Under Attack

02 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 89, Psalms

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reading:                                      Psalm 89

(Verses 38-45)
But you have rejected, you have spurned,
you have been very angry with your anointed one.
You have renounced the covenant with your servant
and have defiled his crown in the dust.
You have broken through all his walls
and reduced his strongholds to ruins.
All who pass by have plundered him;
he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
you have made all his enemies rejoice.
Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
and have not supported him in battle.
You have put an end to his splendor
and cast his throne to the ground.
You have cut short the days of his youth;
you have covered him with a mantle of shame (NIV).

Reflection
Though we cannot be absolutely certain, it seems likely that Psalm 89 was written during the time of the Babylonian invasion of Judea. These were days of disaster brought on by idolatry as the people turned away from God. The rebellious King of Judah suffered a catastrophic defeat as the words of this psalm state: You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground. You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with a mantle of shame.

2018-02-13 L Kranz

Photo courtesy of Liz Kranz

 In the last few decades the church in North America has also experienced a number of defeats or setbacks. Enemies of the Christian faith have risen up and become bold in their attacks. Just as ancient Jerusalem was attacked and laid low, so too Christian belief systems have been under constant assault. The walls and strongholds of our faith have been undermined.

Two unshakeable biblical truths have come under relentless attack. The first is the truth of creation. Our God is the Creator of the universe—the source point of all matter and life. Since the days of Darwin, who incidentally believed in God, atheists have mounted a ferocious attack on this foundational truth. The Christian response has often been jingoistic or at best disjointed. A more coherent and scientifically sound defense is needed.

The second truth that has been under continual attack is the veracity of the Bible. God’s holy word is mocked and routinely discredited especially at our universities. The word of God is our stronghold. Over and over again it has been proven to be accurate, reliable and true. Archeologists and scholars have marvelled at the veracity and authenticity of God’s word. But the real proof of the inerrancy of God’s word does not come from scholarly research. It comes from the transformed lives of believers.

Response: LORD God, my trust is in you and your word. Creator God, I want my faith to be as secure for me as the earth beneath my feet and the air in my lungs. You are all around me. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Your Turn: Have attacks on your faith caused doubt? How did you overcome?

Excerpt 9 for Lent from “The Soldier Who Killed a King”

01 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by in Books by David Kitz, Christ's Passion, Lent

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

A journey to the cross is a journey to repentance. It’s a journey to deep personal change. Will you take this journey with me?

In today’s reading, Marcus is in a discussion with his friend and fellow centurion Renaldo. He gives an eyewitness account of what he saw Jesus doing in the temple courts.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but I saw it with my own eyes. His leg grew a full hand span. It happened right in front of me!”
For emphasis I gestured at an imaginary spot a few feet ahead.
“Are you sure it was Lucas?”
“Who else could it be? What other kid hobbles along on a crutch and has a bum leg aFree WWe SHARABLE-1 (2) hand span shorter than the other?”
“Lucas?” Renaldo snorted as he shook his head. He was incredulous.
“It was the same boy I’ve seen begging at the Fish Gate for the last six months.”
“The one with the copper begging bowl?”
“The one with the copper begging bowl,” I affirmed with a nod and then added, “Don’t believe me? Check it out yourself. The last time I saw him, he was dancing around on both feet. He’ll be back at your gate soon enough. But I don’t think he’ll be carrying his begging bowl or his crutch.”
Renaldo looked thoughtful as his eyes scanned the streets of the city below. We were standing atop one of the four turrets of the Antonia Fortress, the hub for military command here in the city. We had finished a light noon meal and then, for sake of privacy, had climbed the stairs to the top of the northeast tower.
“Look, Renaldo, like I said, I wouldn’t have believed any of this if I hadn’t seen it myself.” “So let me get this straight. This Jesus of Nazareth does miracles, and you saw him do them?”
“That’s right.”
“He kicked the money changers and merchants out of the temple courts?”
“He went at ’em like a wild man.”
“He defied the delegation from the high priest?” Renaldo questioned.
“Sent them scurrying for the exits like bugs under a rock.”
Picture Cent-helmet“What do you make of this prophet, Marcus? This Messiah?”
Now it was my turn to be pensive. I was so awestruck by what I had witnessed that I was having a hard time sorting through all my thoughts and impressions. The words came to me slowly. “He’s not at all like what I expected. He’s not at all like a revolutionary.”
“So he’s not a revolutionary. Then we’ve got nothing to worry about,” Renaldo said.
“I didn’t say that.” I paused but then added, “He’s not like your common revolutionary.” I put emphasis on the word “common.”
“So, he is a revolutionary.”
“His revolution, if that’s what he’s leading, doesn’t seem to be against us, against Rome—at least not at this point.” The vagueness of my answer left me feeling awkward.
“Then who is he fighting?”
“He’s not exactly endeared himself to the religious establishment. Caiaphas is probably having a holy altar- kicking tantrum right now. Those merchants pay good money to set up shop in there”—I gestured with a sweep of my hand in the direction of the temple compound—“and they’re going to be after him to get that Northern hick- town Messiah out of there. Now!” In imitation of their tactics, I made a downward stab with my index finger. “And I mean now.”
“So we let the high priest and his clan handle it. They’ve got the authority and the manpower.”
“Not at the moment. Jesus and his followers outnumber those temple guards maybe a hundred to one. I tell you he has the people—the crowd—in his hands. They don’t dare move against him.”
“Marcus, it’s still up to Caiaphas. It’s his problem. Let the Jews sort it out.”
“I suppose you’re right. He still scares me,” I confessed. “Scares me like no man ever has.”
“Why?” Renaldo queried.
“He’s got power like no man I’ve ever seen.” I shuddered inside at the thought of the unearthly nature of that power.
“This prophet really has you rattled, doesn’t he?” Renaldo said. “You’re still worried, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I’m still worried.” Then to justify my concern, I added, “This talk about a kingdom bothers me. Besides, you didn’t see what I saw today. It makes all the difference.”

