Who Were You Expecting?
by Harry Banks, September 12, 2015: My mother in-law was hospitalized and my wife left Alaska to be with her family. The situation provided an opportunity for her and her young granddaughter to spend some time together. On their first trip to the hospital cafeteria, her granddaughter sat down at the table and said, “You know, Grandma, you are not quite what I expected.”
This past year or so, as I have been listening and relistening to the words of John 17 I’ve been trying to comprehend at a personal level what Jesus meant… KJV says, “I have manifested thy name…” in verse 6. NIV says, “I have revealed you.”
Did you ever wonder what pictures were in His mind when He uttered those words? Was He thinking of trashing the temple tables? Forgiving the paralytic? Announcing His Beatitudes? What was the essence of His meaning?
Obviously, for the people of His day, He was not quite what they expected.
When I observe the topics which seem to have the most interaction here in AToday, or on other sites, or I read the position papers… I sometimes wonder just whom we are expecting for this second advent.
Are we expecting the prophecy prover? The corrector of social inequalities? The validator of ordination?
Do you ever wonder what the people who say, “Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him” are expecting?
And what is that “Depart from me, I never knew you” stuff all about…? Sounds like somebody is going to be saying, “You are not quite what I expected.”
Lately I’ve struggled with how infrequently we hold our words and actions up against passages like 1 Corinthians 13 and the fruits of the Spirit of Galatians. What if Paul is actually right? All the words, prophecies, and other stuff really don’t count for much. Is that the God I’m waiting for? Based on my impatience with other’s spiritual journeys I’d have to say I’m not sure that’s the kind of God I’m expecting.
Longsuffering, gentle, Hmm… Not so much…
I recently had occasion to visit with some believers who are engaged in a church plant mission with a messianic focus. They casually mentioned that they expected to be deeply, personally engaged with their friends for eight years or more before those friends might have the trust and courage to declare for Christ.
And when that declaration for Christ comes, the new believers will experience total repudiation from family and friends. They have to know their Christian friends love them deeply. They have to see the love of Christ in their lives in a very real and tangible way.
Remember the New Testament… there was a lot of that total life change going on for those people.
Books with titles such as A Gathering of Strangers or Unchristian seem to accurately describe many congregational experiences, but what kind of God do you think those strangers are expecting? Am I one of those strangers?
Last Sabbath my friend died while driving home from collecting some of the fresh Alaskan mountain water that is piped out of the rocks along a scenic drive along Turnagain Arm. He slumped over the steering wheel. His wife was able to control the car and bring it to a stop.
When the Advent arrives for him and us, I wonder if we will be wondering, “But who were we expecting?” or if there will be resonating recognition.
So how much of I Corinthians 13 or Galatians 5 was in that “manifest” of John 17? Hmmm… And that person knocking at the door in Revelation 3… Would I actually recognize Him as someone I would want to hang out with? What does it actually mean to follow Christ’s admonition “Abide in Me?
What is the “Beauty of Holiness,” the “Joy of Salvation” supposed to really look like? Feel like? Behave like?
When we went to San Antonio in July who were we expecting for the Advent? In the day of final questions, will there be recognition? Or will we be asked, “And just whom were you expecting?” It sure would be nice to find ourselves in the midst of the most loving friends we have ever known. Who love us enough we can feel safe in risking everything. Rumor has it that the God of that Advent is just that sort of being.
“when that declaration for Christ comes, the new believers will experience total repudiation from family and friends.”
That may have been true years ago, and still in certain areas, but where I live, there is much greater acceptance of different religions, even LBGT and same sex marriage, all major societal changes in the last very few years. The American public has more readily accepted radical changes in the past few years than in the entire history of this nation. Who would have imagined that same sex marriage would have more than 50% acceptance a few years ago? That many women would be CEO’s of some of this nation’s largest corporations?
In the integrated schools today, from K-12 through college, there are students from all nationalities, language, belief, and except for isolated incidences, they mingle well. The prejudices that surface are often based on the extreme elements always found in a few angry, racist, bigoted individuals.
