
“In Loving Memory”
A tribute to Zola by those who knew him best. His widow, Sandra Levitt, talks with Zola’s family, friends and co-workers in this special half-hour reminiscence of a man who planted seeds of faith in millions of lives.
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Caption transcript for In Loving Memory: “In Loving Memory” (2/2)
- 00:09 BRETHREN, MY HEART'S DESIRE AND PRAYER TO GOD FOR ISRAEL IS THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED.
- 00:15 THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE JEW AND THE GENTILE,
- 00:18 FOR THE SAME LORD OVERALL IS RICH UNTO ALL THAT CALL UPON HIM.
- 00:28 CONSIDERING THE TIMES AND SEASONS OF OUR WORLD TODAY.
- 00:33 SHALOM, HELLO AGAIN, I'M ZOLA LEVITT.
- 00:36 HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE HEARD THOSE WORDS AND KNOWN THAT WE WOULD SEE WONDERFUL PROGRAMMING,
- 00:42 THAT WE WOULD SEE INTERESTING INTERVIEWS AND OF COURSE,
- 00:45 UNDERSTAND MORE IN DEPTH OUR JEWISH ROOTS?
- 00:49 I'M SANDRA LEVITT, I'M ZOLA'S WIFE.
- 00:51 AS YOU KNOW, ZOLA PASSED AWAY APRIL 19,
- 00:55 BUT I GOT TO TELL YOU, THE VERSE THAT CAME TO US IMMEDIATELY WAS,
- 00:58 "OH DEATH, WHERE IS THY VICTORY, WHERE IS OUR STING?"
- 01:02 THERE WAS NO STING.
- 01:03 ZOLA IS IN HEAVEN WITH THE LORD AND I KNOW HE IS BEING BLESSED.
- 01:07 I KNOW THEY WELCOMED HIM AND SAID, WELCOME, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, WELL DONE.
- 01:14 I WANT TO READ YOU SOMETHING FROM EXODUS, AND IT IS EXODUS 32:26.
- 01:28 WE ARE LEVITES.
- 01:30 LEVITTS ARE PART OF THE LEVITES AND WE HAVE GATHERED TOGETHER.
- 01:33 MARK LEVITT AND AARON LEVITT, YOU HAVE BEEN A BLESSING TO THE MINISTRY.
- 01:37 I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH I'VE BEEN BLESSED BY KNOWING BOTH OF YOU.
- 01:41 WHAT WAS IT LIKE, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM WORKING WITH THE MINISTRY?
- 01:45 FOR ONE THING I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT DEALING WITH PEOPLE,
- 01:48 BUT ALSO THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW THE LORD BLESSES A MINISTRY
- 01:53 COMPARED WITH WHAT IT'S LIKE JUST TO GO TO A REGULAR J-O-B.
- 01:57 IT'S BEEN ALSO QUITE AN EXPERIENCE TO SEE THE DIFFERENCES IN ZOLA AND ME,
- 02:02 OUR GIFTS, HOW MUCH OF A NON-BUSINESS PERSON HE WAS
- 02:07 AND HOW MUCH OF A NON-CHARISMATIC TEACHER THAT I'VE BEEN.
- 02:10 BUT, IT'S BEEN A BLESSING AND THAT'S WHAT GOD'S GIFTS ARE,
- 02:12 THEY'RE BLESSINGS, PAUL TALKS ABOUT THE HAND.
- 02:16 IT'S EACH INDIVIDUAL FINGER BELONGS TOGETHER, THE HAND BELONGS TOGETHER.
- 02:20 SO, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
- 02:22 GOD USES THOSE GIFTS AND ZOLA WAS ONE THAT KNEW EVERYONE'S GIFTS
- 02:26 AND HE USED THEM TO GOD'S GLORY.
- 02:29 YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT THERE BECAUSE I'M REMINDED OF THE MANY TALENTED "JOSHUAS" IF YOU WILL
- 02:35 WHO HEAD THE MINISTRIES VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS FROM TONY IN THE TOUR DEPARTMENT,
- 02:39 KEN BERG WITH THE TV PRODUCTION, CONSULTING THEOLOGIANS INCLUDING TOM MCCALL AND TODD BAKER,
- 02:45 WHO WRITE ARTICLES FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AND OF COURSE,
- 02:48 THEN TODD BAKER HEADING UP THE "TO THE JEW FIRST" EFFORTS.
- 02:52 THE LIST GOES ON AND ON WITH THE VARIOUS SUPPLIERS, TYPICALLY "MOM AND POP" OPERATIONS
- 02:56 THAT HAVE GROWN WITH OUR MINISTRY AND HELPED WITH OUR STEWARDSHIP.
- 02:59 GOD HAS BLESSED THEM ALL AND WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED BY THEM.
- 03:02 AARON,I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR A LONG TIME AND I KNOW THAT PEOPLE ASK YOU ALL THE TIME,
- 03:08 "WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING ZOLA LEVITT'S SON AND WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?
- 03:12 WELL, IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHAT TO SAY.
- 03:14 IT'S JUST NORMAL TO ME, MY DAD'S ALWAYS BEEN ZOLA LEVITT, BUT HE'S JUST A REGULAR DAD TO ME.
- 03:21 WE PLAYED TENNIS TOGETHER, WATCHED MOVIES TOGETHER,
- 03:25 DID PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING AND HE WAS A GREAT DAD.
- 03:29 I KNOW PEOPLE ALWAYS USED TO SAY TO US, "YOU LOOK LIKE REGULAR PEOPLE".
- 03:33 WE WOULD ALWAYS LAUGH ABOUT THAT AND THINK, WELL, WHY WOULD WE NOT BE REGULAR PEOPLE,
- 03:37 BUT I THINK BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE IN A MINISTRY,
- 03:39 I THINK PEOPLE EXPECT DIFFERENT THINGS FROM YOU.
