[Reprint from 2013 examiner.com article]
Mr. Phillips of Vision Forum presented an uplifting and motivating opening speech for the History of America Mega-Conference. From July 2 to July 6 Vision Forum hosted this event in Harrisburg, PA. The conference included dozens of talks by a number of speakers, including locally-known homeschooling leader Rev. Swanson.
The event allowed for live-stream video access for a nominal fee. It was recorded and will likely be sold online.
The opening talk, by Mr. Phillips, was titled “Panorama of God’s Providence.” It was a clear and pointed talk about the significance of historyin the life of the Christian. Using the language of Calvinism, he defined providence by the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter five.
He opened the lecture with a reminder that God’s goodness is shown everywhere in America even as America is forgetting their God. He charged that “we are going to fight” the evil influences of Marxism and like social ills.
With a number of gripping illustrations and stories, he captured the audience’s imagination. He outlined various important lessons to learn from history, especially describing it as the theater of God’s purposes. Noting that Christ, and the church by extension, is the center of history, history must be interpreted accordingly.
Some quotes of note include: “God works through imperfect men to work his perfect providence” and “those who control history define the culture.”
The highlight of the talk was the closing speech. To an audience of Christians mostly unfamiliar to him, Mr. Phillips declared in bold terms:
“Ours is the generation of the dreamers, the hope casters, the visionaries and the prophets. We are the legacy builders. The wilderness-wanderers who declare the coming reign of Christ. We are the preservers of the best, the pundits of the worse, and the scribal monks who diligently work to record the legacy of providences past and the wisdom of battles won. We are mentors of tomorrow. And we have been given a holy charge, the training of the 300 and the 7000 in whose proven hands God may chose to turn the world upside down.”
And although the undercurrent of social and political struggle in America remained throughout the lecture, there was still mention of the Gospel in the closing statement:
“Ours is a Gospel mission. It brings the only message capable of piercing the heart and transforming the man. Ours is a great commission mandate that seeks the discipleship of nations. Our is a dominion cause…to subdue it for his glory. And to these ends we purpose to go about building our new man of the 21st century…We do it because we know the world is soul-sick. We do it because the gates of hell will not prevail against His church…We do it because it is our hope and our dreams that our great-grand sons will not merely restore ancient walls but will build a new world for Jesus Christ.”
