12.20.05
Several years ago, I cut out a newspaper article entitled, “In Support of Revolt, Bethlehem Cancels Christmas Festivities”. The article said that the Palestinian town where Jesus was born had cancelled its traditional joyous Christmas celebrations to show solidarity with the year-long revolt against the Israeli occupation. “We don’t see any reason to celebrate Christmas,” Deputy Hanwah Nasser was quoted as saying, “we have to show our concern for our detainees.”
A couple of things stand out from this article. This mayor, on the one hand, does not understand the reason for the season, and. on the other hand. he doesn’t understand that you can cancel the season, but not the Saviour. He is Christmas!
Now, how would you feel if someone said to you that they saw absolutely no reason to celebrate your birthday? If you were treated in the same way that the Lord Jesus is sometimes treated on His birthday you would be insulted and offended. How many people do you know who have had parties thrown in honor of their birthdays and yet did not get an invitation to the party themselves? Not many!
It’s amazing how easily we forget that Christmas is indeed the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ. Recently Muzak ranked the most popular Christmas songs. They were, in order – The Christmas Song, White Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Silver Bells, I’ll Be Home for Christmas and, to round it off, Jingle Bells.
Not one mention of the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Christmas story commences with a cradle – but it continues to a cross and concludes with a crown! I believe this story can be told in one Bible sentence. “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:21.
That’s Christmas. Let’s remember the story of Jesus and the real reason for Christmas!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
12.13.05
What a stress-filled world we live in, especially at this hectic time of year.
In Psalm 23 the Bible gives some good advice to those of us who are stressed, troubled and sorely pressed. It says, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul…”
Sheep in the Middle East begin to graze at about 4 o’clock in the morning. At about 11 o’clock the shepherd finds a shady place and makes them rest. It is during this time that the sheep grow the fastest so every shepherd knows how important it is to have this quiet time. Most Americans think it is wrong to be quiet and still but, throughout the Bible, God compares us to sheep – in Psalm 100 He tells us that we are the sheep of his pasture.
Being called a sheep is not an insult, rather it is a fitting description because we are like sheep. We are dependent on someone. We are defenseless without someone to guard us, and we sometimes have a terrible sense of direction without someone to guide us.
As Christians we should not despair because we have a shepherd who helps us in this stress-filled world. We can have security in our shepherd – all men need security, and it only comes from placing our lives in the hands of God. We can have sufficiency in our shepherd – most people worry because they are afraid that their needs will not be met, but Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” We can have serenity with our shepherd if we simply learn to be still.
The cure for stress is simple. Let God be your security, your sufficiency and your serenity. Lie down in His green pastures, rest your troubled heart beside His still waters and His peace will restore your soul. Our forefathers knew this truth and were the better for it. We need to rest and meditate once in a while because, if we don’t come apart and rest, we will just plain come apart!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
12.06.05
When Abraham came out of Ur of the Chaldees, he brought his nephew Lot with him. Then, when the herdsmen of Abraham began to argue with the herdsmen of Lot, a decision had to be made. Lot decided to go to the well-watered plains of Jordan that bordered the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Lot’s choice was a selfish one in that it was based on materialism. Many Americans are like Lot and think of nothing except their own personal gain. Many sacrifice God, country and home for a few dollars. But Jesus told us that a man’s life consists of more than that which he possesses.
We have many gods in this generation of ours. Sport, for instance, has become a god to many. I am a follower of sport, but I have to say that it is not what many would make of it. However, the biggest god in America these days is the god of materialism. An attorney once said, “If the average American had his dream home, two cars and a boat, he wouldn’t care what happened to America.”
A home is important - cars and a boat are fine – but they are not the major necessities of life. We, as Americans, need to go back to basics and, once again, start paying attention to God. We have taken our eyes off God and put them on gold!
Our forefathers were men who sought God. They pledged all of their earthly possessions, if need be, for the cause of the freedom granted to them by God. At this time of year, let us follow their example and not the example of selfish and materialistic Lot. Let us take our eyes off materialism and fasten them firmly upon the reason for the season – Jesus Christ.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11.29.05
There’s a special feeling in the air at this time of the year. It’s a special celebration of family, friends and a joy as we remember the birth of the only Saviour of the world, Jesus.
Christmas time is a time of hustle and bustle. I never recall the stores preparing for Christmas as early as this year. Even before October was over, lights were up and merchandise was out.
It won’t be long when the last minute’s things will pressure us all. They now say that doctors have prescribed a tranquilizer so strong that a man can shop all day with this wife and still come home with a smile.
However, with all the prodding and pushing to get us ready for Christmas, are we really prepared? When Joseph and Mary came to Bethlehem, the Bible says there was no room for them in the inn. Over 2,000 years ago, there was no room, and it’s much the same today.
There is no room in government for Jesus. Isaiah said the government would be upon his shoulders. Much ado is made if a city places a manger scene on the steps. We are so afraid we’re going to offend someone of another religion, we forget about offending Christians by removing Christ from Christmas.
There is no room for Jesus in education. There is room for humanism, there is room for Bible criticism, there is room for evolution, but not for the Christ.
Sad, but true, there is not much room for Jesus in religion. Often our churches will preach a social gospel.
Our pulpits need to lift up the Lord Jesus especially this time of year. In the book of Revelation, Jesus is pictured as One standing outside of the church, knocking on the door to come in.
Even at Christmas time, there is no room for Jesus. Christmas parties will be held where drunkenness will prevail. The breweries will make more money at this time of year than any other.
One woman saw a nativity scene in a store window and said, “Imagine that — even the church is trying to horn in on Christmas!”
The good news is, there was room at the cross! “Born to die upon Calvary” is the story of Christmas. As the apostle said, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
Now that “black Friday” is over and the season is beginning, why not sit down and read the Christmas story and prepare your heart for Jesus. Make room for Him.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11.22.05
A family had twin boys whose only resemblance to each other was their looks. If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold. If one said the TV was too loud, the other thought it needed to be turned up. Opposite in every way, one was an eternal optimist, the other a doom and gloom pessimist.
Just to see what would happen, on the twins’ birthday their father loaded the pessimist’s room with every imaginable toy and game. The optimist’s was filled with horse manure. That night the father passed by the pessimist’s room and found him sitting amid his new gifts crying. Why are you crying?” the father asked. “Because all my friends will be jealous. I’ll have to read all these instructions before I can do anything with this stuff. I’ll constantly need batteries, and my toys will eventually get broken,” answered the pessimist twin.
Passing by the optimist’s room, the father found him dancing for joy in the pile of manure. “What are you so happy about?” he asked. To which the optimist replied, “There’s got to be a pony in here somewhere!”
This little story illustrates this truth: we are either the master or the victim of our attitudes. It is a matter of personal choice. Who we are today is the result of choices made yesterday. Tomorrow we will become what we choose today. To change means to choose to change.
In the Canadian Northlands there are just two seasons: Winter and July. When the back roads begin to thaw, they become muddy. Vehicles going into the back woods country leave deep ruts that become frozen when cold weather returns. For those entering this primitive area during the winter months, there is a sign that reads, “Driver, please choose carefully which rut you drive in, because you’ll be in it for the next twenty miles.”
O how true this is about life! Choose to live your life thankfully, or you will falter with the miserable crowd complaining how bad life is. Choose to be thankful.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor, Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11.15.05
One of the intentions of the liberal movement it seems is the dismantling of the home and its authority. We see this in laws passed and in sit-coms we watch where parents are depicted as buffoons and the kids have all the answers. Now it has actually crept into our school system.
Recently the Circuit Court in the Ninth District determined that parents do not have a fundamental right to control when, where and how their children are taught about sex. Rather the state, in its far greater wisdom, has the ultimate decision in knowing what is best for your kids.
This is illustrated by a case brought by Palmdale, Calif., parents whose children were given a questionnaire of suspect content. Children, ranging in age from 7 to 10 years, were asked to rate how often they experienced the thought or emotion of sex. Questions with content such as, “touching my private parts too much?” and “thinking about touching other people’s private parts?”
It may shock you to read these questions, but think for a moment how a 7-year old and his parents must have felt!
The Supreme Court itself has ruled that parents have a constitutional right to make decisions about the care, custody and control of their children. However, this panel of three judges in the Palmdale, Calif., case felt that parents should not have an exclusive right. The “Almighty State” feels it knows as much, if not more, than the God-given parents do.
If we let the state into our homes, our homes will soon mirror the problems in our educational institutions. My advice to the state is to fix the problems that are staring you in the face and stay out of our homes unless you feel a law has been broken there. Friends, this intrusion is just one example of the liberal philosophy of “it takes a village to raise a child.”
Our forefathers saw to it that the state was there to aid us, not control us in any way, form or fashion. And to parents, may I say – stand up for your God-given rights, especially where your children are concerned.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11.08.05
In the very early days of history, the human race began building a Tower of Babel. It was man’s idea of making a name for himself, but God thwarted their efforts and the building was halted.
