Hi everyone. I am new here. I am a new animal sciences graduate intending to learn from those before me in the livestock business. I particularly need advice on which small I can start with a modest capital like say #300,000. Thank you all.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says it has disbursed N791 billion to over three million farmers across the 36 states, under its Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP).

The Director, Development Finance Department of the bank, Mr Yusuf Yila, made this known on Friday in Abuja, during an interaction with newsmen.

Yila said the apex bank had reduced interest rate on the loan from nine per cent to five per cent, to encourage more farmers to have access to the credit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the ABP was launched on Nov. 17, 2015 and designed to provide farm inputs and cash to Small Holder Farmers (SHFs).

The programme was intended to create a linkage between Anchor Companies involved in food processing and SHFs of the required key agricultural commodities, through commodity associations.

He said the programme had helped participating farmers to improve their yields, especially maize from initial two metric tons per hectare, to five metric tons per hectare, while that of rice to four metric tons per hectare.

Yela said the bank was also investing in reducing post-harvest loses of farm produce, by encouraging dry season farming , describing it as “better in reducing such losses.

“Agriculture works better in the dry season, because you cannot control water during the rainy season, but you can control it during the dry season by using irrigation.

“The bank is also building silos and irrigation dams to reduce losses,’’ he said.
Yila said the apex bank had also disbursed about N312 billion, in energy infrastructure support through National Mass Metering Programme.

He explained that the programme was initiated to bridge the six million metering gap in the country, adding that 670 thousand meters had been distributed across the country.

“We are also ensuring value addition in the scheme, by ensuring the meters are not fully imported but assembled in Nigeria.
“By that, we are creating thousands of jobs and also supporting economic diversification,’’ the director said.
(NAN).

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/08/food...m-farmers/

About 13 million people could suffer acute food insecurity in Northern Nigeria in the next few months, says the United Nations (UN) – Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Rhoda Dia, Project Manager, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Global Environment Facility (GEF), in charge of the Resilient Food Security Project, gave out this information on Wednesday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Ms Dia said the warning had become imperative because the country was facing growing levels of acute food insecurity due to decades of insecurity across the country.
She said the insecurity had resulted in increasing poverty and economic crises.
The situation has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and recently, the series of clashes between farmers and herders, said Ms Dia.

She stated that women, girls and the elderly were the most vulnerable groups to climate change, adding that it was because they were highly exposed to climate risks.

Ms Dia said that the adaptive capacity of these groups was low, which according to her was constrained by poor quality of access to, and control of resources.

She added that they were more likely to live in poverty, as they were traditionally excluded from the decision-making process at local, national, and international levels.

“Food production requires the use of valuable resources such as land, ecosystems, water, energy among others and its wastage results in high water and carbon footprint losses,” Ms Dia said.

She said that the global estimate of agricultural waste produced yearly was approximately 1,000 million tonnes with a current market size for waste to energy of 30 billion dollars at a rate of 4.4 per cent.
Meanwhile, the project manager said that Nigeria’s palm oil production industry alone generated over 90 million tonnes of effluent annually.

“The country is also generating 4.34 million tonnes of rice straw and 0.9 million of rice husk, and has an estimated 19.5 million cows which also generate waste.

“With the increasing Nigeria population, it is projected that the quantity of agricultural waste generated in the country will triple in the coming decades,” she said.

Ms Dia said that with respect to agricultural waste, there existed the potential of resourcefully reusing the materials to reduce environmental harm and boost soil fertility and farm productivity.

She said that the time was ripe for the northern region to tap into the potential present in converting agricultural wastes to energy as well as other economically viable repurposed products.

Ms Dia said it was against this backdrop that Sonvisage Nig. Ltd. in collaboration with the UNDP- GEF- IAP Project was training extension agents from project communities.

She said the training was on Waste-to-Wealth that is, rice and groundnut waste re-purpose for self-reliance training.

The UNDP-GEF is currently training extension agents in Kano on how to turn waste to energy (briquettes making) and waste to animal feed (livestock and poultry).

On July 19, President Muhammadu Buhari blamed floods and insecurity for hampering his administration’s efforts at food security.
This is as the Central Bank announced on Wednesday that over N750 billion has been disbursed to three million farmers to boost food production in the country.

https://gazettengr.com/acute-hunger-loom...ia-un-fao/

South Korean students are being paid to use eco-friendly toilet that takes methane from poop to power building.

Using the bathroom could pay for your coffee at a university in South Korea, where human waste is being used to help power a science building.

Cho Jae-weon, an urban and environmental engineering professor at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in southeast Korea, has designed an eco-friendly toilet connected to a laboratory that uses excrement to produce biogas and manure.

The BeeVi toilet — a portmanteau of the words 'bee' and 'vision' — uses a vacuum pump to send feces into an underground tank, reducing water use.
Once there, microorganisms break down the waste into methane, which becomes a source of energy for the building.
The gas powers a stove, hot-water boiler and solid oxide fuel cell.

'If we think out of the box, feces has precious value to make energy and manure,' said Cho. 'I have put this value into ecological circulation.'

The average adult defecates about 17 ounces a day, which can be converted to 13 gallons of methane, according to Cho.
That's enough energy to generate 0.5kWh of electricity, enough to charge your phone for an hour every day for a month or drive a car for about three-quarters of a mile.

