And tonight I want you to open your Bibles to Luke 16 and we've been preaching through the parables of Christ And so tonight we're going to look at the parable the unjust servant from Luke 16 Give you a moment to get there parable of the unjust do it in Luke 16 Verses 1 through 13 We'll read this together and then we'll pray Luke 16 versus 1 through 13 He also said to his disciples There was a certain rich man who had a steward and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods And so he called him and said to him what is this? I hear about you given account of your stewardship for you can no longer be steward Then the steward said within himself. What shall I do for my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I cannot dig and I'm ashamed to beg I've resolved what to do that when I am put out of the stewardship They may receive me into their houses So he called every one of his master's debtors to him and said to the first how much do you owe my master and he said a hundred measures Of oil so he said to him take your bill and sit down quickly and write 50 Then he said to another and how much do you owe so he said a hundred measures of wheat And he said to him take your bill and write 80 And so the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light And I say to you make friends of yourselves by unrighteous mammon that when you fail They may receive you into an everlasting home He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much and he who is unjust in what is least is Unjust also in much Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches And if you've not been faithful in what is another man's who will give you what is your own? No servant can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other Or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and mammon. Let's pray together The father in heaven Lord, thank you for the teaching of your word We're so grateful God that you've not left us without a revelation of yourself Without a sure and perfect guide and your scripture is just that we praise you and thank you for your truth And thank you Lord for this practical teaching on wealth money possessions We need it Lord and often this is a real test for even the genuine believer When it comes to how to be faithful to you and our stewardship of the finances that you've given us So Lord help us to be faithful in this by your spirit God apply these truths to our heart help us to repent where we are weak God repent where we are faithless and to follow you wholeheartedly What help us to be faithful in these things and give us Lord again by your spirit of a Heavenly focus a heavenly mindset Help us or to keep our minds focused on true riches in Christ on our heavenly inheritance To lay up treasure for ourselves God in heaven and that our heart would be there also that we might focus on you Lord and not be caught away or wrapped up with the Meaningless trinkets of this world and Lord help us to be faithful to you in all this as children of light That's where to be we love you Lord. We thank you for this day Thank you for a day and set aside to worship you and thank you for our brothers and sisters and What a joy it is to serve you and to worship you with them and Lord I pray that you'd be pleased with our worship of you tonight in Jesus name. Amen So we're in Luke chapter 16 and again, we're going through the parables of Christ and so tonight we come to this parable of the unjust steward in Luke 16 verses 1 through 13 and Another parable here dealing with finances. We heard from our brother Jimmy last week. Is it an awesome job? preaching about Finances and money and possessions with Lazarus and the rich man and so today again in Luke 16 We have a parable here about Finances you may have heard it said in the past that Jesus talked more about hell than he did about heaven And that's true in scripture But did you know that Jesus talked about money more than he talked about heaven and hell combined Money is a serious issue finances are a serious issue in scripture and one out of the three parable one out of three parables that Christ taught Deal with money dealt with deal with finances. How are to manage our finances? How are to deal with money? virtually one in seven verses Throughout this gospel of Luke deal specifically with money or related to money related to finances and that's true in part because finances money wealth possessions are such a Large part of our lives. It has such a prevalent influence on us the way that we think the way that we act What our motivations are how we work how we conduct ourselves? money wealth possessions Occupy by default an inordinate amount of time an inordinate part of our lives many are Completely consumed by it completely consumed by making enough of it Completely consumed by getting more of it Consumed with having it with saving it with flaunting it with accumulating it with making enough of it with getting more of it Consumed with not losing it or consumed by possessions consumed by wealth They're consumed with worrying over it. They're consumed with anxiety About it or anxiety related to it. They will go out and spend a big chunk of it For a one in 50 million chance to get more of it, right? They will gamble it away putting their faith in chance rather than in the providence of God. Whatever is not done in faith is sin What is responsible for more fights in marriages than anything else? Mother-in-law and then comes money. No, it's money Money is responsible for most fights in marriages The average person spends a vast amount of their time concerned with money Concerned with wealth concerned with possessions. I have a wonderful mother-in-law Concerning this then concerning how important this is she is right honey. Yes Concerning how important this is Then this becomes very fertile ground and doesn't it for idolatry becomes fertile ground for idolatry Used to be that idols were carved carved out of a piece of wood carved out a piece of metal and then shrines were built Now people carry around their idol in their wallet They've got their idol tucked away in the shrine of their bank, right? This will be money will often be Leading cause of temptation to sin Temptation to weakness a temptation of failure a temptation to poor stewardship And often money becomes then a tool Of our sanctification if you will Um oftentimes sanctification will come difficulty will come at the other end of a problem related to money related to finances Ultimately the question is are you going to trust the lord or are you going to trust your wallet? Are you going to trust the lord? Are you going to trust your ability to make more money? Are you going to focus yourself on the more on the lord focus yourself on your heavenly possession your heavenly inheritance? Or are you going to focus on storing up treasures for yourself here on earth? um Through difficulty with money. We often get some of our most powerful Tests don't we as a christian some of our most powerful trials come through difficulty with finances We remember from this morning and our call to worship. We read revelation chapter three with respect to the laodiceans They thought that they were rich wealthy and have need of nothing right They didn't realize that they were poor blind miserable naked And often it's this sense of comfort sometimes that finances brings that money can offer That becomes a serious test that can contribute to spiritual blindness. You've heard it said before that america Even the homeless in america are rich when compared to the rest of the world That we hear lack for nothing. We need for nothing And we have all that we need And that sometimes that spiritual or excuse me sometimes that comfort can lead to a spiritual blindness We can be so Preoccupied with our comfort and we don't come to understand our true spiritual need for christ our true spiritual need for his righteousness and we become disillusioned or swayed away or preoccupied or Indulged in the riches of this world and we forget christ often when you came to christ many of you Will remember that you came to the end of your rope amen You came to the end of your rope you realize that In this world you didn't have any hope apart from christ You came to the end of your rope with respect to sin Many of you some of you may have come to the end of your rope as a result of financial difficulty And that was one of the means that the lord used to save you You come to the end of your rope and you realize the wickedness of your depraved heart and you need Christ One of the things that money wealth possessions in this world can do Is to keep you from the end of your rope Can lull you into a sense of comfort lull you into a sense that you don't need anything That's what it talked about in revelation chapter three And that that feeling of comfort can lead to spiritual blindness think about the parable of the sower in matthew chapter 13 He who received the seed among the thorns It was that one who the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of what? Riches the deceitfulness of riches Choked out the word and he became unfruitful. He remained lost And it was the cares of the world and possibly the cares of the world with respect to The money that he had I need to make money. I need to make money to take care of myself It's the cares of the world the deceitfulness of riches that choked out the word Think about examples that we have in scripture of those that were Preoccupied with the cares of this world preoccupied with the deceitfulness of riches. What about aching remember aching Preoccupied with riches and he hid the wedge of gold the wedge of silver under his tent What about ananias and sapphira? So important to them that they lied to the holy spirit and what did god do god judged them for their lying Occupied with something that was already theirs But just the power the prestige the pride involved in flaunting their possessions Provoked them to lie to the holy spirit. What about judas? judas who sold Out christ for 30 pieces of silver In first Timothy chapter 6 verse 10 the bible says for money is the root of all kinds of evil Is that what it says? No says for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil For which a love of money Some have strayed from the faith in their greediness And pierced themselves through with many sorrows It is clearly said in scripture We're going to see in this passage. You cannot serve god both god and Mammon And here it is this the chasing of wind Associated with the chasing of money that causes the problem here chasing after the wind now that being said It's not wrong to have it. It's not wrong to try and earn it You've got to provide first timothy chapter 5 verse 8 says but if anyone does not provide for his own And especially for those of his own household. He has denied the faith in his worst and an unbeliever You must provide for your household. It's important to have it. It's important to provide in proverbs chapter 27 often This is interpreted for a pastoral role, but here it's related to finances related to possession In proverbs chapter 27 verses 23 and 24 the bible says be diligent to know the state of your flocks and attend to your herds Why? It says for riches