Exposing the Counterfeit Bride: Ep 12: The Call to Discernment

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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

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to silence her. This isn't just a podcast.

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This is holy ground. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Welcome back, family, to the Diary of a Black Woman's podcast,

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Church Chronicles, episode 12, The Call to Discernment, Preparing the True Bride.

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I'm your a sobering and urgent message in our series, Removing the Cover,

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Exposing the Counter-Shed Bride.

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

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the mouth corrupted, the hands exploited, the feet wandering.

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The heart drawn cold, the false fire, the body devouring itself,

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the bride clothed in riches but poor in spirit.

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Now the final cry, the call to discernment.

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Discernment is not optional for the bride. It is life or death.

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It is the oil in the lamps that separate the wise from the foolish.

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It's a dividing line between deception and truth, between counterfeit and authentic.

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The word of God speaks clearly in Hosea 4.6.

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My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

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Because you have rejected knowledge, I have rejected you as my priest.

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Because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.

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Matthew 25 verses 1 through 4, At the time, the kingdom of heaven will be like

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ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

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Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish one took their lamps,

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but did not take any oil with them.

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The wise one, however, took oil in jars with their lamps.

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They came prepared for the wait.

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1 John 41, it says, Dear friends, do not believe every spirit,

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but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets

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have gone out into the world.

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Family, the true bride prepares. She keeps her lamps filled with oil.

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Not only does she keep it filled, she have an extra supply on the side.

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She guards her heart and tests every spirit. She cleans the truth when deception rises all around her.

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And the bridegroom is asking, will my bride be ready when I come?

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The call to discernment. Discernment is a difference between being deceived and being delivered.

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Without it, the bride cannot tell the counterfeit from the truth.

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The false prophet from the true shepherd, the spirit of error from the spirit of truth.

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Hosea 4.6 warns us, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

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Destruction doesn't come because the enemy is too strong. It comes because the

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bride has been too blind.

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Where there is no discernment, deception thrives.

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Jesus told us in Matthew 25 that five virgins were wise and five who were foolish.

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The only difference between them was discernment. The foolish had lamps, but no oil.

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Form without substance, religion without relationship.

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The wise had oil, intimacy, preparation, discernment.

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And when the bridegroom came, only the wise were ready. Family,

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the danger of the counterfeit bride, she has lambs that look full but are empty.

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She has rituals, titles, and forms, but no oil.

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She gathers in his name but doesn't carry his presence.

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She looks prepared but is asleep when the bridegroom arrives.

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This is why 1 John 4 says, Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits

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to see whether they are from God. Discernment requires testing.

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Not every preacher is sent. Not every prophecy is pure. Not every fire is holy.

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The bride must weigh everything against the Word and the Spirit.

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The counterfeit bride will fall for lies that sound sweet but lead to death.

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The true bride discerns tests and clings to truth.

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Discernment is a dividing line between those who are taken in deception and

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those who are ready for the return of

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of the bridegroom. And the bridegroom cries out, where is my bride?

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Where is my bride who tests the spirits instead of swallowing every word?

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Where is my bride who keeps her lamps full of oil awake, ready for my return?

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Where is my bride who cleans the truth when lies flood the earth?

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Hebrews 5.14 says, But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have

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trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

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John 10.4.5 reminds us, His sheep follow Him because they know His voice,

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but they will never follow a stranger.

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In fact, they will run from Him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.

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My bride does not follow every voice that flatters. My bride does not confuse

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charisma with anointing.

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My bride does not bow to deception dressed in light.

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Where is my bride? Not the one with empty lamps, not the one asleep at midnight.

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Not the one who ignores my word and follows myth, but the bride who knows my

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voice, the bride who trims her lamps and keeps it burning, the bride who discerns

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truth from error and refuses to be seduced by lies.

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Where is my bride?

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Cultivating discernment.

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Discernment is not automatic. It must be pursued, practiced, and protected.

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Without it, even the elect can be deceived.

