For What You Believe

Esther 4:14

14"For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Queen Esther or Hadassah (Jewish name) is my absolute FAVORITE woman of the Bible! I have read it over and over and even bought the re-enacted film, "One Night with the King," which I have played over and over. I did not understand that God was using THIS entire Book of the Old Testament to teach and prepare me for what  to me, seemed like my  most difficult task. Queen Esther is the reason the Jews celebrate the festival of Purim every year. For it was Queen Esther's courage and willingness to die for what she believed that revealed the plans of the wicked and saved God's people from the sword. God used her to correct an act of disobedience committed by King Saul nearly 500 years before. It is also the reason why God's people lived on and the lineage of David continued so that our Savior, Jesus Christ, would be born. In this scripture, Queen Esther's guardian, her cousin, Mordecai, who raised her after she was orphaned, wrote to her as she did fear approaching the King, her husband, on behalf of the Jews. To go unsummoned before the King in Persia meant death. Not only that but no one in the palace knew she was a Jew. Mordecai had given Hadassah a new name, Esther, to hide her identity so that she would live when all the women had been taken in the search for the king's new bride. But when Mordecai put it to Esther so bluntly that if she kept silent her line would perish and that God brought her to the level of authority she was in that He could use her for good, Esther, was willing to confront the king, even if it meant death.

I had no idea when God told me to write my second book, Shh Don't Tell on abuse that it would really become a cause. I had no idea that a major advocacy group in our Nation's Capitol would even consider partnering with me as the director wrote to me, "we have a kindred cause." A representative of a government agency in DC said to me, "while we can not endorse anything, we do understand what you are doing and want to point you in the right direction." All I knew when I started was that I had to get another level of healing and it would mean deliverance and healing in others. The battlefield to get to this place was by no means short. When deliverance is involved, the battle is steep. God was so determined to get this book out of me that you all went without a daily message for 34 days. In that time the majority of the first section of the book was complete. With each step of writing, Shh Don't Tell, the enemy raised up three people, whom I thought were friends and subsequently two understood my cause way more than I can explain. Through the door of envy, they began taking the gift of intercessory prayer and the gift of discernment to see in the spirit realm what God was doing and to deliberately pray against whatever God was doing. And no, I am not exaggerating. For God brought two prophets and one with the gift of prophecy, all three ordained ministers who had not spoken to each other on the matter, to confirm what I perceived the Holy Spirit was saying to me. One of the three perpetrators was so bold as to jump on my home church's Bible Study call after realizing God had cut off information to them. The person really believed they would go unnoticed, by a PRAISE GOD for the prophet of our house, our assistant pastor, who called it out on the call. The Holy Spirit revealed who it was and the person gave themselves away as a confirmation later. The second of the three perpetrators began dabbling with the dark arts as a way to add insult and manipulated the third person who they knew was in a place of depression. I even endured ridicule from other who I thought would understand the cause but they spoke against me as well when they realized my attention was no longer on the common goal we once shared. When I made it clear my focus was on the assignment God said had to be completed they began to say things against me to someone close to them. The closer the book came to being finished the enemy threw more darts. God said I had to move. When one of the three discovered I moved, they started following me and even created an alias on facebook to gain access as they had been blocked. I even silenced a fellow author from announcing the book until it was confirmed it was in print. I endured criticism from one even closer to me because the sensitivity of abuse and it was like a bad rift. That's how bad it was. God said the task must be completed no matter what! See, at sixteen years old, shortly after my confession of Christ, I had a terrible nightmare. I was shown children all over the city on roof tops dying. And I heard a voice that scared me very badly saying, "You cannot save them all!" And the objective was made clear that attempts would be made to take me out. It took 20years and this project to understand the meaning of that dream. It meant I had to be willing to die publicly for what I believe. Now, I PRAISE GOD!! For clearly, I am in the kingdom of God for such a time as this.

What do you believe? What if God told you a task had to be done no matter what consequences and fight you had to go through? How courageous would you be for what you believe if you knew it could save lives?

P.S. Looking forward to seeing many of you tomorrow, Saturday, October 5th from 2-4pm at Caribou Coffee House at 1800 M Street!