Cho isn't just relying on altruism or environmental conscientiousness to get people to use his eco-toilet, either: He's devised a virtual currency, Ggool, ('honey' in Korean) and pays users, mostly students, 10 Ggool a day to hit the can.
The currency can be used to buy goods on campus—like freshly brewed coffee, instant noodles, fruit and even books.
The students can pick up the products they want at a special Ggool market and scan a QR code to pay for their goods.
'I had only ever thought that feces is dirty, but now it is a treasure of great value to me,' Heo Hui-jin, a postgraduate student at the university, said in the Ggool market. 'I even talk about feces during mealtimes, to think about buying any book I want.'
Not all efforts at creating environmentally friendly toilets have proven successful in the long run: in September, UK conservation group the Waterwise Project says dual-flush toilets, intended to save water is actually wasting billions of gallons every year, far more than they save.

Dual-flush toilets are prone to leaks, the group says, and are the leading culprit in the 88 million gallons of water wasted a day.

'Because so many dual-flush toilets flow continuously, that water loss is now exceeding the amount of water they should be saving nationally,' Andrew Tucker, water efficiency manager at Thames Water, told the BBC.

Popularized in the West in the 1980s, the two-button toilets were seen as environmentally friendly because they give patrons a choice of how much water to use: one button releases a full 1.6-gallons for solid waste, while the other just half of that for urine.

But Thames Water found as many of half of its customers used the wrong button—or pressed both simultaneously.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/...rency.html

The Department of Petroleum Resources says the pump price of petrol in Nigeria may rise up to as much as N1000 per litre when the petrol subsidy regime comes to an end without an alternative energy source.
DPR Director, Sarki Auwalu, stated this while responding to questions and comments generated by a paper he delivered in Lagos, recently, at the Second Quarter, 2021 Business Dinner of Petroleum Club Lagos.
Responding to the subsidy concerns and the disparity in the petrol consumption figures given by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the DPR, Auwalu acknowledged that Nigeria was spending so much on petrol subsidy.

He said eliminating it would require making alternative fuel available to Nigerians and that failure to do that could plunge Nigerians into paying higher petrol prices when subsidy is removed.

According to a statement on the DPR website on Monday titled, ‘DPR: Without Alternative Energy, Petrol Price Will Rise On Subsidy Removal’, Auwalu stated that Nigerians may pay as high as N1, 000 to buy one litre of petrol in the country when subsidy on petrol is removed and when the alternative energy or autogas gas policy becomes fully operational.

He, however, said the alternative fuel regime comes with initial cost as it will lead to spending $400 to convert one vehicles from running on petrol or diesel to running on either Liquefied Natural Gas or Compressed Natural Gas.

Auwalu maintained that converting eight million public vehicles currently present in Nigeria to gas-powered will cumulatively cost $3.2 billion to achieve.

He said, “So, to eliminate subsidy, they don’t call it subsidy anymore now, it’s under-recovery of purchase. So, to eliminate under-recovery, what you need is alternative fuel. Without an alternative, you will subject people to higher prices and that is why we go for price freedom.

“As at today, there are 22 million cars in Nigeria. Eight million are for public use. Imagine if you want to convert every car into gas, the average cost of conversion is $400. Converting eight million cars requires $3.2 billion. To do that, there are a lot of environmental investors which can invest and recover from the sale of gas and we are encouraging that.

“Once that is achieved, you will see that PMS can be sold at N1,000. After all, the average distance covered by one-gallon equivalent when you compare it with LNG or CNG with respect to energy for mobility is 2.7 against one. One for PMS, 2.7 for LNG or CNG.
”So, with that advantage, you will see that it creates an opportunity for this industry again. The issue of subsidy, the volume will all vanish and that is what we are working towards.”

https://punchng.com/petrol-pricell-rise-...re-if-dpr/

AUGUST 14, 2020

The Tilapia Aquaculture Developers Association of Nigeria TADAN), n Monday, August 10, 2020, inaugurated a six-man executive committee as interim officials to pilot the affairs of the association at this early stage. They are to create a clear objective and catalyze the growth of improved Tilapia production in Anambra state.

This took place at the Anambra State Fisheries and Aquaculture Business Development Agency (FABDA) Boardroom, Government House Awka.

The stakeholders unanimously elected the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Anambra State Fisheries and Aquaculture Business Development Agency *(FABDA), Mr. Emeka Iloghalu (founder of the TeeMartins Aquaculture Group) as the interim Chairman and Mr. Gabriel Muoneke of Eze Azu farms Nteje as vice chairman.

Others are:
Anthony Odili of Chinyere Agro Industrial Farms Ltd, General Secretary, Innocent Okeke, Publicity Secretary, Anochie Chigozie of Gozanbee Farms Umunachi, Financial Secretary and Onwuazombe Somadina of Aqua Heritage Farms who emerged as the Welfare Officer.

Inaugurating the officials, the National President of TADAN, Dr. Remi Ahmed, represented by the Association’s vice president, Mr. Nurudeen Tiamiyu charged the excos to focus on advancing objective and visible growth of Tilapia Aquaculture in Anambra state.

