a word of comfort for those who are weak

A wounded worshiper becomes a great warrior for HIS KINGDOM

True worship is not just singing songs or playing an instrument for the glory of our Lord and savior. It is much more…how do we act (not feel) when the enemy attacks us, when we are sick… when our life is not perfect in the eyes of man, when your faith and patience is tested, when you are tempted to sin or have no hope at all that things will change for better in your situation. The life of Job or the Apostle Paul are examples of true worship in times of great despair and weakness. The willingness to suffer for the higher calling – becoming a doer of the word is always the greatest threat for the kingdom of darkness.

May the Lord grant us faith in action and may our wounds whether they are physical or emotional be healed so you and I are enabled to bring comfort, love and mercy to the people around us.

the year is drawing to a close and it’s time to take a brief look back. What was good, what was bad, and above all, how does God the Father judge me? You can no longer change what has happened. However, with God’s help, his Holy Spirit here on earth, we can repent. Repent for what no longer pleases God anymore. Some things were still okay some time ago and God has not yet put his finger on these areas of life. There is always a wind of change in the Spirit – you can receive or resist it. A character change to become a better person, fit for kingdom work and worship.

God has a thermometer

Revelation 3 ¹⁴ “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. ¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

The church in Laodicea was very rich, but only in the natural. If you read the following verses, this exhortation contains a wonderful invitation to change your lifestyle with God’s help and get back into zeal, devotion, discipleship, obedience, first love… . Being lukewarm is an intermediate stage of self-deception and hypocrisy. A self-satisfied security of a faith that has become a tradition. Once you may have been full of zeal and excitement about your salvation, but disappointments, suffering, illness or simply things frustrated you to the point that you no longer see the purpose of your work for God. The Father understands you. However, today it is time to signal to him again. Lord here I am with all that I am not, but should be, with all that I should have done and have not done, Lord I know there is so much more to experience with you and I need a new fire right now. So that my lukewarmness turns back into a burning for You and Your kingdom.

Bernd and Sabine Hagel wish you a blessed 2024. May the Lord grant you extra strength to do his will and keep you in perfect peace.

when God says to us " I love you... then he does not mean a feeling or a good thought about us but at the same time he also acts, 
so that his love is experiencable for you and me. 
This love came through Jesus His Son, our Savior, when we invite Him as Lord in our hearts. 

John 3 (NIV)
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
21 But  whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen  plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

LOVE is the greatest thing. When we say we love God, it is not emotional but we choose to do good according to our abilities. 
Here in Germany we live probably in one of the materially and economically richest country in the whole world. 
What a grace of God after all that we were guilty of in the 2nd World War. 
We call ourselves a Christian nation - but at the same time this means we should be imitators. Jesus has given us this example, and in the 66 books of the Bible, 
written by people inspired by the Holy Spirit. Take some time to read them every day, starting with the 4 Gospels.  (the first 4 books in the New Testament) 

The essence of love is GIVING... a very wise person once wrote this:

Love alone understands the secret of giving to others, and becoming rich in the process. 

• 

Running is fun and healthy

Running helps – and that with almost every symptom or illness. It is not a new finding, however, it has again been established by scientific studies that running, preferably in the fresh air, can alleviate many ailments and sometimes even cure them. Especially now in the Corona Pandemic many people have rediscovered this positive effect for themselves.

Benefits of running

• running is always possible at any time of the day or night
• running is inexpensive. Only an investment in good shoes is recommended
• no matter how old you are… start today … start running and do some laps in the forest or park
• you do not need a training partner
• running is the natural way of human locomotion
• there are hardly any disadvantages

except maybe in case of advanced arthrosis in foot and knee joints. Swimming is often more suitable. But it is always worth a try. At least one can then perhaps reduce the medication somewhat. To achieve a training effect, walking, jogging or brisk walking is necessary 2-3 times a week. For these forms of exercise, it is important to only exert yourself in such a way that you can still have a conversation. A heart rate monitor is certainly helpful.

A rule of thumb at the beginning of training is helpful – 180 minus age. That means for a woman of 50 years the pulse should be 130 per minute. Below this level, there is too little training stimulus – above this level, the heart is permanently overloaded. In case of uncertainty, a sports medical examination with an exercise ECG is useful.

Running in the fresh air, especially in the forest, enhances the healing effect. It increases the vitality of the lungs and the organism can absorb even more pain-relieving terpenes (aromatic scents of trees and other plants).

