‘I FIND NO FAULT IN HIM…….’

John 19 : 1-4

‘ So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”
Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the man”’

Earlier on in chapter 18, after questioning Jesus the first time, Pilate had already declared to the Jewish leaders his conviction over Jesus. “I find no fault in Him”, he said, and even offered to release Jesus to them as part of his annual custom of releasing a prisoner during the Passover. The Jewish leaders refused his offer and Pilate went back inside to Jesus. 
‘I find no fault in Him’, he had said, and to confirm this what did Pilate do? He took Jesus and scourged Him; he allowed his soldiers to further torture and mock Him, and in that humiliation and pain, with a bloody face and body, he presented Jesus once again to His accusers .. as proof that he found no fault in Him? I’ve always wondered how much more Pilate could have done to further the cause of the Jewish leaders if he had actually found fault in Jesus. Faced with such ‘proof’ of faultlessness, it is no surprise that the mob were encouraged to call for Jesus’ death. After all, what was there to fear; if even the governor who had found no fault in Him could have already begun to punish Him the Jewish leaders who did find fault in Him were justified in crucifying Him.

Pilate’s behavior is not unlike what happens with those of us who claim to find no fault in Christ. Our live styles in many cases do just as much damage to the cause of Christ as Pilate did with His ‘proof’. We declare that God is love, but we are quick to judge and condemn even fellow Christians, and crucify the unbelieving that Jesus gave His life for. We have become so wrapped us with ourselves and the desire to make money and make ‘it’, that we can no longer hear nor respond to the world’s cry. We declare that God is our helper, and then go ahead to tell or live lies in order to help or pursue our cause. We insist that we trust Him and are willing to follow His leading and how do we prove that? We bribe, - no we pay- what it takes to get our own way, we give Him glory for telling a lie successfully, and getting what we want; or on the other hand, we run from pole to pole in fear searching for ‘solutions’. We declare that humility is from God, and our pride does not allow us to accept correction or criticism.……... I am sure we can all add to the list if we think of it hard enough. 
Do we still wonder why the world continues to find fault in Him?

It is time to rethink our professions to Jesus, and the consistency of our actions with those professions. We should consider the implication of our actions on the cause of Him on whose side we claim to be on. We should do this reassessment with the help of the Holy Spirit, and ask Him to help us see what we have hitherto closed our eyes to - the extent of damage we have done to the cause of our Christ. There is mercy and grace to be found in the presence of God if we go before Him with true repentance and a desire to be different. Let the image of Jesus we present as proof to the opposing world be the representation of all we profess – A King in whom there is no fault indeed!

By Biodun

Recipes: HOMEMADE SNICKERS

INGREDIENTS

For the bottom chocolate layer

·         140g (or 5 ounces) milk chocolate

For the soft nougat layer

·         100ml (or ⅓ cup + 4 teaspoons) water

·         275g (or ¾ cup + 2 teaspoons) golden syrup

·         320g (or 1½ cup + 5 teaspoons) granulated sugar

·         1 egg white

·         pinch of salt

·         35g (or 2 tablespoons + 2½ teaspoons) granulated sugar

·         35g (or ¼ cup + 2½ teaspoons) powdered sugar, plus more for dusting

For the caramel peanut layer

·         330g (or 1 cup) dulce de leche

·         200g (or 7 ounces) toasted, salted peanuts

For the top chocolate layer

·         40g (or 5 ounces) milk chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS

Start with the bottom layer of chocolate:

1.      Line the bottom of a 20×21-cm (or an 8×8-inch) brownie pan/baking dish/serving dish with baking parchment.

2.      In the bowl of a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate until all of it has melted. Pour the chocolate into the lined dish and, using a rubber spatula or even the back of a spoon, spread the chocolate in an even layer. Place in the fridge to set.

While the chocolate layer is in the fridge, start with the nougat:

1.      In a large saucepan, combine the water, golden syrup and 320g (1½ cup + 5 teaspoons) granulated sugar. Heat over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

2.      Once the sugar has dissolved, crank up the heat to high and clip a sugar thermometer on the side of the pan.

3.      In the meantime, combine the egg white and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Mix until frothy, then add the remaining granulated sugar. Mix until white and foamy.