He noted that TADAN is positioned to develop and grow Tilapia Aquaculture in the country and beyond and sustain it.
“Our direction”, according to him, “is to put Nigeria Tilapia production on the global map and today, Anambra state has joined the list of about ten already inaugurated TADAN chapters in Nigeria.

“The idea behind what we are doing is to teach our (Tilapia Fish) producers what they need to know through training at both local and international levels” he said.
On his part, the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Anambra state, Mr Primius Odili while congratulating the new officers said the state government is more interested in agriculture, especially fish farming.

The Chief of Staff at the inauguration of Anambra State Chapter of TADAN
Odili who pointed out that earlier before now, he was a bit skeptical about rearing Tilapia, said that the state is willing to compete favourably with the world in the production of Tilapia and other fish species. “Our people have neglected fish farming for so long a time but I’m optimistic that the state can key in properly with the modern technology in Tilapia production.

“Farming is for everybody and we should embrace it and that is why we encourage people to start something no matter how small. This is the main reason government recently launched what it called Ugbo Azuno which aims at providing alternative means of livelihood especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. We are launching operation feed Anambra to help salvage the situation”.

The Chief of staff who was appointed patron of TADAN Anambra state chapter said he is not unaware of some challenges confronting farmers globally but enjoined TADAN members in the state to form cooperatives for easy accessibility of funds and promised to make arrangement for off takers once the farmers can guarantee consistency, growth and sustainability.

The new chairman, Mr. Emeka Iloghalu in his acceptance speech, said the officials will do their best to represent TADAN very well in the state and as well grow the GDP of Tilapia FIsh in Anambra state and beyond.

Iloghalu in his earlier presentation disclosed that FABDA was created to grow the economy of the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector in the state for food and for wealth creation in the state.

He noted that the vision of the Governor in creating the Agency is to be the most visible and largest fish producing state in West Africa, adding that the state is determined to use the special technology to grow Tilapia and other fish species in the state.

http://www.tadan.org/tilapia-aquaculture...e-chapter/

We need govt’s urgent intervention to arrest situation —lawmaker cries out

We’ve swung into action —Kano Govt
THE fortunes of farmers in two Kano local government areas of Doguwa and Tudun Wada have been reversed by an invading army of locusts simply identified as ‘’Lopidster pest”.

The tiny enemies do not only stifle crops planted by the farmers but they also wreak havoc on farm produce, causing more losses to farmers and the communities.

Arewa Voice gathered that farm produce worth hundreds of millions of Naira have already been devoured by the malignant insects since they invaded the two LGAs about three weeks ago.

As a result of the invasion, AV learnt that major stables such as maize, sorghum and rice largely consumed in the state and most parts of the Northern region of Nigeria, have been significantly destroyed, thereby putting the state on the verge of famine.

A farmer, Abdu Umar, who runs a large farm in Doguwa, has expressed worry over the ugly development, likening the pattern of attack by the resurgent insects as a ‘wildfire’.

“The crop-eating pest attacks crops like wildfire. It destroys farms rapidly and can render a whole farm bare within minutes leaving the farmer with little or nothing,”
Umar lamented. “Last year, I harvested 200 bags of maize from my farmland but with this development, it has shattered my farmland and I can’t boast of a reasonable number of bags this year,” Umar said.

Umar’s story is not different from that of Abdulkadir Ismail, who said he lost all his farm produce cultivated on two of his farmlands to the invading insects.

Apparently worried by the development, the
lawmaker representing Doguwa Constituency in the state house of Assembly, Salisu Muhd Ibrahim, has presented an urgent motion before the assembly calling on the state government to as a matter of urgency intervene and arrest the situation.

Ibrahim noted that if something urgent was not done, the state and its people were likely to face acute food shortages next year. “The appalling thing is the insect attack major stables such as rice, sorghum, and maize which are most popular food consumed here. Once there is shortage of such crops which are stable, there is going to be food crisis”. Ibrahim said in his motion: “That is why we are appealing to the state government to as a matter of urgency send a team of experts to investigate and also come to our aid with insecticides to arrest the situation. It has devastated farmlands of so many farmers.
“You are aware that my constituency is one of the food baskets of the state and when you talk of the North and the country, Doguwa Local Government Area has a place in the map of food production,” Ibrahim said.

When Arewa Voice contacted the state Ministry of Agriculture on measures put in place to arrest the situation, the Director Agriculture Services, Abdulkadir Sunusi, said they had already swung into action. to address the situation.

Sunusi said already the ministry had deployed team of experts to the area to assess, identify the type of insect, the varieties of crops affected and the extent of damage done to the farms and the implications for the farming community in the state.

“We have sent our team to carry out an assessment of damage, variety, mode of infection and types of birds after which they are expected to submit a report and we would now carry out intervention.

“Already, we have secured insecticides to be sprayed on the farmlands,” the Director said.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/07/food...e-insects/

Hello,
I would like to get some advice on how to get my biogas digester working. We installed it in a refugee camp and the feedstock is a blend of human waste and cow dung. Its been 2 weeks and there is still no gas. I have ensured there isn't any gas leakage by sealing all joints using araldite and silicon.

What can cause a cucumber plant to die just like this?

