I need your help!

Last night I attended worship 937, a worship service that starts at 9:37 PM Wednesday nights in the SAC at King's. There was a speaker from a YWAM centre in New Zealand speaking that night. She talked about her experience in operating a house for homeless children in a city there. She explained that she did it just to show love to others. She wants to love people as God loves people and she says that this is a painful thing to do. I think it's painful because it is unconditional. It's hard to imagine loving someone without receiving anything in return. But that is what Jesus did for us. He loved us to death and he asks nothing in return from us. I feel so guilty when I am reminded of the nature of God's love.

How do we love like God loves? Matthew 25 talks about the goats and the sheep and about how God loves the sheep. The sheep are those people that love their neighbors "just because". Matthew 25 talks about feeling the hungry, filling the thirsty, being hospitable, clothing the naked, and looking after those that are sick or in prison. Whatever we do for the least of these we do for God. When we love others, we love God.

The woman (sorry, I have forgotten your name!) who spoke last night has been called to love by being hospitable, that is her thing. She opens up her house to children that needa place to stay. I have been called to visit prisoners, that is how I love. This way of loving is often overlooked but it is important to be there with those people. It is very difficult to be in prison and they don't often get to experience the love that God offers.

Once a month I go to a young offenders centre here in Edmonton with 2 of my friends to lead a small youth group with about 10 youth from the centre. We sing songs, play games, do skits, talk to and with them, teach and learn together. Everyone that comes to this youth group has volunteered to come so I think that they are at least a bit interested in knowing more about God.

But with only 3 of us going each month is somewhat difficult for us to continue in this community. If one of us cannot make it one month then we cannot go at all that month. It would be awesome if we had more people to join us. We need more people to care about the fate of prisoners, especially young offenders in a meaningful way. So I ask you, if you are interested, please let me know if you are interested joining us in this community. We need as many people as possible to help us because next year the current group of volunteers will most likely be moving on from college to new careers and the group may have to be disbanded. I think this community with the young offenders is one that should remain.

If you are interested in joining us and helping us please respond to this note in Facebook or on Blogger. You can also contact me personally at ken.timmermans@gmail.com, phone: (780)465-3500 ext. 8541, Apartment 41 at King's.

God's blessing,
Ken Timmermans

Taking God with you...

Today I went out to Timmy's with a friend and we talked about few different things but one thing in particular that we talked about was taking God with us. What I mean when I say this is allowing God into our lives to trust him with even the little things, not just the big things.

It makes me think how often i ignore God when I go to work, hang out with my friends, or spend time alone. God is the sort of person that we should take with us everywhere.

I am reminded of a skit that was performed during Worship 937 last semester that starts with a girl deciding that she is going to spend some quality time with Jesus. So she opens her bible and begins to read. suddenly there is a knock at the door and two friends are there enticing her to come to a party with them. She tells them that she can't go but then they tell her that a certain boy will be there at the party. Now she really wants to go and makes for the door, only Jesus (personified) stays right by her side. She does not want to take Jesus with her because she will be ashamed if Jesus sees her at that kind of party, so she tries to make him stay. She tries to tell him that she will spend time when she gets back and tells him to wait but Jesus remains at her side. Finally she is so frustrated that she grabs some spikes and a hammer and crucifies Jesus to the wall and walks out the door to the party.

Sometimes I really feel that God is like that in my life. I think sometimes that I try to leave God at home whilst I work and play; only to dust him off every few days. How can I know God if I don't spend time with him? It's not just alone time with God but ALL times with God. I should be able to take him to work or down to the coffee shop or to the movies, band not be ashamed to have him there side by side.