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Contents
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ZOLA LEVITT
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As we go to press, the LA Times headline photo is of Clinton, Barak, and
Arafat talking intensely. The headline below says "Clinton delays trip
to push for Mideast deal." Please do not be misled. All Clinton is
doing is passing out our tax money as usual to bribe ineffective leaders
like himself into posturing at peace. The following article from the
June 12 U.S. News and World Report wraps up the real situation in
Israel.
Using hate against Israel
By Mortimer B. Zuckerman, Editor-in-Chief
Hope in the Middle East peace process was a good breakfast but is today
a poor supper. The hope in the Oslo agreements was that a new
generation of Arabs, seeing dramatic progress, would deal with the
Israelis as neighbors instead of throwing rocks. Seven years later,
Israel has transferred to Palestinian control virtually all of Gaza and
half of the West Bank. Some 99 percent of the Palestinians live under
Yasser Arafat's authority. Yet the Arabs are raising a new generation
of haters whose hostility is intensified by a fanatic Islamism that has
become the staple of official propaganda and popular culture. If
anything, the animus toward Israel has grown deeper.
The hope was that a new armed Arab police would maintain order.
Instead, they aim their rifles at Israeli soldiers. The hope was that
Israel's right to exist, recognized at Oslo, would be enduring.
Instead, the Palestinians chose no less than the anniversary date of the
founding of the State of Israel for yet another riot. Imagine what
would happen if the Israelis, who lost 1 percent of their brethren
during the 1948 war of independence (the equivalent of 2 million dead in
America) celebrated their day of remembrance by beating up Arabs. The
hope was that the peace process, with the prospect of regaining still
more land, would constrain terrorism, but it continues to be tolerated,
and even encouraged, by Arafat. The hope was that the Oslo accords
would engender an atmosphere of trust and compromise. Instead, the
Arabs have merely deferred, but never reduced, their demands.
Arab rantings.
The Oslo agreements now have an air of falsity and deceit. How else to
explain the unending litany of Arab and Palestinian hate, propagated in
official newspapers and schools and from every public platform. At the
end of the millennium they labeled Jews as "the disease of the century."
They refer to them as "the seed of Satan." Pages could be filled with
expressions of their demonization of Jews and Israel.
More recently, the Arabs now have indulged in Holocaust denial,
claiming that the mass murder of the Jews was a myth. This, very
simply, is an attack on the moral foundation of Israel. These rantings
intensify Arab anti-Semitism in the minds of the next generation and
give fresh impetus to the next wave of terrorists who seek to destroy
Israel. A recent poll, with 1,600 respondents, by an Arab political
scientist, found that Arabs, by a margin of more than 4 to 1, denied the
Holocaust; rejected the idea of doing business with the Israelis, even
after a total peace; rejected learning about Israel; and supported the
attacks by Islamic groups against Israel. No wonder the Israelis fear
that words of incitement are sure to be followed by acts of
belligerence.
The Clinton administration responds to the Arab's incendiary
rhetoric and treaty violations with humiliating silence. Instead of
condemning the violence, and the threat of more violence, the Clinton
administration uses Arab intransigence to put additional pressure on the
Israelis to make even more concessions. There is not a single senior
adviser to the president who argues against the pro-Arafat impulses in
the administration. Ironically, they welcome to the White House and the
State Department the very Arab Muslim organizations in America who
support the most extreme positions against Israel.
Even when Israel was negotiating in good faith with Syria, and when
the Palestinian police turned their guns against the Israelis, the
Clinton administration pressured Israel to appease Arafat, instead of
providing the political and moral support that Israel needs and
deserves. If there is to be a new peace agreement between the Arabs and
the Jews, it must provide closure, not a cheap excuse for another round
of maximum demands. It must be binding. The Palestinians must reject
the notion that they can undo concessions and compromises once the
balance of power changes.
The issues of Jerusalem and the Palestinian refugees cannot remain
unresolved. Were all the territorial issues to be resolved, except for
Jerusalem, Jerusalem itself would become the focal point for a future
conflict—and a Jerusalem-centered conflict will become a religious
war between the Jews and the Muslims.
The Israelis must insist on such a full agreement. They must be
prepared to stand up to Arafat of necessity, and to the Clinton
administration if necessary. The Israelis will have to live with the
consequences of an agreement, long after the Clinton team has left the
White House.
