would like to share with you concerning the principles of giving and for those of you who are coming for the first time this is not every Sunday I just met with a missionary couple or missionary directors from California and the youth pastors from Tri-Cities from another church and one pastor and the young man who was meeting with me he said every time I come to your church you're talking about money and it happens like every six months or five months and I was like I don't know maybe it's what God is trying to tell you or something he's like every time and I was like man I promise you this is not every Sunday but he's like I don't know man every time I come you talk about money and so for those of you who coming today this is not every single time but money is very important part of our life and work is very important part of our life and it's part of Christian life to work to pay our taxes to to give as well as to support our families we don't believe that a person should simply sit in the basement of their dad's and mom's house and wait for a politician to issue them checks and for them to just simply comment on everything they don't like online the Bible says that he who does not work should not eat and this is I know every parent just said amen yeah so that means that if you are able to work physically and we're not talking about right now elderly we're not talking about people who are disabled we're not talking about people that are handicapped we're talking about people that are able to work it is God's will for you to work God's will for you is not to elect an official who will promote socialism or who will promote an idea of finances where we're all gonna take money from the rich and spread it equally it's just not the way the Lord put things in the Bible this is not political this is practical God all of us wants all of us to work God not only wants us to work God wants us to be really good at our jobs he wants to bless our work and playing video games is not work my friend work something that you do to contribute to the society to better people's lives on the top of work God wants us to manage our finances properly he wants us to pay our bills he wants us to take care of our family God wants us to pay our taxes and then God wants us to also be generous make enough that we can be generous with those who are in need generous with first our family our parents maybe who are elderly people who are going through a challenging time in our own immediate family and then help crisis that are happening maybe in our city or in the world today last year in December I've talked about tithing and I've talked about the history of tithing talked about the New Testament of tithing I won't repeat that message you can go on YouTube and listen to that but today I want to take one more step further in this message and talk about five principles of giving according to Apostle Paul and I will title this message the gospel of generosity sometimes we get accused as hungry Jen all you guys are into the gospel of prosperity meaning we believe that God wants to prosper people but honestly everyone believes that what we preach though is generosity because you can be poor and still be generous and you can be rich and be generous God wants every person to be generous being rich does not mean you're more Christian than those who are not rich otherwise every drug dealer every pimp and every person that is wealthy and is sinful would be righteous now suddenly nor is being poor a sign that you are humble some people are poor because they're not responsible some people are poor because they're going through a very difficult time and some people are poor because we deliver in a very very challenging location on this earth and it doesn't mean anything concerning their walk with God don't use your finances to be a reflection of where you stand with God the Bible is the reflection of that where you and I stand with God is measured by what the Bible says not about what my bank account says amen amen with that said this is going to be more of a practical message and it's going to be more of a teaching if you're taking notes I'm going to give you five P's of what apostle Paul Paul P's taught concerning the issue of giving now one thing I want to highlight from the beginning Paul did not talk about tithing now the tithing has been a big deal in the church and you know most churches if you go you're encouraged to tithe and in our church we also encourage you as a tithing a place where you can start but the main doctrine of concerning finances and giving at hungry Jen is not tithing is generosity and Paul didn't talk about tithing but he talked about something else he talked about generosity the first P that I want you to write down is that giving is a privilege giving is a privilege and Paul says that in first current second Corinthians I apologize verse chapter 8 verse 4 they begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem so he's talking about Macedonian churches who he visited that Paul says their financial situation was not that great they were actually struggling financially and when Paul arrived there Macedonian churches urged Paul again and again begged him to receive a gift from them I think Paul was reluctant because he saw that they were poor he's like guys no you're okay you don't have to give and they're like no we want to give we want to help brothers in Jerusalem and then Paul finally gave in and then Paul uses this phrase and he says they participated in this privilege guys giving is not something and maybe today you came in like oh one of those Sundays man should have been sick today why did COVID not hit me or like something else hit me today why did I come to church today man should have went to another church today don't don't have that view concerning generosity now the paradigm the frame of thinking that Christians uphold is this God owns I manage and that allows giving to flow freely now sometimes we have a hard time giving or living generous lives because that mindset is still not here we sing it we believe it we don't think it and why we don't think it because it's reflected by our checkbook because we can say one thing at church we can say another thing in our devotion time but how we spend our time and how we spend our money really reflects how we think your behavior doesn't reflect what you sing it reflects how you think Christians don't say lies they sing them we do myself included we a lot of times say things we don't think meaning our thinking didn't catch up with our speech and therefore our behavior doesn't doesn't line up with our speech because our behavior is really connected to our thinking and so if in our mind we still think it's I own God manages we will struggle with generosity and we will struggle with the idea of giving and honestly giving won't be a privilege it will be a burden it will be like ah they always want my money it's my money my precious it's mine and you want my money I work so it's mine and you want to take it and that's how many of us think now we won't say it we just think it and because we think on that level generosity comes very difficult now the other side is God owns I manage now I don't know where you bank I bank at Giza Giza credit union I started that when I was a teenager and had just been there get banking ever since then I have my money there imagine I come to Giza credit union tomorrow morning I want to withdraw $100 and the bank teller let's call her Susie is there and I said I want to withdraw $100 and the Susie will roll her eyes and say I don't want to you know I would say excuse me I want to withdraw $100 and she will say well I don't feel like it I would say well no problem I'll come tomorrow I hope you feel better would I do that would you do that no there will be a sense of entitlement I want to talk to your manager who's in charge here why because it's my money that you're managing it's not your money I'm managing so please understand is that let me ask you a question as a Christian I know we say that yeah God is the owner I'm the manager but when we look at our giving and spending if somebody who does not know your beliefs will they be able to come to that conclusion looking at your checkbook or not will they look at my life not my words but my life will they come to that conclusion or will this is the only con or this is just my speech I'm simply saying that but I'm not living that I experienced that one time I was sent to Ukraine on some kind of a trip this was a many years ago and I was given a particular budget to spend on my trip and I had few people with me so this budget included me these people and food I think it was just for food and for travel you know how easy it was to tip people in Ukraine with those money it was piece of cake I was the most generous person on the planet because it wasn't my money and I knew I couldn't bring that back because I won't get that money it would be put back in some other account whoever sent me and so it was so easy I remember I was amazed at how generous I was I would pay like a dollar for coffee give two dollars for a tip I was like man I am a good man good American generous man and then I remember I sit down I speak at God and I'm like Lord you know just you're so good and everything and I follow the Holy Spirit saying why can't you be like that with the other money that show I'm like well it's my and then I caught myself saying my and I was like wait so I still act to some degree and think on some level that it's mine but if you ask me to say my theological statement I will say yeah the earth is the Lord's everything belongs to God but if he dares to ask me for anything I will say giving will not be a privilege if you feel like it's yours now let me help you not to feel like that or to think like that you were born on this earth you did not create your own birth someone else did you walk on this earth the law of gravity that keeps you here instead of floating in space somebody else put that in motion and does not charge your interest you're breathing every single second and you're not paying for it you're paying we're paying for everything we're paying for gas and it's going up that's why Jesus is coming back on the horse and his army