I want to depart from the normal topic this week, just a bit. I just returned from the Future Congress event in Branson, Missouri, organized through the huge efforts of folks like Tom Horn, David Hitt, and Terry James. The conference was jam-packed and, I thought, so well received that it deserves mention.

The brainchild of the trio I just mentioned, and several other key people, Future Congress was different from any other conference I’ve attended. Headliners like Chuck Missler, Edward Griffin, Gary Stearman, Randall Price, and Noah Hutchings were terrific and even better than advertised. And, I had not had the pleasure of hearing Tom Horn speak in public. Wow. This guy is on the frontlines of research and sounding the alarm. Dynamic.

And, even though they are genuinely humble, David Hitt and Terry James are two of the nicest guys on the planet and on the frontlines of cultural battles. David is an emerging (the correct “emerging”) speaker in his own right. One of the best things about his presentations is the fact that he is innovative in his thinking and very articulate. We are going to win with guys like this on the side of truth.

Let me say, though, that Terry James just simply knocked me over with his presentation. I could have cried. Maybe I did.

Many of you know that Terry is blind; I’ve known him for 20 years. So during his Omega Signs talk…he used PowerPoint! It was an incredible moment. Here was a man from a generation that doesn’t always embrace new media. Yet here he was, delivering a terrific address, and using a communication tool that will advance the effectiveness of his message. Terry is always forward-thinking, and ultimately in the best possible way, as he is eagerly anticipating the Lord’s return.

Then there was Noah Hutchings, of Southwest Radio Church, in fromOklahoma City. “Hutch” just celebrated his 60^th anniversary with SWRC! Great age did not deter him. He spoke to a large gathering, and seemed to enjoy himself. I admire men like Hutch, who could retire to the golf course, but he recognizes where we are, and lends his years of wisdom and knowledge to the cause.

Gary Stearman of Prophecy in the News…is there a more regal gentleman anywhere? His very personal address on the subject of UFOs was off-the-charts, and his overall knowledge of prophecy is incredible. Several of us felt the presence of J.R. Church’s legacy, as well. His gracious widow, Linda, attended with the PITN staff.

As if all this wasn’t enough, the organizers assembled a truly incredible lineup of “new” speakers, and here is where I think the real discernment and wisdom of the planners came through. I met new friends like Rob Skiba, Doug Woodward, Chris Putnam, Chris White, and Derek and Sharon Gilbert. There were other great presenters I didn’t get to meet…which is a good reason to do this again as soon as possible! I’m serious. If you attended Future Congress and liked it, give the organizers no rest until they announce the next one.

Future Congress featured cutting-edge topics, and I spoke to attendees from New York to California. The place was literally packed, which tells me that the interest level in this type of conference is high. As churches by and large abandon discussing “controversial” topics, groups like Future Congress are on the rise.

I watched in fascination as my associate at Prophecy Matters, Jeff Patty, was besieged by interested listeners when he presented a talk on the rise of paranormal fascination in our culture. Future Congress presented a whole host of relevant topics that people “out there” are talking about. (Rob Skiba’s presentation on why we need to be culturally relevant was off-the-charts.)

Here’s the best part: my theory that Bible-believers are sophisticated thinkers was proven true. Our liberal critics, from within the Church, would have you believe that prophecy students are knuckle-dragging morons. To them, we are not “careful thinkers.”

False.

I spoke to young and old, men and women, and every one of them displayed a level of understanding that far surpasses what the liberals give us credit for. People took notes during the talks, and the speakers were accessible because they recognize that they are fellow pilgrims. We learn from each other. I picked up some tidbits of information from friends like Don Mercer and Steve Herron.

It was heartening to see that although I believe we are deep into the last days apostasy, there are able defenders of the faith. I saw this Friday night as I sat with Derek Gilbert (he hosts the internet radio show “View from the Bunker,” and co-hosts P.I.D. Radio with his wife, Sharon) and guests Chris White and Chris Putnam. Apologetics is in good hands with Chris/Chris; their answers to liberal objections to the veracity of Scripture were breathtaking. White is the host of Nowhere to Run, on the Revelations Radio Network, while Putnam is an apologist and hosts the Logos Apologia website.

Although Future Congress was about much more than Bible prophecy (Keith Robinson—Creation Science Society of Milwaukee—is a terrific presenter), it was still wonderful to see that Bible prophecy teaching is alive and well. Missler of course is a warhorse, but I was most pleased to see the younger generations very capably taking up the mantle.

There will be dvds available from all the presentations, and I would encourage you to check out www.futurecongress.com, to see what is going on. Momentum from this conference will build, in my opinion. The organizers did that good of a job.

Kudos, ladies and gentlemen.

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Originally published in Rapture Ready, Israel Watch. July 25, 2011

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