Father, Spirit, Soul

By Merle A Hodge Carey

"Because she listens to me." These are the words of a three-year-old. Their way of exhibiting feelings of being respected, valued, and appreciated. Can the very young in your midst express why they are always excited and happy to see you?

Do the youth in your family or in your presence always feel encouraged to c

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Jul 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781647737573

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Father

Spirit, Soul

Merle A. Hodge Carey

Trilogy Christian Publishers

Tustin, Ca.

Father, Spirit, Soul

Trilogy Christian Publishers

A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive

Tustin, CA 92780

Copyright © 2021 by Merle A. Hodge Carey

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769.

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from The Holy Bible: The Amplified Bible. 1987. 2015. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Trilogy Christian Publishing Rights Department, 2442 Michelle Drive, Tustin, CA 92780.

Trilogy Christian Publishing/ TBN and colophon are trademarks of Trinity Broadcasting Network.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Trilogy Christian Publishing.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Trilogy Disclaimer: The views and content expressed in this book are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views and doctrine of Trilogy Christian Publishing or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-1-64773-756-6

ISBN 978-1-64773-757-3 (ebook)

Contents

Dedicated

Acknowledgments

Foreword: Because She Listens to Me

Preface

Introduction

Light and Truth for the Simple

And a Little Child Shall Lead Them

Save Us, We Pray!

The Innocent and Uncluttered Mind

Raised from the Dead

Prepping for Bible Study Class

God the FATHER

How and When Sin Entered into Man

Life Is a Mystery

The Christmas Story

Childlike Faith Always Pleases God

God the Father Cares for the Little Children

Given By God the FATHER

The Spirit of the Young

The Dark Sin of Disobedience

and the Light of the New Birth

Mary’s Song

The Soul of the Young

The Light of Life

Regeneration of Spirit and Soul

The Return of the Spirit with Soul

Johnny’s Prayer of Thanksgiving and Rededication

The Children’s Rap Song: Spirit, Soul, Body

A Prayer for the Children and Youth

Epilogue: Safe in the Arms of Jesus

About the Author

Our FATHER

Dedicated

To the children and youth in my family,

as well as to all the children and youth of the world:

My great hope is for you

to have the knowledge of who you truly are.

That you are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a body. That your spirit is God-breathed, and it is eternal—meaning, that it will never die.

That you are created in God’s image and likeness.

That the almighty God the Father

has a plan and purpose and destiny for your life.

And the almighty God the Father

loves you and cares dearly about you.

Blessings to all those who read.

Acknowledgments

The God-breathed name for this book was given to me in a dream. And with the help of God’s Holy Spirit, to whom I am always indebted and forever grateful, I wrote the book.

Also, to my sister Mabel, the lover of children, who, having the posture that Jesus Christ wished for Jerusalem long ago, took the young children in the family "under her wings" and loved and cared for them in her special way, as if they were her very own. I am especially thankful for her continued support and encouragement.

And also for both Pastor Millie and Mona, for their efforts in promoting the release of my first book, In the Wilderness.

Foreword

Because She Listens to Me

Because she listens to me. These were the words spoken by a three-year-old. It was his way of exhibiting feelings of being respected, valued, and appreciated by an adult.

Can the very young in your midst give the same response as to the reason why they are always excited and happy to see you?

The young among us adults do have much to say. The almighty God speaks to them too! And the almighty God’s communication with children is not of a lesser degree. God never changes. His communications with children are the same as with adults. So be careful not to ignore them or brush them off, thinking that what they have to say is not important.

And their conversations should allow the spiritually alert to peek into the window of their minds and souls and discern their thoughts, comprising of weighty questions they would like to ask but are either intimidated or do not know how to form those questions.

So why don’t you be the primer to lead and embolden the young to fire away with their unending questions? Like the following:

Who am I?

How was I formed?

Who formed me?

What is the reason for my existence?

Why do people die?

What happens to people after death?

What or who is spirit and soul?

Who is God the Father?

Know that the almighty God the Father calls and speaks to the young as well, and even audible at times.

Just as He called and spoke to the child priest Samuel in biblical times. As the Word of the Lord God declares in 1 Samuel 3:10 (

niv

):

The Lord came and stood there calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’

And as He also spoke to the child prophet Jeremiah. As the Word of the Lord God declares in the book of Jeremiah 1:4–5 (

niv

):

"The Word of the

Lord

came to me <>, saying,

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

Before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a Prophet to the nations.