are not Forever Nor does a crown endure to all generations. You're to know the state of your flocks and attend to your herds when you become Genuinely saved when the lord changes your heart He gives you a heavenly priority amen He gives you a heavenly focus you now have treasure in heaven You're now an alien a sojourner a pilgrim on this earth and your citizenship is in a heavenly country Which is as he said a better country and so you're you're to become heavenly minded So when you become genuinely saved our thinking about money about wealth about possessions on this earth is the shift There's to be a refocus Your priorities are to be redirected when you are made A child of the kingdom a son of the kingdom then your wealth your possessions become a kingdom asset The difficulty is is that In our sinful flesh in a lack of faith or a lack of trusting in the lord often that kingdom asset We want to retain as an earthly asset for ourselves And we don't view it as a kingdom asset And so we don't use it like a kingdom asset. We don't invest it like a kingdom asset We continue to invest it like a worldly asset and they are kingdom assets So our relationship to money In many ways then when you're genuinely saved becomes a reflection of who you are and what you value You have a kingdom mindset a heavenly mindset then your attitudes About money the way that you use your money the way that you invest your money The way that you save your money the way that you think about money all relates to the kingdom Um Matthew 6 verse 21 says this for where your treasure is There your heart will be also your treasure is in heaven your finances your wealth your possessions here Just a means for kingdom work while you're here it is if you will a Per diem while you're in the embassy this outpost of heaven on earth to be used for Heavenly good until you get to where your real treasure is where your real inheritance is right? So we with our money as in everything when you come to christ are to reflect christ Our attitudes about money are to reflect christ or reflect a heavenly mindset So now this passage like the one last week deals with the use of our possessions and how we relate to money if you look at luke 16 Let me read the story There was a certain rich man who had a steward and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods And so he called him and said to him what is this? I hear about you given account of your stewardship for you can no longer be a steward now many of the parables of christ have A shocking ending they got an unexpected twist right you hear the story and the parable as it is intended to do Sort of arrests your natural response to it You realize in the parable something that you didn't quite understand when the story began and it that's that shock value That often helps us learn a valuable lesson helps us learn a an important lesson a lesson Maybe we wouldn't have seen any other way it arrests us in our thinking has a tendency to change our thinking this parable is no different There's a twist if you will to the point of this parable and we'll see that as we go forward The master here if you notice praises The unjust steward for acting shrewdly He praises the unjust steward now from these first few verses You can't get around the fact that he is an unjust steward the parable calls him an unjust steward This guy has acted unjustly. Okay. You can't get away from the fact. This is not a good guy And with his possessions here with the master's possessions. He's not done a good thing He was basically in this parable a money launderer. It says in the beginning that he was wasteful. He squandered His goods No, he squandered what wasn't even his own. He squandered his master's good that word for squandered there It's the same word used of the lost younger son in the parable of the two sons when that prodigal son went out and squandered his inheritance Now at least in that story, he squandered what He took as his own Took it early and took it at great disrespect to the father, but it was given to him So he went out and squandered that which was his own here This unjust steward squandered not his own goods, but he squandered the master's goods He said to his disciples There was a certain rich man who had a steward and an accusation was brought in that this man was wasting He was squandering his goods now Many will look at this story and in some Really failed attempt to try to Maybe defend christ in this that he wouldn't use An unjust or a wicked man to make a point about how christians are to behave How christians are to handle their finances They try to find some way to make this guy out to be a good guy. Just can't do it. There's just no way around the fact They'll try to read a back story into it They'll try to read between the lines try to put things in about this guy that make him appear to be in the end A righteous man, but listen, this was a made up story by christ So you can't put any back story in all we have is what christ said and christ made the story up for the Purpose of teaching a point. So there is no back story here. This guy was wicked Okay, and it's going to be important to the point of the story that he was wicked This is something we need to take heed of when we get to the main point.  He is Stealing he's extorting. He's money laundering. He's being unjust with the funds of his master Okay, but unlike many of the parables that tight that christ taught The audience here wasn't the Pharisees. The audience here was the disciples So in this particular parable, he's not If you will teaching the Pharisees a lesson. It's not really the the point of what he's doing here He's teaching his disciples a lesson So in this when it concerns you and I is a parable for christians It's a parable. It's a point is going to be made for how we as christians are to view our finances How we are to handle our wealth in our possessions and we Through the words of christ here in this parable.  Are you prepared for that? We're gonna learn a lesson from an unjust guy here. Okay. It's a parable to the disciples now This rich man beginning in verse one here had a steward or a manager. It was someone who Took care of his business and particularly took care of his money Now he was wealthy enough to have a steward wealthy enough to pay for one And he had debtors that owed him large sums It's obviously this is a very wealthy very wealthy man a very wealthy owner He was likely this was a landowner and he likely owned this land Managed it from a distance while others farmed on the land to provide him income. Okay, so in his absence Needed a steward to take care of his property and so he got this guy this unjust steward to take care of it for him. Okay He was so uninvolved That it took a report For him to be able to come to the conclusion or to come to the understanding that this unjust steward was cheating him Okay, it may have been even The rich man that had some indication of this beforehand because it was almost immediately that he was going to fire him Look at verse two. He called him said to him. What is this? I hear about you Given account of your stewardship for you can no longer be steward. It was I heard the report I called him to me and on the spot. You're fired and now give me an account of your stewardship However He asks for the unjust steward to give him an accounting So if you're a business owner If you have funds yourself or possessions yourself that you're managing and you hire someone to take care of those make a note to self Don't give the guy any more time to do any more damage Right then you take his keys You ask him to clean out his desk and you politely escort him to the door This unjust steward here had plenty of time now to Do further damage to the landowner it further time now to think about it And ponder it how he was going to cheat his master cheat the landowner out of more money and then eventually Save his skin in this okay this delay this delay allowed this steward to do some serious damage He looking out for himself and all of that. Look what it says then in verse three Then the steward said within himself. What shall I do? My master is taking the stewardship away from me I cannot dig and I'm ashamed to beg I resolve what to do when I am put out of the stewardship. They may receive me into their houses Now this guy was more of an indoor guy Not as much of an outdoor guy This was a white collar guy as opposed to a blue collar dot guy To dig he may not have been able to he may have messed up his manicure But digging was probably beneath him, you know, what's the old song ain't too proud to dig No, it's ain't too proud to beg and he was ashamed to beg too. He was too proud to beg too He couldn't dig and he wouldn't beg this he viewed manual labor as being beneath him In other words, he was the guy who was the CPA and now in his pride And in his arrogance wouldn't take the digging job. He was going to look for another CPA job Was beneath him to dig and a point from this to think about is that when you need a job any job is a good job Again, it's not that we're to be private. Here's a lesson In the negative for the christian Be faithful in the work that the lord blesses you with When the opportunity comes it's a blessing from the lord see it as a blessing from the lord and then be faithful in that work He was faithful a little That's right faithful and much. Thank you brother It's the lord blesses in that so be faithful with the blessings that the lord gives you Uh, don't be too proud To take that job when you need a job You've got to provide and the lord blesses by and it may be even to you as a christian a test It's a it's a test of your trust in the lord a test of your Humility maybe sometimes maybe the lord is going to use that particular situation to teach you humility Which we all need to learn Here he's can't dig it's beneath him to dig. He's ashamed to beg Certainly too proud to beg beg and so the situation to him was Dire he viewed his situation Is him having no other alternative here had no other alternatives. Uh, he Resorted as was his nature to do here eventually to again lie to cheat To steal to rob from his master basically laundering money extorting money here He was just his nature was that of a liar a cheater a thief And so he resorted to that our responsibility christians Is to be faithful to the lord and there is no situation That would condone or warrant a christian even a dire situation over finances to be disobedient lord that will not Lead to sin it won't trust in the lord one of the reasons that We don't see the righteous begging bread as it says in scripture It's because the righteous have other righteous around them Brothers and sisters that will take care of you But you have the lord that will take care of you the lord uses means to do that We're to trust the lord we're to be faithful to the lord and never resort to deceit to lying to stealing We're to be faithful to the lord now No doubt here no question about it He's viewed his situation as dire He saw no other alternative and so he set to thinking about it now This was the guy who squandered his master's resources in other words He wasted all of that which that was entrusted to his care as a steward He wasted