Exposing the Counterfeit Bride: Ep 10: The Exploited Body: When the Church Devours Its Weak

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Music.

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Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast with your host,

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Connie Morris, where healing has a voice and truth is no longer silent.

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Father God, like Jabez, we cry out that thou would bless us indeed.

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Bless every woman listening beyond trauma, beyond limits, beyond what she thought

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was possible. Enlarge her territory.

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Expand her purpose. Let your hand be upon this moment.

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Saturate every word with oil and truth. break cycles, cancel every curse sent to silence her.

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This isn't just a podcast. This is holy ground. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Welcome back, family, to the Diary of a Black Woman's Podcast, Church Chronicles.

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I'm your host, Connie Morris. We are in episode 10, The Exploited Body,

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widows, children, the weak devoured.

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As we continue our series, removing the cover, exposing the counterfeit bride,

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we've seen the head replaced by man, the eyes blinded, the ears itching for

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lies, the mouth preaching another gospel.

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The hands exploited, the feet wandering in worldly ways, the heart growing cold,

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the false fire of empty worship.

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And now the Spirit of Lord pulls back the veil on the body itself,

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the vulnerable members who have been devoured.

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Because when the counterfeit bride loses her head, her sight,

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her hearing, her voice, her heart, and her fire, the whole body suffers.

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And those who suffer most are the weakest among us, the widows,

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the orphans, the poor, the children, the overlooked, and the abused.

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The word of God is clear. In James 1 verse 27, religion that God our Father

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accepts as pure and faultless is this, to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep

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oneself from being polluted by the world.

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Isaiah 10 says it clear, verses 1 and 2.

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Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees to

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deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of

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my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.

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And in Matthew 25, verse 40, truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the

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least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me.

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Family, the true bride cares for the weak, but the counterfeit bride exploits

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them using their pain for profit, their service for gain, and their vulnerability for control.

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And the Lord is asking, what have you done to my little one, the exploited body?

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The church was meant to be a refuge, A safe place for the broken,

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the hurting, the overlooked.

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The body of Christ should be the arms that embrace the widows,

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the hands that protect the child, the feet that run to defend the poor.

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But in the counterfeit bride, the body has turned against its weakest members.

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Widows are left uncovered and alone.

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Children are overlooked, abused, or silenced.

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People experiencing poverty are squeezed for every last offering in the name

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of, quote, seed faith, end quote.

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The weak are told to serve without rest until their own needs are ignored.

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Instead of defending the vulnerable, counterfeit leaders devour them.

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They prey on desperation, selling false promises of a breakthrough.

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They exploit loyalty, manipulating the faith to build their kingdom. them.

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They silence victims to protect reputation.

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Isaiah 10 warns us, woe to those who deprive the poor of their rights,

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making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.

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And James 1 27 reminds us that true worship, true religion is to care for orphans

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and widows in their distress and to remain unspotted by the world.

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God hears the cries of the exploited.

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He sees the widow's tears. He feels the pain of the orphan and he is rising

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up to judge every false shepherd who has devoured his flock because the body

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is not meant to consume itself.

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It's meant to build itself up in love, but the counterfeit bride has turned

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cannibal, devouring her weakest members for gain.

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And the spirit of the Lord is saying, enough.

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Where is my bride? The bridegroom cries out.

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Where is my bride who shelters the widow instead of leaving her uncovered?

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Where is my bride who defends the orphan instead of robbing.

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Them of their innocence. Where is my bride who carries the weak instead of crushing

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them under the weight of religion?

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Psalm 68 5 reads, A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

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is God in his holy dwelling.

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Proverbs 31 verses 8 through 9 commands us, speak up for those who cannot speak

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for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

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Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

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My bride does not devour the vulnerable.

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My bride does not silence the broken.

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My bride does not prey upon people experiencing poverty.

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Where is my bride? Not the one who makes merchandise of the widow's mite.

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Not the one who builds empires off the backs of the desperate.

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Not the one who sacrifices children's innocence on the altar of silence and shame.

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But the bride who clothes the widow with comfort, who fathers the fatherless,

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who defends the weak, who carries the broken,

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the bride whose body reflects my own, given for the least of these.

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Where is my bride?

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Caring for the vulnerable. The heart of the gospel is revealed in how we treat the least of these.

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Jesus said in Matthew 25, 40, Whatever you did for one of the least of these

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brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me.