Attached Files

  tmp-cam-1696983521.jpg (Size: 27 KB / Downloads: 57)

Scientists from the Institute of Industrial Science , which is a part of The University of Tokyo, have designed a new technique for synthesizing concrete without cement.
Through a simple reaction in alcohol using a catalyst, the researchers directly bonded sand particles. This might not only reduce carbon emissions but also enable the construction of buildings and structures in desert regions, and even on the Mars or Moon.

Concrete is formed of two parts: cement (accountable for 8% of total global CO emissions) and aggregate (essentially made of gravel and sand).
In spite of the abundance of sand across the globe, the availability of sand for the production of concrete is quite restricted since sand particles should have a particular size distribution to make concrete flowable.

"In concrete, cement is used to bond sand and gravel. Some researchers are investigating how more cement can be replaced with other materials, such as fly ash and blast furnace slag, to reduce CO emissions, but this approach is unsustainable because the supply of these materials is decreasing owing to reduced use of thermal power systems and increased use of electrical furnace steel.
Yuya Sakai, Study Lead Author and Associate Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo"

Consequently, a new method is needed to synthesize concrete from inexhaustible materials with less impact on the environment.

Sakai added, “ Researchers can produce tetraalkoxysilane from sand through a reaction with alcohol and a catalyst by removing water, which is a byproduct of the reaction. Our idea was to leave the water to shift the reaction back and forth from sand to tetraalkoxysilane, to bond the sand particles with each other .”

A cup made of copper foil was placed in a reaction vessel with materials and sand, and the reaction conditions—like the amounts of alcohol, sand, dehydration agent and catalyst; the reaction time; and the heating temperature—were systematically altered.

Determining the correct proportion of chemicals and sand was crucial to achieving a product with adequate strength.

"We obtained sufficiently strong products with, for example, silica sand, glass beads, desert sand, and simulated moon sand. These findings can promote a move toward a greener and more economical construction industry everywhere on Earth. Our technique does not require specific sand particles used in conventional construction. This will also help address the issues of climate change and space development.
Ahmad Farahani, Study Second Author, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo"

The product will probably exhibit improved durability compared to traditional concrete since cement paste, which is comparatively weak against chemical attack and displays huge volume changes as a result of humidity and temperature, is not part of the product.
The study is slated for publishing in Seisan Kenkyu, Vol. 75, 2021, as a paper titled, “Production of Hardened Body by Direct Bonding of Sand Particles.”

Source: https://www.azobuild.com/news.aspx?newsID=23197

Here, I will post a collection on news that support the theory that says Islam is fighting to dominate Nigeria.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a bold, powerful statement to oppose Trump, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi solemnly tore up the Bible after Trump was seen holding one up in front of a church.

At a press conference, the Speaker of the House held up a Bible and then ripped it in two, declaring that she was against anything Trump was associated with.

“If Trump is for the Bible, then I am against it,” she said as she struggled to rip the Bible in half. Finally, aides came to intervene, pre-ripping the spine of the Bible so it would be easier for her to tear. “All the books of the Bible are bad: Genesis, Joseph, the one with the big fish, even Hezekiah. We must stand against Trump’s bigotry by ripping up anything he claims to be for.”

California lawmakers passed a bill Monday that would reduce penalties for adults who have oral or anal sex with a willing minor child if the sex offender is within ten years of the age of the victim.

According to SB 145 , the legislation “would
exempt from mandatory registration” as a sex offender “a person convicted of certain offenses involving minors if the person is not more than 10 years older than the minor and if that offense is the only one requiring the person to register.”

The measure would allow a judge to decide if an adult who engages in oral or anal sex with a child must register as a sex offender if that person is within ten years of the age of the victim.

In January 2019, the San Francisco Examiner reported on the introduction of the bill by State Sen. Scott Wiener (D), who claimed the current law, which states oral and anal sex between an adult within ten years of the age of a willing minor requires the adult to be registered as a sex offender, discriminates against LGBT individuals.

The bill would put an end to “blatant discrimination against young LGBT people engaged in consensual activity,” Wiener said:
This bill is about treating everyone equally under the law. Discrimination against LGBT people is simply not the California way. These laws were put in place during a more conservative and anti-LGBT time in California’s history. They have ruined people’s lives and made it harder for them to get jobs, secure housing, and live productive lives. It is time we update these laws and treat everyone equally.
Currently in California, judges may decide whether adults who have “penile-vaginal intercourse” with minors close to their age must register as a sex offender.

Wiener said the current law targets LGBT individuals because they do not engage in penile-vaginal intercourse.

“This is such horrific homophobia,” Wiener said , according to the San Francisco Chronicle . “It’s irrational, and it ruins people’s lives.”

The Chronicle ‘s report stated that, in 1975, California decriminalized oral and anal sex between consenting adults, but adults who engaged in these practices with minors were treated as sex offenders.

In a tweet, Wiener urged his followers to read an Associated Press “fact check” story about the controversial bill that minimizes its impact with the headline, “Bill Would Not Legalize Pedophilia in California.”

