Does God help those who help themselves?

Will God come to the aid of those who refuse to try; or he helps only those who exert themselves to succeed?

"God helps those who help themselves"; this most often quoted phrase is nowhere in the Bible. This is actually a quote from Ben Franklin. It had appeared in Poor Richard's Almanac in 1757. In fact, the Bible teaches just the opposite. In the bible it is written at Jer. 17:5, "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD." Again in the book of Prov. at 28:26 it is said, “He who trusts in himself is a fool...”

“God helps those who need his help the most”. A good example of this is in the story of ‘Pool of Bethesda’; as written in the book according to John at verse 5:2-17. People, lame, blind, paralyzed; even those unable to move; and those with all sorts of infirmities sat whole year around by the pool waiting for an angel to come down and stir up the water. The widespread belief was that the water would heal the first person who gets into the pool. Jesus happened to be at the ‘Pool of Bethesda’ during the feast of the Jews. There he saw a man who had not been able to walk for thirty-eight years. Jesus asked him, “didn’t he want to get well”? The man answered, “He didn't have anyone to help him into the pool. Jesus asked him to get up, take up his bed and walk. Immediately the man was made well. He picked up his bed, he was lying on and he walked.

The miraculous power of the pool, stirring of water by the angel was a big farce. It was a cooked up story by the Jewish rulers who managed the ‘Pool of Bethesda’. When they saw that the people waiting long enough would grow impatient they sent one man down to stir the water. The first man who went down the pool used to be their own man who always emerged shouting, “I am healed; I am healed”. Those who did not get a chance to get in the pool had no option left but to wait. This is how the man whom Jesus had healed had waited for 38 years.

Jesus’ action had irked the Jewish Rulers. Though they gave reason that Jesus had violated the Jewish law by healing the man on Sabbath day but it was not so. Do you think angel of God would not come down to stir the water on the Sabbath day? Didn’t Jesus say, as written at Mark 2:27, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath”?

They were angry because they were exposed. ‘Pool of Bethesda’ was attracting a large number of people from far off places. Jewish rulers earned lot of money by selling things to them. This had angered them to the extent that they sought to kill Jesus.

The story of ‘Pool of Bethesda’ shows that, “God helps those who need his help the most”. Jesus was born as a descendent to Abraham because he belonged to Hebrew race; a race that was leading to extinction. God gave man his word, and His word is that whenever man would be in distress, He would come Himself to save Him. God kept his word, and the word became flesh and abided amongst us as Jesus. Didn’t John in verse 1:1 say, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God?”

Who is a true Christian?

I heard someone ask, "Who is a Christian"? I will rather go a step further and ask not who is a Christian but ask who is a true Christian. This question is not same as who is a true Hindu, a true Muslim or a true Buddhist.

Who is a true Hindu? Britain’s first state-funded Hindu school has come up with a unique definition of ‘practicing Hindus’ as part of its admissions policy — those who pray daily, do voluntary work at temples, follow a vegetarian diet and abstain from intoxication.

Likewise, who is a true Muslim? Is being truthful in all your dealing; having a high moral yardstick, praying 5 times a day; being punctual; being kind to all creatures; being patient and forgiving to those who do wrong to you; being good to those who are good to you; reading Koran and applying its principles and teachings to your life makes one a true Muslim?

A true Buddhist has to be kind, compassionate, honest, open, and giving; do meditation; should not harbor ill will, etc.

If one follows his faith religiously, performs all the rituals; do every thing that the follower of a religion is supposed to do, then would all this give him a kindly and a humane nature?

Now who is a true Christian? In Titus 3:5, 6 it is written, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior”

In these words lies the mystery of being a true Christian. A pretender too will pray daily, be truthful, have high moral yardsticks, make a show of kindness, be patient and forgiving, be honest and righteous; yet he won’t have in him the true nature of Christ. Every thing Christ did was not with conscious motives. Being kindly, patient, loving and righteous was part of his nature. He was Son of God and therefore God’s very essence was in Him. Do we have in us the essence of God though we profess to be Christians?

Unless, God’s essence seeps into our nature; unless we receive the gift of Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ we can not become true Christian. For this we must imbibe His body and His blood consecrated in His passions; which now abides as Holy Spirit. Unless Jesus lives in our memory all the time we cannot have Jesus’ nature. Without this none can be a true Christian.

Is there a life after death?

Is there a life after death? Dylan Thomas, the Welsh poet said, "After the first death, there is no other"। Believers in thanatism say that the soul dies with the body. The others, however, do not believe it to be so. The general belief is that the soul has a kind of perpetual existence. There are many religious beliefs and philosophies; which explain that the soul has no material form or body. The soul is an inner, vital, and spiritual principle. To stay alive we must keep the body and soul together. The soul and body both together make up the human personality. When we die, the death alone separates them apart.

The pain in the soul spurs me on to push on further to a life beyond life। Therefore, there ought to be a life after death.

All beings at birth receive a new soul। If soul is the content and the body is the container then why only body is disposed off? Don’t we consume the content and not the container? What happens to the soul after body returns to the earth? Does it continue to live another life after death; or it continues to wander between the two worlds: one dead and other powerless to be born?

Some believe that souls transmigrate; i।e., after death they go to live into another body. The soul does not go to live into another body to lead the same shameful life again. The soul we receive at birth is vinous; it is like a new wine. From the very moment of its conception the soul is in ferment. It suffers till it matures and ripens over a period of time. At Matthew 9:17 it is written, “New wine is put into new bottles, and both are preserved”.

Does the soul after death go to heaven or hell? Heaven and hell are the concepts that merely suggest that there is a shadowy continuation of life; a life beyond life on this earth। Where is this dwelling place of the dead? Don’t we often say, “Though the person is no more, yet he would ever live in our memory”? If it is so, then the soul after it leaves the body returns to live in the memory of his near and dear ones. I said, “The soul returns to the memory”. It returns to the place from where it was recalled. However, soul’s journey does not end there.

The soul is the essence of our innate and acquired nature। Our persona is the conglomeration of the souls of those who had brought us forth into this world. This essence is also the part of our long term memory. To this new memories are being encoded and added all the time to form new memories. We know nothing about soul’s past life because the past memories in us are in a form of semantic encoding.

The soul is a memoir of fear and anxiety gleaned from the experiences of those who had lived before। This memory is not available to us; but it does come up to the conscious level if something stirs our emotions. It also serves as a basis for our settled mode of behavior. At the time of facing new challenges we are adding new experiences as well. The memory does not serve this purpose alone. It is also helping us to evolve into better human beings.

It is a kind of a process, a process to preserve the memories of those who had lived before। The soul in fact is a blueprint of new life. The added new experiences all the time modify the blueprint to prepare the soul for its new journey; and to face new trials, troubles and tribulations. It would serve no purpose unless it is born in a new body. How transcription and personification of the soul does takes place in a new body?