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That means the way you treat the widow, the orphan, the poor,

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the weak is the way we treat Christ himself.

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Here's how we guard against being a counterfeit bride and live as a true body

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of Christ. Number one, we protect the vulnerable.

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True Christianity doesn't exploit the weak. It defends them.

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Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

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Proverbs 31 reads, refuse to stay silent when injustice, abuse,

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or exportation is happening in the house of God.

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Number two, provide practical care. James 127 reminds us that pure religion

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is to look after widows and orphans in their distress. That means more than words.

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It's meals, shelter, financial support, and presence.

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The true bride meets real needs with real love.

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Number three, pursue justice.

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Isaiah 1.17 tells us,

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learn to do right, seek justice, defend the oppressed, take up the cause of

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the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

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The church is not just a place of worship, but a place of justice,

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where the vulnerable finds protection.

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And four, purge exploitation. We must examine our own church,

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ministries, and hearts.

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Are we benefiting from the labor of the weak while ignoring their pain?

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Are we using people for what they can give rather than loving them for who they are?

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God is calling his bride to repent and remove every trace of exploitation.

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Father, family, the counterfeit bride devours the weak, but the true bride defends them.

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She does not consume the vulnerable.

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She covers them. She does not silence the broken.

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She speaks for them. She does not ignore people in need. she meets them with love. This is the call.

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Be the hands, feet, and heart of Christ to the least of these,

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because what we do for them, we do for him. Let's pray.

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Father, forgive us for the times your church has failed to care for the vulnerable.

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Forgive us for every widow left uncovered, every orphan overlooked,

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every child silenced, every poor soul.

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Exploited in your name. Cleanse us, Lord, and restore your bride to reflect your heart.

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Lord, make us a people who defend the weak, who cover the broken,

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who fight for justice, and who love without condition.

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Let your church become a refuge again, a house where the widow is saved,

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the orphan is shared, the poor are lifted up, and the weak are protected.

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And we now speak these decrees.

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We decree we will be a defender of the vulnerable and a voice to the voiceless.

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We decree the church will rise to cover the widow, father the orphan,

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and strengthen the weak.

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We decree the exportation will be exposed, silenced, no longer,

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and replaced with true care and compassion.

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And Lord, we decree the bride of Christ will reflect the heart of her bridegroom,

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a father to the fatherless, and a defender of widows.

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In Jesus' name, amen.

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Family, today we uncovered one of the deepest wounds of the counterfeit bride,

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a body that devours its vulnerable.

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The widows left uncovered, the orphans overlooked, the poor exploited.

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The weak silenced, but the bridegroom is still crying.

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Where is my bride? The one who shelters, defends, protects, and loves the least of these.

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So this week, I want to challenge you. Look around. Who's vulnerable in your

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community? Who needs covering, comfort, or care?

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Don't wait for someone else to step up. Be the hands, the feet, and the heart of Christ.

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Because what you do for the least of these, you do for Him.

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Thank you for joining me today on the Diary of a Black Woman podcast.

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Church Chronicles. If this word pierced your heart, share with someone who needs

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to be reminded that God is a defender of widows, a father to the fatherless,

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and a shelter for the weak.

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You can always connect with me at the website, diaryofablackwomenllc.com.

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That's where you will get a free download of this series or email me at diaryofablackwomenpodcast

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at gmail.com. Love for you to reach out and just say, hey, what's up?

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And don't miss the next episode, The Counterfeit Bride Adornment.

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Rich in appearance, poor in spirit.

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We'll talk about the churches that shine with luxury on the outside but are bankrupt in the spirit.

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And why the bridegroom is calling his true bride to be clothed in righteousness and not riches.

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Until next time, remember healing, truth, and faith are found in Christ alone.

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This is your host, Connie Morris, signing off with love, strength, and a touch of class.

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And I'll see you on the next episode.

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Thank you for listening to this episode. And before we close out,

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I want to speak a word of promise over you from Jeremiah 29, 11 through 14.

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Father God, you declared, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper

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you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

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So today we receive that truth. You said when we call on you,

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you will listen. So we pray.

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You said that when we seek you with our hearts, you will be found. So we pursue.

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You said you will restore us from captivity.

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So we declare freedom over every place where our listeners feel stuck, silenced, or small.

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Thank you for always drawing near when we show up in faith. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Music.