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It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s … Jesus? When Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created their iconic comic book hero Superman in 1938, their character wasn’t just a representation of “Truth, Justice and the American Way,” but for many, a metaphor for Jewish immigrants in 1930s America. Created by two young Jewish men, Superman was an allusion to the Jewish faith and history, from his baby Moses-like origins to his golem-esque invincibility, to his outcast status and his ultimate struggle to assimilate in a new land. But somewhere along his journey since 1938, Kal-El converted to Christianity, which...

Romans 12:2 Be not Conformed to this World: But be ye Transformed by the Renewing of your Mind, That ye May Prove what is that Good, and Acceptable, and Perfect, Will of God.

s it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Jesus. Everyone knows Superman is just a thinly veiled treatise on the life of the Son of God, but by Kryptonite does new Supes movie Man of Steel hammer that message home. Well, Jesus WAS a carpenter. I caught up with director Zack Synder in Los Angeles to find out why Kal-El has so much religious baggage.

People can believe a lot of crazy stuff nowadays and not be fired from their jobs, but a senior research associate at the Catholic University of Leuven learned that you better not believe that God can heal. The university is the oldest and largest in Belgium. It was founded in the 1400s under the approval of the Vatican. But as modern Europe has secularized, so has the University, and even here, faith has come under fire. Fernando Pauwels worked at the University's Research Institute for Work and Society for 11 years without a negative review when he was suddenly fired....

Job 10:12 Thou hast Given me Life and Grace: And Thy Visitation hath Preserved my Spirit.

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. (Genesis 1:20-23)The fifth day...

THOUGHTS ON HIM Thought on You like the sweetness of most exotic fruit As Love engraves in thoughts like the vibrant colors of Divine masterpiece; Thought leads to life for a soul or emptiness to a brute. Converse with me, Oh Lord, the most heavenly words and tender voice; Suppress my unfaithful thoughts and irrelevant voices Of the world which now becomes far away and detached While my heart rests on You. Dearest Lord, You know that I love You, many times You want me to repeat; I proclaim on the rooftop; I whisper in the wind, Thousands upon thousands...

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to...

The Last Supper The last evening of His life, All sweetness crystallized, All tenderness condensed, He gives His All to me, to you, To the world till the end of time. He prepares the solemn meal with all yearning. The Food is His heart. The Drink is His love. The Invitation is His desire. With all His love, girding His loin, He waits on us. The divine Love deepens boundlessly only by scorns and rejections. Oh, what Agony of the greatest Lover! Pierce my heart, Lord, expose my soul; I am crying for You… I am crying with You... What...

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding...

(Vatican Radio) “The Church is not a cultural organization,” but, “the family of Jesus.” This was the focus of Pope Francis’ remarks to the faithful gathered for Mass on Saturday morning in the Domus Sanctae Marthae residence at the Vatican. The Pope said that Christians should not be ashamed to live with the scandal of the Cross, and urged them not to be "trapped by the spirit of the world." Listen: Pope Francis took the question put to Jesus by the scribes and chief priests, “By what authority are you doing these things?” as his starting point. Once again, he...

Actress Alley Mills, perhaps best known for her role as Norma Arnold, the mother in the coming-of-age TV series "The Wonder Years," is unashamed to talk about Jesus Christ. However, while she was still a Buddhist working in Hollywood, she was more concerned about what people thought about her than she does now, she told The Christian Post in an exclusive interview. "This town is driven by ego," said Mills, who currently plays Pamela Douglas in the soap, "The Bold and the Beautiful." She adds, "The more confidence you have when walking into a room, which is really about ego...

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And...

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Warning: this is very obscure and somewhat turgid. Only read it if you are Biblically and historically hardcore. Dear Rev. Know-it-all, Apollos is said to have “vigorously refuted the Jews in public, establishing from the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus.� Do you know any resource where the argument that Apollos made can be found? Thanks, Judy Eizer Dear Judy, First let’s look at the passage you quote from Acts the 18th Chapter (24-28):  Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in...

Psalm 149:1 Sing to the Lord a New Song, Praise Him in the Assembly of His Saints.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.(Genesis 1:1)This simple sentence, given to us as a Revelation from God through Moses, has launched hundreds of thousands of books, papers, sermons, and essays, and has underpinned our entire civilization. It is a theological statement, but it has also led to our modern concept of science, technology, philosophy, and our western epistemology (concept of truth). Thus the departure from Genesis 1:1 and all that follows it, has been the deepest and perhaps least appreciated reason for our current civilizational decline and pending collapse. Here in these spare words, selected by...

