#there's a reason that peter held onto that name. there's a reason peter constantly references verses referring to the messiah as stone

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

So fun fact the word for "carpenter" is more properly translated "craftsman," which since Galilee/Nazareth are very rocky and trees are sparse means that Jesus likely worked mostly with stone (although he may have worked with some wood).

Anyway what if what really reminded Him of home was the inside of the tomb

why is religious Christmas imagery all so joyful and pleasant? where is the inherent horror of the birth of Christ? A mother is handed her newborn child, wailing and innocent. Her hands come away sticky. Red. Simply by giving her son life she has already killed him. He is doomed from the beginning. Her love will not save him from suffering. Because the thing cradled in her arms is not a baby, it is a sacrifice: born amongst the other bleating animals whose blood will one day be spilled in the name of what demands it. the night is silent with anticipation. Mary, did you know? That your womb was also a grave?

[lamesiscanon]

lily + james if there wasn’t a war? (if you like

YES. Seren I’d literally do anything for you ((Though I am a fool, I thought I posted this a week ago and logged into my computer today to find it waiting so please forgive the tardiness))

     At the beginning of the summer holidays, Petunia had reluctantly approached Lily with the invitation to spend the rest of the warmest months with Vernon and their parents on a trip to Spain with Vernon’s family. It was some dumb plan of Petunia’s to get the families closer together, before the wedding next year that would most likely result in some bullshit conversations that would be too safe and not at all interesting. Or worse, she knew she’d have to keep up some lie about her “private boarding school for troubled youth”. And so no matter the amount of begging her parents had resorted themselves to, to get her to come along, Lily’s response was an easy Hell No. 

Consequently, her parents were never going to let her stay home alone for two and a half months, so she was arranged to stay with the Lupins. It was the best thing to ever happen to her, until James Potter found out. 

The mind of James Potter was able to come up with many excuses as to why he was constantly visiting the Lupin cottage, and increasingly become more and more ridiculous. 

“Remus! I need that book you promised to let me borrow.” 

“Remus, I am here to plan a prank against Peter. He sent me explosive confetti in the mail.” 

“Remus, I need the stitching repair charm. Padfoot chewed up all of mum’s pillows.”

“Remus, I need your help with this job application, I’m having a hard time understanding what they’re asking for here.”

“Remus, I need you to help me shop for an outfit to Alice’s wedding.”

Each time James popped in through the floo, or crash landed in Hope’s tomatoes, Remus invited him to stay and go to town with them, or hang by the pond. Lily tried her best to not act annoyed. 

It was obvious James was coming just to see her, no matter how brief. And it was obvious how he was much less subtle about his liking her, after finding her notebook in potions at the end of term and seeing that her last page included his name along with various attributes she and her friends “liked” about him. Yes, it was childish. Yes, it was the most embarrassing moment of her life when he returned her notebook. 

Lily only had her Head Girl badge to blame, since it matched along with James’ Head Boy one and they had been forced to spend more time together during their last year at Hogwarts. It made her notice that he wasn’t just some immature boy. He was a kind, cute, and talented young man, and Merlin, Lily hated to admit it. 

Now, however, as she read her book and listened to the storm, Lily had to strongly disagree with Mary and how she wrote “fashionable” when asked to describe James Potter. Her opinions were backed up by the bag of pink shirts he had slung over his arm as he walked in through the front door. The bag of horrid pink most likely had to do with his daily excuse to see Lily.

“Remus! I found some of your things in my trunk!” 

Lily set down in her book, and looked at James with mild annoyance. 

“Do you ever knock?” 

“I don’t need to. Hope and Lyall have made it known their house is open to all.” Though, his clothes were soaking from flying, and he dripped water all over the cottage.

“Well, I can’t believe graduation was three weeks ago and you waited until now to unpack your trunk.” Lily cringed on the inside, knowing at this point she was trying too hard to be annoyed and disinterested. 

“I didn’t wait three weeks, I unpacked two weeks ago but just now remembered to return these. I just barely gave Sirius his Robert Plant posters back.” James said, taking off his shoes and flying gloves, before carrying his bag onto the lounge chair across from Lily.

“Robert Plant? Are these posters for Sirius’ hair aspiration, or fantasy boyfriend material?” 

“It’s most likely an equal mix of both.”

Remus came into the room then, asking about the stuff he left in James’ trunk, until he saw the bag of pink.

“What the fuck is that?”

“Your Madam Pudifoot’s merchandise!” James pulled out a shirt with the words “Love is the way” printed on the back. 

“I don’t own any merch. This is all your-”

“Now, Remus, there’s no need to be embarrassed about your interests.” James looked at him pointedly, and Remus sighed in defeat. 

“The things I do for you.” Remus muttered, as he shook his head. James mouthed a ‘thank you’ in return, before turning back to the bag.

“AHA! And here’s your hat!” James draped the shirt over Remus’ shoulder and put the pink bucket hat on his head. Remus looked close to punching him. 

Lily couldn’t help but laugh loudly, and the look Remus gave her only made her laugh harder. Poor Remus, he needed to be put out of his misery. 

Lily got up from her spot on the couch and walked over the bag herself. Inside, she found many fabrics of pink and purple, and even some with feathers. The first thing she pulled out was a shirt with a much brighter, atrocious shade of pink than the last, with hearts and the Madam Puddifoot logo.

“No, I think Remus is right. I was working the day James bought this. Though, I never would have thought he’d be buying it for himself.” Lily turned to face the two boys, grinning wildly and holding the shirt up against her. “Besides, Remus’ merch of choice is Celestina Warbeck pajamas.” 

If Lily had a camera, she’d take a picture of both their blushes and keep it in her room forever. There was no greater feeling, Lily decided, than the feeling of knowing she caught James in his act. 

“Yet, I have to admit. This is an excellent choice of pink, Potter. I can see it really clashes with the hair.” She held the shirt out in front of him, faux contemplation all over her face. She was really enjoying this. 

“Oh, do you mean the hair that ‘looks so soft you could run your fingers through it’? Or did you write the part about how good it looks during quidditch?” 

Now it was Lily’s turn to blush, knowing he was referring to the things written in Lily’s notebook. Seeing how the tables had turned, James was back to all confidence and esteem, as if he hadn’t just been exposed and embarrassed.

“Your clearly imagining things, the only thing I wrote about you was how difficult it must be for you to get through doorways with that incredibly big head of yours!” Lily was a great liar, but she knew already. She knew James read everything on that page. 

“Oh, that’s right! Now I remember! Just below that bit was the part about how hot the ‘post-sex’ nature of my hair is.” James stepped closer to her, pink t-shirts and Remus forgotten. “In your same handwriting.”

“The only reason my handwriting is so recognizable to you is because you spent weeks in third year copying it and writing love letters to yourself, pretending they were from me.”

James’ grin fell, and he took a step back before turning an accusing glare at Remus. 

“I wonder how you found out about that.” 

Remus did his best to shrug innocently, barely controlling his laughter as he made his escape out of the room and up the stairs. They listened together as the muffled guffaws of laughter leaked through the ceiling’s boards.

“Well,” James began, trying to break the silence “I think my head just got deflated quite a bit.” His hand rubbed at the back of his neck, and he avoided eye contact by staring at his shoes.

“It’s a good thing to have your ego taken back down every now and then.” Lily agreed. 

“Although it sucks to happen,” James admitted “I guess we’ve both done some... very embarrassing things in the past.”

They could still hear Remus laughing upstairs.

“I think...” Lily drifted off, swallowing hard and begging herself to gather up the courage. “I think a deflated head is all it would take for me to say ‘yes’ to a date with you. You know, if you’d ever ask.” 

James snapped his head up, and it made Lily wish he hadn’t. His eyes were too intense, and she blushed remembering she wrote something about how she could stare at them all day. She wanted to drown knowing James also read this.

“You r- you wha- Really?”

Lily shrugged, still holding the pink shirt as she turned to sit back down on the couch. 

“Well then, please excuse me for a minute.” 

