Thanksgiving is a time when we remember some of our fledgling country’s
early struggles, along with the brave souls who rose to the occasion to fend off the
prevailing hardships.
On Veterans Day, we honor those who bore arms throughout our nation’s
history. I wonder whether we’re maximizing our nation’s ability to help our brave
soldiers meet the challenges they face today. Not only do we seem a bit sluggish,
as a culture, but we tend to castigate other countries who appear more serious
about national defense. Case in point: those who fly the flag with the Star of David
in modern-day Israel bear burdens similar to the U.S. soldiers’ characterized
in the cartoon at right.
In preparing to
defend our freedom, we
must acknowledge who
would attack it. In an
article that became public
six months after 9/11,
al-Qaeda spokesman
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith
wrote, “We have not
reached parity with them
[Americans]. We have the
right to kill four million
Americans—two million of them children—and to exile twice as many and wound
and cripple hundreds of thousands. Furthermore, it is our right to fight them with
chemical and biological weapons, so as to afflict them with the fatal maladies that
have afflicted the Muslims because of the [Americans’] chemical and biological
weapons.”
Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab was the founder and spiritual architect of
the extremist-breeding “Wahhabi” Islam, which is the dominant form of Islam in
Saudi Arabia. Most of the 9/11 bombers sprang from Saudi Arabia. Abd-al-Wahhab’s
anti-Western philosophy shapes the worldviews of our petroleum-trading “partners.”
Then they charge us hefty oil prices and provide millions and millions of dollars to
finance aggressive, anti-Western-preaching
mosques over here. About 150 million
Muslims uphold anti-Western war rhetoric,
all in the name of Islam.
Extremist groups such as the Muslim
Brotherhood in Egypt live under the banner
of “Allah is our objective… Jihad is our way.
Dying in the way of Allah is our highest
hope.” With their increasing popularity,
one wonders if we’re doing everything possible for our national defense, and
whether it is wise to criticize Israel for attending to its own.
Oh, and have I mentioned nuclear-bound Iran?
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who heads this belligerent, theocratic state, denies
the Holocaust on one hand while pressing for another Holocaust on the other. He
is driven for a world without Israel! When we interviewed Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu for our prophetic television series Ezekiel and the MidEast
‘Piece’ Process,
he stated in no uncertain terms that Iran’s nuclear progress was the
principal threat to his country.
Defense is the principal
function of government, and
America must support Israel as
it fends for self-preservation.
While in Washington
recently on this ministry’s
behalf, I attended a meeting
where Virginia’s governor, Bob
McDonnell, told a group of
about a hundred of us listeners
that Americans are better served
to “unleash the genius of free
enterprise to grow out of [our fiscal] problems, as opposed to government intruding
into growth and development.” I personally think he has a valid point. I say: “Let
business attend to business; let government attend to defense, and let the Church
attend to casting biblical vision for a darkened world.”
“Juggernaut” is a term that describes a literal or metaphorical force
regarded as unstoppable. It is often applied to a large machine (like a battleship),
or to a group of people working together (like a sports team), or to a growing
political movement led by a charismatic leader. It is often associated with
crushing or being physically destructive. In case you missed the weblink in our
January 2010 Levitt Letter, you can still
see the 1948 cartoon called “Make Mine Freedom.” The cartoon warns about
signing over American freedom to any “ism”
that promises instant prosperity:
When anybody preaches disunity,
tries to pit one of us against the other
through class warfare, race hatred, or
religious intolerance, you know that
person seeks to rob us of our freedom
and destroy our very lives. And we
know what to do about it. Working
together to produce an ever greater
abundance of material and spiritual values for all—that is the secret of
American prosperity. —Quote from “Make Mine Freedom”
They who can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary
safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. —Benjamin Franklin, 1775
The suffix ism is used with nouns like capital to make capitalism, social to
form socialism, and communist to create communism. According to the cartoon,
after America took on and defeated communism and Nazism in WWII, the good ol’
American, entrepreneurial “can-do” spirit was invigorated and, along with it, a fresh
suspicion of government-controlled solutions to social and economic problems.
We said “no thanks” to such remedies back then. Let’s make sure we don’t
invite similar “isms” now.
In Psalm 27:3, the ancient warrior-king David declared: “though an army
encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, I will be
confident.” It seems his armor included a healthy determination to fend-off. We
can share David’s confidence in the same Lord that led and protected him. Here at
Zola Levitt Ministries, we workers are thankful for our culture’s Judeo-Christian
values. We are pleased to cling to that good ol’, time-tested biblical religion—the
sort that has guided pilgrims, nations, and regular people for centuries. With our
camera crew in tow, I am traveling all over Israel this fall, assisted by former CBS
correspondent and ZLM’s Man in Jerusalem David Dolan. I’m opening up the Bible
I cling to and offering a modern-day message on its meaning to millions.