“The bill is the subject of a massive misinformation campaign by MAGA/QAnon,” Wiener posted.

https://www.rapidgist.com/california-leg...-children/

"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." —James 2:24
.
Many people misunderstand the words of James the Apostle because they don't know their Bible well. I don't think I've received even one letter of debate from a Catholic who didn't bring up the words of James, " Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works " (James 2:18). James goes on to say in verse 24, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. " At first glance, it sure does seem like the Bible is requiring works for salvation; BUT, as you will see, nothing could be further from the TRUTH!

Carefully notice James 2:21, " Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? " This event took place in Genesis 22:8-10. Now notice Genesis 15:6, " And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." The event which took place in Genesis 15:6 was different from the event which took place in Genesis 22:8-10. We see in the New Testament that Paul spoke of the ROOT of Abraham's faith; BUT, James spoke of the FRUIT of Abraham's faith. We read in Romans 4:3,

" For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. "

This occurred in Genesis 15:6, which is when Abraham was born again. Paul said in Romans 5:1,

" Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. "

Paul doesn't mention works. Romans 4:5 declares, " But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. " Yet, James declares in James 2:21, " Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? " This event took place years later, when Isaac had grown at least old enough to speak clearly to his father (Genesis 22:7). James is simply saying that if a person is genuinely saved by faith, then there should be some FRUIT (good works) in that person's life to show it. BUT, James was NOT teaching that works are necessary to be saved--they aren't! Abraham was saved by faith ALONE! Titus 3:5 clearly states, " Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us... "

Also, notice carefully James' words, "...shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works" (James 2:18). With God we are justified by FAITH; BUT with men we are justified by WORKS. The reason is simply because mankind cannot see out heart; but God can. We read in 1st Samuel 16:7, "...for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. " James said, "shew me" your faith and I'll "shew you" my faith. Every believer possessing the Holy Spirit of God should be a new creature in the Lord, " Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. " This is what James was looking for.

So don't let any Catholic fool you into believing that you must have good works to go to Heaven, you don't. Looking at the Old Testament by itself, I would never have any reason to think that Lot was a Christian. Yet, we read in 2nd Peter 2:6-7, " And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot , vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. " Did you read that ... "just Lot"? James was simply teaching that there should be some good works in a Christian's life to back up his testimony. However, this doesn't mean conclusively that a professed Christian without any good works is not saved. We certainly have a right to question their salvation; BUT, we cannot say for certain because we cannot see their heart. King David killed an innocent man (Uriah) to hide an unwanted pregnancy from an affair with the man's wife (Bathsheba). Would you have thought David was a Christian at that moment? Of course not! But David was a Christian, who had sinned horribly.

The Book of James should be a challenge to every believer to " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven " (Matthew 5:16). And the Book of Romans should be a challenge to every believer to be aggressive in winning lost souls to Christ, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth... " Most importantly is that we NOT confuse the ROOT of our faith, with the FRUIT of our faith--because ADDING works to faith is a sure road to Hell.

" But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." —Romans 4:5

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Believer'..._works.htm

Today we address one of the most quoted and most commonly misinterpreted passages in the Bible, a verse usually cited to mean that people shouldn’t judge one another but meaning something entirely different:


"Do not judge, so that you will not be judged, since you will be judged in the same judgment that you make, and you will be measured by the same standard you apply. (Matthew 7:1–2)"

Popular Interpretation
This is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, usually in a context something like this: “Yeah, he cheated on his wife, but who am I to judge? Hey, we’re all sinners, right? Like Jesus said, ‘Judge not, lest you be judged,'” or “Don’t judge me—if you were really a Christian you’d listen to Jesus when he said, ‘judge not.'” That is, the verse is often used to defend against any declaration that a given person’s behavior is wrong—frequently by the person having engaged in the behavior in question. Effectively, when quoted as such, the verse is understood as a prohibition against declaring any specific action wrong, since doing so would mean “judging” someone.

Hypocrisy, not judgment, is the problem
Often this verse is thrown around after some church figure (like Ted Haggard , for example ) is found to be doing the very things he thundered against in the pulpit. “See,” it is said, “he shouldn’t have judged—he’s no better than anyone else.” Though this latter interpretation is often considered to be an extension of the former, the first interpretation entirely misses the point of the passage while the latter one nails it dead center. Despite how it appears if one stops reading after the first verse, this passage in Matthew is not forbidding judgment but hypocrisy. Yet again, we find that a text without a context is a pretext—the primary exegetical fault leading to misinterpretation is neglecting to read closely the surrounding section of a key verse.

Jesus follows up his warning against judgment with an explanation—we will all be judged by the same measure that we use. If we cannot hold to the standard we use, we have no business applying that standard to others. There are two possible responses to this statement: one, operating under the assumption that no one can possibly live up to a high standard, holds to the interpretation mentioned above that no one should ever judge anyone else, since we’re all sinners. The second possibility is that we should all amend our own behavior and live properly before exercising judgment and helping others to do the same.

