12.18.2007 - Do you like secrets? I do! When I was a young boy, I was a member of a secret club — the Lone Ranger Club.
I had the secret password, I had my silver bullet and I had a map that would lead you to the secret silver mine.
Most of us are pretty good at keeping secrets, even when a few people know about it. Especially enjoyable are Christmas secrets — perhaps an engagement that is not revealed to the families until Christmas, or maybe a baby is on the way and when all the family is together at Christmas when the good news is given.
Maybe it’s a special gift you have bought and on Christmas Day the secret gift is revealed.
But there is a secret that God wants to get out! It’s the meaning of the birth of the Lord Jesus. God wants the world to know that Jesus was born to save us from our sins.
These days many wonder who Jesus was. When Bryant Gumbell interviewed Larry King, he asked him, “If you could ask God anything, what would it be?” King responded, “I’d ask Him if He had a Son.”
I sincerely appreciate his inquiry; however, that’s the secret that God wants known. Yes — God’s son is Jesus and He did come to save us from our sins. In fact, His life and death divide the centuries — B.C. and A.D. A.D. or “anno Domini” means the year of our Lord.
Why do we celebrate Christmas? Not simply because Christ was born but, primarily, because He was born — for us!
“Born to raise the sons of earth; born to give them second birth.”
This secret, kept from so many, needs to be made known.
To explain Jesus away is impossible; to ignore Jesus is disastrous; to reject Jesus is fatal. So, let’s make sure this secret gets out! Scripture says, “His name shall be called Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
12.11.2007 - Many of you are beginning to make preparations for a Christmas journey.
In a few days you will be leaving to visit family and friends at this particular time of the year. Perhaps you have already purchased plane reservations. You will be boarding and going on a journey to see parents or maybe to spend the days with some children. Others will be loading up cars and getting the bags together, and you will be taking a Christmas journey on the highways and byways of our land.
When Jesus was born there was also a Christmas journey. Joseph the carpenter, and Mary, his wife, gathered some things together and made their way down to Bethlehem. It was a southern journey of about 70 to 80 miles. It was indeed a very long and difficult trip.
When they arrived in Bethlehem, the city was packed. No room was found, even in the inn.
They slept in an animal stable, wearied from the journey. In that setting the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, was born.
In reality, the “Christmas Journey” was much longer than that.
It started in eternity past, made its way from eternity into humanity’s time, spanned the earth’s centuries planning and fulfilling prophecies to satisfy man, then sped from Christmas to Calvary to present mankind with the unspeakable gift of a future eternity filled with hope.
What is the significance of this journey to me, to you, in the year 2007? Its significance lies in the absolute truth that Jesus Christ made this journey. From His virgin birth and His magnificent life, to His misery on the cross, the might of His resurrection, and the majesty of His reign, His journey is like no other. What a story is His story!
As Phillips Brooks wrote:
“How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.”
I wonder, as you think about the Christmas journey, have you made your own personal “Christmas Journey?”
The Scriptures say in Romans 10: “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith. ... That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” It’s as close as the words on your lips! All you have to do is receive God’s gift of hope and love.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
12.04.2007 - It’s Christmas time again!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, yet the Christmas grinches are working overtime to take Christ out of Christmas!
The New York City Board of Education has prohibited any display of a nativity scene in any NYC public school.
The NYCBE will allow the Jewish Menorah and the Islamic Star and Crescent — but no mention of Jesus Christ!
In Frederick County, Md., a school employee was barred from handing out Christmas cards with any message of the birth of Christ!
In Tupelo, Miss., elementary students were led to chant “celebrate Kwanza” but were only permitted to sing Christmas carols after school officials removed any reference to Jesus Christ!
In Covington, Ga., the ACLU filed a suit against the public school district because its calendar designated Dec. 25 as Christmas, thus advancing a religion.
The Little Rock, Ark. city council changed its annual parade from the “Christmas Parade” to the “Holiday Parade” so as not to offend those of other faiths.
But the truth of the matter is, you may try — but you really can’t take Christ out of Christmas.
That would be like taking the heat out of fire, or wet out of water, or oxygen out of air!
This goes on every year, and this year will be no different.
As I said last week, many will go through the festivities of Christmas and find no room for the Lord Jesus Christ. Friend, He’s the reason for the season so let’s keep the Christ in Christmas!!!
Celebrate the time of the birth of our Saviour.
Light the tree and let’s be jolly; Christ has come to a world of folly.
The angel announced — His name shall be called Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11.27.2007 - 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 it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11.20.2007 - Amidst a charred and plundered city, Jeremiah looked around and said of God, “Great is Thy Faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23).
Among the many wonderful attributes of God, His faithfulness stands out as especially precious. God is faithful to be who He says He is, and to do what He says He will do.
The Bible reveals who God is and, as we trust His word, we accept and grow in our faith in Him. God’s promises of His faithfulness fill the pages of his word. Because God is faithful, He makes good on His promises to us.
In our society, faithfulness is a foreign character to many. We could do well to follow God’s example of doing what we say and not adjusting our actions to what is convenient at the time.
May I encourage you today to discover God’s faithfulness?
Those who know the Lord can attest that, time after time, He has proven Himself to us to be a glorious, wonderful, faithful, Provider.
Perhaps in your life today, unfaithfulness abounds all about you. Discover God’s faithfulness; seek His bountiful storehouse for your own life.
In all our lives let’s be faithful — to God and to our responsibilities. How would you do in a faithfulness test?
Remember that on our own strength we fail, but in God’s strength we can be found faithful.
Faithfulness is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. If it is missing in your life, ask God to make faithfulness real to you today.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11.13.007 - Several years ago a large Portuguese coastal steamer with 53 crewmen, 300 Portuguese troops and 200 Mozambique Africans on board, grounded on a sandbar off the coast of East Africa during a violent storm.
While rescue attempts were made from the shore, a fire broke out on the ship.
The fire quickly spread to the stores of ammunition and the whole ship exploded in flames.
Many of the passengers jumped into the sea, only to be attacked by sharks.
Those who did manage to make the shore were attacked by roaring, hungry lions in a mangrove jungle nearby.
Each man was faced with a life or death decision — either stay on board and face certain death or attempt to get to land where savage beasts awaited them.
It was truly a hopeless case — only 150 of the 600 on board survived.
There are times in life when it seems we encounter hopeless situations.
We are at our wit’s end, not knowing what to do. I once heard of a bar called “The Wit’s End.” It was described as the place to be.
However, in life, being at our wit’s end is no place to be!
We often feel like the fellow who said the light at the end of the tunnel turned out to be the headlights of an oncoming train!
Jehoshaphat was at wit’s-end corner. In a desperate situation he did the only thing he could do — he turned to the Lord.
The armies of Moab had formed an alliance and, with an army a million strong, had vowed to destroy Judah.
It was an impossible situation.
At wit’s-end corner Jehoshaphat began to worship the Lord — God’s people sang together and trusted the Lord. Basically, they had come to the conclusion that if they were going down it would be with their eyes on the Lord.
There is another story told of a ship in the midst of a fierce storm.
The passengers enquired of the captain as to their chances.
He said, “The ship is battered and we may go down, the boilers are hot and we may go up — but until then we’re going on!”
Many today who read this are at wit’s-end corner.
Trust the Lord. Praise the Lord. Keep your eyes focused on the Lord. It will make all the difference in the world.
As Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
11.06.2007 - Our Declaration of Independence states that Americans have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and there is little doubt that much has been done to ensure the happiness of millions.
However, very few people find true happiness because they think it depends on their circumstances.
Few things ever go the way we plan and this is the cause of unhappiness for many.
Many people make the mistake of overlooking true happiness because it’s the simple things of life that give us most happiness — the tenderness of a child, the smile and assurance of a mate, enjoying your favorite meal or the blessing of a favorite pet.
This principle also applies to farming.
Regardless of how up to date the equipment may be or how much it costs, let’s not overlook the simple fact that it’s all up to God as to how the crop grows!
After all, farming really is a simple recipe: Sow and reap!
The farmer with seed in hand sows while trusting the Lord for the result.
Finding happiness in life is just as simple. True happiness comes from knowing the Lord, and placing simple trust in His provision, His power, and His promises.
The Bible calls it having “joy unspeakable and full of glory”.
Even when the crop reaps a low inventory we can still have joy. Joy in our life is found in our relationship, not in our reaping.
Some of the most miserable people I have ever known are people who have everything — except a relationship with Christ.
Christians will find joy in life if they remember the source of real joy.Some never will find it because their trust is in technology, or this or that.
I like what the psalmist wrote, “some trust in houses, some trust in chariots, but we will remember the name of the Lord”.
I thank God for the simple things that reveal the wonder of his love to us.As a songwriter wrote, “There’s the wonder of sunset at evening, the wonder as sunrise I see, but the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul is the wonder that God loves me!”