- 03:43 I ALWAYS LIKED THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON THE LEVITT LETTER,
- 03:45 THAT YOU'RE HELPING LOU WITH THAT AND THAT YOU'RE DOING SOME EDITING FOR THAT,
- 03:49 I THINK IS JUST A BLESSING IN ITSELF, ALSO.
- 03:52 GLAD TO DO IT.
- 03:53 AND YOU'RE GOOD AT IT AND WE LIKE THAT. THANK YOU.
- 03:57 ZOLA LOVED WRITING MUSIC.
- 04:00 IT WAS ONE OF HIS GIFTS THAT GOD GAVE HIM.
- 04:02 HERE'S A SHORT SEGMENT OF ONE OF MY FAVORITES AND I THINK ONE OF ZOLA'S FAVORITES,
- 04:07 "I SHALL NOT WANT"
- 04:09 ♪THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, ♪THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD,
- 04:21 ♪I SHALL NOT WANT, ♪I SHALL NOT WANT.
- 04:41 WELCOME BACK, THE MUSIC YOU ARE LISTENING TO WAS ZOLA'S MUSIC,
- 04:44 "I SHALL NOT WANT"FROM HIS RECORDING OF MESSIAH.
- 04:47 I WANT TO READ SOME SCRIPTURE TO YOU BEFORE WE INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME GREAT GUYS.
- 05:03 THE 3 MEN I HAVE TODAY HERE ARE 3 MEN THAT HAVE BEEN SO WISE WITH ZOLA,
- 05:08 COUNSELED HIM IN SUCH WONDERFUL WAYS.
- 05:10 DR. TOM MCCALL, KEN, WHO IS OUR PRODUCER AND DR. JEFFREY SEIF, JUST WONDERFUL GODLY MEN.
- 05:17 TOM, I'M GOING TO START WITH YOU.
- 05:20 HOW DID YOU MEET ZOLA?
- 05:22 HOW DID THIS ALL COME ABOUT?
- 05:24 WELL, IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU SANDRA
- 05:26 AND I KNOW ZOLA IS HAPPY WITH THE LORD
- 05:29 AND WE'RE THE ONES THAT ARE SAD BECAUSE WE MISS HIM.
- 05:32 BUT, AS WE THINK BACK ABOUT HOW WE MET, IT WAS BACK 35 YEARS AGO,
- 05:36 BACK IN '71 AND HE HAD COME TO DALLAS FROM INDIANA
- 05:42 SHORTLY AFTER HE HAD COME TO KNOW THE LORD WITHIN 6 MONTHS, I THINK.
- 05:49 AND CAMPUS CRUSADE LOVED HIM SO MUCH AND THOUGHT SO MUCH OF HIS ABILITIES,
- 05:55 THEY MADE HIM THE PUBLIC RELATIONS MAN FOR EXPLO '72, WHICH WAS A BIG THING BACK THEN,
- 06:02 BRINGING YOUNG PEOPLE IN FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY,
- 06:07 IN FACT IN CANADA AND OTHER PLACES AND ONE OF THE THINGS HE WAS TO DO,
- 06:13 IN FACT ALL OF THEM WERE TO DO WAS TO FIND PLACES FOR THE KIDS TO SLEEP.
- 06:18 THEY DIDN'T NEED BEDROOMS, BUT THEY NEEDED PLACES TO PUT THEIR SLEEPING BAGS
- 06:22 AND THINGS LIKE THAT, SO HE CAME TO BETH SAR SHALOM,
- 06:26 WHICH WAS THE PLACE OF THE HEBREW CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP FOR THE CHOSEN PEOPLE MINISTRIES,
- 06:33 USED TO BE THE ABMJ AND HE CAME AND TALKED WITH ME
- 06:36 ABOUT FINDING A PLACE FOR THESE KIDS TO SLEEP, ABOUT 20 OF THEM.
- 06:40 DID WE HAVE A PLACE?
- 06:41 OH, WE HAD SOME ROOM AND HE WAS GLAD TO HEAR THAT.
- 06:46 THEN HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIS OWN EXPERIENCE AND HOW HE CAME TO KNOW THE LORD.
- 06:50 I REMEMBER ASKING HIM AT THE TIME HAD HE EVER MET ANY OTHER JEWISH BELIEVERS IN CHRIST
- 06:56 AND HE SAID, "NO, I HADN'T".
- 06:58 DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE ANY OTHERS.
- 07:01 SO, I TOLD HIM TO COME OUR MEETINGS AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MEET THEM.
- 07:08 BOY, HE WAS EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
- 07:10 HE TOLD ME SOMETHING ELSE VERY INTERESTING, HE SAID,
- 07:13 YOU KNOW, "I THOUGHT I HAD BECOME A GENTILE WHEN I ACCEPTED JESUS".
- 07:18 WELL, IF I HAVE TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, OK.
- 07:22 A RATHER HUMOROUS THING HE SAID WAS,
- 07:26 "I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN CONDEMNED TO EAT HAM ON WHITE BREAD WITH MAYONNAISE".
- 07:32 I'LL NEVER FORGET AND HE ALWAYS SAID,
- 07:34 "I THINK WHEN I WAS SAVED THERE WERE 6 OF US IN THE WHOLE NATION".
- 07:38 I REMEMBER HIM SAYING THAT AND LAUGHING.
- 07:40 6 JEWISH BELIEVERS,
- 07:42 6 JEWISH BELIEVERS IN THE WHOLE NATION.
- 07:43 NOW, HE'S BECOME TO BE KNOWN AS THE BEST KNOWN.
