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BIBLE AND SCIENCE Professing atheism has become a fashion these days. Many illiterate people also proudly identify themselves with these beliefs. In addition, some political parties adopt this theme as their party principle. Against this background, those who believe in God appear foolish to the people who deny the existence of God. But the Bible calls those who deny the existence of God, fools (Psalm 14:1). Science is not superior to the Bible. There are many who consider science as their God. What is even worse is that they believe in the theory of evolution. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) theorized that earth was round, without support and revolves around its own axis. The Roman church branded him a heretic and ostracized him. The Bible knowledge of the Roman church was grossly inadequate. It is because of a few of their mistakes that the Bible is thought by some to be incompatible with science. The Bible is superior to science. Centuries before Galileo's discovery, Isaiah wrote of God as "He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth" (Isaiah 40:22). In Job 26:7, we read, " He hangeth the earth upon nothing". All these truths have been foretold in the Bible long before man discovered them. A few shortsighted Christians with little knowledge of the Bible may have contrary opinions. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) put forward the heliocentric theory of planetary movement wherein, in contrast to the views held earlier, the sun and not the earth is at the center of the universe and other planets including the earth revolve around the sun. In light of the above, what is mentioned in Psalm 19:6 about the sun rising at one end of the heavens and making its circuit to the other might have appeared senseless. However we know today that although the sun, does not revolve around the earth, it does move on its predestined path. As we read the Bible we are struck by the fact that although it is not a book of science, it enumerates numerous scientific facts that were included there long before their discovery. All these were written in the Bible many centuries ago. They reveal the nature of God and His creations. Charles Darwin ( 1809-1882) and his colleagues Thomas Henry Huxley and Ernst Haeckel propounded the theory of evolution wherein they claimed that humans share many anatomical features with chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans and they argued Homosapiens probably evolved from a primitive species that resembled these apes in many respects. Is evolution correct? No. Firstly, it is nothing but a hypothesis. It is not a postulate proved beyond doubt by rigorous experimental verification. When even the facts so proved are being revised or set aside in the light of emerging new facts, how long can these guesses stand? To mention a few parallels, all the following phrases can pass for amusing old fables but are not worthy of serious consideration: Because a cat resembles a tiger, proposing that a cat as it grows up turns into a tiger; Because a bandicoot resembles a rat, proposing that a rat is the offspring of a bandicoot, and; Because a lizard looks like a crocodile, proposing that a lizard when it enters the water, slowly evolves into a crocodile. Secondly, since evolution does not appear to happen today, We deny this proposition. It could be true perhaps that man has turned into an ape in his thoughts and deeds but certainly nowhere can we see an ape turning into a man physically and none has seen this happening either. Even if none had seen it, is it a workable proposition? If evolutionary theory were to be true, there ought to have existed millions of intermediate forms between humans and apes. There are none forming the link. The evolutionists have no answer for this and so the search for the 'missing link' continues. The differences between man and ape are so vast that a person of the meanest intelligence will know that man could not have evolved from an ape. Realizing this slip, evolutionists have now modified this theory. Citing fossil evidence, they now claim that both pongid (ape) and hominid (human) originated from a more primitive ancestral group of small ratlike animals. When an ape is several steps lower than humans, and the ancestral primates of apes are still several steps lower, the suggestion that man originated from these early primates appears more ridiculous than ever. Evolutionists project the similarity in skeletal structures and muscular anatomies as evidence in support of their theory. If it were so, can we presume that similar looking wooden articles came from one another ? Can we further presume that two houses of similar construction evolved from each other ? When the similarity existing among various articles point to a common human knowledge, do not these observed similarities among the various living beings reveal the hand of a creator ? Evolutionists have conveniently forgotten the differences in skeletal structures between the birds flying high and the animals on the ground. Most amazing is the origin of life in all living creatures. It has been claimed that a part of the sun separated out to form the earth and when the earth cooled down, chemical transformation took place at specific climatic conditions following scientific principles and life originated. One fails to understand how from a sun, a gaseous sphere, earth could have separated out. A burnt seed does not germinate. Similarly it is very improbable that life could have originated on an earth that was separated out of the burning gaseous sphere. Thus we find the very first step of this theory appears to be grossly illogical. But these eminent men do not acknowledge their error. They continue to write and speak to fool others. Let us see further. Is evolution correct? These days as rapid advances are being made in the fields of science and education, a section of people hold the view that this world and everything in it came into being on their own thus rejecting the role of God. We are not great scientists to refute the theory of evolution which proposes that man originated as the result of gradual evolution of living organisms from one another. However we shall explain a few more incongruities in this theory that makes it unacceptable to intelligent people. In the first place, it is not possible for us who believe in the existence of God to accept the theory of evolution. When there is a Supreme Being , it is far easier to believe that all these things were created by Him rather than presuming that, all these came into being accidentally, which anyway is plain foolishness. Let us examine this further. Assuming that somehow life originated on earth and taking the case of a single celled organism which is at the lowest level of evolutionary scale, these organisms are said to have evolved into a different but more adaptable state over a period of time. However we find such organisms existing even today. Which scientific principle could then have operated on these organisms that made a selected few pass through the evolutionary process while leaving the rest at their original state? If all the forms of living organisms are continuously evolving, none of the organisms that preceded the human evolution could be found today. From these one celled organisms, upto frogs, evolution occurs within water. However after a certain stage, worms, insects etc. come out of water and begin to live on land. When the organisms before and after them on the evolutionary scale live on water, the reason for them alone choosing to live on land is known to none. Did evolution occur after these came to land? Not at all. Therefore asserting that nature operates on the basis of these contradictory principles is nothing but insult to nature itself. The final stage of evolution within water is said to be the frog. Because their earlier forms viz. tadpoles, has tails and as they grow up the tails become shorter and shorter, it is argued that the predecessors of frogs had tails. If that is so, how did some of their successors on the evolutionary scale come to possess tails? And how, for the man who is said to have evolved still later, tails are absent? What is that magic displayed by nature in creating some beings with legs and some others without legs at different stages of evolutionary process? The theory of evolution claims that after frogs had come to live on land, from them birds and beasts evolved. Among the reptilian species, some have legs and some do not. The birds that are supposed to have come from them have two legs and beasts have four. What is the uniqueness of these creatures that they could bring forth, from time to time, some creatures with legs and some without legs and numerous other creatures with different number of legs? What is that principle that directs some frogs to progress on the evolutionary scale and some other frogs to remain as frogs? When some animals and birds with more advanced features than frogs continue to live in water, does not some creatures with less advanced features than frogs and at the evolutionary level of fish, live on land? How is it possible? Whether such phenomena goes against the evolutionary theory or just exceptions ? How can they explain these improbabilities? Seeing the birds flying in the air, man too