Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Daily Devotional focusing on spiritual "food" at the King's Banquet Table. In 2024 this blog will explore verses to meditate on as we examine our "choices" daily, pursuing a deeper relationship with God as we grow in Christian maturity. This web page has had over 230,000 page views by people in over 135 different countries who are seeking God through His Word. God has promised if you seek Him, you will find Him. May you be blessed reading Banquet With The King.
Meditate.
Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn't keep their eyes open. And they didn't know what to say. When he returned to them the third time, he said, "Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." Mark 14:39-41
It’s over. Jesus prayed the same prayer three times. God’s mind wasn’t changed. Jesus was still to be the sacrifice for mankind’s sin. He was still headed for the cross. Prayer time was over—and the betrayer was there in the Garden of Gethsemane to hand Jesus over to the officials. It was the beginning of the end. The same prayer…let this cup pass from me…wasn’t to be answered. Jesus was to be the sacrifice—the Passover Lamb for all mankind.
Prayer ~ Lord, hear our prayer…even when we pray the same prayer three times, just like You prayed. Thank you that we don’t need to ask not to die for our sin.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free
gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Unless
otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of
Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - https://www.blb.org
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Meditate.
"Abba, Father," he cried out, "everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Mark 14: 36-38
Watch and pray. How long can you pray? Some people can pray for hours…others of us are doing well to pray for one hour…some only last a few minutes. Jesus’ friends on this occasion were probably in that last group. They fell asleep. Sometimes at night I’ll be praying and fall asleep before I finish my prayers. I’m sure that has happened to you, too. Can’t you just hear Jesus talking to Peter…Hey—are you sleeping? Don’t you know I’m in anguish here? STAY AWAKE! Pray for me…pray for yourself… so that you will not give in to temptation. The temptation was to fall asleep! And that is just what Simon Peter did—snoozing while His Master, His Rabbi, His Lord, His Friend was in deep, stressful prayer. Prayer that could have changed the world—but God didn’t answer Jesus’ prayer with a “Yes.” Jesus submitted His will to His Father’s will. Peter’s spirit may have been willing to stay awake and pray, but his body was weak…and he fell asleep.
Brass Korean Cross Depicting Jesus' death. Other side of cross has the Lord's Prayer in Korean. |
Prayer – Jesus, like a shepherd You have led us to see You in prayer, yielding to the cup of suffering, and the cross. Thank you for all You have done for us.
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
©
2020 Text, photos and paintings by
Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
Unless
otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of
Tyndale House Publishers,
Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - https://www.blb.org
Follow And Like "Banquet With
The King" on Facebook. 👍
Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional
for Building Character book available
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Meditate. Consider how Jesus felt as He prayed…alone.
They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, "Sit here while I go and pray." He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. Mark 14:32-35
Jesus and His disciples had just had a big
Passover meal…Jesus’ Last Supper. Then they went out to the Garden of
Gethsemane. Jesus just needed to pray…alone. He asked His closest friends to
keep watch. I think He wanted them to stay awake and pray for Him…but not with
Him. He wanted to be alone in prayer with His Heavenly Father. He was deeply
upset. In agony. He knew what was going to happen to Him. Does anyone look
forward to a beating…a scourging? Does anyone want to be abandoned by His
friends or forsaken by His Father? Does anyone want to die on a cross? Jesus
wanted that event go by…and not be part of His life…but He was obedient to His
Father. Although He was sinless, He faced punishment for the sin of
mankind…everyone since Adam and Eve. Was that fair? Nope. But Jesus was
obedient to His Father’s plan to save mankind…to bring them back into His
favor. Sacrifice the pure lamb. Sacrifice Jesus. Garden of Gethsemane
Jerusalem
Verse of Salvation ~ But if you warn them to repent and they don't repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself. - Ezekiel 33:9
©
2020 Text, photos and paintings by
Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are
taken from the Holy Bible, New Living
Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - https://www.blb.org
Follow And Like "Banquet With
The King" on Facebook. 👍
.
Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional
for Building Character book available at Amazon.com
While you MEDITATE, you may want to
withdraw to a quiet place and pray.