 Return to Index
Monday Mornings on TBN
By Mark Levitt
My father Zola is out of town now, but I wanted to let you know that TBN
has changed our air time.
Beginning on Monday, August 7, TBN began broadcasting Zola Levitt
Presents on Monday mornings at 8:00 AM ET, 7:00 AM CT, 6:00 AM MT
and 5:00 AM PT.
Our other national broadcast time, on FAM (Fox-Family Channel), will
remain unchanged on Friday mornings: 6:30 AM ET, 5:30 AM CT, 7:30/4:30
AM MT, and 6:30 AM PT. We are concerned that too few appreciate how
many cities and rural areas are covered by FAM and TBN combined, so
please double-check your TV schedules if you believe that you're unable
to watch both of these networks.
I am interested in any suggestions you might have for improving our
outreach. Please feel free to telephone me or write to my attention.
May God bless you.
Return to Index
Editorial
Anti-Semitism in the Arab Press
From Israel Today
Since the peace talks between Israel and Syria broke down, the
government-controlled Syrian media have been on a tirade of anti-Israel,
anti-Semitic rhetoric and propaganda, which has left many Israelis
questioning what the peace process is all about. "It's hard to believe
the kind of hatred the Arab press is spreading," said Foreign Minister
David Levy. "Is all this talk of 'bloodthirsty Zionists"' a process of
reconciliation between Israelis and Arabs? What Arab would desire to
make peace when his leaders compare Israelis with the Nazis?"
Anti-Semitism, Syrian Style
The Chairman of the Arab Writers Union in Syria, Dr. Ali Akleh Ursan,
writes: "The greedy, racist and hated Jew Shylock, who with the knife of
hatred [a reference to a medieval legend about a Jew who murdered a
Christian child and used his blood for making Passover matzah], will
ambush you with his money, his modern airplanes, his missiles and
nuclear bombs.
You must answer a very difficult questions: Do you, Christians and
Moslems, want to live, survive and put your beliefs into practice? Or
are you like Abraham's sheep on the threshold of the Jewish altar,
brought there to be sacrificed? You always will be Goyim
[Gentiles] who are disrespected by the sons of a snake [the Jews].
Arabs sometimes say that their problem is with Zionism, not Judaism.
Nevertheless, Ursan's tirade is not directed at Zionists or Israelis,
but at Jews.
Zionism, Nazism and Holocaust Denial
The publisher of Syria's official daily Tishrin, Muhammad Kheir
Al-Wadi, wrote that the Holocaust is a "myth" aimed at winning world
sympathy for Israel. He went on to say that Israel has committed "worse
crimes than the Nazis," and "Zionist leaders cooperated with the Nazis."
The publisher of the Syrian paper Al Ba'ath, Turki Sakr,
concurs: "They [the Zionists] speak of fighting the Nazi occupation of
Europe and praise themselves for their resistance...but no one
believes them."
Nothing New Under the Sun
Professor Rafi Yisraeli, an expert on Middle East politics at Hebrew
University in Jerusalem, says Israel and Syria may be in a peace
process, but nothing has changed. "There is nothing new here," he says.
"What we see has been there a long time, and it's not going to change.
The Jewish people fell asleep, and we are waking up only now. This
anti-Semitism has always existed in the Syrian press. Egyptian and
Jordanian papers are no different, even though these countries have
signed peace agreements with Israel."
Yisraeli says there are three different sources of anti-Semitism in
Arab countries. "First of all there is the Islamic movement. Islam
itself is so full of anti-Jewish views, that fundamentalist movements
like Hamas and Hizbollah do not need a pretext—they only have to
refer to the Koran and other writings.
"Second, there is European anti-Semitism which is exported to the Arab
world. The founder of Syria's ruling Ba'ath party was actually a
Christian. The leaders of radical PLO splinter groups, like George
Habush and Naif Hawatme, are Christians. For some time the Arabs have
been using anti-Semitic texts such as The Protocols of the Elders of
Zion, blood libels from medieval Catholicism, and white supremacist
theories about Jewish control of world finances."
Yisraeli says the third point is that Arab anti-Semitism in the press is
a negotiating tactic. "Whenever Israeli and Arab negotiators reach a
crucial stage and the Arabs believe that they will get land in return
for peace, anti-Semitic statements in the press either disappear or are
less virulent. This is a tactical [maneuver]. When negotiations break
down or the Israeli offer does not meet expectations, anti-Semitism
increases drastically in the Arab media."
