12.07.04
We are entering into the sweetest season of the year - the Christmas Season. Everywhere you go you seem to hear that song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. For many people it is wonderful, but for many it is the saddest time of the year.
Many people will spend this Christmas for the first time without their husband or their wife, or a son or daughter, or a father or mother. For many it will be their first Christmas without a job. Some have been told by their doctor this will be their last Christmas. Quite frankly, in the midst of “Jingle Bells” there are jangled nerves. For many every night of this Christmas season will be a “silent night” of loneliness and despair. As we sing “Joy to the World” many will have no joy.
It is imperative that we be a comfort to those around us at this time of year. The Apostle Paul said in Corinthians that God is the God of all comfort. We are the tools to bring that comfort. Christmas is meant to be a time of hope. Christ came to bring hope to a hopeless world.
I heard a story of a farmer who had some puppies for sale. He made a sign advertising the puppies and nailed it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was nailing the sign to the post, he felt a tug on his overalls and looked down to see a little boy with a big grin and something in his hand. “Mister”, he said, “I want to buy one of your puppies.”
“Well,” said the farmer, “these puppies come from fine parents and cost a great deal of money.” The boy dropped his head for a moment, then looked back up at the farmer and said, “I’ve got 39 cents - is that enough to take a look?” “Sure, said the farmer, and with that he whistled and called out “Dolly.”
Out of the doghouse and down the ramp she came, followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy’s eyes danced with delight. Then out from the doghouse peeked another little ball, this one a lot smaller. Down the ramp it slid and began hobbling in a very awkward attempt to catch up with his brothers and sisters.
The little boy said, “That’s the one I want, mister.” The farmer knelt down and said, “Son, you don’t want that puppy. He was born with a bad leg and he will never be able to run and play with you the way that you would like.”
The little boy reached down, slowly pulled up one leg of his trousers and there was a steel brace running down both sides of his leg to a specially-made shoe.
Looking up at the farmer he said, “You see mister, I don’t run too well myself and he will need someone to understand.”
That’s why Jesus came. He left the hallowed halls of Heaven, was born in a stable, walked through the pain and suffering of this world, all so we could know someone who understands.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.)
Baptist Church
11.30.04
As a child, my Mama used to sing to us a variety of songs, mostly nursery rhymes. One such song was “Mary Had A Little Lamb”.
It has often occurred to me that long ago and far away, another Mary had a little Lamb, His fleece was white as snow. In fact, He was God’s perfect Lamb — sinless, faultless, blameless, and pure. His beginning was not at Bethlehem. In the beginning was the Word. On creation morning, the Lamb was there. He enjoyed the splendor of Heaven, but love constrained Him to come to earth - God in human form.
Through the miracle of the virgin birth, He entered the human race as his mother, Mary, presented him to the ages.
One day 33 years later, the roads were full because of the Passover. Mary’s Lamb was there as John the Baptist announced his title: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” John called him a “Lamb”; not a great teacher or a leader, but the Lamb of God. No longer was he Mary’s little lamb.
Three years later, thousands watched the execution of three men. Two were convicted criminals and the other — the Lamb! In ancient Israel the priest sprinkled the blood of a lamb on the altar on the Day of Atonement. Calvary was God’s great Day of Atonement. After six hours on the cross the Lamb of God bowed his head and died. His blood was spilled for you and me. Because of the Lamb we have access to Heaven.
As this Christmas season begins with all its hustle and bustle, let’s be mindful that this is all happening to celebrate the coming of the Lamb of God.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.)
Baptist Church
11.23.04
In a few days, we will observe Thanksgiving. Probably the first Thanksgiving took place in 1621 when the Pilgrims, after a very difficult time, gathered together. They brought food and lifted their hearts in thanksgiving to God. They celebrated His goodness.
I’ve often wondered why the secular humanists in our society have not protested Thanksgiving. They have objected to just about everything else we celebrate. Maybe it’s because they too feel thankful in some way. It seems to me the atheist, the agnostic and the secularist cultures have a dilemma. If they are thankful, whom do they thank?
For the believer, Thanksgiving is not just a national day, it is a spiritual duty. The Bible teaches that we are to be thankful. Throughout the Old Testament you read verse after verse which reminds us of the duty of thanksgiving. The psalmist said in 116, “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving.” In Psalm 93 the psalmist prayed, “Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving.” Being thankful continuously helps us to cultivate God’s presence. God is pleased when His people are thankful to Him.
As a young boy in the Methodist Church, we would close our service with “Praise God from whom all blessings flow”. I grew tired of it. However, the longer I live and have contemplated that song, the more meaning it has for me. We are to have an attitude of gratitude. We grumble far too much. We complain about the smallest things, but as the psalmist said in 103, we should “Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me.”
At this season let us not keep quiet with regard to God’s blessings.
There was a little shepherd boy named Mack who had never heard about the Lord. One day someone told him of the love of God and of Jesus who died for his sin. He opened his heart and received God’s free gift of salvation and, very shortly thereafter, Mack was out tending his flock when he became overwhelmed with gratitude and thanksgiving at what God had done for him. He took off his cap and lifted his face toward Heaven. He waved his cap and shouted, “Thank you man that died, Mack thanks you.”
As we consider God’s blessings let us climb a hill of thanksgiving, wave our caps and exclaim, “Thank you Jesus who died, we all thank you!” Let’s offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEYPastor
Chestertown (Md.)
Baptist Church
11.16.04
For Christians, Thanksgiving means more than just turkey and football. Most of us have a vague notion that this holiday began when the Pilgrims invited their Indian neighbors to dinner to thank God for his provision.
When the Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic in 1620 it took two long months. One hundred people had crammed themselves into the ships. For the most part they had to stay below decks because of the foul weather. One of the ship’s paid crew members was irritated by their singing praises to God. He said he looked forward to throwing some of their corpses overboard. As it turned out, that crew member was the only one who became sick and died. A little known fact about the Mayflower is that the ship normally carried a cargo of wine and the wine spillage from previous voyages had soaked the beams, which acted as a disinfectant and prevented the spread of disease.
After 66 days at sea, land was sighted off what is now Cape Cod, Mass. Despite the provision of safety from hostile Indians, the Pilgrims barely survived the first winter in the Cape. Only four families escaped having to bury at least one family member.
God sent Squanto to them. As a young man he had been captured and taken to England as a slave. There he learned English. He taught the Pilgrims how to plant their winter staple, corn. Squanto died a year later, but before he died he became a Christian.
That first fall, the Pilgrims and their Indian friends sat down together and celebrated the first Thanksgiving. President Lincoln, at the close of the Civil War, made the last Thursday in November a day to “acknowledge the gracious gifts of the most high God”. Today it is one of our most important holidays.
May I say how thankful I am! Thank you for the privilege of coming into your homes and places of business. You folks have been a blessing to me, and for all of you I am thankful. God is good!