- 07:47 I THINK MOSHE ROSEN PUT IT VERY WELL IN HIS LETTER IN THE LEVITT LETTER,
- 07:51 HE HAS COME TO BE KNOWN AS THE BEST KNOWN AND MOST LOVED JEWISH BELIEVER IN THE WORLD.
- 07:59 I AGREE.
- 08:02 A GREAT PRIVILEGE AND A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY AND HE BORE IT VERY WELL.
- 08:06 I AGREE, WITH GREAT HUMOR, I MUST ADD.
- 08:08 WITH GREAT HUMOR.
- 08:09 I ALWAYS SAY, I KNOW HE'S TELLING GOD JOKES RIGHT NOW, ST. PETER JOKES
- 08:12 AND YOU KNOW GOD'S JUST ROLLING HIS EYES AT HIM, BUT THAT'S OK, TOO.
- 08:16 KEN, YOU KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN WITH HIM FROM THE VERY BEGINNING
- 08:19 AND THE PROGRAMS HAVE JUST GOTTEN BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER.
- 08:23 HOW DID THIS HAPPEN FOR Y'ALL?
- 08:25 SANDRA, I THINK IT STARTED BACK IN 1978, WAY BACK THEN.
- 08:31 IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE, TIME HAS JUST FLOWN BY SO QUICKLY.
- 08:34 WE'VE DONE, I GUESS, 1000 PROGRAMS, ALMOST, SINCE THE FIRST DAY.
- 08:38 BUT, GOING BACK TO WHERE WE FIRST MET.
- 08:40 LIVING HERE IN DALLAS, I USED TO LISTEN TO A PROGRAM CALLED
- 08:43 "HEART OF THE MATTER" WHICH ZOLA HOSTED.
- 08:46 I WAS TAKEN BY HIS ABILITY TO JUST EXTEMPORANEOUSLY TALK ABOUT THINGS,
- 08:51 WHETHER IT BE SCRIPTURE, CURRENT EVENTS, WHATEVER.
- 08:53 SO, I WENT TO ZOLA ONE DAY AND I SAID, ZOLA, I'M WRITING A SCRIPT FOR A LITTLE PROJECT,
- 08:57 WOULD YOU MIND WORKING WITH ME ON IT?
- 08:59 AND IT SURPRISED ME BY SAYING "YES".
- 09:01 SO WE DID THIS LITTLE PROJECT, IT WAS ON THE ANTI-CHRIST CALLED "WONDERMAN".
- 09:06 OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
- 09:07 IT WAS A SMALL LITTLE FILM.
- 09:08 IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL, BUT TO ME IT WAS
- 09:11 AND IT WAS SOON AFTER THAT, THAT CHANNEL 39 HERE IN DALLAS
- 09:15 APPROACHED HIM AND ASKED, "ZOLA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, A ONE HOUR SPECIAL?"
- 09:20 AND HE SAID, "YAH, FINE" AND HE TURNED TO ME AND SAID,
- 09:23 "KEN, HOW WOULD LIKE TO PRODUCE THIS SHOW FOR ME?"
- 09:27 AND I DID AND IT WENT PRETTY WELL AND ONE THING KIND OF LED TO ANOTHER, A WEEKLY PROGRAM,
- 09:33 CBN BECAME INVOLVED AND THE PROGRAM JUST GREW AND GREW.
- 09:37 THANK THE LORD. >>IT HAS GROWN AND GROWN,
- 09:39 WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THESE MANY YEARS.
- 09:41 IT IS AMAZING, EVERYWHERE WE GO, I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, PEOPLE SAY, I LOVE THE PROGRAM,
- 09:44 I LOVE THE WAY IT LOOKS, THEY LOVE EVERYONE THAT'S ON IT.
- 09:48 SO, IT'S REALLY BEEN A REAL TESTIMONY TO GOD'S GRACE AND TO GOD'S MERCY.
- 09:53 I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO BE PART OF IT.
- 09:54 IT'S JUST BEEN WONDERFUL.
- 09:56 JEFFREY, I KIND OF SAVED YOU FOR THE LAST,
- 09:58 BUT, I'M INTERESTED IN YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE WRITTEN WITH ZOLA, "THE CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE",
- 10:02 "THE JEWISH-CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE" AND EVERYWHERE WE GO, ALSO,
- 10:06 PEOPLE SAY, I LEARNED ABOUT MY JEWISH ROOTS,
- 10:07 I LEARNED MORE ABOUT BEING JEWISH OR CHRISTIAN FROM THIS SERIES OF TAPES.
- 10:12 HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
- 10:14 ZOLA REALLY GAVE ME MY FIRST BREAK IN MINISTRY.
- 10:17 I CAME DOWN HERE TO DALLAS AND WAS A MISSIONARY
- 10:21 WITH THE AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS FOR JEWS AND ZOLA WAS INVOLVED IN THE ORGANIZATION.
- 10:25 WHEN I FELT THE LORD LEADING ME TO LEAVE THE MISSION,
- 10:28 ZOLA PICKED ME UP AND HE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO WITH ME,
- 10:32 BUT HE WAS JUST KIND ENOUGH TO TAKE ME UNDER HIS ARM A LITTLE BIT
- 10:35 AND GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE AND TO JUST MINISTER
- 10:40 AND I, AS A STUDENT AT MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE, TOOK A NUMBER OF JEWISH STUDY COURSES
- 10:45 AND THE INSTITUTE AFFORDED ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSLATE THAT,
- 10:49 SOMETHING THAT WENT INTO MY OWN MIND AND HEART AND TO PRESENT THAT TO THE WORLD AND FOR ME,
- 10:54 I MEAN, IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE IN A SENSE THAT I WAS JUST A GUY JUST NEW INTO THE MINISTRY
- 11:01 AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I GET TO WRITE A BOOK WITH HIM AND DO PROGRAMS,
- 11:04 SO, I COUNT HIM AS JUST A GREAT START AND A BLESSING.