Return to Index
Zola's Bulletin Board
Airing Updates
Please see Mark's article on the cover regarding TBN's new Monday
morning times for Zola Levitt Presents. TBN's change has allowed
KTBW-20 in Seattle to carry our program at 5:00 AM on Mondays. Why not
set your VCR to record our program for more convenient viewing—and
sharing with friends?
Cancelled:
KETH-14 Houston, TX
WELF-23 Chattanooga, TN
WPGD-50 Hendersonville, TN
WTJP-60 Birmingham, AL
[Click here to see the entire TV schedule]
Zola's Travels & Talks
Israel Tour - Aug 30 - Sep 17
Oct 15 - Speaking at the Life Christian Center in St. Louis, MO
13001 Gravois, (314) 843-5575
Nov 24 - 27 - Speaking on Caribbean cruise.
For information, call Joe Vera at 727-327-0268.
Website Upgrade
At www.levitt.com, Zola now invites you, via
Internet TV,
to visit our congregation, Shalom, Shalom
and to join one of our Holy Land tours.
Whether you prefer to download the free RealAudio or
QuickTime software, watching these brief greetings will prove that
you're able to see our full-length TV programs, anytime, right on your
computer.
Follow the North Star
Why did the three wise men go to Israel in December? Because it was
cooler, less crowded or cheaper? Those might have been side benefits,
but what better time to visit the land where time began than when we
commemorate the birth of Jesus? Both of our
December tours
depart on the 11th. The Deluxe Tour returns on the 21st and the Grand
on the 25th. Please call Diana or Becky at (214) 696-9760, during
office hours, or 1-800-WONDERS anytime. Celebrating its 17th birthday
on August 20,
TEI
will be taking its 69th tour in December.
In Laymen's Terms
On page 10,
D.A.J. asks Zola "to be more specific about the charges against the
seminaries." For a concise answer to a question being asked far and
wide, please go to page 10.
Online Estate Planning
http://netwills.com
is a web site that helps you create a will. Then again, you're welcome
to telephone our office during business hours, Central Time, to get
names from our directory of Christian attorneys. We also offer free,
with any purchase or donation, the workbook A Guide to Your Christian
Will. Planning for your graduation to heaven is an important act of
stewardship that will give you peace of mind.
Return to Index
A Note From Mark
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MARK LEVITT
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Dear Friends,
One of our readers recently suggested that we begin disclosing that our
newsletters aren't actually free. She was surprised and disappointed
that her Levitt Letter quit coming to her and concluded that her
subscription expired for lack of any purchases or donations.
Well, our newsletters have never been "free," at least for us. Our
mom-and-pop printer gives us unbeatable prices, but he has to be paid
every month. Nine-digit ZIP codes and bar coding minimize our postage
expenses, but they still run into the thousands of dollars for every
newsletter.
Unfortunately, some of you who are blessed by Zola's Levitt
Letters will suppose that unless you support this ministry, you
aren't entitled to these mailings. On the contrary, part of our
obligation as a non-profit organization that accepts tax-deductible
donations is to benefit the public at large. Above and beyond that, we
serve God by feeding his sheep—especially the hungriest and
neediest among them.
We send newsletters to thousands of prisoners, retirees,
handicapped, disabled and, less enthusiastically, viewers who added
themselves to our mailing list on impulse and now fail to read one word
of anything we send.
Even now, as you read these words, some Levitt Letters are
going straight from mailboxes to waste baskets. Others are going to
vacant houses or tenants who dislike receiving their predecessor's mail.
Some are even being intercepted by well-meaning family members
intending to protect their relatives from "Jewish, pro-Israel
mumbo-jumbo that diverts attention from the Bible."
Good stewardship requires that after more than a year of not hearing
from someone, we suspend their subscription and send a letter asking if
they would really like to receive more Levitt Letters. Several
months after that, we follow up with one more Levitt Letter,
hoping they will notice how much they've missed us. Of course, our
weekly TV programs and web page, www.levitt.com, bless people
with our teaching as well, but we want to keep all the readers we
can—all of the ones who are actually reading, that is.
You might have expected "A Note from Mark" to focus on whether this
outreach is prospering, since I am the Business Manager. The answer is
a resounding yes in terms of our TV audience's growth, our production of
important, new television programs and our distribution of books, tapes,
music, etc. Incidentally, if you did nothing but purchase a Jewish
Heritage Calendar each year (or any other item), you'd never miss a
Levitt Letter.
