Where Is My Bride? Ep 1— A Prophetic Wake-Up Call

WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:12.720
Music.

00:00:12.615 --> 00:00:16.575
Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast with your host,

00:00:16.655 --> 00:00:21.415
Connie Morris, where healing has a voice and truth is no longer silent.

00:00:21.675 --> 00:00:26.355
Father God, like Jabez, we cry out that thou would bless us indeed.

00:00:26.915 --> 00:00:32.295
Bless every woman listening beyond trauma, beyond limits, beyond what she thought

00:00:32.295 --> 00:00:35.055
was possible. Enlarge her territory.

00:00:35.535 --> 00:00:39.255
Expand her purpose. Let your hand be upon this moment.

00:00:39.575 --> 00:00:45.455
Saturate every word with oil and truth. break cycles, cancel every curse sent

00:00:45.455 --> 00:00:48.935
to silence her. This isn't just a podcast.

00:00:49.195 --> 00:00:53.495
This is holy ground. In Jesus' name, amen.

00:00:53.815 --> 00:00:56.515
Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast.

00:00:56.915 --> 00:01:01.715
I'm Evo's Connie Morris and I want to thank you for joining me for this powerful

00:01:01.715 --> 00:01:05.675
series, Where is My Bride?

00:01:05.675 --> 00:01:11.475
This is not just another podcast. It is a prophetic call, a wake-up message

00:01:11.475 --> 00:01:15.695
to the church, and an invitation to you personally.

00:01:15.935 --> 00:01:17.775
Over the next few episodes, we'll

00:01:17.775 --> 00:01:22.835
journey together into the heart of God's question for this generation.

00:01:23.075 --> 00:01:25.995
Where is my bride?

00:01:26.415 --> 00:01:31.415
The Spirit of God is searching for his bride, not the polished version we present

00:01:31.415 --> 00:01:35.935
on social media, not the one clothed in ritual and performance.

00:01:35.935 --> 00:01:40.975
He is searching for the bride who is clothed in righteousness.

00:01:41.395 --> 00:01:46.315
In prayer, the Lord showed me a vision. It was a bride standing before her groom.

00:01:46.495 --> 00:01:49.155
Her dress was wrinkled and stained.

00:01:49.515 --> 00:01:55.515
Her head bowed in shame. She had traded her true beauty for a counterfeit one.

00:01:55.715 --> 00:02:00.155
And this, beloved, is the state of much of the church today.

00:02:00.155 --> 00:02:05.015
We become a bride chasing the world's definition of beauty.

00:02:05.015 --> 00:02:11.375
We're run after false dormants, trading truth for trends, holiness for height.

00:02:11.835 --> 00:02:15.615
Purity for platforms, and intimacy for influence.

00:02:15.855 --> 00:02:19.915
Outwardly, we look polished, but inwardly, our hearts are unprepared.

00:02:20.135 --> 00:02:24.595
But Christ is not coming back for a patched-up, artificial bride.

00:02:24.835 --> 00:02:30.675
He's coming back for a church washed, renewed, holy, and alive in Him,

00:02:31.015 --> 00:02:33.955
without a spot and without a wrinkle.

00:02:33.955 --> 00:02:39.995
So this podcast is not a condemnation, it's a mirror. It's a chance for us to

00:02:39.995 --> 00:02:45.235
take a hard, honest look at the stains of sin, the wrinkles of compromise,

00:02:45.495 --> 00:02:48.535
and the false coverings we've trusted in.

00:02:48.695 --> 00:02:53.315
The Spirit of God is asking in this hour, where is my bride?

00:02:53.555 --> 00:02:59.455
Not the one who has perfected her stage presence, but lost intimacy with the groom.

00:02:59.715 --> 00:03:03.775
Not the one who looks radiant to people, but is broken within.

00:03:04.075 --> 00:03:10.235
The bridegroom is coming. He is not delayed and he will not lower his standard.

00:03:10.435 --> 00:03:15.195
He has already given us everything we need to be ready.

