Book of Revelation Comes to Life in ‘The Messengers,’ Says Actor; New Series Features Humans Turning Into Angels, the Rapture and the Devil

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Book of Revelation Comes to Life in ‘The Messengers,’ Says Actor; New Series Features Humans Turning Into Angels, the Rapture and the Devil
Jon Fletcher (Photo: Courtesy of Grace Hill Media)

Jon Fletcher stars on the CW’s “The Messengers.”

A star from The CW’s “The Messengers” Jon Fletcher offered more insight to the new Rapture-based television series premiering this week, including its roots in the Bible’s Book of Revelation.

Kicking off this Friday, April 17, “The Messengers” follows five individuals who suddenly die as a result of a comet striking the earth. After becoming Angels, each of the five victims gain special powers and are returned to earth in order to fight a Satan-like character known as The Man during the Armageddon. Speaking to The Christian Post ahead of the series premiere, Fletcher revealed that “The Messengers” was “built around the Book of Revelations.”

“I think with any television or movie or something, there is a little dramatic license that has to be taken – the Bible wasn’t written to be a screenplay, so adapting it is difficult, but I would say we stick pretty close,” the actor explained. “I would definitely say the foundation of the show is built around the Book of Revelation and I would say the show is driven by faith, but I think it more speaks to a faith in each other and in humanity.”

Fletcher, who portrays the son of a megachurch pastor in Texas on the series, explained that each of the five main characters offers something to the multi-faceted faith angle of “The Messengers.”

“They are very flawed, very human, all with different backgrounds, all with different belief systems which makes it very relatable to an audience, regardless of your belief system,” said the actor. “That’s what keeps the show very grounded.”

However, Fletcher refused to define “The Messengers” as simply a television series about religion.

“If you say it’s about religion – that can be quite scary for people who are questioning their faith, or to people who even don’t have any,” Fletcher continued. “But I think the show is very much reflection of the world we live in. Everyone is looking at it from a different world view.”

In fact, “The Messengers” centers on a group of people who all must reckon with their different beliefs in order to survive amidst the Rapture.

“One of these doctrines actually came to pass – the Book of Revelation is actually coming to life,” the actor added. “People have to listen to people’s differences instead of ignore them, which is I think, a beautiful thing that the show puts forward. I think we could all be a little better at in our day-to-day life.”

Meanwhile, Fletcher immersed himself into the role of Joshua, a charismatic and influential pastor, by studying several famed televangelists, ranging from the iconic Billy Graham to The City Church’s Judah Smith.

“There wasn’t one person I focused on particularly, I watched hours of footage thanks to the internet,” Fletcher said. “Judah Smith, Carl Lentz, Joel Osteen, Billy Graham – a variety of current guys and guys who have come and gone. All of them are so passionate and inspiring, it was interesting to see these modern-day guys who find ways to make themselves more relatable, like Carl Lentz, who has a shaved head and wears a leather jacket and has tattoos and looks like some guy you would meet in the street. I did a lot [of research], it was fascinating – these guys are all very inspiring men.”

Among Fletcher’s co-stars is Diogo Morgado, an actor best known for his role in the Roma Downey, Mark Burnett-produced hit “Bible” series. Where Morgado portrayed Jesus in the “Bible” series, the actor takes on the role of devil-like character “The Man” on “The Messengers.”

“It’s a testament to him as an actor that he can play those extremes characters at both ends of the spectrum,” Fletcher said of Morgado’s transition.

“The Messengers” also stars Shantel VanSanten of “One Tree Hill” and Sofia Black-D’Elia of “Gossip Girls,” and the new television series premieres on The CW this Friday, April 17 at 9 p.m. ET.

Watch a trailer for “The Messengers” here.

Source : Christian Post

‘Bringing Up Bates’ Star Engaged After Strict Christian Courtship; Viewers to See Elaborate Surprise in Season 2 Premiere

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‘Bringing Up Bates’ Star Engaged After Strict Christian Courtship; Viewers to See Elaborate Surprise in Season 2 Premiere
Bates Engagement (Photo: Courtesy of UP)

Michaela Bates and Brandon Keilen after he proposed.

Christian Post Report – After a strict Christian courtship to prevent yielding to temptation, evangelical Christian reality star Michaela, of the UPtv series “Bringing Up Bates” got engaged to her boyfriend Brandon Keilen in a surprising and elaborate affair in Virginia Saturday.

The engagement took place in Great Falls where Brandon left seven clues for Michaela to discover throughout the area. At the end, he proposed to his girlfriend, who immediately said “yes”. Now the happy couple is busy planning a wedding, and fans of the reality series about the large evangelical Christian family will get to see the entire proposal when the show begins airing in June.

