Banquet With The King

Thursday, April 23, 2026

Are You Obedient?

Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! Matthew 5:17-20

Meditate on these verses.

Jesus was speaking to His followers and the crowd at the hillside above the Sea of Galilee. It was a beautiful day and His words were drifting up that mountain side so everyone could hear Him perfectly. He had spoke to them about blessings that come from behaviors and woes that could happen in with their attitudes. Now, x He was addressing the necessity for them to keep God’s laws. Likely, most of them were Jewish and were familiar with God’s Laws given to the Jews over a thousand years before their time, and with the Pharisees. Those official Jewish law keepers and teachers. Jesus’ message: Don’t ignore the Ten Commandments. Obey and teach them to others.

Who doesn't want to go to heaven? Some people today just think if they do enough good, they’ll automatically go to heaven when they die.People inherently know about the great place in the sky. Several years ago a kids song lyrics included words Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace…I wanna go there. Even in Jesus time there was a great desire to one day “enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” He was warning people that they needed to live according to God's rules to get into His Heavenly Kingdom. The same applies to us today.
Your choice. Do you want to obey God and live with Him forever?

Prayer - Lord Jesus, I want to see You—so I will obey—just as You have taught. With Your help I am living with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control to show and share Your love with 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 (NLT)

Portions reused from April 20, 2022, Banquet With The King, blog.

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

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Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Are You Salty?

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:13-16

Meditate. Salt. Light.

Salty people are usually characters. Think of someone you know that is a character…a bit salty. Their personality is usually boisterous and they are likely in your face about something. They make themselves heard. Salt gives flavor to food…and if it looses its flavor, then it is tossed out. When people become boring—sort i of “non-salty” they may be dropped off your “invite” list. Remember God loves them, too.

This passage goes on to say that’ll a light shining in the darkness is one that gives hope to those in its presence. Jesus said that to those gathered around Him when He was teaching in what we call the Sermon on the Mount. He told them that they were the light of the world. Have you ever been so engulfed in pain that your surroundings seemed grim and dark? Jesus also taught that He is the light of the world, as recorded in John.

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

Follow me. Once agin Jesus was calling the people. “Follow me.” He says the same thing to us today. We don’t need to hide the fact that we have the light of Jesus shining in us. We certainly aren’t going to hide that light by putting a basket over our head. Give Jesus your pain and your shame. Instead, let your love and obedience to Jesus show. Hopefully others will see that it is Jesus’ love that gives you hope and allows you to care for others. The kind and good things you do will bring glory to God. That is Jesus’ expectation. Praise to the Heavenly Father.

Prayer ~ Lord Jesus, shine through me and give us all hope people need salt and light in their lives. By serving others, my hope is to give You glory.

Verse of Salvation ~ The LORD is my light and my salvation--so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? Psalm 27:1 (NLT)

Portions reused from April 20, 2022, 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, April 21, 2026

Woe is me!

What sorrow awaits you who are rich,
for you have your only happiness now.

What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,
for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.

What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,
for their ancestors also praised false prophets. Luke 6:24-26

Meditate. What are woes and sorrows?

According to Google—and we all live to google for now—sorrows can be associated with regrets or sadness. Woes are a bit deeper and and intense, a longer lasting grief. These are intense anguish, misery feelings due to severe problems.
Jesus tells us to cast all our cares on Him.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 If we really do this…life is easier…burdens released. Life couldn’t be better. Jesus love us. Trust Him. Prayer — Thank you Jesus, for loving us enough to die for us…and to take our burdens, or sorrows, and woes. Life is tough—but with You we can do anything. Please continue to help us endure our trials, tribulations, and even daily burdens. Your strength is sufficient.

Verse of Salvation ~ For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT)

Monday, April 20, 2026

Birthday Blessings Sweet Amelia

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 NLT

Meditate. What do you think you cannot do? With the strength that Jesus Christ gives you, can you do that?

Celebrate!
Fireworks at Disney World.
I can do everything!

This verse is my granddaughter Amelia’s favorite verse. Today is her birthday! The beginning of a wonderful year of adventures ahead of her! She has had some health issues during the past few years, and yet she has claimed this verse and does great things with strength from the Lord! May He continue to bless and strengthen her.