00:03:15.355 --> 00:03:20.715
His blood for cleansing, his word for washing, his spirit for renewing,

00:03:20.815 --> 00:03:22.795
and his grace for empowering.

00:03:23.075 --> 00:03:29.215
So this is a call to return, a call to repentance, a call to intimacy.

00:03:29.575 --> 00:03:33.895
My prayer is that every listener will allow the spirit to cleanse,

00:03:34.295 --> 00:03:39.295
renew, and prepare you as a radiant bride of Christ.

00:03:39.715 --> 00:03:43.635
And together, let's take this journey into the word of God.

00:03:43.775 --> 00:03:50.495
Because when the bridegroom comes, the only answer will be, will we be ready?

00:03:50.695 --> 00:03:53.975
Will you be ready? So stay with me.

00:03:54.275 --> 00:04:00.235
This series will walk us step by step into what is meant to be a prepared bride.

00:04:00.535 --> 00:04:06.395
Each episode will dive into scripture, reflect honestly, pray boldly,

00:04:06.535 --> 00:04:11.115
and declare decrees of readiness. So let us begin.

00:04:11.475 --> 00:04:19.015
Episode one, we're going to start with the bridegroom's cry. Where is my bride?

00:04:19.615 --> 00:04:23.435
So welcome back to the Diary of Black Women podcast. I'm your host,

00:04:23.535 --> 00:04:27.075
Connie Morris, and I'm so grateful that you have joined me today.

00:04:27.295 --> 00:04:32.655
And I want you to picture this, okay? A bride standing before her groom.

00:04:32.655 --> 00:04:35.635
Now, if you've been married before or you desire to be married,

00:04:35.855 --> 00:04:42.115
we know that's a special time in a woman's life. It's a special time in a man's life.

00:04:42.155 --> 00:04:46.155
But I want you to imagine this, that her dress isn't spotless.

00:04:46.195 --> 00:04:47.735
It's wrinkled and stained.

00:04:47.975 --> 00:04:52.435
And we know as a bride that we want our dress to be perfect.

00:04:52.715 --> 00:04:57.135
We keep that dress covered no matter where we're taking it. We never leave the

00:04:57.135 --> 00:04:59.975
house without it covered in a covering.

00:05:00.237 --> 00:05:04.817
You know, we don't want it stained. We check it out back and forth before the

00:05:04.817 --> 00:05:08.897
wedding day, on the wedding day, a couple of minutes before we walk down the

00:05:08.897 --> 00:05:13.837
aisle to make sure it's not a spot or a wrinkle on that dress.

00:05:14.017 --> 00:05:20.797
But this vision I saw, this lady, this bride was dressed and she was in a dress,

00:05:21.017 --> 00:05:23.597
but it was stained and it was wrinkled.

00:05:23.757 --> 00:05:28.517
So instead of her lifting her head in joy, she had bowed in shame.

00:05:28.877 --> 00:05:33.137
And how many of you know this dress was dirty? So for her to even be before

00:05:33.137 --> 00:05:36.717
her groom in a dirty dress, it was purposeful.

00:05:37.077 --> 00:05:40.217
God is purposeful in his visions when he gives them to you.

00:05:40.417 --> 00:05:43.377
Like this is what the church looks like.

00:05:43.557 --> 00:05:47.177
Because you know, if you were in a dirty dress before your wedding,

00:05:47.377 --> 00:05:51.477
you would probably cancel the wedding or you have someone run out to the store

00:05:51.477 --> 00:05:55.677
and buy you another dress because how dare you embarrass your groom?

00:05:55.857 --> 00:05:57.957
How dare you embarrass your family?

00:05:58.217 --> 00:06:04.017
But how dare you embarrass God wearing a dress that's full of spots and wrinkles?

00:06:04.257 --> 00:06:09.237
She had all this time to prepare because the wedding doesn't happen like the next day.

