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When God Tests the Heart

19 Wednesday Nov 2025

Posted by in Psalm 17, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 17:1-9

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

A prayer of David.
Hear me, LORD, my plea is just; listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips.
Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed.
Though people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.
My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled.
I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me (NIV). *

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Reflection
“Are you up for the test? The exam schedule has been posted. Have you prepared? Are you ready for it?” Words like those can produce feelings of dread or anxious thoughts, especially for high school or university students. If you have studied and prepared yourself well, you can have a measure of confidence. But some uncertainty always remains.

In today’s psalm, David welcomes God’s examination. He states, “Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed” (v. 3).

David had nothing to hide. His conscience was clear; therefore, he did not dread God’s probing. He knew an examination of his heart would result in vindication. He would be proven right and just before his Maker. Do you and I have the same confidence?

Check your heart. Better yet, allow God to check it regularly. Be open and transparent before Him. It’s the only way I know to keep a clean heart and a right mind before God and others. The LORD is the best heart doctor available, and He does home visits if we invite Him in.

Only when our hearts and minds are open and right before God can we freely pray, “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings” (v. 8).

Response: Heavenly Father, probe my heart so I can repent of anything that displeases you. I want to bring only joy and pleasure to the heart of my Father. Amen.

Your Turn: Why do we resist allowing God to examine our heart issues? Are we afraid of what He may find?


Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Thank God for peace in Israel and Gaza,
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

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.

New from David Kitz

James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?

David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.

But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.

To view further details or purchase this or other books directly from the author click here.

Planted by Streams of Water

16 Sunday Nov 2025

Posted by in Psalm 1, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Psalm 1

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:


Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.
Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. *


Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

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.

Available now…

James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?

David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.

But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.

To view further details or purchase directly from the author click here.

The Servant of All

16 Sunday Nov 2025

Posted by in The Elisha Code

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Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said,
“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last,
and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35, NIV)

Are you and I putting Jesus’ teaching on being the least into practise in our daily lives. Are we becoming the servant of all? Do we see ourselves as last or do we put ourselves and our concerns first above all others?
Why is humility so key to missionary breakthrough? In what way has pride and self-righteousness either prevented or killed times of revival? The much-loved devotional writer Andrew Murray has much to teach us in these key areas.

Andrew Jr.’s father, Andrew Senior, had come to South Africa from Scotland as a missionary in 1828.  The Dutch Reformed Church was so desperate for pastors that they would even accept Scottish Presbyterians into their fold.  Revival and missions were the air that Andrew Junior breathed in his father’s house. Missionaries constantly visited the Murray home, including Dr. David Livingstone.

In 1838, when Andrew Junior was ten, he and his brother John were sent by their parents to study in Scotland. In the spring of 1840, the revivalist William C. Burns came and spoke in Aberdeen, Scotland. Burns’ heart was constantly broken over the lost, and he would weep and pray for hours for their salvation. This left a deep impression on young Andrew Murray.

The two brothers then went to Utrecht, Holland, for further theological studies. There, they became part of a revival group called Sechor Dabar (remember the Word in Hebrew).

When he returned to South Africa, Andrew became a Dutch Reformed pastor, being elected six times as the Moderator of the entire Dutch Reformed Church denomination. After initially trying to shut down the 1860 South African revival, he ended up giving strong leadership to this key revival. As people cried out in anguish, Andrew initially said, “This must stop now. I am your pastor!” God changed his mind, so, with Andrew’s blessing, great renewal broke out throughout South Africa with many thousands confessing Christ.

Suddenly in 1879, at age 51, Murray lost his voice for two years. Out of his painful two years of silence, he learned to depend upon God’s faithfulness, surrendering everything to God, and coming into a deep place of humility and love for others. In this time of waiting, he learned that we have nothing but what we humbly receive from God. Humility is about being an empty vessel that God can fill. Are we willing to be radically dependent on God?

Andrew’s amazing book Humility came of this deep time of self-crucifixion. He wrote, “Nothing but a crucified Jesus revealed in the soul can give a humble spirit.”

Humility for Andrew was most clearly seen in the incarnate and crucified Christ who prayed “not my will but Thine be done.” Andrew discovered that “pride is death, and the other (humility) is life; the one is all hell, the other is all heaven.”

