You will not taste death

Mark 9

Jesus spoke to His disciples,
and prepared them
for what was going to happen.

Some of them would not taste death
until they had seen
the kingdom of God
come with power.

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Later, after his resurrection,
the writer of Hebrews gave us
a powerful announcement:

that Jesus, by the grace of God,
tasted death for every man!

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RK NIA

The Tree of Life
20th August 2026


Lunch Hour Preaching Messages
Rick Gold Ministries

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30mins

https://t.me/LunchHourPreaching/12319

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Be Blessed

TNT & HG🕊

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Blessed When We Suffer for Christ

As we continue meditating on the Sermon on the Mount, we come to the final blessed words Jesus spoke concerning persecution. In this great teaching, our King reveals the principles and values of the Kingdom of Heaven. These words are a blessing and encouragement to every citizen of God’s Kingdom who seeks to live according to His truth.

Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11–12).

Jesus teaches His disciples that when we are insulted, persecuted, or falsely accused because we follow Him and pursue righteousness, we should not lose heart. Instead, He calls us to rejoice and be glad. This teaching is completely different from the values of the world. Human nature often responds to persecution with anger, fear, bitterness, or discouragement, but Jesus calls His followers to respond with faith, joy, love, and perseverance.

Our suffering for Christ is not meaningless. Jesus reminds us that our reward is in heaven. He also points us toward the faithful prophets and saints who suffered because they stood firmly for God’s truth. Their lives are examples for us to follow. They chose righteousness over popularity, obedience over comfort, and faithfulness over worldly approval.

Jesus Himself is our greatest example. He endured rejection, suffering, false accusations, and persecution, yet He remained faithful to the Father’s will.

Hebrews 4:14–16 reminds us that Jesus, our great High Priest, understands our weaknesses because He was tempted in every way as we are, yet remained without sin. Therefore, we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, knowing that we will receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.

May we remain faithful when we face opposition, remembering that Christ is with us and our heavenly reward is great. May God’s peace and grace be upon you. Have a blessed day and night. Love God and love people.

When we are born again, we are adopted by God. God is a good father, and he would never unadopt his children. He adopts us despite our iniquities, despite our transgressions, despite our ungodlyness, and we stay safe in that same blessed assurance.

Since we are contained in such a magnificent and incredible grace, we are not, as some people think, encouraged to go out and sin with abandon and live a licentiously loose lifestyle. Quite the opposite, and that is why believers who are not following the direction of the Holy Spirit, which was imparted to them at the moment of belief in Christ as their only source and their only hope of salvation, their conscience convicts them.

Couple that awful feeling of anxiety and guilt and remorse and regret with the devil whispering in their ears that they are no longer acceptable, and even believers will walk in shame rather than resting in faith knowing their sins are forgiven and their transgressions are forgotten despite the evil they have done or how bad they can become.

Walk in faith then. Worship the God who saved us and saves us still. Trust him, be dependent upon him, listen to him, and live your life in honor of him. Do these things, not to keep your right standing with God, but because you believe that you already have right standing with God. That's exercising faith in Jesus and what he accomplished at the cross as sufficient for our eternal life.

#jesuschrist #grace #believe #faith #cross

hello I HOPE EVERYONE IS having a Blessed day. I'm just grateful for another day and one day sober and trying to live a Godly life. I struggle with doing what the good Lord wants me to be. But I love the Lord so I start again.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 20)

1. Wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

2. The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.

3. It is honorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a quarrel.

4. The lazy man will not plow because of winter;
He will beg during harvest and have nothing.

5. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding will draw it out.

6. Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,
But who can find a faithful man?

7. The righteous
man walks in his integrity;
His children are blessed after him.

8. A king who sits on the throne of judgment
Scatters all evil with his eyes.

9. Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin”?

10. Diverse weights and diverse measures,
They are both alike, an abomination to the LORD.

11. Even a child is known by his deeds,
Whether what he does is pure and right.

12. The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
The LORD has made them both.

13. Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.