Throughout the centuries, every time someone has tried to rise up and make a name for himself, God has intervened and stopped them. Caesar, Charlemagne, Napoleon, Hitler and countless others have tried to rise up and claim this globe. New societies, new cultures, new empires – all crashed in confusion!
Egypt leaves its pyramids, Rome its Coliseum, Greece its Parthenon – all relics and ruins proving that the world and its greatness belong to the eternal God and not to temporal man.
The Book of Revelation tells us that the period of time known as the Apocalypse, at the end of time, will be the period when God shows this world that it belongs to Him.
Today, man boasts that he is his own god! He boasts of scientific achievements and we see the hope of a longer and better life dependent on man’s inventive genius. In reality, however, all this is again man trying to make a name for himself.
We tremble at the horrors of nuclear destruction. We marvel at the rapid advances in computer technology. We are sickened at the spread of disease, famine, war and the destruction left by extreme weather. We look everywhere for answers to reduce crime, increase health care and explain the onslaught of the confusion that society seems to experience these days.
But the old time hymn says, “This is my Father’s world!” and Psalm 24 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” To all our puzzles, He is the missing piece, He is the answer.
At the end of life, all that will matter is this – have you given your life to Him or have you spent your life trying to make a name for yourself?
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11.01.05
One of the great delights of living on the Eastern Shore is eating steamed crabs! Summertime takes on a whole new meaning when you eat steamed crabs with Old Bay seasoning and corn on the cob.
As a young man growing up on the Shore, I would go crabbing. It’s really simple: You take a piece of string about 15 feet long and tie the end to a chicken wing. Throw it out into the water and in a few minutes you feel the crab tugging on the string as he eats the chicken wing. Very, very slowly, you draw the string until the crab is in three to four inches of water, then you quickly slip a crab net around the little fella, take him home and put him into a boiling pot of water for a delicious meal.
When you consider this whole process, it’s very enlightening because many humans are like the hungry crab – so absorbed in the meal and so preoccupied with their appetite that they do not see their impending danger and the end of their freedom.
How many people resemble the hungry crab? So preoccupied with the ‘now’ that they fail to realize life will one day be over!
How we need to resist the majority’s practice of throwing away our future to satisfy today. Both nationally and individually, we are sacrificing the future on the altar of the immediate.
Don’t sell out your eternity for the temporary – remember the story of the hungry crab!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.25.05 -
The nation of Israel and its history have been marked by the blessings of God. In Israel’s infancy, God made them a promise that He would bless them bountifully, in accordance with their obedience.
What a storied past they have had! God gave them a glorious land – the land of Canaan. God gave them a law – the Ten Commandments. God gave them a Lord – Himself!
What did they do with all of God’s gifts? They defiled the land, they defied the Law, and they denied the Lord
They say that in family fortunes there are three stages. The first generation generates, the second generation speculates, and the third generation dissipates until the fortune is gone.
The same principle is true with a nation. Our nation had its beginnings in righteousness and our forefathers generated the blessings of God. The great patriot Patrick Henry said, “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” That speech sparked a revolution and we became a free people.
George Washington, during his inaugural address, kissed the Bible. His first official act as President was going to church and taking Congress with him. You cannot help but see the hand of God in early America, so what has gone wrong after such an auspicious beginning?
Judges 17:6 says, “In those days every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” This Bible verse speaks of America’s problem. While the first generation generated God’s blessings, we now have a generation that speculates about the things of God. We have begun to condone the unrighteousness that our forefathers hated. We have begun to slacken the moral restraints. Our difficulties with drugs, teenage pregnancy, suicide and the sexual revolution are problems spawned by a society that has decided that their way is better than God’s.
Remember, the first generation generates, the second speculates and the third dissipates. Just for a moment, try to imagine our nation 50 to 100 years from now. Will our propensity be towards or away from God? How far will we go before we realize that our grandparents and our parents were correct and biblical in their ideals, not just old fashioned? Our forefathers gave us a nation filled with God’s blessings. What will we give to our young?
Abraham Lincoln once bid on a slave. Once payment had been made the slave asked his new master, “What are you going to do with me?” “I’m setting you free” replied Lincoln. “Free to go wherever I want to go?” Free to do whatever I want to do? Free to be whatever I want to be? Free to go with whomever I like?” “Yes!” replied Lincoln. The slave said, “If I can go with whomever I choose, I choose you”.
Should we, as Americans, follow anyone else when it was God who gave us our freedom? Generation, speculation and, without God’s help, dissipation. Think about it!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.18.05 - I recently read an email that began by asking the following questions:
• Name the five wealthiest people in the world
• Name the last five Heismann Trophy winners
• Name the last five winers of the Miss
America Pageant
• Name the last half-dozen Academy Award
winners
The second part of the quiz asked:
• List a few teachers who aided your
journey through school
• Name three friends who have helped you
through a difficult time
• Name five people who have taught you
something worthwhile
• Think of a few people who have made you
feel appreciated and special
• Think of five people you enjoy spending
time with
• Name a half-dozen heroes whose stories
have inspired you
The second part of the quiz is easier than the first, and that is the point of the quiz. The people who make a difference in your life are not necessarily the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. The people who touch our lives are the ones who care.
I am reminded of the words of one writer, “We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.”
It has been said that some people never die because they live their lives through those they have touched. Henry Wordsworth Longfellow’s poem, “A Psalm of Life” says the following:
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime
And departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time
Not many of us would fall into the category of being “great” men or women, but we can leave behind us “footprints on the sands”. To put it another way, we can cast our shadow over the people we come in contact with. Dads, Moms, Teachers, Pastors, Leaders, we all have the opportunity to influence for the future. May we seize the chance. Think about it - you may be changing someone’s future right now!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.11.05 In Genesis 1 we learn that man is a divine creation made by God — miraculously made — formed by the hand of the great God of the universe. Miraculously made — so much so that the psalmist said, “I will fear thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Distinct from all of God’s creation, man is a marvel — God’s favored creation. God placed man above all creations He had previously made. Genesis tells us we’re made in God’s image. The question that begs an answer is why?
Man, in the very beginning, was told to replenish the earth. He was also told to subdue the earth. God made all of creation for man — for his pleasure and his enjoyment. However, God made man for himself. In the Garden of Eden, God had fellowship with man every evening. In the cool of the day, man brought God delight and glory by his intimate fellowship. When sin came, then separation, man was ashamed and hid from God. Why? Because man knew he was made for God, to bring glory to God.
In his book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” Rick Warren brings to light the fact that we all have a divine purpose. Our purpose is to bring glory to God. We should ask ourselves this question - is our life bringing glory to God? If we are motivated by selfish desires we will long to fulfill ourselves, but when we are motivated to bring God glory, we are living according to the purpose for which we were created.
In 1715, King Louis XIV of France died after a reign of 72 years. He had called himself “the Great”, and was the monarch who made the famous statement, “I am the State!” His court was the most magnificent in Europe, and his funeral was equally spectacular.
As his body lay in state in a golden coffin, orders were given that the cathedral should be very dimly lit, with only a special candle set above his coffin to dramatize his greatness. At the memorial, thousands waited in hushed silence. Then, Bishop Massilon began to speak. Slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle and said, “Only God is great”.
Man is to show this world that only God is great, and we are to bring Him glory. That’s why we are here!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.04.05
Last week we discussed the question, where do we come from? This week we want to look at who we are. Mankind is a unique creation, apart from any other. We are made in the very image of God. Man’s existence is not due to a process, but is due to the divine plan of the infinite Person of God. The missing link is not the Piltdown man, the Java-Ape man, nor the Nebraska man. The missing link is found in God.
God took the dust of the earth and fashioned man. Evolution tries to explain the origin of man, but not the origin of woman. Both man and woman were crafted by God. The psalmist exclaimed, “I will fear thee because I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” Mankind is a marvel. We are made up of 24 elements and 16 chromosomes (half inherited from our mother, half inherited from our father). Chromosomes contain thousands of genes. Men and women have anywhere from 50 to 75 trillion cells. The activity of a single cell is equivalent to that of a large city. The genetic information contained in one cell of the woman’s body is easily equivalent to the information contained in a library of 4,000 volumes.
When you look at man and woman, you see they are unique from all of God’s other creations. Man and animals were created on the same day, yet something is different about man. He and he alone is made in the image of God. Man, like God, is made up of three parts. The body, relating to the world around us; the soul, relating to the world within us, and the spirit, relating to the world above us. Plants have a body but they do not have a soul or a spirit. Animals have a soul (or mind), yet they have no spirit. Neither plants nor animals can fellowship with God.
Everything in creation was created for man however, man was created for God. God placed mankind over the earth, and He placed man beneath himself.
The story of man is threefold. Creation by a loving God. Man’s spiral downwards and away from God. Recreation – man needs a new birth - he needs God’s divine nature. Understand this and you will come to an enlightenment of who we are.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9.27.05 - The existence of man raises three great questions – who are we, where did we come from, and what are we here for? Many try to answer these questions based on the assumptions and theories of evolution, but what do we mean when we talk about the theory of evolution? The World Book Encyclopedia gives this definition, “Evolution is a process of gradual change….the process of evolution most commonly refers to the formation and development of life on earth.”
