Caption transcript for “Zola’s Testimony,” Part 1

• 00:08 BRETHREN, MY HEART'S DESIRE AND PRAYER TO GOD FOR ISRAEL IS THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED.
• 00:14 THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE JEW AND THE GENTILE,
• 00:17 FOR THE SAME LORD OVERALL IS RICH UNTO ALL THAT CALL UPON HIM.
• 00:27 CONSIDERING THE TIMES AND SEASONS OF OUR WORLD TODAY, HERE'S ZOLA LEVITT.
• 00:32 SHALOM, HELLO AGAIN.
• 00:35 I HAVE TO GIVE YOU A REPORT ON THIS CANCER THAT I'VE CONTRACTED.
• 00:40 MY VOICE IS A LITTLE BIT DOWN, BUT OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING SO MUCH PRAYER.
• 00:45 I THINK THIS IS QUITE A CONTEST.
• 00:46 THE DOCTORS ARE GIVING ME RADIATION AND CHEMOTHERAPY
• 00:50 AND THIS IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE YOUR HAIR FALL OUT
• 00:52 AND MAKE YOU TERRIBLY TIRED AND SO ON AND THAT JUST ISN'T HAPPENING.
• 00:57 I'M NOT THE OLD GUY I WAS, BUT I STILL FEEL PRETTY GOOD.
• 01:03 I HAVEN'T LOST ANY HAIR AND I HAVEN'T LOST ANY WEIGHT
• 01:05 AND WHAT CAN I TELL YOU, KEEP UP THE PRAYER IF YOU WILL.
• 01:12 YOU KNOW, I DON'T LOOK AT THIS AS ANYTHING BUT ONE OF THE LORD'S PLANS.
• 01:19 HE'S ALWAYS HAD WHAT LOOKED LIKE IMPRACTICAL PLANS
• 01:23 AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS ABOUT, MY WHOLE TESTIMONY.
• 01:26 PEOPLE ASK FOR THE TESTIMONY, I'VE GOT SOME STORIES AND I'M SURE EVERYBODY DOES.
• 01:31 BUT, I'VE REALLY LIVED AND AMAZING ROLLER COASTER FOR 35 YEARS OR SO.
• 01:40 THE FACT IS I NEVER HAD A REAL JOB AFTER 1972.
• 01:44 GOD HAS BEEN MOVING ME ALONG, DO THIS, DO THAT, I MEAN, I DO A LITTLE TALK SHOW HERE.
• 01:48 I DO SOMETHING HERE OR THERE.
• 01:50 BUT, I NEVER WORKED ALL DAY OTHER THAN WITH WHAT THE LORD WANTED ME DOING
• 01:55 AND NOW IT'S COME UP TO NATIONAL TELEVISION,
• 01:56 INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION, HUGE TOURS ALL THIS STUFF.
• 02:00 AND HE KEEPS WORKING IT OUT.
• 02:03 BUT, KNOW THAT FOR THE MOMENT I'M AT MY POST.
• 02:06 I DON'T FEEL BAD AND I'M WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE LORD'S GOING TO WITH THIS ONE.
• 02:11 IT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME I'VE ARGUED WITH HIM OVER HIS PLANS
• 02:14 AND THAT WILL COME UP IN THE TESTIMONY HERE.
• 02:17 MY PRODUCER, KEN BERG, WHO'S BEEN WITH ME, GETTING ON TO 30 YEARS,
• 02:22 MADE A LITTLE SHEET OF QUESTIONS ABOUT FAMILY, BACKGROUND, MOTHER, DAD, SEVERAL OTHER.
• 02:29 I GREW UP IN PITTSBURGH, PA.
• 02:32 MY FATHER WAS BORN IN RIKA, LATVIA.
• 02:34 I ALWAYS STRESS THAT BECAUSE HE WAS A NATURALIZED CITIZEN HERE, FELL IN LOVE WITH MY MOTHER
• 02:40 BECAUSE SHE WAS THE PIANO PLAYER ON A PROGRAM AT A JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER.
• 02:45 HE WAS SPEAKING, HE WAS A PUBLIC SPEAKER
• 02:47 AND HE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PIANO PLAYER WHEN SHE PLAYED THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER.
• 02:53 THE WAY THE JEWISH COMMUNITY WORKED, THE ORTHODOX COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR,
• 02:58 YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY DATING, YOU JUST TRIED TO CALL ON THE GIRL AND PROPOSE TO HER.
• 03:03 SO, HE WROTE A LETTER TO HER AND I'VE TOLD THIS STORY BEFORE,
• 03:08 ANYWAY HE WAS INVITED TO THE HOUSE ON A GIVEN DAY
• 03:11 AND SHE STOOD AT THE HEAD OF THE STAIRS, LOOKING AT HIM OVER A HANKY.
• 03:15 IT WAS FASHIONABLE AND ALL THE YOUNG LADIES WERE SO DELICATE,
• 03:19 THEY ALL A LITTLE BIT SICK, YOU KNOW AND YOU BEGGED HER PARENTS
• 03:24 LET HIM TAKE HER OUTSIDE FOR A RIDE IN HIS MOTOR CAR.
