Mitchell Landress

Posts

Thinking Clearly About Election Day

I am against demonizing men. But many of the conversations I hear regarding the upcoming election are just that. People speak of our President as if he had no good qualities about him. And in the next breath they praise Mitt Romney as if he were the Savior of the world. Neither is true. As Christians we need to step back and, as much as possible, clear our heads about the presidential candidates and what each of them truly believes. We need our thinking to be clear and clearly biblical. I believe both are genuinely seeking to do what they believe is best for our country. That is, they are living and making decisions based on what they feel to be right. Neither of them is practicing outright deception, at least not in a way that is any different from the presidents in our past. I also would not feel comfortable calling either of these men Christians, though they would both call themselves one. Barack Obama is a member of a Christian church, but one that in which the Bible holds l

Gays, Lesbians and Chik-fil-a

On July 16, Dan Cathy (the President and COO for Chik-fil-a) stated in an interview with Baptist Press that his company supports a biblical view of marriage. This one simple statement has caused quite a stir both in the news and on social media outlets. The gay and lesbian community and their supporters have reacted in two ways. First, Jim Henson’s company (the Muppets) severed ties with Chik-fil-a. Second, the mayor of Boston spoke out stating that Chik-fil-a was not welcome in Boston and should end their attempts to open a franchise there. But beyond this the public outcry has been diverse. Some from the gay and lesbian community are calling for an all out boycott of the restaurant, saying that it is no different than racial discrimination and no moral person would set foot in a business that did not allow African Americans inside. Others, also in support of the gay and lesbian community, have stood up to say that many Christians are gay and these “gay Christians” must lead the

“Fly Over States” by Jason Aldean

Riding down the highway in my truck this week, the song “Fly Over States” came on the radio. The song is by Jason Aldean and although I had listened to the song before, it was little more than background noise. Mixed in with the usual noise of kids playing in the backseat, I had never listened to the words of the song. But as I listened to the song in the quietness of my pickup I was struck by the depth of meaning captured in the observation of the song writer. The song begins with two men flying from New York to Los Angeles. As they pass over the endless cornfields and farmlands of mid-America one of the men asks the question, “Who would want to live there?” Obviously small town life might appear bland to someone accustomed to the busyness and excitement of high society in the metropolis. But the response of the song writer is simple: Have you ever been there? Have you met the people who live there? Have you ever considered the people who live in these small towns and how their wo

Forgiveness: The Forgotten Grace

Forgiveness. To say that it is hard is an understatement. In fact, most of the Christians I speak with on a regular basis find it almost impossible. Why? It is because the people who have offended them are the people closest to them. When a stranger sins against us it is almost expected. The offenses are slight and almost forgotten as soon as they occur. But when someone we know and love offends us or betrays us it cuts right to our heart. The closer the person is to us, the deeper the hurt when we are betrayed by them. So what are we to do? Here are a few ideas to get us headed in a biblical direction. First, understand that God demands that we forgive others, no excuses and no exceptions. Jesus said it like this, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses (Matthew 6:14-15). Inability to forgive someone of their sins against us is

How Do You Pray for Someone Who Is Suffering from a Prolonged Illness?

The list is not exhaustive, but it is a good biblical start toward this kind of prayer. 1. Pray that God would extend his merciful hand and bring about complete healing in their body. 2. Pray that the doctors and nurses who are treating them would be instruments of God and filled with much wisdom. 3. Pray that they would not equate a lack of health with a lack of God’s love for them (Romans 8:31–39). 4. Pray that their uncertain circumstances would not diminish the reality of their most certain future (Romans 8:35). 5. Pray that their illness would cause further reliance on God and not less (2 Corinthians 1:8–9). 6. Pray that the brevity of their earthly bodies would not detract from the fullness of life within them (2 Corinthians 4:7–12). 7. Pray that their illness would become a platform of witness for the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:13–15). 8. Pray that their visible circumstances would not take their eyes off of their invisible hope (2 Corinthians 4:16–5:5). 9.

The Cross of Jesus Christ

The death of Jesus on the cross means many things. It is the greatest demonstration of God’s love for his creation. “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). It would also be true to say that the death of Jesus on the cross proves to us the hatred God has against sin, since the alternative is everlasting torment in hell. On the other hand, it would also be true to say that the cross proves to us our great worth and value, since God allowed his Son to suffer and die in order to redeem us. All of these are true in part. But the greatest or highest meaning of the cross is the holiness and justice of God (Romans 3:23–26). In an act of God’s grace and mercy, he allowed the sins of his children to go unpunished (3:25). But this would mean that he was not keeping his word to punish all who sin. Is God a liar? The reputation of God was at stake until the cross. By sending his own son—both God and man—he became just (punishing sin a