Defiant Heart

By RJ Enterman

John Miller is a rebellious fighter pilot serving in Europe during World War II. He is constantly in trouble with his superiors for his antics. But when he meets a beautiful English girl named Melanie events and circumstances begin to conspire against him and he finds himself caught between love and fear and his indecision and inaction leads to jealousy and rage as he struggles with feelings and emotions that he does not understand. When it seems he will be defeated by these intense and very strong emotions that swirl within him, John is soon shot down over Nazi occupied Europe and thus begins his journey to help fulfill the prophecy of God and to find hope love and forgiveness. He is called by God to fulfill a prophecy the restoration of Israel in 1948. John is most reluctant to help God. John claims he has not been called. John blames God for many of his problems and he runs from God. He has absolutely no intention of helping God. Time and time again he is saved by God and protected by God in his journey until John must start to question and think about God and the ways of God. Satan is determined to thwart the plan of God to restore the nation of Israel. He sends his best demon, Oglo, to disrupt any relationship between John and Melanie by pushing Richard Thornton onto Melanie’s family. Her mother, Helen is encouraging a union between the fabulously rich Richard Thornton and her daughter Melanie, but Melanie is reluctant. Richard repeatedly asks Melanie to marry him, but she won’t no matter what he does for her. Richard must marry Melanie as part of his pact with Satan. Satan continues to chase after John, to haunt John, tempt John and to lure John away from his prophetic work. John is fooled and beguiled by Satan until finally cornered and captured by the Germans, John must surrender to authority. He is imprisoned, beaten and starved all his freedoms have been taken from him, he is a prisoner and only then in that harsh brutal environment does John come to understand the importance of serving Christ and obeying the word of God. Suddenly having already been stripped of everything he had ever owned, beaten and starved. He was fearless in the face of his captors, and he spoke of God. He spoke the gospel of truth. Satan who thinks everything is going his way is suddenly reminded of the strength power and glory of God, when Oglo confronts him bruised and bloodied from a confrontation with Christ and there is the D-Day landings Satan is alarmed by the turn of events but is steadfast he will win. But he won’t win and there is dissension within the ranks as Oglo begins to lose heart and begins to warn Satan they will burn in hell. Oglo wants to run and hide, but Satan refuses and stands strong against the Almighty God. God warns Richard and Satan what is about to happen, but they refuse to relent believing they have some right outside divine authority. John returns to London a decorated war hero and is reunited with Melanie. Satan is cast into hell after a cataclysmic battle and his evil forces are dispersed. Richard is doomed after his failed marriage attempt to Melanie. He loses everything becoming a vagabond on the earth until he is killed. John and Melanie lived happily ever after and the state of Israel is formed in 1948.

• Language: English
• Publisher: RJ Enterman
• Release date: Sep 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311788009

RJ Enterman

Born in Columbus, Ohio to a single mother of three. Bob graduated from High School in 1990 and graduated from College eight years later in 1998. He married his wife of 13 years in 2001 and they have two children.

Book preview

DEDICATION

I thank God for giving me the courage and inspiration to write and to my wife, Lesley, and my children, Joshua and Makayla, for their love and patience during the writing of this book.

And as He went forth out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto Him, Master, behold, what manner of stones and what manner of buildings! And Jesus said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? There shall not be left here one stone upon another, which shall not be thrown down.

Mark 13:1-2

PROLOGUE

AD 70 was arguably the most profound year in the annals of human history. It was the year that Roman Legions, under Titus, sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the second temple. It was the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus Christ said it would happen, and it most certainly did happen as though it had happened already, but what is striking is that through the disaster of AD 70 and the Diaspora we see the restoration of Israel in 1948, thus again the fulfilling prophecy.

