Family Joy

My last posts took place in South America. This one is from South[ern] America--Mississippi.

My greatest joy of the past month (June) was not my birthday, or Father's Day; my greatest delight was sneaking down to Peru to surprise my baby girl at her graduation from high school.

We had pulled Melissa out of her school, The International Christian School of Lima, to bring her home for an unexpected furlough, known in our circles as "stateside assignment," or "STAS." ICSL was kind and allowed us to continue her studies via correspondence. With that assurance from them I promised Melissa I would do all in my power to allow her to return to march in her class's graduation.

But there was not going to be enough dollars, Euros, or Soles, to get all three of us down there. God was kind to us (he always is) and provided buddy passes for Pam and Melissa. So down they went. At the time we got those passes, it looked impossible for me to join them. The airline pilot who gave us those passes, though, had another one he could share; and he shared it with me.

Being the devious person I am, I chose to keep that information between Pam, the pilot, and me. So, two days before graduation, while Melissa was taking her final exams, I sauntered into the building. No words can describe the shock, joy, and exhuberation Melissa showed when she looked down the hallway and saw me.

No words can adequately describe Pam's or my joy and pride over Melissa's accomplishment.

So now our lives will change; Pam and I will return to South America in a couple of months. This time we go without children. It's a bittersweet feeling. We are both excited and sad. It's been something like 25 years since our nest has been empty.

Those events made for a very full June. Now comes July...

Who Will Tell?

The world continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. The latest projections put the world population at 7 billion by 2012. That is incredible.

As it stands, China and India lead the world in population. The United States is a distant third.

I have not investigated it, but I strongly suspect the population explosion is outpacing our evangelistic efforts. That means that each day more and more people are dying lost. That means that Scripture is being fulfilled: hell hath enlarged herself (Isaiah 5:14).

Does God want mankind to go to hell? If so, why did he send his only son, born of a virgin, to die for a world that is headed to hell? God does not want to see this world go to hell. He wants you and me to go tell others about the hope that is in Jesus.

The world is growing. Who will go and tell them about Jesus?

Let Your Speech Be Seasoned With Grace and Salt

I am in South America today. We came for my daughter's graduation from her high school. That's not the purpose of this post, though. I have some thoughts about speech--about our conversation.

Today I drove over to the grocery store. The vehicle I was driving was in desperate need of a good washing. So I asked a man to wash it. We discussed his price, which was reasonable to begin with; but a little bit of conversation about such things is important. After we came out of the store, we realized the man was not finished washing the car. So we had a few minutes to kill. That's when it happened; a very unique conversation began.

The young man asked me first where I was from. I told him. He complimented my lack of American accent and then asked what church I attended. That seldom happens, but I was glad to answer. I told him I was Baptist. He asked if that was a Christian church. I told him it was.

He said he could tell I was a Christian by my speech--my manner of conversation. I asked him to explain himself and he said he could tell by my choice of words that I was a Christ-follower.

This was as fine a compliment as I could have received. But it made me think, too. It made me wonder how many times my choices made people wonder other things about me.

Being recognized as a follower of Jesus just by speaking in everyday conversation can be a door-opener. I was able then to speak to this man about his own walk with the Lord. I am sorry to say that I did not have the time to lead him to Christ. But we were able to take it to another plane.

Who do people see when you speak?

Go! Tell!

I just watched the annual report of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. You can reach the link here.

What moved me most were the testimonies shared by some great men and women in South America. They were in places that you and I may never dare to go. But the call to go tell was too strong for them to stay here. The drive to obey Jesus Christ outweighs the fear for their lives, the frustration of harsh living, and even the risk of being seen as foolish by one's peers.

South America is a massive continent. Lostness is pervasive. There are 355 million men, women, and children who still need to repent and believe the gospel. Every 15 seconds someone in South America dies and goes to hell. Eighty percent of the people living in South America live in large cities, some as large as 18 million. There are at least 41 cities with a population of a million, or more. 