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With it, bride stands firm, ready for the bridegroom to return.

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Here's how to cultivate the sermon in this hour. Stay anchored in the word.

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Hebrews 4.12 says, for the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.

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It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. If the message or the spirit doesn't line up,

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with scripture rejected. Number two, live by the spirit.

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John 16, 13 promises when he, the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.

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The Holy Spirit is your teacher.

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Ask him to sharpen your hearing, to warn you of deception, to confirm truth.

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Number three, test everything. First Corinthians 5, 21 says, test all things.

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Hold fast to what is good. Don't assume every preacher, prophet,

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or manifestation is from God.

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Test the source, test the fruit, test the doctrine.

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Number four, guard your oil. Matthew 25 reminds us that the wise virgin carried extra oil.

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Oil represent intimacy, prayer, and the Holy Spirit.

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Discernment flows from relationship, not from the head knowledge,

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but from knowing his voice. And number five, walk with the mature.

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Hebrews 5.14 states that maturity trains us to distinguish between good and evil.

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Surround yourself with people who love truth and can help you sharpen your discernment.

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Isolation leaves you vulnerable.

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Community strengthens your watch. Family, the counterfeit bride is careless.

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She lets anyone speak into her life. She runs after every new word,

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and she lets her lamp go empty.

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But the true bride guards her oil, tests every spirit, and stays awake. This is the call.

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Be wise. Be watchful. Be ready. Because the midnight cry is coming.

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And only the prepared bride will enter.

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Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word, which is true.

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Forgive us for the times we have been careless with our lambs,

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for the times we have followed voices that were not yours, for the times we

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lack discernment and open doors to deception.

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Lord, cleanse us, sharpen us, fill us again with the oil of your spirit.

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Holy Spirit, train our ears to know your voice. give us boldness to test every

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spirit, humility to repent when we've been wrong, and wisdom to walk in truth.

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Keep us awake, alert, and prepared for the bridegroom's return.

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And we speak these decree.

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We decree our last will stay filled with oil of intimacy and prayer.

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We decree we will discern truth from error and follow only the voice of our shepherd.

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We decree deception will not overtake us

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for we are rooted in the word and led by the

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spirit and we decree the bride of Christ will rise wise

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watchful and ready prepared for the midnight

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cry in Jesus name amen family today we've heard the final cry of the bridegroom

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where's my bride a bride who discerns truth from error who keeps her lamp filled

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with oil who knows his voice and refuses the counterfeit a bride who is awake, watchful, and ready.

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Over these episodes, we have uncovered the counterfeit, the head replaced,

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the eyes blinded, the ears itching, the mouth corrupted, the hands exploited, the feet wandering.

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The heart gone cold, the false fire, the body devoured, the adornment hollow.

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But through it all, the bridegroom cry has remained the same.

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Where is my bride? This is why discernment matters, because the true bride must be prepared.

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She must walk in holiness, keep her heart burning, worship in spirit and in

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truth, and care for the least of these.

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She must stay awake for the midnight cry. So I leave you with this challenge.

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Guard your lamp, protect your oil, test every spirit, love truth,

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because the bride Bridegroom is coming.

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He is coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle, holy and ready for him.

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Thank you for walking with me through this powerful series on the Diary of a

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Black Woman podcast, Church Chronicles.

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If this series has blessed you, share it with someone who needs to hear the bridegroom cry.

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You can always connect with me on my website, diaryofablackwomenloc.com or by

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email at diaryofablackwomenpodcast at gmail.com.

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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 this is the final episode.

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Reminder, the spirit of the bride says, even so, come Lord Jesus.

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Until we see you at the next episode, there is one more. There's a bonus episode.

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It's titled The Wise and Foolish Version. And so we're going to go a little

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bit more in detail on that one.

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So I'll see you on the real final, final episode.

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Until then, bye-bye. Thank you for listening to this episode.

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And before we close out, 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.

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You said when we call on you, 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. So we declare freedom over every

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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.