4.      Once the heating sugar syrup reaches 122°C/252°F, take the pan off the heat and slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the egg white, mixing continuously. At first it will seem that the egg white will never be able to ‘absorb’ the amount of syrup, but it will. Just add the syrup in a thin drizzle and take your time.

5.      Once all the syrup has been added, mix for 1 minute, then slowly add the powdered sugar and mix it in. Then, with the mixer set to high, beat the mixture until it becomes thick and dry and feels cool to the touch, about 10 minutes.

6.      Take the brownie pan with the chocolate out of the fridge and spoon the nougat on top of it. Using a rubber spatula, spread the nougat around in the pan, then dust your hands with powdered sugar and, using your hands, press the nougat into an even layer.

7.      Allow the nougat to set and dry overnight.

The next day, proceed with the caramel peanut layer:

1.      In the bowl of a double boiler, gently heat the dulce de leche until soft. Keep your eye on it, because you don’t want it to get hot. It’s okay if it’s a little warm, though. Stir in the salted peanuts and allow cooling to body temperature.

2.      Once the mixture has cooled sufficiently, spoon it on top of the nougat layer. Using the back of a spoon spread the caramel into an even layer. Place in the fridge to set for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, melt some chocolate:

1.      In the bowl of a double boiler, melt the chocolate for the top chocolate layer. Pour on top of the chilled caramel/peanut layer and spread into an even layer with a spoon or a rubber spatula. Place in the fridge to set for about 1 hour.

To serve:

1.      Use a hot knife to cut individual snickers bars, or cut into thin slices (I’ve got a picture of how it should look in the post!). Can be stored in an airtight container for at least a few days, maybe longer, but mine didn't last that long!amazinginteriordesign.com

7 Things for Which to Thank Your Wife

We men can be notoriously bad at thanking people, starting with the person we love the most: our wife. Here are seven quick things we can thank our spouse for, one per day for the next week:

1. “Thanks for putting up with me and for loving me. I know I am not always easy to live with.”

2. “Thanks for all you do to provide good food for our family to eat.”

3. “Thanks for all you do around the house. You do a great job keeping things clean and organized.”

4. “Thanks for pouring your life into our children and making that tough but worthwhile investment.”

5. “Thank you for all the times you have prayed for me. Please keep it up!”

6. “Thank you for being wise with our finances to give our family a bright future.”

7. “Thanks for being you, for putting your family first, and for looking so gorgeous while you do it!”

All Pro Dad

Deadly and Contagious

TEXT: LEVITICUS 15:1-18

KEY VERSE: “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean” (Leviticus 15:2).

When Jesus declared that He came to fulfill the law and the prophets, all He meant was that He came to offer a permanent solution to the uncleanness of sin in the world which the leprosy in the day of Moses symbolized. As the plague was contagious and deadly, so is sin, which is even deadlier! As a priest was needed to take charge of cleansing, we need a Jesus, the Priest, to deal with the uncleanness and filth of man.

The picture the Lord has painted of the spread of uncleanness from anyone that had an issue or discharge from his body is representative of sin. Sin is contagious, an uncontrollable wild fire, a small leaven hidden in a loaf until it affects all. No wonder the prophet declares in Isaiah 64:6 that: “But we are all as an unclean thing and all our unrighteousness as filthy rags and we do all fade as a leaf and our iniquities like the wind, hath taken us away”.

To declare the man with the running issue clean, he must present to the Lord a sin offering and a burnt offering. This refers to the perfect sacrifice of Christ as the only way open for the sinner’s attainment of pardon and restoration to peace with God.

Have you been to Calvary for freedom from sin that all have inherited from Adam? There is abundance of grace to set you free today. The Scripture says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Beyond forgiveness of sin lies the sacred need of daily victorious Christian living.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Jesus fulfills the law and the prophets by cleansing us from sin.

Have you ever heard people faking accents?

Have you ever seen someone claiming to be what they are not?