• 03:29 THE WAY I HEARD THE STORY, HE GOT HER OUTSIDE AND PROPOSED
• 03:32 BEFORE HE STARTED THE CAR AND THAT WAS DATING IN 1920.
• 03:37 AND HE DID A GOOD JOB HERE.
• 03:39 HE OPENED STORES, HE RAISED 3 KIDS, PUT THEM THROUGH GRADUATE SCHOOL
• 03:45 AND UNLIKE OTHER PEOPLE LIKE PALESTINIANS SAY, WHO GET THE CHANCE TO LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY,
• 03:53 HE NEVER ONCE CLAIMED THIS COUNTRY FOR LATVIA OR STARTED UP ANY TROUBLE.
• 03:59 HE JUST COOPERATED AND DID A GOOD JOB.
• 04:02 HE WENT ON THE LORD TO WHATEVER HIS REWARD MIGHT BE
• 04:07 AND MY MOTHER, SHE WATCHED THE PROGRAM UNTIL SHE WAS 86.
• 04:11 I ASKED HER TO COMMENT ONE TIME AND SHE SAID,
• 04:15 "IT'S VERY NICE THAT YOU TEACH PEOPLE THEIR RELIGION."
• 04:19 I SAID, "DON'T YOU HEAR WHAT I'M SAYING ABOUT THE MESSIAH?"
• 04:21 MY MOTHER WAS LIKE A LOT OF THESE OLD JEWISH LADIES THAT WATCHED THE SHOW EVERY TIME,
• 04:25 THEY SEE ME, THEY MAKE A FUSS AND I TELL THEM,
• 04:28 "DO YOU HEAR WHAT I'M SAYING ABOUT THE MESSIAH?"
• 04:29 THEY ALWAYS SAY, "I DON'T LISTEN TO THE COMMERCIAL."
• 04:32 WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
• 04:34 I THINK SOME OF THEM DID LISTEN TO THE COMMERCIAL TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
• 04:37 I THINK WHEN I MEET THEM...
• 04:39 BUT, I WAS SAVED, REALLY, WELL, WITH CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST.
• 04:45 THAT WAS WHERE IT STARTED.
• 04:48 KEN ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MY MUSIC CAREER AND SO ON.
• 04:50 I WAS A MUSICIAN IN THE 60'S AND 70'S.
• 04:53 I PLAYED IN THE NEW ORLEANS SYMPHONY, SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY, WITH GLENN CAMPBELL.
• 04:58 I WAS AN OBOE PLAYER.
• 05:00 I JUST TOOK THAT INSTRUMENT BECAUSE MY FRIEND WAS AN OBOE PLAYER
• 05:05 AND I WANTED TO SIT NEXT TO HIM IN THE HIGH SCHOOL ORCHESTRA.
• 05:09 THAT REMINDS ME, TOO, SOMEBODY ASKED WHAT MY INTEREST IN ISRAEL WAS.
• 05:14 PROBABLY BACK IN 1947, 48, I WAS GOING TO SUNDAY SCHOOL AT THE SYNAGOGUE
• 05:19 AND THE TEACHER WOULD BRING A CUTOUT OF A TREE AND EACH KID WOULD BRING A DIME FOR A LEAF.
• 05:29 I BROUGHT MY DIME EVERY WEEK AND THE TEACHER WOULD PASTE A DIME ON THAT TREE
• 05:33 AND WHEN YOU HAD 30 STAMPS ON THE TREE, OR LEAVES ON THE TREE,
• 05:40 THEN THEY WOULD SEND THAT $3.00 OVER TO ISRAEL AND THEY WOULD PLANT YOU A TREE.
• 05:43 I'M PERFECTLY SERIOUS, SOME OF THOSE TREES OVER THERE ARE MINE.
• 05:47 NOW OUR MINISTRY HAS PLANTED SOMETHING IN THE ORDER OF 60,000 TREES, I THINK,
• 05:51 BUT I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE FIRST ONES.
• 05:54 I BET THEY'RE BIG AND SHADY.
• 05:57 I WAS VERY INTERESTED AND MY BROTHER WORKED AT THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND.
• 06:03 I WENT TO JEWISH SCHOOL AFTER REGULAR SCHOOL
• 06:06 AND I LEARNED HEBREW AND I WAS ALWAYS HUNGRY, AGAIN.
• 06:13 THAT'S WHAT I CAN SAY.
• 06:14 I STAYED IN THE SYNAGOGUE.
• 06:16 I SANG IN THE CHOIR, BECAME A DIRECTOR OF A CHOIR, BUT I JUST COULDN'T CONTACT GOD.
• 06:22 WHEN I MET CAMPUS CRUSADE, I WAS WORKING AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY NEWS BUREAU.
• 06:29 I WAS IN GRADUATE SCHOOL, ALREADY 32 YEARS OLD AND I WAS GOING OUT BEHIND THE BUILDING,
• 06:36 OUT OF MY OFFICE, COVERING MY HEAD WITH MY HAND,
• 06:40 AS I WAS TOLD I COULDN'T WEAR A SKULL CAP TO WORK, BUT I DID THAT MUCH
• 06:45 AND I TALKED TO THE LORD AND I WOULD TALK TO HIM.
