Jesus Visited Zaccheus – Will He Visit You?

Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:3-10

Next year…always looking ahead! Do you ever RSVP to an invitation? Do you take it seriously when someone sends you an invitation that says “RSVP?” Do you know what those letters stand for…and what the proper etiquette it when you receive such an invitation? Stay tuned to this blog in the coming weeks and see if you need to RSVP to an invitation from Jesus. His character traits of obedience, respect, attentiveness, commitment, as well as love ensure that He would certainly respond to an invitation. He is more likely though to initiate an invitation to your home, just as He did with Zaccheus. Would you come down from the tree and receive Jesus into your home? Zaccheus responded—gladly. 

Training Tip – Have you taught your children what it means to RSVP to an invitation? If not, do it today. It is a good habit to form for this coming New Year.

Happy New Year to you and your family. 

Lord Jesus, thank you for the invitation to come to a Banquet With The King—You are the King of my life, my Savior and my Friend. I count it all joy just to know You and to respond to your invitation.

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

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Spiritual Goals?

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5 

Only one more day in 2013. What spiritual goals have you reached this past year? What spiritual goals are you considering or making resolution plans for 2014? Here are some things to consider when setting Spiritual Goals for the New Year:

1.      What would you like to accomplish spiritually this year?

2.      What attitude or habit needs to change?

3.      How would you like God to use you?

4.      What ministry could utilize your unique gifts?

5.      What ministry could benefit from your leadership?

6.      What level of intimacy would you like to have with God?

7.      What friend would you like to lead to Christ?

8.      Who do you want to be your mentor…and who do you want to mentor?

As you consider these questions, think about what steps you can take on a monthly, weekly and daily basis to attain these goals. We need goals in lots of areas of our lives to challenge us—at work, at home, with physical fitness and with diet or nutrition (how many pounds do you want to lose this year?). Let me challenge you to seek to set some spiritual goals for 2014. Without a goal we fail to attain anything. As Lawrence J. Peter said…

If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.

Where are you going in 2014? 

Training Tip – No matter what the ages of your children, you can help them consider a goal—even a spiritual goal. They can memorize scripture, lead a friend to Christ, help a neighbor or do extra chores to earn money to be used for homeless ministry. They can take water or food to a homeless person (with your help) or sell homemade lemonade to raise money for a missionary. 

Lord, help us to choose attainable goals with Your wisdom and vision. Guide us in the things we do with our family and friends, and others to reach those goals.

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

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Press On – Reach Forward

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it (resurrection) yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14  

Press on—only two more days left in 2013. Are you becoming more like Jesus every day? To be like Jesus, we need to treat others the way that He would. What a challenge this has been! More than thirty years ago I learned a valuable lesson to treat everyone as if they were Jesus. (I shared this last January 15^th when looking at the trait of obedience.) As a young wife I resented having to iron a shirt every morning for my husband—or even just to have to starch and iron five shirts a week. But then one day in a Bible study that I was attending we studied Colossians 3:23, Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. So I was convicted that I should be ironing my husband’s shirts as if I were ironing those shirts for Jesus Himself. That changed my whole attitude…and it went beyond ironing shirts to cleaning the house, fixing meals, and when we had children, even raising our kids. Although sometimes, OK often, I will admit that I lost sight of that vision…and of my obedience to the Lord! I am only human. I still need reminders that I need to treat everyone as if they were Jesus. In fact, I needed that reminder today! How can I possibly reach the goal for the prize of the upward call of God if I have a bad attitude? How about you? 

Training Tip – There is a song written by William D. Longstaff in 1882 that still applies to today. Recommending that we apply this to our lives makes me preach to myself. I need to do this, too. Verse two tells us that by looking to Jesus, we become like Him. That’s been my goal for me and you all this year. Become more like Jesus every day. He was Holy—He is Holy. Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Leviticus 19:2.  

Take Time to Be Holy

1.      Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

2.      Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

3.      Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide;
And run not before Him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

4.      Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
Each thought and each motive beneath His control.
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

Lord Jesus, Holy are You Lord. Worthy of our praise and adoration. Guide us in the way we live—that we would be like You, holy, obedient and loving.

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

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Walk or Live As Jesus Did

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6 NIV 

Walk like Jesus…live as Jesus did. He lived a life of obedience to His Father. You wouldn’t say that He was “obedient” to the Pharisees, but perhaps respectful in some ways. He allowed them to engage Him in conversation and yet He would not follow their legalistic habits. The Hebrew people were taught in Leviticus to keep the Sabbath day holy. For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. Leviticus 23:3. But on the Sabbath when our compassionate Jesus healed a woman who had been sick (due to a demon) for eighteen years, He was severely criticized by the Pharisees. But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day." Luke 13:14. What would you have done if healing that woman had been within your power? Would you have laid hands on her and prayed for her to be released from the power of that demon? Jesus was compassionate. Do other people know you as “compassionate”? Obedience and compassion are character traits whose basis is deeply rooted in love. Love for the Father. Love for mankind. In your mind, is love symbolized by a heart or a cross?  

Training Tip – With your family talk about Jesus’ life—how He loved people and His Father. Read the scripture about walking like Jesus did (1 John 2:6) and what that means to us today. Have your children draw a symbol of love. Is it a heart or a cross?

Lord Jesus, we praise You for who You are…our creator, healer, savior and friend. Help us to be obedient and compassionate like You and to share you with others today and always.

