Just a Minute
Just a Minute is a collection of brief but meaningful meditations on Scripture. BJU Press has published a book by the same name with 96 of these devotional articles. Each chapter focuses on a Scripture verse or two, blending key facts about context with meditations on the truth of the passage. Find out how taking just a minute each day can change your life!
If you are interested, you can purchase Just A Minute, containing the first 96 printed articles.
Ugly Memories (Just A Minute #124)
And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:75)
You might find part of the following reading a bit unpleasant; hopefully, it will also be healthy.
Think about what you consider to be the weakest, lowest, most humiliating spiritual moment of your life. It was likely a private one, and although it might have included a physical and public expression, the real source of the sin was in your mind. If today you are walking with the Lord, the mere recollection of the terrible facts probably causes you to blush.
Now imagine that God decided to publish the dirty details of that awful moment in four global periodicals. Oh yes, He also chose the writers. They were four of your closest friends, and each one consulted you before the publication went out, just to make sure they had all the facts straight.
An Almighty Lesson (Just A Minute #123)
(1)And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; . . .
(2)And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. . . .
(3)Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: (Genesis 35:11; 43:14; 49:25)
These three “Almighty” references stand out as verbal mileposts along the rocky road that made up Jacob’s life. The first was Jehovah’s revelation of His own omnipotence, followed by a promise. The second was spoken by Jacob many years later. It was the fatalistic cry of a man who remembered what to believe about God, but had never really brought himself to bow to it in humble submission. At this moment, after having made such a mess of his life, he had little hope of experiencing God’s joy ever again.
But what about the third verse?!
Two Pagan Birthdays (Just A Minute #122)
And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. . . . But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. (Genesis 40:20 & Matthew 14:6)
Pharoah and Herod are the only two men whose birthdays are recorded in the Bible. The unusual coincidences connected with their special days actually make a strong case against them being coincidences at all.
Notice that both kings are pagan and have in their jails two very godly man—Joseph and John the Baptist. One story takes place in the Old Testament, the other in the New. The two faithful believers associated with these rulers were unjustly thrown in prison and neither had much hope for a fair trial. From all human perspectives, they are mere pawns at the mercy of an unsaved king’s whim.
Temple Keepers (Just A Minute #121)
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
What image would appear in a Corinthian mind when told he was a temple?
If we take into consideration the kind of city Corinth was, the answer could be interesting. Because of its strategic location, Corinth became a commercial hub and one of the most important cities of Greece. With a constant flow of foreigners, the many brands of idolatry and cultural perversions mixed together to form a truly pagan population.
For some, the word “temple” would possibly bring up thoughts of luxurious buildings where privileged priests conducted corrupt ceremonies and sanctioned fleshly feasts. Others who had some knowledge of Herod’s masterpiece now known as the “Second Temple” might think of its beauty and grandeur. Just a few of the more studious believers might have their minds drawn to what they knew of the original house of God, born in the heart of David and built by his son Solomon.
This last group would probably be the closest to understanding the concept properly.
Earthquake Warning (Just A Minute #120)
(Oddly enough, I wrote this last Tuesday, three days before the earthquake in Japan)
"The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake." (Amos 1:1)
Nobody believed the country shepherd. His job was breeding sheep, not preaching. He had no formal training or any relatives in the ministry.
But one day God placed a burden on his heart and a message began to be imprinted on his soul. As he put things together in his mind he could see the hand of the Lord, even back in his infancy. Why else would his parents have given him a name that meant “burden carrier”?
What he probably could not entirely understand was that as he wrote down the words of Jehovah, he was actually predicting a catastrophic event on the land. Later he would reread his own messages and understand their awful significance.