God's Plan For Our National Health Series

God’s Plan for Our Health

Part 2 - Our National Health

2 Chronicles 7:12-14

Sermon by Rick Crandall

McClendon Baptist Church - June 29, 2008

*We are about to celebrate the 232nd birthday of our country. This is a good time to focus on the health of our nation, and what we can do about it.

*So please open your Bibles to 2 Chron 7:12-14. The background here is the dedication of Solomon’s temple. In chapter 5 they brought the Ark of the Covenant to its place and began to praise the Lord. Then the temple was filled with a cloud and so much of God’s glory that the priests had to suspend their work for a time. The dedication lasted seven days with prayers, praise and a sacrifice that included 120,000 sheep. Then after the people were sent home, God spoke to Solomon in vs. 12-14:

12. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.

13. "When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,

14. "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

*That’s a promise we need to hear today as America faces some huge problems. Gas is $4 a gallon, and may go up before it goes down. The stock market is in the tank. And though there has been a wonderful improvement in the situation in Iraq, we still face radical Islamists who would love to see our country go up in smoke.

*Here at home, traditional Christian values are ridiculed and under constant attack from liberal judges and legislators. Last month, four judges on the California Supreme Court overturned the will of the voters and legalized gay marriage. This was a terrible decision in the eyes of God. Does saying that mean I am a homophobe who hates homosexuals? -- Quite the contrary. Bible-believing Christians should love homosexuals. We should love them enough to tell them the truth. We should love them enough to tell them that homosexuality is a sin, because God says it is a sin. -- But also tell them that we are all sinners, and that God loved us enough to die for our sins. We should love them enough to tell them that God will forgive their sins and save anyone who will turn to Him and trust in Jesus. But when it comes to homosexuality or any other sin: We can never say something is right, if God says it’s wrong.

*Dennis Prager has a must-read column on the gay marriage verdict in California. Here are some key parts:

*If this verdict stands, society as we have known it will change. The California Supreme Court and its millions of supporters are playing with fire. And it will eventually burn future generations in ways we can only begin to imagine.

*Outside of the privacy of their homes, young girls will be discouraged from imagining one day marrying their prince charming. To do so would be declared "heterosexist," morally equivalent to racist. Rather, they will be told to imagine a prince or a princess. Schoolbooks will not be allowed to describe marriage in male-female ways alone. Little girls will be asked by other girls and by teachers if they want one day to marry a man or a woman. Any advocacy of man-woman marriage alone will be regarded morally as hate speech, and shortly thereafter it will be deemed so in law. Companies that advertise engagement rings will have to show a man putting a ring on a man’s finger -- if they show only women fingers, they will be boycotted just as a company having racist ads would be now. Films that only show man-woman married couples will be regarded as antisocial and as morally irresponsible as films that show people smoking have become. Traditional Jews and Christians -- (i.e. those who believe in a divine scripture) -- will be marginalized. Anyone who advocates marriage between a man and a woman will be morally regarded the same as racist. And soon it will be a hate crime. (1)

*Do you think these radical things can’t happen? Church, I have to tell you that it already is happening. Jon & Elaine Huguenin are Christians who own a small photography shop in New Mexico. Last April the New Mexico Human Rights Commission ordered them to pay $6,600 to Vanessa Willock.

*Vanessa had asked the Huguenins to photograph a same-sex “commitment ceremony” she wanted to have with her partner. Elaine Huguenin declined because her Christian beliefs do not support homosexuality. Vanessa took that rejection to the New Mexico Human Rights Commission which found that the photography shop discriminated against her because of her sexual orientation, in violation of the New Mexico Human Rights Act. Thankfully, the Alliance Defense Fund is appealing the decision for Jon and Elaine. (2)