other beliefs were mentioned — Jewish, Amish, Mormon, Catholic — but little or no mention was made of the evangelical Protestants who founded this nation. He also pointed out that these same textbooks contain a life and world viewpoint for children that little resembles the one taught in this nation during the first 150 years of its history.
Literally, what he found was that a whole generation of school children is being robbed of its country’s heritage in the learning process.
In Lubbock, Texas, high school students were denied access to a classroom for the purpose of Bible study. Congress finally passed the Equal Access Bill in 1985 to help rectify that problem.
Who would have believed that the Ten Commandments — the basis of English Law — would be illegal to put on a public schoolroom wall and that the Supreme Court would uphold the Kentucky school decision in 1980? What has happened in these days? The freedoms of Christianity have been questioned. It would do us good to remember that we are a Christian nation.
It has been said, “Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.” We need to continue the Faith of our Fathers.
Bible reading and prayer in our schools are not unconstitutional. Rather, it was unconstitutional to take them out! Let’s take a good look at where we have been and where we are headed.
Freedom comes from God. The people who follow God are called Christians! May we keep this a Christian nation in both its concept and its purpose.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— Mel Brindley
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

1/09/01 Throughout the ages, there has been much speculation about life after death. Many today have a great curiousity about this very thing. From the ancient Egyptians to “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” fans, we have a visual rendition of what man thinks may happen.
Many celebrities tell of their belief in past lives. The entire scientology cult is built on the idea of reincarnation.
Some reincarnationists try to prove their case from the Bible. They usually cite the appearance of Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration and use Christ himself after his resurrection as an example of reincarnation.
The Bible is the carefully preserved, written Word of God. The Bible does not teach reincarnation. In fact, it teaches the opposite. Hebrews 9:27 says: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
Notice the word, “once”. No man will live and die over and over again. He will live on this earth once, die once, and then answer to God for every event of his life.
Perhaps this fact of certain judgment following death is why reincarnation has become so widely accepted. After all, it permits one to live any way he or she pleases and evade accountability for life’s actions. However, the God of the Bible will be accounted to.
There is only one thing that the beer commercial people and I agree on: “You only go around once.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

1/02/01 A little girl came home from Sunday School very excited. She had won the “best picture” prize. Her teacher wrote on it, “Most original.”
Her mother looked at it and saw that it was people riding on an airplane. It was entitled, “Flight into Egypt.” At the helm of the plane was Pontius Pilot, the girl explained. Her mother asked who the big, fat man in the back was. The girl exclaimed, “Mother, can’t you tell? That’s Round John Virgin!”
Needless to say, the little girl’s perspective was a little confused. In a sense, she’s like a lot of people today who are a little confused.
When Isaiah told of the coming of Christ he said, “His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”
As our Counselor, He came to settle the confusion. Many today are disappointed and confused about life. It has left them perplexed. In this world there is no wisdom like the wisdom of God. The greatest counselor in the world is the Christ-child. He will guide and direct and give meaning to a confused life.
We now embark on the pages of a new year. The past is gone, and the new is fresh and real. Why not put your life into the hands of the Saviour and let Him pilot your ship? Hear the words spoken to his disciples: “My peace I give unto you.”
The answer this year, as it has been throughout the ages, as it will be for an eternity to come, is Jesus Christ. Trust Him. Let Him settle the chaos and confusion in your life.
And may you have a happy and a blessed New Year!
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

Faith 2000