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

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 back to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast, Church Chronicles, episode three, The Eyes, Vision, Blinded. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and today we'll continue our journey through removing the cover, exposing the counterfeit bride. We've heard the whisper of counterfeit churches. We've seen the danger when Christ is replaced as the head. And now we turn to the next place God is uncovering, the eyes of the bride. Verse 29, 16 tells us, Where there is no vision, the people perish.

1:32 Matthew 6.22 says that the eyes is the lamp of the body. If the eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of sight. But Isaiah 56.10 gives a warning. Israel watchmen are blind. They all lack knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They cannot bark. They lie around and dream. They love to sleep. The eyes of the bride were meant to see Jesus clearly, to fix her gaze on the bridegroom, to watch for his return. But in counterfeit churches, her vision has been stolen. Instead of kingdom sight, ambition has blinded her.

2:13 Instead of discernment, she chases appearances. Instead of lifting her eyes to the heels, she fixes her gaze on stages, platforms, and men. And the spirit of the Lord says, my bride has gone blind. But the cry of the bridegroom still rings out, where is my bride? The one with Eyes fixed on me, who sees with discernment, who watches and waits for my coming. Vision is everything. The eyes guide the body. The eyes determine direction. And when the eyes are blind, the whole body stumbles.

2:55 Counterfeit churches have eyes, but they do not see the truth. Instead of gazing at the bridegroom, their vision is clouded with ambition. They measure success by numbers instead of souls. They set their eyes on budgets instead of the broken. They chase after stages and platforms while ignoring the secret place of prayer. The prophet Isaiah spoke of watchmen who were supposed to guard the people, but instead they were blind. He said Isaiah 56 10, Israel watchmen are blind. They all lack knowledge. They are mute dogs. They cannot bark.

3:36 They lie around and dream. They love to sleep. That's what happens when vision is lost. Shepherds go silent. Leaders lose discernment. Churches love to dream but hate to pray, and the bride begins to stumble in the dark. Instead of watching for the return of the bridegroom, counterfeit churches are blinded by the glare of lights and the lure applause. Instead of seeing the hurting in their pews, they see only the camera angles. Instead of lifting their eyes to heaven, their gaze is fixed on earthly gain. A blinded bride is a vulnerable bride, and when the bride loses her vision, she cannot recognize deception. She cannot see wolves among the sheep.

4:24 She cannot discern the difference between entertainment and anointing. This blindness is deadly because without vision, people perish. Where is my bride? Cries the bridegroom. Where is my bride who eyes are fixed on me, not on men? Where is my bride who looks for my coming more than she looks for crowds? Where's my bride who vision is not blinded by ambition, but sharpened by my spirit? Hebrews 12 says, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

5:04 Psalms 121 verses 1 and 2 declares, I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help comes from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. My bride does not stumble in the dark. Her eyes are full of light. My bride does not chase stages. Her gaze is on the secret place. My bride does not sleep while deception creeps in. She is awake, alert, and watching for her bridegroom. Where is my bride? Not the one blinded by ambition, not the one seduced by appearances. Not the one distracted to discern, too distracted to discern the time, but the bride who sees me clearly, who watches and waits, whose vision is anchored in eternity.

5:51 Guarding your vision. If the eyes are the lamp of the body, then we need to guard what we're looking at. Okay, family, because us whatever fills our vision will direct our steps. So how do we protect our sight as a bride of Christ? Fix your eyes on Jesus, Hebrews 12, 2 says. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. That means every decision, every desire, every direction starts with him. Your eyes are drifting towards money, power, or platforms. It's time to reset your focus. Number two, stay awake spiritually. Matthew 26, 41 tells us, watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

6:37 The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. A bride with closed eyes is a bride unprepared. Stay alert, pray often. Bible tells us to pray always and keep your discernment sharp. Number three, refuse to chase appearances. Don't be fooled by what looks successful. Big crowds don't always mean big fruit. Flashy lights don't guarantee the fire of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Ask yourself, does this ministry bear the marks of Christ or is it blinded by ambition? Number four, guard what you consume. The eyes are the gate. What are you watching?

7:20 What are you feeding your spirit? A bride can't keep her eyes full of the world and expect to see the bride groom clearly. Family, this call is simple. Lift your eyes. Psalms 121 says, I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. If our eyes stay on him, our path stays clear. But if our vision is blinded, we stumble in the dark. The counterfeit bride is distracted and blind. The true bride is watchful and awake. Her eyes set on the bridegroom.

8:02 Let's pray. Father, today we repent for every place our eyes have wandered. Forgive us for fixing our gaze on people, on platforms, and on earthy ambitious instead of you. Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord, that we may see you clearly. We pray for your church. Remove the scales of blindness. Restore the vision to your leaders who have lost their way. Awaken the watchmen who have fallen asleep, and let your bride see with discernment, with purity, and with the expectation of your return. And I now speak this decree. We decree my eyes are fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

8:42 We decree that we will not be blinded by ambition, distraction, or deception. We decree our vision will be clear, spirit-led, and anchored in eternity. And we decree that the bride of Christ will awaken, lift up her eyes, and see her bridegroom coming. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen. Today we uncover the blindness of the counterfeit bride. Her eyes are clouded by ambition, distraction by appreciation. Distracted by appearances, and asleep when she should be awake. But the cry of the bridegroom still rings out, Where is my bride? The one whose eyes are fixed on me, who sees with discernment, who watches and waits for my coming.

9:27 This week, I challenge you, guard your vision. Be careful what you let your eyes let into your eyes and spirit. Ask your Lord daily to keep your focus clear and sharp. And remember, if your eyes are fixed on Jesus, your path will always remain steady. Thank you for joining me on the Diary of a Black Woman podcast, Church Chronicles. If this episode bless you, share it with someone who needs to lift their eyes again to the bride groom. You can always connect with me at thediaryofabblackwomanllc.com, that's my website, or by my email, diaryofabblackwomanpodcast at gmail.com. And don't miss the next episode in this series.

10:07 It's titled, The Ears, Itching for Lies. We're going to talk about what happens when the bride stops listening to the shepherd's voice and instead pays to hear lies that soothes the flesh. So warning, we need in this hour. Until next time, remember healing, truth, and faith are found in Christ alone. This is Connie Morris, your host, signing off of Love, Strength, and the touch a clap. And I'll see you on the next episode. 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.

10:56 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.