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

0:00 Music. Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast with your host, Connie Morris, where healing has a voice and truth is no longer silent. Father God, like Jabez, we cry out that thou would bless us indeed. Bless every woman listening beyond trauma, beyond limits, beyond what she thought was possible. Enlarge her territory. Expand her purpose. Let your hand be upon this moment. Saturate every word with oil and truth. break cycles, cancel every curse sent to silence her. This isn't just a podcast.

0:49 This is holy ground. In Jesus' name, amen. Welcome, family, to the bonus episode of the Diary of a Black Woman podcast, Church Chronicles. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and we've walked through the 12 powerful messages of the series, Removing the Cover, Exposing a Counterfeit Bride. And today's bonus episode is titled, Wise, Foolish, Versions. We touched on it last episode. We're going to touch on it a little bit more on this episode because the bridegroom is coming and we need to get ready. And so today we're going to end it with a parable, a picture, and a promise.

1:31 The picture is of virgins, five wise and five foolish. The parable is their story told by Jesus in Matthew 25, and the promise is the bridegroom is coming. Matthew 25 verses 1 through 4, it says, At the time the kingdom of heaven would be like the ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps, but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil and jars along with their lamps. The oil is the difference.

2:11 The foolish had the form, but no fire. They had lamps, but no oil, light, but no substance, religion, but no relationship. The wise had oil, intimacy, discernment, and readiness. So what we see here, we see there were 10. Versions. Five were wise, five were foolish. And right away, we see that what identified them that were different from the wise and the foolish was one was prepared, one had extra oil, and the other one didn't. You ever have friends like that? They get ready to go on a trip or a journey or whatever, but they never come fully prepared.

2:53 First of all, they're late. And then second of all, we got to stop everywhere to pick up stuff that they forgot along the journey, you know? And so that's foolishness. We knew we were going on this trip about six weeks ago, but yet we're still not prepared. But the bridegroom is coming and we need to get ready. But here the Bible tells us that the wives had oil. And what does oil represent? The oil represent intimacy, discernment, and readiness. So the wise understood that the bridegroom was coming, but it might take a little while. So they prepared for the wait. Are we prepared for the wait? That Jesus is coming, but rumor has it that he's supposed to come in September.

3:37 So people are packing up their stuff and they call their rapture blankets, get ready to go. Okay, but do you have discernment from the Holy One of Israel that it's that season? Or is that your excuse to escape all the stuff that's going on in the world today? Are you going to be one of the wise or are you going to be one of the foolish? So we understand that the wise had oil, the foolish had enough oil, but they didn't have enough to finish the race. So the Spirit of the Lord is asking the church today, do you have oil in your lamp? Because the oil represents the Holy Spirit. Because lamps without oil is empty religion. But oil that overflows is true relationship with the bridegroom.

4:22 And that oil is not hype, not entertainment. It's not pretense. The oil is the Holy Spirit. Now listen to the beauty of the Psalms that reveal the fullness of this truth. Psalm 25 says, To anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. So there's always a lot enough oil, right? Psalms 24, verse 3 to 4 says, Who may ascend to the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who does not trust an idol or swear by a false God? Family, Psalms 23 shows the oil that overflows, intimacy with the shepherd.

5:03 Psalms 24 shows us the purity required, cleans hand, clean hand and a pure heart. Together they remind us the bride must be both full and holy, anointed. And pure, ready and waiting. The cry of the bridegroom is simple. Be ready. The wise and the foolish virgin. Let's take a look at them. The parable of the 10 virgins is a mirror for the church. All 10 had lamps. All 10 were waiting. All 10 looked like bridesmaids, but only five were ready when the bridegroom came. The foolish virgin represented the counterfeit bride. Outwardly prepared, but inwardly empty.

5:47 They had lamps, but no oil was available. They looked the part, but lacked the substance. They wanted the celebration without the preparation. The wise virgin represented the true bride. Inwardly filled, outwardly ready. They carry extra oil because they understood the bridegroom might delay. How do they know that? That comes through discernment. that comes through discernment. They guarded their flame, kept their lamps trimmed, and stayed watchful. The only difference between these two, what, is they didn't want to bring the extra oil. Well, there's a lot more than that, but one was prepared for the wait.

6:28 Here we go. Here's the difference. The foolish borrowed faith. The wise carried their own oil. The foolish sought appearances. The wise sought intimacy. The foolish wanted light for a moment. The wise wanted fire for the midnight cry. Now bring in the psalm. Psalms 23.5 says, You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. This is the oil of intimacy, the overflow of God's spirit in the surrendered life. The true bride doesn't run out of oil because her cup never stops being filled. Psalms 24, 3, verses 3 and 4 asks, Who may ascend to the heel of the Lord?

7:10 Who may stand in his holy place? Who has clean hands and a pure heart? This is a garment of holiness, the inward purity that makes the bride ready to meet her king. Together, Psalms 23 and Psalms 24 present a comprehensive picture of readiness. The bride with oil that overflows and a pure heart. The counterfeit bride has neither. Family, Jesus told this parable for one reason, to wake us up. The midnight cry is coming, and when it comes, only those with oil will be ready. Where is my bride? The bridegroom cries out. Where is my bride who keeps her lamps burning with oil that overflows?