During his voice ailment, Andrew came to see that a lack of humility suppresses revival and missions. He wrote, “A lack of humility is the explanation of every defect and failure.”

In 1881, he went to London to Bethshan, a healing home started by W. E. Boardman. He was completely healed there and never had trouble with his voice again. From that point on, he knew and taught that spiritual gifts were for believers today, and that God’s will is for healing and wholeness. While in England in 1882, he attended the Keswick Convention which focused on holiness and deeper life in Christ. Eventually, he founded Keswick South Africa.

Andrew did not just recover his voice; His whole demeanor changed.  He became known for his joyful humour. A long-time friend of the family wrote to Murray’s daughter Mary of this transformation: “A great change came into his life after that. He used to be rather stern and very decided in his judgment of things—after that year he was all love. His great humility also struck me very forcibly at that time.”

Murray’s oldest daughter agreed, saying, “he began to show in all relationships constant tenderness and unruffled lovingkindness and unselfish thought for others which increasingly characterized his life from that point.”

God showed Andrew Murray that “manifestations of temper and touchiness and irritation, feelings of bitterness and estrangement, have their root in nothing but pride.” He concluded that our defensiveness and unkind words reveal a lack of humility.

This deep personal change is the hallmark of all who come to a point of full repentance and faith in Christ. Humility is the mark of those who have been broken by the Spirit.

In his play The Power of Darkness, Leo Tolstoy put these words in the mouth of one of the main characters, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”[i]

World changers—God’s world changers—have first been changed by the Spirit of God. The self has been crucified and now Christ reigns. Leo Tolstoy, Andrew Murray, and the apostle, Paul, knew they were in desperate need of personal transformation. Real change begins with humble submission to Christ the crucified Lord and Savior.

 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20, NIV).

Andrew ended up writing two hundred and forty books and booklets, including Waiting on God, The School of Obedience, Absolute Surrender, and The Deeper Christian Life. His anointed pen came from his anointed heart.

One of his most transformative books was called The Key to the Missionary Problem where he taught that missions were “the chief end of the church.” Dr F.B. Meyer said that The Key to the Missionary Problem, if widely read, would lead to one of the greatest revivals of missionary enthusiasm that the world has ever known.

Andrew Murray saw missions as so large and difficult it required the Church returning to “the Pentecostal life of her first love.”

“The Pentecostal commission can only be carried out by a Pentecostal Church in Pentecostal Power. …We have given too much attention to methods and to machinery and to resources and too little to the Source of Power—the filling with the Holy Ghost.”

Humble prayer, said Murray, was the heart of missions. He prayed that the cry of our whole heart, night, and day, would be, “Oh, for the humility of Jesus in myself and all around me!”

Murray saw humility as an essential key to winning the lost and reflecting the true character of Jesus. O that God would use such humility to breath a revival of missions throughout the world.

God eventually used Andrew as a peacemaker, humbly seeking to avoid the horrendous Boer/Anglo War (October 11, 1899 – May 31, 1902) where 26,000 of the 100,000 women and children in British concentration camps died of malnutrition and disease. Andrew Murray was ideally suited to the task of peacemaking. He had spent his entire working life as a bridge builder between the Dutch-speaking Afrikaners and the black tribal communities. Now as a British-born church leader, he interceded for peace in the face of British imperial aggression.

He wrote, “The horrors of war are too terrible; the sin and shame of war are too great; the folly of war is too monstrous… I believe with my whole heart that in many respects Britain is the noblest, the most Christian nation in the world, its greatest power for good or evil… Once again, I beseech the Christian people of Great Britain to rouse themselves, and to say, ‘This war shall not be.’ Let every lover of peace make his voice heard.”

In this time of tragic conflict, in various hot spots around the globe, may we pray that other humble peacemakers, like Andrew Murray, may arise. What might it take for the Russian and Ukrainian people to humbly seek lasting reconciliation and forgiveness?

The earnest prayer and humility of Jesus points the way forward. The hour is late. Hear our Savior’s plea, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40, NIV).

[i] Leo Tolstoy, The Power of Darkness, Kindle edition, 2012, Aylmer Maude (Translator), Louise Shanks Maude (Translator).