aspired to fly and he does fly today. But we do not know what made some of the reptilian species wish to fly. Even if these reptilian species wanted to fly, how did their scales turned into feathers, their forelegs became wings and how did their hard and weighty bones became so light? What is the mystery that nature favoured a section of reptiles alone? Why did the same nature decline to help man who wishes to fly, by growing wings on him? He has to make airplanes and travel in them. According to the evolutionists, for some of the birds, the life of their ancestors was sufficient. Therefore some birds wanted to live on land and some others in water. Nature came to the help of those which chose to live on land by giving them hard bones and weighty body. Likewise those birds which wanted to live in water tried out by descending on watery regions though some could have died in the process; the rest slowly acquired adaptive features for their successive generations and at last they became fully adaptable to water. These are the details of the evolutionary theory. Why these birds alone aspired to live in water? Whether they acquired the necessary adaptive features to live in water as a result of their aspirations or whether they live in water because they were created with the necessary features to live there , let the intelligent people answer. What are the reasons for crocodiles and whales which belong to different species, to aspire for living in water ? Did the nature, on knowing the aspirations of these creatures, readily oblige them by giving the necessary adaptive organs? Therefore those eminent men who go astray by believing that the nature, changing its rules with the changing circumstances creates so many different creatures will do well to realize that it is far easier to believe that God created all these creatures capable of living in different environments. During the time when various living creatures were gradually evolving, the amazing way in which different specialized organs appeared in them, is beyond the reach of human comprehension. For instance, let us take the case of the proboscis of a butterfly. At what point of time it evolved to this level? Initially the butterfly could not have had the proboscis and therefore nectar could not have been its food. What made that insect desire for honey whose food was till then confined to worms? Perhaps it desired for honey because the food it was taking then was not sufficient to cater to the needs of all butterflies. But what to do! Honey is only available deep inside the flower. Suddenly it started to think in the following manner. It thought, 'Mother nature! If only you could help me by giving a lengthy organ, I can have this honey and eat. But now I am almost starved.' The sympathetic nature, though could not help it readily, caused the growth of proboscis to its descendants gradually. When the proboscis grew just long enough to reach the nectar, its growth stopped! Such tales are fit for children though surprisingly, some intelligent people too subscribe to this view. What a pity! How easy and worthy of belief it is to trust that by giving such an organ to that insect, God made suitable arrangement to help the butterfly drink the nectar and satiate it's hunger and also to cause the reproduction of plants. What is the principle of nature that caused horns to grow on goats and cows and not on dogs and horses? When all the other teeth of elephant are arranged in a line, what caused two of the teeth of male elephant to protrude forming beautiful tusks? Besides showing partiality from one species against another, is it not an unpardonable error of nature that it chose to differentiate between male and female of the same species? Giraffe's neck grew lengthy because it yearned to pluck and eat the leaves of trees! In the same way could not have the elephant's neck also grown lengthy? Why nature chose to give the trunk as a separate organ for that purpose but made it's neck shorter. What principle of nature is it that helped a camel to have a bag (hump) to store water and a kangaroo to have a bag for carrying its babies? What is the reason that for a snake, eyes are to be used both to hear and see? How marvelous are the creations of feathers of a peacock and the quills of a porcupine! Why did nature gift the snake with fangs, scorpion and honeybee with stings? Thus we see special organs that are specific to each species. To propose that all these appeared in answer to different circumstances is untenable. It is foolish to believe that nature sensed the needs of different organisms and gave them suitable organs. Those organs that are not grown fully can not be put to use. And such unused imperfect organs must have ceased to exist and natural laws are not favorable to help them reach perfection. How easy it is to believe that God created different specialized organs for various species at the beginning itself in order to help them seek food and escape from various dangers! This alone is truth. Similarly, let us take the case of the strong beak of a parrot which cracks hard nuts and the beak of a woodpecker which cracks the barks of the tree to feed on the worms inside. Were they created so strong or they became so as a result of circumstantial necessities? Certainly it is more plausible to believe that depending on the purposes, each of these creatures were created with appropriate organs to suit the circumstances in which they live. Therefore it becomes clear that there is no place for evolution here. Starting from small creatures, all are created in one state and they live and die in the same state. They don't become different creatures. Some more organisms depend for their lives on other organisms. Parasite is an example. They always live depending on other organisms at a higher level than themselves. Let us consider the ring worm and tape worm which are found in the stomach. These worms live on the food that we eat. According to the evolutionary postulate, these must have appeared on earth millions of years ago. Where could they have lived till the appearance of man? What did they have for food till then? What made them desire for entering into man soon as he appeared? We can go on adding more and more such examples. Therefore it appears that certainly these kind of organisms could not have appeared earlier. If they had appeared later, then the evolutionary theory becomes wrong. What explanations do the scientists offer for these? Hence we understand that these creatures did not evolve into what they are in tune with the changing circumstances and opportunities but were created with specific purposes and capabilities. Having created all types of creatures, God has not only provided for their suitable livelihood but also made appropriate organs to lead their lives. Each creature follows a different method in seeking its food. Each has been provided with a body structure appropriate for its food and the necessary abilities to flee from enemies. Some attack their enemies and some swiftly run away. Each creature is given suitably strong body and sound organs. God has given the necessary wisdom for some creatures to escape skillfully. Some kinds of fish possess electricity in their bodies and they seek protection from their enemies by releasing them. Some creatures create nauseous environment around them as a technique of avoiding the approach of their enemies. Apart from creating them all with suitable faculties for survival, God has made some of them submissive and some others not so submissive to man. God has created man to rule over them all. But man has failed to give glory to God but equated himself with animals. There can not be a more foolish act than this. Brother, will you not know your creator at least on seeing the creation around you? We read in Genesis 1:25 that "God made the beast of the earth according to its kind and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind". As we see other verses in the chapter, we are convinced that there are differences among every class of creatures which is prevalent even today. Though some changes take place within the same class of creatures, there are no instance of one class of creature becoming another. For example, in the case of dogs, we find hundreds of kinds of dogs but there are no instance of a dog changing into or giving birth to a horse. In the same way, we can segregate horses into various categories by virtue of their color, height, strength and breed but they all belong to the same class. But has a horse ever given birth to a donkey? Therefore evolutionary theory is not a plausible proposition. Accrual of qualities in progress with the generation can not be taken to be supportive of the evolutionary hypothesis. Because among the honey bees only the queen bee lays eggs. When the eggs hatch, out of them emerge, queen bee, worker bees and drone bees. Why did nature form a separate rule for this species alone? Therefore don't we see the hand of a creator here? In the same way, some instances of deviation from hereditary practices go against the evolutionary theory. For example, in hatching eggs, only the female members display concern. But among sea horses, when the female conceives and as the time approaches for laying eggs, it chases the male and lays its eggs in a pouch underneath its stomach. When the eggs hatch, the