deploy log4j

[cpanon]

Hello
I have an app that work perfectly in my IDE(JBuilder05, yes I know but it work 
fine), but on deployment I believe it is not reading the log4j with this error:
java.lang.NullPointerException
    at java.util.Properties$LineReader.readLine(Unknown Source)

followed by 
log4j:WARN No appenders could be found for logger 

I am loading the prop file with this(that works in the IDE)
java.util.Properties props = new java.util.Properties();
    try {
      props.load(getClass().getResourceAsStream("/log4j.properties"));
    }
    catch (IOException ex) {
    }
    PropertyConfigurator.configure(props);
    //ver03_lfj.setLevel(Level.DEBUG);
    ver03_lfj.debug("yippie");