₦airaland Forum

In 1820, a crowd of curious people gathered around the county courthouse in Salem, New Jersey. The county fair was in progress, and they jostled one another in eager anticipation, for they were about to witness a daring feat. Soon a man appeared on the steps, holding in one hand a piece of poisonous fruit that had been part of the fair’s decorations. As he held it up for them to see, members of the crowd whispered excitedly to one another. “Is he really going to eat it?” some asked in disbelief.


The man was Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson, and the fruit was a tomato. Returning Spanish conquistadors brought the first tomato seeds from Peru to Italy. Upon arrival, the Italians believed the heart-shaped tomato was an aphrodisiac—thus tomato in Italian, poma amoris, means “love apple.” Love apples were often tokens of courtship. Young men gave them to their girlfriends, who would wear the seeds in sachets around their necks. The fruit was admired for its beauty, but because of its relation to deadly nightshade the tomato was regarded as poison by Americans and no one would dream of eating it.

The crowd gasped in horror as Colonel Johnson deliberately placed the tomato in his mouth and ate it with apparent relish. They waited breathlessly, expecting soon to see him collapse, writhing in dying agony, on the courthouse steps. But nothing happened. Instead, praising the color and texture, he ate a second tomato, explaining that tomatoes were delicious either cooked or raw. He then invited the onlookers to join him in his meal, and a few of the braver ones went forward. Soon they too were relishing the tomatoes’ flavor.

The news rapidly spread, and eventually tomatoes became a widely accepted article of diet, providing a primary source of minerals and vitamins A and C. Today the United States grows about 9 million metric tons of tomatoes yearly and there are more varieties of tomatoes sold than of any other fruit.

The Bible teaches that the devil is a master of deception in convincing people to fear what is good and eat what is bad. But once we taste the goodness of the Lord and learn to trust in Him, He will help us discern between what is bad and what is good. He will be our Guide.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalms 34:8

Have you ever wondered why in some countries the drivers use the right side of the road and in others—like Great Britain—they use the left? Well, the theory is that in olden days the nobility would ride their horses on the left of the road so their sword hand, usually the right hand, would be on the same side as an oncoming horseman. Naturally, with armed nobility riding around, it made sense for peasants to walk on the right, facing the oncoming traffic. For many years this was the case in the U.K. and Europe.


But remember that during the French revolution many of the aristocrats were executed. Even after the revolution it was a bad idea to be mistaken for nobility. So everyone in France started to travel on the right side of the road. Then along came Napoleon, who carried this practice with him as he conquered large parts of Europe and built the first international road system since the Romans. But because of his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon never made it to England. Therefore, the U.K. and all its territories continued riding on the left. Today the words “right” and “left” have also come to represent opposite extremes in politics and religion, generally in reference to liberal or conservative views and practices.

Did you know that the Bible teaches that right and left extremes will come together in the last days to worship the beast and its image? Revelation 13 talks about “small and great, rich and poor, free and slave” receiving a mark of allegiance to the beast. This power will attempt to unite all mankind in a defiant stance against God. When good and evil play out their final struggle, no one will be immune from making a choice one way or the other. Everyone will worship either God or the beast.

According to Scripture, the confrontation won’t last long. Every person from every nation will be gathered before Christ, “and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32). Great things are in store for the sheep on the right, for they will inherit the kingdom of God (verse 34). I want to be sure I’m at the right hand of Jesus on that day, don’t you?

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Matthew 25:33

On September 22, 1840, Captain Brighton of the whaling ship Hope claimed to have happened upon a strange sight—a ship frozen in the ice of the Drake Passage near Antarctica. Boarding the ship, Captain Brighton found that the crew had died some years before, but their bodies had been perfectly preserved by the frigid temperatures of the Antarctic sea. They were frozen solid—some in their hammocks as if asleep. The captain of the Jenny was sitting at his desk in front of his log book, his pen still in his hand. The last entry read: “No food for 71 days. I am the only one left alive.” According to the date, the schooner Jenny had been floating among the icebergs for thirteen years.


While this account is unsubstantiated and likely only a sea-faring legend, it is thought provoking. Do we have churches with a temperature problem? Jesus warned that His church at the end of time would think that they are rich and in need of nothing, but in reality they are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). Thankfully, Jesus also provided a solution: “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your unclothedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Revelation 3:18).