00:06:09.357 --> 00:06:13.777
Now some people do have next day weddings, you know, but sometimes people take

00:06:13.777 --> 00:06:19.037
a year, six months, maybe even two years to even prepare for this big wedding day.

00:06:19.197 --> 00:06:24.477
And we have been waiting for Jesus to return. And so we don't know when he's

00:06:24.477 --> 00:06:28.237
going to come, but we have all this time to prepare our hearts,

00:06:28.357 --> 00:06:31.937
to get rid of the wrinkles, to get rid of the stains, right?

00:06:32.177 --> 00:06:37.857
But instead of us focusing on that purpose, getting at being as a prepared bride,

00:06:38.137 --> 00:06:39.757
we have been distracted.

00:06:40.324 --> 00:06:45.604
But instead of us focusing on the one who loves her, she got distracted.

00:06:45.904 --> 00:06:49.404
She chased outwardly beauty, but neglected her heart.

00:06:49.564 --> 00:06:54.264
This is a vision the Lord gave me. As I saw that broken, unprepared bride,

00:06:54.484 --> 00:06:58.084
I heard his voice, where is my bride?

00:06:58.424 --> 00:07:03.444
Now think about this. You're in front of your groom and you have on the wedding

00:07:03.444 --> 00:07:06.004
dress. The dress is spotted and

00:07:06.004 --> 00:07:11.444
it is wrinkled, but yet the groom is still calling out, where is my bride?

00:07:11.724 --> 00:07:17.844
He's not looking for a bride with spa or wrinkles. He's looking for a bride

00:07:17.844 --> 00:07:21.104
that is without spa and without wrinkle.

00:07:21.324 --> 00:07:26.324
So it's like he doesn't even see you when you're wrinkled and when you're spotted,

00:07:26.324 --> 00:07:29.604
but we're cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

00:07:29.904 --> 00:07:35.104
So God says, I'm not looking for a bride that's polished on social media,

00:07:35.364 --> 00:07:39.524
not looking for that bride who is wrapped in rituals and performance.

00:07:39.764 --> 00:07:44.404
And one thing that really rings out in my heart is that when we talk about performance,

00:07:44.524 --> 00:07:48.504
because when you have an opportunity to serve, if you serve in any area of the

00:07:48.504 --> 00:07:51.744
church or any area, even at your job,

00:07:51.944 --> 00:07:57.484
you'll know when someone is serving from their heart or if someone is serving by performance.

00:07:57.864 --> 00:08:01.044
Performance is you're doing everything you can to be seen.

00:08:01.244 --> 00:08:05.484
Your heart ain't in it, but you definitely doing everything you can to be seen.

00:08:05.684 --> 00:08:09.644
And you love when your name is called because you want to get the praise.

00:08:09.844 --> 00:08:14.564
Look at what Barbie did. Barbie does an excellent job and you don't realize

00:08:14.564 --> 00:08:16.264
how much Barbie is doing.

00:08:16.464 --> 00:08:21.044
Barbie does excellent work and Barbie is doing it for the praise of man.

00:08:21.344 --> 00:08:24.044
But how many of us do it for the praise of Jesus?

00:08:24.384 --> 00:08:29.344
God is not looking for bride that has perfected her stage presence will lost

00:08:29.344 --> 00:08:32.404
intimacy with the groom. God is looking for

00:08:32.736 --> 00:08:36.456
all that. He wants us to be polished before him.

00:08:36.616 --> 00:08:42.356
He wants us to only have eyes for him and he wants us to have intimacy with him.

00:08:42.496 --> 00:08:47.616
And so I ask you, if Christ came today, not tomorrow, not next week,

00:08:48.016 --> 00:08:54.076
but right this very moment, would you be ready? So let's go to the word of God.

00:08:54.376 --> 00:08:59.456
Ephesians 5, 25 through verse 27, it reads, it says.

00:09:00.016 --> 00:09:07.656
Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to make her holy,

00:09:08.036 --> 00:09:13.496
cleansing her by the washing with water through the word and to present her

00:09:13.496 --> 00:09:22.796
to him as a radiant church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and blameless.

