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Jesus in us is the very best of Heaven in us now, already, and He is the best good of God's kingdom also already in us. And Jesus growing in us prepares us for God's kingdom ruling the earth.

Well, it appears to me how people in Israel are suffering a lot because of not trusting in their Messiah Jesus. And I do not mean the terrorist atrocities, but how people in their own sin's weakness can go on and on tormented by fear. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment." (in 1 John 4:18)

Where our attention belongs . . . all that God's word says He wants. Crop circles, by the way, at least often have included perfect circles and symmetric combinations of circles. Well, you can stand at the center of where you want a circle, hold a rope while someone else walks the circle, guided by holding the rope and patting down the crop using a board device. And you could make an arc of circles. One person anchors the arc while another holding the rope moves from one circle's center to the next, while a third person pats down each circle in the arc. What concerns me is that flattening the crop, maybe of wheat or corn, can waste crop and cost the farmer who has worked so hard to produce it.

Yes. Jesus died for our sins. He so suffered and died for us because He loves us. And Jesus is God's very own Son, who did this for us. So, Jesus is not at all conceited! And God wants us to follow the example of how Jesus was loving while on the cross > "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2) So, Jesus dying for us is not only a belief, but an action of the gospel for our salvation, plus our example of how to love.

I suppose it can be. But ones will say they are not "praying" to Mary, the same as they pray to God; but they claim they are seeking Mary and saints to help them reach God. That would not be the same as worshiping them. But it could be misrepresenting God to be impersonal with His own children so we have to go through someone else in order to reach God. Our Father loves each of us and is pleased to personally share with and communicate with each of us. So, He is willing to hear every one of us. But what can matter is, how ready are we to hear Him and obey how He desires to care for us and bless us?

I don't think Satan will want people to accidentally take his mark. He will require people to worship his beast. Accidental markings do not mean someone is worshiping his beast. You can change passwords and user names, possibly . . . if you are satisfied God wants this.

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" (Philippians 2:13-16) If we refuse to give in to anything in us which would start us to complain, this can help to prevent stress, which can be a form of complaining. Instead, before we even start to do something or deal with a problem, first be with God in His peace ruling how we see things and do things > "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15) Stay obedient to how God has His way with us in this peace. God's peace is almighty to guard our hearts and minds, plus make us creative with God for how to love each and every person. So . . . overcoming stress includes getting into loving all people, not trying to hide by ourselves in weakness which keeps us able to suffer! But in loving any and all people, we are in God's peace almighty and so creative. "And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?" (1 Peter 3:13)

"What makes an atheist so confident . . . ? Well, if I find out a preacher is fake . . . and if I'm looking for an excuse - - But what if I find out my money is counterfeit? I might not be willing to accept that any and all money is fake, just because I got some After all, I might want to believe there is real money which I can use to do what I want > Money has no conscience. So, I can be quite willing to believe in real money, in spite of the counterfeits; but I can be very ready to welcome an excuse to believe there is no real Christianity which has better values than I do. Some people have the ability to find the fakes, so they can have their excuse. Also, a real Christian can be quiet (1 Peter 3:4), peaceful and kind to everyone . . . someone an atheist can't use for pleasures and political agendas. And that quietness might seem boring and lonely. The atheist can deeply fear being quiet, because loneliness and boredom and depression can attack and molest the person while he or she starts to get quiet. There is no safety and rest in quiet without Jesus Christ's almighty peace to guard and keep a person. But with Jesus caring for us and teaching us > "you will find rest for your souls." (in Matthew 11:28-30) And God's love is more quiet and gentle and perfectly pleasant than human infatuation and romantic pleasures . . . not at all boring and lonely. So, if God has not proven Himself in a person . . . fakes can seem like pretty good evidence and excuses for someone to do as he or she pleases.