male ejects the young ones with great pain. Then is it a trick of nature that made even the male of the species to share in the birth pain? Also, the male of another type of fish swims about with eggs laid by the female in its mouth and it even protects the young from enemies for a few days even after they are hatched. Till the time the eggs are hatched, the male can not take food. Why did nature make the male fish alone to take part in the process of procreation even under the condition of starvation? Let us see some more of such amazing facts. If we watch the ants, it is only at the time of mating that wings grow on the male ants and queen ants. Soon after mating the male ants die and the wings of queen ants fall. Thus defying all natural laws, wings grow on them only for a specific purpose. In the same way, soon after procreation, female scorpion kills the male scorpion. How can nature be justified in doing this? In this way, nature and all the various creatures existing in it bear witness to the work of creation. Besides, man who is the crown of nature, too declares the work of creation through his life. In Job 35:10, we read that man is wiser than the beasts and birds. We know very well how true it is. Man is many times nobler than other creatures. He has a language, the ability to think and determine, has wisdom to know the truth and sharp intelligence to invent novel things. All these are not possessed by monkeys which are thought by some scientists to be the basis of man's origin. Man's body and it's organs, the manner and the order with which these organs function, all bear testimony to the work of creation. Body is a machine that is capable of correcting itself. When the body is wounded and the skin is destroyed, the surrounding skin grows up and covers the gap. If a finger is cut, the skin grows up and covers the wound. Also when the body temperature rises above 98.4 degree Fahrenheit, sweating takes place. The evaporation of sweat results in cooling of the body and this way the temperature of the whole body is controlled. Does nature have the ability to regulate the bodily conditions so well? Moreover, the definition of 'will' is not easilily comprehensible. It is not made up of any solid matter. Likewise it is impossible to determine the nature of 'mind' by scientific means. But we see the working of 'mind' and 'will' through our experience. Similarly, it is impossible for anyone to point out clearly the nature and origin of 'conscience' inspite of our awareness of wrongdoing when an evil act is done. If man had originated from monkeys how can we reasonably expect such things from him? If we carefully consider our organs, we can understand the magnificence of creation. The pupil of the eye is a wonderful organ. Depending on the level of illumination, the pupil dilates or constricts to regulate the amount of light passing through it. The lens then focuses the light on the retina. Also the eye displays size constancy, in that, even as an object is moved farther away, we see it as more or less invariant in size. Moreover, though we have two eyes, both eyes look at the same object. Also both the eyes are situated on the same side of the face . If one eye were to be at the back, we know very well that we can not hold our attention to any single thing. Thus, as we analyze our organs one by one, we come across numerous marvels. Then how can we remain unbelieving that all these things have been created by God with great wisdom? We shall consider yet another organ. What is that? Brain is the most important of all. It is the seat of thought. But no one knows how it performs that function. In the same way, what we see, hear and learn are registered in the brain. The brain can forget or retain some of them. We have no right to ask why some things are forgotten and why even the things that we want to forget are retained. This is also a wonder. Brain is the centre of mental processes where sensations are registered and actions are initiated. Information from sense organs reach the brain and in turn the brain sends out instructions and warnings to various organs. Is it not the grace of God that the brain can automatically operate like an electronic switchboard in a telephonic exchange, handling incoming and outgoing messages so well! The lens of the eye focuses the light passing through the eye in the retina where the images of what we see are registered. However the brain and nervous system help in giving colors, features and dimensions to those images. Thus considering the brain alone, can any right thinking person fail to conclude that these are marvelous works of God who is infinite in wisdom and a wonderful creator? Let us now analyze the creation as accounted in the book of Genesis. How eautifully and orderly have each step been given! There is room to suspect that our evolutionist friends might have derived the basis of their theory from the above account of creation! In second verse of the first chapter of Genesis, it is mentioned that the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. The evolutionists have given a twist to the above verse and claim that in the beginning, a life giving matter called protoplasm was floating on waters. Moreover in the 20th verse we read that God said, "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens". Based on this evolutionists claim that evolution began in water from where the birds emerged! Nevertheless, they reject the Creator of whom the scriptures speak with great clarity. The scriptures say that it was God who created man. We read that God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Man remains powerless to know his future despite inventing so many powerful things. Men ruling over vast lands are not able to exercise control over their own bodily desires. Man could halt huge ships on seas by dropping anchor but finds himself unable to have control over his mind. The man who manages to control his vehicle at his will even at tremendous speeds, is baffled to find himself unable to bring his mind under control when it crosses its boundaries. What is the cause? Isn't it because man has two characteristics coexisting, one of which is noble and the other of low nature! In the same way man realizes that within himself both good and bad are struggling for supremacy. All this explains quite clearly the existence of God's breath within man who was made from the dust of the ground. Finally without creation our gospel will be in vain. If we believe in evolution, there is no place for sin, satan, heaven and hell and therefore there is no need for the Saviour to come! How can there be soul for the descendants of animal? Therefore only those who aspire for animal-life think of themselves to have originated from animals. Brother, with all this we know for certain that there is a God who is the Creator of all that we see. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews concludes categorically in 11th chapter 3rd verse that the evolutionary postulate is wrong by saying, "The things which are seen were not made of things which are visible". Further, as we read from Job 12:7 onwards, "Now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; Or speak to the earth and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?" Will not this challenge penetrate your heart? Ask God. Is the bible true? Why would a Christian like me believe in my religious book called the bible, when many try to turn the mind of man away from religious faith reasoning that religion is an intoxicating drink and vehemently oppose religious books which explain the basic principles and beliefs of religion? It appears important to me to explain why I like to read it. It is my desire to explain the reasons for my belief and the beliefs of godly people like me, with the help of science such as Philosophy, Mathematics, Science etc. Although it is our wish to explain all details, we try to give some important reasons alone in a lucid and simple manner as it would be difficult for many readers to understand complex scientific principles. First of all, in the Bible, there is nothing contrary to science. Therefore I believe the Bible. Some people who don't know the Bible argue that some of the events mentioned in the Bible are not in agreement with scientific knowledge in any way. Let us analyze some of them. You would have already known from earlier articles that the details regarding creation as written in the first book, Genesis, are not in any way contrary to our belief or general knowledge. Therefore it is meaningless to argue that it is against scientific proposition. Secondly, an event which is greatly debated is the great deluge recorded to have occurred in Noah's time. Did it really happen? We give below the summary of an article which appeared in an Indian weekly named, "Sunday Standard" on this topic: On 5th of July 1955, Fernand Navarra, a French man and his son Raphael went to explore the mount Ararat. In the end, about 3000 feet from its peak they located Noah's ark. In their assessment, the remains of the ark was about 500 feet length and was seen damaged by the weight of the iceberg. They cut out and brought three pieces of wood weighing about 50 pounds from the ark. After analyzing the samples in many reputed chemical laboratories, they came to the conclusion that these wooden pieces were part of a type