00:09:22.956 --> 00:09:24.756
This passage is powerful.

00:09:25.016 --> 00:09:31.856
Christ didn't just die to save us from hell. He died to prepare us as a radiant bride.

00:09:32.156 --> 00:09:37.136
He is cleansing us through his word, making us holy, removing the stains of

00:09:37.136 --> 00:09:42.436
sin, pressing out the wrinkles of compromise, and presenting us as blameless

00:09:42.436 --> 00:09:44.836
before him. But here's the issue.

00:09:45.076 --> 00:09:50.356
Too often we confuse religious activity with true holiness.

00:09:50.836 --> 00:09:55.876
We attend church every Sunday, yet never let God touch our hearts.

00:09:56.016 --> 00:10:01.336
We never open our Bible, but we say, I heard from God. We don't even know where our Bible is.

00:10:01.456 --> 00:10:04.496
It's sitting somewhere open, but we haven't even looked at that scripture, right?

00:10:04.516 --> 00:10:08.796
We have our crosses on, we have our cross tattoos, but we're stuck on that religious

00:10:08.796 --> 00:10:13.036
activity, but we don't have that true holiness happening before us,

00:10:13.336 --> 00:10:15.156
living in true righteousness before God.

00:10:15.416 --> 00:10:21.696
We sing in the choir while harboring bitterness and unforgiveness with the person next to you.

00:10:21.736 --> 00:10:26.796
We serve on committees or pre-sermons, yet we live in secret set.

00:10:26.996 --> 00:10:29.196
And we call scripture on social media.

00:10:29.585 --> 00:10:36.605
But ignore it in our everyday lives. These things are good, but they're not the same as being holy.

00:10:36.985 --> 00:10:42.085
Holiness is not about being busy for God. It's about being surrendered to Him.

00:10:42.345 --> 00:10:48.205
It's not about impressing people. It's about being transformed daily by His Spirit.

00:10:48.425 --> 00:10:53.605
Think of it like this. Imagine a bride who spends all her time decorating the

00:10:53.605 --> 00:11:00.785
wedding hall, arranging flowers, sending invitation, but never ever prepares her own dress.

00:11:01.005 --> 00:11:07.585
Never go get it measured to fit her body, wait to the last minute to go pick a dress off the rack.

00:11:07.745 --> 00:11:12.685
I mean, nothing wrong if you do that, but never ever decides that maybe this

00:11:12.685 --> 00:11:17.765
dress might not fit that day, but just pick a dress and just on that day, just going to put it on.

00:11:17.985 --> 00:11:23.585
Never ever prepares for her wedding day. Everything else is in place, but not her.

00:11:23.805 --> 00:11:28.705
On the wedding day, she would look busy, but she wouldn't not be ready.

00:11:28.865 --> 00:11:30.265
And that's the church today.

00:11:30.545 --> 00:11:33.965
Busy, polished, visible, but not prepared.

00:11:34.265 --> 00:11:37.445
And Christ is not coming back for a busy bride.

00:11:37.745 --> 00:11:43.785
He is coming for a prepared bride, washed, renewed, and alive in him.

00:11:44.005 --> 00:11:49.165
The heart of Christ beats for his bride, the church. He gave his life so that

00:11:49.165 --> 00:11:54.285
she could be cleansed, renewed, and radiant in holiness.

00:11:54.565 --> 00:11:56.305
But when we look honestly at

00:11:56.305 --> 00:12:02.405
the state of the church, his question still rings out, where is my bride?

00:12:02.665 --> 00:12:06.565
Not the crowd, not the stage, not the building.

00:12:06.885 --> 00:12:12.105
Where is the bride who is truly ready for him? The truth is this,

00:12:12.365 --> 00:12:14.565
religious activity can look impressive.

00:12:14.966 --> 00:12:20.146
But it's not the same as holiness. True holiness isn't about doing more,

00:12:20.346 --> 00:12:24.806
but about being washed daily by his word and his spirit.