This is the tenth weekly excerpt from the award-winning book 
The Elisha Code & the Coming Revival 

A soul-gripping read.
Is a return-to-Jesus revival possible in our time?
This book points the way forward.
For details click here.

Those Who Have Faith in Jesus

14 Friday Nov 2025

Posted by in Psalm 14, Psalms

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer


Today’s Reading: Psalm 14

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Father God,
I want to seek you always,
especially when I sin.
That’s when I need you most.
You have the remedy for my sin—
the blood of Jesus.
You forgive me
and clean me up.
Amen.

— — — —

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and all are justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,
through the shedding of his blood—
to be received by faith.
He did this to demonstrate his righteousness,
because in his forbearance
he had left the sins committed
beforehand unpunished—
he did it to demonstrate his righteousness
at the present time,
so as to be just
and the one who justifies
those who have faith in Jesus.
(Romans 3:22-26 NIV)*

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Thank God for peace in Israel and Gaza,
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

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.

New from David Kitz

James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?

David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.

But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.

To view further details or purchase this or other books directly from the author click here.

The Folly of Denying God

14 Friday Nov 2025

Posted by in Psalm 14, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 14

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:


For the director of music. Of David.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good, not even one.
Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on the LORD.
But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is their refuge.
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! (NIV) *

Reflection
Apparently, atheism is not a modern phenomenon. Three thousand years ago in David’s time, there were people who said in their heart, “There is no God.” Atheism has a long and ignoble pedigree. I say ignoble because as David observes, it is the fool who says, “There is no God” (v. 1).

There is a footnote in my Bible indicating the word translated in this psalm as fool denotes someone who is morally deficient. David goes on to describe this moral deficiency. He uses the words corrupt and vile. In fact, there is a complete absence of anything good. But this isn’t just David’s indictment against a few errant atheists; this is the LORD’s view of all mankind. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one (v. 3). In the New Testament, Paul the Apostle quotes from this psalm in his epistle to the Romans as he outlines the depravity of humanity.

Is there a link between unbelief and the sinful state of the human soul? Does sin breed unbelief? There is ample biblical and anecdotal evidence that it does. When Adam and Eve sinned, in an instant, they turned from God seekers to God avoiders. Add a little more sin, and it’s only a short step for a God avoider to become a God denier.

We deny the existence of God to avoid accountability for our sin. We foolishly assume that since we can’t see God, He can’t see us and our misdeeds. Better yet why not pretend God doesn’t exist? Then we are at liberty to sin as much as we please without fear of God’s judgment. That sounds like morally deficient reasoning to me. But the fool fools only himself.

Response: Father, I want to seek you always, especially when I sin. That’s when I need you most. You have the remedy for my sin—the blood of Jesus. You forgive me and clean me up. Amen.

Your Turn: Does sinful conduct affect or infect your belief system? How does sin cloud our reasoning?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Thank God for peace in Israel and Gaza,
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

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.

New from David Kitz

James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?

David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.

But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.

To view further details or purchase this or other books directly from the author click here.

He Who Is Least

09 Sunday Nov 2025

Posted by in The Elisha Code

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On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame
for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters.
Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill.
But I will leave within you the meek and humble.
The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the LORD.
(Zephaniah 3:11-12, NIV)

The previous chapter concluded with Paul declaring he came to the Corinthians “in weakness with great fear and trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3), but despite his weakness, God mightily used him to demonstrate the Spirit’s power.
There is something quite contradictory or paradoxical about Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 2:3-5, but this paradox of strength in weakness follows a consistent pattern in Paul’s epistles. He begins his first letter to the Corinthians by highlighting one of these apparent contradictions.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him (1 Corinthians 1:26-29, NIV).

Paul is telling us that God and his Kingdom operate on entirely different principles than the values and philosophies of this world. God uses and shows favor to those who are weak, foolish, and of low status in the eyes of the world. God’s Kingdom is a totally upside-down Kingdom according to the world’s perspective.

Paul elaborates further on the contradictory, paradoxical nature of God’s Kingdom in his second letter to the Corinthians when he states, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
This call for humility and submission is not confined to Paul’s letters. Peter explicitly calls for the same.