Some of the vital information stored in the memory is passed out to genomes for creation of new beings with distinctive qualities। The information processing takes place in three stages, i.e., encoding, storage and retrieval. Additions of experiences bring about constant changes; and these changes are included in the blueprint of our memory, all the time. The parents in the moments of heightened passions recall this information; and each time this happens a new being with new nature is born.

Soul’s journey from tomb to the womb is resurrection; or in other words it’s a life after death.

Can miracles produce a lasting faith?

The book of genesis gave us a story of creation; much wanting in corroborative details in terms of cosmology in use at the time of the writer. However, Church has clarified that in the beginning the motive of sacred scriptures had simply been to declare that God had created the world. The Church then added artistic colors to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative; and thus, gave the story an appearance of being true and real. Today to those who have the privilege to live in this wondrous age of change and progress, the creation event; as written in the book of genesis is no more than an obsolete trifle, utterly insensible and a false knowledge. The Bible today is an immense collection of volumes of history of all ages, many of which is now forgotten; and most of which are seldom read. For propagating their doctrine, the theologians still glean the knowledge from such sequestered pool of obsolete literature to a point where it has actually turned into an object of ridicule. Why so much of truth, under ancient obsolete vesture could not change with times? The Church does not want a change because religions thrive on miracles; and miracles thrive on religion. They strike at emotions rather than the intellect.

It is true that at one time in history of man miracles were needed to create a faith in God. That alone is the purpose and nature of miracles. Faith alone can support a religion like an arch but not the miracles. Ecstasies after all come and go. Miracles cannot produce a lasting faith; but faith can produce a miracle. Miracle is a crutch with which the foolish attack the wise to prove that they are not idiots. If Church strives to shape the lives of the believers by faith alone; then there is no reason why the faith should ever be lost. Faith in God can be strengthened only if the Church allows Christ to rise above all as crystal symbol of faith.

Another fear totally unfounded is that the religion would die if it were proved true. They think that if every man is satisfied that there is such a thing as truth; then they would ask no questions. To hold its power long in this age of enlightenment and democracy; the Church must confine its teachings only to Religious doctrines. It must include in its dogmas that part of the bible, which deals with only general relations between man and God and between man and man.

Shaping life is a process, which is continuous. We may continue to shape it all our life and yet we know we would never be perfect. If one tries to shape it without any help from religion then it is sure to end up in chaos. Before setting out to shape the life of its followers the church must give its dogmas and doctrines some kind of shape and meaning. Can the Church take more than handful of confusion and disparate things that are irreconcilable from Old and New Testament both; and then provide its own view of a meaning?

In New Age of enlightenment the Church should be able to answer a simple question such as who Jesus was; why was he different to Adam; why did he come; why did he die and why would he come again.

Is Eucharist really the blood and body of Christ?

At gospel according to John 6:54 it is written, "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day". Why did Jesus compared his body and blood only to bread and wine and not to anything else? There couldn't have been a better illustration. It is written, "Jesus took bread and wine and said this is my body and blood." He meant to say his body was made the way bread is made and his blood was made the way wine is made. God had sifted Jesus' ancestors like grain from chaff in thousand years of captivity. The bodies of his ancestors were crushed the way the grain is crushed. They were beaten and thrashed in slavery in a way fine particles of grains are kneaded. They were baked in desert for 40 years. Only forty thousands survived to reach the land of Canaan. It was a kind of ethnic purification; in which only one woman most pure and virtuous had conceived Christ. For the reason Jesus had compared his body to bread. Let us see how wine is made? Jesus' blood was made like wine is made. Like grapes are crushed to make wine the bodies of his ancestors were crushed in slavery. His ancestor's blood had fermented in captivity like grape juice is fermented to produce wine. Bread and wine comprise only the most pure elements of grain and grapes; like wise Body and blood of Christ was made of consecrated elements of his ancestors. Bread is baked in oven; likewise body of Christ was baked in his passions. Wine is distilled to purify it further; likewise Jesus' soul was purified in passions. In death the soul the consecrated elements of his ancestors had changed in Holy Spirit; and had conjoined to the pure spirit of God. Jesus had asked his followers to eat his body and drink his blood and he asked them to do this in his memory. Please note he had asked them to do two things: first to eat his body and drink his blood. Second to do this in his memory. Those who merely eat his body and drink his blood will not have eternal life; but those who do this in his memory would have eternal life. The Eucharist helps us to recall Jesus' passion

God's redemptive plan for the mankind

Jesus Christ's birth had not come about as a matter of chance. In Bible there is ample evidence to show that God already had a definite plan to save mankind from a state of sinfulness and its consequences. This plan was conceived almost 2000 year before the birth of Jesus.

The plan was first revealed to Abraham, the Hebrew patriarch, between 2000 and 1500 BC. He married his half-sister Sarai, who later came to be known as Sarah. They left Ur with his nephew Lot and Lot's family under a divine inspiration and went to Haran. Receiving a promise that God would make him a "great nation", Abraham moved on to Canaan. Once they reached Canaan Abraham and Lot separated. Lot went to live near Sodom and Abraham continued to live his nomadic life. Abraham had a son by the slave woman Hagar. They called his name Ishmael; traditionally he is considered to be the forebear of the Arabs. It is thus written at Gen. 16:12, "And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

Then God promised Abraham a son by his wife Sarai. It is thus written at Genesis 17:19, "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him."

More simply it means that God had chosen Isaac for propagation of human race. Ishmael was destined to be the stock; and Isaac was preordained to be the scion of the human race. Isaac’s wife Rebecca bore him two sons: Esau and Jacob. About Esau it is said that the hair on his body were like a hairy garment. At Gen. 25:23 it is thus written, "And the LORD said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. Like Abraham’s first son Ishmael the sons of Isaac too were chosen to be the stock and scion of the human race. It wasn’t a process of natural selection at work; envisaged by Herbert Spencer and Charles Darwin. According to God’s plan it is not the stronger but the weaker that survive. Didn’t God mean to say, "one would be stronger than the other; and stronger would serve the weaker"?

Herbert Spencer had coined the phrase, "survival of the fittest"; Charles Darwin had later acknowledged the importance of Natural selection. In biology natural selection is the non-random survival of randomly varying hereditary units, which results in the evolution; and plays an important role in the maintenance of adaptive improvements.

In God’s plan that we consider fittest do not survive. Who would then survive in His promised kingdom of heaven? Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount see Mt. 5, 3-11) had invoked a divine favor for those who are poor, meek, and humble at heart. It simply means that those who are poor, meek and humble at heart would survive. To help them survive God would use those who are stronger as stock and those who are weak as scion.