Lily’s brows furrowed in confusion as James rushed out of the room and into the kitchen. After a couple minutes of drawers opening and closing, she heard his footsteps on the stairs, then heard James talking to Remus, and finally, his footsteps came back down the stairs and he was in the room again. Though, this time he had flowers in one hand, and chocolate in the other. The flowers were dripping water on the floor, like his clothes had earlier and it made Lily laugh. 

“Did you seriously take those out of Mrs. Lupin’s vase? And did you take Remus’ chocolate?” She was laughing again, clutching her stomach as James stood in front of her, confident and embarrassed at the same time. 

“I’ll put these back! And Remus said it was fine.” 

Lily laughed harder, watching water droplets glide down the stems and hit the wood. 

“Would you just... just let me ask you already?” James sounded exasperated, but his smile and shaking shoulders betrayed how funny he found her laugh. It made her insides warm. 

“Okay, okay. I’m listening. Go ahead.”

“Lily Evans...” He managed to begin, before she was laughing hysterically again. 

“Oh, come on.” James gave up, throwing the chocolate in her lap and falling onto the couch next to her. 

“Sorry! I’m sorry, please continue.”

“Mmmm, now I don’t think I can go out with someone who laughs as bad as a hydrangea.” 

“You mean a hyena?” James was never good at knowing “muggle” animals.

James turned his face to look at her, ignoring the correction and moving the flowers so they were closer to her. 

“Lily. I’d like to take you on a date some time, if you’ll let me.”

Lily enjoyed how quickly he could go from joking and playful to sincere and serious. She smiled, and took the flowers. Then she vanished them back into the vase in the kitchen before she slid closer to him. 

“I haven’t spent years embarrassing myself in front of you to say no.” 

James smiled and leaned in to kiss her. 

After what felt like hours of fireworks and electricity running through her body, she broke away to give another tiny laugh. “Too bad you can’t fly home in this storm, you’ll have to stay here for the night.” 

“My, my, Evans. Making the moves already?” 

She huffed, and hit him on the shoulder. 

“Git. What I’m saying is, the only other clothes big enough to fit you in this house are the Madam Puddifoots t-shirts, and I’m so looking forward to seeing you in neon pink.”

The look on Jame’s face was priceless.

BONUS:

The next morning found Remus at the kitchen table peacefully drinking tea and reading the paper. He read about Celestina Warbeck’s recently announced tour, and took a sip of tea only to promptly spit it out as Lily walked into the kitchen in the over-sized pink t-shirt. James followed with a bright smile and real post-sex hair. 

“It’s... about time?” Remus offered. 

Lily just smiled. Yeah, it was about time. But now they had all the time in the world. 

[justlostinautumn]

The Assistant 18/20

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9,Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17

Avengers x Reader (Fury/adopted-daughter) Bucky Barnes x Reader

A girl trying to hide her past who was adopted by Nick Fury, but cared for by Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. Being Tony’s assistant and asked to help the rest of the team. She doesn’t remember much from her past, but maybe working with this group of misfits will help knock a few memories loose and open some doors to the past. – Sorry if this sucks!

A/N: Please send me thoughts on where you want to see this imagine go… or ideas for new stories!

I hope this makes up for the late upload.

They stormed a manor house and the alarms went off, to be honest, they didn’t care if they knew they were there. Bucky and Wanda powered through not batting an eyelash at anything it was shot first ask questions later they had one thing on their minds and that was to find Y/N. Wanda could feel her mind, but it was weak and she was beginning to worry so she pushed harder. Bucky knew straight away something was off and worked through people quicker or pushing them behind them for the team to deal with. It didn’t take long to get through the Agents defending the building. 

Steve watched his best friend very closely observing him noticing the small ticks that the Winter Soldier had, to be precise his stance and the way he was fighting ruthlessly without thinking about the consequences. Steve looked over to Sam who was watching Wanda closely who was showing the same amount of carelessness. Neither Sam nor Steve could understand the attachment the two had with Y/N. Bucky and Y/N had a past, but Wanda didn’t so they couldn't fully grasp why she was just as angry as Bucky. 

“They must have taken a big hit from HYDRA when they came to collect Y/N,” Steve spoke.

“You’re right we did.” A voice spoke from in front of them. They ran towards the voice and looked around the large room, Wanda stiffened as she saw the cage and the table that Y/N was now lying. There was blood smeared on the floor and a pair of bloody ballet slippers and Bucky growled.

“Bastards!” Natasha shouted about to lung at Y/N father. No one other than those three understood what was going on Clint had a firm grasp on a struggling Natasha. Tony took seconds to figure it out, Peter gasped and looked like he was holding back. Sam’s eyes were wide and Pietro was vibrating with rage. It took Steve longer than the rest to figure it out. The blood was Y/N’s and this was what they had been doing to her for the last 14 days. Guilt filled him.

“Widow, she never graduated like you. We need her to be able to breed with the Soldier there.” Her mother smirked at Natasha, who looked at her with disgust and then looked over to the still figure and her eyes started to fill thinking about what it must have been like to know that all you are good for is breeding and fighting. “She was made to be better than you and she is! She was made to bring the new Soldiers of the great cleanse!”

“Where’s your son?” Bucky smirked. Steve looked at his best friend wondering how much he knew or remembered about Y/N. Obviously, he and Wanda managed to tap into more of his memories than he was sharing and Steve wanted to know what he did know, but he would ask later now isn’t the time.

“You knew!” Her mother shrieked and everyone looked at him confused. Looking about Bucky they could almost see some sort of amusement in his eyes about this whole situation. About the fact, he knew more than they ever thought he would know.

“So she finally did what she always wanted to do.” He smiled at her father, who looked disgusted at what Bucky was saying. His teammates needed more context as to why she would want to kill her brother.

“She told you more than she let on.” Her father squared his shoulders and looked at Bucky. Bucky laughed, he knew he was trying to be threatening but there was nothing he could do that would hurt him. Bucky was ready to kill them and was dying to do it.

“She showed me this place once, after a mission. But I couldn’t remember it that well I was pretty much wiped the moment I walked through the door. She would always tell me something about this place, never using names but always codes almost like she didn’t want HYDRA to know. But there was always a wicked brother.” Bucky smirked at Y/N’s parents and he could see the rage on their faces.

“The dirty slut killed my only child!” Y/N mother was being held back as she tried to lung at Bucky who would take pleasure in snapping her neck. Steve gasped at the fact they didn’t acknowledge her as their daughter.

“She’s your daughter too!” Peter shouts he was being held back by an equally pissed Tony.

“She was born to be a monster and nothing else. She is no child of mine... she’s an abomination.” Her mother sneered at the Team but she spat towards the table that Y/N was lying on even her husband stiffened at that action. Bucky and Wanda stepped forward.

“You’re the monster!” Natasha screamed this was the first time the team had seen her this emotional. But, they could all tell this was playing all too close to home. Natasha can only imagine what Y/N went through and how much worse it must have been.

“You knew she wanted to kill her brother?” Steve looked at Bucky, this was important information that needed to be known before the mission happened. That could have changed everything, how Steve doesn’t know but it feels like important information you don’t leave out.

“She mentioned it a long time ago. I also thought it was unlikely to happen because you promised we would get to her before she would be taken and we didn’t. It didn’t seem important. When did she kill him?” Bucky shrugs and looks at her father, Bucky was wondering if she got to kill him nice and slowly like she always wished. Bucky knew that it was most probably highly unlikely that she did, but knowing she killed the bastard who almost killed her was good enough for him.

“When she first woke up. She showed no resistance, she was quick to snap his neck. She was put in the cage after, she never tried to fight.” Her father looked down at his daughter on the table, there was almost a look of heartbreak in his eyes as he thought about what he did to his daughter. Whereas her mother looked smug at the horror on the Avengers's faces. They heard a growl and they looked at Wanda who’s eyes were glowing red, her hair flowing around her along with her mist. It was now Bucky’s turn to look smug.