The former is a popular option in today’s culture, which emphasizes “tolerance” as one of the highest virtues, while the latter is the choice actually made in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus rebukes the hearer in the verses immediately following the ones we’re discussing,

Why do you see the splinter in your brother’s eye but do not notice the log in your own eye? … You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye. (Matt 7:3, 5)

There are several things to note here: the first is Jesus’ wry observation about perspective. The closer an object gets to the eye, the larger it appears—a splinter from afar is log-sized if it’s in one’s eye. So a fault in one’s own life is a far greater problem than the same fault in another’s life—the opposite of how we tend to think. But the point of the passage is to shut up only until one corrects one’s own life . And, contrary to much subsequent Christian theological development, the Matthean Jesus actually expects that a person can do so, ultimately living in a righteous manner. (This would often be labeled “self-righteousness” today, though it is simply called “righteousness” in Matthew.)

The second thing worthy of note is Jesus point that only after correcting one’s own behavior will one see clearly enough to make adequate judgments and help anyone else correct his/her own behavior. This is a recognition of the human tendency to judge based on our own heart; that is, we tend to see ourselves in others. (The postmodern recognition of essential subjectivity is closely related to this concept.) Just like a man with a splinter in his eye, we see that splinter (only much larger than it really is—as a beam) everywhere we look. If we are arrogant, we tend to see arrogance in other people. If we are cruel, we tend to suspect cruelty in others. If we are lecherous (an outstanding and underused word—isn’t that a great word, “lecherous”? Even better is the noun, “lecher,” as in “you filthy lecher!”), we tend to suspect sexual motives, desires, or behaviors in others. It is extraordinarily hard for us to break out of ourselves enough to truly empathize, seeing from another’s viewpoint, and Jesus makes the case that it is far harder—perhaps impossible—to do so when we are not pure hearted ourselves. As long as we hold to our own faults, we will see them in everyone else. But, as Titus 1:15 says, “to the pure everything is pure.”

So the passage is actually a condemnation of hypocrisy, not judgment. Jesus’ counsel is to tend to our own behavior and attitudes before attempting to help anyone else. If we attempt to judge before doing so, our judgment will be flawed by our own “splinters.” But the passage is in no way forbidding judgment. On the contrary, it asserts that judgment, like charity, begins at home.

It is extraordinarily ironic that this passage therefore condemns those who most vigorously accuse others of “judging,” since they are themselves condemning condemnation—the very hypocrisy the passage condemns! The very judgment they condemn is precisely what they themselves are doing—they see their own splinter in the eyes of those around them. This passage would say to them, “Don’t forbid others from judging while condemning their judgment or right to judge! You hypocrites! Far from forbidding judgment, you have made yourselves the chief justices!” The whole point is that Jesus here rebukes those who judge others for doing what they themselves do—like negatively judging someone for being judgmental.

In the immediately following verse, Jesus requires good judgment: “Don’t give what is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls before swine.” Wouldn’t this require identifying who the “dogs” and “swine” are? What about identifying the “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” whom we “will know from their fruits” in 7:15–20? Elsewhere in Matthew (chapter 18), Jesus lays out guidelines for dealing with a “brother who sins,” involving a progression from showing him his error in private to taking the matter before the whole community. In the same vein, Paul repeatedly emphasizes the church’s responsibility to judge its members (though, interestingly, not the world; cf. 1 Cor 5–6, et al.).

A Few Observations and Why It Matters

One thing that is often ignored in the “judge not” discussion is that judgment also involves (in fact starts with) a declaration of what is good. If we do not judge, we cannot praise anything any more than we can condemn it. Judgment involves making the distinction between good, bad, or indifferent, not simply declaring something to be bad. In fact, it is impossible to go through life without judging; every decision we make implies a particular value judgment underlying it. As such, in its common usage, the “don’t judge” mentality often actually means, “judge this as right and good!” While it is true that some things do not require a distinct judgment, others do require a position, and to take no position is to judge it affirmatively (tolerance of adultery is implicit acceptance of it, for example). Surely no one would assume that murder should be ignored and not condemned! Any society abiding by the “don’t judge” mantra would soon devolve into utter chaos.

Secondly, without judgment (and specifically negative judgment), forgiveness is impossible. Forgiveness assumes a previous negative judgment that is superseded by the extension of mercy towards another—and Jesus requires that people forgive one another as they have been forgiven themselves (by God). Again, this both assumes judgment and encourages a merciful response.

Thirdly, the actual message of this passage—deal with one’s own sins before looking at anyone else’s, since good judgment requires a pure heart—is critically important for understanding the rest of Matthew and even the Christian life itself. Likewise, it is critical to understand that Matthew’s Jesus emphasizes repentance and right action and assumes that once these things are in place, good judgment can be made and is in fact necessary. No one should ever let himself/herself be shouted down by cries of “don’t judge,” or accusations of being “self-righteous,” since such quotes out of context do damage to the intent of the passage as a pretext for defending behavior.

In summary, in this passage Jesus warns of the human tendency to judge based on our own faults and flaws. This warning is one that should be considered before any assumption about another’s behavior or intentions. Instead, the passage asserts that we should always examine ourselves first to see if the splinter we see is actually affixed to our own eye—and only if our eye is clean can we trust our judgment enough to begin the process of helping remove the offense from anyone else. This is an incredibly important point, both emphasizing the importance of good judgment and the steps necessary to acquire it.

https://www.jasonstaples.com/bible/new-t...be-judged/

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Thursday confirmed the leaked memo as being authentic and stressed that it built the mosque for livestock farmers.
It disclosed this in a statement issued by the Director Information, FMARD, Theodore Ogaziechi, adding that the livestock farmers were sacked from their settlements by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno.