According to this theory, the first single-celled organisms appeared about 3 or 4 billion years ago, soon after the earth’s crust had formed and cooled. As time passed, more complex organisms gradually developed specialized characteristics that helped them adapt to their environment. This evolutionary process eventually produced all the species that inhabit the earth today. It is believed that about 50 million years ago, in the development of primates, three main lines emerged – the Prosimians, New World Monkeys and Old World Monkeys. At some point there was a split from the Old World Monkeys which gave us apes and humans. These apes evolved about 50 million years ago. The great ape-human divergence happened (according to evolutionists) around 5-8 million years ago. So, to put it simply, man has been trying to make a monkey out of himself for years!
Someone summarized the evolutionary theory this way –
Once I was a tadpole beginning to begin
Then I was a frog with my tail tucked in;
Then I was a monkey, hanging from a tree
And now I’m a professor with a PhD
However, the Bible tells us that by faith we understand the worlds were formed, and Dr. Conklin of Princeton says, “to suggest that life happened by evolution has about the same probability as suggesting that a Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary could emerge from a printing factory explosion!”
What a relief it is to accept the Bible at face value - to understand how we got here. Man was made by God, and made in his image. Genesis 1:27 says “So God created man...”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9.20.05 - I recently read an article on bostonnews.com entitled “Walkout Divided New Hampshire Church”. The story told how more than half of the Church of Our Redeemer walked out one Sunday morning in protest at the dismissal of their Pastor. Donald Wilson was barred from the church after he spoke out against the election of the Reverend Gene Robinson (an outspoken and openly gay clergyman) as the Bishop of the diocese of New Hampshire. You can be sure that many of those that walked out were not in a good mood!
As a Pastor and Preacher I’ve noticed that people leave the church in many different ways. Many have left glad, some have left sad and a few have left mad. Some have left shouting, while others have left pouting. Some have left smiling, others were stewing!
In the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, Jesus tells the story of two men leaving church in entirely different conditions, one ignored and one forgiven. The two men were complete opposites when it came to their occupations and their reputations. The Pharisee led a respectable life. He was known for his religion and his keeping of the law. He was considered a religious leader, teacher and role model. The name Pharisee means ‘separated’, and from an earthly perspective the Pharisees were admired and revered. They were moral and spiritual examples – they had status in their community. The Publican, on the other hand, was a tax collector who was hated by the Jews because he had Roman authority to search and seize. The Publicans were considered to be men who extorted money and goods from their own people – their status could not have been any lower.
When the two men entered the temple, even their way of worshipping was different. The Pharisee thanked God he was not like other men – he was infested with arrogance and pride. The Publican bowed his head and said, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus then told how the Pharisee’s prayer was ignored while the Publican was forgiven.
So often we Americans are proud of our status in society. Now, while a good name should be chosen rather than great riches, we also need to see ourselves as sinners covered by the grace of God. Many of our nation’s problems, church problems and domestic problems could be solved with a little humility.
May we humble ourselves before almighty God because the bible says that God resisteth the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9.13.05 - No matter how great the disaster, history teaches us that there will always be some good to be found in the midst of the trouble. In Charles Swindoll’s book, “Hand Me Another Brick,” is a brief focus on the life of Thomas Edison:
Thomas Edison invented the microphone, the phonograph, the incandescent light, the storage battery, talking movies, and more than 1000 other things. December, 1914, he had worked for 10 years on a storage battery. This had greatly strained his finances.
This particular evening spontaneous combustion had broken out in the film room. Within minutes, all the packing compounds, celluloid for records and film, and other flammable goods were in flames. Fire companies from eight surrounding towns arrived, but the heat was so intense and the water pressure so low that the attempt to douse the flames was futile. Everything was destroyed.
Edison was 67. With all his assets going up in a whoosh (although the damage exceeded $2 million, the buildings were only insured for $238,000 because they were made of concrete and thought to be fireproof), would his spirit be broken?
The inventor’s 24 year-old son, Charles, searched frantically for his father. He finally found him, calmly watching the fire, his face glowing in the reflection, his white hair blowing in the wind. “My heart ached for him,” said Charles. “He was 67 – no longer a young man – and everything was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted, ‘Charles, where’s your mother?’ When I told him I didn’t know, he said, ‘Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this as long as she lives.’ ”
The next morning, Edison looked at the ruins and said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.”
Adversity made America a great nation. It is because of our determination to go on in the face of adversity that we will rise again from this disaster.
We have determined to pray, to give, and to continue to trust God with the same simple faith evidenced in the lives of our forefathers. I trust you will do the same.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9.06.05
Labor Day is a national holiday that is more than 100 years old. Interestingly enough, it grew out of a celebration and parade in honor of the working class put on by the Knights of Labor in 1882.
In 1884, the Knights held a large parade in New York City celebrating the “working class”. The parade was held the first Monday in September. The Knights passed a resolution to hold all future parades on the same day, designated as “Labor Day.” As a result, this labor union’s idea for a last chance of summer celebration and rest from work became a national holiday.
The Socialist Party had held a similar celebration in May first known as May Day. Communists and socialists celebrated the working man on this day. Consequently, the first Monday in September was intended to be a rejection and separation from any identification with communism.
Labor was first introduced to man in the Garden of Eden. When Adam sinned by disobedience, God told him, “By the sweat of thy brow thou shalt labor.” Ever since then, mankind has put his or her shoulder to the plow.
The Bible has much to say about labor. We are to work six days and rest one. In creation, God rested on the seventh day. The Bible also tells us that it is man’s responsibility to provide for his or her family by labor. So much so that the Word of God says, “If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
It’s not the government’s job to provide for the citizenry. But for those who cannot work, there is to be a means of caring for them. That is one of the purposes of the church.
Often I drive down the road and see healthy, young men standing around on a corner. Their excuse for not working is that they can’t find work. If the truth be known, the majority of them don’t want to find work anymore than a thief wants to find a policeman. Labor is a responsibility, but it is also a privilege.
As I left home to go to college, my Dad shook my hand and said, “it’s a great country out there - go and make something of yourself.” I’ve done my best, but that’s great advice for everyone. The key to success in America is three-fold: work, work, and work. However long, however hard, we are told as Christians to be thorough in our work ethic.
Our next generation must learn this. Nothing is handed to us - there is no gfree lunch, no one owes us a living. It is gained by work.
Many spend Labor Day weekend enjoying the fruits of their labor, connecting with family and friends, and remembering to be thankful for the privilege of labor and the reward of a well-deserved rest from that labor.
Remember the words of Jesus Christ, “I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8.30.2005
At this time of year, we are reminded of the scripture from Jeremiah… “The summer is ended”, because our youth will soon be headed back to school.
We often hear about the state of the Union, but we should be more concerned with the state of our schools. Despite the fact that we outspend other nations on education, our students are out-performed by students from Poland, the Slovak Republic, Czechoslovakia, Iceland, China, Taiwan, Canada, Korea, Wales and many other nations. Americans currently have one of the poorest outcomes per education dollar spent among all industrial nations. The U.S. Department of Education has concluded:
“The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people….. If an unfriendly power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves.”
What has happened with American education? Many reports indicate the problem to be (1) the current philosophy of education, (2) curriculum content and (3) teacher competency. I am sure all three have added to our dilemma of declining grades and increasing problems.
Our forefathers believed that education was no education at all without the Bible, and one must admit that since we put the Bible out and put evolution in, our students have acted more like monkeys than Christians.
Something must be done! In our schools, God, the Bible and prayer are out, guns and condoms are in! It’s been a slow decline, but downhill is the direction education is going that’s for sure!
We must return to the faith of our fathers. As the educator, Noah Webster, once said:
“The education of youth should be watched with the most scrupulous attention….. It is much easier to introduce and establish an effectual system….. than to correct by penal statutes the ill effects of a bad system….. The education of youth….. lays the foundations on which both law and gospel rest for success.”
Either a Christian education – or it’s neither! This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8.23.05
This inscription is found on a monument in Plymouth, Mass., a memorial to every American:
“This spot marks the final resting place of the pilgrims of the Mayflower. In weariness and hunger, and cold, fighting the wilderness and burying their dead in common graves that the Indians should not know how many had perished, they here laid the foundation of a state in which all men for countless ages should have liberty to worship God in their own way. All you who pass by and see this stone remember, and dedicate yourselves anew to the resolution that you will not rest, until this lofty ideal shall have been realized throughout the earth.”
What a marvelous ideal was America! Those few brave souls who came here envisioned what we now enjoy. Conceived in the heart of God Almighty, these pilgrims followed his will and forged this land. Why? Because they knew the great privilege of being free, especially in the arena of religious liberty.