Religious belief is no different. As Adventists, it has always been part of its history that Catholic persecution would be directed at them over Sabbath. Today, it is very difficult to imagine that sufficient numbers of the U.S. population. more and more becoming non-religious, would combine the Protestants and Catholics to persecute a very small group who observe the seventh day. Blue laws were popular when EGW wrote these prophecies, today, there are only small isolate towns who may still have such laws on the books,…
Whoever we are expecting
… will be dissolved by the One who actually arrives. So we must all be prepare to be surprised. It’s not the theology that unites us, it’s the Mystery.
Who am I expecting? What are my expectations of God at this point in my life?
Harry, your essay made me think about my expectations of God throughout my life and how they have changed.
There was a point in my life where I expected a stern judge, another time when I expected an accountant type being. (not that there’s anything bad about accountants!)
Lately I’ve come to accept the concept of meeting an old friend who knows me very well and still likes me.
The idea of meeting my expectations? I can’t begin to comprehend that as I think God will and does exceed ALL of my expectations. Can I truly live like that? Can I be grateful for every moment that I have with my family, knowing that each moment is a gift, something that I don’t deserve? Can I live grateful for every small gift that God gives?
Can I live without expecting God to give the gifts I think He should give?
I ponder this thought throughout my next days. Then I see it. I see it in a passage that I have read so many times that I now tend to skim.
“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:3-6)
WOW!
Sam,
You asked, “Can I live without expecting God to give the gifts I think He should give?” That exactly describes the frustrated spiritual condition of many, as it did me for a time until I discovered that the gifts He had already given me were far better than what I wanted. Discovering the difference required me to give-up trying to be in-charge of my salvation instead letting God be in control exactly as He should be. It also relieved me of the illusion that I was responsible for correcting the errors I saw in others and He replaced that with the privilege of nurturing others so we can grow together in God’s love.
Well stated, William!:
“Discovering the difference required me to give-up trying to be in-charge of my salvation instead letting God be in control exactly as He should be. It also relieved me of the illusion that I was responsible for correcting the errors I saw in others and He replaced that with the privilege of nurturing others so we can grow together in God’s love.”
This is exactly what I needed to read, thank you for your ministry and patience in this blogging ministry. I admire your “tender touch” yet loyal and consistent counsel with your responses to other’s comments.
Proverbs 9:7-9
”Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.” (NLT)
Thank you!
Proverbs 9:
7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
Are you scorners or wicked then? You are definitely none the wiser.
Thank you for reminding me of that verse. I need to consider that wisdom.
I can’t stop celebrating the wonderful works of God that I see Him doing and, most of all, where He allows me to be His hands. Praising God contrasts with disbelief as we have been seeing here. But if God could change Saul, then there is hope for those disputers that continual encounters with the power of God will one day break through their resistance and turn them into empowered servants.
But there’s nothing like a video to illustrate my ministry. At Gulf States Campmeeting, I was invited to teach a class on gift-based ministry and during the week we worked on a couple projects in the area helping people. This link should take you to the video they shot one morning. https://www.facebook.com/GSCofSDA?fref=nf. Scroll down to May 31 and you should find it. We were doing long-overdue repairs to the roof structure over her concrete porch. What you don’t see because it happened two days later was the railing we built across one end so she wouldn’t fall off. It cost her nothing because people gave what we needed to pay for the materials and people gave their labor. I wish you could have seen the smiles on their faces from the blessing they received from helping.
I would have liked to watch William; but I am unable to use facebook.
We all have the calling to individual ministries to relieve needs; but I am obligated to 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,”
I see many non-Christians out there in the community working hand in hand with us also (actually a good place to minister the WORD). Many times, if someone is pushy, they will ask if they need to be a Christian to help. I will ask you; are you helping because you are a Christian?