Happy Thanksgiving!
— MEL BRINDLEYPastor
Chestertown (Md.)
Baptist Church
11.09.04
The election is over, the American people have spoken, and George W. Bush will be our president for four more years. As vehemently as some in the media tried to influence the result, especially at the exit polls, the will of the people prevailed.
That’s good news for a republic. What an honor to live in a nation where freedom means having leadership whom the people elect, not who are placed in office by those who misuse their power.
I was proud of the President and his unwavering stand on the issues. I feel he is a man of principle. That may not be popular, but it is biblical.
Our President has given testimony of his trust in God. To some that is bothersome, troubling and unfair. However, no other kind of leadership should govern this land because we are a Christian nation.
Abraham Lincoln said, “It is fit and becoming in all people and at all times to acknowledge and revere the supreme government of God; to bow in humble submission to his chastisements; to confess and deplore their sins and transgressions, in the full conviction that ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; to pray with all fervency and contrition for pardon of their past offenses and for a blessing upon present and prospective action.”
Together, whether Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Independent, let’s build this nation through God’s divine help. There is great potency in togetherness. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”
Let’s join hands, go to work, and pray for God to bless America!
— MEL BRINDLEYPastor
Chestertown (Md.)
Baptist Church
11.02.04
William Paterson, one of the signers of the United States’ Constitution and a Justice of the US Supreme Court, said that juries should always be reminded of the text in Proverbs 29:2 - “When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” I would go on to say that not only juries should be reminded of that text, but also judges, lawyers, doctors, ministries, teachers - in fact, the entire nation should remember it.
There is a crisis in America, one of monumental proportions. It is a leadership crisis. I’m reminded of the story of the man who accidentally scraped a new automobile. Many saw the incident occur. As they looked on he took out a piece of paper, wrote a note, carefully folded it, stuck it under the car’s windshield wiper, smiled at those watching and drove off. When the owner of the damaged car returned he saw the note. He opened it and read, “The people watching think I’m leaving you a note that includes my name and address, but I’m not!”
To me that is a picture of what is wrong with some of the leadership in America. Publicly, this man gave the impression of decency. Privately, he was a liar and a cheat.
On November 2nd we will be given a chance to cast our ballot for the next President of the United States. In a republic a vote is both a vision and a reflection. It is a vision of what we want in a leader, and it is a reflection of who we are as a nation. Laws, statutes, and constitutions, are rendered worthless without godly, reliable leaders.
Noah Webster gave good advice to his students when he said, “Let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers men who rule in the fear of God.”
Go to the ballot box and vote. Choose the candidate who says what he means, and means what he says. Choose one who has great faith in the Lord God Almighty. Choose one who is sure of his beliefs, not one who changes as the tide itself.
We have been mightily blessed in this nation. Let’s pray that God will put the man in office who puts Him first. I thank God for our president and his leadership. He is a man of integrity and honesty. I admire his stand and his steady hand. Let’s hold him up to God, and go to the polls and vote.
— MEL BRINDLEYPastor
Chestertown (Md.)
Baptist Church
10.26.04
No one in this life will ever know why God has blessed our nation so much. Our history, though 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. So many things on the personal and national level 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 American and the hope we have because of Him who has blessed us so abundantly.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEYPastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.19.04 - King Louis XIV was called Louis the Great. His people also called him the “Sun King.” He was a man ruled by passion and not by his principles. At his funeral the great cathedral was jammed with mourners paying tribute to the king they considered great. The cathedral was dark, except for one lone candle which illumined the great solid casket that held the remains of the fallen monarch.
At the appointed time Massilion, the court preacher, stood to address the assembled clergy of France. As he rose, he reached from the pulpit and snuffed out the one candle which had been put there to symbolize the greatness of the king. Then from the darkness came just four words: “Only God is great.”
As I read that short but powerful sermon I again was astounded by the thought of the greatness of God. I was reminded that no one can claim responsibility for his or her accomplishments. It is God who gives us life, both as people and as a nation. It is God who gives us our breath and our being.
Only God is great. Let’s give Him praise for who He is and for what He has done for us as a people. America is great only because of a sovereign God who is great.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.12.04
In Hebrews 11, we are told that Abraham was looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. Just as Abraham looked for a city, you and I are to be looking for a city. We want to be looking for a city, longing for a city and living for Heaven.
I’ve heard some say that most Christians are so heavenly-minded they are no earthly good. However, I have found the opposite to be true. Someone has wisely said, “Our outlook ought to be determined by our up-look!”
The Bible teaches there are three heavens: An atmospheric heaven just above us, the planetary heaven consisting of the sun, moon and stars, and the third heaven - the place God is building. The first heaven we see by day, the second by night, the third we see by faith.
A little boy, walking with his grandfather on a starlit night stared into the heavens and declared, “If heaven is this beautiful on the outside, imagine how beautiful it must be on the inside.”
Heaven is a sacred place, not a figment of one’s imagination. In the Gospel of John, Jesus promised his disciples that he was going away to build them a mansion. That’s what he has also promised to us.
Heaven is a beautiful place for two reasons.
The first is the presence of God. In the beginning, man walked with God in the Garden. Wonderful fellowship was enjoyed. When man sinned, that intimate fellowship was broken. In heaven, it will be fully restored. Second is the absence of grief. No broken homes, no broken hearts, no broken hopes. No pain, no sighing, no sickness and no dying.
In Washington D.C., one of the great buildings has the following words engraved upon it “The past is prologued”. It basically means “you ain’t seen nothing yet”.
Friend, heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. I hope you have made your reservation. Jesus is the door - trust in him today.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.05.04
In Matthew 5, the Lord Jesus is preaching his first public sermon. In his sermon he gave eight conditions for living and experiencing life at its fullest. They are called the Beatitudes. Someone has wisely said, “the Beatitudes are attitudes that should be.” Every one of them begins with the word ‘blessed’. This describes the favor of God. It speaks of being happy, complete, content, and filled with Joy.
We should know that to wait for the conditions around us to change in order to be happy means we may never find happiness. One of the Beatitudes states, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” What an amazing word is “mercy”. Mercy is compassion in action. True mercy is genuine compassion. It speaks of going through something with another. We are a people who need mercy and we are to be a people who show mercy.
Did you know that this quality is one of the most beautiful characteristics of God? When we are merciful we are acting like God. Lamentations tells us, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. God counts his riches in his mercy.”
When an attorney came to Jesus asking for spiritual insight, Jesus told him to love his neighbor. To which the lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus went on to explain the parable of the good Samaritan. Neither the priest, nor the Levite exhibited mercy. However, the Samaritan did! There are three classes of people in our world: The beater-uppers, who cause physical, emotional, and psychological hurt. They take advantage of others. Then there are the passer-uppers. Those who see the needs of others, yet do nothing about them. Thank God there are the picker-uppers! Those who make it their business to lend a helping hand.