of oak tree found in the Mediterranean region almost 5000 years ago. When scientists had clarified this so clearly, why should we continue to harbor doubts about this? Still, let us also consider the opinions of geologists on destruction caused by this great flood: According to the theory of evolution, during any specific period only one kind of organism could live. However in the rocks underneath the earth several layers and piles upon piles of fossilized skeletons of organisms were found, which should have lived at different points of time according to the evolutionary theory. Moreover fossilized remains of different sea creatures were found buried in high places. Also skeletons of various types of organisms are found strewn across a vast area covering hundreds of acres in separate collections. Therefore it could reasonably be assumed that an unexpected deluge caused widespread destruction among various creatures living in groups and buried the carcasses here and there. Besides in various parts of the world there were signs of water having reached great heights. Moreover after careful analysis of deposits found at the top of some very tall mountains, scientists admit that those mountains were once submerged in water. Therefore the deluge of Noah's time, as mentioned in the Bible, is not contrary to science. Brother, why should you head towards destruction, ignoring the warning sound of God and refuse the salvation kept ready for you like the people who refused to heed the crying appeal of good old grandpa Noah and perished ignoring the ark prepared for them? Thirdly, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is an event which deserves to be investigated. We read in the Bible that these cities were destroyed by fire and brimstone falling from heaven. How could this be true? What do geologists have to say on this? The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were located in the valley of river Jordan. Beneath the landscape of these cities, a very wide oil well was found. Due to some incident such as an earthquake, this part of the earth sank and strained the soft rock underneath. Because of the pressure exerted by the sunken earth, from there, salt, sulfur and oil could have come out through some weak faults. These elements which gushed out with immense force rose to great heights and fell over a wide area of land which turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt. As oil rubbed with air, it caught fire and there was a rain of fire from above. In this way the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah also had been explained beyond doubt. My friend, the earth where you live will also be consumed by fire. Do you want to live? Find shelter in the rock of Christ. Fourthly, in the 12th and 13th verses of the tenth chapter of the book of Joshua, we read that Joshua halted the movement of the sun and the moon. Is this feasible? We also see that nothing like that had ever happened either before or after that incident. Therefore we should investigate the natural law by which this kind of unparalleled incident could have taken place. No one can tell with certainty why the earth rotates around its axis. The gravitational force of earth also is an enigma. There is a possibility of lengthening of day like this because of the obstruction to the speed of the earth. The hailstorm which occurred that day was the consequence of changes on the earth caused by the obstruction to it's movement. Isn't it possible that God could have employed some foreign space object as a tool to bring about such condition? Also, is it impossible for God who formed the ordinances of nature to perform an act overriding them? Long before the discovery of many of the scientific principles in the present times, they were mentioned in the Bible. This is another reason why I believe the Bible. When Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) pointed to people that earth was round, without support and revolved around its own axis, the then leaders of the Roman church, branded him a heretic and ostracized him. Romans are not the only Christians and it can not be claimed that they know the Bible. But what does our scripture say? Isaiah wrote "He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth" (Isa. 40:22) and in Job 26:7, we read, "He hangeth the earth upon nothing". Weren't these books written many years before Galileo? An astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) clarified that it was not the sun which revolved around the earth but the earth which revolves around the stationary sun. For the people living at that time, what was told by David to his people as mentioned in Psalms 19, that the sun rising at one end of the heavens and making its circuit to the other end, might have appeared senseless. However we know today that although the sun does not revolve around the earth, it does move on its predestined path patiently. Medical scientists tried very hard to find answer to the question, "What is life and on what does it depend?" Their final conclusion is that life is in the blood. But we read the same truth in the book of Leviticus again and again. The Bible points out in Lev. 17:11 that "the life of the flesh is in the blood". Moreover scientists have discovered an upper atmospheric layer called Kennelly-Heaviside layer (ionosphere) over the earth which looks like glass and protects the humans from harmful rays emanating from the sun, which also reflects electromagnetic waves (radio waves) back to the earth. What does the Bible have to say on this? Many centuries before this was discovered, it was written in Job 37:18 that "He spread out the skies strong as a cast metal mirror". These days, man has discovered that apart from stars like sun, there are planets other than the earth. Since these planets look like the world where we live, scientists even venture to say that they can be inhabited by human beings. It has been discovered that there are many such worlds. What does the Bible have to say on this? In Heb. 1:2, we read, "through whom also He made the worlds" and in Heb.11:3, we read, "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God". The most surprising thing of all is the mention of the land of India in Esther 1:1, many years before it was discovered by westerners. Since so many things have been written in the Bible, long before they were discovered by scientists and intellectuals, can we not believe that this was written by God Himself through His Spirit?. Know Your God. Various kinds of animals and creations living in water, air and the creeping creatures and the birds of the air, do only two things: 1. They reproduce 2. They search for food All their actions are centered around the above two objectives. Soon after drinking milk a young calf jumps around and plays. It's aim is to digest its food. Also, till the calf grows up, the cow gives its protection but forgets it thereafter. As we look at these, we find that they behave like activated machines. The behavior of a creature which we see today, remained the same earlier and it will remain so in future. There is no change whatsoever. This is accepted by everybody. We can understand one thing from this. They are not created to think and act. However, man is totally different. His behavior undergoes change everyday. Yesterday he built house in one manner. Today he builds house in another manner and tomorrow he will build it in yet another manner. Through this we can understand that man is capable of rational behavior differentiating between good and evil. In the beginning God made various creatures to pass before this kind of man. However for man, none of them could be a suitable helper. Therefore God made Eve with capacity to think and act like Adam. God made her from one of his ribs and gave her to him. She was found a suitable helper to him. See, we take our friend to a garment shop. Together, we select a garment and buy it. We find this friend to be like-minded and comparable growth. There is yet another kind of friend. If you tell him to come, he comes. If you tell him to stand at the bus stop, he stands there. If you tell him to get into the bus, he obeys. If you tell him to sit in a particular seat, he sits there. He speaks if you tell him to speak and gets down if you say so. He is incapable of doing anything on his own. If we take such a friend along with us, will he make a suitable companion to us? To take him along is no better than taking a stone along with us for company. God too did not make men like the latter. Had he made like that, man would be like a machine incapable of sinning. However, He can not have fellowship with such a man. Therefore leave out the foolishness of counseling God that He could have created man incapable of sinning. God created man in His own image and likeness having similar characteristics. O man, you are distinguished among all creatures! A small boy can rule over an elephant. But no animal, however big is capable of ruling over a child. The man who is created in the image of God possesses the capacity to think and act independently and acquire knowledge of good things that are liked by his Creator. For example, a man who stands at the terrace of his house has a ladder to come down to the ground. Again he knows that he can reach the ground also by jumping down from there. But he is aware that, if