his time He wasted opportunity to think about that wasted opportunity to invest that wasted opportunity to do good With that for his master and then to be commended rightly from his master He had wasted all that opportunity and now he's in a situation where there's no other alternative He's not going to waste this it's his own hide that is in trouble here Okay, so he gets an idea And no doubt no doubt this unjust steward. It was very shrewd Undoubtedly he was proud of this idea that popped into his head. It was a light bulb aha moment for him He got this great idea Figured out how to make it all work out and not only all work out all work out for his benefit in the end This was a real winner this idea It was going to jab His current master gig his current master for firing him At the same time that it was going to save his financial future At the same time it was going to alienate debtors from the master and indent those debtors to himself Obligate them to himself This was a pretty smart A pretty wise if you will idea that he had it's amazing That here this considering his gross management of the master's funds at this point that this it took a Personal crisis in his life to really get him thinking and it prompted him in this to be really industrious Does it take that for you? Does it take a crisis to get you to be industrious with your finances? Does it take a crisis To get you industrious about saving your marriage Saving your job Saving a child from Horrible consequences of sin Does it take crisis for you to get industrious one lesson to be learned from this is don't wait For the personal crisis to be industrious in your life for the lord If this man from the beginning Had been industrious and wise with a stewardship that was given to him He would have reaped benefit from the lord in that and he would have been commended as a just steward And not an unjust one We've all been given a stewardship. You've been given a stewardship over your home Man, you've been given a stewardship over your wives over your kids ladies You've been given a stewardship of submitting to your husband. We've all been given a stewardship of serving the lord We've all been given a stewardship of the gospel the ministry of reconciliation We've all been given a stewardship And so are we going to be industrious With the stewardship that the lord has given us or will it take some consequence of sin, consequence of neglect, consequence of apathy, consequence of indifference before we'll turn around and be industrious for the Lord? It shouldn't. It's identify those stewardship where the Lord has given you rule over them and serve the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. In that the Lord blesses. Here it took a personal crisis for him to get to this point where he's actually going to think about it. He's actually going to work at this and try to make the most out of it. This is pretty clever management here on the part of this unjust steward. This is shrewd and cunning thinking as shrewd as a serpent. Where to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves, right? This man was as shrewd as a serpent, as wise as a serpent. Not only did the owner here also not escort him to the door, but he failed to take away the guy's contact list. Failed to take away the guy's access to these contracts. Failed to get a non-disclosure agreement signed or a no-compete clause signed. Got to take away the guy's phone. Word had not gotten to the debtors yet. He hadn't told any of them yet. In here, there is again a huge risk and a huge cost, if you will, to the master. He let this guy sort of loose with his contact list and there's damage done here. This would have been like purchasing a commodity. He has land that he owns and on the land he's growing a crop. Others come in to grow a crop. From that crop, they owe the landowner the proceeds from that which they grow. They take that which is above and beyond, that which they own, they owe to the master. That's how they earn their living. At harvest, they would have owed for the crop that they were growing. So, comes in and he's going to make a deal with these debtors. Look at verse 5. So he called every one of his master's debtors to him. He said to the first, how much do you owe my master? He said a hundred measures of oil. So he said to him, take your bill, sit down quickly and write 50. He cut it in half. Verse 7, he said to the other, how much do you owe? So he said a hundred measures of wheat. He said to him, take your bill now and write 80. So he's cutting a deal with his master's debtors. In reducing the debt that they owed the landowner for the crop they would grow on his land, the unjust steward put them in obligation to him. It was after that time when you did someone a favor, very common, that they owed you a favor in return. That was common practice. So this unjust steward is granting them a huge favor. He goes and says, you owe how much? A hundred measures of oil. A hundred measures of oil was 875 gallons of olive oil, approximately, give or take. It would have taken the full production of 150 olive trees to produce that much oil. And the cost of that would have been a thousand denarii or about three years of wages for a common laborer at that time. So for him to cut it in half, not a small deal, right? That was a huge loss to the landowner, a huge loss. To have a hundred measures of wheat, a hundred measures of wheat would have cost approximately eight years' wages. So to take 20% off the top of that was again, was a huge loss to the landowner. This guy has gotten smart, right? He's gotten very shrewd. They were expected to repay his favor. He cuts their deal in half for one by 20% for the other to the landowner. And in doing that, he obligates these wealthy men themselves to him. They were farming on a large portion of the landowner's land in order to make that kind of produce. And on that kind of production, their profit would have been great. So he does, he takes the wealthy rich man landowner and he jabs him. And then he makes a deal with these somewhat less wealthy, but still wealthy in their own right, farmers who are farming on his land and obligates them now to himself. All of this was done by fraud. It makes them an unjust steward. You can't get around the fact this is not a good guy. He's robbing from the owner. He's stealing from the owner for his own benefit. And now these debtors are to be obligated to him. This is really smart, right? Sometimes you look at someone who makes this deal or creates this scheme. You think to yourself, that is wicked and smart at the same time. How long did Bernie Madoff get away with his scheme defrauding people that earned him billions? I think it was at the end. It's like this idea got him caught in the end. He paid the consequences of that, but that scheme was shrewd in the sense that it took a lot of thought. It took a lot of cunning, a lot of deceit in his unjust stewardship of all those funds Bernie Madoff protected himself for a really long time and became really, really wealthy. But it was unjust. So look what happens next. The shocking twist. The unexpected end of the story, so to speak, in verse 8. So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly for the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. What? What just happened here? The owner praises him. This is unexpected. The owner's listing would have thought the landowner had lost his mind. He had stepped away from reason for a moment.  He was worthy to be punished. He should have been arrested for his fraud. But instead he was commended. He wasn't praised for, obviously, for being wasteful. He wasn't praised for being negligent. He wasn't praised for stealing, wasn't praised for deceiving or for lying. He was praised for being shrewd. What does that word shrewd mean? It means to act with wisdom and insight. To show real thoughtfulness. To act with wisdom and insight. Often we're not used to using words or descriptions like that to explain an unjust or wicked act. That's exactly how the Lord uses this here. This unjust man acted shrewdly. He acted with wisdom and acted with insight. Now he did it for the purpose of a sinful purpose, a sinful intention, a sinful result. But it was wisdom and insight nonetheless that he acted with. This is, we're going to see, an argument from the lesser to the greater. When we say from the lesser to the greater, we mean from the gutter most to the utter most. We mean from filth and scum to that which is righteous and good and holy and just and good. This is an argument again from the lesser to the greater, shrewd. Here this unjust steward thought through his circumstance. And he had to think about it, you'd think, for a while. He had to really ponder his circumstances, really ponder his context here. He worked out all the details. It took masterful working out of the details in order for this thing to work out the way it did.  It took a lot of thought. He considered all his options. Certainly he weighed every potential outcome. If I do this, then this will be the outcome. I don't want to do that. What if I do this? How can I get this to work out in my favor? He had to think through it. He weighed potential outcomes. He looked at the future and he looked at his current situation. He wanted to protect his future. He wanted to meet his temporal needs. How can I set myself up so that this ends up in my favor? And he came up with a really shrewd way out thinking with wisdom and with insight. He looked at his circumstances, looked at how he could act, looked at the future eventualities of those decisions and found a solution that fit the bill for him. So when everything was against him, he worked this situation to his own advantage so that at the end everything was going for him. He actually turned it so that all this was to his advantage and the debtors actually owed him now. His future was secure. The point here, this took serious thought, serious insight, serious wisdom. In this case, street smarts in a sense, right? Wisdom. It took shrewdness. It took real thoughtfulness. The point to this is very straightforward. In this unexpected twist to the plot, in the argument from the lesser to the greater, thinking of this unjust steward and now thinking of the sons of light, the sons of the kingdom, the point is very straightforward. Sons of this age, the Bible says, those that are outside the kingdom, those that are lost, those that are of their father the devil, those that are not Christians. How many ways can we say it? Those outside the kingdom, those sinners are often more skilled and more able to secure their own safety and their own future with respect to temporal needs than sons of light, believers. Because often in securing their future, often in their management of finances, or often in their desire to look out for their own hide, they are more shrewd than sons of light, than our believers. The point here is how much more than, think about it, is shrewd as he was, as wise, if you will, as he was, as industrious as he was, as well thought out as he was, as careful as he was, as considerate of all the circumstances and all the options as he was, as desirous as he was to make this work out in the end for his own