Tag Archives: soldier

A STUNNING STORY OF HOLY WEEK THROUGH THE EYES OF A ROMAN CENTURION

04 Thursday Oct 2018

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

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Soldier bookThe Soldier Who Killed a King

See the triumphal entry of the donkey-riding king through the eyes of Marcus Longinus, the centurion charged with keeping the streets from erupting into open rebellion.

Go behind the scenes at the political plotting of King Herod, known as the scheming Fox for his ruthless shrewdness.

Witness the confrontation between the Jewish high priest Caiaphas and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.

Understand as never before the horror of the decision to save a brutal terrorist in order to condemn the peaceful Jew to death.

If you’ve heard the story of Passion Week so often it’s become stale, now is the time to rediscover the terrible events leading from Jesus’s humble ride into the city to his crucifixion. The Soldier Who Killed a King will stun you afresh with how completely Christ’s resurrection changed history, one life at a time.

A readable and accurate novel about Jesus Christ’s last week on earth. Kitz portrayal of the collison between pagan Rome and temple Judiam is completely plausible.

Joe Woodard, Calgary Herald

Author Bio: David Kitz is a Bible dramatist and outreach minister with the Foursquare Church.

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For more information on the book visit: https://davidkitz.ca/centurion.php

For more information on the book purchase visit: https://www.davidkitz.ca/bookcart/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=50

or https://www.amazon.com/Soldier-Who-Killed-King-Retelling/dp/0825444853/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536264104&sr=8-1&keywords=the+soldier+who+killed+a+king

For more information on the dramatization visit: https://davidkitz.ca/centurion.php

Excerpt 13 for Lent from The Soldier Who Killed a King

07 Wednesday Mar 2018

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

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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 among the detail of soldiers assigned to welcome Herod the Tetrarch to Jerusalem. As the royal procession is about to enter the city a disturbing incident takes place that reveals the character of the man that Jesus called a fox.

Suddenly, just ahead, among the bowing throng, a small copper bowl flashed in the sun. I sucked in a shallow breath and hoped it had gone unnoticed.
Herod’s hand shot out from the left side of the litter, just a few feet above and ahead of my horse’s ears.
“There! There!” he yelled. “Stop the litter!”
Flavio bellowed, “Halt!”
“Bring the boy over.” Herod gestured to the bodyguard next to me.
The guard beckoned with his hand, and the once crippled Lucas stepped forward. He wore a shy smile, but there was an eager glint in his eye.
“Is that a beggar’s bowl in your hand?” the king inquired.
“Yes, sir.”
“I didn’t come to feed beggars,” Herod said coldly. “Now, teach this boy not to beg from a king.” Herod again gestured to the guard.
With one hand the guard grabbed the boy’s free hand. With the other hand he raised his gleaming sword above his head.

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Photo credit Jean Levac, Ottawa Citizen

With sudden terror in his eyes, Lucas instinctively yanked back.
The blade flashed down.
The boy fell back into the crowd as the guard triumphantly raised the severed, dripping hand above his head.
“Well done, Cestas!” Herod cheered. “Well done!”
I saw Lucas flee, white- faced and stumbling, clutching tight the bleeding stump.
“There are no beggars in Galilee,” the Fox announced to the crowd. “And if I ruled here, there would be none in Jerusalem.”
The onlookers were stunned—riveted to the spot. Herod paused, and after a brief search he pulled out the flimsy purple robe from among the cushions behind him. He made a great show of folding it carefully several times.
“Bring me your trophy.”
Biblical fiction winner 2017Cestas came forward and placed the small, severed hand in the folds of the purple robe, bowing graciously to his monarch.
“Ah, tribute for the governor.” Herod laughed coarsely. “Let’s be off!”
The remainder of the processional was uneventful. Following the trumpeters’ fanfare, Pontius Pilate and his wife, Claudia Procula, received the tetrarch graciously, with considerable pomp. The Roman governor politely inquired about the journey and made flattering comments about Herodias and her attire.

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.

Excerpts for Lent from “The Soldier Who Killed a King”

19 Monday Feb 2018

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

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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?

