Wow, rough day yesterday, was afraid I was relapsing and that wouldn’t be good.

Have an appointment, tomorrow, with a new doctor as my primary provider – the man, Ben a PA, who has been in that position for several years has bought into a practice in Hood River.  My first intent was to follow him there as so many others have done.

However, as I sat in the hospital bed listening to the physician and watching him review all of my files at a click of a button, going back several years to try and determine how to address my problem I realized that I had to rethink that decision.

While Ben has ample knowledge of my past situations, it will make it difficult for him to be involved in my future situations since I have several physicians involved in my care.

The doctor was not happy that Ben had left because ‘you have complicated issues’ and now we would have to start over – but at least the new provider will have immediate access to past and any future problems I might have.

All of my emergency room visits, admittance to the hospital, surgeries, lab results, consultations with multiple physicians, medications and other relevant information is on-line and is shared with all The Dalles physicians and the hospital.

We will see how the new doctor and I connect.  

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

How many times have we heard these or variations of these statements:

Yes, I believe in God, but He doesn’t control who I am.

Yes, I believe in God, but His requirements are too strict and not socially acceptable anymore, we have ‘evolved’ to a more enlightened society.

Yes, I believe in God, I go to church every Sunday, but that is where He belongs, not in my business or other decisions.

Yes, I believe there is a God and that there are many paths that we can travel to meet Him.

Belief in God is for weak people, who cannot stand on their own.

And so the denial of God’s expectation of holiness from His children goes on and on.

If we do not have God in every aspect of our life, we are doing just as the devils do, we believe, but not enough to include Him in our decisions and actions.

IF we agree God exists, then why do we shun Him when we go about our daily activities?

Why do we focus on everything else, and exclude Him in our day to day decision making?

God should be such an integral part of our life that we immediately know and feel when we have strayed away from Him – if even for a moment.

Believing in God is not enough.

Reading His Word is not enough.

Accepting His Son; confessing our sins; and allowing His Holy Spirit to guide us through His Word applying it to our life is what is needed.

It is a commitment; it is a lifestyle that should permeate our entire being no matter what the circumstances might be.

It doesn’t make us super religious.  It doesn’t require us to beat ourselves up when we falter.

It DOES require us to worship Him; to praise Him; to accept His Word as truth and to obey and follow Him every minute of every day.

Mark 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

believe the gospel

1 Corinthians 1:17-18  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

¹⁸ For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

It is not enough to believe in God; we must believe what He has said and obey.

Later, Art :-)