Sports
NBA Star Jonathan Isaac Gives ‘Glory and Honor to Jesus’ as He Launches New Clothing Brand Celebrating ‘Faith, Family, and Freedom’
With Target, Bud Light, Disney, and other brands taking center stage in the “woke” culture wars, NBA star Jonathan Isaac has launched a new brand to celebrate faith, freedom, and American values.
Isaac, who plays for Orlando Magic, officially launched his UNITUS apparel company during a large, all-star event Saturday night in Orlando, Florida, featuring a fashion show, a performance by GRAMMY-nominated Christian artist Tauren Wells, fireworks, and more.
Athletes, stars, journalists, and noted business executives joined in the celebration to launch a brand that promises to represent “true greatness.” Riley Gaines, the former collegiate swimmer who has vocally opposed biological men competing in women’s sports, was among those in attendance.
“I do see this as something that is bigger than me,” Isaac said during a Q&A portion of the launch. “And so, for that, I have to give glory and honor to Jesus Christ.”
He spoke about his belief “true greatness is found in none other than Jesus Christ” and the importance of not measuring oneself in terms of “world standards.”
“And that is what UNITUS is about,” Isaac added.
As CBN’s Faithwire previously reported, Isaac went viral in 2020 for departing from his fellow Orlando teammates and refusing to kneel during the National Anthem or wear Black Lives Matter attire. That decision catapulted him into the headlines and led him to write a book, “Why I Stand.”
Now, Isaac is filtering that energy into a brand he believes will invigorate conservatives, Christians, and those looking to invest in clothing representative of their values.
“UNITUS is desperately needed today, because more and more brands in the sports and leisure wear space are abandoning the consumers’ desire for them to be impartial on matters of culture, spirituality, and politics,” Isaac previously told CBN’s Faithwire. “Many brands have overtly endorsed harmful and divisive ideologies that have left consumers looking for alternatives.”
He said there’s a profound need for a “hopeful brand bolstered by values of faith in Christ, American freedom, and family-building.”
Isaac believes UNITUS will provide products consumers will feel good about both inside and out — a rarity in today’s marketplace, as he argues some brands have taken to undermining or even attacking conservative and Christian values.
The NBA player believes it’s important to use his freedom to create an alternative, and hopes to sign athletes from across various sports to don his merchandise. UNITUS makes T-shirts, sweats, shorts, sneakers, and other athletic apparel.
In the end, Isaac wants to create a “real infrastructure of people” across the spectrum who want to “give their money to a company they know is going to work toward bolstering their values.”
And with cultural trends continuing to become more chaotic, Isaac believes people must decide to live out their faith values fully.
“As the day continues to get darker and darker and crazier and crazier, you standing up for what you believe in is only going to get harder,” Isaac said. “But [it] is only going to become more necessary.”
Watch him explain in a “Faith vs. Culture” interview last year how and why he made his own decision to take a stand:
Isaac told CBN’s Faithwire how fellow NBA players decided on July 31, 2020, to kneel during the National Anthem amid the sea of protest that followed footage of Floyd’s death.
But Isaac decided to chart a different course.
“[I was watching] what happened to George Floyd and, as tragic as it was, trying to work through what is the best way to respond or if I need to respond at all,” Isaac said. “I was almost forced to because, once we get into the bubble, there is this immense pressure on NBA players to have to kneel for the National Anthem and wear a Black Lives Matter T-shirt.”
Isaac said, in some ways, it felt like there was no choice but to go along with what everyone else was doing, but as he pondered and prayed about how to progress, he realized a protest wouldn’t change hearts and minds.
“In the moment, I couldn’t think of a greater message or antidote for the times that we see,” he said. “Not just racism but all the things that plague the hearts of man. I couldn’t think of a better message than the Gospel.”
Rather than embrace any narrative outside biblical truth, Isaac said he chose to cling to the Gospel and opted not to kneel or wear the BLM shirt.