Four in the afternoon, Sunday, April 2, AD 30
It was never like this before. biblical-fiction-award-2017_orig
I had been posted in Jerusalem for ten years now, but in all that time, I had never seen a Passover crowd like this.
It wasn’t the numbers. I had seen that before.
The Passover pilgrims always come plodding into the city in reverent caravans. Some of them chant psalms. Others are silent, looking bone-weary as they trudge, like fretful herdsmen with children in tow. Undoubtedly, many are relieved that their holy city is finally in view.
But this year it was different. There was this man—at the center of the whole procession. There had never been a central figure before. Every movement within that huge throng seemed focused on him.
Squinting in a futile attempt to get a better view, I gave Claudius a backhanded slap to the shoulder and demanded, “What are they doing?”
“They’re climbing the trees, sir.”
“I can see that!” I snapped. “But what are they doing?”
“They seem to be tearing off the palm branches, sir.”
“What is going on here?” I said it more to myself than to any of the men standing near me. An uncomfortable feeling crept into me as the procession advanced.
“They don’t usually do this?” Claudius questioned.
“No . . . They’ve never done this before.” There was worry in my voice. Claudius had been recently assigned to this place, the festering armpit of the empire, and I was at a loss to explain what was happening before us. We were standing on the wall above the gate of Jerusalem, and less than a half mile away, we could see the jubilant pilgrims surging toward us in alarming numbers.
“They’re laying the palm branches on the road in front of that man—the man on the donkey.”
Until Claudius said it, I hadn’t noticed the donkey. Its small size and the frenzy of activity round about must have obscured this detail in the picture before me. What an odd way for this man to come. I could make no sense of it.
“They’re throwing down their cloaks before him.”
The sweat- glistened bodies of several men were clearly visible. Outer garments were being cast down before this man as a sign of homage. At the same time the rhythmic chanting of their voices became more distinct.
What were they singing? Could I pick up the words?
     “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
     “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
     “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
That’s when it hit me like a barbarian’s club. I realized what I was witnessing. It was a triumphal entry—the entry of a king.
It was the words. The words they were now boisterously shouting. He was their Messiah. The Son of David! The one they were waiting for! The one who would rid them of the Romans. He would set up his glorious Jewish kingdom, here, in Jerusalem! This is what I had been warned about since the day I first set foot on this cursed Judean soil. And we, I and my men and the garrison in the city, were all that stood in their way.

A Book Review by Glynis Belec

21 Thursday Sep 2017

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The Soldier Who Killed a King is not a light read that fills me with superficiality andSoldier book indifference about something that happened in history. Instead I am transported to a place filled with conflict, violence, emotional turmoil, restlessness and intrigue via the powerful character of Marcus Longinus, the Centurion in charge of keeping law and order during a tumultuous time.

David Kitz has created a character in Marcus Longinus that helps me consider the internal battle the Centurion faces and what stirs in his heart to make the declaration that the Donkey King really is the Son of God.

The minor characters are relate-able in emotion, too, and I especially appreciate the insight Kitz gives about the tenderness of Marcus Longinus as is presented beautifully in his interaction with family. The Soldier Who Killed a King kept me riveted and even though I tried to put the book down (one has to sleep) I found myself having to turn just one more page.

Confrontation after confrontation; from the Passover crowd to the nail-scarred hands of the Man who was to change the course of history—I was fascinated, compelled to read it and moved sometimes, to tears. This is a book that doesn’t hold back, yet it is not gory nor does it contain gratuitous violence.

Even though this is a work of fiction, it contains accuracy as outlined in the Gospels. I appreciate the timeline and the steady pace of The Soldier Who Killed a King. I would recommend this book highly for it approaches the week of Christ’s suffering and resurrection from a unique and genuine viewpoint and offers a fresh look at forgiveness and Divine love unleashed.

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The Soldier Who Killed a King

19 Saturday Aug 2017

Posted by in Books by David Kitz, Psalms

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The ebook version of my Passion of Christ novel is available for just $0.99 for the next 24 hours on Amazon.

Here is a look at the most recent Amazon review:

4485-e BLOG 160x375When it comes to fiction books that are centered around Biblical times, it takes a really good author to hook me into the story line. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading my Bible, however, not every author can create a story that brings the Biblical portion off the book pages and to the reader like a movie screen. David Kitz, however, truly hooked me with this book, and took me on a first-class whirlwind ride through history. 

I absolutely felt every emotion of this book, watching, most often on the edge of my seat, as Christ was crucified. This book really brings to life the Biblical and the historical detail. As I watched the Roman Centurion who was tasked with awful task, I found myself with tears in my eyes, both for him, and for Christ. It was a heart-wrenching, gut twisting, thought provoking story of sacrifice and pain. 

