7.13.2010 - Most of us remember the old full-service gas stations.
I worked at one for the better part of four years.
You could stop and have someone pump the gas for you, check your oil, wash your windshield and all with a good attitude.
We would all get excited at the Texaco station where I worked, whenever the bell would ring and we would go to work.
If things were slow we would even check the tire pressure.
Check this out: If one was low, we would put air in the tire, and are you ready for this? ... For free!
That was a long time ago.
Very few exist today. Basically, you are on your own unless you go to a $40-an-hour mechanic.
In that vein, there was a time when many served this country.
It seems a while ago, but many were more interested in serving than they were in being served.
It seems that everyone now-a-days are more interested in what they can get rather than what they can give.
President John F. Kennedy said “Ask not what your country can do for you; rather ask what you can do for your country.”
That needs to be asked again and again. And what is true with the nation is true with society.
We have developed a “serve us” mentality.
“What have you done for me lately?” is the mantra of many people.
Our churches, schools, families, and neighborhoods have become serve me zones.
I think it would be good for us to return to service.
We need to move away from a “serve us” mentality to service.
Personally, I think it’s a lack of commitment.
That is what made this nation!
Our forefathers had it and we had better get it or we will lose something very valuable as a people — freedom!
We need to move away from the serve us mentality to service.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

7.06.2010 - Diamonds: They’re the stuff dreams are made of.
They star in Hollywood’s biggest movies.
Countries go to war over them.
They’re the fixation of many a miner and pick.
They’re relatively small, yet they always draw a crowd.
From the world’s largest (512 carat) on the Crown Jewels of England, to the tiniest chip in a bride’s band, it is considered the nearest thing to priceless we can possess.
However, the Bible tells us of four things which are of greater value than a sea of diamonds, rivers of gold, or even mountains of jewels.
Wisdom Solomon tells us that it is worth more, and is more precious, than gold and nothing we desire can compare with it.
God’s Words The Psalmist said “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold. Sweeter also, than honey and the honeycomb.”
An Excellent Woman Solomon said that her price is above rubies and her children rise up and call her blessed.
Personal Reputation The Bible says “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and favor is better than silver or gold”.
Most of us have been blessed with some of these.
We are a blessed people.
Much of everyday is spent protecting these treasures and with good reason.
They are of infinite worth. May we spend our days seeking to enrich our lives on that which God values.
Jesus said, “What would it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lost his own soul?”
Our parents were men and women who knew the value of this conviction. May we follow their example.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

6.29.2010 - As we celebrate our nation’s birthday, I am reminded of a quote by Otto Whittaker:
“I was born on July 4, 1776, and the Declaration of Independence is my birth certificate. The bloodlines of the world run in my veins, because I offered freedom to the oppressed.
“I am the 180 million living souls, and the ghosts of millions who have lived and died for me.
“I am Nathan Hale and Paul Revere. I stood at Lexington and fired the shot heard around the world. I am Washington, Jefferson, and Patrick Henry. I am John Paul Jones, the Green Mountain Boys and Davy Crockett. I am Lee, Grant, and Abe Lincoln.
“I am the Brooklyn Bridge, the wheat fields of Kansas and granite hills of Vermont. I am the coal fields of the Virginias and Pennsylvania; the fertile lands of the West; the Golden Gate and the Grand Canyon. I am Independence Hall, the Monitor and the Merrimac.
“I am big. I sprawl from the Atlantic to the Pacific, three million square miles throbbing with industry. I am more than five million farms. I am forest, field, mountain and desert. I am quiet villages and cities that never sleep. You can look at me and see Ben Franklin walking down the streets of Philadelphia with his bread loaf under his arm. You can see Betsy Ross with her needle. You can see the lights of Christmas, and hear the strains of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ as the calendar turns.
“I am Babe Ruth and the World Series. I am 169,000 schools and colleges and 250,000 churches where people worship God as they think best. I am a ballot dropped in a box; the roar of a crowd in a stadium, and the voice of a choir in a cathedral. I am an editorial in a newspaper and a letter to a congressman.
“I am Eli Whitney and Stephen Foster. I am Tom Edison, Albert Einstein and Billy Graham. I am Horace Greeley, Will Rogers and the Wright Brothers. I am George Washington Carver, Daniel Webster and Jonas Salk.
“I am Longfellow, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Walt Whitman, and Thomas Paine.
“Yes, I am the Nation, and these are the things that I am. I was conceived in freedom, and God willing, in freedom will I spend the rest of my days. May I possess always the integrity, the courage and the strength to keep my self unshackled, to remain a citadel of freedom and a beacon of hope to the world.
“I am the United States.”
Happy Birthday, America! This flag-waving preacher is still proud.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