“Maybe you should go into the cage,” Wanda spoke her voice cold and before anyone could say anything red wisps wrapped around Y/N parents separating them, putting her father in the cage and the other strapping the mother into her daughters' bloody ballet slippers. The Team stood frozen unsure what to do but Peter acted quickly helping to seal the door shut with his webbing Natasha and Clint had guns drawn and ready just in case her mother tried anything. Pietro was by his sister’s side watching carefully. Tony, Sam and Steve stood frozen to the ground unsure what to do.

“What are you doing?” Her mother screams. Steve flinches at the shrill sound as he watches the red wisps of Wanda’s powers pulls her onto her tiptoes so she’s on point. The woman’s legs were trembling.

“Showing what it felt like to be your daughter. I would listen carefully, for every mistake you make your husband will get shocked. I’m sure Natasha will take great pleasure in instructing you.” Wanda smirked wickedly. Without question Pietro was by the cage with the button, Natasha and Clint were standing with Y/N mother and Bucky and Wanda walked over to the table. The rest of the team were in shock.

“This is wrong,” Steve spoke up. As T’Challa, Dr Strange, Loki and Thor walked into the room and saw what was happening. Loki had a mischievous smirk on his face until he saw the girl they were here to save laid out on a metal slab lifeless. His eyes started to shine green and Thor grabbed his arm.

“Is it?” Tony looked at Steve.

“I have to agree with Tony. Look at this room. Look at the girl on the table and tell me you don’t want them to feel a fraction of the pain?” Sam looked at his friend and put a hand on his shoulder and walked over to Wanda and hugged her pulling her close as she cried.

“I agree too with the metal man. They deserve far worse.” Loki growled pulling his arm from Thor’s hold and walking over to Wanda and Bucky to help them with Y/N.

“Why?” Was the only thing Steve could ask.

“Because they wanted to make a beautiful monster. Did you know she adored her parents when she was young the reason they gave her to HYDRA was that she overheard them talking about her and referring to her as nothing but a monster and another tool. They never loved her, she was taught to do everything we can and more. All she ever wanted to do was make her parents proud and they saw her as nothing but a monster.” Tony looked at the girl who was now in Bucky’s arms.

“How do you know this?” Steve looked confused,

“I read the files she gave us access too. So did Barnes, Wanda, Romanov, T’Challa and Barton.” Tony said walking to Bucky and looking at the girl in the Super Soldiers arms and tears filled his eyes.

T’Challa, Thor, Dr Strange and Steve stood there watching everything going on. Natasha and Clint forcing her mother to dance and laughing when she falls and the screams Y/N’s father as he is shocked. Steve looks at his teammates to see how they feel but they show give nothing away.

“This can’t be right.” Steve sighs as he looks at everything going on.

“We wouldn’t know what it is like to be constantly tortured like the majority of people in this room. Hell, even Stark has been through a hell of a lot worse than most of us.” Dr Strange looks at Steve and Thor nods in agreement.

“Natasha and Y/N have a lot in common from their training. Y/N went through a more brutal version of the Red Room and the Winter Soldier Program. Any girl that can survive that kind of Hell is something else. You forget Captain we are lucky with how things turned out for us.” T’Challa looks at Steve with knowing eyes. As difficult it was for Steve to be frozen for around 70 years, he didn’t have to go through half the things that both Bucky and Nat had to.

Screams filled the room along with the smell of burnt hair and skin they looked at the cage. That was strange, they all thought. It shouldn’t be smelling like this and it was making Peter gag along with Pietro.

“Did you change the charge?” Tony looked at Pietro who shock his head looking horrified.

“How did she survive all of this?” Steve asked he realised that must have been the setting it was on for her when she was in there. How many times was she shocked? How long for? Why?

“They have a healing serum that will help to accelerate the process.” Wanda looked at both parents who looked horrified that she knew this.

“I’m bored with this and I want to take my girl home.” It was the first thing Bucky has said since he had Y/N back in his arms and he sounded more like the Winter Soldier. Loki was smirking at this and was glad they were finally going to meet their end.

“I agree.” Tony nodded. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Loki appeared in the middle of the room equidistance between each of Y/N’s parents and conjured two of his blades with a quick flick of his wrists the two blades were embedded in both her Parents with looks of horror on each of their faces. 

“I’m going to call Fury.” Steve pulls out his phone as they all walk onto the jet. It is ringing and everyone is sitting there apprehensively at what Fury will say. The sound of the phone ringing fills the jet until a familiar voice fills their ears.

“Rogers give us good news.” Fury spoke through the phone and Steve knew he was on speaker. He looked at Tony next to him, who nods at him to tell them everything the good news. Looking at all his teammates he realises as great as it is that they have Y/N back it is not under the best circumstances.

“The good news is we got Y/N and we’re bringing her home,” Steve spoke, everyone could hear the hesitancy in his voice and he winced because he knew Fury would pick up on it.

“But?” It was Maria who asked this rather than Fury and Steve didn't know at this moment who he feared more most. He looked at Bucky for help, but Bucky was too busy staring at Y/N to notice his friends distress. Steve turned to Tony who pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a deep breath.

“She unconscious,” Tony spoke for him, Steve let out a sigh of relief that he didn’t have to pass on the bad news.

“What?” Maria and Pepper shout, this caused everyone to stiffen and look at the centrepiece that was holding Steve’s phone. They were not excited to be greeted by those two angry women.

“Wait a minute before your panties get all in a bunch. They gave her a serum that would increase her healing ability. Majority of the wounds she had when we first saw her are either gone or are healing up and will be gone when we get home. Her body has been put through a lot of stress. I am hoping to bring her to you guys will wake her up. Or maybe Wanda having a poke around will do that.” Tony looked at Wanda who gave a nod but made no indication to start, Tony was exhausted and even his attempts at lightening the mood seemed to be tense.

“I will do that when we get home. I need rest, I think we all do.” Wanda sounded exhausted and for the first time, Tony saw that Wanda looked exhausted. She was sat between Bucky and Sam, Bucky was next to Y/N holding her hand and sitting up straight not letting go and not moving to watch her for anything. Any possible changes that might happen in the flight home. Wanda leaned on Sam and closed her eyes and finally gave in to rest.

“How long till you are home?” Pepper asked they could hear the anxiousness in her voice, they can only imagine Pepper pacing and running her fingers through her hair and trying to remove nonexistent crease and bits of dirt of her clothes.

“A couple of hours we will call when we’re close,” Tony said and then hung up passing the phone back to Steve and taking a seat a resting his head in his hands.

“Everything will be fine Tony.” Steve sits opposite him and tried to comfort his friend, but even he knew that might be wishful thinking.

The Team landed back in the compound and waiting for them on the landing pad was Fury, Hill and Pepper. Bucky carried Y/N out refusing anyone other than Tony or Wanda to touch her. Wanda was by Bucky’s side and Maria and Pepper ran to him looking at the unconscious girl in his arms tears slipping down their faces as they take a good look at her. Fury was stuck to the ground a shadow covering his face, Bucky looks at him and knows the look. Fury was scarred he would never see her again, Bucky smiled at the two women and walked towards Fury and held her towards him and without hesitation, Nick took her and held her close to him and he let the tears fall. She felt as small as she did when she first found him.

“Thank you.” He looked at the whole team and they nodded their heads and Fury turned on his heel and walked into the building. Pepper and Maria gave the team nods and they rushed after him so they can sit with them. Bucky was frozen and Wanda finally walked up to him.

“Everything will be okay.” Wanda grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

“I know she’s home. But watching her being carried away feels like I will never see her again” Bucky sniffed as he looks down at Wanda who looked up at him and held tighter on his hand.

“Well, it’s not like we are going to leave her. I’m pretty sure you and I will be sitting in that room until those eyes open.” Wanda smirked up at him pulling him towards the door

The Team walked in to see Pepper and Maria quietly discussing something and the see Dr Cho walking out of the room that was next to Buckys.

