Banquet With The King

Saturday, August 1, 2026

Telling the Truth – No Death

Jesus went on to say, "I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!" Mark 9:1

And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom. Matthew 16:28

I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God." Luke 9:27

Meditate on these verses and truth.

Jesus will return in the clouds.
Where will you be?

That is exciting…not dying until they see Jesus. These verses from three different Gospels are virtually the same. Jesus was telling the truth. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We assume that everyone will die someday. Everyone sins…everyone is going to die.

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28

We are destined to die. We are told that right here in Hebrews…and of course, we all know that from experience. We are all destined to be born…and to die.

A time to be born and a time to die. …. Ecclesiastes 3:2

Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die. Isaiah 57:1-2

Good people pass away. It is hard to understand why good people pass away…at a young age. They have so much potential…so much to give in service to the Lord. Why? Isaiah tells us that it is to protect us from coming evil. Once we lost a very dear friend—to cancer. It was less than a month since her diagnosis. It just seems unfair…but we just have to trust God. He has a plan. She was a godly lady…so we have the promise that she is resting in peace. Salvation—for each of us—is from the Lord. We are eagerly awaiting His return. Will some here now be alive when Jesus returns?

What do we learn about Jesus’ promises from our original Scripture today?

Prayer ~ Lord, open our eyes and hearts to understand Your plan as we wait for Your return. May all that we do please and honor You. Thank You for our wonderful friend. Please give her family and friends Your peace, strength and hope.

Verses of Salvation ~ For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. 1 Peter 2:21-24

Jesus’ death on the cross provided salvation for us. Will you accept what He has done for you?

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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Friday, July 31, 2026

What is the Benefit of Gaining the World if You Lose Your Soul?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. Matthew 16:24-27

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." - Mark 8:34-38

Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. Luke 9:23-26

Meditate on these verses. What is your soul worth?

The same thing is recorded in these gospels—turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross (daily). In modern language of The Message translation Jesus says…

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?”

He is in the driver’s seat. I like that. Self-sacrifice is the way of Jesus—and He wants us to follow His example. We don’t have to die on the cross…just pick up our cross and follow Him. So what does it mean to “pick up our cross”? We have to be willing to give up what we want…and turn from our selfish ways to Jesus’ way—die to ourselves, our old self and old ways.

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20.

Can you admit that life is not all about you—and give up what you want and desire?

Matthew also wrote a similar text earlier in his book.

"If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it”. Matthew 10:37-39

Have you found Christ in your life? Are you ashamed of or confident in Him? What do we learn about Jesus in these scripture passages?

Prayer ~ Lord Jesus, Your cross seems heavy, but in reality, it is not heavy. You have promised that if we come to You, our burdens will be light.

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:28-30.

Thank You for bearing my burdens…as I take up my cross and follow You.

Verse of Salvation ~ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? Matthew 16:26

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Today would have been my sister, Shirley’s,78^th birthday. She carried her cross all the way to heaven—loving Jesus and obediently following Him. When we were growing up, Shirley and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen baking and would often make these cookies. It seems like a lot of sugar—but it makes a lot of cookies. You can use less, but my daughter makes these often now and she assured me that they won’t brown as well with less sugar. Use your own judgment about your sugar usage.

Shirley’s Snickerdoodles 8-10 dozen

3 cups sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup shortening or coconut oil

4 eggs

5 ½ cups unbleached flour

4 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Mix shortening, butter, sugar, and add eggs.

Mix dry ingredients and then add to the butter mixture.

Chill the dough for a couple of hours or overnight.

Roll into small balls and dip into cinnamon & sugar mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. These are soft and puffed up when taken out of the oven, but they flatten out with crinkly tops. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk!

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Sister Shirley!

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Thursday, July 30, 2026

The Beginning of the Suffering…the Road to the Cross

It was time to head for Jerusalem.
Storm clouds looming - The cross before Him.

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. "Heaven forbid, Lord," he said. "This will never happen to you!" Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's." Matthew 16:21-23

Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. "Get away from me, Satan!" he said. "You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's." Mark 8:31-33

Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was. "The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things," he said. "He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead." Luke 9:21-22

Meditate on these scripture passages. Think about suffering.

Jesus knew what lay ahead of Him. He told the disciples what was going to happen and reiterated that they were not to tell anyone who He was. There were people around who would be willing to turn Him over to the Pharisees, who wanted to kill Him. The timing had to be in accordance with God’s plan. Over and over, Jesus had admonished people not to tell anyone who He was and the miracles He had done. Yet He had recently at Caesarea Philippi pointedly asked the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” “Who do you say that I am?” How would you answer those questions? Who do you say that Jesus is today?