Pope Francis asked those gathered for the Pentecost Vigil Mass at the Vatican to chant Christ's name instead of his own, highlighting his role as Christ's vicar on earth. "From now on no more 'Francis,' only 'Jesus,' alright?” he asked rhetorically during the Pentecost Vigil Mass said May 18 at Saint Peter's Square...."I want to hear you shout out 'Jesus, Jesus is Lord, and he is in our midst.'" ...The Pope told how his grandmother was the first to pass on the faith to him, and insisted that a person's faith begins through their family. "I received my first Christian...

The U.S. Supreme Court just announced it will hear in October 2013 the case Galloway v. Greece, concerning freedom of speech and legislative prayer. In 2008 two Greece residents, Susan Galloway and Linda Stephens, filed suit against the town alleging that the town’s habit of having explicitly Christian prayers delivered prior to board meetings flouted the First Amendment. In August 2012, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Siragusa disagreed, ruling that prayers in Jesus’ name were not a violation of the U.S. Constitution. But a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in May 2012 overturned Siragusa’s decision...

My love for you and through you "IS" My Ordination . So take on my ordainment that My love through you endures for it is "this" commandment alone that "IS" the very Cornerstone that I speak of against which there is NO weapon but My love is never changing it does not whither or fade it does not wax or whane for I AM Eternal and it "IS" the I AM I speak of " I AM THAT I AM " ----> MY LOVE and MY LOVE you "MUST" BEcome . 1 Corinthians 13 If I [can] speak in the...

Isaiah 26:8 O Lord, we Love to Do Your Will! Our Heart's Desire is to Glorify Your Name.

Isaiah 25:1 O Lord, I will Honor and Praise Your Name, for You are my God; You Do Such Wonderful Things!

Do any Freepers know anything about a group called Disciple Makers? They basically hang around college campuses.

2Chronicles 7:14 If My People, which are Called by My Name, shall Humble themselves, and Pray, And Seek My Face, and Turn from their Wicked Ways; Then will I Hear from Heaven, and will Forgive their Sin, and will Heal their Land.

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face...

Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber. And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, And...

And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. (Genesis 10:6-10)Noah’s son Ham had four sons; Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan....

Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. (Genesis 10:1-5)We come to the “Table of Nations”, which has been described even by unbelieving “higher...

Congratulations graduates on your achievement. You managed to finish four years of expensive babysitting, ostensibly designed to prepare you for life, even though it bears absolutely no resemblance to it. Well, except for the fact that most of you have racked up inordinate amounts of debt with very little of value to show for it. That part resembles life quite well, actually. These speeches are called commencement addresses for a reason, they are supposed to be about the beginning of things. You have completed one thing and now you begin another, real life. Every commencement, by statute, must talk about...

My children die through a lack of knowledge and this is from a position and choice of abidance or avoidance for there can only be one cup you drink. Protruding your head(vanity) into the heavenlies to take instead of what is given through abiding in my presence as my friend bears no fruit , BUT to those that rest in me as Benjamin the gates and storehouses of my kingdom are freely given and received as Jacob at Peniel for I have opened heaven for those that receive my friendship in loyal trust yet those that waiver are as a...

It has been a gut-wrenching week, between the dead and wounded in the Muslim terrorist Boston bombings and the Texas fertilizer plant explosion and the head-spinning misinformation (and reported cover-up of a Saudi connection to Boston) coming out of Washington and the media. I’m reaching the point of overload, and so I want to turn away from the evil news of today and take a brief look into the timeless Word of God and the end times prophecies as they relate to Jesus’ return. There has been something that has bothered me for quite some time. It is the pre-,...

My Wellspring is everlasting not requiring anything it does not lack ! SO "IS" My Love and Understanding ! You see My sacrifice was complete and not whaning in any way , such IS My understanding for I AM your Pavilion of strength built in the Unity of The Father and I , and it is is through My spirit alone that you receive the Abundance of My WONDERFUL GRACE that supplies "ALL" your needs and more ! For "I AM" a Cornucopia of wealth that My kingdom alone supplies ! So tap into My Wellspring in Spirit and Truth...

Deep in China’s heartland is a region known as “The Bethlehem of China,” where, more than a thousand years ago, Western missionaries first brought Christianity to the area. It is here, in a series of caves hidden in the hills, where members of China’s underground Christian Church tell FRONTLINE/World and Chicago Tribune reporter Evan Osnos how they have kept the religion alive. For years, they moved from place to place to avoid government detection, until they found safety in these hills. “When we were in an underground state, we would gather here to meet,” Zhang Yinan, a pastor who’s chronicling...