What is stock and what is scion? Stock and scion are used in grafting. Grafting is the joining of two cut surfaces of plants and allowing them to grow under controlled circumstances that will allow their physiological union. The supporting plant is called the stock; the plant part that is grafted to it is called the scion. The scion can be a twig, stem, bud, or other part of a plant. Grafting in which the scion used is a bud is called budding. Grafting is done mainly to combine advantageous characteristics of scion and stock. For example, branches or buds of trees known to produce good fruit are grafted to stronger trees that produce fruit of different quality. Grafts are usually unsuccessful unless plants of the same kind, or of closely related kinds, are used. A seedling or cutting, usually chosen for hardiness and resistance to pests and diseases, or for special characteristics such as dwarfing, is commonly used as the stock in grafting. When a seedling is used as a stock, it is first allowed to establish its root system; a graft is then inserted at the base of the stem. As soon as the union of scion and stock has become established, any remaining portions of the shoot of the stock are cut away; all substances absorbed by the root system are thereafter available to the scion for its development. For bringing forth Jesus Christ into this world God too had employed the same process.

We have already seen the example of Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob. One amongst them was stronger and the other was weaker. Stronger did not beget stronger and weak did not beget weaker. First the stronger were allowed to establish a root system. The weaker then as graft were inserted at the base of the stem. As soon as the union of stronger and the weaker races were established, the descendents of stronger race were not allowed to grow and multiply. The book according to Matthew at chapter 1, verse 1 describes Jesus Christ as the son of David, the son of Abraham.

One of the ancestors of Christ described at Mt. 1:3 is Boaz. He was a descendent of Pharez who was the offspring of Judah and Tamar. (See Gen. 38, 1-30). Judah was the son of Jacob, who was a son of Isaac and great grandson of Abraham. Pharez was born out of an incestuous relationship between Judah and his daughter in law Tamar. Boaz was joined in union with Ruth, the descendent of Lot, Abraham’s brother see Ruth 4:13). Ruth was the grandmother of David. Ruth was a Moabitess. About Moabites it was written at Deuteronomy 23:3, "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever." Ammonite and Moabite races too had descended out of incestuous relationship between Lot and His two daughters. For this reason descendents of Abraham were precluded to marry either Ammonites or Moabites. Due to marriage between Boaz and Ruth they were allowed to enter into the congregation of the LORD; and they became entitled to be the ancestors of Jesus Christ. Thus we see that the redemptive plan of God for the mankind was not a type of natural selection; but it was a kind of planned breeding due to which birth of Christ on this earth was made possible.

What sin is?

What sin is?
Any act, which is contrary to the accepted moral code of conduct, is sin. Christian theology traces back the origin of sin to ‘fall of man’. The first ever sin of Adam and Eve made them fall from God’s grace. God had created them with sin in their bones. Was He shocked and surprised when they committed their first sin?

What code of conduct God had specified for man? In Genesis 1:27 it is written, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them”. Though, God had created them in His own image, yet He did not expect them to be perfect. Nevertheless, Adam and Eve had fallen from God’s grace; it means God did expect a certain conduct from them.

In what way Adam and Eve were unique? What made author of book of Genesis say that God had created them in His own image? They were different to other creature God had created earlier.

Today we call ourselves the leading member of the race. We call ourselves humans. We are distinct to other creatures in many ways. We have an upright posture, power of articulate speech, a superior mental development and a flat face. We had inherited these features from our first parents Adam and Eve.

Yet, another feature that makes us different to other creatures is that we as humans do not live by our instincts. What are instincts? Apart from the given definition, it is a knowledge, which makes animal do what they do. This knowledge in man is in the unconscious part of brain; not easily accessible to him. Man could access it only when his instincts were aroused and he turned emotional; but not otherwise. Among the two the woman was more emotional then man. Man is supposed to act with conscious motives; he should never act out of emotions. In other words he was not to make use of knowledge available only to animal and live like an animal.

Adam and Eve, though they had their level raised, yet, had failed to live as human. They chose to live like other creatures. They lived by their instincts, acted emotionally; and this nature they had acquired became the cause of their fall. This was the original sin, which we had inherited from our first parents.

So, what sin is? Whenever we will live by our instincts; whenever we will act out of emotions, we will commit sin.

The Truth about the Gospel truth.

Christians since apostolic times hold in the highest regards Mary; also known as Virgin Mary or the mother of Jesus Christ. Followers of Islam too honor her; they regard her as the sinless virgin Merriam. The Gospels give only an incomplete account of Mary; she is mentioned mostly in connection with the beginning and the end of Jesus' life. The author of the book of Matthew speaks of Mary as Joseph's wife, who is "with child of the Holy Spirit"; before they "came together" as husband and wife.

Matthew; at chapter 1, verse 18-20 has described the birth of Christ. He says, "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His Mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was the man, who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so, he made plans to break the engagement privately. While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins." Luke another author of the Gospel too has testified that the birth of Jesus was announced to Joseph. He says at chapter 1, 27 "God sent the angel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He had a message for a girl promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendent of King David. The girl's name was Mary. There is further evidence from Luke on this account in his book at chapter 1, verse 30, 34, 38, 39, 41, 46, and 56.

The event portrayed by the authors of the gospel is not in agreement with the prophecy made earlier by prophet Isaiah. At chapter 7, verse 14 he prophesized, " Well then, the Lord himself will give you a sign: a virgin will have a son and will name him "Immanuel." Isaiah had named the child Immanuel because the name had a special meaning. It means "God is with us." Joseph and Mary did not name their son Immanuel, as Isaiah had predicted but; called him Jesus (Luke 2,21). Only a passing reference to Isaiah's prophesies, concerning a child being born to a virgin, is found in the gospel according to Matthew at chapter 1 verse 23. The name Jesus is derived from the Hebrew word Joshua; or Yehoshuah meaning, "Jehovah is deliverance."

After birth of Jesus, Mary was present at the visit of the Magi. At chapter 2 Matthew further says, "Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judaea, during the time when Herod was the king. Soon afterwards, some men who studied the stars came from the east to Jerusalem and asked, where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews?" Later, they went and did see the child with his mother Mary. Matthew at chapter 2 at verse 11 said, "They went into the house. When they saw the child with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshipped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to him."

The title Virgin Mary, affirms that Mary the mother of Jesus was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus (see Luke 1:35). The title stresses upon the belief that God, and not Joseph, was the true Father of Jesus. For this reason Mary is venerated not only in the conception, but also in the birth of Jesus. The title Aieiparthenos that was used for Mary means that she was 'ever-virgin'. By the middle of the 7th century, the title also included the conviction that Mary had remained a virgin for the whole of her life.

