So on Thursday morning, I was thinking about how I could help the situation in Haiti, and came up with the idea of a local benefit concert. Long story short, the first show kicked off Friday night, and we raised over $900 from generous donations. All proceeds went directly to Three Angels Children’s Relief, an organization that I’ve written about before because I sponsor a young girl named Loralie at their orphanage and school. I first checked with Jim and Candy, who are in charge of Antioch, the cafe-style venue in Newhall with a stage, sound system, tables, couches, etc, and they were excited about the idea. They already had Josiah James on tour from NorCal scheduled to play Friday night, and it worked about well because he was fine with turning this into a benefit concert, and pop-artist Jess Penner drove up from LA to join the cause. Friday I had sent out an email to my coworkers at Paul Mitchell’s corporate office here in Santa Clarita, and I also decided to test the power of Twitter. I sent a tweet to the local newspaper’s account, as well as the local radio station KHTS AM-1220. The newspaper responded by reposting my details on when and where the benefit concert would take place, and the radio station announced the show over the air. Brendie Bandara (whose name I recognized from when I worked at the City Hall) also got involved after I emailed Shannon Hoffmann of Three Angels. Facebook came in handy with some promotion on the fan pages.

Although the money we raised in this small way is just one drop of rain into the sea of needs, it was still encouraging to see it come together. As a Christian I had the opportunity to talk to a few people about this event and the bigger issue of serving in general. It’s worth mentioning to my fellow Christians that if you don’t think you can do something for poor and hurting people, I’m not here to give some cheesy “You can do it!” pitch, but I’ll instead say that God can and will give you the motivation, creativity or whatever it is you need in order to serve others instead of yourself, provided that you honestly ask God for that. If you want to make a difference in the world, you first have to actually have a reason to. And making a difference with giving to Haiti doesn’t have to mean you rebuild the country; it could mean that your generosity leads to a changed perception in your neighbor who previously hated you and your Christian religion, and that’s what they call “planting a seed.” I’ve taken shots at different religions (different faiths in general, including atheism; not the individual people who adhere to them) before, because I believe that once honestly and carefully studied, they cannot explain the world we live in with the depth that Christianity can, not to mention that they don’t have the power to change a life from the inside out as what inevitably happens for true followers of Christ. You can show me a kind buddhist, a polite Mormon, a smiling Catholic or any other nice person, but show me a weak and incapable Christian who, in spite of his or her own admittedly selfish pursuits and desires, chooses, only by the unexplainable strength given by God, to turn their focus in life onto others without need for repayment via money, pleasure, or their reputation, and now you’ve got people around them asking serious questions. And in answer to those curious onlookers, this messenger, knowing their own unworthiness in the face of a holy God, cannot help but be all the more excited about this God whom they serve, not some never-ending religious checklist they’re working on for this God.

One final thought to hammer that last point home. “I wish I was there in Haiti” has been the recurring thought running through my mind as I’ve watched the details unfold on the news over the last few days after this tragic earthquake. There’s not nearly enough help with the overwhelming devastation. While I was thinking about why I wasn’t there, I realized that my mindset has changed over the last few years in the way I’m asking the question. ”Why should I go?” has been replaced with ”Why can’t I go?” to which I do have practical answers that are keeping me where I am now, but it’s interesting to note the shift in thought-process. Here’s what I’m saying: genuine Christianity changes lives from the inside out, and if the effect of that comes out in some small way during my life, then trace it back to the One who caused it.

(Note: thoughts expressed here came from myself and aren’t necessarily shared by the people or companies mentioned. I apologize for not going into the depth I would’ve liked to on each separate issue. There’s always more to be said.)

Another comment I overheard that night, ”I just knew they’d come!” came from a smiling middle-aged man to his friend as we stopped at his street, making our announcement about the free blankets and hot drinks. More highlights: The woman who we gave a baby’s blanket to because a kind young mom from my work had donated it; the man who special-requested a sleeping bag that we were able to provide for after one was generously donated by Matt’s coworker; the enthusiastic responses from three ladies I work with who want to come along next time we go. One lady down the hall mentioned checking if the local Starbuck’s stores would consider each donating one of the large catering containers for us to give out on a cold night. It gets me fired up to see other people coming on board to a beneficial cause. Beneficial not only to the recipients of the gifts, but sometimes much more to the giver. Interesting how that works.

A lot of amazing things happen when you put together something like this and invite people to participate. I’m not one to force my beliefs on others, and I know that can certainly turn into a prideful excuse for not speaking up about an issue when I know I should, but when I exercise the God-given ability and motivation to do something out of the ordinary, I suddenly find that people have genuine questions, to which I have the opportunity and obligation to respond. One of the simplest responses I’ve been able to use in this case is just to explain that the homeless guy on the street, even the drug addict or the prostitute, is a picture of who I am in front of a holy God, who would still be perfectly justified if he had never reached out to help me.

