One of the responsibilities of pastors is to visit those of his congregation who are in hospital. I say responsibility but it’s more than that. It’s a privilege. And it’s inspiring too. Why? Because people who are sick enough to be in hospital are fully aware of their vulnerability and their need for healing. Sometimes they face inevitable death. Conversing with the dying is serious business.
So often I’ve heard from the depths of a dying person’s soul. There’s no small talk, no platitudes, no discussion of the weather. Rather it’s often about choices they made that bore lifelong consequences – choices for good and for bad. And in the face of their terminal condition they know there’s no going back.
For both good and bad memories I remind them that the grace of God knows no limits. His mercies are “new every morning”. He “knows our frame, that we are dust”, and His word tells us that “when our hearts condemn us He is greater than our hearts and knows everything”.
These moments are precious. Time and again I’ve seen palpable peace appear on their faces, sighs of relief, and quiet. We pray together. We weep together. Sometimes we even quietly sing together – often a stanza or two of a much loved hymn. Peace descends in the room and I move on with the promise to return. But I’ll never forget the hardly audible words of one dear soul I visited years ago as I was preparing to move to Jerusalem to plant the King of Kings church. “You’d better hurry pastor, or I may get there before you!” she whispered with a faint smile. And she did. She died that evening, her heart at rest in Jesus.
Our world is not a happy place. Wars, rumours of war, earthquakes, raging wildfires, floods, drought, drying rivers, melting glaciers, and political instability are creating conditions never seen on this scale. We’re on the cusp of unknown crises to come. A recent international study reports that almost 50% of the world’s arable land is “depleted”. Food insecurity is widespread.
It’s no surprise, then, to hear that charitable funds are eroding. When we feel insecure we hold onto our money.
Yet the needs of those with whom we work – “the least of these” as Jesus put it – continue to grow. This means WOW has the challenge of facing increased need with potentially much reduced capacity to help.
By God’s grace our help, which “comes from the Lord” through you, has prevailed for over 25 years. But the prospect of less supply looms. We need your proactive help to not only avoid a crisis but to prevail in the battle.
In Exodus 17 there is an account of a battle between Israel and the Amalekites in the valley of Rephidim. Moses, accompanied by his friends, his brother Aaron and a trusted official Hur, stood on a hilltop overlooking the battle, his hands raised, holding “the staff of God”. From time to time, his arms weary, he lowered the staff. When he did so the Amalekites prevailed, when the staff was raised the Israelites prevailed. So his friends, Aaron and Hur, held up his arms until Israel won. Even the mighty man of God needed help. Help from his friends.
As you know our trusted “champions” in South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, and India are proven Christian soldiers. They are all pastors overseeing a large army of volunteers providing Home Based Care (HBC) to a multitude of orphans and widows. WOW holds up their arms. And that means you. Together WE are WOW.
Like many of you Kathy and I have been donors to WOW from the beginning and from time to time we have increased our giving to meet the increased need. This quarter requires an increase in giving and I’m asking you to consider increasing your gift, as the Lord leads.
For those of you who watch “Jim Cantelon Today“ you know I see it as the teaching of the Gospel even as WOW is the living of the Gospel. Slowly but surely the donor response to the program has grown as we explain to viewers that support of JCT TV is support for WOW. We’re expanding that reach by placing the program on several podcast platforms. This, in combination with our national television release on Canadian and American networks and our YouTube and Roku channels, should see the donor response continue to grow.
As well as expanding our reach I want to broaden our base. What if each of you, our donors, recommended WOW to a friend? FRIEND-TO-FRIEND. We all know there’s no better way to promote growth than word of mouth. Your endorsement has a lot of influence with your friends.
You can encourage them to access WOW’s website <www.wowmission.com> and our social media networks. They’re sure to be inspired by the ministry with whom you partner!
A lot of people want to give but they want to know their gifts are going to a ministry they can trust, that has stood the test of time, that is making a difference.
Jesus is “a friend who sticks closer than a brother” and “he will never leave us nor forsake us”. He is the one who has called us to the least of these. He is their friend. He is our friend.
FRIEND TO FRIEND. God’s heart to ours. Ours to him and to others. FRIEND TO FRIEND holding up the faithful arms. Together there’s no fatigue.
In the past 25 years with WOW my wife Kathy and I have not ceased to be humbled and inspired by the child-like faith of the orphans and widows to whom we minister. In our western world terms they have nothing but adversity. They are ravaged by HIV and AIDS and opportunistic afflictions like tuberculosis, blood cancers, dysentery, oral thrush, bed sores (yes, you can have excruciating bad sores from lying on the ground!), and even leprosy. And added to these physical sorrows is food insecurity. Yet, when we’re with them they laugh, sing, and dance (if able) with loud and heartfelt praise to the faithfulness of God. Kathy and I have often remarked at how they bless us with their joy.