he jumps he will break his bones. Now this man is free to reach the ground by climbing down the ladder or by jumping down from the terrace. Whom can he blame if he chooses to jump down and thereby breaks his legs? similarly the early man chose what was evil, did what was disliked by God and came under His curse. Man, could you blame God? Many ask that having known beforehand that man would sin like this, why did God create satan? The distance between our wisdom and His wisdom is greater than the distance between the heaven and the earth. Who can understand His wisdom? As we pass by electrical installations, we notice warning signs painted in red. The warning sign may display a symbol of a skull with two bones placed across accompanied by a message, "11 K.V. Danger" written over the symbol. The meaning of the warning sign is that one should not touch it, lest he turns into one as depicted in the symbol! Some man touched it ignoring the warning and died. His friend was pained at his death and asked a question. "Knowing well that someone will die like this, why do they keep these electrical installations?" There is no difference between this question and the question that why God created satan. To know why God created satan, first one must know God. If one knows Him, it is possible to know His creations. God did not create satan. God created him as an angel. This angel spoiled himself and turned into satan. Till one gains the knowledge of God, he can not understand why God did like this even if it is explained to him in detail. The bible says that he who is in the image of His Creator has perfect knowledge (Col. 3:10). Man sinned and lost the knowledge to know God. Therefore he does not understand anything. However there is a way to understand! Jesus says, "No one knows the Father (Almighty) except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him (Matt. 11:27). Jesus calls, "Come to Me, all you who truly labor and are heavy laden for not knowing God. You will get rest by being relieved of your burden. Learn and obey my commandments which are light and easy to follow. Then you shall know God and find rest" (Matt. 11:28-30). Rather than considering yourself wise and confusing yourself with all sorts of questions, strive to know God. Come to Jesus for that purpose. We who are His servants, declare Him to you. "Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord" (Hos. 6:3). Know your God, the Almighty God who is the supreme being with the natural attributes of omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, eternity, constancy, self-existence, perfection, infinite holiness, truth, love, holy scriptures (Bible) and mercy, with the functions of creation, preservation and destruction. God is invisible, incomparable and indivisible. That there is a God who is the cause of creation and preservation of all things is generally acknowledged by everyone except a few fools who are not amenable to reason and they deny the very existence of God. It is with the intention to erase such wrong notions that we present below the following reasoning. 1. Without cause there is no effect. It is clear that there ought to be some cause for the several things and happenings that we see in this world. That cause is God. Just as two and two do not add up to three, just as nothing can come out of nothing, and just as it can be inferred that there cannot be smoke without fire, it is logical that since there are innumerable creations, there ought to be a creator. For, every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God (Rom 1:20; Heb 3:4). 2. The perfect harmony one sees in this vast universe, for example, the various creations depending on each other and complementing one another, all indisputably point to the existence of God. The idea that, this universe came into being accidentally appears foolish. If we pick out all the leaves of a book, shuffle and throw them on the ground, will they all align themselves automatically to make a coherent reading? Never. Is there ever a house that came into being accidentally? That being the case, can this wonderful and orderly universe arrange itself so well without the touch of a creator? The remarkable degree of orderliness one could easily perceive among the moon, the sun, the earth and the stars could not be the outcome of a freak accident but the work of a being with supreme wisdom. That supreme being is God. 3. The very fact that the things that we find on earth have been formed for a definite purpose and with a certain objective does point to the presence of God. Nothing has been created in vain and without purpose. Some beings display wisdom and some do not. Even in those beings that possess wisdom, we find certain functions being performed by a few organs without any external inducement. For instance, while eating, man does not direct his intelligence in planning for digestion of food and distributing the nutrients among the various organs of the body. These are all marvelous involuntary actions and there should be a cause to this effect and that cause is God. To the question whether these things cannot happen naturally, the answer is 'No'. The process of autonomy exhibited by a creature is not an external but an inherent function of that creature which could have been conceived and incorporated only by somebody with great wisdom and that somebody is God. 4. When we analyze the human body which is a world by itself, we find the intricate movements of various organs within, which unfailingly remind us of God. It can be said that either the body is eternal and self-existing or it should have been made by someone else. The body considered separately, does not have the ability to move on its own nor it is capable of sensation or thinking. Therefore assigning the lofty attributes of eternity and self-existence to it appears foolish. On the other hand if the body had been created in the beginning by 'somebody' else, then that 'some body' is God. Besides, the marvelous movements noticed within the human body, by virtue of being such a wonder , can not lead one to assume that it could have come into existence of its own accord. The logical inference shall be someone should have created it and that someone is God. Besides body does not possess the ability to move on its own much less to move an external object. Therefore doubtless it has to be activated into motion by an external force. That force is God having boundless wisdom and power. 5. As one reflects on the qualities of the amazing soul within the body, one would readily admit the existence of God. It can be said that either the soul has been existing forever or it is something created by the body or made by somebody else. Obviously intelligent people would not subscribe to the view that the soul has no beginning. It is certain that the soul has a beginning. The idea that soul is the product of the body also is foolish, since body is not nobler than soul. Can an inferior object be the cause of creation of a noble object? How can the body which does not have life and knowledge bring forth the soul possessing both? The soul can think, reason and ponder about the whole universe. Further the soul can discriminate between the past, present and future, can conceive and implement many marvelous things, and above all can probe and explore not only the earth but also the heaven and the God. How can the soul so powerful be created by the body which is much inferior to it? Therefore, it can be concluded that the soul should have been created by some far superior force. That supreme force is God. 6. Our own conscience bears witness to the existence of God. Whenever we think of committing some offense, a fear grips our mind and the conscience which is our being's internal speaker, declares us an offender and hence liable for punishment. Thesayings that 'there can be no unconscious lie' and 'one will invariably be trapped by his own sin' are true and our conscience is a standing testimony to the existence of God. Where is the need of fear for sins, if there is no God? 7. God's existence is further proved by the fact that people all over the world do worship God. Though there are differences in their methods and principles, nearly all accept that there is a God. There are people who do not have education or knowledge of scriptures. But even among them there is seldom anyone who denies the existence of God. Though they have no knowledge of the true God, realizing that there ought to be a God, they make things out of stone, soil, trees, clouds, etc. and worship them as God. What is believed by nearly all to be existing should really be existing. Therefore, there need be no doubt about the existence of God. God is in the form of spirit and therefore He does not appear to our senses. We can never comprehend His divinity with the limited knowledge we possess. By His marvelous works, we understand some of His attributes. However, we can gain knowledge of His flawless attributes with the help of the Bible, the wonderful book given by God. The Holy Bible declares emphatically that God is one because it is clear to everybody that God exists. The blessings enjoyed by the Israelites, the miracles seen and heard by them and the unfailing prophesies uttered by their great prophets offer conclusive proof that He alone is the true Supreme Being. The Holy scriptures explains God in three different perspectives namely His names, His works and His attributes. 