Battle for the Bride
Author: Andrew Comiskey
October 13, 2014
‘Can we recognize the diabolical coup at work here? Think for a moment with the mind of the enemy. If the purpose of our creation as male and female and the call to become one flesh is to point us to heaven, and if there’s an enemy who wants to keep us from heaven, where is he going to aim his most potent arrows?’Christopher West
Nothing short of hell is breaking out. As I left for Europe to enter new church doors to proclaim Jesus’ all-sufficient love for the sexually broken, Annette and I faced unprecedented enemy attack. Our Supreme Court refused to uphold the rights of states to define marriage and 11 states entered the ‘gay marriage’ zone, a staff member fell seriously ill, a good friend accused us falsely, Annette dueled myriad domestic woes and I faced every travel obstacle imaginable.
By the time I reached Paris, I could only surrender to the One who loves me. Then I laughed at the devil. In truth, he has no power to stop God’s bride from becoming beautiful. She will emerge radiant in mercy, humble in truth. Broken by sin but not destroyed, perplexed by dark powers but not cast down, we arise: man for woman and woman for man, serving each other and declaring the One who called us out of darkness and into His glorious light.
Nothing could stop us! We gathered in a huge church in central Paris where an amazing priest spoke of how Jesus looks at us–and how we can look at each other–in a way that confirms our true personhood. Using my own story I shared how Jesus restores persons with same-sex attraction through His beautiful bride. Through worshipping the One, idolaters resume the dance of genuine self-giving.
How beautiful she was that night! A team had decorated the sanctuary richly and hoisted up the Divine Mercy image, while another team led us in exquisite praise. We could not help but bow facedown before the One who looks at us with such tender all-knowing love that we cannot help but surrender to His wholeness. In the light of His gaze, we become who we are.
Broken by the new ‘gay marriage’ laws in France, many persons wondered how to best love persons with same-gender attraction. Among them were the homosexually wounded who asked: ‘Will you love me in all my messiness and contradictions? Will you stand with me as I learn to worship this Jesus in His house and leave the old behind?’
Toward the end of the evening I looked behind me and saw that the pastor had opened wide the huge Baroque doors. From the sanctuary thick with broken people and the Presence of God, I could see streams of Parisians racing home. Might we His bride open wide the door of our hearts and invite in all who search of the living God? As we do, we shall face serious demonic resistance. More than that, we partake in the Father’s joy of many sons and daughter coming home. In doing our part for such glorious reunions, we crush the work of the enemy.
Please join us this Wednesday the 15th for ‘Pierced for the Bride’: the first of 40 days of prayer and fasting for the Bride. Join the staff every day at 3pm cst as we pray through the daily blog together. Now is the time to fight on our knees!
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