God is an awesome God. He can not only create the stars and universe and everything in it, but He also controls it. He knows it. He knows me, and He knows you. By His grace the earth stays in orbit around the sun at a certain tilt to receive the right amount of sunlight to sustain life on earth, and He sends the rain that nourishes the ground that grows the grass to feed the antelope. Antelope feed the lions, tigers, and other predators. Everything is interwoven, interconnected, and interdependent by His design. Human relationships are no different. Human interaction is highly interdependent and, while we think and we feel that we are independent sovereign beings, the truth is we are very dependent on each other and on the Word of God.

Human history is no different. All events are dependent on the event that precedes it. History is simply the unfolding of God’s plan one event at a time. What we saw in World War II was God remembering His covenant with His people to restore the nation of Israel and Satan’s determination to thwart that purpose. A war had destroyed Israel in AD 70, and it took a war to restore Israel in 1948. The Word of God will be fulfilled, and while Satan works to resist the will of God in the lives of God’s created beings, we see that the will of God prevails time and time again. His will, His grace, His purpose prevails over His creation, over you, and over me. What is fascinating, mind boggling, and defying all human comprehension in our finite intellect is that while we resist, we deny and we sin, we are still doing His will exactly as He had predetermined it to be done. No matter how hard we fight, He wins every time. He has the power over the universe, and He has the power to change the hearts and the minds of His creation. He has the power, the authority to work not only on, but within our defiant hearts that His will, His purpose be done in our lives.

In this story, John Miller, a rebellious fighter pilot, is no different. While he tries to resist, run, and deny the will of God in his life, forces and events begin to slowly conspire against him to draw him, call him to do the will of God. And while he is most reluctant and defiant, he can nonetheless accept and surrender to the overpowering, irresistible will of God. When he finally surrenders, when he finally is exhausted and tired from the long fight and accepts the will of God, only then does he see God’s wisdom and purpose for his life. His once defiant heart—that he had spent years and years reinforcing, justifying, and believing to be impenetrable—crumbles and is made new with a new understanding, a new conviction, a new master, and a new purpose. The bonds that once held him down are replaced with the Word that lifts him up.

The will of God had been done. John, this defiant, rebellious, and the least of many had been called, justified, and glorified in the presence of all that was evil, in all that stood in conflict with God. He was called, separated from among the world, lifted, and held righteous in the right hand of God. He was blessed when the world wouldn’t listen to him, when the world wouldn’t understand him, and when the world judged him and when evil attacked him. God would call him, deliver him, and use him to fulfill a prophecy spoken of thousands of years before. His grace is truly amazing.

PART I

1

Germany 1933

A raven circled over a large rally seeing the gathering of people as Adolf Hitler is sworn in as Chancellor of Germany. The raven circled high above and then, as suddenly as it had appeared in the sky, it was gone. It disappeared into that winter day. It climbed above the clouds into the bright warm sunlight gaining height and speed. The world of Nazism fell away far below. The raven climbed faster and faster. It accelerated through ten, fifteen and twenty-five thousand feet. It continued increasing in speed and altitude until its feathers notwithstanding the force of the wind began to peel away. Its wings began to shudder, bend, and break under the immense air pressure building over its wings until finally the old wings fell away, revealing the huge brilliant white wings of a Seraphim angel with an angelic face and body. She accelerated ever higher and ever faster, eighty thousand, ninety thousand feet it shot straight up into the stratosphere. In seconds the Seraphim vanished.

The angel crossed over into the serene expanse of heaven, with its billowing white clouds, sprawling cities and gentle rivers. Off in the distance were the surrounding foothills and mountains of heaven. The light of heaven came from the glory of God. The angel flew over the trees of life and down the streets of gold. It swooped in low and flew down streets lined with opulent mansions of glory with their towering white columns of ivory.

The city of God was a bustling metropolis, People and angels were everywhere. Seraphim angels were coming and going to and from the earth carrying answered prayers. Heaven resonated with the sound of laughter, singing, and joy. Rapturous laughter echoed south of the city of God near the gates of heaven. People laughed, danced, and cried, hugged and rejoiced. They gave praise to God for being reunited with friends and loved ones. The only tears in heaven were tears of joy. The angel flew through the city of God and toward the majestic mountains in the west.

