Banquet With The King

Monday, August 12, 2024

Don’t Put Off Helping and Loving One Another

Prayer ~ Jesus, help me show and share Your love with others in my circle of influence. I do want to love one another, as You have commanded. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for convicting me that I need to help others today…and not put it off until next week.

Love One Another
Jesus with His Disciples
Drama - Richland Nazarene Church

This I command you, that you love one another. John 15:17 NASB

Meditate on loving others.

How many times have we heard this before? Apparently, this is the only command that Jesus actually gave His disciples, and His followers, to “love one another.”

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34 NASB

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. John 15:12 NASB

This I command you, that you love one another. John 15:17 NASB

For Jesus to command this was very important—it was like an addition to the Ten Commandments. He expected His disciples, and us as His followers, to obey this commandment, along with the other Ten. So how should we show this love? Jesus said that no greater love has a person than they lay down their life for their friends. That is just what He did when He went to the cross for our sins. More practical ways, during this day and age, would just to put others needs ahead of our own. That is a hard one in our self-center culture. We just need to intentionally think of others. Others in our homes, our families, our friends, our neighborhood, and throughout our community—in my circle of influence. There are countless ways to serve others and show God’s love. Look around. Do we have time that we can spare to care for others and serve them by volunteering at a school, library, nursing home, mission, or can we donate food, clothing, or paper products to a shelter? I’m guilty of putting off “serving” others…I’ll do it next week…or next month. I need to do it NOW. How about you?

Jesus is opening our eyes to see opportunities to serve Him by serving others, opportunities to love others. What is your decision to respond to Him today?

Verse of Salvation ~ But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children's children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! Psalm 103:17-18

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

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®,

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

Adapted and reused from June 1, 2014, Banquet With the King blog.

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, August 11, 2024

How to Live as a Family

Prayer – Lord, I see the greatest problem in American homes is lack of love and respect. Am I wrong? I wish I was. Paul was right on as You had him write to the believers at Colossi about family matters.

Love One Another

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged. Colossians 3:18-21

Meditate. Consider God is our “parent” and He knows just how we should treat others—even in our families.

Where do you fit into the Family scenario? Father, Mother, Child. Husband, Wife, Child. God gave directions for family relationships—including this passage written by Paul.

Submitting is word that is offensive to some people—but there are lots of examples of submitting. Submitting doesn’t mean kowtowing—but rather putting others first with respect.

Do not be stubborn, as they were, but submit yourselves to the LORD. Come to his Temple, which he has set apart as holy forever. Worship the LORD your God so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 2 Chronicles 30:8

Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. Job 22:21

Submit to God's royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him! Psalm 2:12

And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: Lamentations 3:27

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21

Love one another—husbands to wives. Love is patient, kind…

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love without being harsh is the directive—and by following the First Corinthians description with kindness there would be no harshness or aggravating circumstances for wives or children.

Love about sums up the directions for how to live as a family. It all comes down to Love God…Love Others that come from the summary of the Ten Commandments.

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, August 10, 2024

What is Filling Your Life?

Prayer – Lord, I find such wisdom, comfort, and strength in Your words. Please keep on filling my life with the richness of Your love and wisdom that I may bring You glory and honor and blessings to others.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Colossians 3:16-17

Meditate. What fills your life?

What do you allow to fill up the time you have each day? Time management is a choice.

So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:31-34

Such wise advice from Jesus Himself in His Sermon on the Mount. Even as I wrote this blog I was wondering..."What should I wear tomorrow?" and then had to laugh at myself. Don't worry...is just what Jesus said. What other wise, timely advice do you get from Him? What do you share with others to teach, council, or encourage them?

Verse of Salvation ~ But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "The LORD is great!" Psalm 40:16

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, August 9, 2024

How to Live as God’s Chosen People

Prayer – Lord, I’m reminded over and over that You chose me…and I’m not even Jewish. Paul advised the believers at Colossi how God wanted them to live. The same advice goes for me—as well as my family, friends, and neighbors. Thank you for this lesson—I am always thankful!

Pray for Peace - A Sign posted in Jerusalem.
May we all have the Peace of the Lord
in our hearts...no matter who or where we are.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Colossians 3:12-15

Meditate. Consider God’s guidance for His believers.

Are you one of God’s chosen holy ones? Those who accept His free gift of salvation are the chosen ones. Paul makes it pretty clear just how God’s chosen ones are to live. His list sort of parallels the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), which he also wrote.

List for God’s Holy People (Colossians 3:12-15)	List of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
Love	Love
	Joy
Peace	Peace
Patience	Patience
Kindness	Kindness
	Goodness
	Faithfulness
Gentleness	Gentleness
	Self-Control
Tenderhearted Mercy
Humility
Forgiveness
Thankfulness

It is interesting just to see what God expects of us from different viewpoints, written by the same man to different groups of people. Paul was directing both groups to seek Christ and for those in Galatia he was pointing out the result of a relationship with Jesus Christ. That result was what we call the Fruit of the Spirit. No matter where someone lives and the external or cultural influences, the answer is a relationship with the Lord. God throughout the Bible stresses the importance of forgiveness and thankfulness.

