Acts, chapter 2, recounts the dramatic arrival of the Holy Spirit in the midst of Jesus' first followers. I was struck with the idea that the Lord breaks down barriers and builds oneness when He comes. As the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples, they began speaking in the languages of many nations. These were the same languages spoken by Jews who had come from all the countries of the known earth to Jerusalem. But they heard one message: the wonderful and mighty works of God. It was necessary for God to speak many languages so that one message would be clearly heard. The same is true today. God speaks the message of salvation...of peace with Him...of His awesome power in the language each of us can understand, no matter what far land we've come from. Bible translators, today, are making God's word available in thousands of languages to reach the smallest and remotest of people. But the message is the same and as people receive the Lord through that message, the result is the same: there is oneness forged between God and man and there is oneness formed between believers. By the end of Acts, chapter 2, the many new believers have lost their "self-focus" and have become more attuned to the needs of those around them. The "One message" of relationship with the living God has drawn all eyes first to the Lord and then to love those around. I think this is what Peter is referring to in Acts 2:28, when he quotes David from Psalm 16, 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence. There are languages we speak and there are languages of the heart. The Lord speaks every language of man that every man's heart might be touched.
blessings,
Rob Smith
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