Spirit, Soul, and Body - A Concise Analysis of Human Nature (SSB Book 1)

By Captain Adiari

Spirit, Soul, and Body (SSB Book 1) answers the following:
• What does the tripartite human nature (spirit, soul, body) really mean?
• Is the Human Spirit a Reality, Myth or mere Superstition?
• Is the Mind the same as the Brain?

The book unveils:
• the truth about Creation and Evolution theory
• the reality of the Spiritual World
• how to tap into the vast power of the mind for your desired life success.

This book is, indeed, a concise analysis of the human nature, based on Biblical truth. The principles presented are supported by true-life stories obtained from years of practice of medicine.

About the Author:
The Author is a Medical Practitioner with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree (University of Port-Harcourt), Postgraduate Diploma in HIV Management (Stellenbosch University, South Africa), and Masters of Public Health degree from the University of Liverpool, UK. He met with Jesus Christ at the age of twelve that changed his life course, groomed spiritually in Assemblies of God and Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel, active in campus fellowship and has been very dynamic in medical evangelism for almost thirty years in Nigeria and South Africa. He is married with children.

Recommendation:
“I recommend this book to all and sundry – most especially believers and all those who would like to go on an adventure to understand
the nature of man and how God has wired him up for dominion.”
– Joseph A. Ajakaye (Senior Pastor, Living Faith Church, also known as Winners
Chapel International, Pretoria, South Africa).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Captain Adiari
• Release date: Mar 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370527564

Captain Adiari

Adiari Captain is a Medical Practitioner with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree (University of Port-Harcourt), Postgraduate Diploma in HIV Management (Stellenbosch University, South Africa), and Masters of Public Health degree from the University of Liverpool, UK. Captain met with Jesus Christ at the age of twelve that changed his life course, groomed spiritually in Assemblies of God and Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel, active in campus fellowship and has been very dynamic in medical evangelism for almost thirty years in Nigeria and South Africa. He is married with children.

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Spirit, Soul

and Body

A Concise Analysis of

Human Nature

SSB Series

Book 1

Abbreviations

AMP = Amplified Bible

CEB = Common English Bible

CEV = Contemporary English Version

ERV = Easy-to-Read Version

ESV = English Standard Version

EXB = Expanded Bible

GNT = Good News Translation

HCSB = Holman Christian Standard Bible

ICB = International Children’s Bible

ISV = International Standard Version

KJV = King James Version

KJ21 = 21st Century King James Version

LEB = Lexham English Bible

NABRE = New American Bible (Revised Edition)

NASB = New American Standard Bible

NET = New English Translation

NIRV = New International Reader’s Version

NIV = New International Version

NKJV = New King James Version

NLV = New Life Version

NLT = New Living Translation

RSV = Revised Standard Version

SSB = Spirit, Soul and Body

TLB = The Living Bible

Voice = The Voice Bible

Declaration and Acknowledgment

Stories in this book are true life occurrences. However, names of the persons involved were changed to preserve their identities, except in few cases like Kenneth Hagin’s story, which appeared in the public domain and in other publications with full disclosure of the individual’s identity.

I thank the numerous permissions received from relevant quarters while compiling materials for this publication. I thank specially my wife and children – the first students I have used to refine most of the thoughts in this work, and the first to practise the illuminated teachings. The principles in this book are not new because principles are eternal laws of creation. However, the unveiling knowledge of some of these principles are quite novel. They came via creative illumination from the Holy Spirit, the Greatest Teacher, in my over 30 years of spiritual walk with God.

As you study this book, may you find creative illumination that will enrich your life and drive you towards successful accomplishments beyond your perceived limitation.

Foreword

Man is a triune being; he is a spirit, he has a soul and he lives in a physical body. This tripartite nature of man is inseparable and epitomizes the nature of God and the relationship between the Trinity – God the Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

In his book, Spirit, Soul and Body – A Concise Analysis of the Human Nature, Dr. Adiari Captain explains the tripartite nature of man and explores how this can be used for his benefits. He tries to debunk the mystical nature of the spirit world and the evolution theory in a simple yet well-constructed analysis, which explains the interrelationship between the physical and the spirit world. He uses simple concepts and in some instances, real life experiences to explain these truths and help the reader gain a lot of insight on the subject.