According to one Gospel account Mary the mother of Jesus was virgin at the time Jesus was born but; then she had other children too. The passages in the New Testament refer to the brothers of Jesus. Mark 6:3 goes further and mentions that he had sisters too. Similar references are found in one 1 Corinthians 9:5; and Galatians 1:19, which explain that besides Jesus, Joseph had other children too. Were they born to him by a previous marriage? There is no scriptural evidence that may support these interpretations.

Yet, there is enough evidence that Mary the known mother of Jesus had other Children. Matthew at chapter 13, verse 53-55 says, "When Jesus finished telling these parables, he left that place and went back to his home town. He taught in the synagogue, and those who heard him were amazed." "Where did he get such wisdom?" They asked. "And what about his miracles? Isn't he the carpenter's son? Isn't Mary his mother, and aren't James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? Aren't all his sisters living here? Where did he get all this?" Mark another author of the Gospel too has confirmed Matthew's aforesaid statement at chapter six; verse three. In the gospel according to John 2:1 it is seen that Mary was present with Jesus at the time he had performed his first miracle. In the same book at chapter 2 verse 12 it is written, " After this, Jesus and his mother, brothers, and disciples went to Capernaum and stayed there a few days.

The Gospel of John contains no childhood account of Jesus. It has no mention of Mary's name. She is simply referred to by John as "the mother of Jesus."

Whose wife was Mary, the mother of Jesus and the mother of James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Here lies the wisdom and; with wisdom come the revelation. Mary also the mother of James and Joseph was the wife of Joseph Zebedee (see Mt 27:56; Mk 15:40;Mk 16:1;Lk 24:10). Joseph Zebedee was a fisherman and not a carpenter (see Mt 4:21;Mt 20,20-28; Mk 1,19-20; Mk 10:35; Lk 5:10; Jn 21:2).

After death of Jesus, she is found among the group who gathered to pray together (see Acts 1:14). The four authors of the gospel have mentioned Mary mostly in connection with the beginning and not the end of Jesus' life. Our perplexity grows deeper because the Mary referred to in later chapters, as Jesus' mother; is not his mother. Mary's own perplexity was not any less; when she found twelve year old Jesus in the temple questioning the teachers (see Lk 2, 41-51). Mary the wife of Joseph Zebedee and mother of James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas came to be known as Jesus' mother; this point onward. The incident is pointing out to one fact that Jesus grew up in the temple until he was twelve year old.

Know who Jesus was

Jesus' birth is a unique occurrence. Do you know he is born only once in an age and when he comes, he ushers in a new era. So far, this has happened twice: first time when God had created Adam; and then again when Jesus came. Many do not know that Jesus' birth was as momentous as creation of Adam. Adam was the first man on this planet. He was different to the living creatures in many ways. He had an upright posture; a superior mental development; a power of articulate speech, and a flat face. Adam populated the earth with his seed. The book of Old Testament tells us about history of man, his rise, and fall from Adam to Jesus. New Testament tells us only about Jesus. Adam was different to the creatures that lived before him. In like manner, Jesus too was distinct to generations that lived after Adam. Jesus was born with qualities that Adam did not have. Most of us know him only as a gentle and a kind-hearted person. Besides, He was deeply caring and loving. Jesus also had a deep awareness of the sufferings of others; and this awareness was coupled with a strong wish to relieve them of their sufferings. His capacity to bear and endure pain was remarkable. At the time of his sufferings, we saw that he harbored no ill feelings towards those who persecuted him. On the contrary, he asked God to forgive them. Now we will see how his birth was a unique occurrence.

Jesus had not come to populate the earth with his seed. He had not even come to preach. It was also not expected that people by imitating Jesus would change to be like him. People who had witnessed his death thought that with his death the purpose of his coming had come to naught. It was not so. His death had fulfilled a great purpose. As I said there was a difference between Adam and Jesus. Although we assign ourselves a higher place in the echelon of living species; yet, we share many of our traits with Adam. As men, we were only a step above animals but as humans, we are now a way up above men. We had inherited our base nature from Adam. This base nature would have led the humankind to extinction. To save us from extinction a change in nature was needed. Although obedience to Ten Commandments had brought about a change in nature of man but this change was not permanent. In adverse situations, only recourse the man had was to resort to his base nature. Earlier God had raised man from dust. God again raised man and the man became human. Jesus had come to help us get rid of this animal nature; and confer on us a new nature. With new nature, human beings are able to distinguish themselves from other beings though; outwardly, they too may appear very much human. The humans with Christ like nature share a new kind of character relationships and a new kind of common culture. So, now there are two types of humans in this world. There are some who can show kindness though they may not be kind; yet appear as humans. There are some who may show love though they may not love; they too behave as humans. The ability to love and be kind are the qualities that can be acquired or inherited both. To acquire human like qualities one has to master the opposing tendencies. To inherit the qualities of humans one has to be born again. The human nature if it is acquired is not permanent. The new nature has been conferred upon us by Jesus.

The new character relationship and a new common culture bind only some; and it is not because they merely follow Jesus' teachings. No amount of teaching and obedience to law can change the base human nature. The base nature is something that is innate in us; and it is deep-rooted in our memory. The base nature in us is usually dormant. Despite that, it can influence our actions and our behavior. It happens thus only if we are excited and not otherwise. The animalism as instincts is in our bones. It rises in us as impulse. When it reaches our consciousness it causes us to act. In men before Jesus, the instincts could rise unchecked, as there was no other memory to intercept it. Jesus was born with a new nature. When we recall Jesus and his death in passions, a new layer of memory is formed. It covers the old memory of the bygone era. This layer of new memory formed between our unconscious and consciousness is able to stop the impulses that rise out of our base nature. With our forbidden wishes, our desires and our anxiety checked by new memory of Christ; we are now able to live harmoniously with others. Thus, Jesus came to give us this new memory. Just before his death, he expressed his will; He asked us to remember him. During Last Supper he broke bread, and offered wine to his disciples, and while doing so He said, "do this in memory of me". Jesus wanted that his followers should remember him. When you adore Christ and worship him then the memory of his humble and the gentle nature forms a layer on the surface of our unconsciousness. The new memory now protects us from acting according to our base nature. Jesus knew that recalling, worshipping and adoring him alone will not be sufficient to change our base nature. It does help to control our forbidden desires and wishes; yet, to conquer our evil nature we would need divine help again. For this reason, Jesus said, "he would come again". With his help, we would conquer our base nature, which we also refer to as evil nature. Thus, to conquer our base nature we will have to be born again in Christ.

Why must I believe in God?

Is it by some choice made relatively far back in the past I am a human being and not an animal? It is true that I am free to work out my destiny as I chose. But then there ought to be someone who must approve the free choice that I make. Thus, it is not I but the one who approves my choice is the master of my destiny. None but only God could have been this contingent and unforeseen force that has shaped my destiny. My progenitor who lives in me might have made the choice; but God had approved that choice at some time far back in the past. Therefore, I am a human being not an animal. Who approves the choice that I make today? It is my progenitor, my God who approves that choice. Is it not a reason good enough to believe in God?

