Hi Church,

Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus!

First and foremost, I would like to warmly welcome Rev. Dr. Ed and Ruth Silvoso into our midst for the very first time. I came across Dr. Ed’s book, Anointed for Business, probably 5 years ago and it was one of those books that made me think and re-think about how I viewed and did certain ministries especially in the arena of the marketplace. Since then, my mind had been renewed and we have changed the way we serve entirely. And today, we are blessed to have the man himself among us to teach us the truth of the Word of God. Church, once again, I want to exhort you to receive the man of God and come prepared to draw. I do not want us to just come and do church. It should not be just another sermon or lecture. It ought to be a platform for us to encounter Jesus in a brand new way. Hence, let’s come to be revived and be taken into the next level.

Adding to that, I want to encourage each and every one of us to continually build lives. Build people from the inside out. Focus on what is important, i.e., real and genuine relationships. Do not get too uptight with admin work. They are important but it should not be more important than actual people and actual lives. Dr. Bernard taught us that it is relationships that precede ministry. Hence, let us live up to the vision that God has given to us. Let us learn to love Him passionately and love people compassionately.

To me, there can be nothing more meaningful in life than seeing my entire spiritual family serving God together, faithfully and joyfully. Church, let this be the desire of our hearts and the goal of our lives.

In our quest to live life to the fullest, never ever neglect those around us.

Love you guys,

KEV

Hi Church,

Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus!

Hello! How are you doing? I pray that this week’s edition of Pastor Writes finds you blessed and well in the LORD! My family and I miss you all deeply.

You know what? It is just so good to be back – back to church, with family and friends, worshipping and serving with all of you guys! It is truly a joy that cannot be expressed in words. Thank you for being such an amazing spiritual family!

Last week, as I stepped into our church after 7 weeks, the first thing that I was reminded of was how strong the presence of God was in our church. This is indeed our spiritual inheritance. We have labored much to build our spiritual atmosphere to where it is today, hence, let’s continue to do so, so that even more lives can be touched and transformed. I believe when the spirit of God is present, He will set His people free!

And our Church Wide Payer Meeting was simply unbelievable! Right from the start the service was just soaked with His tangible presence. The atmosphere was electrifying! We have made it difficult for others not to worship God with such attitude. I love the feeling. I love being close to God together with all of you. It is truly fulfilling.

I pray that all of us will receive the message of GROWING FROM THE INSIDE OUT with a pure heart. Let’s change the way we see and do things. Let’s focus on building lives! Take time to listen to one another, and pray for one another. Let’s encourage each other to encounter God and come to a place where we have to choose God for ourselves instead of being forced or asked to.
Without attendance forecast, am I less passionate about growth? No! I am more passionate about growth than ever before. I am passionate about GROWTH FROM THE INSIDE-OUT!

Love you all heaps,

KEV

Hi Church,

Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus!

How are you doing? I pray that this mail finds you blessed and well. First and foremost, I would like to warmly welcome Ps. Troy Marshall and Ps. John Carrette into our midst. Ps. Troy is no stranger to us and I believe he has prepared a word in season for us. So, let’s come expectant to draw from the man of God. Amen?

And finally, I am back! WOO! HOO! I am so excited that I am back in KL and back in CHCKL! After being away for 7 weeks, it is so good to be worshipping God with my spiritual family once again. Truly, there is no place like home. The sense of joy that is in my wife and I now are beyond words... it is different when you can worship intimately and without reservation. Worship with people whom you know is a part of your family. It is not like I didn’t feel the presence of God when I was away but worshipping at home is simply different. This is the place where we do everything together like praying, serving, worshipping, working, laughing, crying and sacrificing. Of course none of us are perfect but I guess that’s what makes church and life so interesting.