"What makes an atheist so confident in his knowledge . . . ?" You have been sure of things that have been proven wrong . . . right? Why were you so confident? Any of us can trick our own selves into assuming untrue things. For just one example . . . ones of us frequently assume the weather report is true! And even after so many times we keep believing the weather report. And ones keep assuming politicians mean things they say, and that they are capable of doing things they do not have the character and connections to do!! What we wish for can make us easy to fool. For example, if we wish for people to do what they can't, we then can believe what they promise. And look at how a number of marriages have turned out, because people have not made sure with God. Note how we in these forums can have people acting so sure of ideas that contradict each other. How is it that someone can be wrong but feel so sure? Character can have something to do with it . . . affecting what someone is wishing and therefore capable of believing. And there is "the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience," we have in Ephesians 2:2. Satan's spirit of evil can work people to assume lies. A person's character can make a person available to how Satan works the person . . . to want, to think, to feel, to react so wrong while feeling so sure and entitled, because of pride. At every moment, then, we need to be submissive to God so He is guiding us according to all He knows is true. But He won't only help us get what we want. So, if we control ourselves to get what we want . . . depending on ourselves and our own wills free from God . . . yes we will fool ourselves. "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13) Depend, then, on how God works your willing, at each moment. He knows what can really help each one who claims to be an atheist, plus He knows what really is evidence, versus stuff that is meant to put you on a wild goose chase . . . chasing after what is not real evidence and what an atheist might not really care about, anyway. My impression is that even well-educated creationist scientists and other apologists do not agree with one another on a number of things. And I am certainly no expert on their stuff; so why should I assume who is right and who isn't? God can guide us, at each moment, personally, according to all He knows. And only God can change us into how He knows Jesus really is > this is what matters. There is lot of stuff meant to keep our attention elsewhere. So, make sure God is the One guiding your attentin.

Well, if someone is a child of Satan, that person is capable of lying to me. So, if he or she claims to be an "atheist" . . . for all I know, the person is lying! And if the person acts like he or she is looking for "evidence", that could be a lie, too. So, I don't assume some Internet thing speaks for any and all atheists. I pray for God to have me know what is really going on with each person. And give each one what God can use to bless that person. God can guide us to do what He knows can help each one. "'So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.'" (Isaiah 55:11) Liers can tell you what they want you to think and to assume about them. So, if someone puts stuff on the Net, don't assume. Trust God to guide you with each person, according to what He knows can help each one. And pray with hope for each one > 1 Timothy 2:1-4. And God uses example

Matthew 24:29 says how things will be when Jesus Himself comes. People playing "God" now can't do this! And Jesus is changing our character so we become like Him, with "rest for your souls." (in Matthew 11:29) This is not how false leaders relate with people, but they are about control and pretending that reform of this evil world can save it. Jesus constantly concentrated on the word of God. But false leaders might give you some Bible quote, at times, at best.

What I mean is things you write, here in this thread. It seems you have given references to elsewhere, but not examples that you write in a post here. I like to see what people themselves are getting, personally. Yes, you could share something that has especially helped you, about accuracy of the Bible. In my case, I have been finding how the God of the earlier scriptures is a match with God who shows in the New Testament. Such consistency can help verify that the Bible is of God. For example we see how in early scripture God uses obedience > "'In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.'" (Genesis 22:18) Here we see how God uses obedience and the obedience has all-loving benefit, for "all the nations of the earth", showing that God is all-loving. And in the New Testament we see how the obedience of Jesus has gotten many blessed . . . God using obedience and this with all-loving good being done > "by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous." (in Romans 5:19)

The word is seed to grow into all God means. So, there is preaching of what we do not understand now, but we trust God to do what He means. But also there is giving understanding . . . I think So, I would say there is preaching of seed and ministering of understanding and perspective. And how well we get it has to do with how mature we are. For example > we can preach Philippians 2:13 > "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13) This is a seed. This grows in me, however God matures me to have God working my will for whatever at any time He wants me to do. I probably will not know ahead of time what God will have me doing, because I am not God, and God is so better than we are so He can have us doing better than we can think ahead of time > there is discovering But there might come understanding to feed us with this. For example, if we are talking about the falling away, one problem is how certain people worship control and their own "free wills" which are not worked in by God. They are self-willing, separate from God so they can control choices in separation from God . . . not submitting to how we are called to be ruled by God's peace > "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15) And so they are not living in Jesus Christ's "rest for your souls," (in Matthew 11:29) and so they can be worshiping their own ego's will in their temple of self, and fall with others however. Because they have built on sand of self-dependence, versus obeying God in His peace.

