Main Title : What Language Do You Speak?

By Pastor Michael Magbag
Courtesy Of Pastor Dennis Heppner

Scripture:

Genesis 11:1-9
New International Version (NIV)

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b] and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel[c]—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

I speak 4 languages with varying degrees of fluency. My English is quite good. I still remember some German, which was my first language. I have learned some Tagalog, and a since I’m Canadian, where bilingualism is compulsory, I also know some French. 

Filipinos are known world-wide for being fluent in Filipino, English, and then their provincial dialect. You may speak English, Tagalog, Cebuano, Bisaya, Ilocano, Ilonggo, or some other dialect. That’s awesome! Language is how we communicate thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Each dialect has its own accents, idioms, and facial or cultural expressions that help identify where we have been or where we live.

Did you know that Christians also have a language?

Words like “getting into the Word", "the power of the Holy Spirit", "entering God’s presence", "rejoicing in the Lord", "edifying the body”, “impartation”, “revival", “slain in the Spirit”...are unique words of charismatic Christians. These words identify that we hang around Christians who speak our language.

What does your language say about what you believe? If someone listened to your words, would they be impressed by your fluency, your accent, your vocabulary... or your faith?

Faith has a language. Faith IS a language! 

Faith speaks what God says. Faith believes God no matter what it sees. Faith talks the talk. (It also walks the walk!)

Faith comes out of your mouth. You speak faith because you have faith.  “I can” words are Faith words. “God can, and will!” are faith words. The opposite would be doubt, fear and unbelief; “I can’t…” “God probably can’t, or won’t…"

What language do you speak? When people listen to your words, which language will they hear?

Is it the language of faith or the language of fear? 

Maybe it’s time to learn a new language. TALK THE TALK OF FAITH!