6.15.2010 - “Dear Abby” recorded a powerful story.
It seems a young man from a wealthy family was about to graduate from high school.
It was a custom in their affluent community for parents to give their children a new car.
The boy and his Dad spent several weeks visiting one dealership after another.
The week before graduation, they found the perfect car.
The boy was certain it would be in their driveway on graduation night.
On the eve of graduation his father handed him a small package.
The father said the package contained the most valuable gift he could think of.
It was a Bible.
The boy threw the Bible down and stormed out of the house.
He and his father never saw each other again.
Several years later, the news of the father’s death finally brought the son home again.
After the funeral, he sat alone one evening going through his father’s possessions that he was to inherit, when he came across the Bible his Dad had given him.
Overwhelmed by grief, he brushed away the dust and cracked it open for the first time.
As he did, a cashier’s check dated for the day of his graduation fell out.
It was the exact amount of the car they had both chosen.
The gift had been there all along but he had turned it away.
At this graduation season, gifts are certainly in order.
One is to be commended and rewarded upon the completion of a job well done.
However, the greatest gift to any of us is the Word of God.
In its pages a graduate commencing life can find the answer to the most perplexing problems!
Graduates, congratulations! ... Job well done! Now you must remember this is just the beginning.
The how, when, where and why’s all lie before you.
But you’re not alone.
Open the Book and in it you will find the keys to a happy life.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

6.08.2010 - There are many principles that are paramount in life, one being the principle of excellence.
Some describe excellence as “an inordinate attention to details.”
Some call it going beyond the call of duty.
Our Lord called it the second mile.
Not everyone can have a life of opulence.
Not everyone can have a life of affluence.
All of us can have a life of excellence.
Living a life of excellence is the difference between mediocrity and magnificence.
Going the second mile takes you from the middle of the pack, to the top.
Think of all the roles you play in life: Father, mother, husband, wife, athlete, musician, teacher, farmer, doctor, lawyer, salesman, etc.
The sad truth of life is many do just enough to get by.
The story is told of a woman who sat down to dinner with her little boy.
She told him she wanted him to eat his spinach.
The boy said” How little can I get by with?”
That is how many live their lives.
As little as possible is their lot in life.
Just what I need is their creed!
A surgeon was operating with a young intern at his side.
The soon-to-be surgeon noticed how intricately the doctor operated.
He closed the wound with three sutures when two would have been enough.
The intern asked “Why three?”
The surgeon said, “That’s my sleeping knot. When I get home at night and slip into bed I go over every step of the operation. When I begin to worry about my surgery, I remember the third knot and I go off to sleep.”
We can all make a difference in our homes, our businesses and our nation by being second-milers.
As Americans, as Christians we are blessed.
The reason is because those before us were excellent second-milers.
That’s the difference.
May we carry their torch
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

6.01.2010 - My entrance into the ministry was not as a pastor.
My introduction to ministry was when I was asked to be an assistant pastor and minister to the college students. I had seen first-hand how a church can impact young people when it pours its energies into building lives and reaching people.
A few years later, I became a pastor. In total, I have pastored for 31 years. I can honestly say it has been a joy and a delight to be a pastor.
Pastors have to be a lot of things: Preacher, counselor, and at times, a referee; but most of all, a leader. That is the most difficult thing about it.
Whatever else a pastor may be, he must be a leader. He has no choice.
Two of the terms used for a pastor in the New Testament are “shepherd” and “overseer.”
A shepherd leads a flock and an overseer sees over the affairs of the church. A pastor has no choice of whether or not he is a leader and in reality — no one does.
All of us are leaders in some capacity. We all have influence over someone. We are all leaders to some degree.
Only twice in the Bible do we read that Jesus was amazed at anything. Mark tells us that Jesus was amazed that the people in his hometown rejected his ministry.
Luke tells us the story of the centurion that amazed Jesus. The centurion had a servant who was sick and he sent word for Jesus to heal the man. Jesus started to go to the man’s house when the centurion stopped him. The centurion said “No Lord. I am a man under authority.” In other words, he said he understood leadership.
He then asked Jesus just to speak the Word and heal the servant. This amazed Jesus because the scripture says Jesus marveled.
Whatever else you learn, learn this: To be over, you must be under. It’s so true in every life.
As Americans we have authority as leaders above us. And while we may not agree with their personal principles we are instructed to pray for them.
They are there because God allowed them to be placed in office.
As a republic we have the privilege to vote. We all should exercise that right. However, we should be good citizens. It’s good to let our voice be heard and beliefs known. That’s freedom!
However, to be a leader we must be a follower. I find myself these days praying a lot more for our leaders. Most of you know where I stand on the issues and when it’s time to vote, believe me I will.
Until then, I want to be a good citizen and be under that I may be over.
May God bless us, 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

