What is this Christmas about for you?  If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably the kind of person that has already heard that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Like a thousand times.  Right?  Sounds cliche…but it’s true.  But you already know that, don’t you?  The problem isn’t that you don’t already know the truth, it’s that for most of us, our actions and lives don’t match up with what we know is true.  Alas…it is EASY to be deceived.  We get mis-directed every day…especially at Christmas time.

So what’s your mission this Christmas?

Will you focus on and celebrate the truth?

Or will you buy the lies?

Chances are, your family has already developed a focus for this season.  Want to know what that focus is?  Just ask yourself these two questions…  

1. How are you spending your time?
2. How do you spending your money?

The answer to those two questions determine not only what you value, but the current mission statement for your life this Christmas season.

Don’t buy the lies. Don’t be deceived. Re-discover the truth. And once you do, allow it to challenge you to a point of discomfort.  We’re probably all a little too comfortable, no matter how things seem.

Video| Advent Conspiracy :: Enter the Story :: 2011

Christmas isn’t Christmas without getting involved in the life of someone less fortunate.  There are hundreds of ways to get involved.  Here’s one of my favorites, that has lasting impact in ways that go far beyond what we can see, smell, taste, touch, or hear:  Sponsor a child through Food for the Hungry. Click here to get involved. It’ll change a child’s life. That’s pretty awesome. But it’ll also change your’s in the process.  Funny how that works, isn’t it?

[Can't see the embedded video? Click here to watch it.]

TOUR DATES
12/1/11 –  Owasso, OK
12/2/11 – Huffman, TX
12/3/11 – Rockwall, TX
12/4/11 – Needville, TX
12/7/11 – Rainsville, AL
12/8/11 – Barnwell, SC
12/9/11 – Bel Air, MD
12/10/11 – Essex Fells, NJ
12/11/11 – Waynesboro, PA
12/14/11 – Midland, MI
12/15/11 – Ludington, MI
12/16/11 – Muskegon, MI
12/17/11 – LeRoy, MN
12/18/11 – Waukee, IA
12/19/11 – Marshall, MO

Be sure to check out the Tour Schedule for tickets and more information!

At the beginning of November we found ourselves back on tour in Egypt. Like last year, we performed at an international arts festival in Beit El-Wadi, Egypt, just outside of Cairo.  Over 30,000 people of all ages and religious backgrounds fought their way into the 3-day event, not to mention the hundreds of thousands around the Middle East that could catch the event via television.  It was the biggest year yet for the 4-year-old festival and our shows alone saw over 6,500 people a day.  Thousands not only heard about Jesus, but gave their lives over to Him.

After the festival, several of the performers packed themselves and their gear into a small van and trekked 10 hours South to Upper Egypt. (For those who don’t know, it’s called that because the mighty Nile River actually flows North towards the Mediterranean Sea)  For the first time in the history of Assiut, the people got to experience the festival that they had watched on television live. Some 9,000 people packed into a 6,000 person venue vying for a glimpse of the table that could float. (Word travels quickly!) The response was beyond what anyone could have predicted, and despite our exhaustion, we watched hundreds ignore the prayer calls of Islam for the Biblical words of the God that created them. Watching that take place brought me to my knees in awe of God’s relentless love and beckoning to our souls.

On our last day, we drove back up to Cairo and went into the heart of Old Cairo to Cave Church.  Cave Church is the Coptic church’s epicenter for worship in Cairo. It sits in the middle of Garbage City where hundreds of thousands of people sort through trash, and there is a 12,000 seat amphitheater carved into the side of the mountain.  Dozens of Bible stories are carved into the side of the mountain alongside the amphitheater as a witness to the people who can see it. For the first time, the Coptic church got alongside the Evangelical church to tell people about Jesus. Not only that, but my husband and I were the first people ever in the history of the church to perform on the stage of the church. One Egyptian translator kept reminding us that we were, “a part of changing the future of Egypt”, that day.  “It’s Egypt’s day” was echoed by every Christian there.  Over 15,000 people flooded into the event, and 12,000 of them were a part of the two shows that we performed. Insanity doesn’t even describe what we experienced standing on that stage.

As I sat on the plane back to the States, I was hit with the overwhelming understanding of what has been taking place in Egypt and the magnitude of what we were a part of during our time. “Today is Egypt’s day.” The people are longing for something, anything, that can give them peace, and they are discovering that Jesus is that thing. To be a part of something that can reach literally hundreds of thousands in a matter of days brings perspective of God’s majesty. Seeing not only thousands stand at the feet of God for the first time, but hear about Him for the first time and to know that you had the opportunity to share it with them is beyond humbling. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the people of Egypt.

