Exposing the Counterfeit Bride: Ep 5: The Mouth Unmasked

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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 the Black Woman podcast,

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Church Chronicles, episode five.

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I'm your host, Connie Morris, and today we're continuing with the series,

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Removing the Cover, Exposing the Counterfeit Bride.

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So far, we've covered the counterfeit head, the blinded eyes, the itching ear.

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Now the Spirit of the Lord is pulling back the cover on the mouth of the bride

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because what comes out of the mouth reveals what's in the heart.

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In too many pulpits today, the message has been corrupted.

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Instead of preaching Christ crucified, we hear a gospel of convenience.

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Instead of proclaiming repentance, we hear promises a reward without responsibility.

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Instead of holiness, we hear hype.

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The Bible gives us clear warning in Galatians chapter 1, 8, and 9,

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but even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the

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one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse.

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As we have already said, so now I say again, if anybody is preaching to you

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a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God's courage.

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2 Corinthians 2.17 reads, Like so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.

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On the contrary, if Christ we speak before God with sincerity as sent from God.

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So speak only what God tells you to speak. 1 Corinthians 1.23,

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where we preach Christ's crucifix, Some link black to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

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Family, the true bride preaches Christ and him crucified, but the counterfeit

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bride uses her mouth to sell another gospel, one that entertains.

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One that flatters, one that deceives.

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And the Lord again is asking, what is coming out of your mouth and whose gospel are you preaching?

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The mouth, preaching another gospel. The mouth was designed to declare the word of God.

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Romans 10, 9 through 10 tells us, it's with our mouth we confess Jesus as Lord and are saved.

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But in the counterfeit church, the mouth has been corrupted.

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Instead of preaching repentance, pulpits are filled with promises of prosperity and wealth.

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Instead of pointing to the cross, sermons point to comfort.

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Instead of declaring truth, the message is watered down to avoid offense. This is not new.

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Paul warned the Galatians. He said in Galatians 1.9, if anybody is preaching

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to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God's curse.

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That's strong language, but it's reality.

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A gospel that skips the cross is not a gospel at all.

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Counterfeit churches preach healing without holiness. They preach blessing without obedience.

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They preach destiny without discipline. They preach breakthrough without repentance.

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And what happens? People are entertained but not transformed.

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They clap for sermons that stir their emotions, but walk away with a heart unchanged.

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They are given hype instead of holiness, sugar instead of salt,

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and milk instead of meat.

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Family, this is why the mouth matters, because the bride was meant to declare

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the truth of her bridegroom.

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But the counterfeit bride uses her mouth to seduce, flatter, and deceive.

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And the Lord is asking, what gospel are you listening to and what gospel are you declaring?

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Where is my bride? Cries the bridegroom.

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Where is my bride who preaches my cross, not her comfort? Where is my bride

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who declares repentance, not just reward?

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Where is my bride who's unashamed of the gospel, even when it offends?

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Romans 116 says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power

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of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.

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Jeremiah 23, 28 reminds us, let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream,

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but let the one who has my words be.

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Faithfully for what has straw to do with grain. My bride does not sell my word for profit.

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My bride does not water down my truth to fill seats.

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My bride does not entertain itching ears. She pierced the hearse with the sword

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of the spirit. Where is my bride?

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Not the one who preaches another gospel, not the one who flatters for fame,

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not the one who hides the cross to avoid offense, but the bride who lifts up

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my name, who preaches Christ and him crucified.

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Who declares salvation, repentance, and holiness without compromise.

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Now that is my bride. Holding fast to the true gospel, the mouth reveals the heart,

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and if the mouth of the church is declaring another gospel, then we must test,

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discern, and return to what is true.

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Here's how we guard ourselves in this hour.

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Number one, test the message against the scripture.

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1711 tells us that the Barians examined the scripture every day to see if what Paul said was true.

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Even Paul's word had to be measured by the word.

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Then every sermon, prophecy, teaching today must be tested the same way.

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If it doesn't line up with the word, it's not from God.

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Number two, look for the cross. The true gospel will always point to the cross.

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Repentance, forgiveness, and transformation. If the message skips Calvary,

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and only promises crowns. It's another gospel.

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Discern the fruit. Jesus said in Matthew 7, by their fruit, you will recognize them.

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Does the preaching produce holiness, humility, and the love for God?

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Does it stir greed, pride, or dependence on men? The fruit reveals the root.

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And number four, reject ear tickling. If you only listen to what makes you feel

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good, you will miss what makes you free. True.

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Truth doesn't always comfort, but it always saves.

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As Proverbs 27, 6 says, Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

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but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

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This is the charge.

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Stop ranting your ears to lies and start declaring the truth with your own mouth. Speak life.

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Speak Christ. Speak the gospel without compromise, because the counterfeit bride

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entertains, but the truth the true bride proclaims.

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Let's pray.

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Father, we repent for every pulpit that has preached another gospel.

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Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have chosen comfort over conviction,

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reward over repentance, and hype over holiness.

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Cleanse our mouths, O God, and fill them again with your word.

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Lord, restore boldness to your church. Give pastors, prophets,

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teachers, teachers courage to preach the truth, to preach the cross without compromise.

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Remind us that your gospel is still the power of God unto salvation.

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And let your bride be a voice of truth in a world drowning in lies.

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And I now speak this decree.

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We decree I will not receive or declare another gospel. We decree our mouth

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will not be filled with the word of God and not the opinion of men.

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We decree that we are unashamed of the gospel of Christ.

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And we decree the bride of Christ will rise with a pure voice proclaiming repentance,

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holiness, and salvation through Christ Jesus alone.

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In the name of Jesus, amen.

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Men. Family, today we've exposed the mouth of the counterfeit bride,

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puppets that promise blessings without obedience, prosperity without purity.

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Healing without holiness.

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But the bridegroom is still crying, where is my bride?

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The one who will open her mouth to declare Christ and him crucified.

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The one who will not sell my word for profit. The one who will preach truth

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even when it costs her everything.

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This week I challenge you, examine the words you're listening to and the words you're speaking.

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Does your mouth point people to the cross or away from it? Does it declare truth

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or just what's comfortable?

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Let your words be seasoned with grace, anchored in scripture, and full of the gospel.

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

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If this word stirs your heart, share it with someone who needs to be reminded

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of the true gospel. You can always connect with me on my website,

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DiaryOfBlackWomenLSC.com, where you will get a copy of this series.

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I put some new devotions up this week, so go ahead and grab some.

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They're probably already up, but I'll put some new ones up.

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And don't miss the next episode of this series, The Hands Exploiting Labor.

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We'll uncover how the counterfeit bride manipulates and enslaves in the name

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of service and why the bridegroom is calling its people back to the joy of serving in love and not bondage.

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

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This is your host, Connie Moore, signing off with love, strength,

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and a touch of class. 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 going 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.

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You said that when we seek you with our hearts, you will be found.

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So we pursue. You said, you will restore us from captivity. So we declare freedom

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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.