His decision wasn’t rooted in protesting or throwing hate or shade at Black Lives Matter. Instead, he said he wanted to show “the love of Christ.”
“It was really from a place of, I understand what’s going on … I understand the moment, but I know what the answer is going to be and the answer’s not going to be kneeling. The answer’s not going to be a movement or an organization,” Isaac said. “The answer’s going to be the hearts of men being changed — both black and white, both right and left.”
All of this culminated in his decision not to kneel. Isaac said he prayed before and during the headline-making moment, asking God to humble him. Read more about that decision.
Sources:faithwire
നോട്ടിംഗ്ഹാം: ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് പ്രീമിയർ ലീഗ് മത്സരത്തിൽ ഗോൾ നേട്ടത്തിന് പിന്നാലെ ജേഴ്സിയിലെ ക്രിസ്തീയ വിശ്വാസവും ബൈബിൾ വചനവും ടെലവിഷൻ കാമറകൾക്കും, കാണികൾക്കും മുന്നിൽ പ്രദർശിപ്പിച്ച് പ്രീമിയർ ലീഗ് താരത്തിന്റെ സാക്ഷ്യം. തൈവോ അവോനിയി എന്ന നോട്ടിംഗ്ഹാം ഫോറസ്റ്റ് ടീമിന്റെ താരം ദൈവത്തിന് കൃതജ്ഞത അര്‍പ്പിച്ചുക്കൊണ്ട് നടത്തിയ സമർപ്പണം സമൂഹ മാധ്യമങ്ങളില്‍ വലിയ രീതിയില്‍ പങ്കുവെയ്ക്കപ്പെടുകയാണ്. ശനിയാഴ്ച വെസ്റ്റ് ഹാമിനെതിരെ നടന്ന മത്സരത്തിലെ ഗോൾ നേട്ടത്തിന് പിന്നാലെയാണ് അദ്ദേഹം തന്റെ ജേഴ്സിയിലൂടെ അനേകരുടെ ശ്രദ്ധയാകര്‍ഷിച്ചത്.
”എല്ലാ അന്ധകാര കാലത്തിലും നീ വെളിച്ചമായി. യേശുവിന്റെ മഹത്വം അത്യുന്നതമായി ഉയർത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നു.” ഇതോടൊപ്പം സഭാപ്രസംഗകന്റെ പുസ്തകം പന്ത്രണ്ടാം അധ്യായം പതിമൂന്നാം വാക്യവും അവോനിയി ജേഴ്സിയില്‍ പ്രദർശിപ്പിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. വചനത്തില്‍ ഇങ്ങനെ പറയുന്നു, ” ദൈവഭയമുള്ളവനായിരിക്കുക, അവിടുത്തെ കല്‍പനകള്‍ പാലിക്കുക; മനുഷ്യന്റെ മുഴുവന്‍ കര്‍ത്തവ്യവും ഇതുതന്നെ..” മത്സരത്തിൽ രണ്ട് ഗോളുകൾക്കാണ് ഫോറസ്റ്റ് ടീം വിജയിച്ചത്. ചെറുപ്പത്തിൽ താരം ഏറെ പിന്തുണച്ചിരുന്ന പ്രമുഖ ക്ലബ്ബായ ആർസണലിനെ ഇക്കഴിഞ്ഞ ജനുവരിയില്‍ തോൽപ്പിച്ചിരിന്നു. ശേഷം ജേഴ്സിയിൽ പ്രദർശിപ്പിച്ച ബൈബിൾ വചനം തന്നെയാണ് ദൈവത്തോടുള്ള നന്ദി സൂചകമായി തൈവോ അവോനിയി ഇത്തവണ കുറിച്ചത്.
