The First Baptist Missionary: Not Who You Would Think

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I just finished writing a paper about a missionary that I had never heard of before. Many of us, maybe all of us, think of names like Adoniram Judson, or William Carey, or Luther Rice when we think about early missionaries. But George Lisle? He pre-dated Judson by almost twenty years. He was a freed slave that became the first Baptist missionary from the US. He planted a church in Jamaica back when it was still a slave country, around 1782. It can be said that this unsung hero of missionary work was a truly dedicated man of God. In order to provide passage for himself and his wife and children, George actually "sold himself" back into slavery. He became an indentured servant to a British Colonel Kirkland, and worked for him for two years to earn his freedom back. I can't think of many white missionaries that would be so willing to go, that they would literally give up their freedom for service to Jesus.




George Lisle made a huge impact on the Kingdom of Christ. He discipled slaves and whites, baptized hundreds, pastored the poor and those who would further impact the world. He did this much like his Lord. With no formal education, he taught himself to read the Bible, started churches with no organized missional support, shared the gospel with thousands, and saw many preachers and missionaries spring forth as the fruits of his labor.



All I can say is that I wish I would have heard of him sooner.

The Fifth Horseman Of The Apocalypse

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Wow! Talk about eschatology and the end of the world...Tuesday I was on my way home from the hospital and needed to stop for gas. I also knew I would be going out again, so as I breezed by the gas station I noticed $2.94/gallon. Since my last fill-up was at the GA\FL state line at $3.20/gallon, I thought, "Not bad." When I came out later and stopped at the same station it was $3.08/gallon. 14¢ in just a few hours. Today I drive by and it's $3.24/gallon. Another .16¢!!!!!!!

I think I'm having a vision!

I saw a beast rising up out of Egypt and Libya. The beast had seven heads and a crescent moon tattooed on his chest. And I heard a voice say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a yellow horse! Its rider was holding a barrel of oil in one hand and a scimitar in the other. Then I heard what sounded like a voice coming from a house of white, saying, “One gallon of gas for a day’s wages, and five quarts of oil for a day’s wages, and do not damage the marshy wetlands or drill in the Gulf of Mexico!”

********UPDATE  3/2/2011***********

$3.34 with in the last few hours, up another .11¢. Still, it's better here than in New York...

New York

Stupid Gaddaffi!  Doesn't he know this is very inconvenient for me! Bah. Humbug! You know that "mark of the beast" thing???? Well it's $6.66/gallon and it's coming! Wait...another...vision...

And I looked and I saw another Beast. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to purchase an SUV, and that no one may buy or sell gas except one who has an account at BP. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a gallon: and his number is $6.66. And I heard what sounded like a voice of rushing wind and the sound as it were of doors slamming at the house of white. And the voice of one, crying in the wilderness, and saying,



"Woe. Woe. Woe is me.
How will I get reelected with this economy?"

Proclamation Against Egypt

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1 Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst.
2 “ I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom.
3 The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers.
4 And the Egyptians I will give Into the hand of a cruel master, And a fierce king will rule over them,” Says the Lord, the LORD of hosts. Isaiah 19:1-4 (NKJV)



Sounds all too CNN Headline News, huh?



This prophecy from Isaiah has very close ties to what Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24:2-7.



2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.
5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all[a]these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.



Am I saying that this current Middle Eastern mess is the heralding of the Rapture and Tribulation? No. It could be. In this same chapter Jesus told us that no one knows when He'll return. What I do find hopeful in this is the promise of God to Egypt given at the end of the Isaiah prophecy.



In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. 20 And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them. 21 Then the LORD will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the LORD and perform it. 22 And the LORD will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the LORD, and He will be entreated by them and heal them.

How great would that be!? To see millions of Muslim converts pledging alleigence to the King of Kings? Even so Lord Jesus, come!

Where Ever Is Heard An Encouraging Word

So it's baseball season again!? Wow! South Carolina is the reigning National Champions in baseball, so living around here these days there is a lot of focus on baseball. And rightfully so. I mean, they can't win in football...sooooo. (Ha! That's for all the glee I heard recently on the patently false rumors about our QB Aaron Murray's "broken" ankle!)




Actually, those two things got me thinking. About baseball and encouragement (versus football and discouragement, I suppose! Ehh. Only 5 month, 4days, and 12 hours till kick off. UGA vs Boise State. ****sigh*** Georgia Football, where these days Never Is Heard An Encouraging Word!) But I digress. I WAS talking about baseball. And encouragement. Which reminds me of a story about Willie Mays.



Willie Mays began his major league baseball career with only one hit in his first 26 at-bats. Though he went on to hit 660 home runs, and steal more than 300 bases, his debut was so unimpressive it seemed unlikely he would last more than a few weeks in the big-leagues, let alone become one of the greatest to play the game. The turning point for Mays occurred when his manager, Leo Durocher, found him crying in the dugout after yet another miserable performance at the plate. The coach put his arm around Mays and said, "What's the matter, son?" Mays said, "I can't hit up here. I belong in the minor leagues." Durocher said this to Willie Mays: "As long as I'm manager of the Giants, you'll be my centerfielder." Durocher simply said, "I know that you can make it."



Is there someone in your life who needs your vote of confidence? Someone who's ready to give up? Someone who no longer believes in their ability to do what God has called them to do? You have the opportunity to lift them up. Your words — your confidence — can help get them back on track. Paul said, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are in fact doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11 )





Take a look around you today. Somewhere near you there may be a future Hall-of-Famer who needs a good word from you. Give them some encouragement. Build them up. Be a positive influence. It will go along way toward helping them...and you!

Disney Last Update

Disney was awesome! The kids had a great time, I had the opportunity to make some new friends and spend time with friends that I'd been missing. (Sorry Dwayne. Wish you were there...ummm... here. Well, you know.)


The kids loved the parks, Luke was in a park from open to close every day. And some days past close. (You can stay in the parks after they close if you are staying "on property." We did each park, but I didn't like the hopper option. I would have liked to have stayed in one park each day. Just me. I did get to do all of the things I wanted, with the exception of Space Mountain. Oh, and Soaring. Also, the race track at Epcot. And Rocking Roller Coaster. As I said, I would have liked one park per day better.

Kevin, Patty, and Stevie rest on a bench at the Magic Kingdom

I did get to go on Haunted Mansion and It's A Small World After All. (everybody sing now) Classics from my childhood! But by far the best part was sitting outside our hotel room each evening shooting the breeze with my new friend Robyn and Kevin, Vickie and Dennis an old friend Katherine. Not that she's old, but that I've been friends with her...oh never mind.

The Marching Knights at Epcot, 2011

What I realized today; however, was that for five glorious days, I was able to have an adult conversation that did not revolve around, or evolve into, a discussion about church and church politics. I did get to share about my faith some, but I didn't worry about the WORK that is church. So while my body is tired and sore, my soul and spirit are refreshed. It has been a full year, our cruise last February, since that has been the case.

A Very Tired Luke.

So thank heavens for this little break. I'm ready to charge Hell with a water pistol again! Of course, with Jesus by my side, it'd be with a really big fire hose!

Disney Home

Our laptop has had some serious issues the last few days. So I'll update y'all later on our GREAT, AWESOME, MOST GLORIOUS trip. But here are a few pictorial previews!

Disney Day 2

North Central Knights

Me and Tigger. We are trying to see who is the most orange.

If you don't put that camera down...

Skkts!