David Bird, Pastor of the Regina First Nations Alliance Church, and his team won the First Nations equivalent of the Briar on the weekend.
David and his team are the excited and proud winners of the National Aboriginal Curling Championship 2007.
Hoisting the trophy, David and his team of Winifred Bird, Gerald Bird and Bill Desnomie went undefeated, taking on aboriginal teams from across Canada. “In the Aboriginal world this is like winning the Briar,” David says, “we get our names on the cup and everything!”
So, he says, “Regina First Nations Alliance Church is now the home of the 2007 National Aboriginal Curling Championship. I’ll probably put that on a sign somewhere.”
Tozer Daily Devotional
April: Prayer
To pray successfully is the first lesson the preacher must learn if he is to preach fruitfully; yet prayer is the hardest thing he will ever be called upon to do and, being human, it is the one act he will be tempted to do less frequently than any other.
God Tells the Man Who Cares, 69.
April 19, 2007
READ: Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. —Psalm 23:1
In her down-to-earth book More Than Sparrows, Mary Welch tells of her discussion about worry with a group of teenagers. Although they were Christians, they were as worried as unbelievers about the common things of life. As she lovingly listened to them, an unusual idea came to her for a game they could play. It went like this:
Instead of saying, “I’m worried,” stop and say, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Then add, “So I’m worried to death!” The students laughed at the absurdity of the idea, but they all promised to play this new “peace-of-mind” game.
Later, Mary received a phone call from a young woman who had been paralyzed by worry over an exam she had been dreading to take. She said, “I must tell you how the game helped me trust God today. As I froze with worry, I remembered to say, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd . . . so I’m afraid I’ll fail!’ Suddenly I felt the strangest peace of mind. I laughed at myself, then I took the exam—and I passed!”
Saying “The Lord is my Shepherd, and I am worried to death” is more than a mind game to point out the absurdity of worry. God can use this contradiction to bring us to a fuller trust in Him.
Why worry when you can pray?
Trust Jesus, He’ll be your stay;
Don’t be a “doubting Thomas,” rest fully on His promise.
Why worry when you can pray? —Peterson
© Renewal 1977 Singspiration, Inc.
Worry is the interest you pay on borrowed trouble.
| 2007-04-13 |
| Iraq: Youth pastor Fadi released by kidnappers |
|
April 13, 2007 - Kidnapped youth pastor Fadi of the Alliance Church in Baghdad, was released by his kidnappers! They let him go this Friday around 15:00, Baghdad time. Just a minute ago I talked to him on the phone. He sounded very tired but said that he was immensely grateful. He added: “I sensed that God was with me and talked to me all the time”. The hostage takers told him: “We don’t know why, but we will not kill you”. But we do know why! Over the past days we received many messages from around the world of people praying for the release of our brother! Talking to pastor Ghassan in Baghdad, I heard shouts of joy in the background. He was at Fadi’s house with family and church members singing and praising God. Let’s join them and give glory to God. Fadi’s name means: Redeemer. Yes, our Redeemer lives! Arie Verduyn Alliance World Fellowship President |
| Alliance Youth Pastor Kidnapped in Iraq |
| April 10, 2007 - The youth leader of the Alliance church in Baghdad, pastor Fadi, has been kidnapped last Friday night April 6 on his way back from Kurdistan to Baghdad. Reports say that the abductors were followed by the Kurdish police who shot at the car. The family fears for Fadi's life since he was held in the trunk of the car. The kidnappers had Fadi call his relatives and told him to say his last words to them. It is uncertain whether this was a random abduction or whether Fadi was especially targeted. Fadi knew of the dangers of going to Kirkuk, but insisted on going because of ministry opportunities there. Members of the Alliance Church in Baghdad are praying and fasting and will be joined by six other evangelical churches on Tuesday the 10th for a special day of prayer. |
