Gordon Rumford Ministries

The phone call came from a member of the family. Jean was ill again in the Hospital. In about 30 minutes I was on my way to the hospital.

When I arrived I found two daughters and Jean’s husband waiting for me. The girls indicated that their mom was a quiet lady who did not speak about her Christian faith as they were growing up. They both were concerned about whether or not their mom was ready to die.

Jean was a quiet and gentle lady, obviously in pain, yet very receptive to my prayer and talk of the Saviour. I assured her that just as she presented herself to the medical community for her physical needs, so she could present herself to the Lord for her spiritual needs.

Her husband was exceptionally grateful for my presence with them, he had been raised in the Gospel Halls in Ireland and knew the Scriptures very well.

Over the next seven days I visited regularly and discovered the family to be open and anxious to hear the Scriptures and have prayer. Jean slipped into a coma but I spoke to her each visit and held her hand as I prayed for her.

On Saturday morning the family called to advise me that Jean was slipping away. I went to the hospital and en route decided that I would quote the 23rd Psalm. Later, one of the daughters told me that this was her mother’s favourite Psalm. When I arrived home, the phone was ringing, it was the family calling say that the Lord had taken Jean home.

As I reflect on this family I see once again dear Christians who, for whatever reasons, have fallen away from regular church attendance, and are silent in their faith.

I know that some offer arguments to suggest that real Christians cannot be “silent”. I, on the other hand, am one of those who believe that some Christian’s have had exceptionally painful experiences in the church and find it easier to stay away from the Lord’s house.

When judging others we need to remind ourselves of the insightful words of Oswald Chambers; “There is always one more thing you don’t know about someone.” We haven’t walked in their shoes, we don’t know their pain.

We need to recognize that some of the Lord’s people “fall between the cracks” and it’s our responsibility to help them back up, with a gentle push not a “great big shove”! They, as we, need the fellowship and encouragement of God’s people as we work through the more difficult issues of life.

Do you know of someone who has stopped attending church? Perhaps you could call to let them know you miss them. Offer to bring them with you, to sit with them, to have lunch with them after church, invite them to your Bible Study or social function. Whatever you do, make sure they know you care.

Remember, not all the silent Christians are those who have ceased attending church, some of us are silent Christians when we don’t bother reaching out to those who have “disappeared from our midst”!

Who did Jesus come to save, which people were of most value to him? Shouldn’t these same people be of greatest value to us?

Luke 15:4-6 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

Just after sending out our last newsletter, I received several phone calls from terminally ill people requesting counsel on how to die. It was an astonishing series of incidents that came unsolicited.

One of the people is a lady who lives alone in modest circumstances. She is a widow, has buried both her children, and is the last surviving member of her family. She is truly alone in this world.

It was a marvel to her that a perfect stranger, myself, would take the time to visit her. Several times on my first visit she made comment on how good it was of me to come to visit her. I assured her that I was honoured to visit her. Somehow she did not understand that I felt the privilege was all mine.

When we visit one of these dear people we are visiting the Saviour. Jesus tells us, “…I was sick and ye visited Me…inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matt. 25:36,40.

How wonderful to think that as we minister to these lonely people, we are visiting the Lord Jesus Himself. Can any work be so valuable, so glorious as this?

I count myself privileged to be in a position to have many such contacts every week and to be used to minister grace to those whom the world does not know, nor care for.

As I sat with this dear lady a few days ago, the thought crossed my mind, when I do her funeral service, who will attend? I wondered if there would ever be someone to put flowers on her grave. The thought of her lonely existence gripped me and moved me greatly.

I sensed that although she was alone as far as human companionship was concerned, her little apartment was the dwelling place of the most high God. Her home was the sanctuary of the Saviour of sinners. She eagerly accepted the literature I gave her and promised to read it before my next visit.

When I left she thanked me again for troubling myself to come and see her.

For all those who support our ministry through prayer, words of encouragement, and in other ways, we thank you sincerely for helping us help the hurting.

This work is not possible without the consistent help of many fine Christians who know about what we do and assist us.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We do appreciate everyone who supports our ministry and we pray the Saviour will bless and reward you richly for your gracious efforts to see that this ministry continues.

My heart went out to the patient in the hospital bed.

His situation was clearly hopeless and yet the family was encouraging him to beat the disease.