- 11:07 HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO PICK UP AN UNKNOWN PERSON, BASICALLY,
- 11:10 AND GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HIM.
- 11:12 HE DID THAT A WHOLE LOT.
- 11:13 HE FOUND THE BEST IN EVERYONE.
- 11:15 HE KNEW WHAT THEIR GIFTS WERE.
- 11:17 HE KNEW HOW TO USE THEM IN EVERYONE.
- 11:19 IT WAS A BLESSING TO WATCH THAT HE WOULD TAKE SOMEONE AND SAY,
- 11:25 YOU KNOW, I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, LET'S DO SOMETHING WITH THAT.
- 11:28 HOW MANY MINISTRIES HE'S HELPED START,
- 11:30 OR HOW MANY PEOPLE HE'S HELPED PUT INTO A MINISTRY IS WHAT A TESTIMONY.
- 11:36 THAT'S TRUE.
- 11:37 WHAT A REAL TESTIMONY.
- 11:39 ANY LAST WORDS?
- 11:40 WELL, JUST, I CONCUR WITH MOSHE ROSEN BELIEVING THAT ZOLA IS THE BEST KNOWN,
- 11:47 HE'S THE BEST "KITTY IN THE MESSIANIC LITTER",
- 11:49 THAT HE'S DONE SO MUCH TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM AND HE'S A HOUSEHOLD NAME
- 11:54 AND I JUST PRAY GOD'S BLESSINGS ON THE MINISTRY.
- 11:58 THE WORK STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE.
- 11:59 ISRAEL NEEDS REPORTING.
- 12:01 THE STORY NEEDS TO BE TOLD.
- 12:03 IT'S MORE THAN A PERSONALITY, BUT, SURELY IN ZOLA'S CASE, FEW HAVE DONE SO MUCH
- 12:08 STARTING WITH SO LITTLE OVER SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND THE JOURNEY CONTINUES.
- 12:12 I AGREE.
- 12:14 WE PLAN TO KEEP ON GOING WITH JEFFREY'S HELP, WITH TOM MCCALL'S HELP,
- 12:17 YOU'RE GOING TO MEET LOTS OF INTERESTING PEOPLE ON FUTURE SHOWS.
- 12:20 BACK AFTER THIS.
- 12:21 ♪WE ARE THE CHOSEN, ♪THE PEOPLE OF GOD.
- 12:25 ♪CHOSEN BY HIM TO BE ♪GIVEN HIS LAW.
- 12:28 ♪JUSTICE AND MERCY ♪WE GET FROM ABOVE,
- 12:32 ♪AND IN THIS WORLD WE HAVE TO ♪COUNT ON HIM TO GET LOVE.
- 12:38 ♪WHO LIKES THE CHOSEN, ♪THE PEOPLE OF GOD?
- 12:41 ♪WHO DOESN'T THINK WE'RE ♪INCURABLY ODD?
- 12:44 ♪WHO SAYS THAT SOME OF HIS ♪BEST FRIENDS ARE JEWS?
- 12:48 ♪OH LORD, WE WISH THOSE PEOPLE ♪WERE THE ONES YOU DID CHOOSE.
- 12:54 WELCOME BACK.
- 12:55 THAT WAS "WE ARE THE CHOSEN" FROM "BELOVED THIEF".
- 12:58 THAT WAS RECORDED, ONE OF ZOLA'S VERY FAVORITE RECORDINGS.
- 13:00 I'M GLAD YOU GOT TO HEAR IT.
- 13:02 I WANT TO READ SOME MORE SCRIPTURE TO YOU IN JOHN 15:13
- 13:21 I HAVE WITH ME RIGHT NOW, JOINING US NOW ARE 3 FRIENDS OF ZOLA'S
- 13:25 AND I THOUGHT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET THEM AND GET TO KNOW THEM A LITTLE BETTER.
- 13:28 TONY DERRICK, IS OUR TRAVEL MANAGER AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE, IF YOU'VE BEEN ON ANY TOURS,
- 13:34 YOU HAVE ALREADY TALKED AND MET HIM.
- 13:35 TODD BAKER IS WHAT WE LOVINGLY CALL OUR "JUNIOR THEOLOGIAN"
- 13:39 NOT BECAUSE HE'S TINY, BUT BECAUSE HE IS NOT SENIOR.
- 13:45 DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES.
- 13:47 LOU HAYS, ONE OF HIS OLDEST FRIENDS AND OF COURSE THE EDITOR OF THE LEVITT LETTER.
- 13:51 TONY, TELL ME ABOUT ZOLA.
- 13:53 WELL, I BEGAN WITH THE MINISTRY IN 1989.
- 13:56 OH MY.
- 13:57 AND AFTER SOME YEARS PASSED
- 13:59 THERE CAME A TIME WHEN TRAVEL POSITION BECAME OPEN
- 14:03 AND ZOLA VISITED WITH ME VERY BRIEFLY ABOUT THAT
- 14:07 AND REALLY THE BASIC QUESTION HE ASKED WAS ABOUT THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON AND GOG AND MAGOG
- 14:12 AND I GUESS I SATISFIED HIM WITH WHATEVER ANSWER I GAVE I HIM AT THE TIME AND THAT WAS IT.
- 14:18 THAT WAS THE INTERVIEW.
- 14:20 BUT, YOU ALSO HAVE A THEOLOGICAL DEGREE.
- 14:23 I DO.
- 14:25 SO, YOU ARE A PASTOR ALSO.
