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Breaking down earthly thinking (and restrictions).

— On the Christian TV program, ‘Faith to live by’ (Canada), Pastor Jim Barber usually starts with a Bible answer segment, where viewer’s questions are responded to.

— One questioner asked, “If we eat in Heaven, will there also be “bodily elimination”? – (A polite way of putting it.)

Pastor Barber went on to show from scriptures, that indeed banquets and meals are mentioned in paradise.

— However, about bodily eliminations, he basically made two very pertinent points:

1. We do not know, for God’s Word does not share any information about this… (We just don’t know.)
   — Do we need to know, or can we just accept that all will be good and healthy there?

   The second point is for each of us to wrestle with… It is the need for each of us to admit that our thoughts tend to be trapped in earthly thinking. Pastor Barber displayed this need with a simple answer that I challenge you to ponder:

2. He mentioned that we will have new glorified bodies… and that these bodies may not be restricted to the “normal” elimination properties that we are used to here on earth.

In other words…

In the New Heaven and Earth, we will not be restricted by what we consider to be impossible now.

(Including bodily eliminations.)

Understanding that God rules over ‘our impossibilities… That is the theme for this quiz.

— The Bible is filled with such examples, however, let’s focus on these… (ESV Bible used here)

(Mark the correct answers.)

John 20:19-21  On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  (20)  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  (21)  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

— Q1. What do we find here that is not possible with our earthly bodies?

O – The disciples hiding behind locked doors.     O – Jesus coming in through those locked doors.

Moving on to Luke 24:36-43  As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”  (37)  But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.  (38)  And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?  (39)  See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”  (40)  And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.  (41)  And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”  (42)  They gave him a piece of broiled fish,  (43)  and he took it and ate before them.

— Q2. What do we find out here about Christ’s glorified body?

O – You can touch Jesus.     O – Jesus’ body has flesh and bones.     O – His glorified body enjoyed food.

— Q3. What else do we find out about the glorified Jesus?

O – It was all a magic trick.     O – Jesus wasn’t a spiritual vapor.

And now an example, not of Christ’s glorified body, but the example of God’s reality confounding our own…

Matthew 14:15-32  Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”  (16)  But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”  (17)  They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”  (18)  And he said, “Bring them here to me.”  (19)  Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.  (20)  And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.  (21)  And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

— Q4. How did Jesus break our earthly physical laws here?

O – He didn’t He just got everyone to chip in their lunches.

O – He took 5 loaves and 2 fish and fed 5000+ people.

(Quiz continues on Pg.#2)

Breaking down earthly thinking and restrictions  (Pg.#2)

Continuing from (Vs.22-32)… Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.  (23)  And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,  (24)  but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.  (25)  And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.  (26)  But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.  (27)  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”  (28)  And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  (29)  He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.  (30)  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”  (31)  Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  (32)  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

— Q5. What earthly physical laws are broken here?

O – Jesus was out swimming in a storm.     O – Jesus was walking on the water.

O – They all were out on the sea without flotation devices.     O – Peter walked on the water.

— Q6. What is Jesus telling us in (Vs.31) about our earthly physical laws?

O – We struggle to receive miracles because of our “little faith”.     O – Miracles can’t happen here on Earth.

Now we turn to Acts 1:1-11 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,  (2)  until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.  (3)  He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.  (4)  And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;  (5)  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”  (6)  So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  (7)  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.  (8)  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  (9)  And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

— Q7. What other earthly physical law does the resurrected Jesus defy here?

O – He tells us we should be able to see our futures.     O – He physically rises from the earth into heaven.

In (Vs.10-11)… And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,  (11)  and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

— Q8. What are we confidently looking forward to?

O – Our world governments finally getting together to bring lasting peace and prosperity to all.

O – Jesus coming back “in the same way as they saw him go into heaven.”

A side note in closing:

Is there some “heavenly thinking” that we are to participate in here on earth?

John 13:31-35  When he (speaking of Judas) had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.  (32)  If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.  (33)  Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’  (34)  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  (35)  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

— Q9. How are people around us supposed to know that we are different from the world?

O – We all vote conservative.     O – We will “have love for one another.” (even if they don’t vote conservative).

— That’s meant to be a bit of humor.

May we all work very hard to prove ourselves true disciples of Jesus by following His teaching, and having that fellowshipping love for one another… (KK)

(Click here for PDF copy Pg.#1)

(Click here for PDF copy Pg.#2)