'And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.' (Acts 2:4)
To those who still read this blog - happy 2015!
I've already written about prophecy, now I want to talk about why we can be thankful for the gift of tongues.
After the Flood, man built the tower of Babel - and God made them talk in different languages, breaking them apart. To stop them glorifying themselves.
At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came - and the disciples spoke in different languages, bringing 300 people together into the first church, that God would be glorified.
What an incredible reversal!
Not everyone is blessed with tongues. Not everyone agrees on them, but for those who do - isn't it an amazing gift?
The person baptised with the Holy Spirit can suddenly speak in a language they don't know, that they've never learnt - and often, someone who might not know the language either, can be given the gift of interpretation.
Tongues reminds us God still actively works. The gift reminds us that we are not meant to be excluded and alone. We can't be a Christian alone, or a church cut off from the world. We are one body. And tongues reminds us we need unity.
And one day, a great multitude 'from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues' shall stand before the throne and worship the One True King. English, Spanish, Chinese, African...you name it, you shall hear that language in heaven, I don't doubt.
Who knows? Maybe we can spend some of eternity learning them.
Thank you God for the gift of tongues.
No comments:
Post a Comment