“We wanted to keep her up here and not in medbay.” Maria looked at the team and they nodded and walked to the doorway and saw Fury sitting there holding her hand and talking to her about all the thing she missed.

“Can you believe it took Tony that long to crack it, to be honest, it was Pepper who cracked it. I am sure you would have figured that out and I bet it made you smile.” Fury smiled weakly at the girl.

“Hey that was no fair, the clue was ‘your first mistake!’ she must have known I would have had some sassy answers.” Tony pouted making Pepper laugh.

“Of course that’s why she picked it because she knew you’d never own up to it.” Pepper hugged Tony side looking down at the girl.

“Is she okay?” Maria looked at Dr Cho who had just walked back into the room checking the IV’s to keep her hydrated and healthy while she is unconscious.

“Yes, the serum she was given has fulled healed her, it’s now up to her to wake up.” Dr Cho looked at the team and walked down to her office. They were all left in the room watching the girl in the bed. Bucky and Wanda seated into two of the comfy chairs on one side of the bed while the rest position themselves around the room.

Tags:

@jay-the-mothafuckin-gay, @dark-night-sky-99, @stormi-ames, @jsmith509, @thelostallycat, @animegirlgeeky, @mercurybarnes 

[dfroza]

To be falsely accused.

even our Creator knows what this is like while standing in the face of men who accused Him of wrongdoing according to their own rules.

Today’s reading from the Scriptures begins with the 3rd chapter in the book of Mark:

On the Sabbath, Jesus had come into a synagogue where He saw a man with a withered hand.

The Pharisees held their breath: would Jesus cure this man on the Sabbath, right there in front of everyone? If so, they could charge Him with breaking the Sabbath law. Jesus knew their hearts. He called to the man with the withered hand.

Jesus: Come to Me.

Then He turned to the Pharisees with a question.

Jesus: Do our laws tell us to do good or evil on the Sabbath? To save life, or to snuff it out?

They remained silent.

Jesus was furious as He looked out over the crowd, and He was grieved by their hard hearts.

Jesus (to the man with the withered hand): So be it. Stretch out your hand.

The man stretched forth his hand; and as he did, it was completely healed. The Pharisees went directly from the synagogue to consult with the supporters of Herod, the Romans’ puppet ruler, about how they could get rid of this dangerous dreamer.

Meanwhile Jesus and His followers traveled to the shore of the Sea of Galilee; as always, a huge crowd from Galilee and Judea gathered. People had come from miles to see this man they were hearing so much about. They came from the big cities, including Jerusalem of Judea, Tyre and Sidon of Phoenicia, and from the region of Idumea, south of Judea. Since Jesus had healed so many, the sick and the infirm pushed forward constantly to touch Him, to be healed, and to ask His blessing. The crowd pressed so closely around Jesus that He asked His disciples to get a boat He could board if the crush became too great.

Most wanted to be near Him, except for those possessed by unclean spirits. Those people fell down before Him.

Unclean Spirits: You are the Son of God.

But He ordered them not to reveal His true identity.

Jesus called together a select group of His followers and led them up onto a mountain. There He commissioned them the twelve. [Later He calls them His emissaries.] He wanted them to be with Him. He sent them out to spread the good news and to cast out evil spirits [and heal diseases]. Here are the names of the original twelve: Simon (whom Jesus called Peter, meaning “the rock”), James and John (the sons of Zebedee, whom Jesus called “the Sons of Thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew (the tax collector, also called Levi), Thomas, James (the son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon of Canaan (who was also called “the Zealot”), and Judas Iscariot (who one day would betray Jesus to the authorities in Jerusalem so God’s purpose could be fulfilled).

Jesus and His disciples went into a house to eat, but so many people pressed in to see Jesus that they could not be served. When Jesus’ family heard about this craziness, they went to drag Him out of that place.

Jesus’ Family (to one another): Jesus has lost His mind.

The scribes, for their part, came down from Jerusalem and spread the slander that Jesus was in league with the devil.

Scribes: That’s how He casts out demons. He’s casting them out by the power of Beelzebul—the ancient Philistine god—the prince of demons.

When Jesus heard this, He tried to reason with them using parables.

Jesus: Listen. How can Satan drive out Satan? A kingdom that makes war against itself will collapse. A household divided against itself cannot stand. If Satan opposes himself, he cannot stand and is finished.

If you want to break into the house of a strong man and plunder it, you have to bind him first. Then you can do whatever you want with his possessions. Listen, the truth is that people can be forgiven of almost anything. God has been known to forgive many things, even blasphemy. But speaking evil of the Spirit of God is an unforgivable sin that will follow you into eternity.

He said this because the scribes were telling people that Jesus got His power from dark forces instead of from God.

When Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived, they couldn’t break through the crowd, so they sent word in to Jesus that He should come out to them. The crowd was pressed in tight around Him when He received the message, “Your mother and brothers [and sisters] are waiting outside for You.”

Jesus looked around.

Jesus (answering them): Who are My mother and brothers?

He called into the silence. No one spoke.

At last His gaze swept across those gathered close, and Jesus smiled.

Jesus: You, here, are My mother and My brothers! Whoever does the will of God is My true family.

The Book of Mark, Chapter 3 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 5th chapter of the book of Esther where Esther approaches King Ahasuerus with favor, and we read of the evil plot of Haman toward Mordecai:

When the third day arrived, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace across from the king’s rooms. The king was sitting on his throne facing the palace entrance. He was pleased when he noticed Queen Esther waiting in the court. He extended his gold scepter with his hand, inviting her in. Esther walked toward him, and when she was close enough, she reached out and touched the king’s scepter.

King Ahasuerus: What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? I’ll give you anything—even half of my kingdom—all you need to do is ask.

Queen Esther: If it would please you, my king, I’d like for you and Haman to come today to a banquet I have made in your honor.

King Ahasuerus (looking at his servants): Go and find Haman this instant, so we can do as Esther desires.

So the king and Haman came to Esther’s banquet. As Haman, the king, and Esther were enjoying the wine at the end of her banquet, the king pressed the question.

King Ahasuerus: Now, my queen, what is your request? I promise that half of my kingdom is not too much to ask! Don’t be afraid to ask for whatever you want.

Queen Esther: I do want something. My request is: If I have found favor before you, and if you truly desire to grant my request, would you and Haman join me again tomorrow for another banquet I will prepare? Then I will answer your question.

Haman left dinner in high spirits, almost gleeful, but his joy was short lived. As he walked through the king’s gate, he passed by Mordecai. It angered Haman to see the Jew unwilling to stand and, worse still, seemingly unafraid. But he resisted showing his anger right then and there. Instead, he went home and spent time with friends and Zeresh, his wife. Haman spent the evening bragging to them about being rich and having lots of sons in his family. He even boasted about his relationship with the king, talking to his guests about his promotion above all of his fellow nobles and the officials of the king.

Haman: And that’s not all! Queen Esther invited me today to dine with her and the king. Just the three of us! And guess what? She’s invited me again tomorrow. What do you think about that? But I must be honest; seeing that Jew, Mordecai, as I pass through the gate makes it difficult to celebrate any of my good fortune.

Then his wife Zeresh and all of his friends came up with an idea.

Zeresh and His Friends: You should make a wood pole 75 feet high! Tomorrow morning, have the king sentence Mordecai to be executed on it. Then you’ll be able to have a good time at the banquet with the king.

Haman thought the idea was brilliant. So he had the pole made.

