Banquet With The King

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Will You Live in His House Forever?

His House…Is that in Heaven? Is the Holy Spirit in this, too? Lots of questions come to mind when we think of heaven and living forever. How long is forever anyway? Strong’s Bible lexicon translates this “house” from the Hebrew word bayith, to mean house, household, home or even temple among other words. Imagine living the rest of forever in the temple of the Lord—His house. Jesus gave us a verse—with a glimpse into heaven. It is often used in funeral or memorial services since it is very comforting to those who have lost a loved one.

There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? John 14:2.

In the Jewish marriage custom, when a couple became engaged, the bridegroom would add a room onto his father’s home. Their marriage would not happen until the father said that the dwelling place was ready for the new couple. It couldn’t just be thrown together. It had to be well constructed and approved by the father. He was like the building inspector—no shabby construction project on his family home. When everything was in order the father would send for the bride from her father’s home and invite the wedding guests to come celebrate. When they arrived at the bridegroom’s home, a weeklong marriage party would begin. A feast with the groom and bride. Christians are the “bride” of Christ. The beginning of forever will be that day when we celebrate with the Lord at a His wedding banquet. It will be an exciting day when the Father says, “Come. The home is ready.” Shall we meet in the air or there at the Banquet with the King?

…and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6 KJV

Prayer ~ Father God, like all Your people since the resurrection of Your Son, Jesus, we are waiting as patiently to hear Your call, “Come.” We understand that You tarry so that no one would be lost. We are eager for Jesus Christ’s return—but we too want Heaven to be as full as possible. Holy Spirit—guide us that we would be willing workers with the right words to say to encourage others as You bring them to salvation.

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

Verses of Salvation ~ The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 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. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:1-6

Revised Banquet With The King blog, April 30, 2015.

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

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Bold Prayers

No matter what your age...
Fold your hands and pray.
Honor God with your love,
attention, and obedience.

He is waiting for you...
to talk to Him.

How’s your prayer life? When was the last time you spent more than five minutes…if even that…in prayer?

Prayer is just talking to God, but some people are just uncomfortable praying…especially praying out loud. I remember not wanting to say much beyond the “God is good, God is great, let us thank Him for our food” type of prayer—also recalling my Grandfather’s simple prayer at a family dinner, “Alle lieben Abba Vater” in German which was his primary language. All love Abba Father. Good prayer. It implies the love God the Father first principle. A couple of years after hearing my Grandfather's prayer, my Sunday School teacher lead us through a study of the Lord’s Prayer. That was my first revelation into the spiritual nature of God. At their request, Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray:

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13

That is a model prayer for everyone. Take an intense look at the Lord’s Prayer and model your prayers after it:

Dear Heavenly and Holy Father, we honor You and Your name.

We’re looking forward to being with You in heaven, someday soon.

In the meantime, we want to know what You want us to do…Your will here on earth.

We’re trusting You to give us the spiritual and physical food that we need today.

Sins are inevitable, but we are still accountable to You—so please forgive us.

Help us to forgive anyone who offends us.

Temptations are all around us—please give us the strength to resist those.

Rescue us from the evil one—and all the wicked darkness associated with him.

We recognize that You are all powerful and worthy of all glory in heaven and on earth. Amen.

Again, prayer is talking to God. Consider how much He loves you—enough to give up His Son for your eternal protection. So, don’t be intimidated. Talk to God like you would a good friend. Address God the Father and Jesus, your Savior and Redeemer, as you lift up your prayer requests and praises. Be sure to gratefully thank Him. God is graciously waiting to hear from you. Don’t wait until you have some horrible problem, speak with the LORD God every day about everything. Build your relationship with Him chatting about your cares, concerns, and adorations. Prayer can be a part of worship. Will you get a dialog going with Him today?

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13

Prayer – Lord, I’ve read Your word and now I come to You hopeful and expecting that You will answer my prayer. Forgive me when I’ve blown it and broken Your laws or rules. I don’t want to offend You for You are an awesome God—the true one and only who created Heaven and Earth. Thank you for all that You provide for me, my family, and friends. Protect me and help me to keep my eyes open that I’ll see the evil around me and not give into any of the devil’s schemes. May all that I think, say, and do bring You glory.

Meditate. Read Jesus’ words, listen to what He is saying, and obediently follow Him.

Verse of Salvation ~ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that the Good News (salvation) is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God's ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. Ephesians 6:18-20

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, April 22, 2025

Daily Obedience

Are you like a stubborn pig...
or like Jesus...obedient?
Pig created by Grandgirl Liberty.