Sometimes I think people are obsessed with perfection. They want their lives to be perfect. Their wedding, their work, their health, their church, their cell group and everything else... is it truly because we want everything to be perfect or we are simply not willing to bear pain? Without pain and disappointment in life, how can we ever learn or move on to the next level? Too often I hear people say that they want to rise up or move on to the next level in life, yet the moment the slightest difficulty occurs, they complain, murmur and eventually backslide. If that is the level of our faith and spiritual maturity, what can we expect from believers 30 years or 100 years from now?

I don’t want us to be a wimpy believer neither do I expect you to be perfect. I just want us to learn to journey together... hang in there, guys... we need each other to grow further and deeper! Amen.

Love you,

KEV

Hi Church,

Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus!

How are you doing? I pray that this mail finds you blessed and well.

I have been away for about 6 weeks now and I miss you all heaps! New York is an amazing city with lots to learn and see but Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is still the best. Very often we hear people complain about the traffic, the weather, the mess and etc... but you know what, yes, it is true that KL is not perfect but it is still our HOME! Amen! It is the place where we are called to serve as a family, a place where we are commissioned to make a difference.

After travelling to so many places in the world, I believe it is the call of God that distinguishes one place from another. A lot of people migrate from one city to another or from one country to another, to look for greener pastures. Some cite better job opportunities and some better education for their children. All the reasons are seemingly valid. But if you ask any taxi driver, they will tell you all the complaints that they have about their city. So, I guess it is impossible for us to find a perfect city. Hence, the only criterion for us to determine which city to live in or, in the same context but different application, which church to settle in, I believe it lies in the call of God – where has God called us to be!

The calling of God revolves around His timing, His people and the place that He wants us to be in. You and I can be doing the right thing but doing it in the wrong place. And that is not good. So, it is wise to take time to pray and seek God to know the heart and the desire of God. That way we will not be getting ahead of ourselves or ending up in the wrong place, doing the wrong thing. He is a good Father and His goal is always to draw us closer to Him.

Can’t wait to see you all again.

Love you and miss you tons,

KEV

To "live simply" is not quite the same as "simply live", isn't it?

Recently, I tweeted this statement and it kind of garnered quite some responses... so I thought perhaps it is good that I explain what I was trying to bring across.

There is a huge difference between "live simply" and "simply live". I was not as much as thinking of it grammatically but more of its implications.

Let me try to explain myself.

To live simply simply means to live humbly and to live within our means. Living humbly is relative and very often it is the misunderstanding of this that creates a lot of troubles in life i.e., jealousy, strife... just to name a few. For a fresh graduate, to live within one's means means you rent a room, take public transport to work or perhaps drive a small, second-hand car, don't get into credit card debt, try not to eat out all the time, and basically live within your RM2000 a month. That is the standard for a fresh graduate. But for those who have been working for quite some time, say 20 years or so, living within one's means means having your own house, paid up your car, has no credit card debts, have some savings, able to bless others, can afford a nice dinner every now and then, and a few other perks perhaps. For a person who has reached such a level, he has the right to enjoy the fruits of his labor. It is therefore unfair and not right for the fresh graduate to complain or judge that such person is living lavishly. Just because we cannot afford a bigger television, it does not mean our friends should not have it either.

We ought to learn to be contented and be happy with what we have and not to be upset with what we do not have or what others have. Learn to live simply. Remember, material wealth and possessions can never bring joy to our lives. They only make life easier and more convenient.

On the other hand, to "simply live" is a totally different story altogether. Simply live implies a life that is reckless, without plans and accountability, without respect and without submission to authority.

It is a life that lives one day at a time. This is not wise. We may live to regret a life like that. A reckless life is a life without boundaries, what looks like freedom is actually anarchy. Without respect and submission to authority, such life leads to nowhere but destruction.

Learning to live simply is learning to live within God's governance of authority and covering. We will find ourselves living in joy and contentment when we submit to His ways.

I want to exhort all of us to learn to live life in such a manner. Living simply is not being a simpleton but living within the blueprint of His plans for us in total submission.

Therefore, live simply and don't simply live.

Be blessed and have a great day,

Kev