• 06:48 I WOULDN'T HEAR FROM HIM, THAT KIND OF THING.
• 06:52 THE SAME ODD HUNGRY YOU HAVE WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE.
• 06:55 YOU CAN SMILE AT YOUR FRIENDS AND SO ON, BUT IT DOESN'T WORK.
• 06:59 WELL, I WENT TO THIS CAMPUS CRUSADE, I MET THE PEOPLE.
• 07:07 I THOUGHT THEY SOUNDED RIDICULOUS, BUT THEY INVITED ME TO BIBLE TO STUDY.
• 07:10 I SAID, WELL I'VE DONE SOME BIBLE STUDY.
• 07:12 THEY SAID, WELL COME TO OURS.
• 07:14 AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I SAT WITH PEOPLE THAT READ A VERSE,
• 07:17 DISCUSSED WHAT IT MEANT, TALKED ABOUT IT BEING THE WORD OF GOD, IT'S INFALLIBLE, IT'S INERRANT.
• 07:23 I NEVER HEARD THAT IN HEBREW SCHOOL.
• 07:25 ALL WE DO IS MEMORIZE PSALMS AND SPIT THEM BACK AND STUFF.
• 07:29 EVEN MY BAR MITZVAH, I JUST READ A LONG PASSAGE.
• 07:32 I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A TRANSLATION.
• 07:34 I COULDN'T TELL YOU CLEARLY WHAT PASSAGE I READ.
• 07:37 BUT, I WAS BAR MITZVAH, I WAS CONFIRMED.
• 07:42 IT'S NOT A VALID STORY THAT ZOLA CAME TO BE A CHRISTIAN
• 07:46 BECAUSE HE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT JUDAISM.
• 07:48 I'LL PUT MY EDUCATION UP AGAINST A WHOLE OF THEM.
• 07:51 BUT, AGAIN IT JUST DIDN'T FILL ME.
• 07:55 WHEN I SAW THE CAMPUS CRUSADERS, I BEGAN TO GET A WHOLE NEW CONCEPTION OF SCRIPTURE.
• 08:03 I THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO A LOT OF UNBELIEVERS,
• 08:05 IF YOU SOMEHOW DRAG THEM KICKING AND SCREAMING TO THE WORD, BECAUSE IT'S VERY POWERFUL.
• 08:09 AND I WAS SAVED IN 3 WEEKS.
• 08:12 IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL.
• 08:14 THE LORD SEEMED TO COME AT ME AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU
• 08:17 THAT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS SITTING IN MY ROOM LATE ONE NIGHT
• 08:22 AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WORD THIS, IT WASN'T THAT I SAW HIM, IT'S THAT I UNDERSTOOD,
• 08:29 SITTING DEEP IN A CHAIR IN A DARK ROOM, THAT I WAS NOT ALONE
• 08:33 AND I ACTUALLY PERCEIVED SOME KIND OF FIGURE, I SUPPOSED,
• 08:37 STANDING OUT THERE AND I LOOKED UP AND I COULDN'T SEE THE FACE,
• 08:43 BUT I COULD SEE SOME KIND OF FIGURE.
• 08:47 I KNEW THIS WAS A BENEVOLENT, KIND FIGURE THAT CAME TO ME
• 08:54 AND I SAID, WELL IF YOU'RE THERE, SHOW ME. THAT WAS MY PRAYER.
• 08:59 THAT'S ALL I SAID. BOY, WHAT HE HAS SHOWN ME.
• 09:03 AFTER A FEW WEEKS I QUIT MY JOB AND I WENT TO DALLAS, FT. WORTH
• 09:10 WHERE CAMPUS CRUSADE WAS HOLDING A BIG SHINDIG, EXPLO 72, THEY CALLED IT.
• 09:19 WE'RE GOING TO EVANGELIZE THE WORLD.
• 09:21 BUT, I WAS THE NEWS DIRECTOR OF THAT CONFERENCE
• 09:25 BECAUSE I WAS THE NEWS DIRECTOR AT THE UNIVERSITY AT THAT TIME.
• 09:28 I KNEW THE JOB AND I WORKED WITH THEM UP UNTIL MY WORK WAS OVER AND THEN I JUST STAYED IN DALLAS
• 09:37 AND THE LORD'S NEW INSTRUCTIONS, AS I UNDERSTOOD THEM,
• 09:43 WAS GET A TYPEWRITER OUT AND START PUTTING OUT PROPOSALS FOR BOOKS.
• 09:52 I MEAN, I DID HAVE A CHANCE WHEN I WAS WITH CAMPUS CRUSADE,
• 09:55 I FINISHED UP A MANUSCRIPT FOR THE PRO-FOOTBALL CHAPLAIN.
• 09:58 IT WAS FUN AND IT WAS ACCEPTED AND IT SOLD PRETTY WELL.
• 10:03 BUT, I HAD NO ILLUSIONS OF BECOMING AN AUTHOR.
• 10:06 I HAD NEVER WRITTEN A BOOK IN MY LIFE.
• 10:08 BY THE WAY, I HAD NEVER SEEN ISRAEL.