Would you ever reprimand Jesus as Peter did? Who did he think he was to try to change Jesus’ mind and to not follow God’s plan? How could he say that Jesus shouldn’t be killed and rise from the dead? No wonder Jesus said, "Get away from me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's." Jesus was following God’s plan. Anything that is not of God is of Satan. Peter’s viewpoint was not God’s plan. Jesus had to be rejected by the Jewish leaders and had to go to the cross. That was God’s purpose for Jesus.

We have to be careful that day by day we see things from God’s view—not from a human’s point of view today. How do we do that? It comes back to what Jesus taught. Love God. Love others. If we keep that in mind and in that perspective as we go through our day making even little decisions, then we will be in God’s will. Seems simple, doesn’t it? But in reality, it is our own selfish desires that often get in the way. We do things that Jesus would say to us…Get away from me, Satan! What Jesus taught and thinks—who He is…and what we think, say, and do, still matters. Do you believe that Jesus suffered for you?

What do you learn about Jesus from these scripture passages?

Prayer ~ Lord Jesus, reveal more of Yourself to us today and help us in even small decisions to be in God’s will—to see things from His point of view.

Verse of Salvation ~ The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Who Do You Say That I Am?

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets." Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven." Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Matthew 16:13-20 NLT

Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets." Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Messiah." But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. Mark 8:27-30 NLT

One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead." Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Messiah sent from God!" Luke 9:18-20 NLT

Meditate.

Jesus took the disciples to a Gentile area about 25 miles from the Sea of Galilee, Caesarea Philippi. He asked them, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They thought John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another prophet. Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. …upon this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it….whatever you shall bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Jordan River - near the headwaters

Palace ruins

At the headwaters of the Jordan River, Philip, a tetrarch ruler of Judaea from 4 BC to 34 AD who inherited the northeastern part of his father’s kingdom, built a massive city called Caesarea Philippi. He wanted that city to rival Caesarea, which his father, Herod the Great, had built along the Mediterranean coast.

Philip’s palace, which stands in ruins (see the photo above), was an architectural marvel. The temple he built nearby was dedicated to Pan, an evil Greek god related to rustic music, nature, and fertility. Pan is associated with the root word in pandemonium or panic. These ruins of the city still exist, and it is there that we saw a cave that is referred to as “the gates of hell”. The entrance to that cave was actually where the temple was built, so that there was no back wall inside, but just the opening into a deep cavern. This was fitting for worship of Pan in a natural setting.

Gates of Hell at Caesarea Philippi - Israel

Jesus took His disciples away from the Jewish region of Galilee to this Gentile region of Caesarea Philippi, about a day and a half walk from the Sea of Galilee, to teach them without distractions. He wanted to see who could “Hear.” He even spoke to them in Greek (a Gentile tongue)—not in Hebrew or Aramaic. Peter was the only one to “hear” the truth. Jesus is the Son of God! Jesus gave the keys of heaven to Peter, like gifting him “salvation.” The Gates of Hell will not prevail---evil will not stand in his way. Simon in Hebrew is Shimon, meaning One Who Hears. Simon Peter was the first missionary to the Gentiles, and it was here in Caesarea Philippi that Jesus commissioned him.

Visiting Caesarea Philippi was an awesome epiphany moment for me when we went to Israel. I knew that Jesus was the Son of God—but to hear it again in the place it was declared touched my spirit deeply. This was where Jesus told his disciples to reach out to Gentiles. Being a “gentile,” that meant me. If it weren’t for this event, maybe I wouldn’t know Jesus like I do.

Who do you say that Jesus is?
Που λέτε είναι ο Ιησούς;
Kdo říkal že je Ježíš?
Wer sagt man, dass Jesus ist?
누가 예수님은 말합니까?
人はイエスだ？
Кто вам сказал, является Иисус?
Vous dites, qui qu'est Jésus ?
Hvem sier du er Jesus?
Vem säger ni Jesus är?
你說耶穌是誰？
Care vă spun este Isus?
Siapa yang Anda katakan Yesus?
¿Que dices que Jesús es?
Kim İsa diyorlar?
Ai làm bạn nói Chúa Giêsu?
Który trzeba powiedzieć, że Jezus jest
Que dius que Jesús és?
מי אתה אומר שישוע הוא?