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:5b-6).

James repeats this call for humility in his epistle. In fact, in their appeal James and Peter quote the same verse, Proverbs 3:34. (See James 4:6-7.)

The apostles’ teaching and lived experience simply reflected the teaching of their Lord and master Jesus Christ. Jesus’ life was a continual paradox. He was born in a stable, yet his birth was heralded by angels, the appearance of a star, and the arrival of magi from foreign lands. Then, he began his ministry with a manifesto that sets the operating principles of our world on its head.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.                                        
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.                                         
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.                                       
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.                                                
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.                                             
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.                                                
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10)

Jesus’ ministry centered on the poor, the sick, the oppressed and afflicted. Peter described Jesus’ life work with these words, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him” (Acts 10:38).

Jesus was the eternal Creator of all things, yet through the miracle of incarnation he willingly subjected himself to the frailties and limitations of humanity. That included the humiliation of suffering the death of a criminal on a cruel Roman cross.

This upside-down perspective is at the heart of the Elisha code as revealed in the eleventh chapter of Matthew. In the previous chapters of this book, we recounted how the miracles of Jesus run parallel to the miracles of the prophet Elisha. In fact, there is a striking similarity in the content, style, and tenor of the ministries of Jesus and Elisha.
Furthermore, in Matthew eleven, Jesus definitively states that John the Baptist “is the Elijah who is to come” (Matthew 11:14). Again, there is a remarkable similarity in the intent, tone, and scope of the ministries of John and Elijah. So then, chapter eleven of Matthew establishes the link between the Old Testament prophetic duo of Elijah and Elisha and the New Testament duo of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.

But in his description of John, Jesus goes on to make a statement that is rather puzzling and frequently misunderstood or misinterpreted.

Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Matthew 11:11, NIV).

The first part of this statement is very straight forward though quite startling. Clearly, Jesus held John in the highest regard—higher than any human past or present. Higher than Abraham. Higher than Moses. Higher than David. Higher than any of the Old Testament prophets. Jesus places John the Baptist at the head of the list, above all who ever lived. That is quite the honor!

But then Jesus goes on to say, “yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
So, who then is greater than John?

Evangelicals have puzzled over the meaning of this statement. Some have come up with a rather elaborate interpretation that relies heavily on dispensational theology. They reason that John was not born again; therefore, he is not included in the kingdom of heaven. Hence, anyone who is born again under the New Testament dispensation is greater than John.

However, this dispensational interpretation runs into several obstacles when we compare it with the whole of Scripture.

First, let’s be unequivocally clear. Spiritual rebirth is essential to anyone’s entrance into the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). We must come into relationship with God—be born into his kingdom to be citizens of the kingdom.

Monarch Butterfly — photo by David Kitz

Jesus’ statement in John 3:3 raises other questions concerning the believers of the Old Testament era. Will we see them in heaven? Are they citizens of the kingdom?

There is ample biblical evidence that John the Baptist and all the great saints of the Old Testament are citizens of the Kingdom. In fact, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus said just that.

“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last” (Luke 13:28-30).

Moreover, in Matthew 11, Jesus identifies John as being greater than all the prophets.

Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you’” (Matthew 11:9-10).

If the patriarchs and prophets of the old covenant are included in the kingdom of God, then surely John who Jesus identifies as being greater than them all is included as well.

Furthermore, Hebrews 11 makes it abundantly clear that great Old Testament heroes of the faith will be present with us in glory. In fact, they are part of a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on (Hebrews 12:1-3).

So from these scriptures it is clear that the Old Testament heroes of the faith are all citizens of the kingdom. But Jesus said they cannot be citizens of the kingdom unless they are born again (John 3:3). How can they be born again when that teaching had not been introduced yet? In John 3, Jesus provides the answer to that conundrum.

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

Rebirth happens by the Spirit, and it has been happening from the very beginning. The day may come when we will meet with Enoch, Moses, and David in the kingdom.

The wind of the Spirit was blowing in the hearts of John the Baptist and the Old Testament citizens of the spiritual kingdom, and they were born again by the Spirit. This must be so, or Jesus could not say what he said in Luke 13:28-30 where he identifies them as sitting down in the kingdom of God. (They could not be sitting down in the kingdom of God unless they were born again.)