They talked incessantly about when he would be coming home to celebrate the birthday in a couple of months. Certainly they meant well but they only added to the suffering of the already exhausted man. He was trying his best to cooperate with the hospital staff but it was not helping.

The doctors had told the family that he only had a few days to live and when they were out of the room they acknowledged to us the reality quite readily, but when with the patient they spoke as though he was going to get better.

Of course, they were between a rock and a hard place. They did not want the patient to give up hope and they did not wish to acknowledge to him that the end was near. But, in trying to keep his spirits up they were denying the reality he needed to face.

When do you stop offering false hope to the person and come to terms with the situation as it really is? Some people never do. They go on to the end offering what is not there.

Meanwhile the ill person feels guilty about the fact they are not getting better as their relatives expect. They feel they are letting everyone down because the disease is progressing and they are losing the battle.

It does not seem fair to the person to push them to keep fighting when there is really no hope at all.

It is far better to gently acknowledge to the person that the disease is winning and that they need to face the real situation with the resources at hand.

In this situation the family had little to offer their loved one as comfort and strength in their final days. Hence the need to deny the reality as long as possible.

After all what was left to say if they confessed the truth? They did not know the Good News in Jesus and so were at a loss to say anything positive.

Susan and I seek to help families like this come to terms with the real situation and offer them comfort from the Scriptures.

We must act gently and not force the facts on them, but we do urge them to consider the alternatives they are avoiding.

Sometimes they will let their guard down and then we can do something positive. Other times it appears they are unwilling to face the certain future and we must leave them to their chosen way.

When reality is faced then we can speak about One who suffered greatly and the fact He is near to comfort them.

We quote promises in Scripture that urge the weary to come and lay their burdens down at His feet.

We speak of the gentle nature of the Saviour and give illustrations from the Gospels of His care of needy people.

If they respond positively we go on to speak of the biblical view of death and how to be victorious through the Resurrected One who died and rose again for us.

If there is time we will go on to share some of the glimpses we have in the Bible of heaven and what it is like to be there in the presence of Jesus.

How thankful we are that we have the Good News, the Gospel, to share with people who suffer.

What a glorious hope is spread out before us in the message of the Bible.

All who are “in Christ” are to be excited and eagerly looking forward to the glory that shall be revealed in us when our great Lord comes to gather us home.

It was Friday morning October 2, 1999, and I was busy studying about heaven.

Monday and Friday are days I leave totally clear to study and prepare for Sunday. So there I was immersed in jottings, books and commentaries piled high on the table when the phone rang. As usual I had no idea of who it would be or what they would want when I picked up the receiver.

The voice on the phone sounded weak and frail. He told me his name and then commented that he had occasionally attended a church I pastored many years ago.

The present pastor of the church apparently would not visit someone who was not a member of the church so he did not have a minister to call on.

He said what many people do when starting to tell their story, “I don’t know where to begin.” Then he went on, “Basically I’m dying. The chemo didn’t work. The cancer has spread everywhere. I’m kinda left to die and it’s hard to do. Can you come and say a prayer over me?”

My heart went out to him as I heard the earnest, pleading tone in his voice. I assured him that I would come and a time was set for me to go to his modest place of residence which basically consisted of one room and a shared washroom in the basement of an old house. It was not that far from my home and I knew the district fairly well.

When I entered his room he was in a hospital bed with an IV hooked up to his left arm. He seemed genuinely glad to see me and we got into a serious conversation immediately.

He had been raised in a Christian home and knew the Gospel well. However, he lacked assurance of his salvation and was anxious to get right with God before he died.

We discussed some things in 1 John and he seemed to gain some insight into his own standing before God. I asked him to read 1 John during the next week and I would come back to visit again.

I then offered a prayer for him that the Lord would enlighten him and draw him to Himself.

Next week I went back and it was wonderful to see how the study of God’s Word had helped him. It was soon evident that he was a Christian and he expressed his thanks for our help.

During that visit his mother came and I met her. She indicated they were taking her son home to a town in western Ontario where they could be close to him and visit him in hospital. He was not married, so his parents were his primary care givers during his final days.

I never saw the young man again. Only two visits, but what a wonderful feeling to know that we had ministered comfort to one who was so needy.

Now he is in glory and enjoying the immediate presence of Christ and is free from all the suffering and sorrow that he had experienced in this life.