Ah, Sovereign Lord, I said, I do not know how to speak;

I am only a child.

But the Lord said to me, Do not say, I am only a child.

You must go to everyone I send you to and say

whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them,

For I am with you and will rescue you, declares the

Lord

."

Preface

It was his most treasured possession. He took it with him wherever he went. It was never out of his sight.

I had always been curious as to why this pink paperback book seemed to be so cherished and loved by this young kid, who seemed to be no older than ten or eleven years old. Why was this book so highly valued by this preteen youngster? I asked myself. What caused him to read it through and through, from cover to cover, over and over.

And why did he always hold the book so close to his heart wherever he went? As if it were his only comfort and life support? He was yet in the dawning of his life’s day, but he had already undergone so many physical and mental challenges and setbacks due to a slight physical and mental disorder he had inherited from birth.

And he was, at the present, unable to keep pace with his age group, both mentally and physically. But there was no evidence of him being angry and feeling sorry for himself. My newfound little hero did the best he could with what he had been given from birth. And still counted it a blessing to be alive.

Then one morning, during my regular visits to the Home where he lived, which was owned by one of my sisters and her husband, I saw the book unattended, lying at the foot of his well-made bed. And he was not in his room. This was one of his better days. And he had gone outside to play with the other kids.

This was my chance, I thought to myself. So very quietly I sneaked into his bedroom. And I picked up the pink paperback book from off his well-made bed.

Hurriedly I left the room with his treasured book hidden inside my jacket. I went outside to my car and quickly drove off to the nearest bookstore. I inquired at the counter and asked if they had such a book in stock. No, the salesperson replied. We are completely sold out. Try the public library. That may be your only hope.

The book I held in my hand, I then realized at that moment, was actually a library book that was overdue! And I, at that moment, believed that my young hero friend had no intention of returning the book to the library. Because he believed it to be his very own! So I must also buy an extra copy to return to the library, I thought, to replace my friend’s copy.

And I also needed to get a copy of the same book as soon as possible for my ten-year-old niece. Her primary school’s assignment was to write a book report referencing the same book! And her report was due in a couple of days!

The book was so hard to come by. I went from one bookstore to another, only to hear the same disappointing news: Sorry, we are sold out. I simply could not find a copy of the book to buy anywhere!

The book was completely sold out! And the library had lent out all its copies! Time was running out! I must return the book I carefully held in my hand to where I found it as soon as possible, before my young hero friend realized that it was missing.

For I hated the thought of seeing this very peaceful and tenderhearted and gentle and young avid reader agitated. And I would also hate to scare him or aggravate his already-weakened and fragile mental condition should he find his treasured book missing.

So hurriedly I drove back to the Home. And I was very relieved to find that he was still outside, at play, and had not yet returned to his room to find his book missing. So very quietly I sneaked back into his bedroom. And I placed the book on his bed, exactly as I had previously found it.

I did not have a chance to open the pink paperback book to view its contents. So therefore, I had no idea what was written on the inside. But I remembered the title of the book that was printed on the front cover.

And as I slowly walked away from his bedroom and down the hallway, I wondered about the contents of the book. Exactly what was really written on the inside of the book?

Then I awoke from my God-given dream. And as I lay in my bed, I thought about the meaning of the dream and the contents of the book.

But based on the title of the book, I had a general idea of its contents. And so I came to the realization of the reason the book might have had such a profound, calming, and comforting influence on this young hero’s spirit and soul.

Introduction

Father, Spirit, Soul was the title of the little plain, glossy pink paperback book that I had borrowed from the well-made bed of my newfound young hero friend, an avid reader whom I shall call Benji. Though his was a solitary life, little Benji appeared to be an ambitious son who was happy to be alive. And this hopeful and wise youth had kept this special book close to his heart.

I believe that my young hero friend had learned from its pages the truth of God’s Word concerning himself. He had learned that he was not a castaway, and neither was he an accidental birth. Instead, he had learned that the almighty God is his heavenly Father, and that he was special to God. That he was God’s special creation, skillfully formed by God the Father and created in God’s own image and likeness. And that God the Father had breathed His breath of life into his being at his conception and forming and had chosen him for a special and unique purpose in life.