If you are able to support this ministry but don't, despite enjoying
location TV programs and "free" newsletters, then this article may make
you feel a little sheepish. Someone else's donations are paying your
way, and they are bearing your burden. We realize that you may be
supporting other causes that are more important to you. If we're
blessing you, then please stay aboard.
For those of you who help us to serve, this is what God has
commanded. "Feed my sheep." "How beautiful are the feet of them that
preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things" (Rom.
10:15 KJV). You send us to do ministry and we do it — on TV, through
newsletters, teaching materials, the Internet, on Israel tours and at
speaking engagements. For each of you who support us, we reach roughly
one hundred others. When you consider the quality and importance of the
teaching we do, there can be no better place to invest ministry tithes
and offerings.
Our audited financial statements, free for the asking, show that
this outreach is stable but doing all that it can with limited
resources. As for the actual state of the ministry, we only wish you
could see statements from heaven showing how many souls we have blessed,
continue blessing and will bless right up to and through the Rapture . . .
and beyond, thanks to the anointed teaching materials we'll leave
behind when we go home.
See your future home this Christmas! Our extended
Winter Tour
(December 11-25) will take you to the Shepherds' Fields of Bethlehem on
Christmas Eve to worship our Lord at the place of His birth, and then
have you home on Christmas Day. You will tour Israel with our Deluxe
Tour (December 11-21) before traveling down to the southernmost point of
Israel on the Red Sea to stay in a luxurious hotel in the resort city of
Eilat. From there you will go to Petra, Jordan, the ancient,
magnificent Nabatean city carved directly out of the rose-red mountains.
It is strongly believed that the Children of Israel were led by Moses
through this magnificent creation.
Our Deluxe Tour will visit all the major Biblical sites, as we
always do. You will stand on the Mt. of Beatitudes, and you can be
baptized in the Jordan River just as our Lord was. You will see Mt.
Carmel, Megiddo, Nazareth, the Western Wall, the Mt. of Olives, the
Garden of Gethsemane, the Upper Room, the Garden Tomb, Masada, and the
Dead Sea. You will also tour the beautiful Golan Heights and thoroughly
explore the Old City of Jerusalem. See the original Dead Sea Scrolls,
as well as the caves of Qumran, where they were found. Visit the
haunting Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum and memorial to the more than
six million Jews who were slaughtered for their faith. Shop the
marketplaces of Israel, eat deliciously hearty Israeli meals, and see
the lush fields grown from the barren desert of the Holy Land. Call
Diana or Becky at 214-696-9760 during office hours for more information,
or call 1-800-WONDERS any time for a full-color brochure.
We have an exciting new television series beginning in September,
"The Feasts of the Lord." The feasts, as given to Moses on Mount Sinai,
comprise one of the most fascinating and important Bible studies. Since
knowledge of these feasts seems to repose mainly with Jewish people,
whether Messianic or other, we wanted to acquaint our large audience
with this information. Few churches or seminaries teach what we take up
in this series.
In His service,
Mark Levitt
Zola's Son and Business Manager
Return to Index
Dear Zola and friends,
Recently, we viewed a television program presenting the extreme poverty
and deplorable living conditions which the Jewish people returning to
their homeland experience.
This disturbed me. We have made two trips to Israel and found it
breathtakingly beautiful and as modern as any city in America.
After viewing the program, I called a friend who had just returned
from Israel. Her church had conducted a walking tour, walking ten hours
each day. I asked if they had seen any poverty or homeless people. She
said no. I think after walking so many hours each day, one would have
covered the spectrum.
I hesitate to question the authenticity of the material on this
show. We are familiar with the work done by this ministry to the Jewish
people in Russia, but we cannot wholly accept what we saw on the Holy
Land program.
May God continue to bless you and your work. We have learned so much from you.
M.R.
Dear M.R.,
Distortions about Israel are normal for the secular media. You are
correct, it is as beautiful and modern as our own country. But unlike
the U.S., it has no homeless people and little poverty. As to why the
unbeliever invariably paints a negative picture of Israel, the bedrock
reasons are spiritual. Israel is God's country and the work of His
hands, and the unbeliever is implacably opposed to that.
Not all ministries that say they are helping Jewish people in Russia
or Israel are doing a good job of it. We recommend Bridges for Peace
because they are believers, and we know their work over many years. We
do not recommend sundry Jewish and Christian fellowships, particularly
not those headed by unbelievers or "liberals."