5.25.2010 - Rolling Stone magazine ranks it as the No. 2 song on its “500 Greatest Hits of all Time.”
It is the No. 1 song on VH-1’s “One Hundred Greatest Rock and Roll Songs of all Time.”
The reason it became so much of a hit was not because of how it sounded, but what it said. ... You may remember the title “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”.
I must admit, that when it comes to satisfaction and contentment, sometimes I run a little short myself.
The reason is simple: We all want more.
There are a lot of high-dollar, white-collar executives on Madison Avenue who drive Mercedes and BMWs, living in penthouses because they are able to do two things: Make sure that you and I are discontent with what we have and make sure that we always want more than what we have.
Why else would someone pay $2.6 million for a 30-second ad slot during the Super Bowl? They are making mega-bucks because they know how to create discontentment.
If there was a single word that summarized the American dream it’s the word “more.”
We want more money, more success, more square footage, and more luxuries. ... We live for more.
Many live for their next raise, their next house, next car, and next purchase.
We just can’t find any satisfaction.
Many go through life thinking that contentment is just one more something away. If they could just relocate, they would be content.
If they could just go to another church, that would please them.
Now if the truth be known, things will never satisfy us.
Many who are trying to get ahead need to stop and take stock of what they do have. Then they would realize they are ahead.
If you are a follower of Christ, you ought to take inventory of all that you have and all that God has done for you and all that God has given you.
Then, thank Him for it.
Someone wisely wrote “Contentment will make a poor man rich and discontentment will make a rich man poor.”
Jesus said in His Word, “Be content with such things as ye have, I will never leave nor forsake thee.”
Today, we Americans could complain. There’s lots of fodder for that.
However, we could also learn to realize how blessed we are in this great nation.
Let’s choose the latter.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

5.18.2010 - Many of us remember the TV sitcom “Family Ties”.
A 30-something couple who were liberal ex-hippies with a conservative son facing every-day experiences of family life.
It was entertainment, pure and simple.
Another sitcom from the 1980s was “Family Matters.”
It was also entertainment, pure and simple. However, its title bears repeating, because family really does matter.
Of all the endeavors we may put our efforts into, none are as important as the family.
Now, I realize that today the American family is quite different than the “Cleavers.”
However, family still matters.
It may be a single parent or the typical Dad, Mom, and two kids.
The important thing is that it matters.
It matters to God. The home is the first institution ordained by God.
God performed the first marriage ceremony in the Garden of Eden.
Marriage is not a man-made institution; it is divine in its inception.
It matters to a nation.
The Bible says “If the foundations be destroyed what shall the righteous do?”
In other words, if those foundations are destroyed there is no hope.
Please realize as the home goes, so goes the nation.
America’s problem can be traced back to our homes.
Absentee parenting, humanistic philosophy, and latch key kids have added heavy weights to our freedom.
It matters to our children.
Every child is made in the image of God and that child deserves to be loved and cared for.
A child deserves to be shown care, to be nurtured and also shown responsibility.
Today many of our youth walk about with chips on their shoulders.
Trying to appear to not be afraid, they are afraid to face life because they have never been shown how to handle it.
Yes! Family matters.
Today thank God for your family. It’s important to God, may it be important to us.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

5.11.2010 -

The Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on June 14, 1777 and adopted the following resolution: “Resolved that the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white, that the union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new constellation.”
Of course, the appearance of the flag has changed somewhat over the years as new states have been added.
In 1814 as the flag was flown over Fort McHenry during an attack by the British Fleet, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write “The Star Spangled Banner.”
The “Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag” first appeared in print on Sept. 8, 1892.
On June 14,1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill adding “Under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance.
You can go all the way back to Jesus and discover the relationship between the government and the people.
It was a hot issue then and it still is in our day.
On one occasion, the people held up a coin and asked Jesus if they should pay their taxes.
Jesus told them “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”
It is important to remember that the New Testament Christians lived under a government that legalized slavery, tolerated abortion, taxed severely, violated human rights, and executed large numbers of people.
It was also a government that allowed the message of Christianity to spread.
As a Christian nation we must understand that God ordained government and while it is easy for us to complain about government leaders we live in the greatest land and nation in the history of the world.
As Christians, we are instructed to pray for our government leaders. Constructive criticism is important but it is paramount to realize our leaders often reflect us.
To change them, we must be willing to change.
Thank God for all the blessings we enjoy in this rich land.
So, the next time you salute the flag, look to the heavens and thank God you are an American.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

5.04.2010 - It has been said “There are others, then there are mothers.”
Oh, how very true.
Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president said “All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother.”
Napoleon, who was elected Emperor of France on May 18, 1804, said, “Let France have good mothers and she will have good sons.”
Benjamin West was born in Springfield, Pa.
However, by the time he was 28, was the most popular painter in London.
He startled the art world with his “Death of General Wolfe.” He also painted “Death on a Pale Horse.”
But West declared, “A kiss from my Mother” made him a painter.
Henry Ward Beecher, one of American history’s most notable preachers, once said “The memory of my sainted mother is my brightest recollection of my early years.”
After being elected the 20th President of the United States, James Garfield’s first act was to stop and kiss his aged mother who sat near him.
They say that man is mighty
He governs land and sea
He wields a mighty scepter
On lower powers than he.
But mightier power and stronger
Man from his throne has hurled
From the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
I read of a little girl who was about to say her part in a children’s program. When she stood in front of the crowd and saw all those people she panicked. Every line she had rehearsed left her mind.
She stood there for what seemed like forever. In the front row was her mother.
The mother gestured and began to move her lips reminding the girl of her lines. The mother said “I am the light of the world.”
Instantly the girl relaxed, she smiled and said “My mother is the light of the world.”
From my days of growing up on Marconi Road across from the tower that bears his name in Walls Township, N.J. — to the present and living on the beautiful Eastern Shore at age 56 — I can still say my Mother is the light of the world!
God bless you on this Mother’s Day.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