When you have molded a statue and it is time to manifest it, then can come the great falling away of all the pieces used to form the statue.

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31) So, what is "clamor"? And what does God mean, to put it away? He says to put away bitterness and wrath and anger and malice. These are emotional and spiritual things. But clamor can be a more outward thing, of making a major racket. But I see there can be emotional and spiritual activity of clamor in us . . . including thinking and worry making a lot of noise in our minds and hearts, in order to get our attention . . . away from God.

And we need to be healthy so we can take good care of newborn children of God. So, we need to care for ourselves and one another. "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" > in Philippians 2:13-16. "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32) If we want God to trust us with souls, we need to be ready with good example and healthy relating as family for His newly adopted children

I need to be humble . . . not try to show off that I am right and know more than others. And I can be very quick to try to explain away what Jesus says, to find a way to get out of it. But . . . that can have me miss out. And what God means is very good and desirable. I mean, His purpose is so great and good. Even tragedies can be used for His good. But does He have us mutilating our bodies? What He means is what He will do with us, I would say. He will make it good for us. How I see things can be the eye which needs to be plucked out. How I can see in my immoral imagining can need to go. Paranoia can have me cursing people with my suspicion when I do not even know what really is true. And in paranoia I can imagine bad ways of handling what I think is a problem. So, I can see people the wrong way, plus see wrongly about how to handle what I imagine to be problems. So, Jesus means anti-love things which we need to get rid of. "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31) All these things can effect or be the result of how we see things and people - - the wrong way, not with compassion with hope > Love "hopes all things" (in 1 Corinthians 13:7). We need how love has us seeing

No. One way is a person on drugs or booze destroys relations with friends and family and a job, then the street is the only way left. Character has a lot to do with that happening. And recovery programs can make a special point of trying to help such people become honest and kind and industrious, so their sobriety is sustainable. God can get a person ready to do better. One time, I met a guy who smelled like rotten poop. He said he thought he needed to go to a shelter and dry out in a program. I offered to go with him, then he hopped on the van to detox, and later a clean friendly guy came up to me smiling and saying he had gotten clean. He was so different, that how could I know he was the same person or not? Another guy in a shelter was howling how he loved me and he was going to get clean, then later a guy unrecognizable came to me beaming and saying something like, see I did it! But an area can have services which net any homeless passing through, so more and more stay with shelters in that area. There are free-for-a-frisk, no-questions-asked places which can "hoard" people. The homeless situation can become a home, then, with quite a variety of people to choose from, for friends. For a while I stayed with some people from another country. They seemed comfortable to stay with relatives, all three family groups in one one-bedroom apartment, and they wanted me, too! I see how family culture people can be fine playing "sardines". But in America we can have a culture of independence which can help make us feel responsible for our own selves so ones can go to the street rather than stay with families. I knew I could work, but I did not want to be bossed by abusers or compromise certain values by doing certain sorts of work. And my life became much more social by mixing with all the homeless and non-homeless whom I shared with, including from various churches. I had been a loner and loser; so that did me more good than being independent with a job and my own place. I walked interstate, from Msssachusetta to North Carolina, including a foot tour of New York City with no map, just offering each footstep to the Lord. After New York it got cold and I had just a jersey and learned how to survive for some cold nights outside until I got more clothes and food. That foot trip was a chance to meet various people of God and see their example of how I needed to love and relate with people. And become home with God.

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation," (in Philippians 2:13-16) So, God commands that we do every single thing, and every married thing, "without complaining and disputing". God commands this; so He knows it is realistic to trust that we can stop our arguing and complaining, so that we become blameless, harmless, and without fault, right in this evil world's "crooked and perverse generation". This is possible with God changing our character so we are and love like Jesus.