Mercy is cyclic. As you show it, you receive it. The book of James says, “For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy.” The psalmist said, “With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful.” Oh, how we need that quality in our lives today! Many of us realize we have been extended mercy by the Lord.
The songwriter said,
Years I spent in vanity and pride
Caring not my Lord was crucified
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary!
Mercy there was great, and grace was free
Pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary!
If you have experienced mercy from God, then put your compassion into action and show mercy to another.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9.28.04
As a preacher I’m often reminded of the fact 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 even the best of us to ponder. People ask, “Where is God?”
While we may not understand the reason for things that happen, we do know that God is with us because 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”.
Your way may be dark and you may fear tomorrow, but 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
9.21.04
One of the marks of greatness is compassion. Compassion is in back of every great church. It’s the heartbeat of a great person and it certainly is the lifeblood of a great nation.
What is compassion? Webster’s Dictionary defines compassion as a sympathetic consciousness of the distress of another, with a deep desire to alleviate that distress. It was the Lord Jesus who said, “I have compassion on the multitude”, and every one of us should have compassion as our Lord had.
In London, a young man had been teaching in one of the boys’ clubs. He asked a boy where he lived, and the young boy said, “I’ll show you”. He took him down to an old building in a wretched street and the boy pointed to a box placed in a corner. “That’s where I live”, he said. As they walked around, the teacher noticed dozens of young men lying in the street. He was deeply moved, so much so he could think of nothing else. He had seen their poverty and degradation. The man began to help the boys of London. His name was Dr. Barnardo, and for over 40 years he gave his all to aid these lads. After his death, men of business and women of high esteem, all who had much of this world’s goods, successful people, stood at his grave and remembered the poverty from which they had been rescued, by a man who had compassion.
Compassion is the need of the hour. Education is not the answer; money is not the answer; fame is not the answer; organizations are not the answer. Christ is the answer, compassion is the need.
As a young boy, how well I remember going to Sunday School for the first time. The dear, white-haired lady was so full of compassion that she changed my life. I saw the compassion of Christ in her eyes as she taught. We all felt it!
As Americans we have it all! We are overloaded with the blessings of God. This world needs us! Someone has to help them. If not us - then who?
Let’s be a nation of compassionate care for those who cannot care for themselves. We are, and always have been, a nation with a big heart. May God give us the courage and strength to continue.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9.14.04
During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-spangled Banner. Key was sent aboard a British enemy vessel to arrange a prisoner release. While the British agreed to release the prisoner, they would not allow Key and his companions to return to shore as the British attack on Baltimore was just beginning.
Throughout the night, Key watched the full scale bombardment of Ft. McHenry. While Key anxiously awaited the dawn, he saw the flag still flying over Ft. McHenry and he penned the words that are now our national anthem.
Key was an attorney by trade. One of his most well known cases was the defense of Aaron Burr, who was accused of treason. He believed that everyone should have a fair trial.
However, one ‘secret’ that many do not know is that Key played a central role in the Sunday School movement. He was a Sunday School teacher and was one of the founders of the American Sunday School Union.
The goal of the Union was to plant Sunday Schools in every town in the Mississippi Valley in two years. The project ultimately took 50 years to complete however, and, at its last, 61,299 Sunday Schools were started.
Key was later enshrined in the Sunday School Hall of Fame because he played such an important role in the spiritual direction of Americans.
As we sing our national anthem, let’s remember our great Christian heritage. Let’s also remember that our coins say, “In God We Trust.”
May our flag continue to wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave, and may God continue to give us men and women as our leaders who, like Francis Scott Key, know the great God of Heaven.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9.07.04 Sept. 11, 2001, will long be remembered as 9/11, the day terrorists struck our nation and took many people down with them. Those innocent victims will always be in our hearts and minds.
That day, however, there was a fourth plane. United Flight 93 never reached its intended target because of the bravery of those on board.
One of those passengers was a Christian named Todd Beamer. When the terrorists took over Flight 93 somehow, amid all the chaos, Todd was able to call a telephone operator and describe a little of what was transpiring on the aircraft.
As Beamer spoke on the telephone, he was distracted by trying to discern what he could do to make a difference in the difficult situation. After reciting Psalm 23 and praying the Lord’s Prayer, his last known words were “let’s roll”. Todd Beamer, and some of his fellow patriots, sacrificed their lives that day to protect the land they loved. We will never forget their sacrifice and their courage.
Much has happened since 9/11 but this nation is still in crisis. There are still those who wish us ill and would like to bring us down. Many of these people despise our Christian heritage and our Judeo-Christian values.
Sadly, many people seem content to silently go down with the ship. In all honesty, we suffer from a lack of patriotism, unlike Todd Beamer and his fellow passengers.
As Christians who see the crisis, we should be concerned. It’s time for us to stand up and let our voices be heard. Time is running out. We must never forget Todd’s final words to us - America - let’s roll!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8.31.04
Cicero said, “A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious, but it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gate is less formidable, for he is known and he carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves among those within the gates freely, his sly whispers rushing through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.” He went on to say, “He robs the world of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city. A murderer is less to be feared.’”
It is no mystery how America rose to prominence in this world. God said in I Samuel 2:30, “…them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”
When America turns her back on God, she begins to destroy herself from within. We did this is 1933 when we legalized intoxicating liquor. We did this in 1955 and 1963 when Bible reading was prohibited in our public schools. We did this on Jan. 22, 1973 when the Supreme Court legalized abortion.
Jeremiah said, “Hath a nation changed their gods which are yet no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.”
We have seen some dark days and shall soon see darker ones unless there is great repentance. Gen. Louis Walt has written, “The average citizen is not aware of the change from strength to weakness that has taken place in America.” Neighbor, we had better get back to the Bible. We had better turn back to God. Our enemies could never defeat us from without if we have God’s blessing, for if God be for us, who can be against us?
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY\
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist C
8.24. 04
I am a very optimistic person. However, even an optimistic person will realize that the institution of marriage is in trouble. The number of Americans getting married has dropped to a 40-year low. “I do’s” have been replaced with “I want’s” and “I no longer will’s”.
A study a few years ago by a leading university found that Americans have not completely abandoned the idea of marriage. However, the number of couples who walk down the aisle is fewer and fewer.
Consider this for a moment. Over the last decade, Americans have become less likely to marry and it is estimated that within the next 10 years, only 25 percent of first marriages will be successful. Americans are living longer, they are marrying later, and many choose to live together before marriage. Marriage is even beginning to lose its place in everyday language. People tend to speak more about “relationships” and “significant others” than they do about marriage.
It reminds me of the person who went to speak to a group of fourth graders about the home. The topic of marriage came up and he asked the kids if they knew what God had to say about marriage. One little boy raised his hand. “Son, what does God have to say about marriage?” To which the little boy replied, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”!