probably gas prices will be going through the roof have you noticed in the last days and book of revelation there was no cars the way this world is going I see why we're paying for everything have you noticed God doesn't charge you for air have you noticed God doesn't charge you for your body he doesn't charge you for none of those things he's actually the owner and God doesn't want anything he just wants you to acknowledge his lordship over your life and as a Christian we have subscribed to that already and we said God you my Lord I'm just saying guys let's begin to update our thinking the goal today is not that hey I just want to force myself but sometimes I'm noticed this about myself by living generous life it helps to reinforce generous mind and sometimes having a generous mind helps me to live a generous life but sometimes my mind like oh and then I just do it because it's the right thing to do and I see my mind shifts a little bit more and a little bit more as I hear the teaching as I begin to practice the teaching my mind begins to catch up a little bit more the goal of this teaching today is not for you to give the church the goal is for you to change your thinking concerning you're not the owner God is and you're the manager and if this helps you to lose control my friend come on we need less control freaks in this world and God was to give us self-control God will help us with that and having God as your provider is way better than having yourself as your provider because then you can go to God and you say Lord God my problems are your problems I'm surrendering my problems to you and I know that you will stay up during the night and worry about that and I'm going to sleep why because you're my provider I you're my provider you're my shepherd you're my good Lord come on somebody number two not only it's a privilege number two is giving should be a priority so if apostle Paul would come and teach on the topic of finance or especially generosity he would say giving should be a priority first Corinthians chapter 16 verse 2 it says on the first day of each week you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned don't wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once so Paul was teaching that on the first day of the week which is Sunday the seventh day of the week is Saturday so on the first day of the week is the day that Jesus rose from the dead the early church would meet together in houses and Paul would say to people who did not have a cultural background of Judaism were tithing and giving to the temple was a norm the early church didn't have temples they didn't have priests that they needed to support financially but Paul is still saying to them hey guys when you come on the first day of the week on Monday you know it was actually oh excuse me Sunday it was actually their work week so imagine the church was gathering on your Monday like you know how our Monday is like we all go to work their Monday was Sunday so everybody was gathering together on the first day of the week which is Sunday and Paul would say when you come together you know all of you you have a prophecy you have a song you have something to share he says but don't forget to bring something also and give the word the church offering so that when I come we don't have to do one big fat offering but we could just already have what's collected as Christians we practice this thing called the principle of the first the Bible says seek first the kingdom of God we gather on Sunday because it's the first day of the week the first day of the week is not Monday it's Sunday that's why you want to bring your family to church because you want to teach your family say hey thank God America has a day off on Sunday that means that we start the week on Sunday with going to church in the morning when you wake up you want to start not with tiktok but with the word of God when you wake up in the morning instead of checking the emails responding to everybody's text messages you wake up a little bit early get your cup of coffee and then you just spend time with the Lord you begin to honor him worship him invite his presence we also take first three days of the month to fast and pray it's not a rule it's a principle of putting God first it originated a long time ago when Israel went into the promised on God's like hey the first city Jericho I want you to dedicate that to me when they exited Egypt God was saying hey the first born I want you to dedicate them to me the first born of your sheep the first fruits dedicate them to me it wasn't as much as a law as the principle God's like I want you to put me first and I will bless the rest and usually I found out this about my life if God is not first he barely or rarely ever fits a second third or fourth or fifth it's not that God you can put God first God is so big he takes everything it's that with our time with our finances God says I want you to give me a priority see some of us don't tip don't hide we tip you know how tipping works you eat if it's good the service was good the waitress didn't have an attitude and they brought you exactly everything that you wanted and like they really went out of the way like man 25% but if the service was bad they didn't bring the food right you asked three times water with our eyes and it's three times those eyes and you like no no tip today I'm not even sure if I'm gonna pay for the meal that's called tipping and a lot of us do that with God we come to church we're like we'll see how the month goes Lord if you come through you can count on me to give you 10% but Lord if you don't come through you can know one thing ain't nothing coming out of my pocket that's called tipping not trusting see trusting is when you start the month with and you're like man I got a lot of bills I got a lot of responsibilities but Lord I trust you by putting you first in my finances amen I don't know where the rest of it will come maybe Verizon is not gonna get paid this month but Lord I trust you and you will see God will find enough funds for Verizon God will find enough funds for for everything else and he will help you to give you wisdom and self-control come on say this with me privilege number two priority number three is proportional somebody say proportional second Corinthians chapter 8 verse 3 it says for I bear witness that according to their ability yes and beyond their ability they were freely willing and OT says for I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford but far more they did it out of their own free will proportional means you give according to your ability now it's interesting that apostle Paul does not say to give percentage but he talks about proportional meaning each person needs to find their own proportion meaning according to your ability now a 10% is a good place to start some people do more but then he uses this thing he says give according to your ability and some people yes beyond their ability were freely willing you know when I would read this in my earlier days I'm like what give beyond your ability are you kidding me that's abuse like God would want me to give translation actually says what you cannot afford I was like heck no God is not gonna ask you that's not God of the Bible but then I'm thinking like that's just so radical that is so like not normal but in our culture it's completely normal to buy what you cannot afford live above your means we actually call it the normal American life is when you spend more than you make that's why we got credit cards so the idea that you can give above your means but the idea that I can live above my means that's the way to there and Paul flips the script and says guys don't live above your means he says give in proportion but he says some radical people give up all meaning give they can't afford to give but they still do it and Paul doesn't say they are unwise that what that widow that gave everything she had hmm she should have seen a financial counselor first I was totally not cool and she gave to a temple that was not super responsible even with finances we don't see that notion from Jesus that somehow giving radically is unwise now in the eyes of the world now I'm not in any way giving anybody ideas to do something reckless with their giving but I feel like the time has come what a lot of us feel more comfortable being reckless with our spending and somehow have grown in such a wisdom of God that the real to Shia that God forbid we will never give if it does not make sense or if it's not wise when Jesus asked the man who followed him who was rich to sell everything and follow him was that wise no but that was Jesus when the guy who had a very profitable year decided to expand his business hire more staff get bigger building was that wise yeah Jesus called him a fool the wisdom of this world could be a foolishness in the eyes of God I'm not in any way suggesting you should pull your credit card right now and max your credit card giving to the church building fund but what I'm saying is that maybe we can start first by saying hey I'm not going to live above my means and be open to that possibility that God does not subscribe to your definition of wisdom and if he does suggest things don't go rebuking the devil because it could be perhaps maybe the Holy Spirit I've experienced that myself when that thought came in to take my savings and give it away or to give our second car we already had one car give that away and I'm like what about me what am I gonna drive you know and I had a hundred forty dollars in our account and so and you know I was like God would never ask me that and then I was reminded he asked his son to die in the cross I was like nevermind he can ask for things but God will always give you the strength to do that and I remember we know when we gave that second car and and I'll be honest I'll be very honest with you I was very young in this whole giving thing and so I was hoping I'm like okay well I gave a car God's gonna bless me with a car and I looked at all my friends who had extra cars as I got pleased don't bless me with the car because if they're gonna bless me with an extra car Lord I'm gonna walk and God's like you didn't give so I can give you a car you gave because I wanted you to be a blessing