Now take and multiply your situations by magnitudes. Most of the Counties I deal with have $4,000 a year individual incomes. Many of the older folks worked for companies that declared bankruptcy; reducing or removing their retirements. Many of them make less than $1,000 a month and their monthly medicine takes most of that. They can’t afford a house. You do not even see the “real” world. But HE always makes a way. The Churches, all denominations, all pull together seamlessly as a Body; as we fight to salvage a failing Church.
We know what LOVE is. My God is LOVE. 1Cor.2:9 Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, the things God hath prepared for them that love HIM. Gal.5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Gal. 5:22-23 But the fruit of the SPIRIT is LOVE,JOY, PEACE, LONG SUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE: against such there is no law.
25: If we live in the SPIRIT, let us also walk in the SPIRIT. WHO AM i expecting?? THE CHRIST, who paid my ransom, because of HIS LOVE.
Harry,
Once again, I have been touched by the insightful way you ask pointed spiritual questions.
I’m looking forward to meeting in-person the God who has showered so much love on me, who has empowered me to minister that love to others and who has made me a partner with Him in building the Kingdom of God. He loves me so much that I can barely imagine what it will be like to be in the physical presence of the God who loves me so much.
Which god are you partners with? I remember that same thing in Isaiah 14:
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I would suggest you hit your knee to the ground and reverence the FATHER; now, before it is too late.
Fall on my knees? I’m there a lot in utter amazement at God’s incredible love and to praise Him for the privilege of working with Him to bless others.
Your devotion to disbelief is amazing.
I fall on my knees all the time and give HIM praise; are you to big for that child?
That you persist in imagining you are the voice of God to me would be laughable if it were not so tragic. God is very skilled at rebuking me whenever He thinks I need it. His rebukes are intimate times of instruction and after I have repented He restores always gives me a reminder of just how much He cares about me by giving me a fresh demonstration of His power and guidance and a new opportunity to touch someone with His love.
Isaiah 57:
11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
13 When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
Matthew 19:
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Your continued wild accusations make it clear you’ve never met the same God I’ve fallen in love with because of His wonderful mercies to me and the privilege of being His hands in ministering His redeeming love.
I quoted scripture; nothing else.
Who were you expecting?
Let’s see; removing HIS Love we are not much more than pond scum.
We are born in sin, at the apple, broke the law and HE sacrificed HIS SON and that still wasn’t enough.
We are commanded to follow and teach the law provided by GOD; which definitely does not include the vain doctrine of men. Otherwise we are the least (Matthew 5).
We are made by HIS works for HIS works that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2).
HE made the wicked and I would contend actually created a place other than HEAVEN to allow free choice (Proverbs 16).
We are to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow him (Luke 9 and Matthew 16).
We know HIS yoke is easy and burden light; for those that learn of HIM and will find rest for the Soul (Matthew 11).
We are of one Body with different gifts and offices, without schism, and all suffer or are honoured. We abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good (1 Corinthians and Romans 12).
HE sets authority over us and will definitely discipline us (Romans and Hebrews 13).
All good gifts come from HIM and more than we can know what to ask for (Ephesians 3 and James 1).
We are given privilege to do HIS works, HE blesses us along the way, HE gives us forever with HIM and Love abounding. The way is narrow and straight; but we give up nothing, because we have nothing to give.
To do all of this for us; what a Loving FATHER we can expect, with arms wide open.
William, there is no way to figure out, or reason with CC.
He has a need to be concerned for his own soul. He is certain the destination of we here is the LAKE OF FIRE. Leave him be, and pray for his soul, as he continues to “joust at the ether”.
No I have to worry of other Souls because you are too ignorant to stop thinking about yourself.
You interrupt testimony to our FATHER to reference rebuke and teaching of a child? Are you mentally capable of teaching this child or yourself?
You are the cause of the great falling away, we all know that. You and those like you sit on your behind and followed your own will all your life; while the rest of us had to sacrifice all and carry those works. Then you and those before you raised children, just like you; adding more to the fire.