Moreover, there are not two kingdoms of God, one for the Old Testament believers and one for the New Testament born-again believers. There is only one eternal, spiritual kingdom of God, and we will all sit together in it.

Jesus is after all the great unifier of Jews and Gentiles just as Paul states.

 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3:4-6)

Jesus introduced us to the teaching and the understanding of being born again, but that does not mean spiritual rebirth was not happening before he introduced that teaching. Isaac Newton introduced us to the concept of gravity, but that does not mean the laws of gravity were not working until he introduced them.

Similarly, Dr. Frederick Banting and Dr. Charles Best discovered insulin in 1921, and in January 1922 they injected insulin into a dying fourteen-year-old, type one diabetic named Leonard Thompson. The transformation in Leonard’s body was nothing short of miraculous. Until that time a diagnosis of type one diabetes was viewed as a death sentence. Most patients died within weeks or months.

Where land ends, Bruce Peninsula National Park — photo by Karen Kitz

We too like Leonard Thompson are under a death sentence. We suffer from a deadly condition called a sinful nature. The cure for this condition is spiritual rebirth at the hands of the Great Physician, Jesus Christ.

Insulin was doing its life-sustaining work in human bodies long before Banting and Best discovered it. In the same way, the Spirit was at work drawing people like Moses and David into relationship with the heavenly Father long before Jesus had his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3. And Old Testament people like Deborah, Ruth, Esther, and Jeremiah responded in faith as the Spirit of God touched their lives. They too came into a life altering relationship with God—a relationship that we now call being born again.

Logic dictates that these Old Testament saints must have experienced rebirth, or they could not sit down in the kingdom of God as Jesus declares they will in Luke 13:28-30.

Consequently, Jesus’ statement in Matthew 11:11 about “he who is least in the kingdom of God” is not about setting up a distinction between those who are born again, and those who are not born again, or drawing a distinction between the Old Testament and New Testament dispensations. Rather, it’s a passage about humility, where Jesus takes on the identity of being the one who is least in the Kingdom of God.

Now let’s again look at Matthew 11:11 with fresh eyes.

Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Matthew 11:11, NIV).

After stating that John is the greatest man who ever lived, Jesus asserts that the one who is least in the kingdom is greater than John. So, who then is greater than John?

Surely, we can all agree that Jesus is greater than John. He is after all the king of the kingdom. But in true contradictory, paradoxical fashion Jesus casts himself as being least in the kingdom of God. Jesus takes on that identity because he came to serve, suffer, and die.

So then, Matthew 11:11 is a passage that portrays Jesus humbling himself and taking the lowest position though he is King of all. This is the ultimate paradox expressed in a brilliant turn of phrase—so brilliant its meaning has eluded more than a few theologians.

Paul beautifully describes Christ’s humiliation and subsequent exaltation with these familiar words:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:6-11, NIV).

With his statement in Matthew 11:11, Jesus is making himself nothing and taking on the very nature of a servant just as Paul describes.

Furthermore, this self-deprecation follows a pattern that we see repeated in Matthews Gospel. Jesus repeatedly tells reverse stories, paradoxical parables where the first will be last. See Matthew 18:1-5, Matthew 19:30, Matthew 20:16, Matthew 20:28. These passages assert that Jesus and his kingdom work on principles and values that are the opposite of those found in the world. The poor have true wealth. The weak are strong. The despised are honored. Matthew 11:11 fits into this pattern of reversal with Jesus taking the lowest or least position.

But why is this emphasis on humility significant? What is the application for us today? Humility is at the core of the Elisha Code. We too need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We too need to humble ourselves and serve as he did.

The world will not be won to Christ by millionaire evangelists and pastors crisscrossing the globe in their private jets and preaching a gospel of prosperity and self-fulfillment. The world will be won by the meek—those who know how to humble themselves and serve—serve at the cost of their lives as the first century apostles did. That is the Jesus way—the way of the cross.

This is the nineth weekly excerpt from the award-winning book 
The Elisha Code & the Coming Revival 

A soul-gripping read.
Is a return-to-Jesus revival possible in our time?
This book points the way forward.
For details click here.

