December 31 – Blessed New Year To One and All

Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. Deuteronomy 28:1-6  

Blessed. Blessed. Blessed. That’s me.

I am blessed to know God and to be known by Him.

I am blessed to live in a country with such freedoms—although with such freedom comes responsibility.

I am blessed to live in a community that is clean, safe, friendly and compassionate.

I am blessed to have a loving and nurturing family—that shares my values, love and concerns.

I am blessed to have friends—who truly care about each other.

I am blessed to have a good husband and a home where we are comfortable and content.

Above all—blessed is the name of the Lord for He is worthy of our praise and adoration.  

Do you feel blessed?

 

As we look back at this past year of 2012, may we see all the ways that God has worked in our lives. As we look ahead—let us look forward to the feasts we’ll have at the Lord’s table—with each other savoring His word. My hope is that your joys be overflowing and your love abound in God’s grace. May He have mercy on us as we live to obey His commandments, to seek and serve Him. This year 2012 is over…and I have reached my goal of blogging this devotional for a year. I will continue blogging—so please do keep reading. Blessings and love to you all~

Happy New Year!

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 30 – Smile

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. Hebrews 13:8-9 

You hear so much about foods that are good for the heart…or bad for the heart. Most of the “good” heart foods are those found in rainbow colors like blue – blueberries, red – salmon, yellow/orange – squash and sweet potatoes, green – broccoli or spinach, and in the earth color of tan – oatmeal and other whole grains. Of course the foods that “bad” for the heart include almost anything white – sugar, refined flour, fried potatoes, hydrogenated oil, whole milk, and fatty foods.

He (God) causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine which makes man's heart glad, so that he may make his face glisten with oil, and food which sustains man's heart. - Psalm 104:14-15

Do you ever consider heart food—food that strengthens the heart, spiritually?

Paul taught about spiritual food. In this passage below he was using an example of the Hebrew people in their exodus from Egypt.

For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4.

That spiritual food was from Christ…it was Christ. Things haven’t changed from the times of the Exodus…Christ is still our spiritual rock and provides our spiritual food. Eat heartily at His table—feast today and everyday from His word. Allow it to change your attitude and perspective of life. Do let your heart be strengthened by grace, the unmerited favor of God. Attitude is the key to a great many problems and successes in life. We choose our attitude just as much as we choose the foods we eat or the clothes we wear. It is amazing how a smile can change the way you feel…even if you don’t feel like smiling. Try it and see if it works for you. There is an old song about smiling that says…

Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by...

If you smile
With your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just...smile…. 

God wants us to rely on Him…not on ourselves—so as you are “smiling” focus on the Lord. He is the one that makes life worth “smiling” about. There are always things that we can find to turn our smile upside down—but even then we can choose to look at the brighter side of things and remember that God is with us…He will never leave us or forsake us. Smile it will do your heart good, physically and spiritually.

 

I’m preaching to myself here…I just put my daughter, son-in-law, and three adorable little grandchildren on a plane to fly across the whole United States and live 3,000 miles away. It will be a good move for them…better for their health, but so far away that we can’t just drop over every so often to see them. I just pray for God’s blessing on them…that they find good Christian friends and make good decisions…and smile. I’ll try to, too.

Dear Lord, please protect and guide my family wherever they are. Thank you that they know and seek you. Please give them extra strength, encouragement, love and joy as they begin this New Year. May all our attitudes be pleasing to You and by Your grace my we give you the praise for all our blessings.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 29 – Sow and Reap

Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD until He comes to rain righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12

We reap what we sow…. Farmers and gardeners cannot expect to harvest what they have not planted. Likewise we have to prepared our soil (our hearts) and plant good seeds (promises and guidance from God’s Word) if we expect to produce fruit (like… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…Galatians 5:22-23). Try planting some basil seeds or even just some peas, wheat or sun flower seeds with your kids so that they can see how plants sprout and grow. To bring God’s Word to life, plant some seeds in rocks, hard dirt and good soil—like the parable in Luke 8:5-18.

The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot and the birds of the air ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.... Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great. Luke 8:5-6, 8

It is remarkable how all the scripture ties together—but then God is amazing that way. So as instructed in Hosea, prepare your heart, seek the Lord considering His righteousness and you’ll find kindness, probably overflowing to others around you. May this scripture provide you and your family with guidance as you approach the end of this year…and the beginning of the New Year. 