May we never lose the wonder of it all!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.30.2007 - Moses said, “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”
The Lord often does things to get our attention.
We say we want to know God and follow Him, but quite often we fail to follow through!
Moses was busy shepherding Jethro’s sheep behind Mount Horeb — the mountain of God — when he saw the wonder of the burning bush and he turned aside from his daily work to look upon it.
Many times God may call us during our day by a thought, a sight or a word from another.
He is asking us to step aside for a moment and listen to Him or observe His way with something.
Be prepared for these times.
God never forces us to listen to Him and we should remember — as Elijah learned — that God does not speak in the fire or the earthquake but in a still, small, voice.
Many times during our day God gives us the opportunity to hear Him and so we ought to discipline ourselves to watch for moments when God is trying to teach us something — to turn aside from the task at hand and really listen.
These times may come in church — but they might also come at work, in the home or as we read God’s Word.
When will we busy Americans learn to take time to let God speak to us?
When we are willing to turn aside for a moment to listen to God, wonderful things will come out of it.
Don’t miss them!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.23.2007 - According to the theory of aerodynamics, the little creature known as the bumblebee should be totally unable to fly. Because of its size, weight and body shape, in relationship to its wing span, flying is scientifically impossible. However, the little bumblebee, completely ignorant of scientific theory, continues to fly every day of his life.
Enoch is remembered in the Bible as a man who walked with God, so much that God simply took him to Heaven one day as they walked together. He never died! Had someone told Enoch that it was impossible for him to live for God, I’m sure that he would have thought they were foolish.
Here is a man who was dedicated to walking with God, working for God and witnessing about God everywhere that he went.
There were many roads Enoch could have chosen to travel. The consensus of his day had taken a road that traveled away from God. However, Enoch, in his faithfulness and dedication, took the road that traveled toward God. His simple, yet powerful, biography will forever be remembered by his dedication to the will of God, the work of God and the ways of God.
A young couple, lost on a rural road, spotted an old farmer. They stopped the car and asked him, “Sir, could you tell us where this road will take us?”
Without a moment’s hesitation the old farmer said, “Son, this road will take you anywhere in the world you want to go, if you move in the right direction.”
When you are walking with God, you are always going in the right direction. Walking with God is not asking God to walk with you, but finding out which way God is going, and walking with Him.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.16.2007 - Charles Spurgeon, that great “Prince of Preachers,” once wrote these words: “There is a little plant, small and stunted, growing under the shade of a broad-spreading oak; and this little plant values the shade which covers it, and greatly does it esteem the quiet rest which its noble friend affords. But a blessing is designed for this little plant.
Once upon a time there comes along the woodman, and with his sharp axe he fells the oak. The plant weeps and cries, “My shelter is departed; every rough wind will blow upon me, and every storm will seek to uproot me!”
“No, no,” saith the angel of that flower. “Now will the sun get at thee; now will the shower fall on thee in more copious abundance than before; now thy stunted form shall spring up into loveliness, and thy flower, which could never have expanded itself to perfection shall now laugh in the sunshine, and men shall say, ‘How greatly hath that plant increased! How glorious hath become its beauty, through the removal of that which was its shade and its delight!’”
“See you not, then, that God may take away your comforts and your privileges, to make you the better Christians? Why, the Lord always trains His soldiers, not by letting them lie on feather-beds, but by turning them out, and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, and climb mountains, and walk many a long march with heavy knapsacks of sorrow on their backs. This is the way in which He makes them soldiers — not by dressing them up in fine uniforms, to swagger at the barrack gates, and to be fine gentlemen in the eyes of the loungers in the park.
“God knows soldiers are only to be made in battle; they are not to be grown in peaceful times. We may grow the stuff of which soldiers are made; but warriors are really educated by the smell of powder, in the midst of whizzing bullets and roaring cannonades, not in soft and peaceful times. Well, Christian, may not this account for it all? Is not thy Lord bringing out thy graces and making them grow? Is He not developing in you the qualities of the soldier by throwing you into the heat of battle, and should you not use every appliance to come off conqueror?”
Romans 8:37-39 reminds us, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.09.2007 - Christianity was the basis of our nation’s founding, and it is the security of our nation’s strength.
In my lifetime I have seen America fast becoming a humanist society as it moves away from Christian values.
How do we change our nation back? How do we reclaim our nation for God?
Many are working to change our country, but not in the direction it needs to go!
As Christians we are to shape the destiny of America.
We are to be salt — we are to be light — and as salt and light we can make a difference.
It is imperative to remember that the battle for a nation is a cultural battle.
We have a Judeo-Christian culture. We must make an impact on our culture to change our nation.
All cultures are religious. In America we are not moving away from religion, we are simply moving to a different kind of religion.
Culture comes from the Latin word meaning “to worship.”
All nations worship something!
Culture is the blending together of religion and reason.
The Bible teaches that Christians are responsible for bringing their culture into subjection to God.
Genesis 1:28 says, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.”
Psalm 8 says that we are given dominion over the things God made on the earth, for His glory!
There is no secular culture.
All culture is to be sacred. In every nation there is always one predominant religion.
I recently read that in the next 20 years 1,000 mosques will be built in England — once a predominantly Judeo-Christian nation!
Much has changed in the last 200 years!
How do we get back to where we ought to be? How do we influence our culture?
First and foremost is with the family unit organized by God.
No nation can be strong without a strong family foundation — nations are basically associations of families!
The primary purpose of the family is for the parents to teach their children the ways of God (Proverbs 22:6).
A society begins to crumble when its homes fall apart, so we need to build our homes.
We need to stand against our culture making our children the property of the State.
We need to reclaim the family as the pillar of our civilization — the foundation of our culture.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
10.02.2007 - Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel that we are to seek the Kingdom of God first and foremost.
He was speaking of the value of priorities. If Americans have lost anything in recent times, we’ve lost our values system.
In many cases our priorities are out of order. Many are so busy making a living that they have forgotten how to live! I’m afraid that Hollywood and Madison Avenue have done a number on us in this regard.
A wise man once wrote, “Let it never be forgotten that glamour is not greatness; applause is not fame; prominence is not eminence. The man of the hour is not apt to be the man of the ages. A stone may sparkle, but that does not make it a diamond; people may have money, but that does not make them a success. It is what the unimportant people do that really counts and determines the course of history. Summer showers are more important than hurricanes, but they get no publicity. The world would soon die but for the fidelity, loyalty, and consecration of those whose names are ‘un-honored’ and unsung!”
It takes just a look around to realize what is and what is not important.
Jesus said, “Beware of covetousness, for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of things that he possesses.”
It’s good for us to look up, look down and look around at what we’re living for — where our priorities lie.
To clarify our value system we must ask ourselves this — when I leave this world, what will I be able to take with me? That’s what is important!
God help us to refocus and give heed to that which is important.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9.25.2007 - The Bible tells us, in Hebrews 13, that God will never leave us nor forsake us.
The presence of God in every area and aspect of our lives gives us the contentment and peace we need to endure. Contentment does not mean indifference or satisfaction with things as they are. It does mean that we may find peace even in the midst of hostile circumstances. The secret of this contentment is found in the words, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”
Take the fear of men — “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
Take the fear of losing material things — “Be content with such things as you have; for He hath said I will never leave nor forsake thee.”
Covetousness and cowardice have to disappear when we practice contentment in the presence of Christ. He will supply every need; He will fight every battle for us.
Hudson Taylor, the great missionary who went to China and turned thousands to Christianity, learned the secret of contentment. He used to hang two mottos in each place he lived:
“Ebenezer — hitherto has the Lord helped us” and
“Jehovah-Jirah — the Lord will see to it.”
That, friend, is the fruit of Christian contentment — companionship with Christ. It’s when we realize God will always be with us!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9.18.2007 - As the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River, they encountered the city of Jericho.
Jericho was a large and great city — great in antiquity as it was one of the oldest cities, and great in iniquity as it was a godless city.
It was great in fortification, too — its walls were so wide that six chariots could run on top of the wall. It was an impregnable fortress.
However, for Israel to take the land of Canaan, the city of Jericho had to be taken. In every life there is a Jericho looming before us as an impossibility, that one thing in our life that holds us back from being all that we can be. For some it’s an unhealthy body. For some it’s an unhealthy marriage. For some it’s an unholy life. For some it’s a lack of education. Maybe a past defeat, perhaps fear or doubt, or some fortress that keeps us from victory. Whenever you face a Jericho, you can do one of two things; die in the wilderness, or by faith, conquer your problem.
Victory is not achieved by fighting for it, it’s received by faith. Faith links our “nothingness” to God’s ‘mightiness’.
The night before the battle, Joshua met the captain of the Lord’s Host by the river. He asked the angel, “Are you for us or are you for the enemy?”
The angel responded that he didn’t come to take sides, he came to take over! If you want victory in your life, stop trying to get God on your side. Get yourself on God’s side instead, and let Him take over.
