The Waterfall of His Love

Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for me, for you, for the entire world. He gave himself up on the cross to be beaten, abused, and crucified so that in the shedding of his blood we are covered and made white as snow.

“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood…” Romans 3:25

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13

His sacrifice for us is the ultimate act of love. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved…” Ephesians 2:4-5

In the hectic times of life this truth can be forgotten to me. I become so wrapped in the blankets of routine, work, and just plain day to day living. God always finds an interesting way to remind me of these facts and recently at church during worship He filled my soul with this picture…

His sacrifice is His love for us and more things waterfall out of this love. 

He is our hope and His love gives us hope 

“…hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6:19

 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” 1 Peter 1:3

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-4

 

 His love has set us free

 

 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

  

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” Romans 6:6-8

 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

A well of living water flows through us

 

“…but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14

 “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:38

He is the true light and we walk by His light out of the darkness

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

 

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

“Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.” 1 John 2:8-10

 

God is love and he sent down his Son to be love for us. We are a new creation through his love and sometimes this can be forgotten in the daily living. We must remember His love for us because his love for us has given us the will to love others. Our daily living involves loving others, so to forget these facts can be detrimental to our life. 

 

Therefore, remember Christ. Remember His sacrifice. Remember His love.

Old Scars

My world felt shattered after I was deleted out of what I called my home. The place I  met Jesus, made friends, dreamed dreams, and started on a whole new path for my life. Its been a little over a year now since I said my peace and walked away from a situation that broke my heart. Yet, even though I walked away, my heart still breaks for what could of been. It feels as if I torture myself sometimes with the what ifs, I can start traveling down the rabbit hole of questions and get lost. When I come up for air I feel as if I have cut open an old scar. Yet, has it really even healed yet though? 

I felt as if I was drowning afterwards. I had no life boat to reach for. No hands reached for me. I felt so alone. I just let the waves take me. 

I wasn't alone however! The bible talks constantly about God being with us always. He doesn't leave us or forsake us...

'Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go' Joshua 1:9

'...so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.' Joshua 1:5

'...I am with you and will rescue you,' declares the LORD. Jeremiah 1:8

God is a God of comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3) and in my time of hurt He comforted me when I turned my face away from the hurt that comes from this world and towards his magnificent bright and shining light. 

Why do I blog about this you ask? 

Because I think about that scar almost everyday. I think about the home I lost and sometimes I forget the beautiful things that came out of it.

•  Learning about Jesus
• Declaring my love for Christ 
• The provision for my first mission trip
• my husband

Is the scar fully healed yet? No, but one day it will be because all things happen for a reason. I may have hurts from being pushed out, but those hurts made me stronger and taught me more. So, don't give me. Don't let go. Hold fast and persevere because out of all pain comes something beautiful. 

The Married Life

Eight months.

253 days.

6,072 hours.

Since I said I do to the man I love. People often ask me how the married life is and I tend to come up with a generic answer for them. It seems that my tongue can't form the words that my heart feels.

I say things like...

‘It's the same as when we were dating’

‘All we did was sign a piece of paper, where's the difference’

‘It's great’

‘I love it’

Why does my tongue say these but my heart screams out something so contrary to these utterances?

Marriage is so much more than what we had while dating. It isn't only a legal document; it is more than what our world views it as today.

“Marriage should be honored by all…” Hebrews 13:4

Our world doesn’t honor marriage anymore. Our culture has dimmed it down to nothing more than a legal document that can be voided out by another legal document when the going gets tough.

Marriage is two becoming one. It is…

"...the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.”

 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Genesis 2:21-24

I became a part of my husband. He became a part of me. We are one flesh and we are united together under the eyes of God. “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:6

The last eight months has been more than a piece of paper signed; it has altered my life and my being. The act of saying I do has made me a completely new person combined with my husband. We have become one. All my faults and my weaknesses are only diminished in the sight of my husband and our love for each other because…

 ^“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her  to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,  and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body.  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”  This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:25-32

Our marriage and all marriages are a representation of Christ and his bridegroom the Church. 

This makes my heart sing and jump and tumble and roll with joy! The thought of this is so beautiful. 

So next time I get asked the question of ‘how is the married life’ I’ll have to sit down with a cup of coffee and explain the beautiful intricacies of my marriage and the act of marriage because it is so much more than a simple document.

One Day I Will Soar

I get mesmerized by the birds sometimes; I sit and stare blankly out the window and watch them soar through the vast open sky, and I long for that freedom to soar without any inhibitions. To just be! 