And my response to those who have questions can all go back to the joy and hope that is within me, that no one can take away. One of the exciting points about 1 Peter 3:15, when talking about honoring Jesus Christ by “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you,” is the assumption that people are actually going to ask questions. The most likely way you’re going to have people ask questions is if you’re different, and that had better be in a good way, not some obnoxious, personal preference issue, but I’d rather not go into those specifics here. A quick side note about the Apostle Peter’s charge in 3:15 is to notice that he cautions the believer to “do it with gentleness and respect,” which far too many Christians completely miss. I think it was Tim Chaddick of Reality LA in Hollywood that was suggesting how one of the biggest ways people come to Christianity is by what they saw and wanted in the life of a Christian they knew; ironically that happens to also be the biggest reason people reject Christianity, after observing hypocrisy in the life of someone claiming to be a Christian. And yet of course there is no formula for convincing people to become a Christian, because the Bible repeatedly nails down the truth that God does the work in someone’s heart, even though the believer may have the honor of verbally explaining it as they live out Christianity with their actions. I could say or do all I want, or give the strongest possible intellectual defense for Christianity, and that is beneficial in the right context, but it’s certainly not enough to change someone’s heart. Christians are to go do the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20, but success for the believer, thankfully, does not depend on the audience’s response to the message.  A Christian does what the Bible calls them to do, faithfully living it out as a way of life, then the end result, whatever it may be, is left up to God, who has his reasons in all that he does and allows. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8).

Paul Washer: The Truth About Christianity

Transcript here. YouTube url here.

Quote excerpt:

“I’m talking about Christianity. I have spent my life in jungles. I have spent my life freezing in the Andes Mountains. I have seen people die. A little boy–Andrew Myman–the Muslims shot him five times through the stomach and left him on a sidewalk simply because he cried out, “I am so afraid but I cannot deny Jesus Christ. Please don’t kill me, but I will not deny Him.” And he died in a pool of blood. And you talk about being a radical Christian because you wear a tee shirt, because you go to a conference. I’m talking about holiness. I’m talking about Godliness.” - Paul Washer

At the time of posting, this video from 2006 had 1.3 million views, thankfully with the comments disabled to avoid inevitable, pathetic out of context arguments. This guy’s powerful words just make every wishy-washy TV evangelist’s positive self-esteem-building feel-good mystic fluff look like an ant in front of a thunderstorm. And take note that we can walk away thinking about the message, rather than the messenger. Alright, I need to go evaluate my entire life again.

Here are a few things to check out and get involved with. Instead of a separate write-up for the following book, album, movie, blog, and events, I decided to just toss everything into a quick list. Enjoy!

Book to Read

“Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters” by Timothy Keller. I’ve been challenged by Keller in his writings lately (including “The Reason For God” dealing with skepticism, and I’m looking forward to picking up “The Prodigal God”), but I’m just surprised by how clearly someone can explain the simple truth behind things we’re seeing in our American culture. Pick up the book and give it a chance to change you. If I could suggest reading one new book this year, this would be the one. Last year it was “Crazy Love” from Francis Chan, and I ended up buying a bunch of them as gifts for different friends (Chan actually gave me his classic “No way!” laugh with the eye brows up when I had a chance to thank him and mention the one given to solo artist Andrea Hamilton was passed on to a radio DJ in Japan!). Anyway here’s the one from Tim Keller:  Counterfeit Gods, on Amazon.

Music Album to Hear

“Hello Hurricane,” the new one from Switchfoot, has a fresh sound that is big enough to blow your roof off… or at least unashamedly test the full capacity of your car stereo. The quality of musicianship is apparent, the creativity is intriguing, and the lyrics are solid. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen these guys in concert (actually was on a plane flight with them to Cornerstone Festival), but they’ve come a long way since my high school days (opening for The Supertones on the Loud and Clear Tour with Relient K), and I believe they’ve really matured in ways that challenge their listeners to do the same. One of the recurring themes you may pick up in the album is what I’d call a confession that life’s most serious dilemma is that the problem is inside me, rather than around me. It’s a convicting commentary on man’s state before God using the biblical idea of man’s depravity (Mark 7:21-23, John 3:19, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Titus 3:3, etc) with lyrics like: “I am my own affliction / I am my own disease / There ain´t no drug that they could sell… The sickness is myself” on Mess of Me. Directly relating to the Christian faith, it’s not until you realize how serious the bad news is that you come to seriously appreciate the good news of salvation. And Switchfoot’s album, rightly so, has such a beautiful hope contained within the lyrics: “Come set me free / Down on my knees / I still believe you can / Save me from me” (Free). This is coming from a band that has gathered a considerable following, with their new album currently debuting at #13 on the Billboard Top 200.  Hello Hurricane, from Amazon.