Lord Jesus, give us wisdom as we prepare our hearts for Your word and seek your righteousness. May Your kindness flow through us to those around us whose lives you want to touch.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 28 - Bread of Life

"For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." ... Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst." John 6:33, 35 

I ate some cold left over Italian sausage and spinach pizza yesterday…and it was so tasty—absolutely scrumptious! I so enjoyed it so much that just thinking about it now makes my mouth water. Some things taste great when they are freshly baked and then even better when they’ve “aged.” Pizza is one of those things—but I could eat pizza just about any time of day…any day! What is your favorite pizza topping? Mine is pesto sauce topped with garlic chicken, artichoke hearts and spinach. Adding some sun dried tomatoes makes it even more tasty…along with some feta cheese.

So we could feast on pizza any day…and on God’s word as well. Jesus tells us that He is the bread of life—who God sent down from Heaven to give us life. Life abundantly. There are so many verses about life in the Bible—actually 554 times in the NASB translation. But you can find every conceivable topic as you search through any concordance electronic search. Since the Bible is living it continues to speak in a fresh way... For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12. So what is your favorite scripture? What speaks to your heart today?

This year has gone by so very quickly—only three more days left. Only three days left this year to gather around the Banquet Table with The King and feast on His Word. Only three more days and my goal of a year—365 days, well actually 366 days—of writing daily devotionals for my family…and friends. This has been a special year of real quality time spent with Lord every morning. Focusing—and feasting—on God’s word just puts me in the best frame of mind. So looking back over this year, I can say that I have had a good year. I’ve found that sometimes I spend too much time writing this blog…too much time. How can that be?? Well—it is necessary to do other things like cooking, cleaning and spending time with other people. I’ve neglected that sometimes…and my husband can do a pretty good job of cooking breakfast. Actually he had made some good sausage from scratch this fall. There is really no better thing in life than to spend time with the Lord—but once again I am admonished to be a doer of the word…But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. James 1:22-24. So may I challenge you to be doers of the word, too? Whatever scripture is speaking to your heart, may you not only listen intently, but apply it to your life and in obedience to the Lord, reach out to others.

Lord, As I feast on Your word, I hear You speaking to me…help me to be obedient.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 27 – World Could Not Contain All the Books

So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?" This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.  John 21:21-25

There are so many things that Jesus did…the world could not contain all the books. Hard to image that—and I like to read! Ah—maybe Heaven will be filled with books, too. Enjoy a day of reading…feasting on God’s word or something by your favorite author.

What are your plans for the new year? No better time than now to make changes in your life and habits that reflect your obedience to the Lord. Apply some of that wisdom that you have been praying for and hopefully receiving. Blessings~ 

Lord—give us grace to see and understand your will and your ways for our lives.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

 

December 26 – Yes, Lord. You Know I Love You

So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He  said to him, "Tend My lambs." He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!" Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" John 21:15-20 

Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. Of course Jesus knew the answer before He asked…but He was testing Peter. Can’t you just imagine that Peter was squirming just a little remembering that he had denied Jesus three times. Now he was being directed to “Tend and Shepherd my sheep.” Sheep are not especially wise little animals…they tend to follow the leader. So Jesus was telling Peter to take care of His sheep—to wisely lead them down the path they should go. And who are Jesus’ sheep? His believers—then and now. 

Do you think that people who just want to be entertained continually by smart phones, the internet, TV, movies, and sports programs are like sheep who are easily led astray? I’m no different from anyone else hooked on internet social media or Netflix. It is so easy to get sucked in and waste hours chatting or perusing Pinterest board posts. I rationalize that life can’t be productive every minute—and I just need some down time…but really. What does it take for people to make wise decisions of their own? I frequently pray for my children and grandchildren to make wise decisions every day. Wisdom is the key. With 216 occurrences in the Bible (NASB) it can be found frequently especially in verses in Psalms and Proverbs.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever. Psalm 111:10

The fear (respect) of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. Proverbs 3:13

Wisdom—that’s the key. Find wisdom and understanding—and sometimes that might be found in Google searches, but more often Godly wisdom is found in reading His word—feasting once again on Jesus’ red letter words or in the wisdom found in Psalms and Proverbs. Are you seeking wisdom? Where do you find it? 