While we are seeing modest gains here and there, the vast majority continues in the kingdom of darkness.  If they knew what we knew, they would cry out to us. 

They would say, "Go! Tell the good news to my people!

Is the Door Closing to Share the Gospel?

The Lausanne World Pulse just made an astonishing claim about India: the door to the gospel seems to be closing.

Persecution and rejection are commonplace in some parts of the world. Why are we surprised? Jesus prophesied it; Paul proclaimed it; Peter asked his readers why they were so surprised.

Westerners are concerned about the growing rejection of the gospel, too. Our methods to try to rectify that rejection leave something to be desired. We become "user friendly." I watched one church service that resembled the circ de soleil. Lights flashed on and off. Smoke poured out from all sides. Folks dressed in black tights came spiraling down thick cloth ropes, while the pastor rode in on his Harley, the circus-like music in a crescendo to announce his arrival.

To ease the pain of rejection, we are tempted to soften the seriousness of sin. We have deluded ourselves about how ugly sin really is. That way, some of us think, people will be more comfortable in our churches. There should be such a sense of holiness when we gather, that sinners either get right or run out the door.

Other times we simply leave off the truth about sin and simply preach the good part of the good news. Remember: in the case of the gospel, there is no good news without bad news.

Do not be surprised if people reject the gospel. Acceptance by everyone would be desirable. But, sadly, far more will choose to reject the Lord Jesus. Just keep sharing the gospel and rejoice over the fruit God gives you.

Pray for Asia

First it was Myanmar. We don't hear much about it anymore, but the death toll is tens of thousands; the homeless will suffer for months to come.

Then it was China. The death toll, according to most news agencies, has rolled past 65 thousand. New dangers lurk. One village is being evacuated because of cracks in the dam on nearby reservoir. Due to the "one-child-per-family" rule, many families lost their only child. Their anguish is beyond my comprehension. The government has granted permission to those parents have another child.

We can help. Obviously, there are organizations that we can contribute through. If you want to be the greatest help for these devastated areas, then make it a matter of regular prayer. Intercede. Our God is well able to open doors for us that even our physical aid will never open.

Pray. Pray some more. And pray hard.

BEWARE!

Signs are important. Some are not, to be sure; but most signs are very important. The message is there for a reason. Take traffic signs; they guide us in our high-speed journeys across the roads we traverse.

One man and his friend discovered a recently-collapsed bridge on a country road. So they made a sign and held it up for passersby to see. After the third car crashed into the creek below, one man looked at the other and asked, "Do you think we should change the message of our sign to "Bridge Out Ahead?"

I want to warn you of a bridge that is out. It's a new website called "BigChurch.com." I have not read the content of that sign. But I did read about the owners: Penthouse Magazine.

I am stunned and sick to think that the porn industry feels comfortable enough to create a website aimed at Christians.

That bridge is out, folks. Here's my sign: Beware! Danger ahead!

Am I an Evangelical?

Ed Stetzer placed a link to a letter written by Dr. Ergun Caner, President and Dean of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School. The article in question is regarding Caner's dislike for the newest attempt to muddy the philosophical waters of evangelicalism.

The new strands of this rope called "evangelicalism" cause me to ask if I am still an evangelical. Those strands include everything from being a "green evangelical" to people who call themselves evangelical, but no longer believe salvation through Jesus is a unique thing. I am so tired of the green machine dribbling out its poisonous lies, I may well write a separate blog about that. For now, let's talk about Jesus and this tent called "evangelicalism."

First, the stakes that hold the tent of evangelicalism are fixed and easy to spot; consider this description from Barna:

"'Evangelicals' meet the born again criteria plus seven other conditions. Those include saying their faith is very important in their life today; believing they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians; believing that Satan exists; believing that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works; believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; asserting that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches; and describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today."

