Even as your soul prospers and be in health. Pastor Ituah Ighodalo

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2 KJV

Today is our family Sunday and typically on family Sunday we take family issues. Today we want to focus on health; we will be looking at male health.
Your soul must prosper for you to prosper and be in good health. We are talking about the prostate health. Does prostate really matter? Is it important or not? What is the connection between the prostate and sexual health?

The most serious problem about prostate is ignorance about its existence, function and importance.
The right kind of diet, exercise, sleep is necessary so that the body can be properly managed to the end of its days. May we not make unnecessary mistakes concerning our health.

No matter what we go through in life, know this for a fact that “God loves you!” Sometimes we go through hard times, these hard times are not to do us evil but to do you good in the very end.
As you go about your daily activities be assured that whatever it is you encounter that God allows to happen it is not to do you harm but to give you success at the end.

Two; I wish. God has very good wishes for you. The only problem is that God will not interfere with your personal wishes and desires. God has given us free will therefore he will not interrupt or interfere, He will advise, guide and come to our aid when we allow Him to do so.

God does interfere in the actions and choices of man; when David desired to take Bathsheba for himself God did not interrupt, when Sarah tempted Abraham to take Hagai as wife God did not interfere.

From time to time we may be doing the right thing but the devil will force himself in, God will not interrupt. He will wait to see how we react to what the devil is doing to see if we will accept the evil and succumb to it. If we chose God and ask for His help He will come to our aid and ensure that we overcome. At the end He will give us an eternity that the devil cannot destroy.

What we need most in life is the right mind and understanding to the things happening in our life. If we have knowledge and we apply wisdom we will not go wrong in life.

People don’t want to learn, acquire knowledge, investigate and sometimes people reject revelation.
Our heath and prosperity is a factor of the choices we make. Deuteronomy 30:15  See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;  The problem with man is a problem of lack of information, knowledge and understanding and clarity of purpose.

The desires of God for man is that man should prosper and be in good health. This is why I believe the story of the life of Methuselah, Enoch, Adam who lived for many years in good health. They obeyed the laws of God concerning good physical and spiritual good health.

We are not to be ignorant of the wishes and command of God to obey and live by them from this day forward. Know it today That God desires that we are healthy. Do not be ignorant of your health, maintain good health. One thing is for your body to prosper but one thing that is important is that your soul should also prosper.

What choice will you make?

Life is about sacrifice. 

Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. Mark 10: 29-30 KJV

What Jesus is saying that there will/may come a time we have to chose between family, money, business, your life and the God who created you and gave you all those things in the first place. When this opportunity of choice comes please chose God.

There are so many people who have laid down their life for their country because of the love and believe they have for it. The same way there will come a time to chose between God and those things we love most. If we truly want to be great, sell all that you have, give it to the poor and follow Jesus. You will be surprised some people will not make heaven simply because they were not ready to give it all.

The man that will make heaven is the one that has the right heart towards God and the things of God. Find a way to tell the truth all the time according to your heart and the spirit of God that works in you.

You must also give something out of that which God has given you. To overcome the fear of lack we need to learn to give from that which we have. Giving in itself is a form of sacrifice. It is making a choice between what is beneficial to us and what is beneficial to others.

The wrong kind of thinking

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

There are two things that affect a man; things that are inside of the man (internal revelation) and things that are outside of the man (external aggression). So, what are those things that are outside the man that can affect the man? I am talking about spiritual things.

A lot of times some people tend to think that it some witch or evil that is a result of their misfortune but most cases it is as a result of the decisions that we have taken. Someone who marries a person who is openly abusive cannot blame the problem of abuse on evil forces. It is a result of their own decision.

Mark 5: 7- 15 speaks of a mad man. The problem of the man is a result of demons from inside him that he either allowed knowingly or unknowingly which began to affect his mind.

A lot of things we see is often times as a result of the things we decide to do of our own free will.
There are people we see every day that are not in their right mind. They may seem alright, speak right and do those things in the right way. But deep down the decisions they make are not right either s a result of external aggression or internal revelation.