Besides his vast knowledge of spiritual truths rooted in the Holy Scriptures, the author also uses his knowledge of medicine to promote understanding of the human nature and his component parts and the roles they play in the whole essence of living. I find these of tremendous importance in gaining more light on the subject of man, his nature and how God has positioned him for exploits and empowered him to overcome all the vicissitudes of life here on earth.

Like Peter said of Apostle Paul, Dr. Adiari has written this book on man and delved into some things hard to be understood but has explained them in a simple language that anyone with an opened heart can easily grasp and understand. The book, Spirit, Soul and Body – A Concise Analysis of the Human Nature, is therefore a must read and a vital part of a living library on the subject of man and his tripartite nature.

I, therefore, recommend this book to all and sundry – most especially believers and all those who would like to go on an adventure to understand the nature of man and how God has wired him up for dominion.

Joseph A. Ajakaye

(Senior Pastor Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel International, Pretoria, South Africa)

Section One

The Reality of the Spiritual World

Chapter 1

The Introduction

Why does the spirit realm appear too mystical and even unreal to a number of people? Why is our scientific development of today unable to reconcile with the reality of life beyond the physical body?

While we may not scientifically prove that the spirit realm exists, we have at various times come in contact with the reality of the optically unseen world. Furthermore, various phenomena around us point to the truth that there is more to life than just the natural senses. We know there is a God of all creation; we know of angels, demons, and spirits of departed loved ones. Yet many of us do not know how to react and relate with this spiritual reality.

‘Man is not just a body,’ we often exclaim. But who exactly is man? Where is the soul located, what is the spirit of a man? Yes, there is God; but how can I reach to Him? Can I utilise my spiritual endowments to achieve my life goal? Is immortality of man a reality or a fictional story and mere imaginative thinking?

This book is a concise analysis of the human nature and aims to answer the question: Who is man? The probe into this existential reality is devoid of the usual mysticism and occult manipulative knowledge that are often associated with the quest for spirituality. The work aims to give a concise account of the spirit, soul, and body, based on Biblical truth. It attempts to answer the age-old question of the mind versus the brain.

As you study, you will be surprised of the numerous truths about man in the pages of the Bible, which you might not have paid attention to before now. The book promises to make the Bible come alive as you will better understand who man really is. Above all, it is my prayer that the knowledge gained would lift you to a platform where your life dreams and goals become possible as you develop a rich personal relationship with your Creator.

Note that this is the first book in a SSB (Spirit, Soul and Body) Series. To grasp the full message on how to develop your tripartite nature of Spirit, Soul and Body for exploits, it is advisable you study the whole series.

Chapter 2

Grandma, They’re Coming for Me!

Grandma, I see them. Beautiful people! They’re coming for me. Please, Grandma, allow me to go with them.

No, my child. Who will be with me if you go? No. No. Not yet, replied the Grandma.

Towards the end of 2000, while I was a medical intern in the old site of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, I had an 11-year-old male patient, John, who was diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia. The disease is a severe hereditary one in which haemoglobin, a protein entity on red blood cells, becomes defective. This, resultantly, distorts the normal shapes of the red blood cells into an abnormal crescent shape, which affects the ability of the red cells to live long and to carry oxygen around the body.

One consequence of such genetic defect is that the individual is often short of blood supply (anaemia) because the blood cells are destroyed continuously. The individual is also prone to various crises like severe bone pains, frequent infections, and others. John contracted sickle cell disease because both his parents were carriers of the sickle cell gene, represented as AS (A refers to a normal gene while S the sickle cell gene). Thus, John received S gene from each of his parents to become SS, the sickle cell gene.

Due to frequent crises that brought untold strains on the family finances and wellbeing, John’s father ended the marriage and abandoned his son to his wife. After much suffering, always in the hospital, John’s mother also became fed up and abandoned him. Thus, the boy was left in the care of his paternal grandmother.