It was a clear, crisp night, Sunday November 30, the end of a wonderful day.

In the morning I preached at an assembly in Hamilton, a place where that I had not been for a few years. The subject was prayer, from Matthew 6, and the Lord’s voice was heard. Susan and I came home thrilled with the way the saints responded.

The afternoon was spent in prayer and preparation for the evenings teaching on John 17, as well as writing an article for a brother who wanted to know why Jesus said that the “violent take the kingdom by force.” in Matthew 11:12. I wanted to give him the article that evening.

The Lord blessed the evenings work and I came home with a delicious feeling of exhaustion from this exciting, though strenuous, day. Arriving home about 9:00pm, I picked up the messages on my study line.
Bill had called and in a quiet voice left this message; “Gordon, Joyce wants to see you. She’s low and would appreciate a visit tonight or tomorrow. I am sorry to trouble you.” Susan and I quickly got the children organized for bed and went to the hospital.

When we arrived, Bill and his children were sitting quietly with Joyce. Joyce was well known to me, I first visited her 16 years ago after her cancer surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital. She and Bill had occasionally tried over the years to come and hear me preach, but the symptoms of Joyce’s disease seemed to interfere with their plans every time. Notwithstanding, they always regarded me as their pastor and they welcomed every visit.

Now the disease was entering the final stages and Joyce reluctantly acknowledged her time was short. Joyce was a fighter and through the years her wonderfully cheerful disposition and that irrepressible sense of humour won everyone’s heart who visited her. Even now, when she was so desperately weak, she sought to cheer us up, and succeeded!

I went over to the bed , took her hand, kissed her on the cheek and sought to minister grace to her. We spoke of the Good Shepherd and how tenderly He cares for the lambs. I assured her that she would be heard if she simply asked the Shepherd to embrace her.

She assured me again and again that she had asked the Lord to receive her as she was, weak and frail. I responded that He certainly had received her and would carry her all the way to His eternal home. But all she would say in that soft accent was, “I’m hoping’ He will.”

Her faith was very tentative and would not allow her to speak with confidence of being embraced by the Lord Jesus. With a few words, I sought to comfort her in the truth that the faintest cry for help from any of us brings the Lord alongside.

I recalled the imagery of Scripture which said of our gentle Saviour, “A bruised reed will He not break, nor quench smoking flax.”

I spent a while in the hall with Bill and his children chatting about what was happening. One of the children was not ready just yet to acknowledge the reality their eyes saw. They struggled to realize that the one who gave them life was losing hers.

As we stood in the hallway Susan assisted the nurse in shifting Joyce into a more comfortable position to relieve some of the pain. When we reentered the room, Susan’s head was laying on the bed rail only inches from Joyce, and face to face they talked about the simplicity of salvation – “If you ask Him to come, He’ll come.”

Stroking Joyce’s head Susan assured her that the Lord Jesus is near to all who call to Him and that He had certainly heard her prayers. Joyce relaxed and seemed to be at peace. After an hour or so, Susan and I once again assured them of our love, embraced each one, and left.

Now, as we drove home we were really tired! But what a glorious feeling it was. There we were on the doorstep of eternity with a dear one who was in profound need.

The Lord was pleased to use us and we rejoiced in the context of sorrow that we had such a precious Saviour to offer and that we were involved in a “ministry of hope for those who hurt.”

The next morning we went back to check on our dear friend, and we were only in the room a moment when she asked me to pray.

Later as we said good-bye Joyce whispered to Susan, “Everything came together last night, everything’s okay”.

Eternity dawned for Joyce a couple of weeks later. It was peaceful and triumphant.

The family were thrilled to witness such a gentle departure of their loved one.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Isaiah 40:1

A number of years ago, in a time of personal struggle, a very fine and mature Christian brother drew alongside me and ministered grace. He was full of compassion and love as he led me through a maze of problems. I became very close to him because of his ministry to me.

This same person also drew alongside Susan within hours of her late husband’s death. Once again he was a “father in Israel” to her. His warm and loving manner did much to comfort and strengthen Susan in her very lonely times.

A verse of a poem he left with her was carried by Susan everywhere she went for months after the death. Each time she became upset and fearful, she would pull the piece of paper out of her pocket and read it.