Do I love God?

"God is Love," I was taught as a child to believe. But when I first began to get some clue of how He loves me, I was confused; it seems so cold, indeed, not love at all as I understood the word. What do I understand by the word love? I love someone because I need that someone. It is not so with God. I was taught that God’s love is an enfolding of immeasurable cares. Do I love God? Could I love someone of whom I have never heard? If I say I do wouldn’t it sound so absurd and unreal? After all I can love what I know personally. If I do not know God personally then how can I ever love Him? Okay I do not know God personally because I have never seen Him but do I know myself well? I would say, "Yes I do". I also love myself with all my heart, all my soul, and all my strength. I love my self because I am able to do whatever pleases me. In return that I in me love me because I approve whatever that me in myself do. And who am I? I am the extract of one who created me. If I know my self then I must also know God because He as his extract abides in me. Therefore, if I say that I do not know God then I am not only denying Him but also I do not know my self well. God loves me when I do His will. Do I fulfill his will in doing things that are most pleasing in His sight? Strange but true I fulfill His will in doing things that I detest the most. What I detest the most? I detest my enemies.

Therefore, God would love me the most when I love my enemies. I am also unable to forgive those who trespass against me. Unless I love my enemies and forgive others, I cannot claim that I love God. If I do not love God, I cannot claim that I believe in Him.

What is faith?

The faith is the confidence and trust in God. At 2Th 2:13 it is written, “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” The word sanctification here means to free humankind from sin or evil. Precisely to free us from sin Jesus came. It is important to know what salvation is.

Moses spoke of the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians at #Ex 14:13. The word salvation is used differently at #Heb 2:3. It is specially used with reference to the great deliverance from the guilt and the pollution of sin wrought out by Jesus Christ, "the great salvation." The key word however is deliverance. A kind of deliverance is promised through consecration of spirit. We are required to keep faith in this promise.

In the book of New Testament at #John 1:1 it is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. The right interpretation in the context of above paragraph would be, “In the beginning God gave his word, God kept His word, and His word abided amongst us as flesh.”

When did He give his word?

The time he chose man for salvation through sanctification of the spirit.

When did He keep his word?

The time he gave to the world his own begotten son.

When the word abided as flesh?

The time Jesus His son abided on this earth.

Those who believed in this truth became entitled to salvation. Spirit of all those who brought forth Jesus into this world was consecrated in his death. The chosen few who believed in the truth the salvation came only to them.

Then what is faith?

The belief in the truth that God would come to abide amongst us to save us is faith.

Were you smitten on one cheek, would you offer the other?

In book of Matthew at 5:39, it is written, "But I say to you, that you must not resist evil; but whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also".

This was not a lesson in a type of moral jiu-jitsu. Even the moralists know that the force of the blow depends on the resistance. Even they tell us it is sometimes better not to struggle against temptation. They too would advise that in a situation as this either fly or yield at once. There is something special about Jesus' saying, "You must not resist evil".

Jesus directed his words to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart of the listeners. A good many people followed him wherever he went. Among the listeners, there were all sorts of people. Some came to hear the word of God while others came simply to mock him. To those who came to hear the word of God to them, he directed his advice; "you must not resist evil". Those who came to mock him to them he said, "whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also".

Smiting on the cheek was accounted a grievous insult. Read Job 16:10, La 3:30, Mic 5:1. Why must you deserve to be smitten on your cheek? Nonetheless, 'Turning the other cheek' not only teach such persons how to respond to an insult or injury; but it also teaches them to patiently avoid the tendency to seek vengeance. It also means that one should not answer an insult with an insult. 'You must not resist evil' does not mean you must give into temptations.

The evil within is more powerful than the evil that smites you on your cheek. When you try to suppress the evil within; then one extreme must rise to match the other and it is bound to surface with a greater vengeance. It might wreck more harm than good.

Human nature is a mingling yarn of good and evil both. There is so much good in worst of us and so much evil in best of us. So, what must we do when evil tend to rise within us and we find that we are being led into temptation? Many would say, "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."

It is not easy to resist temptation; but there indeed is a way to avoid temptation. Temptations would come only when you are seeking them; this happens only when you are trying to master the opposing tendencies. To incite yourself to do something wrong is not always a condition in which you are being tempted. Do not provoke yourself beyond your normal capacity; or else, you would be tempting yourself. Also, do not suppress your primitive drives beyond the normal limit as this too might cause you to be tempted.

If any one smites you on one cheek, would you offer the other? Dignity is conferred upon humans as grace, so why loose it by being smitten twice on the face. Observe the golden rule and you may not have to resist the evil; do not seek temptations. Read Matthew 4.7. Didn't Jesus say, "It is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God"?

Why do people turn to religion?

Why do people turn to religion? The human power of formal reasoning has an unavoidable limit. We can never be entirely sure of the logical basis of our conclusions; so we begin to recognize that there are unsolvable mysteries. And this feeling of being surrounded with mysteries, one cannot grasp, turns into indescribable awe. Fear of unknown make people turn to religion.

Fear of unknown is at the root of all religions; and all personal religious experiences have their root and center in mystical states of human consciousness. Like drugs, the religions too may produce a psychotropic influence on human mind; and stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature. Even so, religions do bring a sense of inner happiness, though short-lived, in a state of false inner tranquility and balance; but over passionate pursuance may produce mild euphoria, cause hallucination; and even alter perception and thinking pattern.

Almost all religions are designed to bring about a packaged peace of mind. These turnkey packages come in complete with ready for use set of strongly held beliefs, values, and attitudes to live by. But do they really get you conditioned to deep solutions?

All religions aim to give comfort and moral instruction for life on Earth, and to inspire hope for life after death. The religion should rather counsel contemplation and endurance; shape common sense and awaken the believers because hope is but the dream of those that wake.

The religions have few things to hope for and many things to fear. One among them is the fear of hell. Fear of hell alarms the believers successively to the point that they dose themselves heavily by every specific remedy the religions offers. The consequence is that the fears, which had first been imaginary, become real and in the state of living, they become more dead than alive.

Which religion is the right one?

In religious thought we seek consolation

To ask which religion is the right one is like asking which treatment would be right for a certain type of sickness. Treatments are administered to cure the sick of their ailments; similarly, some religions too are the systems of faith and worship designed to cure the scampers of their maladies of discontentment. There are treatments for all sorts of sicknesses; and likewise there are as many religions for the treatment of maladies of discontentment. In a way, the human beings are dissatisfied souls; for this reason, the religions get organized and take upon themselves the responsibility to satisfy and guide these souls. Gérard de Nerval, the French novelist once wrote; "When the soul drifts uncertainly between life and the dream, between the mind’s disorder and the return to cool reflection, it is in religious thought that we should seek consolation."

