Banquet With The King

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

How Do You Pray?

Zander's Art
Who will win?
Crocodile or Snake?
God wins! His Kingdom Come.

Prayer – Lord, I want to pray to please You…and to bring You glory. My life and my desires are not all about “me” but need to focus on what Your will is for my life. May the Holy Spirit guide me, as well as my family, friends, and neighbors, as to how to pray. You’ve promised…And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26. Thank you for that wise and comforting assurance.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13 KJV

Meditate. Consider what Jesus taught us to pray.

Happy Birthday Zander! I was going to comment on the Prayer of Jabez, for you today. That prayer is widely known because of a little book by that title that Bruce Wilkinson wrote several year ago. It is based on the scripture:

There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!" And God granted him his request. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Then I read a commentary that pointed out that Jabez was concerned mostly about himself…enlarge MY territory…that would be his area of responsibility. Nothing really wrong with asking for God’s blessing—we do it every day…but Jabez’ prayer continues with an all about ME requests. In contrast, Jesus taught His disciples and us in the Lord’s Prayer to honor God, to ask for forgiveness as we forgive others, as well as provide for us, and to keep us from evil—the bad stuff in life. He ends with recognizing God’s glory and power, thus honoring Him again. That is the way we should pray.

Jesus model prayer reminds me of the acronym ACTS.

Adoration. Confession. Thanksgiving. Supplication.

Give God the adoration of which He is totally worthy. Confess your sins—and do it daily. Continually be thankful what God provides and what He has done in your life. Where would you be without Him? Then lastly ask for the things, situations or issues, wisdom, and whatever with which you need God’s intervention in your life—and that of your family, friends, associates, and neighbors. Make prayer a habit.

I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. Ephesians 1:16-17

I pray for you, Zander, and for others—even those I don’t know around the world—in over 120 different countries—who have read this blog at one time or another. Our God is a gracious, powerful, and amazing god—worthy of our honor and praise. Give him thanks. Thanks for life itself and all He provides—but especially for His Son, Jesus Christ, who was willing to obediently allow Himself to die a brutal death on a Roman cross as sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Yes. All mankind around the world. Not just God’s chosen people in the promised land of Israel—but everyone around the world. All mankind including you and me. God adopts into His family all those who accept Jesus as their Savior Personally, since I have chosen to have Jesus as my Savior, this makes me one of God’s adopted kids. I’m so glad you have made this decision, too, Zander. I feel we are loved by the supreme being—Almighty God. Are others reading this His kids, too? If not, pray about that.

Verse of Salvation ~ But I keep praying to you, LORD, hoping this time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation. Psalm 69:13

Happy Birthday ~ Zander-Man

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.

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

Monday, May 22, 2023

Angel’s Message

Prayer – Lord, that must have been an overwhelming and scary moment for Mary when the angel of the God came to her telling her she was going to be the mother of the Messiah! Wow! What a responsibility for Mary…and Joseph. I don’t think an angel is going to give me a direct message. I have the Holy Spirit to remind and nudge me in the right direction. What would You have me do to tell others about You, Jesus? What is my responsibility today?

The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.” ... How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! Luke 1:35, 47

Meditate. Consider the Holy Spirit's presence in the New Testament.

The Jews had been waiting for centuries for their Messiah…and here Mary was going to be honored to be His earthly mother. Yet what a huge responsibility and she was going to have to endure persecution, discrimination, and suffering beyond what any other mother has had to endure. She probably instantly realized some of this because she was not married. Even today there is a stigma associated with giving birth outside of marriage…but it is so common. Choices. Choices. Give birth out of wedlock…or have an abortion. No choice in my opinion. Abortion is murder. That life begins at conception—yet not everyone is willing to recognize or admit that. Adoption may be the best option for unwed mothers—and I know several families who have willingly taken on such babies who have been conceived and born with drug or alcohol addictions. Those poor babies have struggles for life—their very lives. Mary and Joseph didn’t have to make a choice like that…although Joseph seemed like he was willing to break his engagement to Mary before an angel told him what was going to happen and that he would be step-dad to the Jewish Messiah. What an adventure began for them when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary. It is the first time we see the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. God with us. God within Mary—spiritually and physically.

Mary’s response was positive. She rejoiced in her spirit. She must have already had a very close relationship with God to accept what was happening to her. God prepared her…just as He prepared the way for John the Baptist to announce the coming of the Messiah. Will it take an angel’s visit to you for you to speak up for our Messiah Jesus Christ?