This book……anything less than a 5 star review would be a disgrace. The style of which David Kitz wrote this novel is stunning and captivating. This book is definitely not for everyone though. If you are a reader of Biblical fiction, if you want to see what happened during that eventful week in time, then this book is for you. You will not be disappointed and you will want more! I know I am already ready for another beautifully written novel of Biblical times by this superbly talented author! Grab this book and be prepared for a jaw dropping experience of watching the crucifixion come into play. 

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THE SOLDIER WHO KILLED A KING

06 Thursday Jul 2017

Posted by in Books by David Kitz, Psalms

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The most cinematic account of the Passion of Christ that I have ever read.

by Alex Szollo

Entire libraries can be filled with accounts of the life and times of Jesus Christ, worshipped by billions of people all over the world as the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, and all this has, of course, developed over the course of time. I’ve always been fascinated with the world into which Jesus was born, lived, died and was raised to life again. I’ve seen countless movies based on His life, and I’ve read a wealth of fiction books, from all sorts of perspectives.

Soldier bookI think it’s safe to say that after years of reading about Christ, I found the most gripping, dramatic account of His passion that I’ve ever read. It arrived in the form of a novel called THE SOLDIER WHO KILLED A KING, written by David Kitz, whom I wholeheartedly thank for the signed copy of the novel. I also hereby declare that the views you are about to read are entirely my own. This is what this book fully deserves, ’cause, to say it briefly, it’s awesome!

The novel is written from the point of view of Marcus Longinus, a Roman soldier who observes the effect that Jesus has on the people of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which is the event that starts the story. Over the course of a week, this man’s entire life is turned upside down and built anew as he seeks to find out the truth about who the mysterious, wonder-working “donkey king” is, and what He means for Rome, Israel, and the entire world.

He witnesses the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the cleansing of the temple, and thinks Jesus to be a ragtag revolutionary. Then, he sees Him pray and bring miracles to those who need them, and begins to wonder whether there’s more than meets the eye to this man, as he witnesses Jesus becoming caught in the power struggles between Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod Antipas(or the Weasel, the Badger and the Fox – all very fitting nicknames).

Here is where the book becomes brutal, and I’m not just talking about what Jesus goes through. There’s a very powerful and dramatic scene where the blood-crazed Herod abuses his power in a shocking manner. Read the book to find out how, and how Christ plays a role in the aftermath of that scene. As for the Passion itself, it is depicted in all its cruelty, but there’s a great deal of reverence coming across.

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Readers will be transported to those times, they will be terrified and inspired at the same time, reliving the most impactful sacrifice of all time. Mr. Kitz’s background as a spoken-word drama performer comes across powerfully in this gripping narrative, which does not feel cheesy or preachy for a second. It’s the story of a man whose faith develops gradually, the fictional but Truth-filled story of the difference one Man and one week made in the history of the world.

I’m blessed to have this book on my shelf, and give it ten out of five stars! Blessings upon blessings, Mr. Kitz! You’ve written one for the ages!

THE SOLDIER WHO KILLED A KING is now available for pre-order from Kregel Publishing: http://www.kregel.com/fiction/the-soldier-who-killed-a-king/

 

Foreword

06 Tuesday Jun 2017

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What would it have been like to live in the geopolitical center of the first-century world, when donkeys and camels were the cars and trucks, conversations over goblets of wine were the social media, and religious conflict influenced every facet of life? What would it have been like to live under the pagan, political domination of Roman tyranny, while also under the oppressive ritualistic control of hypocritical religious bigots? What would it have been like to live in the very week that this dark, confused world was invaded by heaven—a week when history shifted from BC to AD?

Soldier bookThis gripping story offers its readers a front-row seat from which we can view the action. It’s a hidden camera on the helmet of a primary witness of the history-altering drama when the Sovereign of the Universe, quietly riding a lowly donkey, overthrew the pomp and dominion of the most powerful kingdom this world had ever known. More than that, it’s a look into the mind and heart of a man, not unlike you or me, who wrestled with the meaning and purpose of life.

As you read the thoughtful eyewitness account of Marcus Longinus, the Roman centurion, the soldier who killed a king, you’ll feel his anxiety and anguish as well as exult in his ultimate answers because—despite the differences of time and culture—his story is our story.

Dr. Barry Buzza
President Emeritus
Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada

For the month of June The Soldier Who Killed a King is available for preorder from Kregel Publishing for the early bird price of $10.99. The worldwide release date is July 25th.

Place your order today: http://www.kregel.com/fiction/the-soldier-who-killed-a-king/