"'No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, "And they shall all be taught by God." Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.'" (John 6:44-45) So, it looks like Jesus is saying that people who come to Jesus have "heard and learned from" our Father and then have come to Jesus. So, there is personal communication included, with God Himself, in God's process of bringing someone to Christ. God Himself makes sure people hear and learn all He pleases for someone to get, and He brings the person to Christ. And Jesus guarantees > "'Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Matthew 11:28-29) Jesus says to take His "yoke" upon someone who comes to Jesus . . . not some church culture's yoke. But this "yoke" has us in personal connection with Jesus Himself, with personal learning . . . "from Me", Jesus says. So we are not getting tangled with ones arguing, possibly with both sides being wrong or both sides having inaccurate claims along with maybe some good points. And I can fool my own self and not know it. So . . . the real Jesus is able to communicate. And God is able to change our character so we are submissive to Him and do not leave Him.

"'So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.'" (Isaiah 55:11)

"My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18)

How about you? I would be glad to see a couple samples of what has helped you.

I find that God proves himself. And humans in our effort to prove God are fallible. And most of all our attention needs to be to how God has us living His word. Ones who argue the Bible can have ways of keeping attention away from what matters the most of God's word. So, in case they come to believe certain things they were arguing about, still they could be not true converts to Jesus, but only changed to beliefs. God is personal, not only a matter of information. And ones do not want to submit to Him. So, I might communicate with people about what they are arguing, but I am mainly concerned about if they are personally sharing with Jesus and growing in Him. And if they aren't, whether they are atheists or claim to be Christians, what is the real reason??

No. The Bible is clear that our faults are our fault. Romans chapter nine can help. We were all made "from the same lump". Who are we to reply against God? You can use the same lump of clay to make a drinking cup and ashtray. And each has a purpose. One carries water. The other helps to keep filth in order, control, organized. Each goes where its contents are going. Satan is a sewer bucket for transporting the spirit of selfishness (in Ephesians 2:2) to the flaming sewer. He is doing his job. But this evil world is a prisoner-of-war camp for holding evil here, temporarily while God saves sinners and changes us into Christ's image, then to share eternity with Him. Then comes the flush. All came "from the same lump". No one was superior on one's own to choose Jesus while others didn't! Therefore, "God be thanked," we have in Romans 6:17. Paul does not say to blame God > "who are you to reply against God?", Paul says in Romans 9:20. Why does God exist? Why is He the One good One, as Jesus says? There is no fault in Him. And part of His being good is He has order, separating light from darkness. And His order includes vessels of honor and of dishonor > as we can consider, through Romans 9:21. He is able to use vessels for separating and organizing evil and good. You can use high quality stainless steel to make a milk pail and other stainless steel to make a manure bucket. You are not at fault to use resources for different useful purposes. Why does God exist? Why does He have such order? He desires to have many children who are pleasing to Him like His own precious Son Jesus so delights Him. This He predestined before we humans came to this earth. This basic choice was already destiny > "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29) In any case, I see how you are not likely to switch a milk pail to being a manure bucket, once you have started using it for milk. Of course, God has done a major cleaning job in us so now we can be His vessels for honor. But before we trusted in Jesus > in Ephesians 1:12 > each had "The heart" "desperately wicked", "deceitful above all things" > in Jeremiah 17:9. Do you claim that you with a sinful heart changed your own self to become humble enough to trust in Jesus? Do you trust that a deceitful and wicked heart made itself honest to honor and obey Jesus?? And how is it that equally evil people have made exact opposite choices? The Bible says, "But God be thanked", in Romans 6:17 - - - not blamed, not at fault, but "thanked". God alone is good, Jesus says . . . right? So, God alone has brought any of us to do what is truly good, and not just some self-willed, self-produced gesture. But in sharing with God ones can choose and do what is good in His love being shared with us.