July 1999: Volume 21, Number 7

Contents Don't expect a major change in policy Open Letter to NPR Listerers Zola's Bulletin Board A Note from Zola Has Joseph's Tomb Been Found in Egypt (Part Two) Jesus' Ressurrection Power Reaches Us Here and Now Letters to Zola Summer Camp in Arafat Land Arafat's Autocrats David Bar-Illan David Bar-Illan, who speaks to each of our tour groups, has an especially clear-eyed view of what really happened in the recent Israeli election. As senior advisor to ex-Prime Minister Netanyahu, his opinions are well worth considering. Don't expect a major change in policy David Bar-Illan From the Jerusalem Post Ehud Barak's landslide victory was not a triumph for the Labor Party. Unlike the election victories of Tony Blair and Gerhard Schroeder, Barak's election has brought no shift from right to left. Nor was it a victory for Israel's doves. On the contrary. Even after incorporating the dovish religious party Meimad and the social-agenda party Gesher, Labor lost more than a fifth of its Knesset seats. And while the Likud was even more thoroughly trounced, its votes went to other right-of-center parties, not to the dovish left. It is, then, a personal rather than an ideological victory for Barak. Most observers view this as an inevitable result of a long and vituperative campaign which focused on personalities rather than issues. On a personal level, Binyamin Netanyahu was far more vulnerable than Barak. Throughout the three years of his stewardship, he was savaged by an unprecedented, merciless media assault on his character, abetted by unsubtle calumnies from world leaders irritated by his policies. By the time of the election, he had become everyone's favorite villain, an enemy of peace, a man devoid of principles and incapable of telling the truth. That no one could actually point to a single major discrepancy between his promises and his performance seemed immaterial. To berate Netanyahu and wish his downfall became the politically correct thing to do. In fact, few political leaders have been more consistent than Netanyahu. Unlike his martyred predecessor, the late Yitzhak Rabin—who had vowed never to recognize the PLO, never to negotiate with Yasser Arafat, and never to relinquish the Golan — Netanyahu did not deviate from what he said he would do. He scrupulously adhered to the Oslo Accords, while insisting that the Palestinians reciprocate by fulfilling their commitment to combat terrorism. With such reciprocity, he said, the Oslo principle of "territory for peace" might work. Without it, the formula would become the sheer insanity of "territory for terrorism." This insistence on Palestinian participation in the anti-terrorist effort is undoubtedly responsible, at least in part, for the dramatic decline in terrorist activity in the past three years. It is a considerable achievement, considered virtually unattainable not long ago. Netanyahu was also the first Likud leader who made most of his followers accept the partitioning of the Land of Israel. His agreements with the Palestinians, unlike those signed by the Labor government, enjoyed overwhelming support both in the Knesset and in the public. They were an affirmation of a historic truism: only hawks can have the broad support necessary to make peace. But perhaps Netanyahu's most impressive achievement was in the economic sphere. In three years he halved inflation, made unprecedented cuts in the national budget, dramatically reduced the trade deficit, privatized more than all previous governments put together, deregulated the currency, attracted more foreign investments than ever, and survived the worldwide economic crisis—all without raising taxes. The world's leading economists have praised Netanyahu's performance with unalloyed superlatives, but these achievements, too, were over-shadowed by the rhetoric. There is not a great deal of difference between Barak's vision of the final-status agreement with the Palestinians and that of Netanyahu's. Both are committed to an undivided Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, both consider the Jordan Valley Israel's strategic border, both oppose withdrawing to the 1967 armistice lines, and both have pledged to keep the settlements under Israeli control. That Barak may be willing to concede a little more of the West Bank than Netanyahu would is hardly enough to bridge the gap with Palestinian ambitions. Even what Barak feels Israel can safely forfeit is far short of the Palestinians' minimum demands. This irreconcilable gap makes expectations for quick progress in the peace negotiations less than realistic. There are those who expect Barak to form a coalition with parties to his left, including the Arab parties, and accede to Palestinian demands. The Peace Now camp in Israel, as well as the European governments and some influential elements in the US administration, believe that the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital will conduce to peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. But even if Barak wished to reach such an agreement with the Palestinians, he does not have the coalition in the Knesset to support it. Nor is it likely that such a solution could ever be sold to the