Obedience in the Bible is used as obedience, compliance and submission. That is just how Jesus was in his relationship with our heavenly Father. Jesus’ obedience was recorded in several places throughout the New Testament, but does not seem to be identified in the Old Testament. Interestingly, when searching on obedience in the Blue Letter Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, the results mention a couple of Old Testament scripture passages that refer to the significance of listening. Yes, listening. That is an important component of obedience. Without intentional and devoted listening…to God or others in authority…how can one be obedient? Jesus listened to His Father. He made it a point of getting up early and spending time in prayer daily. Jesus is our ultimate example. Do we spend time with our heavenly Father every morning like Jesus did?

That would be considered a morning devotional and prayer time. Years ago I used to spend an hour or more just reading my Bible and praying. Somehow now I spend less time actually reading and praying—mostly because…. No excuse. I do spend sometimes a couple hours or more blogging…but that is not necessarily the same as reading and studying God’s word. My confession of the day—well maybe of the year! So, you perhaps wonder how does one go about having a devotional time? Since the Bible is God’s word, when you read and study it, it is God’s opportunity to communicate with you. The Bible is inspired by God as we know from 2 Timothy 3:16. Inspired. God-breathed. The best way to approach this time—even just a few minutes every morning—is to pray first asking that the Holy Spirit help you understand what you are about to read.

And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13

Then read your Bible. But where to start? Start at the beginning…with Genesis. An alternative, if you are a new Christian, start with the Book of John in the New Testament. Jesus is identified as “the Word” of God.

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

How long should you read? Read until you feel like God is telling you something—it may be a verse or a chapter…maybe all of one of the sixty-six books of the Bible. Then mark the passage, write down the best thing that you read and how it impressed you. How can you apply that passage to your life? By doing that you are beginning to journal, and so many people, including me, just struggle with “journaling.”

This is basically the method of study in the Navigator’s discipleship program. The books I used about forty years ago are still available. They were The 2:7 Series, based on the Colossians 2:7 scripture.

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

For more details and guidance, you may want Goggle study opportunities with the Navigator’s organization or order them on Amazon.

After spending time hearing from the Lord God in His word, it will be time to pray—to continue the conversation in prayer. We’ll look at prayer time with God…tomorrow.

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. Hebrews 5:7-8

Prayer – 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

Meditate on God’s word—reading and studying it.

Verses of Salvation ~ For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock? God is my strong fortress, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have given me your shield of victory (salvation); your help has made me great. 2 Samuel 22:32-36

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

Monday, April 21, 2025

Serve Others—Jesus Did

Noah built an ark.
What are you going to do to serve the Lord?

Don’t get tired of doing good for others…especially those in the family of God. Jesus was almost constantly serving—ministering—to others or challenging them to serve. Look for examples in the Gospels…and then in your life. Easter is over--now it is time to get to work.

As I was doing my two-mile walk a day or two ago, I was thinking about how excited a person is when they first ask Jesus to be their Savior—and become part of the family of God. Adopted. Shortly after I accepted Christ—as my Messiah—I went to visit my sister who was living in Biloxi, Mississippi, at the time. She said there was something different about me…I just thought it was my haircut—I was wearing it a little shorter than I had been since I’d seen her. No—it wasn’t the hair. Then I thought for a minute or two—thinking is always a good thing—and said, “Well, I had accepted Christ as my Savior.” That’s it! She had also accepted Christ and I think it was the Holy Spirit in each of us that gave us a new awareness of changes. Jesus Christ does change us—for the good—to do good for Him whenever we have an opportunity. We need to be on the lookout for those opportunities. If we just focus on ourselves—like those who live only to satisfy their own desires or sinful nature—then we miss out on chances to serve the Lord. Isn’t that what life is all about? Relationships are created when there is an occasion to help someone. People may seek “happiness”—but really what we all really need is to be loved and accepted by God, family, and friends. That awareness of God’s love fills our hearts and lives—spilling out to others. The “doing good” is an expression of that love. At least that is what I’ve experienced. How about you?

Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in “the family of faith.” Galatians 6:8-10

Prayer – Lord - Holy Spirit—quicken in my heart not only a desire to do good but help me to focus on situations and people around me so that I can see opportunities to serve others for You.

Meditate. Consider opportunities to serve others.

Verse of Salvation ~ After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, "Praise the LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. Revelation 19:1

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, April 20, 2025

Joyous Resurrection

He is risen. He is risen indeed! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Rejoice and be glad. The tomb is empty. He is risen from the dead!

