“And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? . . . We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.’ So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘Whatever could this mean?’”
ACTS 2:5-12
The Spirit wants to make a connection. On the Day of Pentecost, the tongue of fire on the heads of those in the Upper Room connected with the tongue of flesh in their mouths, and the result was a glorious and powerful prophetic, cross-cultural evangelistic outburst that transformed the believers and changed the world.
APOSTLE JAMES GIVES US SOME VERY POWERFUL INSIGHT about the human tongue, saying that we often curse others and bless God with the same mouth (James 3). But on the Day of Pentecost, as ordinary men and women yielded to God, their tongues became instruments of power and salvation. The tongue of fire on their heads connected with the tongue of flesh in their mouths. The heavenly connected with the earthly, the supernatural with the natural. “ . . . And they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).
Since the Day of Pentecost, God speaks through human voices–as the Holy Spirit gives them UTTERANCE. This was more than inspiration. The first believers were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Speakers FOR God are speaking BY God–with THRUST. It is a door “of UTTERANCE” (Colossians 4:3 KJV). True preaching is SAVING-PREACHING. The Holy Spirit endows preaching with His power to save souls from the devil. “His Word was in my heart like a burning fire . . . ” (Jeremiah 20:9).
WE READ THAT ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, “THEN THERE appeared to them divided tongues as of fire and one sat upon each of them . . . and they began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them UTTERANCE” (Acts 2:3, 4). The Holy Spirit transformed the prayers, praises and preaching of the disciples with vibrancy. The praises of the disciples, filled with wonder, passion and power, cut across ethnic and racial boundaries (Acts 2:5-12). Religious people, whose form of worship was cold and liturgical, experienced for the first time a new wave of Holy Spirit-invigorated worship and praise. Peter preached with unprecedented boldness and conviction, and 3,000 people were saved and added to the Church that day.
God’s heart has been and always will be for the nations–for all peoples. He does not desire that any should perish but that all will come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Peter 3:9). The Holy Spirit wants to empower you to impact the nations: peoples from every tribe, race and culture. Work for God wherever you are, but pray for a global harvest. Don’t be afraid to cross cultural and geographical boundaries.
WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT FELL AT PENTECOST, THE JEWISH disciples did not speak in Hebrew but in the languages of people from many distant countries (Acts 2:8-12), displaying the ethnic interest of God’s Spirit and erasing any doubt of His love and hope for all peoples. Pentecost fulfilled God’s promise through Joel, that in the last days He would pour out His Spirit on everyone (Joel 2:28- 32). God desires to release His Spirit on all people. This is consistent with the Gospel, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). It makes sense that a God who gave His Son for all would give His Spirit to all. He gave His Son for our salvation and His Spirit for our empowerment.