Exposing the Counterfeit Bride: Ep 13: Wise and Foolish Virgins: A Call to Be Ready

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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, family, to the bonus episode of the Diary of a Black Woman podcast, Church Chronicles.

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I'm your host, Connie Morris, and we've walked through the 12 powerful messages

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of the series, Removing the Cover, Exposing a Counterfeit Bride.

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And today's bonus episode is titled, Wise, Foolish, Versions.

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We touched on it last episode. We're going to touch on it a little bit more

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on this episode because the bridegroom is coming and we need to get ready.

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And so today we're going to end it with a parable, a picture, and a promise.

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The picture is of virgins, five wise and five foolish.

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The parable is their story told by Jesus in Matthew 25, and the promise is the bridegroom is coming.

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Matthew 25 verses 1 through 4, it says, At the time the kingdom of heaven would

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be like the 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.

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The foolish ones took their lamps, but did not take any oil with them.

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The wise, however, took oil and jars along with their lamps.

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The oil is the difference.

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The foolish had the form, but no fire.

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They had lamps, but no oil, light, but no substance, religion, but no relationship.

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The wise had oil, intimacy, discernment, and readiness. So what we see here, we see there were 10.

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Versions. Five were wise, five were foolish.

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And right away, we see that what identified them that were different from the

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wise and the foolish was one was prepared, one had extra oil,

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and the other one didn't.

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You ever have friends like that? They get ready to go on a trip or a journey

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or whatever, but they never come fully prepared.

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First of all, they're late. And then second of all, we got to stop everywhere

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to pick up stuff that they forgot along the journey, you know?

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And so that's foolishness. We knew we were going on this trip about six weeks

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ago, but yet we're still not prepared.

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But the bridegroom is coming and we need to get ready.

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But here the Bible tells us that the wives had oil.

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And what does oil represent? The oil represent intimacy, discernment,

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and readiness. So the wise understood that the bridegroom was coming,

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but it might take a little while.

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So they prepared for the wait. Are we prepared for the wait?

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That Jesus is coming, but rumor has it that he's supposed to come in September.

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So people are packing up their stuff and they call their rapture blankets, get ready to go.

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Okay, but do you have discernment from the Holy One of Israel that it's that

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season? Or is that your excuse to escape all the stuff that's going on in the world today?

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Are you going to be one of the wise or are you going to be one of the foolish?

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So we understand that the wise had oil, the foolish had enough oil,

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but they didn't have enough to finish the race.

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So the Spirit of the Lord is asking the church today, do you have oil in your lamp?

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Because the oil represents the Holy Spirit.

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Because lamps without oil is empty religion. But oil that overflows is true

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relationship with the bridegroom.

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And that oil is not hype, not entertainment.

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It's not pretense. The oil is the Holy Spirit.

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Now listen to the beauty of the Psalms that reveal the fullness of this truth.

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Psalm 25 says, To anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.

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So there's always a lot enough oil, right? Psalms 24, verse 3 to 4 says,

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Who may ascend to the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?

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The one who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who does not trust an idol or swear by a false God?

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Family, Psalms 23 shows the oil that overflows, intimacy with the shepherd.

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Psalms 24 shows us the purity required, cleans hand, clean hand and a pure heart.

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Together they remind us the bride must be both full and holy, anointed.

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And pure, ready and waiting.

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The cry of the bridegroom is simple. Be ready.

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The wise and the foolish virgin. Let's take a look at them.

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The parable of the 10 virgins is a mirror for the church. All 10 had lamps. All 10 were waiting.

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All 10 looked like bridesmaids, but only five were ready when the bridegroom came.

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The foolish virgin represented the counterfeit bride. Outwardly prepared, but inwardly empty.

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They had lamps, but no oil was available.

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They looked the part, but lacked the substance. They wanted the celebration

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without the preparation.

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The wise virgin represented the true bride. Inwardly filled, outwardly ready.

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They carry extra oil because they understood the bridegroom might delay.

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How do they know that? That comes through discernment. that comes through discernment.

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They guarded their flame, kept their lamps trimmed, and stayed watchful.

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The only difference between these two, what, is they didn't want to bring the extra oil.

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Well, there's a lot more than that, but one was prepared for the wait.

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Here we go. Here's the difference.

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The foolish borrowed faith. The wise carried their own oil. The foolish sought appearances.

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The wise sought intimacy. The foolish wanted light for a moment.

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The wise wanted fire for the midnight cry.

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Now bring in the psalm. Psalms 23.5 says, You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows.

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This is the oil of intimacy, the overflow of God's spirit in the surrendered life.

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The true bride doesn't run out of oil because her cup never stops being filled.

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Psalms 24, 3, verses 3 and 4 asks, Who may ascend to the heel of the Lord?

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Who may stand in his holy place? Who has clean hands and a pure heart?

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This is a garment of holiness, the inward purity that makes the bride ready to meet her king.

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Together, Psalms 23 and Psalms 24 present a comprehensive picture of readiness.

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The bride with oil that overflows and a pure heart. The counterfeit bride has neither.

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Family, Jesus told this parable for one reason, to wake us up.

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The midnight cry is coming, and when it comes, only those with oil will be ready.

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Where is my bride? The bridegroom cries out.

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Where is my bride who keeps her lamps burning with oil that overflows?