Many today in our nation are apathetic and indifferent to the American dream. Dr. Lawrence Gould of Carlton, Va., said, “I do not believe the greatest threat to our future is from bombs or guided missiles. I don’t think our civilization will end like that. I think it will die when we no longer care.”
Our forefathers cared enough about this nation to give their lives for it. They were also filled with compassion about its future – enough to ‘set it in stone’ for all who pass by to see.
What is our freedom worth to you? The prophet Jeremiah wrote in the book of Lamentations, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” Would the pilgrims cry out to us as he did? “Is it nothing to you?” May our hearts and will not rest until we see this lofty ideal realized throughout our land.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8.16.2005
The wise man Solomon said, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”
All of us at one time or another wonder if friends are really worth the effort. Solomon gives some good practical advice on the value of friendships. When we work, we always accomplish a certain amount of work. However, with a friend you might more than double your output.
Of course, there is more to Solomon’s statement than just mere economic gain, even more than just a physical application. Our lives often travel troubled routes, and occasionally this leads to dilemma and difficulty in our life. However, in an hour of peril it is difficult to find our way out, sometimes harder just to make it through. In those times of life, happy is the one who has a friend.
A true friend will not leave at such a time, they assist us in finding the path we want to be on. God’s Word says that the words of a friend are faithful and true. Sometimes with a stiff rebuke, other times with a compassionate understanding, a friend rides through the storm with you. Friends such as this are becoming rarer and fewer. There is a great need for godly friends - friends who will help us see the Lord in the hour of struggle. If you have such a friend, be thankful. If you can be such a friend, be faithful. If you need such a friend, but have not found one, remember that God’s Word says, “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” That friend is Jesus.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8.09.05
84 year-old Harry Truman (not the former president of the same name) refused to leave his home on Spirit Lake, nestled in the shadow of Mount St. Helens, despite repeated warnings from the governor of Washington State, local authorities, and family members.
The start of the 1980 eruption was marked by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter Scale that caused a massive collapse of the north face of the mountain.
Harry Truman’s body was never found. His niece told an interviewer, “He felt, like everyone else, that he would be able to see the lava start to ooze down and a news helicopter would come in and scoop him up at the last minute.”
When the volcano erupted, the searing blast came at more than 300 miles per hour. One scientist said that Truman probably had time to maybe turn his head.
Harry Truman was warned time and time again, but he failed to heed the warnings. There are many Harry Trumans in this world. The Bible warns us of the imminent return of Jesus Christ, yet those warnings are ignored. Like old Harry Truman, when Jesus returns, there will be no time to be saved.
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”
II Corinthians 6:2.
Friend, there is no time like the present. Will you heed the warnings, the pleadings of God, your local church, or perhaps your family members?
Jesus said, “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.”
The only thing certain about the future is that the future is uncertain. You may not have a last minute for which to wait..
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8.02.05
No person sets out purposely to deny or pervert God’s truth. The process from truth to compromise is so gradual one does not know its happening.
The most outstanding example in the Bible is the temptation of man. When Satan tempted Adam and Eve he did not at first directly oppose God’s Word. He first began by questioning what God said. Once the seeds of doubt were sown in the mind of Eve, a foothold was gained.
Our nation, forged in liberty, has come a long way from the intentions of our founding fathers. 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 an all-powerful state. This is true of peoples 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. There was a spirit of unity and patriotism; children actually learned something at school; political leaders were respected; families were stable. Why? Because God’s laws had authority and respect. However, when these laws were replaced by man-made ideals and political correctness, everything began deteriorating.
As a nation we must return to leadership that desires following God’s Truth. From our President to our Supreme Court justices, we must be held accountable for upholding God’s Truth.
Now be assured that this will not be accomplished over night. Even in the next months you will see the president’s choice for Supreme Court justice scrutinized by the Left. In reality, they do not want him or her in office if he supports godly truth.
Let’s stand together, unified, and uphold God’s Almighty, unchanging Truth. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:32.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.26.05
The bear hunter spotted the big grizzly bear and had him in the sights of his rifle when the bear said , “Please don’t shoot – I’m not going to bother you. All I want to do is eat my breakfast”. The hunter lowered the gun and said, “Don’t try to talk me out of this. For years I’ve wanted a bearskin coat and you are the finest specimen I have ever seen!” The bear said, “Maybe there is some way we could compromise?” The hunter said, “OK”. So they sat down to reach a compromise – the hunter and the bear.
They worked it out. The bear got his breakfast and the hunter got his bearskin coat!
Now the moral of this story is – you better be careful with whom you talk compromise.
America was founded by men and women who refused to compromise their convictions. Today we have become so broadminded we’re almost flat-headed! So broadminded, in fact, that in the last 50 years we’ve compromised to such an extent that many of our freedoms have been taken away!
We spend much of our time listening to liberal politicians and clergy lecturing us about how we should be more tolerant and broadminded. How much more tolerant can we be? It may be that we are talking with the bear and he will soon be eating!
We need to raise our rifles, sight in on the bears that are destroying our freedoms and pull the trigger before the bear has breakfast and we wear the bearskin coat!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.19.2005
So often our lives are nothing more than boredom and monotony. Very seldom do you find a person who is excited about anything, or someone who actually enjoys what they do in life. Many see no future in their employment, and little hope for their marriage. Many lack a challenge and harbor a strong doubt that things will ever change.
To many, life is chasing the wind in a never-ending cycle. They try vacations, travel, booze, entertainment, food, sexual escapades, and a dozen other things in an effort to capture and hold on to happiness.
Solomon was a man who knew about life. The mere mention of his name creates images of wealth, power and wisdom – but when his life was almost over he gave a condensed version of priorities in Ecclesiastes 12 when he said, “Let us hear the whole conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
Often I speak with people who say, “I just want to be happy.” Man is incurable in his search for fulfillment, joy, happiness and contentment. The world we live in is constantly telling us what we should expect out of life.
However, according to God’s word, this world does not and can not satisfy. There are fleeting pleasures and momentary satisfactions, but no lasting fulfillment apart from Christ.
From what he said, Solomon also had found this to be true.
Friend, we in this blessed land can be thankful for all the material blessings God has bestowed upon us, but we should never let material things take the place of God in our lives. Our forefathers were such men. Let us also remember to put God first.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.12.05
Psalm 85 is the song of a patriot. The Psalmist begins with the phrase “Thou has been favorable to our land.” He is speaking of the blessings of the people. He lifts up both his heart and his voice to express his gratitude.
If any people on earth should feel gratitude it is the American people because we live in the greatest nation on earth. I make no apologies for being an old fashioned, red-blooded American. I still get a lump in my throat when I hear the Star Spangled Banner. When I see our flag fluttering in the breeze, carried in a parade or hanging in a public place, my heart beats with pride.
When I see protesters in other countries cheering as our flag is burned in the street, it makes me sick. Many of those countries owe their existence to the United States. I get my dander up with Americans who are radically opposed to our nation, like Michael Moore - who told the British press that Americans are the dumbest people on earth and suggested that we are the terrorists of the world.
In the words of Colin Powell, “We have gone farther from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years..... We have put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in!”
As far as I am concerned, the liberals in Hollywood who do not appreciate our nation ought to be sent to China and we should give their citizenship to some dear Chinese people who would truly appreciate living in a free country!
We enjoy a land of diverse blessings and we have over 200 years of independence. I don’t always agree with politicians, but I do thank God for the privilege of voting and the privilege of living in a Christian nation. Of the 55 authors of the Constitution, 50 were professing Christians, so as a nation we were conceived in freedom and, God willing, in freedom we will spend the rest of our days. The Star Spangled Banner is our national anthem but very seldom do we ever hear anything but the first stanza. However, it is the fourth stanza that moves my heart:
O thus be it ever when free men shall stand,
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation;
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n-rescued land
Praise the pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just:
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
This is the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
–MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.05.05
On Dec. 12, 2003, an article from the Associated Press contained the headline “God is back in God Bless the USA”.
The story was about the Pacifica High School in Oxnard, Calif. In the finale of a school program, a 200-voice choir was to sing Lee Greenwood’s patriotic anthem “God Bless the USA”. However, fearing that using the name of God might cause a problem or be a violation of separation of church and state, the school board decided to change the words from “God bless the USA” to “I love the USA”.
What the school authorities did not expect was the reaction and response they received from many of the parents. When parents found out about the change, they made their anger known to school officials. Some withdrew their children from the program, while others wrote protesting e-mails to the school board. For fear of a lawsuit, the school reversed its decision.
The Associated Press article stated “many parents got God back in Lee Greenwood’s patriotic anthem ‘God Bless the USA’ and school board President Ron Speakman said, ‘it was a misguided attempt to be politically correct, and it has been rectified’.”
Thank God for the parents who stood up to the misguided thinking and policies of the officials at Pacifica High School. We need more people in this country who will stand up to some of the foolish and misguided things that are going on in this nation in the name of political correctness and separation of church and state.
The story also reminded me that we desperately need to put God back in our school houses, court houses and our government, and also in our public and private lives.