Finding Christ Beyond the Noise

06 Thursday Nov 2025

Posted by in Psalm 4, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 10:1-4

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Why, LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God (NIV). *

Early snowfall — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
As I write these thoughts on Psalm 10, outside my window snow is drifting down and appropriate or not, my mind returns to our annual rendezvous with Christmas. Ah, Christmas! I love the significance of the season—time spent with family and thoughts of a babe in a manger.

But for many, the celebration of Christ’s birth has become a mangled wreck—a gross distortion. For millions of people, this commercial bonanza is completely devoid of any spiritual meaning. It is nothing more than a buying and selling frenzy—a pursuit of trinkets signifying nothing—nothing of eternal value.

In this psalm we see the deceptive signs—the misdirected signs of that season. Through clever advertising and marketing schemes we too were hunted down by the top-level merchandisers of this world. Perhaps you were caught in the schemes they devised. Rather than being a season where we seek the LORD, we too can fall into a trap. We can find ourselves boasting about the cravings of our heart. As the Psalmist says, we bless the greedy and in so doing, we revile the LORD.

The words of the Psalmist ring true, “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God” (v. 4).

No room for God… in today’s world? In a perverse way it seems rather appropriate. There was no room for God in Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. No room for God… no room for the Maker and Savior of the universe! That sounds insane, but then it seems we live in a world gone mad.

For you and me, it doesn’t have to be that way. While there was no room for God incarnate in Bethlehem, the magi were busy seeking Him. They were hungry to know more about this Redeemer of Israel and they crossed deserts to reach Him. They came to bow down and worship that baby in a manger.

Regardless of the season, or the season of our lives, you and I can set our hearts to be God seekers. In the year that lies before us, let’s set our hearts to seek after the LORD.

Response: Jesus, I seek after you. Open my eyes to see you at work today. You are not distant from me in time or space. Show up in my world today. I wait expectantly for you. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you seen Jesus in others? How can you seek God throughout the week? What would seeking God look like for you?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Thank God for peace in Israel and Gaza,
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

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.

New from David Kitz

James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?

David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.

But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.

Whom Will You Serve

04 Tuesday Nov 2025

Posted by in Psalm 9, Psalms

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”


Today’s Reading: Psalm 9:1-10

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:


I praise you, LORD,
and I seek you.
Along with David,
I can say you have upheld me in difficult times.
Be the master within me. 
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name,
O Most High.
Amen.

— — — —

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you,
then choose for yourselves this day 
whom you will serve,
whether the gods your ancestors served
beyond the Euphrates,
or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land you are living.
But as for me and my household,
we will serve the LORD.”
(Joshua 24:15 NIV)*

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Thank God for beginings of peace in Israel and Gaza,
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

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.

New from David Kitz

James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?

David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.

But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.

Saving the Best till Last

26 Sunday Oct 2025

Posted by in The Elisha Code

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Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o’er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose![i]

[i] Robert Lowry, Christ Arose, 1874, Public Domain

Photo by L. Kranz

Thus far in our examination of the ministry of Elisha and Jesus, we can see there are striking parallels in the miracles they worked:  

  • Their first public miracle was the transformation of water. Elisha turned a spring of foul water into good water at Jericho (2 Kings 2:19-22). Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-12).
  • Elisha healed Naaman the Syrian leper (2 Kings 5:1-19). Jesus healed a leper after delivering his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 8:1-4).
  • Elisha brought the Shunammite’s son back to life (2 Kings 4:8-37), and Jesus brought the synagogue leader’s daughter back to life (Matthew 9:18-26).
  • Elisha miraculously fed a hundred men (2 Kings 4:42-44). Jesus miraculously fed a crowd of five thousand men (Matthew 14:13-21), and then a crowd of four thousand (Matthew 15:29-39).
  • Both prophets demonstrated miracles of supernatural buoyancy. Elisha caused an iron axe-head to float (2 Kings 6:5-7), and Jesus walked on water (Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52, John 6:15-21).
  • Both men worked miracles of provision. A widow’s jar of olive oil kept pouring and filled dozens of containers (2 Kings 4:1-7), and at Jesus’ command Peter caught a fish with a gold coin in its mouth (Matthew 17:24-27).
  • Both demonstrated power over nature. Elisha prophesied the arrival of water in the desert without wind or rain (2 Kings 3:15-18). Jesus stilled the wind and waves on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23-27).
  • Elisha opened the spiritual eyes of his servant (2 Kings 6:16-17), and Jesus opened the eyes of the blindman at the Pool of Siloam (John 9:5-7), as well as numerous others.