Marriage has taken a bad rap in our society. Some say it’s outdated and it’s on its way out. They say that like everything else, it has seen its day.
Well, contrary to what society says, marriage is still a good idea. It’s a good idea because it’s God’s idea! God is the author of marriage. It was God who performed the first marriage in the Garden of Eden, uniting Adam and Eve. By the way, it was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve! It was the first institution ordained by God.
Martin Luther described a good marriage this way: “Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let the husband make the wife sorry to see him leave.”
Our culture is built on certain biblical principles, the first one being that of marriage. It may be old-fashioned but it’s still God’s way.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8.03.04
A trial judge who is over four counties in North Carolina gave official notice to his court clerks that he intended to remove all references to God from his courtrooms. He planned to accomplish this in several areas: The witness oath would not include “so help me, God”, witnesses would not be required to place their hand on a Bible when taking the oath, and God’s Name would be removed from the traditional announce-ment by the bailiff opening each day’s court sessions.
Now these new procedures overturned over 200 years of court tradition and legal procedure in the State of North Carolina. The court clerks refused to administer the judge’s new oath, so the judge began to administer this new oath himself, without God and the Bible. He went on to say that he would hold in contempt any bailiff who refused to comply with this decision. Three court officials refused to obey. Thankfully, the Christian Law Association stepped in and filed a petition on their behalf, and the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled against the judge.
If it were not for the courage of these fine men and women, one judge would have single-handedly overturned several centuries of legal procedure and tradition. We applaud their courage, and thank God for the Christian Law Association and its good work. May its tribe increase.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.27.04
As you read the Bible, you become aware of the value of prayer. What an opportunity Christians have to gain audience with the Almighty through this means. Prayer for the Christian is to be a fact, or a way of life. Believers are to be a praying people. If the truth be known, all failures are prayer failures.
In the book of James it tells us, “the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Simply put, our Lord is reminding us that much can be accomplished when a righteous person prays.
In Jeremiah 33:3 God reminded His people, “Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”
Praying is bringing God into what we do. Prayer is the avenue whereby we see God work.
The Bible reminds us, “Ye have not because ye ask not!” As the songwriter put it, “Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer”.
Think of all the problems and the insurmountable circumstances that encumbered us: Marriage difficulties, wayward children, emotional problems, and financial limitations. Often God wants to help us and we do without because we never asked for his assistance.
The story is told of a preacher who died and went to Heaven. The Lord showed him all over the corridors of Heaven. They came to an unbelievably large building, the shape of a warehouse. The Lord took him inside. To the preacher’s amazement, it was filled with treasures. He inquired of the Lord as to what all of it was, to which the Lord replied, “these are all the things I wanted to give to my people, but they never asked.”
What is it today that you do without? I’m not talking greed, rather need. We have a Heavenly Father that wants us to bring all petitions to Him.
“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.20.04
I recently read a story about a man who joined a monastery and took a vow of silence. After his first 10 years, his superior called him in and asked if he had anything to say, and instructed him to keep his remarks to two words. The man said, “food bad”.
Ten years later, he was again summoned and asked for remarks, to which he responded, “bed hard”.
After 10 more years, he was once again asked for remark. He spoke two more words: “I quit”.
His superior looked at him and said, “That doesn’t surprise me. All you have done since you have been here is complain!”
It has been said, “You will find as a rule, those who complain about the way the ball bounces, usually are the ones who dropped it.”
That being said, we live in a world of complainers. We are the most blessed nation on earth. We abound with blessing and bounty. Other nations look upon us with envy and yet we are a complaining group of people. From the weather to the price of fuel, we grumble.
While we have our difficulties and certainly we are not without fault, we need to return thanks to God for all our blessings. Even in the area of prayer, we would do well to take out some of our groans and put in some hallelujahs.
In his letter of holy writ, the Apostle James writes, “Grudge not one against another, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.”
God takes the matter of complaining seriously because of what it shows - an unthankful heart. Life has its ups and downs, its mountaintop experiences and its valleys. Through it all God proves Himself faithful. For that there can be no complaint.
Accentuate the positive, discard the negative, and thank God for his blessings!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.13.04
The following is a quiz. See if you can identify the following country:
I am the most powerful nation on earth.
My people are the best fed, best bred, best led in the world.
I have an educational system second to none.
The law of the land is based on the law of the Lord.
Our motto is “in God We Trust”.
We were founded to be one nation under God.
Who am I?
Now, you may be thinking, America, but you could have been speaking of Israel 3,000 years ago! At one time, Israel was the most powerful, most productive, prosperous nation in all of the world. But then the implausible, the inconceivable, the impossible happened. This great nation fell to a heathen, unbelieving nation. A nation born in a day died in a moment.
As you study the nation of Israel and its beginning, in many ways it’s like going “back to the future”.
II Kings 17 said this of Israel: “For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. And the children of Israel did secretl ythos ethings that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger: For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets ,and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God. And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them ,concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight.”
Now America has not fallen yet, but she is tottering. Any tragedy from history has a lesson worth learning. We must realize that the cause of Israel’s fall was rebellion against God, and the consequence of that sin was rejection by God. If we will only learn that the cure to our dilemma is revival from God, then we will know that it is time to fall on our knees as a nation, humble ourselves, and pray, and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. His promise is to hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land.
America, can we learn from history, or will we condemn ourselves to repeat it?
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.06.04
Over the past several years certain terminology and descriptions have been added to our vocabulary that distinguish the generational differences in our society. One popular term is “Baby Boomer”. Now in recent years we hear of “Baby Busters”.
George Barna has broken down the American population into five existing generations: Seniors - those born in 1926 or earlier, Builders - those born between 1927 and 1945, Boomers - those born between 1946 and 1964, and finally, Busters - those born between 1965 and 1983. Those born after 1984 are yet to be named.
Baby Boomers are the generation we sometimes call “war babies”, the 76 million born after World War II and the Korean War. They are called Boomers because there was such a huge boom in births beginning in 1946 compared to the birth rates prior to that time.
In an article published in Esquire magazine, editorialist Robert George wrote an article on the Baby Boomers, entitled “The Worst Generation”. He wrote, “Baby Boomers are the most self-centered, self-seeking, self-interested, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, self-gratifying generation in American history.” As a Baby Boomer myself, I must agree. My generation has largely lived for themselves, making a priority of what they could be, what they could do, where they could go, and what they could have. It seems that things materialistically get worse with every generation. From education to a home, Americans expect more. Young people who marry today expect to move into a home fully furnished with the best of everything and two cars in the driveway. “That’s what Mom and Pop have, why not us?” We fail to realize that it took our parents a lifetime to acquire what they have.
In the process we have so much that wealth isn’t the privilege of the hard working, responsible people of integrity. It’s expected by all. Therein is our problem. We want privilege without responsibility. The experts tell us that in the next five years the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of the world will take place. The World War II Generation, who are dying at the rate of 1,100 per day, will leave it all to the boomers. I shudder to think what we will become. Without a conscious return to righteousness, I believe we will open the flood gates of wickedness.