The gold Jesus refers to is a loving faith, the kind that can endure tough trials. He offers us His white garments of righteousness—His life lived out within us (Isaiah 61:10), but first we need to look to Jesus so our blind eyes can see our true condition. When we realize how our spiritual pride has blinded us and how poor we really are, we might well ask how a poor man can afford gold and new clothes. That’s the best part! Jesus intends for us to buy from Him “without money” because He’s paid the price (Isaiah 55:1).

Good news like this can thaw even the hardest heart!

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16

Aside from Israel, Iraq is the land most often mentioned in the Bible. Some familiar Bible names for this historic region are Eden, Shinar, Babylon, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Nineveh, and parts of ancient Persia. It is sometimes known as the Fertile Crescent and cradle of civilization. The adventures of Bible characters like Esther, Jonah, Daniel, and Ezekiel all took place in this historic land. On two occasions the people of God have been carried off to the land of Iraq. The ten tribes were carried off into Assyria in 721 B.C. Then Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 587 B.C. and drove its inhabitants of Judah into 70 years of captivity. This is one reason Saddam Hussein revered King Nebuchadnezzar as his hero. Hussein longed to duplicate the feat of conquering Israel and ruling the Arab nations!


In fact, Saddam once had himself photographed in a replica of the war chariot of Nebuchadnezzar, and tried to convince people he was the reincarnation of the ancient king of Babylon. (The Bible also tells us that Nebuchadnezzar went insane for seven years.) History records Babylon was conquered by the Persians and then the Greeks. After the death of Alexander the Great the city of Babylon began to fade. Ultimately, the once great city ceased to be inhabited and the ruins were swallowed by the Euphrates River and shifting sand of the Iraqi desert.

Many Christians firmly believe that Babylon must be rebuilt before the last events of prophecy can be fulfilled. But the prophet Isaiah clearly promised, “It will never be inhabited … But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of owls …” (Isaiah 13:20, 21). Saddam Hussein desperately wanted to prove the Jewish prophet wrong and vainly spent millions trying to rebuild the ruins of ancient Babylon in an effort to restore it to a thriving metropolis. Saddam’s grand plans to restore Babylon have been repeatedly thwarted by war, and now he is gone.

If the Bible says Babylon will never be rebuilt, then what is the lastday Babylon spoken of in the book of Revelation? Revelation 17:5 speaks of Babylon as “the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.” If Christ’s church is represented as a pure woman (see Revelation 12:1), then what else could Babylon represent but fallen apostate churches?

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. Isaiah 13:19-20

You did not send me the updates again as you promised.

how much do you fit POP CEILING for a sitting room and bedroom?What are the other options apart from POP CEILING?NB:OUTSIDE LAGOS

how much do you fit POP CEILING for a sitting room and bedroom?What are the other options apart from POP CEILING?NB:OUTSIDE LAGOS

The state of Israel has only 0.8 percent of the world’s population and is the world’s 100th smallest country. Yet they can claim the following amazing accomplishments:


Twenty-four percent of Israel’s workforce holds university degrees and 12 percent hold advanced degrees. That’s the highest ratio for its population in the world.


Aside from the United States, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world.


Israel’s economy of $100 billion is larger than all of its immediate neighbors combined.


Israel has the highest average standard of living in the Middle East, even exceeding that of the United Kingdom.


Israel has the world’s second highest number of new books per capita.


Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita.


The cell phone was developed in Israel by Motorola.


Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees.


With an aerial arsenal of over 250 F-16s, Israel has the largest fleet of fighter aircraft outside of the United States.


Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on Earth.


Israel has more museums per capita than any other country in the world.

It would certainly seem that God is blessing this little country! But why then is this unique nation so embattled? What will their end result be as a nation? Christ wept over Jerusalem and foretold their future. God has not rejected individuals of Jewish descent. But the Lord has turned away from Israel as His representative nation. Yet, the tears of Christ, when He wept over Jerusalem, are tears He weeps for you and me if we will not turn to Him.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Matthew 23:37-39

Legend has it that when the Greeks were unable to capture the city of Troy, even after imposing a 10-year siege, they finally resorted to a clever stratagem. The Greek army pretended to sail away and left on the shore a huge, hollow wooden horse as an apparent victory gift. However, the gift was actually filled with several armed warriors!