Israeli public. While most Israelis seem to believe that the Oslo process would inevitably produce a Palestinian state, very few support the establishment of such a state unless it is demilitarized. This means that it must be prevented from allowing terrorists from operating from its territory, raising a large army and equipping it with heavy arms, concluding treaties with such regimes as Iraq and Iran, and importing "volunteers" to join its armed forces. In short, it cannot be fully sovereign. With such differences still separating the Oslo partners, it is unrealistic to expect drastic changes in Israeli policies. What is more likely is a change in style, which many would welcome, and which may improve the government's image both internally and abroad. If Barak can achieve greater understanding for Israel's position, his personal victory will truly be a turning point in Israel's history. Return to Index Editorial An Open Letter to NPR Listeners and Contributors About the Network's Biased Coverage of Israel (CAMERA, The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) National Public Radio is a trusted news source of many subjects and offers valuable cultural programs. Regrettably, coverage of Israel has long been marred by distortion and error. To cite but one example, on March 12, 1998, NPR aired a strikingly biased and inaccurate segment about Jerusalem by reporter Mike Shuster. Presented through documentation of the report's errors, NPR officials, including Vice President for News Jeffrey Dvorkin, stonewalled and refused to act. NPR's Mike Shuster claimed Israel has suffocated Arab building in Jerusalem and destroyed "thousands" of illegal Arab structures in the city. FACT: A building boom is underway in Arab neighborhoods. Indeed, housing construction by Jerusalem's Arabs, both licensed and unlicensed, has outpaced Jewish construction over the last thirty years. This key information, with corroborating aerial photographs and statistics, was provided to Shuster when he was preparing his report. He ignored it. He was also deceptive about house demolitions. In 1998, for example, Israel's Interior Ministry issued 201 demolition orders against illegal building in eastern Jerusalem, but implemented only 9. The Jerusalem Municipality cited 578 cases of illegal Arab building, but demolished just 12 structures. (Ha'aretz 3/2/99) NPR claimed, "With its Palestinian East Side and its Jewish West Side, Jerusalem remains a divided city, but in recent years, Israeli authorities have pursued policies that have made the city less Arab and more Jewish." FACT: Wrong again. Jerusalem is more Arab and less Jewish today than in 1967 when Israel united its capital. Then the Arabs were 26% of the total; now they are 30%. NPR also suppresses news about blatant anti-peace activities by the Palestinian Authority, including virulent anti-Semitism in official PA textbooks. For example, a text for ninth-graders teaches that "treachery and disloyalty are character traits of the Jews." An eighth-grade book states: "Satan has...made [many peoples'] evil actions appear beautiful [in their own eyes]. . . Such a people are the Jews." The New History of the Arabs and the World equates Zionism and Nazism. Although in possession of this disturbing material for months, NPR has yet to report on it. Why the silence on this key story, and why the distorted portrayal of Israel? Perhaps because of endemic bias at NPR — Foreign Editor Loren Jenkins, for example, terms Israel a colonizer in Jerusalem. With such extreme views acceptable at NPR, the false and distorted coverage is unsurprising. Join Us in Calling for Journalistic Integrity at NPR and an End to Corporate Stonewalling Urge your Senators/Representatives to investigate NPR's Middle East coverage Urge the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funnels tax dollars to NPR, to obey its Federal mandate requiring "strict adherence to objectivity and balance" (Call CPB comment line at 800-272-2190) Reconsider financial support for NPR until the anti-Israel bias ceases Return to Index Zola's Bulletin Board Answering Service Update Now that we've settled in our new office and repaired our telephone system, you can reach us at (214) 696-8844. Our P.O. Box remains the same, as does 1-800-WONDERS (966-3377) for credit card purchases or donations of $10 or more. To help us minimize expenses, our answering service is going to put fewer of our callers on hold by allowing overflow calls to ring busy rather than wait while connected. If you get a busy signal, then try again after a few minutes. We believe you will agree that an occasional busy signal is better stewardship than paying both an answering service and a long distance company for hold time. Israel Bonds Founded in 1951 by David Ben- Gurion, Israel's first Prime Minister,the Development Corporation for Israel has sold Israel bonds for indus trial, agricultural and technological projects. They currently offer rates of roughly 6% on five- to fifteen-year bonds and require a minimum investment of $2,500. For more information, please call 1-800-676-3101 or visit www.israelbonds.com Listen to Zola on Your Computer Worship Radio is broadcasting soundtracks of our TV programs