We will be like the Laodiceans (we are even now ) . Our Lord told them, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.29.04
The passing of a statesman and our 40th president will be remembered for a long time by all Americans and the world.. The mention of his name, President Ronald Reagan, evokes great memories for us all. He instilled in all of us a sense of pride for our flag and for our nation that had fallen lower than many would have believed possible.
None will forget the embarrassment of seeing our citizens held hostage in Iran and the mighty giant, America, could seemingly do nothing. However, the day Ronald Reagan was sworn into office was a day of new beginnings that to this hour have not been erased.
Iran released our people. The message was sent out that America was no longer to be trifled with. We meant what we said and said what we meant. Since those days we are often called the “bully” of the world. However, when nations are besieged by terrorism, it is the United States of America that leads the way to freedom.
Ronald Reagan helped us to believe in ourselves - that with God’s help, we could still and always would be a beacon of hope and a bastion of freedom for the peoples of the world. First it was the Berlin Wall, then the fall of the USSR.
Every once in a while we are touched deeply, so deeply that we will never forget. So it was as the horse-drawn carriage paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue bearing President Reagan’s flag-draped casket. The service in California with the testimonials from his children was moving indeed. The sermon by his pastor was one of passion. The courage of Mrs. Reagan saying goodbye to her husband caused us to stop and remember the tremendous value of his presidency and his life.
Ronald Reagan knew God! He knew that we were great because of our respect and devotion as a Christian nation. May God give us many more statesmen like Ronald Wilson Reagan.
Goodbye sir. We will never forget you and we will see you in the morning on the other side.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.22.04
That first Easter morning, Mary ran to the tomb. There she met the Lord Jesus. He spoke to her saying, “Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father.”
What a wonderful thought the word “Father” brings. Mary had been possessed of seven devils. She probably never knew a father’s love.
Our homes are to be harmonious dwellings. There should be music and laughter permeating the place, and Dad is to be the leader of the band.
In our day, it is difficult to be a good man. It’s even harder to be a good husband, and harder still to be a good Dad. Psalm 128 tells us how to be a good Dad. The psalmist speaks of the blessed man. The word blessed means happy! To obey God’s Word causes happiness, to separate from it causes sorrow. It is a good man who fears the Lord. It ultimately affects the way he lives. That’s what we call integrity.
You cannot teach what you do not know. You cannot give what you do not have. You cannot come from where you have not been. As Dads, what will our children remember about us? Believe it or not, they will remember our character. A good Dad is one who can be depended on. His family can learn from him and grow from him. Our world is filled with drop-out Dads. It has caused an onslaught of problems. Our youth often fail to find direction because of Dad’s poor example.
What a blessing it is as a father when my children choose to serve the Lord. We can’t do anything about the past, but we can change the future. If our homes are going to be symphonies, then Dad must learn to be the leader and put it all together.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.15.04
The following is a remarkably clear definition of what true education is. It was written by Carolyn Caines, who is a teacher from Longview, Washington.
“If I can learn my ABCs, can read 600 words per minute, and can write with perfect penmanship, but have not been shown how to communicate with the Designer of all language, I have not been educated.
If I can deliver an eloquent speech and persuade you with my stunning logic, but have not been instructed in God’s wisdom, I have not been educated.
If I have read Shakespeare and John Locke and can discuss their writings with keen insight, but have not read the greatest of all books - the Bible - and have not knowledge of its personal importance, I have not been educated.
If I have memorized addition facts, multiplication tables, and chemical formulas, but have never been disciplined to hide God’s Word in my heart, I have not been educated.
If I can explain the law of gravity and Einstein’s theory of relativity, but have never been instructed in the unchangeable laws of the One Who orders our universe, I have not been educated.
If I can classify animals by their family, genus, and species and can write a lengthy scientific paper that wins an award, but have not been introduced to the Maker’s purpose for all creation, I have not been educated.
If I can recite the Gettysburg Address and the Preamble to the Constitution, but have not been informed of the hand of God in the History of our country, I have not been educated.
If I can play the piano, the violin, six other instruments and can write music that moves men to tears, but have not been taught to listen to the Director of the universe and worship Him, I have not been educated.
If I can run cross-country races, star in basketball, and do 100 push-ups without stopping, but have never been shown how to bend my spirit to do God’s will, I have not been educated.
If I can identify a Picasso, describe the style of da Vinci, and even paint a portrait that earns an A+, but have not learned that all harmony and beauty comes from a relationship with God, I have not been educated.
If I graduate from high school with a perfect 4.0 and am accepted at the best university with a full scholarship, but have not been guided into a career of God’s choosing for me, I have not been educated.
If I become a good citizen, voting at each election and fighting for what is moral and right, but have not been told of the sinfulness of man and his hopelessness without Christ, I have not been educated.
However, if one day I see the world as God sees it and come to know Him, Whom to know is life eternal, and glorify God by fulfilling His purpose for me, then I have been educated!”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.08.04
“Won’t Be Long And They Will Be Gone From a Military Doctor”
Written By CPT. Stephen R. Ellison, M.D.
I am a doctor specializing in the emergency departments of the only two military level-one trauma centers, both in San Antonio, and they care for civilian Emergencies as well as military personnel. San Antonio has the largest military retiree population in the world living here. As a military doctor, I work long hours and the pay is less than glamorous.
One tends to become jaded by the long hours, lack of sleep, food, family contact and the endless parade of human suffering passing before you. The arrival of another ambulance does not mean more pay, only more work.
Most often, it is a victim from a motor vehicle crash. Often it is a person of dubious character who has been shot or stabbed. With our large military retiree population, it is often a nursing home patient.
Even with my enlisted service and minimal combat experience in Panama, I have caught myself groaning when the ambulance brought in yet another sick, elderly person from one of the local retirement centers that cater to military retirees. I had not stopped to think of what citizens of this age group represented.
I saw “Saving Private Ryan.” I was touched deeply. Not so much by the carnage, but by the sacrifices of so many. I was touched most by the scene of the elderly survivor at the grave side, asking his wife if he’d been a good man. I realized that I had seen these same men and women coming through my emergency department and had not realized what magnificent sacrifices they had made. The things they did for me and everyone else that has lived on this planet since the end of that conflict are priceless.
Situation permitting, I now try to ask my patients about their experiences. They would never bring up the subject without the inquiry. I have been privileged to an amazing array of experiences, recounted in the brief minutes allowed in an emergency department encounter. These experiences have revealed the incredible individuals I have had the honor of serving in a medical capacity, many on their last admission to the hospital.