The Empty Tomb

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day." Luke 24:1-7

Prayer – Hallelujah! Christ My Lord is risen today! He is the Savior of the world! Thank you, Jesus, that You were willingly obedient to the Heavenly Father—allowing Yourself to be the sacrificial Lamb for the sins of mankind since that original sin of Adam and Eve.

Meditate. Consider the forgiveness offered to you by the sacrifice of our risen Lord.

Verse of Salvation ~ Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name. Psalm 79:9

Happy Birthday Sweet Amelia—Our Little Lady Bug!

Blessings and Much Love Today and Always

Blessed Resurrection Sunday to Everyone

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, April 19, 2025

Can You Be Quiet?

Can you be quiet…be silent…be still? As a little kid I was known for being noisy. When I was about six or seven and playing after school at my grandparents’ home with an equally boisterous friend, I remember overhearing my paternal Granddad complaining to my Grandma, “They’re so loud—too noisy—can’t they go outside?” We were “drumming” in the hallway. Too raucous! When I was in high school, I distinctly remember deciding to be quiet—no more noisy kid. That was a good choice for me. But even as a grownup, My Aunt Mercedes remembered my noisy reputation and gave me a counted cross-stitch with the message… “Make a joyful noise.”

Jesus was silent before His accusers—His enemies. He was headed for the cross…and nothing He could say would change that. It was part of God’s plan for Him to be crucified—to be the sacrifice for all mankind. Now, like Jesus, we should be quiet as we wait for our salvation—for the return of Jesus. He is our hope and our Savior.

The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. Lamentations 3:25-26

Do you depend on the LORD? As you wait for Easter and His resurrection, consider what He has done for you for eternity.

Be silent before the LORD, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling. Zechariah 2:13

Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?" But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, "I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God." Matthew 26:62-63

Prayer – Lord, I humbly bow before You in silence. Give me courage and determination to remain silent…like You did.

Meditate. Silently focus on listen to what He is saying.

Verse of Salvation ~ Come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1

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, April 18, 2025

Mission Complete

Old Olive Trees in the Garden of Gethsemane
Jerusalem, Israel

This was not an impossible mission…but a difficult one—even for Jesus. When He went to the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “Let this cup pass from me….” But that wasn’t God the Father’s will for Jesus’ life…or ours. So, He went to the cross.

I find a bit of irony in the story of the Passover…and the cross. When God gave Moses and the Israelites the instructions for the Passover, He told them to use a hyssop branch to put the blood of the lamb on the door posts and lintel. Then as Jesus hung on the cross, the soldiers used a hyssop branch to raise a sponge of sour wine for Jesus to drink. Hyssop branches. It is also mentioned in Psalm 51 where David wrote about his heart being cleansed from sin after his affair with Bathsheba.

Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,

And in secret You will make wisdom known to me.

Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

Cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness,

Let the bones You have broken rejoice.

Hide Your face from my sins

And wipe out all my guilty deeds.

Create in me a clean heart, God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And sustain me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:6-12 NASB20

Hyssop is in the mint family, and it is considered to be a wild form of marjoram that was used in religious and purification rituals in Biblical times. We don’t need to use hyssop to sprinkle blood on the frame of our door, but we still need to ask God to purify our hearts. Give us clean heart and restore a right spirit to us. Jesus gave us the opportunity to be renewed. Don’t pass it by. He was thirsty…and was given vinegar to drink, but that was not a thirst quencher. Then He bowed His head, breathed His last breath, and released His spirit. His mission was finished...complete.

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, "I am thirsty." A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. John 19:28-30

Meditate. Consider Jesus purpose while He was on earth.

Verse of Salvation ~ So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. 1 Peter 2:1-3

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table (Good Friday)

Jesus was given sour wine which is actually vinegar. Who drinks vinegar? A little bit—but just a little splash—of apple cider vinegar mixed with water is good for a lot of things. It is a natural probiotic, so it is generally good for gut health and the immune system. It also contains antioxidants that some people claim will prevent or treat esophageal cancer, but like any claims for weight loss, skin infection treatment, or glycemic control, those should be taken lightly and discussed with your medical professionals.

It is not likely that the sour wine Jesus was given was made from apples. Jesus lived in the Promised Land…a grape growing area in which the Lord Himself had brought the Israelites to live.

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. Deuteronomy 8:7-8

That was the land of milk and honey…and wine that made the heart glad. The sour wine that Jesus tasted was His last food…until He ate fish with His disciples after His Resurrection. Wait. There is more to His story. His Mission continues after His Resurrection…after His Ascension.

Revised and reused from Banquet With The King blog, April 7, 2023.

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

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

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

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