4.27.2010

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave his followers many principles on how to live and enjoy the Christian life.
Many wonderful words of wisdom may be gleaned by each of us from the sixth and seventh chapters of the book of Matthew.
One of these great truths was the subject of prayer.
One of Jesus’ disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
He responded with what we call the Lord’s Prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer is not given to us merely to quote. It is an example of how we are to pray.
A constant reminder to me of God’s goodness to us in America is found in Chapter 6, Verse 11, where Jesus tells us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Our Lord is not speaking just of daily sustenance, but also of all the basic needs (not greeds) of life.
Do you have any needs today?
We have a God that longs to daily help His children.
It gives God honor to take care of us.
One does not have to look far to see the Hand of Provision extended by God to us all.
He loads us with his benefits daily.
Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your needs according to the riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
We must remember to be thankful today for the need God meets as we ask him for daily bread.
It would do us well to thank Him for the food, raiment and all the provision He provides for us.
Please understand that God is not going to do for you what you could do for yourself.
The Proverb says “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold and therefore will beg in the harvest and have nothing.”
God is not going to take care of those who take no initiative.
However, He delights in giving “daily bread” to those who truly depend on him.
Whatever your need may be, God wants to provide for your needs of life, your daily bread.
Look around you and see the daily bread He has already provided and have faith in His care today. Then, thank Him as He daily meets your needs — whatever they may be.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

4.20.2010 - In Psalm 73, we find the story of a man who had taken his eyes off God and put them on man.
The result is found in Verse 2, when he states he had well-nigh slipped.
Asaph, who authored this Psalm, began to notice the wicked man who, in spite of all his wicked ways, continued to prosper.
Asaph saw this man’s prosperity, peace , pride and pleasure and could not understand why God would let him prosper as he did — while he, himself, was barely able to eke out a living that the wicked gained.
Asaph felt as many righteous do!
It seems the crooked man makes money, and the dishonest farmer does better than the man who strives to do right and serve God.
But Asaph got a proper perspective on this problem, and he began to realize several truths.
First, he took an upward look and realized his eyes had been fixed on the wrong example.
Second, he looked ahead and realized that one day God would receive him in glory, and the wicked would be cast into Hell.
A farmer from Iowa mocked God and laughed at the Christian folks in the town.
He wrote an article to the local newspaper and said, “I never go to church or give to God, and my crops are better than any Christian’s in town.”
The editor wrote back and said ”Don’t be fooled — God doesn’t always settle His account in October.”
Friend, it does pay to serve God, and one day God will reward you for your faithfulness.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

4.13.2010 - The Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia on June 14, 1777 adopted the following resolution: Resolved that the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternating red and white, that the union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new constellation.
Of course, the appearance of the flag has changed somewhat over the years as new states have been added.
In 1814 as the flag flew over Ft. McHenry during an attack by the British fleet, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the Star Spangled Banner.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag first appeared in print on Sept. 8,1892.
On June 14,1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill adding “under God” to the pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.
Whenever the flag is displayed, patriotic Americans behold it with pride because it represents “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
As Americans, we should show honor to the flag. Not just as a piece of cloth with stars and stripes, but for what she represents.
What a privilege to be an American citizen.
The rights and honor we have are the envy of the world.
I have never gone out of the country and come back to hear those words “Welcome to the United States” and not be moved to tears.
Today, thank God for His allowing you to be born in the U.S.-of-A.
Salute the flag with thanksgiving in your heart.
And to those who refuse to salute it, my personal advice is to leave, see-ya, wouldn’t-want-to-be-ya.
Find a nation you can be loyal to.
Don’t try to make us like you, become the citizen God demands.
So, as you drive down the street, go to church, or public buildings, see the flag and thank God for America.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