and plus you live close to church walk I lived like three three houses from the church and my wife worked a post office which is even closer than this he's like walk all of my men walked and they still were alive you can walk 10 15 minutes we'll do you good and I walked for three four months and stuff and so and then we got a different car but I really want to encourage you give in proportion but be open to the possibility where there will be moments in your life God will challenge you to give above your proportion okay what God is against is us living constantly above our means but it's not scripturally against sometimes giving above our means number four giving should be purposed second Corinthians chapter 9 verse 7 it says let each one give as he purposes in his heart not grudgingly or out of necessity for God loves a cheerful giver now what I want to keep or want to warn is the issue of pressure I want us to avoid giving out of pressure and hungry Jen we are not gonna do that we will pressure you to give some people are afraid of the topic of giving or generosity because people have pastors sometimes leaders well intentional had financial needs and pressured people to give and Paul in here says don't give out of that don't give because you were pressured the other part I want to mention about not giving way is when you manipulate it manipulation especially happens with spiritual leaders who prophesy or give you a word from God that you should give X amount of numbers I think most of it 99% of that is pure manipulation and we have to walk away from that we can't please if somebody inboxes you on Instagram and says this is what I miss after and I have an orphanage and gives you a WhatsApp number that starts with Nigerian zip code you can be certain and no matter what prophecy they give you or how accurate that prophecy is or if they call you and they put a cloth over the microphone and they give you kind of like to start manipulating you spiritually and I'm not making this up I receive maybe six today messages and every day from 10 to 15 people responding back and saying is this you is this you and this is common today in the Christian number Christians fall prey there's a couple in our church before Bushiri came to our church some some years ago somebody pretended to be a Bushiri and told the woman they said I see crisis in your family read her mail pretty much explain everything that was happening with her kids and was 100% right if you don't sell $10,000 within next two hours you other daughter will die and she's like this preacher is coming to church pastor lat mentioned it and he's messaging me on Facebook I must be special and then this preacher scammer says you can't tell to your husband well that should give you a red flag first of all $10,000 for the safety of your family I don't get what kind of profit that is unless it's Elijah who's coming to a widow and say hey woman share the pancake with me and you're gonna live like okay I could get that Elijah Elijah pancake we can split the pancake but $10,000 and some kind of a threatening word my friend like we have to be careful now if people present a need and say hey we have this need can you help us that's a different story but the moment begins a preacher or a pastor myself included starts attaching a number or some of us get so clever and Christian charismatic circles they take a verse in the Bible and they name the verse name as this is the amount that you should give I'm 34 35 years old so I don't know yeah that's manipulation the Bible says not pressure not manipulation but another thing you don't need the prompting you don't need God to hit you with two by four oh I need to give he says whatever your purpose in your heart you know what that means he says that hey are you mature you don't have to get three feathers get in your room and a golden tooth right here and seven green lights on your way to church to know yeah I think I need to be tidy God says you can purpose in your heart you and your spouse can have a conversation tomorrow saying you know what we've been coming to hungry Jen you know what we haven't been consistent with giving let's begin to give you don't need to say well let's ask what does the Lord want us to do he kind of made it pretty clear he's a generous God and he wants his children to reflect his nature we don't need a prompting I've heard people say I've been coming to hungry Jen for a year the Lord hasn't told me to give he didn't did he tell you to brush your teeth or have you been brushing your teeth because it's the right thing to do has he told you to take a shower no oh look how mature you have become you learn to take a shower and the world is better because of it what would happen if we would mature in our Christian life and some things like love your family you don't need God to zap you with your power with the power when he said clearly love your neighbor as yourself God doesn't have to speak to us clearly about things he made very clearly in his word there were times I felt strongly led by the Lord to give an extravagant gift to ministries help the poor this year it wasn't like that January came we already had some expenses line up we need to pay for this we need to buy this and then I told my wife and I say you know what it's been a while since we gave ratchet radically it wasn't God coming in a blood you haven't given because I've been tithing I've been giving about my tithe and I said honestly I know we have expenses we always gonna have expenses I said we've been fasting you know 21 days I'm like why don't we also take time and just give we both agreed on the number and for those of you who are husband and wife and you always argue about the number let me help you whichever number is bigger that's from God that's been my point with my wife so we we went with my wife and she's like you know what let's do that we always gonna have needs there's always like you know Jesus says you will always have poor with you but me you don't have always with you meaning like those those moments your heart is inclined and we're like let's agree we purposed on our heart then we prayed for a few days to who and where to help she had few names I had few names and then we reached out to those people reached out to those ministries and gave that and it wasn't like oh my gosh God told me no it's it's what I as a Christian now know what to do I want to I want to be so mature in some area especially in giving where God can trust me to when he gives extra I don't need to be reminded to me that's a sign to be like him and help other people the whole Ukraine thing we were a $650,000 in three weeks God didn't tell me to do that you know what happened I didn't even want to talk about it when I was live streaming on Thursday I just it came out of my mouth I said let's pray for Ukraine and then people start giving and they said for Ukraine and the next day somebody donated large sum of money they said for Ukraine I was like what am I gonna do with that I was like I don't know anybody and they're like well you Ukrainian you'll figure it out so I call my pastor and I said hey we got like I think was $3,000 what I do he's like well you Ukrainian we need to help our people and I was like okay but where do we start he's like well I'll help you it wasn't like God said Vlad help to refugees it's just obvious the Bible says to help refugees you don't need to hear from God on that when God already have spoken it but it does help what God gives you prompting what I'm just saying is don't be prompting junkie where you constantly like okay I won't move I know people for example like it actually people like that receive deliverance where a person will not take a step forward physically literally without flipping the Bible and seeing a verse that will come up to them whether they should go to the bathroom or not there are people like that it's actually demonic oppression it's totally not normal it starts a spiritual and it gets to that point where you you no longer function as an individual who can make decisions God's like whatever you decide in your heart I will honor that as long as you and your spouse are in agreement and as long as it's not a manipulation as long as not somebody bribing or pushing your internet God's like I want you to be mature enough reflect my image you don't need to be zapped every single time to do what something the Christians are supposed to do are you with me the last one and I'm way past my time now just two minutes past my time the last one is giving should be progressive so second Corinthians chapter 8 verse 4 through 7 it talks about imploring us I've read that first portion imploring us with much urgency that we should receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering of the saints and not only as we had hope but they first gave themselves to the Lord then to us by the will of God so we urged Titus that as as he had begun that he would complete this grace in you also but that you abound in everything in faith in speech in knowledge in all diligence and in your love for us see that you abound in this grace also another translation says that you excel also in the gracious act of giving so Paul pretty much to summarize it says giving is a privilege giving should be a priority giving should be proportional giving should be purposed sometimes you get prompting sometimes you don't but it shouldn't be pressured it shouldn't be manipulation and shouldn't be it shouldn't be like that and then he says last one is should be progressive meaning you should excel you should grow in the area of generosity now most of us if you're in business if you're in any kind of job you want to have a raise who doesn't raise your hand who doesn't want to have a raise okay nobody who wants to have a raise for those of you hungry to stop put your hand down I'll be like two hands going up everybody wants to raise it's a normal thing we all want to excel and it's not only in our in our income we also want to grow in our faith anybody wants to grow in their faith anybody wants to grow in love anybody wants to grow in speech maybe still has speaking or speaking better we all want to grow anybody wants to grow in knowledge everybody and then Paul adds this thing and he