Sinon, a Greek warrior, is the only volunteer to be “left behind” and become a spy inside Troy. The Greeks pretend to sail away, but plan to come back under the cover of night. Sinon then tells the people of Troy that the horse is a gift to the god Athena to atone for their evil acts against their city. He then persuades the Trojans to bring the horse within the city walls, saying it will mysteriously make Troy invincible. That night Sinon releases the troops hiding in the gigantic horse. After killing the Trojan guards, they open the gates to the waiting Greek soldiers, and Troy is captured and burned.

There are various accounts of different characters who try to warn the Trojans not to accept the gift horse. A Trojan priest expresses, in Virgil’s famous poetic words, “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts,” but is strangled by the god Poseidon before the townspeople hear and believe his warning.

Modern historians suggest the horse may have originally been a battering ram. Others think an earthquake provided the necessary break down of walls for soldiers to enter the city. Today we think of a “Trojan horse” as any deceptive strategy used to trick people into bringing an enemy into one’s protected space—such as innocently opening a computer file and infecting your hard drive.

The Trojan horse is a clear illustration for the work of Satan in seeking to deceive people just before Jesus returns. Christ warns us that in the last days “many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:5). The devil will not try to send false Christs only once or twice. Many deceivers will come. Jesus tells us to be careful. Like Virgil’s famous words, we too should “beware of the devil bearing gifts!”

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24:4-5

Years ago in the old Russian Empire the ruling czar, Nicholas II, was strolling through his vast palace gardens when he came upon a lonely guard standing at attention in a secluded corner of the great meandering gardens. “What are you guarding?” asked the inquisitive ruler. “To tell you the truth, O Great Sovereign, I have no idea, but the captain of the guard ordered me to this post,” the sentry replied.


Czar Nicholas then summoned the captain and made further inquiries as to what was being guarded. The captain of the guard replied, “O Great Sovereign, there are clear written regulations specifying that a guard was to be assigned to that precise corner at all times and this has been done as long as I can remember.” The curious czar then ordered a search to find out why.

The palace archives finally yielded the answer. Years before, Catherine the Great had planted a special rose bush in that corner, and she had firmly ordered a sentry to be posted there to guard it so nothing might disturb or damage it. Now, one hundred years later, even though the rose bush had died long before, sentries were still guarding the now barren corner of dirt, even though no one knew why!

Traditions of faith can be valuable. They may be useful in preserving special experiences or ideals handed down by family or culture. However, we should be careful in what we spend our time guarding! Many religions zealously defend rituals which have lost their meaning. People may faithfully stand by traditions but not know why.

There is a more serious concern regarding traditions that Jesus warned us about. If a custom should ever stand in conflict with the commandments of God, it should be thrown out. Christ told us that holding such traditions makes “the word of God of no effect” (Mark 7:13). It’s a good idea to reflect on the traditions we keep. Do they conflict with God’s law? If so, we are stepping away from the Bible. It’s like standing guard over a dead bush.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. Mark 7:7-8

Most of us know that the first book ever printed on a printing press was the Bible. But the quality and methods of printing in those early years were very primitive in comparison to today. This led to many printing errors in these early Bibles; although they did not cause any serious theological confusion, some of them were still worth a smile.


That is, until 1631, when King Charles I ordered 1,000 Bibles from an English printer named Robert Barker. Only after the Bibles were delivered did anyone notice a serious mistake. In Exodus 20:14, a very small word was forgotten by the printers—the word “not.” That might seem like a small mistake in a book with over 700,000 words. But Exodus 20:14 happens to be one of the Ten Commandments. This little error changed the seventh commandment to say “Thou shalt commit adultery”!

This legendary edition became known as the “Wicked Bible.” King Charles was not amused by the infamous printing blunder. He ordered the Bibles recalled and destroyed, took away Barker’s license to print Bibles, and fined him 300 pounds (that was a lifetime of wages in those days). It is believed that only 11 of the original 1,000 Bibles exist today.

Robert Barker’s mistake was an innocent one; he didn’t intend to tamper with the Ten Commandments. But the Bible tells us that the Beast power would deliberately try to change God’s law. The prophet Daniel wrote, “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law” (Daniel 7:25).

