FROM SARAH, OUR SABRA
ON THE GROUND IN ISRAEL

Dear Friend,

Shalom from the Holy Land. Israel lifted some of the last limitations imposed by COVID, and so it finally feels like life is returning to normality. We also recently experienced the very intense time of Passover, which coincided with Ramadan and Easter.

SEEKING PEACE

I spent Passover week in Jerusalem, on the edge of the Old City, and walked to and from the Old City each day. The tension in the city was high, and the number of police on the streets was the highest I’ve ever seen.

Young teenage Arab boys were being stopped and questioned at crossings between the Arab and Jewish areas. Each time they stopped a teen, I saw Israeli police surround him. I also saw the anger, hurt, and defiance on each teen’s face. My heart went out to those young men who were detained by an imposing police force. Still, I realize that there is no other choice when keeping civilians safe from terror attacks.

I know that those Arab teens have no reason to cross into the Jewish areas, but terrorist organizations send them to test the Israeli defenses to discover where there is a weakness they can exploit. It is not easy to live here in peace. We Israelis greatly appreciate your prayers for the peace of Jerusalem and the rest of this Holy Land.

MINISTRY AND OBSTACLES

Before Passover, I went away to seek the Lord, as 2022 has been a year of major shifts for me related to ministry. I am working on The Invitation, a worship album and Bible study collection to reach Middle Eastern nations with the Good News of Messiah. The vision is momentous, yet I foresee the obstacles and experience the hardships of fulfilling it.

I am ill-equipped to reach the people God is sending me to. I do not speak their languages. I am a woman trying to reach a male-dominated culture. I am Jewish, which presents many theological problems for them. Above all, I am Israeli, which brings up political controversy I do not want to engage in.

Also, for several years, I have been dealing with a significant ear injury, thus working on music and studio recordings is almost impossible. Because of this, I have had to step away from many of my normal activities such as leading worship.

When God gave me this vision several years ago — a harvest for His Kingdom in the Middle East — I strongly suggested that He should use someone else. Yet He made it abundantly clear that this was His will, and He sent me encouragement to continue pursuing it.

This past year, alongside a team of young adults, I have forged ahead with the vision. I initially recorded songs in Arabic (Farsi will be the next) and filmed Bible story videos to accompany the songs. It has not been easy, but pioneering never is.

Additionally, COVID restrictions forced a significant shift for me, stopping many of the things I did previously. This change was painful to navigate emotionally, financially, and otherwise.

BUILDING IN STAGES

As I sought the Lord concerning the year ahead, God spoke to me about new chapters. He showed me a vision of a house being built in stages. The completed first floor was being lived in. The first floor of a house in Israel typically contains the living room, kitchen, guest bathroom, storage, and sometimes the master bedroom. This floor has one perspective and is equipped to fulfill its purpose.

In my vision, the second floor was in the early stages of building. The exterior was complete, but there were no interior walls yet; the walls were still bare cinderblock (we do not build homes from wood in Israel).

I realized that the second floor shared the same foundation as the first floor. And while it was the same house, the second floor had a different purpose — different perspectives from the windows and different interior walls, fixtures, etc. In Israel, the second floor typically contains bedrooms, an office, a playroom, and more.

Can you imagine if the builders of the second floor built an exact replica of the first floor? What purpose would that serve? Because the second floor serves a different purpose, it must have different walls, fixtures, and furniture.

I believe God sees our lives like the house. The important foundation is the same one that God originally constructed. Each floor represents a significant season of our lives, and so each floor (season) serves a different purpose. Thus, they will not look the same.

We tend to get confused when we experience significant changes. Often, we cannot see that God’s thread of purpose in our lives remains the same. Romans 11:29 (KJV) states, “… the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” Other translations say that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

PURSUE THE CALLING

This means that God never repents or turns from the calling He has orchestrated for your life. The gifts He has placed in you are specific, for a designated purpose. This doesn’t change, even if it looks different in different seasons. His purpose is that you should pursue your God-given destiny in every season of your life.

Perhaps you read these words and think, I have failed too many times. I’ve messed up too much to fulfill God’s purposes. Maybe you believe that you are too old — a “has been.”

Moses might have believed such lies. Walking around the “backside” of the desert (Exodus 3:1), I wonder how often he thought of his life in Egypt. He had it all — royalty, power, riches, and influence. He also had a calling — to deliver the Hebrew people. At first, he went about it in his own power, striking and killing an Egyptian (Exodus 2:11–22).

As a result, Moses fled from Egypt and tended sheep in the desert for the next 40 years. I wonder about his thoughts each day as he walked the dry, arid land: Did he regret his actions? Did he think he would never again do anything significant? Did he give up hope?

CHALLENGING OUR HEARTS

The story of Moses demonstrates that God is even more committed to our destiny than we are. God knew Moses’s purpose and destiny — to influence the ruling house over Egypt. Therefore, the Lord initially placed him in Pharaoh’s household.

Moses intuitively acted upon his calling to free the people of Israel from slavery. Initially, he tried it in his own way, which was the wrong way. As a result, he had to flee the place to which he was called. Later, God confronted Moses in the desert and renewed the calling over his life.

If we are not careful, we can find ourselves much like the “wicked and lazy” servant in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30) who buried his talent instead of using it. Because that servant misunderstood his master, he allowed his own judgment to guide his actions.