- 14:26 I DON'T PASTOR A CHURCH AT THE MOMENT,
- 14:29 BUT, YOU HAVE THOSE CREDENTIALS.
- 14:30 I HAVE A PASTOR'S HEART.
- 14:32 I THINK THAT'S WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR, WAS THE PASTOR'S HEART.
- 14:35 AND OF COURSE, I BEGAN WITH THE TOURS WHEN TOURS WERE NOT SO GOOD, THE INTIFADA HAD BEGUN,
- 14:40 THE FIRST TOUR OF DECEMBER 2000 WAS 18 PEOPLE.
- 14:44 THAT'S RIGHT.
- 14:46 WHICH ACTUALLY WAS A GOOD BEGINNING FOR ME, IT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO,
- 14:48 AS THE SAYING GOES, TO GET MY FEET WET WITHOUT BEING OVERWHELMED AND DROWNED.
- 14:52 I BELIEVE IT WAS WET THAT DECEMBER.
- 14:53 YES, IT WAS, IT RAINED MUCH AND WE KIND OF MOVED FROM THAT POINT FORWARD
- 14:58 AND I SAW ZOLA IN OPERATION FROM TOUR TO TOUR AND ACTUALLY SOME OF HIS CREATIVENESS CAME OUT
- 15:07 BECAUSE THE TIMES WERE A BIT LEAN FOR TOURS
- 15:11 AND THAT'S WHEN HE BEGAN LOOKING AT THE HOLY LAND EXPERIENCE IN ORLANDO
- 15:14 AND WE BEGAN THAT PROCESS AND HE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THAT
- 15:18 AND I THINK THAT REALLY BEGAN HIS SPEAKING IN THE FLORIDA AREA AND TO THE CHURCHES THERE.
- 15:24 BUT, HIS LOVE FOR ISRAEL ALWAYS CAME OUT.
- 15:26 IT DIDN'T MATTER IF HE WAS IN JERUSALEM OR ORLANDO OR IN DALLAS OR WHEREVER HE MIGHT BE.
- 15:31 WE TALK ABOUT THE LOVE OF ISRAEL, YOU KNOW, HE HAD TALKED ABOUT WITNESSING TO THE JEWS.
- 15:38 IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO WITNESS TO THE JEWS AND THAT IS HOW TODD BAKER BECAME INVOLVED
- 15:43 WITH MORE THAN JUST BEING ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM THE MINISTRY.
- 15:46 DID ZOLA COME TO YOU AND SAY, LET'S DO THIS,
- 15:49 OR HOW DID THIS ALL COME ABOUT, "TO THE JEW FIRST"?
- 15:52 WELL, I PROPOSED TO HIM AFTER I WENT ON TOUR SEVERAL TIMES
- 15:56 AND TAUGHT, THAT I JUST HAD A STRONG YEARNING TO COMMUNICATE THE GOSPEL OF YESHUA
- 16:02 AND BRING IT BACK TO ITS SOURCE AND SO ZOLA WAS KIND OF SAYING,
- 16:06 WELL, OK, WE'LL GO OVER THERE AND COME BACK AND TELL US WHAT HAPPENED.
- 16:11 WELL, WE WENT OVER THERE AND OF COURSE, IT WAS PHENOMENAL.
- 16:14 I MEAN, MOST OF THE PEOPLE WE SHARED THE GOSPEL WITH WERE OPEN,
- 16:18 THEY ACCEPTED HEBREW NEW TESTAMENTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE
- 16:21 AND WHEN WE CAME BACK AND TOLD HIM HE WAS QUITE LITERALLY AMAZED AND HE SAID,
- 16:26 WELL WE NEED TO START A FUND CALLED "TO THE JEW FIRST"
- 16:29 BASED UPON THE DIVINE ORDER OF EVANGELISM IN ROMANS 1:16,
- 16:33 THE GOSPEL IS TO GO TO THE JEW FIRST AND THAT WAS BACK IN 1999
- 16:38 AND SINCE THAT TIME HE HAS SUPPORTED US AND WE GO EVERY YEAR.
- 16:43 IT'S INTERESTING, YOU GO ONCE A YEAR AND YET ON EVERY TOURS, WE CALL THEM "AMBASSADORS",
- 16:48 WE HAVE AT LEAST 2 "AMBASSADORS" THAT GO WITH US NOW.
- 16:51 IT STARTED FROM JUST YOU AND ONE OTHER GUY.
- 16:54 NOW WE HAD 4 LAST TIME, 2 FEMALES AND 2 MALES
- 16:58 AND I THINK WE HAD 2 FEMALES AND 2 MALES THIS SPRING SO WE ARE REALLY, GOD HAS BLESSED IT.
- 17:05 THAT'S ALL YOU CAN SAY ABOUT IT, GOD HAS BLESSED IT.
- 17:07 AND ZOLA HAS A HEART FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE THAT REALLY CAN'T BE MEASURED
- 17:12 BECAUSE IT'S THE HEART OF GOD THAT HE'S EXPRESSING.
- 17:14 AMEN, AND WE'VE ALL BEEN BLESSED BY IT.
- 17:16 WE HAVE.
- 17:18 AND LOU, I'VE KIND OF SAVED YOU TOWARD THE END
- 17:19 BECAUSE YOU ARE ONE OF HIS OLDEST AND DEAREST FRIENDS AND I LOVE HOW YOU ALL MET.
- 17:23 YOU HAVE TO TELL US HOW YOU MET.