He will! And when He does the walls will come tumbling down and you will find your way to victory over the Jericho in your life.
When you get on God’s side Jericho becomes God’s problem not yours. Turn it over today.
By faith, learn that before we can conquer, we must first be conquered.
“God, I can’t, you never said I could. You can, you always said you would.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9.11.2007 - Abraham, the father of the Jewish race, was a man of great faith.
At an old age, God told him that he would father a child and the Bible says, “He believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.”
It’s always a difficult time when we pray and believe that God will answer, yet we have to wait for God to fulfill his word.
We very soon learn that we are a people who are short on patience!
In other words, patience is not something that all of us have an abundance of.
Hebrews 10:36 tells us, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
That time of waiting has to be one of life’s toughest times!
Abraham is a great example of one who took matters into his own hands instead of waiting on the Lord.
Rather than waiting for God to give him a son as He had promised, he went in unto Hagar and she gave birth to Ishmael.
That one mistake in Abraham’s life has caused our world a multitude of problems!
In later years, when God gave Abraham Isaac, the two sons of Abraham fought and have been fighting ever since.
Isaac is the progenitor of the Jewish race and Ishmael the father of the Arab race.
Every day we see how those two nations war and fight, the one against the other.
If Abraham had just waited on the Lord, all would have been well.
The same is true in our lives.
It’s always a temptation to run ahead of God.
However, God has a plan and we’re always better off following it!
So, next time you’re in trouble and know not where to go or what to do, follow some good advice — wait on the Lord!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
9.04.2007 - We all love music.
It moves us, it helps us to relate, it entertains us, it comforts us.
If there was only one song you could sing, what would that one song be?
In the Bible, the one major theme of the music of God’s people is that of praise! Praise for who God is and what He has done.
Our hymn books are full of songs of praise.
The Christian publication “Rams Horn” tells us two of the most popular hymns are “Nearer, My God to Thee” and “Saved By Grace.”
Of the estimated 400,000 Christian hymns that have been published, however, fewer than 500 are in common use and only 150 of them are well-known by church-goers.
Friend, think of how great God is! Think of how He has blessed us. The magnificence of God is all about us, and it ought to put a song in our hearts!
The Bible tells us to sing and have a melody in our hearts — to the Lord!
A number of years ago, a child was tragically killed in a car accident.
His funeral was a sad occasion, with no evidence of Christian faith on the part of those intimately linked to him.
In fact, this was marked by the song sung at the close of the service, “Zippidy Doo Dah”.
We grumble and complain, we fuss about this and that, and the groans can go on and on.
Let God put a song in your heart! If you don’t know Him, then ask Him in.
If you have forgotten about him, remember He is not the one who moved. If there is only one song you can sing, let it be one of praise!
If there is anything we need today, more than anything it’s God’s presence in our lives.
The very presence of the Lord inhabits, or dwells, in the praises of His people.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8.28.2007 - It doesn’t take long to discover that we live in a day where much emphasis is placed on diet, nutrition and physical fitness. This lifestyle is propagated through television, newspapers, exercise videos, etc. We are constantly reminded that to look better is to feel better, and to feel better is to look better.
Most nutritionists tell us that to live a long, healthy life one must maintain a well-balanced diet, which consists of 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day, and a regular exercise regimen of 20 minutes a day.
According to Weight Watchers, we know that “there are no truly bad foods. And we know there aren’t any perfect ones either.” They conclude that the key to good health is found in one word: “Balance!”
Just as living a healthy physical life includes a diet of nutrition, living a healthy spiritual life also includes a diet of nutrition. There are certain foods we need to consume. There are certain matters that enhance our spiritual health, and there are certain matters which endanger our spiritual health.
A city missionary in London found a woman in the last stages of her deadly disease. He found her in a flat, or apartment, so grim and cold that poverty was written all over it. Yet, as he drew closer to help the dying woman, she managed a faint smile, looked into his face, and said, “I have all that I really need. I have Christ!” Upon hearing that story, Charles Wesley wrote:
In the heart of London city,
‘Mid the dwellings of the poor,
These bright golden words were uttered,
“I have Christ.” What want I more?
Spoken by a lonely woman,
Dying on a garret floor,
Having not one earthly comfort:
“I have Christ.” What want I more?
He who heard them ran to fetch her,
Something from the world’s great store;
It was needless, died she saying:
“I have Christ.” What want I more?
Oh, my dear, my fellow saint!
High or low, or rich or poor,
Can you say with deep thanksgiving:
“I have Christ.” What want I more?
I do not know how well you seek to care for yourself physically. But I do know that if we desire to care for ourselves spiritually then we must follow God’s nutrition list and allow the love of God to clothe us, the peace of God to control us, and the Word of God to consume us. Then we, too, may say, “I have Christ. What want I more?” There is true balance.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8.21.2007 - There is a lot to be said for the way a person dresses.
There was even a book published years ago, “Dress For Success.”
The purpose of it was to show that what you wear has an impact on whether, or not, you succeed.
In the book of Colossians, Chapter 3, the Apostle Paul uses this idea of dress to emphasize how we are to live as Christians, in light of what God has done for us in Christ.
He links the idea of clothing to certain attitudes and behaviors, and he reminds us that certain things don’t go together.
If we’re going to be successful in living the Christian life, then we need to know what to take off and what to put on. We need to learn how to clothe ourselves in those attitudes and behaviors that will make us successful.
Before we can deal with even the most basic attitudes, we must put off the corruption of our sinful nature.
Paul says, “Mortify (let die) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.”
Having removed this destructive “outer garment,” we are then able to put off the shameful behaviors of anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy communication out of our mouth. Then, we are to remove lying.
Paul says, “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.”
Lehman Strauss wrote, “Nothing so divides and separates Christians as falsehoods, and misrepresentations, suspicion and unscrupulous partisanship. Mutual confidence is the bond of Christian fellowship.”
The rest of the story possesses all the pleasure and satisfaction of being given a brand new change of clothing! Once cleansed from sin, we are free to put on the garments of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness (brokenness), long-suffering, forbearing and forgiving one another, and above all those, love.
Now the key to dressing successfully, spiritually, is to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom. We have to read the book!
Without following its instructions for removing, cleansing and putting on, we face the mirror as a “whited sepulchre”, our false cloak of righteousness vainly attempts to cover our filthy rags of a sinful nature.
Friend, we must read the Book! There is good success to be found in its pages.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8.14.2007 - Author John Killinger tells a powerful story about a man who is all alone in a Canadian hotel room.
The man is in a state of deep depression.
He is so depressed that he can’t even bring himself to go downstairs to the restaurant to eat. He is a powerful man, the chairman of a large shipping company.
But at this moment, he is absolutely overwhelmed by the pressures and demands of life; and, he lies there on a lonely hotel bed far from home wallowing in self-pity.
All of his life he has been fastidious, worrying about everything, anxious and fretful.
Now, at midlife, his anxiety has gotten the best of him, even to the extent that it is difficult for him to sleep and eat.
He worries, broods and agonizes about everything: his business, his investments, his decisions, his family, his health, even his dogs.
Then, on this day, he craters.
He hits bottom. Filled with anxiety, completely immobilized, paralyzed by his emotional despair and unable to leave his room, he moans, “Life isn’t worth living this way. wish I were dead!”
In the memorable scene recorded in Job 19:20 we read where Job admits that he is hanging on by the “skin” of his “teeth.”
In desperation he pleads with his friends to have pity on him, and confesses that he cannot understand why they have insisted on playing God.
In verse 23, Job prays that God will allow his words to be written in a book; a prayer that is answered, because we have Job’s words before us today, for which we are grateful.
Then, suddenly, in his hour of helplessness, Job seems to come to the realization that God has everything under control.
Job exclaims, “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.”
I can just see Job turn to his so-called friends and say, “Boys, the future looks bleak and unpromising. And, even though I don’t know what tomorrow holds, I know who holds tomorrow; and, He’s the God who has everything under control.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
8.07.2007 - A great preacher once said, “As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to every man who is spending his sweat to earn an honest living.”
As a young man, my mother often said to me that idle hands were the devil’s workshop.
Never has a truer statement ever been made!
Idleness is one sin that advice does not cure — a man would be just as well pouring water into a sieve or trying to fatten a Greyhound as to give advice to a lazy man!
We in America need to realize that there is a big difference between poverty and laziness.
No shame is on the poor — indeed many of our forefathers rose from poverty to become great leaders in our country, but they did it through hard work.
Many Americans feel that the government or someone owes them something.
Don’t sit idly waiting for help — get up and make your life count.
This same lazy crowd has a stomach for eating and drinking, but no stomach for good, old-fashioned, work.
The best advice a father can ever give to his young children is to learn to work
It’s something they will have to do the rest of their lives!