It would be a great and glorious day if God was indeed back in the USA. He is our source of greatness. As a nation we have many needs, but none so great as for God to bless the USA.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.28.05
There’s nothing like coming home at night to a house with a light on. How many of us have stayed up late waiting for a loved one? Left a light on to avoid coming home to darkness?
A light lets you know that home is right there where you left it, waiting for your safe return. Whether a weary worker, mind-boggled student, dusty traveler, exhausted athlete, or prodigal child, the lights of home are always a welcome sight.
Tom Bodet, who represents Motel 6, tells us, “We’ll leave the lights on for ya”. Friend, I want you to know that God always leaves the lights on. No matter where you go, or what you do, God is always there waiting to welcome you home.
With God, “home” is a place where your spirit is at peace, your mind is at rest, and your heart is content. It can be experienced in the middle of a throng of people, a quiet, sunny field, a wild, thundering storm, a stuffy, hopeless hospital room, or a church filled with praise.
The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the best loved in the Bible. The son demanded his inheritance of his father, that he could go and live on his own. Like many rebels, his attitude to his father was, “I want your money - I don’t want you.” After wasting all he had in riotous living, after all his new friends left him, as he was starving in the middle of the pig sty, he finally came to the realization that the only thing he really wanted to be was the son of his father...at home.
Now his father had let him go. He gave him his money. But he left the lights on, loving his son, grieving for his son, and waiting. The Bible says, “When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”
Wherever you have gone, however far you have gone, however long you have been away, remember the picture of the Father running to meet his child.
Your Heavenly Father has been waiting for you. With his everlasting loving kindness, He has been drawing you home. He’s left the light on for you.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.21.05
David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, said in Psalm 122 “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ ”
How much do we want to increase our knowledge of God and grow as a believer? It is often a temptation to say we can do it alone, that we don’t need the hassle of the congregation of formal worship or the other inconveniences of worshipping in church. Some people make the comment, “You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian”, while others have said, “I love God, but I don’t need the church.”
Perhaps you have said things like this or thought them. However, in order to grow as a believer, you and I need to worship in the church as part of our growth. True, one doesn’t have to attend church to be a Christian, but if you’re going to be a good Christian you need to!
Jesus gave a clear command to the Hebrews: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but so much the more as you see that day (the day of Jesus’ return) approaching.” Many a Christian’s spiritual growth in the Lord has been slowed, or even brought to a standstill, by the failure to be faithful in church worship. With all the diversity God has put in his church, there is a place for everyone. It is not something we should be obligated to do, rather something we rejoice in doing.
Those who are growing are attending a fellowship regularly. That attendance will benefit the believer and assist in his or her growth. Be faithful in your fellowship in the house of the Lord! You will find it an enriching and growing experience.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.14.05
If you grew up in the 50’s you no doubt remember the King of the Cowboys and the Queen of the West – Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Roy, Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk (their horses) and Bullet (Roy’s German Shepherd dog), faced bandits and scoundrels of all kinds. As a boy, the only thing better than owning a Red Ryder BB gun was being a member of the Roy Rogers’ Riders Club. To be a member you had a set of rules to follow – and remember this was national television!
Be clean and neat
Be courteous and polite
Always obey your parents
Protect the weak
Be brave but never take chances
Study hard and learn all you can
Be kind to animals and take care of them
Eat all your food and never waste any
Love God and go to Sunday school regularly
Always respect our flag and country
Then of course, at the end of the show, Roy and Dale would always wave goodbye and sing, “Happy trails to you, until we meet again. Happy trails to you, keep smiling until then. Who cares about the clouds when we’re together? Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather. Happy trails to you, ‘til we meet again.”
As I read through his website and saw the rules, especially the Sunday school rule, all I could say was “Whoa Trigger! Have we come a long way or what?” Now, I’m always for a better way to do things – I love progress and thank God for our nation’s vision. However, in these ‘good’ times, check out the current TV guide and you’ll find listings of television shows which are a far cry from “Happy Trails to You.” Ever wondered where our children got the idea of shooting each other? Roy Rogers never shot anyone, but today we would laugh at the moral fiber of the 50’s. I think it would do us good to go back to many of the values America used to have!
These days could be described by the words of Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. We have so much, and this generation has reaped so many benefits from the efforts of our predecessors, yet look at all the problems that seem to be beyond us! If we could only go back to the core values that Roy Rogers had as rules for his club, we would do well – because they were biblical principles. Until then, we will not be able to sing in our blessed nation “Happy Trails to You”.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.07.05 - Christians have always had their critics. This was true in the first church when they were accused of drunkenness, cannibalism and subversion against their government. In fact our Lord Jesus was dogged by the scribes and Pharisees throughout his earthly ministry. They accused him of being a friend of sinners and publicans, even to the point that he was called a glutton.
In our day the same is true. If you live for the Lord and hold up His standard you will receive criticism. People will attack your motives, ridicule your faith and mock that which is holy. The question arises, “How does a Christian deal with criticism?” Jesus reminds us in 1 Peter 2 that most of the criticisms against Christians are foolish. Critics are like crickets - they do most of their chirping in the dark!
The life of God’s people should reflect the love of the Lord Jesus. Our lives should draw people to the Savior. I’ve often reminded our church members that most people won’t come in the doors of a church and most will never read the bible. Therefore, we are the only bible that many people will ever read, and all of us have a testimony, whether good or bad.
As a young man, one of the first poems I ever heard was:
You’re writing the gospel, a chapter each day,
by deeds that you do, by words that you say.
Men read what you write, faithless or true.
What is the gospel, according to you?
The greatest advertisements for righteousness are the lives of Christian people. How we respond to criticism either inspires others or repels them. In a world that is often hostile to our Christian faith, let’s respond with the love of Christ.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5.24.05
After years of prayer and planning and a year of construction, our new church sanctuary is ready for occupancy. To God be the glory!
By the time this edition goes to press, we will have had our long-awaited Dedication Celebration Service. What a wonderful time of rejoicing and thankfulness this is for our people!
As I was thinking about what all of this means to us, I was reminded of a great truth for the believer in Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches us that every Christian is a living, breathing sanctuary of our Almighty, Eternal God. “Ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you…”
The songwriter wrote it this way:
“Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,
Pure and holy, tried and true;
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.”
As long, hard and carefully as we prepared this building to be used to bring glory to the God we love and serve, even more so should we daily prepare our hearts to be the dwelling place of God, that our lives might bring glory and honor to Him.
After all - all the glory belongs to Jesus!
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5.17.05 - With the passing of Mother’s Day I again was reminded how precious our moms are. Mothers come in all sizes, shapes and colors and are found everywhere - at kitchen sinks, hunting lost school books, kissing hurt places to make them well, settling disputes, getting meals, supervising baths and morals.
A teacher had just presented a lesson on magnets and magnetic force. Then she quizzed her pupils. My name starts with the letter M. I have six letters and I pick up things. What am I? To her amazement all the children answered “Mother”.
A USA Today snapshot listed what moms with kids under the age of 18 would like to do most for Mother’s Day:
- Having time at home with the family 36%
- Go out to dinner 20%
- Go to a spa 20%
- Have a day off 12%
- Go shopping 11%
- Spend the day alone 0.3%
In these days of uncertainty, we need good and godly mothers. Startling statistics reveal why: 30 percent of high school seniors used marijuana during the school year. 18 percent of 8th graders admitted they had used marijuana during the school year - this compared to 6 percent last year. The AFA Journal reported that in our country, 1 million teenage girls become pregnant every year. About 30 percent of teens have had sex by the age of 15. Students annually consume 35 percent of all wine coolers sold in the United States, or 31 million gallons! They also consume 1.1 billion cans of beer, or 102 million gallons.
A mom is one who guides her young ones through the difficulties of life. If ever there was a time they were needed as bright lights in a dark world it is today. There’s really noone quite like mother!
Thank God for mothers.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5.10.05 - The wife of a federal district court judge, who was at a clearance sale, found the perfect green tie to match one of her husband’s sport coats.
A little later, the couple was relaxing at a resort to take his mind off a complicated cocaine conspiracy case when he noticed a small round disc sewn into his tie. He thought this was suspicious so he called the local FBI whose agents were equally suspicious that it might be a bug planted by the conspiracy defendants. The agent sent the device to FBI headquarters in Washington DC for analysis.
A few days later, the judge telephoned Washington to find out the results of the tests. He was told, “we are not sure where the disc came from, but we discovered that when you press it, it plays Jingle Bells!”
The point is this, that quite often we find ourselves worried about things that never come to pass. Mark Twain said, “I am an old man and have known many troubles, but most of them never happened.”
There is a problem that plagues each of us as Americans, the malady of worry. Thoreau asked the question, “Why will men worry themselves?” The Greeks thought of worry as something that pulls us in two and the Latin translation suggests a turbulent force responsible for turmoil within.
In calming his disciples, Jesus spoke about worry. He gave examples of things that do not worry - the “fowls of the air”, and the “lilies of the field.”