says I want you to also excel or abound meaning grow in the area of generosity and we wouldn't usually think in the area of generosity that we should grow we's like man the Lord should grow my finances the Lord should grow my my business and that's God gives power to get wealth the Bible says he blesses the work of our heads but in here he puts the challenge and me as a disciple he says I want you to also abound and grow in your generosity I started to keep that last year you know income and the giving both the giving a hungry Jen to other ministries to other causes to keep to see the percentage as well for my personal thing to see am I growing each month or every six months or every year in the area of giving because it's possible that the income grows I know that about myself but my generosity gets stagnant and Paul teaches us he doesn't force feed the whole tithing concept as much as he says hey I want you to see it as a privilege God owns it you manage it I want you to make it a priority I want you to do it proportionally with your income and sometimes God will lead you to do more than that he says I want you to learn to purpose in your heart you don't need to be always prompted but make sure you're not pressured and the thirdly he's like watch your generosity that you excel in that area don't stay stagnant in that area don't stay the same in that area seek to grow in that area and increase in that area as well you know what generosity helps us it helps to break the spirit of mammon over our life it helps to break materialism out of our life it frees our hands I've shared this on a vision Sunday when your financial world is wrapped in this you're holding tightly to everything you're also not making any room for God to give you anything more when your hand gives your hand is now open to receive when your hand is always closed it's closed maybe to God it's closed maybe to your family but then it's going to be also closed from receiving from God so generosity helps us to keep our hand open generosity also what it helps us is it it refocuses our heart toward things of God generous people tend to be more happier somebody did a study they said that a 75% 75,000 a year is the income that it requires to be the happiest you will be in United States now 75 is still a lot of money but they said after 75,000 anything you get more your happiness stays on the same level that it was at 75 but the only way your happiness can increase after that is if you're giving increases not your income so most of us once you hit that thing you must understand your happiness will get stuck you will get more busy though you will get more worried and you will have a lot more anxiety because more money means more business more work and everything but for your happiness to increase you have to start increasing some kind of a way where you give if you don't live a generous life you may even if you're not a Christian here today and you may disagree with me on some of the things that I've used I can tell you one thing that you and I will agree with the reason why Dead Sea is dead is because the water flows in and it doesn't flow out nothing grows there if that is going to be you financially you become a bottleneck things come in nothing goes out if you're not giving if you're not loving if you're not forgiving if nothing goes out you bottleneck your own happiness your own blessing ask my wife you know when she came back and she's literally she's like lad I love going to mission trips and I'm like you know ask her why and she's like honestly it gives me joy to give see the smile on their face you know 20 years ago when people from America would send humanitarian aid to Ukraine and my parents would get a cereal box a little tiny cereal box with all this like a donut looking cereal how you call them cereals and the different colors oh my god huh fruit those man if you can if you guys can only imagine the joy we would experience they Americans wouldn't send us milk we had a cow for that but the cereal part man little jeans a little code we were driving this week with my wife and I'm like how amazing it is that 20 years later we're able to send over six hundred thousand dollars worth of goods now to the same place that sometime that one time somebody from United States sent to us see when God blesses us with more he gave us a miracle when we struggle we say God give me a miracle financially and God gives us a miracle and man how great it is when God gives you financial miracle but when God keeps giving now he expects you to be someone else's miracle that pastor he said this has never ever happened to them where he says people have given us before broken busted things he said the fact that we gave a van it's actually almost brand new that they can use we didn't record a lot of the emotion when we paid for their church bills that they were behind for a few months because they keep hosting the refugees so take all the extra money to feed refugees they didn't even pay their own rent him and his wife broke down right there and they will say it's a miracle you are answer to our prayer we didn't know we were answering somebody's prayer by simply living out what God didn't tell us just it was the right thing to do why because there are times you become you experience a miracle and that's so much joy you want to keep on living in that joy be someone else's miracle and that's what generosity allows us to do I'm hungry Jen you and I are a part of that hey thanks for watching this video if you enjoyed this content and this was a blessing to you would you help us and hit thumbs up so that it could help more people to discover this video it cost you nothing but it can go a long way to help with the algorithm as well as if you're not subscribed to our channel hit subscribe click on the bell so that you can do reminded each time that we upload videos thank you so much for being a part of this community if you're interested in learning more about hungry Jen our internship our conferences deliverance and so many other things go to hungry Jen calm for more information and as always remember better is not good enough the best is yet to come


All right, welcome back So let's go to the next point which is on page 21 in your books Chop in your edge That is your grace your gifts and your skills Ecclesiastis 10 and worse 10. Let's read that Ecclesiastis 10 and worse 10 If the axe is dull and one does not sharpen the edge Then he must use more strength, but wisdom brings success Right, so here the Solomon's using a very practical example. He's saying if the axe is dull Can you cut a tree? You'll be standing there the whole day trying to cut it The axe is meant for cutting the tree Right, but the edges not sharp So the person can keep cut trying to cut. Hey, nothing's gonna happen. Why? The tool is is meant for that, but it has not been sharpened So in our professional careers, we have grace. We have gifts. We have things that God has placed in us That is our edge Right, some of you here on and your and some of friends as well So you'll all text savvy, you know a lot of technical things good sharpen your edge Right, and there may be others here, you know, whether it's worship or whether it's media graphics What graphics we used to do in ten years back and now Is so different right now, right? I think that's so the mind the thinking it's so different And it could be painting. It could be anything sharpen your edge right don't Stand with the blunt axe and say, hey, I want to do something for God Right, or I want to do something in my personal life as a I want to achieve this good Right, but you got to sharpen your edge Go back sharpen learn grow continuously develop Read build yourself up, right? if there are if whatever area of No career that God is leading you towards so for example if you want to start your own business What must you do? What do you think you must do? What can some of us do plan? Okay. No, so how will you sharpen your edge? Now, you know, you're going to start a business Okay, join the courses Okay, join some cook Okay, practically understand from other people Look out for finances. Okay Some some of the other some very practical things is like what you said, you know Join classes nowadays on online you have these One hour or two hours classes, right It's to us.   Oh, okay. So what are you doing?  And now to be a businessman you should also know how to Speak well Communication is the key. So hey, I want to learn English. So what can we do? You have a business you sharpen your edge Two hours a week I will You know, probably join an online English class or I will also read a book. What's happening?  Okay. This is the business. This is what it's good But you also need to sharpen your edge for your Business to do well. You get what I'm saying, right?  