Banquet With The King

Monday, July 21, 2025

Are You Called?

Paul writes to the Gentiles in Rome… who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. Called to be His people. Are you called? Are you holy? What a privilege to not only be holy, but called to be part of God’s family. My brother reminds me occasionally that God has everything already decided. Predestined.

Ladies at the Wailing Wall - Jerusalem
Called to hear God...and to speak to Him.
Are they adopted into God's family?

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ--everything in heaven and on earth. 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 1:5-11 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Some translations use “predestined” in verses 5 & 11. Predestined—determined in advance by a divine will or fate. According to Paul…those in Rome…and we can assume others throughout history…are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. Is the future so set that although we think we are having choices…are we really or is the future predetermined by God? We know God has a plan for eternity and He knows what is going to happen. Do we know what will happen? We can guess…or read the prophecies in the Bible. Predestined or not…we can make choices. If or when we are called, we have the choice to respond. Choose wisely.

And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Romans 1:6-7

Prayer – Lord, as fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame! When you came down long ago, you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! Isaiah 64:2-4

Meditate on God’s plan.

Verse of Salvation ~ So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. 2 Timothy 2:10

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

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Sunday, July 20, 2025

What is the Good News?

The Empty Tomb.
Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.
Can you share that message?

Paul, begins his letter to the Christians at Rome by noting who he was preaching to and what he was telling them. He wrote to Gentile, not Jewish, people who lived in Rome about the “Good News” which Paul specifically tells us about God’s Son. Jesus was born into King David’s family lineage. He proved that He was God’s son when He was raised from the dead. At this point, Paul doesn’t say that Jesus was crucified for our sins…but he gets into that later. Why is it a big deal to be raised from the dead? Jesus also raised at least three people from death: A little girl, a young man who was an only child and Jesus took pity on his mother, and of course the famous friend, Lazareth.

As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. "My daughter has just died," he said, "but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her." ... When Jesus arrived at the official's home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. "Get out!" he told them. "The girl isn't dead; she's only asleep." But the crowd laughed at him. After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! Matthew 9:18, 23-25

A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow's only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. "Don't cry!" he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. "Young man," he said, "I tell you, get up." Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Luke 7:12-15

When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. ... Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. ... So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me." Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!" John 11:32-33, 38, 41-44

Jesus gave His life for all people throughout the history of mankind so that they might be spiritually saved. He had and still has great power. He is God. He is the only person, and the only god, who was resurrected from the dead and never died again.

Paul was tasked with telling the Gentiles about Jesus—and we have that same opportunity or responsibility. God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Are you ready, willing, and able to tell others about Jesus? If not, now is the time to get prepared. With other Christian friends or family, you may need or want to practice telling others what God has done for you. It can be small things like little answered prayers for safety, big things like health issue healing, or strength and comfort after loosing a loved one. God is with us always. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. What have you promised the Lord God that will bring Him glory? The choice is yours.

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David's family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:1-5

Prayer – Lord God, one day we will sing in a mighty chorus: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing." from Revelation 5:12. May You receive glory and praise every day now…from everyone. One day every knee will bow and recognize You as King of kings and Lord of lords. You are my Lord and Savior.

Meditate. Consider the privilege you have to share the Good News about Jesus.

Verse of Salvation ~ And this is God's plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God's children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. By God's grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. Ephesians 3:6-8

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

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Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

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Saturday, July 19, 2025

Can You Keep A Secret?

Be careful not to tell any secrets.

It is a sign of integrity to keep a secret.

And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Titus 2:7

When it comes to friendly chats, sometimes people are specific…“Don’t tell anyone…or so and so” and sometimes they just tell you something that is going on and you may assume that it is OK to talk about it. But it is NOT! I’ve learned the hard way. Don’t repeat ANY conversations…or bits of conversations with anyone. Zip your lips. As the World War II slogan said, “Loose lips sink ships” which indicated that careless talk could aid the enemy.

My mistake came about when I thought I’d be encouraging to someone…and yet it was a secret. Oops! So much for “encouraging” others. I hope this doesn’t cost me a friendship…but there is now a lack of trust in me. I’ve apologized and asked for forgiveness…so we’ll see. Good works must be approached cautiously, with careful planning, and a deep desire for serving others, as if serving the Lord Himself. Spontaneity doesn’t always serve the moment, even if it is done with good intentions. Paul encouraged Titus to be an example of doing good works for others. Where do you draw the line? It’s always best to ask if you can do something for someone, rather than just boldly doing something—maybe even something just as simple as sharing some fresh fruit when it isn’t expected. Think before you act.

Wise people think before they act; fools don't—and even brag about their foolishness. Proverbs 13:16

We are to confess our sins to one another as James wrote.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16

So, learn by my example. Keep a secret a secret.

And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Titus 2:7

Prayer – Lord, You grant wisdom! From Your mouth come knowledge and understanding. You grant a treasure of common sense to the honest. You are a shield to those who walk with integrity (Proverbs 2:6-7). Please grant me the wisdom to know when to use common sense to keep my mouth shut as well as when to be helpful and encouraging to others. Thank You, Lord, for Your compassion for others and the example of how to live and care for our Christian brothers and sisters.

Meditate. Consider God’s guidance in scripture.

Verse of Salvation ~ One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: "Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus replied, "What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?" The man answered, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:25-27

Let me know what you think about "secrets" in the Post a Comment below. I'll look forward to hearing from you.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) 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

Friday, July 18, 2025

Why Do You Rejoice?

Hurrah! Those disciples whom Jesus sent out to the towns He was going to visit were impressed that the evil spirits obey them when they used Jesus’ name. Jesus gave them power over the enemy. We see a similar occurrence of this in the book of Acts.

A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, "I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!" Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, "I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?" Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered. Acts 19:13-16

People must be careful in casting out evil spirits. Those spirits recognize Jesus—but they don’t worship Him. The disciples had the power of Jesus when they used His name—but those Jews who tried to use Jesus’ name in Ephesus didn’t have the authority. It didn’t turn out so well for them.

Nothing even alligators...like snakes...
won't injure you.
Is your name written in the Book of Life?

Jesus gives His disciple a fantastic promise. Nothing will injure you. But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven. Likewise, we can claim those promises, if our names are registered in Heaven. What does it take to get your name “registered” in heaven? Believe and you will be saved (see Romans 10:9-13).

You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! Hebrews 12:23-25

It's simple. Believe in Jesus as your Savior. He’s already done the work by being sacrificed on the cross for your sins—for all of mankind’s sins. Those who believe will have their names written in the Book of Life.

Nothing evil will be allowed to enter (the New Jerusalem), nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Revelation 21:27

Is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? If yes, then that is a good reason to rejoice!

When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, "Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!" "Yes," he told them, "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven." Luke 10:17-20

Prayer – Lord Jesus, thank you for the provision of Your Book of Life. I believe in You as my Savior and trust that my name is inscribed in that Book. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Meditate. Read God’s word and consider what He is saying.

Verse 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. As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." Romans 10:9-13

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

How do you eat chia seeds? Last Friday we took a brief look at the nutritional value of chia seeds. But just how do you use them?

Try mixing chia seeds with water, juice or milk to make a drink or a pudding. Healthline.com has an article about 35 ways to eat chia seeds. Wow! That is a lot of ways to utilize these little power house nutritional seeds.

Personally, I mix them with oat milk, walnuts, and cinnamon for an after-supper snack or dessert. They are also great in smoothies, as a topping for yogurt, ice cream, or fruit. They can be added to salads, salad dressing, or even used as an egg substitute. Great for those who are allergic to eggs. Try baking them into breads, muffins, crackers, cakes, cookies, tortillas, granola, or pancakes. I’ve read about, but not tried yet, using chia seeds instead of pectin when making fruit jams. Chia seeds are very versatile, add a significant amount of nutrition, and since they are high in fiber you’ll feel full when eating them so they can help with weight loss. Give them a try.

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

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Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Accept or Reject?

Do you feel like an abandoned old tire?
Rejected?
Jesus gave His life for you to be loved.
Accepted.
Choose wisely.

How do you feel when someone straight out rejects you or even just your ideas? Mad, sad, humiliated, worthless, maybe rebellious, put-down, or just rotten. Negative feelings from others and brutal rejection are hard to take and frankly, you have a choice and you don’t have to take that. In a work situation, there maybe some times when your ideas are not accepted or implemented—and that goes with the job, but hopefully you don’t take a personal offense at that.

Rejection in this scripture passage is serious. By rejecting those disciples whom Jesus has sent out, they were rejecting Jesus and God the Father, too! To reject God is to turn one’s back on God for eternity. Alone. Will it be in the cold darkness, or in the fiery Lake of Fire with the demon and his friends? Either will be miserable. Both can be avoided by trusting in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.

Accepting the message referred to in this passage is indicative of accepting Jesus Christ. That will be heavenly. Jesus revealed to His disciples that He is the way, the truth, and the life. That truth is available to us, too. Read the passage below in context of John 14 for yourself.

Jesus told him (Thomas), "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Easy choice and then eternity will be with Jesus—serving Him. Eternity is forever—with or without Jesus. Choose wisely. Accept or reject?

Then he said to the disciples, "Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me." Luke 10:16

Prayer – Lord Jesus, I choose You. I trust that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Forever with You is a time of joy and hope—that began the moment I chose You as my Savior and my Lord. Thank you—for Your willingness to be a sacrifice for my sins—and for the sins of the whole world.

Meditate. Consider what it means to accept or reject Jesus.

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

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

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Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

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Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Traveling Evangelists in Jesus Day

When was the last time you heard a traveling evangelist speak? Ever? I guess many of the TV and YouTube preachers and prophecy teachers could be considered “traveling” evangelists since they “travel” into our homes.

A rocky road--
like the Roman Road of Jesus' time.

The seventy disciples that Jesus sent out were traveling evangelists. They went to cities that Jesus was going to visit later. The scripture focus today tells us what Jesus’ directions were for His discipleship crew. They were to bless the home in which they were staying—accepting their hospitality. In that town they were to heal the sick and spread the Good News that the Kingdom of God was near—as Jesus was coming soon to their village. If they weren’t welcomed—shake off the dust and leave. It was likely that their feet were pretty dusty as the roads were not paved and they had a dry climate. They were to abandon that town to their fate which was not heaven if they rejected Jesus’ followers. These disciples were out there traveling and announcing the Kingdom of God on earth, speaking out for Jesus.

Could you travel and speak out for Jesus—declaring that the Kingdom of God is near? There are opportunities for doing Work and Witness in other countries. I’m sure there are unreached people right in your community. The question is “How do you find and reach them?” Then there is the matter of declaring 'The Kingdom of God is near you now.' Seek and you will find lots of challenges…and lots of opportunities to serve the Lord God. Can you be a traveling evangelist for the Lord?

Whenever you enter someone's home, first say, 'May God's peace be on this house.' If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. Don't move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay. If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. Heal the sick, and tell them, 'The Kingdom of God is near you now.' But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!' Luke 10:5-11

Prayer – Lord Jesus, I am willing to serve You…and get my feet dusty going to tell others about You—Your birth, life, teaching, death, and resurrection. The Kingdom of God is near. Thank you for revealing Yourself to us. Give us wisdom, understanding, and boldness as we declare to others Your truths in our lives. The Kingdom of God is near us now.

Meditate. Read Jesus’ words and listen to what He is saying.

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

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

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Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Who is Harvesting?

Follow Me. There were the specially chosen twelve disciples…or apostles…about whom most people are at least vaguely familiar. Fisherman, tax collectors, and regular guys. Apostles are those who actually saw Jesus, so those twelve disciples are both apostles and disciples. All of His followers, even us today, are actually Disciples. These seventy-two mentioned in today’s focus scripture may or may not have included the two who personally chose not to follow Jesus so that they could attend to family matters as described at the end of Luke Nine. The seventy-two, also described in other Bible translations as seventy men, were chosen, trained, and sent out to go to towns where Jesus was going to visit. Jesus specifically chose these people and asked them to go, two-by-two, to take a trip around the region in which He would be teaching, preaching, and healing.

Combine Harvesting - Israel

Harvest. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest. What would that mean to those disciples, or to us? According to the Blue Letter Bible Strongs Lexicon (Strong’s G2326), the harvest refers to the gathering of men into the kingdom of God; the time of reaping, when the righteous are gathered into the kingdom of God and the wicked are cast into hell forever. Looks like those disciples were supposed to be warning the people where Jesus was about to visit that the Kingdom was near. Read for yourself Luke Ten in context. Jesus tells them in detail just what to do as they go from town to town, where to stay, eat, and to whom to speak…or not. If you were to go out to tell people about the “harvest,” what would you tell them? Note that Jesus sent these disciples out in pairs. To me that is encouraging and comforting. I don’t have to go alone to spread the news that the kingdom of God is near. It is always good to have another person alongside…and besides, Jesus said that where two or more are gathered together, He is with them. So, it will be us three working together to spread Jesus’ message. Can you be one of those going out to “harvest?”

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them: "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves." Luke 10:1-3

Prayer – Lord Jesus, I do feel a bit venerable—like a lamb going around a bunch of wolves—to spread the Good News about You and to warn them of the impending “harvest” that could happen sooner rather than later. As Luke wrote…Then he said to the disciples, "Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me." Luke 10:16. I’m praying that lots of people will accept rather than reject, Your message, You and our Heavenly Father. Thank you, Jesus, for this encouraging message.

Meditate. Read Jesus’ words in context and listen to what He is saying.

Verse of Salvation ~ He was saying to them, "The harvest is abundant [for there are many who need to hear the good news about salvation], but the workers [those available to proclaim the message of salvation] are few. Therefore, [prayerfully] ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. Luke 10:2 AMP

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

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP),

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

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