There was a frail, elderly woman who reassured my young enlisted medic, trying to start an IV line in her arm. She remained calm and poised, despite her illness and the multiple needle-sticks into her fragile veins. She was what we call a “hard stick.” As the medic made another attempt, I noticed a number tattooed across her forearm. I touched it with one finger and looked into her eyes. She simply said “Auschwitz.” Many of later generations would have loudly and openly berated the young medic in his many attempts. How different was the response from this person who’d seen unspeakable suffering.
Also, there was this long retired Colonel, who as a young officer had parachuted from his burning plane over a Pacific Island held by the Japanese. Now an octogenarian, his head cut in a fall at home where he lived alone. His CT scan and suturing had been delayed until after midnight by the usual parade of high priority ambulance patients. Still spry for his age, he asked to use the phone to call a taxi, to take him home, then he realized his ambulance had brought him without his wallet.
He asked if he could use the phone to make a long distance call to his daughter who lived seven miles away. With great pride we told him that he could not, as he’d done enough for his country and the least we could do was get him a taxi home, even if we had to pay for it ourselves. My only regret was that my shift wouldn’t end for several hours, and I couldn’t drive him myself.
I was there the night Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez came through the emergency department for the last time. He was very sick. I was not the doctor taking care of him, but I walked to his bedside and took his hand. I said nothing. He was so sick, he didn’t know I was there. I’d read his Congressional Medal of Honor citation and wanted to shake his hand. He died a few days later.
The gentleman who served with Merrill’s Marauders, the survivor of the Bataan Death March, the survivor of Omaha Beach, the 101-year old World War I veteran, the former POW held in frozen North Korea, the former special forces medic - now with non-operable liver cancer, the former Viet Nam Corps Commander. I remember these citizens.
I may still groan when yet another ambulance comes in, but now I am much more aware of what an honor it is to serve these particular men and women.
I have seen a congress who would turn their back on these individuals who’ve sacrificed so much to protect our liberty. I see later generations that seem to be totally engrossed in abusing these same liberties, won with such sacrifice. It has become my personal endeavor to make the nurses and young enlisted medics aware of these amazing individuals when I encounter them in our emergency department. Their response to these particular citizens has made me think that perhaps all is not lost in the next generation.
My experiences have solidified my belief that we are losing an incredible generation, and this nation knows not what it is losing. Our uncaring government and ungrateful civilian populace should all take note. We should all remember that we must “Earn this.”
—Submitted by Mel Brindley
Pastor, Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.01.0<
Memorial Day is a day we honor and remember all those who have paid the extreme sacrifice and have given their lives for others.
Of all those we remember the battlefield soldier - from those who died at Normandy to our men and women who died in Iraq most recently.
I make no bones about being an old fashioned, flag-waving American. I have no time for those who run down, criticize, and malign our President and our troops. I often wonder whatever happened to the terms, “sedition” and “treason.”
I strongly oppose those who hide their sentiments behind the banner of free speech. I somehow feel that our founding fathers did not have flag burnings and slanderous statements regarding leadership in mind when they wrote the First Amendment.
World Net Daily reported on an incident that took place a year ago at a graduation ceremony held at Rockford College in Illinois. The article states, “Students at a college graduation ceremony booed a New York Times reporter off the stage after he characterized the U.S. policy in Iraq as a tyranny over the weak. Chris Hedges was only three minutes into his presentation when his microphone was unplugged.”
Our soldiers serve with pride. Today we remember them, those who serve and those who have fallen.
The poem, “In Flanders Fields,” was first published in England in December, 1915. Within months, the poem came to symbolize the sacrifices of all who were fighting the first World War. In April 1915, Major John McCrae, a Canadian army physician, was in the trenches near Belgium, in the area traditionally known as Flanders. There some of the heaviest fighting in the war took place. Before he died, McCrae had the satisfaction of knowing that his poem had been a success.
IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor, Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
In December 200, ex-Beatle George Harrison died. He was 58 years old, and cancer had claimed his body. Much was written about him after his death and interestingly enough, most of what was written was in regard to his spirituality.
Many had become impressed with his search for God. There is no doubt that he was a man who knew there was more to life than fame and money. Harrison himself said, “After you experience success, meet all the famous, make some money, you find yourself wondering - is this it?” He had come to the conclusion that he was missing something urgent in his life.
In a press release he said, “Everything else can wait, but the search for God cannot wait.”
His statement was correct - the search for God cannot wait. Augustine said, “Within us all is a void that can only be filled by God.” We sense that as human beings. We seek to fill the void with all types of things: material possessions, money, drugs, entertainment, achievement, education, and even more religion. However, we soon realize none of these are sufficient. C.S. Lewis said, “If we find within us a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, we should begin to think and wonder whether we were created for another world.”
I’m sure all of us have said that about life: “Is this it?” As Christians, we know that life is worth the living, but only if Christ is at the helm. If we have Christ in our lives, it is worth the living!
I’m not sure if George Harrison found what he was looking for. Perhaps he did, perhaps he didn’t. He ultimately crossed over the chasm we all must cross to face God.
While preaching to the intellectuals of the day, the apostle Paul said, “Seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us. For in him we live, and move, and have our being.”
When all is said and done, Christ is life. Without him one is merely existing, not living. Call upon him while He is near!
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.,) Baptist Church
4.20.04
One of the most influential songwriters of our era is Bill Gaither. His gospel songs have been a help and inspiration to millions. One such song is, “The Family of God”.
Gaither tells how a young family in their church suffered a tragedy. Ron Gardner had gone to work and stayed through for some overtime. His daughter was to have heart surgery in a few weeks. While handling highly combustible materials that night, he suffered severe wounds from an explosion. It actually blew him out of the plant doors as the main building blew up.
Severely burned, he was not expected to live through the night,. This man’s church family began to pray. Little groups and big groups prayed all night. The little church building was kept open all night as folks streamed in to pray.
The next morning was Easter Sunday. As the pastor stood before a bleary-eyed congregation, he announced that Ron had made it through the night. The congregation clapped! As they sang the Easter songs, they knew that, because of the Resurrection, all things are possible. Ron recovered, and for many months the church family helped his family get back on its feet.
Bill Gaither and his wife were very moved by the love of that little congregation of people. One morning on the way home from church, he remarked, “They would do the same for us! And they would do it because we are a part of the family.” While his wife prepared the noon meal, he sat down at the piano and wrote the song that has inspired millions who serve our Lord in their churches:
“You will notice we say brother and sister ‘round here
It’s because we’re a family and these folks are so near
When one has a heartache, we all share the tears
And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear.
I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God
I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod;
For I’m part of the family, the family of God”
I’m glad to be a part of God’s family - my own precious church and its members are so precious to me. Why not bow your head today and thank the Lord for your good pastor and the people who treat you just like family?
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
Every state in the United States has a state flower and state tree. Some also have a state fish, a state stone, even a state insect. Massachusetts has 19 such symbols. Christianity has only one, the cross. The cross, which was a symbol of suffering and shame, has become a symbol of glory and grace. As the songwriter expressed it:
“On a hill far away,
stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suffering and shame
And I love that old cross,
where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.”