Positive effects have been observed in the following complaints:

muscular tensions also in the shoulder and neck area are relieved
back pain, psychosomatic complaints, anxiety, sleep disorders, headaches
headaches, tinnitus, menopausal complaints
one becomes calmer and more relaxed, as the cortisol and adrenaline level decreases
anxiety decreases and self-confidence is strengthened
depressive moods decrease and joy of life increases
Improvement of the stress tolerance, one does not get upset so fast anymore.
There are many more things that could be mentioned here, but basically, RUNNING is almost always recommended to increase the general well-being and to develop more joie de vivre. Below you will find a helpful video.

• muscular tensions also in the shoulder and neck area are relieved
• back pain, psychsomatic complaints, anxiety, sleep disorders, headaches
• one becomes calmer and more relaxed, as the cortisol and adrenaline level decreases
• anxiety decreases and joy of life increases
• improvement of the stress tolerance, one does not get upset so fast anymore

There are many more things that could be mentioned here, but basically, RUNNING is almost always recommended to increase the general well-being and to develop more vitality. Below you will find a helpful video.

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Video-Link: https://youtu.be/kVnyY17VS9Y

 

…through prayer we approach God… and we approach through thanksgiving, praise, and worship see Psalm 100… we give thanks that we are allowed to come at all in Jesus’ name, that his death on the cross has cleared the way to the throne of grace of a kind Father… yesterday I read an article about the Jewish understanding of prayer, which made me think a lot… the Hebrew word for prayer is tefillah…. it consists of three times of prayer…. morning, noon and evening…the rabbis emphasize that this is more about palal which means to judge and adjudicate. Consequently, praying conveys the sense of judging oneself: thus, the very meaning of prayer – tefilah…. OUR TRANSFORMATION !!! Not God changes through prayer, man cannot influence him like a lawyer can influence the judge, but man himself changes. So we don’t come with the attitude “I want to stay as I am but with the attitude, Lord, I need a change of mind, my lifestyle and heart attitude must adapt to You and not with constant self-satisfied requests. I believe this is called humility and reverence, to be aware that without God the Father and His standards which the Bible clearly describes, we cannot find real life and fulfillment. This means that prayer is the means God gave man to change himself, so that he can establish a new relationship with God and thus find a new purpose for his life.

Shalom Sabine

the apostles creed
I believe in God the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth, and in Messiah Yeshua, his only son and lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under pontius pilate, was crucified, died and buried;
he descended to Sheol, the third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God the father, from where he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, Messiahs worldwide community, the unity of believers, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

They call me master, but I am not.
They pray that my will be done, but they do not want it.
They sing songs to me, but they do not mean them.

Now the question arises, who are “they”?
This is the Phariseeism in all our hearts. Lip service without the right attitude of heart.
Lord, give us repentant hearts.

Matthew 7
Warning against self-deception

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord!’ Did we not speak prophetically in your name, cast out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you with your lawless activity!'”

REJECTED ?
this is probably one of the most painful wounds we experience in our lifetime. 
There is no natural pill or cure for it. There are people who can say -
well, they do not like me, but this is their problem not mine. But most of us suffer
and find all kinds of strategize to cover the pain or run away... what really does not
bring any results or healing at all. A few years ago I cried out to the Lord...
i cannot take it anymore... the answer was this: Sabine, those who reject you 
are not worth knowing you. 
Most of the rejection we suffer from is because we never went to the one who can
really heal... there is hope and abundant love for us... in JESUS our savior. 
The Father, son and Holy Spirit will NEVER reject you. 
You are loved and accepted - and not only this... you are adopted as his beloved 
child when you received Jesus as your savior. We just need to go to the true healer 
and ask him to take the pain out. Because when we are rejected we feel like 
not worthy to be loved, or second class and may be you already are in that place 
of self hatred. You do not have to be perfect or extra holy to experience 
what Jesus did for you on the cross of Calvary. He took all the evil on himself 
so we can receive all the good the father has for us.

This is the time to pray... draw me ABBA into your loving arms. 

Do not run away my child... do not cover your sin in shame and pain. 

 

 

Water is a vital nutrient and has numerous essential roles in the human body. It functions as a building material, a solvent, a reaction medium and reaction product, a carrier for nutrients and waste products, in heat regulation, and as a lubricant and shock absorber. Consequently, the optimal functioning of our body requires good hydration. Regulating water balance is essential to maintaining health and life.

