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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2017)
2A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL AUGUST 16, 2017 I’ve been robbed! That is one of the fi rst revelations I had after I started diligently studying the Word and realized I wasn’t living the life Jesus died to give me. At fi rst it made me mad, but it was the truth I needed to hear to help me begin an amazing transformation to a life I can honestly say I now enjoy. For many years before this, I was a Christian but I wasn’t serious about my walk with God. As a result, I was miser- able. I didn’t have any real peace or joy, and I felt guilty most of the time. Thankfully, God showed me through John 10:10 that I didn’t have to be miserable and I could have abundant life in Christ. But I needed to change! I remember asking God to show me what I needed to do to become the person 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP) said I should be: “…A new creature [reborn and re- newed by the Holy Spirit]...” Have you ever thought, “If I’m so new, why do I act like the ‘old me’?” Well, becoming a “new creature” from the inside out is a process that takes time. When we accept Christ as our Savior and we’re born again, we receive the na- ture of everything God is in seed form. 1 John 3:9 (AMP) says, “God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righ- teous character] remains [permanently] in him….” Seeds have to be watered and take root before they can produce fruit. And the fruit of having life in Christ is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith- fulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22- 23). It’s the ability to deal with challenges and over- come them by God’s grace so others will see Christ in you and want what you have. The key to experiencing this life is iden- tifying how the enemy works in our lives to steal what God has given us. Religion That Robs Us In John 10:10, Jesus tells us we have an enemy—the devil—who wants to keep us from God. But when you read the whole chapter, you see that Jesus is talking about the system of religion, which is perpetrated by the devil. Be- cause the last thing the devil wants you to know is how much God loves you and how a personal relationship with Christ gives you access to everything he’s sto- len from you. When I realized that God loves me un- conditionally and that He has a plan for my life, it helped me understand that He wanted an intimate, personal relationship with me. I discovered that the Christian life is not about religion but relationship. Because religion is a thief that keeps us from becoming transformed into the image of Christ. Now, when I say “religion,” I’m not talking about going to church; it’s im- portant for us to go to good churches where the Word of God is taught and we can grow spiritually. I’m talking about a performance mentality that says it’s what we do that determines whether God approves of us or not. A religious attitude says, “If I just pray more or read the Bible more or do more Survive Change. You can also contact us good things or go to church on a regu- to receive our free magazine, Enjoying lar basis…then God will be happy with Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727- me.” It gets us on a treadmill of feeling 9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org. obligated to do certain things to please Ladies, join Joyce Meyer for the 35th God. Annual Love Life Women’s Conference Relationship with God is based on the September 21-23 in Saint Louis, MO. truth about His love for us and tells us For more information, go to www.joyce- who we are in Christ. We learn how meyer.org/lovelife. much God loves us and that it’s because Joyce Meyer is a New York Times of what Jesus did for us on the cross— bestselling author and founder of Joyce through the sacrifi ce He made—that we Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored have what we need to be everything God more than 100 books, including Battle- created us to be. fi eld of the Mind and 20 Ways to Make It’s good for us to pray, read the Bible, Every Day Better (Hachette). She hosts go to church and do things for others to the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and make their lives better. But it’s important TV programs, which air on hundreds of for us to do these things as a response stations worldwide. For more informa- to what God has done for us, not to get tion, visit www.joycemeyer.org. Him to love us. Salvation is God’s gift to us, and we show our love for Him by the way we live for Him. That’s relationship, not religion. Having new life in Christ Grant Gording, BC-HIS Jenna Buetow is so amazing because through it, we become the home of God. His Spirit comes to live in us and Same Day Appointments Available work with us, bringing 1498 E. Main St., CG restoration and whole- www.grantshearing.com 541-942-8444 ness to every area of our z å lives. Then, as we learn to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we can receive everything God has for us and take back what belongs to us! ********* For more on this topic, order Joyce’s four-teach- Funeral & Memorial Planning ing CD series How to Board Certifi ed in Hearing Instrument Sciences Hearing Consultant Free Hearing Screening e Funeral & Memorial Planning e Cremation Options e Cremation Options e Monuments & Memorials & e Memorials Cemetery Options e Monuments Cemetery Options IN MEMORIAM Please Celebrate the 4th of July Safely! Milton Bedortha 1928-2017 Milton Bedortha, 88, of Cottage Grove died Dec. 28, 2016 of heart disease. He was born Nov. 3, 1928 in Eugene to Chester and Gladys (Durfl ing- er) Bedortha. He graduated high school and worked as a logger and heavy equip- ment operator, served in the U.S. Navy, and was a member of the Elks, Moose, Masons and VFW. Survivors include his children, Joseph of Cottage Grove, Mike, Cin- dy and Angela, and a brother, Clifford. He was preceded in death by his wives, parents, and a brother, Wallace. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. at the Elks Lodge in Cottage Grove at 755 N. River Road. A private inurn- ment is pending. Arrangements under the care of Yuma Mortuary and 123 South 7th, Cottage Grove, Oregon th 123 South 7 , Cottage Grove, Oregon 541-942-0185 •www.smithlundmills.com z www.smithlundmills.com Cremation, Yuma, Arizona. John Battles 1955-2017 John Battles was born in Cot- tage Grove in 1955 and died in Lewiston, Idaho on Aug. 10, 2017. He was preceded in death by his father, Bill Battles, and brother, Paul. Survivors include his mother, Willa, brother, Bill, and three sisters, Sandra, Judy, and Bonnie. Cards and remi- niscences can be sent to John’s wife, Joyce Finley, at 2026 Ripon Dr., Lewiston, Idaho 83501. Mesothelioma Lung Cancer Laryngeal Cancer Just 30 minutes That’s how long the average mammogram appointment takes. One 30-minute screening appointment could save your life. Now that’s time well spent. Prevention O Screenings O Treatment peacehealth.org/mammogram We are a local Oregon law firm helping people with asbestos related cancer claims. Call us for a free investigation into whether you are eligible for compensation. 1 -877 - 92 8- 9 147 w w w.N els onM a c N e i l .c o m The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity Number CMS-1L1-15-003 from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies. å