14. “It is good for nothing,” cries the buyer;
But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.

15. There is gold and a multitude of rubies,
But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16. Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.

17. Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

18. Plans are established by counsel;
By wise counsel wage war.

19. He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.

20. Whoever curses his father or his mother,
His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.

21. An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning
Will not be blessed at the end.

22. Do not say, “I will recompense evil”;
Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

23. Diverse weights are an abomination to the LORD,
And dishonest scales are not good.

24. A man’s steps are of the LORD;
How then can a man understand his own way?

25. It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy,
And afterward to reconsider his vows.

26. A wise king sifts out the wicked,
And brings the threshing wheel over them.

27. The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD,
Searching all the inner depths of his heart.

28. Mercy and truth preserve the king,
And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.

29. The glory of young men is their strength,
And the splendor of old men is their gray head.

30. Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,
As do stripes the inner depths of the heart.

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Yesterday was such a beautifully blessed day filled with hilarity, accomplishment, and love. With help from our guests, my storage unit is now empty and all that was left is now properly stored in my shed. My shed, appropriately named: All Things Not Garage, is tidy and does not look like anything that I would own. Now, the little garage which sits right beside the shed of all things not garage, it is a little more cluttered, but still does not look like anything that I would own … it is tidy-ish. My third yard got mowed without issue and I got me a nice hot bath. Played games on the phone with the littles, got cuddles and lots of giggles. However, the biggest event for my day was when we tried a new translation AP so that me and my friend could have a conversation. WE had a conversation … a conversation of giggles and hearty laughter.

As we tried to talk slow, but fast enough and fast, but slow enough for the AP to understand two old ladies … let's just say the translations … well, some were good and correct; others were good for loud laughing. This actually got me in trouble, because my daughter-in-law was trying to put the kids to bed.

In this transaction of trying to talk to each other without one of the kids being there to translate for us, these two old women laughed and bonded in love. Love for fun. Love for family. Love for the Spirit who wants us to understand each other a little better.

Sometimes, as adults, we get too caught up in the adulting part of life that we forget to remember to have fun. We forget that we are allowed to laugh. We are allowed to let go. We are allowed to be free of all the adult rules from time to time and just act like kids. To let our bodies feel the ache of stomach cramps from laughing too hard and too much. We are allowed to live.

This day even ended with hilarity. As I was saying my prayers and giving thanks, my mind was everywhere. Then when I went to recite the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father who art in heaven, hilarity be thy name….” I kid you not it took three tries before I got the words right. And yes, that caused even more laughing for me.
Today I would like to encourage you to find that inner person who is screaming for laughter. Who is crying to have gut-wrenching aches from too many giggles. Do not allow the enemy to keep you from the beautiful smiles and joyful bliss of laughter. Being an adult is hard enough; do not take away your playtime. Find time today to enjoy the blessings, instigate laughter, and smile because it looks good on you.

Be blessed.

**For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. – Romans 8:20-21

God's Promises
Job 5:17-18

New International Version

17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;
so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up;
he injures, but his hands also heal.

Ellen G. White
THE SABBATH IS THE LORD’S DAY — NOT SUNDAY

There is a phrase in Scripture that deserves our careful attention: “MY DAY.”

God does not speak of the Sabbath as merely a Jewish tradition or a human religious custom. He claims it as His own day.

Isaiah 58:13
“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day…”

Notice the language: “MY holy day.”

God says:

“My sabbath” — Ezekiel 20:12
“My sabbaths” — Ezekiel 20:20
“The sabbath of the LORD thy God” — Exodus 20:10
“My holy day” — Isaiah 58:13

And who is the Lord of the Sabbath?

Mark 2:28
“Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”

Jesus did not say He was Lord of Sunday. He identified Himself as Lord of the Sabbath.

Go back even further—to Creation.

Genesis 2:2–3
“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made… And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.”

The seventh day was blessed and sanctified before there was a Jew, before there was Moses, and before there was Mount Sinai.