But Jesus told us that God’s law cannot be changed, not even “one jot or one tittle.” As a reflection of God’s character, it is unalterable. Whatever happens, God’s law stands solid and immovable.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:18-19

During the days of the Persian Empire the grand vizier was typically the most influential officer in the realm. He was second in authority only to the sultan himself, who often left politics to others so he could indulge in palace pleasures. The grand vizier served much like a prime minister, with complete powers of attorney and was the leader of the imperial council.


In the 10th century, the grand vizier of Persia, Abdul Kassem Ismael, carried his library with him whenever he went on official business. The 117,000-volume collection was carried by 400 camels that had been trained to walk in alphabetical order! This was to simplify locating official documents for the librarians quickly pulling a book for their master. The Bible exalts Jesus Christ as the Grand Ruler of the universe.

Because of Christ’s willingness to come to this Earth, Paul writes, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow …” (Philippians 2:9, 10). Much like a giant library, Jesus is not only called “the Alpha and the Omega” (Revelation 1:, but John tells us regarding the works of Christ, “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

Jesus is called “the Word.” He knew the written Word of God because the library of Scripture pointed to Himself. After His death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to two men walking on the road to Emmaus. They were confused about the recent events in Jerusalem. Christ pointed them to the Bible to encourage their faith. Luke writes, “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).

The Bible is like a walking library. Everything in this sacred library points to Jesus’ life and work to save people. No matter which book you pull out and open, it tells of Christ. No matter where you are in the world, you can open the Word of God and find that all of Scripture testifies of Him (John 5:39). And you don’t need 400 camels to carry around this amazing book!

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

Flying dragons are prominent in many legends and stories from around the world. Often there is a kernel of truth in legends, and this appears to be the case with flying dragons. Paleontologists have found amazing fossil evidence all over the globe of giant flying reptiles called pterosaurs, or “winged lizards.” Pterosaurs were flying reptiles, some with a wingspan of around 40 feet. That’s about the size of a small Cessna airplane!


They appear to be the largest flying animals that ever lived on Earth. The biggest of the pterosaurs weighed around 550 pounds. By comparison, the heaviest flying bird alive today, a kori bustard, is only 44 pounds. The bones of a pterosaur were lightly built and hollow to aid with flight.

Pterosaurs often had necks as long as 10 feet and legs as tall as seven feet. To someone watching from the ground, the long legs trailing behind a flying pterosaur might have looked like a dragon’s pointed tail. Pterosaurs also had large brains and eyes, with a long, thin beak and toothless jaws.

On their heads were bony crests, which some believe acted as a rudder in flight. Other scientists have surmised that the hollow chambers in the skull could have contained chemicals like the bombardier beetle that sprayed a fiery liquid from their mouths. We can’t tell from the bones, but it is even possible that some of these extinct dragons were red.

Some of these creatures may have survived the flood. In the 5th century B.C. the Greek historian Herodotus wrote about “winged serpents” living in Arabia. But the Bible tells us that at least one dragon still exists today—the dragon also known as “the Devil and Satan” (Revelation 20:2). While some people believe that the devil is just a religious legend, the Bible makes it quite clear that he not only exists, but seeks to “deceive the whole world” and destroy those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:9, 17). But the devil is not left unchecked, nor will he prevail. After being bound for a thousand years, he too will become extinct: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone” (Revelation 20:10).

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, Revelation 20:2

To a certain extent, tea produces intoxication. It enters into the circulation, and gradually impairs the energy of body and mind. It stimulates, excites, and quickens the motion of the living machinery, forcing it to unnatural action, and thus gives the tea drinker the impression that it is doing him great service, imparting to him strength. This is a mistake. Tea draws upon the strength of the nerves, and leaves them greatly weakened.When its influence is gone and the increased action caused by its use is abated, then what is the result?--Languor and debility corresponding to the artificial vivacity the tea imparted. When the system is already overtaxed and needs rest, the use of tea spurs up nature by stimulation to perform unwonted, unnatural action, and thereby lessens her power to perform, and her ability to endure; and her powers give out long before Heaven designed they should. Tea is poisonous to the system. The second effect of tea drinking is headache,wakefulness, palpitation of the heart, indigestion,trembling of the nerves, and many other evils.WATER IS /REMAIN THE BEST BEVERAGE GIVEN TO MAN.