I saw a clip of video on Facebook last week......a gentleman stood by a car and noticed a lady walking towards the car.
He fancied her and immediately leaned on the car and got ready to pounce into action.
It was time to impress.
As the lady walked near, he said hello....she smiled and waited for him to speak.

I was quick to criticize how a nicely dressed girl would just stop by the roadside.

She listened carefully as he spoke.
She even gave her phone number.
The gentleman kept talking and she kept listening.
Then he said, so I will call you later, I am waiting for the gentleman who is washing this my car ( pointing at the car on which he was leaning) to polish it, I would have given you a ride to town..
And she smiled and replied....don't worry. I will be fine.
She swung open her handbag, brought out the car keys for the car on which the guy was leaning, opened the car with the remote control lock, got in and drove off......
The car he was bragging about belonged to the lady to whom he bragged!
And she laughed and listened, knowing who the fool was!!!

We all think how stupid he was...don't we?

But really, some of us do that daily!

We try to deceive and impress God about things that He knows about us!

You make everyone ( including God) to think that you are holy and that you are a child of God!
Hmmmmm, is God that little in our eyes that we think He doesn't even know us?
We hide under all sorts of pretence to lead an unholy life, but under the cover of Christianity!
Who are we fooling?
To the ignorant lost mind, you are clever, Before the God almighty; He just watches and laughs....how long you will deceive yourself.

1 John 2:4-6 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Living a double standard is as foolish as we can get, most especially if we think that we are fooling God! 
Does He not watch you as you chose to walk away from His laws?
Could He not have struck down in that moment of shame that you reveled in?

Yes, we walk out of sleeping with another woman's husband and then walk into His presence like nothing happened. Some of us go from sleeping over at a boyfriend’s house straight to lead worship in church, quickly saying sorry to God en route! Arggggghhhhhh.
Some of us can tell 100 successive lies to cover one another!
You give false evidence about people.
You cover up your unrighteousness by killing innocent lives.
You commit more sins to cover the ones already committed .....
And He keeps giving you more chance to return! 
Oh , how He watches. 
You forge numbers, then ask God to bless the remainder of the tithe from the stolen money?
Or maybe I haven't mentioned your own vice here....

Who is fooling who?

Because no one is there.....? Did you really think no one as there?

Let it be known to us sisters...big or small....young or old...a fool is a fool...the Bible says that a fool says in his heart, there is no God....are you living like God is just a cartoon character? You treat God as though He doesn't exist....

Well.....we shall see....His mercy is available , yes.....but you don't know when it is that you run out of you allowance for repentance....the enemy is smart , otherwise no one will die a sinner.....you may think that you will always have the chance to say sorry as before.....but how about if you don't?

Hmmmmmmm,

God made you 
He knows the minutest details of the cells in your brain
He knows your next thought before it springs up from your mind...

And you still lie in His presence?
You still cover your sin and behave like He hasn't seen you? 
You must be joking!

All that you have hidden are exposed before Him.....in whom there is o darkness!!!

By sis Bola

‘List’ Of Abducted Chibok High School

Christian Association Of Nigeria Releases ‘List’ Of Abducted Chibok High School Girls Evangelist Matthew Owojaiye of the Old Time Revival Hour Church in Kaduna has published a list of 180 abducted girls of the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, calling on all Nigerian Christians for lamentation prayers for their safe release. He did not say how he obtained the list, and Sahara-Reporters has not been able to authenticate it. Chibok Local Government is 90% Christians,” he said in a statement on Sunday. “Majority of the girls abducted are Christian! Why did Boko Haram visit Chibok Local Government? Why didn’t they visit so many other Local Government Girls Secondary Schools in Borno State?”He described the abduction as an abomination.“Daughters of Zion taken captive, to be treated as slave and sold into marriage to unclean people. Abomination has been committed.“Raise lamentation to High Heavens. What a shame on the Church of the Living God.”The list published by Evangelist Owojaiye features 180 girls, of whom 165 are said to be Christian. In the statement, he warns that “ordinary” military approach may be unable to solve the problem of securing their return, but that “intensive agonizing” prayer will. On the subject of post-recovery, he demanded that the Federal Government whose duty it was to protect the innocent girls should pay N50million in trauma compensation to each girl. In addition, he demanded preparation to take each girl to an overseas university on government scholarship by September 2014, and the transfer of the SS1 and SS2 girls in the school to schools of their choice, at the expense of the government. Text of the statement: ABOMINATION! ABOMINATION!!CHRISTIAN  GIRLS ABDUCTED IN CHIBOK, BORNOSTATE. Daughters of Zion taken captive, to be treated as slave and sold into marriage to unclean people. Abomination has been committed. Raise lamentation to High Heavens. What a shame on the Church of the Living God FACTS: Chibok Local Government is 90% Christians. Majority of the girls abducted are Christian! Why did Boko Haram visit Chibok Local Government? Why didn’t they visit so many other Local Government Girls Secondary Schools in Borno State? The Church in Nigeria is hereby called to A Lamentation Prayer Time: Every Christian home must raise a lamentation to heaven daily. Let God arise and defend his Name, Honour and Majesty. Let a 15 minutes cry to heaven be done in every Church every time they gather. Oh God, Rend the Heavens and come down! Why should the people say where is our God? Here are the names of our daughters. S/No. Name Religion. These are the Christian Girls:

1 Deborah Abge-Chrstian . 2. Awa Abge . 3. Hauwa Yirma . 4. Asabe Manu

5. Mwa Malam pogu . 6. Patiant Dzakwa . 7. Saraya Mal. Stover . 8. Mary Dauda . 9. Gloria Mainta . 10.Hanatu Ishaku . 11. Gloria Dama . 12. Tabitha Pogu "13. Maifa Dama . 14. Ruth kollo .15. Esther Usman . 16 Awa James17 Anthonia Yahonna18 Kume Mutah19 Aisha Ezekial . 20 Nguba Buba .21 Kwanta Simon.  22 Kummai Aboku. 23 Esther Markus. 24 Hana Stephen. 25. Rifkatu Amos. 26 Rebecca Mallum. 27.Blessing Abana. 28. Ladi Wadai. 29. Tabitha Hyelampa. 30 Ruth Ngladar . 31 Safiya Abdu . 32 Na'omi Yahonna. 33 Solomi Titus . 34Rhoda John35 Rebecca Kabu36. Christy Yahi. 37. Rebecca Luka.  38. Laraba John39 Saratu Markus. 40. Mary Usman.

41 Debora Yahonna.42.Naomi Zakaria.  43 Hanatu Musa. 44. Hauwa Tella. 45.Juliana Yakubu. 46. Suzana Yakubu. 47.Saraya Paul. 48. Jummai Paul49. Mary Sule. 50. Jummai John. 51.Yanke Shittima. 52. Muli Waligam . 53. Fatima Tabji.54. Eli Joseph.55.Saratu Emmanuel. 56. Deborah Peter. 57.Rahila Bitrus.58. Luggwa Sanda.59. Kauna Lalai. 60. Lydia Emmar. 61.Laraba Maman. 62.Hauwa Isuwa. 63. Confort Habila. 64. Hauwa Abdu. 65. Hauwa Balti. 66.Yana Joshua.67.Laraba Paul. 68.Saraya Amos. 69. Glory Yaga.70. Na'omi Bitrus. 71. Godiya Bitrus.72. Awa Bitrus.73. Na'omi Luka.74. Maryamu Lawan. 75. Tabitha Silas. 76. Mary Yahona. 77. Ladi Joel. 78. Rejoice Sanki.79. Luggwa Samuel. 80.Comfort Amos. 81. Saraya Samuel. 82. Sicker Abdul. 83.Talata Daniel.84. Rejoice Musa.85Deborah Abari. 86. Salomi Pogu. 87.Mary Amor.88. Ruth Joshua.89Esther John.90. Esther Ayuba. 91. Maryamu Yakubu.91. Zara Ishaku. 93. Maryamu Wavi. 94. Lydia Habila. 95. Laraba Yahonna. 96. Na'omi Bitrus. 97.Rahila Yahanna. 98. Ruth Lawan. 99. Ladi Paul.100 Mary Paul.101. Esther Joshua. 102. Helen Musa. 103. Margret Watsai. 104. Deborah Jafaru. 105. Filo Dauda. 106. Febi Haruna. 107.Ruth Ishaku. 108.Racheal Nkeki. 109. Rifkatu Soloman. 110.Mairama yahaya. 111.Saratu Dauda. 112.Jinkai Yama. 113.Margret Shettima. 114.Yana yidau. 115. Grace Paul.116. Amina Ali. 117. Palmata Musa118. Awagana Musa. 119. Pindar Nuhu. 120.Yana Pogu. 121. Saraya Musa122. Hauwa Joseph. 123. Hauwa kwakwi.125. Hauwa Musa. 126. Maryamu Musa. 127. Maimuna Usman. 128. Rebeca Joseph. 129.Liyatu Habitu.130. Rifkatu Yakubu. 131. Naomi Philimon. 132.Deborah Abbas. 133. Ladi Ibrahim.134. Asabe Ali135. Maryamu Bulama. 136.Ruth Amos.137.Mary Ali. 138. Abigail Bukar139 Deborah Amos140. Saraya Yanga. 141. Kauna Luka. 142. Christiana Bitrus143.Yana Bukar144. Hauwa peter. 145.Hadiza Yakubu. 146.Lydia Simon. 147. Ruth Bitrus. 148.Mary Yakubu. 149.Lugwa Mutah.150 Muwa Daniel.151 Hanatu Nuhu152. Monica Enoch. 153. Margret Yama.154.Docas yakubu.155. Rhoda peter156. Rifkatu Galang. 157. Saratu Ayuba.158. Naomi Adamu.159. Hauwa Ishaya160. Rahap Ibrahim. 162. Deborah Soloman. 163Hauwa Mutah.

