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Tag: Kingdom work

October 30, 2024

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

I think most of us have read of remarkable people who have accomplished a lot in the face of adversity. Usually that adversity is from without. But there are those who have battled challenges from both without and within.

I blogged last time about the adversity our WOW champions are facing in South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, and India. Drought in Africa, floods in India, food insecurity, disease, and huge gaps in the electrical grid in Zambia and Malawi, and on and on. All adversities from without.

But one of our champions is facing chronic adversity from within. He has come close to death twice in the last three years from major surgeries and massive blood clots, all the while suffering a tumour on his spine. He is in pain all the time.

Nevertheless he soldiers on, ministering to severely abused and abandoned orphans and providing care to 3000 desperately impoverished households. He oversees a paid and volunteer staff of 30 even as he gives loving time and care to his young family. He doesn’t complain. I’ve never heard him demand anything. He just trusts and obeys the Lord.

I’ve told him he reminds me of great saints of God who had every reason to yield to their afflictions but chose to stay faithful. They’re the subject of many books and even the occasional movie. We admire them. They are heroes.

I’m humbled by the calling, character, and tenacity of this WOW champion. He’s one of the key reasons I do my best to raise awareness and funding for WOW.

We’re working with saints.

August 21, 2024

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

St.Paul, who wrote several letters to churches he planted and to young leaders he appointed to pastor them, had two key messages that have stood the test of time. The foremost of the two was his gospel (in four points):

  1. Christ died
  2. Christ was buried
  3. Christ rose from the dead
  4. He appeared to many witnesses.

His 15th chapter of the first letter of Corinthians stresses the resurrection, “if Christ be not risen our faith is in vain”. Indeed, Christian faith is rooted in history. The tomb is empty.

The second was his quotation from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk 2:4, “the just shall live by faith”. Paul would have read this in the Hebrew as, “the just (or righteous) shall live by his faithfulness”. This is a powerful spiritual principle as well as a profound life lesson.

The word faithful in Hebrew is emunah. Like most Hebrew nouns it has an accompanying visual image which, in this case, denotes a strong male adult holding a helpless infant. He will not let the little one fall. So when the Bible refers to God as faithful that imagery provides hope and security.

And when “faithful” is applied to us it means we continually “show up for work” and stick to it regardless of how tired, bored, or discouraged we may be that day.

Faithfulness is the key building block for a life of meaning. It’s the one thing the Lord cannot resist. All He can do with faithfulness is bless it.

June 27, 2024

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

This past week my wife and I attended not one but three funerals. The first one was for a 97-year-old woman we’ve known for over 50 years. Mother, grand and great mother, she was an elegant, refined, intelligent, and beautiful woman who exemplified the Proverbs 31 paragon of virtue. Her profound faith in the Lord is her lasting legacy, a point stressed again and again by those who delivered eulogies. The service was inspiring.

The second funeral was equally inspiring. This was for an 87-year-old man who I’ve known for most of my life. He was someone whose profound impact on our world through his championing of the poor saw him admired by thousands. Nevertheless his journey had seen much turmoil and failure in the first half of his life, as he himself acknowledged. But tragedy catalyzed the birth of a profound faith in his early 40’s and led to his amazing international impact. The hymns he chose to be sung at his funeral reflected his spiritual depth. We began the service by singing “O love of God, how rich and pure, how measureless and strong…” and then “When I come to die give me Jesus…”.

The third was for a retired Presbyterian pastor with whom I worked 50 years ago with Youth for Christ in Montreal. He spent much of his life in Bahrain pastoring a thriving church and then pastored in western Canada. His ebullient personality and love of worship music had endeared him to his congregations. As we committed his body to the ground the words of one of his favorite hymns resonated,” O Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee…”.

What struck me in all three funerals was the powerful impact that men and women of faithful service to God and neighbor have had as they lived out their heavenly calling. Yes, we were confronted with our mortality (as is the case with all funerals) but the palpable presence of the Lord in these memorials predominated. We left all three refreshed and encouraged to continue to pour out our lives for the Kingdom till we die.