Second, to be sure, the fabric of the evangelical tent is multi-faceted. No one denomination has a monopoly on evangelicalism. That being said, however, it does not mean the tent is so broad as to accept anything that comes along. Does that sound offensive? Consider it carefully; if your church were to accept just any old preacher that came along, could you trust him? What if he changed the meaning of familiar words, such as "born again?"

That is what is happening. There are those who call themselves born-again evangelicals, but who do not believe that Jesus is the only way to be saved. When asked if Muslims would be in heaven, one prominent so-called evangelical preacher recently quoted Jesus' statement that he has other sheep in the fold that his hearers did not know about (John 10:16). As is true with too many others, this man does not believe in the unique nature of salvation through Jesus Christ. He is a false evangelical--a false prophet, if you will.

What is the fear that is generating the attempted change in evangelicalism? Why are we now afraid that we will be offensive? The truth is simple: the gospel is offensive to some. To soft-pedal it is mighty close to being ashamed of it (a·shamed adj.
1. Feeling shame or guilt
2. Feeling inferior, inadequate, or embarrassed
3. Reluctant through fear of humiliation or shame).

I am an evangelical. I am not ashamed to say it. Unless the apostates take over the evangelical family. Then I will call myself something else.

The Times and the Seasons

First, it was Myanmar (Burma). Now it's China. Before this is over, I would not be surprised to see a death toll in both places that tops 100,000. That is astounding. Every death brings a deep sadness and lingering questions:

• How many of these who died knew the Lord and are now in his presence?
• Jesus told us to observe the times and the seasons. Is this an indication of his imminent return?

I cannot venture to say how many who died knew the Lord. I do know that each day thousands in China are turning to the Lord Jesus as their one and only Savior. But I do not know about the particular areas that were affected. Far less, however, are responding in Myanmar. That means that the likelihood was slim that many of them were Christ-followers.

Is it a sign of the return of Jesus? Maybe. Maybe not. I believe that will happen sooner, not later. I even hope it happens today. But if the Father chooses to delay Jesus' return, that is fine by me. I will serve him until he sounds that final trumpet.

Pray for Asia, as it recovers from these two massive disasters.

Pray for Myanmar (Burma)

Fox News reports 22 thousand deaths and over 40 thousand missing after the massive cyclone ravaged that country.

Pray that Christian missionaries will find opportunities to minister to the glory of God.

Those Weakening Hands

Here is a piece of news that Southern Baptists did not want to hear: membership and baptisms have declined. While IMB missionaries are reporting increases in overseas membership and baptisms, the churches holding the proverbial ropes are weakening. So what's happening?

Why is this taking place now? One site quotes expert Ed Stetzer, also providing a link to Stetzer's own site. Stetzer gives three issues that must be discussed to address this historic and unprecedented decline for Southern Baptists:

• The absence of young leaders and ethnic leaders in denominational life.
• Denominational infighting.
• (most importantly) We’ve lost our focus on the gospel.

Add to Stetzer's opinion other important factors such as:

• Our love affair with American culture
• Undisciplined churches
• (most importantly for me) a growing indication of prayerlessness

When you work in a group with so many members (over 16 million) it becomes very easy to rest on those historic laurels. We have gotten large and lethargic. Large is good; lethargy is deadly.

Why is this significant to someone working in South America? Consider the following:

1. Our future international missionaries come from this declining pool.
2. Lethargy eventually reveals itself in lethargic missions support; this is not just financial in nature. We are currently blessed with a surge in personal participation on the part of SBC churches. But this will not continue if those churches are losing the battle "back home."
3. Denominational infighting creates such a lack of focus that important things as winning lost America and reaching a lost world fall in the cracks.

Pray for the SBC. Pray, pray, pray for revival.

The Call

I just returned from St. Louis, MO. It was a great week (the better part of a week) of ministry. The best part for me was being able to be with a couple who were just appointed to serve in Peru. They were refreshing to listen to. Their exhuberance was delightful to see. Their faith is strong and their vision, stronger. It was a meaningful time for me.