The Book of Esther, Chapter 5 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for friday, April 2 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons about a True search for significance:

You may feel anxious about knowing God, about how to relate to him or how to understand or interpret the Scriptures, though the heart can only know the essential meaning of God in the state of its need, as its ultimate concern, and therefore unless you cry out “from the depths” of your being, you are merely intellectualizing or playing games... After all, the inner heart asks "How can I find God?" "How can I relate to God?" "How can I find hope and life?" but the answers to such questions are found by personal encounter with the reality of the Spirit of God, not by theological rationalizations. It is one thing to say "Lord" or "Master" but quite another to say "my Lord," or "my Master..." The Torah teaches that name of God refers to that which God alone is, namely, the "I am that I am"(אהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה) which is unknowable apart from the miracle of disclosure within the heart. That is why we find so many different names and titles for God in Scripture, for these are disclosures to the heart in a time of its need. For instance, to know God's name as "Savior" (מוֹשִׁיעַ) means experiencing deliverance from your struggles, pains, and fears by the agency of God’s victory, comfort, and consolation as given in Yeshua. However, unlike the experience of worldly education wherein you might acquire skills to accomplish certain tasks, spiritual education leads to a “dark clouds of unknowing” where you must regularly confess your weakness and your need for divine connection. God's name is therefore bound up with the basic quest within your heart for meaning, healing, and the desire of unconditional love. Knowing the name of God is an ongoing process as you struggle to accept and trust your life to be a blessing, and as you are enabled by the Holy Spirit to say "yes" and "amen" to life despite your failures, pains, fears, sorrows, and even your unanswered questions... It means opening your heart to life and believing that you are beloved, that you are accepted, that you will be okay, and that God is holding you in his everlasting arms. Amen, friend, may you know the meaning of that Name! [Hebrew for Christians]

4.1.21 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

April 2, 2021

When Messiah Came

“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” (Daniel 9:25)

This remarkable prophecy, given through the angel Gabriel to Daniel the prophet, actually predicted the date of the coming of Christ nearly 500 years in advance. From the announcement to the coming of “Messiah the Prince,” there would be 69 “weeks” (literally “sevens,” meaning in this context “seven-year periods”). That is, Messiah would come as the Prince 483 years after the commandment was given to rebuild Jerusalem. There is some uncertainty about the exact date of the decree, as well as the exact length of these prophetic years, but in each calculation the termination date is at least near or, in some cases, exactly the time when Christ entered Jerusalem to be acknowledged as its promised King.

However, Gabriel’s prophecy went on to say: “And after [the] threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off” (Daniel 9:26). That is, although He would come as promised, instead of being gladly crowned as King, He would be slain. Since the 483-year period terminated long ago, it is clear that Messiah must already have come and then been put to death at that time.

The terms of this remarkable prophecy have been precisely fulfilled in Jesus Christ alone, and no one coming later could have done so. It is no wonder that He wept over Jerusalem, pronouncing her coming judgment, “because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” (Luke 19:44).

We, like He, should weep and pray for Israel. Yet, in God’s omniscient planning, “through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles” (Romans 11:11), and in this we can rejoice. HMM

[njawaidofficial]

'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Easter Eggs and Comic Book Story References

http://styleveryday.com/2017/07/10/spider-man-homecoming-easter-eggs-and-comic-book-story-references/

'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Easter Eggs and Comic Book Story References

[Warning: This story contains spoilers for Spider-Man: Homecoming]

If there is one thing to be said about Marvel Studios and Sony’s new Spider-Man: Homecoming, it is that it is a fresh new take on the character, overflowing with new ideas, set pieces and interesting characters. For more than a decade, Marvel Studios has had to sit on the sidelines while Sony produced Spider-Man film after Spider-Man film, while the company continued to release its Spider-Man comics. Now, the two finally meet.

With their first opportunity to exercise creative control over the character, it should come as no surprise that they pumped the film full of references, callbacks and Easter eggs for fans, new and old, to enjoy. The result is a sort of Spider-Man film via remix, with various elements from all of Spider-Man’s history mixed together in a way that fans have never seen before.

Compiled below is a list of these references (heavy SPOILERS). How many do you recognize? And let us know what we missed by tweeting @HeatVisionBlog (bonus points for sharing a comic book panel and issue number).

Amazing Spider-Man No. 2

The Comics: Phineas Mason was one of Spider-Man’s earliest villains, an engineering genius that went by the name The Terrible Tinkerer. Mason could invent powerful weapons and gadgets from just about anything and outfitted a large number of Spidey’s villains. Strangely enough, he was initially revealed to be an alien in disguise, as Stan Lee slowly figured out what kind of villains would work for Spider-Man. A later writer would reveal that he was actually a human pretending to be an alien. Comics are weird.

The Movie: Mason (Michael Chernus) is Adrian Toomes’ (Michael Keaton) right-hand man, building all the tech he uses as The Vulture. He’s constantly encouraging Toomes to continue escalating his scores through the use of more sophisticated technology.

Ultimate Spider-Man No. 153

The Comics: In the alternate Ultimate universe, a younger Peter Parker was always told he would be forced to join S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Ultimate team (its version of the Avengers) when he turned 18 years old. After a number of instances where Spider-Man and his villains were involved in either saving or nearly ending the world, both Tony Stark and Captain America were tasked with training Peter as Spider-Man.

The Movie: Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) has taken Peter under his wing, both keeping him at a distance and constantly watching him to be sure he doesn’t step out of line or cause too much trouble. It’s a reluctant mentorship, just like in the comics.

Ultimate Spider-Man No. 155

The Comics: On Ultimate Peter Parker’s birthday (after their training), Tony Stark has Mary Jane pass a gift on to Peter. This gift is a pair of powered-up webshooters capable of firing all kinds of different webbing.

The Movie: Tony doesn’t stop at redesigning Peter’s webshooters but builds him a customized suit, with a very similar pair of new webshooters to the ones in the comics. The whole thing is wrapped up as a gift in a shiny suitcase.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (Vol. 2) No.2

The Comics: After Miles Morales replaced Peter Parker as Spider-Man in the Ultimate universe, readers were introduced to a new cast of characters, more specifically they were introduced to Ganke Lee. Ganke is Miles’ right-hand man or “guy in the chair” if you will. He loves Legos, is a bit too loose with Miles’ secret, and can’t resist nerding out that he knows a superhero. Meanwhile, Ned Leeds was a pretty bland character, introduced in the regular universe, who mainly operated as competition for Peter in regards to his love life and photography career. He was eventually falsely outted as the Hobgoblin and subsequently murdered.

The Movie: For some reason, Spider-Man: Homecoming makes Ganke Lee into Peter’s new best friend, giving him the name Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) for no real apparent reason. Who can say why they felt the need to change the names while maintaining everything that makes Ganke special, I’m just glad he’s in the film … because he’s awesome.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual No. 3

The Comics: In the earliest days of Spider-Man, comics writer Stan Lee was still trying to figure out what was going to make Spider-Man special as a character. Before seizing on the emotional core of “With Great Power Must Also Come Great Responsibility” line, Lee emphasized Spider-Man’s teenage loner status. This saw him breaking into the Fantastic Four’s headquarters and fighting the team all in a vain attempt to join them and make a solid paycheck. The same was true with the Avengers. When they reach out to him to potentially join the team, he ends up fighting them, further solidifying his reputation as an untrustworthy loner.

The Movie: The same is essentially true here, Spider-Man’s introduction to the Avengers in “Captain America: Civil War” couldn’t have gone worse for his reputation, to the point that even Iron Man doesn’t really trust him to be responsible. He’s a liability, not an asset, and is basically being held back from joining the team because of it.

Untold Tales of Spider-Man No. 2

The Comics: Jason Ionello (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) is a part of Flash Thompson’s gang of “popular” kids who constantly bully Peter Parker. Yet, in an ironic twist of fate, he’s also one of the leaders of the Spider-Man Fan Club.

The Movie: Jason appears on a television screen in Midtown High School as one of the anchors of the school’s hastily produced morning news. He awkwardly tries to ask out his co-anchor, Betty Brant (Angourie Rice), on the air.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 7

The Comics: Betty Brant is one of Peter Parker’s best friends and his first love in high school. She works as J. Jonah Jameson’s secretary and often flirts with Peter when he turns in pictures. Their relationship was cut short when she realized she couldn’t handle Peter’s secret and the violence he seemed to be involved in. So, she ran off into the arms of Ned Leeds, then Flash Thompson, then Peter again, and on and on and on. She’s kind of notorious for having a rather frustrated love life.