Much Zeal and devotion is no criteria

Most of us do not adopt religion as a matter of choice. Many are born into it; and only some by choice or assent take up a religion due to reason given by Gérard de Nerval. The clever knows those who drift uncertainly between life and the dream; are more likely to suffer from the malady of discontentment. When they spot one of these souls, they are quick to recognize them. The nets are flung; and those who are easily led by the opinion of others, the gullible lot as they are called, are trapped unwittingly in a snare. Therefore, before one is set out to defend his opinion on the question, "which religion is the right one" he must; not only know the precepts of his own religion but of other religions too. In all probability, none knows his own religion too well; and it is most unlikely that he would know the niceties of other religions as well. Most of the religions are institutionalized systems. Their system of faith and worship are grounded in set of beliefs, value and practices mostly based on the teachings of some widely accepted spiritual leader. Much zeal and conscientious devotion is no criteria to call the religion a right one.

Moreover, influence of religion the one practices may not be for the good in his life.

Nevertheless, here are some of the guidelines to know whether the religion you adhere to is the right one.

Know what the religion is promising you.

The religion, which promises everything, is sure to fulfill nothing; and if it promises too much then it is sure to use evil means in order to carry out its promises. If you happen to belong to such a religion then you are already on the road to perdition. The religion that does not only teach and preach but; also rather change one into a kindly and a humane person is the best religion.

Why God Chose to destroy the world in Noah's time?

The unknown author in the biblical Book of Genesis says that human wickedness causes Yahweh (Jehovah) to regret that he created humankind; so, He resolves to destroy all living things. Only Noah being pious finds favor with Yahweh, who instructs him to build an ark in which both human posterity and other creatures will be preserved. In the book of Genesis at chapter 7, verse 15 -17; it is written, "And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two of all flesh, in which is the breath of life. Therefore, those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in. Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased, and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth." After forty days, the waters had abated from off the earth. After that only Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives made up the world's population. It appears that the author of book of Genesis had taken the main idea from other religious beliefs. The mythological stories of flood in books of other religions as well confirm that in a remote time in the past, the world was destroyed or cleansed by fire or flood. God had inflicted the punishment on humankind because of their wrong doings. A Mesopotamian mythology does recall the geographical realities of a land that was subjected to sudden flooding from the two Great River Tigris and Euphrates. A similar account can be found in the Gilgamesh Epic. It is a Babylonian heroic narrative of Sumerian origin. It says that the high god Enlil sends a deluge to destroy humankind. Only one man, Utnapishtim, survives in a cube-shaped ark he has been instructed to build and to stock with the seed of all living creatures. The description of his preparation and voyage closely anticipate the biblical story of Noah.

The motif of the Flood also occurs in the mythology of India and Greece. In Chinese myth, a hero named Yu is asked by the Emperor Shun to bring floodwater under control. The punishing toil took 13 years, but Yu at last solves the problem by constructing canals. The Aboriginal Australian myth of the Great Flood, which both destroyed a previously existing world and initiated a new social order, may have a historical basis in the effects of rising sea-levels as temperatures rose after the last Ice Age. In several versions, the Flood is the work of the great serpent or rainbow-snake Yulunggul, who sends it in anger at pollution of his waterhole by the two Wawalag sisters, Waimariwi and Boaliri, whose travels play a major role in Aboriginal creation myths. Yulunggul devours the sisters and their two children, but after the Flood has abated, he regurgitates them, creating the first inhabitants of the New World.

Yet surprising but true, while Flood myths show the destructive power of water; the creation myths on the other hand often recount the origins of the world from a watery abyss or primal sea.

Moses perhaps had narrated the story of Noah to the Israelites while they were wandering in the desert. He had done so just to reveal the redemptive features of God in men like Noah. To Israelites, rains and floods were not the known occurrences. Therefore, they did not know that the Ark is a mere curved vessel and not a ship. Only Ships have a hold to carry possessions of the kind that went in with Noah. Besides, to survive forty days in heavy floods the ship must have a bulk, volume, and watertight compartments. Further, such a ship ought to be built from highly seasoned wood. How was Noah able to build such a ship single-handed? Why not, some must have said? Since Noah lived in the woods, it was quite natural for him to be a skilled carpenter. Then there had been no rains before the deluge; therefore, long exposure to dry weather had naturally seasoned the wood. Be that as it may, the story of a charming ship builder; a sailing vessel with bowsprit and rigged masts; floating in flood; containing men, animal, etc., had been greatly fascinating to the people wandering in the desert. The story had not only raised their spirits but also had kept their hopes alive in desert at times when they were greatly distressed. The story of Noah had raised in them a hope; that later became real in Jesus. Through this story, Moses had revealed the redemptive plan of God for the humankind. What is that redemptive plan? God's redemptive plan is; whenever men will be overwhelmed with grief, sorrow, and despair he shall then come himself to save them. When Israelites were in captivity there was Moses to lead them out of Egypt. Thus, when there shall be none to lead God shall then come again to lead the humankind.

Are we here by chance in this world?

The man is at liberty to choose what is good and refuse the evil. This liberty is often mistaken as free will. Does it give one the power, or ability to choose a course of action against the agency; such as fate or divine will? There always are the preceding causes and necessities; that control our decisions whenever we have to choose a course of action. There always had been an effect; that seem to govern every preceding cause and a necessity. Let us assume that this universe came into existence by chance. All the observed effects were the result of causes that emanated by chance. Then we came into existence by chance. To give chance a chance we make a liberal use of the liberty afforded to us. What happens then? We simply end up in chaos.

So, it is not a chancy, chancy world as one might think. It is true that in every happening there appear to us an unknown and unpredictable element; that seems to have no determined cause.

Therefore, we always say chance would determine the outcome. However, it is not so. The only thing is: we do not know the purpose. Necessities create laws in nature. Necessities themselves govern these laws. When these laws are broken then the need itself annihilates the effect. Speaking about annihilation let us see chances are we would survive this struggle for survival; but are there any chances we would survive it without any struggle?

All happenings are for the fulfillment of a great objective. Since we do not know the objective, we attribute that happening to chance. It means God had created this world out of some unending need. So, God Himself was created out of some need. If all the predetermined causes emanate out of infinite unending needs; then we need not look for God elsewhere. We would find Him in every need. Mother Teresa by being with the needy felt that it helped her to love God better because of them. Jesus Christ in his famous Sermon on the Mount said, "Blessed are the poor because they would inherit the kingdom of haven".