- 17:25 WELL, IN 1980,
- 17:27 ZOLA AND I BOTH ATTENDED A, WE DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER,
- 17:30 BUT WE BOTH ATTENDED A CHESS EXHIBITION AT THE DALLAS CHESS CLUB
- 17:33 AND THERE WAS AN AGING U.S. CHAMPION NAMED SAMUEL RUCHEVSKI, PLAYED EVERYBODY AT THE CLUB
- 17:39 AND I GOT ONE DRAW WITH HIM AND ANOTHER GUY GOT A DRAW AND EVERYBODY ELSE LOST,
- 17:43 SO WHEN IT WAS OVER WITH, I WAS PACKING UP AND GETTING READY TO LEAVE
- 17:45 AND THIS STRANGE FELLOW COMES OVER TO ME AND HE SAID, EXCUSE ME,
- 17:49 HE TUGGED ON MY SHOULDER AND HE SAID, I WANT TO SEE YOUR GAME.
- 17:53 I SAID, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
- 17:54 HE SAID, I WANT TO SEE YOUR GAME, I WANT TO COPY IT DOWN
- 17:56 SO I CAN GO STUDY IT AND SEE HOW YOU GOT THE DRAW.
- 17:58 HE LOVED CHESS. HE LOVED CHESS.
- 18:01 SO, WE BECAME FRIENDS THROUGH THE CHESS CLUB
- 18:03 AND REMAINED FRIENDS THROUGH THE CHESS CLUB FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
- 18:06 THAT'S RIGHT.
- 18:08 I TRAVELED WITH HIM IN '82 AND '96 TO ISRAEL AND ROOMED WITH HIM BOTH TIMES,
- 18:13 AND LISTENED TO HIM SNORE.
- 18:15 OH, YAH.
- 18:16 WE GOT SEPARATE ROOMS.
- 18:17 WE HAD TO SIT IN CHESS TOURNAMENTS TOGETHER.
- 18:20 ONE TIME WE WERE IN THE SAME ROOM, I GOT SEPARATE ROOMS,
- 18:24 I DIDN'T GET ANY SLEEP THAT FIRST NIGHT.
- 18:26 WELL, I LOVED IT BECAUSE I REMEMBER HE WOULD CALL YOU,
- 18:28 IT DIDN'T MATTER WHERE WE WERE IN THE WORLD,
- 18:30 OR YOU WOULD TALK TO EACH OTHER ALMOST EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.
- 18:34 I KNOW ZOLA AS WELL AS ANYBODY IN THE WORLD PROBABLY, EXCEPT YOU,
- 18:38 BECAUSE IT'S 26 YEARS AGO I FIRST MET HIM AND I LIVED IN DALLAS AT THE TIME.
- 18:43 I MOVED TO OKLAHOMA 8 YEARS AGO, YET I STILL HEARD FROM HIM 5 NIGHTS A WEEK.
- 18:49 BUT, IT WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE I CAN REMEMBER
- 18:51 YOU WOULD SEND YOU ALL THESE ARTICLES FOR THE LEVITT LETTER.
- 18:54 HE SENT ME THE LEVITT LETTER, STARTED SENDING IT TO ME SEVERAL YEARS BACK
- 18:57 AND I'M VERY INTERESTED IN MID-EAST POLITICS, REALLY ALL KINDS OF POLITICS.
- 19:02 I'VE BEEN INTERESTED SO I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED THIS ARTICLE
- 19:05 SO I STARTED EMAILING THINGS TO ZOLA MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND PRETTY SOON
- 19:09 HE WAS USING HALF THE STUFF I SENT HIM
- 19:11 THAT'S RIGHT.
- 19:12 AND DUNCAN LONG, WHO WAS THE LEVITT LETTER EDITOR
- 19:16 WANTED TO QUIT ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, I GUESS,
- 19:19 AND ZOLA APPROACHED ME ONE DAY, HE SAID, LISTEN,
- 19:21 YOU KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT THE LEVITT LETTER AS ANY OF US,
- 19:24 WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THE JOB OVER,
- 19:25 THAT'S RIGHT.
- 19:26 DUNCAN'S GOING TO LEAVE?
- 19:28 SO, I SAID, SURE I WOULD AND I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR OVER 2 YEARS NOW.
- 19:31 I LOVE DOING IT.
- 19:32 A WONDERFUL PUBLICATION.
- 19:33 AND IT SHOWS, IT REALLY DOES SHOW, IT FLOWS, IT WORKS AND CARTOONS,
- 19:38 EVERYBODY LOVES THE CARTOONS AND THEY LOVE ALL THE ARTICLES.
- 19:41 YOU'VE DONE A WONDERFUL WITH IT.
- 19:43 THANK YOU SANDRA.
- 19:44 ONCE AGAIN, IT'S ZOLA FINDING YOUR TALENTS AND YOUR GIFTS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU
- 19:48 AND HE HAS USED THEM TO GOD'S GLORY AND THAT IS A WONDERFUL TESTIMONY.
- 19:53 EVERY VALENTINE'S DAY, ZOLA WROTE ME A VALENTINE'S SONG.
- 19:57 THIS IS THE LAST ONE HE WROTE ME.
- 20:00 SAMMY DAVENPORT IS OUR ARRANGER AND DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB WITH IT
- 20:04 AND I'D LOVE TO SHARE IT WITH YOU.
- 20:06 HERE'S MY SONG.
- 20:08 ♪♪
- 20:27 SHALOM, HELLO AGAIN.
- 20:28 WELL, HERE WE ARE IN JERUSALEM AS FOR MANY OF OUR NEW SERIES.
- 20:33 LET ME PUT ON, I WOULD WEAR A PRAYER SHAWL AT CERTAIN SERVICES EVENING SERVICES, AND SO ON.
- 20:38 I WOULD NORMALLY WEAR A PURE WHITE ONE BEING LEVITE.
- 20:45 THEY COME IN VARIOUS KIND.
- 20:47 THIS ONE WAS HANDY.