Do you identify with this verse? Do you feel that you can do everything through the strength that Jesus Christ gives you? Remember that Jesus said that whatever you ask for in His name, the Father will grant.

At that time, you won't need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. John 16:23-24

Abundant joy! What more could we want in life? Joy! It is one of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit—Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is the Spirit that gives us that abundant life—everlasting life with joy.

Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 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 blessings 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 6:7-10

Our relationship with God and with others is what is important in life. Paul reminds us in this portion of scripture from Galatians that we should do good for our brothers and sisters in God’s family. That may take some strength from Christ, but build good relationships with other Christians. I’m so glad that Amelia and her family are part of God’s family…and mine! You can do all things!

Prayer – Lord Jesus, thank you for a positive attitude. You showed us how when You prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “If it be Your will, let this cup pass from me.” But we know that it wasn’t God’s will. It was His plan…and You fulfilled it. You finished the task that He sent you to earth to do. You can do all things…and it was God the Father who gave you the strength to do it. Now, You give us that same strength…to do all things. Thank you for loving us enough to finish the task that God the Father gave You.

Verse 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

Happy 18^th Birthday, Amelia

Sweet & Smart

Portions reused from April 20, 2022, 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

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Are You Persecuted?

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. Matthew 5:10 NLT

Meditate. Consider God’s guidance in scripture concerning persecution.

Persecution. It is varied in its forms but may include intimidation, hassle, annoyance, harassment, oppression, subjection, discrimination, tyranny, torment, suffering, or murder.

Jesus told a parable about a farmer, sowing seeds…using the soils to describe, symbolically, the hearts of those hearing about the Kingdom of Heaven. When persecution comes on some people, they respond as Jesus described.

The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. Matthew 13:20-21.

How do you react to persecution? When someone challenges your faith, your beliefs, do you turn away? Here in the United States, most people never experience real persecution—especially not like those in countries where Christians are executed for their faith.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 3:7-8 NIV.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Romans 8:35 NASB.

Prayer – Jesus, be with our brothers and sisters around the world—and give them strength to endure the persecution that they are experiencing. Remind us that nothing and no one can separate us from Your love—and if we should ever have to face persecution…may we, through the Holy Spirit, find our strength in Your love and grace in our lives.

Verse of Salvation ~ Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18

Portions reused from August 26, 2014, and July 14, 2015, Banquet With The King blogs.

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

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

HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Saturday, April 18, 2026

Peacemakers – Are You One?

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9 NLT

Meditate. Consider God’s promise of peace in scripture.

Peace is important to God. "Peace" appears 361 times in the New Living Translation and 400 times in the old Kings James translation. That is a lot of peace, but many of those verses deal with the sacrificial peace offerings as described in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, as well as other books in the Old Testament.

The dogwood tree reminds us of peace--
from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Search for peace.

Peace is that quality and attitude where there is a freedom from stress, turbulence, or anxiety. It is that feeling of prosperity, tranquility and safety. It was assumed to be the political position when the Messiah arrived, but we know that it was surely a state of mind...not a political quality when Jesus arrived on earth. Jesus was teaching that crowd on the hillside above the Sea of Galilee that they needed to be peacemakers--seeking peace. Actually, not just seeking peace for themselves, but to be peacemakers--spreading and encouraging peace with others. Here are a few verses that encourage peace.
- Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. Psalm 34:14
- In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 (NASB)
- The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace. Psalm 29:11 (NASB)
- Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble. Psalm 119:165 (NASB)
- For the sake of my brothers and my friends, will now say, "May peace be within you." Psalm 122:8 (NASB)
- Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. Proverbs 3:17 (NASB)
- When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7 (NASB)
- A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:8 (NASB)
- LORD, You will establish peace for us, since You have also performed for us all our works.
Isaiah 26:12 (NASB)
- And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. Isaiah 32:17 (NASB)
- For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12 (NASB)

These verses encourage us to seek peace—to pursue it. I certainly want peace in my life. How about you?

And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:18

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Romans 14:17-19

The LORD lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace. Numbers 6:26 (NASB)

Claim that promise of being a peacemaker—and you will be a son or daughter of God.