It Takes Real Love

Luke 23:34

34Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

This phrase, this pleading was part of the "seven last words" of Jesus before His death on the cross. It takes real love for someone to die on another person's behalf. It took real love for Jesus to endure each of the 39 lashes. It took real love for Jesus to endure each nail driven into His body. It took real love for Jesus to endure the crown of thorns crushed into His head. It took real love for Jesus to endure as they pierced Him in His side. But yet, one of His seven last words was about pleading for His accusers. It took real love for Jesus to be obedient to God the Father to meet His destiny. Jesus had the strength and power to remove Himself from it all. This isn't just any man, but the Son of God who was actually by God's side when He created the earth and man. For in Genesis it says, "Let us make man in our image." The us was God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.

It takes real love for you and I to be obedient to the Lord. Remember, it says in God's word in 1John that God is love. So if God is the very definition of love, gave His only Son for the love of you and I, Jesus gave up His life and shed His blood to save you and I from sin out of love, then how can anyone who calls himself a follower of Christ not understand nor demonstrate what love is? Two words, selfish gain. There are many who will only show 'love" when they are able to perceive what they can gain from it. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines love as 1)strong affection, 2)warm attachment 3)attraction based on sexual desire 4) a beloved person 5) unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for others. Now the third definition of love is what Amnon had for his sister Tamar before took her and then no longer wanted her after he obtained the sex. That is actually called lust if you look up the definition as it flees and fades and is not the definition God means for us but I digress. This conversation is about the fifth definition which begins with the word unselfish. So if one word, outside of the name of God and Jesus, could describe love it would be unselfish. Unselfish is still an inadequate word compared to Jesus to and God Himself. Many do not understand what it means to be unselfish or selfless. Love is not about gain. Love is about real concern for others.

Did you know it takes real love to minister to people who have harmed you? Jesus did it. Did you know it takes real love to minister to people who have talked about you? Jesus did it. I know for me, I get it now. There are multiple people on this distribution who have harmed me. And it takes the love of Jesus and regard for your soul and where you will spend eternity to include you. It is not about selling a book. Some of you may never buy a book. The messages were created before there were any books and was on the prompting of the Holy Spirit Himself. But glory to God, I do understand what love is! So many in this world have no clue what love is. To them, it is nothing more than selfish gain.

P.S. Praying for a resolution for the government of the United States as many are affected by it whether government workers or not. My prayer is that the groups involved in decision making would look beyond selfish gain and look at the needs of the people and the country not about their own pockets.

You Can Be Forgiven

Matthew 12:31

31"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

No matter what you have done, whether you stole something, committed murder, abused someone, cheated on a test, told a lie to save face, etc, you can be forgiven. If you are sincerely remorseful for what you have done and you confess it to Jesus, He will forgive you. Isn't that good news? The one thing Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery when the Jews wanted to stone her, "Go and sin no more." Jesus meant that her indiscretion had been forgiven but she was not to continue in it. When you and I are sincerely remorseful and confess to Jesus, then He will forgive. He doesn't expect you or I to keep making the same choices to do what has already been expressed to Him as incorrect behavior. At that point, it is considered a willful choice and either the confession wasn't real in the heart or deliverance is needed. But in order to be delivered or cured from a perceived uncontrollable behavior, there has to be a strong desire to terminate the behavior. If you have no desire to terminate the behavior then how can you be remorseful for it? If you have no desire to terminate the behavior and aren't remorseful then what really took place in your confession? Is the confession from the heart? You cannot lie to the Lord because He already knows your thoughts and your heart.

The blasphemy is attributing to Satan what you know God has done. The only reason for someone doing that, like the Pharisees, is to continue in one's own way so they don't have to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. Again, willful behavior.

Jesus forgives but it all starts with telling the truth, even though He already knows, He wants you to say it to Him. Will you confess today? Will you lay down your ways before Him today?

