Lake Powell 2006: The New Creation

 Testimonies

Preterists, Propositions, and Paradigms
Personal Reflections on the New Creation Ministry Conference
Page AZ July 27-29, 2006

Don Hendricks  

I came to Preterist convictions in 1999, during the Y2K scare. I began to study eschatology seriously desiring to learn to defend my views against the popular dispensationalism who popularity was at an all time high. 

Reading  Sproul’s What Jesus Said about the last days, led to reading of J. Russell’s, Parousia,  I reread the New Testament through this new Preterist paradigm two or three times and I was gradually lifted into fulfilled eschatology with joy unspeakable. It was like the Bible had been restored to me, whole parts of scripture that I had not understood became streets of gold. About that time Y2K came and went without a world wide tribulation or a rapture. I loved what Jewish radio talk host  Dennis Prager said during that time,  “Did you really think the Jews were going to let a two digit date code interfere with doing business and making money?” 

The new century found me testing all my paradigms to see how they fit and if they fit with fulfilled eschatology.  This is exciting and dangerous, because we all throw out some babies with the bathwater and travel down some side roads and get stuck for a time till a friend lifts us from the ditch.  It is a special opportunity to be with our friends in conference settings and sharpen our beliefs in interaction with others. 

My sincere thanks to Ward Fenley and his ministry team for hosting a feast of practical and theological messages about  the New Creation in Christ.  Ward led the meeting with wisdom and insight and shared his musical talents in worship with us. He demonstrated his theology of mercy in all he did, with grace, humor and genuine openness. He set the tone for an open and loving debate on important issues. Favorite Ward comment-  “A forgiven person has the presence of God dwelling in his conscience.” 

Ward’s friend and powerful worship leader in song, Shannon Shogren, shared her testimony of quiet and consistent service to God among a denominational leadership that has placed her under church discipline for preterist convictions.  God have mercy on those who use creeds to abuse brothers and sisters they know to be in Christ. Favorite statement- “Ward and I met at a great church that had great music and a pastor that told great golf stories.” 

Tim King, of Restoration ministries, is a pastor with a pastor’s heart. He shared the wisdom gained and pain experienced as he was forced out of a denomination for his attempt to share the good news of fulfilled eschatology.  His messages on the Gospel of John became the core ideas for our reflections on human pride, exclusion, and our struggles as to where Preterist believers fit in the visible church as we find her today.  Favorite gleanings- “How do you know you are in a gathering of graceless people, you can’t breath!  Grace brings intellectual freedom and allows people to be on a journey so that we can love and not judge.  We need to reflect the hope and glory of our perspective because Preterism is never going to be as marketable as fear and doom and rapture. If we are starting a revolution it must be larger than eschatology, its about grace. The ultimate heterodoxy is old covenant legalism in all its modern forms, Jewish, Moslem, Hindu, or Christian.”  

Sam Frost was all I hoped he would be from my reading of his posts and articles. He is well studied and well read, full of convictions and gentle in expressing differences of opinion. His two messages were given to bring our thinking about sanctification. Developing a greater accord with the better promises of the new covenant, His conclusions were liberating and full of grace. He gave a great historical overview of sanctification and our modern misunderstanding of this truth.

Mike Sullivan challenged us to be students of scripture as he shared his brilliant work on typology through the themes of the old covenant, bringing us to see that in Christ all the promises of God and yes and amen.  He is a serious example of a searcher working out consistent Preterist hermeneutics. 

It was a special privilege to be able to interact with Tim Martin and his associate Jeff Vaughn. They led us in their research into the relationship of Biblical hermeneutics in the area of regional and universal language in Genesis and the New Testament.  It’s a hot button issue and both men added fresh information that helped us see why this is an area of interest that must continue in Preterism as we move toward maturity.  I was impressed by the realization that both liberalism and fundamentalism have done harm to the Genesis account by demanding modernist explanations that were never the intention of the covenantal documents. The plain literal method of hermeneutics is the seminal issue in seeing the Gospel spiritually applied in the new creation. 

Todd Dennis, to whom I am deeply indebted for his credentials of service to the Preterist movement through the website, brought to the conference a broad historical perspective on what we face and where we are in our desire for reformation in Christian thought. He pointed out many in church history who pioneered this recovery of historic eschatological view. 

I had the deep impression in my heart that Todd has arrived where I desire to be.  I hope some day to heal and be no longer wounded or angry at those who ex-communicate me from fellowship. Todd is a brother who models a theology flowing with the uplifting reality of Jesus' presence in our lives bringing us into the holy city.  Favorite thoughts from Todd- The defense of the Dispensational view has become a “Culture of Deception” that can oppress believers with chains.  It was always about Jesus, not Israel and the Land. Let your understanding of who you really are in Christ, take over your daily life.  

The question and answer periods were helpful. The freedom for conference attendees to share their hearts created body life.  

History is not pretty, unity in the midst of diversity is not easy, but I will continue to seek out the fellowship of those who teach grace and walk in love. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Thanks again for a deeply edifying time.

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