Banquet With The King

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Do You Have Hope?

Is your hope in the Empty Tomb?
Jesus was resurrected - that is powerful.
The Garden Tomb - Jerusalem, Israel.

In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people's burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim. This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God's hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don't. It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. That is why people are not more careful to be good. Instead, they choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 - 9:1-3

Meditate. What do you find in your search for wisdom?

No hope? Solomon was hopeless, although he had everything any man could ever want. Riches, fame, family (probably too much since he had seven hundred wives), a big beautiful home, and wisdom. God gave him everything that he asked for, but he wasn’t happy. Is “happy” what you are striving for in life? For me…being content and having the hope based on the salvation that Jesus Christ offers are the things for which are important to me. Of course, Solomon didn’t live on this side of the Cross…and have the advantage of the New Testament fulfilling the Old Testament predictions, as we do.

Sort of scary to have Solomon’s view that no one knows whether God will show them favor. We just have to trust Him…to answer our prayers and for His grace and mercy in our lives. We can have hope of eternity with God—which begins when we accept Jesus as our Savior. Paul wrote from prison about God’s plan for our lives…to be holy. I think that God will show favor, grace, to those whom He has saved.

So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. 2 Timothy 1:8-12 (Underlined for emphasis.)

God is able…to save us. He has called those who hear His voice and follow Him to live a holy life. Cling to that hope—God is all powerful and has hope for us. Do you put your hope in Him?

Prayer – Lord God, I have great hope in Your promises. Please give me wisdom, and the courage to stand up for You. Help me to live the holy life that You desire all Your followers to have.

Verse of Salvation ~

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 51:5

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

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

How’s Your Attitude?

When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. Abel also brought a gift—the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. "Why are you so angry?" the LORD asked Cain. "Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master." Genesis 4:3-7

Meditate. Consider the effects of attitude.

Attitude. What you bring to the table isn’t as important as the attitude with which it is presented. The attitude towards God and between the brothers is key to this story. That is the same today. Just like Cain was having a bad attitude, feeling dejected, we need to check our attitude. Chuck Swindoll wrote in his “Attitude” essay, Attitude is 90% how I react.

So, what does “attitude” have to do with a meal, with food? Think about it. If our attitude isn’t right towards God or others, it is likely that we’ll be stressed, feeling tense. Our food won’t digest properly and our interactions with those around us will likely be unpleasant, ruining their meal or their day, too.

David wrote, inspired by the Holy Spirit, about having an attitude of desiring purity and pleasing God.

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Psalm 51:10-12

Do you want to have a clean heart? I read recently a quote from a German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein that said, “Tell me ‘how’ you seek and I will tell you ‘what’ you are seeking.” How are you seeking the Lord today? What do you do to intentionally have fellowship with Him and with other Christians? What book are you reading…what chapter in the Bible…what Christian author…or are there videos you are viewing on YouTube that are related to religious issues? Are you discussing this with other Christians? How is your attitude about God affected by what you are reading or viewing on TV? Is this preparing you for what may happen in the future? Are you sharing Jesus with others?

May God bless you as you seek to have an attitude that pleases Him and offer Him a sacrifice of an obedient heart. What a joyous fellowship you’ll have with Him!

Prayer – Lord Jesus, please cleanse my heart and restore the joy of my salvation. You are my hope and joy in life.

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

Revised from January 3, 2012, 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

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Be Ready? Ready, Set, Go!

A pure white rose...
from my garden.
Blessings~
Be Ready.

If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. 2 Timothy 2:21-22

Meditate. Consider God’s warnings.

Wow! What does Paul expect of us? Keep ourselves pure…flee from sinful lusts, try to faithfully live a righteous and peaceful life. That’s a big order! We can certainly try…but without God’s help I think we are hopeless. He is our strength and hope.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. Romans 5:1-3

Ready? Jesus challenged His disciples and followers to be ready for His return.

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! ... Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. "So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. ... You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected." Luke 12:22-24, 31-32, 40 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Paul tells us that if you are pure and clean… you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. That could be service here where you are or service one day in His heavenly kingdom. Are you ready to serve the Lord in any way that He asks you? Ready, set, go! Run from lusts and enjoy the companionship, the fellowship, of other Christians who are like-minded, pure-hearted. The choice is yours.

Prayer – Lord Jesus, is my heart pure? Is my life “pure” as I strive to live a righteous and peaceful life, serving You…my family, friends, and community as best I can. You said to be ready…and that is just what I am trying to do. Serving You and others.

Verse of Salvation ~ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Romans 5:4-6 (Underlined for emphasis.)

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

God is our heavenly Father--giving us instructions on how we can be like His Son, Jesus.