You are subject to none Conquerer of all for My Presence "IN" you "IS" Holy and True ! Do you see My children the enemy would attempt to convince you of your unholiness but My Righteousness STANDS ETERNAL and is " subject to none " ! Thererfore wear the garments of Righteousness that I have given you and walk in My ways for I HAVE finished the fight you are in against darkness ! Merely APPLY MY WORD to each situation you are in and I will shut the mouth of the lions for you for THE BATTLE IS MINE...

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto...

Growing to Spiritual Maturity Many people believe God will accept them just as they are. But Scripture nowhere supports this idea. God expects His true followers to grow, mature and bear fruit. What kind of fruit does God expect? And how do we produce it? "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection" (Hebrews 6:1). Correctly understanding the scriptural truth that the Holy Spirit is God's power that can transform our lives helps us better understand His purpose and will for us. Paul wrote that "we must grow up in every way...

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth....

The Surprising Origins of the Trinity Doctrine Few understand how the Trinity doctrine came to be accepted - several centuries after the Bible was completed! Yet its roots go back much farther in history. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). Most people assume that everything that bears the label "Christian" must have originated with Jesus Christ and His early followers. But this is definitely not the case. All we have to do is look at the words of Jesus Christ and His apostles to see that this is clearly not true....

1 Chronicles 29:10-13 Thine, O LORD is the Greatness, and the Power, And the Glory, and the Victory, and the Majesty: For All that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is Thine; Thine is the Kingdom, O LORD, And Thou Art Exalted as Head above All.

Is The Whole World Deceived? If you were the devil and wanted to deceive the entire world, how would you approach such a challenge? One brilliant strategy would be to convince people that you're not really there—that you don't even exist. And the best way to do that would be to get them to believe that the only source of information that reveals who you are, along with your motives and methods, is little more than a collection of fables that have nothing to do with their lives. We have seen exactly that. Starting several centuries ago, and prompted by...

Thank you, everyone in my previous post, who gave well thought out, articulate answers to these important questions of life (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2998030/posts )! Now, in philosophy class, we are exploring these questions in even more detail, and with an additional assignment of follow-up questions: What do you believe, regarding ultimate reality? God? Matter? Something else? Do you believe in God? If so, why? Why are you here on earth, and where are you going, for eternity? If you believe in God, what is the most convincing evidence, for you personally? Is there any possibility that you may be wrong about the...

The Rise of a Counterfeit Christianity Christ gave an ominous warning—that many would come in His name, teaching a different message that would deceive many. They would create a counterfeit of true Christianity, starting a religion that would largely supplant the true Church. "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name . . . and will deceive many" (Matthew 24:4-5). Jesus Christ told His apostles to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in His name. Most people who are familiar with the Bible realize that those apostles zealously embarked on that mission. Their...

Francis Shaeffer , a noted christian theologian and philosopher, wrote a book about abortion and the culture of death,in 1979. He co-authored it with C. Everett Koop, who was later to become the surgeon general of the United States .The book was called Whatever Happened To The Human Race ?. The book warned us of the horrible cultural consequences to come as a result of the rejection of the Christian consensus, in favor of a humanistic relativism. Ideas have consequences . Shaeffer cautioned us that our culture was merely coasting on a christian memory, enjoying the residual trappings of the...

And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he...

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.(Isaiah 53:4-6)We have been looking at the 4th Servant Song from the book of the prophet Isaiah.It seems that the Song is divided into...

A People Special to God To most people, a church is a building where people meet. But in Scripture, the word refers to a group of people—those called to follow Jesus Christ. It's important that we understand the spiritual heritage of these people special to God. "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now...

Isaiah 65:17,18 Behold, I am Creating New Heavens and a New Earth, So Wonderful that No One will Even Think about the Old Ones Anymore. Be Glad; Rejoice Forever in what I will Create.

Jesus only did the Father's will ! Do not be disarmed by others any more or care for their concerns but be filled with MY will for you, for in this alone shall you be able to do all things. You see it is in this place where truly the flesh dies yet I remain and this IS complete surrender as true as the sky is blue for in my atmosphere all else pales to compare for My Glory even rests here ! I establish all things so where I AM you "MUST BE" and begin to inhabit for "I...