at www.worshipradio.com/zola.htm Of course, if you go to www.worshipradio.com and leave off the /zola.htm, you'll find quite a variety of online Christian radio, including live broadcasts! September, November, December Israel Tours The kibbutz tour in June was such a bargain and so delightful that we are adding another kibbutz tour November 19-28. Our December tour will include our traditional hotels, cooler weather and low off-season pricing. Our high holiday Deluxe Tour departs on September 5, and the Grand Tour on September 2. Both will return on the 16th. We'll be offering add-on fares with savings on domestic flights. Before the millenium ends, you'll want to visit the land where time began. Christian Legal Society We started out to offer names, addresses and telephone numbers of Christian attorneys for those drafting wills and creating trusts. Now we have received a directory with Christian attorneys from most major U.S. cities. Whether or not you have a will or ever plan to support this ministry, you are welcome to call our office at (214) 696-8844, during business hours Central Time, for contact information of a Christian attorney near you. We can only make this free service available if you call our (214) number during office hours or email us at . Return to Index A Note From Zola Dear Friends, At the time of this writing, there seems to be some kind of "peace" accommodation in the Kosovo situation. The dictator Milosevic will have to back up, and NATO troops will guarantee the safe passage of the Kosovars back to their homes, at least at this time. On the subject of dealing with dictators, obviously NATO could not negotiate with Milosevic nor ever give in to any of his selfish demands. I was struck by a statement of a NATO official, "We can't expect democracies to prop up dictatorships." That started me to wondering about the dictatorships that prop up the Palestinians in Israel. Iranian money is behind a lot of the terrorism; and Syria, obviously, foments unrest in the Holy Land. Both of those nations are dictatorships of the worst kind, where the head men dominate the entire population to the point where virtually no one is allowed to have his own opinion. How do such dictators stay in office? In Syria's case, Assad, one of the bloodiest and most treacherous dictators in the world today, has his people convinced that there's an ongoing conflict with Israel that he must manage for them. It's sort of like inventing a foreign war to keep the folks at home in line, rather like in the movie Wag the Dog. Our own country does not have a dictator since we elect our presidents, but they can behave sort of like dictators sometimes. Clinton does not need foreign wars to stay in power, but he apparently needs them to distract the populace, and many have suggested that this is why we're involved in Yugoslavia at the moment. Clinton's statements about the Holy Land are especially suspicious. Look at the following two paragraphs carefully from a recent Jerusalem Post article just before the Israeli election. Our government said this . . . The Clinton administration last Friday announced in a report that while terrorism around the world remains in decline, seven countries — including Syria, Iran, Iraq, Libya and Sudan — continue to be state sponsors of terrorism, while the Palestinian Authority "continued to act against Palestinian perpetrators of anti-Israel violence." . . . but the real truth was this . . . The Prime Minister's Office said last week that the release of key Hamas militants by PA Chairman Yasser Arafat is a sure indication that the PA is keeping the "option of terrorism open." Responding to a newspaper report that Arafat released three Hamas terrorist leaders who had planned and ordered suicide bombings in 1996, Netanyahu told Israel Radio: "I can confirm that in recent weeks, the Palestinian Authority has freed from its prisons central activists of the Hamas, including people involved in hostile activity and acts of terror against Israel." The Biblical point in all this is that the world is being led toward the ultimate dictator, the Antichrist. Whole populations like the Red Chinese and even small areas like Cuba or like Gaza are being weaned toward central control so that the Antichrist's goal of world domination will be all the easier to accomplish. Since the Rapture of the Church will occur before he comes to power, great sectors of democratic societies will be missing—that is, the believers will have ascended with the Lord— and the world will be largely a series of dictatorships anyway. It would be easy, for example, for the populations of the 21 Arab nations to look to a dictator since that's what they do every day, and so on throughout the world. This newsletter is very full so I will break off my own commentary, but suffice it to say that we have a great many interesting letters, combative and complimentary to talk about, and we'll run those in next month's issue. Thanks for your faithful reading and your support. The Kibbutz Tour just returned from Israel with reports of excellent Bible teaching and pleasurable times throughout. Our next tour is in September. The Deluxe Tour (September 5-16) visits all the major Biblical