Thanks for your kind words. Please know that you will always get
the truth about Israel at this address.
Dear Zola,
The enclosed copy of my letter to Bishop Paulk is self-explanatory. I
truly did take great exception to the remarks made by Bishop Paulk and
wanted you to know what I said to him. Personally, I stand by the Bible
and will never knowingly usurp any place that is specifically for my
Jewish brothers and sisters.
I wish to take this opportunity to tell you that I enjoy very much
the series you are currently airing on TBN. I have never been able to
afford the journey to Israel, but your programs help me to go there
vicariously! Do keep up the good work until Jesus comes!
God loves you very much!
Yours in Christ,
P.W.
P.S. Have you had problems with a sluggish liver? I have been in
nutrition as a student for many years, and you exhibit some of the
symptoms. You may wish to consult an authority on your text trip to
Israel. Personally, I do not trust American doctors or the so-called
medicine they prescribe. I usually go to Dr. Jesus first!
Dear Bishop Paulk:
The purpose of this letter is to take exception to some of the remarks
made by you in the sermon broadcast this date. Those remarks had to do
with the 144,000 Jews mentioned in the 7th chapter of the book of
Revelation.
You state that you believe the 144,000 to be Christians and gave the
impression that they were not of the Jewish race of people. Now in Rev.
4, most students of the Bible believe that the Christians are Raptured
at that point. According to our dear friend, Finis J. Dake, the 144,000
are definitely Jews. This is his comment:
The 144,000 are not servants when the Rapture takes place in Rev.
4:1, for all in Christ at that time will be translated (I Th. 4:16, I
Cor. 15:23). They will be saved after the Rapture in the revival
predicted in Acts 2:16-21. They are to be saved and become servants of
God by the time they are sealed. This is why they have God's name
written on them (v3; 14:1).
I bring this to your attention as there is so much Replacement
Theology rampant in the land at this time, and all of my Christian
Jewish friends take great exception to this being preached. This is a
stumbling block to many. I believe we should never usurp the Jews'
rightful place in God's scheme of things. I take Romans 11:17-24 very
seriously and attempt to always adhere to it.
I do hope this will reach your desk.
Sincerely,
An 80-year-young sister in Christ!
P.W.
Dear P.W.,
I'm not sure what the symptoms of a sluggish liver are, but my Bible
tells me the following: "And I heard the number of them which were
sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of
all the tribes of the children of Israel" (Rev. 7:4, italics
mine).
Zola
Brother Levitt,
I just completed your book The Trouble with Christians, the Trouble
with Jews, and I have one question. "What's the trouble with Zola
Levitt?"
The extremist D.L. Moody position on Grace is a demonic delusion.
How can you honestly believe that you have complete freedom to do
anything? Because the Law and the Ten Commandments were done away with
at Calvary? Yeshua fulfilled, magnified the Law. His ministry taught
us that murder was not only the taking of another's life, but wishing
harm on a fellow brother. He also said that our righteousness must be
like that of the Pharisees.
With regards to your family business, just how much ministry money
goes to providing your son with a wage/benefits package? Why not let
him grow up and fend for himself? Let him have the experience of
getting a job on his own merits and not nepotism.
I know you won't be replying to this letter vis-à-vis some
rationalization that maintains your ego structure, but Calvinists are
very hard to bring to the truth and true freedom.
Sincerely,
I.M.K., BS, MBA
Dear I.M.K., BS, MBA,
The idea that a Christian has complete freedom to do anything was not
original with me or with Moody. God said it first in 1 Corinthians
10:23 that we can do anything, but that doesn't mean it's good for us or
others. The Christian does not tend to "do anything" because he is
guided by the example and the teachings of our Lord. But he is
completely free of all law.
Incidentally, the Lord said "our righteousness should exceed that of
the Pharisees" (Matt. 5:20).
We have no "family business," but each of us does God's calling.
All of our ministry workers have a nominal wage/benefits package,
including Mark. As far as fending for himself, this particular
youngster saved up thousands of dollars mowing lawns as a high schooler
and paid for his own college education (in business administration). A
tall, strong boy, he could mow 10 yards on a 100° Dallas day. It was not
nepotism but God's will that this good steward look after our ministry's
business affairs. So far as his growing up, he's 40, so we'll have to
take what we have.