Yet, even though I crave this, the fear still finds a way to roll in like a deep dense fog that I can't maneuver my way out of. This fear of the unknown starts to sink into the pit of my being and I start to worry. I start to question. How can I ever be so carefree? I have bills, responsibilities, a job, and so many facets to my day to day living that I can't ignore. Yet, God tells us not to worry:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" -Matthew 6: 25-27

And in this worrying that I do I gain nothing. 

'Look at the birds of the air...your heavenly Father feeds them.' He takes care of them. The birds soar through the air and live so freely, they do not sow or reap or store away. That is what I, as a human, do. I worry about the future and choose not to live in the present. I choose not to be free. Yet the Bible tells me clearly that I am...

'So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.' John 8:36

'It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.' Galatians 5:1

'Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' John 8:32

I am made free in Christ.

I can soar like the birds.

When the doubts roll in and I find myself only staring at the birds instead of soaring like them, I will turn to my Savior and feel the breath of freedom rush past my face like the cool breeze in the sky. 

Something Beautiful

Two years ago today I left the comfort of my routine life and my lackluster heart for God behind me and I went to go experience something MORE! I left with nothing more than a backpack filled with clothes, my brand new bible, and a head filled with screaming doubts; and I experienced something my mind never even could comprehend would happen: SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.

Four countries, four months, and five girls I didn't know led me to something so amazingly wonderful that my heart and spirit weep of joy when I reminisce of it all. Of the heartbreak, the homesickness, the hurt, the fear, the doubt; of all the worries I carried with me. Of the arguments, the late nights, the early mornings, the hot days, and the spicy foods. Of the laughs, the smiles, the tears of happiness, of the hugs, and the adventures. Of the eye opening, heart exploding, sheer love and joy I found in my Lord and Savior when I finally truly opened up and believed! I treasure every single moment of those four months because it broke me down and built me back up into SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL!

You are my Rock and onto You I cling

Truly my soul finds rest in God;
   my salvation comes from him.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
   he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 62:1-2

One year ago I left for a four month mission trip to Asia and Atlanta. One year ago I thought I understood who God was. One year ago I started to be awakened.

Today, I truly know who God is. Today, I understand grace. Today, I understand love. Today, I understand believing. Today, I’ve experienced condemnation and judgment. And today, I turn to my God and hold fast to my Rock for my salvation comes from Him. 

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10

I am strong. I am firm. I am steadfast.

 

When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. Proverbs 10:25

I am filled with the Spirit of my Savior. I stand firm forever through all storms and trials.

You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Matthew 10:22

I will stand firm to the end. Even when I am being criticized and made to feel like a leper, I will hold fast to my God. Even when I am shunned and feel the hurt of a razor blade to my heart, I will stand firm in my Savior. Even when I am accused of being a wolf in sheep's clothing, I will be strong because I am no longer confused. I am no longer lost. I no longer live in the dark. I am in the light with God and no amount of words thrown at me by man will dent my belief in the truth! 

The waves of the world may be crashing around me, BUT nothing will tear my hands off of my rock because I cling to Him!

 

…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. 1 Corinthians 15:58

…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Believing: what it truly means

What does believing mean?

Recently I’ve heard it said that Christianity isn’t all about believing, but also Christianity is all about believing. What a conundrum this statement is when said from the stage and the confusion that it causes is unfathomable. When a friend and I started to question this statement I went to the only place that holds the truth…the Word. What I found is a beautiful truth that I feel all should know and understand so I’m going to let the Scripture speak for itself. 

All the prophets testify about him [Jesus] that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. Acts 10:43

Through him [Jesus] everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the Law of Moses. Acts 13:39

He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household. Acts 16:30-31

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 1 John 5:1

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:5

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Romans 3:22

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:9-10

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16

Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Mark 9:23

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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  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. John 3:16-18

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. John 3:36

(Jesus) Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:29

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I [Jesus] will raise them up at the last day. John 6:40

(Jesus) Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. John 6:47

Whoever believes in me [Jesus], as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:38-39

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— John 1:12

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16

Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Romans 10:4

After you read the truths of the Scripture what do you think? Is it all about believing or is it more? My mind is made up…I, Ashley Magiera, believe that Christ Jesus came to this Earth, was crucified for the nations sins, and was raised again by the power of our Father. I am washed white as snow by the blood of my Lord Jesus. 

I am a believer!