How assuring and reassuring the news must have been for a young boy dealing with so many of life’s challenges. Learning of himself that he is a spirit, he has a soul, and he lives in a body. And that his spirit is an offspring from the breath of the almighty God, his heavenly Father, fashioned and made in God’s own image and likeness.

And also learning that God, his Father, loves him more than anyone else could ever love him. And even though his earthly parents had abandoned him, God, his Father, will never abandon him. And God loves him just as he is. And God will forever love him. And that neither life nor death can separate him from the love of the almighty God, who dwells within him by His Holy Spirit.

And him also having received a better understanding of God’s grace and His perfect love and favor toward him. And that his spirit, which was once in a sinful and lost condition because of the sin nature he had inherited at conception from his parents, was now reborn, redeemed, and bought back by the Savior Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son.

And him learning that in God’s eyes he was not damaged or impaired. And that as a born-again child of God, he could never lose his position and title. And he is forever spiritually perfect and spiritually clean, freed from sin. For he had learned thus from 1 John 1:7 and 9 in the Holy Bible:

The Blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son forever cleanses us from all sin.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And him learning that he can pray to the almighty God, the God of miracles, at any time. And him also knowing that it is possible for God to heal and strengthen his weakened and ailing condition and make him perfectly whole.

And little Benji knowing from the Holy Bible that the almighty God is the God of miracles. And He has miraculously raised the dead to life again and caused the blind to see, and the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear. And no doubt he probably daily prayed to God the Father, asking to be made completely whole.

And so, each day, full of faith and hope in the almighty God, his heavenly Father, my little hero friend no doubt expected God to answer his prayer and miraculously heal him from his weakened mental and physical condition. For he had learned that nothing is impossible with the God of miracles, and nothing is too hard for Him to do. After all, He created the heavens and the earth in six days with the word of His mouth!

So I believe that this young avid reader had received a better understanding of himself and of life in general from the pages of his pink paperback book. And him also learning that no matter where he is, whether at sleep or at work or at play, the Lord God, His heavenly Father, is always lovingly watching over him.

So there was no need to fear, for God, his heavenly Father, will never fail him or forsake him. And he knew that he was and is never out of his heavenly Father’s sight or reach, even before birth, while he was still in his mother’s womb. This, of course, no doubt had been doubly comforting news to my young and courageous reader friend.

For he had also learned that the almighty God the Father, at conception, had gently and tenderly formed him in his mother’s womb and breathed His breath of life into his lungs. And He is continuously thinking of him. And that the almighty God the Father has a plan and purpose and destiny for his life.

I had awakened from that very captivating dream during the early-morning hours of July 26, 2010. And engraved on my mind was the image of young Benji clutching close to his heart his little glossy pink paperback book bearing the gripping and thought-provoking title Father, Spirit, Soul.

So I asked God’s Holy Spirit, who is the Christian’s great teacher, comforter, and helper, to help me to capture the contents of that special, pink-covered book titled Father, Spirit, Soul, so that I may present it to all my young readers.

And that they, too, can enjoy reading and re-reading what I believe my young Christian hero friend and avid reader, young Benji, had enjoyed reading, and that they, too, will embrace it and keep it close to their heart.

And with the help of the Holy Spirit of the almighty God, who is my great and precious and wonderful teacher and helper, I have penned the book. And the contents of this book, I do believe to be similar to the contents of the book I held in my hands in my dream. The book that young Benji believed to be his very own.

So to all the children and youth of the world, I present to you with love your very own book, Father, Spirit, Soul. And like with young Benji, may it also become your most treasured possession, which reveals to you how special you are to the almighty God, your heavenly Father, who has in place a plan and purpose and destiny for each of your life.

And may God the Father, by His Holy Spirit, bless you with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and respect, and of great love for the Lord God, Father Almighty.

Light and Truth for the Simple

The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; It giveth understanding unto the simple. (Psalm 119:130)

The heart of the young and simple is the example of a heart that is full of perfect faith and trust and belief in the almighty God. It is a soft and tender heart that is full of simplicity and true humility and thankfulness.

It is an inquiring heart that is filled with hope and love and faith, believing true and clean. It is a heart that searches for truth and praises and pleases Jesus Christ, the Truth. This is the heart of a child that Jesus Christ calls adults’ attention to.

The Word of the almighty God the Father declares such in Matthew 18:1–6:

"At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?

And Jesus called a little child unto Him and set him in the midst of them.

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

And whoso shall receive one such little child in My Name receiveth Me.

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe on Me, it were better for