The steep mountains rise over four gently flowing rivers that carve a path through the rugged steep mountain terrain and wooded foothills, the mountains yield their strength only when the rivers reach the tranquility of the grassy central plains. From there the rivers depart from one another, twisting, and turning their way pushing through the gentle rolling plains. The river of living water runs north toward the fertile fields of Goshen and past the throne of the Almighty God.

Around the throne of God are twenty-four thrones where the elders sit with their white robes, and from the throne comes lightning and thundering. Around the throne is a beautiful rainbow like an emerald. All around the throne and in the midst of the throne were four living creatures with eyes all around in the front and back, and these creatures never slept day or night. The four creatures praised God saying, "Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come. The throne of God is full of power and glory. The elders bowed, and they worshipped the God of heaven, day and night they worshipped Him.

The seraphim angel that had ascended into heaven bowed before the Almighty God. Your will has been done my Lord. The angel reported.

God looked out through the entire world saying, I will bring back My exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them.

Meanwhile, Satan languished in the bowels of hell. He was tormented day and night, frustrated and bent on vengeance against the Almighty God of heaven and earth. He lay in the sweltering burning lake of fire wincing from the painful sting of burns on his dry cracked skin. When Satan heard God speak, he at once shouted in anger.

I will ascend into heaven. He demanded. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most High.

God heard the fallen angel, and He answered Satan, You were the seal of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden the Garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers. I established you. You were on the holy mountain of God. You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading, you became filled with violence from within and you sinned.

Satan lashed out in anger and violence, I was a beautiful angel. I was a powerful angel, you did this to me! Look at me! I am a hideous horned beast. I will stop you. I will ruin your plans, to re-gather your people. I will use all my power to prevent you. There will be nothing left when I am finished!

God released Satan from the bowels of hell, that these things be done. When he stood in opposition before the Almighty God, he hastily rose up great nations, Germany, the Soviet Union, Italy and Japan with large standing armies with tanks and guns of every size young ideologically devoted soldiers filled the ranks of his armies. He created vast air armadas with bombers, transports, and fighter planes. He built huge navies with destroyers, battleships, and aircraft carriers.

All that Satan had built stood in opposition to the Word of the Almighty God, but Satan was not finished; he turned his wrath and vengeance onto the Jewish people themselves. He passed the Nuremburg laws. He persecuted, tormented, and harassed the Jewish people. He fanned the flames of hatred against them. Jewish businesses were boycotted. Synagogues were burned, and Jews were sent to concentration camps. Satan seethed with anger and hostility toward the Almighty God and His people.

Satan faced God in rebellion, You thought you could win against me? You thought you could warn your people? You thought you could help your people? I have crafted the Munich agreement, the anti-Comintern pact, the Tri-partite pact, and the non-aggression pact. My nations are bound, tied together by treaties and are loyal to me. Who can oppose them? I have raised these mighty nations, this I have done.

God was quiet for a moment and then He spoke. Because you have done this, I will send a messenger to My people carrying a message of hope, perseverance, and deliverance. He will remind them, I am with them. I am the Lord their God. He will suffer among my people, and you will dash him against the rocks, but his message, you will not silence, his will you will not break. I will be in him. I will be glorified in him, your mighty nations will fall, your work will not stand, and I will establish my people. I am the Lord.

This is not 1918. I have rebuilt Germany. I will be vindicated, and I will prevail against you.

God was quiet for a moment, Have you no greater understanding than this?

Satan scoffed, "I am sweeping hatred across the globe. I have risen up powerful nations, immense armies’ large navies and powerful air forces; the might of the world rests in my hands. I have set the most diabolical evil tyrants over these mighty nations. They are ready to send their armies forth to murder, rape, pillage, and destroy. And you are telling me, I will fail? Who is this messenger that you will send to speak to your people? Elisha, Moses, Daniel perhaps? Tell me the name of this great prophet?"

