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
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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
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is so amazing because
through it, we become the
home of God. His Spirit
comes to live in us and
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receive everything God
has for us and take back
what belongs to us!
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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.
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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.
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