Note from Harris:

Do you believe in our ministry, and how God is using it in places like Asia, Africa, and throughout the Middle East?  If so, you’re among the few.  What we do is a little outside the box, and isn’t always embraced by everyone.  If you feel led to support this kind of missions work around the world, please consider partnering with us financially!  A lot of resources are sacrificed in order to make this kind of ministry a reality, and a constant need of additional funding exists.  You can support our international missions work by making a tax-deductible donation.  All of our time is donated for these trips and times of ministry, and we do not profit at all, so your support is needed and appreciated!  Simply mail your donation to:

Ministry Arts for Global Impact
PO Box 3547
Brentwood, TN 37024

Thank you!!

P.S. A highlight video of our trip is coming soon! Stay tuned! (Click here to watch our mini-documentary about our trip to Thailand in 2009.)

“Where can I get a copy of your show?”
“Why don’t you have a DVD?”
“Did someone record this? I REALLY wish my friend could have been here to experience it!”

Well, it’s finally happening.  I’ve purposefully waited for well over a decade, because I wanted to make sure the timing was perfect and that it could end up being everything I dreamed it could be.  But yes, I’m finally releasing a live show on dvd.  And trust me, it’s going to be absolutely amazing!

It’s going to be so much more than just a live show.  We’ve been filming for the past few months all over the place, including places like England and Scotland.  We took a trip to the U.K. a few months ago just to work on a section of this project.  We’re investing in it that much!  Why?  I truly believe it’s going to be an incredible resource for others, and has the potential to change lives.  And when a project has that kind of potential, why wouldn’t you give it everything you’ve got?

This is an amazing opportunity for you to be a huge part of this project!  On October 23rd, we’ll be filming a live show at the beautiful Paramount Theater in Anderson, IN!  It’s in the Indianapolis area, right outside of the city.  Not only would I love to see you there, we need to ensure that we have an absolutely PACKED house that night!  If you just can’t make it, the chances are, you know someone who lives in the area.

In fact, why not take a moment right now to send them information about the show and help us spread the word?  You don’t want them to find out about it after it’s over, see it later on TV or dvd, then discover that you knew about it all along, do you?  No need for anyone to regret not being there…let’s all spread the word and pack this place out.  It’s a unique opportunity for everyone to be involved in something that has the potential to be really, really special.

Plus, I’ll be risking my life that night attempting something for the first time that has never been attempted before.  Even Houdini himself refused to try it.  But I will…and I want you to be there to experience it being attempted for the first time. You can be a part of history!  Trust me, you do not want to miss this show!

Details are on the poster/image above, and you can CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT.  Once you have it reserved, you get the whole seat…but you’ll only need the edge!  ;-)

Meet my friend, Isaac. He’s one of our members on illusionism.TV.  He talks about his Twitter profile, experience with Apple and AT&T, and plenty about his love for video games.  If you’ve ever wondered what it might look like for a performing artist, (me), to get upstaged and outperformed during an interview by a 9 year old kid, this is what it looks like.  Enjoy this 5 minutes of non-stop entertainment:  

[Note: Facebook users, please click here to watch the video. Facebook does not embed videos when automatically importing these posts from my blog.]

Love it! That was a blast…now, where can I find some more kids?

Be sure to follow Isaac on Twitter. He’s pretty smart, and might teach you something. Plus, you never know what kind of amazing things he’s going to end up doing.  Then you can say, “I knew him when he was just a kid.”

Got a kid I should interview? Please, let me know…I’d love to.

[Note: Facebook Note readers click here to watch the video. Facebook does not embed videos when automatically importing these posts from my blog.]

Be sure to stop by the student-filmmaker’s channel on YouTube and congratulate him on a job well done!

QUESTION: Did this film provoke any thoughts for you? If so, what were they?  Was there something you could relate to? Would love to hear your thoughts and comments!

]]> http://www.harrisiii.com/illusion/out-of-a-forest/feed/ 2 http://www.harrisiii.com/observations/im-finally-rich/ http://www.harrisiii.com/observations/im-finally-rich/#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:49:47 +0000 Harris III http://www.harrisiii.com/?p=1551

In my last post, I told you how much I loved Inception, and how I believe that real “inception” actually happens every day.