The Movie: Betty appears alongside Jason Ionello as the co-anchor of the Midtown High School news program. She’s also one of Liz’s good friends and sees her off at the end of the film before Liz moves to Oregon. I think, in an intentional nod to Gwen Stacy and the remix mentality of this film, she’s wearing Gwen’s signature hair band.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 2

The Comics: The Vulture is one of Spider-Man’s first villains, but is notoriously the first to engage him in spectacular aerial combat. He’s an octogenarian inventor who devises his own anti-gravity harness and robs banks and helicopters around the city. Most notable about him is the green color scheme and vulture-like collar he wears. This would be updated to a more modern suit in the Ultimate Spider-Man comics (see bottom picture).

The Movie: The Vulture’s entire backstory is changed for the movie, but the types of crimes he commits remain largely the same. His color scheme is largely maintained, with most of the green coming through his nightvision goggles. He retains claws like the Ultimate version and even sports a featured collar of sorts with his sporty bomber jacket.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 17

The Comics: In the early Spider-Man comics, there was no power-couple more influential than the popular Flash Thompson and Liz Allan. However, the two take a notably unpopular stance by starting up their own Spider-Man Fan Club – Forest Hills Chapter. Peter learns that Liz is throwing a big party and that they are expecting Spider-Man to show up. Peter loves the dramatic irony that he could show up as Spider-Man and humiliate Flash, but at the same time knows that his lack of presence as Peter will go noticed by a number of people, namely Liz and his girlfriend Betty. Too bad his decision is made for him when the Green Goblin shows up to wreck the party, landing Peter in hot water for ducking out so quickly.

The Movie: Liz throws a party, where Flash (Tony Revolori) is the DJ, and Peter is equally divided on how he’s going to attend. He learns Liz has a crush on Spider-Man and knows he could score points confirming that Peter is buddies with Spidey … except that he’s both Peter and Spider-Man. Too bad his decision is made for him when the Vulture’s goons start toying with their devastating weaponry, landing Peter in hot water for ducking out so quickly.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 46

The Comics: The Shocker is one of Spider-Man’s early villains and eventually became one of his favorites. He wears two gauntlets that vibrate to shoot beams, land devastating punches, and allow him to shake off blows. He’s also constantly mocked for his name and strange outfit, which resembles weird bed/couch lining. In fact, it’s been pretty much confirmed that’s what it is.

The Movie: There are two Shockers in Spider-Man: Homecoming, after one (played by Logan Marshall-Green) meets an untimely end. Their weaponry is essentially identical to that of the comics, although he has only one outfit. Even better, Adrian Toomes makes fun of him for his name and dorky costume. (The second Shocker is played by Bokeem Woodbine.) 

Amazing Spider-Man No. 267

The Comics: In “The Commuter Cometh,” one of the funniest Spider-Man stories of all time, Peter chases a burglar into the suburbs of New York City and quickly learns how ineffective his powers are without the urban towers of the city. One of the best moments is when he fires a web into the sky only to realize that there aren’t any buildings to latch on to.

The Movie: The same exact thing happens. Except this time my jaw hit the floor at the obscurity of the reference finding a way onto the silver screen.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 63

The Comics: Adrian Toomes can’t stand people who double-cross him. This is especially true of Blackie Drago, a fellow inmate who learns about the Vulture suit and subsequently steals it and claims the role for himself. Toomes eventually turns the tables on Blackie and reclaims the mantle of Vulture.

The Movie: This isn’t really a reference to the comics, but I couldn’t help but think of this moment when Adrian Toomes murders the original Shocker, for threatening to betray him, and passes the mantle of Shocker on to his partner (“Now you’re the Shocker”). I returned to this moment of the comics in the mid-credits sequence where Mac Gargan (Michael Mando) asks Adrian about Spider-Man’s identity. Who is to say that Mac won’t do the exact same thing as Blackie in future Spider-Man movies?

Amazing Spider-Man No. 11

The Comics: Spider-Man invents a mechanized spider-tracer that sends him signals via his spider-sense and allows him to track his enemies if they come in close contact with him. Typically, Spider-Man would fling the tracer at his enemies, trying to attach it to their clothing without them noticing.

The Movie: Peter does the same thing in the movie, just with a far more advanced system, and a robotic spider that can crawl on its own. He uses this to track down the Vulture gang to Maryland.

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (Vol. 2) No. 1

The Comics: Peter Parker has been operating a con for almost his entire adult life wherein he takes selfies and sells them to his publisher J. Jonah Jameson as if they were pictures he’s taken of Spider-Man. Taking selfies is difficult when you’re swinging through town and fighting villains, so he builds Buzzbee, his very own spider-drone, to do the dirty work for him.

The Movie: Peter discovers that the spider on his chest is also a drone. This drone has more capabilities than just taking pictures and operates as a fun comic foil for him during several scenes, especially when his Advanced Interrogation Mode is activated.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 231

The Comics: When Spider-Man burst onto the scene in 1962, his costume came complete with web-pits of dubious practical functionality, but clear stylistic functionality. Who doesn’t love web-pits? They would be retired years later, but they resurface every now and then depending on the artist.

The Movie: Peter eventually discovers that his suit has built in web-pits that can be retracted at will. They allow him to essentially wing-suit glide through the sky like some sort of flying squirrel. I’m just thankful that in this iteration he wasn’t bitten by a radioactive flying squirrel … or was he? What are you hiding from us Peter?

Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 4) No. 1

The Comics: Over the years, Spider-Man has experimented with changing up his webbing a lot. Sometimes he’ll mix cement in it to defeat Hydro-Man or mix it with a rubber substance to beat Electro. Recently, he’s been adding a lot of new tech into his repertoire, specifically taser webbing. The effect is devastating.

The Movie: When Peter and Ned disable Tony Stark’s control over the spider-suit, it allows Peter to activate his AI, Karen (Jennifer Connelly), and turn on Combat Mode. This unlocks hundreds of new weapons for him to utilize, including taser webbing. The comics haven’t played around with Instant Kill Mode, and I’m thankful for it.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (Vol. 20) No. 1

The Comics: When the Ultimate version of Peter Parker is murdered stopping the Green Goblin from harming his family, the young Miles Morales takes up the mantle of Spider-Man, inspired by Peter’s sacrifice. Unfortunately, Miles doesn’t have an inspiring uncle like Peter; his uncle is Aaron Davis, a criminal that goes by the name “The Prowler.” It is Aaron’s actions that cause Miles to be bitten by a genetically engineered spider. Aaron cares for his nephew but is eventually accidentally killed during a moment between him and Miles, as he’s trying to teach Miles to use his powers for personal gain instead of heroism.

The Movie: Aaron Davis is portrayed by Donald Glover, who publicly advocated his desire to portray Spider-Man for years. In the movie, Aaron Davis tries to buy weaponry from the Shockers, before escaping when Spider-Man interrupts the deal. Spider-Man later interrogates Aaron, whose criminal records identify him as “The Prowler” and one of his aliases as “Brian Pichelli,” after the names of his comic book creators Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli. Most notable is that Aaron helps Spider-Man out because of his concern for his “nephew.” This has hugely excited fans of Miles, as it lays the groundwork for his eventual introduction into the MCU.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (Vol. 2) No. 6, Amazing Spider-Man No. 20

The Comics: Mac Gargan was a private investigator who was hired by J. Jonah Jameson to follow Peter and figure out how he could take the pictures he took. Jameson then hired Gargan to be subjected to tests that would turn him into the Scorpion. As a result, the Scorpion grew to hate both Spider-Man and Jameson. In the Ultimate universe, there are two different Scorpions, but the important one is an invulnerable gang leader with a giant scorpion tattoo.