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

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

The Greatest of These is Love

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:11-13 

Jesus had an infinite number of characteristics for which each of us could strive. On this blog for the past year we’ve looked at about 70 different characteristics that we could attribute to Jesus. Did you take a look at the list in yesterday’s blog and have you identified some that you personally have worked on this year in yourself, your children or your grandchildren? In the Christian Parenting Library book How To Mold Character From the Inside Out Dr. Kay Kuzma gives a suggested character building plan that she and her husband used on a cycle of thirteen weeks, four times a year. The characteristics they covered were faith or faithfulness, orderliness, self-discipline, happiness, perseverance, honesty, thoughtfulness, efficiency, responsibility or obedience, respect or courage, enthusiasm, humility, and peacefulness. The Kuzmas chose Bible verses for the children to memorize, used Bible stories to offer examples from the Old and New Testaments individuals to emulate, and provided activities to emphasize the trait of the week. When I look at that list of character traits I think that each of them depends on love…without love there is no faithfulness, or desire for orderliness, certainly no self-discipline, obedience, respect or happiness. The greatest of all is…love. Love the Lord your God. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5. Love is the basis for those character traits of Jesus because God is love. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16 

Training Tip – Get inspired by 50 sample radio scripts, “Got a Minute for Your Family?” that Dr. Kay Kuzma has posted on her website: http://familymattersministry.com/media/50%20sample_got_a_minute_for_your_family.htm  She has written some outstanding quick suggestions for parents of babies, toddlers, grade-schoolers and teens. Check them out. They literally take less than a minute to read—and even the busiest parents can spare one minute of time. I was particularly interested in #0603, “Parents Can’t Do Everything” in which she encourages parents that their children need to take responsibility for their own lives. Parents can’t do everything for their children, including changing the kids’ behavior. It will build the children’s self-worth for them change their own negative behavior. Great idea. Isn’t that what one of your goals is for your children—for them to be responsible for their own actions?  

Lord Jesus, Your character traits are worthy of our time and effort. Help us to see You in ourselves and others and to grow to be more like You. 

Friday’s Feast at the Lord’s Table

If you are going to a New Year’s Eve gathering consider adding this easy fudge to your last minute holiday baking list. It only takes a few ingredients and is super easy…and tasty! For an optional flavor, add some left-over candy canes, finely chopped. You can easily divide the ingredients in half if you desire a smaller quantity. So before you embark on that new diet--splurge on a tasty treat!

Velveeta Cheese Fudge

1 pound unsalted butter

1 pound Velveeta cheese

4 pounds powdered sugar

1 cup cocoa

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ cup nuts, chopped or ½ cup chopped peppermint candy, optional 

In a saucepan melt butter and Velveeta cheese.

Sift together sugar and cocoa.

Add the cheese and butter mixture, vanilla and nuts (and/or candy) and mix well.

Spread into a buttered 9 x 13 - inch pan.

Cool and cut into bite-sized pieces less than 1” square.

Enjoy!

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

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Training Character Traits

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

During 2013 spiritual character was the focus of this Banquet With The King as we feasted on His word. Applying spiritual character traits to our lives isn’t just for little children—it is useful to all of us—to help us grow closer to the Lord. As it is written in Romans…And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:3-5. In addition as we apply those character traits, we walk as Jesus did. We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6 NIV

Training Tip – Jesus’ spiritual character traits to which we can attain as we have discovered this year are listed below. Review the character traits that you noted in your children and those that you have hoped to develop in each of them. How is that going?

¨  Love

¨  Commitment

¨  Obedience

¨  Joy

¨  Compassion

¨  Kindness

¨  Contentment

¨  Integrity

¨  Honesty

¨  Loyalty

¨  Perseverance

¨  Forgiving

¨  Humility

¨  Prayerful

¨  Servant

¨  Holiness

¨  Suffering

¨  Gratitude

¨  Goodness

¨  Faithfulness

¨  Generous

¨  Gentleness

¨  Self-Control

¨  Courage

¨  Peace

¨  Patience

¨  Discipline

¨  Responsible

¨  Dependable

¨  Respectful

¨  Reliable

¨  Creative

¨  Encouragement

¨  Optimistic

¨  Meekness

¨  Tactful

¨  Tolerance

¨  Vision

¨  Enthusiasm

¨  Endurance

¨  Grace

¨  Discretion

¨  Supportive

¨  Efficient

¨  Wisdom

¨  Attentiveness

¨  Teacher

¨  Listening

¨  Security

¨  Submissive

¨  Diligence

¨  Initiative

¨  Faith

¨  Fearless

¨  Flexibility

¨  Godly Priorities

¨  Hospitality

¨  Discreet

¨  Decisive

¨  Guidance

¨  Persuasiveness

¨  Purpose

¨  Prudence

¨  Avoid Anger

¨  Reverence

¨  Agreeable

¨  Appreciation

¨  Discernment

¨  Devotion

¨  Determination

¨  Virtue

¨  Selfless/Self-Sacrifice

Dear Lord, You are awesome. Your character traits are worth emulating—so train us to persevere through the good times and rough times in our lives that we would become more like You—kind, forgiving, generous and loving.

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

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Gave It All

And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on." Mark 12:41-44

God had everything—He made everything. One thing He desired was for man to be pure enough to come to Him and fellowship with Him. Adam and Eve messed up and made it so that mankind was impure and wouldn’t be able to approach God’s throne. So God had a plan to send His own Son to get to know the humans personally, live among them and then become a sacrifice for their sins. That sacrifice would purify the humans so that they could approach the throne of the Almighty God. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16. God’s Son gave it all. Similarly, the poor widow gave all she had…all she owned. She sacrificed all she had—like Jesus. She gave it all. Jesus gave it all when He came to earth…and then gave the ultimate human gift…His life. That allowed God to once again have everything—everyone who believes and trusts Him with their lives, lives.  

Training Tip – Give thanks for the small things, like the small cent that widow gave. With your family praise God for His plan…and His love for mankind. Celebrate Jesus’ birthday.

 

Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus. We love You and we are grateful for the sacrifice You gave for us.

 

Merry Christmas…everyone!

 

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

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.