Then God placed it in the heart of His moral law:

Exodus 20:8–11
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy… But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God.”

The question is therefore not simply, “What day do I prefer?”

The deeper question is:

“What day has God Himself claimed as His?”

Scripture answers: the seventh-day Sabbath.

Sunday may be widely observed by tradition, culture, or religious practice, but we must distinguish between what God commanded and what human tradition established.

Jesus warned:

Mark 7:7–9
“But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

The Sabbath is not presented in Scripture as something God casually gave and later abandoned. Isaiah points forward to the new earth:

Isaiah 66:22–23
“And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.”

From Creation, through the Ten Commandments, through the ministry of Christ, and into the new earth, Scripture consistently gives the seventh day a unique place.

So let us not allow tradition to speak louder than Scripture.

The Sabbath is not my day. It is not your day. It is God’s day.

“The seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God.” — Exodus 20:10

If God calls it “MY holy day,” shouldn't we be willing to honor what He has claimed?

AMAZING LOVE

AN INVITATION TO GO DEEPER

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THANKFUL THURSDAY MORNING PRAYER

“Lord, We Thank You for Everything!”

Scripture...
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” — Psalm 107:1 (KJV)

Heavenly Father,
On this Thankful Thursday morning, before we ask You for anything, we want to thank You for everything.
Thank You for waking us up this morning. Thank You for watching over us through the night. Thank You for the breath in our bodies, the activity of our limbs, and the soundness of our minds. Thank You that when our eyes opened this morning, we were given another opportunity to experience Your grace, walk in Your purpose, and declare Your goodness.
Your Word says:
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24 (KJV)
So today, Lord, we choose to rejoice. We may not have everything we want, but we thank You because You have been faithful to provide what we need.
Thank You for What We Saw—and What We Never Saw
Father, we thank You not only for the blessings we recognize, but also for the things You protected us from that we never knew were coming.
Thank You for dangers seen and unseen.
Thank You for doors You closed because something harmful was on the other side.
Thank You for delays that frustrated us but protected us.
Thank You for people You removed because they could not go where You were taking us.
Thank You for the accidents that did not happen, the sickness that did not overtake us, the plans of the enemy that did not prosper, and the traps that never caught us.
Your Word declares:
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.” — Isaiah 54:17 (KJV)
The weapon may have formed, but it did not win!
The storm came, but it did not destroy us!
The enemy attacked, but he could not cancel Your purpose!
We are still here because Your hand has been upon us.
Thank You for Your Mercy
Father, thank You for mercy.
Thank You that You did not give us what our mistakes deserved.
Thank You for forgiving us when we confessed our sins. Thank You for cleansing us, restoring us, correcting us, and giving us another opportunity to get it right.
Your Word says:
“It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:22–23 (KJV)
New mercy this morning!
Not yesterday's mercy.
Not leftover mercy.
But fresh mercy for a brand-new day.
Lord, forgive us for every sin—those committed knowingly and unknowingly, in our words, thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Create in us clean hearts and renew right spirits within us.
Thank You for Jesus
Most of all, Father, thank You for Jesus!
Thank You for the cross.
Thank You for the blood.
Thank You for salvation.
Thank You for redemption.
Thank You that the grave could not hold Him.
Thank You that Jesus got up with all power in His hands!
Your Word declares:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…” — John 3:16 (KJV)
Jesus, thank You for loving us when we were unlovable. Thank You for reaching for us when we were running from You. Thank You for being our Savior, Lord, Advocate, Shepherd, Deliverer, and Friend.
Thank You Even in Difficult Seasons
Father, teach us to thank You even when life does not make sense.
Your Word says:
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)
It does not say that everything that happens is good. It tells us that in everything, we can still give thanks.
So even in the valley, we thank You.
Even while waiting, we thank You.
Even when our prayers have not yet been answered, we thank You.
