FROM JOSHUA & CALEB COLSON,
THE BEARDED BIBLE BROTHERS^®

Shalom, faithful readers!

So much can happen in a month. But concerning Israel and the Middle East, circumstances often change moment by moment. With the 12-Day War between Israel and Iran taking a hiatus, many wonder what might happen next, especially with reports that Ayatollah Khamenei spends most of his days either sleeping or half high on substances. But even when he’s out of touch, Khamenei has plenty of malicious associates actively working toward the annihilation of the Jewish people. (Be sure to read farther in this letter to discover Sarah Liberman’s personal experiences during Israel’s recent war with Iran.)

In 1973, Israeli diplomat Abba Eban stated, “The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” Actually, this is incorrect, because Satan knows exactly what he’s doing. Evil never misses an opportunity to take advantage of an opportunity. As the Iranian regime reloads during the ceasefire, Hezbollah also rearms, and Hamas continues its diversionary tactics. Though the Sunni jihadist government in Syria gains the world’s favor, they openly mount genocidal campaigns against their country’s least desired religious groups and people — including Alawites, Kurds, Shia, Druze, and Christians. All the while, most governmental leaders and humanitarian organizations around the world remain silent as these minorities are cleansed.

Ironically, when Israel dares to defend itself from similar annihilation, the international community reacts with vitriolic lies and hatred. Undeterred, Israel continues to intervene for the Druze and offers millions of dollars’ worth of humanitarian aid to Gazans. This is because the Jewish people follow tzedakah — the belief that we are morally obligated to intercede in matters of charity and justice. Following the tenets of Torah, Israel looks out for those who can’t defend themselves, no matter how depleted the Jewish nation’s fortunes are after nearly two years of war.

Although we canceled our Fall Study Tour to Israel because of increased hostilities, our crew will return there soon to begin filming an important new Bible teaching series. For over a century, the deception behind Darwin’s theory of evolution pushed science into the dark ages. The Oxford Dictionary defines science as “the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained.” Amazingly, while science has not discovered a “missing link” or any other manifestation of evolution, most scientists firmly embrace this theory. It requires considerable faith to believe in a proposition that has no quantifiable evidence.

We Believers see evidence of God’s work in the natural world. Psalm 19:1 reveals: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Thankfully, our Creator left His fingerprints all over His creation, which is visible to all humanity (Rom. 1:20). We discuss the irrefutable evidence of God’s activity in an upcoming teaching series, Let There Be. Thus, we will travel this fall to the origin of Creation itself, the land of Eden, aka Israel.

Next spring, we’ll journey to Mount Ararat in Turkey to uncover evidence of the flood as noted in Genesis 6–8. In addition, we will interview the greatest scientific minds who have unpacked new physical evidence verifying the Biblical account of Creation. Just as archaeology has done for many years, this series will analyze how science confirms the Bible. (Please see Creation: A Scientist’s Choice, an eBook by Zola and a professor of natural science.)

Only with your support can our ministry continue to travel to Israel, produce television programs, broadcast the Gospel of Yeshua, and stream our online Bible teaching. As children, we saved every dollar we could to support our missionary godparents who traveled the world, preaching the Gospel. We knew that our small love offerings connected us to the same eternal blessing that our loved ones in the mission field received, even though we remained at home. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). As we all work together toward expanding His Kingdom, we will all receive the same rewards in Heaven.

Thank you for your continued faithful partnership.

Love, Joshua and Caleb

P.S. To receive frequent updates on current events and the ongoing activities of Zola Levitt Ministries, visit BeardedBibleBros.com and subscribe to our email list, which will keep you in the know.

FROM SARAH, OUR SABRA
ON THE GROUND IN ISRAEL

Dear Friend,

Shalom from Israel. Most Israelis felt almost ecstatic during the first 48 hours of the 12‑Day War between Israel and Iran. Reports of successful Israeli Air Force (IAF) strikes against Iranian radar and air defenses, coupled with epic Mossad operations targeting senior nuclear scientists, left us with a sense of invincibility. After the shock of the war’s sudden start, we also were relieved — Israel finally confronted a long‑smoldering threat instead of burying our heads in the sand. For years, Israel’s strategy related to Gaza seemed to be one of inaction and indecision, which perhaps motivated Hamas’s atrocities on October 7, 2023.

Life in a War Zone

Following Israel’s initial attacks, the Iranian army responded. Even so, the IAF dominated the skies over Tehran and eventually prevailed over western Iran by destroying its surface‑to‑air defense systems. Soon, however, Iran launched missiles targeting neighborhoods and military bases in Israel. Civilian casualties mounted as some Iranian missiles and drones evaded our Iron Dome and David’s Sling defense systems. Each Iranian missile that hit an apartment building destroyed it — killing and trapping people inside — and made almost two dozen surrounding structures uninhabitable.

During the first six days, our defense systems intercepted over 95% of threats. In the second half of the war, however, our interception rate dropped to 50–75%. Each strike became deadlier. We experienced warning sirens every few hours, which made life difficult. While pharmacies, food stores, and banks remained open for business, workplaces were closed and public transport shut down.

Still, Israelis diligently obeyed safety protocols — either remaining close to a safe room or leaving a vehicle and lying face down on the ground when sirens sounded. As I was out one day, there were three consecutive attacks before I reached home. It was frightening as I sheltered in a ditch during one, lay on the ground in another, and took cover by a concrete wall for the third. As the days passed, stress and fatigue increased because of the ongoing warnings — both day and night. Though Israelis died every day from the attacks, I didn’t hear anyone complaining or wishing that the war would end just to be over. Most Israelis understood the existential nature of the war — success was about survival for us and future generations. We wanted to put an end to Iran’s nuclear aspirations and their threats to destroy Israel.

