Lay Hold Upon Every Good Thing Part II

You know when I started this blog what I wanted to do was to be able to basically talk to people in a conversational voice and not be held back by some weirdness because I have to write in either poetry or prose. But have it become something that I could open up my heart and share what I feel inside and the light and knowledge that God is giving me about certain topics and that's the purpose of this blog. It's not about me. It's about my Friend, my Lord, and God.

So, originally I felt like writing my blog in some type of sequential order and trying to lay a foundation of easy prosaic thoughts and a way for people to be able to easily understand what I'm talking about. But as I've thought about how God thinks I realize he does not think it linear fashion - so why should I?  For he said, " For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

The purpose of this blog really is to share my own thoughts about the words of Christ in a way that I can keep them organized, go back, and reflect on them and hopefully leave something for my children, my family, my friends and anybody who may be interested in words of Christ.  By discussing the words of Christ we can be able to lay hold on every good thing and try and make it part of them - to try to implement it somehow someway in their hearts.

I love the idea and concept of "laying hold".  The whole reason that I named this blog "lay hold" is because it means so much to me, so I figure "Hey, I'll just get the definition out and start talking about it."

Lay Hold – Greek - katalambánō (from 2596 /katá, "down, according to," which intensifies 2983 /lambánō, "aggressively take") – properly, take hold of exactly, with decisive initiative (eager self-interest); to grasp something in a forceful (firm) manner; (figuratively) to apprehend (comprehend), making it one's "own."

I love that! I think that we have this misreading of the book of Mormon where we read words like "lay hold" or "holding fast" or "clinging" to mean something benign - something like we are just "lightly touching" but yet when we read what it meant in the Greek we see that it meant to "hang on, to make it your's your own, to grab it aggressively".

In 1 Nephi 8 we read about Lehi's vision of the tree of life and he sees a group of people pressing forward to obtain the path which led to the tree and on that path there was this rod of iron and it said people press forward in verse 24 "they came forth and call hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness clinging to the rod of iron even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree".

The main point of all of this is that we each, every single one of us, lay hold upon every good thing. We everyone need to lay hold upon the words of Christ and make them are own, to take them possess them aggressively in our own heart. Then, by faith and with love unfeigned, we act upon the words of Christ - they fill our hearts, they fill our minds, then we go to work.

Lay Hold Upon Every Good Thing, P1

Lay hold upon the word of God. The word of God is quick and powerful.

My name is Chris Chandler. This is my new blog where I write about the things that are most important to me, even the things of God.

"Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that you should search diligently in the light of Christ that you may know good from evil; and if you will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, you certainly will be a child of Christ." (Moroni 7:19)

It is my hope, and my intent, to lay hold upon every good thing, but most especially the words of Christ. Also I hope and pray with all my heart that my children and my family will also desire to lay hold upon the things of Christ and upon every good thing as well.  Only God, and my wife, know the deep desire of my heart, to build Zion in my own marriage and family, and to be worthy and prepared to meet with Christ. That would be Zion for me and my wife.

I love Jesus. I love the words of Christ and pray with all my heart that I may be filled with the words of Christ that I might speak with the tongue of angels and speak (as well as write) by the power of the Holy Ghost.

There are things afoot. And things that we need to prepare for as the second coming draws nigh. The tribulations and trials and distress and difficulties that are coming up on the world will require us to be prepared spiritually, temporally, and filled with love for our fellow man.

The things that I will speak, write, and discuss here in this blog are to invite, entice, and persuade all men to come unto Christ.