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Where is my bride whose hands are clean and whose heart is pure?

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Where is my bride, who will not slumber at the midnight hour,

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but stay awake, ready for my return?

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Matthew 25 says, But while they were in, while they were on their way to buy

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the oil, the bridegroom arrived.

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The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was closed.

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Psalms 23, verse 5 declares, You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.

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Psalm 24 answers, who ascends to the mountain of the Lord, who may stand at

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his holy place, the one who has clean hands and a pure heart.

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My bride is not the one who borrows faith at the last minute.

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My bride is not the one who pretends to be with lamps that have no flame.

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My bride is not the one distracted by the world.

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When the cry is heard. Where is my bride? The one with oil in her lamp,

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fire in her heart, clean hands lifted up, and life clothed in righteousness.

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The one who says, even so, come Lord Jesus.

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Where is my bride? Living ready for the bridegroom.

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Family, the parable of the virgin is not just a story, it's a warning.

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The midnight cry is coming, and when it comes, there'll be no time to buy oil.

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Either you are ready or you are not.

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Here is how we live as wise and not the foolish.

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Number one, keep your oil full. The oil represents the Holy Spirit and intimacy with God.

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Stay filled by prayer, worship, and time in his word. Don't wait for a crisis to seek him.

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Stay full every day. Number two, keep your hands clean.

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Psalm 24 reminds us only those with clean hands and a pure heart can ascend his heel.

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Repent quickly, forgive freely,

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and walk in holiness. The bridegroom is coming for a spotless bride.

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Number three, keep your heart pure. Guard your affections. Don't let love for

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the world cool your love for Christ.

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Return to your first love daily.

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The wise virgins are ready because their hearts belong fully to the bridegroom.

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And number four, stay watchful. Matthew 25 ends with this warning.

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Therefore, keep watch because you do not know the day

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or the hour. Stay awake spiritually. Pay attention.

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Don't let distraction lull you to sleep. The foolish virgin looked apart but weren't prepared.

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The wise virgin carried oil that overflowed pure hearts, lamps that stayed lit.

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That's the bride the bridegroom is coming for.

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The question is simple. Will you be ready when the midnight cry sounds?

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Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the warning of your word.

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Forgive us for every time we let your lamps grow dim.

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For every season we neglected the oil of intimacy. For every distraction that

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pulled our hearts away from you. Lord, bring us back to first law.

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Fill our lamps again with the oil of your spirit.

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Keep us burning until the bridegroom comes. Lord, give us clean hands and a pure heart.

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Teach us to walk in holiness, to value your presence above all else,

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to remain awake and watchful in this hour.

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May we be counted among the wise, prepared for the midnight glory.

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And now we speak this decree, these decrees.

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We decree our lamp will not go out. It will burn with the oil of the Holy Spirit.

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We decree our heart will remain pure and our hands clean before the Lord.

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We decree we will be watchful, sober, and ready for the bridegroom's return.

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Ready for the bridegroom's return, we decree that the true bride of Christ will

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rise with overflowing oil, shining light, and unwavering devotion in the mighty name of Jesus.

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Father, we thank you. Thank you for the warning. Thank you for this devotional.

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Thank you for the anointing on this devotional that will pierce the hearts of

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the people who hear it, who read it, who listen to it.

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Thank you that we'll keep our oil full, our hands clean, and our hearts pure.

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That we will stay watchful, that we will be ready for that midnight cry,

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that midnight sound, that midnight trumpet sound. In Jesus' name, amen.

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So we walked together through a journey of uncovering the counterfeit bride,

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hearing the cry of the bridegroom, where is my bride?

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And today we close with this final call, be ready.

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The wise virgin carried oil that overflowed, their lamps trimmed and burning,

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their hearts pure, their hands clean.

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The foolish looked the part but lacked the substance.

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When the midnight cry sounded, the wise entered and the door was shut.

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Psalms 23 reminded us that the shepherd anoints our heads with oil until the cup overflows.

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It just reminded me that God gives us enough. Our oil should never run dry because

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here we see that he anoints us until our cups overflow, so we should never be without oil.

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Psalm 24 reminds us that only those with clean hands and a pure heart may stand in his holy place.

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Together they declare the bridegroom's requirement, intimacy and purity,

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fullness and holiness, readiness and devotion.

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This is the bride he's coming for, a bride filled, faithful,

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and prepared. So I'll leave you with this final charge.

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Guard your oil. Keep your lamp burning.

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Walk in holiness. Stay watchful. And above all, keep your heart anchored in

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love for your bridegroom.

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Because the midnight cry is near. The spirit and the bride still say, come.

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Thank you for joining me on this powerful series on the Diary of a Black Woman

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podcast, Church Chronicles. If this series has spoken to you,

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pray over it and let it draw you deeper into intimacy with Christ.

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You can always connect with me at...

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You can check the website out, diaryofablackwomenlfc.com, or by email.

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Diaryofablackwomenpodcast at gmail.com.

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We'd love to hear from you, how this impacted your life.

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This is your host, Connie Morris, signing off this series with love,

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strength, and a touch of class.

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And with our last declaration, even so, come, Lord Jesus.

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We are ready and we are waiting. I'll see you on the next episode.

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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 received that truth. You said when we call on you,

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you will listen. So we pray. You said that when we seek you with our hearts,

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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.