Am I an egg or a potato?

Have you ever heard or read these sayings? 

The same sun that melts butter hardens clay.

The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s about what you’re made of, not the circumstances. –Anonymous

You see them in memes on Facebook from time to time.  You can search Google and get many different interpretations of what these mean for you or me.

Here is one that I thought of the other day.  I did not find it on Google, so I will claim its originality. :) 

The same breath that puts out the candle fuels the campfire.

When you do read what people write about these sayings, it is primarily about what I am.  I am to change my attitude towards the situation I am to create a different result.  I do not disagree with these interpretations.  I do believe that your attitude is the only thing you can control in any particular situation.

However, I would like to give you a little different take on these.

Without the sun melting the butter it would be difficult to spread it on my toast without ripping the toast to pieces.  We never say we like cold hard butter on our bread or cinnamon roll.  Without the sun hardening the clay, I could not have that mug to drink my coffee or a plate to hold my toast or cinnamon roll.

Without the boiling water making the egg hard and the potato soft, I could not enjoy potato salad, or mashed potatoes or deviled eggs.

Without the breath to put out the candle, I could not celebrate my birthday or other special events.  Without the breath blown on the fire to start a campfire, I could not enjoy a s’mores.

The point is who am I?  What was I created to become?  I have no control of what I am made of.  Was I created an egg or a potato?  If I was created an egg, then boiling water is going to make me into a different kind of egg.  I did not change into something else. 

What is my purpose?  The circumstances that we encounter are designed to mold us into that purpose.  Was I destined to me a hard-boiled egg?  My attitude will not change that.

We are always encouraged to find your purpose.  I believe that each person has a purpose for living.  The challenge is do we like what our purpose is?

As a follower of Christ, I seek to be molded into His image. What does this image look like?  It looks like whatever He has planned (purposed) for my life.  He wanted me to be a hard-boiled egg.  He brought circumstances into my life to bring me to that point.  My attitude should be one of gratefulness that He has made me into what He wanted me to be.  Not, I wish I was a potato.

Do we know when Jesus died?

Jesus was CRUCIFIED on Wednesday, the Bible Tells Me so:

Most of the professed Christians in the world believe Jesus was crucified on Friday.  They say "Good Friday" is the day to celebrate His sacrificial death.  However there are some Christians who believe the crucifixion had to be earlier, perhaps on Thursday or even Wednesday.  They point to ten or eleven Scriptures in the New Testament, which specifically say Christ would be in the grave for three days.  In particular, they cite the words of Christ: "So shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth"(Matthew 12:40).  Also, a statement by Christ that it would be AFTER three days He would rise again.  "And be killed, and after three days rise again" (Mark 8:31).

POSITIVE STATEMENTS:

Now I find in the Bible positive statements which specifically tell us exactly on what day of the week Christ was crucified.  Let me show you what I have discovered - something most people do not know.

In John 12:1 we are told that: "Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was."  Note the specific statement: it was six days before the Passover.  We are not told which day of the week this was, but it was SIX DAYS before the Passover.

Then John reveals exactly what day it was when Jesus arrived in Bethany, for in John 12:12-14 we read: "On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him."  Remember, it was the next day after Jesus came to Bethany, and of course this "day after" was the day of the Triumphal Entry which took place on the first day of the week, which we now call Palm Sunday.  So we can establish the fact that Jesus arrived in Bethany the day before Palm Sunday, which would be the seventh day, or the Sabbath - our Saturday.  Recall that this day on which He came to Bethany was "six days before the Passover."

Now all we must do is count six days from that Saturday, and we will find exactly what day of the week the Passover came that year.  So let us do it: Jewish Month of Nisan (April)

COUNT SIX DAYS FROM SATURDAY
FIRST DAY	Saturday	Jew's Sabbath
SECOND DAY	Sunday	Jew's First Day Palm Sunday
THIRD DAY	Monday	Jew's Second Day
FOURTH DAY	Tuesday	Jew's Third Day
FIFTH DAY	Wednesday	Jew's Fourth Day- Preparation Day- Passover Lamb Slain
SIXTH DAY	Thursday	Passover Extra Sabbath Christ in Tomb One Night and Day
SEVENTH DAY	Friday	Jew's Sixth Day Christ in Tomb Second Night and Day
EIGHTH DAY	Saturday	Jew's Sabbath Seventh Day Christ in Tomb Third Night and Day
NINTH DAY	Sunday	Jew's First day of the Week Resurrection Day

So here we have positive and specific information, direct from the Scriptures, as to exactly which day of the week the Passover came in the year of the crucifixion of our Lord.  It was on Thursday.  But you say: "Then why are you saying Christ died on Wednesday?"

