Daily Archives: July 31, 2023

Outreach Trip to Europe

31 Monday Jul 2023

Posted by in Psalms

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I arrived home from my trip to Europe on Tuesday of this past week, but with jetlag and a hundred things to do on my return, I am only now getting around to writing a short report on what transpired.
I can sum up the trip in one word: amazing. Did God answer your prayers? Absolutely. At various times, I felt God’s invisible hand guiding my every move, and giving me just the right words to speak.
Harry and Inna, my hosts in Tallinn, Estonia cared for my every need. Their apartment is a few blocks from the old walled city and they were excellent tour guides.

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The old city of Tallinn as seen from the top of the Bremen Tower on the city wall — photo by David Kitz

The week-long Nordic and Baltic Foursquare Camp was a two hour drive from the capital. On the first evening, I shared my testimony of hearing God in prayer. This resulted in a heart to heart connection with one of the youngest campers. See the photo below. He too had lifesaving, heart-repair surgery. We compared our visible scars and from that evening on he broke into an enormous smile every time he saw me.

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My young Estonian heart-to-heart brother.

The Foursquare Family Camp drew participants from Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Poland and Switzerland. There were wonderful times of prayer with one another. Everyone spoke English in the meetings, so there was no language barrier. On Wednesday evening, I met with three of the Estonian translators of Psalms 365. It was a true delight to thank them in person and present them with a signed copy of Psalms 365.

Also on Wednesday evening I did my dramatization of James. It was very well received.

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Worship time at the camp.

Finally, on Sunday I flew from Tallinn to Frankfurt where I was met by my Turkish friend Faruk Said and his son, 15-year-old son, Omer. Omer was our translator as we drove three hours north to the family home in Dortmund. This portion of the trip was pure friendship evangelism, and time and again, the Holy Spirit was very present. On Monday we went on a sightseeing tour to the cathedral in Cologne, the largest church in Europe.

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A sideview of the spires of the Cologne Cathedral.

Muhsin A****n, a 22-year-old university student joined us for this full day excursion. Muhsin’s father has been in prison for the past seven years, since the 2016 coup attempt. These are false charges and simply amount to outright persecution. After he told his story, I was able to pray in the powerful name of Jesus for him and the entire Said family.
On my return to Canada I mailed a copy of The Soldier Who Killed a King to Omer and Muhsin, who said they would read it.

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Me with the Said family.

In many ways, my brief stay in Germany with this family that fled Turkeye was the cherry on top of an exquisite Estonian cake.
There are far more stories to tell and a host of stunning photos in my collection, but this will do for now. Thank you again for participating in this adventure of faith through your encouragement and prayers.

Please pray for peace to return to Ukraine!img_20230718_1411190

Specifically, you can pray for Dimitri, a Foursquare Pastor in Kiev, Ukraine. With help from western churches, his congregation is providing assistance to those forced to flee the war. He and his wife paid a brief visit to all who gathered at our Foursquare camp gathering on the Baltic Sea.

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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Up to My Neck in Trouble

31 Monday Jul 2023

Posted by in Psalm 69, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 69:1-5
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.
Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.
Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.
You, God, know my folly;
my guilt is not hidden from you (NIV). *

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The bridge spanning the Rhine with the Cologne Cathedral in the distance — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Above all else Psalm 69 is a plea for help. Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.

Have you ever been neck deep in trouble? I’ve been there and it’s not an entirely pleasant experience. I recall hanging upside down in my car, which was sitting on its roof in a snow-covered ditch. My wife was suspended upside down in the driver’s seat beside me.

Suddenly finding yourself upside down after a high-speed-icy skid can be unsettling. I recall unfastening my seatbelt so I could reverse my position and sit upright on the interior of the car roof. Opening the car doors was impossible due to the snow jammed up on the outside. There we sat, trapped, car tires in the air, as the sun began to set.

We had two lifelines: a mobile phone and a direct line to Jesus. Both worked flawlessly. Within minutes a young couple helped us out of the car. Later that evening we drove our flipped car back into the city undamaged. There was nothing to indicate we were in a rollover, not even a scratch on the car body.

This true account serves as a reminder to me that God hears us when we pray. When we are in over our head—when we are neck deep and beyond—we can call out to God.

God did not save us because we are faultless. As the psalmist says, “You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.” God saves us because of His great mercy.

Response: LORD God, thank you for showing us mercy when we don’t deserve it. Thank you for coming to rescue the likes of me. For this mercy and a thousand more, I give you thanks. Amen.

Your Turn: How has the Lord helped you when you were neck deep in trouble? Take time to recall a time when he helped you overcome.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

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Your prayers for the people of Ukraine are making a difference.

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild, and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. Start your day with a new devotional series. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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