Lord, now that we are beyond the Christmas day of this year, help us to have wisdom in how you want us to live in the coming new year. Please give us wisdom and understanding as we love you and tend your sheep

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 25 – Fish For Christmas Breakfast

After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught." Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. John 21:1-14

I love this story. Jesus had already cooked up fish before He called to them. Of course it was not Christmas morning when Jesus spoke these red letter words to seven of His disciples who were out fishing. He must have known that they were really hungry since He told them to bring some of their fresh catch. Those fishermen didn’t have the sophisticated fish finder equipment that our fishing friends today have, so their nets were empty until Jesus told them just where to throw their net. And who took the time to count those 153 fish? John, Jim and Jerry are three jolly fishermen now who do more catch and release of their fish than haul them home to eat—so it is more about the fish stories than fish frying with them. Jesus wouldn’t have to tell them to throw their lines over the other side of the boat—their fish finder tells them just where the fish are. Do you need Jesus to tell you where to fish? Are you fishing for salmon, rainbow trout, bass, blue gill…or are you fishing for men? Jesus helped His disciples catch a lot of fish that day…and then they went on to persuade thousands of people that Jesus was the Messiah. They did become the Fishers of Men that Jesus called them to be three years earlier. 

So come and have breakfast. Feast on Jesus’ red letter words on this Christmas day. You will likely feast on some turkey, prime rib or ham at some time during this day…but remember Jesus’ words and offer His words of salvation to other people around you. Words like Peace, Love, and Joy are meaningless unless there is an act of kindness associated with them. Jesus didn’t tell people to offer just words to others, but to put actions behind those words.

Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' ...The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'  Matthew 25:34-36, 40

We are admonished in James 1:22 to be doers of the word. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. So on this Christmas Day consider what Jesus did for you…and reach out to someone in your circle of family, friends and neighbors who needs the Lord. Share His love as well as peace and joy of the day. Their hunger, thirst, or imprisonment may be a spiritual one, as well as a physical one, and Jesus words can bring the healing touch that they need. Blessings on you as you seek and serve the Lord—on His day and every day. 

 Dear Jesus—help us to see those in need of You, of Your healing touch—and show us how to minister to them in tangible ways.

Happy Christmas!

©2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 24 – Seeing is Believing

After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:26-31 

Thomas had to see Jesus face to face to believe. Like Jesus said, Blessed are those who didn’t see and believed anyway. That is you and me…or at least me. I haven’t seen Jesus, but I know where I stand with Him. I believe that He is the Risen Savior—the Lamb of God who has taken away my sin—and the sins of the world. 

Several years ago a lady who was organizing our advent celebration at church asked me if I could paint a picture of Jesus. I said sure—no one knows exactly what Jesus looked like so I felt pretty safe—no photography back then. So my painting of Jesus could be right—or just my artistic interpretation. Then she explained that she wanted it to be on a six foot tall canvas—painted with my hands…not a brush. Well—I said I’d give it a try and I started practicing out in my garage. She provided the canvas which I painted black. The idea was that I would print the names of Jesus in white chalk on the canvas as drama readers recited the names. King of Kings, Savior, Son of God, Jehovah, Alpha, Omega, Promise, Gift, Way, Truth, Life, God, Redeemer, Rose of Sharon, Messiah, Christ. Then a choir of men would sing a Christmas carol while I painted Jesus’ face. I had sketched the face lightly on the canvas with purple chalk so I would have a starting point—I only had 5-7 minutes to do the painting. Well, as I started to paint I realized that there was a purple light shining on the canvas and therefore I could not see my purple chalk line…I prayed, Lord—you’ve got to paint this through me because I’ve nothing to go by. The men sang and I painted. It was an interesting process—the black of the canvas providing the “negative” space for the portrait. Jesus did an amazing job in just a few minutes—and although I’ll never know until I get to Heaven just what He looks like—at least it was a somewhat believable interpretation of my Savior—with a crown of thorns on His head. I believe… and I didn’t even see Him, yet. 

On this eve of the celebration of Jesus’ birth, may you believe in Jesus as your Savior—even without seeing Him. 

Precious Lord—Please continue to work in and through me that others would “believe” without “seeing” You face to face.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 23 – What Will It Take For You to Believe?