- 20:49 HERE'S, BY THE WAY, A PARTY PASSING ME
- 20:51 AND A BOY CARRYING THE TORAH WHO HAS JUST TURNED 13.
- 20:55 DURING THIS LAST YEAR WHEN HE WAS 12 HE STUDIED AT THE TEMPLE
- 20:58 AND HE PREPARED FOR THIS ONE OF A KIND MOMENT WHEN HE'D BECOME A MAN.
- 21:03 THIS PIECE OF BREAD, THIS THIRD CUP OF WINE AT THE PASSOVER TABLE, THAT IS COMMUNION.
- 21:10 NOW YOU UNDERSTAND BETTER.
- 21:13 WHEN YOU TAKE IT NEXT TIME, REMEMBER WHAT THE SIGNIFICANCE IS.
- 21:18 THIS ISWHAT OUR MINISTRY'S ALL ABOUT, HOPEFULLY WE CAN HELP CHRISTIANITY AND JUDAISM
- 21:25 BECOME ONE NOW AS IT WAS BEFORE AND AS IT WILL BE IN THE FUTURE
- 21:32 ONCE ONE IS CONSECRATED TO MESSIAH, IT'S THE SAME
- 21:36 THAT ONE OBEDIENT TOTAL IMMERSION THAT CONSECRATES ONE FOR SERVICE.
- 21:43 LOOK AT THE CHURCH TODAY, IS IT OF GENTILES OR JEWS,
- 21:46 IS IT ISRAELI OR IS WORLDWIDE, DID IT SUCCEED IN THE EMPIRE?
- 21:50 THERE'S A WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GENTILE PEOPLE AND THAT'S SURPRISING FROM A JEWISH GOSPEL,
- 21:57 A JEWISH MESSIAH, OUT OF A JEWISH OLD TESTAMENT AND SO ON.
- 22:01 IF THIS IS DAVID'S TOMB, THEN HE'S STILL IN IT BECAUSE
- 22:05 DAVID TAUGHT THAT WHILE HIS SOUL WOULD BE RETAINED IN SHEOL,
- 22:09 HIS BODY WOULD GO INTO THE TOMB AND DECAY,
- 22:11 UNLIKE THE BODY OF THE ONE WHO RESURRECTED, THE MESSIAH.
- 22:15 IF JESUS IS NOT MESSIAH, I WOULD SAY THE WHOLE BIBLE IS UNTRUE.
- 22:20 THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING,
- 22:22 BUT, THE PROPHECIES ARE ABSOLUTE AND OBJECTIVE PROOF.
- 22:26 ♪♪
- 22:45 ZOLA USED TO KID ME THAT HE WROTE ME THE VALENTINE'S SONG
- 22:49 BECAUSE HE DIDN'T TO GO OUT AND BUY ME A GIFT.
- 22:52 I REALLY KNEW BETTER.
- 22:54 I KNEW THAT WAS HIS HEART AND EACH OF THE SONGS HE WROTE FOR ME WAS FROM HIS HEART
- 22:58 AND THEY SORT OF REFLECTED ON THE RELATIONSHIP
- 23:02 AND IT HAD GROWN AND HOW WE'D COME TOGETHER.
- 23:04 THEY REALLY WERE WONDERFUL SONGS AND I'M GLAD YOU GOT TO HEAR THAT ONE.
- 23:08 JOINING ME NOW IS A KIND OF SPECIAL GUEST FOR ME.
- 23:10 WE ALL HIM OUR "MAN IN JERUSALEM", BUT HE'S ALSO MY SON, WILL KING.
- 23:15 I LOVE WHEN WE WERE TALKING THE OTHER DAY ABOUT ZOLA AND WE WERE LAUGHING ABOUT HIM GOLFING
- 23:20 AND HATING SAND IN THE GOLF COURSE AND WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?
- 23:23 I LOVED THIS, PLEASE TELL THEM WHAT THEY SAID.
- 23:25 I GUESS BEING A FORMER ARMY MAN, I HAD A DIFFERENT LOOK ON IT.
- 23:29 BASICALLY, THAT WHEN THE LORD COMES BACK, HE'LL BE AT THE HEAD OF AN ARMY AND IN THAT ARMY
- 23:34 HE'S GOING TO NEED SOME GENERALS TO COMMAND THE TROOPS AS WELL,
- 23:37 SO I THINK HE WAS JUST GATHERING ONE OF HIS STRONGEST, MOST PROMINENT GENERALS
- 23:41 TO RALLY THE TROOPS TO COME BACK.
- 23:44 IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST COMFORTING THINGS I THINK THAT I HAD HEARD, TO THINK THAT ZOLA,
- 23:49 WHO LIKES TO ARRANGE THINGS AND MAKE THINGS RIGHT, GENERAL ZOLA IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING HIM NOW.
- 23:54 I WANT TO READ SOME SCRIPTURE TO YOU
- 23:55 AND I AM SO PROUD OF YOU AND THE THINGS YOU'VE DONE IN ISRAEL AND IT SAYS
- 24:07 I REMEMBER YOU COMING TO BOTH, NOT JUST TO ME, BUT TO ZOLA AND SAYING,
- 24:11 I WANT TO GO TO ISRAEL AND TRAVEL AND SO YOU WENT WITH ME ON A TOUR
- 24:15 AND THEN YOU CAME BACK AND YOU SAID, I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO BE THERE AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED?
- 24:20 HOW DID THAT ALL HAPPEN FOR YOU?
- 24:21 WELL, IT WAS A GRADUAL PROCESS.
- 24:23 I THINK TONY WAS TALKING ABOUT THE DECEMBER TOUR IN 2000,
- 24:27 THAT WAS MY VERY FIRST TIME THERE, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INTIFADA.