Verses of Salvation ~ (Don’t be intimidated by the book of Revelation. God has a message for you about the end times. But fear not. He wins in the end. Read it for yourself and see. Salvation is yours.) Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon--the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world--was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, "It has come at last—salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time." Revelation 12:7-12 (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

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Teach Me

Prayer – Holy Spirit, thank you for graciously leading me, faithfully saving me from my enemies—those I see and those of which I am not even aware. The spiritual world is such an unknown area to me…so I’m glad You are there leading me and teaching me—for You are my God.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. For the glory of your name, O LORD, preserve my life. Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress. Psalm 143:10-11

Meditate. Consider the Holy Spirit’s role and what He is saying.

The perfect rose...
with thorns...
it reminds and teaches us.
It gives us hope.

Jesus introduced His disciples to the Holy Spirit, calling Him the Advocate, who will teach us everything.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you…But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:16-18, 26

What comforting words of promise. The Holy Spirit will never leave us…just as Jesus Himself promised…and will teach and remind us about everything Jesus told us. Wow! I don’t know about you, but I need reminders now and then to remember the words of Jesus. I actually love it when I’m writing that the Holy Spirit reminds me about a verse somewhere else—even without using a search engine. Teaching me—and even as I’m getting older…I am still teachable. Those reminders from the Holy Spirit are awesome for me. I’m sure that was especially great for the disciples as they didn’t have the written form of the New Testament during most of their lifetime.

Are you teachable? Do you listen to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead you forward as David did?

Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Psalm 25:5

Verses of Salvation ~ Won't you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory. Psalm 85:6-9

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, May 20, 2023

Trust the Lord with Your Spirit

Prayer – Lord, I trust You and come to Your seeking help and protection. Your give me strength and hope. You are my rock—the solid part of my life, giving me inner strength.

O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, LORD, for you are a faithful God. Psalm 31:1-5

Meditate. Consider your spirit and God’s Spirit.

Take a good look at yourself.
Who do you trust?

Where do you go when you need help or strength…encouragement? The Holy Spirit gave David protection from his enemies, strength, peace, and hope. David trusted God. God listens to and rescued Him. Who or what do you trust to give you strength, to rescue you physically, emotionally, or spiritually? Is it a friend, parent, other relative, a bottle or other drug of choice, a self-help book, or is it God and scripture? Take a good look at yourself, your habits, where you seek help, and who you trust.

Verse of Salvation ~ He (David) sang: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.” 2 Samuel 22:2-4

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, May 19, 2023

If You have the Ability to Prophesy—Speak Out

Prayer – God, You have chosen Your own people throughout time…beginning with Adam and Eve…and on down through Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and of course, You, Jesus. You came down and spoke to them—especially to Moses. Thank you for allowing even me to be part of Your family. It is all about choice…Your choice above all others. You gave the Holy Spirit to Moses and now to each of Your believers, in a way unlike the seventy elder. We’re not prophesying—at least not most of us…nor does the Holy Spirit leave us.

So Moses went out and reported the LORD's words to the people. He gathered the seventy elders and stationed them around the Tabernacle. And the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Then he gave the seventy elders the same Spirit that was upon Moses. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But this never happened again. Numbers 11:24-25

Meditate. Consider The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and now.

Moses was a chosen servant of God. Any child who goes to Sunday School knows how Moses was saved when his mother placed him in a basket in the Nile River and the Pharoah’s daughter found him and raised him as her own child. He ran away from Egypt after killing an Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew worker. The next significant occurrence in his life was when God spoke to him from a burning bush, calling him to rescue the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. Moses obediently led the Hebrew people to the Promised Land, although due to their disobedient nature it took forty years. Moses hung in there and stayed with those defiant, yet liberated slaves.

Does the Holy Spirit rest on you as it did on those elders? Only those with the gift of prophesy can truthfully serve the Lord in that way.

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Romans 12:3-8

Everyone’s gifts are different. Several years ago, my Bible Study group took a spiritual gifts test and it was amazing that between the twelve of us we had all the gifts of the Spirit. Considering warnings from Jesus…don’t be deceived…It occurs to me that prophesying without the Spirit would be considered false prophesying. So, be discerning about any prophesy that you hear. Rely on God’s word to back up any teaching or prophesy. If you have the gift of prophesy, speak up. If not—don’t speak.

Is this a gift from God?

Verses of Salvation ~ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Several years ago we toured Israel and while in Jerusalem we shopped at a little herb shop in the old market. That’s where we picked up some Za’atar that our tour guide had served with food. Yum. It can be used by sprinkled over a variety of foods: salads, avocados, scrambled eggs, yogurt, hummus, pizza, French fries, or chicken. It can even be sprinkled over a flat piece of dough, covered with olive oil and baked to make a popular Levantine flatbread called manakish. Enjoy it on just about anything—it just brings out the flavor of the food without being overpowering or too salty.