We tend to retire too early when it seems like we are at a place of comfort. We shut down and begin to take things for granted due to the little success we think we have.

There are a lot of us that go around with a negative mind; which limits us. This negative mind is
A fearful mind (God has not given us a spirit of fear) 2 Timothy 1: 7. People with a fearful mind is usually indecisive, they are limited and refuse to move forward because of fear.

 When fear comes on your door send faith to it and you will find that there is nobody there.  ~ Mrs. Hawckett

Hateful mind limits your progress in life. Hate is a waste of emotion and it is an emotion that you should channel to something more productive. A mind that hates will always be in bondage to those people they hate.

A worldly mind/ a canal mind/reprobate mind. It has covetousness, envy, back biters, proud, haters of God, disobedience to parents, without understanding. Romans 1: 26-32. For this people their mind is in reverse.

The “I live for today” mind. An example is the prodigal son in the bible who live for today and do not think of tomorrow or of others. The biggest investment in the world is the investment in other people and not the money you spend on yourself.

What have you made of your life? People have passed through the exact place you are passing through now. Do your best for the people you come in contact with daily.

We must live a right-minded life. Talk to God today and ask Jesus to give you a right mind.

What is the greatest challenge people have?

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 4: 6 KJV

What is the greatest challenge that people have and they want God to solve? You as a person what is your greatest challenge? For some people their challenge(s) are those things others may take for granted or things that may seem simple to us all. These challenges can be any of the following but not limited to them.

1. Mental challenge
2. Financial challenge
3. The right network
4. Lack of equity, fairness and rule of law in the land
5. Insecurity and fear
6. Feeding 
7. Lack of hope
8. Lack of leadership in the home and the nation 
9. Lack of love and will

Is there a solution to these challenges that we are faced with on a daily on continuous basis? Is there a solution to lack of leadership and corruption in the nation? Is there a solution to a lack of equity and fairness? Fist of all are the problems solvable and if they are what are the solutions?

• Enforcing laws and punishing evil that are perpetrated by the institution 
• Accountability 
• Responsibility to oneself and the community
• Leading through the Holy Spirit

All of the above are problems that we see from our human perspectives. The problem we have as a people and as a nation is not knowing what God is saying concerning our situation. Hosea 4: 6 says “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. The one and most important thing we lack is knowledge.

There is a way out to every challenge we are faced with today. We are to be like the sons of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12: 32) who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.
Ask God today to fill you with His knowledge; that He should speak to you and show you what you should do for yourself and for your family. Speak to Him with respect to the particular situation that is a problem in your life.

Power of the mind pt 3

And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. Mark 5:15 KJV

This is why some people can be optimistic, realistic, positive because somehow that is how our minds have been wired. 

Let us look at a few kinds of mind that brings the right kind of result

1. The right mind. Mark 5:15. There is a right mind and a wrong mind towards life. It is the wrong mind that makes man bitter, jealous, aggressive, wicked, unfairly competitive. Except you have the right mind you cannot have the right kind of success. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!” Luke 15: 17 KJV. 
2. A clear mind that truly sees things as they are and not as we think they should be. A lot of people have wavy, blurred and shaky mind; as long as we have this kind of mind, we will not be able to succeed in life. 
3. A positive mind is needed if we are going to succeed in life; a mind that is optimistic. Philippians 4: 8. We must be optimistic about life because our conscious mind and work with the subconscious mind to bring about the success that we seek. 
4. A limitless mind. If we are going to do great things, we must have a limitless mind, a mind of faith. A mind that thinks that “with God all things are possible”. 2 Kings 4: 6-7 as far as the Widow thought there were more vessels the oil kept flowing but when the son said no more vessels and the widow accepted this in her mind the oil stopped flowing. 
5. A hardworking mind. The bible says, whatsoever our mind finds to do we are to do it with all our might. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecclesiastes 9:10 KJV
6. A leader’s mind. A lot of us have a self-depreciating mind, we do not think we can stand up to be who we are. So many times, we act as servants when we are supposed to be leaders. 
7. A mind of Christ. Corinthians 2:16. David defeated Goliath. We must begin to see ourselves as Christ sees us. Christ says all things are possible to them that believe, He said to ask and we shall receive. 