Now we can no longer guarantee your safety, security or pay for you and those like you. Look around you, you are the reason for this mess; but you are not there to help and unable if you could. You did not gain wisdom of spirit or works along the way; you could not provide help or understand the problem, you are the problem. Others have to clean up your mess.
Yet we have the greatest pleasure of listening to your continuing voice; while trying to save the Church. We Love you, but not your actions; and definitely do no appreciate your interference as we clean up your messes and your constant creation of stumbling blocks. Those are our callings and HE will ensure those happen. Someone has to be the adults and do the work.
Harry,
I’ve been thinking a bit more about your question and this morning on my drive to work I remembered a few times when I’ve seen God work in very specific ways but I was left wondering about “the rest of the story” that I was not seeing. Times like almost two years ago when we helped clean-up a house after a fire that was part of a murder-suicide. For brevity I’ll have to omit a lot of details and let it suffice to say it was a very dramatic situation. I’m the sort of person who wants to understand what goes on in a person’s head so I can know why they did something and that case screamed with questions. Then God gave me a very specific message to focus my attention on doing what we needed to do and I saw Him work in a really amazing way by sending more workers than I had seen on a project in a long time. God used that project to not only help the family, but also to stimulate another SDA church in the area to start ministering in a similar way. So I’m looking forward to sitting down with Jesus and my guardian angels (I use the plural because sometimes I think I need more than one) and hearing about those times from their point of view. I expect that’s going to be an amazing time of discovering greater dimensions of the depth and breadth of God’s love. I can hardly wait for that to happen. Until then, I’ll just keep going on the adventures He sends me on.
I have a general response to many of the comments on this web page and elsewhere on Atoday.
This constant hurling of brickbats and accusations and reviling of those who disagree with you, is NOT a manifestation of the Spirit of Christ. The Devil is the accuser of the brethren (and presumably also the sistren?). When so much of your rhetoric is devoted to impugning the faith or character or motives of others, you are working for the Lord like the Devil. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (and the fingers type).
You would be far more convincing and a far more effective witness, if you explained your own beliefs and experiences as simply as possible. Please learn how to express your own ideas and respond to the ideas of others, without attacking the persons who disagree with you.
Harry,
As the thread of comments on this page shows only too well, your seeds of truth seem to be falling upon some very stony ground.
I want to thank you for an excellent question.
I would suggest that ever since the Fall, humans have been losing sight of our Father God in whose image we were created. And we have each been busily building in our own minds our own images of God. So of course we naturally would expect to see a God made in our image.
In order to see a God that transcends our own mental “cages” we must first be willing to admit that there is a lot about God that we do not know, and that some or most of what we think we do know about God is probably wrong.
And finally I want to say that John 17 is one of my personal favorites. And I would respectfully request that people who wish to respond to what you wrote, take the time to study this passage carefully.
Jim, it appears you are slip-sliding toward my rejection of anthropomorphic Superguy as what God can’t possibly be. John 17 appears to buttress that view revealing a heart rendered Father/Son conversation void of theology, judgment, expectations, perfection, proper Sabbath observance, sin, in regard to his buddies, his disciples. He wanted them held painless, harmless amidst hostility. Most of all he wanted them to have experienced the Father’s love as he had. It was the final hour and his ultimate concern is revealed here. I believe the God of love is the ultimate reality about God, an experience. That is all we have that matters. It’s all that mattered to Him.
I would suggest that Christ planned nothing more, ever, than to accept, experience, and reveal that God is love. Simple as that. To zap an x-ray back to gain a picture of his brain is a futile to attempt to morph him into a version of ourselves. There is an irremovable internalized parent ingrained in Adventists and Harry has revealed it. Rules and Requirements. Christ promoted none of that. Except for one. “A new commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John14:34. But the following kicker is easily ignored: “Your strong love for each other will show the world that you are my disciples.”