It said, “To put the facts straight, the memo is authentic and appropriate in all ramifications.
“It is original and was issued by the ministry for the construction of a worship centre for a community of livestock farmers who were sacked and displaced in Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents and are being resettled in Ngarannam/Mafa Local Government, Borno State.”

The ministry went ahead to state that apart from the mosque, other common facilities provided for the livestock farmers in the community include solar-powered boreholes with overhead tanks and drinking troughs for their cattle and small ruminants.

include water harvesting structures, milk collection centre, resettlement abode, as well as other infrastructure to properly settle and rehabilitate the displaced livestock farmers.
“The construction of the mosque was a special request from the community through the Borno State Government to avoid moving too far from the settlement areas for prayers and also to ensure their safety and contact with the insurgents,” the FMARD stated.
It added, “The memo is an official document and it is available for public scrutiny and review. It is therefore unfortunate for anyone to presume that the memo leaked.

“The ministry is in no way perturbed about the matter because it received appropriate approval, carried out due needs assessment, and ensured due process in the execution of the project.”

The ministry advised that in the future, due diligence and restraint should be observed before publications of this nature, as it argued that it was meant for public good and security.

https://punchng.com/we-built-n30m-mosque...-ministry/?

I got this from a Whatsup group. It is worth sharing.

*HOW I LOST MY GIRLFRIEND... JOSHUA SELMAN*

IF THERE IS ANYONE I WANT TO SEE AGAIN, IT IS THAT YOUNG MAN OF GOD WHO MADE ME LOSE THE
GIRLFRIEND I LOVED SO MUCH.

She loved me to the point that she was ready to be
disowned by her parents when they wanted her to
marry a rich politician's son and she refused.

The love was simply so
much...She visited me for a weekend and I took her
to a program in a church where I was invited...

The two Guest Speakers for the 1st and 2nd days were
wonderful...We laughed and shouted *Fire* and even
sowed seeds of greatness... And I took my girlfriend
back to my house...

But the guest speaker that came on the last day was the one that caused the whole program to turn sour for me... He did not wear any big shoe or expensive suit... His hair cut was even scattered...

Unlike other guests, he did not have any escort or
security But I noticed that the moment he climbed
the pulpit, the atmosphere changed...

He started singing this song: # "Something more than gold... Something more than silver...
The Word of God in the heart of a believer, is
something more than gold"... And within 5 minutes, I began to see something like a mist, like a thick cloud inside that auditorium...
It was as if, millions of voices were singing that song at the same time. It was not long before I began to hear cries of men and women, boys and girls...: and yet, he had not opened the Bible... The church hall was tense... You would wonder if this was the same church we had been coming to for the past 2days...
"Lord, help me"...
"Forgive me Jesus... "
" Don't leave me this way"
"Jesus, I need You back... "
" Holy spirit, break me... And use me... "
These and more were the deep cries I was hearing
from people around where I was sitting...
The choristers who were backing up the songs were
slain...
Some of them did not know when they began to
shout, through the microphone:" Lord, show me your mercy... "Some were shouting:" I need your revival, Lord... Will you leave me this way"?
I was afraid to open my eyes... The Glory inside that house was too much... When i managed to open my eyes, I didn't see anybody standing... I was the only one on my feet...
The pastor that hosted the program was on the floor, in front of the church, with his wife...
The Assistant Pastors were with him in front of the
church, crying,... The Preacher was lying flat, crying on the altar... Nobody could know who was the
Preacher and who was the speaker...As a Preacher's
kid, born inside the church, I have seen revivals... I
have seen the move of God's power... But, never in
my life had I seen such manifest Presence of
God...And for more than 1:45 minutes, people were
rolling on the floor, crying their hearts out... Yet, the
guest minister did not open the Bible...
I was still standing, looking around for my girlfriend... But I could not find her...

When I went outside... I saw her, lying on the floor, flat, crying... As I tried to pull her
up, thinking that something might have hurt her... I
saw her blouse soaked with tears... Her voice was
already cracked... She had cried her heart out...I did
not care to wait for the service to close ... I managed to guide her back to my house... And throughout that short journey, on the road, she was weeping like a
child...

When we got home and she managed to sleep, right from her sleep, at short intervals, she began to sob, crying out from sleep... And before long, the pillow was already soaked...

The encounter she had in the church followed her home... And it continued like that for 3 days...
She was unable to eat anything...
In one of those nights, as she was praying and crying, she burst into tongues... She was crying and was blasting tongues, for more than 4 hours... How can I forget? The morning of the 3rd day, she told me: "Felix, when that young pastor was
singing that song... My eyes were opened and I saw
Jesus for the first time in my life... I saw the kind of
splendor I cannot explain... I saw His wounds... I saw
Him on the Cross... I saw Him calling me to surrender my life to Him....
Felix, something has
happened to me... And I am no more that same person." The more I tried to cuddle her, the more she was running from my arms...
She asked me: "Felix , did you not feel what I felt? Did you not see what I saw? What I saw is worth more than the whole world. I saw a Crown that I cannot lose... Felix, i have to surrender to Jesus... I have to pack my
things now..."