The most meaningful part was when the associate pastor for missions asked me to pray a blessing over them in the final service of this global missions celebration. As I thought of where they would walk--a part of the world where I have also been--I was moved with joy. I wept as I sought the face of our Father in Heaven. The other missionaries with us wept, too. The joy was too much to contain.

Somewhere, years ago, God began a work in the hearts of this couple. Before too many years passed, God began convicting them of a call to go--a call to be more than they were at that moment. So they obeyed. And now the journey begins.

Pray for this couple and 90 others who were recently appointed as missionaries who will serve around the world.

Warning! Bridge Out Ahead!

I wrote some weeks ago about a renewed emphasis on New Age doctrine, this time being preached by Oprah Winfrey. Lest you discount this as harmless, please watch the following video.

For those who may think that Oprah's new love affair with Hell is cute, please beware; the bridge is out! You will not make it across....

Finding a Vision

I blinked and two weeks flew by. Time never stands still--at least not for a 50-something.

God let me go back to South America to lead a good group of men on a vision trip. They will adopt a part of Lima and begin sending teams down every few months. This partnership will, Lord willing, last up to 5 years.

I was both amused and impressed as I watched this group of men. I was amused at their reaction to our traffic. One man exclaimed, "I will never complain about traffic in Memphis again!" Others were far too busy praying for me, their driver. Even our Peruvian guest in the vehicle--himself a taxi driver--muttered, "Now I know what it feels like to ride in the back seat of my taxi." I guess I have become acclimated to driving in the big city. One thing is certain, those men learned how to pray!

I was impressed by their zeal for the lost. We did not do any persuasion evangelism; it was a vision trip. Some of you more spiritual readers may think we were unspiritual because we did not do any evangelism on this trip. But the men with me caught the same burden that wrenches my heart each time I enter a new community. We were overwhelmed by the lostness of Lima.

Once we went back to our rooms to have a prayer meeting; it was the middle of the day and we were completely overloaded with information about our task. I listened to the men as they begged me to make it easier and tell them where to work. I told them I could not do that; they had to find out where God was at work and join him there. So we prayed. They wept aloud over the task at hand. And God answered.

The pastor told me that he could not close his eyes without seeing one particular area I had taken them. There are literally hundreds, in the thousands, who live in that area who need the gospel. I asked them to pray for that part of the city before we moved on. We stood on a steep hillside and prayed for God's purpose and plans to unfold.

As though God had ordered our steps for that specific moment (I believe he had), one of our lay workers strolled up as we were about to leave. He told us the most recent strategic plans for the area. It was a confirmation, to the word, about what I had shared. Each way the pastor turned, there he saw the lost masses calling out to him.

It's all about finding a vision. These men traveled 3,200 miles with that express intent.

I believe God blessed them with a fresh one...

March Madness of a Different Kind

It's March Madness. I am watching two very good teams face off in round two of the NCAA tournament. It's been fun so far.

Right in the middle of this excellent distraction the television network broadcasting the games put in a promo of their Sunday night show. It will be about the ossuary (bone box) that someone claimed belonged to Jesus and his family. It's March Madness on a spiritual level.

I am not terribly surprised that someone wants to bring this up once again. But I am terribly surprised they would do it with such impunity on Resurrection Day.

The world despised the truth of Jesus some 2,000 years ago; little has changed since then. But to challenge the resurrection on the holiest day for Christians? That is too much. They would insist on reverence for teachings about the Feast of Purim, or Passover, or Ramadan; but not for Resurrection Day. While they shriek over the idea of the intolerance of conservative Christians, they insist on the right to lambast Christians. Why?

Jesus said it would be that way. The world hates him. The world hates the idea of one way to heaven. The world hates the exclusivity of the Lord Jesus. And if they hate Jesus they will hate us; that is what Jesus said.

Do not forget this: Jesus is THE way; no one comes to the Father but by him. Eternal life does not exist outside of the salvation Jesus offers.