Film to See

No Greater Love. Filmed here in Santa Clarita and being released directly to DVD on January 19th, 2010 from Coram Deo Studios, Lionsgate Studios, Thomas Nelson Publishing, and Carmel Entertainment. I have a friend working with these guys, and the film has received good reviews. Also, I recognized the pastor in the movie, Chris Johnson of Grace Chapel in Lancaster, after hearing him speak at The Master’s College. I’m always skeptical of films that are made by and marketed to Christians for a couple big reasons, but I think as with the music industry, a higher standard of talent is finally starting to come out. Check out the movie trailer online:  www.nogreaterlovethemovie.com

Blog to Bookmark

I met Robby in college. He left the States and moved to India. http://afacelikeflint.blogspot.com

Music Tour to Experience

My buddy Chris is a great guy, an excellent drummer that has inspired me over the years, and been kind enough to show me a few things on the drum kit when we hung out. He was invited to play for the San Diego band Future of Forestry on their Advent Christmas Tour, and I’d say if you can make it to a show near you, you won’t regret it. The guys from FOF are creative and experienced musicians, plus they’ve actually done justice to some old Christmas songs that will sound amazing live. Also as an added bonus, Josiah James will be opening for them on the tour; a nice guy I had the privilege of meeting here in Santa Clarita for a small show at Antioch. I’m planning to catch the tour at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley on December 5th, otherwise the Bakersfield show on the 4th is not far away. More info here with shows in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Nevada: www.myspace.com/futureofforestry

Video Clip to Watch

John Piper on twitter mentioned this clip of the Vietnamese police raiding a house church. And if you have a minute to browse around the Persecution.com website, you’ll find a very different picture of the global church than what we see in comfortable America. But I think that in locations where resistance to true Christianity is normal, we generally find more faithful followers who “count the cost” (Luke 14:25-35). Or as Charles Spurgeon pointed out, “That religion which costs a man nothing is usually worth nothing.” Here’s the video from Persecution.com.

Photograph to Remember

This is a sad one from Three Angels Relief, along with an excerpt from an Amnesty International press release.  http://www.threeangelsrelief.org/child-slavery-in-haiti/

Quote to Dwell On

“Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God: the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger.” – CS Lewis, The Problem of Pain, pg. 200.

Cause to Donate To

Last winter some friends and I took up a collection of blankets, and delivered them to the homeless on Skid Row (downtown Los Angeles). We’re doing it again on December 6th, so if you live nearby and want to contribute, we’ll accept your used or new blankets. I’ll probably pick up a couple cases of water bottles to hand out as well, and maybe even hot chocolate to serve as we did before. Clothes are a little complicated for us to hand out, unless its a warm hat or scarf. One of my coworkers mentioned that she wanted to join us in handing these out, and she actually has an organization called Solemate Collective, which accepts your donated single socks from the sock drawer, pairs them with a mate, and gives them out to someone in need. So if you want to help with the blankets talk to me in person, or contact me through the blog.

Event to Help With

The Children’s Hunger Fund is having a “Holiday Pak Day” on December 5th, where we’re packing and wrapping presents for children in need. If you live near Chatsworth CA, Homewood IL, or San Antonio TX, then they’d love to have you join (sign up required). Link to CHF.

Hope you were able to get SOMETHING out of that list. That’s all for now…

In the Old Testament passage about Daniel’s friends getting thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel chapter 3, check it out in context), I’d like to point out an important detail that we can’t miss, because of how relevant it is to the brand of Christianity that’s popular here in comfortable Southern California. Nebuchadnezzar had set up an image of gold 90 feet tall for all of the officials and leaders to come worship, and he commanded that whoever didn’t worship his image would be immediately tossed into a burning fire. Daniel’s friends from Babylon–Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (renamed to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego which erased from their original names the references to Israel’s true God)–were accused of refusing to serve the king’s gods and the image he set up. That’s the key–that they refused to serve and worship what they were expected to, though everyone else had gone along. These guys knew that it was not possible to simultaneously serve both their God and the current object of worship in their day and time. Notice that the king didn’t stop them from worshiping their own God. That wasn’t the reason they were looked down upon, that wasn’t the reason they stood out. No harm done to them if they merely paid tribute to what was expected of them by their culture…

There’s a great story behind this artwork that I just put up on the wall of my office. It was a collaboration between Barton Damer and Promise Tangeman to help raise money for the Huruma Children’s Home, an orphanage near Nairobi, the capital of Kenya in East Africa. I don’t know these artists personally, but they wanted to do something with their skill to benefit this children’s home with its many needs, so they donated the profits from selling posters and t-shirts. Taking it a step further, they’ve invited other artists to start their own benefit projects, however that looks. Pretty cool, isn’t it? I just love seeing and hearing about Christians who are “doers,” rather than merely “hearers,” as the apostle James warns of in the Bible (James chapter 1, check it out). We can all talk about the poor and the orphans, but what are we going to do about them?