Are you willing to explore Jesus' character?

Can you apply His traits to your life?

Dig into God's word and discover how you can build your character, and that of your children and grandchildren to be like Jesus.

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Monday, November 3, 2025

What was Life Like in Noah’s Day?

When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. Matthew 24:37

Meditate. Life view.

Modern day reconstruction of Noah's Ark.
Williamstown, Kentucky
Awesome construction by God's plan.

What do you think life was like before the Flood washed away everyone except Noah and his family? There are a few verses in the Bible that give us an account of what God saw...and what the world was like.

The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. And the LORD said, "I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing--all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them." Genesis 6:5-7

But Noah found favor with the LORD. ... Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. So God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! ... "Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. ... So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him. Genesis 6:8, 11-13, 17-18, 22

Inside the Ark Encounter
Huge posts and beams.
How did Noah do it?

God saw wickedness—the evil ways of the people on earth. He was sorry He created men. He just wanted to destroy everything—but He saw that Noah was living the right way, so in His grace and mercy He had Noah build the ark that would preserve mankind and the animals. God had a plan—and He provided the ark for Noah and His family to escape the evil that had filled the world. The Bible doesn’t tell us just what those corrupt people were thinking, saying, or doing, but you can imagine that as they watched Noah build that ark they mocked and ridiculed him…and his God.

Is life like that now? Is the world filled with corruption and totally evil? I see pockets of goodness—but generally we do have an evil, violent world. Watch any news report and you’ll see violence. What are we to do? Trust in the Lord.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Proverbs 3:5-7

Trust and obey. As Solomon wrote…turn away from evil. That is a theme throughout the Old and New Testaments.

But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: "The LORD knows those who are his," and "All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil" (Isaiah 52:11). 2 Timothy 2:19

Prayer – Lord Jesus, please give us wisdom to totally trust You, and to take the right path that leads us away from evil and corruption. Thank you for Your obedience to our Heavenly Father—and for saving us from sin—even our own sin.

Verse of Salvation ~ So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. James 1:21

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, November 2, 2025

What Will You Be Doing When Jesus Returns?

So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. 1 John 2:24-28 NLT

Meditate on fellowship.

Jesus ascended into the clouds.
He will return in the clouds.
Are you ready?
Jerusalem, Israel.

We don’t know just when Jesus Christ will return. Even if we knew the day, we wouldn’t know the hour, which varies all around the world. Jesus told His followers, including us, to be ready. Are you ready?

John reminds us, in this focus scripture passage today, of the importance of remaining faithful. Keep the faith. Don’t be led down some deceitful path—led astray. Keep the faith—your faith in God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. By having faith in God, you’ll seek fellowship with Him. Fellowship is the real key in having a relationship with God. How do you do that? Intentionally read His word. I find myself some days just randomly opening my Bible and reading what is there on that page. But to really understand God, I think…I know…that the reading needs to be an in-depth study, verse by verse. It doesn’t have to be the whole Bible in even a year, it just needs to be read in an intentional and focused manner, verse by verse allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Sometimes, it can be just one verse…other times you may need to read a chapter or two. Praying before reading is essential…and reading aloud is helpful. My Bible Tips for the day!

Consider what Jesus said to a large gathering of His followers and His disciples. Don’t be ashamed of our Lord and Savior.

If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Mark 8:38 NLT

Whatever you are doing when Jesus returns, don’t let it be something that He would be ashamed of you for doing…or of something that you feel embarrassed about concerning Jesus. Stand up for what is right, true, beautiful…the Way, The Truth and the Life (John 14:6). For Jesus.

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

What will you be thinking and doing when Jesus returns?

Prayer – Lord Jesus, help me to focus on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable. You! You are worthy of all honor and praise.

Verse of Salvation ~ Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 NLT

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, November 1, 2025

What “Welcome to Heaven” Will You Hear?

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:21 KJV

Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23 KJV

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

Graves at the Mt. of Olives
Jerusalem, Israel

What will you hear when you die? Whether it is “Well done” or “I never knew you…depart” depends on what you are doing now! How are you serving the Lord? Do you do things for Him that are truly for Him…or that puff you up—give you pride? Look at your motives. Everyone has a choice now—but when time is up, no chance to change your mind. Where do you stand with the Lord?

Prayer – Lord Jesus, help me to see clearly my own motives in serving You…and how You and our heavenly Father perceive my thoughts, words, and actions. I want to be in God’s will and pleasing in all I do.

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

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

The Authorized Version or King James Version (KJV), 1611, 1769.
Outside of the United Kingdom, the KJV is in the public domain. Within the United Kingdom, the rights to the KJV are vested in the Crown.

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