Banquet With The King

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.

Sunday, March 31, 2024

Joyous Resurrection

Prayer – Lord Jesus, I am in awe of You. Risen from the dead. Alive…and now seated at the right hand of God Almighty—our Heavenly Father. You are alive. I serve a risen Savior. I humbly ask that You would give me wisdom, understanding, and guide me as I joyously seek You daily—walking in Your footsteps.

The Empty Tomb
The Stone was rolled away.
Garden Tomb - Jerusalem, Israel

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day." Then they remembered that he had said this. Luke 24:1-8 NLT (Underlined for emphasis.)

Meditate. He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Where are you looking for a savior? Are you looking among the dead? Do you think you can receive enlightenment from the dead Buddha? Are you following any Hindu gods? Do you know that all people sin and don’t measure up to the purity that the Almighty God expects?

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:21-24 NLT (Underlined for emphasis.)

It was Jesus who set us free from the sin that would keep us from ever coming close to God. His sacrifice was death on the cross that most of the world has heard about at some time. The cross is the symbol of Christianity.

If you are looking for a savior from your sins—look no further. Jesus is that savior. He has already given His life just for you. All you have to do is admit that you have sinned and ask for forgiveness. That’s it. God will declare you righteous. Then you’ll be accepted into eternal life in God’s presence. The alternative is to reject Jesus as your savior and spend eternity away from the presence of God. Personally, I choose to spend eternity with God—serving the risen Savior, Jesus. He is alive. I’m not sure what job heaven holds for me—painting murals, planting pansies by the golden streets, singing daily around His Throne, or being a priest in His Temple—I am ready and willing to serve. I hear that Heaven is a wonderful place. I want to go there!

Do you choose to accept all that Jesus has to offer you? Freedom from sin, undeserved kindness from Almighty God Himself who will declare you righteous, and a filling of the Holy Spirit that will give you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The choice is yours.

Verse of Salvation ~ God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. Hebrews 2:10 NLT

Joyous Resurrection Sunday to each of you!

May God Bless You as You Seek & Serve Him.

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Saturday, March 30, 2024

Redeem by His Precious Blood

Prayer – Lord, I’m not worthy of the blood that You shed for me—but I am humbly accepting what You did for me. What a horrible death—a physical death—sacrificed for my spiritual soul. I am grateful.

And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as "foreigners in the land." For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. 1 Peter 1:17-21 NLT

Meditate. Focus on Jesus.

Redeemed. Set Free. Ransomed. It happened for those who believe in Him when Jesus’ blood was shed—before and during His crucifixion. He was beaten, spit on, tortured and then nailed to a cross. Can you imagine those spikes going through His wrists and ankles? Oh my. The pain. Then, asphyxiation and bleeding to death while hanging on a cross in the Roman way of execution. A brutal way to die. He certainly didn’t deserve that. He was sinless—like the spotless lamb at Passover. The blood of the lamb spread on the doorposts of the Jewish homes. Now is that blood sprinkled on the doorposts of your heart—redeeming you from your sins…the errors of your ways?

Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate. Who goes to a ruler and gets to see him right away? God arranged that. Not only did this Joseph get an audience with Pilate, but he received permission to take the body of Jesus for burial. Did the Roman soldiers help Joseph and Nicodemus carry Jesus to the tomb that Joseph had prepared? Did servants of Nicodemus carry the heavy ointment they used to prepare Jesus’ body for burial? Certainly, he couldn’t carry that by himself. So many questions about the details of Jesus death and burial.

Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus' body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus' body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. John 19:38-42 NLT

Now is the time to wait. The body of Jesus was dead—but His spirit was not dead. We know that the resurrection was ahead. There will be joy in the morning—but now was a time of mourning for His followers. This is a time of reflection for us. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. 1Peter 1:20. Do you choose to accept what Jesus did for you? Are you redeemed by His blood?

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

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Friday, March 29, 2024

It’s Over When It’s OverIt

Prayer – Lord – You knew when it began… “In the Beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth…” And when it was over, “It is finished.” At least Your work that God the Father had sent You to earth to complete was done. That was just the beginning of the spiritual journey that mankind has had to continue. There are new discoveries every day for those of us seeking to know You more deeply—to understand and appreciate Your wisdom. It’s not over until its over. When will that time come? We can only wait and see.