Last night, my wife and I enjoyed another incredible film, Book of Eli.  I didn’t get to enjoy it on a massive digitally projected screen or with state of the art surround sound, but I still liked it.  Not only did I like it, I found it convicting.

There’s a scene in the movie where Denzel Washington’s character gets asked about the “old world”, which in case you haven’t seen the film, would be in reference to the current world that you and I live in today.  His response was simple, yet profound:  

“People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious and what wasn’t.  We threw away things people kill each other over now.”

Do you have more than you need?  Do you know what is precious, and what isn’t?  Chances are pretty good that you throw away things that people kill each other over in other parts of the world.  How do you feel about that?

If you’re like me, the natural tendency is to think, “Have more than I need?  Ha!  I’m barely getting by!!”  Well, turns out I’m filthy rich.  And…

And so are you.  Want to see how rich YOU are?   Find out now. ——>  Global Rich List

QUESTION: Maybe it’s hard for you to imagine a world in which people fight and kill over things that you throw away.  But what if it were true?  And better yet, what if you could see it coming, and could do something about it before the fighting and killing began?  What would you do about it, and how might you live differently?  Best of all, what would you do RIGHT NOW?

The film Inception? Incredible. Loved it! One of the best movies I’ve ever seen, and one of my favorites of all time. BUT…

What if I told you that “inception” actually happens? To you? Every. Single. Day.  

It’s every where you look, and a steady stream of ideas are being planted in your brain daily. The dangerous part?  You don’t realize it, because you take these ideas in subconsciously.  And when you act on those ideas, you don’t really take the time to stop and think, “Hmmm…I bet I did that because I heard that ad on the radio, or saw that commercial on TV.”

Here’s an obvious example.  There are plenty more where this came from, and they aren’t anywhere near as noticeable…

[Note: Facebook Note readers click here to watch the video. Facebook does not embed videos when automatically importing these posts from my blog.]

Laugh if you want. You may think I’m crazy, but that’s exactly what makes it so easy for you to be cleverly tricked and deceived.  If you let your guard down, it makes planting ideas in your brain that much easier.

And you thought “Inception” was just a fun movie?

Harry Houdini, one of the world’s most famous magicians and escape artists was certainly an expert in the art of deception.  This expertise gave him very valuable perspective, including the following words:  

“What the eye sees, the ear hears, the mind believes.”
-Harry Houdini

I wish it weren’t true, but unfortunately, Houdini was spot on.

Back in 2001, I was part of a tour in Southeast Asia. In Sri Lanka, an illusion was featured in the show where a table levitated. Turns out, the people there had seen that “trick” performed before, just down the street.  But not by a magician or illusionist, but by a Buddhist Extremist “Spiritual Leader.”  He made the exact same looking table levitate, using the exact same method and months of practice we did as “magicians.”  Only he claimed the table was able to levitate because of “spirits manifesting their presence.”

He was lying.

And the people in Sri Lanka believed him.

Why?

They saw it with their own eyes.  They heard about it with their own ears.  They couldn’t explain it.  Therefore, it must be real…RIGHT?

Unfortunately, it’s easy to be deceived. What you see and hear and feel is not always real.  Your senses get tricked, and end up telling your mind what do believe.  If we began to understand this principle, oh the truth we could discover, and more importantly, live out.

If only Houdini had been wrong…

Question: What kind of decisions have you made, just because you saw something, or heard something, and therefore just assumed it to be real or true?

]]> http://www.harrisiii.com/deception/if-only-houdini-had-been-wrong/feed/ 2 http://www.harrisiii.com/tour/the-gift/ http://www.harrisiii.com/tour/the-gift/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:11:50 +0000 Harris III http://www.harrisiii.com/?p=1480 If you are…

1. Looking for a great way to entertain and show appreciation to your staff and volunteers this upcoming Christmas season, or…

2. Looking to do something different than the same-old, same-old, holiday-themed Christmas outreaches for your community…

We just created the perfect solution:  The Gift.  It’s the same show that Andy Stanley’s team at North Point Community Church invited us to do for their team, (two nights in a row, because their team is so big), back in 2008.  I was in Thailand all last December, so I’ve waited almost two years to offer this show to you! Check out this short video about our 2010 Christmas Tour:

[Harris, III :: The Gift]

Only 10 dates are available, (unfortunately, Christmas doesn’t last forever), and these dates won’t be available long!  Now is the time to get in touch for more information.