72 Niagara Falls, Slowly I Turn! While Sittin’ on a Park Bench

“All who believed were together and held everything in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need. Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, praising God and having the good will of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved.”  Acts 2:44-47 (NET)

I’ve been to a many so-called international festivals in my area of the world. We have the Irishfest in Smithville, the Greek Festival in Egg Harbor Township and I have attended the “We Just Live Here, Shoobies Are Welcome” local festivals around my home. But I never attended one that actually featured various people from another country when that country just happens to be right across the river. The night that Nik Wallenda crossed the Horseshoe Falls from the American side to the Canadian side was a night of much fanfare and there just happened to be an Indian Festival going on in the town of Niagara Falls. Oh, count it all a joy!!!

Traffic was wacked; parking was just as wacked (I actually thought it was like going to Eagles/Phillies game) and once inside the Niagara State Park wacked hit a new level of wacked. From the moment on I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore or at the very most South Jersey. People began to approach me and want to strike up conversation. There was a dad with his daughter giving me the lowdown on the park, there were two young ladies who had the scent of Upstate New York’s vineyards (my wife broke that one up real quick…thank you Kathy, it was getting scary) and there is always someone who wants you to take a picture for them. But then there was this guy named Zorelle.

Zorelle was passing out tracks during the Wallenda event. The tracks were newspaper-like and had the title “The Twelve Tribes” on it. I didn’t get mine from him but after the tightrope event was done I found a park bench to sit on and while waiting for the family to re-gather I began to read the newspaper. That’s when Zorelle approached me. Once it was established that we believed in the very same Jesus Christ that died for the sins of you and me we talked intensely about the state of the church in America today. “Jesus never intended His church to burden with stuff” Zorelle commented and I agreed.

“Think about it” Zorelle continued. “We make sure we have our stuff in our pockets, our wives have their pocketbooks with their stuff in it, our smartphones are clipped onto our belts and THEN we grab our Bibles before we head out to be in God’s House. We hear and see people in need of daily provision but before we give to the needy we make sure our storehouses are stocked up before we even give a glass of water to anyone. We break out the calculator to insure that we give our ten percent tithe; we do quick subtraction on the street before we hand out any money and we only give away our coat/tunic after we’ve gone and purchased another one. As Christians in America we have more than we need and yet we are becoming slaves to our stuff.” then as quickly as he showed up was as quickly Zorelle made his departure.

“Daddy, what is about you that make people come up to you and just start talking?” my daughter asked. “Ain’t too sure about that, little girl, but that dude was intense” I replied. I looked around the observation deck I couldn’t help to notice the glow of smartphones all around while the sound of one God’s greatest creations roared in the background. “I came here to see the Falls” I thought to myself and “ Zorelle struck a chord with me.” There is something to be said about the state of our church here in America and maybe we are burdening ourselves with too much stuff. Why not take a moment amongst the congregation during what our Pastor’s call our “mediation time before we come into His presence” and see if you are noticing the strange glow of smartphones. If you do…well then ‘nough said, huh? – Chris Hughes is a grad of the Colony of Mercy and blogs regularly on Freedom Fighter

Team YOU: Job 8-10; Proverbs 27; Acts 8:26-40

Motivations: : “What equipment do you need to serve the Lord brother? Why, the dear old camp meeting ladies used to say, “See this is my harp with ten strings and I praise the Lord!” And they’d clap their little old wrinkled hands with shining faces. What claptrap do you need? Do you need a bushel basket full of stuff to serve the Lord with?”—A.W. Tozer

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Philippians 1:29; Level 2: Philippians 1:27-30

Powered Up:  Prayer is not a method for us to change God’s mind, it is through time and persistence in prayer that God begins to change our mind and perspective to match what He had all along.