• 10:10 I HAD NEVER WRITTEN A SPIRITUAL SONG.
• 10:12 I HAD NEVER BEEN ON RADIO OR TELEVISION.
• 10:14 I HAD NEVER EVEN ADDRESSED AN AUDIENCE.
• 10:16 I WAS ENTIRELY THE WRONG PERSON FOR THE JOB, SO TO SPEAK,
• 10:20 LIKE GIDEON OR MOSES OR THESE RELUCTANT SERVANTS,
• 10:23 BUT, THIS IS HIS PLAN, SIT THERE AND TYPE UP PROPOSALS AND MAIL THEM TO PUBLISHERS.
• 10:30 DON'T GET A JOB, JUST TYPE.
• 10:32 I LIKE TO SAY, I WAS SO NEW IN THE FAITH THAT I BELIEVED IT.
• 10:37 I DID EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID. I DIDN'T SECOND GUESS HIM.
• 10:41 BUT, AS TIME WENT ON, PICKINGS GOT PRETTY SLIM.
• 10:47 IT'S TRUE THAT PEOPLE WOULD COME ALONG AND SAY, I HEARD YOU WROTE THE SO AND SO,
• 10:50 CAN YOU TOUCH UP MY MAGAZINE ARTICLE OR MY BIOGRAPHY?
• 10:54 THINGS CAME THAT SORT OF SUPPORTED ME,
• 10:58 BUT SENDING A PROPOSAL, SAY FOR "SATAN IN THE SANCTUARY" TO MOODY PRESS,
• 11:03 A HUGE, BUSY PUBLISHING COMPANY, IT TAKES A MONTH TO OPEN THE ENVELOPE
• 11:09 AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S TIME TO TAKE A MINUTE WITH THIS THING,
• 11:13 SOME MAD HOPE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS MANUSCRIPT,
• 11:17 WELL, I JUST KEPT DOING IT.
• 11:20 IT SEEMED LIKE THINGS WERE GETTING WORSE AND WORSE.
• 11:23 I MEAN, I LIVED IN THIS APARTMENT WHERE THERE WAS A POOL AND A GYM AND THAT KIND OF STUFF
• 11:30 AND I WOULD GO OUT IN THE AFTERNOON, BUT I GOT EMBARRASSED AFTER WHILE
• 11:34 BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY MALE.
• 11:35 I MEAN, IT WAS NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF LADIES LOOKING AT ME
• 11:38 WONDERING, WELL, WHAT DOES HE DO, IS HE A NIGHT WATCHMAN OR SOMETHING?
• 11:41 THE OFFICE SAID, DO YOU WORK SOMEWHERE?
• 11:45 I SAID, I WORK FOR THE LORD.
• 11:47 OK, AS LONG AS THE RENT GETS HERE.
• 11:51 I SAID, DO YOU THINK THE LORD WILL LET ME DOWN AND I TESTIFIED TO THEM.
• 11:55 BUT, IT ALL WENT UP IN SMOKE.
• 11:58 AUGUST 3, 1972 AND THE 5TH OF THE MONTH IS THE EVICTION DAY, I DIDN'T HAVE A DIME, NOTHING.
• 12:07 IT JUST RAN AGROUND.
• 12:08 ABOUT 10 IN THE MORNING, I WENT OUTSIDE ON THE PATIO AND LOOKED AT THE SKY,
• 12:13 I SAID, HEY, THAT'S SO ELOQUENT OF YOU TO SAY,
• 12:16 CONSIDER THE LILIES OF THE FIELD, HOW THEY GROW,
• 12:19 THEY TOIL NOT, NEITHER DO THEY SPIN, SOLOMON IS NOT ARRAYED LIKE ONE OF THESE.
• 12:24 TERRIFIC, BUT I DON'T HAVE MY RENT AND I'VE TESTIFIED TO THESE PEOPLE,
• 12:29 THEY'RE GOING TO LAUGH AT ME, THEY'RE GOING TO LAUGH AT YOU.
• 12:32 SO WHAT IS THE PLAN, I MEAN, COME ON.
• 12:35 I REALLY LET HIM HAVE IT.
• 12:38 AFTER I WAS DONE, I WENT DOWN AND CHECKED THE MAIL.
• 12:42 I NEEDED $200 OR SO FOR THIS APARTMENT, THERE WAS A CHECK FOR $500 FROM MOODY PRESS
• 12:50 AND THEY BOUGHT THE MANUSCRIPT, "SATAN IN THE SANCTUARY"
• 12:54 AND IT WAS DOWN THERE THE WHOLE TIME I WAS YELLING AT THE LORD.
• 13:00 SO, I LEARNED SOMETHING. HE'S GOT A PLAN.
• 13:04 THAT'S WHY I'M NOT UPSET WITH WHAT I GOT NOW.
• 13:06 I MEAN, THIS IS A PLAN.
• 13:07 I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING.
• 13:08 I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE OTHER ONE WAS GOING.
• 13:10 I'M NOT GOING TO YELL HIM NOW.