The first recorded roller skates, called skaites, were built in 1760 by a Belgian musical instrument maker named John-Joseph Merlin. Each skate had only two wheels, which were aligned one in front of the other along the center of the shoe. The crude design was based on the ice skates of Merlin’s day, which were strapped to the shoes.


Soon after inventing the skates, Merlin decided to wear them to make a spectacular entrance at a costume party. A master violinist, Merlin intended to roll into the party while playing his violin. Unfortunately, he had neglected to master the fine art of stopping on skates, and when the big moment came he went careening through the room and crashed into a very valuable full-length mirror, breaking it and his violin and injuring himself. His entrance was indeed spectacular, though it did not have the desired effect of increasing the popularity of his new invention!

Did you know that in the near future the devil is planning to make his own spectacular appearance masquerading as Jesus Christ? But unlike John-Joseph Merlin, Satan has been practicing his dramatic entrance for 6,000 years! The Bible says that the coming deception will include “great signs and wonders,” convincingly designed in order to “deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).

How can we avoid being deceived? The answer is threefold. First, we must stay close to Jesus. The Bible tells us that the only way to resist the devil is to “draw near to God” (James 4:7, . Second, we must test every religious teaching by searching the Scriptures diligently: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). Third, we must pray for the discernment that the Holy Spirit can give, because spiritual things are “spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). As we do these three things, we can rest in Jesus’ promise to His disciples: “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:29).

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. John 10:29

Fabian von Schlabrendorff was born in Germany in 1907. Though he trained as a lawyer, he eventually joined the German army before World War II. Realizing that Adolph Hitler was insane and destroying Europe, he joined the resistance. On March 13, 1943, during a visit by Hitler to an army center headquarters in Russia, Schlabrendorff smuggled a time bomb onto an aircraft meant to carry Hitler back to Germany. The bomb did not detonate, and even though Schlabrendorff was able to retrieve the bomb without being detected, he was eventually arrested after a second assassination attempt.


Schlabrendorff was sent to a Gestapo prison where he was tortured, but he refused to give any details of his own or others’ involvement with the resistance. Early in 1945, Schlabrendorff was brought before a Nazi court. The evidence against him was weak, but the judge, Roland Freisler, was infamous for handing down death sentences in almost every case. In fact, in his three years on the court, Freisler was responsible for as many death sentences as all the other judges combined over the eleven years the court existed. However, while Schlabrendorff waited for his trial to begin, an American air raid bomb hit the courthouse. The judge was killed, still holding Schlabrendorff’s file.

A month later, when Schlabrendorff’s trial was rescheduled, a different judge actually acquitted him, but he was still shuffled from one concentration camp to another until U.S. forces liberated his camp in May of 1945. In a unique twist of fate, he became a judge in the very country where he stood trial for treason.

The Bible teaches that a similar reversal of roles will happen again. Jesus was once condemned to death in an unfair trial, but we know that when He comes again, it will be as a righteous judge. As Peter told Cornelius, “It is [Jesus] who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42). But Peter didn’t stop there, because the best news of all is that our judge is also our redeemer: “Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:42, 43). Why not trust your case to Him?

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. Psalms 98:9And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. Acts 10:42

Around the 14th century A.D., thousands of poor and homeless people who were seeking shelter began squatting in tombs in an area of Cairo, Egypt. Can you imagine living in a tomb with the dead? It would be repulsive to most of us, yet the City of the Dead is a real place that I saw years ago while visiting the northern part of Cairo. It’s actually the strangest cemetery I’ve ever seen. The word “cemetery” is, in fact, a misnomer because this graveyard is teeming with life and activity.


Over a period of hundreds of years, the great rulers of ages past built acres and acres of huge and elaborate mausoleums and tombs. At that time, tradition dictated that each tomb be built with its own “party room”—which eventually became habitations for the homeless. The 1992 Cairo earthquake forced even more people to live in the City of the Dead, often in family tombs.

Strangely, this cemetery, which measures about four miles in length, is now classified as a suburb of Cairo. It has its own zip code, post office, police station, shops, electricity, running water, and sewer system. It’s also rather creative how the residents made use of the smaller gravestones by turning them into washing lines or tables. People actually live and conduct their lives in and around these tombs—working, sleeping, cooking, and eating—surrounded by their silent, macabre neighbors.