After a short while she would only touch the paper in her pocket and the words of the verse would come to mind. The words he gave her were as follows:

I do not ask my cross to understand,
My way to see-
Better in darkness just to feel Thy hand,
And follow Thee.

Recently this same person became terminally ill with cancer. Susan and I visited him and his wife and received much more comfort from them that we were able to minister.

The very organized and thoughtful way he set his affairs in order is an example to us all. He assembled all his wishes regarding every detail that needed a decision in the days and weeks before and after his passing in an “ultra” organized file.

In this way he ensured that his family would be able to follow his wishes, and his wife would be able to grieve, without the pressure of the many decisions that have to be made when someone dies. His concern for his family will comfort them for many years to come.

It was my privilege to assist at the memorial service and help the family in that way. It was a very hot summer day, and at the graveside there was a lovely tall and shady tree for the many people to gather under as we committed his remains to the ground.

We were very grateful for the tree that protected us from the blazing hot sun. It seemed as though the deceased thought of that detail too as he selected the resting-place. As we sang two choruses of his choosing – “I love you Lord” & “He is Lord” – a gentle breeze began to blow and it was as if all the angels of heaven were singing with us.

In the weeks since the event, Susan and our late friend’s widow have come together by phone and in person to share together the special sorrows of a widow. Susan has been used in this manner often as she calls on her own experience in this matter.

It seems that Susan’s work in the ministry is as effective and important as mine and it’s so good to be a team together as we go on seeking to help people in pain.

It’s hard to look on difficulty as a blessing when you’re in the midst of it, but in God’s sovereign providence we have been able to comfort others with the comfort God has given us.

2 Cor 1:3-4 – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

His name was Billy and he lived near Orillia, Ontario. However, he was now in the oncology unit of Sick Children’s Hospital.

I was visiting him at the request of his mother. She was a single mom and had to work during the week, so could not visit her only child, Billy until the weekends.

I had taken a hand held ham radio in to the unit with me to play with him and allow him to talk to some people around the province. He was fascinated by the fact the short little antenna could send a signal that people could read a hundred miles away. We had some fun and he enjoyed himself.

Billy was in the final stages of his illness and seemed very calm about things. I dearly wanted to talk about heaven and what he could expect to see and experience when he got there.

But Billy was not giving me an opening that particular day until he asked me, “Mr. Rumford, are there dogs in heaven?” Other children have asked adults this before, but here I was confronted with the question myself. What do I say?

The Bible does not give us a lot of detail about heaven although it does give us a glimpse of some wonderful things. It says we shall be with Christ and that is far better than anything here.

We are assured we shall be free from all suffering and will be comforted and live purposeful fulfilling lives. We shall occupy some sort of official position in the universe, and we shall be feasted and entertained.

Billy missed his pet dog and was lonely for him. But what was I to say? The Bible does not refer to pet animals in heaven.

Well, what I did was to take Billy’s question as a question that was asking if he would be “at home” in heaven and would there be things there to please him.

What was I to say, that I could give a reassuring “Yes.” So I told Billy that there were dogs in heaven and he would be very happy there.

I told him some other things as well and he seemed satisfied. I have never forgotten that visit though it occurred many years ago.

You see, Billy was sure of going to heaven because he had trusted in Jesus Christ as his Saviour.

When we turn from sin and trust in Christ to forgive us, we are absolved of all guilt and declared righteous in God’s sight.

Billy trusted Christ, I have, what about you?

Several years ago I received a phone call from someone I had not seen in many years. He mentioned his name and asked if I remembered him. I assured him that I did remember him. I had been his pastor when he was getting started in his adult life.

He then told me that he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, was given 6-18 months to live, and asked me to visit. I quickly made arrangements to see him.

During the time between that phone call and his death, I made weekly visits to this person’s home to counsel with him and to encourage him in the faith. Sometimes we would go out for lunch (he loved Chinese food!) and once I took him for a long drive through Mennonite country near Kitchener.

Each time we met, we considered the detail of our Lord’s suffering during the last hours before the cross. I always turned my friend to Isa.53:10 at the end of the session and quoted the words, “He shall see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied.”

I assured him that the Saviour thought it was worth all His suffering just for him. In the last few months we looked at the resurrection scenes of our Lord and considered that the mighty power that raised Christ from the dead, operates in the life of every believer.

