Blogspot Message #5

The Battle of the Bulge: Satan’s Last Push

Note: The Lord originally gave me this message on July 5, 1997 and I filed it away, awaiting the appointed time of its release or delivery. The time is now. This was confirmed recently when I saw another minister writing on the topic, and this recalled to mind the message given to me in 1997. The enemy (Satan and the hordes of hell) is coming in like a flood, but the Lord is raising up a standard of righteousness in opposition to that flood of evil. Will you and I be part of that righteous standard? Our choices and actions in this hour will answer that question.

The original 1997 message has been re-worked some to improve it and to reflect realities manifesting subsequent to 1997, like the current world-wide fear of the spread of “bird flu.”

Revelation 12:12 says, Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Satan knows that his time is short. He is not ignorant of the fact that we are in the last days of planet earth and its inhabitants. He plans and is now implementing his last and most intense and desperate push to take the universe away from its sole Creator and Owner, Jehovah God, the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

However, the outcome is certain and predetermined. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Contrary to the opinion of some, Jesus was not telling Peter that he was the first pope or first human leader of the church,. Take a look at verse 16 of Matthew 16. It says, And Simon Peter answered and said [in response to Jesus’ question to him as to whom Peter said Jesus was] Thou art the Christ [anointed one], the Son of the living God. Peter was merely confessing that Jesus was the Messiah, anointed by God as the Savior of the world, rather than just a prophet, as some were saying that Jesus was. The Bedrock foundation of the building of the Church of Jesus Christ, against which the gates of hell will not and cannot prevail, is that Jesus is the Messiah.

SO, WHAT IS OR WAS THE “BATTLE OF THE BULGE”? Late in 1944, Nazi Germany threw everything that it had against the allies in one final, massive, desperate onslaught at Bastogne, Belgium. Germany pulled out all the stops, using forces it had been holding back. This came to be known as “The Battle of the Bulge” and was exceedingly bloody. Casualties on both sides were high. It appeared at one point that the Germans would be successful in pushing the allied forces of England, America, France, Canada and other countries back across Normandy to the English Channel. It looked grim. Many American soldiers were surrounded by the Germans, and some were taken prisoner. In one instance the German Waffen SS (elite, special black-uniformed soldiers who were loyal to Adolph Hitler and were often charged with doing Hitler’s most heinous “dirty work”) executed American POWs, an atrocity which led to 10 SS members being tried and convicted after the war at Nuremburg and being executed by hanging.

The weather was very poor. Snow and overcast skies kept allied airpower on the ground. But when the skies cleared, thousands of Allied aircraft appeared over the battlefield, dropping badly needed supplies to the Allied troops on the ground and ferociously ripping the German troop and tank formations apart. The situation was completely turned around, the Wehrmacht (German Army) was put to flight, and they never recovered. A few months later, the war ended, as Soviet troops from the east and American, English, Canadian, Free French and Free Polish troops approaching from the west pushed toward and into Germany itself. The Allies found that in Germany, the Wehrmacht had been so decimated, that the defenders of the Fatherland were largely old men and boys from age 12 or so into their teens. Much of the Wehrmacht had been destroyed in battle.

This is a picture of what the church can expect from the forces of hell in the coming days. The Battle of the Bulge was in a sense prophetic. Satan is now mounting a counteroffensive against our God and His forces of righteousness. Satan has knowledge of the Bible. The devils believe in God’s existence and power, but they tremble at the very thought of that, because they know that their final end is torment in the lake of fire, forever. James 2:19 says, Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

The devils understand enough of the Lord’s plans (hint: they are written down in plain language in the Holy Bible) to know what His plans are for them. However, the same pride and arrogance that led Satan (formerly known as Lucifer) to rebel against the Lord in the first place causes Satan to resist the King of Kings and Lord of Lords today. Satan is like a hungry dog having a piece of juicy, red meat dangled in front of him. He cannot say no to his own impulses and lusts.

WHO IS THIS ENTITY KNOWN AS “SATAN,” “LUCIFER,” “THE DEVIL,” OR “THE DRAGON” ? I’m glad that you asked. Let’s see:

Luke 10:18-19; Jesus saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning. However, He now gives us authority OVER Satan

Isaiah 14:12-20; The fall of Lucifer and his final end is described in this passage. Lucifer, in the Hebrew, means “morning star,” or “the shining one”

Satan Has Certain Traits. He is permitted by God to afflict the righteous. See Job 1:12

He is a usurper, a pretender to the throne of God, claiming to have authority over the entire world. See Luke 4:6

He blinds the minds of unbelievers. See 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

He wrestles with the saints of God. Ephesians 6:12

He performs false miracles, lying signs and wonders. 2 Thessalonians 2:9. Not all manifestations of the “miraculous” or supernatural are of God. Here is an example. in Medjugorge (formerly part of Yugoslavia, in Eastern Europe), apparitions or appearances of the Virgin Mary have been reported. However, whatever it is that represents itself to be Mary (it’s actually one or more demons) has promulgated the message that ALL religions are to be respected. This is heresy. Jesus claimed to be and in fact is the only way to salvation.