• 13:12 WELL, THEN I WENT NEXT, KPBC, A LOCAL CHRISTIAN STATION CALLED ME FOR A RADIO PROGRAM
• 13:22 AND I STARTED A PROGRAM CALLED "THE HEART OF THE MATTER" AND IT DID RATHER WELL.
• 13:26 IT DREW QUITE AN AUDIENCE.
• 13:28 LOTS OF ARGUMENT ON THE AIR, THIS WAS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I DID.
• 13:32 CHRISTIAN RADIO SOUNDED LIKE CHRISTIAN TELEVISION
• 13:36 IF YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING, JUST LOTS OF YELLING.
• 13:39 BUT, I JUST GOT DOWN TO THE WORD LIKE I WAS TAUGHT IN CAMPUS CRUSADE.
• 13:44 I MEAN, THE FIRST TEACHER I HAD IN CAMPUS CRUSADE,
• 13:46 A TALL YOUNG MAN, DR. CHARLES RYRIE, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE.
• 13:50 I REALLY LEARNED THE BIBLE AND RESPECT FOR IT
• 13:56 AND TEACHING OF IT AND I STUCK WITH IT ON THE AIR
• 13:59 AND I HAD SOME WONDERFUL DISCUSSIONS, SOME INTERESTING GUESTS.
• 14:04 I MEAN, HAL LINDSEY CAME AND I DON'T KNOW, LOTS OF STARS, I MEAN PEOPLE I MET,
• 14:10 MOSHE ROSEN CAME FROM JEWS FOR JESUS.
• 14:12 BUT, SOME PEOPLE ARGUED WITH ME ALL THE TIME.
• 14:18 I LOST MY SALVATION 4 TIMES ON THAT PROGRAM.
• 14:21 I LOST IT TO UNITED PENTECOSTALS, BECAUSE I WAS BAPTIZED WITH THE WRONG FORMULA.
• 14:29 YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE BAPTIZED ACCORDING TO THEM IN JESUS NAME, THAT'S IT.
• 14:35 I WAS BAPTIZED BY TOM MCCALL IN THE JORDAN RIVER IN THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• 14:46 I MEAN THAT SOUNDED GOOD TO ME, BUT THEY DIDN'T ACCEPT IT.
• 14:50 I HAD MY SALVATION TAKEN AWAY BY THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
• 14:57 BECAUSE I PLAYED THE ORGAN IN A MISSION HOUSE.
• 15:00 TOM MCCALL HAD WHAT WE USED TO CALL A MISSION HOUSE,
• 15:03 OR WE'D CALL A MESSIANIC CONGREGATION NOW AND I WAS THE ORGAN PLAYER.
• 15:06 YOU CAN'T DO THAT, THEY SAY.
• 15:08 BUT AFTER THAT, I'M TRYING TO THINK, I HAD A HOMOSEXUAL PASTOR ON THE PROGRAM
• 15:15 BECAUSE WE USED HIS NAME AND IN THOSE DAYS YOU GOT EQUAL TIME.
• 15:20 THESE DAYS YOU PROBABLY GET A SLAP FROM A RADIO STATION FOR CALLING HIM UP,
• 15:24 BUT BACK THEN WE WERE FAIR AND HE CAME DOWN AND I TALKED TO HIM
• 15:27 AND I DIDN'T AGREE WITH HIS SIN, OF COURSE,
• 15:30 BUT HE WAS A POLITE, BIBLICAL SORT OF GUY
• 15:34 AND THE AUDIENCE JUST TORE INTO THIS GUY, I MEAN, THEY JUST OUTDOING EACH OTHER.
• 15:40 I FINALLY WENT TO A BREAK ONE TIME, I SAID, WE'LL BE BACK WITH THE REVEREND JERRY SLOAN
• 15:45 FOR MORE OF HIS STONING RIGHT AFTER THIS.
• 15:48 I WAS NOT PROUD OF THEM.
• 15:51 THEN I GOT MY SALVATION TAKEN AWAY FOR THAT, OF COURSE.
• 15:56 BUT I THINK ONE THAT MOST STRIKING WAS WHEN J. VERNON MCGEE CAME,
• 16:02 AN EMINENT BIBLE TEACHER, HOWEVER,
• 16:05 HE DID NOT HOLD THAT ISRAEL WAS ANY KIND OF FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY,
• 16:10 JUST SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED.
• 16:11 AND I SAID, WELL, I SHARPLY DISAGREE WITH YOU.
• 16:15 LORD, ALMIGHTY, YOU'D THINK I DISAGREED WITH MOSES.
• 16:18 I MEAN, THE PHONE RANG OFF THE WALL.
• 16:21 WHO AM I TO SAY THIS, WHAT KIND OF EFFRONTERY AND I DON'T KNOW,
• 16:27 THEN I GOT LETTERS DAYS LATER SAYING WE'RE PRAYING FOR YOUR SALVATION.
• 16:32 I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT SALVATION WAS DEPENDENT ON
• 16:34 AGREEING WITH THE DOCTRINE OF J. VERNON MCGEE.
• 16:37 I STILL FIGHT THESE GUYS DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
• 16:43 THESE DAYS GREAT SEMINARIES, DALLAS SEMINARY, MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE, TALBOT,
• 16:47 LOSING THEIR ISRAEL DOCTRINE.