00:12:25.026 --> 00:12:28.126
Christ is not coming back for a bride who looks the part.

00:12:28.466 --> 00:12:31.846
He's coming back for a bride who is prepared.

00:12:32.226 --> 00:12:35.806
Wow, no faking and shaking in the church.

00:12:36.066 --> 00:12:40.446
Let's look at some questions, reflection questions that you need to ponder in

00:12:40.446 --> 00:12:45.586
your heart and see what are your answers to these. Have I confused doing things

00:12:45.586 --> 00:12:48.166
for God with actually being close to Him?

00:12:48.366 --> 00:12:54.246
Many times we show up at the church and we forget that God is more than just coming to church.

00:12:54.426 --> 00:12:59.526
He wants intimacy outside the church. Not just on Sunday or whatever day of

00:12:59.526 --> 00:13:02.906
the week you have your weekly service.

00:13:03.226 --> 00:13:07.166
Maybe it's Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday, Wednesday, whatever day that is.

00:13:07.306 --> 00:13:10.906
He's looking for a relationship outside of the church. You know,

00:13:10.986 --> 00:13:14.366
so have I confused just my service or my intimacy?

00:13:14.646 --> 00:13:18.586
Am I hiding behind church work instead of letting Jesus deal with my heart?

00:13:18.826 --> 00:13:22.506
A lot of time this does resurface. Can you pray for me? My heart is,

00:13:22.586 --> 00:13:23.826
you know, something's going on.

00:13:24.126 --> 00:13:28.006
Kind of maybe shows that I'm only just surface level with Jesus.

00:13:28.446 --> 00:13:33.206
God wants us to go a little bit deeper, just like a bride and a groom.

00:13:33.466 --> 00:13:39.366
When their wedding night comes, it changes the relationship after that day.

00:13:39.366 --> 00:13:43.366
And God wants us that when we say, Jesus is my Lord and Savior,

00:13:43.706 --> 00:13:46.486
he wants that relationship to take a shift.

00:13:46.706 --> 00:13:50.566
He wants it to become more intimacy, just like a bride and a groom.

00:13:50.946 --> 00:13:57.266
If Christ returned today, would he find me prepared or just busy?

00:13:57.486 --> 00:13:59.866
And it's the story of Mary and Martha.

00:14:00.146 --> 00:14:04.806
And when Martha was busy prepping for Jesus, you know how we prepare for an event?

00:14:05.066 --> 00:14:08.246
Jesus is coming to your house. So Jesus is coming to your house.

00:14:08.246 --> 00:14:12.586
We don't wait till the day he get there to start cleaning and getting things in order.

00:14:12.786 --> 00:14:15.246
That should already be in order, right?

00:14:15.646 --> 00:14:20.966
So Martha's still running around getting things in order, but Mary did her part.

00:14:21.166 --> 00:14:24.026
So Mary said, Jesus is here. My part is done.

00:14:24.286 --> 00:14:28.886
I'm going to sit here and listen to Jesus. So sometimes we do put on a performance

00:14:28.886 --> 00:14:35.406
when we are in front of people or at places doing different things that we forget

00:14:35.406 --> 00:14:40.446
that the whole time you're preparing for that event, it is about Jesus.

00:14:41.126 --> 00:14:45.506
Right. So Mary thoughtful said, hey, I'm sitting at Jesus feet.

00:14:45.926 --> 00:14:50.166
Whatever's not done will get done when Jesus leaves. And Martha was mad because

00:14:50.166 --> 00:14:56.806
Mary decided what was needful for her is not to keep putting on a performance act,

00:14:57.086 --> 00:15:00.906
but also what to say, hey, I need to do, I need, that's so good right now.

00:15:01.046 --> 00:15:03.126
I got to do something on that one. That's really good.

00:15:03.366 --> 00:15:06.886
Yeah. So Martha says, look at Mary, tell Mary to help me.

00:15:07.126 --> 00:15:10.706
And Jesus says, no, Mary is doing what's needful for her right now.

