Exposing the Counterfeit Bride: Ep 3: The Eyes: Vision Blinded

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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 to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast, Church Chronicles,

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episode three, The Eyes, Vision, Blinded.

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I'm your host, Connie Morris, and today we'll continue our journey through removing

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the cover, exposing the counterfeit bride.

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We've heard the whisper of counterfeit churches. We've seen the danger when

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Christ is replaced as the head.

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And now we turn to the next place God is uncovering, the eyes of the bride.

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Verse 29, 16 tells us, Where there is no vision, the people perish.

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Matthew 6.22 says that the eyes is the lamp of the body.

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If the eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of sight.

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But Isaiah 56.10 gives a warning.

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Israel watchmen are blind. They all lack knowledge.

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They are all mute dogs. They cannot bark. They lie around and dream.

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They love to sleep. The eyes of the bride were meant to see Jesus clearly,

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to fix her gaze on the bridegroom, to watch for his return.

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But in counterfeit churches, her vision has been stolen.

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Instead of kingdom sight, ambition has blinded her.

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Instead of discernment, she chases appearances. Instead of lifting her eyes

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to the heels, she fixes her gaze on stages, platforms, and men.

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And the spirit of the Lord says, my bride has gone blind. But the cry of the

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bridegroom still rings out, where is my bride? The one with

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Eyes fixed on me, who sees with

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discernment, who watches and waits for my coming. Vision is everything.

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The eyes guide the body. The eyes determine direction.

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And when the eyes are blind, the whole body stumbles.

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Counterfeit churches have eyes, but they do not see the truth.

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Instead of gazing at the bridegroom, their vision is clouded with ambition.

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They measure success by numbers instead of souls.

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They set their eyes on budgets instead of the broken.

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They chase after stages and platforms while ignoring the secret place of prayer.

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The prophet Isaiah spoke of watchmen who were supposed to guard the people,

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but instead they were blind.

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He said Isaiah 56 10, Israel watchmen are blind.

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They all lack knowledge. They are mute dogs. They cannot bark.

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They lie around and dream. They love to sleep.

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That's what happens when vision is lost.

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Shepherds go silent. Leaders lose discernment. Churches love to dream but hate

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to pray, and the bride begins to stumble in the dark.

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Instead of watching for the return of the bridegroom, counterfeit churches are

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blinded by the glare of lights and the lure applause.

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Instead of seeing the hurting in their pews, they see only the camera angles.

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Instead of lifting their eyes to heaven, their gaze is fixed on earthly gain.

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A blinded bride is a vulnerable bride, and when the bride loses her vision,

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she cannot recognize deception. She cannot see wolves among the sheep.

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She cannot discern the difference between entertainment and anointing.

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This blindness is deadly because without vision, people perish.

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Where is my bride? Cries the bridegroom.

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Where is my bride who eyes are fixed on me, not on men?

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Where is my bride who looks for my coming more than she looks for crowds?

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Where's my bride who vision is not blinded by ambition, but sharpened by my spirit?

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Hebrews 12 says, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

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Psalms 121 verses 1 and 2 declares, I lift up my eyes to the hills.

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Where does my help comes from?

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My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

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My bride does not stumble in the dark. Her eyes are full of light.

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My bride does not chase stages.

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Her gaze is on the secret place. My bride does not sleep while deception creeps in.

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She is awake, alert, and watching for her bridegroom. Where is my bride?

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Not the one blinded by ambition, not the one seduced by appearances.

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Not the one distracted to discern, too distracted to discern the time,

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but the bride who sees me clearly, who watches and waits, whose vision is anchored in eternity.

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Guarding your vision. If the eyes are the lamp of the body, then we need to

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guard what we're looking at.

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Okay, family, because us whatever fills our vision will direct our steps.

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So how do we protect our sight as a bride of Christ?

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Fix your eyes on Jesus, Hebrews 12, 2 says.

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Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

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That means every decision, every desire, every direction starts with him.

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Your eyes are drifting towards money, power, or platforms.

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It's time to reset your focus. Number two, stay awake spiritually.

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Matthew 26, 41 tells us, watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

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The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. A bride with closed eyes is a bride unprepared.

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Stay alert, pray often. Bible tells us to pray always and keep your discernment sharp.

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Number three, refuse to chase appearances. Don't be fooled by what looks successful.

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Big crowds don't always mean big fruit.

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Flashy lights don't guarantee the fire of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit.

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Ask yourself, does this ministry bear the marks of Christ or is it blinded by ambition?

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Number four, guard what you consume. The eyes are the gate. What are you watching?

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What are you feeding your spirit? A bride can't keep her eyes full of the world

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and expect to see the bride groom clearly.

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Family, this call is simple. Lift your eyes.

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Psalms 121 says, I lift up my eyes to the hills.

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Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

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If our eyes stay on him, our path stays clear. But if our vision is blinded, we stumble in the dark.

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The counterfeit bride is distracted and blind.

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The true bride is watchful and awake. Her eyes set on the bridegroom.

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Let's pray. Father, today we repent for every place our eyes have wandered.

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Forgive us for fixing our gaze on people, on platforms, and on earthy ambitious instead of you.

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Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord, that we may see you clearly. We pray for your church.

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Remove the scales of blindness.

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Restore the vision to your leaders who have lost their way.

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Awaken the watchmen who have fallen asleep, and let your bride see with discernment,

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with purity, and with the expectation of your return.

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And I now speak this decree.

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We decree my eyes are fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

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We decree that we will not be blinded by ambition, distraction, or deception.

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We decree our vision will be clear, spirit-led, and anchored in eternity.

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And we decree that the bride of Christ will awaken, lift up her eyes,

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and see her bridegroom coming.

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In the mighty name of Jesus, amen. Today we uncover the blindness of the counterfeit bride.

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Her eyes are clouded by ambition, distraction by appreciation.

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Distracted by appearances, and asleep when she should be awake.

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But the cry of the bridegroom still rings out, Where is my bride?

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The one whose eyes are fixed on me, who sees with discernment,

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who watches and waits for my coming.

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This week, I challenge you, guard your vision. Be careful what you let your

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eyes let into your eyes and spirit.

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Ask your Lord daily to keep your focus clear and sharp.

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And remember, if your eyes are fixed on Jesus, your path will always remain steady.

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Thank you for joining me on the Diary of a Black Woman podcast, Church Chronicles.

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If this episode bless you, share it with someone who needs to lift their eyes

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again to the bride groom.

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You can always connect with me at thediaryofabblackwomanllc.com,

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that's my website, or by my email, diaryofabblackwomanpodcast at gmail.com.

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And don't miss the next episode in this series.

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It's titled, The Ears, Itching for Lies. We're going to talk about what happens

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when the bride stops listening to the shepherd's voice and instead pays to hear

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lies that soothes the flesh.

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So warning, we need in this hour.

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

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This is Connie Morris, your host, signing off of Love, Strength,

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and the touch a clap. 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 received 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.

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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.