D-Day

Sunday, June 6th was the 60th anniversary of one of the most memorable battles of World War 2: the invasion of Normandy, France; otherwise simply known as "D-Day."

German generals knew if the invasion succeeded, the war was over. The German army had it's hands full with Russia, and was being pushed backed by a series of powerful Russian advances. Having to cope with the Russian army on one side, and the the combined armies of UK, France, and the United States on the other, would tax the German war machine to the breaking point.

Not many Christians understand the parallels between the D-Day of June 6th, 1944, and that of the crucifixion of Christ.

The crucifixion and resurrection of Chirst, and the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit, represents a spiritual "D-Day" in the history of the world. It was the death and resurrection of Jesus that broke the power of the devil, and put him on notice that his kingdom was at an end. But here we are nearly 2,000 years after the fact, and it seems as if the evil one is in the driver's seat, and the return of Christ to earth to claim his bride is a promise that will go unfulfilled.

Yet as Christians, we can take comfort in the fact that we getting much closer to 'VE-Day' (Victory in Europe) as we move further away from 'D-Day.' The devil did not give up, roll over and die just because Jesus died on the cross. If anything, he will fight even harder and more diligently as he feels the end growing closer...

This was so even during World War 2. Both on the European and Pacific fronts, the war became much more fierce and harder fought as the Allies came closer to ultimate victory. The worst battles in the Pacific campaign were amongst the very last, especially the battles of Iwo Jima and Okninawa. And before final victory in Europe, the Allies were taken by surprise at the "Battle of the Bulge" where a German offensive broke through Allied lines and threatened to undo the momentum of the invasion. Some of the greatest bloodshed came at the very end of the war, not to mention the fire-bombing of Dresden (100,000+ dead civilians in one night) and the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Just as the fighting became more intense towards the end of World War 2, so too should we expect some of the most horrible fighting between the forces of light and darkness will occur right before the Second Coming of Christ. The Bible clearly warns us that it will be so.

Sadly, many have been decieved by the false doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture, made so very fashionable by the "Left Behind" books. Many people wrongly believe that God will remove "the church" from the earth before the worst of satan's schemes come to pass. Wherever this doctrine had it's origin, it certainly wasn't from the pages of the Bible. Jesus and the apostles clearly warn us that the antichrist must come first, then the great tribulation, then the return of Christ to earth, and then finally we have the rapture of those in Christ who are still alive at his coming. (Matthew 24, Mark 13)

This means the body of Christ needs to be prepared for some tremendous times of darkness still to come. This darkness will not be able to overtake the light, for that is simply impossible. But it will certainly try. Ultimately the LORD will triumph over the forces of darkness, of this we can be sure.

Our responsibility is to continue the offensive that began so long ago, and to keep moving forward until the LORD comes back to earth. The weapons of our warfare are the Word of Truth, our testimony, the Holy Spirit, and most importantly: the love of God.

It is not for us to fear the plans of the enemy, because his time is very, very short. Rather, we need to be concerned with the advancement of the Kingdom, and make sure that we do all we can to encourage each other to keep up the good fight!