Forgiveness is the basis of the Christian religion. We must ask God for forgiveness for our sins and likewise we must forgive others who have offended us. Can you do that? It is a choice that is ours alone for our own sins. That opens the door. What is behind Door #1? The gift of salvation. To reject Door #1 and choose Door #2 could be very dangerous. Rejecting salvation—rejecting Jesus—leads to an eternal life without God. God is light—so without Him—life is darkness.

Verse of Salvation ~ The LORD is my light and my salvation--so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? Psalm 27:1

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

How’s your health and what is the impact of your food habits? Healthy or is there room for improvement?

Consider these questions…and how many times a day do you really need to eat?

Is it time to start a new way of eating (a new diet plan)? Ask yourself…as I have…

Am I really hungry—or is it just a craving?

If this is truly hunger, what do I feel like eating?

Is there an alternative—something that would be better for me to eat?

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

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Is Christ All That Matters to You?

Prayer – Lord God, once again I ask for forgiveness for my coveting desires. Like my uncle, what is mine is mine…and what is yours is mine—ha! I don’t really feel that way—but I would like a trim body and an organized home. I really desire those in my life and see that sometimes I’m putting those things before Christ. Is that evil or greedy? I don’t want to anger You, God. Give me a new nature and renew my heart and mind that I would be pleasing to You.

Don't let your tongue get you into trouble.
Greedy baby alligator.
Bee City in Cottageville, South Carolina

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Colossians 3:5-11 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Meditate. Consider God’s instructions in scripture.

Do you have any “evil” desires in your life? Paul told the church at Colossi…and us…that now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. I am appalled at the language we hear on TV shows…and even political ads! Can’t people clean up their tongues? I’ve been told that that is just the way life is—but personally, I don’t have to listen to it and definitely don’t have to include foul language in my vocabulary. It is hard. Input—output! Guard your tongue.

A psalm of David. I said to myself, "I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me." But as I stood there in silence—not even speaking of good things—the turmoil within me grew worse. The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words: "LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath." Psalm 39:1-5

David was wise about watching what he was saying. Good example for us. The book of James in the New Testament gives us additional guidance on the use of our tongues (see James 3:5-10) and then goes on to consider tributes of wisdom and value of being a peacemaker.

If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:13-18

God wants to know us and wants us to be like Him—kind, loving, helpful, compassionate, holy, forgiving. That would be our new nature. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. Otherwise, watch out. As Paul tells us… the anger of God is coming. Good challenge. Will you choose to take that challenge today to be renewed or not?

Verse of Salvation ~ 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

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

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Building Me a New Home

Prayer – Heavenly Father, I am so anxious to see what my new home in heaven is going to be like, but I am forcing myself to be patient. Help me to be prepared for Jesus’ return. Give me wisdom to know what to do as I wait. I joyfully look forward to sitting at Your banquet table, feasting with You, singing praises to You at Your throne, and living in the home that Jesus promised to prepare for me.

Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 14:1-3

Meditate. Build? Prepare?

Ancient ruins of homes in Capernaum, Israel

In the marriage customs of the Hebrew people after the betrothal or engagement of the couple, the bridegroom must build their home, adding onto his father’s existing home. When it was ready, the father of the groom would invite people to the wedding, sometimes providing special wedding clothes for them. The bride would be taken by her guests from her family’s home in a procession in the middle of the night through the streets to the bridegroom’s home. The bridegroom would not be at home when she arrived, giving her time to have her hair done by her maids in waiting. He would be having dinner at another relative’s home and his wedding guests would accompany him back to his own home where his bride waited for him. People along his procession route would call out “There he is. He is coming!” The bride’s maids in waiting would come out with oil lamps to light up the entrance as the groom and his guests arrived. After the bridegroom procession entered, the doors were shut and no other guests were received. Then the bride and groom would be seated under a colorful canopy and for the next three to five days the father of the groom hosted an elaborate and elegant banquet.

Jesus is that bridegroom—His bride is His believers. He’s gone to heaven to prepare a place—a magnificent home for us. It is so exciting. I’ve only lived in a brand-new house once in my life. When I was eight years old my parents built a new house—and it was so beautiful to us. It was really lovely three-bedroom home with pastel plastered walls, lots of windows, and a full unfinished basement that gave us kids lots of playroom when the weather was too hot or too cold to be outdoors. What will our home in heaven be like?

Jesus was a carpenter—actually a stone mason. Since Jesus created the heavens and the earth, He probably has some really good design ideas and is keeping those angels busy creating just the perfectly exquisite domicile for each of us. I like to imagine that those who are creative here on earth—will probably continue that in heaven and that Jesus will provide a space for people to do artistic projects to glorify the Father. Perhaps there will be elaborate kitchens for all the chefs, bakers and cooks to resourcefully prepare daily feasts. I image glorious gardens—and even dreamed once that I was planting pansies along a golden brick road. What could be better?

The book of Revelation tells us that we will be singing around the thrones where God the Father and Jesus Christ are seated. Knowing that we’ll have a wonderful home and lots of singing does make heaven appealing to me. How about you? Do you want to go there? Where do you stand in your faith in Jesus Christ? He said that the only way to the Father, i.e. heaven, is through Him. So those who believe in Him can be assured that He is building a home attached to our Heavenly Father’s home. Hope to see you there!

Verse of Salvation ~ Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!" Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost." Luke 19:8-10 NLT

Adapted from September 2, 2017, Banquet With The King blog

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