Posts by Gordon Dickson
Crying Out to God in Chaotic Times, part 3
See here for Part One and here for Part Two Daniel 9:20-23 What should you do when you live in a society characterized by these words: “There is no fear of God before their eyes?” The absence of the fear of God was the unmaking1 of the nation of Israel (Zephaniah 3:7-8). When they began…
Read MoreAre You Weary of Conspiracy Theories?
In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about conspiracy theories. Whether it was “the vast right wing conspiracy theory” (popularized by Hillary Clinton),1 or the unfounded “Trump-Russia conspiracy theory” propounded by Robert Mueller,2 naïve people believed it. More recently, the media is publicizing the so-called “Q-Anon conspiracy theory”3 and insisting that we…
Read MoreCrying Out to God in Chaotic Times, part 2
Daniel 9:10-19 For part 1 of this message, click here As authorities are investigating the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, one word keeps coming to mind: anarchy. The word refers to an absence of or rejection of authority. We are learning that those who are extreme rightists1 and extreme leftists2 were responsible…
Read MoreCrying Out to God in Chaotic Times
Daniel 9:1-10 A Theology of Daniel’s Prayer [Ed. Note: for the video this sermon, see here, audio here.] In a commentary on the news this week, one observer noted, “We’re living right now in a time of rapid and revolutionary cultural change in the United States, and that means not only cultural change but moral…
Read MoreSeeking the Lord in Troubled Times
“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that…
Read MoreHow to Pray in Perilous Times
2 Samuel 15:31 Two hundred men of Issachar were among those who followed David when he fled from murderous King Saul. About these men, 1 Chronicles 12:32 says, “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do;” In this urgent hour in…
Read MoreNations Rage, But God Reigns, Part 1
Psalm 2:1-3 Why are things in such an uproar? Society seems to be ripping apart at the seams. Political leaders are assuming that they have more authority than they actually possess. Armed protestors are showing up on capitol steps to demand liberty. Political conspiracies are being unmasked as the “power grabs” that they really are…
Read MoreWhat to Do in Dangerous Times
Proverbs 29:8 – “Scornful men bring a city into a snare [set a city aflame]: but wisemen turn away wrath.” What should we do in these dangerous times? As you and I read the news about our nation, we grow more and more concerned. What will the end of these things be? How can order…
Read MoreHave Your Leaders Lost Their Minds?
See if any of this sounds familiar. First, imagine a time of tremendous prosperity for your country – the like of which the world has rarely seen. Then think of a political leader. Riding that wave of prosperity, perhaps the leader you have in mind grows proud and pompous. He credits himself with making his…
Read MoreBearing the Yoke in Your Youth
Armchair sociologists are already calling them “Generation C.” A recent article in The Atlantic, put it this way: “Generation C Has Nowhere to Turn: Recent history suggests young people could see their careers derailed, finances shattered, and social lives upended.”1 The article went on to describe the depressing consequences of COVID-19 crisis. Young people, especially…
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