Let them parade the bone box. Let them claim it belongs to Jesus. They only join themselves to a select group who knew the Jesus had risen from the dead, who knew about the empty tomb and heard the report from the soldiers, but chose to reject his lordship all the same.

Just go right on proclaiming the truth: Jesus died for our sins; he was buried; and he rose again, all according to the Scriptures.

He lives!

The Changing Face of South America

I just read an interesting blog that speaks of the changing face of South America. It is "penned" by Dr. David Sills, a professor at Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY. Dr. Sills spent time in South America as a missionary, but continues to make annual forays into that great and lost continent. Read his blog here; it will give you one more reason to pray for revival in our hemisphere.

KDS, Somewhere in South[ern] America

Our Addiction to Automation

Do you think things are better here? A local believer where we serve told me he wanted to come to the U.S. because everything here is better. Granted, there are many, many things that make life in these United States a delightful and desireable place to live.

Those desireable things sometimes create unrealistic dependencies. Take the automated car wash, for example. I could get out there with a hose and bucket of water, as I did in years (ahem, decades) gone by, and wash the heavy spring pollen off our car. After all, even a 14-year-old car needs lots of TLC. And the pollen was an embarrassment to me when I drove down the road. My blue car was yellow-green; even the windshield. It happened from one day to the next--literally.

Yes, I could have washed that car the old-fashioned way. But I wanted to use the automatic car wash. In our city in South America, automated means the dude washing it uses a high-pressure hose to rinse it.

So I went to the gas station where our daughter got hers washed. I bought gas first, another automated feature included for payment. At the pump I was offered a car wash. I selected the best; nothing but the best for this Baby Blue '94 Lincoln. I purchased the gasoline and car wash, filled the car, and drove around to the entrance. There sat a sign: "Out of Order." Great. I went back around front and asked for a refund. The lady told me she could not issue a refund, to go to their other store, less than 1/4 mile from this one.

I drove over there and tried to enter the code. Code rejected. I went in to speak to the manager. He said he would have to issue another code. The attendant told him that their car wash was also out of order. So he reluctantly refunded my money.

By now I was determined to get a car wash. I drove to another station that had a car wash. I drove to the entrance and proceeded to feed my bills into the machine. The machine rejected my 5-dollar-bill. I selected a wash of lesser value and fed ones into the machine. It rejected the last bill, but I rescued the thing with 4 quarters.

Now I finally entered to get the much-needed car wash. The truth is, by now, I needed a good soaking, too. The fancy, automatic machine rolled backwards to soak the car; it stopped after 4 feet and rolled forward. It was broken. The best I got was a quick rinse. No wax. No pre-soak. None of the things I paid for.

I was flabbergasted. All the fancy things we can do, such as post blogs and control our entire house from one computer. And I could not get a decent car wash.

It showed me my dependence and delirium.

Life should be simple and fun. It's good. Enjoy the ride.

Overt Attacks on America's Families

This post is rated "R" for raunchy and ridiculous. It contains a link to an "X" posting, so reader beware.

America is being attacked. The pro-homosexual movement continues to grow in both scope and intensity. No longer is it enough to endure such perverted characters as found in "Will and Grace," along with Ellen "Degenerate," and 75, or so, other perverts that pepper our television shows; now our teens are being attacked in their schools.

One such attack is taking place in Deerfield, IL. You can read about it here. As I said, that link leads you to a posting that no one under 17--if not 77--should read. It is very disturbing. English students in Deerfield High School are being required to read homosexual porn. I read some of the excerpts myself, so this is not even close to an over-reaction or exaggeration. I have written those listed in that blog to express my disdain for their sick actions.

Another attack is around the corner. It is called "The Day of Silence." The following was e mailed to me; I researched it and found the sender to be accurate on all counts.

[begin pasted e mail]
"Day of Silence," keep your child at home April 25.