John was a regular patient to our hospital. At this particular time, he was in another bout of crisis. As an intern, I was in charge of executing the decisions of the medical registrars and the consultant of our team. By about 23H00, the boy’s condition became quite critical. I was at his bedside trying the best I could, under my senior’s instructions, to assist him. But apparently we were not winning. John’s conditions were fast deteriorating. Arrangement was made for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). While waiting for ICU transfer, the above exchanges between John and his grandmother, whom John referred to as Grandma, occurred.

As John’s condition would deteriorate, his Grandma, a born again Christian, would start praying. The prayers took crescendo tone so that the whole ward was at alert, and some patients even joined to pray along with Grandma. John’s eyes would close as if he had passed away, his pulses becoming faint and faint, blood pressure receding while our team would be busy with resuscitation. At such times, Grandma’s prayer would become intense, and John would miraculously jerk back to life. This went on and on. As it were, it was apparent Grandma’s prayer was what was keeping John.

Then something happened that changed my life and, I believe, the lives of the nurses at the scene that night. John faintly mumbled that he saw beings that were beautifully attired coming for him. He pleaded with Grandma to allow him to depart with them. Grandma refused and rather intensified her prayers. After a few seconds, John repeated the plea, but Grandma wouldn’t agree. By the third time, John became quite frantic, pleading earnestly to go with these unseen (spiritual) beings. Finally, with a tranquillized voice, Grandma yielded:

Ok. You can go with them. I know they are angels coming to take you to the Lord. I’ll see you again up there.

Like a dream, we all watched how John immediately breathed his last once Grandma uttered the words; his face covered with a peaceful, serene visage. By now some of the nurses were sobbing. It was so awesome, unbelievable to the natural mind! The spiritual is as real as our physical existence. John passed into eternity to be with his Lord, Jesus. What a peaceful sight, what a reassurance!

What transpired that night in that hospital ward is as vivid to me today – about 15 years after. I still see in my mind that peaceful smile on John’s face as he laid clinically dead in the hospital. Though certified clinically dead, yet it was obvious that John lives on as he departed with those unseen beautiful, spirit beings. Indeed, there is more to life than our natural existence!

The Story of Mr. Magojo

About 12 years after the story of John and about six thousand kilometres from where John’s story took place, was another contrasting story. This was in Frontier Hospital in South Africa. Mr. Magojo was a 53-year-old patient admitted for complications of hypertension, diabetes and kidney failure. He lived a very active life, running his numerous business empire. He had accumulated financial fortunes; sadly his wealth could not shield him from hypertension, diabetes, and kidney failure. While on admission, he seemed to have a premonition of his impending death. He kept asking me in confidence if he would live.

Doctor, I don’t want to die, he would cry. I tried as a medical practitioner to calm him down, performed the usual medical services along with the other team members in line with the standard medical practice.

Mr. Magojo’s fears and apprehensions became quite palpable as he stayed longer in our ward. After the normal working hours, I would find some time to sit by his bedside. He would engage me in discussions about God, and he categorically told me he didn’t really believe in Jesus. He referred to Christianity as a whiteman’s religious craft, though he tried to be civil with his words. No doubt he was a nice man. He was so energetic that he co-ordinated his businesses right from his hospital bed. As he became weaker, fear of the unknown gripped him. Oh, what a sight! Mr. Magojo was ready to give anything to hold unto life. The doctors in our team ran up and down trying to save the life of this nice man, even attempting to refer him to a tertiary hospital since ours was a secondary hospital.

I came to work on a Monday after a weekend, hoping to see Mr. Magojo. It was disheartening to hear from the doctors-on-call that Mr. Magojo passed into eternity at the weekend. The story of his last day was a sad one. According to the team-on-call, fear, apprehensions, and resistance were all visible on Mr. Magojo’s face as he struggled with death, quite a contrast to the peaceful smile on John’s face.

As medical practitioners, we deal a lot with life and death. Some of these experiences leave indelible impressions on our lives. While there may not be clear scientific evidences, we in the medical field are often confronted with the stark reality of life beyond the body. A doctor or nurse with an open mind would readily agree that the human being does not only possess a body but, also, a spiritual existence. That is, there is a spiritual aspect of man.