            When seen in tandem, this string of eight parallel miracles points to the arrival of the great Messianic prophet that Israel was longing for. Elisha’s double anointing was being doubled yet again through the ministry of Jesus. The New Testament Elisha had arrived, and his name was Jesus of Nazareth.
            Matthew deliberately framed his Gospel narrative so his Jewish readers could easily discern how Jesus duplicated and fulfilled the pattern established by the Old Testament miracle-working prophets.
            When the disciples of John the Baptist arrived to inquire if Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, how did he respond? He listed a string of miracles:

            Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me” (Matthew 11:4-6, NIV).

           Why did Jesus respond in this somewhat indirect enigmatic way? With his answer, he was drawing the link between his current ministry and the miracle-working prophetic ministry of the Old Testament duo of Elijah and Elisha. When John’s disciples leave, Jesus makes this abundantly clear to the crowd gathered around him by explicitly stating that John “is the Elijah who is to come” (Matthew 11:14).
            For those who have ears to hear, the implications are clear. If the new Elijah is already here in the person of John, then the miracles of Jesus herald his arrival as the new Elisha. Furthermore, Jesus’ answer implies that he is John the Baptist’s successor just as Elisha was Elijah’s successor. With John imprisoned, the double anointing now rests on Jesus, and in his conversation with John’s disciples he offers up his accomplishments as a miracle-worker as full proof of this prophetic transition.
            The hallmark of Elisha’s ministry was his double anointing (2 Kings 2:9). Elisha performed twice as many miracles as Elijah—more than thrice as many by some calculations. In his Gospel, Matthew signals that this double anointing resting on Jesus in a most unusual way. Generations of Bible scholars and apologists have puzzled over Matthew’s double vision. Repeatedly, Matthew reports on two men receiving miraculous help when the other Gospel writers report only one person receiving help.
            The first example of this is found in Matthew’s report on the restoration of two demon possessed men in the region of the Gadarenes (Matthew 8:28-34). This corresponds closely with the report of what appears to be the same event in Mark’s Gospel (Mark 5:1-20) and Luke’s Gospel (Luke 8:26-39). Mark’s account goes into considerably more detail, but Mark and Luke make no mention of a second man.
            The second occurrence is found in Matthew’s healing of two blindmen (Matthew 9:27-31). Again, for the perceptive, this double healing serves as a sign of the double anointing now resting on Jesus.
            The third example of Matthew’s double vision occurs as Jesus is leaving Jericho on his last Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

           Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matthew 20:30, NIV).

          Similar accounts appear in Mark’s Gospel (Mark 10:46-52) and Luke’s Gospel (Luke 18:35-43). Again, Mark provides more detail by identifying the blindman as Bartimaeus. And yet again, Mark and Luke make no mention of a second man.
            Finally, all four Gospel writers report on the feeding of the 5,000, but only Matthew and Mark include the feeding of the 4,000. Again, Matthew reports a double miracle, while Luke and John remain silent on the second miraculous feeding.
            Bible scholars and apologists have come up with some sound reasons for these discrepancies in the four Gospels, which for the sake of brevity we will not explore here. But the following is one possible explanation:
            We tend to see what we are looking for, and undoubtedly, this principle applies to Matthew as well. When we are watching for something, we will pick out the item or event we are searching for against a busy backdrop of other sights and events. We see it because we are watching for it. The words of Jesus ring true, “Seek and you will find” (Matthew 7:7).
            A recent experience David Kitz had serves to illustrate this point. While walking along the shoreline of a marsh, he came upon a muskrat lodge protruding above the ice. He was fascinated by this discovery. After continuing further, he returned and then retraced his steps and found five more muskrat lodges. He had passed by these lodges minutes earlier but had noticed none of them. He saw them now because he was looking for them.