The power of the mind pt.2

And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. Mark 5:15 KJV

The spirits in “the mad man of Gadarene” pleaded with Jesus to not banish them or destroy them but asked that they be sent into the swine (these represents the people that are called the swine of life). The swim ended up in the sea and they died. After the demons left the mad man, the man was restored to the person he was supposed to be. 

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. Proverbs 23: 7 KJV

In verse 15, the bible said “all evil, dangerous and suicidal thoughts left the man”; he was sitting, he was cloth, and he was in his right mind. The battle field of life is in the mind. Whether you win or lose this battle of mind, it happens in your mind. Proverbs 4: 23 says “keep your heart (mind) with all diligence because out of it will your life be determined”. What you are today is a summation of what your mind has conceived; you thought about it. What you wear to work, church is as a result of what you thought about at a time. Actions are not carried out without our thinking. 

What the bible is telling us in verse 15 is that a lot of people are not in their right mind. The battle field of life is in the mind. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. Proverbs 23: 7 KJV; we are the summation of everything good or bad that we have ever thought of. If you see a successful person his mind is superior and when you see and unsuccessful man you see one with a negative and self-condemning mind. His mind is telling him he cannot succeed or grow, his mind is saying that no one has ever done it before. A man who succeeds has a mind that keeps telling him that he can succeed. We can tell who a person is in their privacy by the way their mind works. A man who can conquers the mind can do anything; he can attract the right companion, attract the best buyer, attract the right job, and more. 

But sometimes the mind is so fast that we may not even know we are thinking of it. The mind speaks to us in many ways; dreams, recollections, thoughts. There are certain things that affects the mind. 

• What we hear. We hear things and most of them sink into the subconscious part of our mind. It may seem we have forgotten them but our mind stores them and we are shaped by them.
• What you read; the things that you read and the information that you receive. People are encouraged to read a lot of books and this will help shape our mind and who we eventually become. The bible says we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us.
• What we feel, touch and see affects our mind
• What you see affects your mind. Your imagination is most powerful mind tool
• What we smell; the odours that we perceive
• What we experience affects out thinking inside
• What the Lord has planted therein (your reflective and instinctive reaction)

The power of the mind

And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. Mark 5:15 KJV

The power of the mind is the ability we have to think. Man was created with a powerful mind. Mark 5: 5 said that when Jesus had come out of the ship, he was going about in the sea of Galilee, and he looked and saw a hilly space of lad filled with many tombs. Coming out of the boat, Jesus met a man with a disturbed mind. The bible said he was possessed of many devils/demons; the bible calls them spirits.

A lot of us tend to blame everyone and everything around us, but when you study the mind you will realize that it is actually your mind that facilitates the things that happens in our mind. A song says from a distance God is watching us. Watching those whose hearts are right with him and deserving of His favour. God is searching to see whether he/she is deserving of success.

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson

It happens to me a lot of the time, what happens are the things I have been desiring over time. Mark 5: 2-15 tells us the story of a man that is referred to as the “mad man of Gadarene”. It tells the story of how the deliverance of the man came about. He was possessed by unclean spirit and because of the battle the spirits waged in his mind a few things were seen to be evident in his life.

1. He lived among the tombs with the dead
2. He became unbindable, unrestrained, could not be calmed and was dangerous.
3. He broke the chains because his mind told him he could and he lived in pain because his mind is superior to everything around him
4. He acted anyhow he wanted and did anything his mind told him to do, including injuring himself physically

Something happened one day that he saw Jesus afar off, his mind saw Jesus was worth worshipping and he went ahead and worshipped Him. One thing his mind told him was that Jesus is Lord and the spirits inside him bowed to the will of Jesus.