These are all rural people far removed from global concerns. They know nothing or little of the wars in Ukraine, Iran, and the Middle East. Nothing of the raging wildfires and floods, the political intrigues, and the scary state of the world economy. They are isolated and in that sense protected from big picture sorrows. It’s as though they live in a parallel universe.
So while we are still in shock at the recent warnings from the three big AI companies re: AI’s potential to wipe out the human race in ten years(!), our WOW patients live as they’ve lived all their lives just wrestling with the urgencies of today with no concern for tomorrow.
This reminds me of Jesus’ teaching that we should “think not what the morrow bringeth. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”. There is comfort in these words. Indeed we might take a lesson from our African and Indian orphans and widows: Praise God for today’s provisions of grace and love and let tomorrow, under his fatherly care, look after itself.
It’s a challenge these days to lift our eyes and thoughts above the sorrows that plague our world. The recent flooding in Nepal has us all sighing and praying.
At times like these (everyday times!) we can and must turn to the scriptures. There are so many encouraging passages. Here’s some excerpts from Psalm 89 (NLT):
“I will sing of the LORD’S unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness … O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O LORD? … The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours … you created it all … You created north and south … Powerful is your arm! Strong is your hand! … Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Unfailing love and truth walk before you … our protection comes from the LORD … Praise the LORD forever! Amen and amen!”
There are several “teaching points” in these words but the comfort comes from the knowledge that “the heavens are yours, and the earth is yours”. Our Creator has not orphaned us. Indeed, as the old hymn puts it, “He’s got the whole world in his hands!” Yes, our world is in crisis, but we’re not alone. In God we trust.
Our planet is hurting and may be angry. I’m no “Henny Penny” declaring that the sky is falling but I’m very concerned, as are you I think, about current global disasters. Here’s a summary:
WILDFIRES
North American conflagrations in the Northwest USA and northern Canada. Mediterranean and Europe – massive spread with severe blazes in Belgium, France, Greece, England.
DROUGHT
Rhine and Danube down to a trickle. Colorado River very low. Lakes Mead and Powell levels so low that the electrical power for millions of Americans is at risk.
FLOODS
Central USA devastated with flash flooding – especially Indiana. Regions of India, China, Pakistan, Nepal inundated. Torrential rainfall Chad, Sudan, Kenya.
CYCLONES
East Asia under several storm and tsunami warnings.
EARTHQUAKES
Venezuela, Colombia, Indonesia.
LAND DEGRADATION
Amazon deforestation creating both a tinder box for wildfires and a serious reduction of a huge carbon sink. 40% of global population impacted by $577 billion loss in crop production.
Anyone who reads the Bible is aware of the dire warnings of the Book of Revelation. It is “apocalyptic” literature with regard to the end of days. Much of it is difficult to grasp. However in the 16th chapter there is reference to what are called “bowls of wrath” that will precede the final curtain on the world’s history in space and time. Three of those “bowls” resonate with our present day: Verse 8 says the earth will be “seared” by fire and intense heat. Verse 12 says that great rivers will dry up, and verse 18 warns about earthquake and hailstorms.
With millions of us suffering from extreme temperatures, and hundreds of thousands lacking food and potable water, to say nothing of destroyed homes, one wonders if we are experiencing the initial rumblings of the end. I’m no end-time prophet but, like you, I’m more than impacted by the Bible’s fair warning. As believers have prayed over the centuries I pray, “Even so come Lord Jesus”.
Maybe for the first time in our lives many if not all of western nations are feeling a new sense of vulnerability. It’s not only the rising fear of the escalation of war, with the entire Middle East on the verge, but also the hacking of water systems, and, as one recent headline put it,”the world is on fire”. The raging wildfires in Europe and North America have us all on edge.
We need help, not from governments but from Above.
More prayer is being prayed than ever before. We need divine intervention. We need salvation from our own warlike tendencies and from an angry planet. Indeed we need a Savior.
At a time like this the words of Psalm 121 take on fresh meaning.
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills-from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will not slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forever more.”
We all have an intuitive reflex when faced with calamity: O my God! Dear Lord help us!”
That’s the prayer of millions. Let’s remember He is “a present help to those in trouble”.
Most of the world (at last count 1 1/2 billion!) were watching the World Cup last week. The “beautiful game”. The world’s most popular game called “football”( which we call “soccer”). It was intriguing and almost addictive. But beyond the televised drama there were several social media posts with pics of opposing teammates in prayer huddles after the games. Added to that were personal testimonials from star players about their faith in Jesus. These were bookended by strong statements of faith from Spain’s winning manager Luis de la Fuente. He spoke boldly about his faith stating that life had no meaning without belief and trust in God.
Who knew that the World Cup would become a platform for evangelism?