1) Because God is one and is peerless, with no variation whatever in His nature, there are no names referring to His nature. However since He is in no way void of qualities, there are some derivative names attributed to Him to signify His characteristics, for the sake of human understanding. In the Old Testament, Jews gave a wonderful name in Hebrew, Jehovah (Lord) to God which means Self-existent or Eternal one (Isa.42:8). As Jews were afraid to pronounce this name they referred the eternal God by various appropriate names such as Elohim (Gods) (Gen 1:1) meaning Triune God , Adonai (Gen 15:2) meaning Lord, El (Gen 17:1) meaning Almighty, Elyon (Gen 14:18) meaning most high God., Shaddai (Gen 17:1) meaning the supplier of all needs of His people, Eheyeh (Ex 3:14) meaning 'I am' or the 'Self-existent one' ( Ex 34:6-7). In the New Testament God has been referred in Greek as 'Theos' meaning the Supreme God and 'Kurios' meaning Lord. In English Bible, the word 'God' is used with a connotation of goodness. 2) Bible reveals God to us through His works. It teaches us that God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing by the power of His word and made all those things in them. It also teaches us that the God who could create all things must be eternal; He who could infuse life into other things must be Self-existent; He who created numerous amazing planets must be Almighty; and He who created the whole universe in perfect order must be Omniscient and because all His works are beneficial, He is All-beneficent. Besides, when men became sinners, God's love and compassion were revealed in an amazing manner. The Bible proclaims God's works through many verses in a way comprehensible to our small intellect, in languages understood by us, that God created man with His hand; He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and that He was grieved in His heart. Because God is in the form of spirit, these verses must be appropriately interpreted. 3) His attributes become evident through His works which can be illustrated. Bible declares that God is one (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 44:6; I Cor 8:4,6); God is Spirit (John 4:24); God is Light (I John 1:5); God is Love (I John 4:8); He is the King eternal, immortal and invisible and that He is the wise God (I Tim 1:17). The Bible declares that the divine being is only one and there are many proofs for that in the world. Among the creatures, the characteristics and features exhibited by members of the same species are alike. In this world wherever we go and whatever object we see, the commonality and relation one perceives among these various objects indicates a single prime cause. This being is referred in the Bible as Divine Trinity consisting of three separate and distinct persons in the Godhead. Because they perform the works of creation , preservation and destruction, with one accord, all the objects in the world exhibit the same characteristics. One man's wisdom is sufficient to make a watch. But the same watch can also be made by three persons working with one accord. The Bible tells that, the Triune God performs the acts of creation and preservation in a similar manner. We will explain Trinity in another place. There are some vain people who oppose the above facts about God. Of these vain people, atheist ranks first. He stubbornly denies the existence of God. When we say that without cause there is no effect and the cause of all things is God, he will object it saying 'Doesn't a child come into being because of a father and a clay pot because of the potter?'. True, nevertheless, if we ask him again, 'How does a tree come up in a jungle not trodden by man?', he will reply that just as worm comes up from dung, trees also come up in a jungle through natural process. If we ask him further 'How can they multiply without seed? And can a child be born without a father?', the atheist can not give proper reply but will say that 'Everything occurs naturally'. If so, what is 'nature'? Is it an external or internal matter of a thing? Which is that nature? If it is an internal matter of things, will it not appear that these things can breed by themselves? We don't see such an ordinance. On the other hand if we take that 'nature' to be an external matter of things, then certainly it is the omniscient God who can create such a matter. Even then, there are differences between those who believe 'nature' to be the cause of all creatures and those who believe God to be the cause of all creatures. Since each creature exhibits a different nature, those who believe that nature is the prime cause suggest multiple creators corresponding to the different nature of the creatures; the one who proposes that God is the prime cause of all creation, establishes with certainty that there is a single Creator who is the maker of all creatures and their different natures. Atheists deny the existence of God since He is invisible. Aren't such remarks amount to plain foolishness?. Man has not seen man. For what we see as the man's body is not the matter that identifies itself as 'I' and guides that body. Nevertheless we claim to have seen that matter called 'I' because it is the inner self of the man residing in his body and guiding him. Likewise the truths about the invisible God is known through the visible world. If we believe only what can be seen, then, many facts of the world may have to be concluded as false. The believers of 'Advaita' (a form of Hindu philosophy) admit the existence of supreme God. However they say that He is everything in the universe and all that we see is an illusion and that everything in this world will appear and disappear like bubbles in the ocean and like a dream that we see. If everything we see is illusory, can the truth which is God be proved on the basis of falsehood which is an illusion? Can falsehood result in truth ? It is not possible. One who maintains that everything is false will try to establish his own word as truth. If everything is false, then what one tries to establish firmly as truth also must be false. In attempting to elevate the Supreme Being, such people foolishly deny what is existing and end up showing that the omnipresent God is nowhere present. This belief creates great arrogance in the mind of man and encourages him to say that man is God and soul is part of God. Can the indivisible Supreme Being be divided? Can souls of little intellect and full of sin become part of God? Where is the proof for that? If soul is a part of God, does it possess divinity in any measure? Can it create grass or sand? Can the soul atleast know how it is bound with the body? In the beginning it was made in the image of God and not with the attributes of God. It lost the perfect image it had on account of the arrogance of sin. Besides, if soul is God by itself, why should there be another God to be worshipped by it? This principle is the result of the inability to know oneself because of lack of wisdom. It is true that one who knows himself shall know the Chief. When a man clearly understands himself to be an object not having the power to create himself, he is certain that there should be a person other than him, who is God, the First Cause. Because he finds various proofs, internal and external to himself, to strengthen this conviction, he believes it without any doubt. 'Knowing oneself is the true knowledge and the converse is the devilish knowledge'. With this conviction, when man sees power and wisdom in himself in some measure, he realizes that the one who created him should possess infinite power and unlimited wisdom; When he sees himself having love and compassion in a little measure, he realizes that his creator must have immeasurable love and immeasurable compassion. Knowing this , he understands the purpose of his creation and is determined to praise in his heart, the God who is discernible to his mind. There is a reason for the people to have such different views of God.That reason is the absurdity arising out of arrogance resulting from sin. In the beginning, when man had good knowledge of God, Satan told him that if he ate the forbidden fruit, he would be like Gods (Gen 3:5). Man believed that lie and was ruined. Since then, man goes on blabbering about God's divinity such as he himself is God or there is no God or God is evil and so on under the assumption that God is one like him. Besides thinking of God in various ways like this, when the most high God who is the prime cause being visible to nobody and is without form, they went against His commandments as given in Ex 20:4 and Deut. 4:15. They exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator, who is forever praised (Rom. 1:25). This is the devilish knowledge. The knowledge of God is acquired through the word of God just as sun is seen by its own brightness. Because the word of God is truth, all that it speaks of God deserves acceptance. There is an eye by which one can view the invisible God. That eye is faith. The umbilical cord of that faith is the scriptures. Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Heb 11:6). All the good deeds of man results from the truth of this faith and all his evil deeds are the consequence of lack of this faith. Understanding God is wisdom; To worship Him is righteousness and loving Him is the blessing. The knowledge of God: Apart from the saying, 'One who knows himself knows his Leader', it is also true that one who knows God knows himself. There is a close relationship between these two kinds of knowledge. The knowledge of knowing self and God is the true knowledge. But man should necessarily know himself in order to know God well. Also he should necessarily know God in order to know himself well. When we contemplate deeply about ourselves, we can't help thinking of God who created us. We should necessarily think about Him who provides for us continually. Could we create our five senses by ourselves or could we infuse life into ourselves? It is absolutely impossible. Therefore we can not help thinking about God who has granted us so many good things essential for our living. The evil inherent in our characteristics and attributes itself induces us to seek God. Abhorring evil, we long to obtain the good things from God. We seek God this way through our faith that He will remove our poverty, weakness and defect and grant us the true knowledge, wealth, strength and righteousness. Knowing oneself: To know oneself, first one ought to know God. We should know how we look in the sight of God. By virtue of his pride, man usually evaluates himself to be wise and pure. But when we measure ourselves against God's flawless purity, it will be evident that our knowledge is foolishness and our purity is soiled. When we compare ourselves with God who is acclaimed as the holy holy holy Lord, it will be clear that we are just pretenders. The evil that surrounds us stains our mind. Therefore even some appallingly evil acts also appear good to us. We must realize that in God's pure sight, even our righteous acts appear like filthy rags, our strength appears like weakness and our knowledge appears like foolishness. Even the saints who stood in the holy presence of God were filled with fear and awe and trembled. Manoah, the father of Samson said to his wife, "We have seen God. We shall surely die" (Judges 14:22.). Likewise Isaiah on seeing the Holy Lord cried "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips" -Isa. 6:5. Similarly see Ezek. 1:28 and Dan. 8:18, 10:16-17. The people who saw the majesty of God invariably felt their insignificance. What is meant by the knowledge of God? It is not sufficient to be aware of the existence of God. Many ungodly people too admit the existence of God though they had not known God rightly. Even being aware that the omnipotent God created everything and preserves all, is not sufficient. The understanding that God is a loving, wise and righteous ruler is admittedly better knowledge but even that is not sufficient. We can only understand God as He is when we realize that we don't possess wisdom, understanding, righteousness, power and holiness unless granted by God. Realizing that all good gifts come from Him, let us thank Him. As He has created us and looks after us continually, let us realize that we belong not to ourselves but to Him. If we were His true children, we will act according to His will. We will abhor sin and keep away from it. Not out of fear or punishment but out of love for God, we shall refrain from evil and do only what is good. We will not then want to wound the Lord of boundless love. All sections of people realize the existence of God. That is why religions came into being. Even idol worship offers proof of the existence of God. The idol worshippers admit that there is someone greater than themselves, who deserves to be worshipped. Therefore they make idol and worship it. A few may say that some masters have fabricated myths of various religions with the intention of defrauding the people. It is true that in some countries, a few have used religion for erroneous purposes. However the priests could not have cheated them this way unless the people possess by nature some inherent realization of God. Even the atheists who deny the existence of God cry out to Him fearing hell. This natural awareness of God is not something that was taught but something that was born with us. Therefore this awareness can not be removed from one's mind even if he tries to remove it. This instinct is blunted and spoiled by foolishness and wickedness. It is undeniable that all people possess knowledge of God naturally. However only a few people take God as their sole wealth and yearn for Him. Many worship God blindly. A few others deliberately deny the existence of God with evil intention. This is not mere foolishness, but a deliberate and arrogant rebellion against God. Also holding wrong opinions about God, they do not honour Him though they are aware of His existence. "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools" (Rom. 1:22)(NIV). Wherever the term 'God' is mentioned in the Bible, it refers to God, who isthe Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. It always stresses the fact that there is only God. The Bible was written when polytheism was prevalent with the intention of emphasizing and pointing to the Jews who were then living in the midst of aliens that there is only one God. At the same time it was occasionally explained that the God exists in three different persons. Trinity: Though it is discernible through common knowledge that God exists and that He possesses various attributes, common knowledge alone is not sufficient to comprehend His essential Being or Nature. Although the existence of God is not a doubtful matter, understanding the nature of that unity is difficult. Understanding the being of God and His essence will be beyond the reach of common knowledge. "Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His son's name, If you know?" (Prov. 30:4)(NKJV). It is very difficult to comprehend by our small intellect the nature of God. But we should acknowledge faithfully and judiciously what God discloses about Himself through the scriptures. Of His nature, He declares thus: "Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?" (Job 11:7). "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!" (Deut. 6:4). "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). "To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" (I Tim. 1:17). God said, "I AM WHO I AM" (Ex. 3:14). Since the same God who has declared concerning His Unity and also has revealed His existence as Tri-unity, then it is our duty to accept this heavenly mystery with great humility, faith and love. Otherwise who can understand the Nature of God, the great light passing the awareness of this universe? The common faith is to worship the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity. The persons in the Godhead should not be mixed or separated. God the Father is one, God the Son is one, God the Holy Spirit is one. But the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have the same divinity, are equal in glory and eternal honor. Referring the Athanasian creed: The early Christians explained the Trinity through various examples. They explained it in a way comprehensible to our small intellect like, just as three persons with similar characteristics and qualities may be found among human beings, Trinity also exist in three persons with different natures but with same essence. They allegorized further that just as the three attributes namely person, knowledge and will originate from the same mind and just as the sun possesses the characteristics of motion, light and heat, the Trinity also exist in three different persons. Some others said that by virtue of His works of creation, salvation and sanctification, God exists in three persons. However these are just examples and not illustrations of His Nature. The Lord says, "To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?" (Isa. 40:18, 46:5). As many fail to understand that the Trinity consists of three persons, some give absurd explanations. The term 'person' bears the attributes of first person, second person and third person. Though there can be differences in the works of the Trinity, there is no such differences in the divinity, because such difference would negate the doctrine of Trinity. And this view would not be in accordance with the scriptures that God is one and also that He exists in the form of Trinity. Trinity does not mean that there are three Gods. On the other hand we understand through numerous passages in the bible that God is one. 1. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize the believers in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Through baptism we consecrate ourselves to be servants of God. This verse mentions that we should consecrate ourselves to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Therefore God should be three persons of same essence. If it were not so, we might be called upon to consecrate ourselves not only to God but to others as well, which we can not do. 2. St.Paul wrote, "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Cor. 13:14). This verse also mentions that God exists in three persons. Otherwise it would mean that someone other than god is conferring grace and further it would mean that we can be in fellowship with someone other than God. Such thought is improper. 3. In 2 Thes. 3:5, St.Paul wrote, "May the Holy Spirit (Lord becoming Father in your hearts), direct you into the love of God and into the patience of Christ", shows that God exists in three persons. 