164. Hauwa Takai. 165. Serah Samuel.

Below are the Muslim Girls.166. Aishatu Musa. 167. Aishatu Grema. 168. Hauwa Nkeki. 169. Hamsatu Abubakar. 170.Mairama Abubakar. 171 Hauwa Wule. 172. Ihyi Abdu. 173. Hasana Adamu. 174. Rakiya Kwamtah. 175 Halima Gamba.176. Aisha Lawan . 177. Kabu Malla. 178. Yayi Abana. 179. Falta Lawan. 180. Kwadugu Manu.

The Military may not be able to solve the problem but prayer will. Ordinary Military force may not get them out! Intensive Agonizing Prayer will.WHAT NEXT AFTER RECOVERY? We make the following demands of the Federal Government whose duty it was to protect the innocent girls.1. A N50million damage as trauma compensation to each girl.2. A preparation to take each girl to an overseas University on Government scholarship by September 2014. Preparation for that must start now!3. SS1 and SS2 girls in that school must be transferred to schools of their choice from Government coffer. How can any girl feel safe in this kind of school? Living in perpetual fear of attack? LET GOD ARISE, LET ALL HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED. Evangelist Matthew Owojaiye Old Time Revival H our Kaduna.

By Sahara-Reporters, VERIFICATION STILL GOING-ON :(

AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW

"What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. 

Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting." Matthew 18:7

People who want to undermine the faith of Christians, especially r young ones, will be in for a day of reckoning.

God takes this very seriously. Jesus said that for anyone who would go out of their way to try to hurt someone in their spiritual life or to challenge it or destroy it, it would be better if a millstone was tied around their neck and they were drowned in the depths of the sea.

Here is what we need to remember: we are being watched by younger believers every day. In Timothy 4:12 we read, "Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

The apostle Paul also wrote, "Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example" (Philippians 3:17).

That is what every Christian should be able to say. We should be able to say, "Follow me as I follow Christ." If you are a follower of Christ, I hope you could say that too.

We should be living in such a way that a younger believer could look to our example and find something in our lives worth emulating.

What if everyone in your church were just like you? In a sense, it is, because it is made up of people like you and me.

And every one of us either contributes to its strength and growth, or we contribute to its weakness and decline.

It is not an issue of whether you are an example, because everyone is an example. The only question is, are you a good one or a bad one?

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to be a good example and inspiration to younger believers.

Scriptural Reading: Matthew 18:6-9