good, as shrewd as he was, how much more should believers be? Christians, sons of light, sons of the kingdom, given heavenly riches, stewards of God's provision, how much more shrewd with those resources should believers be then in securing their own eternal reward? When your soul is at stake, when your eternal destiny hangs in the balances, when your sanctification is in mind, when your conformity to the image of Christ is considered, when your stewardship of your family, stewardship of your wife, stewardship of your husband, ladies, stewardship of the kids, stewardship of heavenly resources, your finances, stewardship of the job that God has blessed you with, stewardship of the gospel to share the gospel with the lost, stewardship of your own soul, your own sanctification, how much more shrewd considering that that is such great riches in heaven, such great treasure in Christ, how much more shrewd, more wise, more insightful, more industrious should a Christian be considering that that is what we're managing? Do you get the point? Yes, we have something of tremendous, tremendous value. Tremendous value. And it's not just our temporal future that is in mind here. It's our eternal destiny, our eternal future, our eternal heavenly riches that are in mind here. It's not just a wealthy landowner that we're serving. It's our Creator. But God of the universe, God Almighty, the eternal, unchangeable, invisible God, how much more than, well that is a tremendous argument from the lesser to the greater, amen? How much more shrewd, how much more wise should believers be considering what we've been given to manage? That's the point here of the parable. He goes on to say in verse 9, and I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much, and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore have you not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches. And if you've not been faithful in what is another man's who will give you what is your own. Difficult at first glance, right? Think about verse 9. I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon. What exactly does that mean? You, Christian, are given stewardship of your finances, right? No one can serve God and mammon. What is mammon? Mammon is your wealth. It's your possessions. It's that which you own. It's your money. It's your bank account. That's mammon. So it says here, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon. What does that mean? It means using the resources, the finances, the wealth, the possessions, the provisions that God gives you for making friends. How do you make friends when you're a Christian? You make friends by sharing the gospel with them, seeing them saved. They become a brother. They become a sister. They become true friends in Christ. You make friends by witnessing. Where are your true friends if you're a Christian? Your true friends are other Christians. They're your brothers and sisters. So the lesson here from verse 9, use those resources. Use your wealth. Use your money. Use your possessions for kingdom purposes. Use those possessions to see the gospel pressed forward so that you make friends of those that you will forever be friends with in heaven. Forever. Those are true friends. They're truly your friends when you're in heaven and you see them walking through the gate and they're there because you shared the gospel with them. Amen? That's a true friend. Use the possessions that you have. Use your wealth for spreading the gospel. And spreading the gospel, you make friends for yourselves. Use that filthy looker if you will. Use that unrighteous mammon for the purpose of doing that. Use that mammon and invest it in kingdom work, in gospel work. And in that gospel work, you make eternal friends for yourselves through the gospel that when you fail, it says there in verse 9, when you fail in what? When you fail with those finances. Those finances are going to burn.  It is all going to fail at some point. It's all going to be burnt up. That money doesn't go with you into heaven. Your possessions don't go with you into heaven. You go through that turnstile alone with nothing. You can't take anything with you. So that money all fails. That when you fail with all those, the investment of that unrighteous mammon, when that money fails, they, those friends of yours, those eternal friends, those friends in the gospel, the Christ may receive you into an everlasting home. They'll receive you into heaven as true friends, as beneficiaries of the gospel that you shared. That's the point here from this, that we are to make eternal friends. Look at Matthew 6, just very quickly, Matthew chapter 6. And look at verse 19. Matthew chapter 6, verse 19. This is part and parcel with this. And I think we need to see it in this context. Verse 19, the Bible says, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal, for where your treasure is there your heart will be also. I think one application of that is laying up treasure for yourself in heaven, is laying up for yourself friends, people that, through the gospel, that you'll, it'll be there, as the Lord's blessing and grace to you, and using you as a means to see them saved, a means to spread the gospel. Lay up treasure in heaven. But secondly here, character determines faithfulness. It's not how much you have, it's how little that you have that determines faithfulness or what happens or results. It's character. Look at verse 10. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. And he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Some people falsely think to themselves, you know, if I just had a better job, if I can make more money, if I could just, you know, get that promotion, boy, if I could just strike it rich.  What are you doing with what the Lord has already given you? What are you doing with what you possess now? What did the widow do with her might? Faithfulness is determined by character, not determined by how much or how little you have. If you think yourself poor, are you being faithful what the Lord has given you? If you think yourself rich, are you being faithful with the riches that the Lord has given you? Faithfulness is the factor there that to be concerned about.  And here, to take the point of the parable, are you being shrewd? Are you being wise?  Are you laying that up for the sake of the gospel to see the kingdom spread? We are to be good stewards with all that God gives us, and it's not the amount that God gives us that will determine our faithfulness. Anything with a parable of the talents? Well, if I just had those 10, I could really make a go of it. If I had five, I could really, because I've only got this one, just better bury it in the ground. We're not to think that way. The Lord can make more out of that one with a faithful steward than he can with 10 and an unfaithful steward. Be faithful with what the Lord has given you. It's not how much you have or don't have. Just because you have more does not mean that you'll accomplish more. The Lord is concerned with a heart. He will be a faithful steward. There's another point here. He goes on to say verse 12, and if you've not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own, we're to be faithful again. That's the point. Look at verse 13. No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon. This word serve is the verb form of the word for slave. It refers to serving as a slave. You cannot render service as a slave to two masters at one time. Your service as a slave is to one master or another because it's slave service that is rendered here. There cannot be, there cannot be co-rulers of your heart, co-rulers of your mind, co-rulers of your gifts and talents, co-rulers of your thoughts. If you have two that are trying to rule, or as you're trying to subject yourself to, there will be conflicting demands. If you try to serve God and Mammon, those demands from each will come into conflict in short order, and that's a guarantee. There will be conflicting authority. Whose authority will you obey? You cannot serve God and Mammon. There will be conflicting emotions. You're going to trust your wealth, trust your possessions, trust your money to get you out of that issue, that circumstance, that problem, or you're going to trust the Lord to do that. There will be conflicting emotions. There's going to be conflicting actions. As a result of all that, you will serve the one or serve the other. But in serving the one, you don't serve the other. In serving Mammon, you cannot serve God. You cannot. They're mutually exclusive. In serving God, you cannot be a slave to Mammon. You've got a forfeit, that ungodly grip on this world. You've got to let it go. There'll be conflicting attitudes. There'll be conflicting wills. Ultimately to you, there will be conflicting gods. You're either serving the idol of Mammon or you're serving the one true and living God and you're going to trust him. It's often that when you're genuinely saved, the Lord, in His grace and in His mercy, through some financial difficulty, separates you from the love of money. And all God's people say, Lord, thank you, amen. Amen. I had to go through that. It was really tough. But praise you, God. Thank you. You taught me. You taught me to trust in you. You taught me to... I can't trust in that.  I can't trust it, Lord, but I trust you. That's the point. That's the point. This unjust steward could act shrewdly but certainly, considering the Lord that we serve and considering all that he has blessed us with, we should that much more be shrewd in our service to him. Amen. Amen. Let's pray. Father in Heaven, Lord, thank you for this story. It is such an interesting story. It's such a beautiful story.   It's just often that in our flesh it is so easy in the flesh to drift back to where we're trusting in our own flesh, trusting in our own abilities, trusting in our own provision, trusting in our own wealth, our own possessions, our own money. Lord, but there's no hope in that and we acknowledge that before you now. We acknowledge that you are our hope, you are our trust and you are all that we need and you've been so gracious to us in providing all our need. Certainly, Lord, the greatest of which is salvation but considering that great salvation in Christ, how much more will you also freely give us all things? So we thank you for that, Lord. We love you, we're grateful to you and Lord, out of a loving, grateful heart we want to in the handling of our finances and in the handling of those things that you've given us stewardship over want to, Lord, for your glory, because we love you, because we're so grateful, we want to demonstrate our trust in you by being good stewards of all that you've provided. Strengthen us by your your spirit to do that or help us to serve you to trust in you, to be anxious for nothing despite any circumstance that comes along. And as Paul said we would by your spirit, God, want to say also learn to be content in everything. Lord, thank you that this is such a glorious blessing and we, Lord, desire your honor in this desire for Christ to be exalted and for you to be glorified. Pray all these things in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior, our great provider, Jesus Christ, amen.


