Banquet With The King

Monday, March 18, 2024

The Key Choice

Prayer – Lord - I know You know my thoughts, dreams, and wishes. Help me to choose to use those thoughts and plans to bring you glory!

"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT (Underlined for emphasis.)

Meditate. Consider Moses words to the Israelites before they crossed into the Promised Land.

God gives everyone a choice. Moses spoke to the children of Israel before they went into the Promised Land, encouraging them to obey, love, and follow the Lord. Through Moses, the Israelites and thus us were encouraged to choose to love God and to love life. It is the key to their life. How about to ours? Read the verses above and then in the context of the whole chapter in Deuteronomy.

To love someone, even God, you have to KNOW them. God knows you very well—all your deepest thoughts and plans. Those are something you may not have even shared with your family or best friends. But God knows. Do you know Him that well? How do you get to know this God Almighty—the great creator, the omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient? He reveals Himself in His word. Remember, God is Love, but He gives a choice to love Him. Love. That’s the key to life.

Verse of Salvation ~ The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. Isaiah 33:5-6 NIV

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) 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

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

Prayer ~ Dear God, bless each of us today as we remember St. Patrick—a shepherd slave who became a Christian believer in Ireland. Like St. Patrick may we continue to seek You, Lord, and be devoted to You in all that we think, say and do.

Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately." Matthew 24:4-6

Meditate. Don’t panic.

Don't abandon the right path.
It leads you to the Lord God.
Cross from Peru.

In the Old Testament deception includes this one from a minor prophet, Obadiah. The Edomites were rejoicing over the misfortunes that had come on Jerusalem. As family of Esau, they had a long history of conflict with the Israelites.

All your allies will turn against you. They will help to chase you from your land. They will promise you peace while plotting to deceive and destroy you. Your trusted friends will set traps for you, and you won't even know about it. Obadiah 1:7

I don’t think that Jesus was considering the Edomites and their situation when He warned about deceivers. He also instructed his disciples…don’t let anyone mislead you…

Solomon in his wisdom warned…

Violent people mislead their companions, leading them down a harmful path. Proverbs 16:29

Don’t let anyone deceive you. Watch out…you’ve been warned. Don’t be misled. Don’t be deceived.

No one can snatch you out of God’s hand…if you believe and God is your Father. Its’s your choice.

Verse of Salvation ~ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 NLT

Happy Birthday Mary JR

May God continue to bless you as you write and paint!

Your mountain home it calling—go live it!

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) 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

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Choose Obedience?

Prayer ~ Lord Jesus, help us to be obedient as You were. We may not be healing people like Peter and the other apostles did. We may not be teaching other in a way that brings multitudes to saving faith in You, but even if we bring one…that is miraculous. Help us to see ways to be obedient to You, God, that others would indeed seek to know You as we do—and to love You as we do.

Jesus died on a cross for us.

But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed Him by hanging Him on a cross. Then God put Him in the place of honor at His right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey Him." Acts 5:29-32

Meditate.

Peter and the other apostles had been teaching, doing signs and wonders, in the portico area of the Temple. Many people were healed of sickness and of unclean spirits. A multitude of people began to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. All this made the Jewish high priest and the Sadducees jealous, so they had the apostles thrown into prison. But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and told them to go teach in the Temple, so they did. When confronted by the Jewish religious official they replied, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. ….” Obedience to God shows the highest respect and is best response to any command that God gives. Jesus is our example of that. Jesus is pure and sinless…qualities that we will never attain, but we can do one thing that Jesus never had to do: repent. He was sinless. To repent means to turn away from our sin—to seek forgiveness. God calls mankind to repent. Obedience leads to a right relationship with God the Father, with His Son, Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit. Relationship with God is what is important in life—here and now, and for the future. The choice is yours. How is your relationship with God, today?

Verse of Salvation ~ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. - Psalm 51:10-12 NKJV

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) 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

Friday, March 15, 2024

Do You Know God?

Prayer ~ Dear God, I love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. May the way I live always honor and please You, Lord, and may my life produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, may I grow as I learn to know You better and better. From Colossians 1:10

Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NLT

שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד׃ ואהבת את יהוה אלהיך בכל־לבבך ובכל־נפשך ובכל־מאדך׃ - Deuteronomy 6:4-5 WLC

Meditate on loving God.

What do you learn about God from this scripture? It is repeated several times in the Old and New Testaments.

Consider how much you love another person. Why do you love them…how can you love them without knowing them? Right…you have to know them…and the more you know them, the more you love them. Love is powerful.

Know God…love Him. Know Him more, love Him more deeply, more completely…with all your heart soul, mind and strength. That is one of Jesus top commandments.

And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these. Mark 12:30-31 NLT

Start now.
Wholeheartedly seek God.
Know God - Please Him.

Loving God totally. That is a really good goal to have. We all can start with to know God more deeply this year…this month…today. God has promises about seeking Him. (To the Hebrew people in exile in Babylon. We can claim this promise, too.)

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me." Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLT

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6 NLT

The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. Psalm 22:26 NLT

Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Isaiah 55:6 NLT

His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets (in Athens) have said, 'We are his offspring.' Acts 17:27-28 NLT

As believers, we are the children of God, adopted into His family. We can cling to God’s promises with hope as we pray and seek Him. This is one promise that many in our nation need to get down on our knees and pray.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

How well do you know and obey God?

Verse of Salvation ~ Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you. Psalm 51:12 NLT

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

What’s for supper? How many times a day or a week do you hear this?

Menu planning is the key to less stress and better budget control. You only buy what you need…and with no waste you’ll save money.