Oh, there's so much It's a vast field so much that we can look so you put your hands to the plow you sharpen your edge Right and then when you translate it to ministry You want to be a better preacher? Listen to sermons. You want to You want to be a better worship leader? Listen to songs learn new songs Learn instruments keep practicing Develop yourself keep sharpening your edge And the more we sharpen our edge the more we are building our strengths Right and it says here Learn new things and this will help you progress And transition towards fulfilling your life plan Otherwise what's going to happen? We'll be like the people of israel They're going around the mountain They're going in circles. There's no progress at all Right For 40 years, they're going around that Mount seer Why I was all I always wondered didn't do you think they came to the place and they said hey, when you're Why are we here? No, because one generation has gone already one more generation They're only going so they're thinking we're making progress. Oh the promised land. Maybe you see that time there's no google maps And there's no no one to you know moses didn't go up and say In 15 days we can be in the promised land moses. Luckily he didn't make that mistake Right 15 days you would have been there. Okay with livestock and cattle take another 15 one month But we then 30 days But they were going in circles. Why because They had no idea what they were doing Right, they were just on that same thing No, god expects us to sharpen our edge Right, so there are things that we have to learn You learn it We develop ourselves in that way. So I hope that you know Five years from now. It's giving a number five years from now Spiritually, I should not be in the same place If I'm in the same place something is wrong I've become lukewarm then Right, I have to have seen improvement in my life I have to have seen improvement in the ministries that I'm doing I have to have seen improvement Of the number of leaders that I'm able to raise up potential leaders Or life groups and all the ministries that I'm that I'm overseeing I should be able to see progress if I don't see progress Then my ax is dull You get what I'm saying Right the ax is dull Now not always progress is seen in numbers Right, especially in ministry Progress is not always about numbers It's also about the number of people that we're able to minister to It's about how we are able to speak into people's lives Building up people all of that is there But if my ax is dull I will not be able to minister I will not be able to be effective so A good a good way to You know to access to know our standing To check whether we are making progress Is to look at the work that we have done If I if I've not seen fruit if I've not seen increase My ax is dull Right so very important I remember this In 2014 we had the power to change campaign Right and in the power to change campaign Oh, I don't know if you are aware of it was a global campaign and and there were Uh, you know, we were also apc was partaking in that campaign We were you know doing Outreaches and we were giving out books power to change books all across sort of a huge campaign globally and and so You know for some I was overseeing that campaign now. I didn't know about team management Building up team meetings all that so I remember You know pastor came up to me and said Have a team meeting with all the stuff You know what to say in the team meeting Right. I have no idea what to say how to speak And who's in the team meeting All these pastors and you know big people I was thinking what do I say then I remember we finished the whole meeting and I just shared. Okay. This is what should be done. This is And then I realized hey I have to be able to improve in the way I put across things I and and the way I Speak to people the way I As a leader, I realized that it's not only about going and preaching in a pulpit You'll have 10 pastors. How will you communicate to them? How will you speak to them? Right. So so it helped me to understand that hey, I should sharpen this part also team management how to build teams how to raise up teams how to bring correction how to Correctly organize people in the right way All of this then finances how to make sure finances are in place how to get budget approvals All of this was not Now if I keep saying no, we did it that time this way The The ax is going to be done Right. So keep growing. Let's go to the next point. Take stock of things frequently review revise and refine Right. Let's read Proverbs 4 26 Proverbs chapter 4 was 26 ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established Sorry, it says ponder the part of your feet right now The word ponder is to sit and think Right.  You get into a forest You're walking in that forest What are you doing?  You'll try to Find your footprints You'll try to find something that you've dropped on the way You'll try to ponder the path that you took Did I see this tree here? No, I don't think I saw this tree Did I see this? You know this house here in the middle of the jungle. No, I didn't that means I'm on the wrong path Right now when we are Walking this life, there will be times we'll have to stop Take stock of things meaning What I've been doing for now the time frame we don't know right You can choose your own time frame. You can do it every six months You can do it yearly. You can do it quarterly. You can do it Every three years every five years depends on you. That is your choice But you take stock of things Okay, for example one year 2023 so one of the things that I did was I opened a word document And I saw 2022 What was done 2023 what was done? But what are things that are improved in each of the ministry? How are ways that what are the new things that we did that has helped improve Or places that have there's no improvement Why there was no improvement? So I put that all in a word document and now say okay 2024 This didn't work because of this And so there was no progress Everything remained the same so 2024 let's change the way we do that Let's come up with some new ideas new strategies um Right or sometimes Your your your big stock you see that things are constant. It's on the same level. Okay, 23 was this 22 was On a certain level 23 also looks the same. So not always you'll have to change You can say okay, let me try it for another year if I see progress I'll continue But if I don't see progress, let me think of changing it. So what are you doing? You're taking stock of things that you're doing Now in ministry Or in your own business in your workplace For example, you're working in the IT sector. You've been working there for three years Three years you take stock of three years. Okay. I was 22 when I joined Now I'm 25 What did I do in these five three years? What are the improvements that I can see? What are the skills that I have developed what are the skills I could have developed what I did what I didn't do Getting stock of things. Okay. So 2024 I need to revise certain things instead of coming to office at Nine o'clock. I'm going to come earlier. Maybe an hour earlier and then work on this file or work on this document Or I'm going to stay back one hour later after office and do this It will help me Right. You get what I'm saying, right? So you're taking stock. You're frequently Looking at your plan.   Right. Now. I remember 2020 when the lockdown happened We had to revise. We had no option Right. Okay. What is the first thing? Okay. Bible college What do we do? Go online 2020 Forms were sent out Right online. Those who want to register register We've never done it before so 2020 was the first year we did online Bible college and to our surprise we had so many people join That's the people joined and then we thought hey, this is a good way Right. Now if not for COVID, I don't know if we we had ever thought of it right including online revised Plans changed Right. And now we have this. Okay. We'll do online then we came up with an idea called e-learning Okay. So now that everyone are preferring online I don't we do e-learning so people who are already working Can log in listen to the classes at their own time But we'll give them a time frame In this four months or five months. This is the final day within that date. They should finish their course So what's happening revise? We are refining The the rules so we are refining things within the organization.  To grow you need to change first Corinthians 13 11. Let's read that One Corinthians chapter 13 verse 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child. I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I become a man, I put away childish things Yeah to grow You and I need to change If we cannot be the same And look at it in the natural When we grow do we change? Yes, suddenly we start getting a beard Why we're growing Right, suddenly we look different. We know that okay this person is You know growing is physically we can see the change same way In the spirit Right spiritually in our work as well growth happens Growth is a happens through a process of change We are changed from glory to glory Maturity happens step by step There will be times, you know, uh, there are people who we may meet who are very matured in the lord at a very young age Right, but there are some who are 20 years in the ministry, but they're still not matured Right, some maturity happens stage by stage right and Maturity is simply growing up And and there are changes that you would need to make even in your professional career So let's look at some of those changes Which may be simple yet easy So on page 23 on the point to grow you need to change You can probably just mark there one and you can put pointers one two three. So number one Some of the simple and easy changes Building further on your strengths so You have you have a You know how to play a guitar or an instrument To build on that very simple You're practicing half an every day move it to one hour every day build on that Two These changes may be significant Rather drastic these changes Maybe very small or very big Yet these changes are are you know are drastic meaning further on when you look at it You see oh, there's a big change Imagine just using this example imagine from january to december Every day you practice to speak Or practice a sermon every day for one year. Tell me what is going to happen Every day without fail. Okay, half an hour sermon. You're preaching Or you prepare a sermon and preach half an hour every day Tell me what is going to happen in 2025 Will you be will you would you have improved or no? You know it even now you'll picture it, right? Oh man Every day if I preach on sermon by 25, I'd be learning. I would have learned improved Look at it as instrument every day if I practice half an hour extra Any 25 will you would you have improved or no? Yes? But how much of change are you doing small change yet? The result is drastic Big change Small change each day On the longer run drastic changes, right? So Some changes Changes may be things you anticipated and were intentional about a third one Changes may be things you anticipated and you were inter intentional about you anticipated That this is what I'm going to do and you were intentional about learning that For some changes may just come upon you unexpected Right, so sometimes the changes is just unexpected. We say, okay I didn't expect this but god has brought me to this place So help me to you know god. I need to be able to adapt to these changes Learn to take change in stride. Enjoy the seasons of change Just as the seasons of sustainability and certainty You know when things are going in a certain way, right? You know, it's sustaining It's it's it's a good feeling. But what about when people when there's a sudden change? It's like the boat boat is smooth and suddenly there's A wind the boat begins to shake Right, but enjoy that enjoy those changes Um, take it as a is as something that god is teaching you, right? Enjoy your life plan go with it and I'm sure as you move along with the life plan god begins to God will continue to speak through those seasons and changes But samuel has raised your hand samuel. Do you have any question or any thought? All right, so we'll just keep going on Let's look at the next point look for clarity as you keep joining proverbs 4 18 Anyone would like to read proverbs 4 18 Proverbs chapter 4 verse 18 But the path of the gist is like the shining sun That shines ever brighter under the perfect day See When god gives us a plan he doesn't say You you know you you catch a train you go to this city And then you go to this place and I'll open the door there and then you start your church there And then I will send this people and I and then in five years he'll be like this.  