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Tongues of Fire on a Church That Wants to Stay Monolingual
We find this in Acts 2:2-4: And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
God knows the importance of connecting with others as was demonstrated by this awesome event in Jerusalem during a celebration where people from all around the world were gathered. God sent the Holy Spirit to move among those gathered there to hear of the awesomeness of God and each in their own language. First, in the Upper Room where the disciples were hiding out in fear, then to the streets where they could not help but take this awesome message of God. The entire passage shows some of the nations represented that day on those streets, and the miracle was that of helping all to connect, in their own language with the love of God.
What will the scene be like this Sunday? A fired-up preacher will preach on Pentecost to a crowd that has driven quietly in to "worship," and will leave quietly, undisturbed, that the lesson has been on taking God's love to the streets in whatever language or ways it takes to reach everyone. And we wonder why our church is dying. We are the Church of the Most High, Most Powerful, the One,True Living God, and yet we forget that and live a life that says we do not care.
PRAYER: Lord, we humble ourselves before You to ask forgiveness for the way we have lived since that Day of Pentecost. Set our hearts afire with Your Holy Spirit, to go into the streets and share Your love and message in ways that all can understand and receive. This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