sites. Among the sites we will visit: the ancient City of David, Jerusalem, Israel's national memorial to the Holocaust, and the Israel Museum where we will examine the Dead Sea Scrolls. We will gather at the summit of the Mount of Olives, walk through the Garden of Gethsemane, see the Upper Room, Calvary, the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, the site of the Sermon on the Mount, Masada, Jericho, the Garden Tomb, and you can choose to be baptized in the Jordan River. The Grand Tour (September 2-16) has an extension to a luxurious resort city on the Dead Sea. We will tour the beautiful Negev Desert, visit En Gedi where David hid from King Saul, Beer Sheba, Ashkelon where Samson visited, and other fascinating sites. You may choose the fourth day to relax by the pool, take advantage of the Spa options at the resort, or enjoy an optional excursion to Petra, the "rose-red city half as old as time." During our extended tour, we will see all of Israel's four seas—the Mediterranean, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, and the Red Sea! As well as the prophecy special to be aired in prime time in September, we are also filming our new series that will begin September 5. It is titled "Prophecy 2000." Thank you for all your valuable help in this endeavor. We simply couldn't accomplish what we do without you. And please remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Your messenger, Return to Index TWO-PART EDITORIAL (PART ONE FOUND IN PREVIOUS ISSUE) Has Joseph's Tomb Been Found in Egypt? Part Two By Thomas S. McCall, Th.D. THE NEW EGYPTIAN CHRONOLOGY It is important to understand that the Biblical chronology does not put the Exodus at 1300 BC, but rather some 150 years before that, around 1450 BC. What a difference a couple of hundred years make! At that time period, there is evidence of a massive Semitic occupation of Goshen. Until recently, though, Egyptologists have claimed that this could not be the Hebrew occupation described in the Scriptures, because it is too early. They ascribe this occupation to other type Semites, such as the Hittites. However, there is a small but very vocal group of Egyptologists, led by British scholar David Rohl (author of Pharaohs and Kings), that is vehemently challenging the conventional chronology. They assert that there are numerous fallacies in the assumptions of the accepted chronology, and they have established a new chronology based on what they believe are more sound Egyptian archaeological grounds. Having done this, these secular scientists were astonished to discover that the new chronology supports the Biblical chronology, and the once mute Egyptian evidence is alive with testimony to the validity of Biblical history. THE HISTORICITY OF JOSEPH One case in point is the historicity of Joseph. By looking for Hebrew occupation in the several hundred years before 1450 BC (instead of around 1300 BC), there is much evidence. There are large peasant-type cities in Goshen, with a Semitic culture obviously different from that of their Egyptian hosts. There are also some mass graves with numerous bodies, very unusual in Egypt, indicating some kind of plague that struck the land, as indicated in the Book of Exodus. In the upper Nile River, where the water flows between high cliffs, there are markings by the Pharaohs of the high levels of the river. There are several years in a row in this early time frame, when the level was marked as extremely high. This would cause excessive flooding along the Nile, making it impossible to plant crops until it was too late for the growing season, ruining the harvest. The new breed of Egyptologists thinks that the seven bad years in Egypt in Joseph's time were caused by this type of flooding action, rather than by a lengthy drought. There is other evidence of Joseph in Egypt during this time period. An artificial lake was made in ancient times called Lake Moeris. It was formed by a canal running off the Nile River called to this day the Canal of Joseph. Beside the lake, which still exists (although smaller in size), there are ruins of a massive building, which contained a labyrinth, and was considered one of the greatest structures of its time by the Greek historian/traveler, Herodotus. The building had twelve sections (reminiscent of the twelve tribes), and might well have been an administrative headquarters for Joseph's agricultural program. The Pharaoh of the time was obviously very proud of the lake and the massive building, because he built his own pyramid at the site for his burial. Nothing like this complex exists anywhere else in the vast ruins of ancient Egypt. Again, the new Egyptologists suggest that this complex is stunning evidence for a remarkable foreign assistant to Pharaoh, and occurs in the correct time frame for Joseph. THE POSSIBLE PALACE, TOMB AND STATUE OF JOSEPH One last stunning piece of evidence for Joseph exists, and that brings us back to his burial in Goshen, and his bones that were removed by Moses at the time of the Exodus. In this same area in Goshen, where a large contingent of Semites lived, a great palace has been discovered, with a garden and a tomb, curious in its combination of Egyptian and Semitic