Christ Church Daily Devotion May 19 2024

On May 19th, 2024, the Daily Devotion discusses the story of Pentecost from Acts chapter 2. It describes how the Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Jesus, enabling them to speak in different languages. The event took place in Jerusalem during a Jewish festival, attracting people from various nations. The writer emphasizes the importance of sharing the message of God in a way that people can understand, suggesting that we should learn others' languages to effectively communicate the good news of Jesus Christ. Welcome to Christchurch's Daily Devotion for May 19th, 2024. Today we will be reading from Acts chapter 2, verses 1 through 8. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them. Now they were staying in Jerusalem, God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked, aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? As Jesus was about to ascend back to heaven, he told his followers to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came to empower them for their mission. They were doing just that when the day of Pentecost arrived. It was one of the annual Jewish festivals, which naturally brought people from many places to the city to celebrate. Then it happened. It was one of the scenes and experiences that is hard to describe. The writer uses images commonly used in the Old Testament scriptures to describe the presence of God, specifically wind and fire. Each of them were speaking in other languages, and the people outside were amazed that they could hear their language being spoken. They were hearing God's message in a way they could understand. That continues to be the mission and challenge of the people of Christ, to share His good news in ways that people can understand. Too often we just use our own language, words and ways of sharing His message with which we are familiar. But to be a good missionary in any setting, including our own family or neighborhood, we will best communicate with someone when we take the time to get to know them so that we can speak their language. Your personal worship option today. Whose language do you need to learn so that you can help them hear the good news of Jesus Christ?