American readers click this link to purchase The Soldier Who Killed a King.

Canadian readers click this link to purchase The Soldier Who Killed a King directly from the author.

The Son of David’s Endless Rule

01 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 89, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reading:                                     Psalm 89

(Verses 30-37)
“If his sons forsake my law
and do not follow my statutes,
if they violate my decrees
and fail to keep my commands,
I will punish their sin with the rod,
their iniquity with flogging;
but I will not take my love from him,
nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
I will not violate my covenant
or alter what my lips have uttered.
Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
and I will not lie to David—
that his line will continue forever
and his throne endure before me like the sun;
it will be established forever like the moon,
the faithful witness in the sky” (NIV).

Reflection
Today’s reading from Psalm 89 continues on the theme of King David’s endless rule through his offspring. Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—and I will not lie to David—that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun; it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.”

img_20170101_085151-2

“The the faithful witness in the sky”  — photo by David Kitz

There is however a sizeable problem with this promise to David for those who know biblical Jewish history. After the death of David’s son, the wise King Solomon, Israel was divided. The rebellious people of the northern Kingdom fell into idolatry and chose a new king, who was not a descendant of David. Despite warning after warning from prophets sent by God, Israel continued in its idolatrous ways until the nation was destroyed and swept away by Assyrian invaders in 720 BC.

On the other hand for hundreds of years, generation after generation a descendant of David sat on the throne of the southern Kingdom of Judah. For the most part these were kings who followed in the footsteps of their ancestor David. They worshipped the LORD, unlike the idolatrous northern kings of Israel who ruled from their capital Samaria. But eventually pagan practises found their way into Judea as well. In succession, several kings—descendants of David—turned to worship idols. God’s judgment fell on Judah too when the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem in 582 BC.

So what is the point of this brief history lesson? The point is precisely this: These words from Psalm 89 are a lie and God is a liar—a sworn liar to David—unless we view Jesus as the royal heir who rules for all eternity. The Jewish kingdom came to an end. No Jewish king has ruled over a Jewish kingdom for more than 2,000 years. But Jesus, the eternal son of David reigns. Is he reigning over your life?

Response: LORD God, I submit to the reign of Jesus. You are my King—my King now and forever. Help me to govern my life according to your will and purpose. I praise you, my Savior and King. Amen.

Your Turn: Is Jesus your King? How can you show your submission to his rule today?

Excerpt 8 for Lent from “The Soldier Who Killed a King”

28 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Books by David Kitz, Christ's Passion, Lent

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

A journey to the cross is a journey to repentance. It’s a journey to deep personal change. Will you take this journey with me?

In today’s reading, Marcus the centurion, watches with intense interest as a third child is healed by the prophet from Galilee.