Throughout the courtship Michaela and Brandon were never alone together but always with a chaperone to prevent them from yielding to physical temptation. Throughout the first season of the family’s reality series, viewers watched as they grew closer together and included their family in the relationship.

Michaela’s father, Gil, and mother Kelly Jo, told the cameras that they “set general parameters” for their children’s relationships and urge them to keep Jesus Christ at the center. While the courting couples can exchange hugs, Gil and Kelly Jo encourage them to save their first kiss for their wedding, and as they explained, kissing in private can lead to greater temptation.

In one particular episode, however, Gil and Kelly Jo revealed that they did not save their first kiss for their wedding. Michaela’s brother Zach and his wife Whitney also did not save their kiss for their wedding day. Whitney and Zach took the opportunity to warn their siblings against temptation and encouraged them to remain pure for the wedding ceremony.

According to Kelly Jo’s blog, Michaela and Brandon spent a great deal of time visiting one another while Brandon was in college. Brandon often sent Michaela care packages filled with presents such as flowers, DVDs of photos and songs he wrote to celebrate their time together. In September, he turned 25, and Kelly Jo gave thanks to a “wonderful, Godly young man that won our daughter’s heart!”

Michaela Bates (Photo: Courtesy of UP)

Michaela Bates shows off her engagement ring from Brandon Keilen.

Gil and Kelly Jo spoke with The Christian Post about their decision to allow cameras into their lives and said that they prayed together, with their 19 children, before going ahead with the series.

“It is something that we prayed about as a family for a while when we were first approached, and it was a goal of ours to be involved in ministry in some way and we felt like this is a way we could encourage other families. And so, we thought this would be a way to encourage families not to give up, to put your priorities where they need to be. Our priorities are God, family, and our relationships,” Kelly Jo told CP in December.

The second season premiere of “Bringing Up Bates” will feature Michaela’s engagement as well as the birth of her sister Alyssa’s first baby, Allie Jane. It will air on June 4 on UPtv, a family network.

Source : Christian Post

Michael Schumacher Health Condition Latest News: Sebastian Vettel Pays Tribute to Racer, Younger Schumacher Returns to the Track

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Michael Schumacher Health Condition Latest News: Sebastian Vettel Pays Tribute to Racer, Younger Schumacher Returns to the Track

Mick Schumacher, Michael Schumacher Reuters/File

Christian Post Report – Mick and Michael Schumacher (Imago/Reuters) – Eurosport

Sebastian Vettel, who is now competing for Ferrari, won his first trophy on Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia Grand Prix for the current Formula One season. Right after receiving his accolades, the 27-year-old German driver pays tribute to the racetrack legend, Michael Schumacher.

“It’s been my dream, Michael was my hero. All the kids at the go-kart track looked up to him,” Vettel said. “When he turned up to shake hands every year it made our lives. I don’t understand yet how special it is.”

The racer meanwhile took the chance to express his gratitude to the people of Scuderia Ferrari for their warm welcome and the eager support they have given him.

In terms of legacy, Schumacher’s son, Mick, is also reported to be running his way for glory just like his father in Formula 1.

A report from the Daily Mail said that the 16-year-old has returned to the racing circuit just weeks after the 100mph crash in the Lausitzring speedway in Brandenburg, eastern Germany.

As said by the report, he was travelling at speeds of up to 100mph when he “skidded out of control.” Fortunately, the crash was nothing serious. He walked away from the track unharmed.

“Of course we know that his father is a seven-time world champion,” coach Frits van Amersfoort said. “But I want to emphasize that Mick will take the time to learn the trade of the racing driver.”

As for Schumacher’s current condition, it has been reported that the recovery rate of the seven-time F1 Racing champion has been very slow.

Philippe Streiff, a former Formula 1 driver like Schumacher told a French media outlet earlier this year that Schumi “has yet to recover the power of speech” but he’s “nevertheless starting to recognise those close to him.”

Source : Christian Post

No Man’s Sky – A Game Where the Sky’s Not the Limit; Fans Gear Up for a 3rd Quarter Release

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No Man’s Sky – A Game Where the Sky’s Not the Limit; Fans Gear Up for a 3rd Quarter Release

No Man's Sky Facebook

Christian Post Report – Gamers looking for an adventure to complete would find that there’s more to the old adage “The sky’s the limit,” as developers stretched their imagination at little more by adding countless planets that gamers can explore. “No Man’s Sky” lets its players go on a journey, with no set goals or targets, as they explore the vast unknown.