Thus, we see that God had not created the world needlessly; and, he is propagating it not needlessly. If He stops doing what he is doing then the chances are we would simply perish. In every thing, you do; do it for the fulfillment of some need. By doing so, you fulfill the purpose of your being on this earth. When you choose to do things according to their need; then there would be no difficulty in choosing what is good and in refusing what is evil.

Whether Haley’s Comet was the Star of Bethlehem?

Whether Halley’s Comet was the Star of Bethlehem?

The story of Star of Bethlehem is a mingling of myth and reality. Star of Bethlehem in Biblical lore marked the birth of Christ. It is said that the star had attracted the attention of the Wise Men of the East. Could it be possible that the story of the star has a basis in a real celestial event? In the Bible, the star is mentioned only in the Gospel of St Matthew 2:1-2. The passage reads, "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him".

Gospel account says that King Herod did not know about the star until the wise men spoke about it. Astronomers now believe that in the year 7 ¼, the planets Jupiter and Saturn appeared to form a close paring. Whether, the pairing had produced a dazzling object? In yet another remarkable event two brightest planets, Venus, and Jupiter came so close together that their pairing too appeared to merge into one; but it is not known whether they had merged into one dazzling object. How King Herod or his advisors could not see such a momentous occurrence?

It is recorded in the Gospel that ‘Star of Bethlehem’ attracted attention of three wise men of the east. Who were these wise men? The people before had a notion that the comets are heavenly omens. Babylonians, Egyptians, and Mayans had developed the first constellation maps and useful calendars; but only Babylonians had perfected the calendar by studying of the motions of the Sun and Moon. Perhaps they were astrologers from Babylon; only they could have known about planets, stars, and their positions. As early as 400 BC Babylonians could predict the time of the new moon and the day on which the new month would begin. They also knew the daily positions of the Moon and Sun for every day during the month. Babylonians were also able to calculate the planetary positions; and knew how to represent their eastward and retrograde motions. Since wise men from Babylon were already so advanced in astronomy, it is highly improbable that they would have mistaken the dazzling object due to pairing of Jupiter and Saturn; or of Venus and Jupiter as a star. Further, the pairing could not have produced a dazzling object, as the star of Bethlehem is traditionally depicted.

There is a probability that the Star of Bethlehem wise men saw was Halley’s comet. They perhaps knew about its regular reappearance as it was first seen in 240 BC. Before we assume this let us, check whether the recorded date of its first sighting is correct? The periods between Halley’s comet’s approach to the earth usually vary from 75 to 79 years because the gravitational forces of other planets changes the comet’s orbit slightly. Last, it had appeared in the year 1986, so it will appear next between 2061 - 2067. Since Halley’s comet appears at this interval; thus the year of its sighting around Jesus’s birth ought to be 33-39 BC.

Gregorian Christian calendar had placed the year of birth of Christ around 1 BC. Modern scholars, however, do not agree; they say Christ was born around 4 BC. Christian monk Dionysius Exiguus had fixed the birth of Christ in the year 753 after the founding of Rome. In Roman chronology the era of the founding of the city ‘ab urbe condita’, or AUC) dates from April 22, 753 ¼; and the Julian era date from the reform of the calendar by Julius Caesar in 45 BC. In face of such disagreement how could anyone ever establish the ‘year of the Lord’ correctly?

If Halley’s comet happened to be the Star of Bethlehem then the assumed date of birth of Christ will have to be fixed around 33-39 BC. Christ probably died at the age of 33. The most pertinent question, which can settle this issue, is whether the year of the Lord should begin with his birth or his death. Only then, it would not be too difficult to say whether Halley’s comet seen on the Holy Night actually was the Star of Bethlehem.

Division of the Red Sea

An amazing account about the Division of the Red Sea is given in the book of Exodus. Exodus is the second book of Old Testament. Six hundred thousand Israelites, after they fled Ramesus, were camping by the Sea at a place called Baalzephon. Says author of Exodus at 13:21, "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night". The later translators transposed the words "Pillar of Strength" and "Clouds of Gloom" to breath magic into mystery. The angel of God who alike pillar of fire walked ahead of them while they were under cloud of gloom was none other, but Moses himself. Moses had led them out of Egypt. He had been their pillar of strength. While Egyptians were still pursuing them, they discovered to their utter dismay that the Sea had blocked their way. At this crucial moment, Moses came to their rescue. It is thus written, "Moses stretched out his hand over the Sea, the Lord caused the Sea to go back and made the Sea into a dry land, and the waters were divided". Only time Moses stretched out his hands was perhaps in prayer; may be at times in a gesture similar to Elevation of the Host.

Moses, with Six hundred thousand Israelites, and the Egyptians who had been pursuing them; had been the witness to one of the greatest event in History. It is thus written that the waters were divided and the sea was made into a dry land. What could have caused the division of the Sea? We have so far believed in the occurrence with no fuss and no explanation. Yet, somewhere at the back of our minds we know that there are occasions and causes, why and wherefore in all things. Every theory, however, must be proved; and it is the very purpose of science. Albert Einstein had said, "Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind."

The place where division of water body occurred could not have been the Red Sea. The author of Exodus says that the Israelites were camping by the Sea at a place called Baalzephon. What Israelites had presumably crossed was the Sea of Reeds; but it definitely was not the Red Sea. The arm of the Mediterranean Sea jutting into the land is called the Sea of Reeds. Secondly, their escape route runs along the place now called Suez Canal. Wasn’t it easier for them to cross through the isthmus that was later made into Suez Canal? The Israelites, in fact, had never reached the Red Sea. The Red Sea lies far down below the Sinai Peninsula. Is it possible to explain the occurrence, which is mentioned in the book of Exodus?

Distortions of water surfaces do occur on planet earth. The known occurrences are the ocean tides. We all know why high spring tides and weak neap tides occur. High spring tides occur while sun is reinforcing the moon's gravitational forces. Similarly, weak neap tides occur when Sun is positioned at 90 degrees to the moon. What has been described in the book of exodus was much more than the distortion of water surfaces.

Sun and Moon are not the only planets, which exert their gravitational forces on earth. The two other planets that lie within the earth's orbit are the planet Venus and the planet Mercury. They too wield their gravitational forces on earth. Out of these two planets, planet Venus comes closest to earth than any other planet. The planet earth is the largest amongst the inner planets. The Earth too is wielding its influence on other planets. The tidal frictions caused by the ebb and flows of the tides in the narrow channels; are responsible for the acceleration of Moon's rotation. It is the tidal friction, which not only keeps the Earth and Moon's rotation and revolution equal but; it keeps the day and the month equal. The division of water surfaces, of the kind seen by the Israelites; therefore, was the work of Celestial mechanics. It was a divine occurrence, which was never seen before. It is believed that Israelites had fled Egypt in the year 1405 BC. Was it a Platonic Year? If it was one; then it certainly had a great significance. At the end of cycle of years, the heavenly bodies are supposed to be again in the same place as they were at the time of Creation. Thus, all stars and planets after they go through all the possible movements; too must return to their original position. Some believe that after this happens, all history shall then repeat again. The event takes place once in about 25,800 years. Did by any chance the Exodus happen to take place around the same time; and it coincided with the period of precession of equinoxes?