As a little boy growing up with my mother, I always heard her speak into me in Proverbs. One of the Proverbs I heard very often from my mother is, he who doesn't have a mother doesn't get wounds at the back. It's a Nigerian proverb that simply means that if you don't have someone to fight for you, don't challenge someone you know can beat you. My mother would also tell me, he who doesn't have anyone to revive him doesn't faint. Which means something like, if you don't have anyone to help you, you must be extremely serious with your life in Yoruba culture. So I grew up luckily seeing life from Proverbs perspective like the ones I shared with you above. I usually see life as a place where I would have to give every time I want to get. I always knew that nothing would come easily to me except I fought for them and that's why I sacrificed several years failing in the business world before I had my breakthrough. Now, as we enter a new year, I wish to share a few sacrifices I think you might consider making to get the best out of this year. If you're new here, don't forget to subscribe. 1. Invest 1000 hours on a skill Let's say you're aspiring to be a writer. Well, one of the best things you can do to achieve that goal is to write 2 hours every day for the next 12 months. I'm not suggesting that this is easy or that I can do it but if you invest 1-2 hours every day on a given skill, looking back at how much you've improved over one year will make you marvel at yourself. Now, let's say there's this important skill that's very much needed for your success.  Well, what about reading for 1 hour every day and try to sell something 3 hours a day? The more you practice anything, the better you become. You don't even need me to tell you that. 2. Fail more In the year 2007, I came across a book called Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins. One of the things that stays with me from that book is that if you want to succeed faster in life, you would have to increase your failing rates. I also read a book by John C. Maxwell around the same time, titled Failing Forward. Both books preach the same thing as regards failing. The faster you fail, the smarter you become and the smarter you become, the easier it is to succeed. This means that if you want to succeed fast, you must be willing to fail fast. Now, as we enter a new year, you would do well with your life if you decide to dare a few things you have been running away from because you don't want to fail.  But the beauty of it is that each mistake teaches you a lesson and makes you a smarter individual that as you become smarter, you know what works and what doesn't, which is how people succeed. 3. Wake up earlier The average time I had woken up in the last 11 months should be between 4.30 or 5.00 a.m., even though I work from home and have no boss to tell me when I must resume working. So, I found that waking up early makes me almost two times more productive. The reason for this is because when I resume my office early, I am able to focus on getting the work done without any distractions.  I also found that my brain works better in the morning. I have no scientific evidence for that, but that's my experience. So, if you can, I advise you to wake up a little earlier than you usually wake up every morning and invest such time into something productive. Read, think or work. 4. Sell your TV I don't mean you should sell your TV set. Literally, that's my way of saying the screen is dangerous. The TV sets of the 21st century are no longer in our living room. The real TV sets of this century are in our pockets and that's why it's even more dangerous. We go with it everywhere we go. It's called Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It's called YouTube and Netflix. While none of these is essentially bad, they can easily get to our heads and become an addiction. As a productive being who sets goals and wants to achieve greatness in life, you really don't want to be addicted to anything except your life's mission. You don't want to spend 5 hours every day of your life on Instagram and another 3 hours on Facebook. You don't want to wake up on YouTube and sleep on Twitter. While I don't mean you should delete your social media presence, I honestly think that most of us have to rethink how we spend our time. If we don't often spend those hours to read good books, this singular sacrifice will change their lives in ways they can't believe. 5. Sleep More Now, you sure know that I don't know what I'm talking about. In this video, I earlier said that you should wake up early and now I'm saying that you should sleep more. How can you have your cake after you've eaten it? Well, here's what I do. I go to bed very early every day. My chances are that my phone is already on silence. I try to sleep very early so that I can get good numbers of hours to repair my body. I don't even know if that is the right way to say it, but you got my point. In my experience, sleeping between 9pm to 4am and 12am to 7am are never the same, even though both contain exact same hours. I feel well rested if I can make it to bed early and I am advocating that our body needs sleep and a good amount of it to function properly. In fact, I read somewhere that denying yourself a good amount of sleep can cut your life short by as much as one decade. That's scary and unwise. If we want to work hard to achieve more and end up cutting short our lives, we eventually won't have the breath needed to achieve what we ought to. I'm not advocating that you sleep 10 hours every night like Albert Einstein, but you sure need to prioritize sleep to be more productive in the day. Invest 1,000 hours in acquiring a skill and in the next 12 months you'll become a better person. Try things and fail fast. You'll be smarter and you'll be able to succeed faster. Wake up early. It helps you become more productive. Avoid time wasting activities, especially on social media. Sleep well. You can't go far without sleep. I hope this video helps someone. My name is Steve Courage. I'm an entrepreneur based in Lagos. If you wish to know more about me, see my ugly face or consume videos I specifically make for Africans, check the description box and join my new channel where I show my face and teach Africans how to build successful businesses. I love you.


Govnersheet Disports Suplimweekor Delivers gegnau Validates the Electoral Vitues of all Eight Governors & Govna Court Costs by 60% Not Travils Alone Dplayj Boina Obag Hafis is plus Politics Amd what attack security The Supreme Court has delivered mekoma judgments in eight separate governorship election legal battles. The states where the governors knew the effects Akano, Plato, Bauchi, Cross River and Nassarawa among authors. Notable among the political parties are the all-progressive congresses, PCP, Democratic Party, PDP, Neu Najia Pupus Party and MPP, Labour Party, LP and Social Democratic Party, SDP. The governors who instated a Babaji Desongou Lu, Lagos State, Alex Oti, Abia State, Francis Uifru, Ebon State and Basi, who two of Cross River states had their elections validated. Authors are Caleb Mutfwang, Plato State, Bala Mohamed Bauchi State, Daudalawa, Zemfara State and Abai Yusuf, Kano State. The senior advocate of Nigeria and human rights and public interest lawyer Jibrin Okutepa and public affairs analyst Barista Justice Webo. Gentlemen, welcome to Plus Politics. Hello gentlemen, I can see... Good evening Barista. Okay, Barista Justice. Yes. How would you interpret the judgments of the Supreme Court for the eight governors whose electoral victories were validated today? What would be your summary interpretation to start with? Well, the truth of the matter is that I see it as a judgment in good direction. But if you look at the ratio, the ratio in the judgments so far, I think it is in harmony with the norm of the election and the enemies and aspirations of the people. That's the most important thing. And again, I would also say that I think the Supreme Court has somehow begun to... The kingdom is quote by the people. Because earlier before now, Nigeria has always been the territory as a problem of the country. But in fact, it created a lot of issues, a lot of tension. But I tell God that the Supreme Court in his wisdom has done the rightful, and I believe that Nigerians will be happy with the judgments so far. Because at the time it was more like a electoral victory and not like in the hands of the Supreme Court. Which is not supposed to be so. But I think so far I am comfortable with the judgments of the Supreme Court. A very cynical friend of mine today said that this is a validation of phogocracy. And I asked him what he meant by phogocracy. He said that what could the Supreme Court have done regarding Karno and perhaps Plato knowing what a contrary judgment could elicit in those two states. And so was it a case of jurisprudential timidity given the fact that especially in the case of Karno state the court of first instance, the tribunal, the court of appeal have given judgments with good reasons to the effect that the incumbent ought to be defenestrated and yet the Supreme Court just found some almost like reviewing the evidence that have been spoken to at the two previous courts. Like reviewing the evidence at the Supreme Court to find a way of justifying the validation of the election of the Karno state governor. What's your take on that maybe cynical reasoning but is worth looking into? No, for me it's not a matter of jurisprudential. You see, I keep on telling people that as lawyers and as military people of God there are certain things to look at. And they do let us also understand it first. Especially at the Supreme Court. Any judge will look at this based on public safety public security and public stability. Because there may be a partial quality law it will complicit as it supposed to be. So I am looking at it as that direction because if you remember before now there was so much question especially in Karno state because people were so kind that everybody believed that anything can happen. But I can't go that the Supreme Court has come to believe that. So for me, it's not a matter of jurisprudential. It's a matter of talking about the law. It's a matter of doing the right thing. It's a matter of doing the right thing. It's a matter of doing what the law should do and what it should be. And again, the Yanis and that question of the people. If you remember we have been playing party politics for so long. This issue will not take off. And that is what we are having and that is the problem we are getting. So I am not interested in the Karno democracy by law. And I can't go this way because I am giving that back to me the way it should be. If not maybe by now we still have the situation. So it's not a matter of doing the right thing. Because if you talk about doing the right thing and getting to the Karno party there is nothing which we are just talking about. So we want you to look on this judgment. You can take to read the judgment. You can make sure this is end by. And also you can read this too.  