Thursday, November 14, 2024

True Religion

 

According to their website, "True Religion is a global lifestyle, apparel, and accessories brand that focuses on producing high-quality denim and sportswear for Men, Women, and Kids.  Born from the belief that denim is a universal fabric, our mission is to transcend boundaries of faith, class, ethnicity, and orientation. True Religion is worn by athletes, musicians, and artists globally to express their individual style."

True Religion - James 1:27

According to the NIV translation of James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Or, as stated in the NLT, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."

So you see, both the Scripture and the denim company are correct. True religion transcends boundaries and goes far beyond what anyone wears on their body.

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Truth is...If what I believe doesn't square with how I behave, how can my religion be considered True?


Thursday, November 7, 2024

What a Soviet Spy Teaches Us About Worry

 

In the 2015 film Bridge of Spies, Tom Hanks plays an American lawyer recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court. He takes his job seriously and is concerned about his client's apparent lack of concern.

Bridges of Spies poster

LAWYER
I have a mandate to help you. Nobody else does. Quite frankly, they have a vested interest in sending you to the electric chair....You don't seem alarmed.

SPY
Would it help?

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Truth is...Even without me bringing up any spiritual concepts of trusting in God, this short conversation lays out a bit of street wisdom that deserves attention. It also agrees completely with Jesus when he says in Matthew 6:27, "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"