- 24:31 HARDLY ANYONE ELSE WAS THERE.
- 24:32 YES, RAIN, COLD EVERYDAY, SO WEATHER-WISE
- 24:36 IT WAS NOT A PLACE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH AT THE TIME, BUT IT JUST, EVERY PLACE WE WENT,
- 24:43 EVERY SITE, JUST REACHED OUT AND GRABBED YOU IN A NEW DIFFERENT WAY,
- 24:46 KIND OF PULLED YOU IN A LITTLE FURTHER EACH TIME
- 24:48 AND YOU KNOW THE FIRST TIME YOU GO, IT'S JUST TOTALLY AMAZING.
- 24:53 YOU COME FROM AMERICA THAT'S 200 YEARS OLD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN OVER HERE
- 24:57 WE HAVE SOMETHING 2000 YEARS OLD, IT'S A LOT TO TAKE IN THE FIRST TIME.
- 25:02 SO, I HAD TO GO BACK ANOTHER TIME,
- 25:04 THAT'S RIGHT AND ANOTHER TIME AND ANOTHER TIME
- 25:07 AND EACH TIME I WENT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I REALLY LIKE IT HERE.
- 25:10 I THINK I COULD SEE COMING HERE AND STUDYING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD
- 25:14 AND THEN ABOUT THE THIRD OR FOURTH TIME,
- 25:16 I'VE HAD ENOUGH WITH THE 10 HOUR PLANE RIDE, I JUST WANT TO LIVE HERE.
- 25:19 AND IT HAS BEEN A BLESSING.
- 25:21 I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING "OUR MAN IN JERUSALEM"
- 25:24 AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BLESSING THE MINISTRY WITH THE TRUTH THAT IS ISRAEL.
- 25:29 I READ NOW FROM PSALM 33:11
- 25:37 YOU ARE THAT GENERATION, BECAUSE OF YOUR HELP, BECAUSE OF YOUR PRAYERS,
- 25:42 WE HAVE MADE MANY PROGRAMS AND WE WILL GO ON.
- 25:45 WE'VE GOT PROGRAMS WE STILL WANT YOU TO SEE.
- 25:47 WE'VE GOT PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE,
- 25:49 IN FACT ONE OF THE FIRST PROGRAMS WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU
- 25:52 IS A SIX-PART SERIES ON A RETROSPECTIVE OF THE MINISTRY, 27 YEARS OF THE MINISTRY.
- 25:59 THEN WE'VE GOT ANOTHER PROGRAM COMING UP CALLED "WOMEN OF FAITH",
- 26:03 WHICH I THINK YOU'LL LIKE THAT, TOO.
- 26:05 AND AS ALWAYS, SHA'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM, PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.
- 26:12 ♪♪
- 26:20 ♪SHA'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM, ♪SHA'ALU, SHA'ALU SHALOM
- 26:28 ♪FOR THE HOLY CITY OF JERUSALEM ♪WE WILL PRAY FOR PEACE ♪SHA'ALU SHALOM
- 26:37 ♪♪
- 26:38 HERE IS THE OLD JEWISH TRUNK AND HERE IS THE YOUNG STRONG CHURCH GRAFTED IN.
- 26:43 THE GENTILES ARE GRAFTED INTO THE JEWISH OLIVE TREE.
- 26:46 THEY GET THEIR NOURISHMENT FROM THE JEWISH ROOTS.
- 26:49 YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT YOUNG TRUNK AND JUST SAW IT OFF
- 26:52 AND STAND IT UP ON THE GROUND SOMEWHERE WITH NO ROOTS.
- 26:54 IT'LL DIE IN A WEEK.
- 26:56 WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL IN THE UNITED STATES "REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY"
- 26:59 WHERE YOU REPLACE THE IDEALS OF A PEOPLE.
- 27:02 THE LIBERAL CHURCH BELIEVES THEY HAVE BELIEVE THEY HAVE REPLACED ISRAEL AS THE NEW CHOSEN PEOPLE.
- 27:09 SOME CHURCHES TEACH THIS "GOBBLEDY GOOK".
- 27:13 TRULY, I FEEL SORRY FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN ISRAEL.
- 27:17 YOU HAVE TO SHUT YOUR EYES AND PUT YOUR HANDS OVER THEM
- 27:20 TO NOT SEE THE MIRACLE OF DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF JEWISH PEOPLE IN THE LAND NOW
- 27:25 THEN THERE WERE UNDER KING DAVID AND SOLOMON AND STILL COMING.
- 27:28 THE JEWS HAVE BEEN 4000 YEARS.
- 27:30 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN THERE SINCE THE 1960'S.
- 27:34 THAT'S HOW LONG THE ARABS HAVE CALLED THEMSELVES PALESTINIANS.
- 27:37 THAT'S A PR GAME AND IT HAS WORKED ON AMERICANS, MAINLY BECAUSE OF OUR MEDIA.
- 27:43 IT'S REAL BELIEF IN THE REAL JESUS CHRIST
- 27:45 NOT A STATUE OF HIM, NOT HIS MOTHER,
- 27:48 HIM, THE SAVIOR, THE MESSIAH, A HEARTFELT BELIEF IN HIM,
- 27:53 A PARTICIPATION IN HIS SACRIFICE, HIS DEATH AND HIS RESURRECTION
- 27:56 AND THAT WAY YOU'RE SAVED AND YOU GO TO THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF THE RIGHTEOUS
- 28:00 BECAUSE YOU WILL BE ONE OF THE RIGHTEOUS.
- 28:02 WELL, UNTIL WE TALK AGAIN, SHA'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM, PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.
Episodes in this series
- Remembering Zola (Memorial Service for Zola Levitt)
- In Loving Memory (Memories from Zola’s family and friends)