Seizing the moment, a young mother rushed forward, clutching a limp form in her arms. Upon seeing this mother and child, I was stabbed by pain. Remembered pain. The dark sunken eyes glazed by fever, the pallid skin, the wheezing cough and raspy breath, I remembered it all.
1_LQtjPt8ZDqx05L-IlvYlKAThe child was racked with consumption. The disease was consuming her, consuming her body, and with it a mother’s hope until none was left. The toddler didn’t stir a muscle as Jesus looked into her fevered young eyes.
Experience told me this gaunt daughter would be dead within a week. It was the mother who trembled and pleaded—pleaded for her who lacked even the strength to cry.
“Give me the child,” Jesus gently urged. The request took the mother completely by surprise. Instinctively she clutched the girl even more closely to herself.
“Give her to me.”
There was tenderness in that deep voice.
The mother was visibly caught in an inner struggle. I suppose she had held on so long and so tightly that now it was hard to give this frail object of her affection to a stranger. Their eyes met for an instant. He gave a short nod to his head as if to say, “Yes, it has to be this way.” And the struggle was over.
She eased her slumping burden into Jesus’s arms. The child’s head drooped against his chest. He wrapped a big hand around the girl’s head, brushed a wisp of hair from her eyes, rocked her side to side. Then with slow deliberation, he turned from the multitude and faced the great temple doorway.
An intense quiet engulfed the assembly. Moments passed.
“Father . . . Father . . .”
That’s all I heard him whisper. He raised his gaze to heaven and then back to the little one in his arms. With the same slow deliberation he turned back to us.
She squirmed in his arms—eyes bright and clear. Two little hands shot out, reaching for her mommy. The smile spoke ten thousand words. The child was whole. Transformed! Completely healed!
The crowd was ecstatic.
“Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Then for a second time, our eyes met. He knew me. I could see it in his eyes. I don’t mean Jesus recognized me. I mean he knew me. Knew me from front to back, from inside out, from my first day till now. It was a dreadful feeling—a naked feeling.
I turned abruptly from him. My heart hammered in my chest. I began fumbling my way through the crowd, desperate for an exit. I had to get away.
But my child . . . my daughter . . .
Why wasn’t she healed? Why wasn’t she spared?

American readers click this link to purchase The Soldier Who Killed a King.

Canadian readers click this link to purchase The Soldier Who Killed a King directly from the author.

God’s Firstborn

28 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 89, Psalms

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reading:                                     Psalm 89

(Verses 19-29)
Once you spoke in a vision,
to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
I have raised up a young man from among the people.
I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him.
My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him.
The enemy will not get the better of him;
the wicked will not oppress him.
I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries.
My faithful love will be with him,
and through my name his horn will be exalted.
I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.
He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, the Rock my Savior.’
And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,
the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
I will maintain my love to him forever,
and my covenant with him will never fail.
I will establish his line forever,
his throne as long as the heavens endure (NIV).

Reflection
Who is the principal figure in the Old Testament canon? Some would argue for Moses, the liberator of a nation of slaves. Others would go farther back yet to Abraham, the ancestral father of the nation of Israel. Here in Psalm 89, Ethan the Ezrahite and author of this psalm casts his vote in favor of David.

img_20161114_074108

Manitoba prairie sunrise — photo by David Kitz

David’s name appears more frequently in the Bible than any name including the name of Jesus. Here in Psalm 89, Ethan draws a direct prophetic link to Jesus, the Son of God. He writes this about David: He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.’ And I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

No other man in the Holy Scriptures can claim to be appointed as God’s firstborn. This is an honor that is reserved for David alone. But David prefigures or foreshadows Jesus, the true Son of God. Jesus was not appointed to the role of God’s son. He was conceived and born into this world as the divine Son of the Most High. Through the miracle of incarnation the son of Mary was also the Son of God and the Savior of the world. And this Mary was of royal lineage. She was a direct descendant of King David.

In Jesus Christ these words find their fulfillment: I will maintain my love to him [David] forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. I will establish his [David’s] line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.

 Response: LORD God, I am thankful for Jesus. I am thankful that in the dark long ago you devised a plan to send a Savior to this world. You sent a better son than David. You sent Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you thankful for God’s Son? Why?

Excerpt 7 for Lent from The Soldier Who Killed a King

27 Tuesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

A journey to the cross is a journey to repentance. It’s a journey to deep personal change. Will you take this journey with me?

It is the morning of the second day of Passover Week. In today’s reading, Marcus the centurion, disguised in his civilian clothes, is enthralled as he watches Jesus heal a beggar boy. 