4.06.2010 - The wise man Solomon said, “A merry heart doeth good like medicine but a wounded spirit who can bear.”
Good sound advice for those who want to live a happy and productive life.
The Psalmist David prayed “Create in me a right spirit”
Live long enough and life will batter you down.
And if we’re not careful, it can defeat us.
Often times overwhelming circumstances confront us.
We try to rise above but physically and mentally we cannot.
And the reason is because we have allowed our spirits to be broken.
The root of a wounded spirit grows in the soil of hurt of a problem that has not been properly dealt with.
We all face adversity but all with a different outcome.
Some overcome, some are overcome.
As long as your spirit is broken, you’re in trouble.
The spirit is the innermost part of a person. It’s the well-spring, the deepest part of life.
In 1776, General George Washington at Valley Forge faces a desperate hour.
Facing starvation and frigid temperatures he almost broke.
He wrote his brother and said “I think the game is up.”
However, his spirit never broke and the rest is history.
Oh, how a right spirit can change our condition and response to circumstances!
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was an invalid.
She could not lift her head off the pillow.
Robert Browning paid her a visit.
The first visit she lifted her head off the pillow. The third visit they eloped.
Perhaps today life has dealt you a tough blow.
Why not ask God to create a right spirit within you.
It will do more than make you better; it will change your life.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

3.30.2010 -

Easter means different things to different people.
To some, it is new clothes of some sort. As a boy, I always had something new to wear on Easter Sunday.
The ladies in church wore hats, gloves and spring clothes. To some, Easter was a time for an Easter egg hunt. For others, it was a time of gathering for family and friends and a wonderful meal.
Easter has meant a great deal in this world’s history, but especially to the church. The church would not have survived without the truth of the resurrection.
It has been said, “To try and explain the church without reference to the resurrection is as hopeless as to trying to explain Roman history without a reference to Caesar.”
Even the day of worship was changed from Saturday to Sunday after the resurrection of Christ.
The observance of communion is when we remember how Christ died for us and rose again.
By belief in that, man can have eternal life.
The resurrection meant so much to those of Bible times.
When Mary Magdelene saw Jesus in the garden in His risen body, she wept.
The disciples and even doubting Thomas were changed. To Peter, it was a new lease on life.
To us, it means all the world. The scripture says, “If Christ is not risen, then our faith is in vain.”
Friend, today we serve a risen Christ!
“I serve a risen Saviour, He’s in the world today,
I know that He is living, whatever man may say,
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today.
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart,
You ask me how I know He lives-
He lives within my heart!”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

3.23.2010 - Man has searched for the roots of his existence since his inception. Even the world around man has caused many inquiries as to how it all got here. It has been said that there are 10 billion million observable heavenly bodies in space.
Genesis 1:1 tells us that our great God created them all. How vast and expansive is that creation? Think of the size of the planet Earth. Our sun is 109 times larger than Earth. The sun has a diameter of 865,000 miles.
In the constellation Orion is the star Belegeuse, with a diameter of 200 times that of our sun. All of the stars and planets were created after God created the Earth. Why? Because it is on the Earth that God created man.
The Psalmist asked the question in Psalm 8, “What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou hast visited him?” Is there life on other planets? No one knows for sure, but the Bible does not indicate so.
I read where, in addition to large investments of private money, that $100 million of tax payers’ money has gone into the search for radio signals from extra-terrestrial intelligent life. I would not quote this if it did not come from a U.S senator.
Former Sen. Proxmire said, “We would be far wiser to spend the money looking for intelligent life in Washington.”
Think of it! God created the universe, devised a life support system called planet Earth, created man in his own image, and loved him by sending his son to purchase his eternal soul.
Tonight if the stars are on display as on a clear night, look at them and remind yourself that the God who placed them there desires to live in your heart.
A well-known mural on the wall of Rockefeller Center in New York City depicts humanity looking toward Christ. The inscription on the mural reads “Man’s ultimate destiny depends not on whether he can learn new lessons or make new discoveries and conquests, but on his acceptance of the lessons taught him two thousand years ago.”
This is the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

3.16.2010 - It’s been said that we have become a jealous society, full of envy wanting what others have. Shakespeare called it the “green eyed monster.”
John Dryden calls it the jaundice of the soul.
And it is inherent in us all.
The story is told of two men seriously ill in the same room of a great hospital.
It was a very small room, just large enough for the pair of them: Two beds, two bedside lockers, a door opening to the hall, and one window looking out on the world.
One of the men, as part of his treatment was allowed to sit up in bed for an hour in the afternoon.
His bed was next to the window. One of the disadvantages of their condition was they weren’t allowed much to do — no reading, no radio, no television — they just had to keep quiet and still to be cured.
They used to talk for hours and hours about their wives, their children, their homes, their hobbies.
Every afternoon, the man in the bed next to the window was propped up. He would spend his time describing what he could see outside. ... Well, the other man began to live for those hours.
The window apparently overlooked a park with a lake where there were ducks and swans with children throwing them bread and sailing model boats, flying kites, young lovers walking hand in hand beneath the trees. There were flowers, green grass, games of softball and volleyball, people lying out in the sunshine reading.
All behind it was a fine view of the skyline of the city.
This man would lie on his back and would listen and enjoy every minute and just loved being told about the beautiful outdoors. It actually got to the place that in his mind’s eye he could almost see what was happening out there.
One afternoon, there was a parade and the thought struck him: Why should the man next to the window have all the pleasure of seeing what was going on? Why shouldn’t he get the chance?
At first he felt ashamed, but the more he thought about it the angrier he became, and wanted to change the situation.
In a few days he turned sour; he ought to lie by the window.
He brooded and couldn’t sleep and grew more ill, the doctors could not understand.
One night he stared at the ceiling when the man next to the window began to choke.
Fluid was congesting his lungs. His hand searched for the button that would bring the night nurse running, but he couldn’t find it,
The other man could have helped him, but he didn’t make a move, he just watched.
The man’s choking stopped.
In the morning the day nurse came in with water for their baths and found the man by the window dead. They took away his body, and as soon as they came back the man asked if he could be moved to the bed next to the window. They moved him, tucked him in, made him quite comfortable and left him alone in the quiet and still.
Excitedly, the minute they had gone he propped himself up on one elbow to look out the window only to find that it faced a blank wall.
Proverbs 27:4 says “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