The Movie: Mac Gargan is introduced on the Staten Island Ferry as one of Toomes’ gang members, with a noticeable scorpion tattoo. After getting knocked off the ferry and hurt in the subsequent destruction, he’s captured and sent to jail, where he reappears in the mid-credits sequence to proclaim his hatred for Spider-Man.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 10

The Comics: Jackson Brice is one of the founding members of The Enforcers, a hit-squad consisting of a number of gangsters with weirdly specific talents. Montana is notable for his incredible skills with a lasso. He and his team of Enforcers would show up from time to time to make trouble for Spider-Man, mostly on behalf the Kingpin.

The Movie: Remember the guy who was the Shocker, right before he got obliterated by the not-the-gravity-gun? Well, his name was Jackson Brice. So he was the Shocker and Montana … apparently. RIP.

Damage Control (Vol. 2) No. 1

The Comics: Damage Control is a construction company specializing in fixing damage that’s caused by fights between Marvel’s heroes and villains. If you’ve ever wondered why anyone would live in Marvel’s fictional New York City, it’s because these guys do a great job of clean-up.

The Movie: Damage Control is a government agency operating under Tony Stark to help clean up after the events of 2012’s The Avengers. They take the clean-up job away from Adrian Toomes and his company, essentially sparking his working-class rage. They also operate several large containment facilities that house all this junk. 

2012’s Amazing Spider-Man

The Movie: Remember when Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker had dinner with the Stacys and they offered him a branzino fish dinner, eventually sparking an internet blogging joke about the weird specificity of that moment?

The New Movie: Apparently, the new writers remembered it, because when Flash picks up Sally Avril, his date, he mentions that he had to send back his dinner because he knows what real Mediterranean branzino looks like. Talk about a really obscure reference.

Ultimate Spider-Man No. 37

The Comic: In the Ultimate Spider-Man series, Peter is often fighting in and out of his school, home, shopping mall, etc. The peak of these kinds of battles happens when Peter, out of costume, has to fight Venom on the football field behind his school, all while classes continue nearby.

The Movie: This isn’t an intentional reference, but again I couldn’t help but think of this moment when Peter fights the powered-up Shocker in the bus parking lot during the homecoming dance. There’s definite magic to be had when Peter’s life directly interacts with the fantastical world of Spider-Man.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 33

The Comic: Perhaps the most iconic moment from any Spider-Man comics, outside of his origin story, is a moment from what’s known as the “Master Planner Saga.” In it, Spider-Man is buried under tons of steel, just out of reach from a vial of medicine that would cure his dying aunt, and the room is flooding with water. It’s a hopeless moment, but Spider-Man convinces himself that he can persevere and slowly lifts the steel over his head. The way it is drawn by Steve Ditko is a master class in comic book storytelling.

The Movie: The Vulture buries Peter under a similar pile of rubble, pinning him with little option for survival. It’s visually nearly identical to the comic book sequence. In sync with the themes of the film, Peter convinces himself that he is Spider-Man, with or without the suit, repeatedly referring to himself as “Spider-Man” as he lifts the rubble from overhead. It’s a moment Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige championed for the film.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 2

The Comic: When Peter’s spider-sense is triggered or the artist wants to signify that he’s responding to something related to his Spider-Man persona, they might use the visual motif of a split-faced Peter/Spider-Man. Comic readers were initially confused by this visual, thinking perhaps that half of Peter’s body was suddenly covered in a costume, but it was quickly adopted as the perfect visual representation of his dueling identities.

The Movie: When Peter is pinned under the rubble, that visual representation is reflected back to him in a puddle of water, where his mask is floating.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 1

The Comic: Spider-Man’s first heroic adventure involved him saving J. Jonah Jameson’s son, John Jameson, from a failed launch of his space shuttle. Spider-Man had to find a way to get airborne and attach himself to the shuttle, saving the occupants and drawing the attention of the cigar-chewing media mogul.

The Movie: The comparison between this sequence and the Stark invisible jet sequence at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming is apparent, with several panels looking nearly identical to the final film. Either way, it’s fun to see Spider-Man put in an extreme-height scenario with no way of landing safely if he were to fall.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 12

The Comic: In a famous moment, Doctor Octopus kidnaps Peter’s girlfriend Betty Brant and takes her to Coney Island, dangling her from the top of the Ferris wheel. When Peter confronts him as Spider-Man, Otto tears off Peter’s mask, revealing his identity to the public. Fortunately, Peter is able to spin that he dressed up as Spider-Man in hopes of rescuing his girlfriend.

The Movie: The film comes to a conclusion at Coney Island, utilizing all the elements that Peter famously fought on in the comic. While it might not be a direct reference to the original comics, the location is famous in Spider-Man lore, so it is nice to see it finally featured onscreen.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 529

The Comic: Right before the events of Civil War, Tony built Spider-Man a new suit, dubbed the Iron Spider suit. It allowed him to fly and generally do all the things Iron Man could. When Spider-Man decided to turn against Iron Man in the midst of Civil War, Tony attempted to control Spider-Man through the suit, but he wasn’t counting on Peter’s intellect to allow him to rewire it against him.

The Movie: Not only does Iron Man create the classic, but enhanced, version of Peter’s iconic suit, he presents him with his own cinematic version of the Iron Spider suit at the end of the film, in a moment that directly mimics the comics. It’s the thematic climax of the film and Peter’s denial of Tony’s offer signifies his maturation.

Civil War No. 2

The Comic: In order to get superheroes to sign up for the Superhuman Registration Act in Civil War, Tony Stark asked Peter Parker to reveal his secret identity to a crowd of reporters. Peter agreed, throwing his life into chaos and putting his family in danger.

The Movie: Tony seems to be asking Peter to do a similar thing at the end of Homecoming. He’s assembled a press briefing to at least announce Spider-Man’s role on the Avengers team. The visuals mirror those from the Civil War comic, and who could say how far Tony would have asked him to go?

The Comic: Megingjord is Thor’s enchanted Belt of Strength. When he wears it his strength is amplified considerably. He’s lost it several times in the books, eventually recovering it in a heroic moment.

The Movie: Happy Hogan mentions that they are shipping this item in his invisible jet, but he has trouble pronouncing the word … which makes total sense.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual No. 3

The Comic: When the Avengers test Spider-Man to see if he can join the team, they give him an impossible task that he is meant to fail. He’s supposed to go and wrangle the Hulk and bring him back to them. Instead, Peter discovers Hulk’s true identity and his tragic story and decides that it’d be against his morals to complete the quest. He returns to the Avengers and tells them to take a long walk off a short pier.

The Movie: Peter spends the entire runtime of Spider-Man: Homecoming trying to prove himself to Tony Stark so that he might join the Avengers team. Yet, through his time as Spider-Man he learns a valuable lesson about himself, so that when he is offered the position on the Avengers team he turns it down to continue his friendly neighborhood lifestyle. Was I the only one fist-pumping in the theater?

Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) No. 35

The Comic: After Spider-Man’s epic battle with Morlun in the “Coming Home” story, one of the best Spider-Man tales ever told, he’s beaten, bloodied and in a bad need of a long nap. He passes out on his bed, oblivious to the world, when Aunt May returns home to find him on the edge of death in his bed, his costume in tatters. It is at this moment that May discovers that Peter is Spider-Man.

The Movie: Peter returns home from Tony’s offer to join the Avengers to find a bag with his new costume in it. He dresses up, after presuming his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) isn’t home. That’s exactly when she walks in and ends the movie with a, “What the f—!”

OK web-heads. What did we miss? Tweet the comic book panel (and issue number) to @HeatVisionBlog and we will update this post with the best tweets.

Dan Gvozden, a life-long Spider-Man fan, is a Heat Vision contributor and co-host of Amazing Spider-Talk podcast.

Source

#Book #Comic #Easter #Eggs #Homecoming #References #SpiderMan #Story

[rose-sisson]

This was probably one of my more emotional pieces for many reasons. One reason is because a little bit of my testimony is weaved into this piece. Another reason is because while working on this, it made me realize how people have lost what it means to be a true follower of Christ. The final reason is because it made me realize how far I have to go to truly be the person God wants to make me.