One poet put it this way:
“A good-for-nothing lazy lout,
Wicked within and ragged without,
Who can bear to have him about?
Turn him out, turn him out!”
I don’t want to beat a broken drum, but we in America had better get our children out of the video rooms and into the fields to learn a forgotten art — work!
We are raising a generation of rock-music-oriented, television-hypnotized, video-game-conscious kids, and we have given them everything — except good advice!
I have heard it said, “Better do nothing than do mischief.”
But I am not sure that’s such good advice.
“Better to do something rather than nothing” is much better.
Let’s go back to the practices of the past — that if a man is going to succeed it must come from work!
Proverbs 19:15 says, “Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.31.2007 - The facts are well known. The group lived together in a large immaculate house in Rancho Santa Fe, a wealthy community in San Diego. On March 26, 1997, the bodies of 21 women and 18 men, ranging in age from 26 to 72, were discovered in various stages of decomposition.
Several days before, they had ingested applesauce or pudding laced with barbiturates and a shot of vodka, and they had submitted to suffocation from plastic bags placed over their heads.
They were identically dressed in unisex black shirts, pants and Nikes, and had purple shrouds placed across their faces. They chose to leave their “earthly containers” (bodies) behind in San Diego to join aliens who would take them to the Next Level with a newly embodied life.
The extraterrestrials were believed to reside in a starship traveling behind the Hale-Bopp comet. Their leader was a man named Marshall Applewhite, and the group was known as Heaven’s Gate.
David Koresh was born Vernon Wayne Howell in Houston, Texas, in 1959 to a 15-year old single mother. He never knew his father and was raised by his grandparents. When he was 20, Koresh turned to the Church of Seventh Day Adventists, his mother’s church. But he was expelled for being a bad influence on the young people.
Sometime during the next couple of years, Koresh went to Hollywood to become a rock star, but nothing came of it. Instead, in 1981 he went to Waco, Texas, where he joined the Branch Davidians, a religious sect which in 1935 had settled 10 miles outside of Waco.
By 1990 Koresh had become the leader of the Branch Davidians and legally changed his name, saying on the court document that the change was “for publicity and business purposes.” He said the switch arose from his belief that he was now head of the biblical House of David. (Koresh is a Hebrew transliteration of Cyrus, the name of the Persian king who allowed the Jews held captive in Babylon to return to Israel.) He claimed to be an agent of God.
On April 19, 1993, the FBI, along with the Department of Tobacco and Firearms launched an attack against the Branch Davidian compound resulting in the deaths of many of its followers.
The ‘People’s Temple’ started as a part of a mainline Christian church, but under the leadership of its paranoid leader, Jim Jones, it quickly turned into a cult. As a result, on Nov. 18, 1978, 914 of the Temple followers were led by Jones to commit suicide. They were forced to drink a cyanide-laced fruit drink; those who refused were shot on the spot. Jones has carved a marker above the altar at Jonestown that read, “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it!”
The Sacramento Bee released a full documentary story on Jim Jones, and concluded: “Jones became a cult leader and the People’s Temple became a cult, literally overnight. And what was forgotten was that this was actually a church in a mainstream religion … He was about as mainstream as you could get.”
Sad to say every account I have shared with you is a result of “religion.” It finds its roots in a man-made ideology and theology attempting to find his way to God. It is religion that is void of reality.
The Bible is God’s Word — not about ideology, but about Jesus Christ. The pressures to conform to a religious ideology are great, but the Bible admonishes us to remember that we are to seek salvation from Christ. Therefore, when one comes to faith in Christ, religion moves out and Jesus moves in.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.24.2007 - Every day across America, 50,000 people quit their jobs. In a recent survey of workers across the nation, nearly 85 percent said they could work harder on the job. More than half claimed they could double their effectiveness if they wanted to!
Industry states that time theft is a major problem among workers. Deliberate waste and abuse of company time costs the United States more than $120 billion a year. This loss is three times more than that of recognized business crime.
At some companies 20 to 40 percent of employees steal time. Office employees are 30 percent worse than blue-collar workers, perhaps because supervision isn’t as close, and workers under 30 are the biggest offenders.
The CEO of a large corporation was asked how many people worked in his company. The dry-witted leader replied, “Not many!”
When I left to go off to college, my father shook my hand and said, “It’s a great big world out there, go make something of yourself.”
I’ve always been amazed at the opportunities that are afforded us here in America. If someone wants to work they can — and the sky’s the limit! The rub comes when many can work and won’t, or they perform their job in a mediocre fashion. Drive down the streets of any city and you will see young able-bodied men standing around, many on unemployment and welfare.
We need to create a desire in the hearts of our young to work. That’s where growing up on a farm is a blessing! Young men and women learn the importance of responsibility and work. We need our family farms in today’s culture because they are the backbone of our achievement.
Our culture is indebted to those who till the soil and reap the harvest. We reap more than just the fruits of their labor. Farmers show us the family at its best — working together for success. All of us should learn from their example.
So, thank God for your job. Work hard. Our nation will be better for it!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.17.2004 - Peter Muhlenberg was an Anglican pastor in Virginia.
He was elected to the Virginia Legislature in 1774 and was present at St. John’s Church in Richmond when Patrick Henry proclaimed “Give me liberty, or give me death.”
Peter was so moved that he promptly joined Washington’s army.
On a bitterly sad Sunday morning, he resigned from his church and preached his farewell sermon.
He read Ecclesiastes 3:1: “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under Heaven.”
Looking up he said, “There is a time to preach and a time to pray, but there is also a time to fight, and that time has now come.”
Then he suddenly flung off his ministerial robe to reveal underneath the uniform of a militia colonel.
He recruited other men in his church and they became known as the German Regiment under his command.
It’s because of men like Peter Muhlenberg that America has been the home of the brave and the land of the free for more than 200 years.
I say, with Peter Muhlenberg, “There is a time to work, and that time is now.”
Someone has written that the population of this country is 237 million — 104 million of these are retired, that leaves 133 million to do the work.
There are 85 million in school, which leaves 48 million to do the work.
Of those there are 29 million employed by the Federal Government, which leaves 19 million to do the work.
Four million are enlisted in the armed forces, which leaves 15 million to do the work.
Take away 14,800,000 who work for the state and city governments and that leaves 200,000 to do the work.
There are 188,000 in hospitals, which leaves 12,000 to do the work.
There are 10,998 people in prisons, leaving 1,002 to do the work.
There are 1,000 upper level managers, leaving only two to do the work — you and me!
The point is — don’t pass the buck. This is our country — worth fighting for and worth dying for.
It’s the responsibility of every mother’s son to keep it free.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.10.2007 - The Children of Israel, through many hard lessons, learned to follow the leadership of Moses.
Even though some longed to go back to the leeks and garlic of Egypt they settled to follow God’s plan.
Many times they would have gladly exchanged the discipline of freedom for the ease of slavery, for slavery required no responsibility for individual action.
They had been promised a new land that flowed with milk and honey. However, it would come at great cost. An entire generation perished in the wilderness because of indecision.
The book of Hebrews says, “... so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
As we gaze upon our future in America, it is with the realization that there are battles to fight.
Oft-times it would be easier to remain enslaved by our difficulties or by our enemies, not wanting to be bothered, or believing the work and effort too large to overcome. It would be easier for us to pull out of Iraq, bring our troops home, and forget it all happened.
That’s what seems easiest for today. However, that may well enslave us in the future.
What is easiest today may not be best for tomorrow. The Children of Israel were a free people after 400 years of bondage in Egypt.
They had become accustomed to everything as it was, but to be free required change — a change of attitude because now they would need to fight rather than be passive, a change of affections because they would need to love the milk and honey rather than the leeks and garlic, and a change of responsibility because now each one had to assume their role.
That change brought them into glorious freedom!
As Americans, we must be concerned with our future, for our sakes and for that of our children. It may require a change of attitude, affections, and responsibility on our part, but freedom is a glorious word.
God help us to put our shoulders to the wheel and create positive change in order for us to remain a free people.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
7.03.2007 - The Pharisees were always taken with “bigness.”
They loved religion that was garbed in self-righteousness. They would serve God with self-glory, pomp and circumstance. They had read about King Solomon and he had impressed them. They held Solomon in high esteem. After all, Solomon was the wealthiest, wisest man who had ever lived — and to top that — he was a King’s son!
When Jesus told the Pharisees thata greater one than Solomon was among them, it caused quite a stir. Solomon had been born in a palace; Solomon had kingly robes and drank from vessels of gold, Solomon commanded great armies. How could the lowly Jesus, the carpenter’s son, speak of himself as greater than Solomon?
Solomon knew, in his great wisdom, all about creation but Jesus was the one who had spoken the world into existence. The Book of Colossians tells us that He sustains this world by the word of His mouth.
Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:17, “I gave my heart to know wisdom ... and I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.”
You can have a full head and an empty heart! True wisdom comes from knowing the Lord Jesus.
