Chris Leader Online

Live like you are in the Holy of Holies

I am in Orlando for a few weeks and was able to check out an amazing ministry here called Status last night.  It is a 20-somethings ministry that is greatly impacting the young adults of Orlando with the message of Christ.

Here, the speaker challenge us to live life as though we, Christians, are in the Holy of Holies.  The Holy of Holies, in the Old Testament, was that place in the inner courts of the temple where the presence of God dwelt.  It was here that the ark of the covenant was placed.  Only the high priest could enter this area once a year, and he had to go through a cleansing process to make sure that he was pure before God.  If there was any impurity in him, he would instantly die, for he was in the very presence of God.

Through the sacrifice of Christ, we are now the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy of Holies is now a place within our hearts.  The very presence of God dwells within us, yet we often feel so distant from God and live that way as well.  We need to recognize the presence of Christ literally in our lives and begin to live as if we are in the Holy of Holies.

What an honor that God has called us His children and made US His dwelling place.  We are so unworthy, and He is so worthy.  Through the blood of Christ, we now have direct access to God; but we very rarely take advantage of this.

My prayer for myself and all of you who read this is that we begin to live our lives acknowledging the presence of the Holy Spirit of God with us.  I want to live a life that pleases God.  I want to live a life that is "worthy of the calling that I have received."  Truly to whom much is given, much is required.  I HAVE BEEN GIVEN LIFE!  How much more could I be given.  I pray that I will be an obedient servant to the most Hight God!  What could be more exciting than this?

Death: the hope of Life

I am here in Orlando for a few days.  My grandfather passed away Thursday morning, and I have come into town to be with my family.  It is sad to watch anyone die, but it truly has been a blessing to see my grandfather pass from this life into an eternity in heaven.

Because of the grace of God, those of us who have accepted Christ do not have to fear death, for death is merely the beginning of an eternity in heaven.  Death truly is the hope of eternal and flawless life.  To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

As I was driving into Florida, I was thinking of all of the medical problems my grandfather had.  It was such a joy to know that he would soon be running down the streets of glory never to deal with pain or suffering again.  He is truly living in eternal joy in the presence of Jesus Christ.  While we will all miss him, he is now in the thrown room of God cheering the rest of us on as we navigate this thing called life.

Please Pray!

My grandfather has been in very poor health for a long time, but today he has decided to cease all treatment and return home to die.  Tomorrow morning he will be brought home and Hospus will make him as comfortable as possible until he meets Jesus.  Please pray for my mother and her family as this is a very difficult and prolonged time for all of them.

Thanks for your prayers...prayer truly does make a difference!

How is your life going?

I heard this quote today, and I think it is amazing.

"You're born...you suffer...you die....

Fortunately there is a loophole...

His name is Jesus Christ!"

This really is an awesome thing to think about. Aside from a relationship with Christ, our lives are full of disappointment and void of hope. But through a relationship with Christ, we can have ultimate hope, happiness that is not circumstantial, and fulfillment.

Are you struggling tonight in life or in your relationship with Christ?

Turn to Christ and let Him radically change your life!  If you have never accepted Him, invite Him into your life right now.  If you are a Christian, but your relationship with Christ is not where it needs to be; ask for His forgiveness tonight and continue to fall in love with Him!

The Official Move!

I have not posted in a couple of weeks.  I am currently in Florida for a few days packing up the house, and then I will be headed back up to NC on Friday.  The official move is here, and the moving truck will be at the house tomorrow.

I am very excited to finally get settled down in North Carolina, and I am excited about working with the new church, Green Level Baptist Church.  I will always remember the awesome times that I have had here in Florida and am so grateful to God for allowing me to have been here.

I want to continue to encourage you as always, "Keep fallin in love with Jesus Christ!"

Last Ignite!

So last night was my last official Ignite.  It really was truly a very sad and exciting night for me.  It has been such an amazing adventure having the opportunity to lead a ministry like Ignite.  There have been some incredible times and God truly has done some radical things in the lives of students, parents, and the community as a whole.  I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to be a part of so many student's lives, and I will definitely never forget all of you who are part of Ignite.

It is always sad to say goodbye, and usually people don't get all that excited about change.  But I really am excited about what I know God is going to do at Ignite as He continues to make it into the ministry that He wants it to be.  I really cannot wait to see how Pastor Bill and the rest of the Ignite Youth Workers continue the pursue the vision of reaching the Altamonte community with the gospel of Christ!

To all of you who have been part of Ignite over the past several years:  It has been my honor to serve you as your leader.  You have all taught me so much about how to be the leader that God has called me to be.  You have been an amazing group to lead, and I will never forget you.  I am blessed to have had the opportunity to have known you all.  PLEASE keep in touch with me through email and phone calls.  I would love to hear from you all, and I will do my best to keep in touch with you.  As I said last night, I encourage you with all that I have within me, to fall in love with Jesus Christ.  I have learned that there is no more important thing than falling in love with our God.  He is AMAZING, and will change your life forever if you fall in love with Him!

God bless you all, and I will really miss you!

Jesus, our Protector

I was posed with the question last night of what is the one thing I think of when I think about God.  Of course, there are many different attributes and characteristics that I could use to define God, but the first thing that came to my mind was based on the book of Luke when Jesus and the disciples are traveling to Jerusalem as Jesus is about to be crucified.

As you read in Luke, the disciples and Jesus were traveling into the city approaching the time when Jesus would be crucified on the cross.  Something interesting is written here that I never have noticed before.  It says that Jesus walked ahead of the disciples as they traveled into the city.

Why did Jesus walk ahead of them?  They knew the way to the city, so we know that they were not dependent on Jesus to know how to get to the destination.  Why would he walk, alone, ahead of them?  As I was thinking about this, I thought perhaps he walked ahead of them for their protection.

Obviously, there is a picture here that we should allow Christ to lead the path of our lives, and he certainly was leading the disciples.  But I think it is possible that more is meant in this passage than Jesus simply leading the way.  I think that it is possible that Jesus is painting a picture as our Protector.  Jesus led the way because he wanted to lead the disciples safely to Jerusalem.

I thought of a recent event as my father and I were hiking on the Appalachian Trail.  He was leading the way through an icy path on the mountain where I nearly fell, literally off the mountain.  Had it not been for him being ahead of me and holding out a stick for me to hang onto, I would have fallen off the mountain.  I think that Jesus was showing a picture of the same thing as He walked ahead of the disciples as they entered Jerusalem to show up for the biggest event in the history of the world, the crucifixion and ressurection.

My question is this: Are we letting God lead the way in our life, and are we growing dependent on His protecting hand to get us through the struggles and trials that we face every day?  If not, it is probably time to start growing dependent on the Creator of the Universe, God Almighty.

NEW Blog

The whole blog concept is definitely a new idea for me, but I am very excited about being able to use this site to give you updates on what God is doing in my life and ministry.  I really want this blog to be an encouragement to you as you read how God is working in my life and what He is doing in and through the ministry of Ignite Student Outreach.

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