styles. Rohl and his colleagues believe the palace is that of Joseph, perhaps his retirement villa after many years of service to Pharaoh. It has two apartments in front, suggesting the living quarters of his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. In the rear are the more spacious living quarters of the prime occupants, perhaps Joseph and his Egyptian wife. Adjacent to the ruins of the palace, there is an elegant garden area, and in the garden was an unusual tomb. The tomb was in the shape of a small pyramid, but it is clear that the vault was broken into and the remains removed. However, the damage to the tomb was not like that done by the all too common grave robbers of Egypt. It appears to be a careful and methodical removal of bricks from the tomb, as one would expect where the bones of Joseph were carefully removed from his long-used grave by Moses. Could it be that we have here the very tomb of the great patriarch Joseph? The evidence certainly takes it out of the realm of mythology, even for the hardened scientist, and into the realm of accurate history. But there is more. In the tomb complex, there are ruins of an ancient statue, also unusual in its design and subject matter. It has been violently smashed almost beyond recognition, but enough of it has been found to piece together a possible identification. The statue is of a man who had obvious stature in the Egyptian power structure, with the symbol of Pharaoh's authority, the throw-stick, on his chest. Yet he also has an unusual Semitic hairdo, with flaming red hair, and wears a coat with variegated colors. The statue has been deliberately smashed and defaced, with an obvious attempt to destroy the head and face. It is as though the remaining Egyptians were so angry with the Semitic inhabitants that, when the Semites left, the Egyptians tried to destroy any trace of their occupation. One could well imagine this to be the reaction of the Egyptians after suffering the plagues and the Red Sea destruction at the hand of the Hebrews and their mighty God. The similarities between this ruined statue with the Biblical account of Joseph are so striking, that Rohl has an artist's conception of what this statue might have looked like on the front cover of his book. The new Egyptologists are persuaded that they have not only corrected some of the most glaring errors in understanding the history of ancient Egypt, but that they have constructed a marvelous bridge between the histories of Egypt and Israel that demand further study and appreciation. Not least in this consideration is the possibility that the artifacts of the unique person of Joseph have been discovered in the stone ruins of Egyptian archaeology. Return to Index Editorial JESUS' RESURRECTION POWER REACHES US HERE AND NOW By: Douglas Travis, The Dallas Morning News I was recently honored to make my first pilgrimage to Israel, to walk where Jesus walked and pray where Jesus prayed. On several occasions I was moved to tears, touched by the magnitude of not only who He was but also who He is. Indeed, everybody in our group at some point or another was overwhelmed. All of which gave me occasion to reflect upon the sorrow I feel that, despite having studied in several theological schools owned and run by mainline denominations, I never took a class from a New Testament professor who believed the resurrection of Jesus to be an historical event. Though my teachers generally had a vague concern to retain some identification with the historic traditions of the Christian faith, they invariably drew a distinction between the "Jesus of history" and the "Christ of faith." While there clearly was a Jesus who lived, taught, and was executed by the Romans (though we could know precious little about Him), they were unanimous in their conviction that He had not been raised from the dead because quite simply, such things don't happen. Such a vision of Jesus left me then as now with a question: What reason have I to convert to the Christian faith if Jesus was not—literally and historically—raised from the dead? (See Corinthians 15:19.) What is there to convert to? In more recent years, on another pilgrimage, I was privileged to pray at the place where young Christian boys—12, 13, and 14 years old—had been wrapped in bamboo shoots, stacked and burned. A gruesome death, surpassed in horror perhaps only by crucifixion. Why were they so killed? They had been pages of the Ugandan Kabaka, or king. Initially the Kabaka had allowed missionaries to teach his people the Christian faith. But when he realized that this Jesus would command an allegiance even greater than that which he commanded, he insisted that those who had been converted renounce their loyalty to the Lord. Those who refused were executed — cruelly. What so filled the souls of these young adolescents that they would die public and shameful deaths rather than deny their Lord? Many of them had not yet even been confirmed. So dying, they became martyrs—witnesses to the power and glory of the Christian faith. That faith can be explained only on the premise that Jesus truly and historically was raised from the dead. But we must be careful not to leave the resurrection in the first century. Dallas