Solomon’s wealth was almost beyond imagination. When he finished his temple, which took seven-plus years to complete, he held a seven-day feast of dedication and celebration. There were 4,000 ushers, 4,000 singers and 4,000 orchestra members in attendance!
Psalm 24 tells us the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof — the precious jewels and pure gold of Solomon’s treasures are considered as mere building supplies around the throne of Heaven!
Pharisees today would still rather serve religion with great self-glorifying pomp. They would choose to name and follow great leaders rather than the incomparable Christ.
God’s Word says, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”; “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Philippians 2:10; Acts 4:12)
Who will you serve — the great things and great men of this world, or the Creator of all things and all men? Choose ye, this day, whom ye will serve (Joshua 24:15).
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.26.2007 - Human government has been ordained by God.
Why do some have one kind of government and some an altogether different kind of government?
Generally speaking, Godly people usually have Godly leaders and wicked people usually have wicked leadership.
Alexander Hamilton said, “The people get the kind of government they deserve.”
In Israel’s zenith, the people demanded that God give them a king like other nations. Samuel the prophet was angered. However, the Lord told Samuel to give them what they wanted — and God gave them the leader that they deserved.
Our government will never be any better than we are.
Freedom is not free! There is a price to be paid for it. We have to demonstrate “character” through responsibility and authority in order to produce liberty.
As babies we have none of these attributes but, as we grow, we take on more responsibility and it produces authority.
Responsibility and authority produce character and character produces liberty. When a person is totally irresponsible, society condemns them and they are put into jail!
What is true for individuals is true for nations. We will have more or less liberty depending on how much character we demonstrate.
Big government was introduced because of the lack of character in the American people.
But the reason for the birth of this nation was because of people with character. From 1740 to 1770 a mighty spiritual revival took place, called The Great Awakening. Schools were built and principles were instilled in people. Out of this grew The Declaration of Independence.
Eventually when The Constitution was ratified there were 3.5 million people here and 2 million of them were Bible-believing Christians!
The liberty we enjoy is a result of Godly character. Where does character come from?
It comes from God and, if we keep Him at the forefront our liberty will remain intact.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.19.2007 - What an awesome and fearful assignment we Dads have. We must lead our family through a minefield — an extremely dangerous task! As we look at the average American family today we see a lot of trouble, past and present — too many of them ruined.
We live in a time when alcohol, drugs, crime and vice all crash against the doors of our homes. We used to say, “It’s a jungle out there” — now the jungle is in our homes!
There’s a task at hand and it always begins with Dad.
Our nation will never be all it could be until our homes are right, and our homes will never be right until we have godly Christian men leading our homes.
Ours is a day of ‘failure fathers’ and ‘dropout dads’! Our homes need to see Dads who fear the Lord — a Dad who has a reverence for the Lord. Fear of the Lord is love on its knees, as someone once said, and we should always remember — our children follow Dad’s example, especially in spiritual matters.
A pastor was visiting in a home, talking to the Dad about being a Christian. The Dad was polite but not really interested. His little boy was watching it all intently. The pastor left. The little boy walked over, hugged his Dad and said, “We don’t want to be Christians, do we Daddy?”
That little boy wanted to be just like his Dad!
What a responsibility is given to each of us as leaders in our homes!
May God grip your heart, Dad. May you attend God’s house with your family. May you show your kids a godly example by your words and your deeds. And may God give us the strength to be what we ought to be.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.12.2007 - A teacher in New England quizzed a group of college-bound seniors on their knowledge of the Bible.
The answers were astounding.
Some of their responses to the questions showed they believed Sodom and Gomorrah were lovers; Jezebel was Ahab’s donkey; and the New Testament gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luther and John; Eve was created from an apple and Jesus was baptized by Moses!
One of the more astounding answers given was by a student who ranked in the top 50 percent of his class.
When asked, “What is Golgotha?” he replied, “Golgotha is the name of the giant who slew the Apostle David.”
A recent Gallup Poll revealed that 82 percent of Americans believe that the Bible is the literal, inspired, word of God.
Yet, at the same time, 51 percent have never read the Bible!
In our nation’s formative years, the Bible was our nation’s benchmark.
The natural laws it taught were the bedrock of our culture.
However, today it is not even taught in our schools.
We need to be forewarned and forearmed of the result of disregarding the word of God.
The psalmist said, “If the foundations be destroyed, what shall the righteous do?”
We need to keep the Bible in front of us to light our path.
We need to use it in our homes and return it not “pop psychology” to our pulpits.
Someone has written:
• I am the Bible.
• I am God’s wonderful library.
• I am always – and above all – the truth.
• To the weary pilgrim, I am a good strong staff.
• To the one who sits in black gloom, I am glorious light.
• To those who stoop beneath heavy burdens, I am sweet rest.
• To him who has lost his way, I am a safe guide.
• To those who have been hurt by sin, I am healing balm.
• To the discouraged, I whisper a glad message of hope.
• To those who are distressed by the storms of life, I am an anchor, sure and steadfast.
• To those who suffer in lonely solitude, I am as a cool, soft hand, resting on a fevered brow.
• Oh, child of man, to best defend me, just use me.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
6.05.2007 - As you read the Gospels, you find there were two things that caused Jesus to marvel.
He marveled at the presence of faith — Jesus declared of a certain centurion, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”
He also marveled at unbelief.
In other words, He marveled at faith and also marveled at the lack of it!
One great truth that is clearly declared in the Bible is the place and role of faith in our lives.
The Bible is clear when it states that the spiritual life is obtained by faith. How important is faith in our lives?
Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him,” and Romans 14:23 says, “...whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
The words “in God we trust” are engraved on our coins, but the question is whether or not they are engraved on our hearts?
Faith is to be more than a supplemental part of our lives, it is to be fundamental.
Our forefathers, for the most part, were men and women of faith.
Certainly they stepped out on nothing except faith as they forged this great nation.
Picture George Washington, kneeling at Valley Forge seeking divine guidance for his decisions and for his army. Washington was a man of faith. He took God at His word and trusted Him for the results.
I tell you, we need that kind of faith in God today.
Our nation has many problems that are beyond our wisdom and beyond our resources.
We must put our faith and our trust in God.
May we as Americans, as did the demoniac, say — “Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5.29.2007 - Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11 and was first observed on May 30, 1868 when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
The first state to recognize the holiday was New York in 1873.
By 1890, it was recognized by all the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days, until after World War I when the holiday changed from honoring just those Americans who died in the Civil War to honoring all Americans who died fighting any war. It is now celebrated in almost every state on the last Monday in May — passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971.
In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders’ Fields,” Moira Michael replied with her own poem:
We cherish too the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies
We, on this Memorial Day, remember and will never forget those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom — their lives.
May God bless America.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5.22.2007 - The Lord Jesus spoke of the Pharisees saying, “Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, this people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
What a condemnation it would be to serve God with our lips but not from the heart.
The Pharisees questioned why Jesus’s disciples didn’t follow certain rules. We can all learn from His answer.
When we go to church on Sunday just out of habit, when we sing the hymns of worship and our hearts are somewhere else, when we spend no time in prayer, when we treat others worse than we would want to be treated, is there not a part of the Pharisee in us?
Habits are important to us all. As a matter of fact, they can be critical. Discipline will often stand us in good stead when other things fail, but to serve God simply out of habit is not the way He wants us to serve Him. God wants us to serve from the heart.
Only deep within us can we determine our motive for service — habit or heart?
We are very busy in today’s society, with little or no time to spare. So busy sometimes that our service to God is just another check on our ‘things to do’ list.
It’s sad, but true, that we are raising a generation of youth that does not know God because we have not shown them the importance of worship!
Youth learn by example so, as a nation, let’s stop giving God mere lip service out of habit and start serving Him from the heart. Moses told the Israelites in their service to “love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
May we always follow his admonition.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5.15.2007 - What a thrill to have a life purpose.
Most people live 70 years, eat tons of food, wear tons of clothes, drive multitudes of cars, go multitudes of places, yet throughout that lifetime have no purpose.
The story is told of a man who lived all of his life at the foot of a mountain.
He had never climbed to the top. In his old age, he made the climb. When he arrived at the top he saw a wonderful sunset.
He burst into tears and exclaimed, “Just think — I almost missed it!”
Many are missing out on a beautiful life.
I often meet people who claim to have a gnawing feeling that there is more to life than they are experiencing.
A popular song years ago was, “Is This All There Is?”
The Bible, God’s Word, shows how to live a blessed and fulfilled life.
Understand, the Bible is called the word of truth. In our culture there is a shift in what truth is.
Today’s psychology says what is truth for you may not be the same for me.
However, truth is that which corresponds to reality. Truth corresponds to that which actually is.
The Bible is our compass through life.
It shows us how to live a more fulfilled life.
It shows us our past, our present, and even shows us how to prepare for the future.