3.09.2010 -John Rockefeller was the first billionaire in the history of the world.
At one time his company, Standard Oil, controlled and marketed 90 percent of all the oil produced in America.
We now have Chevron, Mobil and Exxon.
For most of his life he was the richest man on earth.
Rockefeller’s name is synonymous with wealth.
He never actually knew what he was worth.
Throughout his life he was very careful where he gave his money and how he spent it.
He said “I will pay more for the ability to deal with people more than any other ability under the sun.”
He also said, “Successful people are those who have people skills.
If you stop to think about it, every part of our lives is built around relationships: Family, business, even sports and, of course, personal.
After years of counseling, the one overriding need of people is to have a friend.
Many have no one on earth to call a true friend.
Solomon in his Proverbs gives advice on friendship.
He said “ If a man would have friends he must show himself friendly.”
I have noticed as I have traveled to other lands, the happiest of people in reality have nothing.
We, in America are some of the most blessed people on earth materially and yet are among the most miserable.
Our merchants, employers and employees are out of touch with the man on the street.
The Bible tells us that in order to have friends, we must be friendly.
Why not put that into practice today?
The poet said it best: “I went out to find a friend and could find none there. I went out to be a friend and friends were everywhere.”
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

3.02.2010 - Roxanne Lolofs labels people who gossip as “HARM” talkers.
It stands for hit-and-run mouth.
She states that people who gossip, for whatever reason, feel compelled to tell just what they think of you, regardless of how well they know you ,regardless of the damage it might cause.
Their desire is to be heard without hearing, to be known without knowing. They don’t care about getting their facts straight, they just want attention.
On a windswept hill in an English church cemetary stands a drab, gray slate tombstone that reads:
“Beneath this stone, a lump of clay lies Arabella Young, who, on the 24th of May began to hold her tongue”
William Norris wrote:
“If your lips would keep from slips, five things observe would come to whom you speak, of whom you speak and how, when and where”
All of us understand the power of the spoken words. Solomon tells us that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
We have been encouraged by the blessed words of a friend, teacher, relative,or even a stranger.
Because of their words, our way has been smoothed, our path lightened, our broken heart mended.
We all know the power of a grievous word.
Solomon said these words go down as wounds in the innermost parts of the belly.
Basically, there are two types of people: Those who have something to say, and those who have to say something.
President Abraham Lincoln said: “It is better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
How our words can bless or batter.
We all remember Karen Carpenter, who died of anorexia at just 32 years of age.
When CBS reporters did her story, they found the thing that triggered her disorder was when a columnist referred to her as “Richard’s chubby little sister.”
Those words drove her to an early grave.
Lets mark our words and be a blessing to those around us.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

2.23.2010 - There is a remarkable paragraph in the Bible that gives purpose and guidance to government.
Dueteronomy 4:5-8, “Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, … Keep therefore and do them; for this is your understanding in the sight of the nations … for what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?”
Moses is reminding the people to pay strict attention to the laws that he had delivered to them by God’s command. The laws included both civil policy and religious laws. God said for them to observe these laws was a sure way for the nations of the earth to respect Israel.
When Israel came out of Egypt after hundreds of years in slavery, they were a multitude without any order. Yet in the short space of three months, God blended together a mighty military, civil and righteous people above any on earth.
One thing was lacking — that of a governing body. Moses appointed 70 men to help rule this nation. These men were righteous and the rest is biblical history.
Our history is similar! God appointed righteous men as our founding fathers. Our laws were biblically based, both civil and religious. When we stray from the laws God has given us, we will find difficulty.
However, if we hold fast to these laws, God will give us wisdom and understanding above that of other nations. How we need wisdom for our problems, how we need understanding for our youth to glean from.
It is no accident that we are the greatest nation on the face of the Earth, and it will be no accident if we cease to be. Our future is what God, or gods, we as Americans follow! Think about it!
This is the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