In the same passage He emphasizes the even greater value and high priority God places on us as His children and God’s commitment to us. There is nothing more useless to a Christian than worry. It has never changed anything, never calmed a troubled heart, never dried a tear, and never lifted a burden. Worry is a lot like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it takes you nowhere!
In Philippians it says, “Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
When we are filled with dread and worry, remember what God’s word says.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5.03.05
A probing challenge is given by Solomon, the wise man, as he says in Ecclesiastes 12:1 “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.”
What a wonderful time of life are the young years. Days are filled with excitement and learning and every day is fresh and new. However, youth is not just a wonderful time, it is an important time. It is a time when God wants the heart turned toward Him. In the early years of life the heart is tender and fertile. It grows harder as we grow older.
We as parents have an awesome responsibility to teach our children godly ways of life. Solomon’s challenge is one for parents as well as for the youth. Long before the days of evil and temptation come, we are to teach our children to trust in God. Long before the days of peer pressure come along, children need to know which way is the right way and to know how to avoid the wrong way. Once a person is in the teen years of life, their principles of right and wrong have already been established. If a parent waits until the teen years to discipline and teach character and principle, it’s almost too late.
Many times as a pastor I have been confronted with parents who are broken-hearted over a wayward son or daughter. In most cases, it was because they waited too long or never took the time to teach the child to ‘remember thy Creator’. May I encourage you as parents and grandparents to be busy putting godly principles and practices into the lives of those children God has entrusted to you. In their later years, it will help them to know which direction to go, and they will thank you for it.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4.26.05
The 14th President of the United States was Franklin Pierce. After serving in the Mexican war, he was elected to the presidency. He was truly the dark horse candidate among the Democrats, but won the nomination and was elected by a narrow margin.
Two months before taking office, he and his wife saw their 11-year-old son killed when their train was wrecked. Grief stricken, he entered the presidency nervously exhausted. So overtaken by the loss of his son, he looked for someone to blame and he blamed God. At his inauguration, he refused to have a Bible used at his swearing-in ceremony. He was the only president to have done so.
Oftentimes, after great tragedy, we look to blame, and many times God is the recipient. We become consumed by thoughts such as how God could allow this to happen to me. Ultimately, when we encounter unjustifiable problems, if we do not deal with them properly we become bitter. The Bible warns of this in Hebrews: “Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled.”
In other words, if you don’t handle bitterness, then bitterness will handle you!
Sad to say, many in life are filled with the blight of bitterness. Adrian Rogers says that, “Bitterness is a blight - an emotional cancer which consumes many a person who once had the bloom of eternal springtime upon them.” Bitterness is that feeling of hurt, resentment, anger, hate and even revenge that often builds up in the heart when we have been bitten by certain inconsistencies.
We have heard of the kudzu plant. Imported from Japan, it thrives in the warm environment of the South. It grows up to one foot a day in the growing season and it will choke out all live plants and anything else in its way.
Bitterness and unresolved hurts are much like the kudzu plant. It will crowd out everything else in your life and overtake you. Friend, give your heart and your hurts to the Lord. He understands! Even on the cross, he prayed for those who did him harm. When we forgive, bitterness leaves and love, joy, peace, contentment and happiness will fill your soul.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4.19.05
God’s word clearly states in Isaiah 40:31, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.”
We have become a society of stressed-out people. One expert said that 89 percent of Americans suffer from Chronic Stress Syndrome. The result : emotional, spiritual and physical problems.
For many people life is a jumbled mess, with days too long, nights too short and not enough time to accomplish everything they have to do. I recently read of a housewife who was so exhausted that she said she felt like she’d been ironing all day in high heels on a low board with a cold iron! I have counseled with many people who are weary and physically exhausted because of the pressures on them. Many cannot enjoy their lives because of this great burden.
Stress is the gap that exists between the demands placed upon us and the strength we have to meet those demands. There is often a great chasm between the “want to’s” and the “can’t do’s”. However, a great truth that we need to keep before us is that God is never weary or tired. The old spiritual says, “He never sleeps, He never slumbers.” I heard a preacher say one time, “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing ever occurs to God?”
When strength is small, waiting on the Lord is the answer. Many wait too long before turning to the Lord. Some seek strength from false sources, but the only answer for those living with high stress is to wait on the Lord. He will renew your strength.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4.12.05
There’s no sadder record in all the Bible than the account of the rise and fall of King Solomon. No one had a better start and no one had a more disappointing finish than he. The headlines could have read, “Solomon’s Ascension”, “Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom”, “Solomon’s Wealth”, then suddenly, “Solomon’s Heart Turned from God!”
It was no instant collapse. Solomon’s life was filled with all the pleasures of this world. It’s a curious truth, but luxury and prosperity usually precede problems in a nation. Even a good man, while he may be secure in danger, is endangered by security. No nation can endure opulence for long.
Oliver Goldsmith wrote, “Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, where wealth accumulates and men decay.” Today our nation is spiritually starved. We are starving in the midst of abundance. We are a nation of paupers in a land of plenty.
When describing the church of Laodicea in the book of Revelation, Jesus said, “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.”
We in America are rich and increased with goods and we have become self-sufficient. However, spiritually and morally, we are becoming poorer by the day. The older generation with its permissiveness; the lack of discipline in home, school, and society; the ridiculous new ideas in child training — all these have sown to the wind, and now we reap the whirlwind. Instead of age molding youth, we now have it the other way around. Our young people have more than any generation before them and yet suicide, drugs and teen pregnancy are higher than ever before.
Some things require time. It has taken us a long time to get where we are, and it is going to require time to get where we need to be. Our first step is to see our poverty and hopelessness without God. Pray that we would become dependent on God, not our pocketbook. Pray that we would see our need for God and that we would not become a self- sufficient people.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4.05.05 -
In the last 20 years, the term “born again” has become a well-known phrase. After Watergate, Charles Colson became born again while in prison and wrote his book bearing the title “Born Again”. In 1976, Jimmy Carter ran for the presidency on the premise that he was a born-again Christian. Recent gallop polls have shown that one out of every three people in the United States claim to have been born again.
What does it truly mean to be born again? Over and over the Bible uses this description to define the way to eternal life. Man’s greatest need is not reformation, it is regeneration. Reformation is whitewashing, regeneration (being born again) is washing white as snow (Isaiah 1:18).
When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night he sought to know the ways of God. Though he was a religious leader, Nicodemus knew Jesus held truths he longed to know. One such truth was concerning the question of how to inherit eternal life. Without reservation, Jesus said, “Marvel not that I say unto thee, ye must be born again.” Even though Nicodemus knew much of his religion, he did not know how to get to Heaven. Jesus supplied the answer - the new birth.
The father of American Methodism, John Wesley, once preached a week-long revival meeting. Every night he spoke on the subject “Ye Must be Born Again”. One parishioner finally asked, “Why do you always speak on the subject ‘Ye Must be Born Again’?” to which Wesley replied, “Because, you must be born again!”
There is a mystery that surrounds new birth. It is hard to understand how God will forgive sin, will indwell us, will make us one of His children, and promise us a home in Heaven — but it is true.
When you think about it there’s a lot we don’t understand, but we know it is true. I don’t understand electricity, but I know it exists. I don’t understand how a brown cow can eat green grass and give yellow butter and white milk, but I know it is true. So it is with faith in Christ - I know it is true!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3.29.05
According to the Travel Channel, the world’s 10 most famous and popular graves to visit are those of Lionel Lockyer, John Ringo, Emily Mather, Karl Marx, Bob Marley, Charles Pigeon, Jim Morrison, Harry Houdini, Bruce and Brandon Lee and Oscar Wilde. Each of these graves is visited by thousands each year, obviously because of who is buried there.
On the other hand, there is a grave near the old city wall of Jerusalem that was discovered and unearthed by General Christian Gordon in the late 1800s. It is cut out of solid rock with a large weeping area and a channel for a rolling stone. It measures 14 feet wide, 10 feet deep and 7.5 feet high. This grave has been visited by untold millions, not because of who is in the grave, but because of who is not in the grave. I’m speaking of the grave and tomb of the Lord Jesus.
A missionary in Northern India was preaching in a bazaar. When he finished, a Muslim gentleman walked up to him and said, “You must admit, we have one thing you have not, and it’s better than anything you do have.” The missionary answered that he would be pleased to hear what that was and the Muslim replied, “When we go to Mecca we, at least, find a coffin, but when you Christians go to Jerusalem, you find nothing but an empty grave!”
Let me say Hallelujah - we find nothing but an empty grave!
We do not worship someone whose body is contained in a coffin or a tomb. We celebrate a Saviour who rose from the dead and lives forevermore. Yes, Mohammed can be found in his coffin but, glory to God, the tomb of Jesus is empty. We worship a risen and ruling Lord.
The glory of Easter is - because our Saviour lives, you and I can also have eternal life.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3.22.05
The Scripture says, “Ye know not what shall be on the morrow.” The Bible never made a truer statement.