Petrie Island — photo by David Kitz

            So, why did Matthew see and record his list of double miracles? Could it be because he was actively watching for evidence of a double anointing resting on Jesus, whereas the other Gospel writers had their attention fixed elsewhere? Matthew was expecting to see miracles in duplicate because he was keenly aware of the Old Testament dynamic duo and their prophetic narrative. He was familiar with Elisha’s miracles, and now he was watching the same pattern of miracles repeated with a twofold impact. Yes, Elisha’s double anointing was being doubled yet again.
            Furthermore, Matthew was writing with his Jewish audience in mind—an audience that was familiar with and watching for the return of the voice and power of the Old Covenant prophets. He was writing to his people in a code they could readily decipher because they were steeped in Old Testament lore and primed to expect the arrival of their Messiah. Matthew was declaring to his countrymen that the prophetic power and anointing had returned first in the person of John the Baptist, and now through the ministry of Jesus. For this reason, his Gospel narrative directly sites more than forty Old Testament references and alludes to many others.[i]
            Like any great storyteller, Matthew saves the climax of the story until the end—just before the conclusion of his Gospel. And there is no greater climax to any story than the resurrection of Jesus. Again, in Matthew’s account, there is a discernable link to resurrection and the end-of-life experiences of both Elisha and Jesus.

The promise of resurrection — photo by David Kitz

            Elisha has his own post-death resurrection story. Like many of Elisha’s miracles, it is an event without precedent in the Old Testament. Elisha’s final miracle happened months or possibly years after his death.

             Elisha died and was buried.
             Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet (2 Kings 13:20-21, NIV).

            In his death Elisha brought forth life. How miraculous—how Christ like!
            In the same way Jesus, the New Testament Elisha, brought forth resurrection life when he died.

             And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
            At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. (Matthew 27:50-53, NIV)

                Again, Matthew is the only Gospel writer who reports this phenomenal event. Perhaps Matthew met with residents of Jerusalem who told him of their encounters with these resurrected holy people. Perhaps, he or some of the other apostles had such an encounter.
                Once more, we see a striking parallel between this final resurrection miracle of Jesus’ earthly ministry, and the final resurrection miracle of Elisha. Of course, Christ’s miracle in death is an amplified version of Elisha’s posthumous resurrection miracle. Elisha brought only one man back to life, while Jesus brought many holy people up from their graves. Jesus was, after all, more than a prophet. He was and is the only begotten Son of God, and this resurrection miracle acts as a token or sign pointing to the final resurrection that will come at the end of the age when Jesus returns.
                This then is the nineth and final miracle of Jesus that reflects a direct parallel miracle from the life and ministry of Elisha. It is a miracle that is found exclusively in Matthew’s Gospel. It is recorded there because Matthew was painting a portrait of Jesus for a Jewish audience. For the perceptive, it is a portrait of a prophet who came in the miracle-working power of Elisha. And like any great storyteller, Matthew saved the most power-packed event until the end.
                Will you and I be sparking a revival after our death just as Elisha did?

[i] Matthew’s use of the Old Testament — Wednesday in the Word

This is the seventh weekly excerpt from the award-winning book 
The Elisha Code & the Coming Revival 

A soul-gripping read.
Is a return-to-Jesus revival possible in our time?
This book points the way forward.
For details click here.

It Was to Save Lives

23 Thursday Oct 2025

Posted by in Psalm 3, Psalms

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
Today’s Reading: Psalm 3

LORD God,
save me from all my troubles.
I put my confidence in you.
You reach down to me
at the low points in my life.
You have never abandoned me.
Jesus,
I give you thanks in advance
for your help.
Amen.

— — — —

Then Joseph said to his brothers,
“Come close to me.”
When they had done so, he said,
“I am your brother Joseph,
the one you sold into Egypt!
And now, do not be distressed
and do not be angry
with yourselves for selling me here,
because it was to save lives
that God sent me ahead of you.
For two years now
there has been famine in the land,
and for the next five years
there will be no plowing and reaping.
But God sent me ahead of you
to preserve for you a remnant on earth
and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
(Genesis 45:4-7 NIV)*

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Thank God for peace in Israel and Gaza,
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

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.

New from David Kitz

James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?

David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.

But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.