Za’atar Spice Mix

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup ground sumac

2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons dried marjoram

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon coarse salt

Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until just golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Coarsely grind sesame seed in food processor or with a mortar and pestle. Combine sesame seeds, thyme, marjoram, oregano, sumac, and salt in a bowl and stir until well combined. Keeps six months, if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

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, May 18, 2023

No Idol Worshipping

Prayer – Lord, do we unknowing make idols of everyday things? Open our eyes to what we are really doing. Bring us back to You.

Am I an idol?

"And on that day," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will erase idol worship throughout the land, so that even the names of the idols will be forgotten. I will remove from the land both the false prophets and the spirit of impurity that came with them." Zechariah 13:2

Meditate. Consider if things are idols in your life.

Do you worship the sunflower,
rather than the Son of God?

Have you ever forgotten the name of something or someone? Honestly, you don’t even have to have a Senior Moment to forget some details in your life. Do you think if you were worshiping some idol that you would or could “forget their name?” That is just what Zechariah said that the Lord was going to do…erase idol worship and their names! Hurrah! God is still desiring holiness from His followers—those who believe in Him today. He doesn’t want to have to compete with any idols—so get rid of such foolishness in your life. An idol is anything we worship and adore other than God. Do you place a higher value on your job, home, car, clothes, home décor, TV, movie stars, sports teams, or anything else than you do our own Lord and Savior, God? Seriously think about it. God wants purity and He was prophesying through Zechariah that He would remove the idols, false prophets, and the spirit of impurity. We’ve been looking at the Holy Spirit being in people in the Old Testament—but here is a mention of the spirit of impurity—unholiness. God is serious. He hasn’t changed. The Bible tells us that Jesus—who is God—never changes.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

From that we can surmise that idol worship is still unacceptable in God’s eyes. Worship doesn’t just happen on Sundays, but every day it depends on how we connect spiritually with God. How’s your relationship with God today? Are you worshipping some idol—or are you worshipping God?

Verse of Salvation ~ On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, "Cheer up, Zion! Don't be afraid! For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs." Zephaniah 3:16-17

Happy Birthday – Sweet Rachel

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, May 17, 2023

Are Your Fingers in Your Ears?

Prayer – Lord, I’m sorry for not listening to You—or for not digging into Your word and really taking the time and effort to understand it and apply it to my life. There are widows, orphans, and poor out there whom I could be serving for You…and I just haven’t done it. Shame on me. Help me get my fingers out of my ears and to reach out to those in need.

The LORD of Heaven's Armies sent me this message in reply: "Say to all your people and your priests, 'During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting? And even now in your holy festivals, aren't you eating and drinking just to please yourselves? Isn't this the same message the LORD proclaimed through the prophets in years past when Jerusalem and the towns of Judah were bustling with people, and the Negev and the foothills of Judah were well populated?'" Then this message came to Zechariah from the LORD: "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other. Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the LORD of Heaven's Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the LORD of Heaven's Armies was so angry with them. Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert." Zechariah 7:4-14

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

When was the last time you actually put your fingers in your ears? It was probably because it was just too noisy—like when my husband sneezes—not because you were blocking out something you didn’t want to hear…or was it? Do you intentionally refuse to listen to what someone is saying? I know that I sometimes do that—I just concentrate on what I’m doing and ignore everyone what everyone around me is doing or saying. Sort of selfish of me. Its hard to admit that I’ve been selfish—just self-centered isolating myself from others…and even from God. Do you ever feel that way?

Zechariah had a powerful message to take to Jews, but it was the same message as always…always and forever. Repent. God wants His people holy and respectful of Him. They were failing at that, as usual. In verses twelve and thirteen he says that they hardened their hearts against the Lord, so the Lord didn’t listen to them either.

They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the LORD of Heaven's Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the LORD of Heaven's Armies was so angry with them. Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies.

Could that happen to us if we don’t listen to the Lord? We have the grace of God for the forgiveness of our sins…but we still have to repent. We are loved, but so where the Jews of Zechariah’s day.

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—"When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life." Titus 3:3-7

Monroe Street Bridge
Build a strong bridge like this with God.

What a gracious God we have! Forgiving and loving. If you haven’t started a relationship with Him…Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…then reach out to Him today. Just as Jesus called…Repent of your sins and turn to God (Matthew 4:17) we have that opportunity now. Build a bridge within your heart to the Lord. We can choose to listen and obey…or be like those Israelites to whom Zechariah prophesied as they harden their hearts. What will you choose to do? Listen or put your fingers in your ears?

Verse of Salvation ~ Cry out, "Save us, O God of our salvation! Gather and rescue us from among the nations, so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you." 1 Chronicles 16:35

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