• 16:51 IT'S CONVENIENT FOR THEM TO LOSE IT, OH, OTHER THAN AT TOUR TIME
• 16:54 WHEN THEY TAKE A PROPHET ON THE PLACE AND THEN THE REST OF THE YEAR THEY MUDDLE THE END TIMES,
• 17:00 BUT I DON'T LIKE THAT STUFF, I REALLY DON'T.
• 17:02 I THINK IT'S AWFUL.
• 17:04 I THINK THE LORD THINKS IT'S AWFUL AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ANSWER FOR IT.
• 17:07 BUT, ANYWAY, THE RADIO PROGRAM WAS PRETTY EXCITING RIGHT ON THROUGH THE 70'S
• 17:14 AND IN '78 I GOT A CALL FROM CHANNEL 39,
• 17:20 WHICH WAS THE CBN AFFILIATE IN DALLAS FOR THE NATIONAL CBN, CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK
• 17:29 AND THEY TRIED TO TALK ME INTO COMING ON TELEVISION.
• 17:33 THEY SOLD AIRTIME, OF COURSE AND THEY SAID, WELL, ZOLA,
• 17:36 YOU GOT A BUILT IN AUDIENCE AND YOU'RE GOOD AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND WE LIKE, WE LOVE YOU.
• 17:42 I SAID, BUT HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE ME?
• 17:46 YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PROPOSITION TO GO ON TELEVISION.
• 17:49 IT'S NOT LIKE THE RADIO, THE RADIO YOU GET ON THERE
• 17:51 AND THEY GIVE YOU A PITTANCE OF PAY AND DO YOUR WORK, BUT, TELEVISION, YOU PAY TO GET IN.
• 17:57 I DID HAVE SOME MONEY SAVED.
• 18:00 MY BOOKS, THROUGH THE 70'S AND THAT WAS THE LORD'S PLAN, TOO, BY THE WAY.
• 18:05 ONE PROPOSAL AFTER ANOTHER WAS ACCEPTED.
• 18:07 SUDDENLY, WHATEVER I SAID, THE PUBLISHERS WERE BEATING EACH OTHER TO THE DOOR.
• 18:12 I WAS AT ONE POINT SERIOUSLY TYPING ON A MANUAL TYPEWRITER 5 DIFFERENT BOOKS,
• 18:17 TRYING TO KEEP EVERYBODY SUPPLIED.
• 18:20 I WROTE ABOUT, OF COURSE, THE BIBLE AND ISRAEL
• 18:22 AND I WROTE ABOUT DIETING, I WROTE ABOUT RUNNING.
• 18:25 I WROTE ABOUT EGYPT, WHATEVER THEY WANTED.
• 18:31 THE SALES WERE HIGH.
• 18:33 I CALCULATED THE ONCE AT 60,000 PER COPY OF, PER TITLE.
• 18:38 THAT'S VERY HIGH.
• 18:39 THAT'S HIGH ENOUGH TO MAKE THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER LIST
• 18:42 IF THEY EVER WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT A CHRISTIAN BOOK, WHICH THEY NEVER WILL.
• 18:46 BUT, IT WASN'T "LATE, GREAT PLANET EARTH",
• 18:50 BUT THEY WERE GOOD SALES AND I STILL TYPED ALL DAY LONG.
• 18:55 THAT WAS BASICALLY WHAT I DID.
• 18:57 BUT, I HAD SOME MONEY SAVED AND I WAS GETTING ROYALTIES, OF COURSE.
• 19:02 "SATAN IN THE SANCTUARY" WAS A BLOCKBUSTER, BEST SELLER, ONE OF MOODY'S BEST BOOKS EVER.
• 19:07 I WAS RECEIVING MONTHLY PAYMENTS.
• 19:10 IMAGINE THE SHOCK, FOR A GUY YELLING AT THE LORD, "WHAT IS THE PLAN",
• 19:16 TO A GUY THAT'S TRYING TO BANK THIS MONEY ALL THE TIME.
• 19:20 I DIDN'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE MONEY, BUT THAT WAS THE LORD'S ORDER, KEEP WRITING.
• 19:25 THEN TELEVISION CALLS AND I HAVE WHOLE DECISION TO MAKE AGAIN.
• 19:29 I JUST HAD A PEACE ABOUT IT WITH HIM, I TALKED TO HIM.
• 19:35 I SAID, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY.
• 19:37 I'M SURE YOU KNOW THIS IS NOT A VERY PRACTICAL PLAN EITHER,
• 19:41 STARTING ON TELEVISION, WRITING CHECKS OUT OF YOUR OWN BANK ACCOUNT,
• 19:45 THIS IS WHAT HE SEEMED TO WANT, SO WE DID IT.
• 19:48 KEN BERG WAS WITH ME AND WE STARTED TO PRODUCE PROGRAMS AT CHANNEL 39.
• 19:53 I LOOKED AT ONE OF THEM LAST NIGHT.
• 19:55 I WAS YOUNGER THAN MY OLDEST SON IS NOW.
• 20:01 AND I'LL TELL YOU THE TRUTH, THEY WERE GOOD PROGRAMS.