Having witnessed the temple cleansing, this crowd had a strong sense of expectation. What would he do now? That was the unspoken question on everyone’s mind.
In fact, for quite some time he did nothing. He simply stood there scanning the sea of faces. Then his eyes lit on a young lad, perhaps age twelve, standing to my far right. I hadBiblical fiction winner 2017 seen this beggar boy about the city many times. Their eyes engaged for a moment. The prophet gave a slight nod of his head—a signal for the boy to advance. He did so with haste. His right leg dangled loose like the limp rags he was wearing. The staccato scrape of his crutch on the stone floor echoed through the hushed courtyard. Eager determination marked his every move. In moments he stood before Jesus. His right leg was easily six inches shorter than the healthy left leg. The absence of any muscle in this stunted limb was painfully obvious, even at a distance.
Like a father, Jesus placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders, looked into his eyes, and in a firm voice commanded, “Stretch out your leg!”
The boy’s leg began to twitch and stir. Then it kicked forward. Once, twice, three times. With each kick the stone pavement grew closer. The toes stretched forward; the heel pressed down. On the fourth kick, contact was made. Two more kicks, and he had a solid footing. Now he began to jump up and down, up and down, on both feet. Muscle—muscle that hadn’t been there moments before—began to appear in his leg. The wooden crutch clattered lifelessly to the floor. He was free.
With one voice the crowd began to cheer and applaud. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Soldier bookThe ecstatic smile on this lad’s face I will never forget. He glowed. He danced. He danced on the spot a few more times, as if to confirm the miracle was real. Then he buried his head in Jesus’s chest and clung to him in a thank- you hug that lasted a full minute. When he raised his head to look into the Galilean’s eyes, tears streamed down his face. Joy tears. Thank- you tears.
“I can walk!”
“You can walk,” Jesus confirmed.
In fact, for the rest of the morning, he did very little walking. He bounced, jumped, skipped, and ran, but seldom only walked.

Who is on the Throne?

27 Tuesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 89, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Reading:                                     Psalm 89

(Verses 14-18)
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
They rejoice in your name all day long;
they celebrate your righteousness.
For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exalt our horn.
Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel (NIV).

Reflection
Yesterday afternoon at about 4:30 my wife and I got a call from my son. He found himself in a difficult spot. He and his wife had just bought two swivel chairs. He had wrongly assumed that both would fit into the trunk of his car. Despite his best efforts the second chair would not fit. Could I come, pick up and deliver the second chair to their home?

DSCN2014 (3)

Old Orchard Beach, Maine — photo by David Kitz

My wife had a batch of homemade buns rising in the oven, so she was not available. The delivery task fell to me. So off I drove in a torrential downpour through heavy rush-hour traffic to pick up this chair. Did I resent this interruption in my schedule? Did I get all steamed up about the inconvenience? Was I upset that I was a few minutes late for dinner? No. In all seriousness, none of this bothered me because I love my son and his wife. I was glad to help. I even took a minute or two to sit in that comfy chair and appreciate their new purchase.

Today’s reading from Psalm 89 is all about a chair—a special chair. It’s called the throne of God. Unlike the rollers on the bottom of the chair that my son purchased, this chair has a foundation. It’s immovable. The psalmist makes this statement. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

The throne of God speaks of His authority. God’s authority rests squarely on His righteousness and justice. This has always been so and will be so forever. Righteousness and justice are foundational to all authority. When authorities in this world go astray and engage in unjust and immoral behavior, we find this abhorrent. We question the legitimacy of such authorities. We say they have lost the moral authority to govern.

But God does more than just sit on His throne and govern. He moves out from that throne. Again the psalmist states, “Love and faithfulness go before you.” God is active in this world. Daily the LORD demonstrates His love and faithfulness to His people and also to those who do not call on His name. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). Furthermore, our heavenly Father is eager to do these things because He loves us.

Response: Heavenly Father, you are good and kind to all. I thank you for your love and faithfulness. Today, I want to walk in the light of your presence, LORD, and rejoice in your name all day long. Amen.

Your Turn: Can you testify that on various occasions God’s love and faithfulness have gone before you?

Excerpt 6 for Lent from “The Soldier Who Killed a King”

26 Monday Feb 2018

Posted by in Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

A journey to the cross is a journey to repentance. It’s a journey to deep personal change. Will you take this journey with me?

In today’s reading, Marcus Longinus the centurion, disguised in his civilian clothes, joins the throng of Jesus followers as enters the temple courts. It is the morning of the second day of Passover Week.