As believers, we cherish the old rugged cross. Why? It is because there the Lord Jesus gave his life that we all might be saved. The cross in Bible and Roman days was the same as the gallows, the electric chair or gas chamber of our day. One would think it strange that someone would cherish an electric chair and the like.. Yet we cherish the cross because of the Christ of the cross.
The ruins of a castle overlook the village of Durnstein, Austria. It is Kuenringer Castle, destroyed in 1645. But no one calls the castle by that name. Everyone calls it “the Richard the Lionheart Castle” because he was held prisoner there in 1142. The castle is not remembered for its owner but for its prisoner.
So it is with the cross. What makes the cross so special is that Christ died on the cross. Take Christ away from the cross and you have nothing but a gory place. Put Christ on the cross and you have a glorious place.
When we look at the cross it reveals a message; a message from God, revealing how much he loves the world. Love is always measured by what it gives. Jesus gave his life on the cross so we might have eternal life. Some view the cross as an absurdity. We who know the Lord view the cross with affection. Another songwriter put it:
“At the cross, at the cross,
where I first saw the light
And the burden of my heart rolled away.
It was there by faith I received my sight
And now I am happy all the day.”
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
--MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown, (Md.) Baptist Church
On the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives, there is a small village named Bethany. It means “house of the miserable” or “house of the poor.” It’s Saturday evening and Jesus is having dinner there. Little does the world know that the Lord Jesus is about to walk across the stage of human history for the last time.
Christians around the world recognize Palm Sunday as the day Jesus made his triumphant entry into the City of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. It was on this day that the prophet Zacharias’ prophecy was fulfilled: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O Jerusalem, thy king cometh unto thee. He is just, and having salvation; lowly, riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass.”
Following dinner in Bethany on Saturday evening, he travels two miles to Jerusalem. History tells us that there may have been as many as half a million people at the Passover celebration. All within 25 miles were required to go.
As Jesus enters through the East Gate, throngs of people begin to shout, cheer and cast palm branches in His path and sing, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
You see, Palm Sunday is no ordinary day. It was on this day that Jesus would initiate a week that would forever change the world.
The sadness of the story is that a week later this same crowd rejected Jesus and allowed him to be crucified.
Place yourself there that day. The atmosphere was electrifying, the crowds, the anticipation. The Messiah was coming to them. He would save them from the oppression of the Roman government. However, the cheers turned to jeers. Instead of a crown, they gave him a cross. Instead of a blessing, He received a cursing. They had missed the purpose of His coming.
You see Jesus is not Someone you fit into your thinking. He is the Saviour of the World. That ride into Jerusalem would change the course of human history.
The great question is this: Has He changed the course of your life?
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
March 30, 2004
Who was it who put Jesus on the cross? For sure, whomever it was, delivered him up to an awful death. The beating, the punishment, the crucifixion itself was the most dreaded death of all modes of execution.
Elizabeth Clephane’s poem states:
But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed
Nor how dark was the night,
The night that the Lord passed thru,
Ere he found his sheep that was lost
Who was it that put Jesus on the cross? The crowd that desired his death was responsible. Each person in the angry mob, Jew and Gentile, were accountable. The religious leaders, the scribes, and Pharisees were to blame. They accused him; they cried out, “Crucify him!”
Pilate was also to blame; although he tried to wash his hands, he could not undo the injustice he had wrought. Knowing Jesus was innocent, he delivered Him up.
Then there were the soldiers that day that beat him and nailed him to the cross. History will forever record and document their guilt. All of these were actually responsible.
However, there are also the absent ones who put Jesus on the cross. Every man, woman, boy and girl who has ever lived is responsible. Isaiah the Prophet, said, “He was wounded for our transgressions, the chastisement of our peace was upon him.”
The Irish poet wrote,
I am Eve, great Adam’s wife
T’was my guilt that took Jesus’ life
Since of Heaven I robbed my race,
On his cross was my true place.
There was another who put Christ on the cross. It was the Almighty God. Isaiah tells us that he was stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. By putting Jesus on the cross, God was showing his great heart of love. God’s love for mankind surpasses illustration, transcends emotion, defies comprehension, and provides unconditional redemption.
You see, to God you are of infinite worth. Value is always determined by the price one is willing to pay. Christ was willing to give his life for your soul.
The story of the cross is one of substitution. Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. He died as our substitute. We all put Jesus Christ on the cross.
I should have been crucified
I should have suffered and died.
I should have hung on the cross in disgrace
But Jesus, God’s Son took my place.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
March 23, 200 4
It was A.W. Tozer who said, “The test by which all conduct must finally be judged is motive. As water cannot rise higher than its source, so the moral quality in an act can never be higher than the motive that inspires it.”
I personally feel that one of the hardest things to do is to judge someone else’s motives. Actually, it’s impossible, since God alone sees our hearts. I read, hear, and see what the Left says about certain issues and people. They are constantly judging one’s motives.
None has been so glaring as Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of Christ. Gibson went on the air telling us that he made the movie because he felt it was right for him to do so. He even put his own money where his mouth was. Now that it has become so successful, the Hollywood critics have to deal with it.
May I submit to you that Gibson’s movie was successful because America is a Christian nation? Christians came out of the woodwork to prove it. Hollywood may have its moguls, but we have numbers, and we vote!
Commentator Andy Rooney seems to think the movie is only worth a few laughs. Laughs? This is a carefully accurate depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, for crying out loud! Is nobody home at CBS to reprove Mr. Rooney? If he had made that same statement in regard to Schindler’s List or some ethnic film he would have been dismissed. It proves what I have said all along: Christians are the whipping boys for the leftist agenda.
Bottom line - if you have a problem with the Passion you have a problem with the Bible. Gibson follows the biblical account of Christ’s betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection. A leading conservative theologian, D. James Kennedy, says it is an accurate account of the last days of Jesus Christ on earth.
It’s all about motive, plain and simple. Gibson made a film because he felt God wanted him to. The result is a biblical account of the greatest story ever told - that of God himself giving his life that we may live forever. Only God truly knows why Gibson made the movie. May God bless him for his courage. May many come to know Christ as Saviour because of this film.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chesterto
March 16, 2004
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nbsp;I recently had the opportunity to visit the Orient with several ministers. We went from Tokyo to China, and from there to Thailand. We held several meetings in the north, actually three miles from Burma. It’s amazing to see God at work in a land steeped in Buddism. The Thai people were exceptionally gracious to us and the country is one of the cleanest I’ve seen. The poverty in the land is great; one glimpse and you realize you’re not in the U.S.A. anymore. We went to four cities, Chang Mai being the prettiest. As we traveled we were considered aliens. We did not speak the language, and interpreters were needed as we preached. We looked different, and I’m sure we acted different. After all, I grew up in New Jersey!Recently, while reading Decision magazine, I came across an article on one of our forefathers. Jonathan Edwards wrote his “Resolutions,” 70 in all, while he was nearing the end of his training for the ministry. Just a young man of 20, Edwards was preparing to accept his first ministry opportunity at a church in New York City. While space does not permit to print these Resolutions, the important thing is that this young preacher set forth a guide of godly principles for his life, prefaced by these words:
“Being aware that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ’s sake.”