2.16.2010 - The cobbler asked young Ronald, “Do you want square toes or round toes?”
Unable to decide, Reagan didn’t answer, so the cobbler gave him a few days to think about it.
Several days later, the cobbler saw Ronald on the street and asked him again what kind of toes he wanted: Square toes or round toes.
However, he still couldn’t decide so the cobbler replied “Well, come by in a couple of days and your shoes will be ready.”
When the future president went to the shoe store a few days later, he found that his shoes were indeed ready. However, to his surprise, he found one square-toed, and the other was round-toed.
The cobbler looked at young Ronald and said “This will teach you what happens when you let others choose for you.”
Our president said later “That experience taught me that if you don’t make your own choices, someone else will.”
The fact of the matter is that as long as we live we will be faced with decisions and choices.
It matters not whether you are young or old, life is full of choices.
Invariably, and inevitably, the choices that are made ultimately determine the course we will travel.
I can remember as a young boy, my dad saying “Son, life is full of choices. If you make the wrong one, you’ll pay the price and if you make the right one you’ll enjoy the result.
Tim Kimmel, in his book “Little House on the Freeway” spoke of choices and said “One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words, but is expressed in the choices one makes.”
In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves.
The process never ends until we die, and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.
Every year we make resolutions.
We make business decisions, family decisions.
The gift of power given to us each is the power to make decisions.
As you read this I pray you have made a decision to follow Christ in your life.
Joshua said when he assumed the leadership of Israel “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
That was a good choice.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

2.09.2010 - Years ago, there was a popular song “Don’t worry, be happy.”
That’s not bad advice, but it’s incomplete.
We need a reason not to worry in order to be happy.
There are two reasons for that.
Worry is useless, and God is in control of everything.
At the very moment you are reading this, you are probably worried about something.
You might disagree, saying you are concerned.
However, that is just a code word we use for not wanting to admit we’re worried.
Let’s face it — everyone encounters the huge giant of worry at times.
Corrie Ten Boom, a Holocaust survivor said “Worry is an old man with a bended head, carrying a load of feathers which he thinks are lead.”
That’s a beautiful non-technical definition of worry. Being anxious about something that doesn’t exist in fact, but which we believe does or might exist.
The Bible word for worry is translated by the phrase “Take no thought as to be careful.”
That comes from a Greek word which means to have a divided mind.
We are to plan for the future, but not to worry over the future.
We are to be concerned for the future, but we are to trust God with the future.
In this day of falling stocks and failing hearts it’s easy to get worked up in a serious fit.
We must remember that God has our lives in the palm of His hand. Therefore, while I am to plan for the future, I am not to be paralyzed by it.
The King takes care of those who dwell in the kingdom.
God told Moses, “I am the great I am. Not I was or will be.”
The person who lives in Him today, in the present tense is the one who will be free from worries about yesterday, today and tomorrow.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

2.02.2010I recently discovered a Web site devoted to time management at Workbalance.com.
It is supposedly the world leader in time management training.
They claim the benefits of time management are better control of life, increased production, improved relationships (on and off the job), reduced stress and more enjoyment of life.
Their program has a great record — 97 percent follow through to achieve personal objectives, 91 percent are more productive at work while 93 percent are more productive at home and 94 percent recommend the training to others.
When Joshua assumed responsibility for the leadership of Israel, it is stated he left not one thing undone of all he was commanded (Joshua 11:15).
He accomplished much, but he also accomplished all he was to do.
All of us have responsibilities, and they are all important.
The Bible reminds us the importance of living every day to its fullest.
Solomon said “Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
The Apostle Paul said “Redeeming the time because the days are evil.”
James, in his epistle, reminds us “whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.
“For what is your life that it appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away.”
Those scriptures remind us of the importance of doing today what needs to be done because we have no promise of tomorrow.
As we look at our lives, are there things that should be done that we have put off?
What if tomorrow never comes? What if that pressing deed goes undone? Is there something in your life that God requires of you?
Don’t put it off, do all that is required of you.
“Of all the words of tongue or pen, how sad are these: It might have been.”
Is there something required of you that you have put off? Perhaps forgiveness of someone who hurt you. Maybe an apology to someone you may have hurt. It could be the giving of some money. Even a good deed of helping someone who is down on their luck.
We could go on and on!
The point is do not leave things undone in your life.
Don’t count on getting time in the future, what if it never comes?
God bless you as you seek to do all you are supposed to. “What have you left undone?’
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

1.26.2010 - What a change takes place in a person who becomes committed to God. We often place great importance on remedies for our society’s problems that have little or no affect on our ills.
The problem with man, as a rule, is found in his heart and, until we deal with that, our problems will only increase and we will become more and more frustrated.
Recently I read the biography of John Newton, known to most of us as the author of the beautiful hymn, “Amazing Grace.” How he came to write that song is truly amazing.
Newton was raised in a home with a godly mother and a father that ran a slave ship! At the age of eight, his mother died and, at the age of 11, he began to sail the seas with his father.
From that point on, his life began a downward spiral — a life of alcohol and debauchery was all that he knew. At one point he himself was captured as a slave and sank so low he was eating food scraps from his master’s floor!
Newton had read a book entitled “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas Akepus, and realized that a change was needed in his life.
During a storm at sea, he was swept overboard into the tumult, and then miraculously washed back onto the boat. At that moment he cried out to God and, on the deck of that ship, John Newton was changed, never to be the same again. He received a change of heart and could truly write these words:
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now I’m found;
was blind, but now I see.