7:55 Where is my bride whose hands are clean and whose heart is pure? Where is my bride, who will not slumber at the midnight hour, but stay awake, ready for my return? Matthew 25 says, But while they were in, while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was closed. Psalms 23, verse 5 declares, You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Psalm 24 answers, who ascends to the mountain of the Lord, who may stand at his holy place, the one who has clean hands and a pure heart.

8:39 My bride is not the one who borrows faith at the last minute. My bride is not the one who pretends to be with lamps that have no flame. My bride is not the one distracted by the world. When the cry is heard. Where is my bride? The one with oil in her lamp, fire in her heart, clean hands lifted up, and life clothed in righteousness. The one who says, even so, come Lord Jesus. Where is my bride? Living ready for the bridegroom. Family, the parable of the virgin is not just a story, it's a warning. The midnight cry is coming, and when it comes, there'll be no time to buy oil.

9:24 Either you are ready or you are not. Here is how we live as wise and not the foolish. Number one, keep your oil full. The oil represents the Holy Spirit and intimacy with God. Stay filled by prayer, worship, and time in his word. Don't wait for a crisis to seek him. Stay full every day. Number two, keep your hands clean. Psalm 24 reminds us only those with clean hands and a pure heart can ascend his heel. Repent quickly, forgive freely, and walk in holiness. The bridegroom is coming for a spotless bride.

10:05 Number three, keep your heart pure. Guard your affections. Don't let love for the world cool your love for Christ. Return to your first love daily. The wise virgins are ready because their hearts belong fully to the bridegroom. And number four, stay watchful. Matthew 25 ends with this warning. Therefore, keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour. Stay awake spiritually. Pay attention. Don't let distraction lull you to sleep. The foolish virgin looked apart but weren't prepared. The wise virgin carried oil that overflowed pure hearts, lamps that stayed lit.

10:48 That's the bride the bridegroom is coming for. The question is simple. Will you be ready when the midnight cry sounds? Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the warning of your word. Forgive us for every time we let your lamps grow dim. For every season we neglected the oil of intimacy. For every distraction that pulled our hearts away from you. Lord, bring us back to first law. Fill our lamps again with the oil of your spirit. Keep us burning until the bridegroom comes. Lord, give us clean hands and a pure heart. Teach us to walk in holiness, to value your presence above all else, to remain awake and watchful in this hour.

11:30 May we be counted among the wise, prepared for the midnight glory. And now we speak this decree, these decrees. We decree our lamp will not go out. It will burn with the oil of the Holy Spirit. We decree our heart will remain pure and our hands clean before the Lord. We decree we will be watchful, sober, and ready for the bridegroom's return. Ready for the bridegroom's return, we decree that the true bride of Christ will rise with overflowing oil, shining light, and unwavering devotion in the mighty name of Jesus. Father, we thank you. Thank you for the warning. Thank you for this devotional.

12:10 Thank you for the anointing on this devotional that will pierce the hearts of the people who hear it, who read it, who listen to it. Thank you that we'll keep our oil full, our hands clean, and our hearts pure. That we will stay watchful, that we will be ready for that midnight cry, that midnight sound, that midnight trumpet sound. In Jesus' name, amen. So we walked together through a journey of uncovering the counterfeit bride, hearing the cry of the bridegroom, where is my bride? And today we close with this final call, be ready. The wise virgin carried oil that overflowed, their lamps trimmed and burning, their hearts pure, their hands clean.

12:53 The foolish looked the part but lacked the substance. When the midnight cry sounded, the wise entered and the door was shut. Psalms 23 reminded us that the shepherd anoints our heads with oil until the cup overflows. It just reminded me that God gives us enough. Our oil should never run dry because here we see that he anoints us until our cups overflow, so we should never be without oil. Psalm 24 reminds us that only those with clean hands and a pure heart may stand in his holy place. Together they declare the bridegroom's requirement, intimacy and purity, fullness and holiness, readiness and devotion.

13:36 This is the bride he's coming for, a bride filled, faithful, and prepared. So I'll leave you with this final charge. Guard your oil. Keep your lamp burning. Walk in holiness. Stay watchful. And above all, keep your heart anchored in love for your bridegroom. Because the midnight cry is near. The spirit and the bride still say, come. Thank you for joining me on this powerful series on the Diary of a Black Woman podcast, Church Chronicles. If this series has spoken to you, pray over it and let it draw you deeper into intimacy with Christ. You can always connect with me at... You can check the website out, diaryofablackwomenlfc.com, or by email.

14:20 Diaryofablackwomenpodcast at gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you, how this impacted your life. This is your host, Connie Morris, signing off this series with love, strength, and a touch of class. And with our last declaration, even so, come, Lord Jesus. We are ready and we are waiting. I'll see you on the next episode. Bye-bye. Thank you for listening to this episode. And before we close out, I want to speak a word of promise over you from Jeremiah 29, 11 through 14. Father God, you declared, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

15:03 So today we received that truth. You said when we call on you, you will listen. So we pray. You said that when we seek you with our hearts, you will be found, so we pursue. You said you will restore us from captivity, so we declare freedom over every place where our listeners feel stuck, silenced, or small. Thank you for always drawing near when we show up in faith. In Jesus' name, amen. Music.