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained." But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." John 20:19-25 

Thomas said that he wouldn’t believe unless he touched Jesus’ wounded hands and side. So what will it take for you to believe? We’re about 2000 years later—so we can’t expect to be able to put our fingers into the place the nails went though His wrist. Jesus is in Heaven, seated at the right hand of His Father…waiting. 

Our eyes are on Christmas now—waiting. Children are waiting for Santa Clause to arrive—making special efforts to be good. Adults too celebrate the joy of the season—waiting. Waiting for a holiday meal, waiting in line to purchase a precious gift, or waiting to watch a special TV program or football game. What do you do to celebrate Christmas? Do you put up a Christmas tree, send cards to family and friends, buy or make special gifts, give money or gifts to the needy of your community, or like my own father, wear a “bah-humbug” slogan pin? Christmas can be a time of unmet expectations and disappointments for those not focusing on Jesus—the real gift of the season. My favorite “celebration of Christmas” is the Christmas Eve candle lighting service at church. Usually there is special music and scripture readings proclaiming the promise of God the Father in giving the gift of His only Son—and then with the lights dimmed the congregation is hushed and the lighting of each individual’s candle begins until the whole room is full of tiny glowing lights signifying Jesus light within their own hearts. Silent Night—Holy Night. Yes, it is a Holy Night. The night that Christ was born. Only one more day of waiting. May you believe and find room for Jesus in your heart as you wait for Christmas to arrive.

Heavenly Father—Thank you once again for Your plan of salvation for mankind…and for choosing each of us to know Your one and only Son—Jesus.  

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 22 – Whom Are You Seeking?

But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she  said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and  said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.  John 20:11-18 

Mary was looking for Jesus’ body—thinking that someone had taken His body…not realizing that He was resurrected. So at this Christmas season whom are you seeking? Are you looking for a Baby Jesus, for a resurrected Jesus, or for Santa Clause? Do you want someone to just fill your every wish—give you whatever you want? Or are you looking for someone to be your Savior, to forgive you for your sins, and to give you an opportunity to serve Him? Jesus is available to everyone who seeks Him. I love the saying “Wise Men (and Women) Still Seek Him” that I had printed on my Christmas cards a few years ago—it was a popular slogan then. Wise people do seek Jesus—which I guess implies that fools don’t seek Him. In Matthew Jesus gave us a good example of a foolish and wise man building their house or life…on Him, the Rock.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall. When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. Matthew 7:24-29  

So are you “building” your life on Jesus’ ways and values? Are you “seeking” Him? Be wise. During this time when we think about the Wise Men visiting Baby Jesus, be like those men and look for Jesus. You’ll find Him, like Mary did, and when you do make a note of the way He is working in your life. It will be amazing. 

Dear Jesus, give us wisdom and help us to see You for who You are…the Son of God, the risen Lord and our Savior.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 21 – Resurrection – The Empty Tomb

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes. John 20:1-10 

The tomb was empty. Where was Jesus? Hallelujah. He is Risen.

The manger was empty. Joseph and Mary had taken Jesus to Egypt. Egypt is not exactly heaven—but it was a safe place for this young family. Where is your safe place? Do you know that no matter where you are, God is with you? He has promised us to “never leave us or forsake us” in Deuteronomy 31:6 and then repeated in Hebrews 13:5. I’ve mentioned this before, but it is a promise that we can claim…and it is good to remember every day—and for anyone who is afraid of the dark—remember that  God is with you and He is bigger than anything you could possibly be afraid of—a monster or dust ball menace hiding under your bed. God is our "safe place."  

So the two disciples, John and Peter, didn’t understand the scriptures, but they believed. Do you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead—even without seeing the empty tomb for yourself? I have seen the “empty tomb” or at least one like it in Jerusalem—but I believed in Jesus as my risen Savior before I waited in line to take my turn to step into the vacant burial crypt. Actually it was because I do believe that I went to Jerusalem to walk where my Savior walked—to experience the land in which He lived. The burial crypt where Jesus was supposedly laid to rest before His resurrection is in a peaceful, quiet garden. As people wait patiently for their turn to peek into the empty tomb they often quietly sing hymns and take communion. It epitomizes the song, “I Come to the Garden Alone”. I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses and the voice I hear falling on my ear The Son of God discloses. And He walks with me….  It is a solemn place—filled with hope. He is Risen. He is Risen indeed. 