The game starts with players at the edge of the universe. Players are given a sundry of options – explore the random planet, collect information, even mine and trade to gain monetary advances, engage other ships in combat, or simply upgrade ship when necessary.

At the official website of PlayStation 4 for “No Man’s Sky,” the description reads:

“Whether a distant mountain or planet hanging low on the horizon, you can go there. You can fly seamlessly from the surface of a planet to another, and every star in the sky is a sun that you can visit. Where you’ll go and how fast you’ll make your way through this universe is up to you. It’s yours for the taking.”

Gamers will find delight in the game’s overall visuals and world size. “No Man’s Sky” applied vibrant visuals with the use of stunning colors, making the game look and feel “real.”

During the GDC 2015 convention, Hello Games art director Andrew Duncan shared achieving such visuals has something to do with how devoted they are to their craft.

“I think that the truth is, we’re actually all control freaks. Artists are so used to having complete control of every single pixel, especially now with digital artists. We can get Photoshop, we can zoom right in and obsess over something no one will ever care about,” he said.

Based on the scanned copy of Australia’s Play Magazine published on Design & Trend website, “No Man’s Sky” PS4 is slated for a Q3 2015 release date.

Source : Christian Post

Tekken 7 to Be Released Using Unreal Engine 4

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Tekken 7 to Be Released Using Unreal Engine 4

Tekken 7 Youtube Screenshot/ file

Christian Post Report – Tekken 7 new characters Jin Kazama, Devil Jin, and Josie Rizal

Tekken 7 is a 2015 one-on-one fighting game published and developed by Bandai Namco Games. It is the game’s ninth installment.

Katsuhiro Harada, the game’s producer, claims that the game’s plot line is darker than its previous versions. It’s storyline that would put an end to the Mishima clan saga as it finally gives the answer to the origin of the longstanding feud among the three generations of Mishima. In its trailer released July of last year, a backstory about Kazumi Mishima who was killed by Heihachi.

The latest installment of the game has 23 playable characters. Of these characters, 20 are included in the limited version. Only five make their first appearance in this game. Also included is one unplayable boss.

“Tekken 7” is also the first to use a new game engine – Unreal Engine 4, which allows the game to be played across multiple platforms. Rage Art is a mechanism that lets each player to make unblockable attacks that cause 30 percent damage depending on the character played. Another mechanism applied to the game is the Power Crush. This allows the player to carry out the attack even while receiving attacks from the opponent.
The former bound system was replaced by the Screw Attack, which brings the opponent to a sideway spin when hit airborne. This move gives the character the ability to inflict more damage even after they touch ground. The only disadvantage of Screw Attack is it is applicable during wall combos as with the bound system.

The improved display system also lets players choose the side of the screen they want to play on. Movements are now similar to those found in “Tekken Revolution.”

The official announcement of “Tekken 7” was during the July 13, 2014 EVO event. But according to some reports, the announcement was secondary to the game’s leaked video presentation.

“Tekken 7” had a limited arcade release in Japan last February 18, 2015 and was officially released last March 18, 2015.

Source : Christian Post

Dragon Ball Xenoverse DLC 3 Leaks, Images Show Super Saiyan God 2 Goku

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Dragon Ball Xenoverse DLC 3 Leaks, Images Show Super Saiyan God 2 Goku

“Dragon Ball” fans are all abuzz as photos from the upcoming “Dragon Ball Xenoverse DLC 3” leaks online. A leaker in 4Chan alleges that the game will have contents lifted from the film “Dragon Ball Z: Revival of F”. This photo, courtesy of 4Chan, shows a Super Saiyan God 2 Goku:

Dragon Ball Xenoverse (Photo: 4Chan/File)

Dragon Ball Xenoerse DLC 3 Leaked Image

JapNation, in addition, shares a scanned copy of Shonen Jump Magazine confirming that the “Dragon Ball Xenoverse DLC 3” would be closely related to the upcoming movie. The site claims, “The recently released scan from Shonen Jump confirms that Xenoverse would have a DLC that’s based on Fukkatsu no. F.”

Dragon Ball Xenoverse (Photo: 4Chan/File)

Dragon Ball Xenoverse DLC 3 Leaked Image

In the recent updates and based on the leaked images, “Dragon Ball Xenoverse” is expected to have a Golden Frieza and that Goku and Vegeta will take a Super Saiyan God 2 form.

Animazing confirms this report and shares, “The blue haired Super Saiyan God from Gou AND Vegeta has been apparently added to Xenoverse. They would be included in the third DLC along with Golden Frieza.”