Someone once said, “The only thing certain is that nothing is certain!” How true. No generation has seen more uncertain times than these. What’s the next move in Iraq? Will North Korea be next? How do we avoid another 9/11? When will an answer be found for many of our medical problems, such as Aids? Will there ever be peace in the Middle East or will World War III begin?
Who knows? These and a thousand other questions confront our culture. I certainly do not have the answers, but I do know I don’t have to be overwhelmed with anxiety and depression. I think the hymn writer said it best, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
Most of us are familiar with the insurance commercial in which purportedly satisfied customers happily exclaim, “I’ve got a piece of the rock.”
As a Christian, not only do I have a piece of the rock, I have the whole rock - and the sacred book says that rock is Jesus! Actually, I’m better off even than that - I’m on the rock, in the rock and under the rock!
Christians have a sure power, a certain Saviour and a secure position. We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we do know who holds tomorrow - and that is better than all the uncertainty everywhere else in our times.
The commercial of years ago said, “You can trust your car to the man who wears the star” - but the old time preachers would say you’d better trust your life to the one who made that star!
This is the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3.15.05
Decisions, decisions - we make them every day. As a matter of fact, our lives are the sum total of our decisions. Life can be boiled down to that one word - decisions. Decisions make you or they break you. Just as decisions affect your life on earth, they also affect your eternity.
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described two groups of people, both affected by the decisions that they made. Matthew 7:13-14 says “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
All of us have to make a decision as to which gate we will enter. There’s the wide gate, and most people are going to take it. The problem with the wide gate is that Jesus said it is the road to destruction. That raises a question - if the road leads to destruction then why do people stay on it? There can only be one answer. The people on this road do not believe it leads to destruction or they would get off it. Solomon said in his Proverbs, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
State Farm Insurance tested the most dangerous intersections in America. They determined that the most dangerous is the corner of Flamingo Road and Pines Boulevard in Pembroke Pines, Fla.. At this one intersection, in one year, there were 357 crashes.
The most dangerous intersection spiritually is Religion Avenue and Good Works Boulevard. Most people believe that if you have either one or the other, then all should wind up well. But Jesus said that He and He alone, is the way to the Kingdom of Light. He said, “Enter by the narrow gate.”
I read recently the story of the atheist who stated in his will that he wanted to leave his farm to the devil. When he died, the legal system was dumbfounded over how to carry out his request. Finally, after weeks of deliberation, the court decided that the best way to carry out the farmer’s wishes was to plant weeds and briars to overtake the farm land, to allow the house and barn to remain unpainted and rot, and to let the soil erode and wash away. The court declared in its ruling, “The best way to let the devil have possession of anything is to do nothing.”
Yogi Berra said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” As you read this you must make a decision. Which road will you travel?
This is the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3.08.05
If you could ask the Lord for anything, what would it be? Wealth, fame, leadership? The disciples came to Jesus and asked him to teach them a lesson in prayer. Our Lord responded with the words in Luke 11:9, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
The greatest problem you have in your life is not unanswered prayer - it is unuttered prayer. James 4:2 says, “Yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”
As Christians we are commanded to pray. Luke 18 tells us, “Men ought always to pray and not to faint.” Mark tells us to “watch and pray, lest ye enter intotemptation. Philippians tells us, “be careful (anxious) for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
There is no substitute for prayer - not eloquence, not determination. Oh! How we need to be people of prayer.
The question often arises, “Why does God want us to pray? Doesn’t God know everything?” Truthfully, God knows what we need before we ask. So why should we ask? We don’t pray to impress God, although I hear prayers and I think that what some try to do. We certainly don’t pray to inform God, because He knows everything. We pray to invite God, to ask him to be a part of our lives, to delight ourselves in Him. God wants us to participate in his kingdom work through prayer. God wants us to depend on Him.
Think about this truth: the devil cannot stop God from answering prayer, so he will try to keep us from praying. A Christian must pray. America must pray. The future and moral strength of our families and our nation are all reasons for us to pray.
Today, why not bow your head and invite God to be a part of your life? Invite him to help with your burden, to fix whatever is wrong. Pray for our troops on foreign soil. Remember the Bible says, “Yet ye have not because ye ask not.” Our forefathers were men and women of prayer. May we follow their example.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3.01.05
The world of information is now connected via the Internet, but in 1860 the fastest way to send a message was by the newly developed Pony Express.
The innovative enterprise was created by the Russell-Majors-Waddell Company. Young men seeking adventure were hired to ride eight hours and 80 miles a day on horseback. The 1,946 miles between St. Joseph, Mo., and Sacramento, Calif., were linked together by 190 stations so that mail could be delivered in 10 days rather than 25. These men rode six days a week for the salary of $125 a month. Each man was outfitted with a bright red shirt and blue trousers.
It is interesting to note that their gear included an ultra light saddle, a Colt revolver, a lightweight Winchester, and a Bible. In 19 months of this existence those riders traveled 650,000 miles and delivered 34,754 pieces of mail, and only lost one bag. Every rider had to carry a copy of God’s Word.
In America we place great value upon the Bible. Our presidents are sworn in by laying their hand upon it. Our courts all have a copy of God’s Word. Hardly a municipal building, motel, or hospital is without the Bible.
When it comes to establishing a standard, the book we turn to is the Bible. As a nation we believe it to be God’s holy, infallible Word, forever settled in Heaven. The psalmist David said, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Someone wrote an acrostic for the Bible:
Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth
Of itself, the Bible says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” It is not a book, it is the Book of Books - God’s written Word. In these days of uncertainty and mistrust, we can trust the Bible.
Davy Crockett, the great frontiersman said, “Be sure you are right, then go ahead. As a nation, we can only be right if our standard is the Bible.” As John Adams put it, “Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible as its law book, and every citizen follow it as their guide. What a utopia would exist.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.)
Baptist Church
2.22.05
One of the basic needs and longings of our heart is for a real, true friend. Many definitions have been given for friendship. Erma Bombeck says, “A friend is someone who doesn’t go on a diet when you’re fat” and “A true friend will go on liking you no matter how successful either of you becomes”. On a more serious note, a friend is someone who strengthens you with prayers, blesses you with love and encourages you with hope.
As we go through life we meet a lot of different people. There are casual acquaintances; they touch our lives briefly and then they are gone. There are fair weather friends; when storms come, they abandon ship. Then there are true friends. When they get on board, they stay on board; through thick and thin, you can count on them.
Out of all the people Jesus knew, he had few close friends. It was Ben Franklin who said, “Be slow in making friends, even slower in changing them.”
Over the years, when counseling with people, I have found that having a friend would solve a lot of problems people have. Everyone wants someone to care, someone to walk in when the whole world walks out.
The Native American word for friend, translated into English, means “one who carries my sorrows on his back”. Today, if you have a good friend, thank God for him or her. If you are in need of a friend, remember that to gain a friend , you must first be friendly.
The Bible says, “A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity. There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Jesus can be, to each one of us, the friend that we need. Turn to him today with your burdens - He is just a prayer away.
This is the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
MEL BRINDLEY –
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2.15.05 The Bible gives us a command to ‘redeem the time’ because the days are evil. Do we realize that we stand at the threshold of a new way? I’m so glad that God is a God of forgiveness. He is the God of the second chance. No matter what happens today, God wants your tomorrow to be a wonderful event.
Many years ago, the University of South Carolina was playing Georgia Tech in a college football game. In the second quarter, Roy Reagles picked up a fumble and began to run for a touchdown. The problem was he was running toward the wrong goal and his own teammates were trying to tackle him! Finally, they brought him down at the two. At half-time, his coach encouraged him and he went out and played brilliantly the second half.
That’s so often the problem with many lives. Many are heading for the wrong goal and often we need someone to mentally tackle us. That’s what the Bible is doing when it reminds us to ‘redeem the time’. We are reminded to buy up the opportunities that God gives to us.
Understand that God made time. It’s His gift to us. Twenty four-seven, every hour of every day is a gift from God and we will answer for every opportunity He has given us. An unknown poet said -
I have only just a minute
Only sixty seconds in it
Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it
Forced upon me, can’t refuse it
But it’s up to me just how I use it
I must suffer if I lose it
Give an account if I abuse it
Just a tiny little minute
But eternity is in it
Look at today as God’s gift to you. Many live in the regret of yesterday; others live in the bondage of tomorrow, but God wants us to know the joy of today! A wise man once said, “Look well to this one day, for it and it alone is life. Yesterday is only a dream, tomorrow is but a vision, yet each day lived well will make yesterday a day of happiness and tomorrow a vision of hope.”
Friend, realize that time is passing us by quickly. We must all give an account. We can’t borrow time and it can’t be stopped. What is to be done should be done now!
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust it is yours.
– MEL BRINDLEY
PASTOR
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2.08.05 - As it is with all of us, we seek to find direction in our lives. Without direction, we live hopeless and helpless lives.