I will send John Franklin Miller. The Lord declared. Satan doubled over in laughter. Buwahahaha.

Satan questioned You are the Almighty God of heaven and earth. That is who you are sending? That is it? Surely you could send someone more prestigious than that. You are going to send a miserable, lying, fornicating drunk who was orphaned as a child? His own parents did not want him.

The anger of the Lord was aroused against Satan and the pit of hell thundered and it shook. John Miller is more than a drunk and more than an orphan. He is my child, he is my elect and my chosen. I stitched him in the womb of his mother. Every hair on his head is numbered. For this purpose, have I raised him up. He will accomplish all that I set before him. And there is no one who can deliver him out of my hand; I work and who can reverse it? I am the Lord.

But Satan was angry and insolent and charged, That’s impossible. He is a womanizing, lying, blaspheming, gossiping, fornicating drunk of a man who wouldn’t read a Bible on Sunday. I have already struck him, I have ruined him. I broke him. I tore his family asunder, took his mother away from him and cast him out into darkness using vile perversions against him. I have trampled his faith under my foot, ripped it to pieces, and burnt it in the fires of hell. He cannot possibly deliver a message of hope to your people. There is no hope in him.

I have never failed in anything that I have purposed to do. I never failed in the beginning, I will not fail in the end and I will not fail now. God Almighty proclaimed.

Is it time Father? The Son asked sitting to the right hand of the Father.

The Father replied, No not yet. Then God turned to Satan, So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

I will stop you. Satan challenged. I will turn your purpose into a lie and when I do all the laws that govern the universe, the earth, the sun, moon, and the stars will cease. You will not fulfill your purpose; not in this world, not in Israel, and not with John Miller. I have the power of the world at my back. All of heaven shall crumble and your authority over the universe will be as nothing. I will persecute your people. You will not re-gather them, and no message will reach them. My might shall stand for a thousand years. You say John Miller shall do your will, but we will destroy him. We will claim him, and he will burn in the fires of hell."

The angels cried out, "Therefore rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time. World War II was about to begin.

2

Satan wasted no time in his efforts to stop the Word of God. His mission was clear: destroy John Miller and prevent the re-gathering of the Jewish people at all costs.

On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Soon after, Holland, Belgium, and the Low Countries all fell in rapid succession. Satan quickly began shooting, killing, eliminating the Jews and concentrating them into camps for future extermination.

Satan and his satanic puppet, Adolf Hitler, seemed unstoppable in the early months of the war. Within months, they had conquered most of Europe; only France and England remained. These two nations, England and France, had the audacity and unmediated gull to oppose him. France readied her troops along the Maginot Line, a string of fortifications that stretched the length of the French border with Germany. French troops rallied to the defense of France,

They shall not pass became the rallying cry. But as strong and challenging as the Maginot Line was, it was not impervious to the cunning and trickery of Satan. Panzer tanks of the German sixth army rolled through the undefended Ardennes. German troops swept into France quickly defeating the French army on the field of battle. The French retreated in disarray; Paris was declared an open city. France had fallen. Satan had once again proved that the armies that he had built up, and the men he had picked to lead these armies, were unbeatable. There was nothing God could do to prevent the inevitable outcome that Satan would rule heaven and earth.

In the Far East, the atrocities were far worst. Japan, under the satanic stooge, Hirohito, had invaded China, raping the city of Nanking. The conquest of Manchuria robbed these countries of their precious resources to feed the voracious appetite of Japan’s war machine.

Everywhere he looked Satan saw death, violence, and the persecution of the Jewish people on a grand scale. He gleamed with pride over all that he had done. America with all of her vast resources, wealth, and manpower wanted nothing to do with another European War. She was isolated, and now in the summer of 1940 England stood alone.

Satan was smart and cunning. He craftily proposed peace to the people of England believing that they would not fight. He believed the conquering of Europe, the fall of France, and the complete humiliating retreat by the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk would be more than enough to convince England to surrender.