With this recent development, some fans were quick to react. Gamefaqs member, kanerex pointed out: “Just to clear up the misconception it isn’t Super Saiyan God 2.. It is actually Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan (translated directly from Japanese). Basically it’s Stable Super Saiyan God 1.”

“Better way to describe this, Super Saiyan God is a new ‘Base Form’ not an actual form. The blue hair come[s] from going Super Saiyan in this form, which causes the God Form to become stable and gives them the ability to hold it just as they do Super Saiyan form,” he explained.

Although fans are divided about the new “form” of Vegeta and Goku, this is something to look forward to ahead of the upcoming film.

“Dragon Ball Xenoverse DLC 3” has no confirmed release date yet, but rumors claim that it would be this year.

Source : Christian Post

New LG G4 Camera to Help Users See in the Dark

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New LG G4 Camera to Help Users See in the Dark

LG G4 @engadget/Twitter

Christian Post Report – This weekend, LG inadvertently revealed its leather-clad G4 phone a little early. Engadget Twitter feed. April 13, 2015.

When the new LG G4 is unveiled a week and a half from now, it will be revealing a camera powerful enough to take pictures in the dark.

The LG G4 will soon make its debut on April 28, and the South Korean electronic manufacturer’s new flagship phone will be sporting a big camera with a 16MP f/1.8 lens which will allow users to virtually see in the dark.

Cameras with a lower F value offer a larger aperture, which allows more light to enter the camera’s sensor. Most smartphone cameras often have an aperture falling between f/2.2 to f/2.4.

The superior lens takes in 80 percent more light than its predecessor, the G3’s camera, and with a considerably larger lens module with a six layer set-up, added to the larger camera aperture, will give users and photography enthusiasts a more superior quality of low light shots.

The lens, exclusively built in-house by LG’s Innotek, is reported to offer higher precision large diameter shots.

The camera also comes with a 0.11mm glass blue filter to block out most incoming infrared light, lowering the chances of an inaccurate color display in every shot. While the filter isn’t a new element introduced in smartphone cameras, the LG G4’s blue filter is thinner than most, which may work towards improving its performance considerably.

Apparently, the leaked images of the LG G4 which were discovered in one of its microsites had the right of it when photos of a vegetable-tanned leather covered rear appeared online. LG confirmed the images today in their Facebook and Google+ accounts, featuring a phone with regular plastic or leather covered back options, both of which are removable, together with the phone’s battery.

With a 5.5-inch 2K display, speculations continue to abound over the phone’s processor, and whether it is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 or the newer 810 like in the One M9 and G Flex 2 remains to be seen when the LG G4 is unveiled near the end of the month.

Source : Christian Post

Jane the Virgin Recap: ‘The Head and the Heart’ is All About Banishing Doubts

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Jane the Virgin Recap: ‘The Head and the Heart’ is All About Banishing Doubts

Jane the Virgin (Photo: Danny Feld/The CW)

Christian Post Report – Jane meets her grandmother as Rogelio and Xiomara looks on in “Jane the Virgin” Chapter 18 ‘The Head and the Heart.’

What would you do when faced with a crisis? Would you approach it head on or would you avoid it all together?

In the last episode of “Jane the Virgin,” the characters wind up to have conflicts that they try to resolve in different ways.

In Xiomara’s case, she tried to resolve her issues by avoiding any confrontations. When Xiomara heard that Rogelio’s mother thinks that she is not meant to be with Rogelio, Xiomara wanted to change her mind and played her good side. But right after Easter, she gave up and headed for a bar where she bumped into her ex-boyfriend Marco. Marco tells her that Rogelio should not listen to his mother and that she should be appreciated even more.

As soon as Xiomara gets home, Rogelio admits his mistake. He goes on to say that it was his fault that his mother never got to know her granddaughter. As the episode draws to a close, Rogelio admits to Xiomara that he loves her – something she so desperately wanted to hear.

Meanwhile, Rafael becomes increasingly busy in his attempt to win his liquor license back that made Jane think that he is too busy to build a family with her. Jane, because of her strong family background, wants the same for her family. But when Rafael shut her off, she begins to question her views about family. Rafael, given his familial background, tries so hard to avoid the conflict by burying himself with work.

Rafael’s struggles with his grief over his family relations are driving him to ruin his own family that he is trying to build with Jane. Rafael believes that in order to support his family, he should have money. Jane, on the other hand, thinks that it is more important to have a family built with love and support from one another – just like her own family.

Jane tells Rafael: “That life with the husband always gone and work always comes first, I don’t want that.” Rafael tries to explain his side about the need to work so he can provide for his family.

