"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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I’ve come across a site that state that neem seed can be used at low level (7g/kg feed) in feed as a replacement for antibiotics. What other such herbal remedy do you know?

Hello all. I’ve heard many owners of battery cage complaining about flies. I have a good news for you to try out. I’ve read somewhere that you can control flies by spraying lime powder or 10% malathion spray twice a month on the droppings. Other insecticides like imidacloprid, Chlorpyrifos, Abamectin etc can be used.

I hope this will help. And please, don’t fail to tell me how helpful this is.

Do you know you can save feed cost by formulating your own feed? If you don’t want to go all the way to the scratch to formulate your own feed, you can use concentrates and add to it things like maize, wheat offal or rice bran and soybean meal. Below is an example:

AnimalCare sells a 25kg concentrate feed for layers for N3100 (old price, 2015 or so). With this concentrate, you can formulate 100kg of feed as follows:

1. Layers Concentrate: 30kg
2. Maize: 50kg
3. Wheat offal/Rice bran (as source of fiber): 20kg

The trick is to find places where you can buy maize and wheat offal/rice bran at cheap prices. You can get them cheap by buying directly from maize farmers or companies that have wheat offal/rice bran as byproducts. Having your own vehicle will save you a lot in transport cost.

Apart from AnimalCare, there are other companies that sell concentrates. Visit chicken feed sellers to find out.

It is important that you cook whatever you want to eat very well. This also applies to eggs. If you don’t cook them well, you may end up contacting salmonella infection. The symptoms appears 6-72 hours after consuming an infected egg. Symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, chills, fever and/or headache. In healthy people, these symptoms may last only a day or two, but for the elderly, very young, pregnant women, the ill or those with immune system disorders, it can lead to complications and even death.

So always remember to boil or fry your eggs well. The high temperature of cooking will kill any pathogens present. Also remember that you can also contact salmonella from other animal food products, and even from some non-animal products like tomato, orange juice, cereals etc. The end of everything is that you cook everything you’ll eat properly. In case of fruits, wash them well in salt solution and prepare them under hygienic conditions.

Although salmonella won't make the birds seriously sick, birds are still vaccinated against it for the sake of humans.

TREATED Cameroonian Hybrids Plantain/ Banana
9month Fruiting Suckers
Nationwide & Self Pickup Services Available.

Kindly Call/WhatsApp:08120757274/08057761905
www.sedulusfarms.com.ng

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The Central Bank Of Nigeria CBN is issuing loans to small and medium enterprises under the Agric Small and Medium Enterprise Scheme (AGSMEIS) Loan 2020.

What is Agric Small and Medium Enterprise Scheme (AGSMEIS)?

Agric, Small and Medium Enterprise Scheme AGSMEIS is the Bankers’ Committee’s initiative aimed at complementing the efforts of the Federal Government to promote agri-business as well as small and medium-sized enterprises as a vehicle for sustainable economic development and job creation.

The AGSMEIS was approved at the Bankers’ committee 331st held on the 9th of February 2017. The Scheme requires all banks in Nigeria to set aside 5% of their profit after tax (PAT) annually for onward disbursement as loans.

In pursuit of this Scheme, the CBN appoints reputable and experienced organizations, referred to as Enterprise Development Institutes (EDIs), to provide necessary business development support.

From the AGSMEIS, you can access up to N10M at 5 percent per year– without collateral.

Objectives of the Agric, Small and Medium Enterprise Scheme (AGSMEIS)

The Scheme’s goals include:

To create much-needed job possibilities in Nigeria

To improve the agricultural value chain and guarantee sustainable farming practices.

To guarantee access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

To boost the managerial capacity of Agri-Business/SMEs as pipelines of fast growing enterprises that can evolve into corporate organizations.

Who is eligible for AGSMEIS Loan
MSMEs are eligible in the following industries:
Agriculture,
Education,
Healthcare,
Services,(Hospitality, Restaurants, Catering, Services, etc.),
ICT,
Manufacturing / Production,
Mining, Creative Industry (Fashion, Design, Craf Entertainment, etc.), etc.

How to apply for AGSMEIS Loan Without Collateral

Step 1: Get trained
Train at a CBN-certified Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) for a one-week mandatory training course.