But the Grace of the Almighty God had put in power in England a man with dogged determination to stand against any foe no matter his strength. His name was Winston Churchill. Satan had beguiled Neville Chamberlain, the former British prime minister. But Winston Churchill was an uncommon breed who stood strong. He rebuffed the peace overtures of this satanic puppet.

The British stood firm against the evil one, and they did not choose peace at any price. They decided to fight it out to the last, winner take all. When Satan was rejected, he became enraged, furious with the English people.

How dare they defy me? He questioned. I will crush them, I will annihilate them. I will destroy every last vestige, sign, symbol, and flag that there ever was a nation called England! Satan looked at his demons and shouted, foaming at the mouth in putrid hatred, Attack, attack, attack!

3

Over the cliffs of Dover came German fighters and bombers by the hundreds. Satan had unleashed his huge air armada against England. These German planes were flown by skilled and highly-trained, battle-hardened pilots. They pounded British airfields, radar stations, and bombed London. Many innocent people died in the air raids, but England still would not relent. She did not cry for peace under the relentless bombing in the summer months of 1940. Instead she struck back, sending her own bombers over Germany to bomb Berlin.

Her few fighter squadrons rose to meet the vaunted German Air force, the Luftwaffe, exacting a heavy toll on Satan’s precious air armada. John Miller flew against the Luftwaffe in the battle of Britain, flying the Spitfire with No. 133 Eagle Squadron. He had flown in Finland against the Russians in the winter war, and flew for Norway, then fled to England. The stress and strain of constant combat had taken a heavy toll. His youthful optimism turned dull, he had bits of grey hair, and he turned to alcohol time and again to sooth his nerves. He did not care whether he lived or he died.

Demons churned in his mind stirring up painful memories of his childhood that he hoped would just die. Unbeknownst to him, Satan had been attacking him, since he was a child, but John had repeatedly slipped through his clutches. Though Satan was supremely confident in eventually defeating the Island nation, John Miller remained just beyond his reach and out of his grasp. While John was still in the fight flying combat, demons continued to haunt him and attacked him with all temptation, regret, and wickedness. His lack of self-control and poor discipline had gotten him in trouble with his superiors time and time again. He became flippant angry, disgruntled, and argumentative. He had been passed up for promotion and punished on a number of occasions. He was spiraling down toward his own self destruction, and he did not care.

4

It was in the days of his anger that he met an English girl named Melanie Milford at a Red Cross dance in England in September, 1940. John was standing next to his good friend and fellow pilot, Frank Eblin, as they were watching people dance. John noticed a man and a woman arguing at a nearby table,

What a night this has been. Frank said. Frank smiled and took a drink of fruit punch.

It’s been fun. John said turning his attention again to the woman and man arguing in the corner of the room.

We should get going. We have a mission to fly tomorrow and it’s getting late.

But John touched his arm. Wait a minute Frank.

What is it John?

John put down his fruit punch and walked over to the table where the man and woman were sitting.

Hey, leave her alone. John warned. But the man stood up. He was slightly taller and a little more muscular than John. He shoved John and said, I’m not talking to you.

You are now. John punched him across the jaw. The man fell backwards over his chair. John stood over him, You ever touch her again and I’ll beat the living daylights out of you. Do you understand me? But the man kicked the chair in anger. Turning to the woman, John asked, Are you alright ma’am? I couldn’t help but notice he was bothering you.

Why did you do that? she yelled. Bending down to help the man she was with.

What? The guy is a jerk. He deserved it. He shouldn’t treat you like that.

You don’t understand, Come with me. She pulled John from the dance by his arm and took him outside.

What’s your name?

Melanie, and you are?

Lieutenant John Miller.

I’m sure you are a nice guy, but this is Richard Thornton III.

I don’t care who he is.

Well you should. You just don’t do that to him. He is a very important man.

Why was he treating you like that?

"It’s complicated. Richard is a