I don't know about you but I live in an area where there's about five churches in one town and ten in a city. I live in what people call the 'Bible Belt' which is a safe yet frustrating area to live in. I'm constantly surrounded by people who call themselves Christian, but don't follow Christ. What's the difference? If you say that you believe in God but still party and get drunk, you might be a Christian but you don't follow Christ. If you say that Jesus died on the cross but don't tithe that ten percent at your local church, you might be a Christian but you don't follow Christ. If you say that the God of Israel is the one true God but still go out and have casual sex, you may be a Christian, but you don't follow Christ. Even as I wrote those standards out you may be thinking, "Who is she to set the standard?" or, "How can she condemn people with such certainty?" First off, I promise I'm not trying to condemn you. I was born in a Christian household, raised to believe in God, but I sure wasn't a follower. I bullied, cursed, lied, cheated, and hurt a lot of people sometimes in the name of God. Even after my true dedication to Christ I still held onto these practices. But what changed was I stopped giving myself a title, and I began to talk with God. And the reason I go so far as to say such bold accusations is not to condemn you if you did something wrong, but to challenge you, and to let you know that there is more to this that meets the eye.

Let's be honest, we all hate fakes: fake crab, fake lobster, fake signatures, nobody likes a knockoff. So what do expect people to say when you proclaim that God is sovereign, but don't change? People get irritated! People rant about Christians on the web saying that they don't back up what they preach. Wesburro Baptist Church is one of the bigger ones that are known for spreading hate by condemning homosexuality with hell. Not at all saying that homosexuality is fine, but condemning those who are confused with who they are is terrible and unbiblical. God is the gifter of identity, not the murderer of the confused. My audience today is not for people who don't know God yet, but rather for the Christian who's bored with life (However anyone is free to read). Maybe you're reading this and you're upset with living life. Maybe you're bored with work, church, work, and going through the motions. I know that I get exhausted sometimes. I'm not here to argue about what's biblical and what's not. I'm here to present what most people miss out of their Christian lifestyle. My mission today is to help reawaken a burning desire for the Kingdom so that we can see a true revival around the world.

There's something about the story of Jesus that's been known, spread everywhere in America and shared with others but is rejected. Why? Let's be honest: serving someone who 'saved' you and is supposed to 'love' you just to avoid dying and going to hell, isn't appealing. We're very independent creatures, we want to do things our own way as shown from the beginning with Adam and Eve. But in Luke 9:23-26 Jesus says, "Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.'" This is not one of the verses you see circulating around social media, nor is it the verse most people refer to when trying to save someone. That's because Jesus isn't talking to the Gentiles (people who didn't know God) yet, he's talking to the Jews. The Jews were the people of God. Point being, if you're a 'Christian' these words are for you. God is calling us to go against our nature and to follow his ways.

The Bible says over and over that we are to be like Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul says in 1 John 2:6, "Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." Ephesians 5:1-2, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." 1 Peter 2:21, "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps." I can keep going, but I'm sure you get the point by now. There's so much emphasis on being like Christ. In fact, it's what makes being a Christian so appealing. Jesus attracted crowds because there was something about him that made him significantly different than the average human being. That being said, let's continue.

Luke 23:44-47 says, "It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, your hands, I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, 'Surely this was a righteous man.'" This is Luke's account of when Jesus died. For a moment, I want to focus on what Jesus' last words were. "Father, your hands I commit my spirit." To summarize everything we've learned so far; Jesus calls us to take up our cross daily and follow him, and Paul calls us to be like Jesus. If we're supposed to be like Jesus, we should work to imitate everything he did right? His compassion, his love, his righteous anger, if we're to be like Jesus we should imitate such things. But is it possible that we're also supposed to imitate his death? I'm not saying that we should die literally for our sins because Jesus died to save us from having to do that. But I'm saying that we should die to our selfish desires, daily.

I think it's easy to get in a mindset that Jesus had everything easy because he was the son of God. It's easy to think that Jesus didn't feel pain, or that Jesus didn't feel hunger, lust, fear, anger. Do you know how many times Jesus had to repeat things to the disciples? Do you know how agitating it must've been for Jesus to watch his so-called 'priests' cheat people for money at Jerusalem? Do you know how much Jesus wept when Lazarus died even though he was about to be revived? We have to remember that Jesus was human too. He wasn't just the son of God, he was human too. Jesus had God's power to overcome those struggles perfectly but that doesn't mean he didn't have them. In fact, Jesus plead for mercy before his crucifixion!

Matthew 26:36-44, "Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I go over there and pray.' And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.' And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.' And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, 'So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' Again for the second time, he went away and prayed, 'My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.' And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again." Jesus prays three times to be freed from this painful experience but concedes knowing it's his father's will. He gets agitated when his trusted friends sleep while he is pleading his case. Sounds pretty human to me. How many times do we plead to be free from our own struggles? I believe he pleads because he's scared. Wouldn't you? He was stabbed in the hands and the feet with rusty nails hung up on a splintery cross and mocked publicly. Jesus was God, but he was still human.

But what's amazing is that despite his selfish desires, his fear of pain and mockery, he follows through with God's will. He carries a wooden cross up a hill and hung on a cross till he died a horrible death. His last words were dedicated to the Father he dedicated his will to, for the people he dedicated his life for. How can we ignore doing the same? How can we ignore this? How can we imitate Jesus without doing the one thing that defines who Jesus? Jesus lived and died submitting his will to his Father for the people his Father loved. In fact, his Father loved us so much, he sent his only son to die for us. Sound familiar? John 3:16, "'For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.'"

But why stop there? John 3:17-21, "'God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see what they are doing what God wants.'" I don't think I could word it better than Jesus himself. We are literally called to risk humiliation and punishment by admitting our sins before God. But we don't do it so we can be humiliated or punished, we do it so we can not only draw closer to God and his light but so we can lead others to do the same. Christians, we've been long overdue for a revival. It's up to us, God's chosen people, to step up and do our job. It's our job to humble ourselves, become vulnerable with God, and sacrifice our desires for God.

So the fruit of this long message is a little complicated. For my fellow Christians, I'd like to challenge you. This Easter, let's submit our will to God's. Maybe you're a Christian but you don't know what it means to be a follower. Seriously, no condemnation! I was in your shoes and I'm just here to say that there's more to it than you realize. If you get married, you don't stop learning things about your spouse. In the same way, when you become a Christian, you don't stop learning more about who God is, and what is will is for your life. It's a relationship greater than marriage, but it requires our full attention. Maybe you're not a Christian and you have a misinterpretation as to what Christianity really is. I'm no scholar, I'm just a kid with a burning desire for God, a few bibles, and a laptop. But I'm confident that in my walk with God I've learned enough to share this much. I'm confident that I know him well enough to understand his will, which is absolutely nothing but to love you. He not only sent his son to die on the cross so that he could one day be with you, but he sends blessings your way every day. You just don't see them yet.

And before I close I have one last message to share.  Someone, maybe multiple people who are reading this, are trying to find fulfillment through their own means. Whether it's looking for a spouse, gaining income, partying, or just searching for happiness, you're trying to do something impossible. You don't know it yet, but what you're really looking for is God. You search for the happiness and fulfillment he can give you through worldly means, which is impossible. We are greedy creatures, but God is big enough to give us the fulfillment we desire. And if you feel like that's you, and that may apply to multiple people, I encourage you to give God a chance. Even if it's just a one-time thing, I encourage you to just give him the opportunity, and I guarantee you that it will feel impossible to turn away once you've met him. If you don't know how there are a few simple things you can do. Just get alone in your room, and just start talking to God. That's all it takes to pray. If you don't wanna do that, google the book of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, and read. Even if you've read it before just do it again. And if you don't wanna do that, google Bethel Music and just listen to their music. All it takes is a well-intended step, and while there are many steps you can take, I recommend those for now.

If you liked this post please give me a thumbs up and if you have a question or a comment please email me at fire.time.rsmith@gmail.com. I hope you have a blessed Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday. Until next time, God bless fam, and keep your fire for God, blazing.