Share the Daily Message with Family and Friends

Good Morning,

HAPPY SUNDAY!! I hope you are enjoying your weekend! Many of you have been dedicated readers for years. I appreciate and love you!! Some of you are new and I want to extend a warm welcome to you! Thank you so much for your support and I truly hope you will find joy, reflection and growth within the daily messages. There will be times when you do not receive a message because God is ministering to me so that I can then minister to you. If you find yourself craving and looking for the Get Your JOY In The Morning message, then it simply means you are increasing in your thirst for the Living Water and Bread of Life which is Christ. It's a great place to be! That's when you know it's time to dig into the Word of God for yourself. It is the point of the daily message that you will want to develop your own personal relationship with Christ if you haven't already or if you have strayed away from Him. The saved can get lost too sometimes. It's quite alright to share the daily messages with friends, family and anyone God leads you to share with. I know sometimes the messages are candid and even personal but it''s about transparency. Being real in my walk in Christ with you and relaying what He has revealed to me is to encourage you as well. By you sharing the messages with others, you may help someone else come to the feet of Jesus and/or even renew their relationship with Him. Do not Fear! You can help save a life!

GOD BLESS YOU!

-Joy T.J. Riley

A Confession of Faith

John 3:16

16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

When someone says they want to know more about who Jesus is and His life, recommending the book of John is an awesome place for them to start. Why? Because within it is a confession of faith that if they truly receive it, can save their life! John 3:16 is the confession of faith for which one who believes and confesses this scripture with their heart and mouth, is received into the family of Christ.

I believe transparency is a MUST when God gives anyone a task, not just to gain the trust of the people God called you to minister to but also so you can testify of how God can use anyone. You may not think this is relevant but oh it is. The readers of Get Your JOY In The Morning that attended the second night of revival will testify to what they saw. The word was transforming! During revival the Holy Spirit kept speaking to me about  giving my testimony of my confession of faith. So I am heeding. Someone needs to hear it.

Many preachers and teachers were raised up in the church at an early as they were dragged into church by their parents ALL the time. Well that was not me. I was not "raised" in the church as many would think. I would here about God here and there. And went to church here and there. I was about 5years old when I participated in a nativity seen for Christmas. But when I was 9 years old spending the summer with other family members, the neighbors were going to church at the nearby Methodist church on the corner. One morning, like a firecracker, I woke up and suddenly wanted to go to church. My family looked at me like I had two heads! Laugh! Most of the family I spent my summers with didn't set foot into a church unless it was a wedding or a funeral. I was serious about church. Anyone who really knows me knows that when I start saying I want to do something, it won't be long before I stop talking and start doing. So I got dressed and came downstairs. At that point, my great grandma knew I was for real. So she stood at the front door while I walked down to the corner into the church. I sat in service and tried greatly to understand the sermon. Was a little above my head. But I tell you what, the first time I went to Sunday school, I enjoyed myself soooo much!! I wanted to learn all I could about JESUS!! After a few Sundays, my Sunday school teacher paid a visit to my great grandparents and told them how much I loved to study about Jesus and how I participated. I was the same way in school during the year. I enjoy learning. I continued to go to church. Neighbors were amazed because they had never seen a child get up and go to church on her own. But then it was time to go back home. I didn't go to church when I went back home. I used to have to beg to go to the little Sunday school sessions when the neighborhood churches came around with buses. I was allowed to go from time to time. By the time I was 12years old, I wasn't spending as much time with other family because I was in other programs.  I had already suffered some traumatic situations with abuse. I was 16yrs old when I met a classmate who would call me every Saturday to ask if I was going to church. Church was not talked about. But God was from time to time. I knew how to pray at bedtime. My stepfather said grace over our food so then I began saying grace. Not to make this too much longer...but I am coming up on the day I truly confessed. See, Jesus had been seeking me all along. My friend at that time knew what would get me in church, singing! She was in the youth choir and encouraged me to come to rehearsal. Yeah, I was naively set up. :-) Anyway, that Sunday, forever changed my life. When the words we had practiced finally hit me like a ton of bricks I couldn't stop crying. When the alter call came, I stepped out of the choir loft and confessed that I believed Jesus to be the Son of God. It's not that I didn't know. I just finally confessed. Jesus had been waiting for 7years to get me to that place. Between that period of time, some major life altering events happened and I was really broken. When I came to Jesus, my family was not present. I didn't need to have the family at my side when I gave my life. That time was for me and Jesus alone. Just as I started out at age 9 with the desire, so it is still there. I minister to my own family even through these messages. Some have come to church. This walk for me was hand picked. So NEVER feel that what God told you to do you are incapable of just because you didn't "grow up" in the church. God can use anyone. Even someone like me who was broken by those I was supposed to trust and who didn't spend their entire childhood in the four walls of a sanctuary.