The Bible teaches there are only two classes of people, the living and the dead. You might think this is an obvious statement but, according to the Word of God, not all of the living are alive and not all of the dead are dead. Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). On another occasion, He said, “… have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Jesus offers us this promise: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Aren’t you glad God gives us that kind of reassurance of eternal life with Him?

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 1 John 5:12Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: John 11:25

YOU PROMISED TO SEND ME AN UPDATE OF THE E-BOOK I BOUGHT FROM YOU,I DID NOT SEE ANY?PLS SEND ME THE UPDATED E-BOOK.

Probably the only healthy man in modern history who never saw the form or heard the voice of a woman was Mihailo Tolotos. Mihailo was a monk who died in 1938 at the age of 82 in one of the monasteries atop Mount Athos, in Greece. When his mother passed away during his birth, Mihailo was taken the next day to Athos, a piece of land jutting out into the Aegean Sea. The monk never once, throughout his entire life, left this monastic colony, which for more than 900 years has strictly excluded all females, animals as well as humans. This tradition dates back to the founding of the monastery nine centuries earlier.


Is it good for man to be alone? Not according to Genesis 2:18. But with the rising divorce epidemic it might make you wonder if marriage is still a good idea. Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24 and says, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (Matthew 19:5), supporting the institution of marriage.

The apostle Paul certainly does not insist on everyone getting married, and supports celibacy as a positive lifestyle for serving the Lord (see 1 Corinthians 7:7). But would Paul recommend a lifetime of seclusion? In an interesting application of Genesis 2:24, the apostle says, “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:30-32).

In the Bible, a woman is used as a symbol for God’s people. “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a lovely and delicate woman” (Jeremiah 6:2). God’s church is described as a woman in Revelation 12:1. Perhaps Paul’s counsel to Mihailo Tolotos would be to stay connected to God’s people and not live in isolation from the body of Christ. It is not good for anyone to be separated from the church, especially as we near the time of Jesus’ return.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together … so much more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24, 25).

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:30-32

We hear a lot these days about banking corruption, but the problem isn’t new. In eleventh-century England, people were plagued by the dishonesty of creditors. To overcome this abuse, in the year A.D. 1100, Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, started a system known as the “tally,” from the Latin word for “stick.” A tally stick was about nine feet long and a half inch wide. Every time money changed hands, lines were drawn across the face of a stick, indicating the amount of the loan. On two sides, the value of the “tally” was carved into the wood. It was then split lengthwise and each person received a half of the stick as proof of the transaction, with the creditor retaining one half and the debtor getting the other, an exact “carbon copy.”


It was practically impossible to counterfeit a tally, and those who tried lost their heads! The wood grain was as unique as a fingerprint. Notches and ink inscriptions had to match. This could only happen if both pieces came from the same split tally stick. When compared they had to “tally,” which is where we get the word for reckoning. The British Empire used tally sticks for over 700 years. Then in 1843, because a new banking system and currency were introduced, all the tally sticks in England were collected and burned. Yet the term lives on, since it is from the German word for “stick” that we get the word “stock,” a security for creditors of a business we hear about on Wall Street.

The book of Revelation speaks of God’s people being measured with a stick. What is the Lord’s “tally stick”? James writes, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). If we are preparing for Jesus’ soon coming, then “when He is revealed, we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). In other words, God’s law and our hearts will tally!

Before Jesus comes let us take stock of our lives. He covered the debt of our sin that we might receive the free gift of salvation. As we come closer to Jesus our characters will be a copy of His. It’s a transaction that can never be counterfeited.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. Revelation 11:1

In 1851, Maha Mongkut, also known as Rama IV, ascended the throne as the king of Siam (now better known as Thailand). Mongkut was a true monarch, with total power over his five and a half million subjects. But he was also different from previous Siamese kings. Before becoming king he spent 27 years traveling as a Buddhist priest, studying English, French, and Latin as well as Siamese and Sanskrit. This made him friendlier toward the West, inviting European diplomats to his coronation and introducing Western innovations into his kingdom. Despite his openmindedness about other cultures, in his personal life Mongkut adhered to royal Siamese tradition, having 82 children by 39 wives. Nine thousand women lived in his harem, kept apart from the world in a separate city.