Willard argues, in his brilliant book The Divine Conspiracy, that conservative and liberal Christians share a propensity for keeping the power of the resurrection at arm's length. Liberal Christians do so by denying its historicity. Conservative Christians, though they embrace its historical reality, are tempted to ascribe its effects only to what happens to us when we die. But the power of the resurrection was immediately and tangibly experienced by those first apprentices of Jesus who witnessed not only the empty tomb but also His miraculous and divine resurrected face as He spoke with them. Those boys in Uganda—and people in countless other places across the globe and throughout history—likewise knew that they had known someone who made even their lives worth giving. Jesus was raised not only that we might go to heaven but also that we might know Him now, in this moment, in this place, wherever we are. The full significance of Jesus' resurrection is that it revealed that a new and eternal life—the resurrection life, life lived in God's kingdom—is available not only in some incomprehensibly distant future, but even now, if we accept the gift of God's Holy Spirit. What is eternal life? To know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (John 17:3). This is not simply knowledge that God raised Jesus from the dead—a mere historical fact. This is the knowledge that one has of a cherished friend. "I have called you friends," Jesus said, "for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you" (Jn. 15:15). The gift of the resurrection is nothing more or less than that we may enter into the most intimate friendship with the One whom God has raised from the dead and who now calls us friend. In this friendship eternal life begins —and has no ending. Letters to Zola Zola,           I just wanted to tell you that I stand with you against Catholic teachings. I was a Catholic for 30 years until I was born again. Then I was a Christian.... I left [the Catholic Church] and started going to . . . a Christian church who's on fire for Jesus, and they stick to the Bible, not their own teachings. . . .           I wish I'd known what [the Catholic Church] was teaching me wasn't true. No, I won't go to hell for kissing a boy in the eighth grade. No, I don't have to be perfect or God will hate me. No, I don't have to work my sins off, which is the biggest lie of all. I realize all Catholics don't teach all this garbage, but that's what I was taught. Two years ago when my Dad died, all the Catholic family on my Mom's side called me up and insisted I go to his rosary service. I didn't want to go because I don't pray to Mary, something my Dad used to get really mad at me for not doing, but I told him we are supposed to pray to Jesus . . . he wouldn't ever listen. . . .           . . . the things they taught me were wrong, and I wasted most of my life getting too frustrated with trying to be perfect. I feel a lot of peace now, knowing that He can and will do all things for me. And in my weakness, He is made strong. And the best part of all to me is that He actually loves me when no one else would. For that I will love Him forever. No one else was ever there for me, let alone dying for all my sins.           I just appreciate it that you stick to your guns, even amidst heavy gunfire from still-trapped Catholics. I pray God will use you to open their eyes and set them free. I was a slave, but now I'm set free, and it feels SOOO good!!! God bless you always. — His servant Dear Zola and staff:           [We] very much enjoyed attending your prophecy conference. The sessions were interesting and informative, and they provided the basis for some really enjoyable discussion in our rooms and at home afterward. We enjoyed the opportunity to meet you, Tom, Moishe, and [Todd] as well as some of your staff. I have also really enjoyed reading Testimonies of Jews Who Believe in Jesus by Moishe's daughter, Ruth Rosen. [My wife] has been waiting to get at it when I am through. We hope all went well with your move to your new office space, and we are all looking forward to your fall conference.           On returning home, I read the May Levitt Letter, which had arrived just before we left for the prophecy conference. The number of letters taking issue with you regarding your statements about denominational churches prompts me to add this note to the writers of those letters as much as to you. Normally, [my wife] and I don't make much of an issue about which church we attend, as we both feel that the only thing that really matters is to follow our Lord, Jesus. But since we are speaking of denominations, I will say that we attend a Lutheran Church, specifically a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The name is something of an oxymoron, because in our experience Lutherans as a denomination have long ago forgotten how to be evangelical (hopefully, we can learn again). We have also a fair amount of experience with the Baptist denomination . . . and with Assembly of God . . . We have also attended Roman Catholic congregations on occasion and know something of their doctrines.           