It is finished.
Jesus on the cross.
Holy Family Shrine. Gretna, Nebraska

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, "I am thirsty." A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. John 19:28-30 NLT

Meditate. “It is finished!”

What was Jesus’ purpose in coming to Earth? Jesus came to do His Father’s will…and to compassionately serve those who needed help right where He was.

"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." Mark 14:36 NLT

At that time some Pharisees said to him, "Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!" Jesus replied, "Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn't do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem! Luke 13:31-33 NLT

John's two disciples found Jesus and said to him, "John the Baptist sent us to ask, 'Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?'" At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John's disciples, "Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard--the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him, 'God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.'" Luke 7:20-23 NLT

Did He fulfill that purpose? Yes. He did heal the sick, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the lepers—and raised the dead. Then He surrendered His own life as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past…. Romans 3:25 NLT

What did it mean when He said "It is finished!"? The work that He came to do was completed. The sacrificial lamb had to die—and then His job on Earth was done. Now the choice is up to those for whom He died. Do you accept that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb for your sins? It was finished—final for Jesus. That sacrifice was a one-time event. He will never repeat it. Its over.

Verse of Salvation ~ For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Jesus had nothing to eat or drink during His last day as a human being here on Earth. With that in mind—why should we feast today?

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Thursday, March 28, 2024

What is More Precious Than Gold?

Prayer – Lord, You give us such practical teachings and spiritual guidance. Our values are so easily based on worldly views—like the value of gold and silver. We constantly hear that the stock market is up or down and the price of gold has risen or fallen—but that is a treasure that is not lasting and we can’t store up in heaven. What is more precious than gold? I’m feeling like Your love, Lord, is the most precious commodity of life—spiritually and physically. We have to share Your faith and love with others for it to really be of value, so give me wisdom to see opportunities to do just that—and fill me with the boldness of the Holy Spirit, like Peter, that I would speak up for You with joy.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 1 Peter 1:6-8 NLT

Meditate. Breath in and out. Rejoice and be glad.

Jesus with His disciples at the Last Supper
Depicted at Richland Nazarene Church
Jesus broke the bread and blessed it.

Today is not the actual day of Passover this year, but it is the Maudy Thursday of Holy Week. This is the day that we traditionally think of Jesus celebrating the Last Supper with His disciples in the Upper Room. Leonardo Da Vinci painting his famous painting of the Last Supper depicted only the twelve disciples at the table with Jesus—but I imagine that some of His other close followers were present, too. Possibly some of the women, like Mary Magdelene, Martha and Mary, may have been there to help prepare and serve their dinner. They are not mentioned in any of the four gospel Jesus accounts of this Last Supper—but are frequently with Jesus and His disciples.

Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples. Luke 8:1-3 NLT

At this time Jesus was about to face His greatest trial and imminent death—but He relaxes with a great meal and shows His disciples a final example and the importance of being a servant to fellow believers. He washes the feet of the disciples. To have their teacher, their Rabbi, wash their feet must have been a humbling experience for them. Their faith would be tested in the coming hours and days—and what did they do when He was arrested?

Then Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures." At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled. Matthew 26:55-56 NLT

The disciples lacked faith in Jesus and ran away. They were probably afraid that they would be arrested, too! Are we ever like that? Filled with fear—not having faith in the Lord or in trusting Him to inspire us to do the right thing? We cannot see Jesus as His disciples did—but we can still believe. When we are tested, will our true faith show; will we rejoice and be glad? The choice is ours. Is gold or our faith in Jesus more precious?

Verse of Salvation ~ In that day the people will proclaim, "This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the LORD, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!" Isaiah 25:9

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

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Wednesday, March 27, 2024

What is Your Inheritance?

Prayer – Lord Jesus, You are holy—and have sacrificed so much for all mankind. I am in awe of You—and even though I am not worthy…You love me enough to die for me. I accept You as my Savior and look forward to the inheritance that You have for me in heaven. Thank you!