“Rumor has it that the God of that Advent is just that sort of being.” Right on, Harry, I’ve heard that rumor and I like it. Amen and Amen. Good going, Jim, too!
I believe that God is both immanent and transcendent. He is both within us and beyond the cosmos that He created.
I can believe that He created our (Goldilocks) cosmos without having a complete explanation of when and how He did so. That would make Him sort of the ultimate embodiment of power.
I can believe that He is the ultimate embodiment of Love without having a complete explanation for this notion either. He wants to inhabit our very beings because He loves us so much that He is grieved at the thought of any separation from us.
So for me God is BOTH Superguy AND Love Guy. There is no inherent conflict between these principles. The apparent dichotomy that you seem to be hung-up on is a limitation our our human comprehension, and of course of many flawed images of God that you and I were presented in our earlier days.
It is important to understand that if Superguy were not also Love Guy then he would be the ultimate control freak, trying to meddle and micro-manage every aspect of the lives of every one of his minions.
Powerful evidence that this is not the nature of the Creator God, is that the Creator God seems to have endowed life with an incredible ability to proliferate and adapt and diversify. Not the way your typical control freak tends to operate.
But do not take from this that the Creator God has no principles for how His creation should operate. If that were true then He would be the author of Chaos rather than of Order.
Ordering all things based upon the principle of absolute Love rather than absolute Control? Only a supreme Superguy/Love Guy could pull-of that stupendous feat!
Superguy is a false god, created by us in our image. There is no “Love Guy.” The God of love ins’t a “guy” was revealed and illustrated by Christ in his life, actions and words and is experienced by us.
The universe is chaos, a recycling machine that functions with or without a posit of a creator. It includes us in its eventual vortex of reclamation and redistribution. In the now we ride along temporarily, ever threatened by unseen, immediate chaotic events that could blindly strike us because we happen spatially to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, instantly obliterating us and our foot stool, earth.
How to live a day in the face of this? Love is the salve, sourced from God (using religious terms), as experienced with other humans powerfully mitigates all pessimism generated by the realities of life. There is a unique symbiosis between God and man that is the most distinctive force in the universe, in my estimation. Love is all that is special about mankind. Man didn’t create it. Love is learned, a response to love. God has been the teacher, the unseen stimulator of love since the beginning of mankind. Christ verified that by his life, illustrated it as an eternal principle said you don’t have to practice any faith to be his disciple. Just love each other.
There is no theory of control, absolute or otherwise in Christ’s teaching. That’s the childhood internalized parent,the basis for “What would Jesus do?” Love is what he did.
“All things were made by Him” (cf John re Jesus Christ aka the Word, the Light, the Son of Man, the Son of God, etc)
Seems like Love Guy was the Creator? That to me is a Super Feat!
“you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand” (cf Jesus Christ aka the Son of Man)
Seems like Love Guy can exercise ultimate power when and as He sees fit?
Bugs-Larry my brother, you have a heavily redacted version of the Gospels.
What is my hope for the future? Whom am I expecting. What force can pull me in to the future? I quote Jurgen Moultmann: “But the ultimate reason for hope is not found at all in what we want, wish for, and wait for; the ultimate reason is that we are wanted and wished for and waited for. What is it that awaits us? Does anything await us at all, or are we alone? Whenever we base our hope on the divine mystery, we feel deep down in our hearts: there is someone who is waiting for you, who is hoping for you, who believes in you. We are waited for as as the prodigal son in the parable is waited for by his father. We are accepted and received, as a mother takes her children into her arms and comforts them. God is our last hope because we are God’s first love.”
I look for the one who wants me, who said he prepares a place for me “that where I am there you would be also.” Can you imagine that!
Dear Smuts, Thanks for your insightful comment. We need more
about a God who measures us not by our fragilities but by His
immeasurable love. Please write more.
To recognize the one who comes we need to recognize Him now but it will be impossible for most to recognize Him because they are steeped in false beliefs and don’t have a clue about the wonder and majesty of the Savior.