Communicating in Truth

Spectrum Website
#1

The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips.

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:23-24

An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire.

A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends. Proverbs 16:27-28

Earlier this year I was reading the book of Esther and focused on all the “little” people — those who make the wheels of government and society move. For the most part, these individuals had internal integrity, doing their jobs honestly and reliably. There were the seven servants sent to bring Vashti to the banquet; the seven counselors who advised the king about Vashti; Hegai, custodian of the virgins, who gave seven attending maids to Esther; Shaashgaz, the keeper of the concubines; all the people who prepared the banquet for Esther’s coronation; all the king’s servants at the gate who advised Mordecai; the friends and wife of Haman, who gave him bad advice; and Hathach, an eunuch appointed by the king for Esther’s personal messages.

There are others, but I was struck by Hathach who obviously was able to keep private communication between Esther and Mordecai from becoming public. In Romans 1:29-32, there is a list of gross sins that are practiced by the unrighteous. Right in the middle of the list are: deceit, evil-mindedness, whisperers, backbiters, boasters, and inventors of evil things. Obviously, there will be no gossips in heaven, for this was how Lucifer was able to divide and deceive the angels to begin with! Maybe through Esther’s and Mordecai’s godly example, Hathach will be in heaven. But as an example of corrupt communication being repaired in the future; if David, Uriah, Bathsheba, and Solomon all arrive in heaven, they will be able to demonstrate characteristics of gracious reconciliation and become good friends again for eternity!

As we interact with each other day by day, may we only communicate truth and the information necessary to further the work of God on this earth.

Dennis Hollingsead works in the Office of Development at Andrews University. This devotional was previously published in the Pioneer Memorial Church Bulletin on November 24, 2012. It has been reprinted here with permission from the author.

Photo credit: Andrei Ghergar / FreeImages.com

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This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at http://spectrummagazine.org/node/7848
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#2

I’m sort of curious. Why was this piece posted at this time? A particular motive?

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#3

Jesus was asked–"What is Truth? And Truth was standing right before him and he knew it. Even in the first century, Paul and John had o fight falsehood–on one hand the Jews and the other the gnostics. Truth has always been on the scaffold. Now the issue is headship and final generation theology. The male ego is a frightful barrier to Truth in high places. TZ

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#4

Wrong focus. Lucifer’s scheming would have failed if responsible citizens of heaven had blown the whistle on him!

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#8

Perhaps “self-exhaltation” as was evidenced in the cited disingenuous off-putting.

Lord, have mercy.

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#10

As long as “the work of God” is conflated with the interests of the institutional SDA church, such sentiments will continue, world without end (pun intended), to shame, silence and control people who are concerned with the welfare of actual people, rather than some idealized, undefinable “work of God.”

As such, I think the phrase constitutes what Robert Lifton named a “thought-terminating cliché.” and "becomes the start and finish of any ideological analysis."
Link

Who would dare come out against furthering the work of God?

Who would dare come out in favor of gossip, or…Lucifer?

Is Spectrum trying to tell us that it isn’t telling us certain things that wouldn’t “further the work of God on this earth?” I’m not saying it is, but it strikes me as an unusual article, given the timing, as Allen pointed out.

And someone in the Lounge recently said there is a big issue that isn’t being reported by Spectrum or aToday.

The title, Communicating in Truth, has that odd flavor, to me, also.

Truth. Another Adventist code word. Link

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#11

Yes, someone did. Inquiring minds want to know. :relaxed:

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