4. Lord Jesus Christ has told, "I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me. When the Holy Spirit comes, He will testify of Me" (John 8:17-18, 15:26; I John 5:6). Through these verses also we come to know that God exists in three persons. 5. We read in Isaiah 34:16 that, "Search from the book of the Lord, and read: For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them". Through this verse weunderstand that one among the three had spoken concerning the Father and His Spirit. Thus we understand that God exists in three persons. 6. The Lord says, " the Lord God and His Spirit have sent Me" ( Isaiah 48:16). Here, Christ the Word has spoken. Through this also we understand that God exists in three persons. 7. David said, "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth" (Psal. 33:6). In this passage, 'the word' refers to Christ and 'the breath of His mouth' refers to the Holy Spirit. Further it is written that both belong to God. Therefore we understand that God exists in three persons. 8. Apart from the above verses, the Hebrew word "Elohim" which refers to the attributes of God, is a plural term. In some places, this plural name appears combined with plural verb. Example, Gen. 35:7. In some other places this word appears combined with a singular verb. Example Gen. 1:1, 15:6. In the beginning, God had often spoken of Himself in plural terms. Examples are: "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). Since in other places, He has spoken of Himself in singular terms, we can not think that God spoke of Himself in plural terms like some haughty people in this world who refer to themselves in plural terms. God is not haughty. There is no doubt that God spoke of Himself to refer to His natural state. Besides when man sinned and acquired the knowledge of good and evil, God said, "the man has become like one of Us" (Gen. 3:22). Moreover in the early days, when mankind were using in one language and were of the mind to transgress against God, He said, "let Us go down and confuse their language"(Gen. 11:6-7). In numerous other places, God had spoken of Himself in singular term. Since God had spoken of Himself in plural terms in the above mentioned verses, doubtless God also reveals Himself that He exists in three persons. This heavenly mystery is a boundless and immeasurable ocean of blessing and this has to be acknowledged as something of matchless glory and beyond human comprehension. Jesus said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21). Therefore we understand that God is Triune and let us worship Him the same way. Man should find God. He should come to Jesus. Jesus calls him. He will not have true peace and happiness until he comes to God ; What little good life that he has at present also will pass off from him. Man should leave ungodly life, a life of his own liking. He should come to God. He should live in fellowship with God. He should do the will of God. That is the life made out for man. That alone will bring him real peace and form a solution for all his problems. In this world, we can see everywhere, wicked men who earn their wealth by unfair means capitalizing on their lie and deceit. One of their tricks is, they note the commodity that is most sought after in the market. At once they make a duplicate of that commodity, make it resemble the original by giving it the same coat of paint, dump it in the market at a lower price than the original. People are deceived by the appearance and end up purchasing it. In a few days, its true color appears. Thereafter the people so cheated hesitate to buy even the original goods. Knowing that God (the Messiah) would come from the Jewish community, satan had raised Theudas, before Jesus Christ came. Theudas claimed himself to be great and about four hundred men followed him. He was slain and all his followers dispersed. Afterwards satan raised Judas the Galilean. Many followed him but he perished and all his followers were scattered (Act 5:36,37). The purpose of satan's act was to make the people reject Jesus also,mistaking Him to be a fake. Moreover knowing that Jesus Christ will be known as Savior and God throughout the world, he raised many religious leaders all over the world and caused numerous religions to come up. The reason was to persuade the people not to give importance to Christianity, but treat it as just another religion. Today some in this world regard Jesus as only a religious leader, some as a prophet and some others as an ordinary man. Let us see some proofs that He is God: Among all the creations of God, man possesses the noblest characteristics. Man alone is distinguished. He alone is capable of controlling all animals, birds, rivers and the wind. If there is someone greater than the personality and power of man, it is none other than God. Look at Lord Jesus Christ.
"He is the true God and eternal life" (I John 5:20). "God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact" (Acts 2:32). Christianity stands on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The founders and leaders of other religions are dead. Their bodies have perished and gone. However Jesus Christ died for the sins of mankind, was buried and rose up on the third day. This is a historical fact. This was recorded by those who directly witnessed His death, burial and resurrection. The Holy Bible was not a record of events said to have happened long ago based on hearsay events. On the other hand, the New Testament was written by direct eyewitnesses of His resurrection and by hearing firsthand from Him. The early apostles were witnesses of His resurrection in a special way. They declared, "Jesus Christ rose from the dead. We saw that and we are witnesses" (Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15; 4:20; Luke 1:1-4; I Cor. 15:1-8). "With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 4:33) (NIV). The main duty of the apostles was to testify to the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 1:8,22). Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Whereas the graves of founders and leaders of other religions are here and whereas they are bound by death, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead (Acts 3:15; 4:10). It was only with the proclamation of the risen Christ, that Christianity made its beginning. All those who believed the resurrection were saved and delivered from their sins. They received the Holy Spirit. Though religious councils and governments restricted them from giving testimony to this effect, the apostles said, "We can not but speak about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20)(NIV). In these days, some might lie, "Jesus Christ did not die on the cross but after regaining consciousness, traveled to Kashmir, died there, and there remains His grave". "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification" (Rom. 4:25)(NIV). If my Lord Jesus Christ were not dead, my sins would not have been forgiven. If Lord Jesus Christ were not risen from the dead, I would not have had victory over sin. I am a testimony to the fact that He died, was buried and rose again from the dead. And every Christian is a testimony too. The power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a very great power in the world, like the power of prayer. In Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, the people once fallen are fallen for ever. But in Christianity, the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ makes them stand again and the same power upholds those in Christ from falling. Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The God who raised Him from the dead, fills you and me with the power of His resurrection. We shall be victorious over sin, world, flesh, devil and death (I Pet. 1:3,21). We are witnesses to this (Acts 5:30-32). With His power of resurrection, He will raise to life of glory those who believed in Him and passed away (dead and buried). They will raise to life and will rule this world for thousand years along with the living saints who will be transfigured (Rev. 20:4-6; 5:10; II Tim. 2:11; Rm. 8:17). Let us receive the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let us lead a victorious life (Rm.6:4,5). It was only by seeing the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ that an enemy to Christianity named Saul believed in Jesus Christ and turned a Christian (Acts 9:1-22). He was apostle Paul. We are worshipping not a dead spirit but a living God. Therefore Christianity is a true divine path of life and power. Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He will subdue His enemies. It is possible for the resurrected Lord to change even enemies of Christianity into His followers. Behold, Jesus Christ lives! Amen. "Then Jesus came and spoke to them saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore.... Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" Amen (Mat. 28:18-20). God is the life-force of man. Abandoning this life-force is the root cause of all his mental disturbances, confusions and hopelessness. You should look for God. Search and diligently inquire of Him (Zep. 1:6). If you search for Him with your whole heart, you will find Him (Jer. 29:13-14). You will find peace. Blessed is the man who finds God. Farewell.
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