Step 2: Apply for the Loan.
The Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) will guide you and help you get all the papers you need to secure your credit.
You can obtain the current application form from the CBN EDC that trained you. But

Step 3: Receive funds
For eligible applications, funds are paid into the beneficiaries’ account.
Feedback is provided to unqualified applicants.

Step 4: Get Business Support Services
The Entrepreneurship Development Institute will assist you in implementing the business plan and commercially delivering business support services.

Step 5: Make Sales
Sell products and services for reimbursement and profit.

Step 6: Reimbursement
Run your business, keep records, monitor sales and expenses to maximize profit and repay the loan.

What is the interest rate for AGSMEIS Loan?

This is the question any serious prospective entrepreneur should ask. The AGSMEIS charges as little as five (5) percent interest for the first five(5) years on overall capital.
In other words, if you get One Million Naira(N1,000,000), you will be required to reimburse One Million Fifty Thousand Naira(N1,050,000) over the period of the loan.
Get more details at: www.nmfb.com.ng/sme

CBN AGSMEIS Loan Requirements
Get the following details handy as you will be required to present them either during application, before final approval of the CBN loan application or final disbursement of the funds.
Registered business with CAC
Evidence of tax payments
BVN
Letter of Introduction
Letter of Guaranty
Certification by an EDI
Passport photo of you and guarantor
Valid ID card
Who Is Qualified To Write A Letter of Introduction for CBN AGSMEIS Loan?
Your Pastor/Priest
Chief Imam
LGA Chairman
CDA Chairman
Village Head
Senior Civil Servants Level 14 above
Your friend or spouse can write the guaranty letter.

Important Notice: Please note that applicants who submitted last year and received a link to provide further details before the last requirements came out do not need to submit again.

About NMFB
The National Microfinance Bank is Nigeria’s leading financial institution authorized by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The Company was established in 2019 as a Private Limited Company and began operations after obtaining a license from the CBN as a National Microfinance Bank. It is owned by the Bankers Committee by 50%, by NIRSAL by 40% and NIPOST by 10%.

Until now, the bank has disbursed about 776 million loans under the AGSMEIS to eligible SMEs.

Here is a list of CBN approved Entrepreneurship Development Centers EDC
There is at least one EDC center in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country. Here are their addresses.

CBN-EDC, Ibadan (South West)
Website: www.edcsouthwest.org
Address: Old SDSTC (Oyo Oodua Skill Acquisition Centre Premises),
Samonda, along Sango-UI Road,
Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

CBN-EDC, PortHarcourt (South South)
Website: www.ssedc.org
30 Trans-Woji road, Grace plaza, by Slaughter Bridge Woji Town,
Port Harcourt, Rivers State

CBN-EDC, Maiduguri (North East)
website : edcnortheast.com.ng
Address: Old Informatics Institute, Njimtillo, Kano Road,
Maiduguri, Borno State

CBN-EDC, Kano (North West)
Address: Murtala Muhammed Library Complex,
Kano, Kano State

CBN-EDC, Makurdi (North Central)
Off Jonah Jang Crescent,
Near Federal Secretariat,
Makurdi, Benue State.

CBN-EDC, Minna (North Central)
Address: Minna Innovation Institute,
Behind Niger State Sharia Commission,
Justice Ndajiwo Drive,
Minna, Niger State.

CBN-EDC, Enugu (South East)
Address: Ebenezer Villa Suite
8, Ogenyi Close, Off Cornerstone Avenue
Off Nike Lake Resort Road,
Enugu, Enugu State.

You can get more contact addresses of Entrepreneurship development centres in Nigeria @ https://www.boi.ng/edcpartners/

Frequently asked questions

How do I access the Loan?
Get trained by first selecting a CBN-Certified Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) to guide you through the loan application process and ensure that all your documents are complete.

What is the interest rate for this loan?
The interest rate is nine percent (9%) per annum

Do I need collateral?
No, this loan scheme does not require a collater

How long will it take to receive funds?
This loan scheme is designed to be easily accessible. The entire process is automatted. From application submittion to disbursement takes six(6) to eight(8) weeks.

Has disbursement started?
Yes we have disbursed over N25B and this is sti ongoing.

Source: https://canonspace.com/2019/10/02/apply-...ollateral/

Pope Francis has declared support for civil unions for same-sex couples for the first time, according to the Catholic News Agency.
The Pope made the historic remarks in "Francesco," a new documentary film directed by Russian filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, that premiered at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday.

"Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They're children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it," the Pope said in the film, the Catholic News Agency reported.

"What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered," the Pope said.

The film also explores the Pope's work and views in other issues, including climate change, migration and economic equality, according to the film's website. It is set to premiere in North America on Sunday during the SCAD Savannah Film Festival.

Francis has suggested in past interviews that he is not against civil unions, but this is the first time as Pope that he has directly come out in favor of them.

As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis advocated for same-sex civil unions as an alternative when Argentina was discussing whether to legalize same-sex marriage.
Francis' comments differ from his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who made the news when he labeled homosexuality "an intrinsic moral evil."

Jesuit Father James Martin, who has advocated for the church to welcome LGBTQ people, said bishops from many countries, including some in the United States and Poland, who are "violently against" civil unions will have to rethink their positions.

"He's creating a new space for LGBT people ... He's saying it on the record and he's being very clear. It's not simply that he's tolerating it -- he's supporting it," Martin told CNN's Christine Amanpour on Wednesday.

In the US, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island, asked for more clarification, saying the Francis' comments contradict the church's teachings on same-sex unions.

"The Church cannot support the acceptance of objectively immoral relationships," Thomas said in a statement. "Individuals with same-sex attraction are beloved children of God and must have their personal human rights and civil rights recognized and protected by law. However, the legalization of their civil unions, which seek to simulate holy matrimony, is not admissible."

Ed Mechmann, director of public policy for the Archidiocese of New York, described the Pope's comments as a serious mistake that can lead to a lot of confusion.

"In this case, I think we have to recognize that the Holy Father has plainly erred," Mechmann wrote in a blog post. "Catholics cannot promote the legalization of same-sex unions. But we also have to be clear that he isn't changing the teaching of the Church on homosexuality or same-sex unions in any way."

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/21/europe/po...index.html

Is it advisable to mix  ,fungicides and liquid fertilizer in the same tank?
Won't the fertilizer reduce the effectiveness of both contact and systemic fungicide that are to be mixed together? 
Also what is the advisable mixing ratio of the fungicides(both contact and systemic)?

Pls my pepper has been affected by diseases and they have affected many plantsuch as Tomatoes spotted wilt virus, bacteria leaf spot ,fruit rot etc.pls any remedy, I just applied manxozeb (z force) but I ve not noticed any changes?

 I am a new member, a vegetable farmer..I will love to learn more on vegetable farming (pepper and tomatoes)  and share my experiences in later times

An Abia pig farmer, Mr. Akobundu Steven Agomoh is currently counting his losses following a deadly disease that struck his farm, killing over 438 pigs.

Mr. Agomoh who is the CEO of Akonauche Farms located in Agbommiri Ndoro Oboro in Ikwuano local government area of Abia state in a chat with ABN TV on Friday said the swine flu defied all cures by his veterinary doctors.

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy9zcilClCs

According to Mr. Agomoh, all known medication was administered on the pigs but no result was achieved as they continued dying helplessly. The farmer described the disease as an outbreak that broke out in Lagos, moved to Ogun, and later Umuahia, Abia State. He said it was brought into the state by people who went to buy the younger pigs known as weaners.

The disease which he said can be spread to humans witnessed a spike in Umuahia when owners of infected pigs started an aggressive sale to meat sellers. He said it was transferred into his farm by meat sellers who had contact with infected pigs and later visited his farm in Oboro, Ikwuano. The disease since the outbreak in June this year has caused fatal losses to farmers, he said.

In the third week of June, Agomoh's farm was struck, leading to the death of 438 pigs, estimated at 11 million Naira. "They died in tens hourly. The first sign I noticed was the loss of appetite and cold. Anyone that dies will have a semblance of blood on the nose.
"They also had red spots. Within 40 minutes after death, the spots change to black" he said.

Source: https://abntv.ng/2020/07/fears-as-deadly...tos-video/

I am Adeyeye Emmanuel a new member wishing to get first-hand counsel that will help me in my poultry adventure

I reside deep in the heart of kaduna, graduate of chemical engineering whose heart has always been in love with farming, especially livestock. Now my singular goal is to marry both to aid boost Agric Business in Nigeria. For now I own a small poultry farm but my mind harbors a plan for the near future. I am glad to be here as I always advocate for the free flow of information as long we all do the same. This thread will host my current experiences good and the other good