We Bible believers vote politicians into office.
Make informed decisions, please.
It costs millions to broadcast such
biblical teaching, but it’s well worth it.
This particular series, tentatively entitled
Eretz Israel (The Land of Israel) will take
viewers to the boundaries of the land God
gave to the Israelites, and unveil the
significance of Israel’s re-emergence within
those boundaries in the Last Days. David
Dolan and I will consider wars past,
present, and future. With your financial
help, we will make this a high-caliber
production, worthy of sending to every
senator in Washington, D.C.
If you think it’s about time you went to Israel, my message to you is simple:
join me. Our Spring Tour departs March 13 with two return dates—either March 24
for the 10-day Israel Tour, or March 28 if you wish to include Petra. Our Summer
Discovery Tour will travel June 12–22 and offer a chance to dig with archaeologists.
We have four options for our Fall 2011 Israel Tour, including extensions to Petra
and/or Athens, departing October 18 and 23. Call our travel manager, Tracie, at
(214) 696-9760 during office hours or 1-800-WONDERS (800-966-3377) and join us.
A nominal, refundable deposit will reserve your spot.
Please make it a point to watch the weekly television installments (listed
below) on Zola Levitt Presents during the month of November.
The Messianic Miracle—Its Effect on Christianity Today
The program begins with an interview with Dr. Michael Brown, widely considered to be
the world’s foremost Messianic Jewish apologist. The infusion of Jewish people into the
Evangelical Christian mix inspires exciting new forms of praise and worship music. The
Messianic Revival also leads modern Believers to review the Church’s history with regard
to Jews and Israel.
The Messianic Miracle—The “Missing Link” in World Mission and Blessing
Features an interview with Dr. Erez Soref, president of the Israel College of the Bible, the only
college in Israel that is accredited for ministry in the Land. “May they prosper who love you”
(Psalm 122:6). We look at evangelism and the mandate to reach out to Jewish people. Then we
focus on the blessings that accrue to individuals who support the work of God among Jews
today. Lastly, we encapsulate the entire series.
Ask The Professor, Insights on the Gospel of John—John’s Gospel, A Jewish-Related Story
Professor Jeffrey Seif begins to unfold the Bible’s Gospel
of John, delving into the purpose of the writing, John the
Baptist’s role, the mikvah and baptism, and the entrance
of Yeshua as the Messiah.
Ask The Professor, Insights on the Gospel of John—Jesus and the Feasts
What did Jesus mean to be born anew? (John 3) Jeff
will explain from a Jewish perspective how the salvation
message is intricately woven into the Feasts of Israel.
Ask The Professor, Insights on the Gospel of John—The Good Shepherd
Jesus claimed to be the “Good Shepherd.” Jeff reviews this descriptive title with Old
Testament context and more. Highlighted in the program are: the man who was healed by
the pool; Martha, Mary, and Lazarus; and the resurrection of Lazarus.
Of course you’re welcome to record all those TV programs for viewing
and reviewing at your convenience. And please remember daily to “pray for the
peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).
Your messenger,
Jeff
P.S. I’m not looking to get into any political office. But, I
DO want to minister in more living rooms than ever. So, I
request your prayers and monetary assistance with that.
Will you kindly lend a hand? If it’s time you helped this
outreach pay for some airtime, please drop us a letter with
a check or visit www.levitt.com/donate.
Prayer Requests
Shortly after writing this letter, Jeff was hospitalized
as the result of a motorcycle accident. Though “still
in one piece,” he is recovering from a concussion, sore
shoulder, and bruised legs. No broken bones, thank
the Good Lord. In addition, the next day, our mail
processing supervisor’s son Daniel, in his thirties,
experienced a comparably serious incident on
his motorcycle. Please pray that both Jeff and
Daniel make quick, full recoveries. Thanks.
Blessings, —Mark
Feedback
Dear Jeff, I am thankful for my country’s Judeo-Christian values. We Americans need to beware of any juggernaut or “ism” that threatens our freedoms.
Zola takes you from the terrors of the ancient past to present-day conflicts and the battles yet to come. Walid Shoebat provides unique insights into the world of terrorism and sounds a clear trumpet of warning concerning the days ahead.
Compact discs and a workbook that begins with a survey of Old Testament Messianic prophecies. Topics range from Gentile Salvation to the Abrahamic Covenant and Replacement Theology to Messiah in the Passover. You'll learn about the Seven Feasts, Christ in the Tabernacle, Church History, Anti-Semitism, and the Holocaust.