Satan is the tempter. Genesis 3:4-5

He inflicts disease. Job 1:9-11

He plants counterfeit Christians in the church. Decoys. See Matthew 13:38-39

Above all, Satan is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

He provokes and instigates me to sin. John 13:2

Satan stalks and preys upon men. I Peter 5:8

WHAT IS SATAN’S GAME PLAN FOR THE END TIMES?

He is still the thief who came to kill, steal and destroy. He still lies and deceives as he did in the Garden of Eden. He still wants to rule the universe.

We can become preoccupied with and worried about the end times prophecies, but instead, the Lord wants us to receive them for what they are worth—divine guidance. In Matthew 24:32-33, Jesus is telling us that the events of the last days, described in Matthew 24, are told to us in advance so that when they come to pass, we can know and understand that we are in the last days and so that we can act and plan in accordance with His will for us and for our benefit.

I have been present when each one of our five children was born. Since my wife Lisa is the one who actually had the babies, she is in a better position to describe the process first hand. She has told me that when she went into labor, the first stage labor pains are relatively minor, but become progressively more severe and frequent until delivery is achieved. They start off being mild and irregular, sometimes so mild that you wonder if you are even in labor. Then they become more intense, regular and frequent, so much so that you can even time them. Then, transitional labor begins—pains come so fast, one on top of another, that you cannot tell when one ends and another begins. That is when a woman is most likely to say that she cannot take anymore and asks for an epidural if she has not had one yet, but it’s too late for the shot. Suddenly, the phase known as transition ends, the woman feels the urge to push, and out comes the baby.

So, now that you know what labor pains are like, get ready to experience their spiritual counterpart. The “baby” is the return of Jesus Chris over the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and all the world will see that and know that it is indeed Him.

Isaiah 59:19 says, “…When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard against him.” He wants us to be that standard. Will we prepare ourselves by daily, focused study of the word (Holy Bible), daily prayer, ardent pursuit of Him and His purpose for our lives and seeking His face, not just His hand (knowing Him for the mere sake, pleasure and joy of relating to and fellowshipping with Him, rather than hanging out with Him just for the loaves and fishes)? In Hebrew, “standard” means “escape, deliverance, hide, put to flight.” He wants to use you as the means of someone’s deliverance and escape from evil. Will you be one of the five wise virgins, with a lamp (that symbolizes you) filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit? We had best be filling our lamps (selves) NOW with that oil, because when the situations come that require the use of that oil, we will not have time to go out and get some more. Prepare for the battle NOW. You will not have time to prepare when the enemy shows up on your radar or at your doorstep. Successful warfare involves advance planning and preparation.

Satan has been coming in like a flood for some time now. The 20^th century saw a massive increase in bloodshed, with two world wars, Korean Conflict (War), Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War (1991), numerous other wars and revolutions, genocide (examples: Nazis killing 6 million Jews, Japanese slaughter of various peoples in China and Asia, Hutus vs. Tutsis in Africa, ethnic “cleansing” in the nations of former Yugoslavia, genocide in Cambodia, etc.). Look at Revelation 6:4 and see if you don’t think that the “Red Horse of the Apocalypse” is loose and running rampant on planet Earth.

Consider also that I Thessalonians 5:1-9 describes a time when a false sense of peace and safety would precede “sudden destruction.” Before September 11, 2001, America thought itself to be immune to attack on its own land. The boast was that we were the most powerful country in the world. A few demented, Satan-possessed hijackers turned airliners into “cruise missiles” and brought a nation to its knees in fear. Now you cannot bring a pair of fingernail clippers on an airliner for fear that they may be used as a weapon.

Know also that sickness and disease is part of Satan’s plan for attack in the last days. The late 20^th century and early 21^st have seen a terrifying collection of plagues marching across the earth, like AIDS, ebola virus, “bird flu” (which scientists fear will mutate and become easily transmissible to humans from animals) and rampant venereal diseases (sexually transmitted diseases). Past outbreaks of various strains of influenza (flu) viruses have killed from thousands to millions. This will happen again, but on a larger scale.

Abortion, which is murder of unborn children, is rampant in America and the West. If the blood of Abel cried out from the ground for vengeance, what does the blood of tens of millions of aborted babies cry out for? In the spirit, their cry is deafening and we as a nation that tolerates “choice” to kill unborn babies are approaching the full cup of iniquity. When the cup is full—and only the Lord himself knows and judges when this is—judgment comes. America is living on borrowed time. When judgment for abortion and the other heinous, atrocious sins of America comes, it will be truly horrifying and of a magnitude not even comprehended by our worst nightmares. If you want to survive this process, you must take the steps necessary to be hidden in Him. See Psalm 91.

In the end, Satan and the False Prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire, forever. Revelation 19:20.

My prayer for each who read this, and for my family, friends and self, is that we will bow down in worship and surrender to the Lord and find the grace to pick up our crosses, deny ourselves and follow Him. The final victory of the Kingdom of God will be glorious beyond description and unprecedented, but will we pay the price (self-denial and surrender to ALL of His will) to be part of that army?

Until we meet and speak again, His richest blessings to you and yours,

Pastor Ben