At the start of the episode, Jane has a flashback scene during Jane’s childhood that had Jane ask about: “That stale cracker from the deli is supposed to be the body of Christ?” To which her abuelita answers, “It’s the banishment of doubt.”

When the three generations of Villanueva meet at the front porch, Xiomara tells Jane, “Don’t let doubts get in the way.” Alba adds, “It won’t work if you don’t believe it will. You have to have faith.”

That banishment of doubt is what Jane was able to realize in this episode, but not Rafael who breaks up with Jane. “I want to be successful. I want to leave something for my child like my father left for me, and right now I can’t do that without disappointing you.”

“Jane the Virgin” allow its viewers to question their own belief, their own moral values, and the ways on how they can deal with it. Viewers realize that things are different when looked at through different perspectives.

Source : Christian Post

Sony Xperia Z4 News: Release Date, Design Rumors and Specs

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Sony Xperia Z4 News: Release Date, Design Rumors and Specs

Sony Xperia Z4 @phonedog/Twitter

Christian Post Report – Sony Xperia Z4 hardware shown off in new photo leak. PhoneDog Twitter feed. April 6, 2015.

Speculations are circulating Sony may release its latest flagship phone, the Xperia Z4 by April 20, a number of gadget website have announced.

Not long after the release of its Xperia Z3 in September last year, and after leaked images of what could be the Z4 emerged online, Sony is said to be reportedly eyeing an April 20 launch date for its flagship Xperia Z4 handset.

Sony may have chosen an April 20 release to undercut LG’s scheduled unveiling of its G4 on April 28.

Rumored to have a QHD resolution display, a Snapdragon octa-core processor running on Android Lollipop, 4GB RAM, Adreno 430 GPU, up to 32GB built-in storage, and a microSD card slot, the new smartphone will be sporting an improved camera housed in a thinner shell with rounded corners encompassing a 5.4-inch screen.

Based on other leaked images of the phone, the Xperia Z4 may have a 1.2mm glass in front supported by a resin bezel. Another rumor has the Xperia Z4 touted as a Walkman edition with codec support for hi-res audio, and S-Force PRO front-facing speakers.

Reported to have a two-day battery life, the most recent rumor includes an all-metal unibody and the addition of a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power key, a 20.7-megapixel front camera, a 5-megapixel front shooter, and IP68 waterproofing.

According to Android Community, Sony may decide to showcase the Xperia Z4 in Japan on or just before its launch date.

With news emerging earlier this month that T-Mobile had quietly pulled the Xperia Z3 from their shelves reportedly due to low sales, Sony may have to scramble to ensure the upcoming Z4 gets the required media and audience exposure it needs to catch the attention of a fickle smartphone market.

Source : Christian Post

‘World of Warcraft’ to Add Naval Warfare in New ‘ Warlords of Draenor’ Patch (VIDEO)

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‘World of Warcraft’ to Add Naval Warfare in New ‘ Warlords of Draenor’ Patch (VIDEO)

WoW (PHOTO: Creative Commons)

Christian Post Report – World of Warcraft cover.

“World of Warcraft” is set to release its latest Patch 6.2, “Warlords of Draenor,” giving players access to garrison shipyards and ocean-faring war vessels.

Fans of “World of Warcraft” will be able to embark on naval missions using ships built in their own shipyards when “WoW’s” Patch 6.2, “Warloads of Draenor” is finally released.

Currently available on the Public Test Realms for beta testing, “Warlords of Draenor,” will also give players a chance to lead expeditions into Draenor’s level 100 Tanaan Jungle in a bid to defeat the Iron Horde.

Characters with level 3 garrison can construct their own shipyard as soon as the new patch is officially released. From the shipyard, players can build ships and send them ocean-ward on new missions.

The process begins when players report to their garrison and accept the quest handed down by the War Council before heading off to Tanaan’s open world environment, interacting with rare creatures and finding hidden treasures on the way. New daily quests will be opened to allow players to acquire resources towards the building of their new shipyard.

Tanaan will also present players with a new raid on the Hellfire Citadel, and encounters with any of 13 bosses, including Gorefiend, a resurrected Mannoroth, Kilrogg Deadeye, and even Archimonde himself.

According to the “WoW’s” patch notes, there will be a number of different ships available with names like Dreadnaught, Destroyer, and Submarine, although no images of the ships have yet been released.

As an added challenge, players should also expect Mythic difficulty levels for 5-man dungeons, with random Timewalker dungeons available in the dungeon finder.

As the patch is still under development, a number of other changes may be instituted before its release, including new designs, and ring “procs.”

“World of Warcraft’s” Patch 6.2 release date has yet to be announced.

Source : Christian Post

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