So What must I do? Where to go why I should go how to go when to go All these questions may not be clear to us But even as we journey along in life, we we can always ask god God, please tell me now. How many of you were forced to come to bible college? Hopefully not No, none of us are forced All right, so you you went online you You sent the registration or the registration form or the application form you filled it up you gave it Did you know how it's going to be? Did you know why you were coming here? You didn't know when when things are going to work out for you.  You stepped out and faith But even as you have come and you've joined you begin to continue to look for clarity. Okay god, I'm here. So When do I what should I do? How should I go about doing things Now that I'm here when what is my next move you continually ask god the where the when so nothing is picture perfect Nothing is on blueprint Right nothing is like, you know, I know everything. No We don't know But we begin to ask god for clarity. How do we ask god for clarity by praying spending time in god's word And he begins to bring clarity. Okay, you do this But you do that Uh, or you you I want you to you know work in this place for two years Right now again time frame He may not give us the time frame, but I want you to work here Then you pray you ask god god should I stay here or what should I do? He begins to give clarity Right and the most common question youth ask You know, most of us as pastors is Uh, I don't know what to do Should I go abroad? Should I apply abroad? Should I stay in India? You know that person meant abroad that they had a big trouble This person, you know saying, uh, you know abroad is not good. You know or or you should go abroad and now mind is all mixed up Godly counsel is good. It's important But also remember You need to hear from god personally You need god's wisdom. You need the leading the direction Right and you begin to ask god for clarity You get what i'm saying, right, especially when there are life changes that are going to be big life changes Moving to another country Change in career change in Uh, you know A plan that you have already made. You know that things are going to change Right, uh, you got to ask god for the why the when ask god for clarity Right avoid the donkey and the horse syndrome. Interesting. Some study to eight and nine. Let's read that Some study to eight and nine I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with my eye To not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle else they will not come near you It's a wonderful example here. See god has instructed us that he will promise us that he will instruct He will teach us. He will guide us in this life journey Right now how he speaks to you and how he speaks to me is different Okay You know why I was so certain that There's a change in my You know, I was sharing, you know, I got a dream. I don't get dreams Some of them give they having tea they'll get a dream But for me, it's I don't get dream that if I get a dream, I know that it is something Important or something, you know that I just know it. That's for me right now for you It could be that you're reading a verse in the bible or just speaks to you Or you're talking to somebody and that person is just talking randomly about something God speaks to you Or it could be you're praying and you just know in your heart. Okay. God. I know I want to do this Right. So don't compare how God is speaking to you And compare it with others, right? You ask God, but even as you asking God avoid the donkey And the horse syndrome No, this is very interesting What does the donkey do? You got to keep telling the donkey move Take the step. No By the time the donkey takes the step. Yes, that you know, it's not easy Saul was looking after his father his father's donkeys Donkeys are not easy to work with Suddenly they'll go left. Suddenly they'll go right. Suddenly they won't go Very slow The donkeys Then you look at the horse If the horse doesn't have the the brittle. No, what's it called? Is it called the brittle? Yeah If it if it doesn't have that What is going to happen? He's going to keep running Now look at a horse race Can we send the horses alone today run for the race? Never what'll happen? They'll go wherever they want. They'll keep running No, so that that that That brittle that is there it controls them So here you have the donkey which doesn't want to take a step Here you have the horse which wants to be ready to run So God is saying Don't be like the donkey.  It says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord Walk in step with God. Okay. God. I don't want to take this step unless you are leading me so Do you think I should take the step Lord speak to me? Right Oh Is it a step that I should take now or should I wait for another year? Leave it to God, right? He'll speak to you. He has his own ways of instructing teaching and guiding you Right. He wants to establish your life plan. He knows your life plan. We don't have to remind him Yes or no Oh for Abraham. Abraham. God reminded Abraham Why because after 15 years Somewhere Abraham lost confidence What is this? You said I'll be the father of many nations. I don't have a son. You said you'll bless me with a son. Nothing's happening now But after 15 years of giving the promise God told Abraham come out of your tent Abraham came out He said look up the stars When he looked up he said That many Will be your descendants You will be as many as the stars that you see in the sky. God is reminding Abraham I've not forgotten my promise.   Don't be like the horse Running off ahead of what God You know when God has not spoken or not directed your path Your steps are ordered by the Lord Right some study 7 23 the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his ways Though he fall he shall not be cast down for the Lord upholds him with his hand We can rest In that God delights or he closely engages himself in the path that we are taking God directs our path Even if we make a mistake and we fall God is able to restore us. He's able to direct us Can you think of one example in the bible where somebody made a mistake? God had a plan for him. He made a mistake yet The mistake had consequences Yet God used him Jonah okay David Okay, no i'm talking about a life plan. So see Abraham also. Yes. Yes, you know when God already gave the covenant. He went with hegar. Okay Still God kept his promise. That's a good one. Yes Think of it Very very very nice example perfect example that we can learn He made a mistake. He knew what God had called him to do. He made a mistake There was a delay, but still God used him Yeah, jackens Jackens given the answer here, but jacken. I'm not gonna say it out loud any other guesses No one else Okay, jackens got it right. It's moses right Moses is how old 40 years old What happened? He knew He's going to bring the people out of Egypt Right, he knew it. So he tried to take matters in his own hands. He kills an egyptian. Did he make a mistake? Yes So what happened 40 years? Looking after sheep this loaned man Loaned in the, you know, pharaoh's palace loaned But now looking after not even his his father-in-law sheep Looking after sheep, but God didn't say okay. Now what to do? Let's choose somebody else. No Moses It's time 40 years of delay. So When when even when we make mistakes Don't feel that God has put you aside God will not do that right if he has a plan we recognize our mistake I'm sure moses would have thought you know in those 40 years he would have thought Should have killed that egyptian I was okay there. No looking after everyone What if I didn't kill him? But he may have thought of it Or he may have also had guilt. Oh No, I know that God had told me about this I made a mistake He must have thought that way But in all of that God still didn't change his plan So when we are ordered by God God is ordering our steps Remember to stay in line with what he does Don't jump the line Don't Be like the horse is trying to do things on his own Wait on the Lord. Take your time. All right. God's clock is very different to our clock Right next one. Trust God even when you can't figure out everything Proverbs three five and six Let's read that proverbs three five and six Proverbs three five and six Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your path. Yes Trust in the Lord with all your heart And lean not On your own understanding. Look at this the message translation in your book says Trust God from the bottom of your heart. Don't try to figure out everything on your own Very nice. Can we figure out everything on our own? We can try but we can't Right because There is the unexpected. There are things that happen that is beyond our control Yes or no, right Beyond our control. We cannot do anything For example, I don't want to say this example, but okay 2020 it was beyond our control. We didn't do anything Churches had to go online. Everything went online. So in our control and You know, many many of them who had businesses who had started up businesses. They went through big losses And I personally know of people who started, you know in 2019 end of 2019 2020 Lockdown they went through loss and these are good believers and You know, sometimes they ask why why did this happen? So we don't know As leaders also, we don't know So they ask, did I make a mistake by doing this? Did I not hear from God? Where did I go wrong? Right just a few months and then the lockdown happened. My business went down See, we can't figure out God in the way he does things Right, but what we can do is continue to trust in God trust him with all our heart Because our understanding is small He may have a certain reason or so why God is doing it in a certain way All we can do is trust our planning and preparation Is an expression of our stewardship towards God. That means what we're saying God You have given me this life.  