But despite Jesus' instructions, the report
of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to
be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for
prayer. Luke 5:15-16
But…weren’t the people listening to Him. The man He healed right before this was a leper. He healed him and then said…Don’t tell. But—there’s that word again…the leper couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Would you have been able to not tell anyone if you’d lived with that horrible “unclean” disease and then been cured? Leprosy is a dreaded debilitating disease that required lepers to keep away from healthy folks—maintaining at least six feet distance and shouting “unclean” as they walked down a public street. I’m sure this fellow was dancing for joy and blabbing his mouth off. “Look at me. I’m not unclean any longer!”
In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with
an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to
the ground, begging to be healed. "Lord," he said, "if you are
willing, you can heal me and make me clean." Jesus reached out and touched
him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" And instantly
the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had
happened. He said, "Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along
the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of
leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed."
Luke 5:12-14
The disobedience to His request would be
enough to drive anyone to see a quiet place to be alone…and talk to their Dad.
That is just what Jesus did. But He
withdrew to the wilderness—a quiet place where He could pray and get way
from the crowds of people. Power likely drained out of Jesus as He healed this
leper, so praying would refresh and renew Him.Lone Tree in the Wilderness of Israel
What do you do to refresh yourself
spiritually? Prayer is the best answer. God will renew your spirit and your
mind if you ask Him. David asked the Lord…
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a
loyal spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Consider these words that Paul wrote to the
church at Ephesus.
Since you have heard about Jesus and have
learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and
your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let
the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature,
created to be like God--truly righteous and holy. - Ephesians 4:21-24
(Underlined for emphasis.)
Pray. If you sincerely want to change…to
renew your thoughts and attitudes there is no better place to begin that by
asking the Holy Spirit to do just that.
Prayer ~ Holy Spirit, As I draw away for this quiet time of prayer with You, renew and refresh my mind—beginning with my thoughts and attitudes. I want a clean heart that is pleasing to You, Lord God.
Verses of Salvation ~ If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10
Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table
Camping is a fun way to get away…and to get
back to nature…to commune alone with God in a quiet place. What do you eat when
you go camping?
Hot dogs, beans and s’mores are probably high on the menu list. Have you tried Indian Fry Bread? We made some when we lived and camped in New Mexico years ago. Then one of my sister-in-laws, who was part Indian, made some with my kids when we were camping here in Washington. I was thinking that would be a good group activity sometime soon, not necessarily when we’re camping. The easiest way is just to use some frozen bread dough. Let it thaw and rise. Then divide the dough into 8-10 pieces and roll it out to about ¼ inch thick 6-8 inch circles. Fry the bread over a campfire or on the stove in a little vegetable oil. You can use peanut oil which is good for frying anything. When the dough bubbles up and browns a little, turn it over and brown the other side. Fold the bread in half and fill with seasoned taco meat, grated cheese, chopped tomatoes and onions, sliced avocado, sour cream, jalapenos and whatever you normally put into tacos. It makes sort of an Indian taco. Enjoy eating these sitting around the campfire. Maybe someone will get inspired and do an Indian dance.
If you don’t want to do the easy yeast
bread fry bread, give this recipe a try. It’s pretty easy, too. Life is too
short to try to make food difficult to prepare when you want to relax out in
the wilderness.
3 cups
flour
1
tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon
salt
1 cup
hot water
Hot oil
(canola or peanut) for frying – about 1” deep in a frying pan
Fill with favorite taco style meats and vegetables. Also good with some butter and cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on it.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - https://www.blb.org
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Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional
for Building Character book available
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Consider this Message. Meditate on it.
God
is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God
and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home
and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in
the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear.
Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of
death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are
going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us
first. If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or
sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he
can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ
is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both. 1 John 4:17-21 MSG
Love one another. Jesus’ words repeated...from the Old Testament…from Jesus…and from Paul and John. Same message. Love.
Do not seek revenge or bear a
grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the
LORD. Leviticus
19:18
Your love for one another will
prove to the world that you are my disciples. John 13:35
For the whole law can be summed
up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:14
Verse of Salvation ~ For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - https://www.blb.org
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The King" on Facebook. 👍
. Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character book available at Amazon.com
Warden Community Church My home church growing up...and where I was married. |
Prosser Balloon Festival |
Christ won't be coming in a balloon... but keep looking up! Don't give up seeking Him. He will return and every eye will see Him. |
The Sea of Galilee From the site of the Sermon on the Mount Israel |
Drama portrayal of the Passover Meal. Jesus blessing the Bread. |