Mongkut was also very devoted to Buddhist tradition. This is why he spent half a million dollars for a single ritual bath for his son. The Temple of the Bath is a beautiful pool surrounded by four smaller pagodas, all encrusted with heavy plates of gold and gems. In the center is the fabulous marble and gold swimming pool. The king built the Golden Temple on the Menam River in 1887 at a cost of $500,000. After the solemn bath was administered to the prince, the structure was never occupied again.

The Bible invites us to experience a cleansing bath that removes more than dirt from our bodies. Baptism is a ritual that demonstrates our belief that when we confess our sins to God, we can be assured that Jesus washes away all sin from our hearts. We are plunged beneath the waters to publicly signify our allegiance to our King in heaven. Christ led the way by His own example. But he wasn’t baptized in a gold- and marble-plated pool decorated with gemstones. Jesus was immersed in the muddy Jordan River. This pleased His Heavenly Father.

Baptism symbolizes Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. When we are baptized, we accept the work of Christ for our salvation. Jesus paid to wash away our sins by shedding His own blood. That’s why the most expensive bath in the world is baptism!

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38

On July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 ran out of fuel at 41,000 feet. The new Boeing 767 jet was only halfway through its trip from Montreal to Edmonton when the aircraft’s warning system sounded in the cockpit, indicating a fuel problem on the left side. The pilots naturally assumed that a fuel pump had failed, and turned off the alarm. But then a few moments later a second fuel alarm sounded, followed by a loud bong, and then both engines starving for fuel went silent. Obviously this stunned the pilots and terrified the 63 passengers.


Without any engine power most of the cockpit instruments went blank, leaving only a few battery-powered basics. Still disbelieving the jet could be out of fuel, the pilots scrambled to restart the engines. When they saw this was futile they began frantically searching charts for any landing strip within gliding distance that would be long enough to accommodate their rapidly descending jet. They turned towards the nearest landing site, a closed airbase at Gimli, Manitoba, 20 miles away. What the pilots didn’t know was that the decommissioned runway was being used that day as a drag racing strip and was full of cars, campers … and people.

Without regular engine power, the hydraulic steering became very stiff. Captain Bob Pearson performed a difficult side-slip maneuver to line up the silently descending aircraft with the runway. As the 767 main gear touched down the captain stood on the brakes. Then the nose wheel collapsed, sending sparks flying 300 feet into the air as the aircraft plowed down the runway. Shocked spectators, racers, and kids on bicycles scattered, clearing the runway. Miraculously, the crew was able to safely land the jumbo jet and no one was hurt. The subsequent investigation revealed that someone had miscalculated the fuel load. Canadian airlines had recently adopted the metric system in place of the imperial system.

It takes power to fly an airplane up into the blue sky. It also takes power for the Christian to “walk worthy of the Lord.” If the fuel tank is empty and the engines are not running, you will glide downward like the Gimli Glider. Fortunately, the pilots of Flight 143 made a safe landing. But how many people will crash and burn because they are not filled with the power of the Holy Spirit?

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Colossians 1:9-10

THE LIST IS NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT PRAYER,PRAYER.PRAYER TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.THIS IS ONE OF /IF NOT THE BEST MEANS TO RELIEVE STRESS.

DON"T QUOTE ME,IT HAS BEEN PROPHESIED THAT Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose, WILL WIN THE ONDO STATE ELECTION BY ONE NIGERIAN PROPHET.

Strongbest:
Sir, to get your chemicals in Ibadan kindly go to Ogunpa Market not too far from Dugbe..........hope I got the spelling right though. Just got the information.


Thanks.

ok thanks

Strongbest:
Heyllo Sir, there are places in Ibadan where you can get everything. The name of a particular place was given somewhere on this thread, don't know the particular page right now but I will try and figure it out for you later.


Thanks.

Ok Thanks.Waiting

My question:Where can i buy the raw materials for these productions(soap,detergent,paint,juice etc )outside Lagos?i live in ibadan.

Although its average temperature is 39 degrees Fahrenheit, the top 10 feet of the ocean holds as much heat as our entire atmosphere.


Many unusual things also happen on the ocean floor. Chimneys spew sulfuric acid, and underwater volcanoes shoot out mud and methane. Water at 650 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to melt lead—bubbles up from underwater hot springs. Despite the scalding temperatures, however, these springs boast a profusion of life, from giant clams to 10-foot tall tubeworms.