This is what I will do You know, you should read the book of Leviticus It talks about order and design Leviticus And even in numbers leviticus numbers God was so meticulous in certain things, you know, he even tells the Israelites When you're walking out when you're walking in the wilderness carrying the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle when you're carrying these are the You know the tribes that this tribe will go first This tribe will go second this tribe will go third. He says to them which tribe goes when In the book of numbers he he says to them these number of people must Be at the temple These people must be in the army. These are the judges. These are the priests These are the high priest numbers he gave Peticulous right, so when When what do we learn from that? God is a God who plans As God's children, we must plan we plan we say God. This is what I want to do This is what I feel that God that I'm led to do but I surrender this plan to you You lead me you order my steps Right, it is responding with gratitude and sincerity To what God has entrusted on upon each one of us Right, God has entrusted certain things in our lives. He's saying This is what I'm giving you we must learn to look after it be good stewards. Okay, right finally The last point here step up to your mountain Let's read Joshua for 14 and verse 12 Joshua 14 verse 12 now therefore give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day But you heard in the day how the anakin Were there and that the cities were great and Fortified it may be that the Lord will be with me and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said now In this time joshua has gained confidence right initially he was A little weary moses has gone. He was trying to get things done Now joshua 14. He's confident That god is with him because god told him as I was at moses. I will be with you God has done given him victories already and here he's saying god give me this mountain He's not Requesting he's asking god They think god now therefore give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day Or you have heard in that day how the anakin were there and that the cities were were great and fortified It may be that the Lord will be with me And I shall drive them out as the Lord has said See the confidence there Joshua is saying give me this mountain now when we talk about mountains we also talk about Seven spheres or seven mountains of influence in society Right and these seven mountains are there in your notes number one family Which is the institution set up by god religion the church and the people of god Education schools colleges universities media print newspaper electronics tv internet Arts and entertainment that is sports arts entertainment business Then you got the business section which is innovation of science technology Then government so so basically the in society. These are the seven spheres So whatever we choose as a carrier it is within these seven spheres Right, so one of the prayers that joshua made was give me this mountain You and I can pray and say lord If for example education is your mountain you feel that god has called you to be a teacher or you want to start your own school They got give me this mountain Whereas I take this mountain give me the wisdom to be victorious to be successful in this mountain and my success Should be seen by people and they will glorify you in heaven right and so You know, there are many schools that I know of And I think we may have seen as well Christian schools in cities and in different nations where the main motto is God the school is built because to glorify god Right to so that god is glorified to raise up children in the ways of the lord That's the main motto. So then if you look at arts and entertainment, you know, uh, recently somebody sent me a video of This boxer, right And a very very wonderful video very powerful video, right? He's a He's a world champion for many years. He's a millionaire He's a boxer, right? He's a world champion. He's a millionaire, but he is a strong believer Right, uh, I will I'll not name him, uh, but he's a strong believer. But what's his profession? Boxing hitting one Now listen, it's a sport.  He goes to churches and he says after every win He takes the mic and he preaches Like, you know, they say, okay Normally they say say a few words as a champion of this tournament He says it is not because of me. It is because of the grace of god You believe in the lord jesus. He can take a person like me who is weak and weary and make him a world champion. He preaches That's his mountain right look at football For american football or Or even soccer you have many believers who are there. That's their mountain Right, then you have uh in arts and entertainment. You may have people who are believers and they let's say mountain Right and they stand up for the things of god stand up for integrity for honesty, right? And then you have government there are people in government Very hard place to be but you can ask god god Give me this mountain that even as I live I may not be able to change everything But let people see you in my life Let people see that you know as as a believer These are the things that I have done not by my own strength by by the grace of god What was daniel's job? Full-time pastor Where was he? What was his which mountain was he in? government Right, he made a difference right so like that the same Each one of us can make a difference you See the sphere you're in and say god give me this mountain Enable me to make a change in this mountain am I right so Even as we continue to learn next week we will get into right to workplace attitude. So First chapter we saw that god Is giving us a plan he's made us for a reason for a purpose Chapter two we looked at carrier plan how we can plan out our carrier Now once we are as we are planning out. We got to look have good right workplace attitudes Right, so whether it is ministry again. It's an organization or whether you're in the corporate sector any sphere of influence We need these right workplace attitudes and so next class we'll get into that Right, okay, so let's close I'll just say word of prayer and will close Father we thank you so much for teaching us today and We pray god that you will continue to speak to us and minister to us lord. We thank you That your word says that you Will lead us instruct us and guide us that our steps are ordered by you lord I mean just surrender our lives to you pray god that you will continue to Minister to us through every season that we are in a god may your name be glorified Each of our lives we pray for each and every student those online those We'll be watching this through the e-learning portal lord. I speak your blessing over each one of them lord In jesus name we pray amen Man, good bless you guys. I'll see you next week. Have a good week ahead


Hey guys, how you doing? This is rich and much to be live and this is a pretty disturbing article from CNN Outrage in China over death of whistleblower doctor Wuhan coronavirus doctor warned of the outbreak and In the same hospital that he warned of the outbreak He has now passed away. The coronavirus has killed more than 630 people the majority in China globally it has affected over 21,400 across 25 countries and territories and numbers are growing fast Crew ships have been screened passengers on a cruise ship that docked Friday morning near New York City are being assessed for the coronavirus in the area hospital in Quarantine thousands of people are being quarantined on two cruise ships docked in Japan and Hong Kong with 61 infected passengers on the ship like this is just getting out of control Denied entry a third cruise liner, which left Singapore in January has been turned away from Several ports due to fears that there may be a coronavirus case cases on board the whistleblower Lee Wen liang the Chinese doctor who was targeted by police for warning about the threat of coronavirus outbreak has died of the illness Sparking almost unprecedented levels of fury Directed at the government on social media. You can literally see here There are tributes and anger after the death of Lee when liang who is being considered a hero For letting the world know that this was much worse than what they were leading us to believe Lee we liang the Wuhan doctor who was targeted by police for trying to sound the alarm in December died of the coronavirus late last night not too long after he Alerted the world. Let's say five weeks after he is now gone. That's how fast this virus can take lives grief and anger Chinese social media has exploded near Unprecedented levels of grief and fury against the government which calls for accountability and freedom of speech Rarely seen in China's tightly controlled online sphere China's social media channels wear a wash with anger following news of Lee's death The topics Wuhan government owes dr. Lee we liang an apology and we want freedom of speech Soon began to trend on China's Twitter like platform we bow before disappearing from the heavily censored program What do you guys think of this news big news? Unfortunately more deaths more illness and all kinds of news spreading rest in peace Lee when liang a hero You may be gone, but never forgotten. This is rich from rich to be live, and I'm out peace


