Long Week

 Long week

I’ve been praying and thinking a lot as far as the blog for this week.  It has been a long week for me.  Then June 24th happened.  I try hard not to be political in this blog.  But It was a win for the lives of the unborn.  Then I made the mistake of getting on social media.  My heart hurts because of the things I’ve seen said by both Christians and non believers.  I’m not going to get in the middle of it all.  I’ve had people leave the email portion of this blog just about every time I speak on climate change nonsense. But it literally feels like the gates of hell have opened up and reared it’s ugly head this week.  I haven’t quite known what to say blog wise because normally this is about hope.  This week I think I have just a few verses to share and they are more about how all of us should be communicating.  So whether you’re just visiting the blog as a video or reading it as an email I’m going to get right to the matter at hand.  I know there’s so many sides and opinions floating around right now but here’s something we all need to remember.  When you’re trying to get across your point of view.  

Ephesians 4:29

“Do not use foul or abusive language.  Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”  

I’ve seen the saying “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you can’t see.”  I know we all want our point to get across whether we are right or not but there’s no need to say anything foul or abusive.  

Same chapter here are two more verses we need.  

Ephesians 4:31-32

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tender hearted forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

We all need to be better.  

I want to conclude with two verses that have helped me adjust my focus.  

Psalm 84:11-12

“For the Lord God is our Sun and our shield.  He gives us grace and glory.  The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.  O Lord of Heaven’s armies, what joy for those who trust in you.”  

Masterpiece by Sandi Patty 

Psalm 139 by Rebecca St James

Human by Natalie Grant 

Whole World by Christy Nockels

Passion

 

Passion

 

I have a friend named Will who made a statement one time after seeing me do this as a blog video on Facebook.  He said, “Gentry needs to become a famous preacher and make lots of money.”  Money would be nice but I’m not out to be a preacher or become famous.  There are people who become famous by sharing stuff online and that’s their goal.  I’m passionate about a lot of things but that’s not one of them.  Once my dad was even asked if I was going to become a preacher like him.  Public speaking has never been my thing.  He actually gave a response that today still humbles me because I don’t think I can live up to it.  He said “If he does decide to I’ve given him all the tools he needs to do so.”  I never even considered I possessed the toolbox that the tools he gave me fit in.  When I started to do this small group Bible study thing, I simply wanted there to be an option for people who worked nights to study God’s Word with someone else in the wee hours of the morning.  That was it!  I thought the church had missed an opportunity.  I still do.  At one point I even said, “We’re going to find out how to glorify God.”  Someone responded by saying I was taking things too seriously.  Now this has turned into an online blog and video, and I’m still shocked by that because it was something only God could make happen.   I don’t want to be a preacher I just want to share God’s Word and hope with others.  When I write a lot of times, I relate to this song by Anna Nalick called Breathe

 

“2 am, and I’m still awake, writing a song

If I get it all down on paper, it’s no longer 

Inside of me, threatening the life it belongs to

And I feel like I’m naked in front of the crowd 

‘Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud

And I know that you’ll use them however you want to.”

 

I share what God lays on my heart and it’s never easy.  People could make fun of me at any time.  I don’t much care.  What I’m trying to do doesn’t always even make sense.  But I rely on God to get me through a video or a blog.  

 

1 Corinthians 9:16

 

“Yet, preaching the good news is not something I can boast about.  I am compelled by God to do it.  How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the good news.”  

 

That verse is part of why I keep going and continue the mission.   Here’s another one that I have seen come true many times.

 

Ephesians 3:20-21

 

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever. Amen!”

 

See God can do more with me sharing his word than I could ever hope or imagine.  I have to show up and be willing.  If you think God can’t use, you then you need to show up and be willing and see what He will do with you because really it’s all about Him and not you.  Like my old life group leader would say “I am not but I know I Am.”  God introduced himself to Moses a person with a speaking problem as the great I Am.  God created you he can use you.  If God can make a donkey talk and hang the moon in orbit then he can use a comic book reading, video game playing, pro wrestling watching, jabroni like me.  I have said often I write these things a little like a wrestling promo and yes, I just ended it that way because I’ve been glancing at the moon most of my shift for the past few nights at work marveling at God’s creation.  I kept telling myself before even reading my Bible that somehow a blog was going to come back to looking at the moon.  

 

 

 

Here I am by Rebecca St James

You are I Am by Mercy Me

Because you are by Point of Grace 

Hold

 

Hold

 

Some of you know me to be a pro wrestling fan now this blog is going to be about holding.  This will not be a blog about knowing your wrestling holds because there are some people who don’t know the difference between a “wrist lock and a wristwatch.”  Also, this will not be a blog about no holds barred matches or the movie by the same name with Hulk Hogan.  To further clarify this will not be a blog about the song Hold on by Wilson Phillips.  So now that we have all that cleared up let’s get to the actual blog about Holding On.  