I'm not exactly sure what a Calvinist is, but I don't think I am one.
Zola
Dear Zola,
Thank you for keeping us up-to-date on the decline of what were once our
strongholds of Christian truth. How sad, but we do need to keep our
heads up regarding these false teachings.
Thank you, too, for keeping us informed on the Middle East. The
whole situation seems very touchy.
I thought you might be interested in a quote I saw in Chuck
Missler's magazine, Personal Update:
An elderly American Indian was overheard in a discussion about
federal policy; he was quoted as saying, "Let me tell you more about
land for peace..."
Yours truly,
J.B.
Dear Zola,
I so look forward to each publication from you and am truly thankful
that you continue to speak the truth regardless of the opposition. I
guess, at this point, you need to keep our Lord's words in mind when He
said "they hated Me first." Sometimes it's very lonely out here, but I
just grab His hand and keep on going. My heartfelt thanks to you and
your staff.
G.T.
Email sent to Cornerstone Television:
Watching your regular shows are always uplifting, but when it comes to
Zola Levitt and his guests, it becomes evident to me that some who call
themselves Christians are so pathetic and full of hate toward others
that it makes me and, no doubt, others puke from disgust. As a
Christian, we must be full of love towards others and not spread hate
and malicious lies and stupidity like Zola and his guests do towards
other ethnic groups and religious organizations. No doubt, Zola is not
a Christian but is pretending to be one solely for spreading propaganda
and hate. Zola must be presenting other Christian values unfit for our
moral commitment to God. I will refuse to allow my children to listen
to any of his disgusting comments about other people because no good
Christian American stoops so low to such a level bordering on hate and
giving Christianity a bad name.
Thank you,
M.J.O.
Dear Zola,
On your program today, you told how the news media ignores Israel so
much. I have noticed something else along that line. I have been
skimming the travel section of our local newspaper for years here in
Arizona. Not once have I ever seen a trip to Israel advertised among
all the ads for tours and trips, among all the cities mentioned all over
the world. Why do you suppose that is? Not that I would choose a
non-Christian tour plan. But I just thought that went along with the
ignoring of Israel factor.
L.W.
Dear L.W.,
I think the reason is that there is little interest in the Holy Land on
the part of unbelievers. They've been raised to think that Europe,
especially Italy and Greece, are their real heritage instead of Israel.
A tour of Israel requires faith. Unbelievers are invariably bored with
the place, but believers are totally overwhelmed by it. The lack of
advertising is not so much bias, but an expression of the unbeliever's
true love, cash.
Zola
Dear Brothers or Sisters,
I am writing in response to an overwhelming burden placed upon my heart
by our Lord on July 5, 2000, for Israel. As most of you are aware, the
Word of God proclaims that all nations shall turn against Israel and
Jerusalem. Our own nation is putting pressure on them in the form of
withholding money. I found even my own Methodist organization was
calling for sanctions against Israel if they refused to bend to the will
of the UN and our government.
The question I have for you is simple. Do the Christians of this
country have a way to tithe and bless (by offerings of money) directly
to Israel? We are not a nation (individually speaking) but as believers
we know we will be blessed by blessing Israel. It will also make a
strong statement to our own government that we do not support their
current policy towards Israel and Jerusalem.
I will be withdrawing my financial support from the United Methodist
Church until they change their position on this matter. I intend to
speak out on this issue to other Christians in my (very limited) sphere
of influence. I can only hope you will pray about this issue of tithing
directly to Israel and hear from our Lord the direction and purpose He
has for us I this time. The Lord has burdened me to burden you. Get
near to Him and ask of the Lord.
Please add the address and information that will be required to send
tithes and offerings to Israel directly on your website, radio, TV, and
local ministries. Sending them directly will keep our government from
interfering. Some brother in Christ must know how or whom to contact to
set this up with Israel.
May God keep and bless us all.
Thank you, your brother in Christ,
B.B.
Dear B.B.,
Blessing Israel directly by donations is Biblical and commendable.. We
do it liberally by taking tours and by planting trees. We also donate
money to Bridges for Peace, a Christian mission in Jerusalem which
assists immigrants to the land. Other possibilities are the Ebenezer
Emergency Fund, which rescues Russian Jews and ships them to Israel, and
the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, which witnesses to the
Jewish population at large. You will find their addresses below.