Zola, what you say about denominational churches is, based on our experience, right on track. The wheat and the tares are definitely being allowed to grow together until the time of the harvest. But God continues to reserve a faithful remnant in the denominational churches just as He does in Israel. There are many of us working within the denominational churches who understand that we cannot love Jesus and have anything other than love in our hearts for His chosen people, the Jews. And even though we may not be able to afford to go to Israel until we all go at government expense, we still know that God has given that land to the Jewish people forever, so we also feel an attachment to the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem as God's special place for the Jewish people, as well as for those of us who have also been made heir to the promises through Jesus.           We can sometimes begin to feel like Elijah when he thought he was the only one left who followed the way of the Lord, and if Jezebel had her way there would be none left. Then again we can sometimes, unless we really stay abreast of everything that is going on within our denomination, get the idea that everything that is happening in our denomination is pleasing in the Lord's sight. In reality, of course, neither extreme is correct. The truth is that there are believers in Jesus, who sincerely want to learn what God teaches us in scripture and who truly want to follow in His ways, scattered throughout all the various denominations, sometimes more in spite of the denominational churches than because of them. Many of us feel a calling to keep working within our denomination and our local congregation to correct error, to promote the correct understanding of scripture, and to produce an environment that will actually help the Holy Spirit bring people to Jesus rather than hinder the process. Sometimes it feels like a losing battle, and other times we sense some moderate success, usually at the congregational level, and always due far more to God's efforts than ours.           Just one final thought. I don't recall that Jesus ever included the idea of building a church organization in the great commission. It seems that He had the idea that He, along with the Holy Spirit, was fully capable of organizing the whole evangelical process and of keeping us working, worshipping, and celebrating together as believers. It would seem that once we decided that we needed to organize this whole thing under human leadership, we did much as Israel did when they told Samuel that they wanted a real king, a human king like the other nations had. Human organizations have a way of tending toward deterioration, and only with the greatest effort can they be prevented from becoming harmful.           Zola, may God continue to bless you and your. . . ministry greatly. You are doing more to promote the work of the Kingdom than you can ever know until Jesus tells you one of these days. — Shalom, C. & J. Zola, Please discontinue sending me the "Levitt Letter" and your other newsletter.           I am a born-again Christian who attends a Messianic Jewish synagogue, also attend a Christ-centered, Spirit-filled nondenominational Bible church. I support Messianic Jewish ministries and a Messianic Jewish friend who evangelizes to her people and to the Moslem people in Israel. I pray for Israel and Jerusalem every day, and I pray that the eyes of the Jewish people will be opened to the Gospel and to their Jewish Messiah, Yeshua. Does this make me better than you or anyone else? No. I'm just trying to do what the Lord has called me to do, as I'm sure you are. I understand you want to open people's eyes to the truth, but you do it in a very blunt, attacking-sort-of way. For someone who wishes to teach the truth of the Gospel, you certainly teach it in a way that shows you have a lot of anger inside. I have never heard you teach (at least in writing) with the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ. On your show, you are much more toned down and show some love and compassion, but in your letters, you have a great deal of hate and prejudice toward all who are not of Jewish heritage, regardless of whether they are born-again. I cannot read such hate-filled words any more.           Regardless of the point you're trying to get across, there is a better way than the way in which you do it. So please discontinue the mailings. — Thank you, L.L. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (1 Cor. 12:13) Way to go, Zola!           Thank you so much for hitting the bullseye and not backing down. When I first read your comments regarding the problems in many religious denominations, I thought, "Ouch. That stings." Then I read the comments from some readers in the last newsletter and thought, "OK, NOW I get it!" This is what I feel you are trying to say to the people reading your newsletter: STOP being devoted to your denomination and be devoted to G-d!!           