 

A few days I was driving home listening to a song and yes I occasionally talk out loud when I’m the only person in the car.  I actually said out loud “That right there that’ll blog.”  My brain works like that.  You and I we’re meant to hold on to certain things and let other’s go.  One of the greater video games made over the last few years in my opinion was Justice League Heroes for the PS2 and Ron Pearlman voices Batman.  He has a line that pertains to where I’m going with this blog.  “In order to pick something up you have to put something down.”  We’re all holding on to stuff.  Some of it’s good and some isn’t.  Twila Paris and I are about to take you on a journey.  

 

"Hold On"

Every little baby comes into the world
Reaching for an anchor, fingers tightly curled
Grasping for a reason without knowing why
We will cling to anything 'til the day we die

We can hold on to sorrow, hold on to pain
We can hold on to anger when there is nothing to be gained
We can hold to a thread at the end of a rope
But if we hold on to Jesus we are holding on to hope
Hold on, hold on

This is human nature; this is what He planned
When He put our hearts inside, when He made these hands
We are here to reach for Him, never letting go
This is all we need to have, all we need to know

We can hold on to money, hold on to fame
We can hold on to glory and the honor of a name
We can hold to a thread at the end of a rope
But if we hold on to Jesus we are holding on to hope
Hold on, hold on

 

Psalm 139: 13-18

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous— how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.  How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered!  I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!  And when I wake up you are still with me.”  

 

God has plans for you and me before we were even born but he gives us the choice to turn to him.  

 

Psalm 73:28

 

“But as for me, how good it is to be near God!  I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.”  

 

 

Hold On by Twila Paris

He sends his love by Point of Grace

That’s what matters by Rebecca St James 

Chasing after by Clear

Packed

 

Packed

 

There are times you read verses in the Bible a little too fast and then you have to read them again and again.  These are some of those verses.  

 

Psalm 65:1-3

 

“What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion.  We will fulfill our vows to you, for you answer our prayers.  All of us must come to you.  Though we are overwhelmed by our sins you forgive them all.”  

 

That one phrase “All of us must come to you.”  There’s not a person on planet earth that doesn’t need God and if you say you don’t, you’re lying to yourself.  How can I say that?  Because of the next part of this.  “Overwhelmed by our sins.”  See there come times in our lives where God lets us see and feel the weight and impact of our sins and we get left with choices.  1. Do we continue on that path of sin? 2.  Do we seek God’s forgiveness and turn away?  These verses are somewhat cause and effect too because he forgives us, and we see our need for him.   We do what he asks, and he deserves our praise for all he has done.  It’s like the old hymn At the Cross says 

 

“Was it for crimes that I had done

He groaned upon the tree

Amazing pity!  Grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

 

At the cross, at the cross 

where I first saw the light 

And the burden of my heart rolled away 

It was there by faith I received my sight

And now I am happy all the day.”  

 

These next verses show where we are spiritually if we are a believer or unbeliever we fall in here somewhere.  

 

Ephesians 2:1-10

 

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.  You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the Devil, the commander of the powers of the unseen world.  He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.  All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.  By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.  

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. ( It is only by grace that you have been saved!). For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.  So, God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all who are united with Christ Jesus.  

God saved you by his grace when you believed.  And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so no one can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. “

 

Salvation is only found in Christ Jesus, and we can’t earn it.  We must turn to him for it when overwhelmed by our sin.  

 

 

 

People need the Lord by Steve Green 

We need Jesus by Petra 

For God so loved byJaci Velasquez

Remember to be thanful

 

Remember to be thankful 

 

This is one of those weeks where I feel I don’t have much to share but I’m going to anyway and trust that God will use this to help someone else.  

 

I’ve been slowly going through a series in the Youversion app called Hope First and it reminded me of something.  There are times in life where you become so fixated on things and you keep praying wondering if they will ever change and you start to question even what God is doing.  I’ve been there lately.  I get so focused on work, eat, sleep and repeat and unlike Brock Lesnar I’m not doing eat, sleep, conquer, repeat.   I forgot all I had to be thankful for.  God’s not done with me or you.  We need to remember that and step back and be thankful.  We need to pause and listen to King David.  

 

Psalm 57:7-11

 

“My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident.  No wonder I can sing your praises!  Wake up my heart!  Wake up, O lyre and harp!  I will wake the dawn with my song.  I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.  For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.  Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.  Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.  May your glory shine over all the earth.  

 

Psalm 59:16-17

 

“But as for me, I will sing about your power.  Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.  For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.  O my strength, to you I sing praises, for you O God, are my refuge the God who shows me unfailing love.”  

 

 

 

 

Your love O Lord by Third Day

Like incense/Sometimes by step by Hillsong 

Remember who you are by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

Praise the Lord by the Imperials