So for me, it is okay. But beyond the judgments of the Supreme Court on this governorship cases there is a major dysfunctionality in our electoral system that is yearning for attention and reform. Because if the electoral process were to be tidy enough would not be in a position where it is now taking the Supreme Court to be the final place of settlement of electoral contestations between our politicians. We know and people listening or watching should know that litigation in cases of disputations is also part of our electoral process. I am not one of those journalists or broadcasters who tend to want to give the impression that it is better to litigate than to cause anarchy and chaos in society. And you know one cannot but we would really like to see our electoral contestations end on the day the ballot were cast and the politicians shake themselves and governance commences. How would you respond to that? I would like to agree with you on this issue. The problem we are having is this. Let's all be realistic to ourselves. And the first is this. The electoral system is not tidy enough as I am confined. And again, the independent electoral commission I like. Yes. We say they are independent but actually in the actual part are they actually independent. Because the truth is this. The people from the system and the system is apolitical. If the system is free and safe anything you may want to go to electoral tribunal or go to court because when you are in a system that is free and safe that is not within community people need to go to court for anything. But the problem we have here is because the people do not even trust the system. The people do not even trust the politicians.  So that is the problem we have. It's not like one way or two. As I am confined I keep on recommending but if you want to get it right there are so many things we need to do. Our electoral laws there are too many laws in our electoral laws. Secondly, if you remember we talked about the as of this way our electoral reform committee if that can be put in place all these things can be checkmated. But unfortunately I think the people we have here is the politicians. That is our problem. And unfortunately like I keep on saying the issue of winner takes all he who plays the pipe he plays the tune. For me I have always you could say that of the fact that depending to law appoint the election man. Personally yes because if that is just to do who begins to begins to scream little issue changes I know you may not go to church but if you look at people let's say like till this I don't think we are dramatically progressing we are not progressing like that what you are saying is not according to the law of the initial reform and it is so unfortunate and that is why the court has to step in here ordinarily to the state or the country it is so unfortunate you know it is quite ironic that the immediate past president and indeed the incumbent president when they were in opposition as opposition leaders were vociferously in support of the vociferously in support of the recommendations of the West Committee being transplanted into reforms in electoral law and yet president Muhammad Wari had eight years and barely did you know pretty little to bring about the enactment of so many of the reforms that he literally went on the street with the incumbent president to assert that they put they made laws so why is there politicians this seemingly hypocritical opportunistic they speak with one voice when they are in opposition when they are where the ought to effect the changes that they had earlier agitated for they suddenly become they suddenly become either potency or particularly you know deceitful am I being a bit too emotional you are not my brother but that is the truth you see I keep on telling you that the major problem we have is what I call lack of necessity of proposal and that has been our problem lack of necessity of proposal because if you look at it like you said Wari has been there for eight years now for the people who have potential my brother doesn't take any kill for them to do the need for but the problem here is this no complains know that these politicians may work against them because one day he doesn't matter who is there he doesn't matter who is in the name of herself but if you are very wise you have to put it enough to always say the truth and to always do the need for because when I would like it or not we are putting a precedent and no precedent are we setting a good one or a bad one and any of these complains like you are like this like you are like that and you see I have to say this also that we are having today we are being forced to change yes I was going to say this we are being forced to change I say this earlier in one for life most of the time we are having today like 90% of people we are having today and for people from from age of 18 years about from age of 50 to 80 like you know from a generation and I don't know why I don't know people that have been forced from this country people who have that age in the year and the money of this country they could do they don't want us to enjoy what they enjoy because I know we can learn we have a great place to give good governance but Mr Justice let's come back to the primary issue we are looking at this evening and that is for me do you think that these cases especially these electoral litigations governorships and the presidential litigations as far as the supreme court do you think in a way they may be bringing the supreme court into a bit of a bit of optical optical dispute of a sort and when I say optical dispute I mean in pure terms you know people one cases of this nature now get to the supreme court sometimes I don't know maybe it's me you just wonder it's not going to be about the law it's just going to be about some some you know I want to be very careful and circumspect the kind of words I use on TV but it's all I would want to respond to that is it only made a few uncomfortable sometimes for even the justices the law laws of the supreme court that you know they sometimes brought into into some negative milieu with all these seeming cases my opinion you know like I said before most times the supreme court is the first court and of course you know that any reason of the supreme court you cannot appeal against it you cannot appeal to God but remember that any reason of the supreme court becomes law that nothing is about it and that is why the supreme court at any point in time in any decision they are taking you combine law you look at first and you look at the issue that and you match it with public stability and public safety and you know so you now look at it very well and bring it up together and also look at the feelings and the feelings of the people like what I said I think the supreme court for me so far and I will say it again and again and again but the reason I am concerned is the supreme court try to remedy it is so great in here now because already like I said before Nigerians are changing the digital as well as the supreme court if I am not using one the major problem in the country is having this problem but I think that the supreme court as in is wisdom why I say this is being justice justice before we look beyond that don't you think there is a dint of hypocrisy sometimes when people like you when the supreme court gave its judgment on the presidential elections many like you lambasted the justices of the supreme court ridiculed the court I am just trying to reason we have to look at these things from all angles many lambasted the supreme court ridiculed the justices but now today because no apocat was toppled and all the 8 governors they are electoral the two is validated by the supreme court oh you seem to be happy I am sitting here I am thinking what is this if you have followed me I have followed my interviews and my opinion I remember for one day the main integrity of this wake up in the presidential elections I keep telling people that the law court is more like a completer is telling you that the doubt is not to put in there the fact to put in there that will determine whether you weigh your case or not if you do not expect that if you do not have credible facts and also to prove your facts that the court will give you a judgment because you are not a penitent man I am one of the people that believe that the supreme court in the judgment of the presidential elections is justice to that matter because there are so many issues there are so many political matters that we are close to to the supreme court who is helping Agilito even before the matter was in court was in justice if this was what you expressed then did some people cast as passion on your opinion and some called you names because I want to believe I did not quite do any scientific polling but I want to believe that people in your position who were courageous enough and who had the courage of character to state that they believed that the supreme court did the right thing many of you especially lawyers were lambasted were lampooned were called names what was the kind of response from you got when you expressed this kind of opinion there yes the truth is that most of my colleagues actually took issues and quarreled with me but they would not understand I have no sentiment that it is not a matter of sentiment as far as I am concerned it is a matter of issues it is a matter of credibility it is a matter of putting the facts on the ground of course it is only before that people say I am only interested in doing the right thing that if you have a good case and you do not know how to present your case and you lose your matter in the court there is no reason the court does not prefer a treatment to give you what you do not ask for and the court cannot go and jump the girl or place the girl to begin to guide you and whatever so it was more of the sentiment and all the rest it is not a matter of what they say about me or what they think about me but what matters I learned is this it is about the law it is about the past and that is what I keep on telling Indians whether they believe it or not so at next time when you are going to court you prepare because I keep on telling people that it is more like whenever you are going to court to do is what you have prepared and what you have told yourself in truth what are the cases on the basis of this department on social media or whatever you must prepare for it and do the issue we cannot but also there are still a couple of states to have their governorship cases determined I think in the minority now but thus far beyond today And the previous rulings on this kind of disputations, your general review beyond today, at least you were somewhat, from your opinion, generally satisfied with the kind of rulings given today. But the previous governorship contestations at the level of the Supreme Court, your take. I guess we are having some technical glitches indeed. The segment was supposed to have been a two guest segment. We had the consent of senior advocate of Nigeria, Gibrin Okutepa, to have taken part in that segment. But unfortunately due to, okay, by state justice. Yes, we can hear you now. We had a glitch, you know, and the gremins are out today. But your concluding opinion on the issue of these governorship litigations and the rulings of the Supreme Court thus far, not only on today's case, but the previous ones that they have determined. Well, I hope I'm confined. Gibrin Okutepa has done his job, the Supreme Court, but like I said I will go beyond that. I also want to use the opportunity to state that our politicians will begin to do the needful, that it is this pope man should be in a lecture. It will not be your day at first, because when you begin to live this thing in the hands of the judiciary, definitely people will get this thought. People will not be happy. People will think because your governor, your government in power, the judiciary is going to focus on your behalf, or going to the government of your behalf or not. So for me, so far, so good, we will not get it right in total or entirely, but I see believe that we can see that it's where Nigeria is improving. And I'm so happy with the recent Supreme Court judgments. At least I believe that it has helped giving hope to a lot of people who thought they have locked up in the judiciary. Thank you very much. Thank you very much Barista Justice. Quite a good place to live it. We wrap up this first segment now and we go on a short break and when we are back, the sophomore segment of the show will unfold. Thank you. Thank you very much.