There were more of this prophet’s followers awaiting his arrival within the temple grounds. Our numbers may have swelled to well over a thousand at this point. Keeping him in view from within this multitude of craning necks was a challenge.
We poured into the Court of the Gentiles, with Jesus taking the lead. It quickly became clear that he did not like what he found there. 4485 SHARABLE-1
This whole area had been converted into a market for the duration of the Passover celebration. There were currency exchange tables, caged fowl available for sacrifice, and goods of various and sundry quality arranged for the pilgrims’ perusal.
I could well imagine the eager anticipation among the merchants with the arrival of such a large crowd. But this prophet had no intention of leading a shopping expedition.
With a loud, anger- edged voice, he declared for all to hear, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you”—his hand slashed through the air to encompass the assembled entrepreneurs—“have made it a ‘den of thieves’!”
Then seizing the nearest table, he sent it, and all that was upon it, clattering onto the paving stones. The prophet swung around, and without stopping to admire the havoc he had caused, he grabbed a money changer’s table, and with one quick move he sent a thousand coins rolling in every direction. The next banker’s hoard met with the same fate.
Pandemonium and panic now fully broke loose.
Benches stacked eight feet high with dove cages were next in line. Cages toppled. Birds flapped. Feathers flew. Within moments scores of birds had been released by the prophet’s followers.
Frightened merchants rushed for the exits, clutching all that their arms could hastily gather. Within short minutes the entire Gentile court had been cleared of both buyers and sellers.
The transformation was astonishing, the effect upon his followers electrifying. They were in his hands. They loved the sheer power of the moment. With single- handed raw courage he had swept aside the outward clutter of both wealth and religious tradition.
I was impressed. The man had convictions and would act on them.
Timid temple guards skittered about the perimeter of the courtyard, dumbfounded by what they had witnessed, yet fully knowing they were powerless to act before the prophet’s adoring throng. This was a coup. In just moments they had lost control—lost it to the leader of a Galilean mob. Explaining this would not be easy.
The crowd pressed in closer, sensing Jesus was about to speak. “My house,” he said, and he gestured to the marble floors and columns that surrounded him. “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. This is why there is a temple. This is why I have come . . . that we might draw near.”

Beyond Olympic Glory

26 Monday Feb 2018

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 89, Psalms

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reading:                                      Psalm 89

(Verses 5-13)
The heavens praise your wonders, LORD,
your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD?
Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?
In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.
Who is like you, LORD God Almighty?
You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
You rule over the surging sea;
when its waves mount up, you still them.
You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
you founded the world and all that is in it.
You created the north and the south;
Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
Your arm is endowed with power;
your hand is strong, your right hand exalted (NIV).

Reflection
At this point memories of the Olympics are in the past. We can talk ourselves into believing that those golden podium moments will last forever, but they don’t. They are highlights in athletic achievement and well worth celebrating. In some events world records have been set, but in due time they will be broken. It seems they always are.

2018-02-05h

Blue skies and snow covered spruce — photo by David Kitz

How do we determine gold medal performances? By comparison of course. That’s what Olympic competition is all about. The results of a team or athlete are compared with others in their field. Though many compete on the local, national and world stage, only the very best bring home Olympic gold.

That’s how winners are determined on the human level—the world level. But what about the heavenly level—the spiritual level? How are the best and most powerful determined there? In our reading from Psalm 89, the psalmist attempts to come up with an answer.

For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.
Who is like you, LORD God Almighty?

The truth is obvious. There is no point in comparison. The LORD God Almighty is incomparable.  He wins every race since He is enthroned beyond time. As the Creator, He is the source—the starting point—of all power in heaven and on earth. His wisdom is so beyond the best human mind. He is incomparable!

Response: LORD God, I marvel at your wisdom and power. But most of all I marvel at your love—love that encompasses all—even me. Help me to excel at pleasing you. Thank you, LORD! Amen.

Your Turn: Do you enjoy watching the Olympics? Is there value in competition?

Trusting in the LORD

25 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 115, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

I will praise Him!

2018-02-05i

February morning, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

All you Israelites, trust in the LORD—
    he is their help and shield.
House of Aaron, trust in the LORD—
    he is their help and shield.
You who fear him, trust in the LORD—
    he is their help and shield.

The LORD remembers us and will bless us:
    He will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
he will bless those who fear the LORD—
    small and great alike.

(Psalm 115:9-13, NIV)