00:15:10.706 --> 00:15:15.566
Martha, you need to sit down and do the same thing and stop thinking about performance

00:15:15.566 --> 00:15:20.246
and get over here and sit down and get under my feet because I'm not going to be here all day.

00:15:20.426 --> 00:15:24.566
I got things to do too, but I've stopped by to see you ladies.

00:15:24.926 --> 00:15:29.586
And so what's important right now, it's not the dirty house because you should

00:15:29.586 --> 00:15:33.066
have already had that done because you know Jesus was coming or if he wasn't

00:15:33.066 --> 00:15:35.246
coming. It's too late now if the house is a mess, right?

00:15:35.546 --> 00:15:38.866
You ever had a surprise visitor come? He was trying to clean up while they're

00:15:38.866 --> 00:15:41.606
there. It's too late. It's just too late.

00:15:41.806 --> 00:15:46.206
You never keep your house clean. It's too late to get it clean right now, right? It's too late.

00:15:46.446 --> 00:15:50.606
And so I just want to pray and I want you to just always have your heart ready for Jesus.

00:15:50.946 --> 00:15:58.286
Always be prepared for that surprise visit, for that unexpected time when he

00:15:58.286 --> 00:16:02.146
just wants you to just spend time in his presence, amen.

00:16:02.526 --> 00:16:08.386
So Lord, Father, in the name of Jesus, forgive us for the times we've submitted

00:16:08.386 --> 00:16:11.466
to religious activity for true holiness.

00:16:11.846 --> 00:16:17.666
I don't want to look the part on the outside. I want to be transformed on the inside.

00:16:17.966 --> 00:16:23.026
So I pray that you will wash us with your word, cleanse us with your blood,

00:16:23.146 --> 00:16:28.946
and prepare us as a radiant bride, holy and ready for your return.

00:16:29.366 --> 00:16:34.086
Decree this with me. We decree that we will not settle for interreligion.

00:16:34.206 --> 00:16:40.246
We are being washed by the word, purified by the blood of Jesus and renewed by the Spirit.

00:16:40.446 --> 00:16:46.366
I will be a bride prepared, not just busy, when Christ returns.

00:16:46.686 --> 00:16:49.626
Thank you for joining me on this.

00:16:50.264 --> 00:16:58.204
Day. Thank you for joining me with the Diary of Black Women podcast with our Chronicles series.

00:16:58.504 --> 00:17:03.484
This is episode one, Where is My Bride? Next time we will uncover the stains

00:17:03.484 --> 00:17:06.584
that keeps the bride from walking in purity.

00:17:06.804 --> 00:17:13.824
And we'll look at how the blood of Jesus has the power to wash us completely clean.

00:17:14.144 --> 00:17:18.784
Until next time, keep your garments white, your lamp full of oil,

00:17:18.844 --> 00:17:25.264
and your heart set on the bridegroom because he is coming soon.

00:17:25.444 --> 00:17:28.364
And I will see you on the next episode.

00:17:28.704 --> 00:17:32.884
Thank you for listening to this episode. And before we close out,

00:17:33.064 --> 00:17:39.124
I want to speak a word of promise over you from Jeremiah 29, 11 through 14.

00:17:39.584 --> 00:17:44.924
Father God, you declared, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper

00:17:44.924 --> 00:17:49.404
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

00:17:49.484 --> 00:17:52.004
So today, we receive that truth.

00:17:52.244 --> 00:17:56.344
You said when we call on you, you will listen. So we pray.

00:17:56.564 --> 00:18:01.864
You said that when we seek you with our hearts, you will be found. So we pursue.

00:18:02.124 --> 00:18:07.824
You said you will restore us from captivity. So we declare freedom over every

00:18:07.824 --> 00:18:11.824
place where our listeners feel stuck, silenced, or small.

00:18:12.124 --> 00:18:17.964
Thank you for always drawing near when we show up in faith. In Jesus' name, amen.

00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:28.409
Music.