“Declacre The Wonders Of God In Your Mother-Tongue!”

“Declare The Wonders Of God In Your Mother-Tongue!”
Today is another Pentecost Sunday on which we commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and possibly those who made up the about one hundred and twenty believers. Before Jesus ascended into heaven he asked the apostles not to leave Jerusalem until they received the promised Holy Spirit .
The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost was God demonstrating how he continues to fill the old with new meaning so that anyone who is in Christ becomes a new creation.
Pentecost was a Jewish feast day celebrated on the fiftieth day after the Paasover feast. It was also called the Feast of Weeks (Dt.16:10), Feast of Harvest (Ex.23:16) and the day of first fruits (Num.28:26). Just as the Passover feast was filled with new meaning to celebrate the risen Lord, so too was Pentecost day filled with new meaning to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and by extension to us.
When the Holy Spirit descended on them, “they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Jews who were there “from every nation” were bewildered “because each one heard them speaking in his own language.”
Again we see God making old things to become new, restoring the unity of people through a common language as it was before the confusion of languages at Babel which was caused by the arrogance of humanity.
Today the gospel has reached peoples of every culture through Bible translation. First God translated the Word (Jesus Christ) from heaven into human flesh so that the translations into other mother-tongues should follow the same trend. Hearing the word of God in your own language has a profound impact and gives fresh understanding of the Word.
On Pentecost day the Holy Spirit initiated these translation project so that people of all languages can say, “we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues.”
And what are these wonders of God? Jesus told the apostles: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses…”
That is why while some were amazed and some took them for drunkards, “Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd, declaring the wonders of God concerning the outpouring of his Holy “Spirit on all people” so that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” just as prophet Joel had prophesied (Acts 2:1-21).
My friend, the promised Holy Spirit has been poured out on all of us, filling the old with new content. The Holy Spirit descending on Pentecost has restored the unity of languages that were confused at Babel. This motivates us to encourage the translation of God’s word into other mother tongues so that the people can hear the wonders of God in their own tongues. And when they hear they can call on the name of the Lord and be saved. We should not take lightly any Bible translation project because the Holy Spirit wants every tongue to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! Meanwhile celebrate the Holy Spirit who has come to lead you into all truths!
Pentecost prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for empowering us through the Holy Spirit so that we can declare the wonders of God; thus enabling us to call on the name of the Lord and be saved. Amen!
Happy Pentecost and have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!