Until we learn to deal with society’s problems as heart problems, all other remedies accomplish no more than throwing water at the ocean!
This is the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

1.19.2010 - Many of the New Year’s resolutions Americans make concern money. Mostly, they are about getting out of debt or endeavoring to make more.
Our society has, in recent years, become obsessed with wealth and, while all of us could use more money, many would do anything to gain wealth.
The Bible has a lot to say about wealth.
Solomon, who was the richest man ever to live, writes much in his proverbs.
In Proverbs 22, he said, “The rich ruleth over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender.” In other words, don’t let money or indebtedness control you. Jesus said that godliness with contentment is great gain.
The poorest person on earth is not the one who has no money, but the one who has nothing but money! Many people have a house but not a home, sex but not love, fame but not faith, good life but not eternal life, gold but not God.
Billy Graham tells the story of vacationing in the Caribbean with his wife Ruth. One of the richest men on the island invited them to lunch at his home.
During the meal, the man told Graham of one problem after another. He wept as he spoke of his life being so unfulfilled and he told Graham that, despite all his wealth, he was as miserable as anyone could be.
Later that afternoon, Dr. Graham and his wife visited a tiny cottage where the pastor of the local Baptist Church lived. He was an Englishman, 75 years of age.
A widower, he had spent much of his time caring for his two invalid sisters, yet he had joy and enthusiasm for his life of serving God.
He told Dr. Graham and his wife, “You know, I have two pounds to my name, but I’m the happiest man on the island.” On the way home Dr. Graham asked his wife, “Who do you think is the richest man?”
Solomon also said, “Trust not in uncertain riches, it has wings and will soon fly away.” In these uncertain times, latch on to that which is unmovable and unchangeable — God’s unchanging hand.
This is the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

1.12.2010 - Upon reading an interesting article, I had some observations validated.
The article stated that committed Christians are healthier, happier, and live longer than those who are not committed or who practice no faith.
The article was written by a medical doctor named Julian Whitaker and it appeared in Health & Healing Magazine:
“Does religion make you healthier? According to a new study from Purdue University, the answer is yes! In a broad survey, sociologist Kenneth Ferraro found that those who do not practice religion are twice as likely to report ill health as those who practice their faith regularly. Active religious participation was found to make a real difference. The higher the participation, the higher the health level! In addition, the biggest boost from active participation came to those who practice the mainstream creeds of Judaism and Christianity.
“Religious activity provides our increasingly complicated lives a much needed source of balance and perspective. For most of our history we have not been confronted with so many decisions that require a value judgment. Walking through a shopping mall produces a kind of stress never known in human history — there are so many things that promise meaning and happiness.”
The article states, “When we gaze upward in order to struggle with down-to-earth values such as good and bad, and how we treat each other, we become healthier. When our spiritual side is nourished and cultivated, our physical health improves. There is more to life than just eating right, exercising, and taking vitamins and minerals. People who pray and regularly participate in their religion are healthier.”
So — this coming year — practice your religion!
It will pay off, not only eternally but temporally!
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church

1.05.2010 - The psalmist tells us “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
It’s been said of time: “Sometimes it flies, sometimes it crawls, but it always passes inexorably.
“We mark it, save it, waste it, bide it and race against it.
“We measure it incessantly, with a passion for precision that borders on the obsessive. ... We are obsessed with it.
“We never seem to have enough of it, and yet scientists don’t even know how to explain it.”
When Augustine was asked to describe it, he said “If no one asks me I know what it is but if any person should require me to tell him, I could not do it.”
Oh! The value of time.
Think of it. In 1790, fewer than 10 percent of all Americans had any kind of clock.
Today, we have computers, communications, satellites, global positioning receivers, etc.
We even have atomic clocks calibrated to the exact time up to 1 billionth of a second.
The U.S. Navy Center in northwest Washington, D.C., is known as the nerve center for the Directorate of Time.
In that building, sit 28 atomic clocks.
The clocks are precise up to the billionth of a second.
Benjamin Franklin said “Doest thou love life? Then do not squander it for that is the stuff life is made of.”
Think about it, God gives to everyone of us the same amount of time and we must understand that God has a plan for each life.
“Our times are in Thy hand.”
Today is all we have to serve God and do good.
Yesterday is simply a memory. Tomorrow is only a possibility. Learn to use your time wisely.
In a ball game there are time outs.
However, in life there are none, you can’t stop it, hold it back or put it in the bank. Friend, this year is full of time, use it wisely.
This was the faith of our fathers, and I trust it is yours.

— MEL BRINDLEY
Pastor
Chestertown (Md.) Baptist Church