Samia Siluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Honorable Prime Minister, Srinarene Modiji, Honorable Ministers, Distinguished Guests, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. I welcome you to this ceremony where we shall witness some shining examples of India-Tanzania bilateral cooperation. These are by ways of exchange of memorandums of understanding and agreements between the two countries, followed by press statement by our two leaders. First, we shall witness the exchange of memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India and the Ministry of Information Communication and Information Technology of the United Republic of Tanzania on cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at population scale for digital transformation. From the Tanzanian side, the exchange will be done by Honorable Napae Nawae, Minister for Information Communication and Information Technology of Tanzania, and from the Indian side by Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs. Thank you, Ministers. Next, we have the exchange of technical agreement between the Indian Navy and the Tanzania Shipping Agency's cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania on sharing white-shipping information. From the Tanzanian side, the exchange will be by Honorable Mr. January M. Makamba, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of Tanzania, and from the Indian side by Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India. Thank you, sir. We next have the cultural exchange program between India and the United Republic of Tanzania for the years 2023 to 2027. From the Tanzanian side, the exchange will be done by Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of Tanzania, Mr. January M. Makamba, and from the Indian side by the Honorable External Affairs Minister of India. Thank you, sir. We next have the exchange of memorandum of understanding between the National Sports Council of Tanzania and the Sports Authority of India on cooperation in the field of sports. From the Tanzanian side, may again request Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of Tanzania, and from the Indian side, the Minister of External Affairs to do the honors, please. Thank you, sir. We next have the exchange of memorandum of understanding between the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority under the Ministry of Port Shipping and Waterways of India and Tanzania Investment Center of United Republic of Tanzania for setting up of an industrial park in Tanzania. From the Tanzanian side, may I request Honorable Professor Kitila Mukumbu, the Minister of State for Planning and Investment of Tanzania, and from the Indian side to do the exchange, Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India. Thank you, sir. We next have the exchange of memorandum of understanding between the Cochin Shipyard Limited and the Marine Services Cooperation Limited on Cooperation in Maritime Industry. From the Tanzanian side, may I request Ambassador Ms. Anisa K. Magimbe, High Commissioner of Tanzania to India, and from the Indian side, Shri Binesh Shrikan Pradhan, High Commissioner of India to Tanzania to do the exchange, please. Thank you, Excellencies. Excellencies, this concludes the exchange of agreement ceremony. I now request the spokesperson of the external affairs ministry to conduct the next part of the proceedings. Good afternoon, Honorable President, Honorable Prime Minister, Honorable Ministers, members of both delegations, members of the media. I welcome you all to the press statements by the leaders. May I now request Honorable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modiji, to make his remarks. Your Excellency, Lajpati Sanyasanji, the delegates of both the countries, the members of the media. Namaskar. First of all, I welcome the President and his delegation to India. This is their first trip to India as the President of Tanzania. However, they are connected to the people of India for a long time. We are trying to strengthen our relations in every part of the country. After joining the African Union as a permanent member of the G20, for the first time in any African head-up state in India, I welcome the President and his delegation to India as the President of Tanzania as a permanent member of the G20. Therefore, the importance of this trip increases many times for us. Friends, today is a historic day in the relations between India and Tanzania. Today, we, our old friends are connected to the strategic partnership. In today's battle, we have identified many new initiatives by keeping this kind of strategic partnership. India and Tanzania are important partners for the trade and innovation of each other. On both sides, we are working on an agreement to increase trade in local currencies. In order to realize the potential of our strategic allies, we will continue to search for new opportunities. In Tanzania, Africa, India's largest and nearest development partner is the ICT Centre, Vocational Training, Defence Training, ITEC, and the ICCR, which is a skill development for Tanzania and a capacity building. Water supply, agriculture, health, education, as well as important areas, we have tried to increase trade in the lives of the people of Tanzania. We will continue to do our best in the future. Through the ICT Centre, we have decided to open a campus in Janjibar in our relations. It is an important milestone. It will not only be for Tanzania, but also be a hub of high quality education for the regional countries. The development of both countries is a great technology. Today, with the help of digital public goods sharing, our community will be strengthened. I am happy that the success story of UPI is being raised in Tanzania. Friends, in the area of protection, we have created a five-year roadmap. Through this, military training, maritime cooperation, capacity building, defense industry, as well as new areas will be connected. In one area, India and Tanzania are close to each other. India is rapidly changing the clean energy landscape. I am happy that Tanzania launched the Global Biofuels Alliance in the G20 Summit in India. We have also decided to connect with the Global Biofuels Alliance. We have also decided to connect with the International Big Cat Alliance in the G20 Summit. To protect the Big Cats, we will be able to support the Biasvik efforts. Today, we have given the space and nuclear technology the strength to use it. In these important areas, we have decided to move forward by recognizing the host initiatives. Friends, today, we have also thought about the regional issues. As a member of the India-Mahasagar we have given the strength to face maritime security, piracy, drug trafficking, and other challenges. In Indo-Pacific, we are all trying. We see Tanzania as a very important partner. India and Tanzania are the one and only and the most dangerous security for human beings. In this regard, we have decided to connect with the counter-terrorism. Friends, the most important part of our relations is our strong and strong people-to-people ties. The Mandvi Fort of Gujarat and the Janjibar were opened 2,000 years ago. The origins of the Indian and the Sidi tribe were on the brink of death. Even today, the people of India consider Tanzania as their second home. To see them, to support Tanzania, I would like to thank Rajputi Hassan from Radhai. Along with yoga, the popularity of Kabaddi and Cricket is also increasing in Tanzania. We will continue to try to increase the number of people in both countries. Excellency, once again, welcome to Bahadur. Thank you, sir. May I now give the floor to you, ma'am? Official delegates from both sides of our governments, members of the press, ladies and gentlemen. I wish to once again take this opportunity to thank Prime Minister of the Republic of India and the Government of India for Coding and Vitation and precious hospitality rendered to me and my delegation since our arrival in New Delhi yesterday. This visit has provided us with yet another opportunity to cement further the excellent existing bilateral ties and bonds of cooperation to ask Tanzania in years like an extended family member which is just a cost away. There's a story that before Gandhi's return to India, he made stop to Zanzibar on his way to South Africa. And in that 19th century, he stayed in a hotel of which to date the hotel is very vibrant in its business. It's now called Temple House Hotel situated at the centre of Zanzibar Town. This and many more other tales signifies the historical brotherly ties and a friendship brotherly ties and friendship that spans the century. A friendship that has weathered all seasons from the days of Muslim winds or Muslim winds trade colonial days to officiate the relations to post-independence. Dear members of the press, this morning as Right Honourable Prime Minister said we had an opportunity to hold a candid and amicable discussion with the Government of India and from the discussion I could see and feel the passion and commitment to solidify and scale our relations to the future. My visit is occurring just a few weeks after the G20 Summit and in this connection I wish to commend Honourable Modi and the Government of the Republic of India for successful hosting of the G20 Summit. As you are aware Tanzania and India continues to enjoy an excellent bilateral ties which is to reaffirm the commitment by the United Republic of Tanzania to enhance and deepen the historic friendship and bilateral cooperation which has been existed over decades. It is also an opportunity for us to express our sense of gratitude to the invaluable support rendered by the Government and the people of India to our socio-economic members over decades. We have been working together in the development of various sectors as they have been mentioned by His Excellency but the decision by the Indian Institute of Technologies to establish the first ever overseas campus in our country is an honour and a privilege to us. We have been working in the supply of clean and safe water as well as defence and security also issues of our concern which have been adequately been worked out. On trade and investment the numbers are satisfying we are growing in investment Indian investors to Tanzania the numbers growing the value of the projects is growing as well. On trade volumes the numbers are growing as we are speaking up to 2022 our figures were $3.1 billion. So this makes India the third largest trading partner in Tanzania and the fifth largest investor in our country. So with this visit more are expected we have managed to open more avenues of cooperation for economic development as well as political development some of the areas have been mentioned nicely articulated by the Honourable Prime Minister and so I wouldn't use much time to repeat on the areas but we have agreed to open the new avenues of cooperation as well as scaling up our cooperation to strategic partnership framework. On multilateral cooperation I won't be hesitating congratulation congratulating and commending India again and again for successful hosting of G20 summit. It is in this summit that Prime Minister Modi has succeeded in advocating for Africa to become the G20 full member. He has also advocated for debt relief initiative for the vulnerable nations and declared the agency of mobilizing finances for developing countries for clean energy technologies so as to attend net zero emissions by 2050. Prime Minister we are commending him in making personal efforts to send messages of unity and not polarization advocating for reforms in U.N. Security Council and the multilateral financial institutions and the WTO to align with the changing world dynamics essential for our social economic development. Now we are aware of the coming Indian African summit and Tanzania has pledged that we will be participating fully in this summit and we are ready to play the role that will be required to play to make the summit successful. In conclusion Tanzania wishes to retreat further our commitment to closely work with the Republic of India innovating our bilateral cooperation to a strategic partnership that will advance our development agenda to greater heights. Thank you very much Shukriya Santhesana Thank you Excellency. That concludes the press statements. I thank you all for joining. Please wait until the leaders lift.