As we visited together I learned that my friend had suffered dreadful and frightening asthmatic attacks as a child that were only remedied by the doctor coming and giving him an injection. The time between the onset of the attack and the doctor’s arrival were a nightmare for the little fellow.

Adding to the terror of his asthmatic difficulties, he contracted polio and spent time in an iron lung and a wheelchair. When he tried to go to school in the wheelchair, the children at school would pull him from the chair and tease him cruelly.

He had reconstructive surgery for the disease and suffered great pain during the healing process. His formative years had been filled with the horrors of surgeries, pain, separation from his family and long hospital confinements.

One day he told me that for most of his life he lived with the idea that God hated him and that was why all the pain and sorrow had come on him. But as time passed I saw a gradual change in my friend. He became strong in the faith and went from fear and doubting to being confident and enthusiastic.

Sometimes we talked about what happens to the Christian when they die and what heaven is like. Frequently he asked me to review the scene where Lazarus died and the angels came to gather him to Abraham’s bosom or the scene in Acts where Stephen experienced the merging of two worlds as he saw the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God as he was dying.

We discussed the appropriateness of Jesus’ dying prayer, “Father into Thy hands I commend my spirit.”, and that of Stephen, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit.”.

The last time I saw him was a couple of days before he left us. He was quiet, restful and he spoke little. He was watching a Christian program when I entered the room. He turned the volume down and I spoke briefly of the things we had considered the past three years.

He was content, peaceful and he told me once more how he longed to go to be with Jesus and be free from the suffering and pain. He wanted to look on the One who had suffered so much for him and he wanted to say to the Saviour that he loved Him.

His view of God had gradually been transformed by the study of Christ and the evidence of His great sacrifice for sinners. Now he lives in the presence of the risen Saviour and knows how precious he is to the Friend of sinners.

Did God hate this dear man who had suffered so much? Certainly not!

Now, having considered so often the Saviour’s words concerning His suffering being worth it for him, my friend can say to the Saviour, “It was worth all my suffering to see You.”

In our last newsletter we told the story of Donna, (not her real name), and how she came to faith in Christ. As you may recall she gave us an assignment that we pray she would die soon. Well, we did pray and the Lord heard our prayers.

I received a phone call one Friday morning from the nursing staff that Donna wished to see me immediately. The staff explained that she had only hours to live.

I decided to go that afternoon as our car was in for repairs that morning. Susan urged me to find a way to go immediately, so I made arrangements to go within the hour to the nursing home.

When I arrived, Donna was conscious and knew me. I spoke to her about her favourite view of Christ.

A few weeks earlier, after she had confessed faith in Christ, I shared with her how the Good Shepherd goes before the sheep so that where ever they walk, the shepherd has walked before them.

She loved the idea that Jesus was just a step ahead of her in her pilgrimage.

That morning I reminded her gently of how the Saviour was just in front of her and would guide her every step of the way home.

She quietly whispered, “Soon, soon.” By that she meant that she wanted to be taken soon to be with Him. I assured her that He would soon take her and then prayed for mercy to be shown her by the Lord. She seemed peaceful and comforted by our words and prayer.

An hour after I left her room, the Saviour embraced her in death and she was at peace. How glad I was that Susan had prevailed with me to go immediately rather than wait until the afternoon.

A few days later the funeral home called me to request that I do a committal service. They explained that because there were no close relatives, the family had dispensed with a funeral service and only wished a committal service at the grave.

The distant relatives did not think they would be present but wished me to perform that function on their behalf. I happily agreed to render this service for them.

A few days later my wife and I along with the funeral director, a cemetery official and a VON nurse that had attended Donna before she had to leave her apartment and go to Ian Anderson House, gathered at the grave side for the brief meeting.

It seemed so sad and lonely to think that this dear one was being given such a simple departure from our midst. No relatives, no old friends, no sunshine, just the stream of Tuesday morning traffic and five strangers. Yet, there was a note of joy in our voices as we read the Scriptures and prayed there in the cemetery that cool fall day.

Donna’s departure from this world was only noted by five people, but her reception in heaven was attended by joyful celebration of all the heavenly host as she entered the presence of her newly discovered Saviour. What a difference between Donna’s reality and ours.

We were joyfully saddened by this quiet celebration of a life lived, but the Lord knows why He allowed such an event to go unnoticed by the busy world that autumn day in the peacefulness of the cemetery.

Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his saints.
Psalm 116:15