Evangelist Billy Graham tells of his early years of ministry.
He was told to adapt his preaching to the times.
He wrestled with that for many months, but now when you hear him speak, he’s known for the phrase, “The Bible says”
Mankind’s problems are two-fold: sin and death.
The truth of God’s Word holds the answer for both.
Apply what it says to your life, move out of the shadows, climb your mountain filled with a God-given purpose, and experience the beauty of the life you can have in Jesus Christ!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5.08.2007 - The future has always concerned us!
Fortune tellers, mediums and astrologers are more popular now than at any time in our nation’s history.
Jesus had a lot to say with regard to the future. In his Sermon on the Mount he said, “Take no thought for tomorrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”
That is strong medicine for tired and troubled people!
It’s in our makeup to worry over the future. Obviously, we should plan and prepare for the future — but we are not to worry over it, because there is a danger that exists when we worry about tomorrow. When we go into the future and worry and fret, we sacrifice the joy of the present on the altar of the immediate.
Someone once said that worry is the interest paid on borrowed trouble. And borrowed trouble often buries blessings!
When you bring the unknown potential of tomorrow into today, you cover today’s blessings!
People are so concerned over the future they cannot enjoy the blessings of today — and when we cannot see our blessings, we lose our thankfulness!
Often we get so focused on what is down the road we lose all the blessings around us. Many of us are swimming in blessings and don’t realize it.
As one woman said, “Even when I feel good I feel bad, because I know soon I’ll feel bad!”
Some of us actually stand knee-deep in blessings yet anticipate a burden!
Worrying about the future doesn’t take the sorrow out of tomorrow — it simply takes the joy out of today.
Recently, on a beautiful day, I commented to a gentleman, “Nice day!”
He replied, “We’ll pay for this down the road.”
I thought, maybe we will, but I’m going to enjoy it while it’s here!
Look around you! There’s blessings everywhere! Though we don’t know what the future holds, we know who holds the future!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
5.01.2007 - One of the most interesting Bible characters is the man Enoch.
He was a contemporary of Adam, the first man. Three different times he is mentioned in the pages of Holy Writ.
In Genesis 5:24, his commentary is that “he walked with God and was not; for God took him.”
In the New Testament, the book of Hebrews tells us that before his translation “he pleased God.”
Then, in Jude, Enoch himself mentioned a word of prophecy when he stated, “The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.”
In Enoch’s day, there were only two blood lines – the descendants of Cain and the descendants of Seth. Their histories are recorded in Genesis 4 and 5.
In the days Enoch lived, there was much in the way of wickedness, so much so that God had condemned the world to destruction. Theirs was much like our day.
Genesis 6:5 says, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
Cain had murdered his brother and, in the cradle of civilization, man made a move away from his Creator.
Secularism was evident and materialism had blinded many to spiritual truths. Evil flourished and demonic oppression was everywhere.
Yet, in spite of all this, the Bible says Enoch walked with God.
Many in our society look around and see all the problems and evil that surrounds us, and find it hard to know the Lord. It has never been easy to live an honorable life in a dishonorable society! However, God still desires us to place Him at the top of our priorities.
Our forefathers were such men and women. They knew the Bible, read it, studied it and, before making a decision, they bowed their heads in prayer before God.
In this hour of our nation’s history, we would do well to return to walking, and to teach our children to walk, as Enoch walked — with God!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4.24.2007 - The origin of nations is an interesting topic. Our origin, as Americans, is found in biblical principles. America did not happen by circumstance, but by the providence of Almighty God. As you read our history you can see the hand of God.
The Mayflower Compact begins with the words, “In the name of God.” They wrote the Mayflower Compact “for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith”. The South American president asked historian Roger Babson what the difference was between North and South America.
Babson stated, “Those who came to South America sought gold; those who went to North America sought God.” What a spiritual heritage we have. On the day they declared their independence, our forefathers included these words, “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator …”
So, the freedom we enjoy is the result of our heritage. Our forefathers believed in these precepts. They saw to it that the government could not intervene in the church. There is, however, never to be a separation between God and government.
Today the role of government is undefined. Government often puts its nose where our forefathers never intended it to be. To be quite honest, our forefathers saw to it that the role of government was to see that God’s laws were carried out. Blackstone called it “natural law!”
We must constantly remind ourselves of our origin. It’s what we are; it’s whose we are! If we lose our moorings, we will become as other nations, filled with people but with the evidence of blessings reduced. Lincoln, in his inaugural speech, stated, “A task lies before me that is greater than that of Washington. Without the assistance of the Divine One who helped him, I cannot succeed — with that assurance, I cannot fail”.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4.17.2007-One of the most difficult lessons of life to learn is forgiveness.
When the disciples came to Jesus asking how often they were to forgive, Jesus’ answer was not seven times but rather seventy times seven!
The principle was that there should be no time when forgiveness is not possible. Forgiveness deals with our emotional response to the offender. To truly forgive someone is to clear his or her record with us and transfer responsibility for any punishment over to God.
Forgiveness makes it possible for us to have the same openness toward a person, after the offense, we had before.
Our society is plagued with people with an unforgiving spirit. Not to forgive often causes severe problems in the life of an individual.
Physical problems, as well as mental depression, can be the result for a person who is unwilling to forgive.
In his book, “None of These Diseases”, Dr. McMillian describes the dismay of the ‘unforgiver’ —
“The moment I start hating a man I become his slave. I can’t enjoy my work any more because he controls my thoughts. My resentments produce too many stress hormones in my body and I become fatigued after only a few hours of work. The work I formerly enjoyed is now drudgery. Even vacations cease to give me pleasure.
“I can’t escape his tyrannical grasp on my mind. When the waiter serves me Porterhouse steak, it might well be stale bread and water. My teeth chew the food, and I swallow it, but the man I hate will not permit me to enjoy it.”
Perhaps in your life there is an unforgiving spirit! Settle it in your heart. Remember what Jesus said, “Vengeance is mine — I will repay.”
The Chinese people have a proverb, “The greatest conqueror is he who overcomes his enemy without a single blow.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4.10.2007
What a thrill it is to be an American.
Recently while out of the country I was asked my country of origin. I proudly said, “The United States.”
While entering other nations as a visitor, I am always proud to show my passport and my nation — America.
I like the way Mr. Dean Alfange expressed it in “My Creed”:
“I do not choose to be a common man. It is my right to be uncommon ... if I can. I seek opportunity — not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me. I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.
“I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat. It is my heritage to stand erect, proud, and unafraid; to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, this I have done. All this is what it means to be an American.”
How blessed we are indeed!
May God continue to bless us all. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
4.03.2007 - I recently read an article on the Web ....
“Your world is dark, safe and secure. You do nothing for yourself and you’re automatically fed and waited upon. You meet no sharp objects, no pain and no threats. It’s a wonderful existence — but one day you feel a tug, and the walls are falling in on you! Your body is bent double, your limbs are twisted and wrenched. You’re falling upside down. For the first time in your life you feel excruciating pain. There is a pressure that’s almost too intense to bear! Your head is squeezed flat and you’re pushed harder and harder into a dark tunnel. You hurt all over. You hear groaning sounds and an awful fear rushes in on you that your world is collapsing. You’re sure it’s the end! Then you see a blinding light and cold rough hands pull at you. A painful slap bombards you. All of a sudden you let out a blood-curdling cry. CONGRATULATIONS — you’ve just been born!
The truth of the matter is that, from the time we’re born until the time we die, life is filled with pain, problems, perplexities and pressures.
One poet put it this way —
I walked a mile with Pleasure,
She chatted all the way,
But left me none the wiser,
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne’er a word said she
But oh, the things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me.
None of us relish difficulties. However, strength is forged through trouble.
By and large, we are what we are because of the shaping that problems give us. Always remember, that it could be that your problems are God letting you know He’s there.
So, when you can’t get over the mountain, turn to The Rock that is higher than I.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3.27.2007 -
Many people live in fear of questions they cannot answer, but a good answer when you don’t know the answer would be an honest, “I don’t know.”
Will Rogers said, “People don’t show their ignorance by not knowing so much as they do by knowing so much that ain’t so!”
Throughout the Bible, God answers many of the life-probing questions we all have.
One of these questions is found in Romans, “If God be for us then who shall be against us?”
Isaiah 54:17 tells us you don’t have to be much if you have a great partner.
I recently came across a story that illustrates this truth vividly.
Ravi Zacharias was ministering in Vietnam in 1971 — his interpreter was Hein Pham, a devoted young Christian. Zacharias left Vietnam and four years later, Vietnam fell. He never knew what happened to Pham. Seventeen years later Pham called to tell him he was in the country and he told his story. He was arrested and spent years in and out of jail. The communists pressured him to turn on his faith and country. He was forced to read Marx, Engel and other communist philosophers.