As we get nearer to Christmas, may the joy of the resurrection fill your heart as you remember the real reason for the season.   

Dear Jesus—thank you for walking with me, reminding me that You are always with me, and that You cared enough about me…my family and friends…that You died for us…for our sins. I rejoice in remembrance of Your birth…and Your resurrection.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 20 – Is Death Final?

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. John 19:38-42 

No red letter words today. In this passage of scripture, Jesus was dead. Two of His secret followers provided a tomb and burial spices and saw to it that He was buried in the traditional Jewish way before the sun set. Death is final—it was over. Usually that is how it works. But this time was different. Jesus had spoken of the temple being rebuilt in three day..."Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." John 2:19 Was He the Temple? From this side of the cross and with our hindsight we know that Jesus was and is the Temple. He told this to His disciples and the Jews in the Temple at the time of the Passover. They didn’t see or understand what He was saying. 

How often do we not see or hear what is really being said?  

Lord, help us to see, hear and understand spiritually what is true, right and just that as righteous children of God we would give Him honor and glory.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 19 – It Is Finished!

They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, "JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS." Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews'; but that He said, 'I am King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written." Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be"; this was to fulfill the Scripture: "THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS." Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, "I am thirsty." A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath ( for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, "NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN." And again another Scripture says, "THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED." John 19:17-37 

What began with a star over a manger in a cave ended with a dark mid-afternoon walk to an old olive tree and a piercing spear.

 

His last words—to His mother, the woman who raised Him, and one of His closest disciples—were instructions to take care of each other. He acknowledged His humanness—thirst. Then He acknowledged to His Father and everyone throughout creation that His job on earth was done. It was finished. What He came to do, He had accomplished. God the Father sent Him to earth to teach us how to live—how to follow God’s commandments—and for Jesus to take on the sins of the world like a Passover Lamb to be sacrificed. 

But the story doesn’t end there with the death and burial. The rest of the story so to speak is Jesus’ resurrection. He finished His work here on earth…and the rest happens in Heaven. He’s preparing a place for us—a home in Heaven where He will call us home to have a great feast. He has angels fighting spiritual warfare and following God the Father’s plan. It is all so wonderful. We just have to put our trust in Him. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.  Psalm 37:5. 

Lord, I commit my way to You and trust that You will guide me all the days of my life—through this Christmas season and all through the coming year.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

December 18 – Authority Over Mangers and Crowns

Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; and they began to come up to Him and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and to give Him slaps in the face. Pilate came out again and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him." Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold, the Man!" So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him." The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God." Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?" Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar." Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!" So they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. John 19:1-16

 

Authority – Power from a higher level. Authority in control. Authority in knowledge. God the Father is all powerful—omnipotent (1Timothy 6:16), everywhere—omnipresent (Psalm 139), all knowing—omniscient (Romans 16:27). God is awesome. No one has power over Him. That includes power over Jesus, too. Only God the Father has power greater, and thus authority, over Jesus. So as Jesus explained to Pilate…"You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." That power of God is the same today—He has not changed.

The Jews wanted Jesus to die—but they didn’t have the power. Pilate thought he had authority—but he didn’t. Jesus submitted Himself to His Father’s plan—and to the Romans who put that crown of thorns on His head. Thorns puncturing the head that had once rested on hay in a manger, that had once glowed with Shekinah glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, that had once bowed in the Garden of Gethsemane while praying to let the cup pass from Him. He humbled Himself taking on our sin and carrying it to the cross. “Crucify Him,” the crowd roared—and they did.

It seems almost ironic to read about the crucifixion of Christ as we are celebrating His birth. Nearly twenty years ago on our Christmas tree I hung a cross made from an Easter palm leaf. Our pastor and his family visited and he commented on the palm cross. My response was, “what is Christmas without Easter?” So I ask you…what is Christmas without Easter? There is no hope without the resurrection of Jesus—so I always hang a cross on my tree. That cross represents the remembrance of my hope in Jesus. The cross—along with the angels and stars on the tree, carols, holiday cookies, concerts, nativity dramas, tasty family meals, snow—that is what Christmas is all about. Gifts? Well—the best gift is Jesus. The same Jesus who wore a crown of thorns for each of us.

Jingle Bells—Jingle Bells. Bless all those who recognize that You, Jesus, are the reason for the season, and that God the Father has the authority over everything.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).