Before 30 minutes, she had picked her few things and about to go... As she was leaving, we were both in tears...
She told me: "FELIX, I know I love you and you love me too.... But I have to let you go.
At this moment, I have surrendered to Jesus.... It will be better to lose you than to lose that Crown that I saw... "
Tears had dried on our bodies and fresh ones were coming. I could not even stop her...

The girl I knew before had changed... Her face was radiant... It dawned on me that that young man of God had made me lose the girlfriend I loved so much...
And I was angry...

As I rolled from one part of the bed to the other, alone, inside my room, from morning till night... I began to blame myself for taking her along to that program...

Don't blame me... I was not
born again then...Where else was I going to see another girl who would love me like her?
I was furious... Yes, but deep down in my heart, I knew that she had met God...
I knew that this was exactly how it used to be in 1980s and 90s...

On my own, I began to tell God: "If I will ever become a Preacher someday, this is the type I want to be... I will love people to come to my program and lose their girlfriends to God.."
And thank God, in the fullness of time, when it pleased Him to intercept me from a speedy journey
to hell, I understood what happened those days to
my ex girlfriend...

Several times, I have seen that same thing she saw that made her lose me and not care about it.

Friend, if you see what she saw, you will never be afraid to lose any man....
Apostle Paul said that when he fell and stood up on his way to Damascus, 'I saw no
man'... Why are you afraid for us that we will starve if
we continue with this 'criticizing' ministry? Why are you complaining that nobody will host us in his big auditorium and give us big honorarium?
Thanks for your concern brother man... But we can tell the whole world that 'We too, like Apostle Paul, saw no man'...
We did not see honorarium before we left all and embarked on this journey.. We saw a Crown that we must not lose on the last day...

Many are already wearing their own crowns here... They have forgotten the encounters God used to give them when they first met Jesus...

Lord, anybody can go... I don't want to lose the glory you showed me! ...

We don't need too many friends...We don't need those who want to show everyone that they are succeeding in ministry, even when, they are not known in Heaven
Our lives are better with fewer people whose eyes are still on that Crown...

With the help of God, in our weaknesses and fewness, if it please God, we might be able to stop the mouth of lions...
That was how that young man made me to lose my girlfriend..

My friends told me to give her some time that she will run back to me when memories of our sinful past will begin to hunt her...
I waited for months and years, up till now, she did not come back...
Together, with her husband,
they are running a revival ministry in my country
Nigeria... And she too is reading this post now as you are reading it... Aleluiah

Man of God, I don't know the last time people listened to you and they went back and moved their things out from their boyfriend's house and that was their last days in sin? When was the last time you preached and boys called their girlfriends on the
phone and told them: "It is over... I have met with
Jesus.... And am gone",?

In the last crusade where ministered, you came back with car keys... Laptops, I phones and landed documents... But there was no tears for repentance...
Sinners came as Sinners, sowed their seeds as
Sinners and left as Sinners.

When again are we going to see you preach and men will start falling over another, even without altar call, asking God for repentance for their adultery?
Your choristers are already singing with snared hearts...

When are we going to hear somebody say about you, that: "This is that man of God that I heard and I left my sins and did not go back to them again?

Sister, I don't know what they are telling you in your church every Sunday...
I know you want to shun your evil ways, but the church you submitted to seems not to have a problem with your sinful lifestyle... From year to year, they don't preach against sin.... Only giving you 100 ways to make wealth, even when you are sinking miserably in sin and addictions...
The abuse of the gospel of miracle visa, miracle marriage, miracle contracts, and fighting of enemies is what brought this demonic wind upon us...

Jacob had all those things and yet, he was crying to God for an encounter...
He had it and that's why we are still talking about him till now...
Lock your self up this
weekend and cry to God for that same encounter... If
He has not shown up, don't give up... If my ex girl friend made up her mind to walk out from our relationship, there must be something she saw that's worth more than me...
Today, she is happily married with wonderful children...
That God she saw that night has not failed her...
That thing she saw has kept her all these years...

I know you are afraid of what will become of you when you cut some ties...

Sister, stop playing church while you are feasting on your vomit...

It's time to cry for an encounter... How long will you keep falling and rising and falling again?,

It's time to cry for just one touch of Fire,...
I am sure heaven will not shun your wet eyes and cracked lips.

PLS SHARE TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO LIVE FOR CHRIST, COZ HIS COMING IS AT HAND!!!

Is water compulsory for guinea pig?

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Hello all.am a newbie but so far so good this forum is da best..pls keep it up cos am learni g everyday.

Chicks are fond of piling up together whenever they’re afraid or whenever light suddenly goes off. To prevent this, you have to give the chicks what’s called blackout training. Start this from day old. This training involves turning the light off for about 5 to 60 minutes daily. Without this, the chicks will likely die in pile-ups on the litter if a blackout occur.

Another way to prevent pile-ups is by raising them in brooder rings. The rounded corners will prevent pileing ups.

Has anyone ever had a problem where a lot of healthy chicks were found dead in the morning? Blackout is probably the caused.

Pictured below is a brooder ring. Smaller sizes can also be used depending on number of chicks.

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