കഴിഞ്ഞ സെപ്റ്റംബറിൽ ദേശീയ ടീമായ നൈജീരിയയ്ക്ക് വേണ്ടി ഗോളടിച്ചതിനുശേഷം കുരിശ് അടയാളമുള്ള ഷിൻപാഡ് താരം കൈകളിൽ ഉയർത്തി പ്രദർശിപ്പിച്ചതും ശ്രദ്ധ നേടിയിരുന്നു. ആഗോള തലത്തില്‍ തന്നെ ശ്രദ്ധ നേടുന്ന വിവിധ മത്സരങ്ങളില്‍ താരങ്ങള്‍ ക്രൈസ്തവ വിശ്വാസത്തിന് സാക്ഷ്യം നല്‍കുന്നത് സമീപകാലത്തായി വര്‍ദ്ധിച്ചിരിക്കുകയാണ്. ഖത്തറിൽ നടന്ന ഫുട്ബോള്‍ ലോകകപ്പില്‍ ഫ്രാന്‍സിനെ അട്ടിമറിച്ച് അർജന്റീന സ്വന്തമാക്കിയ ലോകകപ്പ് കിരീടം പ്രശസ്തമായ ലുജാൻ മരിയന്‍ ബസിലിക്ക ദേവാലയത്തിൽ സമര്‍പ്പണം നടത്താന്‍ ടീം മൊത്തമായി എത്തിയത് നേരത്തെ ചര്‍ച്ചയായിരിന്നു.
കടപ്പാട് :പ്രവാചക ശബ്ദം
During media availability this week ahead of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy shared how he has leaned on Psalm 23 this season by reading the passage daily to “start off with some solitude.”
“The Lord is my shepherd. I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters,” Purdy said, paraphrasing Psalm 23:1 during a Sports Spectrum interview posted to YouTube on Wednesday.
“For me, playing this game, playing this sport, there is a lot that goes into it. It’s easy to get wrapped up in wanting and feeling, wanting to be loved — obviously by your teammates and everybody, but like the world. For me, in that passage, its talking about I already have what I need from the Good shepherd in Jesus.”
The 24-year-old NFL athlete, who played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones and was selected by the 49ers with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, said that he refers back to the psalm in moments when he needs it most.
“It’s what I start off with, actually, every single day. I just read off Psalm 23 to myself before I start, start off with some solitude, and then, I go about my day.”
In addition to reading the Bible, Purdy said he also prays before and while he plays.
“It’s not ‘God, can we win here? Can we do something great here?’ It’s more just to have that peace, that steadfastness in all the chaos. That’s really what it is,” he said.
“And sink it back into like, ‘Holy Spirit, you know, take over and, and lead me here in this moment and allow me to think clearly, allow me to obviously go through my reads and like I said, have a even keel state of mind that I get from Holy Spirit.”
In his second season in the NFL, Purdy has stayed true to his faith and doesn’t seem afraid to share how it impacts his daily life both on and off the field.
In late January, Purdy made a post-game comment praising God after the Sunday victory that allowed his team to advance to Super Bowl LVIII.
“First of all, Glory to God. He’s given us this opportunity … and for us, it’s a team sport,” Purdy said. “You know, we knew we had [a] half left. Defense did their job. Boys on offense took care of business. Coach called a great game, and we had the faithful behind us the whole way. We love you guys.”
Last January, Purdy suffered a UCL tear in the elbow of his right throwing arm in the last game of his rookie season.
In a press conference last year, head coach Kyle Shanahan called his starting quarterback “pretty steady” and admired Purdy’s faith, saying his beliefs are what seems to drive him to great success.
“He’s a very faith-based person. I think that gives him his foundation as much as anyone I’ve been around,” Shanahan said. “He’s taken this whole off-season as good as you can. … He handles the pressure well and really doesn’t change.”
“I think that’s why the guys love him, and I think that’s why he’ll continue to get better.”
Sources:Christian Post
University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed a stunning stat last week while joining the 51st annual March for Life Rally in Washington DC. The coach of this year’s college football championship team said 70 of his players had been baptized over the past season.