The Gates of Hell will not prevail against us. We can claim that promise today. Evil will not stand in our way. The Kingdom of God is within you—within us. We should go to Godless places to change their hearts. Evil will not prevent us from doing that. Don’t panic or run—don’t fall victim to terror. God wants you to get revelation in dark places. Be like Shimon—hear the Word of God and respond. Are you listening?

What do we learn about Jesus from these Scripture passages today?

Prayer ~Lord, I’m listening—help me to hear and understand You. Guide us, Lord, that we would understand how You have built Your church on the truth that You are the Messiah. You are the cornerstone that is essential for holding the church together. We must acknowledge You as our Lord and Savior…so that You will acknowledge us before Your Heavenly Father one day.

Verses of Salvation ~ For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD, and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, 'Seek Me in vain'; I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, You who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, Who carry the wood of their carved image, And pray to a god that cannot save. Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:18-22 NKJV (Underlined for emphasis.)

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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Tuesday, July 28, 2026

The Blind Can See

When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man's eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, "Can you see anything now?" The man looked around. "Yes," he said, "I see people, but I can't see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around." Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. Jesus sent him away, saying, "Don't go back into the village on your way home." Mark 8:22-26 NLT

Meditate. Read these verses again and think about restored sight.

The blind will see--even without glasses.

Normally, no one wants to be spit on—in the face or at all. Here Jesus spit on the blind man’s eyes. Yuck! But what a wonderful thing! It was a slow process. Spit. Laying on of hands. Test eyesight. Laying on of hands again. Success! It must have been difficult healing for it to take two times of Jesus laying His hands on this gentleman to restore his eyesight. But Jesus’ power is just that—powerful. The man could see—not just like trees walking around—but truly see. Would his people have brought this man if they had known that Jesus would spit on him?

If someone spits around us, we see it. Yuck! The blind man was after all, blind. He didn’t see Jesus spit on his eyes. But this was good spit. It came from Jesus—the Messiah—the Son of God—God Himself—the healer, teacher, and the most powerful man on earth. Maybe everyone at that time didn’t see Jesus in that way, but after this blind man was healed, he did. Jesus told him not to go back into the village—just go home. Actually, He was telling that guy to tell no one. Don’t show yourself to those who knew you were blind, just go home.

What do we learn about Jesus’ character from this passage?

Prayer ~ Dear Jesus, that was part of Your mission—to make the blind see. Those who were physically blind and those who were spiritually blind. Today there are still people in both categories. Those who can not see—maybe legally blind—and those with blinders on so that they are spiritually blind. We can get so caught up in our own selfish desires that we miss the spiritual aspect of our lives. There are still people who just don’t get it. Take the scales or blinders off their eyes so that they might see and understand You as their Savior, Jesus. We are all going to live forever—whether joyfully with You or miserably without You. Help me to see and serve You more each day, here and now.

Verses of Salvation ~ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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Monday, July 27, 2026

Don’t You Get It?

But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod." At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don't you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 'You have eyes—can't you see? You have ears—can't you hear?' Don't you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?" "Twelve," they said. "And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?" "Seven," they said. "Don't you understand yet?" he asked them. Mark 8:14-21 NLT

Are you hungry for bread or truth?

Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. "Watch out!" Jesus warned them. "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, "You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don't you understand even yet? Don't you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can't you understand that I'm not talking about bread? So again I say, 'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.'" Then at last they understood that he wasn't speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew 16:5-12 NLT

Meditate on understanding.

Don’t you get it? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples were hungry again and arguing about bread, but Jesus wasn’t warning them about the bread. Jesus had created bread out of almost nothing to feed 5,000 and then 4,000 men and their families, so He could have easily fed those few disciples. But He bluntly told them that He wasn’t talking about the bread, but about the deception of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were false teachers. The bread of truth was what those disciples…and everyone…needed. Who declared Himself to be the Bread of Life…the Way, the Truth, and the Life? That was Jesus Himself.

Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 NLT

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 NLT

Jesus repeated His warning. 'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' The fraudulent words of the Jewish leaders were like yeast. They didn’t trust Jesus, so they wanted to discredit Him…and to ultimately kill Him. Yeast puffs up bread…and that is just what the Jewish leaders were. Puffed up with hot air…and false teaching centering on their traditions. He asked the disciples if they had eyes to see and ears to hear. Do you?

What do we learn about Jesus from these scripture passages?

Prayer ~ Open my eyes, my ears, and my heart, Lord Jesus, to Your truths. Help me to apply them to my life and to share them with others.

Verse of Salvation ~ Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4:16 NLT

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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