Why is it so important that we drink enough?
Water is essential for our bodies! It is very important to consume enough water every day to prevent dehydration and its consequences.
What do we need water for?
Without water, humans can survive only a few days. It is a multifunctional component of the body. Approximately 60 to 65% of the adult body consists of water. Sufficient daily intake is necessary to maintain important bodily functions.
Water as a building material: Water is in each of our cells in the body and thus in skin, tissue, muscles and other areas, and thus serves as an important building material.
Water for metabolism: Water has the special property that it acts as a reaction medium. As a result, it is involved as a macronutrient in all hydrolytic reactions in our body: for example, in the breakdown (hydrolysis) of other nutrients (e.g. proteins, carbohydrates and fats).
Water as a carrier: water transports nutrients to the cells and removes waste products from the cells. It enables exchanges between cells, interstitial (tissue cell surrounding) fluid, and capillaries (smallest vessels). Water is responsible for maintaining vascular volume and thereby enabling blood circulation, which is essential for the function of all organs and tissues of the body: the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, the digestive tract, the kidneys and liver, the brain, and the peripheral nervous system.
Water for thermoregulation (maintaining a normal body temperature): water has a high heat capacity, which helps limit changes in body temperature in hot and cold environments. To cool the body, sweating evaporates water on the surface of the skin, which is an efficient way to lose heat. A regulated body temperature is an important prerequisite for homeostasis in the body – for a balance and regulated processes of all body processes.
Water as a shock absorber and lubricant in the body: Water maintains cell shape and thus also acts as a shock absorber when walking or running. This function is particularly important for the brain and spinal cord. At the same time, in conjunction with viscous molecules, it acts as a lubricating fluid for joints, as well as for saliva and mucus secretion in the digestive tract, and in the respiratory tract and the entire respiratory system.

According to the current recommendations of the European Food Safety Authority, the daily requirement is 2 liters for women and 2.5 liters for men. These standard values apply to healthy adult persons who eat a balanced diet and are regularly physically active.
The daily necessary fluid intake varies. For example, more water is needed in hot climates. Likewise when one is more physically active. There is also an increased need when the body is ill (for example, when there is a fever, or after vomiting and diarrhea).

Prayer: I have realized that I often do not follow Your good instructions for healthy eating and hydration. Father I ask You to help me change this with the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank You that You want me to be well and do my part. Thank You for Your help in this area. I give You my body and trust You to give me the discipline to begin a better lifestyle.

prayers for holyness

✡♥✞

YOU SHALL BE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY

Lord God, you are kadosh, kadosh, kadosh – holy, holy, holy. You are infinitely pure and separate from sin and altogether different from any created thing. Because you have been born again, and you have given us a new nature and we are your sons and daughters and your Holy Spirit is living in us… help us to be holy as you are holy.

We thank you Lord our God that our old nature be put to death and that your Spirit empowering our new nature can give us victory over our old nature and its corrupt desires when we get close to you and stay close to you. So help us get close to you and stay close to you. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and help us live by your spirit. (Romans 6)

Avinu Malkaynu, our father and our king, thank you for making us dead to sin and alive to you. Help us to resist the lure of sin so that we do not obey its evil desires, enable us to offer every part of ourselves to you who brought your people from death to life so that our lives are instruments of righteousness. Holy Lord, thank your for your grace that teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for your blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior Messiah Yeshua. Lord please give us more of your grace that teaches us to say NO. (Titus 2)

God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we know that those who are friends of the world are your enemies, so help us be your friend and not your enemies, work in us so that we have our friendship with you and not with the world. (James 4)

Heavenly father, since we have been raised up with Messiah and since we have died and our lives are hidden with Messiah in you, help us to keep seeking the things above, where Jesus is seated at your right hand, give us minds that are set on things above and not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3)

Great creator God you created us and when we joined rebellion of the fallen angels, you redeemed us at a great cost. Help us offer out of gratitude our bodies to you as a living sacrifice. This is holy and pleasing to you and is our true and proper worship. Help us not to be conformed to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds so we can live the way you want us to live, the way that is right and pleasing to you. (Romans 12)

God who is light, we know that the night is nearly over and the day is almost here. Help us to put aside the deeds that people do in darkness – wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, jealous behavior, and fighting. Help us behave decently as people behave during the day. Help us to be close to Messiah, which will prevent us from thinking about how to gratify the corrupt desires of the old nature. (Romans 13)

Infinitely holy God, help us not to be worldly and materialistic. We know if anyone loves the world, love for you is not in him or her. For everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life does not come from you but from a fallen world, the world and its desires will pass away, but whoever does your will will live forever – and since we want to live forever with you, help us do what you want.

(1. John 2)

The greatest love song of the universe was sung in pain, agony and shame. I knew it was for you. I saw your face and I took your place ! Take up your cross and follow me…