Interestingly, atheists tend to disagree, teaching that human is nothing but a mere superior animal. However, at the threshold of death many of these atheists become very fearful as the reality of the spiritual existence of our humanity becomes acutely confronting, making them to realise almost too late that man is not just a body.

Image result for pictures and images of afterlife

Fig.1: At the threshold of death, many people become very fearful as the reality of the spiritual existence of our humanity becomes acutely confronting

At physical death, the body ceases from functioning. But the spirit lives on. The story of John clearly illustrated that. When death comes knocking, the love for life takes a critical meaning. No one wants to be denied of earthly existence. Life is a gift. But present earthly life is quite transient, a mere few decades at most. When faced with death, individuals who believe and live only in the natural realm are always gripped with fear as they are unsure of the hereafter. Mr. Magojo’s story was a good example of that.

Thus, this book explores: Who is man? Is he just a mere animal like dog, goat, dolphin, and others? Does man have other components besides his physical body? If there is another realm of man, can we utilise that realm in pursuit of success, health, happiness, and other good things in life? Most importantly, what is the relationship between the other realm of man and God the Creator? Can we access God with this spiritual realm?

This book seeks not to discuss religion, but the practicality of our existence as human. Note that the term ‘man’ as used in this book refers to both male and female gender.

Chapter 3

The Spiritual World Exists

"My heart stopped beating. This numbness spread to my feet, my ankles, my knees, my hips, my stomach, my heart and I leaped out of my body. I did not lose consciousness; I leaped out of my body like a diver would leap off a diving board into a swimming pool. I knew I was outside my body. I could see my family in the room, but I couldn’t contact them. I began to descend down, down, into a pit, like you’d go down into a well, cavern or cave. And I continued to descend.

"I went down feet first. I could look up and see the lights of the Earth. They finally faded away. Darkness encompassed me roundabout – darkness that is blacker than any night man has ever seen. The farther down I went, the darker it became – and the hotter it became – until finally, way down beneath me, I could see fingers of light playing on the wall of darkness. And I came to the bottom of the pit.

"This happened to me more than 60 years ago, yet it’s just as real to me as if it had happened the week before last. When I came to the bottom of the pit, I saw what caused the fingers of light to play on the wall of darkness. Out in front of me, beyond the gates or the entrance into hell, I saw giant, great orange flames with a white crest. I was pulled toward hell just like a magnet pulls metal unto itself. I knew that once I entered through those gates, I could not come back.

"I was conscious of the fact that some kind of creature met me at the bottom of that pit. I didn’t look at it. My gaze was riveted on the gates, yet I knew that a creature was there by my right side. That creature, when I endeavoured to slow down my descent, took me by the arm to escort me in. When he did, away above the blackness and the darkness a voice spoke. It sounded like a male voice, but I don’t know what he said. I don’t know whether it was God, Jesus, an angel or who. He did not speak in the English language: it was a foreign language. That place just shook at the few words he spoke! And the creature took his hand off my arm. There was a power like a suction to my back parts that pulled me back. I floated away from the entrance to hell until I stood in the shadows. Then, like a suction from above, I floated up, head first, through the darkness.

"Before I got to the top, I could see the light. I’ve been down in a well: it was like you were way down in a well and could see the light up above. I came up on the porch of my grandpa’s house. Then I went through the wall – not through the door, and not through the window – through the wall, and seemed to leap inside my body like a man would slip his foot inside his boot in the morning time.

"Before I leaped inside my body, I could see my grandmother sitting on the edge of the bed holding me in her arms. When I got inside my body, I could communicate with her.

"I felt myself slipping. I said, ‘Granny, I’m going again. You’ve been a second mother to me when Momma was ill.’ My heart stopped for a second time. I leaped out of my body and began to descend: down, down, down. Oh, I know it was just a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. There farther down I went, the hotter and darker it became, until I came again to the bottom of the pit and saw the entrance to hell, or the gates as I call it. I was conscious that that creature met me. I endeavoured to slow down my descent – it seemed like I was floating down – yet it seemed like there was a pull that pulled me downward. And that creature took me by the arm. When he did, that voice spoke again – a man’s voice. It was