Is a Day of Silence coming to a school near you? Friday, April 25, several thousand schools across the nation will be observing "Day of Silence (DOS)." DOS is a nationwide push to promote the homosexual lifestyle in public schools

A Day of Silence and It's "Sexual Deviate" promoters leads the students to believe that every person who identifies as a homosexual, bisexual or cross-dresser is a victim of ongoing, unrelenting harassment and hate. Students are taught that homosexuality is a worthy lifestyle, homosexuality has few or no risks, and individuals are born homosexual and cannot change. Those who oppose such teaching are characterized as ignorant and hateful bigots. You should know that these sexual deviate groups do not and cannot exclude the pedophiles from their membership. In fact the more these sexual deviate groups get a foothold the better is it for the pedophiles. After all, who doesn't love kids?

There is simply no place in our school systems for this kind of "education". Yet, it's difficult to stop as long as the School Boards continue to approve such actions. I seem to recall this idea started in San Francisco several months ago and the local community tried unsuccessfully to stop it. These groups are well organized and financed by Corporate America. One of the largest donors is Proctor & Gamble. You know the company you buy from for your family needs. Another large supporter is Ford Motor Company. Ford has been falling in sales for the past couple of years due in part from the boycott initiated by the American Family Association (AFA). The falling economy has also had a drastic effect on their sales. Oh yes I almost forgot. Jaguar donates $1,000 for every car they sell to a sexual deviate group called GLADD.

Your school, or a school near you may or may not be on their list yet (see the list of Schools) but these sexual deviate groups have time to twist some arms. Why do these School Boards give into such pressure? Simple!! They are well funded. They have deep pockets and seemly a never ending source of funds to hire the best promotional agencies that money can buy. I cannot defend a School Board member that votes yes to them. I can only say they don't want to be called a bigot in the media. If they vote No on this issue . . . they are blasted in the local media. And, these sexual deviate groups are so experienced and practiced that they have a canned answer to your every objection. So it isn't easy.

Will they stop after conducting their classes in the High Schools across this Nation? Why stop when they are being so successful? Next, the grade schools. Here is a partial list of participating schools.
http://www.missionamerica.com/agenda.php?articlenum=78

Is the guy who gets in on with a sheep a pedophile? He is a pervert for sure, but a pedophile? I guess that depends on if it's a "young" sheep. Better a sheep than your child or grandchild.

[end pasted e mail]

And finally, don't forget the California Appeals Court who has decided that at least 166 thousand families in California are wrong for home-schooling their children. That is nothing more than a new attempt to be able to control your child. You, the parent, are too stupid to know what is best for your child; they, the state, are the ones with the knowledge to make your child productive and suitable for society.

Stand up, America! Pray, friends around the world! This is a cultural war that must not be lost.

Life in America: Questions to Ponder

Humorous questions my sister posed to me...

Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety-one?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea...does that mean that one out of five enjoys it?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ?

Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they ?just stale bread to begin with?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~* *~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If people from Poland are called Poles, then why aren't people from Holland called Holes? ?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Why is a person who ?plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a racecar is not called a racist?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for? ??

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, then doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP? ?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Do Lipton Tea employees take "coffee breaks?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of ?bald men?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I ?thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use. Toothpicks?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* And finally...,

As income tax time ?approaches, did you ever notice: When you put the two words "The" and "IRS" together, it spells"THEIRS"?

Those Spiritual Gifts

Do you know what your spiritual gifts are?

My top three spiritual gifts seem to be:

Prophecy
Exhortation
Teaching

Leadership is probably up there, too. But let's leave that aside for the moment. And I guess you could even add apostle, if you see it fulfilled through cross-cultural missions. No spiritual gift inventory I have seen to date asks questions that would reveal that.

As a missionary, I seek to work within the framework of my spiritual gifts. To do otherwise would be detrimental to the work of God. I also seek to form teams that best utilize their gifts. I think we fall short when we ask men and women to work outside their gifted areas. For example, to ask a person who is a strong administrator, but a weak teacher, to be a church-planter could be a misuse of that person's ministries, as given by the Holy Spirit. The converse would be equally true.

How do you carry out your ministry? What "form" do your teams take?