October 2003 marked the 300th anniversary of Jonathan Edwards’ birth. Many today still regard him as one of America’s greatest theologians and most profound philosophical minds.
Edwards is noted for his leadership in our nation’s Great Awakening of 1740-42, which was America’s first major revival movement. His sermon, “Sinners in The Hands of An Angry God” was like a mighty crowbar that God used to pry open the hearts of a self-sufficient people who had grown cold and indifferent.
Edwards wrote, “I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just as I think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.”
The term resolute means “firm in purpose.” Edwards was a man who carried out the resolutions made in his youth throughout his life. May we resolve to set forth a guide of godly principles for our lives, and be firm in our purpose to follow them.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
Friend, are you attending to your spiritual life? Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33, ³Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.² I would encourage you to wholeheartedly pursue the building of your spiritual life. Read your Bible daily, pray for your family, confess your sins to God and go to a Bible-believing, Christ- honoring church where you will hear the truth. Perhaps you have never experienced the new birth. You must trust Christ, for He is the way to Heaven. (John 14:6.)
Friend, spirituality doesnıt just happen. One must prepare for it. This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
Years ago while driving down the road I saw a buzzard devouring a skunk. It reminded me of some people I know. They are looking for the worst in mankind and they always seem to find it.
In a leadership magazine article, Lynn Anderson describes what happens when people lose their vision. ³A group of Pilgrims landed on the shores of America about 350 years ago. With great vision and courage, they had come to settle in the new land. In the first year, they established a town. In the second, they elected a town council. In the third, the government proposed to build a road five miles westward into the wilderness. But in the fourth year, the people tried to impeach the town council because they thought such a road into the forest was a waste of public funds. Somehow these forward-looking people had lost their vision. Once able to see across oceans, they now could not look 5 miles into the wilderness.²
Proverbs Chapter 29 declares, ³Where there is no vision the people perish.²
Most people are not willing to live with the risks of a visionary. Most visionaries fail many times before they succeed. David Jordon said, ³The world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows where he is going.²
All of us need to have vision is order to know where we are going. Someone has wisely said, ³A leader is a person with a magnet in his heart and a compass in his head.²
When Disney World was first finished, Walt Disney had been gone for many years. As the workers viewed the Magic Kingdom for the first time, one exclaimed, ³Oh I wish Mr. Disney could see it!² Another replied, ³Believe me, he saw it!²
Dimension wrote:
I need a tower vision, Lord,
A vision filled with thee
To see the needy world again
With eyes willing to see.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor, Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
G.K. Chesterton said, ³The Bible tells us to love our neighbor and also love our enemies, probably because generally they are the same people.²
Truer words have not been spoken: ³To love the whole world for me is no chore. My only real problem, my neighbor next door!²
A famous preacher once said, ³To dwell above with saints we love — that truly will be glory. To dwell below with saints we know — now thatıs another story!²
The Master Teacher, the Lord Jesus, often spoke to his followers in parable. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. One such story was that of the Good Samaritan.
A lawyer came to Jesus asking the question that begs answering, ³Who is my neighbor?² The Good Samaritan came upon a fellow man who had fallen among thieves. He had been previously ignored by a priest and a Levite who had little compassion.
The Good Samaritan illustrated what being a neighbor is all about. In our day we often think a neighbor is the person we live near to. Jesus explains that our neighbor is also the one who is hurting and needing someone to care.
After the lawyer realized who in the story was a good neighbor, he was told by our Lord, ³Go and do thou likewise.² The command of Jesus was now that you know who your neighbor is, then go and be a friend of those in need.
Marian Preminger was born in Hungary in 1913. Reared in a castle with her aristocratic family, she grew up in an extremely privileged lifestyle. Maids, tutors, and chauffeurs were the norm.
After two failed marriages and the disillusionment of living the life of a Parisian socialite, she heard of the work of missionary doctor Albert Schweitzer, who was visiting Europe. She asked for an appointment to meet with Dr. Schweitzer, and when he returned to Africa, she went with him. The girl who had been raised as a princess was now a servant to the poor. She ministered to diseased children, fed lepers, and performed other servantıs duties.
In her biography she said, ³All I ever wanted was everything.² Then she told how everything did not satisfy her. Only when she began to live for others did she find satisfaction. When she died in 1979 the New York Times obituary included her statement, ³Albert Schweitzer said there are two classes of people in this world: the helpers and the non-helpers. I am a helper.²
My dear friend, are you a helper? Are you a neighbor?
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
We are facing a brand new year. It is a page not yet turned. We have no idea what it may hold.
As the children of Israel came to the brink of the Jordan River, they prepared to cross over into the Promised Land. God had promised this land to them. However, many unknown days lay ahead. Their story of conquering the Promised Land is one of victory, defeat, and uncertainty. What they did know was that God was their guide to the great unknown.
As we embark on 2004, we know that every day is a journey into the unknown. Because we have never passed this way before, we need someone to guide us.
The story is told of an old ship in the midst of a tumultuous sea. The passengers wanted some hope from the captain. They sent a representative, to whom the captain replied, ³Itıs a leaky old ship, so we may go down. The boilers are bad, so we may go up. But whether we go down, or whether we go up, weıre going on.²
That should be our motto this year: ³Weıre going on.² The Bible says we are to look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. The psalmist David wrote, ³Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.²
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
.Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
On the aluminum cap atop the Washington Monument in our nationıs capitol are found two words. Although they cannot be seen because of their placment, they are nevertheless there on purpose.
Most visitors to the monument have no idea they are there. The top of the monument rises 555 feet, 5,125 inches from the ground. It is dedicated to the Father of our Country, overlooking the 69 square miles which make up the District of Columbia. Arthur Wetzstein recorded much of this interesting detail in his book, ³In God We Trust².
The two words inscribed there are ³Laus Deo²: two seemingly insignificant, out-of-sight words, placed over the highest point in the most powerful city in the world.
Those two little words comprise great meaning ³Praise be to God!²
Although the construction of the monument began in 1848, it was not until 1888 that it was opened to the public.
Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As you climb the steps, you begin to notice memorial stones with messages. On one landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore. On another is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians. Yet another is a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16, and Proverbs 22:6.
When the cornerstone of the monument was laid on July 4, 1848, deposited within it were many items, one of which was the Holy Bible!
We are truly a blessed nation, whose foundations are rooted and grounded in faith in God and His written Word. To that I say, ³Laus Deo!² - Praise Be To God!.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church