• 20:03 GOD GAVE ME THINGS TO SAY.
• 20:05 I JUST STOOD THERE TALKING LIKE I DO NOW.
• 20:08 I DIDN'T REALLY WRITE OUT SCRIPTS OR ANYTHING, A FEW MARKS ON A TELEPROMPTER,
• 20:12 BUT, PEOPLE LIKED THE SHOW AND WE WERE GOING ALONG.
• 20:18 THE TROUBLE WAS YOU CAN'T JUST INTEREST PEOPLE FROM DAY ONE ON SUPPORTING A NEW PROGRAM,
• 20:23 SO I'M ENDING UP MAYBE $2000 A WEEK JUST TO CREATE A TAPE AND PLAY IT.
• 20:30 THE FIRST REAL PROGRAM WE MADE IN 1979 WAS THE PASSOVER PROGRAM.
• 20:36 OF COURSE, I WAS PAYING FOR EACH SHOW AND IT WAS GETTING VERY EXPENSIVE.
• 20:40 AFTER 6 WEEKS I WAS JUST GOING BROKE AND THEN WE GOT CALL FROM THE CBN NATIONAL NETWORK,
• 20:47 THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR WAS INTERESTED IN A JEWISH GUY TEACHING ABOUT CHRIST,
• 20:51 WHICH BACK THEN WAS VERY NOVEL.
• 20:53 HE SAID HE WANTED TO SEE A TAPE.
• 20:55 WELL, I TOOK THE TAPE, IN HAND, WENT UP THERE, SHOWED IT TO HIM,
• 20:57 SAID, TOM, PEOPLE HAVE TO SEE THIS AND HE SAID LET'S PRAY OVERNIGHT.
• 21:02 HE WATCHED IT, HE LIKED IT.
• 21:04 NEXT MORNING HE SAID, YES, ALRIGHT, WE'LL TRY IT ON A NATIONAL NETWORK.
• 21:07 WE'LL SEE HOW PEOPLE LIKE IT AND OF COURSE,
• 21:10 THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A REAL MINISTRY OF TEACHING CHRISTIAN PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR JEWISH ROOTS,
• 21:16 ABOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE PROPHECIES, ISRAEL.
• 21:19 IT'S LIKE A BLANK SLATE.
• 21:21 PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW THESE THINGS.
• 21:23 AND THE MEANING OF THAT STORY IS VERY OBVIOUS, YOU STAY WITH THE LORD'S PLAN.
• 21:28 IT DIDN'T SEEM PRACTICAL, A CRAZY IDEA, IN FACT.
• 21:31 I THOUGHT SO IN MY HEART, BUT HE WOULDN'T LET ME GO AND WE KEPT GOING.
• 21:36 THEN WHEN CBN PUT US ON THE NATIONAL, THIS MINISTRY TURNED AROUND
• 21:41 AND SO WE WENT TO OTHER NETWORKS AND WE NEVER LOOKED BACK.
• 21:45 THE MINISTRY TURNED AROUND AND IT'S BEEN 27 YEARS OF SUCCESS HERE.
• 21:50 WE JUST GOT TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
• 21:52 SO HE TOLD ME I NEEDED A MAILBOX.
• 21:57 I GOT TO HAVE A PLACE TO RECEIVE MY VOLUME OF MAIL I'M GOING TO HAVE.
• 22:05 I WENT TO THE POST OFFICE AND AT THE POST OFFICE THE GUY SHOWED ME DIFFERENT POST OFFICE BOXES.
• 22:14 WELL, YOU GOT THIS SHOE BOX HERE, AND I SAID, OH, THAT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH.
• 22:19 IT'S NOT GOING TO HOLD MY MAIL.
• 22:21 I SAID, ALRIGHT, WE HAVE SMALL BUSINESS BOX LIKE THIS
• 22:24 AND I SAID, NO, NO, WHAT'S YOUR BIG BOX?
• 22:26 WELL, THEY HAD A BOX THE SIZE OF THIS TABLE, BIG, DEEP SUITCASE.
• 22:31 AND I SAID, THAT'S WHAT I NEED, SO I RENTED THIS BOX.
• 22:37 WELL, I HAD THE EMBARRASSMENT OF COMING TO THE POST OFFICE AND GET 3 LETTERS OUT OF THIS BOX.
• 22:44 AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE COUNTER WITH THEIR DOLEFUL EXPRESSIONS
• 22:48 TRYING NOT TO LOOK AT ME,
• 22:50 STRIDING IN THERE LIKE I'M LOOKING AT KEN BECAUSE IT'S SO FUNNY.
• 22:57 I MEAN, HOW EMBARRASSING.
• 22:59 I BEGAN TO PERCEIVE THAT THEY WERE PROBABLY WRITING SOME OF THE LETTERS
• 23:02 TO TRY TO HELP OUT AND IT WAS CRAZY.
• 23:06 WELL, I'D SAY THAT BRINGS US UP TO ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF TELEVISION.
• 23:12 I'M GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BREAK HERE, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO TELL.
• 23:16 I'M ONLY UP TO ABOUT 1980.