So many people get wrapped up in religion and don't look deeper into their own personal relationship with the Father. They don't even know what beliefs their denomination is supporting! Many people get involved with cultic religions and have no idea what doctrines they are ascribing to. I know that when you talk about the doctrines of certain denominations, you are not condemning EVERY church and person associated with the denomination. However, you MUST by virtue of your calling as a minister point out erroneous doctrines. We don't need to stick our heads in the sand in regard to the doctrines of our denominational leaders. If we don't know what is going on, how can we let our voices be heard? Just because I as an individual do not agree with what is being done in my church government, does not excuse me from anything. I have an obligation to stand up for what is holy, right, decent and above all Scriptural. If I do not, I have sinned against G-d. Silence is often the worst offense. Didn't we learn this from the Holocaust? So come on people, stand up for what is right! First LISTEN to what is being condoned by your church and its leadership. STUDY what the Word of G-d has to say about the matter. PRAY for wisdom to discern. ACT on what you know is right. Hey Zola —did I get it? — S.E. Return to Index Editorial The following shocking article ran last summer in THE NEW YORK POST. We suspect Arafat has kept the same policies. Summer Camp in Arafat Land NEW YORK POST Once upon a time, kids went to summer camp to swim and play. Not so in the West Bank and Gaza, where Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority (PA) runs a network of children's military and political training camps straight out of Mao's Cultural Revolution. And the PA isn't exactly bashful about these facilities. Palestinian TV has proudly broadcast scenes showing dozens of youngsters— some no more than 9 or 10 years old—jumping through rings of fire and playing commando by engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Nor is this merely physical exercise. The children are lectured on such subjects as how to use a rifle and how to use nails, plaster and tires for self-defense. Another training program for young teens is held in coordination with the PA Naval Police. And then there is the propaganda— endless, unceasing calls for jihad (holy war) and the need to exact revenge for the creation of a Jewish State. It's chilling to watch these youngsters, some wearing t-shirts adorned with cartoon characters, chanting at the top of the lungs: "My children are in the suicide squad. With stones and bullets I will come to you, my country. Young men and women and stones protect you." What sort of folk songs do these youngsters sing? Here's one selection: "I come to you with my sword in hand. We will oust [Israel] out to the sea. Your day is coming, my country, when we will settle accounts. Our accounts are unending in stones and bullets." In between the mock commando raids, the youngsters are constantly drilled by their trainers with the language not of peace and reconciliation but of hate and war. Through songs, posters and other activities, the "campers" are taught one message: Israel is Palestine and the Jewish State must be destroyed. Why haven't you heard about these horrifying kiddie camps? Because the media, intent on portraying Arafat and his ministers as meaningful partners in peace, refuse to cover any activities that might threaten the carefully cultivated image of Arafat as peacemaker. Even an activity like the summer camp program, in which the PLO takes great public pride. Next time you hear criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's legitimate security concerns, think long and hard about the PLO's summer camps. And remember that it's impossible to take seriously professions of peace from someone who is busy training the next generation of Palestinians to launch a war against the Jewish state. Return to Index Editorial Arafat's Autocrats KENNETH C. LEITER, THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS Before members of The Dallas Morning News editorial board line up to congratulate Yasser Arafat on his coup of creating a Palestinian state, I think a reality check is in order. Do we as a democracy-loving people really want to congratulate Mr. Arafat on the kind of state he and the PLO are planning to perpetrate upon the Palestinian Arabs? It is a thoroughly autocratic state run largely by Mr. Arafat and his security forces. It is a state where torture is endemic in Palestinian Authority jails, where in the last four years 18 people were killed. Not one of those killed by the PA security forces was a terrorist. Mr. Arafat has used his "war against terrorists" as a front for arresting, torturing and killing political opposition. Reporters are routinely arrested and beaten. When a university television station broadcast meetings of the PA Council, Mr. Arafat pulled the plug. Although the PA Council exposed corruption in Mr. Arafat's government and forced the resignations of some members of his cabinet, it endorsed the torture and killing of Palestinians in jails, endorsed the restrictions on free speech and press, and endorsed the killing of real estate dealers who sold land to Jews. The kind of state Mr. Arafat and his backers are celebrating is nothing less than a terrorist state. Is that the kind of state that will produce peace in the Middle East? I think not. Return to Index Return to Levitt Letter Archive Index Return to Home Page