Due to an Act of God

Genesis 1:9

9Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.

God showed me something yesterday that I had always overlooked but I THANK GOD for illuminating it! In many contracts, including those you overlook everyday whether it be for a plane ride, trip, performance, etc, there is a legal term that appears called, "Act of God". The clause basically eliminates said party from responsibility of enforcing the contractual agreement should something happen outside of their control. The circumstances that are eligible to make the contract null and void include a flood, tornado, or any other occurrence that man cannot cause to happen. So even companies are acknowledging that there is someone above who has control over what happens in the earth that they themselves cannot touch.

So what does this have to do with Genesis? EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Genesis is the first book of the Bible. It is in the Old Testament. It is where God begins to create the earth by speaking it into existence. God thinks it, says it and it is so. The scripture above where He creates water is relevant because flooding is considered an "Act of God". In accepting "Acts of God",  it is also being accepted that God created the earth!! So if God created the earth and "Acts of God" are happening regularly, why are so many taking God for a joke whether it be His Holy Word written, the preached Word, Jesus and the Holy Spirit? Why are so many attempting to control situations when simply put, only an "Act of God" can make it so or not so? If companies that provide us services everyday can admit there are situations outside of their control, why can't you?

There's No More Time Left

Ecclesiastes 8:14

14There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

Ecclesiastes is known as wisdom literature. King Solomon wrote heavily on wisdom which is the gift God gave to him upon a prayer. King Solomon was referring to death as the punishment for the wicked as many righteous felt that it was the just punishment of God. But King Solomon noted many exceptions as the NKJ Study Bible notes. Bad things do happen to good people.

I had been a little troubled in my soul as two people I know passed in a matter of three days. One had been a business partner. The other my cousin who was the sibling of the cousin we buried just before Thanksgiving last year. i was troubled as the first death came without warning or previous sickness. The second death came after a long battle but is a pattern of deaths God has shown me that have occurred over a period of time. I honestly thought the family had escaped it because three of the four that were in and out of the hospital this time last year, on the same side of the family, came home. Alas, those family members had been spared while within the year one more has been taken.  The understanding that God has provided after burying several friends and family members over the years and having my own near death experience is that sometimes, not all the time, are deaths about what one has done wrong or right. Sometimes it's simply that person's time. But the lessons are for those left behind. What are the lessons? Glad you asked!!  The first lesson is that you do not have as long as your vanity, cockiness or your own imagination has dreamed up for you. In layman's terms, you will leave here when God says you will and there is nothing you can do about it. The second lesson is if you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing or what God has called you to do, you do not have forever to "get it together".  Procrastinating and fighting God can leave you on the short end of the stick when you find out there's no more time left. I know I felt like that when I was told there was no time left. But I received a second chance to get in line with what God has called me to do. Some won't and don't get a second chance. So my best advice, if you know God has spoken to you about something you must do and has already said to do it, do not assume you have 5, 10 or even 15 years to get it done.  You ought to move like your deadline is today Close of Business (COB). Yes, God has a sense of humor but one thing He does not play with is about why He put you here. He has given you a specific purpose and He does expect you to carry it out if He has already communicated it to you. Now, if you are part of the crowd that does not understand your purpose, the hope is that in seeing your loved ones pass away, you will reflect enough to begin the steps needed to get to your purpose. The only way to find your purpose is to grow in your faith with God. God knows why He put you here so if you want to understand it, you have to understand Him and how you relate to Him. Does the alter call or call to discipleship after a eulogy has been given make sense now?