• 23:18 I'M TELLING YOU, I'VE LIVED A ROLLER COASTER,
• 23:21 JUST OBEYING THE LORD AND BEEN DELIGHTED WITH THE WHOLE THING, OF COURSE, THANKS TO YOU.
• 23:28 I'LL BE BACK AFTER THIS.
• 23:53 FOR INSIGHTFUL PERSPECTIVES OF ISRAEL AND BIBLE PROPHECY,
• 23:57 ASK FOR OUR FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, THE LEVITT LETTER.
• 24:00 WHEN YOU CALL, BE SURE TO ALSO AS FOR OUR FREE CATALOG WITH THE LATEST VIDEOS, BOOKS AND MUSIC.
• 24:06 OUR CORRESPONDENCE COURSE, THE INSTITUTE OF JEWISH-CHRISTIAN STUDIES INCLUDES
• 24:10 READING PACKETS, TEACHING CASSETTES AND MAIL-IN TESTS.
• 24:14 YOU MAY WANT TO JOIN US ON AN UPCOMING TOUR OF ISRAEL, GREECE
• 24:17 OR THE HOLY LAND EXPERIENCE THEME PARK IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA.
• 24:21 PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION.
• 24:27 I SHALL STAND WITHIN THE WONDER OF YOUR WALLS, OH JERUSALEM.
• 24:32 I SHALL WALK WITHIN THE SPLENDOR OF YOUR GATES,
• 24:36 BEAUTIFUL FOR SITUATION, THE JOY OF THE WHOLE EARTH.
• 24:43 SURELY THE LORD HAS BLESSED THEE AND MADE HIS FACE SHINE UPON THEE.
• 24:48 JOIN ZOLA LEVITT ON HIS NEXT TOUR OF ISRAEL.
• 24:54 COME TO ZION WITH SONGS AND EVERLASTING JOY.
• 24:59 COME, WORSHIP IN THE SPLENDOR OF HIS HOLINESS.
• 25:08 WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO GO TO A SECOND PROGRAM WHEN I FINISH THIS STORY.
• 25:14 BUT, ONE OF THE REMARKABLE PARTS OF MY TESTIMONY
• 25:16 IS I SORT OF HAVE TO BE A LITTLE FAST ON MY FEET
• 25:19 BECAUSE THE LORD CHANGES ASSIGNMENTS COMPLETELY, I MEAN OVERNIGHT.
• 25:24 SUDDENLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 80'S THERE WERE NO MORE BOOKS AND I HAD BOOKS EVERYWHERE.
• 25:29 I MUST HAVE WRITTEN 40 OR 50 BOOKS.
• 25:31 I COULDN'T EVEN KEEP TRACK OF THEM.
• 25:33 THEY WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT NO NEW IDEAS CAME, INSTEAD SONGS CAME.
• 25:38 I KNEW HOW TO WRITE SONGS.
• 25:41 I WAS ALMOST FINISHED A DOCTORATE IN MUSIC,
• 25:44 BUT, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE SPIRITUAL SONGS NECESSARILY, BUT, HE GAVE ME IDEAS
• 25:49 AND RIGHT FROM THE GO EVERYBODY LOVED THE SONGS AND I STARTED TO COMPOSE ALBUMS.
• 25:56 AT THE SAME TIME, I STARTED TO TAKE THE TOURS IN EARNEST.
• 25:59 I MEAN, I HAD BEEN TO ISRAEL, BUT I'D GONE WITH AN AGENCY
• 26:05 THAT I PERCEIVED WAS NOT GIVING THE PEOPLE A VERY GOOD DEAL AT ALL
• 26:09 AND SO I OPENED MY OWN AGENCY TO TAKE THESE TOURS AND AT FIRST NOTHING BUT A FEW FRIENDS CAME,
• 26:16 BUT BY AND BY THEY GREW AND I HAVE TAKEN 80 TOURS TO ISRAEL PERSONALLY
• 26:22 AND THE MINISTRY HAS TAKEN MORE BESIDES THAT.
• 26:25 I SUPPOSE WE'LL MAKE 100 TOURS ONE DAY AND THAT WAS THE CONSUMING PART OF THE 80'S
• 26:33 WHEN ISRAEL WAS ALWAYS SAVAGED IN THE MEDIA, LIED ABOUT BY THE NEW YORK TIMES DAILY,
• 26:40 BY CNN, BY THE NETWORKS, IDIOTS, I MEAN, HOSTILE IDIOTS.
• 26:45 I NEVER WATCH ANY OF THEM, BUT STILL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE ARE COMING AND ENJOYING THEMSELVES
• 26:51 AND FINDING THE PLACE PERFECTLY PEACEFUL, WHICH I ALSO PROMISED THEM IT WOULD BE.
• 26:56 IN ALL THOSE TOURS, ALL THOSE 10,000 PEOPLE,
• 26:59 I DON'T THINK ANYBODY EVER HAD A STUBBED FINGER OVER THERE.
• 27:01 FROM ALL THE NEWS, YOU HAVE TO SIT THERE AND WATCH.
• 27:04 ANYWAY, I'LL BE BACK WITH YOU
• 27:06 AND SHA'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM, PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.