Even when we cannot trace Your hand, help us to trust Your heart.
We believe:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God…” — Romans 8:28 (KJV)
Father, take what was meant to break us and use it to build us. Take our tears and produce testimony. Take our trials and develop endurance. Take our disappointments and redirect us toward Your purpose.
Lord, Touch Those Who Need Healing
This morning we lift up everyone who is sick in body, troubled in mind, emotionally wounded, exhausted, grieving, or discouraged.
You declared:
“For I am the LORD that healeth thee.” — Exodus 15:26 (KJV)
Lord, stretch forth Your healing hand.
Touch those dealing with cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, lupus, dementia, Alzheimer's, chronic pain, and every disease and condition.
Strengthen weakened bodies. Restore energy. Give doctors wisdom. Guide surgeons' hands. Let medications work as intended. Bring peace to caregivers and families.
We pray for those fighting battles in their minds—anxiety, fear, depression, loneliness, grief, confusion, and despair. Let the peace of God guard their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Lord, Provide for Every Need
Father, remember those looking for employment. Open the right doors.
Remember those who need promotions and increases.
Remember families struggling financially.
Remember those facing bills they do not know how they will pay.
Remember those worried about food, housing, transportation, or other necessities.
Your Word promises:
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:19 (KJV)
Father, make a way where there appears to no way.
Give wisdom concerning finances. Provide resources. Create opportunities. Send favor. Connect people with the right opportunities at the right time.
Bless Our Families
Lord, cover our families.
Protect our marriages. Strengthen husbands and wives. Draw parents and children closer together. Heal broken relationships. Restore communication. Bring forgiveness where there has been hurt.
Protect our children, grandchildren, siblings, parents, grandparents, nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended families.
Let Joshua's declaration become the declaration of our homes:
“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” — Joshua 24:15 (KJV)
Save those who do not know Jesus. Draw back those who have wandered away. Let our homes become places of prayer, peace, love, forgiveness, worship, and the presence of God.
Order Our Steps Today
Father, as we go into this Thursday, order our steps.
Your Word says:
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” — Psalm 37:23 (KJV)
Guide our conversations.
Guide our decisions.
Guide us on the highways.
Guide us at work.
Guide us in our homes.
Guard our mouths so that our words bring life and not destruction.
Give us discernment so that we recognize what comes from You and what does not.
When temptation comes, give us strength to say no.
When opportunity comes, give us wisdom to know whether to say yes.
When trouble comes, remind us that You are already there.
We Thank You in Advance
Father, before we see the answer, we thank You.
Before the door opens, we thank You.
Before the healing manifests, we thank You.
Before the breakthrough comes, we thank You.
Before the financial situation changes, we thank You.
Before our loved ones come to Christ, we thank You.
Because our thanksgiving is not based only on what You do—it is based on who You are.
You are still God.
You are still faithful.
You are still holy.
You are still sovereign.
You are still our Provider.
You are still our Healer.
You are still our Deliverer.
You are still our Way Maker.
You are still our Keeper.
And You are still worthy of all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise!
Thursday Declaration...
Today we declare:
I will not allow complaining to overpower my thanksgiving.
I will not allow fear to silence my faith.
I will not allow yesterday's disappointment to steal today's joy.
I will not allow what I do not have to make me forget everything God has already done.
I am thankful.
I am blessed.
I am covered.
I am kept.
I am loved.
I am forgiven.
I am redeemed.
And because God has brought me this far, I believe He will carry me the rest of the way!
Father, thank You for yesterday.
Thank You for today.
And by faith, thank You for tomorrow.
May everything we say and do today bring glory to Your name.
We seal this Thankful Thursday Morning Prayer in the mighty, matchless, wonderful name of Jesus Christ.
Amen, Amen, and AMEN!

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” — Psalm 107:1 (KJV)

“No matter what this Thursday brings, I WILL GIVE GOD THANKS! He has been too good, too faithful, and too merciful for me to remain silent. THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE, AND I WILL REJOICE!”