The ocean also houses some astounding topography. At more than 40,000 miles long, the Mid-Oceanic Ridge is the longest continuous mountain chain known to exist in the universe. This chain runs through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and into the Indian and Pacific and has peaks higher than those in the Alps. The ocean’s deepest point, known as the Challenger Deep, plummets to a depth of 6.86 miles. If Mount Everest was submerged in this trench, more than a mile of water would still cover it. Under such a volume of water, the pressure is a crushing eight tons per square inch —equivalent to one person trying to hold 50 jumbo jets!

As John surveyed the glories of the New Earth, he noticed something unique: “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1).

Considering how much of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, it is not surprising that many associate the sea with separation. It divides friends and is often a barrier between us and those we love. Many people have stood on the shore and looked across those restless waves thinking with longing of someone far away. But in the Earth made new, there will be no more restless, murmuring waves and no more separation from those we love.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or unclothedness, or peril, or sword? Romans 8:35

Mr.strongbest i just stumble on your thread today,i am impressed,where have i been or you been since?Now ff.how do i get ur ebook?and other good stuff.remain blessed.

A placebo is a harmless pill or solution made from a neutral substance, such as sugar or starch, which is used to avoid bias when testing new drugs. But in some tests, patients have experienced dramatic results from these placebos based simply on their belief that the pill will help them.


Doctors have administered placebos to patients who are thought to have incurable illnesses to induce the so-called placebo effect: a temporary or even permanent improvement of the patient’s condition corresponding to their faith in the doctor or medicine. In 1955, a study by Dr. Henry Knowles Beecher reports that 35 percent of patients had their conditions improved by receiving placebos.

Little is understood of how this works, but one theory is that the patient’s faith in a cure might be related to the release of brain chemicals that help promote healing. Perhaps this is one reason why Jesus always said to those He healed, “Your faith has made you whole.”

Modern medicine is returning to the conclusion that a person’s faith has a great deal to do with their rate of recovery. In fact, a 2001 Reader’s Digest reported on a nationwide study that found those who attend religious services more than once a week have a seven-year longer life expectancy than those who never attend. The Bible also teaches that a person’s eternal life expectancy is directly connected with their faith.

Thomas struggled with faith. He said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). Fortunately for Thomas, Jesus revealed Himself and he believed. But notice Christ’s words, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (v. 29).

John’s Gospel intends to bolster the faith of people who have not physically seen Jesus. Until we get to, we can exercise our faith in the risen Lord as we read Scripture, pray, and hear His voice speak to our hearts. Faith will change us; Christ is more than a placebo.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. John 20:31

Scientists say that sound waves set in motion by our voices go on an endless journey through space. If we had the power to stand on some distant planet long years afterward, with instruments delicate enough, we might be able to find those sounds again and recreate the words we spoke here on Earth.


What is sound? Technically it is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through either liquid, solid, or gas. It is made up of different frequencies within the range of hearing. And, of course, it needs to be loud enough to be heard by the organs of hearing. That range for humans is between 20Hz to 20,000Hz. Dogs can hear things above the human’s upper range but are deaf to sounds below 40Hz.

Repeated studies show that the ear is superior to the eye and people remember more from words they hear than words they see. In fact, the mind is able to understand a spoken word in 140 milliseconds, while it takes 180 milliseconds to understand the printed word! Why? Psychologists believe this 40-millisecond delay occurs while the brain translates the visual data into aural sounds it can understand.

The Old Testament book of Haggai, the second smallest book in that testament, was a call to God’s people who returned from Babylonian captivity to rebuild the temple. It is interesting that the most repeated phrase in this entire book is, “Thus says the Lord.” More than 25 times in only two chapters, Haggai makes it abundantly clear that his message comes from God. Haggai brings the “word” of the Lord to the people with emphasis. He speaks with divine authority on behalf of God.

Do you speak God’s words? Do you say things that you would like to resound throughout all eternity? It’s something to stop talking about and wrap your mind around!

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 1 Peter 1:24But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 1 Peter 1:25

spyder880:
To be honest with you, I don't understand this question. Can you help me explain it better? Thanks.

When is conduit work done in a building,is it after plastering,fixing windows,doors etc?