Years ago when I took a Chinese cooking class I learned that every meal should have a crunchy, a soft, a spicy and a bland component. And a good meal also has something warm and something cold. Fresh is best. Consider dishes that meet nutritional needs, dishes that you enjoy preparing and your family’s favorites. I challenge you to start planning for the next seven days. I’m challenging myself, too!

1. Check ads to see what is on sale and use those as the basic items for evening meals. Plan your menu using variety: Slow cooker, grill, stir-fry, soup, ethnic, pasta, casserole, salad, quick and easy, pizza, left-overs, and new dish. Check recipes to see that you have all the ingredients necessary—either on your list or on your pantry shelf.

2. Shop—and be flexible if you find better bargains than were listed in the ads. Use seasonal items. Be sure to pick up staples that you have on your shopping list.

3. Put food away when you get home. Do your final menu plan considering the items you bought when you shopped and your family’s schedule, i.e. sports practices or games, church events or weekly Bible studies.

4. Post your menu on your refrigerator so that everyone knows “What’s for Supper.”

5. As the week progresses, cook up things that can be planned ahead—especially things that can be used for two meals, like roasted chicken and then chicken enchiladas or chicken salad.

6. Focus on quick and easy meals for the days when you are extra busy.

7. Once a week use a new recipe…and if it is a hit with your family then add it to your favorites list.

8. Happy menu planning…and eating!

Happy Birthday Blessing, Kim!

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

"Devarim (Deuteronomy) 6 (WLC) -." Blue Letter Bible. Web. 30 Dec, 2020. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/wlc/deu/6/4/s_159004>.

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

Revised and reused from January 1, 2021, and October 3, 2014 Banquet With The King blogs

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

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Who Do You Say That I Am?

Prayer – Lord Jesus, You asked your disciples at Caesarea Philippi “Who do you say that I am?” There before “The Gates of Hell” as people referred to a great gaping hole in the hillside where the Temple of Pan had been constructed. “Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied that You are the Son of the Living God. I say that, too, and that You are my Lord and Savior.

The Gates of Hell
Caesarea Philippi, Israel

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 16:13-17 NKJV

Meditate. Consider God’s guidance in scripture. Read God’s word and listen to what He is saying.

On His journey to the Cross Jesus challenged His disciples as to who He is. Who do you say that I am?

It is a basic human instinct or longing to know and be known. Who do you say that I am? Who are you? People want to know. Jesus had already spoken of the “Son of Man” during His ministry. He told them that the Son of Man would be in the earth (grave) for three days, just like Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days. Were the disciples not listening? Peter’s response to Jesus’ question was brilliant and inspired by God. He was listening. Jesus and His disciples were standing near the headwaters of the Jordan River where Philip, a tetrarch ruler of Judaea from 4 BC to 34 AD who inherited the northeastern part of his father’s kingdom, had built a massive city called Caesarea Philippi. Part of that city was an immense temple built into the rock known as the “Gates of Hell” honoring Pan, a false god worshipped in that area. It was an evil place. Jesus was declaring war on it…stating that His church would prevail—would win in this battle…upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. This rock was the truth that He was the Messiah. That truth was the foundation of the Christian church. Jesus…as well as Peter…was known as the rock. He is the cornerstone.

For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.' Acts 4:11 NLT.

Who do you say that Jesus is? Who do people say that you are? Do you call yourself a Christian? The choice is yours. How would you respond to Jesus if He were to ask you…Who do you say that I am?

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

All scripture quoted from the New 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

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

What Are You Thinking!?

Prayer – Lord, I understand that You know everything—what I am thinking and what I am going to say even before I say it. Amazing—but scary, too. Have I no privacy? You may know—but You are a gentleman and don’t make me change my thoughts, words, or actions. You’ve given me freedom of choice. Help me to choose wisely and may my thoughts, words and actions bring You glory and honor.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 NKJV

Meditate. Consider if what you are thinking and saying is acceptable to the Lord.

Everyone wants to be loved and honored—it is human nature around the world. I’ve been reading a book, In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park, about a young North Korean lady who lived through a time of starvation and brainwashing to think that the ruling Kim family were gods. At thirteen she escaped from North Korea and starvation to China where she and her mother were sold into trafficking. Was life any better? Eventually, they fled to South Korea and true freedom. Due to the propaganda with which she was indoctrinated, Yeonmi didn’t understand love—but it was still an emotion for which she longed. She was rescued by Christian missionaries who introduced her to the concept of sin and Jesus. Is it really necessary to make people feel spiritually dirty? That was a concept that she was taught. It wasn’t apparent that they instructed her in the depth of God’s love—but that can be a hard concept for some people to grasp. Those of us who have grown up going to Sunday School have a different view of God than those who have never heard of God. Does God know what they are thinking? Of course He does. He is omniscient—knowing everything, even our thoughts.

O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! Psalm 139:1-7 NLT

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.
Fix your thoughts on
what is true, and honorable,
and right, and pure, and lovely,
and admirable.
Think about things
that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8 NLT

For now, I’m trusting that whatever I say and meditate on or focus my thoughts on is pleasing and acceptable to the Lord God. When I have an unpleasant or misguided thought—and I do—then I try to refocus and say a verse I’ve memorized. That helps me. I’m just one person at this point in time—and God knows people throughout time and around the world to whom He is constantly listening. Does He hear what you think and say? Of course He does. Read these words that David spoke to his son, Solomon.

And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 1 Chronicles 28:9 NLT

Know God intimately. Intentionally seek Him. Listen to your own thoughts…and listen to Him. He may say to you…What are you thinking!?

Verses of Salvation ~ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23-24 NLT

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