He began to buckle and thought perhaps he’d been lied to all these years, so he decided he would never pray again! The very next morning he was assigned to clean the lavatories and his eyes fell on paper with English writing. He washed it off and read it. It was a page from the Bible, Romans 8:28. He trembled with amazement — he knew there wasn’t a more relevant passage.
He cried to God to help him and every day he found pages from the Bible! He and 52 others made plans for an escape and they began to build a boat in secret. The Viet Cong came and asked him if he was part of an escape plan — he told them no! He made up some story, but he knew he couldn’t back it up, so he made up his mind that if asked again, he would tell them the truth.
That day came — “We have proof that you have an escape plan, is it true?” Pham answered “Yes! It’s true — will I be beaten?” The Viet Cong answered, “No, we want to escape with you!” Once out on the open seas such a storm came that Pham thought they were perishing and he cried out to God, but the Viet Cong simply said, “Did you not know that we are experienced sailors?” They were all spared!!! God had sent the Viet Cong to deliver Hein Pham! So always remember, if God be for us then who shall be against us?
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3.20.2007 - John the Baptist was born six months before Jesus Christ and their earthly relationship was that of cousin. The Bible says about John’s life that, of all men born of woman, there was no greater than John the Baptist. He was a man sent from God. His background and home are interesting. His father was a priest, his mother from the home of a priest.
His parents are described as “righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless.” John’s parents laid for him a spiritual foundation upon which his life could prosper — his success was no accident!
I congratulate today’s parents who are laying a spiritual foundation for their children. I believe the problems we face as a society — the drugs, the illegitimacy rate, the welfare problem, rebellion, etc., all of these are a spiritual problem because we have been victimized by faulty psychology. Many homes are too permissive about attitudes and behavior and we, as a society, are bearing the results.
Whatever happened to Sunday School? As children, it taught us the principles of right and wrong; it taught what was honorable and what was dishonorable. Today, Sunday School and church have been relegated to places we attend, maybe, a few times a year! Do we, as parents, realize that our actions speak louder than words?
For instance, while many teach their children the peril of drugs, they drink alcohol like it’s going out of fashion! The youth of today are smart. The reason we have problems with them is because they lack a proper spiritual foundation.
But, don’t just send your children to Sunday School and church — take them! A public school official told me a major problem is that the parents of many students feel it’s the school’s responsibility to raise their children, not them!
Someone once wisely said, “If you’re waiting for something to turn up, start with your shirt sleeves!” Parents, let’s take the bull by the horns! Let’s roll up our sleeves and give our children a spiritual foundation upon which they can build a spiritual life.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3.13.2007 -
In I Chronicles 12:32 the Bible says, “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do.”
The children of Issachar had more than a knowledge of the times; they had an understanding of the times that produced a knowledge of what they should do.
Many people claim to be experts and have a knowledge of the times. Listen to the reporters, news commentators, and columnists.
They do not understand the times in which we live. Men who do not know the Bible live in relative darkness.
We all need to have direction in our lives. The best way to have it is to find God’s course and then chart our course accordingly.
Psalm 37:5 tells us, “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”
Righteous exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.
Jesus told us of these days when He warned us that men’s hearts would fail with fear.
It is an indication of His soon and eminent return. We in this nation need to heed the times!
Our Lord is soon to come back for His own. We need to be watching and waiting.
As Romans 13:11 says, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.”
Let’s understand the times. Our lives are too short to live without direction.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
3.06.2007 - Internet Thought For The Day: “In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s words during a recent interview.
When asked by one of his parliament members why he believes so much in America, he said, ‘A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in and how many want out.
Only two defining forces have ever died for you: Jesus Christ, and the American G.I. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.’”
I say, “Amen!” Both are often forgotten, slandered or used as curse words.
A man said to me, “This war is so unpopular.”
To be honest, I’ve never heard of a popular war. I overheard a young lady saying that we need to bring our troops home and forget this whole thing.
My take on this war is, they started it, and we need to finish it! If we don’t fight them over there then we’ll have to fight them here. Friend, al-Qaida is a sworn enemy of the United States and of Israel.
There are no peace negotiations with terrorists.
Let’s not fool ourselves.
Any sect of people that would take credit for 9/11 is deserving of anything they get. Saddam Hussein was nothing but a thug, a bully and a terrorist. He was responsible for the death of tens of thousands of innocents.
Our nation is built on the sacrifice of those who have gone before. It wasn’t easy, but we enjoy the fruit of their labors.
Let’s not abandon our place. Let’s support our President. Let’s stand together. Placing our heads in the sand will not eliminate al-Qaida!
Let’s finish the job. Our children will thank us one day.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2.27.2007 - Someone has written, “You’ll never be sorry ... for telling the truth, ... for living a good life, ... for putting your faith in Christ, ... for acknowledging your sin, ... for doing your very best, ... for forgiving your enemies, ... for helping a fallen brother, ... for being honest in business, ... for standing by your principles, ... for bridling a slanderous tongue, ... for being courteous and kind, ... for giving to God’s work.”
I say a hearty amen to that list!
The Bible tells us that what we sow, we reap. Often taken in the negative, there is also a positive aspect to this statement, as we see in this story about the great composer and pianist, Paderewski.
Two young men were working their way through Stanford University.
At one point, their money was almost gone so they decided to engage the great pianist for a concert and use the profits for board and tuition. Paderewski’s manager asked for a guarantee of $1,000 and they agreed. The students worked hard to promote the concert but came up $400 short. After the concert they went to the musician, gave him all the money they had raised and promised to pay the $400 as soon as they could.
It appeared their college days were over! However, Paderewski told them to pay their expenses, take 10 percent apiece for schooling and give him what was left.
Years passed and Paderewski became the Premier of Poland during WWI. Thousands of his countrymen were starving. Only one man could help — the head of the U.S. Food & Relief Bureau who, at that time, was Herbert Hoover. Paderewski’s appeal brought thousands of tons of food to his nation.
Later, Paderweski had the opportunity to meet this American statesman and personally thank him for his help.
Hoover said, “Sir you are welcome! Besides, you don’t remember but you helped me once when I was a student in college.”
Hoover had been one of the two young men who asked Paderewski to perform at their concert!
Friend, that’s how life is — you reap what you sow, and when you sow good seeds it has a boomerang effect!
So, let’s not grow weary of doing what God has called us to do. We will reap, as the Scripture says, if we faint not.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2.20.2007 - No one ever sets out to be a failure.
Yet people continue to fail. They continue to fall short of their own expectations, and of the hopes and expectations of others.
The prophet Jeremiah knew this very well. Over and over he had seen the nation of Israel turn from God to serve other gods, fall under God’s judgment, then turn back to God in repentance, only to fall back into failure once again.
He, himself, failed God a time or two. And yet he is the man God used to pen these words: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
In the midst of failure, only God can bring hope. For every day ended in failure, there is a morning filled with mercy.
For every lack of constancy, strength, ability and faith, we have a God who is unfailing in His faithfulness.
For the Christian, the main goal of every day should be, not to eat better, be nicer to everyone, accomplish more work, make more money, be more assertive, exercise more or fail less.
Our main goal should be to be more like Jesus Christ, the Unfailing One, the One whose strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Ever feel like a failure? Like there is no hope for a better tomorrow? Turn to the Unfailing One and allow him to live His life in you.
His mercies are new every morning.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2.13.2007 - The Liberty Bell at Independence Hall rang out the joyful sound of the birth of a nation.
On the bell had been inscribed these words of scripture, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof.’ (Leviticus 25:10)
Shortly after the adjournment of the Constitutional Convention, Alexander Hamilton said, “For my own part, I sincerely esteem it a system which, without the finger of God, never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests.”
Daniel Webster, standing at the site of the Mayflower”s landing, said, “More than all, a government and a country were to commence with the very foundations laid under the divine light of Christian religion
Who would wish that his country’s existence had otherwise begun?”
Eighty-seven years after the Liberty Bell rang out; Abraham Lincoln spoke in solemn words to Americans gathered at Gettysburg.
“Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
He concluded with these words, “That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
It was obvious that, under God, the Republic had come into being and Lincoln knew that only under God would it continue.
The Pledge of Allegiance was amended in 1954 by President Eisenhower to include the words, “under God.” In later years, General Douglas McArthur commented, “The unfailing formula for the production of morale is patriotism, self respect, discipline and self-confidence, but I would say, above all else, a faith in God.”
Ladies and gentlemen, our history is that of a Christian nation, immersed in freedom from the Lord God.
Let no one, neither tyranny from abroad, nor an infidel in the church, nor a pseudo-patriot from within, even think they can remove God from the very fabric of our society.
The psalmist said it all ... “Blessed is the land whose people worship the Lord God ... Let’s make sure our land remains blessed!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
2.06.2007
This generation of Americans has become conditioned to mediocrity.
So many have no dreams, ambitions or goals for the future, but I like a man who sets his sights on something and stops at nothing to attain it!
Folks often blame failure on race, origin, religious or financial backgrounds. However, the fact of the matter is, quitters never win and winners never quit!
This is America — the land of the free and the home of the brave, but success and victory are not simply reached for, you have to scratch for them!
A winner says, “Let’s find out” — a loser says “Nobody knows”. When a winner makes a mistake he says, “I was wrong”, but when a loser fails he says, “It wasn’t my fault.”
A winner goes through a problem, a loser goes around it! A winner makes commitments, a loser makes promises. A winner says, “I’m good, but I’m not as good as I ought to be” while a loser will insist, “I’m not as bad as a lot of other people are.”
A winner tries to learn from those who are superior to him, but a loser tries to tear down those who are superior to him. A winner says, “There ought to be a better way to do this” and a loser insists, “That’s the way we’ve always done it”.
Woodrow Wilson once said, “I would rather fail in the cause of triumph than triumph in a cause that someday will fail.”
America needs men and women of dogged determination — those who are willing to pay the price to make a mark in this world. The great problem with many Americans these days is that they want everything handed to them.
Daddy finances, Momma pampers and spoon-feeds, so when adversity strikes they have no idea what to do!
It’s time to go back to teaching our children the worth of character, and the value of working and striving towards their goals. These are the people we need, working together, to keep this nation the greatest on the face of the earth.
Don’t pass the buck — it’s the responsibility of every American to do his or her part to keep this nation what she is today.
Teach your children to work, strive hard to reach their goals, and learn the sweet taste of success that perseverance brings.
Teach them to say, “I’m only one, I can’t do much, but I can do something — and what I can, I will do, by the grace of God”.
Teach them to be winners!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1.30.2007 - We as Americans go through a crisis every few years.
It seems the war in Iraq is our present one. What seemed as a short-term conflict has now become extended to a standstill.
War is never easy. There will always be those who oppose the war for what they call peace sake, no matter what the reason why we fight.
No one enjoys war, yet we enjoy our freedom today because others were willing to fight to keep it!
Merle Haggard put it into words when he said, “Some love our milk and honey then preach about some other way of living!.”
The late John Lennon, and his “imaginary” philosophy would be one example of that.
Facts are stubborn things!
We are in Iraq! Blood has already been shed, and that of our brave men and women. It’s not time to pull out and leave our present situation.
Did we not learn anything from Vietnam? When I visited Vietnam recently I found that the people there hate totalitarian government, as did the Iraqis.
Friend, we need to buck up and finish the job.
Our fears of terrorism have too often been realized.
And regardless of what Rosie O’Donnell thinks, the most dangerous and radical faction in our world is Radical Islam.
If we leave now, the ones who would really suffer are the dear Iraqi people.
Ninety percent of our soldiers feel that we have a just cause.
Let’s take heart and do what we must and support our commander-in-chief and finish what we started out to do! Some say the war is so unpopular; name me one war that has been popular.
The United Nations is not going to help us! It’s up to us, the greatest military power in history, to fix the crisis. It does not need to be politicized — it needs to be won! Evil triumphs when good men do nothing!
Let’s stand up for our leader — stand up for right and help preserve freedom in that part of the world.
My thoughts, but worth hearing.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1.23.2007 - Secular historians have underplayed the greatest single driving force behind the voyage of Columbus. Columbus himself wrote, “It was the Lord who put into my mind to sail from here to the Indies. All who heard my plan rejected it with laughter.”
One secular writer has suggested that Columbus was inspired by Psalms 19 or by Ezekiel’s reference to the “isles that are in the sea”, but there is no doubt that Columbus was following God’s will in discovering a new land — the land of America.
There is also no doubt that, despite all the ridicule and rejection, Columbus never gave up on his dream. As Joaquin Miller wrote in his account “Columbus”:
Behind him lay the gray Azores,
Behind the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of shore,
Before him only shoreless seas.
The good mate said, “Now must we pray,
For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Adm’r’l speak; what shall I say?”
“Why say: ‘Sail on! sail on! and on!’
My men grow mutinous day by day;
My men grow ghastly wan and weak.”
The stout mate thought of home; a spray
Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.
“What shall I say, brave Adm’r’l, say,
If we sight naught but seas at dawn?”
“Why, you shall say, at break of day:
‘Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on.’”
They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,
Until at last the blanched mate said:
“Why, now not even God would know
Should I and all my men fall dead.
These very winds forget their way,
For God from these dread seas is gone.
Now speak, brave Adm’r’l; speak and say” —
He said: “Sail on! sail on! and on!”
They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the mate:
“This mad sea shows his teeth tonight;
He curled his lips, he lies in wait,
With lifted teeth, as if to bite:
Brave Adm’r’l, say but one good word;
What shall we do when hope is gone?”
The words leapt like a leaping sword:
“Sail on! sail on! sail on and on.”
Then, pale and worn, he kept his deck,
and peered through darkness. Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a speck –
A light! a light! a light! a light!
It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!
It grew to be Time’s burst of dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that world
Its grandest lesson: “On! sail on!”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1.16.2007 - What, as Christians, are some of the things we should strive for as a new year begins to unfold?
The possibilities are endless, but I’ll zero in on just a few.
First, we need faith to accept whatever God designs.
Romans 8:28 tell us, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”
None of us know what the coming year holds. Sorrow and happiness, smiles and tears, troubles and blessings may all come into play.
May God give us the grace to accept by faith whatever comes our way.
Secondly, we need a life that is filled with purpose. God has a purpose for every life. He is the potter, we are the clay and He is attempting to make each of us a vessel fit unto honor.
This year, don’t drift on the sea of life — have purpose! As the poet says, “My Father’s way may twist and turn, my heart may throb and ache; But in my soul I’m glad to know He maketh no mistake”
Thirdly, we need to ask God for the grace to be thankful.
Psalms 68:19 says, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits.”
The greatest Christian grace is gratitude. Remember to thank God all through the year for all His many blessings.
We should also strive to be sweet under all conditions. Blessed is the man who can smile while others smite.
Even the direst of catastrophes can be softened by your attitude towards them. As someone once wrote,
“Don’t be foolish and get sour when things don’t go your way. Don’t be a pampered baby and declare ‘now I just won’t play.’ Just go grinning on and bear it.
Have you a heartache? Millions share it!
If you earn a crown, you’ll wear it! Keep sweet!”
This coming year is full of opportunities for each of us.
May God give us the ability to serve Him and live each day to the fullest.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1.09.2007 -
No one will ever fully know why it has pleased God to bless this nation with abundance unprecedented in history, and with freedoms that are the envy of the world.
Though we are not a perfect nation by any stretch of the imagination, we are still the greatest place on earth.
Because half the world goes to bed hungry, and half the world lives sheltered from the freedoms we possess, our nation is the envy of the world.
And every generation in America has it better than the previous generation.
Recently, while on a trip to Asia, I spent several days in North Thailand speaking to the hill tribe people.
No real formal education. No medical care to speak of — not even an aspirin — and I saw hundreds of children living in huts, eating their one meal of the day.
While speaking one morning to the “Lahu” tribe, I asked how many would like to go to America. They all stood to their feet and clapped — they were all well aware of the differences between our nation and theirs!
Many see only our failures, but I seek to see our true blessings: the bounty of food, the benefits afforded to each one of us and the abundance of treasure in our heritage.
Many families enjoy large homes, cars, heating and air conditioning, but we tend to look at all of these as necessities rather than luxuries!
Friend, God has truly blessed each one of us! Let’s thank Him for His goodness, His mercy and His love.
At the outset of this New Year, let’s see fit to go to His house on Sunday, give Him back some of our bounty, and have a heart full of gratitude for all we possess.
May God bless you this year, and may God bless America.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church
1.02.2007 - In the Book of Revelation, it tells us that one day God will make all things new.
I love new things — I love new clothes, new cars, new beginnings, new books, new days, new directions, new restaurants, etc.
There’s something about the word “new” that screams opportunity and possibility.
No matter how badly you have blown it, no matter how bad things have become, no matter what has happened, no matter how monotonous or how worn out things have become, it can all be erased with the word “new”.
The New Year is upon us and with it are all the hopes and dreams of a new beginning.
One thing is for certain — we are about to enter a time and a way in which we have never been. We are entering uncharted waters.
Alexander the Great led his army across Asia Minor.
He paused at the Kyber Pass in the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains.
Beyond was the unknown nation of India.
Within his knowledge he was standing at the end of the world.
The lands beyond that point had not been mapped or charted so, when he marched his troops forward, they were literally marching off the map!
Thankfully, for us there is a guide — the Bible.
It will take us on to the other side and, with the Lord, it’s never too late to start over.
Why not let Him guide you today?
This year, put your hand in His hand and forget the past.
Go on in His love and power.
Forget those things behind you, and press on towards the prize.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.
— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church