21st Century Nazarites

  • How can we Find our Joy in the Lord – Trust and Follow Him

    How can we Find our Joy in the Lord – Trust and Follow Him

    Amen, we are free from sin by God’s work and grace, we are brought back to His family and joy in Him.

    I came back from the Uni Conference this weekend, where we learned about the Lord as our joy, how the Lord speaks and teaches to complete our joy in Him, how our God is a God of joy.

    However, if this weekend has taught me anything recently, it’s that we can also be our own slavers, especially when we don’t seek our joy in the Lord.

    Whether we sin or go to the world, I understand better now that unless I spend time with Him, unless I follow what He tells me, I not only don’t enter into the joy of the master, I’m making an accusation against God.

    God’s ways are above everyone’s, God knows all and thus knows better. So when He decrees what I can(not)/must (not) do, and yet I don’t follow His direction, I am not just disobeying Him, I am accusing Him.

    I’m telling Him that I don’t trust Him to know better (and yet I’m supposed to be saved by grace through FAITH).

    I’m saying I don’t trust Him to have what’s good for me in mind (and yet I am supposed to believe God knows everything).

    How can I say I have faith in Him if I don’t trust His ways? How can I find my joy in Him if I look for joy elsewhere? I heard a few testimonies from the brothers in that time, about ways God led them where they did not expect, and they don’t regret it.

    By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, Choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin, Considering the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked away to the reward. Heb. 11:24-26

    I distinctly remember one brother quoting Hebrews where it talked of Moses and how despite his upbringing in one of the wealthiest most powerful families in the world, he still refused to associate with it and chose to side with the enslaved Israelites for the good things of Christ, who Himself for the joy set before Him suffered the cross.

    That’s another thing, God isn’t looking just for our joy in Him, He seeks joy in us! He made man, and He built the church because it makes Him happy to have such a family of believers who love Him.

    It got me also thinking of the first chapters of Isaiah and the letters of Paul, and how God says He’s exhausted by the hypocritical worship of the children of Israel, how they sin but still try to do the festivals and offerings, how God gets sick and tired of it, how in my turning away from God by sin and distractions I grieve His Holy Spirit.

    God is not just angered, He is saddened, even sickened (although not actually weakened) by our disobedience. But He is happy when we trust and follow Him.

    Sharing by Matthieu I. from his top enjoyment in the recent 2024 Autumn University Conference in UK. If you were at this conference and you want to share your enjoyment, email us or place a comment below.

  • Allow the Spirit to take the Lead in Enjoying the Lord!

    This university conference was a much-needed reminder for me to keep my focus on the Lord.

    As the weather is getting more depressing and I am starting to get more assignments for uni, it was becoming easy to forget the Lord as my joy and strength in these situations and for me to tackle these obstacles alone, with my own strength.

    I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

    But this conference, I was reminded that through all the difficulties I face now and in the future, there is an opportunity for me to find my joy in Christ, and for Him to become even more rooted in me.

    For us to obtain this joy, we must be willing to pay the price, due to there being so many worldly joys we seek, it is easy to become blinded to the joy of God.

    That is why we must allow our spirit to take the lead in enjoying the Lord, as our natural life will only cause us to fall to sin.

    Then the more we abide in the Lord, the more joy we will have, which hopefully then could become our reality.

    Sharing by Alan B. from his top enjoyment in the recent 2024 Fall University Conference in UK. If you were at this conference and you want to share your enjoyment, email us or place a comment below.