In an interview with faith and sports commentator Jon Root, on the sidelines of the pro-life rally, Harbaugh shared the surprising news.
“There’s a spiritual mission to our team,” Harbaugh said. “I’m inspired by them…[it’s] inspirational. The young players on our team are incredible examples.”
There are more than 100 players on the roster for the 2024 College Football Champs. Root said that indicates “a mini revival” has been underway this past season with more than half of the Michigan Wolverines declaring their faith in Jesus by getting baptized in 2023.
Several of the players are outspoken Born-Again Christians who aren’t afraid to talk about their faith in Christ.
As CBN News reported, Wolverines running back, Donovan Edwards, continually gives glory to God.
At the end of winning their first national championship since 1997, Edwards told WXYZ-TV, “I’m blessed. I’m able to do that because I can revert back to the situation that I did today and not worry myself and just let everything flow. But God played through me and that’s what I did today, you know, for the success that I had, it was nothing but God, you know. Trust in the process, the process with Him.”
Later, he publicly expressed more about his faith during the game’s post-press conference.
“I just thank God that He’s allowed me to [play football]… He showed me the ups, the downs, and it’s about what I do with it. It’s about if I’m going to fall from it or continue to rise from adversity and trials and tribulation,” the Michigan junior said.
Edwards told the WolverinesWire that God really changed his life before he committed to Michigan.
“I was living with my grandma when I was like 17 or 18 years old, and just me and her were talking about the Bible, and would read the Bible together all the time,” he told the outlet. “That kind of kicked off everything for me. And before I committed to Michigan, I heard a voice saying, ‘Do not worry, everything will be all right.’ And I figured out it was God talking to me.”
“After I heard that voice, I’ve always believed,” Edwards explained. “I had a spiritual vision, just God giving me the ability to see what He has planned has always allowed me to stay grounded.”
“My ultimate goal in life is not about the riches or the possessions,” he noted. “My ultimate goal in life is to get the ‘Well done, My loyal servant’ from the Most High.”
And he’s not the only player who was vocal about his faith in Jesus this season.
Running back Blake Corum says he is a firm Believer in Christ and expresses that he was put on this earth to bless others.
“God has blessed me not only with athletic abilities but the ability to give. The ability to put smiles on people’s faces. The ability to make people laugh. That’s what it’s all about. Life is about the small things—the smiles, the laughs, the get-togethers. That’s what I believe,” Corum said during his acceptance speech for the Collegiate Social Service Award he received.
He added, “Serving is what I believe God put me on this earth to do. I will continue to serve and bring communities together as long as I’m on this earth.”
Coach Harbaugh has said that God and His Holy Spirit are responsible for the team’s success.
“Thanks to God, first. He’s had His hand on this team the entire year. Been a spiritual journey for us, so all thanks to God and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I want to say this, you talk about some of the—it’s a galvanized team,” Harbaugh told ESPN before heading into the playoffs. “Some may think it’s galvanized by adversity, it’s not. It’s galvanized by choice. Choice to play for each other.”
Harbaugh Speaks Out for Life
Meanwhile, Harbaugh has never shied away from the pro-life cause and on Friday he championed the right to life at the annual March for Life in Washington.
He explained to Root his message is this: “Have the courage to let the unborn be born.”
Harbaugh also told the crowd of tens of thousands that their commitment on that cold day was a “testimony for the sanctity of life.”
He made the comment while addressing pro-lifers gathered at the National Mall before introducing retired NFL tight end and pro-life advocate Benjamin Watson.
He described Watson as “talented, courageous, fearless leader.”
“He is making a difference in the lives of so many,” Harbaugh added. “It’s my pleasure to introduce somebody who speaks truth, clarity, and grace. Who combines bold conviction with kindness. [He is] fearless, humble and courageous. Proud father of the Watson seven, and a helpful warrior for the sanctity of life.”
Sources:BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
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