Targeting Iran’s Nuclear Program

When the IAF shifted its focus to Iran’s key nuclear sites — Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan — we realized our limitations. Our airstrikes alone couldn’t destroy these deeply buried facilities. We needed ground operations — commando troops to infiltrate and destroy them — which would not only take time to plan but also cost many soldiers’ lives. The alternative was to secure U.S. intervention, deploying B‑2 stealth bombers with bunker‑busting munitions.

Meanwhile, Israel’s stockpile of defensive munitions was rapidly depleting. We began praying that America would intervene to destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities and prevent more civilian casualties.

Strategic Realignment?

U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites effectively ended the war. Though President Trump announced and enforced a temporary ceasefire, many Israelis had hoped that the U.S. and Israel would continue targeting Iran’s missile and nuclear sites. Therefore, the threat remains; without a regime change in Iran, Israel still faces existential danger. Some hoped that the attacks would prompt the Iranian people to overthrow the nation’s leaders, but division within the population prevented that.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that the war opened the door for a strategic realignment in the Middle East, especially expanding the Abraham Accords (the peace agreements between Israel and its Arab neighbors). America’s defense of Israel during the 12-Day War demonstrated to the Arab world that the U.S. stands firmly behind its ally, which reinforces the regional adage: “Peace is made with the powerful.” In contrast, if a nation is weak, no one wants to align with it.

Is This an End‑Times War?

Israel, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia began discussing a broader Middle East peace deal, but progress now seems stalled. Apart from resolving the situation in Gaza, any major shift in the region remains unlikely.

While some Christians online announced that the war signaled the End Times, most Israeli Believers feel that such talk is misplaced. Ezekiel 38 describes Israel in the End Times living in peace without walls (no fear of attacks), but those conditions are far from our current reality.

Truthfully, this is more than a physical war — it’s spiritual. Radical Islamic ideology drives Iran’s obsession with Israel’s destruction; this fixation is rooted in their belief that conquering Jerusalem will usher in the Islamic messianic figure, the Mahdi. From our perspective, it seems like nothing will halt this demonic campaign against Israel and its people.

Life After the War

For most people in Israel, several immediate concerns remain: the unresolved hostage crisis, Hamas’s continued existence, Hezbollah’s renewal in Lebanon, instability in Syria fueled by Turkey’s involvement, and Iran’s continued nuclear ambitions.

Though the war lasted only 12 days, it left significant mental and emotional wounds. For weeks, any sound resembling a siren triggered concern and prompted us to prepare to take cover. Our little dog actually ran to the safe room at the sound of a siren, even though it was only in a video.

Within a couple of months, however, life returned to “normal” for most people. The resilience of Israelis is astounding; many say that they emerged from the war stronger than expected. And yet, the lingering trauma from the Gaza War remains. Fathers returning from reserve duty struggle to readjust to civilian life. Some young soldiers have tragically taken their own lives due to war trauma. Families who lost loved ones continue dealing with grief and hopelessness.

The people of Israel desperately need God — His comfort, hope, and healing. Please continue to pray with us for this nation.

“Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:1–2).

Thank you for standing with us.

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

Sarah Liberman

 

P.S. Our ministry’s Bible teaching reaches Israel via our Daystar broadcasts, levitt.com, and social media. For Israelis who need God, we make His Word available 24/7.

Returning to the Holy Land

Other than a small section on its northern border, all of Israel is open. Joshua, Caleb, and our production team will return there in October. U.S. airlines are resuming flights to Tel Aviv, and thousands of Americans have visited throughout the summer and are scheduling fall trips. We can’t wait for our Spring 2026 Bible study tour! The Colson brothers invite you to join them, Sarah Liberman, and other pilgrims for this trip of a lifetime that will enhance your grasp of the Bible. Please contact our tour manager Sandra at 214-696-9760, travel@levitt.com, or via levitt.com/tours for more information.

Spring Tour 2026 options

Deluxe — Israel Mar. 16–Mar. 26
Grand Petra — Israel & Petra Mar. 16–Mar. 29
Spring tour prices are pending

Bearded Bible Brothers^® TV programs in September

In The Lobstermen, Joshua and Caleb highlight Yeshua’s call for His disciples to become “fishers of men,” and reflect on the trailblazing ways of the Apostle Paul, the original “lobsterman.” We can learn a lot from the first Believers about witnessing to lost people and making disciples. Join us to discover what it takes to be a fisher of men — a lobsterman.

The Lobstermen

To the Jew First! — While Yeshua was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, gentiles can also become sheep in Yeshua’s flock. As the Lobstermen in training test their mettle in hunting wild turkeys, they learn more about God’s plan for the Jewish people.

Those Pesky Lobsters! — Yeshua chose Paul — the most radical, anti-Christian zealot — to become His spokesman to “unclean” gentiles (that is, lobsters). At first, only Jews followed Yeshua, although today the majority of Believers are gentiles. Do these gentiles have to obey the Law of Moses?

Returning to your Vomit! — Some churches excel at leading people to Messiah, but afterward, many churches don’t know what to do with new Believers. While learning wilderness survival, the Lobstermen learn the importance of discipleship in the Christian walk.

Apostasy! — Sometimes the greatest hindrances to true revival are those who call themselves Christians! But legalism isn’t the only harmful poison in the body of Messiah. The Bearded Bible Brothers and company expose a plethora of counterfeit movements while going head-to-head in an epic paintball match.

For an expanded description of each BBB TV program, please visit levitt.com/schedule.