Attractions of other planets cause precession of equinoxes. When this happens it is called planetary precession. The day on which the Israelites had stood by the sea possibly was the day of planetary precession, which had taken place after 25,800 years. The transit of the planets across the point where Moses stood had played a role in celestial mechanics. Gravitational forces of these planets reinforced by that of Sun; had passed as a tangent to the earth's circle along the tropic of Cancer. Earth's own gravitational force, being stronger, drew these forces towards its own surface. Due to this, the gravitational forces from other planets were bowed into a wave shape. This wave shape above the water surfaces had caused division of the sea. Detailed mapping of the constellations; such as elements of the planets orbit; their ascending node; inclination of their orbit; Longitude of their perihelion; Semi-axis major; their eccentricity, etc. would be needed for identifying the precise time of this momentous occurrence. Israelites escape from Egypt and division of the Sea; at the same time was not a mere coincidence. Only Forty thousand out of six hundred thousand Israelites had survived; and reached the land of Canaan. Forty thousand Israelites who crossed the desert and yet, survived were destined to be the ancestors of Christ.

Therefore, Splitting up of the Sea was truly a godly event. However, birth of Christ was thegreater miracle than the division of the Sea.

Manna from Heaven

It is written in the book of Exodus 16:14-16; that after crossing isthmus children of Israel came to wilderness between Elim and Sinai. It was already the fifteenth day of the second month since they had departed from the land of Egypt. They had nothing to eat. In anguish, they cried out to the Lord and God provided them the food. When children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, it is manna: for they knew not what it was. Then Moses said unto them, this is the bread, which the Lord hath given you to eat. But, what is manna?

Manna comes in several varieties; but none of it is of the kind described in the Bible. One of the common varieties of Manna is a sweet substance; obtained from the cocoons of a Middle Eastern Weevil. Weevil is a popular name for a large number of beetles. The Weevil is known to damage fruit, nuts, grain, trees, etc. Tamarix mannifera, an exudation of plants with slender branches and pink and white flowers; is also known as Manna. A Middle Eastern tamarisk, known as Tarfa; is yet, another form of manna. It is true that both plants being xerophytes are able to inhabit places where water is scanty; and as such, they can withstand draught. Some experts believe that the manna of the Bible, the food given by God to the Israelites, was the lichen Lecanora esculenta, or a related species. When dry, it can be torn from the soil and transported by the wind, producing a "rain" of food. Arabs still gather this lichen and mix it with meal to produce bread. The question is; "would God give us food for asking?"

Israelites were trekking a barren tract. Assuming there was some kind of plant life in the desert; but would it be enough to feed six hundred thousand people for nearly forty years. The author of the book of Exodus says that the wandering Israelites were sore distressed due to want of food. Under an absolute cloud of gloom, they were not singing Hosanna to the Lord; but they were murmuring against him. They were crying out for bread; hoping that God shall rain Bread on them from Heaven. The Manna they received was a substitute for bread. But, it was not given to them simply for asking. Earlier God had banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. While doing so he said to Adam, "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread". This as a command from God had been true for Adam. Would it not be then equally true for children of Israel too? The food was not given to children of Israel for asking.

Whatever comes from God must come at a time when it is needed the most. Whenever it comes; then it must come as a most unexpected and a beneficial reward. Manna from heaven too was a beneficial and an unexpected reward. Children of Israel received it at a time when they needed it the most. They needed the most is nourishment. They received it at a time when they were badly starved.

For Israelites, manna had been a main source of energy in food. The Bible says each morning Israelites found the ground covered with manna; it was like dew from heaven. Since they found it edible, therefore manna had to be a form of carbon. James Jeans, the British scientist had said, "Life exists in the universe only because; the carbon atom possesses certain exceptional properties". We already know that Carbohydrate is the main source of energy in food. It contains carbon. Thus, for nourishment, our body needs the compounds; that contains carbon. However, the body cannot consume carbon in its pure organic form. Body can accept it only while; it is present in food. Once the food is dissolved in the stomach; the body absorbs only the product, which becomes the source of energy.

What ever is not absorbed; must release back into the atmosphere as Carbon. As free energy, it is recycled; and it forms into nourishing agents again. Thus, there is a constant circulation and transfer of carbon. It is all the time taking place between animals, plants, and the atmosphere. We already know the process. It is Carbon Cycle. Manna from heaven too was a product of Carbon Cycle. The sweat of Israelites had changed into Manna. The deserts are the world's dry places. It has areas where there is very little water. In a desert, the rainfall is very less and irregular. Though it may not have rained a drop for years but then suddenly, a total downpour occurs. The deserts consequently have a very little vegetation for most of the time. It only blooms when the rain eventually comes. The climate in the desert is hot, dry during day, and cold during nights; so cold that it causes ground frost in winter. The land between Elim and Sinai was desolate. Presence of six hundred thousand Israelites had introduced in the desert a kind of life, which was dependent upon plant life for carbon. There was no plant life in the desert to support them. The Israelites had been starving since they had not eaten any food for past several days. Their bodies' egested only sweat and tears. Then how did they survive? Six hundred thousand Israelites were losing lot of sweat because of heat. Thus, their sweat was released back into the atmosphere as Carbon.

As free energy, it had to be recycled. Nevertheless, to recycle this free energy; there was no autotrophic life in the desert. Yet, for completing the carbon cycle there had to be an interchange of energy. At one interface, the same means of sustenance, as another like composition, had formed into a fourth state of matter; it was Manna or Plasma. Fourth state of matter is formed when atoms, instead of being combined into structures that are more complex; are broken up into their main constituent parts. On Earth, the heat generated by electrical discharges in gases too can produce plasmas; for example, lightning strikes can change the air into very hot plasma, though for a very short time. Another important plasma is the Earth's ionosphere; which is about 100 km (60 mi.) above the Earth's surface. In ionosphere a layer of ions and electrons are mixed with the neutral gases of the atmosphere; where the electrons are stripped from the atoms by the ultraviolet light and X-rays emitted by the Sun. The free energy released during the hot, dry day was nothing else but sweat and tears of Israelites. It combined with the neutral gases of the atmosphere and rose up to the Earth's ionosphere. There it was mixed with the layers of ions and electrons. Ultraviolet light and X-ray emitted by the Sun above the hot dry desert thus; had converted the sweat of Israelites into Plasma. This plasma was called Manna. Thus, God fulfilled what he had earlier commanded. He had said, "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread". What he had said then is true even today.