God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace. 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. 1 Peter 1:2-4 NLT

Meditate. Consider your inheritance.

What is your inheritance? On earth, you might inherit some land, a house, a car, some old family jewelry, or maybe some bills. If you are like me, you just don’t need any more STUFF! Fortunately, you can’t take any stuff with you into heaven, so someone else will be “inheriting” it. The stuff that you take into heaven is spiritual.

LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. Psalm 16:5

Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. Ephesians 1:11

The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. Ephesians 1:14

Actually, not a moth...but a
hypna clytemnestra butterfly.
Will it damage things it eats?

Jesus told His disciples and followers that they needed to store up stuff in heaven not on earth where it will rot or eaten by moths.

Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matthew 6:19-21

What are you storing up here on earth? What are you storing up in heaven? Is this your inheritance?

Verse of Salvation ~ While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. Hebrews 5:7-9

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

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Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

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Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Best Thing About God?

Prayer – Lord, You are the best of the best. How can I describe what is “best” about You? Lord Jesus, You not only created everything, but You gave Yourself as a sacrifice for all mankind. Adam and Eve gave in to Satan’s temptation—so You had to rescue us all and You did it. Obediently. I guess that is the thing that I am so amazed about You. You were part of the triune God in Heaven—yet You gave up that status to come down here to earth to live in a bit of a primitive setting with no electricity or running water to teach people how to live and how to love God and other people. You did it! Where would we be today without You?

Sculpture at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Jerusalem, Israel
Depicts the crucifixion of Jesus.

Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. Romans 5:18-19 NKJV (Underlined for emphasis.)

Meditate. Consider obedience.

What do I think is the best thing about God? With some thought…I think that I most value Jesus’ obedience to His Father. Jesus created the heavens and the earth…and then God created man, in His own image—making us spiritual beings. There is so much to treasure, appreciate, respect and cherish about God. He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. All power and majesty belong to the Lord—so it is difficult to choose what one thinks is “best” about our God, but without obedience, God’s plan for mankind would not be complete.

Can we ever be as obedient as Jesus was…and is? He’s the best Son, the best creator, the best Savior and redeemer. God the Father was willing to give up His Son so that we can be like Him—not perfect now…but someday we can serve with Him in the New Earth and New Jerusalem. For now, we can confess our sins, be forgiven, and with God’s help, strive to be set apart and live a life of holiness. I’m convinced that we can’t do that on our own—only with the Holy Spirit guiding and teaching us.

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:20-24 NKJV

That’s it…the truth is in Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth. and the life (John 14:6). With that, Jesus was obedient…and is obedient to His Heavenly Father. Can we be anything less?

Verses of Salvation ~ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5 NKJV

All scripture quoted from the New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted.

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Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

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Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Monday, March 25, 2024

God Chooses

Prayer – Lord God, You’ve made choices. You have Your chosen people and have guided and rescued them—teaching just where and how they should live. When they rejected You and Your ways, You adopted Gentiles who believed in You. Thank you for choosing the whole world to love—and for accepting those who trusted You with their lives. You are a mysterious god—but You are my God and I love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. ... "But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. Deuteronomy 12:1, 5 NKJV

Meditate. Consider God’s choices.

Choices. We make choices every day…all day. But God make choices, too. His first choice was just to create the heavens and the earth.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 NKJV

When He choose to make man, in His own image, I think that another dimension was opened. God created man and allowed him to make his own choices. Immediately, God had the man Adam name the animals, giving him the responsibility and allowing him to assign names to the animals.

Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. Genesis 2:19 NKJV

God gave mankind free will. An early example of this is found among the Lord’s instructions to Moses for the Israelites. This one concerns the offering and sacrifices to the Lord being accepted by Him. People were to give sacrifices by their choice.

And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will. Leviticus 22:29 NKJV

God has a plan for mankind. He has already made His choices—and we just have to make our choices to see where we fit into His plan for eternity.

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:23-25 NLT

Your new life…should you choose to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior…or if you have already chosen that, will last forever. Choose wisely. God has already chosen.

Verse of Salvation ~ Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines;

even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19 (Underlined for emphasis.)

All scripture quoted from the New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted.

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

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories