Banquet With The King

Monday, October 13, 2025

Bring Them Back to Life?

My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. James 5:19-20

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

If someone is wandering…walking away from the Lord, the greatest thing you can do is to encourage them to come back to the Lord…to come back to life! According to James, you’ll be saving them from death—eternal death. To live forever and serve Jesus is my goal in life. How about you? Are you feeling like you need to be brought back to life? Are you serving Jesus here and now? Nope—then maybe you should talk to Him about that and look for opportunities.

Is your friend wandering away?
Bring him back to the Lord.

Perhaps one of the opportunities is just what James was suggesting… if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. Bring back those who have drifted away so they can get their act together, ask for forgiveness for their sins, and ultimately be saved from eternal death. How do you do that? Well, think of friends and people you know who have been sliding away from the Lord. Maybe they stopped going to church, to Bible Study, or are just hanging out with undesirable people? How can you encourage them to get back on track? Talk to the Lord first, and then choose to do a fun activity or meal with them, drawing them back into a Christian fellowship. Whatever it takes, encourage them to remember how good it felt to know Jesus. Life is not easy. Even with Jesus, there is no guarantee that life will be beautiful and always fun. But Jesus has promised to be with us always—no matter what. That is a promise to which I cling.

Prayer – Lord Jesus, Thank You that You are always with me—no matter what. Even if I make some poor decisions, You are there. Holy Spirit - Thanks for always bringing me back to You. Help me to encourage others to seek You again, and again.

Verse of Salvation ~ Hear me as I pray, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "LORD, I am coming." Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don't leave me now; don't abandon me, O God of my salvation! Psalm 27:7-9

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

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Sunday, October 12, 2025

Are You Keeping Quiet?

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. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. James 5:16-18

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

Keep Quiet!
These fish aren't confessing their sins...
to each other or you.

You probably want to keep quiet about any sins in your life…I do. I don’t want to broadcast them to my family and friends. Someone might tell and what if others started gossiping about me? Ugh! No, I’ll keep quiet and only tell God—and He knows already. He knows everything. But James tells us to…Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. Healed. Jesus does that. Solomon writes about the importance of confession in Proverbs.

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. Proverbs 28:13

Do you want to prosper—physically or spiritually? David mentions the consequences of confession, or lack of it, in his Psalms.

When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. ... Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Psalm 32:3, 5

Guilt is gone. Earnest prayer prevails.

Prayer – Lord God, I admit that I have sinned—and I thank You for providing me with a friend with whom I can confess my sin confidentially. I do feel better already—physically and spiritually. No more groaning. Just as John wrote…But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9

Verse of Salvation ~ Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Psalm 43:5

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

Saturday, October 11, 2025

Are You Resting?

And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the LORD, who had set them apart to be holy. Ezekiel 20:12

Meditate. Consider God’s desire for a Sabbath day.

Our bodies need rest. Studies have shown that quality rest and sleep reduces stress, promotes better memory and brain function, lowers weight gain risk; lowers risk of heart disease; lowers inflammation while strengthening the immune system, and promotes good mental health. Rest on the Sabbath can result in better overall health. Seek the tranquility of the Lord.

Rest at the top of the mountain...
Hills at the Badlands, South Dakota.

Where does my help come from?
From the Lord who never sleeps.
Does He rest on the Sabbath?

When is your Sabbath day? No matter when it is—it is a day of rest for you, but God still watches. He’s always awake, not sneaking in a little nap.

I look up to the mountains—

does my help come from there?

My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble;

the one who watches over you will not slumber.

Indeed, he who watches over Israel

never slumbers or sleeps.

The LORD himself watches over you! Psalm 121:1-5

Will you choose to honor God by observing His Sabbath?

Prayer – Lord, when You created all of the heavens and earth in six days I can imagine that You were tired…really tired. But You never sleep—so Your rest is just that—ceasing from work. Spiritual rest. Show me when and where I need to observe Your Sabbath.

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

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, October 10, 2025

Blessings - Come and Go....Help?

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 121:1-8 ESV

Meditate. Protection.

Hills around the Sea of Galilee
Where does my help come from?

Mary’s day! Happy Birthday, dear friend! Look to the hills—the mountains where you live! God provides help and protection. What reassurance this passage give us! God has our back 24/7. Can you imagine…He NEVER sleeps?! Sleep is so important for us. It is essential for humans. Summer is over, but the sun can still be intense, so shade is always welcome…until it get too cold outside! God is so good—He even provides shade on the right side of us—the important side. Think about the “right hand.” It is in 143 verses in the English Standard Version Bible. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the Father—so the right hand or even the right side must be important.

The Lord will keep you from evil—today and every day. Remember that precious verse in the Lord’s Prayer—“Deliver us from evil”? God is providing that promise here. In Psalm 23 it states that “I will fear no evil.” We don’t have to be afraid—God will protect us.

I like the idea that God will keep our going out and coming in—forever. He has promised to always be with us. Continue to claim that promise along with all these promises from Psalm 121.

Prayer – Lord God, Thank You for Your wonderful promises and the grace and mercy that You shower on our lives. We praise Your name forever.

Verse of Salvation ~ Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake! Psalm 79:9 ESV

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

It is soup weather and this is Mary's favorite soup. Thanks for your recipe, Mary.

Easy Sausage and Tortellini Soup

1 Tbsp EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lb brots or sweet Italian sausage links
1 medium sweet onion, diced fine
3 cloves garlic, grated on planer or minced
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
½ tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp cracked red pepper flakes, or to taste
1pkg (9 oz) refrigerated fresh cheese tortellini
3 cups baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish if desired

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add sausages and brown, rolling occasionally for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and drain on paper towels. Pour off all the grease, except 1 Tbsp. Add onion and cook until softened, scraping up any browned bits. Add garlic and cook for a short 30 seconds. Stir in broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil.

Slice the sausages into ½ inch pieces and add back to the pot. Stir in the tortellini and simmer gently about 6 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and serve. Garnish as desired with parmesan cheese or fresh basil leaves.

Happy Birthday, Mary Ellen

Blessings and Prayers – for you are a Proverbs 31 Lady

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

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Pray

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. James 5:13-15

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

Was James realistic? Are any of you suffering hardships? Are any of you happy? Are any of you sick? Ha! Everyone at one time or another suffers, is sick, or is happy. I’ve heard people say that everyone is either in a traumatic situation, has just come out of a traumatic situation, or is headed for a traumatic situation soon. What stage of this condition are you in today?

Pray. Believe in the power of the Lord…and pray. James suggests the elders of the church pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord. Anointing with oil is discussed several times for rituals in the Old Testament and briefly in the New Testament. Here are a couple of examples. This first one is a classic from Psalm 23 that guides us through many of life’s difficulties.

- You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Psalm 23:5

- Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and everything in it, making them holy. He sprinkled the oil on the altar seven times, anointing it and all its utensils, as well as the washbasin and its stand, making them holy. Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head, anointing him and making him holy for his work. Leviticus 8:10-12

- And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil. Mark 6:13

Prayer oil

Have you ever been anointed with oil…or anointed a fellow believer with oil in prayer? On one of our trips to Israel, our pastor gave each couple a bottle of anointing oil and encouraged us to pray and anoint our fellow travelers, as well as family and friends when we returned home. Oil is representative of the Holy Spirit. In rituals at the altar and for the priests, oil purifies and makes things and people holy. This continues, as we see in the Mark scripture, that people were purified, made holy, or “healed” when they were anointed with olive oil. Olive oil is the basis of the anointing oil blended with aromatic spices. Today some pastors use plain olive oil—consecrated for that purpose. Moses received a definite recipe for the anointing oil that the LORD wanted him to prepare specifically for the preparation of the Tabernacle, the priests, and the utensils used in their rituals.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Collect choice spices—12 1/2 pounds of pure myrrh, 6 1/4 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 6 1/4 pounds of fragrant calamus, and 12 1/2 pounds of cassia—as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil. Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil.” Exodus 30:22-25

Does praying with oil anointing make the person or situation holy? God established procedures for the Israelites and their rituals to become holy—and that included olive oil. Set aside a small bottle of olive oil just for your personal use in anointing with prayer. God wants us to be holy…because He is holy.

For I am the LORD your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves with any of these small animals that scurry along the ground. For I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy. Leviticus 11:44-45

Are you holy? Do you pray in faith expecting an answer? Trust in the Lord.

Prayer – Lord God, I humbly consecrate myself that I may be holy…as You are holy. I pray that You would heal those who need Your healing touch…and may it be an eternal healing for those who are close to the end of physical life here. Grant us all your peace, strength, and endurance as we need it. Thank you for the blessings You give us…and all that we need here on earth.

Verse of Salvation ~ (As stated during Abraham’s blessings of his sons before his death.) I trust in you for salvation, O LORD! Genesis 49:18

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

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Yes or No? Say it!

But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned. James 5:12

Meditate. KISS – Keep It Simple Sweetie!

Possible site for the
Sermon on the Mount.
Overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
Israel

Let your YES be YES and your NO be NO! Just like Jesus taught in His Sermon on the Mount. Are you listening to Him…how will you respond?

Again, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, you shall not swear falsely, but you shall perform your oaths to the Lord [as a religious duty]. But I tell you, do not bind yourselves by an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is the throne of God; or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair white or black. Let your Yes be simply Yes, and your No be simply No; anything more than that comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:33-37 AMP

Yes is Yes and No is No. Well…maybe. No. that is not what Jesus is teaching. Yes or No.

If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord… James 1:5-7 AMP

No wishy washy answers. Yes or No. Think. Follow Jesus’ teachings. Ask for what you need. Live for today and make the most of it…no giving in to the evil one’s influence. Is what you are struggling with answered by Jesus’ teachings? Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Think about it. Usually, it boils down to those two things…God and neighbors. And who is your neighbor? Anyone and everyone. Some people have a hard time saying “No” to others. They just want to please others, or not to offend them, but they get walked over and used. If that is you…practice saying that important word…NO. Say it again, out loud…NO. One more time “NO.” Now it is in your vocabulary. Practice saying it as needed. You can still be loving and say, “NO.” Jesus is challenging us to make our Yes be Yes and our No be No. How will you respond to Him today?

Prayer – Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, lead me today to follow Your will and Your way that I would be able to make my “Yes” be “Yes” and my “No” be “No” in a way that is pleasing and obedient to You.

Verse of Salvation ~ "Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, For the LORD GOD is my strength and song; Yes, He has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2 AMP

Recycled and refreshed from September 7, 2015, Banquet With The King blog.

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

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Are You Grumbling?

Don't grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. James 5:9-11

Meditate. Consider God’s mercy in scripture.

Niagara Falls
Is it a grumbling noise that you hear?

Grumble-Grumble. Are you listening to others or are you part of some grumbling that is happening? James advises us not to grumble about other Christians—or we will be judged. As I recall, Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that “judge not, least you’ll be judged” (Matthew 7:1-1). Other passages of scripture tell us that Jesus, not God the Father or the Holy Spirit, is the judge.

In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, ... I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. John 5:22, 30 NLT

Grumbling is like whining—not an acceptable form of communication in most households. It’s a hard part of parenting—but I’ve found that telling the child that you can neither hear or understand a whiny voice…and then ignoring the whining voice is effective. Does God do that with us? Don’t grumble about each other. Job’s friends seemed to be grumbling about him. He was a good man—who believed in God. He didn’t deserve to be accused that his problems were the result of his sins. God even saw him as a righteous man. Can the same be said about us? Don’t grumble.

James reminds us that the Lord was kind to Job at the end of his story—and He blessed him with twice as much, showing His mercy. Job endured physical and mental suffering, but the key was he endured. He didn’t give up—even when his wife said to curse God and die. Nope. He kept going. Can we say that we’d do the same? Don’t give up. On this side of the cross, we know that Jesus is on our side. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength—even endure. See Philippians 4:13. Peter encourages us with an optimistic message.

For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. 1 Peter 2:19

This should give us hope as we may face uncertainty and possible persecution in the future. It seems like it is beginning here and now—not just in remote areas of the world. Even if things get bad for Christians—don’t grumble against God’s elect. Give God the praise and glory that is due Him. Honor and respect the Almighty God, the Creator, and Sustainer of our life—of all life. If you don’t have a relationship with God, get to know Him.

Prayer – Lord God—thank you for Your grace and mercy to people who have lived many centuries before us…and to us. Help us not to grumble—but to honor You with our praise. You are worthy.

Verse of Salvation ~ "Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations. My mercy and justice are coming soon. My salvation is on the way. My strong arm will bring justice to the nations. All distant lands will look to me and wait in hope for my powerful arm. Isaiah 51:4-5

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