Prayer – Lord God, where there is contention and strife with others in my community...give me grace to help them to solve their differences...to seek Your peace in their lives.

Verse of Salvation ~ How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! Isaiah 52:7 NLT

Portions reused from January 21,2018 Banquet With The King blog.

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

Friday, April 17, 2026

Who Has a Pure Heart?

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

Meditate - purity.

Pure. Clean. Wholesome. Untainted. Uncontaminated. Basic. Fundamental. Strong. Vibrant. Genuine. Natural. Complete. Uncorrupt. That’s what is pure. Pure uncorrupt heart—following God’s will, His plan for life. Those are the people who will be blessed and see God. Imagine actually seeing the Almighty God, the maker of Heaven and Earth. The one who designed mankind and has a plan for each person’s life. There is a verse in the Bible that describes God with feathers and wings. Is that what we will one day see as we gaze on Him face to face?

Is this God's feather...floating on the
Columbia River?
Will He shelter you with His wings?

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalm 91:1-4

Those with a pure heart will see Him, with or without feathers.

Prayer – Lord God, I long for the day that I will see You face to face—feathers and all!

Verse of Salvation ~ Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. Isaiah 62:1 NLT

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Barley is one of Israel’s seven healing foods. Many of the ways to use barley utilize barley sprouts. So, the best thing to consider here is how to sprout barley grain.

Steps in Spouting Barley Grain

First – choose whole-grain kernels, not pearl grains, those cracked, or treated with any chemicals.

Second - Rinse ½ cup of grain, remove any debris or dust, and place in a quart jar.

Third – Cover the grain with fresh water and soak for 6-12 hours.

Fourth – Drain the grain in the jar. Rinse and drain again.

Fifth – Invert jar in a bowl, allowing the air to circulate. Place in a dark, warm place. Rinse and drain 2-3 times daily.

Sixth – Watch the kernels and see sprouts after 2-3 days. When the sprouts are 1-2 inches long they are ready to use.

Seventh – Rinse and drain one last time. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Enjoy in salads, puree in a smoothie, or combine into bread dough for “sprouted” bread. Google barley recipes for more ideas on ways to use the vitamin and enzyme packed sprouts.

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, April 16, 2026

Are You Merciful?

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 NLT

Meditate on mercy.

Don't be prickly like a cactus.
Be merciful.

There are countless…well, try 41 verses about being merciful in the New Living Translation of the Bible. Most of them are concerning how merciful God is. That is true. God is merciful. Here’s an example of that written by the minor prophet, Joel, as he called the Israelites to personal repentance

Don't tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Joel 2:13 (Underlined for emphasis.)

In the New Testament, we have an example of Jesus as our merciful High Priest. Although He was not of the tribe of Levi, the usual Jewish priestly family unit, Jesus became a priest in Heaven.

Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:17

God promises to bless those who have shown mercy to others. What is the result of not showing mercy? James writes that there is no mercy, which is compassion, pity, understanding, grace, kindness, or leniency, for those who are not merciful to others.

There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. James 2:13

When I was in grade school, there was a girl who accidentally got hit in the face with a tetherball. Accidents happen. I was the one who had hit the ball, so she felt like I had slapped her in the face. She had just heard the verse stated by Jesus about turning the other cheek, and she was determined that I needed to hit her again. Wrong. I just couldn’t do it, but she kept nagging me and wouldn’t resume our tetherball game until I slapped her other cheek. Well, I finally tossed the ball, lightly at her other cheek, and we laughingly resumed the game just as the recess bell rang. Was it merciful? I felt like it could only be merciful if she would just forgive me for the ball hitting her in the face.

But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. Matthew 5:39 (Jesus words.)

Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies. Lamentations 3:30

Many of Jesus’ teachings were based on Old Testament statements that He clarified and made practical to the people of that time.

Prayer – Lord Jesus, You were merciful to so many around You. I particularly think of the Pharisees, who, although some believed in You, like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, were often challenging evil people, but You listened politely. Ultimately, You were merciful to all of mankind by obediently taking our sins to the cross. Thank You. You are such a good example—we should certainly be merciful to others around us!

Verse of Salvation ~ So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. Lamentations 3:26

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