You will see in my answer to the above letter reasons for the
animosity of the United Methodist Church to the Promised Land. By and
large, this is a liberal denomination which quit studying the Bible long
ago and lost any love for the Chosen People and their land in the
process. They have supported the Palestinians from the beginning of the
conflict. They are unaware that their tithes buy weapons and support
terrorism.
I would be remiss not to mention that the same general position on
Israel is held by the Catholic, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Lutheran
denominations for the same reasons.
Bridges for Peace
PO Box 1093
Jerusalem, ISRAEL
Ebenezer Emergency Fund
PO Box 26
Point Harbor, NC 27964
The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem
PO Box 1192
Jerusalem, 91010 ISRAEL
Dear Zola,
I watched your programs on the arising apostasy in some "Christian"
colleges. I agree with you. But, may I make a suggestion?
The Bible clearly tells us that there will be a falling away from
the faith in the last days. We have seen this apostasy spreading for
many years now. Jesus asked the rhetorical question, "Shall I find
faith when I return?" The implication clearly is that He will find very
little.
So, what's my point? First of all, it's this: What we are seeing is
simply Bible prophecy coming to pass. I must ask the question, "Why are
we Christians who know something about last day's events so upset when
we see them happening?" Granted, it's good—very good—to let
the unlearned Christian world know about places that no longer honor God
as they should. But, in my opinion, there is something vital that is
missing in our warnings. And that brings me to my second point.
When telling the unlearned, as well as the lackadaisical, Christians
about current Bible prophecy fulfillment, also tell them about the
trend. Whet their appetites to read their Bibles more, to witness more,
to give more to God's work, to live for God more. Let them know that
time is short and that the future is bright for them if they are truly
saved. Let them know that time is short if they are going to do
anything for God. And, let them know that, if they are planning to lay
up any treasures in heaven, that now is the time to get started. I
think that what I am really saying is that current Bible prophecy
fulfillment might be just the thing that is needed to start a revival IF
IT IS PRESENTED POSITIVELY! Amen?
God bless,
D.M.
Dear D.M.,
Prophecy teaches that weak Christians like sacramentalists or liberals
will certainly fall away, as you point out. But there is nothing to
indicate that the very top of the evangelical leadership will succumb to
un-Biblical teachings. For the leadership of Moody Bible Institute,
Dallas Theological Seminary, and the rest to turn their backs on Israel
at just the time when God is moving so strongly there is the shocker.
To me, that is a total surprise, not anticipated in prophecy, and it
needs a bright light so that all can see it happen. And I really don't
know how to present those facts "positively."
Zola
Dear Zola,
I have been watching your show and receiving your mail for many years
now. I trust what you say and would like you to be more specific about
the charges against the seminaries, Moody in particular. Are they
saying that the present return of the people of Israel has no
significance in prophecy? Or that there may be another exile and
another return? Specifically, what is the problem here in laymen's
terms?
Your brother in the Lord,
D.A.J.
Yes, they are saying that the present return of the people of Israel has
no significance in prophecy. Some professors maintain that there may be
another exile, despite Amos 9:14-15, which guarantees that the Chosen
People will not be moved again. In laymen's terms, the problem is that
there is a massive shift of focus in Christendom away from Israel and
the Kingdom to come, and instead, an emphasis on the American church as
if (wink, wink) we should all know it has replaced Israel. In simplest
words, the problem is that, if the Rapture came now, it would totally
surprise much of the student bodies of Moody Bible Institute and Dallas
Seminary. They would proceed to a kingdom in a country, Israel, they
heard little of despite their seminary education. I can't tell you how
ironic it is that these major seminaries would turn away from what they
were teaching Biblically only 20 or 30 years ago at just the time it is
most crucial to understand it. We have waited nearly 2,000 years to see
God's people restored to their Promised Land, and now, when it actually
happens, our future leaders are systematically taught to ignore it.
Progressive Dispensationalism is just one of the doctrines that
facilitate this tremendous error.
Zola
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Recently, I visited friends who have a ranch and keep donkeys. I knew
little about this quiet but hardworking animal, and was amazed to see
that each one has a cross clearly marked on its back. Since it was a
donkey that our Lord rode into Jerusalem on the day that He came as
King, I was very struck by this. "The lowest of the lowly" carried the
"Highest of the High." Our hosts supplied the following poem.
The Donkey
By Gilbert Keith Chesterton
When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born;
With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil's walking parody
On all four-footed things.
The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.
Alas! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.
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