In Proverbs 3:5 and 6, is clear direction for the year to come. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”
Man, in his quest for knowledge has found direction; however, it has been away from God.
Think of all man has accomplished over the past 50 years. We have split the atom, sent men to the moon, sent probes to the corners of the universe and invented wonder drugs.
Yet, with all this knowledge, we are in trouble. We are plagued with disease, divorce and crime.
God’s word says, “There is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death.” God does have a path and a direction for each individual life - a plan for the farmer as well as the preacher. We find direction when we acknowledge God. The promise is plain. If we acknowledge Him, He will direct our path.
In this coming year, as bleak as it may be to some, let God clear a path for you. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will give you direction.
The songwriter wrote, “My Lord knows the way through the wilderness, all I have to do is follow.” It should say, “My Lord clears a way through the wilderness, all I have to do is follow!”
This year, acknowledge Him and let God direct your path.
This is the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2.01.05 - I heard of an English professor who walked into his classroom one day and wrote these words on the blackboard: “Walk with light”.
He then asked the students who wrote these words. The students responded with various guesses. Some said Geothe, some said Emerson, even Longfellow. However, the professor said, “No! I read these words on the traffic light on my way to school this morning.”
Indeed, walking with light is a profound thought. When Jesus came into this world he was “the light of the world”, and throughout scripture light is used to describe the holiness and purity of God. The nature of light is nearly impossible to define. Look up the word “light” in the dictionary and you will see that even the most brilliant minds struggle for words.
Our God is unchanging and constant. For many years the world has marveled at Einstein’s theory of relativity. He was able to construct his theory because the one thing in our physical world that never changes is the speed of light.
I would not even attempt to explain his theory - I am told that only 12 people in addition to Einstein fully understand the theory of relativity. However, we can understand the basic concept of speed.
A police officer can measure our speed on radar. Suppose I am driving at 50 mph and you pass me going the other way at 50 mph. The relative speed is 100 mph. But, suppose I am traveling at 186,282 miles per second and you pass me going the other way at exactly the same speed. When we pass each other our relative speed would not double. The rules have changed because the speed of light is constant. When the speed of light is reached, time basically stands still. Light is constant!
Friends, so it is with God! James 1:17 says, “The God we serve is always the same.” As one preacher said, “It’s always high noon with God.” - His love never has a sunset and so never needs a sunrise. He never stops shining and He cannot change. We can bask in His love when all about us is dark!
What a thrill to know that our lives, our nation, our world is in the hands of the unchanging God. Nothing can happen to us except it be His will. Truly, our coinage says it all, “In God We Trust”.
This is the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1.25.05
Strong desire and perseverance are two essentials to success. Someone has wisely said, “A stout heart on a stiff hill, and the wagon will get to the top.”
As a young man I remember my pastor saying, “Work like everything depends on you, and pray like it all depends on God.” A word often missing in our day is commitment. A stick-to-it attitude will go a long way in life. Many find excuses for why they can’t and others could. It’s important for us to realize that America was founded on good, old fashioned, hard work. I know no other occupation that assumes hard work than farming. The farmers I pastor are some of the best and hardest workers I know.
We need to follow their example! Very little is done right when it’s left to other people. Our farmers basically feed the world. Their success is an example to us all. From morning ‘til dark they put their shoulder to the plow and the results are staggering.
I fear in America that their breed is dying off. Rather than feed others, we have a generation that feels it’s their right to be fed. Rather than hard work and faith, often the “now” generation demands their rights. Our rights also give us a responsibility. Our responsibility is to grab the opportunities that God has given us. I don’t hear our farmers complaining, probably because they’re too busy working. I hear the environmentalists complain about the farmer. The “tree huggers” have too much time on their hands. Anyone can find fault with those who give. We’re getting to the place we have more takers than givers. When it finally happens we’re all in trouble.
I drive down the street and see 10-15 strong, able-bodied men standing on a corner. All say they can’t find a job. If the truth be known, a job couldn’t find them without a search warrant!
Hard work, determination, seeing it through — that’s the American way. Thank God for those who set the example. Thank God for our farmers.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1.18.05 - In Matthew 24, Jesus is instructing his disciples in regard to the end of the world. He is giving the signs of the times. He’s telling them of God’s alarm clock to warn us! He speaks of false leaders, wars, and rumors of wars, pestilences and famines. Then he warns of a big sign - earthquakes.
Few people realize it, but earthquakes are one of God’s warning signs to this world. They warn us of the closeness of Christ’s return. In John Wesley White’s book “Re-entry”, he gives an example. In the 14th Century there were 137 major quakes. In the 15th Century there were 147 major quakes, in the 17th 378, 18th 640, 19th 2,119, and finally, the 20th Century experienced over 3,000.
Physicists believe the earth is angling, or wobbling on its axis. They say this occurs every 5,000 years and when it happens, earthquakes increase.
Recently we have all been moved by the tsunami caused by an earthquake, and the devastation that followed it with the loss of precious lives, and the destruction of property. Certainly we must pray and give to aid those whose lives have been turned upside down.
We must also be reminded that the closer time gets to the return of Christ, the intensity of earthquakes is certain. Dr. Charles Rictor, who recently passed away, said no place is safe from earthquakes.
The Bible has a lot to say in regard to the earth quaking. The Earthquake of Redemption occurred after Jesus died on Calvary. The earth trembled at his death. Then there was the Earthquake of Resurrection. When Jesus came out of that tomb, it was accompanied by an earthquake. On the day of Pentacost when the church began, the place the disciples were was shaken. The Bible predicts that worse earthquakes are in the future. Revelation Chapters 11, 16, 6 and 8 all show that God will shake the earth.
One day Christ will return to the Mount of Olives, and Zechariah tells us the earth will quake. The writer of Hebrews also tells us God will shake the earth one last time.
It is important for all of us that when God does shake the earth, we need to be sure we have a good place to stand. We need to be standing firmly on the Rock of Ages. The tragedy in Asia reminds us just how frail we are. It also reminds us exactly what is and what is not important. Our health can be shaken. Our bank account can be shaken, our job can be shaken. We need to be sure we are a part of that unshakeable heavenly kingdom found only in Jesus Christ.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1.11.05 I am fond of new beginnings. It’s always a privilege to be able to start over. I believe in New Year’s resolutions, though I’ve broken many! However, I really feel what we need is a new perspective.
The word ‘perspective’ comes from the Latin ‘perspectus’ which means to look through and see clearly. When we speak of New Year perspectives, we mean having a clear and honest view of our lives in the light of the opportunities the New Year brings. A time to start over is time for a vision of what lies ahead.
I went to the throne with a quivering heart
The old year was done.
Dear Father, have you a new leaf for me?
For I’ve spoiled this one.
He took the old leaf, stained and blotted
And gave me a new one, unspotted,
And into my sad heart He smiled,
“Do better now my child”.
God is giving us a new year. What we do with it is up to us. One truth that is certain — none of us knows what this year holds. However, we do know that it will go by quickly! An unknown writer captured the way life slips through our hands like this:
When as a child I laughed and wept - time crept.
When as a young man I dreamed and talked - time walked.
When I became a full- grown man - time ran.
When older still I grew - time flew.
Soon I shall find, in passing on - time is gone.
James tells us our entire lives are like a vapor that appeareth for a little time then vanisheth away. In this year to come we should be cognizant of the Lord and our service to Him. Plans are to be made and purposes are to be considered; however, the priority of life should be service to God.
Remember the story Jesus told of the farmer who made plans, but they did not include God? The successful farmer told how he would pull down his barns and build new ones. He told his soul to “eat, drink, be merry and take thine ease.” Jesus told him, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee”.
Put God at the top of your resolution list. Put your life in proper perspective. Go to church. Pray. Spend time with your loved ones. In so doing you’ll make 2005 the best year ever.
May I wish each and every one of you a blessed and prosperous New Year. God bless!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1.04.05 - In his letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul says, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift”. What a gift God gave us when He gave us His son. As stated in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.
We know that in order for a gift to be real, it must have four aspects. First, it must be freely given. Second, it must be given without expecting anything in return. Third, it must be sacrificial. Fourth, it must say “I love you.”
That is what God’s unspeakable gift says. The word ‘unspeakable’ means inexpressible, indescribable and without adequate words.
The word ‘unspeakable’ is used three times in the Bible — the first time when describing a gift, the second time when describing heaven and the third time when describing the joy of the Christian life.
It’s amazing - it’s indescribable - when we think of what God gave when He gave us Jesus. In human language Jesus is indescribable. We can gaze upon God’s gift through the Word, marvel at Him, rejoice over Him, bask in His warmth, worship at His feet, but never truly describe Him. However, we can be so very thankful for Him.
This world is filled with love stories, tales of sacrifice and tender heroism, but none of these are comparable to the unspeakable gift of Jesus Christ. This year, accept God’s gift of Jesus’ salvation. It will make an eternal difference.
This was the faith of our fathers and I trust that it is yours.
—MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Cuurch