There is, or should be, a caveat however. Jesus made it clear that verbal profession of faith must be accompanied by a life and lifestyle of faith. “By their fruit you shall know them”, he said about true disciples. The apostle Paul stressed “the fruit of the Spirit” as vital evidence of sustainable faith. Or as the famous theologian/philosopher Soren Kierkegaard put it, ”Mere mental assent to a doctrine is not enough. Where there’s no transformation there’s no Christianity”. The scripture tells us that even the devils believe and they do something many verbal Christians never do – they “tremble”.
So it’s encouraging to see and hear world famous sportsmen state their faith. But the old adage still applies: we must “practise what we preach”.
I don’t know about you but reading the Bible is a constant adventure for me. It has such depth. I sometimes feel as if I’m reading it for the first time even though it’s been my key point of reference for decades. It is history, poetry, prophecy, and “good news” all in a compilation by various writers over centuries. It has inspired countless billions of readers and continues to be the all time best seller. It is the word of God. As such it transcends mere literature and speaks to both mind and heart. It truly is “a lamp unto my feet and a light into my path”.
My morality is rooted in it. My values too. Because of its timeless message I find myself living and choosing under authority with a profound sense of accountability. I’m “not my own, I’m bought with a price”.
There are, of course, several passages of scripture that have melded into my soul. One of them is Psalm 34 :
“I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall find her boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears. The angel of the Lord encamps about those who fear him and delivers them. O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in him…”
I quote this psalm every morning in my prayer time. It never loses its impact. Indeed it sets me up for the day. It has a way of giving perspective. I love it and do my best to live it.
It’s that time of year again. WOW is multiplying your dollars!
We’ve been offered a 6 to 1 match for vitamin supplements by a major partner of ours. Since 2001, Health Partners International has worked with us in the provision of medications to our desperately needy patients. They have often given us special matching dollar value offers that have provided huge amounts of product. This current offer means that one dollar translates to six dollars of vitamins.
As many of you know, WOW has ministered in sub-Saharan Africa for over 26 years to “the least of these” – as Jesus put it – those on the margins of life whose lives are at risk because of disease and poverty. For the past 7 of those years we’ve also been engaged in India. Whether in the villages of Africa or the urban settings of India’s crowded cities, the needs of orphans and widows, the abandoned and destitute, the sick and the dying, are the same. WOW, with its partners, meets those needs and the gratitude is always palpable.
My wife Kathy and I were able to visit southern India, for the first time in a long time, in March this year, which coincided with the 30th Anniversary celebration of our partner ministry there. We walked and we drove and we sat and we listened, all in the intense heat of the subcontinent- 40°C/100+F. But oh, how inspiring! This little ministry with BIG vision is reaching into places “even angels fear to tread”.
Leaving the city we drove a few hours south to meet a community of the least of these who truly are the least. They are called “snake catchers”! “Whaat??” you say. “Snake catchers?” Yes. These are a sub-group of the population referred to as “the dark people” whose status is even below the “untouchables” caste. They are considered sub-human. Their sole role in society is to catch and remove venomous snakes that have entered Indian homes. They themselves have no fixed address. They live in tents pitched in empty fields. They are literally “outcasts”. Women and children gathered in an outdoor portico and listened to me share God’s love for them. We ate together and distributed sunbrellas. From their meagre resources we were both presented with (& honoured) with gold-coloured stoles. So humbling!
WOW has begun to support one hundred or so of these marginalized people who, like us, have been created in the image of God. We’re providing food, medication, and spiritual support through our local church-based champion volunteers.
From its very inception in 1999, WOW has been committed to answering heaven’s call to minister to the poorest of the poor who predictably are the most vulnerable to disease and premature death. When ministering to the dying, the first and most important thing is prayer. Hundreds of times a week WOW’s church based volunteers are praying with afflicted orphans and widows in their humble homes and then bending to the relentless task of physical care. We call this Home Based Care (HBC). And what are their afflictions? Most of our patients are HIV+ which makes them vulnerable to opportunistic infections and diseases like dysentery, bed sores, oral thrush, dehydration, tuberculosis, blood cancer, and even in some rare cases leprosy (!). Then there’s the added dimension of depression. Hopelessness may be the biggest challenge of all.
But praise the Lord, there is hope! We’ve seen radical transformation in the lives of these afflicted ones again and again in our quarter century of ministry. Through prayer, twice weekly visits, medications and proper nutrition, we’ve seen countless orphans and widows rise from their sick beds to full health and strength. The transformative impact of “the hands and feet of Jesus” is powerfully evident.
A large component in that transformation is medication and nutritional support. WOW has been and continues to be a major funder and provider of medication including vitamin supplements.
Right now one dollar translates to six dollars of vitamins. In other words your donation is multiplied six times.
That kind of multiple is unheard of in the financial markets but in God’s economy it makes perfect sense. After all He “so [loves] the world” that He has given us “his only begotten Son” that we might live everlastingly. Ultimately what you and we at WOW are doing is an expression of God’s love for “the least of these”. We are both servants and co-labourers with Christ.