THE DAY OF CHRIST'S DEATH

If the Passover came on Thursday that year (as it did in the years 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009), then our Lord must have been crucified on Wednesday, because God commanded that the Passover Lamb must be killed on the afternoon of the day before the Passover (Exodus 12:6). At the time of Christ, this was still the pattern for the Passover feast.  The day before the Passover, which was called "the Day of Preparation," or "the Day of Unleavened Bread" was the day on which the Passover Lamb was to be killed, as Luke tells us.  "Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed" (Luke 22:7).  If the Passover came on Thursday that year, then that "day of unleavened bread or of preparation" would be on Wednesday.

Now when was Jesus sent to the Cross by Pilate?

On what day and hour did He die?

John tells us specifically the very day and hour.  "And it was the Preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour; and he (Pilate) said unto the Jews, Behold your King!  (John 19:15, 16).  When John said, "it was the preparation" he meant it was the day of preparation.  When he said "sixth hour" he meant it was about noon (12:00 o'clock).

Thus we have discovered in the Scriptures the exact day and hour when Christ was sent to the Cross.  It was on Wednesday, the day before the Passover, at noontime. His death then occurred at the ninth hour, three hours later, when the Passover Lambs were slain for the feast.  In our time this would be at three o'clock in the afternoon.

So I believe I can say like Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar: "The thing is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure" (Daniel 2:45).

Cooler Weather in Texas and Kansas

Wondering why we have cool weather in Texas and Kansas? Here is the long answer.

The last couple of days have ended a project that started back in April. Many of you are aware that my Dad came to the states for some medical reasons. We started the process of bringing my Mom to the states. She arrived safely today (agust 21st). As with all projects there are sometimes uncertainties. These are to be avoided to successfully complete a project.

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, these uncertainties were handled by the only person who knows and understands such things. This would be our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

One of the pieces was to get my Mom's dogs to the states from Antigua. We completed everything we could on our part. The main uncertainty was the weather. For dogs to fly the weather must be no higher than 85 degrees at any point on their trip. The day I left Kansas (July 31) it was 109 degrees. Today (August 21st), when I arrived in Kansas it was 73 degrees.

I saw several postings of my Facebook friends in Kansas about the cooler weather. I want you to know that you have experienced the work of God on behalf of my mother and I so that we could get her dogs safely here without any hiccups. These dogs are an important part of my mother's life. They will help her in her transition.

I would appreciate your continued prayer for my parents as they adjust to a new life here in the states. They have just completed 46 years as missionaries. We look forward to what the Lord will have for them now.

Brother YO Begins

June 8, 1992, I made my first YO-YO performance at a small church in Andover, KS.  I did 12 more programs that summer.  Since then Brother YO has been across the state of Kansas performing about 50 shows a year until 2005.  The past seven years have not been as active since I decided to go back to school.  Brother YO has also been to Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Jamaica and Antigua.


My first performance was done with a Duncan Professional YO-YO.  This was a very slim YO-YO that was made of plastic and riveted together.  In my world at the time, it was the best I could get.  The most difficult trick I could perform while standing in front of a crowd and talking was man-on-the-trapeze.  


I moved on to a wooden YO-YO made by the Hummingbird Toy Co.  These were very nice to play with, but I wore them out every two weeks.  I was introduced to the Tom Kuhn YO-YO.  I purchased a couple from him and my skill began to grow.  I really liked his Flying Camel (imperial shaped).  I was introduced to the Tom Kuhn YO-YO by Gene Mauk.  Gene was a YO-YO champion back in the 1930s.  We had several good visits.  Gene helped to start a YO-YO club in Wichita.  Together we trained quite a few YO-YO players.  The YO-YO club is closed now but we produced a National YO-YO Champion from Salina, Kansas (Brent Dillinger).  


My YO-YO of choice now is the Spintastics Technic YO-YO.  I also like the YOYOjam SuperSpinFaktor.  One of these is with me every where I go. :) 


Today, I meet people throughout Wichita who remember me at their school or church.  It is cool to meet them until you realize that they are now adults with their own families.  Time does travel fast.


I look forward to YO-YOing into the future.  The Lord has given me a unique opportunity to speak on His behalf to 1000s of people using what some consider to be a toy.  I consider it a tool of ministry.  It is a reminder that God can use anything when we seek Him for guidance and then allow Him to make it happen.


Thank you to everyone who provided me an opportunity to minister.


Matt Johnson
Brother YO
Matt 5:16
brotheryo@gmail.com




(C) 2012