We must continually challenge our hearts, as they inform our perspective on our lives. We must continue walking according to God’s purposes and remain open to His direction and will, rather than trusting our own. This is especially true when we have suffered disappointment or pain, or we think we have failed so miserably we are irrelevant. God’s Word exhorts us: “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

If God can use Moses — who failed and was old and lacking — He can use you. When you recognize that the next floor (season) that He is building in your life has a new purpose and brings a new perspective, He will unfold His grace in your life so that you can fulfill His purpose.

“A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men” (Proverbs 18:16). I am excited about what God is doing in your life in this new season — how He is changing your perspective as you build a new floor on the existing foundation, and how His faithfulness will bring about His Kingdom’s purposes in the Earth and through your life.

Im tirdefu lada-at oto —
“Press on to know HIM!” (Hosea 6:3 NLT),

   
Sarah Liberman

P.S. I truly appreciate you, the readers of the Levitt Letter and the Personal Letter, for your feedback and encouragement. Your letters to our P.O. Box and emails to staff@levitt.com inform future topics, as you will see in the coming months — a new series about Mt. Sinai.

: Come Experience the Land!

We moved to Orlando this past December. Our magnolia trees, jasmine vines, and gardenia bushes are in full bloom and are gorgeous. I wish you could smell our front yard! It’s a sliver of heaven, but honestly, it’s not nearly as beautiful as our beloved Israel. Our Savior chose a slice of land as His home on Earth that has lush forests, a sprawling river valley, and majestic mountains, all bordered by some stunning bodies of water.

Come experience this Covenant land for yourself. The Bible will come alive before your very eyes and it will change your perspective of the God we love and serve. This will be our first tour in over two years. We will celebrate every day!

Please contact our travel manager Sandra at 214-696-9760, travel@levitt.com, or levitt.com/tours. She’s the best in the business, and she shines the light of Yeshua.

A Note from David and Kirsten Hart

IT’S TV TIME

As we write, Kirsten and I are in Dallas at the studio with Jeff and the entire production team to tape some new TV programs for you. We appreciate your patience in the delayed series on Jeremiah, but we trust that you are finally taking in every morsel of this insightful teaching. Our special guest for the series, Dr. Michael Brown, is the ideal scholar to introduce us to the life of Jeremiah.

This week we’re also taping two stand-alone programs that are fascinating. Do you know how the red heifer’s ashes (Numbers 19:1–10) correlate with the Great Tribulation? In one new program, you’ll understand why the recent red heifer discovery in Texas caused rabbis from the Temple Institute in Jerusalem to travel to the Lone Star State as fast as possible. I truly believe we are very close to the return of Christ.

PROPHETIC RADAR

Our second stand-alone program looks at the Temple Institute and why we need to keep that mission on our prophecy “radar.” One rabbi we interviewed mentioned, “I believe the Messiah is already here. Open your eyes.” If that comment doesn’t pique your interest, I don’t know what will. I believe the Third Temple is closer than most people realize. Are you ready for Jesus to return?

This ministry produces Our Jewish Roots to bring you insights from God’s Word that you can apply in your daily walk with the Lord. ZLM also keeps you updated on cutting-edge prophetic news developments.

We’d love to know your personal “takeaways” from the Jeremiah series. Please email us or write to our P.O. Box.

Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim! —
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” (Psalm 122:6),

David & Kirsten

P.S. Todah (thank you) for faithfully supporting this ministry. Everyone at ZLM is called to continue Zola’s vision through our television programs, monthly newsletters, Gospel outreaches to Israel, www.levitt.com, and more. It is your faithful financial support that allows our work to continue.

Our Jewish Roots TV programs in June

Jeremiah’s road wasn’t easy. He was the prophet who had God’s Word “burning in his bones.” God told him he would not marry, and then his family (a family of priests, no less) disowned him. Even so, Jeremiah spoke God’s truth. Since the Israelites didn’t want to hear the truth, most sought to quiet this Weeping Prophet.

This month, we continue presenting Jeremiah’s message of judgement coupled with hope. If the Israelites had only heeded God’s Word that Jeremiah spoke, they would have avoided their foreign captivity. Nonetheless, God was gracious even in His punishment. He promised that the exile would only last 70 years; then the people could return home.

We hope you appreciate this television series as much as we enjoyed producing it for you.

Jeremiah: Hope Over the Horizon

Sounding the Alarm

Idolatry was rampant, so the God of Israel promised destruction for the people of Judah who were living in sin. Jeremiah sounded the alarm, but no one listened. Likewise, many of those living around us today refuse to admit their sin or turn to the Lord.

Corruption and Closed Minds

Lies and greed corrupted Judah’s leaders, much to Jeremiah’s dismay. He wept when they believed false promises of peace and rejected God’s justice, righteousness, and truth.

Faith Abandoned and Reimagined

Jeremiah’s message to repent went unheeded. Consequently, judgment came to those who had abandoned the Lord. Jeremiah took comfort in knowing that following destruction, restoration would come through the New Covenant.

No Escape

Jeremiah relentlessly proclaimed God’s message. The Babylonians were coming to destroy Judah and deport its citizens. They relied on political alliances for their security. The Lord, however, had withdrawn His protection, so catastrophe was inevitable.

Promises Made

Brighter days were coming when Judah’s iniquity would be forgiven. God would save His people from captivity and return them to the Promised Land. He promised to write His Law on their hearts and remember their sins no more.