Hey everyone shave every one thousand hair. I'm knelt down here in front of the stove because This door does not like to close all the way and as you can see maybe you See these round spots. That's not dirt. That's actually the paint burning Same way as this plastic up here That's not dirty That's from heat So if we can figure out what's going on. Okay guys, like I said, I don't know if you can see that it's 11 17 There's one talking about right here I'm not cooking anything. That's just where I keep that for now. We are getting our kitchen done Either this month or first of February I Got the look in today Now notice something here, I know it's dirty, but don't judge right That screw there that screw there that one's almost out. That looks like it's loose This one here for the hinge Bottom one's a little loose, but I'm not gonna be able to get to that one right now Let's see if what I'm gonna do is gonna take care of it If it does then I got to take this door off to be able to get to that and tighten that hinge I didn't notice this one earlier Now that was loose Now it was loose now This came from One of the Disney resorts is where it came from so I don't know if this is a manufacturer issue Or if someone's had to replace this glass at one time Or that glass, I don't know but Either way What I'm gonna do is I'm gonna tighten these up now I've I'm pretty sure I know what size it is. I think it's a T20 because I Have had replaced glasses in these before not this one fortunately. Yeah, it's a T20 So let's go ahead and tighten these up But I'm sure you see same with up under here. It's turning all brown. That should be white It's another thing what I don't like about these do See that that's melted That's melted and well, that's a little crooked too. That's always been like that and that's molten when you take something off there That's heavy, you know, I mean it just have it. You just slide it off and it hits these knobs It's not really it's kind of Petty think about it, but I had this on here for like when I'm baking for a long time If I got something any of them for a while Yeah, see that what I would do is I'd bring this around here And strap it over here to the side To help hold that hold that closed better So I'm gonna put you on stand. I'm gonna tighten these up and Let's see if that helps any okay, so Let's go ahead Tighten these up. Like I said, I don't know if that's a manufacturer problem Or if somebody just didn't tighten them or if they just came loose after a while I've had them come loose before over time Had an old one. It was an older stove It was probably five years old when I got it. I tightened my tighten like every year after that But I think this may be an issue Well, it's not closing all the way. I like it's a little Tool there you drop something and pick it up And hold your bed in so Yeah, that's not very tight at all. So I can see that moving there. I know you can't but right down here So that was loose about like that. Let me show you here If you watch that right in there right here, I'll fetch this adjustment or what? but I'm gonna keep Want to turn these until I'm just going to tighten them up like I said bottom one seems a little loose, but I'm gonna tighten these up See what happens. Okay, so we got them all Just close this up. This is your latch It does have a lock on it Like when you do the self-cleaning thing see my focus right there Kits that is closed a lot more than what it was so Yeah It's still I don't like well. That's a lot better though Yeah, it was That is a lot better than it was but I can feel heat up around there. So See sometimes This thing sticks way out here like this like when you're using it once it heats up this thing sticks clear out here like that so And you have to push it in so I Think that's it. I'm gonna turn it on let it heat up and see if that took care of the problem.  I mean you're gonna lose some heat But before you can see I've had it. I've got it set on 450 This is what time it is now was 11 17 when we started and that's what time it is right now and Before even before I've never cooked anything on 450, but some of the Like onion rings we had the other night, you know, they they call for 425 so I went up to 450 just to make sure and when it got anything past like 350 say 375 400 this would get so hot you couldn't touch it here as you can see I'm touching it And I was worried about that melting even the door I'm touching the door here we've been touching inside there and Yeah, you couldn't even you couldn't even touch this You can't touch this so that's a lot ooh And like when you was standing here cooking, you know, you're standing right over this I mean that heat would just it was like you was standing well in front of an oven But you know what I mean in front of a heater, but that's I mean that it's cool It's not even warm So I got it guys That worked so a couple things to check Shut this off takes a minute for the fan to Just shut off it does have a fan in it Couple things you can check you can check this around here your seal which looks like you know It seems to be okay. I don't think I need to worry about that for a while Of course, it's a little warm Check your screws You know make sure hinges aren't bad. You can usually tell your hinges are bad or not But check them screws man And that could be an issue Okay, let's check this lock And see if it works. Let's go to self-clean There's a self-clean on three hours if you go to high it goes to four hours. Let's start that This is locked door See we'll hold this for three seconds. I Think There yeah, okay It does lock Hold it for three seconds more. No clear it. There we go and then Three seconds one two Three locks all that does that comes over Hooks into there. Looks like there might be a small issue there I think I got it because like I said, man, you'd be standing here and It just I Mean you're cooking and it was just I mean the heat was just radiating up so bad. I mean like like I said It's a little warm now because I opened it But I mean before that's so hot you can touch that even right up here. You can touch it It was just that heat was just coming up around here Same way with the door. I mean, I'm touching that door. It is not hot Little warm on this side. I may put a new seal in it later on But I don't think we'll have to worry about it right now Awesome. So there we go. Okay guys. I just want to thank you for hanging out with me What I'm gonna call a quick fix so whenever I get these little things I'll throw them in for you Like I said, I may replace the seal later on Excuse me and while I'm at it, I'll take that glass out and clean it real nice but uh, and I will tighten that other bottom screw down there I may bring you along with me on that because I gotta take the whole drawer the whole door off to get to the bottom screws It looks like it's loose, but I couldn't get a hold of it to tell My guess is if all the other ones were I figure those bottom ones over too So I'll do that later on but now I know that was a problem. That was the issue I mean, it's cool to the touch right now. I mean cool as in room temperature So yeah, so stay tuned when we start getting the kitchen done. I got that camera up there above the door Right up there up there above the door So there you can see it right there It's always recording we will all time lapse that for you because it's going to take them a couple days So I can't wait to get that done the backsplash along the wall, you know above your your countertop We're going to do that ourselves I'll bring it along with me on that so I think uh Yeah, I think that's that's good to go. I mean Like I said takes a minute for the fan to cool down once the oven is cooled down then the fan cools, you know, the fan will shut off so There's no way I don't think there's any way to shut the fan off on this Some of them you can cook with a fan or without a fan because it's different temperatures, but this thing always did bake well just like No, well, I made pizzas last night they called for 425 so many minutes and First one turns out good the second one Was only like half the time because the oven kept having to kick on to try to keep the heat in there So once it got warmed up The heat was escaping. It was just like leaving the door cracked a little bit. You know what I mean? Well, technically it was and so it was losing heat so it had to keep now It's even gonna be more efficient. So You know, I'll let you know later on down the line when I take that door off to To tighten them bottom screws You know, I'll let you know how it's going because I use this oven a lot And when we got it, you could tell the oven had never been used if it was maybe once The top of it was You know immaculate you could tell it had been used though But like I say it came from one of the Disney resorts They replace them every year and Whether they need them or not and this guy was some kind of contractor for them and that was kind of Kind of part of his salary really they told him, you know, you can take them do with them What you want you sell them give them away whatever You just got to haul them off what she did. Gladly. I think we just gave a couple hundred bucks for this thing I believe I did a video on it. I think I posted a video on it. But anyway So that You know, I mean we've got a good deal on it slider. That's what we need Because you notice this is going to be the bar back here. So you guys will see all that later on in a few weeks And uh, so yeah, that's it. I mean that's you know If you see some green specs on me, I got the green lights We're just going to keep that out all year because we like the lights when we shut all the lights off We like the green lights But so that's it check those things first. Um, if you don't feel comfortable with it by all means call a Repairman in but you know, they charge so much hour and usually there's A lot of them charge a minimum of an hour if it takes them 10 minutes So like a lot of places charge you, you know, a 30 minute minimum like where I work at You know working on them trailers We charge a 30 minute a 30 minute minimum, which we called, you know, we charge a minimum That meant we charged 30 minutes even if the job took five minutes You were paying 30 minutes and I never thought that was right Uh, you know, I never did it my shop you know, so I don't know but You know, if you can save a few bucks save a few bucks, man, you know Because we can all we're all in for that, right? So anyway guys, thanks for watching. I think monkey's still wait, but she's watching some youtube so I'm gonna go edit this video Drop it for you. So you guys can have something to watch and um We'll see you guys soon. Thanks for watching appreciate it. Shea bearer the myth man legend. I'm gone for now. Hope this helped All right. Bye. Bye guys and take care