Jerry of the circus savings bank building Jackson City I was so busy. I didn't fancy attention. Why are you so busy with I just wrote a letter to mr. Grayson Remember, I told him I'd write him and tell him all about his father. Good for you Jerry See do you want me to mail the letter for you? Well, can I walk over with you? You surely can if you want to come on. Okay, come on eggs I have to send some money home to mother. Where is the post office Patsy? Jim Bennett tells me he's just across the street from the back end of the lot It'll only take us a minute to walk over there. Well, how do you know trick go today? I'm sorry, but I forgot to watch I got so interested in writing this letter to mr. Grayson.  Well, I won't forget tonight though.  Oh, that's the boy Well, Jerry, what do you know on nothing? I heard you were in on all the excitement with Gertie this morning. Golly wasn't that awful Why didn't hear much about it? What all happened?  You mean snuff? Yeah, and that burns something awful. Imagine it does often think Zeke put it in her eyes It looks like he's right cuz Zeke skipped the show. Hmm. They haven't been able to find him anywhere I'm sure it was a mean trick to torture Gertie that way. That's a nice old elephant, too Zeke's been teasing Gertie for a long time The other day when he tipped that wagon over and nearly got Zeke caught under it made him pretty mad Well, he had it coming Elephants a peaceful animal and they make wonderful friends But just start to aggravate them and they can be dangerous enemies Olson said Zeke probably figured Gertie would appear as though she'd gone wild and turned into a killer Then have to be shot. I'll bet that's right. I just can't understand a man that would stoop so low I guess he wasn't very important because it sure didn't take mr. Murray long to fill his job What do you mean, Jerry? He hired another man to take his place right away Oh, the man that was hanging around looking for work There's always plenty of men ready to join up with the circus and every time we play this man that took Zeke's place Is your funny though? He acts kind of nervous and his eyes keep moving back and forth real fast. What do you make of that? Oh, I don't know. Oh, maybe he's just upset about getting a job most likely he's been out of work for a long time Maybe Hey, look, there's Jason Hello, Jason. Hi Well, hello What are you doing? Oh just checking up in some of the cages with a carpenter here Well, all right I thought maybe you were building an arc. I'll have to if you continue to flood me with jokes No fooling though, what are you doing? Just what I said, I'm having the carpenter check up in some of the cages We do that every once in a while just to make sure they're good and strong Did dirty do any damage to them when she went on the rampage? Well, I don't know That's one reason I'm having looked at today. It's better to be safe and sorry I guess it wouldn't be awful if the liner tiger got out of his cage and got loose around a lot And then ran down the main street of the town. I've heard of that happening a few times, but luckily it never happened to me You better go get him Jerry, he's barking at fuzzy Now never mind you and fuzzy aren't gonna mix any more Yes, you heard me. All right Jerry those two were never meant to be pals My goodness he just shoots up more every day. He won't be a cup much longer. Have you taught him any more tricks? Oh a few I've got him used to taking orders now You mean without giving him some meat as a reward You said you thought he'd be so hard to manage.  Yes, I think I can call on you put on a good show All right Funny how some young lions have more spunk than others You know my father once told me of a lioness. There was just as tame as a house cat all its life I've seen cats like that, but I prefer to prefer to work with the spunky ones They put on a better show and after all that's what the audience wants to see sure if all your animals Minded you and did all their tricks without fighting back. There wouldn't be much to your act at all. Hmm. I guess that's right It is right folks pay their money to see something exciting and dangerous in the steel So that's what I try to give them you put on a good show every time you go into the steel Oh, don't tell him any more Jerry. He likes to hear things like that No, I suppose you don't like to hear something nice about your work.  There you are young lady You could give me away Jerry Are you two heading for Jerry and I going over the post office I'm gonna mail this letter to mr. Grayson getting a letter off to mr.  Uh-huh Did you send him my regards? Sure. I said everybody sends a regard. Well, I guess that's good enough That takes me in to let's get going Jerry We can't stand her all morning and tell Jason how good he is. He won't be able to work this afternoon Oh, I think I can take it. Oh, okay, Jason. Come on Jerry. You're right.  Oh, I don't know. I like to he's so good natured about being kidding. Yeah, he sure is Well, you know Jerry, he's one of the nicest men I've ever cooped with. You know everybody's nice in this circus Yes, they are But that goes pretty much for every circus after the show is out in the road a few weeks and all the folks get to Know each other just like one big family. That's just the way I feel about it Yes, you mean a lot of friends Jerry and even when new people join the show I like the bandini. It isn't any time at all until you feel like you've known him all your life Well, look Jerry, there's the post office across the street. Better watch Ragsman across here.   Ladies first. Thank you, sir Don't go over to the money order window. You better get a stamp your letter.  No, sir, not him. I want a three cent stamp Thank you Where's the mailbox? Well, I'll take the letter right here. What's the matter Rags? Mr. Bradley. Hello. Well, hello Jerry my boy and Rags old What are you doing at the post office? Is there a sale on stamps? Uh-huh. Well, hey, that's funny I heard they were selling three cents stamps two for six cents. They are you bet Well, it's a real bargain There's Pat the over there. Hey look who's here Pat see Hello Johnny greetings miss Pat see Looks like the post office is getting a lot of business from the circus. Yes, it does. Oh say excuse me a second I got a mail this letter. Well, of course miss Pat see look mr. Bradley all those pictures on the wall here. Yes Why are those are pictures of criminals at large Jerry criminals at large sir? You see this one. It says Wanted for grand larceny and then it gives a description of the man five feet nine inches tall weight 185 pounds gray hair age about look at this picture. I Seen him someplace. Which one is it? Yeah, right here. Oh Yeah Well, you think you know who this is. I wouldn't be sure buddy sure looks like someone. I've seen some place There's a five hundred dollar reward for his capture And see what it says about him escaped convict max Peters Scar in back of left ear. Are you ready to go back to the lot Jerry? Well, wait a minute fancy Jerry thinks he knows who This man is Pat see what? Well, that's a criminal It says he just recently escaped from state's prison. Oh Jerry now, how would you know him? Well? I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I've seen him someplace Five feet seven inches tall in brown hair blue eyes 140 pounds it says he served four years of a 20-year sentence. Oh It's absolutely impossible Jerry. You've never seen him. He most likely just looks like someone you've seen I know I may be wrong, but I don't think so. I Could only remember now it would be very much worth your while with that $500 reward on his head. Does that mean that if I can tell the police where I've seen him or where he is now I'll get the reward exactly Come on Jerry. You're always playing detective. Now wait a minute. Patsy wait till I see what else it says about him But that's all there is Jerry. I know wait It says he's left-handed and has a shallow complexion Hmm. Well, that's not much information to track a man down with I don't know what it is about his face But I'm sure I know who he is There's not to take this too lightly Patsy No, these posters are put up in places like this to help the police and it's our duty to look them over and be of Assistance if we can well, I never looked out of that way before I guess you're right All these men at some time or other are captured and put behind bars and many times Their capture is affected by some alert person Who has made a mental note of these posters and then has seen the wanted man and tipped off the police Well, I can't think of who it is now, but I'm gonna keep trying.  Come on, right? Be nice of Jerry would get that reward it would be nice for anyone to get it You know, it's very generous of the authorities to offer such large sums of money for the little assistance they ask I think it's fun playing detective. It is fun Jerry is sharpens your mind to tool Well, then now you've got something to work on that's really worthwhile. I studied that picture real good Now I'm gonna try to remember where I saw that man


Five, six, nine, seven, four, eight. Five, six, nine, seven, four, eight. So this is pit one, are we clear to shoot? It's gonna bank again.


California has experienced frequent drought events, hotter temperatures, and other disruptions to its climate system. These changes have been widely reported in recent decades, but studies primarily focusing on specific vegetation communities or species, individual drought incidents, or analysis over a relatively short interval have limited our understanding of the broad-scale effects on tree cover and the spatio-temporal variability of these effects across broader regions. To address this gap, we focused analysis on multi-annual land cover and land surface change to assess patterns and trends in tree cover loss in tree-dominated Californian eco regions from 1986 to 2019. During this timeframe, the top three years of total tree cover loss for the state were 2018, 1901 square kilometers, 2015, 1556 square kilometers, and 2008, 1549 square kilometers. Overall, annual tree cover loss had upward trends. Tree cover loss rapidly surged later in the study period and was apparently driven by climate stress and wildfires. Underlying geographic variability was also apparent in both non-fire and fire-related. This article was authored by Francis K. Duomo, Roger F. Orch, Jesslyn F. Brown, and others. We are article.tv, links in the description below.